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.

My ancestors  Isaac Van Valkenburg was born 1732 in Schoharie New York.  


Yet he died 1804 in Lincoln, Ontario.  

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

 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:

• Married Anna Maria Warner              1735 – 1756

• Matthias VanValkenburg1759 – 1798
• Jan Vollick VanValkenburg1761 – 
• Cornelia VanValkenburg1761 – 1784
• Annetje VanValkenburg1763 – 1823
• Storm  ? Vollick1765 – 1841
• Sarah ?  Vollick1767 – 1809
• Sophia vanValkenburg1767 – 1804
• Catharina Van Valkenburg Vollick1769 – 1817
• Cornelius ? Vollick1774 – 1818

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???

Silas Babbitt

Photo found at Ancestry.com records tru Google Images.

Where I clicked on this photo it brought me to a part of Ancestry.com  It did not however show the photo there.

Is this really Silas Babbitt husband of Rachel Corey???

Seneca Red Jacket

Red Jacket great Chief of the Seneca People

I find Red Jackets story most intriguing.  A man that found his voice amongst the "White" man.  

He spoke in front of the U.S. senate in 1805.  The speech was titled “Religion for the White Man and the Red”

Who are the Seneca People and where are they from?

They made their home in old times in the now present day area called Genesse River region & the Lake Canadaigua. 

Please see wikipedia for much more on Red Jacket & the Seneca People: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Jacket

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_nation#Name  

Black Rock New York I have been trying to find hard history on this area of New York form the late 1780’s to 1810.  I am most interested in the Maritime facts.  Shipping history such, as to what were they shipping from across Lake Erie. Furs Salt and what else.  Was there a trading business thriving on Lake Erie.   

What was the prominent resource everyone was looking for?  Did it play into the migration pattern for those seeking a fortune?  How many ports did Lake Erie have at this time.  How often did ships sink.  Were there light houses along the shore to warn these lake sailors?  Is there an area where ther are more ship wrecks then anywhere else on the Lake?

 What about the fact that Lake Erie flows over Niagara Falls and into Lake Huron.    Is there a pull in Lake Erie that the Lake farers have to steer against?   Was there a Mill that Canadiens came to use to grind their wheat?

Black Rock Map NY

Black Rock New York along Lake Erie across from Canada prior to 1812.

The Black Rock was destroyed in the early 1820's to make for building.

Where do you fit in the Van Valkenburg/Vollick Family

 Van Volkinburg,
Van Falkenburg,
Valkenburg,
Vollick,
Van Velkinburgh
Van Valkenburg,
Van Valkenburgh ,


If your like me your Vollick/Van Valkenburg connect may start in New York State.  As I stated in a recent post the internet has a plether of information for genealogy.  Again I am showing an excellent find for one of my branches of family.  This one has so much information with out being overloaded.  Simple straight forward.  Nice thank you long distant cousin Victor Van Valkenburg.



"  
Dear Rick van Valkenburg

Out of personal interest in our family heritage and the origin of our family name I have accumulated the following information:
In the book "Heraldie" by Carl-Alexander van Volborth, published by the "Batavian Lion" - Amsterdam-Dieven, we are registered as untitled nobility.
Since 1247 until present, our name has been around under different manners of writing.
The reason for this is very simple: the people who where responsible for the registration in the city registers and/or birth registrations could hardly (or badly) write.
Before the Napoleonitic age, people really didn't have a "family name" as we know it today. Generally they were named after the region they came from or their parentís occupying profession. A nickname, etc...
Because this resulted in severe confusion emperor Napoleon Bonaparte changed this custom. Ever since, everyone got registered with 2 names. A Christian name and a family name. Most likely our first family name came from "van Valkenburg". Variations are: van Valkenburg, Van valkenburg, van Valkenburgh, Valckenborg, Valkenbeurg, Valkenborgh etc..., Etc...
In our French speaking regions we were called "Bourg des Faucons which is the literal translation of "van Valkenburg".
Even though our families were not titled (taken away or sold), our coat of arms remained in possession of the family.
Herewith included, you find the original coat of arms as it most likely was used by Theodoricus van Valkenburgh, around 1247 - 1250.
The colours of the coat of arms are:
A red fortress with silver or black falcons on a blue or silver background.
The red stands for: planet mars, ruby, courage and desire. The blue stands for: planet Jupiter, sapphire, loyalty, tranquillity and steadfastness.
In 1994 they've published a beautiful book about the city of Valkenburg and it's history printed by "Elsevier, Amsterdam-Brussels". This book "Valkenburg aan de Geul" is for sale in English at the tourist office "V.V.V. het Geuldal" for approximately $10.
On 15 February 1041 Valkenburg was first mentioned in a deed of gift from the hand of emperor Hendrik III.
The van Valkenburg family has known several remarkable individuals such as: the brothers van Valkenborch Lucas and Martin and Martin's son Frederick. In their days they were known as renowned painters and members of the Flemish school in Mechelen.
Their predilection was towards the common man in the landscape. All three of them emigrated to Germany where they died.
In the ???? Museum of Vienna (Austria) and in the museum of ????? Art in Antwerp (Belgium) one can admire some of these masterís signed paintings.




