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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Aussie Roy on Wednesday 26 November 08 09:00 GMT (UK)
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From the Mundane to the Sublime
Part 1
My own life to date would be described as 'mundane', nothing exciting ever happens. Oh! in 1968 I did emigrate to Australia with my wife and three young children. So what ? so did hundreds of others. Hardly 'world shattering news' is it ? The event may have made the ' Woburn Reporter ' or ' Bletchley Gazette' Just mundane like my Batham ancestors before me, bricklayers and chimney sweeps.
Great-great grandfather William Batham 1783-1853 may have been a more colourful character, living (and dying) in Notting Hill, an area so bad it was described by Charles Dickens as a most obnoxious slum. William had various occupations, locksmith, bellhanger and pig breeder, the latter being the cause of the obnoxious slum. William, according to my cousin Jack (cousin n x removed) married late in life because he was in the army, 3rd Foot regiment and served at the Battle of Waterloo. A bit of excitement there, but he was one of 23,000 British troops. He is the end of the line till I or someone finds his father.
On my mothers side I've got general labourers, Great grandfather Walter Hussey 1836- 1910 came to Bethnal Green, London from Bridport, Dorsetshire. His father Christopher Hussey 1801-1837 was a seaman and died by accident . He fell from a triangle aboard the schooner 'Safrina' in Bridport harbour. I have yet to find out what a triangle is or was. And again he is the end of the line so far.
The mundane nature of the tree continues with Smiths in Wiltshire who were 'Cordwainers' and Pattendens in Whitechapel, East London who were nothing in particular although one Joseph Medley Pattenden was in the merchant navy. He died in 1769 aboard the Eastindiaman 'Talbot' somewhere between Bengal and England. From here on it's the usual Ag labs.
When I continue my wife's ancestors may provide something more interesting. Roy
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Hi Roy,
I found, I went to The Lighter Side, and twas you there !
Well writ
Cheers
GGD
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I thought that was interesting history.
Huntersjoy
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Roy,
You realise of course that the 3rd regiment on foot came to NSW and relieved the 48th regiment (both were veteran reg from Waterloo !!). This was NSW 1817 to say 1830 ish.
Cheers,
MA
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I didnt know that ggd. What I do know is the 3rd Foot became the Scots Guards http://www.britishbattles.com/index.htm
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Hi Roy,
I think they were called THE BUFFS at one stage early on in NSW, guarding the convicts, etc
Cheers,
MA
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Part 2
In the normal course of a mundane life I should never have met my wife Barbara, yet strange things can happen. You see, I was born in Harlesden, North West London. Middlesex really and a working class area where the most exciting thing to happen was the 'Blitz' in 1941. My father decided to move out in 1955 to the peace and quiet of Woburn Sands in Bedfordshire. That was before the government decided to build a new concrete jungle there called Milton Keynes. Actually Milton Keynes was already there , but a sleepy mundane village where nothing exciting happened, not even the blitz. Barbara Wiseman lived in the next village of Bow Brickhill which was over the border in Buckinghamshire. We met while travelling to work in Fenny Stratford. How Barbara got to Bow Brickhill is a bit of a mystery because she was born at Poolfoot Farm, Singleton, nr Blackpool Lancashire. Her father George Wiseman was a mundane Ag lab and moved south looking for work. George was born 1st Jan 1914 in Starbotton, nr Kettlewell Yorkshire, 1 of 17 children , his wife Jane Myers, born 14th April 1913 (on the 1st anniversary of the Titanic). Both these in-laws of mine had more interesting ancestors than mine. Both it seems were blood relatives descended from two different lines of Thomas Chippendale of Skipton 1572-1636. Whether this Thomas was also the ancestor of the Chippendales of furniture fame I have yet to find out as Chippendale was quite a common name in the 1700s.
I told you my wifes side was more interesting. Next George Wiseman's ancestry
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Are you sur your Chippendales weren't the originators of the male stripper/dancers??? ;D ;D ;D
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Part 3
George Wiseman 1914-1993 Retired in 1979, his last job a gardener at Bletchley Park, famous for the wartime activities. George was there when the documetaries were made. His father was Thomas Henry Wiseman 1874 - 1928 coming from a long line of Wisemans, lead miners of Kettlewell going back to 1712. Here the female side gets interesting. George's mother was Lizzie Emma Heinemann 1886 - 1966. She was one tough lady who I met in 1962 when she lived in Hyde, Cheshire. Imagine the life she led with 17 children 15 of whom survived. Living in Starbotton on a farm labourers wage, and having to move away to Barnoldswick after her husband died 1928 and her youngest was only 4 yrs old. Incredibly they all survived. Lizzie Emma was the illegitimate child of Charlotte Heinemann b. 1859 Sangate, Kent. Charlotte had been in service in Gargrave, nr Skipton Yorks, while her father Julius Heinemann and mother Amelia lived in Kettlewell. She may have become pregnant there, but by 1891 she was living with her widowed mother in Kettlewell. Julius Hienemann 1824 - 1882 was born in Prussia, possibly Magdeburg and was in England before 1856 when he married Amelia Wingate at Elham Kent. Julius, a tailor by trade served in the British army. Charlotte as we have seen was born in Kent. The next child Julius Stephen was born in Malta 1867, then Amelia b.1871 in Bury Lancashire, Evidently Julius retired and chose for some reason to settle with his family in Kettlewell. Julius Stephen married Alice Gill and established the Heinemann dynasty in Ilkley, Yorkshire where I suppose there are still some living. Amelia Heinemann married Hugh Brown, a more mundane sort of name.
Next Amelia Wingate
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I didnt know that ggd. What I do know is the 3rd Foot became the Scots Guards http://www.britishbattles.com/index.htm
Roy,
The 3rd Foot became the Royal East Kent Regiment, also known as the Buffs due to the facings of that colour on their red coat.
The 3rd Foot Guards are a different kettle of fish entirely, and as you say, are now the Scots Guards.
Leofric
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The triangle was used for flogging miscreants, especially in the Army and Navy.
Quote from Wikipedia:
Typically, the offender's upper half was bared and he was suspended by the hands beneath a tripod of wooden beams (known as 'the triangle'), while either one or two floggers administered the prescribed number of strokes.
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Hi Roy.
I enjoyed our short meeting on the live chat section a few weeks ago. Strange how things change. Ordinary local folk are hard pressed to raise enough cash to be able to buy a house in Kettlewell or Starbotton and many cottages have been snapped up by the wealthy who like a quiet bolt-hole in the country. Some of my wifes family were Ag Labs in Northeast Yorkshire mostly looking after sheep. They took the opportunity to move to Leeds where they worked for the railway company as draymen and looked after the horses. I imagine they must have been better off or why would they move from beautiful North Yorks to Leeds?
These days Mundane to Sublime would definitely be the other way around.
Woody.
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The triangle was used for flogging miscreants, especially in the Army and Navy.
Quote from Wikipedia:
Typically, the offender's upper half was bared and he was suspended by the hands beneath a tripod of wooden beams (known as 'the triangle'), while either one or two floggers administered the prescribed number of strokes.
[/quote
I don't think its the same triangle . His death certificate issued after an inquest definitely says 'death was the result of falling from a triangle which I assume meant from a height. If he died after a flogging I'm sure that would be indicated on the cert
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Roy this is cool! I like it!
I think fans will like you more lol...you tell them what happens next!
Keep this up its wicked!
Matt :)
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Part 4
Amelia Wingate 1831 - 1906 was born in Llancharian, Cardiganshire, South Wales where her father Charles Wingate 1796 - 1864 was a customs officer. He was born in Selsey, West Sussex and shortly after he married in 1919 was transferred to New Quay, Wales. The Welsh coast must have been a haven for smugglers if it required an officer to be sent there from Sussex .After birth of Charles jnr and Amelia he went to Sandgate , Kent where he soon retired to Elham. Charles jnr became a coastguard. Amelia must have led a fairly adventurous life after marrying Julius Heinemann, Charlotte was born in Sandgate 1859 and the family is not seen in 1861 census, having left for parts unknown. Malta being the only known foreign place that she went to where Julius Stephen was born.Then in 1871 listed at the barracks in Bury. Why Kettlewell in the Yorkshire dales was chosen is a mystery, She died a widow living in a cottage at 'The Green' Kettlewell, the same year that her granddaughter Lizzie Emma married the next door neighbour. What became of daughter Charlotte is unclear at present, no marriage or death found. The cottages at 'The Green' Kettlewell were demolished in 1920 The Wingates came from West Wittering in Sussex, some were customs officers. Other names connected to them are Perrin , Aylmore, Faith, nothing of particular interest found.
The Wiseman line can be traced back to 1712 and further in Westmoreland where they may or may not have taken part in repelling the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715.
Next The Myers side
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Roy, I think you have been taking writing lessons from Matt R. This "Mundane" tis not so, I think your forebears are interesting too. I might get inspired to do a blog myself, But on other hand who would want to know of my forebears in Ireland who were associated with Captain Moonlight? Or my forebears in Cornwall who were Master Mariners of slave trading ships, or later heroes at Waterloo? Or of my Spaniard who came to Australia as part of 48th Regiment to guard the convicts and was not allowed a grant of land because the then dictator of Sydney Cove (Governor of NSW) said he was a "Foreigner".
