Research Preparations

The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is only a month away! My St. John project is still perplexing! o Hopefully, I will be able to determine if immigrant Mathias St. John [1601-1669] was of Dutch or Norman-Welsh heritage to my own satisfaction.

In an effort to sort out the two arguments, I have begun putting together a chart comparing both sides of the issue fact by fact. I hope that will help me sort things out and focus on what jumps out as unlikely or a good fit.

If the chart sounds like a good idea, give it a try! I really hope it helps.

Beginners' Classes & Other Stuff

The Genealogical Society of Marion County will be offering Beginning Genealogy classes on the first Saturday [10:00] and third Wednesday [1:00] of the month at the GSMC Research Library at Memorial Park Cemetery on East Washington St. in Indianapolis. No charge for the classes! You can research on those days as well.

It is a little over a month until the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy kicks off. I'm looking forward to the week of research on my St. John line and giving my "Researching Collateral Ancestors" presentation on the 14th of January.

Family Migration XVIII

After a long Thanksgiving break, I'll put the wraps on the migration theme with two final families:Tinker and St. John.

Tinker: Mary Merwin Tinker Collins probably arrived in New England with her son John about 1636. Mary's first husband Robert Tinker was the father of Mary Tinker, who came to America with her husband, Mathias St. John, about 1633/4. They settled in Dorchester, Massachusetts. The family moved to Windsor, Connecticut by 1640, then to Wethersfield and Hartford before settling in Norwalk in 1654. Mary Tinker St. John died in Norwalk about 1670. England, Massachusetts, Connecticut

St. John: The St. John surname rivals Cawby for over 100 spelling variations appearing in the records. The origins of the immigrant Mathias St. John/Sension are currently in limbo. Two theories currently exist, (1) The St. John family originated in the Spanish Netherlands, with Mathias' father, Christopher being born in/near Antwep [now Belgium]. (2) The St. Johns arrived in England with William the Conqueror in 1066 and took part in the conquest of Wales. Christopher considered himself a Norman, rather than a Welshman. Mathias was born in London in 1601 and sailed for New England in 1633/4. He called Dorchester, Massachusetts and the Connecticut towns of Windsor, Windsor, Wethersfield, Hartfor and Norwalk home. Son Mathias Jr. was rooted in Norwalk as well. Samuel, the third generation, moved to Ridgefield, Connecticut and later to Cortlandt Manor, Westchester, New York. Samuel's son, Job resided in Westchester Co. until moving to New Marlborough, Ulster Co., New York in 1768/9. Son, John packed up his family about 1795 and headed for Ohio. John settled in the part of Hamilton Co. that became Warren Co. in 1803. John's daughter, Bethiah married Othniel Hurin before the Ohio move. Bethiah's daughter, Rebecca married Joseph Faucett and migrated to Indiana. (Spanish Netherlands or Normandy, Wales) England, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Ohio, Indiana

More on the origins of the St. John family in January. I will be tackling that problem at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy [Jan. 13-18]. I also have the honor of presenting my program on "Researching Collateral Ancestors" on Tuesday, January 14 at 7:00 P.M.

Family Migration XVII

The Benedict, Lockwood, Norton, Olmstead, Scofield and Webb families headline today's post.

Benedict: Thomas Benedict of Suffolk and Norfolk, England arrived in Beverly, Massachusetts Bay about 1639. Later he removed to the New Haven Colony [Connecticut], then to Long Island, New York [still property of New Haven]. The Benedicts finally settled in Norwalk, Connecticut. Daughter Mary married John Olmstead. England, Massachusetts, New Haven/Connecticut, NewYork/Connecticut, Connecticut

Lockwood: Brothers Edmund and Robert Lockwood arrived with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630. They were natives of Suffolk, England. Edmund settled first at Watertown, then moved to New Towne [Cambridge] where he died in 1634. Namesake son, Edmund, lived with his Uncle Robert and moved to Stamford, Connecticut in 1646 and died there in 1692. Joseph Lockwood moved to Poundridge in Westchester Co., New York in 1746, where he passed four years later. Son James later settled at Courtlandt Manor also in Westchester County. Anna, James' daughter, married John St. John. They moved around New York before migrating to Warren Co., Ohio. England, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Ohio

Norton: Little is know of Hugh Norton. He was probably English and resided in Stamford, Connecticut. His daughter, Mary, wed James Lockwood and went to New York. England?, Connecticut, New York

Olmstead: Richard, the immigrant, was from Essex, England. He settled at Mt. Wollaston [Quincy], then New Towne [Cambridge] in Massachusetts before moving on to Hartford and Norwalk, Connecticut. Son John remained in Norwalk, but daughter Rebecca [Samuel] St. John moved on to New York. England, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York 

Scofield: Richard Scofield, of Lancashire, arrived in New England in 1635. He lived at Watertown, Boston and Ipswich, Massachusetts before settling in Stamford. Daughter Hannah married Joseph Webb. England, Massachusetts, Connecticut

Webb: Englishman Richard Webb settled in the New Haven Colony [by 1643] then Stamford [1651] The Webbs remained in Stamford. The next two generations [Joseph and Margery] married there. England, New Haven/Connecticut

One more post to go on this topic, the St. John and Tinker families!!

 

Family Migrations XVI

A post with an early Thanksgiving twist looks at the family migrations of the Hazen, Grant, Keeney, Douglas, Turner and Brewster clans.

Hazen: Edward Hazen of Lincolnshire, England had settled at Rowley, Massachusetts by 1647. Son Thomas removed to Boxford about 1684 and to Norwich, Connecticut in 1711/2. John, the third generation of Hazens in America, lived in Lyme, but may have moved to New Jersey about 1740, only to return to Connecticut prior to his death in 1772. John's daughter, Mary married Seth Huron and spent her last years in Ulster County, New York. England, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, (Connecticut,) New York

Grant: Thomas Grant left Yorkshire for New England about 1638. He resided in Rowley, Massachusetts. Daughter Hannah married Edward Hazen, She died in Haverhill, Massachusetts. England, Massachusetts

Keeney: William Keeney arrived in Massachusetts from England in 1640. He may have been part of Rev. Blinman's "Welsh Party." Keeney lived at Cape Ann [Gloucester], Massachusetts and later Pequot [New London], Connecticut. Son John and granddaughter Susanna continued to lived in New London. Susanna married Ezekiel Turner. England, Massachusetts, Connecticut

Douglas: William Douglas was supposedly born in Scotland, but was married in England. Douglas left for America during the early 1640s. His Massachusetts residences were numerous: Cape Ann [Gloucester], Boston, Ipswich, and again to Boston. He then moved to New London, Connecticut, where he died in 1682. Daughter Sarah married John Keeney. Scotland, England, Massachusetts, Connecticut

Turner: Humphrey Turner grew up in England and later settled in Plymouth and Scituate. John Turner "the Elder" stayed in Scituate, but son Ezekiel removed to New London, Connecticut. Daughter Elizabeth married John Hazen. It is not yet proven if she died in Connecticut or New Jersey. England, Plymouth Colony/Massachusetts, Connecticut, (New Jersey)

Brewster: Elder William Brewster of Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England, was one of the leaders of the Pilgrims who sailed on the Mayflower from Leiden, The Netherlands in 1620. He established first at Plymouth, then Duxbury. Son Jonathan arrived  a year later. He later settled in New London, Connecticut, passing there in 1659. Jonathan's daughter Mary married John "the Elder" Turner and lived in Scituate. England, The Netherlands, Plymouth Colony, Connecticut

An early "HAPPY THANKSGIVING" from a Mayflower descendant!!!!

Family Migrations XV

As I continue on with the family migration, it's time to look at the French, Howlett and Peabody families.

French: Born in County Essex, Thomas French married in Suffolk [1608] and sailed for America in 1638. Most of his children had already settled in Massachusetts Bay at Ipswich. Thomas Jr. sailed with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630 and daughters Alice, Susan and Dorcas arrived by 1633. Alice married Thomas Howlett. England, Massachusetts

Howlett:  Thomas Howlett sailed from England with the Winthrop Fleet. He settled at Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay colony. Thomas Jr. resided at Ipswich and Boxford, where he married Lydia Peabody and daughter Mary wed Thomas Hazen. The Hazens moved to Connecticut. England, Massachusetts, Connecticut

Peabody:  Two direct line generations of Peabody males called Plymouth or the Bay colony home. John left England for Plymouth in 1636. Son Francis preceded his father by a year and settled in Ipswich, then Norfolk Co., which became Rockingham Co., New Hampshire. From there Francis settled at Topsfield, Massachusetts. Daughter Lydia married Thomas Howlett Jr. and died at Boxford, Massachusetts. England, Massachusetts, Mass,/New Hampshire, Massachusetts

Family Migrations XIV

This post continues with New England connections: Mahurin, Joyce, Low and Stoddard

Mahurin/Hurin/Huron: The "family legend" is that a teacher or professor suggested that Mahurin didn't sound "American-enough," so part of the family dropped the 'Ma,' while at least one family member didn't want the name of an Indian tribe and left the name as was. The story is unverified. The Mahurin family was from Scotland or Northern Ireland. Hugh Mahurin may have been indentured to one the iron works near Taunton, Massachusetts about 1691. Ebenezer, Hugh's son, moved to Marshfield and Raynham before relocating in 1731 to the part of Hunterdon Co., New Jersey that became Morris Co. in 1738/9. It was son Seth who was credited with changing Mahurin to Hurin. In 1787, the Hurins moved to New Marlborough, Ulster Co., New York. Seth moved the family from Jersey to present-day Warren Co., Ohio in 1795. Othniel Hurin joined his father on the move to Ohio. Rebecca, Othniel's daughter, married Joseph Faucett. The Faucetts, Hurins and other families moved to Indiana during the 1820s. Scotland/Ulster, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Indiana

Joyce: Walter Joyce hailed from County Galway, Ireland. He settled in Marshfield, Plymouth, Massachusetts. His daughter, Bathsheba, married Ebenezer Mahurin and moved to Morris Co., New Jersey. Ireland, Massachusetts, New Jersey

Low: John Low settled at Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts after leaving his native England. Daughter Elizabeth married Walter Joyce and removed to Marshfield. England, Massachusetts

Stoddard: The Stoddard may have been of Norman or Scots-Irish origin. John Stoddard was an English Puritan and settled in the Plymouth Colony about 1638. He resided at Hingham. Elizabeth Stoddard married John Low. England, Massachusetts

Family Migrations XIII

Up next the families Barlow, Land, Sumter and Trisler.

Barlow: Thomas Barlow left London for Virginia by 1719. He resided in Hanover, Albemarle and Caroline Counties. Thomas' son Henry opted to leave Virginia for the Kentucky country about 1789, where he settled first in Fayette County, then Woodford and finally Scott. His daughter Elizabeth married John Land. England, Virginia, Kentucky

Land: Although one source has the Lands as natives of Moravia, England is probably the family's native country. Thomas Land was born in Virginia and resided in what became Louisa and later Albemarle County. Thomas and part of the family moved to Wilkes Co., North Carolina in 1778. Son John remained in Virginia and opted for Kentucky after the Revolutionary War. John ended up in that part of Fayette County that became Jessamine in 1799. Betsy, John's daughter, married Willis Gulley and died in Indiana. England (Moravia?), Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana

Sumter: William Sumter, an Englishman, settled in Hanover [later Louisa and Albemarle] County, Virginia. Daughter Anna married Thomas Land and probably died in Kentucky, or perhaps North Carolina. Anna's brother, Thomas, became a partisan leader and general in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. England, Virginia, Kentucky/North Carolina

Trisler: Dr. Peter Trisler came to Maryland by way of his native Wittenberg, Germany in 1780 and established residence at Hagerstown. Dr. Trisler moved to what became Jessamine Co., Kentucky in 1791. Susan Trisler, the doctor's daughter, married Martin Cawby Sr. and died in Johnson Co., Indiana. Germany, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana

Family Migrations XII

It's time to turn to my paternal grandmother's line! Faucett, Clark, Cawby and Gulley.

Faucett: England, Scotland, Ireland, Ulster, Huguenot territory of France? All are possible origins for the ancestors of John Faucett. He was born in the Greenbrier Valley of (West) Virginia in 1751. John Faucett's family carved out their home in the western frontier of Virginia and it the heart of the country targeted by Shawnee raids during the French and Indian [Seven Years] War. Stories later related by two of Faucett's grand children's biographies tell of his family falling victim to Indian raids. John's mother and siblings lost their lives and John, about nine years of age, was adopted into the tribe, possibly growing up in the very territory he would later call home, SW Ohio. After several years, John was traded back to the whites. Whether he was reunited with his birth father or taken in by a farmer is not known. In the years prior to the Revolutionary War, young Faucett resided near old Redstone Fort in Western Pennsylvania. He served "ranger and spy" duty on the western Pennsylvania, northern Virginia and eastern Ohio frontier. During one tour of duty, John was attached to a Virginia Line unit which entitled him to a military pension. After the war, Faucett lived in Washington Co., Pennsylvania. By 1797, he had decided to move to southwestern Ohio Territory. John, pregnant wife Eve [Fry] and possibly a son Thomas took a flatboat down the Ohio River to Cincinnati and acquired land in what was to become Warren Co. [Joseph was born on the journey.] The urge to move west came again in 1824. John, now in his seventies, moved the family to Indiana. Adjoining tracts were purchased in what became Marion and Hendricks Counties. John died in Marion Co. in 1838. Son Joseph was a life-long resident of Hendricks Co. His son, Benjamin Franklin Faucett, moved the family to Indianapolis during the early 1880s. Benjamin's granddaughter, Mayme was my grandmother. As far as the country of origin goes, I tend to favor Scots-Irish roots for John. His frontier heritage and wanderlust fit the profile. (West) Virginia, Ohio?, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana

Clark: Yet another family of uncertain national origins. Samuel Clark was a native Pennsylvanian who migrated to Maryland and Kentucky, where his son Isaac was born in 1792. The Clarks settled in Butler Co., Ohio in 1807 and moved to Hendricks Co., Indiana in 1849. Daughter Nancy married Benjamin F. Faucett. Country of origin? Scotland and England are likely candidates. Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana

Cawby: The family of a hundred or so surname spelling variations! Johannes Cabi or Cabe was of German extraction. He first settled in Philadelphia, then Maryland. By 1789, John Cawby had moved his family to the Catawba River country in North Carolina. John and sons Martin Sr, and David relocated to Jessamine Co., Kentucky in 1808 or 1809. Martin Jr. moved to Johnson Co., Indiana and later Decatur Co., Indiana. The family resided in Hendricks Co. for awhile and finally set down roots in Indianapolis. Elizabeth, daughter of Martin Cawby Jr. and Lucinda Gulley, married Charles E. Faucett. Germany, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana

Gulley: Englishman Thomas Gulley settled in Orange and Culpepper Counties of colonial Virginia. Thomas' son, Enoch had the wanderlust. Enoch left Virginia for Georgia, Tennessee and Madison Co., Kentucky, where he resided from at least 1820-1828. Enoch's next moved was to Shelby  Co., Indiana where he died in 1828 or 1829. Willis Gulley preceded his father to Kentucky. He served a brief stint in the army during the War of 1812. Willis moved to Shelby Co., Indiana with his father and would reside there and in Decatur and Hendricks Counties at various times before putting down roots in Decatur Co. in 1876. Daughter Lucinda married Martin Cawby Jr. and resided in Indianapolis, where she died in 1920.

Family Migrations XI

The  families covered on today's post are all Staten Island or Hudson Valley settlers: Blom, Christopher, Swart, Titsoort, van der Linde, Wakeman and Whittaker.

Blom: Barent Jansen Blom was of Swedish extraction and settled in New Amsterdam by 1638. He later moved his family to Brooklyn on Long Island. Daughter Tryntje married Hans Christopher and settled on Staten Island. She may have been the second wife of Arent Jansen Prall. Sweden, New Netherland/New York

Christopher/Christoffels: Immigrant Hans Christoffels came from the Netherlands to settle on Long Island during the 1660s, possibly earlier. The Christoffels later moved to Staten Island [late 1670s]. Maria, daughter of Hans, married Pieter Prall. The Netherlands, New Netherland/New York

Swart: Dutchman Teunis Cornelis Swart settled at Fort Orange [Albany], New Netherland during the late 1640s. The Swarts later settled 15 miles north of Schenectady and eventually moved to Schenectady about 1664. Daughter Neeltje married William Tisoort and later resided in Kingston and Poughkeepsie. The Netherlands, New Netherland/New York

Titsoort: William Tisoort was of Dutch parentage and was born in New Amsterdam. He moved to Schenectady about 1670. Indian raids forced the Titsoorts to leave Schenectady and settle near Port Jervis. They later moved to Kingston, Minisink and Poughkeepsie. Daughter Lysbet married James Whittaker in Schenectady and relocated to Kingston. The Netherlands, New Netherland/New York

van der Linde/deLindt: Mayken Daames Vissenburg, widow of Esias van der Linde, and her second husband Jan Verbeek, left  Amsterdam for New Amsterdam in 1641. The Verbeeks wintered at Manhattan before moving to Rennselearwyck in 1642. Mayken's daughter Lijsbetjen/Elizabeth married Teunis Swart. The Netherlands, New Netherland/New York

Wakeman: Samuel Wakeman sailed for America aboard the Lyon in 1631. The family first resided at Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony. They moved to Cambridge before Samuel became one of the proprietors of Hartford, Connecticut in 1636. Wakeman died in the Bahamas on a relief mission to aide English settlers under Spanish control. Daughter Hannah was an adventure unto herself. Hannah was imprisoned following her trial for murder, blasphemy and adultery. Upon her release, she went to New York City where she was banished for not having a "resident's license." Hannah removed to Hussey's Hill and went to work for Edward Whittaker, whom she later married. Theirs was a life or turmoil. England, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York

Whittaker: 1664 marked the arrival of Edward Whittaker, a soldier in the Duke of York's Brigade, in New Amsterdam/New York City. He was assigned to Wildwyck/Kingston. In 1667 he moved to Hussey's Hill, but was back in Kingston by 1669. He later established himself at Marbletown. Edward and wife, Hannah [Wakeman Hackleton] were frequently in court over marital and other difficulties. Son James lived in Kingston until after the death of his wife and brother, Edward. He moved to Hunterdon Co., New Jersey, where daughter Mary [Whittaker] Prall resided. England, New York, New Jersey

Family Migrations X & GSMC Conference

Todays blog takes a look at the movements of the Ballinger, Wright, Harding and Bowater families.

Ballinger: Henry Ballinger was a Quaker who hailed from Nailsworth, Gloucester, England. Some early sources claim he was of French Huguenot descent. He left for America during the early 1680s and settled in Burlington, New Jersey. Henry's sons Henry Jr. and Josiah Sr. left Burlington for the Monocacy Valley of present-day Frederick Co., Maryland about 1725. They joined the New Garden MM, Chester Co., Pennsylvania the following year. Josiah later moved on to Apple Pie Ridge and helped establish the Hopewell MM in Frederick Co., Virginia near Winchester. Daughter Sarah married Evan Rogers. England, New Jersey, Maryland/Pennsylvania, Virginia

Wright: James Wright came from England to Chester Co., Pennsylvania to Maryland. He became a Quaker minister. The Wright lived for a while in the Ross-Bryan Settlement in Orange Co., Virginia. [Morgan Bryan was Rebecca Bryan Boone's grandfather.] The final stop was the Hopewell MM, Frederick Co., Virginia. England, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia

Harding: Thomas Harding was an English Quaker who settled in West Jersey in 1677. His daughter Mary wed Henry Ballinger at the Burlington MM in 1684. England, New Jersey

Bowater: John Bowater was a native of Worcestershire, England. Although he never permanently settled in America, Bowater visited Friends' Meetings in New England, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia during 1677-78. His daughter Mary came to America after the deaths of her parents and married James Wright in 1707 in Chester Co., Pennsylvania. England, New England, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, England, Pennsylvania

The GSMC Conference is tomorrow! Walk-ins welcome! Details at www.genealogyindy.org

GSMC Conference / Family Migrations IX

Another reminder here about the GSMC Conference this Saturday. Details: www.genealogyindy.org

Today, I'm going to look at the Quaker branches of the family. Well, mostly Quaker.  A couple of Swiss families enter the mix as well. Rogers, Rinker, Schultz, Pugh and Evans

Rogers: The Quaker family came from Merionethshire, Wales during the late 1690s to settle in the Merion Welsh Tract near Philadelphia. The immigrant was Roger ap Robert. His children chose to go with the patronymic surname Rogers and pass it on to their children. John Rogers resided at North Wales in Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania and attended the Gwynned Monthly Meeting. John uprooted his family and relocated to the Back Creek Valley in Frederick Co., Virginia [near Gainsboro]. Evan [John, Roger] and John [Evan, John, Roger] also lived in the Back Creek region. It would be John's daughter Elizabeth Rogers Wolary who would take the road north and west to Auglaize Co., Ohio. Wales, Pennsylvania, Virginia (Ohio)

Rinker (Ringger): Hans Casper Rinker's family removed from Neurensdorf, Zurich, Switzerland in 1743 for Philadelphia and settled at Germantown, Pennsylvania. Casper moved to Frederick Co., Virginia in 1757. Casper died in 1804. Although Swiss Lutheran, he was buried in the Quaker Burying Ground. Daughter Maria married John Rogers. Switzerland, Pennsylvania, Virginia

Schultz: Jacob Schultz was a native of Germany or Switzerland [most likely the latter] and settled in Germantown, Pennsylvania, where daughter Maria married Casper Rinker. The Rinkers moved to Frederick Co., Virginia. Switzerland, Pennsylvania, Virginia

Evans: Sarah Evans came to America with her brothers in 1698. They were natives of Merionethshire, Wales and settled at Gwynned, Pennsylvania. Her father was Evan Lloyd ab Evan ap Robert ap Lewis ap Griffith ap Howel. Sarah married Robert Pugh [ap Hugh]. Their daughter Ellen married John Rogers. Wales, Pennsylvania (Virginia)

Pugh: The Pugh family was also from Merioneth. Robert and Sarah Evans were married in Wales and came to America in 1698. They were also cousins. Robert's father was Hugh ap Griffith ab Evan ap Robert ap Lewis. Wales, Pennsylvania (Virginia)

Family Migration VIII

The three families I'm working on today tied together by faith and narrow-mindedness: Howland, Prence and Collier.

Collier: William Clark was one of the "Merchant Adventurers" who financed the Pilgrims venture to America. He was a resident of Surrey, England when he decided to sail for America. Collier was admitted as a freeman in Plymouth in 1633/4 and settled in Duxbury. His daughter, Mary, was the 2nd wife of Thomas Prence. England, Plymouth (Mass.)

Prence: Thomas Prence, of Gloucester, England, arrived in Plymouth in 1621. Prence was a three-time governor of Plymouth Colony. He was a resident of Duxbury. He was staunchly anti-Quaker. His daughter, Elizabeth married Arthur Howland, Jr. England, Plymouth (Mass.)

Howland: Arthur Howland, Sr. was the brother of the Mayflower passenger John Howland. Unlike John, Arthur and their other brother, Henry, were Quakers. Arthur left Huntingdon, England for Plymouth during the early 1630s. He settled in Duxbury and Marshfield. Arthur Jr. remained in Marshfield and married Elizabeth Prence. [The couple frequently ran afoul of her father, the colonial governor.] Their daughter, Mary, married Henry Goddard in Rhode Island. Mary died in Massachusetts. England, Plymouth, Rhode Island, Massachusetts

Family Migrations VII

If you haven't signed up for the GSMC Annual Conference on Photographic Preservation on Nov. 16, there's still time! Visit www.genealogyindy.org

Today's post will take a look at the migration of five families: Billiou, DuBois, Wall and Goddard.

Billiou: Technically, the family could be credited with two slightly different migration patterns. Pierre Billiou arrived on Staten Island in 1661 from Leiden, South Holland, The Netherlands. He had fled his home in Lille, France [French Flanders]. As a Walloon [French Protestant], Pierre moved to Leiden, where the Protestants were welcomed. Pierre was one of the original patentees of Staten Island. He died there in 1701. His daughter, Marie, had arrived in New Netherland a short time before the rest of her family with her Uncle Louis DuBois. She lived with the DuBois family until her marriage to Arent Jansen Prall in 1670 and joined her parents on Staten Island about 1675. Flanders, New Netherland/New York

DuBois: Louis DuBois was a native of Wicres, then a part of the Spanish Netherlands [Fr. Flanders], he married in Frankenthal, near Mannheim, Paltz, Germany. The family apparently stopped in Leiden to visit his sister Francoise Billiou and invited her daughter, Marie to join them on the trip to America. The family settled at Wildwyck on Esopus Creek [now Kingston]. Louis founded the trading post of Nieu Dorp [Hurley] and was a founder of New Paltz. He died in Kingston. Flanders, New Netherland/New York

Wall: William Wall was a native of Ireland and settled in Newport, Rhode Island. The family later relocated to Warwick. Granddaughter Susanna married Holden Rhodes. Ireland, Rhode Island

Goddard: Henry Goddard was from Gloucestershire, England. He first located in York, Massachusetts [now Maine], then in Rhode Island at Jamestown. Daughter Susanna married William Wall. England, Mass./Maine/ Rhode Island

Family Migrations VI

As I am wandering through the various family movements, if anyone thinks there might be a tie-in to their roots, drop me a line! We can compare notes.

This round will take a look at the following families: Rittenhouse, Garrison, Baker and Howell

Rittenhouse: Wilhelm Rittenhouse was born in Mulheim, Westphalia, Germany in 1644 and learned the paper making trade in The Netherlands. He followed the Mennonite faith. Wilhelm settled in Germantown, Pennsylvania [near Philadelphia], where he opened the first paper mill in the British colonies. His son, Gerhard/Garrett farmed and operated a gristmill in nearby Cresheim. Grandson William settled near Rosemont, Hunterdon Co., New Jersey in 1734. William's son, Isaac stayed in the area and operated the Cross Keys Tavern. His daughter, Elizabeth married Cornelius Prall, Jr. After stays in neighboring counties, the family moved to Harford Co., Maryland, where Elizabeth died. Westphalia (Germany), The Netherlands, Pennsylvania, New Jersey (Maryland)

Garrison: The family had its roots in Oldenburg in NW Germany with Gerrit Jansen, who settled on Manhattan Island around 1632 and later on Long Island. The next three generations [Jan, Johannes, John Garrison] established the family on Staten Island. John moved to Hunterdon Co., New Jersey, but eventually returned to Staten Island. His daughter, Rebecca married Cornelius Prall, Sr. and remained in New Jersey. NW Germany, New Netherland/New York, New Jersey, New York

Baker: Susannah Baker's grandfather, Timothy was a native of Suffolk, England and settled in Hunterdon Co., New Jersey. Susannah married Isaac Rittenhouse in 1757. England, New Jersey

Howell: Thomas Howell of the shires of Stafford and Warwick in England, arrived with the Penn fleet in 1682. Although arriving with the Quakers, Howell was probably a member of the Church of England. Howell settled in West Jersey in Gloucester Co. Son Daniel resided in Philadelphia and later Bucks Co., Pennsylvania. Daniel's daughter, Catherine married William Rittenhouse and lived in Hunterdon Co., New Jersey. England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Jersey

Family Migrations V: Rhode Island Connections

I've been amazed that so many of my families ended up in Rhode Island. Then again, that small group of settlers intermarried a lot. Although there were a few other one or two generational families, I'm focusing on a dozen of the most prominent. Rhodes, Remington, Gorton, Greene, Waterman, Williams, Holden, Dungan, Latham, Allen, Almy and Arnold

Rhodes: Immigrant Zachariah Rhodes came from Lancashire, England, landed at Plymouth and settled in Rehoboth. His opposition to strict Puritanism, led Rhodes to flee to Providence Plantation in 1646. He would call Newport and Pawtuxet home. Son John established the family in Warwick. The next three generations remained in Warwick. Zachariah Rhodes [b. 1784] followed the family's seafaring tradition, but in Baltimore, Maryland. He died at sea in 1815. Daughter Ann Bathia Rhodes married Isaac R. Prall and resided in Harford Co., Maryland and York Co., Pennsylvania. England, Plymouth Colony (MA), Providence Plantation-Rhode Island, Maryland [Pennsylvania]

Remington: The Remingtons came from Yorkshire, England and resided in Newbury, Rowley, Andover and Haverhill, Massachusetts before moving to Jamestown, Rhode Island in 1664. The Remingtons ended up in Warwick. John, Thomas and Daniel established their families there. Daniel's daughter Mary was Zachariah Rhodes' grandmother. England, Massachusetts, Rhode Island

Gorton: Samuel Gorton was born in Lancashire, married in London and settled in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony. Religious conflicts forced him to relocate to Plymouth and finally to Rhode Island, where son John established the family at Warwick. John's granddaughter, Anna married Daniel Remington. England, Massachusetts [Mass. Bay and Plymouth], Rhode Island

Greene: Dr. John Greene left Dorset, England for Boston and Salem. He followed Roger Williams to Providence. The Greenes would also settle in Warwick. John granddaughter, Catherine, married Charles Holden. (Dr. Greene was also the ancestor of Brig. Gen. Nathanael Greene) England, Massachusetts Bay, Providence-Rhode Island

Allen: William Allen, a Yorkshire, England native, seems to have bypassed Massachusetts and settled in Rhode Island. Daughter Mary married Thomas Remington. England, Rhode Island

Arnold: Immigrant William Arnold was born in Somerset, England. He settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635 and in 1640 relocated to Providence Plantation. Daughter Joanna married Zachariah Rhodes. (William's son Benedict was the first in a long line of Arnolds with that given name, including Gen. Arnold of West Point fame.) England, Massachusetts Bay, Providence-Rhode Island

Almy: William Almy followed a similar path to most of the others. He was born in Leicester, England, settled first in Massachusetts, then Rhode Island. Daughter Annis married Dr. John Greene. England, Massachusetts, Rhode Island

Dungan/Latham: William Dungan, probably born in Ireland, died before the family left for the colonies. His wife, Frances Latham of Bedfordshire, England, made the trip with her 2nd husband. They settled at Newport, Rhode Island in 1637. Daughter Frances Dungan married Randall Holden. England, Rhode Island

Waterman: Richard Waterman, of Suffolk, England, was another to settle in Salem after arriving in Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was among those banished from the colony and joined Roger Williams in Providence. Resolved Waterman [son] married Roger Williams' daughter, Mercy. England, Massachusetts Bay, Providence-Rhode Island

Williams: London-born Roger Williams resided in Essex, England before sailing for America. He lived in both the Bay Colony and Plymouth Colony before being banished in 1636. He founded Providence Plantation as a haven for religious freedom. England, Massachusetts [Mass. Bay and Plymouth], Rhode Island

Family Migrations 1V & GSMC Conference

Well, it's time to turn to my Dad's side of the family with the Prall, Wolary & Hubbard families. [I'll deal with my paternal grandmother's line later on.]

Prall: The best current theory is that the Pralls arrived on Staten Island from The Netherlands about 1650 as one of the families settling Cornelis Melyn's new "colony." The family survived the Staten Island massacre during the Peach War in 1655 and moved to Manhattan and then Wildwyck [Kingston]. Arent Jansen Prall [the first to take the surname] married there. The family moved back to Staten Island about 1675. The 3rd generation [Aaron] moved to property in Hunterdon Co., New Jersey. The family would relocate to a handful of neighboring counties before a lengthy stop in Harford Co., Maryland, then York Co., Pennsylvania. After his wife's death, Isaac R. Prall joined several of his children in a moved to Ohio. Hugh McDonald Prall lived in Highland and Auglaize Counties before landing in Grant Co., Indiana. My grandfather, William Marshall Prall was a candy maker in Marion, Indiana, Cincinnati, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana. The family stayed in Indy, until my folks retired to Bonita Springs, Florida. In the meantime, I moved to Arcadia, Florida in 1973 to start my teaching career and returned to Indiana in 2008 [Avon.] New Netherland/New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, Indiana

Wolary: Henry Ullery was the first of the family to appear in the records. His family probably came from one of the German states. Henry may have been born in Hampshire Co., (W) Virginia in 1788. Henry lived in Back Creek Valley, Frederick Co., Virginia and married Elizabeth Rogers there in 1813. The Wolarys moved to Auglaize Co., Ohio about 1820. Henry went back to Virginia in 1849 to visit family and died there. William Wolary was one to move about quite a bit. Stops were made in Fayette and Clinton Co., Ohio, Grant Co., Indiana, before moving back to Ohio [Clinton, Highland, Auglaize, Logan and Shelby.] William's daughter married Hugh M. Prall in Auglaize Co., Ohio and lived in Grant Co., Indiana thereafter. Germany, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Ohio, Indiana

Hubbard: The country of origin is unknown at this time, possibly England. Levin Hubbard was born in Maryland in 1769. He migrated to Delaware, then to Ohio, residing in Clinton and Ross Counties. Daughters Sarah, from his 2nd marriage and Sina, from his 3rd marriage, were the two wives of William Wolary. England?, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio


A reminder that the GSMC Annual Conference will be at the Indiana History Center on November 16. www.genealogyindy.org

GSMC Annual Conference & Family Migrations III

Reminder for those of you in the area: The Genealogical Society of Marion County's Annual Conference will be held on Saturday, November 16 at the Indiana History Center, in partnership with the Indiana Historical Society. This year's program: Photographic History, Preservation and Archiving" with Joan Hostetler. For details visit http://genealogyindy.org/

The bulk of the remaining families allied to the Simmons-Jennison branch of Mom's family came from various shires in England and settled in Massachusetts. Down the line their descendants married into the previously mentioned families. A few still remain a mystery as to their country of origin. Two, although based in Massachusetts, deserve mention:

Nourse/Nurse - Towne: The Townes hailed from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. The Nurse family was from Yarmouth, Bristol, England. Rebecca Towne and Francis Nurse married in Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1644. They had the misfortune of residing in Salem Village in 1692 and being on the wrong side of local church politics. Rebecca was wrongly accused of witchcraft, but faced the gallows anyway. Her descendants found their way west.

MacCallum/Callum: Micam (Malcolm) MacCallam was a patriotic young Scot captured by Cromwell's Army at the Battle of Dunbar in December of 1650. Cromwell shipped a sizable number of his prisoners to the Saugus Iron Works near Lynn, Massachusetts in early 1651. The Scots became indentured servants there. Micam had earned his freedom by 1655. He added a few drops of Scots blood to the family's westward movement.

Family Migrations II

Round two of my maternal family migrations includes the Simmons, Jennison, Crousore, Smith and O'Neill families.

Simmons: The Simmons clan is another one that didn't totally follow the standard western migration pattern. John Simmons, Sr. came from Hampshire, England during the early 1750s and opened a tavern at the corner of Wall and Nassau Streets in New York City. John and his tavern achieved quite a bit of notoriety. John was called the "most corpulent man" in the colonies and the tavern became a hotbed for patriotic activity. The British occupation of NY City during the Revolutionary War forced the Simmons family to flee. The family resided in Orange Co., NY [where John Jr. enlisted], possibly Burlington Co., NJ, Philadelphia, and Dutchess Co., NY before returning home to reopen the tavern after the war. John acquired land in what is now Chenango Co., NY. John Jr. became his land agent and relocated there. He later operated a "public house" near Cannonsburgh, Pennsylvania. John spent some time in Dearborn Co., Indiana before moving to Monroe Co., Ohio and Wheeling, (West) Virginia, where he died in 1843. Son John W. found land in Switzerland Co., Indiana, Butler Co., Ohio, Henry Co., Ohio and Campbell Co., Kentucky [d. 1857] James Morris Simmons resided in southwestern Ohio, Howard and Carroll Co., Indiana. John T. was a bit more grounded than his ancestors, spending most of his life in Howard and Tipton Co., Indiana. His daughter, Mima, married into the Crail  family in 1882. England, New York, (NJ?), Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky. Indiana

Jennison: Robert Jennison was born in Colchester, England and settled in Watertown,  Massachusetts between 1630-1637. The family remained in Massachusetts for several generations, until Peter Jennison moved to Chenango Co., New York prior to 1812. His daughter, Dolly joined husband John W. Simmons' migration. England, Massachusetts, New York.

Crousore: Nicholas Kraushaar was born in "Germany," settled in eastern Pennsylvania and later in Fayette Co. in western Pennsylvania. John Crousore and most of his brood settled in Clinton Co., Ohio, before cutting a swath through Rush, Delaware, Madison and Howard Co., Indiana. Son Jacob would eventually end up in McPherson Co., Kansas, where he and wife Amy [Smith] died during the late 1870s. Germany, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Kansas

Smith: The family's country of origin is unknown, but the British Isles is a fair bet. The Smiths settled in western Virginia and Pennsylvania, William [son of Henry] settled in Clinton Co., Ohio, where two of his children, John and Ama Jemima "Amy" married into the Crousores. The Smiths joined the migration into Indiana. Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana

O'Neill: Catherine O'Neill was born in County Cork, Ireland about 1833/34. She arrived in New York about 1852 and settled in Indianapolis, where she married Aaron Crail in 1857. The next 77 years were spent moving around Indiana and to Chicago, or residing with family in Indianapolis. Ireland, Indiana, Illinois, Indiana

Family Migrations I

Have you ever traced your family migration from the "old country" to your home town or their place of retirement?

I'm going to trace the various families for a few posts beginning with my Mom's McHugh, Crail, Wagner and Laubscher families.

