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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Topic started by: Lizzy55 on Friday 11 July 14 07:45 BST (UK)
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Looking for info - Sarah Casson (Carson or Kasson) b.c.1703 Scotland (Highlands?) m. William McConnell b.1699. Allegedly they lived in Berwick and William carried on a mercantile business. He died in 1725 of tuberculosis. They had one child, George McConnell. Family info states that after William's death, Sarah and son George returned and possibly lived with Sarah's parents.
Using my DNA results, I see that my results match a bunch of Casson results but no Carson or Kasson. Hence I believe her name may have been Sarah Casson.
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When and where was George born?
When and where did George get married and to whom?
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George McConnell was born at "Berwick on the Tweed" 1725, in Scotland (Berwick?, N. Berwick?).
His father was William McConnell b.1699, his grandfather was George McConnell. William had a mercantile business at Berwick until his death in 1728- William and his parents all suffered from "consumption," or tuberculosis. George married in the US- 8 April 1751 George married Martha "Patty" Seely at Bedford, Westchester Co, NY. They were members of South Salem Presbyterian Church where George was an elder. George died in 1788 in Pittstown, Rensselaer Co, NY, where more of the family made their home for many generations before they moved to Oneida Co, NY. They had children Sarah, Martha, George, Thadeus, James, Eli, Dorcas, Lydia, & William. William wrote a family history (of questionable accuracy) which can be found online at http://cafeouimettebythebay.blogspot.com/2011/05/history-of-mcconnell-by-william.html .
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Berwick on Tweed has been in England since the 15th century, in the county of Northumberland.
North Berwick is a town on the coast of East Lothian (or Haddingtonshire) on the Firth of Forth, not far from Edinburgh.
Neither of them really qualify as being part of the Highlands. :-\
The name Casson doesn't strike me as a Scottish name, but then it might be disguised through inconsistent spelling/recording.
Nell
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Lizzy how was the death info verified?
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All the information I have is from a family writing entitled "History of McConnell." Many of the facts do not pan out as legitimate. We are aware of the facts about Berwick and are not sure which Berwick they lived in. I did state that after William's death they return to the Highlands. It was stated that the family was greatly against the marriage. I am not sure whose death you are referring to with regards to verifications. If you mean George's father William in 1728, I have no idea who verified it. None of us were around at the time.
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Black's "Surnames has Casson as a shortened MacCassen. There's a song by Matt McGinn? about a certain Casson, who ran off with the Orange Lodge cash as I recall, the ending is, tooralie ooralie ooralie ay! :)
There are fourteen hits for Casson in the National Archives, enter Casson in the search-box.
http://www.nas.gov.uk/
Skoosh.
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Thanks for that. My searching showed Casson more common that Cassan (I grew up with a gf of that surname). Casson shows more common in England that Scotland, I believe. So I need to check up on Cassen, MacCassen, McCassen, M'Cassen, M'Casson, M'Cassan, etc. Thanks for the info. I have no verification of anything so presently I'm searching everything. As young as she was, I question whether Sarah "Casson" remarried, and/or whether she emigrated to the US or England or Ireland. I question whether she actually was from the Scottish Highlands. That is just family lore at this point.
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Lizzy, a wee correction, it was a Rev' Hasson who ran off with the Orange Lodge cash, you Casson's are in the clear! :)
Skoosh.
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Hasson, Hassan, Hassen? Quite interesting info, considering my grandmother, George McConnell's 4th great-granddaughter I think, was the descendent of an Irish line I am also researching and totally dead-ended at, John Hassett b.c.1806 Ireland. I was informed by another that he married in County Westmeath under the name Hassan, and the kids were Christened (RC) as Hassen (I may have that reversed). (Some info states that he was not a Blennerhassett descendent but my DNA tests match almost all GEDCOM ppl inquiring about Blennerhassetts hence I think he probably was a Hassett.) We genealogists need awards for detective work! :)
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I just found the "Autobiography of William McConnell," in which he says, my father George McConnell was born at Burwick upon tweed in Scotland and 1725. His father's name was William McConnell; his grandfather's was George McConnell. My father was the only child of his parents, his father the only one of his. My father's grandmother and his father both died before his remembrance, of consumption. His mother's name before marriage was Sarah Carson, a Highland lassie said to be a great beauty my grandfather fell in love with and married reckless of consequences, much against the will of his father, for which he was obliged to leave the paternal mansion and then embarked in the mercantile business at Burwick where he lived happily while his health was good and till sometime after my father's birth."
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Thanks for taking the time to reply. Yes, I/we have William McConnell's "History of McConnell," but unfortunately it is riddled with errors. If you look at the line stating they were from Berwick-on-Tweed, Scotland - there is no such place. Berwick-on-Tweed has been part of Northumberland, England since the late 1300 or early 1400s. It is a border town. But our McConnells ARE Scottish - my cousin is part of the McConnell DNA Project. My theory is that the errors are in part because William McConnell sets this down on paper in his late days, written at about 78 years old, when all his siblings and family are deceased. Either his memory is faulty, if these are childhood memories, or perhaps the stories told may have been slightly exaggerated to keep the interest of small children and aggrandize the teller, who is George McConnell. We don't know. Family has done some research and found the fact faulty - OTOH, I have found some of the facts accurate as well (I found a record of George meeting the son of the widow he almost went to Scotland with - he lived in Pittstown, Rensselaer, NY as well, in later life, long after his mother's death). But relatives have sought information on George at the University of Edinburgh, and they have no record of George attending college there. And Sarah Carson - family states her name was NOT Carson, but something similar such as Casson, Cassen, Carsen, some variation on the spelling. In fact, no one can find records of a marriage between a William McConnell 1699-1728 and a Sarah Carson or any marriage or record of William. So that's where we stand. I was privileged in the last few weeks to visit a cemetery and the grave of George McConnell's wife, Martha "Patty" Seely McConnell, my 6x-great-grandmother. The cemetery sits on the corner of the farm whereupon a sign states, McConnell Farm Founded 1796 (or similar wording I've forgotten) and standing barefoot on top of one of the foothills of the Adirondacks near a very large, very old tree taking pictures. I'm still awe-struck from the gravity of it all. Stunning place, and as I was singing (as usual) I realized the cows were listening to me. Such a privilege and thrill. Thanks for writing.
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Hi Lizzy
Have you tried contacting Berwick Records Office to see if George or William was was listed as one of the Freemen of Berwick? They also have an index of MIs, lists of apprentices and many other records, unfortunately few go as far back as you are researching.
http://www.experiencewoodhorn.com/berwick-record/ (http://www.experiencewoodhorn.com/berwick-record/)
Berwick has long been a town with special circumstances, and given its proximity to the border it could be possible for someone to give it as their address (it being the closest town) while still actually living across the border in Scotland. There is a nice summary of the history here.
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/berwick/berwickupontweed/ (http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/berwick/berwickupontweed/)
Records at Edinburgh University only seem to cover the period up to 1712 in detail, so it is possible that George did attend but no records survive. For others interested the records are available here.
http://www.archives.lib.ed.ac.uk/alumni/search.php?view=ld (http://www.archives.lib.ed.ac.uk/alumni/search.php?view=ld) Edinburgh University Laureation & Degrees, 1587-1809
Kirsty
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Kirsty,
Thanks for that information. It is saved and shall be looked into. Yes, I did contact Berwick Family History. I found them not so helpful. I even offered to pay a researcher (Susie) and she put me off quite a while with personal issues (possibly education, a dissertation or something- I forget) then said she couldn't help me. I'm wanting to look at British records to see if they are any help but don't quite know where to start. The issue with the University of Edinburgh has a twist. The same family lore story states that our 6x-great-grandfather, who allegedly at least began attending the University of Edinburgh was allegedly a personal friend and well liked by the family of the son of "A" Duke of Hamilton. Allegedly George was a tutor of this young man and when they graduated, they traversed the world together for a while - PROBABLY 1745ish (Jacobite Uprising!!). They got in some trouble, angered a few world leaders, then the Duke's son allegedly had official duties in Bermuda and George was assigned as the son's secretary. After some time in Bermuda, George left for the United States because of respiratory issues (Consumption aka TB killed grandparents and all his kids). This sounds flimsy to me. I know Bermuda was having issues or perhaps the two young men no longer were as chummy. Anyhow, these I call family LORE because we have no proof. The entire story of George is quite interesting but it may just be that, a story beefed up to impress and keep his grandchildren's interest and affection. We don't know. There are some elements of truth but trying to sift through the entire story to find the truth and the factual history has proved impossible.
I would like to say, however, that about a week ago my husband and I took an excursion across New York state to the cemetery where George's wife is buried, my 6x-great-grandmother, d. 1806. The stones were nearly impossible to read, but a thunderstorm wet the stone, the sun came out and cast a shadow so that I was able to decifer her name "Martha Hitchcock" and McConnell farther down. Hitchcock was her name in her second marriage. I'm still very thrilled to have been there. The farm is still owned in the family and the side of the house reads "McConnell Farm established 1796." Very exciting. Thanks for your time.