Tuesday, March 31, 2015

#NameCollecting - A Wedding Name Indeed

This week's unbelievable (to modern ears) name:

Freelove Gates



This is a wonderful name I turned up while researching some "shirttail" relations from the Callin Family History. Namipedia describes it as "A name/surname of Old English origin ("peace-survivor"), seen as a given name most frequently in 17th-19th-century New England."

Born in Ohio in 1846, Freelove married a Robert Pollock in 1866. I imagine I will discover that her parents had some connection to one of the many uniquely American revival movements of that era, some of which embraced different forms of free-love philosophy as part of their interpretation of scriptures.

Ironically, since those movements tended to preach against marriage as an authoritarian and anti-feminist institution, she is actually the mother of the groom (Mrs. F. Pollock) in this wedding announcement I found - which I'm including in its entirety because there are several wonderful names to collect within:

POLLOCK URICH
Wednesday evening at 7:30 o'clock a beautiful home wedding was solemnized at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson C. Urich, when their eldest daughter, Miss Vera B., was joined in the holy bonds of wedlock to Edwin E. Pollock, of Ashland. The home was artistically decorated for the occasion; the color scheme, pink and white, being carried out in every detail. The bride's table was trimmed in pink and white carnations and smilax. Nearly seventy-five people assembled to witness the ceremony. A piano recital was rendered by Mrs. Dodd of Shelby, after which Miss Elfa Fike sang "O Promise Me," accompanied by Mrs Dodd while the ribbon bearers, Misses Nina Lybarger and Isabelle Gray, of Ashland, marched to the altar taking their places. Next came the groom and the pastor, followed by the brides-maid, Miss Alma Urich, and Hugh Urich as groomsman. The next following was little Christina Urich, sister of the bride, bearing the ring in a rose, while the bride entered on the arm of her father, dressed in white and carrying a white prayer book. The beautiful ring service was used. After the ceremony was performed congratulations were extended, after which all repaired to the dining room, where a four-course dinner was served.
Seated at the bride's table were: Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Pollock, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Urich and daughter Miss Christina, Mr. and Mrs. Dodd, Mrs. F. Pollock, Miss Alina Urich and Hugh Cline.
The bride was the recipient of many useful and costly presents among which were cut glass and silverware.
Those present from a distance were: Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Mohn of Shiloh, Mr. and Mrs. William Hess of Shelby, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Pollock, Jay Pollock, Mrs. F. Pollock, Miss Leafy Robinalt, Mr. and Mrs. William Fellenbaum, Mr. and Mrs. Thad Smith, Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Gerber and Miss Isabelle Gray of Ashland, Miss Sadie Clawson of near Ganges, Miss Anna Stoner and Mr. Henry of Savannah. These worthy young people have the best wishes for a long and happy journey through life from their many friends.

I will also point out that immediately beneath that lovely description of the gathering, the paper included a two-line aphorism -

"It's too bad that a scolding woman never has a scolding husband."

Really, just WTF, 1900s?

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