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Until recently, I hadn't invested much time or effort into researching my English ancestors. Most of my family came to America in the 1600s, and that has kept me busy enough, but a few months ago, the bare branches of my Dickinson branches of my tree started to nag at me. I had only known back to my 3rd great-grandfather, John Dickinson. To my surprise, I have found that researching my 18th and 19th century English ancestors has been easier than researching many of my American ancestors. English parish registers (baptisms, marriages, and burials) can be found in some old books and other free online resources, which I've shared here, but I signed up for FindMyPast to access their Yorkshire Marriages and Baptisms, and I'm glad I did. With the help of FindMyPast, I've been finding record after record, some of the many missing pieces of the puzzle that is The Dickinson family's lineage. I highly recommend it and if you'd like to give it a try, you can sign up for a free trial using this sponsored* link: The first baptism of a child of William and Ann Dickinson (Tilter), found in the parish registers of Sheffield Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul was Joseph Dickinson, baptized on February 17, 1790. Children weren't always baptized immediately after birth, but we can assume that Joseph's parents were married at least nine months before, which would have been May 17, 1789. Next, I searched the parish marriages, for men named William Dickinson with a bride named Ann in the 1780s and I found two matches: William Dickinson and Ann Garrett, spinster, married at Sheffield, Cathedral Church of St Peter & St Paul by Banns, April 29, 1782. The marriage was witnessed by John Flint and Thomas Robinson. William Dickinson, bachelor, age 21, and Ann Hawksworth, widow, age 30, married by license, at Sheffield, Cathedral Church of St Peter & St Paul, May 17, 1789. The marriage was witnessed by Samuel Lister and ___ Lister (perhaps Betty?). On each of their children's entries in the baptismal registers, it was indicated that William's occupation was Tilter, but neither of these William's appeared to be Tilters and there were no alternative matches. On a hunch, I ordered a copy of the actual marriage license for William Dickinson & Ann Hawksworth and waited patiently for it to arrive. Unfortunately I'm not permitted to share it online, but I'm sharing a small snippet of the two-page document as evidence that there's one word on the license that's not in the parish register and that word is "Tilter". Bingo! Notice the marriage date was exactly nine months before their first child was baptized, and both at the same place, Sheffield Cathedral. According to Britain's Clandestine Marriages Act 1753, marriages required either a marriage license or "banns of marriage", which were public announcements informing the public of the pending marriage and giving them the opportunity to voice any objections to the marriage. Valid reasons for objecting included a pre-existing marriage, lack of consent, a vow of celibacy, or the couple being too closely related. The act also stipulated that the marriage had to be celebrated in the parish where either the bride or groom lived. (Source: Wikipedia) The ages of William and Ann (Hawksworth) are provided, which will help us investigate them further, by giving us a range of dates in which they could have been born. If you find calculating date ranges confusing, you might find my new Date Range Estimator to be useful. (You can access it anytime from the Tools menu at the top of each page). William was 21 years old on May 17, 1789 so he was born between May 18, 1767, and May 17, 1768. Ann was 30 years old, so she was born between May 18, 1758, and May 17, 1759. She was widowed, though, so we know Hawksworth wasn't her maiden name. (Stay tuned for more on that). With these clues, I'll continue my research. If you're researching this family or other Dickinsons in the Sheffield area and know of other records or information about William and his family, please contact me or comment below. Stay tuned for more! Up next is "The Birth of William Dickinson", because I believe I found his baptismal record! I'll give you a hint - his father's name wasn't William! 🙂 To learn more about my Dickinson family, click here. If you're looking to break down some brick walls in your family tree, check out my Genealogy Dashboard where you can find thousands of free resources by type or by place. Click here or you can find it anytime by selecting "Free Genealogy Resources" from the toolbar at the top of the page. *These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #dickinson #williamdickinson #sheffield #yorkshire #england #annhawksworth #marriage

My 4th great-grandfather, William Dickinson, was named after his father, William Dickinson, which both helps and hinders genealogical research. In this case, however, in addition to sharing the same name, they shared the same occupation, lived in the same area, and both married women named Ann. This makes them difficult to differentiate in some records and causes a bit of confusion when researching, summarizing, and presenting the family's history. After finding the record of my 4th great-grandfather, William Dickinson's baptism, I searched the parish registers for other children baptized in the same church, around the same time, whose parents were William & Ann Dickinson. I was surprised at how easy it was to find these, and whereas I had previously known nothing about any of these kin of mine, a vision of the family began to emerge, albeit blurry and void of much detail. This picture that's coming into focus is of a family with at least eight children - four boys and four girls. I haven't invested much time or effort into researching each of them yet, but it appears that at two of the girls and one of the boys died young. An 1842 report by the Health of Towns Commission stated that nearly 1 in 3 (32.7%) of children in Sheffield died before the age of five and the average age of adult deaths was age 51 years 6 months. (Royal Commission on Health of Towns, Report on the Condition of the Town of Sheffield By James Smith, Esq., 1842). The children born to William Dickinson, the Tilter, and his wife, Ann, baptized at Sheffield Cathedral are shown in chronological order in this graphic. The three burial records are also shown: Summary of children of William and Ann Dickinson: Joseph* Dickinson (1790– ) William Dickinson (1791–1864) Hannah Dickinson (1792–1799) John Dickinson (1794– ) Harriott Dickinson (1796–1798) Susannah Dickinson (1797–1877) Harriott Dickinson (1798– ) Henry Dickinson (1801–1803) *Note: There was another Joseph Dickinson, son of another William Dickinson, baptized at Leeds on Sept. 27, 1790, which could cause some confusion in researching this family. My great-uncle Joseph was baptized on February 17, 1790 at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Sheffield, as shown above. Have a look around Sheffield Cathedral using this interactive map. There are many areas to explore in this church, which was the venue for many important Dickinson milestones. Stay tuned for next week's blog to see what I've learned about the marriage of William Dickinson and Ann Hawksworth! In the meantime, you can learn more about the Dickinson family here. These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #dickinson #williamdickinson #sheffield #yorkshire #england #baptisms

Six children of William and Ann Dickinson were identified through parish registers recording their baptisms. Three were baptized at Sheffield Cathedral (St Peter and St Paul), but Martha was baptized at Stannington Chapel and the two youngest were baptized at Rotherham. Notice, in each instance, William's occupation was "Tilter". Summary: Ann Dickinson, born September 22, 1825, was baptized at Sheffield Cathedral on October 30, 1825. Martha Dickinson, born April 28, 1828, was baptized at Stannington Chapel on May 26, 1828. John Dickinson, born April 8, 1831, was baptized at Sheffield Cathedral on July 31, 1831. William Dickinson, born August 10, 1835, was baptized at Sheffield Cathedral on September 27, 1835. Joseph Dickinson, born March 6, 1836, was baptized at Rotherham Minster on September 3, 1843. Elizabeth Dickinson, born June 17, 1843, was baptized at Rotherham Minster on September 3, 1843. Each of these children were found living in William and Ann's home on the census in 1841, 1851, and 1861. Click here to learn more about William Dickinson and his family. These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! Stay tuned for more family history! #williamdickinson #baptisms #sheffield #rotherham #parishregisters #stannington

William Dickinson was my maternal 4th great-grandfather. He never came to America, but his wife and two grown sons, Joseph and John, emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the mid to late 1800s. Pittsburgh was the steel capitol of America and William spent his whole life in and around Sheffield, Yorkshire, England - the steel capitol of England. On the censuses of 1841 and 1851, his birthplace was given as Walkley. Walkley is a suburb of Sheffield, located 2-3 miles from Sheffield's city center. Walkley dates back to early Anglo-Saxon times, when it was mostly thick woodlands with only a few buildings "Walkley was mentioned in several documents in the centuries after the Norman Conquest, in 1554 it was described as having several cottages and smallholdings worked by tenants of the Lord of the Manor of Sheffield. By this time the population of Walkley was around 200." [Wikipedia] In the 17th century Walkley was connected to the village of Owlerton by the pack horse track which ascended Walkley Lane and continued to Crookes, it became a turnpike road and a heavy gate was placed across the road where tolls were collected. The Old Heavygate Inn was constructed at this point in 1696 and still stands today, it has walls two feet thick. I bought the old photo above on Ebay so I could frame it and hang it on my wall as a reminder of where my ancestors lived back in 1791. (I've modified the above image, obviously). The seller offers many antique images of Walkley, Sheffield and England, so if you're looking to add a piece of your family history to your décor or just want to see more images of what the area looked like a couple hundred years ago, visit the seller's store here. (Non-commission referral). William was baptized at the Cathedral Church of St Peter & St Paul in Sheffield, on March 23, 1791. The church, also known as Sheffield Cathedral, is about 2-3 miles from Walkley and it appears that all of William's brothers and sisters were baptized there as well. See my next blog (released 8/25/2022) here. Prior to 1873, the only way to travel from Walkley to Sheffield's city centre was on foot or by horse. Hopefully William's family had a horse and buggy to transport their family to Sheffield Cathedral. Later, in 1873, privately owned horse-drawn buses were introduced, and in the 1890s the electric Sheffield Tramway was up and running. [Source: Wikipedia] So far I have found no indication of how old William was at the time of his baptism, or any documentation pertaining to his actual birth, but with the help of my new Birth Date Range Estimator, and the census, I narrowed his birth date down to sometime between June 10, 1790 and March 30, 1791, so this baptism, which took place on March 23, 1791, fits perfectly. We also know from his marriage record, that his father's name was William Dickinson, the Tilter. William's entry in the Baptismal registry simply states: Baptisms 1791.... March... 23 William Son of William & Ann Dickinson - Tilter Again, the one major clue that tells me this records pertains to the right William Dickinson is his father's occupation of "Tilter", a trade passed from father to son four at least four generations and probably more. They operated giant "Tilt-Hammers" in steel mills, hammering steel into flat sheets. To learn more about this trade, see my previous article here. Stay tuned for more family history! In the meantime, learn more about this branch of my tree here. See more about my family here. Find thousands of free genealogy resources, click here. These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #dickinson #williamdickinson #birth #walkley #sheffield #yorkshire #england #baptism

Joseph Dickinson was the brother of my 3rd great-grandfather, John Dickinson, which makes him my 3rd great-granduncle. He was born March 6, 1836, in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. At the age of five, he was counted on the census of 1841, living with his parents, William and Ann Dickinson, at Woodstock Bower in Kimberworth, a suburb of Rotherham, Yorkshire, England. He wasn't baptized until September 3, 1843, when he and his baby sister, Elizabeth, were both baptized at Rotherham. He was seven years old. In 1851, when the census was taken, he was an apprentice, living in the home of Steel Tilter, John Allcroft in Wadsley Bridge, a suburb of Sheffield, but he was back home, living with his mother when the census was taken in 1861. In December of 1861, he married Matilda Broadhead at Pitsmoor and they left for America two years later, in 1863. There Joseph and Matilda had eight known children, although it was reported that Matilda had 11 total. The following is what little I know of the family: Ann Dickinson (1864-1886), born June 17, 1864, married William Lambert on Nov. 1, 1885, at Pittsburgh, but she died the following year, on March 21, 1886, from Eclampsia, with a contributing cause being "1/2 teaspoonfull of Chlorafoam administered by mistake". (Note: Joseph's brother, John, also died at age 58 from Eclampsia on May 25, 1889, and two months later John's infant grandson, Martin Proctor, son of Mary Ann, died at one day old on July 26, from Eclampsia.) Ann was 22 years old. Ann's husband, William remarried two years later to Annie Brown on July 11, 1888. It doesn't appear that William and Ann Lambert had any children together but he had a few with his second wife. William Dickinson, born abt. 1866, died sometime after 1904. Nothing further found. Joseph B. Dickinson (1868-1947), born April 7, 1868, at Pittsburgh, and in 1900, at the age of 32, he was a Railroad Laborer living with his grandmother, Matilda (Mrs. John Dixon at the time). Joseph married Martha "Mattie" W. (Barker) Parkinson, former wife of Sherman K. Parkinson. Joseph and Martha had no children, but Martha had a daughter named Edith Parkinson, born January of 1896, who married Gallagher. Mattie and Sherman were married in 1893, but by 1900 she was living back home with her parents in Pittsburgh, and by 1910, she and Edith were living with Joseph on 22nd Street in Pittsburgh, and they had reportedly been married for 3 years. He worked as a Signal Foreman on the Railroad then and continued working with the railroad until his retirement. He died at Homestead, Pennsylvania, on January 28, 1947, from "Shock following fracture of both legs" due to "being struck by an auto". He was buried with his father's family at Allegheny Cemetery. [Findagrave Memorial 54077241] Charles Sykes Dickinson (1870-1899) was born in Pittsburgh in 1870 and worked as a Chain Maker. He died single at the age of 29 on March 10, 1899, from Peritonitis and Appendicitis. [Findagrave Memorial 122291724] Jennie Baker Dickinson (1871-1872) was born around March of 1871 and died August 28, 1872 at the age of 17 months. The cause of death was "Chronic Diarrhea". She is buried in Allegheny Cemetery. John B. Dickinson (1873-1876) was born in 1873 and died from pneumonia at the age of 2, on January 4, 1876. He was buried in Allegheny Cemetery. Thomas Booth Dickinson (1876-1918) was born June 14, 1876, and in 1900 he was 23 and living with his grandmother, Matilda (Mrs. John Dixon at the time), and working as a Laborer at a Steel Works. He married Minnie Rufus in 1905. She was born Nov. 20, 1876, at Pittsburgh, a daughter of German immigrants, Louis & Agatha (Schell) Rufus. Minnie died in Pittsburgh, Nov. 16, 1940, and was survived by her two sons. They lived at 320 Main Street in Pittsburgh. Thomas B. Dickinson died in Pittsburgh from pneumonia, with Chronic Valvular Heart Disease contributing, on November 12, 1918. He was 42 and is buried with his father's family at Allegheny Cemetery, Sec. 33, Lot 222, Grave 1. [Findagrave Memorial 122291735]. Their two known sons were: Joe Rufus Dickinson, born Sept. 27, 1906. I believe he was the one who died Dec. 14, 1985, and is buried in Allegheny Cemetery, Sec. 63, Lot 270-A, Grave 2. [Findagrave Memorial 122291728] Thomas Lewington Dickinson, born July 6, 1909, at Pittsburgh, married Helen Klodocky in 1934 and were counted on the census in 1940, but his name was given as "Thomas L. Dickson". His occupation was "Typist" at the "U.S. Bureau of Miners" at the time and they had no children yet. His mother, Minnie, lived in the home, age 62, but she died later that year (Nov. 16, 1940). In 1950 Thomas was a "Scientific Aid" at the "Federal Bureau of Miners". They lived on 45th Street in Pittsburgh in 1950 and they had at least one son, Thomas R. Dickinson, born abt. 1947. Matilda Dickinson (1879-1881), born about 1879 at Pittsburgh, died on December 7, 1881, at the age of 2 years 4 months from Diphtheria. She was buried with her family at Allegheny Cemetery, Sec. 33, Lot 222, Grave 1. [Findagrave Memorial 122291732] Joe and Matilda's youngest child, Matilda, died of Diphtheria at the age of 2 years 4 months, on December 7, 1881, and the family's greatest loss came 13 days later, on December 20, 1881, when Joe died from Consumption. He was 45 and left Matilda with a daughter, Ann, who was 17 at the time, and four sons, between the ages of five and fifteen. They were: William Dickinson (1866-?), Joseph Dickinson (1868-1947), Charles Sykes Dickinson (1870-1899), and Thomas Booth Dickinson (1876-1918). Joseph was laid to rest in Allegheny Cemetery in Section 33, Lot 222, Grave 1. [Findagrave Memorial 122291730] Matilda remarried to John Dixon, at Pittsburgh, on July 6, 1892. On the 1900 census, she indicated that she had a total of 11 children, of which only three were still living. Those were Thomas, Joseph, and William. Matilda died at the age of 65 from Pneumonia, on August 10, 1904, and is buried in Allegheny Cemetery [Findagrave Memorial 122292548]. Her obituary, published in The Pittsburgh Gazette, Fri., Aug. 12, 1904, is shown here: Notice the critical error in the obituary, stating that Joseph Dickinson died in 1863. On the 1900 census, Matilda reported that she arrived in America in 1863 and we know that she and Joseph had at least 8 children between 1864 and 1878, so this is clearly a mix-up. Also, unless Lawrenceville was a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, that is incorrect as well. At any rate, of Joseph's eleven children, only his youngest son, Thomas Booth Dickinson, is known to have had descendants, but it is possible that his oldest son, William Dickinson, may have also married and had children. If you have any information on William or any other descendants, please comment below or contact me. If you've read this far, just for fun, take this poll... These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! Stay tuned for more! #josephdickinson #matildabroadhead #dickinson #pittsburgh

John Dickinson was the progenitor of my Dickinson family in America and my most recent immigrant ancestor, who came to America from England around 1880. John and Elizabeth Reynolds were married in 1856, at St. Philips (Shalesmoor) Church in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. The magnificent Gothic style church was built in 1828, but unfortunately, it was demolished around 1951. According to information provided on their marriage license, John lived on George Street, Philadelphia. At first, I was very confused when I saw Philadelphia on their marriage license. It was 1856 and his family didn't arrive in Pennsylvania until about 1880, so how could that be? Was this the wrong couple? Had they been in America and returned to England? Well, as it turns out, Philadelphia isn't just a city in Pennsylvania, or a place addressed in the Book of Revelation. It was also a neighborhood of Sheffield, in Yorkshire, England. You learn something new every day! Philadelphia is located in the Walkley Ward of Sheffield today and Walkley, as we know, is where John's father, William, was reportedly born. George Street no longer exists today, but we can see the location of it on this old map. It was a side-street off Infirmary Road along the River Don. This old map is great for visualizing the scene. Comparing the above map to modern maps, it appears that George Street was very close to where Portland Street is today, and Portland Street was where John's mother, brother, and sister lived in 1861, according to the census. It is also where John's father, William, reportedly died in 1864. The neighborhood of Philadelphia is outlined in red, here in this interactive Google map. A steel yard is still seen there today, and we know John and his son, Harry were both, steelworkers, which probably explains why they lived in this area: I found that nearly all the places the Dickinsons lived in England are now suburbs and neighborhoods of Sheffield, with the exception of Kimberworth, a suburb of Rotherham, where they were counted on the census in 1841. Still, Kimberworth is only six miles from Portland Street in Sheffield and both Rotherham and Sheffield are both in South Yorkshire. The lesson here is that before beginning to try to find records pertaining to the people who lived there, it's important to be familiar with the places and remember that some names have changed, boundaries have changed, and places have merged and been divided. Don't rule out a candidate just because the record doesn't say "Sheffield", for example. Find an old map and check for surrounding towns and villages, because some of your ancestor's records might be listed under those places. Sheffield reminds me a lot of New York City. New York City has many boroughs - The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, and subdivisions but they're all part of New York City. New York City spans multiple counties, too. The Bronx and Queens have their own counties, Brooklyn is in Kings County, Manhattan is in New York County, and Staten Island is in Richmond County. Each borough has divisions and neighborhoods, too, so it all gets very confusing. My point is, Sheffield is probably more confusing, especially to foreigner like me. The list, shown below, are the many different areas, wards, and neighborhoods of Sheffield. There are several articles that explain the origins, changes and statistics about most of the places. A good list can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areas_of_Sheffield I highlighted all the places I recall seeing my Dickinson family associated with - the places they were born, baptized, married, lived, and died. As you can see, there are many and probably others I haven't recognized yet. I will definitely be referencing this list more frequently as I continue my research on the Dickinson, Reynolds, Loy and other allied branches of my family tree. More facts about Sheffield: "Sheffield Castle, the seat of the Norman lords of Hallamshire, was a large and strongly fortified mansion, on the banks of the Don, upon the site still called Castle Hill." [1] "The Old Barracks on Pennistone Road, were built in 1794, for the reception of several troops of cavalry, but new barracks for cavalry and infantry have lately been erected on a very extensive scale, about half a mile further from town, on the same side of the Don. These barracks extend over 25-1/2 acres and rank amongst the largest in the kingdom. They have entrances from the Langsett and Penistone roads, and have room for two regiments, one of cavalry and another of infantry. The south front was finished in 1850, and forms a long and handsome stone building, in the Tudor style, with a neat chapel at one end. The other extensive ranges of buildings were finished about two years ago. Captain Minchin is the barrack master; the Rev. J. Livesey, chaplin; Charles Bryhurst, barrack sergeant; and Wm. Guy, canteen. keeper. The Old Barracks were sold in 1855, and the site is now laid out in building ground." [1] "The Sheffield and Rotherham Railway was opened in 1838; the Midland Railway, in 1840; and the Sheffield and Manchester Railway, in 1845." [1] "In 1855, the Archbishop of York constituted the Parish of Sheffield a separate deanery. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners, with the sanction of the Queen and Privy Council, determined, in 1846, that the large and populous parish of Sheffield should be ecclesiastically divided into 25 Parochial Districts, each to have a church and an incumbent." [2] (Districts: Attercliffe and Darnall, Brightside, Wicker, Pitsmoor, St. John's, Dyer's Hill, Heeley, St. Paul's, Porter street, Carver street (later St. Matthew's), Eldon, Gillcar, St. George's, Hollis croft, Netherthorpe, Moorfields, St. James, St. Philip's, Crookes, Fulwood, Ecclesall, St. Mary, St. Peter's, and Broomhall). Sl. Philip's District has its church in the north-western part of Sheffield township, but includes Portmahon, Upperthorpe, Daniel hill, Bloomsbury place, Barber nook, Philadelphia, Bacon Island, the Infirmary, the Barracks, Owlerton road, and part of Malin Bridge, all in Nether Hallam township. Its southern boundary extends from the river Don along Dan street, Matthew street, part of Meadow street, Netherthorpe, Watery lane, and up Dam lane, as high as the foot road leading across Crookes moor valley to Steel bank. [3] "ST. PHILIP's CHURCH is a neat Gothic structure, near the junction of the Penistone and Infirmary roads, and was built by Parliament at the cost of nearly £12,000. The first stone was laid Sept. 25th. 1822. It is 95 feet long, and 79 broad." [4] "SHEFFIELD UNION comprises the four townships of Sheffield, Attereliffe, Brightside Bierlow, and Handsworth, which comprise an area of about 10,500 acres"..."SHEFFIELD UNION WORKHOUSE is a large and lofty building in Kelham street, erected in 1811 as a cotton. mill, on the site of mills that were burnt down in 1792 and 1810. After being rebuilt this large mill remained unoccupied till 1829, when it was purchased for its present use by the overseers of Sheffield township, for £7500." [5] "ECCLESALL BIERLOW UNION comprises the seven townships of Ecclesall, Nether and Upper Hallam, Norton, Totley, Dore, and Beauchief; the latter four of which are in Derbyshire. It had 31,628 inhabitants in 1841, and 37,914 in 1851. Since the latter year, it has greatly increased in buildings and population. A large and handsome WORKHOUSE, of freestone, with an elegant front in the Elizabethan style, was completed about 14 years ago by the Union, at the cost of about £9000,in lieu of the old one on Sharrow moor. It is pleasantly situated near Cherrytree hill, and has room for about 500 paupers, but has seldom more than 250 to 300." [6] The GENERAL INFIRMARY ranks as the most useful public charity in Sheffield. It is a spacious and handsome stone building, on the north-west side of the town, erected by subscription, in 1793-'4. In 1840-1, it was enlarged by the erection of extensive Fever Wards, which cost about £5000. The average number of in-patients in 1851, was 115; and the total number received during the year was 961 in, and 4037 out patients. [1] Yorkshire, Sheffield & Rotherham, White's Directory*, 1856, p. VIII. [2] Yorkshire, Sheffield & Rotherham, White's Directory*, 1856, p. IX. [3] Yorkshire, Sheffield & Rotherham, White's Directory*, 1856, p. 2. [4] Yorkshire, Sheffield & Rotherham, White's Directory*, 1856, p. 4. [5] Yorkshire, Sheffield & Rotherham, White's Directory*, 1856, p. 17. [6] Yorkshire, Sheffield & Rotherham, White's Directory*, 1856, p. 18. *I found this great old directory on FindMyPast, an amazing resource I couldn't accomplish much without. Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! Stay tuned for more! In the meantime, learn more about the Dickinsons here. Click here for my list of thousands of free resources for tracing your genealogy! #dickinson #johndickinson #sheffield #yorkshire #england #philadelphia

In my recent posts, I shared information about where the Dickinsons were when the U.K. census was taken in 1861. Ann (Loy) Dickinson, wife of William Dickinson, was living with her son, Joseph, and daughter, Martha, on Portland Street in Nether Hallam, Sheffield. William wasn't listed in the home, so one might assume William had died, but Ann's marital status was given as "Married", not widowed, so I searched to find other men named William Dickinson on the 1861 census and found "W. Dickinson", the Tilter, was at the Ecclesall Bierlow Union Workhouse, age 72. William and Ann's son, Joseph, married Matilda Broadhead in December of 1861 and they left for America in 1863, in the middle of the American Civil War. Ann either went with him or she went soon after, because she was counted on the 1870 U.S. census in Joseph's home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Joseph and Matilda already had four young children in the home: Ann, William, Joe, and Charles. Ann died there two years later, on February 20, 1872, and even though she was a mere 67 years old, the cause of death was "Old Age". No contributing factors were given, and her doctor's address was 635 Penn Street, two doors down from the Dickinson home at 631 Penn Street, in Pittsburgh. Her death certificate states that she was "Married", even though by all other appearances, William had died back in England eight years prior, in 1864. This leaves me wondering if the one who died in 1864 was the right William, but as mentioned previously, the one who died in 1864 was a Tilter, and although there were many men named William Dickinson in Yorkshire, he was the only Tilter I have found among the records. How can we be sure this is the right Ann Dickinson? In this case, another record, one which we might easily overlook as irrelevant to our research, confirms it is the right Ann. It is the death certificate of Joseph's daughter, Jennie Baker Dickinson, who died at the age of 17-months, just six months after Ann died. Both certificates are shown above. The address given for Ann's residence was 631 Penn Street and the address given for her granddaughter, Jennie, was the same. This confirms that Ann who died February 20, 1872, was the same Ann who lived in Joseph & Matilda's home in 1870, and who he had lived with back in Sheffield in 1861, his mother, Ann (Loy) Dickinson. She was born in Bradfield, England, abt. 1806, and she was my 4th great-grandmother. Ann was laid to rest in Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in Section 32, Lot SP, Grave 241. Her sons, Joseph and John, and several others of the family rest there with her. Click here to learn more about Ann (Loy) Dickinson, my 4th great-grandmother. Click here to learn more about the Dickinson family. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources by place! These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #annloy #anndickinson #dickinson #cemetery #burial #pittsburgh #pennsylvania

William Dickinson was the progenitor of hundreds of descendants in America and elsewhere today, although most of them probably have no idea he ever existed. I discovered his name when I ordered a copy of my 3rd great-grandfather's marriage license. After learning his name was William, we can see why his son, John, named one of his sons William Henry Dickinson. Furthermore, John's other son, Harry, gave one of his sons the same name - that is Rev. William Henry Dickinson, who was my great-grandfather. Recently, I've been sharing some newly discovered paper trails that give us a blurry view of William's life. He was born in Walkley, one of Sheffield's many suburbs, around 1790, and married in 1824 to Ann Loy. She was 18 and he was about 34. The family lived in Kimberworth, a suburb of Rotherham, Yorkshire, England, in 1841, and in 1851 they were in Wadsley Bridge. In 1861, however, William wasn't found in the home with his wife, Ann, when the census was taken. He appears to have been staying at the Ecclesall Bierlow Union Workhouse, as described in my previous blog found here. Why he didn't live with his wife, nearby, may never be known, but I suspect it was because he had a severe stroke or other condition rendering him incapacitated. Remember, he was 16 years older than Ann, his wife, and in 1861 he was set to be about 70 years old. Seventy was a ripe old age for a steelworker in those days. His son Joseph died at age 45 and his son John died at 58. John's son, Harry, who was also a Hammerman/Tilter, lived to age 72. Harry's brother, William, died at 73, the same age as their grandfather, William, when he died. In 1863 William's son, Joseph, left for America and in 1870, Ann, was living with him and his new family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She may have traveled with Joseph, but I couldn't locate a ship record to prove it. It seems more likely to me that she left England after William died, but I can't be sure. While searching for information about William's death, I found a very helpful site, sheffieldindexers.com, where I found the following burial transcription: DICKINSON, William (Tilter, age 71). Died at Portland Street; Buried on August 25, 1864 in Consecrated ground; Grave #11, Section M7 of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield. Notice, the key word - Tilter. For me, this 99% confirms it was my 3rd great-grandfather. I have found no other Dickinsons who worked as Tilters, besides William and his sons. Notice also, he died at Portland Street, the same street his wife lived on in 1861 when the census was taken. The street is only one city block in length. She may have still been there in 1864, but left for America after William died. Maybe one day we'll find the answer to prove when she emigrated to America. William's death was published in the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent newspaper on Saturday, August 27, 1864. Burngreave Cemetery is also known as Brightside Bierlow Cemetery or Pitsmoor Cemetery, which adds to the likelihood this is the same William whose son, William, married Matilda Broadhead in 1861 at Pitsmoor, and whose other son, John, lived in Brightside Bierlow when the 1861 census was taken. Section M7 is located along the edge of Section A1. A map of the cemetery can be found here: https://friendsofburngreavecemetery.chessck.co.uk/MapsandInscriptions With the information from William's burial transcription, I created a memorial for him on Findagrave. (View it here). A volunteer kind enough to search for his grave informed me there is no headstone marking the spot. At this time, Findagrave only shows two other Dickinsons buried in the cemetery, but I was shocked to see there are at least 159 Dickinson burials there. (To see them, click here. Then, at the top of the page, for Cemetery, enter "Burngreave" and under Surname, enter "Dickinson". Only the entrance to Burngreave Cemetery can be seen from Google Maps, but you can take a tour of the area with this interactive Google Map: Click here for more on my Dickinson family. Click here for some great (free) resources for researching ancestors in England. Click here for thousands of other free genealogy resources. Tip: If you don't have a paid subscription to FindMyPast, try sheffieldindexers.com instead! Of course, once you find them in the indexes, you'll probably want more, like I did, and that's where FindMyPast comes in! Newspapers, parish registers, marriages, baptisms, deaths, burials, military, census, directories and more! If you're researching English roots, this is a MUST! Try a search! MyGenealogyAddiction.com may receive a small commission for purchases made. Thank you for your support! #dickinson #williamdickinson #sheffield #burngreave #burial #cemetery

When my 3rd great-grandfather, John Dickinson, was a boy of 10 years old, his family was living at Woodstock Bower in Kimberworth, Rotherham, Yorkshire, and in 1851, they were living in Wadsley Bridge, a suburb of Sheffield. John was 19 and worked as a Tilter, like his father, who was a "Journeyman Tilter". John's brother, Joe was 24 but wasn't living in the home in 1851. In 1851 he was apprenticing under John Allcroft, as explained in my previous post, here. At the time of John's marriage to Elizabeth Reynolds, in 1856, John lived on George Street in Sheffield and when the census was taken in 1861, their new family was living at Brightside Bierlow. So where were his parents in 1861? In 1861, we find Ann Dickinson as the head of the Dickinson household on Portland Street in Nether Hallam, Sheffield, Yorkshire. William was not listed among the occupants of the home, but Ann was identified as married, so where was he? Ann was 55 and was a Nurse, which is unexpected, and one would doubt it were her if the age and birthplace, Bradfield, didn't line up perfectly. Her daughter, Martha's age lines up as well, as explained in my previous blog, here. Their son, Joe, was 24 and was back in the home, working as a Steel Forger. He wasn't married yet, but he married Matilda Broadhead later that year, in December, 1861. House numbers weren't provided on this census, but Portland Street is just one block's length, located between Infirmary Road and Cross Bedford Street. According to the 1861 census there were 50 homes, probably mostly apartments, with about 246 people living on Portland Street. Looking at the place on Google Maps, we can see a sign on the building on the corner of Portland and Infirmary Road that says "Portland Buildings Flats 1 to 6" and they look very old. This corner building is now the oldest building on the street, as the opposite side is now the home of the Philadelphia Conference Center and a brand new five story building. You can look around with this interactive map. [Alternate link] So, where was William, the patriarch of the family in 1861? He would have been 70 or 71 years old. When the 1861 U.K. Census was taken, there was a man called "W. Dickinson", a "Tilter", age 72, living in the Ecclesall Bierlow Union Workhouse. The name was later changed to Nether Edge Hospital, specializing in geriatric care and stroke rehabilitation. (Source: National Archives). In his case, William may have needed care that his family couldn't provide. This workhouse was a little over two miles from Portland Street, where Ann was living. I cannot confirm this "W. Dickinson" was my ancestor, William Dickinson, but it is the closest match I've found. William's occupation has been helpful in identifying him and his children in census and church records, and the fact that this man was a "Tilter" pretty solidly confirms he was our William, despite the fact that his age is off by a year or two and his marital status was "Widowed". I searched the 1851 census to confirm that there were no other Tilters named William Dickinson. This W. Dickinson's name may or may not have even been William, and his birthplace does little to confirm his identity. His birthplace was reported as "Sheffield", as were most of the people on the page, with no distinction between its many neighborhoods and suburbs. William was reportedly born in Walkley, which is a suburb of Sheffield, so although it doesn't conflict with what we know about William, it would be more convincing if "Walkley" was given. Regarding the marital status, it may be that the informant was not careful to record the many inmates' details 100% accurately. This may have been for privacy. What leaves me wondering if this inmate was my 4th great-grandfather, William Dickinson, is that his wife Ann and son Joseph reportedly went to America in 1863. Ann, was living with his family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when the U.S. Federal Census was taken in 1870 and she died in 1872. Why did they leave William in England? Granted, some of their children remained, but it seems odd that his wife left while he was still living. Maybe she joined them later after he died? There were three other men named William Dickinson in Yorkshire found on the 1861 census, and none of them were Tilters. They were: William Dickinson in Selby, Yorkshire, age 69 (b. abt. 1792 in Carlson or Carlton, Yorkshire), Occupation: Gentleman, married to Harriet, age 56 (b. abt. 1805 in Stubbs). William Dickinson in Harpham, Driffield, Yorkshire, age 68 (b. abt. 1793 in Leven, Yorkshire), Occupation: Retired Farmer, married to Mary, age 69 (b. abt. 1792 in Nafferton). He and his wife were "visitors" in the home of Edward and Mary Taylor. William Dickinson in Doncaster, Yorkshire, age 68 (b. abt. 1793 in Fenwick, Yorkshire), Occupation: Inn Keeper, married to Mary, age 64 (b. abt. 1797 in Yorkshire). They had a daughter named Annie (age 22, b. abt. 1839), a nephew named John Park (age 24, b. abt. 1837), and a servant named Emma Rushby living in the home. A search of America's 1860 census, for men named William Dickinson born bet. 1785-1795 in England produced no results, so although his wife and children went to America in the early 1860s, it doesn't appear that he went ahead of them, as was common. If anyone has information to confirm or disprove where William was in 1861, please comment below or contact me. There's more to come, so stay tuned for my next blog as we continue tracing the Dickinson's journey! These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #williamdickinson #annloy #josephdickinson #dickinson #sheffield

