Little is known about immigrant George, possibly because "Featheringill" can be spelled in so many different ways that it is possible to look at his very records and just not recognize the name, because it was recorded so differently from the way it was carried down through the generations. And sometimes, someone takes a different spelling of the name and believes it is this George when it may not be. A case in point: "George Fotheringham" married Elizabeth Marie Hather in Fleet Street Prison in 1731, and this George has been identified as George Featheringill. It's possible, but I've not seen the proof nor even clues as to why these two men are identified as one and the same.
He was probably born about 1719, and possibly in Yorkshire, England although that is conjecture. All we know for sure is that George came to America from somewhere, and was in the Shenandoah Valley as early as 1737. His wife's name was Elizabeth, and many are identifying her as Elizabeth Marie Settlemire. Again, I haven't found documentation for that, so take it with a grain of salt. George and Elizabeth had at least five children, most if not all born in Virginia.
George died in 1767 in Frederick/Shenandoah County, Va. (The family farms were near the border of the two counties and it's hard to separate them as events were recorded in both counties.) Elizabeth had died three years earlier, in 1764. The life they lived was very similar to that of the Scotch-Irish who populated this region so heavily. Whether one or both of the couple had those origins, I don't know, but at least knowing what their neighbors were like gives us something of a feel for how they lived. It was a hard, pioneer life, with log cabin homes, farming as an occupation, and possibly whiskey-making to generate a little bit of cash.
I know a little bit more about George's son William, and will probably write about him at some time in the future. For now, this gives us a starting point to research George further, and at least gets his name on the family tree. Again, this is an ancestor in Mary Wise's line, and may not be her birth family line.
The line of descent is
George Featheringill-Elizabeth
William Featheringill-Mary Lehew
Elizabeth "Fannie" Featheringill-George Bodkin
Charity Bodkin-Jackson Wise
Mary Wise-William Beeks
John Beeks-Elizabeth Wise
Wilbur Beeks-Cleo Aldridge
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Friday, August 26, 2016
Allen line: Samuel Lane, Immigrant 1628-1682
There is a lot of information about Samuel Lane on-line, but of course some of it contradicts other information and some is just not very clearly explained. I'll try to pick and choose and leave the contradictory parts out of this post, or at least point out the points of disagreement.
Samuel Lane, immigrant was born about 1628 in probably London, England. I haven't yet found documentation for this, but most sites seem to agree that this is correct. His parents were Richard and Alice Carter Lane. This family is interesting because although they were Puritans, they didn't follow the typical route to New England. They arrived in 1635 at the Island of Providence, which I believe was the main island of the Bahamas. There is another Island of Providence off the coast of Costa Rica, and it could possibly be here that the family settled. However, Richard is reported to have drowned at Eleuthra, another Bahamian Island, so that makes the Bahamas theory more logical. Both islands were initially settled by Puritan families, so at least we know that the family was Puritan and that they were in the Caribbean, more or less. Probably one of the many people who have worked on this family can clear up this mystery.
So Samuel was on the island of Providence by about 1635, as a seven year old boy. He had at least three siblings, two brothers and a sister and it is fun to think of them living in an almost enchanted world, at least for their early years. It would have been a very different world from that of England, with a different diet, a different religious culture and a different way of life. All went well until Richard died in 1657. Samuel was 22 by now and perhaps in England, for he is mentioned as a "clerk" which generally means a cleric, and would mean that he had an education to acquire that title.
In Maryland, he was apparently a man of some importance. In various documents he is called a gentleman, chirurgeon, doctor, doctor of physick, commissioner of Anne Arundel county, justice of Anne Arundel County, gentleman of the quorum (another term for justice), and major. It was his role as major that apparently led to his death. It appears that he may have led or at least participated in some sort of skirmish with the Seneca Indians of New York, who were ranging farther afield in 1682 when Samuel's death occurred. He and his second wife Margaret Mauldin, a wealthy widow, had at least six children, but all would have been minors at the time of Samuel's death. His widow married Job Evans, who apparently helped raise the children.
There are still unanswered questions,of course. What religion did they practice in Maryland? What is the true story of his death? How wealthy was he at his death? I'll bet Samuel would have some interesting stories to tell, if we could talk to him!
The line of descent is:
Samuel Lane-Margaret Maulden
Dutton Lane-Pretitia Tydings
Samuel Lane-Mary Jane Corbin
Lambert Lane-Nancy Ann Anderson
Nancy Ann Lane-James McCoy
Vincent McCoy-Eleanor Jackson
Nancy McCoy-George R. Allen
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Samuel Lane, immigrant was born about 1628 in probably London, England. I haven't yet found documentation for this, but most sites seem to agree that this is correct. His parents were Richard and Alice Carter Lane. This family is interesting because although they were Puritans, they didn't follow the typical route to New England. They arrived in 1635 at the Island of Providence, which I believe was the main island of the Bahamas. There is another Island of Providence off the coast of Costa Rica, and it could possibly be here that the family settled. However, Richard is reported to have drowned at Eleuthra, another Bahamian Island, so that makes the Bahamas theory more logical. Both islands were initially settled by Puritan families, so at least we know that the family was Puritan and that they were in the Caribbean, more or less. Probably one of the many people who have worked on this family can clear up this mystery.
So Samuel was on the island of Providence by about 1635, as a seven year old boy. He had at least three siblings, two brothers and a sister and it is fun to think of them living in an almost enchanted world, at least for their early years. It would have been a very different world from that of England, with a different diet, a different religious culture and a different way of life. All went well until Richard died in 1657. Samuel was 22 by now and perhaps in England, for he is mentioned as a "clerk" which generally means a cleric, and would mean that he had an education to acquire that title.
In Maryland, he was apparently a man of some importance. In various documents he is called a gentleman, chirurgeon, doctor, doctor of physick, commissioner of Anne Arundel county, justice of Anne Arundel County, gentleman of the quorum (another term for justice), and major. It was his role as major that apparently led to his death. It appears that he may have led or at least participated in some sort of skirmish with the Seneca Indians of New York, who were ranging farther afield in 1682 when Samuel's death occurred. He and his second wife Margaret Mauldin, a wealthy widow, had at least six children, but all would have been minors at the time of Samuel's death. His widow married Job Evans, who apparently helped raise the children.
There are still unanswered questions,of course. What religion did they practice in Maryland? What is the true story of his death? How wealthy was he at his death? I'll bet Samuel would have some interesting stories to tell, if we could talk to him!
The line of descent is:
Samuel Lane-Margaret Maulden
Dutton Lane-Pretitia Tydings
Samuel Lane-Mary Jane Corbin
Lambert Lane-Nancy Ann Anderson
Nancy Ann Lane-James McCoy
Vincent McCoy-Eleanor Jackson
Nancy McCoy-George R. Allen
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Holbrook line: Thomasine Belgrave 1562-1653 or sooner; Immigrant or not?
I mostly have been writing posts about immigrant or colonial ancestors, and I'm not sure whether my subject today qualifies. I have seen her death given as "undoubtedly about 1620 in England: and as 1653 in Sudbury, Middelsex, Massachusetts. As I write this, I have been unable to confirm either date. If she truly lived until 1653 then she was over 90 years old at the time of her death. In the process of researching this article, I found that she had a most remarkable daughter, who is also our ancestor. What fun it is to do this research, even when finding facts seems to be an elusive goal!
Thomasine Belgrave's origins are fairly well documented. She was baptized February 1, 1561/62 to John Belgrave and Joanna Strutt in Leverington, Cambridgeshire, England. and was one of at least 6 children. She married Edmund Frost, son of John and Ann Scott Frost, on September 26, 1585 in Chelmsford, Suffolk, England, where the Belgrave family was apparently living. She and Edmund had at least 11 children before Edmund died in August of 1616.
Here's the question: Did Thomasine die about 1620, or did she survive to travel to New England with one or more of her children? Elizabeth, Alice, and Thomasine all came to America with their husbands and settled in Sudbury, Massachusetts so it seems possible that she came with one of them. The Sudbury town records, or at least the deaths, appear to be missing from 1650 until August of 1653, so they are of little help in resolving the situation.
I'm hoping that by posting this, maybe someone has come up with additional information to give a definite place and date of death for our ancestor. Does her story end in England, with her surviving children still there, or does it extend across the Atlantic Ocean to a land her husband would have only heard rumors about?
I promise that I will do a follow up post about her daughter Alice. She was remarkable.
Our line of descent is:
Thomasine Belgrave-Edmund Frost
Alice Frost-Thomas Blower
Alice Blower-Richard Brackett
John Brackett-Hannah French
Hannah Bracket-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hatchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard Jr-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
I've used mostly articles from "The American Genealogist" for this post. I'm so grateful for all the genealogists and family historians who have gone before. If everyone had to start from scratch with all their ancestors and do all the research themselves, we'd not know much.
Thomasine Belgrave's origins are fairly well documented. She was baptized February 1, 1561/62 to John Belgrave and Joanna Strutt in Leverington, Cambridgeshire, England. and was one of at least 6 children. She married Edmund Frost, son of John and Ann Scott Frost, on September 26, 1585 in Chelmsford, Suffolk, England, where the Belgrave family was apparently living. She and Edmund had at least 11 children before Edmund died in August of 1616.
Here's the question: Did Thomasine die about 1620, or did she survive to travel to New England with one or more of her children? Elizabeth, Alice, and Thomasine all came to America with their husbands and settled in Sudbury, Massachusetts so it seems possible that she came with one of them. The Sudbury town records, or at least the deaths, appear to be missing from 1650 until August of 1653, so they are of little help in resolving the situation.
I'm hoping that by posting this, maybe someone has come up with additional information to give a definite place and date of death for our ancestor. Does her story end in England, with her surviving children still there, or does it extend across the Atlantic Ocean to a land her husband would have only heard rumors about?
I promise that I will do a follow up post about her daughter Alice. She was remarkable.
Our line of descent is:
Thomasine Belgrave-Edmund Frost
Alice Frost-Thomas Blower
Alice Blower-Richard Brackett
John Brackett-Hannah French
Hannah Bracket-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hatchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard Jr-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
I've used mostly articles from "The American Genealogist" for this post. I'm so grateful for all the genealogists and family historians who have gone before. If everyone had to start from scratch with all their ancestors and do all the research themselves, we'd not know much.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Vacations Allen style
My daughter and I were recently discussing a boating incident she saw which resulted in one boat having to sit out in the water until someone came to rescue them and tow them back to the marina. That led to my casual comment that on my family vacations, way back when, that wouldn't have happened because we would have been in small wooden boats that would support a small outboard motor, but that the main construction of the boat was as a row boat. She had never heard the story of my annual childhood vacations, so here it is, for her, for her brother, and for her Allen cousins.
I'm not sure how early family vacations became trips to Twin Lakes, in Ferry County, Washington. I know Mom had friends there, from the days when her father had run a saw mill at Inchelium. Both the town and the Lakes are part of the Colville Indian Reservation. When we were there over a weekend, we always attended church at the Inchelium Community Church, where Mom was always greeted warmly. The people there may have known her, or my grandfather, or both. Sometimes we would stop at a small there for supplies, grocery items she forgot to pack, or that couldn't stand the longish trip to get there.
Speaking of the trip, we always looked forward to riding the ferry across the Columbia River to get there. We knew we were almost there when we got to the ferry. I googled this and found out it is free now, runs every 15 minutes, and is operated by the Indian tribe members. I don't know if any of those three statements were true back in the 1950's and early 1960's. But I do know that Dad was always upset if we "missed" the ferry, even though the wait for it to cross the river and come back was pretty short.
Our "resort" was on the North Lake, and it was quite rustic. Most of the accommodations were rustic log cabins. When I say rustic, I mean we pumped our own water, chopped our own wood, and cooked on a woodstove. The larger cabins had two rooms, with the bedroom having two double beds. I don't remember about latrine facilities. I know there was one shower house for the entire resort, and there would have been restrooms there, but I suspect other locations were more primitive. The wood for the stove was kept in big sheds, but the wood still had to be chopped, by the guests, into suitable sizes for the stove, and for kindling. Dad usually volunteered for that but he had a weak back and often Mom would end up finishing the job.
The main purpose of the trip was fishing. We would go out every morning after breakfast (in rented boat, then later with a small outboard motor) and sometimes even before breakfast. We would come in for lunch and usually rest and then have some activity like swimming or hiking, and in the later afternoon would go out again sometimes. There was usually a post-supper trip, too, ended only by nightfall.
There were two kinds of fishermen on that lake, trollers and still fishermen. Each one thought the other a little strange. We were trollers, but I do remember trying the still fishing sometimes, just because we'd heard reports of a good catch here or there. Mostly we stayed on the North Lake to fish, but usually once or twice a trip we would go through a narrow, log filled channel to the South Lake and try our luck there. I don't remember that I ever caught anything there, and I don't remember the particular places we fished on South Lake.
Food during those vacations was simple, for the most part. We would have cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and then usually fish for supper. I don't remember what we ate if we didn't have fish. Eating was not easy, because if true cooking was being done, then the fire had to be started, and Mom had to relearn how to cook on a wood stove. It seems that I remember at least one year that she baked a cake in one, because we were vacationing over a younger sister's birthday. Then there were the dishes to do, with hand pumped water that had to be heated on the stove, and then dishes were washed in a big enamel pan. Somehow we survived, and even enjoyed, these "hardships".
One of the big treats of going to the Lake was that we would get a small allowance to spend at the company store. This wouldn't have been more than 50 cents and may have been only 25 cents, but we were allowed to spend it on candy or pop if we wished, and boy, did we wish! My choice was usually a "Sugar Daddy", a sticky caramel concoction on a stick that took forever (like, most of the week) to eat.
Twin Lakes was located in what some referred to as mountains and some as hills. There were pine trees and there were also open areas, but looking across the lake was one of my favorite sights in the whole world, especially as the sun went down. The hills seemed taller and the woods more wooded, and it was truly a lovely place for a vacation.
My strongest memories are of one particular fish, a rainbow trout almost 14 inches long, and of the year friends from the church Dad was pastoring in Othello went at the same time. We had good times that year. There is also the year we found minnows shooting out of a water pipe, and had fun catching them with milk cartons. I remember trying to walk logs that were used to form a sort of fence around a grassy area near the path to the dock, and I remember how proud I was when I could finally manage some of the uphill or downhill logs, as opposed to level and straight logs at the top or bottom of the area. I remember spats with my sister, good times with my parents, reading and playing cards on a rainy day or two. Those were good times, and even though I might have wished, as I grew older, for other vacation spots, I wouldn't trade them now.
Perhaps I'll write another time of the other kinds of vacations we had, as a family growing up. But always and forever, the smell of pine trees will take me back to Twin Lakes, Washington, and the family vacations we shared.
For my "Harshbarger" family readers, I'll try to find something new to post in two weeks. I'm running out of subjects in that line!
I'm not sure how early family vacations became trips to Twin Lakes, in Ferry County, Washington. I know Mom had friends there, from the days when her father had run a saw mill at Inchelium. Both the town and the Lakes are part of the Colville Indian Reservation. When we were there over a weekend, we always attended church at the Inchelium Community Church, where Mom was always greeted warmly. The people there may have known her, or my grandfather, or both. Sometimes we would stop at a small there for supplies, grocery items she forgot to pack, or that couldn't stand the longish trip to get there.
Speaking of the trip, we always looked forward to riding the ferry across the Columbia River to get there. We knew we were almost there when we got to the ferry. I googled this and found out it is free now, runs every 15 minutes, and is operated by the Indian tribe members. I don't know if any of those three statements were true back in the 1950's and early 1960's. But I do know that Dad was always upset if we "missed" the ferry, even though the wait for it to cross the river and come back was pretty short.
Our "resort" was on the North Lake, and it was quite rustic. Most of the accommodations were rustic log cabins. When I say rustic, I mean we pumped our own water, chopped our own wood, and cooked on a woodstove. The larger cabins had two rooms, with the bedroom having two double beds. I don't remember about latrine facilities. I know there was one shower house for the entire resort, and there would have been restrooms there, but I suspect other locations were more primitive. The wood for the stove was kept in big sheds, but the wood still had to be chopped, by the guests, into suitable sizes for the stove, and for kindling. Dad usually volunteered for that but he had a weak back and often Mom would end up finishing the job.
The main purpose of the trip was fishing. We would go out every morning after breakfast (in rented boat, then later with a small outboard motor) and sometimes even before breakfast. We would come in for lunch and usually rest and then have some activity like swimming or hiking, and in the later afternoon would go out again sometimes. There was usually a post-supper trip, too, ended only by nightfall.
There were two kinds of fishermen on that lake, trollers and still fishermen. Each one thought the other a little strange. We were trollers, but I do remember trying the still fishing sometimes, just because we'd heard reports of a good catch here or there. Mostly we stayed on the North Lake to fish, but usually once or twice a trip we would go through a narrow, log filled channel to the South Lake and try our luck there. I don't remember that I ever caught anything there, and I don't remember the particular places we fished on South Lake.
Food during those vacations was simple, for the most part. We would have cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and then usually fish for supper. I don't remember what we ate if we didn't have fish. Eating was not easy, because if true cooking was being done, then the fire had to be started, and Mom had to relearn how to cook on a wood stove. It seems that I remember at least one year that she baked a cake in one, because we were vacationing over a younger sister's birthday. Then there were the dishes to do, with hand pumped water that had to be heated on the stove, and then dishes were washed in a big enamel pan. Somehow we survived, and even enjoyed, these "hardships".
One of the big treats of going to the Lake was that we would get a small allowance to spend at the company store. This wouldn't have been more than 50 cents and may have been only 25 cents, but we were allowed to spend it on candy or pop if we wished, and boy, did we wish! My choice was usually a "Sugar Daddy", a sticky caramel concoction on a stick that took forever (like, most of the week) to eat.
