My Journey to find 16 Great Great Grandparents

Is it as good as it gets? I don't know but I continue to work at finding all 16 great greats despite the missing pieces. By utilizing both paper records and DNA I am getting pretty close to a full picture although my "head count" is down.

My father's father was unknown to us, and I believe, to him.His grandparents adopted and raised him and we were told his birth certificate was sealed. Six years after his death I was able to find his birth data and there was a name.

(1 and 2). Great Great Grandfather Seybold may have been born in North Germany or Poland.My Autosomal DNA and my X markers as well as Sister's( my only sibling) indicate that this man may have been from that area. POLISH
(3 and 4)Great Great grandmother ( same unknown group of folks) may have been from Russia or Estonia( or else we reverse this).Initially my autosomal profile was said to be Native American but it eventually has come to look more Siberian tribal. POLISH or RUSSIAN
(5)William F. Carrow's Delaware family was in America (Accomac Virginia) by 1643 and the immigrant was from the north of Ireland very likely Portglenone Antrim. IRISH
(6) Margaret Edenfield from Delaware also had early immigrants ( 1680)ENGLISH
(7)Patrick Kirwan emigrated to South Jersey in 1880 from County Wexford IRISH
(8)Elizabeth Sweeney's parents were from Tyrone. IRISH
(9)William Faunt was born in Fethard Tipperary where his Anglo-Norman line ( Walter L'Enfant) lived since 1270. IRISH
(8)Ellen Lynch was born near Bruff Limerick, not so far from where the Faunt family lived for centuries.They came to Beverly NJ in 1869.IRISH
(9)Patrick Dugan lived and died in an area of Donegal where Gaelic is still spoken.IRISH
(10) Catherine McClafferty also still spoke Gaelic in the 1911 census in Falcarragh Donegal.Patrick was deceased by then.IRISH
(11) John Swanson 's father Captain Charles Swanson was born in Gotheburg, served in the Swedish Navy and very likely fought in the Russian War before he emigrated to the Delaware Valley in 1813.SWEDISH
(12)Rebecca Spencer's family is most likely English or Irish.
(13))Charles Rementer's grandfather Peter came with other Palatinates and settled in Southwark, Philadelphia.He is thought to have been from Alsace-Lorraine.His children said he was from Germany ( Alsace was both German and French)GERMAN
(14)Margaret Lynch was from Cork Ireland.She emigrated during the famine to Rhode Island.
Mitochondrial DNA almost exact match indicates it is likely near Bantry Bay.IRISH

Since I have an approximation of DNA that "looks like" a reference population and since my paternal grandmother eventually married a Norwegian sailor I believe unknown Grandfather (and his forebears) was Polish/Russian.

Drumroll! This was fun.
IRISH 50%
POLISH/RUSSIAN 25 %
ENGLISH 12.5 %
GERMAN 6.25%
SWEDISH 6.25%

Captain Charles Swanson and his brother Andrew

Two men named Swanson are in the Southwark Philadelphia area in the 1830 census.

Andrew Swanson and his presumed brother Charles come in 1813 according to records.These same records indicate that the men are from Goteborg Sweden. Charles Swanson at least very likely served in the Swedish Navy in their war against Russia : "While the War of 1808-09 is not to be considered being of world historical proportions, it certainly was an important event in both Swedish and Finnish history" as when the war ended 110 ships were delivered into Russian hands as was Finland after 600 years the Swedish-Finnish union was dead.

Since Charles Swanson as well as Andrew were born in Goteborg they surely were Swedish but possibly had ties to Finland.To me the men of the family appear more like Finns as they are short and dark a trait that goes on for generations. ( see attached pictures of Richard Johnson Swanson and youngest son Addison)

Andrew Swanson identifies his birthplace in his death certificate in 1862.He is a merchant.

Andrew may leave only one child Catherine B. who marries Cyrus Wilson Foss a merchant who is born in Maine.Catherine B.Foss has two children and memorializes her parents with their names I suspect, Andrew Swanson Foss and Annie Waterman Foss. Andrew and Annie and their families remain in the Delaware Valley for generations.

