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Friday, September 30, 2016

October 2016 Genealogy and Local History Event Calendar



For up to the minute updates, see the Nutfield Genealogy Facebook page at this link:  https://www.facebook.com/nutfield.gen/ 

 OCTOBER is Family History Month!

October 1 - 31, Salem Haunted Happenings, in historic Salem, Massachusetts.  Historical lectures, tours, re-enactments, theater as well as parties, parades and children’s events for Halloween.  Check the official website for a full schedule of events http://hauntedhappenings.org/guide/index

October 1, Saturday, 1pm, Maritime Records with Jake Fletcher, at the First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, 301 Cottage Road (Meetinghouse Hill) South Portland, Maine. Sponsored by the Greater Portland Chapter of the Maine Genealogical Society.  Refreshments served at 12:30.  Free to the public.

October 1, Saturday, 1 – 3pm, Sweet talk: The Passion of Puritans in Letters, Diaries… and Sermons, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, sponsored by the Partnership of Historic Bostons.  Discussion led by Lori Stokes and Sarah Stewart.  Free to the public.  Register here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sweet-talk-the-passion-of-puritans-in-letters-diaries-and-sermons-tickets-27098923610

October 1, Saturday, 10am Civil War POW Walk at Cedar Hill Cemetery, 453 Fairfield Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut.  Cedar Hill is the final resting place of more than 175 Civil War soldiers.  Evelyn Bollert leads the tour.  Call 860-956-3311 for more information.  $15 fee.

October 1, Saturday, Researching Maritime Ancestors in the National Archives, sponsored by the Maine Genealogical Society – Greater Portland Chapter, 29 Ocean House Road, Cape Elizabeth, Maine. A presentation by genealogist Jake Fletcher.

October 1, Saturday, 1 – 2:30pm, Digging for Evidence, at the Jackson Homestead and Museum, 527 Washington Street, Newton, Massachusetts.  Bring the whole family to dig for artifacts in a mock archaeological dig.  Appropriate for families with children ages 7 and up.  Pre-registration fee $5 per person, includes museum admission for the day and materials.  Call 617-796-1450 to register.  $10 per person day of the program fee. 

October 1, Saturday, 1 -3pm, Kid’s Archaeology Day, at the Old Colony History Museum, 66 Church Green, Taunton, Massachusetts.  Celebrate Massachusetts’ 25th annual Archaeology Month  with real artifacts from New England history.  Free to the public.

October 1 and 2, Saturday and Sunday, Revolutionary War Weekend at the Fort at No. 4, 267 Springfield Road, Charlestown, New Hampshire.   For more information call 603-826-5700 or http://www.fortat4.org/

October 3, Monday,  6:30pm , Witches, Pop Culture and the Past, at the Smith Memorial Congregational Church, 30 West Main Street, Hillsborough, New Hampshire, hosted by the Sanbornton Historical Society.  FREE to the public.  Robin DeRosa explains that when Salem, Massachusetts tells its witch stories history, tourism and performance collide.  Call 603-464-3529 for more information.

October 3, Monday, 6pm, John Quincy Adams:  Militant Spirit, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  $10 registration for non-members, members are free.  www.masshist.org/calendar

October 4, Tuesday, 6 - 8pm, Old and Rare Books, at the Sweeney Auditorium of the New Hampshire Technical Institute, Concord, New Hampshire.  Ken Gloss, proprietor of Boston's internationally known Brattle Book Shop and guest on PBS's Antiques Roadshow will speak on the value of old, historic and rare books   You are invited to bring in books for Ken Gloss to appraise.  Free to the public.   More information on the "Wings of Knowledge Lecture Series" may be found at https://www.nhti.edu/wings  

October 4, Tuesday, 7pm, The Arms Race of 1774, at the American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts.  Free to the public.  Author J. L. Bell will discuss his book and Worcester’s central role in the military struggle “The Road to Concord”. 

October 4, Tuesday, 7pm, Lafayette: Symbol of Franco American Friendship, at the Folsom Tavern (American Independence Museum), 164 Water Street, Exeter, New Hampshire.  A talk by Alan Hoffman and sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.  Free to the public.

October 5, Wednesday, 6pm, Imperiled Privilege: The Passionate Women of Boston’s Colonial Elite, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  A lecture by Brenton Simons, president and CEO of NEHGS and author of two histories of Boston.  This even is co-sponsored by the Partnership of Historic Bostons.  Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/imperiled-privilege-the-passionate-women-of-bostons-colonial-elite-registration-27072588842#tickets  Questions?  Call 617-226-1226 or email education@nehgs.org  Free to the public.

October 6, Thursday, 7pm,  Bobby Kenedy:  The Making of a Liberal Icon, at the Framingham Public Library, Costin Room, 49 Lexington Street, Framingham, Massachusetts.  Guest speaker will be Larry Tye,  Boston Globe reporter and a Nieman fellow at Harvard University. 

October 6, Thursday, 6:30 pm, Poor Houses and Town Farms: The Hard Row for Paupers, at the Kimball Public Library, 5 Academy Avenue, Atkinson, New Hampshire, presented by Steve Taylor and sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.  Free to the public. 

October 7, Friday, noon, If These Walls Could Talk:  Researching the History of a Home, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 -101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  NEHGS senior researcher Meaghan Siekman will present how to uncover the history of a home using material culture and written records.  Part of the First Friday Lecture series. Free to the public.  Register here: http://shop.americanancestors.org/products/if-these-walls-could-talk-researching-the-history-of-a-home?pass-through=true

October 7, Friday, 2pm, Turning Point:  The US Constitution, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public,  Kyle Jenks, a James Madison reenactor, will discuss Elbridge Gerry’s criticism of the constitution.  www.masshist.org/calendar

October 7, Friday, 6:30 – 9:30pm, Lanterns in the Village, at Pioneer Village, Forest River Park, Salem, Massachusetts, Adults $7, Children $4, Family (4+_ $20.  Fundraiser for Collins Middle School.  Stroll through historical Pioneer Village by the flickering light of carved jack o’lanterns.  Listen to eerie tales told by the period actors of Olde Salem.  Family friendly.

October 7 -9, Find A Grave Community Meet Up Day.  Use #FGDay to post your pictures and videos to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter  http://www.ancestry.com/cs/find-a-grave-community-day

October 8, Saturday, 10am, NEHGS New Visitor Welcome Tour, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 -101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free, no registration needed.  An introduction to the resources available at the NEHGS research facility.  Attendees are welcome to use the library following the tour.

October 8, Saturday, 10am – noon, Survival:  Boston 1630, a walking tour, meet at the Massachusetts State House front steps, 24 Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts, sponsored by the Partnership of Historic Bostons.  Free to the public, we suggest a donation of $5 to defray expenses.  Contact phbostons@gmail.com or call 781-883-3961 with questions.

October 8 and 9, Saturday and Sunday, 11am – 3pm, Fairy and Hobbit House Festival, at Bedrock Gardens, 45 High Road, Lee, New Hampshire. $15 adults, $5 children. 

October 8, 1pm,  Researching Your Italian Ancestry, at the Cape Cod Museum in Gloucester, Massachusetts.  Presented by Mary Tedesco, co-host of “The Genealogy Roadshow” on PBS.  Free to the public. For more information call 978-283-0455 x10 or email info@capeannmuseum.org  See this link:  http://www.capeannmuseum.org/events/italian-genealogy-research-italy-and-home/

October 8, Saturday, 10am, New Visitor Tour of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Tour attendees are welcome to use the library following the tour.  Free to the public.  No registration is necessary.

October 8, Saturday, 7pm, Battle Road Heroes, at the Minuteman National Historical Park, Hartwell Tavern,  $5 per person or $10 per family.  Walk down a candle lit path to the past, and listen to the personal stories of residents who lived along the Battle Road on April 19, 1775.  This special evening of theater and history is presented by the Guild of Historic Interpreters. https://www.nps.gov/mima/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?event=4361E5B6-155D-451F-672728AA4680A154

October 9, Sunday, 29th Highland Games Festival at the Edward Waldo Homestead in Scotland, Connecticut.  A day of piping, dancing, drumming, swordplay, storytelling, sheepdogs, food, genealogy, and athletic competitions.  www.scotlandgames.org

October 9, Sunday, 2:30pm, Mother and Daughter Preserving History, at the Wayside: Home of Authors, 455 Lexington Road, Concord, Massachusetts.  Explore Harriet and Margaret Lothrop’s efforts to preserve The Wayside.  Presented by the Minute Man National Historic Park.  Adults $7, Senior and students with ID $5, Children under 17 are free.  https://www.nps.gov/mima/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?event=B2A23194-1DD8-B71B-0BE4EF9E6C791BF9

October 9,  Sunday, 3:30 pm, Fall 2016 Genealogy Series:  Ancestry.com, at the Beverly Public Library, 32 Essex Street, Beverly, Massachusetts.  Free to adults.  No signup needed.  Questions?  Please email drone@noblenet.org or call 978-921-6062 

October 11, Tuesday, 7pm  The Capital Crime of Witchcraft:  What the Primary Sources Tell us, at the Elkins Library, 9 Center Road, Canterbury, New Hampshire, presented by  Margo Burns who explores an array of prosecutions using facsimiles of primary source manuscripts, from formal complaints to arrest warrents, reversals of attainder and death warrents.  Free to the public. Sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.  Contact Jan Cote for more information 603-783-4090

October 11, Tuesday, 7pm, Salem Witch Trials, at the Saxe Room of the Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem Square, Worcester, Massachusetts, presented by Richard Lagueux of the Worcester Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists.  Contact 774-573-9529 for more information.  Bring a friend and a refreshment to share (anyone bringing a refreshment will receive an extra door prize ticket.  Free to the public.  6:30 pm is the start of social time before the presentation.

October 11 – 16, October 19 – 23 or October 26 – 31, The Sleepy Hollow Experience, at Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge, Massachusetts  https://www.osv.org/event/the-sleepy-hollow-experience   This is an outdoor theatrical experience that reimagines the iconic 1820s tale.  You will ghoulishly guided through the village at night.  An hour before each performance you are invited to join the cast at Ichabod’s Tavern for dinner or snacks.  To buy tickets or for more information visit http://www.sleepyhollowosv.org 

October 12, Wednesday, 6pm, Witches, Pop Culture and the Past, at the Pelham Public Library, 24 Village Green, Pelham, New Hampshire, presented by Robin DeRosa, sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.  Call Rebecca Crockett for more information 603-635-7581.  Free to the public.

October 13, Thursday,  7pm, Witches, Pop Culture and the Past, (see above) at the Fitzwilliam Town Library 11 Templeton Turnpike, Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire.  Free to the public. Call 603-585-6503 for more information.

October 13, Thursday, 7pm,  “An Inside Story of African American Imprisonment before Emancipation:  Austin Reed’s ‘The Life and Adventures of a Haunted Convict” by Caleb Smith,  at the American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts.  Free to the public.  Caleb Smith of Yale University will discuss the memoir of a free black man who spent most of his early life in the state prisons of the antebellum period.  www.americanantiquarian.org  

October 14, 1:30pm, Methods of Property Research Using Town Assessment Records and the Registry of Deeds (both online and at the registry), at the Rodgers Memorial Library Genealogy Club, 194 Derry Road, Hudson, New Hampshire, presented by Ruth Parker of the Hudson Historical Society.  The Genealogy Club meets on the second Friday of each month.  All are welcome!  No fee, no need to be a Hudson resident.  www.rodgerslibrary.org  603-886-6030 

October 14, 7pm,  Which Matthew O’Neill Is Mine?: Approaches to Irish Genealogy, a lecture by Jake Fletcher The Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA) at the Mandel Center for Humanities, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts. Free to the public.  Click here for directions http://www.brandeis.edu/about/visiting/map.html?bldgid=0125

October 15, Saturday, 10am, Tracing the Wave:  Researching Your Immigrant Ancestors – Diggin’ Your Roots Genealogy Program Series, at the Rhode Island Historical Society,  121 Hope Street, Providence, Rhode Island.  Insructors Pheoebe Bean and Andrew Smith.  Please contact Kate Wells at kwells@provlib.org with any questions.  Register at this link  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczlY5BjepxfFBRBdpO8nusIcYybM1ARRHL4Y9mC9l352Pr6g/viewform?c=0&w=1

October 15, Saturday, 8th Annual Western NH Family History Conference, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 130 Summit Road, Keene, New Hampshire.  FREE to the public.  See the website to register:   http://www.wnhfhc.com/ 

October 15, Saturday, 11am – 1pm, Photographing Stones and Souls in the Common Burying Ground:  A Newport Walking Tour,  meet up at the Brick Market Museum & Shop, 127 Thames Street, Newport, Rhode Island.  This tour is appropriate for photographers of all skill levels. Bring a camera.  Reservations required call 401-841-8700 or see the website http://newporthistorytours.org  $5 to $15 for tickets.

October 15, Saturday,  Connecticut Society of Genealogists Seminar.  At the Four Points Sheraton, 275 Research Parkway, Meriden, Connecticut.  Come spend a day with Dick Eastman.  Open to the public.  See the flyer for more information and registration information:  http://www.csginc.org/pdf/event_261.pdf

October 16,  Sunday, 3:30 pm, Fall 2016 Genealogy Series:  Researching Irish and Italian Ancestors, at the Beverly Public Library, 32 Essex Street, Beverly, Massachusetts.  Free to adults.  No signup needed.  Questions?  Please email drone@noblenet.org or call 978-921-6062 

October 16, Sunday, 2 – 4pm, Genealogy Databases: Training and Tips, at the Portsmouth Public Library Hilton Garden Room, 175 Parrott Avenue, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Presented by Erin M. Apostolos, who will cover Ancestry.com, American Ancestors (NEHGS) and Heritage Quest.  Free to the public.

Oct 17, Monday, 7:30pm, The Capital Crime of Witchcraft:  What the Primary Sources Tell Us  at the Congregational Church of Amherst, New Hampshire, (on the village green)  Sponsored by Historical Society of Amherst, Margo Burns will present a multimedia lecture on colonial witchcraft. 

October 18, Tuesday, 7pm, New Hampshire Cemeteries and Gravestones, at the Merrimack Public Library, 470 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, New Hampshire, presented by Glenn Knoblock and sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council. Learn more about these works of art and the craftsmen who carved them.  Free to the public.  Call 603-424-5021 x 104 for more information.

October 18, Tuesday, 2pm, Genealogy Database Class, at the Manchester City Library, Manchester, New Hampshire.  Come to a demonstration of the two databases available at the library – Ancestry.com library edition and Heritage Quest. We will also discuss free genealogy websites, paperwork and tips on how to find your ancestors.  To register go to the events calendar on the library’s home page www.manchester.lib.nh.us or call 603-624-6550 ext. 3320. 

October 18, Tuesday, 7pm, You Have Your DNA Matches – Now What? Part II, at the Memorial Hall Library, 2 North Main Street, Andover, Massachusetts.  Dr. Sandy Murray presents a talk about utilizing DNA test results in genealogy research.  Part I was given at this library on Sept 21st.  Free to the public, sponsored by the Friends of Memorial Hall Library.

October 19, Wednesday, 10am, Beginning the Journey of Genealogy,  presented by Jake Fletcher at the Eagle House Senior Center, 25 Memorial Drive,  Lunenburg, Massachusetts.  Free to the public.

October 19, Wednesday, 6pm, The Gallows Hill Project:  Locating the Site Where Salem Witches were Hanged, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by Marilynne K. Roach and Emerson Baker, Free to the public.  Register here:  http://shop.americanancestors.org/products/salems-gallows-hill-project?pass-through=true

October 19, Wednesday, 6pm, Witches, Pop Culture and the Past, (see above) at the White Mountains Community College Fortier Library, 2020 Riverside Drive, Berlin, New Hampshire, call 603-752-5210 for more information.

October 19, Wednesday, 6 – 9 pm, Shadows Fall North, at the Red River Theater, 11 South Main Street, Concord, New Hampshire, sponsored by the New Hampshire Historical Society.  A special showing of a new documentary film on black history in the Granite State.  Screening will be followed by a discussion panel.  Tickets will be available for $10, $8 for NHHS members/students/military with all proceeds going to support the promotion of the film. 

