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07 December 2012

Name changes

Can we guess or hypothesis how a name like Van Valkenburg morps into the name of Vollick?

If you follow me for a few moments you just might learn as I go along.


Butler Rangers, New York, Rangers, VanValkenburg, Vollick, Isaac, Hainer, Putman
My ancestors  Isaac Van Valkenburg was born 1732 in Schoharie New York.  


Yet he died 1804 in Lincoln, Ontario.  
Butler Rangers, New York, Rangers, VanValkenburg, Vollick, Isaac, Hainer, Putman






Please note the date birth 1732.  Why is this significant? 


Butler Rangers, New York, Rangers, VanValkenburg, Vollick, Isaac, Hainer, Putman
 The Revolutiony War of 1776 makes it significant. All since Isaac is appx. 44 yrs. old he's from the area of New York.  The group known as the Butler Rangers, who became know as "Loyalist", were on the Crowns [England] side.  They fought against the Minute Men.  

By wars end they were not welcome in their hometowns any more.  England promised them land & provisions up in Canada.

So what does a man & his family do when offered land not only for him self but also for his children do?  He went!  Why stay where your neighbors really do not like you at all anymore?

So Isaac Van Valkenburg with other fellow Loyalist and their families left for the lands west of Black Rock New York over the Niagara River to Canada West.

So we still have not seen where the name morphing occured.  Here we go [personally I'm still scratching my head] /

Isaac had a wife and children that included:




In my studing the data I summize that with the moving to Canada & being Loyalist that perhaps he further thought the name should be different.

What of the Van Valkenburgs that did not become Loyalist and stayed in New York.  Was all family ties broken with the War?

I know I may have frustrated some of you since I do not have a definitive answer as to why the name changed from Van Velkenburg to Vollick.  I am sorry.  Please relize in genealogy we the descendants cannot know their minds.

What theory might you have as to why names change???

1 comment:

  1. This is a neato help! My mother's father was a Vollick and I've found this to be very interesting and it explains perhaps why the name was changed. Thanks, Karen

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