Ever since I can remember I've been interested in my family history. A lot of that probably comes from my father who (being the oldest son of the oldest son of the oldest son of the oldest son of the oldest son of the...) is not only extremely knowledgeable about our history, but also has in his possession some pretty amazing family heirlooms (journals, books, etc) that have been passed down that patriarchal line (incidentally, I am the youngest son in my family, so I don't get any of it).
Anyway, the one aspect of my family history that has always interested me the most is the fact that the Pulsipher name has never been able to be traced back beyond my family's move to the new world over 400 years ago. All that is verifiably known is that Benedict/Benedictus Pulsepher (his spelling) came over from England in the mid-1600s and settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Beyond that, nothing.
So, periodically, I peruse the internet to see if any new information has been discovered or brought forward. Today was one such day, and I actually came across some interesting stuff this time:
1 - I might be Irish. So, for a long time now it has been known that Benedict's father was a man named Benjamin. Well, most of the references I found about Benjamin today said that he was born in 1614 in Ireland (a couple sources still said England, so who knows). Benedict is generally believed to have been born in England (one source even states the city as being Nottingham), so maybe the family first migrated to England from Ireland before heading over to America.
2 - 3 possible name origins. I found three possible explanations for the origin of my surname.
- Benedict changed his name from Pulford to Pulsipher when he migrated to America. It's generally believed that the family were Puritans and possibly that Benedict was even involved in Cromwell's Army during the English Civil War, which started in Nottingham (the supposed birthplace of Benedict), and eventually ended with the beheading of King Charles I. It's believed that Benedict moved to America between 1655 and 1659 where he changed his name from Pulford (a well-known English name) to Pulsipher in order to avoid being found by the minions of the newly reestablished (in 1660) British monarchy and it's new king, Charles II, the son of the beheaded Charles I. (this explanation seems the most probable to me, and I found a couple different websites referencing this possibility. It might also explain the puritan family leaving the heavily Catholic Ireland to move to England).
OR
- The name might be traced back to ancient Florence (making me part Italian!!!) to a family called Pulci (derived from the latin word Pulcher which means "beautiful"). The Pulci family were artisans, merchants, and sailors, and generally considered to be learned. It is known that after the Norman conquest of England, one of the Pulci family members moved to England. Apparently, this man was very handsome and given that his name meant "beautiful" he became known to friends as Puloi-Vir – "Handsome Man." It's then believed that over time the name became anglicized and simplified first to Puloifer and then to Pulsipher. (this sounds a little far fetched to me because if it were the case, the name would show up in records long before the mid-1600's. But I have to admit, I do like the idea of my name meaning "Handsome Man")
OR
- If the name is in fact of Anglo-Saxon origin it could be derived from the Anglo-Saxon verb "pullian" (which is where the English word "pull" or "pulls" comes from) and the dead Anglo-Saxon preposition or adverb "infere" which means "together." So my name might mean "pull together" which would explain why we're such cooperative people. (this sounds a little more probable but again, why then doesn't the name show up before the mid-1600's?)
Anyway, I found all this stuff pretty interesting and I'm hopeful that some day this mystery will be definitively solved and I will eventually know with certainty that I am descended from puritan Irish stock or possibly from Florentine merchants, or maybe something completely different (I still think my lustrous beard is evidence of Viking descent). :)
Here are some of the sources I got my info from:
5 comments:
I greatly enjoyed your delving into the Pulsipher mystery. I had heard hints about the possible Irish origin, but not the Florence connection, although some in the family have said that the name meant "beautiful man." Your explorations are more detailed than anything I've encountered, but then I haven't been surfing the internet like you have. Several years ago Sheryl, my sister, had run into names that sounded like Pulcver and Pulfer in Slapton, a small town in Devonshire near Dartmouth, UK. I'll check with her and see if she has any more information on that possibility.
I greatly enjoyed your delving into the Pulsipher mystery. I had heard hints about the Irish origin, but not the Florence connection, although some in the family have said that the name meant "beautiful man." Your explorations are more detailed than anything I've encountered, but then I haven't been surfing the internet. Sheryl, my sister, had run into names that sounded like Pulcver and Pulfer in Slapton, a small town in Devonshire near Dartmouth, UK. I'll check with her and see if she has any more information on that possibility.
Dad enjoyed your findings so much that he wrote twice. And with the exact same wording! Amazing. I, too, enjoyed your delvings. I will have to look into the links and have as much fun as you have. Thanks for the inspiration. We miss you. It feels like you should be here with Carrie in town!
Love you Mark!
On my mission I was at the temple open house answering questions when a very scholarly gentleman (think white goatee, glasses and tweed jacket) saw my name and immediately blurted out "Pulsipher! That's a very old English name!" And that was it. We chatted for a bit, but I wish I had known to get his information so that whatever he knew (or thought he new) about our last name could be better explored. This is very interesting. I wonder if we should plan a family trip to Ireland and Florence to further investigate. I think the Viking side must come through mom's side, but I'm sure it's got to be in there somewhere :)
I was perusing the Mark Pulsipher Wikipedia article and found that it meant ridiculously handsome man--I guess we all sort of knew that already though.
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