The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-20

there is to be known about the Oak | family" Space does not permit complete his- | tory of the Oakes family. However, 1t
 may be interesting to know that the name was derived from residence in an oak
 forest or near oaks, the family came to
 be called Oak. and all coats of arms of 1 the family have borne oaks or acorns. Another theory accounts of the name | Oak. as derived from the Gaelic ach or
 auch, meaning field
 | Nathaniel Oak, immigrant, sometimes wrote his name Oake. It was his son. Jonathan, who added "s'' to the name
 Oaks or Oakes. The Maine branch of
 the family has kept the original form,
 Oak.
 The story of his coming to America ] is romantic to a degree, and, inscribed 1 in a family Bible, is as follows: Ma | thaniel was cabin-boy, on an English vessel bound for Boston, Nine miles from land the vessel foundered. All the ships crew, except this boy, were lost | He swan ashore. ''In his distress he solemnly promised the Lord that, if He would preserve him to get to land he would never go on the water gain. This promise he sacredly kept, and none of his friends could ever persuade him to l cross Charles river, in boat to Boston. 1 He would always go around upon the l neck.
 l Thus he reached the new world, | perniless, without even clothes to
 cover him. He was bound out and hav- l ing the good fortune to kill wild cat in the forest where his work was
 to pick up pine knots, his master gave 1 him the state bounty, and he showed | his good sense by buying sheep with I the money. Thus was laid the founda- l tion of his future prosperity. 1 Ten thousand. a goodly army of Oaks | 1-.. l.. .l,.. -f Nathaniel. through his five sons. If | the children, to the present genera 1 tiou. of his three daughters, were in | cluded. the number would be 10000 or
 thereabouts. Nathaniel had 35 grand children and 19S great grandchildren. A traditional immigrant" as he was
 called was William Oakes. from Wales,
 whose sons. William and John, lived l in Worcester county, Massachusetts. | German and Dutch immigrants, who l wrote their name Och, and Ochs and whose descendants now generally bear l tho name Oakes, Oaks or Okes, set l tied in New York and Pennsylvania. l One of these pilgrims was George Cchs l from Holland, who. with his wife, Su- | san Rappold, settled in Herllim CT | county. New York about the middle of | the eighteenth century.
 l Other Pilgrim fathers were Thomas s l and Edward Cakes. possibly brothers. | living at Cambridge, Mass, in 1642,
 end a freeman. He brought with him his wife Jane, and three sons, and all
 who trace back to his son, Thomas . are eligible 10 colonial societies, be-
 cause Thomas was a lieutenant ir | Philips war, and selectman 26 years
 between the years 1643 and 1878. Tho
 fourth president of Harvard was Uriah
 son of Edward, the Pilgrim. Uriah was
 torn in England in 1630, and before
 lie became president went over to Eng
 lard to claim as bride the sweetheart
 of his boyhood days, Ruth. daughter
 of the famous William Ames. di
 vas perhaps the first almanic pub
 lished in the colony was that prepared by uriah. and printed 1850. He dieo
 1881. and it is said that he left a large
 family.
 Burkes "Peerage" blazons arms foi the Oakes. one was borne by Sir Henry
 Oakes of Nitcham hall, Survey baronet
 It is argent, on a chevron engrailet sable. between three springs of oak
 fructed. proper 8 cross of eight points
 of the field On canton gules mulle'
 of as many points, within an insores
 cent of the first.
 Crest: out of mural crown, gules q buck s head, erased proper gorge6
 with a collar, embattled, counter en-
 battled ow
 Motto, Preserve"
 The arms of the Oakes of Suffolk borne by James Oakes. chief burgess magistrate and deputy lieutenant o1 Suffolk (date not given), Is sable, or
 a fesse enGrailed. between six slips o1 oak fructedl, or, three oak leaves vert a bordure ,engrailed, ermine No crest and no motto with this.
 The Oakes or OlSes of Oundle. North. ampton, bear arms gules two Hons combatant. argent; a chief of the last quartering sable, fesse between sis acorns, or
 Crest an oak tree vert, fructed, ci supported by two lions, argent, ram. pant.
 Regarding the symbolism of thes. coast of-arms, the chevron denotes pro lection; engrailed, the possession O. land; the oak Is in reference to the name, and In a general way signifiL: strength; the cross and star or mule are used differences, or marks O. cadency. The eldest son frequently us ing the crescent They also betoker X crusader ancestry. The buck is an em blem of policy and harmony. The lior