Michael L. Bickerstaff

Bruce

Hi, I would like to be added to the BICKERSTAFF list. I am a bit surprised to find such a web page. Below is a little about myself: My name is Michael Lee Bickerstaff, my wife's name is Christina and my daughter's name is Kathryn. My father's name is Mortimer John Bickerstaff and his parents were Martin and Hazel Bickerstaff. My father was born in Grafton, West Virginia; I do not know where my grandparents were born. I am in the Navy stationed at Naval Base Indian Head, Maryland. I am looking forward to hearing from other BICKERSTAFF's.

Michael Bickerstaff

Ken Bickerstaff

Hi Bruce,

Were very impressed and thankful for the web site. My wife's name is Heather and my name is Ken. We live in Jackson Ms. but were originally from Mobile Al. My father's name is Douglas Ross Bickerstaff Sr. and I have five sisters and one brother.

My grandfather was from Caldonia, a small town in Mississippi close to Columbus. He was in the lumber business and did a lot of work in Ark. We don't know much about where my great grandfather came from. The records are not very good. But it's been rumored around our families that there were nine Bickerstaff brothers who came over from Germany. If anyone has heard anything about Bickerstaffs in Germany I would love to hear from you.

Thanks so much for bringing this site to the web, I hope one day I can trace my family back as far as you have.

Ken and Heather

p.s. please post our email address, we would love to hear from any of the Bickerstaffs.

Helen Box

Dear Bruce

I came across your page as I was looking for Alabama Bickerstaffs.

Now that we are related??? lets get down to business. Finding this bunch was just great as I have just started on genealogy. Now I just know we are part of this fun sounding group.

My husband is Harold Eugene Box, Sr. B 1-27-1927 in Allen, Ok. Married me, Helen Marie Fox Box B 3-10-1931 in Ada, Ok. We have three children Harold, Jr., Sandra and David, all married. Nine grandchildren and one great grandson.

Now to start my story: Once upon a time there was a family by the name of Bickerstaff in the State of Alabama, County Lamar, census year 1880. The father's name was H.C., mother Sina P., daughters: Melvina and Molley B. Sons: Virgal, Samul L., John W. and Weldon S. and a aunt in the home named Saria A.

Our story jumps to census year 1900, at this time John W Bickerstaff (my husband's grandfather) is found in Indian Terr., Choctaw Nation, Oklahoma. The record shows him being born in Al., March 9, 1873. He married Florence I. Wilkerson [B:Oct 5, 1872] in Monroe, Ok, in 1894. They have 3 daughters: Gloe, Lena[ Harold's mother] and Minnie. All of these people are deceased. John died year 1900, was still alive when census was taken in June 7th. All three girls were born in Ok.

Our children have had some health problems. This started me on genealogy. Our eldest son has a crippling disease that looks like Multiple Sclerosis. He was told it could be something called OPCA.

We feel the Bickerstaffs and Wilkersons knew each other in Al, as they came from the same county.

We live in Liberal, Ks., population approx. 20,000. We live on a farm and grow wheat, corn and some milo. We run cattle in the fall. The largest employer is called the National Beef Packing Plant. They process approx 5,000 head of cattle per day.

Now I could go on and on, so enjoyed the stories. Hoping we can be included in the B. family page.

Sincerely, Helen M. Box [yes, my maiden name was FOX]

Email: hebb(at)swko.net

Doris Farber

Subject: You found another

How excited to find other Bickerstaffs. My dad, Richard Congdon Bickerstaff was born 1888 on Nantucket Island, Mass., oldest of eleven. His dad, Thomas and his aunt, Agnes, were born in England. Am new to a computer, so will go into more detail if, indeed, I manage to contact you. Doris Bickerstaff Farber

12209 Homes Lane, Kansas City, MO. 64146

Bruce William Bickersteth

Greetings from Phoenix Arizona Bruce:

As you may of noticed from the subject of this note I'm a Bickersteth! From what they tell me we were once sir named Bickerstaff then later around 16th century my ancestors changed it to the present spelling. I have 6 uncles and 3 aunts who discuss the reasons after several beers and a bit of wiskey. All seem to agree that the name change was due to a bit of bad luck while they were at odds with the English lords of the era. Well long and short of it all they awoke one day to find themselves in good ol Ireland! Dublin to be exact. Well having a bit of bad taste in their mouth for the Queen they changed the family name. So the story goes.

