Friday, February 28, 2020

March 2020 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 29, Saturday, 2pm, Abby Hutchinson’s Sweet Freedom Songs: Songs and Stories of the Struggle for Abolition and Woman Suffrage, at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park Street, Concord, New Hampshire. Presented by living historian Deborah Anne Goss as Abby Hutchinson Patton. Free to the public.

February 29, Saturday, 2pm, New Hampshire on Skis, at the Bath Public Library, 21 Lisbon Road, Bath, New Hampshire. Presented by Professor E. John B. Allen.  Free to the public.

March 1, Sunday, 2pm, Law and Religion in Plymouth Colony, at the First Church Boston, 66 Marlborough Street, in the chapel, Boston, Massachusetts. Presented by Professor Scott Douglas Gerber, law professor at Ohio Northern University.  Hosted by the Partnership of Historic Bostons, Inc. 

March 1, Sunday, 2pm, Taken Away: The Captive Experience in the late 1600s and early 1700s, at the Hess Center for the Arts, Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, Massachusetts.  Presented by Kevin Sweeney, professor emeritus Amherst College.  For more information and registration click here:  https://www.historic-deerfield.org/events/2020/3/1/taken-away-the-captive-experience-in-the-late-1600s-and-early-1700s

March 2, Monday, 4pm, Jennie Powers: The Woman Who Dares, at the Student Center Mountain View Room, Keene State College 229 Main Street, Keene, New Hampshire. Jennie Powers was one of the first humane society agents to become a deputy sheriff in New Hampshire 1903 - 1936. As a photographic activist she used her camera to document animal cruelty, family violence, and poverty in New Hampshire and beyond.  Presented by Jenna Carroll. Free to the public through a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

March 2, Monday, 6pm, John Adams Under Fire:  The Founding Father’s Fight for Justice in the Boston Massacre Trial, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by Dan Abrams and David Fisher.  Pre-talk reception at 5:30.  $20 per person fee, please register and obtain tickets here:  https://www.masshist.org/calendar/event?event=3142

March 2, Monday, 6:30pm, Abenaki Horticulture and Garden Forestry, at the Portsmouth Public Library, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Free to the public. Presented by Dr. Fred Wiseman, chair of the Vermont Indigenous Heritage Center Committee and director of the Seeds of Renewal Project. Seating will be on a first serve, first come basis. 

March 3, Tuesday, 5:15pm, The 1621 Masssasoit-Plymouth Agreement and the Genesis of American Indian Constitutionalism, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by Daniel R. Mandell, Truman State University and comment by Linford Fisher of Brown University.  Free, please register for a ticket here:  https://www.masshist.org/calendar/event?event=3108

March 3, Tuesday, 7pm, A Visit with Abraham Lincoln, at the Exeter Historical Society, 47 Front Street, Exeter, New Hampshire. Steve Wood reprises his role as Lincoln on the 160th anniversary of his speech at the Exeter Town Hall.  Doors open for light refreshments at 6:30.  Free to the public.

March 3, Tuesday, 7pm, Stark Decency:  New Hampshire’s World War II German Prisoner of War Camp, at the Portsmouth Public Library, 175 Parrot Avenue, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Presented by author Allen Koop. Free to the public.

March 4, Wednesday, 7pm, Kelsey, Cammerer, Crowninshield and Appleton: The Founding of Salem Maritime, at the National Park Service Regional Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty Street, Salem, Massachusetts.  Presented by Dr. Emily Murphy, curator at Salem Maritime.  Free to the public.

March 4, Wednesday, 10am, Discovering New England Stone Walls, at the Marion Gerrish Community Center, 39 West Broadway, Derry, New Hampshire. Presented by Kevin Gardner, author of “The Granite Kiss”.  Hosted by the Amsokeag Questers.  Free to the public.

March 4, Wednesday, 3pm, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music, at the Rye Public Library, 581 Washington Road, Rye, New Hampshire. Presented by musician Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki. Free to the public through a grant from the NH Humanities council.

March 4, Wednesday, 6:30pm, Discover your Civil War Ancestors, at the Wadleigh Memorial Library, Keyes Meeting Room, Milford, New Hampshire. Presented by Clay Feeter. Free to the public. http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/friend.cfm?curOrg=WAD&tEvt=6278688&tfPopup=1&fbclid=IwAR19E7e5HHaRzXSQXOsxx-G97NZHxdTt2eJIrotslP1qIlucmIu5FSYihJg

March 4, Wednesday, 7pm, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music, at the Deerfield Community Church, 15 Church Street, Deerfield, New Hampshire. Presented by musician Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki. Free to the public through a grant from the NH Humanities council.

March 5, Thursday, noon, Revere’s Engraving of the Boston Massacre, at the Boston Athenaeum, 10 ½ Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts. This year is the 250th anniversary of the Boston Massacre. Join us for an in depth look at Revere’s famous cartoon.  Please register here: https://bbd.bostonathenaeum.org/register?fbclid=IwAR0n4hT0rk_DEDzr1LosYdiZjSUEO_hnE1X2r4iJvArDwRZ-gyFM2q378gU

March 5, Thursday, 6pm, The Boston Massacre: A Family History, at the Boston Public Library, Rabb Hall, Lower Level, Johnson Building.  Presented by Carleton College professor Serena Zabin on the 250th anniversary of the Boston Massacre.  Free to the public.

March 5, Thursday, 6:30pm, Boston Massacre 250th Anniversary Commemoration, at the Old South Meetinghouse, 310 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free admission, but space is limited. Please register here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-massacre-250th-anniversary-commemoration-tickets-95405922683

March 5, Thursday, 6:30pm, Votes for Women: A History of the Suffrage Movement, at the Hooksett Public Library, 31 Mount Saint Mary’s Way, Hooksett, New Hampshire. Presented by Tiz Tentarelli, president of the League of Women Voters NH.  Snow date March 12th.  Free to the public.

March 5, Thursday, 6:30pm, Life Downstairs: British Servant Culture in Fact, Fiction, and Film, at the Weeks Public Library, 36 Post Road, Greenland, New Hampshire. Presented by Ann McClellan. Free to the public through a grant from the NH Humanities Council.

March 6, Friday, noon, Curator’s Choice: Sartorial Suffrage, at the Boston Athenaeum, 10 ½ Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Three historians will discuss fashion, clothing, and dress during the women’s suffrage movement. Free for visitors with general admission of $10.  Free to members.  Register for this event at https://bbd.bostonathenaeum.org/register?fbclid=IwAR0n4hT0rk_DEDzr1LosYdiZjSUEO_hnE1X2r4iJvArDwRZ-gyFM2q378gU

March 6, Friday, 2pm, Adam Hochschild with Rebel Cinderella: From Rags to Riches to Radical, the Epic Journey of Rose Pastor Stokes, part of the American Inspiration Author Series, presented by NEHGS and the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center, to be held at the American Ancestors Research Center, 99 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Cost $12.50 admission or $35 Admission and signed book.  Register here:  https://my.americanancestors.org/1137/1430

March 7, Saturday, 9am – 3:30pm, Telling Your Family Story: A Workshop at Nackey Loeb School, at the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications, 749 E. Industrial Drive, Manchester, New Hampshire. Learn how to collect, preserve, and share your family or community stories from experts.  $40 per person, includes lunch.  Register at https://www.loebschool.org/ 

March 7, Saturday, 9:30am - noon, Exploring Irish Connections to Prohibition and Property, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  $20 includes breakfast and free research time.  Presented in cooperation with TIARA (The Irish Ancestral Research Association).  Register here: https://my.americanancestors.org/seminars/1474

March 7, Saturday, 9am – 3pm, Annual Museum Clean Up Day at the Plimoth Plantation Museum, Plymouth, Massachusetts.  Raking, painting, exhibit set-up and much more. Complimentary lunch and a pass for a future museum visit as thanks for your hard work.  Bring a friend or the whole family.  Registration required:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeDpQrK7pvzNQfqxGhZ4Cr_gyw1OrqsKyoBfwfVYMS2AhYh5w/viewform?mc_cid=a6e3dd4c15&mc_eid=8cf6024ba3 

March 7, Saturday, 10am, New Visitor Tour of The New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Free to the public. No registration required.  Tour attendees are welcome to use the library following the tour. 

March 7, Saturday, noon - 3pm, Bad Deeds? Debating Indian Land Sales in Colonial Maine, at the East Bridgewater Public Library, 32 Union Street, East Bridgewater, Massachusetts.  Hosted by the Plymouth County Genealogists, Inc.  Presented by Ian Saxine, visiting professor in the History Department at Bridgewater State University.  Social hour and business meeting at noon. Presentation starts at 1pm. Free to the public. Snacks and beverages provided. 

March 7, Saturday, 1pm - 7:30pm, 2020 Boston Massacre Reenactment, at the Old State House, Boston, Massachusetts.  Hosted by Revolutionary Spaces and the Newport Historical Society.  1- 5pm, Reenactors will illustrate the tensions between Boston residents and British soldiers inside and outside the Old State House, at the Old South Meeting House, and at Faneuil Hall.  7 - 7:30pm, The reenactment of the Boston Massacre will take place outside the Old State House.  See the full schedule here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/2471494463179960/

March 7, Saturday, 1pm, Redefining Women:  The Impact of the Revolution on Gender Ideology, at the Cape Ann Museum, 27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, Massachusetts.  Presented by Carol Berkin, Presidential Professor Emerita of History at Baruch College.  Free to the public.

March 7, Saturday, 2pm, Parker Lecture: “Can’t Die But Once:” Harriet Tubman Performance, at 115 John Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. Hosted by the Lowell National Historic Park. A presentation by living historian Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti appearing as Harriet Tubman. Free to all.
March 7, Saturday, 9am, French Canadian Genealogy, at the Worcester County Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists.  Presented by certified genealogist Margaret R. Fortier.  Free to the public.

March 8, Sunday, 5:30pm, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music, at the Women’s Club of Concord, 44 Pleasant Street, Concord, New Hampshire. Presented by musician Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki. Free to the public through a grant from the NH Humanities council.

March 9, Monday, 6:30pm, Maine’s French and Indian Wars: A Mobile Museum, at the Lithgow Public Library, 45 Winthrop Street, Augusta, Maine. Presented by Mark Rohman, Mike Dekker, and Craig Young.

March 9, Monday, 7pm, The History of Agriculture as Told by Barns, at the Stratham Fire Department, 4 Winnicutt Road, Stratham, New Hampshire. Hosted by the Stratham Historical Society, and presented by John C. Porter, author of “Preserving Old Barns: Preventing the Loss of a Valuable Resource”.  Free to the public.  Snow date is March 16. 

March 10, Tuesday, 7pm, Crispus Attucks and the Boston Massacre, at the American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts.  Presented by author Mitch Kachum.

March 11, Wednesday, 10:30am, Abenaki and Archaeology: Digging Up Manchester’s Past, at the Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford Street, Manchester, New Hampshire. Included with museum admission.  This mini gallery tour includes the collection that starts with objects such as stone artifacts, pottery shards, and more recent quillwork and birch bark crafts. 

March 11, Wednesday, 10:30am, New Hampshire on Skis, at the Golden View Health Care Center, 19 NH Route 104, Meredith, New Hampshire. Free to the public through a grant from the NH Humanities Council.  Presented by Professor E. John B. Allen. 

March 11, Wednesday, 6pm, City On A Hill: A History of American Exceptionalism, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Presented by Abram C. Van Engen, Washington University in St. Louis.  Pre-talk reception at 5:30pm.  $10 per person, please register and get a ticket here:  https://www.masshist.org/calendar/event?event=3145

March 11, Wednesday, 6pm, 1949: Change Comes to Penacook, at the Penacook Historical Society, 11 Penacook Street, Penacook, New Hampshire.  6pm potluck, 7pm presentation by historian Ruth Speed.  Free to the public.  

March 11, Wednesday, 6:30pm, The Life and Work of Lydia Pinkham, at the House of Seven Gables, 115 Derby Street, Salem, Massachusetts. Local historian Irene Axelrod shares the tale of the life of Lydia Pinkham. $10 or free for members. Tickets at https://store.7gables.org/EventPurchase.aspx 

March 12, Thursday, 2:30pm, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music, at Tad’s Place, at Heritage Heights, 149 East Side Drive, Concord, New Hampshire.  Jordan Tirrell- Wysocki will present songs and stories with fiddle and guitar.  Free to the public.

March 12, Thursday, 6:30pm, Evacuation Day Lecture: Native Americans at the Siege of Boston, at the Longfellow House, 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Presented by historian, blogger, and author, J. L. Bell.  Space is limited, please call 617-876-4491 to reserve your spot!  

March 12, Thursday, 6:30pm, Discover Your Civil War Ancestors, at the Blackstone Public Library, 86 Main Street, Blackstone, Massachusetts.  Presented by Clay Feeter.  Free to the public. http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/ekform.cfm?curOrg=BSTONE&curName=2020%2F03%2F12_Discover_Your_Civil_War_Ancestors&fbclid=IwAR3JCJ7NIUV-iGmIZMPuMxPFFG31YT8cLfG2BvfltnIlryI4MPc7B1lX5VM

March 12, Thursday, 6:30pm, Sanguinary Theater: An Evening with Dr. Joseph Warren and his Massacre Oration, at the Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  A costumed interpretation of Joseph Warren's fiery oration 245 years later.  Tickets at this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sanguinary-theatre-evening-with-dr-joseph-warren-his-massacre-oration-tickets-95701677293

March 12, Thursday, 6:30pm, Stark Decency: New Hampshire’s World War II German Prisoner of War Camp, at the Kimball Library, 9 Academy Avenue, Atkinson, New Hampshire. Presented by author Allen Koop.  Pre-registration is required at 603-362-5234.  Free to the public.

March 13 and 14, Friday and Saturday, 10am – 12:30pm, The Irish Experience at the Phillips House, Salem, Massachusetts. $18 members, and $25 non-members.  Advance Tickets required, please call 978-744-0440.

March 14, Saturday, Native American Annual Maple Sugaring Festival, at the Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington , Connecticut. Discover how the Native Americans processed sap with stone and wooden tools.  Sit down to a pancake breakfast with fellow history buffs. See the website  https://www.iaismuseum.org/  

March 14, Saturday, Opening Day at Plimoth Plantation, 137 Warren Avenue, Plymouth, Massachusetts.  https://www.plimoth.org/

March 14, Saturday, 10am, DNA SIG: Linking to Mayflower Silver Books with atDNA, at the Georgetown Peabody Library, 2 Maple Street, Georgetown, Massachusetts.  Free to the public. Hosted by the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists Merrimack Valley Chapter.  

March 14, Saturday, 10am, Caribbean Ancestors: Surfing Anglican Records Online, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public.  Presented by genealogy Sandra Taitt-Eaddy.  Register here: https://my.americanancestors.org/1223/1441

March 14, Saturday, 10:30am, Land Ho! Calling all Mayflower Descendants, at the Acton Memorial Library, 486 Main Street, Acton, Massachusetts. Sponsored by the Middlesex Chapter of the Massachsuetts Society of Genealogists. Presented by genealogist Kathleen Kaldis.  More information at https://www.msoginc.org/msogwp/category/chapters/middlesex/  

March 14, Saturday, 1pm, Behind the Scenes in Collections Storage Tour, at the Historic New England Haverhill Regional Office, Haverhill, Massachusetts. $10 members, $20 non-members. Advance tickets required, please call 617-994-6678.

March 14, Saturday, History Camp Boston, at Suffolk University Law School.  https://historycamp.org/boston  

March 15, Sunday, 2pm, Spinning Gold: Shaping Your Family Research into Compelling Stories, at the Portsmouth Public Library, Hilton Garden Room, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Presented by author Christine Halvorson.  Attendees are encouraged to bring one memorabilia item or a photo from the family tree to aid discussion. Free to the public.

March 15, Sunday, 2pm, Anna Eliot Ticknor and the Society to Encourage Studies at Home, at the Forest Hills Cemetery, Forsyth Chapel, 95 Forest Hills Avenue, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.  Presented by Marie Oedel and Cheryl Mariolis of the Ticknor Society. Free to the public, light refreshments.

March 16, Monday, 1pm, The Making of Strawbery Banke, at the Bow Mills Church Hall, 505 South State Street, Bow, New Hampshire. Presented by historian J. Dennis Robinson, author of an award winning “biography” of Strawbery Banke.  Hosted by the State Employees Association, Chapter 1- Retired.  Free to the public.

March 17, Tuesday, 10am, A Whole New World of Catholic Records for Genealogists, at the Brewster Ladies Library, 1822 Main Street, Brewster Massachusetts.  Hosted by the Cape Cod Genealogical Society.  Presented by certified genealogist Margaret R. Fortier.

March 17, Tuesday, 7pm, This Land Is Their Land: Wampanoag Indian Reflections, at the American Antiquarian Society Hall, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts.  Presented by Professor David J. Silverman of George Washington University. 

March 17, Tuesday, 7pm, New England Lighthouses and the People Who Kept Them, at the Gordon-Nash Library, 69 Main Street, New Hampton, New Hampshire. Presented by Jeremy D’Entremont, and hosted by the New Hampton Historical Society. Free to the public.

March 18, Wednesday, 10am, New Visitor Tour of The New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Free to the public. No registration required.  Tour attendees are welcome to use the library following the tour. 

March 18, Wednesday, 10am, Having a Fine Time in Manchester: Vintage Post Cards and Local History, at the Messiah Lutheran Church, 303 Route 101E, Amherst, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the Nipmugs Chapter and the Village Chapter of the Questers.  Presented by Robert Perreault. Free to the public through a grant from the NH Humanities Council.

March 18, Thursday, 1pm, The History of the Dr. Currier Family, at the Readfield Community Library, 1151 Main Street, Readfield, Maine. Presented by Dale Potter-Clark.  This presentation is offered in honor of the Maine Bicentennial.

March 18, Thursday, 7:30pm, The City State of Boston: The Rise and Fall of an Atlantic Power, at the Royall House & Slave Quarters, 15 George Street, Medford, Massachusetts. Presented by Yale University historian Mark Peterson on his new book.  Free to members, $10 for all others. Tickets available at the door.

March 19, Thursday, 5:15pm, “Fighting the Dogs”: Fugitivity, Canine Hunters, and Slave Resistance in the Rural South, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by Tyler D. Parry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas with comment by Harriet Ritvo, MIT.  Free to the public, please register here:  https://www.masshist.org/calendar/event?event=3112

March 19, Thursday, 6pm, Stephen Puleo with "Voyage of Mercy: The USS Jamestown, the Irish Famine, and the Remarkable Story of America's First Humanitarian Mission, part of the American Inspiration Author Series at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  $12.50 admission.  $34.00 admission and signed book.  Register here:  https://my.americanancestors.org/1137/1432

March 19, Thursday, 7pm, A Musical Journey through Exeter’s History with the Thurber Brothers, at the Cooperative Middle School, 100 Academic Way, Stratham, New Hampshire. Hosted by the Exeter Historical Society. Tickets at www.exeterhistory.org $15 non-members, $10 members, $20 purchased at the door. Local musicians Dacha and Sava Thurber will explore Exeter’s 350 years of history through music and stories, narrated by the EHS co-executive director Barbara Rimkunas and trustee Caroline Sieke.

March 21 and 22, 9:30 am – 4:30pm, Old House and Barn Expo, at the Double Tree Hotel, 700 Elm Street, Manchester, New Hampshire.  Have fun and learn from the experts. New topics include resiliency and sustainability. Resources for properties from 1700 to 1970.  Explore preservation strategies, architecture, crafts, hourly historical lectures, visit exhibitors, and demonstrations.

March 21 and 22, Maple Sugaring Demonstrations, at the Remick Country Doctor Farm and Museum, Tamworth, New Hampshire.  Demonstrations from over the centuries including Abenaki sap boiling techniques to a modern evaporator.  Outdoor demonstrations on Saturday only. http://www.remickmuseum.org/

March 21, Saturday, 11am - 1:30pm, Locating Vital Records in Poland Using Online Resources, at the Somerset Public Library, 1164 County Street, Somerset, Massachusetts.  Hosted by the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists. Free to the public. Presented by genealogist Julie Roberts Szczepankiewicz.  

