Smashing the Brick Wall (Samuel HAGAN, b1810/11)

[Frank Hagan]

Source:  German Church Records of Westmoreland County vol 3, by Paul Miller Ruff, available from http://www.abesbooks.com

My family's "brick wall" was found with Samuel HAGAN, born Feb. 14, 1811.  Baptism records in the book cited above show a Samuel HAGAN, b Feb. 20, 1810, baptised Sep. 21, 1812.  Two appearent siblings were also baptised that day, Sara, b Feb. 13, 1803 and Johannes (John?), b. Aug 5, 1807.  Parents are listed as Etwart (Edward) and Elissabetha (Elizabeth) HAGAN.  Edward HAGAN appears in the census records for Armstrong CO in 1810 and 1820. 

Other Hagans are listed, including David and Elizabeth, with the last name the variant "HEGEN". 

I found the German Reformed Church may have celebrated the start of the new year after the Annunciation, May 25, which could account for the 1810 / 1811 discrepancy in Samuel's record.  The 6 days separating the day may also be due to different adoptions of the change to the Gregorian calendar which Britain adopted in the mid-1750s.  I am waiting for more info on the calendar in use by the German Reformed Church at that time.

[Frank Hagan]

Just an update ... I confirmed that the calendar in use by the Rev. Weber was the same one we use, with the change of the new year on Jan. 1, so my "brick wall" still exists to some degree. 

I also found the birthdate of my ancestor is from his headstone, so I would think that would be pretty reliable.  It is possible the baptism records are not of my ancestor at all.  *sigh*.

[Biscuits]

If you haven't already done so, I recommend posting your family tree on our pedigree forum.  All pedigrees posted on that page will be transfered to the surname project website, so that other researchers may find you and contact you:
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If you want to see the pedigrees and results of other researchers, please go to the project website.  You may find other researchers already working on the same family lines that you are:
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Also, here is a direct link if you want to go ahead and order a DNA test.  Keep in mind that even folks that are not direct paternal/maternal decendants of this line can still get tested.  To do so, find a relative who IS a direct decendant and sponsor their test for them.  We provide comparison for test results for our project members on our surname websites, and you can use FamilyTreeDNA or Y-search to do a global comparison match (over 1/2 million DNA tests for genealogy have been conducted so far):
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Also, please check out our website if you want to learn more about DNA testing and genealogy at:
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