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Icelandic Genaeology of Dr Barry L Whitney: 70 generations, to 20AD

Special thanks to Magnús Haraldsson, Magnús Bjarni Baldursson (both in Reykjavík, Iceland), and Don Gislason, researcher for the Icelandic Canadian Club of Toronto. I am especially grateful to Valgeir Þorvaldsson, Executive Director of the Icelandic Emigration Center, Hofsós, Iceland: On a recent trip to Iceland, I brought Valgeir my family tree whih traced my family lines back 11 generations and he was able to use his state-of-the-art computer data base and trace dozens of family lines of my Icelandic family tree, some as far back as 240AD (an incredible 56 generations), with other branches traced back to 330AD, 600AD, and many other amazingly distant dates. Recent documents supplied by a Westerm Icelandic relative from Washington, DC, Ruth Ann Larson, contain over 300 pages of geneology, dating back to 20AD. well over 60 generations, and contains such people as adventurer Erik the Red, saga writer Snorri, 20th century classical composer Jon Leifs, and dozens of the original settlers of Iceland, This geneology will be summarized here when time allows. The following information is from the far shorter geneaology I had before this new information came to light after 2003.

My mother's mother was born of Icelandic parents. Her family emigrated from Eiðsstöðum, Iceland in 1874 on the St. Patrick, settling first in Kinmount, Ontario, then in Winnipeg/Gimli, Manitoba ("New Iceland"), to Pembina, North Dakota, USA in 1879, and back to Canada, in the Calgary area, settling down in 1896 in Tindastoll, Alberta and finally in Markerville, Alberta in 1899. The Benediktsson house still stands there, as does the church where my grandmother(born in Markerville in 1899) played the organ. My grandmother's father owned the Markerville general store, housed the Icelandic library, and had the first phone in the town. He was a contemporary of the famous Icelandic poet, Stephan G Stephansson, who lived in the Markerville area.

On the St. Patrick, both sides of my mother's family emigrated to Canada in 1874. My mother's grandfather, Jón Benediktsson, was only one year old when the trip was made, and on that ship were his future in-laws, Jón Jónsson and his wife, one of whose children was born in Canada and married Jón Benediktsson. The families embarked from the Northern ports of Akureyri and Saudárkrokur. Both fmilies had lived in Northern Iceland.

The geneology of my Great Grandparents: Jón Benediktsson (Benedictson) 18. jan. 1873 (Eiðsstöðum Iceland) -- 12 júlí 1925 (Markerville, Alberta, Canada) and Lára Sigurlína Jónsdóttir (Benedictson) 1876 í Peterborough í Ont -- 1964 í Markerville (whose parents were on the same ship, the St. Patrick in 1874)

DESCENDANTS of Jón Benediktsson (Benedictson) and Lára Sigurlína Jónsdóttir (Benedictson)

* 5th Generation, Western Icelanders:
Grand-Children of Barry Thor Lyn Whitney (Children of Matthew Pétur Whitney): Lexi Jasmine Whitney, born in Kingston, Ontario, September 21, 1995; and Micheal Barry Benedikt Whitney, born in Windsor, Ontario, November 26, 1999.
* 4th Generation, Western Icelanders:
Children of Barry Thor Lyn Whitney: Kristóffer Jón Whitney (Chris), born in Brantford, Ontario, May 6, 1973; Matthew Pétur Whitney, born in Windsor, Ontario, November 25, 1977; and Barbara Lára Margrét Whitney, born in Windsor, Ontario, December 8, 1979
* 3rd Generation, Western Icelanders:
[3] Barry Thor Lyn Whitney, f. 10. des. 1947. (Cornwall, Ontario) búsettur í Kanada: Ph.D., University professor of Christian Theology, journal editor, and author
* 2nd Generation, Western Icelanders:
[-2] Gwendolyn Grace Meldrum, f. 3 mars 1921. (Levoy, Alberta) húsfreyja í Kanada + Earl Stanley Whitney, f. 12 Jan 1913), Cornwall, Ontario, Canada: [parents of Barry Thor Lyn Whitney [-3]
* 1st Generation, Western Icelanders:
[-1] Lára Hólmfríður Jónsdóttir (Benedictson) f. Apríl 3, 1899 (Markerville, Alberta), d. Maí 22, 1972 (Cornwall, Ontario)+ Melvin Robert Thomas Meldrum, f. um sep 10, 1890 (Chrysler, Ontario) búsettur í Kanada: grandparents of Barry Thor Lyn Whitney [-3]

Jón Benediktsson (Benedictson) and Lára Sigurlína Jónsdóttir (Benedictson)

[1]. Jón Benediktsson (Benedictson), f. 18. jan. 1873 (Eiðsstaðir, d. 12 júlí 1925. (Store owner) kaupmaður í Markerville í Alta, (emigrated from Eiðsstöðum, Iceland to Kinmount, Ontario in 1974; moved in 1875 to Winnipeg/Glimli, Manitoba (New Iceland), then to Pembina, North Dakota in 1879, and back to Canada in the Calgary area, settling down finally to Markerville, Alberta in 1899 + *Lára Sigurlína Jónsdóttir (Benedictson), f. 1876 í Peterborough í ONt, d. 1964 í Markeville. húsfreyja í Markerville [V-Ísl.æ.VI]: great-great grandparents of Barry Thor Lyn Whitney [-3] Lára Sigurlína Jónsdóttir's parents emigrated from Iceland on the St. Patrick in 1874, settling first in Kinmount, then in Peterbourgh in 1875, and finally in Markerville, Alberta

ANCESTORS of Jón Benediktsson (Benedictson) [*Lára Sigurlína Jónsdóttir's (Benedictson) background follows the Jón Benediktsson geneology:

* 2nd Generation in Iceland
[2] Benedikt Ólafsson, f. 14 jan, 1836, d. 14. febr. 1907. bóndi á Eiðsstaðir. Blöndudal í A-Hún, Tunguhálsi og Breiðagerði í Lýtingsshr., Kinmount í Ont og Nýja Íslandi, + Hólmfríður Bjarnadóttir, f. 1831, d. 1876. húsfreyja í Eiðstöðum í A-Hún, Tunguhálsi og Breiðagerði í Lýtingsstaðahr, Kinmount í Ontario og Í N›ja Íslandi í Manitoba ... An emigration record in Vesturfaraskrá states that the family lived at the farm Breiðargerði in Lÿtingsstað township of the Skarafjarðar District.
* 3rd Generation in Iceland
[3] Ólafur Jónsson, f. 1799, d. 9. sept. 1864. Bóndi á Steinà Bólstaðarhíðarhtrppi.. Lived in Eiðsstaðir + *Sigurbjörg Tómasdóttir, f. 28 1802, d. 28 maí, 1870. húsfreyja á Eiðsstöðum í Blöndudal [V-Ísl.æ.III, S.æ.1850-1890 II]:
*[3] Sigurbjörg Tómasdóttir's family:
+ [4] Tómas Tómasson, f. um 1755.d.March 25 1824. bóndi á Eiðsstöðum .. Eiðssta[ðir S.æ.1850-1890 + Ingiríður Jónsdóttir (sjá 9. grein) b. 1768. Húsmóðir Eiðsstaðir (widow of Benedikt Jónsson from Sólheimaar: father of Ingiriður: Jón Jónsson. b. 1720, d. 1784. farmer: last residence in Höllustaðir, Blöndudal + Sólveig Ólafsdóttir b. 1720 from Huppahlið Miðfjörður
+ [5] Tömas Þórðarson b. 1720. Farmes Ásbjarnaarstöðum Vatnsesi bóndi á Ásbjarnarstöðum á Vatnsnesi [S.æ.1850-1890 V] + Bergljót Helgadóttir b. 1720. húsmóður (/homemaker) Ásbjarnaarstöð
* [4] Sólveig Ólafsdóttir's family:
o [5] Málfriður Bjarnadóttir b. 1670 from Svetingsstaðir
o [6] Bjarni Vilhjálmsson b. 1640 d. 1709. Carpenter at Svertingsstaðir in Miðfjörður
o [7] Vilhjálmsson Arnfinnsson B. 1610 d. 1675. Sÿslumaður at Þórroddsstaðir, Hrútafjörður + Þórkatia Bjarnadóttir b. 1615. Húsfreyja Þóroddstaðir in Hrútafjörður
o [8] Arnfinnur Sigurðsson b. 1570 d. 1653. Priest by 1595 probably at ÖgurÞing, and priest at Prestbakki from 1597-1604. In 1606, was living at Bær at Rauðasandur, but receives Staður in Hrútafjörður in 1606 and was there until his death.+ Þðórdis Guðmundsdóttir b. 1598 d. 1672. Daughter of Guðmundur Jónsson (Priest)#
[6] Þórðu Sigurðsson, f. um 1677/1680. Í forelarahúsum við manntal 1703 ,
