A POSSIBLE BROTHER
While researching William Alexander Russwurm's Revolutionary War record we discovered a Corporal Jethro Russwurm. He was recorded under the common alternative spelling Russworm.
This link takes you to the Valley Forge muster roll website: http://valleyforgemusterroll.org/muster.asp?id=VA14397
We have been unable to find any dates on this individual, so we don't know if he was of the age to be William's brother. But two pieces of information are interesting. The fact that he is serving in a Virginia unit and his first name being Jethro. Jethro being such a prominent first name in the Sumner family.
If this is indeed William Alexander's brother, he would have been named prior to William Alexander's marriage to Eleanor "Sumner".
"Rushworm's" in Nansemond, Virginia
We found William Alexander Russwurm listed as being from Nansemond in a muster roll.
This prompted research on the Nansemond area of Virginia, which quickly turned out to be mostly a dead end. Unfortunately, most records from that area were destroyed during the Revolutionary or Civil War periods.
However, one interesting tidbit was found. We found mentions of a "Rushworm's" property in the Chuckatuck area of Nansemond, now Suffolk, Virginia.
For example here: http://wesleychapelchuckatuck.org/our-history/our-history-2
The Chuckatuck Historical Society website included similar information (it is currently down) and we contacted them for possible additional information. In their reply they stated: "Legend is that the early site of "Rushworm's" was somewhere within the triangle shaped area formed by Everets Road, Moore Farm Lane and Route 10 (Godwin Blvd.) in Suffolk (once Nansemond County)."
Another piece of evidence referring to Rushworm's Lane was found in a July 29th, 1800 edition of the Gazette of the United States, & daily advertiser found here. On page three we found the mention of the duel below.
A POSSIBLE FATHER
Research on the Virginia area uncovered another interesting piece of information. A possible father to William Alexander Russwurm. This being Francis Russwurm.
The Colonial Williamsburg website has an indexed and searchable archive of colonial newspapers here: http://research.history.org/DigitalLibrary/va-gazettes/
Browsing the index for Russwurm retrieved three hits: http://research.history.org/DigitalLibrary/va-gazettes/VGPPDetail.cfm?fileName=Russworm-Ryswick.htm&first=Russworm&last=Ryswick
We found three entries in the Virginia Gazette. Cropped images below.
We found three entries in the Virginia Gazette. Cropped images below.
May 16th, 1771
June 24th, 1773
September 9th, 1773
So we have evidence of a male Russwurm, living in Nansemond and dying most likely after the birth of the Russwurm brothers we are researching.
FIRST NAMES
In our research we have found a remarkable consistency in the naming of children. Almost every generation having a William or Alexander. We find Sumner being applied as a first name in later generations, marking the connection to the Sumner family. Finally, as noted above we have a Jethro Russwurm which we believe is another continuation from the Sumner line.
The connection of Francis Russwurm of Nansemond in the Virginia Gazette is made all the stronger by a Francis Edward Russwurm appearing one generation later. This being the name of John Russwurm's of Jamaica (William Alexander Russwurm's brother) son.
In our research we have found a remarkable consistency in the naming of children. Almost every generation having a William or Alexander. We find Sumner being applied as a first name in later generations, marking the connection to the Sumner family. Finally, as noted above we have a Jethro Russwurm which we believe is another continuation from the Sumner line.
The connection of Francis Russwurm of Nansemond in the Virginia Gazette is made all the stronger by a Francis Edward Russwurm appearing one generation later. This being the name of John Russwurm's of Jamaica (William Alexander Russwurm's brother) son.