What are the chances that the VanArnhem/VanNormans came from Pskovskaya Region of Russia? Forgive me if I have not clearly comprehended the conversations of the last few weeks but I think I have understood that VanArnhem is not a true surname but a region that the Dircks, Theunis, and other surnames from the area could well have been Lavina, Belarus, or even Pskovskaya Oblast migrates. I say this because this is what is now showing up in my autosomal DNA tests... and I'm being connected to several Russia "cousins" rather than more Dutch or English ones. The interesting facts are that most of these peoples only have first names like Pelageya of Pskovskaya... which I can see that perhaps the "of" might have been deleted and the Pskovskaya been picked up as the surname like VanArnhem was. Wasn't until modern times that actual surnames were attached to the given names to clarify what family these people came from. Just rambling thoughts... I may be way off base. But if you study the history of the country it was always in some sort of turmoil, a good reason to migrate and perhaps finally escape to America. Leslie Barker Thomas Descendant of Isaac 1794-1878 and Harriet VanNorman Fear less; hope more. Eat less; chew more. Talk less; say more. Hate less; love more, and all good thing will be yours. - Swedish Proverb -
Arhem is a city. Whether born there or resided for time, no one knows for sure. Also, both spoke Dutch. I'm not clear on my history, and certainly not on immigration patterns, but I suppose it's possible that Jan, or his father, was the equivalant of a mercenary from somewhere else. Being a soldier, his origins are more open to conjecture. I personally don't find it likely that Sara is from anywhere but Rotterdam or it's surrounding area. She being from Rotterdam, etc... It's always possible she too had some past; an orphan or a war refugee, or some such. On Fri, Oct 29, 2010 at 6:38 PM, Leslie Thomas <aeriehollow@ellijay.com> wrote: > What are the chances that the VanArnhem/VanNormans came from > Pskovskaya Region of Russia? > Forgive me if I have not clearly comprehended the conversations of > the last few weeks but I think I have understood that VanArnhem is > not a true surname but a region that the Dircks, Theunis, and other > surnames from the area could well have been Lavina, Belarus, or even > Pskovskaya Oblast migrates. I say this because this is what is now > showing up in my autosomal DNA tests... and I'm being connected to > several Russia "cousins" rather than more Dutch or English ones. The > interesting facts are that most of these peoples only have first > names like Pelageya of Pskovskaya... which I can see that perhaps the > "of" might have been deleted and the Pskovskaya been picked up as the > surname like VanArnhem was. Wasn't until modern times that actual > surnames were attached to the given names to clarify what family > these people came from. > Just rambling thoughts... I may be way off base. But if you study > the history of the country it was always in some sort of turmoil, a > good reason to migrate and perhaps finally escape to America. > > > > Leslie Barker Thomas > Descendant of Isaac 1794-1878 and Harriet VanNorman > > Fear less; hope more. Eat less; chew more. Talk less; say more. Hate > less; love more, and all good thing will be yours. > - Swedish Proverb - > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to VANNORMAN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >