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For years many in my Leonard family have tried to confirm the identity of our matriarch, Sophronia Burrill. She married Russell Leonard quite young and their son Charles Russell Leonard was born in 1830. Their daughter, Jenette, was born in 1833. On May 2, 1834, Sophronia placed a notice in the Cayuga Republican newspaper, asking for information about her missing husband who reportedly had gone to buy land in Michigan Territory several months prior, in November of 1833. See the clipping here. Russell's fate and identity has yet to be proven, and is another mystery. The family reports that Sophronia remarried to Thomas Knapp in Genoa, Cayuga County, New York, on September 11, 1837. She was living in Scipio in 1840, Genoa in 1850, Locke in 1855, Springport in 1860, Union Springs in 1865, Springport in 1875, Summerhill in 1880, and she died in Moravia in 1883. Her obituary said she was to be buried in Union Springs. I wondered if there was a connection to or mixup with Sophronia (Campbell) Burrill, wife of Nelson Burrill, who lived in Elbridge, Onondaga County, New York, as mentioned in my previous article. The similarities are astounding. Both Sophronias were reportedly born in or about 1815 and they also both died in 1883. Sophronia (Campbell) Burrill died on April 20th and Sophronia (Burrill) Leonard Knapp died on December 3rd. Ancestry DNA is an amazing tool for solving these mysteries! Their ThruLines feature automatically suggests connections to people by comparing shared matches in both trees. It suggested that my 5th great-grandfather (Sophronia's father) was Joshua Burrill of Pembroke, Genesee County, New York. In some cases, ThruLines is unreliable, because it relies on data entered by others in their trees. If they have entered erroneous data, it could cause significant confusion. For example, ThruLines shows that there are 12 matches connecting my father to Joshua Burrill because 12 people on Ancestry have connected him as Sophronia's father, yet there is no evidence to prove this. It has been a rumor or theory that her father was Joshua, but no records have been found to confirm this (to my knowledge). There are, however, a few reasons I now believe this connection is true. First, Joshua had a son named Arba F. Burrill, who named one of his daughters Sophronia Burrill (born abt. 1849). It seems likely that he named her after his sister. Furthermore, there is now DNA evidence to show the connection is there! Here's why: My father's DNA shares three other matches with Joshua's brother and sister, Simeon and Polly. This raises the question of why Sophronia wasn't mentioned in Joshua's will, dated May 22, 1865. He mentions only his "three oldest daughters, Patty (Martha) Redman, Brooksey King and Achsah King", giving them each $200. To his "only son, Arba F. Burrill" he left $10. Finally to his "youngest daughter, Mahaleth Shuminsk and Jacob her husband", he left the remainder of all his real estate. (Side note: It is interesting to note that both Achsah, Mahaleth, and Arba are Hebrew Biblical names). Update: See Joshua Burrill's timeline for a newly discovered clue! Next, I decided to do a little research on Nelson Burrill, the husband of Sophronia Campbell. Low and behold, his father was Jacob Burrill, the brother of Joshua. Therefore, Nelson would have been Sophronia's first cousin! With this revelation, it leaves me wondering if the DNA connection is through Joshua Burrill or Jacob Burrill. Regardless, both would lead back to John Burrill and Mary Eaton. There are currently 24 family trees on Ancestry with Jacob in it. Whether or not these users have had their DNA tested is unknown but so far no DNA matches are found among them - or at least none greater than 7 cM, which is the threshold at Ancestry. (On GedMatch, comparisons can be made at a lower threshold. If you are a descendant of any of these Burrills and have uploaded your DNA to GedMatch, please contact me!) Update: (9/5/2021) Notice also, my confirmed relationship to descendants of Joshua who have had their DNA tested on Ancestry. Three of his daughter, Martha's descendants are confirmed matches with both my father and I, as shown here: Stay tuned for updates! If you have info on this family, please share! Click here to learn about my connection to the Burrills. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. #burrill #sophroniaburrill #joshuaburrill #genealogy #newyork

Looking for a marriage that occurred in Massachusetts between 1784 and 1840? Check this resource! Four volumes of marriages at your fingertips! Free! Click here for more Massachusetts genealogy records! Click here for more Marriage Records #marriagerecords #marriages #massachusetts #resources

Prior to their release by Reclaim the Records, the New Jersey birth index was only available on microfilm at the Archives. You can now access some of the indexes free of charge online. The birth index includes the name of the child, the parents, and the certificate number. Copies can be ordered using this information. Some of the pages are missing, faded, torn or damaged. The following is a sample of what you can expect to find. The names are sorted alphabetically by last name, so you will have to flip through the pages to find the names you are looking for. Use these links to find the surnames you are looking for: 1901 - Surnames [A-H] [I-L] [M-S] [T-Z] 1902 - Surnames [A-J] [K-L] [M-W] [W-Z] 1903 - Surnames [A-Z] Additional years may be added as the time limitations expire. Check for new releases here. For more birth records, visit the New Jersey Genealogy Resources page and select Vital Records from the list. From there you can also check resources for specific counties or towns, too. You can also submit a request for a search of the New Jersey's Birth Records Database, which contains births from 1848 to 1920. The search is $10-$15. Click here to see more places to find birth records nationwide. Stay tuned for more valuable genealogy finds! Subscribe for updates - it's free! #resources #newjersey #births

Today is a great time for researching family history with more sites and resources available online than there is time to review it all. There are excellent sites for searching databases, such as Ancestry, FamilySearch, Wikitree, MyHeritage, FindMyPast...the list goes on! Although you're likely to find some relevant matches most of the time, results are often numerous and filtering results could cause you to miss out on legitimate matches, so the process can be very time consuming. Even with hours of searching, there is still a chance that the records you seek are not available on any of these popular sites. I've found that much of the valuable information we seek about our ancestors was printed in old books, most of which are available free online. Church records with births, baptisms, marriage, deaths and burials, local histories with portraits, maps, illustrations and biographies, immigration records and passenger lists, military records, census records, statistical data, and directories can all be found among these old books. As you may have guessed from my site's name, I'm a genealogy addict and whenever I get some free time, you can find me searching for family history. When I come across books containing valuable genealogical data, I add them to my resource database, which currently contains about 20,000 resources with new items being added regularly. It is by no means complete, but a work in progress. In the past, users had the option to search or browse the titles in my database, but because people who lived prior to the 20th century certainly didn't foresee search engine capabilities when titling their books, these searches didn't produce ALL relevant matches either. As someone who uses my database quite a bit, I found it annoying and finally took action. Over the past several months I've spent countless hours categorizing them ALL by the location(s). I even recruited the help of my husband who probably pitied me for taking on such a massive challenge and decided to help me through it. (Thanks, honey!) So, in summary, now you can choose a State from the dropdown menu at the top of the page, or you can visit the Genealogy Dashboard and choose one from there. You will see all the resources I've found for that state, along with information about the State's size and year of founding. From there you can also see a list of all the Counties in the State. You can choose a County to see a map along with resources pertaining specifically to said County. From there, you can also see a list of all the Towns and Cities in said County. Select a town to see an interactive map of the town as well as resources specifically related to the town or city. Give it a try! Let us know if you find anything relevant and stay tuned for updates!

