SELF SEEKERS:
THE SELF FAMILY ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY ONLINE
NEWSLETTER
SUPPLEMENT
Co-Hosts
Tim W. Seawolf Self
Barbara Ann Peck
seawolf@selfroots.com
Volume 11, no. 3 July, 2008
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WELCOME
Welcome to volume 11, no. 3 of the quarterly online newsletter
supplement
to "Self Portraits: The Self Family NetLetter," the Website dedicated
to Self family research at http://www.selfroots.com
You are receiving this newsletter because you were kind enough to
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A SELF BY ANY OTHER NAME
In this issue we talk about the variations on the surname
Self. By now, most of you already know that they exist, but you
may not know where or why. We've found out some interesting
things by concentrating on Self, which is, of course, our primary
surname. We'd suggest that you look into the various ways that
some of your other surnames are spelled. There may be some real
surprises. For example, a friend of ours, now deceased, was
descended from a man named "Joe King." This turned out to be a
name given to him when he came to the United States. When asked
his name, he replied simply, "Joachim." This Portuguese variant
of the Spanish name Joaquin is pronounced "Zho-keem" which the
immigration officials mistakenly heard as "Joe King." And
speaking of Portuguese, if you have the common Southern surname McDaris
in your family (as some Selfs do), you actually have a branch of the
Medeiros family. Our ancestors were familiar with the influx of
Scots-Irish people and apparently thought it was perfectly natural to
spell this name beginning with the Celtic prefix "Mc" because that's
how it sounded to them. There are many, many more interesting
surname histories that illustrate changes both in the old world and the
new. If you discover any good tales from Self-allied families,
please share them with us. And have a great summer!
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WHEN IS A SELF NOT A SELF?
by Barbara Peck
edited by Tim Seawolf-Self
Sometimes people--especially those from the Northeastern part of the
United States--say that they have never heard the surname "Self."
They may ask, "You mean 'Self' like 'self'? Like 'YOURself' and
'MYself? That kind of Self?" And when you tell them, yes,
that's right, they probably think it's funny or odd--but then they get
to know you and they're pretty grateful that you have such an easy name
to remember, say, and spell...
The REALLY strange thing about our surname is that it's not that simple
after all. It has an actual evolutionary history that still has
variants today. Your Self cousin may turn out to be a Selfe or a
Selph, and in faraway times and places, a few other things,
too...
EARLIEST SPELLINGS
If you ever had doubts that your ancestors were Vikings, just look at
those in your family who have inherited the Self blue eyes, a color
consistent with those of many natives of Scandinavian countries.
Although blue is normally said to belong to a "recessive gene," these
unusual eyes show up today in Selfs of all hair colors and skin tones
and in those with many generations of non-Self lineage between now and
the days when they raided the coast of England.
We've heard that one of the earliest Selfs was a Viking who descended
from a prince or a king in a Danish town, city, or kingdom of the same
name. The name in their time was "Sjolf" or "Sjolfr" which was a
contraction of their word for "Seawolf." Research on the Web
indicates that Sjolf was a fairly common name among the Norsemen.
Remember that back then, most people had just one name, so Sjolf was
used as both a given name and a surname.
This observation brings up another question that we haven't thought of
before. If there were many Norsemen named "Sjolf" or "Sjolfr,"
and many of them had descendants, how do we know that all Selfs have a
common ancestry in Viking times? On an individual scale, this
outcome would be highly unlikely. So either there are several
Self lines originating in those days--or there is just one that
survived--or the researcher would have to trace each line back to its
root--the time when a population truly became Norsemen--to find an
ancestor that may have led his little band of possibly-related people
into the cold country. We also know that this migration occurred
after the ice receded back to the poles since the Ice Age would have
pushed humans back toward the equator.
