Thursday, March 30, 2017

Librarians and Local Historians Day at NERGC 26 April 2017

Breaking News!  



Robert (Bob) Charles Anderson of NEHGS will be a guest speaker at the Librarians and Local Historians Day luncheon sponsored by ProQuest.  He will discuss The Great Migration Study Project and his latest research during the luncheon.  You won’t want to miss out on this rare opportunity to hear Bob share his tremendous genealogical knowledge and expertise!  Seating is limited. Register today for this great all-day program (full conference registration is not required). 

Americans are getting more interested in genealogy because it’s trending with the public, as are libraries and librarians.  There is a great lineup of speakers for this full day event.   The strategic focus of Curt Witcher’s main presentation—Making the Financial Case for Genealogical Librarianship—shows that genealogy can attract funding for both groups. Partnerships between the two communities of practice would benefit both. Rhonda Clark’s book and presentation, Fostering Family History Services at Your Library, focuses on just that point. Curt’s second presentation, Online Resources Off the Beaten Path, highlights public domain resources for genealogical reference that don’t require a budget. Also of note is panelist Rachel Onuf who is the roving archivist for Massachusetts.  Many historical societies could benefit from a visit from her (at least in Massachusetts). 


New England Regional Genealogical Consortium website: http://www.nergc.org/

20 page PDF of the conference program (note that the luncheon speaker for the Librarian’s Day was changed to Bob Anderson, which is not reflected on page 5):

Register at this link: 

“Thank you!” to Sharon Christenson, chair of the Library Day committee for NERGC 2017 for providing the information and flyer for this blog post.

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Librarians and Local Historians Day at NERGC  26 April 2017", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 30, 2017, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/03/librarians-and-local-historians-day-at.html: accessed [access date]).

April 2017 Genealogy and Local History Event Calendar




Genealogy Events Calendar

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


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

March 30, April 6, 13, 20, 27, (10am – noon and 1pm – 2pm) Basic Hands on Genealogy Class, sponsored by the Polish Genealogical Society of Massachusetts at the Polish Center of Discover and Learning, 33 South Street, Chicopee, Massachusetts.  Presented by Alan Doyle Horbal, professional genealogist.  There will be a combined class on April 27th at 11am.  All students must be computer literate.  Limited space, please sign up for sessions.  Please attend all four classes. Bring your own laptop.  To register, go to www.PGSMA.org

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.

April 1, Saturday, 10am, New Visitor Tour, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free orientation and tour of the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit genealogy library and archive.  Tour attendees are welcome to use our resources following the tour.  No registration necessary. 

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, 1 - 2:30pm, Discover Mount Auburn Cemetery, at 580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts. This 1.5 mile walking tour will focus on the history, monuments and lives of those buried here. Click here to purchase tickets https://www.eventbrite.com/e/discover-mount-auburn-tickets-32557072079 

April 1, Saturday,  1pm, New England Quilts and the Stories They Tell, at the First Congregational Church, 1 Concord Street, Nashua, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the Women’s Association of First Baptist Church.  Presented by Pam Weeks.  Participants are invited to bring one quilt for identification or story sharing.  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 1, 8 and 15, Saturdays, 2pm – 4pm, Building Your Genealogical Skills, a three session course, at The New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by Ann Lawthers, genealogist.  $50 fee.  Register here:  https://shop.americanancestors.org/products/building-your-genealogical-skills-three-session-course-spring?pass-through=true

April 2, Sunday, 2pm, The Making of Strawbery Banke Museum, at the Ray-Fre Senior Center, 64 Main Street, Raymond, New Hampshire.   Hosted by the Friends of the Dudley Tucker Library.  Presented by Portsmouth historian, J. Dennis Robinson, who is the author of an award winning book on the Strawbery Banke museum.  Free to the public.

April 2, Sunday, 1pm, Life and Death in Colonial Times, at the Loring Greenough House, 12 South Street, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.  $10 nonmembers.  Presented by the Jamaica Plain Tuesday Club.  Luncheon buffet at noon, followed by a lecture by Judy Chevarley and docent lead house tours 2pm – 3pm. 

April 2, Sunday, 2pm, Meet Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, at the Thayer Memorial Library, 717 Main Street, Lancaster, Massachusetts.  A person show researched, written and performed by Katie Green, about Lancaster's own Mary Rowlandson who was captured by the Indians in 1675 during King Philip's War, and later redeemed. .  Free to the public.  

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 4, Tuesday, 6:30pm, New Hampshire Cemeteries and Gravestones, at the Newport Historical Society, 58 North Main Street, Newport, New Hampshire.  Presented by Glenn Knoblock with rubbings, photographs, and slides to illustrate the rich variety of gravestones in New Hampshire, and tell of historical events such as the Great Awakening, the Throat Distemper epidemic, and the American Revolution.  Free to the public.

April 5, Wednesday, 7pm, Genealogy Research Night, at the Beverly Historical Society, 117 Cabot Street, Beverly, Massachusetts.  Tips and techniques for researching your family tree with historian and researcher, Terri McFadden, and local historian Ed Brown.  Free for members, $5 nonmembers.  

