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From:
Subject: Re: Horton History
Date: 10 Dec 2005 23:16:25 -0700


This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.

Surnames: Horton
Classification: Query

Message Board URL:

http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/BBk.2ACIB/2456.4

Message Board Post:

The interesting website you provided a link to does indeed contain a substantial volume of material, along with an ambitious (and admirable) stated ultimate goal of becoming the Horton clearing house.

As to the material presented, it is at once self evident that certain sources have not been properly credited. Most noteworthy:

Margaret R. Jenks & Frank C. Seymour. THOMAS HORTON OF MILTON & REHOBOTH MASSACHUSETTS VOL. I. n.p.: 1984, Margaret R. Jenks, 24 Mettowee Street, Granville, NY 12832-1037. p.197, Chart p.192. Appendix A "The Possible English Ancestry Of Thomas Horton Of Milton" pp.193-215 by Ruth Horton Metzler.

In view of the obvious fact there are direct quotes from this source this is a serious omission. Another omission is: L.G.H. Horton-Smith. THE HORTONS OF LEICESTERSHIRE. Bowling Green Street, Leicester: W. Thornley & Son, December 1946, which source is named by the foregoing.

The continuum to Barnabas Horton via Robert Horton contains a number of major errors on the Barnabas Horton family as well as an unsubstantiated connection to the Hortons of Howroyde. This “Joseph Horton - Mary Schuyler” legend or myth was transmitted to me AS A LEGEND over 20 years ago by Perry P. Horton, Horton Family Association, Rio Grande, Ohio along with an assortment of other material I requested from him. As I recall Perry was quite clear as to the true nature of what he was sending. He felt that the legends ought to be preserved and shared but also that they needed to be clearly distinguished from established facts, and he was always careful to do so in a responsible manner. I soon learned why and came to appreciate and share this particular view. Carl W. Fischer, who was also a member of the HFA at that time did not much hold with that viewpoint and stuck to what he could document, which view I also respect .

This specific legend has now been researched by myself, and others, since then and nothing has ever come of it. It appears to be nothing more than a mythical expansion of the material published by A.H. White in 1929 which is not at all in agreement with the source claimed for it.

Loosely defined as “Burke’s” I have examined not less than 6 different “Burke’s” publications that deal with the Hortons of Howroyde, all of which are basically in agreement with each other and none of which are in agreement with Mrs. White’s assertions concerning some Joseph of Mowsley.

The late Carl Fischer came right to the point in his preface - “. . .The first myth, following the pattern set by many colonial families, is that two or three brothers came to the Colonies, one settling here, the others there. This is so stereotyped that it should be recognized as a myth by all researchers. The early 19th Century articles on this family state that Thomas of Springfield and Barnabas were brothers, and then gave them a nice clean-cut English ancestry, naturally from Horton Manor. And with a coat-of-arms, no less! . . .” [Carl Wilhelm Fischer, DESCENDANTS OF THOMAS HORTON OF SPRINGFIELD, Bayside, N.Y. The Author, 1965] - He gives more than I intend to include here.

All of that is a shame because the inclusion of that level of material ruins the credibility of the compiler and badly detracts from the other data, some of which looks interesting. One can only hope steps will be taken to bring that composition up to speed, for as you have noted, it has something going for it.

I am not at all clear on your concept of “declaring it the absolute authority” which is then followed by “leave it to everyones discretion as what "facts" they want to adopt”, which appears to be two conflicting viewpoints.

As to your notion of working over the material one generation at a time I would offer that you probably aren’t going to get much action until after the rapidly approaching holidays - but in any event, best of luck with your idea!

Craig M. Hamilton


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