It's amazing what you learn when you think you're learning something else. I was searching for a better death date than just "1910" for this lady, my great great grandmother, and stumbled upon another very interesting story indeed.
First, the bare bones. Susan was born July 17,1835 in Chautaqua County, N.Y. to Joseph R Eddy and Susan Lamphire Eddy. Her family moved west, and she went along with them, and married Hiram A Stanard on December 31, 1854, in Lee County, Illinois. From what little I've learned, she must have been a typical pioneer wife and mother, although just the move from New York to frontier Illinois meant she lived an extraordinary life and had something special going for her. The family was Baptist, and Hiram was a Republican. (Susan's political opinions didn't matter because she couldn't vote, anyway.)
What I find remarkable about Susan is the family she raised. There were four children-Louis, whom I've written of earlier, Esther, whom I've also written of, Luceba, who is still something of a mystery, and Susan A. Susan A Stanard married very, very well, to Bert Underwood. Now, I knew very little of Bert until I started looking for Susan Eddy's story. I still don't know much about him, but I suspect one could write a book about his exploits. I thought I would put this much down in print in case someone wants to find out more about this gentleman.
There are somewhere between several and many articles in the Ottawa, Kansas newspapers about him, because he was a local boy made good. He determined in the 1880's that he was not going to drive a grocery wagon for $10 a month forever, and he made good on that promise. Somehow, he and his brother, Elmer, began several businesses in and around Ottawa, including a Farm Loan Company and a stereoscope company (they were on the ground floor on this business, and they were famous as the company of Underwood and Underwood.) They were also two of the first overseas photographers for newspapers, and traveled the world taking photographs. Most of the photos were destined for use in the stereoscope business, but in the process of this endeavor, they became more what we would call photojournalists, and were involved in several of the major news stories of the day. Bert even reported on some of what he learned about some of the upheavals in Greece and Macedonia in the 1900s, as a special correspondent. He traveled to Assam, India at one point, and visited his sister Esther Stanard Dring there. He became very ill in Panama (malaria, maybe?) and his brother was called to his bedside there. At one time, Underwood and Underwood had offices in New York, London, and possibly other European cities. Other notable events that Bert covered included Korean hostilities and the coronation of King Edward, successor to Queen Victoria.
The 1910 census shows Bert as a publisher, and his mother in law, Susan Stanard is listed in his household. I would like to know how long she had lived with the family, because she died before June 15, 1910, which was shortly after the census was taken. I've not found her yet in 1900. Her husband, Hiram, had died in 1895. There was a newspaper note that Susan had gone to "New York" with her daughter, Susan Underwood, which was shortly before the younger Susan's son Roy was born. Did she live with the family for the next decade? There are four persons listed as servants in the household, so were these the ordinary servants that a family as well to do as the Underwoods would have, or was one of them a special nurse for Susan Eddy Stanard?
We know that when Susan died in 1910, the funeral couldn't be planned until Bert was available to travel, as he had just returned from a European trip. Her death was due to cancer, and she had been ill "a few weeks."
This is the thing I am pondering: How did Hiram and Susan, ordinary people as far as we can tell, parent such interesting people? Louis went to the Pacific Northwest after seeing his children through college, Esther married and went to India as a missionary, and Susan married a highly successful businessman/photographer/journalist who "saw it all" and was likely "seldom home." I can't wait to try to trace down Luceba, and see what she did with her life. (I think I know, but need to verify my suspicions before I report it as fact.)
I realize this might be "false advertising", because not much of this post is directly about Susan Eddy Stanard, but it's what I've been thinking and learning about today, so I wanted to share. Searching old newspapers is fun!
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Friday, November 13, 2015
Beeks line: Randall Malin 1649-abt 1728
Randall Malin is one of the men I would most like to meet in the Beeks line. He was an interesting man, a Quaker, and not necessarily one of the quiet ones. His life began in Netherton, Cheshire, England in 1649, when he was born to parents identified as Isaac Malin and Elizabeth Jones. I'm not sure that is correct because a son Isaac also married an Elizabeth Jones, it seems. I'd like to see the documents for both Issacs. We don't know who his wife was, either, except that her first name was Elizabeth and that they married in 1676. Six years later, Randall and Elizabeth sailed for America, possibly in William Penn's fleet, but not before Randall got in trouble with the law.
