Surname Saturday: HUBBY

Since I missed posting my Surname Saturday post last week, I am posting two today.

From the Dictionary of American Family Names, we learn that my children's ancestral surname, HUBBY, is apparently a variant of Huby, a location name from either of two places in North Yorkshire. The Huby near Easingwold is named from the Old English hoh and the Old Scandinavian bý, meaning "settlement," while the Huby near Stainburn is named with the Old French personal name Hu(gh)e and the Old Scandinavian bý. Another possibility is that it is a variation of the German Hubbe, which is a short form of Hubert. Since I am at this time unable to trace back very far on this surname, it is not clear where my children's HUBBY originates, although it is more likely to be English, as the earliest ancestor we trace comes from Canada, and possibly, Scotland.

Stories and History:

Ahnentafel #58 - John HUBBY, Sr. (1797 - 1880) - born in either Ontario, Canada or in Scotland, he married Hannah JONES (1812 - 1879) by 1832 in Ontario. They had 14 children. One of their sons was born in 1840 in Kent Co., Ontario. In 1844 they were living in Shirland, Winnebago Co., Illinois. By 1852, they were in Lind Co., Iowa and between 1854 and 1856, they were in Jones Co., Iowa. By 1858, they were living in Boone Co., Iowa, where they remained for the rest of their lives.

Ahnentafel #29 - Rachel HUBBY (1832 - 1892) - Rachel was born in Canada. By 1848, she had married an immigrant from Strasbourg, Alsace, France, Francois Joseph MARTIN (1828 - 1887). After farming for some time in Lind and Jones Counties in Iowa, they removed to Bon Homme County in Dakota Territory (now South Dakota).

Ahnentafel #14 - John Franklin MARTIN (1854 - 1928) - John worked for the railroad for much of his life, which may have been the reason why he lived all over the Northern Plains and Pacific Northwest. He and his wife, Angelia Rebecca LUKE, had 12 children, including a set of twins (a genetic trait carried from Angelia's family).

Ahnentafel #7 - Leona Mary MARTIN (1906 - 1993) - youngest of 12 children and a twin. Her fantastic cooking provided for her family during the Depression through a diner she and her husband, Forrest Lyton CHAPLIN, owned.

Ahnentafel #3 - my children's paternal grandmother (living)

Ahnentafel #1 - my children's father (living)

More About the HUBBY Family:

1. Online database (I update this at least once a month): HUBBY ancestors and relatives (no info on living persons available)

2. Posts about HUBBY ancestors and relatives on this blog

3. Some scanned HUBBY photos

4. Some scanned HUBBY documents

My children's HUBBY Immigration Trail:

Scotland or Ontario, Canada > Kent Co., Ontario, Canada > Winnebago Co., IL > Lind Co., IA > Jones Co., IA > Bon Homme Co., DT (now SD) > Ransom Co., ND > LaMoure Co., ND > Kootenai (now Boundary) Co., ID > Franklin Co., WA > Multnomah Co., OR > Washington Co., OR > Clark Co., WA > Yakima Co., WA > Pierce Co., WA > Clark Co., WA > Spokane Co., WA

A Civil War Soldier: Cpl. John HUBBY, Jr. (1840 - 1922)

How Related: Brother of my husband's 2nd-great-grandmother, Rachel HUBBY

Born: 6 May 1840 in Kent Co., Ontario, Canada

Parents: John HUBBY, Sr. (1797 - 1880) and Hannah JONES (1812 - 1879)

Siblings: John was the fifth of 14 children, and one of two brothers who served in the Union Army:

• Rachel (1832 - 1892) - my husband's ancestor
• Lois (b. 1835)
• Sarah (b. 1836)
• Eliza (b. 1838)
• Edwin (b. 1842)
• Meredy W. (1844 - 1900)
  
• Mary J. (b. 1848)
• Ellen (b. 1850)
• Hannah (b. 1851)
• Elizabeth (b. 1852)
• Harriet (1854 - 1934)
• George (1858 - 1934)
• Clara Josephine (b. 1859)
  

Married: Mary WHEELER (1850 - 1919) on 6 June 1867 in Polk Co., Iowa

Children: Nettie Jane, Charles Edward (1873 - 1944), Gertrude, Mary Maude, Pierre Frank, and one unknown child who died before 1912.

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Source: Civil War Pension Index Cards of John Hubby. Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900. National Archives and Records Administration. Publication T289. Digital images purchased at Footnote [http://www.footnote.com/].

Enlisted: 13 August 1862 in Co. C, 44th Iowa Infantry; private. Enlisted 3 September 1862 in Co. G, 24th Iowa Infantry.

Side served: Union

Discharged: 23 August 1863 due to disability.

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Biography or Information of Interest: John's biography can be found on page 422 of the Compendium of History, Reminisce and Biography of Nebraska here. It contains interesting reading about his family life as well as his military experiences! He was also a member of Grand Army of the Republic posts 356 and 251 of Nebraska.

Died: 17 March 1922 in Lynch, Holt Co., Nebraska

Buried: South half of Lot 27, Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Lynch, Boyd Co., Nebraska

A Civil War Soldier: Pvt. Meredy W. HUBBY (1844 - 1900)

How Related: Brother of my husband's 2nd-great-grandmother, Rachel HUBBY

Born: 11 October 1844 in Shirland, Winnebago Co., Illinois

Parents: John HUBBY, Sr. (1797 - 1880) and Hannah JONES (1812 - 1879)

Siblings: Meredy was the seventh of 14 children, and one of two brothers who served in the Union Army:

• Rachel (1832 - 1892) - my husband's ancestor
• Lois (b. 1835)
• Sarah (b. 1836)
• Eliza (b. 1838)
• John, Jr. (1840 - 1922)
• Edwin (b. 1842)
• Mary J. (b. 1848)
• Ellen (b. 1850)
• Hannah (b. 1851)
• Elizabeth (b. 1852)
• Harriet (1854 - 1934)
• George (1858 - 1934)
• Clara Josephine (b. 1859)
  

Married: Nancy Ann REDMON (b. c. 1849) on 22 July 1871 in Boone Co., Iowa

Children: William J. (1874 - 1966), Maude, Edward Meredy, Nettie A., Susie, Lena HUBBY (b. c. 1878), plus infant twins who died at birth.

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Source: Civil War Pension Index Card of Marriedy Hubby. Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900. National Archives and Records Administration. Publication T289. Digital image purchased at Footnote [http://www.footnote.com/].

Enlisted: 10 May 1864; private. Enlisted 1 June 1864 in Co. C, 44th Iowa Infantry

Side served: Union

Mustered out: 15 September 1864 in Davenport, Iowa

---

Biography or Information of Interest: Meredy (also spelled Marriedy) was born to a couple who hailed respectively from either Scotland or Canada and New York State, John and Hannah (JONES) HUBBY. Hannah's parents and family immigrated to Ontario from New York, and there she married John. Their first six children were born in Canada; their son John, Jr. in Kent Co., Ontario. Between 1842 and 1844, the family removed to Shirland, Winnebago Co., Illinois. In 1852, the family moved to Boone Co., Iowa, home of the city of Des Moines. Meredy joined up near the close of the war in the same regiment in which his older brother John, Jr. served. By 1880, Meredy and his wife Nancy and their children were settled in Holt Co., Nebraska in the Steel and Paddock Creek area. He was a member of Grand Army of the Republic post 251 of Nebraska.

Died: of paralysis on 15 April 1900 in Blackbird, Holt Co., Nebraska

Buried: Lot 86, Section 1 of the Union (Paddock) Cemetery, O'Neill, Holt Co., Nebraska

Twins Leona Mary and Lee Joseph MARTIN

(click photo several times to enlarge)


(reverse of photo)

Source: Martin, Leona Mary and Lee Joseph. Photograph. C. 1907. Original photograph in the possession of Michael Midkiff, Spokane, Washington. 2008.

Isn't this a darling photo? The little girl on the arm of the sofa is Leona Mary "Sis" MARTIN, about a year old, and her twin brother, Lee Joseph "Mick" MARTIN, is on the sofa back. Leona was my husband's maternal grandmother. This photograph was sent to the children's maternal grandparents, Isaac LUKE and Rebecca HEWITT, as evident by the message on the back: "for Grandpa & Grandma". The children's paternal grandparents, Francois Joseph MARTIN and Rachel HUBBY, had died in 1887 and 1892, respectively, so they could not have been the recipients of this photographic gift, perhaps sent as a Christmas gift when the children were a year old.

Lee and Leona were the youngest of twelve children born 17 December 1906 to John Franklin MARTIN and Angelia Rebecca LUKE. A large Catholic family of French, Scottish, and English roots, they were living in Bonners Ferry, Bonner (now Boundary) County, Idaho in 1906, where Frank worked for the railroad (probably the Northern Pacific). At the dinner after Leona's funeral in 1993, Mick's daughter, cousin of my mother-in-law, told me the story she had heard about the day the twins were born. Apparently, no one knew that Mama Martin was pregnant with twins. The family at that point consisted of five sons and five daughters, and there was a competition on as to whether the next baby would be a boy or a girl, since Mama had declared that there would be no more babies. According to the family story, the children, ranging in age from 21-year-old Gertrude (who was married) down to five-year-old Steve, were waiting outside the house to hear the news (seems somewhat inaccurate, given the fact that it was December in Northern Idaho--brrr! Perhaps instead they were waiting in the front room.). The doctor came out and announced, "It's a boy!" to the rousting cheers of Frank Jr., Clarence, Isaac, John, and Steve. He went back in to the house/bedroom and returned not much later to announce, "and it's a girl!" to the delight of Gertrude, Maude, Jane, Agnes, and Viola.

True or no, it's a fun story. When Lee grew up, he settled in Eastern Washington. He was married three times and fathered five children. Leona also lived in Eastern Washington, but spent her latter years in Vancouver, Clark County on the southwest side of the state. She and her husband, Forrest "Frank" L. CHAPLIN, had three children, the youngest of whom is my mother-in-law. Leona was present at our wedding, along with our other three grandmothers, my paternal grandfather, and our two step-grandfathers. This was the only time I got a chance to meet her, as her health was poor and she lived on the other side of the state. Lee died in 1984, before I knew my husband or his family. Interestingly, his Social Security Death Index information states he was born 17 December 1907, rather than 1906, while Leona's has the correct birth date. I spoke with my mother-in-law to verify their birth year (Idaho didn't record births until 1908), and she told me that an error had been made on Lee's birthdate, either by the Social Security Administration (or perhaps by a surviving family member after his passing) but no one in the family wanted to go through the paperwork to correct it.

As an aside: we know that giving birth to fraternal twins is a genetic female trait, usually appearing every other generation, while giving birth to identical twins is not genetic (it's a "mutation" in the development of the embryo, where one splits into two complete embryos). Leona's oldest daughter had twin fraternal daughters. I imagine that eventually one--or both--of them may have twin grandchildren someday.

Happy Canada Day!

To my Canadian relatives, friends and readers, I wish a Happy Canada Day!

Flag Image from 3DFlags

My ancestral connections to Canada are as follows:

• My father was born in Edmonton, Alberta while his father and uncle were stationed there with the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II (back in the day when being born in a U.S. military hospital on foreign soil did not automatically qualify you for American citizenship). Dad became a U.S. citizen when he was 16. When I was a kid, I used to tease him that he could never become the President of the United States. I don't think that was ever a disappointment for him...! Dad also had many Canadian ancestors.
  
