Mysteries in the Ramsell Family History
Here are some mysteries in the Ramsell Family History that we have not been able to solve yet. If you have any information please contact: Chris Ramsell
1) Why is Moses' middle name "Swett"? Swett is a common last name, and there are many Swetts in Maine. However, Moses' mother was Eunice Eastman. Could he have been named after some other relative?
2) Moses' obituary says that he left home when he was young and lived in Virginia and Ohio as a boy. Why did he leave home so young? Was he separated from his parents for some reason?
3) Where were Moses Swett Ramsell and Nancy Walker married? Helen's book says they were married in Ohio, but Moses' obituary says Virginia. The Ohio 1850 Census shows Nancy Walker's entire family living in Gallia County Ohio. We cannot find any record of Moses at that time. The Walker family bible, and the Ramsell family bible both say that Moses and Nancy were married on May 12, 1852, yet there is no record of the marriage in the Gallia county courthouse records.
4) Why did Moses desert from his Civil war unit?
5) What did Nancy Walker look like? Nancy died in 1865 so it is doubtful whether a photo even exists. However, it is possible that a Ramsell living today has an old photo of Nancy, but is not able to identify who the woman is.
6) Does the name "Ramsell" actually come from the name "Ramsdell" ? Many of us have heard the theory that at some point in time, a Ramsdell who didn't know how to write very well, started leaving the "d" out. This could potentially be a difficult road block when searching records. Furthermore, there are many Ramsdells in Maine (where Moses S. supposedly came from) around the early 1800's. This is possible, however we have found no evidence of this yet.
Chris Ramsell
Last modified on: 11/6/99