tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60361375131068168992024-02-20T20:02:02.045-05:00Leaves of the TreeKay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-7948183000942541912021-02-05T20:50:00.003-05:002021-02-05T20:57:54.905-05:00Wives and Children of Nathaniel Allen (1780-1832) Part II – Son Orin Nathaniel Allen (1812-1875)Re: Newly discovered descendants of Orin Nathaniel Allen through autosomal DNA.
<P>
Orin Nathaniel Allen was born 20 Apr 1812, Ontario County, New York, died 26 Jun 1875, Danville (independent City), Virginia. His <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/111999895/orin-n-allen">grave marker</a> in Green Hill Cemetery, Danville, placed by his widow is very descriptive. The given name was most often spelled as Orrin in older records but it is Orin on his grave marker. It is possible it lists the wrong mother – see <a href="http://moreleaves.blogspot.com/2021/02/wives-and-children-of-nathaniel-allen.html">Part I</a>. Research reveals his mother was most likely Almyra Akin, rather than Elizabeth as indicated on the grave marker.
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Orin apparently had a first marriage (unrecorded as so many seem to be in New York State but likely about 1842) to Catherine, said to be Catherine Connolly or Conley, born about 1823 in Ireland. I have found no proof of her surname. On 21 July 1845, Orin married Susan Ann Freeman in Culpeper County, Virginia.
<P>
It is important to understand more about Catherine. There was a child, Orin Allen, born 7 October 1843; birth place passed down as Rochester, Monroe County, New York (adjacent Ontario County) – he will later use his stepfather’s surname as a middle name – Orin Finley Allen. Some have claimed perhaps Orin was born outside of marriage, but Catherine married, as Catherine Allen, to Michael Finley, 6 September 1850, in Boone County, Illinois where her supposed sister was living. The sister Deborah, born 1815 in Ireland, was married to a much older man – John Fitzmorris, age 52, also born in Ireland. In their household in Boone County in 1850 was a son John, age 14, born in Ireland – quite possibly a son by an earlier marriage; Jeremiah, 7, Daniel and Mary E., twins age 4, and Hannah age 1 – all born in Illinois. Michael Finley was living in a hotel in Belvedere, Boone County, in 1850. I have not found any census listing for Catherine and young Orin in 1850.
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Questions arise. How did Orin Nathaniel Allen and Catherine meet and where? He was born, Allen’s Hill/Richmond, Ontario County, New York. No other actual records have surfaced until his marriage in Virginia in 1845. When had she come from Ireland? Her sister was present by 1843 since son Jeremiah was born in Illinois that year. Why is one sister in Illinois, the other apparently in New York? Who were their parents? Being Irish, it is highly likely Catherine was Catholic making divorce difficult – was she actually ever married to Orrin Nathaniel Allen and was he really the father of her son? It does make sense that Catherine, possibly newly divorced with a young son, would join her sister in Illinois, and marry again, there.
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In 1850, Orin Nathaniel Allen and Susan were living in Danville, an Independent City, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, where they remained for the rest of their lives and are buried there in Green Hill Cemetery and have quite impressive monuments. He was listed as a Dentist – as he is on his grave marker – and he was age 36. Susan was there, age 26, and their daughter Rose, age 4, who will be their only child. A Margaret Freeman, age 18 was in the household – no doubt Susan’s younger sister. Also an assortment of what appears to be boarders with no occupations: Mary Rawlins, age 50 with Caroline and Virginia Rawlins, both 17; Thomas H. Grasly, age 27; Letitia Fitzpatrick, 14 and Ann L. Fitzpatrick, 11.
<P>
In 1860, Orin and Susan, and young Rose were in Pittsylvania Co with a young dentist boarding in their household.
<P>
In 1860, we find Catherine in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois. Michael Finley (unfortunately indexed as “Tinley”) was age 32, Catherine, 36. In the household was Orrin, with the same surname as his stepfather (which isn’t unusual – he will adopt Finley as a middle name but always use the surname Allen), age 16, born in New York, Daniel, 7, born in Illinois as were the rest of the children, Catherine, 4, Mary E., 3, Hannah, one month old, and Hannah Fitzmorris, age 11 (Catherine’s niece that was age 1 in 1850). Catherine and Michael Finley are found in the 1870 and 1880 censuses, in Rockford – no death records found but they are not in the 1900 census.
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Of course, the 1850 census and Virginia marriage, gives no hint that Orrin Nathaniel had another wife and child. None of Catherine’s records lend themselves to the identification of the father of her son Orin Allen. However, it is true that descendants of Orin Finley Allen have family letters referring to his half-brother, Daniel Finley, reinforcing Catherine as his mother.
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Orin Finley Allen enlisted in the Union Army, Civil War, from Rockford, Illinois on 7 August 1862 – Company K, the 89th Infantry. He was mustered out at Nashville, Tennessee on 10 June 1865. Index cards of Pensions show that he filed for his invalid pension on 15 September 1892 from Iowa. Wife Mary O. later filed as his widow.
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He married Mary Ophelia Hendrix, 14 May 1871, Belle Plaine, Benton County, Iowa – he was living there in a hotel in 1870. He had served in a railroad unit in the War and all census records note his occupations as an engineer. The Allens continued to live out their lives in Belle Plaine, the untimely death of Orin occurred in a train accident, 26 September 1899. There were four sons – Alonzo Franklin, b. 1872, William Hendry, b. 1874, Orrin Thomas, b. 1881, Thomas James, b. 1884 – and a daughter, that was born and died 24 April 1899. 1899 was a sad year for his wife Mary – losing the baby and her husband.
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Descendants of Orin Finley’s sons have puzzled over their lineage but autosomal DNA has proved that indeed Orrin Nathaniel Allen was surely the father of Orin Finley Allen. Multiple DNA matches have occurred to paper-proved descendants of Nathaniel Allen (1780-1832) through his daughter Almira (Allen) Rose, as well as going back a previous generation to descendants of siblings of that Nathaniel. My only living maternal uncle, a direct descendant of Peter Buell Allen, brother of Nathaniel, has a DNA match to one of Orrin Finley Allen’s grandsons (both gentlemen are in their 90’s in this year 2021) – their common ancestors would have to be the parents of Nathaniel (1780-1832) – Moses Allen and Chloe Ward, as there is no other possible ancestor match. They are 4th cousins.
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<a href="http://moreleaves.blogspot.com/2021/02/wives-and-children-of-nathaniel-allen.html">Wives and Children of Nathaniel Allen (1780-1832) Part I.</a>
Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-40174337485109109172021-02-05T19:52:00.010-05:002021-02-05T20:05:04.549-05:00Wives and Children of Nathaniel Allen (1780-1832) Part I
<P>
Nathaniel Allen, born about 1780 in Dutchess County, New York, died 22 December 1832 in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky (he was there on business and died in a hotel). He lived the major part of his adult life in Allen’s Hill (later Richmond), Ontario County, New York. His parents were Moses Allen and Chloe Ward. Well documented on my webpage, <a href="http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~katy/genealogy/allen/b193.html">Leaves of the Tree</a>, where you can find much, much more about the Allen family. But Nathaniel's wife, or wives, is a bit of a mystery as are the names of all his children – some of whom probably died young and will never be identified.
<P>
The <i>Andrew Warde </i> book about Chloe Ward’s family lists Nathaniel with a wife Almyra Akin (married in Dutchess County – and Akins are found there living near the Allens) and only two children: Orrin, living in Virginia (states he was an M.D., but he was instead a dentist) and Almira who married Robert L. Rose and lived in Allens Hill, Ontario County, New York. Early censuses in Ontario County, New York, indicate several more children for Nathaniel if all the young persons marked were actually his children – maybe as many as 4 sons, 3 daughters in 1810 – and with an apparent spouse of his same age. By 1820 there is evidently a household composed of two sets of parents (two males 26-45 and two females 26-45) – so impossible to sort children. By 1820, Nathaniel and BETSEY, his wife, sell property jointly. In the years from 1814 to 1818, Nathaniel sold property and no wife was involved, suggesting that Almyra had died, and he had remarried. It is believed that Betsy, or Elizabeth, was the daughter of a David Akin living in Allen’s Hill – David also having a son named Orra or Orrin, a name that will begin now to appear in the Allen family. David Akin had also lived in Dutchess County, New York at an earlier time. Akin family research does indeed suggest David Akin’s daughter Elizabeth, married Nathaniel Allen. But David seems to have had no daughter Almyra – perhaps she was a niece. The reasonable assumption would be that Nathaniel Allen was married to two ladies with the surname Akin, Almyra dying between 1810 and 1814 – and between 1818 and 1820, he had married Elizabeth “Betsy” Akin. No marriage records have been found.<P>
Now - the proved children. <br>
1. Almira was likely the firstborn. Her grave, Allen’s Hill Cemetery in Richmond, New York has her birth as 8 October 1803, death, 27 January 1849. The <i>Geneva Gazette</i> of 8 September 1824 listed her marriage to Robert L. Rose on 1 September 1824 and stated she was the daughter of Nathaniel Allen of Richmond. <br>
2. Found in <i>10,000 Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850</i>, p. 5, Item 100: “Allen, Almiron W., 23, son of Nathaniel, Esquire, died 1/12/29 in Richmond. From the <i>Geneva Gazette</i>. So Almiron was born in 1806. Never married and left no heirs as evidenced later. Not much question that the mother of Almira and Almiron was Almyra Akin.<br>
3. Nathaniel O. Allen, buried Allen’s Hill Cemetery, Richmond. Died 4 May 1839, age 29 years. So Nathaniel was born in 1810. It is likely the "O" stood for Orrin - a name that doesn't appear in the Allen family until this generation - was it for Orrin Akin, an uncle? Nathaniel O. never married. N. O. Allen wrote his Will, 7 April 1839 although it wasn’t presented for probate until 15 October 1849, ten years after his death. The will left a gold watch to a nephew and namesake, Nathaniel Allen Rose and named his sister Almira, a brother Orrin N. Allen, and a brother Augustus Porter Allen – suggesting only three living siblings by 1839. His brother-in-law Robert L. Rose and brother Augustus P. Allen to be Executors. Robert L. Rose of Richmond presented the will, 15 October 1849, stating that Augustus P. Allen was deceased and that Orrin L. Allen of Culpeper County, Virginia, was the only heir at law. That says that by October of 1849, there were no other living siblings as named in the will.<br>
4. Augustus Porter Allen, born 20 April 1812 (said to be twin of Orrin Nathaniel Allen – although I have found no proof of his birth date), died 1 September 1841. He served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars and his service and death date is listed in a volume of the Congressional Serial Set. No evidence he ever married. <br>
5. Orrin Nathaniel Allen, born 20 April 1812, died 26 June 1875 in Danville (Independent City), Virginia. He is buried Green Hill Cemetery, Danville. Orrin’s Virginia death record states his father was Nathan Allen, his mother Elizabeth. But this would disagree with the fact no wife was named in Nathaniel’s deeds between 1814-and 1818. And it is true that death records are not created by the person who had died – perhaps Elizabeth was a stepmother. Orrin had married in Virginia – his wife and children there would never have known his parents. It is a bit odd that there was a son Nathaniel Orrin and a son Orrin Nathaniel - but that does seem to be the case. Part II of this Blog will be about Orrin.<br>
6. Peter Allen. "Peter Allen, youngest son of Nathaniel, Esq. died in Richmond. <i>Geneva Gazette</i>, 24 May 1826." And from Allen’s Hill Cemetery records: “Elizabeth Allen, wife of Nathaniel, born 20 Jun 1782; died 9 Jun 1826. In the same grave is her infant son, Peter, b. 8 Apr 1826, died 9 May 1826.” This son, born some years after the others. It would seem probable other children were born but no records exist, and it’s doubtful any survived to become adults because of a lawsuit regarding their father, Nathaniel Allen.
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Now that known records of the above children are cited, I will explain why I believe there were no others that lived to create records.
<P>
Nathaniel Allen’s brother, Peter Buell Allen, had left Ontario County for Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana about 1816 – in fact Peter Allen and wife Polly had sold their properties to Nathaniel before leaving New York. On 13 August 1827, Nathaniel took out a patent for about 70 acres in Vigo County – perhaps he was considering joining his brother. Ownership of this tract would be the subject of a lawsuit in the Probate Court of Vigo County beginning in January of 1847. At that time Orson Barbour was appointed to administrate the estate of Nathaniel and sell the above tract. Now Nathaniel Allen had left no will since he died unexpectedly (intestate) so any estate proceedings must necessarily name all heirs – he was also involved in a lawsuit and had heavy debts at the time of his death. Barbour came up with a list of four children – Almira and husband Robert L. Rose, Nathaniel O. Allen, Orrin N. Allen, and Nathaniel P. Allen, all of Indiana. The last named should have been Augustus P. Allen but either Barbour mis-spoke or the clerk wrote down the wrong name – and none of them were in Indiana. Myron H. Allen (son of Peter Buell Allen, resident of Terre Haute, and nephew of Nathaniel) claimed there was a deed – Robert and Almira Rose, Nathaniel O. Allen and Orrin N. Allen (Augustus already deceased) had made the deed of conveyance to him on 4 Oct 1838. And Nathaniel O. Allen had died the following year. Orrin N. Allen had then signed over all his rights to Robert and Almira Rose in 1845. The judge dismissed the family claims, decreeing the lands were subject to the debts of the deceased (about $8,500. The tract was sold for $1,118.00 at public action before the court house door on 20 Nov 1847.
<P>
So, to sum up the children. By the time of this lawsuit in 1847 – only Almira (Allen) Rose and Orrin N. Allen were living. The deaths of Nathaniel O. and Augustus prior to that date are stated in the court proceedings. Almiron and the infant Peter had died many years previously. None of these last four had married. Had there been other children, or grandchildren that were children of deceased children of Nathaniel at that time living, they would have been required by law to be named as heirs of Nathaniel. Any probate judge would have ordered the Administrator to make every effort to locate every heir of the deceased.
<P>
Both Almira and Orrin did indeed have descendants. Almira and her husband, Robert L. Rose, had seven sons. Orrin Nathaniel Allen and his progeny will be the subject of Part II.
<P>
Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-65712713685503212732020-03-28T11:18:00.004-04:002021-02-03T06:30:50.029-05:00Moses Allen – Time to Eat Genealogical Crow<br />
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Every now and then we just get it wrong. The book, <i>The Settlers of the Beekman
Patent</i>, Vol II, p.154-158, has the lineage of Moses Allen who married
Hannah Knapp, 25 Oct 1732 in Newtown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts and later
settled in the Beekman Patent in Dutchess County, New York – the problem is: It is wrong in this book and I made the
mistake of not researching thoroughly for other possible records. Moses Allen actually is a fairly common name,
and there were two of them, about the same age, both from Suffolk County (later
Norfolk) Massachusetts – both of them had a brother named Aaron who was married
to a Hannah. Easy to confuse,
particularly when compiling a large volume regarding many families! Frank J. Doherty, author of <i>Settlers</i>,
had assumed Moses and Aaron were sons of Samuel Allen and his second wife,
Abigail, of Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. And, in fact, that couple did have three
children whose births are recorded in the Sudbury town records: Moses, born 9 Sep 1705. Aaron, born 31 Dec 1707. And Abigail, born 14 Mar 1710. </div>
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Now, the family of Samuel Allen with births of his children
is recorded in the book, <i>Walter Allen of Newbury, Mass 1640 and Some of His
Descendants</i>, by Allen H. Bent. Samuel was a grandson of Walter Allen,
subject of the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Moses is listed as Samuel’s son with his
birth and “nothing further known”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aaron
and Abigail are stated as having gone to Dedham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This Aaron, brother to Moses and Abigail,
married Hannah Mason, in Dedham, 6 Dec 1733, where births of their children are
recorded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aaron’s death is recorded in
Dedham, Mar 1754 and his age at death agrees with the year of his birth in
1707.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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Additional records have come to light, thanks to another
researcher, showing the above conclusion that Moses of the Beekman Patent was a
son of Samuel Allen is not possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moses,
son of Samuel, did not marry or relocate, but died as a teenager.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Samuel Allen, b. 8 Apr 1658 in Newbury, Essex
County, Massachusetts, died 28 August 1720, in Sudbury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The estate files of Samuel and his son Moses (which can be seen <a href="https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9069/images/007552895_00896?usePUB=true&_phsrc=vsT3131&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=6375199" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href= "https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9069/images/007552895_00909?usePUB=true&_phsrc=vsT3131&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=6375199" target="_blank">here</a>, if
you have a subscription to Ancestry.com)
reveal the following.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In October of
1720, Joseph Dean, was appointed guardian of the three minor children of Samuel
Allen late of Sudbury, deceased – Aaron, Abigail and Moses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Samuel’s widow is noted as deceased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On 30 Oct 1722, John Allen (presumably the
John Allen who was Samuel’s eldest son by his first wife), administrator of
Samuel Allen’s estate, filed a report from Joseph Dean, “guardian to Moses
Allen, Minor, dec’d, son of the late Samuel Allen, dec’d” – the report itself
was not dated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, earlier on 12
Feb 1722, William Johnson was appointed guardian of Aaron and Abigail Allen, and
no mention was made of Moses, so perhaps he was already deceased as early as
February of 1722, at about age 17. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was not old enough to marry and leave descendants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Abigail, who was a single woman living in
Dedham (then Suffolk County now Norfolk County, Massachusetts) in 1732, wrote a
letter of dismissal for her guardian, indicating that she was "fully
satisfied for all the estate of my father and brother Moses, deceased.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course the only way she could have been
heir to her brother was if he had no issue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So where does “my” Moses Allen belong?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Living in Medfield, (then Suffolk county, now
Norfolk) Massachusetts was Joseph Allen, b. 19 Dec 1676 in Medfield, son of
Joseph Allen and Hannah Sabin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
married Miriam Wight, 4 Nov 1701 in Medfield, daughter of Ephraim Wight and
Lydia Morse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was born 22 Aug 1675 in
Medfield.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This couple had five children
whose births are all recorded in the Medfield records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joseph, b. 17 Aug 1702.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miriam, b. 27 May 1704.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moses, b. 20 Sep 1708<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(can be seen <a href="https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8979-7GDT?i=44" target="_blank">here</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lydia, b. 25 Sep 1714.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aaron, b. 13 Feb 1714/5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we have another Moses and an Aaron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now it should be noted that “my” Moses had
children baptized in Sturbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts, before
settling in New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aaron Allen also with
a wife Hannah (her surname never discovered) had children baptized in
Sturbridge and died there in Sturbridge, 3 May 1794.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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And from <i>Historical Sketch of Sturbridge, Mass.</i>, by
Joseph S. Clark (available for pdf download on Google books), is the following
which nicely ties the locations of Medfield and Sturbridge together:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Sturbridge was originally settled by a
company of emigrants chiefly from Medfield and a few other towns…”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The petitioners request for this new town was
granted 3 Sept 1729.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listed as one of the early partners, prior to
the issuing of town lots, was Moses Allen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was also one of original fourteen members of the church and on 29 Sep
1736, was appointed to “set the Psalm in the Congregation upon the Sabbath
day”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joseph Allen, likely his older
brother was also one of the fourteen male members of the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aaron Allen’s eldest child, Aaron, Jr. was
born in Sturbridge 22 Aug 1739, so he settled there soon after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aaron and his Hannah went on to have eleven
more children born in Sturbridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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These records would seem to leave no doubt that “my” Moses,
born in Massachusetts, who lived for a time in Sturbridge, and died in Dutchess
County, New York where he is last found in the tax lists in 1778, was the son
of Joseph Allen and Miriam Wight of Medfield, and could not have been part of
the family of Walter Allen of Newbury.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Unfortunately for the last twenty-five years, I’ve believed
the wrong lineage – to those with whom I’ve shared the error – I apologize!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now I have a whole lot of new direct
ancestors to research…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-14243034643190166352020-01-10T14:27:00.000-05:002020-02-09T06:36:20.714-05:00Father of Mary Rowena Hoskins was Silas Hoskins.<br />
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The father of Mary Rowena Hoskins was Silas Hoskins – he
was also her brother-in-law. I first wrote about Mary Rowena on 4 September 2011, hoping someone would have additional information about possible parents, but nothing was forthcoming from that post. DNA testing, however, has provided answers. That earlier post can be read here <a href="http://moreleaves.blogspot.com/2011/09/who-was-mary-rowena-hoskins.html" target="_blank">Who was Mary Rowena Hoskins?</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Silas Hoskins was a complicated man – both in character
and to research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew he was a
collateral relative, having married Amanda Allen, 14 March 1825, in Vigo
County, Indiana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amanda, born 13
November 1807 in Ontario County, New York, was a daughter of my third great
grandfather, Peter Buell Allen and his wife Mary Peterson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amanda’s younger brother, Peter B. Allen,
named for his father and my great, great grandfather, also married a Hoskins –
he married Mary Rowena Hoskins, 28 December 1836, some eleven years later, in
Vigo County.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earlier researchers had
speculated the two Hoskins might be brother and sister but this seemed unlikely
to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mary Rowena was much younger,
born 15 Sep 1815, somewhere in New York, as indicated by census records and her
grave marker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Silas, on the other hand
didn’t leave as much detail regarding his birth, but in the 1830 census,
following his marriage to Amanda, his age was suggested as between 1790 and
1800 – and there were children in the household born prior to the marriage to
Amanda, including a female that was age 10-15, too old be a child of Amanda and
indicating Silas’s birth year was closer to 1790.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was easy to speculate that this female
age 10-15 fit the age of Mary Rowena nicely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were no other Hoskins living in Vigo County at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easy to speculate on a relationship, much
harder to prove.<o:p></o:p></div>
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An obituary of Peter B. Allen, husband of Mary Rowena,
appeared in the <i>Terre Haute Evening Gazette,</i> 12 October 1901 – it was full
of errors regarding the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter
had been gone from Terre Haute for over 40 years and the information apparently
came from a nephew and is interesting, if somewhat faulty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It did contain the following tantalizing
reference to Mary Rowena:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The deceased
was married at the old house on the Preston place east of Terre Haute on
December 26, 1836, to Mary Hoskins, a daughter of Gen. Hoskins, also a pioneer
resident of Terre Haute dead many years.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I will point out there are no records of a “Gen. Hoskins” but you will
find later that it is possible Silas Hoskins had some military history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does confirm that her father was an early
resident of Vigo County, Indiana.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I spent some years chasing records regarding Silas – to
discover where he was born, if he could have had an earlier marriage – really
any record that could help prove Mary Rowena was his daughter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to visit both the Allen County
Public Library in Fort Wayne and Terre Haute to search the local library as
well as obtain county and Masonic records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here are some highlights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
first mention of Silas Hoskins in Vigo County was in the <i>Indiana Centinel, </i>published
at Vincennes, Indiana, 13 January 1821.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Letters unclaimed at the Post Office at Terre-Haute, the quarter ending
1 January, 1821 listed letters addressed to Silas Hoskins and Eliza Hoskins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eliza never appears in any other record.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By March of 1825, Silas had married Amanda
Allen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Silas’s father-in-law had helped
charter the local Masonic Lodge #19 and was the first grand master.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Minutes and records of that Lodge are
preserved and Silas Hoskins was an active member by December of 1821 – members
other than his father-in-law included several brothers-in-law, Amanda’s
brothers and husbands of her sisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The last mention of Silas in the Lodge records was in 1833 when the Lodge
disbanded for about ten years – he had steadily progressed through various
Degrees and held several offices in the Lodge.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The WPA transcribed a number of local records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Silas Hoskins was Supervisor of a road,
served on a grand jury, was a Constable, was paid for building of the jail,
etc. between the years of 1822 and 1829.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On 2 Sep 1828, he purchased a lot in the town of Terre Haute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On 27 Jan 1829, his father & mother-in-
law gave 60 acres of land to Amanda and two children born to the couple, Peter
and Clarissa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The title plainly in their
names – a bit unusual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On 11 April 1829,
Silas & Amanda Hoskins sold the city lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Circuit Court Order Book, vol. 2, for Vigo County, reveals<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>several lawsuits against Silas Hoskins for
debts from October of 1825 through 1831.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So even though he was serving his Lodge and his community, all was not
well – certainly there appeared to be some doubt on the part of his
father-in-law, that Silas could care for his family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The 1830 Census is composed of a male under 5, which
would be Silas & Amanda’s son Peter, a male age 5-10 – probably born prior
to the marriage to Amanda and unidentified in any record, a male age 30-40
(Silas).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were two females under
age five – Clarissa and Ann Eliza (born in May of 1830 & therefore not
included in the deed when Amanda’s father gave her the 60 acres of land), a
female age 5-10 and unidentified, a female age 10-15 (Mary Rowena?) and a
female 20-30 (Amanda)<o:p></o:p></div>
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A list of voters in an election, 1 Feb 1832, Harrison
Township, Vigo County, lists Silas Hoskins as well as some of his Allen
in-laws.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then I found this curious record.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since no other Hoskins is found in any other
records in Vigo County, presumably this is Silas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an extract from the <i>Wabash Courier</i>,
1832<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
Doct. S. Patrick:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sir - In behalf of the Riflemen and
Volunteers who rendezvoused at Fort Harrison on the 1st instant, for the
purpose of moving on to the frontiers, in defense of our country against the
depradations of the hostile savages, I return my sincere thanks for the
manifestation of your kindness on our return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
June 14<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
S. Hoskins, Commandant<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
The records transcribed
by the WPA continue and Silas Hoskins was frequently paid for his services as
Jailor and he was commissioned to dig a public well on the corner of the jail
lot, and repairing the Court Room – 1833-1834.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
The probate records show
that Silas Hoskins was granted administration on the estate of one Robert B.
Angevine at the Nov Term of Court, 1832.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Angevine’s widow was Rebecca.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
not been able to reliably identify any connection of this couple to Silas
Hoskins or to the Allen family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
February of 1835, the letter of administration granted Silas was revoked and
given to his brother-in-law, Henry Allen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Final settlement was made by Henry Allen, 24 Feb 1837.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1860, Rebecca Angevine, age 52, born in
New York, washer woman, would be living in Indianapolis, I did not find her in
1850.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Then the surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i>Wabash Courier</i>, Saturday, September 1838.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amanda “Haskins” vs. Silas H. “Haskins” for
divorce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Circuit Court Records, Vigo
County, December Term, 1838, reveal that on 23 Aug 1838, Amanda Hoskins by her
attorneys filed her Bill against Silas Hoskins stating that in the fall of
1834, Silas Hoskins left and abandoned her making no provision for the support
of his family and was cohabitating and living in open adultery with a person
unknown and was no longer a resident of the state of Indiana. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this fine upstanding citizen of Terre Haute
had clay feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Divorce was granted and Amanda was appointed
Guardian for her infant children:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter
Allen Hoskins, Clarissa S. Hoskins, Eliza Ann Hoskins, Francis M. Hoskins and
Edward H. Hoskins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Signed, 26 Dec 1838.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One reason why the divorce seemed surprising
– the 1840 census shows the household in the name of Amanda Hoskins with the
five children of approximately the correct ages, but also has an adult male,
age 40-50 which would be the age of Silas Hoskins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For years, I assumed this was Silas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the divorce was final in 1838, I have
no clue as to the identity of this male in 1840, unless perhaps she had someone
helping her farm – certainly she was listed as head of household.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amanda did not remarry, but relocated to
Taycheedah, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin along with her children and other kin – she
died there 21 February 1866.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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None of this, of course, gave any clue to the origins of
Silas Hoskins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was this – he was
connected with others from New York state and there were a number of early Vigo
County citizens that had come from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The name Silas Hoskins is fairly unusual and I had an approximate birth
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Random searches turned up a Silas
Hoskins in the family of a Samuel Hoskins who died 18 June 1825, in Scipio,
Cayuga County, New York, leaving a will dated 24 June 1824 in which he gave to
a beloved child, Silas Hoskins, $5.00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Samuel Hoskins’ wife was Lydia Presbrey – they married 13 June 1776 in
Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Both the Hoskins and Presbrey families had been in Taunton for some
years and left many tracks to include a Hoskins Family Bible, showing the birth
of Samuel’s son Silas as 17 October 1791.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hiring a researcher in New York, provided nothing more regarding
Samuel’s son Silas – except that there were no other records found in New York
which could be this man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 1810 census
of the household of Samuel Hoskins does have a male of the age to be this
Silas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only Silas “Haskins” (no
Hoskins) in the 1820 census lived in Cortland County, New York, and was over
age 45.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So nothing to suggest where he
might have been – but there’s the unclaimed letter in Terre Haute in January of
1821 – he may well have been traveling between New York and Indiana in 1820.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There was also a hint that Silas Hoskins might have
served in the War of 1812 – he was apparently the Commandant of a group of
militia soldiers in Vigo County, suggesting he might have had military
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was the reference in
the obituary to “Gen.” Hoskins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And a
Silas Hoskins applied for Bounty Land for his service in the War of 1812, as a
Private in the New York Militia – but it was denied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The application was made 7 June 1855 from
LaPorte County, Indiana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His signature
is on the application but none of the records from Vigo County, Indiana, have
his name in his own handwriting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nor
can I find additional records in LaPorte County that would suggest that this
was the same Silas Hoskins of my research, divorced from Amanda in 1838.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, IF he was a son of Samuel of Cayuga,
it is definite that a brother Joshua served as Lieutenant and Captain in the
New York Militia, War of 1812.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A brother,
Samuel served in the New York militia as a private in the War of 1812.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A brother David was a Sergeant in the same
War of 1812.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A brother Leonard who
stated he had served under his brother Joshua as a teamster, applied for Bounty
Land for his War of 1812 service, and was also rejected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Military minutes of the Council of
Appointment of the State of New York, 1783-1821</i><i><span style="background: white; color: #36322d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">, </span></i>lists records for Joshua, Samuel & Leonard,
but not for David or for a Silas.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, DNA has come to the rescue and proved what I have
not been able to prove on paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
tested autosomal DNA at the major companies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately the largest database of those tested is at AncestryDNA
where no chromosome browser can be viewed for exact matches and the family trees
are full of gross errors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That said, it
is still useful to see who and how one is connected – I always check any
recommended matches for lineage accuracy with actual records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what has come to light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I match descendants of the children of Silas
and Amanda (Allen) Hoskins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since
Amanda’s father is my direct ancestor, that would be expected – but the match
could be to either Silas or Amanda, or even both of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the other matches – not large matches as
they vary from 7 cM to 19 cM, still enough to be considered a distant match –
are to descendants of several of the other sons and daughters named in that
1824 will of Samuel Hoskins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I have
matches to descendants of three of the sisters of Samuel Hoskins, taking the
match back still another generation and assuring it is surely a Hoskins match,
and not to his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I also have
matches to descendants of siblings of Lydia Presbrey, the wife of Samuel
Hoskins, suggesting I carry some of Lydia’s DNA as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I have no direct relationship to Silas
Hoskins UNLESS he was either a father or much older brother to Mary Rowena
Hoskins, and Mary Rowena, because of her age, could not have been a daughter of
the earlier generations of Hoskins in New York, it would seem he was surely her
father and a third great-grandfather to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her mother, likely Eliza of the unclaimed letter, is still a mystery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Many questions about Silas Hoskins remain
unanswered, but DNA has shown he was my ancestor and father to Mary Rowena. This link provided me with several additional generations of ancestors thanks to the good vital records of New England towns.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-12474176059589948652015-05-11T20:40:00.000-04:002015-05-11T20:40:34.723-04:00Harmon Truth and Tradition<br />
John L. Harmon and his wife Elizabeth Byrd were my 4th great grandparents. There is a huge amount of questionable information about this couple floating around the Internet - the purpose of this blog is not to try to explain all that I find wrong that can be proved otherwise, but primarily to point out some discrepancies in a family tradition reported in a newspaper story.<br />
<br />
To find out more that is actually documented concerning John L. Harmon, go to my Harmon webpages beginning here:<br />
<a href="http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~katy/harmon/index.html">http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~katy/harmon/index.html</a>.<br />
<br />
I will just say here that he was not a son of Jacob Harmon and Sarah Lorton - he was most probably not even of German descent. His apparent relatives in the area of western Virginia where his records are first found were named William, Patrick, Joseph, Sarah, Elizabeth, etc. Unfortunately there are just too few records in early Montgomery, Grayson, and surrounding counties to discover the exact relationships. Y-DNA testing has supported his close relationship to a Patrick Harmon, whose parents are thought to have have been Joseph and Sarah Harmon, possibly from Pennsylvania before migrating to Virginia. Y-DNA of descendants has shown John L. Harmon is not likely part of any of the German Harman/Harmon families that were in western Virginia at that time.<br />
<br />
Now, on with the story.<br />
<br />
A grandson of John L. and Elizabeth, Charles Harmon, born 25 December 1844 in Boone County, Indiana, died 13 August 1915 in Brownsburg, Hendricks County, Indiana. He was quite a story teller. He had fought in the Civil War and did a great deal of reminiscing - many of his stories found their way into newspapers, particularly a series called "Past Times" by Joan Lyons that appeared in <i>the Zionsville Times Sentinel. </i>The Past Times Collection is at the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Library in Zionsville, Boone County, Indiana and can be found by following along to their Downloads/Databases link and then to "Past Times" and searching on whatever you like.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.zionsville.lib.in.us/hmmpl/page/main">http://www.zionsville.lib.in.us/hmmpl/page/main</a><br />
<br />
A search for Charles Harmon will bring up a total of 53 articles - he either wrote these or appears in them.<br />
<br />
Here is the direct URL to the story about his ancestry<br />
<a href="http://www.zionsville.lib.in.us/greenstone/collect/past/index/assoc/HASH0181.dir/doc.pdf">http://www.zionsville.lib.in.us/greenstone/collect/past/index/assoc/HASH0181.dir/doc.pdf</a><br />
<br />
The same story is related here by scrolling down the page.<br />
<a href="http://genealogytrails.com/ind/boone/civilwarvetsbios.html">http://genealogytrails.com/ind/boone/civilwarvetsbios.html</a><br />
<br />
Just a little background. John L. Harmon died in 1825 in Marion County, Indiana; his wife lived considerably longer - at least until after 1850, when she was living with adult children in Carroll Co, Illinois. John and Elizabeth's son James, who was the father of our subject Charles, died in April of 1847 - his wife, Philadelphia, nee Dickerson, died a month later. Charles was not yet three years old when he was orphaned. He never knew his grandfather at all, likely never met his grandmother, and would scarcely have remembered his parents. <br />
<br />
In his narrative, written in 1906, Charles, now age 62, states that what he knows of his ancestors was told to him by his brother, James Dickerson Harmon, forty or fifty years earlier - about 1860 or so. Charles would have been in his teens, his brother James, born in 1828, in his thirties - James was about 19 when their parents died and James had died in 1897. James never knew his grandfather, either.<br />
<br />
I don't know what your experience might be, but I've been fortunate to have many relatives live very many years. Their stories told by memory sometimes changed over the years. Different family members have very different memories about the same events. We also have a few story tellers in the family and they generally like to embellish - my stepfather, a champion of stories, said he never told a story the same twice - that would be too boring! Based on the many Civil War stories related by Charles in this series - told decades after the events - he was also a story teller of large proportions. There are instances in some of the articles written by others that do not support all that Charles related. But I do not intend to in any way discredit his Civil War memories - I'm sure the trauma of his years in this War was imprinted quite clearly.<br />
<br />
Now, here are some his "facts"from his story about his ancestors and why I believe we really cannot depend on the accuracy of his statements regarding his lineage.<br />
<br />
Charles stated that<br />
"during the Revolutionary War a family of Harmons came over from England. Near the coast of Virginia the ship in which they were sailing was wrecked. Of the family, all perished except two boys. They were rescued and landed in Virginia. <br />
One of these boys was my grandfather, John. These two brothers were separated, never to see each other again. The brother Richard, it is known, went Northwest into Pennsylvania. Grandfather drifted to the southwest into the Carolinas then up into Tennessee and on into the south central portion of Kentucky, locating near where the battle of Mills Springs was fought.<br />
My grandmother's maiden name I do not remember. Indeed, I am pretty certain I never knew.<br />
It is my understanding that my father was born near the place where, during the War of Rebellion, the battle of Mills Springs occurred (Pulaski Co, KY.)<br />
I think it can be stated with a full degree of certainty that grandfather, John L. Harmon, was of pure English stock, and it may be stated with equal certainty that Grandmother was of Irish descent, in part at least. She lived to be 99 years old and died at the home of daughter Jane Ray in Illinois."<br />
<br />
So here is what can be documented ...John L. Harmon is first positively appears on a tax list and living on Crooked Creek in Montgomery County, Virginia, in 1787 - tax lists usually refer to the previous year. He was listed with a William Harmon, not as an independent male. In December of 1787, he married Elizabeth Byrd, in Montgomery County, and apparently was 21 by then, as no permission was required. Old cemetery listings give a birth for John L. as 1767 (the stone no longer there) which is very close in agreement. Now it is 300 miles and more as the crow flies from this area to the coast of Virginia with some wicked mountains in between. The story of a shipwreck and abandonment seems unlikely, given where he was living as a 21-year-old in 1787, five years after the end of the war. The settlers in this area of Virginia came down the Indian paths and the rivers from northern Virginia and Pennsylvania and nowhere is there any suggestion that John L. Harmon was born anywhere other than Virginia. A more plausible story would be an accident traveling down a river - not on the ocean - and certainly such could happen. For a brother to travel to the northwest also seems somewhat implausible. The two brothers story sounds a bit like an adaptation of the "three brothers myth - one stayed, one went west, one went south..."<br />
<br />
John L. Harmon never lived in the Carolinas or in Tennessee. He was in Virginia - Montgomery County and then Wythe and Grayson as the counties were formed. Then he was a bit further west in Russell Co by 1796 where he remained until at least until the fall of 1803. (His wife's mother and stepfather were in Grayson County. Several of Elizabeth's married sisters live near and around the Harmons in these locations.)<br />
<br />
In 1804, John Harmon was living on Fishing/ Pitsman (goes by both names) Creek, Pulaski County, Kentucky. James, father of Charles, born in 1797 according to a family Bible, was certainly born in Virginia - not Kentucky. However, Charles was right about one thing - the Harmons did possibly live near where the Battle of Mill Springs was fought in the Civil War - that battle is also known as the Battle of Fishing Creek.<br />
<br />
By 1812, the Harmons were in Hamilton County, Ohio, as cited when they sold their property back in Pulaski County. Charles (or James) seemed to be unaware they had ever lived there. Charles and James's parents were married, 18 February 1816, Franklin County, Indiana, and may have been the first of the Harmons to settle in Indiana. The family did not stay long in Ohio.<br />
<br />
Since Charles didn't even attempt to give his grandmother a given name, I think we can be certain he knew basically nothing about her. By all accounts, she was from a Virginia family. That both John L. Harmon and Elizabeth Byrd, were from somewhere in the British Isles is almost certain - that would be an easy family tradition/assumption for many families and both the Harmon and Byrd surnames could well be English in origins. Byrd isn't typically Irish.<br />
<br />
Another true fact is that Charles and James had an uncle named Richard. Perhaps they confused him with their grandfather's supposed brother Richard, for whom there is not a shred of documentation. In fact, their grandmother, Elizabeth (Byrd) Harmon, was living with Richard in Carroll County, Illinois, in the 1850 census and reported as blind. That she lived to be 99 and lived with her daughter Nancy, wife of Chesley Wray, in Knox County, Illinois isn't supported. Elizabeth doesn't appear in any record after that 1850 census. She isn't with any of her children in 1860. If she lived to be 99, that would have been say 1869 or 1870 and in 1870, Nancy Wray, widow, was herself age 71, and living with her son Mark.<br />
<br />
The narrative goes on to discuss siblings and family members - some of the information seems correct, but siblings are omitted and some of the data is not quite right. At the very best, these writings are third hand as remembered by Charles, told to him by James, who had been told presumably by other family members, some decades earlier.<br />
<br />
As in so many of these stories, there is undoubtedly a grain of truth - but which grain? John could have been orphaned at an early age - there's nothing to tell us how he was actually related to the William Harmon in Montgomery County, although the first thought is that they could be father and son. He certainly could have lost family members in some sort of boating accident - or a similar accident could have happened in an earlier generation to John's parents or grandparents. He could have lost contact with a brother Richard - although that may be a confusion regarding his son of that name. Given that he may have had a close relative named Patrick Harmon - there might be a bit of Irish in the Harmon line, but probably not in his grandmother Byrd's family. That said, there are still some serious holes in the story, much of which should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt rather than as grains of truth.<br />
<br />
Newspaper reporters do love a good story. I have had another experience with a newspaper article that was quite far off the mark - and produced a Revolutionary War ancestor that was never in my family. I wrote a blog post about Moses Allen and why Moses was not Ethan Allen, of the Green Mountain Boys, It's here:<br />
<a href="http://moreleaves.blogspot.com/2009/07/not-descended-from-ethan-allen.html">http://moreleaves.blogspot.com/2009/07/not-descended-from-ethan-allen.html</a><br />
<br />
I have also written a blog about Charles Harmon and his brothers that fought in the Civil War and it can be found here:<br />
<a href="http://moreleaves.blogspot.com/2011/04/civil-war-ancestors-harmon-brothers.html">http://moreleaves.blogspot.com/2011/04/civil-war-ancestors-harmon-brothers.html</a><br />
<br />
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<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-24664883360036348912015-04-27T08:13:00.002-04:002015-04-27T08:13:56.034-04:00SULTANA DISASTER - 27 APRIL 1865<div>
Today, 27 April 2015, is the 150th Anniversary of the sinking of the steamboat <i>Sultana</i> in the Mississippi River near Memphis.</div>
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Most of the passengers were Union Soldiers from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, that had been Confederate prisoners of war, many held at Cahaba Prison in central Alabama, near where I lived for fourteen years. This was actually the worst maritime disaster in the United States. Total number of passengers, as well as the total number of the dead, has never been exact. There were approximately 2500 persons packed almost standing-room only, as you can see from the picture. At one point when the passengers crowded near the rail for a photo, the steamboat almost tipped over, and they had to be warned back. The boat's legal capacity was 376. The captain was paid per person - $5 for an enlisted man, $10 for an officer. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
A badly repaired boiler exploded about 2 AM on April 27th, causing a chain reaction of explosions and fire and eventual sinking of the <i>Sultana,</i> about seven miles upriver from Memphis. The water was still cold, the prisoners, many who could not swim, greatly debilitated. Estimates of the dead range from 1500 - 2000 - the total will never be known.</div>
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I was always greatly fascinated by this story of horror, primarily because it has been such a little known historical tragedy - but never did I think I would have a personal connection.</div>
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One of my great-grandfathers was Enoch Reuben Adamson, born 19 February 1841 in Indiana, died 7 January 1910 in McAlester, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, on a trip away from his home in Rogers, Benton County, Arkansas. I knew, of course, that he fought in the Civil War - he received a pension for many years for chronic health problems as a result. I have placed a military marker at his grave which had gone unmarked. Enoch was one of eight siblings and I knew that others in his family had fought in that War. Several members of the family moved to Iowa right after the War, though not all stayed there. </div>
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Enoch's sister Mary Emily Adamson, married Benjamin Franklin Learner, right after the Civil War - 5 December 1866, in Janesville, Bremer County, Iowa. By 1870, they were back in Howard County, Indiana where they remained the rest of their lives. Benjamin's parents, immigrants from Baden Germany, were living next door in the 1870 census. I had quite of bit of information regarding these families, but not until I found Benjamin's obituary did I know that he had been on the <i>Sultana</i> when she went down. He had, in fact, been reported as one of the dead.</div>
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Here's the story:</div>
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<div>
<i>Kokomo Daily Tribune</i>, Saturday, 31 Jan 1925, p.1, column 1</div>
<div>
B. F. Leaner Passes Away at Age of 82</div>
<div>
One of County's Worthiest Citizens and Most Interesting Characters</div>
<div>
Was Born Here in 1842</div>
<div>
Knew the Indians of That Period - Was Survivor of Sultana Disaster</div>
<div>
Benjamin F. Leaner, age 82, years, a native of Howard County and resident here most of his life, a Civil war veteran and one of the few survivors of the wreck of the Sultana, the greatest steamboat disaster of the Civil War period, died at his home, a mile east of Kokomo, on the north Greentown Pike, at 11 o-clock today, of septic poisoning.</div>
<div>
An injury received by Mr. Learner in the explosion which destroyed the Sultana and snuffed out the lives of several hundred men, was really the cause of his death. He was frightfully burned on one of his legs in that explosion. The hurt was one which never healed; though he lived nearly sixty years after receiving it. Always it was threatening him, and finally brought on the condition which resulted in his death.</div>
<div>
Mr. Learner had been failing for several months, and had kept to his home since the beginning of winter. He was able, however, to be about until a week ago last Tuesday. On that day he was unable to arise. It was the beginning of the final issue. He failed slowly, but steadily, from that time on. His vitality was remarkable. His death had been expected for several days, but he withstood the destroyer's encroachment with the same tenacious courage that he had met every experience in his long life. He had no fear of going, but it was like him not to die until he had to.</div>
<div>
The death of this man removes from the community not only one of its most worthy citizens, but one of it most interesting historical figures. Benjamin F. Learner's life spanned all the years in Howard County between the days of the Indians and the cabin in the clearing and the days of the airplane and the radio. He was born in Howard County, on May 29, 1842, in Harrison township, in what was familiarly known as the Seven Mile Strip of the Miami Indian reserve at a point five miles southwest of Kokomo. His birth was two years before Howard County was organized, and from the time memory awoke in him down to the day of his death he knew Howard County history from actual participation in it.</div>
<div>
Mr. Learner was the son of Bernhart and Catrina Learner, who came to the Wildcat Valley, settling in what later became Harrison Township in 1841. That was three years before Kokomo was founded. The father was a native of Germany, of the state of Baden, and his boyhood was spent near the Rhine. He died at his home five miles eat of Kokomo 23 years ago. All older residents of the city and county remember him well, as a man of the sturdiest of virtues and finest type of citizenship. He was one of Howard County's first shoemakers.</div>
<div>
When B. F. Learner was a small child he moved with his parents to the Vermont neighborhood where he grew to manhood. A tribe of Indians had their village near the Learner home, and as a boy Mr. Learner knew them all, bucks, squaws and papooses, well. They were friendly Indians and furnished him with many an interesting memory that remained with him to the end of life. He had a distinct recollection of the removal of the tribes by the Federal government to lands that had been provided for them beyond the Mississippi, and was able to recall many incidents of the visit which the chief and all his followers paid to the Learner home just before departing. Some of these incidents were related by Mr. Learner at the celebration that was held last May, in the Union Street Friends' Church, by the Howard County Historical Society, in celebration of the eighteenth anniversary of the founding of the county.</div>
<div>
Mr. Leaner was united in marriage with Mrs. Mary Emily Adamson, a member of a pioneer family of Taylor Township, December 5, 1866. The Adamson family resided in a brick dwelling, on what is now known as the Githens farm, three miles southeast of Kokomo, on the banks of Kokomo Creek. The marriage took place, however, in Iowa.</div>
<div>
The surviving members of the immediate family are: The widow, Mary Emily Adamson Learner; and the following chidren: Ulysses Learner, city; Leavitt C. Learner, Abbeville, Louisiana; Ernest R. Learner, Buffalo; Ellis M. Learner who resides at the home place; Harry M. Learner, Buffalo; Donald H. Learner, Houma, Louisiana; and Mrs. Ruth L. Copp, Kokomo. There are eleven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. J. W. Learner of this city is a brother.</div>
<div>
Mr. Learner was a member of the 57th Indiana Infantry and was principal in numerous heroic services during the civil war. In (Continued on Page Two)</div>
<div>
the battle of Franklin he was a member of the detail under command of Col. Willis Blanche which was holding the road and was cut off from the rest of the troops. Finally the ammunition ran out. Col. Blanch said that he would not order any one of his men to take the hazard of crossing the blaze of fire to replenish the stock but would call for volunteers. Mr. Learner was the first to volunteer for the service which promised instant death. When it came the moment for departure upon his hazardous undertaking Col. Blanch and Mr. Learner bid each other goodbye, for it was recognized that probably would never return.</div>
<div>
Mr. Learner succeeded in getting to the spot where the ammunition was to be obtained without a shot being fired, as the Confederates did not suspect his purpose at the time and could scarcely believe that any man would hazard the trip. But in returning to where his comrades were breathlessly awainting his return, the nature of his undertaking was suddenly realized and a rain of bullets pored around him. One ball struck him on the side of his shoe, turned the round of his heel and left through the opposite side of the shoe, but the shock was so great that Mr. Leaner was thrown to the ground. Fortunately the enemy believed him dead when he was seen to fall and by dodging from behind trees he gained his objective and afforded the much needed ammunition.</div>
<div>
That Col. Blanche had a supreme confidence in his accuracy of observation and his integrity of recital was evidenced in a remark Col Blanche once made concerning him which was, "If Comrade Learner should give his version of how any incident happened in the war I would accept his account against the combined account of all his comrades."</div>
<div>
An affection of a tender kind existed between the two warriors. It was said that they never met but that they clasped hands, and after a moment of silence tears sprang from their eyes.</div>
<div>
It was at the battle Missionary Ridge that Col. Blanche was seated upon a cream white horse, a conspicuous target for the enemy. His finger had been shot off and the blood was streaming down the sides of the horse when Mr. Learner begged of Col. Blanche that he dismount to save his life.</div>
<div>
One of the eleven hundred prisoners being taken to Vicksburg for the exchange, and leaving the Cahawba Prison in Alabama, where he endured horrors for three months, Mr. Learner was one of the Union soldiers aboard the ill fated Mississippi River steamer Sultana, the boilers of which exploded. Scenes of indescribable misery and horrow ensued, and Mr. Learner was scalded so badly that the flesh came off his left leg. He was so weak from the injury that for three months he was unable to feed himself. During the ensuing years he often battled for his life when poisoning would arise from the old wound which never healed but gave him incessant pain.</div>
<div>
The funeral will take place, probably at the United Brethren Church, this city, Tuesday at 2 p.m., the Rev. J. W. Lake officiating. The burial will be made in Crown Point Cemetery. Mr. Learner had been a member of the U. B. Church for many years, having his membership at Hillsdale, a few miles east of his home. The pastor of that church, the Rev. Mr. Rosenbarger, will assist in the funeral services.</div>
<div>
The G. A. R. burial service will be given by members of T. J. Harrison Post, with which Mr. Learner had long been affiliated. The active pallbearers will be from the local post of Veterans of Foreign Wars. The honorary pallbearers have not yet been designated.</div>
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Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-69318454437618904412014-11-11T11:23:00.000-05:002015-01-10T17:59:14.552-05:00Veterans Day 2014My mother had four brothers - all served in World War II - three of them in the European theater I remember the wonderful Christmas celebration when all had returned home safely and we could all be together again. My grandparents hired a photographer to record that occasion.<br />
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The three brothers were all able to meet in Paris at the end of the War. They had their picture made to send back home and bought my Mom, their only sister, a gold bracelet.<br />
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Seated in front on the right is the eldest, Graydon Earl Comstock, born 1908 in Uniontown, Crawford County, Arkansas, died 1983 in Siloam Springs, Benton County, Arkansas, age 74. He was an infantryman, a Technician 4th Class when he left the U.S.Army, but I suspect he may have seen the most actual battle service of the brothers.<br />
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Seated on the left is the next brother, Kenney Maurice Comstock, born 1914 in Van Buren, Crawford County, Arkansas, died 2006 in Rogers, Benton County, Arkansas, age 91. He stayed at the University of Arkansas just long enough to enter the War as an officer, 2nd Lieutenant, and remained in the reserves until retirement as a Lieutenant Colonel.<br />
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Standing in the back is the youngest sibling, Ira Allen Comstock, born in 1924 in Van Buren, Crawford County, Arkansas. He served in the U.S. Air Corps, flying P-38's and P-51's. Ike also remained in the reserves until retirement. Ike is still living, will soon be age 90, and served as a guest World War II pilot in May of 2013 at the open house at the World War II Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-odr09nPYuO8/VGI00ejoOiI/AAAAAAAAFDM/LwDWTFuGG0Y/s1600/FGS-00014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-odr09nPYuO8/VGI00ejoOiI/AAAAAAAAFDM/LwDWTFuGG0Y/s400/FGS-00014.JPG" width="292" /></a></div>
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The following appeared in the newspaper where my grandparents were living:<br />
<i>Northwest Arkansas Times,</i> Fayetteville, AR, Tuesday, 2 Apr 1946<br />
Capt. Kenney M. Comstock, Jr., who has been overseas 44 months, and T/4 Graydon E. Comstock, who has been in England and France for 13 months, are on their way home. They are the sons of Mr. & Mrs. K. M. Comstock, 428 North College Avenue. Capt. Comstock is on a 45-day leave. He is with the Army of Occupation. Graydon is on his way home and will receive his discharge. A third son, Lt. Ira A. Comstock is at Marseilles, France. The three brothers were together on a three-day pass in February.<br />
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Mom's 4th brother to served in the Coast Guard in California, sometimes as a typist, but also as a coast watcher. He first attended Officers Candidate School, but decided he could not possibly shoot to kill another human being - so he washed out of OCS and served his country via the Coast Guard. John James "Jay" Comstock was born 1919, Uniontown, Crawford County, Arkansas, died in San Francisco in 2006, age 86. This picture was made while he was in OCS.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aebn7wcSkvU/VGI27wjhpaI/AAAAAAAAFDY/BbpiqtCjhck/s1600/Jay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aebn7wcSkvU/VGI27wjhpaI/AAAAAAAAFDY/BbpiqtCjhck/s320/Jay.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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These men were part of my life and I just hope somehow they know they are remembered and their service to their country is remembered!<br />
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<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-10554317667946508702014-03-31T11:30:00.000-04:002014-07-03T07:08:25.338-04:00School Picture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CCcyTTlWjps/UzmHE0nCJjI/AAAAAAAAED4/nsqo3558364/s1600/FHS+Glee+Club+1932-33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CCcyTTlWjps/UzmHE0nCJjI/AAAAAAAAED4/nsqo3558364/s1600/FHS+Glee+Club+1932-33.jpg" height="465" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fayetteville, Arkansas, High School Girls' Glee Club 1932-33</div>
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I recently found this picture. There are a few names written on the front - but more importantly, my mother wrote ALL the names on the back. My Mom was JoEllen (Comstock) McKim and she is sitting in front on the far right. She sang her whole life as far as I know - she was certainly singing then and was still singing in her 90's, though the voice was perhaps not quite the same.</div>
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Back Row, Left to Right</div>
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Dorothy Fugitt, Roberta Roberts, Betty Read, Mae Ellen Dvorachek, Ercell Broyles, Marian McConnell, Alice Jones, Maxine Dailey, Beth Whelan, Maxine Ruddick, Lillian Johnson</div>
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Center Row, Left to Right</div>
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Lavelle Price, Marie Boles, Maxine Arrington, Elsie Suttle, Mary Eva Kane, Marjorie Fugitt, Louise Hannah</div>
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Front Row, Left to Right</div>
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Ernestine McLemore, Nadean Riggs, Marguerite Clark, Clare Burleson, Corinne Parker, Kathryn Fritts Carney, Ellen Black, Josie Ellen Comstock.</div>
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Others that I knew from this picture: Clare Burleson married Mom's brother, Graydon Comstock. Sisters Dorothy & Marjorie Fugitt, and Nadean Riggs were her friends for a lifetime.</div>
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If by chance Google should lead to one of these names above and you would like a digital copy of this photo, please view my profile on the right to find my email address.</div>
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<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-74898497765172529692014-02-17T14:15:00.000-05:002014-02-17T14:15:57.792-05:00Civil War Letter<div class="MsoNormal">
Serendipity. <o:p></o:p></div>
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While happily googling the Internet, I found that the
Arkansas History Commission had a small manuscript collection of papers that
had belonged to Algernon Sidney Holderness (1834-1904). Algernon was the youngest brother of my
husband’s great-great grandfather and I’ve researched the Holderness family for
about twenty years.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the items in the collection was characterized as a “fragment
of a letter from a brother”. Of course I
had to write and obtain a copy of this letter – presumably the brother wasn’t
identified since the description was worded thusly. There were seven brothers in the family, but
I was sure I knew enough about them to be able to tell which brother – if the
fragment had enough detail. And I was so
curious!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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When the letter arrived, it had obviously been written on a
folded sheet of paper and had four pages of writing on that sheet. It ended in mid-sentence so there had been
even more. There was no signature, but
the heading was “My dear brother” and it came from “Camp near Selma, Ala” and
was dated June 9<sup>th</sup>, 1864.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now of the seven Holderness brothers I have found records of
only three of them that had a role in the Civil War. Algernon was a Lieutenant and a surgeon in
the 1<sup>st</sup> Arkansas Cavalry throughout the entire War – his written
discharge was also part of the collection.
My husband’s great-great grandfather and Algernon’s brother, Robert
Charles Holderness, was also a doctor – he had attempted to enlist in Hopkins
County, Texas, where he had moved from Arkansas just prior to the outbreak of the War, but
was refused on the grounds he was the only doctor in the community and was needed
most at home. A third brother, George W.
Holderness, born 1829, served as a Sergeant Major in Owens Battery (Light
Artillery) of the Arkansas Volunteers.
