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Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Derryfield Old Home Day! 25 May 2019

As part of the larger Nutfield 300th Anniversary celebration, the Huse House on Mammoth Road will be hosting the Derryfield Old Home Day on Saturday, 25 May 2019.  In this house at 97 Mammoth Road, next to the old Center Cemetery, was located Manchester's first post office from 1831 - 1840.  The home was also a working farm, tavern, meeting hall, general store, and held books for the Derryfield Social Library.

In partnership with our friends at the Manchester Historic Association, the day will feature lectures, a Concord mail coach, militia re-enactors, tours of the cemetery and house, and visits with members of other historic groups.  You will not want to miss this event and the chance to learn more about Derryfield, our area's name before it was Manchester, and our town center prior to the Amoskeag Mills and Elm Street.

As this will be a free event, we are seeking sponsorships from our neighbors and local businesses to offset costs.  Your donation will be tax deductible and will assist in bringing a full program from 10am to 4pm.  This will be a fun event for kids, so be sure to bring them along, too.

If you are able to help, please contact Monique Labbe, the owner of the Huse House and a member of the Nutfield 300th Steering Committee or contact the Manchester Historic Association at 603-622-7531.  Please share this with anyone who may be interested in attending or helping on May 25th.  Thank you in advance, and we look forward to seeing you at the Derryfield Old Home Day.

Sincerely,
Monique Labbe
Huse House Owner
email labbemd@comcast.net

or contact the Manchester Historic Association at 603-622-7531 or email history@manchesterhistoric.org  

For donations see this Go Fund Me page:
https://Www.gofundme.com/derryfield-old-home-day



May 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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May 1, Wednesday, 6pm, Boston Preservation Month 2019 Kickoff Event, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Free to the public. Also see the website for Boston Preservation Month at https://www.boston.gov/departments/landmarks-commission/preservation-month 

May 1, Wednesday, noon, Shinbone and Beefsteak: Meat, Science and the Labor Question, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  A brown bag lunch event.  Presented by Molly S. Laas of the University of Gottingen Medical School. 

May 1, Wednesday, 7pm, Brookline, Massachusetts and the Origins of Suburbia, at the Boston Public Library, Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Author Ronal Dale Karr, retired reference librarian from the UMass Lowell library will present his new book “Between City and Country: Brookline Massachusetts and the Origins of Suburbia”.  Free to the public.

May 1, Wednesday, 7pm, Putting Human Faces on the Textile Industry: The Workers of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, at the Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library, 7 Forest Road, Wilton, New Hampshire. Presented by Robert Perreault. Free to the public.

May 2, Thursday, 1:30pm, American History with Don Robb: The Gilded Age, at the Andover Public Library, Memorial Hall, Andover, Massachusetts. This series is led by Don Robb a collaboration of Memorial Hall and the Andover Elder Services. Free to the public.

May 2, Thursday, 7pm, When the Land Speaks, at the Natick Historical Society, 58 Eliot Street, Lower Level, Natick, Massachusetts. Larry Spotted Crow Mann will present traditional stories, drumming, Nipmuc history, and a discussion of the oral tradition both past and present. Free to the public.

May 2, Thursday, 7pm, A Soldier’s Mother Tells Her Story, at the Ashland Booster Club, 99 Main Street, Ashland, New Hampshire. Living historian Sharon Wood portrays Betsey Phelps, the mother of a Union soldier from Amherst, New Hampshire who died heroically at the Battle of Gettysburg.  Hosted by the Pemigewasset Valley Chapter DAR.  Free to the public.

May 2, Thursday, 7pm, A Conversation with Jill Lepore on History and the Public, at the American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts.  Free to the public. Seating is first-come, first-served, and doors open at 6:30pm. 

May 3, Friday, noon, The Palatine Wreck, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Part of the First Friday Lecture Series.  Author and historian Jill Fainelli will present one of New England’s most chilling maritime mysteries.  Free to the public.

May 3, Friday, 6pm, Fears of Conspiracy: How were French Canadian Immigrants Received in New England, at the Dana Center, St. Anselm’s College, 100 St. Anselm Drive, Manchester, New Hampshire. Presented by author, researcher and blogger, David Vermette promoting his new book “A Distinct Alien Race: The Untold Story of Franco-Americans: Industrialization, Immigration, Religious Strife.”  Free to the public.

May 4 and 5, Saturday and Sunday, French and Indian War Reenactment, at the Fort at No. 4, 267 Springfield Road, Charlestown, New Hampshire.  http://www.fortat4.org/events/f-and-i/f-and-i.php  A two day event with tactical battle reeanactments, open hearth and campfire cooking, blacksmithing, textile production, and colonial trades and vendors.  Living historians portray British and French troops, rangers, militia, camp followers, Native Americans and sutlers.

May 4 and 5, Wentworth House, at the Colonel Paul Wentworth House, 47 Water Street, Rollinsford, New Hampshire.  A Pre-Revolutionary war living history event hosted by the Colonial Maine Living History Association.

May 4, Saturday, 10am – 3pm, Community Open House at the American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts.  Come tour the newly renovated Antiquarian Hall and the new addition with a new multimedia Learning Lab.  Free to the public.