Cheers, Roy,
MA
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Part 5
Jane Myers 1913 - 1993 Yes I did have the odd bit of mother in law trouble. Emigrating put a stop to that. :) . Jane and her elder brother Sid ( not Sidney ) were born in Barnoldswick when it was in Yorkshire. Their parents Charlie Myers 1874 - 1941 and Ann Elkin Charnley 1880 - 1935 were not married and it is odd that both have registered the children in their own names. You will find in the birth index Jane Myers and Jane Charnley with the same index numbers 1913 Skipton vol 9a page 49, as well as Sid Myers and Sid Charnley 1911 Skipton vol 9a page 28. Is this unique ? As far as I know only 1 birth certificate was issued in the name of Myers. The Myers are only traced to Stephen Myers of Long Preston Yorks who moved to Barnoldswick to work in the mills,( soul destroying labour ) as cotton spinners etc.Charlie was born In Barlick (as it is known) but, Ann Elkin was born to a farming family in Langcliffe, North Yorks.This was the first time I had come across a surname ( Elkin) used as a middle name and it took me a while to work it out. This case was odd because Ann Elkin her grandmother died in 1853, 27 yrs before Ann Elkin was born. Ann Elkin was the only child of Richard Charnley 1847 - 1906 and Margaret Ann Townson !845 - 1911. Richard it seems farmed his own land at Rathmell, but fell on hard times and was forced to work as a mason's labourer and by 1901 was an inmate of Settle workhouse where I presume he died. Margaret Ann and Ann Elkin are not found in 1901 census. A death appears for Margaret 1911 and Ann Elkin is next found with the birth of Sid 1911.
Richard Charnley was the son of Robert Charnley 1791 - 1864 and Isabella Langstroth 1807 - 1882 of Tatham Lancashire.
Next the adventurous Langstroths.
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Roy, I think you have been taking writing lessons from Matt R. This "Mundane" tis not so, I think your forebears are interesting too. I might get inspired to do a blog myself, But on other hand who would want to know of my forebears in Ireland who were associated with Captain Moonlight? Or my forebears in Cornwall who were Master Mariners of slave trading ships, or later heroes at Waterloo? Or of my Spaniard who came to Australia as part of 48th Regiment to guard the convicts and was not allowed a grant of land because the then dictator of Sydney Cove (Governor of NSW) said he was a "Foreigner".
Cheers, Roy,
MA
You're good at talking so why not be good at writng ?
As I said, most intersting is OH's ancestors as you will see
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Roy,
Everything you have written so far is very interesting. You have done a great job. I'm waiting for the next chapter.
Cheers Huntersjoy
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Part 6
Robert Charnley may have been a prosperous farmer of many acres when (or if ) he married Isabella abt 1840. As with a lot of Charnleys the marriage is not found. Isabella's fortunes are unknown. What is known is she came from a long line of Langstroths dating back to 1464. http://colegenealogy.net/pdf/LANGSTROTH-William.pdf. This alone shows that back then they were a family of some wealth. I once found a reference to 'Langstroth Hall' in Yorks or Westmoreland, (lost it again). Isabella's cousin Craven Langstroth decided to emigrate to New Brunswick, Canada, some time before 1828. Wasn't there some conflict with the British govt about then ? He married there.
Going back to Thomas Langstroth born 1745 in Langstrothdale Yorks emigrated to Pennsylvania about 1776. Following his family through 2 generations of Johns in Mexico and California we reach Ivan Shed Langstroth 1887 - 1971. Shed being his mothers maiden name. He attained fame as a composer and concert pianist and toured Europe. Few people would know his works unless really interested in choral or chamber music. However he did write a Song of hope (1967) "We want Ronald Reagan." Dated: 31 March 1967, New York City. ;D
Item 103 http://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=tf596nb1w7&doc.view=entire_text&brand=oac
Ivan Shed Langstroth, American composer, pianist, and teacher, was born in Alameda, California on October 16, 1887. He received his early musical training in San Francisco with Theodore Vogt, then in Berlin at the Hochschule fur Musik. His teachers were Paul Juon and Engelbert Humperdinck in composition and Josef Lhevinne in piano.
After his student days he remained on the continent. In 1915 he was a coach at the Kiel opera, and in 1916 he served as organist at the American Church in Berlin. Between 1917 and 1920 he toured Scandinavia as a concert pianist, then settled in Vienna where he taught composition and theory at the Neue Wiener Konservatorium from 1921 until 1928.
