In attempting to lift this dirigible off the ground, I’ve been mulling over ideas for upcoming blog entries. Coming up with something that’s interesting to me is relative easy. Coming up with something interesting to you is a different ballgame and then there’s the issue of time. I started writing this entry back on 12/9 which only reinforces my need for your participation with family stories or interesting topics related to genealogy or family studies. With that being said, I thought it made sense to start at the beginning which includes some background and a definition or two.
However, before we get too far into this let me declare that the amount of information I know about genealogy and genealogical protocol will fill two sheets of toilet paper (single ply!). So if I make a faux pas, please be kind in setting me straight. I’m hoping this will change as the blog develops and as we gather information from contributors and readers.
Do you ever wonder where your surname (last name) came from or whether it has a meaning in some distant, faraway land? Have you ever learned of someone famous or met someone with your surname and wondered if you’re related? I was on a flight about 5 years ago where the airline had put two John Martins in the same seat with me being one of them. I’ve been in hotels and received calls from complete strangers thinking I was the John Martin they were looking for. This one’s pretty common, although it hasn’t happened in a while, but that’s another story.
Growing up, my grandmother, Katharine (Kate) Marie Evans (Nov. 15, 1914 – Jan. 3, 2005) told me several times she thought we might be related to Mary, Queen of Scotland, actor John Garfield and possibly William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States. Unfortunately she never said whether this was on her mother’s or father’s side nor did she ever cite her sources and as a kid I wasn’t smart enough to ask the right questions.
What is a surname anyway? Much to my surprise, the use of surnames on a regular basis does not begin until somewhere between the 12th and 13th centuries depending on the source. I’m finding (and my father John James Martin has confirmed) that geneology is not an exact science and there are a lot of inconsistencies both in data and process. Surnames seem to come from four sources:
- Patronymic – names derived from the original bearer name or from religious naming conventions.
- Local – names derived from features of the local landscape such as Hill or Underwood.
- Occupational – names derived from one’s line of work such as; Skinner, Baker, and Smith.
- Nicknames – derived from an aspect of the person’s character (i.e. Stern) or physical composure.
Apparently the first documented source of surnames was for taxation purposes (go figure). Landowner’s names were collected at the request of William I of England, aka William the Conqueror, who we’ll learn more about in upcoming entries. The tax survey was referred to as the Domesday Book and William used the information to track the wealth of his newly “acquired” subjects of England.
So who was the first Cheever and where did he hail from? We’re assuming it was a male since historical western tradition is for the female to take her husband’s surname. All indications seem to point to France as the geographical origin and there is some documentation that indicates the name might have been originally spelled as Chevre before it was later changed to Cheever. Chevre in French is a goat so that begs the question of whether the Chevres were goat herders? Hopefully we’ll find out. As for Cheever the person, we have documentation that the earliest known Cheever was Sir William Cheever who resided in the county of Wexford, Ireland. We’ve found very little to describe his life or exactly what he did although we may have information that suggests he at one time fought alongside Richard fitz Gilbert de Clare aka Strongbow.
Personally, I always thought the name of Cheever had a nice “ring” to it. So much so, that I named my son, Tyler Cheever Lewis Martin. Had he been born about 15 years later, when more traditional names like Isabella, Jackson and Hazel were making a comeback I’d have made Cheever his first name instead of his middle.
So there you have it. We suspect the Cheevers are from France and have some connection to goats. While I wouldn’t have started with either of these topics, we at least have some point of reference. If you would like to add anything to this or have comments, please do so in the comment section of this post.
Post Script - Got stories about your immediate family or historical stories you’d like to share? Let me know by sending an email or by putting in the comment section.
