My 10th Great Grandmother, Judith Greenleaf Somerby Coffin, d. 1705, Newbury, Massachusetts - Tombstone Tuesday

 These tombstones were photographed at the First Parish Burial Ground, Newbury, Massachusetts. 

To the memory of Mrs. Judith

late vituous wife of Deacon Tristram Coffin, Esq.,

who having lived to see one hundred and seventy-seven

of her children and children's children to the third generation,

died 13 Dec. 1705, age 80.

Grave, sober, faithful, fruitful vine was she,

A rare example of true piety;

Widowed awhile she waited, wished for rest,

With her dear husband in her Savior's breast.

Mrs. JUDETH

COFFIN WIFE TO

TRISTRAM COFFIN

ESQr. 

Judith Greenleaf, daughter of Edmund Greenleaf (1574-1671) and Sarah Dole (1588 - 1663), was born 2 September 1625 in Ipswich, Suffolk, England and died 15 December 1705 in Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts.   She married first to Henry Somerby in 1644 and had four children, and I descend from her second daughter, Elizabeth Somerby (1646 - 1716) who married Nathaniel Clark.  She married second to Tristram Coffin and had ten more children.  Tristram Coffin had been her first husband's apprentice. Both men were merchant tailors. 

The headstone is mostly illegible now in the midday sun when we visited, and her elaborate footstone is very legible.  

Click here to see a blogpost about the tombstone of Tristram Coffin:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/06/tristram-coffin-died-1704-newbury.html   

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "My 10th Great Grandmother, Judith Greenleaf Coffin, d. 1705, Newbury, Massachusetts - Tombstone Tuesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted November 29, 2022, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/11/my-10th-great-grandmother-judith.html: accessed [access date]). 

2022 New Hampshire Thanksgiving Proclamation

 

At the statehouse, in Concord, New Hampshire, at 10am on Tuesday, 22 November, 2022 the New Hampshire Governor Christopher T. Sununu signed and presented the annual Thanksgiving Proclamation with members of the New Hampshire Mayflower Society. 

By His Excellency

Christopher T. Sununu, Governor

And the Honorable Executive Council

A Proclamation

In the year of our Lord Two Thousand and Twenty-Two

Thanksgiving Day

November 24, 2022

Whereas, in the autumn of 1621, the Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate the pentiful harvest they reaped following their first winter in North America, and

Whereas, the first national Thanksgiving Day, proclaimed by President George Washington, was November 26, 1789, and President Abraham Lincoln, proclaimed the first annual national holiday in 1863, establishing the date as the last Thursday of November at the behest of nationally celebrated editor and author, and daughter of New Hampshire, Sarah Josepha Hale, and

Whereas, on Thanksgiving Day, New Hampshire citizens and all Americans come together to enjoy the fellowship of family and friends with a feast that symbolizes the many blessings of our lives, and

Whereas, while Thanksgiving is a time to gather in a spirit of gratitude with family, friends and neighbors, it is also an opportunity to serve others and to share our blessings with those in need, and

Whereas, as citizens we pause to consider our good fortunes, and are especially mindful of the heroic men and women who serve and have served our country;

Now, therefore, I, Christopher T. Sununu, governor of the state of New Hampshire, do hereby proclaim November 24, 2022 as Thanksgiving Day in the State of New Hampshire, and call this day to the attention of all citizens.

Given during Executive Council session, this 22nd day of November, in the year of Our Lord, two thousand twenty-two, and of the independence of the United States of America, two hundred forty-five.

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "2022 New Hampshire Thanksgiving Proclamation", Nutfield Genealogy, posted 23 November 2022, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/11/2022-new-hampshire-thanksgiving.html: accessed [access date]). 

Stephen Greenleaf, died 1743, Newbury, Massachusetts - Tombstone Tuesday

 This tombstone was photographed at the First Parish Burial Ground in Newbury, Massachusetts

HERE LYES

YE BODY OF

CAPt. STEPHEN GREENLEAF

DIED SEPt. YE 13TH

1743 IN YE 92 YEAR OF HIS AGE

This is the tombstone of Stephen Greenleaf, my 9th great grandfather.  He was known as Captain for his service in the local militia, and for his fame serving in the Indian wars of the time.  In 1689 he was "appointed agent of the state to treat with the Indians at Penacook".  He was wounded in 1694 and petitioned for relief by presenting the bill for Dr. Humphrey Bradstreet on 18 May 1695.  His petition to the General Court "The petition of Capt. Greenleaf, of Newbury, Humbly Showeth: That upon the Seventh of October last, about three o'clock in afternoon, a party of Indians surprised a family at Turkey Hill in said town, captured nine persons, women and children, rifled the house, carrying away bedding and dry goods. Only one person escaped, and gave notice to the next family, and they the town; upon the alarm your petitioner with a party of men pursued after the enemy, endeavoring to line the river Merrimac to prevent their passage, by which means the captives were recovered and brought back. The enemy lay in a gully hard by the roadway, and about nine at night made a shot at your petitioner, and shot him through the wrist, between the bones, and also made a large wound in his side, which would have been very painful and costly to your petitioner in the cure of them, and have in a great measure utterly taken away the use of his left hand, and wholly taken off from his employment this winter. Your petitioner therefore honorably prays this honorable court that they would make him such compensation as shall seem fit; which he shall thankfully acknowledge, and doubts not but will be an encouragement to others, and possibly to relieve their neighbors when assaulted by so barbarous an enemy. And your petitioner shall ever pray. (signed) Stephen Greenleaf" 

