Friday, August 31, 2018

History Buffs Tour The Hubbard Varney Mansion in Manchester, New Hampshire

The Hubbard Varney house last night

Hubbard Varney House, photo from the Manchester Historic Association

Built in 1867 by Thomas Russell Hubbard, this Italianate Villa is for sale in Manchester, New Hampshire.  Last night, the generous owner of this lovely home gave a tour to several members of the local history group “All About Manchester; Manchester, NH Old and New” from Facebook.  The owners have lived here in this house for 17 years and have lovingly restored it.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it also won the Preservation Award from the Manchester Historic Association.

The house was owned by the former Mayor of Manchester, David Varney through the 1800s, and the music teachers George and Sophie Gerassi in the 1900s.  There have only been four owners of this historic property.




Not only did the owner of this house give us a great tour, including all the nooks and crannies in the attic, hidden store rooms, crawl spaces, and the turret, but he gave us all the details on the restoration which included such specific minutia as milling replacement trim for the interior from trees from the same forest as the original woodwork so it would match.  Or hiring a museum specialist to advise the exterior color scheme. For a bunch of history buffs, this was a thrilling tour!

The former music room

The music room as it looked when the Gerassi family lived here

The Dining Room 2018

The Gerassi family dining room

The owners have a collection of newsclippings, letters, photographs
and other ephemera related to their 1867 house
This bed and some of the other furniture is original to the house.

The attic is a fantastic playroom for kids, with several
hidden storage areas and secret access to space between the floors

A view of the Ash Street School from a third floor window

The fourth floor turret 


Are you interested in living in a house like this? Contact the Realtor Keller Williams Realty Metro at 603-232-8282

If you love the history of Manchester, New Hampshire, please join the Facebook group "All About Manchester: Manchester, NH Old and New"  at this link:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1562051994040817/



More for the truly curious:


A very cool virtual tour:

A regular video of this property:



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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "History Buffs Tour The Hubbard Varney Mansion in Manchester, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 31, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/08/history-buffs-tour-hubbard-varney.html: accessed [access date]). 

Thursday, August 30, 2018

September 2018 Genealogy and Local History 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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August 30, Thursday, 7pm, New England Quilts and the Stories They Tell, at the Ashland Community Church Hall, 57 Main Street, Ashland, New Hampshire.  Presented by Pam Weeks and the New Hampshire Humanities Council.  Participants are invited to bring one quilt for identification and/or story sharing.  Hosted by the Ashland Historical Society.  Free to the public. This program is held in conjunction with an exhibit at the Whipple House Museum.

September 1 at 1pm and 3pm, September 2 at 1pm,  Rocking the Cradle, at Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts.  Hosted by the Boston African American National Historic Site and Boston National Historic Park.  In May 1854 Anthony Burns was arrested under the Fugitive Slave Law, and a meeting was held at Faneuil Hall with over 5,000 Bostonians in attendance.  Please join up with a re-enactment of this historic debate surrounding the Fugitive Slave Law.  Free to the public. 30 minutes long. Family Friendly. 

September 1, Saturday, 3pm, “If I am Not for Myself, Who Will Be For Me?” George Washington’s Runaway Slave, at the Governor John Langdon House, 143 Pleasant Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Portrayed by Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti.  There will be a special guided tour from 2-3pm, starting from the Portsmouth Waterfront where Ona Judge landed after escaping from George Washington.  You will be taken to sights where she might have found refuge in the Portsmouth Community. The tour will end at the Gov. Langdon House Museum with the living history performance will begin at 3pm. Free to the public.

September 1 and 2, Saturday and Sunday, Militia Weekend, at Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, Massachusetts.  Cannon and musket demonstrations, martial music, target shooting, and sham battles.  Included with admission to the museum.

September 4, Tuesday, 7pm, New England Disease and Epidemics That Affected Your Ancestors, at the Chelmsford Public Library, Chelmsford, Massachusetts.  Hosted by the Chelmsford Genealogy Club, and presented by Lori Lyn Price.  Free and open to the public.

September 5, Wednesday, 10am, New Visitor Tour of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Free orientation and tour.  You do not have to be a member.  No registration necessary.  Tour attendees are welcome to use the library following the tour.

September 5, Wednesday, 10am, New England Lighthouses and the People Who Kept Them, at the Marion Gerrish Community Center, 39 West Broadway, Derry, New Hampshire.  Free to the public. Presented by lighthouse historian Jeremy D’Entremont.  Hosted by the Amoskeag Mills Questers with a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

September 5, Wednesday, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music, at the Holderness Free Library, 866 US Route 3, Holderness, New Hampshire.  Presented by musician Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki with his fiddle and guitar.  Free to the public.

September 5, Wednesday, 6pm, Paul Revere Chapter, NSDAR, at the NEHGS Library, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free.  Join the Paul Revere Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for the September meeting.  Learn more about joining DAR and meet the members.  Contact darpaulrevere@gmail.com with questions. 

September 6, Thursday, noon,  An Old Book Made New:  The Illustrated Story of How Mayflower II Was Built, a part of the lunch and learn series at Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, Massachusetts.  Bring your lunch and listen to speakers Thomas Begley and Rachel Perez to hear the story of the construction of the Mayflower II and how they revived the original book.  Register here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lunch-learn-an-old-book-made-new-the-illustrated-story-of-how-mayflower-ii-was-built-thomas-begley-tickets-48801527683  

September 6, Thursday, 7pm, Tavern Talk: “Re-Reading the Declaration of Independence: America’s Sacred Document as a Rhetorical Argument”, at the American Independence Museum, Folsom Tavern, 164 Water Street, Exeter, New Hampshire.  Free to the public.  Presented by Professor James Farrell.

September 7, Friday, 3pm, Meet Lucy Stone:  Enter the Antebellum World of the Abolition and Woman’s Rights Movements, at the Meredith Bay Colony Club, 21 Upper Mile Point Drive, Meredith, New Hampshire.  Presented by living historian Judith Black as Lucy Stone.  Free to the public.

September 7, Friday, noon, Genealogical Resources at the New Hampshire Historical Society, meet at the NEHGS Library at 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public. No registration necessary.  

September 7, Friday, 7pm, A Visit with Abraham Lincoln, at the Madbury Town Hall, 13 Town Hall Road, Madbury, New Hampshire. Hosted by the Madbury Historical Society with a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities council.  Living Historian Steve Wood will portray the President.  Free to the public.

September 8, Saturday, 11am, Take a Tour Back in History: Visit Hartford’s Oldest Historic Site “Veterans of the American Revolution” 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. 

September 8, Saturday, 1:30pm, “The Adopted, the Illegitimate, and DNA”, by the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists Middlesex Chapter, meeting up at the Acton Memorial Library, 486 Main Street, Acton, Massachusetts. Presented by genealogist Michael Maglio.  Free to the public.  For more information http://www.msoginc.org 

September 9, Sunday, Manchester Bike Tour, all around Manchester, New Hampshire.  A 30 mile scenic bike tour of historic and natural attractions, including rest stops, bike support, lunch, and admission to the New Hampshire Aviation Museum and the Weston Observatory.  Snacks and tee shirt courtesy of the Puritan Backroom.  Proceeds to benefit the Manchester Conservation Fund.  Information and registration here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2018-manchester-bike-tour-tickets-48276368919  Family Friendly.  

September 9, Sunday, 1:30pm, DNA Interest Group, at the American Canadian Genealogical Society, 4 Elm Street, Manchester, New Hampshire.  Members free, non-members $5.  Ample parking and wifi available. Questions, please email acgs@acgs.org with DNA in the subject line. Recommended reading “Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine T. Bettinger.  Recommended website https://isogg.org/

September 9, Sunday, 1-2:30pm, The Road to Woman’s Rights, at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  A walking tour of the graves of those who took part in helping women gain the right to vote. Click here for tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-road-to-womans-rights-tickets-43509978517?aff=efbeventtix 

September 10, Monday, 6pm, Boston, England:  Then (1618) and Now (2018), a the Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  A panel discussion hosted by the Partnership of Historic Bostons.  Please register at this website https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-england-then-1618-and-now-2018-registration-48606580591  

September 10, Monday, 7pm,  Genealogy Research Using Ancestry - Part 1, at the conference room in the Milton Public Library, Milton, Massachusetts. Presented by Linda MacIver, educator, lecturer, librarian and genealogy researcher.  Space limited to 10 patrons.  Sign up at this link for this two part course:   http://www.eventkeeper.com/mars/xpages/xp_newpopevent.cfm?zeeOrg=MILTONPL&EventID=5665745&sw=1920   

September 11, Tuesday, 6:30pm, Andiamo!  Finding Your Italian Family, at the Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem Square, Worcester, Massachusetts.  Hosted by the Worcester Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists.  Presented by Margaret Fortier.  Free to the public, bring a friend!  

September 11, Tuesday, 7pm, Robert Rogers of the Rangers, at the Elkins Public Library, 9 Center Road, Canterbury, New Hampshire.  Presented by George Morrison with a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council.  Free to the public.

September 12, Wednesday,  6pm, Desire and the Body of Liberties, at the Boston Public Library, Rabb Auditorium, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by Elon Cook Lee who will discuss the first slave ship to enter Boston, and the lives of those Africans in Massachusetts, and sponsored by the Partnership of Historic Bostons to commemorate Boston Charter Day.  Free to the public.

September 12, Wednesday, 6pm, Boston’s Massacre, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Tickets at www.masshist.org   Presented by author Eric Hinderaker of the University of Utah as he presents his new book.  $10 per person.  Pre-talk reception at 5:30.

September 12, Wednesday, 7pm, New England Lighthouses and the People Who Kept Them, at the Paul Memorial Library, 76 Main Street, Newfields, New Hampshire.  Free to the public. Presented by lighthouse historian Jeremy D’Entremont.  Hosted by the Amoskeag Mills Questers with a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

September 13 - 15, Thursday – Saturday, The 2018 New York State Family History Conference, at Tarrytown, New York.  More at the website https://nysfhc.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/ 

September 13, Thursday, 11:30 - 1pm, Irish Genealogy Special Interest Group, at the Wolfeboro Public Library, 259 South Main Street, Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.  Sponsored by the Lakes Region Genealogy Interest Group.  Presented by Norma Milne. All are welcome! 

September 13, Thursday, 7pm, A Visit with Queen Victoria, at the Lane Tavern, 520 Sanborn Road (Route 132), Sanbornton, New Hampshire.  Presented by living historian Sally Mummey as Queen Victoria.  Hosted by the Sanbornton Historical Society with a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council. Free to the public.

September 13, Thursday, 7pm, New Hampshire on High:  Historic and Unusual Weathervanes of the Granite State, at the New Boston Community Church, 2 Meetinghouse Hill Road, New Boston, New Hampshire.  Presented by Glenn Knoblock, and hosted by the New Boston Historical Society. Free to the public.

September 13, Thursday, 7pm, “If I am Not For Myself, Who Will Be for Me?” George Washington’s Runaway Slave, at the Wolfeboro Public Library, 259 South Main Street, Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Presented by living historian Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti as Oney Judge Staines.  Free to the public.

September 13, Thursday, 7pm, New England Lighthouses and the People Who Kept Them, at the Blaisdell Memorial Library, 129 Stage Road, Nottingham, New Hampshire.  Free to the public. Presented by lighthouse historian Jeremy D’Entremont.  From a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

September 15 and 16, Living History Weekend with Warner’s Regiment at the Fort at No. 4, Charlestown, New Hampshire.  http://fortat4.org/calendar.php 

September 15, Saturday, 10am, From Slavery to Community Building:  Black Will and Family, at the Old Berwick Historical Society, 2 Liberty Street, South Berwick, Maine. Presented by local author Patricia Q. Wall, Eliot Historical Society member Rosanne Adams, and Berwick residents Paul and Pat Boivert as a panel discussion at the Counting House Museum on the life of Black Will (1660 - 1727) and Black Will, Jr.   

September 16, Sunday, 2pm, Genealogy Workshop: Back to Basics, Genealogy Research, in the Hilton Garden Inn Room at the Portsmouth Public Library, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Contact Nicole Luongo Cloutier nlcloutier@cityofportsmouth.com

September 16, Sunday, 2pm, Abraham and Mary Lincoln:  The Long and the Short of It, at the Southwick Town Hall, 454 College Highway, Southwick, Massachusetts. Presented by living historians Steve and Sharon Wood.  Hosted by the Southwick Historical Society with a grant from the Southwick Cultural Council. For more information 413-569-0436. 

September 17, Monday, 7pm, Poor Houses and Town Farms:  The Hard Row for Paupers, at the Stratham Fire Station, 2 Winnicutt Road, Stratham, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the Stratham Historical Society and presented by Steve Taylor.  Free to the public.

September 18, Tuesday, 6pm, If I Survive, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Presented by Celeste-Marie Bernier of the University of Edinburgh who will present unpublished manuscript letters, essays, speeches and photographs from Frederick Douglass and his sons.  $10 per person fee, register at www.masshist.org/events

September 18, Tuesday, 6:30pm, New England Lighthouses and the People Who Kept Them, at the Exeter Public Library, 4 Chestnut Street, Exeter, New Hampshire.  Free to the public. Presented by lighthouse historian Jeremy D’Entremont.  From a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

September 19, Wednesday, 7pm, New England Quilts and the Stories They Tell, at the First Presbyterian Church, 73 Main Street, Antrim, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the Antrim Grange.  Presented by Pam Weeks.  Participants may bring in one quilt for identification and story telling. Free to the public.

September 19, Wedesneday, 6pm, The Lust for Land and the Roots of King Philip’s War, at St. Paul’s Cathedral, 138 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Hosted by the Partnership of Historic Bostons and presented by professor Lisa Brooks of Amherst College.  Free to the public.  Please register for this event at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-lust-for-land-and-the-roots-of-king-philips-war-registration-48612206418 

September 21, Thursday, noon, Lunch and Learn: “When Shipping Was King:  The Piscataqua Region in Colonial America”, at the American Independence Museum, Folsom Tavern, 164 Water Street, Exeter, New Hampshire. Free to the public. Bring your lunch. Presented by Jeff Bolster.

September 21, Thursday, 5pm, Preservation Stories, a walking tour of Salem, Massachusetts with Jim McAllister hosted by the Essex National Heritage Area and Historic Salem, Inc. Tickets available at www.flipcause.com  

September 22, Saturday, 8am – 4pm – The Fall Conference of the American Canadian Genealogical Society, to be held at The Puritan Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road (Route 28), Manchester, New Hampshire.  Annual meeting, raffles, three speakers – David Vermette, Pierre Gendreau Hetu, and Robert Perrault. $70 members, $90 non-members, includes breakfast and luncheon buffet. See this link for more information  https://acgs.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Fall%20Conference%202018.pdf 

September 5, Saturday, 10am, New Visitor Tour of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Free orientation and tour.  You do not have to be a member.  No registration necessary.  Tour attendees are welcome to use the library following the tour.

September 22, Saturday, 10am, Tour of Mount Calvary Cemetery, meet up at the mausoleum/office parking lot on Goffstown Road, Manchester, New Hampshire.  Tour guided by Dick Duckoff and Matt Labbe of this Franco-American catholic cemetery.  $5 members of the Manchester Historic Association, $10 general public.  Pre-registration required, please call 603-622-7531. 

September 22, Saturday, 10am, The First Three Generations of Puritan Boston: A New Walking Tour, meet up at the Park Street MBTA Station at Boston Common, Boston, Massachusetts. Please register for this tour, as space is extremely limited.  Free to the public.  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-first-three-generations-of-puritan-boston-a-new-walking-tour-registration-48614159259  

September 22, Saturday, Merrimack Valley Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists presents “Finding Ralph: The Story of a Hometown Hero and his WWI Connection to Belgium  at the Georgetown Peabody Library, 1 Maple Street, Georgetown, Massachusetts.  Presented by Eileen Dumont. Free to the public.

September 22, Saturday, Fall Meeting and Conference of the Maine Genealogical Society, at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer, Maine.  Keynote Speaker will be F. Warren Bittner.  Morning and afternoon breakout sessions, luncheon, and the business meeting. Register online at https://maineroots.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2018-Fall-Conference-Registration.pdf 

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, Saturday, 4pm, Historians on Hamilton, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Catherine Allgor of the Mass. Hist. Soc., Lyra Monteiro of Rutgers University, and Joseph M. Adelman of Framingham State University will explore how excitement can be used to inspire the public to look at American history in greater depth.  $10 per person, register on line at www.masshist.org/events  A pre-talk reception at 3:30pm. 

