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Let's take a moment and recognize how fortunate we are to be anticipating America's 250th (Semiquincentennial) in 2026. The celebrations have already begun! Check america250.org for a full list of events scheduled. The Smithsonian is also hosting events to commemorate the anniversary. A must see online exhibition can also be found on their website here . It's a good time to brush up on your knowledge of the American Revolution! Here's what you need to know: The American Revolution (1775–1783) was a series of military and political struggles through which thirteen British colonies in North America won independence and became the United States. It began as a colonial protest against taxation and imperial control but evolved into a global conflict involving Britain, France, Spain, and the Netherlands. The war unfolded in several phases—New England, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern campaigns—each marked by dramatic reversals of fortune. The opening clashes at Lexington and Concord in April 1775 ignited the war, as colonial militias confronted British troops near Boston. The bloody Battle of Bunker Hill soon followed, proving that the inexperienced colonists could stand against the world’s most powerful army. In 1776, George Washington’s daring victories at Trenton and Princeton revived American morale after the loss of New York. The turning point came in 1777 at Saratoga, where an entire British army surrendered, persuading France to ally with the Americans. The war shifted south in its final years. Despite early British successes in Georgia and the Carolinas, guerrilla warfare led by partisans like Francis Marion wore down royal forces. Washington’s and Rochambeau’s combined armies trapped General Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781, forcing his surrender and effectively ending the conflict. Sporadic fighting and negotiation continued until the Treaty of Paris was signed, on September 3, 1783, officially ending the war. Below is a list of all the major (and some minor) battles of the American Revolution. These are just a fraction of the hundreds of skirmishes and engagements that were part of America's fight for independence. Choose a link to watch a short video about any battle. You can also start at the beginning of the playlist on youTube here . Subscribe for updates! Major Battles of the American Revolutionary War: 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord – April 19, 1775 Siege of Boston – April 1775–March 1776 Battle of Chelsea Creek – May 27–28, 1775 Capture of Fort Ticonderoga  - May 10, 1775 Battle of Machias, Maine - June 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill) – June 17, 1775 Battle of Great Bridge, Virginia - December 9, 1775 1776 Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge – February 27, 1776 Battle of Sullivan’s Island (Charleston) – June 28, 1776 Declaration of Independence - July 4, 1776 Battle of Long Island (Brooklyn Heights) – August 27, 1776 Battle of Harlem Heights – September 16, 1776 Battle of Valcour Island - October 11, 1776 Battle of White Plains – October 28, 1776 Battles of Fort Washington & Fort Lee – November 16, 1776 Battle of Trenton – December 26, 1776 1777 Battle of Princeton – January 3, 1777 Battle of Ridgefield – April 27, 1777 Battle of Short Hills - June 26, 1777 Siege of Fort Ticonderoga - July, 1777 Siege of Fort Stanwix - August, 1777 Battle of Bennington - August 16, 1777 Battle of Cooch's Bridge - September 3, 1777 Battle of Brandywine – September 11, 1777 Battles of Saratoga (Freeman’s Farm & Bemis Heights) – September 19 & October 7, 1777 The Paoli Massacre - September 21, 1777 Siege of Fort Mifflin - September 26, 1777 Battle of Germantown – October 4, 1777 Battle of Fort Clinton & Fort Montgomery - October 6, 1777 Battle of Red Bank (Fort Mercer)  - October 22, 1777 Battle of White Marsh – December 5–8, 1777 Winter at Valley Forge - December 1777 1778 Battle of Monmouth – June 28, 1778 Battle of Wyoming - July 3, 1778 Battle of Rhode Island – August 29, 1778 Battle of St. Lucia (Caribbean) – December 15, 1778 1779 Battle of Kettle Creek – February 14, 1779 Sullivan Expedition - June to September, 1779 Battle of Stony Point – June 16, 1779 Battle of Paulus Hook - August 19, 1779 Siege of Savannah – September 16–October 18, 1779 1780 Battle of Waxhaws Creek  - May 29, 1780 Siege of Charleston – March 29–May 12, 1780 Battle of Springfield, New Jersey - June 23, 1780 Battle of Camden, South Carolina – August 16, 1780 Battle of King’s Mountain – October 7, 1780 1781 Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina  – January 17, 1781 Battle of Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina – March 15, 1781 Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill, South Carolina – March 15-April 25, 1781 Battle of Ninety Six (Siege) – May 22–June 19, 1781 Battle of Chesapeake, Virginia - September 5, 1781 Battle of Groton Heights, Connecticut - September 6, 1781 Battle of Eutaw Springs – September 8, 1781 Siege of Yorktown, Virginia – September 28–October 19, 1781 Each of these battles reflects the ebb and flow of the Revolution—an unlikely triumph of endurance, leadership, and the growing conviction that liberty was worth the cost. B y the grace of God and sheer American grit, we're still here 250 years later! #AmericanRevolution #RevolutionaryWar

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

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

In my previous blog, I shared two newspaper abstracts possibly connecting my ancestor, William McGinnis, to Eglington, Derry Co., Ireland. William and several others were named in the will of Mary Garrity who died April 5, 1895, in Homer, New York. Richard Ryan was the executor of the will. ( Click here to see ). One of the heirs was Robert McGinnis of Eglinton, Derry County, Ireland. Who was he? And how was he related to William? I recently renewed my subscription to Ancestry World Explorer so I figured now is my chance to do some digging in Ireland! Read on to see what I found relating to Robert and possibly relating to William McGinnis. The first probable match I found for Robert McGinnis was on Findagrave. There are at least 48 McGinnis burials of various spellings in Star of the Sea Church Cemetery, including four named William McGinnis, but there is one I believe may have been Robert's father, William McGinnis. Both men are buried in Section D, Plot 62. I was able to locate Robert on the 1901 census and the 1911 census when he lived in the town of Carnakilly Upper, District of Eglinton, Barony of Tirkeeran, Parish of Faughanvale, Division of North Derry, County of Londonderry. The Irish name for Carnakilly Upper is Carn-na-coille. [ Source ] On the 1901 Census, his name was spelled Robert McGinnis but his wife's name was written, Rose "McGuinness". He was a farmer, age 74 and Rose was age 70. Their son 30-year old son, "Edward McGuinness" was also in the home. He was unmarried and employed as a postman. When the 1911 Census was taken, he was 83 and his wife, Rose, was 79. They were Roman Catholic. They report having 5 children but only 3 were still living in 1911. One of them was Edward McGinnis, age 40, still working as a postman. You can tour Carnakilly Upper on Google maps here: Robert's will, dated March 26, 1913, is in the registry at London, granted June 6, 1913. His effects totaled £41 0s. 2d. and the abstract reads: Probate of the Will of Robert McGinnis late of Carnakilly , County Londonderry Farmer who died 26 March 1913 granted at Londonderry to Jeremiah McGowan J.P. Farmer. Oddly enough, the only will found for William McGinnis that matches the date in the Findagrave memorial is William McGinnis will granted March 2, 1893, but stating that he died on Feb. 12, 1884 : Letters of Administration (with the Will annexed) of the personal estate of William M'Ginnis otherwise M'Ginness late of Dernaflaw County Londonderry Farmer who died 12 February 1884 at same place were granted at Londonderry to Mary M'Ginnis of Dernaflaw the Widow and Universal Legatee. Another similar match in wills is that of "William Maginnes", who died February 21, 1893, with an estate of £459 9s. 6d., granted March 11, 1893 as follows: The Will of William Maginnes late of Knockmore County Antrim Farmer who died 21 February 1893 at same place was proved at Belfast by William Blackburn and Henry Monroe both of Lissue said County Farmers the Executors. It appears that this "William Maginnis" was also counted on the 1851 census in Killead, Lower Massereen, Antrim. He was 30 at the time and married to Susanna, age 26. Stay tuned to follow my research on this branch of my family tree. If you have any information, please use the comments below or contact me. Sources: William McGinnis Bio [ Link ] Mary Garrity death cert. # 32085 1911 Census Ireland [ Link ] Will of Robert McGinnis [ Link ] Ireland, Civil Registration Deaths Index, Londonderry, Vol. 2, p. 139; FHL Film No. 0101605 #ireland #mcginnis #williammcginnis #ireland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My father is good at making up tales about his Leonard ancestors. "There was grandpa George Washington Leonard and then there was grandpa Abraham Lincoln Leonard", he's been telling us for years. The truth, however, was that nothing about his Leonard heritage had been passed down to us. His father was born in central New York and his grandfather had lived somewhere in the same area, and that was the extent of our knowledge of our Leonard history. While I haven't found any connection to Washington or Lincoln, he wasn't too far off! His roots run deep in America, back to colonial times. I can't wait to share with him the details about the time his 7th great-grandfather, Samuel Leonard was kidnapped by Indians! King Philip's war ended in April of 1678, but being warned by friendly Indians of retaliation by vengeful remnants of Philip's tribe, settlement at Worcester, Massachusetts, was delayed until 1683. Among the brave men who dared settle the new frontier were Isaac, Jacob, and Samuel Leonard, all brothers. Their nephew Moses Leonard, son of their brother, John Leonard, also settled there. The spelling of the Leonard name varies in records. Lennardson, Learned, Lerned, Lenerson, Lenorson, Lernett, Larned, and Lenord are common alternate spellings or misspellings in written records. The four Leonard men selected their homes on 40-acre lots near Lake Quinsagamond. The lands that once belonged to Samuel and Isaac Leonard now belongs to the City of Worcester. Samuel Leonard was living on his 40-acre lot in August of 1692, when he signed a petition to the governor as "Samuel Lenorson, Constable", an office for which he was chosen. He was born in 1643 and married first to Abigail Wood, daughter of John Wood, of Plymouth. The family went to Bridgewater in about 1690 "and built his house on this high ground, overlooking the lake." The road shown here on this interactive Google map runs along the banks of Lake Quinsagamond in Worcester: In the fall of 1695, while the men of the colony were busy harvesting crops, a band of Indians coming through saw Samuel's 14-year old son, Samuel Jr., playing outdoors and one by the name of Bampico abducted the youth. With Samuel in tow, the tribe (possibly the Nipnet tribe) then attacked the settlers at Haverhill, Massachusetts, killing 27 men, women and children, burning six houses, carrying 13 captives away, and looting all they could carry. Among these captives were Mrs. Hannah Dustin (or Duston) and her newborn child and Mrs. Mary Neff. The infant, however, was brutally murdered soon after. The captives were forced to march with the Indians, northward. Finally, they stopped and camped at the mouth of the Contocook River, in Boscawen (near Concord), New Hampshire, about 80 miles north of Worcester. It was there that Samuel coerced his new master, Bampico, to share his technique of murdering Englishmen, which he proudly shared. Early the next morning, while the Indians slept, Samuel and the two women used the advice to scalp ten of their twelve captors, including Bampico, and fled the scene. A squaw woman and young boy escaped to the woods. Like Samuel's 2nd great-grandfather, James Chilton , a boat carried them to freedom. Instead of the Mayflower, their boat was a rowboat or canoe, which they took turns rowing down the Merrimack River to safety. Samuel Leonard and Mrs. Neff were both awarded 12 pounds and 10 shillings as a reward, and Mrs. Dustin was awarded 25 pounds, "for their service in slaying divers of those barbarous savages" on June 16, 1697. Cotton Mather interviewed Hannah and recorded the events in Magnalia Christi Americana: The Ecclesiastical History of New England, in 1702, and in other works. (Article XXV "A Notable Exploit: Dux Faemina Facti", beginning on page 634). ( Click here to read his account ). The True Story of Hannah Duston, Mary Neff & Samuel Leonardson illustrated A memorial stands at the location to this day at the location now called the "Hannah Duston Memorial State Historic Site". The inscription on the front of the statue's pedestal reads as follows: HEROUM GESTA (Heroic Events) FIDES JUSTITIA (Faith Justice) HANNAH DUSTON MARY NEFF SAMUEL LEONARDSON MARCH 30 1697 MID-NIGHT After believing he had lost his son, Samuel Sr., a.k.a. "Goodman Lenordson", was convinced Worcester was not safe for his remaining family. For this reason, he moved his family about 58 miles south of Worcester, to Preston, New London County, Connecticut. This proved to be a wise move, considering Worcester didn't achieve peace until much later, in 1725. After having been gone for two years, young Samuel Jr. joined his parents in Preston and there he grew to adulthood. He married a woman by the name of Lydia, with whom he had at least three sons and two daughters. They lived in Griswold (northern Preston). He died on May 11, 1718. The story can be found in several historic works, including Proceedings of the Worcester Society of Antiquity , published in 1877, on pages 291-302, shown here: Click here to learn more about my Leonard family . Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources to help with your research ! Sources: Wikipedia: Hannah Duston [ Link ] Proceedings of the Worcester Society of Antiquity, 1877, p. 291-302 [ Link ] Magnolia Christi Americana, by Cotton Mather, 1707. [ Link ] #leonard #samuelleonard #indians #nativeamerican #genealogy #worcester #massachusetts #preston #connecticut