George had enlisted at Monticello, Arkansas on 8 February 1862 for one
year which was later extended to three years or the War. I knew that George had served in Alabama, so
there was no doubt that the letter came from George to Algernon during the
conflict.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I read, I had to go back to the Internet to find out more
about the facts contained in this fascinating letter.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here is a transcript along with my own comments and
discoveries in italics. George liked to
capitalize freely and never indicated a paragraph – the letter was written as
one paragraph. His spelling was good but
not always perfectly accurate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Camp near Selma, Ala.<o:p></o:p></div>
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June 9<sup>th</sup> 1864<o:p></o:p></div>
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My Dear Brother<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have no letter of yours to answer. I have had none from you Since Feby last <s>which
was as</s> I have written to you Several times Since and forwarded by persons going
to the Trans Miss Dept. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Algernon’s unit was
part of the Trans Mississippi Department of the Confederate Army on the West
side of the Mississippi River. Mail must
have been most uncertain for the South. It’s quite possible this is the only
letter that reached Algernon. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I hope you have received them. I have the satisfaction to
inform you again that my health is Still very good and has been Since I last
wrote you. I hardly know what I can
write that will interest you. I Suppose
you have all the army news from this side of the river before I could
communicate it by letter. There have not
any general engagements taken place yet in Lees and Johnston’s armies. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Surely refers to
Generals Robert E. Lee and Joseph E. Johnston of the Confederate Army.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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The Enemy have made assaults upon diferent points of our
lines in both armies almost daily but have been repulsed with heavy losses in
every instance, and every thing looks well for us and our army and people are
perfectly confident of our ability to hold Richmond and Atlanta from the enemy.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>This, of course, was
prior to Maj. Gen. Tecumseh Sherman’s taking of Atlanta, November 15, 1864.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I hear of no movements of much import any where else on this
side the Miss. River. We learn that The
Confeds have gained great victories over Steel and Banks in the Trans Miss.
Department but have never yet received a reliable Statement of the actual
result. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Refers to Union Army
Gen. Nathaniel Banks and Maj. Gen. Frederick Steele who were marching through
Louisiana and Arkansas at this time with mixed results.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I hope you have freed Ark. Of the Vandals. I learn that they have committed great
depredations in Drew County. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>And there is an
opinion of the Union Army! Drew County,
Arkansas, had been George Holderness’s home since coming to Arkansas from
Caswell County, North Carolina, about 1848/9.
He had never married but was in business with his brother Thomas.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I do not know what they done in other parts of the
State. Our Company has been for Several
months attached to Genl. Wirt Adams Brigade of Cavalry under command of Col.
Mabry and we have been operating between Big Black and the Miss. And Yazoo
Rivers and have been in very active Service there as There have been yankee
raids out from Vicksburg most all the time.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Col. Hinche P. Mabry,
from Texas, had been given command of a number of under-strength Arkansas and
Mississippi units in March of 1864. His
brigade was under special command of Brigadier General Wirt Adams. Vicksburg
had fallen into the hands of the Union Army on July 4<sup>th</sup>, 1863.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>An interesting
genealogical coincidence. Col. Mabry was
a descendant of Francis Maybury/Mabry who died 1712 in Sussex County, Virginia
through Francis’s son Hinshia. I descend
from the same Francis Maybury through son George.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Since we crossed Big Black, We have, however Succeeded in
driving them all back. Our Battery
assisted by Col. Griffiths 11<sup>th</sup> Ark Cavalry and a detachment from
Woods Miss Cavalry captured the U.S. Gunboat Petrel at Yazoo City on the 22<sup>nd</sup>
Apr. It was a fine Prize. We saved all her guns consisting of Eight 24
Pdr. Dahlgreen guns, and a good many valuable Small arms and a great quantity
of Stores. I have been drinking pure
coffee ever Since The capture of the Petrel.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The USS Petrel was a
tinclad wooden steamer in the U.S. Navy.
She had been cruising Mississippi Rivers since May of 1863, capturing
rebel vessels and military stores. In
February of 1864 she had pushed up the Yazoo River, eventually attacking Yazoo
City. She did indeed carry eight
24-pounder howitzers. The Dahlgren gun was a muzzle loader designed by Rear
Adm. John A. Dahlgren. The Petrel was burned after the removal of her guns and
stores.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>It’s obvious from
George’s comments that good coffee was a rarity in the Confederate Army.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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We have only had one man killed, John Young, Sandusky’s
Step-Son – Head Shot off with Shell, and one wounded severely (Dr. F. T.
Crockett of Drew Co. a Sergeant of the Battery) in the battery in all the
engagements we have had lately. On the
28<sup>th</sup> May we were ordered by Maj. Genl. S. D. Lee to turn over our
Battery to a company of Withers Artillery and report at this place, which we
did immediately and arrived here on the 5<sup>th</sup> Inst. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>I have been unable to
find out anything additional about John Young or Dr. Crockett.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Maj. Gen. Stephen Dill
Lee(1833-1908) had served throughout the 1863 siege of Vicksburg and was a
prisoner of war, later exchanged. Lee
was in the U.S. Army at the outbreak of the War, but resigned to enter the
Confederate forces in the South Carolina Milita. After his exchange, he was given command of
the Department of Mississippi and Eastern Louisiana, 9 May 1864. Lee was promoted to Lt. Gen. on 23 Jun 1864,
making him the youngest at this grade in the Confederate Army.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Our Boys were very much mortified at the idea of giving up
our Battery to another company, and thought that Some disparagement to the
company was meant and a good many of them left forthwith to go back to Arkansas
and Said they would never support him under the circumstances, fifteen left at
the time….<o:p></o:p></div>
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And
here the letter ends, but not the story.
Four months after writing the letter, on the 19<sup>th</sup> of October,
George W. Holderness would be sent to Ross Hospital in Mobile, Alabama with
acute diarrhea. He died there on
November 17, 1864. His Effects were listed as "sundries" and he was owed $91.75
by the Confederate Army. It is not
surprising his brother kept the letter.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-81538520533520560142013-09-07T08:13:00.000-04:002013-09-07T08:13:18.695-04:00Birth Certificates - How Correct Are They?After reading the Blog, <a href="http://anglersrest.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Anglers Rest</a> today, I decided to tell a very personal story. Julie Goucher, author of the blog is offering prompts for "The Book of Me, Written By You" to help us write our own story. Perhaps, then, our grandchildren won't be saying in future years, "There's so much I don't know about my grandparents - I never thought to ask the right questions."<br />
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The current prompt is about birth. In looking at the questions, I realized that my own story has a certain relevance for research regarding adoptions. Could even explain why curious results happen in Y-DNA testing when suddenly there appears to be what is called a non-paternal event. Family secrets can remain secret.<br />
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My mother divorced my birth father - she left him before I was age two and we lived with her parents in Arkansas. I was her first child. She remarried when I was six and my new stepfather immediately legally adopted me, also legally changing my surname to his. My birth certificate in the state of Tennessee was changed during the process - my stepfather was listed on the certificate as my father and my surname is his. There is NOTHING on the certificate to indicate that he was not my father, or that this certificate was ever amended or changed in any way. If in years to come, a descendant ordered this certificate from the Tennessee Department of Health, there would be nothing to suggest the father on the certificate was not, in fact, my father.<br />
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Now I was the flower girl at the wedding of my mother to my stepfather, so I always knew perfectly well that he was not my father. Details on my birth father were much harder to come by as lips were sealed when I asked questions. Not until I had grown children of my own, did my mother produce an original copy of my birth certificate that she had kept. That was the first time I ever saw my own father's full name. So I do have a single copy of this birth certificate with my birth father's name - a single copy. Of course I have made a digital image and made numerous paper copies for lineage societies. But I cannot order this copy of my birth certificate from the state of Tennessee - only the altered one would be received.<br />
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I can think of many situations in which my half-adoption might never have been known. If I had died young. If my mother had never gone back to live near family, her neighbors and friends might never have known. My siblings are much younger and would not have known if they had not been told. I could have kept this secret from my own children.<br />
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I do not know if other states handle adoptions in this manner - I have only my own experience. My "birth" certificate is, in truth, incorrect. We all know of instances when names are mis-spelled, dates are in error - but how many times do we think that a birth certificate might have an incorrect parent?<br />
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<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-83452916587502731122013-08-21T08:20:00.000-04:002013-08-21T08:20:54.761-04:00Hats off to FamilySearch!I'm in Fort Wayne at FGS and to enjoy the Allen County Public Library Last night I attended the annual FamilySearch Bloggers Dinner. What a great event! Good food, fun techie gift, good news from Family Search.<br />
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A new director for the Family History Library was introduced - Diane Loosle. I've either had her in a session sometime in the past, or talked to her in a booth (maybe both) - she has a great personality. Her goals include increasing the family and youth-oriented experiences, collaborative research areas in the library, continuing to increase the online information. She said the volunteers will be coming out from behind the desks (the "fortress") to work closer with patrons. I believe she'll be perfect for this job.<br />
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We were also entertained with a video of the new oral history rooms and how they will be set up in the larger Family History Centers and the new Family Discovery Centers. Anyone can schedule an hour to either tell their own story or interview a family member - $8 for the programmed flash drive and you take home a DVD of the experience.<br />
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Plans for the new Family Discovery Centers were impressive - hope one comes somewhere near me or where I travel.<br />
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Certain of the Family History Centers, and the new Discovery Centers, will have scanners that can scan your photos and upload them to your Family Tree site at FamilySearch.org. How exciting is that! No dates or locations were disclosed.<br />
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The most obvious emphasis of the presentation and the evening as a whole is that FamilySearch is really on board for telling "the rest of the story" about family history. Not the dates, but the stories of our ancestor's, and our own, lives - both in words and pictures.<br />
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Appreciation was expressed for indexers and arbitrators - a show of hands indicated most of us in the room did one or both! There's a great new fun video on the website that demonstrates how important this work is. There are currently about 140,000 persons indexing - not nearly enough for the number of names that are being added in the uploaded images every day. We were also promised that revisions are coming to improve this experience. My own experience is that improvements are needed.<br />
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Now ...I'm off to the Allen County Public Library.Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-60649037798553697002013-04-11T08:03:00.002-04:002013-04-11T08:04:29.749-04:00Men of the Same Name - Thomas ProctorHow many men of the same name can live in one community at the same time? Sometimes there are more than you might suspect. There were multiple Thomas Proctors living in Logan County, Kentucky, in the first half of the 1800's and earlier researchers have tried to meld some of them together, separated records which obviously belonged to the same person, and in other cases made father-son relationships when their ages made such a relationship impossible.. I must admit I'm not sure of one of the relationships, either, but I do know that the following Thomas Proctors are very different men.<br />
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The oldest Thomas Proctor living in Logan County in the early 1800's, according to newspaper accounts by George D. Blakey that have been compiled as <i>Men Whom I Remember, Logan County, KY, </i> was one of four brothers who had come to Logan County - Hezekiah, Benjamin, John, and Thomas. As a child, Mr. Blakey had known most of the men he wrote about.so presumably he knew these men were brothers. There was a family of Proctors in Spotsylvania County that had among their family of fourteen children, sons with these given names and about the same suggested ages - the patriarch was George. I have nothing other than circumstantial evidence, and a Bible page transcription that lists births of sons but doesn't have the parents name, but I believe it quite possible this is their family in Spotsylvania. Research indicates that Thomas and Hezekiah, and some of the other brothers, had certainly lived in Fayette County in the 1790's before relocating to Logan County. At least two genealogies in print have artificially placed Thomas was the father of Hezekiah, Ben, and John, in Logan County, but they were too close in age for that to be possible. Some have actually divided this poor Thomas into two different men.<br />
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The elder Thomas was born 22 April 1766, if the Bible record is his, and he moved to Logan County by about 1797; he died in Jun of 1841 in Logan County, leaving a will. He was married three times, and the will supports division of his children in such a way that it indicates children by each of his wives. Records of early Kentucky are sparse. However, I believe Thomas first married Polly O'Neal, daughter of Robert O'Neal, 1 September 1785, in Lincoln County. In 1788, both Robert O'Neal and Thomas Proctor were on the same tax list, Fayette County, and fragments of the burned deeds from Fayette reveal they lived adjacent to each other. A son, William, was born to Thomas & Polly, but he was deceased before 1841; and there was a daughter Nancy. Thomas married second to Sally Haden, daughter of William Haden, probably about 1798 - a record that would have been destroyed in the fire in the county clerk's home in Fayette in 1804. The same deed fragments from Fayette show that William Haden was in that neighborhood with O'Neal and Proctor, and the settlement of William Haden's estate in Logan County over a lengthy period reveal that his daughter Sally had been married to Thomas Proctor and had three daughters with him before her death prior to 1808 - daughters also named in Thomas Proctor's will. There are multiple records certifying Sally had only three Proctor daughters in spite of many online databases that ascribe various other children to the couple. On 27 Oct 1808, Logan County, Thomas married Rebecca Maxwell, daughter of William Maxwell. Thomas and Rebecca had at least three children who survived Thomas, Elizabeth, Josephine, and Thomas E. Proctor.<br />
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That brings us to the second Thomas - Thomas E. Proctor, mentioned last in his father's will, and quite possibly his youngest child. There is a deed for 287 acres between father and son, 22 Jun 1837, so Thomas E. had probably reached his majority so born say about 1816 - the early census records support a son in the household of this approximate age. Records of Logan Co specifically record his name several times as "Thomas E. Proctor". He lived alone in the 1840 census, age 20-30, and could be the Thomas Proctor who married Jane Littlejohn in Logan Co, 28 Dec 1846 - one record that did not have the middle initial. Other than this marriage, I have found no record of Thomas E. after the proving of his father's will in 1841. He was not in Logan Co in 1850, nor can be sorted from many Thomas Proctors living elsewhere.<br />
