Surname Saturday ~ POLAND of Essex County, Massachusetts

The schooner Fame, replica of the privateer from the War of 1812, in Salem, Massachusetts

POLAND

Generation 1:  Thomas Poland arrived from England to Massachusetts about 1642 with his wife, Hannah and three sons.  He settled in Wenham, Massachusetts.  His son, John Poland, my 9^th great grandfather, lived in The Hamlet, which is now Hamilton, Massachusetts.  He married Bethiah Friend and had seven children, and after her death he married Margery, the widow of Anthony Dike.  John Poland was named in a lawsuit by Ezekiel Woodward (my 9^th great grandfather in another lineage) for slandering his wife.

Generation 2:  His son, James Poland (my 8^th great grandfather) had seven children with his wife Rebecca Kimball and one child by his wife Elizabeth.  He removed to Kennebunkport, Maine.  His son, John Poland (1693 – 1777) (my 7^th great grandfather),  lived in Hamilton and was a weaver.  I descend from two of his sons, Daniel (1724 – 1768) and Abner (1736 – 1824). 

Generation 3:  Daniel Poland, my 6^th great grandfather, was drowned young while fishing off Misery Island in 1768.  I descend from his daughter Martha (my 5^th great grandmother) who married Alexander Mears.   

Generation 3:  His brother, Abner, also my 6^th great grandfather,  was a private in the Revolutionary War.  He was captured from the ship the Hawk and spend time at Forton Prison in England.  

Generation 4:  His son, Abner, Jr. (1761 – 1835) also served as a private in the Revolutionary War for a total of seven and half years, serving at the battles of Hubbardston, Stillwater, Monmouth and Yorktown.  He received the Badge of Merit, the highest decoration from George Washington.  You can read all about his award HERE. He received bounty land in Enfield, New Hampshire and a pension, and his widow, Sarah, also received a pension.

Generation 5:  Abner Poland, Jr.’s daughter, Sally Poland (1780 – 1861) is my 4^th great grandmother.  She married Henry Burnham of Essex, Massachusetts in 1805.  With Sally, my Poland line daughters out.  Her brother, Abner Poland III, was the commander of two Salem schooners Dart and Fame during the War of 1812.  A replica of the Fame, built by Harold Burnham of Essex, still sails out of Salem today.

Some POLAND resources:

The Polands from Essex County, Massachusetts, by Lloyd Orville Poland, 1904

Vital records and town histories of Wenham, Hamilton and Essex, Massachusetts

The Essex Genealogist, Volume 16 (1996), pages 129 – 142 (A sketch of the FRIEND family, with some mention of the POLAND family and John Poland (1631 – 1713) ).

My previous blog post about Abner Poland's Badge of Merit from George Washington at this link:  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/04/national-archives-good-news-bad-news.html

My previous blog post about the schooner Fame and the three men named Abner Poland at this link:  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/12/schooner-fame-and-three-abner-polands.html

My POLAND genealogy:

Generation 1:  Thomas Poland, born in England, died 22 February 1666 in Wenham, Massachusetts; married to Hannah Unknown. Three known children.

Generation 2: John Poland, born about 1631 in England; died 3 August 1713 in Hamilton, Essex County, Massachusetts;  married first about 1657 to Bethiah Friend, mother of seven children; married second to Margery Unknown.

Generation 3: James Poland, born about 1665 in Wenham, died 1722; married first on 12 April 1694 in Wenham to Rebecca Kimball, daughter of Richard Kimball and Rebecca Abbye, mother of seven children; married second to Elizabeth Unknown, mother of Thomas Poland.

Generation 4: John Poland, born about 1693 in Hamilton or Wenham, died 21 April 1777; married on 11 April 1718 at the Hamlet Parish Church, Hamilton to Abigail Davis, daughter of James Davis and Abigail Mettcalfe.  Nine children.

Lineage A:

Generation 5: Daniel Poland, born about 1724, died 19 August 1768 in Salem, Massachusetts; married on 18 October 1747 to Sarah Bishop, daughter of James Bishop and Sarah Holmes.

Generation 6:  Martha Poland, born 4 August 1754 in Ipswich; died 17 February 1843 in Essex, Massachusetts; married on 22 April 1773 in Wenham to Alexander Mears.  He was born about 1750 in London, England and died 3 April 1824 in Essex. Twelve children.

