Site Search

Countless volumes have already been written on the early history of the United States of America, but for those, like myself, who can't remember everything, this short summary may prove to be helpful while researching your early American ancestors. After the famous voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1492, North America was rapidly explored and claimed by various countries. The Spanish, Portuguese, English, French and Dutch claimed various parts of North and South America. The first English Colony was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607, and the Dutch arrived in New York in 1609 and began settling in New York and New Jersey in 1613. The first pilgrims arrived in Massachusetts in 1620. These early colonists and settlers helped England gain a strong presence on the eastern coast of the New World. The remainder of the continent was under foreign occupation and primarily occupied by Native American Indians. The original thirteen English colonies are shown in the map shown here. They were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. For 170 years, the colonists on the east coast lived under English rule before they revolted and won their independence in the American Revolution, which ended in 1776. Seven years later, in 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed, giving America possession of nearly all the land east of the Mississippi River: The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 nearly doubled the size of the country again, adding the territory shown here in green: In 1818 the Red River Basin (part of North and South Dakota) was added. The Spanish ceded their part of Colorado, New Mexico, and Louisiana in 1819 and the Florida Treaty of 1819 made Florida part the United States. In 1845, Texas was annexed, along with part of New Mexico and Colorado. Oregon Territory, which included Washington, Oregon and Idaho, was acquired in 1846. California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona were acquired in the Mexican Cession of 1848. The Gadsden Purchase of 1853 extended the southern border of Arizona and part of New Mexico. Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867. Puerto Rico and Hawaii were annexed in 1898, and the Virgin Islands were purchased from Denmark in 1917. This animated map gives more detail about the settlement of North America: Click here for more free genealogy resources to help with your family history quest. Sources: United States territorial acquisitions. (2019, March 05). Retrieved March 4, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_territorial_acquisitions #americansettlement #history #americanhistory #timeline #founding #firstsettlements #expansion #westwardexpansion #usa #america #map

