Monday, March 31, 2014

Connected Blocks

Goddard: The Goddards and Walls were connected by marriage. Susanna Goddard married William Wall in 1721. Susanna's parents were Henry Goddard and Mary Howland. Since Mary was from a staunch Quaker family, Henry joined the Friends Church at some point. When? [stumbling block #1]
He was a serge weaver by profession. Henry's father was Daniel Goddard and his mother's name was Ann. To date, that's all I have on the couple. More details to flesh out their story would be beneficial. [stumble-b #2] The curious tale for the family originates with the Walls!

Wall: William Wall was from Ireland. Where? [stumble-b #3] According to a family tradition passed down through the Walls, William was brought to America as a cabin boy by a Captain Goddard, remained in the captain's employ and married his daughter, Susan. The wife of Captain Goddard was Mary Howland.

Henry married Mary and their daughter, Susan(na) married William Wall. There is no available evidence to date that shows Henry as a sea captain. It would be helpful to find the source of the story. Maybe Henry was on the same ship and took in young William? [stumble-b #4] Then there is the son of William and Susanna! Very little is known about him.[stumble-b #5]

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Blocks R & L

Rittenhouse: Garrett/Gerhard Rittenhouse was the son of Wilhelm Rittenhouse, the 1st papermaker in colonial America. He didn't inherit the mill. The big question for Garrett was, what was the name of his wife? _______ Revacomb, Anna Umstatt and Mary Schumacher are the popular contenders. Mary Schumacher seems most likely, but far from confirmed.

Lakin: Hannah Lakin married Daniel Howell in 1686 Philadelphia. The details on her parents, Henry Lakin and Margery _______ are sketchy at best. Henry was probably from Staffordshire, England. He and Margery apparently married before coming to America. Henry died about 1695 in Philly. That's about all there is on this family.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Early Stumbling Blocks

Garrison: The surname is patronymic, finding it's origin with Gerrit Jansen van Oldenburg [Germany]. Five generations carry the line to a marriage between Rebecca Garrison and Cornelius Prall, Sr. Vitals for all five generations are littered with 'circa', 'about', 'before' and 'between.' Finding more specific birth, marriage and death records would be at the top of the wish list for the Garrisons.

Gerrit, Jan, Johannes, John, Rebecca and their spouses lack exact BMD dates. Rebecca's marriage is the only set date. Then again, close is the best you can hope for when dealing with the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries.

Baker: I have good data on Susanna Baker, wife of Isaac Rittenhouse. Lacking is the stories of her parents [Samuel Baker and his unidentified wife] and  grandparents [Timothy Baker and Susanna Mathews?]. Hmmm, might be a Salt Lake Institute Problem Solving project here!

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Again! Stumbling Blocks!

Smith: Doesn't everybody have a Smith stumbling block [or Jones, see below]? Actually, I was pretty lucky to put together three generations for this family. My ancestor, Ama Jemima "Amy" Smith, married Jacob Crousore and her brother [you guessed it!] John married Elizabeth Crousore. I think Jacob and Elizabeth were siblings. [I should add that confirmation to my mounting Crousore list.] Amy's parents were William and Elizabeth [Reel] Smith. The Smiths, Crousores, Reels and Reeders were a travel pack - Western Pennsylvania and Virginia to Ohio to Indiana [primarily Rush, Delaware, Madison, Howard & Tipton Counties] Various individual families dropped out along the way.

William was the son of Henry Smith a Revolutionary War vet and his first wife, as of yet unidentified. An SAR application for Henry has Elizabeth Powell as William's mother. She was Henry's 2nd wife and too young to be William's mother. There we have the block. Who was William's mother? Add to that the history of Henry. Who were his parents? From where did they come and when?

Jones: Yes Smith and Jones! Mary Ann Jones was born about 1811 in Ohio and died in 1887 in Indianapolis. Most of her story is in my post that includes her husband, James Crail. Mary's death certificate gives her father as T. Jones, born in  Kentucky. Thomas, Thaddeus, Timothy? Just about anything about Mary while she was alive would help! Marriage place and date, more specific birth  information, parents' names and vitals, location in 1820-30-40-50-60-70. Just a few tidbits needed!

