#52Ancestors, So Far Away

Living at this southern end of the planet – all of my ancestors came from so far away. So, I am not going to choose one of them to write about.

There has been a lot of chatter on social media in the last couple of days (and today) about whether people have “Leaplings” in their tree. People who only celebrate their actual birthday once every 4 years. When you were little that must have been torture – your next birthday being   SO   FAR   AWAY. Not to mention confusing because everyone else will have celebrated each year and your celebration was like Easter or Lent. A moveable feast.

Anyway, it got me thinking. I checked on Family Tree Maker and there seem to be only two occurrences of 29 February events. Strangely enough in the same part of my tree and connected to the family I wrote about for the prompt Disaster.

First I found the death of George Washington Langdon. He died 100 years ago today on 29 February 1920 – or is it 25 years ago ? George was born in Chicago, Illinois about 1856. His parents had emigrated to the US soon after their marriage in Raddington, Somerset in 1855.

George Washington seems to be a fairly illustrious name to bestow on your first born son. Was there a reason for that ? Interestingly back in England one of George’s cousins was named Washington as well – although he lived his entire life in Somerset.

George’s paternal grandmother Jane Venn Norman was a sister of Richard Edward Venn Norman. (Richard’s daughter Emma is the relative I wrote about in Disaster, killed in the Chatsworth train wreck.) So Jane would be my 4 times grand aunt !. George’s maternal grandfather was a 1^st cousin of my 3 times great grandfather and freakishly his maternal grandmother Mary appears to be a sister of his paternal grandmother. Confused ? Welcome to my world !

Another cousin in this tangled branch was born in Iowa a little later and named Lafayette. I really need to do some American history study and research to understand the significance (if any) of these naming trends.

I have wondered why this group of families emigrated around the same time. They went to Canada, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa and Illinois. What was the attraction then ? It was getting near to the Civil War; mostly they seemed to be farmers although perhaps one or two enlisted and fought. There is a new avenue of research for me to explore.

Anyway, unlike their other emigrating cousins, George’s parents did not stay long in the US. By 1881 they had returned to England with their two sons and taken up farming again in Somerset and later Oxfordshire.

The other event which took place on 29 February happened in 1872 when William Norman married Lucy Cording. I “think” this William is a brother of Emma and Eliza from Disaster – and possibly Lucy is connected to Eliza’s husband James Cording. Wouldn’t surprise me in the least if she is, I keep finding more and more random connections through the generations with these people.

I’m not sure if Lucy and William had children – but if they did I bet it raised some eyebrows if they baptised children before their first official wedding anniversary.

Do you have any Leaplings in your family celebrating their birthdays today with great enthusiasm so that the feeling lasts all that way in to the future as they anticipate their next birthday.   SO   FAR   AWAY.