Weathervane Wednesday - On top of another carriage house...

This is part of an on-going series of photographs of weather vanes in the Nutfield, New Hampshire area (formerly Derry, Londonderry and parts of Hudson, Windham and Manchester).  Some of the weather vanes are historical, some are whimsical, and all are interesting.  Today's weather vane isn't near Londonderry, but found somewhere on the seacoast...

Do you know the location of weather vane #66?   Scroll down to the bottom to see the answer!

This carriage house was built in 1890 and is part of the summer estate of former Massachusetts Governor Alvan T. Fuller.  The weathervane is a black two-dimensional horse.  This building is now part of Fuller Gardens, which is open to the public in Rye, New Hampshire. The formal and japanese gardens were designed by the famous landscape architects, the Olmstead brothers of Boston, in 1938.  The grand formal gardens were originally designed to be enjoyed from the Fuller's bedroom window.  The big summer estate home was razed.

Alvan Fuller was born 27 February 1878 in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Alvan Bond Fuller and Flora Anabella Tufts.  He was governor in 1924, defeating James Curley, and re-elected in 1926.

The Fuller Gardens website http://www.fullergardens.org  The gardens are open from mid May to mid October for the public to enjoy.

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


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Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Barron Family Plot, Merrimack, New Hampshire

These tombstones were photographed at the Turkey Hill Road Cemetery (also known as the Meetinghouse Road Cemetery), Merrimack, New Hampshire

J  BARRON
died Oct. 16 1847
Aged 27 years. 

The Barron Family Plot

LUCY J. BARRON

DIED

May 13, 1855

AEt. 29 yrs.

ANN

wife of 

SAM. BARRON, Esq

DIED

Dec. 18, 1841

AEt. 56 yrs.

REBEKAH F.

Wife of

Samuel Barron Esq.

Died Jan. 1863

in her 57th year.

SAMUEL BARRON

DIED

April 6, 1865.

AEt 80 yrs 7 mos.

& 6 days.

Samuel Barron, born 1 October 1784 in Merrimack, New Hampshire, son of Samuel Barron (1757 – 1836) and Sybil Cummings, died 6 April 1865 in Merrimack; married first to Ann Moor, daughter of John Moor and Annis Wallace,  born 12 June 1785, died 18 December 1841;  married second to Rebecca Ayers, born 24 September 1806, died 18 January 1864.  He was a farmer.

Children with Ann, born in Merrimack:

1. Albert, born 21 April 1814, married Mary M. Heath

2. Samuel, Jr. born 3 April 1816, died 19 April 1819

3. William Moor, born 5 June 1818, married 1^st Sarah Reed, 2^nd Mary J. Burton

4. James, born 27 May 1820, died 16 October 1847 unmarried

5. Charlotte, born 20 June 1822, m. Ephraim Colburn

6. Benjamin, born 8 December 1824, died young

7. Lucy J., born 26 May 1826, died 13 May 1855, unmarried

History of Bedford, New Hampshire, from 1737, by the town of Bedford, NH, 1903, see page 868 for Samuel Barron

History of Merrimack, New Hampshire: with genealogies of Merrimack Families, by the Merrimack Historical Society, 1976

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Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Poems by my Grandmother

This post is my contribution to Bill West's Fourth Annual Great Genealogy Poetry Challenge

My grandmother, Bertha Louise (Roberts) Wilkinson (1897 - 1990), was a natural storyteller.  She had a wonderful Yorkshire accent (think of the servants in Downton Abbey) and was trained at age 12 to be a British Nanny.  Part of that training was a bit of story telling, but the rest of it was her natural ability to play act and recite poems and stories.  She dreamed of being a poet, and I have a folder full of poems she wrote.  I cherish these two poems she wrote about my sister and I when we were little girls in the early 1970s. (Grammy took a little bit of liberty in making the word Massachusetts rhyme with Mount Wachusett, and my eyes are green (not blue) but we forgive her!)

My sister and I, at about the age these poems were written

Holden

Holden, a town in Massachusetts,

Where one can see Mount Wassachusetts.

Woodland sections all around

Oak trees, acorns on the ground.

Maple, oak and the white birch

In them robins, blue birds perch.

Many winding country lanes

Colonial homes, tiny window panes.

Two little girls we love live there-

Laurie dark and Heather fair.

Both of them with eyes of blue

Mommy and Daddy love them, too.

Books and toys each day they spend

Sharing them with little friend.

Learning and growing strong and tall

Gram and Gramp send love to all.

Heather and Laurie 

Two little girls, ages seven and three.

Two little sisters, each as busy as a bee.

Heather goes to school each day.

Laurie stays at home to play.

Happy little children, having lots of fun

From early in the morning until the day is done.

May Heavenly Father bless them-

Make them healthy and strong.

Mom and Dad teaching them the right from the wrong.

God Bless our little grand daughters,

Their Mom and Daddy, too.

So now from California

We send our love to you.

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Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Barbara Ann (Carr) Allen, 1935 - 2012

Barbara Ann Carr married my mother's brother in 1954 and became part of the Allen family (my maternal line).  She had a family tree of her own that included many colonial Essex County families, including Nichols, Haskell, Larcom, Woodbury, Standley, Trask, Jeffery, Patch, and many others.  My mother wore Barbara's wedding gown at her own wedding, and Barbara was a bridesmaid.  Unfortunately, Auntie Barbara passed away while we were on vacation two weeks ago. She will be missed, and we have many fond memories of her.

Auntie Barbara and Uncle Budding
on their wedding day, 1954

My mother's wedding, Barbara is on the far right, 1958

Barbara and Buddy at their 50th wedding anniversary party

from the Salem News, Salem, Massachusetts, Wednesday, 26 September 2012

Wenham — Barbara A. (Carr) Allen, 77, of Wenham, passed away early Sunday morning, September 23, 2012, at Ledgewood Rehab & Skilled Nursing Center in Beverly.

She was the beloved wife of Joseph G. Allen.

She was born May 11, 1935, in Beverly to the late Elton and Ruth (Stanley) Carr. Barbara attended Beverly High School. She lived in Hamilton for over 40 years before moving to Wenham.

Barbara was employed for over ten years in food service in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District. After retiring she became involved in many of the Wenham housing activities and was a member of the Enon Village Tenant Association Board for a few years.

She enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchild. She loved reading, crossword puzzles and the Red Sox. Her favorite pastimes were having lunch with her children and her friends and attending the musicals at the North Shore Music Theatre.

In addition to her husband, Joseph, she is survived by her loving children, a son Joseph A. and his wife Bethany Allen of Hamilton; two daughters, Judith and her husband Daniel Ellison of Hamilton and Deborah and her husband Gary Noyes of Wenham; and her brother, Arthur and his wife Martha Carr of Wenham. She also leaves seven grandchildren, a great-grandchild, and several nieces and nephews.

ARRANGEMENTS: A Memorial Service will be offered on Saturday, September 29, at 9 a.m. at the Church of St. Paul, Hamilton. There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be to "Susan G. Komen for the Cure" at ww5.komen.org. For information, directions or to send condolences, please visit www.fsrobertsandson.com.

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Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Surname Saturday ~ Stone of Watertown

STONE

Simon Stone was born in Much Bromley, Essex, England.  He married his wife, Joan Clark, there in Great Bromley in 1616.  He left London, England on the ship Increase on 15 April 1635, with his wife, five children and four servants.   He was one of the original settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts.   His brother, Gregory Stone, settled in Cambridge, next door to Watertown.   They both became freemen on the same day, 25 May 1636.  There is a memorial to both brothers at the Old Burial Ground, Arlington Street, Watertown, Massachusetts. 

In memory of Simon Stone 1586 – 1665

And Gregory Stone 1592 – 1672

Sons of David and Ursula Stone

Born in Great Bromley, Essex County, England

Who emigrated to New England in 1635

And settled in Watertown.

This memorial is erected by the Stone Family Asssociation

In grateful remembrance of these early settlers who

In their love of civil and religious liberty, left their

Homes and so much that was dear to them in England and

By their courage, toil, and sacrifice helped to found

This commonwealth.