Fry: Eve Fry was the wife of John Faucett. I have her birth [6 Feb 1762 VA] and death [6 April 1851 Marion Co., IN] info, but very little to flesh out her life. I couldn't find Eve in the 1850 census. The marriage record [VA or OH] has remained elusive. I have yet to locate her parents. Was she the mother of all of John's children? [Thomas Faucett is the son in question.] Was Fry her maiden name or had Eve been married before?

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Stumbling Blocks: They Never End!!

Barlow: It is believed that Thomas Barlow was the father of Henry, Thomas and John of Virginia and Kentucky. A will would go a long way to verify this belief and is rumored to exist! BUT WHERE?

Moore: Hester Jane [or Jane Hester] Moore married James Morris Simmons on 26 October 1826 in Warren Co., Ohio. Who were her parents? What was her exact date of death? I have tried in vain to find the answers, so the questions remain.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

The Stumbling Blocks Return

Trisler: Susanna Trisler was the 2nd wife of Martin Cawby Sr. She died in 1858 in Johnson Co., IN. The date of death and burial place for Susanna's daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Ann Masters, 6 years earlier, is on record. Susanna was missed. That is a needed record!

Sticking with the Trisler family, Susanna's mother has been "possibly" identified as Elizabeth Howser. More info on her would be a big help.

Land: The vitals on the early generations of the Lands. Birth records for  Thomas and son John are lacking, as is an exact date of death for Thomas. The Lands settled in Virginia prior to Thomas' birth and migrated to Wilkes Co., NC and Jessamine and Madison Co., KY.

Sumter: The name should sound familiar, my ancestor Anna Sumter Land was a sister of Thomas Sumter, the SC partisan leader and Revolutionary War general. The early history of the Sumter family is sketchy. William Sumter came from England to Virginia prior to 1730. His wife's name was either Elizabeth or Patience. In his will, William named his wife Elizabeth. If William was married to a Patience, then Elizabeth was his 2nd wife.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Two New Stumblers

Cunningham: Harriet Cunningham married Zachariah Rhodes. Her sisters, Charlotte, Ann, Bathia, Betsy Ann and ???? all married men associated with ships [captains, carpenters, etc.] and her brother James was a mariner. The parents were reportedly James Cunningham Sr. and Pathiah/Bathiah Standiford. Beyond that little is known. James [Jr.? Sr.?] had a few adventures at sea, according to one of Harriet's grandsons. Almost anything on this family would be a help!

Mahurin: Hugh Mahurin arrived in Taunton, MA during the late 1680s. His homeland is in question. Family tradition holds that the family was either from Scotland or Northern Ireland. The family name was eventually shortened to Huron or Hurin.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Another Block

O'Neil: Catherine O'Neil arrived from County Cork, Ireland via Liverpool, England at age 18. That's the story passed down by Mom and Uncle Mutt. They also recall celebrating her 100th birthday.  According to Catherine's 1934 death certificate, she was 99. But, there is a glitch! Her birth year of 1833 was crossed out and 1834 was written in. If Catherine was born in 1833, then she was 100, as reported.

Early versions of her arrival adventures had her father stepping in to prevent Catherine's brother(s) being impressed into the British Army and being mortally injured. Catherine's mother died shortly thereafter. The teenager went to England to earn passage to the U.S. She arrived at some port between Boston and New Orleans.

A couple of years ago I located a record that would have been an ideal fit for Catherine - if she was born in 1833. She would have arrived in NYC shortly before her 19th birthday. I mentioned the record to my uncle, who confirmed the NYC arrival. [Now he narrows down the port list!]

Well, that's as close as I've gotten to the facts. Catherine fudged her age in the censuses since she was about 5 years older than husband Aaron Crail.

Catherine was an amazing woman! She came to America at 18 and settled in Central Indiana. Her husband died from "lung fever" [contracted during the siege of Atlanta] and died in 1868. Catherine raised six children on her own and moved from the Indy area to Peru, Chicago, Shelbyville and back to Indy. She lived with her eldest son [my ggf James Crail], on her own, with her brother-in-law John's family and her daughter Margaret over the years. Catherine was a tiny, feisty Irishwoman, who succumbed to old age with a clear mind - and a distrust of the English!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Stumble Blocks

Gulley: There are a handful of Gulley stumbling blocks. Where was the family from in England? What was the maiden name of immigrant Thomas Gulley's wife, Mary? Was the family lore about Thomas and Mary returning to England [or Wales?] for the birth of their son Enoch true? [doubtful] Then there's the biggest question left: Did Enoch serve in the Revolutionary War as did two of his brothers?

There is no record of Enoch having served, but there is a George Gulley who did.
George Gulley was born in England in 1750. Enoch was born in 1750, possibly in England.
George Gulley's wife was Frances Ann Franklin, as was Enoch's.
George's daughter Frances married a David Pruitt, likewise for Enoch's daughter Frances.
George had children named George, Betsey and Sally. Enoch had children of the same names.
George died in 1814, Enoch about 1828.

One of Frances Pruitt's descendants filed for the DAR using George Gulley as her patriot ancestor. The DAR marked it as an error in 1916. Was George really Enoch?

Clark: I used my Samuel Clark mystery as my Problem Solving project at the Salt Lake Institute two years ago. Samuel was from Pennsylvania and born about 1750. His father may have been Isaac Clark. That's about it!

Crousore: The Crousores [Kraushaars] were another Salt Lake project - twice! The 2nd time was much more successful. I discovered that Jacob Crousore married Ama Jemima Smith [previously identified as Annie I. Ice] and was able to track my branch of the family from Pennsylvania to Ohio to Indiana. One of my goals was to identify Jacob's mother. That still remains a goal! I was able to place spouses with all of Jacob's aunts and uncles, but not his father, John.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Stumbling Along Again

Rhodes: I mentioned Ann Bethia Rhodes Prall in an earlier post. That still stands - I'd like to find her birth and death records. As for the rest of the Rhodes clan, Holden Rhodes [Ann's great-grandfather] lack a specific marriage date [to Mary Remington -c1749] and death date [c1774]. Ann's parents, Captain Zachariah Rhodes and Harriet Cunningham are lacking death dates. Harriet died about 1818 in Baltimore's Fells Point neighborhood, based on a city directory search. Zachariah's exact date of death may never be known. His sloop, Hannah, left Baltimore for Puerto Rico on 14 August 1815 and he was lost at sea. I would like to track down some official record of the ship.

Hubbard: Sarah Hubbard Wolary also has a previous mention. I'm lacking a date of death for her. Locating some record identifying Sarah's mother would be a huge breakthrough. Add to that her birth, marriage and death details!

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Double Stumble

Wagner: My maternal great-grandmother, Louisa Wanger McHugh's parents, John Wagner and Catherine Laubscher were both from Baden. Discovering their home parish and village would be a nice breakthrough. The Wagners were Catholic. They settled in Pennsylvania, where Louisa's oldest brother, Henry, was born. The family moved to Missouri about 1844. William and Louisa were born there, Louisa in Madison Co. Discovering where and when the Wagners settled in PA would also be a plus.

Simmons: An incredible breakthrough about 3-4 years ago expanded my maternal Simmons line from 5 generations to 11. There are still a few unanswered questions in the mix. John William and Dolly [Jennison] Simmons were a wandering family. They bounced around from Chenango Co., NY to points in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. John died in Newport, Campbell Co., KY in 1857. Dolly, after spending the majority of her final years with son Sylvanus and his family in Orange Co., IN, died in Covington, Kenton Co., KY. Verifying both deaths [say, burial places?] would add to the story. Also locating a marriage record for the couple would be an added benefit.

Then there's the afore mentioned Sylvanus. The names of his wife and two daughters changed over the years! Catherine Van Liew became Harriet/Henrietta P. Daughter Sarah became Henrietta and daughter Margaret J. became Ada J. I have no explanation, but facts confirm that Ada's mother was Catherine. The obit for Mrs. Simmons stated her name as Henrietta and her son-in-law as a Mr. Bateman, Ada's husband.

