Hyson Eureka – Freeling Hyson Collins and Others

Dear All –

I just had a wonderful Eureaka! moment. I had been puzzled by the name “freelin hyson” and its many variations that belongs in my family (“Freelin Hyson Collins, Samuel Hyson Dalton, etc”) and indeed, can be found all over the early 19th century. I finally made the connection to Theodore Frelinghuyson, who was the Vice Presidential nominee on the Whig ticket with Henry Clay around 1840. He was also a fierce, and vocal opponent of slavery. Use of the name “freelin hyson” and its variations, particularly in mixed-race or african-american contexts, is not so surprising. I suspect that Samuel Hyson Dalton was also part of this early 19th century trend. One mystery solved! 🙂 Aileen