User:Phil Dolliff/new article name here

Dolloff Family History

The first Dolloff in America was probably Christian who appears to have arrived in the late 1600s. Christian founded a family that came to span the continent and epitomized the American experience -- a young man comes from a faraway land, he and his family tames the frontier, they fight in the wars that defined North America, and the family grew and prospers on frontiers of boundless possibilities. Four hundred years later his family has spread so far and grown so large that few of its members know its origin or its many twists and turns. This is the story of that family.

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PreHistory

We know a bit about the prehistory of the Dolloff family. Genetic testing indicates that the family followed the broad movements of many Europeans – beginning in Africa, moving through the Middle East and then moving into Europe tens of thousands of years ago as the Neanderthals were being outcompeted by modern humans. Preliminary genetic testing from one line of the family may indicate that the path to Europe could have been through what is now Central Asia and Russia and then to northern Europe but additional genetic testing of the broader family is recommended as such a route is one of two major routes of immigration into Europe. (The genetic data suggests that, from a male perspective, modern humans might have taken two colonising routes, one from the middle east via the Balkans and another from Central Asia to the north of the Black Sea.)

We also may be able to tell a bit about the Dolloff’s prehistory from linguistic evidence. As will be discussed in more detail below most of the linguistic evidence and the current distribution of similar surnames worldwide that appear to be related to the Dolloff family indicate that it most likely was part of the north European group that includes Germans and Swedes. These peoples were originally part of a broader North European cultural group that preceded both the Celtic and German groups (the split amongst the two groups came at roughly the beginning of the Common Era). The Germanic peoples had followed the glaciers north and occupied a broad swath including northern Germany, Scandinavia and parts of modern Poland and then expanded outward from this core. [[File:|thumb|Map-of-human-migrations.jpg]]

The linguistic evidence could support an origin for the Dolloff family from anywhere within this area as last name appears to be derived from the cognates, the linguistic building blocks, of Dol and Hof which cover this area and have broadly similar meanings. In general, Dol which in the north German linguistic dialects also overlaps the spelling Tol, means water or related to water. Hof in Germanic languages broadly means home although it occasionally is used more specifically to refer to a courted family homestead wherein the buildings of an family including a home and outbuildings grouped together and, in some cases, fenced against the outside.

After branching from the Celts, the German peoples participated in the barbarian invasions that toppled Rome and then became Christians during the dark ages. In the middle ages the German peoples developed feudal states and cultures. By the time that the first Dolloff emerges into history, religious wars were devastating most of what is now Germany as the new Protestant faith and Catholicism struggled mightily and many Protestants emigrated during this period to new lands including the United Kingdom's colony of New Hampshire. As described in more detail below, however, there is also some evidence that the Dolloffs may have had a different non-German origin.

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Christian’s National Origin

Christian's nationality and early years are unknown despite extensive research spanning a century. Several contending theories are in still on play on this interesting issue but the evidence for all of them remains circumstantial.

The most likely theory is that Christian came from Germanic country. Supporting this theory is linguistic evidence, including the likelihood that “Dolloff” is actually an Anglicization of “Dolhof”. In Germanic languages (including Dutch, Danish, German, and Swedish), hof means house, farm, the home of a prince, or court (the medieval architectural form wherein the homes and outbuildings of an extended family were arrayed in a enclosed compound around a courtyard).

"Dol” has several closely allied meanings in Germanic languages relating to water conveyance such as river valley, house gutters, or canal. “Christian” is also a Germanic first name. Historic evidence is mixed, as there was only a trickle of emigration by Protestant refugees from Germanic sections of Europe to New England during this period.

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A private genealogical company, Hall of Names, argued in 1994 that there was evidence for a theory that Christian was from the Dollen family in Pomerania now part of northern Germany, based on its databases. There was a reference to a Christer Dollen in original documents.

There are two important variants of this Germanic Theory. One variant is that Christian came directly from the Netherlands. Perhaps the most persuasive evidence for this theory is that the first name, Christian, was not uncommon in the Netherlands (and Norway). The linguistic evidence for this theory is also significant because a significant number of the 21 spellings of Christian’s last name in the Dolloff Manuscript, the largest assembly of early Dolliff Genealogical information, used a formulation of “oo” (such as “Dolhoof”) and this linguistic formulation is clearly Dutch. The derivation of the last name could also be Dutch under any of the several meanings of “Dol”. In current residential phone listings for the Netherlands there are a few spellings which broadly overlap early spellings of Christian’s last name but there are relatively few listings which seems unlikely if the family began before Christian's move to New Hampshire and the vestigal European fragment wedged out from there, but more research on this issue is recommended.

There are also oral family traditions reaching back to at least the 19th century and documented in early family histories that claim that Christian was Dutch. One challenge for this theory is that there was little, if any, Dutch emigration to the English colonies in America at this time and it appears concentrated in the dutch colonies in what are now New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. This evidential gap could be mitigated by the historic evidence that Christian may have spoken a different language and had a different religion than his neighbors.