My grandfather and grandmother were from Dublin. Dad was from Canada along with his 8 brothers and sisters, and I'm a Cowboy from Arizona, so I guess we could be related if not by name then perhaps blood! Either way it's nice to know you're out there.

p.s. I always wanted to herd cattle on a motorcycle! too many cactus here for that.

drop a line / and BEST O LUCK

Bruce

Henry Martin Bickerstaff

Hi, from Oklahoma.

I was visiting my father Charles Sardis Bickerstaff from Junction City, Kansas and he gave me a printed copy of some of the letters on your web site. He had received it from his brother (Mortimer) John Bickerstaff from Peidmont, Oklahoma. Both of these fine gentlemen grew up in Fairmont, West Virginia where the rest of their brothers and sisters live. They migrated to the central parts of the US after serving in the armed forces for over 20 years. The only way to get away in the 40's and 50's when you had no money. Their parents were Martin and Hazel Bickerstaff. I asked my dad about his family history and he did not know much.

I am a CPA in a little town of Alva, Oklahoma, population 5,000, and the largest community for 70 miles (110 K). I have two children Ryan (15) and Sarah (13). Both are good runners and triathlets. My wife's name is Harriet and the dog's name is Newby.

Thanks for the history on the family.

Henry Martin Bickerstaff

David Bickerstaff

Sat, 11 Nov 2000

Hey Bruce, checked out your site, very interesting. I am a Bickerstaff coming from a good size litter of the same, all of us with our own litter. David Blaine here, I'm an electronics engineer in South Carolina. I have brothers Mark Douglas of Coolville Ohio, Damon Paul in Palmer, Alaska, William Dennis in Gulfport, Mississippi and sister Deidre June Bickerstaff in Parkersburg, W. Virginia, which is where we all hail from. William has done extensive research as to our geneology and may have already been in touch with you.

I read Bubba's letter (alabama musicman) and have a small addition re: the bicker...brick factory in Columbus, Ga. Also in Columbus area were the Bickerstaff clay mines, used now for kitty litter., and Lake Bickerstaff. There are several Bickerstaffs in that area, predominantly black, ancestors of the Bickerstaff slaves?

Bickerstaff e-mail addresses...
William msbicks(at)aol.com
Damon damon_b(at)consultant.com
Deidre tracer(at)assocnet.net

Enjoyed your site much,
David
Email: dbic(at)charter.net

Barbara Bickerstaff

Dear Bruce,

Many thanks to you for making possible the Bickerstaff Home Page! When I got the letter from Steve I could hardly wait to get to work and investigate. Subsequently, I printed out everything and sent a copy to each of my five kids. Our number 1 son (Portland, Oregon) replied as follows:

Thanks for sending that very interesting packet of material gleaned from the "net". Regarding some of the information on the 3rd to last page: Shouldn't someone tell them that "Bernie Bickerstaff, NBA Coach" is African American?

Also: the reference to "Twelve Prophesies..." is probably a reference to something that was actually written by other writers of the period as a prank and evasively attributed to great uncle Isaac. According to faculty sources in the English Dept. at Lawrence University, there had been much controversy in theatre history circles as to his actual existence because of a prank played at the time in an effort to discredit someone who was publishing troublesome predictions in "almanacs" he was writing.

These writers put out a publication that included, among other fictional predictions, the death of the offending writer. They attributed authorship to Isaac, who apparently had nothing to do with it. His reputation as a music hall meddler with serious dramatic material may have had something to do with choosing his name as a beard for the group. In any case, when the predicted date passed, the pranksters had obituaries of the troublesome self-proclaimed "prophet" published in local papers. Theatre historians therefore, suspected that the name of Isaac Bickerstaff(e) may have been only a pen name until more recently when records were found in London regarding shows he had produced there. I was also shown a book written on him titled "The Dramatic Cobbler," though I don't remember who the author was. Apparently he was called that, because he would take serious classical materials (like King Lear) and turn them into musical comedies. Professor Ben Schneider (I think) was the person in the English Dept. at Lawrence who gave me most of this information, although AJ Cundy, the Theatre Professor at Lakeland College, who did his PhD work on American Theatre History at Indiana Univ. under Oscar Brockett, also asked me about my relationship to Isaac. That's all I know about that. (End of Jimmyıs message.)