Quakers were not appreciated in England because they typically refused to pay their tithes to the church, and their taxes to the government. Somehow, Randal learned of a "priest" who had an informer, advising the priest of who was counted among the Quakers. These persons then had their goods, household and business, confiscated, or distrained. Randal had discouraged a local butcher from selling meat from cattle he knew to have been distrained, and for this, the informant turned him in. Presumably the informant was rewarded, but certainly Randall was fined 20 pounds (a huge sum, so he must have had some wealth). Randall refused to pay the fine, and his household goods, corn, and hay were seized to cover the fine. This was in 1678, and we don't know how the family survived until they left for America. Is it any wonder that the family sailed to Pennsylvania in 1682?
In 1681, Randall had purchased 250 acres, sight unseen, from William Penn, in what became Pennsylvania, for the sum of 5 pounds. The following year, the Malins went to Pennsylvania and settled on their farm in Upper Providence Township, Chester County. Some of his descendants still lived on the farm over 200 years later. Randall also owned a lot in Philadelphia itself, lot # 192. This again makes one think that this man was not dirt poor.
Randall and Elizabeth had three children together, before she died in 1687. He waited 5 years, and then married Mary Hollingsworth Conaway. Mary also had three children, so this blended family was already large, but became larger as each of four children were born to this new couple.
Randall and Elizabeth had been active in Chester Monthly meeting, and the new couple also attended there. Randall was made an elder and then possibly a minister, or at least he was recommended to be a minister. He suffered the indignity of having his daughter marry outside the Quaker religion, and asked that the constable of Chester arrest the groom for marrying his daughter contrary to law (I'm not sure what the legal issue was.) The Quakers also put the young couple out of the church.
Randal held several offices at different times during the later years of his life, including constable, and as a road viewer. He was on several juries and at least once served as the foreman.
Although reference has been made to how his assets were divided after his death in 1728, I've not seen a copy of the will. More than the will, I'd like to see his inventory. Did he still live by himself, with a sizable inventory, or was he living with an adult child, I wonder. Did his inventory contain books? Since he was an elder and perhaps a minister, it is likely that he could read and write, but we don't know that. What tools were listed, which could give us insight into any side occupations he may have had, and which could explain the lot in Philadelphia? There are always questions, it seems.
Update 8/31/2021: Dennis Krebs, who is a descendant of Randall Malin, contacted me with information that suggests that Mary, the second wife of Randall Malin, was not alive when Randall wrote his will. There is no mention of her in his will, and it would be usual to at least confirm the widow's third to her. He sent me a copy of the will, for which I am grateful! (Mary likely had died by 1728, it seems.).
Here's the line of descent:
Randall Malin-Elizabeth
Isaac Malin-Elizabeth Jones
Sarah Malin-David Ruble
Hannah Ruble-Samuel Dunham
Jacob Dunham-Catherine Goodnight
Samuel Dunham-Eliza Reese
Margaret Catherine Dunham-Harvey Aldridge
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendants
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Harshbarger line: A temporary wrap up
I thought for this post I'd write a general post about this family. As with all generalizations, it will be not be 100% correct, but this should help us get a feel for the Harshbargers and all their many inter-connected lines. Many of the Harshbarger families, and their wives' families, came from Switzerland via what is now Germany or from one of the German principalities themselves. Some were Anabaptist of one sort or another, while others were of the Lutheran, or the Reformed faith. I've not found any ancestors who appeared to be Roman Catholic, but that may be because we can trace few lines back beyond 1700 or so, in the "Old Country".
I've found nothing that makes me think these families were ever connected to nobility or royalty. These people were the salt of the earth folks who farmed or/and had a very small business that needed to support, generally,a very large family. Restrictions in how land could be acquired and passed down forced many of these large families to come to America, where hard work would be rewarded. Many of these men owned 100 acres or more within a few years of their arrival here. Usually the men, or their widows, left the largest part of their estate to the oldest son, but sometimes they were able to provide for all their children equally. Daughters were not given land, although occasionally a son-in-law would receive land, perhaps because he had helped care for his father in law in his old age. Daughters were more typically given household goods or money, and sometimes a cow or other animal.
