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Even though you probably never heard of him, we should all know the story of John Bowne and how he affected the lives of Americans for the past 360+ years. His gumption and bravery played a key role in making America a country of religious freedom. The story was told in my previous blog, The Flushing Remonstrance. One place that certainly memorializes John Bowne is Flushing, in the New York City borough of Queens. There, Bowne's house was built in 1661 and there it remains to this day, preserved as a historical landmark, located at 37-01 Bowne Street, Flushing, New York. Visit bownehouse.org for information on tours. Two other prominent locations in the city bear his name. They are the John Bowne Elementary School (P.S. #20) and John Bowne High School, shown here with images from Google Maps. Finally, another place bearing the family's name is Bowne Park. Bowne Park is the Central Park of Queens, an oasis of greenery amid a concrete and brick city. The park covers twelve city blocks, between 29th Ave. & 32nd Ave and 155th Street & 159th Street. It was the summer residence of Walter Bowne (1770-1846), former Mayor of New York City and State Senator. He was a 2nd great-grandson of John Bowne. Visit nycgovparks.org/parks/bowne-park for information about community events and programs at the park. Find John Bowne memorabilia on eBay! Click here! John Bowne was the husband of my 11th great-aunt, Hannah (Feake) Bowne. They were married on May 7, 1656 in Flushing. She lived from 1637 to 1677. Click here to learn more about the Feake family. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. #underhill #feake #mayo #genealogy #flushing #queens #newyork #landmarks #religion #freedomofreligion

James and Sarah Ensign were my 10th great-grandparents via my great-grandmother, Mary (Harvey) Reese Gaul. The following information was published in Reese Family Record, containing compiled information printed about their lives and theories about the origins of the Ensign family: In New England they were associated with the Reverend Thomas Hooker Colony which settled first at Mount Wollaston, probably in 1632, then removed to Newtown, later called Cambridge. There, James Ensign was made a freeman of the Massachusetts Bay Colony on March 4, 1634. The New England tradition claims that James and Thomas Ensign came from Kent, England and settled in eastern Massachusetts in the early 1600’s. Some believe they were brothers, though no proof has been found. Thomas joined the Plymouth Colony in 1633/34 and settled in Scituate. James supposedly came to America in or soon after 1629 aboard the Griffin along with Rev. Thomas Hooker, settling in Newtown. Hooker disagreed with the governing policies of the Plymouth Colony and in 1636 led a group of about a hundred people to their new settlement which they called Hartford, establishing the Connecticut Colony. Hooker is said to have written the world’s first democratic constitution, declaring that government officials should be elected by the people and should allow tolerance toward all Christian denominations . The name of James Ensign appears on a monument in the Hartford burial grounds, erected in honor of the founders of Hartford. Connecticut records show that James was allotted a tract of land on the south side of the town. He held several positions of importance including constable, chimney viewer, and a surveyor, indicating he was adequately educated. He was also prominent in church affairs. In 1669/70, he and his wife Sarah, formed the South Church, or second church of Hartford along with thirty other people. It is not known that James came to America directly from County Kent. Neither is it known that he and Sarah were original members of the Reverend Thomas Hooker group, but the popular opinion in the family seems to be that these two men, Thomas and James, were brothers, although there is no evidence that their families were associated in this country. The Hooker Company is referred to by Governor Winthrop in his "History of New England" as the Braintree Company. It is supposed that the company came from Braintree, a town about forty miles from London, though Mr. Hooker had been for some time a non-conformist preacher in the city of London. It is quite possible that James and Sarah had joined the group in Braintree, and that Thomas had come to New England, possibly on the same ship, but had cast his lot with the Plymouth group rather than with the more powerful Massachusetts Bay Company. It is quite certain that James and Sarah were with the Hooker company in their migration from Newtown to Hartford in the year 1635 or 1636. It is certain that James was regarded as one of the founders of Hartford, for on the monument in Hartford "burying ground" erected to the founders, the name of James Ensign appears as number seven reading up. The records show that James was one of the original proprietors of the Hartford settlement, and that he was allotted a tract of land on the south side of town. He was prominent in church and community affairs, served as a constable, chimney viewer, then an important office, with the enormous log chimneys made at least partially fire-proof by daubing with mud, and was, apparently, a surveyor, which indicates that he was an educated man. In February, 1669/70, James and his wife Sarah, together with thirty others formed the South, or second church of Hartford. On 18 April 1659 at Hartford, 59 persons signed an agreement to remove to Hadley, Mass., among who was James Ensign, but he changed his mind and remained in Hartford. James and Sarah had five known children including David, Sarah, Mary, Hannah and Lydia, who died in infancy. His daughter Sarah, married John Rockwell in 1651. There are several theories on James Ensign’s parentage. There is a tradition that he was a member of the famous Stuart (or Stewart) family of Scotland according to the book “Record of the Descendants of James Ensign and his wife Sarah Elson” by Martha Eunice Ensign Nelson, 1960. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland was the cousin of the English Queen, Elizabeth I. Mary fled from Scotland, seeking asylum with her cousin Elizabeth, leaving the Scottish throne to her son, James VI, who inherited the throne after Elizabeth died in 1603 with no children. At that time James VI’s name was changed to James I of England, and the two kingdoms were united. In the years that followed, the Scots made countless attempts to regain their status as an independent nation. When the throne was passed to the Hanover’s, whose name was changed to Windsor during World War I, many Stewart’s found both England and Scotland to be dangerous and it is said that about 1632 James Stewart decided to pursue a better life in the new world, America. For his protection, he hid his identity, assuming the role of a common laborer on a boat in order to pay for his voyage. Laborers were not required to give their names and because one of his duties was to care for the ship’s flag, shipmates called him Ensign (pronounced En’sin). The boat docked in Massachusetts and it is known that he resided in Cambridge before moving to Connecticut where he was honored as one of the founders of Hartford. Another tradition regarding the origin of the Ensign family, is that their origins are French, claiming to have found early records where the Ensign name was written “de Ensign” or “d’Ensign”. It was assumed that the first Ensign appeared in England about the time of William the Conqueror, however a thorough study performed by Charles Sidney Ensign of Boston, revealed that the first Ensign of England was Scandinavian. Charles’ son presented an account of his father’s life in “The New England Historical and Genealogical Register” in January 1918, claiming the Ensign family was probably of Frisian or Danish origin. “Ens” was a small fishing village on the isle of Schockland in the Zuyder Zee, included in the region then known as Frisia, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The inhabitants of the island were ordered to evacuate. In old English, the suffix “-ing” meant “descended from” and it is possible the name Ensign is defined as “Descended from Ens”. In records of Hartford, Connecticut, the name appears as “Ensing” in the wills of James and Sarah Ensign in 1670 and 1676. The Ensign name is not a common one. There are several records in Canterbury, England, pertaining to the Ensign family and variations in the spelling include Ensing, Enesynge, Ensyng, and Ensynge. The records were written during the reign of Edward II (1307-1327), Edward III (1327-1377), and later, in 1539, during the reign of Henry VIII, a record of Robert Ensinge in possession of the Chilham property. The "Archaeologia Cantiana" is a series of books published in the mid-1800's containing much information about Kent. Volume 10, page 135, "has to do with an assessment of forty shillings made upon De Thoma de Enesynge for aid in the knighting of the Black Prince, son of Edward III. The fact that Sir Thomas was asked to contribute such a goodly sum of forty shillings indicates that the Ensign estate at that time was of considerable value." A 12th or 13th century church in Chilham, Kent, England, contains a window displaying the “Arms of Ensing”, which are described in the Topographic of 1791 as “Sable, three swords erect, 2 and 1, argent, pommels or.” There are no other traces of the Ensing name there but two tracts of land within a couple miles of the village are known as “Upper Enzeen” and “Lower Enzeen”, said to be parts of the family’s ancient estate according to Hasted’s Kent, Vol. 7, page 283 which reads as follows: “ENSIGNE, otherwise Lower Ensigne, is another small manor here, situated within the borough of Northerne, the house being about a mile and a quarter north-east from the church, which was formerly in the possession of a family of the name of Ensigne, one of whom, Robert Ensigne, in the 30th year of Henry VIII, was in possession of it, and then held it by knight’s service of the manor of Chilham, and in one of the windows of Chilham Church were formerly the arms of Ensign, Sable, three swords erect, 2 and 1, argent, pommels, or. After this it came into the family of Petit in which it continued until about the year 1640.” (Arms shown above). Visit the ancestor profile page for James Ensign and/or Sarah Elson for more information! Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. See also Record of the Descendants of James Ensign, the Puritan, by M. E. Ensign. Find it on eBay or Amazon. or read it online here: Volume 1 | Volume 2 #jamesensign #sarahelson #harvey #hartford #founder

The difference in language and terminology between us and our English ancestors is surprising, considering it's the same language. Much old English is either illegible or incomprehensible to modern readers. It can be a hindrance and challenge in learning about our ancestors' past. For example, in researching my ancestor, Richard Seymour, I came across several unfamiliar terms. In the deed for the purchase of Norwalk, Connecticut, from the native Indians, one of the items in the trade was "ten jewse-harpse". I don't know if it's just me, or if anyone else would heed to the little voice inside wondering what on earth these jewse-harpse were. I have to know these things, so with a little searching, I found it was referring to a musical instrument called the Jew's Harp (or Jaw Harp). This is interesting as it was the only musical instrument mentioned in the 1640 deed, so it seems to have been a popular form of entertainment during that period, or perhaps it was the only one the Indians were interested in. With that, I spent the last half hour watching YouTube videos about what a Jew's Harp is and how melodies are made from the boingy sounds they produce. It's reminds me of bluegrass music. If you want to learn about it, I recommend this video: (Not my video) You can find a Jew's Harp at a low price on Amazon or on eBay. #music #musicalinstruments #entertainment #connecticut #norwalk #history

So many terms our ancestors used are so long removed from our everyday language, we have no idea what the words mean. Such is the case with wampum. This was a common term among America's early settlers, as well as the Native Americans who were here before us, yet I was clueless as to what it was when I saw it mentioned in various deeds, such as the purchase of Norwalk, Connecticut, by Roger Ludlow in 1640. Among the articles Ludlow traded the Indians for the land was "eight fathoms of wampum". A fathom was a common term used in taking measurements in a time before rulers and tape measures were mass produced in China. It is approximately equal to the length of an adult's outstretched arms, from the tip of one hand to the tip of the other, or about two yards (six feet) per fathom. So eight fathoms of wampum is equal to about 48 feet, but what is wampum? Thanks to the rabbit hole called the internet, it wasn't hard to learn that wampum was a commodity used for trade among the Indian tribes. They were beads made from the shell of a sea snail called the channeled whelk or the quahog, a hard-shelled clam. The Indians valued wampum as it was used for story-telling, gifts, and sacred occasions. It was made into headdresses, belts, jewelry and more. The Dutch settlers used a steel drill to make production more efficient, causing the eventual decline in value (inflation). Learn more about wampum beads in this short and informative video: (Not my video) #colonial #nativeamerican #indians #connecticut #norwalk

The Underhill Family Burying Ground, located in the Village of Lattingtown, in Oyster Bay, Nassau County, New York, began on land deeded to Capt. John Underhill in 1667 and is still in operation today. There are approximately 300 graves and a monument featuring the relief of Capt. John Underhill, shown above. The memorial was dedicated in a formal ceremony attended by President Teddy Roosevelt on July 11, 1908. In a speech, the President described the Underhill family as model citizens, calling Underhill "a good soldier and a good citizen". The entrance to the cemetery is off Factory Pond Road in Mill Neck but the cemetery is in Lattingtown. Coordinates 40°53′25″N 73°34′24″W. The bust of Capt. John Underhill from a sculpture in the Underhill Burying Ground. (Image by Idoysterbay released in the public domain.) CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CAPT. JOHN UNDERHILL & HIS FAMILY Sources: Underhill Burying Ground [Wikipedia] Underhill Society.org Findagrave [Link] #underhill #CaptJohnUnderhill #mayo #decker #cemetery #grave

John Winthrop (1587-1649), was a prominent figure in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was born in Edwardstone, Suffolk, England, on January 12, 1587/8, a son of Adam Winthrop and Anne Browne. He led a fleet of 11 ships ("The Winthrop Fleet") to America in 1630 and became the third governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, holding the position on and off from the time he arrived until he died. He died on March 26, 1649, in Massachusetts Bay Colony, at the age of 61. In his journal, Winthrop recorded the happenings of the colony since the time of his arrival, a valuable resource for historians and descendants of the colonists, giving us a glimpse into their private lives. Such is the case with my 10th great-grandfather (on the Decker branch), Capt. John Underhill. His long list of services and accomplishments are well documented, and during his life he acquired great fame, but he allegedly also suffered great shame, of which Winthrop's harsh judgement is clear in his journal entries. Note: During my research, I discovered that John Winthrop was great-uncle to Underhill's (2nd) wife, Elizabeth Feake. Elizabeth was my 10th great-grandmother, therefore, Gov. Winthrop's parents, Adam Winthrop and Anne (Browne) Winthrop, were my 13th great-grandparents. John Winthrop's sister, Anne (Winthrop) Fones, was Elizabeth (Feake) Underhill's maternal grandmother. Underhill married Winthrop's great-niece in 1658, long after the events in this journal took place. Excerpts from Winthrop's Journal (1630-1649) Click here to find a copy on eBay for your family history library! According to John Underhill's biography on Wikipedia, "In June 1641 Underhill's banishment was repealed. In September of that year he was acquitted of a charge of adultery. Still finding no gainful employment in Boston, following the baptism of his son John III in April 1642, he leased a tobacco plantation in Flatlands, Long Island, in New Netherland. He never occupied that land. [Elizabeth Wells Bardwell, Crossing to Freedom, 2002]. Click here to read the full book (free) at Archive.org. Click here to find a copy on eBay! Click here to learn more about Capt. John Underhill. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. #underhill #mayo #decker #dickinson #CaptJohnUnderhill #colonial #genealogy Sources: John Winthrop [Wikipedia] John Underhill [Wikipedia] Winthrop's Journal in "Original Narratives of Early American History", by James K. Hosmer, 1908. [Link]

It's not often you find a book written by your 10th great-grandfather, but if you are a descendant of Capt. John Underhill, you are in luck! A book he wrote in 1638 called "Newes from America, or, a New and Experimental Discoverie of New England, containing a true relation of their war-like proceedings these two years last past, with a Figure of the Indian Fort, or Palizado", gives his account of the conflicts between the Native American Indians and the colonists of Massachusetts Bay. Click here to read it free online or click here to find a copy on eBay for your family history library! This illustration from the book illustrates the battle against the Pequot fort. Click here to learn more about Capt. John Underhill and his family. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. #genealogy #pequotwars #nativeamerican #massachusetts #CaptJohnUnderhill #underhill #mayo #decker

According to "The Underhill and Townsend families: a historical sketch", "Among those who came to Boston in the Pilgrim ships with Governor Winthrop was Captain John Underhill, on April 7, 1630, under an agreement to train the militia of this new settlement and make plans for public protection. Captain John Underhill was to this Colony what Miles Standish was to Plymouth." Read more: This Underhill line is before the time of Hannah Saloma Underhill, born in 1828, mother of Oscar Mayo. She married Raymond H. Mayo of Albany, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Raymond and Hannah are buried in New Era Cemetery in New Era. Raymond and Hannah were the parents of Oscar Mayo, father of Lydia Mayo. Lydia Mayo married Charles Decker and had several children including Delaphina (a.k.a. Mary) Decker, who married William Henry Dickinson. Anyone with information on Hannah's family, please share! Comment below or contact me. UPDATE: See "John Underhill of the Winthrop Fleet". #Underhill #mayo

Alvin Newell Mayo was the brother of my mother's maternal great-grandmother, Lydia (Mayo) Decker. Alvin was the only known son of Oscar Mayo and Lycenia (Strong) Mayo. He was born August 7, 1882 and married, first, to Elizabeth Jane Price, a woman of Welsh descent, born August 5, 1885, in "Jermyn, Pa". In April of 1910 the couple was living in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with two sons, Alvin, age 3, and Walter, age 4 months. Eight years later, however, when Alvin registered for the draft, he reported his address as Rd 1 - Factoryville, Wyoming County, PA. He gave his nearest relative as Helen Mayo, same address as his. He was employed as a farmer. In 1940, when the census was taken, Alvin and Helen lived in Jackson Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, with three daughters, Ruth Mayo (age 21), Ethel Mayo (age 18) and Margaret Mayo (age 15). He was still a farmer. Note: Ruth est. b. 1919*, Ethel est. b. 1922, Margaret est. b. 1925). *Findagrave Memorial #91351238 gives Ruth's birth year as 1918, reporting she married Peter T. Hodgson (1917-2000). Mr. Hodgson's obituary, of July 2000 stated that he was survived by his wife of 59 years, Ruth and "daughters, Barbara Latham, Estero, Fla.; Shirley Allegar, Nicholson; and Elizabeth Woznicki, Merritt Island, Fla.; sons, Peter T., Pittstown, N.J.; Arnold J., Glen Gardner, N.J.; David W., Mehoopany; and Raymond A., Lambertville, N.J.; brothers, Raymond, Piscataway, N.J.; and Donald, Milton, Fla.; 23 grandchildren; and 25 great-grandchildren." Helen lived from 1892 to 1979. Alvin died in 1958. She is buried with him in Nicholson Cemetery. Alvin is shown here with his mother and three sisters. He was tall and slim and had blue eyes and brown hair, according to the draft registration. In this photo contributed by James H. Dickinson, Alvin Mayo is shown with a young girl, possibly his daughter, Ruth Mayo, who would have been approximately 3-4 years old when the photo was taken in 1922. Notice the bandage on Alvin's right hand. Click here for more on this family. #mayo #alvinmayo #lyceniastrong #oscarmayo

Mary Ellen McGinnis was my father's great-grandmother. She was born in December, 1859, in Cortland County, New York, and died on June 10, 1922. A previous post contains her obituary. News of her funeral was published in one of the local newspapers. The clipping was saved by her sister-in-law Ella (Campbell) Hollenbeck, and shared by Nancy Hollenbeck. -------------------------------------------- WILLET Mrs. Jasper Hollenbeck Passed From Earthly Scenes on June 10 Willet, June 17. - On Saturday, June 10, occurred the death of Mary E. McGinnis, beloved wife of Jasper Hollenbeck. Death was due to cerebral hemorrhage. Mrs. Hollenbeck suffered a shock about 10 years ago, and had always been able to converse freely with her family or others, but for the last four months she was unable to speak only a few words at a time and this has been a great sorrow to her devoted daughter and husband. Everything that earthly hands could do was done but to no avail and the end came peacefully at ten minutes of eight Saturday night. She had in previous years been a very successful school teacher in this locality and elsewhere. She leaves to mourn her loss, besides her husband, daughter and grandson, two brothers of McGraw, Charles and William McGinnis, also two sisters, Mrs. Grace Dunbar of McGraw and Mrs. Rena Turner of Groton City. The funeral was held Thursday morning at 10 o'clock from St. Stephen's church and was largely attended by sorrowing relatives and friends. The beautiful display of flowers bore silent tribute of the love and esteem in which she was held. Rev. Father McGuire assisted by the Rev. Mr. Canfield of Cortland officiated. St. Mary's choir of Cortland sang and one solo especially is worthy of mention, "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere," which was beautifully sung. Mrs. Hollenbeck was very devoted to her church as well as a great lover of home. She was a loving wife, an ideal mother and an excellent neighbor and much sympathy is extended to the bereaved family. She is gone but not forgotten. Interment was made in the Marathon cemetery. It states that "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere" was sang at her funeral. -------------------------------------------- Listen to "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere" here: (Click the arrow to play) Click here to learn more about Mary Ellen (McGinnis) Hollenbeck.

The things I have discovered about my ancestors make me wonder how the knowledge of such things could have been lost and forgotten. For example, how is it that no my grandmother never knew (or, at least never told me) that her 7th great-grandfather owned 188 acres of land in New York's Upper West Side, including portions of Riverside Park and Central Park? In the book, compiled by Marjorie Dikeman Chamberlain, called "Johannes Dyckman of Fort Orange and his descendants", a map marking the land Cornelius Dyckman purchased in 1694 is provided. His land encompassed the space (approximately) between present-day 93rd and 101st Street and from the western side of Central Park to Riverside Park. The map has been recreated here using satellite imagery from Google Maps. Sources: Google Maps “Johannes Dyckman of Fort Orange and his descendants”, by Marjorie Dikeman Chamberlain, 1988. Click here to learn more about Cornelius Dyckman. Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. Central Park in Winter (Currier & Ives) An interesting documentary about the formation of Central Park can be found here on YouTube. #NewYorkCity #NewYork #Manhattan #DutchSettlers #dutchsettlement #CorneliusDykeman #CentralPark

An amazing collection of early American biographies, divided into volumes, which you can browse and read online. The index to the series is found in Volume 6. Note: This resource is not 100% trustworthy, according to historians. Click here to learn about errors and inconsistencies found. Choose a volume: Volume 1 - Click here - Aaron - Crandall Volume 2 - Click here - Crane - Grimshaw Volume 3 - Click here or here - Grinnell - Lockwell Volume 4 - Click here or here - Lodge - Pickens Volume 5 - Click here or here - Pickering - Sumter Volume 6 - Click here or here - Sunderland - Zurita (Vol. 6 also contains supplement A-Z) Volume 7 - Click here or here - Abbott - Young and analytical index Click here for more free genealogy resources! #biographies #free #genealogy #resources #historicbooks

William and Catherine McGinnis, my paternal 3rd great-grandparents, were Irish immigrants who lived in Cincinnatus, New York, as early as 1870 and remained there until they died. William was born in Ireland about 1827 and came to America during the Great Irish Famine, a horrific time in Ireland, when an estimated one million people died from the effects of starvation and malnutrition. He came to America about 1850, as he was counted on the census in Lisle, Broome County, New York, in both 1850 and 1855 when the censuses were taken. According to the 1876 Cortland County Map by Ensign & Everts, William McGinnis' property was located in the western portion of Cincinnatus in Cortland County, New York. According to the 1870 Non-Population (Agriculture) Census, William was a farmer owning 117-acres of land. His land reportedly produced 100 bushels of oats that year. He had horses, cows, pigs and "other cattle" - probably sheep since he reportedly produced 50 lbs. of wool. They also grew potatoes, and produced butter. Both William and Mary Ellen died from heart trouble. William died in 1899 and his wife died four years earlier. Comparing the 1876 map to a modern day Google map, we can see that the McGinnis home was located on Fox Road, between Route 41 and Maricle Road. Following is a satellite view of the approximate location of William's home. Aside from having a few more homes and better roads, this rural town hasn't changed much in the past century. You can look around these scenic country roads on Google Maps using street view. Here is the view looking down Fox Road from Route 41. Click and drag on the image to look around or click the areas to navigate! Stay tuned for photos of my upcoming visit to the hometown of the McGinnis family, as well as the final resting place of William and Catherine in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Whitney Point. See also: More about William McGinnis This branch of my family Thousands of free genealogy resources & tools #mcginnis #williammcginnis #cincinnatus #obituary #hollenbeck #map

If there is one thing every serious genealogist should consider doing is to get the DNA of your parents and grandparents, if possible. Having their DNA results, will provide you with more information than your own test will. Using my own family's Ancestry DNA results, shown here, you can see a great example of what information you could be missing out on. Notice, my Ancestry DNA results identified me as a descendant of New York Settlers, Metropolitan New York Settlers, and Northeastern States Settlers. My father's results, however, indicate he was a descendant of those plus Southern New York Settlers, and New York City & Long Island Settlers. Furthermore, my mother's father is recognized as being a descendant of the same ones I am plus Rhode Island & Southern Massachusetts Settlers, New England & Eastern Great Lakes Settlers, Pennsylvania Settlers, and Poconos & North Jersey Settlers. To be a descendant of "New England Settlers" and the "Northeastern States Settlers", is quite broad, but because I had my father and grandfather tested, I was able to get more detail. I had an "Aha!" moment, when I reviewed these "Other Communities" Ancestry's algorithm recognized. Before I began researching my family history, it seemed like none of my family emigrated from anywhere. Whereas my friends had grandparents or parents who emigrated within the not to distant past, I knew of no immigrant ancestors in my family. They all just came from New York, as far as anyone knew. I felt like the oddball but now that I know how they got there and when they got there and I am proud to be a descendant of so many New England and Northeast Settlers who helped build the foundations of this great country. This week my family and I are planning a special trip to New York City. We plan to see the port my great-grandfather, Percy Daniels sailed from in the early 1900's as a merchant mariner. We'll see Castle Garden and The Battery, near where my first Dutch ancestors, Daniel Tourneur, Frederick Deveux, Dirck Claeszen, and others lived in the mid 1600s, when New York City was still called "New Amsterdam". Where skyscrapers now tower, my ancestors' livestock and cattle once grazed. On paved city streets where bikes, cars, taxis, and buses ride, my ancestors carved out dirt roads and traveled by horse and buggy. Before the Brooklyn Bridge or the Holland Tunnel, they crossed The Hudson and East River in boats. Long before the Path Trains or the Long Island Railroad, LaGuardia or J.F.K. Airports, the sea and rivers were the only way to travel any distance of more than a few miles. We look forward to visiting the Irish Hunger Memorial and finally, the One World Observatory, which is probably as close as we will ever get to time travel. The elevator ride to the top of this building which stands 1,776 feet tall (the tallest in the Western Hemisphere) allows visitors a view of what the island looked like when my ancestors first arrived. It's going to be an exciting visit! Stay tuned for photos and video of our trip!

The amazing thing about genealogy is learning that your ancestors were involved with or affected by historical events we've learned about. I was both intrigued and saddened to learn that my 3rd great-grandfather, William McGinnis, left his home in The Emerald Isle most likely to avoid starvation during the Great Famine of Ireland, also known as The Potato Famine. William was born around 1829 and according to his entry on the 1855 New York State Census, he had come to America from Ireland about 1850, when he would have been about 21 or 22 years old. His ship record has yet to be found and there are several immigrants by the same name, which could cause confusion, but he was counted on the census taken on August 3, 1850, so we know he arrived late 1849 or in the first half of 1850. Based on the 1850 census, I suspect he may have traveled with a woman named Susan McGinnis, who was two years his elder, probably a sister. The "Great Hunger", as it is sometimes called, caused the death of over a million people in Ireland and was the reason an estimated two million more fled the tormented country in the years that immediately followed. The famine started in 1845, the year the country's staple crop, potatoes, first failed. If the crops had failed for only one year, the impact wouldn't have been so devastating, but the crops failed five years in a row. The third year, "Black '47", was the pinnacle of the deaths and suffering. William survived that dreadful year but the famine didn't officially end until 1852 and Irish immigrants continued to flee from their ancestral home in an effort to avoid starvation or seek a better life. The potato crop failed in many European countries at the same time. France, Belgium, Germany, Scotland, Flanders, and the United Kingdom all suffered food shortages in those years, but the impact was most severe in Ireland. Ireland lost nearly 25% of it's population as a result of the famine, but the crop failure was not the only cause. New laws and policies regarding trade and property were major contributing factors. During the Napoleonic Wars, when trade with France seized, Ireland was inundated with work supplying England with food for their growing industrial workforce. However, when the war ended in 1815, trade with France was restored leaving many of the Irish out of jobs. Then, a law was enacted which required land to be divided equally among all of a landowner's children when they died, instead of the eldest as was the tradition for many years. This division of land caused major problems. Some sold their inherited lands to Englishmen who hired landlords to manage their properties. The landlords then often subdivided the properties even further, finding it more profitable to use the land to farm crops and cattle, commodities that were in high demand in England. For common people who did not own land, they were left with no choice but to rent small parcels of land that were inadequate for their farming needs. Additionally, the rents were so high that many had to share their homes with others in order to be able to afford it. Still, most people relied on farming for income and when the blight hit their potato crops, they couldn't pay their rents, leading to eviction and homelessness. The English aristocrats were largely unsympathetic to the plight of the Irish, believing it was God's judgement on a country that was 80% Catholic. Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. - Proverbs 28:27 People were suffering and dying, not only from starvation, but also from malnutrition which left them vulnerable to disease. With no money to escape, many offered themselves as indentured servants to anyone who would pay for their passage away from their famished homeland. Perhaps this is how William McGinnis made his get away. There are many valuable lessons to be learned from Ireland's tragedy. Let us never forget those who suffered so greatly during the Great Famine of Ireland, and by the grace of God, may it never be repeated. Shown here is the Famine Memorial in Dublin. Use the interactive view to have a look around! Variations of McGinnis include Guinness, McGuinness, McGinness, and at least a dozen other variations. Watch these: Click here to learn more about William McGinnis. Click here for Irish Genealogy Resources. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. #irish #immigrants #potatofamine #famine #ireland #williammcginnis #mcginnis

While the majority of my ancestors came to America in Colonial times, my 3rd great-grandfather, William McGinnis, was one of the most recent to emigrate here. How a refugee of the Great Irish Famine found his way 3,100 miles to rural central New York is beyond me, but he did, and there he succeeded. The first U.S. Census William was included in was the one taken in 1850, when he was counted as a "Laborer", age 22, living in the home of Miles & Mary Todd, farmers in Lisle, Broome County, New York. A young woman named Susan McGinnis, age 24, was also in the home. She, too was born in Ireland and perhaps emigrated with William earlier that year or the year prior. They were both unmarried, so she wasn't William's wife. Perhaps she was his sister or other relative? Susan was still in Lisle in 1855 and 1860, living as a servant in home of James Howland. When the 1855 Census was taken, William was still in the same town, but living on a different farm. He was listed as a "Servant", age 26, living on the farm of Moses & Anne Adams. Based on this information, William was born in Ireland about 1829 and came to America around 1850, when he was about 21 or 22 years old. Susan McGinnis was still living in Lisle, but not with William. Instead, a younger woman by the name of "Rosa McGinnis", age 18, was living in the home. She reportedly had arrived in America two years prior, about 1853. Again, they were both unmarried. Rosa, or "Rose", married James Ryan, with whom he had several children. They lived in Solon, Cortland County, New York. She is buried in St. Mary's Cemetery in Cortland. I believe Rose was William's sister because my father's DNA matches up with Rose's 2nd great grandchild's on Ancestry. Furthermore, William's daughter, Mary Ellen McGinnis, named her only child Rose Ellen Hollenbeck. Perhaps this was William and Rose's mother's name too? By the time the 1860 census rolled around, William was married to Catherine (aka "Kate") Smith and had a six month old daughter, Mary Ellen McGinnis, my 2nd great-grandmother. They lived in Cortland County for the remainder of their lives. Click here to learn more about William McGinnis. Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources to help with your research! #mcginnis #williammcginnis #lisle #broomecounty #newyork #irish #immigrant #hollenbeck #smith #maryellenmcginnis #catherinesmith

William McGinnis was my paternal 3rd great-grandfather. He was born in Ireland and appears to have been living in the Central New York area as early as 1855. He married Catherine Smith and together they had several children and lived their lives in Cortland County, New York. Williams obituary was printed in the Cortland County Sentinel on February 9, 1899, exactly four years after his wife's death. (Catherine died on February 9, 1895). William died at the age of 72 from heart trouble at his home on Fox Road in Cincinnatus, New York. His body was found near his stable as he tended to the animals. He is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Whitney Point. William's record in the New York Death Index is shown here. For more information, a copy of his death certificate (#6314) can be acquired. (Click here for details). See also: William McGinnis Administration of William McGinnis' estate This branch of my family Thousands of free genealogy resources & tools #mcginnis #williammcginnis #cincinnatus #obituary #hollenbeck

Catherine, also known as Kate (Smith) McGinnis, was my 3rd great-grandmother. She was born in Ireland about 1837 and was in central New York by 1860. She married William McGinnis, also an Irish immigrant, about 1858, and the family lived in Cincinnatus, in Cortland County, New York. Kate died from heart failure in the middle of a severe snowstorm on February 9, 1895. The New York State Death index reports her death occurred in Cincinnatus, while her brief death notice in the Cortland Standard reports her death under "Texas Valley". She and her family lived in Cincinnatus for decades, but perhaps she died away from home? From the New York Death Index 1895: Texas Valley is a town that borders the southwestern edge of Cincinnatus. William's obituary states he lived at "West Hill" in Cincinnatus. The location of their home according to the 1876 Cortland County map is marked with a star in the map shown here. See also: Catherine (Smith) McGinnis William McGinnis Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources #mcginnis #catherinesmith #cincinnatus #cortlandcounty

This record pertaining to William McGinnis, my paternal 3rd great-grandfather, was filed in 1899. It is an Administrator's Bond. If you're like me, you have no idea what an Administrator's Bond is. I can see that it's not a will, but what is it? Google to the rescue! Here's what I found out: Normally, an Administrator is appointed by the probate court when a person dies without leaving a will, to oversee the distribution of the deceased person's assets. The court will often require a bond to insure the assets are properly settled. In this case, the bond was $1,000. (See the transcript below.) William's son, Charles McGinnis, was appointed as Administrator, with my 2nd great-grandparents, Mary Ellen (McGinnis) Hollenbeck and her husband Jasper Hollenbeck as sureties. The surety bond is required to ensure that the Administrator distributes the assets properly. If no fraud or additional costs are incurred, the bonds are returned, similar to a security deposit. Surrogate's Court, Cortland County. p. 357 In the matter of the personal estate of William McGinnis, deceased. Administrator's Bond. Know all men by these presents, that we, Charles McGinnis as principal, and Mary Hollenbeck and Jasper Hollenbeck as sureties are held and firmly bound unto the People of the State of New York, in the sum of one thousand dollars, lawful money of the United States of America, to be said to said People. To which payment well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, our and each of our heirs, executors and administrators jointly and severally, firmly by these presents. Sealed with our seals. Dated the 25th day of Feb'y, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and ninety nine. The condition of the obligation is as such, that if the above bounden Charles McGinnis, administrator of all and singular the goods, chattels and credits of William McGinnis, deceased; shall faithfully execute the trust reposed in him as administrator, and shall obey all orders that may from time to time be made by the Surrogate of the county of Cortland, touching the administration of the estate of said William McGinnis, deceased, committed to him then this obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue. (Signed) Chas. McGinnis, Jasper Hollenbeck, Mary Hollenbeck p. 358 State of New York, Cortland County, ss.: Mary Hollenbeck, one of the sureties named in the within bond, doth depose and say, that he is a freeholder in the town of Willett in the county of Cortland and is worth the sum of one thousand dollars over and above all the debts and liabilities which he owes or has incurred, and exclusive of property exempt by law from levy and sale under an execution. (signed) Mary Hollenbeck Sworn before me this 25th day of February 1899, (signed) John J. Hickey, Justice of the Peace State of New York, Cortland County, ss.: Jasper Hollenbeck, one of the sureties named in the within bond, doth depose and say, that he is a freeholder in the town of Willett in the county of Cortland and is worth the sum of one thousand dollars over and above all the debts and liabilities which he owes or has incurred, and exclusive of property exempt by law from levy and sale under an execution. (signed) Jasper Hollenbeck Sworn before me this 25th day of February 1899, (signed) John J. Hickey, Justice of the Peace Source: New York, Wills and Probate Records, 1659-1999, Ancestry.com Probate Records, 1809-1935; Indexes, 1808-1970; Author: New York. Surrogate's Court (Cortland County); Probate Place: Cortland, New York, Vol. B, 1895-1901, p. 357-358 Click here to learn more about William McGinnis Click here to learn more about this branch of my family Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources #williammcginnis #mcginnis #jasperhollenbeck #maryellenmcginnis #genealogy #deathrecords #wills

When I first began my family history search, it wasn't long before I found Melanie, the wife of a distant cousin who was connected to my Reese ancestors in Pennsylvania. She and her husband are still living in the same part of Pennsylvania where my family came from and she has been researching the family's history for years. Melanie joked that it would be easier to say who's not related to the Reeses, than to list all the people in the area who are related to Reeses. Her claims were confirmed as my research continued. Because I still haven't established the origins of my Reese family beyond 18th century Pennsylvania, I usually save tidbits about Reese families I come across in old books and records, like the one shown below. From Pennsylvania-German Society's 1910 publication (Vol. 21), the following excerpt about one early Reese family is published. It was the family of Abel Reese of Tedyffrin Township who founded Reeseville (now Berwyn), Pennsylvania. A detailed article called "Tory Hollow" by Conrad Wilson, found in Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society History Quarterly Digital Archives, from April 1965 Volume 13 Number 3, Pages 50–53, gives an account of an old mansion called Tory Hollow, located on the south side of Swedesford Road (Rt. 202) and the east side of Cassatt Road. It was the "homestead seat of the Reese family for which Reeseville, now Berwyn, was named". According to the author, the origins of the Reese family are unknown, however, they held positions of prominence in Tredyffrin and especially in Reeseville, or Berwyn, for at least 142 years. Tredyffrin records first mention "Abel Rees" (1730-1799), a wealthy man who married in 1763 to Violetta Wilson (1744-1820). Together they had several children (Judith, Elizabeth, John, Violetta, Abel Jr., Mary, and David), who were left a "considerable estate along the "Old Lancaster Road (now the Conestoga Road)". The British Army had camped there for three days in 1777, following the Battle of Brandywine, thus the name "Tory Hollow". Lord Cornwallis soon after surrendered, giving America its independence from Britain. Abel's son, Abel Reese, Jr. (1776-1820), inherited the farm from his father and married Mary Moore (1792-1875). Abel was a Colonel in the War of 1812, and died eight years after. His wife became known locally as "Widow Reese", having outlived her husband by 55 years. The Reese house is gone but the bridge near the farm was still called "Widow's Bridge" by locals as of 1965. Abel and Mary are buried in the Great Valley Presbyterian Churchyard, a common burial place for the family. For the complete article, visit the Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society's page for Tory Hollow here. I was able to locate this map from the 1873 Chester County Atlas by A.R. Witmer, showing Mary Reese and Abel Reese living in Tredyffrin Township. Mary was the widow of Abel Reese, Jr., who had died in 1820. Therefore the Abel Reese shown on this map must have been their son Abel Reese (1811-1874), buried in the same cemetery as the rest of the family. [Findagrave] According to the Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society's page for Tory Hollow, the property owned by Mary Reese on the 1873 map was owned by their daughter in 1883. She was Violletta Reese (1817-1903), who married David Robinson Kennedy of Port Kennedy. Mrs. Kennedy sold the family land in 1905. The approximate location of these properties are shown here on this modern Google map: To keep all this information organized, and in hopes of tracing the descendants of Abel, the information I have found has been added to WikiTree. If you are connected to this line, please collaborate by adding to it! Click here to learn about my branch of the Reese family! #reese #pennsylvania #genealogy #history #reeseville #berwyn

Tracing the ancestry of my great-grandfather, Percy Henry Daniels, has been quite a challenge. Fortunately my grandmother knew he was born in Olympia, Washington, because I never would have guessed I had ancestors from the west. Nearly all my ancestors arrived in the Colonies during Pilgrim or Colonial times, and nearly all of them stayed in the northeast. Percy's family started on the east coast, but I was pleased to learn that these adventurous ancestors went west along the Oregon trail in 1851. My Daniels lineage has been confirmed by Ancestry DNA at least as far back as my 3rd-great-grandparents, Austin Daniels and his wife, Mary Ellen Wilkinson, through matches with other descendants. One of the great things about Ancestry DNA is their ThruLines feature, which suggests ancestors based on those in the trees of your DNA matches. ThruLines suggested that my immigrant ancestor of my great-grandfather, Percy Henry Daniels, was Thomas Daniel who sailed from England to Maryland on the ship "Stephen" in April of 1774. He was a 21-year old Coach Maker, contracted to work as an indentured servant for 4 or 5 years, according to this ship manifest found in Emigrants from England, 1773-1776, page 64. My great-grandfather's line to Thomas: Percy Daniels 1885-1929 William Daniels 1840-1924 Austin Miles Daniels 1811-1892 William Daniel 1785- Thomas Daniel 1753-1803 Stay tuned for more! Subscribe for free updates! Click here to see more about this branch of my family. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. #daniels #thomasdaniels #immigrant #immigrantancestor #williamdaniel #virginia #percydaniels

Despite having thousands of old books at our fingertips online, there are still some we have to hunt down. For example, this periodical I learned about on FamilySearch. The contents of the book were not available online when I first discovered it, but now it is! "Yesteryears : a quarterly magazine for the appreciation and study of New York State history" was written by Francis V. Grifone (1896-1977) and published in Scipio Center, New York. My interest in this work is for general local history and biographies written by Elizabeth M. Reese in a section called "Nutshell Biographies: of early settlers of Cayuga County". She provided a brief history-genealogy of early settlers, birth dates and places, names of parents, children, occupation, and her work was published in portions in the following volumes of Yesteryears: p. 47-54 - Yesteryears - v. 7, no. 25 (Sept. 1963) ADAMS through BALDWIN [Link] p. 115-122 - Yesteryears - v. 7, no. 26 (Dec. 1963) BALDWIN through BOWEN [Link] p. 165-176 - Yesteryears - v. 7, no. 27 (Mar. 1964) BOWER through CLARK [Link] p. 238-247 - Yesteryears - v. 7, no. 28 (June 1964) CLARK through DE SHONG [Link] p. 37-46 - Yesteryears - v. 8, no. 29 (Sept 1964) DE SHONG through FORSHEE [Link] p. 109-113 - Yesteryears - v. 8, no. 30 (Dec 1964) GAYLORD through GWYNN [Link] p. 173-180 - Yesteryears - v. 8, no. 31 (Mar 1965) HALE through HOWLAND [Link] p. 238-242 - Yesteryears - v. 8, no. 32 (June 1965) HOWLAND through KELLY [Link] p. 52-56 - Yesteryears - v. 9, no. 33 (Sept 1965) KENYON through LOCKE [Link] p. 106-112 - Yesteryears - v. 9, no. 34 (Dec 1965) MILLER through McINTOSH [Link] p. 161-168 - Yesteryears - v. 9, no. 35 (Mar 1966) McINTOSH through OLMSTED [Link] p. 217-224 - Yesteryears - v. 9, no. 36 (June 1966) ORR through PHILLIPS [Link] p. 45-52 - Yesteryears - v. 10, no. 37 (Sept. 1966) PIERCE through REED [Link] p. 101-108 - Yesteryears - v. 10, no. 38 (Dec. 1966) ROCKWELL through SEARLS [Link] p. 159-164 - Yesteryears - v. 10, no. 39 (Mar. 1967) SHARPSTEEN through SPOOR [Link] p. 216-221 - Yesteryears - v. 10, no. 40 (June 1967) SPRAGUE through THOMAS [Link] p. 47-52 - Yesteryears - v. 11, no. 41 (Sept. 1967) THOMAS through VAN LIEW [Link] p. 103-108 - Yesteryears - v. 11, no. 42 (Dec. 1967) VAN PATTEN through WHEELER [Link] p. 159-164 - Yesteryears - v. 11, no. 43 (Mar. 1968) WHEELHOUSE through WINSLOW [Link] p. 213-214 - Yesteryears - v. 11, no. 44 (June 1968) Assorted Names [Link] To find more volumes of Yesteryears, sign into FamilySearch and use this link. See also: Thousands of free genealogy resources See more Cayuga County genealogy resources Learn about my branch of the Reese Family of Cayuga County Learn about my branch of the Leonard Family in Cayuga County #centralnewyork #upstatenewyork #cny #genealogy #resources #todo #reese #leonard #cayugacounty

Most men living in the United States in the 1860s participated in the Civil War and there are many places to look for information about them. (Click here to see my Military resources!) In this blog, I will share my research on men named Charles Leonard, living in New York, at the time of the Civil War. In June of 1863, my 3rd great-grandfather, Charles R. Leonard, was counted among the men "subject to do military duty". He was a married farmer, age 32, living in Groton, Tompkins County, New York. This information matches what we believe to be true of Charles. He was born in December of 1830, which would make him 32 years old in June of 1863. He would have turned 33 later that year. His family was still living in Groton when the 1865 New York State Census was taken two years later. Since no further proof of his service had been found (that I know of), I believed he was not called to serve. However, I recently found a potential match in the Civil War pension index, shown below. I hope to obtain a copy of the file from the National Archives to share soon. The cost is currently $80 (minimum), so if you'd like to see it sooner, scroll down and use the donation button to help facilitate this acquisition for the family! The pension index indicates that Charles lived in Groton in 1903 and was in 9th Regiment, New York Infantry. Charles Russell Leonard did live in Groton in 1905, so this also matches! This also corresponds with an entry under "Unassigned Recruits" in the book The Ninth New York heavy artillery : a history of its organization, services in the defenses of Washington, marches, camps, battles, and muster-out, with accounts of life in a rebel prison, personal experiences, names and addresses of surviving members, personal sketches and a complete roster of the regiment, by Roe, Alfred Seelye, 1899. [Link] The relevant excerpts from the book are shown here: Notice, however, that in this list it indicates he enlisted on January 28, 1864, but he was 29 years old. This would make his birth year about 1834, which does not correspond with what we know about Charles Russell Leonard. Was it a clerical or transcription error? Looking back at the 1905 New York State Census, we see, however, that his age was given as 72. The census was taken in June, so that would make his birth year 1832. Was he really born in 1830? Notice also, Charles lived in Groton in 1864, but the "Unassigned" list indicates Cortland. Did he enlist in Cortland? Perhaps he lived near the border of the two towns? Another resource, Smith's History of Cortland County [Link], Chapter XX, page 253, under "History of the Town of Cortlandville", indicates he was paid a bounty of $300 in October of 1863. The "Unassigned Recruits" list indicates he enlisted January, 1864. Perhaps he enlisted multiple times, as this was not uncommon. (Click here for page image). Transcription: Call of October 17th, 1863 Bounty paid to each, $300. Edward P. Merritt, Henry Hollenbeck, Abel G. Tuttle, George Ellsworth, John R. Beden, George L. Waters, Wilson J. Dayton, John G. Cobb, Alfred B. Hicks, Darius Lindsley, Frank Dolson, John D. Frederick, Franklin Hotchkiss, Daniel Johnson, Albertus Pierce, Sylvester Rounsevell, Isaiah Simpson, John L. Mann, John B. Daball, John Paulson, William H. Mason, Andus Berggren, John Lundin, James Stowell, H. Deloss Cole, Franklin D. Russell, William Otis Tiffany, Joseph Hicks, Clark A. Edgecomb, George A. Marshal, Michael P. Masten, Oringer Stimpson, Harrison Webster, Nathan P. Allen, William C. Tripp, Peter C. Carr, Stephen A. Hastings, James M. Boorr, John Sullivan, Peter Smith, William Jones, Henry Ward, Robert Gilmore, John Jones, James Pierce, Charles H. Waters, Charles A. Van Hagen, Frederick B. Farnham, Charles R. Leonard, William A. Clark, John W. Stebbins, William Brown, Isaac Benson, Adin W. Danes, James H. Curtis, William Hollenbeck, Charles B. Hollenbeck, Caspar Hable, Theodore F. Noble, William H. Burdick, George W. Newton, John W. Dougherty, Winfeld S. Carrier, John J. Joyner, vet., Archibald Bowker, John H. Crocker, Edmund Andrews, Gillispie B. Corwin, vet., Lyndon H. Goodenough, John C. Sherman, Charles H. Estabrook, Barney Carter, George W. Barrett, Albert G. Wood, vet., Martin Edgcomb,vet., William H. Myers, vet., John Van Rennsselaer, Watts L. Bishop, vet., John Corl, Elwood F. Gates, Roswell Johnson, Charles Francis, vet., Franklin J. Johnson, Samuel Hammond, Darius S. Ellis, George Harrington, Albert J. Jarvis, vet., Robert Arlow, Charles W. Cook, William H. Galpin, Thomas G. Meacham, James Simpson. Another resource, the Report of the Adjutant-General, corresponds with the "Unassigned Recruits" list above, reporting the following: U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles Name: Charles R Leonard, Age at Enlistment: 29, Enlistment Date: 28 Jan 1864, Rank at enlistment: Private, Enlistment Place: Cortlandville, NY State Served: New York, Service Record: Enlisted in Company U, New York 9th Heavy Artillery Regiment. It may also help to know that this regiment was "Organized at Auburn, N.Y., as the 138th Regiment New York Infantry and mustered in September 8, 1862. Left for Washington, D.C., September 12, 1862. Designation changed to 9th Heavy Artillery December 9, 1862." The regiment lost 461 men during service. Read more about this regiment at civilwararchive.com. ----------------------- A search of all men named Charles Leonard, arranged by State, is shown here. As you can see, there were many men sharing the name: New York (Dist. 26) - Charles T Leonard born abt 1825. Unmarried New York (Dist. 23) - Charles Leonard born abt 1826. New York (Dist. 4) - Chas Leonard born abt 1827. New York (Dist. 19) - Charles Leonard born abt 1828. New York (Dist. 25) - Charles W Leonard born abt 1828. Married New York (Dist. 26) - Charles J Leonard born abt 1829. Married New York (Dist. 31) - Charles W Lenhart born abt 1829. Married New York (Dist. 17) - C W Leonard born abt 1830. Married New York (Dist. 26) - Charles R Leonard born abt 1831. Married (*Shown above) New York (Dist. 17) - C C Leonard Jr born abt 1836 . Married New York (Dist. 28) - Charles N Leonard born abt 1837. Unmarried New York (Dist. 17) - Chas H Leonard born abt 1838. Married New York (Dist. 26) - Charles R Leonard born abt 1840. Unmarried (*27th Reg NY Vols (Infantry), enlisted Oct. 12, 1861, Private, age 22, Binghamton, NY, mustered out at Elmira on May 31, 1863. NARA Pub #T289. See also Beer's Atlas on Rootsweb.) Illinois - Chas P Leonard born abt 1821. Married Illinois - Charles P Leonard born abt 1822. Illinois - Charles O Leonard born abt 1827. Illinois - Charles Leonard born abt 1835. Unmarried Indiana - Charles E Leonard born abt 1839. Unmarried Indiana - Charles G Leonard born abt 1840 . Unmarried Iowa - Charles B Leonard born abt 1823. Iowa - Chas E Leonard born abt 1833. Married Kentucky - Chs E Leonard born abt 1820. Maine - Charles H Leonard born abt 1835. Unmarried Maine - Charles H Leonard born abt 1835. Unmarried Massachusetts - Chas D Leonard born abt 1825. Massachusetts - Charles A Leonard born abt 1827. Massachusetts - Charles E Leonard born abt 1831. Married Massachusetts - Chas W Leonard born abt 1833. Married Massachusetts - Charles S Leonard born abt 1835. Unmarried Massachusetts - Charles Leonard born abt 1836. Married Michigan - Chas S Leonard born abt 1820. Michigan - Charles Leonard born abt 1827. Minnesota - Charles Leonard born abt 1837. Married Minnesota - Charles Leonard born abt 1837. Missouri - Charles Leonard born abt 1839. Unmarried New Jersey - Charles Leonard born abt 1829. Married Ohio - Charles Leonard born abt 1825. Ohio - Charles S Leonard born abt 1828. Ohio - Charles J Leonard born abt 1831. Married Ohio - Chas K Leonard born abt 1837. Unmarried Ohio - Chas Lemert born abt 1837. Unmarried Pennsylvania - Charles Leonard born abt 1827. Pennsylvania - Charles Leonard born abt 1833. Married Pennsylvania - C L Leonard born abt 1837. Unmarried Rhode Island - Charles R Leonard born abt 1832. Married Rhode Island - Charles T Leonard born abt 1839. Unmarried Vermont - Chas S Leonard born abt 1831. Married Vermont - Charles R Leonard born abt 1833. Unmarried Vermont - Chas Q Leonard born abt 1833 . Married Vermont - Calvin C Leonard born abt 1839. Unmarried Wisconsin - Charles A Leonard born abt 1839. Unmarried Copies of Civil War pension files can be purchased from the National Archives. The current fee is $80 for the full packet of files up to 100 pages. Visit archive.gov for more information and ordering information. To request copies, complete and submit NATF Form 85. Cannon illustrations from "Hand-book of field fortifications and artillery; also manual for light and heavy artillery", by Egbert L. Viele, 1861. [Link] Click here to learn more about my ancestor, Charles R. Leonard. Click here for more Civil War records. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. #charlesleonard #charlesrussellleonard #civilwar #military #genealogy #leonard

Another resource for finding military history for the State of New York is The Annual Report of the Adjutant General. The year's happenings are included in the reports, which were sent to the Legislature. Reports for the following years can currently be read online at Archive.org free: 1861 - Part 1 [Link] Part 2 [Link] 1862 - Part 1 [Link] Part 2 [Link] 1863 - Part 1 [Link] Part 2 [Link] 1864 - Part 1 [Link] 1865 - Part 1 [Link] Part 2 [Link] 1868 [Link] Officers commissioned in the Volunteer regiments from 1861-1865 1885 [Link] 1895 [Link] - Registers of the First and Second Veteran Cavalry and the First and Second Mounted Rifles 1897 [Link] - Registers of the 70th and 80th Artillery in the War of the Rebellion 1901 [Link] - Registers of the 75th, 76th, 77th, 78th, 79th and 80th Regiments of Infantry 1903 [Link] - Registers of the 114th, 115th, 116th, 117th, 118th, 120th Regiments of Infantry 1906 [Link] If you find reports for other years, please share in the comments below! Click here for more Military resources and finding aids. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. #civilwar #military #resources #genealogy

Much of New England's colonial history and church history can be found in the book written in 1702 by Cotton Mather, called "Magnalia Christi Americana; or, The Ecclesiastical History of New England". Several editions and volumes can be found here. This work is packed full of stories and valuable information about the lives of the early settlers of New England. For example, an event involving Samuel Leonardson (Leonard) is recounted in the excerpt shown below. Article XXV - A Notable Exploit; Dux Faemina Facti (a woman of notable achievement) Click here to learn more about my Leonard family. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. #indians #nativeamericans #leonard #samuelleonard #resources #newengland