Generation 7:  Samuel Mears m. Lydia W. Burnham

Generation 8:  Samuel Mears m.  Sarah Ann Burnham

Generation 9:  Sarah Burnham Mears m. Joseph Gilman Allen

Generation 10:  Joseph Elmer Allen m. Carrie Maude Batchelder

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

Lineage B:

Generation 5: Abner Poland, born about 1736 in Essex, died 9 February 1824 in Essex; married first on 3 April 1761 to Dorothy Burnham, daughter of John Burnham and Rachel Smith, mother of seven children; married second on 5 December 1792 in Essex  to Deborah Burnham, daughter of Westley Burnham and Deborah Story, and widow of Nathaniel Emerson.

Generation 6: Abner Poland, born 17 May 1761 in Essex; died 14 January 1835 in Enfield, New Hampshire; married on 20 March 1783 in Essex to Sarah Burnham, daughter of Westley Burnham and Deborah Story (sister of Abner’s stepmother, see above)

Generation 7: Sally Poland, born 27 November 1780 in Essex,  died 9 February 1861 in Essex; married on 2 May 1805 in Essex to Henry Burnham, son of Westley Burnham, Jr. and Molly Woodbury (her first cousin, see Burnhams above).

Generation 8:  Sarah Ann Burnham m. Samuel Mears (see above)

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ POLAND of Essex County, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 4, 2015, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/04/surname-saturday-poland-of-essex-county.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ MEARS of Essex, Massachusetts

MEARS

Alexander Mears, my 5^th great grandfather, was born about 1750 in England and it seems that he came to Massachusetts as a very young man.  His arrival coincides with the beginning rumbles of the Revolutionary War.  He married Martha Poland in 1773 in Wenham, Massachusetts and settled in what is now the town of Essex, but at that time was the Chebacco Parish of Ipswich.

In the autobiography of David Otis Mears it states “The tradition is that he was the son of a wealthy London merchant.  His mother died when he was young and he left home and came to this country; he found his way to Essex, then Ipswich, where he married and settled down.  He had been well educated, but little more is known of him.  On the death of his father, he was notified to return to London for his share of his father's estate but, his wife objecting, he never returned.  His son, David Mears, was born in Essex, in 1808, and in 1840 married Abigail Burnham.  Of this union, David Otis Mears, born in 1842, was eldest son."

It is interesting to note that Alexander Mears, born in London, joined the patriots in the Revolutionary War.  He was a private in Captain William Pearson’s Company between 1 June 1776 and 31 August 1776, stationed for 25 days in Gloucester to defend the seacoast, and again from 1 September 1776 and 18 November 1776 in Gloucester.

Three of Alexander Mears’s sons (William, Daniel and Henry) married three of the daughters of Ralph Butler and Esther Burnham (Lucy, Hepsibeth and Abigail).  I descend from Samuel (1798 – 1879), my 4^th great grandfather, who married Lydia Burnham in 1823. Samuel was a cordwainer (shoe maker).

My 3^rd great grandfather, Samuel Mears (1823 – 1904) was also a cordwainer.  He enlisted in the Civil War at age 42 as a private in Company A, of the 39^th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.  He was discharged for disabilities (dysentery) to the Veteran Reserve Corps.  Samuel Mears was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Lodge in Beverly, Massachusetts  - the John H. Chipman Post #89.  His son Henry Mears (1845 – 1866) was also a private in the 2^nd Regiment of the Massachusetts Heavy Artillery.  His adopted son, John Harrison Knowlton (1848 – 1896) served as a private in the Civil War and his enlistment lists him as age 18, but he was closer to 16 years old.  Samuel Mears’s obituary in the Essex Echo newspaper, 22 January 1904:

Mr. Samuel Mears, a native and until recently with a few years a life long resident of Essex Falls and a veteran of the war of the rebellion, died at the home of his son, Henry C. at 8 Boyce Court, Lynn, Wednesday, Jan. 13th after a long illness, at the age of 80 years and 15 days.  He leaves an aged widow, three sons, Henry C of Lynn, Israel G. of Wenham, S. Alonzo who lives at the homestead, and two daughters, Mrs. J. G. Allen and Mrs. Charles Kinsman, two sisters, Mrs. Martha Hovell and Mrs. George H. Story, about 20 grandchildren and a large circle of other relatives.  Funeral services were held at the Congregational Church of this town Saturday afternoon.  A delegation of the J. H. Chipman, Jr. post, GAR of Beverly, of which the deceased was a member was present and performed their burial service.  A large number of friends and relatives was in attendence.

For further information on the MEARS family:

David Otis Mears, D. D.: An Autobiography, 1842 – 1898, by David Otis Mears, Hannah Amelia Noyes Davidson, Boston: The Pilgrim Press, 1920 (available to read online at Google Book Search)

My MEARS genealogy:

Generation 1:  Alexander Mears, born about 1750 probably in London, England, died 3 April 1824 in Essex, Massachusetts; married on 22 April 1773 in Wenham to Martha Poland, daughter of Daniel Poland and Sarah Bishop.  She was born 4 August 1754 in Ipswich, and died 17 February 1843 in Essex.  Twelve children.

