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Showing posts with label Follick Genealogy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Follick Genealogy. Show all posts

April 11, 2014

52 Ancestors: It's All in the Name

52 Ancestors: It's All in the Name
1837 document from Storm starting he is known as
both Vollick and Follick in his neighbourhood
My 5th great-grandfather Isaac Vollick, born 1732 in Schoharie, New York, was a United Empire Loyalist who came to Upper Canada from the United States during the American Revolution. He was the illegitimate son and only child of Isaac VanValkenburg and Maria Bradt.

It is through Isaac the Loyalist that Follick and Vollick descendants claim their Mohawk heritage. Isaac's great-great-grandmother was Ots-Toch a half French, half Mohawk woman who married Cornelis Van Slyke a Dutchman who settled in Albany New York in 1627

Although no record of a marriage has been found for Isaac and Maria, their son Isaac used his father's surname until 1782. During his years as a private in Butler's Rangers, Isaac's surname changed from Van Valkenburg, meaning in Dutch, 'from the castle of the falcons' (van=from; valken=falcons; burgh=castle), to Valk or Valck which means 'falcon'. It appears that Valk was his nickname and on being recorded by English clerks, a vowel was inserted between the final 'l' and 'k' making the surname Valic or Volick. Over the years, the surname was written as Vollick, Volic, Valic, Valck, Valk, Volk and Follick (the German/Dutch accent making a 'v' sound like 'f' to English ears).

My line, descended from his son Cornelius, took the Vollick surname. His son Storm used the Follick surname. In the next generation some Follick descendants used Vollick while some Vollick descendants used Follick.  It makes it interesting trying to research all branches of this family!

April 29, 2013

Digital Public Library of America is Live - and Full of Goodies

The Digital Public Library of America is Live
The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is live. And what a treat! I spent a happy couple of hours there last week searching for some of my ancestor surnames.

Within minutes of searching for FOLLICK I spotted two death certificates from a Follick husband and wife in Utah. The search was fast and easy and you can drill down by subject, owning institution, partner institution, location and other choices, if you get a lot of matches.

Details as to the owning institution, DPLA's partner institution and more are also provided for each "hit". Clicking on the thumbnail or the text "view object" takes you to a full size image of the document.

I found photos, documents and other goodies on the DPLA site. And I haven't even spent much time on it yet. I'm looking forward to exploring it more and to seeing new partner sites emerge.