The Harney-Hull Conundrum
I've been working on my paternal side for a while; actually, Stephen and I have been working together. We've come across several naming patterns that have us baffled.
First is a many-times-great grandmother with the birth name of Virginia Harney Elam. Harney is really her middle name; it is not a previous marriage name (yes, we're sure. We have her Bible and a trillion records). So what is the problem? There are no known Harneys in the family. We've searched Baton Rouge (where she lived her whole life) and there is only one person with a Harney surname that we can find that lived there…and he was a military doctor that came AFTER she was born (a bachelor who never married). Further, the same name pops up as a middle name is several other branches of our tree, some related to Virginia Harney Elam, some not.
What's up with that? Did they just think it a cool name? Was there a celebrity with that name, now lost to history, but everyone latched onto the name (along the lines of Southern women loving the name Scarlett)? Are we missing an obvious connection-a maiden name or a distant relative?
The second is on another branch (actually, it's the husband of the above referenced Virginia), William Hull Gayle. Again, we can find no Hull's in the family (and this family has been researched quite well. We've found a William Hull who was a general in the US Army during the War of 1812 (so the timeline fits). Only problem with that is he was in command of the forces in Michigan (a long way from Baton Rouge) and was court-martialed for losing Detroit to the British (he was later remitted, or pardoned). Not particularly convincing as a solution. There is a William Hull back in old "home county" in the Carolinas, but that is a bit of a stretch. There is a William Hull in a nearby Louisiana parish (county), but we have found no connection as of yet. Or maybe it has nothing to do with a William Hull, maybe there is another "plain" Hull floating around somewhere.
These are minor points…maybe. Naming patterns can be so helpful in genealogy. One "odd" name can be a thumbprint for connecting a family. While not actual proof, in a research sense, that odd name can encourage further investigation.
Or it can just make you crazy with curiosity!
Posted by Andrea
First is a many-times-great grandmother with the birth name of Virginia Harney Elam. Harney is really her middle name; it is not a previous marriage name (yes, we're sure. We have her Bible and a trillion records). So what is the problem? There are no known Harneys in the family. We've searched Baton Rouge (where she lived her whole life) and there is only one person with a Harney surname that we can find that lived there…and he was a military doctor that came AFTER she was born (a bachelor who never married). Further, the same name pops up as a middle name is several other branches of our tree, some related to Virginia Harney Elam, some not.
What's up with that? Did they just think it a cool name? Was there a celebrity with that name, now lost to history, but everyone latched onto the name (along the lines of Southern women loving the name Scarlett)? Are we missing an obvious connection-a maiden name or a distant relative?
The second is on another branch (actually, it's the husband of the above referenced Virginia), William Hull Gayle. Again, we can find no Hull's in the family (and this family has been researched quite well. We've found a William Hull who was a general in the US Army during the War of 1812 (so the timeline fits). Only problem with that is he was in command of the forces in Michigan (a long way from Baton Rouge) and was court-martialed for losing Detroit to the British (he was later remitted, or pardoned). Not particularly convincing as a solution. There is a William Hull back in old "home county" in the Carolinas, but that is a bit of a stretch. There is a William Hull in a nearby Louisiana parish (county), but we have found no connection as of yet. Or maybe it has nothing to do with a William Hull, maybe there is another "plain" Hull floating around somewhere.
These are minor points…maybe. Naming patterns can be so helpful in genealogy. One "odd" name can be a thumbprint for connecting a family. While not actual proof, in a research sense, that odd name can encourage further investigation.
Or it can just make you crazy with curiosity!
Posted by Andrea
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