Returning to the United States he taught at Chatham Square Music School in New York, City College, and Brooklyn College. Langstroth died in New York City on April 18, 1971.
Just before his passing, Langstroth gave all of his works to Henriette de Saussure (Blanding) Lehman, his friend and patroness, who lived in Palm Springs, California, with the understanding that they would be deposited with a California institution.
In January, 1974, Benjamin H. Lehman, emeritus Professor of English at Berkeley, who carried out Henriette's trust, presented the Langstroth papers to the Music Library.
Next The other famous relatives
[living people details removed]
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Which came first Roy, the family Langstroth or Langstrothdale?
Woody.
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Not too sure on this one Woody. From what I've looked at the original name could have been Longstrette, of Saxon origin, or more likely Danish as the Danes settled in Yorkshire and held out against the Saxons for many years. On this basis I suggests the name came first. Dale being the old Norse word for a valley, so The dale where the Longstrottes lived.
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I live about 40 miles from there. It truly is Gods own country and my wife and I often take our caravan up there so that we can enjoy the walking.
Woody.
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It sure looks like it Woody. I only saw a bit of Yorkshire on my way from Bedfordshire to the 'Lake District' back in 1961. Lots of good pictures here http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=4469124
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Beautiful pictures Roy. I' ll probably go to lower Wharfedale for a walk on Boxing Day and I'll remember your ancestors.
Woody.
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Part 7
Thomas Langstroth 1745 - 1800 was the grandfather of another famous Langstroth , Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth 1810-1895. Described by Wiki-paedia as an Italian immigrant. Obviously they have not researched his ancestry, he is definitely descended from the Yorkshire family. Why is he in Wiki ? answer Bees , the honey kind. I need not rack my brain here as its all there at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beekeeping
Make sure you scroll down to the history.
L. L. Langstroth, Revered as the "father of American apiculture", no other individual has influenced modern beekeeping practice more than Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth. His classic book The Hive and Honey-bee was published in 1853.
This concludes the history of those that kept the name Langstroth. Others had emigrated from the home country as Langstroth but somehow they became Longstreth and spread over a vast area of the US as it opened up.
Next Finally unexpected connections
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Ooooo Roy I'm very interested in this!
Although wikipedia cannot be trusted as it the articles are collectively entered by members of the public and only some researchers. It's a bit like the IGI, lol.
Nevertheless mate good reading, nice one :)
Matt :)
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Part 8
We've all seen movies and TV shows of the 'wild west', but did we ever think that those pioneers had descendants, or that we might be related. It would never have occurred to me being born in England. Not that I am really, only by marriage. The first Langstroth to emigrate was Benjamin 1679 - 1749 a quaker who around 1700 went to Pennsylvania possibly with William Penn. He was followed soon after by his nephew Martin 1720 - 1778 whose name was somehow changed to Longstreth. Both emigrated for religious freedom and would have endured hardships in establishing or improving the colony. After four generations we arrive at Susan Elizabeth Longstreth 1858 - 1938 who married Joseph Daniel Boone 1855 - 1940 . Imagine my excitement here at the possibility. They had ten children, the last was Lawrence C. Boone who died 1974. Being the children of a Langstroth these Boones were blood relatives of my wife.
The Boones , also quakers had left Devon abt 1700 the same time that the Langstroths left Yorkshire. Yet it took till 1876 for the two to be united in marriage. So tracing the Boone line back would mean that I was not dealing with 'blood relatives' Would Joseph Daniel Boone prove to be a direct descendant of Daniel Boone ? Unfortunately no , Daniel's cousin's great great grandson is , Daniel G Boone
Names: Boone, Daniel father Boone, Squire Snr brother Boone, James son Boone, John son Boone, James son Boone, William son Boone, Joseph Daniel son Boone, Daniel
Charnley, RICHARD mother Langstroth, ISABELLA father Langstroth, JOHN father Langstroth, JOHN father Langstroth, STEPHEN father Langstroth, JOHN father Langstroth, CHRISTOPHER son Langstroth, Martin son Longstreth, Martin son Longstreth, Philip son Longstreth, Thomas son Longstreth, Philip daughter Longstreth, Susan Elizabeth son Boone, Daniel G
So near, yet so far
There are still a few Langstroths to investigate
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Hello Aussie Roy
Do you think the Charles WINGATE, 1796 - 1864 , is the same Charles as appears on my web page: http://www.windeatt.f2s.com/windeatt/families/selsea_family.htm and in the Fulford Court Case Notes on Genuki Devon (linked on page)?
