400 Years In The Making

I have mentioned to many of you that I have been working on my genealogy. I have found lots of interesting facts and non facts, and a few surprises, but what I have found mostly is comfort. It is somewhat comforting to find out who you are and where you come from. My family has its few dark spots, skeletons in its closets, things that don't add up, as do all families, but in general I have a wonderful road map of where my family comes from and who we are. It was the where I'm from that really gave me the biggest surprise of all. I always knew I was Irish and English. I have a great x3 grandfather that came over from Cavan County Ireland in 1850, another great gram and gramp from Ireland who came over in 1870 and a great x2 grandfather who was born in England. But what surprised me the most is not my European ancestry, it was my American ancestry.

As kids we are often asked "What are you" with an expected answer of something like "I'm 1/2 Irish, 1/2 English" for an answer. No one ever says "I'm 1/2 Irish, 1/2 American". We don't usually think of American as part of the answer because its not exotic enough. Well come to find out, my answer as a child should have been 1/2 American, 1/4 Irish, 1/4 English. Let me introduce you to a few people.

John Vause, born in Virginia in 1595. He is a great grandfather a million times over on my paternal grandmothers side. All we know about his family is that his mother was English.

Jane Morgan, born in New York, 1628. Her father was from Wales as was the man she married, Thomas Ragland.

Henry Tandy, born in Viriginia in 1630

John Quarles, 1665 Virginia

Prisilla Watson, 1669 Virginia

The list goes on and on, and that is just my paternal side. The same thing happens on the maternal great grandfathers side. I have to say I was overwhelmed. I loved being able to find that I had a Sheriff of Nottingham in my ancestry but just as thrilled to find that I had a distant cousin that was involved in the underground railroad. My American information excited me beyond belief because I realized I had a huge stake in THIS country. My family belonged here and had been her for over 400 years.

Now I'm the first to admit I not a huge patriot of this country. I don't get all "yee haw" over the military and am definitely not a gal who sings Lee Greenwood songs on the 4th of July. I have respect for all things American, but you won't see an American flag in the back window of my car. It is my opinion that we, as Americans, have a general arrogance that is overwhelming to the rest of the world and I don't like to add to that. However since discovering my history I do take a bit more pride in the history of our country. I am proud to know that my ancestors were a part of what this country is and what it has become.

So with all that being said I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Independence Day and say thank you to our military, including the 14 men in my family who fought in the Revolutionary War, who have helped keep us an independent nation.