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Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Tombstone Tuesday ~ John and Phebe Emerson, buried at Reading, Massachusetts

This tombstone was photographed at the Laurel Hill Cemetery, in Reading, Massachusetts.


JOHN EMERSON
died Nov. 28, 1833
aged 78 yrs 14 ds.
PHEBE
widow of John Emerson
died Feb. 14, 1840
aged 87 yrs, 6 mos.


John Emerson, son of John Emerson and Hannah Nichols, was born in 1755 in Reading, and died 1833 in Reading.  He married Phebe Beard, the daughter of Andrew Beard and Elizabeth Nichols.

My last Emerson ancestor to live in Reading, Massachusetts was another John Emerson (1739 - 1809), my 5th great grandfather.  He removed from Reading with his wife, Katherine Eaton, and went to Ashby and Townsend before settling in Hancock, New Hampshire as a farmer.  These two John Emersons from Reading were third cousins.

Phebe Beard, John's wife, had a grandmother named Phebe Eaton (b. 1690).  Phebe Eaton's grandparents were Jonas Eaton and his wife Grace.  Jonas Eaton (1617 - 1673) were immigrants from Staple, Kent, England and also my 8th great grandparents.  Phebe Eaton and my 5th great grandmother, Katherine Eaton, were first cousins, one generation removed.

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Tombstone Tuesday ~ John and Phebe Emerson, buried at Reading, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 28, 2017,  (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/02/tombstone-tuesday-john-and-phebe.html: accessed [access date]).

Monday, February 27, 2017

My Grandmother's Diary ~ Part 12 May 21 - June 1, 1920

1915 Postcard of Salem Willows Bathing Beach
Salem, Massachusetts

This is the 12th installment of my grandmother's diary from 1920.  Her name was Gertrude Hitchings (1905 - 2001), and she was living on Elliott Street in Beverly, Massachusetts.  Gertrude was a 14 year old school girl when she kept this diary.  The book is a tiny 3", and every Monday I publish a new section, with transcriptions of the tiny handwriting.  You can read the first installment HERE.  I'll post more of this diary every week for Amanuensis Monday.


FRI.  MAY 21, 1920
Lots better not hardly
any pain now.  Nana
came up.  Marion came up and
mom brought my class pin.  Helen
and baby and Ellsworth up
sit up in afternoon.

SATURDAY 22
Quite a lot better today
Set up all day
rained hard all day
Russell and Ethel
Came down stayed all night

SUNDAY 23
I got up and dressed
this morning.  stayed
home all day Mr. Lowell
over. Cora & family
over.  Pa not feeling good
went to bed 9.00


NOTE: In my last blog post Gertrude was terribly ill.  The doctor thought it was a kidney infection.  I don't know how she recovered without antibiotics, but fortunately she did! She appears to have missed a lot of school, and her mother was able to get her class pin.  I wonder what that pin looked like!  Mr. Lowell was the boarder, who appears to only stay at the house occasionally.  Helen is Gertrude's sister, married to Ellsworth Robson.  Russell is her brother, who married Ethel a few months earlier. 

MON. MAY 24, 1920
Got up at 7.45
stayed home all morning
went to walk a little way
After dinner went out
a little while on my bike
Gladys over after supper
Went to bed at 9.45

TUESDAY 25
Got up at 7.30 Went
up to the store and stayed
home rest of the morning
stayed around home all after-
noon at 3.30 Eunice and I
took a ride up Ethel’s came
home at 6 home all evening bed 9.45

WEDNESDAY 26
Got up at 6.45 had
breakfast Went to school
home at 1.15.  Marion and I
went up to the wood got some flow-
ers.  Stayed around the
house all afternoon  bed at 9.30

NOTE:  Gertrude underlined that she was back in school, so she must have been happy to have recovered enough to go back to classes.  She mentions lots of friends here (Gladys and Ethel, and her cousin Marion Hoogerzeil, and her sister Eunice.  


                        warm
THURS. MAY 27, 1920
Got up at 6.45 went
to school at 7.45 home
at 1.14. Stayed home all
afternoon rode my bike after
supper  Ethel and I went for a
little ride.  Mr. Lowell
over.  Went to bed at 10.00

FRIDAY 28
                   hot
Got up at 6.45 went to
school had an assembly home
at 1.15.  Home all afternoon
Helen had baby up.  Ellsworth
to supper.  Went out after
supper stayed around the house
walked down with Helen bed at 10

SATURDAY 29
Got up at 7.30 worked
around the house all the
morning and all afternoon
Bob came down.  Mr. Lowell over to
Dinner.  After supper went down Ellen
Mrs Ethel & Wilkie down.  Bed at 10.30


NOTE:   Things appear to be back to normal. Gertrude is back at school.  Relatives and friends are visiting - including the mysterious "Bob" whose name she usually underlines.  Maybe she was sweet on Bob?

SUN. MAY 30, 1920
Got up at 8.45 stayed
around home all morn
ing.  Mr. Lowell stayed all night
After dinner Eunice and Rozella
?? & I went to ride up to
Idlewood lake come home
At 6 stayed home all evening bed 9.30

MONDAY 31
Got up at 7.15 went to ride with Bob
after breakfast Eunice and I
went down to Helen’s.  Pa & Ma
went to Russell’s after dinner. Eunice
Rozella Alice Elizabeth & I went to
ride to Salem Willows.  After supper
M. L. ?? & I played cards bed 10.30

TUESDAY, JUNE 1
Got up at 6.30 went to
school home 1.15 stayed home
all afternoon awful hot stayed
around the house all
the evening and
went to bed at 10.15

NOTE:  Idlewood Park was described in a previous blog post. It was a park at a lake in Wenham now known as Pleasant Pond.

Salem Willows opened as a public park in 1858, and the amusement park there began in 1877.  There is also a waterfront pier, a beach, picnic areas and "restaurant row".  Many of the amusement rides and the ballroom are no longer there.  There is still a merry-go-round, Hobb's Popcorn (since the 1880s), and Lowe's chop suey sandwiches since the 1920s.  It was a busier place in the 1920s than today, but Gertrude would recognize Salem Willows today.

I've blogged about Salem Willows several times.  You can see Beverly across the water from this park, and Gertrude's grandmother ("Nana" mentioned in the diary) lived on Bartlett Street which is almost visible from Salem Willows.  Her grandfather, Peter Hoogerzeil, once invented an amusement park ride in 1907, but I don't think it was ever built at Salem Willows.  You can see this patent for the amusement park ride at this link:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/09/an-amusement-park-ride-patent-by-my.html

Another blog post about Salem Willows:

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Chop Suey Sandwiches ~ Unique New England Foods", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 22, 2015
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/10/chop-suey-sandwiches-unique-new-england.html

An old Salem Willows postcard, circa 1920


The Merry-Go-Round at Salem Willows, 2015 



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Published under a Creative Commons License

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "My Grandmother's Diary ~ Part 12 May 21 - June 1, 1920", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 27, 2017, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/02/my-grandmothers-diary-part-12-may-21.html: accessed [access date]).

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Special Interest Groups at the NERGC Conference, Thursday, April 27, 7:15pm

The NERGC 2015 Blogger SIG

Special Interest Groups - NERGC 2017


Special Interest Groups will be held on Thursday, April 27th, from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m during the NERGC conference in Springfield, Massachusetts at the MassMutual Center. They offer participants an informal opportunity to get together with others with similar interests to discuss ideas for genealogy research on a particular topic. Room locations will be posted at the Conference.   For more information see www.nergc.org  The SIGS are:


DNA Research:

Genetic genealogy is the use of DNA as it relates to family history. DNA is one of the most powerful tools available to modern genealogists. Join us for a discussion about available tests, testing companies, and how personal genomics can help you advance your family history when your paper trail runs out. Hosted by Jennifer Zinck.

Genealogy Blogging:

What is a genealogy blog? Do you read genealogy blogs? Do you write your own blog? Have you ever thought of starting your own? Come meet some bloggers and learn all about blogging! Hosted by Heather Wilkinson Rojo.

Irish-American Research:

Can't find the place of origin for your Irish ancestor? Come join Andrew Pierce as he leads a discussion group with other Irish-American researchers. We will discuss sources and strategies for finding your elusive Irish ancestors across the Atlantic. We will also discuss the ever-growing world of Irish research over the internet and the best sources to use for doing Irish research here at home and in Ireland. Hosted by Andrew Pierce.

French-Canadian Immigrants from the Maritime Provinces to New England  NEW:

Not all French Canadians immigrated to the United States from Quebec. Many came  from the Maritime Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Come to discuss and to learn about available resources and tips to find your ancestors in these provinces, as well as their distinct history and culture. Hosted by Rob Gumlaw of the American-French Genealogical Society.

Italian Research:

Do you have Italian ancestors? Italian genealogical research has exploded in the last twenty years. The resources available to today's family historian will amaze you. Bring along your research, problem ancestors, and questions about Italian records and hopefully we will be able to give you new avenues and sources to further your family tree in Italy and the US. Hosted by Mary Tedesco.

Jewish Genealogy:

Come join us to talk about strategies and hints for researching your Jewish ancestors. Depending on your interests, we might look at how to find the records of your immigrant ancestors, both here and in the "old country"; how to find people if they've changed their names; how to find the villages that your ancestors came from; and how to locate families lost or scattered by the Holocaust. Bring your questions and research problems and we'll look at both online and local resources that could help you in your search. Hosted by Meredith Hoffman.

Scandinavian Research:

Connect with other genealogists doing research in Scandinavia. This is an ideal way to network with others who share your interest. This special interest group offers something for genealogists at any level. Hosted by Sharon Christenson.

Polish and Eastern European Research NEW:

Confused by Eastern European historical geography? Come learn about the numerous border changes and  turn confusion into clarity. The presenters will  provide an overview of the topic and then offer strategies to identify and locate your ancestral village in the old country using both American and European sources. You'll learn where records are and how to access them to continue your journey to your ancestral past. Hosted by Prof. Jonathan Shea and Julie Roberts Szczepankiewicz.

African American Research  NEW:

Do you have African American ancestors? African American genealogical research has steadily progressed in the last decade, but brick walls are still common and hard to navigate around without the proper tools. The resources available to today's family historian will amaze you. Bring along your research, problem ancestors, and questions about African American records and hopefully we will be able to give you new avenues and sources to further your family tree. We will come together as a group and collectively discuss and explore areas of research unique to the African American community. The group discusses on using a variety of sources, including, but not limited to  sources such as: census records, Freedman Bureau records, and slave schedules, as well as other records that provide information for this special area of genealogy research.  Hosted by Ariana Fiorello.  



 Special thanks for this report from Barbara Carroll of NERGC


Saturday, February 25, 2017

Surname Saturday ~ HARKER of Lynn, Massachusetts and Southampton, New York


Not much is known about William Harker of Lynn, Massachusetts, my 9th great grandfather.  It is interesting to note that although he had an unusual surname, there was another Harker family nearby in Boston.  An Anthony Harker arrived in Boston in 1633 on board The Griffin, and was employed by Thomas Leverett, one of the Puritan church elders under Rev. John Cotton. I don’t know if these two Harker families were kin.

We know that William Harker was a young man living in Lynn before about 1640.  In 1640 a group of men from Lynn formed a plantation on Long Island, New York and signed an agreement with the Shinnecock Indians.  By 1643 there were 43 families living there, and Southampton became the first English colony in New York state.  The “Indian Deed of December 13, 1640 was signed by thirteen men from Lynn: John Gosmer, Edward Howell, Danial How, Edward Needham, Thomas Halsey, John Cooper, Thomas Sayre, Edward Harington, Job Sayre, George Welbe, Allen Bread, William Harker, and Henry Walton; and also signed by nine Indians: Pomatuck, Mandusk, Mocomanto, Pathemanto, Wylennett, Wainmenowog, Heden, Watemexoted, and Chchepuchat.  Later, in Southampton, William Harker deposed that he was 24 years old and from “Gincenshire” (Lincolnshire?). 

But William Harker didn’t stay in Long Island.  He came back to Lynn, where he married a woman named Elizabeth and had at least one child, named Sarah.  According to the Salem Quarterly Court Records on 26: 4: 1650 (Old Style) William Harker was freed from militia training due to “bodily infirmity”.   He died about 1661 in Lynn, and his will bequeathed his estate to Robert and Sarah Ingalls, my 8th great grandparents.

Robert Ingalls (about 1621 – 1698) was a farmer in Lynn, the son of immigrants Edmund Ingalls and Ann Tripp.  He made a deed 1 January 1685/6 that gave his estate to his sons, including the farms and lands inherited from his father-in-law William Harker.  His deed stated “freely granted to my 3 sons, to be possessed and enjoyed in equal parts and shares between them in Lynn or elsewhere: viz:  my dwelling house and out houses with all my lands given to me by my father-in-law William Harker, which was for that good end that it should be continued unto my children…”  One of those sons, Nathaniel Ingalls (about 1660 – 1736), was my 8th great grandfather. 

Some HARKER resources:

Sketches from Local History, by William Donaldson Halsey, 1935 (history of Long Island, see page 9 for mention of William Harker)

The Early History of Southampton, L.I., New York with Genealogies, by George Rogers Howell, 1887 (see pages 18, 428, 450)

The Ingalls Genealogy, by Dr. Charles Burleigh, 1903

The Essex Genealogist, "Edmund Ingalls and his Descendants of Lynn (Part One)" by Marcia W. Lindbert, C. G., Volume 19, pages 43- 48.


My HARKER genealogy:

Generation 1: William Harker, died 1661 in Lynn, Massachusetts; married Elizabeth Unknown.  One known child.

Generation 2:  Sarah Harker, born about 1625, died 8 April 1696; married about 1646 to Robert Ingalls.  He was born about 1621 in Skirbeck, Lincolnshire, England and died 3 Janary 1698 in Lynn.  Eight children.

Generation 3:  Nathaniel Ingalls, born about 1660 in Lynn, died about 1736; married Anne Collins. Ten children.

Generation 4:  Hannah Ingalls, born about 1708, died before 15 April 1798; married on 30 March 1735 in Lynn to Daniel Hitchings, son of Daniel Hitchings and Susannah Townsend.  He was born 19 October 1709 in Lynn and died 25 April 1760 in Lynn.  Twelve children.

Generation 5:  Abijah Hitchings, born 18 January 1753 in Lynn, died 27 March 1826 in Salem, Massachusetts; married first on 24 June 1775 in Lynn to Mary Gardner, mother of four children.  She was the daughter of Benjamin Gardner and Sarah Randall.  He married second to Sarah Gardner (probably her sister) before 1792, mother of two more children.

Generation 6:  Abijah Hitchings, son of Abijah Hitchings and Mary Gardner, born about 1775 in Lynn, died 26 July 1868 in Salem; married on 21 December 1795 in Salem to Mary Cloutman, daughter of Joseph Cloutman and Hannah Becket.  She was born about 1775 in Salem and died 28 November 1853 in Salem.  Eleven children.

Generation 7:  Abijah Hitchings, born 18 January 1809 in Salem, died 18 January 1864 in Salem; married on 4 December 1836 to Eliza Ann Treadwell, daughter of Jabez Treadwell and Betsey Jillings Homan.  She was born 27 August 1812 in Salem, and died 31 January 1896 in Salem.  Four children.