Windeatt
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This looks a distinct possibility Windeatt as I have his parents as William and Elizabeth. Also siblings William, Charlotte, John and George. I would be interested in seeing more. It looks like the whole Wingate family were mariners or customs officers.
http://roy1939.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=roy1939&pid=1454&bpid=1454&bview=0&view=0&ccpid=3355&rand=367480683
Roy
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Is it OK then for me to add a link to your page from mine?
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Is it OK then for me to add a link to your page from mine?
I don't see why not if it's relevant. Where's your page ?
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The one I linked before:
http://www.windeatt.f2s.com/windeatt/families/selsea_family.htm
I already have a link to this rootschat page but I could add the one to your family tree page as well.
Sandra
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bookmarking
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G'day Roy,
I'm well impressed with all the research you have done!
I wish I had as much information as you, so I shall just have to keep digging.
Cheers,
Dot.
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Hey Hey!, today 15/1/09 I found a William Wingate that emigrated to South Australia abt 1856 from Sussex, I cant establish a connection to my tree yet. Sure there must be one though. Those Wingates in Pagham Sussex are worse than Smiths . It's one of the wifes rellies again.
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Part 9
Return to the Wingates
Earlier I found it interesting that Amelia Wingate a coastguards daughter married a German soldier, travelled around a bit and ended her days as a widowed chadlady in a remote Yorkshire town. Her two brothers Charles and Stephen Wingate disappear from the UK after 1841. While searching for them I came across Mary Blake, a second cousin who married William Peay in 1820 and had eleven children before he died in 1843. IGI gives his death in Chichester, Sussex, England, but the whole family is not there in 1841. Mary Blake died in 1853 in Provo, Utah where four of her children also lived and died. So did William Peay return home to die ? There is no doubt that Mary's children converted to the Mormon Faith, her sons had three wives each and numerous children. daughters I have yet to investigate fully.
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Hi to all interested in the WINGATE Coastguard line. You may already have found this but my attention has only just been drawn to it:
http://www.genuki.org.uk:8080/big/Coastguards/T-Z.html
Twelve WINGATEs listed who must surely all be related? And three others (two WINGs and a WINROTT who could also be.
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The mundane side again
BATHAM is a name that is found worldwide, yet I find very little evidence of emigration. There are some in Queensland that I know of, but they originated in Staffordshire and no link to the London families. So I decided to investigate our origins. According to a few websites the name is derived from Beetham in Westmoreland (Cumbria ) where fortifications were built soon after the Norman Invasion of 1066. Adam de Betham born in Westmoreland abt 1080 A. D. . If this is my ancestor I am disappointed, because I have always regarded the Normans as robbers and pillagers. but then,one cannot chose his ancestry. Adam's father was Roger "The Poitevin" DE MONTGOMERY Lord Of Lancaster, mother Ademonde DE LA MARCHE and the line can be traced back to
Roger DE MONTGOMERY Birth: abt 910 A.D St. Germain,Montgomery,Normandy,France, if LDS can be relied on. Next is another Adam born 1146, wife Sibilla. Then in 1379 Elizabeth Betham was born in Betham Castle, Westmoreland, England. She married abt 1400 to Richard MUSGRAVE who's pedigree goes back through various Knights to Thomas DE MUSGRAVE b. abt 1196 Great Musgrave, Westmoreland, England. There are several more examples and Christopher Batham is there in 1703, Perhaps the Bathams arent so boring after all.
Oh! How I wish I could visit here http://www.edenlinks.co.uk/KENDALWARD/BEETHAM/BEETLET.HTM
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Part 11
London connections
Its a long way from Westmoreland to London, but then the medi-eval knights had more than one estate and would also need to travel to the Sovereigns Court. Bethams from Westmoreland are found living in Hanover Squ. London. Falling into disfavour with the monarch would result in forfeiture of estates and a once knightly family could be reduced to paupers.
The first reference I find to a Batham in London is as follows :-
Recognizance:; William Smith of St Martin in the Fields, smith (£20) and Helen Dunckley of St Martin in the Fields, spinster (£20) for their appearance at the next sessions to give evidence against John Batham for felony; Taken before: Ralph Dobinson; Annotated: To give evidence Exonerated WJ/SR(NS)2/120 17 James I [1620] 7 Mar.
This was 163 years before my first found ancestor was born in the same parish, proving at least that the name was there. Finding a possible link from John Batham to William Batham is the challenge
Strange connection
From http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/results.aspx?tab=2&Page=2&ContainAllWords=Batham 7 August 1832 These documents are held at Guildhall Library
Information relating to document ref. no. MS 11936/538/1143419 Insured: John Clayfield, 6 Summers Yard Coburg Row Back Fields Tothill Fields, pig dealer, and the Revd. Dr Hibbert Binney Other property or occupiers: Warwick Street corner of Thomas Street Notting Dale Middlesex (Batham locksmith). [Guildhall Library, Date: 1832.
