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Monday, April 30, 2018

An 1869 Newspaper Account of the 150th Anniversary of Nutfield, New Hampshire

An old masthead from the Farmer's Cabinet 1802


Transcribed from vintage newspaper The Farmer’s Cabinet, Thursday, June 3, 1869, Amherst, New Hampshire, Volume 67, Issue 46, page 2

CELEBRATION AT DERRY

Londonderry, under the name of Nutfield, was settled in 1719. It comprised the present towns of Londonderry, Derry, Windham, and parts of Manchester, Salem and Hudson.  The citizens of these towns are making arrangements to celebrate the Tri-semi-centennial of settlement, which occurs the present year.  Services in commemoration of “the first planting of Nutfield” and of its Scotch-Irish origin, will be held at Derry, Thursday, June 10th.  In the early morning a procession will be formed at Derry East Village, and march to the depot under the escort of the “Amoskeag Veterans” and the Manchester band.  At Derry Lower Village the procession will be joined by a detachment of the Good Templars, from Londonderry, in regalia.

At 9A.M. there will be a general gathering of the clans at Derry Depot, from the various towns to welcome the arrival of many eminent citizens of Boston and vicinity, of old Londonderry stock, accompanied by Gilmore’s Band, from the “Hub”.  At 10A.M. an oration will be delivered by Hon. Charles Henry Bell, of Exeter, after which a few short, original poems, having historical reference to the occasion will be read. These exercises will be followed by a collation at noon, or shortly after, in a mammoth tent, near the grove on Boyd’s (formerly Doak’s) plains.

In the afternoon there will be addresses from many distinguished gentlemen, whose lives and public services are well known, and from whose ability much may be expected.  Geo. W. Patterson, of New York, will be President of the day, and among the speakers who are expected to entertain the audience, are Horace Greeley, James W. Patterson, of Hanover, N.H., Dr. Wallace and Geo. W. Morrison of Manchester, E. H. Derby of Boston, Rev. J. H. Morrison, of Milton, Mass., and others.”

UPDATE 10:30am 30 April 2018 - according to Manchester historian Aurore Eaton, the "Manchester Band" was very likely the "Manchester Cornet Band" by Edwin Thomas Baldwin, featured in this article from the Manchester Union Leader newspaper yesterday:
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20180430/LOCALVOICES06/180439965


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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "An 1869 Newspaper Account of the 150th Anniversary of Nutfield, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 30, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/04/an-1869-newspaper-account-of-150th.html: accessed [access date]).

Sunday, April 29, 2018

May 2018 Genealogy and Local History Event Calendar




For last minute updates, see the “Nutfield Genealogy” Facebook page at this link:  https://www.facebook.com/nutfield.gen/    Please send new events to me by commenting here at the end of this post, or email vrojomit@gmail.com


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April 29, Sunday, 10am – 7pm,  The 2018 Little Poland Event, 202 Broad Street, New Britain, Connecticut.  Folk dancing, live music, food, shopping, costumes and family fun!  Free to the public courtesy of the Polonia Business Association and other sponsors. https://littlepolandfest.com/  

May 1, Tuesday, 7pm, Antiquarian America:  Isaiah Thomas and the Ends of History, at the American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts.  A public lecture by professor Peter Onuf.  Doors open at 6:30pm, we encourage you to arrive early to claim a seat.  Free to the public. Book signing.

May 2, Wednesday, 10am, New Visitor Tour of the New England Historic Genealogical Society Library, at 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts. FREE to the public.  Attendees are welcome to use the library following the tour.  No registration necessary. 

May 2, Wednesday, 6:30 pm, Work and Employment in Late 18th Century Boston, at the Old North Church & Historic Site, 193 Salem, Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Presented by professor Christopher Clark. Reception to follow the lecture.  Donations accepted.

May 2, Wednesday, 7pm, Abby Hutchinson’s Sweet Freedom Songs:  Songs and Stories of the Struggle for Abolition and Woman Suffrage, at the First Baptist Church, 122 Main Street, Plaistow, New Hampshire.  Presented by living historian Deborah Anne Goss.  Free to the public.

May 3, Thursday, noon, Lunch and Learn:  An Atlantic Life: Reconsidering the “Lord of Misrule”, Thomas Morton, at Plimoth Plantation, 137 Warren Avenue, Plymouth, Massachusetts.  Bring your lunch.  $8 non-members. Presented by Dr. Charlotte Carrington-Farmer, Professor at Roger Williams University. http://www.plimoth.org/learn/programs-adults

May 3, Thursday, 6:30pm, “If I am Not For Myself, Who Will Be for Me?” George Washington’s Runaway Slave, at the Conway Public Library, 15 Greenwood Avenue, Conway, New Hampshire. Presented by living historian Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti as Oney Judge Staines.  Free to the public.

May 3, Thursday, 6:30pm, Rosie’s Mom: Forgotten Women of the First World War, at the Jaffrey Public Library, 38 Main Street, Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Presented by historian Carrie Brown.  Free to the public.

May 3, 10, 17 and 24, Thursdays, 4pm, Hands-on Genealogy with Alan Doyle Horbal, at the Spitzer Center, Ashland Street in North Adams, Massachusetts.  All students must have an email account and be computer literate. Space is limited. Please sign up for the sessions and please attend all four classes. To register call 413-662-3125.  Free to the public. 


May 4, Friday, 9am – noon, Congrès Mondial Acadien 2019 Information Session, at the American Canadian Genealogical Society, 4 Elm Street, Manchester, New Hampshire. Come learn more about the conference which will be held in Prince Edward Island and Southeast New Brunswick August 10 – 24, 2019. 


May 4 - 6, Friday - Sunday, 30th Annual Scrimshaw Weekend, at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Highway, New Bedford, Massachusetts.  Included with admission. Nautical Antiques Show, presentations, advice on buying and selling, market, and a field trip to see an important private collection.  https://www.whalingmuseum.org/programs/30th-annual-scrimshaw-weekend-2018

May 5, Saturday, 10am, Rosedale Cemetery Tour with the Gravestone Girls, starting at the Crowell Chapel, School Street, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts.  Members $5, Guests $10.  Purchase ticket ahead at the Manchester Historical Museum. http://manchesterhistoricalmuseum.org/events/

May 5, Saturday, 10 – 4pm, The Heifer Parade at the Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road, Canterbury, New Hampshire.  The parade is at 11am, the day the heifers are released to the meadows.  This is the only day of the year the historic shaker village is open to the public FREE for self guided tours. Guided tours at 11am and 2pm for $10.  Music, food, children’s activities, May Pole dancing, craft exhibits, and more. Family friendly. 

May 5, Saturday, Vintage Base Ball and Sheep Shearing Festival, at the Spencer-Peirce – Little Farm, 5 Little’s Lane, Newbury, Massachusetts. See this link for tickets and information: http://shop.historicnewengland.org/SPL-BASEBALL-1-7146/  Members free, nonmembers $5. 

May 5 and 6, French and Indian War Encampment at the Fort at No. 4, Charlestown, New Hampshire.  http://fortat4.org/calendar.php  

May 5, Saturday, 7pm, Wicked Revelry, at the Lexington Depot, 13 Depot Square, Lexington, Massachusetts. Sponsored by the Lexington Historical Society.  An over 21 event.  A night in the 17th century with a bawdy singalong of "The Begger's Opera".  Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages included $15 members $20 non members.  Cash bar.  Tickets here:  http://www.lexingtonhistory.org/store/p199/Wicked_Revelry.html 

May 6, Sunday, 1pm, Living “Embarkation” Tableau at Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, Massachusetts.  Free with museum admission.  Join the museum staff in a historical tableau.  They will recreate a live scene from Charles Lucy’s monumental painting “Embarkation of the Pilgrims”.  Bring your own accessories and help stage a living tableau in the Museum with the original painting as a backdrop! 

May 6, Sunday, 1 – 5pm, Norwalk World War I Digitization Day, at the Mill Hill Historic Park, 2 East Wall Street, Norwalk, Connecticut.  Please register at www.norwalkhistoricalsociety.org or call 203-846- 0525. Bring your WWI related items (photos, letters, documents and souvenirs) to be digitized and included in the Connecticut Digital Archive. Free to the public. Family friendly.

May 6, Sunday, 2pm, New England’s Colonial Meetinghouses and their Impact on American Society, at the Ray-Fre Senior Center, 64 Main Street, Raymond, New Hampshire. Presented by Paul Wainwright.  Free to the public.

May 6, Sunday, 3pm, Songs of World War 1: Andover Choral Society Spring Concert, at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 50 Bartlett Street, Andover, Massachusetts.  The Andover Choral Society will tell the story of the war’s impact through popular songs.  Purchase tickets at this link: http://andoverchoralsociety.org/concerts/songs-of-world-war-i/

May 8, Tuesday, 7pm, New England Quilts and the Stories They Tell, at the Cornish Meetinghouse, Meetinghouse Drive, Cornish Flat, New Hampshire.  Presented by Pam Weeks. Participants are invited to bring one quilt for identification or story sharing. Free to the public.

May 9, Wednesday, 6pm, A History of Massachusetts Aviation, at the Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public. Frederick R. Morin and John Galluzo present the history of aviation in the Commonwealth.  

May 9, Wednesday, 7pm, A Taste of the Old Country in the New:  Franco-Americans of Manchester, at the Parish of the Transfiguration Parish Hall, 107 Alsace Street, Manchester, New Hampshire. Presented by Robert Perreault.  Free to the public.

May 9, Wednesday, 8pm, Coming to America, Then and Now with Marjan Kamali, at the Cary Memorial Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, Massachusetts. Free to the public. Panelists of Chinese, German, Indian, Iranian, Japanese, Korean, and Russian heritage will speak to their experience.  Author Marjan Kamali will moderate. 

May 10, Thursday, 1pm, Liberty is Our Motto! Songs and Stories of the Hutchinson Family, at the Rye Congregational Church, 580 Washington Road, Rye, New Hampshire. Presented by musician and storyteller Steve Blunt.  Free to the public.

May 10, Thursday, 6 - 9pm, Two Genealogy Lectures: 1.) ABCs of DNA and 2.) Finding Uncle Frank: Confirming the Identity of a Soldier buried under the Wrong Name, at the Country Club of Pittsfield, 639 South Street, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Sponsored by the Berkshire Family History Association. A free raffle is included.  Preregistration and a fee of $10 to cover the cost of the program and refreshments.  By joining the BFHA ($12/year) you will receive free admission.  To register call 413-743-2732 or email bfhainc@gmail.com  

May 10, Thursday, 6:30pm,  Robert Rogers of the Rangers, at the Kimball Library, 5 Academy Avenue, Atkinson, New Hampshire.  Presented by historian George Morrison.  Free to the public.

May 10, Thursday, 6:30pm, Family Stories:  How and Why to Remember and Tell Them, at the Brookline Public Library, 16 Main Street, Brookline, New Hampshire. Presented by storyteller Jo Radner who will share foolproof ways to mine memories and interview relatives for meaningful stories. Free to the public.

May 11, Friday, 9am – 3:30pm, Leading Locally:  Preservation Management Strategies that Work, at the Town Hall Meeting Room, 261 George Ryder Road, Chatham, Massachusetts. Historic New England members $15, nonmembers $20.  See this link for more information, schedule and registration: http://shop.historicnewengland.org/HH-PRESERVATION-9911/  

May 11, Friday, 1pm, and May 12, Saturday at 10am, Lowell Cemetery Tour, meet up at the cemetery entrance on Lawrence Street, in Lowell, Massachusetts. Led by local historian and Register of Deeds, Richard Howe, Jr. Free to the public, no reservations necessary.  Free parking inside the cemetery. Wear comfortable shoes and bring an umbrella.  978-454-5191.  

May 11, Friday, noon, Tips and Trick of Deciphering German Handwriting, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society Library, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public. Register here:  http://my.americanancestors.org/single/eventDetail.aspx?p=514  

May 12, Saturday, 1:30pm, An Illustrated Genealogical Trip through the British Isles, at the Acton Memorial Library, 486 Main Street, Acton, Massachusetts.  Sponsored by the Middlesex Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists. Presented by genealogist Dave Backus.  Free to the public.

May 12, Saturday, 9:30am – 2pm, The Hacking Heritage Unconference, at Brown University, 305 Pembroke Hall, 172 Meeting Street, Providence, Rhode Island.  http://blogs.brown.edu/hackingheritageunconference/   Heritage.  Who owns it?  How do we use it?  How do we change it?

May 12 and 13, Saturday and Sunday, Dartmouth Powwow 2018, on the Dartmouth University Campus, Hanover, New Hampshire. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~nap/powwow/

May 12, Saturday, 1-4 pm, Hands-On History Workshop: Weaving, at the Tsongas Industrial History Center, 115 John Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. Learn to weave on a loom.  Free to the public.  Drop in any time. Family friendly.

May 12, Saturday, 1:30 pm, An Illustrated Genealogical Trip through the British Isles, at the Acton Memorial Library 486 Main Street, Acton, Massachusetts.  Presented by Dave Backus, and sponsored by the Middlesex Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists.  Free to the public.  http://msoginc.org 

May 14, Monday, 6:30pm, Historic New England:  A Tour of the Region’s Top 100 National Landmarks, at the Langley-Adams Library, 185 Main Street, Groveland, Massachusetts.  A slide show with authors Patricia Harris and David Lyon who will discuss their new book. Book signing, book sale.  Free to the public.

May 15, Tuesday, 1pm, “Two Cape Ann Shipwrecks” A Film Presented by the Danvers Historical Society, at Tapley Memorial Hall, 13 Page Street, Danvers, Massachusetts. $5 suggested donation.  For more information call 978-777-2711.

May 15, Tuesday, 7pm, New England Lighthouses and the People Who Kept Them, at the Corner Meetinghouse, 16 Sargent Street, Belmont, New Hampshire. Presented by author Jeremy D’Entremont.  Free to the public.

May 15, Tuesday, 7pm, Indian Wars of New England, at the John O’Leary Adult Community Center, 4 Church Street, Merrimack, New Hampshire.  Presented by historian and author Michael Tougias.  Free to the public.

