More About Ale Hatfield
Sometimes in census records Ale is listed as Eli, or Ali. Where does the name Ale come from? The name "Ale" is an old Swedish name from comes from Swedish mythology. It celebrates an early King Ale of Sweden (actually now part of Norway) whose exploits on the battlefield were legendary (very similar to England's King Arthur or Beowulf). Also, Ale’s father Joseph’s first wife Rachel Smith was Swedish, and her oldest brother was Ale Smith, who served as an Indian spy during the Revolution alongside Joseph Hatfield. (from http://www.ghat.com/supj-h01.htm ) Ale was born October 29 1778 to Joseph and Elizabeth Vance in Russell County, Virginia and died November 11, 1841 in Greene County, Indiana at 63. Ale married Milly Gibson and had five children (Andrew, Sarah, James, Ale Jr, and Nancy). In 1810 Milly and Ale were estranged and their divorce is recorded in Greene Co., Indiana April 4, 1836. ( http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=lesliesc&