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A variant on this theory is that Christian came from Germany through the Netherlands. In this variant, Christian (and/or his parents) probably was a Protestant refugee from southern Germany and transmigrated through the Netherlands and then to New Hampshire. Linguistic evidence is supportive of this theory as the last name could have been German as a large number of the spellings of Christian’s last name correlate with German. The first name, Christian, may be less likely to have been German at this early date then Dutch, although additional research on this issue is merited. Historic evidence for this theory is strong as there were Protestant refugees from Germany that transmigrated through the Netherlands but there is little evidence that many, if any, come to the English colonies in America. Limited research into this theory in German genealogical sources has not yet located supporting evidence for this theory.

A new theory is that Christian may have been Swedish and come to New Hampshire from the New Sweden colony along the Delaware River. This colony was once as high as 600 immigrants but it fell to less then a hundred due to being conquered by the Dutch, then the English and a famine all in the period immediately preceding Christian’s arrival in New Hampshire. The main support for this theory comes from the following 18th century explanation of Christian’s origin:

It has been claimed by earlier [Dolloff family genealogist] researchers, as recorded by Ellen Mills many years ago…[although no authorities [are] given…that the name is Dutch, that it was according to tradition in her family, originally spelled….Christian Lagardin Dalhoof [and] pronounced...Logar’din Darl-oof”

The first name Christian is used in Sweden. While the spelling of the middle name “Logardin” does not appear directly in available reference material – there is a town in Sweden named Logarden, which means the Lynx’s yard, as well as a garden of that name in the Swedish Royal Palace. There is also some linguistic evidence – in Swedish “dol” means river or valley and there is a Dol river and town in Sweden. In addition there are a few Swedes with the similar last name of "Dahlhoff".

A variant on these theories is that Christian came from the New Sweden colony in the middle Atlantic region. New Sweden was a Swedish colony along the Delaware River on the Mid-Atlantic coast of North America from 1638 to 1655. It was centered at Fort Christina, now in Wilmington, Delaware, and included parts of the present-day American states of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. This colony also included some immigrants from the Netherlands including some of it’s leaders. New Sweden was undergoing repeated conflicts in the period immediately before Christian’s arrival in New Hampshire – including attacks from native Americans. the Dutch conquered it in 1655 and then the British captured it as part of their conquest of the New Netherlands in 1664. There is no reference, however, to a Christian or a surname similar to Dolloff in the compilations of names for the colony and there does not appear to be evidence of emmigration from this colony to other colonies although some colonists did return to Sweden – most appeared to adapt to Dutch and then English rule. Yet another related theory is that Christian came from the New Netherlands colony in the mid-Atlantic region but there is no evidence to support this specific theory but the colony was conquered by the englsih not long before Christian's arrival in New Hampshire.

An alternative theory is that the Dolloff family is from Scotland. Many of Christian's neighbors and his two wives were Scottish prisoners of war exiled by the crown. There is some linguistic evidence for this theory – a few of the spellings of Christian’s last name such as “Dolac” or “Dolar”, could have been Scottish. For example, the linguistic cognate “Dol” in old Gaelic, (also alternatively spelled “dal” or “dale”) means a field, while the second cognate “ar” is old Gaelic means ploughed [land]. The cognate “ac” has several meanings; in old Germanic languages, including old Norse, Saxon, Dutch, and Frisian, it means oak or oak ship while it may also have been used in old English. From the Wikipedia entry for the cognate “ac” (2009), ac - Wiktionary

A less likely theory based on linguistic and limited historical evidence is that Christian was French. The primary evidence for this theory is historical – in 1714 a man named James D’Olive was knighted by the British crown for his service as Director of the South Seas company, an important English trading company. Jame’s last name was Anglicized into “Dolliff”. The name D’Olive means from the town of Olive and there is a small French city of that name in France. In the period before Christian’s emigration, Olive was subject to the Protestant reformation and a counterreformation that appeared to have caused many refugees to flee. Many French Huguenot emigrants fled to England and the Netherlands during this period.

Undercutting the French theory is the first name "Christian" although this could be explained if the Dolloffs transmigrated through Holland and he was a second generation son of a protestant immigrant, a possibility which does not contradict the dates involved in either his emigration or the counterreformation events in Olive. Another problematic issue is that Jame’s widow settled in Virginia after her death instead of New Hampshire, possibly indicating no connection to Christian. Another potential problem is that there is limited evidence of Dolloffs in England. Finally, there is a lack of any direct evidence connecting Christian with James. Nonetheless this theory continues to merit additional research.

A still plausible theory is that Christian was English but a century of largely unsuccessful research by Dolloff genealogists has yet to substantiate this theory. When separated form the Scotch theory mentioned above there is limited evidence for this theory. One interesting and supportive datapoint is a reference in a current but undocumented genealogical claim that an English birth record for Christian – but there is no supporting material for this claim. There is substantial historical evidence as many of Christian’s neighbors in Exeter were English but the circumstantial evidence that he may have had a different language and religion undercuts this point. Recently scattered references to Dolloffs in English have become available and these merit much more research. Linguistic evidence is mixed. As noted above some of the spellings of Christian's last name are consistent with English origin. That said, limited searches of major English cities did not show current surname listings n 2011 that correlated but this would not rule out transmigration through England.

A Russian origin remains possible and interesting but the linguistic, historical and genealogical evidence is limited. There are oral family traditions that Christian was Russian beginning in at least the 19th century. But the linguistic evidence is that the “Dol” cognate (linguistic building block) is used sparingly in Slavonic languages but this merits much additional research. That said, the transliterated cognate "Dolg" means "long" and is much more common in the Russian language. In slavic languages "off" means son of and such patronomic formulations are standard in Russian. The historic evidence, however, does not reveal Russian emigration to the North American colonies during Christian's life. That said, there were trade ties between both Holland and England at this time with both the independent principality of Novogorod and the Russian city of Archangel making transmigration through England or Holland possible. Other possible nationalities such as Irish and Polish are less likely but cannot be ruled out.

Christian's Arrival in the Americas

It is not clear when or where Christian first came to America. One theory is that he first came to Cocheco (now called Dover, New Hampshire) in about 1659; the other that he came to Exeter in about 1665-1666.

The Dover theory has Christian moving to Cocheco in 1659 or the years immediately preceding it. After working several years in Dover Christian could have moved on to Exeter. The evidence for Dover is two tax lists that show a Cristin Dolac in 1659 and Christian Dolack in 1663/4. Although the spellings appear relatively unrelated to later Dolloff spelling the name Christian was uncommon, Dover was relatively close to Exeter and the dates are relatively close, making the theory plausible.

Dover was founded by Bristol merchants in about 1630 as Northham. Originally a Puritan settlement it floundered in the early years and the original church was closed. In 1639 Captain John Underhill, a religious refugee from the Massachusetts Bay Colony resettled in Northham (Dover) and began to organize a new church. Eventually, Underhill recognized the value of a connection with the strong Bay Colony and successfully led the movement for reunion in 1642. With both religious and political life now stabilized the town began to prosper. Based at the Cocheco Falls the town was at the head of navigation and could exploit the power of the falls for timber cutting. The area was rich in timber, including many tall White Pine that were highly valued for masts for sailing vessels.

History of the Exeter Area

The history of New Hampshire began in 1622 with the granting of a colonial patent (charter) to two English gentlemen, Sir Ferdinando Gorges and Captain John Mason. They established a fishing colony the next year and set out to develop their new colony which grew slowly. In 1629 they split their colony with Mason taking what would become the coast of Maine and Georges the coast of Maine. The Mason colony in New Hampshire grew quickly as he provided military supplies, craftsman, food, equipment, and livestock. Unfortunately, he died and his widow eventually abandoned the project leaving the hundred settlers on their own. This setback caused a pause in the growth but new, independent settlers arrived bring new energies and expanded the local economy into timber. The main settlements at Strawberry Bank (Portsmouth) and Dover grew rapidly adding both shipyards and timber mills.

Exeter was founded by religious refugees from the Bay colony in 1638. The Exeter colony flourished from the beginning and was a relatively balanced settlement with farming and gristmills as well as timber. Because of its origins and the continued influence of its original founder, Reverend John Wheelwright, Exeter resisted the growing influence of the Massachusetts Bay colony and was the last town in the New Hampshire area to reunite with the Bay colony in 1643.

By the time Christian arrived, Exeter was the largest town in the area with about 300 citizens, although Portsmouth was rivaling it. Unlike Portsmouth and the other NH towns, however, Exeter was growing rapidly inland as its agriculture flourished. Timber was important to the colony both to provide building materials to the local community as well as material for ship building, including masts for export. Both sawmills and gristmills were located on the falls at the village center.

Christian's Family

Our information on Christian’s early years is limited by the same lack of information that confounds our attempts to identify his national origin.

Many genealogists have attempted to estimate Christian’s birth date. The first possible documented reference was in approximately 1659 in Dover New Hampshire. The first mention of him in Exeter was in a court record in 1665. Neither of these provide any information as to his birth. Using such data points many genealogists have speculated that Christian was born between 1630-1650 but additional research on this point is merited.

Christian married his first wife Rachel Moulton before 1667 but we do not know when. Rachel was the niece of John and Miriam Moulton but we little more of her. Their first child Mary was born in 1667 and was followed by John (1668/9) and James (1670). Rachel died before 1674 although we do not know when.

Given the proximity of these events some speculation on their relationship is possible. Rachel was probably a woman living in Exeter and Christian probably married her soon after coming to Exeter. Couples rarely waited long before having children in this period and the first child was born in 1667. Christian's first recorded land grant was in 1668. He probably was just beginning to own land as he began his family. There is no evidence as to when Rachel died but there were no shortages of potential causes of premature death for a woman on the New England frontier.

Christian's second marriage was in 1674 to Sarah Scammon. Sarah was the daughter of Richard Scammon and Prudence Waldron. The Waldron family was one of the first families of New Hampshire with both Richard and William signing the Piscataqua Compact in 1640. Later, in 1679 Richard was appointed by King Charles to the new Royal Council setup to rule the colony. It is unclear who Prudence's father and mother was but she clearly came from a leading family of the colony. On the Scammon side, her father Richard was an early settler in Dover (1640) who later moved to Exeter.

Sarah Scammon probably came from a relatively old, prosperous New Hampshire family. Based on this we can speculate that by the time of Christian's second marriage he had carved out sufficient standing in the community to court her.

Christian and Sarah had five children. Samuel was born in about 1675, Richard in 1677, and Thomas in 1690. There are very few records of the other two children Prudence and Katherine, although they both were living in 1706. Given the thirteen year gap between Richard and Thomas they were probably born in between.

Christian's Religion

Christian's religion is unknown. Both Dover and Exeter were overwhelmingly congregationalist (Pilgrim), however. Interestingly, Christian was "admonished by [the Essex Quarterly] Court for not attending public worship of God on the Lords Days" in 1673. At a minimum, such a reference indicates that Christian was disinterested in religion but given the heavy social price of censure it is more likely that he was of uncomfortable with the services on theological grounds. Although his objection may have been personal (for example, he could have disliked the minister) it is more likely that his objections were theological. It is possible for example,that he was Anglican. Given the lack of additional evidence, however, this interesting insight will probably have to await more information before any thing more than speculation is warranted.

The Fight

Another interesting record notes that in April 1670 Christian was "presented for striking John Smith...[and] was fined...upon his confession" by the Salisbury court. At this time Christian was 31 years old, raising his first family and owned significant amounts of land. Why he would get in such a tangle with neighbor is unclear although it should be noted that Exeter in these early days was a relatively wild town because of the rowdy behavior of the lumberjacks that worked in the timber industry. This was particularly the case in the spring when the Lumberjacks returned to town from their winter cutting in the woods. Although we do not know the circumstances of the actual event it is possible given its timing that it was conflict arising from this tense time of the year.

Christian's Socioeconomic Status

Although there is no direct evidence of Christian's standing in the community he probably was a middle class settler. He owned land which puts him in the middle class but his purchases were modest and clearly not at the upper end. For example, in 1674 he was granted 10 acres while other grants made at the same time ranged from 10-600 acres with two distinct groups one averaging 10 acres and another group of grants averaging 400 acres.

It is unclear how much land Christian owned. He applied for three land grants including grants of 10, 10, and 20 acres but it is likely that these records are incomplete. He also received twenty acres from Thomas King, a relative of his wife. His will describes his land but does not specify its size although it appears to be large. In addition, the size of grants to his sons (100 acres apiece to Richard and Samuel) listed at the same time as his application for an additional 10 acres indicate he probably already had substantial holdings.

Christian's farm was probably a mix of timber harvesting and agriculture although there is no direct evidence on this topic. His will mentions several meadows and livestock. The meadows in this time period could be either cultivated fields or grazing areas. The land about Exeter is very difficult to plow because of the very rocky soil which probably limited the extent of cultivation. The evidence for timber harvesting is primarily inferential. Until the early 1700s Exeter was primarily a timber town with almost all citizens engaged in some part of the industry. There is undocumented evidence that Christian worked in a saw mill that made building materials. In addition, there is a Court record of Christian owning one-fourth of a timber mill, although it was unclear how far the venture proceeded. The mill was unmentioned in his will but it could have burned down (a frequent fate of early mills) or he could have been bought out.

Military Service

Christian also served in the military during King Philip's war in 1676. This war was one of a series between the French and British that included conflicts over their frontier in Maine and New Hampshire. The French were allied with the local Indians and used the wars to hold back the growth of the English colonies into northern New England. They concentrated their main attacks on rolling back the English settlements on the Maine coast while conducting raids into the more established areas in New Hampshire. While the English offered little assistance to their colonists, the Massachusetts Bay colony offered both equipment and soldiers as a part of its strategy to use Northern New England as a buffer zone against the French. While we don't know much about Christian's service in the war he probably was a part of a local militia force that screened New Hampshire from French and Indian raids.

A Long Life

In 1708 Christian died of distemper at 69 years of age. He was survived by his family to which he willed his estate. His wife Sarah outlived him but we do not know when she died. (Such gaps in the records on women is not unusual because of their lack of legal standing at the time.)

The Dolloff Chair

There is a chair at the New Hampshire Hisotrical society that is from the early Dolloff family and oral tradition says it is from Christian himself.

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The Dolloff Chair in the New Hampshire Historical Society

The Second Generation

The next generation of Dolloff's included six children that lived to maturity (Mary, John, James, Samuel, Richard, and Thomas), James who died at age 11, and two girls that probably died in childhood (Prudence and Katherine). Of the later there is only one reference and it is most likely that they died in childhood although it is possible, given the lack of records for women that they achieved maturity.

This generation was beset by conflict with the Indians. The wars with the French and their Indian allies raged throughout the period and because the Dolloff's farms were outside the village of Exeter they were very vulnerable to Indian raiding parties. James was the first Dolloff to die in the conflict, in 1691 at Casco. Although the reference to Casco is unclear -- it was not a town but a bay in Maine, the general area was part of the thin coastal strip in Maine settled by the English that was devastated by the French and Indians in this period forcing the English back almost to the Maine/New Hampshire border.

John was killed by the Indians in 1708 "in the woods" near Exeter. Given the wording of the references and his age, 39, he was probably killed by a raiding party.

Mary was married to John Gilman, another settler in Exeter. They had 9 children, although the records are very fragmentary. It is unknown when she died.

The main lines of the Dolloff family were founded by the remaining sons - Samuel, Richard, and Thomas. Samuel, the only son to survive from Christian's marriage to Rachel Moulton founded the wing of the family that included the branches in Vermont, New York, and Massachusetts. Richard founded the Rumford and Mount Vernon (Maine) wings of the family while Thomas also founded a Maine wing which eventually led to the Dolliff branch in Minnesota.

Richard also built the Dolloff homestead which survives to this day. The original house, now considerably expanded from Richard's days, sits outside Exeter New Hampshire. Dolliffs from Richard's wing have lived in the house for most of almost 400 years since it was built. An Olga Dolloff resided in the house in the 1990s and she kept it beautifully intact. An entire room was devoted to Dolloff family history.

It was near this home that one of the most interesting stories of the Dolloff family history took place. Richard Dolloff had nine children with his wife Catherine Bean. In 1710, three of them (Sarah, Margaret, and John) were taken captive by Indians and taken to Canada. All such prisoners could be ransomed and by 1717 Richard appears to have collected 63 pounds of his own funds to which he added at least 10 pounds from the New Hampshire State Legislature. This was sufficient to secure the release of John and Margaret (now ages 10 and 13) but he could not raise enough to ransom Sarah. She eventually married an Indian and, after a time, she tried to return with him to live near Exeter but was ostracized because of cohabiting with a heathen, according to family tradition.

Richard and Catherine had six other children including Abigail, Abner, John, Jonathan, David, Ebenezer, and Ann. Records on most are fragmentary but John and Abner founded important family lines while Margaret married William Smith.

Richard amassed a considerable amount of land. By his death he had 860 acres. Although evidence is scanty he appears, like his father to have been mainly a farmer although he also probably engaged in timber harvesting. Given the size of his holdings and the influence he wielded within the province to secure the release off his children it is probably fair to describe Richard as moving into the upper middle class of Exeter and becoming relatively prominent.

We know less about his brother Thomas. He too appears to have been an Exeter farmer but his holdings seem less extensive. He married Lydia the daughter of a prosperous Exeter family. They had three children, Amos, Thomas, and Nicholas. He died in 1722.

The third brother Samuel began the line of the three Samuel's which led to both the Massachussetts branch and some that stayed in areas of New Hampshire. He married in about 1702 but here is no record of his wife. He had five children, "little Samuel" (born in 1703), Elizabeth, Hannah, Benjamin, and Ruth. He was probably also a farmer in Exeter.

The Third Generation

Nicholas Dolloff began an interesting change in the Dolloffs. Although he inherited 40 acres of land from his father he took a different course and became the blacksmith in Brentwood. (Brentwood was a new township created out of the western area of Exeter township.) He married Mary Roberts in 1733 at about age 22. They had five children; Thomas, Elizabeth, Sarah, John, and David, all of whom lived to maturity.

Nicholas' brother Amos participated in a critical event in American history. In 1745 war broke out again between England and France. The New England colonies formulated a plan to loosen the hold of France on Canada by capturing the French fortress at Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island. Spirits were high throughout New England as thousands of men rallied to the colors. Among them were Amos Dolloff and his cousin David (son of Richard). With a minimum of British assistance the expedition set sail for Louisbourg. The expedition achieved complete tactical surprise and immediately captured the main gun battery. After a short siege of 45 days the remainder of the fortress surrendered. The victory was crucial for New Englander's self confidence because it proved that, by themselves, they could take on the French and win. Unfortunately for Amos, the war continued and he fell ill while garrisoning the fortress. He probably died for there are no more records of him and many of the New Englanders befell a similar fate.

