Christmas Dinner for some Revolutionary War Veterans

From GenealogyBank.com, a news clipping from The Boston Recorder, Boston, Massachusetts, Saturday, January 22, 1825.  This story originated in The New-Hampshire Patriot, and I have seen it copied in other 1825 newspapers, including The Salem Gazette (Salem, Massachusetts), The Centinel of Freedom (Newark, New Jersey), and The Columbian Centinel (Boston, Massachusetts).   It was a revolutionary dinner in more ways than one!

"REVOLUTIONARY DINNER"

"The New-Hampshire Patriot contains an account of a Christmas dinner given to the Revolutionary officers and the soldiers of Hillsboro, N. H. by one of their number, General Benjamin Pierce - at which 22 persons were present, the youngest of whom was 59, and the oldest 89 years of age.  The following is a list: - Those to whose names an asterisk is prefixed, having been in the battle of Bunker Hill.

Names                                         Places of Nativity                                     Age
Ammi Andrews                               Ipswich, Mass.                                        89
John M'Colley                                 Hillsborough, N. H.                                 88
*James Taggert                               Londonderry, N. H.                                 81
*William Johnson                            Billerica, Mass.                                        77
*William Gamel                              Boston, Mass.                                          74
*James Carr                                   Litchfield, N. H.                                       73
William Taggert                              Merrimack, N. H.                                     73
William Parker                               Chelmsford, Mass.                                    72
*Thaddeus Munroe                        Billerica, Mass.                                         71
*Thaddeus Goodwin                      Leominster, Mass                                     70
*Nath'l Parmeter                           Spencer, Mass                                          70
*William Dickey                            Londonderry, N. H.                                  70
Daniel Russel                                 Andover, Mass                                         70
*John Shed                                   Dunstable, N. H.                                       70
*Isaac Andrews                            Ipswich, Mass                                           69
Daniel Killam                                Wilmington, Mass                                      69
Robert Carr                                  Litchfield, N. H.                                         68
*Zachariah Robbins                      Westford, Mass                                         68
*Benjamin Pierce                          Chelmsford, Mass                                     66
David Livermore                           Sudbury, Mass                                          62
Samuel Morrill                              Manchester, N.H.                                      59
Nath'l Johnston                             Andover, Mass                                          59

About eleven o'clock, at which time the whole company had arrived, the officers of the day were chosen, after which the throne of grace was addressed by the Rev. Mr. Lawton.  The interval between this and dinner, was occupied in rehearsing the adventures, the perils and dangers, of the Revolution.  among others, the President for the occasion, the aged and venerable Lieut. Ammi Andrews, related the following:-
"When our troops were stationed on Abraham's Plains, Col. Arnold was anxious to have a certain British Sentinel taken.  One evening, when in my quarters with Capt. Morgan, I set my sword in the corner and told him I was going to take a British regular.  He said, Andrews you had better not go; the halser will be your portion; and asked me why I left my sword. I told him the Colonel did not want a dead soldier, and proceeded to accomplish my design.  When I came within a rod of the sentinel, I stopped, thought he saw me, but determined to wait till I heard him cock his gun, when I should have said, I wish to go into the city; but I was fortunately mistaken.  He saw me not, and as he turned his back to me, I jumped upon him, drew his bayonet from its scabbard, and told him if he uttered a word, I had his bayonet and would instantly put him to death.  We went about a rod from his post, when I halted, hallooed "all is well" three times - put him on quick time, and shortly had him before Col. Arnold." "

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I recognized several names on this list, including the brothers, Ammi and Isaac Andrews from Ipswich, Massachusetts. They are both sons of Solomon Andrews, my 7th great granduncle, which makes them both my 1st cousins 7 generations removed.  Both sons removed to Hillsborough, New Hampshire after the war, perhaps they were given bounty land?  I have another Ipswich ancestor, Abner Poland, who was given land in Enfield, not far from Hillsborough.  Ammi Andrews is the one who told the escapade about capturing the British sentinel in the news clipping above.

The host of the dinner, Benjamin Pierce, was the father of President Franklin Pierce (1804 - 1869), the 14th president of the United States and the only president ever born in New Hampshire. Young Franklin would have been 21 years old at the time of the dinner, and he was probably impressed and influenced by this Christmas meeting of  Revolutionary War veterans. Benjamin Pierce is my 3rd cousin, 8 generations removed, we are both descendants of Thomas Pierce and Elizabeth Cole, early settlers of Woburn, Massachusetts.

I also saw a Munroe on this list and traced Thaddeus Munroe to be my 2nd cousin 6 generations removed.  He was born on 14 May 1753 and died on 28 November 1828 in Hillsborough.  I never knew that these cousins, Benjamin, Thaddeus and Ammi were at the Battle of Bunker Hill, but now I have a good military story to research and prove due to this fascinating news clipping.

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To Cite/Link to this post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Christmas Dinner for some Revolutionary War Veterans", Nutfield Genealogy, posted December 19, 2013, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmas-dinner-for-some-revolutionary.html: accessed [access date]). 

Copyright (c) 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Weathervane Wednesday ~ Near the Train Tracks

Every Wednesday for more than two years I've been posting photographs of weather vanes located in or near the Nutfield area (the former name for the land where Londonderry, Derry and Windham, New Hampshire are now located). Most are historically interesting or just whimsical and fun weather vanes. If you know an interesting weather vane, please send me an email or leave a comment below.

Today's weather vane was photographed by a reader, and a fellow genealogy blogger, in Massachusetts. Have fun guessing where you may have seen this weather vane.

Do you know the location of weather vane #129? Scroll down to see the answer....

Today's weather vane was photographed by Steven Handler and sent to me by his wife, the genealogy blogger Elizabeth Pyle Handler.  It is a private residence on a quiet side street in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts.  This weather vane is a very highly detailed three dimensional antique train engine on a cupola above a garage.  This home is near the commuter train rail, so their choice of a train is very apropos. In a town full of nautically themed weather vanes, signs and names, its nice to see something different! 

Elizabeth Pyle Handler has two blogs:

From Maine to Kentucky  http://frommainetokentucky.blogspot.com/

Jewish Genealogy Journey http://jewishgenealogyjourney.blogspot.com/

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


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The URL for this blog post is
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/12/weathervane-wednesday-near-train-tracks.html

Copyright 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Isobel Gregg, Windham, New Hampshire, 1764

This tombstone was photographed at the Cemetery on the Plain, Windham, New Hampshire

HERE LYES THE BODY

OF MRS. ISOBEL GREGG

WIFE TO MR JOHN GREGG

SHE DIED AGUST 9TH 1764

AGED 31 YEARS

Isabel Hemphill was born about 1733 and died on 9 August 1764 in Windham, New Hampshire.  She was the wife of John Gregg.  He was born about 1725 in Watertown, Massachusetts, the son of Captain David Gregg and Mary Nevins.  He drowned in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1754, when she was only 21 years old!  I don't have a marriage date for Isobel and John Gregg, but she must have been almost newlywed when she became a widow. 

This stone appears to be in the style of John Wight, the Scots Irish grave stone carver, who decorated his works with geometric patterns and symbols like coffins, shovels, and skulls. You can read a PDF file about this mysterious stone carver at this link:  http://hne-rs.s3.amazonaws.com/filestore/1/2/8/4/2_42c271659b5633b/12842_baa039815612028.pdf

For more information on the Gregg family, please see The History of the Town of Windham, New Hampshire by Leonard A. Morrrison, 1883

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The URL for this post is

http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/12/tombstone-tuesday-isobel-gregg-windham.html 

Copyright (c) 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Christmas Ornaments Tell Family History

A few days ago I posted a photo of some of my Christmas tree ornaments on Facebook, and I received a lot of comments and email.  I thought I would follow up with a few more photos of my Christmas Tree ornament collection, and explain how they are connected to our family history.  If you have a similar collection, or even just one or two tree ornaments that are related to your genealogy, please leave a comment or a link to your photos!

Here are some ornaments I collected in Massachusetts.
You can find these year round in gift shops at historic sites.
Left- Mayflower II in Plymouth, Massachusetts
Right- The Munroe Tavern in Lexington, Massachusetts

This is the photo I posted on Facebook.  The clothes pin minuteman is from
the gift shop of the Munroe Tavern in Lexington, Massachusetts.
My Munroe ancestors fought in the famous battle in 1775.
The teapot came from Mount Vernon

A schooner to represent the many mariners
in my New England family tree

This is Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawaii.
 It was a gift from the curator of Washington Place

A Maine lobster pot, because there
were many fisherman, clammers and lobstermen
in the family tree, too

A homemade Hawaiian ukulele boy
made from a clothes pin
from a cousin in Hawaii.  Mele Kalikimaka! 

We found this in the gift shop at the
Tower of London many years ago- in March!
Many souvenirs can be made into ornaments

This was a Hallmark ornament from 1992,
celebrating the 500th anniversary of Columbus's voyage

Another gift from a Hawaiian cousin

There is a German tradition to hide a pickle
on your Christmas tree. The child who finds it
gets an extra Christmas gift.  

Just for fun, and for my New England roots,
a Moose angel! 

I hope you enjoyed this sampling of some of my ornaments.  I hope you will share your collection, too! 

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Christmas Ornaments Tell Family History", Nutfield Genealogy, Posted December 16, 2013, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmas-ornaments-tell-family-history.html: accessed [access date]). 

Redemption Rock- who was redeemed, and why?

Redemption Rock is located in a tiny quarter acre park in Princeton, Massachusetts, near the Westminster border on Route 140.   It is a small park with a big colonial history. 

During King Philip’s War, the town of Lancaster, Massachusetts was attacked by Native Americans on 10 February 1676. Mary White Rowlandson (1637 – 1711) and three of her children, and twenty other settlers were kidnapped for many months until a 20 pound ransom was arranged by John Hoar, a Concord resident.  The release and ransom of Mary happened in April right here at this large boulder, which was on the boundary between the white settlers and the wilderness where the native people lived.  

Later, she wrote a book called The Sovereignty and Goodness of God: Being a Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson published in 1682 in Boston and also in London.  It was considered a bestseller of its time. 

A first edition of Mary Rowlandson's book
published in Boston in 1682

John Hoar was the missionary to the praying Indians of the region.  He negotiated for her ransom, which was paid by some wealthy Boston women.  Hoar took Mary back to Boston to be with her husband, the Reverend Joseph Rowlandson, and two surviving children.  In 1677 he was called to be the minister at Wethersfield, Connecticut, where he died in 1678.  Mary took her children back to Boston where she wrote her memoir.  She married Captain Samuel Talcott in 1679, and died in 1711.

John Hoar (1622 – 1704) is the father of my 9^th great aunt, Elizabeth Hoar who married Jonathan Prescott (1643 – 1721) of Concord, Massachusetts.   Jonathan’s sister, Mary Prescott, is my 8^th great grandmother.  Mary’s second husband, Captain Samuel Talcott is my 2^nd cousin, 9 generations removed.

My genealogy link to Mary White Rowlandson:

                                                                        William Skinner m. Margery Trotter

                                                                                                I

                                                John Talcott m. Anne Skinner John Skinner m. Mary Loomis

                                                                        I                                               I

John Talcott m. Dorothy Mott     Joseph Skinner m. Mary Filley

                                                                        I                                               I

Joseph Rowlandson m.1 Mary White m.2. Samuel Talcott                John Skinner m.  Sarah Porter

                                                                                                                        I

                                                                                                Aaron Skinner m. Eunice Taintor

                                                                                                                        I

                                                                                                Charles Skinner m. Sarah Osborn

                                                                                                                        I

                                                                                    Ann Skinner m. Thomas Ratchford Lyons

                                                                                                                        I

                                                                                      Isabella Lyons m. Ingraham E. Bill

                                                                                                                        I

                                                                                  Caleb Rand Bill m. Ann Margaret Bollman

                                                                                                                        I

                                                                             Albert Munroe Wilkinson m. Isabella Lyons Bill

                                                                                                                        I

                                                                          Donald Munroe Wilkinson m. Bertha Louise Roberts

                                                                                                       (my grandparents)

For more information:

Redemption Rock Park  http://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/central-ma/redemption-rock.html

The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, by Mary Rowlandson, Cambridge, Massachusetts: University Press, 1803 (facsimile reproduction of the original) available to read online at Google Book Search.

New England Captives Carried to Canada Between 1677 and 1760 during the French and Indian Wars, by Emma Lewis Coleman, (originally published in two volumes in 1925) Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012.  

The Name of War: King Philip’s War and the Origins of American Identity, by Jill Lepore, New York: Alfred A. Knopf publishers, 1998.

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The URL for this post is

http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/12/redemption-rock-who-was-redeemed-and-why.html

Copyright © 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Surname Saturday ~ OSBORN of Cape Cod and Boston

OSBORN


The Eastham, Massachusetts Windmill

In 1737 Reverend Samuel Osborn deposed that he was educated in Glasgow, Scotland and came to Massachusetts through Ireland, and graduated from the University of Dublin.  His origins are still unknown.  He was teaching school at Sandwich, Massachusetts, and preached a few times at Plymouth when he was invited in 1717 to Eastham, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, as minister.  Another local minister, Nathaniel Stone, was opposed to ordaining Osborn. 

Nathaniel Stone spent twenty years trying to unseat Samuel Osborn from his church at Eastham.  As Osborn’s church grew bigger, Stone’s shrunk in members.  He inveigled some illiterate Cape Codders church to sign papers against Osborn, but when they were questioned by a church council they either admitted they did not want Osborn to leave or admitted they had never even met him. Stone tried other unethical tactics to defame Osborn, but they all backfired. Osborn’s parishioners loved him, and didn't want him to leave.

Finally, as many of the ministers and deacons who originally appointed and ordained Osborn died off, Stone’s complaints found some sympathetic ears. Another church council met to hear the old charges against Osborn.  One serious charge was that he fathered an illegitimate child. Another serious charge was that he was “venting erroneous doctrines”.  Some theologians believe that Osborn was an early Unitarian, and that his Arminian beliefs were too unorthodox for the Cape Cod community.  He was removed from his ministry in 1738.