May 4, Saturday, 10am – 2pm, Heifer Parade and Opening Day at the Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road, Canterbury, New Hampshire.  Free admission.  Parade begins approximately at 11am.  Activities include maypole dancing, barn dancing, make your own flower head wreaths, food and music. Self-guided exhibits and museum buildings open. Guided tours available for $10 at 11am and 2pm.  The grounds are open until 4pm.

May 4, Saturday, noon – 3pm, The Graveyard as a Genealogical Resource, at the East Bridgewater Public Library, Central Library, 32 Union Street, East Bridgewater, Massachusetts.  Presented by the Gravestone Girls.  Free to the public.

May 4, Saturday, 1pm, Burial Hill Tour: Saving the Landscapes of the Past, at Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts. FREE one hour tour led by Dr. Anne Mason will explore local stories of historic preservation. Presented by the Plymouth Antiquarian Society and Pilgrim Hall Museum. Tour begins at the top of the Hill. Ascend the brick steps next to First Parish Church in Town Square. No reservations necessary. Family friendly. Involves strenuous walking on a steep hillside. 

May 4, Saturday, 1pm, The Shaker Legacy, at the Hampton Falls Free Library, 7 Drinkwater Road, Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. A lecture about the Sakers contributions to society and some personal memories of the Canterbury Shakers presented by Darryl Thompson. Free to the public.

May 4, Saturday, 1pm, Bob Montana: The Man Behind Archie and the City that Inspired Him, at the Millyard Museum, 300 Bedford Street, Manchester, New Hampshire. The creator of the "Archie" comic will be at the museum to tell her father's tale with a video and a question and answer session.  Free with museum admission.  Please RSVP to 603-622-7531 or email history@manchesterhistoric.org 

May 4, Saturday, 1pm, The Story of Beverly Pottery, at Historic Beverly, 117 Cabot Street, Beverly, Massachusetts.  Justin Thomas, a scholar of the Beverly Pottery Company, will discuss his research on the subject.  Attendees are encouraged to bring their own pieces of pottery to the lecture and Justin will help identify any potential Beverly Pottery pieces.  $10/ free for members.

May 4, Saturday, 1pm, The Shaker Legacy, at the Hampton Falls Free Library, 7 Drinkwater Road, Hampton Falls, New Hampshire.  Free to the public. Presented by Darryl Thompson.  Free to the public.

May 4, Saturday, 2pm, Briggs Carriage Company: A Personal History and Quest for Information and Acquisition!, at the Amesbury Public Library, Amesbury, Massachusetts.  Lynn Davis will review the family history leading up to the creation of the Carriage Company.  Free to the public.

May 4, Saturday, 4pm, The Problem of Democracy: The Presidents Adams Confront the Cult of Personality, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public.  

May 5, Sunday, 1pm, WW1 Show and Tell, at the Fairfield Museum and History Center, 370 Beach Road, Fairfield, Connecticut.  Hosted by the Connecticut Ancestry Society.  A series of speakers will be given 5 – 10 minutes to present their WW1 research, WW1 objects, or to share a WW1 story that would be of interest to genealogists. Free to the public.

May 5, Sunday, 2pm, Digging into Native History in New Hampshire at the Old Church Building Meeting Room, 131 NH Route 10, Piermont, New Hampshire. Presented by Robert Goodby. Free to the public.

May 7, Tuesday, noon, Rally Round the Flag: The American Civil War Through Folksong, at the Portsmouth Country Club, 80 Country Club Lane, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Presented by Woody Pringle and Marek Bennet with numerous musical instruments. Free to the public.

May 7, Tuesday, 6pm, A Visit with Queen Victoria, at the Wiggin Memorial Library, 10 Bunker Hill Avenue, Stratham, New Hampshire.  Presented by living historian Sally Mummey in proper 19th century clothing resplendent with Royal Orders.  Free to the public.

May 7, Tuesday, 7pm, DNA and Genealogy, at the Chelmsford Genealogy Club, 25 Boston Road, Chelmsford, Massachusetts.  This will be presented by Dr. Sandy Murray.  Bring your pedigree chart. Free to the public.

May 8, Wednesday, 8:45 am – 11:45am, DAR Day, at the Hillside School, 404 Robin Hill Street, Marlborough, Massachusetts.  Hosted by the New Hampshire Daughters of the American Revolution. Please RSVP to Rich Meyer at rmeyer@hillsideschool.net or 508-481-4615.  Campus and Farm tours 8:45 am – 11am, Information and entertainment 11am – 12:30pm, Lunch at 12:30pm.

May 8, Wednesday, 6pm, Abbott Downing and the Concord Coach, at the Penacook Historical Society, 11 Penacook Street, Penacook, New Hampshire.  Local expert Peter James will present the coaches that still exist in New Hampshire and the history of the Abbot & Dowing Company. There will be a question and answer session. Free to the public. 6pm potluck (bring a dish!), 7pm program. All are welcome. 

May 8, Wednesday, 7pm, Bad Deeds? Debating Indian Land Sales in Colonial Maine, at the Old Bridgewater Historical Society- Memorial Building, 162 Howard Street, West Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Presented by Dr. Ian Saxine, a lecture which examines the extended struggle to re-litigate and define the meaning of early land sales on the Maine coast between the Native Americans and early colonists.