• On his father's side, Richard John WILKINSON, b. c. 1815 in Yorkshire, England, immigrated to Canada and lived in what is now Whitchurch, York Co., Ontario. His wife, Mary TERRY, a.k.a. Mary LAMOREAUX, may have been French-Canadian...or she may have been born in New Brunswick...or she may have been born to a Loyalist family from New Jersey. It's one of those vague family stories that I would love to focus on and get documented and clarified!
• Richard and Mary's son John WILKINSON married Mahala SAYERS, who was the daughter of Scots-Irish immigrants, John Henry SAYERS and Mary CAHOON. John SAYER's family came to Athol Township, Prince Edward Co. (not to be confused with Prince Edward Island), Ontario from Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland in the mid-1830s, in several trips. Mary CAHOON's father was Preston CAHOON, and our line dead-ends there. John and Mahala (SAYERS) WILKINSON immigrated around 1880 - 1881 to Musekgon County, Michigan along with many of her siblings, thereby missing both the 1880 U.S. Federal Census and the 1881 Canadian Census (they were sneaky like that!). Mahala was alive when her great-grandson Robert Lewis ROBBINS (my paternal grandfather) was born, and he had a few memories of her to share with me.
• On dad's mother's side, her paternal YORK and SWEERS ancestors took advantage of offers of homesteading land that were provided by the Canadian goverment during the early 19th century. We know that the SWEERS family emigrated to Chippewa Creek, Welland County, Ontario from Worcester, Washington County, Vermont in May 1809, and that the YORKs from Bath, Stueben County, New York were there around the same time. This became a problem for these American citizens when the War of 1812 broke out. Ancestor Daniel SWEARS, III, escaped across the Niagara River to join up with a New York regiment. Ancestor Jeremiah F. YORK (Daniel's future son-in-law) and his brother Stephen VanRensselaer YORK were pressed into the 3rd Regiment of the Lincoln Militia of the British army, but also managed to escape to Canadaigua, Cattaraugus County, New York to join Captain Justus P. Spencer's militia there. The SWEERS and YORK families eventually settled in the Town of Clarence, Erie County, New York, and later Atlas Township, Genesee County, Michigan.
• Grandma's paternal great-grandfather, Daniel J. MacARTHUR was born in Glengarry County, Ontario in 1827, a grandson of immigrants from Kenmore, Perthsire, Scotland. He emigrated to Montcalm County, Michigan in the mid-1840s. During the Civil War, he enlisted in Company I of Berdan's Regiment, U.S. Sharpshooters (Michigan), rising to the rank of sergeant. Taking ill within weeks of the close of the war, he returned home on leave, and apparently never reported back for duty, disqualifying him for a veteran's pension years later, although he made several applications.
  
• Grandma's maternal grandfather, Orlando BARBER, was born in Ontario in 1868, and the household is found in Amabel, Bruce County in the 1871 Canadian Census. The family emigrated to Lapeer County, Michigan around 1876. Orlando's father, James, was born "in England" in 1839. His death record gives no clues as to his parentage. Orlando's mother, Elizabeth A. "Betsey" COLE, was born in South Dorchester, Elgin County, Ontario to parents James COLE and Lavina WILLIS who were a first-generation Canadian (James' parents were from Vermont) and a direct immigrant from New York, respectively. It is likely they came to Canada for the same reasons the YORKs and SWEERs did.

My husband has two lines that also hail from Canada:

• His great-great-grandmother, Rachel HUBBY, was born somewhere in Ontario in 1832 to John HUBBY from Scotland and Hannah JONES from New York.
• Henry LYTON was born as George TURK in Ottawa around 1841. He, like 10,000 other Canadian men, immigrated to the U.S. during the Civil War expressly to join the Union forces. He served from Iowa.

So as you can see, Canada may not be my home, or my native land, but it is one of my ancestral homelands!

My Hubby's HUBBYs

Clarence Cassler did a good deed for me by photographing several HUBBY graves in the Hull Cemetery in Luther, Boone Co., Iowa. These included the shared headstone for my husband's 3rd-great-grandparents, John HUBBY, Sr. and wife, Hannah JONES. A unique feature is that on their headstone it reads "born in New York" for Hannah, and "born in Canada" for John. Would that all our ancestors be so considerate as to list their birthplaces on their tombstones!