The Discovery of a Long Lost Relative-The Untold Story of Alfred Borth One of the fascinating aspects of being an amateur genealogist and one of things for which we all aspire is to find or locate a long lost relative … Continue reading
The earliest memory I have of my grandfather, William John McIvor (after whom I was named) and grandmother Catherine Brady McIvor (nee McCann) were their brogue Scottish accents, particularly that of my grandfather. Both were born in Glasgow, Scotland.
Margaret Mary was the first child of William and Catherine McIvor and my mother. She married Theodore John Anhorn on April 14th 1950. I was born on December 18th, 1950 and was their first child and the first grandchild of William and Catherine McIvor.
My mother was extremely proud of her Scottish roots and until her death most recently prominently displayed the Campbell Clan tartan and plaque on her wall. She was always quick to boast of her Scottish heritage.
From very early in my life when asked about my own heritage, I was quickly identified myself as half German (Anhorn) and half Scottish (McIvor).
Most recently however, while conducting some genealogy research in relation to our McIvor family tree, I discovered, much to my surprise, that my family originated not from Scotland but rather Ireland and that my true ancestry therefore is not Scottish but Irish! READ ON
A Turkish Delight
I have always enjoyed writing and story telling, as many of my friends will attest. I have written a number of articles lately, having completely retired and have posted some on my personal homepage William J Anhorn QC. My venture into genealogy has resulted in some interesting results, not the least of which is establishing a family connection to royalty, all of which I have documented on the website.
My own life experience has also resulted in some interesting and at times amusing stories and antidotes, which for no other specific reason or purpose, I have decided to document for posterity. The first article along this line is entitled, “Find the Time and Have the Courage to Change and Develop a Plan for the Future”. It is in retrospect, an amusing story regarding my own “life-altering event”, but with a not so subtle message.
Now I know what you are thinking, “since golf season is over he has far too much time on his hands”. But I considerate it therapeutic, a form of occupational therapy!
Here is another story, which you will hopefully find of interest. Read on
The Anhorn Family History-From My Perspective
Researching family history opens doors to self-discovery, creates newly found relationships and a greater appreciation of each person’s unique place in history.
My Grandparents, John Anhorn and Lydia Anhorn (nee Weiss) were of German extraction but both were born in South Russia. The Anhorn German ancestral home, which dates back to the 1700’s, was in and around Wittenberg, which is now in Southern Germany.
Wittenberg, (officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg) is a town in north-central Germany, which lies on the Elbe River, southwest of Berlin. The town is known for it’s close ties to Martin Luther, a religious leader, who lived and preached there. It was on October 31, 1517 that he nailed his “95 Theses” to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, which is historically credited as being the start of the Protestant Reformation and the establishment of “ Lutheranism” and the Lutheran Church.
My great-great-great Grandfather, according to research conducted by dad’s brother, William Paul Anhorn, immigrated to Bessarabia, Russia via Poland in 1808.[1] Despite my grandparent’s respective birthplaces, we always considered that we were of German ancestry. To understand this anomaly, a history lesson is required surrounding what was known then as “Bessarabia”. READ ON