For those who follow my research on the Leonard family, you might know that we had my father's DNA tested a few years ago with AncestryDNA , which only compares autosomal DNA - bits of pieces from all his branches. It only goes back a few generations, and with his 94,115 matches on Ancestry, it didn't make finding out who his 5th great-grandparents were any easier. Finally, we decided to have his YDNA tested. He's a direct male descendant of Charles Russell Leonard, a well established fact proven by Ancestry's (autosomal) DNA test and his many matches with other descendants of Charles R. Leonard, his sister and their mother Sophronia Burrill. Matches in his tree have Leonards from all branches in their trees so we haven't been able to pinpoint his distant Leonard relatives using those results. The Y chromosome is only passed from father to son. Sons inherit a nearly exact copy of their father's YDNA, with slight mutations (or steps, if I'm understanding correctly). It's all very complicated in my mind, but we sent in my father's saliva sample and I waited patiently (checking the app 2-3 times a day), anticipating the results answering all my questions and solving the mysteries we've all been trying to solve for decades. I was hoping it would have been quicker as the wait was agonizing for a genealogy addict like myself. It took exactly six weeks for the results to appear and I'll share the information it has revealed. If you want to help piece the family together, or help in the research, enter the information you find on each person's Wikitree profile. Be sure to always include your sources as Wikitree is a single family tree with no duplicates. Reading the help files about their formatting first is highly recommended. First of all, my father's haplogroup was found to be I-M223. Following is a summary: ( Alternate link ) Descendants of Solomon Leonard are in haplogroup I-M223, as stated several years ago by Brad Leonard on his old website at https://www.bradsport.com/GeneticsLeonardYDNA.html . "Five of Solomon Leonard of Duxbury’s direct male descendants have been tested. They are in haplogroup I2b, subclade I-M223. This would indicate that they are not related to James and Henry Leonard." (Brad Leonard) Brad explains that descendants of James and Henry Leonard (the ironmasters of Taunton) are in haplogroup J2. At least one descendant of John Leonard of Springfield also tested in haplogroup J2. Descendants of Robert Leonard of Scotland and in R1b1 and it's subclades, so we know that I-M223 confirms that my father's line (descendants of Charles Russell Leonard) are descendants of Solomon Leonard now. FamilyTreeDNA.com is currently the only company that tests YDNA. They have several different YDNA tests which provide various levels of detail. We purchased the Y37 test, which was about $120. It checks 37 markers. We can upgrade the test to check 111 markers or 700 markers, and hope to do so in the near future. (The price to upgrade to the most detailed test, the Big Y-700, is currently $299 and I was hoping it wasn't necessary.) Our goal is to identify the parents of Russell Leonard . Before reviewing the matches, let's keep in mind what relationships some of these matches should have with my father and how much DNA they may share. My father's relationships and DNA matches First Cousins First cousins descend from your parents' siblings, or, people you share grandparents with. Descendants of Albert J. Leonard & Rose Hollenbeck are my father's First Cousins and my First Cousins 1x removed, 2x removed, etc. First cousins share about 12.5% of their DNA, or between 7% and 14%. The average is 874 cM (or bet. 553-1225 cM). First Cousins 1x removed share about half that - 6.25%, or between 3% and 9%. Second Cousins Second cousins descend from your grandparents' siblings, or, people you share great-grandparents with. Descendants of Lewis Leonard & Cora Sherman are my father's Second Cousins and my Second Cousins 1x removed, 2x removed, etc. Second cousins share about 3.13% of their DNA, or between 3% and 5%. Second Cousins 1x removed share about 1.5% DNA, or up to 2.54%. The average is 233 cM (or bet. 46-515 cM). Third Cousins Third cousins descend from your great-grandparents' siblings, or, people you share 2nd great-grandparents with. Descendants of Charles R. Leonard & Mary Polly Brown are my father's Third Cousins and my Third Cousins 1x removed, 2x removed, etc. Third Cousins generally share about 0.78% of their DNA, or up to 2%. The average is 73 cM but can be up to 234 cM. Third Cousins 1x removed share an average of 48 cM but can share as much as 192 cM. For example, Tammy & Tracey are two 2nd great-grandchildren of Charles and Mary Leonard. They are my father's third cousins and my third cousins 1x removed. Tracey and my father share 64.7 cM of DNA across 4 segments, with the longest being 46.6 cM. Tracey and me, however, only share 47 cM and it's on Chromosome 1. Tammy and my father share 84 cM of DNA across 12 segments, with the longest being 50 cM. Ancestry DNA predicted their relationship to be "2nd Cousins to 4th Cousins". Tammy and me, however, share 75 cM of DNA with the longest being 47.6 cM on Chromosome 1. Fourth Cousins Fourth cousins descend from your 2nd great-grandparents' siblings, or, people you share 3rd great-grandparents with. Descendants of Russell Leonard & Sophronia Burrill are my father's Fourth Cousins and my Fourth Cousins 1x removed, 2x removed, etc. Fourth Cousins share about 0.20% of their DNA or up to 0.5%. Average 35 cM or up to 139 cM. Fourth Cousins 1x removed share an average of 28 cM but can share between 0 and 126 cM. The only other known descendant of Russell Leonard & Sophronia Burrill is Charles' sister, Jenette, who married Nelson Reynolds. Ten of their descendants on Ancestry match my father's DNA: Line Relationship to Jenette Relationship to my father Shared DNA Segments Virginia Pendell 3rd great-granddaughter 4th Cousin 1x removed 27 cM 2 Virginia Pendell 4th great-grandson 4th Cousin 2x removed 20 cM 2 Virginia Pendell 4th great-granddaughter 4th Cousin 2x removed 9 cM 1 Virginia Pendell 4th great-granddaughter 4th Cousin 2x removed 10 cM 1 Virginia Pendell 4th great-granddaughter 4th Cousin 2x removed 16 cM 2 Winfield Reynolds 2nd great-grandson 4th Cousin (?) 15 cM 1 Winfield Reynolds 3rd great-granddaughter 4th Cousin 1x removed 14 cM 1 Winfield Reynolds 3rd great-grandson 4th Cousin 1x removed 7 cM 1 Ada Allwood 3rd great-granddaughter 4th Cousin 1x removed 35 cM 2 Ada Allwood 4th great-granddaughter 4th Cousin 2x removed 8 cM 1 Fifth Cousins Fifth cousins descend from your 3rd great-grandparent's siblings, or, people you share 4th great-grandparents with. Descendants of Russell's parents & Sophronia's parents are my father's Fifth Cousins and my Fifth Cousins 1x removed, 2x removed, etc. Fifth Cousins share about 0.05% of their DNA and are very difficult to detect. Also, this many generations back, matches may be related in more way than one, especially if yours is a colonial family like mine. Sixth Cousins & Beyond Sixth cousins descend from your 4th great-grandparent's sibling, or, people you share 5th great-grandparents with. Descendants of Russell's grandparents are my father's Sixth Cousins and my Sixth Cousins 1x removed, 2x removed, etc. Sixth Cousins only share about 0.01% of their DNA. It's barely traceable, but it's probably there somewhere! It also might not be! My father's Leonard Cousins / DNA Matches (I will be updating this list as necessary): Descendants of Solomon via his son Samuel Leonard (1644-1710) My father's DNA matches three of Samuel's descendants: Solomon > Samuel > Samuel > Nathan > Elisha Elisha's 5th great-grandson shares 28.6 cM across 8 segments of my father's DNA. The largest segment is 4.6 cM. Solomon > Samuel > Samuel > Nathan > Simeon Simeon's 4th great-grandson shares 53.5 cM across 11 segments of DNA. The largest is 17.5 cM. It is believed that this person is related in more than one way. Solomon > Samuel > Samuel > Nathan > Nathan Nathan's 4th great-grandson matches my father's YDNA. He is a direct male descendant of Solomon Leonard and his haplogroup with the Y700 test is I-FT382407. Genetic distance: Exact match. Estimated most recent common ancestor 1750 CE. Descendants of Solomon via his son John Leonard (1645-1699) My father's DNA matches two descendants of John Leonard: Solomon > John > Moses > Ezra > Nathan Nathan's 5th great grandson matches my father's YDNA. He is a direct male descendant of Solomon Leonard and his haplogroup with the Y111 test is I-S18331. Genetic distance: 1 Step. Estimated most recent common ancestor 1650 CE. Solomon > John > Moses > Moses > Samuel Samuel's 5th great-granddaughter shares 34.7 cM of DNA across 10 segments. The largest segment is 3.8 cM. Descendants of Solomon via his son Isaac Leonard (1644-1717) My father's DNA matches one descendant of Isaac Leonard: Solomon > Isaac > Benjamin > Dorothea > Mary Aber Mary Aber's 3rd great grandson (?) shares 39.3 cM of DNA across 10 segments. The largest segment is 5.8 cM. Descendants of Solomon via his son Jacob Leonard (1647-1717) My father's DNA matches seven descendants of Jacob Leonard: Solomon > Jacob > Sarah > Solomon Orcutt > Eunice Orcutt Eunice's 2nd great-grandson shares 12 cM of DNA across 3 segments. The largest segment is 4.6 cM. Solomon > Jacob > Sarah > Solomon Orcutt > Eunice Orcutt Eunice's 4nd great-grandson shares 27.2 cM of DNA across 8 segments. The largest segment is 4.6 cM. He may be related in other ways. Solomon > Jacob > Joseph > Joseph > Benjamin Benjamin's 4th great-granddaughter shares 26.4 cM of DNA across 7 segments. The largest segment is 4.9 cM. She may be related in more than one way. Solomon > Jacob > Joseph > Joseph > Benjamin Benjamin's 5th great-grandson, son of the previous, shares 38.3 cM across 10 segments. The largest is 5 cM. He may be related in more than one way. Solomon > Jacob > Joseph > Joseph > Benjamin Another 4th or 5th great-granddaughter of Benjamin (private tree) shares 32.8 cM across 9 segments. The largest is 4.5 cM. Solomon > Jacob > Joseph > Joseph > Joseph A 6th great-grandchild of Joseph shares 14.5 cM across 2 segments with the largest being 9.3 cM. Solomon > Jacob > Joseph > Joseph > Joseph A 5th great-grandchild of Joseph shares 25 cM across 1 segment with my father. Estimated relationship: 4th cousin or half 3rd cousin 1x removed. Leonard matches missing their link to Solomon A 5th great grandson of Abraham Leonard (1770-1833) shares the same haplogroup or subclade. His Y700 haplogroup is I-FTE48892. FTDNA predicts their most recent common ancestor was about the year 1500, but it is more than likely Solomon. Abraham died in Hector, Tompkins, New York, in 1833, and is buried in Mecklenburg, Schuyler, New York. Some of Solomon's son Jacob's descendants lived in Hector circa 1821. See William K. Leonard . The 4th great grandson of Justus Leonard matches my father's YDNA. He tested with the Y700 test, which determines his haplogroup to be I-FT382407. Genetic distance: Exact match. Estimated most recent ancestor 1650 CE. His son was also tested, but with the Y37 (37 marker test) and his haplogroup is given as I-P222. Genetic distance: Exact match. Estimated most recent ancestor 1750 CE. This line may descend from Solomon's son, Samuel. A descendant of Ezra Leonard (1782-1863) via his son Hollis S. Leonard , shares YDNA with my father. He was tested with the Y67 (67 marker test) and his haplogroup is I-M223. Genetic distance: 2 steps. Estimated most recent ancestor 1650 CE. Ezra and Hollis were both born in Vermont. Hollis died in Broome County, New York in 1889. The family lived in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, and in Hastings, Michigan. Source: DNA Painter [ Link ]

I've ranted and raved about the Bureau of Land Management and how useful their website is, and here I'll demonstrate why. In 1850, the Federal government passed the Donation Land Claim Act in the Oregon and Washington Territory, in an effort to settle the newly acquired northwestern United States. Settlers willing to move to Oregon and Washington Territory between 1850 and 1853, were granted up to 320 acres of land, providing they resided on and cultivated the property for at least four consecutive years. Married women were also permitted to stake their own claims. The program was extended with some modifications in 1853. During that time, settlers were required to pay $1.25 per acre, but the time required to reside on and cultivate the property was reduced to two years. The Donation Land Claim Act (1850) - Click the arrow to read An Act to create the Office of Surveyor-General of the Public Lands in Oregon, and to provide for the Survey, and to make Donations to Settlers of the said Public Lands. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That a surveyor-general shall be appointed for the Territory of Oregon, who shall have the same authority, perform the same duties respecting the public lands and private land claims in the Territory of Oregon, as are vested in and required of the surveyor of lands in the United States northwest of the Ohio, except as hereinafter provided. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the said surveyor-general shall establish his office at such place within the said Territory as the President of the United States may from time to time direct; he shall be allowed an annual salary of two thousand five hundred dollars, to be paid quarter-yearly, and to commence at such time as he shall enter into bond, with competent security, for the faithful discharge of the duties of his office. There shall be, and hereby is, appropriated the sum of four thousand dollars, or as much thereof as is necessary for clerk hire in his office; and the further sum of one thousand dollars per annum for office rent, fuel, books, stationary, and other incidental expenses of his office, to be paid out of the appropriation for surveying the public lands. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That if, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Interior, it be preferable, the surveys in the said Territory shall be made after what is known as the geodetic method, under such regulations, and upon such terms, as may be provided by the Secretary of the Interior of other Department having charge of the surveys of the public lands, and that said geodetic surveys shall be followed by topographical surveys, as Congress may from time to time authorize and direct; but if the present mode of survey be adhered to, then it shall be the duty of said surveyor to cause a base line, and meridian to be surveyed, marked, and established, in the usual manner, at or near the mouth of the Willamette River; and he shall also cause to be surveyed, in townships and sections, in the usual manner, and in accordance with the laws of the United States, which may be in force, the district of country lying between the summit of the Cascade Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, and south and north of the Columbia River: Provided, however, That none other than township lines shall be run where the land is deemed unfit for cultivation. That no deputy surveyor shall charge for any line except such as may be actually run and marked, nor for any line not necessary to be run; and that the whole cost of surveying shall not exceed the rate of eight dollars per mile, for every mile and part of mile actually surveyed and marked. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That there shall be, and hereby is, granted to every white settler or occupant of the public lands, American half-breed Indians included, above the age of eighteen years, being a citizen of the United States, or having made a declaration according to law, of his intention to become a citizen, or who shall make such declaration on or before the first day of December, eighteen hundred and fifty, and who shall have resided upon and cultivated the same for four consecutive years, and shall otherwise conform to the provisions of this act, the quantity of one half section, or three hundred and twenty acres of land, if a single man, and if a married man, or if he shall become married within one year from the first day of December, eighteen hundred and fifty, the quantity of one section, or six hundred and forty acres, one half to himself and the other half to his wife, and enter the same on the records of his office; and in all cases where such married persons have compiled with the provisions of this act, so as to entitle them to the grant as above provided, whether under the late provisional government of Oregon, or since, and either shall have died before patent issues, the survivor and children or heirs of the deceased shall be entitled to the share or interest of the decreased in equal proportions, except where the deceased shall otherwise dispose of it by testament duly and properly executed according to the laws of Oregon: Provided, That no alien shall be entitled to a patent to land, granted by this act, until he shall produce to the surveyor-general of Oregon, record evidence of his naturalization as a citizen of the United States has been completed; but if any alien, having made his declaration of intention to become a citizen of the United States, after the passage of this act, shall die before his naturalization shall be completed, the possessory right acquired by him under the provisions of this act shall descend to his heirs at law, or pass to his devisees, to whom, as the case may be, the patent shall issue: Provided, further, That in all cases provided for in this section, the donation shall embrace the land actually occupied and cultivated by the settler thereon: Provided, further, That all future contracts by any person or persons entitled to the benefits of this act, for the sale of the land to which he or they may be entitled under this act before he or they have received a patent therefor, shall be void: Provided, further, however, That this section shall not be so construed as to allow those claiming rights under the treaty with Great Britain relative to the Oregon Territory, to claim both under this grant and the treaty, but merely to secure them the election, and confine them to a single grant of land. Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That to all white male citizens of the United States or persons who shall have made a declaration of intention to become such, above the age of twenty-one years, emigrating to and settling in said Territory between the first day of December, eighteen hundred and fifty, and the first day of December, eighteen hundred and fifty-three; and to all white male citizens, not hereinbefore provided for, becoming one and twenty years of age, in said Territory, and settling there between the times last aforesaid, who shall in other respects comply with the foregoing section and the provisions of this law, there shall be, and hereby is, granted the quantity of one quarter section, or one hundred and sixty acres of land, if a single man; or if married, or if he shall become married within one year after becoming twenty-one years of age as aforesaid, the quantity of one half section, or three hundred and twenty acres, one half to the husband and the other half to the wife in her own right, to be designated by the surveyor-general as aforesaid: Provided always, That no person shall ever receive a patent for more than one donation of land in said Territory in his or her own right: Provided, That no mineral lands shall be located or granted under the provisions of this act. Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That within three months after the survey has been made, or where the survey has been made before the settlement commenced, then within three months from the commencement of such settlement, each of said settlers shall notify the surveyor-general, to be appointed under this act, of the precise tract or tracts claimed by them respectively under this law, and in all cases it shall be in a compact form; and where it is practicable by legal subdivisions; but where that cannot be done, it shall be the duty of the said surveyor-general to survey and mark each claim with the boundaries as claimed, at the request and expense of the claimant; the charge for the same in each case not to exceed the price paid for surveying the public lands. The surveyor-general shall enter a description of such claims in a book to be kept by him for that purpose, and note, temporarily, on the township plats, the tract or tracts so designated, with the boundaries; and whenever a conflict of boundaries shall arise prior to issuing the patent, the same shall be determined by the surveyor-general: Provided, That after the first December next, all claims shall be bounded by lines running east and west, and north and south: And provided, further, That after the survey is made, all claims shall be made in conformity to the same, and in compact form. Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That within twelve months after the surveys have been made, or, where the survey has been made before the settlement, then within twelve months from the time the settlement was commenced, each person claiming a donation right under this act shall prove to the satisfaction of the surveyor-general, or of such other officer as may be appointed by law for that purpose, that the settlement and cultivation required by this act has been commenced, specifying the time of the commencement; and at any time after the expiration of four years from the date of such settlement, whether made under the laws of the late provisional government or not, shall prove in like manner, by two disinterested witnesses, the fact of continued residence and cultivation required by the fourth section of this act; and upon such proof being made, the surveyor-general, or other officer appointed by law for that purpose, shall issue certificates under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the commissioner of the general land office, setting forth the facts of the case, and specifying the land to which the parties are entitled. And the said surveyor-general shall return the proof so taken to the office of the commissioner of the general land office, and if the said commissioner shall find no valid objections thereto, patents shall issue for the land according to the certificates aforesaid, upon the surrender thereof. Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That upon the death of any settler before the expiration of the four years' continued possession required by this act, all the rights of the deceased under this act shall descend to the heirs at law of such settler, including the widow, where one is left, in equal parts; and proof of compliance with the conditions of this act up to the time of the death of such settler shall be sufficient to entitle them to the patent. Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That no claim to a donation right under the provisions of this act, upon sections sixteen or thirty-six, shall be valid or allowed, if the residence and cultivation upon which the same is founded shall have commenced after the survey of the same; nor shall such claim attach to any tract or parcel of land selected for a military post, or within one mile thereof, or to any other land reserved for governmental purposes, unless the residence and cultivation thereof shall have commenced previous to the selection or reservation of the same for such purposes. Sec. 10. And be it further enacted, That there be, and hereby is, granted to the Territory of Oregon the quantity of two townships of land in the said Territory, west of the Cascade Mountains, and to be selected in legal subdivisions after the same has been surveyed, by the legislative assembly of said Territory, in such a manner as it may deem proper, one to be located north, and the other south, of the Columbia River, to aid in the establishment of the university in the Territory of Oregon, in such manner as the said legislative assembly may direct, the selection to be approved by the surveyor-general. Sec. 11. And be it further enacted, That what is known as the "Oregon city claim," excepting the Abernathy Island, which is hereby confirmed to the legal assigns of the Willamette Milling and Trading Companies, shall be set apart and be at the disposal of the legislative assembly, the proceeds thereof to be applied by said legislative assembly to the establishment and endowment of a university, to be located at such place in the Territory as the legislative assembly may designate: Provided, however, That all lots and parts of lots in said claim, sold or granted by Doctor John McLaughlin, previous to the fourth of March, eighteen hundred and forty-nine, shall be confirmed to the purchaser or donee, or their assigns, to be certified to the commissioner of the general land office, by the surveyor-general, and patents to issue on said certificates, as in other cases: Provided, further, That nothing in this act contained shall be so construed or executed, as in any way to destroy or affect any rights to land in said Territory, holden or claimed under the provisions of the treaty or treaties existing between this country and Great Britain. Sec. 12. And be it further enacted, That all persons claiming land under any of the provisions of this act, by virtue of settlement and cultivation commenced subsequent to the first of December, in the year eighteen hundred and fifty, shall first make affidavit before the surveyor-general, who is hereby authorized to administer all such oaths or affirmations, or before some other competent officer, that the land claimed by them is for their own use and cultivation; that they are not acting directly or indirectly as agent for, or in the employment of others, in making such claims; and that they have made no sale or transfer, or any arrangement or agreement for any sale, transfer, or alienation of the same, or by which the said land shall ensure to the benefits of any other person. And all affidavits required by this act shall be entered of record, by the surveyor-general, in a book to be kept by him for that purpose; and on proof, before a court of competent jurisdiction, that any such oaths or affirmations are false or fraudulent, the persons making such false or fraudulent oaths or affirmations are false or fraudulent, the subject to all the pains and penalties of perjury. Sec. 13. And be it further enacted, That all questions arising under this act shall be ajudged by the surveyor-general as preliminary to a final decision accord to law; and it shall be the duty of the surveyor-general, under the direction of the commissioner of the general land office, to cause proper tract books to be opened for the lands in Oregon, and to do and perform all other acts and things necessary and proper to carry out the provisions of this act. Sec. 14. And be it further enacted, That no mineral lands, nor lands reserved for salines, shall be liable to any claim under and by virtue of the provisions of this act; and that such portions of the public lands as may be designated under the authority of the President of the United States, for forts, magazines, arsenals, dock-yards, and other needful public uses, shall be reserved and excepted from the operation of this act; Provided, That if it shall be deemed necessary, in the judgement of the President, to include in any such reservation the improvements of any settler made previous to the passage of this act, it shall in such case be the duty of the Secretary of War to cause the value of such improvements to be ascertained, and the amount so ascertained shall be paid to the party entitled hereto, out of any money not otherwise appropriated. Approved, September 27, 1850. My 3rd great-grandfather, Austin Miles Daniels, went to Oregon in 1850/51 and the family was counted there on the 1854 Enumeration of the Inhabitants of Benton County . When I learned about the Donation Land Claim Act, I was eager to see what I could find about my family in the database. Searching the BLM's database is fairly easy - just choose a State and enter a name. Keep in mind the name must be spelled exactly the way it is given on the patent, so be sure to try different spelling variations. Just click here to visit their website . Then, choose a State, enter a name (last and then first), and click " Search Patents ". My search is a perfect example of why trying alternate spellings is important. I searched for "Austin Daniels" but the search came up empty. I then searched "Austin Daniel" and found my match. If you find any matches, clicking the Accession number gives you access to the files: In the page that opens, details are provided. Check off the blue checkboxes to see the locations on the map: Another important tip When I clicked the "Patent Image" tab, the image wasn't available, but then I clicked on "Related Documents" to see more transactions related to the property. From there I chose " CDI " on the left, which produced a list of patents. This displays a list of related patents, with links to the image. Choose the one you want to see. I chose the patent for Austin Daniel , of course. In the page that opens, click " CDI image " from the tab to see the actual patent. From there you can zoom in and view or download the file: On Nov. 10, 1874, Austin's claim for 320 acres of land was settled. From this patent, we can see that Austin's land was located within these sections. "...the South West quarter of Section 26 and the North West Quarter of Section 35 in Township 10 South of Range 4 West in the district of lands subject to sale at Oregon City, Oregon, containing 320 acres." I drew in the approximate locations here in black: This appears to be the area: Austin's patent was signed by S. D. Williamson, Secretary of Ulysses S. Grant, America's 18th President . Austin's family was found on the census in Soap Creek Precinct, Benton County, Oregon, in 1860 as follows: Click here to learn more about Austin Daniels Click here to learn more about the Daniels family Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources #austindaniels #daniels #oregon #bentoncounty #landrecords #homesteadact

