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Surnames/tags: notables wikitree_challenge
During the WikiTree Challenge, our volunteer researchers worked collaboratively for one week on the family tree of business tycoon Elon Musk to find missing ancestors and interesting stories to share.
Curious about the name Elon, our researchers learned not only its meaning but also that our Elon was not the only one in his tree. Hebrew for “oak tree”, the billionaire business magnate shares his given name with both his great-grandfather, John Elon Haldeman, and his 3rd great grandfather, Elon Powers. John Elon, born in 1871 in Illinois was a teacher while Elon Powers, born in 1803, was a farmer from New York.
Teachers and farmers are common finds and those are nice but there are usually a few naughties who pop up as well and there was no exception in Elon’s family. Our researchers did not have to look too far into his branches to find ancestors who ranged from mischievous to unscrupulous.
Years later, he was once again accused of not respecting the law. This was not surprising as one article described him as a “decrepit old man who has appeared before the bench nearly a dozen times lately”. A Mr. John Hayward testified that he witnessed Stephen in Mr. Roper’s beer store after the 9 o’clock hour. Scandalous! Pope was able to explain the encounter, however, stating that he was merely standing in the doorway talking to the owner and not purchasing any alcohol. The Magistrates believed him.
For a more serious incident, we look to Elon’s ninth great-grandfather, Christian Haldimann. Born about 1625 in Steffisburg, Bern, Switzerland, Christian would later marry his second wife, Barbara Wyss there, on November 28, 1651. Barbara was an Anabaptist, a member of a radical movement of the Protestant Reformation. Anabaptists today are known as Mennonites, Amish and Baptists, among other things. As early as 1530 officials killed Anabaptist leaders, in an effort to purge Europe of what they considered to be a cult organization. Many of these leaders, known for their pacifism, often fled their homelands instead of staying and fighting for their beliefs.
Finally we go to Elon’s unscrupulous fourth great-grandfather, Isaac Barter. Isaac was born about 1816 in Barton Stacey,England, to John Barter and Sarah Head. He married Fanny Mack in 1835 and together they had two children, Mary Ann and Lucy. Isaac has been described as being 5 feet 7 inches tall, having a large and round head, with dark brown hair, no whiskers, dark brown eyebrows, dark brown eyes, a small nose, with a hairy mole on his left cheek.
You would think that a life sentence to a penal colony would keep someone out of trouble, but this was certainly not the case with Isaac. On the 25th of December 1845, he was charged with unlawfully, feloniously and with malice aforethought, taking up a fork and jabbing it into the left side of the neck of another colonist, Alexander Mickie. The wound was a mortal one, and Alexander died then and there.
You would think that two life sentences on a penal colony would keep someone out of trouble but, again, this was not the case with Isaac. Even after receiving 36 lashes, he still continued on with an air of disrespect. Multiple charges were issued for improper fires, disobedience, insolence, and neglect of his person, including the theft and improper possession of a dead sheep. Isaac received nineteen charges in total and additional time added on to his life sentences. He really was a Tasmanian devil!
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