Hil, if you don't mind looking up some more, I have a question about one of my great grandfathers. Isaac Valli (1878-1947) was born in Finland and came to the US around 1900. His father's name was Jacob Sorkala Eliasson (1846-1931), who also immigrated to the US around then. Apparently Issac was legitimate, so I've been wondering--why the name change? My theory is that he had another family as "Isaac Eliasson," but I'm not sure how to find out. (The family story is that he only came home long enough to get great grandma pregnant, so it seems possible.)
It's all about choices, Faith. The ones we make, and the ones we don't. Oh, and the consequences. Those are always fun.
Angelus ,'Smile Time'
Natter 72: We Were Unprepared for This
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
Calli - Sep 29, 2013 2:38:23 pm PDT #7253 of 30000
I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul—Calvin and Hobbs
Tom Scola - Sep 29, 2013 2:40:02 pm PDT #7254 of 30000
Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.
Is he albino, Anne?
Anne W. - Sep 29, 2013 2:45:01 pm PDT #7255 of 30000
The lost sheep grow teeth, forsake their lambs, and lie with the lions.
Nope. He's got greeny-gold eyes.
Hil R. - Sep 29, 2013 2:47:05 pm PDT #7256 of 30000
Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont, open a bookstore or a vegan restaurant. Adam Schlesinger, z''l
Hil, if you don't mind looking up some more, I have a question about one of my great grandfathers. Isaac Valli (1878-1947) was born in Finland and came to the US around 1900. His father's name was Jacob Sorkala Eliasson (1846-1931), who also immigrated to the US around then. Apparently Issac was legitimate, so I've been wondering--why the name change? My theory is that he had another family as "Isaac Eliasson," but I'm not sure how to find out. (The family story is that he only came home long enough to get great grandma pregnant, so it seems possible.)
Well, according to wikipedia, Finland didn't require hereditary surnames until 1921, and there were a bunch of regions that didn't use them before that. So it could just be that they had different names.
flea - Sep 29, 2013 2:48:23 pm PDT #7257 of 30000
information libertarian
Oh, here's another one. Andreas Koch (1759-1826) emigrated to Baltimore ca. 1798. Daughter Sophia Dorothea Koch. I can't find him in immigration records, I can't find him in a census, nothing. Everything I know about him is from a 3x5 card in my grandfather's handwriting/
Typo Boy - Sep 29, 2013 2:50:26 pm PDT #7258 of 30000
Calli: My people have a saying. A man who trusts can never be betrayed, only mistaken.Avon: Life expectancy among your people must be extremely short.
An interesting bit of context. There was a series of Pograms from 1903-1906, with one of the biggest in 1905. And there were Jewish Bunds in the area who fought back! Further as confirmation that we have the right person, the town was a big tanning center - one of the most common jobs for Jews was tanner. My Grandfather was a tanner. So he probably was in a Jewish Bund fighting back against a Pogram.
Jesse - Sep 29, 2013 2:52:24 pm PDT #7259 of 30000
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.
Wow, Hil -- you seem like magic.
Finnbar Fancypants McGee, aka "Finn"
Love!
This afternoon, I went through the wrapping paper portion of my inheritance -- my grandmother had basically a dresser full of wrapping paper, and I got most of it into a plastic under-bed storage box. (Threw some away, and a few rolls were too long for the box.) Slowly but surely...
amych - Sep 29, 2013 2:52:43 pm PDT #7260 of 30000
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?
TB, I know you always knew it, but how cool to find more evidence that your fam was fighting against The Man from way back!
Hil R. - Sep 29, 2013 2:59:56 pm PDT #7261 of 30000
Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont, open a bookstore or a vegan restaurant. Adam Schlesinger, z''l
Oh, here's another one. Andreas Koch (1759-1826) emigrated to Baltimore ca. 1798. Daughter Sophia Dorothea Koch. I can't find him in immigration records, I can't find him in a census, nothing. Everything I know about him is from a 3x5 card in my grandfather's handwriting/
Sorry, I can't find anything either. I think that a lot of the records back then were kept in church registers, and not too many of those are online.
Calli - Sep 29, 2013 3:07:10 pm PDT #7262 of 30000
I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul—Calvin and Hobbs
Well, according to wikipedia, Finland didn't require hereditary surnames until 1921, and there were a bunch of regions that didn't use them before that. So it could just be that they had different names.
Hmm, Ok. Jacob had two other children (that I've found) who did share his last name. But Finns did do things a bit differently than others. Maybe Issac just wasn't feeling the whole Eliasson thing and decided there wasn't that much tradition to break. Thanks for looking into it!