Ona DRAGOON - a curiosity

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WilmaM
Posts: 1870
Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:46 am
Location: Falkirk area

Ona DRAGOON - a curiosity

Post by WilmaM » Wed Jun 05, 2019 2:43 pm

It's been very quiet on Talking Scot - either we are all getting on famously tracing our 'lang died yins' or we've given up in despair!

So I thought I'd throw a curious discovery out for interest.

The top entry of a page of Deaths I was looking at [Maria Phillips/Burn was my interest] caught my eye!

Ona DRAGOON formerly ULEVITCH wife of John ULEVITCH coal miner
died aged 86 22 March 1958 in Coathill Hosp Coatbridge
Parents Vincas & Ona MOSKEVISCIUTE
death registered by her neighbour

Obviously of Lituanian or thereabouts extract, but why the name
DRAGOON ?
It's not remotely like her maiden name or mother's maiden name.
The rest of the information is excellent for being a neighbour being the informant.

I sense a story behind her but what?

Any ideas anyone?
Wilma

eilthireach
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2005 11:41 pm
Location: Arizona (ex-Edinburgh)

Re: Ona DRAGOON - a curiosity

Post by eilthireach » Wed Jun 05, 2019 10:22 pm

Unfortunately, there isn't really a story there, at least as far as the surname itself is concerned. It's just a Lithuanian surname (Dragún) which has been recorded using English spelling. (The name also appears in the Statutory Records as Dragoonis). However, there must be a tale behind her surname at death! If she was described as the wife of John Ulevitch, that implies that she was still married to him (and not "widow of John Ulevitch"), and her own maiden surname would have been the feminine form of her father's surname (Moskevisciute), so how did she become Dragoon (Dragún) ...Now, there's the story for anyone researching that individual ...

WilmaM
Posts: 1870
Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:46 am
Location: Falkirk area

Re: Ona DRAGOON - a curiosity

Post by WilmaM » Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:13 pm

Ah well - I was hoping for a Stage Name or something more exotic [alien]

It intrigued me enough to do a little digging anyway.

There are very few DRAGOON entries on SP
Joseph Dragoon living in 20 Double Row Bellshill in both 1915 and 1920
William Dragoon at 40 Muirpark Bellshill in 1915
and a Charles in 1905 in Bothwell Park also Bellshill

Precious few Census entries too
1901 has John aged 31 in Bellshill
1911 has Joseph [23] and Zursula [22] in Bridgeton

All the other Dragoon deaths were in the 1700's

The most common variations seem to be DRAGUNAS and DRAGOONIS, the only DRAGUN entry is in 2002.

Back to the lady in question:
Her parents names are Vincas Moskevisciute and Una ms Gilchiniute.
The death is indexed under DRAGOON, MOSKEVISCIUTE and ULEVITCH.

I checked the valuations rolls too - they had lived at that address since at least 1915.
The rolls showing John KLEVITCH, John ULUVITCH, Annie ULUVITCH, John ULNVITCH and in 1940 Mrs Una ULUVITCH.
3 Alpine Terrace Uddingston
The 1911 census has Ona ULEVITCH 34 with her son Wincas 6 and daughters Madge 4 and Ona 1 in Bothwell - no sign of John.

All just a little side-line , but maybe in the future somebody will be searching TS for some of these folks and it'll help them along the way.
Wilma

Moray_Lass
Posts: 194
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:18 pm
Location: Moray

Re: Ona DRAGOON - a curiosity

Post by Moray_Lass » Thu Jun 06, 2019 9:22 pm

Wonder if there is anything in the newspapers that might explain something?
Maggie

Parental -
Moray, Bellie/Boharm:- Symon, Thomson, Davidson, Gordon, Laing, Dick, Thom, Geddes.
Banffshire, Rothiemay:- Lobban, Symon
Maternal -
'Finechty Flett's'
Banffshire:- Flett, Taylor, Wood, Lorimer, Falconer

WilmaM
Posts: 1870
Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:46 am
Location: Falkirk area

Re: Ona DRAGOON - a curiosity

Post by WilmaM » Fri Jun 07, 2019 11:13 am

Wonder if there is anything in the newspapers that might explain something?
MorayLass, there's just too many possible variations of the name spelling/mistranscription to even begin!

I did discover that there were 6 children's birth registered in Bellshill under the surname ULEVITCH
Wincas 1904, Madge 1906, twins in 1907 Yurgis & Yonas, Mare 1908 and Ona 1909

The twins both died 1907 & 1908 and wee Mare in 1909 - Registered under ULERITCH

I can't find any trace of the other children - either marrying or dying.
So I assume they have Scottified their names to blend in, or moved away.

I would have thought I'd find father John - as Alpine Terrace was built for Miners and I assume only the pit workers would have been able to live there.

I did find John ULEVITCH & Ona MOSKEVISCIUTE marriage - 1903 in Bridgeton - that's going to send me down a different rabbithole...

No, I really MUST stop or my family will be complaining.

On a side note it was very sad searching for a death of a Mare born 1908, in Bellshill alone there were 9 dying in infancy .
Wilma

AndrewP
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Re: Ona DRAGOON - a curiosity

Post by AndrewP » Fri Jun 07, 2019 2:46 pm

There is a death in Shotts for WIncas in 1987.

Surname: ULIVITCH
Given name: WINCAS or WILLIAM
Age: 82
Mother's maiden surname: MOSKEVICIUTE

All the best,

Andrew P.

WilmaM
Posts: 1870
Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:46 am
Location: Falkirk area

Re: Ona DRAGOON - a curiosity

Post by WilmaM » Fri Jun 07, 2019 4:22 pm

Ah I'm glad one of them lived to a ripe old age.

Wildcards didn't pick up on that variation. I had thought Wincas was Vincent, hadn't thought of William.
Wilma

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