French surname "Fellows"

[fb2gndg]

In Oswego County NY starting before 1850 there were several french families with the surname "Fellows". I've been researching one Adolphus Fellows (1822 - 1890) who married one of my collateral ancestors Catherine Tourot (1820 - 1907). They lived among a great number of other French immigrants to the area, many of whom could not read or write. The spelling of their surnames often lost their "frenchness".

I'm wondering if any of you have encountered the surnames "Fellows" or "Fellers" from France, and if so, whether you might know what the original French surname might have been.

Thanks!

[olaf8514]

A possibility?
http://www.geopatronyme.com/cgi-bin/carte/nomcarte.cgi?nom=compagnon&submit=Valider&client=cdip

[ericdubois]

FELLOWS is definitely not a French sounding name. I have friends named FALLOUX, which is a possibility. But FELLER seems more likely. It's a name of German origin that's also found in the Alsace region and other areas in northern France.

Do any documents hint at which region of France these families originated from? What are the names of other immigrants in the same regions of Oswego County?

With the first name Adolphus instead of Adolphe, I'm leaning towards an Alsacian or Mosellan origin.

Eric

[snake17]

I met a similar name: Fall (Falena Falew Falas) but they were of Polish descent.

Did they get married in France or in the US?
Do you have a place in France?

Did you find at immigration?

[fb2gndg]

Thank you everyone for your help. The old census records don't specify what region of france the 'Fellows' were from, but I agree that Alsace is probable. And there are families with the surname 'Feller' in the county at the same time; so I'm going to assume the name was Feller, that they came from Alsace or nearby.

[fb2gndg]

I should add that Adolphus Fellows seems to have married Catherine Tourot in America. They immigrated with their families when they were younger than 10; Adolphus around 1819 when he was 5, Catherine around 1834 when she was 9.

[ericdubois]

The reason I asked for neighbors' names is that migrants often go to places where other members of their community migrated before.

If you know Adolphus' parents and siblings' names, that may help locate the family before they migrated.

Eric

[snake17]

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVNJ-DHGG

So they arrived together with one of their son

[ericdubois]

They immigrated with their families when they were younger than 10; Adolphus around 1819 when he was 5, Catherine around 1834 when she was 9.

Can you double-check those dates? If Adolphus was born around 1822, he could not have been 5 in 1819.

[snake17]

Lots of documents on Adolphus and Catherine here:

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?q.givenName=Adolphus&q.surname=Fellows

I think if you find Adolphus jr's birth certificate you will have more information about their parents