Genealogical and Family History of Central New York: A Record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the building of a nation, by William Richard Cutter, 1912. Hundreds of surnames and lots of information divided into three volumes. Find a name in the index, which is at the end of Volume 3. Then, choose a volume, depending on the page number: Volume 1 (pages 1-500) Volume 2 (pages 501-1000) Volume 3 (pages 1001-1517) Index: Surnames: Abbott, Adams, Albertson, Alberty, Albright, Albro, Alden, Alexander, Allen, Ames, Anderson, Andrews, Annabel, Ansley, Archer, Armstrong, Arnold, Arnot, Ashley, Atwater, Austin, Babcock, Bailey, Baird, Baker, Baldwin, Ball, Ballard, Ballou, Banton, Barber, Barnes, Barnum, Barr, Barrows, Barstow, Bartholomew, Bartlett, Baskerville, Batcheller, Bateman, Bates, Beach, Beacon, Beauchamp, Beazley, Beck, Beebe, Beers, Belcher, Bell, Benedict, Benjamin, Bennett, Benson, Bent, Bentley, Benton, Beyer, Bidwell, Bigelow, Bishop, Bissell, Bixby, Blackman, Blackstone, Blake, Blakewslee, Blanchard, Bliss, Blodgett, Board, Bond, Bouton, Bowen, Bowles, Bradford, Bradley, Bradt, Breckinridge, Brewer, Briggs, Brooks, Brown, Brownell, Brush, Bryant, Buchanan, Buck, Buell, Buley, Bulger, Bull, Bundy, Burgess, Burhaus, Burleigh, Burlingham, Burroughs, Bush, Butts, Calisch, Calvert, Campbell, Card, Carley, Carlstrom, Carpenter, Carr, Carroll, Carver, Case, Chaffee, Champion, Chapin, Chaplin, Champman, Chase, Chauncey, Cheney, Chesebro, Chesebrough, Child, Childs, Chittenden, Christey, Churchill, Clair, Clark, Clarke, Cleveland, Clinton, Cogswell, Codner, Coit, Cole, Coleman, Colton, Compton, Cone, Congdon, Conger, Conners, Conroy, Cook, Cooper, Corbett, Cornell, Corning, Corson, Cortright, Corwin, Costigan, Covell, Cowdrey, Cowen, Coyle, Crain, Crandall, Crane, Crocker, Crosby, Crosley, Cross, Crowley, Crutts, Cummings, Curtis, Curtiss, Cushman, Daniels, Darling, Darrow, Davenport, Davie, Davis, Day, Dean, De Forest, De Nike, De Witt, Dexter, Deyo, Dickinson, Diller, Diven, Dobbs, Dodge, Doolittle, Dorsett, Doty, Doubleday, Douglas, Dow, Dowdle, Dowler, Dunbar, Dunlap, Durland, Dygert, Eastman, Eaton, Eddy, Edgcomb, Edgarton, Edson, Eggleston, Ehreseman, Eiss, Eldredge, Ellicott, Ellis, Ellsworth, Elmer, Emerling, Emerson, Emes, Endress, Enos, Ensign, Estey, Evarts, Everts, Faats, Falck, Fargo, Fay, Fenderson, Fenton, Ferris, Fillmore, Fish, Fisher, Fisk, Fitzgerald, Flaherty, Foley, Foote, Ford, Forness, Fox, Francis, Frank, Freeman, Freer, French, Frink, Fullagar, Fuller, Gardner, Garrett, Garrison, Georgia, Gervais, Gibbs, Gibson, Gifford, Gilbert, Giles, Gilman, Givens, Gladman, Glover, Goetcheus, Gokey, Goodwin, Gore, Gorham, Gould, Grantier, Gray, Green, Greene, Greenleaf, Greenman, Griffith, Grove, Grummond, Guile, Haas, Haight, Hakes, Hale, Hall, Hallock, Hand, Hanford, Hannett, Hardenburg, Hardy, Harmon, Harnden, Harrington, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Harvey, Hasbrouck, Haskell, Hassam, Hastings, Hatch, Haviland, Hawkins, Hawley, Haynes, Heagerty, Heaton, Hebard, Henderson, Herron, Hess, Hickey, Higgins, Higinbotham, Hill, Hiller, Hillick, Hilton, Hitchcock, Hodge, Hodges, Holbrook, Holcomb, Holdredge, Holdridge, Hollister, Holmes, Hooker, Hopkins, Horning, Horton, How, Howe, Howard, Howland, Hubbard, Hubbell, Hulbert, Hulett, Hunt, Hunter, Huntington, Huntley, Hunton, Hyde, Ingersoll, Ireland, Irwin, Jackson, Jennings, Jervis, Jewell, Jewett, Johnson, Johnston, Jones, Joslyn, Judson, Juliand, Kavanagh, Keator, Keep, Kehoe, Keller, Kelley, Kellogg, Kennedy, Kent, Keyes, King, Kingman, Kingston, Kinney, Kirkpatrick, Knapp, Knox, Kochersperger, Kronenbert, Laidlaw, Lakin, Lamoree, Landy, Lane, Lang, Langdon, Langs, Lapham, Larned, Larrabee, Lathrop, Latimer, Lautz, Lawrence, Leach, Lee, Leet, Legg, Leonard, Lewis, L'Hommedieu, Lillibridge, Livingston, Lockwood, Longley, Lord, Loring, Lounsberry, Love, Lundberg, Lundy, Lusk, Lyford, Lyman, Lyon, MacDonald, McAllister, McCann, McCarthy, McClurg, McCurdy, McGraw, McIntyre, McKinney, McLouth, Mack, Maine, Mallory, Manley, Manning, Mansfield, Mantanye, Maricle, Mark, Marsh, Martin, Mason, Matthews, Meacham, Mead, Meays, Meeker, Meldrum, Merow, Merrill, Mersereau, Meseroll, Messinger, Michael, Miles, Miller, Mills, Millspaugh, Minton, Montayne, Moody, Moore, Moot, More, Morgan, Morris, Morse, Morton, Mosher, Moss, Moulton, Moyer, Mudge, Munroe, Munyan, Murphy, Murray, Myers, Nash, Nellis, Nelson, Newell, Newton, Nichols, Noble, Northrop, O'Brien, Ogden, Olds, Opdyke,Orchard, Osborn, Ottaway, Owen, Packard, Packer, Paddock, Padget, Page, Palmer, Pappineau, Parish, Parker, Pasons, Patch, Patrick, Partridge, Patterson, Paul, Peabody, Pearce, Pearsall, Peck, Pembleton, Perkins, Perrin, Persons, Peters, Peterson, Phelps, Phillips, Pierce, Platt, Platts, Poler, Porter, Potter, Pratt, Prendergast, Prentice, Price, Pumpelly, Putnam, Quinn, Quirin, Radway, Ransom, Ratcliffe, Rath, Rathbone, Rathbun, Ray, Raymond, Redhead, Reed, Remington, Rengel, Reynolds, Rice, Richardson, Richer, Richmond, Rindge, Risley, Robbins, Roberson, Roberts, Robin, Robinson, Rodgers, Roe, Rogers, Root, Rowe, Rowley, Royall, Rumsey, Russell, Ruszaj, Ryan, Sabine, Sage, Salisbury, Sanders, Sands, Sanford, Saunders, Sawyer, Sayre, Schermerhorn, Schuler, Scofield, Scott, Scovell, Seager, Sessions, Seymour, Shafer, Shattuck, Shearer, Shedd, Sheldon, Shepard, Sherman, Sherwood, Short, Shuttleworth, Sibley, Sidway, Sigel, Silsbee, Sims, Skeele, Skinner, Slater, Slaughter, Smith, Smyth, Snell, Snyder, Spanswick, Spaulding, Speidel, Spinner, Sprague, Spring, Stafford, Stamp, Stanbrough, Stanton, Starks, Starr, Steele, Stephens, Stevenson, Stewart, Stiles, Stilson, Stisser, Stockton, Stone, Storm, Story, Stout, Stranahan, Strang, Stringer, Strong, Sturgis, Sullivan, Swan, Sweet, Sweetland, Switzer, Taft, Tapp, Tarbell, Taylor, Teall, Teller, Temple, Terpening, Terry, Tew, Thebaud, Thomas, Thompson, Thorn, Tillotson, Tisdale, Tobin, Townsend, Tracy, Tremain, Trout, Tuthill, Underhill, Underwood, Valentine, Van Bergen, Van Deusen, Van Marter, Nan Valkenburg, Van Wagoner, Van Winkle, Vedder, Vreeland, Wade, Wadsworth, Waffle, Wait, Waite, Wales, Wallace, Waller, Walrad, Walter, Walters, Walworth, Ware, Warfield, Waring, Warren, Washburne, Waters, Watson, Way, Webster, Weed, Welch, Weld, Wells, Whaley, Wheeler, Whipple, Whitaker, White, Whiting, Whitmore, Whitney, Whitton, Wickwire, Wilcox, Wilgus, Wilkeson, Wilkins, Willard, Willey, Williams, Williamson, Willson, Wilson, Winchell, Winslow, Winters, Witter, Wood, Woodburn, Woodford, Woodruff, Worden, Worts, Wright, Wyman, Yale, Young, Zwetsch CLICK HERE FOR MORE FREE GENEALOGY RESOURCES #NewYork #biographies

