Section IV --- The Carmans in Pioneer Illinois 1820 - 1860
Section VII --- Carmans in the Post-Civil War Era 1865 - 1900
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"To be is to be related" --- Cassius J. Keyser
The Carman family has been in America since 1631, the immigrant ancestor arriving ten years after the Pilgrims. From
Massachusetts they migrated by the way of Connecticut to Long Island, New York (then known as Nassau Island), where
they inter-married with the Dutch. By the year of 1981 they family has been in the New world for three and one-half centuries.
During the development of the United States, they fanned out south, north and west, until they spanned the continent.
Others, during the American Revolution, became Canadians. The family history reflects the cross-currents of religious,
political and social thought that characterized the nation's history.
For the thousands of descendants of John and Florence Carman only a small portion of the family story can be told.
THE GRANDFATHERS is principally concerned with that branch of the family that found its way into central Illinois and
in the pioneer period of that country, became identified with Abraham Lincoln.
Virtually all persons bearing the name Carman, or its spelling variants, may be related. This may be a neighbor, a
business associate -- and many not bearing the name -- unbeknownest to them are of the same ancestry. It is an
interesting family with an unusual history.
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THE GRANDFATHERS is not strictly a genealogy but is as genealogicaly correct as possible. The works are not exhaustive for the families involved, but are devoted to the main line of the author's ancestry.
Not including the work done by other members of the family, nearly ten years has been spent in gathering the material presented. In some instances here have been assumptions made for which there appears to be no documentary evidence. No apology is made for a bit of 'historical romancing' and the author is recertive to corrections if and when the proper evidence is produced.
Meanwhile, the family story is told, the basic material of which is accurate. Being the kind of people they were, the early family members left fragmentary trails behind them --- so, until some family member can do a better and more accurate job, the work will have to stand.
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The writer is indebted to Louis Duermyer, New York City, Genealogical Research Consultant; Genealogist for the Holland Society of New York and Colonial Dames. of America, for the establishment of his line of descent.
Duermyer is a Carman descendant through his mother's family and has spent many years identifying the various branches of Carman 'cousins'. He assures the writer that there are no 'dubious' links in his line.
Some of the older dates given are not to be considered as absolutely accurate, they are, however, approximately correct and have been established from many sources, not necessarily. legal records.
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Volume I, THE GRANDFATHERS, Deals with the author's paternal family -- the Hall family.
Volume II, THE GRANDFATHERS, Deals with the author's maternal family -- the Carman family.
The material in Vols. I and II of The Carman Family is not formally copyrighted as the term is understood in common law. Therefore, the reader (s) of these volumes is free to copy, steal and lift for his or her own personal use any of the contents. In fact, the author will feel greatly complimented if by.chance anyone would read it and honored if its contents were worth borrowing without pay.
Works, such as THE GRANDFATHERS are for personal satisfaction not money --- although they are among the most valuable writings that can be left for future generations. They are the true histories of a people.
The material in these volumes was obtained by relentless searching, voluminous correspondence, library haunting and lifting from others' works. Most of all, by the graciousness and forebearance of those who were contacted in person or by letter. The greatest factor of all was time of which ungodly amounts were used in its composition.
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Supporting documents, significant correspondence, genealogical charts and other reference materials used in the composition of the two volumes are on file in the Illinois State Historical. Library at Springfield, Illinois. Copies of the volumes are to be given to various genealogical and historical libraries in areas where family members and other interested parties may peruse them at their leisure.
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To simplify the text so as not to complicate it with too much genealogy, the reader is advised that the following system of notation is used.
In most instances when giving the life dates of a family member, the exact months and days are not given, only the years. For example: John Carman, 1633 - 1684, indicates the approximated birth and death year dates.
The generations in America are indicated as follows: (1), (2), (3), etc. only the American generations are given, none for the period before the immigrant ancestor. Thus: John Carman (2), 1633 - 1684, would indicate that he is of the second American generation.
A double line under the name indicates that the person is in thq direct line of the writer. Example: John Carman (2), 1633 - 1684 shows that the writer is descended from him.
An underlined word, phrase or date in parenthesis is an insertion by the author to clarify or add an explanation to the text, a quotation or a statement. Thus: "John Carman moved from Massachusetts to Connecticut to gain more political and religious freedom (ca. 1644)."
In listing family group members and the spouse is known, the information will be shown as follows:
John Carman (Florence _______) - only the given name is known.
John Carman (Fordham) - famil name of spouse.
John Carman (Fordham) (Dummer) - family names of first and second wife.
John Carman (Fordham ?) - the family name is not genealogically established.
The same system is used in listing women family members.
The text is limited as follows: the author is tracing his basic line of descent and can give only a partial accounting of each generation or family group. Complete discussions on all family members are not given. Family researchers in many instances should be able to pick up their lines and develop their own specific genealogies from the information given if it applies.
Especial attention should be paid to the footnote information anDearing at the bottom of various panes and at the chapter ends. These notes frequently give added insights to the historical, periods under discussion.
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Because the Carman story in America covers three and one-half centuries, an outline of the writer's family is given below.
Only the names of the line of male ancestors will be given down to the writer's mother. In the subsequent sections of the text, more detailed discussion will be given on each of The Grandfathers (and Grandmothers!).
The Grandfathers of the Colonial Period
The Grandfathers of the Revolutionary Period
The Grandfathers of the Westward Migration
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