Saturday, February 28, 2015

Surname Saturday ~ PHIPPEN of Hingham and Boston, Massachusetts


PHIPPEN

I had a lot of fun going over my old notes on this PHIPPEN family.  I had originally researched this lineage over 30 years ago, before the Great Migration series had been published and before Martin Hollick wrote his newest edition of New Englanders in the 1600s.  There were many new articles on this family I was able to find to update my records.

David Phippen (about 1585 – 1650), my 10th great grandfather, was born in Weymouth, Dorsetshire, England to a family that was recorded in a pedigree chart originally drawn up in 1768 by James Ford of Salem, Massachusetts.  According to the Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-1635, Volume V, pages 455 and 456, this chart was damaged in the Revolutionary War.  Copies were remade in 1808 from the original, and recopied again and published in 1868.  Robert Charles Anderson stated “Given the number of times this chart has been copied, and the number of generations it is removed from the seventeenth century, both human generations and document generations, we have chosen not to incorporate in this sketch any information on David Phippen and his family found only on this chart.”

We know that David Phippen was the son of Robert Fizpen alias Phippen of Weymouth, Dorsetshire, and that his brother, George Fizpen alias Phippen named him as “my brother David Phippen in New England” in his will dated 20 July 1650.  David Phippen was aboard the ship Recovery which sailed from Weymouth on 31 March 1634.  He was listed as “Davide Phippen” and sailed with his wife, Sarah, and children Joseph, Rebecca, Benjamin, Gamaliel, Sarah and George. 

David Phippen was admitted as a freeman in Hingham, Massachusetts on 3 March 1636, and he removed to Boston about 1641.  His will was probated on 31 October 1650.  His wife remarried to George Hull  on 11 July 1654 and removed to Fairfield, Connecticut where she died before 25 August 1659, the date of her inventory.

David’s son Joseph (about 1615 – 1687) was my ninth great grandfather.  Apparently he was lost at sea because in the Great Migration book, Volume V,  page 454, there is a reference to a Suffolk County Deed 1:280 -81] in 1652 “Darathy Phippiney of Boston being in great want & distress, by reason of my husband’s absence and loss at sea,have for these causes & considerations me hereunto moving, especially for the relief of myself and children…”.  One of those children was Mary, my 8th great grandmother.

Mary Phippen married John Wallis, a settler in Maine.  I previously blogged about the WALLIS family HERE.   There was a sketch of the Phippen family in the journal The American Genealogist, see below, with this reference to Mary and John Wallis on page 7:

Mary, bapt. at Hingham, 5 Mar. 1643/4; m. JOHN WALLIS, a fisherman, of Falmouth and Purpooduck; Selectman, 1674, and 1680; took refuge from the Indian War in Gloucester, Mass., where he d. 13 Sept. 1690.  His widow and son Josiah gave administration bond, 29 Mar. 1691, with David Phippen [her brother] as surety.  The Phippen chart states "John Watti left four sons and five daughters.  By Mary Phippen."  The name Watti is unknown, and undoubtedly an error in reading and copying the original chart.  John Wallis was closely associated wiht the Phippens.  he and his wife Mary had nine children, as stated on the Phippen chart, towo of whom were named Joseph and Dorcas (after Mary's parents).  [again, the chart referenced here with the mistake on the name WALLIS is the same pedigree chart that Robert Anderson doubted to reference above in his work The Great Migration because it had been copied too many times with mistakes].

For more information on the PHIPPEN family:

Fizpen or Phippen and Allied Families, by George D. Phippen, Salem, Massachusetts, 1870

 History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, by Donald Lines Jacobus, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co, 1991, Volume 1, pages 207 and 476.

The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-1635, by Robert Charles Anderson, Volume V, pages 451- 456. 

The American Genealogist, Volume 17, pages 1 – 19

The PHIPPEN genealogy:

Generation 1: David Phippen, son of Robert Fitzpen alias Phippen and Cecile Jordan, born about 1585 in Weymouth, Dorsetshire, England, died before 31 October 1650 in Boston, Massachusetts; married to Sarah Unknown.  She remarried to George Hull and died before 25 August 1659 in Fairfield, Connecticut. Eight children.

Generation 2:  Joseph Phippen, born about 1615 in England, died about 1652; married to Dorothy or Dorcas, six children. 

Generation 3:  Mary Phippen, born before 5 March 1643/44 in Hingham, Massachusetts; married about 1660 to John Wallis.  He was born about 1627 probably in Cornwall, and died 13 September 1690 in Gloucester, Massachusetts.  Nine children.

