Hi, Let me first send my apologies if you’re receiving this email multiple times, I was having difficulty with my emails. I’m looking for help with my family roots. My ancestor and my gg grandfather is Copernius Volney Hursman, AKA Purney Hurshman, and sometimes referred to in censuses as Copernistl, b 19 Feb 1874, in St. Margaret’s Bay, illegitimate son of Geogina Hurshman. This is where my research comes to a stop. I don’t know where else to find records on Georgina or Purney’s biological father. In 1902 Purney married his first wife and my ancestor, Bessie Pass. They had a child, my grandfather, Charles Philip Hurshman (b 1904). My family is from McNabs Island, NS and we still own land there. A statutory declaration indicates that Purney got land on McNabs Island as a resulting of him "squatting" on the lands - squattors rights. At age 40 he served in WWI as an engine driver. His place of residence at the time was Bishop Street, Halifax. His attestation papers list his religion as Church of England. Purney died on 17 Dec 1949 in Halifax, NS. His birth cert. refers to “Geo P. Hurshman” as “father, mother or other informant” so Geo P. is Georgina’s father or other informant but I don’t know which. In the 1881 census, he is listed as living with George Hurshman, age 70, Catherine, age 25 who was a servant. This leaves me confused. Where is his biological mother, Georgina? Why is he not living with her at his young age of 7? If anyone has a database for his obituary, can you please let me know. Any other help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Leanne Lewis (leannel@eastlink.ca)

Hi Leanne: I doubt that you are going to find anything on who Copernicus HURSHMAN's biological father was, as he doesn't seem to know. At marriage, he gives his parents as his grandfather and his aunt Catherine, who [from the 1871 Census] apparently raised him, and at death, the informant (who is his son?) put Unknown for his parents. As to his name being Copernistl, I think that's simply a census-taker's error in the 1871 Census. At her marriage to Jeremiah Young in 1883, Georgina gives her parents as George and Helen HURSHMAN and, in Copernicus' birth record, the "Father, Mother, or Other informant" is one George P. HURSHMAN. From that, it seems clear (at least to me, although I cannot prove it) that her father is George Philip HURSHMAN. In the 1871 Census of French Village, George Philip's age places his birth abt. 1810. Since I'm not a HURSHMAN researcher per se, I can't really say much more than that. However, I can say that George Philip seems to be Anglican, and his marriage is in neither the Halifax Anglican registers nor in Terry Punch's Religious Marriages in Halifax, at least that I can can find. So I will guess that he may have been married at St. Paul's Anglican, French Village. And since I don't have access to the marriage register for the Parish of St. Margaret's, someone else will have to address that possibility. One final note--I would be willing to wager as high as two cents that George Philip's parents were Philip HURSHMAN and Jane THOM, who married 23 Jun 1810 [Parish Register, SPAH]. -----Bob H----- On 3/29/2012 11:57 AM, Leanne Lewis wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > > > Let me first send my apologies if you’re receiving this email multiple times, I was having difficulty with my emails. > > > > > > I’m looking for help with my family roots. My ancestor and my gg grandfather is Copernius Volney Hursman, AKA Purney Hurshman, and sometimes referred to in censuses as Copernistl, b 19 Feb 1874, in St. Margaret’s Bay, illegitimate son of Geogina Hurshman. This is where my research comes to a stop. I don’t know where else to find records on Georgina or Purney’s biological father. > > > > > > In 1902 Purney married his first wife and my ancestor, Bessie Pass. They had a child, my grandfather, Charles Philip Hurshman (b 1904). My family is from McNabs Island, NS and we still own land there. A statutory declaration indicates that Purney got land on McNabs Island as a resulting of him "squatting" on the lands - squattors rights. > > > > At age 40 he served in WWI as an engine driver. His place of residence at the time was Bishop Street, Halifax. His attestation papers list his religion as Church of England. > > > > > > Purney died on 17 Dec 1949 in Halifax, NS. > > > > > > His birth cert. refers to “Geo P. Hurshman” as “father, mother or other informant” so Geo P. is Georgina’s father or other informant but I don’t know which. > > > > > > In the 1881 census, he is listed as living with George Hurshman, age 70, Catherine, age 25 who was a servant. This leaves me confused. Where is his biological mother, Georgina? Why is he not living with her at his young age of 7? > > > > > > If anyone has a database for his obituary, can you please let me know. > > > > > > Any other help would be greatly appreciated. > > > > > > Thanks. > > > > > > Leanne Lewis (leannel@eastlink.ca) > > > > ---------------------------------------- > Basic List Commands: > > 1. To post to the list > Send a message to: > NOVA-SCOTIA-L@rootsweb.com > > 2. How to unsubscribe > a. List mode: Send a message to NOVA-SCOTIA-L- > request@rootsweb.com that contains only the word > unsubscribe > > b. Digest mode: Send a message to NOVA-SCOTIA-D- > request@rootsweb.com that contains only the word > unsubscribe > > 3. How to subscribe > Send an email containing only the word > subscribe > to NOVA-SCOTIA-L-request@rootsweb.com > > 4. How to change to Digest mode > a. Unsubscribe from List mode (2.a. above) > b. Subscribe to Digest mode > Send an email containing only the word > subscribe > to NOVA-SCOTIA-D-request@rootsweb.com > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NOVA-SCOTIA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >