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In the past I have shared many resources pertaining to the pilgrims and early settlers of New England. You can find most of them on the Mayflower Resources page and if you haven't seen my interactive Mayflower Passenger List, you might find it useful. Bradford's journal and "History of Plymouth Plantation" provide some personal information about the Mayflower passengers, but another book, called "Mourt's Relation", provides a very detailed account of the events from the departure from Leyden to their arrival and settlement at Plymouth, or Plimoth as it was often written. "Cushman carried, in addition to Bradford’s letter to Weston, a manuscript that would become an invaluable historic recording of the Pilgrims first thirteen months in America known today as Mourt’s Relation. Believed written by Bradford and Edward Winslow, it recounts the First Thanksgiving and the abundance of the New World." [Wikipedia] Read in online (free) at Archive.org here: [Alternate link] Get your copy of this Mayflower passenger list on Amazon! Click here for my Mayflower database complete with illustrations. Click here for more Mayflower genealogy resources. Click here for thousands of other free genealogy resources. #plymouthplantation #pilgrims #mayflower #plimoth #plymouth #massachusetts #newengland

Of the original arrivals in the Plymouth Bay Colony, we know the Mayflower passengers made the first settlement in 1620, followed by The Fortune in 1621. Next to arrive were the Anne and the Little James in 1623. The two ships departed England and traveled together, but the Little James was slightly delayed after going off course. The Anne arrived on July 10th and Little James arrived on August 5th, three weeks later. Each ship didn't have it's own passenger list, but Governor Bradford's writings and other records provide us with the following names of passengers known to be on one of the ships: Anthony Annable Jane (Momford) Annable Edward Bangs John Bangs Jonathan Bangs Mrs. Lydia (Hix) Bangs Robert Bartlett Mary Becket Fear Brewster Patience Brewster Mrs. Mary (Oldham) Bridges William Bridges* Edward Burcher* Thomas Clark Christopher Conant Mrs. Hester Cook Anthony Dix John Faunce Mrs. Flavel Edmond Flood Mrs. Bridget Fuller Godbert Godbertson Sarah (Allerton) Vincent-Priest Godbertson Alice (Collard) Hatherley Timothy Hatherley William Heard Mary Hilton Mrs. Hilton William Hilton John Hix (presumed) Mrs. Margaret Hix Sarah Hix (presumed) Edward Holman John Jenney* Sarah (Carey) Jenney* Manasseh Kempton Robert Long Experience Mitchell Thomas Morton Jr George Morton* Juliana (Carpenter) Morton* Mrs. Ellen Newton John Oldham Lucretia Oldham Mrs. Oldham Mrs. Frances Palmer Christian Penn Joshua Pratt Mary Priest Sarah Priest James Rand Robert Ratcliffe Nicholas Snow Constant Southworth Mrs. Alice (Carpenter) Southworth Thomas Southworth Francis Sprague Barbara Thomas Tilden Stephen Tracy Tryphosa (Lee) Tracy Mrs. Joyce Wallen Ralph Wallen Abigail Warren Anne Warren Elizabeth Warren Mary Warren Mrs. Elizabeth Warren Sarah Warren Get an 8x10 copy of this passenger list on Amazon. Note: I found an interesting book called Christopher Jarrett of New Plymouth, published January 1, 1957, by Winona Strachan. The main character of the story is Christopher Jarrett, who arrived in Plymouth three years after the Mayflower. Could he have been on the Anne or the Little James? See my previous blog for details. See also The Mayflower Passenger List and The Fortune Passenger List. Click here for my Mayflower database complete with illustrations. Click here for more Mayflower genealogy resources. Click here for thousands of other free genealogy resources.

Our view of the past is as though we are looking through a dark glass, with only vague shadows of our ancestors visible from the present perspective. Names, dates, and places, are often easier to find than personal details about their lives. I love to find personal narratives and historical fiction that shine some light on their everyday lives, the struggles they faced, tactics they used for survival, and people they knew. While researching the Plymouth Bay Colony and the first colonists to arrive, I stumbled upon this book I was excited to find. It is called "Christopher Jarrett of New Plymouth", by Winona Strachan, published in 1957. I was lucky enough to find a copy on Amazon, and provided photos of the book's introductory summary from the interior flaps, shown below. Introduction: Sailing into the harbor aboard the shallop to which he had been transferred mid-ocean, the settlement of New Plymouth presented a disheartening prospect to twelve-year-old Christopher Jarrett. this was to his new home, through no choice of his own! Three years after the Mayflower had sailed back to England, leaving its pitifully small but determined group of passengers on the shore of the New World, the settlement they had built in the wilderness appeared to offer little to a child of the London gutters. Cocky and resentful, Christopher struggled to adapt himself to life in Governor Bradford's household, his thoughts constantly on his sister, Betsy. Ever since that night in London when she had been snatched from him, as he fought with their assailants, he had known that if he ever found her it would be as a bound-girl in Virginia. Thwarted in his attempts to leave Plymouth to search for Betsy, he finally came to accept this wild land as his home, adjusting to the rigors of wilderness life, the grueling hours of labor, the distraction of constant hunger. As Christopher helps to push back the forest, build cabins and boats, fight marauding wolves, haul herring for fertilizer, plant and harvest crops, a vivid picture of life in New Plymouth is created for the reader. Great names form America's past emerge as real people...Miles Standish, Governor Bradford, John Alden, Elder Brewster...all the hopeful men and women...the temperamental, the sad, the courageous, the greedy...who dare to believe that a dream could be a reality. Although this is primarily the story of Christopher Jarrett and his search which leads him to find not only his sister but himself as well, it is far more than that. It is the story of the first stumbling steps in the growth of America, recreated in absorbing and authentic detail. Read it free online now at Archive.org. Click here! Or click here to find a copy on Amazon! Click here for my Mayflower database complete with illustrations. Click here for more Mayflower genealogy resources. Click here for thousands of other free genealogy resources. #mayflower #pilgrims #plymouth #massachusetts #colonial

In my previous posts I've shared lots of information about the Pilgrims, Puritans, and Strangers - the passengers of the Mayflower. These brave souls were willing and able to give up every convenience for a chance to practice their Christian religion freely. They were devoted to the point of risking their lives, and, in fact, 58 of the 108 known passengers died either on the voyage or in the first year of arrival. After a voyage of 66 days, they arrived at Cape Cod in November of 1620 but remained on board for several weeks before stepping onto the baron and frigid shores. With no accommodations, they began building their homes at the start of a deadly winter. Check out my Mayflower database here to learn more about the Mayflower passengers, complete with antique illustrations. Get your copy of this Mayflower passenger list on Amazon! Click here for my Mayflower database complete with illustrations. Click here for more Mayflower genealogy resources. Click here for thousands of other free genealogy resources. #mayflower #pilgrims #plymouth #massachusetts #colonial

2020 marked 400 years since the Mayflower's famous landing at Plymouth Rock. Today millions of descendants of those brave and industrious pioneers live in every part of the country and elsewhere, despite only 56 of them having descendants. Their names are immortalized in the annals of American history. (See my Mayflower database with bios and illustrations here). The next group to arrive, however, we don't hear much about. "The Fortune", carrying 35 new-comers to the colony, caused quite a stir when it appeared off Cape Cod unexpectedly on November 9, 1621. At the first sighting of the ship, both the colonists and the Native Americans were on high alert, suspecting the ship of being a threat as it sat off shore for over a week, reluctant to proceed. The colonists readied the cannons while the ship's passengers contemplated returning to England. They finally proceeded to Plymouth Bay in late November and the colonists were relieved to see it was an English ship. Surely they hoped the ship carried at least some provisions to supplement their dangerously low storehouses as another brutal winter approached, but instead they received 35 passengers, nearly all male, with very little provisions or supplies. The new-comers were equally disappointed that the colony consisted of just seven houses and four common (public) buildings. Perhaps they expected the Pilgrim's would have made more progress in their first year, obviously unaware of the many challenges they faced. The colony's eleven structures would have to be shared by 82 people until new homes could be built. There were now more mouths to feed and not enough food to go around, which caused everyone concern, but there were now more strong, healthy workmen to help build the colony, and that they did. Most of the Fortune's passengers were young men recruited by Thomas Weston and the London Merchant Adventurers. Following is a list of known passengers aboard The Fortune: John Adams William & Elizabeth Bassett William Beale Jonathan Brewster Clement Briggs Edward Bompasse John Cannon William Conner Robert Cushman Thomas Cushman Stephen Deane Phillipe de la Noye Thomas Flavel & son Mr. Ford Mrs. Martha Ford John Ford Robert Hicks William Hilton Benedict Morgan Thomas Morton Augustine Nicolas William Palmer William Pitt Thomas Prence Moses Simonson Hugh Stacie James Steward William Tench John Winslow William Wright Get your 8"x10" copy of this commemorative passenger list poster on Amazon! Click here for a timeline and summary of colonial immigration. Click here to learn more about the Mayflower voyage & passengers and Plymouth Colony. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. Click here to subscribe for updates! It's free! #genealogy #immigration #america #colonial #colonists #plymouth #plymouthcolony #fortune

My ancestor, William McGinnis, born about 1828 in Ireland, arrived in America in 1849 or 1850. In my previous blog, I revealed a clue I found, indicating that William had a brother or close relative, named Robert McGinnis, who lived in Eglinton, Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1895. William also appears to have had at least three sisters, Rosa, Susan, and Mary. In 1901, Robert lived in Carnakilly Upper, District of Eglinton, Barony of Tirkeeran, Parish of Faughanvale, Division of North Derry, County of Londonderry. Those census records can be seen here in my previous post, along with Robert's burial information. Take a virtual tour of Eglinton with this interactive map: In an attempt to find out who Robert's family was, I hoped to find a household containing two boys named William and Robert on the census of 1841, but had no such luck. The census abstracts for Northern Ireland are shown below. Keep in mind, we are looking for the following family, all born in Ireland: Susan McGinnis, born abt. 1826 and was in New York by 1850. Robert McGinnis, born about 1827 and stayed in Ireland. William McGinnis, born about 1828 and was in New York by 1850. Rosa McGinnis, born abt. 1832 and was in New York by 1855. Mary McGinnis, born in 1841 and was in New York by 1860. The following McGinnis families found in the 1841 Census Abstracts for Northern Ireland are possible matches: Next, I will research the McGinnis family of Londonderry, Tirkeeran, and Faughanvale. Stay tuned as I continue to follow the lineage of the McGinnis family. If you have information to contribute, please use the comments below or contact me. Click here to learn more about William McGinnis. #williammcginnis #mcginnis #ireland #londonderry

German immigration to Wisconsin began in 1839, when land was sold at $1.25 per acre for those willing to suffer the three month journey. After a 4,000-mile journey, these hearty souls had to journey another 900 miles inland to their destination near Lake Michigan. But why? In the 1830s, Germany was divided into multiple states such as Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria and Austria. Pomerania, which is now part of Poland was under German control which became a problem when they attempted to force all the churches to unite. Rathe than compromise their beliefs, a group of devoted Lutherans in Pomerania opted to head for the land of the free - America. In 1839, forty families from Pomerania, Northern Germany, arrived in Freistadt, now located in Mequon, near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They suffered the journey specifically for religious freedom. The first building they constructed was a church, where sermons were preached in their native language until the mid-1900s. These images are from a 1976 documentary called Destination America, telling the story of these German (and some Irish) immigrants to Wisconsin. If you're interested in German immigrants to Wisconsin, watch the short film from Archive.org free: [Alternate Link] Click here for some Wisconsin genealogy resources. If you have any to share, please comment below! Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources.

Draft registrations for World War I and World War II can be found online, providing personal details about the lives of our male ancestors and relatives. I have found several of my forefathers' draft registration forms for both World War I & II. One of my four great-grandfathers, John Reese, didn't fight in World War II, but he did register for the draft in 1940, as required by law. I was fortunate enough to know my great-grandfather, but for those who never knew him, this provides a small glimpse into his personal life. He was 29 years old in 1940 and although there is no indication of it on the form, he had a wife and two young sons at the time. The family was counted on the 1940 census in Groton, Tompkins County, New York. According to the information provided on his draft registration, he was 5' 2" and weighed 138 pounds. He had a light complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He was employed by Rowland Davis of Cortland, New York, who was also his "Friend". See more photos and memorabilia about John Reese and his family here. To find World War II draft registration cards, try a search on Ancestry. (Paid subscription required to view results). #johnreese #reese #wwii #draft