Identifying my Dickinson ancestors in England has been extremely challenging for a few reasons, the main one being the naming patterns which caused there to be many people in the same areas with the same names and many were even born, married or died in the same years and in the same places or nearby. The past several weeks, I buckled down and made another attempt to sort it all out and, as usual, I'm sharing my finds to shine some light on the foggy past, for those who, like me, are researching Dickinsons in the Sheffield area. Most importantly, my goal is to help restore and preserve what I can of the history, while it still can be found. Many of the connections made so far couldn't have been made without the assistance of old family photos and information preserved and shared by other kin. Had those photos and information been lost, we and future generations might never have been able to trace our Dickinson ancestry. From the census, we know William Dickinson was born about 1790/91, and that his wife, Ann, was born in 1806, so we know they weren't married before 1822. Their daughter, Ann, who was living in their home in 1841 was born about 1826, therefore, we know that William and Ann were probably married between 1822 and 1825. Finding the record within such a narrow timeframe shouldn't be hard, but a search for William Dickinsons who were married in Yorkshire between 1822 and 1825, a short span of four years, yields over 60 results. After merging the duplicates, I narrowed it down to 24, but it just goes to show the challenges associated with naming patterns. Of these 24 William Dickinson grooms, there were four whose brides were named Ann. Of course there were! (Sigh) But after several weeks of research and contemplating, I believe I have gathered enough evidence to determine which "Ann" was my 4th great-grandmother. These are the four Ann's who married "William Dickinson" between 1822-1825, found in Yorkshire's parish registers: Ann Loy of Ecclesfield, married William Dickinson 11/29/1824 at Sheffield, St Mary, Ecclesfield, a village and parish in the City of Sheffield, Yorkshire (West Riding). Children baptized at Sheffield Cathedral: Ann 1825, John 1831, and William 1835. Children baptized at Rotherham: Elizabeth 1843, Joseph 1843. Baptized at Stannington Chapel: Martha 1828. Ann Wardman of Catton, married William Dickinson 3/15/1825 at Catton, Yorkshire (East Riding), England, 46 miles from Sheffield. He was a Laborer. Some of their children baptized at Catton were: Faith 1835, William 1831, and Elizabeth 1833. Ann Whitaker of Campsall, married William Dickinson 11/28/1822 at Campsall, Yorkshire (West Riding), 20 miles from Sheffield. He was a Cordwainer. Some of their children baptized at Campsall were: Charles 1825, George 1835, Henry 1834, Jane 1827, John 1829, and William 1832. Ann Hargitt of Husthwaite, married William Dickinson, "Bachelor", 3/4/1822 at Husthwaite with Carlton, Yorkshire (North Riding), 55 miles from Sheffield. No Dickinson baptisms were found at Husthwaite, so I do not know where the couple settled, but the other details don't match up either. The distance from Sheffield, where the family lived, is too far; William's vocation doesn't line up - this William was a "Bachelor" and not a "Tilter"; and Ann's age doesn't line up. She probably would have been only have only been 15 in early 1822, so although it is possible, collectively these inconsistencies, it doesn't seem likely that this is the Ann we're looking for. Being that William, Ann and their children were in Sheffield for the better part of their lives, it seems safe to say Ann Loy was the "Ann" who married William Dickinson, the Tilter, on November 29, 1824, at Sheffield, St. Mary, Ecclesfield. What do you think? Please take a minute to share your opinion: If you're one of William & Ann's descendants, feel free to share and save this for your family album or scrapbook: Enjoy a virtual visit to the glorious St Mary, Ecclesfield, on Google Maps! This is where my 4th great-grandparents were married. Were William & Ann (Loy) Dickinson your ancestors, too? Let us know in the comments below! If you can help prove or disprove my claims, I welcome and encourage you to contact me using the comments below or send a private message using the contact form. These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #williamdickinson #annloy #marriage #sheffield #england #yorkshire

After finding the name of William Dickinson, the father of my 3rd great-grandfather, John Dickinson, I located the family on the 1841 and 1851 censuses of Yorkshire, England. In 1841, when John was a boy of 10 years old, the family was living at Woodstock Bower in Kimberworth, a suburb of Rotherham, Yorkshire, England. This was shared in a previous blog you can find here. Ten years later, in 1851, the family was living five miles southwest of Kimberworth, in Wadsley Bridge, a suburb of Sheffield, closer to William's hometown of Walkley. Wadsley dates back to the Anglo-Saxon estate of Wadesleah, recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Wadesleia". [Wikipedia] In the early 17th century, the district called Wadsley Bridge was known as "the hamlet near the bridge at Wadsley", near Owlerton. The bridge, called "High Bridge", allowed passage over the River Don, between Ecclesfield and Wadsley. John's brother, Joe, a Steel Forger , age 24 wasn't living in the home in 1851. He had been in the household in 1841, but in 1851 he was apprenticing under John Allcroft, as shown in the census entry above. He was following his father's trade - Tilter. William was identified in many records by his occupation, Tilter. This involved operating a giant tilt-hammer in a steel mill and was most likely the reason the family moved to Wadsley Bridge. Local history recalls the following: "John Hoult had a paper mill which was later converted into a steel tilt and run by the Sanderson Bros firm. The suburb was changed by the opening of the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway in 1845; Wadsley Bridge railway station was opened to serve the community and the railway bridge was constructed over the rough trail which went north to Ecclesfield which was later to become the A61." [Wikipedia] Owlerton was a small rural village, bordering Wadsley. It was documented as a farmstead as early as the 9th century, but became a small manor after the Norman invasion. Later, as the City of Sheffield expanded, Owlerton became one of it's suburbs, just as Wadsley and other surrounding villages did. The area "suffered badly during the great flood of 1864." [Wikipedia] The Dickinsons were recorded as living in Owlerton, when their daughter, Martha, was born in 1828. It is less than two miles from Walkley, where William was born in 1790 or 1791. At the time of John's marriage to Elizabeth Reynolds, in 1856, he lived on George Street in Sheffield and when the census was taken in 1861, their new family was living at Brightside Bierlow. So where were his parents in 1861? See my next blog for details as we continue tracing the Dickinson's journey! These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #dickinson #williamdickinson #josephdickinson #census #sheffield #wadsleybridge #yorkshire #england

Martha Dickinson was a sister of my 3rd great-grandfather, John Dickinson, which makes her my 3rd-great grandaunt. It appears she never had any children to pass down her legacy, so this is in remembrance of her. Martha was born April 28, 1828, at Crookes, a suburb of Sheffield about a mile and a half from Sheffield's city center, in Yorkshire, England. She was baptized at four weeks old at Stannington Chapel, a Presbyterian church at the time, on May 26, 1828. The baptismal register, shown below, reads: May 26, 1828 - Martha, daughter of William Dickinson, Tilter, of Owlerton and Ann, his wife, born Apr. 28, 1828. In 1841, the family was living at Woodstock Bower in Kimberworth, a suburb of Rotherham, Yorkshire, England. This was shared in a previous blog you can find here. Ten years later, in 1851, she was 22 years old, unmarried, and living with her parents in Wadsley Bridge, a suburb of Sheffield. In 1861, she was living with her mother and brother, Joseph, on Portland Street in Sheffield. She was 32 years old, still unmarried, and worked as a "House Maid". On that census, she reported being born in Ecclesall, whereas in 1841 and 1851, Crookes was given as her birthplace. Ecclesall refers to the ward, historically known as Ecclesall Bierlow "one of the six 'townships' that made up the old Parish of Sheffield. Ecclesall Bierlow encompassed most of the land between the River Sheaf and the Porter Brook from The Moor to Ringinglow. It also included the areas of Broomhall and Crookesmoor to the north of Porter Brook. Though this area contained numerous small villages and hamlets, there was never a village called Ecclesall". [Wikipedia] On the 1861 census, shown below, there was a young girl named Jane Green listed as living in the Dickinson home. She was two years old and was listed as a "Boarder", reportedly born in Ecclesfield, in 1858 or 1859. This young girl is the key to finding Martha on the 1871 census. On earlier censuses, it was easy to identify Martha because she lived with her parents and siblings, but her brother, Joe, married Matilda Broadhead on Dec. 28, 1861, and they left England for America around 1863, taking their mother, Ann, with them (or Ann may have followed soon after). So, which of the many Martha Dickinsons was her on the 1871 census? After a little digging, I found that in 1871, Martha was living in the rear of 17 Greaves Street, in Nether Hallam, a suburb of Sheffield. She was a "House Keeper" and her age was given as 41, which was either a miscalculation or a fib because she would have turned 43 on April 28, 1871. This may seem insignificant, but it made it more difficult to find her in search results, when searching by birth year. The only reason we know this is the right Martha is because the same little girl, Jane, who was two years old when the 1861 census was taken, was still living with her in 1871. The girl was 12 years old and her name was given as "Jane Dickinson" this time. Interestingly, her relationship to Martha is given as "daughter", which may or may not be true. I tend to believe it wasn't true, because if it were so, Ann would have called her "Granddaughter" instead of "Boarder" when the census was taken in 1861. Either way, it does appear that Martha adopted Jane, and therefore, was her mother. Martha still lived on Greaves Street when the census was taken in 1881. She was still unmarried and worked as a seamstress. Jane would have been about 22 years old, but she wasn't in the home. There were two men boarding in the home and another visiting. I spent a little time trying to identify Jane's parents, searching baptismal records for Jane Green, but found only the following possible matches before giving up: Mary Jane Franklin Green, daughter of John & Matilda Green, baptized at Sheffield, June 1, 1858. Mary Jane Green, daughter of Emma and possibly George (faded or erased), Jane Green, daughter of Joseph & Jane Green, baptized at Sheffield Aug. 6, 1861. Jane Elizabeth Green, born 1858, at Sheffield. Mother's maiden name: Siddal (England & Wales Births, Vol 9C, p. 381) Jane Tomlinson Green, daughter of John Green, Laborer of Brinsworth, and his wife Mary. Jane was born Nov. 26, 1859, and baptized at Sheffield, Cathedral Church of St Peter & St Paul, Dec. 6, 1863. I haven't tried locating any marriage records for her, so if anyone cares to research Jane or Martha further, I hope these clues will help. Please share what you find! The following map shows the approximate locations of the places where Martha was documented: I haven't searched beyond 1881, but there's a good chance Martha died a spinster, sometime after 1881. Her brother, John, had married Elizabeth Reynolds in 1856 and took his family to America about 1879 or early 1880, and lived near his brother, Joe, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Joe was a "Steel Worker" and John was an "Ironworker", according to the 1880 census. The following year, on December 7, 1881, Joe and his wife, Matilda, lost their 2 year old baby daughter, Matilda, to Diphtheria, and as if that weren't bad enough, Joe died 13 days later, from Consumption, on December 20, 1881. He was 45 and left Matilda with four sons, between the ages of five and fifteen. They were: William Dickinson (1866-1904), Joseph Dickinson (1868-1947), Charles Sykes Dickinson (1870-1899), and Thomas Booth Dickinson (1876-1918). Matilda remarried to John Dixon, at Pittsburgh, on July 6, 1892, and died at the age of 65 from Pneumonia, on August 10, 1904. Martha's brother, John, died on May 25, 1889. He was 58 years old and left two grown sons and a daughter - Mary Ann (Dickinson) Proctor Lewis (1857-1938), William H. Dickinson (1859-1932), and Harry Dickinson (1863-1935). Both sons were steelworkers, specifically "Hammermen" in Pittsburgh and in Newark, New Jersey. Harry was my 2nd great-grandfather. Both of Martha's brothers have many descendants living today, but unfortunately, it appears Martha never married or had children, and so, unless Jane was her daughter and Jane had children, there probably aren't many people who are interested in great-aunt Martha, but this old maid is not forgotten in my family tree. Stay tuned for more Dickinson finds! See more: William Dickinson (1790-1864) John Dickinson (1831-1889) Harry Dickinson (1836-1937) My Dickinson Branch Free English Genealogy Resources Free American Genealogy Resources These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #marthadickinson #williamdickinson #sheffield #netherhallam #dickinson #oldmaid

Elizabeth Dickinson was born Dec. 10, 1891, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Harry and Annie (Robinson) Dickinson, immigrants from Yorkshire, England. Elizabeth moved to Newark, New Jersey, with her family between 1904 and 1909. You can find more information on the Dickinson family here. John MacArthur was a blacksmith who was born in Greenock, Scotland, Dec. 6, 1886. He came to America around 1908 and he and Elizabeth were married six years later, March 20, 1914, at DeGroot Methodist Church in Newark, a church the Dickinsons were associated before it's cornerstone was laid. Their daughter, Eleanor A. MacArthur, was born on July 8, 1915, in Newark. Eleanor married Leslie John Mason in 1940. They were married at DeGroot Methodist Church in Newark, like her parents. Eleanor and Leslie had two known children, daughters, Joan and Carol. They are 2nd great-grandchildren of John and Elizabeth Dickinson, our immigrant ancestors from England. Mr. Mason died on May 14, 1993, in Florida. According to Eleanor's 2006 obituary, shared on Findagrave, she was "survived by her two daughters, Joan Vanderhorn, North Fort Myers, and Carol Hallman, Rockaway, N.J.; grandchildren, John, Laura, Lisa, Carolyn and David; and seven great-grandchildren.". (Daytona Beach News-Journal, Jan. 21, 2006). Eleanor was my 1st cousin 2x removed. Our most recent common ancestor was Harry Dickinson, her grandfather, who was my 2nd great-grandfather. Find more information on the Dickinson family here. Subscribe for free updates as new content is published! These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #dickinson #harrydickinson #elizabethdickinson #macarthur #eleanormacarthur #mason

John Dickinson was my 3rd great-grandfather, who was born in Masbro (Kimberworth), Yorkshire, England. He married Elizabeth Reynolds, daughter of Thomas Reynolds, on Feb. 10, 1856, at Sheffield, England. Their first known child, Mary Ann Dickinson, was born May 22, 1857, in Wadsley Bridge, Yorkshire, England. She was my 2nd great-grandaunt or great-great-aunt. Their first known son was William Henry Dickinson. He was born January 7, 1859, in Sheffield. William was the name of John's father, but I've found no evidence of the full name match as he never used a middle name or initial in any of the records I've found, but the name "Henry" may be found in distant generations. William Henry and Mary Ann were baptized on the same day, seven months after William was born. The baptism took place on August 17, 1859, at the parish church in Sheffield England, called The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, Sheffield. It is more commonly known as Sheffield Cathedral., which dates back to around the year 1200 and it wasn't the first time the Dickinsons had been there. (More details to follow). Following is a record of the baptisms, listed consecutively on the same page in the Baptismal register. The record provides their birth dates and we can be confident this is the right John Dickinson because his occupation is listed as "Forgeman". It is further corroborated with the 1861 census. In 1861, the two children were counted on the census with their parents, living on Portland Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. Mary Ann was reported as 3 years old and William was counted as 2. (See that census here). Their brother, Harry, was born in 1863 and in 1871, the family was counted on the census on Langsett Road in Nether Hallam. Mary Ann was 17 years old and William was 12. (See that census here). For more on Mary Ann and William Dickinson, click here. See more on the Dickinson family here. Click here for thousands of rare and helpful genealogy resources by place or type. These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #dickinson #johndickinson #elizabethreynolds #williamhenrydickinson #maryanndickinson #sheffield #baptism

Mary Ann Dickinson was the sister of my great-great-grandfather, Harry Dickinson. She had a strong bond with Harry and his children and some of their children were close friends too. Harry's daughter, Emma, mentions several of them in her 1919 diary, which you can read here. Mary Ann Dickinson married first to Joseph Proctor, just before leaving England, in 1880. Together they had seven known children in America, three of whom died in infancy. They had three young children and one on the way when Joseph died on April 2, 1891. He was only 35 years old and the cause of death was Apoplexy. See my previous post for details on the Proctors. Three years after Mr. Proctor's death, Mary Ann married Samuel Lewis, a 33-year old immigrant from South Wales, a son of John and Margaret (Phillips) Lewis. Samuel was born March 15, 1861, in South Wales, and was counted on the 1861 census of Wales a month later, age "1 month". His family lived on Swansea Road in Llanguick, Glamorgan, in southern Wales. This aligns with the age given on his marriage license, shown below. Later, though, on the 1900 census, his birth year is given as 1859, and the error is repeated on his death certificate, which confirms both of his parents' names, but reports his birth date as March 15, 1859. This year is clearly incorrect. I haven't found a birth or baptismal record to prove it, but the age given by his parents on the 1861 census, when he was just one month old, is far more reliable than the year calculated by his wife 41 years later when the 1900 census was taken. Samuel Lewis's marriage to Mary Ann was his first marriage and it took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 22, 1894. They were married by Rev. William Rodenbaugh, perhaps at the United Methodist Church. Mary Ann and Samuel Lewis were found living together on the census in 1900. They lived near Harry Dickinson. A 1902 directory of Pittsburgh lists Samuel Lewis, stonemason, living at 4911 Cypress Street, so they moved to Cypress Street around 1901 and remained there until 1938. It was a five minute walk from her brother, Harry's home on Gross Street. You can see the home and neighborhood where Mary Ann lived with Samuel and their children for nearly four decades in this interactive Google map: Samuel Lewis died at Pittsburgh, on February 13, 1919, from Exhaustion. He was 57 years old. The news was received by Harry Dickinson and the family in Newark the following day. See Emma Dickinson's diary entry for Feb. 14 here. Samuel's naturalization certificate, dated June 11, 1889, and his death certificate are shown here: Mary Ann lived until Jan. 6, 1938. The cause of her death was Cerebral Hemorrhage, with Generalized Arteriosclerosis and Senile Dementia contributing. She was 80 years old. Leave her a flower on Findagrave! Mary Ann and here family on the census: Known descendants of Mary Ann (Dickinson) and Samuel Lewis are shown here: (I've highlighted the ones that may have living descendants today, to the best of my knowledge. Please correct me on any errors or omissions in the comments below). 1) Lillian M. (Lewis) King Lillian M. Lewis, was born in July of 1895, probably at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She married in January or February of 1919, to John W. King, called "Jack King" in her cousin, Emma Dickinson's diary entry for Feb. 18, 1919. John King was born December 24, 1890, a son of George W. King and Mary E. Cranston, according to his death certificate. John and Lillian were living on Cypress Street in Pittsburgh with Lillian's recently widowed mother, Mary Ann Lewis, in 1920. John King was an insurance broker. They had a daughter, Ruth Lillian King, on Sept. 19, 1919. The news of Lillian's first born child reached the Dickinsons in Newark ten days later. See Emma Dickinson's diary entry here. In 1930, they were still living on Cypress Street and, still, Ruth was the only child in the home. I have yet to locate the family on the 1940 census, but in 1950, John (age 59) and Lillian (age 54) were living on Reifert Street in Pittsburgh. He was still working as an insurance broker. John King died of cancer at Pittsburgh on January 8, 1966. The official cause of death was Metastatic Carcinoma Bones and Bladder with Carcinoma of Prostate contributing. The informant was his wife, Lillian D. King, 204 Reifert Street, perhaps the building shown below. Lillian (Lewis) King lived another 19 years and died in 1985. Both she and John King are buried in Union Dale Cemetery in Pittsburgh. (Findagrave). Did their daughter, Ruth, marry or have children? 2) Samuel H. Lewis Samuel H. Lewis was born July 3, 1898, at Pittsburgh. He married Elizabeth Williams, with whom he had two known children. He died at the age of 28, on December 16, 1926. The cause of death was Empyema (Left Chest) Probably from a Lobar Pneumonia. In 1930, his widow and two children were living in the home of Elizabeth's parents on Milgate Street in Pittsburgh: known children of Samuel & Elizabeth Lewis were: Ethel Elizabeth Lewis, born August 16, 1934, at Pittsburgh. She married James G. Barnett after 1954, and they had at least two children: Judy and Joyce. James died on July 26, 1993, in the Bloomfield section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He had six grandchildren at the time of his death. Ethel died Nov. 10, 2005, and is buried in Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh. (Findagrave) Samuel Hobson Lewis, born Aug. 8, 1926, at Pittsburgh. He was just four months old when his father died. He married Lillian L. Bauer. He was single when he enlisted in the Army (836th Eng. Aviation Bt. Hq. Ser. Co.) on Dec. 6, 1944, and served until Nov. 12, 1946. He married Lillian L. Bauer, daughter of Lawrence M. Bauer, Sr., and Margaret E. (Schindler) Bauer. Lillian was born Sept. 9, 1923, in Pittsburgh, and died there at the age of 43, on Dec. 22, 1966. The cause of death was Acute Coronary Occlusion due to Coronary Sclerosis and Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease. Samuel died Oct. 22, 1979, and is buried in Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh. (Findagrave) 3) Frank Lewis Frank Lewis was born July 19, 1901, in Pittsburgh. He lived at 4917 Cypress Street with his parents in 1910, and his father died in 1919. Frank still lived with his mother when the 1920 and 1930 census were taken. He was a laborer working in a Tin Mill in 1920 and a "Tinner" at a roofing company in 1930. His mother died in 1938, at the age of 80, and when the 1940 census was taken, he was living at 7340 Fleury Way, in Pittsburgh. On that census, he reported that the highest level of education he completed was 6th grade, which shatters any hopes of finding a yearbook photo of him. He was still working for a roofing company, but he wasn't living alone. Sometime between 1934 and 1940, Frank married Anna "Florence" (Van Wormer) Brucker, daughter of Joseph Van Wormer. Her first husband, Sylvester Brucker (1899-1973), worked on the railroad and was a World War II veteran. She and Lewis were living together in 1940, as husband and wife. and she had a 6-year old son, Joseph Brucker, and her 74-year old father, Joseph Vanwormer, living in the home with them. Frank Lewis registered for the draft in 1942, and was described as follows: 5' 8" in height, 150 lbs., blue eyes, brown hair, and ruddy complexion. He also had a tattoo on his shoulder. He worked at 2 Logan Street (Corner of Logan and Bedford). On the 1950 census, a son named Joseph B. Lewis is listed in Frank & Florence's home. He was reportedly 15 years old, but there was no Joseph Lewis in the home in 1940, so I'm assuming this was actually Florence's son, Joseph V. Brucker, who was in the home in 1940. Joseph later worked in law enforcement, rising to "Chief of Police in Manor and former Constable", according to his 1999 obituary. He married Sybil Oswald and had three sons who survived him. They are buried in Delmont, Pennsylvania. (Findagrave). He named one of his sons "Frank", perhaps after his stepfather. I can't seem to find any information Joseph B. Lewis beyond the 1950 census, so I don't believe this Joseph B. Lewis was his son. Or maybe he was? If anyone knows, please comment to let us know, but please don't share personal information about living people. Stay tuned for more, as I share more great finds on the Dickinson family in Pittsburgh. Find more information about the Dickinson family here. See more of my ancestors here. Find thousands of free genealogy resources here. These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #dickinson #lewis #maryanndickinson #samuellewis #pittsburgh

Mary Ann Dickinson was born May 22, 1857, in Wadsley Bridge, Yorkshire, England. She was my 2nd great-grandaunt, a sister of my 2nd great-grandfather, Harry Dickinson, so her children were cousins to Harry's children, one of whom was William Henry Dickinson, my great-grandfather - not to be confused with Mary Ann's brother, William Henry Dickinson, who was baptized the same day as Mary Ann, in Sheffield, England, back in 1859. You can see the baptismal register here...but I'll try to stay on track. In 1861, Mary Ann was counted on the census with her parents on Portland Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. She was 3 years old. (See that census here). Ten years later, in 1871, the family was counted on the census on Langsett Road in Nether Hallam. She was 17 years old. (See that census here). Mary Ann Dickinson's first marriage occurred at the age of 23. She married Joseph Proctor, of Walkley, Yorkshire, England. He was a son of William Proctor, a mason by trade. They were married on April 29, 1880, at St. Mary, Walkley, Yorkshire, England. (Ecclesall Bierlow Dist, Vol 9C, p. 38). See the marriage record, below. Use this interactive map to take a look around as if you're visiting the place the Dickinsons and Proctors gathered together to join Mary Ann and Joseph in Holy matrimony, 142 years ago. The marriage of Joseph Proctor and Mary Ann Dickinson is shown here, along with a few photos her brother, Harry's children have kept and shared: The following are two family photos sent to me by James Dickinson, great-grandnephew of Mary Ann. The photos were taken during a visit between Harry Dickinson and his sister Mary Ann, in the 1920s: A family portrait of John & Elizabeth Dickinson and their three grown children, is another treasure for all their descendants to save and cherish. Mary Ann and Joseph left England five months after their marriage. A different immigration year is given on each census Mary Ann was counted on, ranging from 1880 to 1884, but a ship manifest for the ship "Wyoming", dated October 12, 1880, lists Mr. Joseph Proctor and Mrs. Mary Ann Proctor, traveling on board. They weren't counted on the 1880 U.S. census, because the census was taken four months prior to their arrival. On the 1920 census it is reported that she became a naturalized citizen in 1890. Joseph Proctor was a steel worker in Pittsburgh, like Mary Ann's father, uncle, and brothers, and many others who found opportunities in the city's booming steel mills. Joseph and Mary Ann had seven known children between 1882 and 1890, although on the 1900 census, Mary reported having 11 total, six of whom were still living at the time. The deaths of three of their sons who died in infancy is documented and included among her descendants below. Known descendants of Mary Ann (Dickinson) and Joseph Proctor, according to the clues I've found in old family photos and census records, are shown here: Mary Elizabeth Proctor, born Jan. 17, 1881, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She married Charles Orville Brown at Pittsburgh on Apr. 9, 1903 and lived 67 years, until August 31, 1948. She died in North Irwin, Pennsylvania. The cause of death was Carcinoma of the Left Lung which she suffered with for one year prior to her death. She is buried in Penn Lincoln Memorial Park in North Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (Findagrave). Her husband was living with their daughter Ethel in North Irwin when the 1950 census was taken and he died seven years later, on June 15, 1957, at the age of 82. Charles and Mary had two known children, both born in North Irwin, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania: Howard D. Brown, born Mar. 12, 1909, in North Irwin, Pennsylvania. He was a steelworker who never married or had any known children. He died on Sept. 22, 1964, after being struck by a car in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He was 55 years old. He is buried in Penn Lincoln Memorial Park, like his mother, who predeceased him by nine years. (Findagrave). Ethel Mae Brown was born Sept. 7, 1910, in North Irwin, Pennsylvania. She married Raymond Burchill in 1931, and had four or more children: Richard, Barbara, Mary, and Kathy. Henry Proctor, born August 3, 1882, at Pittsburgh, died from "Idiopathic Tetanus" six days later, on August 9, 1882. He is buried in Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh. (Findagrave) John William Proctor, born June 7, 1883, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the age of 29, he married at Easton, Pennsylvania, to Miss Lena Bertha Hartman, age 24, of Brooklyn, New York. The following year, on May 10, 1913, the young couple suffered a great loss when Lena gave birth to a stillborn child, a son. When John registered for the WWI draft on Sept. 12, 1918, he was living at 610 E. Elm St., Titusville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. He was tall and slender, had gray eyes and light hair, and he worked for Cyclops Steel Company as a Hammerman. Immigration records show him crossing the border into Canada on Dec. 29, 1919, and Lena arrived three days later, on Jan. 1, 1920, to "join husband". Ten months later, on October 4, 1920, their daughter Amelia Zoe Proctor was born. In 1921, the family was counted on the Canadian census in Welland, Ontario, Canada, but returned to the U.S. within five years. Lena died from breast cancer on December 15, 1926, in Philadelphia. She was 38 years old and is buried in Bethlehem, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. John married again within four years to Ethel (French) Cornish (1889-1954), widow of Richard H. Cornish. Richard had also died, almost six months before Lena, on June 25, 1926, at Pittsburgh. John and Ethel lived in Pittsburgh in 1930. Amelia Zoe Proctor, born October 4, 1920, in Ontario, Canada. She never married or had children. She died at the age of 77 on August 15, 1998, and is buried in Pittsburgh in Allegheny Cemetery, surrounded by many other family members and ancestors. (Findagrave) Joseph Proctor, born July 3, 1886, lost his father at the age of five. He lived with his mother on Gross Street in Pittsburgh when the 1900 census was taken. In 1910 they all lived on Cypress Street and Joseph worked as a laborer. In 1920 he was at the same place, but working as a chauffer. He was a Private in the Army during World War I and worked as a truck driver afterwards. In 1925, he married Florence Vorndran, a seamstress and daughter of Victor and Ida Vorndran, both immigrants from Germany. Joseph and Ida had a daughter named Ida May Proctor born July 5, 1927, in Pittsburgh. When the census was taken in May of 1930, his wife and daughter were living with her parents on South Millvale Avenue in Pittsburgh and he was a patient in a South Fayette hospital. He died four months later in the same town, and perhaps the same place, on Sept. 20, 1930. The cause of death was "General Paralysis of the Insane". General paresis, also known as general paralysis of the insane, paralytic dementia, or syphilitic paresis, is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder that took the life of this 44 year old man. He may still have descendants today: Ida May Proctor, born July 5, 1927, in Pittsburgh, married Louis B. Hildebrand on Sept. 21, 1950. She was employed as a telephone operator at the time. Louis died in 1980 and Ida died April 19, 2013, leaving at least five children including Valerie (Hildebrand) Kafka, Victor Hildebrand, Jeffrey Hildebrand, Christopher Hildebrand, and Louis Hildebrand. Joseph Proctor, born July 24, 1889, died just four days later, on July 28, from convulsions. The family lived at 34 1/2 Long Alley in the 17th Ward of Pittsburgh at the time. It seems odd that they named this son Joseph since we can see there was a boy named Joseph Proctor in Mary Ann's home in 1900, born July 1886, but the death certificate clearly states the names. Martin Proctor, born July 25, 1889, died the following day, on July 26, from Eclampsia. He was buried July 27, 1889, at Allegheny Cemetery. Harry D Proctor, born Aug. 13, 1891, in Pittsburgh. At the age of 19, he was counted on the census in his mother and stepfather's home in Pittsburgh (1910) and worked as a bookkeeper. He married Dorothy Wareham in West Virginia in 1913 and they went back to Pittsburgh, where he would spend the remainder of his life. By the time of the 1920 census, they had three children in the home - Mary, Beatrice, and Lois Proctor. He was working as a car salesman at the time. When the 1930 census was taken, he was a truck driver for a bakery and they had a new daughter in the home, June Proctor. In 1940, he was working as a truck driver for a construction company. His daughter Beatrice's new husband was added to the family, along with her two children. When the 1950 census was taken, only his wife and daughter, June, remained in the home and he was working as a shipping clerk at a lumber supply company. He was still working there at the time of his death, which occurred the following year, on July 9, 1951, at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was 59 years old and the cause of death was Broncho-Pneumonia, with Coronary Artery Disease and Exhaustion contributing. He is buried in Sunset View Cemetery in Penn Hills, Allegheny, Pennsylvania. (Findagrave) Known children of Harry and Dorothy were four daughters: Mary Ruth Proctor, born Nov. 2, 1913. She married Louis D. Uselman and had at least two children, both daughters, named Valerie and Mary Lou (Uselman) Eber. Mary Ruth (Proctor) Uselman died October 30, 1984, and is buried in Pittsburgh at Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery. Beatrice P. Proctor, born Nov. 23, 1915, at Pittsburgh. She married Frederick Vetter and had at least two children: Nancy and Deloris P. Vetter. Note: Corrections and updates are welcomed and encouraged, but please be mindful of sharing sensitive or personal information about living individuals. Also, if you have any old photos to share, as so many have, please use the Dickinson Genealogy Forum. Sadly, Mary Ann's husband, Joseph Proctor, died at the young age of 35, on April 2, 1891. Mary Ann had three young children at the time and was pregnant with his son, Harry, who was born four months after his father's death, on August 13, 1891. The cause of death was Apoplexy. She remarried three years later, in 1894, to Samuel Lewis, a Stone Mason born in South Wales. She was 37 and he was 33. It was his first marriage and Mary Ann bore him at least three children. In my next blog, I'll finish the story of Mary Ann's life. In the meantime, have a tour around Cypress Street in Pittsburgh, where Mary Ann and her descendants lived for decades. See more about the Dickinson family here. Find thousands of free genealogy resources on the Genealogy Dashboard! These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #dickinson #proctor #maryanndickinson #josephproctor #marriage

Harry Dickinson was my maternal 2nd great-grandfather. He was born in June of 1863 in Sheffield, England, a son of John Dickinson and Elizabeth (Reynolds) Dickinson. When the 1871 census was taken, Harry was four years old, and was living with his parents in Nether Hallam, in the borough of Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. His father, John Dickinson, was 39 years old and worked as a "Steel Forge Man". The family lived at 319 Langsett Road, which I believe was somewhere in the vicinity shown here in this interactive Google map, perhaps in this row of buildings straight ahead: Nine years later, the family was living 3,600 miles away, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When the 1880 census was taken, they lived on Denny Street in Pittsburgh, a place that bears many similarities to the industrial town of Sheffield. Shown here are the entries for John and his brother Joe, on the same page of the 1880 census of Pittsburgh. Joe was a Steel Worker, and was married with six children in the home. John was an Ironworker, living with his wife and two sons: William Henry Dickinson, age 21, and Harry Dickinson, age 17. John's daughter, Mary Ann, also emigrated to America. She arrived in October, after the census was taken. Stay tuned for more of my Dickinson finds and for contributions shared by cousins and other family. These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! Learn more about John Dickinson here. Click here for some great resources for tracing English genealogy. #dickinson #johndickinson #joedickinson #sheffield #pittsburgh #census

The connection between the children of Harry Dickinson and the Kellett family was recorded in photos and in Emma Dickinson's 1919 Diary, but the details about the relationship were not well documented. A wonderful old photograph of Noah Kellett with Harry Dickinson and his family, taken around 1912, can be seen in my previous blog post, here, i\At the time of the post, I wasn't sure how the families were connected but I knew Noah Kellett was a cousin, so I shared the photo along with the little bit of information known to me at the time. Recently I've been researching John Dickinson's family in Yorkshire and, as usual, I got sidetracked and headed down the path of his wife's family. His wife was Elizabeth Reynolds and according to their marriage certificate, her father's name was Thomas Reynolds, a plasterer. Baptismal records are great for solving mysteries and I set out to research the children of Thomas Reynolds. What I discovered was that, as strange as it may seem, Elizabeth had a younger sister named Eliza Reynolds. She was found with the family on the census in Stanley, Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1841, 1851, and 1861. As you can see in the marriage record shown here, she married Mark Kellett on December 1, 1866, at the age of 29. They were married at St. Andrew's in Wakefield. Next, I searched for baptisms for their children, and I found that they had a son named Noah Kellett. Alarm bells went off in my head, as I recalled the old family photo with Noah Kellett in it. The connection has been made! Stay tuned for more Reynolds and Dickinson finds! See the Dickinson page for more info on these lines. These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #reynolds #dickinson #kellett #yorkshire #marriage

Joseph Dickinson was a son of William and Ann Dickinson. He was born March 6, 1836, in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. This 3rd great-granduncle of mine may have influenced my 3rd great-grandfather (his brother, John Dickinson) to emigrate to America, altering the course of the family's destiny for generations. Joseph and his wife, Matilda, emigrated to America in 1863, and John brought his family in 1880. Both brothers lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for the remainder of their lives. Joseph, or "Joe", as he apparently preferred to be called (based on the correction in the document below), married Matilda Broadhead at Christ Church in Pitsmoor. The marriage occurred on December 28, 1861. Note: The marriage was witnessed by Edwin Burton and Elizabeth Dickinson. Elizabeth may have been my 3rd great-grandmother, the wife of Joe's brother, John Dickinson. John and Elizabeth had been married five years earlier, in 1856. But there was more than one woman named Elizabeth Dickinson in the area at the time and another interesting find suggests another possibility: Abraham Dickinson, widower, Clothier of Beeston, son of William Dickinson, Clothier, married Elizabeth Broadhead, Jan. 25, 1847, at Leeds. (Was he born in 1799?). I have yet to research Abraham Dickinson, but I thought it worth mentioning. Christ Church is an Anglican church north of Sheffield's city center. The rapid growth of Sheffield in the mid-1800s caused a demand for more parishes and, thus, the construction of Christ Church of Pitsmoor began in 1849. It was consecrated in August of 1850. Once a village, today Pitsmoor is a suburb of Sheffield in the Burngreave Ward. Have a look around with the help of this interactive map: Click here to learn more about my Dickinson family. Click here to learn about other branches of my family. Click here for my favorite resources for tracing English roots. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #dickinson #joedickinson #matildabroadhead #christchurch #pitsmoor #sheffield #marriage

