UPDATES

2/3/2007: Exciting developments in DNA and Genealogy have led me to beg, plead, and coerce family members into donating their spit to posterity. So far my father, mother's father and myself have been the victims of this crime. The reason behind this effort is many fold. Firstly, we are helping the Genographic Project unravel the history of the human species and its travels around the globe. Secondly, we are unravelling the history of our own, more intimate family history, and it's travels around the globe (FamilyTreeDNA). To find out more about The Genographic Project visit their web site. It is a facinating study on our trek out of Africa thousands of years ago. The more intimate projects I am pursuing are for three of our surnames: John, Cain, and Shepard. A genetic study of all three of these surnames will, hopefully, lead to answers to the question of where these ancestors came from before they arrived in America.

We know the Jahns came from Prussia, but there is a possibility they are of Polish or Russian stock, or even more exotic (to us) Romania, Ukranian, Hungarian the possiblities are fascinating. The Cains are Irish. There is no doubt about that. But where in Ireland did they hail? There is a large surname project on the CAINs of which there are about 12 distinct lines. Maybe one of them is ours. The Shepards are a big mystery. There have always been family rumors that the Shepards were of Scottish descent, but nothing has been able to confirm that yet. It is possible that the Shepards are Irish or even English. I am hoping that more DNA research into these surname markers will help us answer all of these fascinating questions.

The results are not fully in for the Shepard YDNA67 marker test, when they are I will let everyone know if there is a match with anyone currently in the database. The Cain line is still being worked on; Bob is our only CAIN DNA carrier and he needs to be convinced. The John line needs a more refined test from the Genographic 12 marker test and that will be a few months yet. So keep an eye on the updates.

I am still working on the new edition of the family book. Updating chapters here and there where I can, waiting for research on other chapters. To some it might seem like a lot of work, but I do enjoy it and hope everyone will be patient as I try to get this new edition done. Of course genealogy is a constant work in progress so the story will never be fully told, but I will do my best to do it accurately.

There is a Riggs book, authored by Alvy Ray Smith, and available through the NEGHS. Elder Bethuel Riggs of Morris County, New Jersey etc. I have a copy and found it to be very well done and informative. Plus, my name is in it several times as a source of some of the records in the book, so I guess I can claim that as my 15 minutes of fame.

12/2/2006: The book that I am working on for the John family genealogy is on hold. I do have many changes to make for the new addition, but I also have many sources that I need to look into before I can really get going on this project again. So I am afraid that people will have to wait a while longer for a new version. I am thinking about making the book a downloadable pdf file instead of sending out cd's, as mailing costs money, and I am not sure who in the family is really interested in this information. I have updated the Rootsweb sites and all my family's surnames are on one database with sources. Although I do have to say I really don't like the way gedcom sparces out the data, it is sloppy and hard to read. Until I get my website updated it will have to do.

11/30/05: Another long break on the Genealogy research front, that's what I get for going back to work. I have finally had the chance to update the BROOKS directory database and get it online. It now goes up to 1860.

01/28/05: I have been doing research on our BROOKS line on Grandmother Lois Shaw's side of the family, and decided to create a database of all the BROOKS in the Albany City directories from 1813-1854 and 1859. I needed the information for my own research to try and get a handle on who John Brooks might be related to. It hasn't given me a name yet, but with the research I have done on wills and census records, I have been able to decide what John Brooks he is not a son of.

11/16/01: Date website was started.

SURNAMES
JOHN SIDE - Not all of the surnames under the John & Hamm family have their own page links and if they don't, there should be a family name in parenthesis where you will find mention of them. I have included as much detailed information for each ancestor as possible as well as photos. On each surname web page you will find our family's direct ancestors in color.

NOTE - I have researched our Paternal line from scratch and have no doubts as to the accuracy of the information.

SHEPARD & SHAW SIDE - The information I have on our Maternal ancestors is gleaned mostly from the internet and relatives and is not properly sourced. That is why I am only listing the surnames for the majority of our maternal side of the family at this time, because I don't want to be using other peoples research on my site. If anyone has any questions on a particular name just send me an email and I will send you all the information I have with sources, if any. I have done very little actual research on these surnames as of yet, so I do not guarantee its accuracy.

Our family tree with sources can also be found at Rootsweb.

JOHN & HAMM  FAMILY: Paternal Ancestors SURNAMES...

A	Amundson
C	Cain, Connelly
D	Deadrich (see John), D'Ermitage (see Houghtaling)
H	Hamm, Houghtaling
I	Isserstedt
J	Jacobse (see Houghtaling), John
K	Knobloch, Kool (see Houghtaling), Kuhn (see Houghtaling)
M	Marselis (see Houghtaling)
N	Nehrboss, Nolan (see Connelly)
R	Rosa
S	Sachs, Schule (see John), Schult (see Sachs), Segendorf (see Houghtaling), Sipple (see Houghtaling), Smith
T	Tohnson (see Amundson)
V	Van Duffel D'elswith (see Houghtaling), Van Noorstrand (see Houghtaling), Vandenburgh (see Houghtaling)

SHEPARD & HAYS FAMILY: Maternal Father's Ancestors SURNAMES...

