Page 56, 57, 58, 59.
No positive date has been obtained as to the nationality of the Tomlinsons but from traditional stories it is quite evident they came from England. Prior to the Revolutionary war, though we have no record that any of them served in that war. Mary Heath used to speak of an uncle to her father who was at one time Lord Mayor of London, but she did not know his name, nor that of her grandfather, though she often spoke of other relatives. The custom of adding "son" to the father's christian name, to form the son's sir name, originated among the Danes; as Johnson, Jacobson, Wilson, Williamson, etc. The French prefixed de to the town they came from as De Winton. In Germany von was a mark of nobility prefixed to the surname. Surnames were not in use in Scotland until the 12th century. In England farms, homesteads, natural features of the country were taken as family names, by those living near them - as wood, dale, heath, etc. A large class of names were formed by adding "son" to the Christian name of the father and reversing it for the grandson as Alan Walterson; his son became Walter Alanson. Fitz means the same as son and originated in Normandy before it transferred into England. Mac means son in Scotland; O in the Irish means grandson as does Apin Wales. Office, occupation, condition or characteristics give rise to names as Marshal, Page, Smith, Brewster, Shepherd, McPherson (son of the parson). Qualities, Black, White, Strong, Lang (long) Littlejohn, Cruikshank. Nicknames frequently became surnames. In England there are 40,000 different surnames. In Scotland it was quite common for men to take the name of their chief or lord during the days of Feudalism, which accounts for the many Campbells, Camerons, McLeans, MacDonalds, Mackays, Scotts, Elliotts, Maxwells and Johnstones.
In Great Britain and the United States the wife changes her family name to that of her husband. In continental Europe it is added to that of the wife. In Spain the wife retains her family name and her son chooses between that of the mother or father. In Germany, prior to the Reformation, the name of the more popular family was adopted. When a man became a clergyman, his surname became that of the town of his birth; as Wm. Long became Rev. Wm. Wykham. Family quarrels sometimes scatter families and to cover up or conceal their identity, they adopt a new name; as L. W. Shear who served a sentence in Sing Sing prison N.Y., located in Grinnell, Iowa and raised a family under the name of J. C. Vigneaux. He is now serving a 12 year sentence in the state of Michigan for embezzlement, not for changing his name as there is no law against a man assuming a new name, tho it may be done by a legal process through the court. Names are sometimes modified for convenience. Two families by the name of Brooks, one living east and the other west of town and having the same initials, get each others mail by mistake, so they change their names to Eastbrook and Westbrook. We knew a Mr. Kirkpatrick who had two sons; one wrote his name Sam Kirk, the other George Patrick. This will give the reader some idea as to the origin of names and the complexity of tracing family history.
Isaac Williams, who made numerous trips to England and Wales, to purchase the highest bred sheep, incidentally learned that there are large estates in Chancery in England due the Tomlinsons. He has an attorney at Shrewsbury, England who will take up the matter as soon as we can prove who the ancestors were of those at the beginning of this Directory. We don't know, nor have we been able to find any one who did know, though we have made diligent inquiry from boyhood to the present time.
While to inherit wealth is no crime, yet to inherit an honorable family name is of far more value in the true purpose of life and that we can all claim from our Tomlinson ancestors who have been a noble people always on the side of right, good morals and supporters of that which was for the upbuilding of the community in which they lived. We are proud to trace our ancestry back among them. While some may be poor they are all honorable and some have become distinguished. The knowledge of a noble ancestry ought to and does stimulate and strengthen character to move onward and upward and try to achieve greater things which were impossible during the time of our noble sires.
We regret very much that we are not in possession of more extended data for writing the biography of each member. There are many facts and purposes in the life of each one that ought to be recorded before this is ever published and one purpose in sending out this manuscript copy is to awaken an interest that will secure more extended data. Sons and daughters, you may know of interesting characteristics of your parents or their experiences, which should be placed on record. Write us personal letters after reading these biographies and we will place them on record. Some of these are more extended than others because we are in possession of more facts and not that they are any more worthy than those who have been given only a few lines.