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Anna again - I neglected to add the following in my last "ANGEL-CALLANAN" CONNECTION:-
This is NOT exclusive to ANGEL - if fact, almost EVERY FAMILY in NFLD. before CONFEDERATION in 1949 and oozing into the following decade, chose to say nothing when asked, "ARE YOU RELATED TO SUCH AND SUCH?"
IF SAID "SUCH AND SUCH" had been deemed by elders - who were never questioned as they are today - more's the pity! - IF THE "OLD FOLK" had deemed a relative had "jumped ship", either religiously OR politically and, God fobid, BOTH, an answer in the negative or some nebulous answer that left the questioning "nosey party" more in doubt than ever was "THE ORDER OF THE DAY."
Some of those who, in coming here from Ireland, England & other places, had literally "jumped ship" when Land was sighted and thus, avoided their payment for the voyage in "steerage" to their new life. (Which was most likely the plan all along!)
"FURLONG" became "LONG" - "O'ROURKE became "ROURKE". Many who listed their "occupations on so-called "ships" as "Farmers", Tailors, etc., wouldn't have known a hoe from a rake or a needle from the proverbial anchor. 50 years after their arrival here, and after they had settled where their relatives who had left the Motherland earlier, didn't know their first cousin from their half- brother or sister.
This state of affairs not only accounts for the difficulty in tracing people - but also resulted in the high rate of birth defects and illness in many pockets of people attempting to be someone other than they knew they were. Hence, the many DNA Genetic Studies first started by Dr. Penny Alderdice and today follows every genetically-linked illness from Hypertension to Spina Bifida.
How sad that our ancestors believed they had to change who they were in order to succeed - it's a wonder so many were successful with their own self-deception. I, for one, seeing so much of the negative effects of this in my Nursing career, am glad this is over - well, almost over. We still have a long way to "dig" and, even then, we have no guarantee that we will learn anything more than our ancestors who settled here, died from something other than "general decay" or "internal seizures" or "insanity." It's enought to drive one nuts!.
I was wondering where everyone was today - and then, I turned on the TV. "THE PLAYOFFS!" At least we have our priorities straight. Anna.
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