Generation 8: Abijah Franklin Hitchings, born 28 October 1841 in Salem, died 19 May 1910 in Salem; married on 22 September 1864 in Salem to Hannah Eliza Lewis, daughter of Captain Thomas Russell Lewis and Hannah Phelps.  She was born about 1844 probably in Salem, and died 15 February 1921 at the Danvers State Hospital, Danvers, Massachusetts.  Two children.

Generation 9:  Arthur Treadwell Hitchings, born 10 May 1868 in Salem, died 7 March 1937 in Hamilton, Massachusetts; married on 25 December 1890 in Beverly to Florence Etta Hoogerzeil, daughter of Peter Hoogerzeil and Mary Etta Healey.  She was born 20 August 1871 in Beverly, and died 10 February 1941 in Hamilton.  Eight children.

Generation 10:  Gertrude Matilda Hitchings, born 1 August 1905 in Beverly, died 3 November 2001 in Peabody, Massachusetts; married on 14 February 1925 in Hamilton to Stanley Elmer Allen, son of Joseph Elmer Allen and Carrie Maude Batchelder.  He was born 14 January 1904 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and died 6 March 1982 in Beverly.  Seven children.  My grandparents.

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ HARKER of Lynn, Massachusetts and Southampton, New York", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 25, 2017, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/02/surname-saturday-harker-of-lynn.html: accessed [access date]).

Friday, February 24, 2017

March 2017 Genealogy and Local History Calendar


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

Notice:  The Friends of the Little Library in Littleton, Massachusetts are sponsoring an “Evening Genealogy Series” this month – see below on March 9th, 15th, and 23rd.

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March 1, Wednesday, 10am, A Soldier's Mother Tells Her Story, at the Marrion Gerrish Community Center, 39 West Broadway, Derry, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the Amoskeag Questers, presented by living historian Sharon Wood who will speak as Betsey Phelps, the mother of a Union soldier from Amherst, New Hampshire who died heroically at the Battle of Gettysburg.  Free to the public, sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council. 

March 1, 6pm, Book Event: Darkness Falls on the Land of Light, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts, Free to the public, presented by author Douglas L. Winiarski.  

March 3, Friday, noon, First Friday Lecture: Using Manuscripts for Family History Research, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public. 

March 4, Saturday, 2pm,  Tea & Sweets:  A Colonial Tea, at the Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Turnpike, Concord, Massachusetts.  Non members $20, members $15 includes museum admisstion. Space is limited, please reserve a seat at 978-369-9753 ext. 216. 

March 4, March 11, 25 and April 1st.  Saturdays, 4:30- 5:30pm, The Course of Irish History:  The History of St. Patrick, at the Irish Cultural Center of New England, Canton, Massachusetts.  The course will be taught by Sean Murphy.  $65 for 4 weeks/ members $50.  Walk ins on the day $20.  Call 781-821-8291 to sign up today.  This course will cover his life, recorded works and his legacy.

March 4, Saturday, 1pm, The DAR Genealogical Research System, at the East Bridgewater Public Library, 21 Union Street, East Bridgewater, Massachusetts.  Sponsored by the Plymouth County Genealogists, Inc.  Presented by Gail E. Terry, Honorary State Regent of the Massachusetts Daughter of the American Revolution, and Vicent President General of the National DAR. Join PCGI members at the meeting (FREE and elevator accessible).  Socialize with refreshments at 12noon.  Visit PCGI at http://www.plymouthcountygenealogist.org and on Facebook. 

March 4, Saturday, 1pm, Greater Portland Genealogical Society Meeting, at the First Congregational Church of Christ, 301 Cottage Road, South Portland, Maine.  Free, but donations are requested.  Refreshments at 12:30.  A program is planned.

March 5, Sunday,  2pm, “If I am Not for Myself, Who will Be for Me?” George Washington’s Runaway Slave,  at the Discover Portsmouth Center, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, hosted by the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail and sponsored by the NH Humanities Council.  Presented by living historian Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti portraying Oney Judge Staines who ran away from Mount Vernon to freedom in New Hampshire.  Free to the public.

March 5, Sunday 1pm – 4pm, American Canadian Genealogical Society Brick Wall Meeting, at the ACGS Library, 4 Elm Street, Manchester, New Hampshire.  The first Sunday of every month.  Please email your brickwall challenge a few days prior to ACGS@acgs.org.  For more information see www.acgs.org 

March 5, Sunday, 11:30am,  Boston Massacre Re-enactment, at the Old State House, 206 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Council of Minutemen and Militia.  Free. 

March 6, Monday, 6:30pm, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music, at the Kimball Public Library, 5 Academy Avenue, Atkinson, New Hampshire. Hosted by the Friends of the Kimball Public Library, Free to the public.  Presented by award winning fiddler Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki. 

March 6, Monday, 7pm, The Washington's Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge, at the Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass. Ave, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Free to the public. Presented by historian and professor Erica Armstrong Dunbar and author Annett Gordon-Reed for a discussion on Dunbar's latest book "Never Caught: The Washington's Relentless Pursuit of their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge".  

March 7, Tuesday, 7pm, The History of Squamscot Soda, at the Exeter Historical Society, 47 Front Street, PO Box 924, Exeter, New Hampshire.  Presented by Tom and Dan Conner.  $5 suggested donation for non-members.  Refreshments at 6:30pm.  http://www.exeterhistory.org/

March 8, Wednesday, 6pm, The Fun of Writing Oral History and Biography:  Lessons from Author and Historian Larry Ruttman, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 -101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public.  Book sales and signing to follow the presentation.

March 8, Wednesday, 6:30pm, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music, at the New Boston Community Church, 2 Meetinghouse Road, New Boston, New Hampshire. Hosted by the New Boston Historical Society. Free to the public.  Presented by award winning fiddler Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki. 

March 9, Thursday, 5:30pm, The Vernons of Newport in the River of Silver:  US Slave Trading in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, 1795 – 1809, at the Newport Historical Society Resource Center, 82 Touro Street, Newport, Rhode Island.  Presented by Alex Borucki, author.  $5 per person.  RSVP online at NewportHistory.org or call 401-841-8770. 

March 9, Thursday, 1pm, Rally Round the Flag: The American Civil War Through Folksong, at the Rye Congregational Church, 580 Washington Road, Rye, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the Town of Rye Recreation Department.  Presented by Woody Pringle and Marek Bennett.  Free to the public. 

March 9, Thursday, 7pm, The Culinary Lives of John and Abigail Adams: A Cookbook, at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, National Park Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty Street, Salem, Massachusetts.  Doors open at 6:30pm.  Free to the public.  Call for more information 978-740-1650.  Presented by author/historian Rosana Wan. 

March 9,  Thursday, 7pm, Documentation Without Tears, at the Littleton Public Library, 41 Shattuck Street, Littleton, Massachusetts, for more information 978-540-2600 www.littletonlibrary.org  Sponsored by the Friends of the Reuben Hoar Library, and presented by Denise Picard Lindgren, MSOG state President. 

March 11, Saturday, 9:30 am – noon, NEHGS/TIARA Irish Genealogy Seminar, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Registration is necessary and seating is limited.  Register at 617-226-1226.  Speakers Deborah Sullivan Gellerson, Margaret Feeney LaCombe,  Jean Maguire, and Eileen Pironti.  https://shop.americanancestors.org/products/nehgs-tiara-irish-genealogy-seminar?pass-through=true   $20 per person.  

March 11, Saturday,  10am, Sandy River Chapter of the Maine Genealogical Society Meeting, at the Farmington Public Library, 117 Academy Street, Farmington, Maine.  See the website www.sandyriver.maineroots.org

March 11, Saturday, 11am, Textile Conservation, at the Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford Street, Manchester, New Hampshire.  Sponsored by the Manchester Historic Association and presented by Camille Myers Breeze, director of Museum Textile Services in Andover, Massachusetts. Included with admission to the museum.

March 11, Saturday, noon – 1pm, Irish Genealogy at the Middlesex Genealogical Society, at the Darien Library, 1141 Post Road, Darien, Connecticut.  Irish genealogy will be presented by Jonathan Shea.  www.mgs.darien.org/meetings.htm

March 11, Saturday, 6pm,  Hearthside Bounty, at the Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, Massachusetts.  Experience an evening in a 19th century tavern with a meal cooked over a hearth, old fashioned entertainment, and a look at table manners in the 1800s.  Music and stories, period games and entertainment.  $54.95 per person, OSV members $49.95.  Registration required at this link:  https://www.osv.org/event/hearthsidebounty/hearthside-bounty-Mar11

March 11, Saturday,  9:20am – 4:30pm,  Hacking Heritage Unconference, at the John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities at Smith Buonanno Hall, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.  Who decides what is preserved? How are these decisions made? Who funds heritage preservation? Why? See this link for more information http://blogs.brown.edu/hackingheritageunconference/

March 12, Sunday, 1pm, Notable Women of Watertown Tour , at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Join volunteer docent Rosemarie Smurzynski to visit graves and learn about the painters, writers and sculptors buried here.  Get tickets at this link:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/notable-women-of-watertown-tickets-27609383409?aff=es2

March 15, Wednesday, 1pm, New England Quilts and the Stories They Tell, at the Kimball-Jenkins Estate Carriage House, 266 North Main Street, Concord, New Hampshire. Hosted by the New Hampshire Weaver's Guild.  Presented by Pam Weeks.  Participants may bring in one quilt for identification and/or story sharing.  Free to the public. 

March 15, Wednesday, 4pm, Which Matthew O’Neill is Mine?:  Approaches to Irish Genealogy, presented by Jake Fletcher, for the Eagle House Senior Community Center, 25 Memorial Drive, Lunenburg, Massachusetts.  Free to the public.
March 15, Wednesday, 6pm, Penobscot County Genealogical Society Meeting, at the Bangor Public Library, 145 Harlow Street, Bangor, Maine.  Meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month.  See www.pengen.org 


March 15, Wednesday, 6pm, Finding your Revolutionary War Ancestors at the Massachusetts Archives, to be held at the Boston Public Library, Copley Square, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public. Presented by John Hannigan, the head of reference services at the Massachusetts Archives, and a PhD. Candidate in the History Department at Brandeis University.  

March 15, Wednesday, 7pm, A Tribute to Sarah Josepha Hale, at the Marion Gerrish Community Center, 29 West Broadway, Derry, New Hampshire. Hosted by the Londonderry Women's Club.  Presented by living historian Sharon Wood.  Free to the public. 

March 15, Wednesday, 7:30, The Renaissance of the Railroads, one of the Wednesday Evening Lectures in the Appleton Room of  the Ipswich, Museum Heard House, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, Massachusetts. Presented by speaker Darius Gaskins.  Members free, non-members $10.

March 16,  Thursday, 7pm, Navigating Online Genealogy Research, at the Littleton Public Library, 41 Shattuck Street, Littleton, Massachusetts, for more information 978-540-2600 www.littletonlibrary.org  Sponsored by the Friends of the Reuben Hoar Library, and presented by Claire Smith, certified genealogist.

March 17, Friday, 7:15pm, The Lost Gettysburg Address:  Charles Anderson's Civil War Odyssey, at the Epping Town Hall, 157 Main Street, Epping, New Hampshire.  Free to the public.  Presented by David Dixon and sponsored by the Civil War Roundtable of New Hampshire.  There were two orators on stage with Lincoln at the Gettysburg dedication.  The concluding speech by Anderson was lost until recently when an anthropologist found it in a cardboard box on a remote ranch in Wyoming.  http://cwrt-nh.org  

March 18, 2017, Saturday,  History Camp Boston, at Sargent Hall, Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Massachusetts.  http://historycamp.org/boston   Sold out, but there is a waitlist. 

March 18, Saturday, 9:30 - noon, Irish Genealogy Study Group, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public. The Irish Genealogy Study Group meets every month to talk about research problems and share solutions.  Contact Mary Ellen Grogan at megrogan@ix.netcom.com for more information.  No registration neccessary. 

March 18, Saturday, 1:30 – 3pm, Connecticut Society of Genealogists Meeting, at the CSG Library, 175 Maple Street, East Hartford, Connecticut.  Please join us for a special event just in time to prepare for the 14th New England Regional Genealogical Conference in April.  Free, but please pre-register at csginc@csginc.org  or call 860-569-0002.

March 18, Saturday, 9am – noon, Half Day Members Meeting of the Rhode Island Genealogical Societyhttp://www.rigensoc.org/

March 19, Sunday, 2pm – 3pm, Taconnet Falls Chapter Maine Genealogical Society Meeting, at 10 Lithgow Street, Winslow, Maine.  Visit www.taconnett.maineroots.org 

March 20, Monday, 1pm, Vanished Veterans - New Hampshire's Civil War Monuments and Memorials, at the Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 South Street, Bow, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the State Employees Association Chapter 1 (Retired).  Free to the public.  Presented by historian George Morrison.  

March 22, Wednesday, 7pm,  New Hampshire on High:  Historic and Unusual Weathervanes of the Granite State, at the Kensington Public Library, 126 Amesbury Road, Kensington, New Hamsphire.  Presented by Glenn Knoblock, and hosted by the Kensington Public Library.  Free to the public.  

March 22,  Wednesday, 7pm,  German Genealogy Workshop, at the Memorial Hall Library, 2 North Main Street, Andover, Massachusetts.  Katherine Schober, a professional German translator and handwriting expert will share her experience helping genealogy clients decipher old German handwritten documents.  978-623-8436.  Free to the public.

March 23,  Thursday, 7pm, Legacy Preservation: How to Archive Personal History, at the Littleton Public Library, 41 Shattuck Street, Littleton, Massachusetts, for more information 978-540-2600 www.littletonlibrary.org  Sponsored by the Friends of the Reuben Hoar Library, and presented by Rhoda J. Chadwick.

March 25, Saturday, 9:15 - 12:45 am, New York and Connecticut: Finding Records, Telling Stories, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Join NEHGS and the New England Association of Professional Genealogists (NEAPG) for a half day seminar.  $20 per person.  NEAPG members FREE.  email smoconnor@verizon.net to register. 

March 25, Saturday, 10am, Utilizing DNA in your Genealogy Research - A Workshop, by the Merrimack Valley Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, at the Georgetown Peabody Library, 2 Maple Street, Georgetown, Massachusetts. If you have had DNA testing, bring your results and the name of your testing company.  Free to the public. http://www.msoginc.org/msogwp/chapter/mv/  

March 25, Saturday, 1 pm, Songs of Immigration:  Storytelling through Traditional Irish Music, at the Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford Street, Manchester, New Hampshire. Sponsored by the Manchester Historic Association,  and presented by Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki, who will relay some of the adventures, misadventures, and emotions experienced by Irish immigrants.  Free and open to the public.

March 25, Saturday, 1:30, Genealogist’s Handbook for Irish Research, at the Chelmsford Genealogy Club, at the Chelmsford Library, 25 Boston Road, Chelmsford, Massachusetts.  Presented by author Marie Daley.  Free to the public.  Marie will not be selling her book at this meeting.  It is available at NEHGS and Amazon.

March 25, Saturday, 1 – 4pm, Tracing Irish Roots Workshop, at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park Street, Concord, New Hampshire, taught in conjunction with the New England Historic Genealogical Society of Boston.  This workshop is  $35 members, $50 nonmembers. Space is limited, please register at this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tracing-irish-roots-workshop-registration-30676666736?aff=erelpanelorg  or call 603-856-0621

March 27, Monday, 6:30pm, Robert Frost Program, at the Derry Public Library, Derry, New Hampshire.  Join the Derry town historian, Rick Holmes, for a birthday celebration for Derry’s most famous poet.  Contact 603-432-6140

March 28, Tuesday, 7pm, Central Massachusetts Genealogical Society Meeting, at the American Legion Post #129, 22 Elm Street, Gardner, Massachusetts.  Speaker Patricia Perry will be discussing "Under the Petticoats".  Guests are welcome for a $2 donation.  See www.cmgso.org  For more information email queenkatt64@yahoo.com 

March 30, Thursday, 6:30pm, Italian Genealogy Research: Records and Resources in Italy,  at the Franklin Historical Museum, 80 W. Central Street, Franklin, Massachusetts.  Hosted by Mary Tedesco.  For more information http://vbuchanio.wixsite.com/franklingenclub 

March 31, Friday, Memorial Hall Library Genealogy Lock In, at the Memorial Hall Library 2 North Main Street, Andover, Massachusetts.  This annual after hours event has been very popular.  For $10 you will have an evening of genealogy research with exclusive access to databases online, computers, microfilm, and the Andover room.  A light dinner will be served.  Registration is limited, please preregister at the library or call 978-623-8436.

Looking ahead:


April 1, Saturday, 10:30pm,  Family Stories:  How and Why to Remember and Tell Them, at the Hooksett Library, 31 Mount Saint Mary’s Way, Hooksett, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the White Mountain Woolen Magic Rug Hooking Guild.  Presented by storyteller Jo Radner.  Participants will practice finding, developing and telling their own tales.  Free to the public. 

April 1, Saturday, 1pm, Greater Portland Genealogical Society Meeting, at the First Congregational Church of Christ, 301 Cottage Road, South Portland, Maine.  Free, but donations are requested.  Refreshments at 12:30.  A program is planned.

April 4 and May 2nd, Tuesday, 7pm, DNA and Genealogy, by the  Chelmsford Genealogy Club at the Chelmsford Public Library, 25 Boston Road, Chelmsford, Massachusetts.  Presented by Dr. Sandra Murray.  Free to the public. On April 1st she will discuss DNA biology, the four different kinds of DNA tests and the 4 types of DNA.  The May 2nd meeting will be a worksheet format and will look at DNA results and how to transfer your test to GED match.


April 8, Saturday, New England Family History Conference, at the LDS Church, 91 Jordan Road, Franklin, Massachusetts.  508-553-0977 or email MA_Franklin@ldsmail.net.  

April 26 -29th, 2017, NERGC 2017, at the Mass Mutual Center, 1277 Main Street, Springfield, Massachusetts www.nergc.org

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "March 2017 Genealogy and Local History Calendar", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 24, 2017,  ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/02/march-2017-genealogy-and-local-history.html: accessed [access date]).

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Weathervane Wednesday ~ Seen at a Family Reunion

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 #299?  Scroll down to see the answer...






I have to thank Vincent for this weathervane.  We were attending the annual Wyman family reunion at the circa 1666 Francis Wyman homestead, 56 Francis Wyman Road in Burlington, Massachusetts in October. It was a chilly, rainy day so the whole clan was huddled under a tent.  We were talking and listening to a history lecture, when suddenly he saw this weathervane over my shoulder.

This weathervane is installed on the roof of a neighbor's house, next door to the Wyman homestead. It is not located on a cupola, but attached directly to the roof. It is a finely detailed, three dimensional eagle. It has above average detailing in the feathers and features, and I especially like the ruffled wing feathers as if the eagle is about to take off.  Or did it just land?  Even the arrow's feathers are detailed, which is unusual.

You never know where you will find the next weathervane!


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


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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~  Seen at a Family Reunion", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 22, 2017, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/02/weathervane-wednesday-seen-at-family.html: accessed [access date]).

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Tombstone Tuesday ~ The children of John Karr, Windham, New Hampshire

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


In memory of four
Children of Mr. John &
Mrs. Anna Karr
---------------------------
Betsy, died Aug. 24, 1804,  AE 10
Daniel, died Aug
27, 1804, AE 5
Alexander, died July
2, 1793  AE 4
Asa died July
16, 1793  AE 2



From The History of Windham in New Hampshire by Leonard Morrison, page 376

“2. John Karr, his son [son of John Kerr, Scots Irish immigrant], was b. Jan. 31, 1747. He lived on the Can – farm; was a maker of cider as well as farmer.  He m. June 26, 1776, Annie Caldwell, b. Jan. 27, 1752, and d. Aug. 4 1804.  He m. 2d, Sept 19, 1805, Anna Barnet, of Londonderry.  She was for many years entirely helpless with the shaking palsy, and could move neither hand nor foot.  Death relieved her from suffering Jan. 23, 1836.  He d. Oct. 27, 1813, and is buried in the old cemetery on the plain.  Children, b. in Windham:-

3.  David, b. March 5, 1778; m. Anna Caldwell of Hudson and res. In Derry…
4.  John, born Dec. 11, 1779, was the owner and occupant of the Karr homestead.  He changed the spelling of his name from Karr to Carr.  He m. Dec. 23, 1817, Sarah, dau. Of John and Sarah (Burns) Campbell…
5. Sally, b. March 1, 1783.  Had a shock of palsy, and d. March 29, 1814.
6. James, b. June 19, 1785; d. June 25, 1810
7. Anna, b. April 30, 1787; m. Robert M. Campbell…
8. Alexander, b. June 2, 1789, d. July 2, 1793
9.  Asa, b. April 10, 1791; d. July 16, 1793
10.  Betsey, b. Feb. 25, 1794; d. August 28, 1804
11. Daniel, b. May 8, 1799, D. Aug. 17, 1804”

Note:   Two small children, Alexander and Asa died close together in 1793, and two more, Betsey and Daniel, died close together in 1804.  Their big brother, James, died at age 15 and probably has a separate headstone in this cemetery.

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Tombstone Tuesday ~ The children of John Karr, Windham, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 21, 2017, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/02/tombstone-tuesday-children-of-john-karr.html: accessed [access date]). 

Monday, February 20, 2017

My Grandmother's Diary Part 11 (May 9 - 20, 1920)

1920 advertisement for Doan's Kidney and Backache pills

This is the 8th installment of my grandmother's diary from 1920.  Her name was Gertrude Hitchings (1905 - 2001), and she was living on Elliott Street in Beverly, Massachusetts.  The diary is a tiny 3", and every Monday I publish a new section, with transcriptions of the tiny handwriting.  You can read the first installment HERE .  I'll post more of this diary every week for Amanuensis Monday.

In these two weeks of diary entries Gertrude was sick with a mysterious illness...



SUN. MAY 9
Got up at 9 o’clock had
breakfast stayed home all
morning.  Mr. Lowell stayed over-
night.  Took a walk with Marion
& Annie came home 5.45.  Russ & Ethel
came down but didn’t stay.
Home all evening went to bed 9.30

Monday 10
        Pa’s birthday         Fair
Got up at 7.45 went
To school home 1.15 Went to Salem with Ma
3.45 got a pair of shoes came
home 6.15.  Went out after
supper a little while
went to bed at 10.15

TUESDAY 11
                           Rain
Got up at 7.00 went to
school at 7.45 home at 1.15
Stayed home all afternoon
Went out a while
after supper came in
9.30 went to bed at 9.45

[NOTE: This seems like a normal week for Gertrude with school and errands. The mysterious Mr. Lowell "stayed over", which makes me think he might have been the boarder my mother mentioned.  Marian is her first cousin, Annie must be a school friend.  Russ and & Ethel are her married brother and his new bride. ]


WED. MAY 12, 1920
Sick stayed in
bed all day, didn’t
go to school.  Got
soar throat and head
ache.
Parent’s day at the schools

THURSDAY 13
Bed all day not
Much better
Tonsilitous

FRIDAY 14
Feel a little better
today.  Ethel came
over 9.30  Helen and baby up
Ma & Ethel went to Danvers  John ???
Ellsworth & Rus up to supper

NOTE:   Gertrude's illness is a "soar" [sic] throat and head ache.  The diagnosis seems to be "Tonsilitous" [sic].  Her sister in-law, Ethel, visits, and so does her married sister, Helen and brother-in-law, Ellsworth.  Russell is Gertrude's brother.  John is a mystery. 



SAT. MAY 15, 1920
Lots better to-day got
up went down stairs at
12.30  Laid down all
afternoon have got
rheumatism in my back
and side.  Sick all night.
Mr. Lowell came over after supper.

SUNDAY 16
A little better but still got an
awful pain in my back.
Nana up after
dinner.  Marion
came up to see me,
too.

MONDAY 17
A little bit better
today after dinner
got up awhile Marian
up to see me at night
ma went to ???

[NOTE: The sore throat and headache have advanced to a backache.  She suffers from this all week.]


TUES. MAY 18, 1920
Not as well today
had to have the
doctor at 2.30
Mrs. Butler over after
supper feel a lot
better now

WEDNESDAY 19
Better this morning
Doctor came in at 12.30
He thinks it is my kidney
Marion up all afternoon

THURSDAY 20
Not much better this
morning Dr. Didn’t
come in today. Marion up
and Mr. Lowell came over

??? better tonight.

[NOTE:  Finally the doctor is called, not once, but twice.  He thinks it is a kidney problem.  This could be serious in the days before antibiotics, and before pain killers (well... they had morphine in those days).  Poor Gertrude!]


Part One  posted December 5, 2016

Part Two posted December 12, 2016

Part Three posted December 19, 2016

Part Four posted December 26, 2016

Part Five posted January 2, 2017

Part Six posted January 16, 2017
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/01/my-grandmothers-diary-part-6.html  

Part Seven posted January 23, 2017
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/01/my-grandmothers-diary-part-7.html   

Part Eight posted January 30, 2017
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/01/my-grandmothers-diary-part-8-march-28.html  

Part Nine posted February 6, 2017
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/02/my-grandmothers-diary-part-9-april-15.html

Part Ten posted February 13, 2017
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/02/my-grandmothers-diary-part-10-april-27.html


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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "My Grandmother's Diary ~ Part 11 (May 9 - 20, 1920)", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 20, 2017, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/02/my-grandmothers-diary-part-11-may-9-20.html: accessed [access date]).