April 6, Thursday,  6:30pm, New England Quilts and the Stories They Tell, at the Fremont Public Library, 7 Jackie Bernier Drive, Fremont, New Hampshire.  Presented by Pam Weeks.  Participants are invited to bring one quilt for identification or story sharing.  Free to the public.

April 7, Friday, noon,  Applying to Lineage Societies, at the New Engand Historic Genealogy Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  A step by step look at the application process, with a case example from the research services team.  Free.  Register here:  https://shop.americanancestors.org/products/applying-to-lineage-societies?pass-through=true

April 7, Friday, noon,  Songs of Emigration: Storytelling through Tradtional Irish Music, at the Mountain View Senior Center, 134 East Main Street, Bradford, New Hampshire. Presented by Jordan Tirrell- Wysocki with his fiddle and guitar.  Free to the public.

April 7, Friday, 6:30pm,  Rosie’s Mom: Forgotten Women of the First World War, at the Goshen Town Hall,  54 Mill Village Road North, Goshen, New Hampshire.  Free to the Public. Presented by historian Carrie Brown.  Free potluck begins at 5:30. 

April 8, Saturday, 9:30am, Irish Study Group, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Led by Mary Ellen Grogan megrogan@ix.netcom.com  Free, no registration necessary.

April 8, Saturday, 10:30am,  Bedford Parade and Liberty Pole Capping, at Wilson Park in Bedford, Massachusetts.  Minutemen from all over New England will march down The Great Road to Wilson Park for the Liberty Pole Capping tradition. Contact the Bedford Minuteman Company for more information: http://www.bedfordminutemancompany.org/

April 8, Saturday, 1pm,  Meriam’s Corner Battle Re-enactment, at Meriam’s Corner, Lexington Road, Concord, Massachusetts.  Contact the Minute Man National Historical Park for more information: https://www.nps.gov/mima/index.htm

April 8, Saturday, 3pm, Paul Revere Capture Ceremony, at the Paul Revere Capture Site at Minute Man National Historical Park, Route 2A in Lincoln, Massachusetts.  Music, dramatic reading, musket fire, marching re-enactors. For all ages.  Contact the Lincoln Minute Men:  http://www.lincolnminutemen.org/

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 8, 15, 22, and 29, Saturdays, 4:30- 5:30pm, The Course of Irish History:  The Viking Invasion, 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 look at the effect that the Vikings had on Ireland from their arrival in 795AD until the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

April 10, 10am, Genealogy and DNA, at the Littleton Library Genealogy Club,   at the Reuben Hoar Public Library, 41 Shattuck Street, Littleton, Massachusetts.  Presented by Sandra Murray.  Free to the public. 

April 10, Monday, 6pm, Author Talk: Creating Acadia National Park: The Biography of George Bucknam Dorr, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  $10 registration fee.  Pre-talk reception at 5:30pm.  Presented by author Ronald H. Epp. https://www.masshist.org/calendar

April 11, Tuesday, 7pm, Lafayette and the Farewell Tour: An American Idol, at the Pierce Manse, 14 Horseshoe Pond Lane, Concord, New Hampshire.  Free to the public.  Presented by Alan Hoffman.  Sponsored by the Buntin-Rumford-Webster Chapter DAR and the NH Humanities council. 

April 12, Wednesday, 6pm, The Rise and Fall of the American Party, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Presented by Peter Drummey, who will lecture about the “Know Nothings”.  https://www.masshist.org/calendar

April 13, Thursday, 5:30pm, Daniel Williman and Karen Corsano present “John Singer Sargent in Boston”, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  $10 fee for members of Nichols House Museum and NEHGS, $15 non members.  Book sale and signing to follow.  Register here:  http://www.nicholshousemuseum.org/programs_events.php

April 13, Thursday, 7pm, Ben Franklin’s World: A Podcast about Early American History, 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 historian/podcaster Liz Covart.

April 13, Thursday, 2:30pm, Vanished Veteran’s – New Hampshire’s Civil War Monuments and Memorials, at Heritage Heights, Tad’s Place Arts Center, 149 East Side Drive, Concord, New Hampshire.  Presented by George Morrison, who located, inventoried, and photographed New Hampshire’s Civil War memorials.  Free to the public.

April 14, 3:30 - 6:30 pm, Failte Fridays by TIARA (The Irish Ancestral Research Association),  at 84 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts.  This monthly meeting is a chance to meet other members and browse the TIARA library.  http://www.tiara.ie/ 


April 15, Saturday, 10am, New Visitor Tour, at NEHGS, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free orientation and tour.  Attendees are welcome to use the library following the tour.  No registration necessary.

April 15, Saturday, 1pm, Dead People I Have Met, at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Literary historian Rob Veiella discusses his chatty memoir of his visits to author's graves across the United States, and what motivates his hobby. Admission fee.  See this page https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dead-people-i-have-met-lecture-tickets-32696526190?aff=erellivmlt 

April 15, 1pm, Finding the Stories of your Ancestors, at the Essex Society of Genealogists, at the Centre Congregational Church, 5 Summer Street, Lynnfield, Massachusetts.  Parking available at the rear of the building off Main Street.  Presented by Pamela Holland.  http://www.esog.org/  Noon social and BYO lunch, followed by the 1pm lecture. 

 April 15 – 17, Patriot’s Day Weekend in Lexington, Massachusetts.  See this link for a full schedule from the Lexington Historical Society http://www.lexingtonhistory.org/patriots-day.html

April 15, Saturday,  Battle Road, Parker’s Revenge/ Tower Park events in Lexington, Massachusetts will be re-created all day see this event page http://www.battleroad.org/

April 15, 10:30am, Explore Bloody Angle with Edmund Foster, at the Hartwell Tavern area, Minute Man National Park, 100 North Great Road, Lincoln, Massachusetts. A re-enactor will portray Edmund Foster, a Minute Man volunteer, who will lead a tour to this key battle site where he fought in 1775. Free to the public.

April 17, Monday, 5:30 am, The Battle on Lexington Green, will be re-created in Lexington Center, on the Green.  See the Town of Lexington schedule of events for important details and restrictions on backpacks, containers and ladders.  http://www.battleroad.org/

April 17,  Monday, 8am, Commemoration of the Battle at the North Bridge, at the Minute Man National Park, North Bridge location, Concord, Massachusetts.  A re-creation of the “Shot heard ‘round the world”.

April 18, Tuesday, 10am, Finding Cousins Using Autosomal DNA, sponsored by the Cape Cod Genealogy Society, at the Brewster Ladies Library, Rt. 6A, Brewster, Massachusetts. Presented by Pamela Guye Holland.  Refreshments start at 9:30am. Free to the public. 

April 18, Tuesday, 7 - 9m, The City That William Pynchon Built: The Agawam Plantation, sponsored by the Central Massachusetts Genealogical Society, at the American Legion Post #129, 22 Elm Street, Gardner, Massachusetts.  Presented by Dave Robison.  

April 19, Wednesday, 6pm, American Passage:  The History of Ellis Island, at the Boston Public Library, Copley Square, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public, presented by author Vincent Cannato. 

April 19, Wednesday, 6pm, Book Event:  Puritan, Entrepreneur, Heretic?, at the NEHGS, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by author David M. Powers who will lecture about William Pynchon (1590 – 1662).  Book sales and signing to follow. Free to the public.  Register here: https://shop.americanancestors.org/products/book-event-puritan-entrepreneur-heretic?pass-through=true

April 19, Wednesday, 7:30, Reinterpretation of 16 Elm House, one of the Wednesday Evening Lectures in the Appleton Room of  the Ipswich, Museum Heard House, 54 South Main Street, Ipswich, Massachusetts. Presented by author Bob Booth, who will talk about his work with the Smithsonian Museum’s exhibit of the house from 16 Elm Street, Ipswich.  Members free, non-members $10.

April 19, Wednesday, 7:30pm, New England Bound:  Slavery and Colonization in Early America, at the Royall House & Slave Quarters, 15 George Street, Medford, Massachusetts,  presented by author and historian Wendy Warren.  Copies of New England Bound will be available for purchase and signing.

April 19, Wednesday, 7pm, Poor Houses and Town Farms:  The Hard Row for Paupers, at the North Hampton Town Hall, 231 Atlantic Avenue, North Hampton, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the North Hampton Historical Society.  Present by Steve Taylor.  Free to the public.

April 19, Wednesday, 7pm, New England Quilts and the Stories They Tell, at the Paul Memorial Library, 76 Main Street, Newfields, New Hampshire.  Presented by Pam Weeks.  Sponsored by the NH Humanities Council.  Free to the public.

April 20, Thursday, 7pm, Customs Enforcement in Salem, Massachusetts: Prelude to War 1760, 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 park ranger Curtis White, using notebooks and journals of comtoms Comptroller, John Mascarene.  For information call 1-978-740-1650

April 20, Thursday, 5 – 8pm, Open Doors Arts and Cultural Tour, at the Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford Street, Manchester, New Hampshire.  FREE to the public.  Hop on the trolley and visit art galleries and museums in the city of Manchester including the Millyard Museum, SEE Science Center, Art’s Gallery, Art on the Wall at City Hall, Langer Place, E. W. Poore, Studio 550, Framer’s Market and Arbor in the Millyard at Manchester Vineyard Community Church.  The trolley stops every 20 – 30 minutes all evening.  Easy parking at Langer Place at 55 S. Commercial Street, or at 200 Bedford Street (site of the Millyard Museum).

April 21, Friday, noon, Middays at the Meeting House:  Boston’s Neighborhood Churches: Restoration Stories and Lost Treasures, at the Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  $6 per person.  Presented by stained glass historian and preservation advocate Judy Neiswander.

April 21, Friday, 10:15am, “If I am Not For Myself, Who Will Be for Me?” George Washington’s Runaway Slave,  at the Community Church of Durham, 17 Main Street, Durham, New Hampshire.  Presented by living historian Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti portraying Ona Judge, a runaway slave.  Free to the public.  Sponsored by the NH Humanities Council.

April 21, Friday, 1:30pm, "Ours Faithfully, Florence Burke", at the Rodgers Library, Hudson, New Hampshire.  Presented by the author Ellen B. Alden based on Civil War letters.  Free to the public, sponsored by the Hudson Library Genealogy Club. 

April 22, Saturday, 10:30am – 11:30am,  Fire Engine Day, at the Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford Street, Suite 103, Manchester, New Hampshire.  A chance for kids to learn how a hand tub fire engine and a steam fire engine work.  Including a visit from one of the Manchester Fire Department’s modern fire trucks. 

April 22, Saturday, Broadening Your Research Horizons: Spring Conference of the American Canadian Genealogy Society, at the ACGS Library, 4 Elm Street, Manchester, New Hampshire.  See the conference brochure at this link:  https://acgs.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/ACGS%20SPRING%20CONFERENCE%202017%20order%20form.pdf  

April 22, Saturday, 1 – 3pm,  French Canadian Genealogy Society Spring General Membership Meeting, at the Tolland Recreational Center, 104 Post Road, in Tolland, Connecticut.  Coffee, a brief business meeting, followed by guest speaker Ron Blanchette who will give on presentation on the 1759 Battle on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec.  Open to non-members.

April 24, Monday, 10 - 11am, General Stark Day, at the Stark Park, Riverside Road, Manchester, New Hampshire.  Assemble at the Stark family burial plot for a memorial ceremony in honor of General John Stark, Revolutionary War hero.  There will be proclamations by the mayor and governor, militia musket salutes, wreath laying and an honorary ceremony by the DAR and SAR. Free to the public.  Bring blankets or chairs. 

April 24, Monday, 7pm, Rosie’s Mom: Forgotten Women of the First World War, at the Stone School Museum, 1 Granite Street, Newmarket, New Hampshire.  Presented by historian Carrie Brown.  Free to the public.  Sponsored by the Newmarket Historical Society and the NH Humanities Council. 

April 25, Tuesday, 7pm, Historic US route 20, at the Peter Rice Homestead, 377 Elm Street, Marlborough, Massachusetts.  This is the annual meeting and elections of the Marlborough Historical Society, with speaker Bryan Farr. 

April 25, Tuesday, 7pm, “If I am Not for Myself Who Will Be for Me?”, at the American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts.  A one person play about George Washington’s runaway slave Oney Judge Staines. http://www.americanantiquarian.org/public-program-gwendolyn-quezaire-presutti

April 26, Wednesday, 7pm, Poor Houses and Town Farms:  The Hard Row for Paupers, at the Plymouth Old Webster Courthouse, 6 Court Street, Plymouth, New Hampshire.  Presented by Steve Taylor.  Free to the public.  Sponsored by the Plymouth Historical Society and the NH Humanities Council.

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

April 27, Thursday, 7pm, Crosscut: The Mills, Logging and Life on the Androscoggin River, at the Pierce Manse, 14 Horseshoe Pond Lane, Concord, New Hampshire.  Presented by Rebecca Rule, who uses oral histories and vintage photos to tell the story of the logging industry.  Assisted by John Rule with a Power Point presentation of information on his own research into the history of the Brown Company as an archivist at the New Hampshire Historical Society.  Free to the public.

April 29, Saturday 4pm, Revolutionary History at the Central Cemetery,  at the Beverly Historical Society, 117 Cabot Street, Beverly, Massachusetts.  $5 nonmembers, free to members.  Join Terri and Ed McFadden on a walk through Central Cemetery. 

April 30, Sunday, 9:30am – 4:30pm, Breaking Down Genealogical Brick Walls: Strategies for Success, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Cost $125 breakfast and lunch included.  Register here:  https://shop.americanancestors.org/products/breaking-down-genealogical-brick-walls-strategies-for-success?pass-through=true

May 3, Wednesday, 7pm, Poor Houses and Town Farms:  The Hard Row for Paupers, at the Veteran’s Hall, 105 Old Homestead Highway, Richmond, New Hampshire.  Presented by Steve Taylor.  Free to the public.  Sponsored by the Richmond Public Library and the NH Humanities Council.

Future events:

May 2, 9, 16 and 23, Tuesdays, 9:30 am – 11am,  Basic Hands on Genealogy Class, sponsored by the Polish Genealogical Society of Massachusetts at the Polish Center of Discover and Learning, 33 South Street, Chicopee, Massachusetts.  Presented by Alan Doyle Horbal, professional genealogist.  All students must be computer literate.  Limited space, please sign up for sessions.  Please attend all four classes. Bring your own laptop.  To register, go to www.PGSMA.org


June 22-24, Wednesday, 26th Annual World History Association Conference, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, Massachusetts.  http://www.thewha.org/2017-boston-conference/

August 5-6, Redcoats and Rebels, at The Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, Massachusetts.  New England’s largest military re-enactment with nearly 1,000 soldiers portraying British, Irish, Spanish, Scottish, French and Colonial troops.  Mock battles, skirmishes, tour the camps, listen to martial music, and much more. 
September 30, Saturday, American Canadian Genealogy Society Fall Conference, Manchester, New Hampshire. 

October 14, Saturday, 1 – 3pm,  French Canadian Genealogy Society Fall General Membership Meeting.  Coffee, a brief business meeting, followed by guest speaker Lucie LeBlanc Consentino.  Open to non-members.


December 16, The 243rd Anniversary Boston Tea Party Reenactment, at the Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Witness the debate over the tea tax, then join the procession to Griffin’s Wharf and witness the destruction of the tea by the Sons of Liberty.  Fee for the meeting inside the Meeting house. 

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "April 2017 Genealogy and Local History Event Calendar", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 30, 2017, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/03/april-2017-genealogy-and-local-history.html: accessed [access date]).

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Log Driver in the North Country

Weathervane Wednesday is an on-going series of photographs I post every week.  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 New Hampshire.

Do you know the location of weather vane #304?  Scroll down to see the answer...




We spotted this weathervane while leaf peeping in the White Mountains.  Fortunately we were in the little red convertible, and the top was down, so taking this photo as we passed by was easy.  It was atop the Northeast Credit Union on Route 16 between North Conway and Conway.

This two dimensional weather vane is the silhouette of a log driver, which is clever since this bank is located near the bridge over the Saco River.  Sawn logs were floated downstream from the New Hampshire mountains into Maine to sawmills.  Log drivers guided the logs and prevented log jams by using pikes, peaveys (a long spike with a hook) and even dynamite.  It was dangerous work.  Railroads and road trucking made log driving easier in the 20th century.   Log driving ended in the US in the 1970s during an era of heightened environmental awareness, but lumberjack festivals and contests keep the traditions alive.

Northeast Credit Union   www.necu.org
199  White Mountain Highway (Route 16)
Conway, New Hampshire


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

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Log Driver in the North Country", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 29, 2016, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/03/weathervane-wednesday-log-driver-in.html: accessed [access date]).

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Isabella (Robinson) Hemphill, buried 1753 in Windham, New Hampshire

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


HERE LIES BURIED
THE BODY OF
MRS ISABELL THE
WIFE OF MR NAT
HANEL HEMPHILL
WHO DIED FEBRY
1753 IN YE 60th
YEAR OF HER AGE.


See History of Windham in New Hampshire,  by Leonard Morrison, page 575 for this lovely tale (myth or reality?):

“Nathaniel Hemphill, the emigrant ancestor, was b. in Antrim, Ireland, in the year 1700, and was of Scotch descent.  He remained in Ireland till 28 years of age.  His marriage was romantic.  A man by the name of Robinson married a lady, by whom he had two daughters, then he died.  A brother of the subject of this sketch was pleased with the widow, and requested Nathaniel to be an agent, and ask the widow if she would marry him.  He consented, saw the widow, and propounded the important question, when she naively replied, “Why not ask for yourself, Nathaniel?”  He asked for himself, was accepted, and married the widow.  One daughter was born to them in Ireland, when he and his wife, their daughter, and her two daughters emigrated to America.  When he landed, he had but one shilling in money.  He came to Londonderry, now Derry, and hired a room in the house which stood on the farm where Alexis Proctor once lived, now owned by John Palmer.  Here his family stayed while he went to Boston and let himself as a hostler, where he acquired money enough in a short time to buy a farm in Windham…Some of his children were born there.  He built the second house near where the Cochran house now stands, and children were born there.  Mrs. Isabella Robinson, whom he married in Ireland, d. Feb. 3, 1753 in her 60th year… Children of his first wife, by her first husband: -
Mary Robinson, b. in Ireland; m. Dea. Samuel Campbell.
Sarah Robinson, b. in Ireland; m. James Dunlap

Nathaniel Hemphill’s children: -
Jane, b. in Ireland; m. Mr. Moore.
Robert, b. Windham, 1731; res. In town, and d. Feb. 18, 1818
Isabella, b. Windham, 1733; m. John Gregg…
Nathaniel, b. Windham, May 10, 1737; d. Nov. 10, 1796”

In 2013 I posted the tombstone of Isabella (Hemphill) Gregg at this link:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/12/tombstone-tuesday-isobel-gregg-windham.html


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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Tombstone Tuesday ~ Isabella (Robinson) Hemphill, buried 1753 in Windham, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 28, 2017, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/03/tombstone-tuesday-isabella-robinson.html: accessed [access date]). 

Monday, March 27, 2017

My Grandmother's Diary ~ Part 16, July 8 - 19, 1920


Cabot Street (downtown) in Beverly, Massachusetts 1915

This is the 16th 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.



THURS. JULY 8, 1920
Got up at 7.45 went
over to Butler’s all morn
ing after dinner layed
down slept all afternoon
After supper went down
Ella’s.  Marion down there, too
Came home went to bed at 10

FRIDAY 9
Got up at 7.30 over
Mrs. Butler’s all morning.  After
dinner went downtown came
home, stayed home all after
noon.  Ma & Pa up Russell’s
Ella up after supper stayed
Around the house bed at 10.15

SATURDAY 10
Got up at 7.45 went over
Butlers all the morning
stayed home all afternoon
Mr. Lowell over. Around the
house all evening went down the
store went to bed at 10.30

NOTE:   It must have been hot weather again.  Sleeping during the hottest part of the day was a coping method in the days before air conditioning.  Gertrude mentions her cousin Marion, friend Ella, and that Ma & Pa were at her married brother Russell's house. Mr. Lowell, the boarder was home (he seems to be there on most weekends).  

