Found this on the web ....
This notable surname, with spellings of MacLean, Maclean, MacLaine, McLean, Mccleane, McLane, and others, is widely recorded in Scotland and Ireland. It is a developed form of the Old Gaelic name "Mac gille Eoin", which translates as "the son of the devotee of (St) John", from "Mac", meaning son of, and "gille", literally translating as servant or follower", but used here in the transferred sense of devotee, and the saint's name "Eoin or Ian", the classic Gaelic form of John. John derives ultimately from the Hebrew Yochanan, meaing "Jehovah has favoured me (with a son)". In Gaelic manuscripts dated 1467, the surname is spelt as Gilleain, and in the M'Vurich manuscripts as "Giolla-eoin": In the modern spelling the l is now all that remains of the fused "gille". Early examples of the surname recording include John and Neil, the sons of Gilhon, who were mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1326. Further early recordings include: Nigel M'Gillon, the custodian of the castle of Scragburgh in 1329, and Walter Malynne, the abbot of Glenluce, from 1517 to 1545. The Macleans connection with Ireland began with their employment by the MacDonnels of Ulster as gallowglasses or mercenary soldiers in the 16th Century. Notable bearers of the name were John Maclean, the son of the laird of Dowart, who was ennobled by Queen Christina of Sweden in 1649, Sir John Maclean (1811 - 1895), archaeologist, and keeper of ordnance records in the Tower of London, 1855 - 1861, and Sir Donald McLean, 1820 - 1877, the first minister and statesman of New Zealand. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Donald M'Gilhon, whose ship made a circuit of "le Mole" later called Mull, in 1327. This was during the reign of King Robert 1st of Scotland, known as "The Bruce", 1306 - 1329.
Source: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/McLean#ixzz3gjbMoElb
For those interested in the history of Clan MacLean there is an online book located here:
https://archive.org/details/historyofclanmac00macluoft
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Scottish roots
Dad always told us we were 1/32 Scottish on our Irish side. After doing much research on the subject, he may have been correct. Our Scottish roots can be traced to our 3rd great grandmother, Mary McLean. Whether we are 1/32 (or less) Scottish is up for debate, however there is little doubt that we are Scots.
The 1850 and 1870 census list Mary McLean Burgess as being born around 1802 in Ireland. However, several items lead us to believe that Mary was of Scottish descent, my father's recollection not being the least of these. An article written about Mary's son Anthony Battle (our 2nd great grandfather) mentions that he was of Irish-Scotch ancestry (see below). Lastly, Clan MacLean is a well documented Scottish clan with its roots on the Island of Mull in the Inner Hebrides off the coast of Scotland.
Here is what we know for sure. Clan MacLean can trace their roots back to a Scottish warlord named Gillean of the Battle Axe. Gillean established Clan MacLean in the 13th century although Gillean's ancestry is documented back to his great-grandfather known as Old Dugald of Scone, born ca. 1050 during the reign of King Macbeth. The Clan rose to prominence and by the 15th century they owned the isles Mull, Tiree, Islay, Jura, Knapdale as well as Morvern in Argyll and Lochaber in mainland Scotland. Duart Castle on Mull (see photo below) is the traditional home of the MacLeans, but by the 18th century (after the Jacobite rebellion) the clan had lost its power and the castle fell to ruin.
The castle was reclaimed in 1911 and is again home to Clan MacLean although the clan is now scattered to all corners of the globe.
We do not know exactly why or when Mary McLean's ancestors left Scotland, but it must have been the generation or two before Mary otherwise the Scotch ancestry would not have survived in family lore. One possible reason for our ancestors leaving Scotland may have been the Highland Clearances. With their power and lands taken from them, the MacLeans became tenants to others. The first clearance of the highlands began at the end of the 18th century. People were moved out so that sheep, which was more profitable, could be moved in. Was this when our family left for Ireland?