I would also like to point out that a number of Bickerstaffs seem to come from the southern United States and, at the time of emancipation, many former slaves took their mastersı sir names. This could easily account for Bernie Bickerstaffıs family.

Below is a run-down on the Bickerstaff branch into which I married. Eb Everett Bickerstaff (?-1986) m. Blanche Selleck (?-1995). They had four sons, one of whom died in childhood. The others are: Clarence (Curley) (192?-197?), Andrew Eugene (192?-), and Henry Selleck (1930-1996). Curley married and was later divorced from Ida Mae Goff. They had two sons, Ronald Gene and Jerry Dean. Gene married Constance Siebenthal and they had three children, Andy, Jr., Sherry, and Linda. Henry married Barbara Allen Tillery (me) (later divorced). We had four boys and a girl: Jimmy Allen (1951-), Charles Henry (1953-), Kurt Dolan (1954-), Mark Lee (1957), and Mary Kathryn (1965-). Gene and his family still live in the Carlsbad, New Mexico area where Eb moved his family from El Paso, Texas in the 30ıs. I have no idea where Curleyıs boys are now.

Our kids are scattered across the country and most have families of their own. Jimmy has two sons, Matthew Elias (1973-) and Russell Colin (1976-) from his first marriage. In 1991 he married Paula Harrigan (1964-) and now has another son, Liam Harrigan (1995-). Except for Russ, who is at U Wisconsin/Milwaukee, they are living in Portland, Oregon. Charles Henry also has two children, Stacey Lynn (1974-) and Charles Henry II (1976-) by a prior marriage. He is now married again (1992) and living in Decatur, Illinois. His daughter, Stacey, married Richard Karl Kreitz in 1993. Kurt is in New Port Richey, Florida and Mark is somewhere on the west coast. Neither are married. Mary married Allen Luke Westbrook in 1982. They live here in Houston and have three children, Allen Luke II (1983-), Anthony Ray (1989-), and Kathryn Raine (1993-).

Wish I had more dates, and prior information, but I really know very little except what Henry told me -- that as a youngster he visited members of his dadıs family in the Amarillo, TX area, where ³everybody worked at the courthouse.² This would appear to hint that they could possibly be linked to the Bickerstaff whose law firm is in Austin. There is also supposed to be a Cherokee grandmother, indicating that the migration pattern probably came through Oklahoma. I also recall that somewhere, a generation or two ago, there was a marriage to a Caroline Reed, a name that also shows up in my Tillery heritage. As soon as I retire and/or get some time to research this at our local genealogy library, I intend to do so.

For now -- Thanks again, and a big HOWDY to all those international Bickerstaff/e types!

Small World department: I donıt know how large Randwick is, but I claim friends there -- Chris & Jane Milross and family. Dr. Milross is in the Radiation Oncology Department of Prince of Wales Hospital. During the year or so they spent in Houston Chris worked at the Cancer Center where I am a secretary and Jane had a dual citizenship baby. If you happen to run across them, please say Gıday!

Barbara Allen
(Yes, the Tillery family has English roots, too!)

Home Phone: 713-778-8017
Work Phone: 713-792-3424
Work Fax: 713-794-5369

7700 Corporate Drive, Apt 104
Houston, TX 77036
USA

Email: barbara_bickerstaff(at)radonc.mdacc.tmc.edu

Harold Bickerstaff

Tue Feb 9, 1999

Hi Bruce:
I got a phone call from a Grant Bickerstaff, who just happens to live a short distance from my home in Collingwood , about two hours north of Toronto Ontario Canada. His son Joe from Toronto sent me the information about your Web Site.

Here's my info: I'm Harold David Murdoch Bickerstaff.Born Jan.3, 1953 . Son of Murdoch Everret Bickerstaff of Vanleek Hill Ontario, deceased in 1983. He had two brothers, Clifford, died about 1985 and Len, who was killed in action in WWII. Their father ( my grandfather) was Joseph Bickerstaff of Maxville Ontario.

I have two sons, Robert Francis Bickerstaff born Sept.13, 1972, now in Cambridge Ontario, Canada ( Web Page: www.easynet.ca/~bickers) currently in the Insurance business, and Christopher David Bickerstaff born May 18, 1979. He is in his first year at Carleton University in Ottawa Ontario Canada.

Anyone that wants to contact me:

PO Box 3265	Phone: (705) 445-1542
145 Timmons Street	Fax: (705) 445-5261
Collingwood,Ontario	e-mail: bicksales(at)aol.com
Canada, L9Y 3Z2

Keep in touch. Harold Bickerstaff

H. Jeff Bickerstaff, Jr.

Dear Bruce

I just happened to come across the Bickerstaff home page and I would like my name included on your list. My name is H. Jeff Bickerstaff, Jr. I live in Columbus, Georgia.

There is a very large Bickerstaff population around Georgia and Alabama. Our family down here have been brick manufacturers since the early part of this century and have just been bought out by an Australian Company called Boral. My e-mail address is as follows: ptrust@cbus.mindspring.com.

I look forward to hearing from you and would be glad to help you with any Bickerstaff searches. My great aunt (Sara Bussey Bickerstaff) wrote a fairly exhaustive history of the bickerstaff family some years back.

To contact Jeff, write to ptrust(at)mindspring.com - The back-up address is JBick1(at)juno.com

Jim Wright

Hello Bruce, Jim Wright from Lowell Massachusetts, USA calling...

Fumbling around the Bickerstaff(e) pages I noted the following... "Bickerstaff of Glenavy Parish, County Antrim". Bruce Bickerstaff has this detailed three page document - please contact him (me) if it might be of interest. It relates to the period (approx) 1650 to 1850 and many of these Bickerstaff's lived in Lisburn near the border with County Down. It was passed on to him by an Australian descendant of this line of Bickerstaff's."

Sounds like a connection to my Bickerstaffe family, maybe you can help or connect me with the correct Bickerstaffe or Cormican family (s)... My great great grandfather Edward Cormican married Sarah Bickerstaffe dau of Andrew (a fisherman) of Glenavy Parish in August 1868. Edward and Sarah emmigrated to North American circa 1890 with their children where they settled in Parry Sound Onatario, Canada. Sarah died in 1923. I am descended their son James to his daughter Harriet Cormican...

I have been in touch with a fellow from England who occasionally goes home to Glenavy. He had made some contacts there about a year ago with various Bickerstaff and Cormican families but, none could connect. I had even given him copies of some old photos to show around to see if anyone recognized a likeness... recently in contact with a Cormican from Florida but, haven't heard back yet...

I'll forward that old family photo to you... if you're not interested just delete it...

Sincerely appreciate any help with these families.
Thank you.
Jim

---

Subject: bickerstaffe note from you?

Dear Bruce,

I received an envelope with some Bickerstaffe info, was that from you? Thank you very much.. does this mean we're related.. somehow?

Funny part is the page from Irish Ancestors that has the pencil notes about 'Alex Cormican son of James' is from 'my copy' of the book.. I obtained it from a cousin (Betty Cameron of the same line) in Revelstoke, British Columbia.. it seems someone vising her one time from No. Ireland penciled in the notes.. I have the original that yours was copied from.. that was a hoot getting a copy of my own magazine all the way from Australia.... what a small world..... You don't know anyone connected to that Cormican Family who married into the Bickerstaffe's do you? My Bickerstaffe line starts with Sarah Bickerstaffe who married Edward Cormican in 1868 ...

Thanks again!
Jim

To contact Jim, write to JimWrt(at)aol.com

Mark & Sheryl Campbell

Hi Bruce

My name is Sheryl Campbell and I and my husband Mark are the resident family genealogists. I was surfing the Bickerstaff net and somehow feel you may be a distant relative to my husband. His ancestors were also Bickerstaffs in Ayr, Scotland. We were just there and picked up some interesting information. It may take a little while to sort things out. This is what we know for certain: In the records that we found I did find references to your Bickerstaff/Howatson chidrens' births. It seems there was a 'whole nest of them' and the information I have is for 2-3 generations.

My husband's gr-gr grandfather was Samuel Bickerstaff who married Janet McCrorie 7/22/1853 at Newton-on-Ayr and one of their sons was also Hugh. Hugh seems to be a reoccuring theme on this form that we have. Hugh Bickerstaff married Helen Alexander 1/26/1894. Hugh Bickerstaff (1806) may have married Ellinor Rogers, who had a daughter Ellinor born 11/19/1826 and other children. Could these be your ancestors also. As you said, if you get mail return from our server, here is our snail mail address:

Email Soon
We'd love to hear from you!
Sheryl

Lindsay Neill Bickerstaff III

Bruce,

I received a phone call today from someone who had seen your Bickerstaff family home page on the web. Thanks for this page, it is incredible.

I am a native of Columbus GA and now live in South Carolina. My grandfather was Lindsay Neill Bickerstaff and his wife was Sara Bussey Bickerstaff. He was president of Bickerstaff Clay Products Company and Dixie Brick Company for several years. Bickerstaff Clay was bought by Boral Bricks last year.

In 1979 my grandmother put compiled a book entitled Bickerstaff, Lindsay, Neill and related families. I am currently trying to put my hands on several more copies. Let me know if you or anyone else is interested.

I would love to hear from anyone in the Bickerstaff clan. My mailing address is:

Lindsay N. Bickerstaff III
439 Longview Terrace
Greenville SC 29605

Email: isdd2(at)aol.com

Barbara Bridges

Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999

Dear Bruce:

Thanks for creating and maintaining this page. My father was Curtis E. Bickerstaff and he died at 72 in 1993. His father was a Texas railroad man who was killed in his early twenties either in Amory, Mississippi or around Teague Texas. I never knew what my grandfather's first name was since he died when my father was still an infant. My granfather died very young because he saved the life of an elderly woman who was deaf who walked in front of an oncoming train. He pushed her out of the way and was struck and killed. My grandmother was left with my infant father, no education, alone in the middle of the Dust Bowl in Texas during the Depression. She went on to marry three other men before passing away when I was a teenager. My father grew up in Teague and Arlington, Texas and joined the Army Air Corps when he was a young man. He met and married my mother, Helen Beals Bickerstaff during the war. Mother was from St. Augustine, Florida and my Dad went on to become a career Air Force officer. I have three sisters all residing in the United States. Two are lawyers and one is a physical therapist. I am a fiction writer living in California, I also recently started writing sitcoms for television.

( Contact details withheld by request ... BB )

Charles W. Bickerstaff

Mon, 8 Mar 1999

Dear Bruce,

First I would like to thank you for having the Bickerstaff Web Page. I have been reading it for over a year now and have enjoyed it very much. I just purchased a computer that allows me to go on the web soI thought I would send along some information.

My Name is Charles W. Bickerstaff(Charlie B. to everyone) and I presently live in Southbridge Mass. I was born and raised in the New Bedford, Mass area. I am Married with two children and just became a grandfather 8 months ago. As far as I have been able to trace my family , we go back to Thomas Bernard Bickerstaff who came to the United States from England around 1890. He married Emma Borden(who was related to Lizzy Borden of Fall River murder fame) and they had eight children. The four boys were Richard, Charles, Alger, and Robert. There were four girls Agness, Erla, Myrtle, and Barbara. Charles B. Bickerstaff was my grandfather. Unfortunity I did not become too interested in all of this until my mother died about eighteen months ago and I started to read all of the information she had gathered. I would be willing to share any information I have with anyone who is interested.

I believe that Bryant Bickerstaff, one of the people on your list, grandfather and my grandfather are brothers. I haven't been able to comunicate with him as all the messages I send come back undeliverable.

If anyone is interested in comunication please email me at either wesau@Massed.net or wesau@yahoo.com . My mailing address is 78 Red Oak Lane , Southbridge, Mass. 01550-1133. I have been looking for a William Bickerstaff a lawyer who lives in the New York City area for a long time and would appreciate any help anyone could give me. He is a nephew who I haven't seen in at least fifty years.

Once again thanks for having this page, but I am not the wealthy lost relative that you have been looking for.
Charlie B.

Gayle Byars