Simon Stone’s homestead is now the Mount Auburn Cemetery, formerly known as the Cambridge Cemetery.  There is a painting of the farm in the Watertown public library, and the plaque reads:

Deacon Simon Stone Homestead

Burned down 1844

Formerly on what is now the Cambridge Cemetery

Loaned by the Stone Family Association

His daughter, Anna, my ancestor, was listed as age 11 on the ship Increase. 

For more information:

The Stone Family Association:  http://www.stonefamilyassociation.org/index.php?pr=Simon_Of_Watertown_MA

Simon Stone Genealogy: Ancestry and Descendants of Deacon Simon Stone, Watertown, Mass. 1320 – 1926, by Joseph Gardner Bartlett, The Stone Family Association, 1926.

My Stone genealogy:

Generation 1: Simon Stone, baptized on 9 February 1586 in Much Bromley (now known as Great Bromley), Essex, England, son of David Stone and Ursula Unknown, died 22 September 1665 in Watertown, Massachusetts; married on 5 August 1616 in Great Bromley to Joan Clark, daughter of William Clark and Sarah Strong.  Thirteen children.

Generation 2:  Anna Stone, born about 1617, died 1 May 1680; married about 1637 in England to Lewis Jones.  He was born 1605 in England and died 11 April 1684 in Watertown.  Four children.

Generation 3:  Josiah Jones m. Lydia Treadway

Generation 4:  Anna Jones m. Joseph Mixer

Generation 5: Joseph Mixer m. Mary Ball

Generation 6: Lucy Mixer m. Andrew Munroe

Generation 7: Andrew Munroe m. Ruth Simonds

Generation 8: Luther Simonds Munroe m. Olive Flint

Generation 8: Phebe Cross Munroe m. Robert Wilson Wilkinson

Generation 9: Albert Munroe Wilkinson m. Isabella Lyons Bill

Generation 10:  Donald Munroe Wilkinson m. Bertha Louise Roberts (my paternal grandparents)

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Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

The West End Museum of Boston

Another “new to me” resource!

Scale model of a rope walk at the West End Museum
The buildings were long, to cover the ropes as they were
twisted and braided.  They were also considered fire hazards, so
they were located on the edges of town and usually right on the waterfront. 

I have an ancestor who was a ropemaker from Boston and Salem.   When I found out that the West End Museum was having an exhibit on Boston ropemakers, we jumped in the car and drove right down to the museum.  The West End of Boston is a neighborhood that has been almost completely destroyed by urban renewal since the 1960s.  Most of it disappeared when Government Center was built in the early 1960s, but the new Boston Garden sports arena, the Big Dig, and other projects have contributed to the destruction of a once vibrant ethnic neighborhood.  The West End Museum is a block away from North Station, located at 150 Staniford Street, Suite 7.

Lucky for me, the executive director, Duane Lucia, was sitting right by the front door when we walked in to the museum.  Within a minute or two of our arrival we were perusing maps with Duane, and searching for the possible places my ancestor could have lived and worked.  There were great exhibits on rope making and a model of a ropework, too.  I had only seen one other ropework exhibit before this -  at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut.   The 250 foot rope walk at Mystic is a portion of the Plymouth Cordage building built at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1824, and it was originally over 1,000 feet long. 

Yours Truly and a museum staff member examining the
many maps showing the location of  Boston ropewalks
during the Colonial and Federal time periods.

My ancestor, Benjamin Gardner (about 1720 – 1797) is a brickwall ancestor.  I cannot find his parents, although I have found a brother.  In my search for his lineage I have amassed much information on his neighbors, his occupation, his wives and children, and even found many references to him in Reverend Bentley’s diaries.   Yet, even after my trip to the West End Museum he still remains a mystery.  But every clue is valuable.

At the West End Museum there were many maps and directories of all the ropemaking facilities in Boston, including during the lifetime of my ancestor.  Since his brother was also a ropemaker, perhaps it was a family business?  Perhaps their father was also a ropemaker?   We found Benjamin Gardner, listed as a “ropemaker” in the Boston directory at Pleasant Street, which is now called Charles Street East in Boston.  Right on the corner of the street there was a large ropeworks located where the Boston Public Garden was once Back Bay.  It was waterfront property in the 1700s, great for unloading hemp for the ropeworks, and for loading finished rope onto ships.

