Monday, August 31, 2015

September 2015 Genealogy and Local History Calendar



September 2, Wednesday, 6pm, History of Stepfamilies in Early America, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society at 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts, Free to the public.  A book talk by author Lisa Wilson who examines the early stereotypes and actualities of colonial stepfamilies, shares stories of real stepfamilies in early New England, and discusses their impact on early United States history.  Book sales and signing to follow.  Click here to register:  http://shop.americanancestors.org/products/history-of-stepfamilies-in-early-america?pass-through=true&utm_source=twgnewsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=twg752

September 2, Wednesday, noon, Intro to the Maine Historical Society: Library Tour, at the Brown Library of the Maine Historical Society, Portland, Maine.  A 45 minute tour of the library’s reading room and behind the scenes.  Will cover the basics of doing research in the library. (Monthly on the first Wednesday at noon in Jan, March, May, July, September, November)  FREE and limited to 10 persons.  Sign up in advance by email to nnoyes@mainehistory.org

September 3, Friday, 7pm, New Hampshire Cemeteries and Gravestones, at the Franklin Public Library, 310 Central Street, Franklin, New Hampshire, contact Leigh Webb at 603-934-8222 for more information.  Free to the Public.  Glenn Knoblock presents the art, craftsmen and how to read the stone “pages” that give insight into the vast genealogical book of New Hampshire.

September 3, Friday, Noon,  Lunch and Learn:  One Colonial Woman’s World, at Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, Massachusetts, free to members, $8 for non-members. Bring or buy lunch and learn about Michelle Marchetti Coughlin and her book which chronicles the life and times of Mehetabel Chandler Coit (1673-1758) and her diary, which may be the earliest surviving diary by an American woman.

September 4, Friday, 1pm, A Visit with Abraham Lincoln, at the Godnick Adult Center, 1 Deer Street (off Woodstock Ave), Rutland, Vermont, a living history presentation by Steve Wood. Free to the public.  Call 802-775-1246 for more information.

September 7, Monday (Labor Day), starting at 4:30pm, Charter Day, 2015, Commemoration of the Naming of Boston, Dorchester and Watertown, 1630,  4:30 bell ringing throughout the towns, 4:35 Food and Founders Tour leaves from the Old South Meeting House, 6:15pm, Wreath Laying at the Founders Memorial on the Boston Common with remarks by Robert Allison, Chair of the History Department at Suffolk University.  See this webpage for more information and registration for the tour: http://historicbostons.org/whatwedo/schedulebcd2015.html 

September 8, Tuesday, 2pm, Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti as Oney Judge, at the Adams Square Branch of the Boston Public Library, a living history presentation of Oney Judge, who was George Washington’s slave but escaped to New Hampshire.  Free to the public.

September 8, Tuesday, 6pm, Rebels, Redcoats and Revolutionary Maps, at the Central Library of the Boston Public Library.  Presented by author Richard Brown, a lecture about the maps of the Revolutionary War period.  Ronald Grim, of the Leventhal Map Center, will also discuss the maps of the first two decades following independence.  Free to the public.

September 8, Tuesday, 6:30pm, Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti as Oney Judge, at the Field Corner branch of the Boston Public Library, a living history presentation of Oney Judge, who was George Washington’s slave but escaped to New Hampshire.  Free to the public.

September 8, Tuesday, 7pm, Using Society Journals, at the Zion Lutheran Church, 41 Whitmarsh Avenue, Worcester, Massachusetts, presented by Charlene Key Sokal and sponsored by the Worcester Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists.  http://www.msoginc.org/msogwp/chapter/wr/

September 9, Wednesday, 7pm, African American Soldiers and Sailors of New Hampshire during the American Revolution, at the Folsom Tavern 164 Water Street, Exeter, New Hampshire, presented by Glenn Knoblock.  Free to the public.  Contact Abby Pietrantonio for more information, 603-772-2622.

September 9, Wednesday, 6pm, Paper Love:  Searching for the Girl my Grandfather Left Behind, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society library at 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public.  A book talk by Sarah Wildman, who will present her research journey across many years and five countries after stumbling upon a cache of her grandfather’s letters to a woman he left behind after fleeing Nazi occupied Austria.  Held in conjunction with the AJHS-NEA exhibit on the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.  Click here to register:  http://shop.americanancestors.org/products/paper-love-searching-for-the-love-my-grandfather-left-behind?pass-through=true&utm_source=twgnewsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=twg752



September 9, Wednesday, 6pm Survival: Boston 1630, an illustrated lecture at the Boston Public Library, Copley Square, Abbey Room, 2nd floor.  A lecture by PHB President Rose Doherty to hear about the challenges the Boston settlers faced in the early years.  Free to the public.  Pre-register here http://www.eventbrite.com/e/survival-boston-1630-an-illustrated-lecture-registration-18053897694  

September 10, Thursday, 7pm, Martha’s Vineyard Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists meets at the Family History Center, Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts.  http://www.msoginc.org/msogwp/chapter/mvi/

September 12, Saturday, 1pm, “Early New England Church Records and Beyond: introducing the Genealogical Resources at the Congregational Library and Archives” a lecture by Steven Picazio sponsored by the Plymouth County Genealogists, at the East Bridgewater Public Library.  Free to the public.

September 12, Saturday, 1:30pm, Exploring Family Search at the Acton Memorial Library, 486 Main Street, Acton, Massachusetts, presented by Helen Schatvet Ullmann and sponsored by the Middlesex Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists. http://www.msoginc.org/msogwp/chapter/mx/

September 15, Tuesday, 10am, Researching Your Civil War Ancestors, at the Brewster Ladies Library, 1822 Main Street, Brewster, Massachusetts, sponsored by the Cape Cod Genealogical Society.  Fred Wexler will discuss little known sources of information for researching elusive Civil War family members. Come early for socializing, coffee and donuts at 9:30am. Free to the public. 

September 15, Tuesday, 4 – 5:30pm, Beyond Historical Records: The Old Colony Historical Society Revolutionary War Collection,  at the Boston Public Library, Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, presented by Andrew Boisvert.  Free to the public. www.bpl.org

September 15, 7:30, Tuesday, Harnessing History:  On the Trail of New Hampshire’s State Dog, the Chinook, at the Speare Museum, 5 Abbott Street, Nashua, New Hampshire.  Bob Cottrell presents the history of Arthur Waldren and his Chinooks, the State Dog of New Hampshire.  Inquire whether the speaker’s dog will accompany him.  Contact the Nashua Historical Society 603-883-0015.  Free to the public.

September 16, Wednesday, 7pm, A Tribute to Sarah Josepha Hale, at the Milford Historical Society Banquet Room, 1 Union Square, Milford, New Hampshire, a living history presentation by Sharon Wood as Ann Wyman Blake, Free to the public, call 603-673-1946 for more information.

September 16, Wednesday,  7pm, Harnessing History:  On the Trail of New Hampshire’s State Dog, the Chinook, at the Francestown Town Offices (In back), 27 Main Street, Francestown, New Hampshire.  Bob Cottrell presents the history of Arthur Waldren and his Chinooks, the State Dog of New Hampshire.  Inquire whether the speaker’s dog will accompany him.  Contact Carol Brock at 603-547-2730.  Free to the public.

September 17 – 19, The New York State Family History Conference, an FGS regional conference at the Syracuse/Liverpool Holiday Inn, 441 Electronics Parkway in Liverpool, New York. http://www.nysfhc.org/registration.html

September 17, Thursday, 2pm, Never Too Late:  The Powder Alarm of 1774, at the Central Library of the Boston Public Library, presented by John Horrigan, part of Revolutionary Boston, a citywide commemoration.  Visit www.bpl.org/revolution

September 18, Friday, 6pm, Repast from the Past: A Taste of 17th Century New England, at the First Church in Boston, Marlborough and Berkeley Streets, Boston, Massachusetts.  Fee to cover expenses of food and beverages served.  Kathleen Wall, Culinarian at Plimoth Plantation, will prepare and discuss 17th century food.  Please pre register here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/repast-from-the-past-a-taste-of-17th-century-new-england-registration-18058881601   

September 18 – 20, 40th Annual New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival, at Loon Mountain, Lincoln, New Hampshire, See the website http://www.nhscot.org/ for a complete schedule of events and information.  Competitions, lectures, workshops, music, food, vendors, dinners, and a gala ball are highlights of the many things happening this weekend.


September 18, Friday, 7pm, Mary Todd Lincoln: Wife and Widow, at Stevens Hall, 1 Chester Street, Chester, New Hampshire, presented by living historian Sally Mummey.  Free to the public.  Contact Don Brown 603-887-3842.

September 19, Saturday, The Maine Genealogical Society’s Annual Conference and Membership Meeting, in Brewer, Maine.  Keynote speaker will be Michael Strauss.  See http://www.maineroots.org/  for more information

September 19, Saturday, 7:30 pm, Talking Baseball with Doris Kearns Goodwin and Ken Burns, sponsored by the Concord Museum,  at the Fenn School, Concord, Massachusetts. Join Doris Kearns Goodwin, curator for the Art of Baseball exhibit, and filmmaker Ken Burns for a lively conversation about their shared love of baseball moderated by Jeff Idelson, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.  Registration required.  www.concordmuseum.org  priority seating for members opens on July 15th.

September 19, Saturday, 1pm, Begin at the Beginning: Boston's Founding Documents, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston, Massachusetts.  A discussion group with the Partnership of Historic Bostons with an illustrated presentation and discussion of readings, led by Neil Wright, of Lincolnshire, England.  Free to the public, please RSVP https://www.eventbrite.com/e/whats-in-a-name-from-boston-lincolnshire-to-boston-england-tickets-17992698646

September 19, Saturday, 9am - 3pm  Hard Core Hearth Cooking Workshop, at the Colonial Education Site of Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, Massachusetts, led by Plimoth's Foodways Culinarian Kathleen Wall. Perfect your techniques for frying, boiling, roasting and baking, with a round table discussion about period food and the significance of the hearth to modern and historic communities.  $140 for members, $215 for non-members.  See the website for more information:   http://www.plimoth.org/calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D114897000 

September 19, Saturday, 1:30pm City Directories Seminar- A Great Source for Locating Information on that Ancestor that May not be Found Elsewhere, at the Connecticut Society of Genealogists Library, 175 Maple Street, East Hartford, Connecticut for a presentation by CGS president Carol Whitmer.  Free to the public, please pre-register at 860-569-0002 or by email csginc@scginc.org 

September 19 and 20, Return to No. 4: Revolutionary War Weekend at the Fort at No. 4, Charlestown, New Hampshire. One of the biggest re-enactments of the year with battles both days at 1:30pm.  Fortified village tours, sutlers row for shopping, and self tours of the camps where you can see drills, open hearth cooking and demonstrations of colonial camp life. See the website for more information and a schedule of events http://fortat4.org/revwar/revwar.html

September 20, Sunday, 1- 4pm Planting and Growing Your Polish Family Tree, at Dom Polski/Polish National Home, 10 Coburn Street, Lowell, Massachusetts.  Sponsored by the Lowell Polish Cultural Committee.  Alan Doyle Horbal will speak on "Beginning Your Genealogy", and Sara Campbell will speak on "Overloked Municipal Records", also free translations of Polish documents, photo scanning and network with other family historians.  Please pre-register here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/planting-and-growing-your-polish-family-tree-registration-17200432958   

September 20, Sunday, 1pm Food and the Founders, a walking tour to meet on the steps of the New State House, Boston, Massachusetts.  This tour of Central Boston will explore key sites of Puritan Boston.  Please pre-register here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-food-and-our-founders-walking-tour-registration-18208669621  

September 21, Monday, 7pm The Proof is in the Pudding:  New England's First Food Fight, at the Old State House, 206 Washington Street, Boston, an exploration of Native American and Puritan food ways by Katherine Grandjean of Wellesley College and Loren Spears, executive director of the Tomaquag Museum, moderated by Nathaniel Sheidley director of the Bostonian Society. Free to the public.   Please pre-register here:  http://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-proof-is-in-the-pudding-new-englands-first-food-fight-registration-18101739791  


September 21 – October 12, Monday nights, 7 – 8:30pm, Beginner Genealogy Classes by professional genealogist Amylynne Murphy, of www.NewEnglandgenealogist.com to be held at the Londonderry Historical Society’s Parmenter Barn, Londonderry, NH.  Register online at www. http://nhgenealogist.com/purchase-services.html for $50.  To benefit the Londonderry Historical Society.


September 22, Tuesday, 7pm, Poor Houses and Town Farms: The Hard Row for Paupers, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 270 Stark Highway, Dunbarton, New Hampshire, presented by Steve Taylor.  Free to the public.  Contact Gary Attalia 603-774-0069.

September 22, Tuesday, 7pm From Sicily to America: A Daughter’s determination to unravel the mysteries surrounding her father’s life, by the Central Massachusetts Genealogical Society, held at the American Legion Post #129, Gardner, Massachusetts. Members free, guests $2 donation.

September 23, Tuesday, 1:30pm, Intro to Genealogy, at the Haverhill, Massachusetts Public Library.  Learn to use the special collections room, which has a wealth of genealogy and local history resources.  Advance registration required, call 978-373-1586. 

September 23, Tuesday, 6pm  A History of Step Families in Early America, at the Central Library of the Boston Public Library, presented by author Lisa Wilson. Free to the Public.

September 24, Thursday, 7pm, Poor Houses and Town Farms: The Hard Row for Paupers, at the Madison Library Chick Room, 1895 Village Road, Madison, New Hampshire  presented by Steve Taylor.  Free to the public.  Contact Jan Eskedel 603-367-8758.

September 24-25, Thursday and Friday, One Name Studies and Early New England & Atlantic Canadian Research, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society Library at 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts, cost $80.  A two day seminar to teach you to create, organize and share a one-name project- while deepening your knowledge of early New England and Atlantic Canadian research.  Lectures by David Allen Lambert (NEHGS) and Paul Howes (The Guild of One-Name Studies).  Breakfasts and lunches included.  Registration open to the public after August 5, 2010.  www.americanancestors.org

September 24, Thursday, 7pm, A Visit with Abraham Lincoln, at the Greenfield Town Meetinghouse, Forest Road, Greenfield, New Hampshire, a living history presentation by Steve Wood.  Open to the public.  Call 603-547-2790 for more information.

September 26, Saturday, 8am – 4pm, American Canadian Genealogical Society Fall Conference, at the Puritan Restaurant, Manchester, New Hampshire, speakers include Lucie LeBlanc Consentino, Jennifer Zinck and Ed McGuire.  http://acgs.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Conference-cover-2015-Ver-2.pdf

September 26, Saturday, 10am, Making Old Photos Look Like New:  Tricks to Restore your Pictures to Tell Your Family Stories, at the Georgetown Peabody Library 2 Maple Street, Georgetown, Massachusetts. Presented by Walt Howe and Hope Tillman.  http://www.msoginc.org/msogwp/chapter/mv/ sponsored by the Merrimack Valley chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists.

September 26, Saturday, 8am – 4pm, Fall Genealogy Conference, The Chelmsford Genealogy Club presents a conference with genealogist Michael Strauss and other well known genealogy speakers.  Register on the Chelmsford, Massachusetts Library's calendar beginning July 1st.  Registration ends September 23.  http://www.chelmsfordlibrary.org/

September 26, Saturday, 9am – 4pm, Brick Walls and Missing Persons:  One on One Genealogy Assistance at the Maine Historical Society. Sign up for a 90 minute one-on-one genealogy research session with one of the Maine Historical Society reference librarians and genealogy experts.  Twelve slots are available.  Refreshments and discounts on genealogy materials in the museum store, too. $40 MHS members, $50 general admission.  Register online https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brick-walls-and-missing-persons-one-on-one-genealogy-assistance-tickets-17848550495

September 26, Saturday, 1pm, From Amistad to Brown v. Board of Education: Mount Auburn’s Supreme Court Justices and Civil Rights Cases, at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  This walking tour will visit the graves of some of the 12 US and Massachusetts Supreme Court Judges, and a few others, whose beliefs and determination shaped the lives of a generation of Americans.  $7 members, $12 non-members. Register at this link: http://mountauburn.org/2015/from-amistad-to-brown-v-board-of-ed-mount-auburns-supreme-court-justices-and-civil-rights-cases/ 

September 26, Saturday, 6pm, Family, Memory, Place:  Writing Family Stories, at the Olive G. Pettis Library, 36 Mill Village Road (Rt. 10 North), Goshen, New Hampshire.  Contact Cynthia Phillips 603-863-6921 for more information.  Free to the public.

September 26, Saturday, 10:30am, Fueling New England's Iron Age:  Food at the Saugus Iron Works, 244 Central Street, Saugus, Massachusetts.  A tour and hearth cooking demonstration in the forge of the iron works by Neil Wright, industrial archaeologist.  Free to the public.  Please pre-register here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/fueling-new-englands-iron-age-food-at-the-saugus-iron-works-registration-18100269393  

September 26 and 27, Saturday and Sunday,  from 11am – 3pm both days, rain or shine, The 11th Annual Portsmouth Fairy House Tour, the world’s largest fairy house tour, held in Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s historic South End at the Governor John Langdon House, Strawbery Banke Museum, Prescott Park and Peirce Island.  More than 100 handcrafted fairy houses made by local artists, florists,  garden clubs, and businesses on display.  A great way to expose your children to historic homes and gardens.  Advanced tickets are highly recommended.  For more information and to purchase tickets click at this link: http://www.portsmouthfairyhousetour.com/ 

September 26 and 27, 9am - 5pm, How Do You {Craft} History:  2015 #{Craft}hisoryfestival, at Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, Massachusetts, more than 50 artisans, musicians and foodies will have demonstrations, classes and more from potters, woodworkers, bakers and painters inspired by 17th century Plymouth and Patuxet. Click here for more information and a schedule of activities: http://icrafthistory.org/?utm_source=Development&utm_campaign=8f3a75ec03-Member_enews_December_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_485720053f-8f3a75ec03-59482249&mc_cid=8f3a75ec03&mc_eid=8cf6024ba3

September 30, Wednesday, 7pm, Tracing Your Irish- American Catholic Genealogy with Michael Brophy, at the Andover, Massachusetts Memorial Hall Library.  Contact Kimberly Lynn at 978-623-8401 for more information.  Free to the public.  Learn how to access existing vital records and census records, and other research materials online and at nearby repositories without the time and expense necessary to travel to Ireland.