Twin Lakes was located in what some referred to as mountains and some as hills. There were pine trees and there were also open areas, but looking across the lake was one of my favorite sights in the whole world, especially as the sun went down. The hills seemed taller and the woods more wooded, and it was truly a lovely place for a vacation.
My strongest memories are of one particular fish, a rainbow trout almost 14 inches long, and of the year friends from the church Dad was pastoring in Othello went at the same time. We had good times that year. There is also the year we found minnows shooting out of a water pipe, and had fun catching them with milk cartons. I remember trying to walk logs that were used to form a sort of fence around a grassy area near the path to the dock, and I remember how proud I was when I could finally manage some of the uphill or downhill logs, as opposed to level and straight logs at the top or bottom of the area. I remember spats with my sister, good times with my parents, reading and playing cards on a rainy day or two. Those were good times, and even though I might have wished, as I grew older, for other vacation spots, I wouldn't trade them now.
Perhaps I'll write another time of the other kinds of vacations we had, as a family growing up. But always and forever, the smell of pine trees will take me back to Twin Lakes, Washington, and the family vacations we shared.
For my "Harshbarger" family readers, I'll try to find something new to post in two weeks. I'm running out of subjects in that line!
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Beeks line: Richard Bodkin 1710-1773 Immigrant?
Richard Bodkin may or may not be the immigrant ancestor for his line. No one seems to know for sure where he was born, but it seems to be either Pennsylvania/Virginia or Galway, Ireland. There were several Bodkin families in America by the late 1600's, and there were also several families by that name in Ireland in the same time frame. Many of the Irish people came to America as political and religious challenges from the British made life difficult in Ireland, and that motivation would have been in place for more than a few years.
So, about the only thing we can say for sure at this point is that Richard was likely either Irish or of Irish extraction. We can guess that he was Protestant only because the great majority of people who settled where he did were Protestant, many of them Presbyterian. We don't even know his wife's name, although it is believed to be either Elizabeth or Jane, or possibly he was married more than once. With so many questions, why am I writing about Richard?
Fortunately, a lot of good people have worked to find some of the details of his life and have been willing to put it on line. The most complete story is found at ourtexasfamily.com website, under the Bodkin-Smith Family. There are pictures of family documents there, and maps, and it's worth your while to go there to find out more. As usual, I am only providing highlights of what is known and am not providing as much information as I could.
Richard is known to have been settled in Augusta (later Highland County) County, Virginia by 1750, when he had a patent for 339 acres of land on Clover Creek, which was a branch of the Cowpasture River. The next year, he signed a petition for a road from "Walles Asterns mill to road on head of Cowpasture" and was assigned to work on the road. In 1756, he was on a list of tithables, which only means that he had to pay a tax to the Anglican church. It doesn't necessarily mean he belonged to the church. I have seen him referred to as both a captain and a private in the Virginia militia about this same time. Likely he is the captain and a son or nephew is the private.
This reminds us that this part of the country was very much frontier country. The battles of the French and Indian War were about to take place, and military protection was sometimes far away. This was a time of fear and hardship, with many families leaving for sanctuary and traveling east, but we have no indication that Richard left, or that he sent his family away.
Many of Richard's sons later moved westward, to what is now Highland County, Virginia, but it's not clear whether Richard went also or whether he stayed in his original home. He died about 1773. So far I haven't found a will for him. He is believed to have had at least five sons, born from roughly 1734 to 1744. It's possible there were more children, including daughters, but I've not found a reliable source yet. Also, Richard had brothers who settled in the same general area so figuring out which Bodkin belonged to which is difficult. To make matters worse, some of the family, somewhere along the line, changed the spelling to Botkin or Botkins.
The brief picture we have of Richard is as a hard working husband and father, frontiersman, Appalachian, and soldier. Even though we don't know anything more at this point, that is enough to be proud of, and to be grateful that men like Richard helped shape our country.
The line of descent is:
Richard Bodkin-Elizabeth or Jane
James Bodkin-Diannah or Delilah Hicklin
George Bodkin-Elizabeth Featheringill
Charity Botkin-Jackson Wise
Mary Wise-William Beeks
John Beeks-Elizabeth Wise
Wilbur Beeks-Cleo Aldridge
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendants
Note: As a reminder, Mary Wise may have been adopted. But these are the people she would have learned about, and to her, these would have been "her people".
So, about the only thing we can say for sure at this point is that Richard was likely either Irish or of Irish extraction. We can guess that he was Protestant only because the great majority of people who settled where he did were Protestant, many of them Presbyterian. We don't even know his wife's name, although it is believed to be either Elizabeth or Jane, or possibly he was married more than once. With so many questions, why am I writing about Richard?
Fortunately, a lot of good people have worked to find some of the details of his life and have been willing to put it on line. The most complete story is found at ourtexasfamily.com website, under the Bodkin-Smith Family. There are pictures of family documents there, and maps, and it's worth your while to go there to find out more. As usual, I am only providing highlights of what is known and am not providing as much information as I could.
Richard is known to have been settled in Augusta (later Highland County) County, Virginia by 1750, when he had a patent for 339 acres of land on Clover Creek, which was a branch of the Cowpasture River. The next year, he signed a petition for a road from "Walles Asterns mill to road on head of Cowpasture" and was assigned to work on the road. In 1756, he was on a list of tithables, which only means that he had to pay a tax to the Anglican church. It doesn't necessarily mean he belonged to the church. I have seen him referred to as both a captain and a private in the Virginia militia about this same time. Likely he is the captain and a son or nephew is the private.
This reminds us that this part of the country was very much frontier country. The battles of the French and Indian War were about to take place, and military protection was sometimes far away. This was a time of fear and hardship, with many families leaving for sanctuary and traveling east, but we have no indication that Richard left, or that he sent his family away.
