This week we take a look at the lineage of the Fisher surname as it pertains to my family’s history on the Fitzgerald side.  I have tried to research on this family line with very little luck.  Outside of recording the family group sheets that my father created in the early 1980’s, there isn’t much for us to go on.  It is such a common name in Indiana in this time frame that I get lost in all the various families that could be matches.  Most of the information below was provided by my great-grandmother, Jennie Mae Fisher.

Earliest Known Ancestor

We know that Samuel M. Fisher came from an area of Ohio that was near the Ohio River.  He was a very strict man, and kicked his children out of the house when they turned 14 years old.  Samuel was a veteran of the Civil War.  His family possibly came from Ireland or Germany, we are not sure which.

My great-grandmother Jennie Mae Fisher told my father that her grandfather, Samuel M. Fisher, was born around 1827 in Ireland or maybe Pennsylvania.  He died sometime before Nov 1898 in North Carolina.  Sometime around 1852 he married Susannah Hale in Columbiana, Ohio.  I think she found this information with the LDS Church in the 1970’s.  I have found it on FamilySearch.org, and my research has show this to be totally incorrect.

I believe my 3rd great-grandfather, Samuel M. Fisher, was born in 1821 in Pennsylvania and died on 15 February 1901 in Wells County, Indiana.  His wife Susannah Hale was born in 1822 in Ohio and died in 1883 in Indiana.  They are buried in Nottingham Cemetery in Wells County, Indiana.  I also believe they were married on 12 Nov 1839 in Jefferson County, Ohio.

Samuel and Susannah had the following children: Frances (Frank) Fisher, Tom W. Fisher, Joe Fisher, William Green Fisher, Anna Fisher, Emeline Fisher, Addeline Fisher and Jane fisher.

Thier son, William Green Fisher, was my 2nd great-grandfather.  He rolled logs down the Ohio river during his early life.  He hunted and trapped a lot in the Columbiana area.  William had 4 children from a previous marriage: Ida F (Douglas Clemens) Fisher, Ethel Fisher, Delmer Fisher and Melvin Fisher.

William Green Fisher was born 03 Mar 1853 in Columbiana, Ohio.  He died 11 Jul 1918 in Valparaiso, Porter, Indiana.  His wife was my second great-grandmother, May Richards.  The couple married on November 1, 1898 in Hebron, Indiana.  They had four boys (Earl Benjamin, John W., Albert L., Samuel J.) and one girl, my great-grandmother Jennie Mae Fisher.

Lineage for the Fisher Surname (Fitzgerald Side)

Lineage

Jessica Marie Cole > Douglass Lyal Cole > Florence Mae Fitzgerald > Jennie Mae Fisher (1909 – 1993) > William Green Fisher (1853 – 1918) > Samuel M. Fisher (1821 – 1901)

Family Notes

• We know our Samuel Fisher served in the Civil War and that his records are probably found in Indiana.  I’m not positive, but I think I found the Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865 Record for Samuel M Fisher.  The Samuel M. Fisher listed was born in Pennsylvania, age 42 in 1863, and was drafted in the 11th Congressional District of Adams County, Indiana.
• I may also have found the family in the 1880 US Census, but I haven’t found them in ANY other Census years.  Check out the 1880 United States Federal Census Record for Samuel Fisher.

Additional Information

Check out my Ancestry Family Tree for Samuel M. Fisher.

See my Virtual Cemetery for this Fisher family members on Find A Grave

Check out the graves of Samuel M. Fisher and Susannah Hale on Find A Grave.

This week we take a look at the lineage of the Jarrell and Fitzgerald surnames as they pertain to my family’s history.  I have researched this family extensively and have copies of many original records for the ancestors in this line.

Earliest Known Ancestor

Thomas “The Immigrant” Jarrell, my 9th great grandfather, was born about 1635 in England or Ireland.  There is a large community of researchers out there piecing together the Jarrell family history, none of whom have been able to definitively source the migration of Thomas into the United States.  Thomas was married on May 29, 1661 although sources differ on whom he married: it may have been Joan/Jean Cook, or possibly Margaret Knight.  He died 17 Jul 1713 in Surry County, Virginia.