In 1841, William Dickinson, my 4th great-grandfather's family lived at Woodstock Bower, in Kimberworth, Rotherham (West Riding), South Yorkshire, England. His son John was reportedly born in Masbrough, a suburb of Kimberworth. While searching for an illustration of the place called Woodstock Bower as it was in William's time, I found a short story relating to the place, in which the author describes what it was like in the times of Henry II and how the place came to be called Woodstock Bower. You can read it below. FAIR ROSAMOND. Henry II. born 1133. — Died 1189. — Reigned 34 years. Once on a time there was a beautiful young lady of the name of Rosamond Clifford, so extremely beautiful, that she was commonly called Fair Rosamond. It happened that one day King Henry - the son of Matilda, and second king of England of that name - saw this young lady, and fell in love with her ; and she, as the King was young and handsome, fell also in love with him. So the King ordered a beautiful bower to be made near a town called Woodstock, in which Fair Rosamond was to live. This bower was one of the most delightful places that ever was heard of: it was a nice little cottage, in a delicious garden, quite overgrown with sweetbriars and honeysuckles; and the groves and garden were full of singing birds, and the air was quite sweet with the smell of flowers. But the chief wonder of the bower was, that, from without, no one could see it, it was so completely buried in the woods. The trees grew so thick about it, that they formed a kind of labyrinth or maze, through which no one could find the way, unless by following a clue or thread ; which winded along through a great, great many passages, from the outward entrance into the centre of the bower ; and this clue was very fine silk thread, so fine, that unless persons were told of it they would never be able to see it. So whenever the King could get away from court, he used to go alone to the bower to visit Fair Rosamond, and by the clue he used to find his way in; but nobody else except himself ever passed in or out; except one servant, who used to go out at night to fetch bread, and wine, and meat, for the use of Fair Rosamond. Now I will tell you why this curious bower and labyrinth were made. There was a Queen at that time in England, called Ellinor, who was jealous and cruel ; and the king was afraid that if she knew about Fair Rosamond she would put her to death, and therefore he took all this care to hide her in Woodstock Bower. It was very wrong of the King to attempt to deceive the Queen in this manner, and it was very wicked in Rosamond to join him in doing so; and accordingly a great misfortune was the consequence of this great fault. Queen Ellinor could not but observe that the King often went away from court, and nobody knew whither he was gone, and every one wondered where he could be. So the Queen watched him very closely, and, after long watching, she found that he always went towards Woodstock, but what became of him after he got to Woodstock she could never discover; for no one could either see the bower, or find his way through the labyrinth. And so perhaps it never would have been discovered, but that Queen Ellinor happened to meet the servant who used to buy meat, and bread, and wine, for the use of Fair Rosamond; and from him she found out the secret of the labyrinth, and learned to make her way with the assistance of the clue. Having thus found the secret, Queen Ellinor watched her opportunity; and when she knew that the King was at the court, and that Fair Rosamond must be alone in the bower, she went to the labyrinth, with a dagger and a cup of poison, and laying hold of the clue, she found her way to the very centre of the bower where Fair Rosamond was sitting. You may judge of the surprise of poor Rosamond, when she saw the Queen come in with a furious look, with a dagger in one hand, and the cup of poison in the other; but I cannot explain to you her horror when the cruel Queen told her that she was come to kill her, and that all the indulgence she could have was a choice, whether to die by being stabbed by the dagger, or by drinking the cup of poison. The poor, poor creature went upon her knees to the Queen, and wept and prayed for mercy; but the Queen continued cruel and hard-hearted : and at last the miserable Rosamond was forced to drink off the poison, and soon after died in great agony. But in the meanwhile the Queen got away out of the labyrinth, and nobody knew that she had been there: but when the King next came to visit the bower, he was surprised and shocked to find his dear Rosamond dead; and though he did not know how her death was caused, he could not but feel that his own folly and wickedness, in keeping her hid in this bower, was the cause of her death, and he was, ever after, very much grieved for her loss. Source: Stories selected from the History of England, from the conquest to the revolution, J.W.C, 1847. [Link] I have been unable to find the exact location of the tower, but the place called Woodstock Bower is shown on this 1934 map (at left). At right, a recent aerial view of the location is shown: The location is on Kimberworth Road. Woodstock Bower faced the foot of Coronation Bridge, between Kimberworth and Rotherham. Stay tuned for more and subscribe for free updates! Click here for my favorite places to trace your English genealogy. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. #dickinson #kimberworth #woodstockbower #rotherham #history

John Dickinson was my maternal 3rd great-grandfather. He and his son, Harry, are my most recent immigrant ancestors to America. A native of Sheffield, England, John married in Sheffield and brought his wife, daughter, and two sons to America in the late 1870s, living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His mother and younger brother, Joseph, had emigrated to America in 1863 (or more likely 1864), and probably enticed him to join them across the great water. John was a third generation (at least) steel worker, a hammerman working in the steel industry, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's booming steel mills provided opportunities the Dickinsons couldn't resist. His sons were steel workers, too. John died on May 25, 1889, at Pittsburgh. He is buried there in Allegheny Cemetery. His tombstone gives the dates 1830-1889, which calculates to about 59 years, but his obituary states that he was 56 years of age. Images of both can be seen in my previous blog here. His death certificate reports he was 55. So how old was he? Until this week, John's actual birth date had not been found, but with the help of Sheffield's parish registers, I was able to solve the mystery. If he died on May 25, 1889, he lived exactly 58 years, 1 month, and 17 days. (Thanks, Time Calculator). A copy of his baptismal record sets the record straight: As you can see from the record, John was not born in 1830. He was born April 8, 1831. From the census, we know he was born in Masbrough, Kimberworth, Rotherham, on the outskirts of Sheffield. Kimberworth is about five miles from The Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, better known as the Sheffield Cathedral. The family was counted on the census at Woodstock Bower in 1841. See one of my previous blogs for details. This ancient church had already been in use for 800 years when John was baptized there back in 1831, and it still stands and operates today. You can visit the church's website at https://www.sheffieldcathedral.org/. Tour the interior here in this interactive map: View from street: Aerial view: Stay tuned for more as I trace John Dickinson's lineage! There's a lot more to share! Click here for more on this branch of my family. Click here for a list of all my ancestors. These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #dickinson #sheffield #yorkshire #england #baptism #christening #church

John Dickinson was my maternal 3rd great-grandfather, who died over 80 years before I was born. A hard-working man, he worked in the steel mills in Sheffield, England, before bringing his family and trade to America. Naturally, he lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where steel was such a vital industry that the city's football team is aptly called The Pittsburgh Steelers today. They were my favorite team before I even had any clue that my ancestors were original Pittsburgh Steelers. You can learn more about John and his family here. John was about 59 years old when he died on May 25, 1889 at Pittsburgh. Previously, I've shared his obituary and image of his burial plot at Allegheny Cemetery, but neither offered any clues about how he died. Here you can see his death certificate, revealing the cause of death. He died from heart disease, with eclampsia as a contributing factor. The duration of his last illness was reportedly twelve hours. At the time of his death, He lived at 8 South Ave in Pittsburgh. These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! Stay tuned for more as I share many recent Dickinson finds! In the meantime, you can learn more about my Dickinson branch here. Click here to learn about other branches of my family. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. #johndickinson #dickinson #pittsburgh #death #deathcertificate

Robert Leonard was a son of Albert Jay and Rose Ellen (Hollenbeck) Leonard. Albert and Rose were married in Willet, Cortland County, New York, on July 12, 1922. Rose's mother, Mary Ellen (McGinnis) Hollenbeck, had passed away the previous month, on June 10th, at the age of 62. Albert was 27 and Rose was two years his elder. Robert was born September 16, 1924, in Willet, Cortland County, New York. By the time he was nine months old, his parents were separated. When the New York State Census was taken in 1925, he was living in Willet with his mother, grandfather, and older half-brother, Billy, a son of Hugh Reagan. When Robert registered for the draft at the age of 18, he was 5'11" tall and weighed 185 pounds. He had blue eyes, brown hair, and a light complexion, according to the registrar's report. He was not drafted for the war, but, soon after left his mother's homestead in Willet and took employment with the Cortland County Highway Department, a lifelong career he maintained for about 30 years, while living in Cortland New York. On April 2, 1949, his mother's home on Leonard Road in Willet was burned to the ground with his 28-year old brother, Billy, inside. It was a traumatic event for Robert and his mother, to say the least. Robert retired from the highway department in 1980 due to failing health. He suffered from diabetes and had both legs amputated before he died on November 20, 1982. The official cause of death was cardio-respiratory arrest, suspected myocardial infarction, and diabetes mellitus. He was buried in Marathon Village Cemetery but has no stone marking his grave. Robert fathered five sons and a daughter who grew to adulthood and had children, although he wasn't legally married until 1978, four years before he died. He had at least 18 grandchildren and has at least as many great-grandchildren living today. To learn more about his ancestors, see the Leonard page. #robertjasperleonard #leonard #hollenbeck #census

Myles Standish is among the most well-known of the Mayflower passengers, memorialized in Longfellow's famous book "The Courtship of Miles Standish". Little solid evidence of his ancestry has been found, however. In fact, no one seems to know who his parents were. One book I found to be informative is "Some recent investigations concerning the ancestry of Capt. Miles Standish", written by Thomas C. Porteus in 1914. The author discusses Myles's connection to the Standish family of Standish, Lanchashire, England, a place mentioned in Myles's will. Perhaps DNA testing has provided some evidence of the connection between them. If you are a descendant of Myles, consider getting tested! Although his birthdate is unknown, the general consensus is that Myles was born in 1584, which would mean he was about 36 years old when he was recruited to guard the Mayflower passengers on their 66-day voyage across the Atlantic. He brought his wife, Rose Handley, along but she died in the first winter, like many others. Myles married again within a few years (before 1624), to a woman by the name of Barbara and together they had at least seven children. To this day, the union of Myles and Barbara has produced a bear minimum of 24,844 descendants within 15 generations (as of Apr. 27, 2022). You can view the Family List of Myles Standish on Wikitree, but surely there are many more not yet added to "the tree", especially recent generations. If you run the report and see that this number has grown, please let us know in the comments below! Myles was appointed as Commander of Plymouth's first militia in defense of the colony. He held this position from the time he arrived until he died in 1656. My ancestor, Solomon Leonard (usually spelled Lenner or Lennardson), who arrived in Duxbury in 1637, was one of those men. (Source) According to this source: "Along with the renowned George Soule, Miles Standish, John Alden, William Bradford and others – fifty-four in all – Solomon Leonard became one of the original proprietors of Bridgewater and one of the earliest settlers there." A park in Duxbury is dedicated to Capt. Standish and features a towering monument in his honor. Have a look around in this interactive Google map: Myles Standish Monument State Reservation (Alt. Link) Give this page a like and share, in the memory of Capt. Myles Standish, a defender of Plymouth Colony. Learn more about Myles Standish here See the interactive Mayflower database here #milesstandish #mylesstandish #mayflower

