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Thursday, February 28, 2019

Throwback Thursday ~ Bangkok 1983

Vincent has scanned more photo slides, saving them from further deterioration and yellowing.  Here is a carousel of slides from a business trip he took in the spring of 1983, just before our wedding and my college graduation.  It was his first international business trip to Bangkok, Thailand as part of a team designing the new airport.

He had digitized dozens of slides, but these are the most interesting...

Bangkok street scene, the guy in the white shirt was Vincent's boss.

A seated golden Buddha

One of the Bangkok canals

A Bangkok temple

The temple Wat Phra Kaew entrance

Vincent inside the temple yard (he looks like just a kid here!)

Another large temple complex, Wat Pho, in Bangkok

A detail of the feet of a reclining golden Buddha at Wat Pho

One of the Thai airline jets at Bangkok airport 1983
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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Throwback Thursday ~ Bangkok 1983", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 28, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/02/throwback-thursday-bangkok-1983.html: accessed [access date]). 

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

March 2019 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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February 28, Thursday, 7pm, New England Lighthouses and the People Who Kept Them, at the Madbury Town Hall, 13 Town Hall Road, Madbury, New Hampshire. Presented by lighthouse historian and author Jeremy D’Entremont.  Free to the public.  Snow date of March 7 if necessary.

February 28, Thursday, 7:30pm, Picturing Maine: Life, Labor, and Landscape, 1840 – 1940, at the Berwick Academy Arts Center, Berwick, Maine. Hosted by the Old Berwick Historical Society. A richly illustrated lecture by Dr. Libby Bischof.  Free to the public.

March 2, Saturday, 9:30am - 4:30pm, Interpreting the American Revolution: 1769 - 1775, Hosted by Minute Man National Historical Park and Revolution 250 at the Minute Man Visitor Center, 250 North Great Road, Lincoln, Massachusetts.  Prepare for the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.  This symposium will feature a discussion of the events of the year 1769 with Professor Bob Allison, Suffolk University, and Don Hagist, managing editor of the Journal of the American Revolution.  They will also cover the basics of living history interpretation, and will be officially introducing the new Minute Man/Battle Road clothing standards.  Free, but registration is required.  Contact Ranger Jim Hollister at Minute Man NHP jim_hollister@nps.gov or phone (inquiries only) 978-318-7829.  

March 2, Saturday, 10:30am, Genealogy 401: Answering Your Tech Questions, at the Danbury Library, 170 Main Street, Danbury, Connecticut.  Hosted by the Connecticut Ancestry Society. Presented by Robert A. Locke, Jr. Free to the public.  For genealogists of all levels.

March 2, Saturday, 11am, Book Signing:  Spanning Time: New Hampshire’s Covered Bridges, at the Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford Street, Manchester, New Hampshire.  Included with regular admission. Free to Manchester Historic Association members.  Presented by author Irene DuPont.

March 4, Monday, 1pm, New England Lighthouses and the People Who Kept Them, at the Nashua First Baptist Church, 121 Manchester Street, Nashua, New Hampshire. Presented by lighthouse historian and author Jeremy D’Entremont.  Free to the public. Hosted by the Nashaway Women’s Club. 

March 5, Tuesday, 2pm, Family, Memory, Place: Writing Family Stories, at the Pease Public Library, 1 Russell Street, Plymouth, New Hampshire.  An interactive workshop led by Maura MacNeil.  Free to the public.

March 5, Tuesday, 6:30pm, The Capitol Crime of Witchcraft, at the Exeter Historical Society, 47 Front Street, Exeter, New Hampshire. Free to the public.  Presented by Margo Burns.  Refreshments at 6:30, the program begins at 7pm.

March 5, Tuesday, 7pm, Local History Talk: Isles of Shoals: The Tragedy of the Watitresses and other Historical Vignettes, at the Portsmouth Public Library, 175 Parrott Avenue, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Presented by Melissa Saggerer, who was curator of Star Island's Vaughn Cottage library and arhives for five years.  Free to the public. 

March 5, Tuesday, 7pm, Sharing Your Research Results, at the Chelmsford Genealogy Club which meets in the Chelmsford Library, 25 Boston Road, Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Free to the public. Presented by Seema Kenney.  She is going to talk about sharing your genealogy research with friends and family without having to write a book. 

March 6, Wednesday, 10am, New Visitor Tour of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Free tour, no registration required.  No membership needed. Tour attendees are welcome to stay and use the library following the tour.

March 6, Wednesday, 10am, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music, at the Marion Gerrish Community Center, 39 West Broadway, Derry, New Hampshire. Hosted by the Amoskeag Mills Questers.  Presented by musician Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki with fiddle and guitar.  Free to the public.

March 6, Wednesday, 3pm, The Shaker Legacy, at the Meredith Bay Colony Club Bistro, 21 Upper Mile Point Drive, Meredith, New Hampshire. Free to the public.  Presented by Darryl Thompson.  Free to the public.

March 6, Wednesday, 6pm, Family Tree Maker – The Dash Connection with Russ Worthington, at the Agawam Senior Center, 954 Main Street, Agawam, Massachusetts.  Hosted by the Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society.

March 7, Thursday, noon, Lunch & Learn: “Aren’t You Hot in Those Clothes” and other Wardrobe Malfunctions, hosted by Plimoth Plantation, 137 Warren Avenue, Plymouth, Massachusetts. Presented by the museum’s manager of historical clothing and textiles Kayla Grossman and public historian Hilary Goodnow.  Bring a bag lunch to enjoy during the presentation.

March 7, Thursday, 6pm, Author Event: Jefferson’s Daughters by Catherine Kerrison, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts. $30 Tickets at https://my.americanancestors.org/single/eventDetail.aspx?p=1020&fbclid=IwAR3mEdlWbj16sAdI9XMh1xNIOXxgGLjWEJf33xM_yAdtE8_ahaYlnO9Kb-4     Cosponsored with the English Speaking Union.  Book signing and reception will follow Dr. Kerrison’s talk.

March 7, Thursday, 6pm, Genealogy Gathering, at the Montague Public Library, 201 Avenue A, Turners Falls, Massachusetts.  Join the monthly drop-in session to talk about your genealogy research.  The library and the computers are available for genealogy research.  

March 8, Friday, 1:30pm, Genealogy Club:  Ellis Island Records, at the Rodgers Memorial Library, 194 Derry Road, Hudson, New Hampshire.  Genealogist Seema Kenney will provide a historical presentation on the history of Ellis Island and the records available for genealogical research.  Free to the public. 

March 9, Saturday, 9am – 4:30pm, Genealogy Workshop:  The Scots Irish in New England, at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park Street, Concord, New Hampshire. A day long program with guest speakers from the Ulster Historical Foundation in Belfast, Ireland.  Time for Q&A, and tips for overcoming brick walls in your research. The Shute Petition will be on display for one day only.  Space is limited, and registration is required.  $75 for members, $125 nonmembers. Register online https://www.eventbrite.com/e/genealogy-workshop-the-scots-irish-in-new-england-registration-53395677910 or by phone 603-856-0621. 

March 9, Saturday, 9am – 3pm, Annual Museum Clean-Up Day at Plimoth Plantation, Henry Hornblower II Visitor Center, Plimoth, Massachusetts.  Join with staff raking, painting, setting up exhibits, and much more. Please register at www.plimoth.org 

March 9, Saturday, 9:30am – noon, Immigrant Irish Communities and Settlements in Boston and Beyond, at the NEHGS library, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  $20, please register at https://my.americanancestors.org/single/eventDetail.aspx?p=1043    In partnership with the Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA) Breakfast refreshements, and access to the library until 5pm is included. Speakers Mike and Carina Collins, and Eileen Pironti. 

March 9, Saturday,  Telling Your Family Story, at the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications, 749 East Industrial Park Drive, Manchester, New Hampshire.  $60 fee for the workshop, including lunch.  Instructors include media professionals who tell New Hampshire stories, historians, videographers, and an archivist to offer tips on preserving and protecting photos and family papers.  Register online http://www.loebschool.org/application-form.asp  or call for information 603-627-0005

March 9, Saturday, 10am, Workshop – Making Moccasins and Candles, at Brunswick, Maine, hosted by the Colonial Maine Living History Association. 

March 9, Saturday, 1:30pm, Finding Ancestors with Old Maps: Where to Find Them, How to Use Them, and Why Old Maps Can Be Fun, at the Goodnow Library, 21 Concord Road, Sudbury, Massachusetts. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists Middlesex Chapter, and presented by genealogist Sara Campbell.  Free and open to the public.  http://www.msoginc.org

March 10, Sunday, 2pm, New England Quilts and the Stories They Tell, at the Tucker Free Library, 31 Western Avenue, Henniker, New Hampshire. Free to the public. Presented by Pam Weeks. Participants are invited to bring one quilt for identification and/or story telling.

March 10, Sunday, 2pm, 1620: The First Year, at the Felton-Smith Historic Site, Smith Barn, 38 Felton Street, Peabody, Massachusetts.  A lecture by historian Christopher Daly, presented by the Peabody Historical Society 978-531-0805.  Members free, non-members $5. 

March 11, Monday, 12:30pm, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music, at the Suncook Senior Center, 8 Whitten Street, Allenstown, New Hampshire.  Presented by musician Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki with fiddle and guitar.  Free to the public.

March 12, 26 and April 9, 16, 23 and May 7,  Tuesdays, 6:30pm, Introduction to Genealogy (Series),  optional drop-in session in April.  This will be held at the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, 345 Main Street, Wakefield, Massachusetts. Presented by Linda B. MacIver.  Free to the public. Space is limited. Attendance at first two classes is mandatory. Pre-registration required at https://tinyurl.com/y9yca9db  

March 12, Tuesday, 7pm, Bridging the Past – How the 1918 Flu Impacted New England, at the Cary Memorial Library, 1874 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, Massachusetts.  Presented by Lori Lyn Price.  Free to the public.

March 12, Tuesday, 7pm, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music, at the Hampstead Public Library, 9 March E. Clark Drive, Hampstead, New Hampshire.  Presented by musician Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki with fiddle and guitar.  Free to the public.

March 14, Thursday, 6:30pm, When John and Abigail Met George, at the Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Presented by historian J. L. Bell. Free to the public. 

March 14, Thursday, 1:30pm, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music, at the First Congregational Church 2718 Wakefield Road, Wakefield, New Hampshire.  Presented by musician Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki with fiddle and guitar.  Free to the public.

March 15, Friday, 6:30pm, A Tribute to Sarah Josepha Hale, at the Divine Mercy Church, 171 Wilton Road, Peterborough, New Hampshire. Hosted by the Monadnock Quilter’s Guild. Free to the public. Presented by Living Historian Sharon Wood portraying Ann Wyman Blake, a Hale admirer.


March 16, 2019, Saturday, History Camp Boston, at Suffolk University Law School, across from the Old Granary Burying Ground, in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. See the website for more information and registration. http://historycamp.org/boston?fbclid=IwAR1iGXontgxTK4ogaN7xfy46sifH8I-RJrljRcAR2YKeBRdCwWq9tjKkJs8     
March 16, Saturday, 9am – 5pm, Deerfield-Wellesley Symposium 2019: New England Travels, at Historic Deerfield, 80 Old Main Street, Deerfield, Massachusetts.  Free day-long symposium explores the art and material culture of New England travel from 1700 – 1950.

March 16, Saturday, 9am - 4pm, Keeping Warm in the 18th Century: Cloaks and Mitts for Women, at the Fort at No. 4, 267 Springfield Road, Charlestown, New Hampshire. More information and registration at http://www.fortat4.org/events/classes/cloak-and-mitts.php?fbclid=IwAR2SRljhVGtmlBFeJ9gF8gDSCqXiFwIFbNXiN_ZjvEVmGq_2fzJ3JfSBxAk  $55 per student includes lunch, a pattern for mitts, a cloak, and comprehensive directions to complete construction of both your mitts and your cloak.  

March 16, Saturday, 2pm, African American Submariners in World War II and Beyond, at the Portsmouth Public Library, 175 Parrott Avenue, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Free to the public. Presented by Glenn Knoblock, based on hundred of interviews with WWII veterans and years of research. 

March 16, Saturday, 7pm, An Irish Evening in Old York’s Tavern featuring SoMe Brewing Co., at the Old York Historical Society, 3 Lindsay Road, York, Maine.  Old York’s Jefferds Tavern will be transformed into an Irish pub.  Beer tasting, food, music and more. 

March 17, Sunday, 10am, Evacuation Day in Boston, Massachusetts.  There will be a Memorial and Historical military exercises at the Dorchester Heights Monument, followed by a ceremony awarding the essay and poster competition winners. Parade at 1pm from West Broadway to Old Colony Avenue.  Evacuation Day Memorial Mass at St. Augustine's Chapel at 9am. 

March 17, Sunday, 2pm, A Walk Back in Time: The Secrets of Cellar Holes, at the Old Church Building Meeting Room, NH Route 10, Piermont, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the Piermont Historical Society. Free to the public. Presented by Adair Mulligan.

March 18, Monday, 1pm, Robert Rogers of the Rangers, at the Bow Mills Methodist Church, 505 South Street, Bow, New Hampshire. Hosted by State Employees Association Chapter 1, presented by George Morrison. Free to the public.

March 19, Tuesday, 7pm, Brewing in New Hampshire: An Informal History of Beer in the Granite State from Colonial Times to the Present, at the Griffin Free Public Library, 22 Hooksett Road, Auburn, New Hampshire. Presented by author Glenn Knoblock, Free to the public.

March 20, Wednesday, 10am, New Visitor Tour of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, at 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Free tour, no registration required.  No membership needed. Tour attendees are welcome to stay and use the library following the tour.


March 20, Wednesday, 6:30pm, Brewing in New Hampshire: An Informal History of Beer in the Granite State from Colonial Times to the Present, at the Newmarket Public Library, 1 Elm Street, Newmarket, New Hampshire. Presented by author Glenn Knoblock, Free to the public.

March 21 and 28, Thursdays, 10 - 11:30am, Mining for Genealogical Gold in Federal Records (two part series) at the Lynnfield Public Library, 18 Summer Street, Lynnfield, Massachusetts.  Presented by Linda B. MacIver. Free to the public. Pre-registration required at https://tinyurl.com/y3fwnywn  

March 23 and 24, 9am – 5pm, New England Colonial Trade and Craft Fair (also known as Red Hook), at Cisco Brewers, 35 Corporate Drive, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the Ellis River Knife Works.  Pre 1840 Historical reproductions, artisans and traders. 

March 23, Saturday, 9:30am, The Bradford House Symposium: Hidden Figures in American History at the Duxbury Free Library, Merry Room, Duxbury, Massachusetts.  Presentations on historical figures such as Eunice Kennedy, Isaac Allerton, New Bedford’s Underground Railroad, Duxbury’s Women at Sea, and a presentation by Meaghan Siekman of NEHGS.  $25 DRHS members or students, $35 nonmembers.  Lunch at an additional fee, reservation required.  Tickets and information at 781-934-6106 or colson@duxburyhistory.org

March 23, Saturday, 6pm, Colonial Tavern Dinner, at the The Red Barn at Outlook Farm, South Berwick, Maine.  Tickets at www.oldberwick.org  Courses of authentic colonial fare prepared by local chefs.  Music and drinks from the 18th century. Dressy casual attire requested.

March 24, Sunday, 10am, Women and Witchcraft, at the Salem Witch Museum, 19 1/2 Washington Square, Salem, Massachusetts.  Celebrate Women's History Day with a visit to the Salem Witch museum to meet Alice Parker and Ann Pudeator, two women who were executed for the crime of witchcraft. Two costumed reenactors will be walking through the museum answering questions and interacting with visitors. Included with the price of admission. Family Friendly. 

March 26, Tuesday, 6pm, Family Stories: How and Why to Remember Them, at the Cook Memorial Library, 93 Main Street, Tamworth, New Hampshire. Presented by story-teller Jo Radner.  Participants will practice finding, developing and telling their own tales. Free to the public.

March 26, Tuesday, 6:30pm, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling through Traditional Irish Music, at the Meredith Public Library, 91 Main Street, Meredith, New Hampshire. Free to the public. Presented by musician Jordan Tirrell-Sysocki on his fiddle and guitar.

March 27, Wednesday, 6:30pm, A Visit with Abraham Lincoln, at the Weeks Public Library, 36 Post Road, Greenland, New Hampshire.  Presented by living historian Steve Wood.  Free to the public.

March 27, Wednesday, 6:30pm, New Hampshire on High: Historic and Unusual Weathervanes of New Hampshire, at the Bedford Public Library, 3 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford, New Hampshire. Presented by the author Glenn Knoblock, and hosted by the Bedford Historical Society.  Free to the public.

March 28, Saturday, 10am, History Hike:  Lover’s Brook Farm, at Pond Road in South Berwick, Maine. Old Berwick Historical Society historian Wendy Pirsig will lead a walk along the preserved section of Pond Road that was once the main highway for travelers.  For more information visit www.gwrlt.org.  Space is limited to 25 people and reservations are required call 207-646-3604 or email info@gwrlt.org for reservations, information and weather updates.

March 30, Saturday, 8:30 – 1pm, The 2019 New England Family History Conference, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 91 Jordan Road, Franklin, Massachusetts. See the website for information. A keynote speaker and three sessions.  Family history consultants will be available for 15 minute consultations.

March 30, Saturday, 10am – noon, Tea in Helen’s Library, at the Stevens-Coolidge Place, 137 Andover Street, North Andover, Massachusetts.  Tea served by the wife of US Diplomat John Coolidge in 1924.  Trustee staff members will present snippets from the 1924 diary as you enjoy tea and treats.  $9 members, $15 non members. Space is limited, registration is required: http://www.thetrustees.org/things-to-do/northeast/event-43467.html?fbclid=IwAR3BA7qf2c--EMOQ1rHuxb5rMDguDIp9lDalhwg44M4Q3lKUfDL-yOMSdTE

March 30, Saturday, 1 – 3pm, Kids Do Family History, at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park Street, Concord, New Hampshire. Explore your family’s roots!  Space is limited, registration is required, and children must be accompanied by an adult.  $25 for the first child in a family, $15 for each additional child.  Register at 603-856-0621. 

March 30, Saturday, 6pm, Spirits of the Past Haunted Trolley Tour, at 19 Sheafe Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Hosted by New England Curiosities and Deadwick’s Etherial Emporium.  Tickets at www.newenglandcuriosities.com Guided by the author of “Haunted Portsmouth” Roxie J. Zwicker.  $25 for adults. Space is limited.


Looking ahead:


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 

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Genealogy Sketches of the First Families at Nutfield, April 1719


I recently started a new series of blog posts on the genealogies of the first sixteen families (plus Rev. James MacGregor) to settle at Nutfield in April 1719.  These are the families that came with Rev. MacGregor from Northern Ireland, and traveled to Nutfield, which eventually became the towns of Londonderry, Windham, Derry and Derryfield, New Hampshire.

These are crowd sourced genealogy sketches.  Many of the readers who commented on my blog posts helped with details on these families, as well as comments made on social media (such as the Nutfield Genealogy Facebook page, and the 1718 Society Facebook page). 

There are plans to publish these genealogy sketches in a brochure for Founders Day Weekend April 12 – 14, 2019 in Derry, New Hampshire.  If I have the time I will also try to write up some genealogy sketches of some of the other early settlers in Londonderry, New Hampshire.  Stay tuned!

I’m adding this list as a permanent tab at the top of my blog page.  Look for it right under the photo at the top of this and every blog page. 

Here are the surnames and the links to the blog posts…
















WEIR  – https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/01/weir-early-nutfield-settler.html    

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Genealogy Sketches of the First Families at Nutfield, April 1719", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 26, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/02/genealogy-sketches-of-first-families-at.html: accessed [access date]).

Saturday, February 23, 2019

Get Ready for Founders Weekend April 12 – 14 in Derry, New Hampshire

First Parish Meetinghouse, East Derry, NH
before the current renovations


Celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of Nutfield with the town of Derry, descendants of the original settlers, Scots Irish researchers, the First Parish Church in East Derry, and lots of other interested residents!  In 1718 Rev. James MacGregor led his flock from his Presbyterian Church in Aghadowey, Northern Ireland to Boston, Massachusetts looking for a new home where they could worship as they pleased.  In April 1719 they found a grant of land in New Hampshire called “Nutfield”, and the Rev. MacGregor and 16 men went to explore this land. One 12 April 1719 they held their first worship service on the banks of Beaver Lake in what is now Derry, New Hampshire.  This day is considered the founding of Londonderry, New Hampshire, and the founding of the first Presbyterian church in New England.

Founders Weekend on April 12 to 14, 2019 will celebrate this 300th anniversary with three days of activities.   There will be two parallel tracks of events this weekend – a free weekend of activities on the Nutfield Heritage for the general public AND the Nutfield Reunion and Conference (registration required) for descendants, researchers, and genealogists. 

I hope to see you there!  I will be one of four speakers on the conference day.  The other speakers will be Dr. William Roulston, research director of the Ulster Historical Foundation who will present “Ulster at the Time of the Nutfield Migration”, Robert Starrat from Scotland who will discuss “From Londonderry to Londonderry: The Sterret(t) Saga”, and also Rebecca Graham, president of the Maine Ulster Scots Project who will present “Good Wives and Subtle Warriors: Women of the Eastern Frontier”.  For details, see the websites listed below.

The weekend will take place at various places in Derry, New Hampshire (see the Founders Weekend link below) and the conference will take place in the historic Upper Village Hall, just across the street from the First Parish Meetinghouse, Taylor Library and the Forest Hill Cemetery). 

For the truly curious:

Nutfield History website   https://www.nutfieldhistory.org/  

The 300th Anniversary page  https://www.nutfieldhistory.org/nutfield300th  


Program -  Specific details for each day Friday April 12, Saturday April 13, and Sunday April 14

Conference details – for descendants and researchers of the early Nutfield settlers
                online registration coming soon!

On Facebook (for the latest information and historical links):

Nutfield History  https://www.facebook.com/nuthist/   

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Get Ready for Founders Weekend April 12 – 14 in Derry, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted 23 February 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/02/get-ready-for-founders-weekend-april-12.html: accessed [access date]).   

MITCHELL – Descendants of Nutfield Settler John Mitchell

John and Elinor Mitchel's tombstone at Forest Hill Cemetery,
in East Derry, New Hampshire.  From "Find A Grave" by D. J. Goldman


Captain John Mitchell was one of the first sixteen settlers to arrive at Nutfield in April 1719 with Rev. James MacGregor to found the town that became Londonderry, New Hampshire.  He was a surveyor, and his name can be seen on deeds and grants given to early settlers in the 1720s in Londonderry.  He served as selectman, and other town offices.

Captain John Mitchell died 10 August 1776 at age 80 in Londonderry, New Hampshire.  His wife Eleanor (maiden name unknown) died on 16 March 1771 at age 74.  They are buried in Section K, Lot 100 of Forest Hill Cemetery in East Derry, New Hampshire.

There was an unfortunate situation which took place in 1749 during the pastorate of Mr. David MacGregor, son of the first Presbyterian minister, Rev. James MacGregor.  Captain John Mitchell of Londonderry was arrested and imprisoned under suspect of having asked for a ransom of five hundred pounds and threatening the life of Mr. Jotham Odiorne of Portsmouth.  Mr. MacGregor attended the trial in Portsmouth in support of Mitchell, who was found guilty and sentenced to pay a fine of one thousand pounds.  Mitchell was kept in prison until he was finally acquitted. [See Parker’s History of Londonderry]

Did John Mitchell have children?  Who were his descendants? Or was he childless?   If you know the answer to these questions please comment below or email vrojomit@gmail.com 

Note: There appears to be a John Mitchell, Jr. (about 1713 – 1801) in some of the Londonderry town records, who was also a surveyor.  This John Mitchell, Jr. did some surveying in the Belfast, Maine area, too, where he received lots No. 1, 12, 21, 35, and 51.  John Mitchell lived in Belfast until the revolutionary war broke out, and settled back in Chester, New Hampshire.  [See this link: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-04-02-0233 ]     John Mitchell named his property in Maine and his children in his will filed in Rockingham County probate – son Robert,  granddaughter Margaret, granddaughter Elizabeth, grandson David, grandson John, granddaughter Elizabeth McFarland, daughter Mary Patterson, daughter Elizabeth White, daughter Sarah Heath, daughter Eleanor Wilson, and Hannah Huston.  He names his son Robert Mitchell, sons-in-law William White and Robert Houston executors.  [ PS.  According to the History of Belfast, the first couple married in Belfast, Maine was William Patterson and Mary, daughter of John Mitchell.]

See the website http://dunhamwilcox.net/me/me_bio_wilson.htm  for the Wilson family genealogy, which mentions John Mitchell, Jr. of Belfast, Maine.  John (2) Mitchell, father of Mrs. Eleanor Wilson, was a son of John (1) Mitchell.  The last named was born in Londonderry, Ireland, and arrived in Boston Aug. 4, 1718, with the Scotch Irish immigrants who came that year.  He settled in Londonderry, N.H.  His son John (2) was then five years old and became a joiner by trade.  In 1768 he became the founder of the town of Belfast, Maine, where he cleared up land and engaged in agriculture, and died in 1801.  He took up lots Nos. 1, 12, 21, 35 and 51.  He married in Chester, in 1735, Elizabeth, second daughter of William and Elizabeth Wilson.  Children: John, George, Samuel, Robert, Joshua, Anna, Mary, Elizabeth, Eleanor and Hannah.  The fourth daughter, Eleanor, was born in 1760, and became the wife of Jonathan Wilson…

See also History of the City of Belfast in the State of Maine, Volume 2, by Joseph Williamson, 1913, pages 595 – 597 for more about John Mitchell, Jr. and the founding of the town of Belfast, Maine.

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There was another John Mitchell, born in Ireland, who died in 1749 in Londonderry.  He was married to a woman named Janet (maiden name unknown).  These two men do not appear to be related. Their children born in Nottingham West (now Hudson, New Hampshire):

      1.       Agnes Jane Mitchell, born 5 April 1734, died 18 June 1807 in Amherst, married William Hogg, son of William Hogg and Elizabeth (maiden name unknown).

      2.       Mary Mitchell, born on 13 February 1735, and she married James Houston 7 March 1750/1 in Nottingham West.  James Houston was born 1729 in Londonderry, the son of Samuel Houston and Mary Cargill. 

      3.       John Mitchell, born 6 March 1741, died 21 September 1804 in Clarenceville, Quebec, Canada, buried at Aird, Quebec.  Married to Margaret Hogg on 1 June 1767 in Amherst, New Hampshire.

      4.       William Mitchell, born 25 September 1744 in Nottingham West, died 15 November 1815 in Acworth, New Hampshire.  William married Martha Wallace, born 1739 in Londonderry, the daughter of John Wallace and Janet Lindsey. 

       5.       Elizabeth Mitchell,  born 5 June 1745

       6.       Thomas Mitchell, born 21 March 1747, died on 24 April 1798 in Francestown.  Married Jeaney McInnes, daughter of Hugh McInnes and Martha (maiden name unknown) from Merrimack.

[From the website http://www.bmgen.com/paf/web/mitchell/d1.htm#g1  and vital records]

Click here for links to the sketches of all sixteen first Nutfield settlers: 
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/p/nutfields-first-16-settlers.html 


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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "MITCHELL – Descendants of Nutfield Settler John Mitchell", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 23, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/02/mitchell-descendants-of-nutfield.html: accessed [access date]).

Friday, February 22, 2019

MCKEEN – Descendants of Nutfield Settler James McKeen

James McKeen is buried at Forest Hill Cemetery,
in Derry, New Hampshire with his wife, Annis Cargill.
For a full transcription of this tombstone see this link:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/08/tombstone-tuesday-james-mckeen-derry.html 


James McKeen was born in Scotland, and removed to Northern Ireland.  He witnessed the defense of the city of Londonderry, Northern Ireland during the siege of 1688 to 1689. He had three sons who came to America: James, John and William.   

Children:

      1.       John, married Janet and had four children. He died young and his widow remarried to Captain John Barnett, one of the first settlers in Londonderry
a.       James, removed to Hillsborough, New Hampshire
b.       Robert, settled in Pennsylvania
c.       Samuel, settled in Amherst and married Agnes.  Had ten children.
d.       Mary, married her cousin John McKeen (see below)

      2.       William, came to America ten years after his brothers and settled in Pennsylvania. His grandson, Thomas McKean, signed the Declaration of Independence and was Governor.

      3.       James, had a wife in Ireland who was mother of his first two daughters, and then remarried to Annis Cargill who came with his other children in the 1718 migration. He was accompanied by his son-in-law James Nesmith, Rev. James McGregor who had married his wife’s sister, Marion Cargill.  His brother John was going to bring his family, too, but he died just before they left Ireland, so his widow, Janet and her four children came along.

The third child James McKeen was 53 years old in 1718 for the migration to New England, and he was one of the sixteen men who accompanied Rev. James MacGregor to Nutfield.  He was known as “Justice James McKeen” because he was the first magistrate in Nutfield.  He died in Londonderry, New Hampshire on 9 November 1756 when he was 90 years old.  Justice James was first married to Janet Cochran and had two daughters – Elizabeth and Janet.  He then married Annis Cargill as his second wife and had nine more children.  His wife, Annis, died 8 August 1782, at age 94.   James and Annis are buried together at “Setters Row” at the Forest Hill Cemetery in what is now East Derry, New Hampshire.

Children:
a.       Elizabeth, married James Nesmith, son of James Nesmith the Nutfield settler
b.       Janet, married John Cochran of Windham- her daughter Elizabeth was the mother of Robert Dinsmoor, the “Rustic Bard” and the mother of Governor Samuel Dinsmoor of Keene.
c.       “Deacon” John, born 13 April 1714 in Ballymony, he married his cousin Mary McKeen, daughter of his uncle John McKeen. He was an elder in the Presbyterian church, a selectman, and representative to the General Court.  Children: James born 15 January 1739 died 26 February 1776 in Peterborough; John born 4 February 1746, died 1807 in Oyster Bay, New York; Robert born 12 August 1749 and died 27 October 1810 in Corinth, Orange County, Vermont and married Mary (maiden name unknown); William, Annis  born 1750(unmarried); Joseph born 15 October 1757 and died 15 July 1807 in Brunswick, Maine, married Alice Anderson (minister at Beverly, Massachusetts and first president of Bowdoin College in Maine); Janet (born 4 October 1741 and married John Taylor), Daniel born 11 November 1768, died 4 November 1820 (married Janet Wilson and Lucy Martin, widow of John Nesmith of Windham); and Samuel  born 1760 and died 4 November 1820 (married Betsey Taylor and Mary Clark)
d.       Mary, married Robert Boyd, no children
e.       David, born 1715 and died 9 October 1793 in Londonderry
f.        James, born April 1719, married Elizabeth Dinsmoor, had a son David and a daughter.
g.       Janet, born 28 December 1721, married William Orr, three children- James, Anna and a daughter who married Timothy Carr, the first settler of Danville, Vermont
h.       Martha, born 14 December 1723 in Londonderry, died 14 May 1803 in Windham, married John Dinsmoor, had several children including Colonel Silas Dinsmore who was an Indian Agent for the US Government
i.         Margaret, born 30 March 1726 in Londonderry, died 14 May 1803 in Londonderry.
j.         Annis, born 30 March 1726 in Londonderry
k.       Samuel, born 1729 in Londonderry, died 1 October 1821 in Londonderry, married Mary (maiden name unknown). 

A note from McKeen researcher Barry R. McCain “The data to date:  the family of James and John McKeen is the same family as Alexander and Hugh McKeen of Donegal township, PA colony circa 1719/20.  That’s the part we know from DNA testing, but the part we do not know is the exact relationship.  James McKeen had a very large family via two marriages, given the closeness of the DNA it is possible Alexander and Hugh are older sons that migrated with the 1718 fleet, or on a ship that came the next year.  If not that, then a line from another brother of James and John McKeen.  DNA reveals much… but not all from the past.  Given other primary source factors in Ireland circa mid 1600s, the older sons from James McKeen most likely scenario.”

For more information:

DNA
There is a McCain/McKeen DNA project for descendants of Nutfield’s James McKeen at Family Tree DNA https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/mccain/about .  Contact Barry R. McCain barramccain@gmail.com or Colin Brooks at CB1718project@gmail.com  

An interesting book about the McCain clan, DNA, the Scots Irish and more - Finding the McCains: A Scots Irish Odyssey by Barry R. McCain, 2015 

Clan Mhic Eain… Clan McCain (a blog about the McCain Clan) http://maceain.blogspot.com/ 

Clan Maclain of Ardamurchan: http://www.clanmaciain.com/maciain/   


Click here for links to the sketches of all sixteen first Nutfield settlers: 
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/p/nutfields-first-16-settlers.html 



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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "MCKEEN – Descendants of Nutfield Settler James McKeen", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 22, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/02/mckeen-descendants-of-nutfield-settler.html: accessed [access date]). 

Thursday, February 21, 2019

Throwback Thursday ~ College Graduation 1983

More old yellowing, and deteriorating photo slides have been found and scanned.  This one is of my last few days of school at Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  And my graduation ceremony.  I hope I can someday learn to color correct these digitized images!

Lesley College's Reed Hall on Oxford Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts
We were all on the front stoop for an end of the year cookout

My roommate Judy Ham, with Vincent, and my
friend Stephanie Hubelbank, and other friends

Yours Truly, with friends from Reed Hall

My college friend Muriel Braure in my room at Reed Hall

Muriel and Stephanie in front of Reed Hall

The big moment!  Receiving my B.Ed diploma

With my parents, in cap and gown
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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Throwback Thursday ~ College Graduation 1983", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 21, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/02/throwback-thursday-college-graduation.html: accessed [access date]).

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

GREGG – Descendants of Nutfield Settler James Gregg

Captain James Gregg, buried 1758
at the Forest Hill Cemetery, Derry, New Hampshire


James Gregg was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, and emigrated to Ireland with his parents around 1670.  James trained as a tailor’s apprentice in Scotland. Sometime later he removed to Northern Ireland and opened a linen draper business. He was married to Janet Cargill and had five children. He came with Rev. McGregor from Northern Ireland to New England in 1718 and was one of the first 16 men to settle Nutfield (now the towns of Derry, Londonderry and Windham in New Hampshire).  He was made captain of the militia and commanded the first soldiers in Nutfield.  James Gregg also built the first grist mill in Londonderry, New Hampshire.

Janet Cargill, his wife, was the sister of David Cargill, who also came to Londonderry, where he died 3 March 1734.   Her sister Annis Cargill married James McKeen, and another sister married Rev. James MacGregor.

James Gregg died on 10 March 1758 and is buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in (what is now) East Derry, New Hampshire.  His wife died on 28 December 1764 and is buried near him.   His descendants scatted nearby to New Boston, Windham, Peterborough, Vermont, New York, and Nova Scotia.

Children:

      1.       William, born about 1695 and married Janet Rankin and had six children:  Mary born 1 March 1726 and died 3 November 1730; James baptized 15 June 1726 and married Sarah Leslie and died 1777 in Oneida, New York;  Janet born 3 November 1730; Naomi born 1 Mach 1727/8; Agnes born 1734; and Frances born 1736.

      2.       Captain John, born about 1702 and married Agnes Rankin and had ten children: Hugh born 9 December 1725 and married Sarah Leslie; James born 9 December 1725 and married Mary McCurdy; John born 7 May 1728 and married Mary Elizabeth Gregg; William born 23 October 1730 married Barbara Aiken;  George born 1735 and died 16 September 1815; Major Samuel born 17 April 1739 and married Agnes Smiley;  Major Joseph born 10 December 1741 and married Susannah Aiken; Benjamin born 10 December 1743 and married Lettice Aiken; and twin daughters Elizabeth (married John Wilson) and Janet (married William Miltimore) born 27 November 1732.

      3.       Lieutenant Samuel, born about 1704 married Mary Moor and had eight children – James born 1 February 1732/3; John, Samuel, David, Margaret (married Robert Hogg), Mary, Agnes, and Elizabeth.

      4.       Elizabeth,  born 1707 and married James Moor and had children- Captain William born 1733 and married Martha Mack; Samson born 1730 and died 1782 at Salters Head, Colchester, Nova Scotia; Janet born 11 May 1739;  Sarah born 3 April 1740; Robert born 10 July 1745 and died 14 February 1826 in Goffstown; Hugh; Mary born 8 March 1743 and Elizabeth born 2 February 1741.

      5.       Thomas, born 1708 and married Ann Leslie and then married Barbara Choate and removed to Vermont, and died 31 Jan 1789 in Bradford, Orange County, Vermont.


Note:  There was another unrelated family headed by David Gregg in Nutfield.  He married Mary Evans and came to Windham in November 1722.  Children: William (married Elizabeth Kyle), David (went to sea at age 15 and returned at age 30, married a Miss Clyde and lived in Windham)

For more information:

Ancestral Line of Clark Chamberlain Gregg, by J. Gardner Bartlett

History of Londonderry by Rev. Edward L. Parker, page 274

History of New Boston, New Hampshire, by E. Cogswell, page 38

Autobiography of Major Samuel Gregg,  1806, pages 3- 5  (online at archive.org)

A sketch of New Hampshire Governor Hugh Gregg, with his genealogy at Janice Webster Brown’s blog Cow Hampshire:  http://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2008/03/03/nashua-new-hampshires-hugh-gregg-attorney-businessman-governor-1917-2003/

Gregg Family History Project:  http://www.chaimberlaingregg.gfhp.co.uk/ 

The Clan Gregor Society:   http://www.clangregor.com/ 


Click here for links to the sketches of all sixteen first Nutfield settlers: 
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/p/nutfields-first-16-settlers.html 



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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "GREGG – Descendants of Nutfield Settler James Gregg", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 20, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/02/gregg-descendants-of-nutfield-settler.html: accessed [access date]).