May 8, Wednesday, 7pm, A Walk Back in Time: The Secrets of Cellar Holes, at the Pittsfield Historical Society, 13 Elm Street, Pittsfield, New Hampshire. Presented by Adair Mulligan.  Free to the public.

May 8, Wednesday, 7:15pm, The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War, at the Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main Street, Watertown, Massachusetts. Presented by author J. L. Bell. Free to the public.

May 8, Wednesday, 8pm, An Evening with Ambassador John Loeb, Jr, at the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts. $18 reception and book signing.  Ambassador Loeb will present his personal story with an insider’s perspective on diplomacy and the social life of the New York elite from the 19th century to the present.

May 9, Thursday, 1pm, A Soldier’s Mother Tells Her Story, at the Rye Congregational Church, 580 Washington Road, Rye, New Hampshire. Living historian Sharon Wood portrays Betsey Phelps, the mother of a Union soldier from Amherst, New Hampshire who died heroically at the Battle of Gettysburg.  Hosted by the Rye Recreation Department.  Free to the public.

May 11, Saturday, 10am, New Visitor Tour, of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free, no registration necessary.  Discover the resources at the NEHGS library, stay and use the library all afternoon.

May 11, Saturday, 10:30am, Walking Tour of Natick’s Historic Walnut Hill Neighborhood, meet up at 58 Eliot Street, Lower Level, Natick, Massachusetts. Join local historian Vincent Vittoria. Free to the public.

May 11, Saturday, 11am, Life of Colonial Women, at the Leffingwell House Museum, 348 Washington Street, Norwich, Connecticut. Discover the daily life of colonial women. See crafts, cooking demonstrations, the hat collection of Miria Toth, a collection of ladies reticules, listen to Dr. Pamela Hall detail the life of Faith Trumbull Huntington, and candle making. Light refreshments. $5 per person.

May 11, Saturday, 1:30pm, Through the Looking Glass: The Massachusetts Catholic Order of Forester Records (MCOF), at the Acton Memorial Library, 486 Main Street, Acton, Massachusetts.  Sponsored by the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Middlesex Chapter.  Free to the public. Presented by genealogist Kathleen Kaldis. 

May 11, Saturday, 7:45 pm – 11:15pm, Reel Nutmeg Ball, at Keeney Memorial Hall, 200 Main Street, Wethersfield, Connecticut. Beginners welcome. Workshop from 3 – 5pm.  $45 per person.  Contact Martha Griffin at 860-655-9220 or megriffster@gmail.com  Sponsored by Reel Nutmeg, with assistance from Specialty Productions and the Vintage Dance Society.

May 11, Saturday, 2pm, Essex County and the Mayflower, at the Amesbury Public Library, Amesbury, Massachusetts.  Presented by Linda MacIver, on the eve of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  Free to the public.

May 12, Sunday, “If I Am Not For Myself, Who Will Be for Me?” George Washington’s Runaway Slave, at the Congregation Ahavas Achim, 84 Hastings Avenue, Keene, New Hampshire. The story of Oney Judge Staines, slave to George and Martha Washington, who escaped to a new life in New Hampshire. Presented by living historian Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti.  Free to the public.

May 13, Monday, 6:30pm, Brewing in New Hampshire: An Informal History of Beer in the Granite State from Colonial Times to the Present, at the Derry Public Library 64 East Broadway, Derry, New Hampshire. Presented by Glenn Knoblock. Free to the public.

May 14, Tuesday, 2pm, A Visit with Queen Victoria, at the Lawrence Barn, 28 Depot Road, Hollis, New Hampshire.  Presented by living historian Sally Mummey in proper 19th century clothing resplendent with Royal Orders. Hosted by the Anna Keyes Powers DAR Chapter.  Free to the public.

May 14, Tuesday, 7pm, Local History Talk: The USS Thresher: Loss & Legacy, at the Portsmouth Public Library, Levenson Community Room, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Presented by Kevin Galeaz, Cold War submarine veteran and president of the USS Thresher Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Foundation. Free to the public.

May 14, Tuesday, 7pm, The Grand Resort Hotels of the White Mountains: Architecture, History, and the Preservation Record, at the Elkins Public Library, 9 Center Road, Canterbury, New Hampshire. Presented by architectural historian Bryant Tolles, Jr. who will focus on the surviving grand resort hotels: The Mount Washington Resort, The Mountain View Grand, The Balsams, The Eagle Mountain House, and Wentworth Hall and Cottages. Free to the public.

May 15, Wednesday, 6pm, Indian Americans of Massachusetts, at the Boston Public Library, Copely Square, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Presented by author Meenal Pandya.  Free to the public.

May 15, Wednesday, 6:30pm, Family Stories: How and Why to Remember and Tell Them, at the Blaisdell Memorial Library, 129 Stage Road, Nottingham, New Hampshire. Present by story teller Jo Radner.  Participants will practice finding, developing, and telling their own family tales. Free to the public.

May 15, Wednesday, 6:30pm, Moved and Seconded: Town Meeting in New Hampshire, at the Folsom Tavern, 164 Water Street, Exeter, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the American Independence Museum.  Presented by Rebecca Rule. Free to the public.