Many American towns are named after the families who originally settled the place and you might be surprised to find these places linked to your ancestors if you dig in to the history of the town. (You can use my County Search Tool to easily see if any counties, towns or cities are named after your family. Then check resources for that place to check for clues). In New Jersey there is an unincorporated place called "Leonardo", located in Middletown Township, Monmouth County. I remember passing through Leonardo a few year ago on a trip to the Twin Lights in the Atlantic Highlands. I had assumed that Leonardo wasn't named after the Leonard family, because of the "o", but a little investigating revealed that Leonardo was, in fact, named after the Leonards. "James and Henry Leonard came from England, in 1642, to Taunton, Mass., and from that time to about 1667 were engaged in constructing iron-works in the eastern colonies. James Grover, one of the Monmouth patentees, settled at Middletown in 1667, and while surveyor of the township, a few years thereafter, discovered traces of bog-ore at or near the Falls of Shrewsbury. He sent for the Leonards to come to New Jersey to construct iron-works, which they did, as mentioned." [History of Monmouth County, by Franklin Ellis, 1885, p. 543]. Comparing the old map in the book with a modern map, we can see that Leonardo is the same location formerly called Leonardville, home of the Leonard family. "The Leonardo section of Middletown was a part of Atlantic Highlands and originally called Leonardville. It was named after Henry and James Leonard, the first ironmasters in the state. Croydon Hall was the home of John J. Leonard." [Source: Chang, Kathy; and Kesten, Karen L. "Birth of a town" Archived 2014-12-15]. Few people credit the Leonards with being the first to successfully establish an ironworks in America, unfortunately. In fact, several years ago I visited the blacksmith at Allaire State Park in Wall Township - a mere 22 miles from Leonardo, and the "blacksmith" knew nothing about James and Henry Leonard who, along with generations of their descendants, supplied the colonies with iron products essential for building homes, businesses, carts and carriages. They made nails, horseshoes, farm equipment, and all kinds of iron tools necessary for building the foundations of this nation. Prior to their arrival, iron implements had to be imported or carried over with the colonists. Previous attempts to establish ironworks in America had failed mostly because of conflicts with the Native Americans, but James and Henry Leonard made peace with the Indians, contributing to their success. See my previous article "Secrets of Metal Making". My paternal Leonard family hails from New York and I've only been able to trace my Leonard line back to my 4th great-grandfather, Russel Leonard, who married Sophronia Burrill, but based on my father's haplogroup, it appears he is of Solomon Leonard's lineage. Solomon Leonard lived in New England during the same period as James and Henry Leonard, as well as John Leonard of Springfield, Massachusetts, but most Leonard researchers have stated that there is no evidence that Solomon was related to John or the brothers, James and Henry. In fact, the haplogroups prove they're not connected, if we are understanding them correctly. Still, descendants of my ancestors, Russel and Sophronia Leonard, may descend from both James Leonard and Solomon Leonard. How? Well, I found that Joshua Burrill - who I suspect was Sophronia's father, reportedly descended from James Leonard. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any documentation to prove that Sophronia was Joshua's daughter. The only evidence I have found so far is that my DNA matches several of Joshua's descendants. I hope to one day prove my connection to these industrious Leonards - the Ironmasters. If you're interested in the Leonards who founded Leonardville, check out these clippings from History of Monmouth County. You can access the entire book free online, but feel free to save or print this Leonard summary. See more: Resources for Middletown Township Resources for Monmouth County Resources for New Jersey My Leonard Family #leonard #newjersey #monmouthcounty #leonardo #leonardville #jamesleonard #henryleonard #ironmasters #colonial #industry

Do you know how many of your great-grandfathers fought for America's independence in the American Revolution? I didn't know of any in my family when I began the quest for my heritage, I was very surprised to learn that at least twelve of my great-grandfathers are found in the muster rolls. I couldn't understand how that information was lost to my generation, though. It was only 250 years ago, so why was the information so far removed from me? What I noticed is that nearly all my known grandfathers who were living in America during the 1770's fought in the war, and then it occurred to me that maybe no one talked about it because nearly all the men (of fighting age) in America at the time fought in the war and therefore it was common knowledge and not necessary to re-tell. Sadly, a few generations later, the information was lost and millions of us have no idea how personal the Revolutionary War was and is to us. The fact is, if you have colonial American roots, hundreds of your grandfathers could have fought in the Revolution. I created the table below to put it into perspective. It depends on your generation, so first find your age bracket on the left. Then you can see how many generations back your patriot ancestors lived. Being that I was born in the 1970s, my timeline is shown next to "48-72" age bracket. I can see that the war took place when my great-grandfathers in generations 10 and 11 (my 7th and 8th great-grandfathers) lived. We each have 512 7th great-grandfathers and 1,024 8th great-grandfathers, so people in my generation could have up to 1,536 forefathers who fought in the war. Children born recently could have about 6,000 patriot forefathers if both of their parents have Colonial roots! If one parent's family immigrated after the war, but one parent's family was here, they could still have the blood of 3,000 patriots flowing through their veins. What an amazing legacy to possess but not realize! Knowing that my own grandfathers were involved in the Revolution made it so much more personal for me. The DNA of these men is in every cell of my body! I suddenly became interested in the battles that seemed so far removed from me back when I learned about them in history class. I learned more about the war by reading their pension requests than I did through all my school years. The bloody battles were just a part of it. Our brave forefathers left their wives and children to march hundreds of miles, often in extreme weather, being cold, hungry, exhausted, and probably aching, they endured and most importantly, they won. Some people say genealogy is worthless, but knowing my ancestors risked it all to provide millions of Americans with almost 250 years of freedom and independence is priceless. If you haven't discovered any of our Revolutionary heroes in your roots yet, keep digging. When you find them it will give you and your family a sense of pride that money can't buy. It's not an arrogant pride or a racist pride, but inspirational and eye-opening pride. It doesn't mean we or they are any better than anyone but it means our ancestors made life better for billions of Americans over the past 250 years and hopefully for billions more in the future. Check out my list of resources for military records here. One of my favorite resources is the Daughters of the American Revolution's Lineage Books, which you can find here. It wasn't until recently, however, that I learned about The DAR Patriot Index, which I discovered after finding the three volume set for sale. I was glad to see that the evolving index is now online at the NSDAR website where you can search for free and order copies of applications submitted in the past by other descendants of your ancestors, which could provide you with more valuable clues about your family. Also, proving your connection to confirmed patriots can be used to apply for DAR membership, if you are interested in joining the organization. Use these links to search the DAR Patriot Index: Search for a Patriot soldier or officer here Search for a Patriot descendant here Disclaimer: MyGenealogyAddiction.com is not affiliated with DAR. I am just sharing this amazing resource with my readers. If you want to know more about my military ancestors, check out the Wall of Honor. #resources #americanrevolution #revolutionarywar #soldiers #dar #patriots #america

Recently I indexed all the issues of The American Genealogist Magazine I could find - a tedious task, to say the least - but while I was doing it, I came across several articles and abstracts about my own family. One article I found informative, was one called "The probable identity of the daughters of Roger Chandler of Duxbury, Mass.", written by Frederick C. Warner, sharing his research and theories. It was published in 1951 in Volume 27, Issue 1, pages 1-6. The pages are saved here for anyone interested. Feel free to print or save it to have your own copy. As mentioned in my previous blog about Roger Chandler, found here, his daughter Sarah, married Solomon Leonard of Duxbury, who is the progenitor of my Leonard lineage. If you have documented information about Roger Chandler or his family, please contribute to his profile on Wikitree (click here). #jameschilton #mayflower #rogerchandler #solomonleonard #sarahchandler #leonard

An old book with a very long title caught my attention recently while searching for clues about my Burrill family. The book is called "Some descendants of Stephen Lincoln of Wymondham, England, Edward Larkin from England, Thomas Oliver of Bristol, England, Michael Pearce of London, England, Robert Wheaton of Swansea, Wales, George Burrill, of Boston, England, John Porter of Dorset, England, John Ayer of Norwich, England and notes of related families", by William Ensign Lincoln. You can find the book on FamilySearch or HeritageQuest and read it for free (click here for links), or if you're interested in the Burrill family, you'll find the pages in below. I have extracted the section pertaining to the Burrill family (three pages plus the title page), and saved them in a separate PDF document for future reference or for any of his descendants who may not have discovered this resource yet. Feel free to print or save it. Additional information about this family can also be found in one of my previous blogs (click here). At this time, it is unknown which Burrill line my ancestor, Sophronia Burrill, descends from. #burrill #georgeburrill

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was one of America's most famous poets and educators. He was born in 1807 in Portland, Maine, and attended Bowdoin College there, graduating in 1825. He was then offered a professorship there, under the condition that he travel to Europe to study and learn French, Spanish, and Italian. He spent three years traveling around Europe, from 1826 to 1829, learning French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Portuguese, without formal instruction. When he returned, he began his work as professor of modern languages at Bowdoin. Soon after his return, he became reacquainted with Mary Storer Potter, a young woman he had known from school days. They were married in 1831 and then in 1834, Harvard College offered him a professorship of modern languages, under the condition that he travel abroad again for another year or so. He and Mary took the trip and he studied Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, and Icelandic. Sadly, Mary died in 1835, shortly after miscarrying their child, while the couple was in the Netherlands. She was only 23 years old and Longfellow had her remains shipped back to Boston for burial as he struggled to endure the pain. He returned home the following year and began his professorship at Harvard. He wrote many poems and had many more fans than critics, but the criticism was harsh, and perhaps why he devoted years of his life to translating works like Dante's Divine Comedy from Italian into English, rather than writing his own original works. Still, he was one of America's very first (if not the first) celebrity. In 1843, he married Fanny Appleton, who bore him six children. He retired from Harvard in 1859, to devote his time to writing. Two years later, in 1861, Fanny died tragically after her dress caught on fire. Longfellow was devastated and never the same again, but he lived on another 21 years, dying in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1882, at the age of 75. Some of his famous poems include Paul Revere's Ride, Evangeline, The Village Blacksmith, Tales of the Wayside Inn, and The Song of Hiawatha. He also wrote The Courtship of Miles Standish. Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Wadsworth_Longfellow #poetry #poet #longfellow #life #history

Back in 2002, my sister and I visited Cedar Ridge Cemetery in Blairstown, New Jersey, to find the graves of our 2nd great-grandfather, Harry Dickinson, and his family. We drove through the main entrance, parked, and walked the entire cemetery starting in the right front corner and canvasing the whole entire cemetery before finding the Dickinson plot in the opposite corner, near the other entrance (or the exit?). We had almost given up when we found it, but still, it was a memorable visit. Princess Doe While walking the back corner near the creek, we came across a grave marked "Princess Doe". I've since read several articles about the story as investigators try to solve the mystery of who she was and how she ended up murdered in the gully behind the cemetery back in 1982. Her identity is still unknown to this day. The police and locals chipped in to place a headstone on her grave. It reads: "Princess Doe, Missing from Home, Dead among strangers, Remembered by all, Born? - Found July 15, 1982". This documentary I found on YouTube will tell you the story, if you're interested: (Alternate Link) Later, we visited Blairstown Diner for lunch and the waitress explained that some scenes in the film "Friday the 13th" were filmed in Blairstown. You can find out which ones here (external link). The Bear Somewhere along the way, while walking up and down the rows between the graves, searching for ones engraved with "Dickinson", I looked up and saw a bear - a real live bear standing just as tall as me, a few rows away and looking straight at me. The headline "Woman mauled by bear at cemetery" flashed across my mind as I tried to figure out how to handle my first encounter with a bear. I immediately ran for my car which was parked not too far away. Luckily, the bear ran the other way, hopped the fence, and ran off through a field. The photos are bad, but I did manage to catch a couple snapshots of him running off: Finding the Dickinson family's burial plot After a couple hours of searching, we found the Dickinson family's plot. If we had entered through the other entrance, we would have found it right away, so if you're planning to visit the Dickinson's burial plot at Cedar Ridge Cemetery, I have two tips: First beware of the bears!! Second, don't enter through the main entrance. Instead, use the entrance to the left of the main entrance (if you're facing the gate at the main entrance). You will see the Dickinson plot on your left immediately upon entering through this entrance. The Dickinson family's burial plot My 2nd great-grandfather, Harry Dickinson, who died in 1935 is buried here. A stone for his wife, Annie, who died in 1913 when the family lived in Newark, New Jersey, was laid in the family plot in her memory but she remains buried in Newark. The stones, shown below, read as follows: "Mother, Annie Robinson, at rest Fairmount Cem, Newark, N.J. 1870-1913". "Father, Harry Dickinson, 1863-1935" Their daughters, Emma Dickinson, Rose Dickinson, and Ruth (Dickinson) Lindsey are buried nearby, along with their son John Dickinson. Ruth's husband and her granddaughter, Lorrie, are also in the plot. With the exception of my great-grandfather, William Henry Dickinson (front left), and his sister, Elizabeth, (third in back), everyone in this photo is buried at Cedar Ridge Cemetery. William and his wife are buried at West Hill Cemetery in Sherburne, New York. (Click here for photos) and Elizabeth is buried in Glendale Cemetery in Bloomfield, New Jersey. (Findagrave). Click here to learn more about the Dickinson family. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. #harrydickinson #williamhenrydickinson #johndickinson #emmadickinson #ruthdickinson #rosedickinson #elizabethdickinson