Many of Richard's sons later moved westward, to what is now Highland County, Virginia, but it's not clear whether Richard went also or whether he stayed in his original home. He died about 1773. So far I haven't found a will for him. He is believed to have had at least five sons, born from roughly 1734 to 1744. It's possible there were more children, including daughters, but I've not found a reliable source yet. Also, Richard had brothers who settled in the same general area so figuring out which Bodkin belonged to which is difficult. To make matters worse, some of the family, somewhere along the line, changed the spelling to Botkin or Botkins.
The brief picture we have of Richard is as a hard working husband and father, frontiersman, Appalachian, and soldier. Even though we don't know anything more at this point, that is enough to be proud of, and to be grateful that men like Richard helped shape our country.
The line of descent is:
Richard Bodkin-Elizabeth or Jane
James Bodkin-Diannah or Delilah Hicklin
George Bodkin-Elizabeth Featheringill
Charity Botkin-Jackson Wise
Mary Wise-William Beeks
John Beeks-Elizabeth Wise
Wilbur Beeks-Cleo Aldridge
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendants
Note: As a reminder, Mary Wise may have been adopted. But these are the people she would have learned about, and to her, these would have been "her people".
Friday, August 12, 2016
Holbrook line: Richard Adams 1605-1674 Immigrant
Once again we have an immigrant ancestor about whom little is known. His like is fairly well documented in Massachusetts, but his earlier years, about 30 of them, are more of a mystery.
Richard was born about April 21,1605 in Batcombe, Somerset, England, or near there. Batcombe is and was a very small village (current population about 450), and the church that is there now, the Church of St Mary the Virgin, was there then, although the church has had a tower added since the early 1600s. The main industry of the area was raising sheep and weaving wool, so it's a pretty safe bet this is what our ancestors were doing when Richard was born, and as he grew to a young man.
At some point, the family developed Puritan leanings, and Richard and his family came to America in 1635. Richard apparently paid for the passage of himself, his wife, and one child, by coming as a servant to William Reade, of Batcombe, Somerset, England. They sailed on March 20, 1635 with Reverend Joseph Hull's group, most of whom went to Connecticut. Richard and his wife were in Weymouth, Massachusetts later that year, but it's hard to tell how long Richard retained his role as servant to Mr. Reade. We do know that he was admitted to a church early because he became a freeman at Weymouth on 2 September 1635. This is a possible indicator that he has some sort of status in the community, to be admitted that quickly, or that the church was eager for "live bodies" to enlarge the church.
The identity of his wives remains unknown. The best guess is that he married a Mrs. Cheame, and that either she already had a daughter named Mary Cheame, or they married their first daughter in honor of her first husband. However, nothing has been found in England to support this speculation, in either direction, so all we can really say is that Mary Cheame Adams travelled with her mother and either father or stepfather to America and then to Weymouth.
Once the family was in America, three more children were born. It appears that the first wife, Mary died after 1642, and that Richard remarried to Elizabeth, who died in 1656. He married again, by 1662, to another Elizabeth, and had a child with her. During his early years at Weymouth, he was on the grand jury, served as a deputy to the General Court for Weymouth, and served on a committee and as a commissioner for small causes. His occupation there is described as "planter", which generally means a land holder in good standing with the government and church, which were mostly one and the same thing. He is also described as being "semi-literate."
Richard asked to be relieved from further military training on June 19, 1665, stating that he was of the age of three score or thereabout, also being lame. I wonder whether it was an injury or an illness that caused the lameness? The next we hear from him is that he is in Malden, not Weymouth, and writing his will, which was dated March 21, 1673/74 and proved December 15, 1674. The land, which was left to his widow and his children, was valued at 78 pounds. The rest of his inventory is not totaled, and I have not yet located a copy of the will. However, it appears that he was not a wealthy man.
I'd like to know more about Richard Adams. Was he a servant to William Reade just for the ocean crossing, and if so, was there some family relationship? Was he a good and obedient Puritan all his ife? When did he move to Malden, and why? Where did he get his education, and did he have books in his inventory? There is always more to learn! Most of the information I have came from "The Great Migration" by Robert Charles Anderson, but I'd like more information, still.
The line of descent is:
Richard Adams-Mary
Sarah Adams-Edward Counts
Elizabeth Counts-Enoch Cleveland
Sarah Cleveland-Israel Joslin
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary/Mercy Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard Jr.
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Richard was born about April 21,1605 in Batcombe, Somerset, England, or near there. Batcombe is and was a very small village (current population about 450), and the church that is there now, the Church of St Mary the Virgin, was there then, although the church has had a tower added since the early 1600s. The main industry of the area was raising sheep and weaving wool, so it's a pretty safe bet this is what our ancestors were doing when Richard was born, and as he grew to a young man.
At some point, the family developed Puritan leanings, and Richard and his family came to America in 1635. Richard apparently paid for the passage of himself, his wife, and one child, by coming as a servant to William Reade, of Batcombe, Somerset, England. They sailed on March 20, 1635 with Reverend Joseph Hull's group, most of whom went to Connecticut. Richard and his wife were in Weymouth, Massachusetts later that year, but it's hard to tell how long Richard retained his role as servant to Mr. Reade. We do know that he was admitted to a church early because he became a freeman at Weymouth on 2 September 1635. This is a possible indicator that he has some sort of status in the community, to be admitted that quickly, or that the church was eager for "live bodies" to enlarge the church.
The identity of his wives remains unknown. The best guess is that he married a Mrs. Cheame, and that either she already had a daughter named Mary Cheame, or they married their first daughter in honor of her first husband. However, nothing has been found in England to support this speculation, in either direction, so all we can really say is that Mary Cheame Adams travelled with her mother and either father or stepfather to America and then to Weymouth.
Once the family was in America, three more children were born. It appears that the first wife, Mary died after 1642, and that Richard remarried to Elizabeth, who died in 1656. He married again, by 1662, to another Elizabeth, and had a child with her. During his early years at Weymouth, he was on the grand jury, served as a deputy to the General Court for Weymouth, and served on a committee and as a commissioner for small causes. His occupation there is described as "planter", which generally means a land holder in good standing with the government and church, which were mostly one and the same thing. He is also described as being "semi-literate."
Richard asked to be relieved from further military training on June 19, 1665, stating that he was of the age of three score or thereabout, also being lame. I wonder whether it was an injury or an illness that caused the lameness? The next we hear from him is that he is in Malden, not Weymouth, and writing his will, which was dated March 21, 1673/74 and proved December 15, 1674. The land, which was left to his widow and his children, was valued at 78 pounds. The rest of his inventory is not totaled, and I have not yet located a copy of the will. However, it appears that he was not a wealthy man.
I'd like to know more about Richard Adams. Was he a servant to William Reade just for the ocean crossing, and if so, was there some family relationship? Was he a good and obedient Puritan all his ife? When did he move to Malden, and why? Where did he get his education, and did he have books in his inventory? There is always more to learn! Most of the information I have came from "The Great Migration" by Robert Charles Anderson, but I'd like more information, still.
The line of descent is:
Richard Adams-Mary
Sarah Adams-Edward Counts
Elizabeth Counts-Enoch Cleveland
Sarah Cleveland-Israel Joslin
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary/Mercy Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard Jr.
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Allen line: John Riley 1625-1674 Immigrant
Oh, my goodness. The "Life of Riley" is giving me an old-fashioned headache. I've been trying to figure out which Riley's have proof or at least some semblance of plausibility and which are wrong, or at least, not so plausible.
The only "facts" that I've located have to do with John's marriage, the birth of three of his sons, and his date of death.. All else is conjecture, or the result of the mixing of several John Riley's. It's an interesting family to look at because several people claim that the family originally came from Dublin, Ireland, and then place them in England for at least one generation and maybe two, before John emigrated to New England.
So John was born in 1624 or 1625, at Longford, Ireland or possibly Elland, Yorkshire, England.or maybe somewhere else. His parents are given as Joseph Riley and Mary Wright, who were married June 23, 1624 in Elland. It's hard to reconcile this with a birthdate for John of May 12, 1624 in Longford, Ireland, so all I am willing to say is that there is a possibility that John had Irish ancestry. Joseph and Mary may have come to the New World, perhaps sometime between 1628 and 1630, but I haven't found documents that confirm this idea yet. Supposedly they had three children in Ireland and two in Wethersfield, but that doesn't seem likely because the dates of birth as given are before the settlement of Wethersfield began.
We do know that John married Grace Buck, probably the daughter of William and Margaret Good Buck, before 1646, according to Torrey's Marriages. Three children are listed in the Wethersfield vital records for them: Joseph, John, and Jonathan. Also listed in his will were Mary, Grace, Jacob and Isaac. John the father is listed several times in Hartford Court records as being a juror.
From John's will (written as "John Ryly") and inventory, we can see that he died sometime before September 8, 1674. He was not a poor Irishman, if Irish he ever was. His inventory includes furniture in the parlor, beds, carpet, "guns, swords, and other ammunition", farm implements, carpenter tools, horses, oxen, cows, swine, sheep, and bees (indicating an orchard) as well as several parcels of land. His estate totaled 688 pounds, 4 shillings, but of that he owed 66 pounds in debts to three men. So it was not a huge estate, but definitely up the ladder from "poor." His wife, not mentioned by name, was the sole executor, which indicates he put a great deal of trust in her.
I would certainly like to find out more about John Riley. What connection, if any, did he have to Ireland? Was he a member of the (Puritan) church? Who were his parents? Was he well respected in Wethersfield? As of now, the clearest picture I have of him comes through his will and inventory, and I'd like to know so much more!
The line of descent is:
John Riley-Grace Buck
John Riley-Margaret
Mary Riley-Joseph Ely
Mary Ely-Thomas Stebbins
Ruth Stebbins-Samuel Hitchcock
Margaret Hitchcock-Richard Falley
Samuel Falley-Ruth Root
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
The only "facts" that I've located have to do with John's marriage, the birth of three of his sons, and his date of death.. All else is conjecture, or the result of the mixing of several John Riley's. It's an interesting family to look at because several people claim that the family originally came from Dublin, Ireland, and then place them in England for at least one generation and maybe two, before John emigrated to New England.
So John was born in 1624 or 1625, at Longford, Ireland or possibly Elland, Yorkshire, England.or maybe somewhere else. His parents are given as Joseph Riley and Mary Wright, who were married June 23, 1624 in Elland. It's hard to reconcile this with a birthdate for John of May 12, 1624 in Longford, Ireland, so all I am willing to say is that there is a possibility that John had Irish ancestry. Joseph and Mary may have come to the New World, perhaps sometime between 1628 and 1630, but I haven't found documents that confirm this idea yet. Supposedly they had three children in Ireland and two in Wethersfield, but that doesn't seem likely because the dates of birth as given are before the settlement of Wethersfield began.
We do know that John married Grace Buck, probably the daughter of William and Margaret Good Buck, before 1646, according to Torrey's Marriages. Three children are listed in the Wethersfield vital records for them: Joseph, John, and Jonathan. Also listed in his will were Mary, Grace, Jacob and Isaac. John the father is listed several times in Hartford Court records as being a juror.
From John's will (written as "John Ryly") and inventory, we can see that he died sometime before September 8, 1674. He was not a poor Irishman, if Irish he ever was. His inventory includes furniture in the parlor, beds, carpet, "guns, swords, and other ammunition", farm implements, carpenter tools, horses, oxen, cows, swine, sheep, and bees (indicating an orchard) as well as several parcels of land. His estate totaled 688 pounds, 4 shillings, but of that he owed 66 pounds in debts to three men. So it was not a huge estate, but definitely up the ladder from "poor." His wife, not mentioned by name, was the sole executor, which indicates he put a great deal of trust in her.
I would certainly like to find out more about John Riley. What connection, if any, did he have to Ireland? Was he a member of the (Puritan) church? Who were his parents? Was he well respected in Wethersfield? As of now, the clearest picture I have of him comes through his will and inventory, and I'd like to know so much more!
The line of descent is:
John Riley-Grace Buck
John Riley-Margaret
Mary Riley-Joseph Ely
Mary Ely-Thomas Stebbins
Ruth Stebbins-Samuel Hitchcock
Margaret Hitchcock-Richard Falley
Samuel Falley-Ruth Root
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Friday, August 5, 2016
Harshbarger line: Thoughts about Hans Jacob Loewenguth or Liebengud
I've long had the story about this family as that they were killed by Indians in the horrible attacks in Berks County, Pa in 1758. In double-checking the facts before I wrote up this story, I am confused. I may be missing a generation, it seems to me.
My story starts with a Hans Jacob who was born probably in Bern, Switzerland in 1681. However, when I started fact checking, I'm finding that most sources say this gentleman died in or before 1754. He also is assigned a different wife (Maria Margaretha Schaefer) than the one I have noted. They were married in Mertzwiller, Bas-Rhin, France on December 9, 1720. This would make Hans Jacob very old by the time of the 1758 attack, and if he actually died in 1754, it would have been impossible.
So the Hans Jacob I have in my records probably was not born in 1681. I don't know if he was a son of the Hans Jacob mentioned above or not. It seems possible, though. Having two generations of Hans Jacobs would help make sense of some of the Lowenguth/Liebengood/Liebengud men that I haven't been able to account for, such as Peter, who was possibly a brother to the younger Hans Jacob. But wait, there's a problem! It seems that the younger Hans Jacob died in 1808, not 1758, in Perry Township, Muskingum County, Ohio (oh goodness, another county to research?? Yikes!)
I'm going to copy the copy I made from a book, who knows what it was. The heading at the top of the page says "Reading and Berks County", but I have no information as to the title or publication date of the book, although from internal clues it was after 1919. It's found on page 392.
"Jacob Loewenguth, who came to this country in 1710, was born in Schalkendorf, in Alsace, and was the son of Friederich Liebengut, who left Aarwanger, near Langenthal, Canton, Lucerne, Switzerland, in 1653, after the Peasants War, in which he took part. He was one of a part of Germans sent by the British Board of Trade to Livingstone Manor in the Province of New York, to manufacture tar and naval stores, to cover the cost of their transportation. He was located in one of the towns in "West Camp", above the present city of Kingston, on the Hudson River. After three years of toll and hardship and the failure of Governor Hunter, of the Province of New York, to keep his contract with the settlers, in 1713 they left the Camps and worked their way through the wilderness to the Schoharie lands, a beautiful country southwest of Albany, in the western foothills of the Catskills. This Schoharie land was promised them by Queen Anne, of England, who was interested in them as refugees from their distressed fatherland, and had been given to the Queen by a group of Indian chiefs, who were in London when the refugees were camped outside the city.
After ten years of conquering the forest and creating and cultivating the farm lands of Schoarie, the settlers were driven out and the settlement caused to be abandoned by a combination of land speculators, who had been favored by the New York provincial government. Jacob Loewenguth was one of the group of settlers, who in 1723 cut through the forests to the head waters of the Susquehanna, down which they worked their way to the Province of Pennsylvania. They ended their journey at the mouth f the Swatara Crrek and from there moved into and settled the Tulpehocken region.
Jacob Loewenguth's family consisted of his wife, Margaretha, and three children, Jacob, Anna Margaretha, and Anna Barbara. In the early part of April, 1758, a party of Indians attack the settlement and Jacob Loewenguth and his wife wife were filled and scalped. Anna Barbara, and Anna Margaretha, who was the wife of Jacob Fehler, with two of her children, were carried away captive by the Indians, and nothing was ever heard of them. Jacob Loewenguth, Jr., the son, escaped the attack"
To further confuse matters, Jacob Loewenguth, Jr., farmer, son of this Jacob Loewenguth, is said to have died in 1788.
This is quite a colorful story and I thought it worthwhile to put it in this blog post, because if this is not our Hans Jacob it is still likely a relative of some sort, and this story needs to be remembered and honored. The conditions these settlers lived through were horrendous, from Germany to England to at least two settlements in New York, to Pennsylvania, where things started out looking better, at least.
I would love to hear from other researchers and family members who can share their sources, hopefully better than I am able to do. The book I quoted from was written about 150 years after the Indian attack, which makes it suspect to elaboration and confusion over the years, and also means we have to wonder if the person who compiled it was one of the "fake" genealogists of the time period. I don't know who provided this family biography although it may have been contributed by John E. Livingood, M.D., who has a rather extensive biography on the same page. Since there were also Hans Jacob Loewenguths, both Senior and Junior, and Peter, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1750, I am thoroughly confused. I would love to be able to figure out the truth in all of this.
Here is the possible line of descent:
Hans Jacob Loewenguth-Margaretha Sands
Anna Margaretha Loewenguth-Jacob Fehler
John Jacob Fehler-Anna Eva Behney
Christina Elizabeth Fehler-Johannes Harshbarger
George Harshbarger-Mary Kepler
Lewis Harshbarger-Catherine Mentzer
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
My story starts with a Hans Jacob who was born probably in Bern, Switzerland in 1681. However, when I started fact checking, I'm finding that most sources say this gentleman died in or before 1754. He also is assigned a different wife (Maria Margaretha Schaefer) than the one I have noted. They were married in Mertzwiller, Bas-Rhin, France on December 9, 1720. This would make Hans Jacob very old by the time of the 1758 attack, and if he actually died in 1754, it would have been impossible.
So the Hans Jacob I have in my records probably was not born in 1681. I don't know if he was a son of the Hans Jacob mentioned above or not. It seems possible, though. Having two generations of Hans Jacobs would help make sense of some of the Lowenguth/Liebengood/Liebengud men that I haven't been able to account for, such as Peter, who was possibly a brother to the younger Hans Jacob. But wait, there's a problem! It seems that the younger Hans Jacob died in 1808, not 1758, in Perry Township, Muskingum County, Ohio (oh goodness, another county to research?? Yikes!)
I'm going to copy the copy I made from a book, who knows what it was. The heading at the top of the page says "Reading and Berks County", but I have no information as to the title or publication date of the book, although from internal clues it was after 1919. It's found on page 392.