March 21, Saturday, noon, Yours Faithfully, Florence Burke, at the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Bristol Chapter meeting at the Somerset Public Library, 1464 Country Street (Route 138), Somerset, Massachusetts.  Business meeting at 11am, presentation at noon. Free to the public. Presented by Ellen Alden.

March 21, Saturday, noon, A Recipe for Well-Being: Health and Illness in Colonial New England, at the Centre Congregational Church, 5 Summer Street, Lynnfield, Massachusetts.  Hosted by the Essex Society of Genealogists and presented by Lori Lyn Price.  Bring your own lunch and socialize with the ESOG members at noon, the lecture begins at 1pm.  Free to the public. 

March 21, Saturday, 1pm, Using Land Records in Family History Research, at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park Street, Concord, New Hampshire.  $35 members, $50 not-yet-members.  Presented by the Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society David Allen Lambert.  Register here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/genealogy-workshop-tracing-female-ancestors-registration-83995074529

March 21, Saturday, 1pm, Lecture: “Plymouth Colony First Lady Penelope Winslow” at the Old Colony History Museum, 66 Church Green, Taunton, Massachusetts.  Presented by Michelle Marchetti Coughlin.  Free to the public.

March 21, Saturday, 1 to 4pm, Workshop: Using Land Records in Family History Research, at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park Street, Concord, New Hampshire.  Hosted by the NH Historical Society and New England Historic Genealogical Society, presented by the chief genealogist David Allen Lambert.  Space is limited and registration is required. $35 for members and $50 for non-members.  Please sign up through eventbrite or call Christopher Moore at the NH Historical Society 603-228-6688.  Email cmoore@nhhistory.org 

March 21, Saturday, 1pm, Art and Artists of Mount Auburn Cemetery, at the Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Free to the public. A walking tour with volunteer docents Helen Abrams and Susan Zawalich.

March 22, Tuesday, 2pm, Joseph C. Lincoln Lecture, at the Atwood Museum, 347 Stage Harbor Road, Chatham, Massachusetts.  The speaker Bob Heppe will lecture on Joseph C. Lincoln.  He has been responsible for the Lincoln gallery at the museum for three years, read 38 novels, 2 books of short stories and 1 book of verses by Lincoln.  $10 admission, members free. 

March 22, Tuesday, 2pm, New England’s Colonial Meetinghouses and Their Impact on American Society, at the Deerfield Historic Town Hall, Church Street, Deerfield, New Hampshire. Presented by Paul Wainwright, and hosted by the Deerfield Historical Society. Free to the public.

March 23, Monday, 6:30pm, Jennie Powers: The Woman Who Dares, at the Pease Public Library, 1 Russell Street, Plymouth, New Hampshire. Jennie Powers was one of the first humane society agents to become a deputy sheriff in New Hampshire 1903 - 1936. As a photographic activist she used her camera to document animal cruelty, family violence, and poverty in New Hampshire and beyond.  Presented by Jenna Carroll. Free to the public through a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

March 23, Monday, 7pm, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music, at Newmarket Town Hall, 186 Main Street, Newmarket, New Hampshire.  Jordan Tirrell- Wysocki will present songs and stories with fiddle and guitar.  Free to the public.

March 24, Tuesday, 6pm, Jefferson: Then and Now, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by Peter Onuf, University of Virgina and Annette Gordon-Reed, Harvard Law School.  Pre-talk reception at 5:30pm.  Register here, tickets are $20 per person - https://www.masshist.org/calendar/event?event=3146

March 25, Wednesday, 6:30pm, Journey Back in Time: In Search of Crypto-Jewish Ancestors, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by Genie Milgrom.  Free to the public.  Register here:  https://my.americanancestors.org/1223/1402

March 25, Wednesday, 6:30pm, Spinning Gold – Shaping Family Research in to Compelling Stories, at the Derry Public Library, 64 E Broadway, Derry, New Hampshire. Presented by author Christine Halvorson of Peterborough, New Hampshire. Free to the public.

March 25, Wednesday, 6:30pm, Songs of Emigration: Storytelling Through Traditional Irish Music, at Hampton Falls Free Library, 7 Drinkwater Road, Hampton Falls, New Hampshire.  Jordan Tirrell- Wysocki will present songs and stories with fiddle and guitar.  Free to the public.

March 25, Wednesday, 6:30pm, Ireland’s Great Famine in Irish American History: Fateful Memory, Indelible Legacy, at the Wadleigh Memorial Library, 49 Nashua Street, Milford, New Hampshire. Presented by Dr. Mary C. Kelly.  Free to the public.

March 25, April 8, April 22, May 6, May 20, June 3, Researching Your Family Tree: A Course for Beginners, at the Kimball Library, 5 Academy Avenue, Atkinson, New Hampshire. To meet every other Wednesday from 1 – 3pm.  $30 for Atkinson residents, $55 for non-residents. Call 603-362-5234 to register. Presented by genealogist and librarian Linda MacIver.

March 26, Thursday, 6pm, Tracing Your Immigrant Ancestors, at the Pearle L. Crawford Library, Dudley, Massachusetts.  Hosted by Certified Genealogist Margaret R. Fortier.  Free to the public.

March 26, Thursday, 6:30pm, The Beans of Readfield,Maine, at the Maranacook Community High School, 2250 Millard Harrison Drive, Readfield, Maine.  Hosted by the Readfield Historical Society. Presented by Dale Potter-Clark.  Please register at 207-685-4923 ext. 1065. 

March 26, Thursday, 6:30pm, A History of the New Hampshire Presidential Primary, at the Meredith Public Library, 91 Main Street, Meredith, New Hampshire. Presented by John Gfroerer.  Free to the public.

March 26, Thursday, 7pm, The Founding Fathers: What Were They Thinking?, at the Auburn Historical Association, 102 Hooksett Road, Auburn, New Hampshire. Presented by Richard Hesse.  Free to the public.

March 27 - 29, Ephemera Society of America Conference and Fair: Women Challenging Expectations, at the Hyatt Regency, Old Greenwich, Connecticut.  More than 80 participants in ephemera from political posters, postcards, stamps, etc. Deals, demonstrations, presentations and auctions. The fair runs Saturday and Sunday  https://www.ephemerasociety.org/

March 28 and 29, 9am – 5pm, New England Colonial Trade and Craft Fair, at the Cisco Brewery, 35 Corporate Drive, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. $5 admission, daily door prizes.  For more information contact Jeff Wardwell jsat@myfairpoint.net or 603-528-0675.  Family friendly. Crafts.

March 28, Saturday, 8am – 1pm,  New England Family History Conference, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 91 Jordan Road, Franklin, Massachusetts. This event is FREE to the public.  Questions? Ask nefamilyhistory@gmail.com See the website for more information and registration (not required, drop ins are welcome!):  http://www.nefamilyhistory.com/?fbclid=IwAR02FM0NPRPMXgVqE69X8fhvaMvcMEB2fFihk_9Qyig4ZpkfAQCNip5niWU

March 28, Saturday, 10:30am, Spinning Gold – Shaping Family Research in to Compelling Stories, at the Goffstown Public Library, 2 High Street, Goffstown, New Hampshire. Presented by author Christine Halvorson of Peterborough, New Hampshire. Free to the public.

March 28, Saturday, 10am, Behind the Scenes in Collections Storage Tour: Furniture, at the Historic New England Haverhill Regional Office, Haverhill, Massachusetts. $10 members, $20 non-members. Advance tickets required, please call 617-994-6678.

March 28, Saturday, 1 - 4pm, Workshop: Creating Dynamic Cemetery Tours, at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park Street, Concord, New Hampshire. $25 for members, and $50 for non-members.  Space is limited, please register here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/workshop-creating-dynamic-cemetery-tours-registration-85178102999?fbclid=IwAR3CJND3D3SRgjwbc9iYyGLuHTg9HD6GX__zQkw2WCya-B5WGOphJ7ETKqw

March 28, Saturday, 1pm, Women in 19th Century American Bookbinderies, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99 - 101 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Free to the public. Presented by Todd Pattison and Dr. Elizabeth DeWolfe.  Register here:  https://my.americanancestors.org/1223/1447

March 28, Saturday, 1pm, Tangled Lives: Native People and English Settlers in Colonial New England, at the Pembroke Town Library, 313 Pembroke Street, Pembroke, New Hampshire.  Presented by storyteller and historian Jo Radner. Free to the public.

March 28, Saturday, 1pm, Women’s History Walk: Valiant Women of the Vote, at the Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Non-members $12, register here:  https://mountauburn.org/event/womens-history-walk-valiant-women-of-the-vote/

March 29, Sunday, 11am – 3pm, Salem Women’s History Day, at the Phillip’s House, or the Salem Witch Museum, or House of Seven Gables, or the Witch House, or Essex National Heritage Area and Hamilton Hall, in Salem, Massachusetts.  Free to members and residents of Salem, $15 non-members.  No registration required. See this link for schedule of events and prices https://www.facebook.com/events/3140627602631248/?notif_t=event_calendar_create&notif_id=1582729076063073

March 29, Sunday, noon – 4:30pm, Women and Witchcraft, at the Salem Witch Museum, 19 ½ Washington Square, Salem, Massachusetts.  Stop in and meet Ann Dolliver and Ann Pudeator, two women accused of witchcraft in 1692. Free in the museum vestibule.  Part of Women’s History Day in Salem. 

March 29, Sunday, 1:30pm, Lisa Cooper – A Forgotten Land: Growing Up Jewish Pale, at the Temple Emanuel, 385 Ward Street, Newton Centre, Massachusetts. Hosted by the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston www.jgsgb.org 

March 29, Sunday, 2pm, Who Cares About 1704: The Relevance of the Deerfield Raid in 2020, at the Hess Center For the Arts, Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, Massachusetts.  Presented by Alice Nash, University of Massachusetts.  Pre registration required at this link:  https://www.historic-deerfield.org/events/2019/12/11/-who-cares-about-1704-the-relevance-of-the-deerfield-raid-in-2020

March 30, Monday, 6pm, TaraShea Nesbit "Beheld", at the Commonwealth Salon of the Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts. In partnership with the New England Historic Genealogical Society.  Free to the public.  The author will discuss her book about a murder and trial. 

March 31, Tuesday, 12:15pm, Songs of Sadness, Satire and Seduction, at the King’s Chapel, 58 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by David William Hughes on lute-guitar with a program of Elizabethan songs by Campion, Dowland, Jones, Weelkes, Hume and others.

March 31, Tuesday, 5:15pm, The Pacific Railroads and the Pacific Ocean: American Expansion, Asian Trade, and Terraqueous Mobility, 1869 – 1914, at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Presented by Sean Fraga, Princeton University with comment by David Armitage, Harvard University.  Free with ticket from this link:  https://www.masshist.org/calendar/event?event=3113

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

A Fancy Arrow ~ Weathervane Wednesday




Today's weathervane was spotted above the cupola on the brick building at 3 Lebanon Street in Hanover, New Hampshire.  It was the former Hanover Bank building, built in 1950.  The weathervane is a two dimensional arrow with a gilded ball in the fletching (feathers on the shaft) where the nock is usually located. 

Click here to see over 400 other "Weathervane Wednesday" blog posts:

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A Fancy Arrow ~ Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 26, 2020, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/02/a-fancy-arrow-weathervane-wednesday.html: accessed [access date]). 

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Huldah Leach, wife of Larkin Thorndike, died 1790, Beverly, Massachusetts - Tombstone Tuesday

This tombstone was photographed at the Abbott Street Burial Ground in Beverly, Massachusetts.


In Memory of
Mrs Huldah Thorndike
Consort of
Colo Larkin Thorndike
& daugr of
Major John Leach
who departed this life
Augt 21st 1790: In
the 50th year of her age.

Happy exchange, to part with all below
For worlds of bliss, where joys unceasing flow.

Huldah, daughter of Major John Leach and Rachel Putnam, was born 29 July 1740 in Beverly, Masssachusetts, and died 21 August 1790 in Beverly. She married Colonel Larkin Thorndike, as his second wife.  He was the son of John Thorndike and Elizabeth Ober.  Colonel Thorndike led the first company of foot soldiers from Beverly to Lexington for the alarm in 1775.  He was made Colonel of the 8th regiment (Essex County) in 1777, resigned and then accepted a position as Colonel in Brigadier General Jonathan Titcomb's regiment.  He was married first to Ruth Woodbury (seven children), and third to Mary Jewett.  

Huldah and John Leach were second cousins, both descended from their great grandparents Israel Porter and Elizabeth Hathorne, and she is my distant cousin.  I descend from her LEACH, PUTNAM and FLINT ancestors.  I also am related to her husband, Larkin Thorndike, from our common THORNDIKE, WOODBURY and DIXEY ancestors. 

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Huldah Leach, wife of Larkin Thorndike, died 1790, Beverly, Massachusetts - Tombstone Tuesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 25, 2020, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/02/huldah-leach-wife-of-larkin-thorndike.html: accessed [access date]). 

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Three Geese ~ Weathervane Wednesday

It has been a while since I did an edition of "Weathervane Wednesday".  Here is one I came across last weekend whilst out driving in the Connecticut River Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont. 




This weathervane with three geese was spotted on the cupola above the SAU 70 building in Hanover, New Hampshire.  This school administrative unit office (superintendent's building) is attached to the Hanover High School, and is located at 41 Lebanon Street.  This school district was the first interstate school administrative unit in the United States, serving students in Hanover, New Hampshire and Norwich, Vermont.

This weathervane is three geese flying in formation. They are two-dimensional black metal.  They look like Dr. Suess illustrations to me, and Theodore Guisel ("Dr. Suess") is a graduate of Hanover's Dartmouth College.  This is a connection I will investigate!  (Thank you to Janice Webster Brown for the clue.)

The website for SAU 70-   https://www.sau70.org/

Here is another weathervane from Hanover, New Hampshire's Dartmouth Campus:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/02/weathervane-wednesday-above-university.html 


Click on this link for over 400 other posts for "Weathervane Wednesday"!
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Three Geese ~ Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 19, 2020, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/02/three-geese-weathervane-wednesday.html: accessed [access date]).

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Joseph Cogswell, died 1843, Derry, New Hampshire

This tombstone was photographed at the Forest Hill Cemetery in East Derry, New Hampshire



JOSEPH COGSWELL
Died
Nov. 22, 1848
AGED 86
ABIGAIL COGSWELL
HIS WIFE
Died
April 11, 1825
AGED 62
ALSO
MARY COGSWELL
THEIR DAUGHTER
Died
Feb. 26, 1844
AGED 47

Joseph Cogswell, son of Jonathan Cogswell and Mary Appleton, was born 1 December 1757 in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and died 22 November 1843 in Derry, New Hampshire.  He married Abigail Cleveland, daughter of the Rev. John Cleaveland and Mary Dodge, on 21 May 1788 in Ipswich, Massachusetts.  Both Joseph and I are descendants of the original immigrant Cogswell family, John Cogswell (1592 – 1669) and Elizabeth Thompson, from Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire, England. 

Abigail Cleveland Cogswell, his wife, was born 28 December 1762 in Ipswich, Massachusetts and died 11 April 1824 in Londonderry, New Hampshire.  The town of Londonderry split into the two towns of Londonderry and Derry in the time between the two deaths.  Abigail’s mother was Mary Dodge, who was my first cousin 8 generations removed.  Mary’s mother was Mary Choate, my 8th great aunt, married to Parker Dodge and sister of Anne (Choate) Varney (1691 – 1739), my 7th great grandmother.

This tombstone also lists their daughter, Mary, who died in 1844.  Joseph and Abigail had seventeen children!  Elisabeth, Jonathan, David, Joseph II, John Cleveland, Abigail, Abigail again, Mary C., a third Abigail, Thomas, Elisabeth again, Moses, Aaron, Thomas again, Ebenezer, William, and Edward Parker. 

This was originally a standing stone, but it now lies flat on the ground in the Forest Hill Cemetery in East Derry, New Hampshire.  It is broken in at least three places.


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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Joseph Cogswell, died 1843, Derry, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 18, 2020, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/02/joseph-cogswell-died-1843-derry-new.html: accessed [access date]).

Thursday, February 13, 2020

2020 New Hampshire Mayflower Memorial Scholarship


The deadline for applications to the 2020 New Hampshire Memorial Mayflower Scholarship is March 16, 2020.   You don’t need to be a member of the Mayflower Society, but members and close relatives of members will receive preference.  It is open to all students, from high school seniors through undergraduate and graduate students.  Applicants with an affiliation with the New Hampshire Mayflower Society will be given first consideration for awards. 

This is one of the few Mayflower scholarships in the USA awarded to non-members.  Applicants must be able to attend the award ceremony, in person, on May 16, 2020 in Manchester, New Hampshire.  It is expected that at least two to four scholarships of $1000 will be awarded.

Applications and instructions are available at the links below. 

The General Society of Mayflower Descendants (in Plymouth, Massachusetts) also gives an annual $5,000 scholarship to a junior member.  Please send your inquiries to scholarships@themayflowersociety.org

The website for the NH Mayflower Society:   https://www.nhmayflower.org/home/scholarship  

The application form for the 2016 Scholarship:

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Robert A. LaBelle
NH Mayflower Scholarship Committee
144 Whitney Avenue
Manchester, NH 03104

Or find us on Facebook at:


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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "2020 New Hampshire Mayflower Scholarship!", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 13, 2020, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/02/2020-new-hampshire-mayflower-memorial.html: accessed [access date]). 

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

John H. Thompson, buried 1845, Derry, New Hampshire ~ Tombstone Tuesday

This tombstone was photographed at the Forest Hill Cemetery in East Derry, New Hampshire.


JOHN H. THOMPSON, ESQ.
Died
Jan. 12, 1845
aged 51 yrs.
---------------

Dearest Husband thous has left me
Here thy loss I deeply feel,
But 'tis God that hath bereft me.
He can all my sorrows heal.

Yet again I hope to meet thee,
When the day of life is fled,
Then in Heaven with joy to greet thee,
Where no farewell tear is shed.

A beloved husband, father dear,
A sincere friend, lies buried here.

F.A. BROWN



I have no further information on John H. Thompson. I couldn't find him in the vital records or in any town history or genealogy book.  His tombstone is lying flat, encased in a concrete shell.  It appears to have broken off and fallen over, and some dear friend or descendant has lovingly repaired the engraved stone and replaced it over the grave.

UPDATE:  14 February 2020, from Janice Webster Brown, who discovered that John H. Thompson was the postmaster for Salem, New Hampshire (a contiguous town to Derry).  In "The History of Salem" she learned that the house he lived in was also the post office during the time he was postmaster. Janice also found his name in a notice in the Exeter News-Letter and Rockingham Advertiser of April 26, 1847,  "To the Hon. Judge of Probate for the County of Rockingham.  Respectfully represents BENJAMIN E. EMERY, administrator for the Esteate of John H. Thompson, late of Salem, in said County of Rockingham, deceased,, that the personal estate of said desceased is not sufficient to pay the demands against the same, that the said deceased at the time of his death was seized of certain real estate situated in said Salem and Derry, in said County, to wit: - The Hampstead Farm of said deceased in said Salem, containing about fifty acres, bounded Easterly and Northeasterly by land of John H. Dunlap; Northerly by land of Daniel Chase; Westerly by land of William Clendinin, and Southerly by the highway from Derry to Haverhill.  Also, another lot, being a part of said home far, containing about four acres, situated on the Southerly side of said highway, and opposite to the lot last described, bounded Northerly by said highway; Easterly and Southerly by land of Seth Pattee, and Westerly by land of William Clendinin.
    Also, another lot of land in said Derry called the Paul farm, containing about forty acres, and bounded Northerly by land of John Sargent;Easterly by land of Henry Taylor, Oliver Taylor, and John Bassett; Southerly by land of John Bassett, and Westerly by the road leading from Paul Taylor's to Clendinin's Mills.
    Also, one other lot of wood land, in said Derry, containing about three acres, and bounded Northwesterly, Northeasterly, and Southeasterly by land of Henry Taylor, and Southwesterly by land of John Sargent; all the above described real estate being subject to the dower of Abigail P. Nason, late widow of said John H. Thompson. Wherefore he prays that he may be licensed to sell at public auction so much of the real estate of said deceased as may be sufficient to raise the sum of three thousand dollars, being the sum necessary to pay said debts and demands.

