My Revolutionary War Patriots, Levi Younger of Gloucester, Massachusetts

 

The Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial

This is #5 in a series of posts I am publishing this year for the 250th Anniversary of the USA. 

My 5th great grandfather Levi Younger was born on 7 February 1756 in Gloucester, Massachusetts, the son of William Younger and Lucy Foster.  He was the second of three sons, and his sister was the famous Thomasine AKA Tammy Younger, "The Witch of Dogtown".  All three brothers were mariners. 

On 17 July 1784, after the Revolutionary War, Levi married Mary Wotten in Gloucester.  She was the Daughter of John Wotton and Mary Hall of Gloucester. Mary was one of nine children in the Wotten family.  Together they had five children of their own, and I descend from their eldest son, Levi Younger, Jr. 

There is very little known about Levi's life in Gloucester.  I know he was a mariner, but was he a sailor?, a fisherman? a whaler? On 13 January 1776, when he was almost 20 years old he enlisted in Captain Bradbury Sanders' Company for a service of 7 months and 18 days.  This company was stationed at Gloucester for defense of the seacoast.  Gloucester is at the tip of Cape Ann, north of Boston, and a strategic seaport for New England.

At some point after his initial enlistment Levi must have re-enlisted in the militia, or perhaps he served as a privateer with a contract with a ship captain.  I can't find any further information on a re-enlistment.  However, he was apparently a seaman captured during the war, imprisoned on a prison ship Favorite, and later sent to prison in England and later exchanged. I found him listed as a mariner aboard the ship General Glover, captained by Nicholas Bartlett, with a crew of 66, captured on 18 October 1779 by the British navy. 

In the book Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the American Revolution, Volume XVII, page 1039: 

Younger, ------, List of prisoners to be returned in exchange for British Prisoners sent to New York in the cartel "Favorite" as returned by Robert Pierpont, commissary of Prisoners (year not given); said Younger, Seaman, to be exchanged for James Price, Seaman.

To confirm that this was actually Levi Younger, I was able to find this document in the Franklin Papers:

From Daniel Edwards et al.

als: American Philosophical Society

L’Orient April 8th: 1782.

Sir

Haveing had the good fortune to make our Escape from Forton Prison in England on the 13th March last and to take a small Sloop from Portsmouth in the Night in which 32 of us landed safe at Cape Bellflour from whence we marched to Le Hague where we met with a French Gentlemen a Commissary who gave us a Pass a pair of Shoes & 10 Livres each to go as far as St. Maloes. When we arrived there 19 of us being not able to travell any farther they went on board a Privateer for a Months Cruize 5 got Passes and have gone to Nantes in order to make the best of their way to America & 8 of us came here for the like purpose wanting to get home as soon as Possible haveing been a long time prisoners some of us sent to England from the West Indies & some from New York. We arrived here the 25th: Ultio. & the American Agent not being here nor no Continental Ships we were Obliged to take Lodgeings for 11 Days before we could get a Vessell to go on Board off & the Capt. has it not in his power to give us any thing but our Victuals for our Work he haveing his Complement of hands already Shipped however he has promissed us a passage home but cannot give us any Money untill he Arrives in Philadelphia. And as there is no other Vessell in the Harbour Bound to America that will Sail this 3 or 4 Months and this Ship being almost Ready to sail we have thought it best to come on Board of her upon them Conditions.

And as we are destitute of both Money and Clothes we have made bold to apply to your Excellency requesting (If you please) some Assistance that will enable us at least to satisfy the Gentleman who was so kind as to take us in and Board us for the above mentioned time. (his Name is John Dager)

Two of us belong to Continental Ships Joshua Goss Midshipman belonging to the Boston Frigate was taken in one of her Prizes on the 8th: of July 1778 by the Porcupine Ship of War of 24 Guns and Carried to England where he has been a Prisoner ever since untill this present Escape.- The Other Eliphalet Rogers belonging to the Alliance Frigate was taken in one of her Prizes the 18th: Septr. 1779 and has likewise been a Prisoner in Forton Prison untill this present time. Therefore they would be extremely Obliged to your Excellency (if in your Power) to advance them a trifle of their Wages as their Necessities at present are very Pressing- Your Excellencie’s granting this our Humble Petition would be gratefully Acknowledged by your Excellencies Most Obdt. Humble Servts.