"Jacob Loewenguth, who came to this country in 1710, was born in Schalkendorf, in Alsace, and was the son of Friederich Liebengut, who left Aarwanger, near Langenthal, Canton, Lucerne, Switzerland, in 1653, after the Peasants War, in which he took part. He was one of a part of Germans sent by the British Board of Trade to Livingstone Manor in the Province of New York, to manufacture tar and naval stores, to cover the cost of their transportation. He was located in one of the towns in "West Camp", above the present city of Kingston, on the Hudson River. After three years of toll and hardship and the failure of Governor Hunter, of the Province of New York, to keep his contract with the settlers, in 1713 they left the Camps and worked their way through the wilderness to the Schoharie lands, a beautiful country southwest of Albany, in the western foothills of the Catskills. This Schoharie land was promised them by Queen Anne, of England, who was interested in them as refugees from their distressed fatherland, and had been given to the Queen by a group of Indian chiefs, who were in London when the refugees were camped outside the city.
After ten years of conquering the forest and creating and cultivating the farm lands of Schoarie, the settlers were driven out and the settlement caused to be abandoned by a combination of land speculators, who had been favored by the New York provincial government. Jacob Loewenguth was one of the group of settlers, who in 1723 cut through the forests to the head waters of the Susquehanna, down which they worked their way to the Province of Pennsylvania. They ended their journey at the mouth f the Swatara Crrek and from there moved into and settled the Tulpehocken region.
Jacob Loewenguth's family consisted of his wife, Margaretha, and three children, Jacob, Anna Margaretha, and Anna Barbara. In the early part of April, 1758, a party of Indians attack the settlement and Jacob Loewenguth and his wife wife were filled and scalped. Anna Barbara, and Anna Margaretha, who was the wife of Jacob Fehler, with two of her children, were carried away captive by the Indians, and nothing was ever heard of them. Jacob Loewenguth, Jr., the son, escaped the attack"
To further confuse matters, Jacob Loewenguth, Jr., farmer, son of this Jacob Loewenguth, is said to have died in 1788.
This is quite a colorful story and I thought it worthwhile to put it in this blog post, because if this is not our Hans Jacob it is still likely a relative of some sort, and this story needs to be remembered and honored. The conditions these settlers lived through were horrendous, from Germany to England to at least two settlements in New York, to Pennsylvania, where things started out looking better, at least.
I would love to hear from other researchers and family members who can share their sources, hopefully better than I am able to do. The book I quoted from was written about 150 years after the Indian attack, which makes it suspect to elaboration and confusion over the years, and also means we have to wonder if the person who compiled it was one of the "fake" genealogists of the time period. I don't know who provided this family biography although it may have been contributed by John E. Livingood, M.D., who has a rather extensive biography on the same page. Since there were also Hans Jacob Loewenguths, both Senior and Junior, and Peter, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1750, I am thoroughly confused. I would love to be able to figure out the truth in all of this.
Here is the possible line of descent:
Hans Jacob Loewenguth-Margaretha Sands
Anna Margaretha Loewenguth-Jacob Fehler
John Jacob Fehler-Anna Eva Behney
Christina Elizabeth Fehler-Johannes Harshbarger
George Harshbarger-Mary Kepler
Lewis Harshbarger-Catherine Mentzer
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Beeks line: This is when Wilbur Beeks joined the American Legion
From the Huntington Herald, Huntington, Indiana Monday, November 17, 1919, page 4:
"ANDREWS VETERANS ORGANIZE LEGION
Hall Post No. 163 of the American Legion of Andrews was formed Sunday afternoon in the store of Howard Dunn when election of officers took place and business matters pertaining to the post were taken up. The officers elected were: Howard Dunn, president; Edgar Keefer, vice president; Homer Ellison, secretary and Delmar Chubb, treasurer. It was decided to use the room formerly occupied by the Andrews Post, G>A>R>, and improvements will be made.
The post was given its name in memory of the only Andrews boy who lost his life in the war. The post received its charter last week from the Indiana branch of the American Legion. Nearly twenty ex-service men already have joined the post. Among the first young men to join the post were Howard Dunn, Paul Haller, Mr. Wiley, Earl Stephan, Vernice Stephan, William Ross, Bert Ross, Wilbert (sic) Beeks, Chester Beeks, Edgar Keefer, Roy G. Declan (might be Decian), Homer Ellison, Henry Kingsley John Hefner, Jos. Schmalzried, Earl Bremaman (Brenneman?), Euguene Wire, and Delmar Chubb."
I have more research to do on this article for a possible second book about Andrews history, but this answers one of my family questions. Wilbur joined as a charter member, and when the Andrews branch disbanded, his membership was likely transferred to Huntington's unit. Wilbur's service was in Russia, as one of the Michigan Polar Bears.
"ANDREWS VETERANS ORGANIZE LEGION
Hall Post No. 163 of the American Legion of Andrews was formed Sunday afternoon in the store of Howard Dunn when election of officers took place and business matters pertaining to the post were taken up. The officers elected were: Howard Dunn, president; Edgar Keefer, vice president; Homer Ellison, secretary and Delmar Chubb, treasurer. It was decided to use the room formerly occupied by the Andrews Post, G>A>R>, and improvements will be made.
The post was given its name in memory of the only Andrews boy who lost his life in the war. The post received its charter last week from the Indiana branch of the American Legion. Nearly twenty ex-service men already have joined the post. Among the first young men to join the post were Howard Dunn, Paul Haller, Mr. Wiley, Earl Stephan, Vernice Stephan, William Ross, Bert Ross, Wilbert (sic) Beeks, Chester Beeks, Edgar Keefer, Roy G. Declan (might be Decian), Homer Ellison, Henry Kingsley John Hefner, Jos. Schmalzried, Earl Bremaman (Brenneman?), Euguene Wire, and Delmar Chubb."
I have more research to do on this article for a possible second book about Andrews history, but this answers one of my family questions. Wilbur joined as a charter member, and when the Andrews branch disbanded, his membership was likely transferred to Huntington's unit. Wilbur's service was in Russia, as one of the Michigan Polar Bears.
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