BENJAMIN E. EMERY
Dated April 14th, A.D. 1847"

Here is a link to some other THOMPSON gravestones at Forest Hill Cemetery. I do not know if these Thompsons are related to John H. Thompson.   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/10/tombstone-tuesday-thompson-derry-new.html   


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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "John H. Thompson, buried 1845, Derry, New Hampshire ~ Tombstone Tuesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 11, 2020, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/02/john-h-thompson-buried-1845-derry-new.html: accessed [access date]). 

Friday, February 7, 2020

Manchester First In The Nation Primary Election Trolley Tour


The city of Manchester has formed a team to help the citizens celebrate being "the largest city in NH, a political hub, and the place to celebrate being First In The Nation for the National Primaries."  There was a Primary Trivia Night at the Rex Theater, and for four nights this week a Trolley Tour hosted by the Manchester Historic Association's John Clayton.  We joined the tour last night for the last tour of the season.  It was so interesting, and so much fun, I'm already looking forward to the next history tour in 2024! 

The New Hampshire Primary is famous for being the First In The Nation, as well as being a good forecast of who may be the next president.  All the presidents in the past 60 years have won the New Hampshire Primary; even George Bush and Bill Clinton, who both won the primary on their second election cycle.  Most importantly, the media coverage in New Hampshire, especially in Manchester, has helped candidates reach the national spotlight.  Visiting the media centers in the Manchester area can be fun for political junkies and the curious. In years past I've haunted the downtown hotels, and the Bedford Village Inn just to see who might show up! At Manchester's Saint Anselm College the New Hampshire Institute of Politics hosts debates, rallies, town hall meetings, and other events to introduce the candidates to the voters.  You have probably seen Saint Anselm College's venue on TV many times and not realized it. 

As you know, New Hampshire hosts the First In the Nation Presidential Primary Election every four years.  Being the biggest city in the Granite State means that most of the candidates end up here in the Queen City for rallies, speeches, media (WMUR TV is located here in Manchester), and interviews.  I remember bumping into lots of candidates (John Kerry, Elizabeth Dole, Rudy Guliani, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, and the more obscure Lamar Alexander, Lydon LaRouche, Paul Tsongas, Paul Simon or Michael Dukakis), in the Manchester area, and seeing lots of famous newscasters from the past like Barbara Walters at the Bedford Village Inn and Tom Brokaw at the Center of New Hampshire (now the Double Tree Hotel).   During the tour we saw and discussed other venues where candidates "show up" (announced or unannounced) like the Red Arrow Diner and the Puritan Backroom, as well as places long gone such as The Vault and the Merrimack restaurant on Elm Street, or Bedford's Sheraton Wayfarer hotel.  


We started our tour on Elm Street at Veteran's Park, where we examined several historic photos from the 1951 presidential primary.  Did you know that General Dwight D. Eisenhower didn't come to Manchester until after the primary?  He rode a limo down Elm Street and gave a speech in Victory Park.  It was Nacky S. Loeb of the Union Leader who convinced Eisenhower to run as a Republican for the primary election. 


Even though there had just been an icy snow storm yesterday, our trolley full of hardy New Hampshire residents continued the tour stopping at Amherst Street in front of the former Union Leader building (now the Manchester District Court). We stood on the same spot where in on February 24, 1972 Edmund Muskie gave his famous speech in a snowstorm where the Union Leader reported he broke down and cried, calling him a "gutless coward".  Other newspapers reported he was wiping wet snow off his face.  Leaders were supposed to be calm and level headed in the past, but today's politicians are famous for emotional outbursts.

The tour continued to Victory Park, where in 1960 John F. Kennedy had a huge rally.  The photos of this event show thousands of people.  On the roof of a nearby building, which used to be a catholic hospital, all the nuns cheered on JFK and he waved to them in response.  Later that day JFK gave a famous interview at WMUR about how as a catholic president he would be loyal to the United States and the constitution. Sixty years ago the press and some Americans believed that a catholic president would be loyal first to the Pope and Roman Catholic church.  


This special exhibit "Manchester and the Path to the Presidency" will run through February 29, 2020 at the Millyard Museum, and is included with museum admission.  This is a trip down memory lane, with exhibits of presidents who visited Manchester, especially those candidates who visited our city in the primary election years since 1947.  There are newspaper front pages, photographs, political buttons and ephemera, artifacts and more to peruse at your leisure.  Some of the names will sound very familiar, and others will sound strangely unfamiliar even though they made headlines decades ago.  Our tour ended here, but I will probably be back to see this exhibit again! 

In keeping with New Hampshire's tradition of politicking via hitting the sidewalks and mingling with the crowds, our trolley was full of average citizens, as well as a candidate for the primary, Republican Matthew J. Matern from California,  and Manchester's own Mayor Joyce Craig with her family.  Syracuse Public TV was also at every stop (including the Millyard Museum) to film the tour and interview participants.  I hope to see this documentary on the NH primary activities when it airs.  

P.S. There is another similar exhibit at the Manchester Airport, curated by the Manchester Historic Association.  I hope to get up there this weekend to see it, too!  It is open to the public, before security, on the first floor open concourse by the ticket counters. 




Vincent at the Millyard Museum NH Primary exhibit


For the truly curious:

Manchester First In The Nation website   https://mhtfitn.com/

The Manchester Historic Association  https://www.manchesterhistoric.org/ 

The Millyard Museum  https://www.manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Manchester First In The Nation Primary Election Trolley Tour", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 7, 2020, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/02/manchester-first-in-nation-primary.html: accessed [access date]).

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Ernest Allan Batchelder, Tilemaker (1875 – 1957) – A Cautionary Genealogy Tale!

My husband is hooked on the home remodeling TV shows on the HGTV, DIY, and PBS channels.  Even if he isn’t really watching TV, it is on in the background of our activities at home.  Lately he has been hooked on a show called “Restored” where the contractor Brett Waterman renovates classic 100 year old California houses back to their original architecture.  Many times I heard the words “Batchelder Tiles” on the TV show, and ran over to see what this was all about.  You see, I have ancestors named BATCHELDER, all descended from the Reverend Stephen Batchelder (1561 – 1656), an early New England settler and founder of the town of Hampton, New Hampshire. 


Every time I heard the phrase “Batchelder Tiles” I was sure that these Arts and Crafts era decorative tiles were made by a distant cousin. I know the name Batchelder is fairly uncommon, but in New Hampshire there are a huge number of Batchelder descendants from the Reverend Stephen Batchelder.  He had ten children, and dozens and dozens of grandchildren born in New England who left even more descendants. The 1898 Batchelder genealogy book written by Frederick Clifton Pierce is enormous, with over 600 pages. 