I don't know when I became such a nerd, but instead of watching the latest popular series on cable television, in my free time I like to watch documentaries, mostly on the internet. One of my favorite channels on YouTube is Timeline - World History Documentaries, where I am always learning interesting facts about ancient civilizations and cultures. Watching them investigate ancient myths and legends is fascinating! In an episode I was watching recently, called "Is there a sunken civilisation in the black sea?", a comment the narrator made caught my attention. The clip starts at 42 minutes 35 seconds, transcribed here: Phoenicians were presumed to have come from the sons of Sidon who was the namesake for the ancient, now-submerged port city off the coast of Lebanon. In addition, the Thracians were also presumed to have come from Tyrus, a son of Japheth. Ancient historians even linked the Ashkenaya region of the Ukraine with Ashkenaz who was also a son of Japheth. The Cimmerians are linked with Gomer, another son of Japheth, known to the ancient Persians as Gomera this seems to represent further evidence that the roots of the ancient people around the old black sea are corroborated by the Biblical counts in Genesis. Japheth was one of Noah's three sons, who was spared during the Great Flood. You can read about it in Genesis 7. This is interesting to me is because my DNA shows I am 4.56% Ashkenazi and, until now, I wasn't sure exactly what that meant. My father's results show 4.3% Ashkenazi and my maternal grandfather's results show 4.63%, proving it is from both sides of my family. It doesn't show up on my Ancestry DNA test but after downloading my raw DNA from Ancestry and uploading it to Gedmatch, I was able to view much more detail about my ethnicity. According to Wikipedia: "Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or, by using the Hebrew plural suffix -im, Ashkenazim are a Jewish diaspora population who coalesced in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium. The traditional diaspora language of Ashkenazi Jews is Yiddish, developed after they had moved into northern Europe: beginning with Germany and France in the Middle Ages." Tip: You can view your admixture after uploading your raw DNA results to GedMatch. Click "Admixture (heritage)" and then select the "Eurogenes" project and click Continue. Enter your kit number and for Calculator Model, select "J Test" and click Continue again for your results. Noah's Ark Find thousands of free genealogy resources on my Genealogy Dashboard!

To live in the hearts we leave behind, is not to die. - Unknown #quotes #memories #memorials #death #grieving

Mary "Polly" Brown was born November 12, 1838, reportedly in Genoa, Cayuga County, New York. Her name varied on records, sometimes being written Polly and at least once it was written Sarah, but she usually went by Mary. You can see the variations in my previous posts, where I shared the census records she was found on from 1855 to 1892, and from 1900 to 1915. Here in this embroidered "Family Record", hand made by Mary Polly Brown herself, she stitched her own name as "M . LEONARD . BORN . NOV. 12, 1838". (From Dryer Family Photos). Mary Polly Brown's father was said to have been Eugene Edwin Brown and her mother, Lydia King. (Documentation containing her parents' names was shared in my previous post). In this post I'll lay out the only clues I've found which may reveal Mary Polly Brown's whereabouts in 1850, when she was a young girl. If she was born Nov. 12, 1838, as recorded in the Family Record, she would have been 11 years old and would have turned 12 in November of 1850. Since she was reportedly born in Genoa and she also lived there at the age of 17 as a newlywed with Charles and a newborn baby, Joseph, she may have been in the same small town of 2,500 people when the census was taken in 1850. Sure enough, a search of the 1850 census does reveal a girl named Polly Brown living in Genoa, but her age was given as 12 and she was the only Brown in the home belonging to Peter and Lydia Shaver. The census in Genoa was taken on October 1st, a month before Mary Polly Brown's birthday, so if this was her, whoever gave the information to the census taker may have estimated her age, or perhaps she was really born in 1839, which is a possibility. It is interesting to note that on the 1900 census, "Nov 1839" was given as her birth month and year. Alternatively, this may not have been our Mary Polly Brown at all. Peter and Lydia Shaver (Shaffer/Shafer) report being born in Pennsylvania. They appear to have had two children in the home in 1850, Philip and Sally A. Shafer. By 1855, Sally was married to George Bower. Philip also married and had at least three children: William Shaffer, Edgar Shaffer, and Emma (Shaffer) Newman, all named in Phillip's will dated 1899. No will has been found for Peter or Lydia. Mary was not found in the Shaffer household in 1855, which supports the idea that this Polly Brown was our Mary Polly Brown because we know ours married Charles Russell Leonard about 1854 and when the census was taken in 1855, they had their own home in Genoa, as mentioned previously. Lydia Shaffer died on January 19, 1888 and is buried in Genoa Rural Cemetery (Findagrave). Whereas I had hoped this Lydia was Polly's mother, Lydia King, others claim this was Lydia Fetterman and so, for now, we'll have to assume the Shafers were not family and simply took Polly in, perhaps as a foster child, or perhaps as a servant, which wasn't uncommon for young people in those times. A copy of Lydia's death certificate should confirm her identity more definitively, however. (Certificate #2229 "Lydia Shaffer"). If you have a copy, please share! In my next post, I'll share what I've found in trying to locate Mary and her parents on the 1840 census. Stay tuned! Click here to learn more about Mary Polly Brown. Click here to learn more about the Leonard family. #marypollybrown #brown #leonard

Mary Polly Brown married Charles Russell Leonard before 1854 and together they had at least 11 children. They were counted on the census together until 1880, which you can see in my previous blog. There you'll also find Mary's entry on the 1892 New York State census when she was living in Locke with two of her sons, Arthur and Irving Leonard. She and Charles had split up around 1888. Meanwhile, in February of 1892, Mariette Wilson, wife of Joseph Wilson, died at the age of 68. Eight years later, when the 1900 census was taken, Mary was still living in Locke, but she was reported as the wife of Joseph Wilson. We know this is our Mary for a few reasons. First, our family genealogies report she married Joseph Wilson, second, because she is buried in the same plot with Joseph Wilson, and finally, the most obvious reason - because her son, Irving Leonard was living in the home and his relationship to Joseph Wilson was "step-son". Joseph died on January 10, 1905 and later that year Mary was counted on the census, still in Locke, with only one other person in the home. It was her grandson, Victor Raymond, a son of Frank and Lydia (Leonard) Raymond. (Census shown above). Mary would go on to marry Peter Welch (or Walsh) on March 17, 1906, but the marriage would later be annulled when Mr. Welch discovered that Charles Leonard and Mary (or "Polly") had never been legally divorced. Click here for that story. Nevertheless, Mary kept Walsh's name until death. Her name was written "Polly Walsh" on the 1915 census, when she was still living in Locke, with a granddaughter, Bertha Leonard, in the home. She died two years later in 1917. Her name is written "Mary Walsh" on her death certificate, and "Mary Welch" in Bird Cemetery's burial records, although she is buried in the same section with Joseph Wilson. Read about the settling of her estate here. Click here to learn more about Mary Polly Brown. Click here to learn more about the Leonard family. #marypollybrown #leonard #brown

Finishing up my review of what we know about Mary "Polly" Brown, wife of Charles Russell Leonard, Joseph Wilson, and Peter Walsh, the following are the known facts about her death and burial. (The surrogate records for the distribution of her estate can be found here.) Mary's death certificate, shown here, indicates her father's name was "Eugene Brown". (My apologies for not recalling who to credit for this great find). The certificate also indicates she was born in Genoa, New York, on November 12, 1838, and she died on May 14, 1917, from "Paralysis Right Hemiplegia" or "Right Sided Hemiplegia", meaning she had paralysis on the right side of her body, with Chronic Nephritis as a contributing factor. Chronic Nephritis is inflammation of the kidneys, a type of kidney disease. For information on repairing your DNA to help prevent disease, click here! A typed genealogy report found at Dryer Family Photos elaborates, stating that her father's name was Eugene Edwin Brown and her mother's name was Lydia King. Mary is buried in Bird Cemetery with her second husband, Joseph Wilson. Hopefully a photo of her grave will follow soon! Next, I'll try to find more on Eugene Edwin Brown and Lydia King. Stay tuned and subscribe for updates if you haven't already! If you have information about this family to share, please share in the comments below or contact me! Click here to learn more about Mary Polly Brown. Click here to learn more about the Leonard family. #marypollybrown #birdcemetery #leonard #brown

