Weathervane Wednesday ~ One of the Oldest Weathervanes in Massachusetts

Weathervane Wednesday is an on-going series of photographs I post weekly.  I started out by publishing only weather vanes from the Londonderry area, but now I've been finding interesting weather vanes from all over New England.  Sometimes these weather vanes are whimsical, or historical, but all are very unique.  Often, my readers tip me off to some very special and unusual weather vanes.

Today's weather vane is from somewhere in Massachusetts.

Do you know the location of weather vane #309?  Scroll down to see the answer...

At the NERGC (New England Regional Genealogy Consortium) conference April 26 - 29 at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts attendees were graced with a beautiful view of the Court Square right outside the glass wall of the conference center.  Across this grassy common is the Old First Church.  And atop the steeple of this church is one of the oldest weather vanes in Massachusetts.

The Springfield First Church was first gathered in 1637.  The first meetinghouse stood on another corner of Court Square. This is the fourth building for this congregation. The present structure was erected in 1819. The Congregational church (United Church of Christ) disbanded and this structure was bought by the city of Springfield in 2008, and is currently rented out by another church organization.

This weather cock was brought from England in 1750 along with two other weathervanes (one went to the First Church in Newburyport, and the other went to South Church in Boston).  The weather vane originally stood on the third church building on this spot, and was used by the congregation for the fourth building's steeple, too.     The weather cock is a common sight on churches, since the rooster is a sign of repentance from the story of Peter denying Jesus Christ in the bible.  This weathervane measures four feet and weighs 49 pounds.

From the book First Church in Springfield 1637 - 1915, Springfield, Massachusetts, 1915 (available online at archive.org):

"How dear to our hearts is the old First Church rooster, 
When near or when far he's presented to view: 
For years he has stood there with never a murmur 
And never a whisper of tales that he knew: 
How much he has seen from the top of the steeple. 
So true to his post as the seer of the church: 
The bright shining rooster, the patient old rooster, 
The dear faithful rooster that ne'er leaves his perch." 

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

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~  One of the Oldest Weathervanes in Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 3, 2017, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/05/weathervane-wednesday-one-of-oldest.html: accessed [access date]).

Springfield, St. Mary's Church, Vermont Honor Roll, World War II

Honor Roll Project Submitted by Denise Picard Lindgren

Two framed Honor Rolls are hung inside the main entrance of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church (St. Mary’s), 10 Pleasant Street, Springfield (Windsor County), Vermont. The Pastor, Father Peter Y. Williams, has given me verbal permission to post these names.

The names written on the Honor Roll that hangs to the left of the door are as follows. Icons designate the branch of service in which the veteran served.

"Honor Roll of This Parish

“I pledge my loyalty to the Flag of my Country and to the God
given principles of Freedom, Justice and Happiness for which it stands.”

Capt. John Meunier (Army)	Richard Poirier (Army)	Charles Mears (Air Corps)
2nd Lieut. Josephine Haskiewicz (Army)	Dominic Polidor (Army)	Michael Abrahamovich (Army)
2nd Lieut. Teresa Tarro (Army)	James Raleigh (Army)	Elwin Pelletier (Navy)
1st [?] Lieut. Gregg Carpenter (Air Corps)	Wallace Richmond (Army)	Germain Gosselin (Army)
2nd Lieut. Edward Polidor (Army)	Frank Ripchik (Army)	Lt. Com. George Phillips (Navy)
Serg. Walter Chahonovich (Army)	Glendon Sheehan (Army)	Albert D. Hurd (Navy)
Serg. John Christonski (Army)	William Stiles (Army)	Henry Riel (Navy)
Serg. Victor Polidor (Army)	Manuel Sumares (Navy)	Robert P. Marchand (Navy)
Corp. Joseph Adams (Air Corps)	Theodore Watson (Navy)	Walter Antoniewicz (Navy)
Corp. Leonard LaCross (Army)	George Willette (Army)	William E. Archambault (Marines)
James Andersen (Air Corps)	Manfred Willette (Army)	Philip H. Caron (Air Corps)
Charles Asonevich (Army)	Chester Wolski (Army)	William Johnson (Navy)
Walter Asonevich (Army)	Roland Veilleux (Army)	George Lambert Jr. (Army)
Victor Babkevich (Air Corps)	Alfred NeJame [or NeJarne] (Navy)	Richard Jarvis (Army)
Wilfred R. Bean (Navy)	Donald Bazinet (Marines)	Francis Aher (Navy)
Otten Birsky (Army)	George J. Hayer (Air Corps)	Richard W. Baker (Air Corp)
George V. Blodgett (Navy)	Lawrence F. Oliver (Marines)	Roger Bean (Army)
John Conway (Army)	Frank Culbert (Army)	Harrison Grenier (Army)
Alexander E. Cross (Army)	Howard Furbish (Air Corps)	Gordon Bickford (Army)
Adam Dubanevich (Navy)	John LeBarge (Army)	Frank Hunka (Army)
Richard Donleavy (Navy)	Joseph Lafko (Army)	Arlene Jasinski (Army)
Otgut Dzwisttowski [Gold Star] (Air Corps)	Paul Loiselle (Army)	Edward Ross (Marines)
Noel Fish (Army)	Delmore Lambert (Navy)	Roger D. Stearns (Army)
Donald Gavin (Navy)	Clarence E. Nolin (Army)	2nd Lieut. Helen Cichonowicz (Army)
Dominique Gosselin (Air Corps)	William P. O’Connell (Army)	Earl L. Currier (Army)
Lawrence Hewett (Navy)	Robert Sullivan (Army)	James Coniff Jr. (Army)
Howard Hogan (Navy)	Thomas Sullivan (Army)	Russell Bean (Air Corps)
Walter Holden (Navy)	Adam Tarajkowski (Army)	James Dashner (Army)
Silvio LaChapelle (Army)	Corp. Reginald E. Tatro (Air Corps)	Sgt. A. L. Lavolette (Air Corps)
Frederick LeBarge (Army)	Paul Lodginska [Gold Star] (Army)	Leonard Gintoff (Navy)
Robert Mundy (Air Corps)	William Zarychta (Army)	Lt. Peter Sheddon (Air Corps)
Howard Pecor (Army)	Victor Roy [Gold Star] (Army)	Martin L. Lashua (Navy)
Frank Pintello (Navy)	George M. Dowhan (Air Corp)	Joseph Krupski (Marines)
Natale Pintello (Army)	Armand L. Bernier (Army)	Edward Abrahamovich (Marines)
Salvatore Pintello [No icon]	Edward Massey (Marines)	Edmund Lafko (Army)