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Now, there was a man consistently recorded as Thomas Proctor "Junior" living in Logan County at the same time as the elder Thomas who was certainly not his son Thomas E. The heirs of William Haden sold 150 acres to Thomas Jr. in 1827 - a transaction which had been done before William Haden's death in 1819, but no deed made out. (This is one of the several documents that lists the three daughters of Sally Haden Proctor, one of whom had already married and died by 1827.) A Thomas Proctor married Polly Collins, 20 August 1810. The 1830 Logan County census had two Thomas Proctor and written in the margin next to the younger Thomas is "Little". This Thomas and wife Polly moved to Missouri about 1838 - there was considerable exodus from Logan County to Missouri in the late 1830's, early 1840's, to include my husband's Hadens, but the families ended up in various places in Missouri and it doesn't seem to have been any sort of group move. Thomas and Polly were in Lafayette County, Missouri, 1840 through 1870. The censuses give us an approximate birth year for this Thomas Proctor as 1783 and born in Kentucky - if correct, he was born two years before Thomas Proctor the elder married Polly O'Neal. Unfortunately most have assumed Thomas Jr was a son of the elder Thomas. He was not mentioned in the will of the elder Thomas, only the younger Thomas E. Proctor. He may well have been a nephew. The will of Hezekiah Proctor written 13 Jun 1830 did not name a son Thomas, although he gave small amounts to children that had received shares, and mentioned deceased children - I doubt that he omitted any of his children. Benjamin Proctor also left a will dated 4 Sep 1840 in Logan County and states that the balance of the estate is to be divided among his eight living children, including a son named Thomas who was to be one of the executors - but he certainly wasn't the Thomas Proctor Jr. who married Polly Collins, to be shown next. Little is known about the fourth brother - John Proctor - as he didn't leave us a will in Logan County, nor have I found an estate settlement for him. In his articles recalling these early men of Logan County, George D. Blakey stated that John had lived on the Red River - it is possible his lands became part of Butler County. If I have correctly identified the family of the four Proctor brothers, they had other brothers as well - William, George, and Charles - so there are other possibilities for a father for Thomas Procter, born circa 1783. He may have been of no relation, given the use of the term "Junior" for a younger man of the same name as an older man of the community.<br />
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Benjamin Proctor's son Thomas was born circa 1809, and is consistently characterized in the Logan County records as Thomas L. S. Proctor. He signed as executor of his father's estate with those initials. T. L. S. Proctor was still living in Logan County as late as the 1880 census. He was certainly not "Thomas Jr", nor was he "Thomas E". His wife was Agnes, probably Agnes Carson, and they had at least seven children, to include a Thomas Monroe Proctor, born about 1841. I have not researched Thomas Monroe further as he records would not have overlapped those of the Thomases above.<br />
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Still another Thomas Proctor lived in Logan County in the 1800's - he was a grandson of Hezekiah Proctor through Hezekiah's son George. In 1850, George was living in Logan County and had a son Thomas, born about 1837. George left a will written in 1851, but did not name all the children in his household in 1850. The 1880 Logan Co census has Thomas, unmarried, but as the head of a household which includes his adult sisters.<br />
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Anyone wishing more information about the Logan County records of these Thomas Proctors may contact me. My email address can be found on the profile page of this Blog or on my webpages linked from the Blog.<br />
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<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-70010414480007126182013-03-30T10:25:00.001-04:002022-06-05T18:52:08.538-04:00Men of the Same Name - William MortonI have thought for awhile about doing a few blogs concerning men of the same name - some ladies may be included as well. We all run across these in our research and it seems that much of the older research we find has confused men of the same name and certainly with the proliferation of online trees, many men of the same name are more or less welded together even when their records suggest otherwise.<br />
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My research in the records of Logan County, Kentucky, were particularly fraught with men of the same or very similar name - some were kin of my husband's family, some were neighbors. At some point it became necessary to be sure I knew exactly which person was which.<br />
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There were two William Mortons living in Logan Co in the early 1800's - both with large families and somewhat of comparable age. Both had sons named William, as well. Hadens married into both families and at least one history of the family totally confused the Morton families. The two Morton families also intermarried with each other. One William had a middle name and most often used a middle initial but even that is confusing because Samuel Curd, the Logan County court clerk for many years, made his I's and J's identical. Only if you can find a supporting record that gives the full name can you be sure of the intent. William who used the middle initial was William J. (for Jordan) Morton although it's often transcribed as William I. Morton by the unwary. <br />
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The two Williams apparently have different lines of descent from different families, although I would not be surprised if somewhere in colonial Virginia they were one family. Daniel Morton, M.D., self-published a small book, <i>Morton Data, </i>in 1901, that explains the lineage of the two William Mortons. The deed records of Logan County, made very clear the distinctions between the offspring of these families.<br />
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The first William Morton was the third child of Elijah and Elizabeth (Hawkins) Morton, who had married 3 Jul 1745 in Spotsylvania County VA. In 1760, Elijah was a justice of the peace for Orange County which had been formed from Spotsylvania. William was born say 1750 or so; his wife was Elizabeth Hite Smith, daughter of Maj. Charles Smith and Rebecca Hite, a granddaughter of Jost Hite. No marriage record has been found by me but they were likely married by 1775. <br />
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William Morton can be found on a tax list in Fayette County, KY, 1787 and 1788. Believe it or not, there was a second William Morton whose wife was Sally that lived in Fayette County at the same time as shown in deed records there - however, he was still living in Lexington, in Fayette, in 1830, many years after the William under discussion had left that place and was deceased. In 1800, both William Mortons were still on the tax list in Fayette County. In 1804, Thomas Respass & Ann his wife, sold a tract of land on the Gasper River, Logan County, to William Morton, (Fayette Deed Book A, p.293) and William's records appear thereafter in Logan County. The tract was half of 1200 acres patented to Thomas Carneal & Thomas Hopkins. Several of William's adult children remained in Fayette County. Unfortunately he did not live long in Logan County, as the first record of the sale of the estate of William Morton, deceased, is dated 1 Jan 1808, as found in Will Book 1 of Logan County. His wife Elizabeth H. Morton was dead by March of 1811, when her estate was appraised (Will Book 1, p.186)<br />
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Not until 14 May 1823 were the deeds recorded that divided the considerable land holdings of William Morton among his heirs. He left no will so this would be a complete listing of his children in Logan Deed Book M., p.2-17. I will annotate somewhat with data from other sources - please contact if you desire the details as listing them here would make this post incredibly lengthy. They are listed by the parcel assigned, not order of their births, which in the majority of cases is unknown.<br />
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Parcel #1 - Keterah (sic) Morton - 300 acres in Union Co on the Tradewater, next to Elijah Morton. This is Kitturah "Kitty" Morton who married Benjamin Vance, 26 Jul 1820, Logan County.<br />
Parcel #2 - Elijah Morton - 200 acres in Union Co on Tradewater. Elijah married Nancy Stewart 28 Jun 1821, Logan Co. He died before 1834, when his wife, remarried as Nancy Dulaney, former widow of Elijah, released dower rights to a former sale. Logan County Deed Book M, p.46, describes the sale of land he owned in Arkansas Territory in 1823.<br />
Parcel #3 - Abraham B. Morton - 78 1/2 acres adj Saml McCutcheon & Wm Marshall. Abraham Bowman Morton's wife was Martha as revealed when he sold his property in Logan County, 1827, and he was then of Jessamine County, KY.<br />
Parcel #4 - Charles S. Morton - 130 1/2 acres; adj A. B. Morton. Charles Smith Morton's wife was Hannah - they apparently remained in Fayette Co as that was his residence when this land was sold.<br />
Parcel #5 - Elizabeth H. Morton - 119 1/2 acres adj Saml McCutcheon. Elizabeth Hite Morton never married and lived out her life in Lexington, Fayette County. She died 31 March 1862.<br />
Parcel #6 - Rebeckah Haden formerly Rebeckah Morton - 140 1/2 acres adj Saml McCutcheon & Wm Marshall. Rebecca S. [probably Smith] Morton was born 3 Jul 1781 and was married to James H. Haden by 1800 - they likely married in Fayette County where the marriage records were lost in a fire. They had eight children, all born in Logan County. Estate records indicated James had died by December of 1822, Rebecca by November of 1842. James H. Haden was the son of William Haden & Ann "Nancy" Johnson who had married in Goochland County, VA, 31 Oct 1775. William Haden lived near William Morton in both Fayette and Logan Counties.<br />
Parcel #7 - Sally Morton - 200 acres; adj Saml McCutcheon, James Elder. Sarah Morton never married and the sale of her inheritance in 1835, suggests she still lived in Fayette County, quite possibly with her sister Elizabeth.<br />
Parcel #8 - Polly Morton - 200 acres; adj Robert Bell & Wm Marshall, Wm Moody's line; survey made in name of Christopher Elms. Mary "Polly" Morton married John Barner, 22 Sep 1835, Logan County, as his second wife. She died 20 Apr 1878 and is believed buried in what is now called the Perry Cemetery in Logan County.<br />
Parcel #9 - George W. Morton - 111 acres. Harveys military survey; division line of Morton & Hopkins. George Washington Morton remained in Fayette Co where he married Elizabeth Scott, 3 Jan 1828. However, he must have often been in Logan County as he assisted his sister Rebecca Morton Haden with the settlement of her husband's estate. James H. Haden had been administrator of several other estates when he died intestate, making Rebecca's situation extremely complicated.<br />
Parcel #10 - Gabriel J. Morton - 111 acres. Harveys military survey; division line of Morton & Hopkins. Gabriel married Winnifred B. Taylor, 21 Jan 1822, Logan County. She was the daughter of Thomas W. Taylor.<br />
Parcel #11 - John H. Morton - 111 acres. Harveys military survey; division line of Morton & Hopkins. John Hite Morton married Sarah Price, 2 May 1802. They remained in Fayette County. He died 15 Aug 1830.<br />
Parcel #12 - Andrew & Fanny Caldwell - 111 acres. Harveys military survey. Frances Terrill "Fanny" Morton married Andrew Caldwell, 2 Apr 1808, Logan County. Frances was born 29 Feb 1788; she died in Logan County, 23 Oct 1862 and is buried Maple Grove Cemetery.<br />
Parcel #13 - William R. Morton - 153 acres. Harveys military survey. William married Elizabeth J. Bradford, 7 Mar 1830. They lived in Lexington.<br />
There is also believed to have been a son Joseph who died as a child, making a total of 14 children.<br />
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Now William Jordan Morton, was born 15 Nov 1754, Westmoreland County, VA, son of Joseph Morton and his second wife, Margaret (or Elizabeth) Beckwith. His wife was Martha Pryor and they married 16 Mar 1779. Martha died in Louisa County VA, 15 Mar 1800, apparently in childbirth with their 12th child. William died in Logan County, KY, 3 Jan 1825 - he had moved there about 1811.<br />
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The following is the deed that named the children of William J. Morton, some of whom have the same given names as children of the other William Morton. This William's entire family settled in Logan County.<br />
Logan Co Deed Book Q, p.205 3 Feb 1830 Decree of chancery court ordered sale of tract of land where Peter Morton was living that had been sold to William J. Morton Sr. by William Haden on 12 Jul 1819 [DB G, p.259]. Peter Morton was highest bidder. Deed from the heirs of William J. Morton Sr., named the twelve children as shown here as well as the children of daughters, Sarah and Martha, who had died. Jefferson Haden and his wife Betsy, formerly Betsy Morton, were included. The book <i>Morton Data</i>, mentioned earlier, had exact birth dates for the same list of children - all of whom were said born in Lousia County, VA<br />
1. Peter Morton, b. 16 Dec 1779, married Sarah Maxwell, 22 Feb 1844, Logan County, d. Dec 1854, Logan County.<br />
2. Sarah Morton, b. 10 Nov 1781, d. 5 Mar 1824. Married Martin Robertson and her thirteen children are named in the deed.<br />
3. Rebecca Morton, b. 21 May 1783, d. May 1838, Logan County. Never married.<br />
4. Frances Hubbard "Fannie" Morton, b. 9 Mar 1785, d. 21 Jul 1834, Logan County. Never married. Buried Maple Grove Cemetery, Russellville KY.<br />
5. William Jordan Morton, Jr., b. 9 Sep 1786, d. 16 Mar 1860, Logan County. Married three times and had at least one child by each wife. His first wife was Rebecca, or Rhoda Haden - they married 2 Dec 1805. She was the daughter of Joseph Haden and Mary Peatross - the Rev. Douglas in Goochland recorded her baptism. 8 Jul 1787, as Rhoda. The settlement of Joseph Haden's estate lists her as Rebecca Morton, as does the Morton family history. The second and third wives were likely sisters, Louisa McCormick and Clarissa McCormick McClelland, widow of John McClelland - daughters of John McCormick.<br />
6. Margaret Beckwith Morton, b. 31 Mar 1788, d. 20 Aug 1875, Logan County. Never married. Buried Maple Grove Cemetery.<br />
7. Joseph Morton, b. 28 Feb 1790, d. 27 Aug 1846. Married 1 Sep 1817, Logan County, to Lousia A. Davidson.<br />
8. John Morton, b. 21 Jan 1792, d. about 1835, Logan County. Married Catherine Miller Spencer, 5 Apr 1830, daughter of David Spencer and Elizabeth Epperson.<br />
9. Elizabeth "Betsy" Morton, b. 2 Sep 1794, d. 9 Feb 1876, Logan County. Married 21 Oct 1824, Logan County, to Jefferson Haden, son of James H. Haden and Rebecca S. Morton [daughter of the "other" William - see above]. They had six children, including a son named William Jordan Haden.<br />
10. Marmaduke Beckwith Morton, b. 13 Sep 1796, d. 11 Mar 1887, Logan County. Married twice to sisters, Nancy and Elizabeth Caldwell, daughters of Andrew Caldwell and Frances Terrill Morton, [daughter of the "other" William Morton]<br />
11. Henry Pryor Morton, b. 13 Sep 1798, d. 15 Oct 1870, Logan County. In 1850 and 1860, Henry lived with his widowed sister-in-law, Louisa Davidson Morton, and described as the overseer. In 1870, just prior to his death, he was head of the household. I have found no marriage record.<br />
12. Martha Morton, b. 15 Mar 1800, d. before 1830. Martha married James McCarley, 28 Sep 1826, Logan County. Two daughters, Martha & Sarah McCarly, were her heirs.<br />
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There are records of still another William Morton living in Logan County, but I believe he was William Norton, not Morton. With so many Mortons living in the county, it's easy to see how such an error could occur and I'm including this for the benefit of others who might find these records. The first William Morton discussed was dead when this deed was made and his son of the same name lived in Fayette County. William Jordan Morton Senior,and his son of the same name are not known to have been married to a Mary "Polly", and it is unusual to find their names without the middle initial. It would also be unusual to find his son in a record without both the middle initial and followed by the "Jr" while his father was living. They seemed to be quite careful with the distinction.<br />
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Here is the deed that I have not been able to assign to any of the above William Mortons. None are recorded as having married a Mary "Polly" Hise. I believe there was an error in the first letter of the surname.<br />
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Logan Co DB O, p.62 <br />
8 Sep 1823 <br />
William Morton & Polly his wife of Russellville to Richard Bibb Sr. for $1000. Tract of land conveyed to sd Polly Morton as one of the heirs of Frederick Hise Dec'd. 7 apr 1823. adj. James Wilson, Samuel Gray. 196 A, Lot #3 of the Division of Hise. Acknowledged & dower released, 11 Sep 1823.<br />
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A Frederick Hise's estate was appraised in Logan Co, 30 Dec 1816. A settlement was recorded 18 Dec 1820 and Mrs. Nancy Hise was executor. Her dower was laid off Oct 1822. <i>Abstracts of Wills and Settlements, Logan County, KY 1795-1838</i>, compiled by the Logan Co Genealogical Society, p.55, lists heirs of Frederick Hise as wife, Elijah, Joseph, Lorinda Stockdale, and America. Then, p.58, from Will Book B, p.493-4 is the abstract of the division of the real estate of Frederick Hise, 10-11 Mar 1823. Elijah Hise - 100 acres. Joseph Hise - 122 acres. William Morton and wife Polly - 196 acres. The division doesn't agree with the list of heirs, but I find these abstracts to often be incomplete and to contain errors.<br />
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Then there are records indicating this was indeed William Norton:<br />
<i>Logan County Kentucky Marriages: 1790-1865</i>, Logan Co Genealogical Society, p. 69, lists a marriage from Polly Hise to William <u>Norton</u>, 10 April 1813. There is also a book listed in the LDS Family History library, and available in digital form, titled <i>The Nortons of Russellville, KY</i>, by David Morton, with the description, "<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">William Norton was born 2 September 1781 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He married Mary Hise, daughter of Frederick Hise and Nancy, 11 April 1813 in Russelville, Kentucky. They had nine children. Descendants and relatives lived mainly in Kentucky and Missouri." </span><br />
