I just love St. Clair Cemetery in Mt. Lebanon in Allegheny Co, PA. Of course I do. The majority of its residents are names that easily fall off my tongue and share my blood.
Last night, I received a phone call from a dad of a Boy Scout who has decided to donate some time in getting new headstones for some of the American patriots at St. Clair Cemetery. This has been done before by another Boy Scout and, of course, by me.
The dad asked if I would be able to assist him with information on some of the patriots of St. Clair and in locating family members. Well, the majority of the names he mentioned were my family. If I am not of direct blood, then chances are I know who is.
The earliest known burial in St. Clair Cemetery was in 1806, if I remember correctly. I know my first family member, a grandma, was buried there in 1807. The names of the residents there echo the early history of the area.
Over the years, I've found many cousins through the St. Clair Cemetery. I've been there several times and hosted parties for my kin, living and dead, at the cemetery. My roots are there and I feel so at home and connected to family when I am there. On our last trip there, one of my children helped to uncover an old headstone. Of course, it was one of our cousins.
Anyway, I am going to dig up my ole partial map of the cemetery as this dad tells me he would like to make a new map of the cemetery. Be still, my heart! That is a project I have been hoping someone up there in Pennsylvania would undertake. I also hope to have ground radar used one day to accurately locate how many graves are there and how deep they go. My great aunt told me that we were buried several deep in our plots.
My friendly words of wisdom today are to take time to adopt an old cemetery. It may be your family cemetery or one in your local area that needs some loving hands. Research the families in it. You just may learn something really fun.
In my case, bring on the continuing work at St. Clair. My thanks to the many hours that Margaret Jackson and Mark Hughey have so lovingly given to the early settlers of Lower St. Clair. Know I am always with you in spirit.
Ahhh, genealogy. A glimpse of the past shows of what I am made.....
Friday, July 10, 2009
Saturday, July 04, 2009
My Ancestors Fought for America's Freedom. Have You Found Yours Yet?
July 4th. The day of America's proclaimed independence from the tyranny of England's rule. The day of our birthday. Celebrate the dreams of our founders.
I saw the following article on Eastman's genealogy newsletter and thought you'd enjoy seeing it. I will, however, make a couple of observations on it since my household are both members of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Sons of the American Revolution.
The lineage books referenced are a good starting place. Back in the early days of the DAR, people didn't move as far from their roots, so everyone "knew" who their people were. Documentation proving lineage was sometimes quite lacking. Since the internet has come around, the DAR does not always accept those old applications as valid proof. The best way to see if your ancestor is still approved by the DAR is to contact the DAR and ask for a patriot lookup. Volunteers are happy to assist you in your quest to prove your lineage. Many lines have to be reproven. With diligence, it can be done. Recently, my DAR chapter just found the missing proof for a lady- after a 2 1/2 year search.
The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.
Revolutionary Roots
Did your ancestors fight in the American Revolution 233 years ago? Thousands of men answered the call to arms in 1776. These thousands probably have many millions of descendants today. Many Americans can find a Revolutionary War veteran in the family tree if they expend a bit of time and effort. Luckily, there are a number of online and offline sources to help you in that search.
Finding Revolutionary ancestors isn’t much different than finding anyone else in your family tree. You always start with yourself and then work your way back, one generation at a time. You can search the online databases as well as the traditional resources, such as census records, vital records, and especially, Revolutionary War pension applications. However, you should be aware of several unique sources of records that contain information about Revolutionary War soldiers.
One excellent tutorial to read is "Finding Your Patriot: Basic Sources for Starting Revolutionary War Research" by Curt B. Witcher, available on Ancestry.com (without subscription) at: http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/news/articles/1561.asp.
Once you have learned the basics of Revolutionary War records, you will want to search the Lineage Books of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). In order to join the Society, members have to prove their descent from an ancestor who aided the American cause in the Revolutionary War. The DAR have spent hundreds of thousands of hours compiling Patriot Index lists of Revolutionary War ancestors of DAR members. The DAR Lineage Books are available online to Ancestry.com members at: http://www.ancestry.com/search/DB.aspx?dbid=3174. (This database is available to Ancestry.com paid subscribers; an Ancestry.com user ID and password are required.) The same information is available in printed DAR Lineage Books, available at most large genealogy libraries.
The DAR was founded in 1890. Early application papers supply the applicant’s maiden name, husband’s name, applicant’s birthplace (but not the birth date), parents’ names, chain of ancestors and their spouses leading back to the Revolutionary War, and discussion of patriot’s service and sources for his/her service. Note that the chain of ancestors is only from parent to child and does not show all children born to parents.
Later papers give much more information. In the chain of ancestors: birth, marriage, and death dates and places. In the applicant’s section: birth date and birthplace, marriage date, spouse’s information (name, birth date, birthplace, date of death or divorce). Space for multiple spouses is provided. The applicant must also supply data on the patriot’s marriages, children, and children’s spouses.
Keep in mind that the DAR Lineage Books contain the lineage of accepted members. While these books often provide great clues about the lineage of American patriots, the lineages they provide are often undocumented. As with any undocumented secondary source, all aspects should be documented with further research. Also remember that they do not list all the Revolutionary War soldiers. These books only list those who were identified as ancestors of DAR members.
More information about the many services of the Daughters of the American Revolution may be found at: http://www.dar.org. However, you will not find online databases at that site.
The records of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) are another great resource. Their records are available online and on CD-ROM. The online database has over 230,000 records of patriots whose gravesites have been located or whose service has been documented by a descendant who joined the Sons of the American Revolution.
The SAR online database provides information about Revolutionary War soldiers, sailors, and others, but does not provide information about their descendants. It is up to you to build a family tree in the traditional manner to prove your descent from the listed patriot.
NOTE: Much of the data was reported to the Revolutionary War Graves Committee without citing any primary documents as evidence of service. As with genealogy information found anywhere else, you need to independently verify the information provided.
To access the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution online database, go to http://www.rsar.org/rosters/findpatr.htm.
Finally, never overlook the best source of information: your family. Are you attending a family gathering this Fourth of July? If so, ask your relatives, especially your older relatives. They may know some family stories that you have not heard before. Keep in mind that many family stories have a mixture of truth and fiction interwoven in them, but they are always worth verifying. Who knows? Your aunt or uncle just may be able to provide a clue that helps you find information that previously eluded you.
I saw the following article on Eastman's genealogy newsletter and thought you'd enjoy seeing it. I will, however, make a couple of observations on it since my household are both members of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Sons of the American Revolution.
The lineage books referenced are a good starting place. Back in the early days of the DAR, people didn't move as far from their roots, so everyone "knew" who their people were. Documentation proving lineage was sometimes quite lacking. Since the internet has come around, the DAR does not always accept those old applications as valid proof. The best way to see if your ancestor is still approved by the DAR is to contact the DAR and ask for a patriot lookup. Volunteers are happy to assist you in your quest to prove your lineage. Many lines have to be reproven. With diligence, it can be done. Recently, my DAR chapter just found the missing proof for a lady- after a 2 1/2 year search.
The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.
Revolutionary Roots
Did your ancestors fight in the American Revolution 233 years ago? Thousands of men answered the call to arms in 1776. These thousands probably have many millions of descendants today. Many Americans can find a Revolutionary War veteran in the family tree if they expend a bit of time and effort. Luckily, there are a number of online and offline sources to help you in that search.