Most of the German lines were in Pennsylvania by 1755, and many of them, or their sons, were in the militia during the French and Indian War, and fought or at least supported the Revolutionary War, as well. Once the West began opening up (whatever "West" meant at the time), large parts of these families moved to western Pennsylvania and then (or directly) to Stark and Summit County, Ohio, where some fought in the War of 1812. From there, the families moved to Whitley County, Indiana.
There were exceptions to the German lines, of course, and some German families ended up in Licking County, Ohio, via West Virginia, before there was a West Virginia, and before coming to Whitley County.. At some point, the Germans began marrying outside their faith and outside their language. Irish, English, and even French ancestors are known to exist. These people would have had different cultural backgrounds but they, too, seem to have come to America to work and better themselves, and give their children a chance at a better life.
There are English lines that go back to the very early days of Virginia, more than 100 years before the Germans started arriving in Pennsylvania. I have visions in my mind of how these people lived, and worked, and neighbored, and worshipped, and I hope by now you have some sense of this, too. At some point, records cease to exist or are not readily available, and my research comes to a temporary stopping place. I may find more information about particular ancestors as I continue to research, or I may find nothing at all worth noting on this blog.
If I have nothing new to write about anyone in the Harshbarger line, my every-other-week blog post will be about something else, not a particular ancestor but perhaps about a book I've read, a research site I've visited, or perhaps some of my own memories about my own experiences, which are in no way memorable but still, they are part of the story of who we think we are. Thanks for sharing this journey through time and space with me! Stay tuned for more stories about the Allen, Holbrook, and Beeks ancestors, as I learn more of their stories.
I've found nothing that makes me think these families were ever connected to nobility or royalty. These people were the salt of the earth folks who farmed or/and had a very small business that needed to support, generally,a very large family. Restrictions in how land could be acquired and passed down forced many of these large families to come to America, where hard work would be rewarded. Many of these men owned 100 acres or more within a few years of their arrival here. Usually the men, or their widows, left the largest part of their estate to the oldest son, but sometimes they were able to provide for all their children equally. Daughters were not given land, although occasionally a son-in-law would receive land, perhaps because he had helped care for his father in law in his old age. Daughters were more typically given household goods or money, and sometimes a cow or other animal.
Most of the German lines were in Pennsylvania by 1755, and many of them, or their sons, were in the militia during the French and Indian War, and fought or at least supported the Revolutionary War, as well. Once the West began opening up (whatever "West" meant at the time), large parts of these families moved to western Pennsylvania and then (or directly) to Stark and Summit County, Ohio, where some fought in the War of 1812. From there, the families moved to Whitley County, Indiana.
There were exceptions to the German lines, of course, and some German families ended up in Licking County, Ohio, via West Virginia, before there was a West Virginia, and before coming to Whitley County.. At some point, the Germans began marrying outside their faith and outside their language. Irish, English, and even French ancestors are known to exist. These people would have had different cultural backgrounds but they, too, seem to have come to America to work and better themselves, and give their children a chance at a better life.
There are English lines that go back to the very early days of Virginia, more than 100 years before the Germans started arriving in Pennsylvania. I have visions in my mind of how these people lived, and worked, and neighbored, and worshipped, and I hope by now you have some sense of this, too. At some point, records cease to exist or are not readily available, and my research comes to a temporary stopping place. I may find more information about particular ancestors as I continue to research, or I may find nothing at all worth noting on this blog.
If I have nothing new to write about anyone in the Harshbarger line, my every-other-week blog post will be about something else, not a particular ancestor but perhaps about a book I've read, a research site I've visited, or perhaps some of my own memories about my own experiences, which are in no way memorable but still, they are part of the story of who we think we are. Thanks for sharing this journey through time and space with me! Stay tuned for more stories about the Allen, Holbrook, and Beeks ancestors, as I learn more of their stories.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Holbrook line: John Polley 1618-1689
This is going to be a short post, because I'm unable to locate much information about John Polley. He was born in about 1618, possibly in St Leonard, Shoreditch, Middlesex, England. His parents may have been John Polley and Hannah, at least I'm finding that information on line. Unfortunately, it's not documented, so it's a maybe at this point..
We know that he was in Roxbury, Massachusetts by 1650 when he had two daughters christened there on June 2. This would mean he was married in 1649 or earlier. He had four wives, the first of whom was Susannah Bacon, the daughter of George Bacon and Margaret. Susannah came to America with her parents and two brothers in 1635, when she was ten years old. John and Susannah had 7 children, all girls between the approximate date of 1650 and 1664, when Susanna died. With seven daughters to care for, John needed a wife and this time he married Mary Ives, probably early in 1665. A child was born, but Mary died of smallpox about a year later, and once again John needed a wife. This time, he married Hannah Cowdrey, in September of 1667. John and Hannah had 6 children, five girls and a son named John. Their youngest daughter was named for her second oldest sister, Sarah, who had recently died as a married mother of four children. Hannah died in 1684 and if the article I read is correct, John immediately (the same month) married Jane Metcalf Walker.
John and Jane were married for not quite five years when John died in April of 1689. He is a somewhat unusual ancestor not just for the number of his wives, but also because once he got to Roxbury, he stayed there, forty years or more in the same town. Many of our ancestors left their original town to move onward, but not John. Perhaps he wanted to stay near his older children, or perhaps the voyage across the ocean was enough for him. Maybe his wives didn't wish to leave the area. It's hard to say why men leave, and it's hard to say why they stay.
It's also hard to say why there isn't more information available about John Polley. Perhaps he was so busy supporting and raising his family that he made little mark in the town, but I'm not ready to settle for that explanation yet. I will put this name on my "to do" list and work on finding out more about him.
The line of descent is:
John Polley-Susannah Bacon
Mary Polley-John Perrin
Samuel Perrin-Mehitable Child
John Perrin-Abigail Morris
Benjamin Perrin-Mary
Mary or Mercy Perrin-David Fay
Luceba (Euzebia) Fay-Libbeus Stannard Jr
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
We know that he was in Roxbury, Massachusetts by 1650 when he had two daughters christened there on June 2. This would mean he was married in 1649 or earlier. He had four wives, the first of whom was Susannah Bacon, the daughter of George Bacon and Margaret. Susannah came to America with her parents and two brothers in 1635, when she was ten years old. John and Susannah had 7 children, all girls between the approximate date of 1650 and 1664, when Susanna died. With seven daughters to care for, John needed a wife and this time he married Mary Ives, probably early in 1665. A child was born, but Mary died of smallpox about a year later, and once again John needed a wife. This time, he married Hannah Cowdrey, in September of 1667. John and Hannah had 6 children, five girls and a son named John. Their youngest daughter was named for her second oldest sister, Sarah, who had recently died as a married mother of four children. Hannah died in 1684 and if the article I read is correct, John immediately (the same month) married Jane Metcalf Walker.
John and Jane were married for not quite five years when John died in April of 1689. He is a somewhat unusual ancestor not just for the number of his wives, but also because once he got to Roxbury, he stayed there, forty years or more in the same town. Many of our ancestors left their original town to move onward, but not John. Perhaps he wanted to stay near his older children, or perhaps the voyage across the ocean was enough for him. Maybe his wives didn't wish to leave the area. It's hard to say why men leave, and it's hard to say why they stay.
It's also hard to say why there isn't more information available about John Polley. Perhaps he was so busy supporting and raising his family that he made little mark in the town, but I'm not ready to settle for that explanation yet. I will put this name on my "to do" list and work on finding out more about him.
The line of descent is:
John Polley-Susannah Bacon
Mary Polley-John Perrin
Samuel Perrin-Mehitable Child
John Perrin-Abigail Morris
Benjamin Perrin-Mary
Mary or Mercy Perrin-David Fay
Luceba (Euzebia) Fay-Libbeus Stannard Jr
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Allen line: Thomas Gunn 1605-1681
First, there is a wonderful website with pages and pages of interestingly written information about our immigrant Thomas Gunn. It is at thomasgunnfamily.com/1st-generation/ and I urge my readers to read as much of that as they are willing to do. Not only does it give a lot of information about Thomas's life, but it also tells some compelling stories and gives a good background for many of our ancestors, not only Thomas Gunn. Compared to that narrative, this is a very condensed version.