Apparently he lived a long time after being wounded, for he lived to be 92 years old and had twelve children! 

 For the truly curious:

Capt. Stephen Greenleaf- Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Greenleaf  

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Stephen Greenleaf, died 1743, Newbury, Massachusetts - Tombstone Tuesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted November 22, 2022, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/11/stephen-greenleaf-died-1743-newbury.html: accessed [access date]). 

Church of the Presidents, Quincy, Massachusetts - Weathervane Wednesday

 

The Church of the Presidents, or the United First Parish Church of Quincy, Massachusetts is located on 1306 Hancock Street.  It is a Unitarian Universalist congregation today.  The building was erected in 1828, with funding by President John Adams, who contributed the granite.  The original building was a wooden meetinghouse with a congregational church.  It is now known as "The Church of the Presidents" because both presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams were parishoners.  Both presidents are buried in the crypt along with their wives, the First ladies Abigail Adams and Louisa Catherine Adams.  Their pews are marked with ribbons and plaques in the sanctuary.

I had previously visited Quincy and the National Park sites here associated with John Adams and John Quincy Adams, but I had never visited this church.  We toured the church as part of a Mayflower Society tour in July 2022, because both presidents Adams were descendants of Mayflower passengers John Alden and Priscilla Mullins.  

CHURCH OF THE PRESIDENTS

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Built in 1828, this church is the fourth edifice to

house the town's earliest congregation and is the

resting place of two United States Presidents and

First Ladies.  The building was endowed by John

Adams, who specified it be a "Temple of stone"

built of Quincy granite.                                     

In 1826, John Quincy Adams proposed that the 

church become the permanent resting place of his

parents: "A plain and modest monument" that "may

yet be as durable as the walls of the Temple, and as

the Rocks of his Native Town."  In 1852 the church

also became the resting place of John Quincy and 

Louisa Catherine Adams.                                  

This iron weathervane is on display in the church basement, near the crypt where the Adams presidents lay in rest.  It was originally installed on one of the former wooden church steeples that preceded the current stone church.  

Our tour guide took us inside the crypt under the church to see the final resting place of both Presidents Adams and their first ladies.  It is a simple, unadorned space.  The only other president laid to rest in a church is President Woodrow Wilson, who was buried in the Washington, D. C. National Cathedral with his First Lady, Edith Wilson. 

The church is open to the public for tours, including the crypt.  Every year there are wreath laying ceremonies on the birthdays of John Adams and John Quincy Adams.  Please see the links below for contact information for the First Parish Church to arrange for a tour.  There is no fee for a tour, but donations are welcome.  The crypt is wheelchair accessible (elevator) and there is a virtual tour for those who cannot visit in person.

For the truly curious:

The Church of the Presidents - United First Parish Church, Quincy, Massachusetts -  https://ufpc.org/ 

The Church of the Presidents, Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_First_Parish_Church  

The Church of the Presidents, Facebook group -  https://www.facebook.com/Church-of-the-Presidents-297561790578720/  

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Church of the Presidents, Quincy, Massachusetts - Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted November 16, 2022, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/11/church-of-presidents-quincy.html: accessed [access date]).  

Seen along the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad - Weathervane Wednesday

 This summer we took a ride on the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad in Meredith, New Hampshire. The train road along the shore of the lake to Laconia and back to Meredith.  Along the way we saw a quite a few weathervanes, but they were difficult to photograph from a moving train.  Here are two of the most interesting weathervanes we spotted!

Several lakeside houses and cottages had moose weathervanes

This was the most unique weathervane we saw.  There were lots of fish and waterfowl weathervanes.

For the truly curious:

The Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad - https://hoborr.com/winnipesaukee-scenic-railroad/  

Click here to see over 475 other weathervanes!   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Seen along the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad - Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted November 9, 2022, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/11/seen-along-winnipesaukee-scenic.html: accessed [access date]). 

A walk through Plimoth Colony

These photographs were taken in July 2022 at the Plimoth Patuxet Museum's English village during the "Path of the Pilgrims" tour sponsored by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants.  

For the truly curious:

The Plimoth Patuxet Museums, Plymouth, Massachusetts:  https://plimoth.org/   

My blog posts about the "Path of the Pilgrims" tour 2022

Day 1  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/07/on-path-of-pilgrims-tour-from-general.html   

Day 2  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/07/day-two-on-path-of-pilgrims-tour-by-gsmd.html  

Day 3  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/07/day-three-of-path-of-pilgrims-tour-by.html  

Day 4  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/07/day-four-on-path-of-pilgrims-tour-by.html

Day 5  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/07/day-five-of-path-of-pilgrims-tour-by.html  

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A walk through Plimoth Colony", Nutfield Genealogy, posted November 7, 2022, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/11/a-walk-through-plimoth-colony.html: accessed [access date]). 

The Town Hall at Miraflores de la Sierra, Madrid, Spain - Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed in Miraflores de la Sierra, Madrid, Spain.

This weathervane is located on the ayuntamiento (town hall) of the village of Miraflores de la Sierra, in the province of Madrid, Spain.  The weathervane is the painted and gilded coat of arms for the village. There are no cardinal points, but there is a lightning rod and a very fancy wrought iron globe. 

When Vincent was a boy he would spend his summers in Miraflores with his grandparents and cousins. The main square is called Plaza del Alamo, after a famous poplar tree in the middle of the square. It is in the mountains, about 50 kilometers from Madrid. 

This little village has grown today to almost six thousand inhabitants. We recently visited here and it was very nostalgic for Vincent and his cousin to remember the streets as they were when they were kids! 

Yours truly, my mother-in-law, and Vincent in front of the ayunamiento of Miraflores

For the truly curious:

Wikipedia article for Miraflores de la Sierra  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miraflores_de_la_Sierra  

The Facebook page for the Ayuntamiento Miraflores de la Sierra  https://www.facebook.com/AyuntamientoMirafloresdelaSierra/   

Previous blog posts about the village of Miraflores:

2010  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/12/not-so-wordless-wednesday-miraflores-de.html  

2019  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/06/photo-friday-miraflores-de-la-sierra.html  

Click here to see over 475 other weathervanes featured at this blog:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday  

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Town Hall at Miraflores de la Sierra, Madrid, Spain - Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted November 2, 2022, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-town-hall-at-miraflores-de-la.html: accessed [access date]). 

Burying Ground of the First Settlers, Newbury, Massachusetts

The First Burying Ground of the Settlers,  Newbury, 1635 is also known as the First Burying Ground. It is located on Route 1A (238 High Road), near the border of the town of Rowley.  You will find it on the left as you head north on Route 1A.  The original meeting house was located  nearby.  When the meetinghouse moved closer to the Merrimack River, another burial ground was established near the new building (now known as the First Parish Burying Ground.

This burial ground is not very visible from the road, and is set back quite a way from Route 1A.  The white sign is easy to miss.  The GPS coordinates are latitude 42.7703, longitude 70.84379. 

This burial ground is cared for by the organization known as The Sons and Daughters of Newbury. Memorial stones can be installed in memory of first settlers by contacting the Sons and Daughters of Newbury for approval.  All memorial stones must have the wording "In Memory Of".  The public is always welcome to visit this little cemetery. 

The bronze plaque on the right post reads:

FIRST BURYING GROUND
NEWBURY

This burying ground was

laide out in 1635 by the first town 

selectmen and restored in 1929 by

William and Jane Dole Moore

in memory of Richard Dole

and the first settlers

My 11th great grandfather, Edmund Greenleaf, who married Sarah Moore.  I descend from two of his children - Judith (1625 - 1705) who married Tristam Coffin and Henry Somerby, and also from Stephen Greenleaf (1628 - 1690) who married Elizabeth Coffin and Hester Weare. 

In memory of

CAPTAIN

EDMUND GREENLEAF

Born Jan. 2, 1574

Died Mar. 24, 1671

 

A ship detail on the tombstone for Edward Woodman

In memory of

Mr. EDWARD WOODMAN

who came from England and

settled in Newbury in 1635.

"A man of talents, influence,

firmness and decision."

He served faithfully for man years

as Selectman, Deputy to the General

Court and Commissioner.

He died about 1690. 

This is my 11th great grandfather's memorial tombstone erected by descendants.

In memoriam

PERCIVAL LOWELL

Born 1571 in 

Somerset Co., England

Merchant of Bristol, 

came to Newbury 1639

Died Jan. 8, 1665

In memory of

Anthony Somerby

Died July 31, 1636

AEt. 76 yrs. 

For the Truly Curious:

The Sons and Daughters of Newbury webpage for this burial ground:   https://www.sonsanddaughtersofnewbury.org/the-burial-ground   

A short tour of the Burying Ground of the First Settlers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Froy-qpsRt4 

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Burying Ground of the First Settlers, Newbury, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 25, 2022, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/10/burying-ground-of-first-settlers.html: accessed [access date]).