McHugh: John McHugh was born in County Donegal, Ireland in 1807. John apparently left Ireland with his brother Daniel, Daniel's wife and two children during the early 1830s for the coal mines of Schuylkill Co., Pennsylvania. John married in the Keystone State and then both families moved to Jo Daviess Co., Illinois by about 1845, where James McHugh was born. They were in Gratiot, Lafayette Co., Wisconsin by 1850 and later moved to nearby Shullsburg. After James died in 1898, wife Louisa and the six surviving children moved to Chicago, Illinois. My grandfather, Charles J. McHugh married in Chicago and his eldest son was born there. The family then moved to Indianapolis in 1912. My mother spent her final years [1977-2000] in Bonita Springs, Lee Co., Florida. Other members of the McHugh clan scattered across the country: Texas, California, Georgia, Iowa and other states. The basic move for my line of the family was not the typical westward move. It was more west, northwest, southeast. Ireland, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Florida

Crail: The family's place of origin is a bit of a mystery, but they probably hailed from Scotland. The Crails appeared to have then gone to Maryland, Pennsylvania and later Kentucky. Hamilton Co., Ohio was the first confirmed home for the family. James B. Crail was a hard trace. His three sons were born in Ohio and the family was in Shelby Co., Indiana in 1851 and 1854. The boys and their families were in Marion Co. and Hamilton Co., Indiana in 1860-1870. [James and wife Mary did not show up in the 1850-1870 censuses.] Youngest son Aaron died in 1868. His widow and children moved to Miami Co. , Indiana by 1880. Aaron's son James was a blacksmith and resided in Miami, Marion and Howard Co.'s, Indiana before packing his family off to Ontario, Canada and veterinary medical school in 1894. Returning to the States, the Crails settled in Shelbyville, Shelby Co., Indiana. Chicago was the next stop and finally Indianapolis. James' mother spent most of her final years in Indianapolis. Once again, this was not the typical westward migration. Scotland, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Canada, Indiana, Illinois, Indiana

Wagner & Laubscher: I have combined these two German families together. John Wagner and Catherine Laubscher were both born in Baden. They met and married in Pennsylvania and then moved to the mining country around Fredericktown, Madison Co., Missouri, where daughter Louisa was born in 1849. Catherine's brother George also moved to Missouri. George and John were involved in land transactions in Lafayette Co., Wisconsin in 1850-51. Catherine was a widow with three children by 1855. Louisa married James McHugh in 1874 and died in Chicago in 1906. Her Uncle George returned to Missouri and served in the Union Artillery , later returning to Pennsylvania. Baden [Germany], Pennsylvania, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois

SLIG 2014 & GSMC's Annual Conference

I've been on hiatus for awhile, but am now back and ready to post.

The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy [Jan. 13-17] is quickly approaching. The early bird registration ends October 31. Check out the SLIG at www.info@uga.org. The evening session presentations are now posted. Speaking of the evening sessions, I have the honor of announcing that I will be presenting my "Researching Collateral Ancestors" program on Tuesday [Jan. 14] at 7:00 P.M.

Also, the Genealogical Society of Marion County will be holding its annual conference on Saturday, Nov. 16 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick History Center [Indiana Historical Society]: "Photographic History, Preservation and Archiving" with Joan Hostetler.
For details, see our homepage at http://genealogyindy.org.

GSMC Meeting September 14

The GSMC will be holding it's monthly meeting at the Franklin Road branch of the IMCPL on Saturday, September 14. Our speaker will be Ken Nowlan. His presentation will be "Making Sense of DNA." The program will begin at 1:00. For further details: www.genealogyindy.org

The Salt Lake Institute [Jan. 13-17] still has openings! It is a worthwhile event. Check it out at http://www.infouga.org/aem.php?eid=8

I'm venturing into "new territory" this time around. My Problem Solving project is exclusively Medieval British Isles [with a touch of the Spanish Netherlands thrown in.]

GSMC's new research library Grand Opening - Saturday, Sept. 7 at 11:00

The Genealogical Society of Marion County will celebrate the Grand Opening of its new research library this Saturday [September 7] at 11:00 A.M. The GSMC Library is locate at Memorial Park Cemetery on East Washington St./US 40 [just east of Post Road] in Warren Township.

Come and join us if you are in the neighborhood! Food, tours and a chance to sign up for classes. The library will be a satellite Family History Center, so you can order microfilm from Salt Lake's Family History Library!

For more info, see our website at www.genealogyindy.org

Updates

I've been neglecting blog posts again. [sigh!]

The FGS Conference is underway in Fort Wayne, IN. The Genealogical Society of Marion County will have a display table. Drop by and say hello. [I should be on duty Friday afternoon and Saturday.]

GSMC will hold it's Grand Opening for the new research library on September 7. Drop by and visit our new facility. It is located on E. Washington St. [US 40] just east of Post Road at Memorial Park Cemetery.

St. John Genealogy - Another Twist!

In an earlier post I mentioned my excitement over Jerome Santken's NEHGS Register article about discovering the ancestry of Mathias St. John. In recent weeks an alternate ancestry has been brought to my attention. Suzanne St. John has been researching a cadet line of the St. Johns with Welsh connections.

Mathias' parents remain the same: Christopher St. John & Joane [possibly Fleming], but the ancestry is vastly different.

Suzanne has been kind enough to provide me with a handful of documents.

I've been trying to wade through the Welsh/English ancestry through various on-line sources. I've decided that this will be a good project for the Salt Lake Institute in January. My research of English, Welsh & Dutch records is very limited, so this will be a great opportunity to hone my skills.

Does the St. John family come from Norman origins or Dutch? That will be the question I hope to be able to answer!!

The Generals - Rev War Ancestors

I have saved for the final Rev War post, two of my more interesting collateral ancestors - both distant cousins.

(1) Nathanael Greene was a Quaker by birth, but chose the military. He served as Quartermaster General of the Continental Army & became one of Washington's most trusted officers. Washington wanted Greene to take over the Southern Campaign in 1780, but Congress chose the "Hero of Saratoga," Horatio Gates to take the command. After Gates led his army into a disastrous defeat at Camden, SC & fled the battlefield, Congress gave in to Washington & placed Greene in command of the Southern Army. Greene's victories were few & far between, but he was able to keep Cornwallis at bay. At Guilford Courthouse, NC, Greene handed Cornwallis a tactical defeat. Since the British held the field of battle, Guilford was considered a British victory. Had Washington been killed or captured, it is likely that Gen. Nathanael Greene would have replaced him.

(2) Another of Washington's favorite officers met with a different fate. He helped take Fort Ticonderoga from the British & was a key figure in the invasion of Canada. He added several other feathers to his cap before afoul of his commanding general, Horatio Gates at Saratoga. Still, it was the brilliance of this officer that allowed Gates to become the "Hero of Saratoga." Seriously wounded, the general was appointed military governor of Philadelphia. His questionable actions in Philadelphia led to a reprimand from Washington. Angry over the reprimand & not receiving due credit for his military career, this officer requested command of West Point & sold the outpost's plans to the British. Benedict Arnold had been one of the most brilliant commanders in the Continental Army, now he had turned coat & was a traitor rather than a hero.

Rev War Ancestors - 4

This post will include three different types of service in the war: Continental Line, Partisan & civilian.

Edward Prall was born in New Jersey, but moved to Maryland during the 1760s. He was a merchant by trade & sympathetic to the patriot cause. Edward served on various committees in Harford Co. & was active in getting supplies smuggled to Boston after the "Tea Party." Prall served in the local militia, which became part of Smallwood's Regiment at the Battle of Long Island. The Marylanders were instrumental in enabling Washington to retreat to safety. Along with the Delaware Regiment, they withstood several attacks by British & Hessian regulars, suffering 250 captured or killed out of 400. Lt. Prall was among those captured & imprisoned on one of the British prison ships until exchanged. When Gates was given command of the Southern Campaign, the Marylanders went with him. Their ranks were further decimated during Gates' disastrous defeat at Camden. Reorganized & stocked with new recruits, the Maryland Line served in several other battles in the South, including Guilford Courthouse. Captain Edward Prall commanded a company in the 1st Maryland.

Edward's brother, Benjamin, also a merchant, sent supplies to his sibling during the war. It has been rumored the another brother, Cornelius [my 4th ggf] also helped with providing supplies.

Isaac Rittenhouse owned the Cross Keys Tavern in Hunterdon Co., NJ. His family was in the path of both armies. One story has it that when Tory militia or British troops were confiscating livestock in the area, the Rittenhouse family went into action. When the enemy appeared, Mrs. Rittenhouse would give a signal & Isaac, his sons & slaves would drive their livestock deep into the woods. When the troops tired of the search, the "all clear" was given & the livestock reappeared.

The partisan representation came in the form of the brother of my 5th ggm, Anna Sumter Land. Anna's elder brother, General Thomas Sumter was among the South Carolina partisan leaders who worked out of the swaps & engaged British Regulars & Tory Regiments during the Southern Campaign. Along with the "Swamp Fox" Francis Marion & other militia leaders, the "Gamecock" played a crucial role in the victorious Southern Campaign.

It was reported by his son, Thomas, that John Land served in the war, but verification is still needed.

Rev War Ancestors -3

The Simmons family offer two generations of service in the war.

(1) John, Sr. was a prominent New York City tavern keeper who was forced to evacuate his family as the British began their occupation of the city. His service record shows two possible tours: He
enlisted in Captain Daniel Roe's Company, 2nd Regiment of New York Troops commanded by Col. James Clinton in the spring off 1776. The regiment was a provisional Patriot organization formed in March and disbanded in May. The DAR Patriot Lookup Index lists John's service with the 5th & 6th NY Regiments under Col. William Humfrey and the Dutchess Co. Militia.