Monday, March 10, 2014

More Stumbling

Cawby: Cawby is one of my more interesting surnames considering it has 80-100 spelling variations. C and G were interchangeable with many of them. If my research is correct, Johannes Cabi/Cabe was of German origin. He arrived in Philadelphia, settled in Maryland and later North Carolina. Kentucky was his final home.

Mysteries? Who was John Cawby [that's Johannes Anglicized] first wife and mother of my line? Where was John from in Germany?

Not much needed here, but maybe finding the answers would open up a new line or two to torment me!

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Stumbling Along

Wolary: Margaret Jane Wolary was my paternal great-grandmother. Her grandfather, Henry [1788-1849], was a first generation German - I think. The surname has several spellings: Wolary, Woolery and Ullery being the most common. He settled among the Welsh and English Quakers and Swiss Lutherans in Frederick Co., VA. He had moved his family to Ohio, but returned to visit his wife's family when he died in Virginia.

I would like to track down his parents.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Stumbling Blocks continue - BIG TIME!

Crail: Do I or don't I have the line back across the Atlantic? That is one of the many perplexing questions on my maternal grandmother's family. Beginning in 1860, I was able to located the Crail boys in the Indiana census. Sylvester, John and Aaron [my ancestor] had all married and started families. They would be off to fight in the Union Army during the next four years. None of them would come out well. Sylvester died a near invalid in the State Soldier's Home at Lafayette in 1898. John survived until 1907, but was ill much of the time. My Aaron died from "lung fever" in 1868, leaving a wife and six children 10 or under. His eldest, James [my great-grandfather], was a blacksmith turned veterinarian.

What of Aaron's parents, James Crail and Mary A. Jones? They do not make an appearance in the census between 1840-1870. Mary shows up as a widow in 1880. She had also been in the Indy city directories since 1875. Mary resided with John during her later years. Previous to that, Mary and James were involved in the purchase and sale of town lots in Marietta, Shelby Co., Indiana in 1851 and 1854.

I have been told that there was a 4th brother, George. He seems to fit. Same parents, missing from the same censuses, no record before 1880 except the city directories. Some of the details given to me, different combinations of Sylvester, John and Aaron for brothers and the assignment of one of ggf James' sons [Harry] to George have made me wary. Neither my mother nor her brother recalled a George.

If my elder James is indeed James Berry Crail, Jr., then I can trace the family back to Scotland, I have located church and tax records for a James Crail in Hamilton Co., Ohio at the time the family should have been there around the birth of Aaron two elder brothers. Also, Crails who would have been family appear in the tax records.

James Berry Crail Sr. resided in Bartholomew and Brown witsh most of his children nearby. If my James was part of this family, why did he go elect to break from the family?

Where were James, Mary and possibly George in 1850, 1860 and 1870? When was James born? When did he die?
Finally, did James and Mary get along with the aliens that whisked them from the planet in 1854? :)-


Thursday, March 6, 2014

More Stumbling Blocks

Faucett: My paternal grandmother's family still has some mysteries to be solved. When and where were John Faucett and Eve Fry married? Where does John's son Thomas fit into the picture? Who were John's parents and where were they from? Were the Faucett's English, Irish, Ulster Scots, Huguenots or some other nationality? How's that for a handful of stumbling blocks?!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Stumbling Blocks

McHugh: I consider Mom's family as late arrivals. John and Daniel McHugh arrived in Pennsylvania during the 1830s. The brothers were from County Donegal. Daniel married before they left. John married in Pennsylvania to Sarah Hickey about 1835/6.

My uncle told me that the brothers lived in Mahanoy City [Schuylkill Co.] and worked in the coal fields to earn enough money to move west. Jo Daviess Co., IL and Lafayette Co., WI were their two western stops.

I have a pretty good handle on the Lafayette Co. years, so Pennsylvania and Illinois are the places I need to research.

Perhaps Daniel's marriage record, if available, would give me their hometown and parish back in Donegal.