In the same conflict another Dolloff also served but in the service of the colonial forces of Rhode Island. In May of 1746 Rhode Island raised a new force of three companies to be used in a new campaign against French Canada. Among those serving in this expedition was Jonathan Dolloff son Richard. (Interestingly we do not know why Jonathan was in Rhode Island but both Rhode Island and New Hampshire were heavily engaged in coastal trade probably leading to a significant flow of people between them.) Because a French invasion fleet set sail the Rhode Island force was diverted south and was used to garrison Annapolis. The French force was devastated by storms on its Atlantic passage and was forced to retire leaving Jonathan untouched.

The entire colonial effort in the war became bittersweet, when despite the successful efforts of the American colonists, the English returned the fortress to French as a part of the settlement of the war three years later. New Englanders felt their historic victory was traded away through European intrigue and deepened their distrust of England. Nonetheless they had proven themselves and this self confidence was to greatly effect their relations with England in the future they now thought of themselves as full-fledged citizens, no longer dependent on England.

Fourth Generation

We know little of Thomas Dolloff [4]. For example, we don't even know his birthdate, only that it was as early as 1735/6 at Brentwood. He married and had two children, Noah (1758/9) and Thomas (1759). We don't even know when he died but by inference it was before 1776.

The identity of Thomas' wife is also unclear. Based on substantial circumstantial evidence it was probably Mary Roberts. (She later married Stephan Leavitt and moved to Canada. Upon her second husband's death she returned to Meridith, New Hampshire to live with her son Samuel Leavitt, where she died in 1838 at the grand old age of 103.)

Fifth Generation

The fifth generation was a landmark for the Dolloffs -- this generation began the move eastward into Maine, probably the first dispersion from the original settlement in the Exeter area. In addition, it was this generation that fought for America's independence.

Several Dolloffs served in the American armies during the Revolutionary war. On April 1, 1775, Noah volunteered and by July of the same year his brother Thomas had joined him. Having served out his initial eight months of service Noah reenlisted in Cambridge, Massachusetts for an additional year's service. Thomas also remained with the New Hampshire forces but we don't know when he reenlisted.

The two brothers participated in the invasion of Canada in late 1775. This ill-fated operation attempted to immediately seize the initiative from the British by seizing British-controlled Quebec. Because of limited American logistical and siege capabilities the expedition had little success in Quebec and by the summer was fighting a brilliant retreat down the finger lakes of New York, eventually forcing the British to retire into Quebec for the winter. We do not know how many actions the Dolloff brothers participated in but it is likely that they were involved in several given the intensity of the fighting.

In December of 1776, Noah was discharged from the Continental Army but his brother stayed on until May 25, 1780. Altogether Thomas served for almost five years during which he participated in many battles including Skeensborough, Stillwater, and Newtown. This long period of service for Thomas is particularly noteworthy for Thomas because the low pay and poor conditions in the Continental armies made it a rarity.

Richard Dolloff of the Richard branch of the family also served in the revolutionary forces. He enlisted in December 1775 and was among the two Exeter companies raised in response to a General Washington's urgent call for reinforcements. He served in several campaigns including Ticonderoga and was discharged August 8, 1777.

Another Dolloff served in the revolutionary forces was Daniel. Daniel served from 1775 until 1777 in the New Hampshire forces. Unfortunately, we don't know how Daniel fits into the Dolloff lines or what generation he was in but judging from his age he was in the fourth. We will rejoin Daniel below in the discussion of Maine settlers.

Shortly after Thomas returned to New Hampshire he married Alice Leavitt in Raymond, New Hampshire. They had one of the largest families in Dolloff history, 11 children of which nine lived to maturity. The children included Thomas, Amos, Mary, Elice, John, Sarah, Noah, Jesse, Joseph, Abigail, and Mahala. On December 31, 1854, at the ripe old age of 93 Thomas died in Meridith, New Hampshire.

Noah also married upon returning from the war, although we don't know when. His bride was Esther Mudgett, a distant cousin. (Esther was the daughter of Nicholas and Mary Dolloff who was from the Samuel line that separated from Noah's line in the second generation). They had six children, the first two of which were born in Maine, Thomas Warren and John Plummer with the remainder born in Maine (see below).

The Move East

Many members of the Dolloff family moved east in the early 1800s. Until 1759 the English settlements in New Hampshire and Maine were limited to a thin coastal strip by the hostile French and Indian attacks on their outlying settlements. Over time these areas, including Exeter were squeezed for space with the cultivated land increasingly subdivided through wills into smaller and smaller plots. But when General Wolfe defeated the French on the fields of Abraham (in Quebec) he destroyed French Canada and with it the inhibiting influences on the settlement of Maine and interior New Hampshire.

The first Dolloff to move to Maine was Daniel Dolloff who moved to Green Plantation (near Belfast) in 1784. This is the same Daniel who served in the revolutionary war. Originally from the Poplin, New Hampshire Daniel moved to Maine with his three year old son. We have no record of his first wife but he remarried in 1809 to Mercey Cooksen. Daniel died on February 5, 1809, in Maine.

In 1792 Noah Dolloff moved to nearby Belfast, Maine. In 1798 Noah moved to Morrill, the following year he moved to Green plantation and built a home. As aforementioned, Noah was already married and had two children born in New Hampshire. He and his wife Esther had four more children in Maine, Mary and Daniel and the twins Thomas Warren and Esther Warren. We don't know Noah's occupation but the Green plantation area was heavily agricultural.

The alternative "iff" spelling of the Dolloff name may have begun with Noah. Most records refer to him as Dolloff and he signed his "Dollof". But there are several records including his revolutionary war pension that were spelled Dolliff. Given that these records were made by clerks that were attempting to phonetically spell Noah's name it is probable that he pronounced it so that it sounded to them as Dolliff. It should of course be further noted that the issue of spelling with precision was not taken very seriously in Noah's day (and before) because few people could read or write. In any case, Noah's descendants in the Minnesota Dolliff branch of the family spell the name "iff" and the practice could have begun with Noah's pronunciation.

The second group of Dolloffs to move to Maine was a family led by David Dolloff who first appears in Mount Vernon, Maine in 1788. He was probably followed soon after by his father Richard and the rest of the family. (It should be noted that this Richard was not the Revolutionary war soldier but a close cousin.) Although the documentary record of Richard is scanty, exhaustive genealogical research by Clayton Dolloff has resulted in new understanding of his life and connection to the remainder of the Dolloff family.

From this research we now know that Richard was the son of the Jonathan Dolloff mentioned as participating in (of the Richard line) who was probably married to Mary Young. Both Richard and David were farmers and owned land in Mount Vernon. Richard had three daughters Betty, Ruth, and Sally all of whom lived to maturity and were married. He had one other son John who was born in 1781. Both John and David married and founded the Mount Vernon Dolloffs, a branch that continues to this day.

Mount Vernon was a small farming settlement when the Dolloffs first arrived. Set in the beautiful rolling hills and lakes of Central Maine the land was timbered when first settled. The land was cleared by the settlers, much of it by burning. Mills were built to service the local economy and the community was thriving in the early 18th century. Over time agriculture declined somewhat with the opening of more fertile lands in the Midwest.

The third Dolloff to move to Maine was Richard, the Revolutionary war soldier, who moved to Rumford. Although we don't know exactly when Richard moved, he was listed in 1794 on a road improvement committee. Although he was subsequently listed as a nonresident owner of 200 acres in 1798 it seems more likely given all the evidence that he was a resident by 1794 and from then on. Richard's role in the town was significant, he served on several committees in the newly forming community.

The beginnings of Rumford are interesting because unlike most new Maine settlements it was located well inland in the mountains instead of on the coast or in rolling hills just inland. The town originally was agricultural with a majority of its population engaged in farming. From the beginning, however there were a few mills powered by the powerful Rumford Falls of the Androscoggin River. Eventually, the potential of these falls outpaced the local agriculture and the sawmills that processed the timber from the surrounding area became the dominant industry.

One branch of the Dolloff family also moved to Canada probably in the wake of the American Revolutionary war (although the move could have come later in the 19th century). Additional research on this part of the family is strongly recommended.

Noah's Family

Noah's son John Plummer Dolloff was born in 1789 in Brentwood, NH (as aforementioned) and moved with his father to Belmont (originally Green Plantation) Maine when only 3 years old. We know relatively little of John Plummer. He married Harriet Darrow but we don't know when. Sometime between 1820-1830 John Plummer moved to Penobscot County. (Penobscot is the county immediately north of Waldo County which includes Belmont.) He must have eventually moved back because he died at age 87 in 1875 in Belfast, Maine.

The 19th Century

John Plummer [6] and Harriet had 6 children, all of whom lived to maturity: Emily, Frank, Warren, Henry, Palmer, and Adeline. We only have additional direct information about Emily who was born in 1833 (probably in Penobscot County) was married twice and had 6 children.

Beyond this the data is limited. We have, for example, a reference that "Some of John P.'s children lived at Milford, Maine". (Milford is in Penobscot County, north of Bangor and just east of Old Town.)

We do have some data on Palmer Dolloff [7]. He lived in the Old Town area and married Rosella Howard in 1853. Rosella was born in 1826 but we have no more information on her (except that she remarried). They had one son, Lucius, who would eventually found the Minnesota Dolliff branch of the family.

There are now U.S. immigration records that indicate that Dolloffs may have moved into the United States after Christian I from at least Germany and perhaps Germany as well. this important new information would appear to indicate that immigration of the Dolloff family into the United States was a multithreaded event that was staggered over time. This important theory merits much additional research to document it and flesh it out.

The Move West

As the bountiful lands to the West opened to the United States after the war of 1812 some parts of the Dolloff family moved west. As with the other pioneers they were attracted to the new stands of timber and bountiful lands.