October 20, Thursday, 7pm,  Voices from the Past: Saving and Sharing Maine’s Scotch-Irish Stories, at the Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Maine, presented by Pamela Crane, a historical archaeologist, and John Mann, a local descendant of the Thomas Means family, who will describe ongoing efforts to uncover and preserve the stories and artifacts of the Scots Irish who immigrated from the North of Ireland to the Maine coast in large numbers starting in 1718.  Free to the public.

October 21, Friday, 7pm, New Hampshire Cemeteries and Gravestones, (see above) at the Curious George Cottage of the Margret and H. A. Rey Center, 13 Noon Peak Road, Waterville Valley, New Hampshire.  Call the Rey Center 603-236-3308 for more information.

Oct 21, Friday, 6:30pm, The Capital Crime of Witchcraft:  What the Primary Sources Tell Us  at the Historical Society, Effingham, New Hampshire,  Margo Burns will present a multimedia lecture on colonial witchcraft. (see above) 

October 21, Friday, 7pm, Witches, Pop Culture, and the Past, (see above) at the Whipple Free Library, 67 Mont Vernon Road, New Boston, New Hampshire.  Contact 603-487-3391 for more information.

October 22, Saturday, 11am, Cemetery Scavenger Hunt, at the Valley Cemetery, Manchester, New Hampshire.  Sponsored by the Manchester City Library.  Work  in small groups to find the oldest grave stone, the tallest monument, and who was born on the same day as you.  Wear good walking shoes.  For children in grades 1 – 5 and their parents.  Register at 603-624-6550 ext 3335. 

October 22, Saturday, DNA Day: Everything You Need to Know About Genetic Testing for Genealogy, at the DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts, sponsored by the New England Historic Genealogical Society and Ancestry DNA.  $75 seminar and lunch, $50 seminar only.  A full day seminar on how to interpret your DNA findings and apply that knowledge to your own family history research.  Register at this link:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dna-day-everything-you-need-to-know-about-genetic-testing-for-genealogy-tickets-26640435259 

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.

October 22, Saturday, Ghost Encounters, at the 200 year old historic Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury, New Hampshire.  Stroll the village into the evening in costume, trick or treat while listening to storytellers tell true spooky tales, and enjoy Halloween activities at this family friendly event.  www.shakers.org

October 22, Saturday, 10am, Stories of Sacrifice: Researching Your WWII Veteran Ancestor, presented by Jake Fletcher. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Merrimack Valley Chapter at the Georgetown Peabody Library, 2 Maple Street, Georgetown, Massachusetts.  Free to the public.

October 25, Tuesday, 7pm,  The Capital Crime of Witchcraft:  What the Primary Sources Tell Us, at the North Hampton Public Library, 237A Atlantic Avenue, North Hampton, New Hampshire,  and presented by Margo Burns who will use facsimiles of primary source manuscripts.  Free to the public, sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.  Call 603-964-6326 for more information.  

October 25, Tuesday, 6:30pm, From Dunbar to Saugus:  The Journey of the Scottish Prisoners of War in 1650, at the Saugus Public Library, 295 Central Street, Saugus, Massachusetts, A lecture by the Durham University Department of Archaeology on the Scots Prisoners of War from the Battle of Dunbar, where 61 of these men ended up in forced servitude at the Saugus Iron Works, sponsored by the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site.  No reservations required, but seating is limited. 

October 25, Tuesday, 7pm, New Hampshire Cemeteries and Gravestones, (see above) at the Auburn Safety Center, 55 Eaton Hill Road, Auburn, New Hampshire.  Presented by Glenn Knoblock, sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council and hosted by the Auburn Historical Society.  Free to the public.  Contact 603-483-2788 for more information.

October 25, Tuesday, 7pm, Why You Should be Using Libraries as a Genealogy Tool, at the American Legion Post 129, 22 Elm Street, Gardner, Massachusetts.  Sponsored by the Central Massachusetts Genealogical Society and presented by Libby Fell.  A $2 donation is appreciated from non-members.  For more information contact Janet Fortunato at queenkatt64@yahoo.com  

October 26, Wednesday, 7pm, The Capital Crime of Witchcraft:  What the Primary Sources Tell Us, at the Aaron Cutler Memorial Library, Litchfield, New Hampshire. Presented by  Margo Burns (see above)

October 26, Wednesday, 6pm, Book Event:  The Irish in New England, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts,  with author Donald Friary, a discussion on out-migration from New Brunswick to the “Boston States”, brief comments from other contibutors to a set of papers presented at the 2012 Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife, and a question and answer/discussion period.  Books will be sold and signed by authors present. Free to the public,  Register here: http://shop.americanancestors.org/products/book-event-the-irish-in-new-england?pass-through=true

October 26, Wednesday, 5:45, Ravishing Affection:  Debunking the Myths of the Puritans and Sex, at the Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  This talk about the Puritans (who were not prudes!) by Francis J. Bremer, will be preceded by a short presentation on “Warm Up at the Meeting House!”- activities on how colonists kept warm in the winter.  Free to the public.

October 26 and 27, Genealogy Fair at the US National Archives,  welcome to the 2016 Virtual Genealogy Fair, participate during live online broadcasts, information, videos and handouts. www.archives.gov/calendar/genealogy-fair You can watch the entire weekend via YouTube! 

October 27, Thursday, 1 - 3pm, Online Genealogy Search 101 - Databases, at the American Canadian Genealogical Society, 4 Elm Street, Rear Entrance, Manchester, New Hampshire.  Presented by Gerry Savard.  Members of the ACGS and OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Granite State College)  $15, additional fee of $20 for non-members.  Please see the online catalog http://olli.granite.edu/uploads/OLLI_Fall_2016_Catalog.pdf for more information and registration - page 70 for course description.  

October 27, Thursday, 6:30pm, New Hampshire Cemeteries and Gravestones (see above) at the Minot-Sleeper Library, 35 Pleasant Street, Bristol, New Hampshire.  Contact 603-774-3352.

October 27, Thursday, 7pm,  The Capital Crime of Witchcraft:  What the Primary Sources Tell Us (see above) at the Hollis Social Library , 2 Monument Square, Hollis, New Hampshire.  Presented by  Margo Burns.  Contact 603-465-7721 for more information.

October 28, Friday, 9th Annual Washington Green Cemetery tour, in Washington, Connecticut.  Luminarias will light the path as costumed guides lead visitors through the cemetery, where the town’s departed citizens will be stationed at their graves to tell their tales of tragedy and triumph.  www.gunnlibrary.org

October 28 and 29, Friday and Saturday, Ghosts on the Banke, at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Dead sea captains, 17th century shopkeepers and pirates haunt the streets of Portsmouth’s oldest neighborhood as you trick-or-treat by jack o’lantern light.  Discover treasures, visit with a witch, listen to your future from a Gypsy fortune teller, and hear some historic ghost stories.  www.strawberybanke.org

October 29, Saturday, 9:30am – 3:30pm, Heraldry in America, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society library, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Join representatives from the American Heraldry Society, Academie Internationale d’Heraldique, and the Committee on Heraldry of the New England Historic Genealogical Society to learn about heraldry in America.  $35 per person.  Register here: http://shop.americanancestors.org/products/heraldry-in-america?pass-through=true

October 29, Saturday, 10am, Family Discovery Day, with two genealogy presentations by Jake Fletcher, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 200 Breckenridge Street, Palmer, Massachusetts.

October 29, Saturday, 9:30am - 3pm, The New Hampshire Society of Genealogists presents Pam Stone Eagleson, CG,   at the Grappone Conference Center, 70 Constitution Avenue, Concord, New Hampshire.  $30 members, $40 non-members.  Pam will present three lectures, refreshments and luncheon will be served.  www.nhsog.org  

October 29, Saturday, 2pm , New Hampshire Cemeteries and Gravestones (see above) at the Danville Old Meeting House and Cemetery, 470 Main Street, Danville, New Hampshire.  Contact Carol Baird 603-642-3309 for more information.

October 30, Sunday, Family Halloween at the Billings Farm & Museum, in Woodstock, Vermont.  Enjoy historical activities such as pumpkin carving, costume parades, ghost stories, hay rides, and more.  www.billingsfarm.org


October 30, Sunday, 6:30pm, Haunting at Witch Hill, presented by Essex Heritage at the Peirce Farm at Witch Hill, 116 Boston Street, Topsfield, Massachusetts.  Enjoy ghost stories in the manor house, play games and enjoy music in the barn, and savor a complimentary cocktail.  Tickets are $50 per person if purchased before October 1st and $65 thereafter.  Cash bar.  Victorian costume encouraged.  Visit www.EssexHeritage.org/hauntingWitchHill  for more information and to purchase tickets. 

November 3, Thursday, 6pm, Beginning the Journey of Genealogy, presented by Jake Fletcher, at the Athol Public Library, 568 Main Street, Athol, Massachusetts.  Free to the public. 

November 3, Thursday, 1 - 3pm,  Online Genealogy Search 102 - Take FamilySearch.org to the Next Level,   at the American Canadian Genealogical Society, 4 Elm Street, Rear Entrance, Manchester, New Hampshire.  Presented by Janine Penfield.  Members of the ACGS and OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Granite State College)  $15, additional fee of $20 for non-members.  Please see the online catalog http://olli.granite.edu/uploads/OLLI_Fall_2016_Catalog.pdf for more information and registration - page 71 for course description.  

November 6,  Sunday, 3:30 pm, Fall 2016 Genealogy Series:  An In-Depth Look at FamilySearch, at the Beverly Public Library, 32 Essex Street, Beverly, Massachusetts.  Free to adults.  No signup needed.  Questions?  Please email drone@noblenet.org or call 978-921-6062 

November 7, Monday, 4:30pm Podcasting the Past:  A Conversation with Liz Covart at the Alumni Room, McCarthy Center at Framingham State University, 100 State Street, Framingham, Massachusetts.  Historian Liz Covart if the creator of “Ben Franklin’s World” a weekly podcast about early American history.  https://www.framingham.edu/calendar/calendar.php?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D193666103   


November 19, Saturday, 1 – 4pm, Researching Early New England Ancestors, at the New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord, New Hampshire offered in conjunction with the New England Historic Genealogical Society.  A workshop taught by senior genealogists emeritus David Curtis Dearborn.  $35 for members of the NHHS or NEHGS, $50 for nonmembers.  Register online or mail the registration form with payment, or call Wendy Olcott at 603-856-0621 to register by phone or credit card. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/researching-your-early-new-england-ancestors-genealogy-workshop-registration-27547621678

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Historically Themed Thanksgiving Events  (These sell out fast!)

Harvest Dinner with the Pilgrims at Plimoth Plantation.  Dates from October 9 – November 26.  See this link for more information and for reservations http://plimoth.org/plan-your-visit/dining-functions/harvest-dinner-pilgrims

Thanksgiving Dinner at Plimoth Plantation.  Multiple times on November 24th.  See this link for more information and reservations:  http://plimoth.org/plan-your-visit/shop-dine/themed-dining/thanksgiving-dining

Bounty:  Thanksgiving 2016 at Old Sturbridge Village.  Experience the traditions of a New England Thanksgiving in the 1830s.  Learn about dining etiquette and hearth cooking.  Saturdays and Sundays, November 5 and 6, 12 and 13, 19 and 20, and also Thursday November 24.  Reserve your spot now! https://www.osv.org/event/bounty-thanksgiving-2016    

Traditional Thanksgiving Feast in the Bullard Tavern, Old Sturbridge Village, on Thursday, November 24 (three seatings available)  Reserve your seating now!  https://www.osv.org/event/traditional-thanksgiving-feast-at-bullard-tavern-1 

Thanksgiving Buffet at the Oliver Wright Tavern, Old Sturbridge Village on Thursday, November 24 (multiple seatings available)   Reserve your dinner now!  https://www.osv.org/event/thanksgiving-buffet-at-the-oliver-wight-tavern-1 

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Plan ahead!

March 18, 2017 History Camp Boston, at Sargent Hall, Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Massachusetts.


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

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "October 2016 Genealogy and Local History Event Calendar", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 30, 2016,  (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/09/october-2016-genealogy-and-local.html: accessed [access date]).

Thursday, September 29, 2016

City Square, Charlestown, Massachusetts - and so many ancestral connections!

City Square, Charlestown, Massachusetts *
In the 1970s, 80s and 90s, the Boston “Big Dig” Central Artery project moved all the roads to the tunnels and bridges under City Square in Charlestown.  An archeology project done on the site revealed the foundations of Gov. John Winthrop’s 1629 Great House and the Long family’s Three Cranes Tavern.  

Yours truly, standing in the Three Cranes Tavern footprint

As a Long descendant, I waited a long time to go see the newly developed park at City Square.   Restoration of this area into a park didn’t begin until the mid 1990s.

Then, just recently, Linda Hall Little, another genealogy blogger, sent me a photo of the weathervane atop the fountain at City Square Park.  She lives in Charlestown just a block away.  When I saw the weathervane (a crane of course!) I knew I had to feature it on “Weathervane Wednesday” (see yesterday's post) and I also knew I had to feature the park and the memorial to the Long family Three Crane’s Tavern. 

[Also, I descend from Governor John Winthrop's sister, Lucy Winthrop (1601 - 1669) who married Emanuel Downing.  So, Governor Winthrop, who lived in the Great House for three months, was my great uncle 10 generations removed]


Fountain at City Square
featuring a crane weathervane* 
The foundation stones of Three Crane tavern
An exhibit nearby shows the floorplan of the tavern and Great House,
and plots of land owned by members of the LONG family

Great House and Three Cranes Tavern
1629 - 1775
This reconstructed foundation outline represents the tavern
uncovered by archaeologists during the 1980s.  Postholes
from the Great House timbers were also found among the
stones.  Concrete bands have been added to complete the
outline of the two story tavern.  The building was burned
during the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.


When I told Linda that I knew the history of the weathervane because I was a Long descendant, she ran over to the park and took dozens of photos for me.  I’m using some of her photos here, and also some of my own photos.  My family was so excited when they saw Linda’s photos* – so we went to see it ourselves a few weeks later and took more photos!  Thanks, Linda! 

History:

In 1630 the Winthrop fleet carried 700 Puritans on 11 ships to New England.  They settled in Charlestown and Governor Winthrop built his Great House.  When the colonists moved to Boston (due to poor water quality in Charlestown) the Great House became a meeting house, and then a tavern in 1635 run by Robert Long (my 9th great grandfather) and his family.   The tavern remained in the Long family for 140 years until it was burned to the ground during the Battle of Bunker Hill.  In fact, most of the neighborhood burned to the ground.  

Afterward, the area was cleared and became a market.  Market Square was named “City Square” in 1848 when the town of Charlestown became a city.
That is not the only family connection I have to this spot.  In 1650 the tavern was waterfront property.  Ships from England entered Boston Harbor and the entrance to the Charles River right in front of what is now City Square.  The ship John and Sara docked here on 11 November 1651 and the human cargo on board,  272 Scots Prisoners of War from the Battle of Worcester, were sold on the wharf to the highest bidders by Thomas Kemble.  Two of my ancestors, William Munroe (and his two brothers) and Alexander Thompson.  Several other ancestors, like Francis Wyman of Woburn, had several Scots prisoners of war as servants in his tannery.  I can imagine that drinks were sold swiftly at the tavern on the day those Scots were sold into servitude.

For the truly curious:

My blog post about the LONG family in Charlestown

“Secrets of the Three Cranes Tavern” by Amy Laskowski, for the Boston University website, posted November 9, 2014 http://www.bu.edu/today/2014/boston-archaeology/

Passenger list  (actually a “statement of goods” record) of the John and Sara prisoners of war, 1651

My blog post about William Munroe (about 1625 – 1718), SPOW, http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/06/surname-saturday-munroe-of-lexington.html

My blog post about Alexander Thompson (about 1636 – about 1696), SPOW  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/05/surname-saturday-thomson-thompson-of.html

Affectionately known as “SPOW” or Scots Prisoners of War, the online research community is administered by Teresa Hamilton Rust at these four separate websites:

Scottish Prisoners of War Facebook Community

Scottish Prisoners of War website by Teresa Rust  http://scottishprisonersofwar.com/


Scottish Prisoners of War DNA project:

Some books:

Emigrants in Chains, by Peter Wilson Coldham, 1992

Directory of Scots Banished to the American Plantations 1650 – 1775, by David Dobson, 2010

 Linda Hall Little's genealogy blog Passage to the Past
https://passagetothepast.wordpress.com/about/   
All photos marked with * are from Linda, otherwise they were taken by Vincent Rojo


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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "City Square, Charlestown, Massachusetts - and so many ancestral connections!", Nufield Genealogy, posted September 29, 2016,  ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/09/in-1970s-80s-and-90s-boston-big-dig.html: accessed [access date]). 

