Geneology is a quirky subject. It's not an exact science, to say the least. In one sense, it's a pointless exercise. If you have two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, and so on, then out to 30 generations back you'd have about 2 billion ancestors. Furthermore, we generally trace our ancestors through the patrilinial line, but genetically this is no more important than any other line, unless you're trying to trace the Y chromosome. Even there, you have to assume no bastardy anywhere in the line.
Jack Lee has a neat site which shows that, almost certainly, I am a descendant of the Emperor Charlemagne of the Holy Roman Empire. Yet somehow, I'm not excited to hear it. This makes the problem clear. :-)
Of course, this misses what's fun about geneology. When you study your family tree, you're really studying the history of ordinary people. Not just any people, either, but people you have something in common with.
The following is more personal than I'd usually put on this site, but I have my Esmay line going back ten generations to one Francis Esmay, born in 1782 in Schenectady, New York. I wish we knew who his parents were, to either find a link to Holland (Esmay seems to be a Dutch name), or just to be able to say we have the line going to before the Revolutionary War (the Dutch settled Schenectady in the 1600s). If you're an Esmay, or are just curious what a long-ish line looks like, just click....
As a further point of interest, it appears that my patrilineal line represents a small offshoot of the Esmays. The name Dean appears when Edgar J. Esmay (my Grandfather's Grandfather) married one Laura Dean. Every man on the line has shared her name since then--we might be able to get away with calling ourselves the Dean-Esmays. The story looks a little sad though; if you notice, she died young, only three years after she married Edgar and gave birth to their son. I have a feeling she was much-loved, for her son and grandson to have made a point of carrying her name forward.
Anyway, here's the line:
FIRST GENERATION
Jacob Dean Esmay was born on 16 Oct 1997.
SECOND GENERATION
Dean Esmay was born on 15 Jul 1966 in El Paso, Texas.
Rosemary Kondraciuk.
THIRD GENERATION
Richard Dean Esmay was born on on 9 Feb 1948 in Cheyenne,
Wyoming.
Mary Janelle Cruea.
FOURTH GENERATION
Robert Dean Esmay was born on 27 Oct 1928 in Douglas, WYOMING.
Joanne Gnam.
FIFTH GENERATION
Harold Dean Esmay was born in 1909 in Douglas, Converse Wyoming. He died on 7 Jan 1965 in Miles City, Montana. He was buried in Miles City, Montana. He was married to Nellie Mae Marsden on 1 Dec 1927 in Torington, Wyoming.
Nellie Mae Marsden was born on 9 Jul 1908 in Douglas, Converse, Wyoming. She died on 17 May 1976 in Denver, Colorado. She was buried in Miles City, Montana.
Update: Harold and Nellie are both buried in Douglas, Wy. They were moved there by Harold's sisters, Mary Ella and Donna Mae
SIXTH GENERATION
Edgar J. Esmay was born on 28 Jan 1881 in Sabula, Jackson, Iowa. Died Veterans Hospital, Cheyenne, Wyoming He died on 21 Nov 1936 in Douglas, Converse, Wyoming. He was buried in Douglas, PARK CEMETARY, WYOMING. He was married to Laura Dean on 24 Sep 1908.
Laura Dean was born in 1887. She died in 1912 in California.
SEVENTH GENERATION
Edgar Saffreness Esmay. Painter. Was born on 13 Jun 1851 in Freetown, Cortland, New York. He died on 2 Aug 1916 in Bozman, MONTANA. He was buried on 6 Aug 1916 in Douglas, WYOMING. Died of lead poisoning due to the paints he used in his work as a painter and paper hanger.
EIGHTH GENERATION
Francis Thomas Esmay was born on 14 Nov 1829 in Freetown, Cortland, New York. He was christened on 28 Aug 1836 in Congregational Church, Freetown, NY. Built Planning mill in 1870 for $5000, burned in 1877 and rebuilt in 1878. He died on 28 Jan 1899 in Sabula, Jackson, Iowa. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetary Sabula, Iowa. He was married to Nancy Seeber on 13 Feb 1850 in Fretown, Cortland Co., New York.
Nancy Seeber was born on on 22 Mar 1829 in Freetown, Cortland, New York. She was christened on 24 Jul 1831 in Congregational Church, Freetown, Cortland, NY. She died on 4 Jan 1904 in 2:45 PM Fulton, Illinios. She was buried in Evergreen Cemetary, Sabula, IA lot # 39.
NINTH GENERATION
Thomas F. Esmay was born 25 Dec 1807. He died on 13 Oct 1874 in Sabula, Jackson, Iowa. He was buried in Evergreen cemetary, Sabula, IA lo9t # 488. After George three more children died at an early age. He was married to Mariah Elizabeth Marikle on 13 Jan 1828 in Fretown, Cortland Co., New York. Married by Elder Benjamine W. Capron
Mariah Elizabeth Marikle was born on on 19 Dec 1807 in Sharon, Schharie Co., NY. She died on 31 Mar 1877 in Sabula, Jackson, Iowa. Sister of Margaret Marikle Seeber, mother of Nancy Seeber.
TENTH GENERATION
Francis Esmay was born on 2 Apr 1782 in New York. He was christened on 9 Jun 1782 in Dutch Reformed Church, Schenectady, NY. He died on 7 Jan 1867 in Sabula, Jackson, Iowa. Occupation: School Teacher. Found in census for 1820 through 1860 in Freetown Cortland Co. New York. Also found Peter and William in 1870 could be brothers. He was married to Mary Van der werker on 25 Feb 1803.