Mary Esther Harvey was a descendant of John Deming of Wethersfield, Connecticut, the subject of the 1904 book by Judson Keith Deming, "Genealogy of the descendants of John Deming of Wethersfield, Connecticut". The book is available at Archive.org (free). Mary's lineage to John Deming is as follows: Generation 1 - Mary Esther Harvey was born on 16 Mar 1910, in Newark Valley, Tioga County, New York. She married first to Lloyd "John" Reese on 18 Apr 1930. She married second to William H. Gaul, Sr. in 1962. Bill died in 1980 and Mary followed eight year later, dying on 22 Sep 1988 in Cortland. She was laid to rest at Willow Glen Cemetery in Dryden, with her parents and grandparents. John Reese died in 2005. Generation 2 - Gertrude Shirley was born on 4 Aug 1878. She first married to Archibald Bell, in 1898, a marriage ending in divorce within 5 years. On 9 Jan 1904 she married to Newman Harvey. Gertrude died on 9 Oct 1937, and was buried in Willow Glen Cemetery in Dryden. Generation 3 - Royal J. Shirley was born on 19 May 1851, in Richford, Tioga County, New York. He married Mary J. Brooks and died on 6 Apr 1928 in Groton, Tompkins County, New York. He is buried in Willow Glen Cemetery in Dryden. Generation 4 - Esther Abigail Ensign was born on 27 Aug 1826, in Herkimer, New York. She married John Shirley in Lisle on 31 Dec 1844, and died on 4 Aug 1861, in Richford, Tioga County, New York. Generation 5 - Royal Ensign was born on 22 Jan 1792 in Westfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts. He married first to Polly Warner Rood in 1814, and second, to Sarah Rood, in 1822. He died on 11 Sep 1868 in Lisle, New York, and is buried in Hunts Corners Cemetery in Lapeer, Cortland County, New York. Generation 6 - Datus Ensign, Jr. was born on 20 June 1752 in West Hartford, Connecticut. He served in Capt. David Moseley's Company during the Civil War. (Moseley married Paul Revere's sister). Datus married Abigail Woolworth in 1779, and he died on 15 Apr 1832 in Boston, Erie County, New York. Generation 7 - Datus Ensign, Sr. was born on 22 Sept 1729 in Hartford, Connecticut. He married Lucretia Seymour in 1750. Generation 8 - Sarah Moody was born on 21 May 1702 at Hartford, Connecticut. She married David Ensign in 1726 and died on 10 Mar 1776 in West Hartford. Generation 9 - John Moody was born on 24 July 1661. He married Sarah Evarts and died on 5 Nov 1732. There has been some confusion regarding Sarah (wife of David Ensign) Moody's parents. In "Reese Family Record" Samuel Moody and Sarah Lane were given as his parents, which I now believe is an error. Generation 10 - Sarah Deming, born bet. 1641-1654, married John Moody of Hartford, Connecticut, and died on 29 Sept 1717 in Hadley, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of John Deming and Honor Treat. Generation 11 - John Deming married Honor Treat. Sources: Genealogy of the Descendants of John Deming of Wethersfield, Connecticut, by J. K. Deming, 1904. Tercentenary of New England families, 1620-1920, p. 221-223. Click here to see more about this branch of my family tree. #harvey #reese #deming #shirley #ensign #johndeming #sarahdeming #johnmoody #sarahmoody

This account of the life and genealogy of Elder John Strong was published in the book "Families of the Wyoming Valley: biographical, genealogical and historical. Sketches of the bench and bar of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania", on pages 367-368, part of the biography of Benjamin Ford Dorrance, who married Ruth Woodhull Strong, daughter of Schuyler Strong, a descendant of Elder John Strong. Although his ancestry differs from other sources, the account of his life in America is quite informative, stating that at the time the book was published (in or before 1885), Elder John Strong's descendants numbered more than 30,000. Click here to learn more about Elder John Strong. Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. #elderjohnstrong #johnstrong #harvey #dorchester