Daniel Edwards Joshua Goss George Clark James Fuller Elipalet Rogers Robert Fulton Isaac Allen William James His Mark

p.s. There is two more prisoners arived here that wrote to your Excellency from Havre de Grace and two of their Companions that Escaped in the Cartell with the french are detained in the [Kian] at Brest who would be glad of your assistance in setting them at Liberty. their Names are Levi Younger & Bartholemew Cashwood

His Excellency Doctr. Franklin Esqr.

Addressed: His Excellency / Doctr. Franklin Esqr. / At / Paris.

Notation: [torn: Edwar]ds Daniel, [torn: Goss J]oshua, &c. L’ori-ent [torn] 1782.

It appears that when the ship General Glover was captured, the seamen were imprisoned by the British at the imfamous Forton Prison in Gosport, England. Some of the prisoners made an escape in March, and were taken to the Netherlands, and later to St. Malo.  They were separated, and some made it back to the colonies. It must have been quite an adventure, but by 1782 they were back home. This document addressed to Benjamin Franklin, who was the ambassador to Britain during the war, asks for Levi Younger to be released from the cartell in Brest, France. We know that Levi made it home, because in 1784 he married Mary Wotten in Gloucester. This is interesting to me because Benjamin Franklin is a cousin on my paternal side, and Levi Younger is on my maternal side of the family tree. 

Forton was an infamous prison.  It was originally a naval hospital, but later used during the American Revolution and the war of 1812 as a prisoner of war camp. The conditions were brutal, and many prisoners died or were hanged as traitors and pirates.  Most of the prisoners had spent time on prison ships in New York Harbor before being transferred to Forton.  

In the Salem Gazette, 11 March 1806, page 4, there was a notice for the estate of Levi Younger of Gloucester. "Notice is hereby given that the subscriber has been duly appointed administratix of the estate of Levi Younger of Gloucester, mariner, deceased, and has taken upon herself that by giving bends, as the law directs.  All persons having demands against the said estate, are requested to exhibit them for settlement- and those indebted to make payments to: Mary Carter, Admin'x Gloucester, Feb. 4th, 1806."  The Essex County Probate records state that Levi Younger died intestate.  His wife, Mary, had remarried to John Carter on 24 October 1801 in Gloucester.  We have not found a death record for Levi Younger, but he must have died sometime before 1801, leaving Mary with five children between the ages of 6 and 15 years old. 

I find the story of Levi Younger to be fascinating for many reasons. First, although we know almost nothing about his personal life, his harrowing capture, imprisonment and escape survive through federal records.  He must have had a very hard life, as a mariner in New England and died young. Perhaps he died at sea? Perhaps he died from his hardships as a prisoner of war.  Perhaps we will never know? 

In a twist of fate, Levi Younger, Jr., my 4th great grandfather, was also a privateer during the War of 1812, and he was also captured by the British.  He was held on board the prison ship Royal William. I'm not sure of how he was released, but by 1816 he was back in Gloucester and married my 4th great grandmother Catherine Plummer Jones on 23 October 1816.  She was the sister of Mary Lambert Jones Dominis, the mother-in-law to Queen Lili'oukalani. 

For the truly curious:

Kaminkow, Marion and Jack. Mariners of the American Revolution. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1996 

 Franklin Papers, Volume 37, page 116, letter from Daniel Edwards about the Escape from Forten Prison

Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the American Revolution, Vol. XVII, page 1039

The first blog post in this series

Patriot #1 Colonel Joshua Burnham of Milford, New Hampshire:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/02/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-colonel.html   

Patriot #2 Major Andrew Munroe of Lexington, Massachusetts    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/03/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-major.html  

Patriot #3 Jonathan Flint of Reading, Massachusetts    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/03/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-jonathan.html  

Patriot #4  Daniel Glover of Marblehead, Massachusetts    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/04/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-daniel.html  

The Younger family:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/12/surname-saturday-younger-of-gloucester.html   

Tammy Younger, the Witch of Dogtown:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/02/tammy-younger-witch-of-dogtown.html  

A blog post on Levi Younger, Jr. and his capture during the War of 1812:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/01/levi-younger-mariner-and-prisoner-of.html  

Also,

An interesting article about Forton Prison during the American Revolution:

https://allthingsliberty.com/2021/01/plight-of-the-seamen-incarceration-escape-or-secured-freedom/  

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "My Revolutionary War Patriots, Levi Younger of Gloucester, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 14, 2026, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/04/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-levi.html: accessed [access date]). 

The History of The White Mountains National Forest

 

During the COVID lockdown millions of people sought relief from being inside by visiting the White Mountains National Forest in New Hampshire and Maine.  Its proximity to major urban areas like Boston made it an extremely popular place for day visitors. Usually, the White Mountains see about 6 million visitors annually.  In the summer of 2020, the visitation rates exceeded the rates of major national parks like Yellowstone or Yosemite. 

Even without COVID lockdown restrictions, people still seek relief in nature.  National parks and National Forests are so popular, especially among foreign visitors, that there are businesses and tours designed especially for tourists to take advantage of their natural beauty.  Parks nearer to large population centers, like Acadia, Shenandoah, and the White Mountains see even more visitors with day visits bringing up the numbers even higher.  I know that when we need a nature break, we often just drive up to the Kancamagus Highway for a few hours.  When we were younger, an overnight in a tent fulfilled the same purpose.

Humans have visited the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine for over 10,000 years. These native hunting grounds became a tourist attraction in the 19^th century, along with logging and farming. But 70% of the land in New Hampshire south of the notches had been cleared of trees by 1850.  Needing a good source for wood, the loggers moved up to the White Mountains and began to clear cut the forests.

The devastation to the White Mountains was not just to the beauty of the scenery.  There were major forest fires that caused silting of the waterways. Erosion threatened the slopes of the mountains. The towns that lived downstream suffered from ash in the air and pollution of the waters. Businesses suffered.  People suffered. Businesses in New England suffered. 

Scenes of deforestation in New Hampshire

Congress had acted to protect forests out west, but in the east, no one supported saving the forests.  According to the Appalachian Mountain Club, Congress rejected over 40 bills to establish eastern national forests.  “The House Speaker at the time, Joe Cannon, declared there would be “not one cent for scenery.”  They were mistaken, because forests are so much more than scenery. 

In 1905 Massachusetts Congressman John Weeks proposed a bill that would allow the purchase of the White Mountains to protect the headwaters of rivers.  Together with the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests they built support for the Weeks Act.  In 1907 massive floods in New England caused $100 million in damage, and there was finally enough support to go ahead with the Weeks Act.  It was signed into law on 1 March 1911.

The US government began to purchase land in New Hampshire and Maine in 1914. During the Great Depression in the 1930s the White Mountain National Forest was established, and the Civilian Conservation Corps (the CCC) built the roads, trails and many of the campgrounds and visitor centers that you see today.  It has over 750,000 acres used for logging, research, and recreation. It is all managed by the US Forest Service, protecting the land and waters from the devastation of deforestation seen more than 100 years ago. Nearly 20 million acres of forest have been protected by the Weeks Act.  The Weeks Act was good for business with hundreds of North Country hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, and more benefiting from the National Forest, and hundreds of businesses south of the Notches benefiting, too. 

This historic marker to the Weeks Act

is located in Lancaster, New Hampshire

In early April 2026 the current administration ordered the US Forest Service to be dismantled. Every regional office is being shuttered, and their 57 research stations in 31 states are being shut down. The headquarters are being moved to Utah, a state known for wanting Federal Lands sold into private hands with the anti-public-lands movement. We all know what the history of privatizing public lands means, and what happened to the White Mountains before 1914, when the land was in private hands that devastated the region.  The regional leadership will be replaced with 15 political appointees. 

The AP new reported “Taylor McKinnon at the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity described the move as “a costly bureaucratic reshuffle that will put more power in the hands of corporations and states to log, mine and drill public lands.”  This is not a reorganization, it is a deliberate destruction of the Forest Service that has protected public lands for 121 years. 

This is not a budget cut; it is gutting the careers of long-time researchers and foresters with decades of experience in caring for OUR national forests and national parks. They are destroying the science behind watersheds, tree growth, and the eco systems of OUR forests. Without science the nay-sayers can argue that there is no barrier to moving these public lands into private hands.

The history of New Hampshire includes the fascinating history of the White Mountains.  What a loss it would be for wildfires, which have become so prevalent recently with climate change, to return and destroy the White Mountain region!  Imagine the watersheds polluted again with silt and ash.  How many communities depend on these waters for healthy drinking water, energy, and recreation? 

The US Forest Service was established in 1905 by President Theodore Roosevelt, who also established the National Park Service.  Both were massive conservation efforts that by 1909 included 150 national forests.  Today there are 154 national forests, and 20 national grasslands in 43 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 

These are our forests. These are YOUR forests. The White Mountains National Forest symbolizes New Hampshire, not just with the now gone Old Man of the Mountain rock formation, but with every mountain peak, river valley, campground and recreation area.  Please contact your senators and representatives before this forest, like the Old Man, is gone forever.

How to contact your members of Congress:

Find your Representative:   https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Find your Senators:  https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

Contact New Hampshire Governor Ayotte:  https://www.governor.nh.gov/contact-governor-ayotte  

 

For the truly curious:

Save The U.S. Forest Service:  https://saveusfs.org/   

Appalachian Mountain Club “The Legislation that Saved the White Mountain Region”, https://www.outdoors.org/resources/amc-outdoors/history/the-legislation-that-saved-the-white-mountain-region/  accessed 4 April 2026.

Crawford, Lucy (1883). The History of the White Mountains from the First Settlement of Upper Coos and Pequaker, published by Hoyt, Fogg and Donham.

Wikipedia “White Mountain National Forest”   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Mountain_National_Forest  

“Trump plans to move Forest Service headquarters to Utah and shutter research sites” AP News, 31 March 2026,    https://apnews.com/article/forest-service-relocation-dc-salt-lake-city-eca93fa055ffce3528f5e8c71160a135

“Trump Administration orders dismantling of the US Forest Service”, 2 April, 2026,   https://www.hatchmag.com/articles/trump-administration-orders-dismantling-us-forest-service/7716263

A blog post about Zealand, New Hampshire, a town destroyed by wildfires caused by clear cutting in the 1800s.  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/10/where-heck-is-zealand-new-hampshire.html 

Forest History Society, “The Weeks Act”, https://foresthistory.org/research-explore/us-forest-service-history/policy-and-law/the-weeks-act/  accessed 5 April 2026

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “The History of The White Mountains National Forest”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 9, 2026, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/04/the-history-of-white-mountains-national.html: accessed [access date]). 

My Revolutionary War Patriots, Daniel Glover, Marblehead, Massachusetts

 This is #4 in my series of blog posts about my ancestors who served in the American Revolution.

This painting depicts Glover's Regiment

rowing General Washington across the Delaware River

Daniel Glover is my 6th great grandfather, the son of Jonathan Glover, Jr. and Tabitha Bacon, born in January 1734/35 in Salem, Massachusetts.  He married Hannah Jillings on 1 December 1757 in Newbury, Massachusetts and had four children.  She was the daughter of Thomas Jillings and Hannah Mirick of Newbury. 

Daniel's father died when he was very young, about four years old, leaving his mother a widow with four young boys.  Tabitha Bacon Glover was very resourceful, but left destitute.  Her husband left no will so she applied for the guardianship of her sons - twins Jonathan and Samuel, John, and the youngest, Daniel, my ancestor.  John would become the very famous Brigadier General John Glover of the American Revolutionary War, and his brothers all were members of his Marblehead regiment.  Tabitha left Salem with her children to live with her sister in Marblehead, where she raised her family. Twenty years later, when her sons were grown, Tabitha remarried to Daniel's father-in-law, Thomas Jillings. 

Daniel became a blockmaker by trade, who crafted wooden pieces for ship builders, including the "block" or pulleys used in the rigging. He was also the captain of several of his brother's ships.  His two brothers Jonathan (hatmaker) and John (cordwainer or shoemaker) were successful in their businesses and invested in ships sailing out of Salem. He captained the family owned schooner "Three Brothers" according to the Salem Gazette in 1768. Many newspaper accounts in Salem mention a Captain Glover in their shipping news, but not all give a first name or name Daniel. He is known to have commanded the brigantines "Ranger" and "Benjamin".  

During the American Revolution, Daniel's brother John Glover formed the 14th Massachusetts Regiment, which formed up under the new Continental Army in Boston.  General Washington ordered Glover to take his ship "Hannah" (named for his wife Hannah Gale) as a privateer to plunder British shipping off the New England coast. Washington was impressed, and this is considered the birth of the United States Navy.  George Washington asked Glover's regiment to join him as mariners for the Battle of Brooklyn in New York, the Battle of Pell's Point, and for rowing Washington and his troops across the Delaware River for the Battle of Trenton. All the Glover brothers participated in these events of the Revolutionary War. The story of Glover's Regiment was covered recently in Ken Burns new documentary about the Revolutionary War, and in the books I list below. 

Daniel came home from the Revolutionary War to live in Beverly and Marblehead. He had two sons and two daughters - Jonathan, Hannah, Tabitha and John.  I descend from his daughter Tabitha, born in 1765, who married Thomas Homan in Marblehead on 28 November 1782 and had seven children.  

Despite belonging to this famous family of mariners and patriots, there are very few records on Daniel Glover.  He is an enigma.  Daniel died sometime before 1790 when his wife Hannah was listed in the first federal census as a widow. His burial place is unknown.  Hannah, his widow, died in Salem on 4 October 1810. The Salem and Marblehead records do not list his death record. He left no probate records or will.  His house survives in Marblehead at 11 Mechanic Court and is known locally as "The Old Hammond House".  

For the truly curious: 

My other patriot blog posts in this series: 

#1  Colonel Joshua Burnham, Milford, New Hampshire:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/02/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-colonel.html   

#2  Major Andrew Munroe, Lexington and Danvers (now Peabody), Massachusetts:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/03/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-major.html  

#3  Jonathan Flint, Reading, Massachusetts:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/03/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-jonathan.html  

My Glover lineage:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/09/surname-saturday-glover-of-salem-and.html   

Books about General John Glover and his regiment:

The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier Mariners who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware, by Patrick K. O'Donnell, 2022, Atlantic Monthly Press. 

Saving Washington's Army: The Brilliant Last Stand of Genral John Glover at the Battle of Pell's Point, New York, October 18, 1776, by Phillip Thomas Tucker, 2022, Skyhorse Publishing.  

General John Glover and his Marblehead Mariners, by George A. Brillias, 1960, Henry Holt and Company. 

General John Glover and his Marblehead Regiment in the Revolutionary War: A Paper Read Before the Marblehead Historical Society, May 14, 1903, by Nathan P. Sanborn and C. H. B. Quennell, published in 2021 by Barakaldo Books. 

The image above is the painting Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, 1851, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "My Revolutionary War Patriots, Daniel Glover, Marblehead, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 7, 2026, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/04/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-daniel.html: accessed [access date]). 

Madrid, Spain - Three Weathervanes over the Old City Hall for Weathervane Wednesday

 

Like many cities, Madrid, Spain has a city hall, and an old city hall known as "Casa de la Villa".  This building was planned by King Phillip IV in 1629, and building commenced in 1644 and was not complete until 1692. There are several square towers, and a clock tower with spires.  Above all this elegance are three weathervanes and many finials shaped like crosses. The buildings are in a medieval Spanish style called mudejar, which was inspired by the Muslims.  In 2007 the city moved its official offices to the Cibeles Palace.  

These weathervanes are simple banners, in a cutout style often seen in the old part of Madrid. It looks like filigree, and the finials are often similar with crosses. 