Lineage

This is one of the few families in my research that divides and merges halfway through the line.  I am descended from one Jarrell family line that splits halfway down.  My second great-grandfather, George Maywood Jarrell (1867 – 1946) married his second cousin Emily Florence Jarrell (1874 – 1945).  Both of them are descended from sons of William Jarrell (1750 – 1818) and Susannah Parks (1751 – 1825).

Paternal Lineage for the Jarrell Family

Maternal Lineage for the Jarrell Family

Paternal Lineage: Jessica Marie Cole > Douglass Lyal Cole > Florence Mae Fitzgerald > Vondall Euart Fitzgerald (1899 – 1978) > George Maywood Jarrell (1867 – 1946) > Lewis Jarrell (1840 – 1900) > Thomas Jarrell (1798 – 1870) > Ansel Jarrell (1774 – 1880) > William Jarrell (1750 – 1821) > Henry Jarrell (1725 – 1818) > John Fitz Jarrell (1722 – 1742) > Thomas Jarrell (1673 – 1741) > Thomas “The Immigrant” Jarrell (1635 – 1713)

Maternal Lineage: Jessica Marie Cole > Douglass Lyal Cole > Florence Mae Fitzgerald > Vondall Euart Fitzgerald (1899 – 1978) > Emily Florence Jarrell (1874 – 1945) > Amos Davis Jarrell (1833 – 1914) > Parks F(itz?) Jarrell (1801 – 1881) > William Jarrell (1750 – 1821) > Henry Jarrell (1725 – 1818) > John Fitz Jarrell (1722 – 1742) > Thomas Jarrell (1673 – 1741) > Thomas “The Immigrant” Jarrell (1635 – 1713)

Items of Interest

• Lewis Jarrell was a Confederate soldier in the Civil War.  He served in the 1st Company B, 5th Kentucky Mounted Infantry.  He enlisted on October 26, 1861 in Prestonburg, Kentucky and was wounded in battle almost immediately. By December 31, 1861 he was listed as sick at home.  Lewis spent the remainder of the war at home in Morgan County, Kentucky.
• At some point between 1920 and 1930, my 2nd great-grandparents George Maywood Jarrell and Emily Florence Jarrell changed their last name to Fitzgerald while living in Porter County, Indiana.  I have not been able to pinpoint the name change to a particular year within the decade.  In 1920 the US Census shows Jarrell, and in 1930 it shows Fitzgerald.  The family did not move from one Census to the next, they simply changed their name.  None of the family knows for sure why they changed it.  Many of George and Emily’s children were born with Jarrell as their surname but changed it to Fitzgerald when their parents did.
• The legend for the name change is that George and Emily believed their ancestors were originally named Fitzgerald and changed the name to Jarrell when they came to the United States “to sound less Irish.”  The story I have always heard is that George and Emily were proud of their Irish heritage and decided to take the name back once and for all.  In all of my research, I have been unable to prove the family came from Ireland.  In fact, many of the Jarrell researchers believe the original surname was always Jarrell and the family came from England, not Ireland.
• Several of the Jarrell family members began changing their last names during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.  Some of the variations are Jarrells, Fitzgerald and Gerald.  Many of these families have descended from this same group of ancestors from: Elliott County, Kentucky; Craven County, North Carolina; Surry and Isle of Wight Counties, Virginia.

Additional Information

There are several Jarrell family researchers throughout the country including Linda and Roger Jarrells of Sandy Hook, Kentucky.  This husband and wife duo have worked very hard to preserve the Jarrell family name in Elliott County.  Linda volunteers much of her time with the Elliott County Historical Society which has a vast library including many Jarrell family treasures.

Check out my Ancestry Family Tree for Thomas “The Immigrant” Jarrell.

Check out my Ancestry Family Tree for George Maywood Jarrell/Fitzgerald.

Check out my Ancestry Family Tree for Emily Florence Jarrell/Fitzgerald.

Find A Grave has several Fitzgerald family members in Hebron Cemetery in Porter County, Indiana as well as several Jarrell family members in the Jarrell Family Cemetery in Sandy Hook, Kentucky.