Mary "Polly" Brown was my 3rd great-grandmother. She was born November 12, 1838, in Genoa, Cayuga County, New York. She married Charles Russell Leonard before 1854. Following are the census records Mary is found on between 1855 and 1900, during her marriage to Charles Russell Leonard. Despite combing many pages of census records, I have yet to find the couple on the 1850 or 1860 census. Stay tuned for more! Subscribe for updates! Click here to learn more about Mary "Polly" Brown. Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. #marypollybrown #brown #leonard #charlesrussellleonard

This week, it was snowing here in Pennsylvania - a great time to do some digging but not the cold, backbreaking kind - the genealogy kind! I decided to revisit a question that pops into my mind every now and then: Who was Mary Jane Gorton? The question led me to finding the will and surrogate records of my 3rd great-grandmother, Mary Polly (Brown) Leonard. If you follow my blog, you know that recently I found a wealth of clues about my McGinnis and Smith connections from surrogate records and reunion announcements published in the local newspapers. In the same way, the mystery of Mary Jane Gorton came about. While searching for clues on one of my favorite sites, FultonHistory.com, I found two notices which seem to provide a glimpse into the extended family of Charles & Mary Leonard. From the Geneva Daily Times, June 10, 1918: "Mrs. Lydia Raymond was called to Moravia and Auburn last week in the matter of a will of her aunt for which she is named executor". From the Moravia Republican Register, Feb. 1919: "The people of the State of New York, to Arthur Leonard, Joseph Leonard, Irving E. Leonard, Susan Canavan, Charles Leonard, Flora Sherman, Bert Pease, Helen Hamlin, Luella Townsend, James Leonard, Albert Leonard, Elma Wilkins, Ethel Bross, Cyrus Gorton: Upon the petition of Lydia J. Raymond of the town of Lodi, N.Y., you are hereby cited to show cause before the Surrogate's Court of Cayuga County at the Courthouse in the City of Auburn on the 15th day of April, 1919, at 2:30 o'clock in the afternoon, why a decree should not be granted judicially settling her accounts as Executrix of etc. of Mary Jane Gorton, late of the town of Venice, N.Y., deceased..." Lydia J. Raymond was a daughter of Charles Russell Leonard and Mary "Polly" Brown, my 3rd great-grandparents. Lydia was born in 1874 and married in 1888 to Frank Raymond, born abt. 1865, a son of Fitch Hopkins Raymond. Because Mary Jane Gorton was called Lydia's "aunt", we can assume she was a sister of one of Lydia's parents - Charles Leonard or Mary "Polly" Brown, but it is also possible she was Lydia's husband's aunt - a sister of one of Frank Raymond's parents. As for Charles Leonard, we only know of him having one sister, Jenette (Leonard) Reynolds, although he could have had more. He did have several half-siblings from his mother's marriage to Thomas Knapp. I was able to locate Mary Jane's will and surrogate records on FamilySearch. In the papers, it clarifies that she was aunt to all of Charles Russell Leonard's children, eliminating my initial thought that Mary Jane could have been an aunt of Lydia's husband and not a sister of Charles or Mary. You can read, download, or print the pages from the surrogate records, shown here: Mary Jane Gorton died May 7, 1918 in Venice, New York. Cert #31644. News of her death was reported in the local paper as follows: "Mrs. Cyrus Gorton died suddenly Tuesday at her home in East Venice. Funeral services were held yesterday." (Moravia Republican Register, May 1918). This valuable clue from the New York Marriage Index indicates Mary Jane Gorton's maiden name was either Brown or Johnson and since she was Lydia Raymond's aunt, we know it could only have been Brown! It seems likely that she married a man named Johnson before marrying Cyrus Gorton at the age of about 53 in 1900. So Mary Polly Brown had a sister named Mary Jane Brown? Strange, but not impossible! It appears she was Mary Johnson at the time of her marriage, so I checked the 1892 census to see if I could find her. The following potential matches were found. I still haven't found the details of this Johnson marriage. If anyone has any information, please comment below or contact me. Cyrus and Mary were counted on the census of 1900 in Sullivan, Madison County, New York. In 1905, they lived in Locke, Cayuga County. In 1910, they lived in Venice and in 1915 they lived in Throop. Cyrus was a blacksmith, apparently moving frequently for work. Mary Jane Gorton is buried in Bird Cemetery in Locke, in the same section as Mary "Polly" Brown Leonard Wilson Walsh and her second husband, Joseph Wilson - Section PF-1. (These links to their corresponding Findagrave memorials). Her obituary and entry in Bird Cemetery's index are shown here: Six months after Mary Jane died, Cyrus married on November 16, 1918, to May E. Willson, also known as Marjorie Raymond, daughter of Ebenezer Raymond and Harriett Hartigan. Cyrus died on July 20, 1929, in Romulus, and is buried in Ovid Union Cemetery with Marjorie, who died on March 8, 1939. Cyrus Gorton was a descendant of Samuel Gorton, the subject of "Life and Times of Samuel Gorton", written by Adelos Gorton in 1907. His family is found on page 474 as follows: In May of 1892, Mrs. Wealthy Gorton died. According to her obituary, which corresponds with the Gorton book, she was born in Brookfield and married Daniel P. Gorton. They lived in Brookfield and in New York Mills. They had seven sons, including C. H. Gorton of Syracuse at the time of her death. She also had two brothers, Reuben Nash of Skaneateles Falls and Isaac Nash of Brookfield. (Utica Weekly Herald, May 31, 1892). Subscribe to my blog to follow my research! Stay tuned for updates coming soon! Click here to learn more about the Leonard branch of my family. #maryjanegorton #brown #leonard

After 21 years of doing genealogy, today I stumbled upon the will of my 3rd great grandmother, Mary Polly Brown! It is ironic that it is in her death records that we learn the most about her life. Receipts to her creditors tell us what she was buying from the local businesses, one of which was "Hewitt Brothers", a business still standing today, shown here on Google Maps. This was a view from 2009. Much of the building, including the silos and towers, have since been removed, but this is one of the places Mary shopped regularly. Receipts show her purchasing coal and potatoes from Hewitt Bros. in 1916 and 1917. Her bills at the local general store included lists of items she purchased on a regular basis: flour, sugar, oil, coffee, lard, beans, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla, butter, soup, tea, milk, margarine, pork, cod fish, rice, vinegar, canned tomatoes and crackers. On page 20, we learn interesting details about Charles and Mary's son, Charles L. Leonard. Previously, I shared some clippings about his disappearance in 1888. He returned to his family before 1891, but from Mary's estate papers we learn that he left again afterwards. Because he was an heir named in Mary's will, attempts were made to locate him, without success. His son, Floyd, stated that the last he had heard of him, he was in Rochester and was going further west. The story sounds remarkably similar to that of Charles Russell Leonard's father, Russell Leonard, who left to buy land out west and never returned. You can read through all the pages of Mary's will here and download or print it, if you'd like. Stay tuned for more! Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. #marypollybrown #leonard #albertjayleonard

Did you know you can access thousands of New York Naturalization Records online for free? I was thrilled to find a handwritten copy of one of my immigrant ancestor's handwritten declaration of intention of citizenship, filed soon after he settled in Central New York, in the early 1850s. You can browse or search the collection on FamilySearch using this link. Tip: Be sure to try various spellings and variations if you have a hard time finding a match. If you find a match, let us know! Share this find with friends and family! Click here for my Genealogy Dashboard containing thousands of free genealogy resources to help with your research. Subscribe for updates - it's free! #immigration #naturalization #naturalizationrecords #resources #newyork #citizenship

Introducing The Time Deductor! Sorry, it's not a time machine and can't take years of your age, but it can help with some tricky math, which is why I created it! How many times have you come across a record that gives a persons age on a given date, but doesn't give their birth date? This is the case with census records, some tombstones, cemetery indexes, and other records I've come across. Usually it's easy enough to calculate the birth date but I took on the challenge of creating a form to do the math anyway! It's a great way to double check for errors, especially when dealing with complicated dates, leap years, etc. First, enter the "end" date and year. Then enter the number of years, months, and days to deduct and click Calculate. The Time Deductor will then calculate the original date for you. You can access the Time Deductor from the Tools menu at the top of the page or click here to give it a try! Note: The information you enter is not saved or recorded. It is brought to you compliments of MyGenealogyAddiction simply for your convenience and entertainment. Enjoy! TIME DEDUCTOR TRY THE NEW TIME CALCULATOR TOO! Click here for more genealogy resources and tools! Subscribe to my blog for updates! It's free! #timedeductor #time #calculator #tools #genealogy

Here's another tool I created to help make some of the tedious sometimes complicated tasks easier while researching family history. Introducing "The Time Calculator". What's it for? Well, it's for calculating the difference in time, between two dates. For example, if you want to know exactly how old you are today or on any given day, this will quickly tell you. Just enter the birthdate and year and then enter the second date and year. Then click "Calculate" and see exactly how many years, months and days elapsed between the two dates. CLICK HERE TO GIVE IT A TRY Other ideas for this tool's use: Use it to determine the exact difference between two people's ages. Use it to determine how old a person was when they were married, died, etc. Use it to determine how much time has passed since any event such as a new job. Use it to determine how long has passed since you've seen a loved one. I found this tool useful recently when I heard that on the day President Trump was sworn in as President of the United States, he was 70 years, 7 months and 7 days old. I used the Time Calculator to fact check this interesting observation. President Trump was born on June 14, 1946. He was sworn in on January 20, 2017, so I entered these dates and found it to be a day short. On the day he was sworn in, President Trump was 70 years, 7 months and 6 days old but on the following day, his first full day in office, January 21, 2017, he WAS exactly 70 years, 7 months and 7 days old. Fascinating! You can find the Time Calculator from the Tools menu at the top of the page. Share it with your friends and family! Note: The information you enter is not saved or recorded. It is brought to you compliments of MyGenealogyAddiction simply for your convenience and entertainment. Enjoy! Subscribe to my blog for updates on new resources, tools and finds! It's free! #timecalculator #tips #tools #genealogy #dates

Roger Chandler was an early settler of the Plymouth Colony, arriving between 1629 and 1632. He was born in England, abt. 1590, and moved to Leiden, Holland, where he was a say weaver by trade. A say weaver made "say", which was used to make table cloths, bedding, etc. (Source). As a point of interest, the famous artist, Rembrandt, was born in Leiden in 1606. Roger was married in Leiden on July 15, 1615, to Isabella Chilton, daughter of James and Susanna Chilton. Isabella was born in Canterbury and was baptized there on January 15, 1587. Her father was a tailor in Canterbury. Dutch Mill by Rembrandt The Chiltons were Separatist pilgrims who had fled from Canterbury to Leiden, Holland, to escape the religious edicts of the Church of England and persecution by its subjects. Isabella's parents and teen-aged sister, Mary Chilton, left Leiden in 1620, sailing on the famous Mayflower to the new world. James was the oldest passenger on the ship. Sadly, Isabella's parents both died while the ship was anchored for five weeks off Cape Cod, prior to their landing at Plymouth. Isabella's sister, Mary, survived and is said to have been the first of the passengers to step foot onto Plymouth Rock. Mary married John Winslow between 1623 and 1627, a union that produced ten Winslow children. John and Mary Winslow both died in Boston in the 1670s and rest in King's Chapel Burying Ground in Boston. In 1622, Roger and Isabella were said to have been living in the Sevenhuysen part of Leiden. In trying to locate this place, I found only Zevenhuizen, a hamlet in the Dutch province of South Holland, within the municipalities of Kaag en Brassem and Teylingen. (Source) Zevenhuizen is about 3-4 miles northeast of Leiden. Translated it means "seven houses". Roger and Isabella's daughter, Sarah Chandler, was born in Leiden in 1616 (baptized Oct. 15, 1622). Other children were: Mary, who was born in 1618, Samuel, who was born in 1622 and appears to have died young, and Lydia and Martha, who were born in 1625. The family left Leiden between 1629 and 1630 with a number of members of the Leiden Congregation. In 1633, Roger was taxed and listed among the freemen of Plymouth (Massachusetts). His son, who bore his namesake, Roger Chandler, was born in 1637. Roger died between 1646 and 1665. In October of 1665, the Plymouth Court granted 150 acres of land to the three daughters of the deceased Roger Chandler. No mention of Isabella was made, indicating she probably died before him. No mention of their son, Samuel, was made either, indicating he probably died young. There was a Samuel Chandler taxed in Dorchester in 1633, but Roger's son would have only been 11 years old at the time - too young to be on the tax rolls. Another Samuel Chandler of Duxbury was the son of Edmund Chandler - not Roger. There were no other men named Samuel Chandler found. Subscribe to follow my research on the Chilton, Chandler, and Leonard families and much more! Click here to learn more about the Great Migration. Click here for the Mayflower Interactive Database. Click here for more free genealogy resources. Sources: Roger Chandler Familypedia [Link] The Descendants of Roger Chandler of Concord, Mass., 1658, by Charles H. Chandler [Read Online] [Buy a Copy] Mayflower Families through Five Generations, Vol. 15, by Robert M. Sherman et al., 1997 [Read Online] [Buy a copy] The Great Migration Begins, by Robert C. Anderson, NEHGS, 1995. [Buy a copy] The Pilgrim Migration, by Robert C. Anderson, NEHGS, 2004 [Buy a copy] The Probable Identity of the Daughters of Roger Chandler of Duxbury, Massachusetts, by Frederick C. Warner, The American Genealogist, 1951, 1-6.