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Crane with a Great Story!

I post a series of weather vane photographs every Wednesday.  This started with images of weathervanes from the Londonderry, New Hampshire area, but now I've found interesting weather vanes all across New England and across the globe.  Sometimes my weather vanes are whimsical, or historical, but all are interesting.  Often my readers tip me off to some very unique or unusual weathervanes, too!  If you know a great weather vane near you, let me know if you'd like to have it featured on this blog.

Today's weather vane is from somewhere in Massachusetts.

Do you know the location of weathervane post #278?  Scroll down to find the answer.



This is the only weathervane I've ever photographed on a fountain!  This three dimensional gilded crane symbolizes the Three Cranes tavern that stood here in City Square, Charlestown, Massachusetts from the 1630s until the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775, when it burned to the ground along with most of the neighborhood.  Thank you to Linda Hall Little for the photographs of this amazing fountain, which is right in her own neighborhood.

The Three Cranes tavern was owned and operated by the LONG family of Charlestown for over 140 years.  The original immigrant, Robert Long (1590 - 1663) was my 9th great grandfather.  You can read all about the LONG family at this link: https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/02/surname-saturday-long-of-charlestown.html    In the 1980s there was an archaeological excavation on this land because the central artery project ("The Big Dig") was going to dig a tunnel right under here.  The excavation uncovered the foundations of the Three Cranes tavern.  After the tunnel was built, and the park was designed, sculptor David Phillips created this fountain and weathervane in 1996.  See below for some amazing details carved in the fountain.

Tomorrow I will be publishing a story with lots of photographs of the City Square park and the uncovered foundation walls of the Three Cranes Tavern, and more history and family history to go with the photos. Stay tuned! There are some amazing stories of genealogy, serendipity, tragedy and coincidence in tomorrow's blog post.








The top two photos are by Linda Hall Little, author of the genealogy blog Passage to the Past https://passagetothepast.wordpress.com/

A short history of City Square, the tavern and the new park at this link:  http://patch.com/massachusetts/charlestown/the-endurance-of-city-square-park


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

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Crane with a Great Story!", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 28, 2016,  ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/09/weathervane-wednesday-crane-with-great.html: accessed [access date]).

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Oliver Fletcher, Esquire, died 1771, Chelmsford, Massachusetts

This tombstone was photographed at the Forefather's Burial Ground in Chelmsford, Massachusetts


Memento Mori
Oliver Fletcher Esqr
departed this Life
Novr 30 1771
In the 63d year of his Age
and his remains
are here interred


This tombstone was interesting because of the three dimensional skull carved above the epitaph.  Last week I photographed the tombstone of Lt. Benoni Perham in the same cemetery for the same reason.  However, these were the only two tombstones with three dimensional carvings like this.  The others are all traditional, two dimensional carvings.  According to Find A Grave, this tombstone was made by carver William Park.  Park was a Scottish stonecarver who was famous in Middlesex County for first carving death's heads, which evolved into carving cherubs as time passed. 

side view of the skull's head detail


Oliver Fletcher, son of William Fletcher and his wife, Mary, was born 10 September 1708 in Chelmsford, and died 30 November 1771 in Chelmsford.  He married my 2nd cousin, nine generations removed, Grace Weld, in Roxbury on 13 November 1766.  She was the daughter of Joseph Weld and Elizabeth Chamberlain. Her grandfather was Joseph Weld (1650 - 1712), my 9th great grand uncle, son of John Weld (1623 - 1691) and Margaret Bowen, my 10th great grandparents. 

Oliver Fletcher was a lawyer and school teacher in Chelmsford.  He graduated Harvard College in 1735.  He held many town positions (town clerk, selectman, assessor) and acted as legal counsel for individuals in court at Cambridge or Concord (he signed documents, wills, depositions, etc.). 

His obituary appeared in the Boston Gazette Monday, 9 December 1771:
"Died at Chelmsford the first Instant, Oliver Fletcher, Esq;  He had his education at Harvard College: took his Degrees in 1735 & 1738, has been many years a Justice of the Peace for the County of Middlesex and Quorum Unus:  He was Councellor in the Law, and, for some years a Member of the House of Representatives, in all which he sustained a good Character and Reputation.  He has left a sorrowful Wife & a young Daughter; and his Death is lamented by his Friends and Acquaintances, and is a publick Loss." 

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Tombstone Tuesday ~  Oliver Fletcher, Esquire, died 1771, Chelmsford, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 27, 2016,  (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/09/tombstone-tuesday-oliver-fletcher.html: accessed [access date]).

Monday, September 26, 2016

"Old Planters Reunion", Beverly, Massachusetts

This forefathers plaque can be found at the Cabot House, Beverly Historical Society, in Beverly, Massachusetts


THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO CAME OVER IN THE FIRST EMIGRATION
AND WERE BY THE BLESSING OF GOD THE PLANTERS OF BEVERLY, FROM THE FIRST GRANT 1638
TO THE INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN 1668 OR THEREABOUTS, OCCUPIERS OF FREEHOLDS
AND CONTINUING TO ABIDE THEREON, THEIR CHILDREN INHERITING THE LAND, AND THE NAME
OF THEIR WIVES AND THE NUMBER OF THEIR CHILDREN.