For the truly curious:

Wikipedia Casa de la Villa:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_de_la_Villa_(Madrid)  

From the Madrid tourism information website:   https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/casa-de-la-villa 

Click here to see over 550 weathervanes from all around the world: 

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Madrid, Spain - Three Weathervanes over the Old City Hall for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 1, 2026, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/04/madrid-spain-three-weathervanes-over.html: accessed [access date]).  

A Visit to the Family Heritage Experience at American Ancestors

American Ancestors (The New England Historic Genealogical Society)

Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts

I haven't made the trip into Boston to visit American Ancestors (The New England Historic Genealogical Society) on Newbury Street since before COVID.  The library and archive was closed for a long time due to COVID, and then closed due to rennovations that included adding another whole building.  Part of the rennovations included adding a museum called "Family Heritage Experience" on the first floor.  This interactive experience opened on 24 April 2025, so it was well past time for another visit. 

The new Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Family Heritage Center is truly an amazing new addition to all the wonderful museums in Boston.  This is an experience for the entire family, so bring your favorite kids along with you on your visit.  There are lots of high tech displays, starting with the first room where you can drop a pin on an interactive map showing where your ancestors lived. It's fun to see where all the visitors to this exhibit originated. 

Yours truly highlighting where my ancestors lived in Nova Scotia, England, Scotland, Germany and The Netherlands. Vincent dropped pins for Spain and Portugal. 

There are interactive stations with technology to look up newspapers, censuses and other genealogical resources about particular ancestors. Visitors are encouraged to ask questions by choosing a disk off the wall with statements like "Are my ancestors in newspapers?" or "From where did they migrate?" These disks have QR codes that can read at the stations to help find the answers to your genealogical questions.  

There are hands on activities for all ages, and displays of family memoriablia like quilts, family trees, samplers, religious objects, and more.  You are welcome to push buttons and open drawers to learn more.  It was fun to find some personal family connections, like the Folger family tree (see photo below).  Flora Stewart, who I have blogged about several times as a Londonderry resident, was one of the featured photographs on the wall.  

If this exhibition gets you all excited about learning more, you can step upstairs to the archives on the 5th and 7th floors and dig deeper.  Or you can make an appointment with one of the staff genealogists to assist you.  There is also the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center on the 5th floor, and also online (see link below) with its own archives and events for Jewish genealogy.  A membership to American Ancestors gives you free access to the libraries, archives and all the online resources to be found at their excellent website. 

An untraditional family tree

The Folger family traditional family tree

My finger pointing to my Folger ancestor, Bethshua Folger,

who was dropped off the first branch of this family tree

only because she was a daughter. 

We snapped a photo of the floor directory by the elevator

The Family Heritage Experience is open Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 am to 6 pm. Check the website (below) for hours and holidays.  Members are always free, as well as children under age 12.  Adult admission is $10. Right now there is FREE admission every Thursday through May 21st. 

On April 23 at the Family Heritage Experience there will be a new exhibit commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolutionary War entitled "Patriots of Color: Stories of Courage, Resistance, and Legacy".  This exhibit will feature 26 Patriots from all 13 colonies, and display how genealogical research brought these stories to life. 

There is a brand new shop behind the Family Heritage Experience, with lots of new family and genealogy gifts and books.  These items are also available online (see the links below). 

We met up with David Lambert, chief genealogist, as we were leaving! 

For the truly curious:

American Ancestors
97 - 101 Newbury Street
Boston, Massachusetts

Family Heritage Experience:    https://fhe.americanancestors.org/  

American Ancestors (The New England Historic Genealogical Society):   https://www.americanancestors.org/  

American Ancestors Family Heritage Experience gift shop webpage:    https://shop.americanancestors.org/collections/apparel-gifts?&pass-through=true   

The American Ancestors Bookstore webpage:  https://shop.americanancestors.org/?pass-through=true 

Flora Stewart, Londonderry, NH resident:  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/02/flora-stewart-black-history-month-in.html  

Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center:   https://jewishheritagecenter.org/   

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A Visit to the Family Heritage Experience at American Ancestors", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 31, 2026, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/03/a-visit-to-family-heritage-experience.html: accessed [access date]). 

My Revolutionary War Patriots, Jonathan Flint of Reading, Massachusetts

 This is Patriot #3 in this series of blog posts about my ancestors in the Revolutionary War.

My 5th great grandfather Jonathan Flint was born on 11 August 1730 in Reading, Massachusetts, the son of Jonathan Flint (b. 1689) and Mary Collston Hart.  Mary was the daughter of Elizabeth Collston, who was only 16 when she was accused of being a witch during the 1692 witchcraft hysteria.  She was arrested along with her mother, Mary Duston Collston, and grandmother, Lydia Dustin.  Lydia died in prison in Cambridge, Massachusetts before being exhonorated. Elizabeth escaped twice, once from the Cambridge prison, and a second time while being transported to the courthouse in Charlestown.  

On 1 August 1751 Jonathan Flint married Lydia Proctor in Salem, Massachusetts.  By coincidence, Lydia was the great granddaughter of John Proctor who was hanged as a witch in 1692.  John Proctor was the protagonist in the famous play "The Crucible" written by Arthur Miller. Lydia had several relatives involved with the witch hysteria, including the grandparents William Buckley and Sarah Smith.  Her grandmother Sarah was arrested on 14 May 1692 for witchcraft and imprisoned. Two pastors spoke to her innocence, but she still spent eight months in prison until found not guilty in January 1693.  

Jonathan and Lydia had eight children between 1751 and 1767.  They lived in North Reading, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, not far from Lexington and Concord.  When the alarm rang out for the British regulars attacking Lexington on 19 April 1775 Jonathan was 44 years old.  As a corporal in Captain John Batchelder's Company, his militia responded to the alarm and marched towards Lexington.  The company arrived after the battle, but Jonathan re-enlisted again in 1776.  The musket he used in the American Revolution was supposed to be preserved in the collections of the Rhode Island Historical Society, but they have no record of this artifact. 

Captain John Batchelder's Company was part of Ebenezer Bridge's Regiment, also known as the 11th Massachusetts Regiment. This regiment fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill and served in the Siege of Boston until it was disbanded in December 1775. This regiment had eleven companies, including Batchelder's company.  I don't know if Jonathan Flint saw action at Bunker Hill. 

Jonathan returned to his life as a farmer in the North Precinct, now called North Reading and died around 1800 at about age 70.  The exact date is unknown and I have not found a grave for Jonathan.  I descend from his son, John Flint, who was born in North Reading on 3 April 1761 and died there on 26 August 1836. John married his cousin, Phebe Flint, daughter of George Flint and Hannah Phelps.  Phebe had eight children with John, and died in 1846.  John was also married to Mehitable McIntire, daughter of Archelaus McIntire and Abigail Felton, who had two children with John Flint.  

My 5th great grandmother, Lydia Proctor,  must have died before 1794.  I have found no death record for her, nor a grave site.  On 24 June 1794 Jonathan Flint remarried to Sarah Smith.  They had no children.  I have not found a death record for Sarah, or a grave site. She did not apply for a widow's pension for Jonathan's Revolutionary War service. 

For the truly curious:

A Genealogical Register of the Descendants of Thomas Flint, of Salem, by John Flint and John H. Stone, published by Warren F. Draper, Andover, Massachusetts, 1860, see pages 9 and 14. 

#1 in this series Colonel Joshua Burnham of Milford, New Hampshire:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/02/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-colonel.html  

#2 in this series Major Andrew Munroe of Lexington, Woburn, and Danvers (now Peabody), Massachusetts:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/03/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-major.html  

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "My Revolutionary War Patriots, Jonathan Flint of Reading, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 24, 2026, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/03/my-revolutionary-war-patriots-jonathan.html: accessed [access date]). 

America's Tapestry Project in New Hampshire

The New Hampshire team is working with this rendering

to create their panel for the America's Tapestry Project

This year will mark the 250th anniversary since July 4th, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed, usually recognized as the birthday of the United States of America.  The America's Tapestry project is a collaboration of the 13 states representing the original 13 colonies who signed the Declaration of Independence, creating 13 embroidered panels.  Each tapestry illustrates stories and images from the colonies during the Revolutionary War. 

According to the website, over 1,000 volunteers are participating to embroider the panels, from ages 5 to 96, from New Hampshire to Georgia. Here in New Hampshire, the volunteers have been meeting every Friday and Saturday at the Millyard Museum in Manchester, New Hampshire.  I recently visited to see what was happening.  The embroiderers were busy completing scenes of an Abenaki village, Fort William and Mary in Portsmouth, and the Pine Tree Riot which took place in Weare, New Hampshire. The volunteers were kind enough to describe the project and even let me place a few stitches into the tapestry. 

The New Hampshire panel is scheduled to be completed in April 2026, and then it travels out of state to be prepared for display.  If you want to see these talented embroiderers at work, hurry over before the end of April!  You can follow the progress of this beautiful tapestry with their very active Facebook page, which posts photos every week.  See the link below. 

All thirteen panels will be displayed together as part of a moving exhibit in each of the original 13 states.  The New Hampshire display of the America's Tapestry Project will be January 2027 to April 2027 at the Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford Street, in Manchester, New Hampshire.  Save the dates!  If you live in another state, please check the website link below for dates and places.  

I was honored to be asked to add a few stitches in the stone wall! 

Volunteer Carol Tewes Ganse showed me how to include my stitchwork. 

A close up view reveals textures, 3 dimensions, and interesting

materials such as moose hairs, and various other fibers

A close up of the stone wall under Fort William and Mary

reveals some Easter Eggs (stones shaped like the 13 original colonies)

This pattern for the seawall includes another Easter Egg

(the profile of the Old Man of the Mountain at the far left) 

This detail includes native Abenaki beadwork and porcupine quills.

An embroidered depiction of an Abenaki canoe full of fur bundles was made of

milkweed fibers, rabbit and bison fur, and other natural materials. 

Busy volunteers on a Saturday morning at the Millyard Museum

My two tiny stitches in the stone wall

My friend Sherry Gould showed me some of her needlework

on the New Hampshire tapestry

For the truly curious:

America's Tapestry:     https://www.americastapestry.com/  

America's Tapestry New Hampshire Facebook group:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/770145248992414/  

The Millyard Museum:  https://manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum-2/   

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "America's Tapestry Project in New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 18, 2026, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/03/americas-tapestry-project-in-new.html: accessed [access date]). 

The Reverend William Morrison Meetinghouse in Londonderry, lost the town vote for preservation

The Reverend Morrison meetinghouse was built in 1770 originally erected on the corner of Harvey and Pillsbury Roads, and it moved to it's current location at 256 Mammoth Road in 1845 by a team of oxen.  Over more than 250 years it was a meetinghouse, and then the town hall, the public library, and more recently it was known as the Lion's Hall.  The structure is owned by the town of Londonderry.  Now it is sitting unused due to safety issues.

In August 2025 David Ellis, a Londonderry resident, started an effort to have the Morrison meetinghouse listed on the Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire. It is a 5,000 square foot building. The town hoped it could be restored and used again by the residents.  Many renovations are needed on the building to bring it up to code and to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Detailed designs were created showing how the building could be used by the town for offices and meetings, and by the public for events and as a community center. 

At the town elections on Tuesday, March 9, Article 4, the proposal to renovate the Morrison Meeting House for $3.38 million, was rejected by the voters 894 to 3,515.  

For the truly curious:

"Councilors to consider state status of historic hall in Londonderry", Union Leader, August 10, 2025, https://www.unionleader.com/news/local/derry_londonderry/councilors-to-consider-state-status-of-historic-hall-in-londonderry/article_8e55a38e-4e24-4a2c-8ab1-7a256dbebe54.html  

Town Meeting coversheet "Presentation and receive public input for the renovation of the Reverend Morrison Meeting House commonly referred to as the Lions Hall"  https://www.londonderrynh.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/2338?fileID=1897  

"Londonderry NH 2026 Town Election Results", Londonderry Patch, 10 March 2026, https://patch.com/new-hampshire/londonderry/londonderry-nh-2026-town-election-results  

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Reverend William Morrison Meetinghouse in Londonderry, lost the town vote for preservation", Nutfield Genealogy, posted 11 March 2026, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-reverend-william-morrison.html: accessed [access date]).