Here I go again, being sidetracked by an intriguing story I came across while searching Archive.org for old family history books. This one is unrelated to my family like my previous blog about The Bissinger Suicide, but equally as interesting. Before researching my family's history, I was under the impression that people in America in the 1800s were good, righteous, God-fearing people who did no wrong. Only true outlaws like Bonnie & Clyde and Billy the Kid broke the law! From my grandparents and other elders, I heard all about how up until the 1960s people could leave their doors unlocked and they could let their children play outside and roam the neighborhood all day long without worrying about them being kidnapped or murdered. They abstained from premarital relations and they never ever got divorced. This is what I heard about the good old days as I was growing up, so I'm always shocked when I read these stories. Yes, morals in America have suffered tremendous decay with each passing decade, but the people in the past were definitely not as righteous as I thought. If we all made an effort to learn from the mistakes of those who came before us, we might have achieved a Utopian society by now, but instead we prefer to make our own decisions and our own mistakes, which can cause major setbacks in life, if not our total total destruction. This book I found is called "The Pennsylvania hermit. A narrative of the extraordinary life of Amos Wilson who expired in a cave in the neighborhood of Harrisburgh (Penn.) after having therein lived in solitary retirement for the space of nineteen years in consequence of the ignominious death of his sister". It was published in 1839, author unknown. This short story is only 24 pages and gives us a personal look into the events that occurred in a small town in Pennsylvania in the late 1700s. It all started with a young woman named Harriot* Wilson. She was born in Pennsylvania, possibly in Lebanon (Dauphin County), in 1776, according to the author. Growing up she was a well-respected, virtuous young woman, that is, until she reached the age of 18. It was then that she became acquainted with a young man by the name of Smith, who lived in Philadelphia. Mr. Smith charmed and seduced young Harriot, by pledging his love and promising to marry her. She "surrendered to her vile seducer all that could render her respectable in the eyes of the world". Afterwards, she was devastated to learn that Smith was a married man with no intention of marrying her and the situation became dire when she realized she was pregnant with his child. The author reminds us of society's treatment of "tarnished" women in those days, in some ways, still do today: "The tenderness and sensibility that prevails in the minds of females, subjects them to many temptations and dangers from which men are in a manner exempt. Their weakness and dependent state places their reputation on a foundation so slender, that the smallest breath of wind will overturn, and the slightest touch indelibly tarnish. While lordly man can sin with impunity, and his most indecent deviations from modesty and virtue, set down as trifling indiscretions, and oftentimes, the more he sins the more he is caressed. He can, without any scandal to himself, seduce the innocent virgin from the paths of virtue, while the unfortunate victim of his arts is expelled from society, and doomed either to end her days in a brothel, among the most depraved, or be made a sacrifice on the altar of justice". When the child* was born, Harriot secretly laid the body in a neighboring grove. Whether it was living or not, I found no mention but she was immediately suspected of being the perpetrator and was put on trial for murder. The trial lasted 11 hours and in the end, the jury delivered a verdict of "guilty". Distinguished people sought her pardon and, her brother, Amos* Wilson, fought adamantly to prevent her execution. He was two years Harriot's elder, born in 1774* in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. On the morning of the scheduled execution, Amos went to Philadelphia and "prostrated himself at the feet of the Governor", begging for a pardon for Harriot. The Governor had mercy and issued the pardon. With no time to waste, Amos raced back home to stop the execution. On his way, however, heavy rain fell, making the Schuylkill River impassable. He had to wait for the rain to stop and the waters to calm enough for him to cross and continue his race home. As he raced to the place where the execution was to take place, pardon in hand, he witnessed the invisible departure of his sister's soul, while her lifeless body hung from the gallows. He was five minutes too late to stop the execution. He fell from his horse in shock and disappointment and was never the same again. For a time he remained at his parents home, delusional and inconsolable. Finally, he decided his perception of the world was now too tainted to participate in society. He went into the forest and found a cave near Harrisburg and there he stayed for 19 years. He rarely had visitors, except the author of the book, a friend. He would have been only about 39 years old when he died, but the illustration provided by the author, who was reportedly a personal friend of Amos, depicts an older man, in my opinion. The discrepancies were enough to entice me to search for the family in historical records, to confirm whether or not it was true. First, I tried Findagrave but found no matches for Amos Wilson (born 1774) or Harriot Wilson (born 1776). Next, I tried to find the family on the 1790 census before the murder. This, I found, to be very difficult because on the 1790 census, only the head of household was named and since the book doesn't mention their parents' names, I was unable to identify the family, even with the help of my 1790 Census Helper. There were more than a dozen Wilson (and Willson) families in Dauphin county in 1790 and none of them contained two males and two females, as described in the book. Next, I searched the web and found that both Amos and Harriot have articles on Wikipedia, which provide more information, some conflicting with the information in the book that had first brought the story to my attention. (I marked those items with an asterisk* above). Yes, I realize academia frowns upon Wikipedia, deeming it unreliable because it is user-contributed data, but when properly cited, it can be a great resource for information. At any rate, there is much information about the tragedy in the articles for Harriot and Amos, including variations of the story passed along the grapevine. First, Harriot's name was actually Elizabeth Wilson and she was not born in 1776, as stated in the book, which did not state the year of her execution. She was scheduled to be executed on December 7, 1785, but when people began to doubt her guilt, it was postponed until January 3, 1786. Since we know she was at least 18, she was born no later than 1767, but varying accounts are given for her age. Some say she was born as early as 1758. Next, her brother's name was William Wilson - not Amos - and he was not born in 1774, as stated in the book. He was born in or around 1762 and died in October of 1821. So he was about 59 when he died in the cave he lived in for 19 years. The cave was said to be near Hummelstown. Today it is a tourist attraction called Indian Echo Caverns, located about 8 miles east of Harrisburg. It is a place of natural beauty with underwater lakes, stalactites, and minerals and the temperature is a constant 52 degrees (Fahrenheit) year-round. The most shocking allegation that conflicts with the account written in the book is that it wasn't "a child" that Harriot left in the woods, it was "children" - twin boys. According to one version, she confessed that Smith met her in the woods because he wanted to see if the boys resembled him and then he ordered her to kill them. When she refused, he trampled the boys to death. Many people, including the judge and the sheriff of Chester, believed she was innocent. I believe the unnamed author of this book may have been attempting to protect the identity of the family by changing the names and omission of dates, but the fact that the book's account only mentions a child and not twins, makes me wonder if this person really knew "Amos" at all or if the author just recounted the story from local legend. It was, after all, published 53 years after her execution and 18 years after William "Amos" Wilson's death. See also: Elizabeth "Harriot" Wilson [Wikipedia] William "Amos" Wilson [Wikipedia] Pennsylvania Genealogy Resources Genealogy Dashboard #pennsylvania #history #murder #wilson #scandals #crime

Every now and then I do a search on Archive.org in hopes that new books have been uploaded, which may contain clues about some of the brick walls in my family tree. I probably haven't found all the answers yet because I usually get sidetracked, reading about families completely unrelated to me, like I did again here. I came across a book on HeritageQuest, printed in 1875, bearing a shocking title, "The Bissinger suicide history of that sad tragedy in which Mrs. Bissinger (as alleged), made desperate by neglect and ill treatment, drowned herself and three children in the Union Canal, at Reading, Penna., statement of her brother in reply to her husband". The title sums up the tragedy, but I was curious and wanted to know more. The book starts with a well known quote: One of the greatest poets that ever existed has written an adage which will be quoted as long as language lives. It is this: "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!" In the book, the story of how Louisa, a young woman just 29 years old, was driven to the point of suicide and beyond, after being discarded by her husband, Philip Bissinger. He was a saloon keeper in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania, who was reportedly openly having an affair with a German woman from Philadelphia, even bringing her to the family home. In a recent argument sparked by his infidelity, he ordered Louisa to leave, offering her $2,000, a hefty sum in those days, to just be gone with the two daughters, leaving him their only son. Instead, Louisa reportedly took the three children to Union Canal where she and the children, ages 9, 6, and 3, collected large rocks, putting them into a basket. She then tied the basket to her waist and jumped into the canal with her three children in her arms. This is the Union Canal in Reading. Could this be the spot she jumped from? Following are some articles I found about this tragic event: In this article, Louisa's brother, Fred Eben, writes a personal message for Philip Bissinger. He ends it with these words that should have cut like a knife at the conscience of Philip. Fred says: "...but I also know that YOU, PHILIP BISSINGER WERE THE CAUSE of all this, and in conclusion, I, as her brother, and the son of a broken-hearted mother BRAND YOU AS THE MURDERER of my sister and your four children - and I am willing that the people amongst whom we live shall judge between us. Fred. Eben." (The Daily Gazette, Sept. 10, 1875). I found Philip's memorial on Findagrave (see here). There I learned that he was a soldier of the civil war, enlisting in Company G, Pennsylvania 79th Infantry Reg. in September of 1861. He rose through the ranks and was promoted to Sergeant Major, to 1st Lieutenant, and finally to Captain of Company F in December, 1863. He resigned from his commission nine months later and mustered out Sept. 12, 1864. He was counted on the 1860 census, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was a bar tender living in the home of Augustus Schoenberger, a brewer and immigrant from Germany. Philip was 18 and a young woman named Mary "Bisinger", age 16, was also living in the home. Both were reportedly born in Germany. Was this a first wife, or a sister? (Census shown below). Because Louisa's brother's name was Fred Eben, (documented in the article at left), I was able to find Louisa on the 1860 census. She was living in the South East Ward of Reading with Gotleab (?) and Rosina Eben, presumably her parents. Her father's occupation was "Restaurant". Louisa was 14, Frederick was 12, and a younger sister, Rosa, was 9. That census was taken on June 9, 1860, so based on her age, she was born before June 9, 1846. (Census shown below). Her memorial on Findagrave contains details about the story and another sketch of Louisa. There her birth date, is given as March 21, 1836, calculated from a newspaper clipping of the funeral announcement which stated she was age 39 years, 4 months and 27 days. (Confirmed with The Time Deductor). Based on the 1860 census, though, I believe she was born in 1846 and that she was 29 years old when she committed suicide on August 17, 1875. In 1880, four years after the suicide and death of his family, Philip married Ida Sebald Rosenthal. According to Findagrave, she was born Oct. 20, 1850, in Philadelphia. I found nothing to indicate whether or not she was the mistress mentioned, but she was a younger woman from Philadelphia, so it is possible. Ida died in Reading in 1910 at the age of 59 and Philip died at the age of 84, in 1926. All of them are buried in Charles Evans Cemetery in Reading. Following are the two census records from 1860 before Philip and Louisa married, mentioned above. When the 1870 census was taken, Philip and Louisa were married and living in Reading with two daughters: Mary, age 3, and Elizabeth, age 3 months. A domestic servant named Susan also lived in the home. Philip's occupation was "Saloon Keeper". He was born in Bavaria and Louisa was born in Wurttemberg. So from this, we can see that Philip married Louisa very soon after returning from the war, sometime between September, 1864 and 1867. Louisa would have just turned 18 years old when he returned and their oldest daughter, Mary, was born in April of 1867, when Louisa would have been about 21 years old (if she was born in 1846). So they were married sometime between September 1864 and July 1866. A final observation regarding the names of Philip and Louisa's daughters. On the 1870 census, the two daughters living in the home were Mary and Elizabeth. The short obituary shared on Findagrave, reports that (aside from the unborn child in her womb), the three children who died with their mother on August 17, 1875 were: Mollie C. Bissinger, age 8 years, 3 mos., 19 days - (Born April 28, 1867, "Mary", age 3 on the census taken in August 1870) Lillie Bissinger, age 5 years, 2 mos., 11 days - (Born June 6, 1870, "Elizabeth", age 3 months on the census taken in August 1870) Philip Bissinger, age 3 years, 7 mos., 5 days - (Born Jan. 12, 1872) The ages match perfectly but the names of the girls are different, as you can see. Yes, Mollie can be used as a nickname for Mary, but I wasn't aware that Lillie was a nickname for Elizabeth, unless one of them was her middle name. It just goes to show how census records, newspapers, and even gravestones and cemetery transcriptions can contain errors. Either way, four innocent children's lives were cut short at the hand of a dejected and tormented mother who saw no other way out. What should have been a flourishing family tree today, was cut down at the roots, marking the end of Mr. Bissinger's bloodline. Instead of being the beloved immigrant ancestors of a great many Bissingers, like many of our ancestors are, Philip was left with no heirs. Instead, his decisions earned him a legacy of being the unfaithful and cruel husband who drove his wife to suicide and murder. May their souls rest in peace. #miscellaneous #murder #genealogy #pennsylvania #berkscounty #readingpa #suicide

Those interested in Plymouth and its early settlement might be interested in this resource I came across. The Records of the Colony of New Plymouth were published "by order of the Legislature" in the 1850s, and contain much of the official business of the colony in the 1600s. I was able to find the following volumes, which you can read online at Archive.org using the corresponding links: Volume 1 Acts of the Commissioners of the United Colonies of England (1643-1651) [Link] Volume 2 Acts of the Commissioners of the United Colonies of England (1653-1679) [Link] Deeds &c. Volume 1 Book of Indian Records for their lands (1620-1651) [Link] Court Orders Volume 1 (1633-1640) [Link] Court Orders Volume 3 (1651-1661) [Link] Court Orders Volume 5 (1668-1678) [Link] Court Orders Volume 6 (1678-1691) [Link] Miscellaneous Records. (1633-1689) [Link] Judicial Acts (1636-1692) [Link] Laws (1623-1682) [Link] You might also like the Interactive Mayflower Passenger List, loaded with information, illustrations, resources and more or see even more Mayflower resources here. #mayflower #genealogy #plymouthplantation #plymouth #massachusetts

130 years ago this February, there was a murder in the small town of Rose, Wayne County, New York. The town of Rose was first settled in 1805 when it was in the Town of Wolcott. Wolcott was divided to form Rose in 1826. At various times, Rose was called Valentine, Albion, and Rose Valley. When the 2010 census was taken, only 2,369 people (646 families) were counted as living there. Common causes for murders of the day were property disputes, jealousy, or robbery but none of those was the cause for the rage that led to a son taking his father's life in a bloody and brutal attack. My knowledge of the Lumbert murder began when I found my 3rd great-grandfather on the 1892 census in a place relatively far from where he had spent most of his life. He was with a new family in Rose, New York, 55 miles from Groton, his former home. His new "wife" was Luella and he lived with three of her children from her first marriage, and her mother, Betsy Lumbert. What happened here? Why did he move so far? This will be discussed further in my next blog, but for now, let's talk about the Lumbert family. Luella Schriver (or Scriber) was a daughter of Betsy Austin and Benjamin Schriver. She was born in 1850 but her marriage ended early as Betsy and her 4-month old baby were living with Betsy's brother, Morton Austin, in Springport, Cayuga County, New York, in 1850. I haven't researched Benjamin's fate or identity, but Betsy was remarried to William LUMBERT, probably between 1852 and 1854. When the census was taken in 1860, Betsey and Luella were living with William LUMBERT in Savannah, Wayne County, New York. Betsey was 29 (est. birth 1831) and William was 39 (est. birth 1821). Children in the home were: Ella LUMBERT (age 10, a.k.a. Luella SCHRIVER), Benjamin LUMBERT (age 7, likely also SCHRIVER), William LUMBERT (age 6), Mary LUMBERT (age 3), and Charles LUMBERT (age 9 months). Note: It appears this Charles LUMBERT may have died young, because when the census was taken ten years later in 1870, Charles LUMBERT's age is given as 2 years old. If it were the same Charles, he would have been 10 in 1870. Before I continue, I'd like to note that the ages of these family members vary greatly from census to census and cannot be relied upon for calculating the ages. Still, the census records do provide some evidence to clear up conflicting data. For example, on Luella's grave, her birth date is given as 1851, however, because she was counted on the 1850 census, we know for a fact that the date on her grave is wrong. In 1870, William LUMBERT, age 36 (est. birth 1834) and Betsey LUMBERT, age 35 (est. birth 1835) were counted on the census in Rose, eleven miles northwest of Savannah. Children in the home were: Benjamin LUMBERT (age 17), William LUMBERT (age 14), Mary J. LUMBERT (age 13), George LUMBERT (age 8), and Charles LUMBERT (age 2). Luella wasn't in the home because she was married abt. 1864 to William KNAPP and living in Groton with three children. This map from the Wayne County Atlas, 1874, shows exactly where they lived, in the top left corner of the map. The Lumbert family lived on what is known today as High Street, half way between Catchpole Road and Wayne Center-Rose Road, on the west side of the street. Here in this interactive Google map street view, the home would have been on the right side of the road somewhere here: The 1900 map below was found in “Rose Neighborhood Sketches” by Alfred S. Rowe, 1893, which gives brief mention of the incident on pages 187-188 as follows: A trifle north of the foot of the hill, on the west side, is the humble habitation of William Lumbert, who came to these parts from Cayuga county. His family lives in two houses, not because his children are so numerous, though he has several, but because the buildings are so small. (Mr. Lumbert was killed by his son, George, Feb. 16, 1891. For this crime the son was sentenced to life imprisonment.) The map was published in the same book, showing the location of Lumbert's home: In 1880, Betsey & James Lumbert were still living in Rose (Wayne County). James was a Day Laborer reportedly born in Illinois while his parents were born in New York. Betsey's age was given as 50 and James' as 60. Only one child remained in the home, Charles Lumbert, age 13. George A. LUMBERT (age 17, est. birth 1863) was living as "servant" in the home of Samuel and Margaret Converse in nearby Galen (Wayne County), and working as a farm laborer. Wayne County's 1885 State Census is not available as far as I know, and the 1890 census was destroyed by fire, so there is a period of 11 years we cannot find the family on the census. In local newspapers, however, we can fill in some of these blanks. We learn that Charles Lumbert had his own home about three quarters of a mile from his parents by 1891 and George, whose real name was Amasa, went out west in the 1880s. He came back a changed man, according to those who knew him - and not for the better. The next census found was the 1892 New York State Census, taken in February. At that time Betsy was living in Rose, presumably in the same home. In the home was her daughter, Luella, and three of Luella's children: Sophronia KNAPP (16), Murray KNAPP (12), and Malvina KNAPP (9). Luella reported having been married to Charles Leonard for seven years and he was head of the household. (You can see that census here). But where was James Lumbert? From local newspapers, it was shocking to learn that he died in February, 1891, at the hand of his son, George (Amasa) Lumbert. Following are some of the articles written about the horrific circumstances. The story in the Oswego Daily Times, Feb. 18, 1891, states that during the trial, which had taken place earlier that day, evidence such as an ax, three sticks of fire wood, a shirt, a vest, a knife, a broom and a pair of pantaloons were brought in. The story continues here: W.D. Saunders of Palmyra stated that he was a stenographer and that he took the last confession made by the defendant, being requested by him to do so. His testimony was the same as what Deputy Sheriff Collins gave yesterday, except that Lumbert also claimed that he was influenced by his step-sister, Mrs. Sophronia Leonard*, to commit the crime. [*I believe this was Ms. Sophronia Knapp, daughter of Luella, using her stepfather's name]. Jefferson Morey of Clyde testified that he was driving to his home in Rose on February 17, 1891, and that he met Geo. Lumbert on the road and gave him a ride to Rose, reaching there about noon. The different articles found in the house where the murder was committed were retained in evidence. Edson W. Hamm, attorney for Lumbert, then made an address asking for the discharge of the prisoner, stating that the evidence shown was not enough to hold him. He also said that until several years ago Lumbert was an intelligent young man, until the time that he contracted a disease which left him insane. The motion was denied. The first witness sworn for the defense was William Lumbert of Rose, a brother of the defendant. He stated that until three years ago his brother George was a peaceable agreeable and hard-working young man, and after that he did not act like his former self. Frederick Ream of Rose, stated that he had lived near the Lumberts for several years and knew the defendant to be a good, industrious young man until the latter part of the year 1890 when he noticed a change in him. Lumbert came to his home about this time and told him his relatives were putting up a job on him at home and that he was afraid to stay there and asked the witness if he would allow him to remain at his home that night. He also said that he believed that George was insane. He told the murdered man of the occurrence and was in turn told the latter did not consider that his son was in his right mind and laid the cause of it to the medicine which George was at that time taking. Mrs. Betsy Lumbert was sworn and said that she was the mother of the defendant and that up to three years ago, when George had gone to Michigan, he was industrious and kind of particular about his personal appearance. She had noticed a change in him two years ago. He had formerly been a sensible conversationalist, but his conversation and actions suddenly became silly. He continued this way until the time that the murder was committed. James J. Dodds, of Rose, stated that he had known the defendant for eighteen years and had employed him on different occasions and always found his work satisfactory. He also remarked the change in George about the year 1890 and on one occasion the defendant told him that he believed that his parents and the doctors were putting up a job on him. Orrin B. Carpenter of Rose, was sworn and stated that he had known George for twelve years. He also noticed a change in him about two years ago. Mrs. Ida M. Lumbert stated that she was the wife of Charles H. Lumbert, a brother of the defendant, and that George came to her home about ten days before the murder and coming into the room where she and her sister, Mrs. Mary J. Hapeman, were sitting, he drew a razor and asked his sister to allow him to cut her throat with it. The witness grabbed the razor, when George asked her to cut his throat. He also drew a revolver, which the two women took away from him. He requested them to return the razor and revolver and when they asked him what he intended doing with them, he answered: “To raise hell with them.” She also stated that she had been married twice. Her first husband deserted her six years ago and she believed that he was dead. She married Charles H. Lumbert three years ago. Dr. Marcus J. Williams of Rose stated that he had examined George and did not believe that he was afflicted with the disease which his counsel claimed he had contracted. Dr. James W. Putnam of this village stated that he believed that he had treated the defendant at the Wayne county almshouse in 1888, for the disease referred to, and that his patient apparently improved while under his care. Mrs. Jane Hapeman swore that she was also the sister of the defendant and that he had one occasion asked her if the top of his head had not blown off, also if his face was not black. On another occasion he threw all of the furniture out …and her father had…claimed Lumbert was afflicted often affected his brain. The counsel read to the witness a hypothetical question, which was a review of the testimony given regarding the actions, sayings, etc, of the defendant before the night of the tragedy and of the way in which he confessed to have committed the deed, etc. He then asked the witness whether she considered such a man sane or insane. The witness replied, “Insane”. The court adjourned at 6 p.m. until nine o’clock tomorrow morning. Rochester Herald. The Daily News, Batavia, New York, Thursday Evening, February 19, 1891, provides more details: THE MURDERER A LUNATIC. Particulars of the Killing of Old Man Lumbert in Wayne County. Rose, N.Y., Feb. 19 - The murder of James William Lumbert, the farm laborer who was found dead in his door yard at Worden's Corners, near here Tuesday afternoon, has created an immense amount of excitement. Lumbert was born in Vermont and was a stone cutter by trade, but for thirty years he had lived in this town, working as a wood chopper and farm laborer. His family, beside his wife Betsy, consists of Benjamin, aged 38, of Chicago; William, aged 33; Mary, 29; Amasa, 26; and Charles, 23, all of Rose. The daughter is married, her named being Leonard. Amasa is known in the neighborhood as "George." On Sunday, it is said, a family quarrel took place and George turned his mother out of doors, she taking refuge with her son Charles, leaving the old man and George alone in the house. Tuesday afternoon Charles went to the house (this being the first time any of the family went there since Sunday) to see how George and his father were getting along. he found his father murdered and his brother missing. Yesterday, Amasa, or George, Lumbert, was arrested, charged with killing his father, and committed to jail. Blood was found on his clothing. He is partially demented and has been an inmate of an insane asylum." From the Syracuse Weekly Express, Thursday, February 26, 1891: Lyons, Feb. 25 (1891) -- Until Wednesday when George Lumbert was brought here by one of Sheriff George W. Knowles's Deputies and lodged in the county jail, few authentic details of the murder of William E. Lumbert had been learned in this village. Owing, to the out-of-the-way place in which it occurred it was many hours after the discovery of the murder before the officers of the law were notified to the crime. About one-half or three-fourths of a mile off the main road which runs from Rose Valley to Lyons stands a little weather-beaten one-story board house. The upright part of the house fronts the road. There are two rooms in it. One the south side is a little wing or shed. In this shed the cooking and housework is done. The front room of the house was occupied by the old couple as a living and sleeping room and in the room back of it George slept. There is no chimney on the house, but a length of stovepipe rises the roof of the shanty. Only a few boards remain on the fences about the house, which looked bleak and drear enough last evening. The road near which the house stands is known as the swamp road and it is all that the name implies. It would be hard to imagine a more lonely spot. At about a mile from the main road the swamp road enters a long strip of wood. About a quarter of a mile further on and near the edge of the woods stands another shanty, new and more pretentious than the Lumbert house. The Lumbert family consisted of William E. Lumbert, the father, aged seventy-two years, his wife, aged sixty-one, and George Lumbert, their son, who will be twenty-seven years old in April. Notwithstanding his advanced age, Mr. Lumbert was able to do a good day's work at chopping wood in the winter or on the farm in the summer. For the last two years George has done little or no work. His father and mother frequently upbraided him for his laziness. He became very irritable of late when spoken to about it and after quarrelling with the old folks would leave home and be gone from three days to as many weeks, no one knowing anything of his whereabouts in the meantime. Two years ago he returned home from three years' wandering in the West, the greater part of which time was spent in the pineries of Michigan, where he associated with dissolute women, who it is notorious, infest the lumber camps. While there he contracted a loathsome disease from which he has ever since suffered. This fact together with his love of whiskey perhaps made him physically unfit for work and may have impaired his mind. Some time ago he spent several months in the County House near this place. He ran away last summer and returned to his home. The keeper of the County House believes he is demented. On Monday at 11 A.M. Mrs. William E. Lumbert, widow of the murdered man, left her home and crossed the fields to the west of their home, about three-quarters of a mile, to another road, where her son Charles lives. She had left behind her at the little shanty her husband and their son George. As she had often done before, she remained overnight at her son Charles. Tuesday afternoon about 1 o'clock, having little else to do at this season of the year, Charles walked across the swamp to his parent's house to see how his father and brother were getting along. He found the house deserted. Blood was spattered all over the floor, walls and bed of the front room of the house. The bed in which the old man Lumbert slept had not been disturbed, showing that he had not slept in it Monday night. The covering of George's bed was thrown back and the bed bore appearances of having been occupied during the preceding night. Neither George nor his father was anywhere to be seen. A bloody trail led out through the back door of the house, through a fence about forty or fifty feet into a lot that adjoins the one on which the house stands. There, lying on the snow, his head covered with blood which had matted his hair so that it was frozen to the ground and icy snow, was the dead body of his father. Chunks of earth and frozen snow adhered to the hair and head was extricated with difficulty. The body was removed to the shanty, the neighbors notified and word was finally telegraphed to Coroner Yorke of Palmyra, who went to the scene of the murder, impaneled a jury, and viewing the remains, adjourned the inquest until Friday. An axe covered with blood and hair was found behind the door in the rear room of the house. On a chair near the stove in the front room of the house was found a razor covered with blood. When the Coroner's jury had viewed the body the Coroner gave permission to have it removed to the house of William, another son living near Rose Valley. Tuesday night and Wednesday search was made through the woods, swamp and barns for George Lumbert on the theory that he had killed his father and probably committed suicide. The bloody razor was thought to indicate suicide. Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock as a posse, under direction of ex-Deputy Sheriff George Jeffers of Rose Valley, returned from a search of the woods, Jeffers discovered George Lumbert walking up and down the road in front of Lumbert house. Jeffers seized Lumbert, and told him that while he had no legal papers yet, he would put him under arrest for killing his father. Lumbert coolly denied all knowledge of the death of his father. He was taken to Rose Valley, and locked up in Pimm's Hotel, under custody of a Constable. Late Wednesday Lumbert was arraigned before Justice Osgood at Rose Valley charged with murder in the first degree. He pleaded not guilty and was held for future examination. That night he was taken to the county jail. At Rose Valley, in searching George Lumbert, the dead man's son, showed three longitudinal cuts on the top of the head, nearly an inch apart, and running parallel with each other. The length of the cuts corresponds to the length of an ordinary axe blade. The cut on the right side exposes the brain. On the back of the head and running across from ear to ear is a frightful gash, which cuts the head nearly half in two and also exposes the brain. On his forehead above, and the cheek below the left eye are bruised and blackened lumps. There are no other marks or bruises anywhere and the face wore a peaceful expression. A stick of stove wood was found in the middle of the floor in the front room of the house. George Lumbert was seen at the county jail Wednesday night by an Express representative. He is of medium height, slight build and appeared sick and nervous. He said he was born near Clyde and would be twenty-seven years old next April. The greater part of his life had been spent in Rose Valley and his parents had occupied the house on the swamp road for twenty years. He told of his life in the Michigan pineries, and when asked if he had been treated at the County House for insanity replied emphatically that he had not, but that he went there to receive better medical treatment than was obtainable at home and that he went away when he believed he had improved sufficiently. He had suffered more from his ailment for the last two weeks than ever before. "When did you leave your home, Lumbert?" was asked. "Monday afternoon between 3 and 4 o'clock." "Why did you leave?" "Well, my folks were poor and had a hard time to get along, and I thought I'd go away." "Where did you propose to go?" "I thought I would go down to Pennsylvania." "When did you return to the house?" "This afternoon about 2 o'clock." "Why did you return?" "Well, I don't know. I thought I'd come back." "Was it not a little strange that you, after having stayed at home for two years, should start out for Pennsylvania when you were sicker than you had ever been before, and that you should change your mind after the first night and return home again?" "Well, maybe it was." "Have you not quarreled with your family because they asked you to go to work?" "No, not much." "Haven't they complained because you did not go to work?" "Yes, they have." "Then you never quarreled with your family?" "No, sir." "You still deny that you killed your father?" "Yes, sir.” "How do you account for the blood stains on your shirt?" "I had the nose bleed on the way to the schoolhouse near Clyde." "Whereabouts?" "I cannot tell you the exact spot." Mrs. Lumbert, the widow, was so overcome that she could do nothing last evening but sob and moan. Notwithstanding the poverty of the family, the interior of the little shanty and Mrs. Lumbert's personal appearance showed that she is a neat and thrifty housekeeper. The funeral took place yesterday afternoon from the house of William Lumbert. Burial was made in Rose Valley. Late Wednesday The Express's correspondent had another interview with Lumbert in his cell at the jail and the prisoner made the following voluntary confession: "Three or four weeks ago I quarreled with my father because he misused my mother. Our relations were anything but amicable and my father had repeatedly threatened to have me arrested if I did not leave the house. I refused to go away and we had frequent quarrels. Monday evening I sat in the room with my father. He faced the south and I the east. We had some hot words about my mother. At length he lost control of himself and came for me with his fists. I thought he was going to kill me. He struck at me several times, but I parried the blows. I did not strike back at him, but tried only to keep him away and to defend myself. Then he seized a hot stove lid from the front part of the cooking stove, but it slipped out of his hand before he could throw it at me." Here Lumbert broke down and declared this was the last time he saw his father alive. When asked if he did not kill his father his eyes flashed with the expression of a maniac, and, assuming a threatening position, he angrily said: "No, I did not kill him." He was told by the correspondent that everybody was certain that he had committed the crime, and that every circumstance pointed to him as the murderer. Being convinced of the futility of his denial, he suddenly drew himself up at full length and said very positively: "Yes, I did kill my father." He then went on with the confession and said: "I was sitting near the stove on the wood box with my head to the east when the stove lid dropped from my father's hand. I grabbed a piece of fire wood and hit him three or four times in the face. He fell to the floor. I took hold of the body and made for the door. As I dragged him out through the woodshed I seized the axe, which lay near the door, and dragging him out into the back yard, completed the crime with the axe. How many times I struck him with it I do not know, but I certainly hit him a number of blows. I then went into the house, washed my hands and went away. I stayed there about twenty minutes. I walked all night Monday and until Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock, when I struck a little brick schoolhouse where I passed the night. I then changed my mind and decided to return to Rose. I went to the house where I gave myself up." GEORGE A.J. LUMBERT. His X mark. Signed in the presence of Fred M. Kreutzer. Dated, Lyons, February 19th, 1891, at 12 o'clock noon. The Clyde Democratic Herald, Tuesday, February 16, 1892, informs of the following: ON TRIAL FOR MURDER - The Lumber Murder Case Begun at Lyons yesterday. George A. Lumbert of Rose, N.Y., was placed on trial for his life at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon in court of oyer and terminer at Lyons before Judge William H. Adams, for the murder of his father, Wm. E. Lumbert, on the night of February 16, 1891. Edgar W. Hamm, of Lyons, represents the prisoner, and District Attorney S. Nelson Sawyer the people. Lumbert appeared in court neatly attired in a new suit of clothes, furnished him by the sheriff, and looks as though his confinement of a year had agreed with him. He has the appearance of a dull, simple-minded person. He is 28 years of age. The work of empaneling a jury out of a panel of fifty extra jurors together with the regular panel of thirty-six, was at once begun. The entire extra panel was challenged by Mr. Hamm. Twenty-four jurors were sworn, out of which six qualified as follows. "James Parish, farmer, Butler; George Bridger, farmer, Sodus; Jas. Harlow, farmer, Macedon; George Swading, mason, Walworth; Philip Wadsworth, farmer, South Butler; Erastus L House, clerk, Ontario. The court then adjourned until o'clock this morning. The defense will undoubtedly be insanity, and a great deal of expert testimony will be offered on both sides. From The Weekly Gleaner, Thursday, February 25, 1892: Lumbert Found Guilty. Lyons, N.Y., Feb. 20. - The jury last night rendered a verdict in the Lumbert murder trial, finding George A. Lumbert guilty of murder in the second degree. In reply to the question asked by the clerk, Lumbert stated that he thought he was about 28 years of age, was unable to read or write, and had never received religious instructions. A follow up story in the Weekly News and Democrat, March 2, 1892: Lumbert Arrives - The Lyons Murderer Comes to Auburn to Stay. George A. Lumbert was received at the prison Thursday to serve a life sentence having been convicted of murder in the second degree. Lumbert is from Wayne County and the crime for which he was sentenced was the killing of his father, a man 75 years old, in the town of Rose, Feb. 16th, 1891. The case was tried at Lyons and was one of the most interesting in the history of the county. Previous to the trial Lumbert made two confessions to newspaper men, in one of which he said that his step-sister urged him to kill his father. The defense on the trial was insanity. It was brought out during testimony that Lumbert and his father were alone in the kitchen of their home. The father was busy about the stove when he was suddenly struck in the head by his son with a piece of kindling wood. The old man ran out doors and the son followed him, picking up a broom as he ran. With that he struck the old man and knocked him down and continued beating him until he was unconscious. Not content with this the fiend went to the woodshed and got an axe and crushed the old man’s skull. The son had become smeared with blood and washing his hands he started away from the scene of the crime. He did not go far and the next day he returned to Rose and gave himself up. Sheriff Thornton who brought Lumbert to prison this morning says that Lumbert has been an easy man to manage and has given no trouble at all. It was reported that George died the following year in prison. This news was from the Buffalo Evening News, Thursday, September 28, 1893: Lyons- George A. Lumbert who murdered his father, James William Lumbert, near Rose Valley February 17, 1891, and after trial was sentenced to Auburn prison for life, died there yesterday. He escaped being electrocuted though a please of insanity. However, the following day, The Auburn Bulletin (Fri., Sept 29, 1893), set the record straight: LUMBERT ISN'T DEAD. A False Report About a Wayne County Murderer. George A. Lumbert, a convict at the prison who is serving a life sentence for the murder of his father near the village of Rose, Wayne county, was reported dead by relatives in that vicinity. Lumbert is about work as usual this morning. Lumbert is not even an inmate of the hospital and is in good health. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle yesterday printed the following from a Lyons correspondent: "Charles H. Lumbert, of Rose, has received information from the prison authorities at Auburn, that his brother, George A. Lumbert, who was serving out a life sentence for the murder of his father, William Lumbert, had died in that institution. It will be remembered that on February 18, 1891, William Lumbert, an old man over 70 years of age, living on a by road three miles west of the hamlet of Rose Valley was found murdered, lying in an orchard a few rods distant from his home, his head being cut open with an axe. The discovery was made by Charles H. Lumbert, a son of the murdered man about four hours after the terrible deed had been committed. The house in which Mr. Lumbert and his son, George A. resided was a mere hovel with only two rooms in it. The principal room in the house was found besmeared with blood, the furniture broken to pieces and all surroundings showed that the murdered man had made a desperate fight for life. On a shelf in the room was found a razor covered with blood and in the woodshed was found an ax covered with blood and hair. The old man lived with his wife and son, George A. Lumbert. The former was away at the time, and the son was suspected as the guilty party. An organized body of armed men began to scour the country for the purpose of securing the murderer. In the afternoon of that day John L. Lyman, a constable of the town of Rose, met the son on his premises talking in an incoherent manner and walking aimlessly around, his clothing bespattered with blood. Lumbert alleged that he had been killing chickens. Lyman arrested him. A (coroner's inquest was held over the remains of the father Rose and the son was held for the murder. He was taken before the next grand jury and although he pleaded not guilty, was indicted. At the term of circuit court and court of oyer and terminer which convened in Lyons February 17, 1892, Lumbert was placed on trial; was convicted of murder in the second degree and sentenced to Auburn prison for life. This trial cost the county of Wayne over $3,000. On Wednesday, February 24, Lumbert was taken to Auburn and nothing was heard of him again until the news reached this village yesterday that he had died in prison." No other mention or record of George Lumbert's death has been found, however. The Auburn Prison records indicate he was "transferred to the asylum", with no further notes. Charles Leonard died on November 23, 1908 and Luella remarried to Benjamin Wilson in April of 1910. She died on February 4, 1912, predeceasing her 88-year old mother by 44 days. The Groton and Lansing Journal, March 20, 1912, announced Betsey Lumbert's death: Betsey Lumbert Dead. The death of Mrs. Betsey Lumbert, aged about 88 years, occurred at the home of her son, Charles Lumbert, of this place on Friday, and the funeral was held from the residence at 2 o'clock on Monday. She leaves two sons, one of Groton and one of Auburn, and one daughter of North Wolcott. The "daughter of North Wolcott" mentioned in her obituary was Mary Jane (Lumbert) Sebring Hapeman, who lived from 1867 to 1922. Betsey is buried in Groton Rural Cemetery, in the same section where Charles Leonard and Luella are also buried (Section N Lot 62). According to her Findagrave memorial, she was born Feb. 14, 1824. More info: Rose, New York (Wikipedia) Landmarks of Wayne County Charles Leonard Leonard Genealogy Wayne County Resources New York Resources #charlesrussellleonard #leonard #knapp #lumbert #murder

The History and Antiquities of New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, published in 1842, and written by John Warner Barber, offers a glimpse into the rich past of the northeast including: Discoveries and settlements Indian History Indian, French and Revolutionary Wars Religious History Biographical Sketches Anecdotes, traditions, remarkable and unaccountable occurrences with a great variety of curious and interesting relics of antiquity Biographical Sketches begin on page 575: (Alternate link) CLICK HERE FOR MORE FREE GENEALOGY RESOURCES #newengland #NewYork #newjersey #NewJersey #pennsylvania #rhodeisland #Massachusetts #biographies #genealogy #familyhistory #resources

If a 19th century genealogist saw the advantages we have today, they would be astonished and probably more than a little envious of the technology we enjoy today. For a genealogy addict like me, it has been so exciting to see the resurfacing of millions of old records that have been stored away in files and book cases for years. We can now even find and read rare limited edition books without leaving home! For example, The Abridged Compendium of American Genealogy is a book I sought back in 2004. I was not aware of any sites that made it freely available for viewing, so I ended up having to buy a copy for $56 - a bargain considerable the sheer amount of valuable information it supplies, but a hefty price for the small piece of information I needed out of it. You will be glad to hear you can now read it online for free, thanks to HathiTrust Digital Library and the University of Michigan. Click here to access the book on HathiTrust.org. Source: Virkus, F. Adams. (1925). The abridged compendium of American genealogy: first families of America; a genealogical encyclopedia of the United States. Chicago: A.N. Marquis & company. Click here for more great places to find free genealogy resources! #resources #genealogy #familyhistory #American

Hundreds of biographies and dozens of portraits of prominent people from Plymouth County can be found in the Biographical Review Volume XVIII Containing Life Sketches of Leading Citizens of Plymouth County, Massachusetts by Biographical Review Publishing Co., 1897. View the index here and the rest of the book here, free! Scroll on the book page or click the title link for more options. More volumes of Biographical Review can be found here. Click here to see more Massachusetts resources. #Massachusetts #Plymouth #newengland #resources #genealogy #history

Biographical Review volumes and links for free online reading: Volume 1 - Otsego County, New York - (Not found. Click here for more Otsego County resources) Volume 2 - Madison County, New York - Click here Volume 3 - Broome County, New York - Part 1 Click here - Part 2 Click here Volume 4 - Columbia County, New York - (Not found. Click here for more Columbia County resources) Volume 5 - Cayuga County, New York -Part 1 Click here - Part 2 Click here Volume 6 - Delaware County, New York - Click here Volume 7 - Livingston and Wyoming Counties in New York - Click here Volume 8 - Clinton and Essex Counties in New York - Click here Volume 9 - Hampden County, Massachusetts - (Not found. Click here for more Hampden County resources) Volume 10 - Franklin County, Massachusetts - Click here Volume 11 - Hampshire County, Massachusetts - Click here Volume 12 - Litchfield County, Connecticut - Click here Volume 13 - York County, Maine - (Not found. Click here for more York County resources) Volume 14 - Cumberland County, Maine - Click here Volume 15 - Oxford and Franklin Counties in Maine - Click here Volume 16 - Cumberland County, New Jersey - Click here Volume 17 - Rockingham County, New Hampshire - Click here Volume 18 - Plymouth County, Massachusetts - Click here Volume 19 - Camden and Burlington Counties in New Jersey - Click here Volume 20 - Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, and Waldo Counties in Maine - (Not found. See Maine resources here) Volume 21 - Strafford and Belknap Counties in New Hampshire - Click here Volume 22 - Sullivan and Merrimack Counties in New Hampshire - Click here Volume 23 - Cheshire and Hillsboro Counties in New Hampshire - Click here Volume 24 - Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (and the vicinity) - Click here Volume 25 - Norfolk County, Massachusetts - Click here Volume 26 - New London County, Connecticut - Click here Volume 27 - Middlesex County, Massachusetts - Click here Volume 28 - Essex County, Massachusetts - Click here Volume 29 - Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, and Arostook Counties in Maine - Click here Volume 30 - Worcester County, Massachusetts - Click here Volume 31 - Berkshire County, Massachusetts - (Not found. See more Berkshire County resources here) Volume 32 - Somerset and Bedford Counties in Pennsylvania - (Not found. See more Pennsylvania resources here) Volume 33 - Schenectady, Schoharie and Greene Counties in New York - Click here Click here for more free genealogy resources! #NewYork #Maine #NewJersey #todo #Massachusetts #Connecticut #pennsylvania #newengland

Volume 18 of the Pennsylvania Archives gives valuable information about Dutch Records of New Netherlands. Some of the subjects include: Translation of Dutch Records of New Netherlands, now State of New York (p. 279) Deed to the Duke of York (p. 297) The New York Indian Deed of 1726 (p. 301) The Action of the Connecticut Assembly, 1683 (p. 303) The New York Indian Deed of 1675 (p. 306) Articles of Surrender to the English (p. 308) Articles of Agreement between New York and Connecticut (p. 312) Approval of the Treaty of Hartford (p. 317) Patent for the West India Company (p. 319) You might also be interested in: Pennsylvania Archives Books Online Pennsylvania Archives Records Online More Pennsylvania Resources All Genealogy Resources #Dutch #dutchsettlement #resources #newnetherlands #newyork

Michigan Historical Collections were published by the Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan from 1877 through 1915. Each volume contains an average of 500 pages of historical, political, economical, and biological facts about the early settlers to Michigan Territory. Index to Volumes 1-15 [LINK] Index to Volumes 16-30 [LINK] Indexes for Volumes 31-39 are in each volume. Note: Each link below takes you directly to the index for the corresponding volume: Volume 1 [LINK] 1877 Volume 2 [LINK] 1880 Volume 3 [LINK] 1881 Volume 4 [LINK] 1883 Volume 5 [LINK] 1884 Volume 6 [LINK] 1884 Volume 7 [LINK] 1886 Volume 8 [LINK] 1886 Volume 9 [LINK] ed. 2, 1908 Volume 10 [LINK] 1888 Volume 11 [LINK] 1888 Volume 12 [LINK] 1908 Volume 13 [LINK] 1889 Volume 14 [LINK] ed. 2, 1908 Volume 15 [LINK] 1890 Volume 16 [LINK] 1890 Volume 17 [LINK] 1892 Volume 18 [LINK] 1892 Volume 19 [LINK] 1892 Volume 20 [LINK] 1892 Volume 21 [LINK] ed. 2, 1912-1913 Volume 22 [LINK] 1894 Volume 23 [LINK] 1895 Volume 24 [LINK] 1895 Volume 25 [LINK] 1896 Volume 26 [LINK] 1896 Volume 27 [LINK] 1897 Volume 28 [LINK] 1900 Volume 29 [LINK] 1901 Volume 30 [LINK] 1906 Volume 31 [LINK] 1902 Volume 32 [LINK] 1903 Volume 33 [LINK] 1904 Volume 34 [LINK] 1905 Volume 35 [LINK] 1906-1907 Volume 36 [LINK] 1908 Volume 37 [LINK] 1909-1910 Volume 38 [LINK] 1912 Volume 39 [LINK] 1915 Click here for more Michigan genealogy resources! Click here for 20,000+ more Genealogy Resources! #Michigan #pioneers #American #volumes #genealogy #history

The Annual Register of the State of New York is an excellent resource for people researching ancestors who lived in New York. In this edition, published in 1831, nearly everything you need to know about the State of New York can be found. Among these old pages, you'll find New York's Congressional Districts, Census demographics, names of clergymen by location, practicing physicians and surgeons, government officials, judges, military personnel, vessels of war, West Point cadets, United States Governors, coins minted, rates of duties and imports, medical institutions, table of roads, newspapers, and much more. It even includes "Lines of the Packet Boats on the Erie Canal". It is interesting to note that a trip from Rochester to Buffalo, 93 miles, took 24 hours in a packet boat on the Erie Canal. Perhaps this little tidbit relates to my long lost ancestor, Charles Russell Leonard. Did he travel on one of these packet boats when he went missing? On page 327, we find that the National Debt of the country in 1831 was 39.1 million dollars or an average of $4.50 per person. On page 333, an informative table shows the population of each state along with the number of slaves. There were a total of 37 slaves in all of New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island & Connecticut) and 100 in New York. In the entire country, there were 2,011,320 slaves, 339,360 free colored persons, and almost 10.5 million whites. On page 334, a list of all the Native American tribes in the U.S. is given, along with their location, population, and acres of land. There were 69 tribes, with 129,266 members, and they owned 77.4 million acres of land. That's an average of 599 acres per person. This time line of the principle events that occurred in New York from 1609 to 1814 might prove helpful in your genealogy hunt. [Source] Click here for more genealogy resources! #NewYork #history #chronological #resources #almanac

Lee St. Margaret is an ancient parish in the union of Lewisham, 8.5 miles southeast of London. ​Marriages, Christening and Burials in the Church of St. Margaret, Lee, County of Kent, from 1579 to 1754, by Duncan and Barron, 1888. Lee St Margaret on Google Maps (Alternate link) Click here for more genealogy resources. #Kent #KentCounty #unitedkingdom #England #england #foreign

New York did not establish policies for reporting vital records until 1881. Uncertified copies of death records can easily be obtained for genealogical purposes for birth certificates that have been on file at least 75 years, and marriage or death certificates that have been on file for 50 years. These time periods can be waved for direct descendants (a child, grandchild, great-grandchild, etc.) of the person, if you can provide proof of relationship. The State of New York has released their death index books, which they began printing in 1881. These books can help find or confirm the date and place of death, as well as the file number, for deaths that occurred after 1880. If you'd like to order a copy of the record, visit health.ny.gov/vital_records/genealogy.htm for details. Save money by knowing the date, which you may be able to find in one of the death index books below. Please note, however, while there are more than 5 million names in this collection, some municipalities were not included and some for only certain years. If you don't find the record, you may need to pay for a search at the state archives. Death Index (Select a year) 1880 New York State Death Index (Link) 1881 New York State Death Index (Link) 1882 New York State Death Index (Link) 1883 New York State Death Index (Link) 1884 New York State Death Index (Link) 1885 New York State Death Index (Link) 1886 New York State Death Index (Link) 1887 New York State Death Index (Link) 1888 New York State Death Index (Link) 1889 New York State Death Index (Link) 1890 New York State Death Index (Link) 1891 New York State Death Index (Link) 1892 New York State Death Index (Link) 1893 New York State Death Index (Link) 1894 New York State Death Index (Link) 1895 New York State Death Index (Link) 1896 New York State Death Index (Link) 1897 New York State Death Index (Link) 1898 New York State Death Index (Link) 1899 New York State Death Index (Link) 1900 New York State Death Index (Link) 1901 New York State Death Index (Link) 1902 New York State Death Index (Link) 1903 New York State Death Index (Link) 1904 New York State Death Index (Link) 1905 New York State Death Index (Link) 1906 New York State Death Index (Link) 1907 New York State Death Index (Link) 1908 New York State Death Index (Link) 1909 New York State Death Index (Link) 1910 New York State Death Index (Link) 1911 New York State Death Index (Link) 1912 New York State Death Index (Link) 1913 New York State Death Index (Link) 1914 New York State Death Index (Link) 1915 New York State Death Index (Link) 1916 New York State Death Index (Link) 1917 New York State Death Index (Link) 1918 New York State Death Index (Link) 1919 New York State Death Index (Link) 1920 New York State Death Index (Link) 1921 New York State Death Index (Link) 1922 New York State Death Index (Link) 1923 New York State Death Index (Link) 1924 New York State Death Index (Link) 1925 New York State Death Index (Link) 1926 New York State Death Index (Link) 1927 New York State Death Index (Link) 1928 New York State Death Index (Link) 1929 New York State Death Index (Link) 1930 New York State Death Index (Link) 1931 New York State Death Index (Link) 1932 New York State Death Index (Link) 1933 New York State Death Index (Link) 1934 New York State Death Index (Link) 1935 New York State Death Index (Link) 1936 New York State Death Index (Link) 1937 New York State Death Index (Link) 1938 New York State Death Index (Link) 1939 New York State Death Index (Link) 1940 New York State Death Index (Link) 1941 New York State Death Index (Link) 1942 New York State Death Index (Link) 1943 New York State Death Index (Link) 1944 New York State Death Index (Link) 1945 New York State Death Index (Link) 1946 New York State Death Index (Link) 1947 New York State Death Index (Link) 1948 New York State Death Index (Link) 1949 New York State Death Index (Link) 1950 New York State Death Index (Link) 1951 New York State Death Index (Link) 1952 New York State Death Index (Link) 1953 New York State Death Index (Link) 1954 New York State Death Index (Link) 1955 New York State Death Index (Link) 1956 New York State Death Index (Link) (Subsequent years are being released annually). Click here for more New York genealogy resources! #NewYork #deathrecords #links #vitalrecords #deathindex

In his historic Inaugural Address of January 20, 1961, President John F. Kennedy made the famous and wise quote, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." Scroll down to read the entire speech or watch the video here: Norman Rockwell, captured the scene in his painting "A Time for Greatness". You can find a copy on Amazon. We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom — symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning — signifying renewal, as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three quarters ago. The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe — the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God. We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans — born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage — and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge — and more. To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do — for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder. To those new States whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom — and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside. To those peoples in the huts and villages across the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required — not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge — to convert our good words into good deeds — in a new alliance for progress — to assist free men and free governments in casting off the chains of poverty. But this peaceful revolution of hope cannot become the prey of hostile powers. Let all our neighbors know that we shall join with them to oppose aggression or subversion anywhere in the Americas. And let every other power know that this Hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house. To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace, we renew our pledge of support — to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective — to strengthen its shield of the new and the weak — and to enlarge the area in which its writ may run. Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction. We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed. But neither can two great and powerful groups of nations take comfort from our present course — both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind's final war. So let us begin anew — remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us. Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms — and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations. Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce. Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah — to "undo the heavy burdens -. and to let the oppressed go free." And if a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion, let both sides join in creating a new endeavor, not a new balance of power, but a new world of law, where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved. All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin. In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than in mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty. The graves of young Americans who answered the call to service surround the globe. Now the trumpet summons us again — not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are — but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation" — a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself. Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort? In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shank from this responsibility — I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it — and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own. Click here to view my Gallery of Presidents. Click here for more nostalgic and commemorative history in art. #kennedy #president #patriotic #historicspeech #gallery #America #American #citizenship #civicduty #communityservice #meme

In his speech of September 22, 1880, General Garfield stated the following to the President and others: "To have known some of the men who are named here was a liberal education in itself. To have known Phil Sheridan's horse yonder, was to make a great acquaintance, of large inspiration, but to have known Phil on his horse, was to have an epitome from the glory of war, and the sublimity of victory." (Source: James A. Garfield. His Speeches at Home. 1880, by Carpenter, C.S.). In the book, "History of St. Clair County, Michigan", the following mention of the same horse is made: From this source we learn that Sheridan's famous horse once belonged to Russell Leonard of Burtchville, St. Clair County, Michigan. Click here to read this book for free at Archive.org. Click here to learn about my Leonard family. There are dozens of books about Phil Sheridan and his horse. Click here to see some! See also, the statue dedicated in the dynamic duo's honor, located in East Capitol Park, Albany: #russellleonard #leonard #horse #civilwar

This massive collection of historic photos of New York City can easily consume hours of your time. Not only can you browse through hundreds of thousands of old photos and documents in the archives, you can now search for a specific address and then search to find old photos of that location! Here's how: To locate an exact address, first you'll need to find the Block and Lot of the location you wish to search. Do this by going to http://maps.nyc.gov/doitt/nycitymap/ From there, enter the address or locate the location on the map. Once you locate the property on the NYCityMap, click on the lot you are looking for. A window will pop up showing the Block and Lot numbers. An example is shown here: Next, go to http://nycma.lunaimaging.com/luna/servlet/allCollections Use the format shown here to enter both the Block and the Lot number: For example: block=34 AND lot=1 (Replace the numbers with the ones you found in the first step) You could also try entering the name of the street in quotes. With a little tinkering, I was able to locate the address my great-grandfather, Percy Daniels, gave on ship manifests in 1907. He was a sailor and when he was at port, he resided at 27 South Street, facing the waterfront at South Street Seaport. I also tried to find photographs of South Street by using their Category page. I used my browser's page-search feature (press and hold Ctrl and press F) to search the page for "South Street". This allowed me to find other photos of the area. One of them shows the building next door to where Percy stayed. In the bachelor stage of his life, I can imagine his appreciation for such places as the "Seamen's Bar and Grill". (You can learn more about Percy's life here!) Click here for more New York historical and genealogical resources! #PercyDaniels #NewYorkCity #NewYork #photographs #historic #photos #resources

While researching the ancestors of my 4th great-grandmother, Sophronia Burrill, I found an entry in the Boston Transcript's Genealogical Column, in the June 19, 1911 edition. It pertains to Sophronia's paternal grandmother, Mary Eaton's line. She was born in Killingly, Windham, Connecticut, on July 28, 1748. Mary's 3rd great-grandfather was Jonas Eaton. The lineage is as follows: Sophronia Burrill > Joshua Burrill > Mary (Eaton) Burrill > Joshua Eaton > Corp. Jonas Eaton > John Eaton > Jonas Eaton. A source I had found previously claimed Jonas Eaton's father was William Eaton, which is why I was interested in this find, however, it caused me to question this claim, and rightly so. According to this source, William Eaton was born at Staple in Kent County, England, about 1605, and married in 1629 to Martha Jenkins. They came to America, settling at Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1637 and in 1658 they moved to Reading (called Lynn Village until 1644), documented by "a sale from Richard Russell". William died on May 13, 1673, and Martha died Nov. 14, 1680. William & Martha's children, according to this source, were: John Eaton (1635-1691), married Elizabeth Kendall, daughter of Thomas Kendall, in 1658. Daniel Eaton, born in 1638, married and may have had a daughter who married Ebenezer Bancroft. Martha Eaton, born 1630, married 1st to Thomas Brown of Cambridge, and 2nd to Francis Moore. Abigail Eaton, born in 1631, possibly. Mary Eaton, born in 1643, married Rev. Richard Dodge in 1668. This raised an eyebrow because the source didn't list Jonas Eaton as one of their children. I had to backtrack to see what made me believe Jonas's father was William. It was the book "History, genealogical and biographical, of the Eaton families", by Nellie Zada Rice Molyneux, 1911, which had given William's genealogy on page 243 (Link) and Jonas was listed as his fourth child on page 244, as follows: No further information about Jonas is offered in Molyneux's work. New England Marriages Prior to 1700, states the following on p. 241: "EATON, Jonas (1618-1673/4) & Grace ___, m/2 Henry SILSBEE 1680; b 1643(4?); Watertown/Reading" At this point I realized if William was born about 1605 and Jonas was born in 1618, they were probably too close in age to be father and son. Digging deeper I discovered several valuable clues on Ancestry.com, shared by Gina Mikel, to whom I am thankful for shedding some light on the story. According to her findings, Jonas was NOT a son of William but a brother. According to the New England Families Genealogical and Memorial: Third Series, Volume IV, p. 2095, Jonas's biography is as follows: "(I) Jonas Eaton was son of Peter Eaton. He first settled with his brother in Watertown, and bought land there in 1643. He and his brother William were among the first settlers of Reading, Massachusetts. Jonas and his wife Grace were admitted to the church in Reading, September 29, 1648, or earlier, he was admitted a freeman in 1653, and was selectman of Reading for several years. His house and farm were on Cowdrey's Hill, in the northwest part of the town, now within the limits of Wakefield, where he died February 24, 1674. His widow married, November 18, 1680, Henry Silsbee, of Lynn. The will of Jonas Eaton was proved April 7, 1674; bequeathed to wife Grace; sons, John, James, Joshua, Jonathan, and daughter Mary. Children: Mary, born February 8, 1643-44, died 1731; John, mentioned below; Jonas, born and died September 24, 1648; Sarah, born 1650; Joseph, January 5, 1651; Joshua, December 4, 1653; Jonathan, December 6, 1655; David, September 22, 1657, died October 7, following." Although Jonas was said to have been William's brother, a list published in the New England Historical & Genealogical Register, titled "Two Early Passenger Lists 1635-1637", lists Jonas Eaton as a servant of William Eaton. In 1637, Jonas would have been about 15 years old and William would have been between about 32 years old. Perhaps he made a deal with his brother, agreeing to bring him to America in exchange for work? The list was made from the records of Sandwich, Kent, yearbooks C and D. The names were entered on 9 Jun 1637 but the sailing date and name of the ship are omitted from the record. Following are three pages from the Register: (William's group is #12) According to the NEHGR Vol 15, p. 29 the name of the ship was the "Hercules of Sandwich". A work containing the passenger list for the ship's earlier voyage of March 4, 1634, contains another part - a list of "persons who have taken passage from the town and port of Sandwich for the American Plantations since the last certificate of such passengers returned into the office of Dover Castle." It was dated June 9, 1637. The only Eaton group on the list is given as follows: Tour Staple in Kent, England, here! While DNA is said to have proven that William and Jonas were either brothers or cousins, I have yet to find evidence of Jonas's birth, proving who his father was. In my next post, I will share the few possible matches I found in U.K. records on Ancestry.com. Find genealogy resources for Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts, here. Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. #eaton #jonaseaton #willeaton #leonard #burrill

Jonas Eaton was my 10th great-grandfather and immigrant ancestor who came from Dover, Kent, England, in 1637. In my previous post, I explained how I discovered an error in one Eaton genealogy, which stated that Jonas was a brother of William Eaton. Why I didn't check WikiTree before digging, I just don't know. There the answer had been all along and Jonas is included among the immigrants in the Puritan Great Migration Project. and the facts are well documented, including a copy of his will. Click here to see his profile on Wikitree. The book The Granberry family and allied families : including the ancestry of Helen (Woodward) Granberry, by Donald L. Jacobus, 1945, provides a wealth of information about Jonas Eaton, as follows: This source also includes information about Grace's second husband, Henry Silsbee, as follows: In an attempt to find solid evidence of his birth and parentage, I searched Ancestry (World) and found only one record of Jonas Eaton, a son of John Eaton. He was baptized August 15, 1619 in Northbourne, Kent County, England, just 5-6 miles from Staple, where William Eaton lived, and 6.5 miles from Dover, where Jonas was said to have been born, according to collaborators on Wikitree. According to the parish records, John Eaton had another son named Matthew who was buried at Northbourne on September 22, 1619, when his other son, Jonas, would have been just a baby. I found no record of William Eaton as a son of John Eaton, in the collection. [The Tyler Collection, The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies; Kent, England, Tyler Index to Parish Registers, 1538-1874]. I found a record of William Eaton, baptized Sept. 26, 1607, at the Saint Mary the Virgin, Dover, Kent, England. He was a son of Peter Eaton, according to the record. [England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975]. I was unable to find any potential matches other than this baptism record. I found one possible match on FindMyPast.com in their Births & Baptisms dataset but this, too, only included the baptismal record. Therefore, I am unable to confirm whether or not this is my ancestor, Jonas Eaton, at this time. Although the record says the father's name was John, perhaps but there is a change his name was John Peter Eaton or Peter John Eaton. If anyone can help provide some documentation to solve this mystery, please comment below or contact me. The old parish church at Northbourne can be seen here: Stay tuned for updates! Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. Click here to learn more about Jonas Eaton. #eaton #jonaseaton #willeaton #leonard #burrill

It's hard to believe how much life in America has changed in the past 220 years. I wonder what the people living in 1800 would think if they could have peeked into our world today. Surely they would have been amazed and perhaps terrified of all the unfamiliar technology. For our ancestors, however, the future lived only in their imaginations and in their hopes and dreams. They say hindsight is 20/20 but most genealogists would disagree. Looking back at our ancestors' daily lives, the view is rarely crystal clear. It's often dense with fog and darkness. Journals and diaries (like the one passed down from Emma Dickinson, my great-grandfather's sister) offer some insight, but so many of the old ways are almost completely forgotten today. This short 1969 gem of a film shown below, titled "Had You Lived Then...America Around 1800" gives us a fairly in depth look into everyday life in the 17th, 18th and 19th early century. See how they lived without running water, heat, electricity or alarm clocks. Watch how women made their own soap and butter. They also spent their days making bread, candles, and fabric. Children wrote on slate boards in one room schoolhouses. They learned words, morals, manners, history and arithmetic. Rather than being absorbed by video games, boys spent their free time hanging out at the blacksmith shop, an essential business in those days. Girls helped their mothers at home. My favorite part of films like this is the tiny tidbits that enhance our view of the past. For example, we've all heard of stagecoaches. Surely, most of our ancestors have traveled on one at least once in their lives. It was the only method of public land transportation before the railroad was built. A trip from New York to Boston took 46 hours by stagecoach, stopping two nights for rest. In this film, the narrator describes the experience: "Traveling was not easy in those days. The stage coaches were small. Three narrow benches held nine cramped passengers. Long trips were especially uncomfortable. Also, most coaches started early in the morning - very early, sometimes at 5 or even at 3 or 2 o'clock and you didn't dare be late because if you were, the coach left without you." Unsurprisingly, the film appears to have been recorded in "Upstate" New York, where the winds of change have been blowing at a slower pace than other regions. In fact, today many of the old rural towns look much like they did 200 years ago. In some places, horses and buggies can still be seen trotting along the roads as if straight out of the past. To learn more about what was happening during the lives of your ancestors, check out my Timeline of Events & Inventions. You might also be interested in my Genealogy Dashboard. #history #genealogy #video #america

