Say Cheese...

Ancestry.com lets folks who are members upload their family pictures. Which is wonderful for those distant cousins who don't have those images in their family's collections. Strangely, many, not all, of those same people have a bizarre notion of ownership of these same images - well the ones that are very old anyway.

I am not one of those people. I have uploaded every image of our ancestors that our family has in our possession to flickr for anyone to view and download for themselves, all high quality and large. These images are not for hoarding in our closet. After all genealogy is about sharing.

The two images you see below I found at Ancestry. They are said to be of our ancestors Franklin Robinson and Susan Landon Robinson, their daughter Olive Robinson married Oscar Ebenezer Hatch.

Susan Landon married Franklin Robinson September 16, 1817  in South Hero, Grand Isle County, Vermont. This image was probably taken not long before her death in 1862. Franklin died in 1885.

Pay attention...

It's not that I am unsure of the connection of Kari Jorgina Johnson to John Stianson and Kari Gunlichsdatter, the evidence and coincidences are too many to be in doubt, but in researching Jorgina and her family, I have yet to find a definitive document that specifically connects Jorgina Johnson Amundson to who I believe to be her parents. The marriage record and her death record both give a good record of a connection, but her father's surname is hard to read and her mother's name is wrong on her death record, and neither of her parents or Amund's are listed on the marriage certificate, but her last name of Johnson helps push the connection to the yes category, as does the fact that her birth is the same as the Jorgina born in Norway to this family. When doing genealogical research the preponderance of the evidence is usually enough to prove a connection. So in order to cover all my bases, I am still looking for more evidence.

I have filled in most of the gaps of Jorgina's sibling's families using the Holden Church and online Norwegian records, and I was trying to think of another record that might help in that regard. That's when I smacked myself on the head when I realized that the marriage certificate has witnesses listed.

And there was the fourth connection that says yes to Jorgina being the daughter of John Stianson and Kari Gunlichsdatter - H. Einertson and E. Halvorson are the witnesses to her marriage. H. Einertson is her sister Ingaborg's husband - Halvor, (E. Halvorson is possibly her cousin, a son of Ingaborg and Halvor, I'm not really sure yet).

I am still trying to find a church record for Jorgina and Amund's marriage. I might have to wait until I get to Salt Lake City to look at the Lutheran Church records on microfilm there. But maybe an email to a good source before then will answer the question unequivocally.

A Little Rebellion...

One of my favorite ancestors is Dugal McQueen, mostly because I just love saying his name. I don't recall if I have ever said anything to the family about him. With so many ancestors to keep track of one forgets these things. But I thought I would spend a little more time with him today. The most interesting thing about Dugal is he was a Jacobite prisoner or war, transported to the Colonies by the British in 1716. He was born in 1698 in Pollocaig, Moy, Inverness, Scotland. He was married to Elizabeth McIntosh first, they had one daughter Anne. He married Grace second, and they had at least 3 sons all named in Dugal's will, Thomas, William, Francis. He died in 1793. We descend from Thomas and a possible daughter Ruth. Their descendants eventually married into the Goble family.

Below is the story of the battle which changed Dugal's fortunes forever.

Battle Of Preston, 1715

After the death of Queen Anne riots broke out in a number of English cities when the accession of George I was declared. Led by John Erskine, 11th Earl of Mar, known derisively as ‘Bobbing John’ the '15' was started. Erskine had been Secretary of State for Scotland in Anne’s government and although he supported the Hanoverian succession, George I dismissed him, resulting in him becoming a fervent Jacobite by the time he arrived back in Scotland. 

On 7th November, the Jacobite army marched into Lancaster with bagpipes playing and drums beating, colours flying and swords drawn, and occupying the town, proclaimed James III king at the market place. Five of the local Catholic gentry and two townsmen joined the Jacobites ‘the Gentleman soldiers dressed and trimmed themselves up in their best cloathes, for to drink a dish of tea with the laydys of this town. The laydys also here appeared in their best riging and had their tea tables richly furnished for to entertain their new suitors’. This pleasant interlude over, the army assembled on Wednesday 9th and marched south, having acquired 6 small cannon from a ship moored at Lancaster. 

On 9-10 November 1715 the Jacobite Army around 1,700 strong marched into Preston without opposition, two troops of dragoons who were stationed in the town withdrawing before them. James VIII was proclaimed king in the Market Place, troops were billeted on the townspeople and because ‘the Ladys in this town, Preston, are so beautiful and so richly attired, that the Gentlemen soldiers from Wednesday to Saturday minded nothing but courting and ffeasting’. More local gentry and their supporters joined the Jacobite forces or sent assistance. A severe disappointment was that most of the English supporters were Catholic, the High Churchmen and ‘tavern Tories’ staying at home. 

On the 12th news was brought that Government forces under General Wills were advancing from the south and the main streets of the town were barricaded and some trenches dug reinforced by the town bars, which could be used to close off the main roads by stringing chains across them. The barricades were manned and many of houses of the town occupied by troops to create a strong defensive position. Reserves were grouped in the churchyard and Market Place, ready to move to bolster the defence at any threatened point. 

The first assault was launched against the east barrier on Church St, around three hundred men taking part. Shooting from cellars and windows the Highlanders of the Jacobite army poured musket fire into the attacking redcoats. They were supported by two of the ships guns brought from Lancaster which were commanded by a sailor, reputed to have been drunk. The first cannon shots seriously wounded one of the town’s chimneys but following rounds of ‘small shot’ (probably grape shot) caused casualties among the attackers. The pitched battle over the barricades resulted in the Hanoverians being repulsed with heavy losses. 

Following the bloody repulse of the direct assault, troops were sent to fire the houses and barns east of the Church Street barricade. Fortunately for the defenders and the townsfolk of Preston the wind was against the attackers and failed to drive the flames into the town. However, Government troops, possibly aided by drifting smoke from the burning buildings concealing some of their movements, managed to infiltrate one of the alleys or weinds which led along the backs and between some of the properties and stormed Patten House which stood on the north side of Church Street and commanded the east end of Church Street and the barricade there. 

As dusk fell, the attackers, attempted to bypass the northwest barricade on Friargate by an attack down a back lane. The Jacobites unleashed a hail of fire which ‘killed the Captain and about one hundred and forty of his men’ and beat off the attack. Houses beyond the barricades here were also set alight although whether as a result of this action or earlier is uncertain. 

With nightfall, blazing buildings and the long, red muzzle flashes of musket fire illuminated the town. General Wills ordered his men to set lighted candles in the windows of any buildings captured by Government troops so that progress could be seen. To confuse the enemy, the Jacobites responded by illuminating all the windows they could and some of the townsfolk, misinterpreting an order to extinguish the lights lit still more candles, to the amusement of both sides but doing harm to neither. As the night drew on the fighting around the barricades petered out although sporadic shots were fired through the night. Both armies’ front line troops spent the night snatching what sleep they could in their positions although Forster retired to bed. 