Percy H. Daniels was born in Olympia, Washington. (See the Daniels page for more information about his life). Percy was married and living in Solon, Cortland County, New York, in 1940. (Click here to see). In Seattle, 1940, the following household of women was reported. Barbara Daniels, widow, age 79, born in Scotland, with four daughters in the home: Elaine Daniels (age 54, born in Illinois, single), Elizabeth Daniels (age 52, seamstress, born in Illinois, single), Edith Daniels (age 48, dressmaker, born in Illinois, single), and Ethel Wyckoff (age 50, widowed, born in Illinois, teacher). Edith was the lucky one to land on the space for the Supplementary Questions, in which she indicated her parents were both born in Scotland. The mother, Barbara, was born abt. 1861 and her daughters were born between 1886 and 1892. Because on one ship record, Percy give his nationality as Scottish, and also because he named his daughter "Ethel", I suspect they could be related somehow. Anyone with information about these Daniels women, please comment below. #Daniels #Leonard #Washington #leonard #percydaniels #seattle

Charles Russell Leonard, was reportedly born in Springport, Cayuga County, New York, in 1830. When the census was taken that year, however, there were no Leonards living in Springport. According to family history, he was named after his father and his mother's name was "Sophronia Burrill". His father had disappeared in 1833 and by 1840 his mother, Sophronia, was living in Scipio with her new husband, Thomas Knapp. The closest Leonard in 1840 was Joshua Leonard of Venice, which borders Scipio's southern edge. The 1840 census only provides the name of the head of household but from Thomas' entry we can see there were two young boys in the home. The 1850 census gives the names of everyone in the home and based on the information provided in 1850, the two boys in the home in 1840 were most likely Joseph Knapp and Thomas Knapp Jr., so where was Charles Russell Leonard in 1840 and 1850? He would have been 19 or 20 in 1850 and he was married by 1854 and reported moving to Genoa two months before the census was taken in 1855. Other Leonards counted on the 1840 census in and around Cayuga County are shown on this map: The following newspapers may provide more details: "The Levana Gazette, or Onondaga Advertiser, the first paper published in Cayuga co., was established July 20, 1798, at Levana, in the town of Scipio, (then Onondaga County), by R. Delano. The Western Luminary was published at Watkins' Settlement, in Scipio, in 1799." See also The Aurora Gazette (1799-1805), The Western Federalist, The Auburn Gazette, The Cayuga Tocsin (1812-1847), The Cayuga Patriot, The Cayuga New era, The Advocate of the People, The Cayuga Republican, The Auburn Journal and Advertiser, The Auburn Journal... [Source: Historical and Statistical Gazetteer of New York State, p. 198] Click here to learn more about this family. Click here to see other census records for Charles Russell Leonard. #otherleonards #thomasknapp #sophronia #scipio #cayugacounty #leonard

Benjamin Stanton was the father of Parthenia Stanton, wife of Bradford D. Shirley. According to Historical and statistical gazetteer of New York State, Benjamin arrived in Spafford, Onondaga County, New York, in or very soon after 1794. In 1840 the family was living in Sempronius, less than eight miles from Spafford. Spafford is 35 miles north of Richford, where Parthenia was counted on the 1850 and 1860 census. Source: Historical and statistical gazetteer of New York State, by J.H. French, 1859. #harvey #benjaminstanton #stanton #spafford #onondagacounty #newyork

The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record is a great resource for finding the history of early settlers there. The first volume was published in 1870 and contained an assortment of information from family genealogies and biographies to marriage licenses issued and church records. Each volume is available with free access for online reading. Most are searchable but for best results, check the "Contents" of each volume to see what you can find, in addition to using the search feature. Click here to access Volumes 1 through 54 - FREE Note: If you have a subscription to FindMyPast or are a member of the NY Genealogical and Biographical Society, you can search and browse these volumes and more . Click here. #NewYork #biographies #genealogy #resources #familyhistory

From the Illinois State Archives, we find the following land records pertaining to Elijah Garrison. Using the map from "History of Pike County, Illinois" by Charles C. Chapman, 1880, we can see this land was located in Section 9 of Montezuma: Click here to learn more about Rev. Elijah Garrison. Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. Click here for free genealogy resources to help with your own research! #elijahgarrison #garrison #pikecounty #illinois #montezuma #landrecords Sources: Illinois Public Land Tract Sales Databases [Link]

Elijah Garrison was my paternal 5th great-grandfather. He was born in Kentucky in 1788, and went to Pike County, Illinois, in the 1820s. He married Sally Allen, perhaps a relation of Lewis Allen, mentioned in the 1880 book, "History of Pike Co, Illinois", by Charles C. Chapman, 1880. On page 427, this record includes information pertaining to Rev. Elijah Garrison: Continue reading here: Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. Click here for free genealogy resources by type or location. #elijahgarrison #garrison #reverend #minister #christian #detroittwp #illinois #americana