Samuel Osborn went to Boston, remarried, and taught school for many years. By 1800 Reverend Nathaniel Stone’s own church became Unitarian. I descend from Reverend Osborn’s illegitimate son.

My Osborn Genealogy:

Generation 1: Reverend Samuel Osborn, probably born in Ireland about 1690 and died in 1774 Boston, Massachusetts; married on 1 January 1710 to Jedidah Smith, daughter of Benjamin Smith and Jedidah Mayhew.  Six children.  He was married second on 19 October 1743 in Boston to Experience Scudder.  No children.  He had an illegitimate son with Mercy Norton, and the child was named Samuel Osborn (see below)

Generation 2: Samuel Osborn, born 1711 at Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, died after 8 October 1753; married on 9 September 1731 in Edgartown to Keziah Butler, born about 1710 in Edgartown and died in October 1768 in Edgartown.  Ten Children.  Keziah remarried to Samuel Pease in 1752.

Generation 3: Samuel Osborn, born about 1732 in Edgartown, died in Nova Scotia; married on 28 April 1755 to Sarah Wass, daughter of Wilmot Wass and Rebecca Allen, born 24 January 1738 in West Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, died about 1813 in Nova Scotia.  Five children.

Generation 4. Sarah Osborn, born 22 July 1760 in Fredricton, New Brunswick, died on 15 July 1848 in Pleasant Valley, Cornwallis County, Nova Scotia; married on 24 November 1774 in New Brunswick to Charles Skinner, son of Aaron Skinner and Eunice Taintor, born 3 January 1748 in Colchester, Connecticut, died before 1837 in Nova Scotia.  Fifteen children.  

Generation 5: Ann Skinner m. Thoams Ratchford Lyons
Generation 6: Isabella Lyons m. Ingraham Ebenezer Bill
Generation 7: Caleb Rand Bill m. Ann Margaret Bollman
Generation 8: Isabella Lyons Bill m. Albert Munroe Wilkinson
Generation 9: Donald Munroe Wilkinson m. Bertha Louise Roberts (my grandparents)

Another blog post about the Osborns:

Sarah Osborn Skinner 1760 – 1848

http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/08/amanuensis-monday-sarah-osborn-skinner.html

Two good journal articles about the Reverend Samuel Osborn controversy:

“Ungodly Carriages on Cape Cod: by Gustavus Swift Paine, The New England Quarterly, Volume 25, Number 25, (June 1952), pages 181 to 198.   Available to read online at this link:

http://people.brandeis.edu/~dkew/David/Swift-Cape_carriages-1952.pdf

“A Caution to Erring Christians: Ecclesiastical Disorder on Cape Cod, 1717 to 1738” by J. M. Bumsted, The William and Mary Quarterly, 3^rd Series, Volume 28, Number 3 (July 1971) pages 413 – 438.

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The URL for this post is

http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/11/surname-saturday-osborn-of-cape-cod-and.html 

Copyright © 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Winslow House, Marshfield, Massachusetts

The Winslow House was built in 1699 and remained in the Winslow family until 1822.  It was owned at one time by Daniel Webster.  In 1920 it opened to the public.  I visited here with a group of Mayflower descendants and their guests during the 2008 Triennial Congress of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. Vincent took the photographs while I schmoozed with my Mayflower cousins and soaked in the history of this wonderful home.

This mansion was built by Judge Isaac Winslow, and generations of Winslow descendants also lived here. One of his sons was General John Winslow (1703 - 1774), who was involved with the expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia. They were all descendants of Edward Winslow (1595 - 1665), the Mayflower passenger and Governor of the Plymouth Colony.

The Winslow House  http://www.winslowhouse.org/

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The URL for this post is
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/11/winslow-house-marshfield-massachusetts.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Holiday Party at the New England Historic Genealogical Society

You can make a tree full of genealogical ornaments, too!  Check this link:

http://www.americanancestors.org/uploadedFiles/American_Ancestors/Content/Let_Us_Help_You/Learning_Center/ornament%20instructions.pdf 

Tonight the NEHGS staff, members and trustees celebrated the season in the Treat Rotunda of the library on Newbury Street in Boston.  Above, Brenton Simons, president and CEO, announced the highlights of the 2013 year at NEHGS and Ryan Woods, vice president and Chief Operating Officer, announced the raffle contests to benefit the annual fund.  Below, the Select Ensemble of the Spectrum Singers entertained with a selection of holiday songs including a kazoo chorus to PDQ Bach's "Good King Kong".  

Everyone had a wonderful time, and I even had time to fit in a little research! 

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The URL for this post is
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-party-at-new-england-historic.html 

Copyright (c) 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo