Generations of Stories
Welcome to Dave’s Genes, a website that explores the family histories of my ancestors from regions of Canada, England, France, and Ireland, as well as a deep New England story that spans many generations, back to the original English settlers. I welcome any comments, corrections, clarifications, or suggestions.
"The past actually happened but history is only what someone wrote down."
- A.Whitney Brown.
Doherty.
The Doherty family came to New England in waves from county Kerry in Ireland in the late 1800s, establishing a foothold in Holyoke, Massachusetts, seeking work in the textile and paper mills, and economic prosperity that had been beyond their reach in Ireland.
Dean.
The Dean family came to the United States in 1881 from the Greater Manchester area which, at the time, was part of Lancashire. They had labored in that region's textile mills and then journeyed to the United States and the factory town of Holyoke, Massachusetts.
Spenlinhauer.
Originally from Alsace, France, Thibaut Spenlinhauer served under the French flag in military campaigns in Italy, Mexico, and in the Franco-Prussian War. In 1871 he, his bride Mina Frye and their infant daughter, immigrated to Massachusetts where his brother Jean lived.
Collins.
This is the story of several very different families who converged in Nova Scotia and Quebec, Canada before immigrating to the United States to forge another new beginning. There are many interesting tales to learn about here, but unanswered questions remain.
Gagnon.
From L'islet, Quebec, Canada, the Gagnon family primarily remained in that area with the exception of Amanda Gagnon who ventured alone to the United States in 1904 at the age of 18. Two years later she met and married William Collins in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
Brown and King.
The King and Brown families are generations-old New Englanders whose roots go back to the Mayflower passengers and the Great Migration from England that occurred in the 1630s. They were primarily from Massachusetts and Connecticut, with a branch from Rhode Island.
Thank you for taking the time to visit this website. I have spent many years gathering and documenting these family histories. This is only a partial representation of what I have gathered over time. I do my best to document my sources and cross reference so that the information is accurate, albeit incomplete. References are not listed on the website, but I have them readily available if you are interested. I am continuously conducting more research, trying to fill in the holes, and improve my depth of knowledge. If you see something here that stimulates questions, seems wrong, or could be clarified, I would love to hear from you. And if you can help me add to these stories, even better. My contact information is shown below and at the foot of every page.
David Dean