In Search of my Origin...

I am usually not into assignments of research that are difficult, unless I am getting paid for it. For some odd reason, I have really gotten into finding my origin. There are a few reasons why this has become important to me. Those reasons are not very exciting, so I do not know where the "drive" for answers is coming from.

I think that most of my drive comes from a family member, and a friend, who seems to be more in touch with their lineage. I am not sure whether "in touch" is the proper description. More like, "knowledge with greater ease", of their lineage. I would venture to say the "ease" part is due to the fact the lineage is more directed. They know more about their ancestors because they have less branching out to other races/origins.

Ugh...

I really want to know what I am. It is going to be impossible, and I should probably just call myself irish based on my last name. But that does not mean that I am 100% irish. But is anyone 100% anything anymore?? Ultimately, even if my name is irish descent, my irish ancestors probably moved from another country before ireland was declared a country.

I have read many different origin definitions of the surname Dowell. All of them lead back to the Gaelic form Mac Dubhghaill, which mostly points to Scottish heritage. But the Scots and Welsh came from ireland. So once again, Irish is the focus.

Of course, if you look at my family tree (using husband/wife only), I have English blood, German blood, Irish blood, and Scottish now. Most of this is based off of last names, and will continue to fork out.

If I take this to the furthest degree, and follow surname origins only, I may have 200 differents names, with 50 origins. Out of those 50 origins, I could figure what percentage is what. But should I just say I am Scottish? Or should I go all the way back to Irish?

I guess either way, I am doing some serious Family Tree research, which not many people have done in my family. So I will have something to keep passing down amongst the generations below me. I do not know how far I want to take it above me, because I could certainly enter in siblings, and their children. I feel that it would get pushed way out of whack, and I know there will be discrepancies then.

In all seriousness, some of my drive to do this also is so that my family also has some direction of their past. Believe me, I want that also. I would love to sit down with my Grandpa and Grandma Dowell and show them their lineage, because I am not sure how far back they know. The beauty of this whole project so far is how far back I have the Dowell side.

1690!! That is over 320 years ago. And obviously it goes back further, but I would have to have pretty accurate records from England. John Dowell moved here from England to Greenfield, Va. He was one of the founders of Prince William County, Va.

On the Bulen/Bullen/Boleyn side (who married my Dowell Grandfather), I have been made aware of a famous relative of mine from the past, Anne Boleyn. Here is the wiki articel about her Anne Boleyn Pretty interesting stuff.

I have found on the Harshbarger side (mom's grandmothers lineage) some information on Henry Harshbarger, a sergeant in the Civil War. I actually have a obituary from the Early 1800's of him. But I will not get much further than that, because his parents had a different spelling of the last name. Examples; Harshberger, Hirshberger, Hirshbarger.

Ugh... Again...

So I am finding some pretty cool information, and my Grandmother has given a large amount to work on on my mom's grandmothers side, so it will keep me busy.

I hope to eventually figure out what I am really looking for. I guess I hope it takes some time, because if I figure it out, I will probably stop looking... and the family tree search will be over for all of my family.

Until then, Kiss Me I'm Irish+Scottish+German+English will have to do. Do you think they make t-shirts like that???

:-)