Lines of Descent
One of the goals of persons who trace their family history is to discover their first relatives to come to the United States. In recent years great interest has been shown in the names and stories of those who entered the country through Ellis Island. Those individuals are known as our "immigrant ancestors."
In today’s age of world travel, the search for roots increasingly carries us back to the "old country," especially in England and Norway. In the listings that are gathered here, we are working our way into history as far as possible, but are clearly designating the immigrant ancestors in each line, whether that was two generations ago or twelve. The "lines" are themselves named after these immigrant ancestors and where they settled.
Many Ancestors Enrich Our DNA. The fascinating search for roots usually leads to another discovery: how many ancestors a person actually has. We recognize increasingly that the female—as well as the male—line is significant. The long-standing custom of carrying the family name through the husbands rather than through the wives is today being challenged in a variety of ways. But we live with our history as well as forge new patterns. In our case, that history is demonstrated by the name Bailey. But we are, of course, interested in the "other side" of the family as well—not only in our own generation but in former generations as well. And that, of course, leads to the great number of family names, family traditions, and family stories that enrich our past and contribute to "our DNA."
It is interesting to note how frequently parents have sought to honor and preserve that history by giving their children names from both sides. Children often receive the given names of both grandfathers or both grandmothers. And frequently the mother’s family name is used as a middle name of at least one of the children.
Our Cousins, Too. We are grateful for the interest in our family history among first, second and even third cousins. Listings to facilitate that interest are provided here for the descendants of Allen Ransom Bailey and his brother James Millard; and for the descendants of Kathryn Ausland Bailey and her brother James Albert Ausland. Both the Auslands and the Baileys also treasured close relationships with cousins of former generations; sometimes those stories are found elsewhere in thebaileyfile.
While not all of the lines of descent have been completed, those that have been finished can be accessed by clicking on one of the active hyperlinks below:
- Including Allen Ransom Bailey and his descendants
The James Bailey of Rowley, Massachusetts, Line
The John Bailey of Newbury, Massachusetts, Line
The William and Alice Carpenter Bradford of Plymouth, Massachusetts Line
The Elenore Emery Bailey of Newbury, Massachusetts, Line
The Tristram Coffin of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Line
The Agnes Reed Dyer of Weymouth, Massachusetts, Line
The Thomas Dyer of Weymouth, Massachusetts, Line
The Alice Grantham Emery of Newbury, Massachusetts, Line
The John Emery of Newbury, Massachusetts, Line
The James Fitch of Norwich, Connecticut, Line
The Edmund Greenleaf of Boston, Massachusetts, Line
The John Kittredge of Bellerica, Massachusetts, Line
The Francis Littlefield of Wells, Maine, Line
The Deacon Thomas Mighill of Rowley, Massachussetts, Line
The James Noyes of Newbury, Massachusetts, Line
The Thomas and Walthean Loring Richards of Weymouth, Massachusetts, Line
The Henry and Honour Rolfe of Charlestown, Massachusetts, Line
The Abigail Whitfield of Saybrook, Connecticut, Line
- Including James Millard Bailey and his descendants
The James Bailey of Rowley, Massachusetts, Line
The John Bailey of Newbury, Massachusetts, Line
The William and Alice Carpenter Bradford of Plymouth, Massachusetts Line
The Elenore Emery Bailey of Newbury, Massachusetts, Line
The Tristram Coffin of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Line
The Agnes Reed Dyer of Weymouth, Massachusetts, Line
The Thomas Dyer of Weymouth, Massachusetts, Line
The Alice Grantham Emery of Newbury, Massachusetts, Line
The John Emery of Newbury, Massachusetts, Line
The James Fitch of Norwich, Connecticut, Line
The Edmund Greenleaf of Boston, Massachusetts, Line
The John Kittredge of Bellerica, Massachusetts, Line
The Francis Littlefield of Wells, Maine, Line
The James Noyes of Newbury, Massachusetts, Line
The Thomas and Walthean L. Richards of Weymouth, Massachusetts, Line
The Henry and Honour Rolfe of Charlestown, Massachusetts, Line
The Abigail Whitfield of Saybrook, Connecticut, Line
- Including Kathryn Gunvor Ausland Bailey and her descendants
The Thor Martin Knutson Ausland of Emmetsburg, Iowa, Line
- Including James Albert Ausland and his descendants
The Thor Martin Knutson Ausland of Emmetsburg, Iowa, Line