Our
Teesdale Heraldry is currently being researched 
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July 2011 note: This website is drastically in need of an update. I will get to that as soon as I can. Sorry for the many expired links. I am leaving the site in place for reference until I can update it during the upcoming months.
IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE CONTACT ME teehistory@comcast.net if you have purchased the Military General Service Medal or Waterloo Medal of Robert Teesdale of the 1st Royal Scots (First Regiment of Foot) /// This website is dedicated
to all of those members of the Teesdale family and interested persons whoare
studying it's genealogy. There are about 30 different spellings of
the name, so regardless of how you spell it, if you are interested inthe
people who trace their lineage back to the area of the Tees River in Northumbria
Kingdom then you are surely welcome here.
I would suggest reading all the way throughthis page first, before departing on the various links - I plan to eventuallyinstall frames on this site, making it easier to navigate about withinthe pages. Until then, please bear with me.
I hope to make this an enjoyable part of your "online" experience and that you will be inspired by the many achievements and contributions of the Teesdales in history. Of course, if we run outof achievements and accomplishments to discuss, maybe we can discuss someentertaining stories about the family, I am sure we won't run out of those.
A great deal of gratitude is extended to those
in the family who have done research or in some way helped with gathering
information. My Father, my Great Uncle Walter Teesdale, Aunt Ella, Cousin's
JimCullen,
Jim Van Etten, RobertTerrence Teesdale,
fellow researcher RonnieTeasdale
and many others...............THANK YOU !!
TEESDALE ETYMOLOGY:
(The etymological information about the Teesdale name was derived from a 1939 article by MiltonRubincam which appeared in the NationalGenealogical Society Quarterly:
(click to view the article )
TheTeesdale name, as most of you know, originated in what is today, the area of Northern England, after the River Tees. In translation, the name Teesdale is "valley of the surging river". TES is a Welsh derivative, meaning hot, boiling or surging. It is analagous to Irish "Tea" which has similiar etymology. (Rev. Walter W. Skeat, Litt D., Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, 1910 and Prof. E. Elkwall, EnglishRiver Names, 1934 and English Place Names, 1936).
Though the River Tees is very beautiful and generally tamed, at certain points it is known to rise up without warning, thus the characterization: hot, boiling or surging.
We are sure this has nothing to do with the temperament of the early inhabitants or of their descendants. Right??
The area surrounding the river
is known as Teesdale District. It is a very beautiful place by all accounts.
The
poet, Richard Watson (1833-1891) wrote of Teesdale:
I've wandered many a weary mile And in strange countries been
I've dwelt in towns and on wild moors And curious sights I've seen
But still my heart clingsto the Dale where Tees rolls to the sea
Compared with what I''ve seen
I'll say The
Teesdale hills for me !!!
( Richard Watson was known as the Bard of Teesdale )
Caldron Snout of Tees River
Teesdales (of about 30 different spelling variations) can be found today in most every nation that has national origins in England, Scotland or Ireland. The earliest known written record of Teesdale as a surname was in 1245 of an Alan de Tesdal Sr. He lived in County Northumberland which is on the northern border of County Durham, where the Tees River is located.
Teesdale Nationality
Most Teesdales consider the origin of their name to be English, however, because of the proximity of the area of Teesdale (Tees River) to the border, there are some Teesdale families who have Scottish origins. My particular branch of the family is considered to be of Scottish descent since the family tree has deep roots further north in Larkhall, Lanarkshire, Scotland. There were some in my family who would use the term "Scots-Irish"to define our Teesdale ancestry, but this term is problematic because it has more than one meaning.
It is interesting to note that in the year 1139 A.D. the border between Scotland and England was actually The River Tees. By the year 1157, King Henry II had reclaimed Northumberland from the Scots. The River Tees no longer formed the border between Scotland and England. (For more information, see the Chronological History of Tees River Website.)
The
Border Reivers website might be of interest if you care to further
study thehistory of the border between Scotland and England.
Thus far I have found no evidence that our family members were ever considered
among the "Border Reivers", however, the article by Milton Rubincam contains
some enlightening stories about a few bearers of the Teesdale name.