We also do not know from where they left Scotland (Island of Mull or elsewhere?) or if they went directly to County Mayo or how they got there (by boat?). One possibility is that they left the Inner Hebrides and sailed directly to County Mayo (see below). One can only speculate. The only thing that is known for sure is that we are Scottish (at least a little).
Here is what we know for sure. Clan MacLean can trace their roots back to a Scottish warlord named Gillean of the Battle Axe. Gillean established Clan MacLean in the 13th century although Gillean's ancestry is documented back to his great-grandfather known as Old Dugald of Scone, born ca. 1050 during the reign of King Macbeth. The Clan rose to prominence and by the 15th century they owned the isles Mull, Tiree, Islay, Jura, Knapdale as well as Morvern in Argyll and Lochaber in mainland Scotland. Duart Castle on Mull (see photo below) is the traditional home of the MacLeans, but by the 18th century (after the Jacobite rebellion) the clan had lost its power and the castle fell to ruin.
The castle was reclaimed in 1911 and is again home to Clan MacLean although the clan is now scattered to all corners of the globe.
We do not know exactly why or when Mary McLean's ancestors left Scotland, but it must have been the generation or two before Mary otherwise the Scotch ancestry would not have survived in family lore. One possible reason for our ancestors leaving Scotland may have been the Highland Clearances. With their power and lands taken from them, the MacLeans became tenants to others. The first clearance of the highlands began at the end of the 18th century. People were moved out so that sheep, which was more profitable, could be moved in. Was this when our family left for Ireland?
We also do not know from where they left Scotland (Island of Mull or elsewhere?) or if they went directly to County Mayo or how they got there (by boat?). One possibility is that they left the Inner Hebrides and sailed directly to County Mayo (see below). One can only speculate. The only thing that is known for sure is that we are Scottish (at least a little).
Saturday, March 14, 2015
DNA Shock
So the last couple weeks have been a whirlwind of emotion. I discovered Feb 25th that I had a very close DNA connection with a woman on ancestry.com with username of Christeena Buck. A quick look at her family tree showed no matches whatsoever. It was a completely different tree. Her parents were Walter Buck and Arlene Allen. This surprised and intrigued me so I sent her a note stating the same. She emailed me back on March 4 and we spent about 10 difficult days piecing the puzzle together.
It was pretty evident early on that we had a non-parental event and that it was probably on her side as I have DNA matches with known relatives on both sides of my family (Goodhines and Stosel lines). Given the ethnic ancestry (Irish and German) on Christeena's results and that fact that she had roots in Forestport (not too far from Port Leyden) I suspected the connection was on my dad's side of the family.
I did quite a bit of research on Christeena's family using fultonhistory.com and discovered that Christeena's parents were married 15 Aug 1953 and that she was born Dec 23, 1955. The marriage announcement mentioned that her father, a Navy man, went right back to his ship after the wedding. I also found out that Christeena's mom was only 16 and still in high school when she got married.
I notified the family and we started to do some additional digging. Was it possible that one of Dad's sisters had given a baby up for adoption? There was no evidence of this. No family stories. Surely dad would have told us about it if it had happened. Had grandma given a baby up for adoption or gotten pregnant by another man? There was no evidence of that as well and there was no way Christeena could be our Aunt as grandma was 54 years old when she was born. We looked into dad's background to see what the connection to Forestport might be. Uncle Wayne mentioned that dad had a relationship with a Ritter girl from Forestport and that he and his friends went out to Forestport quite often for a night out on the town. Uncle Wayne said that he had never heard the name Arlene Allen Buck (Christeena's mom). Even so, the evidence was starting to mount that perhaps dad had fathered a child before he met mom.
I emailed a cousin (Matt Scheidelmann) who has an ancestry.com DNA profile to ask him if he had a DNA match with Christeena. He replied back that he did. At this point I was 95% sure that she was my dad's daughter.
The final bit of evidence that confirmed the match was when Christeena sent me not only her gedmatch kit number and DNA results but also those of her brother. Once it was determined that I shared a little over 23% of my DNA with Christeena (right in line with what half siblings share on average - 25%) and that her brother and I did not have a DNA match at all it was proven without a doubt that her and I were half siblings. Additional confirmation was provided through comparison of her photos and my dad's. The distinguishing Walsh characteristics (especially the eyes) were evident in Christeena's baby pictures all the way up to her current pictures.
A subsequent phone call with Christeena revealed that her mom and her Aunt Janet used to go out dancing at the Buffalo Head restaurant in Forestport; a place that held fond memories for dad. We rarely ate out as a family, but I always remember dad raving about the Buffalo Head being the best place to eat. Our theory is that this is where dad met Arlene Allen. We will probably never know the complete truth about their relationship but with the help of DNA we now know that they had one.
So welcome to our family Tina, although frankly you have always been one of us, we just didn't know it ... and even though all of us are in shock and still have many unanswered questions, we are also excited to meet our big sister.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Surname Origins
I have been researching the roots of our family names in our direct line (back to our great great grandparents). This is the best information I can find on the Internet. Where there is conflicting information the various possibilities have been listed.
WALSH
This famous national locational and descriptive nickname surname derives from the pre 7th Century Olde English and Anglo-Saxon word "waelisc", meaning "foreigner" or perhaps more likely in the passage of time, "stranger". Be that as it may it is one of the ironies of history that the invaders from North Germany and even the later Vikings, should apparently refer to the people that they conquered or at least drove from their original homes, as 'The Foreigner" and even more so that the name should have stuck. The surname is popular in many areas and countries, there being a large "Walsh" contingent in Ireland, where it is the fourth most popular surname, and even a small number in France, originally in the Nantes area. The modern surname is recorded in a wide variety of spellings, including Welch, Welche, Welsh, Walsh, Walshe, Walch, and Wellish. The early surname development includes examples such as Walter Walsheman of London in 1279, Simon Welshe of Bedford in the year 1279, John Walsh of Roxburgh, Scotland, in 1330, Margery Wellis in the 1327 Pipe Rolls of the county of Essex, and Lawrence Walsh of County Mayo, Ireland in 1588. The first recorded spelling of the family name is from Ireland. This is believed to be that of Haylen Walsh, the son of Phillip the Welshman, and dated 1171. He is recorded as being with Strongbow, earl of Pembroke, in his initial invasion of Ireland in that year. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
© Copyright: Name Origin Research www.surnamedb.com 1980 - 2012
Walsh - Breat(h)nach (Welshman) which is re-anglicized also as Brannagh, Brannick etc. A name given independently to many unconnected families in different parts of the country and now the fourth most numerous of all Irish surnames. It is sometimes spelled Welsh, which is the pronunciation of Walsh in Munster and Connacht.
FAZIO
Italian: from the personal name Fazio, a short form of Bonifazio (see Bonifacio).
WALSH
This famous national locational and descriptive nickname surname derives from the pre 7th Century Olde English and Anglo-Saxon word "waelisc", meaning "foreigner" or perhaps more likely in the passage of time, "stranger". Be that as it may it is one of the ironies of history that the invaders from North Germany and even the later Vikings, should apparently refer to the people that they conquered or at least drove from their original homes, as 'The Foreigner" and even more so that the name should have stuck. The surname is popular in many areas and countries, there being a large "Walsh" contingent in Ireland, where it is the fourth most popular surname, and even a small number in France, originally in the Nantes area. The modern surname is recorded in a wide variety of spellings, including Welch, Welche, Welsh, Walsh, Walshe, Walch, and Wellish. The early surname development includes examples such as Walter Walsheman of London in 1279, Simon Welshe of Bedford in the year 1279, John Walsh of Roxburgh, Scotland, in 1330, Margery Wellis in the 1327 Pipe Rolls of the county of Essex, and Lawrence Walsh of County Mayo, Ireland in 1588. The first recorded spelling of the family name is from Ireland. This is believed to be that of Haylen Walsh, the son of Phillip the Welshman, and dated 1171. He is recorded as being with Strongbow, earl of Pembroke, in his initial invasion of Ireland in that year. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
© Copyright: Name Origin Research www.surnamedb.com 1980 - 2012
Walsh - Breat(h)nach (Welshman) which is re-anglicized also as Brannagh, Brannick etc. A name given independently to many unconnected families in different parts of the country and now the fourth most numerous of all Irish surnames. It is sometimes spelled Welsh, which is the pronunciation of Walsh in Munster and Connacht.
FAZIO
Italian: from the personal name Fazio, a short form of Bonifazio (see Bonifacio).
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
GOODHINES
Anglicized spelling of the original name Gutheinz. Gutheinz literally means Good Heinz (or Hans) in German.
STOSAL
The Stosal name (also Stosel) is spelled Staszel in Poland and is a derivative of Stanley. I have not been able to confirm this through internet sources but I believe I was told this (or read it) at one time. Unfortunately I cannot find the source of my information.
BATTLE
http://genforum.genealogy.com/battle/messages/275.html
LUPONIO
Could not find any information on this surname as written although Lupo is Italian for wolf so I suspect that that might be the origin of the name.
MEYERS
Originally Maier (or Mayer) in Southern Germany.
Surname Origin: German
Definition: From the Middle High German word "meiger," meaning "higher or superior," often used for stewards of landholders or great farmers or leaseholders - today a Meier is a dairy farmer. Meier and Meyer are used more often in Northern Germany, while Maier and Mayer are found more frequently in Southern Germany.
Alternate Surname Spellings: MEIER, MAYER, MAIER, MIER, MEIR
http://genealogy.about.com/library/surnames/m/bl_name-MEYER.htm
One reason why the surname is so common is that it has an occupational origination in the European Merovingian Dynasty of the fifth century and comes from the Gallo-Roman term "major" , meaning "someone in a higher position". The term "major" evolved into "Meior" in Old High German , then "Meier" in Middle High German. In the 12th Century, it is known that the name was given to those that administered estates for the aristocracy or the clergy. It was, also, applied as the name for a farmer who leased land belonging to the nobility or clergy. The lease was of such a long duration that the land-lease was often inherited by the eldest son of the farmer. Thus, descendants of the original title bearer often became know as "Meier", too.
FUNKET
Could not find any information on this surname as written.
Karen Melis (Spis County genealogist) says the name is recorded as FUNKE, FUNKE with a line over the E and Funket in local church records. If Funke is the original surname (brought by the Germans who populated the area) then here is the meaning according to several Internet sources:
Funke is a family name of German origin. Funke means "spark" and refers to the work of a smith.
DWYER
This ancient Irish name is one of the Anglicized forms of the Gaelic "O Duibhuidhir", descendant of Duibhuidhir, a personal name composed of the elements "duibh", dark, black, with "odhar", sallow, tawny. The O'Dwyers were an important sept in County Tipperary; their lands were Kilnamanagh, the mountainous area lying between the town of Thurles and County Limerick. The O' Dwyers were always noted for their staunch resistance to English aggression, and many are recorded in this connection; Michael Dwyer (1771 - 1825) defied the English Government forces for five years, from 1798 to 1803, and was sentenced to transportation after his voluntary surrender. He eventually became a policeman in Australia. In America Joseph O' Dwyer (1841 - 1898) was noted as a pioneer physician, particularly in his contributions to the treatment of diphtheria, while William O' Dwyer, born in 1890, was an emigrant labourer from County Mayo who became Mayor of New York and a notable ambassador for the United States of America. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Denis Dwyre, witness, which was dated November 19th 1677, in "St. Peter and St. Kevin, Dublin", during the reign of King Charles 11, known as "The Merry Monarch", 1660 - 1685.