SUN. JULY 11, 1920
Got up at 9.15 went over to
Butlers a little while home the
rest of the morning.  After dinner
Ella & I took a walk
Over Kernwood came home then
went to ride with Brick & Eunice
over North B.  Bed at 10.30

MONDAY 12
Got up at 7.30 worked
all morning over Butlers
After dinner went to Idle-
wood with Brick.  Stayed
home all the evening
went to bed at 9.45

TUESDAY 13
Got up at 6.45 over to Butlers
part of the morning. Helen
and baby up all day.  Went to
ride with Gladys.  Home all
evening bed at 10.30


NOTE:  Gertrude mentions working over at Mrs. Butler's again.  She also mentions her friends Ella, Brick and Gladys, and her sisters Eunice and Helen.   A walk to Kernwood probably included crossing the bridge into North Salem.  She visited Idlewood Park in Wenham again.  This was a popular summer place for swimming, boating and music - and it was on the trolley line from Beverly.   



WED. JULY 14, 1920
Got up at 6.45 went
over Butlers a little while
home the rest of the morning
After went over Butlers sized
my sweater.  After supper
went to ride.  Ella & I slept
in the tent bed at 10-

THURSDAY 15
Got up at 7.15 went over
Mrs. Butler’s at 8.15 came
home and went downtown at
11.  Over Mrs. Butler’s all after
noon knitting.  After supper
stayed around the house
went to bed at 10.00

FRIDAY 16
Got up at 7.15 went
berrying all day up ??
walked both ways got 3
quarts came home at 6
stayed home all even
ing and went to bed at 9.45

NOTE:  Gertrude mentions "sizing her sweater" - she was a very busy knitter all her life.  She went downtown, which would have looked a lot like the 1915 postcard you can see at the top of this blog post.   She slept in the tent again (must be another heat wave).  I can't figure out where she went berrying, but she was gone all day. 


SAT. JULY 17, 1920
Got up at 7.30 worked
over to Butlers all morn
ing came home after dinner
worked around the house.
Mr. Lowell came over after
supper went down Ella’s
came home at 9.30 bed at 11

SUNDAY 18
Got up at 9 went over
Butlers a little while
Eunice & I and Gordon went
up to Russells & spent the
day came home at 5.30
out on the piazza all
the evening bed at 9.45

MONDAY 19
Got up at 7.30 went over
Mrs Butlers all morning
After dinner went down
Marion’s until 4:30 After
supper went to ride with
Brick.  Went to bed at 10.30

NOTE: Gertrude mentions working at Mrs. Butlers, and Mr. Lowell, the boarder, was back for the weekend.  She went to her brother Russell's house with her siblings Eunice and Gordon.   It must still be hot because they spent the evening on the piazza (old fashioned word for the front porch).   She visited her cousin Marion Hoogerzeil and went to ride (bicycle? trolley car?) with her friend Brick.  


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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "My Grandmother's Diary ~ Part 16, July 8 - 19, 1920", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 27, 2017,  ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/03/my-grandmothers-diary-part-16-july-8-19.html: accessed [access date]). 

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Surname Saturday ~ Thomas CLOUTMAN of Salem, Massachusetts


CLOUTMAN, CLOUGHTMAN, CLOUDMAN

Thomas Cloutman, my 8th great grandfather, is a mystery.  He is listed in The History of Salem, as a fisherman, and in Newfoundland with Nicholas Chatwell in 1681.  Some accounts say he was from Scotland, but I cannot find any proof. I don't know his parents, place of birth, birth date or death date.  He married Elizabeth Story on 26 July 1672 in Salem and had six children listed in the vital records.  I descend from his youngest son, Joseph Cloutman (1693 – 1743).  The eldest son, Edward (1673 – 1717), settled in New Hampshire, and middle son Thomas (b. 1682) removed to Marblehead.

Joseph Cloutman, my 7th great grandfather, died intestate, and his probate record was file on 28 March 1743.  I cannot find a death record for him.  His wife was Mary Peters, the daughter of Richard and Bethiah Peters of Salem.

My 6th great grandfather, Joseph Cloutman, was born abut 1720 and married Mary Webb in 1747.  They had four children.   They lived on Webb Street, which still exists in Salem, Massachusetts.  I descend from their oldest son, another Joseph Cloutman, born about 1748.  He married Hannah Becket and had seven children all born in Salem.  Their eldest daughter, Mary (1755 – 1853), my 4th great grandmother, married Abijah Hitchings, a Salem shipwright and carpenter.

My CLOUTMAN genealogy:

Generation 1:  Thomas Cloutman, born about 1645 probably in Scotland; married Elizabeth Story on 26 July 1672 in Salem, Massachusetts.  Six children.

Generation 2: Joseph Cloutman, born 19 September 1693 in Salem, died before 28 March 1743 in Salem; married on 14 November 1717 in Salem to Mary Peters, daughter of Richard Peters and Bethiah Unknown.  She was baptized in Salem on 12 September 1697.  One child [?]

Generation 3:  Joseph Cloutman, born about 1720, married on 16 June 1747 in Salem to Mary Webb, daughter of Jonathan Webb and Priscilla Bray.  She was born on 17 December 1724 in Salem and died 21 March 1790 in Salem.  Four children.

