#TombstoneTuesday RUFUS SAMUEL and MAY COLLINS NICHOLS

LONNIE H. HANCOCK #MemorialMonday

Lonnie Hackler Hancock, 90, of Pulaski, Va., passed away Monday, November 24, 2014.

He was born to the late Burrell and Ida Linville Hancock, February 2, 1924.

Lonnie is survived by his wife of 68 years, Mildred Colleen Hancock; daughters and son-in-law, Jerry and Brenda H. Akers, Angie H. Cole; son and daughter-in-law, Daniel and Dreama Hancock; grandsons and wives, Jerry and Carrie Akers, Joey Akers, Stevie Akers, Timmy and Yvonne Cole; granddaughters, Christy Cole, and Sara Hancock; great-grandchildren, Breanna, Bridgett, Evan, Katey, and Sophia Akers, Nathan and Beth Cole, Anna Linkous, Bayleigh Cole, Alyvia Cole; many nieces and nephews.

Funeral service will be 11 a.m., Saturday, November 29, 2014, at Stevens Memorial Chapel, Pulaski. Arrangements by Stevens Funeral Home, Pulaski.

Interment at Oakwood Cemetery, Pulaski, Virginia.

EMLEN #SurnameSunday

EMLEN FAMILY

One of a Series of Sketches Written by Frank Willing Leach for the Philadelphia North American, 1907-1913, and Brought Down to Date, 1932

EMLEN

Among the old Quaker families which, at the earliest period of its history gave to Philadelphia its distinctive title of the "Quaker City," was that of the Emlens; a name which, for over two centuries, has been a synonym for probity, integrity and approved citizenship–always exemplifying its family motto: "Honestum praetulit utili."

It is a tradition in the family that the Emlens came originally from Wales, though the emigrant ancestor was of English birth. These facts are cited in proof of the conjecture: Emlyn Cantred was one of the divisions of southern Wales, "in the tymes of the Brittaines." Here stood Castle (afterward New Castle) Emlyn on the river Teivi. We are told that "the name (which was common among the Britains anciently and is partly yet retained) was Roman and is the same with Aemillinus, mentioned in Denbighshire, which the Inscription calls Almilini."

This inscription, "Almilini Tovisaci," on a sepulchral stone, has much discussed, and one of the most eminent Welsh scholars and archeologists "considered this stone to be the memorial of a Welsh prince or Leader Emlyn"; moreover, that it dates from the fifth or sixth century: "Tovisaci" meaning "leader" or "general."

In certain Welsh manuscripts appear "Dafydd Emlyn," "Siams Emlyn," etc., 1635. The name also appears in different parts of England in the same century.

From "Some accounts of the Life and Death of George Emlen, as given in writing by his sons Joshua and Samuel Emlen, late of this City, Philadelphia," the following information is gleaned, concerning the founder of the name in America:

He was born in a Town called Shepton Mallet in Summersetshire [Somerset], was apprenticed a vintner in London, and his parents having died when he was young, he was put under the care and tuition of an Aunt, who was Presbyterian–he was one of that people till he arrived at mature age, when embracing the Principles of Truth, as we believe, or turning a Friend, he was deprived of his Aunt's favor, or any expectations from her, who was a Person of considerable substance in the World, when meeting her displeasure, he was necessitated to provide for himself.

The account written by the sons then sets forth that "he came over sea with William Penn"; which expression is a general one, and does not signify that he accompanied Penn on the Welcome, but that he came over in Penn's time, and was among the early settlers in Philadelphia.

The first positive record we have of him as a citizen of Philadelphia is upon the occasion of his first marriage, hereafter referred to, which took place November 12, 1685, which was about three years after Penn's first arrival in the province. We also find him in the first tax list for Philadelphia county, that for 1693, where he is indicated as assessed at the following amount: "150 pounds", which was above the average assessment of his contemporaries.

As we have already seen, his business was that of a "vintner," "in which condition of Life," we are told by his sons, "he conducted with honour and good repute to the cause of Truth and to himself." Upon the occasion of his first marriage, in 1685, he was called "husbandman"–both terms signifying that he was engaged in agricultural pursuits, though the first-mentioned title, "vintner," indicated that he was more particularly engaged in the conduct of a vineyard, and the incidental manufacture of wine.