A replica of the ship Friendship which

transported Dugal to America.

On the following morning Wills was reinforced by another 2,500 men enabling him to surround the town and block off all means of escape. The Jacobites, trapped in the town, were left with the choice of fighting their way out or surrendering, having no provision for a long siege. Derwentwater and Mackintosh were for fighting, having inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers the day before and still being in possession of most of their strongpoints but Forster overruled them to the dismay of the ordinary soldiers who were well aware of the fate that might await them. Furious with Forster ‘had he appeared in the street, he would certainly have been cut to pieces’ and an attempt to shoot him in his chamber was made by Mr Murray. Murray actually fired a pistol at Forster but a Mr Patten knocked up the barrel of the weapon and Forster survived. Patten was later to turn King’s Evidence and to write an eyewitness account of the Rebellion.
On the 14th the Jacobite army therefore laid down their arms in the market place, the senior officers, to spare their feelings, proffered their surrenders more privately in the inn where they had been billeted. 

Sherriffmuir was fought on the same Sunday and any hopes the Jacobites may have had of success were thwarted. The proclaimed but uncrowned James VIII landed at Peterhead in December but departed soon afterwards to spend the rest of his life (he died in 1766) in exile. 

AftermathThe prisoners were confined in the church and fed on bread and water for a month, at the expense of the townspeople. Some were transferred to Lancaster Castle and some taken to Liverpool and tried. Around fifty died in prison. 

Much has been written about Dugal, so I won't be putting in his biography. He lived in Maryland after finishing his indenture of 7 years. I was able to find original copies online of the Friendship's passenger lists - both departure and arrival:

Fun facts...

Just before the holiday I thought I would share a few fun HAMM family facts that I found in the Taylor County (Wisconsin) history book. For those who don't know, the Hamm's lived just outside of Medford:

In 1878…At this early date Main Street looked more like a country road, with its stumps, and a slab and saw dust fill on the north end. This side walks for years were made of planks; and the ones in front of stores were on different levels…The appearance of Main street, then, was anything but citified. Among the new arrivals this year, were T.H. Fredricks, Jos. Hirsch, J. Hirsch, George Hamm, Mrs. John Kuse, C.J. Boeckler, Peter J. Olson, and John Raths. A school was built at Whittlesey, with Miss Whippler finishing the first term in June. [pg33] 

The roads out of town were possibly usable two or three miles each way but the one south in the vicinity of the Hamm farm, was muddy even in summer. [pg39] 

Rev. B. Ungrodt came here from Cape Colony, South Africa in 1881, and served for many years as the first pastor of the Immanuel Lutheran church. Chas. Faude, Henry Schoeplke, George Hamm, Wm. Thielke, F. Krueger, and Daniel Schief were among his early parishioners. [pg49] 

The first man to make a business of delivering milk was Geo. Hamm who was followed for many years by Mrs. Carl Kuehn. [pg123]

Major Denis Mahon's murder

Major Denis Mahon portrait, owner of
the Mahon Estate, where Strokestown
is and where our Connellys came from.

There was a theory put out by a Connelly researcher that the reason Dennis Connelly had to leave Ireland when he did was because he was somehow involved in the murder of Major Denis Mahon.

I wanted to see if it was possibly true, so I found a book that had been written about the subject, the killing of Major Denis Mahon, by Peter Duffy. I highly recommend it as a read.

In the 1700s an English writer by the name of Arthur Young was touring Ireland. When he came to Strokestown and the Mahon Estate his description of the land was "flat and featureless, due to the sheep grazing,  having a general atmosphere of being dreary and cheerless. The people were not industrious or better housed. They lived on potatoes, milk and butter. There were few cows, pigs are not allowed, poultry was tolerated. To earn a bit of coin the men dug turf, planted potatoes and work for their landlord, while the women spun." But on the whole he said the land was deemed tolerable. Land was divided up the old fashioned way on the Mahon estate, 2-300 acres would hold anywhere from 10-15 families. Leased and sub-leased. There were many very small plots of land for a family to survive on. In actual fact the situation was not good, and in time only worsened.

It was in the early 1800s that the Mahon estate was poised on the brink of disaster. Another English writer, Edward Wakefield, visiting the estate in 1809, described the area "I...found everywhere, cabins of the most wretched aspect, infamous stone roads, very minute divisions of land, and  a superabundant but miserable population." Unlike the author Young he did not see any beauty in the land and in his eyes no estate in his travels represented such a "scene of desolation," as that of the Mahon estate.

There is much that has already been written about the politics, and consequences of the famine. Too much to go into here, but it was the winter of 1846-47 during the famine that changed Strokestown's course forever. Major Mahon was preparing to go to England for the hard winter, leaving his land agent John Ross Mahon (unrelated) to handle the estate. He was a hard-hearted, penny-pinching, no nonsense advocate for his clients. In Strokestown he is remembered as a 'very cruel man'.  He set up an office in Strokestown to oversee the handling of the estate and in looking over the property, he later testified that "...of course they were absolutely starving...It saw the impossibility, not only of rent being paid, but of the people living."

His plan was to remove two thirds of the tenants and let the remaining third expand their holdings and grow profitable crops. Subsidized emigration was his answer to the removal of the two thirds. The Major was against a major eviction of the tenants, and the Mahon family was not in any kind of financial condition to pay for the tenants transport out of the country.

But by early spring of 1847 he capitulated on the removal issue. We know that our ancestor Dennis Connelly arrived at the port of New York in May of 1847, because his declaration of intent tells us so. This means that sometime in April is when, at least he, packed up to go to America. It is unclear to us if the whole family left at the same time, because we can find no passenger lists with the Connelly's on them. This does mean that at least Dennis was not one of the 1000 who were sent to Canada on the 'coffin ships'.


It is possible the Connellys left because they received eviction notices, although records indicate that Major Mahon didn't sign any until April, to be delivered in early May, and it appears that the Connellys had already left by then. Maybe they had heard the rumors. Shortly after Mahon's removal of the first 1000 families on the 'coffin ships' he had his land agent either pay off the families with a few pounds, or use the sheriff, to evict another two thousand more off the estate.

His actions were now going to have consequences. It was in the evening of November 2, 1847 that Major Mahon was murdered while driving home in a horse drawn carriage. According to witnesses at the event two men were involved. Before his murder he was making plans to evict another 6000 families off the estate. Some believe that it was his land agent John Ross Mahon who was actually the target as they had switched places on the carriage before the drive and the Major was holding the reigns. We will never know. The murder was never solved.

So to answer the question - No Dennis Connelly didn't run away from Ireland because he was involved in the murder of Denis Mahon. He was already in America working to make a better life for his family.

So this Thanksgiving I will be sure to thank my Irish ancestors who survived a devastating famine, and a horrendous sea voyage to make a new life in America, making my Thanksgiving dinner possible.

Those long New England winters...

It is amusing, to me anyway, how when we die we suddenly become saints who led exemplary lives, were the epitome of upright citizenry, god fearing moral examples for all, yadda, yadda, yadda (by the way If anyone ever says that about me, it’s all lies!). The same type of thing happens when genealogist write up family histories about their ancestors.  It’s rare to find a family history that says anything bad about their fore bearers.

That’s why I love to find records like what I am posting today, records that show even our ancestors were only human. I have had this information for a while, but sometimes there is a long wait before I can post anything new, so I like to go through all my old research to find entries of interest that I might have forgotten about.

Jonathan and Lydia Hatch of Barnstable, Barnstable County, Massachusetts are our focus today both of them are ancestors of ours. Read this little tidbit: 

Jonathan Hatch, who eventually married Ann Rowley, was described by the historian Otis as:     ... a man of indomitable energy of character - no difficulties discouraged him - no misfortune swayed him from his onward and determined course of life. He was a pioneer in the march of civilization, and the history of his life, if faithfully written, would present many points of romantic interest. (Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families v1:p463).

Well some of that may indeed be true (he certainly focused a lot on the romantic aspect, but not in the way we think), but those New England winters must have gotten quite boring because Jonathan and his sister Lydia seem to have spent a bit of time in court, and not in a good way, as can seen in the following court record entries that I have entered below.

(1) p.152 - ...In 1642 Lydia Hatch appeared before the court not only "for suffering Edward Michell to attempt to abuse her body by uncleanness" and not letting it be known, but for "lying in the same bed with her brother Jonathan." Her brother was not directly accused of incest, although he was in court on other charges. Lydia was publicly whipped for both offenses, no option of a fine being given, and Jonathan was also whipped for vagrancy and "for his misdemeanors."

(2) March 1, 1641/1642 Bradford, G. (PCR 2:35):
Edward Michell, for his lude [and] sodomitacall practives tending to sodomye with Edward Preston, and other lude carryages with Lydia Hatch, is centured to be presently whipt at Plymouth, at the publike place, and once more at Barnestable, kin convenyent tyme, in the presence of Mr. Freeman and the committees of the said towne.

March 1, 1641/1642 Bradford, G. (PCR 2:35):
Lydia Hatch, for suffering Edward Michell to attempt to abuse her body by vncleanesse, [and] did not discouer it, [and] lying the same bed with her brother Jonathan, is censured to be publickly whipt; was accordingly donn.

March 6, 1665/1666 (GC, PCR 4:117):
Wheras Jonathan Hatch hath bine convicted of vnnesesarie frequenting the house of Thomas Crippin, and therby hath giuen occation of suspision of dishonest behauior towards Francis, the wife of the said Crippin, the Court hath admonished him and warned him for the future not to giue such occation of suspision as aforsaid by his soe frequently resorting to the said house or by coming in the companie of the said woman, as hee will anware it att his peril.

----------------------------------
(1)The entries above were found in James and Patricia Scott Deetz, The Times of Their Lives: Life, Love, and Death in the Plymouth Colony, (New York: W.H. Freeman and Co., 2000), 151-152. With other sources listed, Other information found at the website related to book: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/users/deetz/Plymouth/Lauria2.html

(2) Appendix II: The Court Records  The following descriptions of Court Records provide the date of the record, the Plymouth Colony Record (PCR0 cite, and an indication of the Court at which the action occurred, including the General Court 9GC0, the Court of Assistant (CA), Court of Magistrates (CM) (typically conducted by individual Assistants), and Governor Bradford hearing disputes and claims as an Assistant or Magistrate (Bradford).

References for above court records Bradford, William Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620-1647. Ed. by Samuel Eliot Morison. New York:Knopf (1952). PCR. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England. Ed., by Nathaniel Shurtleff and David Pulsifer. New York:AMS Press. 12v. in 6.

All in the family...

I have been through the microfilm of the Norwegian Holden Lutheran Church 2 1/2 times looking for entries for the John Stianson and Kari Gunlechsdatter's family. John and Kari did not attend, or become members of this church. But 5 of their children or their families did.

In fact, I have been able to glean from the research in to this church's records that the only children of John and Kari's who do not appear to have emigrated to America are Stian, the eldest son, and the youngest daughter Sigri, (although the jury is still out on her). Three of the eldest daughter, Marriken's, children were confirmed in the church, but I can find no evidence of her or her husband living in Goodhue County. But then again with a name like John Olson, it can be a daunting search.

So it appears that pretty much the whole family came to America, leaving the eldest son to farm in Norway.

The first appearance of the family in Minnesota, was actually Ingeborg and her husband Halvor Einerson. They came over in 1852, about 20 years earlier than the rest of the family. However, they lived in Dane County, Wisconsin for a few years, before heading over to Goodhue County, Minnesota. They are found in the Blue Mound, Dane County, 1855 census for Wisconsin, and their child Peter was born there. Shortly after that is when they moved a little bit more west.

Anne Karine and her husband Knud Stianson moved to South Dakota in the 1880s, Knud died in1887 of what is believed to be yellow fever. Anne never married again, but stayed in SD. Gunlech her brother headed out to South Dakota for a few years where some of his children moved, but he moved back to Minnesota and lived out his life there. The rest of the family also stayed in Minnesota. Ingeborg died in 1904, Anne Marie died between 1895 and 1900, Jorgina died in 1907, Gunlech in 1927 and we believe Ann Karine died in 1928 in an insane asylum. Her daughter Carrie also died in the same asylum, they were there at the same time, although Carrie died 10 years later.

John Stianson and Kari Gunlechdatter's children:1. Marriken m. John Olson
2. Ingeborg m. Halvor Einerson
3. Anne Marie m. Tolv Nelson
4. Kari Jorgina m. Amund Amundson
5. Stian
6. Gunlech m. Anne Thorbjorbsdatter
7. Anne Karine m. Knud Stianson
8. Sigri

They actually had three other children who all died at the age of 2 or less. Unfortunately neither Jorgina nor Amund, my ancestors, bothered to become members of this church either. But I do know they were married in Leon, so that is my next stop for church records.

For my other half...

My old man is not the slightest bit interested in his family history. That's okay, it just makes less work for me. (Like he would do any of that research.) But for those folks on the Bumann side who do read my blog, just to be nice, I decided to post this little tidbit that I thought would be of interest to them.