Charles Swanson dies August 1850 of cholera and that document describes him as a pilot on the river.Posthumously at least he is called "Captain Charles Swanson" in his daughter Hannah Swanson Jackson's obituary.

His sons who followed his career continued to live in South Philadelphia and later Camden NJ these were James and Andrew.

The three men who are found in Beverly NJ seem to be involved in transportation and merchandising perhaps and this combination of occupations may reflect their origins.

The ship type listed in their 1813 passport is "Angare" which means steamship although that is surely not possible?

Civil War records for the Beverly NJ brothers are confusing.From what I have read many men from the Burlington County area went for the bonus money; some actually went to PA for the larger bonus( Bob Knoll has information on that). All three brothers, Edward, William and John may have served in some capacity in the conflict as records exist for all. although not an actual Civil War packet.I have ordered one for each of them from NJ Archives which is offering vouchers for a very reasonable sum.

I continue to try to piece together the Swanson in America tale.

The Time In Which They Came

I firmly believe that we learn a great deal by paying attention to and helping others with their genealogy. While trying to find some Dehortys and Sillivants for my genie and blogging buddy Mary at Ancestor Tracking I gained some knowledge that may affirm a privately held hypothesis.


Although some excellent researchers indicate that the Western Chesapeake shore was the stomping grounds of Catholics and that Accomac VA was mainly Protestant and English, since I believe my Carrow line was from Ireland I keep some opinions to myself.


The first Carrow I can definitely point to is in Virginia by 1643 when land is claimed for his transportation.That very likely means he came 2 or more years earlier in the throes of the British Civil War. A deceased researcher,named Sheehan, felt that John Carrow(Caroon/Carron) was of the line of Bryan Carragh a chieftain with ties to both O'Brien and Mac Donald clans near Portglenone Antrim Ireland, which was called "Bryan Carragh's Country".He stated that he fled Ireland under penalty of death for his part in the Civil War and that he went first to Bermuda, possibly under his own sail.


I cannot substantiate that and think it more likely that John takes ship in the usual way and we find him and at least two Thomas Carrows in very early Virginia. A Thomas Carrow (Carew) goes into the Carolinas via Isle of Wight area and the Blackwater River again very probably before he is found in Headright records in 1664.We know now that at least one North Carolina Carrow matches at least one Delaware Carrow in their male Y DNA exactly. Paper records indicate both lines firmly entrenched in their respective areas by the 1680s.

While pulling Dehortys and Sillivants out of their hiding places in first Accomac,Virginia and then Dorchester and Queen Anne MD I found some parallels and ties to my men. Dermon Sellivant and Mary Carrel are fined for "breaking the Sabbath" 22 May 1663 and Thomas Carrel and Dennis Sillivant are mentioned together also in Court records.

I later find Sillivants in the same places that were thought to be Catholic on the Wye River.Henry Carrow lives there both before and after his marriage to Mary Harris Ringgold. His brother John Carrow we believe is married to Elizabeth Hinds daughter of Thomas Hinds/Hines "Merchant of Drogheda Ireland" of Spread Eagle on the Chester River near the Wye. Mary Hinds leaves property to Elizabeth Carro and Rebecca Dear in 1739 and very specifically calls them her daughters.

A John Sullivaint and wife Sarah are affiliated with St.Joseph's Mission,Cordova and John is buried from this Mission at "Seth's graveyard" 15 March 1768.Where is Seth's graveyard?
When I did a little research I find this at "Catholics in Colonial Delmarva" on the St. Dennis church website " by 1662 the Wye River Basin had become a safe haven for the largest..Catholic populations on the eastern shore at that time" and " in Dorchester County, Raymond Staplefort a Catholic became High Sheriff in 1669" and " Jacobus Seth who made his home at 'Mount Mill' a Mass station where Jesuits visited" on Back Wye.

Although Thomas Hines himself belonged to the Church of Ireland, and neither Henry Carrow nor John Carrow have had any Catholic records surface, many of their life choices lend itself to affirming at least to me that the time of their coming points directly to religious strife.

A fine researcher has told me that the affiliation with Thomas Hinds indicates to him that the Carrow family also could have served as merchants. The only land owners for sure are John Carrow who inherits "Tackett's Lott' in Dorchester in 1734, Henry Carrow on the Wye River in 1750 and Timothy Carrow by 1692 in Duck Creek DE yet they are affluent enough.

The time in which they came..may have cured them of large land ownership as the family of Bryan Carragh in North Ireland lost their "country" or territory c. 1640 and began (so I have been told) to affilate themselves with the maternal grandmother's line and carry that name Carew or Carron to the New World.

Shortly before my Dad Bill Carrow died in 1998 we spoke of his family , one of our few conversations about them.He spent some months there in Londonderry during WWII and did some research."They were from the North of Ireland" he said "not England". I asked him if that meant they were protestants and he said "I don't know that". He told me that it was exactly like the book "Chesapeake" and "they were all up and down the Shore".

The time in which they came.

Swanson in Philadelphia and New Jersey

I did not know my Swanson grandmother, Margaretta, as she died when her children were small.What little I knew about the family was passed down orally and somewhat inaccurate.

The hole that Retta Swanson's passing left in my life was huge in my estimation.In addition to not knowing her personally was the absence of pictures and stories of her family. Some things filtered through over the years but it has only been the last few years that I have developed contacts to help me flesh out the family.One of these is another Swanson grandchild whose memories were even more scarce, so some of this is for Marge.

My research is sort of circular beginning in the middle with three Swanson men in Beverly Burlington County NJ. Edward, William and John Swanson do not interact in any way in the records but the tiny town of Beverly as home for all seemed to verify relationship.All three men indicated a father born in Sweden and possibly a mother also.


I first thought that there were also three Sweden born men in the vicinity in the prior generation but realize now there were likely only two.John Swanson who came in 1813 on later inspection had claimed he was English which left Andrew and Charles.

Charles Swanson and Andrew are both found in census documents in 1840 in Southwark Second District. Andrew is found additionally in the same area in 1830.Charles is naturalized 24 March 1827 and Andrew 6 July 1818.

Charles dies in August 1850 of Cholera after being ill only 1 day and his occupation is listed as "Boatman, pilot on river". An infant Sarah M.Swanson dies in July of the same thing, an epidemic perhaps in Southwark? Charles Swanson was married and Leticia or Lettice seems to be his widow who is found shortly afterwards in the household of her daughter Elizabeth and husband George Coffee also in Southwark.George Coffee seems to have lived nearby in the 1830 census.

Leticia lives until 1870 when she and Elizabeth Coffee are both widowed and living with another Swanson daughter Mary McDevitt. A young son/grandson George Coffee is later found living in Burlington County NJ .Letitia Swanson sometimes states she is born in Sweden and sometimes in New Jersey so perhaps she came as a child.

My circular research now takes me to Monument Cemetery in Beverly now online at interment.net.Shortly after the cemetery is established in 1865 Edward Swanson buries Margaret a teenager and baby Edward.All the Swanson men have plots adjacent to one another except John Swanson who had buried his first wife at St.Stephens in 1847 and will eventually rest there himself many years later.

James Swanson now pops into view, a seaman in South Philadelphia with children Letitia, Charles,Mary, Sophia and Georgianna living in the same neighborhood as Mary Swanson McDevitt. James is surely a son of Charles and Letitia and baby Sarah who dies of Cholera shortly before Charles did was their granddaughter, I think.

Records are being searched today at New Jersey Archives and if they exist may substantiate what has been found so far

Carrow men in early Colonial America

Today I posted this at a semi-private DNA website for the Carrow family.I think it has relevance so I am copying it here also.

We have 2 lines currently looking like a possibility both in Delaware and North Carolina in their Y (male) DNA. This leads me to look back at some men we have "tucked into" the family of John Carrow (Dorchester and Queen Anne) and John Carrow the Patriot for convenience sake actually.

Possibly more than one of the men in Accomac lived long enough to father a child.That was NOT always the norm in early Tidal Maryland and Virginia when the life expectancy was short.

We had these men early on:

Evan Carrew/Cariow who is found in records between 1666-1683 in both Accomac and Maryland.He is an educated man and worked as an accountant.He is last found in Cecil County MD very close to Kent Island as Under Sheriff. He does not seem to have lived in the household of John Carrow Constable.He is in Maryland by 1672 but defintely in Accomac records where he served as Deputy Constable between 1666-1669

Thomas Carrow who goes to North Carolina in 1663 and his descendants match in DNA ( in 2 cases) to Delaware Carrows. The line of John Carrow.

Also found in Accomac or at least Virginia records are these men:

Rowland( 1666) and Allen( Sept 1664 are each found once.

Henry Carrow serves in the Maryland Militia in 1678 and lays claim to 350 acres in St.Mary's.
He is NOT the Henry Carrow from Kent Island who lives 1685-1762 and leaves money in his will to John the Patriot of Kent Delaware as his "cousin' which denotes a blood relationship such as nephew.

Nor is he the Father Henry Carrow who is in St.Mary's in 1672 and is superior of the Maryland Mission and dies enroute back to England 5/16/1677.

James Carew sailed October 1678 from Waterford Ireland on the "St.George of London" into Maryland.

None of these men is linked to John Carrow Constable of Accomac but could surely be ancestor of a later generation of Carrows in the Chesapeake area including Delaware and North Carolina.

Not to be forgotten either is Timothy Carow/Cariow who is in Kent County Delaware in 1680 or before.He has cattle earmarks in 1686 is listed as a titheable for Richard Willson in 1693 and serves as Constable in Duck Creek in 1698.He dies in October 1700 and leaves his personal property to the children of "Widow Clifford": Thomas,John,Mary and Parnell. He did not leave his "real property" so possibly had issue.

There were others of course like another Thomas in Accomac, Andrew who is likely a brother to John in Dorcester and a family which includes another John ( Carrel), wife Eliza and children John , Richard and Mary in Isle of Wight county shortly after Thomas Carrow goes to Carolina.

Of the possible patriarchs here besides John Carrow whose line ends up in Delaware and Thomas Carrow who seems to have gone and stayed to the Carolinas (specifically of the Hyde/Beaufort border)two more appear significant to me:

Timothy Carrow Constable in Duck Creek Delaware and Evan Carrow who traverses from Accomac to St.Mary's to Cecil County MD north of Kent Island. Both of these men are alive long enough to amass property (cattle and land) which would enable them to marry and procreate.Neither seem to have lived until a child reaches adulthood.

John Carrow who is at Tackett's Lott in Dorchester County MD seems to be owner of that land for a reason on the Chicanicomico betweeen 1722-1734 when Thomas Tackett dies without an heir of his body.

DNA continues to add to the story and illuminate dark places.

1911 Irish Census and Kate Doogan

One of the greatest rewards of Genealogy as a hobby is finding relatives you never knew OR having them find you. Two years ago this post was forwarded to me by a great genie buddy from a list we belong to dated back to 2004:

"My first post here. Saw your postings on the name FAUNT in theBeverly, NJ area and am hoping you are still posting.I am researching the DUGAN side of my family but my father remembers a cousin named William Faunt who lived in Beverly, NJ"

What a thrill it was to be "found" and our Great grandparents Mary Dugan Faunt and Barney Dugan were brother and sister.

I am sure I have mentioned and will do so again that in my family of origin any information about relatives and especially pictures are very very scarce. Our poor dear Mary Dugan Faunt died in 1902 when Grandpop was 4 although he never mentioned that.His own first wife Retta died young and tragically also leaving him with 4 small children, surely a replay of his own childhood.

His father and his six surviving young children reportedly lived a somewhat hand-to mouth existance although exactly why is somewhat unclear. It is quite possible that Mary had contributed to the family income in a very meaningful way as a greengrocer in Kensington.

I know this only because once my mother said as we were passing under the Market-Frankford El in Northeast Philadelphia that her grandmother had been a greengrocer there under the tracks. Later on I found that Ellen Faunt the mother-in-law of Mary had also been a Greengrocer with her husband William in Beverly, so surely that connection is significant.

My Dugan cousin and I have worked together to try to piece the bits and pieces we have into a history that is more complete. His family also were not great sharers of tales of life in either the city or the "old Country" or maybe some of us were too young to take note of it.