THE FRENCH
CONNECTION
There have been quite a few erroneous surname variations suggested as
alternatives to "Self." We've never found any evidence, for
example, that Selfs were in any way related to "Scalfs." "Silf"
is more likely, but only as a misreading of a Census Taker's
handwriting. However, there appear to be other names, such as
"Saul" and "Sole" that actually DO have the same root as "Self."
These surnames come mainly from France and other European
countries. They represent a research project for someone who has
the resources to delve deeply into genealogy between, say, the Roman
era and 1066.
During the pre-Norman days in England, English royalty, nobility, and
other important figures didn't always stay in their country. It's
not surprising that Self relatives would turn up in France, therefore,
especially since Seulf (alternatively known as Saulf and Sewlf) was the
Archbishop of Rhiems and a member of the court of King Cnut.
Here's an interesting story. An individual named Sewlf was part of King
Cnut's conspiracy to murder Uhtred, the original Earl of Northumberland
(Northumbria). The plot succeeded and put an end to MY personal
ancestor, progenitor of the tiny line of Outreds/Outerbridges that
still (barely) exist today. It's a really, really small world!
THE NORMAN
CONQUEST AND MEDIEVAL TIMES
When William the Conqueror invaded England, he compiled a list of
current landowners now known as the "Domesday Book." One name
stands out: Saewulf. When we first saw his name, we
believed that it referred to more than one person since so much land
was involved. But apparently Saewulf was just one
individual. We'd really like to know more about him--his life,
his ancestry, and the circumstances that led to his wealth. After
William the Conqueror seized and divided land among his Norman and
English favors, we don't hear about this Saewulf again.
The most well-known Saewulf in Medieval times is the man who traveled
extensively in the Holy Land and wrote about his journeys. Were
there others?
MODERN SPELLINGS
"Olde" Robert Selfe spelled his surname with the final "e"
characteristic of medieval times in England. This spelling was
rarely repeated in the families of his descendants, and in the few
cases where it is, it seems to be an error by the person who recorded
the document. In England, the two spellings were used
interchangeably in many cases and consistently in others. For
instance, the Wiltshire Selfes almost always used the final "e"--and
many still do to this day. There is a large Selfe family in the
United States today that is descended from an Englishman who came to
the United States at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
So, let's face it: the easiest way to spell Self is
"s-e-l-f." People immediately think of mySELF or yourSELF.
You have no idea how many people visit our site, read its title, go no
further than that, and then write to us about every Smith and Jones in
the world, all because they believe that "Self Portraits" is about
themSELFs. We generally thank them for their interest but ask
them just who was their ancestor with the surname "Self." This
almost always sends them slinking away into the woodwork. Occasionally
we get one who apologizes profusely, and we write back in hopes that
they'll find a Self lurking in the branches of their family tree.
Perhaps we should qualify our title with "A contraction of the surname
'Seawolf.'" What do you think?
Probably the most "modernized" spelling of our surname is
"Selph." While there are several large contingents of Selphs in
the United States (and we've seen Selphs in Ireland as well), this
spelling is usually used interchangeably with "Self." Those
Selphs descended from "Olde" Robert obviously changed the spelling of
their names or had it changed for them in official documents.
Sometimes they live side-by-side with relatives who spell their names
"Self," as in 19th century Virginia. Other times they simply
deviated from the usual spelling and remained very consistent, such as
the "Selphs" in and around Telfair, GA. In other cases, a second
reversal occurred. Some of the Georgia Selphs went to
Florida==and some of their descendants in turn migrated to Texas where
they reverted to the traditional spelling once again.
We can only guess at the reasons for the change in spelling. In
our own Self line, Tim's great uncle, William Andrew Jackson Self, was
encouraged to change his name after the death of his wife in Washington
State. One of his daughters, Zoe, who was a schoolteacher,
thought that using the "ph" ending looked and sounded "more
refined." Thus, little Will Self in an early Census died as the
hero, Andrew Selph, many years later. His brother, Tim's great
grandfather, George Washington Self, Andrew Selph's brother, kept his
Self name intact when he moved from Georgia to Texas near the turn of
the 20th century.
SUMMARY
Throughout history, members of the Self family have spelled their
surname in different ways. It's very possible that we could be
closely related to those with more bizarre and "removed" spellings
while we bear no relation at all to some with quite similar
spellings. If possible, we would like to go back beyond our
newly-assumed English ancestor, Walter Selfe, and see where it takes
us. There appears to be far less genealogy from English and other
European countries on the Web as compared with that of American
families. Hopefully, more extant old records will be uploaded at
some point, or someone may visit England and France and take the family
back to the Vikings. There may be many shoots at the base of our
tree trunk with surname changes far more radical than those we've
discussed here. Time will tell...
(NEXT: "Introducing Cousin Ethelene")
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RECENT SELF OBITUARIES
Contributed by Cousin Barry Self
BRISTIN LEE SELF
OBITUARY
Bristin Lee Self, age 18, of Madisonville, TN, passed away Wednesday,
May 21, 2008. Member of Little Tellico Baptist Church. Preceded in
death by grandfather Joseph Roberts. Survivors, Parents: Tim &
Michelle Self, brother, Isaac Self, all of Madisonville; grandparents,
Dora Roberts, Mary & J.W. Ivens, Ray & Pat Self; aunts &
uncles, Chris & Marsha Brummett, Donna & Herman Matoy, De’Shane
Roberts, Michael Self, Amanda & Freddy Howard, all of Tellico
Plains; special cousins: Christopher & Abby Brummett, Josh &
Ashley Ball, Shannon & Brianna Self, Britt & Deagon Ivens; The
Love of his live Hailey Burrell. Funeral 7:00 P.M. Saturday,
Biereley-Hale Chapel, Rev. Jimmy Jackson officiating. Interment 2:00
P.M. Sunday, Little Tellico Cemetery. Family will receive friends 5-7
P.M. Saturday at Biereley-Hale Funeral Home, Madisonville,TN.
Bristin was the great-grandson of Cicero Burton Self, the great-great
grandson of J.R. Sherman Self, and the great-great-great grandson of
John J. Self.
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THOMAS (TOM) SELF
OBITUARY
Thomas George Self, age 62, of
Madisonville,, TN passed away 12:10 P.M. Thursday, May 22, 2008 at his
home. Longtime member of Citico Baptist Church, where he served as a
deacon at one time. Retired from Alcoa Aluminum Co. in 2006 after 36
years. Member of Vonore Masonic Lodge #658 and the Knoxville Scottish
Rites. Took great pleasure in playing with and caring for his two
grandsons. Enjoyed buying and restoring antique and muscle cars, a
hobby he shared with his two sons. Survivors, wife of 39 years, Brenda
Millsaps Self; sons & daughter-in-law, Craig & Courtney Self,
Dusty Self; grandsons, Cade and Cooper Self, all of Madisonville;
sister & brother-in-law, Maryetta & Lonnie Millsaps, Vonore;
brother & sister-in-law, Fred & Faye Self, Knoxville;
sisters-in-law & brothers-in-law, Columbus & Artie King,
Madisonville, Betty Tilley, Ruth & Dewey Moser, all of
Madisonville, Reid & Carolyn Shirk, Vonore; several nieces, nephews
and many dear friends. Preceded in death by, parents, Gussie H. &
Georgia Dupes Self; sister, Gracie Mae King; mother-in-law, Lucy Shirk;
sister-in-law, Ruby Shirk; brothers-in-law, Harold West, Bill Tilley,
J.B. Shirk, Austin Shirk. Funeral 8 P.M. Sunday, Biereley-Hale Chapel,
Rev. J.A. Schaffer officiating. Interment 11 A.M. Monday, Mt. Zion
Cemetery, Rev. Gale Miller officiating. Masonic service 7:45 P.M.
Sunday, provided by Vonore Masonic Lodge #658. In lieu of flowers,
memorials may be made to Mt. Zion Baptist Church or Citico Baptist
Church. Family will receive friends 6-7:45 P.M. Sunday at Biereley-Hale
Funeral Home, Madisonville. TN.
Tom was the grandson of George Washington Self, the great-grandson of
John Simpson Self and the great-great grandson of John J. Self.
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PLEASE
CONTRIBUTE
BIOGRAPHIES AND PHOTOS
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MINOR SELF LINES
part 19
by Barbara Peck and Tim Seawolf-Self
In 2003, we presented an article on the major unconnected Self
lines. Now we'd like to concentrate on the minor lines that are
still not connected to Olde Robert Selfe, even by "best
evidence." In this installment, we've included Self branches from
South Carolina. We hope to
feature more small family lines in the following newsletters.
TEXAS,
part IV
Counties: Runnels-Unknown
JAMES SELF: James Self
was born 1835 in Runnels County, TX where he later married a woman of
his same age named Elizabeth. Their children were Samuel, Johnny,
and Emily. Which early Texas family did he come from?
ELIJAH SELF: Another
early Self, this time in Rusk County, was Elijah Self. He was wed
in 1848 to Elizabeth Jane Hicks. The name "Elijah" is popular
among Self families of those times. Which Elijah was he?
DANIEL SELF: Smith County
was home to Daniel Self (born 1827 in AL) and his wife, Rebecca, b.
1840. This couple had four children: Sallie, Willie,
Melissa, and Josie.
UNKNOWN SELF: He m. Josie
and lived in Stonewall County with their five children: Samuel,
Ruth, Alvie, Dovie, and Tommie. What was his name?
EDD SELPH: His wife was
Josephine Mayhar, and his home was in Tarrant County, TX. His
daughter, Ruth (1884 - 1972) married Henry Clayton Harvey and had four
children. Her second husband was James Henry Turner.
BEVEL A. SELF: We don't
know much about this Self except that he was born May 1838 in Alabama
and was in Tarrant County before 1920. Did he marry and have
children?
CYRUS S. SELPH: Cyrus
Selph was born in 1848, probably in TX. His wife, Anna B., was
born in 1860, also in TX. They had one known child, George W.
Selph. They lived in Travis County. Who was Cyrus, and what
happened to son, George?
UNKNOWN SELF: Another
unknown individual who was married to a wife who is also
nameless. Their children were Lucretia, born 1858, and Thomas,
born 1863, both in Travis County.
GEORGE SELF: All we have
for this Travis County Self is the date 1856. Is that when he was
born or when he died?
F. M. SELF: He m. widow
M. J. Berry in 1874 in Van Zandt County. What do the intials
stand for in their names? And where did F. M. Self come from?
LOUISA SELF: Possibly
related to F. M. Self above. Louisa Self also lived in Van Zandt
County and married Frederick M. Leath in 1875. We know that he
was born in Oklahoma--but what about Louisa? Their children
were: Thomas Jefferson, John Henry, Lola, and William Bogle.
LAURIANNA SELF: This lady
traveled all over the country. She was born 1868 in GA and d.
1954 in CA. Her husband, William Dilbeck, died in OK. In
the meantime, they lived in Wichita County, TX. They had 13
children in various places, most of whom ended up in Northern CA in
their later years.
MADISON SELPH: We don't know
where he came from, when he was born, or when he died. We do know
that he lived in Williamson County, TX and that he was married to Grace
Missouri Weaver (1882 - 1970). The couple had two children,
Harlan and Mary.
UNKNOWN SELF: This
unknown was female, born in Wood County, TX ., and possibly having
Cherokee ancestry somewhere on a maternal side. Her husband was
James Edward Watson, born 1830, and her daughter was Martha Ann Watson,
b. 1863 in Wood County.
NATHAN SELF: Nathan Self
had a very short life. He was born in 1859 and died in 1892. His
wife, Mattie, moved on to Oklahoma after he passed away. Their
three children were: Claude Edgar, Maggie, and Willie.
ELISHA SELF: Unknown
birth and death dates for both Elisha Sef and his wife, Sophronia
Phifer. He was associated with the Louisiana/Mississippi
Selfs. Daughter Elizabeth was born in TX in 1878 and later
married Francis Asbury Dowden, a MS native, in LA.
ALBERT SELF: Albert Self
also has no known birth/death dates or even place of residence in
Texas. His daughter, Lucille, was born in 1882.
WILLIAM SELPH: Reputedly
born in Ireland along with a brother named John, although coming
straight from Ireland to Texas would be very unusual in his day.
The name of his wife and the Texas county in which he lived is unknown.
His son, George Washington Selph married Sarah King and had five
children and many grandchildren who lived from Arkansas to California.
UNKNOWN SELF: Yet another
unknown Self who died before 1900. His wife was Fannie Lancaster,
born somewhere in TX in 1883. The couple lived with her parents
in Indian Territory until his death. His wife was just 17 when
she became a widow. A later entry in our TX file shows a William
A. Self born in September 1873 in TX and living in IT by 1900--this
could possibly be our Unknown person.
T. A. SELF: For sure
Unknown is not T. A. Self who was born 1851 in TX and also went to IT
before 1900. He married twice. His first two children by an
unknown wife were named Leonard and Porter. His last six
children, born to a woman named T. J., were Harry, Bertha, Edna, Clyde,
Joseph, and Raymond.
MARION F. SELPH: Marion
Selph, born 1851, comes from the Florida Selphs descended from Ezekial
Selph of Georgia. We just don't have a straight family line for
him. He married Susan Jordan Blundell and had four
children: John David, Phebe, Mollie, and Minnie somewhere in TX.
UNKNOWN SELF: This
individual was born in Georgia. His wife, name unknown, was born
in Mississippi. The family had two children in TX and then went
to Indian Territory about 1880. The children were Josephine,
George, and Frank.
ALFRED SELF: Born 1870
somewhere in Texas, Alfred Self was just 17 when he married his wife,
Emma, who appears to have been only 13 years of age. We know of two
daughters, Delia and Emma.
BONNIE BEATRICE SELF:
Oddly, we know a lot about Bonnie Self. She was born in 1901 in
Potter County, TX and d. there in 1985. Her husband, James Abner
Barrington, had dates of 1858 to 1920 which would make him over 40
years her senior! We don't know her parents, but the "lots" we do
know make no sense. We need someone to straighten out this family
for us.
CASSIE SELF: Cassie Self
was born 1879 somewhere in TX and d. 1901 in Johnson County. She
m. Noah Killman who was 5 years her senior but who outlived her by 40
years, dying 1941 in San Diego, California. Their two children
were Luella M. and Mack E.
MORT SELF: He married
Mary E. McDaniel, b. about 1867, and had four children somewhere in
Texas: Henry, Frank, Ellen, and Ella.
(NEXT: Minor Self Lines, part 20)
Maybe your ancestors used to tell
stories about life in the "old
days," stories you remember hearing as a child. Please tell us about
them. We will even supply editing and formatting; but we'd all love to
know about daily life in the Self families of old--and you may be able
to help.
Please contact us.
And please state that your story is specifically for the newsletter.
LOOSE ENDS
Please go to our "Loose Ends" subsection at our SelfSite
at RootsWeb.
DEAD ENDS
Please go to our "Dead Ends" subsection at our SelfSite
at RootsWeb.
SELFS IN SPACE
What would you like to see here? This space is reserved for
any topic of interest to Self cousins. Express YourSelf!!
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take a moment to e-mail us.
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Each individual contributor is solely responsible
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NOTICE: The information in this newsletter is
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copyrighted, except where previous copyright applies.
Copyright 1998-2008 Tim Seawolf-Self and Barbara
A. Peck, All Rights Reserved
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