Today the Dolloff family is spread widely across the West. Most of the moves west are undocumented and require further research. For example, there are branches of the family in Texas and California, now two of the largest concentrations of Dolloffs in the country. There are also Dolloffs in the pacific northwest. Because of these omissions in the research to date the account of the move west is preliminary and may be altered significantly by subsequent research.

The first Dolloffs known to move west were Thomas Dolloff and his family. Thomas was originally from New Hampshire, moved to Mount Vernon Maine before 1810, them moved to Ohio in about 1835. Prior to moving he married Nancy Ladd in 1810 (in Mount Vernon), they had two sons, Phineas and Thomas. The family moved to the area of Cleveland, Ohio. Descendants of this family eventually moved to Michigan.

Dolloffs also fought in the American civil war. For example, ___________ Dolloff, from the _____ branch of the family, served in the civil war on the ____ side in the _____ unit and fought in the battles of _______.

In the late 19th century genealogists in the United States began to document and probe the history of the Dolliff family. They documented the family several generations back and began to research the origins of the family by taking note of the oral tradition that the family was Dutch or Russian, among other possibilities.

20th Century

One of the greatest genealogists of the Dolloff family was Henrietta Dolloff Johnson. Henrietta wrote the Dolliff Manscript which was presented by the Concord, New Hampshire historical Society in 1936 after years of research. Henrietta traced the family back to Christian Dolloff and documented it forward to her time. ADD PHOTO

Clayton Dolliff, of the Mount Vernon branch of the family was another genealogist and documented his branch of the family as well as being a United States Postal Official. ADD Photo

File:Dolloff in old baseball team photo.jpg

Eugene Dolloff first row on far right, circa 1906-1908‎

Many Dolloffs served in law enforcement.

File:Frank Dolloff Police Officer in the Bronx circa 1908.jpg

Frank Dolloff a police officer in the Bronx in 1908

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Roger I Dolliff of the Minnesota Dolliff brach of the famaily served as a volunteer in the French army in World War I and served as an ambulance driver. Roger I went on to form Dolliff Insurance, a business insurance company located in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area. Roger I Dolliff was also an avid hunter of both pheasants and ducks. ADD PHOTO

Sargent George Harmon Dolloff of the Michigan branch of the family also served in World War one and was severly wounded on August 31, 1918. ADD LINK TO RECORD FROM JOSEPH DOLLOFF

Roger II Dolliff of the Minnesota branch of the family served in the United States Navy as a Lieutenant, training to be pilot for the intended invasion of Japan but the war ended before he saw combat. Roger later became President of Dolliff Insurance and was an avid collector of antique cars and competed Brittanys in field trials, one of whom one a national championship. roger passed in 2010. ADD Photo

Douglas Dolliff I, also of the Minnesota branch, served in the United States Army as a lieutenant and served in a battery of antiaircraft artillery defending a Strategic Air Command base in England during the Korean war. Doug passed in ________ and a beautiful statue was build in his honor at the Minnesota Arboreteum over looking a marsh to signify his deep love of waterfowl and nature. ADD PHOTO

Matt Dolliff, son of Roger Dolliff II and of the Minnesota branch is an officer of Dolliff insurance, has three children and lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota and is an avid sportsman. ADD PHOTO

Douglas Dolliff II, son of Doug Dolliff and of the same Minnesota branch, worked in the mortgage banking and real estate business and in 2010 founded a Venture photography studio in Edina Minnesota. He is married to Tracy (Carr) Dolliff and has two children Maddison and Meghan. Doug is a collector of classic and antique cars and is an avid waterfowl hunter. ADD PHOTO

Andy Dolliff, the youngest son of Doug Dolliff, works in the commercial insurance industry, is married to Kerry Dolliff, and has three children Lilly, Grace, and Sean -- andy live in Illinois.

Phillip Roger Dolliff, the eldest son of Douglas Dolliff I, is the Acting Director for Cooperative Threat Reduction at the United States Department of State. Phil is married to Suzanne (Day) Dolliff, who is the Director of Federal Relations for Harvard University, and they have one son Chris Dolliff. Phil is a is a genealogist who in cooperation with Danny Smith a professional genealogist in New England, first rediscovered the link of the Minnesota branch of the family to the New England branch of the family. Phil is also an avid photographer, volleyball player, and graphic designer.

Joseph Dolloff, of the New England branch of the family is a genealogist and has transferred much of the Dolloff family genealogy to the Internet, making it much more accessible. George has also rediscovered and documented much of the family history.

File:The Dolloff family Cabins sign near Lake Wicwas near Meridith New Hampshire.jpg

Some of the Dolloff family have also dispersed more broadly. For example, one Dolloff from the New England area has moved to Bermuda.

In addition to the traditional spellings of the surname such as Dolloff and Dolliff, there are also many similar variants including Dollaff, Dolleff, Dalhof, etc. Much additional research is merited to show the relationships, if any, of these susrnames and their associated spellings to the Dolloff family.

External links

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