It's Not Too Late to Attend the Highland Games and Scots Prisoner of War Reunion!

We spent a lovely day up at Loon Mountain at the New Hampshire Highland Games today.  I just got home a few minutes ago, and I'm writing up this quick blog post so you can read all about the genealogy and historical seminars being given this year.  Besides the fantastic music, dancing, heavy athletics (caber tossing and stone throwing), sheep dog trials, over 60 clan tents, whiskey tastings, Scottish foods, Scottish gifts, and viewing lots of fellow visitors in kilts we also attended three historical seminars.

The first seminar we attended was "The Origins and Growth of Clan Tartans" by speaker Peter Eslea MacDonald. Peter is a famous Tartan Historian and Head of Research and Collections Scottish Tartans Authority.  He is also the author of the book The 1819 Key Pattern Book - One Hundred Original Tartans.  This was a very interesting history of Scotland, highland dress, and the origins of what we think of as clan tartans.  The history of clan tartans is fairly recent, just originating in the late 1700s or early 1800s, not in ancient times.  Nonetheless, half the audience was wearing their clan tartans!

After some shopping, watching the sheep dog trials, and sharing a delicious meat pie called "bridie", we attended another seminar "Lost Lives, New Worlds: Unlocking the Story of the 1650 Scottish Soldiers Buried on Palace Green in Durham (UK)" presented by Dr. Christopher Gerrard.  Dr. Gerrard is a Professor of Archaeology at Durham (UK not NH) and the team leader for the Scottish Soldiers Project.  He also designed the exhibition on view now at the Saugus Ironworks National Historic Park in Saugus, Massachusetts. I have attended a presentation by University of Durham members at Saugus in the past (You can read all about that HERE), but this presentation had some new information from the book of the same name as the lecture, which was published after I last visited Saugus, and since these prisoners of war were re-interred in Durham.  That meeting in Saugus had about 30 attendees, and this presentation today filled an entire tent.  Many of the attendees today were descendants of Scottish Prisoners of War (SPOW) from the battles of Dunbar and Worcester.

After a nice lunch and more shopping at the vendor tents, we attended our third seminar "Involuntary American: The Scottish Prisoners of 1650 and 1651" by Dr. Carol Gardner.  This is the title of her new book, too.  Dr. Gerrard's talk focused on the history of the battle, and the identification of the bodies found in Durham near the cathedral where the prisoners were locked up.  Dr. Gardner's presentation focused on the forced migration and servitude of the Scottish teens and young men who were brought to New England.  I also learned that other SPOWs went to Ireland, France, Barbados and Virginia, as well as to forced labor in England and Scotland.  I bought a copy of her book (I already owned the book on the Durham archaeological dig) and I can't wait to read it.  Two of my ancestors were SPOWs from the battle of Worcester - William Munroe (who went to Lexington, Massachusetts) and Alexander Thompson (who eventually went to Ipswich, Massachusetts.)

We spent the rest of our time at The Highland Games actually watching some of the heavy athletics (the hammer throw).  We also saw the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pipe & Drums and Dancers in the parade square.  We heard the Red Hot Chili Peppers, lots of pipers, and other Scottish music.

It's not too late to attend these seminars!  There is a full schedule of events at the website https://nhscot.org/ but here are the other genealogy and history seminars you might find interesting (including the Sunday SPOW descendants gathering):

Saturday, September 21st
10:15    A Tour of Gaelic Languages by Dr. Emily McEwan (repeated)
10:30   Lost Lives, New Worlds by Dr. Christopher Gerrard (repeated)
11:45 Get Started Digging up your Roots by Joan Barnes (repeated)
1:30   By Different Routes: Scottish Prisoners & Ulster Scots in New England by Dr. Carol Gardner (repeated)
4:15   Involuntary Americans by Dr. Carol Gardner (repeated)
4:30   The Buchanan Tartans by Peter Eslea MacDonald

Sunday, September 22nd
10:30 Lost Lives, New Worlds by Dr. Christopher Gerrard (repeated)
10:30 The Use of Tartan as a Jacobite Symbol by Peter Eslea MacDonald
11:00  Dunbar (and Worcester) Descendants Gathering
12 noon  By Different Routes: Scottish Prisoners & Ulster Scots in New England by Dr. Carol Gardner (repeated)
1:30  A Tour of Gaelic Languages by Dr. Emily McEwan (repeated)
1:30 Get Started on Diggin gup your Roots by Joan Barnes (repeated)
2:30  The Food and History of the Burns Supper by Gary Maclean
3:00  The Scottish Prisoners of 1650 & 1651 by Dr. Carol Gardner
3:00  Outlander and the Real Tartans of 1745 by Peter Eslea MacDonald
4:30  Key Online Sites for Scottish Genealogy by Joan Barnes

For the Truly curious:

The New Hampshire Scots Official Website (including Highland Games information):  https://nhscot.org

My blog post "The Discovery of Scots Prisoners of War at Durham Cathedral!  How is this Important to New England Genealogy?"
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/09/discovery-of-scots-prisoners-of-war-at.html 

My blog post "The University of Durham Team is Reaching Out to Descendants of 17th Century Scottish Prisoners":
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/10/university-of-durham-team-is-reaching.html 

My blog post about William Munroe, Scottish prisoner of war:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/06/surname-saturday-munroe-of-lexington.html 

My blog post about Alexander Thompson, Scottish prisoner of war:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/05/surname-saturday-thomson-thompson-of.html

The Clan Thompson Tent

The RCMP (the Mounties) Pipe & Drum Band

The Sheep Dog Trials

------------------------------

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "It's Not Too Late to Attend the Highland Games and Scots Prisoner of War Reunion!", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 20, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/09/its-not-too-late-to-attend-highland.html: access [accesss date]).

Machu Pichu, Peru 1986 - Vintage Family Photo Friday

Vincent's Dad became a travel writer later in his life, and attended conferences on travel writing all over the world.  In 1986 he went to Peru for a conference, and was lucky enough to visit the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu high in the Andes mountains.  He was always famous for wearing a suit and tie in all his travel photos, including hiking in Machu Pichu.  

Although many of the family photos that were stored in sticky magnetic albums in Puerto Rico resulted in faded and discolored images, these photos are still clear and colorful.  

Machu Pichu is known as "The Lost City of the Incas" built about 1450 and unknown to the outside world until the American explorer Hiram Bingham discovered it and posted images in the National Geographic magazine in 1911.  It is a very rough tour, high in the mountains, and a dangerous climb or bus ride up there.  There is risk of altitude sickness, floods, hiking accidents, landslides and earthquakes.  The ancient structures also cause risks of falling debris and rocks. In 2011 and 2012 restrictions were placed on tourism to stabilize the structures, and to reduce the effects of tourism.  There are strict restrictions on the number of visitors per day.  My father-in-law was in Machu Pichu many years before these restrictions took place. 

-----------------------------

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Machu Pichu, Peru 1986 - Vintage Family Photo Friday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 20, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/09/machu-pichu-peru-1986-vintage-family.html: accessed [access date]).

Derry Will Celebrate the Nutfield 300th Anniversary Saturday, September 21st

This Saturday, September 21st at the annual Derryfest celebration in MacGregor Park, the town of Derry will celebrate it's 300th anniversary.  This downtown festival, next to MacGregor Public Library features fun, food, entertainment, crafts, games and community spirit. For the Nutfield 300th anniversary there will be special events including Scottish music, a time capsule ceremony at 1:45pm, and two special booths.

Visit the Nutfield 300th booths (numbers 46 and 47) to:
-  Learn about the first Scots-Irish settlers and the founding of Nutfield (now the towns of Derry, Londonderry, Windham and most of current day Manchester).
-  See the new 300th Time Capsule and its contents
-  Record your own brief video interview for the 300th Time Capsule
-  Look at the other many 300th events held throughout the year 2019
-  Buy a new 300th T-shirt and the commemorative coins from Derry, Londonderry and Windham
-  See the Friends of the First Parish Meetinghouse book and learn more about the preservation project to restore and protect it.

At 1pm in the bandstand you can enjoy a performance by the traditional Scottish and Irish folk music band "Ulster Landing" followed by a brief talk about the 300th with the Time Capsule ceremony.

The day will end with a celebrations called "Derry After Dark" on Manning Street.  This is a festival of 120 unique craft beers and food from local Derry eateries.  Tickets are available at https://tickets.beerfests.com/event/derry-after-dark  This is an over 21 event. 

