Family Ancestors

Present - 1700

	Laird and Lady Totland of Kingsdale After learning of our family's Scottish heritage, I felt it would be nice to help preserve this beautiful land in some way.  Our family bought a token plot of land on the Isle of Sunday off the Northern coast of Scotland.  Owning part of the Kingsdale estate grants us the use of the title Laird and Lady of Kingsdale.  Knowing the land will never be developed in the future will allow the natural wildlife to use the land to nest and live as our ancestors would have seen it.  Maybe one day we can visit the property and play a round of golf in the land where golf was born. Highland Title Sanday Island Isle of Sanday
	Denny Totland ( Denny (Dennis) Totland signed with the Detroit Tigers and played minor league baseball from 1960-1962.  He played short stop and second base and retired from baseball in 1962 due to an injury.  I've always pictures life in professional baseball to be something like the movie Bull Durham.  This is his HS picture and I am looking for a more current picture. Baseball stats
	Charles Gregoli was born in 1886 in Messina Italy and died in 1931 in Hoboken, New Jersey.  He married Filippa Russo in 1908 in Patti, Sicily and had 4 daughters.  Charles and Filippa migrated to America with 3 of their daughters.  He is our great/great grandfather.

	Edward J Murray was born in June, 1866 in Hoboken NJ.  His father was born in Ireland and his mother was born in New Jersey.  He married Delia Gaffney from Scotland who immigrated to America in 1888.  They had 7 children (6 daughters and one son).  Edward worked as a police officer in Hoboken for over 20 years (before 1900 to after 1920).
	The HSM Totland was a US Coast Guard Cutter lent to England and used during WWII against Germany.  It was renamed the HMS Totland by the Royal Navy and was in service from 1931 to 1946.  The Totland was noted for saving over 150 lives at sea during 2 years of her English service. HMS Totland record Picture of HMS Totland

	William Hooper (1742-1790) (5th cousin 8 times removed) William Hooper (1742-1790) was an American lawyer, politician, and a member of the Continental Congress representing North Carolina from 1774 through 1777 and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.  Originally he was a supporter of the British Government but during his time in the assembly became a supporter of the Federalist position. William Hooper is our 5th cousin 8 times removed.
	Totland Bay is located on the Isle of Wight in England just west of the village of Totland.  It is likely that the Vikings from the Totland farms invaded the isle and created an establishment.  It is unlikely the Saxon invaders (Totland's) survived close to a thousand years of war but the name remains today. For more information about Totland Bay, please visit these websites. wiki Totland Bay Totland Bay History
	In Norway, most people were farmers working either their own land or working on someone else's land in order to make a living.  Last names were not used and people were given first names followed by their parents first name (commonly appended with sen or datter for Son or Daughter).  The farm name which they lived on would be appended to the first and middle name.  When people immigrated to other countries, they often took the farm name as their surname.  My Totland ancestors came to America from Bergen, Norway and didn't live on the farm before moving to America.  I can only assume that earlier relatives did live on the farm or possible owned land they rented out in order to afford to live in the city.  Once I learn to read Norwegian, I hope to dig further into this area to learn about these ancestors. Norway Heritage How to research Norwegian relatives
	Here are some others we are related to: 5 American Presidents:  George Washington (14th cousin), Thomas Jefferson, FDR, John Quincy Adams, George W Bush, as descendants from Katherine Swynford. Nearly every current monarch in Europe, including Queen Elizabeth II (19th cousin), Princess Diana, and Sir Winston Churchill, also descendants from Katherine Swynford.