This strange reference to Batham locksmith can only be William Batham 1783 - 1853. occupier presumably as I don't think William was a landowner. John Clayfield can be found 1851 census, living elsewhere, but can be connected to Notting Dale because a son was born there 1836. John was a brick labourer, not unusual as there were brickfields and potteries there.
.http://www.worley.org.uk/NOTTING%20DALE.htm.
But what possible connection can there be to the Revd. Dr. Hibbert Binney ? a man worlds apart from the squalor of Notting Dale ?
http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/genealogy/binney/hibbert2.htm Gives the biography of the Revd. Dr Hibbert Binney 1793 - 1857
Very strange indeed.
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Its been many months since the last posting here, but maybe some of the Langstroth line are still active. I have been working on a genealogy of the Longstreths of America for the past several years and have about 80% of them since 1700 into a single family tree (30,000 strong with about 3,500 having the Longstreth surname). Leave a reply if we might have some overlap in interests.
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Its been many months since the last posting here, but maybe some of the Langstroth line are still active. I have been working on a genealogy of the Longstreths of America for the past several years and have about 80% of them since 1700 into a single family tree (30,000 strong with about 3,500 having the Longstreth surname). Leave a reply if we might have some overlap in interests.
A lot of changes in my life have prevented me from adding to this topic for some time now. I don't work on the tree so much, but I would be very interested to see how the Langstroth name grew. Regards Roy
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I am providing below a copy of a short history of Longstreths in America that I circulated a few years ago to my relatives. I may need multiple posts to present the entire document.
Leaving England
The Longstreth story in America began in 1699 with Bartholomew Longstreth’s arrival in Philadelphia from Yorkshire, England. He was part of the Quaker exodus from England to Pennsylvania orchestrated by William Penn. At least one of his brothers (or perhaps cousins), Martin, followed soon thereafter. It is possible that one or two other brothers or cousins came over about the same time, because direct descendants of Bartholomew and Martin may not account for all the Longstreths in America (especially
some in New Jersey).
Settling near Philadelphia
Both Bartholomew (about 30 years old when he arrived) and Martin (about 25 years old when he arrived) settled in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, just north of Philadelphia. Bartholomew became a farmer and businessman, while Martin, at 7 foot, 2 ½ inches tall, made a livelihood as a traveling brazer, or tinker, with a circuit that included parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland and perhaps Virginia.
First Families
At the age of 48 Bartholomew married Ann Dawson, a woman 24 years his junior and the daughter of a local inn keeper (The Crooked Billet). They had 11 children, 9 of whom reached adulthood, all staying in the Philadelphia area, and raising their families there. Some moved a county westward, others a bit north, or south (e.g., Baltimore and Virginia) or east (New Jersey), but generally they remained within 25-50 miles of the Old Homestead.
Martin, the other brother being followed in this note, married a woman by the name of Abigail. Her first name is about all that we know about her. They had at least 3 children, one of them also being named Martin. This younger Martin frequently referred to himself as “Bartholomew, Jr”, which suggests he may have had a close relationship with his uncle (i.e., the Bartholomew mentioned in the previous paragraph). This younger Martin left the Philadelphia area about 1765-1770 with his teenage and young adult sons, heading west into the Indian lands of western Pennsylvania. They settled in Bedford County near the spot where today Interstate 76 heads into the tunnel under Sideling Hill.
Thus, descendants of the two brothers became geographically separated with the second generation in America, even before the start of the American Revolution. The two groups have become known as the “Philadelphia Longstreths” and the “Western (Pennsylvania) Longstreths.
The American Revolution
Many of the Philadelphia Longstreths remained members of the Quaker movement, whereas the Longstreths who moved to western Pennsylvania appear to have dropped their formal affiliation soon after the move. By the time of the Revolutionary War, the third generation of Longstreths in America had reached adulthood. Some Longstreth families in the Philadelphia and Valley Forge area actually had skirmishes occur on their lands and roadways during the Revolution. The Longstreths in western Pennsylvania had sons and husbands who become soldiers in the Revolutionary army. One of these sons, Bartholomew, the eldest son of the younger Martin, never returned home from the War and is presumed to have died during some campaign.