Generation 2: Samuel Mears, born about 1798 in Essex, died 28 August 1879; married on 29 March 1823 in Essex to Lydia W. Burnham, daughter of Asa Burnham and Polly Bray.  She was born on 19 September 1802 in Essex, and died 5 September 1864 in Essex.  Nine children.

Generation 3:  Samuel Mears, born 29 December 1823 in Essex, died 13 January 1904 in Lynn, Massachusetts; married first on 20 April 1844 in Essex to Sarah Ann Burnham, daughter of Henry Burnham and Sally Poland.  She was born on 23 October 1821 and died 23 January 1848 in Hamilton, Massachusetts. Five children.  Samuel Mears married second on 26 December 1848 in Wenham to Lydia Gray, widow of Joseph Augustus Burnham, daughter of Israel Gray and Lydia G. Lacy.  She was born February 1823 in Andover, Massachusetts and died 21 December 1914 in Lynn.  Four children.

Generation 4: Sarah Burnham Mears, daughter of Samuel Mears and Sarah Ann Burnham, was born on 30 November 1844 in Essex, died 4 March 1913 in Essex; married on 23 May 1863 in Essex to Joseph Gilman Allen, the son of Joseph Allen and Orpha Andrews.  He was born on 22 May 1830 in Essex and died 9 April 1908 in Essex.  Ten children.

Generation 5: Joseph Elmer Allen married Carrie Maude Batchelder

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

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The URL for this post is

http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/03/surname-saturday-mears-of-essex.html

Copyright © 2015, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

My Ancestors were Prisoners of War ~ Just like on “Who Do You Think You Are?”

Samuel Mears

GAR member

Beverly, Massachusetts

I was fascinated with the opening episode of the 2013 season of “Who Do You Think You Are?” on TLC last week.  When Kelly Clarkson found out her ancestor was a prisoner of war, I was jumping up and down yelling out “Me, too!”    I wonder how many Americans did the same thing?  Do you have prisoners of war in your family tree?

Over the years I've found the following eight prisoners of war in my family tree:

 1.       William Munroe (1625 – 1718) My 7^th Great Grandfather was a Scotsman, captured at the Battle of Worcester during the English Civil War.  He was sent on a prison ship in 1650 to be auctioned off as a servant in Boston, Massachusetts.  His descendants lived in Lexington, Massachusetts.

   2.    Johann Daniel Bollman (abt 1751 - 1833) My 4th Great Grandfather was a Hessian soldier.  At the Battle of Saratoga he was captured, but since he was an officer and a surgeon he was exchanged quickly.  He removed to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, which was a German settlement, married a German widow, and left many descendants in Canada and the United States.

   3.    Levi Younger (1786 - 1858) My 4th Great Grandfather was a mariner from Gloucester, Massachusetts.  He was "impressed" during the War of 1812, and offered himself up as a prisoner instead of doing service for the British.  His father, (4) Levi Younger, my 5th Great Grandfather, was also captured as a seaman during the Revolutionary War and sent to New York on a prison ship. He was kept at Forten Prison in Portsmouth, England. He was released during a prisoner exchange.  This was a very lucky father and son!

     

5. William Stacy (1734 – 1804) My 2^nd cousin, 7 generations removed, was a shoemaker from Gloucester, Massachusetts.  He served in the militia during the American Revolution and was taken prisoner by Indians in Cherry Valley, New York in 1777.  He was a prisoner for four years, survived the war and went to Marietta, Ohio in 1788 with most of his children.

6.   Moises Rojo (1902 -1936) is my husband's Grandfather.  He was captured as a civilian (not a combatant) during the Spanish Civil War for unknown reasons.  All the men who had been rounded up were imprisoned in a wine cellar beneath the streets of the city of Aranda de Duero, in Burgos, Spain.  One day in 1936 they were taken to a forest, executed, and buried in a mass grave.  

7. John Ross Roberts (1925 – 2003) My father’s first cousin was a nose gunner of a B-17 Liberator in WWII.  He was captured on 28 February 1945 and served the duration of the war a prisoner of war in Germany.

8. Rufus Elvin Mears (1841 – 1864) My 3^rd Great Grand Uncle, brother to Samuel Mears (1823 – 1904), my 3^rd Great Grandfather.  Both brothers served the Union in the Civil War. Rufus was 21 years old when he enlisted in the 39^th Regiment, Company A, under Colonel P. S. Davis and Captain George S. Nelson.  He was in the Battles of Mine Run, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna, Tolopotomy, Bethesda Church and Petersburg.  He was taken prisoner at Wheldon Railroad on 18 August 1864, and died in the rebel prison at Salisbury on 26 October 1864.

