Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - A Name That Runs in Your Family

 From Randy (my cousin) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1)  We all have many names (given, middle surname, and nickname) in our ancestry, whether we know them all or not.

2)  Do you have "A Name That Runs in Your Family??"  Is there a first name - or nickname - that keeps repeating generation after generation in your tree? Share the name, the pattern, and your best guess as to why it stuck.

3) Please share!

Here's mine:

The name that was handed down and through the Tapley family for several generations was "George Washington." 

I theorize that it started out as naming a son after the first president of our new country.  However, I think as time went by, it just turned into naming children after brothers, fathers, uncles, etc.

- The first instance is when my 3rd great-grandmother, Sarah Tapley (1775-bet. 1850-1860) named one of her twins, George Washington Tapley (1814-aft. 1880). He was married to Elizabeth Hicks (1824-aft. 1880). 

- His son, James Madison 'Jim' Tapley (1847-1912), named after George Washington's twin brother, along with his wife,  Elizabeth Rebecca 'Becky' Page Tapley (1844-1924) named one of their sons, George Washington Sentell Tapley (1876-1944). 

- James M. 'Jim' Tapley had another son James L. 'Jim' Tapley (1868-1941) who was married to Maggie Vicey Powell (1878-1959) and they had a son, Gordon Wesley Tapley (1894-1959) and he and his wife, Minnie Lee Garrett (1904-1995) named a son George Washington Tapley (1937-2016). 

- The other twin, James Marion (or Madison) Tapley Sr (1814-1884) and his wife, Martha Norris (1824-1901) named one of their sons after his brother, thus another George Washington Tapley (1858-1923).

- Another child of James M and Martha, Susan Isabella 'Babe' Tapley Norris (1852-1928) and her husband, Dr. Swain Madison Norris (1850-1918) had a son, Newton Dean Norris (1878-1947), who, along with his wife, Charlsie Claxton (1881-1963) named a son George Washington Norris (1911-1991).

- Sarah Tapley's brother, James L. Tapley (1780-1855) and his wife, Mary Benson (1791-1860), had a daughter named Julia Ann Tapley (1815-1891) who, along with her husband, James Thomas Pullen (1814-1891) named a son George Washington Pullen (1857-1924). 

- Another child of James L. Tapley, Thomas A. Tapley (1826-1892), along with his wife, Pherreba Ann Jane Rountree (1829-1905) named a son George Washington Tapley (1860-1939).

- My 1st cousin, 5x removed, Jordan Tapley (1801-1877) (who shared grandparents, Joel Tapley [abt 1720-1790/91] and Mary Avent Tapley [1735-1790]with Sarah) and his wife, Rebecca Hinsey Littleton Tapley (1815-1847) named a son George Washington Tapley (1836-1864).  

- George Washington Tapley (Sr) (1836-1864) and his wife, Sarah Ann Dye (1841-1885) named their son  George Washington Tapley (Jr) (1864-1912) also.  

- George Washington (Sr) had a brother named Thomas Pinkney 'Tom' Tapley (1843-1940), who, along with his wife, Mary Palestine 'Mit' Couch (1855-1929) named a son George Washington Tapley (1871-1950).

I am sure that is all very confusing, but I calculate that there were ten (10) George Washingtons in the Tapley family.  I have many more who married into other family lines.

This naming pattern covered 123 years - from 1814 when the twins were born - to 1937 when the last George Washington Tapley that I am aware of in the Tapley family was born.  The practice seems to have died out after that.  

Tombstone Tuesday: Charlie Melton Schwalls

 

 

 Charlie Melton (or Milton) Schwalls

 born January 5, 1873

died January 16, 1929

Son of 

George W. Schwalls and

Lincelia E. Claxton Schwalls

Husband of

(1) Elizabeth Jane Wheeler

(2) Rosa Rountree

laid to rest at

Wheeler Cemetery

Johnson County, Georgia

Charlie was my great grand uncle.

Sunday's Obituary: Mrs. C. M. Schwalls

Here is another obituary I found on GenealogyBank.com.  Rosa Rountree Schwalls was the second wife of Charlie Milton Schwalls, son of my elusive George W. Schwalls.  (This Charlie is not to be confused with the Charlie whose obituary I posted last week.  THAT Charlie Schwalls was the grandson of George W. Schwalls.) 

Charlie Milton Schwalls was the brother of my maternal great-grandmother, Mattie Schwalls.

What I found interesting about this obituary was how many honorary pallbearers Rosa had.  There are four paragraphs of names! 

Obituary, February 9, 1954, Augusta Chronicle, Augusta, Georgia:

  "Mrs. C. M. Schwalls
    SWAINSBORO, Ga., Feb. 8 - Mrs. Rosa Lee Rountree Schwalls of Swainsboro died late Sunday night after a lengthy illness at a local hospital.
    She was born Jan. 22, 1875, eldest daughter of the late Joshua W. and Mahala Durden Rountree, both descendents of Emanuel county pioneer settlers.  She was married on Dec. 15, 1912, to Charlie M. Schwalls of Kite, who preceded her in death 25 years ago.
    DeLoach Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
    Survivors are one son, Rountree Schwalls of Swainsboro, two daughters, Mrs. J. B. Meeks of Norristown, and Mrs. D. N. Meeks of Hazlehurst; one granddaughter, little Miss Joye Schwalls of Swainsboro; her stepmother, Mrs. Anna Rountree of Twin City; three sisters, Mrs. George M. Williamson of Twin City, Mrs. Sallie P. Taylor of Douglas and Mrs. Willie O. Coleman of Twin City; two brothers, Charles D. Rountree of Thomasville and J. Willie Rountree of Atlanta; and a number of nieces and nephews.
    She was a member of the Baptist Rest Primitive Baptist Church of Twin City where funeral services will be held Tuesday at 2 p. m. by Elders Pat Byrd and A. L. Brannen.
    Burial will be in Old Canoochee cemetery.
    Active pallbearers will be James Coleman, Carl Rountree, George Brophy, Perry Rountree, B. H. Taylor, Harold Meeks, Dalton Schwalls, and Charlie Schwalls.
    Honorary pallbearers will be Brode Johnson, Butler Watson, Gus Watson, Hubert Watson, Robert L Rowland, Philip Rowland, E. L. Smith, J. F. Mathis, David Cason, Edd Coleman, Hugh Coleman, W. O. Philips, Jim Brown, Dr. J. A. Meeks, W. W. Claxton.
    Also, C. L. Claxton, Murphy Norris, Walter Douglas, H. J. Claxton, Cliff Douglas, Milledge Anderson, Milton Anderson, Loren Anderson, Talmadge Harrison, Dartus Brown, Peyton Youmans, Robert H. Humphrey, Jottle Lewis, Olan Rountree.
    Also, Walter H. Rountree, John B. Spivy, Ivy W. Rountree, Bennie Ehrlich, Leon Ehrlich, Grayson Powell, R. E. Tanner, Silas Power, Wyley Powell, C. I. Welch, Pat Durden, Thomas Durden, Harold Durden, Carl Durden, Clyde Durden, V. H. McHale.
    Also, Pete Canady, Edwin Flanders, Jim Peebles, Johnnie M. Thompson, Arthur Chance and R. J. Waller Jr.
    The body will lie in state at the church for one hour before services.  Pallbearers are requested to meet at the church at 1:45 p.m."

WOW!  She must have been one beloved lady.