Generation 3 Moves On
Longstreths of the third generation in America joined the early wave of westward movement into newly opened territories. Some Longstreths of this generation, although born in the Philadelphia area, spent much of their adult life on newly staked out farms or in new communities in Ohio –Springfield, Tuscarawas, and Fort Ancient appear in the records. Most of the Longstreths of Bedford County left there during this generation, heading onward. One brother took his family north, settling near Pittsburgh; another brother moved his family to the southeast corner of Pennsylvania, while the family of a third brother moved to eastern Ohio, just south of Zanesville. Even now most of the Longstreths around Pittsburgh can trace their ancestry, replete with coal miners and oil field workers, back to one brother who moved there about 1800. Most of the Longstreths in southwest Pennsylvania and West Virginia can trace their ancestry of farmers and coalminers back to another brother who moved there about 1820, and to this day, most of the Longstreths living in Ohio east of Columbus and south of Akron can trace their ancestry of farmers, coal miners and pottery makers, to the third brother whose family settled in Morgan and Perry Counties about 1815.
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Continuation of the Longstreth history in America
Generation 4
Generation 4 continued the movement begun by generation 3. Even more families living in western Pennsylvania pulled up stakes and headed westwards, settling in western Ohio (around Dayton was popular) and eastern Indiana. Families leaving the Philadelphia area during this generation moved to central Ohio (in or near Columbus), western Ohio (near Dayton), and Meigs County (near the border with West Virginia).
These westward migrations now brought small collections of the two Longstreth branches (one branch being Bartholomew’s descendants and the other being Martin’s descendants), separated for 2-4 generations, back into close proximity to each other. All signs indicate that these two converging family lines were no longer aware of their common heritage, even though only 100-150 years had past. To this day the Dayton, Ohio area contains a mix of descendants of Bartholomew Longstreth and descendants of Martin Longstreth (and another group also, but I hope to come back to that later).
Generations 5 and 6
The next migration wave in the Longstreth families began around 1850, continued through the Civil War and until about 1880. The predominant destination in this round was the upper Midwest, especially Iowa and Missouri. Iowa had a least four independent foci of Longstreth settlers within a 25 year span –three Longstreth siblings from Philadelphia moved their families to Muscatine (eastern Iowa); two siblings from Dayton, Ohio (descendants of the western PA line) moved their families to Letts, just a few miles from Muscatine; three siblings and at least two cousins moved their families from eastern Ohio (Morgan/Perry counties) to Union County (south central Iowa); and finally, three or more siblings from West Virginia moved their families to Iowa County (central Iowa). Longstreth families from Morgan/Perry counties settled in northern Missouri, Kansas and South Dakota; at least two families from Philadelphia went to St. Louis; and another family left New Jersey for Kansas.
By 1880 Longstreths could be found in most of the northern states from Pennsylvania to Kansas, but almost none had headed south except for the border states of Maryland, Virginia and Missouri, although many had business connections in southern cities. Many Longstreths were soldiers in the Civil War - Longstreths from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa can be found on the rosters of the Union Army. I have not yet come across any Longstreths in the Confederate army, but that does not mean there weren’t some. This pattern may just be the result of the vast majority of the Longstreth migration in the 1700s and 1800s being westward across northern states. However, one cannot discount the strong Quaker heritage in the family. Several branches of the Longstreth family contained outspoken and active Abolitionists, and there are numerous tales within the family of ancestors acting as way stations on the underground railroad.
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Continuation of the Longstreth history in America
Generations 6 and 7
Recovery from the Civil War coincided with the opening of vast new territories from North Dakota to Oklahoma, and from the Missouri River to the Rocky Mountains. The economics of the country were also changing rapidly during this time. Migrating Longstreths included, in addition to the usual farmers, many employed in industries (coal mining, oil fields, railroads, steel plants, construction), and the service sectors (real estate, insurance, medicine). Oil workers from the Pennsylvania oil fields moved to Oklahoma and Texas; farmers from Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri moved to Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma to homestead. The Dakotas attracted two Longstreth physician families – one from Ohio, the other from Iowa. Teachers and war veterans from Iowa moved to Arkansas; blacksmiths, coal miners and construction workers fanned out across the new western lands and became farmers, real estate agents, railroad workers, and even a gold miner or two.
In addition to the westward and southwestward migrations, for the first time we encounter Longstreths migrating back east. Part of this was related to education with sons and daughters being sent to prestigious eastern schools as families gained more wealth, but also, occupations were changing as urbanization crept westward. The maturing country found Longstreths who grew up in the former frontier area choosing to practice their crafts and professions in the large governmental, financial, cultural, teaching and research centers of the east coast. Families that had left the east coast nearly 200 years before, now saw their sons and daughters heading back to the lands of the original homesteads to find their place in society. (Actually some family members have taken the historical return route so far as to end up back in England.