Valkenburg aan de Geul

• Ca 3500 BC exploitation of Valkenburg-flint
• Ca 53 BC first roman settlement in the "Geuldal"
• Ca 200 big roman settlement in the "Ravenbos"
• Ca 400 de romans are leaving "Zuid-Limburg"
• Ca 1041 first mention of "Falchenberg" in an act of deed from emperor Hendrik III
• Ca 1100 Thibalt van Voeren first lord of Valkenburg
• Ca 1106 Guda first lady of Valkenburg
• Ca 1118 Gosewijn first lord from the house of Heinsberg
• Ca 1122 first destruction of the fortress of Valkenburg
• Ca 1165 Gerlachus, de Saint of the "Geuldal", dies in Houthem
• Ca 1212 Dirk de first, lord from the house of Kleefs-Heinsberg
• Ca 1281 the parish of the Saint Nicholas becomes independent
• Ca 1302 Walram the "Rosse" dies
• Ca 1352 Jan de first dies as last sire of Valkenburg
• Ca 1381 Valkenburg under the Duke of "Brabant"
• Ca 1430 Valkenburg part of the Bourgondian empire under "Philips de Goede"
• 1465 the "Luikenaren" besiege Valkenburg in vain.
• 1515 city and landeries of Valkenburg in the possession of emperor "Karel V"
• 1568 Willem of Orange conquers Valkenburg
• 1568 the Spanish warlord "Van Alva" conquers Valkenburg
• 1572 Lodewijk van Nassau takes Valkenburg
• 1578 Valkenburg has been taken again by Spanish troops.
• 1632 Frederick Hendrik invades Valkenburg
• 1636 Valkenburg in Spanish hands again.
• 1644 The Dutch re-conquer Valkenburg
• 1661 the partage-tractation divided the land of Valkenburg in a stately and Spanish part. City and castle become stately.
• 1672 French troops conquer Valkenburg
• The same year Valkenburg has been re-conquered by state-troops from Willem III who gave orders to blow up the castle.
• 1773 heavy fire in Valkenburg. Two people died and 34 houses burnt down.
• 1781 a dysentery epidemic kills 15.
• 1794 Valkenburg gets incorporated in the French Republic.
• 1795 establishment of the canton of Valkenburg
• 1800 Valkenburg, Houthem, Schin op Geul, Old Valkenburg and Struch become independent municipalities.
• 1815 Valkenburg is part of the Dutch province "Limburg"
• 1830 Valkenburg becomes part of the kingdom of Belgium.
• 1839 Valkenburg again becomes part of the kingdom of The Netherlands.
• 1853 the building of the railway station of Valkenburg
• 1940 the arise of the municipality of Valkenburg-Houthem.
• 1944 liberation by the Americans. The city-centre was severely damaged.
• 1966 opening of the new city-hall "Dersaborg"
• 1978 construction of an atomic shelter in the city-cave.
• 1982 after the fusion of Valkenburg-Houthem and Berg and Terblijt we see the arrival of a new municipality called "Valkenburg aan de Geul"

This is all the information I have available at present. I sincerely hope you enjoy the information about Valkenburg
Accept our well and sincere regards from Belgium. The world is a small place these days and we might even meet in the future.


Victor Valkenborgh

Translated by his son, Patrick Valkenborgh Original in Dutch  "

State by State Records Do They Exist.

In doing family history and collecting family history data. Have you noticed the varied information from different states you can obtain?  Even the years when the first recoded Birth, Marriage, Death and property was recorded in the individual states.

Are you ever dumbstruck as to why you can’t get records from one state while another has all information for who ever ask for it?  

Then to think that New York was long established record keeping, but that was only in certain areas.   New York/New Amsterdam  was a active port almost 200 years before the first European descended settlement was made up in the northwest region of New York.  The North West areas where not settled until 20 plus years after the Revolution War.    Can you get records for your ancestors who lived in that area?  Was it a religious ceremony recorded or civil? 

I have several branches of ancestors that were in Upstate New York or in Ontario before expanding into Michigan.  Both of these places are large black holes for documents.   I just can’t figure out why it’s this way.   Canada has the Quebec records stretching back to 1600…  While Ontario I am hard pressed to find 1800 documents.  A lot of my research data collection for both New York & Ontario has been found  by doing a Google search.  Thank goodness other folks have asked similar questions or given answers about my family members.   Or I would still be unknowledgeable for those lines.

Of course a road trip is in order.   Before one sets off on a road trip for genealogy research its really best to know times of when one can get into that office.  As in small towns and villages.  When is the office open and its hours to conduct business, is it closed a certain day of the week etc…?   Planning ahead will make your visit to the location much more enjoyable.  You will also want to know if the local library has a genealogy section and its days and hours of availability.

The only answer I have for Why information varies state to state 1. Date it came into the Union. 2. When the State began to require recording of Birth, marriage, death & property transactions. 

If you have Massachusetts ancestors and have seen documents from the 1600’s  then jump off a bit future inland you might not see another document until 1840. 

Happy Doc Hunting