Generation 4:  James Wallis married Martha Stanford
Generation 5:  Elizabeth Wallis married John Andrews
Generation 6:  John Andrews married Martha Cogswell
Generation 7:  James Andrews married Lucy Presson
Generation 8:  Orpha Andrews married Joseph Allen
Generation 9:  Joseph Gilman Allen married Sarah Burnham Mears
Generation 10:  Joseph Elmer Allen married Carrie Maude Batchelder
Generation 11 :  Stanley Elmer Allen married Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (my grandparents)

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The URL for this post is
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/02/surname-saturday-phippen-of-hingham-and.html
Copyright © 2015, Heather Wilkinson Rojo


Friday, February 27, 2015

Photo Friday ~ Dinner in Buenos Aires, Argentina

I found this photo in my mother-in-law's collection.
 It's from a 1970 trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina.


When my mother-in-law was first living in New York City, she worked for Iberia Airlines.  She took advantage of some low cost group tours to places around the world.  When my husband was little, he would accompany them on some of these trips to Hong Kong, Japan, Greece, Egypt, Argentina, and all over Spain including the Canary Islands.  My family went camping in New England.  So to me, these photos are fascinating!

My father-in-law is in the front right, wearing the hat, and looking quite sheepish.  My mother-in-law is sitting next to him looking very young and pretty.

If you Google "Cantina Spadavecchia" in Buenos Aires, Argentina you can read that it used to be a very popular restaurant.  They were not famous for their food, but famous for the entertainment of large groups (tourists), music and festivals.  According what I saw on Google, this restaurant has been closed for a while now.

Everyone here looks like they were having a very good time!

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The URL for this post is
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/02/photo-friday-dinner-in-buenos-aires.html
Copyright (c) 2015, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Thursday, February 26, 2015

March 2015 Genealogy and Local History Event Calendar



March 1, Sunday, 2pm, Ona Marie Judge: A Historical Novel, upstairs at the Discover Portsmouth Center, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 603-436-8433. The story of a woman who was formerly enslaved to Martha Washington.

March 3, Tuesday, 7am to 7pm, Genealogy Research Trip to Boston, Massachusetts sponsored by the Rhode Island Genealogical Society, a popular excursion to do family research in Boston with a choice of the New England Historic Genealogical Society library or the Massachusetts State Archives.  $25 per person for members and their guests.  See the website http://www.rigensoc.org/eventListings.php?nm=73 for more information.

March 4, Wednesday, 11am, John Perrault: The Ballad Lives!  at the Derry Public Library, 64 East Broadway, Derry, New Hampshire.  Free to the public, call 503-434-4073 for more information.  A program of traditional and original ballads and New England songs, John Perrault follows the traditional ballad from the British Isles to North America.  

March 4, Wednesday, 7pm, Boston and the Civil War: Hub of the Second Revolution, at the Lyman Estate, 185 Lyman Street, Waltham, Massachusetts.  Free to the public.  Celebrate the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln’s second inauguration with historian and author Barbara F. Berenson for a journey through Civil War Boston.  There will be a book signing of Berenson’s new book Boston and the Civil War: Hub of the Second Revolution.  Co-sponsored by Historic New England and the Greater Boston Civil War Roundtable.  Registration is recommended, call 617-994-5912 to reserve a seat.

Thursday, March 5, 6pm, Irish Need Not Apply: A History of the Irish in Boston, by local historian Christopher Daly, with a multimedia presentation at the West End Branch Library, Boston, Massachusetts. Free to the public.

March 5, Thursday, noon, Lunch and Learn: Stepfamilies in Colonial America, at Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, Massachusetts, $8 for non-members, FREE to members.  Speaker Lisa Wilson discusses the fact and fiction of blended families, which were common in colonial America, author of the new book A History of Stepfamilies in Colonial America. Click here for more info http://www.plimoth.org/learn/programs-adults/lunch-and-learn

March 6, Friday, noon - 1pm, Wills Tell Stories, part of the First Fridays Brown Bag Lecture Series at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts, presented by Alice Plouchard Stelzer who will discuss how probate records are valuable resources in historical and genealogical research.  Free to the public, register online at www.americanancestors.org or call 617-226-1226 

March 6, Friday, 6:30pm The Irish Experience at the Phillip’s House, at 34 Chestnut Street, Salem, Massachusetts.  Discover the daily lives of the Phillip’s family Irish domestic staff.  Visit the servant’s work and living quarters, which are usually not open to the public.  $15 Historic New England members, $20 nonmembers.  Call 978-744-0440 for a recommended registration.

March 7, Saturday, 9:30am - 12pm, "Taken with a Large Grain of Salt" - verifying family stories, presented by Erica Voolich and sponsored by the Worcester County Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, at the Zion Lutheran Church, Worcester, Massachsuetts.  Free to the public. 

March 7, Saturday, 10am – noon, Finding the Family: Problems, Successes and Rewards, with speaker Tim Firkowski, professional genealogist, sponsored by the Genealogy Group at the Kennebunk, public library, 112 Main Street, Kennebunk, Maine, call 207-985-2173 for more information. Free to the public.

March 7, Saturday, all day and at 7pm, Boston Massacre Re-enactment and Commemoration, At the Old State House in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, sponsored by the Bostonian Society.  Family programming during the day and at 7pm there will be a re-enactment on the spot outside the State House of the Boston Massacre. Come early to meet the patriots, loyalists and moderates who share their stories. For more information see the website http://www.bostonhistory.org/?s=osh&p=calendar

March 10, Tuesday, 7pm, Researching Your Irish Ancestors with Mary Ellen Grogan, at the Memorial Hall, Andover, Public Library, Andover, Massachusetts.  Free to the public, register online or call 978-623-8401 presented by the Andover Genealogy Club http://www.mhl.org/about/events/groups/genealogy_club.htm

March 11,  Wednesday, 6pm Life Stories in White and Black from Forest Hills Cemetery, by historian Dee Morris at the Abbey Room of the Boston Public Library, Boston, Massachusetts.  Morris will describe the famous abolitionists and black citizens buried together at Forest Hill Cemetery - including William Lloyd Garrison, Edward Everett Hale, William C. Nell, and others.  Free to the public. 

March 12, Thursday, 6:30pm Evacuation Day Lecture, at the Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarter's National Historic Site, 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Free with admission.  RSVP at 617-876-4491

March 13, Friday, 1:30pm,  Start your Genealogy Research, sponsored by the Rogers Memorial Library Genealogy Club, Hudson, New Hampshire.  Laptop computers will be available for your use at the meeting.  No registration required. Free to the public.

March 13, Friday, 6:30pm The Gravestone Girls! at the Middleborough, Massachusetts Lodge of Elks, sponsored by the Friends of Middleborough Cemeteries, $5 suggested donation at the door.   www.FriendsofMiddleboroughCemeteries.org   

March 14, Saturday, 10:30 to noon, Manchester, NH Public School Buildings 1785 – 2014, at the Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford Street, Manchester, NH, included with regular admission to the museum, free to members.  AARP members receive a $3 discount (bring your AARP card).

March 17, Tuesday, Evacuation Day Ceremonies,  enjoy the historical military exercises at the Dorchester Heights Monument, Boston, Massachusetts.  

March 18, Wednesday, 7:30pm “Boston: Origin of American Slavery” a Pre-Publication Book Talk by Journalists Lisa Braxton and Alex Reid, at the Royall House, 15 George Street, Medford, Massachusetts. Free to members, $5 non-members. See the website for more information  http://www.royallhouse.org/whats-happening/news-and-events/

March 18, Wednesday, 7:30pm, Islands in a Storm:  The Plum Island Story, at the Ipswich Museum, Ipswich, Massachusetts, presented by William Sargent, consultant for TV's NOVA and author of five books on science and the environment.  This lecture is sponsored by the First Ipswich Bank and the Ipswich Historical Society.  Free to members, $10 for non-members.  

March 21, Saturday, 9am – 5pm , Researching Your Irish Ancestors: Strategies for Success, at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown, 275 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts sponsored by the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Join experts Fintan Mullan and Gillian Hunt from the Ulster Historical Foundation at this all day seminar.  Fee $85.  Register at this link: http://shop.americanancestors.org/products/researching-your-irish-and-scots-irish-ancestors-strategies-for-success?pass-through=true&utm_source=twgnewsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=twg726


March 22, Sunday, 1 – 3pm, Exploring the Back Stairs: A lecture and Tour, at the Stonehurst, Robert Treat Paine’s Estate, 100 Robert Treat Paine Drive, Waltham, Massachusetts. A lecture by Jennifer Pustz, museum historian and a backstairs tour of the servant’s quarters at Stonehurst.  $10 Historic New England members, $15 nonmembers.  Co-sponsored by the City of Waltham and the Friends of Stonehurst.

March 24, Tuesday, 1:30pm, Intro to Genealogy in the computer lab at the Haverhill Public Library, Haverhill, Massachusetts.  Free to the public, but requires advance sign up.  To reserve a spot call the reference and information desk at 978-373-1586 ext. 608.

March 25, Wednesday, 7:15pm Embattled Farmers:  Profiles of Revolutionary War Soldiers, at the First Church of Christ Congregational in Bedford, Massachusetts, 25 Great Road, Bedford, Massachusetts.  Meet outside the doors to the Upper Fellowship Hall at 7pm.  Lincoln historian and author Richard Wiggin will describe the research for his newest book, and tell the story of the many Lincoln farmers who had connections to the war. 

March 27, Friday, 9am – 12:30pm, Digitizing Basics: Editing, Preserving and Sharing Family Photographs, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts, (optional afternoon consultations), $50, please register ahead at 617-226-1226 or email education@nehgs.org.  Join Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective, and Carly Sentieri, Associate Photographer at the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) to learn how to digitize your collections, to improve the appearance of digitized images, and to share you digitized collections online.  Various methods for capturing digital images (tablet, scanner, camera) will be demonstrated.

March 28, Saturday, 10am, Evernote Boot Camp for Genealogy, Part 1 of a webinar presented remotely by Thomas MacEntee and sponsored by the Merrimack Valley Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists.  At the Nevis Memorial Library, 305 Broadway, Methuen, Massachusetts. 

March 29, Sunday, 2pm, Meet Rachel Revere - Petticoats at the Revolution.  At the Shirley-Eustis House, 33 Shirley Street, Roxbury, Massachusetts, Admission is $10 per person, performed by Joan Gatturna, who will tell the sotory of the woman who rode through life with Paul Revere and kept the home fires burning while he fanned the flames of revolution.  See the website for more information www.shirleyeusisthouse.org  

March 31, Tuesday, 6pm Life at Colonial Harvard: The Archaeological Evidence, at Geological Lecture Hall, Harvard University, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Meet in the small lobby outside the lecture hall at 5:45.  Join Diana Loren and Patricia Capone in a presentation of the project’s findings to date.  “Digging Veritas: The Archaeology and History of the Indian College and Student Life at Colonial Harvard” exhibit will be open in the Peabody Museum, adjacent to the lecture hall, until 9pm.

March 31, Tuesday, 7pm Plain and Fancy: Domestic Needle-work at the turn of the last century, at the Masonic Temple, 19 Academy Street, Arlington, Massachusetts.  Free, sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society, presented by Kim Salazar, Author of Domestic Needlework.

April 1, Wednesday, 6pm, Founder’s Son:  A Life of Abraham Lincoln, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, $20 for the general public, register by phone at 617-646-0578, presented by Richard Brookhiser, senior editor of the National Review and author of eleven books.

April 8, Wednesday, 7pm, Searching for Black Confederate Soldiers, sponsored by the Medford Historical Society,  10 Governor’s Avenue, Medford, Massachusetts. Free to the public. http://www.medfordhistorical.org/

April 10, Friday, 8pm, Uncovering History: The Story of Captain Parker’s Revenge, at the Lexington Historical Society, 13 Depot Square, Lexington, Massachusetts. A panel of noted historians and archaeologists will tell us about their exploration of what happened on the morning of April 19, 1775.  Free to the public.

April 10, Friday, 1:30pm, Why Story Matters? Memoir Writing, sponsored by the Rogers Memorial Library Genealogy Club, Hudson, New Hampshire. Learn to write down the stories of your life.

April 11, Saturday,  New England Family History Conference, at the Franklin LDS church on 91 Jordan Road, Franklin, Massachusetts.  See the website for more information www.nefamilyhistory.com and to register online.

April 11, Saturday, 10:30am to noon, Book Signing and Lecture: Stark – The life and Wars of John Stark, at the Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford Street, Manchester, NH. Authors Richard V. and John F. Polhemus detail the role that John Stark played in both the French & Indian War and the Revolutionary War.  Included with regular admission to the Millyard Museum.  Pre-registration is requested. 

April 15 – 18, Wednesday – Saturday, The New England Regional Genealogical Consortium Conference “Navigating the Past: Sailing into the Future”, at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island.  Registration for NERGC 2015 is now open online at http://www.nergc.org/

April 16, Thursday, 6:30 pm, Always Something Doing & Scollay Square, a talk by David Kruh at the West End Museum, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 7, Boston, Massachusetts, call 617-416-0718 for more information.  FREE to the public.  David Kruh has written two books on Scollay Square, and he will relate stories from John Winthrop (who settled here in 1630) to Sally Keith (who entertained there in the 1950s) to Government Center today.  Optional pre-registration at this link:  http://thewestendmuseum.org/events/talk-scollay-square-always-something-doing-and-scollay-square/

April 29, Wednesday,  6pm, Sex, DNA and Family History, a lecture by Shellee Morehead at the Abbey Room of the Boston Public Library, Boston, Massachusetts.  Certified genealogist Shellee Morehead will explain genetic genealogy- the use of DNA for defining ancestral relationships.  Free to the Public. 

May 2, Saturday, 12 noon – 4pm, Ipswich Back in Time, Commemorating the 1657 Alexander Knight House, A Fun Family Day of Exploring Where History Comes to Life, The Ipswich, Massachusetts Historical Society.

May 9, Saturday, 10am – noon, Uncovering Your Family History in Federal Publications, speaker Connie Reik, professional genealogist, sponsored by the Genealogy Group at the Kennebunk, public library, 112 Main Street, Kennebunk, Maine, call 207-985-2173 for more information. Free to the public.

May 13, Wednesday, 6pm, Women and Physical Culture in Nineteenth Century Boston, a talk by Helaine Davis and Linda Stern at the Abbey Room of the Boston Public Library, Boston, Massachusetts.  This lecture is about how several pioneering women changed the face of sports and recreation in Boston at the close of the 19th century.  Free to the public.

May 27, Wednesday, 6pm, Finding Living Ancestors: Being a Genealogy Gumshoe, by genealogist Michael Maglio.  A discussion on how sometimes it is necessary to find a living relative in order to track down records, get a DNA sample, return a rare photo or family Bible, but finding the living can be as challenging as finding a dead ancestor.  Free to the public. 

May 30, Saturday, 2015 Southern Maine Genealogical Conference sponsored by the Greater Portland Chapter of the Maine Genealogical Society will be held in Portland, Maine.  The keynote speaker will be Margaret Dube, CG.  For more information see www.maineroots.org

May 30, 1pm Summer Walking Tours of the Black Heritage Trail in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Meet up at the Discover Portsmouth Center, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire from May to September.  There will be a fee involved.  Stay tuned or call for more information.

July 11, Saturday, The Maine Genealogical Society Fair at the Cultural Building, Home of the State Library, Archives and Museum, Augusta, Maine, Free admission. Visit with genealogical and historical societies from around the state of Maine.

July 26, Sunday,  Massachusetts Genealogical Council Annual Meeting and Seminar, Mansfield, Massachusetts


Coming Soon!

New England Regional Genealogy Conference - NERGC- Providence, Rhode Island, at the Rhode Island Convention Center, 15 - 18 April 2015.  
www.nergc.org

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The URL for this post is
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/02/march-2015-genealogy-and-local-history.html   

Copyright 2014, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

NERGC Early Bird Deadline ~ February 28th


The New England Regional Genealogy Conference
Providence, Rhode Island
April 15 -18th
At the Rhode Island Convention Center

NERGC Early Bird discount deadline is Saturday, February 28th


The 13th New England Regional Genealogical Conference Navigating the Past: Sailing into the Future will be held in Providence, Rhode Island on 15-18 April 2015. The conference will include more than 60 lectures by speakers including Judy G. Russell, Lisa Louise Cooke, and Genealogy Roadshow host Joshua Taylor, as well as Ancestors Roadshow, Special Interest Groups, workshops, and a bonus track of presentations in the exhibit hall. For more information or to register visit www.nergc.org   

See the program brochure here at this PDF link:
http://www.nergc.org/NERGC%202015%20Registration%20Brochure.pdf 



Weathervane Wednesday ~ Target Practice?

Weathervane Wednesday is an on-going series of photographs I post weekly.  I started by publishing weather vanes from the Londonderry area, but now I've been finding interesting weather vanes all across New England.  Sometimes my weather vanes are whimsical, or historical, but all are interesting. Often, my readers tip me off to some very unique and unusual weather vanes, too!

Today's weather vane  is from somewhere in Vermont.

Do you know the location of weather vane #197? Scroll down to see the answer!





Today's weather vane was spotted on the back wing of the Vermont Country Store in Weston, Vermont.  This two dimensional cow weather vane is above a ventilation unit and it appears to have been hit by a few bullets and flying objects over the years.  This is quite common, and many of the weather vanes I've seen have a few bullet holes.  Some yahoos think that the moving vanes make good target practice.

The Vermont Country Store is a catalog and internet business that started right here in Weston in 1946 as a real country store by Vrest and Mildred Orton.  It is still run by the Orton family.  Vrest and Mildred Orton started the mail order business in 1945.  Vrest's grandfather had run a country store in Calais, Vermont, and so in 1946 he opened this store, too, as an outlet for his mail order business. They sell unique, practical and hard to find items.

The Vermont Country Store website http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/store/

The Vermont Country Store Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheVermontCountryStore

Click here to see the entire Weathervane Wednesday collection! 

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The URL for this post is
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/02/weathervane-wednesday-target-practice.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Tombstone Tuesday ~ CROWD of Windham, New Hampshire

This tombstone was photographed at the Cemetery on the Plains, Windham, New Hampshire


In Memory 
of Mrs. Lydia,
wife of Mr. Jesse Crowd,
who died
May 27, 1822
AEt. 37.

Also three Children, Eliza died
Jan 18, 1807, AE 2Mts, David, died
FEb. 11, 1808, AE 2Mts, David died
Oct. 27, 1811, AE 2 Mts. 

Surviving friend, come take a thought,
How, soon the grave must be your lot,
Make Christ your friend while life remains,
And death will be eternal gain. 


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The URL for this post is
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/02/tombstone-tuesday-crowd-of-windham-new.html
Copyright (c) 2015, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Monday, February 23, 2015

Insanity, Guardianship, Account Books and Family History

Account Book, Jonathan Batchelder (1800 - 1847)

Jonathan Batchelder's Account
                       Book
of Chichester           
New Hampshir        
1831  January the 12

Back in 2004 a wonderful thing happened to me.  A gentleman who had bought a box of books on the West Coast found a small account book dating from 1831.  The name Jonathan Batchelder of Chichester, New Hampshire was written on the first page.  This gentleman spent much time trying to find a descendant of Jonathan.  Someone at the Chichester Historical Society found my online family tree because Jonathan Batchelder is my 4th great grandfather.

Note:  I had posted a query about Jonathan Batchelder at a bulletin board at GenForum in 2000.  It’s still there fifteen years later, and it still brings me email about the Batchelder family.  It pays to plaster the names of your ancestors everywhere- forums, Facebook, blogs, bulletin boards, wikis, everywhere.  You never know what will happen or who will contact you.

Back in 2009, when my blog was new, I wrote a post about how I received Jonathan Batchelder’s account book.  You can read that story by clicking HERE.  Since that time I have been researching the life of Jonathan Batchelder and his family.  It’s a very sad story.  But it’s amazing that his little book ended up on the West Coast and somehow found its way back to me.

There was nothing of genealogical value written inside this account book.  Of course, there are lots of names of people who lived near Jonathan and probably lived in Chichester, New Hampshire in the 1830s and 1840s. It is fascinating community information.  Some of the names might be relatives because there are quite a few Batchelders and Lanes listed.  Prices listed of items and labor traded are interesting.  The spelling is atrocious.  The biggest surprise was this slip of paper stuck inside:



This is a wonderful find!  This paper has much more information than what I found in the probate records online.   I first went to Family Search where I found an index of probate in this time period, where I found this index card:



Using the date and the docket number from this index card I was able to find the record in this volume and page here:


"New Hampshire, County Probate Records, 1660-1973," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32660-11094-71?cc=2040537&wc=M797-G68:347815801,348206601 : accessed 18 February 2015), Merrimack > Dockets 1844-1858 no 2275-4869 > image 76 of 339; county courthouses, New Hampshire.

And here is a close up of this case:



Why was Nancy Batchelder named guardian to 14 year old Pauline Ann Batchelder? Well, it’s a long story…

Jonathan Batchelder was born about 1800 in Hampton, New Hampshire, the son of Elisha Batchelder and Sarah Lane.   On 11 February 1822 in Belmont, New Hampshire he married Nancy Thompson.  She was born about 1804 in Gilmanton, New Hampshire.  They had two children born in Chichester: George born in 1822 and Pauline Ann born in 1828.

 In the newspaper New Hampshire Patriot and State Gazette on 21 November 1840, I found a notice on page 3 stating that Jonathan Batchelder had emancipated his son George.  My 3rd great grandfather, George, had just reached the age of 18, and went off on his own to earn a living.  This was a common notice in those days.

However, as I was searching the newspapers I found a more sinister notice in the New Hampshire Patriot and State Gazette on 3 December 1846, page 4:

Guardian’s Notice:
Notice is hereby given, that the subscriber has been duly appointed by the Judge of Probate for the county of Merrimack, guardian of the person and estate of Jonathan Batchelder, of Chichester, in said county, decreed to be an insane person.  All persons indebted to the said Jonathan Batchelder are requested to make immediate payment to the subscriber, and all having claims to present them for adjustment.
David M. Carpenter, Guardian
Chichester, Nov. 24, 1846


A few months later this was found in the New Hampshire Patriot and State Gazette, 11 March 1847, page 4:

Guardian's Sale
"By virtue of a license from the Judge of Probate for the county of Merrimack, the subscriber as guardian of Jonathan Batchelder, of Chichester, in said county, who has been decreed an insane person, will sell at public auction on Wednesday, the 24th day of March next, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, all the right and interest the said Batchelder has in the homestead place on which he the said Batchelder has heretofore resided, containing about fifty five acres of first rate land, on which there is a good lot of timber and wood; the house large and two stories, and recently painted; the barn and shed not old.  Said farm is within about two miles of Pittsfield Village, and on the main road from Pittsfield to Concord and Manchester, on which road Stages pass and repass every day.  Also, about fifteen acres of pasture and wood land, lying about one half of a mile from said farm, adjoining and of David Brown and others.  Terms of payment liberal.  Sale on the premises.
D. M. Carpenter, Guardian
Chichester, Feb. 24, 1847