September 30, Wednesday, 6pm, Daisy Turner’s Kin: An African American Family Saga, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society library at 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Free to the public.  An author talk by folklorist Jane Beck that combines storytelling with historical research to build and authenticate a family saga.  Book sales and signing to follow.  Click here to register:  http://shop.americanancestors.org/products/daisy-turner-s-kin-an-african-american-family-saga?pass-through=true&utm_source=twgnewsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=twg752

October 1, Thursday, 6:30pm, New Hampshire Cemeteries and Gravestones, at the Lincoln Public Library, 22 Church Street, Lincoln, New Hampshire, presented by Glenn Knoblock.  Contact Carol Riley for more information 603-745-8159.  Free to the public.

October 3, Saturday, Family History Day: Share the Story of a Lifetime, at the Boston Sheraton, Boston, Massachusetts sponsored by the New England Historic Genealogical Society and FindMyPast, a one day seminar to discover new resources, chat with professional genealogists, purchase books, and network with other family historians. Visit http://americanancestors.org/fhd for more information. 

October 13, Tuesday, 4 – 5:30pm, Using the DAR Genealogical Research System to Find Revolutionary Patriots and Descendants,  at the Boston Public Library, Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, presented by Carolyn Holbrook.  Free to the public. www.bpl.org


November 4,  Wednesday, 6pm  Stirring up the Past:  Puritan Beliefs about Food, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts,  Lori Stokes of the Partnership for Historic Boston will talk about the Puritan's complex relationship to food, which was a gift from God.  NEHGS Archivist Judy Lucey will introduce a display of NEHGS treasures related to food in early Boston.  Free to the public.  Please pre-register here:  http://www.eventbrite.com/e/stirring-up-the-past-puritan-beliefs-about-food-registration-18114986412

November 7, Saturday, 8:30am - 4pm, Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Inc. Annual Meeting and Program, at the Marlborough Country Club, 200 Concord Road, Marlborough, Massachusetts.  Join us for our 40th Anniversary with great speakers, Barbara Matthews, Drew Bartley, Thomas MacEntee (via webinar), exhibitors, door prizes, networking.  Our raffle prize is three DNA test kits.  Registration opens Tuesday, September 8  http://www.msoginc.org/msogwp/events-2/annual-meeting/ 

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "September 2015 Genealogy and Local Events Calendar", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 31, 2015 ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/08/september-2015-genealogy-and-local.html : accessed [access date]).

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Surname Saturday ~ HERRICK of Salem and Beverly, Massachusetts

Henry Herrick (1688 - 1755)
Abbott Street Burial Ground (Ancient Burial Ground),
Beverly, Massachusetts

HERRICK

There are lots of myths about Henry Herrick's origins.  He was not a Virginia planter, and he was not the son of an upper class gentleman in Leicester, England.  He was of humble origins, and a literate freeman in Salem, Massachusetts.  The Henry Herrick of Massachusetts and the Henry Herrick of Virginia may be related, but the kinship has not been established. 

Henry Herrick, my 11th great grandfather,  was part of the original Puritan settlement of Salem, Massachusetts that arrived with Reverend Higginson, and Reverend Skelton in 1629.  It is thought that perhaps he arrived on the ship Lyon’s Whelp.  He applied for freeman in 1630 and was sworn as a freeman in 1631.  He was recorded as a member of the Salem First Church in 1636, along with his wife, Editha. 

Henry Herrick lived near the Bass River in Ryal Side in what is now the city of Beverly, Massachusetts, and in 1655 he witnessed the will of John Friend (my 10th great grandfather), and he conducted the inventory of the estate of Agnes [Annis] Balch (my 9th great grandmother) the same year.  These families all lived near the Bass River, which separates Salem and Beverly.   Henry Herrick’s will, proved on 28 March 1671, describes his land in Ryal Side.

"Henry Herrick owned all the land from what is now the intersection of Beckford and Cabot Streets, northwest, to a point about what is now Mason Street, thence westerly to the river, taking in the land west of Edmund Grover to the land where the drop-forge plant now stands. That portion of his land which was his 'english field' is now traversed by Grant, Simon, and Ropes Streets." [from Calvin P. Pierce, Ryal Side from Early Days of Salem Colony, (Beverly Historical Society, Cambridge, MA, 1931), pg. 87.]

If you look below, you will see that in the sixth generation, the great great great grandson of the original settler Henry Herrick, Humphrey Bray (b. 1756), married a young woman named Molly Herrick according to the Gloucester, Massachusetts Vital Records.   Who was Molly HERRICK?  Is this a possible cousin connection?  I have a lot of Beverly ancestors, and many HERRICK marriages in my family tree, right down to my mother’s first cousin, a HERRICK who still lives near the Bass River near the Danvers/Beverly town line.

For more information:

Herrick Genealogical Register:  A Genealogical Register of the Name and Family of Herrick from the Settlement of Henerie Hericke in Salem, Massachusetts, by Richard Leon Herrick, 2008, 3rd edition in four volumes.

Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620 – 1633, by Robert Charles Anderson, Volume II, pages 910 – 914 for a lengthy sketch on Henry Herrick. 

Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines: A Memorial Volume Containing the American Ancestry of Rufus R. Dawes, by Mary Walton Ferris,  Volume II, pages 420 -424


The Herrick Family Association on Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/herrickfamilyassociation


My HERRICK genealogy:

Generation 1:  Henry Herrick, born about 1598 in England,  died between 24 November 1670 and 15 March 1670/1671 in Beverly, Massachusetts; married about 1630 to Editha Laskin, daughter of Hugh Laskin and Alice Unknown.  She was born about 1613 in Weymouth, Dorset, England and died in 1677 in Beverly.  Nine children.

Generation 2: Henry Herrick, baptized on 16 January 1640 in Salem, Massachusetts, and died 20 June 1702 in Beverly, Massachusetts; married about 1660 to Lydia Unknown, mother of five children.  Married second on 25 May 1690 to Sarah Alcock, widow of John Giddings, and daughter of John Alcock of York, Maine.  No children.

Generation 3: Samuel Herrick, born 6 December 1668 in Beverly; married on 25 May 1691 in Salem to Sarah Leach, daughter of John Leach and Elizabeth Flint. Three children.

Generation 4: Abigail Herrick, born 13 November 1699 in Beverly, died 2 October 1754 in Beverly; married on 11 October 1722 to Isaac Woodbury, son of Robert Woodbury and Mary West.  He was born 18 June 1701 in Beverly and died 31 October 1775 in Beverly.  Four children.

Generation 5: Lydia Woodbury m. Humphrey Bray
Generation 6: Humphrey Bray m. Molly HERRICK  [possible cousin connection!]
Generation 7: Polly Bray m. Asa Burnham
Generation 8:  Lydia W. Burnham m. Samuel Mears
Generation 9: Samuel Mears m. Sarah Ann Burnham
Generation 10: Sarah Burnham Mears m. Joseph Gilman Allen
Generation 11:  Joseph Elmer Allen m. Carrie Maud Batchelder
Generation 12: Stanley Elmer Allen m. Gertrude Matilda Hitchings

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ HERRICK of Salem and Beverly, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 29, 2015, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/08/surname-saturday-herrick-of-salem-and.html : accessed [access date]).

Thursday, August 27, 2015

I’m removing a blog post image… because it was the right thing to do!

 
Senate Patents & Copyright Committee, 4/9/24

Exactly one week ago I published a blog post about a newspaper article I found via GenealogyBank.com.  You can see this blog post HERE.  It was a very popular blog piece seen by over a thousand viewers, and I had comments from friends, readers and seasoned bloggers on Facebook about this article.  However, only one person, a new blogger, noticed something important about this blog post.

She wrote to me via email that as a new blogger she was very interested in “how you were able to post a newspaper article from Genealogy Bank.  I thought that they owned the copyright.  Did you have to contact Genealogy Bank for permission?”  These are all wonderful questions, and I used to think about this a lot as a new blogger, too.

However, as a seasoned genealogy blogger I forgot that certain online services, like Ancestry, make it easy to share images.  Ancestry has share buttons that allow you to email, blog, use Pinterest, and other social media.  I knew that this was the case because I had researched and blogged about it HERE

Genealogy Bank doesn’t have those share buttons or easy access to sharing images.  I had signed up for Genealogy Bank years and years ago, and I had forgotten that they carefully control their images and even transcriptions of their newspaper images.  As soon as I received that email from the new blogger, I went to my favorite resource for checking copyright.  Not Google.  It was Judy Russell’s blog The Legal Genealogist, where I found this post “Terms of use: GenealogyBank”  HERE  at this link http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2012/08/23/terms-of-use-genealogybank/


This is a gentle reminder to frequently review the terms of use of the resources you use online.  
And, to remember, if there is not an easy “share button”, you probably shouldn’t be sharing!

So, I’m removing the image from HERE, and also removing most of the transcribed text.  Short excerpts are OK. 

I’d love to hear from other bloggers and blog readers about this.  What are your thoughts?

The image above is "Senate Patents & Copyright Committee, 4/9/24", Library of Congress (National Photo Company Collection), call number LC-F81-29769, from the website http://www.loc.gov/item/npc2008006075/ accessed August 23, 2015.

UPDATE -  See in the comments below that Emily Moore has posted a link to another one of Judy Russell's posts that has updated information on GenealogyBank permissions on images http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2013/07/26/genealogybank-permissions-clarified/ 


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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "I’m removing a blog post image… because it was the right thing to do!", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 27, 2015, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/08/im-removing-blog-post-image-because-it.html :  accessed [access date]).

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Weathervane Wednesday ~ A replacement Eagle

Weathervane Wednesday is an on-going series of photographs I post weekly.  I first started by publishing posts about weathervanes from the Nutfield area, but now I've been finding interesting and historical weathervanes from all over New Hampshire and New England.  Sometimes my weathervanes have an interesting history, and sometimes they are just whimsical.  Often, my readers tip me off to some very unique and unusual weathervanes outside of New England.  Today's story was sent to me by a reader who was traveling through the state of Maine for a family reunion.

Today's weathervane is from Maine.

Do you know the location of weather vane #223?  Scroll down to see the answer!







A blog reader and fellow genealogist Sharon Gillis spotted this weathervane in Wilton, Maine.  She was up there attending an ADAMS family reunion.  This three dimensional eagle is located on the Academy Hill School, formerly known as Wilton Academy. When she pulled over to photograph the building and weathervane she also discovered a little cemetery across the street, Academy Hill Cemetery, and at least half a dozen family members buried there.  A win for Sharon and a win for “Weathervane Wednesday”!

The Wilton Academy building was originally a meeting house, and used by three different churches until about 1930. It was a high school from 1866 until 1967. The Wilton Academy was converted into a junior high school in 1968, and was destroyed by a fire in 1980.  It was rebuilt as a public school “The Academy Hill School” for grades 3 to 6, and apparently this new weathervane was installed then on the new tower. 

At the Adams family reunion Sharon met a distant cousin, Gary Adams, who told her “I was on the East Wilton Volunteer Fire Department back then.  We fought that fire along with more than 150 other volunteers from many towns in the area.  I graduated from Wilton Academy in 1967.  Our class was the 100th and the last class to graduate before consolidation of 9 area town schools that became School Administrative District #9.”  The fire occurred on a Sunday, Mother's Day, in 1980, so no children were in the building.  The cause was found to be faulty wiring.

Sharon Gillis with her Adams distant cousins
in Wilton, Maine for the Adams Family Reunion

The Academy Hill School website  http://web.mbrsd.org/ahs_webpage/Academy_Hill_School/Home.html

A link to The Lewiston Daily Sun, Lewiston, Maine, May 12, 1980, page 1, with a story “Fire Guts Old Wilton Academy” that is continued on page 14.   Note the photograph on page 1 with another eagle weathervane.  It states that “the eagle, symbol of Wilton Academy high school teams, crashed in flames Saturday afternoon seconds after this picture was taken.”   This eagle is clearly a different weathervane, so it must have been replaced when the academy building was rebuilt.

Here is a link to the book Wilton, by Tamara N. Hoke, by Acadia Publishing, 2014,  page 64, with a photograph of the Wilton Academy in the aftermath of the fire (no weathervane in sight!)
https://books.google.com/books?id=CLFpBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA64&lpg=PA64&dq=Wilton+Academy+Fire&source=bl&ots=cVSnmb3NmE&sig=Hi5hr99HRA4bvg-OtDVKjO5Fy9w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEIQ6AEwB2oVChMIh43KmJ31xgIVgpseCh2MxQgN#v=onepage&q=Wilton%20Academy%20Fire&f=false     


Click here to see the entire series of weathervanes at this blog!

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ A replacement Eagle", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 26, 2015, (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/08/weathervane-wednesday-replacement-eagle.html : accessed [access date]).

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Tombstone Tuesday ~ 14 year old John Reid, died 1738, Londonderry, New Hampshire

This tombstone was photographed at the Forest Hill Cemetery in Derry, New Hampshire.  
In 1738 this was the town of Londonderry. 


HERE LYETH THE BODY OF
JOHN REID WHO DEPARTED 
THIS LIFE IN THE YEAR OF OUR
LORD 1738 BEING 14 YEARS
OLD. 

Ledger stones (which lie flat, sometime on a pedestal like this one) are usually reserved for clergymen and prominent citizens.  This one was erected for a 14 year old boy.  There must be quite a story behind this death, but I have been unable to uncover it.  He could not be a son of James Reid, who born in 1695 in Scotland and came to Londonderry and had four sons- Matthew, b. 1728; Thomas, b. 1730; George, born 1733; and John, born 1745. (Unless James Reid had two sons named John- one named for a sibling who died young?)  John's tombstone is carved with typical 18th century symbols: crossed bones, a coffin, a skull and an hour glass. 

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Tombstone Tuesday ~ 14 year old John Reid, died 1738, Londonderry, New Hampshire",  Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 25, 2015 (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/08/tombstone-tuesday-14-year-old-john-reid.html:  accessed [access date]). 

Monday, August 24, 2015

Cemetery Perpetual Care? What does it cover?

These photos were taken at the Riverside Cemetery in Hooksett, New Hampshire.
Can you read the tiny sign next to the toppled gravestone?



PERPETUAL
CARE
TOWN OF
HOOKSETT


RUHAMAH
Wife of
Stephen C. Eastman
DIED
Aug. 16, 1892
AEt. 88 yrs, 9 mos.
20 ds.

I have seen many toppled gravestones all around New England while on my visits to graveyards.  Most are due to weather.  Some are caused by the lawn mowing crews.  A few are vandalism.

Did you know that the perpetual care promised by cemeteries, public and private, does not apply to the gravestones erected by family members on plots?  Perpetual care applies only to the grounds (mowing, road repair, etc).   Read your cemetery deeds and contracts carefully.  When I have found problems with gravestones for my ancestors I have been told by cemetery caretakers and by town officials that repair, resetting and restoration of gravestones is the responsibility of the family and descendants.  Even if there is no surviving family.

However, in some cases, the cemetery will reset and straighten toppled gravestones.  Volunteers from the town or from historical societies will sometimes get permission to restore or reset toppled stones.  Sometimes the cemetery itself will straighten stones upon request, even if it is not their responsibility.  It is a matter of money, community awareness, and expertise.  Don't attempt to right a toppled gravestone without the proper equipment and education. These stones are heavy, and require machinery to life and reset- not elbow grease and crowbars.

In this case I was told by the Hooksett Cemetery commission that "I am sorry to report that perpetual care of markers and headstones is the responsibility of families and next of kin.  The Hooksett Cemetery Commission trustees... understand there's a problem that needs to be solved in all of the Hooksett municipal cemeteries because in some cases there may not be any next of kin alive or in the area."

This is especially true in towns where the cemeteries date from the 1600s and 1700s, but even 20th century burials may not have any next of kin.  Perhaps like Ruhamah Eastman.

UPDATE - August 24, 2015 9:16am - I received a Facebook message from Karen Blandford-Anderson of Derry, NH about this blog post "Derry's Forest Hills Cemetery is mowed and serviced by the town, but the older stones are preserved by the Friends of the Forest Hills Cemetery and the Derry Heritage Commission. We did lay down a number of stones a few years ago to preserve them as we were afraid if they fell they would break and then it would be near impossible to repair. It is a long process, but lovingly done by people who care about history!"

For the truly curious:

The New Hampshire Old Graveyard Association:    http://www.nhoga.com/ 

The Maine Old Cemetery Association:   https://www.moca-me.org/ 

There is probably a similar old burial ground association in your state, too.  

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To Cite/Link to this post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Cemetery Perpetual Care?  What does it cover?", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 24, 2015, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/08/cemetery-perpetual-care-what-does-it.html :  accessed [access date]).

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Surname Saturday ~ BRAY of Gloucester, Massachusetts

Gloucester, Massachusetts

Some early settlers to Massachusetts were followers of Reverend Richard Blinman/Blynman, and they were called “The Blynman Party”.  Most of this group were members of his church from Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales, who joined with Rev. Blinman when he was told to leave his post as minister because of his Puritan leanings.   They arrived before 1640 in the Plymouth Colony, and tended to migrate together as a group when they later removed to Cape Ann and settled in Gloucester.  This group established the First Church, where Rev. Blinman was minister until 1649, before he removed to New London, Connecticut and some of his group followed him there, too. 

Thomas Bray, my 10th great grandfather, may have been a member of the Blynman Party.   BRAY is a surname found in Wales, and he was a resident of the Plymouth Colony.   Thomas Bray, a “single person”,  and the wife of Francis Linceford, were charged with adultery on 7 December 1641 in the Plymouth court. He was sentenced to be whipped and to wear the letters “AD” as long as he lived in Plymouth Colony.  In 1642 he left for Gloucester.  In 1646 he married Mary Wilson (“Marie” in the vital records) and is named as a “ship carpenter” on the marriage record.

In Gloucester Thomas Bray bought several plots of land, and lived near Little River.  Today there is a Bray Street and a Bray Hill (overlooks Stage Fort) in Gloucester.  On Bray Street there is a small Bray Cemetery with about 80 graves, and of those there are about 25 BRAY gravestones dating from the early 1800s.   Thomas Bray signed a will in 1672 and left his wife Mary “all my goods, cattle, housing, orchards and lands”.  His will also mentions his sons John, Nathaniel and Thomas, and his daughters, and he left books which meant he was not only literate, but successful.

His son, also named Thomas Bray, my 9th great grandfather, left a will in 1742 that mentioned his children and wife Mary:

"I Thomas Bray, Senior, of Gloucester in the County of Essex in New England, being at this present time in perfect health and memory, through the goodness of God, yet knowing it is appointed for all men to De and set his house in Order before he Dyeth, I do therefore Declare & make known this to be my Last Will & testament in manner & form following.
                "And first I Committ my Spirit unto the hands of God the father of Spirits, and my body to the Grave to be decently Buried by my Executor, and for my Outward Estate & Goods I thus Dispose of them -- Imprimis."
                "I give unto my Dear & loving wife, all my house hold goods to be at her own Disposal, if in case she out live me Besides what I have ordered my executor to Do for her Maintainence while Shee Liveth.
                "I give my eldest son Thomas Bray a Certain Peice of upland Ground, adjoining to land now in his Own hands, be it more or less, as also twenty five pounds passable money or Equivalent to Money to be paid by my Executor, and this to Be in full (with what I have already given him) and to be paid within one year after my Decease by my Executor.
                "I give unto my son John Bray five pounds to be paid by my Execr. (besides what I have already given him in lands) and this to be in full for him. I give unto my son Nathaniel Bray thirty pounds money or equivalent to Money to be paid by my Exectr., and this to be in full for him and to be paid within one year after my Decease by my Executor. The above said John Bray's five pounds to be paid in money or equivalent to money within One year after my Decease as well as the Rest. I give unto my son Moses Bray a certain peice of upland Ground, adjoining to land now in his own hand, be it more or less, as also Twenty eight pounds money or equivalent to money To be paid within one year after my Decease by my Executor. I give unto my daughter Mary Ring fifteen pounds money, or equivalent to money to be paid within One year after my Decease by my Executor. I give unto my Daughter Abigail Woodbury fifteen pounds money or equivalent to money, to be paid within One Year after my Decease by my Executor -- I give unto my son Aaron Bray all my remainder of upland & meadow in Gloucester, which lyeth adJoyning to land in his own possession by a Deed of Gift from me, he performing what is mentioned In said Deed of gift, as also the remainder of my Chattels and a Common right that may be now in my hands. I do also Order & appoint my son Aaron Bray to be my whole & Sole Executor of this my last will & testament.
                "In Witness Whereof I the above said Thomas Bray have hereunto sett my hand and seal this tenth Day of April One thousand and severn hundred and thirty two."
Thomas Bray, Sr. (Seal)
Signed sealed & published in the presence of John Ring, Daniel Ring
her mark
Sarah X Dike.
Ipswich Essex April 11 1742
This will is proved: approved: & allowed: The executor accepted the
trust and gave bond.
Hon. Thomas Berry Judge; Daniel Appleton Register."

Some BRAY sources:

Seven Generations of Brays of Massachusetts, Maine, Wisconsin and Minnesota,  by William M. Bray, 1956 available as a digital version to read online at FamilySearch.org

“Descendants of Thomas Bray of Gloucester”, The Essex Antiquarian, Volume 11, pages 101 - 104

My BRAY genealogy:

Generation 1:  Thomas Bray, born about 1614 probably in Wales, died 30 November 1691 in Gloucester, Massachusetts.  He married Mary Wilson on 3 May 1646 in Gloucester ( dated “3: 3m 1646” in the vital records).   She was born about 1625 and died 27 March 1707 in Gloucester.  They had nine children born in Gloucester.

Generation 2:  Thomas Bray, born 19 January 1658 in Gloucester and died 1 April 1743; married Mary Unknown and had nine children born in Gloucester.

Generation 3: John Bray, born 7 September 1689 in Gloucester; married on 19 December 1716 in Gloucester to Susanna Woodbury, daughter of Humphrey Woodbury and Anna Window.  She was born 18 September 1695 in Gloucester.  Three children born in Gloucester.

Generation 4:  Humphrey Bray, born 27 March 1728 in Gloucester; married on 22 June 1749 in Gloucester to his third cousin Lydia Woodbury, daughter of Isaac Woodbury and Abigail Herrick.  She was baptized on 27 June 1725 in Beverly and died 14 September 1779 in Gloucester.  Seven children born in Gloucester.

Generation 5: Humphrey Bray, born 18 October 1756 in Gloucester; married on 20 May 1777 in Gloucester to Molly Herrick.  Nine children born in Gloucester.

Generation 6:  Polly Bray, baptized on 17 October 1779 in Gloucester; married on 24 December 1801 in Ipswich to Asa Burnham, son of Westley Burnham and Molly Woodbury.  He was born 9 September 1778 and died 23 May 1850.  Eight children born in Essex, Massachusetts.

Generation 7:  Lydia W. Burnham married Samuel Mears
Generation 8:  Samuel Mears married Sarah Ann Burnham
Generation 9: Sarah Burnham Mears married Joseph Gilman Allen
Generation 10:  Joseph Elmer Allen married Carrie Maude Batchelder
Generation 11: Stanley Elmer Allen married Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (my grandparents)

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, " Surname Saturday ~ BRAY of Gloucester, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 22, 2015 (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/08/surname-saturday-bray-of-gloucester.html: accessed [access date]).

Thursday, August 20, 2015

The Will Says "All Other Family Portraits to be Destroyed"


From the Boston Herald (Boston, Massachusetts), Saturday, November 16, 1940, "Many Public Bequests Made in Will of Salem Woman", page 15

"Many Public Bequests Made in Will of Salem Woman

Salem, Nov. 15 - Many public bequests were included in the will of Miss Eleanor Hassam of Salem, filed in Essex probate court today and disposing of an estate of approximately $500, 000.  Miss Hassam, member of one of Salem's oldest families, died Nov. 9 at the age of 71.
        She left $20,000 to Harvard University for a scholarship in memory of her father, John Tyler Hassam, of the Harvard class of 1863.  Another gift was $25,000 to the First Congregational Society of Salem.
        Other bequests were [made]....
         ....The will bequeathed her antique furniture, jewelry, certain portraits, silhouettes and a picture, "Prodigal Son", to Essex Institute, and provided that all other family portraits be destroyed.  The document, drawn Feb. 4, 1930, left the residue to Essex Institute and Salem Hospital.
         Five cousins, Elizabeth S. Osgood, Henry Osgood and Charles S. Osgood of Salem, Robert W. Osgood of Swampscott, and Edward H. Osgood of Wenham were named as next of kin.  William D. Chapple of Salem was named Executor."


Eleanor Hassam was born 20 March 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts and died 9 November 1940 in Salem, Massachusetts, daughter of John Tyler Hassam and Nelly Alden Batchelder.  She was unmarried and had no children nor any siblings.   In the 1940 US Census of Salem, Massachusetts she was living in the Hotel Hawthorne in Washington Square.  Eleanor Hassam was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery with her parents.

Her father, John Tyler Hassam (1841 - 1903), was a Boston lawyer and also was the author of genealogies of the CHEEVER, HASSAM and HILTON families.  He was born in Manchester, Massachusetts, and was closely related to my mother on her LEACH, CHOATE and ALLEN lineages.  The accomplished painter, Childe Hassam (1859 - 1935) (born Frederick Childe Hassam, son of Frederick Fitch Hassam and Rose Delia Hathorne) is part of this same family.  

John Tyler Hassam published the Suffolk Deeds, and indexed the records at the Suffolk County registry of deeds.   His genealogical papers are held by the Massachusetts Historical Society under call number Ms N-1373.   He also wrote the useful book The Confiscated Estates of Boston Loyalists in 1895, and many other books.  The 1904 NEHGS Register has a four page obituary of John Tyler Hassam and his genealogical contributions.

I found this obituary for Eleanor Hassam when I was researching a cousin, Charles Stuart Osgood (1872 - 1956) and his family.  He was a first cousin to Andrew Nichols (1862 - 1861) who married my great aunt Mary Ann Bill (about 1861 - 1910).  Charlie Osgood was always good to my father's family during the great depression. My father remembered him as a rich relative who bought him and his brothers a fine Lionel train set one Christmas, delivered by a chauffeur.

And isn't it sad that Eleanor Hassam wanted the family portraits to be destroyed?  I wonder what else she didn't want passed on to family members or anyone else?   The Hassam Family Papers (1802 - 1929) are kept at the Peabody Essex Museum under the call number MS 452, and are held in 9 boxes.

Click here to see a paisley shawl donated by Eleanor Hassam to The Center for the Study of Clothing, Costume, Fashion and Culture at the Five Colleges Historic Dress Project in Northampton, Massachusetts.  This shawl had been worn by her Hilton great - grandmother circa 1820 - 1825  http://historicdress.org/omeka/items/show/278 

Isn't it amazing how much family history can be gleaned from one newspaper article?

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To Cite/Link to this post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Will Says "All Other Family Portraits to be Destroyed", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 20, 2015, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-will-says-all-other-family.html : accessed [access date]). 

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

19 August 1692, Five People Hanged for Witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts

On this date in 1692 five people were executed for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.  Only one was a woman, contrary to popular belief.  On this particular day George Jacobs, Sr., Martha Carrier, the Reverend George Burroughs, John Proctor, and John Willard were hanged on Gallows Hill.   Five innocent people.  

One month earlier the upstanding citizens Rebecca Nurse, Susannah Martin, Elizabeth Howe, Sarah Good, and Sarah Wildes were executed.   Two months earlier, on June 10, Bridget Bishop was hanged in Salem as the first official execution of the Salem witch trials.    Over that summer, nineteen innocent lives were lost to gossip, heresy and lies. 

What has been learned since then?  Did anyone change their ways because of this?  Did we see the follies of our ways and become kinder and more forgiving to our neighbors? Did we become accepting of the "different" and less fortunate?

In 2015, modern “witches” have taken over Salem, Massachusetts- people like Laurie Cabot, who exploit the deaths of innocent people for their own profits.  My daughter’s AP History Class took a field trip to the “Witch Museum” in Salem after reading Miller’s play The Crucible.  I was shocked to hear myths being re-told during the presentation, and then the narrator invited the school children to the back of the museum to see a display of modern pagan witch artifacts “by the descendants of the original witches!”   I was flabbergasted, as a chaperone, to know that these myths persist.  

The truth is that none of the original nineteen people were witches, nor were they practicing witchcraft.  The people of Salem were Puritans, however they did believe the Devil dwelt amongst them in Massachusetts.  They falsely believed that witches lived among them, the cause of their problems and troubles. The Devil’s work was truly the gossip, lies and heresy told by neighbors and friends, and not the work of witchcraft.  Over the years these innocent victims have all had their records expunged from the criminal court system. 

If you want to see any actual sites related to the trials of 1692, you are better off going to Danvers, Massachusetts to visit the Archives where some of the original documents can still be read, or the memorial to the victims on the site of the original meeting house, or the well preserved Rebecca Nurse Homestead.   In the city of Salem, there is a memorial (cenotaphs) to the executed victims, Judge Corwin’s house, and the disputed site of Gallows Hill.  In Salem you will also find several museums of dubious quality and inaccurate displays.  You are better off touring the world class Peabody Essex Museum in Salem than any of the other witch museums, and thank goodness the PEM has removed the display of George Jacob’s finger bones.

On this date in 1692 two of those five people hanged on Gallows Hill were my 9x great grandfathers, George Jacobs and John Proctor.  Sarah Averhill Wildes was my 9x step great grandmother (I descend from her husband's first wife).  Bridget Bishop was my 9x great grandmother.  In 1992 the descendants of George Jacobs removed his body from where it had been secretly buried on the Jacobs homestead, because the land was being sold for commercial development.  We had his body re-interred with a very nice reproduction 17th century style headstone at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers, Massachusetts.   Laurie Cabot, nor any of the merchants profiting from “witchcraft” in modern Salem, did not donate a penny towards the re-internment.  It is the only actual gravesite of a witch trial victim, since the others were buried in a crevice, and not allowed to be buried in the town burial grounds.  Rebecca Nurse was reburied in secret on the grounds of the family farm.  No one knows where she is located exactly, and hopefully she has been at peace ever since 1692.

George Jacobs
"Because I am falsely accused. I never did it."


Bridget Bishop
"I am no witch. I am innocent. I know nothing of it."


Margaret Jacobs
"... They told me if I would not confess I should be put down into the dungeon and would be hanged, but if I would confess I should save my life."  [note:  Margaret was forced to confess and to accuse her own grandfather, George Jacobs, of witchcraft]


Engraved on a cenotaph to Rebecca Nurse, at the Nurse Family Burial Ground in Danvers, Massachusetts:
“O, Christian martyr!  Who for truth could die,
When all about thee owned the hideous lie!
The world, redeemed from superstitions sway
Is breathing freer for thy sake today.”
By John Greenleaf Whittier

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Originally posted 19 August 2011 at Nutfield Genealogy at this link:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/08/august-19-1692-salem-massachusetts.html 


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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "19 August 1692, Five People Hanged for Witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted 19 August 2015, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/08/19-august-1692-five-people-hanged-for.html : accessed [access date]).