Below is the ship passenger list of the Bumann ancestor that arrived in the US in 1865, along with his family and children. They eventually ended up in Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Passenger list from the SS Hermann January 4th, 1865. The Bumanns are lines 263-266 the list includes Alois, Ursula, Eduard and Emma. The line of descent for your Bumanns is Alois and Ursula to Eduard, all from Rust, Baden, Germany.

And the jury says...

John Carrington, a 33 year old carpenter, arrived in New England in 1635 and settled in Wethersfield, Connecticut with his wife and several children. Sometime in 1649-1650 he and his wife were accused by their fellow citizens of witchcraft. The circumstances of the accusations are unknown as there is no testimonial record of the trial.

The indictment and conviction of the Carringtons: A Particular Court in Hartford upon the trial of John Carrington and his wife 20th February 1650.

Magistrates at the trial included Mr. [John] Webster, who later became Governor of Connecticut and was our ancestor, as was one of the probable jurors, Edward Griswold, as he served on several similar witch trials in the same time period he probably also served on this one.

The verdict for both John and his wife are on record and read as follows:

John Carrington thou art indicted by the name of John Carrington of Wethersfield carpenter, that not having the fear of God before thine eyes thou hast entertained familiarity with Satan the great enemy of God and mankind and by his help hast done works above the course of nature for which both according to the law of God and of the established law of this commonwealth thou deserves! to die. The jury fmds this indictment against John Carrington March 6, 1650/51. 

Joan Carrington thou art indicted by the name of Joan Carrington the wif(e) of John Carrington that not having the fear of God before thine eyes thou hast entertained familiarity with Satan the great enemy of God and mankind and by his help hast done works above the course of nature for which both according to the Jaws of God, and the established law of this commonwealth thou deservest to die. The jury finds this indictment against Joan Carrington March 6, 1650/51. Source: CoU. CHS, 22 (1926), pp. 92-93.

Both of them were hanged. This is not the only trial ancestors of ours were involved in, we also have ancestors Pitkins, Loomis, Marsh and Newell. None were living in Salem at the time of the famous witch trials, but there were plenty of other crazy people in New England to keep the courts hopping in many other towns.

'et by sharks...

Shortly after settling on the Connecticut river in the latter part of the 1600s, William Shepard was out on a boat in Boston Harbor with William Lee.

"He was shortly after overset in a boat…and while swimming by the side of William, had his thigh bitten in two by a shark, and was pulled under the water. He arose and said he was dead man, for a shark had bitten off his thigh. Lee heard the shark give one more snap and saw him no more."

I will assume this is why none of our Shepards are sailors.

Some say this story is pure fabrication, who knows. It certainly makes for a more interesting story than the fact that his wife divorced him for desertion and that's why he wasn't around.

Witches and Garlick...

Time for a little more Halloween wackiness.

There is a famous witch trial in old New England, the case of Goodwife Garlick. She lived in Long Island along with our ancestor Jeremiah Vail.

The big rich guy on the island was Lion Gardiner, Jeremiah and Katherine, his wife, worked as servants in his household. Lion had a 16 year old daughter who was married and had just had a child. The birthing didn't go well. Both the child and the daughter, Elizabeth, died. But not before Elizabeth made all kinds of crazed accusations against Goodwife Garlick, say that she had bewitched and be-spelled her and her child.

Elizabeth's mother continued the accusations after her daughter died. Eventually there was a trial and our ancestor was called to testify.

According to the book Witchcraft Trials of Connecticut: The First Comprehensive, Documented …,  By R. G. Tomlinson, Jeremiah and his wife Katherine contradicted Goody Davis' statements regarding the death of her own child by Garlick's bewitchment by testifying that:

"Goody Davis spoke as if her child were bewitched…(but) Goody Davis took an Indian child to nurse and for lucre of a little wampum…let her child starve."

The trial was eventually send to the higher court in Connecticut. All ended well for Goodwife Garlick for the court found her not guilty and she was let go. Her and her husband continued to live on in Long Island until their deaths with no apparent harm.

McDonnell update...

I just received Annie's death registration from Rhode Island. Her death at 54 was caused by cardiac disease.

This makes the third Cain sibling to die from cardiac issues. So it is definitely a genetic trait on the Cain side of the family, or possibly the Connelly's. Either way for all the descendants of this line, watch those fats and carbs and sugars.

So no trick-or-treating!

A Death in Rhode Island...

Well if you stretch it, this post could be considered very Halloweenie, it is about a death.

On the 10th of March in 1914 at the age of 54, Annie Laura Cain McDonnell passed away. She was John and Dennis Cain's sister. It doesn't seem as though the Cains were very long lived as a clan. But I was happy to see that this obituary confirmed what I pretty much already knew, she was one of Martin and Winifred Cain's children.

Here is her short obit:

From a Rhode Island paper of unknown origin.

Back in Norway again...

Well it has been a few weeks since I found out the origins of half of my Norwegian side. (The jury is still out on Amund Amundson.) So I thought I would give an update.

The Norwegian digitalarkkivet site has greatly improved since I visited it 10 or so years ago. I am not sure how much is not on their site, but they do have church book records, censuses and emigrant lists. I have found many actual digitized church records for Jorgina's family and a few census records from 1801 and 1865. The church records for Drangedal go back to the late 1600s and if one has the patience to read them you can find loads of data.

Having been aware of a series of books called Bygebøker that are specific to Norwegian research, and the history of particular farms/areas of Norway, I checked to see if there is one for Aase or Drangedal. Thankfully there is, so I interlibrary loaned Drangedal med Tørdal Bygdebøk. I have spent the last 3 weeks going "googly-eyed" from using Google translate and my Bygdebøk, typing in paragraphs of Norwegian text trying to figure out who, what and where.

I am happy to say that I finished with the book this last weekend, and I am now more cognizant of Norwegian. Although not conversant. Now, the books themselves are notorious for having errors, I found many in the dates, by comparing with actual records, when I found them, but on the whole they are very informative resources for this type of research. I still plan on trying to find original source material to co-oberate the data I have found, but that is for the future. Right now I have a family tree for Jorgina that goes back, in a few cases, to the later part of the 1500s. In the case of one family we are directly descended from three siblings.

I am still waiting for an English version of the book so I can acquire the specifics, some of the information in the book contains a few very intriguing stories about some of our relatives that need a true translation to better understand.

So I am including a chart, for your amusement, of the family so far, although it is unreadable on this blog at least you can see the trees size. Jorgina and her siblings are the last line on the bottom. At least three came to the US in 1869, Gunlech, Anne Karine and Jorgina, along with their parents. I know that the eldest son Stian inherited the farm and stayed in Norway. He had several daughters all of whom stayed in Norway, so we could still have cousins there.