Finding Revolutionary ancestors isn’t much different than finding anyone else in your family tree. You always start with yourself and then work your way back, one generation at a time. You can search the online databases as well as the traditional resources, such as census records, vital records, and especially, Revolutionary War pension applications. However, you should be aware of several unique sources of records that contain information about Revolutionary War soldiers.
One excellent tutorial to read is "Finding Your Patriot: Basic Sources for Starting Revolutionary War Research" by Curt B. Witcher, available on Ancestry.com (without subscription) at: http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/news/articles/1561.asp.
Once you have learned the basics of Revolutionary War records, you will want to search the Lineage Books of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). In order to join the Society, members have to prove their descent from an ancestor who aided the American cause in the Revolutionary War. The DAR have spent hundreds of thousands of hours compiling Patriot Index lists of Revolutionary War ancestors of DAR members. The DAR Lineage Books are available online to Ancestry.com members at: http://www.ancestry.com/search/DB.aspx?dbid=3174. (This database is available to Ancestry.com paid subscribers; an Ancestry.com user ID and password are required.) The same information is available in printed DAR Lineage Books, available at most large genealogy libraries.
The DAR was founded in 1890. Early application papers supply the applicant’s maiden name, husband’s name, applicant’s birthplace (but not the birth date), parents’ names, chain of ancestors and their spouses leading back to the Revolutionary War, and discussion of patriot’s service and sources for his/her service. Note that the chain of ancestors is only from parent to child and does not show all children born to parents.
Later papers give much more information. In the chain of ancestors: birth, marriage, and death dates and places. In the applicant’s section: birth date and birthplace, marriage date, spouse’s information (name, birth date, birthplace, date of death or divorce). Space for multiple spouses is provided. The applicant must also supply data on the patriot’s marriages, children, and children’s spouses.
Keep in mind that the DAR Lineage Books contain the lineage of accepted members. While these books often provide great clues about the lineage of American patriots, the lineages they provide are often undocumented. As with any undocumented secondary source, all aspects should be documented with further research. Also remember that they do not list all the Revolutionary War soldiers. These books only list those who were identified as ancestors of DAR members.
More information about the many services of the Daughters of the American Revolution may be found at: http://www.dar.org. However, you will not find online databases at that site.
The records of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) are another great resource. Their records are available online and on CD-ROM. The online database has over 230,000 records of patriots whose gravesites have been located or whose service has been documented by a descendant who joined the Sons of the American Revolution.
The SAR online database provides information about Revolutionary War soldiers, sailors, and others, but does not provide information about their descendants. It is up to you to build a family tree in the traditional manner to prove your descent from the listed patriot.
NOTE: Much of the data was reported to the Revolutionary War Graves Committee without citing any primary documents as evidence of service. As with genealogy information found anywhere else, you need to independently verify the information provided.
To access the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution online database, go to http://www.rsar.org/rosters/findpatr.htm.
Finally, never overlook the best source of information: your family. Are you attending a family gathering this Fourth of July? If so, ask your relatives, especially your older relatives. They may know some family stories that you have not heard before. Keep in mind that many family stories have a mixture of truth and fiction interwoven in them, but they are always worth verifying. Who knows? Your aunt or uncle just may be able to provide a clue that helps you find information that previously eluded you.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Need Some Free Canadian Help? It's Here until July 3
Ancestry.ca is giving all of us genealogy types a great big present for Canada Day. From now until July 3, they are offering free access to the Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865 to 1935.
Here's the link in case you are interested. http://landing.ancestry.ca/intl/blanc.aspx?landingpage=39427&o_iid=39427&o_lid=39427
Here's the link in case you are interested. http://landing.ancestry.ca/intl/blanc.aspx?landingpage=39427&o_iid=39427&o_lid=39427
Monday, June 29, 2009
Keep Digging to Overcome That Insanity Story
GT Note: One of my biggest joys in genealogy is finding old blood in my veins that also runs in other people. I've had the honor over the last several years of reuniting family members all in one place and one time as we shared our stories and our bloodlines.
While I have not personally been to the Godfrey Library, I have corresponded with them over the years and dutifully sent them money to have them send some files to me.
The following is an update from one of my cousins on some of her personal research. I thought this is a good reminder to all to continue that search for the elusive find of the month. Ellen, keep up the hunt.
Have you ever explored the Godfrey Library in Middletown, CT's Family History Center in your real or online genealogy travels? What a wonderful resource it is! It is only about ten miles from my son's home, so I was able to spend a couple of hours there last month.
As my time was limited, I only researched my mid-seventeen hundreds Witter ancestor in Connecticut--I had run into an alarming stonewall in the genealogy dept. in the Port Charlotte, FL Library, which has an excellent collection of New England and Northeastern family information.
According to one of the three books in which I was able to find information on Ezra and Anne Morgan Witter, Ezra had, in a fit of insanity, murdered his wife and three older children, including my ggggwhatever grandfather, Isaac Witter. So, obviously either the material was wrong, or that particular Isaac wasn't my ancestor.
They, at Godfrey, found several more Stonington, CT resources on the Witters, including one that mention the awful story, but said it wasn't Ezra, but a cousin of his. Phew! I was fond of Isaac as an ancestor, because he is listed in the DAR index as having performed patriotic duty. He was terribly crippled, apparently, but served as a cook to his militia. I knew that he was my ancestor, but because of the "awful story" wasn't sure who he was descended from in CT before he moved to Orange Co., NY.
While I have not personally been to the Godfrey Library, I have corresponded with them over the years and dutifully sent them money to have them send some files to me.
The following is an update from one of my cousins on some of her personal research. I thought this is a good reminder to all to continue that search for the elusive find of the month. Ellen, keep up the hunt.
Have you ever explored the Godfrey Library in Middletown, CT's Family History Center in your real or online genealogy travels? What a wonderful resource it is! It is only about ten miles from my son's home, so I was able to spend a couple of hours there last month.
As my time was limited, I only researched my mid-seventeen hundreds Witter ancestor in Connecticut--I had run into an alarming stonewall in the genealogy dept. in the Port Charlotte, FL Library, which has an excellent collection of New England and Northeastern family information.
According to one of the three books in which I was able to find information on Ezra and Anne Morgan Witter, Ezra had, in a fit of insanity, murdered his wife and three older children, including my ggggwhatever grandfather, Isaac Witter. So, obviously either the material was wrong, or that particular Isaac wasn't my ancestor.
They, at Godfrey, found several more Stonington, CT resources on the Witters, including one that mention the awful story, but said it wasn't Ezra, but a cousin of his. Phew! I was fond of Isaac as an ancestor, because he is listed in the DAR index as having performed patriotic duty. He was terribly crippled, apparently, but served as a cook to his militia. I knew that he was my ancestor, but because of the "awful story" wasn't sure who he was descended from in CT before he moved to Orange Co., NY.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
UK 1911 Census Online
Here's a boost for those searching their family genealogy in the United Kingdom.
Entire 1911 Census now Available Online for the First Time
Research commissioned by 1911census.co.uk reveals nearly a quarter of the population (23%) have now actively researched their family tree*, with 2.9 million people having visited 1911census.co.uk to research their own ancestors’ census records since the website went live in January this year**. The pastime is now just as popular as participating in team sports and overtaking other popular hobbies such as making Twitter posts and blogging (11%) and bingo (13%).
Following the initial release of the Southern English records in January 2009, the website now hosts the complete 1911 census records for people living in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. What’s more, for the first time in a British census, full details are available of British Army personnel and their families stationed overseas. There were 135,866 people serving in the British Army and 36,804 people serving in the Royal Navy across the British Empire in 1911, including 69,785 serving in India.
