Names. Over the years, some names have become more and then less popular, depending on things like trends, media, creativity ... and some have maintained a steady level, usually due to simple tradition. Some names are repeated over the generations to keep them in the family, or to honour or commemorate those who have passed. Sometimes the maiden name of the mother or grandmother was used as the first name of a child. I knew a woman who had twins and named one of them after her husband, the other after the man who actually fathered the children ...
Nowadays it seems people are sometimes just making up names off the top of their heads, to invoke some kind of individuality for their child. Names like Edith, Archibald, Maud, or even my own Deborah aren't used as often now as they once were.
In the not so distant past though, traditional names handed down from generation to generation were very important. Often in a line of grandchildren you would see several cousins with the same name, after their grandfather or grandmother. I'm sure this would have made for a very confusing family reunion with all these cousins called Robert or Sarah.
Which brings me to Henry and Watson. Capt Jesse's eldest son was James. Nothing spectacular there, James has always been a very popular and traditional name all the way through history and even today. Likely he had a brother or uncle or even his father named James ... not much to go on. James named his first son Henry. Also a popular name, although less so than James in some parts. Capt Jesse had no sons named Henry. James' wife's father and grandfather were not named Henry. She did have an uncle Henry but he died in infancy.
Capt Jesse's second son, Jesse jr, named one of his sons Watson. Now that's an unusual name. One does not just come up with a name like that out of the clear blue sky ... not in the 1800's anyhow. Watson was not commonly used as a first name, but it was a surname in some parts.
So, this is where I'm looking now ... Henry and Watson had to have come from somewhere ... either his father, grandfather, uncles, brothers, or his mother .... Yes, that's casting a hugely wide net, but when you factor in the relevant dates and geographical possibilities and likelihoods it narrows up just a little bit. Hopefully just enough to help me figure out a bit more of the puzzle that is Capt Jesse.
