Elder John Condra line disputed French with Bellingham acct + Photos
Dear Internet Cousins,
Have read these forums for years and just now brave enough to post a query as I recognize that a tradition I will add to here has been suggested in parts before and usually seems to get discounted from the start.Yet, it is the tradition which passed through my Condra line -- purportedly from Elder John's son Jacob Condra (1816-1904) to his grandson John W. Condra (1872-1955), which he put into a letter he composed on the family (link below).
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y119/saddleshire/geneal/170c1140.jpghttp://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y119/saddleshire/geneal/170c1140.jpg
Also, large pictures of him and a few other early Condras can be viewed here:http://www.geocities.com/[email protected]/genealogy.htmlhttp://www.geocities.com/[email protected]/genealogy.html
With recognition that most of the account is disputed here, I still would like to hear anything from those who rightly or wrongly have this tradition in their family lore -- especially about this Lord Bellingham and the first settling of the earliest yet unnamed ancestor to Elder John in Titusville, Pennsylvania region.
That letter was written sometime between the 1920s and 1940s by Jacob's grandson John Condra (1872-1955).Family tradition has it that he was sharing what he had been toldfrom said grandfather Jacob.
If you are unable to read it -- the relevant part asserts that the Condras are of "Frankish" origin, traveled to Ireland under "Lord Bellingham" and "later" (which could be 100 yrs or more later in my estimation) traveled to Titusville, Pennsylvania before spreading out through the colonies.
Even if the French origin is disregarded-- I am curious as to the specificity of a Lord Bellingham.Unfortunately this seems a title and not a name for easy research -- and have located at least one with title ofBellingham who moved between England and Ireland in the mid 1500s.
Would love to hear from anyone who might have a Bellingham mentioned in their Condra history.It also is interesting to me for what he does not say -- he does not refer to them as Huguenots -- yet that has been mentioned by others.
Mostly just curious if any part of this story is repeated in other family lines.Perhaps Bellingham might provide another research angle that corroborates the current Manx theory.One Bellingham source I read years ago suggested he may have been an English administrator of the Irish.Maybe the kernel to keep is him and throw out the France angle --
With so many variations of Condr-s and Con-s being researched in Ireland, Isle of Man, etc.,and the many pages of fantastic early data in Don Condra's Blue Book, it seems sometimes helpful to take a step back at all received data, disputed or not.It probably merits stating given all of our variations now opened to include just about everything from Cunnadra to Connaugh.They may all be related, but I think they probably would have been very distant cousins by the time our first C----- ancestor came to America...And there is that Conree will… which challenges every spelling assumption -- and as a Condra I know my name rarely is spelled correctly.Through the years I have been addressed as Condren, Condon, Conrad, Condar, Conder, Conger, Cundra, etc. and many unpleasant variations as well -- so always appreciate keeping an open mind in this research as more often than not even literate types really struggle with writing the name.
Finally, the letter was written by a well educated man (which I recognize could bring his imagination into question) who I have every reason to believe thought what he was writing was true.I just don't have any reason to believe he pulled it out of the air.He was remembered as a pretty humble & straight forward fellow.
I also have as a received fact that this line of decendents were genealogy and history buffs from early on.I have many mid 19th c. Condra heirlooms from Jacob and Isaac -- with only one tangible hand-me-down that reputedly is from Elder John and Rebecca Alderson -- a small set of thin brass candlesticks.
I do have several unposted 19th c. Condra photos and hope to get them up shortly -- Maybe a Jacob & Lovisa Adams Condra descendent can use a posted picture to print -- as I loaded all in very high resolution thinking someone might not have one.
With that offered -- I also have a favor to ask:does anyone know if a picture of Rebecca Alderson - Elder John's wife -- ever survived in the family?Her living to 1862 in Indiana and all seems like there would be something....Just seems strange that one did not make it down my line...But Jacob left Indiana for Illinois in the 1840s and don‘t believe he visited Indiana more than a couple of times in his later life.
With best research wishes,
Yet another John Condra
More Replies:
-
Re: Elder John Condra line disputed French with Bellingham acct + Photos
Ralph Jenkins 10/27/05
-
Re: Elder John Condra line disputed French with Bellingham acct + Photos
John Condra 12/01/05
-
Re: Elder John Condra line disputed French with Bellingham acct + Photos
James J. Condra 8/19/06
-
Re: Elder John Condra line disputed French with Bellingham acct + Photos
Ralph Jenkins 8/21/06
-
Re: Elder John Condra line disputed French with Bellingham acct + Photos
-
Re: Elder John Condra line disputed French with Bellingham acct + Photos
-
Re: Elder John Condra line disputed French with Bellingham acct + Photos