Christine Webber, psychotherapist and lifecoach, says: “Being able to find out how our grandparents and great-grandparents lived gives our own lives some extra perspective, and also helps us to understand ourselves better. The ability to delve into what our relatives were doing almost a hundred years ago is fascinating. It also helps us to get a sense of our own place in history. I think that getting in touch with your own roots is a very valuable and healing thing to do. So, this is a most exciting development.”
And it’s not just the older generation who are embracing the chance to discover more about their roots. Over a fifth (21% of under 35s and 35-55 year olds) have researched their family history in the past 12 months. People are turning to genealogy for a wide variety of reasons, from wanting to find out more about family stories that have been passed down through the generations (28%), to being inspired by TV shows like ‘Who Do Think You Are?’ and after a family event such as the birth of a new child (12%).
Women, however, are still leading the way when it comes to family history research as over one quarter (26%) are actively researching their family history, compared to only one fifth of men (20%).
The 1911census.co.uk website service has been developed by UK-based family history website findmypast.com, owned by brightsolid, in association with The National Archives***. Completed by 36 million householders on Sunday, 2 April 1911, the census records show the name, age, place of birth, marital status and occupation of every resident in every home as well as their relationship to the head of the household and the online records include images of our ancestors’ own handwriting. For the first time the enumerators’ summary books for the whole of England and Wales have also gone online today, recording details of all properties in the country in 1911 – a great resource for anyone interested in local history or house histories. The 1911 census records have been released three years earlier than the scheduled 2012 date as a result of public demand for the 1911 census, which will be a key resource for family historians.
Debra Chatfield, Marketing Manager at findmypast.com, says: ‘“We’re delighted that the final records have been uploaded from the 1911 census including the military records and the records for Wales, the Isle of Man and Channel Islands. We hope many generations will gain a huge amount of valuable information about their ancestors by consulting the records and that they’ll discover new chapters of their family history that they previously knew very little or nothing about.”
Oliver Morley, Director of Customer and Business Development at The National Archives, commented: “It’s wonderful to see that so many people are discovering a new passion for family history through the 1911 census. Bringing this project to completion has been one of the most exciting events for us this year, and to know that so many people have been able to access part of their personal history online shows how valuable it can be to make these records available via the web.”
**Findmypast.com internal data
***In line with data protection legislation, certain sensitive information relating to infirmity and to children of women prisoners will be held back until 2012. The 1911 census is a special case at the request of the Information Commissioner all records of infirmity as listed on the records (e.g. ‘deaf’, ‘dumb’, ‘blind’, ‘lunatic’ etc.) have been obscured and will not be available to view until January 2012.
Entire 1911 Census now Available Online for the First Time
Research commissioned by 1911census.co.uk reveals nearly a quarter of the population (23%) have now actively researched their family tree*, with 2.9 million people having visited 1911census.co.uk to research their own ancestors’ census records since the website went live in January this year**. The pastime is now just as popular as participating in team sports and overtaking other popular hobbies such as making Twitter posts and blogging (11%) and bingo (13%).
Following the initial release of the Southern English records in January 2009, the website now hosts the complete 1911 census records for people living in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. What’s more, for the first time in a British census, full details are available of British Army personnel and their families stationed overseas. There were 135,866 people serving in the British Army and 36,804 people serving in the Royal Navy across the British Empire in 1911, including 69,785 serving in India.
Christine Webber, psychotherapist and lifecoach, says: “Being able to find out how our grandparents and great-grandparents lived gives our own lives some extra perspective, and also helps us to understand ourselves better. The ability to delve into what our relatives were doing almost a hundred years ago is fascinating. It also helps us to get a sense of our own place in history. I think that getting in touch with your own roots is a very valuable and healing thing to do. So, this is a most exciting development.”
And it’s not just the older generation who are embracing the chance to discover more about their roots. Over a fifth (21% of under 35s and 35-55 year olds) have researched their family history in the past 12 months. People are turning to genealogy for a wide variety of reasons, from wanting to find out more about family stories that have been passed down through the generations (28%), to being inspired by TV shows like ‘Who Do Think You Are?’ and after a family event such as the birth of a new child (12%).
Women, however, are still leading the way when it comes to family history research as over one quarter (26%) are actively researching their family history, compared to only one fifth of men (20%).
The 1911census.co.uk website service has been developed by UK-based family history website findmypast.com, owned by brightsolid, in association with The National Archives***. Completed by 36 million householders on Sunday, 2 April 1911, the census records show the name, age, place of birth, marital status and occupation of every resident in every home as well as their relationship to the head of the household and the online records include images of our ancestors’ own handwriting. For the first time the enumerators’ summary books for the whole of England and Wales have also gone online today, recording details of all properties in the country in 1911 – a great resource for anyone interested in local history or house histories. The 1911 census records have been released three years earlier than the scheduled 2012 date as a result of public demand for the 1911 census, which will be a key resource for family historians.
Debra Chatfield, Marketing Manager at findmypast.com, says: ‘“We’re delighted that the final records have been uploaded from the 1911 census including the military records and the records for Wales, the Isle of Man and Channel Islands. We hope many generations will gain a huge amount of valuable information about their ancestors by consulting the records and that they’ll discover new chapters of their family history that they previously knew very little or nothing about.”
Oliver Morley, Director of Customer and Business Development at The National Archives, commented: “It’s wonderful to see that so many people are discovering a new passion for family history through the 1911 census. Bringing this project to completion has been one of the most exciting events for us this year, and to know that so many people have been able to access part of their personal history online shows how valuable it can be to make these records available via the web.”
**Findmypast.com internal data
***In line with data protection legislation, certain sensitive information relating to infirmity and to children of women prisoners will be held back until 2012. The 1911 census is a special case at the request of the Information Commissioner all records of infirmity as listed on the records (e.g. ‘deaf’, ‘dumb’, ‘blind’, ‘lunatic’ etc.) have been obscured and will not be available to view until January 2012.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wordless Wednesday: Wall St of 1825
The two story building on the right front is the site of my family tavern. If only the family had known!
Monday, June 08, 2009
Monday Madness: 1792 Bible of John Matthews
There's a beautiful old Bible in the family. The question is, "How does it fit in?"
Samuel Simmons (1788- c.1818) lived in Allegheny Co, PA, at the time of his death. Or at least that is where the trail on him vanished into thin air. His widow, Elizabeth MATTHEWS, is found in the 1820 census of Lower St. Clair, Allegheny, PA with the three children and an elderly female. We can surmise the elderly female is her mother as Samuel's mom died abt 1790 in NY. His dad was remarried and happily living in Washington Co, PA, at the time of Samuel's alleged death.
Elizabeth disappears after the 1830 census of Lower St. Clair, Allegheny, PA, never to be seen again. We know not where she is buried, but it is generally believed she could be in a long forgotten grave at the St. Clair Cemetery in Mt Lebanon, Allegheny, PA. Her known descendants are there and it was in the neighborhood.
Much research has been done on trying to tie down her family roots. There is a Thomas Matthews in the neighborhood who served with her husband in the War of 1812. There is a Thomas Matthews who died in 1795 in Pitt Twp, Allegheny, PA who left a widow, Elizabeth and eight children. One of the children is named Elizabeth, so this could be correct.
Robert Laughlin is named the guardian of this child Elizabeth, but I have not been able to find any more information on him.
Now, a Bible from 1792 has surfaced which has the name of John Matthews in it. This Bible is in the possession of a 3rd great grandson of my Samuel and Elizabeth. Who is this John Matthews? Is he the father of my Elizabeth, or another beloved relative? To date, no other evidence has surfaced on either of the two suspects for Elizabeth's father.
The clues are there. If only we could unravel them.
Samuel Simmons (1788- c.1818) lived in Allegheny Co, PA, at the time of his death. Or at least that is where the trail on him vanished into thin air. His widow, Elizabeth MATTHEWS, is found in the 1820 census of Lower St. Clair, Allegheny, PA with the three children and an elderly female. We can surmise the elderly female is her mother as Samuel's mom died abt 1790 in NY. His dad was remarried and happily living in Washington Co, PA, at the time of Samuel's alleged death.
Elizabeth disappears after the 1830 census of Lower St. Clair, Allegheny, PA, never to be seen again. We know not where she is buried, but it is generally believed she could be in a long forgotten grave at the St. Clair Cemetery in Mt Lebanon, Allegheny, PA. Her known descendants are there and it was in the neighborhood.
Much research has been done on trying to tie down her family roots. There is a Thomas Matthews in the neighborhood who served with her husband in the War of 1812. There is a Thomas Matthews who died in 1795 in Pitt Twp, Allegheny, PA who left a widow, Elizabeth and eight children. One of the children is named Elizabeth, so this could be correct.
Robert Laughlin is named the guardian of this child Elizabeth, but I have not been able to find any more information on him.
Now, a Bible from 1792 has surfaced which has the name of John Matthews in it. This Bible is in the possession of a 3rd great grandson of my Samuel and Elizabeth. Who is this John Matthews? Is he the father of my Elizabeth, or another beloved relative? To date, no other evidence has surfaced on either of the two suspects for Elizabeth's father.
The clues are there. If only we could unravel them.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Searching for Low Country Graves
Thanks to the Colonial Dames over in Georgetown, South Carolina, for reading the cemeteries in Georgetown County and getting the cemetery census online.
I found the story through the Eastman Newsletter and immediately set about trying to see if I could dig up any family members in Georgetown. Before I could do that, I had to refresh my memory on some of the surnames from that side of the family.
So, if you don't see me for a day or two, just look around the Low Country for me. You'll recognize me. I'm the one who will be digging for gold.
I found the story through the Eastman Newsletter and immediately set about trying to see if I could dig up any family members in Georgetown. Before I could do that, I had to refresh my memory on some of the surnames from that side of the family.
So, if you don't see me for a day or two, just look around the Low Country for me. You'll recognize me. I'm the one who will be digging for gold.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Careful Investigation Needed Before Before Posting Family Ties
"Hey, this one looks good. It must be my family. So, I'll add it to the family chart online and life will be so perfect."
So wrong! I was quite surprised when a distant cousin sent an email to me asking if a new family tree posted online belonged to my line. I hadn't seen it, so I went to check it out. Quite shocking. Who are the people they've linked us to? They are not mine.
I took a quick look at the sources noted and quickly noted their assumptions. It was assumed that someone of the same name and similar birth year must have been ours. Not so fast.
One must follow the evidence. Were the obituaries checked? Were the death certs checked? Did they check the wills? The probate records? The land records?
I know they weren't checked because I have copies and what it shows is not what the online family chart is detailing.
Now, there may be researchers who are misled on the real family for years to come. And all because the evidence was not followed properly.
Please don't take a census and make it yours. Please follow the evidence and investigate thoroughly before making a claim. Please don't make the family into a fairy tale.
So wrong! I was quite surprised when a distant cousin sent an email to me asking if a new family tree posted online belonged to my line. I hadn't seen it, so I went to check it out. Quite shocking. Who are the people they've linked us to? They are not mine.
I took a quick look at the sources noted and quickly noted their assumptions. It was assumed that someone of the same name and similar birth year must have been ours. Not so fast.
One must follow the evidence. Were the obituaries checked? Were the death certs checked? Did they check the wills? The probate records? The land records?
I know they weren't checked because I have copies and what it shows is not what the online family chart is detailing.
Now, there may be researchers who are misled on the real family for years to come. And all because the evidence was not followed properly.
Please don't take a census and make it yours. Please follow the evidence and investigate thoroughly before making a claim. Please don't make the family into a fairy tale.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Alien Files to be Permanent at National Archives
Signing Ceremony Permits Millions of Alien Files to Become Permanent Records at the National Archives
A joint signing ceremony on June 3, 2009, between the National Archives and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the National Archives will designate as permanent the immigration files created on the millions of aliens residing in the United States in 1944, as well as those arriving since then. These Alien Case Files (commonly referred to as A-Files) document the famous, the infamous, the anonymous and the well-known, and are an historical and genealogical goldmine. The new agreement authorizes the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services/Department of Homeland Security to send A-files to the National Archives when 100 years have passed since the birthdate of the subject of a file. The National Archives expects to receive the first transfer of A-files later this year, and will store the files at National Archives facilities in San Francisco and Kansas City. Researchers will be able to access the files at these two sites, or request copies of files. An index will be available to support research use.
The A-files are a key to unlocking the fascinating stories of millions of people who traveled to the United States in search of opportunity. They include information such as photographs, personal correspondence, birth certificates, health records, interview transcripts, visas, applications and other information on all non-naturalized alien residents, both legal and illegal. The files are of particular interest to the Asian American community because many A-files supplement information in Chinese Exclusion Act era case files (1882-1943) that are already housed at the National Archives.
The signing ceremony is an important first step in the preservation of the 32 million records that were originally scheduled for disposal. At the ceremony, the National Archives will have samples of the alien registration form that was used to create the A-files. The form requests detailed information revealing valuable material for researchers and family historians, such as the alien’s current name, the name that he or she used when entering the country, marital status, occupation, name and address of employer, height, weight, and date and place of birth.
A joint signing ceremony on June 3, 2009, between the National Archives and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the National Archives will designate as permanent the immigration files created on the millions of aliens residing in the United States in 1944, as well as those arriving since then. These Alien Case Files (commonly referred to as A-Files) document the famous, the infamous, the anonymous and the well-known, and are an historical and genealogical goldmine. The new agreement authorizes the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services/Department of Homeland Security to send A-files to the National Archives when 100 years have passed since the birthdate of the subject of a file. The National Archives expects to receive the first transfer of A-files later this year, and will store the files at National Archives facilities in San Francisco and Kansas City. Researchers will be able to access the files at these two sites, or request copies of files. An index will be available to support research use.
The A-files are a key to unlocking the fascinating stories of millions of people who traveled to the United States in search of opportunity. They include information such as photographs, personal correspondence, birth certificates, health records, interview transcripts, visas, applications and other information on all non-naturalized alien residents, both legal and illegal. The files are of particular interest to the Asian American community because many A-files supplement information in Chinese Exclusion Act era case files (1882-1943) that are already housed at the National Archives.
The signing ceremony is an important first step in the preservation of the 32 million records that were originally scheduled for disposal. At the ceremony, the National Archives will have samples of the alien registration form that was used to create the A-files. The form requests detailed information revealing valuable material for researchers and family historians, such as the alien’s current name, the name that he or she used when entering the country, marital status, occupation, name and address of employer, height, weight, and date and place of birth.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Generations of American Patriots
As I reflect on the meaning of Memorial Day, I remember those American Patriots in my family. The respect I have for these men and their willingness to fight for or to preserve the freedom, which we have today, is immense. Their courage and belief in God and their country led each of them to serve America.