It was the story of Rufus Elvin that I remembered most when I saw the TV show WDYTYA.  The story of the suffering at Andersonville Prison is notorious, but I remembered researching the Salisbury Prison years before this television show aired.  I was horrified then at the conditions, and those memories all came back to me when I saw the TV show.  

The Salisbury Confederate Prison was built in 1861 after the first battle of Bull Run at Manassas.   Prisoners from that battle joined Southern political prisoners, conscientious objectors and Confederate deserters. The prison was an old cotton mill with a large yard.  At first conditions at Salisbury prison were tolerable, but when it became overcrowded and there were no supplies to feed the prisoners, the conditions deteriorated.

In the stockade there was a creek that supplied water to the prison.  The lower end was a latrine.  In those days they didn’t know that bacteria could flow upstream to the area where the prisoners took drinking water.  You can imagine what happened next…

Many of the prisoners who died were buried outside the walls of Salisbury Prison, which became the Salisbury National Cemetery.   11,700 Union soldiers are buried in 18 trenches, each 240 feet long.   These mass graves are now marked by a head and foot stone for each trench.

At the end of the war, the prisoners from Salisbury had all been transferred to other places.  The Union forces burned the prison, and the commander, Major John Henry Gee, was tried for war crimes and found innocent.  The commander at Andersonville, Major Henry Wirz, was found guilty and hanged.

It is sad that young Rufus Mears died at Salisbury Prison, and exciting for Kelly Clarkson that her ancestor escaped Andersonville and lived a long life and left descendants.  My 3^rd Great Grandfather, Samuel Mears, the brother of Rufus, was a proud member of the GAR for the rest of his life.  His portrait still hangs in the GAR Hall in Beverly, Massachusetts. (see above)

For more information:

Who do You Think You Are?  http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are

Salisbury Confederate Prison Association  http://www.salisburyprison.org/

Wikipedia article on Salisbury Prison  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury_Prison

Salisbury National Cemetery, Salisbury, NC  http://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/salisbury.asp

Wikipedia article on Salisbury Cemetery http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury_National_Cemetery

The GAR Hall, Beverly, Massachusetts http://www.members.tripod.com/GARpost89ma/ 

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Copyright 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Tombstone Tuesday- Mears Family, Essex, Massachusetts

Spring Street Cemetery, Essex, Massachusetts

The Mears plot is right next to the Allen plot
second plot in from Spring Street, next to the shed
on the far right side of the cemetery

1849 SAMUEL ALONZO 1927
HIS WIFE
1851 ANNIE JANE PERKINS 1933
1890 SAMUEL ARTHUR 1960
HIS WIFE
1904 JENNIE A. MEARS 1999

MEARS

(on the rear of the stone)
1875  EDWARD A.  1922
1878  LILLIAN E. 1946
1894  ANNIE M. MEARS  1991

(rear stone)
JENNIE A. MEARS
1904  -  1999
LOVING WIFE
OF SAMUEL ARTHUR MEARS

(front stone with flag)
SAMUEL ARTHUR MEARS
MASSACHUSETTS
PVT. CO. M 102 INF 26 DIV
WORLD WAR I

This plot is right next to my grandfather's family plot in Essex at the Spring Street Cemetery.  The Mears Family were cousins to the Allen family.   In the top photo you can see the large "A" shaped stone that marks the Allens, right next to the Mears, and our little red convertible.

Samuel Alonzo Mears was the half- brother to Sarah Burnham Mears (1844 - 1913), my 3x great grandmother who married Joseph Gilman Allen.   Sarah was the daughter of Samuel Mears (1823 - 1904) and Sarah Ann Burnham (1821 - 1848), and Samuel Alonzo was the son of Samuel Mears and his second wife, Lydia Gray (1823 - 1914).

Samuel Alonzo Mears married Annie J. Perkins in 1872,  had six children:
1. Edward A. Mears, born 12 November 1875, died 1922
2. Lillian Estelle Mears, born 5 July 1878, died 1946
3. Marian Estelle Mears, born 5 July 1878 (twin)
4. Walter Irving Mears, born 12 April 1880, married Ida Unknown
5. George Melvin Mears, born 18 Aug 1884
6. Samuel Arthur Mears, born 19 October 1890, married Jennie A. Unknown (My mom just told me she remembers Jennie Mears running a dry goods store in Hamilton, Massachusetts for many years.  This is a good clue to investigate...)
7. Annie May Mears, born 8 August 1894, died 1991.

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Copyright 2011, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

The Civil War’s 150th Anniversary

The following members of the family tree served in the Civil War

Great Grandfathers:

Abijah Franklin Hitchings

1.)  Abijah Franklin Hitchings (1841 – 1910), Salem, Massachusetts, my 2x great grandfather - enlisted twice, first he enlisted in Co. I of the 8th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry from 30 April 1861 until 1 August 1861, which rescued the USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”) from the South and sailed it to New York Harbor for safekeeping, second he enlisted in Co. H, 19th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry from 13 December 1862 until 25 July 1863 after he was wounded in the Battle of Fredericksburg on 13 December 1862. He had served in the Invalid Corps. His obituary states the following "there was a very large attendance, including comrades of Post 34, G.A.R., the old Salem Zouaves, Collector of Customs David M. Little, and past and present Custom house officials, and many prominent citizens. The G. A. R. service was conducted by Commander J. Frank Dalton, Chaplain William I. Arvedson, S.V.C. Eben S. Perkins, O.D.,John C. Grover, Adjutant Everett E. Austin and Patriotic Instructor Charles H. Frye of Post 34."   His pallbearers included members of the Salem Zouaves (who must have been quite elderly at the time!)  A blog post about Abijah Hitchings is at this link: http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-to-find-your-american-veteran.html

2.)  Joseph Gilman Allen (1830 - 1913) Essex, Massachusetts, my 2x great grandfather– enlisted as a private in Co. B, 7th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers 1 July 1862 until 31 December 1862, and served as a prison guard at Fort Warren, on an island in Boston Harbor. A blog post about Joseph Allen is at this link: http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/02/fort-warren-boston-harbor.html

3.)  Samuel Mears (1823 - 1904) Essex, Massachusetts, my 3x great grandfather- enlisted in Co. A, 39th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry from 26 July 1862 until 18 August 1862, discharged for disabilities. He re-enlisted in Co. G, 13th Veteran Reserve Corps 30 July 1864 until 21 November 1865. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic Lodge in Beverly, Massachusetts, John H. Chipman Post #89. There is a blog post about Samuel Mears at this link: http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/09/amanuensis-monday-samuel-mears-1823.html

Great Uncles

1.)  William Hoogerzeil (1843 – 1886), Beverly, Massachusetts was my 2x great grand uncle, brother to my 2x great grandfather Peter Hoogerzeil (1841-1908)- enlisted in Co. 2, Unattached Massachusetts Infantry 3 May 1864 to 6 August 1864.

2.)  Albert Stone Hoogerzeil (1845 – 1920), Beverly, Massachusetts was my 2x great grand uncle, brother to William and Peter mentioned above. He was a mariner in the United States Navy 1862 through 1864. He enlisted January 8, 1862 in Boston for three years as a landsman, credited to Beverly. He served aboard the U.S.S. Vermont, Western World and the Potomac Flotilla. He was discharged January 9, 1864.

4.)  Edmund Hoogerzeil (1847-1922), Beverly, Massachusetts was my 2x great granduncle, brother to William, Peter and Albert mentioned above. He was a private in the Co. 2, Unattached Massachusetts Volunteer Militia as a private. He was only 16 years old. He became a member of the the Grand Army of the Republic Lodge in Beverly, Massachusetts, John H. Chipman Post #89.

5.)  Hervey Allen (1841 – 1905), Essex, Massachusetts was my 2x great grand uncle, brother to Joseph Gilman Allen mentioned above. He also enlisted in December 1864 for one year of defense of the forts of Boston during the Civil War.

6.)  Henry W. Mears (b. 1845) Essex, Massachusetts, was son of Samuel Mears above, and brother to my 2x great grandmother Sarah Burnham Mears (1844- 1913). At age 15 he enlisted in the Civil War and was discharged on a surgeon’s certificate of disability. He re-enlisted on 1 October 1863 in Co. B, 2nd Regiment of the Massachusetts Heavy Artillery.

7.)  Joseph Harrison Knowlton (1848 – 1896), Essex, Massachusetts was my 2x great grand uncle, and adopted son of Samuel Mears mentioned above, and adopted brother to Henry Mears, above. Joseph enlisted at age 16 on 16 November 1864 to 7 July 1865 in Co. 2, Unattached Infantry Regiment, Massachusetts Infantry.

8.)  Romanus Emerson (1846 – 1918), Boston, Massachusetts was my 2x great grand uncle, brother to my 2x great grandmother Mary Katherine Emerson (1847 – 1932). He served in the United States Signal Corps and received a Civil War pension.

9.)  Rufus Elwin Mears (abt 1841 - 1864), Essex, Massachusetts, my 3x great grand uncle and brother to Samuel Mears mentioned above.  He enlisted in Co. A, 39th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers.  He was at the battles of Mine Run, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, North Anna, Tolopotomy, Bethesda Church and Petersburg.  He was taken prisoner at the Sheldon Railroad on 18 August 1864, and died in the notorious Confederate prison at Salisbury on 26 October 1864. 

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Copyright 2011, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Amanuensis Monday- Samuel Mears (1823-1904) Civil War Veteran

This photograph of Samuel Mears

hangs in the GAR hall in Beverly, Massachusetts

22 January 1904, Essex Echo Newspaper


"Mr. Samuel Mears, a native and until recently with a few years a life long resident of Essex Falls and a veteran of the war of the rebellion, died at the home of his son, Henry C. at 8 Boyce Court, Lynn, Wednesday, Jan. 13th after a long illness, at the age of 80 years and 15 days. He leaves an aged widow, three sons, Henry C of Lynn, Israel G. of Wenham, S. Alonzo who lives at the homestead, and two daughters, Mrs. J. G. Allen and Mrs. Charles Kinsman, two sisters, Mrs. Martha Hovell and Mrs. George H. Story, about 20 grandchildren and a large circle of other relatives. Funeral services were held at the Congregational Church of this town Saturday afternoon. A delegation of the J. H. Chipman, Jr. post, GAR of Beverly, of which the deceased was a member was present and performed their burial service. A large number of friends and relatives was in attendence."

Samuel Mears was my 3x great grandfather. Samuel Mears, Junior, was listed as a shoemaker on his marriage certificate. In the 1865 Massachusetts State Census he is listed as age 42, born in Essex, Soldier. He served in the Civil War Unit: Co. A 39th M.V.I. Rank: Pvt. According to the Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Civil War. Samuel Mears was a private in the 39th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers from Essex, age 37, laborer enlisted 26 July 1862, mustered 18 August 1862, discharged for disabilities on 23 December 1863 at Washington, D. C. He was also a private in Co. "G" 13th Veteran Reserve Corps, from Essex, age 40, laborer, enlisted and mustered 30 July 1864 at Boston for 3 years, discharged on 21 November 1865. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic Lodge in Beverly, John H. Chipman Post #89. He lived in Essex, Hamiton, and Lynn.

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Gen. 1. Alexander Mears, born about 1750 in England, and died on 3 April 1824 in Essex, Massachusetts; married on 22 April 1773 in Wenham, Massachusetts to Martha Poland, daughter of Daniel Poland and Sarah Bishop. Twelve Children. He was a private in Captain William Pearson's 3rd Company, stationed for service in Gloucester, Massachusetts for the defense of the coast during the Revolutionary War.

Gen. 2. Samuel Mears, born about 1798 in Essex, and died on 28 August 1879 in Essex; married on 29 March 1823 in Essex to Lydia W. Burnham, daughter of Asa Burnham and Polly Bray. Nine children. He is listed in the census records as a cordwainer or shoemaker.

Gen. 3. Samuel Mears, born 29 December 1823 in Essex, died 13 January 1904 at 8 Boyce Court, Lynn, Massachusetts; married first on 20 April 1844 in Essex to Sarah Ann Burnham, daughter of Henry Burnham and Sally Poland. They had five children, including my 2x great grandmother, Sarah Burnham Mears, born in 1844. He married second to Lydia Gray on 26 December 1848 at the Baptist Church in Wenham, Massachusetts and had another four children.


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Copyright 2010, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Amanuensis Monday- The Joe Gill Allen House

I read about Amanuensis Monday in Randy Seaver’s blog “GeneaMusings”, and Randy read about it on John Newmark’s genealogy blog “TransylvanianDutch”. Amanuensis: A person employed to take dictation or copy manuscripts.

The Joe Gill Allen House

News Clipping from the Salem Evening News, June 3, 1938

Old houses in Essex Of Historical Interest

“To start this series of articles on Old Houses in Essex, which will appear in this paper every Friday for a period of several weeks, there can be no more fitting house to start with than the first house over the line in Essex from Hamilton, on the main road from Beverly to Gloucester through Essex.

This house is known by the old settlers of Essex as the “Joe Gill Allen” house and is located in what they always speak of as Lakeville.

Little is known of who built this house or when it was erected but from the very simple construction it can easily be imagined that it was built in the very early seventeen hundreds.

Frank Mears, who has always lived in the neighborhood and well remembers the Civil War days, speaks of a Henry, and supplied the clammers gentlemen when Mr. Mears was but a boy, living in this house. He was known to everyone as Uncle Henry, and supplied the clammers and others with baskets, as he was by trade, a basket maker.

