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In an effort to learn more about my Shevalier/Chevalier ancestors from the Isle of Jersey, I found a 1902 article written in French, published on the Société Jersiaise website here . Believing it may provide some information about the family, I used Google Translate to translate it to English as best as I could. The transcription can be read below, or grab a drink and sit back and listen on YouTube: CHEVALIER, de St Hélier. This ancient Jersey family, whose name was written Chevalier, Cheuallier, or Chevalier, etc. or, abbreviated, Chlr, is probably indigenous. The Extente (1271) mentions "the forfeiture" of Jourdain Chyvalir, of the parish of Saint Mary; it also shows that Matthew called Chivalir, a priest, owned land at Saint Martin (Extente of 1274, pages 20 and 21). In 1381 Robert Chevalier was one of the Jurors for the Extension of this date, for the parish of Saint Martin (Extent of 1831, page 1). In 1507 the name of Antoine Chevalier, of Saint Hélier, appears in the oldest Rolls of the Royal Court (Catel, book 1), and it is he who is the ancestor of the particular branch with which we are concerned in this notice. Let us be honest, it is not only in Saint Hélier that we find, in the 16th century, representatives of the Chevalier family: they were established in most of the parishes on the island, and especially in Saint Ouen, Saint Pierre, Saint Jean, Saint Brelade, Saint Laurens, etc. [1] In 1543 we find in the Rolls (Catel, Book 9) the name of John Chevalier alias Knight, of Saint Laurens, who perhaps belonged to a Chevalier family, several members of which were at that time settled in Southampton. When Jerseymen went to live in England, they often translated their patronymic names into English: thus De Ste Croix became "Holy Cross", Blampied was metamorphosed into "White Foot", La Cloche was transformed into "Bell", Syvret into Savory, etc. There is on the King's fief, at La Moye, Saint Brelade, a piece of land called "the Fief Chevalier" (Register, book 6, folios 341 and 346 v., 1624). In the 15th and 16th centuries several representatives of this family were ecclesiastics: for example Sire Raulin (or Ralph) Chevalier, of the parish of Saint Helier, priest in 1498; Sire Richard Knight, also of Saint Hélier, deacon in March 1517-8 (see Bulletin of 1890, page 416-418); Sire Jacques Chevalier, Rector of Grouville, 1548-1565. Master Olivier Chevalier, Regent of Saint Anastase around 1525, and until about 1558, had probably studied at a University. It seems certain, according to the "Inquisition" of 1538, that he was at that date filling the office of Attorney-General of Jersey. He had married (in 2 marriages, we believe) Philippine, daughter of Thomas Botterel and Guillemine Hue, and aunt of Clément Botterel, Lord of the fief ès-Payns, who was Constable of Saint Ouen, 1601-1609. The widow of Mr. Olivier Chevalier and her son Helier Chevalier had to support a long lawsuit against Mr. Jean Paulet, Dean, concerning the possession of a house called "the house of Goués" where Mr. Olivier C. "was holding the glue". See Catel, book 9, the Saturday after October 14, 1560, the October 24 and the Wednesday after December 10, 1560: these Acts are printed in the 25th Bulletin, pages 300 and 301. We have every reason to believe that Mr. Olivier Chevalier belonged to one of the branches of Saint Pierre. But we do not intend, in this notice, to give a history of this particular family: our aim is to deal especially with the branch of Saint Hélier which gave the country Jean Chevalier, the Chronicler. Jean Chevalier was born, as we shall see later, around 1589; he was the son of Clément Chevalier and Jeanne Malzard. In 1624 we find him mentioned in the Rolls as Officer of the Constable of Saint Hélier (with another Jean Chevalier who was the son of Guillaume). A few years later, on 28 September 1638, he was sworn in as Vingtenier of the Vingtaine of the City. Let us note that Clément Chevalier, elder brother of the Chronicler, had preceded him in the functions of Vingtenier of the Vingtaine of the City. Jean Chevalier exercised them during difficult times: the political dissensions which divided England had their repercussions in Jersey, and the island was torn apart by the struggles between Royalists and Parliamentarians. Chevalier remained faithful to the royalist cause, for which he doubtless had to suffer a lot: he himself recounts in his Journal how he refused, in 1643, to the parliamentary leaders, the keys to the Arsenal of Saint Helier, despite the death threats to which he was subjected by Philippe Le Boutillier. At the end of 1651, when the Republicans seized the island, Jean Chevalier had to resign the position of Vingtenier. In 1665 he was sworn in as one of the Officers of Saint Hélier for the Extent of 1668.[2] He also became, and remained until his death, Deacon of the parish of Saint Hélier. It is very regrettable that due to the insufficiency of contemporary documents, the life of the Chronicler is so little known. Only two historians give some details about him: Rev. Edouard Durell in the Notes he added to the History of Jersey, by Philippe Falle, and Mr. Hoskins in his book entitled: “Charles II in the Channel Islands”. We have little to add to what these historians say relative to the Chevalier Manuscript and its author; let us be allowed, however, to give here some impressions that the reading of the work has suggested to us. Jean Chevalier was certainly a serious, religious, intelligent and methodical mind; he had doubtless received an education uncommon at that time, and, being keenly interested in politics and the prosperity of his country, he had set himself the task of carefully noting, day by day, the principal events of the struggle between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians. This undertaking was not the easiest: it was a question of both relating what was happening on land and at sea, in Jersey and Guernsey, and even in England; of giving an exact and impartial account of the cruises made by the frigates of the King, armed by Lord George de Carteret; to speak of the supplies of Château Cornet, besieged by the Parliamentarians of Guernsey, etc.: such seems to have been the program of our Chronicler, and one can only admire with what conscience, what precision, what accuracy of detail he acquitted himself of his voluntary task. Evidently his position as Vingtenier put him in a position to be informed quickly and surely on what was happening in the island in general and especially in Saint Helier; the town, though very small at that time, was nevertheless in some way the centre of the public life of the country. Furthermore, by his marriage with Marie La Cloche, daughter of Edouard La Cloche, of Saint Helier, he was allied to several of the best families of the island. The Rev. Etienne La Cloche, Rector of Saint Ouen, was his brother-in-law; and Benjamin La Cloche, Lord of Longueville, Juré-Justicier, his first cousin, had married one of the sisters of Messire Philippe de Carteret, Knight, Lord of Saint Ouen, Bailiff and Limit-Governor. Jean Chevalier was therefore highly connected in a social as well as political point of view. It is therefore impossible for us to share the opinion of Hoskins who calls him, in a passage of his book “Charles II in the Channel Islands”, “a subaltern parochial officer, whose most authoritative source of information could have been little more than second hand backstairs gossip”. This gratuitous malignity did not prevent Hoskins from drawing extensively on the Chevalier Manuscript; he recognizes, moreover, from the preface of his work, that the Jersey chronicler is entirely trustworthy. We have already said that the aim of our author, in writing his Journal, was above all political. It is true that, from time to time, he approaches other questions, but he does so very soberly and, so to speak, with some repugnance: gossip and tales are not to his taste. It is even much to be regretted that he has so rarely deviated from his political program, because we would have liked him to speak to us about himself, his family, his profession, etc. It is in vain that one would seek information on this subject in the work of Jean Chevalier himself. Also we would have had the greatest difficulty in identifying it through its many contemporary homonyms, since the following notes, evidently written by one of the Chronicler's sons, are included in the Manuscript: November 1675. My mother Marie la Cloche, wife of my father Jean Chevalier, died aged 83 years. On November 30, 1675, Jean Chevalier died aged 86 years. This data is fully confirmed by the Burial Registers of the parish of Saint Hélier, of which here are two extracts: Marie de la Cloche wife of Jean Cheualier Deacon died was buried on the 23rd of November 1675. Jean Cheuallier Deacon aged Eighty and six years died on the last day of the month of November and was buried on the 1st day of the Month of December 1675. We see therefore that the Chronicler reached the advanced age of 86 years and that he survived his wife by only eight days. We can also conclude that he was born around 1589, but it is impossible to fix the exact date of his birth, because the Registers of Saint Hélier do not begin until 1596 . Let us also note that, shortly before his death, the Chronicler presented for baptism, on September 6, 1674, his great-grandson, Clément Chevalier, who became Constable of Saint Hélier in 1717. After these few details on the author of the Manuscript, let us return to his work and recall that it includes the period of 1643 to 1651, and ends with the arrival of the Parliamentarians in October 1651. Chevalier appears to have intended to continue his Journal for a few years: this is evident from several passages in the Manuscript and especially from an allusion to a new volume in which he intended to speak of a crown that Messire George de Carteret, Bailiff and Lord-Governor, had placed on the bell tower of Saint Hélier. It even seems probable that he had taken the notes with the aim of writing another volume; but, for some unknown reason, he was doubtless unable to carry out his project, and his notes were lost. In 1645, when he was about 56 years old, he speaks, in passing, of the weakness of his eyesight: "mes yeux ja teruis" (my eyes are faded); this is perhaps the reason why he would not have continued his interesting narrative beyond 1651. What a pity he did not! There are so few sources of information in Jersey for the period between 1652 and 1655; the Rolls of the Royal Court and the Estates are almost all missing for these few years when the Parliamentarians came back to power and doubtless introduced many changes which it would be interesting to know. Chevalier would not have failed to inform us about this little-known period of our history; he would have carefully related the main facts, without counting the ordinary or extraordinary incidents which would have been found “in the course of his Journal”, according to an expression which is familiar to him. But, while expressing regrets, let us be grateful that we have, in the work of Jean Chevalier, an infinitely precious contribution to the history of our country during the civil wars of the 17th century. According to tradition, the house of our author was situated on the Market Place, near the place where the offices of the “Chronique de Jersey” are today. This is confirmed by an Act (the States of March 22, 1697-8, allowing Mr. Clément Chevalier, descendant of the Chronicler, to rebuild his house, situated at the top of the Market, in order to make it more convenient”. There were pillars in the old house and in their place he laid the foundations of the new one. Furthermore, the Act tells us that, as a Prison had just been built in the city, the cage was removed; the latter, we are told, was in the way of the view of the house of the said Knight. The States decided to erect in place of the cage a pedestal, with five or six steps, on which a dial would be placed (States, book 3, date cited). The new residence of the Knights bore the initials C.C. (Clément Chevalier) and the date, we believe, of 1715, still legible a few years ago; these indications disappeared during some repairs undergone by the building. The property in question was inherited by the Heinery family. We have reason to believe that Clement Chevalier, the eldest son of the Chronicler, was one of the principal merchants of Saint Helier; it appeared interesting to us to note that in 1687 Mrs. William Button (Bouton), née Jeanne Bailhache, was condemned to pay Mr. Clement Chevalier, son Jean, the sum of 100 livres tournois for wedding clothes provided by him (Ex. 69, 17 December 1687). According to the Registers of the parish of Saint Laurens, Mr. William Button and Mrs. Jeanne Bailhache were married in the island of Sark, in 1684, by Mr. Benoist, Minister of the said place. Monsieur Clement Chevalier, grandson of the one we have just spoken of, exercised for some years the functions of Centurion of Saint Hélier and, on 11 May 1717, he was sworn in as Constable of this parish, replacing Monsieur Philippe Patriarche (Ex. 85). But he was not to occupy this important office for long, for an untimely death took him away two years later; he was buried at Saint Hélier on 2 May 1719. His eldest son, Clément-Benjamin Chevalier, became Lord of the fief of Anneville, in 1737-8, on the death of his mother, née Marie Dumaresq. He did not reside long in Jersey, for a large inheritance which he made in December 1722 led him to settle in England. His cousin Temple Chevalier (see genealogy), of Aspall Hall, in the County of Suffolk, who died on 5 Dec. 1722, had bequeathed this property to him by will dated 10th November 1722. Temple Chevalier had sold much of his property in Jersey,[3] as early as 1702, doubtless to purchase Aspall Hall from the Brooke family, of which Lord Cobham was one of the members.[4] Clement-Benjamin Chevalier (designated in the Royal Court Rolls as Clement Chevalier gent.) therefore settled at Aspall, where his family has continued to this day. Among his descendants, perhaps the best known, were John Chevallier, M.D., who died in 1846, who first cultivated and introduced into practical agriculture the famous barley called “Chevallier barley,” and Temple Chevallier (died in 1873), Canon of Durham and Professor of Mathematics at Durham University. The present representative of the family at Aspall is John-Barrington Chevallier Ecr. Lord Kitchener of Khartoum and Aspall belongs to the Chevallier family of Suffolk through his mother, née Frances Chevallier, daughter of the Rev. John Chevallier MD,, and aunt of J. B. Chevallier Ecr. The coat of arms borne by the Chevalliers of Aspall Hall is described as follows: “Argent, on a cross, gules, five escallops of the field”. The “General Armoury” (Burke, and the Armorial of Jersey, page 331, give another description of the arms of the Chevallier: “Azure, a unicorn’s head, erased, argent; on a chief of the last, three sinister wings, sable”. See finally, in a Volume offered to the Public Library of Jersey, by J. B. de V. Payen-Payne Ecr., son of the late J. B. Payne Ecr. (author of the Armorial), an engraving representing the arms of the late Jean-Daniel Chevalier Ecr, similar to those found in Burke and in the Armorial.   The Chevalier Genealogy follows this text. I cannot adequately copy the charts found at https://collections.societe.je/archive/books/journal-de-jean-chevalier 1902 - Article 6 - Notices sur quelques anciennes familles jersiaises - Chevalier, de St Hélier (1902 - Article 6 - Notices on some old Jersey families - Chevalier, from St Hélier) https://collections.societe.je/archive/annual-bulletin/volume-5/annual-bulletin-1902/1902-article-6-notices-sur-quelques-anciennes-familles-jersiaises-chevalier2c-de-st-hc3a9lier/1943533 Click here to learn more about my branch of the Shevalier family . [1] According to a manuscript by the late Mons. F.G. Callas, G.R. Chevalier, Ecr., of the 65th Infantry Regiment, descended from a family from Poitou, who took refuge in Jersey around 1625 and would, therefore, have no family ties with the other Knights. [2] See Ex. 56, it dates it to 11 November 1605. [3] Temple Chevalier gent. & sold much of his inheritance to replace it in England (Ex. 82, May 1711) [4] See the pamphlet entitled: “Some Family Notes. Compiled by Sir Frederick Lucy Robinson, K.C.B."

As a child, I remember asking my mother to tell me stories about when she was younger. How I wish I had asked all of my grandparents and great-grandparents that question while they were still living. If I had asked my great-grandfather, John Reese, what the most tragic event of his life was, he might have told me first about the death of his little brother, Harold E. Reese, who died at the young age of 6 in 1931, but I'm sure he would have added that just seven years later, his 32-year old brother, Raymond Reese, took his own life. But then again, he probably wouldn't have told me, because in the old days, things like this were not to be spoken of. Knowing what a kind man my great-grandfather was, he probably would have had a hard time telling the story. Raymond L. Reese was born in 1906 in North Mountain, Franklin Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. He was the eldest son of Maynard and Ada (Temple) Reese. The family moved from Pennsylvania to New York between 1911 and 1912, and lived in Ledyard (Aurora), Cayuga County, New York, for many years. On Sunday, June 26, 1938, a man driving "the old Ithaca-Elmira highway", noticed a sedan parked in an open field half a mile north of the hamlet of Sullivanville in the town of Veteran, Chemung County, New York . Upon investigating, the man approached the vehicle and observed Raymond Reese, age 32, sitting in the driver's seat. A woman named Grace Collins, age 38, was at his side, slumped against him and his arm was around her shoulder as the pair peacefully departed this life together. The couple were reportedly living together in Ithaca, at 108 First Street, but only for the previous week. Grace's estranged husband, John Collins, reported that she abandoned him and their two children , who lived on Lake Road, north of Ithaca. The two children, a daughter and a son, were born in 1918 and 1919, so they were about 19 and 20 years old at the time of their mother's departure. In the previous week, Gertrude Reese, who lived in Ellis Hollow, a hamlet in Ithaca, had also filed charges against Ray for abandonment. She and Ray had been married for about 14 years but appear to have had no children. Ray had been arrested for the charge and was set to appear in court Saturday night, but he failed to appear and chose his own judgement instead. It was late Saturday night that the couple affixed a hose from the car's tailpipe, directing the fumes into the vehicle. They sat and awaited the effects and soon died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The fumes are said to be deadly within a few minutes. Their dreadful deed wasn't discovered until the following day, when a local man reported the car to the storekeeper in Sullivanville. The New York State Death Index reports their deaths occurred in Veteran, Chemung, New York, on Sunday, June 26, 1938. Following are several news clippings regarding the incident. These were from The Cortland Standard, Elmira Star Gazette, Tonawanda Evening News, The Saratogian, The Syracuse Journal, Utica Daily Press, and Knickerbocker News (Albany), all published on Monday, June 27, 1938. Raymond's funeral was announced in The Union Springs Advertiser on Thursday, June 30, 1938. It is a painful story to tell. Of course, we don't know all the happenings, but when you're going through a storm, just remember this - "Everything passes". Note: Gertrude Reese's maiden name may have been Gertrude M. Bellinger. See New York State, Marriage Index, 1881-1967 on ancestry.com . Click here to learn more about the Reese family .

The Erie Canal may seem far removed and insignificant to people today, but if you're living in the Midwest or West, the Erie Canal could be the reason you ended up there. Most of my family stayed in New England and New York, but my paternal lineage was directly affected by the construction of the Erie Canal, but not necessarily in a good way. Russel Leonard , my 4th great-grandfather, left his family in upstate New York in November of 1832 "to purchase land in the Territory of Michigan". His wife, Sophronia, published a missing persons ad in the Cayuga Republican in May, 1834 , indicating that his "suffering wife and children" were desperate for information. In the notice, she states that he left from Lock Port (Lockport) on November 1, 1833, and had not been heard from since. The notice, published May 2, 1834, asked for information to be sent to the Post Master at Port Byron, Cayuga County, New York. Since both Port Byron and Lock Port are located on the Erie Canal, I am assuming he traveled on the Erie Canal, but this has yet to be positively confirmed. As I continue my search for information, I came across an article, which sheds some light on the situation. It pertains to another pioneer, but contains much information about the circumstances and opportunities that led many New Englanders and New Yorkers to Michigan, specifically. In this video you can learn a lot about the construction and westward migration. (Not my video). If you have any information that could help in our search for information about Russel Leonard, or access to Michigan land patents, please let us know! Stay tuned for updates! #russelleonard #eriecanal #michigan

In my previous blog about " The Life of James Henry Leonard ", I shared some documentation about my great-granduncle's first marriage, which took place on November 19, 1910, in Moravia, Cayuga County, New York, when he was 19 years old. He married a 21-year old woman named Zaida Brown. This is an established fact, with their marriage license application, shown here, serving as evidence: James and Zaida had a son named Charles Lewis Leonard, born Sept. 8, 1912, in Moravia, Cayuga, New York, but when the census taken in 1920, they weren't living together, and in 1922, James remarried to Edna Wallace. So what ever happened to Zaida? Well, as usual, we have to rely on newspapers to tell the story. I found several articles printed in area newspapers from 1915 to 1921, which give us a glimpse of what was going on in her eventful life. First, an article in a Bridgeport, Connecticut, newspaper called "The Farmer", July 22, 1915, mentions a man named "Henry Vredenberg, age 42, a former factory owner in Homer, N.Y.", and his "alleged common law wife, Zaida Leonard". Note that Homer is about 15 miles from Moravia, where James and Zaida were married in 1910. It was also where her family lived at the turn of the 20th century and her father died there in 1917. Vredenberg was arrested and Zaida was detained after being suspected of violating the White Slave Law . The White Slave Law, enacted in 1910, was not about race, despite what it might seem to imply. It was a law to prevent human trafficking, or detaining anyone against their will, as slaves, essentially. The brief mention in the paper doesn't give us much information, but it appears that the accusation came from Zaida's grandfather, and it was found to be unwarranted as Vredenberg was only charged a fine of $5 for breach of peace. Then, just four months later, a series of articles were published, pertaining to "George W. Vredenberg, captain of the Steamer Venture". He was charged with grand larceny after stealing a clock and a searchlight from another boat docked near his. Vredenberg's "woman companion", Zaida Leonard, was found living aboard the Venture when he was arrested and both were detained and interrogated for several hours until the truth came out. You can read the articles here and maybe you can find more on your own, if you're interested in investigating this case further. If you find anything, please let us know in the comments below! With no mention of James, and with the Vredenberg scandal occurring just five years after James and Zaida were married, one might wonder if this is the right Zaida Leonard, but one of the articles clearly gives her name as "Mrs. Zaida Brown Leonard". It was The Homer Republican on Feb. 1, 1917, included in the clippings above. In the end, Vredenberg was acquitted because Zaida, whose damning testimony was to be used against him, could not be found to be served with a subpoena. I could find no further information about her, other than when her father's estate was being settled in 1921. In the second to last newspaper clipping above, it was stated that she lived in Hoboken, New Jersey. My attempts to locate her on the census have proved fruitless, although it is possible she may have remarried and altered the spelling of her name or changed it all together. She may have even had more children, or, with a free and adventurous spirit like hers, maybe she traveled the world. Who knows? Anyone? As for Vredenberg, his life ended tragically in 1934, when he was involved in an altercation with a 21-year old deckhand employed on his boat. The man inadvertently knocked Vredenberg overboard and then watched as he drowned. Details were reported in the final newspaper clipping, shown above. So what ever happened to Zaida? Anyone with information, please share! Stay tuned for more! To learn more about the Leonard family, click here . #jamesleonard #zaidabrown #leonard

Tracing family history can be a rewarding but challenging journey. Sometimes, traditional records leave gaps or contradictions that make it hard to confirm relationships or understand family connections. That’s where X DNA testing can offer unique insights. This type of genetic analysis helps genealogists confirm relationships and break through stubborn brick walls in family trees. In this article, we will explore how X DNA works, why it is useful, and provide real examples of how it has helped uncover family secrets. What Is X DNA and How Does It Work? X DNA refers to the genetic material found on the X chromosome, one of the two sex chromosomes in humans. Women have two X chromosomes (XX), while men have one X and one Y chromosome (XY). This difference affects how X DNA is inherited and passed down through generations. Unlike autosomal DNA, which comes from all ancestors, X DNA follows a specific inheritance pattern: Women inherit one X chromosome from each parent. Men inherit their single X chromosome only from their mother. Because of this pattern, X DNA can help narrow down which ancestors contributed to a person’s genetic makeup. It is especially useful for confirming relationships along maternal lines or identifying connections that might not be clear from autosomal DNA alone. Why Use X DNA in Genealogy? X DNA testing offers several advantages for family history research: Narrowing down potential ancestors: Since X DNA is inherited in a predictable way, it can help eliminate certain ancestors from consideration and focus on others. Confirming relationships: X DNA can verify suspected relationships, especially when paper records are missing or unclear. Breaking down brick walls: When traditional research hits a dead end, X DNA can provide new clues to uncover hidden family connections. Complementing autosomal DNA: It adds another layer of information that can clarify complex family trees. How to Interpret X DNA Matches When you receive your DNA test results, you may find matches who share segments of X DNA with you. Understanding these matches requires knowing the inheritance rules: A male’s X DNA comes only from his mother, so his matches on the X chromosome relate to his maternal line. A female’s X DNA comes from both parents, but the segments inherited can vary widely. The amount and location of shared X DNA segments can help estimate the closeness of the relationship. Genealogists often use X DNA in combination with family trees and other DNA results to confirm or rule out possible connections. Examples of Using X DNA to Confirm Relationships Example 1: Confirming a Maternal Aunt A genealogist suspected that a woman was her maternal aunt but lacked birth records to prove it. Both tested their DNA, and the genealogist found a significant shared segment on the X chromosome. Since the X chromosome is passed from mother to child, this match supported the aunt-niece relationship. The X DNA evidence, combined with other autosomal matches, helped confirm the family link. Example 2: Identifying a Missing Grandmother In another case, a man had no information about his paternal grandmother. His mother and maternal aunt both tested their X DNA. By comparing their X DNA matches with other relatives, the genealogist identified a common ancestor on the maternal side. This discovery led to finding records that revealed the grandmother’s identity, breaking a decades-old brick wall. Using X DNA to Break Down Brick Walls Brick walls in genealogy occur when records are missing, names are common, or family stories conflict. X DNA can help by: Eliminating impossible ancestors: If a suspected ancestor could not have contributed to the X chromosome, they can be ruled out. Focusing on specific lines: Since X DNA follows a unique path, it narrows the search to certain branches of the family. Finding unexpected connections: Sometimes, X DNA matches reveal relationships that were unknown or hidden, such as adoptions or name changes. Example 3: Solving a Mystery Adoption A woman researching her family found no records about her biological father. Her X DNA matches included several people connected to a particular family line. By tracing these matches and their shared X DNA segments, she identified her biological grandfather’s family. This breakthrough led to connecting with relatives and filling in missing pieces of her family history. Tips for Using X DNA Effectively Test multiple family members: Testing both males and females from different branches can provide a clearer picture. Combine with autosomal DNA: Use X DNA alongside other DNA tests for a more complete analysis. Use chromosome browsers: Visual tools help identify shared segments and compare matches. Keep detailed family trees: Accurate trees help interpret DNA matches and confirm relationships. Be patient and persistent: DNA research can take time, but X DNA offers valuable clues that make progress possible. Limitations of X DNA Testing While X DNA is a powerful tool, it has some limitations: Smaller chromosome: The X chromosome is smaller than autosomes, so fewer segments are available for comparison. Complex inheritance: The unique inheritance pattern can make interpretation tricky without careful analysis. Not a standalone test: X DNA works best when combined with other genetic and documentary evidence. Understanding these limits helps set realistic expectations and guides effective use of X DNA in genealogy.

If you’re diving into family history, you’ve probably come across the term naturalization records . These documents are a treasure trove for anyone tracing their roots in the United States. They tell the story of when and how your ancestors became US citizens. Today, I’m excited to walk you through everything you need to know about US citizenship records and how to find them easily! Naturalization records can reveal so much - from names and dates to places and even personal details about your ancestors. Let’s get started and uncover those stories together! What Are US Citizenship Records and Why Do They Matter? US citizenship records are official documents that show when an immigrant became a US citizen. These records include naturalization petitions, declarations of intention, and certificates of naturalization. They are essential for genealogy research because they often contain: Full names and aliases Dates and places of birth Arrival details and ports of entry Names of family members Addresses and occupations Dates of naturalization ceremonies These details can help you build a clearer picture of your family’s journey to America. Plus, they can fill in gaps where other records might be missing or incomplete. How to Access US Citizenship Records for Your Research Finding these records might seem tricky at first, but it’s easier than you think! Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to get you started: Start with Online Databases Many naturalization records are digitized and available online. Websites like the National Archives, FamilySearch, and MyGenealogyAddiction.com offer free access to a vast collection of records. Visit Local Courthouses or Libraries Some naturalization records are held at the county or state level. If you know where your ancestor lived, check with local courthouses or libraries. They often have archives or can guide you to the right place. Use the National Archives The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) holds many federal naturalization records. You can search their catalog online or request copies by mail. Check Passenger Lists and Immigration Records Sometimes, naturalization records reference arrival information. Passenger lists and immigration records can complement your search. Request Records Using Standard Forms If you have specific details like the name, date, and place of naturalization, you can submit a request to NARA or the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for official copies. Remember, patience is key! Some records might take time to locate or receive, but the payoff is worth it. Can You Look Up Naturalization Records? Absolutely! Naturalization records are generally public records, but access can vary depending on the date and location. Here’s what you need to know: Older Records Are Usually Public Naturalization records created before 1950 are typically open to the public. You can access these without restrictions. Recent Records May Have Privacy Restrictions For records less than 100 years old, privacy laws might limit access. You may need to prove your relationship or get permission. Online Access Varies Some records are fully digitized and searchable online, while others require in-person visits or formal requests. Indexes and Abstracts Help Many archives provide indexes or abstracts of naturalization records. These can help you confirm if a record exists before requesting the full document. If you’re unsure where to start, try searching online databases or contacting local archives. They can guide you on what’s available and how to access it. Tips for Successful Naturalization Record Searches Finding the right naturalization record can be like solving a puzzle. Here are some tips to make your search smoother and more effective: Gather as Much Info as Possible Before searching, collect details like full names, birth dates, immigration dates, and places of residence. Even small clues help! Try Different Name Variations Names might be misspelled or recorded differently. Search using nicknames, initials, or alternate spellings. Use Multiple Sources Don’t rely on just one database. Cross-check with census records, city directories, and immigration lists. Be Patient and Persistent Sometimes records are misfiled or incomplete. Keep trying different approaches and sources. Document Your Findings Keep track of where you searched and what you found. This helps avoid repeating steps and builds a clear research trail. By following these tips, you’ll increase your chances of uncovering those valuable US citizenship records. Unlocking Family Stories Through Naturalization Records Naturalization records do more than confirm citizenship - they open a window into your ancestors’ lives. For example, you might discover: The exact date your great-grandparent became a citizen, marking a major life milestone. The port where they first arrived in the US, revealing migration routes. Names of witnesses or sponsors, who could be relatives or friends. Changes in names or addresses over time, showing how your family settled and grew. Each record is a piece of your family’s unique story. By piecing them together, you create a richer, more personal history. If you want to learn more about how to find us naturalization records , check out this helpful resource here . It’s packed with practical advice and links to free databases! Keep Exploring and Growing Your Family Tree Finding US naturalization records is just one step in your genealogy journey. As you uncover these documents, you’ll gain new leads and insights to explore further. Keep digging into census records, immigration files, and local archives to build a fuller picture of your family’s past. Remember, every record you find is a connection to your heritage and a story waiting to be told. Enjoy the adventure and celebrate each discovery! Happy researching! This post is brought to you by MyGenealogyAddiction.com - your free online hub for family history enthusiasts, dedicated to helping you uncover your ancestors’ stories with a growing collection of records and tools.

Nicholas Shevalier was a brother of my 3rd great-grandmother, Lucy Ann (Shevalier) Hollenbeck, making him my 3rd great-uncle, on my father's side. Nicholas was born Sept. 10, 1822, in Virgil, Cortland, New York, a son of Peter Shevalier and Joanna (Huntley) Shevalier. His life is summarized beautifully in Cortland County's 1875 Atlas, published by Everts, Ensign and Everts, complete with illustrations, as follows: NICHOLAS SHEVALIER was born in the town of Virgil, Cortland County, New York, September 10, 1822. He was one of a family of six children, the son of Peter and Johannah Shevalier, who moved to the town of Marathon about the year 1829, being at that time seven years old. It would be a needless infliction to record here all that he endured and suffered in his childhood and youth, and even in his early manhood, on account of the poverty and the habits of his father. As soon as he was large enough to earn six or eight dollars a month, he began to work for the farmers in the neighborhood, and his wages, as soon as earned, were taken by his father, not leaving enough to comfortably clothe him. He continued in this way until he was seventeen years of age, when, by the advice and assistance of one of his employers, he bought the four years' service remaining due to his father for one hundred and twenty-five dollars, which sum he paid as soon as earned. He had already gained the reputation of being a diligent, trusty, faithful, first-class hand, and, accordingly, could obtain work at the highest price, which was about twelve dollars a month for the summer season. In the winter, and when he was not employed by the month, he would work by the day, and take jobs in cutting and drawing wood, splitting rails, chopping and clearing land,-anything that he found to do for pay, however small, he did, and what he earned he saved. He would take a job cheaper than any other man would do it, and make it pay average day-wages by working uncommonly hard and extra time. By that policy he accumulated while other laborers wasted. He bought a piece of wild land one mile east of Marathon village, now known as the Chauncey Hillsinger farm, which he improved by clearing and building when he was not otherwise employed. In May, 1846, he married Lydia Youngs, a daughter of Abram Youngs, and moved on his farm, where he remained until the year 1852, when he sold it, and bought what was then known as the Blakesley farm, two miles north of Marathon, a part of which is here represented. His wife died less than a year thereafter (January 21, 1853). She left no children. The purchase of the Blakesley farm was his greatest undertaking. It comprised about ninety-five acres, in a state of semi-improvement, with no house, one barn, and a heavy debt; but hard work and strict economy paid it in a few years, and eighty acres more were added, which, by the same means, was likewise paid for. And still he continued to exert himself as long as life and strength remained, so strong had the habit of industry become, though the necessity for such thorough application to business no longer existed. It is said that he chopped and cleared one hundred and seventy acres of land, in addition to all the other labor that he performed. In 1854 he married Delia Barnes, daughter of William Barnes, of Delaware County, New York. The result of their union was six children, one of which, a daughter, died at the age of eleven years. He died of spinal disease, at his late residence, November 5, 1875, his wife and five children surviving him. He was a member of the Methodist Church, a good neighbor, a respected citizen, and an honest and self-made man. Based on the maps found in the same atlas (a segment shown below), it appears the farm may be the one shown here, although the house appears to be different. It is not improbable that it has since been remodeled and parts of the front do look similar. The layout of the out-buildings is the same, with the addition of a larger barn. It is located almost exactly two miles north of the village, as stated above. Do you think this is the same property? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Nicholas Shevalier was a direct descendant of Elias Shevalier, who was born in St. Helier, on the Isle of Jersey in 1712. Learn more about Elias on Wikitree and connect your branch, if you are a descendant, too! See also, the video: " The Chevalier Family of St. Helier, Jersey circa 1500 ". Click here to learn more about my family .

In Pitcher, Chenango County, New York, there's an old hotel located at the corners of County Road 12 and Route 26. It started out as a hotel where dances were held and was later a store and post office, before being converted into apartments. In front of the building is a sign: PINK HILL LEGEND - ZELLA DROFF WAS MURDERED IN 1870S BY HUSBAND FOR ATTENDING DANCES HERE AT FORMER PITCHER HOTEL. HER GHOST RETURNS TO TRAVELERS ON PINK HILL ROAD. The marker was sponsored by the New York Folklore Society and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation in 2018. The Pomeroy Foundation's website explains "the legend". According to the legend, the story began in 1870, when a middle-aged farmer named Ezra Droff married a young woman named Zella, who was only about 18 years old. He was old enough to be her father, and he acted like it too. Zella was prohibited from participating in picnics, socials, and dances. Young Stella, though, yearning for excitement, would sneak out at night to attend dances at the Pitcher Hotel after her husband fell asleep. One night, Ezra awoke in the middle of the night and discovered she was gone. He sat and waited for her to return and when she did, he ended her life with a butcher knife. Nothing more is known of Ezra Droff or his fate. The legend claims his home was abandoned with all its contents. The legend goes on when years later, a traveling salesman went to stay at the Pitcher Hotel. Set among beautiful rolling hills, the salesman was driving along the country roads when he saw a beautiful young girl walking. He stopped the car to talk to her and was surprised to hear she was headed to the Pitcher Hotel for a dance. He offered her a ride and in return, she offered him a dance. Naturally, he agreed. He took a turquoise shell comb from his case and gently placed it in her hair, a token of his admiration. When the night was over, he drove her back to the same spot where he first saw her. She insisted she could walk the remainder of the way home. The next day, Zella was still on the salesman's mind. He drove out to the road where he met her and tried to find her home, but he only saw an abandoned house and a cemetery. Confused, he went back to the hotel where the clerk told him the story of Zella's murder. He explained that she is buried in Pink Hill Cemetery. The salesman couldn't believe it. He had spoken to her, given her a ride - twice! And he had danced with her! He drove to the cemetery in disbelief and there he saw it - her tombstone. As he approached it, he saw something familiar - the turquoise shell comb sitting on the stone. I'm all for local history, so I was eager to share this story. First, I tried to find news articles to corroborate the story. I couldn't find any news articles containing the names Ezra or Zella Droff and I couldn't find them on the census or cemetery records, so I'm not sure this legend is a true one. I did find one story of a murder in Pitcher, though. The tragedy happened in July of 1931 on Pink Hill. A middle aged man shot his wife after she locked him out of the house for coming home drunk. (Cincinnatus Review, July 10, 1931, front page). Pink Hill was named after the Pink family, some of whom are buried in Pink Hill Cemetery. I visited the cemetery out of curiousity to see if there were any Groff burials there, but unfortunately most of the stones are too worn to read. Nothing further has been found. If you have knowledge of this story, please share!

Percy Daniels and his wife are both buried in Cortland Rural Cemetery in Lot 5, Section 81. There appears to be no stone for either of them there. Shown here is a photo of the section, believed to be the plot, among the stones in the front row, flush to the ground. Following are more scenes from this beautiful cemetery in Cortland, New York. For more on this family, see the Daniels page. #daniels #cemetery #PercyDaniels #VenaDykeman #cortland

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say if you're subscribed to my blog or found my site, you probably have at least a little interest in family history. And with that said, you've probably got a brick wall or two keeping you from progressing in your research on certain branches. Well, around here we try to make researching family history as easy as possible. I've shared loads of resources and tools on my site over the years, but there are just some genealogical mysteries that are too tough to solve and require help - and that's how Genealogy Helpers was born. Hiring professionals is always a good option, but Genealogy Helpers is a platform for posting your cases in hopes that someone somewhere can and will help. The professionals can sign up to solve your cases, too! Here's the twist. It's free! You can send a tip as small or large as you like to whoever solves your case or cases - if they provide links in their profile (CashApp, PayPal, BuyMeACoffee, Venmo, Apple Pay, or Chime), but tips are optional and charging a fee is against the rules. There is no obligation or commitment to pay or tip people who solve cases. If you've solved all your own family mysteries, but love a good challenge, and don't mind helping people, and possibly earning a little extra cash, scroll through the case files and see if you can help anyone. There is a Leaderboard where people who solve cases are recognized. Users receive one point for each case solved. You could be on top! You can find Genealogy Helpers by clicking Helpers from the main menu, or just click the icon below. Share it with your genealogy friends! Note: Browsing cases doesn't require logging in but in order to create a case or solve a case, you will need to create an account on the platfrom. It's not the same account as your mygenealogyaddiction.com account, so you will need to create a username and password specifically for Genealogy Helpers, if you'd like to participate and we hope you will! Click here: #genealogyhelpers #tools #tips #genealogy

Dutch baptismal names are a genealogist’s hall of mirrors: the same person can appear under three spellings, two languages, and one very patient minister. What follows is a practical, historically grounded list of common Dutch baptismal (given) names used in New Netherland, the Mohawk Valley, and early New York, paired with their English equivalents or customary Anglicized forms. These are not strict translations so much as socially accepted swaps used in church records, wills, militia rolls, and censuses. Male Dutch Baptismal Names → English Equivalents Adriaen / Adriaan → Adrian, Andrew Aert / Aart → Arthur Albertus → Albert Andries → Andrew Barent / Barend / Berent → Bernard, Barney Bastiaan → Sebastian Cornelis / Cornelius / Crelis → Cornelius, Charles, Neal Dirck / Dircksen / Diederick → Derek, Theodore Egbert → Edward Evert / Evertse → Everett Gerrit / Gerritje → Garrett Harman / Harmen → Herman Hendrick / Hendrik → Henry Isaac → Isaac (unchanged) Jacob / Jacobus → Jacob, James Jan → John Johannes → John Laurens → Lawrence Lucas → Luke Matthijs / Matthys → Matthew Michiel → Michael Nicolaas / Claes → Nicholas Pieter → Peter Reinier / Reynier → Rayner Roelof / Rolof → Ralph Rutger → Roger Symon → Simon Teunis / Antonius → Anthony Volkert / Folkert → Walter Willem → William Wouter → Walter Female Dutch Baptismal Names → English Equivalents Aaltje / Aeltje → Alice Agnes → Agnes Annetje / Anneke → Ann, Anna, Annie Apolonia → Polly Brechtje → Bridget Catalyntje / Catryna / Trijntje → Catherine, Trina Christina / Styntje → Christina Cornelia / Neeltje → Cornelia, Nellie Dirkje → Dorothy Elisabeth / Lysbeth / Betje → Elizabeth, Betsy Eva → Eve Geertruy / Geertje → Gertrude Grietje / Margriet → Margaret Hendrickje → Henrietta Hillegond / Hilletje → Hilda Jacoba → Jacobina, Jamesina Jannetje → Jane, Jean Johanna → Joanna, Hannah Lena / Leentje → Lena, Helen Magdalena / Lena → Magdalene Maritje / Maria → Mary Neeltje / Cornelia → Nellie Pieternella / Neeltie → Petronella, Nellie Rachel → Rachel Sara / Saartje → Sarah Tryntje / Trijntje → Catherine Willempje → Wilhelmina Other importants things to know about Dutch naming patterns The early Dutch had a system of naming their children - the first child (girl or boy) was named after the father's side. The second, after the mother's side, and so on. This can provide researchers with valuable clues. It's also helpful to know that Dutch records often used the following: Patronymics (Jan Hendricksen = Jan, son of Hendrick) Diminutives as legal baptismal names (Trijntje, Grietje, Aaltje) Latinized forms in church registers (Johannes, Cornelius) So, various records for the same person could be overlooked if you're not familiar with the alternate names. The church may have used one name, friends and family may have used another name, militia-men were sometimes given nicknames. Be sure to keep these points in mind when searching. Also, regarding surnames, remember the Dutch used patronymics. For example, Hendricksen is a patronymic - "son of Hendrick". Alternatively, Hendricks was used. Peterson was used for a "son of Peter", but some used Peters instead. Later records often replaced the patronymic with a fixed surname, often spelled different ways on different records. Example 1 Grietje Pieters - Grietje is a diminutive of Margriet (Margaret) Margaret Peterson - Pieters means “daughter of Pieter” Peggy Peters - English clerks Anglicize both the given name and the patronymic Margaret Hallenbeck - Marriage folds her into a surname that may already have three spellings Example 2 Teunis Hendricksen - Teunis is the Dutch short form of Antonius; Hendricksen is a patronymic (“son of Hendrick”) Antonius Hendrickse - Dutch Reformed baptism records often Latinize the name → Antonius; Surnames were sometimes shortened Anthony H. Hallenbeck - English civil records translate meaning, not sound → Anthony; Later records replace the patronymic with a fixed surname → Hallenbeck / Hollenbeck Anthony Hollenback - Spelling settles only after several generations, with various lines sometimes adopting alternate spellings Have you seen these names in your research? Are there names missing from the list? Tell us in the comments! #dutch #namingpatterns #patrynomic #dutchnames

We all seek birth, marriage, and death dates and places for every ancestor in our tree, but if you're not getting excited when you find a baptismal record, you might be missing out on some valuable clues. Prior to the mandate for reporting births to the State in the late 1800s, vital records were limited mostly to church records or entries in the family Bible, provided that names and dates were recorded there. Baptismal registers can provide more information than you might think! Following are a few things to know. When Children Were Baptized So often we find the date of a baptism, but no birth date. So, how do we know when they were born? We can't always assume they're an infant because adults were baptized occasionally, if they were a recent immigrant or convert to the church, usually noted by the minister. If the age or birth date is missing from the record, research the name or denomination of the church and when they typically performed the ritual. For example, Dutch settlers in the Netherlands and in New Netherland (colonial New York) normally baptized their infants within 3 to 14 days of birth , so if it was a Dutch Reformed or Lutheran Church, there's a good chance they were born the same year they were baptized. There was an urgency to perform the baptism as soon as possible, especially if the child appeared weak or sick or if there was sickness in the household. Delay was risky, both spiritually and socially. The theology behind this was that it marked the child as part of the covenant community, in the event of tragedy. There were certain factors that delayed baptism, however. One reason was that before there were churches in every town, ministers had circuits, serving multiple congregations. Baptisms sometimes had to wait until the minister was in town. If the minister was sick, the weather was bad, or the country was at war, baptisms could have been delayed from several weeks to several months. If the child was baptized the same day they were born or even the very next day, it could hint at fear for the child's survival. If the baptism was performed in winter, the child was probably born days before. If the baptism was in early spring or spring, the child could have been born recently or during the previous winter. The bottom line is this - if the baptism was delayed, it could indicate turmoil in the community - burned churches, militia musters, natural or other disasters. Examine the surrounding records in the baptismal registers. How often were baptisms recorded? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Even these details offer clues. When multiple baptisms are recorded on the same day, it could indicate a traveling minister. For example, if you notice that baptisms were performed weekly, the child was probably born anytime within the previous 1-2 weeks. Pay Close Attention to the Sponsors Again, depending on the religion or denomination of the church, sponsors were almost always close family. For example, in traditional Dutch Reformed practice, especially in the 17th and 18th-century Netherlands and New Netherland, the people who sponsored a baptism were not chosen casually. They were part of a carefully maintained social and spiritual system that tied families together across generations. Here's how it usually worked: Who Sponsored Dutch Baptisms? 1. Grandparents (most common) The first choice was almost always a grandparent, often the one for whom the child was named. First son → paternal grandfather Second son → maternal grandfather First daughter → maternal grandmother Second daughter → paternal grandmother When a child was named Cornelis, Teunis, Trijntje, or Grietje, the sponsor list often confirms which Cornelis or Trijntje the family meant. This is gold for genealogy. 2. Aunts and Uncles (by blood, not marriage) If a grandparent had died or lived too far away, the role usually passed to: a mother’s sister a father’s brother Dutch custom favored blood kin over in-laws. Marriage connected families; baptism bound them. 3. Namesakes and Heirs Sometimes the sponsor was: a childless older relative a person whose name the child carried a relative expected to play a guiding or inheritance role This created a quiet social contract: moral responsibility, potential guardianship, and family obligation, all sealed with water and ink. 4. Neighbors (only when necessary) Neighbors or friends were chosen only when kin were unavailable—death, war, distance, or social rupture. When you see a non-relative sponsor in a baptism, it often signals: recent immigration family loss military service political division (very common during the Revolution) Why Sponsors Matter So Much Baptismal sponsors were not symbolic extras. They were potential guardians if parents died, but they were also anchors of naming tradition and provide clues to maiden names and kin networks. In frontier places, sponsors often confirm relationships that never appear elsewhere—especially before civil records existed. If a child is baptized with a Cornelis or Trijntje as sponsor, that name is not random. It is almost certainly a grandparent or aunt whose story runs just beneath the surface of the page. A Quiet Revolution-Era Twist During the American Revolution, this system strained. Men away in militia service, families displaced by raids, churches burned (as at Stone Arabia in 1780) meant sponsors increasingly included: cousins instead of grandparents widowed women standing alone neighbors filling in for shattered kin networks Those deviations aren’t mistakes. They’re historical fingerprints. Once you learn to read baptismal sponsorship, the records stop being lists of names and start becoming family ties. Breaking Brick Walls Now that you know what valuable clues can be found in baptismal records, maybe it's time to search for baptism records for your brick wall ancestor's children, siblings, nieces and nephews. One of them could contain the names of the parents or other relatives that could help. Many old church records are found online on sites like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch. They can also be found in old books, many of which can be found on Archive.org . Do some research about the early churches in the town or county your brick wall ancestor lived in and try searching to find their records. Click here for my list of some places to find church records .

From Genealogical abstracts of Revolutionary War pension files , by Virgil D. White, 1990, p. 2056-2060: For the list of abbreviations, see here . LEONARD, Adam, BLW #9814-100-29 Jun 1789 assignee M. McConnell, srv as a Pvt in the PA Line LEONARD, Amos, Marcy, W20462, MA Line, sol m Mercy or Marcy Green of Granby MA on 17 Oct 1788 & sol was of Brookfield MA, sol appl 1 Apr 1818 Oneida Co NY aged 69, in 1820 sol had a wife Mercy aged 60 & a daughter Mercy aged 21 at home, wid's bro David Green made aff'dt 29 Aug 1838 aged 73 a res of Bainbridge in Chenango Co NY & stated his sis m Amos Leonard at Granby MA, wid appl 25 Aug 1838 at Solon in Cortland Co NY aged 79, sol d 26 Mar 1825 at Solon NY, a son Orin Leonard made aff'dt 25 Aug 1838 at Solon in Cortland Co NY & stated wid was living with him LEONARD, Acrhippus, Asenath, W24507, MA Line, sol m Miss Asenath Cobb 6 Jan 1780 both were of Middleborough in Plymouth Co MA, sol appl 18 Apr 1818 Plymouth Co MA aged 61, in 1820 sol referred to a son aged 17, sol d 13 Jan 1833 or 1834 at Rochester in Plymouth Co NY & wid appl 1 Nov 1836 at Middleborough MA, aged 76, in 1843 she had moved to Freetown in Bristol Co MA, sol's bro Rowland Leonard was aged 65 in 1836 a res of Wareham MA LEONARD, Asa, Olive, W24518, CT & Cont Line, sol appl 19 Nov 1832 Tioga Co NY aged 73, sol lived at Bolton in Hartford Co CT at enl, sol was b in 1759 at Lyme in New London Co CT, after the Rev sol lived at Stockbridge & West Stockbridge MA then moved to Union in Tioga Co NY then to Berkshire in Broome & Tioga Cos NY, wid appl 17 Aug 1838 at Berkshire NY aged 73, sol m Olive Churchil on 11 Oct 1787 at Stockbridge MA, sol d 24 Mar 1836, family records; sol was b 30 Jan 1759 & his wife Olive (Churchil) was b in Feb 1764, children were; Polly b 11 Feb 1783, Solomon b 23 Nov 1784, Lucy b 3 Jan 1786, Anna b 16 Sep 1788 & she m Henry Griffing 16 Jul 1808 (he was aged 28), Levi b 5 Jul 1790, Nancy b 26 Apr 1792, Lewis b 30 Jul 1794, Henry b 14 Aug 1797, George W. b 5 Apr 1799, Sabrina b 28 Aug 1800, Amanda b 6 Aug 1802, Chester b 9 Oct 1805, also shown were; Julia Griffing b 2 May 1809, George Griffing b 23 Mar 1812, Franklin Griffing b 14 Sep 1814 & Amanda L. Griffing b 20 Sep 1818 LEONARD, Barnabas or Barney, Phebe, W24512, MA Line, see Barney Leonard LEONARD, Barney or Barnabas, Phebe, W24512, MA Line, sol m Phebe Bassett 5 Feb 1780 both were of Bridgewater in Plymouth Co MA & sol d there 21 Apr 1821 & his wid appl there 22 Aug 1838 aged 78, wid d 30 Oct 1838, a Joseph Bassett was of Bridgewater MA in 1838 but no relationship to wid was stated LEONARD, Benajah, Mary, W20436, CT Line, sol appl 20 Oct 1818 Warren Co NY, in 1820 sol was aged 62, sol was b 15 Oct 1758 & he d 29 May 1827, sol m Mary or Molly Canfield 23 Feb 1779 ?, one Enos Canfield made aff'dt 15 Nov 1837 at Arlington VT aged 67 & stated sol formerly lived at Arlington VT & had lived a near neighbor to him for 30 yrs then moved to Luzerne NY & he referred to sol's is Hannah the wife of Philo Hawley, the relationship of Enos Canfield to wid was not stated, wid appl 13 Apr 1837 at Arlington in Bennington Co VT aged 79 & wid gave m date as 17 Feb 1778 at Arlington VT LEONARD, Caleb, S29291, MA Line, appl 19 Jun 1833 Kennebec Co ME, sol was b in 1760 at Middlebury MA & he lived there at enl & about 1803 he moved to Sidney in Kennebec Co MA (ME) Cuff, S32982, BLW #1044-100, MA Line, appl 1 Apr 1818 at Raynham in Bristol Co MA, in 1820 sol was aged 61 with a wife Hagar aged 51 & Elizabeth Leonard aged 8 yrs, sol was still living in 1822 LEONARD, Daniel, Phebe, W24502, MA Line, sol m Phebe (Leonard) or Raynham MA in Nov 1781 & sol was of Bridgewater MA, wid appl 20 Jun 1840 Windsor Co VT aged 80 a res of Sharon VT, sol d 12 Jul 1829, a Jacob Leonard of Bridgewater MA aged 32 made aff'dt in 1840 & stated he had srv with Daniel Leonard LEONARD, David, S13731, NJ & NY Line, appl 27 Nov 1835 Wayne Co PA, sol was b in 1754 in Morris Co NJ & he lived there most of the time until 1830 then moved to Wayne Co PA, on 18 Dec 1833 sol had moved to Tompkins Co NY to be with his children, a daughter-in-law Mary Leonard was of Tompkins Co NY in 1833 LEONARD, David, R6290, NY Line, a John Kemper of Hudson NY stated sol's father was William Leonard who srv as a Capt in the German Fusiliers in the NY Line, the sol David Leonard was b 3 Mar 1762 at Rhinebeck in Dutchess Co NY & he lived there at enl & srv under his father, sol later moved to Albany NY & in Apr 1783 he moved to Berkshire Co MA for 2 yrs then moved to Austerlitz in Columbia Co NY & he appl there 22 Nov 1838 but appears he had made aff'dt in 1831 or 32 LEONARD, Ebenezer, Abigail, R6288, MA Line, sol's father was Nicholas Leonard of Preston CT, sol's sis Mrs. Hannah Starkweather stated sol d at Crown Point NY in Jun 1776, one Anson Avery made aff'dt 28 Jan 1837 at Ledyard CT & referred to sol's "wife" Abigail & 4 children who lived in southern RI "part of the time" during the Rev, sol had m Abigail Avery 25 Sep 1765, the said Anson was overseer of sol's wid Abigail (Avery) Leonard but his relationship to her was not stated, wid's bro Theophilus Avery of Ledyard CT made aff'dt 23 Jan 1837 & stated his sis Abigail was b 11 Oct 1748, family records; sol was b 3 Sep 1744 & he & wid were m at Groton CT, children's births were; Benjamin b 11 Jun 1766, Sarah b 20 Mar 1768, William b 6 May 1770 & George b 17 Nov 1773, the town records of Preston CT showed the following; Ebenezer Leonard m Esther Amos 6 May 1730 both were of Preston CT, children were; Esther b 22 Apr 1731, Sarah b 22 Apr 1733, Elizabeth b 14 Mar 1737, Amos b 11 Oct 1741, Hannah b 1 Feb 1744, Zipporah b 16 Mar 1746 & Olive b 17 Aug 1748, the sol was referred to as Ebenezer Leonard, Jr. in the Preston CT town records but it was not stated the was the son of the Ebenezer Leonard who m Esther Amos LEONARD, Edward, BLW #7378-100-6 Jul 1791 assignee Carlile Pollock, srv as a Pvt in the NY Line LEONARD, Elias, S4542, PA Line, appl 6 Nov 1832 Burlington Co NJ, sol was b 10 Sep 1756 at Peekskill NY & he was an apprentice at Philadelphia PA when he enl & a short time after the Rev he moved to Burlington NJ for 2 yrs then he went to sea for 6 mths then moved to Chester Co PA for 9 yrs the moved to NY near where he was born for 6 yrs then moved to Burlington Co NJ LEONARD, Elijah, Hannah, W24505, MA Line, sol m Hannah Pierce of Dighton MA 24 or 25 Nov 1788 & sol was of Taunton MA when they were m, wid appl 30 Jan 1839 Wayne Co NY aged 75, sol d in Aug 1822 at Lee MA, sol had appl 6 May 1818 at Lee in Berkshire Co MA, a son Cyrus Leonard of Palymyra NY made aff'dt 30 Jan 1839 & was present when his father died LEONARD, Elisha, S13733, MA Line, sol was b 2 Jan 1751 at Preston CT & he lived at Worthington MA at enl & after the Rev he lived in the "Susquehanna Country" for 14 yrs the at different places until about 1817 he moved Charlotte in Chittenden Co VT & he appl there 15 Aug 1832 LEONARD, Enoch, Mary, W16629, BLW #5211-160-55, MA & NY Line, sol m Mary VanVeghten 10 Sep 1783 in Rensselaer Co NY & sol d 12 Dec 1810, wid appl 15 Dec 1836 Rensselaer Co NY aged 71, sol had enl at Springfield MA, wid appl for BLW 28 Mar 1855 & Frederick M.B. & Helena Maria Leonard were witnesses to her appl LEONARD, Ephraim, S32992, Cont & MA Line, appl 27 Apr 1818 Berkshire Co MA aged 62, in 1820 sol had 2 sons of his wife living with him, towit; Giles Wilcox 15 & Thurston Wilcox aged 14, sol d 4 Dec 1834 LEONARD, Ezekiel, Rhoda, W2816, MA Line, sol was b 30 Jul 1757 at Springfield MA & he lived there at enl & in 1803 he moved to Springfield in Bradford Co PA & he appl there in Sep 1832 & a Theodore Leonard & Joshua Spear were witnesses to his application, wid appl 27 Mar 1839 at Springfield Twnshp PA aged 75, sol & wid had m 10 Apr 1783 & sol d 30 Aug 1834, children's ages in 1805 were; Abi ?? (torn) 22, Laura 20, Ezekiel 18, Nathaniel 15, Lyman 12, Eber 10, Frederick 6, Albert 4 & Alfred b in 1805 LEONARD, Ezra, Elizabeth, W13617, MA Line, sol d 3 Oct 1830 at Oakham in Worcester Co MA aged 80, sol had m Miss Elizabeth Cambell or Campbell of Middleborough MA (where they were m) on 22 Apr 1773 & sol was of Raynham MA when they were m, wid appl 8 Jul 1836 at Oakham MA aged 83 LEONARD, Frederick, S38911, VA Line, appl 18 May 1829 Sullivan Co TN aged 68, sol stated he enl in PA into Col Stuart's Regt in the PA Line ?, sol d in 1845 in Washington Co VA leaving children; Elizabeth, Tuny, Mary, Frederick, John, Henry, Michael, George, William, Samuel, nancy & Margaret Leonard, the son Henry made aff'dt 31 Jan 1854 that sol lived with him when he died & the son then appl for sol's BLW LEONARD, George, Susanna, W3834, Cont Line, wid appl 6 Oct 1842 Augusta Co VA aged 79, sol d 17 Feb 1818, wid had moved to Augusta Co VA in 1797, sol & wid had m in Berks Co PA date not given, children's births were written in what appeared to be German of which I could only read parts of the register, towit; David b in 1784, Georg b in 1786, name ? b in 1788, name ? b 1790, name ? b 1792, Danial b in 1795, Jacob b in 1798, Catsarina b 15 May 1800, Josanna P. b in 1802, Margaret b in 1805 & Dannal b in 1807, the register was clear as to names & days of the months but I could not read LEONARD, George, S40930, MA Line, sol enl at Cambridge MA, he appl 16 Apr 1818 at Cornwall in Addison Co VT aged 69, in 1821 sol was living at Highgate in Franklin Co VT with a wife Rebeccah aged 66 LEONARD, George, Catharine, W8250, BLW #38529-160-55, PA Line, sol m Catharine Evans 16 Sep 1828 at Lancaster PA & sol lived there at enl & he appl there 20 Aug 1832 aged 73 & sol d there 7 or 9 May 1847 & his wid also appl there 18 Dec 1855 aged 68, a son Philip Leonard was living in 1847, in 1906 a daughter Lydia A. White of Lancaster PA stated she was the only child by sol's 2nd wife Catherine (Evans) who d in Nov 1867, the daughter stated she herself m 1st to Charles Bowman on 27 May 1847 & he d in 1849 & she m 2nd to Jacob White in Aug 1867 & he d in May 1897, in 1855 a Walter G. Evans was app'td grdn of the wid & her estate but his relationship to wid was not stated LEONARD, Henry, S29288, NY Line, sol lived at Montreal in Lower Canada at enl, appl 9 Jan 1834 Allegany Co NY aged 88 a res of Burns NY, sol lived at Little Britain in Ulster Co NY at enl, sol was b 4 Jul 1745 in NY City NY, sol lived at Little Britton NY for 20 yrs after the Rev then moved to PA "Minisink ?" then moved to "Townday" on the Susquehann River in PA for 8 or 9 yrs then moved to Burns NY, a son Joseph Leonard signed p.o.a. 25 Nov 1851 in Allegany Co NY at which time sol was dec'd LEONARD, Isaac, Rej, sol appl in PA under the Act of 18 Mar 1818 & his papers were returned to him, the following was shown but wether the same sol was not stated, towit; Isaac Leonard, Old War IF-#26699, sol was b at Somerset in Washington Co PA date not given, sol srv in the War of 1812 & was disc 8 Jul 1815 aged about 25, he rec'd a disability pension from 9 Jul 1815 & he also rec'd BLW #10879-160-12, sol's pension cert was sent to one Thomas Henry at Beaver Court House PA in 1830, in 1866 Isaac Leonard was living in Hancock Co OH with his address at the Findlay OH Post Office LEONARD, Jacob, Mary, W15023, BLW #1237-150-7 Mar 1798, Cont & MA Line, sol m Mary Swift 4 Dec 1788 at Bridgewater MA, in 1820 she was aged 61, sol d 12 Apr 1841 & his wid Mary d 8 Apr 1843 leaving children; Levi W. who 1843 was of Dublin NH & Isam or Isham who in 1843 lived at Bridgewater MA aged about 50 LEONARD, Jacob, S7141, NC Line, sol was b 16 Nov 1758 in Rowan Co the part that later became Davidson Co NC & he lived there at enl, his father was killed by the Tories in the fall of 1781, sol appl 13 May 1834 Davidson Co NC, sol d 27 Jan 1835 leaving several children (no names given), in 1880 sol's only surviving son & heir Daniel Leonard was living at Lexington in Davidson Co NC LEONARD, James, BLW #10809-100-2 Sep 1789, srv as a Pvt in the DE Line LEONARD, James, S34956, DE & MD Line, appl 31 Mar 1818 Washington DC aged 65 where he lived, in 1821 sol was still living there & stated he had no family, sol had also rec'd an MD state pension, on 1 Apr 1828 sol had lately moved to NY state & on 30 Apr 1828 he had returned to MD LEONARD, James, Elizabeth, W5465, PA Line, sol lived in Westmoreland Co PA at enl, sol appl 28 Aug 1832 Higland Co OH aged 98, wid appl 26 Jan 1839 Clermont Co OH aged 75, sol & wid had m 22 Dec 1780, sol d 6 Feb 1836, a James Leonard made aff'dt 26 Jan 1839 in Clermont Co OH & stated he had know sol & wid for 48 yrs but did not state a relationship, a son Thomas Leonard made aff'dt 1 Jul 1859 in Brown Co OH aged 59 & stated his mother (sol's wid) d 22 Dec 1845 & stated wid's maiden name was Elizabeth Watson & the son stated he made the 1859 appl with the consent of his bros & sisters (no names) LEONARD, John, Betsey, R6289, BLW #11276-160-55, MA Line, sol m Betsey Nurss 15 Nov 1775 at Barre MA & both were of Hutchinson MA, wid appl 6 Jun 1837 Cheshire Co NH aged 82, sol enl at Barre MA, sol d 27 Apr 1829, wid appl for BLW 16 Apr 1855 at Keene NH aged 99, a son Nathan Leonard a res of ME made aff'dt 3 Jun 1837 in Cheshire Co NH (his place of residence in ME was not given) LEONARD, John, S33370, NJ Line, appl 7 Jan 1825 Essex Co NJ aged 69, sol stated that in 1812 he owned a 2 acre lot in Morris Co NJ but had to sell it & since had owned nothing & in 1816 he & his wife parted & she returned to her "friends & children by a former husband" leaving the "moveables" to their 3 daughters, towit; Chloe, Phebe & Betsey, sol stated in 1825 he had 2 sons at home; Charles 21 & Benjamin aged 19 also 2 daughters at home; Phebe 15 & Betsey aged 12 yrs LEONARD, John, BLW #9798-100-29 Jun 1789 assignee M. McConnell, srv as a Pvt in the PA Line LEONARD, John, Edy, W1625, VA Line, sol was b 7 Apr 1754 & his wife Edy ( -- ) was b 22 Feb 1771 & they were m in Greenbrier Co VA the latter part of Jun 1796, sol was raised in Germany & came to America in the srv of the British Army & he deserted them & joined the Rev Army in Shenandoah Co VA in Sep or Oct 1781, sol appl 27 Nov 1823 Hawkins Co TN & sol d 7 Oct 1841 & his wid appl 27 Mar 1850 Hawkins Co TN it appeared wid's name before m may have been Scarborough, children were; David b 30 Mar 1797, Elizabeth b 14 Feb 1799, John b 19 Feb 1801, William b 5 Feb 1803, Agnes b 11 Jul 1805, Jacob b 12 Nov 1807 & Edy b 11 Mar 1811 Joseph, Mary, R6293, MD Line, sol m Mary Ferguson in Talbot Co MD in 1821 (application for license was made 8 Feb 1821), wid appl 21 Dec 1857 at Easton MD, sol d in 1834 about 1 mile from Trappe in Talbot Co MD LEONARD, Joseph, Mary, R6293, MD Line, sol m Mary Ferguson in Talbot Co MD in 1821 (application for license was made 8 Feb 1821), wid appl 21 Dec 1857 at Easton MD, sol d in 1834 about 1 mile from Trappe in Talbot Co MD LEONARD, Josiah, Lurany or Lurana, W24523, MA Line, sol m Lurany Keith of Middleborough MA on 13 May 1784 & he was of Buckland MA when they were m, he lived at Bridgewater MA at enl, sol appl 8 Aug 1832 Plymouth Co MA, sol was b 8 Aug 1754 at Bridgewater MA & in 1784 he moved to Buckland MA then in Hampshire Co but now in Franklin Co MA for 7 yrs & in 1791 he moved to Middleborough MA & his wid appl there in May 1844 aged 80, sol d 25 Nov 1839, a Nathan Leonard of Seekonk in Bristol Co MA made aff'dt on 17 Dec 1830 but did not state a relationship to sol LEONARD, Justin, Theodosia, W20458, BLW #13735-160-55, MA Line, sol lived at West Springfield MA at enl, he appl 8 Aug 1832 Hampden Co MA aged 69, wid appl 23 Oct 1840 Cayuga Co NY aged 75, sol & wid had m 12 Apr 1789 & sol d 12 Dec 1835, wid appl for BLW 23 Apr 1855 New Haven Co CT & a Timothy & Martha Barker were witnesses to her 1855 aff'dt, children were; John b 25 Feb 1790, Martha b 5 Oct 1793 & she m Sylvanus Griswold 15 Apr 1813 & she m 2nd to Timothy Barker, Jr. 28 May 1827, a son not alive b 6 Feb 1798, Justin b 20 May 1799, Asaph D. b 29 Nov 1801 & Christopher b 28 Sep 1806 LEONARD, Lot, Frances, R6291, NJ & PA Line, sol was b in Nov 1755 in Morris Co NJ & he lived there at enl & after this srv he moved with his father's family to Greene Co PA & he also enl there & he appl there 16 Sep 1834, sol m Frances Willis 13 May 1821, sol d 7 Nov or 7 Dec 1847 (both dates shown) in Washington Co PA & was referred to as Rev Lot Leonard, wid appl 22 Sep 1856 Washington Co PA aged 62 LEONARD, Michael, S30542, VA Line, appl 12 Oct 1835 Grant Co KY, sol was b in the spring of 1760 in Rowan Co NC & in 1779 he moved to Riddles Station in KY & he lived there at enl & was taken prisoner at age of 14 & in 1784 he settled again in Bourbon Co KY & in 1786 he moved to Lexington KY & in 1797 he moved to Scott Co KY & in 1803 he moved to what is now Nicholas Co KY then moved to Harrison Co KY & in 1808 he returned to Scott Co KY & in 1809 he moved to Grant Co KY LEONARD, Moses, S13749, MA Line, sol was b 21 Jun 1763 at Preston CT & he lived at Worthington MA at enl & after the Rev he moved to Shoreham VT for 17 yrs then moved to Chittenden Co VT & he appl there 1st May 1833, on 22 Apr 1835 sol had moved to Monroe Co NY to live with a daughter (not named) & he stated he intended to soon relocate to Chatauqua Co NY LEONARD, Nathan B. Anstus or Antris, W21568, BLW #19502-160-55, MA Line, sol appl 8 Oct 1832 Providence Co RI aged 71, sol was b 4 Jul 1761 at Bridgewater MA & he lived there at enl, sol m Anstus or Anstris Kent 7 Aug 1784 at Swanzey MA & sol was of Rehoboth MA when they were m, wid appl 22 Jan 1855 at New Bedford MA aged 86, sol d 9 Apr 1854, wid appl for BLW 13 Apr 1855 aged 87, a Barnabas Collins & Sarah E. Thompson both of New Bedford MA were witnesses to wid's BLW appl LEONARD, Nathaniel, Esther, W24513, Cont & NJ Line, sol m Esther Heath 14 Aug 1779 at Southampton in Bucks Co PA, sol d 15 Oct 1823, wid d 7 Jan 1846 in Henry Co IN leaving children; Zephaniah Leonard, Mary wife of John Curry, James & Nathaniel Leonard, Elizabeth wife of Joseph Cooper, Esther wife of Wm. D. Harden, John Leonard, Nancy wife of John Widows LEONARD, Nathaniel, S13744, MA Line, sol was a son of Nathaniel & Mary Leonard & was b 25 Mar 1755 at Taunton MA & sol lived there at enl, sol appl 5 Oct 1832 Bristol Co MA a res of Taunton MA LEONARD, Nathaniel, BLW #1272-300-11 Jun 1789, srv as a Capt in the NJ Line, no papers LEONARD, Nehemiah, S18488, MA Line, sol was b 13 Feb 1755 at Norton MA, he lived at Mansfield in Bristol Co MA at enl & he appl there 28 Aug 1832 LEONARD, Noah, Mehitable, W20457, MA Line, sol was b 17 Mar 1766, he lived at Middleborough in Plymouth Co MA at enl, he appl 13 Apr 1818 Oneida Co NY, in 1820 sol's wife's mother Mehetabel Richmond was living with them & his wife's mother was b 19 Jul 1739, sol m Mehetabel (Richmond) in 1787 & she was b 14 Sep 1770, sol d 21 Feb 1844 at Augusta NY where he had lived since 1819, wid d 23 Feb 1844 at Augusta NY, children were; Simeon b 25 Jun 1788, Isaac R. b 22 Apr 1793, Noah, Jr. b 13 Nov 1796, Henry b 17 Aug 1802, Abigail b 7 Jul 1805 & he d in 1824 & Otis b 3 Aug 1810, in 1844 the son Noah Leonard was a res of Marshall in Oneida Co NY & stated surviving children of dec'd sol & wid were; Simeon of Lodi in Erie Co NY, Isaac of Cattaraugus Co NY, Noah of Marshall NY & Otis of Augusta NY, in 1819 an Abiezer Richmond was living in 1819 & in 1819 a Joshua Richmond lived near sol in 1818 LEONARD, Patrick, S36038, CT & PA Line, appl 27 Jun 1818 Hamilton Co OH aged 77, on 26 Jul 1820 sol had moved to Campbell Co KY LEONARD, Patrick, BLW #4843-100-5 Nov 1789, srv as a Pvt in the Arty in the PA Line LEONARD, Patrick, BLW #9843-100-5 Nov 1789, srv as a Pvt in Proctor's Arty LEONARD, Phinehas, wid Content, W1199, MA Line, sol was b in 1751 at West Springfield in Hampden Co MA & he lived there at enl & sol appl there 12 Nov 1836 & sol d there 16 Nov 1847 & his wid appl there 12 Dec 1848 aged 85, sol had m Content Wheeler on 20 Jan 1795 at her father's at Montgomery MA LEONARD, Richard, BLW #9806h-100-19 Nov 1789 assignee John Baldwin, srv as a Pvt in the PA Line LEONARD, Robert, BLW #7404-100-1 Oct 1791, srv as a Pvt in the NY Line LEONARD, Robert, Naomi, W24511, NY Line, sol appl 17 May 1818 NY City NY, in 1820 sol had moved to Troy NY aged 58 & referred to a daughter aged 13 & a son aged 11 (no names), sol m Naomi ( -- ) on 11 Aug 1785 at Saratoga NY, sol d 20 May 1841, wid appl 25 Mar 1843 in NY City NY aged 75 LEONARD, Robert, BLW #12320-100-29 May 1792 assignee Robt Means, srv as a Pvt in the VA Line LEONARD, Rowland, Lucy, W13619, MA Line, sol was a son of Joseph, Jr. & Ruth Leonard & was b 24 Apr 1761 at Middleboro MA. sol appl 10 Sep 1832 Plymouth Co MA, sol m Lucy Briggs of Wareham MA on 21 Jul 1793 & sol was of Carver MA when they were m, wid appl 13 Jan 1839 Plymouth Co MA aged 66, sol d 3 Nov 1838 LEONARD, Samuel, S554, Cont & NJ Line, sol enl at Morristown NJ, appl 4 Apr 1818 Morris Co NJ, in 1820 sol was aged 63 & stated he had 7 children of which 3 lived at home, towit; Nancy aged 28, Mary aged 23 & Jeremiah aged 18, sol's wife (not named) had died about 1810 LEONARD, Samuel, S29293, MA Line, sol appl 29 Aug 1832 Plymouth Co MA aged 79, one Jacob Leonard of Bridgewater where he had lived all his life made aff'dt 13 Aug 1832 aged 75 & stated the sol Samuel Leonard had also lived at Bridgewater when he enl (both srv in the Rev War) LEONARD, Seth, S32986, Cont & MA Line, appl 1 Apr 1818 at Raynham in Bristol Co MA, in 1820 sol was aged 68 & he had no other person in his family LEONARD, Silas, S31818, CT & MA Line, appl 2 Aug 1832 Litchfield Co CT, sol was b 15 Feb 1757 at Raynham in Bristol Co MA & he was living at Mid Middleborough MA at enl & at the end of the Rev he moved to Kent MA LEONARD, Simeon, S40929, Cont & MA Line, appl 6 Apr 1818 Rutland Co VT, in 1820 sol was aged 66 with a wife Keziah aged 66 & a daughter Melancy aged 22 living with sol & sol state he lived with a son (not named) who supported him, in 1826 sol had moved to Yates Co NY to lived with a son & daughter LEONARD, Solomon, Sarah, W20466, CT, Cont & MA Line, sol was b 13 Mar 1759 & he m Sarah Sarah Hanks 27 May 1784 & she was b 22 Nov 1762, sol appl 23 Jan 1833 Wayne Co NY, sol enl at Killingly in Windham Co CT & later srv as a sub for his father Jesse Leonard & sol later enl at Windsor in Berkshire Co MA, sol was b at Killingly CT in 1759, wid appl 20 Jan 1844 Wayne Co NY aged 81, sol d 21 Jun. 1842, a son Jacob Leonard aged 47 made aff'dt 19 Jan 1844 Wayne Co NY, children were; Hannah b 22 Jun 1785, Submit b 5 Jan 1787, Jesse b 20 Jan 1789, Lucy b 6 Apr 1790, Sargeant b 2 Apr 1792, Levi b 10 Jun 1794, Jacob Sargeant Leonard b 23 Jul 1796, Samuel b 24 Jul 1798 & Solomon b 27 Mar 1803 & d 21 Jun 1812 LEONARD, Solomon, S31206, MA Line, sol was b in 1759 at Raynham in Bristol Co MA & he lived there at enl, he appl 29 Aug 1832 at Taunton in Bristol Co MA LEONARD, Stephen, S42831, NJ Line, sol enl at Mount Holly NJ, appl 11 Apr 1818 at Manlius in Onondaga Co NY, in 1820 sol was aged 67 with a wife Lois aged 58 & a daughter Harmah Goodrich & her 5 children (no names) who had formerly lived at Pompey NY were living with sol, a son David H. Leonard was referred to in the claim (his age wasn't given), sol d 25 Mar 1831 LEONARD, Sylvanus or Sylvanus Learned, Sally, W15021, BLW #18392-160-55, NH & VT Line, see Sylvanus Learned LEONARD, Thomas, Esther, W3098, NJ Line, sol was b 22 Aug 1753 in Somerset Co NJ & he lived in Hunterdon Co NJ at enl, sol appl 5 Dec 1832 Beaver Co PA & sol d there 28 Jan 1836, sol had m Esther ( -- ) on 6 Jun 1781 in Cumberland Co PA & she was b 6 Feb 1762, wid appl 26 Sep 1838 Beaver Co PA, children were; Priscilla b 3 Nov 1781, Mary b 8 Jan 1784, Abner b 11 Apr 1786, Clarissa b 21 Nov 1788, Lucretia b 19 Jan 1791, Absalom b 28 Nov 1792, Hiel b 12 Apr 1795, Eli b 17 May 1797 & Alvah b 5 Sep 1799, also shown were; Samuel son of Nathaniel & Anna Leonard b 10 Dec 1716 & d 3 Feb 1810 aged 93 yrs 1 mth 24 days, Mary Leonard wife of Samuel Leonard d 28 Jan 1793 aged 77 yrs 4 mths 14 days & she was the daughter of Stephen & Mary (surname was illegible) LEONARD, Timothy, Mary, W24503, Cont & MA Line, sol was b 14 Dec 1755 & he m Mary Baldwin 11 Dec 1788 & she was b 20 Jan 1761, children were; Anne B. b 15 Nov 1789 & she m Peleg R. Allen 17 Oct 1817, Miriam b 15 Aug 1791 & she m David Raymond 7 Aug 1816, Elizabeth b 22 Mar 1793, Mary b 3 Dec 1795 & she m Charles Marsh, Jr. 27 Nov 1816, Cornelia b 29 Aug 1798 & she m Thomas S. Perkins 4 Jan 1818, Timothy b 6 May 1802, Frederick B. b 13 Jul 1804 & he m Margaret Caroline Nicholas 25 May 1835 & Edward A. b in May 1806 & he m Sarah Ann Morris 4 Aug 1823 & she d 26 Aug 1837 at Alexandria LA, also shown were; Charles Marsh d 3 Jul 1817 at New Albany IN, P.R. Allen d at Shawneetown IL, the son Timothy Leonard d 15 Jul 1802, D. Raymond d at St Francisville LA, sol's bro Thaddeus Leonard of West Springfield MA was aged 76 & made aff'dt 28 Aug 1838 & referred to his twin bros Timothy & Enoch Leonard who were 6 yrs older than he was & both had srv in the Rev Army & stated they had enl at Springfield MA the part that became West Springfield MA, wid appl 7 Sep 1838 Rensselaer Co NY, sol d 12 Apr 1814 LEONARD, William, BLW #4580-100-22 Aug 1789 to Moses Ashley, srv as a Pvt in the MA Line LEONARD, William, S35519, NJ Line, appl 19 Jun 1818 Barren Co KY, on 9 Nov 1825 sol had moved to Mercer Co KY & gave his age as 78 LEONARD, William, Priscilla D., W26212, BLW #26424-160-55, NC Line, sol m Priscilla D. (Leonard) 9 Dec 1834 & sol d 1 Apr 1852, sol lived in Bute Co NC the part that became Franklin Co NC at enl, sol had appl 12 Sep 1832 Franklin Co NC, sol was b 2 Jun 1760 in Prince George Co VA, wid appl 9 Apr 1855 Franklin Co NC aged 52 LEONARD, Zephaniah, BLW #13328-100-6 Aug 1789, srv as a Sgt in the Sappers & Miners LEONARD, Ziba or Zeba, S29963, MA Line, appl 10 Apr 1818 Franklin Co MA aged 63 in 1820 sol had a wife & 4 children at home; daughters aged 23, 14 & 10 also a son aged 17, sol stated in 1820 that he owed Ziba Leonard, Jr. $300, sol reapplied 15 Nov 1832 at Ashfield in Franklin Co MA, sol was b in 1756 at Bridgewater in Plymouth Co MA & he lived there at enl LEONARDSON, John T. or John T. Lenardson, Sarah, R6294, NY Line, see John T. Leonardson CONTINUE HERE https://archive.org/details/genealogicalabst0000whit/page/2059/mode/1up

