This week the prompt is "surprising." There have been several surprises I've found out while researching my family history. Here are a few surprises that I've discovered.
- 7th great grandfather David Pulsipher fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. First, I hadn't really thought about any of my ancestors fighting in the American Revolution. I thought almost all had come over after 1776. I was surprised when I found out that David and his son, John, had fought at Bunker Hill, one of the most infamous battles at the start of the war.
- Another surprising thing about the Pulsipher line is that the Pulsiphers who stayed in Ohio were quite active in the abolitionist movement in Ohio prior to the start of the Civil War. A Pulsipher cousin who stayed in Ohio even served with a son of John Brown in the Civil War.
- Another surprise, once again through the Pulsipher line, is that we are connected to the Mayflower. David Pulsipher's son, Ebeneezer, my 6th great grandfather, married Unity Reed. Unity goes back to Isabell Chilton on her father's side. Isabell came to America on the second ship after the Mayflower's arrival. Isabell's father was James Chilton. James and his wife arrived on the Mayflower. James is known as being the first passenger who died after arriving in America. Sometime in the future when I have time and money, I'd like to properly research this and obtain membership in the Mayflower Society.
- Finding out that the Bellingers were originally from Germany was surprising. I'd always thought that Mildred Strand was English and Scottish and Irish. She was, but she was also German too. Finding out that Mildred and Carl could both speak German was surprising.
- On the Henrickson side, finding out that 2x great grandmother Ingrid Fahna had had a child out of wedlock was a great surprise. In actuality she had two children out of wedlock. I'd already discovered that she and her future husband Johan had a child before getting married. What was a true surprise was finding out that she had a child out of wedlock in her early 20's. Long before Johan. She was counseled by the Church on the wrongness of her act. I guess she forgot later. The child died around 3 months old. The child she had out of wedlock with Johan died around 1 year old. I wonder how the deaths of her first two children affected her relationship with George and Amanda. If any?
- One more surprise involving the Swedish relatives was finding out that Carl Anderson, Malvina's father, was born to parents who were not legally wed. Again, Carl and his sister were born out of wedlock to their parents. In Carl's case though, the Church seemed to make an exception and welcomed his mother back with the same rights afforded a married woman. His parents, even though not legally wed, seemed to be accepted by everyone as a couple. They definitely need some more researching and looking into.
- As a longtime fan of "Gone with the Wind" book and movie, the burning of Atlanta scene always fascinated me. I wondered how it must've felt to the citizens in General Sherman's path, and I wondered how it affected the soldiers marching. So, finding out that 3x great grandfather David Bellinger not only served in the Civil War, but marched with Sherman through Georgia and on to Charleston and Washington, D.C. was a big surprise.
Those are a few of the surprises I've come across in the past few years while researching. Every time I think I know someone, or I've searched a line as far as I can and I've found everything out, something new pops up. Regarding the Bellinger line, there seems to be a line that went with John Smith and Bringham Young to Utah and were Mormon pioneers. That's definitely a surprise! What are some of the surprising things you've learned and discovered? Leave a comment down below or email me. 
I was surprised to learn that dad could play the piano and he could speak some Swedish
ReplyDeleteYes! Learning that Grandpa could play the piano was definitely a surprise. I'm guessing he learned it from his parents since they both played, but where did THEY learn it from? Piano's weren't easy to come by. Somewhere along the way they had to learn. George and Malvina both played the organ at the church. George also sang. I wonder if Malvina ever sang?
DeleteVery interesting to see all the surprises in your family history! Father and son fighting for the Colonies at Bunker Hill? Wow.
ReplyDeleteMy mother Mildred Strand told me that in conversations with her Grandfather David Bellingar he would speak of his Civil War Experiences but when it came to discussing serving on Sherman's March to the Sea, he would not talk about it. Shermans March was a "scorched earth policy" leaving a 30 mile wide path or destruction, as the army lived off the land, feeding itself with the livestock and crops and destroying what was left over. It must have been such an anguishing experience for a farm boy that he would not speak of it 50 years later.
ReplyDeleteI agree. In reading about the Michigan infantry marching with Sherman, like always, you had soldiers who followed orders and did the right thing. Then, there were soldiers who took advantage of the situation and went beyond the bounds of decency. Some were punished. In other cases officers looked the other way. Sherman even treated the cities and populations differently.
DeleteEvery thing you listed was a surprise to me! Isn't it amazing all the information you've discovered about our people, in a time where there was no social media. Can you imagine what future researchers will fine out about us?
ReplyDelete