Generations 7 and 8
Are you wondering when the Longstreths got to California? Longstreth adventurers were visiting California, by sea and by land almost from the beginning of California’s emergence as a commercial destination. However, the 1900 census is the first to find a significant number of Longstreth families settled there. That is also the first census to show Longstreths living in Washington state and Oregon, suggesting that settling the west coat was the result of another wave of migration. The families appearing on the west coast came from Philadelphia, western Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kansas (and one Longstreth family claiming to be from Mexico).
By the 1930 to 1950s, Longstreths were located throughout the continental United States, in Alaska and Hawaii and several provinces of Canada. There are also anecdotal reports of family members settling in Mexico, or further south in Latin America. Today, 300 years after landing in Philadelphia, Longstreths can be found in almost all the states of the US, with the largest numbers residing in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan (moving there from Pennsylvania to work the auto plants, and from Ohio to farm the orchards), California and Florida. It appears that 90% or more of the Longstreths alive in the US today are direct descendants of either Bartholomew or Martin Longstreth (the two brothers mentioned at the beginning of this note). There are some Longstreths, especially in a line historically connected to New Jersey that may be descended from one or more other Longstreths. Then, there is the Longstreth branch that originated in Ohio and Indiana area about 1900. Literally, they originated there, the result of a name change about 1918 when a family of three decided to change their last name, and the name they chose was “Longstreth”. Descendants of that family have kept the name Longstreth.
Here ends this short rendition of the first 300 years of the Longstreth family settling in America. It is fairly safe to guess that when you meet another Longstreth, you are probably related (unless you know you are part of the small group originating with the name change in Ohio). The current generation of Longstreths (those being born near the beginning of the 21st century) are typically the 10th generation of Longstreths in America. The most distantly related individuals will be 9th cousins to each other, their common ancestor being 11 generations back (Christopher Longstreth of Yorkshire, England).
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Many thanks for all that, it is very interesting. One point of interest is how or why the name was changed from the original LANGSTROTH to Longstreth by some and retained by others like L.L. Langstroth in Ohio and Langstoths still living in Canada. And oddly enough the name has nearly died out in England, only a few families remaining
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I doubt that there is much more to the shift in the spelling of the Langstroth/Longstreth/Longstroth/Longstreath name than pronunciation conventions and historical move towards standardized spelling that paralleled the early migrations of the Ameraican Longstreths. The immigrants to America that became predominantly Longstreth arrived about 1700; the wave that used the Langstroth spelling after arriving in North America arrived 50-75 years later, so spent at least 2-3 more generations in the English homelands. In that interval, the US public school system had begun to develop, and towards the end of that time span Noah Webster's Speller had appeared and begun to be used in American schools. This educational tool tended to produce standardized spelling, whereas previously the spelling in many documents appeared to driven more by phonetics than tradition. This is true even in the early US census records where there are numerous spelling variations of the Longstreth name. There are even cases where the same newspaper spelled the name of the same Longstreth person multiple ways.
So the first wave of Langstroths to America had multiple generations to Americanize before their Langstroth cousins in the second wave came over, and the environmental pressures leading to accent, pronunciation and spelling changes were substantially different. I suspect also that in England, there was a similar movement towards standardizing spelling, in which case the second wave of Langstroths may well have "known" how to spell their name before they arrived, which might not have been the case 50-100 years earlier.
A small group of Longstreths in western PA adopted the spelling Longstreath, which is not a huge surprise if one recognizes that a diphthong accent is not particularly unusual in that Pennsylvania and West Virginia area. The peculiar thing about this particular spelling variant is that not everyone in a family necessarily adheres to it - so various sons and daughters of a father who uses the "ea" spelling, may keep the "ea" spelling, or may revert back to the "e" spelling. That makes for an interesting challenge for the genealogist to place family members, even now. The "ea" spelling currently has 3 geographical foci because of assorted migrations that have occurred - western Pennsylvania, western Ohio and Oklahoma.
The Longstroth spelling appears to be associated with a third wave of immigration from England. As near as I can tell, the original Longstroths may have immigrated to America from England to join the Mormon movement. They originally settled in Utah, but are now located in a few other western states also.
I suspect that there are more Longstreth/Langstroths in England than most people realize. A look through Facebook can identify at least 3 sets of families in England with members in the younger generations. And I encountered two or three groups without trying too hard in the Skipton and Yorkshire areas back in 2002 when I visited. There also appears to be a branch of the family name in Ireland. But I have not been trying to follow all these so cannot personally identify the assorted connects, even if I suspect they exist.