JOHN BALCH                   MARGARY             3
HENRY BALEE                 DOROTHY             4
JACOB BARNEY              ELIZABETH           3
JOHN BATCHELDER       ELIZABETH           7
EDWARD BISHOP            MARY                     3
JOSHUA BISSON              MARTHA               5
JOHN BLACK                   SUSANNA              1
RICHARD BRACKENBERY          ELLEN      4
JEREMIAH BOOTMAN   HESTER                  6
THOMAS CHUBB             AVIS                        4
ROGER CONANT             SARAH                    7
SAMUEL CORNING         ELIZABETH           4
MIGHILL CRESSY            MARY                     1
CHRISTOPHER CROE      DELIVERANCE     2
WILLIAM DIXEY              ANNA                     8
RICHARD DODGE            EDITH                    7
WILLIAM DODGE            ELIZABETH          4
JOHN EDWARDS              MARY                     2
RALPH ELLINWOOD      ELLEN                    7
ANDREW ELLIOT            GRACE                   6
EDMUND GALE               SARAH                   4
JOHN GALLY                    FLORENCE            4
EDMUND GROVER         MARGARY             6
ROGER HASCALL           ELIZABETH           9
ROGER HASKINS            RUTH                      2
NICOLAS HAYWARD      ELIZABETH           6
HENRY HERRICK            EDE                          8
ROBERT HIBBERT          JOAN                       9
JOHN HILL                       ABIGAIL                 6
WILLIAM HOARE           DORCAS                  6
FRANCIS HOOPER          JULIAN                    2
ISAAC HULL                    SARAH                    3
NICOLAS LAGROVE      HANNAH                5
RICHARD LAMBERT      ESTHER                  2
HUGH LASKIN                 ALISE                      2
LAWRENCE LEACH        ELIZABETH           7
THOMAS LOTHROP        BETHIA                  8
JOHN LOVITT                  MARY                     5
ROBERT MORGAN         MARGARET           6
RICHARD OBER             ABIGAL                   9
JAMES PATCH                 HANNAH                5
JOHN PATCH                   ELIZABETH            6
NICOLAS PATCH            ELIZABETH            2
THOMAS PICKTON       ANN                          0
DANIEL RAY                  BETHIA                    2
JOHN RAYMENT           RACHEL                   6
WILLIAM RAYMENT   HANNAH                 5
JOSIAS ROOTES            SUSANA                  4
JOHN SALLOWES         HANNAH                 6
THOMAS SCRUGGS     MARGARY              3
RICHARD STACKHOUSE  SUSANA            1
JOHN STONE                  SARAH                   4
JEFFREY THISTLE        MARY                     2
JOHN THORNDIKE       ELIZABETH           6
OSMAND TRASK          MARY                   10
THOMAS TUCK             JOAN                      3
JOHN WEST                    MARY                    3
THOMAS WHITREDGE  FLORENCE         3
JOHN WOODBERY        AGNES                  5
WILLIAM WOODBERY ELIZABETH        7
PETER WOODIN             ELIZABETH        4
PETER WOOLFE             MARTHA             2

IN FILIAL PIETY THIS MEMORIAL TO THE
FATHERS AND MOTHERS WHO ENTERED
INTO AND POSSESSED THE LAND NOW
BEVERLY IS ERECTED WITH GRATITUDE
TO GOD FOR OUR ANCIENT AMERICAN
BIRTHRIGHT BY THEIR DESCENDANTS
APRIL 19, 1913


Every two years the Beverly Historical Society hosts the "Old Planters Reunion" for descendants of the first settlers in what is now Beverly, Massachusetts.   This weekend was a three day event that included historic house tours, cemetery visits, lectures, a visit to the city hall archivists, a dinner at the Hale Farm, the annual Balch and Woodbury family reunions, and other events. We had a wonderful time in Beverly meeting lots of cousins and having fun.  I'm descended of a lot of these "Old Planters" including BALCH, BLACK, DODGE, DIXEY, ELLINWOOD, GALE, HASKELL, HERRICK, LEACH, STONE, THORNDIKE, WEST, TUCK and WOODBURY.

Are you descended of one of the families listed above?  Or other early Beverly families? The best way to be informed about the next reunion is to join the Beverly Historical Society, and they will mail you information and registration forms for 2018.  (see the link to click on the reunion brochure PDF below)  I hope to see you at the next  "Old Planter" reunion!

Dan Driscoll, Beverly City Archives Volunteer
describes the vast range of documents in the city vaults

Your truly poring over town clerk records from the 1600s

The John Balch House on Cabot Street with newly renovated facade.
This house dates from the early 1600s

Reunion participants touring the Balch House
Salem State University Archaeology Professor Emerson "Tad" Baker
describes artifacts found during excavations at the Balch house. 
Dinner in the backyard of the Hale Farm.  It was built in 1694 by Rev. John Hale
who played a large part in the 1692 Salem Witch Hysteria. 

We toured the Old North Beverly burial ground and also the
well hidden Dodges Burial Ground, and found lots of ancestors!

We finished the weekend with a tour of the Beverly "Gold Coast"
on the schooner "Fame".

Lots of cousins helped to lift the sails for our tour of Beverly Harbor. 

Beverly Historical Society -  http://www.beverlyhistory.org/  

Old Planters Reunion 2016  PDF   http://www.beverlyhistory.org/misc_files/OldPlantersReunion_Early2016.pdf


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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, " "Old Planters Reunion", Beverly, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 26, 2016,  (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/09/old-planters-reunion-beverly.html: accessed [access date]).