July 2006 Self Seekers Newsletter
SELF SEEKERS:
THE SELF FAMILY ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY ONLINE
NEWSLETTER
SUPPLEMENT
Co-Hosts
Tim W. Seawolf Self
Barbara Ann Peck
[email protected]
Volume 9, no. 3 July, 2006
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WELCOME
Welcome to volume 9, no. 3 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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THE THREE R'S
Most kids want to forget the "three R's" when they're on summer
break. But for genealogists, summer is the time to remember
them: Research, Reunions, and RootsWeb. If you get a summer
vacation from work or school, you'll have a week or two to devote to
Research. If high gas prices are keeping you at home, you can
always work in front of your computer and uncover different pieces of
information in every session. Or you may be able to take a
"genealogy trip" and spend your days tromping through cemeteries or
sorting through primary sources or old letters and photographs.
Reunions are often a part of the summertime fun. If your Self
branch has one this year, have a good time, meet everyone, and write
down as much as you can to work into your files when you get
home. Finally, don't forget RootsWeb. Without that
beneficent organization, genealogy on the Web wouldn't be anywhere near
as easy to do even with the help of a computer. We owe them a lot
of thanks for sharing their gedcoms, hosting their message boards, and
providing free space for USGenWeb Project coordinators to place their
counties and towns.
Have a wonderful summer!
A Good Idea: Please join us at our VIRTUAL
REUNION
It only takes a few minutes to scan a photo and write a short paragraph
about your research,
your other interests, your children and grandchildren...whatever
Please
do check out this opportunity to share with your distant cousins
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SELF SEEKERS MEMBERSHIP FEES
Please send us your 2006
contributions if you haven't already done so...
We are going through our membership list and hope to find your name on
it!!
At the end of this calendar year, the Charter Page will be
revised. Please consider renewing your membership...
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WHEN "OFFICIAL" RECORDS CONFLICT
by Barbara Peck
Edited by Tim Seawolf-Self
Got Grandpa? You know it's him for sure! He was born where
your family has lived for generations, and he died there, too.
Maybe. He was married to Grandma, we all know that--but sometimes
it doesn't seem that way. And now, you're not even so sure he's
buried where his tombstone is. What's wrong? The "official"
records conflict. And if you can't be certain about the facts
surrounding Grandpa, how can you really believe anything about his
parents or his grandparents or anyone else back in the mists of time?
THE RECORDS
There are all kinds of documents you use when searching for your
ancestors. When I was young, a person could still handle the
original primary sources. Today, we've sacrificed that pleasure
for the convenience of microfilm and computerized databases. Just
imagine if you won the Lottery! You could subscribe to all the
information at Genealogy.com and spend the rest of your life
luxuriating in names and dates. You could scour the Census, check
out references in hard-to-find history books, review endles gedcoms,
and read old wills, tax rolls, and juror lists in the comfort of your
own living room. There are other resources, too. Your
family may have preserved its earliest Bible, saved letters, or tossed
old photographs into a box. Someone may have already begun a
scrapbook or even recorded the stories and reminiscences of elderly
relatives. And, of course, there is oral tradition--what those
living elderly folks can tell you first hand and enjoy doing it, too.
These records all provide wonderful documentation for your family
tree. But what happens when the Census record disagrees with the
family Bible? What about differences of 2 or more years of age in
two successive Censuses? Someone's gedcom states that your
ancestor died in the Midwest, but you've visited his grave in the
Southeast. And you know his name was John, so why do you
continually find references to Thomas? Sometimes the
discrepancies are small and sometimes they're large, but they can be
disconcerting as well--and they can really cause confusion in your
endnotes.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The simple explanation is: human error.
It was only at the turn of the 20th century that many
people--especially those in remote and rural areas--learned to read and
write. Illiteracy probably kept many of them from writing down
events such as births, marriages, and deaths; and if they
eventually found someone to do it for them, they may have forgotten the
exact date on which they happened. If a branch of your family
came from another country, they may have encountered a language
barrier, confusing the names of months, for example. The avid
cemetery recorder may have been confronted by a "weathered" stone whose
carving is unclear and perhaps made a guess at what it once
showed. Census takers were also sometimes less than
literate. They often couldn't spell correctly, and their
handwriting was notoriously difficult to read, ranging from hurried
scribbling to flowery penmanship. Consider also the age of paper
documents, the wear, tear, and damage involved, and even the
unfortunate blots of ink that leaked from old-fashioned pens.
Of course Census takers, clerks, and other recorders were and are only
as accurate as the information given to them. Again, our earlier
ancestors may not even have known when they were born, and the facts
may have been unearthed much later with no attempt made to correct
previous statements. The Selfs and other families in the
nineteenth century tended to address each other by their middle names
rather than their given names. Most had no idea of the formality
of the Census, marriage, or death records and reported the names of
family members as they called them. Another frustration arises
from the reluctance of those people to talk about their
ancestors. Some cited privacy; others were ashamed of their
own past or the misdeeds of someone in their family. Others
simply believed in living for today, preparing for tomorrow, and
forgetting about the past. Genealogy wasn't a popular pastime
back then. It was more important to survive to create those
descendants than to worry about leaving a genealogical trail for them.
Finally, how many of us really enjoy paperwork? Sorting and
filing items? Carefully labeling things? Even if we do, we
seldom have time. Our ancestors had their lives, too--busy lives
lacking our modern conveniences and leaving them too tired to take time
to sort photos and put names to them. They probably never gave
much thought to the fact that they possessed the only known picture
taken of their grandfather during the Civil War or to annotate the
names of all the children in the third grade group picture of the Class
of '02.
WHAT TO DO?
What can you do when "official" records conflict? The best thing
is to try to ascertain your ancestor's real name and real dates.
If it's not too far back, someone in the family might know. If he
lived in the distant past, you may have to make a decision based on the
best available evidence. If several sources give one date of
birth and just one gives a different date, choose the one most widely
used. Then try to find out the source of the alternate
date. We say "try" because that might be very difficult.
Records disappear or are destroyed. Even if you write to someone
who posted a huge gedcom on the Web, chances are that their e-mail
address has changed while they haven't bothered updating it on the
page. Elderly and unwell individuals pass away. You might
never really know the correct date--but to be able to cite your sources
is to show that you have at least done as much work as possible.
Sometimes we've been given just one date or name variation in one
document and then just one from a second source. There's
really no way to tell which date is correct, unless perhaps it's
something unreasonable such as a birthdate two months after the birth
of a sibling. In that case, cite both dates. It may be an
admission of your inability to determine the truth, but you're probably
also presenting at least one date that's correct and putting out both
for discussion and comment.
SUMMARY
Names and dates often conflict in "official" sources. Human error
is to blame for most of the problems. You can choose the most
often used name or date or use your judgment as to which is
correct. Or you can cite all the variations and let the next
researcher decide. And don't let it be your final word.
When you least expect it, Grandpa will find a way to show you the
answer!
(NEXT: "Once Removed: Fitting Into the Family")
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PLEASE
CONTRIBUTE
BIOGRAPHIES AND PHOTOS
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MINOR SELF LINES
part 11
by Barbara Peck and Tim Seawolf-Self
In 2003, we presented an article on the major unconnected Self
lines. Now we'd like to concentrate on the minor lines that are
still not connected to Olde Robert Selfe, even by "best
evidence." In this installment, we've included Self branches from
Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, and New Jersey. We hope to
feature more small family lines in the following newsletters.
MISSISSIPPI
THOMAS STARLIN GETO SELF:
Also known as Starling or Sterling. He was supposedly born in
England about 1805 and died in 1912. In 1840, he lived in
Tuscaloosa, AL; and by 1843, he was in Attala County, MS.
All his children were by his second wife, Amanda (his first wife is
unknown). These children were: Silas, Frances E., Martha
A., Rufus M., Farrer, Charles G., Clementine, Alice Gertrude, and Early
Thomas Sherman. We have further information on all of them except
for Silas.
LILLIAN BEATRICE SELF:
Lillian was born 1891 in McCool, Attala County, MS and died 1970 in
Baldwin County, AL. Her husband was Benjamin VanBuren McCool
(1885-1960). They had four children. At least one, Willie,
died young.
COWAN M. SELF: Born 1840
somewhere in AL., Cowan M. Self married Elizabeth ??? (1842-ABT 1891)
and lived in Benton County, MS. They adopted one daughter named
Rovina. His second wife, Nancy E. ???, produced two more
daughters, Mary A. and Annie M. We have a Mary Alice SELPH in
Tippah County, MS who might be the right age to be one of them.
She married Andrew Jackson Meadows. We'd like to know if there is
a connection here, as well as the ancestry of Cowan Self.
GEORGE SELF: George Self,
born 1856, lived in Holmes County, MS with his wife, Minnie W. C.
(Farmer) Self. We know nothing about their two daughters, Rosa
and Addie. But we do have some information on sons, George G. and
John Marshall.
AUBURN SELPH: Suddenly
appearing in Itawamba County, MS is Auburn Selph. We know from
the 1880 Census that he was born about 1830 and that his father and
mother were from Alabama and Tennessee, respectively. His wife,
Frances, was born 1836 in AL. Shown on the Census are three
children: Ida, Thomas J., and William.
L. B. SELF: L. B. Self
lived in Oktibbeha County, MS in 1880 even though he was born in GA in
1828, supposedly of parents also both born in GA. His wife, Nancy
E., came from TN. Two of their children--Rufus and Daniel
O.--were born in AL; the other three--Berry, Early, and
Myrtle--were born in MS.
WILLIAM ROBERT SELF: Who
was William Robert Self, b. 1842 in VA? His parents were from VA
as well. Permelia (Stringfield) Self, his wife, was born 1852 in
LA. In the 1880 census, the family of 7 seems to be living in an
apartment building or boarding house in Pike County, TN. The
children were: Susan E., William M., John H., Mary M., and
<again> William M. Both sons named William M. are listed as
living in this census with a 7 year span (1869 - 1876) between
them. Even if one of them died in the census year, it's unclear
why there were two boys with the same name. Of course, it's
possible that the census taker made a mistake.
POLLY SELF: She was born
in 1832. She m. at age 40 in Winston County, MS. Her
husband, Simpson White, was born there about 1837. The couple had
one child, Dixie, who married John Henry Jeffries, had 6 children, and
also lived in Winston County.
JOB GILHAM SELF: His
middle name was also written as "Gilliam." He was a renown
silversmith, and we've often been very curious about his
beginnings. We know that he was born before 1820, but not the
location of that event. His wife's name was Sarah Henrietta
McManus, and his four children were Dudley, Colin McRay, Walter, and
Harry (who died young).
UNKNOWN SELF: An unknown
Self and his unknown wife had two children somewhere in MS. Son
Edmond Self (1855-1952) had three wives, ??? Bruce, Maude ???, and Lena
???. Their daughter, Ellie, MAY be the Ellie Lee Self (1874-1959)
who married Alonzo Grantham and had a son named Casey.
UNKNOWN SELF: This
individual was female. She m. Joseph W. Gladney of Choctaw
County, MS. This couple had 3 children: Huldah, Margaret,
and Benjamin Joseph. We have no idea what happened to the two
daughters or who Unknown Self might be and where she might be from.
WILLIAM WALTER SELF: We'd
like to know more about William Walter Self, b. Mar. 25, 1826 in
Louisiana. He m. Jane Judson Robertson of MS. Their
children have only initials except for the first son, John F.
They were: S. E., E. A., A. B. E., W. E., and M. L. Their
gender is also unknown. It's possible that E. A. may be Adrian
Ella (b. 1856) who spelled her last name "Selph."
UNKNOWN SELF: Yet another
mystery man, Unknown Self was born in MS. His wife's name begins
with an "A," and she was born in GA in 1831. We known of only one
child, Fannie E., b. 1861 in AR. She married John Blum, b. 1852
in Paris, France. This Self family was in Callahan County, TX in
the 1880 census.
MONTANA
UNKNOWN SELF: This
Montana pioneer was born in KY. His wife's name was Malinda, and
they had a son, b. 1866 in Nebraska, named James N. Self.
Apparently this man died, and his wife remarried John T. Woodward of
Deer Lodge County, MT. She and her son, James, were living with
him in the 1880 census.
NEBRASKA
UNKNOWN SELF: We know
nothing about this unknown Self--not his name, birth date, or where he
came from. His wife, Nellie P., was born 1861 in PA. His
trail begins in AR in 1890 when his daughter, Lida H., was born.
Then came child (male? female?) Hasen, who was born in 1897 in
IA. He then settled in Dodge County, NE.
WALTER SELF: Walter Self
was born in 1856, possibly in England. He m. Minerva ???, b. 1860
in WI. Their children were Carl T., Mary S., Florence H., Jessie
E., Oliver H., and Warren, born in Otoe County. The family lived
in Lancaster County, NE. Was Walter Self born in England?
If so, to which English branch does he belong.
UNKNOWN SELF: Unknown
Self married Anna Palmquist, b. 1853 in IL. By 1884, they were in
Lancaster County, NE with children, Constance J. and Arthur C.
ROBERT SELF: Another
presumed Englishman was Robert Self of Otoe County, NE. He was
born in 1822 in England of English parents. His wife, Emily, was
three years his senior, and she was also born in England. Their
two children, Robert O. and Mary were also born in England. He
was in Otoe County after 1860.
NEW
JERSEY
EDWARD SELF: One of the most
fascinating Self families is that of Edward Self. He was born
1839 in England. We don't know who his father was or where in
England he lived, but we do know that his mother, born 1815, was named
Mary and his sister, born 1847, was named Emma. Connecticut was
the birthplace of Edward's wife, Anna D., who was one year younger than
her English husband. Their children: Edward D., b. 1866 in
NY., and William B., b. 1868 in NJ. Edward's grandson, through
son William, was Sydney Baldwin Self (1896-1980) who married Honoria
Muldrup Cabell, also known as Margaret Cabell Self, the writer of
children's horse stories. We have met, but lost touch with,
several descendants of this family.
If you know about any of these Selfs from these states,
please send us a chart or gedcom showing their ancestry. In the
issues to follow, we'll be listing other "Loose Ends" from other
states. You'll find these people listed on the "Loose Ends"
section of "SelfSite" as well. We'd just love to put them in
their place!
(NEXT: Minor Self Lines, part 12)
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!!
If you do not wish to receive this electronic publication, please
take a moment to e-mail us.
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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
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contributed by any person.
We do not warrant, or guarantee any of the services,
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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 1998-2006 Tim Seawolf-Self and Barbara
A. Peck, All Rights Reserved
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