Maryland Family Mysteries
Much genealogical work has been done on the branches of this family from Maryland—or, at least, I have uncovered more finished work here in comparison to other areas. The records are extensive because most of these branches stayed in one general area, Maryland, for several centuries, generating a tight web of common ancestors and stable depositories of family records. Almost all lived in southern Maryland, especially in Anne Arundel, Prince George's, and Montgomery counties, though branches also reach into Calvert, Charles, Frederick, and Howard counties and beyond.
Despite the work that has been done, there are still knots to untie. Please feel free to submit more if you seem them on the tree.
Here is one that isn't part of any County in Maryland I know of, but is worth putting out there. There was an Isaac Lansdale born in Delaware in 1760 who was Revolutionary War veteran. He later moved to Fayette Co., Alabama, and died there, and his family after this is pretty well attested. But: does anyone know of his parents? There are many Lansdales near by in Prince George's County in Maryland, and many named Isaac: I can't imagine there's not some connection.
1. Anne Arundel County.
2. Charles County
3. Montgomery County.
4. Prince George's County.
So the mystery is, then: how are they related? They both appear on the site because they are rather distantly related by marriage. At the moment, it seems that they aren't related by blood on this side of the Atlantic, but there are at least four reasons why they might be. The first is, of course, that they lived very close to each other in Maryland.
A second bit of evidence cuts both for and against a relationship. General E.G. Lansdale records that his father told him that the USS Lansdale was named "for the son of a second cousin of his grandfather" (his narrative can be found on the Maryland Histories page). The legend may point to the fact that there was a common ancestor. But, unfortunately, it seems like it's not true. [Here's my logic: his father's (Lansdale) grandfather was John Lansdale, and his second cousin would in the story be Philip Lansdale the father of Philip Van Horne Lansdale. Second cousins have common great-grandfathers. But, John's great-grandfather was Charles Lansdale m. Catherine Wheeler, while Philip's great-grandfather was Isaac Lansdale m. Eleanor Crabb).]
Third, Lansdale family history records the story that there were two or three Lansdale brothers who immigrated together from England. Who were they? If this story is true, one for sure was Isaac Lansdale, since his birth is recorded as being in England. But the only siblings of his I know of are both ciphers—John and Sarah Valentine—of whom nothing is recorded.
A fourth factor allowing for a relationship is the mere fact of the unknown. Who are the John Lansdale and Mary Pumphrey mentioned above, for example? Mary Ann marries John Bucey, who was a grandson of Charles. Is this John Lansdale a grandson of Isaac? The dates would fit. If so, this is an awfully close connection, especially if they were from Montgomery County.
Right now, however, there are many problems with all of this. Charles' family seems to have been Catholic, and Isaac's family all seem to have been Anglican/Episcopalian. And if Charles's family did immigrate with Isaac's, there is a a generational gap to reckon with. Charles was born in 1742, and Isaac was born 6 decades earlier, abt. 1686 in England. Charles would either either be the descendant of a different immigrant ancestor, or would have to be the son of one of Isaac's sons—probably Isaac Jr., John, or Richard—and while one researcher hypothesized that he was John's son, he also clearly says that this was an arbitrary guess. (Query posted June, 2006).
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