September 22, Saturday, 7pm, Abby Hutchinson, Singer and Poet 1829 - 1892, at the Wear Town Hall, Weare, New Hampshire.  A living history presentation by Deborah Anne Goss, who will appear as Abby Hutchinson Patton and perform anthems, ballads and humorous ditties from the 1840s and 1850s that influenced anti-slavery, women's rights and education for women. Free to the public.  Sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council grant program. Participants will be encouraged to sing along.  

September 22 and 23, French and Indian War Encampment and Scouting Company, at the Pownalborough Courthouse, Pownalbrough, Maine.  Hosted by the Colonial Maine Living History Association.  

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 23, Sunday, 1pm, American Blood in the Fields – King Phillips War (1675 – 1676), at the Lafayette-Durfee House, 94 Cherry Street, Fall River, Massachusetts.  Presented by David Jennings with artifacts, both native and English, of the period. 

September 25, Tuesday, 6pm, New England Quilts and the Stories They Tell, at the Wiggins Memorial Library, 10 Bunker Hill Avenue, Stratham, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the Antrim Grange.  Presented by Pam Weeks.  Participants may bring in one quilt for identification and story telling. Free to the public.

September 25, Tuesday, 6pm, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music, at the Auburn Safety Complex, 55 Eaton Hill Road, Auburn, New Hampshire.  Presented by musician Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki with his fiddle and guitar.  Free to the public.

September 25, Tuesday, 7pm, Robert Rogers of the Rangers, at St. John’s Church Parish Hall, 270 Stark Highway North, Dunbarton, New Hampshire.  Presented by George Morrison with a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council.  Free and open to the public.  

September 25, Tuesday, 7pm, French Canadian (Quebec) Genealogy Research, at the American Legion Post #129, 22 Elm Street, Gardner, Massachusetts.  Hosted by the Central Massachusetts Genealogical Society.  Genealogist Sandra Goodwin, will be speaking aboutFrench Canadian genealogy research.  Non-members are welcome for a $2 donation. http://www.cmgso.org/ . 

September 26, Wednesday, 6pm, Massachusetts in the Woman’s Suffrage Movement, at the Boston Public Library, Commonwealth Salon, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by author Barbara F. Berenson.  Free to the public.

September 26, Wednesday, 6:30pm, A Visit with Queen Victoria, at the Derry Public Library, 64 East Broadway, Derry, New Hampshire.  Presented by living historian Sally Mummey as Queen Victoria with a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council. Free to the public.

September 27, Thursday, 6pm, Race Over Party, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Presented by author Millington Bergeson-Lockwood who will discuss his new book “Race Over Party: Black Politics and Partisanship in Late Nineteenth Century Boston”.  $10 fee per person, register online at www.masshist.org/events  Pre-talk reception at 5:30pm.

September 27, Thursday, 6:30 pm, New England Quilts and the Stories They Tell, at the Kimball Library, 5 Academy Avenue, Atkinson, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the Antrim Grange.  Presented by Pam Weeks.  Participants may bring in one quilt for identification and storytelling. Free to the public.

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

September 29, Saturday, 9am – 1pm, Family Research Day – Mini Conference, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 400 Essex Street, Lynnfield, Massachusetts.  12 different presentations in four tracks:  Beginning Research, Technology, DNA and Records. More information coming soon.  Free to the public, but you must register at https://www.familyresearchday.com/

September 29, Saturday, 9:30am – 3pm, Rhode Island Genealogical Society Meeting, at the Barrington Public Library, 281 County Road, Barrington, Rhode Island.  Coffee at 9:30 followed by two speakers, lunch, and two more speakers!  For more information see the website:  https://rigensoc.org/ 

September 29, Saturday, 10am, A Seminar Honoring Publication of The Royal Descents of 900 Immigrants to the American Colonies, Quebec, or the United States, at the NEHGS Library, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by author Gary Boyd Roberts. Free to the public.  Presentation, panel discussion, a question and answer period, and a book signing. 

September 29, Saturday, 10am, Tour of the Lowell Cemetery, meet up at the Knapp Avenue entrance to the cemetery, Lowell, Massachusetts.  Tours led by local historian and Register of Deeds, Richard Howe, Jr. Free to the public, no registration necessary. Free parking inside the cemetery.  Wear comfortable shoes and bring an umbrella. 978-454-5191.

September 29 and 30, Saturday and Sunday, Return to Number 4:  Revolutionary War Weekend, at the Fort at No. 4, Charlestown, New Hampshire. http://fortat4.org/calendar.php 

September 30, Sunday, 1pm, Battle of Fall’s River Interactive Presentation, at the Lafayette- Durfee House, 94 Cherry Street, Fall River, Massachusetts. See an interactive presentation and conversation about the battle 240 years ago on May 25, 1778. 

September 30, Sunday, 1 – 4:30pm, Little Women 150th Celebration, at the Orchard House, 399 Lexington Road, Concord, Massachusetts.  Mark the actual date from 1868 when Little Women was first published. There will be 19th century crafts, cider making, a string quartet, contemporary ballet and vintage dancers, a “Progressive Little Women Read” and refreshments.  Tours on a first-come, first-served basis. The outdoor celebration will be FREE and OPEN TO ALL.  Tours from 11am – 4:30 $10 adults, $8 seniors and students, $5 youths ages 6 – 17.  Family Rate of $25.  Children under 6 and members free.  Reservations accepted for groups of 10 or more. http://www.louisamayalclott.org  

Coming soon:

October 5 and 6, Swedish American Genealogical Conference, at the Sturbridge Host Hotel, Sturbridge, Massachusetts.  See https://www.facebook.com/SWEDEGEN/ and click on “visit group”.  Download the registration and payment form for SARA 2018 from the Facebook group.  The featured speakers will be Kathy Meade of ArkivDigital and Kay Sheldon. 

 October 20, Saturday, Spring Meeting of the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists, at the Executive Court Banquet Facility, 1199 South Mammoth Road, Manchester, New Hampshire.  Speaker will be Michael L. Strauss, AG, military specialist.  http://www.nhsog.org/nhsog/mtgs/2018fall.htm  9:30 – 2:30, including breakfast and lunch. 


October 20, Saturday, Annual Meeting of the Genealogical Society of Vermont, at the Our Lady of the Angels Church Parish Hall, Randolph, Vermont.  http://genealogyvermont.org/upcoming.htm 

October 20, Saturday, Annual Family History Seminar:  Researching at 3am, at the Four Points Sheraton, 275 Research Parkway, Meriden, Connecticut.  See the webpage http://ctfamilyhistory.com/event/annual-family-history-seminar-20-october-2018-researching-at-3-a-m/  Open to the public, please register by October 7th


October 21, Sunday, Genealogy Workshop: After Hours Lock-in with the Experts, in the Hilton Garden Inn Room at the Portsmouth Public Library, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Contact Nicole Luongo Cloutier nlcloutier@cityofportsmouth.com  


November 3, Saturday, Half Day Member’s Meeting of the Rhode Island Genealogical Society.  Save the date!



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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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "September 2018 Genealogy and Local History Calendar", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 30, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/08/september-2018-genealogy-and-local.html: accessed [access date]).   

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Weathervane Wednesday ~ Another Indian Chief

I post a weather vane photograph every Wednesday.  This series 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 Massachusetts.

Do you know the location of weathervane post #378?  Scroll down to find the answer.




Today's weathervane was spotted at the Tewksbury State Hospital in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, on the big cupola over the Old Administration Building.  This 800 acre campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Adminstration Building was built in 1894 and designed by Richard Morris.  Today you can visit the Museum of Public Health inside this building.

This facility started in 1852 as the Tewksbury almshouse.  A hospital was added in 1866, and by the 1880s this was used solely as a hospital for the mentally and physically ill. One of the most famous inmates here was Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller's teacher.  The campus expanded over the years to many buildings, mostly in victorian style brick.  During the 1930s the WPA built many structures that still stand today. There is a modern hospital now called the Saunders Building.

The Indian weathervane is a motif commonly seen over civic buildings and fraternal organizations.  This weathervane is a copy of a famous pattern that appears all over New England.  I featured a similar weathervane a few months ago, seen in Rowley, Massachusetts at this LINK.

Rowley, Massachusetts Town Hall

A more finely detailed version of this pattern was sold by Sotheby's auction house in 2010 for $122,500. It was titled  "A Fine and Important Molded Coper Standing Indian 'Massasoit' Weathervane" attributed to the J. Harris & Company of Boston, Massachusetts and dated from the third quarter of the 19th century. It originally was installed on the Fairbanks-Lincoln House in Hingham, Massachusetts.

Sotheby's auction catalog 30 September 2010

The Public Health Museum website:
http://publichealthmuseum.org/about/tewksbury-hospital-history/  

An interesting website, listing information about the Tewksbury State Hospital and also a list of deaths at the hospital 1854 - 1905 extracted from the vital records (According to the Public Health Museum, there are about 15,000 patients buried in two separate pauper cemeteries- mostly Irish immigrants):
http://www.tewksburyhospitalcemetery.ma-vitalrecords.org/recordsindex.html 

Click here to see all the Weathervane Wednesday posts!
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Weathervane Wednesday ~  Another Indian Chief", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 29, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/08/weathervane-wednesday-another-indian.html: accessed [access date]). 

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Willard W. Blood, Killed in Vera Cruz, Mexico, 1918

This tombstone was photographed at the Blood Cemetery in Dunstable, Massachusetts.



Willard W. Blood
1869 – 1918
Spanish War Veteran
Merchant Marine World War 1
Killed in Vera Cruz, Mexico


Willard Washington Blood was the son of Washington Eli Blood and Lydia Ann Hersey, born 10 November 1869 in Dunstable, Massachusetts.  He died 22 November 1918 in Vera Cruz, Tamaulipas, Mexico.   I couldn't find any details of his death in military or civilian records.  I wondered if he died of the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic.  I did finally find this news paper clipping online:

From Genealogybank.com

Times-Picayune, Tuesday, December 17, 1918, New Orleans, Louisiana, page 9

Ship’s Engineer
Slain in Tampico
--------------
Business Man Gives Further
Details of Attacks on
Crew of Monterey
---------------
Further reports of attacks on members of the crew of the American steamship Monterey, the chief gunner’s mate of which was attacked by Mexican customs guards at Tampico, resulting in a conflict between the Mexicans and the armed navy guard of the ship, were made in New Orleans Monday by an American business man of Vera Cruz, temporarily in the city.

According to his statement, about seven days before the attack at Tampico, which took place November 28, the third engineer of the Monterey was found in Vera Cruz with his skull crushed and all valuables removed from his person.  He had gone ashore on leave, while the Monterey was in port at Vera Cruz, and was discovered next morning not more than a square from his ship."


Willard Blood's death record can be found on Ancestry filed as "Guillermo W. Blood" from Vera Cruz, Mexico.  Here is an image from Ancestry.com.  Thank you to Laurie Stevens for helping me to find this image at both the Ancestry and at the FamilySearch websites.  This document describes the autoposy, the hospital where he died, and the cause as a blow to the head at the base of the cranium.  It also says that he was buried in Mexico, so the stone in Dunstable, Massachusetts is just a cenotaph or memorial (doesn't mark the place of burial).  The description on the death record sounds like the same man described in the newspaper article.



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To Cite/Link to this post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Willard W. Blood, Killed in Vera Cruz, Mexico, 1918", Nutfield Genealogy, posted Nutfield Genealogy, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/08/willard-w-blood-killed-in-vera-cruz.html: accessed [access date]).

Monday, August 27, 2018

60 Years ago

On 29 August 1958 my parents were married at the Christ Church in Hamilton, Massachusetts.  This would have been their 60th anniversary, however my Dad passed away in 2002.  Although it is sad that Dad is gone, and we miss him very much, it is still quite a milestone, and we wanted to quietly remember their Diamond Anniversary year.





My mother, her parents, and siblings

My father (left), with his parents, and his brother


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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "60 Years Ago", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 27, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/08/60-years-ago.html: accessed [access date]).

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Surname Saturday ~ STAPLES of Weymouth, Massachusetts


STAPLES / STAPLE

Jeffrey Staples, my 10th great grandfather, was first recorded in Weymouth, Massachusetts when his young daughter, Martha, was buried on 17 February 1639/40.  He didn’t appear again until there was a list of landowners recorded between 1642 and 1644.  An inventory of his estate was taken in March 1647 when he was described as “late deceased”.  

I descend from Jeffrey’s eldest son, John (about 1608 – 1683), my 9th great grandfather.  He was made a freeman on 10 May 1649.  He owned land in Weymouth and his house was described as “at the foot of King Oak Hill in North Weymouth”.  He had five children and  I descend from his oldest son, John Staples (about 1646 – 1692), my 8th great grandfather, who had six children. 

Next, I descend from Benjamin Staples (1677 – about 1712), my 7th great grandfather, who had eight children.   He was a cordwainer (shoemaker) in Braintree, and he kept an account book which is now at the New England Historic Genealogical Society.  This account book was published in 1942 and a digital version of the book is available to view online at this link:   https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE3657476   In the preface of the book it says:  "In the Kingston, Massachusetts records was the found the intention of marriage, 1727, of Benjamin's daughter Silence to John Evason or Everson; also the birth, March 24, 1747 of the latter's daughter Rebecca and her marriage, October 1, 1767, to Nathaniel King, from whom the lines run clear, to the present generation.  The original book measures five and one-half inches in length by four inches in width, is bound in yellowing vellum and has a narrow flap extending over onto the side about an inch where it fastens with a an old brass lock.  There is no ruling upon the pages, of which the first is missing."

I descend from Benjamin’s daughter, described above, Silence Staples (1705 – 1785), my 6th great grandmother, who married John Everson.  They lived in Kingston, Massachusetts and had eight children. 

For more information on the STAPLES family:

NEHGS Register, Volume 161, pages 95 - 100 "The English Origins of Jeffrey Staple of Weymouth, Massachusetts" by Gail Staples

Descendants of Jeffrey and John Staples of Weymouth, MA circa 1638, by James Courtenay Staples 1978

See also the blog Miner Descent   https://minerdescent.com/2010/06/26/john-staples-sr/    


My STAPLES genealogy:


Generation 1:  Jeffrey Staple, son of Robert Staple, born about 1576 in England, died 1647 in Weymouth, Massachusetts; married Margery Chrismas.  Seven children.

Generation 2:  John Staple, baptized August 1608 at Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England, died 4 July 1683 in Dorchester, Massachusetts; married Rebecca Unknown.  Five children.

Generation 3: John Staples, born about 1646 in Weymouth, died 30 August 1692 in Braintree, Massachusetts; married about 1670 to Sarah Atkins, daughter of Thomas Atkins and Elizabeth Scammon.  She was born about 1650.  Six children.

Generation 4:  Benjamin Staples, born November 1677 in Braintree, died about 1712 in Bridgewater; married on 26 May 1699 in Boston to Mary Cox, daughter of Robert Cox.  She was born in July 1676 in Malden, Massachusetts 1 April 1723 in Abington, Massachusetts.  Eight children.

Generation 5: Silence Staples, born 11 November 1705 in Braintree, died 29 April 1785 in Kingston; marriage intention filed on 14 October 1727 in Kingston to John Everson, son of John Everson and Elizabeth Unknown.  Eight children.

Generation 6: Hannah Everson m. Nathan Weston

Generation 7:  Zadoc Weston m. Mary Clements

Generation 8:  Matilda Weston m. Joseph Edwin Healy

Generation 9:  Mary Etta Healey m. Peter Hoogerzeil

Generation 10:  Florence Etta Hoogerzeil m. Arthur Treadwell Hitchings

Generation 11:  Gertrude Matilda Hitchings m. Stanley Elmer Allen (my grandparents)


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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Surname Saturday ~ STAPLES of Weymouth, Massachusetts”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 25, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/08/surname-saturday-staples-of-weymouth.html: accessed [access date]).