Click to enlarge

For the truly curious:

Derryfest 2019 official website:     http://www.derryfest.org/ 

Friends of the First Parish Meetinghouse official website:  https://fotmh.org/ 
                 Facebook page:    https://www.facebook.com/fotmh/   

Greater Derry Arts Council   https://www.facebook.com/DerryArts/ 

Derry After Dark tickets and information:   https://tickets.beerfests.com/event/derry-after-dark 
                 Facebook page:   https://www.facebook.com/derryafterdark/

The Nutfield 300th webpage:  https://www.nutfieldhistory.org/nutfield300th 
                 Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/nuthist/

Tobacco in Early Colonial New England

from the pamphlet "Tabaco"
by Anthony Chute, 1594

Whilst mining some early Massachusetts court records for my genealogy research, I was struck by how often my ancestors and their neighbors were mentioned along with documents mentioning tobacco use, abuse, and fines.  I found this very interesting, and I collected some of the stories to tell you in this blog post. You might want to mine the early court records, too!

Tobacco originated in the New World. Soon after European contact tobacco was traded, sold, and imported back to Europe where it was extremely popular.  King James I of England found tobacco to be extremely distasteful, and even penned a book A Counter-blaste to Tobacco where he mentioned on page 11 “That the manifolde abuses of this vile custome of Tobacco taking…” and condemned the practice of using tobacco.  The pope in Rome at this time period, Urban VIII threatened to excommunicate anyone who smoked in a church!

My ancestor, Isaac Allerton, a Mayflower passenger, was a merchant and trader.  He was a witness to the peace treaty with the Wampanoag people on 23 March 1620/21 “Captain Standish and Isaac Allerton went venturously, who were welcomed of him after their manner: he gave them three or four ground nuts and some tobacco." And on 8 June 1654, "Thomas Adams and Isaac Allerton gave a bond...for the delivery of 3000 pounds of tobacco to Director (Governor) Stuyvesant." Again, on June 11, 1649, "Mr. John Treworgie [of Kittery] did acknowledge to have received four thousand wt of Tobacco by Isaac Allerto[n] for the Account of Mr. Georg Ludlow.” [see the website https://sail1620.org/content.php?page=Isaac_Allerton_and_Tobacco ]

In 1637 in Plymouth County the first anti-smoking law was written in New England.  It threatened a 12 pence fine for smoking in any street, barn, outhouse or highway, and for smoking further than 1 mile from home.  A second offense was 2 shillings. One year later, on 4 December 1638, the Mayflower passenger Francis Billington was fined 12 pennies for “drinking tobacco in the highway.” [Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, in New England by Nathaniel B. Shurtleff and David Pulsifer, Volume 1, page 106.]

My ancestor George Soule was appointed in 1646 to a committee to deal with Duxbury’s problem of the disorderly smoking of tobacco.  They drew up strict limitations on where tobacco could be smoked and the fines to be levied. [History of Scituate, Massachusetts: From Its First Settlement to 1831 by Samuel Deane, page 308.]  In the Plymouth Colony records, from 1633 – 1643 there were 8 convictions for tobacco smoking, with 6 fines extracted from the guilty.  Compare this to 6 convictions for swearing and 6 convictions for Lord’s Day violations.  Smoking was more popular, but not as popular as drinking, with 13 convictions resulting in 13 fines.

Also in the Plymouth Colony records “Richard Berry, Jedidiah Lombard, Benjamin Lombard, and james Maker, fined for smoking tobacco at the end of Yarmouth Meeting-house on the Lord’s Day”  Faithful tradition informs us, that the early settlers were greatly addicted to smoking, and they would often disturb divine service by the klicking of flints and steel to light their pipes, and the clouds of smoke in the Church. Hence that law of the Colony, passed 1669: “It is enacted that any person or persons that shall be found smoking of tobacco on the Lord’s day, going to or coming from meetings, within two miles of the Meeting-house, shall pay 12 pence for every such default, for the Colonie’s use, to be increased,” &c.”

And from the book The Language of the Law by David Mellinkoff, 2004  “Tobacco smoking ‘gretlie taken-vp and vsed’ in late sixteenth-century England, troubled the Puritan law makers of the Massachusetts Bay Colonly.  It was a fire hazard, and bothered non-smokers (Laws and Liberties of Massachusetts, Farrand, 1929, page 50) Worse, it led to idleness ‘Tobacco takers’ bore special watching (Laws and Liberties of Massachusetts, Farrand, 1929, page 26”.

Eventually the profits from the cash crop tobacco and the profitable taxing of tobacco eased the Purtian fear of idleness.  Even when doctors and scientists began to identify tobacco as unhealthy, the profits won over reason and settlers began to plant tobacco for sale as a cash crop in New England, as well as all over the middle colonies and the south. 