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This project was submitted for publication online as part of The Honor Roll Project:

http://honorrollproject.weebly.com/

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Denise Picard Lindgren and Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Springfield, Vermont Honor Roll, World War II", Nutfield Genealogy, posted November 7, 2016, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/11/springfield-vermont-honor-roll.html: accessed [access date]). 

Springfield, New Hampshire World War I Honor Roll

This honor roll was photographed in Springfield, New Hampshire by Judy Granger.

HONOR ROLL

WORLD WAR

1914 - 1918

SPRINGFIELD, N.H.

1ST PVT M. L. GOODHUE

SERG'T ALLIE NIXON

1ST PVT WILLIAM J. NIXON

R.C.N.  F.A.M. MEYETTE

CORP. ARTHUR W. HEATH

1ST LIEUT.  M. B. BARTON

ERNEST E. SANBORN

CORP.  H. F. MEYETTE

FRANK J. STEVENS

LEO A. MEYETTE

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo and Judy Granger, "Springfield, New Hampshire World War I Honor Roll", Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 25, 2016,  (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/05/springfield-new-hampshire-world-war-i.html: accessed [access date]).

Surname Saturday ~ CHAPIN of Springfield, Massachusetts

CHAPIN

"The Puritan" at Springfield, Massachusetts

Samuel Chapin and his family were in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1635.  His first five children were born in England, and then one born in Roxbury and the last in Springfield, Massachusetts.  His English origins are described in the book Thirty One English Emigrants (see below).

Chapin followed William Pynchon who left Roxbury in 1636 with a dozen families for Springfield which was first known as Agawam.  He was very influential in his new settlement, and served as one of the first five selectman, magistrate and was a deacon of the church for 25 years. He died in 1675 a few months after the town of Springfield was attacked by Indians and burned during King Phillip’s War.  His wife survived him by seven year, and his seven children all lived to adulthood and produced 72 grandchildren.

There is a large bronze statue of Deacon Samuel Chapin in Springfield.  It is called “The Puritan” and was sculpted by Augustus Saint-Gaudins in 1887.  You can read a blog post about this statue HERE.

Sources for Chapin family information:

Thirty-One English Emigrants Who Came to New England by 1662, by Dorothy C. and Gerald E. Knoff, Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1989, pages44 to 51.

Search for the Passengers of the Mary & John, 1630, Volume 17, pages 27 to 28.   See the website http://www.maryandjohn1630.com/

The Chapin Book of Genealogical Data of the Descendants of Deacon Samuel Chapin by Gilbert Warren Chapin, in two volumes, Hartford, Connecticut: Chapin Family Association, 1924 reprinted by Higginson Book Company.

Life of Deacon Samuel Chapin of Springfield, by Howard Miller Chapin, Providence, Rhode Island: Snow & Farnham, Co. Printers, 1908. Available to read online at www.Archive.org  

My Chapin genealogy:

Generation 1: Samuel Chapin, son of John Chapin and Phillippa Easton, baptized 8 October 1598 in Paignton, Devonshire, England, died 11 November 1675 in Springfield, Massachusetts; married on 9 February 1624 in Paignton to Cicely Penney.  She was the daughter of Henry Penney and Jane Unknown, born on 27 February 1602 in Paignton, died 8 February 1683 in Springfield. Seven children.

Generation 2: Catherine Chapin, baptized in April 1626 in Berry Pomeroy, Devonshire, England; died 4 February 1712 in Springfield; married on 20 November 1646 to Nathaniel Bliss, son of Thomas Bliss and Margaret Hulins, baptized on 28 December 1622 in Rodborough, Gloucestershire, England, died on 18 November 1654 in Springfield.  Four children.  Catherine Chapin remarried in 1655 to Thomas Gilbert, and in 1664 to Samuel Marshfield.

Generation 3:  Margaret Bliss m. Nathaniel Foote

Generation 4: Eunice Foote m. Michael Taintor

Generation 5: Eunice Taintor m. Aaron Skinner

Generation 6: Charles Skinner m. Sarah Osborn

Generation 7: Ann Skinner m. Thomas Ratchford Lyons

Generation 8: Isabella Lyons m. Reverend Ingraham Ebenezer Bill

Generation 9: Caleb Rand Bill m. Ann Margaret Bollman

Generation 10: Isabella Lyons Bill m. Albert Munroe Wilkinson

Generation 11: Donald Munroe Wilkinson m. Bertha Louise Roberts (my grandparents)

"The Puritan" at Boston's
Museum of Fine Art

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The URL for this post is

http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/11/surname-saturday-chapin-of-springfield.html

Copyright © 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Update on Nutfield Genealogy

The last two weeks have been hard since my old computer died a slow death with a deteriorating hard drive.  Fortunately all the data was recoverable, and I didn’t need to use my cloud storage or my external hard drive storage.  It took days to move the data (literally) since we have many gigs of photos and documents.  It took a professional to do all the fine tuning, which is fine by me since I wanted it done fast and “right the first time”.   

Thank goodness for pre-posting two weeks of blog posts ahead of time!

Several emails and messages kept me busy on my laptop while all this was happening.  First, Jeanie at The Family Connection blog http://www.jeaniesgenealogy.com/ wrote to me about my blog post “John Locke ~ He Cut Off an Indian’s Nose with his Scythe” at this link: http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/07/john-locke-he-cut-off-indians-nose-with.html

She questioned my statement that John Locke was not married to Elizabeth Berry.  She was correct, and I was wrong in my post.  John Locke definitely did marry Elizabeth Berry, daughter of William and Jane Berry, about 1652.  I was thinking of statements seen all over the internet that his wife was Elizabeth BOLLES or BOWLES.  See, I almost perpetuated that myth with my boo boo.  Sorry, Jeanie, but thanks for making the comment so I could correct the blog post!

I had my guest blogger Bette Pye Wing write up a second blog post about Fort Banks, Winthrop, Massachusetts at this link: http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/07/fort-banks-winthrop-massachusetts.html .  She will be creating her own genealogy blog soon, and it will be titled “The Pye Plate” (cute name ‘eh?)  I’ve never met Bette, but she is a cousin to a very good friend.  Bette’s research on her lineage to the Mayflower passenger Stephen Hopkins helped me to complete an application for membership for my friend’s Mom just two year before she passed away.  She was thrilled to become a member, even though she was only a member for a very short time.  Now her children and grandchildren and descendants will be able to apply for member in the Society of Mayflower Descendants, all due to Bette’s hard work.

I also heard from Paul A. Clark, who is researching Esther Wines, wife of Nicholas Hodson, married about 1639.  He is looking for a connection to the Wincoll family and is also looking for a will written by a cousin with the fantastic name of “Faintnot Wines” from Charlestown, Massachusetts.  This will mentions the cousin connections. Has anyone out there done any research on the WINCOLL or WINES families?

A mysterious message by “ Fr. Garcelon” left me a link to a GARCELON family tree on an excel spreadsheet.  Thanks, for the link and I have checked out the large pedigree chart!  I know I haven’t blogged about this family, but I did leave a message on a bulletin board a few years ago when I was looking for information on a Peter James Garcelon who married my third cousin Anna M. Wilkinson on 14 August 1875 in La Grange, Maine.   The pedigree chart was very helpful.

I am finding Connecticut research maddening.  There are two Charlotte Mathers  (a daughter in law and her mother in law) who appear to have flown under the radar and their records do not appear in any of the usual places for vital records.  I’ve never done any research in Connecticut before.  I hope I don’t have to make a trip down there!  Help! Any research tips or RAOGK would be appreciated now.   Maybe now that I have my computer I can write to a dozen possible towns clerks for information!

Surprise, surprise!  A very odd bunch of websites related to metal detecting have been referring readers to my blog.  I clicked on one of the links that showed up on my statistics page, and there was a running thread on a forum for metal detectors.  It seems that someone dug up a metal medallion related to an anniversary for the city of Springfield, Massachusetts.  On the front of this medallion was an image of Samuel Chapin, one of the city founders.  There is a large statue of Chapin in Springfield, and I blogged about it during the last NERGC conference in Springfield (see this link: http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/04/mini-chapin-reunion.html)    My blog post and the accompanying photograph helped the hobbyists identify the medallion and the image of my 10 x Great Grandfather, Deacon Samuel Chapin.  You never know, do you, where all this blogging will lead?

For the truly curious:

The link to the metal detecting thread:

http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=121022 

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Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo and Bette Pye Wing

Friday Funny ~ Basketball Feet

At the Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, MA  ~ Shaquille O'Neal's footprint

At Quincy Market, Boston, MA, Larry Bird's sneakers 

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Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo