Orphan Lines

This page will not include people who were known to have been orphaned during childhood but for whom their ancestry is not in doubt.

Each person will be assigned to his "suspected" major surname branch line which will be made linkable from here, and from a specific "(Surname) Orphan Line" page. Because the periods involved with these special problem lines tend to be early, mostly pre-1800, phonetic variations that cross all other branch lines will occur in researching them, requiring some open-mindedness and flexibility in thinking and further research. I may be offering my educated opinion at times, opinions which must be regarded as such because they could be based on little or no documentable evidence, but will be drawn from logic we all understand as, for example, the "process of elimination", which can be applied when the number of candidates is so small as to provide such opportunistic deductions.

Most assumptions made will be reasonable, I believe, and even deducible at times based upon the types of evidence utilized. But without specific "connecting" documentation, they must continue to be treated as opinions. Just because my opinion may be respected, and based upon as much experience and volume of data as I have on all these Van Borculo lines, it still should not be taken as a "source of fact" to footnote in your genealogical program without adding the appropriate question mark/s. If you choose to use an opinion of mine as a footnoted reference, please describe it as such so it does not undeservedly attain the status of "fact" by the all too common practice of online GEDCOM downloading and transferals.

Most of these lines, understandably, provide trouble linking with their ancestor, while some are known to have survived to adulthood, married and had children, but lack a trail of known descendants. Those lines may have disappeared, through a lack of surname bearing males. But then again, a surviving female line may yet emerge to provide data, useful links and necessary clues to the family's disposition.

All lines listed below will eventually have an active link. Most are now active. Have patience. I'm working on it.

If you want to take a chance and link directly to a specific Surname Orphan Line page, simply choose among the five major branches listed below.