The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-14

rivation. for Vance was originally Vans. or De Vans. This latter form argues a French or Norman origin for the family. One first settler of the name was Sam uel-who bore, by the way, a first name
 usual in all branches of the Vance fam fly Samuel Vance, or De Vans. as he was sometimes called, lived at Derry, in the north of Ireland, where he had moved from Scotland. Samuel. and his wife, Margaret Doughlin came to Winchester,
 Va, from Ireland, and made their home there. He had six sons, who were Sam uel, Robert, John, Andrew, David and James. and three daughters Margaret, Elizabeth and Sarah.
 To T. O'B.. who asks for the O Brien coat of-arms:
 The coat-of-arms Is sometimes accom- panied by the Irish motto: 'Lamh laidir an nachtar," which means. "rhe strong est hand uppermost. The English O'Briens have the motto: 'Viguer de des- sus," which is the French way of saying practically the same thing.
 The arms are blazoned: "Gules, three
 leopards passant or. The crest is IA naked arm isnuing from a cloud holding sword, all proper.
 To L. K, who asks for the origin of the Kent family in England and Amer ica:
 The first man who bore the name Kent, and was therefore the father of all the present day Rents, was it is said, simply 'the man from Kent" If his name hap pened to be John, he was John from Kent, the part of England in which he lived. Thetsorigina1 home of this fam fly, we may suppose, was in this county in the southeast corner of England, but before the name was given to the Rents Ia r..~~ other part of England in order to be designated by their local name.
 One of the first Rents to come to America was Joshua Kent, who came over in, 1643. He apparently liked the lay of the new land, for he went back to England and two years later returned to the colonies with his brothers, John and Joseph. The latter settled in Bristol county, Mass, and John went to Dedham, Mass. John married at Dedham on March 21, 1863 Hannah Grizold, or Gris- sell or Grizwold, as her name is va riously found in different records. About the year 1873 they moved to Charlestown. Mass. They had Il children. mentioned below.
 Hannah, born in 1887. married Joseph Cahoon. or Cohoon; John. born in 166S, removed to Scituate. Mary probably died young, as no record Is found of her long after her birth. Joshua, the next child. also probably died young, as later rec ords make no mention of him. There was another son, Joshua, named, after the fashion of early New Icnganders, after child who had died. This Joshua moved to Boston. Joseph was the next son, and then came Samuel, born In 1878, who died unmarriade of smallpox when he was 24 years old. and next came Ebe- nezer, the youngest son, who moved to Bingham. Lydia married Aaron Sim mons. Mary married Joseph Barver, or Barber, and there was another daugh- ter, Susanna.
 There Is another southern Kent fam fly supposed to be distinct from this New England bred family. It is descended from John Kent, but it is possible that this John was himself a scion of the New England Kent family.
 Joshua, the first of the three brothers Kent to come to America, married Mary, and had four daughters, but no sons; he left, therefore, no descendants of the name of Kent. Joseph, the third brother. who, with John returned to America with Joshua, established a large branch of the family in New England.
 Another first settler of the name came from England and settled with his wife in Gloucester, Mass, before l64S. They had a house and lands near the burymg ground in the west parish of Essex. They had three sons. all born in England Thomas Samuel and Joshua-who left many descendants
 Probably the first settler in America of the name styled Richard Kent, &c., nior, arrived in Ipswich in 1884 on the good ship Mary and John of London. Ho established a large family in New Eng land.