Scandinavians didn’t use hereditary surnames in most cases until about 1900. Their customs would surprise many Americans. The following information was adapted from a posting to the Norrbotten mailing list by Gwen Boyer Björkman.Because Swedish soldiers typically came from rural backgrounds, they often used patronymics. These names might be very common, such as Andersson, Eriksson,…
Luce
“Ad Lucem” Henry Luce (c1640-1689), a Puritan, came from Wales to Massachusetts about 1666. Attempts to discover his ancestry have been unsuccessful, but I believe he might have belonged to the Lewes family at Chepstow in Monmouth. Henry Luce’s descendants in the male line have tested consistently as belonging to yDNA haplogroup I2b1a (Luce Surname…
Chivalric Lore
In the culture of European chivalry, the swan is the king of water birds, as the eagle is the king of all birds. The swan was said to be the only bird the eagle thought it worthwhile to fight. In medieval times swans were a delicacy. They were kept in a swannery, and when they…
Gov. John Dawson
Third Governor Was Run Out of Utah After 3 Weeks By Will Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune (Dec. 30, 2001) Nobody ever had a worse New Year’s Eve than the Utah Territory’s third governor, John W. Dawson. Dawson, an Indiana lawyer and newspaper editor, had a tough time during the three December weeks he spent in Utah in…
Swan Upping
In England, all mute swans on the Thames belong either to the Queen or to one of two London livery companies, the Vintners’ Company and the Dyers’ Company. Originally, all swans belonged to the the monarch, but a 15th century charter gave shares to the two livery companies. In the third week of July, when…