Years ago, I acquired a copy of Frederick Verkus's Abridged Compendium of American Genealogy, which contains thousands of genealogies, undoubtedly a very valuable tool for historians and genealogists. In the index, thousands of names are found. I pulled out my copy recently, to see what I could find out about the Dudley family in an effort to trace the origins of my Grandpa Reese's 8th great-grandfather, Francis Dudley. Francis was born in England in 1640 and arrived in New England in 1665. He married Sarah Wheeler and they lived in Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. In this post, I will share information about the Dudley family from this source. Dudley is found in the index of the Compendium, with 18 different Dudley men, named as follows: Following are the pages containing these Dudley entries in the book, for those researching the Dudley family. Feel free to download or print it for future reference. Ambrose Dudley, Ambrose Simeon Dudley, Benjamin William Dudley, Daniel Dudley, Edward Dudley, Ethelbert Ludlow Dudley, James Dudley, Joseph Dudley, Richard Dudley, Robert Dudley, Roger Dudley, Roy Dudley, Samuel Dudley, Stephen Dudley, Thomas Dudley, Thomas Underwood Dudley, William Dudley, and William Ambrose Dudley are named. As you can see, there are many entries for Thomas Dudley. Thomas had come to New England on the Arabella with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630, and was involved with the formation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, working closely with John Winthrop. Thomas served as governor, deputy governor, and other high ranking positions in the service of the Colony until his death in 1653. According to Dudley Genealogies, by Dean Dudley, 1848, Thomas is said to have been a relative of Francis, which may or may not be true. Thomas did have a brother born in 1583 who was named Francis, indicating the name Francis was in his family, but Thomas had left England long before my ancestor Francis was born and he died two years before Francis arrived in New England. You can learn more about Gov. Thomas Dudley on Wikipedia here and see some of Thomas Dudley's genealogy on Wikitree here. Note: Wikitree reports he had a brother named Francis who was born in 1583. Stay tuned for more as I continue to attempt to trace Francis's roots. If you have any information to contribute, please contact me privately or use the public comments section below.

One of my favorite shows to watch is Timeline World History Documentaries on YouTube. I've binge watched for hours as Tony Robinson and his team visit historical sites, mostly in the United Kingdom, and tell the stories of the people who lived there. From their discussions and research, we can often learn interesting details we might not find elsewhere. In this episode, Time Team visits the buried homestead of the Grey family and recreates the estate digitally, based on their archaeological findings. One of the many treats in this episode is their digital recreation of the homestead, shown here. Tony explains that this is what the homestead looked like until the end of the 14th century, when they decided it was time to upgrade. Watch the full episode, The Buried Homestead Of The Grey Dynasty here via YouTube [Alternate link] Lady Jane Grey married Lord Guildford Dudley, son of John Dudley. See my previous post, The Dudley Castle and other Dudley legends, for more information on the Dudley family. Tip: Search YouTube for videos of the places your ancestors lived! You never know what you might find! If you don't know where they lived, check out the Domesday Book and try a search for your family names. Stay tuned for more genealogy tips and resources! #grey #groby #england #video

William Bradford's writings have been the primary source for Mayflower history since the ship's landing in 1620, but information omitted by Bradford has subsequently been published, elaborating on the history of our Pilgrim Fathers and other "first-comers" to New England. This book, for example, contains information about where the Pilgrims came from, their occupations, and some genealogical information. Furthermore, it includes information about three ships that arrived after the Mayflower - the Fortune, the Anne, and the Little James. It was originally published in 1929 and this copy, shown here courtesy of Archive.org, was published in 1962: "The English ancestry and homes of the Pilgrim Fathers who came to Plymouth on the "Mayflower" in 1620, the "Fortune" in 1621, and the "Anne" and the "Little James" in 1623, by Banks, Charles Edward, 1854-1931, [Alternate Link] See my previous posts, "The Great Migration" and "Timeline of American Immigration" for more information on early immigration to America and Colonial times. You might also be interested in The Winthrop Fleet. Click here for my interactive Mayflower database, complete with illustrations. Click here for more Mayflower resources. Click here for my Genealogy Dashboard featuring access to thousands of other free genealogy resources. Subscribe for updates and new resources! It's free! #mayflower #colonial #newengland #immigration #pilgrims #genealogy

While researching the McGinnis family of Cortland County, New York, the name Turner is frequently seen. It can be very confusing, which is the reason I'm taking the time to summarize a few things for any fellow family researchers. First, we know that William and Catherine (Smith) McGinnis had a daughter named Catherine McGinnis (1874-1923), also known as "Rene". She married Fred Turner (1869-1927), son of Dewitt C. Turner and Louisa (Underwood) Turner (1849-1923), of Groton. Rene and Fred Turner had at least two children: Maurice Dewitt Turner (1898-1948), who married Ada Cooper (1892-1986) in 1917 and had a daughter named Eloise who married Gordon W. Sheldon in 1940. She was living in Florida abt. 1950. Hazel Turner (1896-1971) who married Homer Reynolds (1892-1984) in 1916, and had children: Robert and Gertrude Reynolds. Homer and Hazel lived in Summerhill. There is another connection between the McGinnis and Turners, however. One of William and Catherine McGinnis's sons, Charles McGinnis (1872-1934) also married a child of Dewitt & Louisa Turner. He married Anna Mae Turner (1876-1955) and had two daughters, Eleanor and Catherine McGinnis. Dewitt and Louisa Turner also had a daughter named Bertha Frances Turner (1885-1954), who married Arthur William Lanpher in 1909. They had four known children: (Daughter) Lanpher born 1911. (See Cortland Standard, Nov. 2, 1911, transcription below). Lawrence Lanpher, who was born in 1915 and died the same year. Ruth Leone Lanpher, born 1917 and died 1995, married Hatfield. Clair William Lanpher (1919-2013). Related news items found: FREETOWN. Mrs. A. W. Lanpher is at East Freetown caring for her sister, Mrs. Chas. McGinnis and infant daughter. [Cortland Standard, Nov. 2, 1911]. MCGRAWVILLE. Dec. 12 - Mrs. Louisa Turner, widow of Dewitt Turner, died Saturday, Dec. 8 at the Cortland Hospital, where she has been cared for several weeks. Her age was 74 years. The remains were brought to the home of her daughter, Mrs. Charles McGinnis, where funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon. Burial was in McGrawville Cemetery. Mrs. Turner leaves four children, Mrs. McGinnis, Mrs. Arthur Lanpher, Fred and Frank Turner, and 6 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. [Cortland Standard, Dec. 14,1923]. The Turner View The McGinnis View See more: William McGinnis Catherine Smith Mary Ellen McGinnis Rose Hollenbeck #mcginnis #hollenbeck #williammcginnis

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

Margaret McGinnis, also known as "Maggie" was the sister of my 2nd great grandmother, making her my second great grand aunt. She was born in June of 1867 and when the census was taken in 1870 and 1880, she was counted in Cincinnatus, in the home of her parents, William McGinnis and Catherine (Smith) McGinnis, as follows: The only personal knowledge I have of Margaret is what was printed in the local newspaper. The earliest mention found was in 1886, when she was attending the Normal School at Cortland while her older sister, Mary McGinnis, was teaching in Texas Valley. Mary was my 2nd great-grandmother. Around 1891, Margaret married Adelbert, better known as "Dell" J. Underwood or "D. J. Underwood". He was born in June of 1868 (or 1869) in Freetown (Cortland County, New York), a son of Joseph and Mary J. (Grant) Underwood. The following year, in 1892, Dell and Maggie were living in Freetown with or near his mother's family: In 1900, when the census was taken, they were counted in McGraw, still with no children. He was working as a blacksmith, making carriages and she was working as a corset maker. In 1910, when the census was taken, Maggie was still living with her husband of 19 years, in McGraw. They were about 42 years old at the time and report having no children. He was self-employed as a carpenter and she worked as a "Trimmer" at a "Corset Factory". In 1920, she was counted on the census in the home of her sister, Grace Dunbar, in McGraw, Cortland County, New York. Her marital status was divorced. Maggie died a few months after the 1920 census was taken, but before we get to that, here are some newspaper clippings pertaining to Maggie. From these clippings, we learn that the year after she was married, she was teaching at Freetown Corners. If we relied solely on the census, we might never have known she was a school teacher at all! Despite all these news clippings pertaining to Margaret, the last twenty years of her life are a bit of a blur. It appears that she and Dell were divorced before 1915. According to data contributed on Findagrave, Dell married widow Elizabeth S. (Bice) Mack in 1912. She was the widow of Jay B. Mack, who had died in 1910, at the age of about 41. Elizabeth died on Sept. 2, 1930 and about seven months later, on April 27, 1931, Adelbert married widow Mae E. (Titus) Elliot, in Montrose, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. Mae's former husband, Jay M. Elliot, had died in May of 1830 - eleven months before she married Adelbert. Adelbert's birthplace was given as Freetown, New York, on the marriage certificate. He died in 1943 and is buried in McGraw. I believe this is the same building still standing at the corner of Clinton Street and Route 41 in McGraw today, shown here: You can also browse the neighborhood on Google Maps: (Click and drag to look around!) From those clippings, we also learn that Maggie was seriously ill from stomach trouble from 1914 until she died on May 10, 1920. The Cortland Standard and Homer Republican, Wed., May 12, 1920, supplies her obituary as follows: *Notice, her age was incorrect in the obituary. She was born in June, 1867, making her 52 years old at the time of her death in May of 1920. (New York Death Cert #31101). Margaret rests in McGraw Rural Cemetery, in McGraw, Cortland County, New York. You can view her grave at Findagrave here. Rest in peace, Aunt Maggie. Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. Click here for more Cortland County resources and relatives. #margaretmcginnis #mcginnis

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