Detail of the model rope walk building

Benjamin Gardner left Boston sometime around the time of the American Revolution (it was occupied by the British, and many residents left Boston.  A good hint to remember if you are tracing a Boston ancestor) and went to Salem where he continued as a ropemaker with a partner named Josiah Gaines.

Although I didn’t smash my “brickwall” I was happy with what I learned at the West End Museum, and I’ll continue to visit their new exhibits and to use it as a resource for Boston genealogy.   The West End Museum is completely FREE to the public!  If you have Boston ancestors, you should check it out!  The Ropewalks exibit will continue through October 27, 2012. 

The West End Museum http://www.thewestendmuseum.org/

This article is about the student who constructed the model of the ropeworks at the West End Museum.  http://www.wit.edu/features/2012/07/2012-07-16.html

Mystic Seaport, Museum of America and the Sea http://www.mysticseaport.org/

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Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Hampton, New Hampshire Celebrates 375 Years!

Founder's Park, Hampton, New Hampshire

This weekend is the kick-off celebration for the 375th anniversary year of the founding of Hampton, New Hampshire.  Reverend Stephen Batchelder led his flock to Hampton, which actually settled on 14 October1638, so the official celebrations for the 375th birthday will be a year long celebration.  A list of the founding families can be found on the stones at Founder's Park, across from the Historical Society, or at this blog post: http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/05/founders-park-hampton-new-hampshire.html  

This weekend, at the First Congregational Church of Hampton, founded by Rev. Batchelder / Bachiler, there will be a special service and all descendants of founding families are invited.  This is followed by a lunch and activities. See the web link below for more information and to register.   The official celebration will be a three day event in August 2013 at Tuck Field, next to the Historic Society.  A commission has been formed to plan the celebration.

First Congregational Church, Hampton

First Congregational Church

Hampton, NH

On October 14, 1638 Rev. Stephen 

Bachiler and fifty-five settlers from

Massachusetts laid out Winnacunnet

Plantation and organized what is now

the oldest congregational society in

New Hampshire and the second oldest

continuous church fellowship in the

United States

Presented by

New Hampshire Society

Daughters of the American Revolution

October 14, 1978

For more information:

Descendants Celebration Sunday- register here for the activities this weekend, October 14, 2012 http://www.firsthamptonchurch.org/descendants-celebration-sunday.aspx 

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Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Weathervane Wednesday ~ An Ordinary Eagle on an Extraordinary Building

This is part of an on-going series of photographs of weather vanes in the Nutfield, New Hampshire area (formerly Derry, Londonderry and parts of Hudson, Windham and Manchester).  Some of the weather vanes are historical, some are whimsical, and all are interesting.

Do you know the location of weather vane #65?   Scroll down to the bottom to see the answer!

A flying eagle weather vane sits atop the large cupola on this unusual home in Windham, New Hampshire.  The home is a former carriage house, part of the estate of A. Everett “Chick” Austin, who built the Windham Playhouse in 1946 from an old barn built in the 1830s.   His estate lodged upcoming young actors like Rod Steiger, Jack Carter and Jason Robards.  Chick Austin was the director of the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut and the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida.  In 1957 he had donated land which bordered his estate to expand the cemetery the Cemetery on the Hill, where he is buried.

If you like this unusual looking house, it is currently up for sale.  It's located on Range Road.

Images of America: Windham, by Bradford R. Dinsmore,  Arcadia Publishing, 2003 (chapter 9, starting on page 119, is all about the Windham Playhouse and Chick Austin)

A biography of Arthur Everett Austin-   Magician of the Modern, by Eugene Gaddis, Knopf Publishing, 2000

Official Town Website, Windham, NH, “A Closer Look… Windham’s Public Cemeteries” http://www.windhamnewhampshire.com/updated/pdfs/CemeteryHistory.pdf

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


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Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo