Here are the profiles M. Gossage is currently working on. Are we related? Can you we collaborate?

Harvey Scott line

Adam Gossage line

Temple line

Adam Almack Gossage^[1] is a paternal Great Great Grandfather and the longest term brickwall it has so far not been possible to get over, under, around, or through to find his parents. I have since encountered many more. Conversely, tracing the family of his wife, my Great Great Grandmother Elizabeth English Cratty, back three more genertaions to our gateway ancestor was my first genealogical "discovery" for our family - based on the information Grandma provided.

Contents 1 Research Notes 1.1 GOSSAGE 2 Sources 3 Acknowledgements

Research Notes

GOSSAGE

Many Variations and Spellings - Due to Accents, Misspellings, Transcript Errors

Gossage and Gosuch are frequently used interchangeably. Give the accent of the gateway ancestor Gorsuch family, the name sounds like "Gossage" when pronounced, and was also spelled that way by some in the family in the 1600's and earlier, prior to immigration:

Gossage and Gorsuch - frequently used interchangably; Gosage, Gosich, Gissage, Gulage, Gorsich, Gussage, Gassage, Gorsuk, Gostidge, Gossige,

Jacob Gossage and Mary Borts Possiblity

I shared information on my Gossage line through Adam's son Robert with Catherine Theresa Lingenfelser which she did not have. She has included it online (with my permission, of course) as part of her "Zittrauer, Valentine, and Allied Families". The information we shared about Adam Gossage's line corresponded which is how I connected with 4th cousins through Joseph a brother of Robert - two of Adam's sons. Apparently Lingenfelser was asked to research Adam by these 4th these cousins

I remain unconvinced about the parents Lingenfelser has assigned to Adam as Jacob Gossage and Mary Borts. None of her resources for these two (only census) list a child Adam's age. I have also not ruled out these two as Adam's parents. But I need more evidence and have not as yet found any. Neither had Lingenfelser when we last spoke. On the plus side regarding this conjecture, Adam was said (by family) to have had a brother named William and these two have a son named William.

Almack Family

Almack being Adam's middle name, I have been in contact with an elderly gentleman who kindly provided me unpublished information about the Almack family. And these folks do look like they are likely to be related, but still nothing definitive. However it provided facts to investigate which I still need to do. It is private unpublished research I promised I would not share. However it is useful information to provide direction of research which may lead to verifiable facts.

I have wondered if Adam's parents might have been deceased, if perhaps he was raised by family members; if his father may have died perhaps in a mining accident and perhaps he and his mother lived with relatives; if he was born out of wedlock and if such was the case born to a Gossage girl, or child of a Gossage father. I have tried to find records of mining accidents in the region, to no avail. I did find a John Gossage who had died in a gas explosion at a coal mine, which requires further investigation.

Fort Pitt Region

Adam's father was born near the Ohio river in Virginia, which at the time also included West Virginia. His mother was born in Maryland. On the map western Maryland, and the panhandle of West Virginia near the Ohio river are in the Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh) local. No doubt it was the closest large city in the region to which folks are likely to have travel for supplies and commerce.

The Cratty family ^[2] also lived in the Fort Pitt region for over 100 years before most of them emigrated to Ohio to settle on Revolutionary War donation lands granted to their father Thomas - Elizabeth's Grandfather Robert Cratty having migrated, and her father Robert Cratty Jr. having been born in Ohio. I have found numerous Gossage and Gorsuch families in the Fort Pitt region of Mariland, Pennsylvania, Virginia (and WV), and Ohio. Adam was born in Jefferson County Ohio in Eastern Ohio which is also in the Fort Pitt region.

Uncle Lester's Story

My Great Uncle, ^[3] brother of my Gossage Grandfather had been told by a Gossage he had encountered who had done family research, that three brothers had immigrated to the colonies "on the second boat after the Mayflower". Yes, of course I looked for a passenger lists. If there is any grain of truth to the story, then it probably only indicates they were early immigrants to colonial America. I was dubious about another "three brother" story too. But I later read that, oftener than not, people emigrated to the colonies with family members, or to join family members. And "three brother" stories were often actuality. Traditionally the eldest son inherited land, so it would not have been unusual for younger brothers to set-off together on an adventure of a lifetime.

The three Gossage brothers were said to have gone their separate ways - one to settle in the Carolinas, another having been a pirate who stopped his pirating ways and traveled "on foot" by way of the Gulf of Mexico and south to the Isthmus of Panama, then up the coast to California - before the 1700s. This seems highly suspect because "on foot" would have more than likely been by ship at times if there is a grain of truth to the story. (Although, in records of Virginia History I did find that where the Gorsuch immigrants settled in Mariland they owned land very near to where a notorious pirate used to anchor.) The third brother was said to have been part of the small group Europeans who first settled along the Mohawk River. Of course I've looked for information, but not diligently, enough, yet. I did find information about the first Fort built on the Mohawk River. And Anne Lovelace's brother was governor of New York at the time they immigrated. So there are a lot of potential leads to pursue which, if nothing else, provide fascinating history of colonial times.

Lovelace-Gorsuch

It is said that nearly all the Gorsuch and Gossage folks in colonial times, and later, originated with the widow of Reverend Jonathan Gorsuch, D.D., who had been Rector of Walkern, Hertfordshire, ^[4] who immigrated with many of her children after his death. Long ago I did quite a lot of research on these folks, to try to learn how Adam's family may have connected to one of the children. But of course starting from the past and moving forward through numerous branches feels like a fool's errand when it comes to connecting with ancestors who most likely descend from a "most likely suspect" family.

I have not connected with any Gorsuch or Gossage folks from Anne's line, who may have information which could lead to getting closer to finding Adam's gateway ancestors who have family records that have him being a Lovelace-Gorsuch descendant.

Origin of Gossage name from Kate Press:

If your family are connected to the Maryland branch then they go straight back to the original Adam de Gosfordsyke.

Yes I know about the Walkern Gorsuch family.They are just one branch, the Hereforshire branch.Mine are the Sussex branch.Another lass I write to in France is part of the London branch.

Gorsuch/Gorsuk/Gossage/Gostidge/Gossige/ (and other variants), are all from the same origin.The family has lived in around Liverpool since the year 800.

About 15 Kilometres north of Liverpool, and 6 kilometres n.w. of Ormskirk on the A560, lies the small village of Scarisbrick, and the ruins of Scarisbrick Hall. The land around is flat and is the home of thousands of pink-footed geese.

The geese are not new to the area. About 800 years ago, Scarisbrick was the estate of yeoman farmer, Walter de Scarisbrick.Walter had two sons, Henry his heir, and Adam. As the estate would pass to the elder son, Walter assigned land to Adam at a place called Gosfordsyke, (meaning the place where the geese ford the creek). Thus the name derived from the younger son, Adam de Gosfordsyke, a name which has appeared since in varying forms in old records - forms such as Goseford, Gosfordsiche, Gorwiche, Gossage, Gorstitch, Gorsuk, Gorsuch and Goruch.

Early this century a Gorsuch family was living at Scarisbrick and there is a lane named Gorsuch Lane. The family has spread to most counties in England. A branch emigrated to Maryland, USA. Another to Ireland, some to Australia and some toNew Zealand.

GORSUCH HALL AND ESTATE

The boundaries of Gosfordsyke estate in the time of Adam were defined thus:

From the head of the Gosford Syke (Creek/Stream), along the Syketo, and then along, the boundary between Renacres (in Halsall) and Scarisbrick, to the place where the White Syke falls into Senekar Syke; then by the corner of Adam's ditch to the starting point."

A document around 1645 states that the Gorsuch estate comprised a messuage (a dwelling house), 50 acres of land, 10 acres of pasture, and 10 acres of meadow.A survey of 1653 describes the house as having a (dining) hall, a kitchen, a larder, two butteries, and seven other lower rooms.In addition there was a long upper room (described as a chapel chamber), four other upper rooms and four closets.Out houses included a wash house, a mill house, (by then decayed) a six bay brick kiln house, a five bay slated barn, nine bays of other out houses, together with gardens and orchards, courts and a milking yard.^[5]

History of Scarisbrick

Some early history of de Scarisbrick/de Gosfordsyke/Gorsuch family in association with inhabitants of Scarisbrick Township in County of Lancaster.^[6]

“Scarisbrick is an English place name derived from the place near Liverpool that bears the name, which came to be called that through a combination of the Old Norse given name Skar added to the Old Norse vocabulary word brekka = slope, hill. The settlement at that location was literally "Skar's hill" or "Scar's brekka." Any man who formerly lived at that settlement, but moved to a new village could be described by his new neighbours by the reference to his former place of residence (to differentiate him from others already in the village with the same given name). Variations are Sizebrick, Siosbrick . Most who bear the name today are descended from Gilbert de Scaresbrec, who was lord of the manor of Scarisbrick in the 1200's.”^[7]

Spelling and pronunciation through the centuries

Skaresbrek, Scharesbrech, 1238; Scharisbrec, 1307; Scaresbrecke, 1575; Scarisbrick, 1604. There was a tendency to omit the initial S; e.g. Charisbrec, c. 1240. Locally pronounced Scazebrick."^[6]

Scacsbrick, Scaesbrick, Scaesbricke, Scairsbrick, Scarasbrick, Scarbrecke, Scarbrich, Scarbrick, Scarbrocke, Scarbroke, Scarbrook, Scarbrooke, Scarcebrik, Scarcebrook, Scarcebrooke, Scarcebrooks, Scarebrick, Scarebricke, Scaresbrecke, Scaresbreeke, Scaresbreke, Scaresbrick, Scaresbrook, Scaresbrooke, Scaresbrooks, Scaisbrec, Scarisbreck, Scarisbrecke, Scarisbrig, Scarisbrick, Scarisbricke, Scarrisbrick, Scarsbick, Scarsbreck, Scarsbriche, Scarsbrick, Scarsbricke, Scarsbrock, Scarsbrook, Scarsbrooke, Scarsbrouke, Scarsebrick, Scarsebricke, Scarsebrook, Scarsebrooke, Scarybrig, Scarysbrig, Scasbriche, Scasbrick, Scasbricke, Scasebrick, Scasebrik, Scasebricke, Scasebridg, Scasebrige, Scasbrig, Scawsbrick, Scaysbrick,, Scaysbrook, Scazbrick, Scazebrook, Scearbrook, Scearsbrook, Scearsebrook, Sceasbrick, Scersbrucke, Scharisbrick, Scharsbrooke, Scoarbrick, Scraisbrick, Scrarbrick, Scrarbricke, Scrasbrook, Scrasbruck, Scuresbrook, Skarbroke, Skarbrook, Skaresbrecke, Skaresbricke, Skarisbreck, Skarsbrick, Skarsbricke, Skarsbrock, Skearsbricke, Skersbrick, Skersbrooke, Skesbrick.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Adam Almack Gossage line
2. ↑ Adam's wife Elizabeth
3. ↑ Lester Gossage
4. ↑ Anne Lovelace Gorsuch
5. ↑ Kate Press (1943 - 2009) editor. "The Genealogist Newsletter", The Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies (AIGS). [December 1996 "Gorsuch Gossage" e-mail exchanges]
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} "Townships: Scarisbrick," in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London: Victoria County History, 1907), 265-276. British History Online, accessed 29 July, 2020, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276. note: The footnotes provides excellent sources for further research.
7. ↑ Scaysbrook, Steve. Scaysbrook Clan [online]
8. ↑ Scarisbrick, Ken & Myra. Variations Scarisbrick Family Center. [online].
   note: A daunting number of variations. Clearly these folks have spent a lot of time researching!)

• The Scasbrook Study Member of the Guild of One-Name Studies. [online database]
  note: The Scasbrook Study conducts genealogical research on families with the surname Scasbrook and its variants (e.g., Scarsbrook, Scarisbrick, Scaisbrick, Scesbrick, Skasebrook, Scaysbrook).

see also:

• Scarisbrick, Ken & Myra. The Home of All Things Scarisbrick: Village - Family - History. [Mapleton, in Queensland, Australia.] accessed 29 July 2020 [online database]

Acknowledgements

Exchange of Gossage information with:

Nancy A. Daniels - e-mail

Susan Thomas - e-mail

Catherine Theresa Lingenfelser - e-mail

Kate Press - e-mail

Our common information about Adam was in agreement. And we all had information to share about our lines back to Adam. It is probable the e-mail addresses are no longer valid, since they are from approximately 20 years ago.

For tips see To-Do Lists. You might want to add a link on your profile like this: Mary E.'s current to-do list.