Clemens Surname Family Genealogy


		Our Maternal CLEMENS Family Ancestors


An Introduction	Origins Of The Surname	Variations on the Surname	Family Name Index	Family Location Information
Surname Source Documents	Family Information Websites	Family Images Gallery	Contact Information


	OUR CLEMENS FAMILY An Introduction
	What little we know about this ancestral line centers on our 3^rd great-grandmother Elizabeth Clemens. It is speculated that Elizabeth may be the daughter of Joseph Clemmons of Christian County, Kentucky. Elizabeth Clemens was born in Kentucky around 1799. She probably lived her early years in Christian County located in the southwestern part of the state. She married Asa Pinnell when	she was quite young maybe only age 13. In 1813 the young couple struck out for Missouri, reaching it that same year. Although Asa and Elizabeth eventually settled east of Lanes Prairie in what is now Maries County the Pinnell family name is well represented in Crawford County as well. Elizabeth lived well into her nineties and passed away around 1896.

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CLEMENS

Origins Of The Surname

Clemens is an English patronymic surname from the personal name Clement. English, French, and Dutch in origin Clement is from the Latin personal name Clemens meaning ‘merciful’ (genitive Clementis). This achieved popularity firstly through having been borne by an early saint who was a disciple of St. Paul, and later because it was selected as a symbolic name by a number of early popes. There has also been some confusion with the personal name Clemence (Latin Clementia, meaning ‘mercy’, an abstract noun derived from the adjective; in part a masculine name from Latin Clementius, a later derivative of Clemens). As an American family name, Clement has absorbed cognates in other continental European languages.

This surname was first found in Oxfordshire, where the Clemens family was seated from very early times. Some of the first settlers, in America, of this name or some of its variants were: Elizabeth Clements, who came to Jamestown, Virginia in 1611; August Clement, who immigrated to Massachusetts in 1635; Edey Clement, who settled in Virginia in 1635.

SOURCE: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4 Family Facts (Ancestry.com)

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CLEMENS

Variations on the Surname

The complexity of researching records is compounded by the fact that in many cases an ancestors surname may have been misspelled. This is especially true when searching census documents. Spelling variations include: Clements, Clement, Clemens, Climer and others.

The Soundex system was developed in an effort to assist with identifying spelling variations for a given surname. Soundex is a method of indexing names in the 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 US Census, and can aid genealogists in their research. Soundex Code for Clemens = C455.

Source: Surname Resources at ROOTSWEB

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CLEMENS Family Name Index Additional Information About Our DIRECT ANCESTORS And Their Families May Be Reviewed By Clicking On The Name LINK(s) Below.
NAME	BIRTH / DEATH / LOCATIONS
CLEMMONS, Joseph , ??	b. between 1766-1784 in South Carolina
CLEMENS, Elizabeth	b: ABT 1799 in Kentucky d: ABT 1896 in Maries County, Missouri
*The following LINK will take you to a complete listing of individuals with this Surname.* CLEMENS

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CLEMENS Family Location Information Researching the locations where our ancestors lived has provided us with valuable evidence needed not only to fill-in the gaps in our family trees. It has also led us to many interesting facts that enhance the overall picture of each family group. The names of states and counties on the following list were derived from the known places where the persons listed in the Name Index where born, married, and died.
COUNTRY	STATE	COUNTY / SUBDIVISION
UNITED STATES	SOUTH CAROLINA
	KENTUCKY	Christian
	MISSOURI	Crawford	Maries
*Use this LINK to find out more about the locations listed above. ANCESTRAL LOCATIONS*

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CLEMENS

Surname Source Documents

The documents contained herein have been located during my research of this family, and used as evidence to prove many of the facts contained within the database of this family’s record.

Most of these documents can be considered as primary or secondary. Primary evidence is usually defined as the best available to prove the fact in question, usually in an original document or record. Secondary evidence is in essence all that evidence which is inferior in its origin to primary evidence. That does not mean secondary evidence is always in error, but there is a greater chance of error. Examples of this type of evidence would be a copy of an original record, or oral testimony of a record’s contents. Published genealogies and family histories are also secondary evidence.

Classifying evidence as either primary or secondary does not tell anything about its accuracy or ultimate value. This is especially true of secondary evidence. Thus it is always a good idea to ask the following questions: (1) How far removed from the original is it, (when it is a copy)?; (2) What was the reason for the creation of the source which contains this evidence?; and (3) Who was responsible for creating this secondary evidence and what interest did they have in its accuracy?

SOURCE: Greenwood, Val D., The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, 2^nd edition, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD 21202, 1990, pgs. 62-63

You are welcome to download any of the documents contained within this archive. Should you encounter a problem obtaining a copy you may get in touch with me via the contact information found at the end of this page.

Use the following LINK to view the source documents pertaining to this family.

SOURCE DOCUMENTS

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CLEMENS Family Information Websites The following are websites that may provide you with additional information to assist with your research about persons with this surname.
Link to Website	Link to Website
Rootsweb Message Boards (Surnames Clem, et. al.)	Free Genealogy Search Help For Google
CLEMENS (C455) at ROOTSWEB	RootsWeb List Finder: CLEMENS
Cyndi's List - Surnames, Family Associations & Family Newsletters - "C"	Clemens Family Genealogy Forum
*Use the following LINK to find other information that may pertain to this family surname or location.* WEBSITE & WEBPAGES WE LIKE

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CLEMENS

Family Images Gallery

During our research we have collected and images and photographs that are of general interest to a particular family. Some of them are presented on this website because we believe they tend to provide the reader with additional information which may aid in the understanding of our ancestors past lives. If you have any photographs or other images relating to this ancestral family we would greatly appreciate hearing from you.