It's believed that Thomas was born in 1605, possibly around the area of Dorset, England, but so far records have not turned up to document that. The 1605 date is given because John Winthrop Jr. treated Thomas in 1666 and said he was then a man of about 61 years of age. If Dorset was indeed the place of his birth, the most likely industries that he would have been involved in as a young man were either maritime, or sheep farming. Neither one showed much promise at the time economically, and Thomas may also have been a Puritan when he sailed for America.
It's not known for sure when Thomas came to America but "Great Migrations" gives him an immigration date of 1634. The Thomas Gunn site mentioned above says he came in 1629. At any rate, he would have been a young or youngish man when he came. He settled in Dorchester, part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and was made a freeman there in 1635, meaning he was at least 21, of proper religious beliefs, and had property worth 20 pounds. He may not have been completely happy, because he soon joined Rev. Thomas Hooker's group and went to Connecticut in 1636, where he is recognized as one of the first founders of Windsor. He may have married before making the trek to Windsor, and his wife's name may have been Elizabeth. It has been suggested that her last name was Browne, but that seems to not have been proven yet.
Thomas and his wife had four or perhaps five children in Windsor. One or perhaps two daughters named Elizabeth died young. John, Mehitable, and Deborah survived into adulthood. Thomas was a respected man in Windsor as he raised his family. He frequently served on the petit jury, and was also several times either a defendant or a plaintiff in court cases. He moved on to Westfield, Massachusetts before 1669, and again helped establish a town in a wilderness.
Westfield was extremely fortunate during King Philip's War in 1675-1676 to have escaped a direct attack by the natives. Westfield had been told to send their women and children to Springfield for safety, and the town refused, deciding instead to stay, plant their crops, and keep vigilant watch.
Thomas would have been one of the soldiers at the town, as he did not ask until 1678 to be relieved of his militia duties due to his infirmities. He would have been 73 years old at the time, so we can infer that up to this time he had been healthy enough to satisfy his military obligations.
Thomas died at Westfield February 26, 1680/81. His wife had died in 1678. The estate was left to his son John with 5 shillings given to daughter Deborah. (Her husband, Timothy Thrall, had been given several parcels of land earlier). Daughter Mehitable received 20 pounds, with each of her four children receiving 5 pounds, and the balance went to son John. The estate was valued at 349 pounds, of which 254 pounds was the house and several parcels of land. Thomas had done well for himself.
I was unable to locate an occupation for Thomas, but we know that he farmed. If he had other interests or business ventures I have been unable to find them. He was another ancestor who worked hard, raised his family well, and helped build America, by helping to found two towns that still exist today.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Gunn-possibly Elizabeth
John Gunn-Mary Williams
Mary Gunn-Samuel Root
Martin Root-Eunice Lamb
Martin Root Jr.-Ruth Noble
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Their descendants
It's believed that Thomas was born in 1605, possibly around the area of Dorset, England, but so far records have not turned up to document that. The 1605 date is given because John Winthrop Jr. treated Thomas in 1666 and said he was then a man of about 61 years of age. If Dorset was indeed the place of his birth, the most likely industries that he would have been involved in as a young man were either maritime, or sheep farming. Neither one showed much promise at the time economically, and Thomas may also have been a Puritan when he sailed for America.
It's not known for sure when Thomas came to America but "Great Migrations" gives him an immigration date of 1634. The Thomas Gunn site mentioned above says he came in 1629. At any rate, he would have been a young or youngish man when he came. He settled in Dorchester, part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and was made a freeman there in 1635, meaning he was at least 21, of proper religious beliefs, and had property worth 20 pounds. He may not have been completely happy, because he soon joined Rev. Thomas Hooker's group and went to Connecticut in 1636, where he is recognized as one of the first founders of Windsor. He may have married before making the trek to Windsor, and his wife's name may have been Elizabeth. It has been suggested that her last name was Browne, but that seems to not have been proven yet.
Thomas and his wife had four or perhaps five children in Windsor. One or perhaps two daughters named Elizabeth died young. John, Mehitable, and Deborah survived into adulthood. Thomas was a respected man in Windsor as he raised his family. He frequently served on the petit jury, and was also several times either a defendant or a plaintiff in court cases. He moved on to Westfield, Massachusetts before 1669, and again helped establish a town in a wilderness.
Westfield was extremely fortunate during King Philip's War in 1675-1676 to have escaped a direct attack by the natives. Westfield had been told to send their women and children to Springfield for safety, and the town refused, deciding instead to stay, plant their crops, and keep vigilant watch.
Thomas would have been one of the soldiers at the town, as he did not ask until 1678 to be relieved of his militia duties due to his infirmities. He would have been 73 years old at the time, so we can infer that up to this time he had been healthy enough to satisfy his military obligations.
Thomas died at Westfield February 26, 1680/81. His wife had died in 1678. The estate was left to his son John with 5 shillings given to daughter Deborah. (Her husband, Timothy Thrall, had been given several parcels of land earlier). Daughter Mehitable received 20 pounds, with each of her four children receiving 5 pounds, and the balance went to son John. The estate was valued at 349 pounds, of which 254 pounds was the house and several parcels of land. Thomas had done well for himself.
I was unable to locate an occupation for Thomas, but we know that he farmed. If he had other interests or business ventures I have been unable to find them. He was another ancestor who worked hard, raised his family well, and helped build America, by helping to found two towns that still exist today.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Gunn-possibly Elizabeth
John Gunn-Mary Williams
Mary Gunn-Samuel Root
Martin Root-Eunice Lamb
Martin Root Jr.-Ruth Noble
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Their descendants
Friday, October 30, 2015
Beeks line: Henry Rolfe 1585-1643, Immigrant
Henry Rolfe is another immigrant ancestor in the Beeks line. He was born before September 5, 1585 in Downton or Whiteparish, Wiltshire, England. (The two villages are very near each other. It appears he was christened at Whiteparish but may have lived nearer to Downton.) Someone on the webpage vault.hanover.edu/~smith/smit.gen.html has done a wonderful job of describing his or her trip to the area, and has wonderful pictures showing the villages and the actual land farmed by John Rolfe, Henry's father. It is a very peaceful appearing location. The land showed no crops currently being grown, so it's hard to know how the land was used 400 and more years ago. I've been unable to verify the mother of Henry, except that her name was "Honor."
"Honor" may have been a popular name for women in that place and time period, for Henry married an "Honor" also, in fact, she was "Honor Rolfe", a first cousin once-removed. They were married at Whiteparish, Wiltshire, England on May 28, 1621, when Henry was 30 and Honor was about 22 years old. They seem to have had three children in England, with a fourth, Benjamin, born in Newburyport in 1638. It isn't known for sure when they immigrated to America but it must have been no later than 1638 since his son was born there. Henry's will, written in 1642, shows "howse and land" so he had been here long enough to accumulate some land and build a home, anyway. This was in the town of Newburyport, now known as Newbury. There is no record that he was ever made a freeman, so possibly he acquired the land shortly before his death.
His inventory was valued at 153 pounds, 8 shillings, 6 pence, which seems to be farily decent considering that he was in America only a few years. He owned quite a few animals-6 cows, four oxen, one bull and one steer, 5 "beasts", plus calves, hogs, and bees. There is mention of a feather bed and a "flock" bed (a flock bed was filled with wool refuse, left over materials, and the like), and 6 feather pillows. From this, one suspects that some children slept on the floor. He also had a musket and fowling pieces, 2 swords and bandoliers, so he was armed in typical fashion for the time. Also there were books, not identified, valued at one pound, so Henry could read. It would be interesting to know what the books were, because that would give us a window into his mind. Henry's wife, Honor, died in 1650 or 1653, according to different sources.
I'd love to know more about Henry. Was he a Puritan, or was he in America for other reason than to practice his religion? What were those books in his inventory? He may have had a final illness of several months, since he wrote his will several months before he died. What was his cause of death? Did he ever need to discharge those firearms to protect his family, or his fellow colonists?
Once again, there are questions, but we do know that he was a brave and hard-working man, to have come to the Massaschusetts Bay Colony and to have been a financial success at his death.
The line of descent is:
Henry Rolfe-Honor Rolfe
John Rolfe-Mary Scullard
Mary Rolph-Benjamin Dunham
Jonathan Dunham-Mary Smith
Samuel Dunham-Hannah Ruble (or possibly Chenoweth)
Jacob Dunham-Catherine Goodnight
Samuel G Dunham-Eliza Reese
Margaret Catherine Dunham-Harvey Aldridge
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendants
"Honor" may have been a popular name for women in that place and time period, for Henry married an "Honor" also, in fact, she was "Honor Rolfe", a first cousin once-removed. They were married at Whiteparish, Wiltshire, England on May 28, 1621, when Henry was 30 and Honor was about 22 years old. They seem to have had three children in England, with a fourth, Benjamin, born in Newburyport in 1638. It isn't known for sure when they immigrated to America but it must have been no later than 1638 since his son was born there. Henry's will, written in 1642, shows "howse and land" so he had been here long enough to accumulate some land and build a home, anyway. This was in the town of Newburyport, now known as Newbury. There is no record that he was ever made a freeman, so possibly he acquired the land shortly before his death.
His inventory was valued at 153 pounds, 8 shillings, 6 pence, which seems to be farily decent considering that he was in America only a few years. He owned quite a few animals-6 cows, four oxen, one bull and one steer, 5 "beasts", plus calves, hogs, and bees. There is mention of a feather bed and a "flock" bed (a flock bed was filled with wool refuse, left over materials, and the like), and 6 feather pillows. From this, one suspects that some children slept on the floor. He also had a musket and fowling pieces, 2 swords and bandoliers, so he was armed in typical fashion for the time. Also there were books, not identified, valued at one pound, so Henry could read. It would be interesting to know what the books were, because that would give us a window into his mind. Henry's wife, Honor, died in 1650 or 1653, according to different sources.
I'd love to know more about Henry. Was he a Puritan, or was he in America for other reason than to practice his religion? What were those books in his inventory? He may have had a final illness of several months, since he wrote his will several months before he died. What was his cause of death? Did he ever need to discharge those firearms to protect his family, or his fellow colonists?
Once again, there are questions, but we do know that he was a brave and hard-working man, to have come to the Massaschusetts Bay Colony and to have been a financial success at his death.
The line of descent is:
Henry Rolfe-Honor Rolfe
John Rolfe-Mary Scullard
Mary Rolph-Benjamin Dunham
Jonathan Dunham-Mary Smith
Samuel Dunham-Hannah Ruble (or possibly Chenoweth)
Jacob Dunham-Catherine Goodnight
Samuel G Dunham-Eliza Reese
Margaret Catherine Dunham-Harvey Aldridge
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendants
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Harshbarger line: Brick walls 3
Here is my final list for the Harshbarger brick walls I have. Please note, these lists are not exhaustive. I am listing the people that I have at least some little tidbit of information, something that gives me hope that with some additional clue, they can be found.
One of my thickest folders is for Barbara N Long. She married Benjamin Buchtel in Summit County, Ohio in 1844. Her birth date is given as 1826, in Georgetown, Clermont or Brown County, Ohio, but I'm not sure that is accurate. I've seen no documentation, and it doesn't make sense to me yet. The only other nugget I have is that someone named Susan Long was living in the household in 1850 in Portage County, Ohio. She was 76 years old and Barbara was 24 at the time, so Susan was likely too old to be Barbara's mother. She may have been an aunt or other relation, however. She and Benjamin had eight children, so it seems that some other descendant should be looking for her, and possibly even knows who she is!
Catherine Whetstone is another mystery that should be solvable. She was born in Berks County, Pa, according to her will, and I have a birth date of December 27,1798. She married Henry Cook probably before 1817 in Pennsylvania (son William was born there in 1817) and by 1819 they were in Ohio, where son Joseph was born. They migrated to Whitley County, Indiana sometime before 1850, where Henry died in 1861. Catherine did not remarry, and lived a long life, dying in 1887. They had 9 children together. Again, someone, with these clues, should have one more clue that will help us locate this lady. There were several Whetstones (Wetstein is another spelling for the same family) in Berks County in 1798, but I haven't located any birth records yet. Of course, it's possible that Catherine's name was something more like Maria or Anna Catherina, but I haven't located her under those names, either.