The history of early European settlers in New York and Pennsylvania is rich and complex, shaped by various groups whose identities often overlap or confuse modern readers. Among these groups, the Palatine Germans, Netherland Dutch, Pennsylvania Dutch, Low Dutch, and High Dutch stand out for their distinct origins, languages, and cultural influences. Understanding their differences helps clarify the early colonial history of the region and sheds light on the roots of many American families today. Origins and Arrival in America Palatine Germans The Palatine Germans originated from the Palatinate region in southwestern Germany - then called the region of Pfalz in the Holy Roman Empire. This area suffered severe hardship during the late 17th and early 18th centuries due to war, famine, and religious persecution. Seeking better opportunities, many Palatines emigrated to the American colonies, arriving primarily between 1708 and 1710. Most Palatine Germans settled in New York, particularly along the Hudson River Valley. The British Crown encouraged their settlement to bolster the population and develop the frontier. These settlers were mostly Protestant and brought with them German dialects and customs. Netherland Dutch The Netherland Dutch came from the Netherlands, a distinct cultural and linguistic group from the Germans. They were among the earliest European settlers in what became New York, originally establishing the colony of New Netherland in the early 1600s. The Dutch influence remains strong in place names like Harlem and Brooklyn. The Netherland Dutch settlers spoke Dutch, a Germanic language but distinct from German dialects. They arrived decades before the Palatine Germans, with the first settlements dating back to 1624. Their presence shaped the early political and cultural landscape of New York. Pennsylvania Dutch The term "Pennsylvania Dutch" is often misunderstood. It does not refer to Dutch from the Netherlands but rather to German-speaking immigrants, primarily from the Palatinate and other parts of southwestern Germany. The word "Dutch" here is an anglicized form of "Deutsch," meaning German. These settlers arrived mainly in the 18th century, settling in Pennsylvania, which offered religious freedom and fertile land. The Pennsylvania Dutch developed a unique culture blending German traditions with American influences. Their language, Pennsylvania German, is a dialect derived from Palatine German. Low Dutch and High Dutch The terms Low Dutch and High Dutch historically distinguished between different Germanic language groups. Low Dutch referred to the Dutch language spoken in the Netherlands, a Low Germanic language. High Dutch referred to the German dialects spoken in the mountainous southern regions of Germany, including the Palatinate. In colonial America, Low Dutch typically meant settlers from the Netherlands, while High Dutch referred to German-speaking immigrants. This distinction helps explain some of the confusion around the term "Dutch" in American history. Common First Names Among the Groups Names provide insight into cultural identity and heritage. Each group brought naming traditions reflecting their language and religion. Palatine Germans Palatine Germans favored traditional Germanic and biblical names. Common male names included: Johann (John) Heinrich (Henry) Wilhelm (William) Friedrich (Frederick) Georg (George) Female names often included: Anna Maria Elisabeth Margaretha Katharina These names were often passed down through generations, sometimes anglicized over time. Netherland Dutch The Netherland Dutch used Dutch forms of Biblical and traditional names. Male names included: Jan (John) or Janse/Janssen, meaning son of Jan Pieter (Peter) or Pieterse, meaning son of Peter Casper or Casperse/Casparse, meaning son of Casper Willem (William) Gerrit (Garret) or Gerritse, meaning son of Gerrit Hendrick (Henry) or Hendrickse, meaning son of Hendrick Cornelis (Cornelius) Claes (Nicholas) Teunis Palatine Germans typically did not use “-se / -sen” patronymics in New York records. This patrynomic pattern is a dead giveaway for Dutch. Female names included: Maria Anna Elisabeth Geertruy (Gertrude) Catharina Dutch naming customs included patronymics, where a child’s surname was derived from the father’s first name. Pennsylvania Dutch Since Pennsylvania Dutch descended mainly from Palatine Germans, their names were similar but evolved uniquely in America. Male names included: Jacob Samuel Michael Daniel Peter Female names included: Susanna Barbara Magdalena Elizabeth Catherine The Pennsylvania Dutch often used diminutives and nicknames, reflecting their close-knit communities. Settlement Patterns in New York and Pennsylvania New York New York was initially dominated by Netherland Dutch settlers who established New Amsterdam. After the English took control in 1664, the Dutch influence remained strong culturally and linguistically. Palatine Germans arrived later, settling mainly in the Hudson Valley and contributing to agricultural development. The Palatines were often settled in communities like Germantown and Rhinebeck. Their presence added a Germanic layer to the already Dutch-influenced region. Pennsylvania Pennsylvania became a primary destination for German-speaking immigrants, including Palatine Germans, starting in the early 1700s. The colony’s policy of religious tolerance attracted many seeking freedom from persecution. The Pennsylvania Dutch settled in rural areas, forming farming communities in Lancaster, Berks, and surrounding counties. Their culture thrived, maintaining language and customs well into the 19th century. Language and Cultural Differences Language was a key marker distinguishing these groups. The Netherland Dutch spoke Dutch, which is closer to English than German. Palatine Germans and Pennsylvania Dutch spoke German dialects, with Pennsylvania Dutch evolving into a distinct dialect. Culturally, the Netherland Dutch brought Reformed Protestant traditions, while Palatine Germans were often Lutheran or Reformed. Pennsylvania Dutch communities included Amish and Mennonite groups, known for their plain dress and simple living. Why the Confusion Exists The confusion around these groups arises because of the overlapping use of the word "Dutch." English speakers historically used "Dutch" to refer to both the people of the Netherlands and German-speaking immigrants. This led to terms like Pennsylvania Dutch, which actually means Pennsylvania Germans. Additionally, migration patterns and intermarriage blurred cultural lines. Some families have mixed Dutch and German ancestry, making it harder to distinguish origins without detailed genealogical research. Summary of Key Differences Group Origin Language Arrival Period Common Names Settlement Area Palatine Germans Palatinate, Germany German dialect (High Dutch) 1708–1710 Johann, Heinrich, Wilhelm New York (Hudson Valley) Netherland Dutch Netherlands Dutch (Low Dutch) Early 1600s Jan, Pieter, Willem New York (New Amsterdam) Pennsylvania Dutch German-speaking (Palatinate) Pennsylvania German 18th century Jacob, Samuel, Michael Pennsylvania (Lancaster) Final Thoughts Understanding the distinctions between Palatine Germans, Netherland Dutch, Pennsylvania Dutch, Low Dutch, and High Dutch clarifies much about early American history. These groups contributed unique languages, customs, and traditions that shaped New York and Pennsylvania. Recognizing their origins and differences helps modern readers appreciate the rich cultural heritage embedded in these regions. Resources The Palatines of New York State : a complete compilation of the history of the Palatines who first came to New York State in 1708-1722 , by Palatine Society of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of New York and New England, Inc. A collection of upwards of thirty thousand names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French and other immigrants in Pennsylvania from 1727-1776 : with a statement of the names of ships, whence they sailed, and the date of their arrival at Philadelphia, chronologically arranged, together with the necessary historical and other notes, also, an appendix containing lists of more than one thousand German and French names in New York prior to 1712 , by Rupp, I. Daniel (Israel Daniel), 1803-1878 The German emigration from New York province into Pennsylvania ... prepared at the request of the Pennsylvania-German society , by Richards, Matthias Henry, 1841-1898; Richards, Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, 1848-1935

The Mohawk Dutch language represents a fascinating chapter in the history of cultural exchange in North America. This hybrid language emerged from the interaction between Dutch settlers and the Mohawk people during the 17th century. Understanding what Mohawk Dutch sounded like offers insight into how languages blend and evolve, reflecting the complex relationships between communities. This post explores the distinctive features of Mohawk Dutch, its sound patterns, and its role in cultural identity. Origins of the Mohawk Dutch Language Mohawk Dutch arose in the early colonial period when Dutch traders and settlers established contact with the Mohawk Nation, part of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Dutch presence in what is now New York State created opportunities for trade, alliances, and cultural exchange. Language became a bridge for communication, leading to a pidgin or creole that combined elements of Dutch and Mohawk. This language was not a formal dialect but a practical tool used in daily interactions. It incorporated Dutch vocabulary with Mohawk grammar and pronunciation influences, or vice versa, depending on the speaker’s background. The result was a unique linguistic blend that served both communities. What Mohawk Dutch Sounded Like Reconstructing the exact sound of Mohawk Dutch is challenging due to limited written records and the oral nature of the language. However, linguistic research and historical accounts provide clues about its phonetic qualities. Pronunciation Features Dutch Influence : The Dutch language contributed many consonant sounds, such as the guttural "g" and the "sch" sound, which is a combination of "s" and "ch." These sounds were likely softened or adapted by Mohawk speakers. Mohawk Influence : Mohawk’s use of glottal stops and nasal vowels influenced the rhythm and intonation of the hybrid language. Mohawk is a polysynthetic language, meaning it often combines many morphemes into one word, which affected how Dutch words were shortened or modified. Stress and Intonation : Mohawk Dutch probably had a different stress pattern than standard Dutch. Mohawk languages tend to emphasize syllables differently, which would have altered the melody of speech. Vocabulary and Syntax The vocabulary was a mix of Dutch trade terms and Mohawk words related to daily life, nature, and social structures. For example, Dutch words for goods like "brood" (bread) and "bier" (beer) might have been used alongside Mohawk terms for family and community roles. Syntax, or sentence structure, showed signs of fusion. Dutch typically follows a subject-verb-object order, while Mohawk uses a more flexible structure with verb prefixes and suffixes indicating subjects and objects. Mohawk Dutch likely simplified these rules to facilitate communication. Cultural Significance of Mohawk Dutch The language was more than a communication tool; it symbolized cooperation and coexistence. It helped establish trade relationships and political alliances between the Dutch and the Mohawk people. Speaking Mohawk Dutch could signal trust and mutual respect. For the Mohawk people, incorporating Dutch elements into their language reflected adaptability and openness to new influences without losing their cultural core. For Dutch settlers, learning Mohawk Dutch was a practical necessity and a sign of respect for the indigenous culture. Though Mohawk Dutch eventually faded as English became dominant, its legacy remains in historical records and place names. Some words and expressions influenced local dialects and contributed to the linguistic diversity of the region. Examples of Mohawk Dutch Sounds and Words A Sample of “Mohawk Dutch” (circa 1770s): “Morgen, neighbor. I ben early out today—de frost liegt schwer on de corn. My vrouw says we must bring de wheat to de mill before de roodcoats come again. De Indians been moving up de river, und Sir John’s men make much trouble. We stay near Fort Paris tonight, ja? It is safer so.” The Same Passage in Modern English: “Good morning, neighbor. I’ve been out early today—the frost lies heavy on the corn. My wife says we must bring the wheat to the mill before the British soldiers come again. The Indians have been moving up the river, and Sir John’s men are causing trouble. We’ll stay near Fort Paris tonight, yes? It’s safer that way.” Linguistically, we can hear several layers colliding: Dutch grammar & particles “I ben early out”  → from Dutch “Ik ben vroeg uit” “de frost ligt”  → Dutch verb usage German words embedded naturally morgen  (morning) frau / vrouw  (wife) und  (and) ja  (yes) English nouns neighbor, mill, wheat, river, fort, redcoats Mohawk Dutch was a unique language born from necessity and cooperation. Its sound combined Dutch consonants and Mohawk rhythms, creating a distinct voice that carried the stories of two cultures coming together. Understanding this language enriches our knowledge of North American history and the ways language shapes human connection. Exploring Mohawk Dutch encourages us to listen closely to the voices of the past and recognize the ongoing influence of cultural exchange in shaping language and identity. For anyone interested in language history or indigenous cultures, Mohawk Dutch offers a compelling example of how sound and meaning travel across communities. Did any of your ancestors speak Mohawk Dutch? Tell us about them in the comments below! #mohawk #dutch #language #hollenbeck #dykeman

John Hollenbeck, my 4th great-grandfather, was born about 1775 in Stone Arabia, New York. At the time, the town was in Tryon County, which was renamed Montgomery County in 1784. His family arrived in Cortland County, New York, between 1816 and 1818. Trying to identify John Hollenbeck on the census prior to his arrival in Cortland County has proven to be a challenge. Here's what we know: John probably still lived in the home of his father, said to have been William Hollenbeck, when the 1790 and possibly the 1800 census were taken. Since he married Hannah Conrad in Schoharie County on January 18, 1803, we can probably expect to find him on the 1810 census but there were 19 matches for John Hollenbeck on the 1810 census in New York. According to the Hollenbeck family Bible, their first daughter, Nancy, was born in 1805 in Sharon, Schoharie County and their next child, William was born in 1807 in the same place. Between 1807 and 1808, they left Sharon and their daughter Catherine was born in 1808 in "Susquehanna, New York". Where she was actually born is a mystery, since there is no place called Susquehanna in New York. There is a town and a county named Susquehanna in Pennsylvania, however. Did they row down the Susquehanna River and cross the border unknowingly, or perhaps they weren't aware that the boundary had been established after some dispute between the two states? Note: Susquehanna County was created on February 21, 1810, from part of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. See update on Wikitree . In 1809, their son Jacob was born in the same place, and in late 1810, their son John was born there as well. Lany followed in 1812, and Henry, born in 1816, was the final birth recorded there. Between 1816 and 1818, they left this home they called "Susquehanna" and their next child, Eva, was born in Cortland County in 1818. Nelly followed in 1820 and, finally, Nicholas was born in 1822. In 1824, four of John and Hannah's children were Christened in Cobleskill. Click here for details . There had been some border disputes between New York and Pennsylvania (Blakely 34). Since we know he came from the region near Cooperstown, where the Susquehanna River begins and we believe they traveled down the Susquehanna River, I created this map tracing the Susquehanna River's path across New York, into Pennsylvania, back in to New York, and out to Pennsylvania again, to help visualize the possibilities. On the above map, the blue markers indicate the places where men named John Hollenbeck were found when the census was taken in 1810. Notice, there were only two that were on or near the Susquehanna River, as follows: First, there was a "John Hollenbeck" household in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Wyalusing is on the Susquehanna River, ten miles from the New York border and about 39 miles from the town of Susquehanna, as follows. The household contained the following people: There were 2 free white males age 0-9 (born bet. 1801-1810). There was one free white male age 16-25 (born bet. 1785-1794). There was one free white male age 26-44 (born bet. 1766-1784). There was one free white female age 0-9 (born bet. 1801-1810). There were 2 free white females age 16-25 (born bet. 1785-1794). This does not appear to be John's household. His should have had two girls and one or two boys under the age of ten , depending on exactly when his son John was born in 1810 (and he may have been born in early 1811). Unless it was a relative or other boarder, he should have had no males age 16-25. The age of the oldest male in the household does match John's age in 1810 (approx. 35), however his wife, Hannah was born in 1783 and would have been about 27 in 1810, which conflicts with the age of the woman in Wyalusing. This is what John's household should have reported for the 1810 census, providing his son John was born after the census was taken: The only other John Hollenbeck living on the Susquehanna River in 1810 was found in Otego, Otsego County, New York as follows: 1810 Census Otego, Otsego County, New York There were 2 free white males age 0-9 (born bet. 1801-1810). William was born in 1807 and Jacob was born in 1809. There was one free white male age 26-44 (born bet. 1766-1784). John was born in 1767/77. There were 2 free white females age 0-9 (born bet. 1801-1810). Nancy was born in 1805 and Catherine was born in 1808. There was one free white female age 16-25 (born bet. 1785-1794). *Hannah was born in 1783. This household is nearly a perfect match for that of our John Hollenbeck. The only discrepancy is the age of the oldest female in the house, presumably John Hollenbeck's wife. We know Hannah was born in 1783, but once again, the oldest woman in the household in Otego was reportedly born between 1785 and 1794. This could easier be a mathematical error, especially considering that schools were not fully established yet. Note also that a search for this family on the 1820 census produced no results in Otego. This Hollenbeck family in Otego was only counted there on the 1810 census and there were no other Hollenbecks there in that decade. Otego is 41 miles southwest of Sharon and 47 miles east of Cincinnatus. It seems highly likely that the place the Hollenbeck family record calls "Susquehanna, New York", was actually Otego, New York. "In 1800 it [Otego] was a hemlock swamp with only one frame house in the vicinity" (Blakely xi). This tidbit could explain the confusion about where they were. It was an undeveloped and virtually uninhabited swamp land along the Susquehanna River. Perhaps they didn't know where they actually were, only that they were on the Susquehanna and therefore called it by that name? The Indian name, Otego, was spelled "Atege" and "Wauteghe" on a map of 1826. On an earlier map, it had been spelled "Atega", "Atiga" and "Adiga" (Blakely 21). We can see Adiga Creek on this old 1777 map of New York. We also see Cobus Kill (Cobleskill), the place where four of John's children were baptized in 1824. New York in 1777 The map shown below marks the approximate route John Hollenbeck and his family would have made on their journey to Cincinnatus if his was, in fact, the family living in Otego in 1810. The route starts at John's birth place, in Stone Arabia. In 1820 John Hollenbeck's household in Cincinnatus, Cortland County, New York contained the following: There were 2 free white males age 0-9 (born bet. 1811-1820). Henry was born in 1816. John was born abt. 1810. There were 2 free white males age 10-15 (born bet. 1805-1810). Jacob was born in 1809. William was born in 1807. There was one free white male age 45 or older (born bet. 1700-1775). John was born in abt. 1775. There were 4 free white females age 0-9 (born bet. 1811-1820). Eva was born in 1818, Lany was born in 1812, Mary was born in 1813. There were 2 free white females age 10-15 (born bet. 1805-1810). Nancy was born in 1805 and Catherine was born in 1808. There was one free white female age 26-44 (born bet. 1776-1794). Hannah was born in 1783. In 1830 there were two households headed by men named John Hollenbeck in Willet, Cortland County, New York and none in Cincinnatus. They were John and his son, John S. Hollenbeck. John Hollenbeck's household was reported as follows: There was one free white male age 5-9 (born bet. 1821-1825). Nicholas was born 1822. There was one free white male age 10-14 (born bet. 1816-1820). Henry was born in 1816. There was one free white male age 15-19 (born bet. 1811-1815). It appears that Jacob (born in 1809) was mistakenly counted in this column. He would have been about 21 so he should have been counted in the column for males age 20-29. There was one free white male age 20-29 (born bet. 1801-1810). William was born in 1807. There was one free white male age 50-59 (born bet. 1771-1780). John was born abt. 1775. There was one free white female age 10-14 (born bet. 1816-1820). Eva was born in 1818. There were 2 free white females age 15-19 (born bet. 1811-1815). Lany was born in 1812 and Mary was born in 1813. There were 2 free white females age 20-29 (born bet. 1801-1810). Nancy was born in 1805 and Catherine was born in 1808. There was one free white female age 40-49 (born bet. 1781-1790). Hannah was born in 1783. John S. Hollenbeck's household contained himself, age 20-29, a female child under the age of 4 (born bet. 1826-1830) and two free white females age 20-29 (born bet. 1801-1810). Anyone with information about this family, or clues that could help us learn the family's history, please comment below or contact me! Tip: These census records were summarized and ages were calculated easily using my 1820 Census Helper and 1830 Census Helper ! Also available for 1790-1840. Bookmark it for help next time you are reviewing a census from 1790-1840. See More: A History of Otego by Stuart B. Blakely, 1907. [ Link ] John Hollenbeck The Hollenbeck branch of my family Free New York genealogy resources #hollenbeck #johnhollenbeck #cortlandcounty #willet #cincinnatus #cobleskill #stonearabia #otego #map

A simple church record can shine an abundance of light on our ancestors' pasts, as seen here in this transcription found on FamilySearch. It is a record of the Christening of my 3rd great-grandfather, Nicholas Hollenbeck. The event took place on October 13, 1824, and was recorded by the German Reformed Church in New Rhinebeck-Cobleskill, in Schoharie County, New York, but the children were baptized in Cincinnatus, according to the source. This record states that Nicholas was born on February 10, 1822, to "John Hallenbeek" and "Ann Coenrad". This matches the Hollenbeck Family Register, provided by Nancy Hollenbeck. Click here to read my blog about the Hollenbeck's confusion about "Susquehanna, N.Y." . The interesting part is that John and Hannah were in Cincinnatus, New York by 1820. The Christening took place in Cobleskill, which is located near Sharon, where John's first two children were reportedly born, but did they really make the perilous journey of 85 miles all the way back there to have him christened? The answer is yes! A closer look at the records in this collection revealed that four of John and Hannah's children were christened there on the same day, : Nicholas Hallenbeek, born February 10, 1822 Henry Hallenbeek, born April 27, 1816 Eve Hallenbeek, born June 17, 1818 Mary Hallenbeek, born May 14, 1814 So we can see, the four Christenings on October 13, 1824, were John and Hannah's four youngest children. The others had probably already been Christened previously. There is a book called, "Records of the German Reformed Church in New Rhinebeck, Near Dorlach (or Sharon). Now the Reformed Church of Lawyersville, in the Town of Cobleskill, Schoharie County, N.Y.: Also Record of the Union Reformed Dutch Church of Cobleskill, 1827-1855", published in 1915, which may provide more information if a copy can be found. The photo of the Reformed Church at Cobleskill was published in the Historical Souvenir of Cobleskill , stating it was built in 1819. A visit to the location at the corner of Washington and West Main Street on Google Maps shows only a Masonic Lodge and no church there. Perhaps it was the Lawyersville Reformed Church in Cobleskill, which still stands today. Lawyersville & Sharon Reformed Church (Google Maps) Anyone with information about John Hollenbeck and his family, please comment below or contact me! Subscribe to blog for updates! Sources and more information: The Formation of Cortland County The Central New York Military Tract Historical souvenir of Cobleskill, N.Y. (p. 29 and 40) Lawyersville & Sharon Reformed Churches John Hollenbeck The Hollenbeck branch of my family Free New York genealogy resources #hollenbeck #schohariecounty #newyork #churchrecords #reformedchurch #german

One of my male Reese cousins, a direct male descendant of my Reese ancestors, took a DNA test , revealing new information about the line. His paternal haplogroup came up as R-L 1029 , information which can only be found in the Y-DNA (a male) direct descendant. According to his DNA results (Ancestry DNA), my Reese grandfather's paternal ancestry is as follows: Southern Germanic Europe 16% (see map from Ancestry below) Southeastern England & Northwestern Europe 10% Central Scotland & Northern Ireland 11% The Netherlands 3% North East England 5% West Midlands 4% Donegal, Ireland 1% Germany’s wealthiest and most scenic localities lie in its southernmost region, home to the German Alps and alpine lakes. It is also home to world-famous car manufacturers such as BMW and Audi, which power the economy and make the city of Munich one of the most expensive cities in Germany. Southern Germans also have a reputation for standing out culturally from other Germans. The saying “mia san mia” (“we are who we are”) expresses such pride. Southern Germans revel in their love of beer at the annual Oktoberfest fair, which showcases traditional food and drink like German pretzels and a specially brewed Wies’n Bier. ( Ancestry.com ) My Reese grandfather, who never drank a beer in his life, was told his family came from Wales and they lived in the mountains of Pennsylvania before moving into Central New York. The Pennsylvania part has since been confirmed and there was a Welsh Settlement in Pennsylvania, so it seemed to line up, although I've found no information past George Reese . There was also a large population of Pennsylvania Dutch (German) in Pennsylvania in colonial times. With more research, we can use this valuable information to determine the origins of our Reese family. To learn more about haplogroups, check out this short video: Click here for more information about DNA testing in genealogy . Click here for loads of free genealogy resources . Click here to learn more about the Reese family . Do you belong to this haplogroup? Let us know in the comments below or contact me . Reese Genealogy and DNA #Reese #DNA #DNAtest #GeorgeRees #haroldreese #MaynardReese #DavidReese #lloydreese #AbrahamReeseJr #AbrahamReese #josiahreese #LloydJohnReese #RebeccaAliceReese #JohnReese #genealogy #GeorgeReese

More than 13 million documents pertaining to the holocaust and its victims have been published online by Arolsen Archives, in partnership with the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. These documents are part of "UNESCO's Memory of the World" and include items such as prisoner cards, incarceration documents, and death notices. Other items are still being added. Click here to access the collection . From there you can search click "Browse archive" to view the various collections. These are hand-written, typed forms and documents and some even include photographs and personal information. There is other important general holocaust material provided as well. For example, on the Browse Archive page, in " Incarceration Documents 1.1 - Camps and Ghettos ", an interactive map showing the location of each of the concentration camps is provided. The site takes a few minutes to load, but it is worth waiting for! Here's the link: https://arolsen-archives.org/en/ Click here for more resources to trace Jewish genealogy . Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources . #jewish #tribesofisrael #holocaust #records #resources #genocide

This weekend I was going through a box of old papers and photos that belonged to my mother, going down memory lane with the family. I always say it's important to take a lot of pictures, so we don't forget, but now in my fifties, I believe it's equally as important to label the pictures with dates, places, and people because even though we have photos, there are so many pictures of people and places I don't recognize and with all our pictures being digital now, I wonder how many people are labeling their galleries. I know I'm not! Well, there were many treasures in that old box - old postcards, letters, autographs, and lots of pictures, but one stood out and touched my heart. It was an envelope addressed to my parents, postmarked May 1979, from Santa Ana, California. It was from my mother's maternal grandmother, Delaphine "Mary" (Decker) Dickinson. Her husband, Rev. William Henry Dickinson, had died the year prior and she was visiting with her son, my mom's Uncle Bob Dickinson, in California. Enclosed was a two page hand-written letter filling my mother in on her recent travels, and with the letter was a small card on transparent vellum paper with flowers painted on one flap and a message written on the other. Since it is becoming faded, I scanned it for preservation. "Keep on learning Bible verses. Grandma" Delaphina Decker, changed her name to Mary D. Dickinson when she married Rev. William H. Dickinson, in 1925. Together they raised eight children, most of whom lived to old age. You can see a short video about her, complete with photos on YouTube here . Learn more about this line of my family here . If you're related to W. H. and Mary Dickinson, connect your branches on Wikitree ! #decker #dickinson

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 No. 0101605 #ireland #mcginnis #williammcginnis #ireland

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

Old newspapers are a vital part of researching family history and finding more personal details about their lives. In the pages of the local news, you can find announcements of marriages, births, deaths, or funerals, social, legal, and other news. Items like the ones shown below, however, reporting family reunions, can provide many valuable clues about extended family, which can potentially help break down brick walls in your family tree. In the past, it was common for family reunions to be published in the news before and after the event. In these you can find valuable clues among the names of the attendees. I was hoping to learn about the family of my 3rd great-grandmother, Catherine (Smith) McGinnis. After finding an article about one reunion, I performed a search using her children's names to locate any subsequent reunions and was able to find a few! If you're interested in analyzing these tidbits, read on! Otherwise, click here to check out my list of sites for finding newspapers to see if you can find similar clues about your family! ANNUAL REUNION of the Smith-McGinnis Families at Mrs. E. J. Dunbar's The Smith-McGinnis families held their fifth annual reunion on Saturday at the home of Mrs. E. J. Dunbar on Academy St., twenty-one people being present. A bountiful dinner was served on tables set on the lawn and the day was greatly enjoyed by all. At the business meeting the following officers were elected: President: Nicholas Smith Vice President: Mrs. E. J. Dunbar Historian: Rose Hollenbeck Those present were: Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Smith, Mr. and Mrs. John Davern and Charles Smith of Newark Valley; Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Hollenbeck of Willet; Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Davern, sons, Clarence and Bernard of Cortland; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Turner, daughter Hazel and son Maurice of Groton; Mr. and Mrs. D. J. Underwood, Mrs. E. J. Dunbar, Miss Lizzie Wyle, Will McGinnis and Agnes Dunbar. [Cortland Standard, Aug. 28, 1911]. ------------------------------- "The Smith McGinnis family reunion was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Turner last Saturday. Guests were present from McGraw, Willet, and Texas Valley. Mrs. Turner's brother, Charles McGinnis and wife and two children remained for a visit over Sunday with them." [Cortland Standard, Aug. 5, 1912] ------------------------------- McGRAWVILLE...The seventh annual picnic of the McGinnis-Smith families was held Saturday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. D. J. Underwood. The tables were arranged on the lawn and 21 were present. The next reunion will be held the second Saturday in August, 1914, with Mr. and Mrs. Ed O'Brien in Lestershire. Music and recitations were listed to after dinner and a very enjoyable day was spent. Those present were Mrs. Edward O'Brien of Lestershire, Miss Ann Smith of Binghamton, Mrs. Mary DeLaney of Whitney's Point, Mrs. John McGinnis and son, Joseph of Syracuse, Mrs. Jasper Hollenbeck, and daughter, Rose, of West Willet; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Turner and daughter Hazel of Groton City, and Mr. and Mrs. Charles McGinnis and daughters, Catherine and Eleanor; Mrs. Grace Dunbar and daughter, Agnes, Mr. and Mrs. D. J. Underwood and Mr. and Mrs. Wm. McGinnis and son, Basil of this place. A large number from this vicinity attended the Underwood reunion Saturday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Rogers in Freetown and report a good time and about 120 in attendance. John Dunbar, who has been visiting relatives here left Monday for his home in Adrian, Mich. [Cortland Democrat, Aug. 15, 1913]. ------------------------------- SMITH-MCGINNIS FAMILY Annual Picnic Held on Saturday - Many Present Between twenty and thirty people were present at the Smith-McGinnis family reunion held Saturday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Will McGinnis on the farm north of the village. The day was ideal for a picnic and the dinner the best possible, nothing being left out, from chick-pie to warm biscuits, and honey to ice cream. After dinner, music and visiting passed the time very pleasantly and at the business meeting the following officers were elected: President - Arthur Davern Vice President - Mrs. Charles McGinnis It was decided to hold the next meeting the second Saturday in August with Mr. and Mrs. Fred Turner of Groton City. The historian reported that there had been no marriages or births and but one death, that of William Vallier , during the past year. Those present were Mr. and Mrs. Fred Turner of Groton City, Mr. and Mrs. Homer Reynolds, son Robert and daughter Gertrude, of Summerhill, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Davern and children of Whitney Point, Thomas DeLaney of Newark Valley, Miss Rose Hollenbeck of Willet, Hugh Reagan of Syracuse, Mr. and Mrs. Charles McGinnis and daughters Catherine and Eleanor, Mrs. Margaret Underwood, Mrs. Grace Dunbar and daughter Miss Agnes Dunbar, Mr. and Mrs. Will McGinnis and son Basil, and Mr. and Mrs. George Wylie. [Cortland Standard, Aug. 11, 1919]. ------------------------------- After hours of analyzing these clippings, I came to the conclusion that the attendees were all related to the descendants of William and Catherine (Smith) McGinnis, as listed on William's Bio & Scrapbook page : William Vallier was related through Rose (McGinnis), who I believe was William McGinnis' sister (or possibly a cousin?) from Ireland. Rose married James Ryan and is buried in Cortland, New York. This discovery was made through my Ancestry DNA results. See my previous post for details . If you're interested in getting your DNA test, I highly recommend Ancestry DNA. Click here to get your DNA test on Amazon . (Affiliate referral). To identify the connection between William Vallier and Rose McGinnis, I did some digging and came to learn that he was born March 1, 1891, in Virgil, Cortland County, New York [WWI Draft, 1917]. He married Rose Eliza Ryan, born about 1896, on January 3, 1914 in McGraw [Homer Republican, Jan. 8, 1914, page 5]. Her parents were Robert Ryan and Adeline White. [ Findagrave ]. Robert was a son of Rose (McGinnis) Ryan, and thus, the connection is made. See below for more info on William Vallier. There were a few Smith clues, which may lead to identifying Catherine Smith's family: (Links to updates!) Nicholas Smith , the "President" of the Smith-McGinnis "business meeting", attended the 1911 reunion. Charles Smith of Newark Valley also attended in 1911. Charles born abt. 1865 was a brother of Nicholas, above. Miss Ann Smith of Binghamton attended in 1913. Ann born abt. 1861 was a sister of Nicholas, above. Mrs. Edward O'Brien of Lestershire attended in 1913. (Johnson City was originally incorporated as the village of Lestershire in 1892. It was changed to Johnson City in 1916.) Mrs. Mary DeLaney of Whitney Point attended in 1913. Mary born abt. 1859 was a sister of Nicholas, above. Thomas DeLaney of Newark Valley attended in 1919. While I have yet to find any reunions announced in the 1920s, two more were reported in the 1930s. They were held at the home of my great-grandmother, Rose (Hollenbeck) Leonard, probably on Leonard Road . Rose seemingly had an interest in family history and preservation. Tragically, her home in Willet burned down in 1949 , undoubtedly destroying priceless records, heirlooms, and photographs. The Cortland Standard reported the 1933 reunion as follows. Notice, there were relatives who came from Summerhill, Groton, Cortland, McGraw, Green, Whitney Point, Glen Aubrey, Binghamton and Johnson City to attend. The following year, 1934, the reunion was held on August 19, again at the Hollenbeck home in Willet. There were 53 relatives present! Stay tuned for my next blog to see what can be found with these clues, if anything. Smith is the number one, most popular surname in the United States , a nightmare for anyone researching the name! If you have any corrections, additions, or want to join in the search, use the comments below! ------------------------------------------ The following notes contain additional information I gathered about the Valliers while trying to determine who William Vallier was, for anyone researching his family: William and Rose Vallier had four children in the six years they were together, before his death, which occurred on March 12, 1919, at the age of 28. He is buried in Marathon Cemetery in Sec. 23, Lot 27. His obituary, printed in the Cortland Standard, Fri., March 14, 1919, on page 8, says he was the son of William and Janela Madole Vallier and was born in Messengerville. It restates his birthday as March 1, 1891, adding that his father died when he was three days old. After the death of his father, his mother had remarried to Jasper L. Haley. The family was counted on the census in Freetown in 1900 with Jasper Haley (age 50), Jennie A. Haley (age 35), Almira L. Vallier (daughter, age 11), and Will H. Vallier (age 9). Jasper Haley was born 1850/51. He was living in Virgil with his mother "C. Haley" and grandfather, S. Hall (Stephen Hall) in 1855. Stephen Hall had another son, Lester Hall who married a woman named Louisa. William Vallier's obituary confirms that his mother's name at the time of his death was Mrs. Jennie Haley , and a sister, Mrs. Mina Johnson (Mrs. Frank Johnson), stating that both survived him. William Vallier's sister, Mina, was born abt. 1887 and married Frank A. Johnson on June 27, 1908, in Virgil. Frank was a son of Clinton C. Johnson and Ella Chaplin and Mina's parents are transcribed as Will E. Vallier and Julia Madole (FamilySearch: New York, County Marriages, 1847-1848; 1908-1936). Cortland Standard Dec. 31, 1915, p. 8 "McGraw...Mrs. Jennie Haley and brother, Frank Madole of Le Roy, Mich., visited Mr. and Mrs. Will Vallier of East Freetown, the first of the week." According to Frank Madole's 1946 death certificate, he was born in Cortland, New York in 1875 to Frank Madole and Charlotte "Lottie" Allen . Charlotte Allen was born in New York in 1852 and died in Michigan in 1893. The names of her parents on her death certificate are Anthony Allen and Annie Allen . Mina is short Minerva, as it is written on the 1910 and 1920 census of Cortland. Mina and Frank Johnson had daughters Helen and Edith Johnson. See more: William McGinnis Bio & Scrapbook Free Genealogy Resources #mcginnis #williammcginnis #rosehollenbeck #news #smith

While registering births in New York was not required until the 1880s, marriages have required a marriage license or bond since the 1660s. Check this resource for finding marriage licenses issues in New York prior to 1784: Names of persons for whom marriage licenses were issued by the secretary of the province of New York, previous to 1784 [ Alternate Link ] See also: New York Marriages 1703-1705 New York Marriages 1756-1758 Supplementary list of marriage licenses Click here for more New York resources . Click here for all Genealogy Resources . #newyork #marriagerecords #colonial #records #genealogy #resources

Joshua Burrill was born in 1781 in Thompson, Windham, Connecticut. He married Caroline Fitts in Oxford, Massachusetts, on March 9, 1809. Together they had five confirmed children and I believe they were also the parents of Sophronia, my 4th great-grandmother. Caroline died in 1848 and Joshua remarried to a woman by the name of Merinda. His will was written on April 23, 1864 and he died almost one year later, on April 15, 1865. It was the very same day of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. His will was probated on May 22, 1865, in Genesee County. Transcription: "In the name of God, Amen. I, Joshua Burrill, of the Town of Pembroke in the County of Genesee and State of New York, of the age of eighty-two years and being of sound mind and memory, do make, publish and declare this my last will and testament in the manner following that is to say: First, I give and bequeath to my three oldest daughters, Patty [Martha] Redman, Brooksey King and Achsah King the sum of two hundred dollars a piece. I direct and order to be paid out of my estate to the said respective legatees within five years after my decease. Second, I give and bequeath to my only son, Arba F. Burrill, the sum of ten dollars and to be paid within five years after my decease. Third, I give and devise to my youngest daughter, Mahaleth Sumeriski and Jacob Sumeriski , her husband, and the survivor of them all my real estate that I may own at my decease, for them to own and control forever, and I further give and bequeath to my daughter Mahaleth and Jacob Sumeriski all my personal estate goods and chattels of what nature or kind soever for them to have and to hold forever, and I do further provide that the said Mahaleth and Jacob Sumeriski shall pay or cause to be paid the above legacies within the time mentioned for payment for the same. Fourth, I do further provide that my wife is to be provided for, and taken care of so long as she shall live by the said Mahaleth and Jacob Sumeriski , and the support and maintenance of my said wife and the above mentioned legacies shall be a hire and charge upon my estate divided and bequeathed to them. In witness thereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty third day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five. - Joshua Burrill Here Joshua mentions four daughters, but when the 1820 census was taken, he lived in Auburn, Worcester, Mass. His household contained one male under age 10 (Arba), one male 26-44 (Joshua), three females under age 10 (Brooksey, Achsah, Sophronia?), one female age 10-15 (Martha), one female age 26-44 (Caroline). It is puzzling to me why no mention is made of Sophronia in his will. Written family histories give her father's name as Joshua Burrill and my DNA even matches his descendants and relatives of his parents, as mentioned in one of my previous blogs , but so far I know of no evidence of Sophronia's birth. It seems as if he disowned her - how sad! If anyone can help, please comment below or contact me. Following is the will of Joshua Burrill of Pembroke, Genesee County, New York. Feel free to print, save, or just view it here. Stay tuned for updates! See more... Sophronia Burrill Joshua Burrill New York Genealogy Resources by County & Town Genealogy Dashboard #burrill #sophroniaburrill #joshuaburrill #leonard #brickwall #genealogy #family