Source: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Dwyer#ixzz3PwQNxVDB
TIGHE
This name is an Anglicized form of the Old Gaelic O Taidhg. The Gaelic prefix 'O' indicates 'grandson' or 'male descendant of', plus the personal byname Tadhg meaning poet, bard or philosopher. There were four distinct septs of O Taidhg in Ireland, but from an early date the name became indistinguishable from MacTaidhg or MacTeague, the 'mac' prefix meaning 'son of'. Some branches of this family are said to be descended from Tadhg, brother of Connor O' Connor, King of Connacht, who died in 973. Others still, claim descent from a son of Cathair Mor, King of Ireland in A.D. 119. One, Donal (Mac) Teague was Archbishop of Armagh from 1560 to 1562. On May 16th 1694 Stephen Tighe, an infant, was christened in St. Michan's Church, Dublin, and on January 2nd 1753 Ann, daughter of Barnabas Tighe, was christened in St. Michael the Archangel, Dublin. Michael Tighe, of Sligo was a famine immigrant into New York on January 5th 1847. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Muircheatach MacTaidhg, which was dated 1159, 'Manx Names' by A. W. Moore, during the reign of King Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster, 1134 - 1171.
Source: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/tighe#ixzz3PwR6slhB
KIEFER
This interesting and unusual surname is of Germanic origin, and is a metonymic occupational name for a maker or repairer of wooden vessels such as barrels, tubs, casks and vats. The derivation is from the German "kief(e), kufe", itself coming from the Old High German "kuofa", barrel. Job-descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the name bearer, and later became hereditary. The importance of this specialist trade in the Middle ages is borne out by the number of surnames derived from the above source including Kiffe, Kieff, Kief, Kiefer, Kupper and Kupker, cognate with the English Coop(e), Coupe, Cooper, Cupper and Kooper. Recordings of the surname from German Church Registers include the marriage of Maria Kiff to Henrich Swenne at Sankt Clemens Katholisch, Telgte Stadt, Westfalen, on February 2nd 1677, and the marriage of Maria Kiff to Johannes Eluerick, in the same place on April 14th 1695. On March 20th 1742, Elizabeth, daughter of Andrew Kiff, was christened at St. Michael's, Saint Albans, Hertfordshire, a parish which incidentally the name is particularly widespread. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Kiffe, which was dated February 23rd 1588, christened at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603.
Source: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/kiefer#ixzz3PwSJot3t
BRAUN
Originally a nickname or descriptive name for an individual with brown skin, brown hair, or even brown clothing, from the Middle High German "brun" meaning dark, brown. BROWN is the English version of this surname while BRUNO is from Italy.
Surname Origin: German
Source: http://genealogy.about.com/library/surnames/b/bl_name-BRAUN.htm
LIO
https://www.houseofnames.com/Lio-history?A=54323-292
BARTOLOMEO
https://www.houseofnames.com/bartolomeo-family-crest
MIŚKOWIEC
Could not find any information on this surname as written.
HAGOWSKA
Could not find any information on this surname as written.
GOODHINES
Anglicized spelling of the original name Gutheinz. Gutheinz literally means Good Heinz (or Hans) in German.
STOSAL
The Stosal name (also Stosel) is spelled Staszel in Poland and is a derivative of Stanley. I have not been able to confirm this through internet sources but I believe I was told this (or read it) at one time. Unfortunately I cannot find the source of my information.
BATTLE
http://genforum.genealogy.com/battle/messages/275.html
LUPONIO
Could not find any information on this surname as written although Lupo is Italian for wolf so I suspect that that might be the origin of the name.
MEYERS
Originally Maier (or Mayer) in Southern Germany.
Surname Origin: German
Definition: From the Middle High German word "meiger," meaning "higher or superior," often used for stewards of landholders or great farmers or leaseholders - today a Meier is a dairy farmer. Meier and Meyer are used more often in Northern Germany, while Maier and Mayer are found more frequently in Southern Germany.