This was followed by another notice in the fall of the same year, New Hampshire Patriot and State Gazette, 4 November 1847, page 3:

Administrator's Notice
"The subscriber hereby gives notice that he has been duly appointed administrator of the estate of Jonathan Batchelder, late of Chichester, deceased, intestate.  All persons indebted to said estate are requested to make immediate payment, and all having claims to present them to the subscriber for adjustment.
D. M. Carpenter, Adm'r
Chichester, Sept 29, 1847

It is never easy to read that an ancestor was insane and died so young.  The family home was sold and the courts at this time granted guardianship of the minor child, Pauline, to her mother.  This was also common at the time.  Mothers were not  automatically given their children upon the death of the father. 

One clue I have is that according to the book Batchelder, Batcheller: Descendants of Rev. Stephen Bachiler by Frederick Clifton Pierce written in 1898, it states that Jonathan Batchelder died in Concord, New Hampshire.  No date given.  No other details about his life, not even a maiden name for his wife, Nancy.  From the newspaper notices we can guess that he died before 4 November 1847.  There was a state insane asylum in Concord at the time, just a few miles away from Chichester.  Jonathan’s death was not recorded in any vital records.

Nancy Batchelder drops out of the records after her guardianship was recorded.  She is not in any census, nor is she in the vital records as remarrying or dying. I’d love to know what happened to her.  She was my 4th great grandmother, and I don’t know her origins, parents nor her birthday.  I only learned her maiden name from Pauline’s death record.  Nancy Thompson is a true brickwall ancestor.

Pauline grew up to marry David C. Watson of Vermont sometime before 1849 when her first son, Charles, was born in Pittsfield, New Hampshire.  About 1851 she had another son, and she named him George.  David Watson had a clothing business in Boston on Howard Street with his brother Charles.  David died in Sutton, New Hampshire in 1903, and Pauline died in 1911.

Pauline’s brother, George E. Batchelder, is my 3rd great grandfather.  He spent the rest of his life in Chichester as a farmer, like his father.  He also died young, at age 26, in 1848.  He married Abigail M. Locke of South Boston in 1845 and had two children before his early death, Abby Ann, born in 1847 and died two weeks old, and George E. Batchelder, Jr., born posthumously on 8 October 1848, one month after his father’s death.  George, Jr. is my great great grandfather. 

You can see that after more than 20 years of researching this family, there still are lots of details yet to find!

Click here to read my previous blog post about Jonathan Batchelder's account book:

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The URL for this post is
 http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/02/insanity-guardianship-account-books-and.html
Copyright © 2015, Heather Wilkinson Rojo



Sunday, February 22, 2015

Thinking Day 2015 Contributions from Geneabloggers

World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts


June Stearns Butka
Thinking Day 22 Feb 2015:  Remembering when…

Amanda Pape
Sentimental Sunday:  Mark as a Boy Scout in the 1950s for World Thinking Day


John D. Tew
The Scouting Movement and World Thinking Day/B-P Day/ Founder’s Day (February 22, 2015)

Heather Wilkinson Rojo
Thinking Day!  Memories of the Girl Scouting Exhibits at the Rochester Fair


World Organization of Scouting Movement

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The URL for this post is
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/02/thinking-day-2015-contributions-from.html
Copyright © 2015 Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Thinking Day! Memories of the Girl Scouting Exhibits at the Rochester Fair


Derry News, 2002, (exact date unknown), Derry, New Hampshire


A Brownie Girl Scout with her award
at the Rochester Fair, September 2003



The exhibit barns at the Rochester, New Hampshire Fairgrounds


In 2015 the Rochester Fair will be celebrating its 140th anniversary! When I was a Girl Scout leader I brought our troop to the fair for several years because the Rochester Fair is one of the few agricultural fairs in the country that has a special exhibit for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, and awards ribbons and premiums for winning exhibits in campcrafts, canning, sewing, photography, badgework, artwork and other categories.  The barn you see closest to you in the photo above is used for the Scouting exhibits.  As a Girl Scout leader and volunteer, my husband won a purple ribbon for this photograph in 2000.  

Over the years the girls in my troop won ribbons and prize money for sewing, cooking, photography, science projects and other exhibits.  As a troop they also worked on canning projects together and submitted them in the troop category, and won two purple ribbons! 

On Thinking Day, February 22nd, the mutual birthday of Lord and Lady Baden-Powell,  Scouts and Guides all over the world think of each other, learn about Scouting worldwide, and remember their favorite Scouting memories.  Our troop's participation in the Rochester Fair was always one of my favorite memories as a Girl Scout leader. 

The Rochester Fair  -  http://dev.rochesterfair.com/  

This webpage shows you the many, many categories of exhibits open to Scouts at the Rochester Fair, it's hard to add them all up!



Prize winning Girl Scout Concord Grape Jam! 


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The URL for this post is
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/02/thinking-day-memories-of-girl-scouting.html
Copyright (c) 2015, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Surname Saturday ~ CORNING of Beverly, Massachusetts


"BeverlyMA SamuelCorningHouse" by Magicpiano - Own work.
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.


CORNING

Samuel Corning (1616 – 1693), my 9th great grandfather,  is not found in newer books like Hollick’s New Englanders in the 1600s, nor is he in the Great Migration series.    He can be found in Frederick Adams Virkus’s The Compendium of American Genealogy, First Families of America, which was produced in 7 volumes between 1925 and 1942.  There are mentions of him in Beverly town records and in written histories of Beverly, Massachusetts.

According to Virkus’s book,  Samuel Corning arrived in Salem by 1638 and he settled with his family in Beverly where he was a freeman on 2 June 1641.  He held many town offices, such as selectman, collector of rate, and was a founder of the Beverly church in 1656.  There are many references to “Ensign Samuel Corning” in the records.  According to the Corning Family Association website, he lived in Wramplingham before immigrating to Massachusetts, and he served in the militia there.  However, I’ve found no proof of Samuel’s origins or parentage or any other information on his ancestry.

In 1685 Samuel Corning was granted the administration of John Kettell’s will.  Later, when Samuel’s first wife, Elizabeth, died in 1688, he remarried to John Kettell’s widow, also named Elizabeth.  This second wife, Elizabeth Allen, is the daughter of my 9th great grandfather, William Allen (1602 – 1678) and his second wife, another Elizabeth.  I descend from William Allen’s son Samuel Allen, from his first wife, Alice Norman.

Samuel’s daughter, Remember Corning (1640 – 1715) married Nathaniel Stone sometime  before 1659 when their first child was born.  There is a house built by her brother, Samuel Corning, about 1700 still standing on Hull Street in Beverly, Massachusetts.   This house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

For the truly curious:


2008 Corning Family Reunion, Beverly, Massachusetts

My CORNING genealogy:

Generation 1:  Samuel Corning, born about 1616 in England, died 11 March 1693 in Beverly, Massachusetts; married first about 1638 to Elizabeth Unknown – three children; married second on 13 November 1688 in Beverly to Elizabeth Allen, widow of John Kettell.  She outlived him and remarried a third time to William Raymond.

Generation 2:  Remember Corning, born 3 May 1640 in Beverly, died in 1715; married before 1659 to Nathaniel Stone, son of John Stone and Elinor Cooke.  He was born about 1632, and died 8 March 1718 in Salem.  Eleven children, and I descend from two.

Lineage A

Generation 3:   John Stone, born 20 February 1661 in Salem, died 28 July 1736 in Beverly; married first to Hester Gaines – three children; married second to Sarah Gale – ten children; married third to Jane Stacy Stanley.   Sarah Gale is my 7th great grandmother, the daughter of Edmund Gale and Sarah Dixey, born 5 February 1666 in Salem, died before 1726.

Generation 4:  Susanna Stone m. Randall Preston
Generation 5:  William Presson m.  Abigail Sargent
Generation 6:  Lucy Presson m. James Andrews
Generation 7:  Orpha Andrews m. Joseph Allen (a descendant of William Allen above)
Generation 8:  Joseph Gilman Allen m. Sarah Burnham Mears
Generation 9: Joseph Elmer Allen m. Carrie Maud Batchelder
Generation 10. Stanley Elmer Allen m. Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (my grandparents)

Lineage B

Generation 3:  Nathaniel Stone, born 15 September 1663 in Salem, died 23 February 1741 in Beverly; married 26 March 1689 in Beverly to Mary Balch, daughter of Benjamin Balch and Sarah Gardner.  She was born about 1667 and died 12 March 1737 in Beverly.  Nine children.

Generation 4: Josiah Stone m. Dorithy Fuller
Generation 5: Josiah Stone m. Martha Ashby
Generation 6:  Josiah Stone m. Susanna Hix
Generation 7:  Eunice Stone m. Peter Hoogerzeil
Generation 8: Peter Hoogerzeil m. Mary Etta Healey
Generation 9:  Florence Etta Hoogerzeil m. Arthur Treadwell Hitchings
Generation 10:  Gertrude Matilda Hitchings m. Stanley Elmer Allen (my grandparents)

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The URL for this post is
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/02/surname-saturday-corning-of-beverly.html
Copyright © 2015, Heather Wilkinson Rojo