George Emlen married, November 12, 1685, Eleanor Allen, daughter of Nathaniel Allen, a man of very considerable note, who was named by William Penn, September 30, 1681, as one of the three commissioners authorized to embark for Pennsylvania and lay out the city of Philadelphia.

Three children were born to this first wife, all of whom died young; and the death of the mother occurred shortly after the birth of the third child.

George Emlen married, secondly, June 5, 1694, Hannah Garrett, daughter of William and Ann (Kirk) Garrett, who came to Pennsylvania from Leicestershire, England, in 1684, and settled in Darby, but subsequently moved to Philadelphia. Of her we have a pleasing pen-picture in the words of her devoted sons, who wrote that she "brought up her children with the utmost care and industry–and was a noble example to them of all that was good and laudable–very constant in advice to them to love and fear the Lord." They also tell us:

She was a dutiful child to her Parents & excellent wife to her husband, a loving mother to her children, an entire friend to the Poor & Distressed–undaunted in Danger–Religious and Ingenious–an easy mistress & good neighbor, neither lavish nor penurious–but an example of Industry as well to her own children as servants. Her precepts to virtue were pressing and earnest–her advice was to live in the fear of the Lord & to follow peace with all men, to keep to Truth and Plainness–to frequent religious meetings with great Industry–to act or do nothing but what became the followers of the meek & humble Jesus.

She was well beloved by most that knew her & hath left a good name and dyed in Peace. .. .. .. She as a darling favorite of both her Parents, as well she might be. .. .. .. happy are the children who follow the advice and example of such a Parent.

George and Hannah (nee Garrett) Emlen had eight children, as follows: George, Samuel, Caleb, Joshua, Hannah, Anne, Mary and Sarah. Of these, two died unmarried–Caleb, born June 9, 1699, and Hannah, born February 3, 1703-04.

http://emlen.us/Emlen-article.html

THOMAS GARRETT, Station Master #FamilyHistoryFriday

Parents: Thomas and Sarah (Price) Garrett.

Thomas and Margaret (Sharpless) Garrett were married in 1813 and to this union 5 children were born. Margaret died in 1828. In 1830 Thomas married Rachel Mendenhall, and they had 1 child (Eli). Thomas and Rachel were married 38 years.

Thomas and Rachel (Mendenhall) Garrett were very active in the Underground Railroad movement from their home in Wilmington, Deleware, and he was originally a member of the Darby Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends; in 1822, he moved to Wilmington, Delaware and transferred his membership to the Wilmington Monthly Meeting. . As a young boy growing up, Thomas had experienced his parents hiding many runaway slaves in their home, helping them escape the bonds of slavery. As a young man, Thomas himself rescued a young black woman employeed by his family from those who kidnapped her with intentions of selling her into slavery. This made a lasting impression, so that Thomas and Rachel continued this effort, sending many who sought freedom from slavery, to Isaac and Dinah Mendenhall's home on the route northward. Isaac was a brother to Rachel, and lived just over the line in Pennsylvania, about 20 miles away from the Garrett home.

Stations usually were at least 20 miles apart. Conductors used covered wagons or carts with false bottoms to carry the slaves from one station to the next. Runaway slaves hid during the day and traveled at night. Some of the people who were involved, notified runaways of their stations by lighting candles and putting them in the windows.

Thomas was known as a Social Reformer who served as one of the "Station Masters" on the Underground Railroad during the mid-1800's. He is credited with helping more than 2,700 slaves escape to freedom in a forty year career as a Station Master. Along with Harriet Tubman, he was responsible for the escape of hundreds of slaves to freedom. He used his wife’s family fortune (she was from a banking family) to fund the freedom of more than fourteen hundred fugitives, whom he typically delivered into the hands of the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee. Garrett was a persistent, reliable resource for the Underground Railroad -- Harriet Tubman herself frequently appeared at his door for assistance. While maintaining an inconsistently successful hardware business, Garrett acted as a key Station Master on the eastern line of the Underground Railroad, and his activities brought him in contact with Philadelphia Station Master William Still. The correspondence between the two men, preserved and published by Still, provides scholars with an intimate perspective of their struggle and those of countless Agents and Conductors on the Eastern Line of the Underground Railroad.