Skeleton found...

A little while ago I mentioned that I had probably found Almyra Johnson's brother Samuel Johnson and his family had moved to West Springfield. Well this is Almyra's nephew. Samuel Johnson, Junior. I think the articles below tell the story. He doesn't appear to have been murdered, just died by misadventure. I have entered the newspaper articles in order of publication, which is in November of 1909.

MAY BE BONES OF LOCAL MAN

No this isn't the actual skeleton, just a pic of one to enhance the mood.

Hanged till thou be Dead..

It is again my favorite month of the year, and not just because I was born on All Hallows Eve. This month I have decided to focus on the more macabre of our family stories. Today's is all about murder and 'justice'.

The first major war to occur in the New World involving the European's was King Philip's War of 1675-1678. It was named after the American Indian Metacomet, who was also known as King Philip. I won't go into the details of the war, those can be read in any history book. Let's just say relations between the New Englanders and the local tribes had gotten bad and war was the result.

The war had a devastating effect on New England colonies many towns were completely destroyed, the  economy was in ruin, a large percentage of the population had been killed. Over half of the towns that had been established had been affected in some way by the attacking American Indian warriors. No doubt all of this contributed to the actions described below:

About the 9th of August [1676] there happened a very sad accident, relating to the poor christian indians, viz. a horrid murder committed by some Englishmen upon two squaws, wives to two of our Indian soldiers...and one young woman, and three children, whereof one was a nursing infant...
These two squaws and their company aforementioned, being allowed (in this time of their straits for food) by the English authority, went forth to gather hurtleberries, as a place called Hurtleberry Hill, about four miles from Watertown Mill, within the bounds of that town; were the English, who were about eleven or twelve in number, and were on horseback, first met those indians. There was one Indian man with them called John Stoolemester, one that had been bred with the English; they disarmed him of a carbine belonging to the county, for he was newly come in from the army, and had not been delivered his arms. After they had disarmed this fellow, they threatened to kill him; but he, speaking english interceded strongly for his life, and so they dismissed him, and he came home; but the squaws being among the bushes not far off, he left them there; the english came to them and sat down, and smok'd[sp] it where they were, and exchanged with them bread and cheese for some hurtleberries; and then the English left the squaws and children, but being not gone a mile, four of the English left their company and went back to the squaws, and drove them before them unto the north end of the hill, into a secret place, and there murdered them all, and stript[sp] such as had coats on. Having committed the murder, these men went to their habitations.
The next day after the squaws were missing, and came not home to their wigwams, Capt. Pitimee, being then at home, came to Major Gookin at Cambridge and acquainted him with his fears, that some evil had befallen his wife, sister and their company, and desired an order and some help of Englishmen, two or three as least, to go and search for them; which being so reasonable a request, it was granted. So he went forth and searched a day or two, but could not find them; as last, having procured about fifteen or sixteen Indians, and two english, they made a more strict search, and at last found the dead bodies, not far from one another, cruelly murdered, some shot through, others their brains beat out with hatchets; to be short, this murder was afterward discovered, and the four murders seized, tried, and condemned, and two of the four executed, and the other two pardoned by the General Court. This murder was very much decried by all good men, and it was some satisfaction that some of them were make examples. I know the murderers pretended a law to warrant the act, but the juries and judge were not of their mind in the matter. I know, also, there are some among the English that have a very ill conceit of all the Indians, and will not admit them so much charity, as to think that any of them are sober or honest.
An Historical Account of the Doings and Sufferings of the Christian Indians in New England, In the Years, 1675, 1676, 1677, by Daniel Gookin; page 513, 514

Wartime situations can bring out the best and worse in humans beings. In this case I believe the worst showed its face in actions of one of my ancestors as two of the four men were relatives of mine. Daniel and Stephen Goble of Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts were two of the perpetrators of this atrocity. Daniel is my 8xgreat grandfather. Stephen was his nephew.

What makes things even worse for them is the fact that the war was over. King Philip had been killed. People had no more patience for these kinds of acts and so it was decided that these men were to be made an example of. The communities reaction was most likely a political ploy for the sake of peace. An act meant to prove to the Indians that any Whites committing such acts were treated as harshly as Indians. So the four men were promptly arrested, tried, and found guilty. The Reverend Mr. Rowlandson attended them in jail, wrote and witnessed their wills. Daniel's nephew Stephen was the first to hang on a dreary and cold day in September. From all accounts it appeared that the whole of Boston had turned out to see the show including a Samuel Sewell who wrote the following:

"Mr. Mighil prayed. Four others sat on the gallows, two men and two impudent women, one of which as least, laughed on the gallows." She was there to be whipped for adultery. The Hangman read the record which was the same for all four men, except for their names.: Stephen Goble of Concord thou art indicted by the name of Steven Goble for not having the fear of God before thy eyes and being instigated by the Devil and thy Accomplices at or on the seventh of August at or near Hurtleberry Hill in the woods in the vicinity of Concord or near thereabouts did murder and kill three Indian women and three Indian children contrary to the grace of our sovereign Lord thy king his crown and signity the law of land and of this Jurisdiction. After the libel testimony in the Case provided wear Read Comitted to the Jury and are remaining on file w/ the records of this Court the Jury brought in their verdict & the found him Guilty, Accordingly the sentence of Death pronounced upon him that he should Goe from hence to the place from whence he Came & thence to the Gallows and there be hanged till thou be Dead."

A week later Daniel, too ill to walk, was drawn upon a cart to the place of execution and hanged in the company of five Indians.

During the trial of the four men, two of them got off because their families had money and influence. Our ancestral relatives were not so blessed. I have to say that I can not be sorry that they were punished for their actions. They committed murder and should have been punished for it. What is unfortunate is that the other two got away.

Daniel's son Daniel, jr inherited land his father was awarded for his service in the war. He sold it off. His mother Hannah had married again so forfeited her inheritance of the property. She moved to Lancaster Massachusetts. In an unfortunate twist of fate, Hannah and her second husband Ephraim Roper were killed by Indians about 20 years later.

Good things come to those who wait

I just realized this morning that I am researching two different Johnson families, one on both sides of the family tree. Totally unrelated of course. Hmmm, or are they?

Well back to the good things. During my recent research binge on Carrie Amundson's mother's side of the family, I saw a database of Minnesota County marriages listed at the FHL site of online digital images, and decided to check it out. In a shoulder shrugging 'what the heck' moment I decided to type in Amund Amundson and Kari Jorgina Johnsons names. I had already contacted the Goodhue County register of deeds office years ago for a record and they told me there wasn't one.