May 16, Wednesday, 6:30pm, Civil War Presentation at the Bedford Public Library, 3 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the Bedford Historical Society.  Presented by living historians Jess and Maryann Whitten.  Light refreshments.  Free to the public.

May 16, Wednesday, 6:30pm, The Music History of French Canadians, Franco Americans, Acadians, and Cajuns, at the American Independence Museum, Exeter, New Hampshire. Free to the public, presented by Lucie Therrien from a grant by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.  Space is limited and reservations are encouraged events@independencemuseum.org 

May 17, Thursday, 7pm, Mom’s World War II Letters, at the Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main Street, Watertown, Massachusetts. Presented by Corinne H. Smith, who found her mother’s stash of over 100 letters from 16 servicemen she had corresponded with 1944 – 1945.  Free to the public. http://momswwiiletters.blogspot.com/

May 17, Thursday, 7pm, Poor Houses and Town Farms:  The Hard Row for Paupers, at the Stephenson Memorial Library, Wensburg Room, 761 Forest Road, Greenfield, New Hampshire. Presented by Steve Taylor. Free to the public.

May 18, 19, 20, Roots 2018: An International Conference on Family History, presented by the Quebec Family History Society at McGill University, New Residence Hall, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. For more information www.qfhs.ca

May 18, Friday, 10am – 4pm, Military History Expo, at 645 S. Main Street, Orange, Massachusetts.  Tickets available:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/military-history-expo-tickets-43735988519  20 acres of military vehicles, equipment, and 250 re-enactors from the Revolutionary War to Modern Day impressions.  Vendors for food and militaria will be on site.  Continued on Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20th with battles at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.  Rain or shine. No refunds.

May 19, Saturday, 8am – 1pm, The 2018 Vintage Yard Sale, at 300 Main Street, Hopkinton, New Hampshire.  Sponsored by the Hopkinton Historical Society.  A great selection of antique and vintage artwork, household items, tools, furniture and much more.

May 19, Saturday, Blaine Bettinger (Genetic DNA expert) at the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord, New Hampshire.  Continental breakfast and lunch served, $35 members, $50 non-members.  Register here:  http://nhsog.org/nhsog/mtgs/2018spring.htm  

May 19, Saturday, 9am, Genealogical Society of Vermont 2018 Meeting at the Middletown Springs Historical Society, 4 Park Avenue, Middletown Springs, Vermont.  Luncheon included. http://www.genealogyvermont.org/upcoming.htm  

May 19, Saturday, 10am - 2pm, The PotatoFest 2018, at the First Parish Church, 47 East Derry Road, East Derry, New Hampshire.  Celebrate Derry's heritage as the location of America's first cultivated Irish potato with free activities and fun for all!  Sponsored by the Friends of the Meetinghouse at First Parish, and the Derry History Museum. 

May 19, Saturday, 11am, Connecticut Society of Genealogists Program, at the Casa Mia Restaurant at the Hawthorne Inn, 2421 Berlin Turnpike, Berlin, Connecticut.  Come celebrate our 50th anniversary.  Registration a 11am, brief business meeting and lunch, and a presentation by Walter Woodward.  Call the CSG office at 860-569-0002 or email csginc@csginc.org 

May 19, Saturday, 11am, Take a Tour Back in History: Visit Hartford’s Oldest Historic Site “The Stone Carver’s Art” at the Ancient Burial Ground, Gold and Main Street, Hartford, Connecticut.  Tours start at 11am. Free.  Call 860-337-1670.  Also Weekday Tours, Noon – 2pm in July and August, Free, contact abgatours@gmail.com or 860-690-9150. 

May 19, Saturday, 11am – 4pm,  Show ‘Em Whatcha Got: Mass Memories Road Show, at the UMass Boston Campus, hosted by Massachusetts Hip Hop Archive, the Mass Memories Road Show and the Boston Public Library. This event is for Massachusetts residents to bring their family photos and memories to be digitized and included in the Mass Memories archive. Contributors will also receive advice from professional archivists and historians on dating and caring for family photos. Family friendly. Bring 3 items (photos, flyers, posters, costumes, tapes, CDs, LPs) to be scanned, photographed and returned.

May 19, Saturday, 2:30pm, Opening of East Windsor’s 1968 Time Capsule, at the East Windsor Town Hall, Broad Brook, Connecticut.  Hosted by the East Windsor 250 Anniversary Celebration. Music and light refreshments.

May 20, Sunday, 2pm, Genealogy Workshop:  Using Deeds in Genealogy, A Goldmine of Information, at the Hilton Garden Inn Room of the Portsmouth Public Library, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Free to the public. Presented by Dr. Carol P. McCoy.