It is said that the number of Mayflower descendants living today is 35 million. I don't know if that number includes known descendants or all descendants, because I had no idea I was a Mayflower descendant and if any of my relatives did know and didn't tell me, I'll be upset! So are those of us who had no idea included in that number? And what about those who descend from more than one of the Mayflower couples? Are they counted multiple times in the number of Mayflower descendants? To join The Mayflower Society, you must prove your relationship by providing birth records for every ancestor all the way back to the Mayflower passenger (or passengers) you descend from. In my case, I'm still working on a missing link (see my previous blog about Solomon Leonard), so I won't be joining the society anytime soon but that hasn't stopped me from learning about my Mayflower ancestor, James Chilton and his wife. James Chilton was among the passengers from the Leiden Congregation. They were devout followers of Jesus Christ who had fled England in order to achieve religious freedom, perhaps upon the threat of execution for their refusal to conform to the doctrines of the Church of England. The pilgrims' successful escape in 1609 was nothing short of a miracle. After two failed attempts to flee, the males planned to depart for Leiden first with the goal of returning to get their wives later, one by one. During the men's voyage to Holland, a deadly storm raged overhead. Even the ship's crew had abandoned control of the vessel and retreated below into the ship's cargo hold with the passengers. With the ship being tossed about violently, they taunted and mocked the pilgrims, saying their loving God was going to let them all die at sea. Then, the pilgrims prayed and called out to God and finally the storm subsided. Hundreds of ships were destroyed in that storm, yet the prayer of the pilgrims was heard and mercy was granted. They landed safely in Holland with a miraculous tale to tell and later returned to retrieve their wives and children. The group remained in Leiden, Holland, for a decade, until their opportunity to form their own colony in the New World came in 1620. (See my previous blog, Pilgrims and Strangers at Plymouth, for more details about their escape and voyage). James Chilton, born abt. 1555, was the oldest passenger on the Mayflower, being about 65 years old at the time. He was born in Canterbury, Kent, England. He and his wife had several children, but only 13-year old Mary came on the Mayflower with them. Sadly, James died aboard the ship while it was anchored off Cape Cod in early December, 1620. His wife also died on the ship, on January 11, 1621. Only their daughter, Mary, survived. She married John Winslow and died in 1679. Mary was laid to rest in King's Chapel Burying Ground, where her parents and sibling had been buried years before. Paul Revere was later buried beside her. James Chilton's other daughter who came later was Isabella Chilton. She was baptized on Jan. 15, 1587, in St. Paul's Parish in Canterbury, England. She was about 22-years old when she fled with her family to Holland in 1609. There she was married at Leiden on July 21, 1615, to Roger Chandler, a "cloth-worker from Colchester". Isabella and Roger Chandler had at least four daughters and one son. They sailed from Leiden to Plymouth before 1632, as Roger's name appears on a Plymouth Colony tax list dated Jan. 2, 1632. With them came Solomon Leonard, who married their daughter, Sarah Chandler, about 1640, in Duxbury, Plymouth Colony. Click here for my interactive Mayflower Passenger list! Click here for more information on James Chilton. Click here for 20,000+ free genealogy resources by place or type. Sources: The descendants of Roger Chandler of Concord, Mass., 1658, compiled by Charles H. Chandler, 1949, p.6-7. [Link] Signers of the Mayflower Compact, by Annie Arnoux Haxtun, 1896, p.24. [Link] #leonard #mayflower #jameschilton #chilton #plymouth

Cremation was a pagan practice dating back to the Iron Age and open air pyre is an ancient Hindu tradition still practiced in India, Nepal and Eastern religions. Christians who believed in the physical resurrection of the body, did not approve of cremation. The body of Jesus himself, whose example Christians follow, was ceremonially wrapped and placed in a tomb. He was resurrected three days later, with the piercings from the stakes in his hands still visible. While the Bible doesn't specifically forbid cremation, it does explain that the custom of the Jews was to bury their dead (John 19:40). The apostle Paul, stated that the earthly bodies of the dead are sown (planted) and raised in a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 42-44) to either everlasting glory or eternal judgement. Paul also taught that the body is the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 3:16-18). The incineration of corpses in the Bible was almost always a curse or punishment. The Bible also speaks against those who pass their children through the fire (Leviticus 18:21). These teachings are some of the reasons many devout Christians have rejected cremation. In fact, the practice of cremating the bodies of the deceased was outlawed and made punishable by death in the year 789 by Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great and Holy Roman Emperor from 800 to 814 (crowned by Pope Leo III). It wasn't until a newly invented cremating device was introduced at the Vienna Exposition in 1873, that cremation became a topic of debate again. Queen Victoria embraced the idea, but the church fiercely opposed it and would not allow the burial of cremated ashes on consecrated ground. Three years later, in 1876, a man by the name of Dr. Francis Julius LeMoyne, also inspired by the model presented at the Vienna Exposition, built the first crematorium in America. It was built on his property in Pennsylvania, sparking much controversy. In 1884, a Welsh man named Dr. William Price carried out the first cremation in the United Kingdom in modern times. In what appears to have been a fit of anger and defiance against God, he named his stillborn son "Iesu Grist", the name of Jesus Christ in the Welsh language. When he attempted to cremate the infant's body, the townspeople intervened and he was arrested. He was later acquitted and carried out the cremation ceremony, complete with pagan prayers, on March 14, 1884. Parliament passed the Cremation Act in 1902 and Mormon, Baptist, Protestant, and Catholic churches slowly began allowing the practice, although discouraging it. By the 1960s it was becoming widely accepted. Today, cremation has become much more widely accepted with about half of dying Americans opting to be cremated. It is especially convenient in urban areas where land is scarce and burial plots are more costly. Only the Eastern Orthodox Church continues to forbid cremation, making few exceptions. Click here for 20,000+ free genealogy resources including vital records Sources: [1] Bregman, Lucy (2010). Religion, Death, and Dying. 3. ABC-CLIO. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-313-35173-0. [2] Hutton, Ronald (2009). Blood and Mistletoe: The History of the Druids in Britain. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-14485-7. [3] Encyclopædia Britannica: Or, A Dictionary of Arts and Science ..., Volume 9, p. 263.

Did you know there's a difference between a cemetery and a graveyard? If the burial grounds are on church property it is technically a graveyard. Cemeteries, traditionally, were burial places not associated with a church. Cemeteries could contain graves, tombs, and urns containing ashes, but church graveyards did not permit the burial of cremated ashes until about the 1960s. Source: Dictionary.com Click here for places to find cemetery records online. Click here for 20,000+ free genealogy resources. #cemeterytips #graveyard #burials

In 1850, John and Elizabeth Rider (or Ryder) were living in Franklin, Lycoming Township, Pennsylvania. Both their ages were reported as 60, making them born abt. 1790. John's occupation was "Laborer". John "Reace" and several other Riders lived nearby. The earliest map I could find is from 1873, showing several Riders, Reeses, Temples and other names familiar to the family such as Swisher, Phillips, Allen, and Stackhouse. Comparing this historic map to a modern Google Map shown below, it appears that this is the area of town they lived in. The red marker on Route 239 (Unityville) shows the approximate location of the "J. Rider Est." shown on the map above. Notice Franklin Church at top, where several other members are buried including the following ancestors in my line: John Ryder, Abraham Reese, Sr., Josiah Mackey Reese and his wife, Effie (Shaner) Reese, John Lloyd Temple and his wife, Martha (Allen) Temple, and Rebecca (Reese) Temple. Source: "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4C9-WBQ : 12 April 2016), John Rider, Franklin, Lycoming, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family 1501, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). Click here to learn more about this branch of my family! Click here for more information about John Rider. #ryder #rider #johnrider #johnryder #reese #census #genealogy

John Webster was one of the first settlers and founders of the State of Connecticut. In addition to being the 8th great-grandfather of my great-grandmother, Mary (Harvey) Reese Gaul (click here to learn more about John Webster and his genealogy), he was also an ancestor of three U.S. Presidents, including Rutherford B. Hayes, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. A few of his other notable descendants include Johnny Carson (the celebrity, 1925-2005), Emily Dickinson (the poet, 1830-1886), Katherine Hepburn (the actress, 1907-2003), and Janis Joplin (the singer, 1943-1970). He died in 1665 and rests in Old Hadley Cemetery in Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. A memorial erected in his honor, shown below, is engraved as follows: "To the memory of John Webster, Esq., one of the first Settlers of Hartford in Connecticut, who was many years a Magistrate or assistant & afterwards Deputy Governor & Governor of that Colony & in 1659 with three sons Robert, William, & Thomas, associated with others in the purchase of a settlement in Hadley where he died in 1665, this monument is erected in 1818 by his descendants." Sources: History and genealogy of the Gov. John Webster family of Connecticut, by William H. Webster [Link] List of colonial governors of Connecticut. (2017, December 22). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colonial_governors_of_Connecticut John Webster (governor). (2017, December 22). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Webster_(governor) Click here for 20,000+ free genealogy resources! #johnwebster #governor #connecticut #cemetery #grave #burial #harvey