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I hope this helps someone else sort out the Mortons of Logan County, Kentucky. My email address can be found under my profile on the right hand side, or from my "Leaves of the Tree" webpage.<br />
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<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-68945992497266649622013-03-19T06:49:00.000-04:002013-03-19T07:01:38.130-04:00Treasure Hunt<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ahoy, Matey!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Glad you dropped by for the First Clue in the RootsMagic Online Treasure Hunt! Just look around for the treasure chest and your First Clue.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zQhWnym53xc/UUg8lvPaoqI/AAAAAAAADbQ/MnqHUpXRagA/s1600/011-pirate_01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zQhWnym53xc/UUg8lvPaoqI/AAAAAAAADbQ/MnqHUpXRagA/s200/011-pirate_01.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">I hope you've tried <a href="http://www.rootsmagic.com/" target="_blank">RootsMagic</a>, now in its 6th Version ...and the new release for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch is phenomenal. The new online publishing is impressive - you can see a version of that <a href="http://my.rootsmagic.com/khaden" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://my.rootsmagic.com/rdhaden" target="_blank">there</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">From <b>Thursday, March 21</b> through <b>Wednesday, March 27, 2013</b>, visit <a href="http://www.rootsmagic.com/treasure" target="_blank">http://www.rootsmagic.com/treasure</a> for a complete list of the blogs where the 15 clue words can be found. Visit each blog, collect all 15 clue words, and you could win software, prizes, or an <b>iPad</b>!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>IF YOU ARE AT RootsTech!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Once you've collected the clues there are two ways to enter. The first is at the RootsTech conference itself. Pick up an entry card at the <strong>RootsMagic booth</strong> (#401) in the Exhibit Hall. Write the clue words on the back of the card and return it to the RootsMagic booth in the Exhibit Hall by <strong>Saturday, March 23 at 1:20 pm</strong>. At that time, we will hold the prize drawings. <strong>You must be present to win</strong>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>BUT if you couldn't get there this year!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We didn't want those who aren't able to attend RootsTech in person to feel left out so we're holding a <strong>second drawing</strong> and giving away more prizes including a <strong>second iPad</strong>. To enter this drawing, visit <a href="http://www.rootsmagic.com/treasure" target="_blank">http://www.rootsmagic.com/treasure</a> anytime between<strong> Thursday, March 21</strong> and <strong>midnight MST on Wednesday, March 27, 2013</strong>. Fill out the online form to be entered into the second drawing. You may enter both drawings but one entry per person, per drawing. Winners will be picked at random and notified via e-mail by Friday, March 29, 2013.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">While you're here on my Blog - you'll see in the side bar the labels that link to my posts concerning problems, conflicts, and brick walls in my family tree. The posts on my civil War ancestors are my favorites. The new Comstock family breakthrough is very exciting. Please look around!</span><br />
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Disclosure: I'm a satisfied user of RootsMagic. I've used Bruce Buzbee's software since it was Family Origins. I have no other relationship.<br />
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Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-54486220546758536542013-01-14T12:01:00.001-05:002015-02-06T10:31:07.233-05:00Comstock Breakthrough - More RecordsMore new Comstock Records?
There are additional recorded baptisms at Uxbridge St. Margaret for the years between 1632 and 1646. They were just recorded out of order. It always pays to keeping reading the next page, and the next, and the next. My deepest appreciation to my friend and fellow researcher, Lyndon Comstock, who did keep right on reading! Please be sure to go back and read the previous Blog for the source of the St. Margaret records online.
<a href="http://moreleaves.blogspot.com/2013/01/comstock-breakthrough.html">Comstock Breakthrough</a><br />
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On this side of the Atlantic, it has been supposed that William and Elizabeth Comstock had five children - John and Daniel, proved when a son of each of them sold a track of land stating it had come to their respective fathers from their grandfather William Comstock. Samuel and Christopher Comstock, and a probable daughter Elizabeth who was the wife of Edward Shipman, have been added to the family by circumstantial evidence, their estimated ages, and the fact that there simply weren't other persons with the surname Comstock in New England at the time. One or two other names have been proposed as children in some of the old histories, but it is likely they were grandchildren.<br />
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Various dates for William Comstock & family's arrival in the colonies exist. Some have proposed he might have served in the Pequot War in 1637. However, since the earliest land records in Wethersfield have been lost, nothing has surfaced to prove that William Comstock was here in time to be in that War. Perhaps he was placed as a possible soldier in light of the list of settlers, described next. What can be proved is that William Comstock's name is on a list of settlers that came to Wethersfield between 1636 and 1640. The explanation accompanying the list is that these settlers are believed not to have come from Watertown as did the original proprietors and that some of them had come directly from England. This list can be found in <i>History of Ancient Wethersfield</i>,p.29, which is available on Ancestry.com by subscription. In 1641, Comstock was living on a tract purchased from one Richard Mylles, who is believed to have left Wethersfield about 1637 or 1638.<br />
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Here are additional baptisms. These are not quite as clear as the other three of Daniel, John and Samuel; yet, combined with them make a powerful statement regarding this family.
There appear to be two baptisms for a son named Christopher. Possibly a son died as an infant? There is what appears to be an incomplete entry 18 Aug 1634. The child is Christopher - the father's abbreviated first name, may indeed be Wm and the surname does look much like Coomestock in the other entries - it has been indexed as "Cumsters" which it certainly isn't.
There is a second entry for a son Christor, 17 May 1636. Perhaps an abbreviation for Christopher. The father was William Coomestock, although this time indexed as "Cumscock". There is a word following the father's name - almost looks like "and" and doesn't seem to be "wife" or "uxor", the Latin word used often for the wife.<br />
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In my opinion, it would be more unusual for all five children of William and Elizabeth Comstock to have survived, than for the possibility that they lost an infant soon after birth, and gave the next child the same name. However, this is speculation and my own opinion, these entries are certainly not conclusive. <br />
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Now, that leaves Elizabeth. So far, and I will continue to look at these records, I have not postively found her. We have baptisms of children in 1624 - Daniel, 1626 - John, 1629 - Samuel. Then maybe a son Christopher in 1634 who did not survive, followed by a Christopher baptized in 1636. All of these spaced as expected in a time when no birth control expected - except for the gap between Samuel in 1629 and the first possible Christopher in 1634.<br />
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There is a baptism at Uxbridge St. Margaret, 29 Jun 1632, for a child named Elizabeth but NO PARENTS are listed at all. Bummer.<br />
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Note, that the last of the baptisms was in May of 1636. Plenty of time for the family to then leave for the colonies and purchase Richard Mylls tract in Wethersfield, about 1638 or so. Likely Comstock was not in Wethersfield to take part in the Pequot War.<br />
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Please remember that these are very new findings. Either this is the family of William Comstock or we have a number of amazing coincidences. They certainly indicate places to further our research on the Comstock family. <br />
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Further research has revealed a previously overlooked baptism for Elizabeth - we can likely disregard the incomplete entry noted above.<br />
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Baptisms at Hillingdon, Uxbridge St Margaret<br />
1631, 18 Dec Elizabeth fillia William Coomstocke<br />
<i>Note: filia is Latin for daughter</i><br />
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I did hire a researcher in England to look for additional records - none were found in the Parish records, nor the records of parishes nearby.<br />
<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-56199536928813557162013-01-10T16:57:00.001-05:002013-01-14T12:00:18.850-05:00Comstock Breakthrough<br />
When a family has been researched, several books written, etc. for many years - over a century in this case - it's so easy to assume that the records about the family have been located. The Comstock family of my mother has a history of documentation - the majority of it quite good. However, the origins of the family in England prior to their arrival in New England between 1636 and 1640 have been elusive.<br />
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There is a village of Culmstock, East Devon, in England. As many of the English surnames are derivative from geographical locations, the Comstocks have often been assumed to have lived in this area. And that's certainly a possibility; however, there are no actual records of this surname in this place at the time these Comstocks would have been born and then preparing to leave to cross the Atlantic.<br />
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Our immigrant was presumably William Comstock who was on a list of 108 settlers that arrived in Wethersfield, Connecticut between 1636 and 1640. He was not one of the original ten men from Watertown, Massachusetts, who made what is believed to be this first settlement in Connecticut the year before. Although books in print suggest William might have arrived earlier in Massachusetts Bay, I've not yet discovered any recorded proof that he did. Robert Charles Anderson and his very thoroughly researched <i>Great Migrations</i> publications has never found any mention of the surname Comstock prior to 1635. William probably came with his wife, and as many as five children, although one of two of the younger ones could have been born in New England depending on the year of his arrival.<br />
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As discussed in other posts (labeled Comstock) William's wife was Elizabeth - said to have been age 55 in 1663, or born about 1608. Her given name is also identified in a few other records. Daniel, or Daniels, can be found in many databases on the Internet as her surname, but without any sort of proof. Examination of the voluminous manuscript of John A. Comstock who wrote <i>The Comstock Family in America </i>which is at NEHGS in Boston, revealed that this surname had been attached to Elizabeth in a very early lineage society application without any substantiation. So in my mind, her surname has remained a definite question.<br />
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William Comstock, and some of his sons, have been given some speculative baptisms in England by a few researchers which are then copied and recopied by others. A birth/baptism seen frequently on the Internet for William is 4 Jul 1595 in the above Culmstock village - my research has indicated this is in all probability not an actual existing record of either his birth or his baptism.<br />
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The most plausible record that I had not been able to confirm since I had no access to the actual digitized Parish records and no access to the book, is the following: there is a Baptism at St. Martin in the Fields, London, for a William Comstock on this date, 4 Jul 1596, from one of the two volumes of <i>Ancestry of Colonel John Harrington Stevens & Frances Helen Miller</i> by Mary Lovering Holman, 1948.<br />
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I had found the above baptism indexed on FamilySearch.org. Yes, there is such a baptism recorded at St. Martin in the Fields, which is the church in Trafalgar Square, London. The name is spelled William Coomstocke and no parents names are given - the date is most certainly 4 Jul 1596. That other Comstocks were there is further proved by C. B. Comstock's findings for his books on the family - he had found these burials. <br />
From his book, <i>Descendants of William Comstock of New London, Connecticut</i>, published 1907:<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Harleian Society publications gives among the burials of the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">"Mariana Combstocke, 30 Novr 1595. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">"Joannes Combstocke, 26 Aug. 1597. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">"Johannes Comstock, 1 Nov. 1603." </span><br />
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Now, I must also state that the above book by Holman apparently stated that there was a burial at St. Martin for a William Comstock on 20 May 1598 - no age given, so it may or may not be the child born in 1595. I note that this was not found in the Harleian Society records as found by C. B. Comstock and I did not find it on FamilySearch in their index of records of St. Martin. But I found none of the above burials in the FamilySearch records, so perhaps they are not complete. So, although I've recorded this baptism in my notes - I had never felt secure that this was indeed "my" William Comstock of New England.<br />
Now, yesterday, I found the following four records.<br />
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The first, the marriage, is also from FamilySearch.org.<br />
Wm. Camstock married Eliz. Cock, 2 Sep 1623, High Wycombe, Buckingham, England<br />
It can be found here: "<a href="https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NJ14-C89" target="_blank">England, Marriages, 1538–1973</a> "<br />
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The three baptisms are digitized on Ancestry.com. And, I have to admit it, I found them because of a "Shaking Leaf"! So many of the Leaves are attached to the wrong record, that I almost didn't even look at the record, but it was a Parish record, in the database of "London, England, Baptisms, Marriages & Burials, 1538-1812" so I looked at it, then I proceeded to look much more closely.<br />
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At Hillingdon, Uxbridge, St Margaret, were three baptisms:<br />
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1624, 21 Jul Indexed as "Damell", sonne to Willm Coomestone and Elizabeth his wife.<br />
Note: I read the child's name as Daniell with an undotted i and the surname looks more like Coomestonk<br />
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1626, 10 Sep John, sonne to Willm Coomestocke and Elizabeth his wife<br />
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1629, 26 Apr Samuell, sonne to Willm Coomestock and Elizabeth uxor<br />
Note: "uxor" is Latin for wife<br />
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So there you are!<br />
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We have a William Comstock who married an Elizabeth [certainly not Daniels but that was apparently always conjecture] and the baptisms of three children who are found in New England with William and Elizabeth. John and Daniel are proved sons by record, Samuel previously proved only by circumstance and association. There were likely two more children - a daughter Elizabeth and a son Christopher. Unfortunately there is a gap in the Baptisms at St. Margaret church - none are record from Mar 6th, 1632 until 13 Feb 1646 - the very time period when these two younger children were likely born. There are no burials recorded until July 1641. And there were no other Comstocks, or alternate spellings, in these records at St. Margaret that I could locate.<br />
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The marriage took place about 10 months before the birth of the first child. High Wycombe in Buckingham where the couple married, is about 16 or 17 miles west of the village of Uxbridge where St. Margaret is located. This church stands today. Uxbridge in Hillingdon is part of the city of London. The church of St. Martin In the Fields probably only about another 15 or 16 miles from Uxbridge.<br />
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The locations are reasonable. The dates are very reasonable in light of what is known about the family in New England. I have seen later dates for the birth of Daniel, but other records suggested to me he was definitely one of the oldest of the sons and certainly older than Samuel. The names match - not in a single record, but in four records.<br />
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Further research can now proceed. It would seem that perhaps we now have a surname for William's wife Elizabeth and proof that Samuel was indeed a son, and neighborhoods in England for the family. Possibly we have the baptism of William Comstock in London, as well.<br />
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Wow!<br />
Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-22340824516712026742013-01-05T19:28:00.001-05:002013-01-05T19:28:03.360-05:00Saturday Night Genealogy FunI haven't done a "Saturday Night Genealogy Fun" post as proposed by Randy Seaver in quite some time. I am really intrigued with the one for this Saturday, January 5th, 2013.<br />
