This website was developed to assist in collecting genealogy data on Claude Achille Debussy, Ossip Giskin, and Feodor Chaliapin in order to establish 'relativity' and to build a family tree.
I am not an attorney or a bill collector, nor am I motivated by royalties or monetary gain. I am, instead, a seeker on a personal voyage of discovery.
I have written or e-mailed every Debussy I could find listed in telephone books or on the Internet. However, privacy, individualism, and distrust have prevented any kind of real communication. In fact, a wall of silence surrounding the name appears to have been built. I don't want to tear down that wall, or invade anyone's privacy. But I do want to know more about my surname. Unlike other people named Debussy, I don't know much about my family history and ancestry, as my Father lost all touch with his family from about age 7 on. I have exhausted all readily avilable sources of information, and am therefore asking for help in this quest.
I know there are many Debussy's in the United States, and that only a minute portion of those individuals are listed either in telephone books or on the Internet. I also know that there are records of people named Debussy in the U.S. from the mid-1850's on. I don't believe they are related to my family, though, as my Father's Mother didn't immigrate here until the 1920's.
Additionally, I know that one family of Debussy's in the States descended from ancestors in the Burgundy region of France, and that another family comes from Switzerland. And I know from Internet searches that there are a number of people and businesses in Amsterdam named Debussy. Moreover, the link connecting the home page of one Debussy in Amsterdam to a French website infers to me that the family of the individual the website was created for may have descended from Roger de Bussy-Rabutin, of Burgundy. (They apparently dropped the 'Rabutin' portion of the name, however.)
I also know from doing 'people' searches on the Internet that there are individuals named Debussy in various other countries around the world. And finally, I know that someone has recently begun naming various computer functions and devices 'Debussy.'
I grew up being told that Claude Achille Debussy, the composer, was my Father's Uncle, and that Feodor Chaliapin, the Russian bass, was my Father's Godfather. Mention was also made of Ossip Giskin being my Father's 'natural' Father. I would like to know more, as I know nothing of my Father's side of the family. That is my motivation for this website, nothing more.
If you have information to share that could help in this serious search, or if you know of valid sources of information which could assist me in my quest, please contact me. Thank you.
Overall creativity - especially evidenced with music, prose, poetry. Strength of character, individuality, outspokeness. Strong desire for privacy. Affinity for communication(s), for birds, and possibly for teaching/higher education.
My Favorite Links
Claude A. Debussy
Feodor Chaliapin
WWW genealogy resources
Genealogy 'sources'
Build a family tree - ('click' on the tree symbol)
Genealogy research - a good place to start your search
Genealogy charts and forms - (see 'freebies')
Cyndi's List - highly recommended - scroll down page
How to obtain vital records
Effective way to find people worldwide
People Search U.S.A. - (query 'phone numbers' and scroll down page)
Additional related website