Next is Joseph Withers. He was born about 1804 in Pennsylvania and married Mary Gearhart in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1832. He was in Marion County, Iowa in 1850 with Mary and a family of eight children. I am not sure that this is the same Joseph Withers, but a Joseph Withers married Ann Montgomery in 1852 in Richland County, Ohio. She would have been considerably younger than he was. I have not been able to locate divorce records, or death records for Mary, so I am left wondering. I have a gut feeling that he is a grandson or possibly great grandson of Augustin Withers or Widders, but have not been able to make a connection. I'd love to learn whether I'm right or wrong about that!
Finally, we leave our German-American family and go to Virginia to discuss William Wyatt. No one seems to know who he was, but he was born about 1627 in England, and may have married a woman named Ann. He was a captain (and later a major in the militia in Virginia, so he had some degree of responsibility or respect. He was here by 1653, when he was granted head rights of 400 acres of land for transporting eight people, including himself. Many people would like to know who he was, and whether/how he was related to Francis Wyatt, the first royal governor of Virginia, and I'm one of those people!
These are the people who are my brick walls for the Harshbarger family. I hope maybe these short summaries will trigger an email to me because I'd love to hear from other family historians for these people. My email is happygenealogydancingATgmailDOTcom. (Substitute normal punctuation for AT and DOT.) New information will certainly require a Happy Genealogy Dance!
One of my thickest folders is for Barbara N Long. She married Benjamin Buchtel in Summit County, Ohio in 1844. Her birth date is given as 1826, in Georgetown, Clermont or Brown County, Ohio, but I'm not sure that is accurate. I've seen no documentation, and it doesn't make sense to me yet. The only other nugget I have is that someone named Susan Long was living in the household in 1850 in Portage County, Ohio. She was 76 years old and Barbara was 24 at the time, so Susan was likely too old to be Barbara's mother. She may have been an aunt or other relation, however. She and Benjamin had eight children, so it seems that some other descendant should be looking for her, and possibly even knows who she is!
Catherine Whetstone is another mystery that should be solvable. She was born in Berks County, Pa, according to her will, and I have a birth date of December 27,1798. She married Henry Cook probably before 1817 in Pennsylvania (son William was born there in 1817) and by 1819 they were in Ohio, where son Joseph was born. They migrated to Whitley County, Indiana sometime before 1850, where Henry died in 1861. Catherine did not remarry, and lived a long life, dying in 1887. They had 9 children together. Again, someone, with these clues, should have one more clue that will help us locate this lady. There were several Whetstones (Wetstein is another spelling for the same family) in Berks County in 1798, but I haven't located any birth records yet. Of course, it's possible that Catherine's name was something more like Maria or Anna Catherina, but I haven't located her under those names, either.
Next is Joseph Withers. He was born about 1804 in Pennsylvania and married Mary Gearhart in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1832. He was in Marion County, Iowa in 1850 with Mary and a family of eight children. I am not sure that this is the same Joseph Withers, but a Joseph Withers married Ann Montgomery in 1852 in Richland County, Ohio. She would have been considerably younger than he was. I have not been able to locate divorce records, or death records for Mary, so I am left wondering. I have a gut feeling that he is a grandson or possibly great grandson of Augustin Withers or Widders, but have not been able to make a connection. I'd love to learn whether I'm right or wrong about that!
Finally, we leave our German-American family and go to Virginia to discuss William Wyatt. No one seems to know who he was, but he was born about 1627 in England, and may have married a woman named Ann. He was a captain (and later a major in the militia in Virginia, so he had some degree of responsibility or respect. He was here by 1653, when he was granted head rights of 400 acres of land for transporting eight people, including himself. Many people would like to know who he was, and whether/how he was related to Francis Wyatt, the first royal governor of Virginia, and I'm one of those people!
These are the people who are my brick walls for the Harshbarger family. I hope maybe these short summaries will trigger an email to me because I'd love to hear from other family historians for these people. My email is happygenealogydancingATgmailDOTcom. (Substitute normal punctuation for AT and DOT.) New information will certainly require a Happy Genealogy Dance!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)