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Thursday, March 31, 2016

April 2016 Genealogy and Local History Calendar


Through May 7, Manchester’s Immigrants: Then and Now, at the Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford Street, Manchester, New Hampshire.  This exhibit showcases photographs documenting the lives of immigrants from all ethnic backgrounds, including images of current refugees as documented by photographer Becky Field. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10am – 4pm.  $8 adults, $6 seniors and college students, $4 children 12 – 18, free for children under 12.  Please call 603-622-7531 for more information.

April 3, Sunday, 1pm to 3pm, Gleanings from Ireland’s Griffith’s Valuation, at the Maine Irish Heritage Center, on the corner of State and Gray Streets, Portland, Maine.  This valuable resource for Irish family history contains information for genealogy research.  Learn how to tap into this data set.  $5 for members, $10 for non-members. For more information call 207-232-2001 or www.maineirish.com or email vinnyomalley@gmail.com

April 4, Monday, 6:30pm,  Getting into Genealogy, at the Georgetown Peabody library, 2 Maple Street, Georgetown, Massachusetts, presented by Seema Kenney and sponsored by the Merrimack Valley chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists.  See MSOGinc.org for handouts and additional materials.  Please preregister at 978-352-5728.  FREE to the public. 

April 4, Monday, 7pm, A Walk Back in Time:  The Secrets of Cellar Holes, at the Hill Library, 1151 Parker Mountain Road, Strafford, New Hampshire, Adair Mulligan explores the rich story to be discovered in cellar holes, and how one town has set out to create an inventory of cellar holes.  Free to the public.

April 5, Tuesday, 6:30pm, Jewish Genealogy, at the Worcester Public Library, Computer Lab, 3rd Floor, Main Library, Worcester, Massachusetts. Contact librarian Cynthia Bermudez for more information.

April 5, Tuesday, 5:15 – 7:30pm, Constructing Castle William: An Intimate History of Labor and Empire in Provincial America, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston, Massachusetts. Presented by Jared Hardesty of Western Washington University.  Free with RSVP at this link  seminars@masshist.org

April 5, 12, 19 and 26, Tuesdays; OR April 7 and 21, Thursdays, Researching Your Family History, presented by researcher Carroll N. Holmes, at the SeniorsPlus Education Center, 8 Falcon Road, Lewiston, Maine.  These one-on-one, one hour class times are 9am, 10:15am, noon or 1:15pm.  Registration is required at 207-795-4010

April 6, Wednesday, 7pm, Family Stories: How and Why to Remember and Tell Them, at Cook Memorial Library, 93 Main Street, Tamworth, New Hampshire.   Jo Radner shares foolproof ways to mine memories and interview relatives for meaningful stories.  Participants will practice finding, developing and telling their own tales.  Free to the public.

April 6, Wednesday, 7pm, The Manchester- Milford Railroad, at the Bedford Public Library, Bedford, New Hampshire, sponsored by the Bedford Historical Society and presented by Randy Barnhart. Free to the public.

April 6, Wednesday, 6pm, Baked Beans and Fried Clams:  How Food Defines a Region, at the Pelham Public Library, 24 Village Green, Pelham, New Hampshire, Presented by Edie Clark, and sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.  Free to the public.

April 6, Wednesday, 7pm, Poor Houses and Town Farms: The Hard Row for Paupers, at the Enfield Community Building, 308 US Route 4, Enfield, New Hampshire.  Presented by Steve Taylor and sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.  Free to the public.

April 6, Wednesday, 7pm,  A Walk Back in Time:  The Secrets of Cellar Holes, at Charlie’s Barn, 39 South Village Road, Loudon, New Hampshire, Presented by Adair Mulligan and sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.  Free to the public.

April 7, Thursday, 7pm, The Music History of French Canadians, Franco-Americans, Acadians and Cajuns, at the Madison Library Chick Room, 1895 Village Road, Madison, New Hampshire.  Free to the public. Presented by Lucie Therrien, who follows the migration of French Canadians and the evolution of their traditional music.  Free to the public.

April 9, Saturday, 10:30am,  Liberty Pole Capping, at the Wilson Park, Bedford, sponsored by the Minuteman National Park Service.  Colonial troops will parade from Bedford Common to Wilson Park.  A Bedford Minuteman will climb the pole, and in defiance of King George, place a red cap over the top.  Free to the public.

April 9, Saturday, 11am, A Visit with Abraham Lincoln, at the Harvey Mitchell Memorial Library, 151 Main Street, Epping, New Hampshire.  Sponsored by the Harvey Mitchell Memorial Library and the NH Humanities Council.  Presented by living historian Steve Wood.  Also a bookswap and kid’s activities for the library’s 52nd birthday.  Free to the public.

April 9 and 10, Saturday and Sunday, Sleep in the 17th Century: A Bi-Cultural Overnight at Plimoth Plantation, at the Henry Hornblower Visitor Center, Plimoth Plantation Museum, Plymouth, Massachusetts.  This program is for Girl Scouts only.  Please register through the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. www.girlscoutseasternmass.org    

April 12, Tuesday, 5:30 – 7:30pm, Introductory Genealogy Research Assistance, at the Worcester Public Library, Worcester, Massachusetts.  One on one assistance with a librarian.  Allow at least one week lead time for research on specific topics.  Please register online at the library website.


April 13, 5:30 – 7pm, Manchester Historic Association Annual Meeting, with a special talk “Two All Beef Patties…” by MHA executive director John Clayton, highlighting Manchester’s role in McDonald’s founding.  The event will begin with a short business meeting. Light refreshments will be served.  Please RSVP 603-622-7531.

 April 13, Wednesday, 6pm, On the Job: Ancestors who worked in the Public Sector and the Amazing Records they Left Behind.  At the Commonwealth Salon, Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by Margaret R. Sullivan, the records manager and archivist for the Boston Police Department.  Free to the public.

April 14, Thursday, 1-3pm, Genealogy 101 with Gerry Savard, at the American Canadian Genealogical Society Library, 4 Elm Street, Manchester, New Hampshire.  A class geared towards family history researchers just starting out.  Offered through OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the Granite State College) and to ACGS members.  Register by email acgs@acgs.org with OLLI in the subject line and include your member ID number, or register with OLLI http://olli.granite.edu/uploads/OLLI_Spring2016_Web.pdf

April 14, Thursday, 1pm, The Other Side of the Midnight Ride:  A Visit with Rachel Revere, at the Rye Congregational Church, 580 Washington Road, Rye, New Hampshire, Free to the public, sponsored by the Town of Rye Recreation Department, and presented by living historian Joan Gatturna who tells the remarkable story of tea, trouble and revolution by the woman who rode through life with Paul Revere.  Meet the woman who kept the home fires burning while her husband fanned the flames of Revolution!

April 14, Thursday, 7pm, , Poor Houses and Town Farms:  The Hard Row for Paupers, at Rochester Historical Society Museum, 58 Hanson Street, Rochester, New Hampshire.  Steve Taylor will present how paupers were treated in these facilities and how reformers eventually succeeded in closing them down.  Free to the public. Sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council and the Rochester Historical Society.

April 15, Friday, 10:15am, I Can’t Die But Once: Harriet Tubman’s Civil War, at the Community Church of Durham, 17 Main Street, Durham, New Hampshire.  Sponsored by Durham Newcomers Unlimited and the NH Humanities Council.  Presented by living historian Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti.  Free to the public.

April 16, Saturday, 7am to 11:30am, “Armed as According to Law”: Captain David Brown’s Company of Minutemen at the North Bridge, and also at the Concord Museum from 1pm – 5pm, see a nearly full strength recreated minute company demonstrate maneuvers and musket firings.  Learn about militia duty in colonial Massachusetts.  Free to the public, sponsored by Minuteman National Park.

April 16, Saturday, 9am – 4pm, Battle Green Guided Tours, on the Lexington Battle Green, Lexington, Massachusetts.  Free tour by guides in colonial clothing.  By the Lexington Tourism Committee.

April 16, Saturday, 10am, Parker’s Revenge, at the Lexington Battle Green in Lexington, Massachusetts.  The Minutemen will gather on the green to reenact the second call to arms from Captain Parker with additional dialogue from Rev. Jonas Clarke.  Following this event the Minutemen will march to Parker’s Revenge on Route 2A to lay a wreath at 1pm. Free.

April 16, Saturday, 4pm, Tower Park Battle Reenactment, in Lexington, Massachusetts at Massachusetts Avenue opposite Pelham Road.  Free reenactment of a Revolutionary War battle featuring His Majesty’s 10th Regiment of Foot.

April 16, Saturday, 10 am – 4pm, Patriot’s Day Revolutionary Muster & Parade, at Historic Deerfield, Deerfield, Massachusetts, activities included with General Admission. Open hearth cooking, powder horn carving, horse drawn wagon rides, tours of historic homes, parade, and self guided “Liberty Walk” tours. http://www.historic-deerfield.org/event/miscellaneous-events/patriots-day-revolutionary-muster-parade-2-2/?eID=20103

April 16 and 17, Massachusetts Genealogical Council 2016 Seminar, at the Courtyard Hotel, Marlborough, Massachusetts.  Register online, see the website http://massgencouncil.org/index.php/2016seminar/register

April 17, Sunday, 9am – 4pm, Battle Green Guided Tours, on the Lexington Battle Green, Lexington, Massachusetts.  Free tour by guides in colonial clothing.  By the Lexington Tourism Committee.

April 17, Sunday, 10am, Parker’s Revenge, at the Lexington Battle Green in Lexington, Massachusetts.  The Minutemen will gather on the green to reenact the second call to arms from Captain Parker with additional dialogue from Rev. Jonas Clarke.  Following this event the Minutemen will march to Parker’s Revenge on Route 2A to lay a wreath at 1pm. Free.

April 17, Sunday, 11:30pm, Paul Revere Ride Reenactment, at the Hancock-Clarke House, 36 Hancock Street, Lexington, Massachusetts.  Free.  A Reenactment of the arrival of Paul Revere, by the Lexington Historical Society.

April 17, Sunday, 2 – 4pm, Getting More Organized: Genealogy 101, at the Hilton Garden Inn Room of the Portsmouth Public Library, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Presented by Marcia Melnyk, former reference librarian for NEHGS.  She will share expert tips on gathering information and keeping track of it all.  Free to the public.

April 18, Monday, 5:30am, The Alarm at the Old Belfry, at Belfry Hill, Massachusetts Avenue at Clarke Street across from the Battle Green in Lexington, Massachusetts. Free.  Come ring the bell that sounded the Alarm that the British were coming.

April 18, Monday, 5:30am, The Reenactment of the Battle of Lexington on the Battle Green, at Lexington, Massachusetts.  Rain date, Saturday, April 23 at 5:30am. Free.  Dress rehearsals on Sunday, April 3 at 2mp and Saturday, April 9 at 2pm.  Held by the Lexington Minute men.  Bring your cameras and warm clothing!