In researching the ancestors of my 4th great grandmother, Sophronia Burrill, I found that there were primarily two Burrill families in New England during Colonial times - the descendants of George Burrill of Lynn and the descendants of John Burrill of Weymouth. The information provided in two old books that I found give the genealogies of these two families is provided here for anyone researching the family. You can view, download, or print the 10-page document here: Subscribe to my blog for updates on my research and more - it's free! If you have information to contribute, please contact me or comment below! Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. #sophroniaburrill #burrill #leonard #johnburrill #joshuaburrill

Cora E. Sherman was my 2nd great-grandmother. She had at least five brothers and sisters, of which she was the third born. Addie was the oldest, born about 1868. William was born the following year and Cora was born in 1872. Carrie was born in 1873, Adelbert was born in 1876, Christina was born in 1874, and Anna, also known as Annie, was born about 1878. They were the children of James Sherman and Amy Dow (McDowell) Sherman. The family was counted on the census of 1870 in Ledyard, Cayuga County, New York. At the time, there were only two children in the home. In 1880, they were still living in Ledyard. Four more children had been born in the previous decade. Ledyard is a small town of a little over 48 square miles, on the east shore of Cayuga Lake. It was founded in 1823 from part of Scipio. The southern part of Ledyard was part of the Central New York Military Tract and the northern part was part of the Cayuga Indian Reservation. In fact, James Sherman's mother, Eleanor Sparks (or Spore), was said to have been Native American, and may have been affiliated with this tribe. Notable historic sites in Ledyard include the North Street Friends Meetinghouse, which may contain some family burials. Levana is a hamlet in Ledyard and Aurora is a village in Ledyard, where the Wells family of the Wells-Fargo banking empire lived. The population of Ledyard in 1880 was 2,199, but in 2010 only 1,886 people were counted on the census there. Sadly, Amy, the mother of these children died on April 20, 1886, at the age of about 47, and the fate of James, their father, is unknown. What is known is that the children were orphaned and the family was broken up. So, where did the children go? Well, eight months after Mrs. Sherman died, on December 20, 1886, Cora married Lewis Leonard in Moravia. Cora was only about 14 years old and Lewis was about 16. They were my 2nd great-grandparents. In 1892, their new family was living about 15 miles southeast of Ledyard, in Summerhill, Cayuga County. Cora's 17-year old brother, Bert, was living with them and Lewis and Cora already had three children. My great-grandfather, Albert, wasn't born until 1894 and a few years later, in 1897, Lewis died of Typhoid Fever, leaving Cora in similar circumstances, perhaps, as her mother. Cora also died young, at the age of 42. Christina, also known as "Carrie", married at the age of 16 to Robert Tighe and the couple lived in Moravia in 1892. Around the same time, Addie, the eldest child, married William Whitmore. They lived in Moravia in 1920. William Sherman married Bessie E. Luce about 1903, and lived in Cortland County the remainder of his life. He died in 1936 and is buried in Virgil. (There was a William Sherman in Summerhill, however, his father was Dwight Sherman and that family was living in Summerhill as early as 1870). What about Annie? Little Annie was only about eight years old when her mother died and we learn that she was put into the Auburn Orphan Asylum, which her older sister, Addie was paying for until her aunt, Mrs. Jacobs (Melissa), removed her from the orphanage to care for her. We learn from the story published in the local news, that Addie didn't approve of the arrangement and fought to have Annie removed from the home. Finally, she was placed in the custody of a "wholly disinterested" (impartial) person, Mrs. Gould. The transcription of these three articles is provided here: Annie later married Wilber Miner and had at least two children, Bertha and Henry Miner. (Ancestry). The family was counted on the census in Auburn from 1915 to 1940. Today, James and Amy Sherman's descendants are many, despite their family being broken early. Life may have been better for their children and grandchildren if they had lived full lives, or maybe not. We may never know the details, but their memory lives on because the seeds they planted were fruitful and continue to this day. Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. Subscribe for updates to follow my research and if you have any information to contribute, please contact me or comment below! #jamessherman #corasherman #anniesherman #lewisleonard

The Pledge of Allegiance was formally adopted by Congress in 1942, and was officially named "The Pledge of Allegiance" in 1945. The original pledge was inspired by a pledge written in 1887 by Captain George Thatcher Balch, an Officer in the Union Army during the Civil War. His pledge read: "We give our heads and hearts to God and our country; one country, one language, one flag!" The version we are most familiar with and use today was written by Francis Bellamy in August of 1892, as follows: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Early on, a minor revision was made: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." In 1923, the following revisions were made: "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." The following year, in 1924, it was changed again, as follows: "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Finally, in 1954, per 4. U.S.C. §4, is exactly as follows: "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Schools of the pledge in schools each morning, as I remember doing as a child. Congressional sessions and many government meetings also open with the recital, a beautiful American tradition heartfelt by patriots both past and present across the land. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance #patriotic #american #american #patriotism

Madora, also known as "Dora" Sherman was the sister of my 3rd great-grandfather, James Sherman. She was born in 1849, probably in Cayuga County, New York. Her family was living in Sennett in 1850. Dora married Allen Rice, on December 31, 1874, in Auburn, New York, according to her son, Edgar Rice's obituary. She was a tough woman based on the few stories I found in the local news while searching for her obituary. In 1878, she was arrested for stabbing a man with a pitch fork. She was about 29 years old at the time. The reason for the assault and the outcome of the charges remains unknown. In 1880, "Madorah Rice", age 30, was married and living with her husband, Allen Rice, age 40. They lived at 155 Van Anden Street, Auburn, New York, according to the census. In May of 1892, Dora and Allen were divorced and a few years later, in 1897, she was involved in another altercation. She was about 47 years old at the time. The dramatic event is transcribed here from the article printed in the Auburn Bulletin: DORA HAD A GUN And She Was Belaboring Charles A. Moore When an Officer Arrived. Charles A. Moore and Dora Rice, who are quite well known to the residents of the Northeastern portion of the city, had a set-to in Franklin street about 8:30 Monday night. It was brought to an untimely end by Officer Roseboom, who very opportunely happened to be on the ground. He was just in time, it is said, to prevent a murder. Dora had drawn a revolver, an old fashioned Allen revolver, a pepper box, a murderous looking weapon with six barrels. Dora and Moore happened to meet in Franklin street. They were not good friends. Moore had been living at Dora's and they had disagreed. Dora asked Moore for some board money she claims to be due. Moore says she called him names. Dora drew her revolver and began to belabor Moore with it. Moore wrested it from her and threw it across the street. They were seen by Officer Roseboom at this point. When the officer reached them they were pummelling one another at a terrific rate. Dora was doing well. She is a woman of magnificent physique and was quite capable of taking care of herself. The man was arrested by the gallant officer. He was arraigned the next morning and pleaded not guilty. His examination was set down for 3 o'clock. Dora was present when the plea was made. She volunteered the statement that she had carried the weapon for 20 years. [Auburn Bulletin, Tues., April, 27, 1897 from FultonHistory.com] "Modora C. Rice" is found in the New York Death Index, having died May 22, 1926, in Moravia. Certificate #34567. I haven't found her burial place yet. If anyone knows, please comment below! Stay tuned for more on this family. Subscribe for updates! More info: Levi Sherman & Family Free Genealogy Resources #levisherman #sherman #cayugacounty #newyork #leonard