In my own family history I find a story about Sarah Belden, daughter of Daniel Belden and Elizabeth Foote, about age 14, who in 1696 escaped the Deerfield massacre by hiding in a tobacco field.  Clearly the settlers were growing their own tobacco right from the beginning.  By the 1800s tobacco farming as a large cash crop was well established in the Massachusetts Connecticut Valley. [“History of Tobacco Production in the Connecticut Valley” by Elizabeth Ramsey, Smith College Studies in History, Volume 15 (Apr – July 1930), pages 133 – 134].

The Puritan fear of idleness and sin lead eventually led to the Blue Laws which banned all sorts of activities on Sundays, including smoking and alcohol.  The legacy of the Puritans was strict control over tobacco use, including taxes and fines.  These rules forbade the sale of Tobacco on Sundays until 1983.  The control over tobacco still persists through health codes and recent laws such as raising the age to buy tobacco to age 21 in Massachusetts in 2018.  Some blue laws remain on the books (yet unenforced) such as hunting on Sundays. 

For the truly curious:

A Counter-blaste to Tobacco, by James I (King of England), 1604 – available online through Google Books.

The Pennsylvania Mayflower Society “Isaac Allerton and Tobacco” by John M. Hunt, Jr. https://sail1620.org/content.php?page=Isaac_Allerton_and_Tobacco

 -------------------

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Tobacco in Early Colonial New England", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 17, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/09/tobacco-in-early-colonial-new-england.html: accessed [access date]). 

Sneak Preview of the New Brewster Book Manuscript in Plymouth, Massachusetts

Donna D. Curtin, Executive Director of Pilgrim Hall Museum

carried the manuscript into the Mayflower House, in a locked box.

Today I was very fortunate to be at an "invitation only" reception held by the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants at the Mayflower Society House in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  At this reception Caleb Johnson revealed his new book The Brewster Book Manuscript for the first time to a captive audience.  I can't reveal all the secrets inside this book until next weekend when this book is unveiled to the public at the Pilgrim Hall Museum on Sunday, September 22nd at 1pm.  This book launch and the reception will be seated on a first come, first serve basis, no reservations.  See the link below for more information.

This little book (about 7.75" x 6") was a 17th century wastebook or notebook of blank pages used as a copybook, genealogy, and other notes by 7 different authors from the early 1600s until about 1899, including 20 pages in Latin.  During this event Caleb Johnson revealed the original author (Shhh! It's a secret until the book reveal on September 22nd - but I'll write a second blog post!), and several members of the Brewster family who probably wrote the rest of the manuscript.

The manuscript was deeded to the Massachusetts Mayflower Society in 1907, and left unstudied for 100 years.  In 1897 Mayflower genealogist George Bowman transcribed all the genealogy information in this manuscript in 4 volumes of the Mayflower Descendant journal.  Most of the rest of the book was untranscribed and ignored. It was kept in a file cabinet until about 2011 when interest in the book resurfaced.  MSMD board member Barbara Lee Kelly found the book and showed it to Jim Baker, who verified that the book was valuable and it should be studied and stored in a vault.  The book was conserved and rebound.  Later it was transcribed by British researcher Simon Neale, and edited by Caleb Johnson for the book launch this week.

More to come in a second blog post after the official book reveal next week...!

Deputy Governor, Barbara Lee Kelly, of the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants

was so excited to see this little notebook preserved and presented in a newly published book! 

Barbara Lee Kelly and Yours Truly

The original Brewster Book Manuscript

Can you imagine transcribing that handwriting?  Some in Latin, too!

Left to right:  Simon Neale, GSMD Governor General George Garmany,

MSMD Deputy Governor Barbara Lee Kelly, Caleb Johnson, and

in front author Sue Allan 

MSMD Governor Bill Tinney and Deputy Governor Barbara Lee Kelly

explained the provenance of the manuscript, and their delight at having it re-discovered, 

preserved, and transcribed in the new book. 

Caleb Johnson presented his findings, and the methods used

to transcribe and edit the new book.  His conclusions as to the authorship

will remain a secret until next week's official book reveal! 

Yours Truly examining the original manuscript on display for this afternoon only

at the Mayflower Society House.  It will be on permanent loan to Pilgrim Hall Museum

For the truly curious:

The Brewster Manuscript Book Launch with authors Caleb Johnson and Simon Neal (scroll down through the calendar to the September 22nd event for more information):  https://www.pilgrimhall.org/museum_events.htm  

The book will be sold at the website for the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants (wait until the book launch on September 22nd to order):  https://www.massmayflower.org/    

The Brewster Book Manuscript, edited by Caleb Johnson and Simon Neal, Lulu.com, Raleigh, North Carolina, 2019.

The Mayflower Society House, 4 Winslow Street, Plymouth, Massachusetts (the General Society of Mayflower Descendants famous library is located right behind this house!)  Open for tours May to October, Thursdays through Sundays 11am to 4pm.   https://www.themayflowersociety.org/visit/mayflower-society-house  

------------------------

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Sneak Preview of the New Brewster Book Manuscript in Plymouth, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 15, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/09/sneak-preview-of-new-brewster-book.html: accessed [access date]). 

Greece, 1975 - Vintage Family Photo Friday

Here are some more photos from Vincent's family albums rescued from their house in Puerto Rico just before Hurricane Maria.  They are in very bad condition because of the extreme heat and humidity in Puerto Rico, but at least we have them.  Many families lost everything, including their lives, as well as their family photo albums, in this storm.  

Vincent's mother worked for Iberia Airlines when he was growing up.  They were lucky enough to travel to some exotic places every summer, riding stand-by with free or greatly discounted seats on Iberia or partner airlines.  Often they would get stuck at connecting airports until stand-by seats became available - which was part of the great travel adventure (sometimes!).  You can see a list below of some other international photos from their family trips.  

In this trip the Rojo family was joined by another family from the Iberia office in San Juan for a trip to Athens and the Greek islands.  You can see how much fun they had exploring the ruins, and even sitting or standing on the artifacts, which is now forbidden.  

How many of you have similar family photos, pretending to topple trees or landmarks?

Other Rojo family excursions from around the world:

Egypt- https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/08/1978-egypt-trip-vintage-family-photo.html 

Japan-  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/04/tour-of-tokyo-japan-1976-photo-friday.html  

Argentina - https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/02/photo-friday-dinner-in-buenos-aires.html  

I'll be posting more photos from these albums soon!

---------------------------

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Greece, 1975 - Vintage Family Photo Friday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 13, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/09/greece-1975-vintage-family-photo-friday.html: accessed [access date]). 

Ordination Rock, Tamworth, New Hampshire

This curious memorial is located on Cleveland Hill Road in Tamworth, New Hampshire.

About a mile from the village of Tamworth, this boulder marks the spot where Rev. Samuel Hidden was ordained in 1792 as the first minister of Tamworth, New Hampshire.  The marble monument on the top of the boulder was installed in 1862.  The granite steps climb to the top of the boulder for visitors to read the inscriptions.

Samuel Hidden graduated from Dartmouth College just before his ordination.  He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War.  Rev. Hidden was also a music teacher, supervised the town schools, and started the Tamworth Social Library.  He is buried across the street from this memorial in the town cemetery.

Here are transcriptions of the inscription on the obelisk [see the NEHGS Register Volume 22, page 72]:

South

"Memorial of the Ordination on this ROCK, Sept. 12, 1792, of the Rev. SAMUEL HIDDEN as Pastor of the Congregational Church Instituted on that day."

East

"Born in Rowley, Mass., Feb. 22, 1760.
Served in the War of the Revolution by four Enlistments 1777 - 1781.
Graduated at Dart. College, 1791.
Minister in Tamworth 46 years died Feb. 13, 1837, AEt. 77."

North

"He came into the Wilderness and left it a Fruitful field."

West

"To perpetuate the memory of his virtues and Public Services
a Grandson, bearing his honored name Provided for the erection of this Cenotaph, 1862"

On the base:

"Town Chartered 1766.  Settled in 1771.  40 Families in 1792.  Census in 1860 - 1717"


Here is a link to a YouTube video of a 2016 Tamworth town ceremony at Ordination Rock:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0yZgUBUkLo 

-------------------------

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Ordination Rock, Tamworth, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 11, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/09/ordination-rock-tamworth-new-hampshire.html: accessed [access date]).

Dr. Ebenezer Wilkinson of Tamworth, New Hampshire - Tombstone Tuesday

These tombstones are located at the Tamworth Town Cemetery (also known as Ordination Rock Cemetery) in Tamworth, New Hampshire.

DR. EBENEZER WILKINSON

Died

Oct. 10, 1865

AE. 67

SARAH

Wife of 

DR. E. WILKINSON

DIED

Nov. 15, 1884

AE. 84 Yrs

ELIZABETH W.

Wife of

Benja. M. Hill,

a daughter of

Dr. Wilkinson

DIED

Dec. 2, 1853,

AE. 27 ys, 9ms, & 10 ds.

HARRIET O.

daughter of

Benja. M. Hill,

DIED

Jan. 31, 1854,

AE 2ms. 10ds.

ABBY R. HILL,

Daughter of

B. M. & E. W. Hill,

DIED

Jan. 7, 1861

AEt. 11 yrs 2 mos.

Dr. Ebenezer Wilkinson (1798 - 1865) is my 2nd cousin four generations removed.  We are both descendants of James Wilkinson (1730 - about 1805) and Hannah Mead (my 5th great grandparents, and Ebenezer's great grandparents), and Thomas Wilkinson (about 1690 - 1739) and Elizabeth Caverly of Portsmouth, New Hampshire (my 6th great grandparents, Thomas being named "of London" on his marriage record).

I have been curious about Dr. Wilkinson of Tamworth for many years.  In researching genealogy records in the state of New Hampshire, I often found marriage documents in Eaton town records recorded by "Dr. Ebenezer Wilkinson, Esq." or "Ebenezer Wilkinson, Justice of the Peace".  I even took a trip to Tamworth's famous Remick Museum to speak to the staff about Dr. Wilkinson.  The Remick Museum on Cleveland Hill Road in Tamworth is the home of the country doctors Edwin Remick (1866 - 1935) and son Edwin Remick, Jr. (1903 - 1993).  No one there had heard of Dr. Wilkinson.  This just made me even more curious about him!

It turns out that Dr. Ebenezer Wilkinson was buried right down the street at the Tamworth Town Cemetery on Cleveland Hill Road.  Since the elder Dr. Remick was born in Tamworth to parents, grandparents, and great grandparents who had all lived in Tamworth, I'm sure they must have known Dr. Wilkinson. 

This summer my sister moved to the town of Tamworth, and bought a house on Cleveland Hill Road, right down the street from both the Remick Museum and the Tamworth Town Cemetery.  Small worth, 'eh?  I told her about this coincidence, and my brother-in-law went straight to the Tamworth Historical Society to find more about Dr. Wilkinson.  It turns out that he lived on Cleveland Hill Road about two farms down, between my sister and the cemetery.

Here is what I know about Dr. Wilkinson:

Ebenezer Wilkinson, son of Ebenezer Wilkinson and Elizabeth Durgin, was born on 26 July 1798 in New Hampshire (town unknown), and died 10 October 1865 in Tamworth.  He married on 24 February 1825 in Parsonsfield, Maine to Sarah Lougee, daughter of Deacon John Lougee and Elizabeth Smith.  They had three daughters, Elizabeth born about 1826; Sarah E, born about 1846; and Abbie R., born abut 1850.

Ebenezer attended both the Fryeburg Academy and the Limerick Academy in Maine.  He studied to become a physician with Dr. Moses Sweat of Parsonsfield, Maine, and with Dr. Alexander Ramsey.  He attended some classes at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. [ He is listed under "non-graduates" of the Medical School, Medical Class of 1825] He first practiced medicine for eight years in Effingham, and then went to Tamworth.  Perhaps he met his future wife while he was apprenticing with Dr. Sweat of Parsonsfield?

His daughter Elizabeth Hill is buried beside Dr. Wilkinson and his wife, along with two of her young daughters.  Mother and one child died within a few months of each other.  Perhaps the mother died in childbirth, and the baby was sickly?  Who knows, because the records are incomplete.  Benjamin Hill, the husband removed to Barton, Vermont where census records show a wife named "Elizabeth" and children.  He was back in Tamworth by the 1870 and 1880 census with his 2nd wife Elizabeth and their four children.

The eleven year old Abbie R. Hill is another child of Benjamin Hill and his first wife, Elizabeth Wilkinson.  She appears to be named for her mother's sister. 

Elizabeth's sisters (daughters of Dr. Ebenezer Wilkinson) are Sarah E. Wilkinson who married Almon P. Cooley on 19 May 1864 in Tamworth, had six children, and lived in Lawrence, Massachusetts and in Goffstown, New Hampshire; and Abbie R. Wilkinson for whom I have no further information.  Did she marry, too?

----------------------

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Dr. Ebenezer Wilkinson of Tamworth, New Hampshire - Tombstone Tuesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 10, 2019, (https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/09/dr-ebenezer-wilkinson-of-tamworth-new.html: accessed [access date]).