May 20, Sunday, 2pm, School Days: Connecticut Schoolhouses Through Time, at the Mill Hill Historic Park, 2 East Wall Street, Norwalk, Connecticut.  Hosted by the Norwalk Historical Society, and presented by author Melinda K. Elliott.  $3 for teachers, $5 for general public.  Tickets available online at www.norwalkhistoricalsociety.org 

May 20, Sunday, 2pm, New England Quilts and the Stories They Tell, at the Deerfield Town Hall, Church Street, Deerfield, New Hampshire.  Presented by Pam Weeks. Participants are invited to bring one quilt for identification or story telling.  Free to the public.

May 22, Tuesday, 7pm, A Walk Back in Time:  The Secrets of Cellar Holes, at the Court Street Arts Alumni Hall, 75 Court Street, Haverhill, New Hampshire.  Presented by Adair Mulligan.  Free to the public.

May 22, Tuesday, 7pm, A Taste of the Old Country in the New:  Franco Americans of Manchester, at the Merrimack Public Library, 470 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, New Hampshire. Presented by Robert Perreault.  Free to the public.

May 23, Wednesday, 6pm, The East Boston Immigration Center Project, at the Commonwealth Salon, Boston Public Library in Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Presented by Lisa Berenson, who will discuss the initiative to transform and restore a former Jewish mortuary chapel into a state-of-the-art exhibit hall on the history of immigration in the Boston area. Free to the public.

May 25, Friday, 6pm, Historic Portsmouth Legends and Ghost Walk, at New England Curiosities, 19 Sheafe Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. A 90 minute walking tour of the city’s 13 most active downtown haunts. Tickets available at www.newenglandcuriosities.com 

May 26, Saturday, 2pm, Poor Houses and Town Farms:  The Hard Row for Paupers, at the Bath Public Library, 4 Lisbon Road, Bath, New Hampshire. Presented by historian Steve Taylor. Free to the public.

May 26, Saturday, 10am – 2pm, Lilac Festival at the Wentworth Coolidge Mansion Historic Site, 375 Little Harbor Road, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Free tours of the mansion, guided walk on the Little Harbor Trail, and a scavenger hunt for kids.  Bring a picnic! Family friendly.

May 28, Monday, 11am, Vanished Veterans – New Hampshire’s Civil War Monuments and Memorials, at the Groton Town House, 754 North Groton Road, Groton, New Hampshire. Presented by George Morrison.  Free to the public.

May 29, Tuesday, 7:30pm, New England Quilts and the Stories They Tell, at the Gilmanton Old Town Hall, 1800 NH Route 140, Gilmanton Iron Works, New Hampshire.  Presented by Pam Weeks. Participants are invited to bring one quilt for identification or story sharing.  Free to the public.

May 31, Thursday, 6:30pm, Activating Historic Sites in Dorchester, at the Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Kathy Kottaridis of Historic Boston, and local activist Noah Hicks will describe efforts to revitalize and repurpose historic sites in Dorchester. Free to the public, please register here:  https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3322657 

June 1, Friday, noon, American Passage:  The History of Ellis Island, a First Friday lecture at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Presented by Dr. Vincent J. Cannato.  Free to the public.

June 2 and 3, Saturday and Sunday, Scottish Heritage Weekend: Culloden at the Fort at No. 4, Charlestown, New Hampshire. This event includes a battle re-enactment.  Family Friendly.  Included with admission to the fort.  http://fortat4.org/calendar.php  

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Looking ahead:

June 19 – 24, 2018 Annual Conference and Meeting for the Association of Gravestone Studies, at Danbury Connecticut.  Lectures, demonstrations, exhibits, conservation and documentation workshops, classroom sessions, slide presentations, and guided cemetery tours.  See the website for more information https://www.gravestonestudies.org/conference/register

July 7, Saturday, History Camp Boston, at Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Massachusetts.  and History Camp Weekend http://historycamp.org/boston 

 July 14, Saturday, 10am – 4pm, 28th Annual American Independence Festival, hosted by the American Independence Museum, 1 Governor’s Lane, Exeter, New Hampshire. Battle re-enactments, colonial artisans, children’s activities, cannon firings, crafts, music, food and more.  Check out the website for more information:  https://www.independencemuseum.org/american-independence-festival/




August 14 – 16 Scots Irish Reunion:  Bringing the Ulster Diaspora To Life, at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine. Hosted by the St. Andrews Society of Maine and the Maine Ulster Scots Project. Visit www.maineulsterscots.com for more information.


August 19 and 19, Saturday and Sunday, Living History Event, at Historic Hillsborough, New Hampshire. http://livinghistoryeventnh.com/ This action packed weekend is held at four locations in the town of Hillsborough, New Hampshire.  2018 is the 10th anniversary! “George Washington” will be in attendance, along with battle re-enactors, musicians, sutlers, crafts, food, children’s activities and more. Tour the Franklin Pierce homestead, wagon rides, trolley tours, etc. Tickets available online through August 18th, and on location on the day of the event for cash only. Proceeds to benefit the Hillsborough Historical Society.


13 September, Thursday – Saturday, The 2018 New York State Family History Conference, at Tarrytown, New York.  More information coming soon.


September 22, Saturday – The Fall Conference of the American Canadian Genealogical Society, to be held at the Puritan Back Room, Manchester, New Hampshire.


September 22, Saturday – Migration Patterns in America, at the American Independence Museum, Folsom Tavern, 164 Water Street, Exeter, New Hampshire. Part 3 of a Genealogy workshop series sponsored by AIM, NEHGS, and a grant from the Treat Foundation.  $20 members, $30 not-yet-members. Presented by Ann Lawthers, Genealogist from NEHGS.  Part 4 will be November 10th. https://www.independencemuseum.org/workshops/ 

September 22 and 23, 10am – 3pm, Saturday and Sunday, The 14th Annual Portsmouth Fairy House Tour, in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Rain or Shine.  Tickets on sale in July http://www.portsmouthfairyhousetour.com/ or follow on Facebook for the latest news and updates. Proceeds to benefit the historic homes and neighborhood associations of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  More than 250 fairy houses on the grounds of historic Strawbery Banke, the Governor John Langdon House, and in Prescott Park.

September 28 – 30, Old Planters Reunion, at Historic Beverly, 117 Cabot Street, Beverly, Massachusetts.  Save the date!  More information soon!


April 3-6, 2019,  New England Regional Genealogical Conference NERGC in Manchester, New Hampshire at the Radisson Hotel on Elm Street.  http://www.nergc.org/2019-conference/ for more information.

August 10 – 16, 2019, Founders, Fishermen and Family History Cruise, On Holland America’s ms Zaandam, departing Boston on August 10 for a 7 night trip to Canada, ports include Montreal, Quebec City, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island), Sydney, Halifax, Bar Harbor, and Boston, Massachusetts. Speakers include the genealogists Gena Philibert-Ortega, Tami Osmer Mize, and David Allen Lambert. See the website for more information: http://www.oconnelltravel.com/rw/view/38994 


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Saturday, April 28, 2018

Surname Saturday ~ BULLEN of Medfield, Dedham, and Sherborn, Massachusetts

BULLEN house, Sherborn, MA
BULLEN / BULLIN /  BULLEY  / BULLAN

Samuel Bullen (about 1617 - 1691), my 9th great grandfather, is of unknown origins. When he arrived in Massachusetts from England he was an indentured servant to Jonathan Fairbanks of Dedham.  He signed the Dedham Compact in 1639 and he took the freeman's oath in 1641, after his indenture was complete.  He also married Mary Morse in 1641 and owned a house in Dedham by 1646.

When Medfield was settled in 1651 he was one of the first thirteen original settlers.  The town was attacked during King Phillip's War, and 32 houses were burned, including Samuel Bullen's home.  The family relocated to Sherborn to be near Mary's brother, Daniel Morse.  This is when the house on Brush Hill Road was built.

Later, in 1679,  Samuel was able to petition for his losses during the war and he returned to Medfield and rebuilt his house.  He became a Medfield selectman in 1682 and was chosen to be a deacon in 1689.

Samuel Bullen has two grave markers, an original field stone and a memorial erected 100 years later by his descendants in the Vine Lake Cemetery in Medfield, Massachusetts.  You can see photographs at the Find A Grave website at this link:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30823812/samuel-bullen 

His son Ephraim (1653 - 1690), my 8th great grandfather, married Grace Fairbanks, the granddaughter of Jonathan Fairbanks, his father's master during his indentured servitude.  They lived in Sherborn and four children.  I descend from their son John (1686 - 1757), my 7th great grandfather who removed to Brimfield in western Massachusetts.  This is where my lineage daughters out, with their daughter Grace (born 1727) in Brimfield, my 6th great grandmother, who married Ebenezer Healy and removed to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

For more information:

History of the Towns of Sherborn and Holliston, by Rev. Abner Morse

History of the Town of Medfield, Massachusetts 1650 - 1886, by William S. Tilden, 1887, page 334

Memorial of the Morses, by Rev. Abner Morse

New England Historical Genealogical Register,  Volume 83 (1929), pages 291 - 293.

Samuel Bullen and Some of His Descendants, by May Philipps Train, 1941 



My BULLEN genealogy:

Generation 1:  Samuel Bullen, born about 1617 in England, died 16 January 1691/2 in Medfield, Massachusetts; married on 10 August 1641 Medfield to Mary Morse, daughter of Samuel Morse and Elizabeth Jasper.  She was baptized on 13 August 1620 in Redgrave, Suffolk, England and died 14 February 1688 in Sherborn, Massachusetts.  Ten children.

Generation 2:  Ephraim Bullen, born 18 July 1653 in Dedham, died 1690 in Sherborn; married about 1680 to Grace Fairbanks, daughter of Jonas Fairbanks and Lydia Prescott.  She was born 15 September 1663 in Lancaster, Massachusetts, and died 11 August 1689 in Sherborn.  Four children.

Generation 3:  John Bullen, born 22 February 1686 in Sherborn, died 28 January 1757 in Brimfield, Massachusetts; married 31 August 1709 in Sherborn to Sarah Underwood, daughter of Joseph Underwood and Elizabeth Unknown.  She was born 9 February 1687 in Watertown, and died 18 September 1757 in Brimfield.  One known child.

Generation 4:  Grace Bullen, born 1727 in Brimfield; married Ebenezer Healy, son of Paul Healy and Elizabeth Unknown.  He was born 21 January 1708 in Rehoboth, and died 14 February 1777 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.  Eight children.

Generation 5: Comfort Haley m. Abigail Allen
Generation 6: Comfort Healey m. Rebecca Crosby
Generation 7: Joseph Edwin Healy m. Matilda Weston
Generation 8: Mary Etta Healey m. Peter Hoogerzeil
Generation 9: Florence Etta Hoogerzeil m. Arthur Treadwell Hitchings
Generation 10: Gertrude Matilda Hitchings m. Stanley Elmer Allen (my grandparents)


The photo above this blog post is from Wikimedia
John Phelan, "Sawin-Bullen-Bullard House, Sherborn, Massachusetts", Wikimedia, April 2010, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sawin-Bullen-Bullard_House,_Sherborn_MA.jpg 

Click here to read a historic survey by the town of Sherborn on the Bullen House:
https://www.sherbornma.org/sites/sherbornma/files/uploads/52.pdf


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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ BULLEN of Dedham, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 28, 2018, (  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/04/surname-saturday-bullen-of-dedham.html: accessed [access date]).

Friday, April 27, 2018

Please Volunteer for the Honor Roll Project for Memorial Day 2018

Langdon, New Hampshire by Andrea Cheeney 


Please join me in the Honor Roll Project.  Volunteers are taking photos of war memorials and honor rolls, posting them on their blogs and websites, and transcribing the names of all the people listed.  These transcriptions make the names available for search engines, and the names will be available for people searching for family, ancestors and friends.

I started this project in 2010 with the photos of the Londonderry Civil War monument, and then followed with the other war monuments on the town common, Derry’s MacGregor Park and other local honor rolls.  Other bloggers and photographers were invited to participate.  We now have contributions from nearly all the United States, and from five other countries.  The email and comments I have read are truly inspiring, and it makes it well worth the effort to transcribe names when you read how family members found their fathers and grandfathers online, or how families searching their family trees find ancestors who served in the Civil War or World War I. 

"I never knew my ancestor was in the Civil War until I Googled his name and found it on your blog! Thanks so much for your project - Charles Chase" 13 Dec 2011

" Thank you! Aina Bernier- daughter of Ernest Albert Bernier, Jr." 27 Jan 2011

If you would like to participate this year, I will be posting a compilation post of all the participating bloggers on Memorial Day, May 28th, 2018 .  All contributions will be permanently available on the Honor Roll Project website at https://honorrollproject.weebly.com/    Every November for Veteran’s / Armistice Day I publicize this project for more volunteers and contributors, and again in May I publicize the project for Memorial Day .

To participate, leave me a comment below or an email at vrojomit@gmail.com   All you need to do is photograph a local honor roll or war monument, and transcribe the names.  If you have a blog, post the story, photos and transcriptions and send me the permanent link for the Honor Roll Project.  If you don’t have a blog, I can post the photo and names for you and add it to the Honor Roll Project, giving you full credit for the photography and transcription.  Or contact your favorite genealogy blogger, and they would be happy to post your photo and transcription, too. 

This is a simple way of saying “Thank You” to all the veterans in our communities- past and present. 

The Honor Roll Project Page:  https://honorrollproject.weebly.com/

Thursday, April 26, 2018

More about Pulpit Rock in Pelham, New Hampshire

Earlier this month I blogged about this little known and often un-seen plaque along the side of Rt. 38 in Pelham, New Hampshire.
  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/04/a-roadside-plaque-you-have-probably.html

Here is another story about the plaque.  This undated news clipping is from the Pelham, New Hampshire Historical Society website:


PULPIT ROCK
------------------
Rock Used as First
Pulpit in Pelham Is
Suitably Inscribed

By E. Harry Crockett

Perhaps one of the most obvious and yet least known spots along the old Bridge street route to Pelham, N.H., is the ancient "Pulpit Rock", Heading towards Pelham, the rock, with a duly engraved bronze plaque, is on the right hand side of the road, perhaps a mile and a half o the Lowell side of Pelham Centre.

The ancient and weather beaten lump of granite, when viewed from a distance has the general appearance of a natural pulpit.  Gazing upon it from below the turn in the road, one can well visualize an early pioneer preacher selecting it as the most appropriate place to stop and from which to preach his sabbath sermon to his stout hearted followers. 

In one's mind, the incident which gave the rock its name so many years ago, is clear and it is a real pleasure for those inclined to thought and who find romance and delightful diversion in delving into the secrets of a generation long past, to just stand at a distance and gaze upon the rock, recontructing the original scene.

The whole story of Pulpit Rock, so far as it is known to historians, is told in the inscription to which the bronze plaque, affixed to the rock in 1932 by the Pelham, N.H. Ladies Club, bears.

The inscription reads:  "Pulpit Rock marks the site where the first sermon preached in what is now Pelham, N.H. on a Sunday in April 1719, by Rev. James McGregor, when with other pioneers enroute for permanent settlement, stopped here to keep the sabbath".  

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This news clipping was found at the website for the Pelham Historical Society.  They have a fantastic website called the Hayes Genoter History and Genealogy on-line Library, which has many great features- vital records, town histories, photos, town reports, etc. If you have Pelham ancestors you are in luck!   One fun feature of this collection is called "Aunt Molly's Scrap Book".   Molly Edna Hobbs (born 1875) was the first librarian in Pelham, and she started a large scrap book in 1892 and kept it up for 65 years.  This is one of the scanned items from her on-line scrap book collection:



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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "More about Pulpit Rock in Pelham, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 26, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/04/more-about-pulpit-rock-in-pelham-new.html: accessed [access date]).

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Where did Watson and Crick hang out when not working on DNA?

April 25th is National DNA Day!


While we were on our trip to England with the Mayflower Society Historic Sites tour, we went to Cambridgeshire, home of passenger John Howland, who was born in Fenstanton.  Nearby was Cambridge University.  Did you know that passenger William Brewster attended Peterhouse College at Cambridge?  The pastor to the pilgrims, Rev. John Robinson, also received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1596 from Corpus Christi College, and in 1599 he earned a Master of Arts.  Robinson is my 11th great grandfather on both my maternal and paternal sides of the family tree. 


The Eagle pub is owned by Corpus Christi College.  In the rear of this building is the RAF bar, where pilots used to hang out during World War II.  It is covered with military insignia and graffiti from the era.  Do you know who used to hang out here after the war?  Francis Crick and James Watson used to have lunch here, and on 28 February 1953 they stood up in the bar and announced their discovery!  We celebrate DNA Day as April 25 because on that day in 1953 they published their discovery in the journal Nature.  I rather like the pub story better!



And so, because Vincent is an Aero Space engineer, and because I'm a genealogist, we decided to have lunch at the Eagle pub, too.  Here are the photos of our visit.  Happy DNA Day! 




A special beer on tap in the RAF bar


This plaque marks the table where Watson and Crick used to sit:

The Eagle Cambridge
Discovery of DNA
On this spot, on February 28, 1953, Francis Crick
and James Watson made the first public
announcement of the discovery of DNA with the
words "We have discovered the secret of life".
Throughout their early partnership Watson & Crick
dined in this room on six days every week.





We enjoyed a pint or two of the DNA ale!

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Where did Watson and Crick hang out when not working on DNA?", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 25, 2018,  ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/04/where-did-watson-and-crick-hang-out.html: accessed [access date]).

Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Historical Society Display

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

Today's weather vane was photographed in New Hampshire.

Do you know the location of weathervane post #360?  Scroll down to find the answer.


early morning photo into the sun

Photographed in the shade, the gilding on this weathervane really pops! 

The horse weathervane is installed above a barn


This unique ox weathervane was found inside the barn photographed above



And this running horse weathervane was found in another building nearby
It looks like the one on the top of the barn. 



These three weathervanes were all photographed at the New London Historical Society in New London, New Hampshire.  This society maintains a lovely little "village" of buildings full of interesting displays, including the 1795 Griffin barn seen in the second photograph above.  The Griffin barn originally had an antique "Gabriel" weathervane (angel with a horn) that was stolen in the 1970.  The gilded horse is a reproduction installed in 2006.

Inside the Griffin barn was a display of farm implements and sleighs, and this wonderful ox weathervane.  The ox is two dimensional, but his horns are three dimensional, and he sports a wonderful green patina of age.  This ox came from a dairy farm in Massachusetts according to the email I received from the New London Historical Society.  One glance at this weathervane confirms that this an ox, not a dairy cow or bull.



We found another horse weathervane inside the Transportation building.  This second horse, see above, looks like an antique that was used as a model for the 2006 reproduction. My inquiry to the New London Historical Society did not confirm this.  This running horse also serves as a symbol of the society on their logo and on their website.  Both horses are similar, right down to the open mouth and the peg holding up the rear leg.

New London Historical Society:   http://www.newlondonhistoricalsociety.org/

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Historical Society Display", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 25, 2018, (   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/04/weathervane-wednesday-historical.html: accessed [access date]).