I started off by using Google, and was delighted to learn that these famous tiles were designed and manufactured by Ernest Allan Batchelder (1876 - 1957) born in Nashua, New Hampshire!  I was so happy to find a cousin! As I traced his family back to nearby Francestown, I was sure I found a descendant of Rev. Stephen Batchelder.  Or so I thought until I continued to follow his line in the Pierce book and on Ancestry, and checked the clues against vital records and other primary sources.  Can you believe that his lineage did NOT come from Rev. Stephen, but from Joseph Batcheller (1604 – 1647), an early settler at Wenham, in Essex County, Massachusetts. 

I should have not been so cocky.  I’ve owned Pierce’s book about the Batchelder genealogy, and it covers not only Rev. Stephen’s descendants, but also the brothers Joseph, Henry, Joshua and John Batchelder of Essex County, Massachusetts.  I’ve run into marriages from both lineages in my own family history research, and know many people who descend from the Massachusetts Batcheller/Batchelders. 

So this is a cautionary tale!  Never take for granted that someone is a cousin, no matter how unusual the surname, and always check the primary sources against lineages you see online.  

I also learned a lot about the Batchelder tiles while researching Ernest Allan Batchelder’s family.  These beautiful tiles are very common out west, especially in California, and are collectible treasures for restoring Arts and Crafts style homes.  Entire rooms were designed around these tiles, especially the fireplaces.  They feature neutral colors, often with animals, flowers and birds.  Some of the tiles are geometric and others have Mayan motifs. Their designs have stood the test of time, and have remained popular for generations.  (Scroll down to the bottom of this blog post for a peek at some Batchelder tiles)

Batchelder went to the Massachusetts Normal Art School, and removed to Pasadena, California to teach at the Throop Polytechnic Institute (now the California Institute of Technology).  As a hobby, Batchelder built a kiln in his Pasadena backyard in 1909 to hand craft tiles. 

Over time Ernest Batchelder wrote two books on architecture and design.  His tile making business went bankrupt during the depression when the house building market dried up.  He closed his business in 1932, but continued to dabble in pottery as a hobby until the 1950s. His house in Pasadena is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is decorated with Batchelder tiles inside and out on the chimney and the front walkway.  The house is privately owned, and not open to the public.


Although I was not related to Ernest Batchelder's paternal line, I am related through his Sleeper, Kimball and Whipple maternal ancestors.  Here are some of the resources I used to puzzle out the genealogy for Ernest Allan Batchelder’s genealogy:


MA-Vitalrecords.org   http://ma-vitalrecords.org/ 

Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org for the NH vital records and records from other states

Batchelder Bachellor Genealogy: Descendants of Rev. Stephen Bachiler, of England, a leading non-conformist, who settled the town of New Hampton, N.H., and Joseph, Henry, Joshua, and John Batcheller of Essex Co., Massachusetts, by Frederick Clifton Pierce, 1898.  Available online at the HathiTrust website and by subscription at the Ancestry.com website.

The Genealogy of the Batchelder Family of Hampton, New Hampshire by Charles Hull Batchelder, edited and prepared by Carl W. Brage in 1985, at the Lane Memorial Library of Hampton, New Hampshire website:  http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us/genealog/batchelder/index.htm  

Batchelder Tile Registry at the Pasadena Museum of History:  https://pasadenahistory.org/research-and-collections/batchelder-registry/ 

A book about Ernest Allan Batchelder Batchelder Tilemaker, was written by Robert Winter in 1999.  There is no preview on Google Books or Amazon of this book.  You can read more about this book at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Batchelder-Tilemaker-Robert-Winter/dp/1890449032 or at AbeBooks.com https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/batchelder-tilemaker/author/robert-winter/ 

To see the original Batchelder Tile Catalog, look at the “Tile Nut” website: http://www.tilenut.com/Batchelder/index2.html

Genealogy:

Generation 1:  Joseph Batcheller, was born 1604 in Canterbury, Kent, England, and died March 1647 in Wenham, Massachusetts; married in 1628 in Thangington, Kent, England to Elizabeth Dickenson. 

Generation 2: John Batchelder, was born 20 January 1638 in Salem, Massachusetts; died 17 December 1698 in Wenham, Massachusetts; married first on 12 July 1661 to Mary Dennis who died in 1665; married second on 4 May 1666 in Salem to Sarah Goodale, daughter of Richard Goodale and Dorothy Whiterent, mother of fourteen children.  She was born 31 May 1640 in Salem and died 22 March 1729. John Batcheller/Batchelder was involved in the 1692 witch trials as a juror.  He signed a statement asking for forgiveness for their judgement “we have been instrumental, with others, through ignorantly and unwittingly, to bring upon ourselves and this people of the Lord the guilt of innocent blood”.

Generation 3: David Batchelder, was born April 1673 in Wenham, Massachusetts; died 29 January 1766 in Wenham; married first on 7 May 1709 in Wenham to Susannah Whipple, daughter of Colonel Joseph Whipple and Alice Smith.  She was born 3 April 1676, Ipswich, Massachusetts and died 13 June 1764 in Wenham, Massachusetts (mother of nine children including Amos Batchelder).  Married second to Thankful Perham (nine more children!)

Generation 4: Amos Batchelder,was  born 6 April 1727 in Wenham, Massachusetts, died 4 May 1809 in Wenham; married on 18 December 1752 to Lydia Lord Kimball.  She was born 3 June 1734 in Wenham, and died 26 November 1813.

Generation 5: Amos Batchelder, was born 17 December 1761 in Wenham, Massachusetts; died 20 September 1843 in Francestown, New Hampshire; married on 9 June 1786 in Wenham to Hudah Kimball.  She was born 25 January 1764 in Wenham, and died 14 February 1846 in Francestown.

Generation 7: Levi Batchelder, was born 20 December 1798 in Francestown, New Hampshire, died 14 June 1875; married on 7 March 1826 in Francestown to Parmelia Batch. 

Generation 8: Elbridge Kimball Batchelder, was born 13  May 1826 in Francestown,New Hampshire; died 2 April 1900 in New Hampshire; married on 13 December 1849 in Francestown, New Hampshire to Cornelia Ann Vose.  Three sons.

Generation 9: Charles Levi Batchelder, was born 24 June 1851 in Francestown, New Hampshire, died 30 May 1906; married first on 26 November 1873 in Boston to Mary A. Sleeper; married second on 15 December 1882 to Etta Mary (Perkins) Spurling (mother of Ernest Allan Batchelder). 

Generation 10:  Ernest Allan Batchelder, was born 22 January 1876 in Nashua, New Hampshire, died 6 August 1957 in Los Angeles County, California.  He married on 30 July 1912 in Pasadena, California to Alice Emma Coleman, born 27 July 1873 in Beatrice, Gage County Nebraska, died 17 June 1948 in Los Angeles.  They had a son, Alan Coleman Batchelder born 4 August 1914 in Pasadena. 



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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Ernest Allan Batchelder, Tilemaker (1875 – 1957) – A Cautionary Genealogy Tale!", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 6, 2020, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/02/ernest-allan-batchelder-tilemaker-1875.html: accessed [access date]).