During the 1890s, Ada Florence Smart rode her bicycle frequently along the country roads surrounding her home just north of Leeds, England. Her commonplace book, where she kept record of her travels, captures the spirit of the "bicycle craze" which offered women unprecedented mobility and freedom. Read More
Upcoming Research Tour
Visit NARA in Washington, D.C.
It's not too late to join this expert-led tour! Discover the wealth of family history records held at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, D.C. Our week-long guided research trip will present you with a goldmine of genealogical resources. March 24–30.
Share your thoughts about the survey!Please limit submissions to 150 words or fewer. Your submission may be featured in an upcoming newsletter or shared on social media; please note in your email if you do not want your story to be shared. Published responses may be edited for clarity and length.
Last Week's Survey:
Ancestors Who Changed Their Surnames
Total: 3,017 Responses
21%, Yes, at least one of my immigrant ancestors changed his or her surname during the immigration process.
25%, Yes, at least one of my immigrant ancestors changed his or her surname a year or more after immigration.
27%, Yes, at least one of my non-immigrant ancestors changed his or her surname.
19%, I don't know whether any of my ancestors changed their surnames.
23%, No, none of my ancestors changed their surnames.
Readers Respond
Bonnie Holt Rashleigh, Pemberville, Ohio: My German family had the surname of Assholt. When they immigrated to America, they changed it to Holt—a “no brainer” choice. This is one time when it was almost a necessity to change one’s name.
Thomas R. Wilcox, Jr., Essex, Connecticut: My grandfather, born on a farm in southwest Ohio in 1885, was named Maurice Collett—pronounced then and there as “Morris Collett,” (accent on the first syllable of his last name). He went on to become a commercial artist, first in Cincinnati and then New York, and spent some time traveling in Paris. He exhibited in New York and London. He thought, as a proper artist who was influenced by the French Impressionists, an “e” should be added to his surname and pronounced with the accent on the last syllable, and his first name should be pronounced the more French “Maw-reece.” One of his Collette grandchildren, who has inherited the family farm, and in anticipation of occupying it in future, has dropped the “e” to revert to the original spelling and to better fit in with the rest of the Colletts in the area.
Valerie Beaudrault, Cambridge, Massachusetts: A colleague and I did some research for an acquaintance and encountered a name change conundrum. Some of the sons and grandsons of Mansel Alcock of Deering, New Hampshire, changed their surname to Otis. Others took the names Appleton, Alcott and Vitty. I found name change petitions from as early as the mid-1820s in New Hampshire and Massachusetts archives and newspapers. The reasons for so many individuals with this particular surname choosing to change it are not clear.
Dorothy Rypka, Los Angeles, California: I was unable to find any records prior to 1872 for my great-great-grandfather, known to me as John Jacobs. The local county historical society directed me to a distant relative who knew some of Jacobs’ history. I learned that Jacobs was born David Schaadt, and he was indicted in 1861 for first-degree murder. Contemporary newspapers reported that Schaadt, a barkeeper, became incensed when a patron refused to pay for a drink. Schaadt lost his temper, striking the drunk man in the head with a scythe. The man died the next day. After serving seven months, Schaadt escaped the county jail along with five other prisoners in January 1862. By 1870, Schaadt and his family were living in Michigan under the name Jacobs.
Cynthia Russell, Logan, Utah: My ancestor Alexander M. Hedgecock legally changed his surname to Sprague in 1890, telling the judge his name was "a source of constant burlesque." He also claimed that his father chose the surname, and he didn't know what his real name was. After further research, however, I realized the family divide was more political. His father, Elisha Hedgecock, was a Confederate soldier in North Carolina. Alexander had different ideas; he moved to Illinois and fought for the Union. Father and son never reunited, although both survived the Civil War lived and many years afterwards.
“In 1990, scholars found a Sierra Leonean woman who remembered a nearly identical version of a tune passed down by a Georgia woman’s enslaved ancestors.”
"Changing neighborhoods, loss of faith, even heating bills make places of worship among the most common types of forgotten places."
Spotlight: Digital Archive of the Pulaski County Public Library, Kentucky
by Valerie Beaudrault
Pulaski County, seated in Somerset, is located in south central Kentucky. The Community Digital Archive from the Pulaski County Public Library contains a number of genealogical resources. The newspaper database comprises more than 237,000 pages from nine local titles, including Commonwealth Journal (1966-2009), Commonwealth (1920-1965), The Somerset Journal (1922-1964), Somerset Journal (1924-1965), and The Kentuckian (1929-1965). Other databases include census records (1810-1930), court records (1799-1896), tax lists (1799-1844, 1846-1890), wills (1808, 1817-1861), marriage bonds (1799-1867), birth, marriage and death records (1852), deeds (1799), and records from the Fishing Creek Baptist Church (1813). Databases are keyword searchable and can also be browsed.
We are excited to announce that all 29 volumes of signature books from the Old Stone Savings Bank in Providence, Rhode Island, are now available to search! These volumes cover the years 1844 through 1897, and contain about half a million records and over 800,000 names. Search Now
Your Legacy. Your Peace of Mind. Your Free Will.
As a family historian, you know that wills are important in your research—but have you created a will for yourself? Free Will, an easy and free online will creation tool, will guide you step-by-step through identifying beneficiaries for your assets, supporting the causes that are important to you, and planning for the preservation of your research. Learn More
