From a posting at http://genforum.genealogy.com/thagard/messages/28.html:
Posted by: Ed Godbold (ID *****7016) Date: September 04, 2002 at 08:39:46
In Reply to: James Earl Thagard by Ed Godbold of 47
Below is information which explains some of the research of James Earl. Thagard:
James Earl Thagard (1918-1982), the father of Beverly, Sandra and Norman Earl Thagard, wrote abt. 1970 a letter to a Dane in Aalborg – with the family name Thagaard – for help finding a son of Bertel Thagaard, farmer in West Jutland, Denmark, born about 1690.
According to information found by James Earl Thagaard this son, NN. Thagaard, should have been onboard a merchant ship owned by one of Bertel Thagaard’s brothers who were merchants and shipowners in the Danish town Aalborg.
The ship sailed to the Danish Westindies but were captured by pirates. N.N. stayed in North America serving as a British soldier. He became the father of twin sons: George Thagard and Tom Thagard.
All this according to the letter sent by James Earl Thagard to a now deceased man in Aalborg.
In the letter was also a photo taken by James Earl Thagard from a book about genealogy and heraldry in a library in San Diego, Calif.
The picture shows a family-creast with the text: »Til evindelig eye-min-mit-land-æt« [Danish »For eternal ownership-mine-my-Country-Family« and »Tagvad 1482 Thagaard 1742«.
“Tagvad” was the first known name of the farm Thagaard in Humlum Parish, Ringkjobing County, West Jutland, Denmark, from where the Danish and Norwegian Thagaard-family comes.
All this material is now owned by Agnes Thagaard in Aalborg. Unfortunately she does not read English.
Tagvad is first mentioned in Danish documents from 1482/1483 when a Danish nobleman, Hans Galskyt, traded Tagvad to Gudum Monastery for another estate.
The year 1742 coud be the birth-year for N.N. Thagaard. And if that is the case N.N. Thagaard could be George Thagard – or George Thagard was younger than many American genealogists think, maybe nearer the age of his wife Mary Jessup?
Best Regards,
9/3/2002
Erling Vester Jacobsen
7-1-21 Ta Yuan Dipl. Compound
Beijing 100600, P.R. of China
Tel & Fax: +86-10-6532 0635
Mob: +86-13601089240
e-mail: erling@jp.dk
