So, what's up with her name??

Some of you know that Eric and I were very tight-lipped about what our daughter's name was to be. We knew we had a very unique combination of names, even though Addison has appeared at the the top of the list of girls names in the past couple of years.

The short story is that Addison was my great-grandfather's name, and MacPhail is my paternal grandmom's maiden name. This is the first time in our family that the name Addison has been given to a girl, and no one in our clan has ever used a last name as a middle name before either.

Some of the early reactions were somewhat taken aback, causing me to be even more reluctant to reveal our name choice. I mean people, we even saw some nose-crinkling...come on!! And I, like my mother before me, wish that our child's name should not be shortened to a nickname...at least until later in her life when her friends give her some term of endearment. Until then, I hope she will wear her full name proudly!

So dear readers, see below, the words of my grandmothers, as they give a historical account of the origin of Addison MacPhail Gee's beautiful namesake.

From Sarah Elizabeth Carwile McLeod, mother of Gwen Alice McLeod Hall, mother of Kathleen Elizabeth Hall Gee:

Zachariah Carwile is our first recorded ancestor, born 9/11/1750 in Virginia.  He married Mary McMahan, born 9/19/1755.  After Zachariah served 2-and-a-half years in the Revolutionary War, they settled in the Level Land area of Abbeville County, SC.  They had 6 sons and 3 daughters.

Their son, Josiah, our direct ancestor, married Sarah Callaham.  They named a son, Addison Franklin, the first time the name "Addison" appears in the Carwile family.  He was sometime referred to as "Addie."  We are, however, descended from another of Josiah's and Sarah's sons, James Monroe (who was often called "Squire", as was my daddy).  James Monroe and his wife, Ephegenia Louisa Brooks, named one of their 8 sons, Addison Franklin.  Another son, Dr. Preston Brooks Carwile, is our ancestor, my grandfather.  He and his wife, Leila Kay, named a son, Addison Brooks Carwile (my father!).  He and his wife, Alice Frances Callaham, named their first son, (my brother!) Addison Brooks Carwile, Jr.

Brother Addison and his wife, Marianne Ellison, named their son, William Addison.  

Brother John Preston's and Gloria's daughter, Gail and her husband, Wardlaw named a son, Addison Wardlaw Hamrick.  

Sister Mary Leila and her husband, Bob Andrews, named their son, Addison Williams Andrews. Mary Leila's and Bob's son, Bill and his wife, Carole, named their son, Addison Williams Andrews, Jr.

Now, there is beautiful little Miss Addison McPhail Gee, daughter of Kathleen Elizabeth Hall and Eric Monroe Gee, sharing such a beautiful name and saying to those other Addisons and to all of the family, "Here I am, you lucky people!" 



From Doris Marion MacPhail Hall, mother of Steven Bernard Hall, Sr., father of Kathleen Elizabeth Hall Gee:

My paternal grandparents:

Malcolm Russell MacPhail was born October 20, 1864 in Winchester, Ontario, Canada, died November 20, 1940 in Charlotte, NC.

He married, on June 24, 1896, Janet Louise Woodburn, born June 12, 1868 in Greens Creek, Ontario, Canada, died February 5, 1945 in Charlotte, NC.

After marriage, they moved to Brooklyn, NY. 

Their Children:

 Marion Louise MacPhail, was born March 22, 1897 in Brooklyn, died November 18, 1980 in Frederick, MD.  She was single, Professor of Romance Languages at Hood College in Frederick.

Walter Russell MacPhail (my father), was born in Montreal, Canada September 30, 1902, while the family was visiting there.  He died January 17, 1971 in Kearney, NJ.  My grandfather moved his business and the family to Charlotte when my father and Marion were teenagers.

My grandfather was a manufacturers'  representative for automobile parts, selling to repair shops.

My father and mother, Evelyn Burton, (born June 24, 1900 in Asheville, NC, died April 3, 1976 in Charlotte), were married October 19, 1928 in Asheville.  They moved to Charlotte, where my father worked in business with his father.  Janet Evelyn was born in 1931, in Charlotte.  During the Depression, my family moved to Asheville, where my father worked in the furniture  business with my maternal grandfather, Sam Burton.  Doris Marion was born in Asheville in 1933.

 


So folks, there you have it! The short and the long of it! Sorry that the blog is so late, gone back to work FULL SWING and it's kicking my booty!

Addison is wonderful and being very flexible despite her mom and dad's awful rehearsal schedules. We are so lucky to have her!



Until next time,
Kathleen