Family Origins

Our ancestors immigrated to the United States from several European countries and in various centuries. Discovering their stories can be a challenge. In some cases we have documents and stories provided directly by our ancestors that, supplemented by additional research, provide a rich account of the family’s origins. In too many other cases, little or nothing is known of a family’s roots. The latter is especially true of families that immigrated before the mid-1800s.

Presented below are summaries of the origins of several of our families.

Gazlay/Gazley

Our Gazlay/Gazley family descends from John Gazlay who emigrated from England in 1715 or 1717. Although numerous spellings of the surname have been found in various records, nearly all descendants spell their surname Gazlay or Gazley.

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Krupowski/Kropowski

Krupowski/Kropowski is a Polish surname. Four of our five Krupowski immigrant ancestors (Kostak, Stanley, Alexander, and Magdelena) apparently came from Tokarziski, a small town in present-day Belarus, although during pre-World War I the town was part of Poland. A fifth immigrant ancestor (Antoinette) may have come from Austria or Galacia (the name of the region in the norther part of Austria-Hungary prior to World War I).

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McGregor/MacGregor

Our McGregor/MacGregor family emigrated from Dunfermline, Fifeshire, Scotland. Two brothers made the trip across the ocean, David McGregor in 1889, and James Brown MacGregor in 1895, both settling in the New York/New Jersey area.

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