About us
The question "Where are we from" has been asked numerous times by many children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even 3x great-grandchildren of Harvey Franklin McIntyre b. 1868 Alton, Madison County, Illinois and Rebecca Harris Thompson b. 1876 Iatan, Platte County, Missouri.
We, the extended cousins of all generations and branches, have not been able to satisfactorily address this question through regular genealogical methods. As a result, we started DNA testing through a variety of places, with some success in finding a variety of new cousins across varied branches. Still, the question remains - due to several issues with Harveys' and Rebeccas' fathers and where their fathers families are from. We have also visited sites devoted to Name and Region studies, to no avail.
Harveys' father, John Luther McIntyre, was born 1839 Monroe County, Ohio to parents William McIntyre and Eliza Welch/Welsh, or so it is believed. John does show on a few censuses in their household, yet no absolute proof can be found. This area of Ohio and the neighboring areas in Virginia and Pennsylvania, had many branches of McIntyre, McIntire, McEntires migrate into through mid 1700s - early 1800s. Harveys' 2x great grandfather, or the person whom we believe to be so, also is surrounded in mystery. Nicholas McEntire said to be born at or brfore 1735, Fredericksburg, Virginia Colony. Other data has it that he came to Fredericksburg, from the Cumberland area or Pennsylvania, or was brought in as a young teen indentured servant.
Rebeccas' father, Thomas Merritt Thompson, was born between 1827 and 1832, possibly in Tennessee as one branch believes; or Kentucky as another branch believes. The data that traveled down the branches gave conflicting places of birth. Census records themselves give conflicting dates of birth. It is quite possible that Thomas had no idea of where and when he was born. No family names have survived in the compiled data. Not even first names of possible relatives. The data we do have in agreement -is that Thomas was orphaned completely by the time he was 8 or 9 years old. We know that Thomas attempted to enter the education system at a local primary school as a teen-young adult to learn to read and write. He was not successful in that arena, but was quite successful in his adult choice of business, "being quite sharp" of mind.
We do know general areas of the world where these last names were common, but still, it would sure be nice to know where these two lines originated from.
We look forward to meeting all associated and extended branches!
Jeanette