Weathervane Wednesday ~ a Mini Golfer

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

Today's weather vane was photographed in Connecticut.

Do you know the location of weathervane post #324?  Scroll down to find the answer.

Today's weathervane was photographed at a private residence in East Woodstock, Connecticut by Georgia genealogist and photographer Linda Woodward Geiger.  She said there was no story behind this weathervane "except the owner is an avid golfer".

I love the details on this weathervane.  The golf bag is full of little golf clubs.  The golfer is wearing old fashioned knickers and a little cap.  It almost tells a story by itself, even if the owner won't.

Click here to see the entire collection of Weathervane Wednesday posts!

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ a Mini Golfer", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 16, 2017, (https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/08/weathervane-wednesday-mini-golfer.html: accessed [access date]).

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Elizabeth Carter, buried 1691 in Woburn, Massachusetts

This tombstone was photographed in Woburn, Massachusetts at the Old Burial Ground.

HERE LIES Ye BODY

OF ELIZABETH

CARTER WIFE OF CAPt.

JOHN CARTER AGED

78 YEARS DIED Ye

6 OF MAY 1691

Elizabeth, my 8th great grandmother, was born about 1613 in England, died 6 May 1691 in Woburn, and married John Carter about 1642 in Woburn, Massachusetts.  Many sources, including Torrey's New England Marriages to 1700, give her surname as KENDALL, but actually no one knows her maiden name.  She doesn't have a marriage or death record.  This tombstone is the only record of her name "Elizabeth".

I descend from two of her daughters.  Abigail Carter, my ancestress, was born 21 April 1648 in Woburn, and married James Fowle in 1666.  I descend from their son, James Fowle, Jr. born 1667.

I also descend from Abigail's sister, Hannah Carter, my 7th great grandmother, born in 1651.  She married James Converse on 1 Jan 1669 in Woburn.  I descend from their son, Robert Converse, born in 1677.

A blog post about the tombstone of Elizabeth's husband, John Carter:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/07/tombstone-tuesday-captain-john-carter.html

A "Surname Saturday" blog post about the CARTER family:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/01/surname-saturday-carter-of-woburn.html


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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Tombstone Tuesday ~ Elizabeth Carter, buried 1691 in Woburn, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 15, 2017, (https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/08/tombstone-tuesday-elizabeth-carter.html: accessed [access date]).

Asahel Bill, Death Notice 1847

This death notice appeared in the Baptist newsletter Christian Messenger, from Nova Scotia, Canada on 30 July1847, page 243.  It is for my 2nd great grand uncle, Asahel Bill, who died young at the age of 21.

CHRISTIAN MESSENGER.

We have just received the following notice from our

esteemed friend, W. H. Troop, Esq. dated

                                                     Nictaux, July 22nd 1847

"Died, at Nictaux, on Tuesday, the 20th instant, after a pro-

tracted illness, which he bore with pious resignation to his

Heavenly Father's will, Asahel Bill, eldest son of the Rev.

Ingram E. Bill. Truly it may be said of him, he was lovely and

pleasant in his life and happy in his death"

                                                     Yours faithfully.

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

We deeply regret the melancholy duty of recording the

decease of this promising young man, whose completion

of his course of studies as a graduate of Acadia College

we announced about a year since.  It is one of those

events directed by inscrutable wisdom which our weak

and limited minds are wholly unable to scan.  We had an

opportunity of a brief but pleasing interview with the

deceased on our return from the Association - his health

was then rapidly declining.  He had made profession of

religion some time since, and appeared well prepared for

the momentous change.  His hopes were resting on the

sufficiency of the the Great Atonement, and he anticipated a

speedy and joyful release from the trials and sorrows of

earth to enter on a heavenly inheritance.  We truly

sympathise with his bereaved parents under their heavy

loss. They have, however, a consolation above all other---

they do not sorrow as those without hope.

===================

Asahel Bill, son of the Reverend Ingraham Ebenezer Bill (1805 - 1891) and Isabella Lyons, was born 14 May 1847 in Billtown (Nictaux), Nova Scotia and died 20 July 1848.  He was the eldest of five children, and brother to my 2nd great grandfather Caleb Rand Bill (1833 - 1902).   His death record states that he died of "lung disease", which was probably tuberculosis.  

Asahel had just graduated from Acadia College, and was studying to be a Baptist minister, like his father.  His youngest brother, Ingraham Ebenezer Bill, Jr. (1836 - 1907) went on to become a Baptist preacher.  He graduated Horton Academy and the Baptist Seminary in Fredericton, and went to England for theological training in the Baptist faith.  He served as a missionary in New Zealand, and as a minister in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Maine, Ohio, and Ontario.

Thanks to Ric Noble of the "Nova Scotia Roots" Facebook group for the copy of this death notice from the Christian Messenger newspaper from Nova Scotia. 

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Asahel Bill, Death Notice 1847", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 14, 2017, (https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/08/asahel-bill-death-notice-1847.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ HOVEY Another brickwall ancestor

HOVEY

My 5^th great grandmother, Mary Hovey, was born about 1751 and died 15 January 1832 in Ipswich, Massachusetts.  On 17 July 1786 she married Nathaniel Treadwell in Ipswich, Massachusetts, where they lived all their married lives, and where Mary died a widow.  She had five known children with Nathaniel, all listed in the Ipswich Vital Records.  He was a “yeoman” (farmer) who served in the Revolutionary War.   As far as I know, Mary did not apply for a widow’s pension, yet I did find Nathaniel’s pension application papers at Fold3.com.  If I had found Mary’s application, it might have yielded some genealogical information about her family.

Both Mary and Nathaniel are buried in the Old Burying Ground in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Their gravestones survive and are remarkably legible.

I have no idea who may be Mary’s parents, nor do I know anything about her origins.  This is especially weird and unusual to me not only because I’ve been working on her story for more than 20 years, but also because I applied to the Mayflower Society using Nathaniel’s lineage back to Mayflower passenger Isaac Allerton.  The General Society of Mayflower Descendants did not question the fact that I did not have her birth record at all.  I guess they found her a conundrum, too!

There are many HOVEYs to be found in the Ipswich vital records and town records, but no trace of this Mary Hovey who married Nathaniel Treadwell.  I cannot assume she belonged to any of these families without more clues.

My lineage from MARY HOVEY:

Generation 1:  Mary Hovey, born about 1751, died 15 January 1832 in Ipswich, Massachusetts; married on 17 July 1786 in Ipswich to Nathaniel Treadwell, son of Jabez Treadwell and Lucy Haskell.  He was baptized 28 October 1753 in Ipswich, and died 2 January 1822 in Ipswich.  Five children born in Ipswich.

Generation 2:  Jabez Treadwell, born on 17 October 1788 in Ipswich, died on 4 November 1840 in Salem; married on 17 October 1811 in Marblehead, Massachusetts to Betsey Jillings Homan, daughter of Thomas Homan and Tabitha Glover, baptized on 14 October 1792 at the Unitarian Church in Marblehead, died on 6 April 1874. Seven children born in Salem.

Generation 3. Eliza Ann Treadwell, born 27 August 1812 in Salem, died 31 January 1896 in Salem; married on 4 December 1836 in Salem to Abijah Hitchings, son of Abijah Hitchings and Mary Cloutman, born on 18 January 1809 in Salem, died 18 January 1864 in Salem.  Four children born in Salem.

Generation 4.  Abijah Franklin Hitchings married Hannah Eliza Lewis

Generation 5. Arthur Treadwell Hitchings married Florence Etta Hoogerzeil

Generation 6. Gertrude Matilda Hitchings married Stanley Elmer Allen (my grandparents)

I have two TREADWELL lineages, both from the immigrant Thomas Treadwell and his wife Mary Taylor, and both also from their son Nathaniel Treadwell and wife Abigail Wells.   I descend from two of Nathaniel’s children: Mary Treadwell (1665 – 1722) who married Samuel Stone, and her brother, Nathaniel (1677 – 1723) who married Hannah Unknown:

  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/02/surname-saturday-treadwell-of-ipswich.html    

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Surname Saturday ~  HOVEY Another brickwall ancestor”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 12, 2017, (https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/08/surname-saturday-hovey-another.html: accessed [access date]). 

Family Tree Scrabble Board

I saw this idea on Pinterest, and modified it for our own family.  Then I created this as a Christmas gift for my Mom.  It was fun and mostly easy, except for the part where I had to make sure all the names fit on the Scrabble board!

I started with an old Scrabble game I found in the basement.  You might have an old game in your attic, or you can find them at Goodwill or in a yard sale.  Even if pieces are missing, this gives you lots of Scrabble tiles to start with, and a board for the background.

Next you will need to find a square frame big enough for the board.  The scrabble board is not exactly square, so look for one that is slightly smaller.  Measure it and look in frame stores, craft shops and online. I was able to find this very inexpensive wooden frame online.  Don't cut the game board until you have the frame in front of you to judge the fit!

Next, look at the board that fits inside the frame to judge the area you will have to play with for fitting in all the names.  This is important.  Count the letter blocks across and down.

For the next step I went online to find a "Word Find" website for teachers. These websites help you to design a word find game using the words of your choice.  They all let you decide how big the game will be (how many letters across, and how many letters down) - which is why it is important you know how many letters up and down you can work with.  Of course, you could use graph paper and try to make the names fit all by your self... but this is easier!

Some of the websites I found were (there are many online):

https://mywordsearch.com/

http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/WordSearchSetupForm.asp?campaign=flyout_teachers_puzzle_wordcross

http://tools.atozteacherstuff.com/word-search-maker/

After you design your "crossword" of names, it is just a matter of gluing the square letter tiles to the board.  Avoid putting the tiles near the edge where the frame is located.  I had to cut down a few tiles with an exacto-knife to make them fit inside the frame.

I needed to order extra letter tiles from Amazon.  You'll find that there just aren't enough vowels in a regular game set for this project.  There were plenty of vendors selling tiles in bags for crafts, like this one. Make sure the size is the same!

This is an activity that you can do as a whole family as a gift for grandparents.  The kids could help with the sorting and gluing.

Have fun!

Mom's Christmas gift!

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Family Tree Scrabble Board", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 11, 2017, (https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/08/family-tree-scrabble-board.html: accessed [access date]).

Wilkinson Surname Project in Northern New England

Albert Munroe Wilkinson (1860 - 1908)
My great grandfather

Wilkinson Surname Project in Northern New England

No book or genealogical article for a journal has ever been written about the WILKINSON families of New Hampshire and Maine. It seems that everyone is familiar with the Wilkinsons of Rhode Island and the book “Memoirs of the Wilkinson Family in America” written in 1869 by the Reverend Israel Wilkinson. It outlines the descendants of Lawrence Wilkinson, one of the original settlers at Providence, and it also includes several other Wilkinson lines in Massachusetts. These northern New England Wilkinsons appear to be completely unrelated to the Rhode Island family.  

The first identified Wilkinson in my lineage was Thomas Wilkinson, born about 1690, and his marriage to Elizabeth Caverly in August 1715 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire lists him as “from London.” He appears in the New Hampshire Provincial Papers as a proprietor of Barrington, and as a workman at Fort William and Mary. He was taxed in Portsmouth in 1727 and 1732, when he seems to have disappeared from the records. His son is listed as “William Wilkinson, son of Elizabeth, Oct. 17, 1736” in the records of the South Church of Portsmouth (no mention of Thomas). Later his wife remarried to Phillip Jewel on 27 November 1739.

Through his son James Wilkinson, born about 1730 and married to Hannah Mead sometime before 1753, I have a long family tree that grows all along the Piscataqua Region of Maine and New Hampshire, with the descendants moving to the Berwicks, Sanford, Rochester and as far north as Conway, and as far west as around Lake Winnipesaukee. My own branch came to Massachusetts in the 1820’s when Aaron Wilkinson of South Berwick married Mercy F. Wilson on 23 June 1829 in Danvers, Massachusetts.

However, living in the same region of New Hampshire was a man named Samuel Wilkinson, who was born about 1722, and died in 1795 in Deerfield or Epping. He had at least three children, who were all mentioned in deed signed in 1796: Benning Wilkinson of Allenstown, John Wilkinson or Deerfield, and a daughter, Sarah Wallis of Epping. Samuel served in the revolution at age 58 years under Brigadier General John Glover. Was Samuel another son of Thomas? A brother? A cousin? He must have been some sort of relation due to the time and proximity to where Thomas’s family lived.

Through Benning Wilkinson there is another large family tree of descendants that lived near Lake Winnipesaukee. Benning died in Center Harbor in 1851, and his twelve children died in Laconia, Gilford, Campton, etc. One of Benning’s descendants married one of Thomas’s descendants- was this a cousin marriage?

As my list of Wilkinson births, marriages, deaths, deeds and news clippings from New Hampshire and Maine grows and grows, slowly I am able to place nearly all the Wilkinsons into either Thomas’s tree or Benning’s tree. What would really be great would be to find the one clue that ties Thomas to Samuel and Benning Wilkinson.

Wilkinson Line A

Samuel Wilkinson was born about 1722, and died about 1795 in Deerfield or Epping, New Hampshire.  His wife is unknown. His three known children:

1. Benning Wilkinson born about 1764, Epping and died on 20 October 1851 in Center Harbor. Married to Deborah Langley on 4 Dec 1786 in Northwood, New Hampshire. She was born on 17 Jul 1765 in Nottingham and died 20 August 1845 in Center Harbor.
Children:

• 
  1. Hannah m. Benjamin Perkins 26 November 1809 in New Hampton
  2. Jonathan m. Melinda George 1 January 1828 in Gilford
  3. Rhoda born 1787 married Benjamin Libby about 1805
  4. Susan born 1789 married Charles Huckins about 1815
  5. Bradbury born 1793 married Hannah Huckins 23 January 1820
  6. Charlotte born 1794 married Samuel Fogg 21 March 1816
  7. Benning, Jr. born 1797 married Clarissa Johnson 3 Augusut 1823
  8. Samuel B., born about 1800 married Eliza Harper Smith 28 Dec 1824
  9. John A., married Miram Clough 29 Dec 1803
  10. Jacob R, born 1 Jan 1805 on Stonedam Island, married Leah A. Rundlett on 25 June 1825
  11. Leah, born about 1808 married Jonathan Johnson Lovejoy in 1827
  12. Rachel, born 1810 married Richard Hadley 4 August 1833

2. John

3. Sarah, married to an Unknown Wallis. Previously it was believed that she had married Spencer Wallis, born about 3 June 1734 in Portsmouth, son of William Wallis and Comfort Cotton, but there is proof that this is another Sarah!

Wilkinson Line B
Thomas Wilkinson, my 6th great grandfather, was born about 1690 in England and died before 1739.  H was married to Elizabeth Caverly in August 1715 in Portsmouth. She was the daughter of William Caverly and Mary Abbott, born about 1696 in Portsmouth. Two known children:

1. William born 17 Oct 1736 in Portsmouth

2. James born about 1730 and died between 1796 and 1805 in Berwick, Maine. He was married 1. to Hannah Mead before 1753, daughter of Thomas Mead and Hannah Stilson, born on 9 August 1730 in Wakefield, New Hampshire. He married 2. Mary Unknown.

Children of James Wilkinson:

• 
  1. James G., born 31 December 1753 in Newington and died 4 March 1827 in Alton, married 1. Mary Unknown before 1775 (eight children), married 2. Rebecca Whitehouse 2 Feb 1798 in Wolfborough (two children), married 3. Lydia Rand on 2 August 1812 in Alton.
  2. Anna, born 16 June 1754 in Newington, died before 1840, married 1. Samuel Hearle on 4 Mar 1779 in Berwick, Maine (five children), married 2. James Urban on 6 May 1796 in Waterborough, Maine.
  3. Joseph, born before 8 May 1757 in Berwick, Maine, died 26 August 1842 in Sanford, Maine, married Dorcas Nason on 23 Nov 1782 in Berwick. She was the daughter of William Nason and Abigail Wadleigh, born about 1761 and died 22 January 1849 in Sanford.
  4. George, born about 1761 and died 1846, married Mehitable Whitehouse on 12 January 1785 in South Berwick. At least two children.
  5. Samuel, born 1761, married Hannah Turner on 27 November 1785 in South Berwick.
  6. Daniel, born 1764 and died between 1850 and 1860, married to Hannah Weymouth on 27 August 1792 in South Berwick. She was born about 1772 in South Berwick, and died on 18 December 1845 in Effingham, New Hampshire. Six children.
  7. William married Mercy Nason on 7 February 1788 in South Berwick. She was born about 1764 in Kittery, daughter of Richard Nason and Mary Thompson. They had at least three sons, possibly more unrecorded children. 

William Wilkinson and Mercy Nason were the parents of Aaron Wilkinson, my 3rd great grandfather, born on 22 February 1802 in South Berwick. He died in Peabody, Massachusetts in 25 November 1879, and was married to Mercy F. Wilson on 23 June 1829 and producing eleven children.

Some other Wilkinson blog posts:

Descendants of Thomas Wilkinson:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/p/thomas-wilkinson-descendants_15.html

Descendants of Samuel Wilkinson:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/p/descendants-of-samuel-wilkinson.html

My Wilkinson lineage:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/09/surname-saturday-wilkinson.html

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Wilkinson Surname Project in Northern New England", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 10, 2017, (https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/08/wilkinson-surname-project-in-northern.html: accessed [access date]). 

Weathervane Wednesday ~ At a historic vacation destination

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

Today's weather vane was photographed by a reader in New Hampshire.

Do you know the location of weathervane post #323?  Scroll down to find the answer.

Scott Powell, a friend and fellow New Hampshire blogger, sent in this photo of of the eagle weather vane on top of the New Hampshire Veterans Association building in Weirs Beach, New Hampshire.  This is an appropriate place for an eagle!  Military veterans have been vacationing here for over 130 years.

This weather vane is a large, three dimensional eagle.  It can be seen in old photos from the 1800s, so it must be original to the time this historic building headquarters was constructed in 1880 as part of a larger campground area with other dormitories (barracks), camping, cottages, picnic groves, and mustering fields close to the edge of Lake Winnepesaukee in Weirs Beach. Some of these buildings were destroyed by fires over the years, but many still remain standing.  This headquarters building is visible from the landing where you board the SS Mount Washington to tour the lake.

This historic building still houses veterans and their vacationing families of veterans in the "barracks", cottages and camping area next to the headquarters building.

Thanks, Scott!


For the truly curious:

The NH Veteran's Association:
http://www.thenhva.org/

A nice history of the NH Veteran's Association from the Weir's Beach website:
http://weirsbeach.com/reasons-to-visit/history/veterans/nh-va-history/

Scott Powell's blog "Lake Wicwas Nature Journal":
http://wicwaslake.blogspot.com/


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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ At a vacation destination", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 8, 2017, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/08/weathervane-wednesday-at-historic.html: accessed [access date]).

Tombstone Tuesday ~ The Rev. Nahum Brooks family plot, Manchester, New Hampshire

This tombstone was photographed at the Valley Cemetery in Manchester, New Hampshire.

MARY ELLEN

DAU. OF

REV. N & MRS R. L.

BROOKS

DIED OCT. 10, 1866

AE. 20 YRS 13 DAYS

BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART

MRS. REBECCA L. BROOKS

WIDOW OF

REV. NAHUM BROOKS

BORN SEPT. 17, 1817

DIED JUNE 20, 1897

HE GIVETH HIS BELOVED SLEEP

REV. NAHUM BROOKS

BORN AT

EAST WAKEFIELD

JUNE 16, 1811

DIED AT MANCHESTER

MARCH 16, 1883

AE. 71 YRS 9 MOS

HIS LIFE WAS A BENEDICTION

The Revered Nahum Brooks was born 11 June 1811 in Wakefield, New Hampshire, the son of John Brooks and Phebe Chick.  He went to school at the Parsonsfield Academy in Maine. He organized his first Baptist church in Laconia in March 1838 and was ordained in Sanbornton in May 1838. He was a Baptist minister in Centre Sandwich, Great Falls, Bath, and the Pine Street Baptist Church in Manchester.

He married first on 14 February 1836 to Emmeline M. Watson, the daughter of Elijah Watson and Miriam Sawyer.  She was born 3 Jan 1815 in Springfield, New Hampshire, and died in Concord, New on 7 September 1836, almost 7 months after their wedding.

He married second on 19 September 1838 to Rebecca L. Harmon. She was the daughter of Henry Harmon and Catherine Franklin, born on 17 September 1817, and died 20 June 1897.  Rebecca gave him two daughters:  Emmeline R. (1842 – 1901), wife of Charles Edward Balch, and Mary Ellen (1844 – 1866), who died unmarried and is buried next to her parents.

Click on this link for the blog post featuring Emmeline R. Brooks and Charles Edward Balch:  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/08/tombstone-tuesday-colonel-charles-e.html  

The Native Ministry of New Hampshire, by Nathan Franklin Carter,  1906 (see a sketch of Nahum Brooks on page 769).

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Tombstone Tuesday ~ The Rev. Nahum Brooks family plot, Manchester, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 8, 2017, (https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/08/tombstone-tuesday-rev-nahum-brooks.html: accessed [access date]).