Hancock County

Many researchers are out there spreading all kinds of misinformation. Anyone can go on the genealogy website and start a tree.  People grab information from other people's trees, but don't do their own fact-checking.  As a result, false information spreads like an epidemic.

Even historical books and documents contain false information. Much of what is in history books comes from family lore.  My great grandmother, Ada, who was a teacher and avid historian, wrote stories about our family history and about her experiences as an early pioneer in the midwest. Some "facts" were obtained from family lore and are just plain not true.  However, her stories are close enough to reality that it is easy to see how they could have become distorted. For instance, she said that our ancestors were first settlers at Lands End... in truth, they were the first at Graves End (Gravesend).  Similar name, easy to get confused over time.

A History of Hancock County tells of a Miss Rose Spitler who was orphaned at a tender age.  She was the daughter of Mardicia Allen Nash, my 2nd great aunt, and John Nash (of the Nashville family).  Rose became a foster child of Dr. Adam and Mrs. Carrie Spitler and assumed their last name. Rose learned through investigation that Robert Scott Allen (my 2nd great grandfather) was Mardicia's father, and John Watson Allen was her grandfather. According to her family lore, John Watson Allen was a close childhood friend of his famous New England relative, Ethan Allen*. This make a nice story, but I have found no connection between the Virginia Allens and the New England Allens.

Yet.


*I did find a connection between the Allens of Kentucky and Jack Jouett of Revolutionary War fame.  Perhaps this was the origination of the story?