#52 Ancestors 2020 Week 45 Bearded: Our Hirsute Heritage

I'd have to look back several generations on my side of the family to find someone who sported a beard.

JK Summers

Rev Sasscer

My Dad--no.  My grandfathers--no.  Grandmothers either.  Great-grandfathers--OK, Rev Sasscer does have a nice mustache and John Kostka Summers has a very distinguished pointy beard going.










In the 2X greats, Francis Wallis has the scraggly beard and William Boswell Scrivener a nice neat beard. Captain Andrew Jackson Gwynn had a beard, at least when he was in the Army.  The rest of the time, he went clean-shaven.

Great, great grandfather John Marshall Dent had a look similar to GG Wallis, while his father Col. John Francis Dent had a look more like GG Scrivener.

And of course, there is my 3X-great grandfather, the world traveler, Francis Ludolph Wallis, the subject of the famous portrait, with a dainty little chin covering.

But, if my sons really want to explore their hairy heritage, they will have to look to their father's side of the family.  Now there were men who knew how to do a beard! Compared to the men in their paternal ancestry, their maternal grandfathers were pikers.

Take 2X Great Grandfather, George Washington Yoxtheimer, a farmer from Northumberland PA, for example:

However, I think the real champions of beard couture are the ancestors from West Virginia. Those men knew how to rock their facial hair.

Take a look at  2X Great Grandfather, John Wise Counsel Walker:

Or how about Great Uncles Ned and Owen Sizemore (with the sporty split beard):

Or 3X-Great Grandfather Numa Walker:

But, I think the prize-winning beard in the whole family is Elijah Preston Meadows:

Now, there is a beard you can brag about!

I only wish I had more pictures so I could further explore the family's bearded ancestry.