This letter Margaret (Dickinson) Reese wrote to her aunt, Emma Dickinson of Newark, New Jersey, in April 1954*. *The above letter was written after Margaret's daughter was born, and is therefore dated incorrectly. It must have been written in April of 1954, not 1953. Also, notice, she made no mention of cancer. Had she not been diagnosed yet? Surely she would have given her aunt an update if she had. The next letter is undated but appears to have been written after the previous letter, but obviously before Margaret's death, which occurred on September 11, 1954. This would indicate she was diagnosed and died within a maximum of five months. Read about her spectacular deathbed experience in my previous blog, Victory in death at the age of 24 . A diary that Emma Dickinson kept in 1919 is available for reading. Click here . See the Dickinson page for more. #margaretdickinson #dickinson #EmmaDickinson

As we approach Thanksgiving and reflect on the historic pilgrimage of the "first-comers" from Europe to New England almost 400 years ago, the story of the Pilgrims who came on the Mayflower is told year after year. But who were they? The majority of the passengers were Separatists who believed the doctrines of the Anglican Church were corrupt beyond repair. They did not see any hope for the church to be reformed to the true gospel of Christ and sought to form a new church, separate from the Church of England. The number of dissenters had been growing steadily since The Geneva Bible, the first translation of the Holy Scriptures from Latin to English was printed in 1560. The King James Bible, published in 1611, also played a major role in the movement, allowing the people to read the Scriptures for themselves, rather than being limited to what the Church of England was teaching. Not only was being a Separatist in England illegal, but the people were forced to attend the Anglican Church services or face steep fines. If fines were left unpaid, it resulted in confiscation of property and/or imprisonment. These penalties may have caused some to abandon their convictions and conform to the crown's demands, but a group from the town of Scrooby, in Nottinghamshire, continued in the faith holding Bible studies and worship services secretly until they were discovered and had no choice but to flee. They sought a place where they could practice a true and pure Biblical religion without interference and in 1608, led by William Brewster and John Robinson, they escaped to Amsterdam, Holland, where they could do just that. There they remained for several years, until doctrinal disputes between them and other Separatists began to arise, prompting the Scrooby bunch to move to Leiden, Holland. There they were permitted by the University of Leiden to hold services in one of their chapels, therefore referred to as "Members of the Leiden Congregation". This interactive Google Map shows the University of Leiden, where our Pilgrim ancestors once walked. Use the arrows to navigate and take a look around! The Scrooby pilgrims remained there until they saw the opportunity to start their own colony in the New World. They wanted to set an example as a "City upon a hill" for all the world to see what a nation serving God could accomplish with his blessing. Note: There are several good films and documentaries you can watch to find out more about their tribulation and journey to freedom. (These are currently free for those who have Amazon Prime): American Experience: The Pilgrims (2015) [ Link ] The Pilgrim Fathers - A Perilous Voyage & The Founding of a New Nation [ Link ] Mayflower: The Pilgrims Adventure (1979) [ Link ] This list of passengers was printed in "Catalogue of the historical collection and pictures in Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth", by the Pilgrim Society, 1903. The members of the Leiden Congregation have been marked with a red circle (by me). The second largest category of passengers were those recruited by the London Merchant Adventurers. They were mostly Non-Separatists who did not seek to start a new church, but instead hoped to reform or "purify" the Church of England from within, thus called Puritans. The third category were a number of single men were also employed by the Mayflower Company to perform certain tasks. John Alden, for example, was hired a Cooper, in charge of maintaining the wooden barrels used to store food and water on the ship. Myles Standish was hired to guard and protect the colony. Finally, there were an unknown number of crewmen on the ship, including Capt. Christopher Jones. Of the 108 known passengers and crewmen, 53 died during the voyage or within the first year. Today there are over 35 millions descendants of Mayflower passengers. Are you one of them? Tell us below! To learn more about each of the Pilgrims, click here . Sources: Catalogue of the historical collection and pictures in Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth, by the Pilgrim Society, 1903. [ Link ] U.S. History for AP Students [ Link ] Course Notes: Puritans [ Link ]

Elizabeth Feake was the second wife of Capt. John Underhill . They were married in 1658 in Oyster Bay (New York) and Elizabeth converted John to the Quaker faith. Like the Underhill family, Elizabeth Feake's family was also influential in colonial America. Her mother was Elizabeth (Fones) Feake , born on January 21, 1610, in Groton, Suffolk, England, (shown above) a daughter of Thomas Fones , a London apothecary. Her mother was Anne (Winthrop) Fones , sister of John Winthrop, the eventual Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony. Robert and Elizabeth's second daughter, Hannah, was also a devoted Quaker. In 1656, when Dutch Director-General, Pieter Stuyvesant banned the assembling and worshiping outside of the Dutch Reformed Church, the trouble began. The persecution of Baptists and Quakers became so severe that in 1657, thirty of Flushing's townspeople signed the Flushing Remonstrance , formally protesting the ban. It was written by Edward Hart, and is considered a precursor to the Constitution and the First Amendment in the Bill of rights. The petition was printed in Ecclesiastical Records , State of New York, Vol. 1, p. 412-413, shown here: Signers of the Flushing Remonstrance, 1657: Religious Freedom in America 1657-1957 Commemorative stamp Nicolas Blackford George Clere Elias Doughtie Edward Farrington, magistrate Tobias Feake, sheriff Antonie Field Robert Field, Sr. Robert Field, Jr. John Foard Edward Griffine Edward Hart Nathaniel Hefferd Benjamin Hubbard John Mastine Michael Milner William Noble, magistrate Nicholas Parsell William Pidgion Henry Semtell Richard Stockton John Store Edward Tarne William Thorne Sr. William Thorne, Jr. John Townsend Henry Townsend Nathaniel Tue Micah Tue Phillip Udall George Wright Stuyvesant stood firm in his stance against religious tolerance, however. Some of the signers were arrested, including Edward Hart and the sheriff, Tobias Feake (a cousin of Elizabeth Feake ). They were imprisoned for weeks, living only on bread and water. Hart was released and banished after about a month, on account of his old age and upon the petition of his family and friends, and Tobias Feake recanted after about seven weeks and was released and fined. He was also banned from holding any political office. Stuyvesant's law prevailed for several more years. Meanwhile, in 1662, Hannah and John Bowne were holding Quaker meetings in their home, which resulted in John Bowne being arrested and deported to Holland. There he petitioned the Dutch West India Company, arguing that Stuyvesant's ban on all religions outside of the Dutch Reformed Church violated their basic human rights, and contradicted freedoms promised in Governor Kieft's Flushing Patent of 1645. Bowne's plea fell on sympathetic ears and he was granted permission to return to New Netherland (New York) with a letter instructing Stuyvesant to end religious persecution in the colony. It was the first time religious freedom was guaranteed in the New World. Bowne recorded his account of the Flushing Remonstrance in his journal. His name is highly esteemed and memorialized in Flushing. His house, built before 1662, still stands as a historic landmark and two schools bear his name. (See " John Bowne remembered in Queens "). He lived from 1627 to 1695 and is remembered for his role in establishing freedom of religion in America. The "Religious Freedom" commemorative stamp was printed in 1957, marking 300 years of religious freedom in America. These make a great addition to the family scrapbook! Get yours on ebay ! These make a great addition to the family scrapbook! Get yours on ebay ! Sources: John Underhill (captain) [ Wikipedia ] Elizabeth Fones [ Wikipedia ] Greenwich Free Press, June 2, 2016, "Spared from the Wrecking Ball, Elizabeth Feake House was 'A Hidden Treasure under Our Noses'". [ Link ] Greenwich Sentinel, July 13, 2018, "Restored Feake-Ferris House to be Unveiled at Founder's Day Reception". [ Link ] Greenwich Free Press, July 18, 2018, "Found's Day Features Unveiling of Restored Feake-Ferris House c1645 in Old Greenwich". [ Link ] GreenwichPoint.org Feake-Ferris House [ Wikipedia ] John Bowne [ Wikipedia ] Flushing Remonstrance [ Wikipedia ] #connecticut #historical #historicalhomes #greenwich #underhill #feake #decker #mayo #freedomofreligion #religion #quakers #bowne

You've heard of Christmas, Halloween, Easter, and Thanksgiving, but have you ever observed the Day of Public Humiliation ? While such terminology is far removed from today's America, our ancestors in New England knew exactly what it was and observed it. Prior to embarking on their historic voyage, the Mayflower passengers fasted and observed a Day of Public Humiliation to "seek the Lord for direction". Fasting, according to Scriptures, is necessary in order to cast out and repel evil spirits and it also helps instill humility (having a humble spirit), which is required because God doesn't hear the prayers of the proud and the arrogant. The pilgrims certainly wanted God to hear their prayers as they ventured out onto the raging seas to found their new colony, the "city upon a hill". Although the signers of the Mayflower Compact agreed their voyage was made "for the glory of God and advancement of ye Christian faith", some were more God-fearing and devoted than others. In fact, Mayflower passenger and Compact signer John Billington was said to have murdered a man during a dispute, a violation of God's 6th commandment "Thou shall not kill". The church was the center of the community and strict rules were put in place to prevent people from giving place to sin, or the breaking of God's laws. The scriptures teach that sin leads to oppression and evil, so when liberalism and lawlessness crept in, the leaders recognized the dangers of allowing it to continue and prepared for spiritual warfare through prayer and fasting. Below is a proclamation made on September 8, 1670, declaring September 22 a Day of Public Humiliation, due to an "increase of sin and evil". From "The Fast and Thanksgiving Days of New England". Transcription: At a council held at Boston, Septemb. 8, 1670. The Council taking into the serious Consideration the low estate of the Churches of God throughout the World, and the increase of Sin and Evil amongst ourselves, Gods hand following us for the same, Do therefore Appoint the Two and twentieth of the instant September to be a Day of Publick Humiliation throughout this Jurisdiction, and do command the same to several Churches, Elders, Ministers and People, solemnly to keep it accordingly: Hereby prohibiting all servile work on that day. By the Council, Edward Rawson Secret'. [Secretary] Days of fasting and prayer were declared at different times and on different days since then. Some states implemented their own dates, but on July 20, 1775, the Second Continental Congress issued a proclamation for "a day of publick humiliation, fasting, and prayer" to be observed by the English Colonies. It was the first "national" day set aside for this purpose. Today we officially still observe this practice twice a year - in the Fall and the Spring. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a day of prayer and thanksgiving in the Fall and in 1952, President Harry Truman established the National Day of Prayer as a day of prayer and fasting in the Spring. Each year, the President is to make a statement encouraging Americans to pray on the National Day of Prayer. The law reads as follows: The President shall issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals. ( 36 U.S. Code § 119 ). The next Thanksgiving falls on November 25, 2021, and the next National Day of Prayer is May 5, 2022. We would be wise to take the advice of our forefathers and observe them, in hopes of restoring God's favor and blessing upon this nation and its people, but implementing these practices into our everyday lives couldn't hurt either. For more information about the days of fasting and the early establishment of holidays in America, see The Fast and Thanksgiving Days of New England , by w. DeLoss Love, 1895. UPDATE: Honest to God, at the moment I was about to post this blog, the Verse of the Day popped up on my phone and here's what it is: #massachusettsbaycolony #religion #prayer #christianity #faith #law

The story of New York is often characterized by its towering skyscrapers, bustling streets, and diverse populations. However, long before the city became a global icon, it was filled with smaller settlements shaped by the lives and stories of early inhabitants. From the native tribes that first roamed its land to the European settlers who arrived seeking new opportunities, the narratives of these early New York settlers are filled with resilience, adventure, and hidden struggles. In this post, we will explore the untold stories of those who laid the foundations of New York, shedding light on their lives, dreams, and the challenges they faced. The Dutch Settlement in New Netherland The Lenape Peoples: The First Inhabitants Before the arrival of Europeans, the land that is now New York was home to the Lenape people. This indigenous group thrived along the region's waterways, engaging in agriculture, hunting, and fishing. They grew crops like maize, beans, and squash, known as the "Three Sisters," which were central to their diet and culture. The Lenape lived in harmony with nature, utilizing the land sustainably while developing a rich culture that included art, storytelling, and strong community ties. Their intricate networks of trade and kinship extended as far as the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Coast, allowing them to interact with numerous tribes. With the arrival of European settlers in the early 1600s, however, the Lenape's way of life faced unprecedented challenges. As they engaged in trade with the Dutch, many families were displaced, and their populations dwindled due to new diseases like smallpox and violent conflicts. For instance, by 1670, the Lenape population had decreased by over 50%, marking a tragic decline due to these external pressures. Dutch Settlement: A New Dawn In 1624, the Dutch established a significant presence in New York by founding a trading post on the southern tip of Manhattan Island. This outpost focused on the lucrative fur trade, drawing them into often tumultuous relationships with the Lenape. The Dutch settlers introduced agricultural advancements, including the cultivation of crops such as wheat and barley, which transformed local farming practices. They also constructed notable buildings in a style that combined European and local techniques. Their most significant legacy is New Amsterdam, which evolved into present-day New York City. Despite their initial aim of peaceful trade, tensions frequently erupted. A prominent example is Kieft's War (1643-1645), initiated by conflicts over land and resources. This quarrel resulted in extensive violence, including the massacre of the Lenape at the hands of Dutch forces, painting a grim picture of colonial life. The English Takeover: Change and Continuity In 1664, the English seized control of New Amsterdam, renaming it New York. This transition brought significant changes, including the imposition of stricter laws and a social hierarchy favoring elite groups over others. Nonetheless, some Dutch customs endured and continued to shape the culture. The English retained many Dutch trading practices, helping to boost the economy. By 1700, New York's population had grown to approximately 5,000, showcasing the benefits of continued commerce and migration. A Diverse Melting Pot As the city expanded, it transformed into a melting pot of cultures, with settlers arriving from various European nations, including England, France, and Germany. This diversity brought different traditions, languages, and customs, enriching New York's social tapestry. The arrival of enslaved Africans also added complexity to the city's fabric. Many were forced to work on plantations and in emerging industries. In 1703, a census revealed that about 20% of New York's population consisted of enslaved individuals. Over time, a community of free Black citizens began to emerge, creating their own vibrant culture and fighting against oppressive systems. The Revolutionary Spirit By the mid-18th century, growing tensions between the colonies and the British crown spurred a spirit of revolution. Many early New York settlers played crucial roles in the American Revolutionary War, advocating for freedom and independence. Notable figures such as Alexander Hamilton and John Jay emerged as leaders in the struggle for liberty. Their efforts and the sacrifices made by everyday settlers underscore the fight for self-determination that would shape not just New York, but the entire nation. For example, Hamilton's economic policies and Jay's role in negotiating the Treaty of Paris were pivotal in establishing a new nation. The Impact of Early Settlers The legacies of early New York settlers still resonate today, from the city's diverse architecture to its vibrant population. The stories of their struggles, aspirations, and resilience deserve recognition, as they provide valuable lessons relevant to today's society. Many challenges faced by these settlers, such as land disputes, community conflicts, and the quest for justice, echo modern discussions surrounding immigration, social equality, and community development. Understanding these narratives fosters a deeper appreciation for contemporary New York and emphasizes the importance of diverse voices in shaping its future. Honoring Our Past The hidden stories of early New York settlers are rich tapestries woven from threads of struggle, adaptation, and resilience. From the Lenape peoples to the diverse population drawn by European settlement, each group contributed profoundly to the state's identity. By uncovering these narratives, we not only honor those who came before us but also gain insights into the complexities of community and the human experience. As we continue to write our own stories, let us remember and learn from the untold narratives that laid the foundation of one of the world's most renowned states. These hidden tales of early New York settlers remind us of the intricate past that shapes our present and guides our future. Understanding their journeys can cultivate greater empathy and connection within our communities, ultimately enriching New York’s narrative and its ongoing story. Where to Find New York's History Because most of my family lived in New York for the past 400 years or more, I've discovered many resources for finding New York's history. Click here to visit my New York Genealogy Resources page .