Imagine my shock when there it, was for all the world to see. A marriage record in Goodhue County for  Ammund Amunndson and Kari Jorgina Johnson.

Married January 2, 1874 in Lyon, Goodhue County, Minnesota. No parents names listed of course. That would make things too easy.

I will place no blame, nor make no accusations. I am just happy to have found it.

Norway I hardly know you

It all started with a gentleman from Australia, or I should say it all started with an email from a gentleman from Australia. He was contacting me regarding a mtDNA match with one of my mtDNA accounts at FamilyTreeDNA, and as I have many accounts with FamilyTreeDNA I first had to find out which one he was matching. So I responded. A day later he informed me the match was with Victor John's maternal line, this would be Myrtle Hamm. The match is only in Region 1 which means our common ancestress would be very far back in time. His mother's line is English so any connection would probably have to do with the Nordic folks invading England, because Myrtle's maternal line is 100% Norwegian.

I have to confess I haven't done as much Norwegian research as I should have because well, the records that are available are in Norwegian, the websites that have the records are in Norwegian, and having no experience with Norwegian in any way, shape, or form, I'm afraid I felt a bit intimidated by the research. But that's ended now. I decided I needed to buckle down and try again. Maybe things have changed in last few years. 

From past experience I am familiar with two sources for Norwegian research. One is the FHL, the other is http://arkivverket.no/Digitalarkivet, a Norwegian website that I have tried in the past.  So I started with the FHL. They have very few online digital records for Norway, but the ones that they do have include births, christenings, marriages, deaths. So I started with births hoping to find Kari Jorgina Johnson's birth record. 

From the many census records I have found for Kari I knew the month she was born and the year. I also know her parents names from her death record at the asylum. Although we couldn't quite read the father's surname. We came up with John Staneson.

I found a record for a Kari Jorgina Johnsdtr born May 31, 1838 and baptized June, 1838. Her parents names were John Stianson and Kari Gunlichsdtr.

Kari Jorgina Johnsdtr baptismal record. Click on images for larger size to see details.

Kari's death information indicated her mother's name was Kari Johnson. It is quite possible that information is incorrect. So if I have indeed found her baptismal record, further research on her parents has taken me in to the 1760s with her parents, parents births, marriages, etc. I have even found family in the 1801 and 1865 Norwegian census.

I am inclined to believe that the above baptismal record is true. Here's why. In looking for all the siblings for Kari, I found a brother named Gunlech. He is said, by another researcher of this same family, to have emigrated to Minnesota in 1869, in fact I believe I found him in a census record in the same county Kari shows up in, in 1875, married to Amund, with their daughter Amelia Christine. In fact I think I even found her parents in 1875. There is also a cemetery index record for Gunlech that includes the information that he emigrated in 1869 from Aase, Tordal, Drangedal, Telemark, Norway. By the way, that is where the family is from.

John Stianson and Kari were using the farm name of Aase as their surname in the census record.

So you can see my hesitation in doing Norwegian research, all those name changes with each generation, using farm names, not using farm names. It can lead to much hair pulling and teeth nashing.

Here is a map found at Wikipedia of the area of Drangedal where Tordal, Aase is located in Telemark. Click on images for larger size to see details.

The evidence appears to be pretty convincing. I am hoping now to find a ship record for the members of the family. That might help to make the connection. I also need to look at church records in Goodhue County, Minnesota again, now that I have a better idea of what I am looking for.

This is all very exciting for me. Now I am getting all nostalgic for Norway. If only I could get the same break on Amund. Guess I will have to keep digging.

A picture in Tordal, to get a general idea of the landscape.

Upgrade...

I mentioned a few months ago that I was doing an upgrade to Dad's DNA tests, as FamilyTreeDNA was having a sale. Well I finally got the results last weekend. I waited until Labor Day weekend to share them with Dad as we were going to be there for a visit.

The upgraded tests were for his mtDNA, being Myrtle's female line, and the Family Finder test. The Family Finder test finds cousins in the FamilyTreeDNA database and your percentage of ethnicity. In mine and grandpa Shepard's Family Finder results we carry the DNA that shows us to be 100% European. Imagine my surprise, when Dad's showed up with 5% Palestinian, Jewish, Druze, and Bedouin. I should correct that to be surprised, but not surprised. I imagine that the JOHN DNA is what carries these characteristics, as the ancient  JOHN yDNA has its origins in the Middle East glancing into Asia.

The reason none of this DNA showed up in me is all about chaos. My burning question now is which side do I choose?

Directories are the new census...

There are some names in genealogical research that are hair-pulling nightmares. Johnson is one of them. As is Smith, John, Brooks all of which we are blessed with. In this case I am researching Almyra Johnson, who married John Brooks, and her parents Samuel and Catherine in Albany, New York.

I have had no luck whatsoever in finding any of Almyra's family in Albany County. I have tried many databases in some cases many times over, and had zero luck over the years. So I decided to try a new tact. Directories.

My first thought in my new line of research was why did the Brooks family move to Vermont in the 1850s. What was the draw? Did Almyra have family there? So I proceeded to check the Albany directories first just in case Samuel and Catherine show up. Needless to say it was a fruitless endeavor, as I can't tell if any Samuel or Catherine listed is actually related to Almyra because none of the addresses appeared to clear the matter up. So I moved my efforts to Burlington, Vermont directories.

As I have already done the research on the Brooks in the directories in Vermont, I was comparing any Johnsons found to the same address or close. I hit pay dirt. I found a Samuel Johnson living at the same address as Almyra and John. A check of the census records about the same time period told me that this was most likely a brother of Almyras, due to his age in the census record. Samuel, jr worked with the railroad in town and there are a couple of other Johnsons working at the same railroad company living in Burlington, but at different addresses. Most likely all related. I have not found her parents yet, but the research is still young and I don't have access to some of the records I need to continue with the leads. Just another item to put on the SLC research list.

I continued to research Samuel and his family in the hopes of finding something else of interest or a more tangible link, but so far nothing has turned up. It appears that he moved his family to Springfield, Massachusetts. Just a few miles down the road from our Shepard ancestors. They pretty much stayed there until they died.

It was a nice feeling to finally find some family for Almyra, hopefully future research will complete the picture for her.

Apropos of nothing...

I was just sitting at my computer yesterday doing a little research on some Goble's for a future post, when I had this sudden urge to look at Rhode Island records at the Family History Library web site. It had been a while since I had done any research on the Cain's so I thought I would see if there were any new digitized records I could look through.

They don't have a lot of digitized records for Rhode Island, but they do have a few important ones, births, marriages, deaths, and Rhode Island State census records, (different from Federal census records).

I started with the death records, maybe, just maybe I will finally find a death record for Martin Cain. The results showed me several records I was already familiar with, two of them being Martin and Winifred's children who died as infants. Then I saw a curious entry for a Annie Laura Mcdonnell in 1914, husband Terrence, father Martin Kane, mother Winifred Kane. Hmmmmmmm. Stick a pin in that. I still didn't find a death record for Martin.

Okay no Martin, where is that pin....oh there it is...so I clicked on it.

The record was really just an index entry and it didn't tell me much more than the search hit did. So I went to my Reunion genealogy file to check and see if Martin and Winifred had a child named Annie. According to my records they had an Ann/Amy (from census records) born about 1859. The death record was off on her birth year, which didn't faze me one bit. I proceeded to do a little happy jig. I found one of John Cain's sisters.

Now the hunt really began. There proceeded a flurry of computer research activity into birth, marriage and census records from several online database companies. The end result being Ann/Annie Laura Cain Mcdonnell/Mcdonald married Terence in 1884 in Providence, Providence, Rhode Island. They proceeded to have 7 children between 1884 and 1899. In fact the last child born was Annie on October 30/31, 1898, a day or two after her first cousin once removed, Clarence John. Only 4 of their children made it to adulthood.

But that's not all. The big news from this find was a 1900 census record in Providence for Annie and her family....and her father Martin Kane! Now I could do a full on happy, happy, joy, joy dance. I found Martin in 1900, in Providence, living with his daughter.

That's why you research ancestors other than your direct lines.

Sad to say I still don't know when Martin died. But I know he was still around in 1900. When looking at the 1905 census record for Annie and her husband, she indicated she was born in Crompton, West Warwick, Rhode Island. Slightly different than data I had, but it prompted me to see if there was a Crompton in Rhode Island. There is, it was named after a man who invented some type of textile device having to do with corduroy. In fact there was a mill in the town that made it. So it is quite possible that this is one of the mills that Martin was working in when he and Winifred were married.

1917 view of Crompton Mill

Dorm rooms ain't what they use to be...

A short while ago I was perusing my flickr site to refresh my memory of the pictures I had uploaded a few years ago. I ran across a picture of a gentleman sitting in what looked like a college student's bedroom.

Herbert Hatch strumming a musical instrument.

There was a school pennant hanging from the bed canopy and the word Denison on a pillow. I was pretty sure that the image was from our Hatch side of the family, so I checked online for a Denison College in Ohio, assuming of course that that is where the Hatch family member would have gone to college.

There is a Denison College in Ohio. So I contacted the archivist there to see if they might have information on which Hatch son, Herbert or Harry, was in the picture.

This is the response I received:

"Herbert attended Denison's prep school (like a high school) called Doane Academy, then took 1 college math class here. So he's not a Denison college grad. I can't help you with the photo, as I have no photo of Hatch to compare it to."

The science in genealogy...

FamilyTreeDNA is currently having a big sale on its test upgrades, so I have bit the wallet and upgraded Dad's sample to add the mtDNA Test for Myrtle's maternal side and a FamilyFinder test which will show cousins and % of ethnicity.

Doing the Family Finder test for Grandfather Shepard showed us no American Indian ancestry,( as many family fables love to brag).

Will share the results as soon as I get them.

One of many...

A short post in honor of our many Revolutionary War ancestors. Below is a picture from William Shepard's entry at Wikipedia, a painting in which he is included. Although at this time I am not sure which one is him.

Col. William Shepard was at the Battle of Trenton, N.J. with George Washington, and his likeness appears in the painting Capture of the Hessians at Trenton, by John Trumbull at the Yale Univ. Gallery of Art, Chapel St., New Haven. [caption from Wikipedia]

Drowning in Brooks...

Almyra Brooks

Okay, it was a bad pun. But when you have a surname like Brooks in your family you have to have a little fun with it.

I have been doing a lot of research on Almyra Brooks' family. Why? Because she is one of those women's lines that has been pushed to the side in other people's research because it required a little too much effort to figure them out.

But not me. I am very persistent and tenacious when it comes to these kinds of puzzles, and I love a good challenge.

When I started this research all I knew about Almyra's parents was mostly just their names and a few other details. So what have I been able to find out so far? Almyra's father John, jr. was born in Albany, Albany County, New York a week after his father John, sr. died of illness in the Buffalo area of the state (after having joined the Army to fight in the 'War of 1812'). John, jr.'s mother, Diana Smith Brooks (who was born in England), was left with five children to raise on her own. The eldest of those children was Peter, and he was not even her own. Peter was born during what I am quite sure was John's first marriage. What's that you say, John Brooks, sr. had a previous marriage? Oh yeah. And I am the one who figured it out.

The guardianship file for John Brooks, sr. indicates all the children along with their ages. Using a wonderful device called a calculator, I was able to figure out that Peter was born before Diana and John were married, a good indication that John was married previously to Diana. The guardianship case also named a Peter Brooks, Diana's brother-in-law, as guardian. So not only do I now have the names of all the children of John, sr., I have a brother for him too.

While in Salt Lake City, I looked at a film of burial records of the Dutch Reformed Church in Albany on the off chance it might have something of interest for me. I found two intriguing records. One was 'John Brooks' child' burial costs and the date of August 1802, the other one was an entry for 'John Brooks' wife', burial costs and a date of October 1805. These entries were intriguing because of the dates, both of which were before John married Diana in 1807 which strongly suggested a connection. So I made note of the entries.

When I came home and started going through my research data, I looked over the above records and decided to check other online databases of the Reformed Dutch Church records. I found three very interesting entries in the marriage and baptismal records. The first was a marriage for a John Broocks to a Hannah Groesbeck in 1801. The second was the baptism of a daughter Elizabeth in 1802. The last and in my mind most convincing evidence that this marriage was my John, sr.'s first one, was a baptism for a Peter in 1804, the same year that the eldest son Peter was born.

Put together with what I already know, I am convinced that John's first wife was Hannah, they had a daughter Elizabeth who died at a few months of age, and then had a son Peter. Hannah died about 10 months after Peter's birth. John then married Diana. They named their first born Elizabeth after John's first daughter.

So my next question is, who are the parents of John, sr. and Peter Brooks?

The best source would be the same Dutch Church records I looked at previously online. These records along with a website dedicated to the history of Albany have given me information that makes me lean towards the theory that John Brooks b1783-d1815, brother to Peter Brooks b1780-d1825 are both the sons of Peter Brooks and Frances Wendell. I know Peter and Frances had a child named Peter, as I found a baptismal record for one in 1780. John Brooks named his eldest Peter. John had a brother named Peter. (There are not a bountiful amount of Peter Brooks in the directories or census records.)

If indeed this connection is true, it has been indicated that Peter Brooks who married Francis Wendell in 1772, was the son of Jonathan Brooks and possibly Rebecca Tatten, (Jonathan's will names his wife Elizabeth, so I am unclear about this information). Jonathan is considered the patriarch of the Brooks of early Albany.

There is still research to do on this line, but it is starting to look up. It is still unclear if the Brooks are of Dutch or English descent. But I am looking forward to finding out.

All about John...

No this is not a post about the John family. This is a post about John GEORGE.

In going about my research on the GEORGE family, (that would be in relation to Grandma Dick's grandmother Rachel GEORGE), it appears that William GEORGE and his wife Margaret arrived in Tyler County, Virginia in the late 1700s to early 1800s. Don't know exactly yet. They had at least 4 children, although I might have found a fifth - but that is another story. The only one of their children I could find no information on online was John GEORGE.

Now John is not a direct ancestor, but a 5g Uncle. Which doesn't matter to me, because I research all my relatives, if possible, as I have mentioned in earlier posts. In this case it was just a matter of curiosity. What the heck happened to John? Why does no one have anything on him online?

So commenced my hunt.

My first major puzzle piece was a land record in Tyler County, and because John was selling land, his wife's name had to be listed. Diadamia. What a lovely name. This was the first tidbit I had found of his wife.

The last major puzzle piece, that pretty much put the picture together, was another land record. This one was recorded in Tyler County, but it had been sent from Elkhart County, Indiana in 1838. Wow! Major news. So my next move was to check all the census records for Tyler County for the GEORGES and make a list of who was living there as early as I could find them. John has moved out of his parents home and was living with his wife by 1810, he was about 26-29 years of age. So according to the census' and the above land record they stayed in the area until sometime between June of 1838 and September of 1839, which is when they moved to Indiana. This find was confirmed with census records in the area of Elkhart County.

John died by 1846. I know this because in searching the Indiana vital records online for information on the children, I found a record of his wife having married a Kinsey in 1846. Diadamia and her new husband are found together in 1850 in Elkhart, but by 1860 Diadamia had also died (confirmed by census records).

I know of at least 4 children for the couple: John, William, Elizabeth, and Cassandra. Elizabeth and Cassandra each had married in Virginia, the former to a Jacob Sailor, and the latter to a Lewis Pitts. They had traveled with their parents and their own families to the wilds of Indiana. Eventually, the Pitts family traveled on to Nebraska which is where Cassandra died. Elizabeth's family stayed in Elkhart. I do not know what happened to John or William yet, and I might or might not pursue their whereabouts.

So I have pretty much solved the mystery of John GEORGE. I am sure there are more records in Indiana that could give me even more information on the family, but that can wait for another time. So many surnames so little....well you know.

Improvements in transcriptions...

Ancestry.com has a database on their site of Hamburg passenger lists. That would be those people leaving Germany from the port of Hamburg. Recently there has been an update to the database which includes an index of the records from 1850 to about 1890, I think, anyway is covers the dates I need. The great thing about this index is that it is the Archives in Germany that is doing it. Which means that the information from the transcription will be more accurate.

In my case, I was hoping to see a refinement of the entry for  Frederick William John and Henrietta Volk in the records. Which I did. The transcription confirmed that which I believed to be true, but wasn't quite sure of, F W John and his wife Henrietta both indicated that they were born in Altraden, Posen, Prussia.

It's not ground breaking news, but it makes me feel better about including the information in my own records. FW's brother August did not have to give the same information when he emigrated in 1855, he only had to say where he was from, that could just mean where he last lived. We have that information.

At this time there are very few accessible records for Altraden for me to look at. I do keep checking up on Posen websites as there are a few indexing projects going on from church records, but it might be a while before we find anything, if ever.

What's in a date?

Elza Shepard

Elza Shepard celebrated his 93rd birthday with big fanfare surrounded by friends and family. There was even a write up in the local paper about it.

The only problem is Elza was never 93 years old. He was born anywhere from 1845-1847 according to census records from 1860-1930. The most accurate census would be the 1860 one where his is living with his parents Hartley and Susannah Shepard and he is 13 years old. Most of the census records agree with the 1846-1847 time period.

His death record indicates he was born in 1841. Death records are notorious for having this kind of information wrong, especially the early ones where birth records don't exist. I can say with great confidence that it is incorrect. Elza probably forgot when he was born and over time the date changed and was mis-remembered.

So in actual fact when Elza died he was no more than 88 years old. A great age to celebrate anyway.

More union soldiers, a wedding and a death...

I am back from my trip to Salt Lake City. Who would think that a weeks vacation could be that exhausting.

I spent many an hour looking bleary eyed at microfilm. All in an effort to find something new about our  ancestors. I am happy to say that I did find a tidbit or two.

Firstly, until just this last week I had no idea when Jennie/Jannett Smith Rosa Lavelley died. I did know it was after 1870 and before 1898 (according to her ex-husband, Abram Rosa's, pension). But this week I found a quit claim deed filed in Berrien County, Michigan labeled 'Jannett Rosa, by heirs' to Michael Smith [her brother]. The incriminating bit of information in that index entry was the 'by heirs' part. The deed was filed in 1877. Okay, it didn't give me the exact date of death, but now I know that Jennie died between 1870 and 1877, a much shorter date range. Who knows, maybe a bit of digging in my own backyard will turn up more on that issue, after all she lived in Oconto.

Secondly, the Buchanan family has been researched by others, but some of what they have put out there is wrong. I now know that Margaret and William Buchanan died in Jackson County, West Virginia. Margaret in 1883 and William in 1891. I found their death records online. Easy peasy. Well, after Margaret died, William must have been feeling a bit lonely because he married again in 1884 to an Emily Duke. How do I know this, land records. William and Emily are selling land together to family, etc. in Jackson County in the 1880s. It took me a while to realize that the name of his wife was Emily in the deeds as I am mostly just photographing records and looking at them later. I am glad I did though. Now I can add Emily to the records. I even confirmed the marriage by finding their certificate online.

Thirdly, After learning about Emily, I dug around on Ancestry to see if there was something I missed about William Buchanan in their online records. William is the first Shepard side ancestor I have found to have been an actual soldier in the Civil War. He joined the Union's 17th Regiment, Company D, Infantry. He was only in the war for about a year, the same as F. W. John. He appears to have survived the war without any incidents. But, he didn't live long enough to file a pension having died in 1891. Emily his wife died by 1900, as we know from the land records. When she died the land she inherited from William, had to pass on to his children: Jane, Ebenezer, Rebecca and Sarah.

All in all I have had affirmed in my mind the importance of land records in doing one's research. It can lead you to finding all kinds of little gems.

This is the page from the 1890 Veteran's Schedule showing William Buchanan.