Generation 4: Joseph Cloutman, born about 1748 in Salem; married on 20 June 1770 in Salem to Hannah Becket, daughter of John Becket and Rebecca Beadle.  She was born 17 November 1751 in Salem, and died 18 August 1837 in Salem.  Seven children.

Generation 5: Mary Cloutman, born about 1775 in Salem, died 28 November 1853 in Salem; married on 21 December 1795 in Salem to Abijah Hitchings, son of Abijah Hitchings and Mary Gardner.  He was born about 1775 in Lynn and died 26 July 1868 in Salem.  Eleven children.

Generation 6:  Abijah Hitchings m. Eliza Ann Treadwell
Generation 7:  Abijah Franklin Hitchings m. Hannah Eliza Lewis
Generation 8:  Arthur Treadwell Hitchings m. Florence Etta Hoogerzeil
Generation 9:  Gertrude Matilda Hitchings m. Stanley Elmer Allen (my grandparents)

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ Thomas CLOUTMAN of Salem, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 25, 2017,  (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/03/surname-saturday-thomas-cloutman-of.html: accessed [access date]). 

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Weathervane Wednesday ~ Seen at the Beach

Weathervane Wednesday is an on-going series of photographs I post every week.  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.  This weathervane was photographed and sent in to me by a blog reader.

Today's weather vane is from somewhere in Massachusetts.

Do you know the location of weather vane #303?  Scroll down to see the answer...



Again, reader and fellow genealogy blogger Sara Campbell has sent in another great weathervane photo.  Sara has a summer house in Eastham, Massachusetts (on Cape Cod).  She photographed this heron weathervane seen over the dunes from Campground Beach in Eastham.  This beach is on the bay side of Cape Cod, and is known for its warm, calm water compared to the beaches on the Atlantic side.  

Herons and other wading birds are popular weathervanes for beach houses.  I've seen quite a few in New Hampshire, and we only have 13 miles of coastline! 

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

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ Seen at the Beach", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 26, 2016,  (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/03/weathervane-wednesday-seen-at-beach.html: accessed [access date]).

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Rev. Thomas Weld and wife Elizabeth, Rev. Nathaniel Prentice, early ministers at Nashua, New Hampshire

This tombstone was photographed at the Old Dunstable Burying Ground in Nashua, New Hampshire



REV.
THOMAS WELD
BORN JUNE, 1653;
SETTLED AS
THE FIRST MINISTER
OF THE CHURCH IN 
DUNSTABLE, DEC 1685
PROBABLY MASSACRED
BY THE INDIANS
WHILE DEFENDING THE
SETTLEMENT
JUNE 7, 1702
AEt. 49



REV.
NATH'L PRENTICE
BORN DEC. 1698
SETTLED AS THE
SECOND MINISTER OF
DUNSTABLE 1720
DIED FEB. 25, 1737
AEt. 39


ELIZABETH
WIFE OF
THOMAS WELD
DIED JULY 29,  1687
AEt. 31



The Old Dunstable Burial Ground is located on the Daniel Webster Highway, not far from the Massachusetts border.  The proximity to Massachusetts makes this part of the tax free city of Nashua a busy shopping area.  This impressive tombstone is in the southwest corner of the cemetery, away from the busy traffic and shopping malls on Daniel Webster Highway.  It was erected by the city more than 250 years after the death of Rev. Thomas Weld, the first minister at Dunstable, which became the city of Nashua.

According to the book The History of Nashua, page 176 “That portion of the above inscription which refers to the Rev. Mr. Weld’s being massacred by the Indians is legendary, and probably mythical, as there was no Indian War waging in 1702, nor for several years before or after that date.  It should be corrected.”    The next paragraph also reads: “Mrs. Elizabeth Weld was a daughter of Hon. Edward Tyng.  Her mother’s native place was Dunstable, England, and our Dunstable received its name in compliment to her.”

Rev. Thomas Weld is my 2nd cousin 11 generations removed.  We are both descendants of Edmund Weld (1559 - 1608), a cloth merchant of Sudbury, Suffolk, England.  Edmund's son Joseph Weld (1598 - 1646) was my 11th great grandfather and a settler at Roxbury, Massachusetts.  Joseph's brother, Rev, Thomas Weld (1595 - 1660) was a minister in Roxbury.  His grandson is the Rev. Thomas Weld who became the first minister of the first church at Dunstable.  This congregation still exists as the First Church of Nashua.

Rev. Thomas Weld was born 12 June 1653 in Roxbury, and died 9 June 1702 in Dunstable.  He was married twice, first to Elizabeth Wilson on 9 November 1681.  She was the daughter of John Wilson and Sarah Hooker (daughter of Rev. Thomas Hooker of Hartford, Connecticut).  His second wife was Mary Savage, the daughter of Habijah Savage and Hannah Tyng.  You can see that the book The History of Nashua was wrong about the wife buried here in Nashua with Rev. Weld.

The inscription about the Indian massacre is certainly wrong.  A diary by John Marshall of Dunstable has an entry for 1702 "Mem. on the 11th day of June last, Mr. Thomas Weld, the pastor of the Church of Dunstable was buryed he was an eminent preacher of the word of god, a man well beloued and much Lamented by them that knew him.  His death is justly to be accounted a great Loss to the pouince in genrall and to the poor town of dunstable in particuler.

I previously blogged about Rev. Thomas Weld at this link:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/12/first-church-of-nashua.html   

A PDF from the Nashua Public Library of The History of Nashua,  1897, epitaphs from the Old Dunstable Burying Ground are on pages 175 – 183. 


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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Tombstone Tuesday ~  Rev. Thomas Weld and wife Elizabeth, Rev. Nathaniel Prentice, early ministers at Nashua, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 21, 2017, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/03/tombstone-tuesday-rev-thomas-weld-and.html: accessed [access date]). 

Monday, March 20, 2017

My Grandmother’s Diary ~ Part 15, June 26 – July 7, 1920

1929 Children sleeping on a fire escape
http://www.gettyimages.com/license/514697594

How did people survive sleeping during heat waves before air conditioning?  You can find out how my grandmother survived this in her school girl diary.

This is the 15th 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 little journal.  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.



SAT.  JUNE 26, 1920
Got up at 7.30 had breakfast
went over Mrs Butler’s at 9. Came
home had dinner.  Ethel
came down. Rus and Mr. Lowell
over to supper.  Went up to the
store after supper.  Home all
evening went to bed at 10.30

SUNDAY 27
Got up at 9 had breakfast
went over Mrs. Butler’s at 10.15
came home stayed home all morning
after dinner Mildred and I
went to walk up reservoir
Home all evening went to
bed out in the tent at 9.30.

MONDAY 28
Got up at 6.45. Went
over Butler’s at 9.  Came
home at 1 home all
afternoon reading home
all evening went to bed
in the tent at 10.

NOTE:   In these diary entries Gertrude mentions sleeping in the tent.  This was another version of sleeping outside on a sleeping porch during the hot summer weather.  In the days before air conditioning some people used to set up sleeping pavilions in their back yard.  That must have been fun!

The reservoir she mentions here must be the Folly Hill Reservoir, which was not far from Elliott Street. She mentions her brother Russell, his wife Ethel, her sister Mildred, and the boarder Mr. Lowell who was usually there on weekends.

TUES. JUNE 29, 1920
Got up at 7.45 went
over Butler’s all morning
went downtown for Mrs. B.
Helen and baby up all day
Went up Danvers played tennis
after dinner.  home all evening
and went to bed at 10.30

WEDNESDAY 30
Got up at 7.15 went
over Butler’s all morning
came home at 12.45. After
dinner went to ride with
Ella ??? came home
got supper.  Went out with the
bunch around here.  Bed at 10.30

THURSDAY, JULY 1
Got up at 7.15 went over
Mrs. Butler’s at 8.30 and went
downtown.  Down Ella’s all
afternoon.  After supper went
to walk with the kids
went to bed at 10.15

NOTE:  Gertrude mentions her sister Helen, her friend Ella, and going to work for Mrs. Butler (housework?). 




FRI. JULY 2, 1920
Got up at 7.15 went over
Butler’s all morning.  After
dinner went downtown with
Ida & Eunice got a pair of shoes
Came home at 5. After supper
Went riding with Ella and
Gladys.  Went to bed at 10.

SATURDAY 3
Got up at 7.30 went over to
Mrs. Butler’s all morning
worked home all afternoon
rained hard all day Mr.
Lowell over In the afternoon.
Stayed home all evening and
Read went to bed at 9.30

SUNDAY 4
Got up at 8.30 had break
fast at 9. Home all the morn
ing.  After dinner went to
walk came home at 5.
Stayed up all night watched
Bonfire went to bed at 1 A.M.

NOTE:  Gertrude mentions her friends Ida, Gladys and Ella; and her sister Eunice.  She mentions the boarder Mr. Lowell and working at Mrs. Butler’s house.  On the 4th of July she went to see a bonfire until well after midnight! I wonder if she slept out in the tent that night? 

MON. JULY 5, 1920
Got up at 8.30 went over
to Butler’s home all morning
Ellsworth, Helen & baby up Mr. Lowell
too.  After dinner went
down to Ella’s.  After supper
went to ride.  Came home watched
fireworks went to bed at 10.45

TUESDAY 6
Got up at 7.30 over Mrs.
Butler’s all the morning
Went down Ella’s after dinner
and then went down
town.  After supper went
down Ella’s a while, we
slept in the tent bed at 9.15

WEDNESDAY 7
Got up at 5 had break
fast at 6.45.  Went on the
Sunday school picnic up
to Idlewood had a
swell time home at 8.
Went to bed at 10.

NOTE:   The firework display was on the night after the 4th of July.  She mentions her sister Helen, brother-in-law Ellsworth, friend Ella, and the boarder Mr. Lowell.   Her Sunday school picnic was at Idlewood Park in Wenham where she “had a swell time”.  Gertrude hardly ever mentions church or Sunday school in her diary, but it was an important part of her life growing up.

Click here for another diary entry about Idlewood Park:

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "My Grandmother’s Diary ~ Part 15, June 26 – July 7, 1920", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 20, 2017, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/03/my-grandmothers-diary-part-15-june-26.html: accessed [access date]).