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If I remember correctly my ancestors came from the Netherlands, and helped settle the area where most of my family still lives, in the 1880's, and I don't think it was until the early part of the 1900's that the community got together and decided that not being able to business with the rest of the communities, because of language barriers, wasn't beneficial to the community. So they decided that in order to survive as a community the Dutch language was out and it's time to learn English.
My fathers side of the family traces back to late 1600's Virginia, so that was old English. My mothers side of the family immigrated from Germany and settled in Ohio in the mid to late 1800's. When I was a child, my great grandmother spoke some German. My grandmother zilch- so third generation there.
My wife's fathers side of the family came were the Brinton lineage from Pennsylvania (The Brinton House), so late 1600's as well- English. My wife's mother is Bavarian, came to the states in the 1960's. She is obviously fluent, my wife can speak some German but not daily so second generation there.
I am not sure how long my progenator spoke his natural language or from where he came in 1632 to Massachusetts. He was a blacksmith and brought a few kids and the last two born in the USA. He is buried in an unmarked grave in Hull, Massachusetts. This was my fathers family. Moms family so far I have gotten back to 1830. They were Irish which split during the Revolutionary War.
I am not sure how long my progenator spoke his natural language or from where he came in 1632 to Massachusetts. He was a blacksmith and brought a few kids and the last two born in the USA. He is buried in an unmarked grave in Hull, Massachusetts. This was my fathers family. Moms family so far I have gotten back to 1830. They were Irish which split during the Revolutionary War.
Wouldn't his native language have been English? In some form. We know the Pilgrims arrived from England in 1620, the Puritans in the 1640s. It's interesting because I thought that by 1632 people wouldn't have spread much beyond the original Plymouth settlement. Apparently they had spread at least as far as the Hull area though.
Wouldn't his native language have been English? In some form. We know the Pilgrims arrived from England in 1620, the Puritans in the 1640s. It's interesting because I thought that by 1632 people wouldn't have spread much beyond the original Plymouth settlement. Apparently they had spread at least as far as the Hull area though.
Thank you for your thoughts, it is amazing how just one word can send one to a new discovery. English would be the most logical it would seem. Family lore so far was he was in Brainard, Mass. for two years before he became a "free man" and was able to acquire property. He lived there until he retired to Hull where he died. Most of his family went south and possibly a couple to Canada. My branch was first found in a town on the shores of New Jersey and imgrated west leaving family on the way to Indiana. Then to Iowa where my grandparents were born. Many are buried there while my line is in Missouri.
One side is English/Welsh since the 1700's the foreign language speakers were mid 19th century Germans and their kids spoke unbroken English. It was a big deal.
Nearly all my ancestors are either English, Scottish, or German, but the Scots and Germans have been in America, marrying English folks (then American folks), since the 1600s, so I'm assuming most of them have been speaking some form of English since then.
Wouldn't his native language have been English? In some form. We know the Pilgrims arrived from England in 1620, the Puritans in the 1640s. It's interesting because I thought that by 1632 people wouldn't have spread much beyond the original Plymouth settlement. Apparently they had spread at least as far as the Hull area though.
Boston was first settled by the Puritans in 1630, so it's not surprising there would be settlers in Hull shortly after.
My grandparents were born here, but their parents came over from Sweden. I think my grandparents understood Swedish, but only used a smattering of Swedish words with their children. My mother neither spoke or understood Swedish except for a few words, mostly for foods.
So my answer to the question is 2 generations. It is too bad that we didn't think being bilingual was important back then. I wish I spoke Swedish.
My grandchild to be will be born to a bilingual mother, who went to an international school. I hope the baby is fluent in 2 languages, but since she's in the US, that will be hard.
Never heard anything but English in our family other than a few words when another country has been visited.
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