In my last post I wrote about my 4X Great Grandparents James Sheppard and Hannah Gatchell Sheppard of Kirkwood, Ohio. They had 13 children, which resulted in 99 grandchildren. Or so the story goes. There is no question about their 13 children. After Hannah died, husband James left a will which documents all their children and specifies what each of them received. You can read James' will by selecting this link.
Daniel Webster Mumma (1815-1899) |
Their second son they named John Wesley Mumma, after the famous British evangelist and churchman Rev. John Wesley (1703-1791) who founded the Methodist Church. Many of our early Shepard ancestors in Ohio were Methodists or Methodist-Episcopal which probably explains this choice. Unfortunately baby John did not survive and died at birth.
Their third son they named Oliver Cromwell Mumma, after one of the most famous English Generals and Statesmen of all time. Sir Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) was a famous person from an earlier generation. Nearly two centuries after his death Cromwell remained a legendary figure for Americans on the frontier, including the Sheppards of Ohio. Cromwell was deeply religious, known for his religious tolerance, and was an outstanding leader who continues to be one of the most famous Britons ever.Benjamin Franklin Mumma (1849-1922) center right, with family |
After naming their first three sons after legendary Brits, their fourth son they named Benjamin Franklin Mumma. He was named after the famous Founding Father Ben Franklin (1706-1790) one of the leading intellectuals of his day. The famous Ben Franklin died some 60 years before our ancestor Benjamin Franklin Mumma, but his legendary status remained hence the choice to use his name in 1849.
The fifth and final son of Elizabeth and Daniel was named after a famous American. To this last son they gave the name Daniel Webster Mumma Jr. His namesake Daniel Webster (1782-1852) was a legendary American lawyer, statesman and orator about whom the fictional tale "The Devil and Daniel Webster" was written. He served as the U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents Millard Fillmore and William Henry Harrison.
Interestingly, and probably as a sign of the times, these 5 famously named children of Elizabeth and Daniel Mumma were all male. To their three daughters they gave the common names Malinda, Mary Ann, and Elizabeth. Beautiful names to be sure. But it still leaves one wondering, why were famous names only given to their sons? Were male offspring considered more important? Did they have higher expectations for the boys? Were the girls expected to be less accomplished? I think it was something much more than that.These Ohio Sheppard ancestors of ours were true-blue Americans, proud of their young county and engaged in the life of their developing American culture. They were respectful and supportive of their civic and political leaders which contributed to their choice of names. I have written before how others of our early ancestors gave presidential names to some of their children. Elizabeth Sheppard Mumma, mentioned above, had a brother named George Washington Sheppard (1829-1900) and two different cousins named William Henry Harrison Sheppard, after President Henry Harrison. It was something of a sign of the times that they would give their children famous names.
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Steve Shepard