My family starts off back in England 7 generations ago. My family traditions have not changed all that much as time has past. They however have changed to adapt to societies new way of living as they change. So to see any major changes that took place in my family I had to go back 7 generations.

My family was started with Ann Ivison who was born on January 30, 1797 in Manchester, England. Her father was clockmaker and very wealthy. In a distant part of the Ivison family there was said to be some title, but it is not known what the title was, or exactly who had it. So there is also some English royalty in family at one point in time.

She attended a girl's seminary, which was the custom in those days, which is equivalent to a 8th grade level of education today. She was only 4 feet, 10 inches in height. In 1826, at 29, and considered an old maid, she came to America with her dower money to look for a husband. She

Archibald wanted to turn their land into a farm. Archibald raised hogs, sheep, cattle and horses. Archibald grew corn, oats, wheat for flour, sugarcane for molasses, and tobacco. Every winter they would butcher 2 cows and 8 to 10 hogs for food.

In 1830, James and Ann Simpson finally settled in St. Clair County, Illinois. Ann Bore five children. The first was a little girl named Christiana, but she died. The second was also a little girl, and also named Christiana, but she died too. The third child was a girl, also named Christiana was born on December 31, 1838. She lived and married Archibald Moore of Cowden, Illinois. James and Ann also had two sons, Spencer and John in the late 1830's or early 1840's

Christiana took over her father's land with the help her husband Archibald in 1866. They soon built another log cabin on their property for themselves. After their cabin was built they wanted to start their family so over the next 6 years Christiana bore 4 children James, John, Charles, Luella. All of whom which lived to adulthood.

So Ann after hearing about the land for sale went by stagecoach alone all of the way back to Philadelphia after her dower money, which she had brought from England. Half was in English gold and half in the bank of England notes. She carried the money in a large pocket sewed onto her petticoat. I have heard that she carried the money in one pocket and a gun in another pocket to protect the money if she was robbed.

Nellie's first son Fred Cochran after moving to Missouri met his love Louise Heidemen who was also originally from Detroit as well. They both decided it was best to move back to Detroit and get a job in the auto industry. When they moved back my Fred Cochran found a job at AMC making cars. They lived in a small 2-bedroom house in Detroit not far from the AMC plant. Not long after being back in Detroit My grandfather was drafted into WWII. He served as a pilot for 1 year in the army before coming down with polio and tuberculosis. Fred then was discharged from the army and flew home and spent 2 years recovering in a hospital. After his recovery they had two kids Robert and James. Soon after having their kids the moved to Redford a suburb of Detroit where they still live today.

In 1851 James and Ann would finally got the deed to approximately 320 acres. They never farmed any of it though during their lifetime. They had never needed the money all they needed was the $35 a week from pumping water to get by.

They continued to farm this land and lived here all of their lives. While on the farm they believed in the Christian faith, which has stayed as our family religion for the past 100 years. Chirstiana took over different beliefs then her mother and was willing to do work to help the family and help the farm. She didn't feel as upper class as her mother did all of her life. All of their kids except for Charles stayed on the farm and continued the family farm.

Ann Always refused to do any housework, so James had to keep a hired girl. Ann also refused to mend, spin or weave, since she considered such tasks beneath her and to be the work of servants. She considered herself an English Aristocrat. There were also many English Family's in this area with the same beliefs whose wives wouldn't work as well. This shows that Ann Still had here the same beliefs as her mother so she did what her mother did.

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Approximate Word count = 2804
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)