My family has long served America. We came from Ireland and England early in the 1700s. It must have been heart wrenching on the families as they left their homeland for a new one. It must have been difficult to decide to rebel against the King. But, rebel they did.
From an innkeeper on Wall St in New York City to a learned man in Lancaster Co, PA, to a Irishman in Washington Co, PA, they decided to fight for this new land. They decided to pursue freedom and their dreams of a free America.
Not only did these early men fight for America, they also had personal ties with George Washington. Washington ate at the tavern during Evacuation Day in NYC (yes, it's documented), and an uncle worked for him in the War Department.
Let's see. We fought in the War of 1812, the Civil War, World War I, and World War II.
Not only have we fought for America on the battlefields, we have also served in public office. From city council members to mayors to senators to a President of the United States, my family history is fascinating. It's one I never tire of as I seek to learn more.
As I listen to Taps this weekend, I will remember. Remember the men and women who have faithfully served America. Remember the fallen. Remember the living.
Someone recently said that it was because of the brave that we are free. Amen.
My family has long served America. We came from Ireland and England early in the 1700s. It must have been heart wrenching on the families as they left their homeland for a new one. It must have been difficult to decide to rebel against the King. But, rebel they did.
From an innkeeper on Wall St in New York City to a learned man in Lancaster Co, PA, to a Irishman in Washington Co, PA, they decided to fight for this new land. They decided to pursue freedom and their dreams of a free America.
Not only did these early men fight for America, they also had personal ties with George Washington. Washington ate at the tavern during Evacuation Day in NYC (yes, it's documented), and an uncle worked for him in the War Department.
Let's see. We fought in the War of 1812, the Civil War, World War I, and World War II.
Not only have we fought for America on the battlefields, we have also served in public office. From city council members to mayors to senators to a President of the United States, my family history is fascinating. It's one I never tire of as I seek to learn more.
As I listen to Taps this weekend, I will remember. Remember the men and women who have faithfully served America. Remember the fallen. Remember the living.
Someone recently said that it was because of the brave that we are free. Amen.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Monday Madness: Oh, Sammy, Where Have You Gone?
Finding information on Samuel Simmons is like looking for the place where the alien ship picked him up in Pittsburgh.
For many a year, all I had to go in my quest for Samuel was the mention of him in a history book in Pittsburgh. I searched high and low in Pittsburgh to find....nothing.
Several years ago, a very kind gent responded to one of my inquiries with some information. See this post from 2006 for some of the background. And, the rest as they say, is history.
Except for Samuel. Samuel was born c. 1788 in New York to John Simmons the younger and Mary Nelson. At least the DAR says her name was Nelson. To date, there has been no proof uncovered. One professional group has even suggested her name was Provost of NJ. Once again, there is no proof and no overwhelming circumstantial evidence.
Samuel is mentioned in the 1794 will of his grandfather, John Simmons the Elder, as receiving some land in Chenango County, NY. Samuel and his wife sell this land while living in St. Clair, Allegheny, PA in 1814. How did they get there? Why did they get there?
Samuel is found in the War of 1812 when he mustered in on September 14, 1812, to an infantry company under the command of Captain James Turbett from St. Clair Twp. He is discharged as a Sergeant in December 1812.
There is a last legal mention of Samuel in 1816 when he sold more Chenango County, NY land.
Poof! He's gone. The 1820 census shows his wife as head of household with the three children and an older female. I'm guessing it is her mother who lives with them. The 1830 census shows the wife as head of household with the three children.
I know names of two of his children. One is William who married and remained in St. Clair for the duration of his life. He is buried at St. Clair Cemetery on Scott Rd.
One of the other names I know is that of Maria as we have a sampler completed by her in 1825.
To date, there has been no other sightings of Maria or her unknown name sister. What happened to Samuel? I suspect he died in Pittsburgh before 1820 but have yet to find him. There is no evidence in the Orphans' Court Records and there was no will.
Oh, Sammy, where are you?
For many a year, all I had to go in my quest for Samuel was the mention of him in a history book in Pittsburgh. I searched high and low in Pittsburgh to find....nothing.
Several years ago, a very kind gent responded to one of my inquiries with some information. See this post from 2006 for some of the background. And, the rest as they say, is history.
Except for Samuel. Samuel was born c. 1788 in New York to John Simmons the younger and Mary Nelson. At least the DAR says her name was Nelson. To date, there has been no proof uncovered. One professional group has even suggested her name was Provost of NJ. Once again, there is no proof and no overwhelming circumstantial evidence.
Samuel is mentioned in the 1794 will of his grandfather, John Simmons the Elder, as receiving some land in Chenango County, NY. Samuel and his wife sell this land while living in St. Clair, Allegheny, PA in 1814. How did they get there? Why did they get there?
Samuel is found in the War of 1812 when he mustered in on September 14, 1812, to an infantry company under the command of Captain James Turbett from St. Clair Twp. He is discharged as a Sergeant in December 1812.
There is a last legal mention of Samuel in 1816 when he sold more Chenango County, NY land.
Poof! He's gone. The 1820 census shows his wife as head of household with the three children and an older female. I'm guessing it is her mother who lives with them. The 1830 census shows the wife as head of household with the three children.
I know names of two of his children. One is William who married and remained in St. Clair for the duration of his life. He is buried at St. Clair Cemetery on Scott Rd.
One of the other names I know is that of Maria as we have a sampler completed by her in 1825.
To date, there has been no other sightings of Maria or her unknown name sister. What happened to Samuel? I suspect he died in Pittsburgh before 1820 but have yet to find him. There is no evidence in the Orphans' Court Records and there was no will.
Oh, Sammy, where are you?
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Attend Genealogy Lectures in the Comfort of Home
I have always been just a little jealous of the folks up in New England. There's a terrific place to go right outside of Boston to search for genealogy thrills. Yes, I've been salivating with the desire to get up to the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
Well, today, I see that some of that society lectures can come to me while I sit at home with my morning caffeine. On the NEHGS website, you can click in to see their online seminar series.
I confess. I watched one of them on researching Irish Genealogy and now, I'm hooked.
So grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy the show. Perhaps you'll find something of value for you in your quest for family history.
http://www.newenglandancestors.org/events/online_seminars.asp
Well, today, I see that some of that society lectures can come to me while I sit at home with my morning caffeine. On the NEHGS website, you can click in to see their online seminar series.
I confess. I watched one of them on researching Irish Genealogy and now, I'm hooked.
So grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy the show. Perhaps you'll find something of value for you in your quest for family history.
http://www.newenglandancestors.org/events/online_seminars.asp
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Lost in Death in South Carolina
South Carolina research has always been difficult. I don't know if it resulted from Sherman's March to the Sea or the numerous fires which seem to have taken toll of old records.
Today, I found a notice from a couple of months ago for a database which has scanned copies of death certificates from the 1821-1955 online! So, I happily spent a couple of hours getting some old documents to help flush out my family files.
There were even some "aha" moments in my finds. I can't wait to share my latest finds with some of my dear Low Country kinfolk.
If you're interested in this site, just check out Ancestry.com. The database is one of their recent ones.
It pays to continue to search for documents. Just like family, they sometimes will show up when least expected!
Enjoy your hunt.
Today, I found a notice from a couple of months ago for a database which has scanned copies of death certificates from the 1821-1955 online! So, I happily spent a couple of hours getting some old documents to help flush out my family files.
