2022 WikiTree Challenge 18: The week has ended to research Olivia Newton-John's ancestors. [closed]

Question

Hello WikiTreers!

We just completed WikiTree Challenge #18. We were researching the genealogy of singer, songwriter, actress, and activist, Olivia Newton-John.

Our week for Olivia began Thursday, September 15, at noon EDT (4pm UTC) and ended at noon EDT (4pm UTC) on September 22. You didn't need any particular research skills to help -- anyone could join in the fun. We especially needed help from some members with German, Welsh, and English research experience.

Any discoveries, questions, or comments were posted below under the relevant great-grandparent. (Comments under this main post will be hidden once read.)

Team Newton-John rocked this!

Comments

Not long ago, I was researching Bletchley Park and read about Olivia Newton John's father.   It seems there are many notables in Olivia's tree.  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11094395/Spies-Blackadder-Nobel-Prizes-incredible-family-Olivia-Newton-John.html

Answer 1

Comment here if you break a brick wall or make a connection for Olivia’s great-grandfather William John, or have questions or research notes on this line.

WT Branches

Connection Bounty:

Brick Wall Ancestor: Sarah (Howell) John (abt.1790-bef.1866) Wales  Solved!!!

Comments

I found her christening and will add her parents when I have found her mother's maiden name.

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Way to go Hilary!!

Answer 2

Comment here if you break a brick wall or make a connection for Olivia’s great-grandmother Jane Preece, or have questions or research notes on this line.

WT Branches

Connection Bounty:

Brick Wall Ancestor: Mary (Jenkin) Preece (abt.1804-1849) Wales

Comments

Hello Mindy, I may have to ask you for helping with the merge from William Preece-1176 into William Prees-66 which is the correct Last Name at Birth. Thanks in advance.

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Again I may have to ask you for helping with another merges from John Preece-1176 into John Price-28852 and Jenkin Preece-1179 into Jenkin Price-28853 which are the correct Last Names at Birth. Thank you again.

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You've got it Chris! I'm looking at those now.

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One is William, the other is John. Is there a different ID for one of them?

John Preece-1176 into John Price-28852

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Sorry! John Preece-1178 into John Price-28852

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Thank you for taking care of that.

What happened was I created those profiles before the challenge formally began, so their relationship with Jane got removed, but the profiles remained, until you unknowingly recreated them.

Answer 3

Comment here if you break a brick wall or make a connection for Olivia’s great-grandfather James Newton, or have questions or research notes on this line.

WT Branches

Connection Bounty: Bounty claimed and verified on this line!!!

Brick Wall Ancestor: Thomas Bryant (abt.1740-) England

Comments

I made a connection to the tree on the Newton line by connecting new profile [[VanTassell-82|Mary Elizabeth (VanTassell) Newton (1830-1869)]] to her existing mother [[Ketcheson-95|Phoebe (Ketcheson) VanTassell (1807-1894)]]

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Nice work Donna!

Answer 4

Comment here if you break a brick wall or make a connection for Olivia’s great-grandmother Elizabeth Richards, or have questions or research notes on this line.

WT Branches

Connection Bounty: Bounty claimed and verified on this line!!

Brick Wall Ancestor: John Williams (abt.1785-) Wales

Comments

So far, Elizabeth's branch seems to be something of a dead end.  A William Richards is listed as her father, but no supporting document is cited for this.  No mother is listed.  I tried searching FamilySearch, but did not come up with anything helpful.

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There is an 1851 census that has a 7 year old Elizabeth, daughter of William 29 and Mary 29, all born at Cardiff. Also lists 2 younger siblings. William 2 and John 5 mo.

I did a check through GRO online index and Elizabeth Richards (Mother's maiden surname Williams) comes up in 1846 in Cardiff, William 1849 and John 1950 also come up with Mother's maiden surname: Williams

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I found the census record, thank you.  Now the challenge will be to push back beyond William and Mary.

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Good luck, Stephen! Let us know what you find.

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I have connected the Richards line to the main tree by adding Walters-10588 to his existing father Watter-14 and also by merging Gregory-12615 into Gregory-9370

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Nice work Donna!

Answer 5

Comment here if you break a brick wall or make a connection for Olivia’s great-grandfather Gustav Jacob Born, or have questions or research notes on this line.

WT Branches

Connection Bounty:

Brick Wall Ancestor: Meyer Moses Saul Buttermilch (abt.1795-1864) Germany

Comments

I added some children today, but still two on my list … will do later ‍♀️

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That's great, Dunja. You've done some really nice work.

Answer 6

Comment here if you break a brick wall or make a connection for Olivia’s great-grandmother Margarethe Kauffmann, or have questions or research notes on this line.

WT Branches

Connection Bounty: Bounty claimed and verified on this line!!

Brick Wall Ancestor: Moses Caspari (1770-1856) Poland

Comments

I connected the Kauffmann line to the main tree with this merge today...Merge of Königsberger-16 into Koenigsberger-12

Answer 7

Comment here if you break a brick wall or make a connection for Olivia’s great-grandfather Victor Gabriel Ehrenberg, or have questions or research notes on this line.

WT Branches

Connection Bounty: Bounty claimed and verified on this line!!!

Brick Wall Ancestor: Gabriel Markus Fischel (abt.1755-1805) Germany

Comments

It looks like this line is currently the most extended, worked on before the challenge began. Good luck with it!!

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Hey Mindy. I started at Victor Gabriel Ehrenberg and first extended it out to Phillip Samuel Ehrenberg and then to Samuel Meyer Ehrenberg, though the sources are tepid and I am trying to get verification through documents. It's a big family of notables too so I want to get all of those Ehrenbergs created and connected.

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Good luck with that Steven! Let us know what you found.

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Claiming the bounty on a connection made from: Fischel-68 → Porges Edle Von Portheim-15  →  Porges-17

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Nice work Steven!! Points awarded. 

Answer 8

Comment here if you break a brick wall or make a connection for Olivia’s great-grandmother Elise Marie Agatha Helene Von Jhering, or have questions or research notes on this line.

WT Branches

Connection Bounty: Bounty claimed and verified on this line!!!

Brick Wall Ancestor: Ida Christina (Frölich) Von Jhering (1826-1867) Denmark → Germany  Solved!!!

Comments

Dorothea Schnedermann, had a sister named Maria Anna Friderica Schnedermann who married Julius Dietrich Tannen. Julius had already a profile on WT so connecting Maria Anna Friderica to Julius establishes a connection to the global tree from the Jhering branch.

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WooHoo Guillaume! Thanks!!

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Hermann Albrecht von Ihering - WikiTree Profile is a brother 

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I've found a second connection to the global tree for this branch. Adelheid Catharine Bacmeister, Olivia's 4th great Grandmother was the aunt of the wife of Prussian general Blücher, the one who won at Waterloo against Napoleon. Adelheid's half sister Marie Elisabeth Bacmeister married Peter Colomb and their daughter Katharine Amalie Colomb married general Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher.

(Bacmeister-5) -> (Bacmeister-4) -> (Colomb-80) -> (Von_Blücher-8)

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A third connection to the global tree for the Jhering branch. This time linking Heinrich Bacmeister (Olivia's 7th great Grandfather) to pastor Johann Friedrich Hummel who was already on WT. Here is the path :

(Bacmeister-10) -> (Keller-9813) -> (Keller-9814) -> (Keller-9819) -> (Hummel-1799) -> (Hummel-1308)

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I've added Agatha Louise Henriette Antoinette (von Wiebel) Fröhlich , Ida's mother, but Dunja Niehaus was quicker to add his father Johann Friedrich Nikolaus Frölich and will get the bounty.

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Thank you for all of your work on these lines Guillaume!

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Congratulations Dunja on the brick wall bounty!!

Answer 9

Sign me up!

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Olivia is 25 degrees from me : 7 branches (2-6-6-4-1-5-2)

• Branch 1: Newton (2)
• Branch 2: Conaway (2) → Wilkes (1) → Lemert (2) → Cass (1)
• Branch 3: Adams (5) → Eddleman (1)
• Branch 4: Laird (4)
• Branch 5: Jones (1)
• Branch 6: Polk (3) → Irby (1) → Holley (1)
• Branch 7: Buch (2)

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Updated 15 Sep 2022 • 16:00 UTC

Olivia is 25 degrees from me : 4 branches (2-11-7-6)

• Branch 1: Newton (2)
• Branch 2: Conaway (11)
• Branch 3: Hayhurst (4) → Stockdale (2) → Simpson (1)
• Branch 4: Cooper (2) → Shough (1) → Buch (3)

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Updated 17 Sep 2022 • 16:00 UTC

 Olivia is 24 degrees from me : 3 branches (2-11-12)

• Branch 1: Newton (2)
• Branch 2: Conaway (11)
• Branch 3: Hayhurst (4) → Stockdale (2) → Simpson (1) → Cooper (1) → Shough (1) → Buch (3)

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Comments

lol, you are quick on the button, Tommy. I've registered you. 

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I am in

Answer 10

Sign me up. (this is not a duplicate)

Comments

Thanks Aaron!!

Answer 11

Count me in!

Comments

Awesome Crystal! Welcome to the challenge. I hope you can join us on Discord. 

Answer 12

Sign me up, please

Comments

Great Feargal, thanks!!

Answer 13

I'm in. I saw her in concert 5 years ago. She was great.

Comments

Great Ellen! Thanks!!

Answer 14

I would like to help.

Comments

Great, Michelle. Thanks!!

Answer 15

Yes please!

Comments

Great Tabatha. Thanks!!

Answer 16

Yes please, sign me up

Comments

Great Kaitlyn. Thanks!!

Answer 17

Can you sign me up please.

Comments

Great Tracey. Thanks!!

Answer 18

I'll help out this week.

Comments

Awesome Lucy. Thanks!!

Answer 19

Rafferty-932 would like to join the challenge of researching the family of Olivia Newton-John.

Comments

Awesome Rory! Welcome to the challenge. I hope you can join us on Discord. 

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Thank You Mindy!!!

Answer 20

Count me in :) az

Comments

Great Azure! Thanks!!