# [7] Sigurdður Jónnsson, f. um 1643, bóndi Gröf á Vatnsnesi + Ólöf Hallfrímsdöttir b. 1643. húsmóðir Gröf Vatnsnesi
# [8] Jón Hallgrímsson, bóndi í Krossanesi á Vatnsnesi. + Kona Gróa Sumarliðadóttir b. 1600. prests í Blomðuðalshólum Einarssonar og seinni konu hans karitas Þarðorarðrð (Gróa is the daughter of Sumarliði, priest at Blöndudalshólar and his second wife Karitás Þórvarðardóttir from Þykkvabær, Brandsson
# [9] Hallgrímur Ólafsson b. 1570. Priest at Hof, Skagaströnd [10] Ólafur Guðmundsson's son, [9] Ketil Ólafsson, priest at Kálfallsstað, likely in the Skagafjörður district. Ketil's son, [8] Eiríkur Ketilsson, priest at Svabarð in Eyjafjörður district. Eiríkur's son. [7] Ketil, Eiríksson, priest at Svalbarð in Eyjafjörður district. Ketil's son, [6] Thorsteinn Ketilsson, was Church Provost at Hrafngill, Eyjafjöður.
# [10] Ólafur Guðmundsson, f. 1537, d. um 1609: lived at Sauðanes in the Húnafjörður (Bear cub fjord) district of Húnavatnssÿsla. Priest, poet and psalm writer.
# [11] Guðmundur...., bóndi á Bvalbarðsstönd
# *The Tómas Tómasson ancestry has been traced back to the year 20AD by one of my newly found Icelandic relatives, Ruth Ann Larson. I am grateful to her for this information.
* 4th Generation in Iceland
[4] Jón Jónsson, f. júlí 25, 1764 á Arnesí Eljafjörður....Möðruvallaplássi, skírður, d. 12. mars 1837. bóndi á Steiná í Svartárdal, var vinnumaður á Stóra-Hámundarstöðum og Kjarna, var fjórkvæntur og af honum er rakin Steinárætt [1801 og 1816, Vík. + *Margrét Bjarnadóttir f. um 1766á Steiná í Svartárdalur., d. 1815 eða fyrr. húsfreyja á Steiná, 2.k.Jóns [801 og 1816.]. He was married twice after *Margrét Bjarnadóttir and his several children were known as the Steinárœtt ("Stone River People") since his first wife was from Steiná "Stone River farm").
+ [4] *Margrét Bjarnadóttir'sfamily:
# [5] Bjarni Jónsson, f. um 1720. d. 1 Jan 1795. bóndi á Marðarnúpi og Steiná Svartá[dalurS.æ.1850-1890 I] + Margrét Þórðardóttir, f. um 1730. húsfreyja á Marðarnúpi og Steiná
* 5th Generation in Iceland
[5] Jón Sigurðsson, f. b. 14 feb 1731. Bóndi á Arnarnesi í Möðruvallasókn....Eljafjörður... Líklega bóndi á Kjarna í sömu sókn 1788, þá ekkjumaður. [1788, S.æ.1850-1890 IV, Vík. III bls. 189.] + Margrét Björnsdóttir, f. 1730, d. 1786 á Kjarna.. húsfreyja á Arnarnesi og Syðra-Brekkukoti í Hörgárdal
* 6th Generation in Iceland
[6] Sigurður Jónsson, f. um 1710. Arnarnes Eyjafjöður... bóndi á Pálmholti, Bragholti og á Ytra-Kamphóli á Galmaströnd [S.æ.1850-1890 IV, Vík. III bls. 189.] + *Steinunn Jónsdóttir f. 1700. húsfreyja á Pálmholti, Bragholti og Ytra-Kamphóli á Galmaströnd, f.k.Sigurður, Var á Melum, Hálshreppi 1703. [S.æ.1850-1890 VI, 1703 [6]
# [6] *Steinunn Jónsdóttir's family:
* [7] Jón Eiríksson, f. 1670. Bóndi á Melum, Hálshreppi 1703. [S.æ.1850-1890 IV, 1703] + Broteva Halldórsdóttir, f. 1671. Húsfreyja á Melum, Hálshreppi 1703.
* 7th Generation in Iceland
[7] Jón (Eldri) Þorvaldsson 1686 --
* 8th Generation in Iceland
[8] Þorvaldur Runólfsson 1653 --
* 9th Generation in Iceland
* [9] Runólfur Runólfsoson 1610 --. Farmer at Gil ÕxnadalHreppstjöri (sherrif) Störa-Dunhaaga + Sölveg Eyjölfsdötttir b. 1646 hsfreyja Störa-Dunhaaga
* 10th Generation in Iceland
[10] Runolfur Jonsson 15xx --
*THIS FAMILY LINE EXTENDS BACK 70 GENERATIONS TO THE YEAR 20AD. The information will be placed here when time permits

Ancestors of Lára Sigurlína Jónsdóttir (Benedictson)

[1] Jón Benediktsson (Benedictson), f. 18. jan. 1873, d. 12 júlí 1925. kaupmaður í Markerville í Alta, (emigrated from Iceland to Kinmount, Ontario in 1974; moved in 1875 to North Dakota, then to Glimli, Manitoba, and finally to Markerville, Alberta) + *Lára Sigurlína Jónsdóttir (Benedictson), f. 1876 í Peterborough í ONt, d. 1964 í Markeville. húsfreyja í Markerville [V-Ísl.æ.VI]: great-great grandparents of Barry Thor Lyn Whitney [-3]
[2] Jón Jónsson (Strong), f. 12. mars 1848, d. 12. mars 1908. bóndi í Markerville í Alta, frá Geiteyjarströnd við Mývatn, + *Helga Ingibjörg Davíðsdóttir Strong f. 1851, d. 1903. húsfreyja í Markerville, og víðar [V-Ísl.æ.III]:
*[2] Helga Ingibjörg Davíðsdóttir Strong's family:
o [3] Davíð Jósafatsson, f. 1805, d. 1872. bóndi í Ferjubakki í Öxnarfirði, hálfbróðir Rósu og Elínu [Laxdælir, V-Ísl.æ.III]
o [4] Jósafat Finnbogason, f. um 1765, d. 1820. Bóndi á Brjánsnesi og Arnarvatni í Mývatnssveit [Laxdælir, Æt.Db.26.4.1997.] + *Guðrún "yngri" Bárðardóttir f. 1772, d. 1866. húsfreyja á Arnarvatni í Mývatnssveit, s.k.Jósafats [Laxdælir]:
+ * [4] Guðrún "yngri" Bárðardóttir's background:
+ [5] Bárður Þorsteinsson, f. um 1722. d. 1866. Bóndi í Presthvammur, and at Brúum í Aðaldalur og Miðhvammi [Laxdælir, Svalbs] + *Jórunn Eiríksdóttir f. um 1730. Húsfreyja í Presthvammi, Brúum í Aðaldal og Miðhvammi [Laxdælir, Svalbs]
# * [5] Jórunn Eiríksdóttir's background:
* [6] Eiríkur Guðlaugsson, f. 1695. bóndi á Laxamýri og Núpum/ Núpar, var (lived) á Bakki, Húsavíkurhreppi 1703. [Laxdælir, 1703] +Guðrún Þorvarðsdöttir b. 1666. Hsfreyja Bakki Húsavikurhreppi
* [7] Guðlaugur Þorgrímsson, f. 1664. Hreppstjóri, bóndi og járnsmiður á Bakka, Húsavíkurhreppi 1703. [Laxdælir, 1703] + Guðrún Þorvarðsdóttir, f. 1666. Húsfreyja á Bakka, Húsavíkurhreppi 1703.
o [5] Bárður Þorsteinsson's parents:
+ [6] Þorsteinn Bárðarson f. 1695. bóndi í Skörðum, var á Hóli í Húsavík 1703 [1703, Laxdælir] + *Ingibjörg Jónsdóttir, f. 1700. húsfreyja á Skörðum, var á Þverá, Húsavíkurhreppi 1703. [Laxdælir, 1703]
íður Jónsdóttir's background:
o [7] Jón Þorgrímsson, f. 1661. Bóndi á Þverá, Húsavíkurhreppi 1703. [1703] + Guðrún Andrésdóttir, f. 1666. Húsfreyja á Þverá, Húsavíkurhreppi 1703.

Iceland Please check back. When time permits, the genealogy will be extended back to the year 20AD.