There were even some "aha" moments in my finds. I can't wait to share my latest finds with some of my dear Low Country kinfolk.
If you're interested in this site, just check out Ancestry.com. The database is one of their recent ones.
It pays to continue to search for documents. Just like family, they sometimes will show up when least expected!
Enjoy your hunt.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Bottoms Family Cemetery in Fayetteville is Online
The James Waldrop Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution in Fayetteville recently spent an afternoon cleaning up the Bottoms Family Cemetery. Now, pictures of the remaining gravestones are online and can be viewed.
Among those buried in the cemetery is James Waldrop, a soldier of the American Revolution, and descendants of James Madison Bottoms.
Many of the tombstones are gone. Old fieldstones were also found marking the graves of the 1800s.
Here is the link: http://jameswaldrop.georgiastatedar.org/bottomsfamilycemetery.html
Among those buried in the cemetery is James Waldrop, a soldier of the American Revolution, and descendants of James Madison Bottoms.
Many of the tombstones are gone. Old fieldstones were also found marking the graves of the 1800s.
Here is the link: http://jameswaldrop.georgiastatedar.org/bottomsfamilycemetery.html
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Tweet Your Way to the Past
Finding new ways to research the past is great fun in my world. Now, you can tweet your way with updated news from ancestry.com, as they are now on Twitter.
Add them to your follow list to see glimpses of what's new and updated there. It just may give you reason to find a new spark in your search.
Have you ever entered in a search with them for a specific time frame and received all sorts of irrelevant dates-- like 200 years off? Well, their staff has listened to all the groans and moans and now they have a new feature which will limit the search to the year(s) you requested with a few side years. Great news!
Add them to your follow list to see glimpses of what's new and updated there. It just may give you reason to find a new spark in your search.
Have you ever entered in a search with them for a specific time frame and received all sorts of irrelevant dates-- like 200 years off? Well, their staff has listened to all the groans and moans and now they have a new feature which will limit the search to the year(s) you requested with a few side years. Great news!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Got Kin Buried in Rome, GA?
The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com
Rome, Georgia Cemetery Burial Data Now Online
Thanks to a new burial data program on the city of Rome’s web site, genealogy researchers and loved ones may have an easier time locating their ancestors buried in Rome’s public cemeteries. The service can assist those looking for the plots of ancestors, family or friends buried in city-owned cemeteries — Eastview, Oakland and Myrtle Hill.
The information only covers burial records, the cemetery lot number and plot location number. The site can also generate clickable maps of the cemeteries that allow the user to navigate and find the exact placement of the plot.
Many of the birth dates for older interments may read 01/01, an indication that the birth date is unknown. As records are updated, or in some cases found, they will update the birth date information, according to city officials.
The site can be found at www.romega.us/cemetery.
Rome, Georgia Cemetery Burial Data Now Online
Thanks to a new burial data program on the city of Rome’s web site, genealogy researchers and loved ones may have an easier time locating their ancestors buried in Rome’s public cemeteries. The service can assist those looking for the plots of ancestors, family or friends buried in city-owned cemeteries — Eastview, Oakland and Myrtle Hill.
The information only covers burial records, the cemetery lot number and plot location number. The site can also generate clickable maps of the cemeteries that allow the user to navigate and find the exact placement of the plot.
Many of the birth dates for older interments may read 01/01, an indication that the birth date is unknown. As records are updated, or in some cases found, they will update the birth date information, according to city officials.
The site can be found at www.romega.us/cemetery.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
1800: All War Department Papers Lost
It was a terrible event in our nation's history. The fire that ravaged the War Department on the night of November 8, 1800, destroyed records and books. Shortly after, Secretary of War Samuel Dexter was still in despair as he wrote "“All the papers in my office [have] been destroyed.”
Fast forward to the present. For over a dozen years, Ted Crackel collected collections of papers from around the world which related to this time period. In 2006, the project was turned over to George Mason University.
Now you can search this wonderful history filled collection of documents by visiting the War Department Papers 1784-1800 at http://wardepartmentpapers.org/ .
I can say I was personally thrilled to find over 19,000 documents pertaining to my family name. Of course, it doesn't hurt that an uncle of mine who was an accountant for Continental Army and later for the War Department was the author or recipient of the letters. As an added bonus for me, my 5g grandfather is also listed on some of the documents on the site.
My buddy Bill and I are going to contact the Collections Group to see if they have more information on my family or if they would like what we have gathered.
Sure do wish I could let Mr. Dexter know that all was not lost.
Fast forward to the present. For over a dozen years, Ted Crackel collected collections of papers from around the world which related to this time period. In 2006, the project was turned over to George Mason University.
Now you can search this wonderful history filled collection of documents by visiting the War Department Papers 1784-1800 at http://wardepartmentpapers.org/ .
I can say I was personally thrilled to find over 19,000 documents pertaining to my family name. Of course, it doesn't hurt that an uncle of mine who was an accountant for Continental Army and later for the War Department was the author or recipient of the letters. As an added bonus for me, my 5g grandfather is also listed on some of the documents on the site.
My buddy Bill and I are going to contact the Collections Group to see if they have more information on my family or if they would like what we have gathered.
Sure do wish I could let Mr. Dexter know that all was not lost.
Friday, April 17, 2009
1815 Letter from Pittsburgh Paints Bleak Career Picture
GT Note: This post is from recent correspondence with Susan, a cousin of mine and a descendant of Nathaniel PLUMMER. I thought you'd enjoy reading more about early Pittsburgh. The introductory information of the letter and the letter itself were printed in Vol. 9 No. 1 Issue 18 HCR 72 Box 8350 Chadbourne's Ridge, North Waterborough, Maine 04061 Fall/Winter 1991 ISSN 0741-0360
Hannah PLUMMER was the daughter of Nathaniel PLUMMER who was born in Massachusetts who removed to St Clair Twp in Allegheny Co, PA in the early days. Hannah's second husband was Dr. Ruggles SYLVESYER (1776-1834), one of the earliest doctors in the neighborhood. Sylvester, born in Massachusetts, was educated at Dartmouth. These familes were closely intertwined with my early family in Allegheny County as neighbors, fellow church members of the Associate Reformed Church of Saw Mill Run, and as friends.
Hannah and Ruggles are both buried at the Old St. Clair Cemetery in Mt. Lebanon, Allegheny, PA.
I came across this letter while trying to learn more about Hannah Plummer Fetterman's second husband. The good doctor had received a letter from his Dartmouth classmate, Ichabod Chadbourne, inquiring about opportunities in the Pittsburgh area. The letter obviously did not entice him to the area!
The Uncertain Destiny of Ichabod Rollins Chadbourne
(Career Locations in the Promising 19th Century)
A surviving letter from the letters of Ichabod R. Chadbourne gives us a vista of the uncertain alternatives faced by a capable and promising young attorney in the early years of the 19th century. In many ways, his situation then was the timeless one of those who are well-prepared but who lack either a supportive family stricture or a good connection with the persons or forces that are to shape the future. He did use the obvious "network" of at least one of his college classmates to explore one possible location, but norecord of any of his other inquiries survives.
Ichabod lost his mother when he was 2½ years old. His father, Jonathan C., and his grandfather, Judge Benjamin, both died in 1799 when Ichabod was just 12 years old. Being bereft of these influential men, Ichabod relied on any other contacts he had. His aunt's husband, lawyer George W. Wallingford gave him a helping hand by having him read law in Kennebunk and Boston with Daniel Davis. (Note: Wallingford Hall exists today on Route 1 in Kennebunk.)
After admission to the Suffolk County bar in 1812 or 1814, Ichabod was faced with the responsibility of selecting the place where he should launch his career.
So he wrote a letter of inquiry to his Dartmouth classmate, Ruggles Sylvester, in western Pennsylvania to explore the field of opportunities that might be found there. And this is the letter that he ultimately received in reply in 1815:
(Note: With apologies to Pittsburgh, PA.)
"Dear friend,
If you practice law in this State, you have to again subject yourself to years of study here before you can be admitted to practice. There are no country lawyers, all the business is done in the county towns. Pittsburgh contains by estimation ten thousand inhabitants. You may see its growth has been very considerable since the last census. Much business is done here, both manufacturing and mercantile. Mechanics are in demand and get good wages. They dress like gentlemen and clear ten dollars a week. Perhaps I can give you no adequate idea of the people in this borough, collected from all parts of the world as they are, except I call them `money-making.’ Most of the people are industrious, stirring fellows. The very wealthy are drunk after noon. The ladies are not the most amiable I have seen, although well provided for financially. All the professions get rich in Pittsburgh, but it is not by their professions. The Attorneys are sheep-growers and land speculators. The Physicians are apothecaries. The Reverend ones are placed behind the counter. A graduate of Dartmouth College tells me there is but one first-rate attorney in town, the rest being several young fellows and underlings. I can advise you neither for nor against. This side of the mountains, learned men are neither counted nor courted. Wealth is the criterion of a man's merit throughout the State of Pennsylvania. If you come to this country, you may lay aside all ideas of a pleasant social life among literary men.
This country is more healthy than where you and I have lived, and the soil far more fertile. There is no good sleighing any time in the year for want of snow; no good carriage roads for want of minimum labor laid out upon them. They will never be good the year 'round till they are paved with stone. Heavy wagons with a little rain on this marly soil cut up the roads miserably. Pittsburgh is built mostly of brick, and has not a very pleasant appearance owing to the abundance of smoke generated by the burning of stone coal. Steam engines, foundries, green houses, and blacksmith shops consume immense quantities of this coal, so that the town, in the winter, is a cloud of smoke. The people in the country are considerably inferior to the low classes in New Hampshire and the District of Maine, especially the women, who are beasts of burden in this State. These people are more stupid and unfeeling, but not so vicious as the Yankees. If you come to this country, you have to look for no good society. If you come in the stage from
Philadelphia, you will get a damnable bruising in the little crazy vehicles; and besides, you are to expect the roughest kind of treatment by taverns, stage-drivers, and every other kind of waiters. My method would be to ride on horseback, because those who came by stage report that the people seem to consider it a religious duty to abuse all they can with their tongues those who pass the mountains in the stage. I am told they are more civil to those on horseback. I have given a true picture, however ugly it may appear. If you have plenty of leisure and plenty of pocket money, perhaps you would like the tour, and then you can see for yourself.
Sincerely your friend,
Ruggles Sylvester
P.S. When I am in Pittsburgh, I every day see Yankee people arriving or descending to the West. I ought to tell you that the word "Yankee" is a term of reproach as used by many of the people-but the Yankees generally glory in the name. I can tell you how the women go visiting barefoot to save their shoes till they get within a few rods of the town, and then put on their clean, pretty shoes. The same is true in going to meeting in the country. The women sit in market with butter, eggs, and potatoes, etc. till they get money-then lay it out for a silk gown or a shawl which costs ten dollars."
We know that this letter evidently did not move Ichabod to choose Pittsburgh as his place of residence or business. Soon after this date, he removed to Eastport, Maine, where he built his home and opened his law practice.
Submitted by Tom Eschweiler
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:6jgC7mT9ieEJ:www.chadbourne.org/Piedcows/Issue18.pdf+ruggles+sylvester&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=50&gl=us&client=safari
Hannah PLUMMER was the daughter of Nathaniel PLUMMER who was born in Massachusetts who removed to St Clair Twp in Allegheny Co, PA in the early days. Hannah's second husband was Dr. Ruggles SYLVESYER (1776-1834), one of the earliest doctors in the neighborhood. Sylvester, born in Massachusetts, was educated at Dartmouth. These familes were closely intertwined with my early family in Allegheny County as neighbors, fellow church members of the Associate Reformed Church of Saw Mill Run, and as friends.
Hannah and Ruggles are both buried at the Old St. Clair Cemetery in Mt. Lebanon, Allegheny, PA.
I came across this letter while trying to learn more about Hannah Plummer Fetterman's second husband. The good doctor had received a letter from his Dartmouth classmate, Ichabod Chadbourne, inquiring about opportunities in the Pittsburgh area. The letter obviously did not entice him to the area!
The Uncertain Destiny of Ichabod Rollins Chadbourne
(Career Locations in the Promising 19th Century)
A surviving letter from the letters of Ichabod R. Chadbourne gives us a vista of the uncertain alternatives faced by a capable and promising young attorney in the early years of the 19th century. In many ways, his situation then was the timeless one of those who are well-prepared but who lack either a supportive family stricture or a good connection with the persons or forces that are to shape the future. He did use the obvious "network" of at least one of his college classmates to explore one possible location, but norecord of any of his other inquiries survives.
Ichabod lost his mother when he was 2½ years old. His father, Jonathan C., and his grandfather, Judge Benjamin, both died in 1799 when Ichabod was just 12 years old. Being bereft of these influential men, Ichabod relied on any other contacts he had. His aunt's husband, lawyer George W. Wallingford gave him a helping hand by having him read law in Kennebunk and Boston with Daniel Davis. (Note: Wallingford Hall exists today on Route 1 in Kennebunk.)
After admission to the Suffolk County bar in 1812 or 1814, Ichabod was faced with the responsibility of selecting the place where he should launch his career.
So he wrote a letter of inquiry to his Dartmouth classmate, Ruggles Sylvester, in western Pennsylvania to explore the field of opportunities that might be found there. And this is the letter that he ultimately received in reply in 1815:
(Note: With apologies to Pittsburgh, PA.)
"Dear friend,
If you practice law in this State, you have to again subject yourself to years of study here before you can be admitted to practice. There are no country lawyers, all the business is done in the county towns. Pittsburgh contains by estimation ten thousand inhabitants. You may see its growth has been very considerable since the last census. Much business is done here, both manufacturing and mercantile. Mechanics are in demand and get good wages. They dress like gentlemen and clear ten dollars a week. Perhaps I can give you no adequate idea of the people in this borough, collected from all parts of the world as they are, except I call them `money-making.’ Most of the people are industrious, stirring fellows. The very wealthy are drunk after noon. The ladies are not the most amiable I have seen, although well provided for financially. All the professions get rich in Pittsburgh, but it is not by their professions. The Attorneys are sheep-growers and land speculators. The Physicians are apothecaries. The Reverend ones are placed behind the counter. A graduate of Dartmouth College tells me there is but one first-rate attorney in town, the rest being several young fellows and underlings. I can advise you neither for nor against. This side of the mountains, learned men are neither counted nor courted. Wealth is the criterion of a man's merit throughout the State of Pennsylvania. If you come to this country, you may lay aside all ideas of a pleasant social life among literary men.
