Family History

Origins of

the Surname

Variations of

the Surname

Armorial Bearings

& Motto(es)

Ancestral Lineage

Researching

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Migrations of the

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Family history

         A James Wright is found in the 1790 census, as living in that portion of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania that was taken from Washington County, when it was formed in 1788.  Although there are no females listed in his household it is believed that the aforementioned James Wright could be the father of Sarah Mary Wright for several reasons: (1) he is the only James Wright listed in Western Pennsylvania; (2) James Wright is also listed on the 1791 Alleghany County Tax List; and  (3) the portion of Washington County that was incorporated into Alleghany county is small and is in very close proximity to where the family of Sarah Wright’s future husband Griffin Johnson’s family was living during the 1780’s.   As such one can begin to make a case that the James Wright family and the Johnson family were neighbors and knew each other due to the fact that few people lived in this area at this time. 

          Sarah Mary, our 4^th great-grandmother, was born around 1781 in Pennsylvania.  She married Griffin Johnson around 1798 when she was about 17 years old.  As her first known child, Disbury, was born in Ohio circa 1799 thus we must assume that James Wright moved from Alleghany county into Ohio after 1791. He probably established his homestead in an area of Washington County, Ohio that would become Jefferson County in 1797.  If this is correct he would have settled in an area close to the Johnson family who were known to have moved to Ohio by 1788.  Therefore it is believed that this marriage event probably took place in what was then Jefferson County.    Around 1804 Sarah and Griffin moved further west, about 15 miles, up the Short Creek into that area of Jefferson County that would be incorporated into Harrison County, Ohio in 1813. 

      Around 1841 Sarah and Griffin migrated west to Illinois along with some of his children and grandchildren.  They along with their daughter Sarah and son-in-law Lemuel Watt settled in Perry County, Illinois.  Sarah lived here for about 20 years and died there approximately six months before her husband Griffin.   She was 79 years old at that time.  It is believed that she is buried in Curlee Cemetery, Tamaroa, Perry Co., Illinois.     In addition to Disbury, our 3^rd great-grandfather through whom our descendency continues, at least ten other children were produced from this union.

Origins of the surname

An Introduction

to the Surname

Source/Meaning

of the Surname

History of

the Surname

More About Surnames

An Introduction to the Surname

                 The practice of inherited family surnames began in England and France during the late part of the 11^th century.     With the passing of generations and the movement of families from place to place many of the original identifying names were altered into some of the versions that we are familiar with today.  Over the centuries, most of our European ancestors accepted their surname as an unchangeable part of their lives.  Thus people rarely changed their surname.  Variations of most surnames were usually the result of an involuntary act such as when a government official wrote a name phonetically or made an error in transcription.  Research into the record of this Wright family line indicates that the variations, meanings and history of this surname is most likely linked to that area of Europe where English, Scottish, and Irish linguistic traditions are commonly found. 

Source(s) & Meaning(s) of the Surname

               Most modern family names are a means conveying lineage.  For the most part, Anglo-Saxon surnames were developed from the following major sources: (1) patronym or matronym, names based on the name of one's father, mother or ancestor, (Johnson, Wilson); (2) occupation (i.e., Carpenter, Cooper, Brewer, Mason); (3) habitational or locational (Middleton, Sidney, or Ireland); (4) topographical (i.e. Hill, Brook, Forrest, Dale); (5) nicknames (i.e., Moody Freeholder, Wise, Armstrong);  (6) status (i.e. Freeman, Bond, Knight); and (7) acquired ornamental names that were simply made up.

     Wright is an occupational surname name for a maker of machinery, mostly in wood, of any of a wide range of kinds.  The name originated in England and spread quickly to Scotland and Northern Ireland.   The term Wright comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word "wryhta" or "wyrhta", meaning worker which eventually evolved into a "craftsman, builder," or shaper of wood.  Later it became any occupational worker, for example, a shipwright is a person who builds ships, and is used as a British family name.  Wright is also an anglicized version of the Scots Gaelic clan name "MacIntyre" or "Mac an t-Saoir", meaning "Son of the Wright", or Son of the Carpenter".  The word “carpentier”, now Carpenter was introduced into England, as a result of the Norman conquest in 1066, and slowly replaced the traditional name and meaning of “wright”.   The use of Wright as a occupational title continued until the mid 1800s.   It's use as an occupational term was often combined with other words such as cartwright, wainwright,  wheelwright or playwright. 

History of the Surname

     Surnames as we know them today were first assumed in Europe from the 11th to the 15th century. They were not in use in England or Scotland, before the Norman Conquest of 1066, and were first found in the Domesday Book of 1086. The employment in the use of a second name was a custom that was first introduced from the Normans who had adopted the custom just prior to this time.    Soon thereafter it became a mark of a generally higher socio-economic status and thus seen as disgraceful for a well-bred man to have only one name.  It was not until the middle of the 14^th century that surnames became general practice among all people in the British Isles.

     The Wright surname is said to have been first found in Berwickshire, England.   The name was taken early to Scotland by settlers, and Rauf le Wrighte, burgess of Stirling in 1296, appears to be the first of the name in Scottish records.

     The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Patere le Writh. This was dated 1214, in the tax rolls known as the "Feet of Fines" for the county of Sussex.  Perhaps not surprisingly this is one of the first occupational surnames to be recorded.  Other examples in early records of the name mention Roger le Write, 1273 County Cambridge; Robert Wricht of Shropshire in 1274 and Thomas le Wrighte of Derbyshire in 1327.   Adam Wrigtson of Yorkshire was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379.  The famous medieval English author Chaucer (1340 - 1400) said of the name ' he was a good wright - a carpenter'.  Robert Wryhyt, a carpenter of Berwick, was employed on the roof of the chapel and hall of Berwick Castle in 1362, and Thomas Wryhyt of Alnewyk, another carpenter, aided him.  William Wrythe, with the consent and assent of his spouse, made a grant in favour of the Abbey of Newbattle in 1462.  Richard Writht, was the burgess of Aberdeen in the year 1492.

      Later examples of the surname recording include Joan Wright and Richard Trevesse who were married on May 29th 1552, at the church of St. Lawrence Jewry, in the city of London.   James, son of James Wrightson was baptised at St. George's Chapel, Mayfair, London in 1741.  Alex Wright and Mary Harwood were married at St. Georges Chapel, Mayfair, London in the year 1742.

     Probably the best known bearers of the name are Wilbur and Orville Wright, the U.S. aviation pioneers, who designed and flew the first powered aircraft (1903).  Other Americans of note are: Frank Lloyd Wright the famous American architect, and Martha Coffin Wright a Quaker women's rights activist and sister of Lucretia Mott.

        Wright is the 34th most popular surname in the United States and the 14th most common surname in England.  Today about 1609 persons per million in the United States have the Wright surname.  The heaviest concentration of the name is found in the states of the southeastern U.S.  In the United Kingdom almost about 2,970 persons per million have Wright surname.    The most significant clustering of the name is found in the eastern areas of England such as Yorkshire,  East Midlands, and East Anglia.

     Additional information regarding this interest surname can be found at, The Ancient History of the Distinguished Surname Wright.

Variations of the surname

Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to unfold and expand often leading to an overwhelming number of variants.  As such one can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames because in early times, spelling in general and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized.  Later on spellings would change with the branching and movement of families.  Spelling variations of this family name include:  the patronymic names Wrightson and Wrixon, in addition to Wright, Right, Write, Wrighte, Wraight, Wraighte, Wreight, Wrate, Rite, Wryte and many others.   

The complexity of researching records is compounded by the fact that in many cases an ancestors surname may also have been misspelled.  This is especially true when searching census documents.   The Soundex Indexing System was developed in an effort to assist with identifying spelling variations for a given surname.  Soundex is a method of indexing names in the 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 US Census, and can aid genealogists in their research.  The Soundex Code for Wright is W623.  Other surnames sharing this Soundex Code:  WRIGHT | WURSTER |.

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Coat of arms

In the Middle Ages heraldry came into use as a practical matter. It originated in the devices used to distinguish the armored warriors in tournament and war, and was also placed on seals as marks of identity. As far as records show, true heraldry began in the middle of the 12th century, and appeared almost simultaneously in several countries of Western Europe.  In the British Isles the College of Arms, (founded in 1483), is the Royal corporation of heralds who record proved pedigrees and grant armorial bearings.

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ARMORIAL BEARINGS

There are about 70 associated armorial bearings for Wright and close variant spellings recorded in Reitstap’s Armorial General or Sir Bernard Burke’s General Armory. The additional information, presented below, is offered with regard to the armorial bearings depicted above:

FIGURE 1: These armorial bearings, granted as early as 1767, represent several branches of the Wright families in Essex, England primarily at Bellendon, and Hatfield Priory as well as at Gayhurst in Buckinghamshire.  The various crests of these particular arms would be the differentiating factor.

FIGURE 2: This coat-of-arms was granted in 1583 to a Wright of Bickley in Cheshire, and is among the oldest known of this surname.   These arms feature a silver shield with two blue bars and three silver leopards' faces on a blue chief. The crest is a silver leopard's face.  Similar arms containing a crescent for difference were confirmed in 1662 as the arms of a Wright in the city of Chester. 

FIGURE 3: This shield was conveyed to Wright of Longstone Hall, in Derbyshire and Wright of Twayte in Norfolk*.  The crest, (not shown) is of a cubit arm holding in the hand a broken spear.

FIGURE 4: This figure represents the shield as sanctioned to Wright of Osmaston Manor in Derbyshire and originally of Stowmarket, in Suffolk.  The crest (not shown) features a silver unicorn's head charged upon the neck with three red spearheads.  The motto of this Wright is “Ad rem”, see below.  This shield design was also utilized by another Wright family branch from Mapperley Hall and Stapleford Hall, in Nottinghamshire, as well as various Wrights’ of Lenton Hall, Rempstone, and Upton in the same county.  The difference in the arms of the Nottingham Wrights’ is that their crest displays a silver unicorn’s head coming out of a golden crescent.  The motto of this branch is also “Ad rem.”

FIGURE 5: This coat-of-arms was conveyed to a Wright of Sedgefield in Durham.  Wright of Kilverstone, in Norfolk has similar arms except the spearheads are blue.

FIGURE 6: These armorial bearings as well as those shown in figure 1 identify the Wrights of Essex county, England.  The distinguishing characteristic found in these arms are the three golden leopards’ faces as well as the design of the crest which features a green dragon’s head rising out of a golden ducal coronet (crown).  These arms, granted in 1509 to Wright of Dagenham,** are also among the oldest known.  This Wright line became extinct in 1681.  This coat of arms is also identified with Wright of Cranham Hall in Essex. The Cranham Hall baronetcy became extinct in 1788.  Sir Edmund Wright, Lord Mayor of London, was also granted these or similar arms in 1641.

FIGURE 7: These arms were granted to Wright of Kelvedon Hall in Essex.  Unlike the other arms of the Wrights of Essex these feature only one gold leopard face and the crest shows a gold, rather than green, dragon head.

FIGURE 8: This Coat-of-arms was granted to a Wright of Hampshire***.  Similar to the arms of the Wrights of Durham the shield is blue having a chevron between three golden fleurs-de-lis, and three silver spearheads on a red chief. 

FIGURE 9: These armorial bearings were conferred to a Wright of Sigglesthorne Hall, in Yorkshire. The coat-of-arms presents a gold shield with a checkered silver and blue fesse between two silver eagle heads in chief, and a silver feather in base. The crest is a unicorn passant, divided per pale gold and blue gorged with a collar, with a blue feather in its mouth. The motto lf this Wright is “Meritez” meaning “Deserve”. 

FIGURE 10: This shield belongs to the arms granted by Sir William Betham the Ulster King of Arms, to John Wright, Esq., of Compsey Cottage, in county Tipperary.  John Wright is descended maternally from Sir Richard Shee, Knight, of Uppercourt Manor, in county Kilkenny, and Cloran, in county Tipperary.  The crest which is not shown is of a dexter (right) hand grasping a dagger piercing a leopard's face from above.  The motto of this Wright is “Per ariua”.

FIGURE 11: This coat-of-arms was confirmed to Thomas Charles Wright of Guayaquil, Ecuador in South America.  He is the second son of Joseph Wright Esq., of Queensborough, in Drogheda, Ireland.   Similar arms with tilting spearheads were granted in 1691 to James Wright of County Monaghan. 

FIGURE 12: This coat-of-arms was conferred to Wright of Bradbury in Durham. The crest, not shown, is a red dragon's head. 

FIGURE 13: These armorial bearings are attributed by some as belonging to a Wright of Ireland. It features a blue shield containing three silver axes.   Rietstap describes similar arms for Wright with the addition of four gold-toothed spears in the chief.

*    Burke cites location as Suffolkshire.

** Dagenham was an ancient, and later civil, parish in the Becontree  hundred of Essex.  Dagenham is now a large suburb in east London, England, forming the eastern part of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

*** Burke uses the Hants rather than Hampshire.

MOTTO(ES)

     A motto is a word or sentence usually written upon a scroll and generally placed below the shield, but sometimes, especially in Scotland, above the crest.    Many ancient mottoes were war-cries such as the Douglas motto of “Forward.”    Many mottoes refer to the name of the bearer, for example “cole regem” for Coleridge.   In general most mottoes convey a sentiment, hope, or determination, such as the Cotter motto “Dum spiro spero” where the meaning is “While I have breath I hope“.     Mottoes are often used by several successive generations, but may be changed at any time by the grantee. The languages most in use are Latin, French, and English.  Exceptions are seen in Scotland where they are often in the old Lowland dialect, and in Wales, often in the language of the principality.    The following listed mottoes and their translations are attributed to Wright: “Ad rem” = “To the point”;  “Aperto vivere voto” = “To live without a wish concealed”;  “Aquila non captat muscas” = “The eagle catcheth not flies”;  “Endure and hope” = “Endure and hope’;  “Fortiter” = “Bravely”;  “Mens conscia recti” = “A mind conscious of rectitude”;  “Mens sibi conscia recti” = “A mind conscious to itself of rectitude’;  “Meritez” = “Deserve”;  “Tam arte quam Marte = “As much by art as strength”;  “Toleranda et speranda” = “We must endure and hope”;   “Veritas vincit” = “Truth conquers”;  “Vincit vigilantia” = “Vigilance conquers”.

A Coat of Arms is defined as a group of emblems and figures (heraldic bearings) usually arranged on and around a shield and serving as the special insignia of some person, family, or institution.  Except for a few cases, there is really no such thing as a standard "coat of arms" for a surname.  A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, is a design usually granted only to a single person not to an entire family or to a particular surname.  Coats of arms are inheritable property, and they generally descend to male lineal descendents of the original arms grantee.  The rules and traditions regarding Coats of Arms vary from country to country. Therefore a Coat of Arms for an English family would differ from that of a German family even when the surname is the same.  The art of designing, displaying, describing, and recording arms is called heraldry. The use of coats of arms by countries, states, provinces, towns and villages is called civic heraldry.   Some of the more prominent elements incorporated into a  coat of arms are :

Crest - The word crest is often mistakenly applied to a coat of arms.  The crest was a later development arising from the love of pageantry.  Initially the crest consisted of charges painted onto a ridge on top of the helmet.

Wreath or Torse – The torse is a twist of cloth or wreath underneath and part of a crest. Always shown as six twists, the first tincture being the tincture of the field, the second the tincture of the metal, and so on.

Mantling – The mantling is a drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. It forms a backdrop for the shield.

Helm or Helmet - The helmet or helm is situated above the shield and bears the torse and crest. The style of helmet displayed varies according to rank and social status, and these styles developed over time, in step with the development of actual military helmets.

Shield or Arms - The basis of all coats of arms.  At their simplest, arms consist of a shield with a plain field on which appears a geometrical shape or object.  The items appearing on the shield are known as charges.

Motto - The motto was originally a war cry, but later mottoes often expressed some worthy sentiment. It may appear at the top or bottom of a family coat of arms.

Direct ancestors

Descendant Register

Generation 1

James Wright-1. He married Mary Wright (nee?).  Child of  James Wright and Mary Wright (nee?) is:  Sarah Mary Wright, B: 17 Feb 1781 in Pennsylvania, D: 13 Jan 1861 in Tamaroa, Perry Co., Illinois, M: 20 Oct 1798 in Pennsylvania ?.

Generation 2

Sarah Mary Wright-2(James Wright-1) was born on 17 Feb 1781 in Pennsylvania. She died on 13 Jan 1861 in Tamaroa, Perry Co., Illinois. She married Griffin Johnson on 20 Oct 1798 in Pennsylvania?, son of James Johnson and Catherine Demoss. He was born on 11 Aug 1778 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. He died on 19 Jul 1861 in Tamaroa, Perry Co., Illinois.

Children of Sarah Mary Wright and Griffin Johnson are:

i.             Disbury Johnson, B: 01 Nov 1799 in Harrison County, Ohio, D: 25 Feb 1883 in  Union Twp., Lewis Co., Missouri, M: 29 Jan 1823 in Guernsey County, Ohio.

ii.            Catherine Johnson, B: 18 Dec 1800 in Wheeling, Ohio Co., West Virginia, D: 19  Jul 1882 in Saint Charles, Missouri, M: 27 Dec 1822 in Harrison County, Ohio.

iii.          Mary Johnson, B: Abt. 1803, M: 21 Nov 1821 in Harrison County, Ohio.

iv.          Eleanor Johnson, B: 05 Sep 1804 in Wheeling, Ohio Co., West Virginia, D: 03  Aug 1901, M: 19 Nov 1831 in <Jefferson County>, Ohio.

v.           John J. Johnson, B: 08 May 1807 in Cadiz, Harrison Co., Ohio, D: 16 Sep 1869 in  Tamaroa, Perry Co., Illinois, M: 24 Dec 1833 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio.

vi.          Jacob Johnson, B: 05 May 1808 in Washington Twp., Harrison Co., Ohio, D: 16  Aug 1908 in Union County, Ohio, M: 16 Feb 1832 in Harrison County, Ohio.

vii.         Jemima Johnson, B: 25 Mar 1810 in Washington Twp., Harrison Co., Ohio, D: 03  Sep 1888, M: 09 May 1833 in Harrison County, Ohio.

viii.       Sarah Johnson, B: 13 Feb 1811 in Washington Twp., Harrison Co., Ohio, D: 13  Jan 1881 in Perry County, Illinois, M: 04 Mar 1831 in Harrison County, Ohio ?.

ix.          Mariah Johnson, B: Abt. 1815 in Washington Twp., Harrison Co., Ohio, M: 21 Feb  1834 in Harrison County, Ohio.

x.           Griffin Johnson, B: Abt. 1818 in Washington Twp., Harrison Co., Ohio, D: Aft.  1918 in Riverside, California.

xi.          Nancy Johnson, B: 25 Jan 1822 in Washington Twp., Harrison Co., Ohio, D: 28   Jan 1911 in Washington Twp., Harrison Co., Ohio, M: 28 Jan 1841 in Harrison Co., Ohio?.

xii.         James Johnson, B: Abt. 1823 in Washington Twp., Harrison Co., Ohio, M: Abt.  1848 in <Harrison County>, Ohio.

Additional information about our DIRECT ANCESTORS  as well as a complete listing of individuals with this surname may be reviewed by clicking on the following LINK.

MMPS Surname Locator

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Ancestral locations

Researching the locations where our ancestors lived has provided us with valuable evidence needed to fill-in the gaps in our family trees.  It has also led us to many interesting facts that enhance the overall picture of each family group.

Locations of

Direct Ancestors

Locational Distribution

of  this Surname

Where In the World

are my Ancestors?

Locatiof Direct Ancestors

The names of states and counties on the following list were derived from the known places where the Direct Ancestors in the “Ancestral Lineage” (see above) were born, married, and / or died.

COUNTRY

STATE

COUNTY / SUBDIVISION

UNITED STATES

PENNSYLVANIA

Washington County?

ILLINOIS

Perry County

Use this LINK to find out more about the locations listed above.

ANCESTRAL LOCATIONS

Locational distributionstors

     Knowing the geographical areas where the surname you are researching is clustered and distributed is an indispensable tool in deciding where to focus your research.  We believe that the “Public Profiler” website will open up to you a wide range of solutions which implement current research in spatial analysis.  This site provides an array of local spatial information tools useful to the genealogist.

          The information presented below shows where the Wright surname is distributed within the United States as well as in the United Kingdom the country of origin of this family.  In addition is a listing of the top countries in the world where this surname is highly clustered. 

United States of America

Top Countries

Key

European Country of Origin

Country

FPM*

* frequency per million

Click on the LINK to the right to see more information about the World distribution of a surname.  You can

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Wjere are my ancestors Ancestors

Resources which enhance our knowledge of the places inhabited by our ancestors are almost as important as their names. The LINK to the right will take you to Maps, Gazetteers,   and  other  helpful   resources 

that will assist in discovering Ancestral Locations.  These web sites comprise only a small portion of what is available for researchers interested in learning more about where their ancestors lived.

Migration routes

       During the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries hundreds of thousands of Europeans made the perilous ocean voyage to America.  For many it was an escape from economic hardship and religious persecution.  For most it was an opportunity to start over, own their own land, and make a better future for their descendents.  Immigration records show a number of people bearing the name of Wright, or one of its variants, as arriving in North America between the 17^th and 20^th centuries.  Some of these immigrants were: Anne Mason who settled in Virginia in 1635; Robert Wright, who settled in Virginia in 1623 with his wife;  Richard Wright and his wife Margaret, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 with their daughter; as well as Richard Wright, who settled in Virginia in 1636.  Jeffery Wright, aged 18 years was one of the earliest settlers in the New England colonies of America. He left from the Port of London aboard the ship "Truelove" bound for the Bermuda Island in June 1635.

    Tracing our own family’s paths of migration can prove crucial in identifying previous generations and eventually, figuring out where and how they arrived in the “New World” as well as where they eventually settled.  Knowing the network of trails American pioneers traveled can help you guess where to start looking.  The trail map(s) provided below may assist you in understanding the routes that our direct ancestors of this family may have taken to find new homes and opportunities in the vast area now encompassed by the United States.

Use the following links to find more early immigrants with this surname:

$ Search Ancestry.com Immigration Records; or Free Ship’s Passenger lists at OliveTreeGenealogy.com

Pennsylvania to Illinois  c.1795 – c. 1841

     It is probable that James Wright moved west from his home in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania around 1795.  As this is estimated as being a distance of only about 45 miles he may have taken any of the many trails that lead to the Ohio River.  Estimating at 12 miles a day it would have taken about 4 days to move his family out of Pennsylvania and into the new Ohio Territory.  He may have settled near the mouth of Short Creek in what was then known as Washington County.   In 1797 this area would become part of the newly formed Jefferson County, Ohio.  During this time James’ daughter Sarah Mary would marry Griffin Johnson in 1798 and produce their first child the next year.  These two events probably occurred in Jefferson County.  James Wright may have stayed in this place but it is more probable that around 1804 the Wright and Johnson families which included Sarah Wright and Griffin Johnson moved further west, about 15 miles, up the Short Creek into that area of Jefferson County that would be incorporated into  Harrison County, Ohio in 1813.  Harrison county records of 1814 show both James Wright and Griffin Johnson living in Freeport Township, Harrison County, Ohio.

     Around 1841 Sarah and Griffin migrated west to Illinois along with some of his children and grandchildren.

The most likely migration routes west from Harrison County Ohio would be the National Road and the Ohio River.  We cannot be sure as to which of two likely routes they took as both have distinct advantages and disadvantages.  Obviously two major concerns of the migrants would have been economic, i.e. how much are we able to spend on this journey, and what is the least difficult method of travel available from Harrison County, Ohio to Perry County, Illinois.  We don’t have much proof as to their financial situation but it is clear that the Wright and Johnson families were among the earliest settlers in western Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio.  As such they would have been in a position to obtain some of the best land in the localities they pioneered and at prices much lower than what they would be several decades later.  Thus it follows that they would most likely get a good price for their property prior to launching their migratory effort.  It would seem that the Ohio River Route would be the most expensive as they would have to either pay for passage or purchase a boat for the down-river voyage.    Then they would also have to consider the distance that needed to be traveled as well as the total travel time.  This would be important as they would probably start in the spring months and hopefully arrive in the summer so that late crops could be planted and shelter for the winter erected.       As far as time and distance are concerned the National Road, a major thoroughfare west, was located, at its closest point, about 15 miles south of Freeport, Ohio. The total land distance from there to Perry Co., Illinois is about 515 miles.  At a rate of 15 miles a day they would need at least 5 weeks to make the journey via this land route.  Also travel by this route was probably be considered safer than by water especially since the topography along the way is essentially without mountains or large swamps and bodies of water.  If they decided on a journey on the Ohio River they would have had to travel east about 30 miles to reach the River.  The total water distance on the river would be at least 970 miles.  If the downriver current traveled about 7 miles per hour they could cover at least 70 miles per day.  Thus they could make the entire trip in as little time as two weeks.   The water trip could be considered more dangerous especially if a family of farmers are attempting to navigate the river’s currents and natural obstructions.  We’ll probably never know which mode of travel was chosen but we do known that Sarah and Griffin along with their daughter Sarah and son-in-law Lemuel Watt did settle in Tamaroa, Perry County, Illinois. 

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Source documents

The documents contained within the “Source Documents Archives” have been located during my research of this family, and used as evidence to prove many of the facts contained within the database of this family’s record.

     Most of these documents can be considered as primary or secondary evidence.  Primary evidence is usually defined as the best available to prove the fact in question, usually in an original document or record.  Secondary evidence is in essence all that evidence which is inferior in its origin to primary evidence. That does not mean secondary evidence is always in error, but there is a greater chance of error.  Examples of this type of evidence would be a copy of an original record, or oral testimony of a record’s contents.  Published genealogies and family histories are also secondary evidence.

     Classifying evidence as either primary or secondary does not tell anything about its accuracy or ultimate value.  This is especially true of secondary evidence.  Thus it is always a good idea to ask the following questions: (1) How far removed from the original is it, (when it is a copy)?; (2) What was the reason for the creation of the source which contains this evidence?; and (3) Who was responsible for creating this secondary evidence and what interest did they have in its accuracy?

SOURCE:  Greenwood, Val D., The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, 2^nd edition, Genealogical Publishing  Co., Baltimore, MD 21202, 1990, pgs. 62-63

You are welcome to download any of the documents contained within this archive.

  Should you encounter a problem obtaining a copy you may get in touch with

 us via the contact information found at the end of this page.

Use the following LINK to view the source documents pertaining

 to this family.

SOURCE DOCUMENTS

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Your genealogy research of this surname can be facilitated by use of SURNAME WEB. This website links to the majority of the surname data on the web, as well as to individual family trees, origin and surname meaning if known, and many other related genealogy resources. 

SURNAME FINDER provides easy access to free and commercial resources for 1,731,359 surnames. On each surname specific "finder" page, you can search a variety of online databases all pre-programmed with your surname.

Use ALL SURNAMES GENEALOGY to get access to find your surname resources .  There are almost 1300 links in this directory.

Linkpendium Surnames - Web sites, obituaries, biographies, and other material specific to a surname.

Cyndi's List - Surnames, Family Associations & Family Newsletters Index - Sites or resources dedicated to specific, individual family surnames.

FamilySearch.org - Family History and Genealogy Records - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

Top Genealogical Websites - These mighty roots resources compiled by “Family Tree Magazine”, will give you the power to bust through research brick walls and find answers about your ancestors—all from your home computer.

SurnameDB Free database of surname meanings - This site SurnameDB.Com contains a large FREE to access database (almost 50,000 surnames) on the history and meaning of family last names.

Public Profiler / World Names - Search for a Surname to view its Map and Statistics.

The following Link will take you to our library of genealogy reference books.   Here you will find bibliographies, family histories and books about names.  In addition, there are texts that pertain to ethnic and religion groups, history, geography as well as other books that will assist you with your research.

 Research Library – Table of Contents

Go directly to the collection for Names

Images gallery

During our research we have collected images and photographs that are of general interest to a particular family.  Some of them are presented on this website because we believe they tend to provide the reader with additional information which may aid in the understanding of our ancestors past lives.

If you have any photographs or other images relating to this

ancestral family we would greatly appreciate hearing from you.

Use the following LINKS to ascertain whether we have any images that pertain to this family.

FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS and IMAGES

Use the power of Google™ to find more interesting images about this topic. A Click on this button will link you to the Google Images Search page. 

Enter the topic you are searching in the box and click “Search Images”. At the “Images” display page you will see the image, as well as the website of which it is associated.

Contact Information

Email

Snail Mail:

Fred
889 Dante Ct.
Mantua, NJ 08051

USA

Email

Pony Express:

Tom
6484 Riverstone Dr

Sooke, BC V9Z 0Y7

Canada