American Trail

American Trail

During a search this week for a COCHRAN individual who was born in Canada and lived for many years in Massachusetts I rediscovered the problem of countries holding the census at different times.   The first time I find George F he is married to Ada and in the US 1910 Census they had been married 10 years.  It is easy enough to work out that they therefore married in around 1900.  According to the census Ada, who was born in Beverley, Yorkshire and entered the States in 1898, so why are they not to be found on the US 1900 census?  Could it be they were away in Canada on honeymoon?  By the time they come back the census is over and it is another year before the census takes place in Canada where they can’t be found either.  One of the handy items to be found on the US census is the nationality of the parents and of the individual.  In George’s case this is Canada on all three and this allows (assuming that the nationality doesn’t change) one to discount those that do not fit.  They both were naturalised in 1916 and this is listed on the 1920 census.  If you use Ancestry.com you can sign up for a trial period for free.  The  name COCHRAN and its many variations all come from Cochrane the place in Scotland
The first COCHRANE recorded in Scotland was one Waldeve de COVERAN who witnessed a charter in favour of the 5th Earl of Menteith in 1262. Tradition traces the COCHRANE ancestry to a Viking warrior who settled in Renfrewshire where his descendants took their name from the lands of Cochrane near Paisley.  The 10th Earl of Cochrane pursued a naval career during the Napoleonic Wars and became popular due to his expertise in capturing larger ships, and his ingenuity for discomfiting the enemy. Later, as MP for Westminster, he became a victim of party politics, and with his services largely unrecognised, in 1817 he accepted command of the Chilean Navy and assisted that country gain its freedom from Spain.
A new name came my way this week with a letter from Stephen ALLEN who is working on the name FENN.  The name as it suggests does come from the fenlands.  In the 12th century it could be found as Ralph de FENNE or Thomas atte FENNE. As you can see the name has quite a long history. It originated from the Old English fenn, which was a marsh or fen.  If you were living in the far southwest of the country it might be a corruption of the place name Venn.
Bits and Bobs
Vellum indenture dated November 28th 1588, being a grant of messuages and lands at 'Strabbie' (now Strubby), as well as a manor, grange, etc., called 'Shepewasshe' in Sheepwash and Canwick, Lincolnshire, signed amongst others by Sir Julius CEASAR, written in a remarkably legible hand, lacking seal but otherwise in fine condition. An extremely interesting document which makes it clear that the grant, to William HENNEGE of Benniworth, by Nicholas WILLSON of Sturton,., was in settlement of a £1,000 debt following a King's Bench judgement against WILLSON, after he had breached the terms of a marriage settlement. The colourfully named Sir Julius CEASAR (1558-1635) rose to Chancellor of the Exchequer under James I
Sold by Auction 2002