AboutNancy Janyszeski Expertise I do genealogy research in Bucks County PA and maintain a website dedicated to the history and genealogy in one of the three original counties in Pennsylvania, the county where William Penn settled and Washington Crossed the Delaware.
Bucks County History and Genealogy
Experience
I am Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) Master Certified and was certified as a MOUS Authorized Instructor. Instructional design and test writer for ActivTest, a division of Activ Training
Question I'm trying to research my father's side of the family. Benjamin Fearn/Fern, born Ireland, Aug 1827, was my ggf. He is shown living in Dubuque, IA in the 1850 census.
Records indicate his parents were both born in England. I was given information that the 1850 records show a Mary Fern, then 50, and Benjamin, then 23. I'm guessing Mary was his mother.
I also find a Robert Fearn, b 1789 England, d 12 Apr 1842, Dubuque, IA, with Mary Osborne, b abt. 1800, as his spouse, married 23 Sep 1822, England. There's a possibility that Fearn was changed to Fern, and that this Robert/Mary reference is Benjamin's parents.
Going back further, a Samuel Fearn, born abt 1756, in London, England, marries a Jane?, born abt 1760, London, England. They have 8 children, one of which is a Robert Fearn, born 08 Jan 1789, London, England. This is a possible match for Robert's parents.
John Fearn, born abt 1824, England, is Benjamin's older brother. The 1880 census shows a John Fern, age 53, apparently widowed, living in Hazel Green, Grant, WI, born Eng., both parents born Eng., with 7 children, 1 a grand child, ages 22 to 14, all born in Iowa. I'm guessing this to be a possible match, and that John Fern moved from Iowa to Wisconsin after 1860. The Fern children, from oldest to youngest were William, Ellen, Lilly, Frank, Charles, Robert, and grand son, Leo.
Would like any information in tracing the Fearn/Fern line back to England.
Answer Ronald, I would go to the Rootsweb.org and looking for mailing lists, then search for FERN and signup.