April 18, Monday, Patriot’s Day at Old Sturbridge Village, in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.  Bells will peal, drums will beat, men will march off to war! Young visitors will be invited to become minutemen and women, learn to drill and march (“Muskets” will be provided) Watch how to make musket balls, learn songs, and more.  Included with museum admission.  https://www.osv.org/event/patriots-day-0

April 18, Monday, 8:45am, Commemoration of the North Bridge Fight, and Concord Parade, at the North Bridge, Concord, Minuteman National Park. British and colonial re-enactors will commemorate the “Shot heard ‘round the world” with a restaging of the North Bridge fight featuring marching and musket fire.  The Concord parade will arrive at the North Bridge around 9:30am with ceremonies featuring minuteman companies. Note:  all the roads in the center of town are closed to vehicles at 8:30am.  Free to the public.

April 19, Tuesday, 6am, Dawn Salute at the North Bridge, Concord, The Concord Minutemen and the Concord Independent Battery will observe the opening battle of the American Revolution with a 21 gun musket and cannon salute. Free to the public.

April 19, Tuesday, 5:30 – 7:30pm, Introductory Genealogy Research Assistance, at the Worcester Public Library, Worcester, Massachusetts.  One on one assistance with a librarian.  Allow at least one week lead time for research on specific topics.  Please register online at the library website.

April 19, Tuesday, 7pm,  Poor Houses and Town Farms:  The Hard Row for Paupers, at John O’Leary Adult Community Center, 5 Church Street, Merrimack, New Hampshire.  Steve Taylor will present how paupers were treated in these facilities and how reformers eventually succeeded in closing them down.  Free to the public. Sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council and the Merrimack Historical Society.

April 20, Wednesday, 10am, The Other Side of the Midnight Ride:  A Visit with Rachel Revere, at the Messiah Lutheran Church, 303 Route 101, Amherst, New Hampshire, Free to the public, sponsored by the Amherst Village Questers and the NH Humanities Council, and presented by living historian Joan Gatturna who tells the remarkable story of tea, trouble and revolution by the woman who rode through life with Paul Revere.  Meet the woman who kept the home fires burning while her husband fanned the flames of Revolution!

April 21, Thursday, 7:30pm, Poor Houses and Town Farms:  The Hard Row for Paupers, at Lawrence Barn, 28 Depot Road, Hollis, New Hampshire.  Steve Taylor will present how paupers were treated in these facilities and how reformers eventually succeeded in closing them down.  Free to the public. Sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council and the Hollis Historical Society.

April 23, Saturday, American Canadian Genealogical Society Spring Conference.  Save the date and watch their website for details www.acgs.org

April 23, Saturday, 10am, Taken with a Large Grain of Salt: Verifying Family Stories, at the Georgetown Peabody Library, 2 Maple Street, Georgetown, Massachusetts, presented by Erica Voolich and sponsored by the Merrimack Valley Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists.  Free to the Public. 

April 23, Saturday, 7 – 8:30pm, Battle Road Heroes, at the Harwell Tavern Parking Area, tours leave every 15 minutes.  Listen to the personal stories of residents who lived along the Battle Road on 19 April 1775.  Join the Guild of Historic Interpreters for a special evening of theater and history.  For ages 8 and up. Admission $5 per person, $10 per family.  Children wearing Junior Ranger badges from the National Park service attend for free.

April 23, Saturday, Maine Genealogical Society Conference, keynote and workshops on “DNA Genetic Genealogy” with genealogist Blaine Bettinger, blogger at http://ww10.geneticgenealogist.com/ at the Elks Club in Augusta, Maine, $40 members, $50 non members, lunch included. Send checks by April 1 to Maine Genealogical Society, c/o Deborah Nowers, 72 Achorn Road, Belfast, Maine 04915. Register online or find more info at www.maineroots.org

April 23, Saturday, 1pm, Update on Revolutionary and Civil War Records, sponsored by the Essex Society of Genealogists, , at the Centre Congregational Church, 5 Summer Street, LyLynnfield, Massachusetts, presented by Marcia Iannizzi Melnyk, a professional genealogist.  There will be a brown bag luncheon prior to the lecture.

April 24, Sunday, 2pm, Winter Lecture Series: In Harm’s Way: Conflict and Captivity Before the French and Indian War, at the Deerfield Community Center, Deerfield Massachusetts, Free to the public.  Today’s lecture will be “The Line of Forts: And Eighteenth Century DEW line” by Michael Coe, Professor Emeritus, Yale University.

April 25, Saturday, 6:30pm, Nathan Whiting, 1757 Garrison Commander, at the Fort at No. 4, Charlestown, New Hampshire. Historian John-Eric Nelson will lead a discussion about the 1757 campaign season at the Fort No. 4and the Garrison Commander Lt. Col. Whiting.  $3 donation suggested. For more information see this link: http://www.fortat4.org/presentations/april_archaeology/whiting.html

April 26, Tuesday, 7pm, History of Route 2, at the Masonic Temple, 19 Academy Street, Arlington, Massachusetts. Route 2 is an interesting part of transportation history from end to end – indeed the western section is one of America’s oldest roads constructed specifically for automobile travel.  Free to the public, sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society.

April 26, Tuesday, 7pm, Mining the Rich Genealogical Resources of Western Massachusetts, sponsored by the Central Massachusetts Genealogical Society, at the American Legion Hall, 22 Elm Street, Gardner, Massachusetts,  Dave Robison will present his lecture.  He is the owner of "Old Bones Genealogy of New England".  Guests are welcome for a $2 donation, which is applied to membership if you join the same evening.  Fore more information contact queenkatt64@yahoo.com 

April 27, Wednesday, 6pm, The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands: Securing Freedom During and After the Civil War. At the Commonwealth Salon, Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by Diane M. Boucher, a lecturer in History at the US Coast Guard Academy.  These Bureau documents can provide invaluable genealogical information.  Free to the public.

April 28, 6:30pm, Boston’s Market District and Haymarket: Yesterday and Today, at the Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by Historic New England’s Kenneth Turino.  Book sales and signing to follow the lecture.  Free, but registration is required at this link: http://osmhapril28-16.bpt.me/

April 29, Friday, 7pm, Having a Fine Time in Manchester:  Vintage Post Cards and Local History, at the Weare Town Hall, 16 North Stark Highway, Weare, New Hampshire.  Sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities council.  Free to the public.


April 30, Saturday, The 2016 New England Family History Conference.at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 91 Jordan Road, Franklin, Massachusetts.  Keynote Speaker will be Meg. L. Winslow of Mount Auburn Cemetery “Stories of Life in Records of the Dead: Discovering Mount Auburn Cemetery’s Historical Collections”.   For details on the schedule and the educational sessions see the website http://nefamilyhistory.com/

May 2, Monday, 12:45pm, Abraham and Mary Lincoln: The Long and the Short of It, at the Moultonborough Lions Club, Old Route 109, Moultonborough, New Hampshire.  Presented by living historians Steve and Sharon Wood.  Sponsored by the Moultonborough Women’s Club and the NH Humanities Council.  Free to the public.

May 2 and 3, Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 4pm, Outlanders and Highlanders, at the opening weekend at the Fort at No. 4, Charlestown, New Hampshire. Step back in time to the 18th century as Highlanders and Outlanders encamp at the fort. Please visit in your favorite family friendly “Outlander” or highlander costume and we will offer you 20% discount on your admission fee! Activities, crafts and craft demonstrations, workshops and more.  See the link for more information and schedule:  http://www.fortat4.org/outlanders_highlanders/outlanders_highlanders.html

May 21, Saturday, 11am – 3:30pm, Connecticut Society of Genealogists 48th Anniversary Celebration, at the Connecticut Historical Society, One Elizabeth Street, Hartford, Connecticut.  More info at http://www.csginc.org

May 21, Saturday, Southern Maine Genealogical Conference, featuring genealogists D. Joshua Taylor, at Keeley’s Banquet Center, 178 Warren Avenue, Portland, Maine,  For more information: http://gpcmgs.brakeley.net/SMEConference.html

Planning ahead:

June 24 - 26, New England at Sea: Maritime Memory and Material Culture, a three day conference sponsored by Historic Deerfield, at the Deerfield Community Center, 16 Memorial Street, Deerfield, Massachusetts.  Nineteen lectures on the maritime history of New England and the adjacent areas of New York and Canada from the mid-eighteenth century to the early twentieth century.  Keynote address historian W. Jeffrey Bolster.  See this link for more information:  http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1101098178317&ca=2e412b0a-efd2-49b4-9f2c-2c6793f0b846

June 25, Saturday, 1pm to 4pm,  French Canadians in the Granite State, at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park Street, Concord, New Hampshire.  This is a workshop on advanced genealogy for those with specific interest in New Hampshire’s largest ethnic group, the French Canadians.  It will be led by the experts at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. For more information and pricing for members and non-members, visit nhhistory.org or call Wendy Olcott at 603-856-0621 to register by phone using a credit card.

September 9 – 10, Western Massachusetts Genealogical Conference, details coming soon.

September 15 – 17, New York State Family History Conference, at the Holiday Inn Syracuse, 441 Electronics Parkway, Liverpool, New York.

September 17,  Saturday, Maine Genealogical Society, 40th Anniversary Conference, Jeff’s Catering, Brewer, Maine, for more information see this link www.maineroots.org or MGS, Box 2062, Waterville, Maine, 04903

October 15, Connecticut Society of Genealogists Seminar.  Details to come at http://www.csginc.org

October 22, Saturday, all day, The Battle of Red Horse Tavern, at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts.  This is an annual one-day Revolutionary War era battle re-enactment and fair.


April 2017, NERGC 2017, at the Mass Mutual Center, 1277 Main Street, Springfield, Massachusetts 

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Published under a Creative Commons License
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "April 2016 Genealogy and Local History Calendar", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 31, 2016, (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/03/april-2016-genealogy-and-local-history.html:  accessed [access date]). 

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Weathervane Wednesday ~ An a Historic Lighthouse Far, Far Away!

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

Today's weather vane is from somewhere in Puerto Rico.

Do you know the location of weather vane #254?  Scroll down to see the answer...








This weathervane was photographed at the Fajardo Lighthouse, located on Las Cabezas de San Juan in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.  The lighthouse was built in 1882 by the Spanish government.  It is now located inside the Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve, and is only available to see by guided tours through the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico for an entrance fee.

During the Spanish-American War in 1898 this lighthouse was an important part of the Battle of Farjardo.  Not only was it a landmark during the naval battle, but some American naval officers and cadets landed and tried to re-occupy the lighthouse.  One of the cadets, William H. Boardman, dropped his revolver on the marble floor inside the lighthouse and was mortally wounded. He was one of the few deaths during the Puerto Rican campaign of this war.

The weather vane atop the lighthouse lantern is an unusual two arrow design.  It is original to the 1882 building, and even appears on the rendering above, which was part of a historical exhibit inside the building.

This lighthouse was surveyed by the Historic American Buildings project which is available through the US Library of Congress.  http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/   Here you can see color and vintage photographs, as well as architectural drawings and renderings of the lighthouse.

Friends of the Fajardo Lighthouse website http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=1166

The Battle of Fajardo, Wikipedia article   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fajardo


Click here to see the entire series of Weathervane Wednesday posts!


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Published under a Creative Commons License
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ An a Historic Lighthouse Far, Far Away!", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 30, 2016, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/03/weathervane-wednesday-a-historic.html:  accessed [access date]).

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Colon Cemetery, Havana, Cuba (Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón)


The Colon Cemetery began in 1876 by the Spanish architect Calixto Arellano de Loira y Cardosa, who was also the first burial (he died before the cemetery was completed).  The cemetery has over 500 mausoleums, chapels and family vaults, and covers 140 acres.  There are over 800,000 graves at the Colon Cemetery.  After three years remains are removed from tombs and placed in an ossuary building.  This is a practice common in Spain, and brought over to Cuba by the Spanish settlers.  You can see a list of famous Cubans interred here at the Colon Cemetery at the Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colon_Cemetery,_Havana  





This is the monument to the firefighters lost in a conflagration on 17 May 1890 in Havana.  It is a marble obelisk over 75 feet high and is decorated with wrought iron bats on the fencing.

These images were photographed by my daughter, who visited Cuba in June 2015.




You might think that doing research in Communist Cuba is impossible.  Believe it or not, many graves at Colon Cemetery are recorded at Find A Grave.  See this link to search or browse the cemetery (339 interments were recorded as of March 2016, with 18 photo requests) http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=639615

An article about Colon Cemetery  http://www.cubaheritage.org/articles.asp?artID=358

See a video of the cemetery at YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9hEnvh8OMk   (you can see the firefighters monument at about 45 seconds into the video)


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Photographs by Catalina Rojo Ianetta

Published under a Creative Commons License

Heather Wilkinson Rojo and Catalina Rojo Ianetta, "Tombstone Tuesday ~ Colon Cemetery, Havana, Cuba  (Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón)", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 29, 2016, (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/03/tombstone-tuesday-colon-cemetery-havana.html: accessed [access date]). 

Monday, March 28, 2016

Albert Munroe Wilkinson's Last Will and Testament, 1908


I, Albert M. Wilkinson of Salem, in the County
of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts declare this
to be my last will, hereby revoking all wills heretofore
made by me.
                After the payment of my just debts and funeral
charges, I bequeath and devise all my estate, both
real and personal and wherever situated to my wife
Isabella L. Wilkinson, and I nominate her to be the
executrix of this will, and I request that she may be
exempt from giving a surety or sureties on her bond
as such executrix.  I desire to leave all my estate
to any wife and no part to my two children.
                In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand
and in the presence of three witnesses declare this to
be my last will, this fourth day of May A. D. 1908
                                                Albert M. Wilkinson
On this fourth day of May 1908, Albert M.
Wilkinson of Salem, Massachusetts signed the fore-
going instrument in our presence declaring it to be
his last will, and as witness thereof we three do now
at his request in his presence, and in the presence of
each other hereto subscribe our names.
James C. Batchelder                       Jennie B. Bill
                           Annie M. Bill

Source for this image:  Essex County, Massachusetts, Probate Records and Indexes 1638-1916; Author: Massachusetts. Probate Court (Essex County); Probate Place: Essex, Massachusetts,  at Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA  accessed on 20 March 2016. 



Source for this image:  Original data: Massachusetts Vital Records, 1840–1911. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts, via Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Death Records, 1841-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013, accessed online 20 March 2016.

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Apparently, my great grandfather, Albert Munroe Wilkinson, made his last will about a week before gall bladder surgery in 1908.  Thinking back to those days before antibiotics and reliable anesthesia, this might have been a common practice.  I can't imagine facing surgery even today, but it might have been a hair raising event in 1908.

It doesn't mention if Albert was ill in this document.  Sometimes there is line that reads something like "... being of sound mind but ill of body...".  His gall bladder surgery must have been preceded by some illness or infection, and since he made his will it would be a great coincidence if he had to have an emergency surgery.  This is also evident from the fact that he traveled all the way to Brookline, a suburb of Boston, for his surgery at the Corey Hill Hospital, instead of having his surgery in Salem, Massachusetts.

My grandfather, Donald Munroe Wilkinson (1895 - 1977) , was left orphaned when his father Albert died.  Donald was only 12 years old, and his sister, Janet (1898 - 1981), was 9 years old.  His mother, Isabella Lyons (Bill) (1863 - 1935) remained a widow and ran a boarding house in Salem on Loring Avenue.  She lived, during her widowed years, with her sisters, Jennie and Mary Ann, who also signed this will.  The Bill sisters ran a day school in Danvers called "The Speedwell School" named after the sister ship to the Mayflower.

Corey Hill Hospital, Brookline, Massachusetts 1918 postcard
Where Albert Munroe Wilkinson had his gallbladder surgery in 1908


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Published under a Creative Commons License

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Albert Munroe Wilkinson's Last Will and Testament, 1908",  Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 28, 2016, (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/03/albert-munroe-wilkinsons-last-will-and.html:  accessed [access date] ). 

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Happy Easter! Easter Baskets 1975

Here's an old image I found on a very deteriorated film slide, stored for 30 years in my parents basement.  It didn't digitize very well, but I love the subject of this photograph!  My sister in her frilly Easter Dress lovingly holding her new baseball glove while she munches on candy.  I don't think she removed the baseball glove all day!  You can hardly see me, but I'm on the left.


There are lots of memories in this photo.  It makes me reminisce about the house we lived in in Holden, Massachusetts.  I can see that my mother put white chocolate bunnies in our Easter baskets because she believed that regular chocolate contributed to acne.  To this day I can't stand white chocolate.   Most of the Easter candy came from Hebert's candies in Worcester, which is still in business.  It was a real treat to get solid chocolate bunnies from Hebert's, and to visit the big Hebert's Candy mansion in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.

The Hebert Candy website  http://www.hebertcandies.com/

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Published under a Creative Commons License
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Happy Easter!  Easter Baskets 1975", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 27, 2016, (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/03/happy-easter-easter-baskets-1975.html: accessed [access date]).

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Surname Saturday ~ LANE of Boston, Massachusetts and Hampton, New Hampshire


The LANE memorial stone 
in Founder's Park, Hampton, New Hampshire

LANE

William Lane (about 1621 – 1715), the immigrant, was my 9th great grandfather.  He was a cordwainer in Boston, Massachusetts and had two wives named Mary.  The first wife’s maiden name was unknown, and the second wife was Mary Brewer (my 9th great grandmother), daughter of Thomas Brewer and Elizabeth Graves.  Her sister, Sarah Brewer, was the wife of Thomas Webster, who removed to Hampton, New Hampshire.   William Lane was made a freeman in Boston 6 May 1657.

William Lane, Jr. (1659 – 1749) and his wife, Sarah Webster, were first cousins, and my 8th great grandparents.  Their names are on a 1681 list of the members of the 2nd Church (the Old North Church) in Boston, and after that they removed to Hampton, New Hampshire and settled near Sarah’s father, Thomas Webster.  William Lane was a tailor.

I descend from William Lane, Jr’s son Samuel Lane (1698 – 1776) who married Elizabeth Blake, my 7th great grandparents.   They lived in Hampton Falls, and all three of their first children died of throat distemper on 2 August 1735.  Samuel Lane was a farmer.  Samuel Lane, Jr. (1741 – 1822) was my 6th great grandfather. 

More LANE resources:

Lane Genealogies, Volume 1 (William Lane of Boston), by Dr. Edward B. Lane, printed in Exeter, NH by John Templeton, 1891.

“Descendants of William Lane” by Edmund J. Lane, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 27, 1873, pages 176 – 180.

Pioneers of Massachusetts 1620 - 1650, by Charles Henry Pope, NEHGS, 2013, page 277 [this book states that the immigrant William Lane was a chimney sweep]. 

A previous blog post about the LANE family plot in the Pine Grove Cemetery, Hampton, New Hampshire:

My LANE genealogy:

Generation 1:  William Lane, born about 1621 in England, died 5 June 1715 in Hampton, New Hampshire; married first to Mary UNKNOWN (four children); married second to Mary Brewer, daughter of Thomas Brewer and Elizabeth Graves on 21 August 1656 in Boston (four more children).

Generation 2:  William Lane, born 1 October 1659 in Hampton, died 14 February 1749 in Hampton; married on 21 June 1680 in Hampton to Sarah Webster, daughter of Thomas Webster and Sarah Brewer.  Sarah was born 22 January 1661 and died 6 January 1745 in Hampton.  Seven children.

Generation 3: Samuel Lane, born 4 August 1698 in Hampton, died 9 January 1776 in Hampton Falls; married on 11 January 1722 in Hampton Falls to Elizabeth Blake, daughter of Philemon Blake and Sarah Dearborn.  She was born in 1699.  Seven children.

Generation 4: Samuel Lane, born in 1741 in Hampton Falls, died 15 January 1822 in Hampton Falls; married in 1760 to Hepizah Sleeper, daughter of Moses Sleeper and Margaret Sanborn.  She was born 24 March 1742 in Kingston, New Hampshire.  Nine children.

Generation 5:  Sarah Lane, born 24 May 1769 in Hampton Falls, died 27 February 1819 in Pittsfield, New Hampshire; married to Elisha Batchelder, son of David Batchelder and Elizabeth Swett.  He was born 10 June 1763 in Hampton Falls, and died 11 October 1813 in Pittsfield.  Four children.

Generation 6:  Jonathan Batchelder m. Nancy Thompson
Generation 7: George E. Batchelder m. Abigail M. Locke
Generation 8: George E. Batchelder m. Mary Katharine Emerson
Generation 9: Carrie Maude Batchelder m. Joseph Elmer Allen
Generation 10: Stanley Elmer Allen m. Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (my grandparents)

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Published under a Creative Commons License
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ LANE of Boston, Massachusetts and Hampton, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 26, 2016, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/03/surname-saturday-lane-of-boston.html: accessed [access date]).

Friday, March 25, 2016

Vincent's Parents Wedding Day in Madrid Spain, 1960


We copied all the photographs from this album we found in my Mother-in-law's house in Spain.
I was so happy to see that all the photos from her wedding were in this book, including all the guest's signatures on the back page (see below).   The photographs were beautiful, and still in nice condition.


Here is Maria leaving her apartment for the wedding ceremony.  You can see all the friends, relatives and neighbors in the doorways and on the sidewalk. 


I love how the taxi was all decorated with orange blossoms, both inside and outside!  Her father was dressed in his fanciest dress uniform for the Guardia Civil. 




In Spain, the bride's father (in uniform) acts as the best man or witness, and the groom's mother is his witness.  In this photo the groom's Aunt Lucinia stood in for his mother as the witness or "madrina".  



My Mother-in-law says that she doesn't remember anything about the ceremony, except that it was freezing cold.  It was a large church in Madrid, and the date was January 9th!  Yes, it must have been very chilly!  



The wedding reception was held nearby in a hotel that no longer exists.  I wish there were more photos of the reception.  My father-in-law is sitting next to his Aunt Lucina, and the bride is sitting next to her father and mother.  


Signatures in the back of the wedding album are from the wedding guests. There are lots of "best wishes" and congratulations from people who are no longer alive today.  

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Published under a Creative Commons License
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Vincent's Parents Wedding Day in Madrid Spain, 1960", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 25, 2016, (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/03/vincents-parents-wedding-day-in-madrid.html: accessed [access date]).

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Weathervane Wednesday ~ Another Historic Old Church

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

Today's weather vane is from somewhere in Massachusetts.

Do you know the location of weather vane #253?  Scroll down to see the answer...





Today's weathervane was photographed at 225 Cabot Street in Beverly, Massachusetts.  It is the weather vane atop the steeple of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church.  I was photographing tombstones in a nearby cemetery, and I could see the weather vane above the trees and buildings (which was lucky since it was late fall and most of the leaves had fallen, so I had a clear view of the steeple).  

This church building was built in 1772, and was the third building for this congregation and the second at this location on Cabot Street. At the link below you can read a very interesting history of this church.  If you have colonial era ancestors in Beverly, they probably went to this church since it was originally a Puritan church, and then a Congregational parish.  It was founded as the Bass River Parish of Salem in 1667.  It's claim to fame is that it hosted the very first Sunday School in the United States in 1810. 

I don't know when the weather vane was installed, but was probably original to the steeple, whenever that was erected. The vane is a fancy arrow, and it appears to be gilded.

First Parish Church, Beverly, webpage with historical information
http://www.firstparishbeverly.org/2010/12/15/grandmother%E2%80%99s-attic-tales-from-the-first-parish-church-building-2/#more-797


Click here to see the entire series of Weathervane Wednesday posts!


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Published under a Creative Commons License
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ Weathervane Wednesday ~ Another Historic Old Church", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 23, 2016, (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/03/weathervane-wednesday-another-historic.html:  accessed [access date]).

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Major John Butterfield, Revolutionary War Patriot

This tombstone was photographed at the Hillside Cemetery in Goffstown, New Hampshire.


In memory of
MAJOR JOHN
BUTTERFIELD
who died
Oct. 10, 1828
Aged 75
                        REV

John Butterfield, the son of John Butterfield and Phebe Russell, was born 7 September 1753 in Goffstown, New Hampshire and died 10 October 1828 in Goffstown.   He married Naomi Stevens, the daughter of Thomas Stevens and Prudence Merrill.   They had fifteen children born in Goffstown.   All the children are listed on his profile at Find A Grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=58804461

John Butterfield served in the American Revolution, and was at the Battle of Bennington, Vermont.  His brother Peter Butterfield was at the Battle of Bunker Hill.  John was the rank of Major when he served in the 1st Battalion of the 9th Regiment.  He served as a selectman in Goffstown between 1784 and 1798, and he was a state representative in 1799, 1800, 1801, 1803, 1804, 1806, and 1807.

Again, I found the letters REV stenciled in black paint on this tombstone in Goffstown. This is a highly controversial practice.  Many of the tombstones in the Hillside Cemetery are stenciled like this. 

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Published under a Creative Commons License
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Tombstone Tuesday ~ Major John Butterfield, Revolutionary War Patriot", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 22, 2016, (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/02/tombstone-tuesday-major-john.html: accessed [access date]).

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Surname Saturday ~ GODFREY of Hampton, New Hampshire

The Godfrey Memorial at Founder's Park
in Hampton, New Hampshire

GODFREY

William Godfrey is my 10th great grandfather.  He was married twice and I descend from his second wife, Margery UNKNOWN.  She was previously married to Thomas Webster (1570 – 1634) and had a son, Thomas Webster (1632 – 1715).   William Godfrey came to New England with his stepson, Thomas Webster, who is also my 9th great grandfather in a different line.  I descend from William’s daughter, Deborah Godfrey (1645 – 1699) who married John Taylor.  After William died Margery remarried to John Marrian, who was my 10th great grandfather through his marriage with his first wife Sarah.  

In other words, Margery UNKNOWN, my 10th great grandmother, was married to THREE different men who were all my 10th great grandfathers!  Believe it or not!

William Godfrey first settled in Dedham, Massachusetts, and also in Watertown.  He was made a freeman in Watertown in 1640. In 1649 he bought land in Hampton, New Hampshire and sold his Watertown land in 1653.   He was a selectman in Hampton in 1654, and he became a Deacon of the church in 1660. 

The will of William Godfrey of Hampton, 1667

In the Name of God Amen

I William Godfrey of Hampton in the County of Norfolke in New England being very sick & weak of Body butt sound of mind & understanding: Doe make this my last will as followeth
Conserning such Estate as God hath Given mee in this world I Doe will & bequeth as followeth

Imp I Give and bequeth unto Margery My Loveing wife all my stock of Cattle Duering the terme of her naturall life and whatt stock of Cattle shall Ramane att her Decease to Return to my sonn Isaac Godfrey: Itt I Give unto Margery Godfrey my wife my Dwelling House Duering the terme of Her naturall life

Itt I Give unto Margery Godfrey my wife all my Houshold Goods . . . her & her heires for Ever

Ittem I Give unto Margery my wife and Isaack Godfrey my sonn all my land both of upland medow & marsh pastors orchyard or Gardens or other Inclosure (Excepting whatt shall be hereafter mentioned ) to bee and Remain to them Duering yeterme of my wives naturall life & att my wives Decease to bee & Remaine to sole [pro]priety & possetion of my son Isaac Godfrey to him hes Heires for Ever, Item my will & pleasure is thatt my sone in law [step son] webester shall have & Injoy that peece [of]1 the land last purchesed of Nath Boulter yt Remaines in [ye] Hands of my son Isaac or else thatt my son [Isaac] pay him the some of five pound & keep the sd [land] Himselfe

Itt I Give and Bequeth unto my son John Godfrey so much [of] my planting lott as will make up yt pl whearon hes House standeth fower trees which so to bee layd outt to him as yt itt may take in all the unbrok up land to the [Swamp]

Ittem I Give & bequeth unto my Daughter sarah Godfrey the some of Six pounds to bee payd by my son Isaac ye year after my wives Decease:

