Do you have reoccurring family names that appear not to connect? I have three (3) different Hall family lines. I wonder what the most anyone has, that do not connect in say, 5 generations?
The Hall family in my British line starts with my favorite Richmal Hall (my maternal 2x great grandmother) who married John Woolley Heap on July 23, 1857 (160 years ago). Richmal was born in 1834, making her 23 years of age when she married John Woolley Heap. John was the son of a Publican. A publican runs a pub and may or may not have rooms to rent. Henry, John’s father was also listed as a brewer and an Auctioneer in the various censuses. Richmal’s father was an Iron Moulder. So how did these two get together? Richmal’s father was Samuel Hall. Samuel appears to have married twice and his 2nd wife Sarah Coe he married on 2 January 1820 in Stockport, Cheshire England and Richmal was baptized on 18 February1835 in Ashton under lyne, Lancaster England. I have not been able to connect Samuel to the next generation back. This family lived in the area where they seem to move back and forth from Cheshire to Lancashire several times in their lifetime. There are several Samuel Hall’s recorded in the parish churches in this area about 1798. Since Samuel was an Iron Moulder was his father of a similar trade? If the naming pattern follows, his father may have been John Hall since his first son is John Hall. So far this is a very incomplete line with a very common name.
Another Hall Line I have been working on starts with Mary Agnes Hall who was the first wife of Joseph Ferguson. This would also be my maternal 2x great grandmother. This Hall was born in upstate New York. I have proved that her maiden name was Hall from two of her sons marriage records that list mothers maiden name. Yet on her death record her mothers name is listed as Ester Hall and her father is simply listed as Lambert. So this line is a quagmire. Was she illegitimate?
My third Hall line is on my paternal 3x great grandmother Betsy Dickey Hall born 26 May 1784 in New Hampshire, wife of Timothy Putnam. Other family trees on line list John Hall and Jane Patten as Betsy’s parents, but I have found no records to confirm this.
After several months I am done with the Hall Line for 12 Family Lines 12 months. Next will be the Heap Line.