While searching for information about my ancestor, John Burrill , I got side-tracked, once again, and dragged myself into a long, two-week project. It started when I found reference to a man named John Burrill, among the names of militia and minutemen who fought at the battles of Lexington and Concord and Menotomy (now Arlington). It was a book called " The battle of April 19, 1775 ", by Frank Coburn. It contains many names of the men who rose to the call of duty and defended the colony at a pivotal moment in American history. April 19, 1775, essentially the first day of the American Revolution, is considered a holiday, "Patriot's Day", but only in six States - Massachusetts, Maine, Florida, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and North Dakota. Battle reenactments are performed and the Boston Marathon is held each year in remembrance of Patriot's Day. ( Source : Wikipedia ) "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it". - Winston Churchill Reflecting back on learning about the American Revolution in school, I remember not being very interested, frankly. Just like most things, freedom is easy to take fore-granted when you have it and I had never really stopped to think what our ancestors endured to obtain the freedom we enjoy so freely. This is a critical error among our children and population, in general, today. Most Americans can't conceive the idea of losing freedoms, and therefore don't fear losing it, but it is very possible, even more so today with technological advances. Every American should be prepared to guard and defend it at all costs, just as our ancestors did. “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” - Benjamin Franklin In my school days, history lessons seemed to be "someone else's history", because I didn't know anything about my family beyond my great-grandparents. If I had even realized that there were a lot more names in my family tree besides my parents' last names, I probably would have felt more of a personal connection and interest in the lessons. I believe if students knew there was a good chance their grandfathers were involved, they might be more interested in history. Let's understand that each of us had at least 256 great-grandfathers living in the late 1700s . Depending on when you were born, you could literally have had hundreds of grandfathers who fought in the American Revolution. Men who were living in the mid-late 1700s were my 6th or 7th and 8th great-grandfathers, so I could have had anywhere between 128 and 512 great-grandfathers who participated. Anyone with colonial roots in this country probably had dozens of grandfathers who were members of militias and/or fought in the Revolution, because nearly all able-bodied men in New England did. Before I became interested in family history, I didn't know that any of my grandfathers fought in America's wars, but over the years of research, one by one, I've discovered that at least 14 of my grandfathers fought in the Revolutionary War, whereas I had known of none. ( See my family's Wall of Honor here ). I share this not to brag, but to encourage others to do the same and to honor their service and memory. I am glad to have been able to track down and restore so much of the family's history for future generations. I believe it is important to remember the past and recognize all the effort that has gone into getting us all to the places we are now. "People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors." - Edmund Burke As I learn about the Battles of April 19, 1775, I am in awe of the patriots - men who were so brave and bold as to hold secret conventions, raise militias, and physically fight to the death for America's independence. Their gumption and courage on that day inspired thousands of others to join the cause, resulting in a major victory the following year. These men were heroes and are worthy of recognition, especially as we approach the 250th anniversary ( United States Semicinquentennial ) of the independence they won for us. If you had ancestors who lived in Middlesex County, Essex County, Norfolk County, or Sussex County, Massachusetts during the late 1700s, there's a very good chance your family was involved in the conflict and battles of Patriot's Day. Over 4,000 men from Beverly, Danvers, Lynn, Acton, Arlington, Bedford, Billerica, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Concord, Dracut, Framingham, Lexington, Lincoln, Malden, Newton, Reading, Stow, Sudbury, Watertown, Westford, Woburn, Brookline, Dedham, Medford, Needham, and Roxbury (Boston), responded to the alarm alerting colonists to the impending attack by the British. For my Leonard cousins and Reese cousins, we had ancestors in Framingham, Concord, Reading, Cambridge, and Newton. You can see them at the bottom of the Middlesex County, Massachusetts, page . There were also relatives in Norfolk, Sussex, and Essex Counties. Try a free search of my new Massachusetts Militia database to see if your family names are included! Don't miss this opportunity to encourage your children and grandchildren to love learning about American history, because it's not "somebody else's history". It is the history of US! Our grandfather's literally fought for the freedom we have enjoyed for the past 250 years. Some individuals were left with lifelong disabilities or lost their lives in combat. Their wives and mothers were left to handle households and children on their own. Widows and mothers who lost their sons emerged from these hardships. These resilient individuals were our ancestors, and their DNA is ingrained within us. Let us not forget them. We honor these heroes today and always! Get your commemorative certificate to display! Proud Descendant of Massachusetts Militia ~ In Memory of The Massachusetts Militia & Minutemen For more information, see my Massachusetts Genealogy Resources . From there you can find county and town resources as well. For military records, try my Military Resources page .

AncestryDNA has confirmed my relationship to Joshua Burrill, father of Sophronia (Burrill) Leonard-Knapp. Sophronia married Russell Leonard, who left her and two small children in central New York to go buy land in Michigan in 1833 and never returned. To this day, we have no answers about his fate. Sophronia's parents were Joshua Burrill and Caroline Fitts. Caroline was born on August 4, 1786 and married Joshua Burrill "formerly of Edmeston, N.Y."[1] Caroline's sister, Roxilana, married Joshua's brother, John Burrill. [2] They were descendants of Lord Burrill of King's Deer Park of Wales. [2] Joshua was a hotel keeper in Onondaga County and in Righville, Genesee County, New York, according to Fitts Genealogy. There is no place called Righville or any similar name in or around Genesee County or even in the State. There is, however, a village in Pembroke called RICHVILLE, shown in the map. Joshua was counted on the census in Pembroke, Genesee, New York, in 1850. Fitts Genealogy names only four of Joshua and Caroline's children: Martha aka "Patty" (1810-1869), who married David Redman and had 12 children. Achsah (1814-1884) Arba (1813- ), who married and had a family. Mahaleth, who married and had no children. Other known children were: Brooksey (1812-1902), born Nov. 14, 1812, in Middleborough, Plymouth, Massachusetts. She married John King and had 4 children. Sophronia (1814/5-1883), my ancestor. I have found no evidence of Sophronia's birth, and no proof of her connection to Joshua Burrill, except DNA matches with several of her siblings' descendants, which can be seen here . If you have any information about Sophronia, please share! Regarding Caroline Fitts' family, below are more excerpts from "Genealogy of the Fitts or Fitz Family in America", showing Caroline's lineage. Click here to learn more about Caroline Fitts . Click here to learn more about Joshua Burrill . Click here to learn more about Sophronia Burrill . Click here to learn more about this branch of my family tree . Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources to help research your family's history ! Sources: [1] The Family Record by Truxton G. Lamb (1811-1880), 1957, p. 26. [ Link ] [2] Genealogy of the Fitts or Fitz Family in America by James Hill Fitts and James Harris Fitts, 1869, p. 56. [ Link ]

Learning the roles our ancestors played in history is probably the best part of genealogy. Before I began researching my family's history, none of my living relatives seemed to know anything beyond three or four generations and few seem interested. I, however, am interested and for the past twenty years I've been following the bread crumb trails my ancestors left and I simply cannot believe how much valuable history had nearly been lost to the family. The past week, I spent some time researching my Underhill ancestors. The line has been well documented and was fairly easy to trace back to the 13th century, thanks to the work of Josephine C. Frost, printed in her books "Underhill Genealogy". This image, from her book, shows the place where the family and surname originated in Bushbury, England. Colonial Families of the United States of America, Vol VII, page 464 gives an in depth report of Capt. John Underhill's life, summarized into a list here: Capt. John Underhill, born in Bagington, Warwickshire, England, on 7th October, 1597; died in Matincock, New York 21st July, 1672. Came to Boston with Winthrop's fleet as Captain of any military force that may be employed. Speedily joined the church. Previously served under the great Dutch Prince in the war of the Netherlands. Sworn in as Freeman; Officer of Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, Boston. Deputy to First General Court, Massachusetts (Legislature). Appointed Selectman. Appointed by General Court with Daniel Patrick and Robert Feake to fix upon a site for a fort on Castle Island in the Bay. Ordered by the Magistrates, with a shallop, to bring Roger Williams from Salem to Boston on account of murder of Captain Oldham by Block Island Indians. Governor Vance and Council ordered sent thither ninety men, distributed by four commanders, Capt. John Underhill, with commission to put to death the men, but spare the women. Commander with Captain Mason in Pequot War. Colonial Governor of Dover and Exeter, New Hampshire. Representative from Stamford, Connecticut, in General Court. Led the Dutch against the Simaroy Indians. Appointed member of Council of New Netherland. Commanded by the Director to attack and subdue certain hostile Indians on Long Island, which was done. Elected one of the eight men of New Amsterdam to adopt measures against the Indians. Governor Kieft grants to Capt. John Underhill, Meutalers (Bergens) Island. Sheriff of the North Riding on Long Island. Magistrate at Flushing. Command by Rhode Island, Newport and Providence Plantations to Privateers to go against the Dutch, Capt. John Underhill made Commander in Chief of the land forces. Appointed Deputy by Governor Nicholls, with sober and discreet powers, etc. He led several expeditions against the Indians and the last one compelled a peace. "At Stricklands Plain not far from Stamford a deciseive battle was fought." "It was a stunning blow for the Indians and it ended the war and saved the Colony." "Kieft proclaimed a Public Thanksgiving for the results of Underhill's Expedition." Mrs. Schuyler Van Rensselaer in her History of New York says: "The most conspicuous Englishmen in New Netherland in the time of Governor Kieft were Isaac Allerton and John Underhill". See above History Vol. 1, page 215. "That he had served with credit in the army in the low Countries, Ireland and Spain." Same History and Volume, p. 216. Sherman Williams in his book called "New York's Part in History", at page 124, referring to the Indian Wars of New Netherland and particularly to the Battle of Stricklands Plain where the Colonists were led by Capt. John Underhill says: "The Colony was saved from utter destruction chiefly through the efforts of John Underhill." New York's Part in History , by Sherman Williams (1846-1923), p. 124: See also: The planters of the Commonwealth: a study of the emigrants and emigration in colonial times: to which are added lists of passengers to Boston and to the Bay Colony; the ships which brought them; their English homes and the places of their settlement in Massachusetts, 1620-1640, p. 65 and 83. [ Link ] Click here to read the full book (free) at Archive.org . See also, Capt. John Underhill in Winthrop's Journal Click here to learn more about Capt. John Underhill . Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources . #underhill #mayo #decker #dickinson #CaptJohnUnderhill #colonial #genealogy

As the Puritans grew uneasy in England, they sought freedom in New England. In the summer of 1630, a fleet of 11 ships led by John Winthrop arrived near Boston. It was the beginning of the Great Migration, a period in which about 20,000 colonists arrived in America. Ships in Winthrop's Fleet:** Arabella (The Flagship) Talbot Ambrose Jewel Mayflower* Whale Success Charles William & Francis Hopewell Trial *Not the Plymouth Pilgrim's ship by the same name. **5-6 other ships arrived in 1630, one carrying Capt. John Underhill .[9] On April 8, 1630, four ships (Arabella, Talbot, Ambrose, and Jewel) departed from Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, and began arriving at Salem on June 13. Seven other ships sailed in May, arriving in July, bringing a total of about 700 people. My ancestor, Elder John Strong was said to have come over on "Mary and John", which arrived two weeks before Winthrop's Fleet did. Mary and John is believed to have not been a part of the Winthrop Fleet, but the ship reportedly made four voyages between England and the colonies, between 1607 and 1633. It was owned by Roger Ludlow. The first known voyage was in 1607 during the attempt to settle the Popham Colony, which failed. The second known voyage departed from Plymouth, England, on March 20, 1630, carrying about 140 passengers including John Mason. The third known voyage departed from London on March 24, 1633/4. Sources: Winthrop Fleet [ Wikipedia ] Mary and John [ Wikipedia ] The Planters of The Commonwealth in Massachusetts, 1620-1640, Boston, 1930, p. 87. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, by Robert C. Anderson. (Source is considered unreliable). [ Link ] The Winthrop Fleet of 1630, by Charles Edward Banks. [ Link ] Mary and John Passenger list for 1634 [ PhelpsFamilyHistory.com ] The Winthrop Society [ WinthropSociety.com ] The History of New England from 1630 to 1649, by John Winthrop, 1853, p. 442. The planters of the Commonwealth: a study of the emigrants and emigration in colonial times: to which are added lists of passengers to Boston and to the Bay Colony; the ships which brought them; their English homes and the places of their settlement in Massachusetts, 1620-1640, p. 65 and 83. [ Link ] Additional resources: Join the Winthrop Society [ Link ] National Society Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims [ Link ] Mayflower Database [ Link ] #greatmigration #immigration #newengland #johnwinthrop #winthropsfleet #elderjohnstrong #captjohnunderhill

Job Shirley (1750-1842) was a soldier of the American Revolution, enlisting three times according to his pension records. An 1853 pension claim on the next page further states he was a private in the Company of Captain James Perry of the regt. Commanded by Col. Sargent for 9 months 25 days. Other officers he served under were General Putnam, Col. Wilber, Capt. Shaws, and General Sullivan. He entered the service of the United States in May 1775 at Wrentham, Bristol County, Massachusetts, where he then resided, there he enlisted in Capt. James Perry’s Company of militia in Col. Seargents Regiment for eight months, immediately marched to Cambridge near Boston, the army being then commanded by Gen. Putnam, was there when Gen. Washington arrived and took the command. In May 1776 he enlisted for three months in Capt. Deans Company of Militia in Col. Wilber’s Regiment, immediately marched to Rhode Island. In 1778, he volunteered for six weeks service under Capt. Shaw’s Company in General Sullivan’s army. He was at the Battle in the Island, assisted in building a fort called Butts Hill, and in one instance contributed to hire a man for his Class and paid him $300 dollars, that he was for a long time a Minute man and was always prepared to go and was frequently called out on short tours. Following are all the pension records I found pertaining to Job Shirley. (These images may take a moment to load. If they aren't loaded withing 20 seconds, refresh the page. Use the arrows to see the next document): Partial transcript: State of New York, Cayuga County, On the 18th day of August 1832 personally appeared before me Gersham Morse, a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in the for said county, Job Shirley, of Sempronius, County and State aforesaid, aged seventy-four years last October who after being duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declarations in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States in May 1775 at Wrentham, Bristol County, Massachusetts, where he then resided. That he enlisted in Capt. James Perry's Company of Militia in Col. Seargent's Regiments for eight months immediately marched to Cambridge near Boston, the army being then commanded by Gen. Putnam, was there when Gen. Washington arrived and took command, that he remained in and about Cambridge until his term expired when he was discharged and went home. That in May 1776 he enlisted for three months in Capt. Dean's Company of Militia in Col. Wilbur's Regiment, immediately marched to Rhode Island, was first stationed at Tiverton, from there marched to Howland's Ferry, thence to Providence, thence to North Kingston, then to Greenwich where our time expired and we returned home. That in the year 1778 as nearly as he can recollect he volunteered, was out six weeks under Capt. Shaw's Company, in Gen. Sullivan's army, was at Battle in the Island, assisted in building a fort called Butts Hill and remained there until the army retreated when he was discharged and sent home, that he in one instance contributed to hire a man for his class and paid his proportion of three hundred dollars for the purpose, that he was for a long time considered a Minute Man and was always prepared to go and was frequently called out on short tours but cannot now state the particulars of those services, that he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of agency of any state - that he has no documentary evidence and knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service. Signed, Job Shirley. Personally appeared before me the undersigned a Judge of Cayuga Common Pleas aforesaid Job Shirley the applicant aforesaid, who being duly sworne deposeth and saith these by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively to the best of his recollections and belief he served one year and three months and for such services I claim a pension. Subscribed and sworn this 28th December 1832 before me, Gersham Morse, Judge of Court of Common Pleas. X Job Shirley State of New York, Cayuga County, Job Shirley of Sempronius, County and State aforesaid being duly sworn doth on his oath depose and say, that he is an applicant for a pension under the Act of Congress of Jule 7th, 1832 - That he made his declaration to obtain said pension on or about the 18th of August last passed in which said declaration after he had stated his services in the Revolutionary Army as fully and as positively as his memory would permit us to "period, term, and greade" he thinks he added something like the following, "That he was always considered as a minute man and was always proposed to go and was frequently called out in short tours but cannot from loss of memory state the particulars of those services". That in the month of December thereafter he received other instructions and regulations from the War Department permitting applicants for pensions in cases of loss of memory they cannot state precisely how long his service, to make an affidavit mandatory of his declaration, and state how long he did actually service. That in pursuance and in compliance of said regulations he made his affidavit in or about the 28th December past in which he supposed he embraced some more time then he set forth in his declaration by "period, term, and grades" as he disapproved that is was the intention and object of the Department to allow the applicant for service which they could not from loss of memory state all the particulars as to time which appears upon the face of his papers" and hopes it will be satisfactory to the department, that had no intention to defraud the government as he thinks will appear from an examination of the duty of the declaration and affidavit. The he asks for a pension for too much time set forth in his declaration as the department may under the circumstances of the case think him fairly and equitably entitled to. Sworn and subscribed this 26th June 1833 before me, Gersham Morse, a Judge of Court of Common Pleas. X Job Shirley Click here to learn more about Job Shirley . Click here to learn more about this branch of my family . Click here to find free military records . #harvey #shirley #americanrevolution #veteran #military #jobshirley

In 1832, Benjamin Stanton submitted his pension request for his service in the American Revolution. His personal account of his service is given here: (Transcription below) Along with his pension request, Cornelius D. Dewitt of Sempronius, age 72, testifies that he was well acquainted with Benjamin Stanton of Sempronius during the Revolutionary War. They were both in the same company from June to November of 1776, and they served together again from April to August of 1777 in Capt. Johannes Hardenburgh's company in Col. Levi Pawling's Regiment for four months, most of which they were stationed at Fort Clinton on the Hudson River. They entered to serve again on August 10, 1777, in the company of Capt. Benjamin Kortright in Col. Graham's Regiment, "and marched with said company to Albany and from thence to Saratoga and was at Saratoga at the time of the capture of Burgoyne, that he continued in said service for a term of three months". Benjamin enlisted yet again in the spring of 1778 and served nine months in Captain Lounsbery's Company, Colonel Philip Van Cortlandt's New York Regiment. Dewitt says they both resided in the County of Ulster until 1779 when Stanton left the county. Transcription of two pages at top, Benjamin's personal account of his experience in the Revolution: State of New York, Cayuga County, On the 18th day of September, 1832, personally appeared in open Court, before the Court of the Common Pleas in and for the County of Cayuga and state of New York, now setting, Benjamin Stanton, a resident of Sempronius in the County of Cayuga, and State of New York, aged 70 years, who being duly sworn, according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress, passed June 7th, 1832. That he entered the service under the following named officers, and served as herein stated - "That on the first of June, A.D. 1776, at the town of Rochester in the County of Ulster in the State of New York he entered the service of the United States in the Company of Militia commanded by Captain John Hosbrook in Col. Hardenburgh's Regiment, that he marched with said company to New York where he was stationed until said place was evacuated by the American Troops, from New York to Kings Bridge, from thence to the White Plains where he was discharged, as he believes that his term of service was five months. He further declares that about the month of January or February A.D. 1777 he again entered said service at Rochester aforesaid in the Company of Captain Benjamin Cortright in the Regiment commanded by Maj. Cantine as he believes that he marched with said company to the State of New Jersey, to Hackensack and other places, that he continued in said service for a term of two months. He further declares that he again entered said service in the month of April 1777, at Rochester aforesaid in the Company of Militia commanded by Captain Thomas Hardenburgh in Col. Levi Pawling's Regiment for a term of four months, that he marched with said company to Fort Clinton in the Hudson River, where he was stationed during said term that he served, the whole of said term of four months, he further declares that about the tenth of August A.D. 1777 he again entered said service in the company commanded by Capt. Benjamin Cortright in Col. Graham's Regiment for a term of three months, that he marched with said company to Albany, from thence to Van Schaicks Island where he joined the United States Army under Gen. Horatio Gates, from thence to Stillwater, and was stationed at Bemis Heights at the time of the Capture of Gen. Burgoyne, that he continued to serve for a term of three months. He further declares that in the Spring of the year 1778 he enlisted at Rochester aforesaid into the Company of State Troops- Continental troops commanded by Captain Lounsbury in Col. Philip Cortland's Regiment, for a term of nine months, that he joined said Regiment at Valley Forge, and marched from there to Stony Point, thence to White Plains, that his winter quarters were at Rochester aforesaid, where he was discharged at the expiration of said term of nine months, that he received a regular discharge from said nine months service, but has lost the same. He further declares that after the close of said last mentioned service he removed to the County of Dutchess, that while there before the close of the war, he was in said service for about six months or more, that he was out in three terms, that the names of his officers he does not remember, and that he has no proof of said last mentioned services. He hereby relinquishes every claim to an annuity or pension except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any State or Territory." (Signed) Asahel Fitch, Judge, and Benjamin Stanton. ----------------------- A letter on file in the Revolutionary War archives, dated February 23, 1927, addressed to Mrs. Paul Knight of Crown Point, Indiana, states the following: "I have to advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim 1506 it appears that Benjamin Stanton while a resident of Ulster County, New York enlisted at Rochester in said county June 1, 1776 and served five months in Captain John Hasbrouck's Company, Colonel Hardenbergh's New York Regiment. He enlisted about February 1, 1777 and served two months in Captain Benjamin Kortright's Company under Major John Cantine in the New York Troops. He enlisted in April 1777 and served four months in Captain Johannes Hardenbergh's Company, Colonel Levi Pawling's New York Regiment. He enlisted August 10, 1777, served three months in Benjamin Kortright's Company, Colonel Graham's New York Regiment, and was at the capture of Burgoyne. He enlisted in Spring of 1778 and served nine months in Captain Lounsbery's Company, Colonel Philip Van Cortlandt's New York Regiment. In 1779 he moved to Dutchess County, New York and served three tours amounting to six months or more, a part of which was under Captain Thomas McKinstry and Colonel Livingston in the New York Troops. He was allowed pension on his application executed September 18, 1832 while a resident of Sempronius, Cayuga County, New York, aged seventy-six years. He died May 10, 1838. Soldier married June 29, 1787/97 in Bristol, Schoharie County, New York, Sarah, whose maiden name is not given. She was his second wife, name of first wife not stated. Soldier's widow Sarah was allowed pension on her application executed November 14, 1848, while a resident of Moravia, Cayuga County, New York, aged seventy-nine years. The following are the names of soldiers children by his first wife: Abigail, born March 26, 1784, John, born September 12, 1785, Polly, born June 7, 1787, Nathaniel, born February 16, 1789, Elizabeth, born September 1, 1791, twins Joseph and Hannah born June 29, 1793, and Martha, born July 17, 1795. Children of the soldier and his wife Sarah: Parthania born June 27, 1798, Rufus, born March 7, 1800, Benjamin, born January 21, 1802, and Nathaniel, born April 17, 1807. The history herewith furnished you is that of the only soldier by that name found in the Revolutionary War Records of this Bureau. Respectfully, Winfield Scott, Commissioner." See more: Places to find military records like this 20,000+ free genealogy resources More of my military ancestors More about this branch of my family tree My index of ancestors #military #veteran #pension #benjaminstanton #stanton #harvey #americanrevolution #revolutionarywar

Recently I've been working on filling in some of the blank spaces in my family tree profile - missing dates and places. The blanks are mysteries and are often more intriguing than the known facts! Knowing exactly when a person died doesn't change anything, but when it's the grandfather of my beloved great-grandmother, the late Mary (Harvey) Reese Gaul, I feel the information is worth preserving. His name was John Clark Harvey and he was born about 1824 in Lapeer, Cortland County, New York. In Lapeer, there is a road called Harvey Hill Road, named after Newman Harvey, Clark's father and namesake of his son, Newman A. Harvey. After finding the home on a property map, I took a drive to get a better look and shared a video to preserve the place's memory . There's a good chance Clark was born on Harvey Hill Road, although I'm sure the house is long gone. Better known as Clark Harvey, he was my 3rd great-grandfather. Birth records were not required in New York until the late 1800s, so I've accepted the fact that his birth date is probably lost forever, but he was counted on nearly every census from 1850 to 1892, so a record of his death shouldn't be hard to find. Still, no grave for him can be found on Findagrave, and searches on Ancestry.com  failed to produce any record of his death. I also searched area newspapers for his obituary, without success. (If anyone finds his obituary, please share!) He was counted on the census of Lapeer in 1892, but when the 1900 census was taken, his wife, Betsy, was marked "widowed". Other records for men named John Harvey or Clark Harvey were found after 1900, however, and with no definitive death date, we might never know if those records pertained to him or not. Maybe Clark had actually left Betsy and she just told the census taker she was widowed simply because she was a widow prior to marrying Clark. This is one reason why these blank spaces need to be filled! The blanks raise too many questions! In my notes, I found that Clark probably died in 1898, so I decided it was time to find the answer once and for all. I was prepared to check New York's Death Index for each year between 1892 and 1898, if necessary, but I decided to start with 1898. I flipped through the online pages to HARVEY and, lo and behold, there it was! The quality of the copy is very poor and nearly illegible, but we can make out the faint impression of Clark Harvey who died 30 Dec (1898) in Lapeer . Certificate #48357. Hooray! Another blank space filled. Of course, there are still unanswered questions. Was an obituary published? Where is he buried? Perhaps Quail Hill Cemetery in Lapeer? ( See my video of it here ). The search continues! From the 1898 New York State Death Index Click here to learn more about the Harvey family.

