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Daniel Webster said, “Those who do not
look upon themselves as a link, connecting the past with the future do not
perform their duty to the world.”
During
the past two years in prosecuting our labor of filial devotion to the memory of
a Spaid grandmother we were frequently asked, “Why write a family history?”
“What is the necessity for it?”
If it
is deemed necessary to write up the pedigree of certain animals, and register
them, is it not the record of a worthy family much more important?
If it is important that the church and state should keep a careful record
of their historical incidents and facts it is equally so that the family, the
most important of the three, should do so, because it lies at the foundation of
the others. It is a well-recognized fact that the prosperity of the state
and the success of the church are dependent upon the virtue, good order and
sanctity of the home. “Break down
the safeguards of this, the first institution in the plan of God, and social
order is destroyed and national greatness imperiled.”
If
“Blood is thicker than water,” those of the same family should be nearer and
dearer to us that others, and we should be more interested in their success and
welfare. It has been well said,
“They who care not to know their ancestors, are wanting in natural affection,
and regardless of filial duty.”
However
indifferent some may affect to be regarding this question of ancestry, universal
experience of human nature serves to prove that those who really have a pedigree
will usually boast of it, whilst those who lack one, and cannot perhaps even
trace to their grandfather, will condemn such as frivolous and foolish.
Some affect to be indifferent to such matters, on the principle that we
judge a man as we find him and not on the merits of his ancestors, but such
feelings are not in harmony with those of the student of history and the
hereditary genius. It is said President Garfield delighted to dwell on the
traits of his ancestors and was justly proud of his long lineage.
The
object of the present undertaking is to preserve in the deluge of time the
pedigrees and salient historic incidents in a family and to present them in the
popular form of a direct pedigree. Many
lineages must of necessity contain nothing but simple records of uneventful
generations, but they will preserve facts of great interest to descendants which
would otherwise in many cases be lost in the history of a family.
Other objects had in view in publishing this collection, is the
preservation of names which indifference or accident might have forever placed
beyond reach.
The
preservation of pedigrees is not the mere pastime of the idle and curious, it is
the honorable employment of the student and historian, for it has always formed
the basis of true history. So
important a place did the preservation of a pedigree occupy among the Israelites
that it was established as a positive obligation upon every Levite in the
Temple.
It
certainly is a matter of vital importance to the members of a large family such
as ours, as the country gets older and the connections increase, and the name
becomes more familiar in all the professions and trades, to be able easily to
trace the family back to the early history of the country when neighbors were
few and far apart and the country was a trackless wilderness. Also, it is a great satisfaction and comfort for anybody who
has any interest in his family connection to be able readily to place the name
of any person or family and to know who his ancestors were to what branch of the
family he belongs, and how he stands related to every other member of the
family. Many have given little
attention to such matters, and hence are quite ignorant of their ancestry, or
even their nearest relatives. To
such persons a family history where such information can be had at a glance
would be a source of great pleasure.
In
presenting the present volume to the kinfolk, the compiler has no apology to
offer. He feels that he has
diligently applied himself to the task of making the best possible compilation
of such records as are at the disposal of genealogists.
It is not assumed that he has finished a work that is perfect, complete,
or free from error, but to the contrary, he rather expects some criticism on
these points. No one, however, who
has not himself made genealogical researches and attempted the compilation of a
family history, on a large scale, has any idea of the difficulties and
perplexities that have to be med and conquered; especially in a case like this,
where no previous compilation, on which to add, improve, and correct, has been
at the disposal of the compiler.
Family
traditions unsupported by facts are of little value to the family historian.
But far more discouraging is the unfortunate lack of education of the
American people, as to the value of family history, and their consequent lack of
sufficient interest to induce them to reply to letters asking them, yes,
beseeching them to send in their lineages and family history.
This has caused the editor unsurmountable
perplexity. Whole families
would have been omitted but for the industry and sagacity of relatives, who in
addition to their own records, have collected and furnished us with collateral
branches of their families.