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The Mission is:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><b><span style="color: red;">1) Determine where your ancestral families were on 1 January 1913 - 100 years ago.</span></b></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><b><span style="color: red;">2) List them, their family members, their birth years, and their residence location (as close as possible). Do you have a photograph of their residence from about that time, and does the residence still exist?</span></b></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><b><span style="color: red;">3) Tell us all about it in your own blog post, .....</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">My maternal grandparents, Kenney Marcus Comstock (1887-1958) and Nora Lee Hays (1887-1973) had married in January of 1908, Crawford Co, AR. The 1910 census shows them living in Union Township, a rural area, in that county. Kenney was 22, Nora 23. Their first child, a son, Graydon Comstock had been born, November, 1908. I know that my grandfather first tried to make a living a farming and my grandmother taught the primary grades at the country school. Their second son was not born until 1914 and he was born in the nearby town - Van Buren. Then my Mom, born in 1916, was born back in the country near where they had lived when first married - an area called Stony Point, but not an actual town. I do not know exactly where they were on 1 Jan 1913, nor what house they lived in then. I do have a picture of the house where my Mom was born, but nothing from the earlier residences.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">My great-grandparents, James Monroe Comstock (1860-1928) and Lucretia Ellen Wood (1867-1963) were also living in Union Township, Crawford Co, AR in 1910 - but they were enumerated about 60 families away from my grandparents. Of course, they may have lived closer together than that indicates depending on the route of the enumerator. They still had six of their eight living children at home - and all of them would have still been in the household in January of 1913. They were Ira, 17; Maude, 15; Edna, 10; Lettie, 8; Pauline, 4; and Paul, 3. The town of Uniontown was located in Union Township and the enumerator did not differentiate who lived in the actual town, but I believe that this family was living in town. </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">My great-grandfather had a general store; he wasn't a farmer.</span><span style="line-height: 22px;"> I do have a picture of a large two-story white home with all of the above standing in the yard and based on the ages, it appears to have been made just about 1909 or 1910. I'm reasonably sure they were still living there in that house in early 1913, because my Aunt Maude married in Uniontown in December of 1913. The house burned some years later after they had moved into Van Buren.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">My great-grandparents, John Jefferson Hays (1856-1950) and Philena Josephine "Josie" Allen (1856-1935) were living three residences from James & Ellen Comstock, in 1910. Again, I believe they were residents of the town of Uniontown. Two of their five living children were still at home and would have been with them in 1913. In 1910, John and Josie were both 53, married for 34 years. Daughter Minnie, was 20, teaching school, and son Arthur was age 18. Neither married prior to 1913. John was a farmer, but didn't always live on the farm - he raised strawberries on a hillside near Van Buren and also ran a cotton gin. I don't have any pictures of their homes in Uniontown. By 1920 the Hays would be living in Van Buren on what is now McKibben Street that runs north of Fairview Cemetery. I do have a picture of this house that I took several years ago - it is still there.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">My great, great grandfather, Elijah Thomas "Tom" Comstock (1838-1917) had lost his wife in February of 1912. In 1913, he would have likely still been living at their homestead, on Lee's Creek, Crawford Co. You can look across the Creek and see Oklahoma. Their youngest son and his family lived on part of the homestead so would have been nearby The home they lived in there has been gone many, many years and no pictures have survived.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">My great, great grandparents, Joseph Christopher Wood (1841-1927) and his wife Letitia Ann Mayberry (1844-1926) were also living in Uniontown, Crawford Co, in 1913. They were the first household enumerated in Union Township in 1910 and they were on the same page with the Hays family and the family of their grandson, James Monroe Comstock. Grandpa Wood was the postmaster of Uniontown for some years and may have been at this time. Living with Joseph and Letitia in 1910 were a son Andrew, age 41, a barber, and a granddaughter, Mabel Burchfield, age 18. Andrew would probably have still been with them in early 1913 as he didn't marry until 1914. The house they lived in also burned some years ago. No pictures have survived.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">My paternal grandparents also lived in Crawford Co, AR, but in another part of the county. My parents did not meet until they were adults and my mother had moved back to the small town of Chester in Crawford Co to teach school. These grandparents were Ray Weymouth Adamson (1884-1958) and Mary May Harrison (1894-1929). They were married July of 1912, but in 1910 they were living in the same household because Ray, his mother and a brother were apparently renting rooms [or perhaps a cabin] from the Harrisons. As newlyweds, I have no idea where they lived in early 1913 except they were in Chester, or nearby. It's quite possible they still lived with her parents.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">My great grandparents, Elisha Shelton Harrison (1850-1929) and Edith Jane Irwin (1855-1932) were living in Chester, Crawford Co, AR in 1910 - there were three families enumerated in the same household and two of them as part of the same family. It was either a very big house or possibly they had a cabin or two on the same farm. In 1910, they had been married for 34 years and had twelve children, ten of them still living. Several were still living at home - son Frederick was 28, Edwin was 24, Benjamin 19, and twin daughters, Margaret and Mary [my grandmother], were age 16. The Adamsons were enumerated as a different family, but with the same household number. My great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth "Molly" (Harmon) Adamson (1849-1912) was living there with her sons, Ray age 25, and Clair, age 17. My great grandparents Adamson had lived in Rogers, Benton Co, AR about 50 miles from Chester but my great-grandfather had died in January of 1910 and his obituary mentions that he had fruit orchards near Chester. Perhaps Molly had gone there to live temporarily to take care of the orchards, but she died back in Rogers in 1912. A Tribble family was listed as part of the same family as the Adamsons, but they were not kin to either the Adamsons or the Harrisons. The only reasonable explanation other than simply an error on the part of the enumerator is that there might have been two houses on the Harrison property - one that the Harrisons lived in, the other a duplex. The Harrisons & Tribbles are marked as renters, and the widow Adamson as an owner. As I write this, I realize I should be examining land records for this time period! The Harrisons had been in Chester since the 1870's - I feel sure they owned their property. I have no pictures of the homes.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">I had one great, great grandparent still living in January of 1913 on the paternal side as well. He is the only of my direct living relatives to be somewhere other than Crawford County in Arkansas at that time. Ira Perrin Irwin was born 1831 in Ohio and died in August of 1913 in Schuyler County, IL. He had married a second time to a lady quite a bit younger than he was. In 1910 they were in Bainbridge Township in Schuyler Co - Ira was age 79, his wife, Kate, 68. His obituary states he was still living in Bainbridge at the time of his death. I have no pictures from Illinois.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;">This was a very interesting exercise. Crawford County was a very rural area - then and much of the county is today. Most of the homes of the period were basic cabins on homesteads, or those in town, wood frame homes. Any existing fire department was a bucket brigade and I know at least two of the family homes were destroyed by fire - both incidents happened after my families had moved. I have only two pictures and one of those was a home lived in a few years after 1913. One hundred years is a long time...</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span>Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-15430851384725894382012-12-23T10:00:00.000-05:002012-12-23T10:00:05.419-05:0052 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 52<b>Week 52: Personal Genealogy Website</b>. For which private genealogy website are you most grateful? Who runs the site? How has it helped your family history research? Share the link to the site as well as its highlights as a way to say thanks to those behind the scenes.<br />
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The genealogy site of Linda Sparks Starr was the first that site that I thought of:<br />
<a href="http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lksstarr/" target="_blank">Colonial Virginia Connections</a><br />
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I consider Linda a fellow researcher and a friend. We were almost kin. My 3 great grandfather was once married to one of her ancestors, so I guess we are step-kin. My husband and I both had assorted colonial Virginia ancestors and the research that Linda has gathered together on this website has been very helpful to me and if you have colonial Virginia ancestors, you should probably take a look around the site.<br />
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Hey - I made it! The whole 52 weeks! Sort of a challenge to myself. I plan for my posts to take a different path in the new year, but I feel really good that I was able to persevere and complete the year's 52 prompts.<br />
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<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-63706674729935616742012-12-16T08:00:00.000-05:002012-12-16T08:00:02.980-05:0052 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 51<b>Week 51: States and Provinces.</b> What is your favorite state or province for genealogical research? Who is most generous with their records? How has this helped your family history research? Share with others your tips and tricks for researching in this location.<br />
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The answer depends on where in that particular state I most need to research. Virginia counties have a wealth of information, or practically none at all. Pretty much feast or famine. The counties that do have extant records usually have a wealth of tax, land, court, and probate records, most of them filmed by LDS. The Library of Virginia website has access to so much free digital content - the land records and many Bible records, and now many of the chancery court records. The Parish records that exist and many of the other records have been transcribed and abstracted and can be found in print in many genealogical libraries. Therefore, Virginia would be my pick - when it's not a "burned" county. Unfortunately I had family that lived in those, too.Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-20122804786043266982012-12-09T07:00:00.000-05:002012-12-09T07:00:08.989-05:0052 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 50<b>Week 50: Genealogy Database.</b> Which individual database has been most helpful in your genealogy research and why? Is this database available for free or is it behind a subscription wall? What does this database include and how can it benefit other genealogy researchers?<br />
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Until recently, I would have to admit that Ancestry with its census record would have to qualify as the most useful. FamilySearch has added so much now, and unlike Ancestry, provides the data free of charge. I honestly couldn't do without either of them. Both sites have such a wide range of materials and are made of such divergent databases, that something is there for nearly everyone. The online opportunities for research have expanded so much in the last ten years, I don't believe anyone could limit their research to a single database.<br />
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<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-10599236721199502192012-12-03T21:42:00.002-05:002012-12-03T21:42:51.525-05:0052 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 49<b>Week 49: Research Location.</b> Which genealogy research location or city brings a smile to your face? What makes this place special to you? What family history treasures does it hold for you? Why should others visit this place?
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I'd just like to daydream about a place I'd like to go to research and have never been. Russellville, Kentucky in Logan County was a place my husband's ancestors frequented for many years. They lived out side of town on the Black Lick Fork of the Gasper River. There were many second cousins and families that had also come to Logan County from Virginia just around the beginning of the 19th century. I have read so many deeds, court records, wills, and tax records about these families that I sometimes think I might recognize some of them walking down the street. I know the local genealogical society maintains a library near the courthouse. Oh, I'd love to poke around in their files and visit that courthouse!<br />
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<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-29679269139422223272012-11-25T07:32:00.000-05:002012-11-25T07:32:00.453-05:0052 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 48<b>Week 48: Genealogy Society Member</b>. Genealogy society members are a vital part of the family history community. We’ve made many acquaintances this way and we all benefit from their friendship, support and expertise. Share with us a genealogy society member that has left a memorable impression on you.<br />
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Unfortunately my own experience with local societies has been less than stellar. However, I can honor a gentleman that I feel has contributed to his own local society for beyond the norm. I have a friend who was married to a distant cousin. He has been a longtime member of his local society and volunteers to research all inquiries that come to the society. In his city he has both his society's library and a good public library and he visits both to answer the inquiries to the best of his ability. He has spent untold hours helping others.<br />
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I have had similar experiences writing to societies far distant from where I live. I have been so grateful to those individuals who have taken the time to search and copy records for me.Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-74727159616420192252012-11-18T17:36:00.001-05:002012-11-18T17:36:28.489-05:0052 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 47<b>Week 47: Small Genealogy Vendors</b>. Which small genealogy vendor is your favorite one to see at genealogy conferences? What does this vendor offer to the genealogy community? Why do you like visiting this vendor in the exhibit hall? Share web site links or contact information for this vendor so others can benefit from their products.<br />
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Oh, I don't want to call her a "small" Vendor. To me, her contributions are quite large within the genealogy community. My favorite among the smaller booths is Lisa Louise Cooke and her Genealogy Gems booth. She offers so much to us through her podcasts and her down to earth research help books. If she's not there to greet you with a smile, perhaps her daughter will be. Her classes and workshops are always excellent. She has recently updated her webpage and you can find everything she does right there.<br />
<a href="http://lisalouisecooke.com/" target="_blank">Genealogy Gems</a><br />
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<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-22608044589725314572012-11-11T20:43:00.001-05:002012-11-11T20:43:31.419-05:0052 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 46<b>Week 46: Large Genealogy Vendors.</b> Which big genealogy vendor is your favorite one to see at conferences? What does this vendor offer the genealogy community? Why do you like visiting this vendor in the exhibit hall?<br />
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I like them all. The exhibit hall is my favorite part of conferences. I honestly really don't buy much, but I certainly look around and ask a lot of questions. My favorites are those that have drawings, neat giveaway items and something hands-on to do while you visit their booth. That would include, I think, all of those meant by "big genealogy vendor" in this prompt. FamilySearch. Ancestry. FindMyPast. Those three are the ones I think of first. I like the fact that they have people present to answer questions and perhaps show you a new trick or two.<br />
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But, then, the smaller vendors - the booksellers, the software vendors - can be very helpful if you have questions about their products. There are very few booths I pass by - the exhibit hall is just plain fun!<br />
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<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036137513106816899.post-19955753305022707972012-11-04T21:04:00.000-05:002012-11-04T21:04:45.832-05:0052 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy - Week 45<b>Week 45: Genealogy Speakers.</b> Which genealogy speaker has left the biggest impression on you? What is it about that speaker that you like the most? What is his or her general focus? Does this person speak at regional or national conferences? Share why other genealogists should attend this speaker’s sessions.<br />
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I would have to say Elizabeth Shown Mills is my favorite. She is always prepared, concise, and speaks directly to her topic - a professional in every possible way. She could probably lecture on any genealogy topic but is best known for her emphasis on citing sources. I particularly enjoy her sessions regrading researching men of the same name and other frequently encountered but often difficult research problems. I have had her as my instructor at IGHR in Birmingham and always attend her lectures at national conferences. I have heard some of her sessions more than once and would listen to them again at any given opportunity. Why I think others should attend her session? Because, quite simply, she is the best of the best the genealogy world has to offer.<br />
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<br />Kay Hadenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16775054088464354234noreply@blogger.com0