In 1848, Thomas Garrett and fellow abolitionist John Hunn were tried and convicted in the New Castle Delaware Courthouse by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, for aiding in the escape of the Hawkins family, who had been slaves in Maryland. Both men were given large fines, with Thomas' totalling $5,400, a major amount of money in the mid-1800's. In his closing address, Thomas Garrett regaled those in the courtroom with a redoubled commitment to help runaway slaves. Eyewitness accounts detail the particular contrition of a slave-holding juror from southern Delaware who rose to shake Garrett's hand and apologize at the close of the impassioned speech. He said to Judge Taney: "Thou has left me without a dollar,....I say to thee and to all in this court room, that if anyone knows a fugitive who wants shelter....send him to Thomas Garrett and he will befriend him." Following the Civil War, he continued his work for minority groups in America. In 1870, when black Americans were given the right to vote by the establishment of the 15th Amendment, Garrett was carried on the shoulders of his supporters through the streets of Wilmington as they hailed him "Our Moses"- (biography by: Russ Pickett).

Thomas Garrett wrote a letter to Sarah Bradford about the activities of Harriet Tubman on the Underground Railroad (June, 1866) http://www.fold3.com/page/1342_underground_railroad/

When Garrett died less than a year later, his funeral, attended by many of the black residents of the city, featured a procession of Garrett's coffin - borne from shoulder to shoulder up Quaker Hill.

Thomas Garrett even was the inspiration for the character Simeon Halliday in Harriet Beecher Stowe's influential novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and has been called Delaware's greatest humanitarian.

(Sources: 

http://www.whispersofangels.com/biographies.html,

http://trilogy.brynmawr.edu/speccoll/quakersandslavery/commentary/people/garrett.php,

http://www.shockfamily.net/underground/conductor.html, and http://housedivided.dickinson.edu/ugrr/profiles.html 

The Thomas Garrett Trial -http://www.fold3.com/page/1342_underground_railroad/         

http://www.geni.com/people/Thomas-Garrett/6000000019290653843       
http://articles.philly.com/1991-10-20/news/25814041_1_quaker-underground-railroad-marker      

Thomas Garrett is my third cousin 8 times removed.

You 

   →  Pop 

your father →  Rufus S. Nichols 

his father →  James "Jim" Ira Nichols 

his father →  Harriet Isabelle Maywood Nichols 

his mother → Clarissa "Betty" (Richards) Williams 

her mother →  Nancy (Moore) Richards 

her mother →  Jacob Moore 

her father →  Isaac Moore 

his father →  Sarah Moore 

his mother → Samuel Emlen 

her father →  Hannah Emlen 

his mother →  Samuel Garrett, II 

her brother →  Nathan Garrett 

his son →  Thomas Garrett 

his son →  Thomas Garrett 

his son

Ed Asner #SantaOfTheWeek

The movie was ELF and the Santa was...

Ed Asner is my third cousin 9 times removed's husband's fourth great granddaughter's ex-husband's wife's ex-husband's father.

You 

   →  Pop 

your father →  Rufus S. Nichols 

his father →  James "Jim" Ira Nichols 

his father →  Harriet Isabelle Maywood Nichols 

his mother → Clarissa "Betty" (Richards) Williams 

her mother →  Nancy (Moore) Richards 

her mother →  Jacob Moore 

her father →  Isaac Moore 

his father →  Sarah Moore 

his mother → Samuel Emlen 

her father →  Hannah Emlen 

his mother →  William Garrett, I 

her father →  John Garrett, of New Kent 

his brother →  Humphrey Garrett 

his son → James Garrett 

his son →  Fannie Garrett 

his daughter →  Edmund Butler 

her husband →  Mary Butler Rudisill 

his daughter →  Benjamin Franklin Rudisill, MD 

her son → Julia Newman Thweatt 

his daughter →  Dorothy Thweatt 

her daughter →   Brantley 

her son →  Elizabeth Jeanne Brantley 

his daughter →  Steven Soderbergh 

her ex-husband →  Julie Ann Soderbergh 

his wife →   Asner 

her ex-husband →  Ed Asner 

his father

http://www.geni.com/people/Ed-Asner/6000000008682960308

FAMILY HISTORY LEXICON

SIBLINGS: Siblings are the children of the same parents. It is a convenient term meaning "brothers and sisters". If you have two brothers and one sister, you have three siblings.

SPOUSE: Another convenient term meaning "husband or wife".

STEP-: If your parents are parted (death, divorce, annulment) and one of your parents re-marries, his/her new spouse then becomes your stepmother/father. If your step-parent had also been previously married and had had children by that first marriage, those children now become your stepbrothers/ sisters. Because they have completely different parents than you, your stepbrothers/sisters are not related to you "‘by blood"’ but are related by "extended family ties".   

HALF-: If your remarried parent and your step-parent have children, those children are your half brothers/sisters. Because you have one parent in common, you are partly (half) related "by blood".

IN-LAWS: If your brother or sister gets married, his/her new spouse becomes your sister-in-law or brother-in-law, but the family of your new sister(brother)-in-law does not become related to you, only in-laws to your newly married sibling. When you marry, however, you do acquire a whole family of in-laws of your own. Your new mate’s family now become your father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister- or brother-in-law. In-laws, like step-relatives, are not related "by blood" but by "extended family ties". Note that the term sister- or brother-in-law is used both for your spouse’s sibling and for your sibling’s spouse.

GRANDNIECE/NEPHEW: The children of your siblings are your nieces and nephews. The children of your nieces/nephews (your siblings’ grandchildren) are your grandnieces/nephews, and their children are your great-grandnieces/nephews. Grand-nieces/nephews are also sometimes called great-nieces/nephews, and great-grandnieces/nephews are also called great-great-nieces/nephews.

GRANDAUNT/UNCLE: The siblings of your parents are your aunts/uncles. The siblings of your grandparents were originally termed grandaunts/uncles and the siblings of your great-grand parents were great-grandaunts/uncles. But over the years those terms have gradually been replaced by the less descriptive great-aunt/uncle for grandaunt/uncle and great-great-aunt/uncle for great-grandaunt/uncle. Because it is more logical, many modern genealogists still prefer to use the older terms. Either is correct.

NAMESAKES: If your name is John Henry Doe and you name your son John Henry Doe, you then become Senior (Sr.) and your son Junior (Jr.), not the second (II). If your son John Henry Doe, Jr. names his son (your grandson) the same, his son then becomes ‘the third"’, i.e.., John Henry Doe III. However, if you name your son Richard Henry or John Harold, anything but John Henry Doe, but he still names his son (your grandson) after you, your grandson then becomes John Henry Doe II. Likewise if your brother Edward Charles Doe names his son after you, that child (your nephew) would also be John Henry Doe II. A ‘junior" always has the same name as his father whereas "the second" is not named for his father but does have the same name as an older relative (grandfather, uncle, cousin, etc.). The ‘third" is the third descendant in a family with the same name in either direct or indirect line. In everyday practice, the Sr., Jr., III are often only used when all parties are living but genealogically it is important to maintain the correct title to prevent confusion.         

GENEALOGY versus FAMILY HISTORY: Although currently the two terms are frequently used interchangeably, there is a difference between a genealogy and a family history. A genealogy starts with one ancestor, most often the original immigrant to the United States, and traces all his descendants to the present time. If that ancestor arrived on these shores in colonial times, you can imagine the hundreds and hundreds of descendants he now probably has and what a mammoth task it must be to find even half of them! A family history starts with yourself (or your children) and moves back through your two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen great-great-grandparents, thirty two great-grandparents, etc., spreading out fan-like to discover all the people from whom you are descended, not just names and dates but preferably information about their lives and backgrounds. Most genealogy courses offered today concentrate mostly on techniques for a family history rather than a genealogy. However, many of the methods can be used for both.   

MATERNAL/PATERNAL RELATIVES: In our English language, we do not differentiate between the maternal (mother’s) and paternal (father’s) sides of the family as is done in some languages. While this is handy for common speech, it can be frustrating to genealogist or family history researcher. For example, if you found an old family letter which wrote of "my grandmother returning to her home in Smithtown", you could not be sure whether it referred to the writer’s maternal or paternal grandmother. If the letter had been written in--say Swedish-- the word for "grandmother" would have been either "mormor" (mother’s mother) or "farmor" (father’s mother) and it would have been clear.      

http://www.bicknell.net/books/pc1981/p_family.htm 

Beulah Radford Nichols #MemorialMonday

Our family prayer warrior, Beulah Nichols of Moneta went to her heavenly home on Monday, December 1, 2014. God’s Angels met her at her beloved Strawberry Banks. Her warm and loving ways endeared her to everyone. She was born in Silver Leaf, VA on August 15, 1912 to Arristeen and Robert Radford. She is survived by three children, Margaret N. Harman, Joyce N. Griffith (James) and Gary L. Nichols (Susan); 10 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted from Flora Funeral Chapel 2 p.m. Wednesday with Pastor Melvin Harris and Rev. Robert Miller officiating. Interment will follow in Franklin Memorial Park. Her family will receive friends 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at Flora Funeral Service & Cremation Center, Rocky Mount.


http://www.florafuneralservice.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1467884#.VHzrhP6zIUk.facebook
http://www.roanoke.com/obituaries/nichols-beulah-r/article_13f26050-8473-5006-a78d-08a020557b86.html
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=42079616
http://www.thefranklinnewspost.com/article.cfm?ID=22845

SURNAME SUNDAY #SurnameSunday #Surnames

Surnames in my tree include NICHOLS, WILLIAMS, KING, ALDRIDGE, COLLINS, POFF, BARTLETT, HANCOCK, LAWRENCE, LINVILLE, JOHNSON, AKERS, TAYLOR, BOURNE, and VAUGHAN. 

NICHOLS #SurnameSaturday

The name Nichols and its variations including Nicol, Nicholls, Nickels, Nicholson, and many others [1], is derived from Nicholas, an ancient Greek name signifying people’s victory or victorious army and frequently given to saints [2]. For example, the Bishop of Myra (in Asia Minor) in the fourth century became St. Nicholas, from which both the character and name of Santa Claus evolved. According to English tradition, the common ancestor of most Nichols families in that country came to England with the Norman invaders [3]. Records have been found of at least 21 Nichols heads of families among the English who arrived in New England before 1700 [4]. Many of the approximately 170,000 individuals of that name currently in the United States are descended from these early settlers [5].

http://home.comcast.net/~plnichols/nichols-8-24-02.html

Some of my Nichols Lineage includes Rufus Samuel Nichols, James Ira Nichols, Ezekiel Hankin Nichols, John Nichols, Isaac Nichols, Jr., Isaac Nichols, William Nichols, Isaac Nichols, and Thomas Nichols.

Tim Allen #SantaOfTheWeek

December's a time of celebration and who knows more about celebrating than Santa? This week's Santa of the Week is the star of The Santa Clause himself, the hilarious Tim Allen.

Tim Allen is my 12th cousin thrice removed.

You 

   →  Pop 

your father →  Mamie C. Nichols (Collins) 

his mother →  Daniel J. COLLINS 

her father →  JOHN H. COLLINS 

his father →  Elizabeth Boothe 

his mother → Abner Boothe 

her father →  Isaac Abner Boothe, Sr. 

his father →  George Boothe, Sr. 

his father →  Stephen Boothe, I 

his father →  Rebecca Boothe 

his mother → Mary Morehouse (Hill) 

her mother →  Eliphalet Hill 

her father →  Elizabeth Hill 

his mother →  Rev. John Jones 

her father →  Elizabeth Morgan 

his mother →  John Morgan 

her brother →  William Morgan 

his son →  Capt. Thomas Morgan 

his son →  Martha Heathcote 

his daughter →  Elizabeth Taylor 

her daughter →  Avarilla Day 

her daughter → Avrilla Day 

her daughter →  William Taylor Allender 

her son →  Mary Ann Allender 

his daughter →  John Finley Dick 

her son →  Lewis Albert Dick 

his son → Gerald M Dick 

his son →  Tim Allen 

his son

http://www.geni.com/people/Tim-Allen/6000000015631370958