Joseph Everett Gale was my father's 3rd great-grandfather. He was born in 1799 in Harrison County, Kentucky, and moved to Pike County, Illinois, in 1826. On July 21, 1831, he married Elizabeth Garrison, daughter of Rev. Elijah Garrison. Theirs was the first marriage recorded in Montezuma, Pike County, Illinois. (See below). Elizabeth's maternal great-grandfather, Jonathan Boone, was a brother of Daniel Boone. In the book "Past and Present of Pike County, Illinois", by Capt. M.D. Massie, 1906, we find the following information pertaining to Joseph Gale: Transcription: "Montezuma. The first settlers of Montezuma township were Ebenezer Franklin, who came in 1819; Charles Adams, James Daniels, David Daniels, David and Daniel Hoover, Joel Meacham, Thomas Davis, who came in 1826. Like all settlers of new countries they suffered many hardships and inconveniences. The nearest mill for the first few years was at Edwardsville, Madison County, eighty miles away. At the time there were about 200 Indians in the neighborhood. A Dr. Houston was the first physician. Polly Davis was the first school teacher. In addition the the care of the neighbors' children she had eight of her own. The first marriage was that of Joseph Gale and Elizabeth Garrison in 1830. There were three villages in the township, Milton, Montezuma and Bedford. The township is a most excellent agricultural one and has some of the best and most enterprising farms." (Continue reading below). Click here to learn more about Joseph Gale and Elizabeth Garrison. #illinois #pikecounty #josephgale #elizabethgarrison #marriage #gale #garrison

Among the many collections indexed online by the Illinois State Archives are several databases containing names of Illinois Veterans. The following indexes are currently available, free of charge: 1929 Illinois Roll of Honor Illinois Black Hawk War Veterans Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Illinois Civil War Veterans of Missouri Units Illinois Civil War Veterans Serving in the U.S. Navy Illinois Mexican War Veterans Illinois Soldiers' and Sailors' Home Residents Illinois Spanish–American War Veterans Illinois Veterans' History Project Illinois War of 1812 Veterans Illinois Winnebago War Veterans Copies of the records may be obtained for a small fee in most cases. Refer to their site for information on how to order. Illinois State Flag image credit: This work has been released into the public domain by its copyright holder, Xrmap. This applies worldwide. In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so: Xrmap grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law. Click here for more free genealogy resources! #resources #illinois #militaryrecords

Josiah died on the 17th of June of 1911 at the age of 79. He was buried in Unityville at Stone Heap Cemetery (Franklin Bethel). The Dept. of Military Affairs provided his grave. If the cemetery index is correct, he died exactly four years after his wife, Effie. Click here to learn more about Josiah Reese. Click here to learn more about the Reese family. Click here to see my index of ancestors. Click here for loads of free genealogy resources. #cemetery #cemeteries #burials #josiahreese #Reese #EffieShaner

The Massachusetts Archives Digital Repository contains many historic documents, records, photographs, maps and more. You can now search by keyword or browse the archives on their website at http://digitalarchives.sec.state.ma.us/. Below is a list of the items available online, although much more is available at the Massachusetts State Archives. Hopefully they will be adding more soon! Some items available at this time are: Massachusetts Town Plans 1794-1795 (maps with street names) [Link] Massachusetts Town Plans 1830 (maps with street names) [Link] Index of Massachusetts casualties in World War II. [Link] Registers of Vital Records 1841-1925 [Link] At this time contains only 1916 Deaths [Link] and Death Certificates from the Great Molasses Flood of 1919 [Link] Click here for more free Massachusetts genealogical records. Click here for more free genealogy resources! #resources #massachusetts #newengland #surveys #maps #military #vitalrecords

Religious persecution is what prompted many of our ancestors to emigrate to America. It wasn't because they were being denied equal rights or being made fun of. Their lives (and ours) depended on it! In this famous work by Thielman Bracht, called "The Bloody Theatre, or Martyr's Mirror", the cruel and wicked treatment of Christians from the time of Christ through the 16th Century is well documented. The Book can be read here: [Index to periods] In this book you can read true stories like that of the execution of Dutch Anabaptists David van der Leyen and Levina Ghyselins. The two were strangled and burned in the marketplace by Catholic authorities at Ghent in 1554. These events perpetuated the faith of Mennonites even to this day. (Read the story in Vol. 2 on pages 57 to 58 of the book below). Another book by the same author, "A Martyrology of the Churches of Christ, commonly called Baptists, during the era of the Reformation", (Thieleman Janszoon van Bracht, 1625-1664; Jan Luiken 1649-1712; Benjamin Millard, and Edward Bean Underhill, 1813-1901; Publication date 1850) also provides graphic detail of the extreme persecution these Christians experienced. [Volume 1] [Volume 2] Shown here is the Index for both volumes, which is found in Volume 2. Take a look and see if you recognize any names from your ancestry. [Notice, the index for Volume 1 starts on page 451 and the index for Volume 2 follows, beginning on page 453.] Several of my ancestors experienced this persecution first hand, particularly in the Daniels branch of my tree. See also "Why they Sailed from Leyden". "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. To covet truth is a very distinguished passion." - George Santayana #anabaptists #christians #martyrs #religious #persecution

