One of the fun bonuses of writing Appalachian fiction set in my home state and inspired by my own family (seven generations worth of Mountaineers!) is connecting with a world of cousins who have discovered me through my stories. Lately, I’ve been hanging out on a genealogy page on Facebook dedicated to the county our family farm is located in. What a treat! Pictures, stories, connections–these are my people. Literally!
I’ve long known the Phillips family line (my great-grandmother) because that’s the one our farm was passed down through. But I’d never dug all that deep into the Loudin line (my great-grandfather).
When we were kids, Dad often talked about being Irish, but when I researched the Phillips I found mostly English and Dutch. Oh well, it felt a little less romantic than being good ole Scots-Irish Appalachians, but still interesting. Well, turns out the Loudins are where the Irish comes in.
Here’s the line:
- 1757 John N. Loudin (Ulster, Ireland) & Sarah Lindsey Loudin (NJ)
- 1789 William Loudin (PA–moved to Upshur Co., WV) & Sarah Davis Loudin (Barbour Co., WV)
- 1812 George Alexander Loudin & Zenia Loudin (from here on it’s all Upshur Co.)
- 1853 John Wesley Loudin & Delilah Jane Brady Loudin (In photo above–he has on a black jacket and she’s wearing a white collar. I think that’s my great-grandmother Jane standing behind John because I have other pictures where she’s standing just like that.)
- 1875 Perry Sylvester Loudin & Lydia Jane Phillips Loudin
- 1910 Rex Phillip Loudin & Nellie Bly Markley Loudin – My grandparents
Yes, I get a kick out of those two Sarah’s getting the ball rolling back in the 1700s! Plus, Zenia–you can bet I’m gonna use that name in a novel.
Then I dug a little deeper. It seems the name Loudin is an Irish variation on the Scottish Loudoun. Makes sense that they’d be in Northern Ireland. And then I found the family crest for the Loudoun/Loudin/Louden family. You’ll have to Google it if you want to see it–the image is copyrighted. But it’s an evergreen tree with a dog standing at the base. There’s a hunting horn and the motto is – The sentinel sleeps not.
Well. That tickles me right down to my ever so slightly Irish toes!
Sure sounds like MANY stories popping’ right up in your mind!!
For that, I am VERY THANKFUL 🙂
So am I!
I’ve been doing some digging on my own family history, and as it just so happens…John Loudin is my (sixth) great grandfather!
This is so neat!
I love how I keep turning up cousins!
i was always told my grandfather was from around elkins wv,bernerd loudin.i never saw him alive,i did see a picture of him in his coffin which was normal for that time.his wife my grandmother was alma schoolcraft,she never talked much about grandpa….
Now there are two names I need to use in a novel!
Hello, I have started my own family tree research, and found that my 5th great grandfather is also John N. Loudin (Ulster, Ireland). After him William Loudin and then George Alexander Loudin are my grandfathers as well. My third great grandfather is Samuel Walter Loudin. I was wondering if you have found any information on John N. Loudin’s father.
Andrew – I love how many cousins I’ve found by researching the family line! The Loudin line has proved tougher to run down than some of the others so, no, I haven’t gotten any farther back than John from Ulster. If you do, please let me know!
Hi Sarah,
I have a great grandmother whose name was Mary Etta Loudin, and I what sources I have found indicate that she was descended from John Loudin and Sarah LIndsey. Can I pick your brain regarding your sources regarding John Loudin and Sarah Lindsey?
Sincerely,
Andrew Lauterbach
Andrew – I wish I had some amazing sources to share with you, but it’s almost all Ancestry.com! Good luck turning up more details. And please come back to share what you find!