Showing posts with label Genealogy Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Genealogy Writing. Show all posts
22 December 2021
26 October 2013
25 July 2013
A LOCAL HISTORICAL SUMMER VACATION! SPANISH AMERICAN HISTORY
I've been visiting historical sites. But I have to tell you that when I first moved to Southern California and met people who were born and raised here (people who seem to be in the minority) they told me that there was NO HISTORY HERE.
How could that be?
Hadn't they been taught some American History or some local history in school?
So I set out to learn the history of California, of the South West, and of my local area on my own. I toured adobe houses, missions, museums, and learned about what had been torn down via books. Now I revisit some of these places.
First there is the history of Spanish Mission building. There is also the history of Native American Tribes: California had so many natural resources that it was an area of diverse tribal cultures. Then there was the Rancherio period; Spanish Land Grants which were later divied up.
One of the most interesting things I learned was that during the Spanish Land Grant and Rancherio period, before there was that surge of immigration from the east coast west, a few explorers and adventurers made their way west. Most of these people were men, they were often Scottish, and when they MARRIED INTO SPANISH FAMILIES THEY BECAME CATHOLIC AND SPANISHIFIED THEIR SURNAMES.
Over the next couple posts, I urge you to learn your local history, especially as it becomes your family history at one point or another!
How could that be?
Hadn't they been taught some American History or some local history in school?
So I set out to learn the history of California, of the South West, and of my local area on my own. I toured adobe houses, missions, museums, and learned about what had been torn down via books. Now I revisit some of these places.
First there is the history of Spanish Mission building. There is also the history of Native American Tribes: California had so many natural resources that it was an area of diverse tribal cultures. Then there was the Rancherio period; Spanish Land Grants which were later divied up.
One of the most interesting things I learned was that during the Spanish Land Grant and Rancherio period, before there was that surge of immigration from the east coast west, a few explorers and adventurers made their way west. Most of these people were men, they were often Scottish, and when they MARRIED INTO SPANISH FAMILIES THEY BECAME CATHOLIC AND SPANISHIFIED THEIR SURNAMES.
Over the next couple posts, I urge you to learn your local history, especially as it becomes your family history at one point or another!
06 December 2010
POLISH ANCESTRY NAMING PATTERN OR SAINT?
Recently I spent an afternoon at the SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY library. As it often goes, I came in looking to break through a brick wall on one line, but while going through books I found one that mentioned that Poles often named their children for the day they were born or baptized. There was a good list and so I decided to compare the names of some Polish ancestors with the Polish (or Eastern-Central European) saints lists.
To my surprise there was a true connection (birthdate and saints day) of 7 out of 10 of the people I chose. Now, does that mean they were simply named for the saint of the day when they were baptised rather than born?
Now, to this day in Poland people often celebrate their saints day as their birthday.
HERE IS WHERE IT GETS TRICKY: YOUR IMMIGRANT POLISH ANCESTORS MAY HAVE USED THEIR SAINTS DAY AS THEIR OFFICIAL BIRTHDAY on U.S. paperwork/records. It is possible that this will correlate with their baptismal in Poland but maybe not.
According to the book I read, POLISH ROOTS by Rosemary Chorzempa, parents sometimes picked a name within up to a three week period surrounding the actual birth.
Because 3 out of the 10 names I checked did not correlate with a saint day, I think this is possibly the name of a family member OR THEIR BAPTISM sponsor.
I'm linking to the Rootsweb list of Polish Saints Names; REMEMBER THAT THESE CATHOLIC CALENDER DATES MAY HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME and that you may be able to determine ethnicity within Poland or other countries by linking the name and the saint!
What this reinforced to me also is the Catholicism of this family.
C 2010 Ancestry Worship - Genealogy BlogSpot
To my surprise there was a true connection (birthdate and saints day) of 7 out of 10 of the people I chose. Now, does that mean they were simply named for the saint of the day when they were baptised rather than born?
Now, to this day in Poland people often celebrate their saints day as their birthday.
HERE IS WHERE IT GETS TRICKY: YOUR IMMIGRANT POLISH ANCESTORS MAY HAVE USED THEIR SAINTS DAY AS THEIR OFFICIAL BIRTHDAY on U.S. paperwork/records. It is possible that this will correlate with their baptismal in Poland but maybe not.
According to the book I read, POLISH ROOTS by Rosemary Chorzempa, parents sometimes picked a name within up to a three week period surrounding the actual birth.
Because 3 out of the 10 names I checked did not correlate with a saint day, I think this is possibly the name of a family member OR THEIR BAPTISM sponsor.
I'm linking to the Rootsweb list of Polish Saints Names; REMEMBER THAT THESE CATHOLIC CALENDER DATES MAY HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME and that you may be able to determine ethnicity within Poland or other countries by linking the name and the saint!
What this reinforced to me also is the Catholicism of this family.
C 2010 Ancestry Worship - Genealogy BlogSpot
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