Tuesday, January 10, 2012

So....This Makes Me a European Mutt



Over the holidays when I was home I had a wonderful visit, and one of the best gifts from the Mother. My family history book, The Family Chronicle, which my departed father worked on for seven years, and completed a year before his death. He, and my late cousin told me much of what was in the book over the years , but the later family history. On my dad's side still living, is my half brother and sister and their kids, but the rest of his family is passed away. I never knew my grandparents on my Dad's side as they were both passed away before my hatching!



I have no idea who the people in the picture are except that the original picture was dated 1885. My father had many pictures passed down and had the pictures reproduced for all us kids. I think they may be on my dad's father's side, but not sure. Neat photo though. I have been reading his work alot this week, one reason I haven't been blogging much. Some of the things I found out from the book-

* my dad's grandparents on his dad's side were born in Amsterdam and Holland, and came over to the states at early ages. No wonder I love sex so much! Up to that point the grandfather was from a small neighboring town to Amsterdam by our families last name, and his grandmother from Amsterdam. At least three members of the family on his grandfathers side were in the inner sanctum as advisers of Queen Wilhelmina of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and some of our family history was actually in her library. Makes me wonder if it is still there. Is it any wonder I love queens?

* my Dad's family on his mother's side was from England and Ireland. That side of the family on his great grandfathers side ended up in the states when they were given land by King George V in upstate New York, and lots of it apparently. It was in Rockland county. The family all lived in a huge house together for years. From what I read, the area is all built up now and where the house stood is now right next to a major highway, and the orginal house was wrote about in a book about Dutch houses that my mother still has.

* my dad's uncle owned his own Wall Street Brokerage firm and retained his wealth even during the Great Depression. That was how my father ended up in Carlisle, PA and met his first wife, to run a branch of the firm for his uncle. His cousin, William, the one I mentioned above, also worked there. William was a blast and funny as hell. He had a Rodney Dangerfield personality. When I was young I spent many a summer with him and his wife. He also had a sister he never talked about. All I knew was she was a artist and her name was Marie Stobbe. My parents have several of her paintings. Well, the in the book, she was married briefly to Albert Stobbe , a businessman, and was once Vice-President of RCA Records!!!!!! But they divorced quick. William, always claimed she had a female lover!!!! I'm shocked! But William's wife, who I still talk to, said Marie died in 2005 at 95!!! And she was still painting, and still ran her art gallery in Glen Cove.



This picture I believe was my father's grandparents or the great ones, not sure, at the homestead on his mother's side. I saw the name Lucretia Swartwout on the back, but the names were hard to read. Another neat picture. Lucretia was my great and grandmother's names, and is also my half sister's name. So I'm thinking these family members are from the Swartwout side. How neat with the birdcages.

* I also found out many members of the family loved art, animals and music. This answers alot.

Now on my mother's side, my Aunt is the historian. My grandparent's families were from Switzerland, on my granddad's side and Czechoslovakia, on my grandmother's side. My mother's side of the family lived here much longer than my dad's side. My aunt gave me this picture which she also had reproduced.



Handsome devil. I do remember him, even though it is limited. He died when I was almost 6, so my grandmother was the only grandparent I ever really knew for years. She also told me that my great, great grandmother on my grandfathers side, was a cousin to Aaron Burr, yes, that Aaron Burr, remembered as the man who killed his rival, Alexander Hamilton in the famous duel. How cool is that! No wonder my grandfathers side had hot tempers!!! She also told me that my grandparents corresponded in the mail for a year before they ever met. Met once. And then married!!!! Who knew? My aunt is a wealth of family information, but now we must get it organized and written in books with all the news clippings she has, and all the neat pictures! So pretty neat, and wanted to share. So I guess that's makes me a European mutt, with Dutch, Irish, Czech, and Swiss!!!!! Thanks for reading, it's not often I share some background on the mysterious Mistress, but I found... and am finding it all, so fascinating! Makes me wonder if I go on ancestry.com if I will find the same results? Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Have any of you tired that site? And anything intresting that shocked you about your family histories?

21 comments:

  1. It's really cool to have all this information, and see these old photos! I also think having an oral history would be great, or even making a video of your aunt telling you all this.

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  2. really fun!
    Best story for my kids is that they should be Swedish Royalty. Maid, seduced by the King, became pregnant and fled to America.

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  3. Wow! I always knew your background had to be colorful, but how neat!!! I don't know much about mine much pass my grandparents. And the photos are great! Nice to see another side of the Mistress!

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  4. Now this is just a great post, and makes me want to do loads more on my family tree. It always amazes me the people our relatives were related to or knew! But know knowing you I can see all these nationalties in you! You got the best traits from each one. And the pictures are excellent.

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  5. I've got some Swiss heritage too -- I bet that's why you love chocolate so much, isn't it!

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  6. Thanks for sharing some background on the Mistress!!! Rare indeed and by sounds a lively family. Nothing wrong with a mutt, you probably my dear have the best traits from each! We used ancestry,com, William found out when he was 12 that his father's real mother died when his father was just a baby. No one in the family knew anything about her. William's father longed to somehow see a picture of her. But he didn't even know her name.

    After years of searching microfilm in libraries and archives, William decided to try and find his grandmother on Ancestry.com. His father recalled the unique name of an aunt he'd known as a child so William searched with different spellings and discovered the aunt in the 1910U.S. Federal Census.

    He was able to find the aunt again in the 1920 U.S. Federal Census. And there, listed alongside her name, was his grandmother's real name. He was absolutely thrilled, but he had no idea where this clue would lead him. Now that he had his grandmother's name, he was determined to track down living cousins who might know more about her. He found them - and with them, a treasure trove of old letters and photographs of his grandmother.These discoveries allowed William to finally introduce his father to the mother he'd lost as a baby. We loved the site .

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  7. Fluffy- that's a great idea, but I don't think she would ever let me film her!!!!!

    Froggy- now that's great and the juicy stuff I love finding. Nothing wrong with a bit of scandal!

    Debs- it could very well be, but what of the gin?

    Agnes- what a great story!!! I'm still thinking about.....

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  8. I know next to nothing about my family. The only thing of any interest (to me anyway) is that our surname's spelling changed sometime in the early 1900's so I'm actually not related to anyone with my same surname who live in other parts of the country as I has always assumed...

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  9. I love these stories. I have quite a collection of my family stories--like the one where my grandfather murdered my grandmother's lover--and am saving them for some kind of family book.

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  10. that is so cool to learn all that i've alway thought it would be fun to do a family tree. This is really great and wow you have a wonderful and interesting family. thanks for sharing

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  11. Czech and dutch? No wonder your so popular with the boys..... intresting stuff here! I know I'm Italian all the way on both sides.

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  12. That IS so sweet as a gift. I've been meaning to look into this myself to find so un answered questions. When you posted new years eve pictures I though I saw some dutch in there! Another glimpse into the Mistress

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  13. Great idea for a gift - one to treasure always. Yes you syre are a mixed breed there huh, And Arron Burr? wow. don't piss off the Mistress.

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  14. What a very cool gift!! Love hearing about some of your background, a treat. I love reading and hearing about people's history. I have done mine and it always so much fun to un cover things. And the photo of your grandfather on the moon is pricless!

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  15. Oh my goodness! The coolest gift ever! My grandmother is currently working on her side of the family and it will be intresting to see what she uncovers. After reading yours it all comes together to see why your so colorful!!!!! Great pictures too.

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  16. What an adorable post and gives us yet more in sight into the Mistress! Well I was given my family history and would you believe two other memebers also did drag!!!!!! My father was appauled. I wonder if I should tell him about me??? you should do more post if you un cover more. Neat history and photos!

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  17. Wow, what a background! I too have got mine except on my grandmothers side. Some very intresting things. I even had a relative who went dwon on the Titanic. Would you ever go over to Amsterdam to visit the area? I have a feeling you would love it Mistress!

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  18. How cool a past is that!!! A well rounded person I'd say! Very nice to have a history in a book format! It was common to have the family years ago write and document as they went and add to over the years. I family has several copies also of our family history, althought two copies have been lost over the years due to the elements and a house flood.

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  19. By all means be sure to get this information while you have the sources. I wish I'd asked my grandparents more questions and had written things down. We still have some old photos to go through for Mother to identify. Love your family history! The oral history suggestion is so good.

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  20. Wow so fascinating...lurrrve this kind of stories!
    I need to check the site one of these dayz!
    xo*

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  21. enrique1/17/2012

    Very cool family tree! And you have Czech and Dutch? So....you must be packin,lol!

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Go ahead darling, tell me something fabulous!