Itt I Doe Give unto my Daughter Deborah Godfrey the some of Six pound to bee payd to her the second year after my wives Decease: & my wife & my son Isack to have & Injoy all my Comonedg & other towne privledg which is to Remain to my son Isaac after my wives Decease And I Doe make my loveing wife & my sone Isaack my law full Executor to this my last will & testiment to see the same [per]formed & I appointt my loving friends Robertt Page &Samuell Dalton to bee as over seeres to all Intents & Constructions herin Contained wittness my hand & seale ye 2d 8th mo 1667

William Godfrey
X
His mark [seal] & Seale

Wittnes
Abraham Perkins
Samuell Dalton

Proved April 11, 1671.  [Essex County, Mass., Probate Files, and Norfolk County, Mass., Deeds, vol. 2, p. 212.]   Please note that at the time this will was proved and recorded the town of Hampton was in Norfolk County, Massachusetts- not in Rockingham County, New Hampshire.  The inventory of the estate of Deacon William Godfrey was taken April 10, 1671, by Samuel Dalton and Abraham Perkins; amount, £267.7.0.   [Essex County, Mass., Probate Files, and Norfolk County, Mass., Deeds, vol. 2, p. 213.]

Some GODFREY resources:

The History of Hampton, New Hampshire, by Joseph Dow, 1893, pages 727 – 728.

The Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, Noyes, Libby and Davis, page 269.

The New England Historic Genealogical Society Register, Volume 63, pages 32 -33 and also Volume 142, page 267.

The American Genealogist, Volume 46, pages 150 – 154.

My GODFREY genealogy:

Generation 1:  William Godfrey, died 25 march 1671 in Hampton, New Hampshire; married first to Sarah UNKNOWN;  married second about 1638 in Ormsby, Norfolk, England to Margery UNKOWN, widow of Thomas Webster .  She died remarried to John Marrion on 14 September 1671 and died in Hampton on 2 May 1687.  William and Margery had three children.

Generation 2: Deborah Godfrey, born about 1645 in Hampton, died 10 July 1699 in Hampton; married on 5 December 1667 in Hampton to John Taylor, son of Anthony Taylor and Phillipa UNKNOWN as his first wife.  He died on 15 December 1712 in Hampton.

Generation 3: Sarah Taylor m. Peter Garland
Generation 4: John Garland m. Elizabeth Dearborn
Generation 5: Elizabeth Garland m. Richard Locke
Generation 6: Simon Locke m. Abigail Mace
Generation 7: Richard Locke m. Margaret Welch
Generation 8: Abigail M. Locke m. George E. Batchelder
Generation 9: George E. Batchelder m. Mary Katharine Emerson
Generation 10: Carrie Maude Batchelder m. Joseph Elmer Allen
Generation 11: Stanley Elmer Allen m. Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (my grandparents)


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Published under a Creative Commons License
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ GODFREY of Hampton, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 19, 2016, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/03/surname-saturday-godfrey-of-hampton-new.html: accessed [access date]). 

Friday, March 18, 2016

A Baptism in Spain, 1934, on the eve of the Spanish Civil War

This photograph was taken in the tiny town of Orbaiceta, Navarra in Spain.  Orbaiceta is the last town in the Spanish Pyrenees before the French border.  This photograph was taken next to the last house, on the last street before the French border.




My mother-in-law, the tiny baby in this photo, was baptized in Orbaiceta in 1934.  Her father and uncle, both pictured here, were both born in La Bouza, Salamanca on the border of Portugal. They were married to two sisters from the neighboring town of Villar de Ciervo, also on the Portuguese border.  The brothers were serving in the "carabineros".  According to Wikipedia "The Carabineros was an armed carabiniers force of Spain whose mission was to patrol the coasts and borders of the country operating against fraud and smuggling.  It was established in 1829 and it lasted until 1940 when it was summarily disbanded and merged with the Guardia Civil."

Both brothers here both joined the Guardia Civil after the Civil War.  The war didn't start until 1936, so this photo was taken just before the war started with a military coup.

The little boy in the photo is my mother-in-law's cousin.  You can see a photo of the two little cousins, just a few years later, after the war had started HERE. 

You can see a photo of my mother-in-law's father in his Guardia Civil uniform HERE.

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Published under a Creative Commons License
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A Baptism in Spain, 1934, on the eve of the Spanish Civil War", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 18, 2016, (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/03/a-baptism-in-spain-1934-on-eve-of.html: accessed [access date]).

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Weathervane Wednesday ~ Another Great Weathervane sent in by a Reader!

Weathervane Wednesday is an on-going series of photographs I post weekly.  I first started by publishing posts about weather vanes 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 weather vanes outside of New England.

Today's weathervane is from South Carolina.

Do you know the location of weather vane #252?  Scroll down to see the answer!





Today's weathervane was sent to me by a fellow genealogy blogger and Facebook friend, Carol Bowen Stevens from the "Reflections From the Fence" blog.  She also wrote a great post about this location at Pawley's Island, South Carolina, available to read at this link:  http://www.reflectionsfromthefence.blogspot.com/2015/11/pawleys-island-south-carolina-rolling.html   Carol's blog is a wonderful combination of genealogy stories and her annual winter trips around the USA in her beloved fifth wheeler "Tana".

Pawley's Island is in Georgetown County, just south of Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.  Carol thought that this was private property along a marsh.  The weathervane is a very detailed, three dimensional wading bird or crane.  Can anyone identify this bird for us? The metal of this weather vane has turned into a nice blue-green patina over time.  Very lovely!

Thanks, Carol, for sending me these terrific photos!

The Town of Pawley's Island website  http://www.townofpawleysisland.com/

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

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Published under a Creative Commons License
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ Another Great Weathervane sent in by a Reader!", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 16, 2015 ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/03/weathervane-wednesday-another-great.html: accessed [access date]).