James Irvin Weddle with his mother Jane (Cline) Weddle and sister, circa 1860

This week we take a look at the lineage of the Weddle surname as it pertains to my family’s history.  Weddle is a family line I have yet to fully research.  Fortunately for me, Kathy Burns already has.  I began poking around in this line on Thursday evening, and the floodgates opened wide.  We’re talking about a genealogist’s dream come true: Kathy’s tree is incredibly complete, sourced, organized and highly accurate!

Earliest Known Ancestor

James I. Weddle was my 3rd great grandfather.  He was born in 1859 in Ohio.  He married Ida May Gordon on October 23, 1883 in Valparaiso, Indiana.  James died in April 1923.

I can’t take credit for any of the research done prior to James.  All of it comes from the amazing, incredibly organized tree of Kathy Burns mentioned above.  According to her research, the earliest ancestor for this family is my 8th great-Grandfather, Dirick Adam Wedel, born 1690 in Germany.  His son, George Adam Weddell was born 1712 in Weisbach, Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. He died in 1796 in Rostraver, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania.

Weddle Family Lineage

Lineage

Jessica Marie Cole > Douglass Lyal Cole > Duane Lyal Cole (1929 – 1994) > Agnes Berniece Barkley (1911 – 1991) > Ida Eleanor Weddle (1890 – 1926) > James Irvin Weddle (1859 – 1923) > William Weddle (1828 – 1878) > John Weddle (1794 – 1858) > Daniel Weddell (1759 – 1824) > George Adam Weddell (1712 – 1796) > Dirick Adam Wedel (1690 – )

Items of Interest

• The photo shows baby James Irvin Weddle with his mother Jane (Cline) Weddle and presumably one of his older sisters, either Ethelinda or Mary E.  This tin type was captured late 1860 or early 1861, as James was born in December 1859.
• The Weddle family can be found in the 1920 US Census.  James and his wife Ida were renting a home with their son Lemuel.  Washington, Porter, Indiana; Roll: T625_460; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 155; Image: 977.
• According to his headstone, George’s son Daniel Weddell was a Ranger in the Revolutionary War.
• James Brady Weddle, Ida Eleanor’s younger brother, was a very well respected Army Recruiter during World War I in Elkart, Indiana.  GenealogyBank.com has several newspaper articles featuring his recruiting activities in the area, printed in the Elkhart Daily Review (1918-1920).

Additional Information

Check out the Ancestry Family Tree belonging to researcher Kathy Burns.

Check out my Ancestry Family Tree for James Weddle.

See the grave of James and Ida Weddle on Find A Grave.

I would like to research more about William Weddle, to see whether or he served in the Civil War in Ohio or elsewhere.  A quick search finds a record for a possible match to William Weddle.  It looks like I have a Military records request to make!

Enlisted as a Private on 10 October 1861 at the age of 33. Enlisted in Company Batty K, 1st Light Artillery Regiment Ohio on 28 Dec 1861. Received a disability discharge from Company Batty K, 1st Light Artillery Regiment Ohio on 20 Feb 1863 at Fort McHenry, Baltimore, MD.

This week we take a look at the lineage of the Barkley surname as it pertains to my family’s history.

Earliest Known Ancestor

Henry Moses Barkley, my 5th great grandfather, was born 1772 in Tyrone County, Ireland.  He married Zelpeh Moore in Lewistown, Pennsylvania sometime around 1810.  He died 24 Apr 1857, presumably in Jasper, Indiana.

Barkley Family Lineage

Lineage

Jessica Marie Cole > Douglass Lyal Cole > Duane Lyal Cole (1929 – 1994) > Agnes Berniece Barkley (1911 – 1991) > John Charles Barkley (1884 – 1964) > John Calvin Barkley (1854 – 1898) > William Moses Barkley (1821 – 1899) > Henry Moses Barkley (1772 – 1857)

Wedding Announcement for Agnes Barkley

Items of Interest

• Agnes Berniece Barkley married Lyal Newton Cole on February 23, 1929 in Porter County, Indiana.  Her wedding announcement in the local newspaper said, “Agnes Barkley Cole, Daughter of Charles Barkley, whose marriage to Lyal Cole, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Cole of 551 Boundary Street was solemnized Saturday afternoon in Baptist church.”