Should
any member of the family, who has not personally furnished records, of an
authentic nature of his own family, on inspection of this volume, find any of
his lineage or family records incomplete or incorrect, let him blame himself for
not insuring its correctness, by sending to the compiler the very knowledge, by
which he judges of the error as herein made.
In
compiling this genealogy we have spared no pains to have it complete and perfect
as possible. Few have any
conception of the labor, patience, perseverance and sacrifice of time and money
necessary to gather up the history of a family scattered from Boston to Los
Angeles and from Washington to Florida, over so great a country. Some have not been able to see the importance of such a work,
and hence were not careful to answer our correspondence, or to tell us what they
knew. We are pleased to say they
were few in number. Others have
been most accommodating and kind, giving valuable help and much encouragement in
the work.
We feel
repaid for the effort in the new acquaintances we have formed, and the
information we have gathered about the connection, which is a great satisfaction
to us; and we trust it will be as much to those who shall avail themselves of a
copy. If in the publication of the
facts we have gathered, the genealogical taste of our people now living, or
those who may come after, may be gratified even in some small degree, we shall
feel that our labors have not been altogether in vain.
One of
the greatest annoyances to genealogists is the idea in the minds of many persons
that the compilation and publication of a genealogy is a commercial enterprise,
and is fostered by mercenary motives. Nothing,
however, could be further from the fact, as all genealogists agree that their
productions never have been financial successes.
The book is for private circulation and will sell only to members of the
family and to but very few of them. If
enough are sold to cover the expense of printing, binding and engraving,
we shall be satisfied. The two
years’ work, the money spent for postage and in traveling to gather data, has
been given for the philanthropic purpose that this family might preserve an
historical record of itself.
The
compiler of this volume will consider it a favor if any member of the family,
possessing the necessary information, will kindly furnish him with any additions
or corrections to the contents of this edition that the next edition of the
Spaid Genealogy, whenever that may be compiled, may be that much more correct
and complete. While the writer of
this work will never compile another genealogy, he will consent to act as
historian of the family, and preserve all records that come into his hands,
until some other member of the kinfolk begins a revision of this edition, when
he will cheerfully turn all records over to him.
It was
the original intention to devote our work exclusively to ancestry, and to merely
catalogue the living in their proper family, but later we found it expedient to
give thumb-nail sketches of the living, confining ourselves to the merest
date—dates of birth, marriage, name of wife and children, occupation, address.
Each lineage is intended to be an impartial record, and we have been
careful to impunge all such adjectives a great prominent, pious, from the
pedigrees. The historic offices
held, works written, and other remarks pretty clearly define the position of
each line of ancestry without any laudatory statements.
Our
special thanks are due to the venerable Luther Spaid of Pleasant City, Ohio, for
the helpful suggestions. Prof.
Frank Spaid and Elvie Spaid of Concord, W. Va.; Hilary Spaid and Bertha Spaid of
Yellow Springs, W. Va.; Rev. Angus Spaid and Mrs. Fanny Brill of Hooks Mills, W.
Va.; Mary Anderson of Clearbrook, Va.; Edgar Sine of Trone, VA.; Rev. Charles R.
Sine, of Tonawanda, N.Y.; Mrs. Jennie Partlow of Denver, Colo.; Edward Hellyer
of Sandusky, Ohio; Mrs. Mary Cook. Of Los Gatos, Calif.; Dr. John Secrest, of
Akron, Ohio; Mrs. Rose McWilliams, of Caldwell, Ohio; Mrs. Mary Rowland of
Nampa, Idaho; Sadie Spaid Trott and the late William H. Spaid of Buffalo, Ohio,
have furnished data and interesting facts with a readiness and fullness which,
had some others equally interested emulated, it would have greatly lessened our
labors. Others who have aided us we
must thank in a general way.
A.T. SECREST
Pleasant City, Ohio, November 1st, 1922
“We have careful thoughts for the stranger,
And smiles for the sometime guest,
But oft for ‘our own’
The bitter tome
Though we love ‘our own’ the best.”
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