James Sherman was my 3rd great-grandfather. His daughter, Cora E. Sherman, married Lewis Leonard, a son of Charles Russell Leonard. Little is known about James Sherman, however. He was a son of Levi Sherman and Eleanor Sparks. From the census, he appears to have been born between in New York between June and August of 1840. The little I have found about him is from the census. In 1850, he was living in Sennett, Cayuga County, New York. Then in 1855, 1860, and 1865, he was counted in Venice, same county. In 1870 and 1880 he was living in Ledyard, very close to Venice, same county. From there, I lost his trail. Being that James was born about 1840, we know he was probably drafted or enlisted for the Union's cause during the Civil War, so I searched various Civil War records to see what could be find. I discovered there were several other men sharing his name, living in central New York at the time, which is important to know! In fact, there was another father and son named Levi and James Sherman living very close to my Levi and James Sherman, which could potentially cause a lot of confusion. (Read about that in my previous blog here). The following records for men named James Sherman in New York during the Civil War are worth noting: James M. Sherman of Butler, mentioned in my previous blog, enlisted Aug. 6, 1862, NY 9th Reg. Co. G. James Sherman who enlisted at Auburn on Feb. 24, 1862. He deserted on July 30, 1862. James Sherman who was born in Moravia, enlisted at Auburn, mustered in NY 9th Heavy Artillery, Co. E, on Dec. 9, 1863, and deserted July 2, 1865. James Sherman who enlisted at Springport, New York, August, 1864. James Sherman born 1841 in Herkimer County, enlisted March 19, 1867 in Detroit, Michigan, Reg. 1 Cav. Co. E., deserted Sept 3, 1868. James Sherman listed under "men subject to do military duty in the 24th Cong. District" . He lived in Venice, New York (Sub. Dist. 29), and his age as of July 1, 1863 was reported as age 20. The list is dated June 30, 1863. This is the one that is almost certainly my ancestor. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find more information on his service. On the 1865 census, my ancestor, James was single and living as a "Servant" in the home of Simon Perigo in Venice. His occupation was "farmer" and "soldier" and he was marked "now in army". There were several other men in the town with the same status. Between 1865 and 1868, James married Amy Dow (or McDowell) and they started their family. In 1870 and 1880, he was counted on the census in Ledyard, where he remained at least until 1880. Amy died around 1886, based on newspaper accounts. (See my next blog post for details). A search of the 1890 veterans census produced the following results for James Sherman in New York: Of these, the only likely match, James Sherman in Candor, was found there again on the 1892 New York State Census. He was age 44 and living with Celia Sherman, age 36, Mattie A. Sherman, female, age 15, and Eddie F. Sherman, age 10. They were also there in 1880, proving it is not my ancestor, James Sherman who lived in Ledyard in 1880. When and where James died remains a mystery so far, as does his burial place. Stay tuned for updates as I share new finds! If you have any information to contribute, please contact me or comment below. See more: James Sherman The Leonard Family #jamessherman #sherman #corasherman #lewisleonard #civilwar Sources: 1. James M. Sherman of Butler, NY [Blog] 2. Muster Roll Abstract (#4522) 3. New York Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts [Ancestry]. 4. Civil War Records and Profiles (Report of the Adjutant General 1893-1906). [Ancestry] 5. Findmypast Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865, M551 roll 128 6. U.S. Registers of Deaths of Volunteers 1861-1865 [Ancestry] 7. New York, U.S., Registers of Officers and Enlisted Men Mustered into Federal Service, 1861-1865 [Ancestry] 8. U.S. Register of Army Enlistments 9. Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1835 [Ancestry]

While researching my ancestor James Sherman, the father of 2nd great-grandmother, Cora (Sherman) Leonard, I came across this record. It shows James M. Sherman, born May 20, 1842, in Butler, Wayne County, New York. He was a son of Levi Sherman & Ann Palmer. He had a brother named William who fought in the same regiment during the Civil War, but died in service. On the opposite page, each of these entries continues, first 4 lines for William, Lines 5-8 for James: From the records, we learn that both William and James were sons of Levi Sherman and Ann Palmer. William P. Sherman, born Sept. 1840, in Butler, Wayne, New York, was a Private in NY 9th Artillery Co. G. He enlisted in August of 1862, at Red Creek, New York, and served in the defense of Washington nearly two years. He died on November 27, 1863. "Remains sent home." James M. Sherman, born May 20, 1842, was a Sergeant in the same regiment. He was born in South Butler, Wayne County, New York. He was in battles of Cold Harbor, Cedar Creek, 2nd Petersburg, Sailors Creek, and was at the surrender of General Lee. Mustered out July 6, 1865, present address, Westbury (?), New York. At first glance, this appears to be my ancestor, James Sherman. Here's why: Butler is only about 21 miles from Sennett, where my Sherman family lived. My ancestors in this branch of my tree lived in both Wayne and Cayuga Counties. My ancestor James Sherman was born about 1842. This one was born May 20, 1842. My ancestor's father's name was Levi Sherman, the same as this one. My ancestor, Levi Sherman, was born abt. 1815. A look at the 1850 census of Butler shows Levi Sherman, age 35 - another match. To be sure this was the same family, though, I searched the 1850 Census on FamilySearch to see if there were other men named Levi Sherman in New York. The results were surprising, yet conclusive: There were actually several men named Levi Sherman living in New York in 1850. The two shown here are the only two born between 1815 and 1816. Notice the similarities highlighted in the image above? Normally I would scrap the day's work and move on, but I'm sharing my findings here to avert future time wasted on this confusing coincidence. I'm sure the similarities have caused much confusion when searching local records, newspaper clippings, etc. It's definitely important for anyone researching the family to be aware of. The two families may be related somehow, but they are definitely two distinct men named James Sherman. I believe my ancestor did join in the Civil War, perhaps not with the high honor of these Shermans of Butler, but a debt of gratitude we owe them all. Stay tuned as I continue my research on the Sherman family and more! Subscribe for updates! #jamessherman #sherman #leonard #civilwar #mixup

In my previous blog, I shared two newspaper abstracts possibly connecting my ancestor, William McGinnis, to Eglington, Derry Co., Ireland. William and several others were named in the will of Mary Garrity who died April 5, 1895, in Homer, New York. Richard Ryan was the executor of the will. (Click here to see). One of the heirs was Robert McGinnis of Eglinton, Derry County, Ireland. Who was he? And how was he related to William? I recently renewed my subscription to Ancestry World Explorer so I figured now is my chance to do some digging in Ireland! Read on to see what I found relating to Robert and possibly relating to William McGinnis. The first probable match I found for Robert McGinnis was on Findagrave. There are at least 48 McGinnis burials of various spellings in Star of the Sea Church Cemetery, including four named William McGinnis, but there is one I believe may have been Robert's father, William McGinnis. Both men are buried in Section D, Plot 62. I was able to locate Robert on the 1901 census and the 1911 census when he lived in the town of Carnakilly Upper, District of Eglinton, Barony of Tirkeeran, Parish of Faughanvale, Division of North Derry, County of Londonderry. The Irish name for Carnakilly Upper is Carn-na-coille. [Source] On the 1901 Census, his name was spelled Robert McGinnis but his wife's name was written, Rose "McGuinness". He was a farmer, age 74 and Rose was age 70. Their son 30-year old son, "Edward McGuinness" was also in the home. He was unmarried and employed as a postman. When the 1911 Census was taken, he was 83 and his wife, Rose, was 79. They were Roman Catholic. They report having 5 children but only 3 were still living in 1911. One of them was Edward McGinnis, age 40, still working as a postman. You can tour Carnakilly Upper on Google maps here: Robert's will, dated March 26, 1913, is in the registry at London, granted June 6, 1913. His effects totaled £41 0s. 2d. and the abstract reads: Probate of the Will of Robert McGinnis late of Carnakilly, County Londonderry Farmer who died 26 March 1913 granted at Londonderry to Jeremiah McGowan J.P. Farmer. Oddly enough, the only will found for William McGinnis that matches the date in the Findagrave memorial is William McGinnis will granted March 2, 1893, but stating that he died on Feb. 12, 1884: Letters of Administration (with the Will annexed) of the personal estate of William M'Ginnis otherwise M'Ginness late of Dernaflaw County Londonderry Farmer who died 12 February 1884 at same place were granted at Londonderry to Mary M'Ginnis of Dernaflaw the Widow and Universal Legatee. Another similar match in wills is that of "William Maginnes", who died February 21, 1893, with an estate of £459 9s. 6d., granted March 11, 1893 as follows: The Will of William Maginnes late of Knockmore County Antrim Farmer who died 21 February 1893 at same place was proved at Belfast by William Blackburn and Henry Monroe both of Lissue said County Farmers the Executors. It appears that this "William Maginnis" was also counted on the 1851 census in Killead, Lower Massereen, Antrim. He was 30 at the time and married to Susanna, age 26. Stay tuned to follow my research on this branch of my family tree. If you have any information, please use the comments below or contact me. Sources: William McGinnis Bio [Link] Mary Garrity death cert. # 32085 1911 Census Ireland [Link] Will of Robert McGinnis [Link] Ireland, Civil Registration Deaths Index, Londonderry, Vol. 2, p. 139; FHL Film #0101605 #ireland #mcginnis #williammcginnis #ireland

Two notices I found in the Cortland Democrat, May 31, 1895, and June 4, 1897, could provide valuable clues about the extended family of McGinnis and Smith. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, To Susan Smith of Glen Aubrey, Broome Co., N.Y.; Rosie Ryan of Taylor, Cortland Co., N.Y.; William McGinnis of Cincinnatus, Cortland Co., N.Y.; Robert McGinnis of Eglinton, Derry Co., Ireland; May Smith of Spafford, Onondaga Co., N.Y.; and to all other person or persons whosoever they may be or wheresoever they may be, heirs at law, next of kin, legatees and devisees of Mary Garrity, late of the town of Homer, in the county of Cortland, New York, deceased, and relating to both real and personal estate, has lately made application to the Surrogate's Court, of our county of Cortland, to have said instrument in writing proved and recorded as a will of real and personal estate; You and each of you are, therefore, hereby cited to appear before the Surrogate of the county of Cortland, at his office, in the village of Cortland, in the said county of Cortland, New York, on the 21st day of June, 1895, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, of that day, then and there to attend to the probate of said will. In testimony whereof, we have caused the seal of office of our said Surrogate to be hereunto affixed. Witness, Joseph E. Eggleston, Surrogate of our county of Cortland, at the Village of Cortland, in said county, this 16th day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five. H.L. DeClercq, Clerk of the Surrogate's Court. Some of these names are familiar. For example, Rosie Ryan, became the wife of William Vallier. She married 2nd to Jasper Haley. Susan Smith, I believe was William McGinnis' sister or relative listed on the census in the same home with William McGinnis in 1850 (Click here). She was counted on the census in 1900 in Nanticoke Twp, Broome County, New York, with her husband Charles Smith. He was 64 and she was 66 and both were born in Ireland. On that census, zero is given for the number of children they had. In 1880, the couple was in the same town with their nephew, James Ryan, age 21, residing with them. Was Charles related to William's wife, Catherine Smith? There were several women named May Smith near Syracuse in 1900. There was one who was age 28 living her husband, Charles Smith (age 31). They had no children yet. Mary Garrity was found on the 1880 census in Taylor, New York, with her husband, Patsey Garrity and their son John. She was born in Ireland about 1841. In her will, she mentions William Ryan, Richard Ryan and William Ryan, identifying them as "children of my sister, Rose Ryan". These are just more pieces to the puzzle! Stay tuned for more and if you can contribute to this information, please use the comments below! Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. Click here to subscribe for updates. (It's free) Click here to use my Genealogy Dashboard with thousands of free genealogy resources. #williammcginnis #mcginnis #smith #catherinesmith #ireland #eglinton #derrycounty

Don't forget your roots! Without them you and your tree wouldn't be here! #genealogy #meme #heritage #quotes

For my fellow descendants of James Chilton, I am sharing these clippings from the Boston Transcript's Genealogical Column, pertaining to James Chilton. There are more, which I have yet to find, but perhaps these, published through 1915, may contain valuable clues about his descendants: Alternatively, you can download the PDF to your computer or device to zoom in or print the pages here: I also highly recommend this book for your family history library! More Resources: The Boston Transcript Mayflower Passenger List Free Genealogy Resources #genealogy #bostontranscript #jameschilton #mayflower #agbi