May 16, Thursday, 5:30pm, Fenway Fans, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts. $10 per person. Red Sox poet laureate Dick Flavin, author Bill Nowlin, and chronicler of Red Sox history Larry Ruttman will tell stories and reminisce about the Boston Red Sox.  Perhaps a mystery guest will appear? Bring your own story to tell.

May 16, Thursday, 6 – 9pm, Women’s Rights in Images 1848 – 1876, at the American Antiquarian Society’s Daniel House, 190 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts. $30 registration for this workshop, see the website https://americanantiquarian.org Presented by the guest scholar Allison Lange and cosponsored by the Center for Historic American Visual Culture.  

May 16, Thursday, 6:30, Stephen Middaugh’s Revolution, part of the “Finding Your Ancestors” series at the Mayflower Society House, 4 Winslow Street, Plymouth, Massachusetts.  Presented by genealogist Peggy Baker.  Free to the public. For more information see www.themayflowersociety.org

May 16, Thursday, 6:30, Historic Districts 101, at St. Joseph Hall, 160 Derby Street, Salem, Massachusetts.  Hosted by Historic Salem, Inc.  Wonder why your home isn’t in a historic district. Interested in designating your home or street as a historic district? Bring your questions to this seminar!  Admission is free, but please RSVP through the free tickets at www.flipcause.com

May 16, Thursday, 7pm, Massachusetts in the Womens Suffrage Movement: Revolutionary Reformers, at the Navy Yard Visitor Center Theater, Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts. Author Barbara Berenson will present this lecture. Free to the public.

May 16, Thursday, 8pm, Liberty is Our Motto!: Songs and Stories of the Hutchinson Family Singers, at the Lawrence Barn, 28 Depot Road, Hollis, New Hampshire.  Presented by Steve Blunt portraying John Hutchinson with guitar and violin. He will tell the story of the musical Hutchinson Family of Milford, NH who were America’s most notable musical entertainers for much of the mid 19th century who sang of social reform, abolition, temperance, woman’s suffrage, and the Lincoln presidential campaign. Free to the public.

May 17, Friday, 7pm, A Visit with Abraham Lincoln, at the Soldier's Memorial Building, 31 North Park Street, Lebanon, New Hampshire. Hosted by the the Lebanon Historical Society. Free to the public. 

May 17, Friday, 7:15pm, “Andersonville Raiders” with Gary Morgan, at the Epping Town Hall, 147 Main Street, Epping, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the Civil War Roundtable of New Hampshire. Free to the public.

May 17 – 19, Friday to Sunday, Military History Expo, at 645 South Main Street, Orange, Massachusetts. Militaria flea market, military vehicle and artifact display.  Food vendors. Saturday and Sunday will have numerous live equipment demonstrations, and 3 battle reenactments at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm.  Tickets for Saturday and Sunday $20 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 – 16.  Discounts for Veterans, Active Duty Military and Seniors. $5 for Friday only.

May 18 and 19, Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 4pm, Skirmish at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, 149 Pine Street, Danvers, Massachusetts.  Hosted by the Danvers Alarm Company. Battle reenactment and encampment.

May 18, Saturday, Pirates Ashore!, at the Mayflower House, Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 1646 three shiploads of English privateers sailed in to Plymouth harbor.  Great mayhem ensued, including one rowdy sailor who died in a swordfight, leading to a trial for murder. Explore the pirate encampment, learn how to fire a cannon, and experience the New Plimmoth Gard’s drills with pikes and muskets. Family friendly.

May 18, Saturday, 8am – 2pm, Yard Sale for the Sons & Daughters of the First Settlers of Newbury, at 38 Parker Street, Newbury, Massachusetts.  All proceeds (and donations!) go to the maintenance of the Jackman-Willett House. Furniture, toys, small appliances, jewelry, kitchenware, and much more. There will be antiques from the Jackman-Willett collection, too.

May 18, Saturday, 10am – 3pm, Annual Spring Meeting of the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists, at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park Street, Concord, New Hampshire.  Featured speakers will be Sarah E. Galligan, Library Director of the NHHS and Brian Nelson Burford, the New Hampshire State Archivist.  http://nhsog.org/  

May 18, Saturday, 11am,  A Terrible Malady: Diseases & Epidemics in New England, at the Somerset Public Library, 1464 County Street, Somerset, Massachusetts, hosted by the Bristol County Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists. Free to the public.

May 18, Saturday, 1pm, Ellis Square Walking Tour, hosted by Historic Beverly, Massachusetts.  Meet in Ellis Square at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  This is a short walking tour of ½ mile in length but packed with historical details. Rain or shine, $10/ free for members.

May 19, Sunday, 2nd Annual Londonderry Antiques Appraisal Day, at the Londonderry Historical Society Museum Complex, Pillsbury Road, Londonderry, New Hampshire. Bring your antiques, collectibles & family treasures to be appraised by Daniel F. Reidy, owner of the Discerning Eye estate appraisal and disposition planning business. 

May 19, Sunday, 2pm, Sharing your Genealogy Research Results and Legacy, at the Portsmouth Public Library’s Levenson Community Room, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Presented by Seema Kenney who will explain how to use today’s technology to share photos, stories, and more with living and future relatives and descendants. Free to the public.

May 19, Sunday, 2pm, Family Stories: How and Why to Remember and Tell Them, at the Pontine Theater, #1 Plains Avenue Plains School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Present by story teller Jo Radner.  Participants will practice finding, developing, and telling their own family tales. Free to the public.

May 21, Tuesday, 6:30pm, Black Girlhood in the Nineteenth Century, at the American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts. Presented by author Nazera Sadiq Wright.  Books will be available for sale and signed by the author.  Seating is first-come, first-served and doors open at 6:30pm.

May 21, Tuesday, 7pm, Welcome to the Graveyard: A Virtual Tour of Dover’s Cemeteries, at the Dover Public Library, 73 Locust Street, Dover, New Hampshire.  Presented by the Graveyard Girls.  Free to the public.

May 21, Tuesday, 7pm, Local History Talk: Saving the Squalus, at the Portsmouth Public Library’s Levenson Room, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Presented by Bob Begin, who will discuss the sinking and subsequent rescue of the submarine the USS Squalus. Free to the public.

May 22, Wednesday, 10am, New Visitor Tour, of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public, no registration or membership is necessary.  Discover the resources at the NEHGS library, stay and use the library all afternoon.

May 22, Wednesday, 2:30pm, A Visit with Queen Victoria, at the Plaistow Public Library, 85 Main Street, Plaistow, New Hampshire.  Presented by living historian Sally Mummey who will perform in proper 19th century clothing resplendent with Royal Orders.  Free to the public.

May 22, Wednesday, 6pm, Tracing Lafayette’s Trail, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 – 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public, sponsored by the Hannah Winthrop Chapter, DAR.  The Lafayette Trail Project is a Franco-American effort to document, map, and mark the footsteps of General Lafayette on his Farewell Tour.  Diaries from the NEHGS collection documenting portions of Lafayette’s farewell tour will be on display. To register visit www.americanancestors.org/education/events-and-programs

May 23, Thursday, 6pm, Shoes and Their Secret Stories, at the Newport Historical Society Resource Center, 82 Touro Street, Newport, Rhode Island.  Presented by 18th century fashion scholar Dr. Kimberly Alexander. $5 general admission, and $1 for NHS members. Space is limited, please RSVP at Newporthistory.org or call 401-841-8770.

May 23, Thursday, 6pm, Involuntary Americans:  Scottish Prisoners in Early Colonial Maine, at the Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress Street, Portland, Maine.  Presented by Dr. Carol Gardner based on her new book “Involuntary American: A Scottish Prisoner’s Journey to the New World” about the foot soldier Thomas Doughty, who was captured at the Battle of Dunbar and sold into servitude in Boston.  Free to the public.

May 25, Saturday, 10am - 4pm, Derryfield Old Home Day, at 97 Mammoth Road, Manchester, New Hampshire.  Come help celebrate the 300th anniversary of Nutfield, and the settlement of Derryfield which became Manchester, New Hampshire. Free to the public. Family friendly. House tours, cemetery tours, lightning talks, activities for children, the Burlington Minutemen re-enactors, and a Concord Coach.  For more information, please call the Manchester Historic Association 603-622-7531. 

May 23, Thursday, 6:30pm, Stark Decency: New Hampshire’s World War II German Prisoner of War Camp, at the North Hampton Public Library, 237A Atlantic Avenue, North Hampton, New Hampshire. Presented by Allen Koop. Free to the public.

May 25, Saturday, 9am – 3pm, War of 1812 Marines Living History Encampment, at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts. The US Marines guarded the Charlestown Navy Yard for its entire history as an active Navy installation. Come learn how they served both ashore and at sea. Free to the public.

May 25, Saturday, 10am – 2pm, 2019 Lilac Festival, at the Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion Historic Site, 375 Little Harbor Road, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Free festival with tours of the historic mansion, scavenger hunts, guided trail walks, and more.  Family friendly. The lilac here on the grounds were the first lilacs ever planted in New Hampshire, and are our state flower.  Cuttings available.

May 29, Wednesday, 5:30pm, Oliver Wendall Holmes: A Life in War, Law & Ideas, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by $10 per person. Presented by author Stephen Budiansky.

May 29, Wednesday, 6pm, Witches and Bitches: the Badass Women of Beverly, Massachusetts, hosted by Historic Beverly, meet at the Cabot House, 117 Cabot Street, Beverly, Massachusetts. This is a 1 and ¼ mile walking tour, rain or shine.  $10/ free for members.

May 30, Thursday, 6pm, Genealogy Workshop, at the Concord Public Library, 45 Green Street, Concord, New Hampshire. Bring your own laptop and learn various search techniques using historic Concord materials, and Ancestry Library edition.  Free to the public.

May 30, Thursday, 7pm, Women of Natick and Ponkapoag: The Untold History of the Praying Towns, at the Morse Institute Library, Lebowitz Meeting Hall, 14 East Central Street, Natick, Massachusetts. Hosted by the Natick Historical Society, and presented by Kristen Wyman of the Nipmuc Tribe and Elizabeth Solomon of the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag.  Free to the public.

Future Events:

June 1 and 2, Saturday and Sunday, The Gathering of the People Pow-wow, at the Owls Landing Campground, 245 US Route 3, Holderness, New Hampshire. Vendors, Drumming, Dancing, and Food. Kid and family friendly.

June 1 and 2, Saturday and Sunday, Scottish Heritage Weekend at the Fort at No. 4, 267 Springfield Road, Charlestown, New Hampshire.  http://www.fortat4.org/events/scottish-heritage/scottish.php

June 14, Friday, Sudbury Revolutionary War Military Ball, at the Wayside Inn, Sudbury, Massachusetts.  Have fun socializing, drinking and dancing with your fellow reenactors at this annual ball.  The dance caller will be Jacob Bloom.  $20 per person, $18 for advance reservations, and a couples rate of $32 with advance reservations. Sponsored by the Sudbury Companies of Minutemen and Militia.  Mail your checks to SCMM PO Box 187, Sudbury, MA 01776.

 June 29 and 30, Saturday and Sunday, General John Stark’s Mustering of the Militia, at the Fort at No. 4, 267 Springfield Road, Charlestown, New Hampshire. During the American Revolution, Charlestown was an assembly point for 1,500 Colonial troops under General John Stark.  The New Hampshire Militia left town and marched to engage “Gentleman” John Burgoyne in the 1777 Battle of Bennington.  http://www.fortat4.org/events/stark/starks-muster.php




July 6 and 7, Saturday and Sunday, The Battle of Hubbarton, at Hubbarton Battlefield State Historic Site, Castleton, Vermont. Sunday morning battle reenactment. 



July 29 – August 12, 2019,  Introduction to the Polish Heritage:  A unique insight into Poland’s History, Culture, Folklore, and Traditions.  All inclusive Tour of Poland from Boston.  Sponsored by the Polish Center of Discover and Learning of Chicopee, Massachusetts.  Stas Radosz invites you to join the 10th Edition of the Polish Heritage Tour.  This year features Gdansk in time for the Dominican Fair; as well as the fortified castles of Malbork, Gniew, and Kwidzyn; the prehistoric Slav settlement of Biskupin, and the Beskidy Mountains and the Lemko culture. Space is limited. Check if space is available at 413-592-0001 or email polishcenter@elms.edu 

August 1 -5, Thursday to Monday,  Parade of Sail, Tall Ships, in Portsmouth Harbor, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Parade of Sail 1:15 August 1st (up the Piscataquar River, under the Memorial Bridge, and turn around back to the State Pier).  Ships will be open for tours 10am – 5pm, August 2- 4, and ships depart on August 5th.



August 2 – 4, Friday to Sunday, Redcoats to Rebels, at Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The largest Revolutionary War encampment in New England with over 4,000 spectators. Demonstrations, battles, skirmishes, and a ball at the Bullard Tavern on Saturday night.  See https://osv.org/event/redcoats-rebels  Included with museum admission.



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 



Thursday, April 25, 2019

Throwback Thursday ~ 1956 Allen Family

Here are some photos of my Mom's family taken when my parents were still dating! These images were digitized from slides that were stored in the basement for 65 or more years, but still look sharp and colorful.

My Mom, 1956, at the Willowdale Estate in Topsfield, Massachusetts

There were many images like this
Maybe the car was new to Dad
This is the house where he grew up (me, too)
7 Dearborn Avenue, Beverly, Massachusetts

This was taken in front of Mom's house at 10 Roosevelt Ave, Hamilton, MA

Cub Scouts, Memorial Day parade 1956, Hamilton, Massachusetts

Memorial Day parade, Hamilton, Massachusetts 1956, police

Summer vacation cottage!
Dad's car in the background
My Mom, her parents Gertrude and Stan Allen,
and Mom's little brother, Dickie
Another vacation photo
Mom, her sister-in-law (Auntie Barbara), and
her Mom (my grandmother, Gertrude (Hitchings) Allen)
Mom is wearing Dad's Boston University sweatshirt,
and Auntie Barb is wearing Mom's
Beverly Hospital School of Nursing sweatshirt.

Auntie Barbara, my cousin as a baby, and Mom's brother, Buddy
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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Throwback Thursday ~ 1956 Allen Family", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 25, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/04/throwback-thursday-1956-allen-family.html: accessed [access date]).

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Jeremy Bangs in Plymouth

We were lucky enough to get a last minute reserved seat at the special evening with Dr. Jeremy Bangs at the Pilgrim Hall Museum on Monday night, April 22nd.  But we were also unlucky to hit torrential rains and horrific Boston traffic on the way to the event.  We rolled into Pilgrim Hall just a few minutes before the presentation "Intellectual Baggage - Pilgrim Ideas - Ours and Theirs" began.  It was a very full hall, and there was a long line of people waiting in the "stand-by" queue for seats. We were told that fortunately the museum was able to accommodate everyone who was waiting.

I have heard Dr. Bangs speak twice before.  Once I had heard him lecture many years ago at NEHGS, and I attended the banquet at the Mayflower Congress in 2011 where Dr. Bangs gave the keynote presentation titled "Always More Pilgrim Books".  He has written over ten books about the Pilgrims, including Strangers and Pilgrims, Travelers and Sojourners: Leiden and the Foundations of Plymouth Plantation and also Indian Deeds: Land Transactions in Plymouth Colony 1620 - 1692.  He is on the editorial board for the GSMD Mayflower Journal and he is also an honorary life member.  We missed seeing Bangs at his American Pilgrim Museum in Leiden in 2017 on our GSMD tour due to his recent illness, and I was so happy to have this opportunity to hear him speak and to see that he had recovered well.

Tonight's talk was more than just a presentation on the books the Pilgrims brought with them, books they owned, and the books they left in their wills and estate inventories.  Bangs also described some myths that developed over the years, and the history behind why these myths developed and persisted. He also presented primary source material disputing some of these myths usually in a humorous context. The audience appreciated his sense of humor, and his deep understanding of more than just Pilgrim history - Bangs is expert in geography, law, religion, literature, 17th century politics, sociology, and other subjects that give him an ability to tie everything together.

This talk was sponsored by David A. Furlow, historian, and his wife, GSMD Member-at-Large Lisa Pennington.  It was a fundraiser for the restoration of the Edward P. Moran painting Signing of the Mayflower Compact. The painting was not on display, since it had been removed last year when the ceiling was repainted, and damage was found in the old frame.  David Furlow stated "No one has written more about the Pilgrims than Jeremy Bangs".



At the conclusion of Dr. Bang's presentation, The Cothutikut Mattakeeset Massachuset Tribe awarded Dr. Bangs a wampum necklace and blanket for his work on the book Indian Deeds.  It was followed by a short question and answer session.

This event was well worth the long drive in bad weather all the way from Manchester, New Hampshire.  It was wonderful to see Dr. Jeremy Bangs again, and also to see the large crowd that came out to welcome him.  Of course I ran into many of my Mayflower cousins, and some surprise cousins, and many of my friends and colleagues from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants.


For the truly curious:

The American Pilgrim Museum in Leiden, The Netherlands:     http://www.leidenamericanpilgrimmuseum.org/index.htm

The Pilgrim Hall Museum: https://www.pilgrimhall.org/


More news about this event online:

Plymouth Wicked Local  https://plymouth.wickedlocal.com/news/20190417/jeremy-bangs-lecture-pilgrim-story-as-revealed-through-their-books

Mayflower Society Blog   https://www.themayflowersociety.org/blog/item/428-unpacking-the-pilgrims-intellectual-baggage 


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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Jeremy Bangs in Plymouth", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 24, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/04/jeremy-bangs-in-plymouth.html: accessed [access date]).

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Wicked Apparell

The Puritans did not dress like this!
Whilst browsing in a favorite used book store, I found a book published in 1928 by Henry W. Lawrence titled The Not-Quite Puritans.  This quirky old book starts with a dedication quoting Viscount Bryce “It is Facts that are needed: Facts, Facts, Facts. When facts have been supplied, each of us can try to reason from them”.  This old book's first chapter "Wicked Apparell" [sic] states some facts about the Puritan Sumptuary Laws in Massachusetts, but neglects to provide footnotes or sources for these interesting tidbits.  Perhaps we can crowd source the origins of these quotes?

From pages 4- 5:

“As early as 1634, some ‘new and immodest fashions’ alarmed the authorities of Massachusetts into ordering ‘that no person, either man or woman, shall hereafter make or buy any apparel, either woolen, silk or linen, with any lace on it, silver, gold, silk or thread’.  A prohibition was likewise laid on ‘slashed clothes, other than one slash in each sleeve, and another in the back’; also on ‘all gold or silver girdles, hat-bands, belts, ruff, beaver hats.’ With due regard for the avoidance of waste, however the law allowed the present possessors ‘to wear out such apparel as they are now provided of, except the immoderate great sleeves, slashed apparel, immoderate great rails, long wings, &c.’
This early prohibition law evidently proved inadequate, especially with the women; whereupon moral suasion was tried.  Governor Winthrop writes that, in 1638, ‘The court, taking into consideration the great disorder general through the country in costliness of apparel, and following new fashions, sent for the elders of the churches, and conferred with them about it, and laid it upon them, as belonging to them, to redress it, by urging it upon the consciences of their people, which they promised to do.  But little was done about it, for divers of the elders’ wives, etc. where in some measure partners in the general disorder.’
… in the very next year, 1639, it was found necessary to pass a law against the improper clothing worn by frivolous males.  ‘Immoderate great breeches’ were forbidden; also broad shoulder bands, double ruffles, and capes.  It seems, too, that the dandies were adorning their shoes with silk roses, till this law plucked them off.”

What is the source for these quoted bits of information?  I used Google to search for some of them and this is what I found:

The first statute mentioned above from 1634 is from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 3 September 1634.  It also forbade “new fashions, or long hair”, or anything of the like nature”.   I couldn’t find the exact law through Google.

The quote from Governor John Winthrop in 1638 about the sumptuary laws comes from Winthrop’s Journal “History of New England 1630 – 1649”, Volume 7, page 179 and is dated 25 September 1638.

The statue against “Immoderate great breeches” comes from the Massachusetts Colonial Records, Volume 1, page 126 with an admonition from the Massachusetts General Court in 1639, and it reads “Immoderate great breeches, knots of ribbon, broad shoulder-bands and rails, silk rases, double ruffs and cuffs… the excessive wearing of lace and other superfluities… [tended]… to little use or benefit, but to the nourishing of pride and exhausting of men’s estates, and also of evil example to others”

For the truly curious:

Sumptuary Laws, by Margaret Wood at the Law Library of Congress  https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2014/02/sumptuary-laws/

The Puritans: Sumptuary Laws for Those of Mean Condition, by City College New York:

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Wicked Apparell", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 20, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/04/wicked-apparell.html: accessed [access date]).

Friday, April 19, 2019

Patriots Day

The Battle of Lexington re-enacted on 19 April 2000.
The re-enactment always takes place in the gloom of dawn, just like in 1775


Patriot’s Day was traditionally celebrated in Massachusetts and Maine on April 19th, the anniversary day of the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775.  Nowadays it is celebrated on the nearest Monday to the 19th, and unfortunately most people now call it “Marathon Monday”.  However, in the towns of Lexington and Concord, it is still commemorated with much fanfare, including re-enactments of the battles and skirmishes, gatherings of militia, historical lectures, music, and memorial services.

Over the years I have blogged about Patriot’s Day and the Battle of Lexington many times, because my Munroe ancestors and kin were present at this conflict.  You can find a list of these links below. 

My most poignant memory of Patriots Day is the time we attended the 225th anniversary re-enactment of the Battle of Lexington.  I cried as I watched my 5th great uncles Robert Munroe (1712 – 1775) and Jonas Parker (1722 – 1775) (married to Lucy Munroe) be bayonetted and killed by the British Regulars on Lexington Green. I wept as I watched the women and children re-enact recovering their bodies and carrying them away.

To my family this was an act of horror and terror as much as the Boston Marathon bombing which took place on Patriots Day in 2013.  I can imagine how my 4th great grandfather, little Andrew Munroe (1764 – 1836), who had just turned eleven years old, felt as he witnessed the Battle. By the end of the Revolutionary War he was an officer (he was made a Major) and received a bounty land grant in New Grafton, New Hampshire. Eyewitness accounts of the battle read just like eyewitness accounts of modern terrorist events, or scenes of war anywhere in the world.

In a few years there will be a 250th commemoration of the Battles of Lexington and Concord (in the year 225).  Just like the recent 300th anniversary of Nutfield, New Hampshire, or next year’s 400th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower in Plymouth, Massachusetts, this will be a large celebration with actors, re-enactors, politicians, parades, ceremonies, memorials and parties.  But for some people it is a commemoration of the day their loved ones died, or suffered great hardship as a war began in the American Colonies.

This is how many American of native descent feel about the upcoming 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower.  I'm glad that the Wampanoag nation is participating in the 2020 anniversary, and it is because of their cooperation with the events that we are calling this a commemoration, not a celebration.  Although I'm looking forward to the Plymouth 400th, and the Lexington Battle 250th, I'm feeling just like I did when Salem remembered the 300th anniversary of the events of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.  I had three ancestors hanged that year, several others imprisoned and accused, and many others suffered.  1992 was a time of remembrance, not celebration. Just like Patriots Day every year. 

After the battle

Women and children tend to the dead and wounded

My daughter and I react to the first shots of the "battle"

The British Regulars as they left Lexington for Concord
When we visit Lexington we leave flowers
at this grave site for the men who died at the 1775 battle.

Some of the many Nutfield Genealogy posts about Patriots Day and the Battle of Lexington:

Eyewitness to the Battle of Lexington-

Cousins at the Battle of Lexington-

The 225th Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington Green- https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/04/patriots-day-225th-anniversary-of.html 

The 225th Anniversary of the Battle of Concord Bridge-  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/04/patriots-day-19-april-2000-225th.html  

18 April 2000, the day before the 225th anniversary – https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/04/patriots-day-18-april-2000-day-before.html  


Munroe Tavern becomes a Public Museum-



Surname Saturday – Munroe of Lexington, Massachusetts-  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/06/surname-saturday-munroe-of-lexington.html 

How a Family History Fib Spread in 1889, and is still spreading today!  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/01/read-how-family-history-fib-spread-in.html 



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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Patriots Day”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 19, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/04/patriots-day.html: accessed [access date]). 

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Throwback Thursday ~ 1955 Views of the White and Green Mountains

In 1955 my Dad took a trip with his friend around the White Mountains in New Hampshire and Vermont.  They drove a car all around, and took many photographs that were stored as slides for years in our basement.  Last month Vincent did a huge scanning project and digitized over 1,500 slides.  Here are some.  Many of these views are mysteries to me even though I am very familiar with the area.  It seems that some views have changed over the past 65 years.

The Mount Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.
This view hasn't changed much, especially the cog railroad tracks up the mountain.
The hotel has expanded a little, and the foreview is now a golf course instead of trees.

An unknown farm, probably Vermont somewhere

One of the notches.  Maybe the Kancamaugus Trail?
Love the 1950s car!

An unknown construction project.  It looks like a dam? Any ideas?

I had no idea what this was until I crowd sourced the answer on Facebook.
This is "Hunter and his Dog" in Smuggler's Notch! 

An unknown hotel labeled only "Lodge" on the white sign.
Dad was a golfer, and this looks like a golf course in the foreground.

An unknown dock, probably on the sea coast because it is cantilevered.
Maybe Maine?

Another mystery view!
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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "1955 Views of the White and Green Mountains", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 18, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/04/throwback-thursday-1955-views-of-white.html: accessed [access date]).