(2) John, Jr. enlisted in Captain Jacob Onderdonk's militia unit at Clarkstown [part of Haverstraw] in 1778. [Onderdonk's company served in Hay's NY Militia Regiment from 4 April 1778 until 9 August 1780.] He then served with the militia for two years, primarily guarding the west shore of the North Hudson between Tappan and Paulus Hook. Part of the Shore Guard's duty was to repel British or Tory landings along the Hudson. The Guard lit signal fires on top of High Tor to warn neighboring communities of danger. John finally spent six months during 1781-82 under Captain Bowman [or Bowan] in Col. Friedrich Weissenfels' Regiment of New York Levies [militia drafted to regulars].
Staying within the family, Peter Jennison [father-in-law to John William Simmons, son of John Jr.] served a brief nine days with Captain John Growl's militia company attached to Col. Learned's regiment. Peter Jennison was at Lexington, Mass. on 19 April 1776 to witness the opening clash between British regulars & Colonial militia.

Peter's father-in-law, Amos Singletary, served in the Provincial Congress for four years, representing Sutton, Massachusetts.

Rev War Ancestors, cont'd

More min-bios:

3) Seth Hurin/Mahurin: [11 Nov 1729 Raynham, Bristol, Mass. - 8 Oct 1815 Warren Co., Ohio] The Hurin - Mahurin surname is a story for another blog post. Seth was in his late 40s when the war came & saw no military service.He was able to show support for the cause by signing the "Articles of Association of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of Pequannock, in the County of Morris" denouncing England and pledging support to the Continental and Provincial Congress in May of 1776."  On 18 March 1780 a certificate was issued to Seth Mahurin by the Quartermaster of Morristown for $536 Continental. Mahurin had sent supplies of some sort to aide the troops at the brutal 1779-80 winter encampment. After the war, Seth, wife Mary Hazen & most of the family made the trek across country to the Ohio River & then to the Cincinnati area [Warren Co.]

4) John St. John: [2 Feb 1750 South Salem, Westchester, NY - 5 July 1819 Warren Co., Ohio]: John was a private in Col. Thaddeus Crane's 4th NY Regiment [Westchester Militia], Capt. Ebenezer Scofield company. This became a New York Line Regiment. St. John married Anna Lockwood. The St. Johns also made the move to Ohio & called the Hurins & Faucetts neighbors & in-laws. 

Rev War Ancestors & GSMC July program

The Genealogical Society of Marion County will be holding its monthly meeting Saturday, July 13 at the Glendale Branch Library from 1:00-3:00. Our speaker is Lou Malcomb, in charge of IU's Government Documents, who will give her presentation on "Cemeteries & Maps." See the GSMC website for more details: www.genealogyindy.org

Rev War ancestor mini-bios:
1) John Faucett: [10 Aug 1751 or 1752 Augusta Co., VA (now Greenbriar Co., WV) - 23 April 1838 Marion Co., IN] After an eventful childhood, allegedly spent among the Indians [probably the Shawnee], John Faucett found himself in Western Pennsylvania, living near the Old Redstone Fort (present-day Uniontown, Fayette Co.) at the outbreak of the Revolution. John served six separate tours of duty totalling 13 months & 20 days over four years. He served chiefly as a "ranger & spy" (frontier scout) as a member of the local militia covering the territory of northern Virginia, western Pennsylvania & eastern Ohio. During the summer of 1778, his militia company was attached to a Virginia Line Regiment. This qualified Pvt. Faucett for a pension. After the war, Faucett went on to settled in SW Ohio in 1799 & Central Indiana in 1824. He married Eve Fry.

2) Holden Rhodes: [22 Sep 1750 Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island - 1 Feb 1809 Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island] Rhodes married Susanna Wall in 1769. Holden was a mariner by trade, and when the war broke out, kept to his profession. The new nation did not have a navy, but many mariners chose to serve as privateers, taking on the British naval forces. Holden Rhodes served as prize master aboard the sloops Joseph & Satisfaction. [The prize master was the officer in charge of captured vessels.] While serving aboard the Satisfaction, Rhodes was captured & sent to Forten Prison in Gosport, England in July 1778. He was exchanged 11 Dec 1779. Holden Rhodes became master/captain of several ships after the war. At least four of his sons were lost or died at sea.

Belated 4th of July Ancestral Thanks!

I was out of town for the 4th of July weekend, so am now getting to my Independence Day "thank you's" a little late. I did a quick check of my ancestors and came up with 16 [two very distant cousins, two brothers of a direct ancestor, 12 direct] who served their newly formed country between 1776-1783.

Here's the roll call: Pvt. John Faucett [PA militia, VA Line], Capt. Holden Rhodes [RI privateer], Seth Mahurin [NJ - provided supplies for Morristown encampment], Pvt. John St. John [NY - Westchester militia, NY Line], John Simmons Sr. [NY - 2nd Rgt.], John Simmons Jr. [NY - Orange Co. militia, NY Levies], Pvt. Peter Jennison [MA - Lexington], Amos Singletary [MA - 4 yrs as Rep. from  Sutton in Provincial Congress], Gen. Thomas Sumter [SC -Partisan commander], John Land [VA/KY - a son claims he served, no concrete evidence], Isaac Rittenhouse family [NJ - tormented Tory troops scavanging for food and livestock], Capt. Edward Prall [MD - 1st Maryland Line troops], Benjamin Prall [NJ - provided supplies for brother's Maryland soldiers]; AND the two distant cousins: Gen. Nathaniel Greene [RI - Quartermaster General, Commander of the Southern Department] & Gen. Benedict Arnold [CT - Fort Ticonderoga, Lake Champlain, Montreal, Saratoga...] I'll end there, he started downhill after that. :)-

Each individual has a unique story. I'll relate those in upcoming blogs.

GSMC, St. John Research & other genealogy stuff

The move to the new research facility at Memorial Park Cemetery for the Genealogical Society of Marion County is progressing nicely. We packed up materials & furniture at Crown Hill last week for the move to Memorial Park. Today we did a considerable amount of unpacking at Memorial Park. The finishing touches should be made on the move sometime in August.

Our program schedule is set for July through November. July 13: "Cemeteries & Maps" [Lou Malcomb]; August 10: "Cemetery Research" [Jeannie Regan-Dinius]; September 14: "DNA" [Ken Nowlan]; October 12: "Scottish Records & Rresearch" [Lee Chloe]; November 17 GSMC Annual Conference at the IHS Eugene & Marilyn Glick History Center: "Photo Preservation" [Joan Hostetler of Heritage Photo Research]

Check the GSMC website: www.genealogyindy.org often for news & updates on programs & the grand opening of the new GSMC Research Center.

We will be an affiliate of Familysearch.org & the Family History Library, so we will be able to order microfilms from the FHL in Salt Lake!!

I've been slowly, but surely getting the new St. John/Sension/Santken information recorded from the NEHGS Register artcle from April. There was a mention of Nicholas Sension in the article. I was able to track down some additional info on him. A marriage date [12 June 1645], but not the maiden name of Nicholas' wife Isable turned up in the notes on Sension's probate, as did death dates for Nicholas [18 September 1689] & Isable [2 October 1689].

A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records: Hartford District 1635-1700 [edited by Charles William Manwaring] provided the information. Sension's estate was inventoried 8 April 1690 by Timothy Phelps Sr. & James Ennoe. [p. 58]; 9 April 1690 - Samuel Willson appointed Administrator. [court record, p. 14]

My Arnold Line = Big OOPS!

As a researcher, I try to strive for accuracy. Every once in awhile I make errors or later research proves that I drew incorrect conclusions early on. Errors . must then be corrected!

The old fraudulent genealogy dodge got me on the Arnold ancestry that I recently revisited. I have been aware of Gustave Anjou's "made-up" genealogies for years, but Horatio Gates Somerby somehow escaped my attention.

Somerby was noted for fraudulent genealogies back in the 1800s. He traced the Arnolds' Welsh ancestry from Ynyr of Gwent to Arnold immigration to America. As I was trying to sort things out & get Ynyr to my Arnolds, things weren't matching up. I got suspicious & googled my Arnolds & Somerby. Ol' Horatio had gotten creative in making the lines connect.

So, now I get to trim 3-4 generations from my Arnold tree. I hadn't worked on the Arnolds for several years. Something "back in the day" must have alerted me as I did not include the family back to Ynyr at that time.

One of my very distant Arnold cousins is General Benedict Arnold [9th cousin, several times removed, I think]. Yes, the hero of the Continental Army in the early years of the Rev. War! Canada, Saratoga & other campaigns. He saved the day at Saratoga, although his commanding officer took & received the credit. Of course Benedict had a lapse in character & turned traitor.

Who was it that helped taint the Arnold legacy? General Horatio Gates, who later left his defeated army on the field at Camden.

Interesting. Horatio Gates messed up Arnold's legacy. Horatio Gates Somerby messed up his ancestry!

Welsh Genealogy

My recent trip to the Newberry Library in Chicago redirected me to my Arnold ancestry. According to numerous sources the family is of Welsh origin.

I try to avoid the "Noble European Lineages" as much as possible since there's too much room for error. Besides, the stories of the noblility's common descendants tend to be more interesting. However, this one hooked me.

The Welsh dealt in patronymics [John's son Thomas = Thomas ap John. Thomas' son Arthur = Arthur ap Thomas, etc.] Figuring out the pronunciation of Welch names is also an adventure.

Familysearch.org has a neat feature called "Community Trees." Sources are given and conflicting information is noted on the page of the individual concerned.

This should lead to a few hours of fun research!

By the way, "Move-in Day" is approaching for the Genealogy Society of Marion County's Research Center at Memorial Park Cemetery on East Washington St./US 40. Keep checking in for updates!

Chicago & Genealogy

Returning after another long layoff!

My maternal grandfather, Charles McHugh, moved to Chicago from Shullsburg, WI in 1904. His mother, Louisa, died there in 1906. My grandparents were married in Chicago in 1910 & one of my uncles were born there. The McHughs & Crails moved to Indy in 1911.

I finally made it to Chicago last week. My girlfriend was attending a conference & I tagged along. We attended the Wednesday Reds - Cubs game at Wrigley Field [Reds, 2-1], went to the top of the Sears [Willis] Tower, Michigan Ave., the Museum of Science & Industry & the Medieval Times [Schomburg]. On my own, I took in the Field Museum & the Newberry Library.

The people we met in Chicago were great! CTA workers for the Els & subway were extremely helpful & courteous, as were the folks at Wrigley. Cub fans? They are a special breed - numerous fans lamented that "at least we won one of four vs. the Reds." Still, really nice folks. Museum staffers were nice as well. We ate at several deli shops & met more nice folks working there.

I did a little research at the Newberry Library & was a bit disappointed. CLOSED STACKS! As a researcher, I like to browse the collections at libraries. You never know when a gem will appear on a shelf. With closed stacks, you have no chance to find the "accidental gem." The Newberry was a beautiful facility & the staff was helpful. I did make a couple of finds!

The one downer was a tour at the Museum of S&I. The guide was terrific, but there was a family with a overly inquisitive youngster, who also wanted to touch nearly everything he wasn't supposed to. He was constantly asking an assortment of questions. At some point the parents should have reeled him in out of respect for the rest of the group. The older brother was a delight, asking questions politely as we moved from stop to stop. The sister was too young to know what was going on.

This is the 2nd tour that has been hampered by families with children too young to be on the tour. We did a tour of Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati & a couple had infants in a stroller. They had to pull aside from time to time to quell crying & the tour group couldn't make a scheduled stop because of the stroller.

Parents: Use some common sense. Don't take your little ones on tours that they are too young for! Make sure that they can behave appropriately if you do.

Places that offer tours: I realize that you need to turn a profit, but please put an age limit on kids [5-7 maybe] & instruct guides to pull aside parents to politely request that they keep the kids in line.

OK, I am stepping down from my soapbox & getting back to genealogy.

By the way, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealgy has opened registration for 2014!

Chicago - you were great!!

Updating Long-ignored Files: The St. John Family

The publication of the Mathias St. John/Sension article mentioned in a recent post has resulted in a new contact. [More on that in a later post.]

It was pointed out that I missed a son of Job St. John in the Family Group Record. I had Josiah listed as a son in Job's bio, but missed him when recording the kids. [If you can, get someone to read your material before you finalize it!] So, I need to go through my four St. John folders to piece together a profile for Josiah.

I also need to record the two new generations [Mathias' parents & grandparents] into my RootsMagic program.

My new contact has requested the deeds & other documents I used to reassign Samuel St. John to [I believe] his correct parents, Mathias II St. John & Elizabeth _______. [He was originally determined to be the son of Mathias III & Rachel Bouton.]

The lesson/suggestion here? When you have some down time in your research, pick a family & check to see what you may have missed or what new research has been conducted. If all is accurate & up to date, at least you have reacquainted yourself with ancestors you haven't visited in awhile!

Family History & the Indy 500, the Greatest Spectacle in Racing

I finally made it to the Indy 500, thanks to my girlfriend! So what's that got to do with genealogy, you ask?  Well, here goes!

My maternal grandfather had the first TV in the neighborhood in, I believe, 1946. It had a 6" or 8" screen. Family & friends showed up to watch the race at the McHugh household. My folks last attended the 1948 race. As a kid, during the '60s, we regularly attended Bump Day. Back then it was really Bump Day! There were always a half-dozen or so drivers & car owners scurrying around Pit Road trying to get a deal together for a chance to qualify.

My first vivid memory of the 500 was the 1958 race & the tragic crash that took Pat O'Connor's life. I listened to the radio broadcast every year [even while watching the TV broadcast while living in Florida]. I was glued to the radio when A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Jr., & Rick Mears won their four 500s. The '64 crash that took Eddie Sachs & Dave McDonald is still vividly implanted in my memory.

In 1962, one of the drivers was supposed to make an appearance at the Walgreen's in Irvington. With a store full of enraged mothers & disappoined kids, the manager called the track after a two hour wait. Rodger Ward was within earshot of the desperate call & volunteered to drive across town to fill-in. He made sure every postcard, racecar & slip of paper was autographed. During the late stages of the race that year, Ward took over the lead & won the 500. He had plenty of bonus fan support!

Sid Collins, Paul Page & others served as the "Voice of the 500."

Finally, my chance to see the race live came, with a call, "We're going to the race."

Wow! Little did I know what I was in for! Jim Nabors returned to sing "Back Home Again in Indiana" after being to ill to make the trip last year. 11 American drivers, 4 women in the field, a home-grown polesitter in Ed Carpenter, two 3-time winners in the field.....

Our seats were across from the last four pits on the main straight away.

We witnessed a record number of lead changes from 2012 double, a third of the field lead the race & a new average speed record was set. And to top it off, the sentimental, hard-luck favorite manuevered his way back into the lead just before the final caution & won the race under yellow. The crowd roared as Tony Kanaan crossed the yard of bricks to take the checkered flag.

What a wild & wacky debut for me at the Brickyard! [Speaking of the Brickyard - I'm attending my 1st NASCAR race this summer as well.]

So the 500 transcends the generations, my grandfather hosting the first televised 500, my parents taking me to Bump Day for 6-7 years running & me finally attending my first 500, a multi-record-breaker with a fan favorite taking the win. Oh, there was a gentleman sitting next to my girlfriend who had brought his granndchildren - he too was sharing his memories of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."

P.S. Contrats to Tony Kanaan!!

A Good Genealogy Moment!!!

I feel like I've been suffering from research-block for a few days. The family that I need to get my data sorted out on is the Reels. The data is somewhat of a jumbled mess. Dates from various sources don't work [parents born about 1740, 1st child born about 1750] & other details don't sort out well.

What I needed was a bit of good genealogy news. It came with the online publication of the April 2013 issue of the NE Historical & Genealogical Register. There was an article by Jerome Lafayette Santken entitled Origins of Mathias and Nicholas Sension Determined. Oh  boy! Family!

I had worked on my St. John/Sension line during the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy a few years ago. A fellow St. John researcher felt that Samuel St. John, who was identified as the son of Mathias III in the St. John Genealogy by Orline St. John Alexander [1907], should rightfully be the son of Mathias II. I conducted the "reasonably exhaustive search" required & came to agree that Samuel was assigned to the wrong parents.

The Santken article was my first reunion with my St. John ancestors. Early research tried to tie them to English or Welsh nobility or even Norman origins. Nothing could be further from the truth! Santken came across about 110 variations of the St. John name. As it turned out the family was of  Dutch origin.

The family was taken back another two generations & expanded considerably.

Just when you need it, a bit of new info magically appears!!

Online Family Trees & Documentation

I have held off posting my family tree online ever since it was possible to do so. Many people seem to have jumped at the opportunity. Unfortunately, many of the many miss out on a few fundamental items that I wish were corrected.

(1) Documentation! It seems like 90% of online trees are undocumented. If they are, census records [helpful] and citing someone else's tree are the main sources. Those other trees are frequently in error and lack citation as well. Rsearch your data and post the documentation. If you have a marriage date - give the source!!

(2) Piggy-backing [latching onto another posted tree] and assuming the other tree is well-researched.

(3) Unreliable trees with reliable sources. An unwitting researcher will post a tree with sources and goof-up! Say they have an abstract of a will attached to the tree. The will of "James Brown" [wriiten Jan. 20, 1845, proved Mar. 10, 1845] names his wife Wanda and children James Jr., Robert, Sidney, Ella [wife of Garrett Davis], Victoria and Louise. It also names, Walter Watson, "my wife's brother. The tree shows James Brown [born 1790, died after 1850], wife - unknown, children - James, Robert, Simeon, Elmer, Victoria and Louise. C'MON! You have a nice range for James' death, Jan.-Mar. 1845. No Robert in the will. Two kids misnamed, one the wrong sex! The Mrs. is also identified, even her maiden name! Check 'em when you post 'em!

Once in awhile I will contact someone to correct an error. Frequently, the person will make the correction. I finally located the wife and marriage record for one of my ancestors. About 25 trees had the wife incorrectly identified. I contacted many of the posters and a couple corrected the error. Still, the majority have the incorrect, undocumented spouse. The kicker in this is that the census records are partly to blame. The letter 'm' was transcribed as a double 'n' every year [1850-1870].

Come on folks! Stop collecting names and post accurate data with accurate sources.

When the Ancestors Arrived

After compiling my list of "National origins," I got to thinking about the arrival of my ancestors. The vast majority came over early.

The majority of my Massachusetts, Connecticut & Rhode Island ancestors landed on American shores between 1620 & 1699. The New Netherland arrivals were during the 1650s & 1660s. Welsh Quakers came over shortly after the establishment of Pennsylvania. I'm fairly sure that most of my "mystery families" arrived by the early 1700s. The latest arrivals were Germans & Irish in the 1830s & one Irish straggler about 1852.

I'm almost jealous of researchers anxiously awaiting 19th & 20th century immigration, naturalization & similar records to appear on Ancestry.com, familysearch & other sites. In the meantime, I'm hoping to track down records from the 1650s!

Then again, the "recent arrivals" have to battle constantly changing European borders & records destroyed during WWI & before. Me? I can qualify for about a dozen lineage societies!

Ancestral Heritage - Part 4

The wrap-up: surnames Q-Z.

46 - England                       3 - probably England
5 - Switzerland                   2 - probably Germany
3 - Germany                       1 - probably Wales
3 - Wales                           5 - unknown
1 - Ireland
3 - The Netherlands
_______________________________________________________________________-

England = 156                       Switzerland = 13
prob England = 12                 Sweden = 2
Wales = 8                              Germany = 10
prob Wales = 1                       prob Germany = 3
Scotland = 3                          The Netherlands = 12
prob Scotland = 1                   prob The Netherlands = 1
Ireland = 4                              W. Flanders/Belgium = 1
prob Ireland = 1                      Fr. Flanders/Netherlands = 1
Wales/England = 1                  unknown = 25
Scotland/N. Ireland = 2
Scotland/Ireland = 1
England/Ireland = 1
England/Scotland = 1

So, England claims about 65%, the rest of Britain/Ireland about 9%, Western Europe about 17% & unknown about 9%.

Satisfy your curiosity & figure your own heritage. By the way, my late-comers were Irish [c1835, 1852].
Nearly everyone else arrived during the 1600s &  1700s!

Ancestral Heritage - Part 3

Hre are surnames J-P. The final installment [Q-Z] & totals will appear with the next post.

32 - England                   1 - W. Flanders/Belguim
6 - The Netherlands        1 - England or Scotland
5 - Switzerland                1 - probably The Netherlands
3 - Ireland                       2 - probably England
2 - Germany                    8 - unknown
2 - Wales
1 - Scotland
1 - Sweden

England is still dominant, The Netherlands picked up a point or two.

Ancestral Heritage - Part 2

Here's round two,  D-H: 67 surnames:

43 England                         2 probably England
2 The Netherlands              1 probably Switzerland
1 Scotland                          1 probably Germany
2 Switzerland                      1 probably Ireland
3 Wales                              5 unknown
3 Germany
1 French Flanders or The Netherlands
1 Ireland or England
1 Ulster or Scotland

English bloodlines are still very dominant. Dutch, German, Irish & a few others should pick up a little.

Ancestral Heritage - Part 1

I have wondered from time to time, [sans DNA reports] what percentage of what nationalities were included in my bloodlines. I know the British Isles are well covered [England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales], as is Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland & other western European nations to a much lesser degree.

So far I have waded through letters A, B & C, a total of 54 surnames. The dynamics will change as I go through the alphabet, but so far, no surprises. The results based on at least one generation =

35 England                            5 probably England  
1 Wales                                1 Scotland or Ireland
1 Switzerland                        1 Scotland or Ulster
1 Sweden                             1 probably Scotland   
1 Scotland                            7 unknown
 2 Germany     
1 The Netherlands           
That's about 60-70% English. That percentage should hold fairly well. A few more letters next time!

Family Lore Presentation

Saturday, May 11, the Genealogical Society of Marion County will present "San Juan Hill, a Mayflower Connection, a Ship Lost at Sea & other bits of family lore" at the Eagle Branch of the Marion Co. Public Library [34th & Georgetown] from 1:00-3:00.

The presentation will cover how to sort out fact from fiction in the stories passed down from generation to generation, or at least determine if the story could be true. Speaker: yours tryly.

Ancestors in Hiding: The Crail Family

One of the great mysteries of my genealogical research is why James B. & Mary [Jones] Crail went into hiding every 10 years, you know, like 1840, 1850, 1860 & 1870.

Various sources identify the parents of Aaron, John & Sylvester Crail as James B. Crail & Mary A. Jones. James & Mary married in Ohio [probably] about 1834. Sylvester was born in Hamilton Co., OH in 1835 & John was born there two years later. Aaron was born in Marion Co., OH in 1839. [source for all three: Civil War service records]

The family was in Shelby Co., IN from at least 1851 [when Mary purchased lots in Marietta, Shelby, IN] & 1854 [when she & James sold the lots.] The three brothers married during the '50s & were easily tracked until their deaths.

James & Mary have yet to be located in any other records. I found a church contributors list in Cincinnati in 1836 & tax lists for 1838 that could have been the correct James B. Crail. Mary next appeared in the Indy city directories beginning in 1876 as a widow of James & generally residing with son John. She died in 1887. [Death certificate: born Kentucky, father - T. Jones] There is no record of James from 1854 until his death prior to 1876.

James was probably the son of James Berry Crail, Sr. The elder James & his family never show up with the younger James.

I have been in contact with another Crail researcher over the years who is a descendant of George Berry Crail purported to be the 4th son of James & Mary. Inconsistencies in research, misidentification of familial relationships & zero records placing George with the rest of the family have prevented me from fully accepting the connection. The supporting evidence FOR George is that he doesn't appear in the 1850-70 censuses either. His death certificate does name his parents as James B. Crail & Mary Jones.

I guess I'm bull-headed. Until I can find more supporting evidence, I just can't fully accept the story.

Gulley: Enoch vs. George

My Gulley line turned up an interesting brick wall. I had documentation that Richard & John Gulley saw Revolutionary War service, but my ancestor Enoch [their brother] did not. Then I came across a DAR submision for a George Gulley: b. 1750 England, d. 1828 Kentucky, m. Frances Franklin. George served with the Virginia troops during the Rev. War.

Enoch Gulley was born in 1750, but in Virginia [a family story had him born in Wales]. He died in Shelby Co., Idiana about 1829 & was married to Frances "Franky" Franklin.

Were Enoch & George one & the same? Nothing has turned up yet to prove or disprove it one way or the other.

Another mystery to be investigated!

Levin Hubbard's 2nd Wife

I'm back to the family mysteries.... One name on the family tree that has done a masterful job of eluding me is that of Levin Hubbard's 2nd wife & the mother of Sarah Hubbard. Levin was married three times. Of course, I have identified the 1st & 3rd wives [Lydia Marshall & Charlotte Adams], but the 2nd has proved elusive.

Lydia was the mother of six children born between 1795 & 1806. All births have been recorded in Dorchester Co., MD. Very little has been found on Lydia, however.

Charlotte's four youngsters have been identified thanks to the 1850 census for Clinton Co., Ohio. [Levin died there in 1849.]

The middle family has proven to be a somewhat more difficult project. Levin moved to Delaware either after his 1st wife died or he married for the 2nd time. Selah/Selia [born between 1810 & 1815], John [1816] & Nancy [c1817] were born either in Maryland or Delaware. Sarah [c1819] & Levin Jr. [c1822] were born in Delaware. Elizabeth [c1823] was Ohio born.

I tackled the "Hubbard Problem" in Salt Lake City back in 2009 & made very little headway. One hopeful note was that one Sarah's siblings died after death registrations were filed in Indiana. That fizzled. The father's name was incorrectly recorded & the mother listed as "unknown."

To make the story really interesting, Sarah Hubbard Wolary died between 1860 & 1863, leaving her husband William with three minor children. Sina, Sarah's younger half-sister, had a baby whose father was killed during the Civil War. William Wolary married Sina & adopted the baby. They also had a child of their own. 

My great-grandmother, Margaret Jane Wolary Prall was between 4 & 6 when her mother died, so was raised by Sina for most of her childhood..

Getting the Place Right

When recording the places where your ancestors lived, make sure you are accurate for the period. In other words, record the county or other locale as it was when your ancestor lived there.

For example, my Faucett ancestors settled in Warren Co., Ohio. However, when John & his family arrived about 1797/8, Warren County had yet to be created. So from the time the Faucetts settled between the  Miami Rivers until 1804, they resided in Hamilton County. I have seen a ton of entries for the Faucett kids born before 1804 listed "b. Hamilton Co."

US GenWeb's State sites all have county formation charts. Thorndale & Dollarhide's "Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920" has state/territorial maps for each census year with county boundary changes. Other sites will give you county changes as well. RootsMagic has a wonderful feature that let's you know if the place you entered was accurate. You know immediately if you have erred on state vs. territory, county change, etc. I would imagine other programs have a similar feature.

Keeping the location accurate will help you track down land, vital & other records on your ancestors. They might have lived on the same tract of land for three generations, but their records could be in 4-5 different counties! The Berkmiers settled in Green Co. in 1750. Haverford Co. is carved from Green in 1770. Hill Co. is taken from Haverford in 1820. Yellow Creek Co. is taken from Hill in 1840.

The 1st family deed & two births are found in Green Co., a handful of vital records & a deed in Haverford,  more vital records in Hill Co. & the deed where the family sells that original tract is recorded in Yellow Creek Co. [but it does say "originally Green Co."]

Get the location right! It will help you tell the family story with more accuracy.

Also make sure you get things in order. City, town or township, county, state; City, province, country & so on. Recently I've seen entries for Leiden as South Holland, Leiden, Netherlands. It should be Leiden, Soouth Holland, The Netherlands.

Prall - Rhodes Mystery

The Rhodes family pops up again in the mystery category. One of the questions surrouding Isaac Rittenhouse Prall & Ann Bathia Rhodes is the exact date of death for the couple. A brief bio for one of their sons stated that Ann died in 1865 & Isaac in 1880.

Isaac sold his York Co., PA property in April of 1865. Ann was not mentioned in the deeds, so most likely died in early 1865. Isaac made the trip from Pennsylvania to Ohio & was residing with daughter Anne Elizabeth Kohler in Clinton Co., OH in 1870. Isaac did not appear in the 1880 census, nor was he located in the mortality schedule. Did he die in Clinton Co.? Putnam Co., OH where the Kohlers lived in 1880? Perhaps he decided to return home to York Co.?

To date - an unsolved mystery!