As I mentioned, my own Teesdale family has origins in Larkhall, Lanarkshire, Scotland. As far back as current research reveals, our ancestor's were in the Dalserf Parish. When the handloom weaving industry in this area started to dwindle as the industrial age progressed through the 1800's, our family began to emmigrateto other lands. From this Larkhall Teesdale Clan, there were three Teesdale brothers and a first cousin who each decided on separatedreams to pursue in America. These pursuits took them to different locations in the United States.
Before the end of the 19th century, their pursuit of destiny led to the establishment of a Philadelphia Teesdale family branch (with William Teesdale as Progenitor), an Illinois Teesdale family branch (brothers Hugh & Thomas Teesdale) and a California Teesdale branch (Robert Teesdale).
There was also a maternal branch of our Larkhall, Scotland Teesdale family who went to Ireland; another who went to Nova Scotia, Canada and another who went to Victoria, Australia. Many of the family members remained in Scotland, with a move to Glasgow being made in the mid-1800s by at least one Teesdale immediate family group and others going to nearby areas in Scotland.
You are welcome to view our Teesdale
Cousin Researchers Page to make contact with some of the cousins of
these branches who are interested in Teesdale family research.
IllinoisTeesdales:
This link will tell about the Teesdales of Larkhall, Scotland who came to America and settled in Illinois. We are DEFINITELY cousins and not merely people who share the same last name. We truly look forward to reuniting our two branches of the family. Our common heritage is in the small town of Larkhall, Scotland but when both branches first settled in Philadelphia in the early-mid 1800's, one cousin convinced his brothers that they should "go west". For over 150 years, we have been separated, but now we are reunited.
treegrows.html
This link will tell about the Teesdales of Larkhall, Scotland who came to America and settled in California. Was one brother a "Miner forty niner?" We will explore this. We are also DEFINITELYcousins and not merely people who share the same last name.
In the William Homer Teesdale essay: "A Tree Grows in Scotland and America" (click on California or Illinois Teesdales link above) you will find a written letter reference to brother William Teesdale in Philadelphia. The Larkhall Scotland Teesdales who immigrated to America would stay with him before moving west. There is also reference to "Margaret toddling about the house" during one of their visits. This Margaret Teesdale would later die in Philadelphia of Scarlett Fever. She died at the age of 18 in December, 1863, just six months after her father, William Teesdale was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. It appears that upon William Teesdale's death at Gettysburg, the Teesdale family in Philadelphia then lost contact with the brothers in California and Illinois. William's only surviving child, Robert W. Teesdale b. 1849 continued the family name in Philadelphia and the family has grown into a rather large clan today. It was not until the late 1990's that the Philadelphia branch of the Teesdale reunited with the Illinois and California branch as a result of internet research.
PhiladelphiaTeesdales:
As of this time, Robert Teesdale
and Elisabeth Graham are my earliest identified "direct line" ancestors.
I will refer to the descendants of their son, William Teesdale as the "
PhiladelphiaTeesdales" since that is where my branch of the family
settled andcontinued even to the current day. There is speculation
that three earlier generations have been identified back in Scotland, however,
further validation is needed.
THE DALSERF PARISH CHURCH
Larkhall, Scotland
1999 Photo of our TEESDALE FAMILY'S CHURCH IN SCOTLAND
Two Teesdale Gravestones appear in this cemetery as well
(Click here to see another
photo of this beautiful Parish Church, and here to see a map
of Lanark County (Shire).
(Click here to see a photo of a street
in Larkhall)
GENERATION #1
My 4th Great Grandparents, Robert Teesdale and Elisabeth Graham's date of marraige and dates of birth have not been determined at this point, however, I know through the 1841 & 1851 census records that Robert was born in Larkhall and Elizabeth was born in Dumfries. Most of Robert and Elisabeth's immediate and extended Teesdale family in Larkhall, Scotland were employed as Handloom Weavers, although Robert was listed as an Army Pensioner.
In December, 2000 we obtained information that Robert Teesdale, at least as early as 1812, was a Private in the 1st Regiment of Foot, otherwise known as the 1st Regiment of Royal Scots. Robert served during the Peninsula War and was present in the Battles of Badajoz, Salamanca & Vittoria for which he was awarded the Military General Service Medal, then he was present at the Battle of Waterloo (June, 1815) for which he was awarded the Waterloo Medal.
I have obtained a certified photocopy of the original certificate from the Scottish Government Record Office(GRO) which shows that Robert and Elisabeth's son, WilliamTeesdale, was born on November 25, 1822. He was christened at the Dalserf Parish in Larkhall, Lanarkshire, Scotland on November 28, 1822. William was my 3rd great grandfather.
Robert and Elisabeth had a number of other children also christened at the Dalserf Parish, I hope we can establish contact with some of their descendants. There was a Robert & Thomas Teesdale who immigrated from Scotland to California in mid 1800's and I am still trying to determine if either was brother of William or one of his 1st cousins who were also named Robert and Thomas. Here is the list of discovered christening records for Robert and Elisabeth's children:
1) On April 22, 1812 they christened their Daughter, Elisabeth Teesdale.
2) On August 17, 1818 a son named Thomas Teesdale.
3) On October 15,1820 a daughter named Mary Anne Teesdale.
4) On November 28, 1822 ason named William Teesdale. (My g/g/g grandfather who came to America)
5) On December 12, 1824 a daughter named Agnes McNare Teesdale
6) On January 22, 1827 a sonnamed Robert Teesdale
7) On April 19, 1829 a son named Andrew Teesdale.
8) On May 15, 1831 a daughter named Margaret McColl Teesdale
9) On October 12, 1834 a son named David Teesdale
The Dalserf Parish in Scotland is a Presbyterian Parish. Some Teesdales in Philadelphia remained Presbyterian even as far as my father and his siblings who were baptised in Presbyterian churches in Philadelphia. Other Philadelphia Teesdales followed the Catholic tradition, most likely following the guidance of their Irish mothers. The Teesdale men in Philadelphia seemed quite fond of marrying Irish girls especially during the 1800's.
The Graham family has a distinctive
history in Scotland. The
Scottish Clan Graham Society may be of interest. The society unites
people withany Scottish Graham heritage.
As the industrial age ushered in new machines for producing materials, handloom weavers were less able to compete in the economy of that era. Soon the handloom weaver families began to immigrate to other countries in search ofbetter opportunity. William Teesdale immigrated to Philadelphia and was the first Teesdale of his line in America. On January 1, 1846 he married Margaret Sharkey, who was born in Ireland. The marraige was officiated by a Rev. J. L. Grant at the 11th Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia.
(This anniversary in the family gives all the more reason to celebrate New Year's Day each year in Philadelphia at thegreat MUMMER'S PARADE, (HEY UNCLE RICH!! ...Uncle Rich Teesdale was a mummerb ack in his teenage years. One of these days you will be able see him struttin up Broad Street - right here on the Teesdale Family History Pages !! ) We had a great time at the Millenium Mummers !!!!!!!!!!!!)
William and Margaret had one daughter and one son.
1. Margaret Elizabeth Teesdale
2. Robert W. Teesdale (My great great grandfather)
Their daughter was named Margaret Elizabeth Teesdale and she was said to be "toddling about the house" in March, 1848 (according to a letter written by cousin Hugh Teesdale back to Scotland in 1848) . Margaret was probably named after her mother and her middle name Elizabeth was probably named after William's mother back in Scotland. Margaret Elizabeth Teesdale died of Scarlet Fever, on December 7, 1863. She was buried at theage of 17 or 18 in the Mount Moriah Cemetery in Western Philadelphia. A late 1990's visit to Mount Moriah enabled me to find her grave stone and later her obituary in a Philadelphia newspaper.
William and Margaret's son was Robert W. Teesdale, born in 1849. This was my great, great grandfather. He died in 1921 and was buried also at the MountMoriah Cemetery.
When Robert W. and Margaret Elizabeth Teesdale were just young teenagers, their father, William Teesdale, aged37 (according to his military records, which disagree with his parish christeningrecord by a couple of years) enlisted at Camp Frankford, Philadelphia in the 68thPennsylvania Infantry Volunteer Regiment. After participation in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and the infamous Burnside's Mud March,William Teesdale was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg in July, 1863.
(I have obtained William's entire service and pension records from the National Archives in Washington, DC. In the future I will upload scanned copies of them to this website).
Had William and Margaret notbrought
Robert W. Teesdale into this world, our Teesdale Surname / Family Line
would have ended in 1863 at the Battle of Gettysburg ! ! !
In 1870, Robert W. Teesdale married Mary E. Ferris, who was born in Philadelphia about 18 years earlier inOctober, 1852. Both of Mary's parents were born in Ireland. One of thesons of this marraige was Robert William Teesdale Jr., born in 1872. (JimCullen, one of our cousins who was the first in our family to study it's genealogy, provided a copy of the Philadelphia Census dated June 8,1880).At the time of the census these were the children who were listed in Robert and Mary's household:
1) Daughter, Ellen Teesdale,age 9 (Nellie)
2) Son, William Teesdale,age 8 (his legal name was Robert William Teesdale)
3) Son, Thomas, age 7
4) Son, James Teesdale, age 10 months
At the time of this 1880 census,
Robert W. Teesdale was 31 years old and Mary was 28. Mary's 59 year oldmother,
Ellen Ferris was born in Ireland but she lived with Robert &Mary in
1880.
In the 1890's (can someone help with the date?) Robert William Teesdale married Katherine Harvey, an Irish woman in Philadelphia. Katherine died in the 1919 Philadelphia Flu Pandemic. Robert William Teesdale later married Elisabeth Ebinger, of German descent. Not including a large number of children who died at birth or soon after, these are some of their children: (Thank you again to Jim Cullen and my Great Uncle Walter for their research and help).
(Robert and Katherine's Children)
1) Mary (Mazie) E. Teesdale,b. October 1893
2) Katie Teesdale, b. March,1895
3) Eleanor (Nellie) Teesdale, b. December 15, 1896
4) Robert Washington Teesdale, b. February, 1900 (My grandfather)
5) Margaret E. Teesdale, b. October 18, 1903
6) Willie Teesdale, b. 1904 (drowned
in Skukyhill River at age 14)
(Robert and Elizabeth's Children)
7) John Teesdale, b. 1921
8) Walter, (personal information
not provided for privacy reasons)
My Grandparents,
Robert Washington Teesdale and
Marie Sophie Berrer were married in Philadelphia at the
Zion(German)
Presbyterian Church in 1919. Interestingly,
they had met each other while traveling to work across the Delaware River
on the Philadelphia-Camden Ferry. This ferry operated
before the Benjamin Franklin Bridge was built around 1921(?).
With Robert Washington Teesdale being of Scottish -Presbyterian background and Marie Sophie Berrer being of German-Reformed background, it was an interesting compromise that they found and attended a German speaking Presbyterian Church. My grandmother was particularly faithful in attendance even on sunday evening services and at other meetings throughout the week. I have visited the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia and was very pleased to learn that the church building is still in existence. It is no longer German speaking since that practice was diminished during World War II. The Church is now a Baptist Church and it's membership is committed to restoring the original sanctuary, which is in poor repair due to rain damage. The building is incredibly beautiful and I have attempted to locate special historical funding to assist in restoration of the building. In the future, I will make a webpage about this church.
The first four children of Robert and Marie Teesdale were baptised in the Zion(German) Presbyterian Church. I have seen their records at thePresbyterian Historical Society and will post them at a later time. It is interesting that the marraige and baptism records are written inGerman.
Pending more time to work onthis project, I will merely list, for now, the children ofRobert and Marie Teesdale's generation (these are also some of the childrenof Robert's siblings).
Robert Washington Teesdale Jr.
/ Doris Marie Teesdale-Dahms / Dorothy Elizabeth Teesdale (twin who diedat
birth) / Ella Janet (Aunt Ella) / Paul Teesdale (died inWWII)
/ Donald P. Sr / Richard / Walter Jr. / Thomas / Dianne
/ Jim (son of Margaret Teesdale -Cullen) /
and more......
Paul / Jerry / Doris Marie / Robert Washington III / Daniel Charles / Dawn Marie / Mark/ Donald Jr. / Richard Jr. / Denise / Howard Allan / James Jr. /
and more .... please
send me the names (birthdays etc will only be provided to membersof
the family). TeeHistory@comcast.net
Daniel C. Jr. / Matthew / Luke
/ Maxmillian / Terrilyn / Nicole / Megan / Taylor / Matthew /
Sara Marie / Justin / Michael/
Daron / Kevin / Darryl /
and more.... please
send me the names and information.... TeeHistory@comcast.net
MORE TO FOLLOW WHEN I HAVE MORETIME TO WORK ON THIS !!!!!!
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