Self Seekers Newsletter, v. 12, no. 2

SELF SEEKERS:

THE SELF FAMILY ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY ONLINE NEWSLETTER SUPPLEMENT

Co-Hosts
Tim W. Seawolf Self    
Barbara Ann Peck
   [email protected]
Volume 12, no. 2   April, 2009
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WELCOME

Welcome to volume 12, no. 2 of the quarterly online newsletter supplement to "Self Portraits: The Self Family NetLetter," the Website dedicated to Self family research at http://www.selfroots.com

You are receiving this newsletter because you were kind enough to join "Self Seekers: The Self Family Association." We appreciate all of your contributions, large and small, and we hope you will continue to support our page, our surname list, and this newsletter.

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SELFS IN THE U.K.

This issue is dedicated specifically to those who are researching the Self surname in the United Kingdom.  Thanks to the efforts of a few individuals at home and abroad, we're fairly certain of "Olde" Robert's line back to his grandfather.  But here, we hit just one more brick wall.  We have a clue:  a cousin in the U.K. repeated a legend of three Self brothers from Wiltshire who went to London in the 16th century to make their fortunes.  So far, this story makes sense.  Again, we're pretty sure that Walter Selfe and John Selfe were brothers, but we don't know the name of the third sibling right now.  This account would also provide a link between Wiltshire and London and explain why we supposedly find our own Self(e) branch in both places.  We can also assume that the Viking stories fit because these marauders attacked the area of England where Wiltshire is located.  So far so good.  But remember, there are large Self(e) families in several English counties, most especially Norfolk and Suffolk.  How, why, and from where (Wiltshire?) they migrated is a story that's probably as amazing and colorful as how "Olde" Robert's descendants spread out across the United States.  Is anyone working on making these connections?  Can anyone trace the Selfe surname back to Saewulf, Sewlf, and beyond?  We don't know of any comprehensive effort here in the U.S., but perhaps some cousin in the U.K. has put together a "tree" or family history for his or her country.  If so, we'd be delighted to know what progress they've made.  It's surely all out there, in one form or another, from paper to DNA, and it's just a matter of putting it all together.  This month we're presenting what we know in hopes of exchanging information with others.


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TICKLE ME, AELMER
by Barbara Peck
edited by Tim Seawolf-Self

Trying to link our American Selfs to our cousins in other parts of the world is a slow and frustrating process.  We know that our family is English;  we also know that they migrated from England to Ireland, Scotland, and Australia, among other places;  and we know that their origins are Norse--either Danish or Norwegian or both.  But there are so many gaps left by the lack or destruction of paper documentation that it's difficult to establish even one straight line let alone the different branches that make up today's extended Self clan.

In an earlier issue, we mentioned some early Selfs that may have been progenitors of the English Self surname.  Three individuals were outstanding in history.  The first was Sewlf, the minister in King Canute's court.  The second was Saewulf, the large landholder in the days preceding the Norman Conquest.  The third was Saewulf the traveller who wrote of the Holy Land in his mediaeval journeys.  There is very little written about the private lives or ancestries of these men.  But in our research on the Web, it seems that they may actually have been one and the same.  This is an exciting conclusion because it could possibly mean that all of today's Selfs are descended from him or from a contemporary brother or cousin, giving us a lineage straight back to Viking times.

THE VIKING

Most sources give the first Seawolf ancestor as Sjolfr (pronounced "Seawolf").  As stated previously, "Sjolfr" was a common name among Norsemen, so tracing the family in Scandinavia would be fairly difficult.  One source gives "Seawolf" as the name of Beowulf's mother in the famous Norse saga.  This is one interpretation, but there may be others.  The early Scandinavians were great sailors, and many of their personal and place names began with "Sea."  "Wolf" or "Wulf" was one of the endings that was commonly tacked on to that prefix.  Some authorities lead us to believe that the name was coined by the Anglo-Saxons who were conquered by the Vikings, equating them to "wolves from the sea."  This romantic explanation is probably untrue as Vikings were apparently called "Seawolves" in their own country.

Because our surname has had several different spellings throughout the ages, some researchers have tried unsuccessfully to link non-related families to ours.  One surname that seems to be a definite match well over a thousand years ago is "Saul."  Although it seems Biblical in origin, this name is actually derived from the same source as "Seawolf."  Take a look at some of the Saul family pages on the Web and decide for yourSelf.

WHO WAS SAEWULF?

King Canute had a minister named Sewlf in his court.  We've always seen his name spelled this way, but in some places he's referred to as Saewulf or even Seawolf.  The only thing we know for certain is that he was part of the King's plot to murder Uhtred, the first Earl of Northumberland, who happens to be my own ancestor.  What part Sewlf played in this drama is unknown, but at the very least we can assume that the entire court was loyal to the King and ready to do his bidding. 

The figure of Saewulf, the wealthy thegn in Northamptonshire before the Conquest, has always been intriguing to us.  He's listed in the Domesday Book.  He owned so much acreage that we were never certain that he was just one individual.  It seems, however, that he was just one man and that his full name was probably Aelmer Saewulf.  Several Websites mention a brother named Siward--remember that Old English had no consistent spellings and the prefix "Si" was interchangeable with "Sj," both meaning "sea" or "ocean."  They may have been expert archers.  And in the social bureaucracy of the day, they were, in turn, under the larger protection of the Godwineson family which included Earls who together probably oversaw most of the land over which King Canute ruled.

William the Conqueror stripped Saewulf--as well as the Godwinesons--of their land and gave all of it to his half-brother, Robert de Burgh, Count of Mortain (later Moreton).  Robert (1031-1095?) was also the Earl of Cornwall.  He had gained his title of "Count" in 1048 with land that had belonged to William the Warling (Warlenc).  His favored position brought him over 700 manors throughout England.  Saewulf disappeared from the records.

But where did Saewulf go?  It's just possible that he entered the religious life, spurred on by a visit to the Holy Land.  Saewulf is said to have been a merchant.  Many merchants in mediaeval times commanded huge enterprises involving foreign trade and vast riches.  For all we know, this may be how Saewulf came to own so much land before the Conquest--there is no mention of inheritance, so he may have invested in property.  Saewulf the Merchant was a member of the following of Bishop Wulfstan of Worcester.  The Bishop, apparently also a friend, encouraged Saewulf to become a monk.  Again, we don't know (and may never know) if this was the same Saewulf who had once owned so much land, but it seemed common for those who had fallen upon misfortune to turn to the Church.  In any case, Saewulf travelled to Jerusalem and wrote about his visit.  This pilgrimage swayed him toward religion, and he eventually took Wulfstan's advice and became a monk of Malmesbury.  Unfortunately, we don't have dates for this man, nor do we know if he had been married and left descendants in the secular world when he entered the religious order.  If he did, we may have the beginnings of our family.

CONCLUSION

If the Self surname originated with the Vikings, we need to do three things:  (1) find out if the mediaeval Saewulf was just one person, and if so, find the names of his children, if any;  (2) research the generations between Sjolfr, the first "Seawolf," and Saewulf;  and (3) determine whether records exist in Denmark/Norway to isolate which Sjolfr actually was part of the Viking marauding band and something about his life and lineage.  Once again we call on those who reside or are able to travel overseas to concentrate their efforts on these projects.  There are a lot of gedcoms on the Web that show ancestries going far back into the past.  These may or may not be accurate.  But surely someone can put together an outline of how the Selfs progressed from earliest times.  It's a challenge, but we think it can be done...


(NEXT: "North Carolina")
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PLEASE CONTRIBUTE BIOGRAPHIES AND PHOTOS 

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<>DEAD ENDS
part 1
"A"
by Barbara Peck and Tim Seawolf-Self


When we began "SelfSite at RootsWeb," our objective was to present as much unrelated Self data as possible in the hopes that these individuals and families would be recognized by someone out there.  Because the Selfs married into many other surnames, it's just possible that a person surfing the Web could come across a Self connection that was previously unknown to them.  We divided the entries into two groups:  "Loose Ends" and "Dead Ends."  The Loose Ends are Selfs for whom we have no ready ancestry.  The Dead Ends are marriages of Self descendants for whom we are seeking descendants.  We've decided to reprint the "Dead Ends" bit by bit in this netletter to make it easier for you to go through them and to give visitors to our sites one more point of access.  Also there have been additions, deletions, and corrections.  Please check your records to see if any of these couples are in your database.  As always, information you may provide to us is for posterity.  Living people will not be put on the Web.

ABBOTT, Wade T. and ROBERTS, Olive Gertrude married 14 Oct 1928
ABEL, R. M. and SELF, S. A. married 29 Oct. 1865 in Jefferson County, AL
ABERNATHY, Henry Franklin and LAWRENCE, Mazie married 19 Aug 1917 in Hall County, GA
ABRAMS, Alexander and MOSS, Nancy married about 1905, probably in AR
ADAMS, Charles and SELF, Apphia married 1729 in Shelfanger, Norfolk, England
ADCOCK, Edd and SIBLEY, Allie married about 1911, probably in Collin County, TX
ADCOCK, Neely and McGARRAH, Lucy married about 1902, probably in Collin County, TX
ADCOCK, Shorty and SULLIVAN, Clara married about 1901, probably in Collin County, TX
ADDISON, Isaac Nathan and KAY, Julia married about 1883, probably in Vernon Parish, LA
ADDISON, Perry and FAIRCLOTH, Gladys married before 1920, probably in Vernon Parish, LA
ADDISON, Unknown and KAY, Missouria Jane married about 1880 in Sabine Parish, LA
ADKINS, Unknown and STORY, Stella married about 1907, probably in Clay County, NE
AILSTOCK, Hoyt and SELF, Farie Blanche married before 1920 in Sabine Parish, LA
AKINS, John Newton and PASS, Ola married 27 Jan 1913 in Hall County, GA
AKINS, Thomas Jefferson and WALKER, Mary Bell married 17 Apr 1918 in TX
ALDOUS, John and SELF, Sarah married about 1730 in Hoxne, Suffolk, England
ALDRIDGE, James and QUICK, Sarah Alice married 29 Nov 1902, probably in Perry County, IN
ALDRIDGE, William B. and MOSS, Cora married about 1919 in AR or MO
ALE, John and SELF, Elizabeth married 13 Mar 1788 in Frederick County, VA
ALEXANDER, Archie O. and ELZEA, Maud J. married 22 Nov 1904 in Audrain County, MO
ALFORD, Howard and WHITTINGTON, Willene married 2 Sep 1905 in Sabine Parish, LA
ALFORD, Pascal Elwell and McDANIEL, Fannie E. married before 1910 in LA or MS
ALLBRIGHT, William M. and SELF, Elizabeth B. married 6 Sep 1860 in Polk County, MO
ALLDREDGE, H. C. and SELF, Ella M. married about 1912, probably in AL
ALLEN, D. Bruce and HATCHER, Josie married about 1908 in Barren County, KY
ALLEN, George Washington and BLACK, Lucy married before 1833 in Muskingum County, OH
ALLEN, Grady and HIQUEA, Ida Frances married 13 May 1918, probably in GA
ALLEN, J. O. and TUNNELL, Ada E. married Sep 1904 in Comanche County, TX
ALLEN, John and ROYSTER, Ida B. married about 1893, probably in NC
ALLEN, John D. and SELF, Charlotte married before 1870 probably in Dallas County, MO
ALLEN, Joseph and SELF, Maude Imogene married before 1920 in LA
ALLEN, Lester Jobe and BERRONG, Clare married 22 Oct 1919, probably in GA
ALLEN, W. Ernest and CASH, M. Lizzie married 7 Nov 1909, probably in GA
ALLRED, Ephraim and SELF, Elizabeth married Feb. 6, 1862 in Pulaski County, AR
ALLRED, Matthew Atwood and CAMPBELL, Ella Hughes married about 1914, probably in NC
ALT, George E. and SELF, Ethel married about 1909 in Pendleton County, WV
ALVEY, William Anthony and HOWELL, Maggie married 6 Oct 1917 in Perry County, IN
AMER, Charles and SELF, Franky Frances married 28 Apr 1846 in Shelby County, KY
ANDREWS, Cicero C. and SELF, Eliza H. married 12 Oct 1865 in Bibb County, GA
ANTON, John Westley and SELF, Sally married about 1876 in VA
APPLEBY, Loren Edmund and COX, Vanier married about 1895 in Clinton County, KY
APPLEBY, Loren Edmund and HARVEY, Rosa Bell married 1906 in Clinton County, KY
APPLEBY, William Alfred and WILLIAMS, Kate married about 1890 in Clinton County, KY
APPLEBY, William Bartlett and DUTTON, Clara married about 1900 in Clinton County, KY
ARCHER, Blunt and EADS, Elizabeth married about 1837 in KY or IL
ARLEDGE, Thomas Worth and SELF, Tebie Belle Fulcher married before 1910
ARLINE, Thomas Floyd and McBRAYER, Sarah Jane Rosalvia married 6 Oct 1912 in Maricopa County, AZ
ARROWOOD, Milton Fyfe and SELF, Junia married about 1916, probably in Lincoln County, NC
ARTHUR, William Henry and SELF, Elizabeth J. married 11 Aug 1865 in Sabine Parish, LA
ASBURY, John and SELF, Patty married 20 Jun 1792 in Westmoreland County, VA.
ASH, Alonzo and LACKEY, Mary Magdalene married 27 Jan 1901 in White County, GA
ASH, Theodore and STRANGE, Letha Lorene married about 1912, probably in White County, GA
ASH, William Sherman and BOYD, Ede Maggie married 9 Aug 1919 in White County, GA
ASHAN, Samuel and SELF, Amey married 15 Jun 1870 in Montgomery County, MD
ASHBURY, Owen and SMITH, Birdie Ola married about 1903, probably in TX or AR
ASHMORE, R. H. and TUNNELL, Emma A. married Dec. 1901 in Comanche County, TX
ATKINS, Clifton and SELF, Luna L. married before 1920 in Sabine Parish, LA
ATKISON, John Robert and SELF, Janie married 1 Feb 1905 in Knox County, TX
ATWOOD, Allie Winn and SELF, Edna Alice married 10 Jun 1911 in Love County, OK
AUSTIN, Charles W. and SELF, Lucy Ellen married about 1908, probably in VA
AUSTIN, Henry Wesley and SELF, Minnie married about 1883 in Richmond County, VA and went to MN
AUSTIN, Unknown and HOFFMAN, Lula May married about 1899, probably in Dallas County, MO
AVERY, Lawrence and UNKNOWN, Grace R. married about 1912, probably in Hart County, KY
AXTON, John D. and SELF, Matilda married 8 Oct 1854 in Jefferson County, AL
AYERS, John and SELF, Emily married 29 Dec 1826 in Caroline County, VA
AYERS, Unknown and SELF, Julia Ann married about 1870 in LA

(Next:  part 2 - "B")

Maybe your ancestors used to tell stories about life in the "old days," stories you remember hearing as a child. Please tell us about them. We will even supply editing and formatting; but we'd all love to know about daily life in the Self families of old--and you may be able to help. Please contact us. And please state that your story is specifically for the newsletter.

LOOSE ENDS

Please go to our "Loose Ends" subsection at our SelfSite at RootsWeb.

DEAD ENDS

Please go to our "Dead Ends" subsection at our SelfSite at RootsWeb.


SELFS IN SPACE

What would you like to see here? This space is reserved for any topic of interest to Self cousins. Express YourSelf!!


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DISCLAIMERS OF WARRANTIES AND LIABILITY

Some parts of this newsletter contain information contributed by individuals. The editors may not monitor or censor the information placed on these Pages. We do not invite reliance upon, nor accept responsibility for, the information posted here.

Each individual contributor is solely responsible for the content of their information, including any and all legal consequences of the postings. We are in no way, in whole or in part, responsible for any damages caused by the content in this newsletter or by the content contributed by any person.

We do not warrant, or guarantee any of the services, products, or information used for these pages. We do not make any warranty, expressed or implied, and do not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any of the information disclosed in this publication, or represent in any way that the use would not infringe privately owned rights.

NOTICE: The information in this newsletter is Copyrighted, and must not be used for any commercial purposes or republished in any form without prior permission. This newsletter is copyrighted, except where previous copyright applies.

Copyright 1998-2009 Tim Seawolf-Self and Barbara A. Peck, All Rights Reserved


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