HELP: Mak 麥 Nanhai / Wong 王 Dapeng / Lam林 Zhongshan / Shum 沈
May 12, 2024 9:26:10 GMT -5
Post by anma on May 12, 2024 9:26:10 GMT -5
Hello, I have been trying to find info about my grandparents' ancestral homes. They were all refugees from Guangdong to Hong Kong in the 50s-60s, so those who kept records no longer have them. My parents only visited the ancestral villages once or twice, and both families later immigrated to Australia. I only recently learnt that some spoke other languages/dialects than Cantonese, which is what kickstarted my interest.
Unfortunately, my 3 surviving grandparents struggle to remember village names, haven't revisited for decades, and definitely don't have Zupus anymore. I just hope for some directions to how I can learn more, or just the history of the surnames in these districts.
Paternal g'father: Mak 麥, from Nanhai 南海
Apparently his own father had a Zupu, and their generational naming system has been consistent until my generation. My great-grandpa's generation was 廷, grandpa's was 其, my dad's was 劍 as the generation names if this helps.
Not sure where to find the Zupu, if it's preserved?
The boundaries of villages in Foshan may also be different, as I get conflicting info on whether a village is in Nanhai or Shunde sometimes. His parents were both buried in Aus
Also, I'm aware Mak is a much smaller clan with almost exclusively from Guangdong, so several Mak-populated villages near each other... and I've read all I could about the interesting history of where the name comes from - wondering what more I can find
Maternal g'father: Wong 王, from Dapeng 大鵬
More info on the specific region - likely around Nan'ao 南澳 town? He grew up right in a very rural area, pretty much on the coastline of 大鵬灣, but my aunt also recognizes Shuitousha 水頭沙 (nearby area).
He spoke (but doesn't remember much of) Dapeng dialect, which I believe is a Hakka-Canto mix. I'd love to learn more about this too!
Not sure if Zupu was followed but 永 was the 2nd word of his name, and his kids did not have generation names. Sadly, his own parents passed early, so no idea of burial and another was lost at sea.
Maternal g'mother: Lam 林, from 中山 Zhongshan (likely Saam Heung 三鄉)
According to my aunt, she spoke Sahiu aka the dialect of Saam Heung. The area lines up with how close it is to Macau, as my mom remembers traveling there (driving distance) after visiting their ancestral home. From what My China Roots show there's Kiu tou 橋頭 or Niu sek 鳥石村 with that clan but not sure. Also, Sahiu as a Min language = Fujian origins?
Not sure if Zupu was followed but 麗 was the 2nd word of her name. One parent passed very early on, the other passed in HK (will try to find out the name).
Paternal g'mother: Shum 沈, from Zhejiang?
This one's a wild one - I was told she's from Guangzhou for all my life, but recently learnt her father had moved there from Zhejiang. (I guess makes sense as I think most people with the surname is from there?) I don't even know where to begin to search, as my g'mother was born in GD and fled to HK really young.
Not sure if Zupu was followed but 慈 was the 2nd word of her name. No clue about her parents.
Thanks! Even if there's not much info, I'd love any general resources (English or Chinese are both ok). Also if anyone has resources on the 1800-1900s histories (eg. WWII, Opium Wars...) in these districts? I've heard some stories about my great-grandparents through them so I'm interested in the general history too.
Unfortunately, my 3 surviving grandparents struggle to remember village names, haven't revisited for decades, and definitely don't have Zupus anymore. I just hope for some directions to how I can learn more, or just the history of the surnames in these districts.
Paternal g'father: Mak 麥, from Nanhai 南海
Apparently his own father had a Zupu, and their generational naming system has been consistent until my generation. My great-grandpa's generation was 廷, grandpa's was 其, my dad's was 劍 as the generation names if this helps.
Not sure where to find the Zupu, if it's preserved?
The boundaries of villages in Foshan may also be different, as I get conflicting info on whether a village is in Nanhai or Shunde sometimes. His parents were both buried in Aus
Also, I'm aware Mak is a much smaller clan with almost exclusively from Guangdong, so several Mak-populated villages near each other... and I've read all I could about the interesting history of where the name comes from - wondering what more I can find
Maternal g'father: Wong 王, from Dapeng 大鵬
More info on the specific region - likely around Nan'ao 南澳 town? He grew up right in a very rural area, pretty much on the coastline of 大鵬灣, but my aunt also recognizes Shuitousha 水頭沙 (nearby area).
He spoke (but doesn't remember much of) Dapeng dialect, which I believe is a Hakka-Canto mix. I'd love to learn more about this too!
Not sure if Zupu was followed but 永 was the 2nd word of his name, and his kids did not have generation names. Sadly, his own parents passed early, so no idea of burial and another was lost at sea.
Maternal g'mother: Lam 林, from 中山 Zhongshan (likely Saam Heung 三鄉)
According to my aunt, she spoke Sahiu aka the dialect of Saam Heung. The area lines up with how close it is to Macau, as my mom remembers traveling there (driving distance) after visiting their ancestral home. From what My China Roots show there's Kiu tou 橋頭 or Niu sek 鳥石村 with that clan but not sure. Also, Sahiu as a Min language = Fujian origins?
Not sure if Zupu was followed but 麗 was the 2nd word of her name. One parent passed very early on, the other passed in HK (will try to find out the name).
Paternal g'mother: Shum 沈, from Zhejiang?
This one's a wild one - I was told she's from Guangzhou for all my life, but recently learnt her father had moved there from Zhejiang. (I guess makes sense as I think most people with the surname is from there?) I don't even know where to begin to search, as my g'mother was born in GD and fled to HK really young.
Not sure if Zupu was followed but 慈 was the 2nd word of her name. No clue about her parents.
Thanks! Even if there's not much info, I'd love any general resources (English or Chinese are both ok). Also if anyone has resources on the 1800-1900s histories (eg. WWII, Opium Wars...) in these districts? I've heard some stories about my great-grandparents through them so I'm interested in the general history too.