This country is more healthy than where you and I have lived, and the soil far more fertile. There is no good sleighing any time in the year for want of snow; no good carriage roads for want of minimum labor laid out upon them. They will never be good the year 'round till they are paved with stone. Heavy wagons with a little rain on this marly soil cut up the roads miserably. Pittsburgh is built mostly of brick, and has not a very pleasant appearance owing to the abundance of smoke generated by the burning of stone coal. Steam engines, foundries, green houses, and blacksmith shops consume immense quantities of this coal, so that the town, in the winter, is a cloud of smoke. The people in the country are considerably inferior to the low classes in New Hampshire and the District of Maine, especially the women, who are beasts of burden in this State. These people are more stupid and unfeeling, but not so vicious as the Yankees. If you come to this country, you have to look for no good society. If you come in the stage from
Philadelphia, you will get a damnable bruising in the little crazy vehicles; and besides, you are to expect the roughest kind of treatment by taverns, stage-drivers, and every other kind of waiters. My method would be to ride on horseback, because those who came by stage report that the people seem to consider it a religious duty to abuse all they can with their tongues those who pass the mountains in the stage. I am told they are more civil to those on horseback. I have given a true picture, however ugly it may appear. If you have plenty of leisure and plenty of pocket money, perhaps you would like the tour, and then you can see for yourself.
Sincerely your friend,
Ruggles Sylvester
P.S. When I am in Pittsburgh, I every day see Yankee people arriving or descending to the West. I ought to tell you that the word "Yankee" is a term of reproach as used by many of the people-but the Yankees generally glory in the name. I can tell you how the women go visiting barefoot to save their shoes till they get within a few rods of the town, and then put on their clean, pretty shoes. The same is true in going to meeting in the country. The women sit in market with butter, eggs, and potatoes, etc. till they get money-then lay it out for a silk gown or a shawl which costs ten dollars."
We know that this letter evidently did not move Ichabod to choose Pittsburgh as his place of residence or business. Soon after this date, he removed to Eastport, Maine, where he built his home and opened his law practice.
Submitted by Tom Eschweiler
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:6jgC7mT9ieEJ:www.chadbourne.org/Piedcows/Issue18.pdf+ruggles+sylvester&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=50&gl=us&client=safari
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
There She Lies- Right Under Our Nose
From time to time, I venture into the cemetery office to check on who is buried there. I've been to a particular cemetery in Pittsburgh not once, but close to a half dozen times over the last few years. I've asked for help from the staff. Please allow me to share some of those experiences with you.
1st visit in 1988: My cousins took me to see my grandfather's grave. It was the first time I had been back to the grave since my childhood. We stopped in to get the location and to see who was buried there. The folks guardedly told me he was there and then refused to let me see the book. I did catch a glimpse of an unknown name. The staff whisked the book away.
2nd visit in 2003: I asked the staff for a map of the cemetery so I could find my grandfather's grave. The lady told me how to find it. It was pouring rain. We couldn't find the grave using her instructions. Apparently, she read the map wrong. We finally located the grave in a different area of the cemetery. I noticed my great grandparents were there just behind my grandfather.
3rd visit in 2004: I didn't bother with the staff as I now knew where to look. I took photos of the headstones. I did call the staff later to ask how much it would cost to get a new headstone. They were thrilled to be of assistance.
4th visit in 2005: I asked the staff who was buried in the plot. They gave me three names, while yet again, refusing me access to the book. This time, I had done enough research to know who the third name. He was a cousin of my grandmother's who she buried there as he had no place to go. Funny, how they still haven't told me my great grandparents are in the same plot.
Over the last few years, I have trying in vain to find the location of my great aunt's grave. I found her parents buried with my grandparents. I found her sisters in the same cemetery. Her husband was buried in a single grave in a different cemetery in town. Of course, I didn't know when she died, but I had narrowed down the dates to between 1919-1924.
Hattie was living in Erie, PA, at the time of her sister's death. I found Hattie in 1910 in Erie, but there was no sign of her there in 1920. Hattie's great grandson has also been looking for her in vain. He tried a death search for a 10 year time span with no success. He found her living in a nursing home in Erie, PA, in 1918-1919. Then, poof-- she disappeared.
Fast forward to last week:
Ring. Ring.
"Hello."
My cousin told me to sit down as I wouldn't believe what he had to say.
Hattie's been under our noses all this time. When he called the cemetery and started asking questions, he was told she was there. Not only is she there, but she died in November 1920 and is buried with her son.
Get this. Her son is the cousin who my grandmother buried in 1935!
The nice informative gent at the cemetery went on to say that she died in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. What? How? Why?
I checked the census and found her living in a nursing home in Milwaukee in 1920. We have sent for her death cert. Hopefully, that will provide the name of the person providing the information.
At this time, we have no clue as to who moved her or why she was in Milwaukee in 1920. Her son was in Jacksonville, FL at the time and her daughter moved there as well in 1922. There is no evidence to support the daughter being in Milwaukee.
So, we continue to search to see if we can solve this mystery.
My advice is to keep looking. In this case, it took years of asking the same location the same question before we could get an answer.
And to think- she's been there the whole time.
1st visit in 1988: My cousins took me to see my grandfather's grave. It was the first time I had been back to the grave since my childhood. We stopped in to get the location and to see who was buried there. The folks guardedly told me he was there and then refused to let me see the book. I did catch a glimpse of an unknown name. The staff whisked the book away.
2nd visit in 2003: I asked the staff for a map of the cemetery so I could find my grandfather's grave. The lady told me how to find it. It was pouring rain. We couldn't find the grave using her instructions. Apparently, she read the map wrong. We finally located the grave in a different area of the cemetery. I noticed my great grandparents were there just behind my grandfather.
3rd visit in 2004: I didn't bother with the staff as I now knew where to look. I took photos of the headstones. I did call the staff later to ask how much it would cost to get a new headstone. They were thrilled to be of assistance.
4th visit in 2005: I asked the staff who was buried in the plot. They gave me three names, while yet again, refusing me access to the book. This time, I had done enough research to know who the third name. He was a cousin of my grandmother's who she buried there as he had no place to go. Funny, how they still haven't told me my great grandparents are in the same plot.
Over the last few years, I have trying in vain to find the location of my great aunt's grave. I found her parents buried with my grandparents. I found her sisters in the same cemetery. Her husband was buried in a single grave in a different cemetery in town. Of course, I didn't know when she died, but I had narrowed down the dates to between 1919-1924.
Hattie was living in Erie, PA, at the time of her sister's death. I found Hattie in 1910 in Erie, but there was no sign of her there in 1920. Hattie's great grandson has also been looking for her in vain. He tried a death search for a 10 year time span with no success. He found her living in a nursing home in Erie, PA, in 1918-1919. Then, poof-- she disappeared.
Fast forward to last week:
Ring. Ring.
"Hello."
My cousin told me to sit down as I wouldn't believe what he had to say.
Hattie's been under our noses all this time. When he called the cemetery and started asking questions, he was told she was there. Not only is she there, but she died in November 1920 and is buried with her son.
Get this. Her son is the cousin who my grandmother buried in 1935!
The nice informative gent at the cemetery went on to say that she died in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. What? How? Why?
I checked the census and found her living in a nursing home in Milwaukee in 1920. We have sent for her death cert. Hopefully, that will provide the name of the person providing the information.
At this time, we have no clue as to who moved her or why she was in Milwaukee in 1920. Her son was in Jacksonville, FL at the time and her daughter moved there as well in 1922. There is no evidence to support the daughter being in Milwaukee.
So, we continue to search to see if we can solve this mystery.
My advice is to keep looking. In this case, it took years of asking the same location the same question before we could get an answer.
And to think- she's been there the whole time.
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