Before I began my genealogy quest, all I knew about my family was that they had lived in central New York for as long as anyone could remember. Whereas most of my friends knew when and where their ancestors had emigrated from - France, Germany, Italy, etc., it seemed my roots sprang up out of the ground in upstate New York and I knew nothing about them. Until fairly recently, the region of Central New York was mostly comprised of small towns and villages nestled between massive farms, fields, and forests. Even today, in many of these towns, little has changed in the past century. It seemed such an insignificant place. How did my ancestors end up here? And where did they come from? It wasn't until I began researching that I learned about the Military Tract , also called the Central New York Military Tract and the New Military Tract . Soldiers who enlisted to fight in the American Revolution were promised a minimum of 100 acres of land for their service. However, this wasn't tempting enough for some and because by 1781 they had only enlisted about half the quota set by Congress, the payment was increased to 600-5,500 acres, depending on rank. (Update: Read below map for more details). To my surprise, at least ten of my ancestors fought in the American Revolution . This explains how they ended up in Central New York, primarily in Cortland, Tompkins and Cayuga Counties! The Military Tract encompassed all of Cortland County, Cayuga County, Onondaga County, Seneca County, as well as parts of Tompkins County, Oswego County, Schuyler County and Wayne County. Lots were drawn in 1791 and they were required to settle the land by 1799. Most of the soldiers were from eastern New York, Massachusetts and the rest of New England and many sold their lots instead of relocating. Of course there were disputes, mostly caused by swindlers "selling" land that did not belong to them. Some buyers arrived and found out they had been duped when others proved ownership of the land. The townships which were created from the Military Tract were surveyed and named after classical Greek and Roman names, as well as famous authors, as shown here. These towns for very large and were eventually divided and subdivided. Choose a town for details and possible resources for finding more information about the place and the people who lived there: From Onondaga's Centennial Gleanings 1. Aurelius (#8) 2. Brutus (#4) 3. Camillus (#5) 4. Cato (#33) 5. Cicero (#6) 6. Cincinnatus (#25) 7. Dryden (#23) 8. Fabius (#15) 9. Galen (#27) 10. Hannibal (#2) 11. Hector (#21) 12. Homer (#19) 13. Junius (#26) 14. Locke (#18) 15. Lysander (#1) 16. Manlius (#7) 17. Marcellus (#9) 18. Milton (#17) 19. Ovid (#16) 20. Pompey (#10) 21. Romulus (#11) 22. Scipio (#12) 23. Sempronius (#13) 24. Solon (#20) 25. Sterling (#28) 26. Tully (#14) 27. Ulysses (#22) 28. Virgil (#24) This map was printed in History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins, and Schuyler Counties, New York with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers . Check the resource for your ancestors if they lived in these places! Click here to see more useful genealogy tips and resources including military records ! #newyork #upstate #centralnewyork #cny #militarytract #americanrevolution #revolutionaryland #bountyland #veterans #american

From The History of Lewis County, New York; with biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, by Franklin B. Hough, 1883, we can learn a fair deal about the Leonards of Lowville, Lewis County, New York . JAMES L. LEONARD The first that is known of this family name is John Leonard, who lived in Springfield, Mass., and who is supposed to have emigrated from Bilstan, county of Stanford, England, about 1639. The first adventurers from England to this country who were skilled in the forged iron manufacture were two brothers, James and Henry Leonard, who came to the town of Raynham, Massachusetts, in the year 1652, which was about two years after the first settlers had established themselves upon this spot. In that same year these brothers built here the first forge in America. Henry not long after moved from this place to the Jerseys, where he settled. James, who was the progenitor from whom sprang the whole race of the Leonards here , lived and died in this town [Raynham]. He came from Pontipool, in Monmouthshire, England, and brought with him his son Thomas , then a mere lad, who afterward worked at the bloomery art with his father in the forge. Within a mile and a quarter of this forge was a pond known as Fawling Pond, on the north side of which once stood King Philip's house, where he used to spend the hunting season. Philip and these Leonards were on friendly terms and often traded with each other. Such was Philip's friendship that when his war broke out in 1675, he gave strict orders to his warriors never to molest the Leonards. During that war, two houses near the forge were constantly garrisoned, and one of these was built by James Leonard long before King Philip's war. The generations of the family were John Leonard, 1 ; Josiah, 2; Reuben, 3; Elias, 4; James Harvey, 5. James Harvey Leonard was the father of James L. , the subject of this sketch. He was born in West Springfield, Mass., September 22, 1780, and died in Syracuse, N. Y., March 14, 1845. He came to Lowville with his cousin, Stephen Leonard, in 1804, on horseback from Skaneateles, N. Y., where they had been employed as clerks in stores . The rude aspect of the country at first discouraged them, but they were made of sturdy material and determined to stay. James H. began business in Lowville in 1804, and in January, 1805, was joined by Stephen Leonard. This firm became widely known through Northern New York. They supplied rations to troops passing through the country, and in embargo times were largely engaged in business transactions with Canada. James H. Leonard continued in the firm just a quarter of a century. He was a prominent and public spirited man, and among the foremost in every measure of public utility. He was an original trustee of the Lowville Academy, and an elder in the Presbyterian church. He was also postmaster at Lowville many years. His remains were interred at Lowville . His wife was Mary Parish, daughter of Captain John Parish, (lost at sea,) of Branford, Conn. They were married in May, 1805. She was born July 10, 1785, and died in Lowville, May 19, 1871, aged 86 years . Leonard burial plot on Findagrave From an humble beginning as a merchant's clerk, and with no advantages or opportunities derived from patronage or influence of others, but gifted with foresight and financial tact which proved adequate for his station, he gradually acquired, by a course of honorable dealing and prudent management, what is regarded with us as a large estate. Naturally liberal, enterprising and public spirited, he every year found new occasions for the promotion of some new measure of public utility, and he appeared to take an honest pride in witnessing and promoting the prosperity of every interest which tended to advance the moral, intellectual and social condition of those around him. His influence was felt throughout the growing spheres of his business relations, and our people had learned to place confidence in his opinions and to seek his aid and counsel in whatever tended to the public good. James Loren Leonard was the fifth and youngest son of James Harvey Leonard, and was born in Lowville on the 5th of June, 1821. Of the five brothers and three sisters, but one, Mr. Francis K. Leonard, now remains of this family. The subject of this sketch received his education at the Lowville Academy, and is remembered as an industrious student, especially fond of mathematics, obedient and attentive to all his duties. The limited means of his father, arising from a pecuniary loss, prevented him from attempting a more extended course of study, and at the age of seventeen he entered the store of J. P. Ellis, at Carthage, N. Y., as a merchant clerk. A few months after, he entered the store of the late William L. Easton of the village of Lowville, as a clerk, and after serving about seven years in this capacity became a partner with a one-third interest in the establishment. With a natural aptitude for financial management that expanded to meet the growing spheres of his opportunities, Mr. Leonard at an early stage of his business career, began to lay those foundations of confidence and esteem in the public mind which time only served to strengthen and confirm. While with Mr. Easton, Mr. Leonard entered the Bank of Lowville and on the 11th day of April, 1840, he appeared as book-keeper. He was appointed teller on the 19th of June, 1841, and on the 1st of April, 1846, he was elected cashier. He was chosen Vice-President, April 19, 1855, and on the 19th of September, 1857, became President of the bank. This office he held at the time of his death. For several years Mr. Leonard had a pecuniary interest in the clothing store at Lowville, conducted by D. A. Smith. This interest had previously been represented by his brother-in-law, Mr. Loren M. Brown, at whose death he assumed it. At an early period of his connection with the bank, he began to buy up stock as opportunities offered and his means allowed, until nearly the whole was owned by himself and Mr. Easton, and finally, in 1856, Mr. Leonard purchased the larger interest of his associate and became almost sole proprietor of the institution. At an early period in the history of the bank, a part of its capital had been invested in the State bonds of Arkansas, and subsequently fell to a merely nominal value, and in consequence of this decline, the bank stock was for several years much depressed, and although its credit was maintained, the stockholders received no returns from their investments. By prudent management this error was gradually retrieved, and the capital, placed on a sound basis, began to yield its due returns to its owners. The financial crisis of 1857, was felt by the Bank of Lowville, in common with all others, and led Mr. Leonard to apply for the appointment of a receiver to close up its business; but the general suspension of banks throughout the country, which occurred simultaneously stayed the proceedings, and as the assets were much above its liabilities, no serious apprehensions of ultimate loss were entertained. The injunction was granted by Judge Hubbard on the 1oth of October of that year, and dissolved by Judge Denio on the 27th. The Hon. De Witt C. West was, during this brief period, the Receiver. As a proof of the confidence of his fellow citizens in the integrity of Mr. Leonard and in the stability of his bank, it should in this connection be recorded that at a public meeting held in Lowville on the 13th of October, it was agreed to receive the bills at par as usual, and no serious embarrassment occurred in consequence of this momentary shock. The bank did not commence a single suit against its customers during the crisis and lost no debts from discounts during that period. Of Mr. Leonard's business habits, financial tact in the management of the bank of Lowville, and public and domestic life, the writer of a notice in the Lewis County Democrat of January 30, 1867, who is understood to have been the Hon. D. C. West, says: "Since his connection with the chief financial institution of the country, his reputation and acquaintances have been co-extensive with the country, and indeed in some of his financial operations he discharged practically some of the duties which but for the enlarged confidence reposed in him by the county officials would more properly have devolved upon the county officers themselves. His management as a banker was commendable. With a sharp eye to the interests of its owners, it is believed that no undue advantage of necessitous creditors was ever taken by him. We remember no "Dummy" or other devices (which occasionally degrades the true banker, into the shaver and usurer) on the part of Mr. Leonard as a condition for loans, and his honorable management in that respect gave a high character to his business operations." Of the bank of Lowville, in operation as the chief financial institution in Lewis county, since July 1, 1839, Mr. Leonard was teller from June 19, 1844, to April 1, 1846, and cashier from last named date to September 19, 1857. In 1852, he became the purchaser and was interested in stock of the late I. W. Bostwick to the extent of six hundred and twenty-nine shares : and in 1853, to one hundred and eighty-five shares, or about $37,000, and after that period became the owner of the entire capital stock of the bank, except in so far as requisite to maintain its organization. The Valley bank was organized in 1851, with a circulation of $60,287 and the Bank of the People in 1852, with a circulation of $40,480, by Mr. Leonard as individual banks at Lowville. The former was disposed of and the latter wound up voluntarily. These banks were all organized under the general State banking laws of New York. Successful in the rapid accumulation of wealth, he was a leading contributor to almost every subscription paper here circulated. To the religious and educational institutions, like the men of our town preceding him, he was the firm friend, undaunted by opposition, undismayed by disaster. Usually placid, he gradually controlled those associated with him without difficulty. Associated and active in almost every enterprise of a public character, his loss even at this time cannot be over-estimated to this county in a business or social point of view. He left no issue. For a brief period only glided the smooth current of domestic joy. A wedded life of a few months closed by the untimely death of his youthful bride. To his aged mother (now deceased) and more immediate relatives and friends, his constant solicitude and charities were given ending only with existence. Fond of travel, and partaking largely of the National spirit which carried our country through the crisis of the Rebellion, he was one of the few from this country at the restoration of the flag exercises at Fort Sumter, the review of our armies at Washington at the close of the war, visiting also Richmond in its desolation and the unleveled and abandoned defenses about Petersburg. The dangerous financial condition of the country in the winter of 1859 and '60 alone prevented his journeying through the South and to the Isthmus, and he was looking forward to the relief from active business in a brief period, when he might have perhaps indulged his declared wish to travel on the Continent. James L. Leonard was no common man. This will be more apparent when we consider that he died young. Had he been permitted to go on accumulating his strength for twenty years to come as he had for the last ten, he would have become a power in the land. His will met few obstacles it did not conquer. He could enjoy the convivialities of social life without becoming degraded by its dissipations. He could devote himself to the duties of religion without being a bigot. He could rapidly accumulate wealth and still keep his heart and hand open as day for meeting charity. In a word, he could live for himself much and still live for others more. No such life as his is ever lost to the world. When a man dies, some sort of subtle influence seems to follow it which vivifies the coming years with the spirit of progress. Already the citizens of Lowville have taken fresh interest in the improvements which he projected, and had near his heart, and seem to accept them as trusts which they must execute in accordance with his wishes. Through many discouragements and trials, he pursued his even course along the rugged way which leads from poverty to affluence-unsullied by passion, untarnished by guile-and was stricken down in life's meridian with his labors seemingly half accomplished; yet in his two score and seven he accomplished much more than most men do who are blessed with their three score and ten. Mr. Leonard conducted his business to the common advancement of his own interests and those of the public generally, and as his means increased his native generosity and public spirit expanded to meet the growing impulses of a noble soul. The erection of a session room in 1853, and the latter costly renovation of the Presbyterian church of Lowville are largely due to his beneficent aid and early counsels. In 1860, Mr. Leonard took an active part in the enlargement of the building of the Lowville Academy, setting a noble example by a heavy subscription, lending funds from his ample means sufficient for the occasion, and devoting much time to business details. The publication of the history of Lewis county by F. B. Hough, in 1860, was almost entirely due to Mr. Leonard, who, with persevering industry, and entirely without expectation of pecuniary reward, secured a subscription sufficient to justify the expense of the undertaking. His mind was admirably fitted to enjoy historical inquiries, and he took especial pleasure in the collection and preservation of memorials of the early settlement of the county. His files of county newspapers were almost complete, and his knowledge of the local and personal history of the town and county was extensive. The formation of a County Historical Society was a subject he had much at heart. Plans were often discussed with those of a kindred spirit, and there is no occasion to doubt but that a suitable hall for a public library and cabinet, and for the preservation of memorials of the pioneers of our valley, would have been erected within a few years, and mainly at his own expense, had his life been spared. His lamented death before the execution of any part of the plan should impose upon surviving friends a kind remembrance of this intention and lead to its realization at the earliest practicable period. Upon the outbreak of the late war few persons felt a deeper interest in the final triumph of the National arms. He was an ardent patriot in spirit, and confident in the final issues of the right. His private aid to those enlisting in the services was frequently bestowed entirely without ostentation, and often known to none but those receiving it. He was one of a committee appointed at an early period in the town of Lowville to raise funds for the support of the families of soldiers and he subsequently served on other committees formed to promote the success of the cause. At an early stage in the conflict he expressed his confidence in the stability of our government by advancing money for its stock when pecuniary means were most needed, and the final issue of events most doubtful. The stocks eventually proved to be a highly remunerative investment, but they were taken in the darkest hour of the Republic, when to the common obs erver lowering clouds and thick darkness overhung the future and cast a dismal gloom over the present. Although thus incidentally enriched by the war, he will never be mentioned with those who watched the tide of events and waited till success was manifest and doubts were dissipated. He reasoned correctly that bonds and obligations upon property or against individuals were only good so far as government gave origin and effect to laws for their enforcement, and that whatever tended to weaken or destroy this, aimed at the vital elements of the social compact and hastened to aid the speedy and certain overthrow of every institution and of every interest. Mr. Leonard was from the first, an earnest advocate of measures tending to secure the construction of a railroad through the valley, urging its importance upon every occasion, hiring engineers to run partial lines in search of feasible routes, and liberally subscribing for all expenses of preliminary measures. A few months before his death he was appointed in conjunction with Senator O'Donnell and Hon. De Witt C. West as a committee to ascertain the final terms of the Utica and Black River Railroad Company for extending their line to this village, and had his life been spared he would have labored with untiring zeal for the promotion of this measure. His death cast a heavy load of responsibility upon his associates and the public. He constantly regarded this road as destined to become a good investment, and had he lived he would probably have proved the sincerity of these opinions by a liberal subscription to its stock. In 1865, after fruitless efforts to procure a telegraphic connection with this village, Mr. Leonard, upon his own account, made a contract for the erection of poles between Lowville and Port Leyden, and was about procuring the wires when the Montreal Telegraph Company, judging from this proof of confidence that the line would be remunerative, assumed the contract and completed the communication. He had previously made unsuccessful appeals to the proprietors of connecting lines, and had it not been for his enterprise Lowville might not yet have realized this great public benefit. For many years he had cherished the project of a Rural Cemetery adjacent to our village, and about 1861, he purchased the then only available grounds for this purpose. A few days before his death the measure was again brought forward under his encouraging advice. Preliminary meetings were held and the day but one before his death he conversed long and cheerfully with a friend on this subject. An Association was finally formed on the evening of the day he died, and it became the sad duty of loving friends, as the first business transaction to pass resolutions of sorrow at the sad bereavement occasioned by his death. On opening his will he is found to have bequeathed lands for cemetery purposes, and to have provided that the income arising from the sale of lots should be entirely expended in improving and beautifying the grounds. Mr. Leonard was for many years a member of the Presbyterian church and society, and at the time of his death was a trustee in common with his generous and earnest friend, Giles C. Easton, who died on the evening of the same day with Mr. Leonard, and who had been closely associated through life in various social and business relations. United in life and in death, the names of James L. Leonard and Giles C. Easton will long claim the grateful remembrance of our citizens. Upon the death of Isaac W. Bostwick, in 1857, Mr. Leonard was chosen a trustee of Lowville Academy, and he was one of the most active and laborious members of the Board. Having repeatedly given for the benefit of the academy, he provided in his will for a further bequest of $10,000, and a residuary interest of one-fifth in his estate to aid its endowment. During the last few weeks of his life, Mr. Leonard was excessively burdened with business cares. The completion of a noble block of buildings at a central point in the village of Lowville, intended in part for his bank, an unexpected complication of business from an endowment for others which he was called upon to meet, and above all, a constant and exhausting solicitude for the health of his aged and feeble mother, with whom he watched with the tenderest devotion, proved altogether too much for a constitution not naturally rugged, and for several days before he gave up business he was a fit subject for a physician's care. On Sunday, the 20th of January, 1867, he was obliged to acknowledge himself too sick to leave his room, and his symptoms assumed the form of typhoid fever with congestion. He was still unwilling to take active medicine, and he said he could not afford to be sick least his mother should need his care. His condition was not considered dangerous until Friday, when he became delirious. Diphtheritic symptoms appeared and he rapidly sank until death closed the scene at four o'clock on the afternoon of Saturday, the 26th of January, 1867. Mr. Leonard was married on the 25th of January, 1858, to Miss Mary M. Willard, only daughter of General Joseph A. Willard, of Lowville, who died on the 11th of August, following their marriage. Mr. Leonard never again married, and to the last, evinced toward the parents of his loving bride, that tender regard which proved the earnestness of his affection and the permanent impression which this loss had occasioned. In the spring of 1865, Mr. Leonard made an excursion to Charleston, South Carolina, as one of a party on board the steamship Oceanus, to witness the raising of the American flag upon Fort Sumter. Before leaving home upon this journey, he drew up a will which was found among his papers after his death, and which was to govern the distribution of his estate. Had this instrument been reviewed a month before his death, his increasing means and more recent events might have led to a somewhat different disposition of his estate. As it was, the citizens of his native county, town and village, had lasting and substantial reasons for cherishing a lively gratitude for his munificence and a tender regard for his memory. Source: History of Lewis County, New York; with...biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, by Hough, Franklin Benjamin, 1883 [ Link ] Are you related to James Harvey Leonard? Learn more about the family on Wikitree and add your branches ! Click here to learn about my branch of the Leonard family .

The brick wall in my ancestry is my 2nd great-grandfather, Charles Russell Leonard. He was reportedly born in Union Springs, New York, in 1830, but finding evidence of this has been much like looking for something in the dark. Learning about the places our ancestors lived can prove helpful, though, providing valuable clues about early settlers, churches, industries, and people. This article I found in Yesteryears, Volume 26, was written by Temple R. Hollcroft (1889-1967), former Historian of Cayuga County. It gives us a rare glimpse into life in the early days of Union Springs. Aside from the names of the early settlers, other clues that may prove useful in researching ancestors from Union Springs are highlighted for emphasis. A BRIEF HISTORY OF UNION SPRINGS By Temple R. Hollcroft (1889-1967) Former Historian of Cayuga County, N. Y. Yesteryears, Volume 26 #3 As the name implies, Cayuga County was originally the home of the Cayuga Indian Nation, one of the six nations in the League of the Iroquois. According to Indian tradition, this league had been organized about 1500 by Hiawatha, an Indian "superman" of the Onondaga Nation. It first contained the five nations, Oneida, Mohawk, Onondaga, and Seneca, and in 1713 a kindred nation, the Tuscarora, was added. The Iroquois were steadfast allies of the British against the French in the wars preceding the Revolution, and during the Revolution, with the exception of some of the Oneidas, they fought on the side of the British. In the autumn of 1779, to put an end to the raids on the white settlements by the Indians, General Washington sent General John Sullivan to crush the Cayuga and Seneca nations and lay waste their territory. The principal Cayuga village, Goioguen, called Cayuga Castle, was just north of Great Gully. Its site is now in the southern part of Springport. This village and all others were destroyed with all of the crops ready for harvesting or already stored for the winter. The soldiers even chopped down most of the fruit trees. The Indians of this area all fled to near Buffalo where the British supported them during the following winter. Union Springs, Cayuga Co., New York Very few of the Cayugas returned after the Revolution. In 1788 the State of New York purchased all of the Cayuga Nation's territory except an area called the Cayuga Reservation along the foot of Lake Cayuga and Seneca River, extending four miles back from the lake on both sides and from Aurora to Montezuma. The southern boundary of the Cayuga Reservation is the road from Aurora to Sherwood. The eastern boundary of this reservation is now the eastern boundary of the Town of Springport. In 1788, John Harris came to Cayuga and started a ferry across the foot of the lake. On the map of the Cayuga Reservation, the road which is now Route 90, went only to Cayuga where it connected with the Genesee Road on the east and Cayuga Ferry on the west. In 1800 the first Cayuga Bridge was completed. More than a mile long, it was at that time the longest bridge in the world. In 1788, Roswell Franklin and his party surveyed lands now in the northern part of Aurora and moved there with their families in March, 1789, to form the first settlement in Cayuga County. On March 5, 1794, Onondaga County was organized. It originally contained all of the Military Tract, an area of more than two million acres set aside by the State Legislature to be given the soldiers of the Revolution as a reward for their services. The original Onondaga County contained all of the four counties, Cayuga, Cortland, Onondaga and Seneca, and parts of the four, Oswego, Schuyler, Tompkins and Wayne. The first county seat of Onondaga County was Aurora (or Scipio as the village was called until 1795). The courts were held alternately at Cayuga Bridge and Aurora until 1804 after which all were held at Aurora. On March 8, 1799, Cayuga County was formed from the western three fifths of Onondaga County, with Aurora its first county seat. The original Cayuga County contained almost exactly the ancestral lands of the Cayuga Indian Nation - all of the present Cayuga and Seneca counties and parts f Tompkins, Schuyler, and Wayne. In 1804, Seneca County was taken off and in 1817, Tompkins County. As you know, Cayuga County now contains 23 towns outside of Auburn. The boundary of the present Cayuga County contains only two of the eleven original towns of the Military Tract and part of another, that is Aurelius, Scipio and the north half of Milton. From Aurelius has been formed the towns: Sterling, Victory, Ira, Conquest, Cato, Montezuma, Mentz, Auburn, Brutus, Throop, Sennett, Aurelius, Owasco, Fleming, and the north two thirds of Springport. From Scipio: Scipio, Ledyard, Venice, Niles, Moravia, Sempronius, and the south one third of Springport. From Milton: Genoa, Locke, Summerhill. Springport is the only town of Cayuga County formed from portions of two of the original towns. The village of Union Springs also lies in both of these two original towns, and also about twice as much in Aurelius as in Scipio. The first settlements at Union Springs were on Lot 98 of the Cayuga Reservation, the lot of Aurelius farthest south that is on the lake. The village has since spread north into lots 97 and 92 of Aurelius and south into lot 103 of the Reservation end of Scipio. Springport is also the only town of Cayuga County formed entirely from lands of the Cayuga Reservation. Union Springs, as you well know, was named for the two large springs in the village. Attracted by these springs as a source of water power, there were attempts to settle this vicinity in 1789, but, on complaint of the Indians, the settlers were ejected by the state authorities. However, Edward Richardson came about 1790-91, dammed the north spring and built a small grist mill run by water power. Frederick Gearhart, a blacksmith, came about 1790 and settled on lot 109 east of Union Springs. Thomas Thompson also came in October, 1790, with four sons and five daughters and settled just south of the village. There is no adequate explanation of why the Indians allowed these settlers to remain on their reservation while they had the settlers dispossessed who had come only a year earlier. In 1795, the Indians sold all of the Cayuga Reservation to the State except the Cayuga Residence Reservation extended about two miles back from the lake and from lot 103 south to Great Gully. It included the site of Cayuga Castle. The lots in it contain only about 1/4 square mile while most lots in the other parts of the Cayuga Reservation as in the Military Tract average one square mile each. In 1791 there were about 600 Indians living on the Cayuga Reservation. When it was sold to the State in 1795, most of the Indians moved to reservations near Buffalo except those living on the Residence Reservation. The Residence Reservation contained the point of land then called "Long Point", now Farley's Point. The last Indians who lived near here had their homes on Farley's Point. This was a band of about 30 Tuscaroras whose chief had the Indian name, Kanistagia, which in English means, Steel Trap. After Steel Trap died about 1800, they moved to near Buffalo. In 1794, James Crane came from New Jersey on foot and began farming about two miles N.E. of Union Springs. For ten years, he tended his farm during the spring, summer and fall, walking back to New Jersey to spend the winter, and walking to his farm again the next spring. Finally, in 1804, he brought his family by oxteam, the trip requiring 17 days. Jesse Davis came in 1799 from Pennsylvania and built a log mill with one run of stone on Yawger's Creek. One of his mill wrights was George McFarland who married a daughter of Thomas Thompson. In 1800 James Carr came from Johnston, Pa., and settled about 1-1/2 miles south of the village where his descendants now live. His son, Hartman Carr, was one year old when he came here with his father. Also about 1800, Dr. John Mosher came from Washington Co., John Earl from Newport, R.I., James Barker from Rensselaer Co. and Gilbert Weed from Saratoga Co. John Earl was a brother-in-law of Wm. S. Burling, a Quaker minister who lived at the corner of Cayuga and Chapel Sts. Barker, Burling and Earl owned both springs for a time. Later Burling and Earl retained the north spring and mill and Barker used the south spring to run a fulling mill. In 1816 he sold the fulling mill to Philip Winegar who had come from Dutchess Co. the year before on foot. Winegar soon added a grist mill and a saw mill at the south spring. John Nutt came from Vermont about 1800 and settled about two miles east of the village. Philip Yawger came from New Jersey in 1801 with six sons and four daughters. One son, Peter Yawger, was a number of the Assembly in 1827 and 1831, and an unsuccessful candidate for Congress in 1840. He built the Yawger Tavern about three miles north of the village. In 1809 the first plaster bed was discovered on Philip Yawger's farm. This was gypsum or calcium sulphate from which Plaster of Paris is made. This had been imported heretofore from Nova Scotia, but when that supply was cut off during the War of 1812 the "Cayuga Plaster", as it was called, came into extensive use and provided a profitable industry for many years. Humphrey Hunt came from Orange Co. in 1805 and settled one mile south of Union Springs. He was in Sullivan's army in 1779 and was with the troops that destroyed the Cayuga Villages on the east side of Lake Cayuga. Ichabod Clark, Amos Howland, Thomas Collins, William Cozzens, William Taver and Elam Anthony all came before 1815. The first merchant in Union Springs was Laban Hoskins from Genoa who opened a store in 1810. Dr. John Mosher, William Cozzens and Asa Burnham were partners in a store beginning in 1815. Philip Winegar and a son Eseck Winegar opened a store in 1822. Daniel Mersereau from Staten Island began a general merchandise store in 1830 which was continued for many years by his descendants. George H. Ham had a general store at Hamburg, a small hamlet named for him near the limestone quarries about three fourths mile south of Union Springs. He moved his store to Union Springs in 1836, hut failed after a few years. It is not possible to give a complete account of the business houses and business men of Union Springs in a brief talk. A Post Office was established in Union Springs in 1811. Dr. John Mosher was the first postmaster and continued in that office for 30 years. He was also the first physician in the village. He practiced from 1800 until his nephew, Dr. Stephen Mosher came in 1817. When the town of Springport was formed from Aurelius and Scipio in 1823 , the citizens held a town meeting at the Inn of John Yawger, April 1, 1823, and elected the first town officers. The first town supervisor was William Cozzens and the first town Clerk, Wm. G. Harkness. The village of Union Springs was incorporated Nov. 8, 1848, and originally contained 1086.85 acres. In 1877 the western boundary of the village was extended to the middle of Lake Cayuga. (It is not recorded how many under-water acres that added.) The first village officers elected January 16, 1849 were: Eseck M. Winegar, President; John C. Yawger, Treasurer and John Griffing, Clerk. Frontenac Island is well within the western boundary of Union Springs. It evidently was an Indian burial ground. The island was deeded to the Village of Union Springs in April, 1856, by the New York State Legislature, to be used as a park. It was cleared of underbrush and walks and seats added, but these have not been kept in repair. This island is of particular interest because it is the only one in any of the Finger Lakes. Apparently Union Springs was a peaceful place, legally, for quite a while after it was founded. No lawyer lived here until 1845. The first one was Caleb Winegar who practiced here from 1845 to 1870. Union Springs is noted for the large number of newspapers and periodicals published here. Beginning with "The Cayuga Tocsin" established December 25, 1811, by Royall T. Chamberlain, there were thirteen published in Union Springs at various times up to June 14, 1866, when the 14th "The Union Springs Advertiser", was started by James B. Hoff. This weekly continued until a few years ago. There were several steamboats on Lake Cayuga carrying both passengers and freight, from the Enterprise in 1818 to the Frontenac which burned near Dill's Cove in July, 1907. There were ferries across the lake at various points, but Union Springs had the only steam ferry boat, the small steamer, R.B. Howland. Canal boats also carried freight to and from New York City and points along the Erie Canal via the Cayuga and Seneca Canal connecting Lake Cayuga with the Erie Canal at Montezuma. The Cayuga Lake Railroad along the eastern shore of Lake Cayuga from Ithaca to Cayuga was completed in 1872. One of its chief promoters and a director was J.J. Thomas. The railroad proved to be a losing proposition, however, and in the latter seventies it was sold to the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The passenger service was discontinued in 1947 and the present branch through Union Springs runs only form Auburn to Aurora. One of the most important early factories was the Cayuga Plaster Co. In 1875 this factory gave employment to more than fifty men in the quarries and mills, for about two thirds of each year. This factory produced from 30,000 to 40,000 tons of plaster annually. The Cayuga Plaster Co. was owned in 1875 by Clinton T. Backus, James Fitch, R.B. Howland, B. Robinson and R.B. Robinson. A branch of the First National Bank of Aurora is to be opened here at Union Springs in the near future. The First National Bank of Union Springs, however, was organized February 4, 1864, exactly one month before the First National Bank of Aurora was organized. The bank opened for business in April of that year. The bank building was the business building farthest north on Cayuga Street. The first officers were: John C. Yawger, President; Albert Beardsley, Vice-President and Benjamin Howland, Cashier. The original capital was $50,000, increased to $100,000 on January 16, 1865. The old stone mill, 65 by 84 feet, with four stories and a basement, was built in 1840 by George Howland of New Bedford, Mass., the father of R.B. Howland. Originally a grist mill, it had five runs of stone. The mill was run by water power for about eight months of the year and during the winter by a 50-horse power steam engine. To build and furnish the mill cost $40,000, a large sum in those days. Union Springs also had an Agricultural Works in 1875 owned by J.O. Spencer. In 1878 he built ten threshing machines and 25 steam engines. There was also the New York Central Planing Mill owned and operated by the Courtney Brothers. Union Springs has also been noted for its schools and the excellent consolidated school you have now is a worthy successor. The Friends' Academy was founded in 1858 and a brick building 135' long with three stories and a basement to accommodate 100 students was erected at a cost of $20,000 raised by subscription. It has incorporated by the State Regents in 1860. Several additions were made to the building. In 1875 the name was changed to Oakwood Seminary. The lecturer in natural sciences at that time was J.J. Thomas, a son of the well known pioneer scientist, David Thomas. The Howland School was first begun in 1863 as The Young Ladies' Institute by R.B. Howland, who bought the Philip Winegar homestead for $6000 and built some additions. When George Howland, R.B. Howland's father died, he bequested the sum of $50,000 for the "thorough, moral, intellectual and religious training of young females." The trustees of this fund took over the Institute and re-established it as the Howland School. About 1872 a 4-story brick addition was built. The Howland School offered a full collegiate course in the classics, mathematics and the languages. It attained a high degree of excellence, but as a description of it at that time stated, "It languishes for want of support." In 1875 there were seven churches in Union Springs; Presbyterian, Friends, Christian, Baptist, Methodist, Catholic and Episcopal. Since all of them cannot be included in this talk, only an account of the oldest one will be given. The First Presbyterian Church of Springport was formed Sept. 7, 1801, at the home of Ichabod Wilkinson in the present Town of Fleming. It was originally a Congregational Church. Its first pastor was Rev. Jacob Cram who was also an early pastor of the First Church of Milton. The First Congregational Society of Aurelius was organized May 21, 1802, about one mile south of Half Acre. This was one of the churches of the Middle Association of Congregational Churches of New York. It was later taken into the Presbytery of Cayuga as the First Presbyterian Church of Aurelius with other churches of the vicinity that had originated as Congregational Churches. When Springport was formed in 1823, this church became the First Presbyterian Church of Springport. This church is the third oldest church in Cayuga County. The oldest is the First Presbyterian Church of Genoa organized in 1798 as the First Congregational Church of Milton. The second oldest is the Presbyterian Church of Aurora organized in 1800 as the First Congregational Church of Scipio. From the First Presbyterian Church of Aurelius (now Springport) were formed three churches: the Presbyterian Church of Sennett, the First Presbyterian Church of Auburn, and the First Presbyterian Church of Cayuga. The first church building was built in 1816 about two miles north of Union Springs. The present building in which this meeting is being held was erected in 1840. The first installed pastor of this church was Rev. David Higgins, a Congregational minister, whose installation was, according to the historian, Hotchkin, "the first instance of such an occurrence in the Military Tract." At this time, Cayuga County was in the Presbytery of Geneva. The Presbytery of Cayuga was formed in 1807 from the Presbytery of Geneva. On September 11, 1803, the Presbytery of Geneva was opened with a sermon by Rev. David Higgins, the Congregational pastor of the First Church of Aurelius. During this meeting, this question was discussed: "Can the Presbytery consistently receive as a constituent member a minister belonging to an Association without his discontinuing his connection with the Association?" The answer was unanimously, "Yes", and immediately thereafter, the Rev. David Higgins, Pastor of the First Church of Aurelius, and Rev. Hezekiah Woodruff, Pastor of the First Church of Scipio, both congregational ministers in Congregational churches, were received as full members of the Geneva Presbytery. This was an excellent example of Interdenominational tolerance and cooperation. These are only some of the main points in the history of your town and village. There is much more of interest and I trust that some one some time will incorporate it all in a complete history. The Historian of Union Springs and of the Town of Springport, Mrs. Ethel Flinn, has many more of the interesting details than I have. You have a beautiful setting here for a village. I did not realize until I went abroad that our scenery here is just as beautiful as theirs, the difference being that we do not need to play it up as an asset. The view across the Lake with Frontenac Island in the foreground cannot be matched even on any of the other lakes of the celebrated Finger Lakes region. Edward Richardson dammed the north spring and built his mill here more than a year before John Hardenberg came to Hardenberg's Corners to build his mill on Lake Owasco Outlet and to become the first settler of Auburn. Hence Union Springs is one of the oldest villages in Cayuga County. Your village is not only beautiful in its setting, but rich in its heritage.   Yesteryears, Volume 26 #3 .

In the past, I've researched and shared passenger lists of those who came to the Plymouth Bay Colony on The Mayflower in 1620, The Fortune in 1621, and The Anne & Little James in 1623, but there were several other English and Dutch settlements in America prior to the Pilgrims' arrival. The first attempt at establishing a permanent English settlement in North America was led by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1585. Called the Roanoke Colony , on Roanoke Island, a part of what is now North Carolina, the entire community mysteriously vanished by 1590. Another unsuccessful attempt was made by the Plymouth Company in 1607, at what is now Maine, called the Popham Colony. The settlers who didn’t die abandoned the settlement within 14 months. Meanwhile, the proprietors of the London Company set out to establish a colony at Jamestown, in what is now Virginia, in 1606. Three ships - The Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed, carrying about 600 people, took a four month voyage to the place they called Cape Henry, arriving on April 26, 1607. They arrived in the middle of a severe drought and too late in the season to plant crops. They lacked fresh water suitable for drinking and the land was swampy and infested with mosquitoes. Making matters worse, many of the men were gentlemen, unaccustomed to the hard physical labor necessary to build a colony. For these reasons, about two-thirds of the settlers died within the first two years from starvation, disease and warfare with nearby native tribes. There were only about 200 people left in the colony in 1608 when Capt. Christopher Newport brought the First and Second Supply missions with supplies and more settlers, including German and Polish craftsmen. The following year, in June of 1609, the Third Supply launched from Plymouth, England, destined for Jamestown. The 300-ton Sea Venture was the flagship of a seven-ship fleet towing two additional pinnaces and carrying 500 to 600 people and supplies. The passenger list is shown below. On July 24, 1609, the fleet ran into a strong storm, possibly a hurricane, and Sea Venture was separated from the fleet. The storm ravaged the ship for three days and caused severe leaking inside the ship. After a week of struggling to stay afloat, they finally spotted land, and aimed for the marshy shores of Bermuda, which was uninhabited at the time. Approximately 150 people were stranded there for the next 9 months. The Sea Venture was featured on Bermuda Stamps in the early 1900s. You can find these collectible stamps on Amazon or Ebay. Excerpt from "Stamps and Ships", by James Watson, 1959 ( Link ): While stranded in Bermuda, they utilized salvaged parts from the Sea Venture , along with local timber and natural resources to construct two boats, the Patience and Deliverance , to proceed with their voyage to Virginia. Many of the people preferred to stay at Bermuda, after hearing of the hardships at Jamestown, but they were forced to continue there anyway. (Source: Kelly, Joseph (2019). "How the Survivor of a 1609 Shipwreck Brought Democracy to America: Stephen Hopkins, Colonist at Both Jamestown and Plymouth, Proposed a Government Based on Consent of the Governed"). Three men are known to have stayed on the island but 137 passengers and crew set sail for Virginia on May 10, 1610, arriving at the Jamestown settlement on the 23rd, a journey of 13 days. It is said that upon arrival they found only 60 people survived, and they all boarded the ships to return to England, defeated. On their way back down the James River, however, they met with Baron De La Warre (Lord Delaware), who was arriving with another fleet, food, supplies, and a doctor. He was able to convince the settlers to stay at Jamestown. They weren't out of the woods yet, though. It is said that 80% of the settlers at Jamestown died in the Sickness of 1610. Jamestown served as the colonial capital from 1616 until 1699, when Williamsburg (2.5 miles from Jamestown) was made the capital. Did you have an ancestor who came to America on the Sea Venture? Feel free to share in the comments below! Also, you can find a commemorative copy of the Sea Venture Passenger List on Etsy or Amazon . ( Print the downloadable copy yourself today on Etsy ). Use it to reflect on their journey and share their epic story! Known Passengers of the Sea Venture: Christopher Newport Sir George Somers Henry Ravens Robert Frobisher Rev Richard Bucke Robert Walsingham Henry Bagwell Nicholas Bennit William Brian Jeffrey Briars Christopher Carter Edward Chard Joseph Chard Baby Bermuda Eason Edward Eason Mistress Eason Sir Thomas Gates Thomas Godby George Grave William Hitchman Stephen Hopkins Mistress Horton Elizabeth Joons Samuel Jordan Silvester Jourdain Richard Knowles Miss Langley Richard Lewis John Lytefoote William Martin Henry Paine Francis Pearepoint Elizabeth Persons William Pierce Thomas Powell John Proctor Humfrey Reede Robert Rich Bermuda Rolfe John Rolfe Mistress Rolfe Edward Samuel Samuel Sharpe Mr Henry Shelly Matthew Somers  William Strachney James Swift John Want Edward Waters Robert Waters Thomas Whittingham Sir George Yeardley Namantack Machumps & Others See also: " The Great Migration - Colonial America " Wikipedia: Sea Venture Wikipedia: Jamestown, Virginia

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