Today seems like just the perfect day to sit and go through some of the thousands pieces of papers I have collected over the years while on the hunt for my past.
In my findings today, is a letter from July 1849 in which my 3g-uncle, the Rev. Robert W HENRY (1827-1869) writes to his first cousin, Margaret D FORSYTHE (1831-1919).
To set the scene, Robert is off studying to become a Presbyterian minister, and in his own words, "spent nearly all the day in digging out theology." This is how he explains his lack of writing to his loved ones. Robert tells us he has been preaching, or trying to preach, for almost every Sabbath. He tells us he is happy. His letter quickly turns to theology before he realizes it and changes the subject.
I find the third paragraph interesting---
...But, you will say, "I hate sermon letters" if I continue thus, and therefore, I forebear, I do not wish that my letters should be a bore in any particular. Well, Cos, how is Mr. Fletcher? Is he still paying such close attention to you? Has he still a claim upon your affections? And has he laid his heart and hand and fortune and all, an offering upon the altar of your will, and at the shrine of your beauty? Has he inquired of you?........ This love is a strange thing, it seems like the enchantment of the Sorcerer, or an influence of the evil spirit, it is always brooding over the hearts and frequently crosses the roses that are blooming there, to wither and die away, like the beauty of the setting sun, for its fruits are mostly disappointments and cares.....Loving is a dangerous thing. But it may not be so with you. I would not discourage you in the least. My own experience, in part, should not be taken as an infallible index in love.....I have looked for too much perfection where there could be no hope of finding it. For to look even for comparative perfection in a lady, would be to look for a diamond in the mud........
Wow. Sounds like Uncle got burned! I wonder by whom?
While I will never know the answer to that question, I do know he did find his perfect lady in the form of Mary Emma MATTHEWS, who he married in Allegheny Co, PA, in 1851. Their time together was cut short when he died in Alexandria, Egypt, while on a voyage to the Holy Lands. His lady died of a stroke while taking a bath and drowned in 1918. They had no children.
As for Margaret, it is safe to say that the Mr. FLETCHER mentioned did not inquire of her as she married Joseph RYBURN in 1858. They had four children and died in McLean Co, IL.
Ahh, genealogy. These glimpses in to the lives of our ancestors remind us that they, too, lived, laughed and loved. So much for just the name, rank, and serial number. I need them to "come alive."
©AS Eldredge 2012
Ahhh, genealogy. A glimpse of the past shows of what I am made.....
Showing posts with label forsythe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forsythe. Show all posts
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Treasure Chest Thursday: Whirlwind of Treasure in Carnegie
In the last week or so, there has been a flurry of activity on the DOOLITTLE family of Carnegie, Allegheny, PA. It all started when I wrote a post on August 3 about cousin William James GLENN. Little did I know finding the Civil War personal war sketch at the CarnegieCarnegie site of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall in Carnegie, Allegheny, PA, could make me so happy.
Emails have been flying around since then from a descendant of Jacob DOOLITTLE (1809-1891) asking if I could assist with more documentation about his wife, Sarah CUBBAGE, and her family.
Sarah CUBBAGE was the daughter of Irishman George CUBBAGE and his wife, Nancy CALDWELL. I have not yet been able to find evidence that Nancy is one of my CALDWELL clan, but her 1791 birth in the same general neighborhood as my documented 1830ish births make it likely. To read more on CUBBAGE family, go to St Clair Cemetery.
The cool find for me in the email was the noting of the final resting place of Nancy CALDWELL CUBBAGE. She is listed at Venice Presbyterian Church Cemetery in McDonald, Washington, PA. Of more interest was noting Nancy's final resting spot uses the surname of her first husband, George CUBBAGE. My notes and research indicate she married Alexander EWING after the 1826 death of George.
A quick check with the descendant of George and Nancy confirmed what I thought I knew on the marriage to EWING.
To my knowledge, Jacob DOOLITTLE and Sarah CUBBAGE had five daughters. Two of them are of special interest to me.
Susan Belinda DOOLITTLE married into the LEA family-- that is, J W LEA of Carnegie. The LEA family was the neighbors, friends, and sometimes, spouses of my blood line. See a recent posting on Cassius M LEA, the husband of my 2g aunt.
The other daughter of Jacob and Sarah who married into my family was Martha E DOOLITTLE (1842-1907.) Martha was the wife of William James GLENN (1839-9018.)
Maggie (ah, how I love THAT name) of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall in Carnegie also contacted me to see if I could identify any of the gents in the picture they have of the Thomas Espy GAR Post as I have several cousins in that group. I took a quick look at the photo and realized that the odds of me recognizing the older men in full beards was basically little to none.
So, I started on a new journey of looking through old files and records to see if I could locate any pictures of some of these men when they were younger. I guess the folks at the library have most likely identified cousin George B FORSYTHE as my dearest cousin, his granddaughter, (yes, I know her) recently donated some more Civil War relics to the post.
I've also seen pictures of some of the GLENN men when they were younger. Could I see enough family resemblences in the pictures as they aged? I think not.
BUT-
I dug around and found some living descendants of William James GLENN! After making a phone call and leaving a message, it was now time to wait.
Today, I got the phone call. After speaking with the gentleman who confirmed his identity and his love of genealogy, my heart experienced a whirlwind of activity. Another connection to the past established! He has pictures! He has stories! And he has a cousin that he works with to research the past! Oh, glorious day!
Click to read the post that is causing such a whirlwind of activity: http://genitalesga.blogspot.com/2010/08/tombstone-tuesday-simply-i-am-survivor.html
Special note to Maggie at the library-- I hope to have some photo ids for you soon.
Ahh, genealogy. What treasures a whirlwind of new finds can be! Sometimes, it takes just a nudge from someone new to bring new energy to the hunt.
©2010 AS Eldredge
Emails have been flying around since then from a descendant of Jacob DOOLITTLE (1809-1891) asking if I could assist with more documentation about his wife, Sarah CUBBAGE, and her family.
Sarah CUBBAGE was the daughter of Irishman George CUBBAGE and his wife, Nancy CALDWELL. I have not yet been able to find evidence that Nancy is one of my CALDWELL clan, but her 1791 birth in the same general neighborhood as my documented 1830ish births make it likely. To read more on CUBBAGE family, go to St Clair Cemetery.
The cool find for me in the email was the noting of the final resting place of Nancy CALDWELL CUBBAGE. She is listed at Venice Presbyterian Church Cemetery in McDonald, Washington, PA. Of more interest was noting Nancy's final resting spot uses the surname of her first husband, George CUBBAGE. My notes and research indicate she married Alexander EWING after the 1826 death of George.
A quick check with the descendant of George and Nancy confirmed what I thought I knew on the marriage to EWING.
To my knowledge, Jacob DOOLITTLE and Sarah CUBBAGE had five daughters. Two of them are of special interest to me.
Susan Belinda DOOLITTLE married into the LEA family-- that is, J W LEA of Carnegie. The LEA family was the neighbors, friends, and sometimes, spouses of my blood line. See a recent posting on Cassius M LEA, the husband of my 2g aunt.
The other daughter of Jacob and Sarah who married into my family was Martha E DOOLITTLE (1842-1907.) Martha was the wife of William James GLENN (1839-9018.)
Maggie (ah, how I love THAT name) of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall in Carnegie also contacted me to see if I could identify any of the gents in the picture they have of the Thomas Espy GAR Post as I have several cousins in that group. I took a quick look at the photo and realized that the odds of me recognizing the older men in full beards was basically little to none.
So, I started on a new journey of looking through old files and records to see if I could locate any pictures of some of these men when they were younger. I guess the folks at the library have most likely identified cousin George B FORSYTHE as my dearest cousin, his granddaughter, (yes, I know her) recently donated some more Civil War relics to the post.
I've also seen pictures of some of the GLENN men when they were younger. Could I see enough family resemblences in the pictures as they aged? I think not.
BUT-
I dug around and found some living descendants of William James GLENN! After making a phone call and leaving a message, it was now time to wait.
Today, I got the phone call. After speaking with the gentleman who confirmed his identity and his love of genealogy, my heart experienced a whirlwind of activity. Another connection to the past established! He has pictures! He has stories! And he has a cousin that he works with to research the past! Oh, glorious day!
Click to read the post that is causing such a whirlwind of activity: http://genitalesga.blogspot.com/2010/08/tombstone-tuesday-simply-i-am-survivor.html
Special note to Maggie at the library-- I hope to have some photo ids for you soon.
Ahh, genealogy. What treasures a whirlwind of new finds can be! Sometimes, it takes just a nudge from someone new to bring new energy to the hunt.
©2010 AS Eldredge
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