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
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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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take a moment to e-mail us.
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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
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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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