Mary Van der Werker was born on 18 Jun 1784 in New York. She died on
4 Aug 1855 in Sabula, Jackson, Iowa. She was buried in Evergreen Cemetary, Sabula, IA lot # 10-0.
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As you can see, it would be neat if we could push it back one more generation. Did Francis' parents hail from Holland? Could his father have fought in the Revolution? Ah, the idle pleasures...
Shheet! T'ain't nuthin'! I got me a Vice President of the United States in my lineage!
"Furthermore, we generally trace our ancestors through the patrilinial line, but genetically this is no more important than any other line, unless you're trying to trace the Y chromosome. "
That's because generally people are lazy. My brother is tracing our family tree from both sides and it ain't as easy because as you (Dean) know except for my parents everyone else is in Poland.
Dean, you should trace your mother's side for a full picture of your and our son's heritage.
My mom just finished a 200-page book containing a fairly detailed genealogy of the Kindall family, also throwing in the genealogies of those who married into my father's generation of the family. It found it fairly interesting despite myself.
I'm not sure it's laziness so much as the question of what you trace. If I do my mother's line, does that just mean I take her father's name and trace that? Then it's just tracing patrilineally past the first generation. What other critieria do you use? Go back ten generations and you're tracing well over a thousand different lines.
Fortunately for me, I am lazy, and as such I did very little research--other people named Esmay have done all the work. I've only got what they shared with me. :-)
Genealogy is an addiction. Patrilineal or matrilineal, it doesn't matter. To get a complete picture (of your mother's side) you really need to do both, at least through the first few generations. This is the approach that I am taking with my research. While its nice to get genealogical info from other people you should always double check it yourself. Your source COULD be wrong. I found a few contradictions in information that was "thought" to be true for years in Tifany's family..
With my granmother's passing last year we lost our greatest link to our collective history and the force that united us as a family. Luckily my cousins and I took copious notes during the last years of her life. Though she sometimes rambled and there were no dates on some of her best stuff, we've got a treasure trove of information we're now trying to collate. Census records and such are great, but as cliched as it sounds, older family members are your best source for injecting a little life into your family history and providing insight into the personallities involved.
Bravo! You arent't as lazy as you say. You did a good job on the Esmay's. Is it true that an Esmay was on the Titanic? I think he had something to do with the crew? I heard the name in the movie, you might want to watch that show & see if you too hear the name, Esmay.
You keep this web site going & it is very interesting & I thought it was nice to hear of your heritage even tho you know nothing much of your Mother's side, she probably has quite a tale herself. It would be interesting to you but what a lot of work & I think you have a better future in going forward. LOL
It looks like my wonderful brother-in-law Jerry has recently dug up through Mormon sources Francis Esmay's parents, born in New York, and he has Francis' mother's parents going back to Holland.
Appears the Esmays have been here since before the founding of the country. Wow!
Jerry rules. :-)
Here is a link to the page where I got the info on Francis Esmay's parents..
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/igi/old_individual_record.asp?recid=103979290&lds=1®ion=11®ionfriendly=&juris1=&juris2=&juris3=&juris4=®ionfriendly=&juris1friendly=&juris2friendly=&juris3friendly=&juris4friendly=
It's very long. Instead of going directly to it you could just go to familysearch.org and do the search yourself. Or...
You can just wait and I'll dig up all the info myself. (I'm so addicted)..
Jerry
Holland, huh? Another damned Dutchman! Go back to Grand Rapids, dyke-finger boy!
Hi, DEAN remember me?, I'm Matias from Argentina 23 years old (sorry mi english please, th e spanish words are between ""). I'm soprised of you long family tree, I could'n yet to "indagar" my own family tree... but in Argentine there is a lot of Esmay, but I donīt know wath is the realy "origen"...
Hi, DEAN remember me?, I'm Matias from Argentina 23 years old (sorry mi english please, th e spanish words are between ""). I'm soprised of you long family tree, I could'n yet to "indagar" my own family tree... but in Argentine there is a lot of Esmay, but I donīt know wath is the realy "origen"...
Hi, DEAN remember me?, I'm Matias from Argentina 23 years old (sorry mi english please, th e spanish words are between ""). I'm soprised of you long family tree, I could'n yet to "indagar" my own family tree... but in Argentine there is a lot of Esmay, but I donīt know wath is the realy "origen"...
My mother is was the Daughter of Edgar J Esmay and his second wife Julie M Esmay. Mom passed way
fed. 27 this year and is at rest in the Douglas
wyoming cemetary. She had an older brother Dean and a younger brother Martin James. Mothers name was Betty Jean and she Married Lewis George of Douglas in 1946. Dad and I now live in Lander Wy. I am just getting started on my family tree and would like to communicate further as we could be and probably are related.
Rhoda George
Hi - while doing a search on Sabula,Ia, my hometown, I came across your Esmay family history. I am aware that an Esmay family has lived in Sabula for many years since I remember an Esmay woman was a friend of my grandmother. There may still be family there today. Since I haven't lived in Sabula for thirty years, I'm not current on whose still living. One thing I am curious if you know is why three generations (10, 9 and 8) of your family were born in Freetown, NY, yet ended up living til their death in Sabula? Just a curiosity for me.
I think it would be nice to do a family tree on your MOMS SIDE AS WELL. bET IT WOULD ROUND OUT A GREAT STORY FOR YOUR SON.