Dennis's Families
What began as an amusing and interesting hobby has grown quite out of control. With over 10,000 relatives collected, and numerous large sources and repositories left yet untapped, there is no foreseeable end to this madness. This web page is your introduction to my obsession. I hope that I've been able to make a coherent and easy-to-follow guide through the ranks of my ancestors.
My genealogical research falls mainly in three areas: Southwest Virginia; York Co, Pennsylvania; and the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Southwest Virginia
My paternal line comes almost exclusively from the Southwestern region
of Virginia, where they have lived since colonial times. These appalachian
family lines include
STANLEYs,
ROSEs,
GILLIAMs,
SALYERs,
POWERs,
WRIGHTs,
VANCEs,
ESTEPs,
GREENs, and
HARTSOCKs, within the first seven generations. My ancestors from
this area have been farmers and miners. They have fought for the
Confederacy, the Union, Independence, and as Loyalists to the Crown
of England.
My Grandfather Stanley and Me
York Co, Pennsylvania
My primary maternal line branches into many Scotch-Irish and German
families of the York County area. Surnames of this tree include
CHANNELLs,
BRESSLERs,
FERRYs,
KINARDs,
FRIEDs,
GERBERICHs,
ANDERSONs,
LAWSONs, and
SCHAEFFERs, within the first seven generations. Most of
these families were early immigrants to America, arriving on sailing
ships after months at sea. They came as Protestants, fleeing religious
persecution and the war-torn countrysides of Europe.
Maryland's Eastern Shore
Another of my maternal lines stems from the Delmarva peninsula of
Maryland, extending back to early colonial times. Surnames of this branch
include
LECOMPTEs,
MCMAHANs,
DAWSONs,
MERRICKs,
BERRIDGEs, and
SWEENEYs, within eight generations. The lines of these families are
still very incomplete. I have begun to see evidence of landed gentry,
Huguenots, and merchants embarking for the New World. Many were the first
settlers to step upon the Chesapeake shores. They built their homes
within virgin forests, fended off indian attacks, and began the long and
hard task of building the American civilization.
The above areas do not include numerous family lines that I have not yet been able to trace. I am fortunate to have so much to look for, and cursed by not knowing which direction I should look next.
Using This Page
Getting around this site is easy. To the left there is a bar of Surnames
for my ancestry. Each Surname Link will pull-up a Family Page in this, the
main window. If you would like to see a different family, simply click on
another Surname Link. If you would like to move elsewhere within the
Genealogy Bits web site, you may use the buttons provided at the
bottom of each Family Page.
Good Luck!
Last updated 13 Dec 1997
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