We know that John Dugan the uncle of Mary and Barney figures signicantly in their life.My Mary's obituary mentions him as her relative so we suspect he was well known in Irish circles.

Barney lives with him when first he comes to America.

Mary Dugan comes to American in 1876 at 18 and Barney a few years later in 1879.An Irish researcher has told me that what possibly is a last child of Patrick Dugan( Doogan) and Catherine McClafferty ( aka Lafferty) is born in 1873 and Pat Doogan is listed as a farmer in Crossroads,Donegal.

We suspect that Patrick is deceased sometime after that as the 1901 census lists a Kate Doogan as widow living in the home of Ellen McCafferty her sister-in-law. A reason for the children to go to America surely and for John Dugan ( who seems to have been childless)to have assumed a parental role for his brother's children. Katherine Jane (Katie) Faunt is buried in John Dugan's cemetery plot in Philadelphia when she dies at 3 months old.

Are there more Dugans both in Falcarragh ( newer name for Crossroads) and Philadelphia?

Some tales of Dugans in Australia have surfaced as well as a sister Margaret, a name that Mary uses for a daughter.

The 1911 Irish census was inspected by myself, my cousin as well as the Irish researcher.

We are distinctly in favor of Kate Doogan 80 from Gortahork as likely being our GGreat Grandmother living still. This Kate a boarder living in the home of Edward and Sarah Curran as a boarder spoke Irish only as was blind.

Barney Dugan ( pictured above) is alive in Philadelphia although my Mary is deceased by this time.James Dugan and daughter Margaret is she indeed exists may also still be alive to contribute to Kate's board possibly? Barney Dugan and his son had some regular contact with Falcarragh until the 1930s.

Crossroads where Kate and Patrick had their last child is now called Falcarragh and Gortahork is the next town. Gaelic is still spoken, indeed the area is called a 'Gaeltacht' region and in 1911 apparently that is what Kate spoke although at that time most were bi-lingual.

I wish to find out what other family my Kate had and why she stayed there so far from her children in America.

The Trees In the Thicket

In Honor of genealogy blogger Janice Brown this award was created by Terry Thornton who issued a challange to all nominated bloggers to nominate the ten blogs which have nominated their writing the most.

The definition of a " Puckerbrush" thicket as told by Janice Brown is this:'On any land allowed to go fallow and left untended, a wild assortment of wild plants grow – in some areas, this wild growth results in such a thicket of plants that it is almost impossible to push your way through the growth.So it is with the growth of blogs --- so many that it is impossible to read them all. But in the puckerbrush eventually a few plants/trees become dominant and influence all who view them through the thick surrounding puckerbrush.And it is those outstanding blogs whose influence spreads beyond just the surrounding rabble of puckerbrush that I'm honoring.'

In honor of Janice Brown and in disbelief of finding myself in such an awe inspiring group of folks I want to try to find the ten blogs who have had the most influence on my own. First and foremost to Mary Beaulieu who amazingly included me in her list.Mary's blog ancestortracking was possibly the first I read.I followed her there from another list we both belong to and was truly inspired.Thank you Mary.

Since my focus is often Genetic Genealogy I next want to nominate Blaine Bettinger of thegeneticgenealogist.com for extraordinary devotion to our "newer type" of genealogy and for his help and enocuragement both on and off his blog.

Dienekes 'Anthropology Blog (dienekes.blogspot.com) in always very correct and informative about both DNA and anthropology both my passions.

Next to twobubblesoffcenter who just was nominated for "One Lovely Blog" because it is just that ,"one lovely blog" which provides a vivid depiction of the world many of our ancestors inhabited.

Vickie Everhart's lovely benotforgot. reminds us of our ancestors' existance in a poignant way.Her roots hopscotch across this country in a way I admire.Most of my own ancestors stuck like burrs to the Delmarva coastline refusing to budge.

Two Sides of the Ocean strikes a cord for me as my unknown grandfather may be Polish or German.

I am very short of my challenge of ten blogs to nominate and there are many others that I enjoy and am inspired by.

To those I have mentioned and those I have not Summa Cum Laude !