Williams Huntley was one of my 5th great-grandfathers. He, like many able-bodied men of his day, was a soldier of the American Revolution. He served in Col. Peter Van Ness' 9th Albany County Militia Regiment, which in July of 1777 was called to Claverack, New York, to reinforce the Continental Army during the Saratoga Campaign until the surrender of Burgoyne. See page 116-117 of New York in the Revolution as Colony and State, published in 1904 by the New York State Comptroller's Office, listing "William Huntly" under "Enlisted men": Williams worked in the Commissary Dept. in 1781 and was counted on the census of 1790 and 1800, living in Hillsdale, Columbia county, New York, listed as William Huntley. Hillsdale is southeast of Albany, near the Massachusetts border, as shown in this Google Map: Click here to learn more about Williams Huntley and his family. Sources: John Huntley, immigrant of Boston & Roxbury, Massachusetts and Lyme, Connecticut, 1647-1977, and some of his descendants, by Virgil W. Huntley, 1978, p. 160-161. [Link] New York in the Revolution as colony and state, by New York State Comptroller's Office, 1904, p. 116-117. [Link]

Montgomery County, locally called "Montco" Pennsylvania, was formed in 1784. It is located in the Delaware Valley and borders the Lehigh Valley. It was originally part of the Welsh Tract settled by Quakers from Wales. More information about the people of early Montgomery County can be found in "Historical Sketches of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania", published by the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Volume 1 [Link] Volume 2 [Link] Volume 3 [Link] Volume 4 [Link] Volume 5 [Link] Volume 6 [Link] Volume 7 [Link] See also Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania [Alternate Link]. Click here for more Pennsylvania genealogy resources. Click here for all kinds of free online genealogy resources. #resources #montgomerycounty #pennsylvania #easternpennsylvania #biographies #genealogy #biographical #sketches #biographicalsketches #historic #books #map

Vena Dykeman was born on September 10, 1898, in Candor, New York. She married first to Percy Daniels. He died in 1940. Later, she married Thomas Slate, and therefore was always known as Grandma Slate. She died on February 5, 1986, in Cortland, New York, and rests at Cortland Rural Cemetery in Cortland in a plot with her first husband. Vena is pictured here with a great-grandson abt. 1970: Vena is shown here, later: Click here to learn more about Vena Slate. #daniels #Daniels #Dykeman #Leonard #leonard #VenaDykeman

It's amazing what can be discovered or proven with DNA. As the study of this relatively new technology progresses and more people test their results, we are learning more and more. Earlier today, a cousin informed me that our Reese family is in Haplogroup R-L 1029, which prompted a change of plans for my day and after some tinkering at GedMatch and WikiTree, I believe I have determined the place of Abraham Reese Jr or his ancestors in my DNA. His contribution is found on the 15th Chromosome. His ancestors most likely also share the same match. From what I understand, not every one of his descendants will share this match. We each take different parts from our parents genes. Even siblings can differ in segments. These diagrams show the matches between myself and two other known descendants of Abraham. The matching segment is shown in blue/purple. If you are in this family and have a GEDmatch Kit Number, please comment below or contact me! Click here to see more about Abraham Reese. Click here to see more on the Reese family. Click here for loads of free genealogy resources! #AbrahamReeseJr #Reese #ReeseDNA

John Jacobs death was reported in the Waverly Free Press on July 23, 1909 as follows: Click here to learn more about John W. Jacobs. Click here to learn more about this family. Click here for my Index of Ancestors. Click here for tons of free genealogy resources! #JohnJacobs #Candor

Polly L. Whitmore (or Wetmore) was born about 1838 in New York and married John W. Jacobs between 1855 and 1860. She died on May 10, 1908, at the age of 70, probably in Candor. John died the following year. Polly's death was announced in the Owego Daily Record on May 21, 1908 as follows: "Died, Sunday, May 10th, Mrs. John W. Jacobs, aged 70 years. The funeral was held Wednesday, Rev. E. B. Singer officiating. Interment in Maple Grove cemetery." Click here for more information about Polly Wetmore (or Whitmore). Click here to see my Index of Ancestors. Click here for loads of free genealogy resources! #PollyWetmore #JohnJacobs #death #obituary #burials

L. John Reese died at the age of 93 on the 27th of January, 2005, at Cortland Memorial Hospital. He was 93 years old. He was buried on the 31st of January, 2005, in the Reese plot at Willow Glen Cemetery (Lot 24; Section 8) in Dryden, Tompkins, New York. His obituary is shown here: Click here to see more about Lloyd "John" Reese. Click here to learn more about the Reese family. Click here to see my Index of Ancestors. Click here for loads of free genealogy resources! #LloydJohnReese #Reese #death #obituary

Lloyd Reese is a son of Lloyd "John" Reese and Mary (Harvey) Reese-Gaul. Following are photos preserved and contributed by various members of the family of Lloyd Reese. Use the arrows to switch slides! Click here to see more about the Reese family. Click here to see my Index of Ancestors. Click here for loads of free genealogy resources! #lloydreese #Reese #photos #photographs #album

According to John Jacob's marriage announcement, he married Ann Eliza Wetmore on January 8, 1851 in Candor. Her family was counted on the census in 1850 as follows: Ann Eliza Wetmore was born abt. 1828. Her parents (presumably), were Abel and Celina Wetmore. Ann had brothers name John, George, and Oliver, and sisters named Lois, Olive, and Phebe. Olive was born about 1843. In 1855, Olive was living with John & Mary Jacobs listed as "sister", age 10. In 1855, there was a child named Polly L. Wetmore, age 17, living in Berkshire, Tioga County, New York, with Abel and Cerenza Wetmore. Abel was reportedly born in Massachusetts and his wife was born in Vermont. Polly would have been born about 1838 - a perfect fit for Polly L. Jacobs who was living with John Jacobs from 1860 to 1905. Polly wasn't living in Abel's home in 1860. Did Ann Eliza die and her sister Polly replace her? Abstracts printed in The Owego Record under the "Candor" column report the following: On April 21, 1898, "Rev. Gaylord Jacobs of Newton, Pa., visited his parents in this place Monday". On Aug. 22, 1905, "Rev. Gaylord Jacobs of Mountain Top, Pa., is visiting his parents". Sources: Year: 1850; Census Place: Candor, Tioga, New York; Roll: M432_604; Page: 149B; Image: 302; Surname mispelled or mistranscribed "Wetmon". Year: 1860; Census Place: Berkshire, Tioga, New York; Roll: M653_867; Page: 3; Surname spelled "Whetmore". Click here to learn more about Polly Wetmore. Click here to learn more about John Jacobs. #PollyWetmore #AnnElizaWetmore #JohnJacobs

John W. Jacobs was born in July of 1823 in New York. He was the son of Thomas Jacobs and Elizabeth Jenks. John was counted on the 1850 census of Candor, Tioga, New York, in the home of his parents. His age was given as 26. It appears the following siblings of John lived in the home: James (19), Thomas (18), Jane (15), Hannah (13), Elizabeth (11) and Ellen Jacobs (9). A marriage between John married Ann Eliza Wetmore (or Whitmore), occurred on January 8, 1851, in Candor. She was born abt. 1828 and was about 22 years old. It was published in the Northern Christian Advocate, Marriages, Jan. 1851. In 1855 he was living in Candor. On that census his age was given as 30. His wife's name was given as "Mary A. Jacobs", age 26. They both lived in Candor all their lives. (See column 13 of the New York State Census 1855, E.D. 1, page 25 out of 46). John and Mary had a son, Gaylord, age illegible, possibly 2 months. The census was taken about June 27-28, 1855. A young girl lived in the home with them. She was Olive D. Wetmore, age 10, identified as "sister". Olive would have been born about 1845. According to the 1850 census, she appears to have been a younger sister of Ann. John's father, Thomas Jacobs (age 64), born in Pennsylvania, was also listed on the same census page in 1855. His wife, Elizabeth, was 57 and they had five children, all between the ages of 16 and 21, living in the home: Thomas, James, Oliver, Hannah and Elizabeth Jacobs - all born in Tioga County, NY. Note: Another John Jacobs counted on the 1855 New York State Census in nearby Tioga was age 23, born abt. 1832. He was married to Phebe Ann Jacobs, born abt. 1840. In 1860, John W. Jacobs was living in Candor with Polly Jacobs as his wife. She was 22. He was 37. Gaylord was the only child in the home, age 5. John is said to have married Polly in 1858. Perhaps his first wife, Mary, died between 1855 and 1858? Was this Ann Eliza's sister? (Click here for info on the Wetmore family). John registered for the draft in Candor between 1863 and 1865. He was 39 years old. Whether or not he went off to war has yet to be determined. In 1865 he was still living in Candor. His mother, Elizabeth (Jenks) Jacobs, died in Candor the following year, on July 11, 1866. In 1870 John and Polly were still in Candor with four children in the home: In 1875 there were three children in the home: In 1880 he was still living in Candor with his wife and four children: John's father, Thomas Jacobs, died on May 15, 1884, in Candor. In 1892 on the New York State Census (still in Candor), John's age was given as 69, Polly L. was 54, Laura D. was 31, George H. was 24 and Olive J. was 17. The entry after their family was Merritt Daniels (age 32) who lived with Amanda Daniels (age 23), Elmer Jordan (age 16), and Beatrice M. Daniels (age 1). (I seem to remember Ethel (Daniels) Leonard talking about Beatrice and/or Merritt being relatives of her father, Percy Daniels). Olive married Arthur Dykeman in Candor on November 7, 1897, but by 1900, according to the census, she and her daughter, Vena, were living in the home of Olive's parents in Candor. John was 77 and Polly L. was 62. Laura E., their daughter, was 39. In 1905, John (age 81), Polly (age 66), Laura D. Jacobs (daughter, age 43), and Olive's 6-year old daughter, Vena, were living in Candor. Olive was living as a servant in the home of John Swansbrough. SUMMARY Click here to learn more about John W. Jacobs. Click here to learn more about this family. Click here for my Index of Ancestors. Click here for tons of free genealogy resources! Sources: 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Candor, Tioga, New York; Roll: M432_604; Page: 152B 1855 New York State Census, Candor, Tioga, New York 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Candor, Tioga, New York 1865 New York State Census, Candor, Tioga, New York 1870 U.S. Federal Census, Candor, Tioga, New York 1875 New York State Census, Candor, Tioga, New York 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Candor, Tioga, New York 1892 New York State Census, Candor, Tioga, New York 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Candor, Tioga, New York 1905 U.S. Federal Census, Candor, Tioga, New York #OliveJacobs #Dykeman #JohnJacobs #census #AnnElizaWetmore #PollyWetmore

Maynard Washington Reese died on the 2nd of December, 1947 in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, at the age of 73. He was buried two days later in Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Union Springs, Cayuga County, New York. His obituary was printed in The Auburn Citizen Advertiser on Wednesday, December 3, 1947, and his funeral was mentioned in the Union Springs News on December 11th. "Maynard W. Reese, 73, died Tuesday morning at his home near Aurora after a long illness. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Ada Temple Reese; three daughters, Mrs. Edith Large and Miss Alberta Reese, both of Aurora, and Mrs. Ann Griswald, Union Springs; four sons, John of Groton and Ernest, Kenneth and Leo Reese of Aurora; nine grandchildren; a sister, Mrs. Hannah Rider of Danville, Pa. and two brothers, Clinton Reese of Muncy, Pa., and Charles Reese of Hughesville, Pa. Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in Levanna Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Dr. Harris Steward of Aurora Presbyterian Church officiating." Click here to learn more about Maynard Reese. Click here to learn more about the Reese family. Click here to see my index of ancestors. Click here for loads of free genealogy resources! #MaynardReese #AdaTemple #Ledyard #cayugacounty #NewYork #Reese

Lloyd John Reese went by the name of John Reese. On the census in 1920, his name was written “Loyd J. Reese”. He was 9 years old and living on Levanna Road in Ledyard, Cayuga, New York, with his parents, four sisters, and three brothers. They were also counted there on the 1925 New York State Census. (Click here to view the 1920 and 1925 Census). John was three days short of 19 years old when he was counted on the census was taken on the 18th of April, 1930. He was a Lodger in the home of Raymond & Edna Polhanius in Lansing, Tompkins County, New York. The 1930 census was taken on the very same day he married Mary Esther Harvey. She was born on the 16th of March, 1910, in Newark Valley, Tioga County, New York, a daughter of Newman A. Harvey and Gertrude E. Shirley. She lived with her family in Dryden in 1920 and in Groton in 1930. At her home in Groton, the census was taken on 14 Apr 1930, four days before she married John. In 1940 John was working on the Webb farm in Groton, Tompkins County, New York. When the census was taken, Mary’s sister, Bessie, “a preacher”, her son, Charles, and Ruth Cook, also a preacher, were living in the home with them and their sons. Click here to learn more about Lloyd "John" Reese. Click here to learn more about the Reese family. Click here to see my index of ancestors. Click here for loads of free genealogy resources! #LloydJohnReese #Reese #groton #TompkinsCounty #Lansing #census

John and Mary Reese lived in Groton in the early years of their marriage. These photos of them and their children were contributed by their daughter, Mary Ruth (Reese) Teeter. Use the arrows to switch slides. Click here to learn more about Lloyd "John" Reese. Click here to learn more about the Reese family. Click here to see my index of ancestors. Click here for loads of free genealogy resources! #LloydJohnReese #MaryEHarvey #lloydreese #haroldreese #MaryRuthReese #groton #TompkinsCounty #NewYork #photographs #photos #album

Lloyd "John" Reese is shown here wearing coveralls - his familiar attire. He was always a hard worker, remaining active into his nineties. He was a farmer and a butcher. He was also employed at Camp Packing Company, Eastern Artificial Breeders and later at Cortland Line Company. He may have been a custodian in the school in his later years and in retirement he was a scrap dealer and worked at Willow Glen Cemetery. Click here to see more about Lloyd "John" Reese. Click here to learn more about the Reese family. Click here to see my Index of Ancestors. Click here for loads of free genealogy resources! #LloydJohnReese #Reese #occupations #agriculture

At the age of 24, Maynard W. Reese was living in Franklin Township, Pennsylvania, and working as a laborer. On January 13, 1900, he married 16-year old Ada Rebecca Temple, of Davidson. They were married in Laporte, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania. (See map below). Ada was the daughter of John Lloyd Temple and Martha Jane Allen. Their application for marriage license was filed at La Porte, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, on January 8, 1900, and issued on January 13th. The return was filed on January 27th. Later that year they were living in the home of Maynard's sister, Sarah J. Swank. They moved to Davidson by 1910. Click here to see details. Click here to learn more about Maynard Reese. Click here to learn more about the Reese family. Click here to see my index of ancestors. Click here for loads of free genealogy resources! #Reese #Temple #MaynardReese #AdaTemple #marriagerecords