I think all genealogists wonder about family given and middle names, as they research, when connections to those names aren't immediately obvious.
By chance, I had one of those "aha" moments, when I came across the name Lophemia Archibald Richardson (1867-1961), who, it turns out, is my 2nd cousin 2x removed. I do love my "aha" moments. This Loie was a granddaughter of Lydia Moore (1800-1888), sister to my 2nd great grandmother, Sarah Anne Moore (1819-1889). Lydia's daughter, Fanny Fisher (1841-1869) married a man named William Richardson (1838-1924). Sadly, Fanny died when her daughter, her own Loie, was just two years old.
The Richardsons, Moores and Nelsons all lived in Colchester, Nova Scotia around Truro and Salmon River in the 19th century, when family ties were oh so strong. Loie grew up to become a school teacher, who never married. She was a striking woman in her youth, as seen in this photograph taken when she was 22.Born in 1867, just over two months before Canada's Confederation, Loie was at least 14 years younger than my great grandparents, but must have been close enough to them that when their youngest daughter was born, she was named for her older cousin Loie. I wonder if this Loie was a godmother to my great aunt Loie?
I do know the origin of Loie's middle name of Archibald. This comes from her 2nd great grandmother. Eleanor Archibald (1724-1791), who I know is also a distant cousin to me, as I have many Archibald cousins in my ancestry. I just haven't worked out our exact connection. Yet. The Archibald and Moore families were among the New England Planters who came from New Hampshire to Nova Scotia in 1760-61.
The never ending story continues....
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