Alternate Surname Spellings: MEIER, MAYER, MAIER, MIER, MEIR
http://genealogy.about.com/library/surnames/m/bl_name-MEYER.htm
One reason why the surname is so common is that it has an occupational origination in the European Merovingian Dynasty of the fifth century and comes from the Gallo-Roman term "major" , meaning "someone in a higher position". The term "major" evolved into "Meior" in Old High German , then "Meier" in Middle High German. In the 12th Century, it is known that the name was given to those that administered estates for the aristocracy or the clergy. It was, also, applied as the name for a farmer who leased land belonging to the nobility or clergy. The lease was of such a long duration that the land-lease was often inherited by the eldest son of the farmer. Thus, descendants of the original title bearer often became know as "Meier", too.
FUNKET
Could not find any information on this surname as written.
Karen Melis (Spis County genealogist) says the name is recorded as FUNKE, FUNKE with a line over the E and Funket in local church records. If Funke is the original surname (brought by the Germans who populated the area) then here is the meaning according to several Internet sources:
Funke is a family name of German origin. Funke means "spark" and refers to the work of a smith.
DWYER
This ancient Irish name is one of the Anglicized forms of the Gaelic "O Duibhuidhir", descendant of Duibhuidhir, a personal name composed of the elements "duibh", dark, black, with "odhar", sallow, tawny. The O'Dwyers were an important sept in County Tipperary; their lands were Kilnamanagh, the mountainous area lying between the town of Thurles and County Limerick. The O' Dwyers were always noted for their staunch resistance to English aggression, and many are recorded in this connection; Michael Dwyer (1771 - 1825) defied the English Government forces for five years, from 1798 to 1803, and was sentenced to transportation after his voluntary surrender. He eventually became a policeman in Australia. In America Joseph O' Dwyer (1841 - 1898) was noted as a pioneer physician, particularly in his contributions to the treatment of diphtheria, while William O' Dwyer, born in 1890, was an emigrant labourer from County Mayo who became Mayor of New York and a notable ambassador for the United States of America. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Denis Dwyre, witness, which was dated November 19th 1677, in "St. Peter and St. Kevin, Dublin", during the reign of King Charles 11, known as "The Merry Monarch", 1660 - 1685.
Source: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Dwyer#ixzz3PwQNxVDB
TIGHE
This name is an Anglicized form of the Old Gaelic O Taidhg. The Gaelic prefix 'O' indicates 'grandson' or 'male descendant of', plus the personal byname Tadhg meaning poet, bard or philosopher. There were four distinct septs of O Taidhg in Ireland, but from an early date the name became indistinguishable from MacTaidhg or MacTeague, the 'mac' prefix meaning 'son of'. Some branches of this family are said to be descended from Tadhg, brother of Connor O' Connor, King of Connacht, who died in 973. Others still, claim descent from a son of Cathair Mor, King of Ireland in A.D. 119. One, Donal (Mac) Teague was Archbishop of Armagh from 1560 to 1562. On May 16th 1694 Stephen Tighe, an infant, was christened in St. Michan's Church, Dublin, and on January 2nd 1753 Ann, daughter of Barnabas Tighe, was christened in St. Michael the Archangel, Dublin. Michael Tighe, of Sligo was a famine immigrant into New York on January 5th 1847. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Muircheatach MacTaidhg, which was dated 1159, 'Manx Names' by A. W. Moore, during the reign of King Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster, 1134 - 1171.
Source: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/tighe#ixzz3PwR6slhB
KIEFER
This interesting and unusual surname is of Germanic origin, and is a metonymic occupational name for a maker or repairer of wooden vessels such as barrels, tubs, casks and vats. The derivation is from the German "kief(e), kufe", itself coming from the Old High German "kuofa", barrel. Job-descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the name bearer, and later became hereditary. The importance of this specialist trade in the Middle ages is borne out by the number of surnames derived from the above source including Kiffe, Kieff, Kief, Kiefer, Kupper and Kupker, cognate with the English Coop(e), Coupe, Cooper, Cupper and Kooper. Recordings of the surname from German Church Registers include the marriage of Maria Kiff to Henrich Swenne at Sankt Clemens Katholisch, Telgte Stadt, Westfalen, on February 2nd 1677, and the marriage of Maria Kiff to Johannes Eluerick, in the same place on April 14th 1695. On March 20th 1742, Elizabeth, daughter of Andrew Kiff, was christened at St. Michael's, Saint Albans, Hertfordshire, a parish which incidentally the name is particularly widespread. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Kiffe, which was dated February 23rd 1588, christened at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603.
Source: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/kiefer#ixzz3PwSJot3t
BRAUN
Originally a nickname or descriptive name for an individual with brown skin, brown hair, or even brown clothing, from the Middle High German "brun" meaning dark, brown. BROWN is the English version of this surname while BRUNO is from Italy.
Surname Origin: German
Source: http://genealogy.about.com/library/surnames/b/bl_name-BRAUN.htm
LIO
https://www.houseofnames.com/Lio-history?A=54323-292
BARTOLOMEO
https://www.houseofnames.com/bartolomeo-family-crest
MIŚKOWIEC
Could not find any information on this surname as written.
HAGOWSKA
Could not find any information on this surname as written.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
The Goral
Source: http://www.e-targ.org/Gorals.html
Here's a very brief history of the Goral (Highlander) people, who originated in and around the Tatra mountains.
By 1000 A.D., the original Celts, Saxons and Slavs living together around the Tatras for seven centuries had finally mixed and a new mostly-Slavic culture began to form. In the 1200s more Germans, Slovaks, Poles, Wallachians (Romanian & Baltic shepherds), and Russians arrived. The largest influx of settlers came in the mid-1500s when many Germans arrived from Levoca, Slovakia, Wallachian shepherds from the Carpathians, Poles from Zywiec, and Hungarian nobles from southern Slovakia, all given special privileges by the king.
In the 1600s an influx of fleeing peasants from Zywiec, Sucha and Wadowice, Poland joined them. Out of this crucible in remote and rugged country of battling the harsh climate, infertile soil, invading armies, and oppressive rulers a highland culture emerged. The 1600s really marked the maturing of the Goral's culture: its distinct dialect, farming practices, architecture, dress, music, cuisine and mindset.
By this time the Gorals settled all around the Tatras, but were mainly concentrated in far northern Orava, Slovakia, the Podhale area of Poland (north side of the Tatras), in the Pieniny mountains to the east, and northern Spis county, Slovakia. They have always been a very independent people and loved their "Szlebodu" or freedom as they say it in their Goral dialect. In 1651 they rose up and ousted a particularly feared tyrant named Mikolaj Komorowski who ruled Zywiec, Nowy Targ and Zakopane. Their ornate costumes of wool and flax are very regional in design, but the men's trousers bare the kind of military stripes once common to Hungarian troops in Orava and Liptov counties in Slovakia.
In the years of World War II the Goral were much persecuted and killed by German troops. They responded by fighting the Nazis as partisan freedom fighters and keeping open the courier routes across the Tatras. The Goral are revered
throughout the Slavic world -- especially in Poland -- for their wisdom, self-sufficient nature, hard work ethic, and bravery. And their rich cultural dress, music, tales of the mountains, and hearty cuisine are also beloved. The majestic Tatra mountains are still where they feel most at home. And many people are discovering the colorful beauty of their culture, their kindness, and their unique farming and shepherding inhabitants. These are the Goral.
Here's a very brief history of the Goral (Highlander) people, who originated in and around the Tatra mountains.
By 1000 A.D., the original Celts, Saxons and Slavs living together around the Tatras for seven centuries had finally mixed and a new mostly-Slavic culture began to form. In the 1200s more Germans, Slovaks, Poles, Wallachians (Romanian & Baltic shepherds), and Russians arrived. The largest influx of settlers came in the mid-1500s when many Germans arrived from Levoca, Slovakia, Wallachian shepherds from the Carpathians, Poles from Zywiec, and Hungarian nobles from southern Slovakia, all given special privileges by the king.
In the 1600s an influx of fleeing peasants from Zywiec, Sucha and Wadowice, Poland joined them. Out of this crucible in remote and rugged country of battling the harsh climate, infertile soil, invading armies, and oppressive rulers a highland culture emerged. The 1600s really marked the maturing of the Goral's culture: its distinct dialect, farming practices, architecture, dress, music, cuisine and mindset.By this time the Gorals settled all around the Tatras, but were mainly concentrated in far northern Orava, Slovakia, the Podhale area of Poland (north side of the Tatras), in the Pieniny mountains to the east, and northern Spis county, Slovakia. They have always been a very independent people and loved their "Szlebodu" or freedom as they say it in their Goral dialect. In 1651 they rose up and ousted a particularly feared tyrant named Mikolaj Komorowski who ruled Zywiec, Nowy Targ and Zakopane. Their ornate costumes of wool and flax are very regional in design, but the men's trousers bare the kind of military stripes once common to Hungarian troops in Orava and Liptov counties in Slovakia.
In the years of World War II the Goral were much persecuted and killed by German troops. They responded by fighting the Nazis as partisan freedom fighters and keeping open the courier routes across the Tatras. The Goral are revered
throughout the Slavic world -- especially in Poland -- for their wisdom, self-sufficient nature, hard work ethic, and bravery. And their rich cultural dress, music, tales of the mountains, and hearty cuisine are also beloved. The majestic Tatra mountains are still where they feel most at home. And many people are discovering the colorful beauty of their culture, their kindness, and their unique farming and shepherding inhabitants. These are the Goral.
Kacwin
There is some evidence recently discovered that Walenty Funket (my second great grandfather) was born in Kacwin, Poland. I will be writing the catholic church there to see if they can tell me his birth date and his parents name. Here is a little bit about Kacwin found on the Internet...
Off the main road between Lapsze Nizne and Niedzica Castle in Polish Spisz is Kacwin, Poland. It is an isolated village very near the Polish/Slovak border. Before 1920 it was actually a Slovak village named "Kacvin". But it started in the 14th century as a Germanic village named "Katzenwinkle" -- the meaning of which is literally "cat's whisker".
Kacwin's population of less than 1200 makes a living mostly from farming the steep hillsides along the Kacwin brook that runs through the village. There is also a 200-year-old mill and a waterfall near the village center. On the far edge of town next to the Slovak border fence is a small Polish army outpost. The tall peaks of the Tatra mountains are very close here.
The small Baroque-style church in the village was originally built in the early 1400s soon after the town was settled. It is a Roman Catholic church known as "All Saints Church". Many of the headstones in the nearby cemetery still have German-sounding names on them.
Source: http://www.e-targ.org/Village%20Info/Kacwin%20PL.html (extracted on 1/25/2015)
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
More information on the Luigi Luponio murder
Several additional articles have been discovered concerning the murder of Luigi Luponio. The news spread throughout the state even being picked up by a newspaper in Lowell Mass. One interesting fact that was not known by me earlier is that Luigi Luponio was actually a railroad worker (#213) working on the West Shore Railroad.
An excerpt found on this website on 1/21/2015 ...
Building of the West Shore had many impacts on the growth of Central New York, Utica, Syracuse, and many other communities.
Farmers benefited greatly from the railroad as they began to grow more and more crops for faraway markets.
Between 1850 and 1895, nearly a dozen smaller railroads originated in the region or passed through it ... including the West Shore. Many of the workers who built the West Shore in 1883 were Italian immigrants who liked what they saw in Utica and ... like the Irish who had built the Erie Canal 65 years earlier ... decided to settle in the city.
An excerpt found on this website on 1/21/2015 ...
Building of the West Shore had many impacts on the growth of Central New York, Utica, Syracuse, and many other communities.
Farmers benefited greatly from the railroad as they began to grow more and more crops for faraway markets.
Between 1850 and 1895, nearly a dozen smaller railroads originated in the region or passed through it ... including the West Shore. Many of the workers who built the West Shore in 1883 were Italian immigrants who liked what they saw in Utica and ... like the Irish who had built the Erie Canal 65 years earlier ... decided to settle in the city.
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