Henry Burnham was a son of Westley Burnham, and Mollie Woodbury of Beverly. He was born June 23, 1783, and married Sally Poland, Jan. 1, 1805. He died in 1867.

Sarah Mears, a daughter of Samuel Mears, was brought up in this home and she in turn married one Joseph Gilman Allen of Clay Point, South Essex.

The house has remained in the Allen family up to the present time, although it has not been lived in as an established home for a great many years.

The house boasts a very large central chimney, the fireplaces and oven, however, being bricked up. There are few windows, extremely low ceilings, with five rooms on the first floor, the second story being one unfinished room.

Those who remember one “Charlie Sam” as the town wit, can well see why he used to say that this house used to be a two story and a half house that had been there so long it just settled down into the banking.”

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The Joseph Gilman Allen House

photographed in May 2010

Although my ancestors have lived in Essex since the 1630s, and the Allens were in Essex since about the time of the American Revolution, my grandfather and his brothers and sisters were not born in this house. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, when his father had gone to Boston to work as a pipefitter with his brothers during a tough economic time period at the turn of the century. This house was used as a summer house for the Boston side of the family when my mother was growing up in the next town, Hamilton, Massachusetts.

According to census records, all the men in this lineage were ships carpenters, since ship building was once the major industry in Essex. Several of the men were listed as day laborers or retired in their older years, but I couldn’t find anyone who listed their occupation as basketmaker. Perhaps it was just a way of making money on the side. The Allens, Mears and Burnhams are all buried near each other at the Spring Street Cemetery in Essex. Clamming is still a major industry in Essex, as well as tourism and antique shops. There is still one shipbuilder left in Essex.

Above I’ve posted a photo of this house as it appears in 2010. A small addition has been built onto the back of the home, and it has been lovingly restored.

My grandmother saved this old newsclipping.  Here is an explanation of some of the people mentioned in the news clipping and story:

Generation 1: Westley Burnham, son of Westley Burnham and Deborah Story, born 27 August 1747 in Essex, died on 1 September 1835; married on 5 December 1771 to Molly Woodbury, daughter of Robert Woodbury and Hannah Preston, born 29 July 1749 in Beverly, Massachusetts, died on 27 April 1830 in Essex. Ten children, including

Generation 2: Henry Burnham, born 23 June 1783 in Essex, died 1 July 1867 in Essex; married on 2 May 1805 in Essex to Sally Poland, daughter of Abner Poland and Sarah Burnham, born 27 November 1780 in Essex, died 9 February 1861 in Essex, one daughter:

Generation 3: Sarah Ann Burnham, born 23 October 1821 and died 23 January 1848 in Hamilton; married 20 April 1844 in Essex to Samuel Mears, son of Samuel Mears and Lydia W. Burnham, born 29 December 1823 in Essex, died 13 January 1904 in Lynn. Samuel was married 2nd on 26 December 1848 in Wenham to Lydia Gray, daughter of Israel Gray and Lydia G. Lacy. Five children, including:

Generation 4: Sarah Burnham Mears, born 30 November 1844 in Essex, died on 4 March 1913 in Essex; married on 23 May 1863 in Essex to Joseph Gilman Allen, son of Joseph Allen and Orpha Andrews, born 22 May 1830 in Essex, died 9 April 1908 in Essex. Ten children, including:
Generation 5: Joseph Elmer Allen, born 24 September 1870 in Essex, died 12 March 1932 at the Masonic Home in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts; married on 1 November 1892 to Carried Maude Batchelder, daughter of George E. Batchelder and Mary Katharine Emerson, born on 22 September 1872 in Chichester, New Hampshire, died on 21 January 1963 at the Sea View Convalescent Home in Rowley, Massachusetts. Five children, including:

Generation 6: Stanley Elmer Allen, born 14 January 1904 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, died on 6 March 1982 in Beverly, Massachusetts; married on 14 February 1925 in Hamilton, to Gertrude Matilda Hitchings, daughter of Arthur Treadwell Hitchings and Florence Etta Hoogerzeil, born on 1 August 1905 in Beverly, died on 3 November 2001 at the Pilgrim Nursing Home, Peabody, Massachusetts. Seven children, including my mother.

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Copyright 2010, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Fort Warren, Boston Harbor

Civil War re-enactors drilling at Fort Warren

During the Civil War, my 2x great grandfather Joseph Gilman Allen spent six months as a guard on George’s Island in Boston Harbor. This was the site of Fort Warren, a prisoner of war camp, and a fort to guard the entrance of Boston’s large harbor. Other members of my family tree, George Washington Lane, George F. Wiggin, and Walter Davis Allen, all served at this large fort, as well as Joseph’s own brother, Hervey Allen.

Fort Warren was built just before the beginning of the Civil War. It served as a prisoner of war camp and jail through the end of World War II. It is now a site for tourists on George’s Island, the central hub for the high speed ferry service to the other Boston Harbor Islands. There is still a yearly Civil War encampment held at Fort Warren by re-enactors. It is open to visitors from mid May through Columbus Day weekend. The view from the walls has a fantastic panorama of the Boston Harbor Islands and the Boston city skyline.

It is thought that the Civil War march “John Brown’s Body” was created at Fort Warren by the 12th Massachusetts Regiment. Later Abraham Lincoln was moved by the song, and he asked Julia Ward Howe to compose a hymn from the tune, so she created “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” The original words were considered rather racy, and Howe’s new lyrics were considered to be more socially acceptable.

Historian Edward Rowe Snow often told the ghost story of the “Lady in Black” when giving tours at Fort Warren. It is based on a true event that happened there during the Civil War. A young confederate soldier was imprisoned at Fort Warren, and he wrote to his wife directions on how to reach him. She rowed to the island, dressed in men’s clothing, and with a prearranged signal she was hoisted up to his window. They decided to dig a tunnel to escape, yet were found out by the guards. The wife’s gun went off during the escape, killing her own husband, and she was sentenced to hang from the fort’s wall. Her last request was to be hanged in woman’s clothing. A black robe was found in a theater trunk, and it had to do for her last dress.

The ghost dressed in black robes has been seen all over the island. The tour guides still have fun relating all the different versions of the story, and children still prowl the halls of Fort Warren looking for the “Lady in Black.” It was my daughter’s favorite pastime as a child, to take a friend for a trip out on the ferry out to Fort Warren, and to bravely go into the darker passages without us adults, to look for the ghost. This would usually end up with her running screaming back to find us!

The photo above was taken during our first family outing to Fort Warren. We were lucky enough to be there on the weekend of a civil war encampment. We had lots of great photo opportunities, and it was easier to imagine great great grandfather Allen as a guard. We’ve been back several other times, but have never had as much fun as that first trip.

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Family Tree Information:

Joseph Allen, son of Joseph Allen and Judith Burnham, born 31 July 1801, at Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, Massachusetts, died on 2 August 1894 in Beverly, Massachusetts; married on 28 October 1824 in Essex, Massachusetts to Orpha Andrews, daughter of James Andrews and Lucy Presson, born on 3 February 1804, Chebacco Parish, died 20 April 1869 in Peabody, Massachusetts. Joseph worked as a fisherman and as a shipwright at one of the Essex shipyards. They had six children

1. Humphrey Choate Allen, 1825 - 1881
2. Susan Gorton Allen, 1827 - 1873
3. Joseph Gilman Allen, born on 22 May 1830 in Essex, died on 9 April 1908 in Essex; married on 23 May 1863 in Essex to Sarah Burnham Mears, daughter of Samuel Mears (also a Civil War Veteran) and Sarah Ann Burnham, born 30 November 1844 in Essex, died on 4 March 1913 in Essex. On July 1st, 1862 he was enrolled as a private in Company B of the 7th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteers for six months of the Civil War. He served at Fort Warren in Boston Harbor and was discharged on December 31st, 1862. He was granted a military pension of $20 a month on March 2, 1907. After his death his widow received a $12 a month pension. Ten children, including my great grandfather Joseph Elmer Allen, born in 1870.
4. Unknown infant, died 1832
5. Hiram Allen, 1935- 1900
6. Hervey Allen, born 15 April 1841 in Essex, died on 20 Oct 1905 in Beverly; married on 20 April 1873 in Essex to Adeline Jane Andrews, daughter of James Andrews and Lucinda Daniels, born on 28 February 1839 in Moscow, Maine, died 15 February 1886 in Beverly. Hervey Allen enlisted in December 1864 for one year of defense of the forts of Boston during the Civil War.

For more information:

The History of Fort Warren, a book by Jay Schmidt  https://www.amazon.com/Fort-Warren-Englands-Historic-Civil/dp/0972148949

http://www.bostonharborislands.org/georges-island The Boston Harbor Island’s website on George’s Island, with information on getting to the island, and for free tours led by rangers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Warren_(Massachusetts) The Wikipedia article on Fort Warren in Boston Harbor.

“The Romance of Boston Bay” by Edward Rowe Snow, 1944

“Mysterious Tales of the New England Coast”, Edward Rowe Snow, 1961 (includes the story of the Lady in Black)

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Copyright 2010, Heather Wilkinson Rojo