Additional Information

• Check out my Ancestry Family Tree for Henry Moses Barkley.
• Read more about Agnes Cole at Find A Grave.

This week we take a look at the lineage of the Sheets surname as it pertains to my family’s history.

Earliest Known Ancestor

Sylvester Clark Sheets, my 3rd great-grandfather, was born 29 Dec 1840 in Tiffin, Ohio.  He married Louisa Margaret Schofield on 27 Oct 1864 in Porter County, Indiana.  Sylvester was a Union soldier in the Civil War and served as a private in Company B, 151st Regiment, Indiana Infantry.  He died 16 Nov 1898 in Valparaiso, Porter, Indiana.

Sheets Family Lineage

Lineage

Jessica Marie Cole > Douglass Lyal Cole > Duane Lyal Cole (1929 – 1994) > Lyal Newton Cole (1908 – 1955) > Wilhimena Isabelle Sheets (1886 – 1953) > Sylvester Clark Sheets (1840 – 1898)

Additional Information

• Check out my Ancestry Family Tree for Sylvester Clark Sheets.
• See the grave of Sylvester Clark Sheets on Find A Grave.

This is the first post in a series of more than 40 Surname Saturday posts, each one featuring a different surname in my genealogical and family history research.

This week we take a look at the lineage of the Cole surname as it pertains to my family’s history.

Earliest Known Ancestor

In Memory of James Cole

James Cole is my 10th great grandfather.  He was born 25 Jul 1600 in Highgate, London, England.  He arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1633 with his wife Mary Tibbes, sons Hugh, John and James, and his daughter Mary.  James and his sons Hugh and James were innkeepers on Cole’s Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  As entreprenuers, the Cole men understood the concept of supply and demand very well.  We believe James died around 1688 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The plaque at the top of Cole’s Hill in Plymouth reads:

IN MEMORY OF
JAMES COLE
BORN LONDON ENGLAND 1600
DIED PLYMOUTH MASS 1692
FIRST SETTLER OF COLE’S HILL 1633
A SOLDIER IN THE PEQUOT INDIAN
WAR 1637
THIS TABLET ERECTED BY HIS DESCENDANTS
1917

My Cole Lineage

Lineage

Jessica Marie Cole > Douglass Lyal Cole > Duane Lyal Cole > Lyal Newton Cole > Newton Leroy Cole > Christopher Columbus Cole > Edward Payne Cole > David Cole > Bethuel Cole >  Israel Cole > Benjamin Cole > Hugh Cole > James Cole

Standing atop Cole's Hill (2000)

Items of Interest

• Plymouth Rock used to sit on top of Cole’s Hill but it was moved by the town and relocated down by the shore.
• Cole’s Hill is home to the burial site of the remains of the Pilgrims who came to America in 1620.
• Bethuel Cole, my 6th great grandfather, was born 22 May 1750 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts.  He fought in the Revolutionary War in Shaftsbury, Vermont.  Bethuel died 10 May 1792 in New York.
• Edward Payne Cole, my 4th great grandfather, was born 22 Apr 1807 in Cayuga, Cayuga County, New York.  He committed suicide on 09 Jun 1877 in Woodville, Porter County, Indiana.  The family has a copy of his suicide note.

Family Notes

Cole is my maiden name and it has always been near and dear to my heart.  My father Douglass has been researching the Cole line since 1981.  We have worked in conjunction with J. Timothy Cole of Chesterton, Indiana for many years.  The Cole family has been very heavily documented over the years.

Additional Information

• Check out my Ancestry Family Tree for James Cole.
• See the graves of several Cole family members by looking through my Cole Virtual Cemetery on Find A Grave.
• Read more about the Cole family in a book called Descendants of James Cole of Plymouth 1633 by Ernest Byron Cole published in 1907.
• Gain insight by checking out the research of J. Timothy Cole at ColesCorner.com.