A- Appel, Asher, Atkinson
B- Barlow , Beckwith, Brice, Brown1, Brown2, Buchanan, Burcham
C- Clegg, Corbate, Cross
D- Dallas, Dennis, Dragoo, Drake
F- Farmer, Fleischer
G- Garnier, George, Goubelilla, Guyion
H- Hays, Headlee
L- Lantz, Lemasters, Lesh, Lytle
M- Mann, Marlett, McClellen, McMullen, Minor, Morehead
P- Palmer
R- Rowen
S- Schmidt, Scott, Shepard, Smith, Stackpole, Straight
T- Tavaude
U- Updyke
V- Vincent
W- Wagner, Waggoner, Ward, Weir

SHAW & HATCH FAMILY: Maternal Mother's Ancestors SURNAMES...

A- Algar, Allen, Allgar, Ashton, Aylesbury
B- Baker, Baldwin, Basset, Beard, Beck, Beckett, Berry, Bessels, Beyham, Blossom, Blount,Bolhay, Braddick, Brewer, Bromley, Brooke, Brooks, Brown, Browne, Bruyn, Buchmaster, Buell, Bullar, Burnell, Burwell
C- Camp, Carter, Clay, Cobham, Colburn, Collinridge, Colt, Comyn, Corey, Cornish, Cornwall, Cresacre, Curtis
D- Darell, De Heytesbury, De Quincy, Derodan, Detoney, Deumfreville, Delves, Deroos, Dolbere, Dormer, Drake, Dunham
E- Earle, Elmy
F- Farrington, Fawcett, Fettiplace, Fisher, Fitzalan, Fitzjohn, Folgar, Ford
G- Gatacre, Gaylord, Gerard, Gibbs, Goble, Goodwin, Grange, Griswold, Grome, Grosvenor, Gylette
H- Halle, Harding, Hatch, Hawes, Hawks, Houghton, Hungerford, Hussey
J- Janes, Johnson, Jones
K- Kirton
L- Lambert, Landon, Lee, Leman, Lindsey, Lingwood, Lobell, Loomis, Lyman, Lyon
M- Marlar, Marsh, McQueen, Merrifield, Mitchell, Mitton, Moore, Morin
N- Nichols
O- Offley, Osborn
P- Palmer, Partridge, Parye, Peverell, Philbrick, Pierce, Pitkin, Post
R- Rande, Richards, Riggs, Robinson, Roosa, Ross, Rowley, Ruggles
S- Salmon, Sampson, Scott, Seymour, Shaw, Shelley, Smith, Strange, Stream
T- Tracy, Treat/Trott
V- Vail, Vemy, Vye
W- Walker, Ward, Webb, Webster, Weeks, Welle, Whatlock, White, Whitman, Whitmore, Wightman, Wilkinson, Winchester, Woodward, Wraske, Wright, Wyn

ORIGINS
The following links will show you charts of where our ancestors emigrated from and where the first ancestor of that surname name settled in the United States. Later generations tended to moved away from their parents or into newly expanded territories and those moves can be seen in the individual family pages.

JOHN Family

SHEPARD Family

SHAW Family

LETTERS
We are very lucky that a HAMM ancestor had the foresight to save some of the letters they received from relatives. Most of these letters are from Germany a few are from Plymouth, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.

1893: January 27, April 23
1895: January 21, November 1
1897: January 24, June 20, No Date, July 7, July 11, August 22
1898: December 28
1899: March 3
1900: January 2
1913: May 4
1918: July 30
1923: February 14, July 1
1924: January 24
1928: June 22
No Year: May 24

BRICK WALLS
CAIN: Martin Cain is last seen in the Rhode Island state census in 1875 with his second wife Bridget Nolan and a son Dennis Cain. Nothing further can be found for him.

DIEDRICH: Can find no record of Johanna Diedrich or her marriage to William John or any indications of her being in Milwaukee, Wisconsin which is where she married William in November of 1852. Both of her parents are unknown as is her emigration information. She indicates she was born May 8, 1830 in Brunswick, Germany (which is now called Braunschweig).

SMITH: Jeremiah Smith born August 6, 1791 probably Delaware County, New York. Parents unknown. Was living in Davenport, Delaware County, New York as he is in a 1820 census there. He was living in Moravia, Cayuga County, New York in 1830's and a possible census record for 1840. Married Hannah Houghtaling November 11, 1819, no record of marriage has been found.