Saturday, June 20, 2015

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Three Stories for Father's Day

It's Saturday Night - 
time for more Genealogy Fun! 



Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible! music) is to:

1)  Sunday, 21 June, is Father's Day.  Let's celebrate by writing a blog post about our father, or another significant male ancestor (e.g., a grandfather).

2)  What are three things about your father (or significant male ancestor) that you vividly remember about him?

3)  Tell us all about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a Facebook Status or Google+ Stream post.

Here's mine:


My father was Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983), born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts to Fred and Alma Bessie (Richmond) Seaver, moved to San Diego in 1940, married Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002) in San Diego in 1942, and died there in 1983.  They had three sons, and I'm the eldest son. 

1)  My father loved baseball.  He played it as a boy and a young man, going to Dartmouth College on a scholarship to play in about 1932, but he suffered an injury.  He grew up listening to the radio and his favorite team was the Boston Red Sox.  After he moved to San Diego, he regularly listened to the San Diego Padres on the radio.  He signed up as a manager in 1957 when Little League baseball came to our area of San Diego.  My brother, Stan, was 10 years old, and dad managed the team for three years in Mike Morrow Little League (8 to 12 years old), then two years in Pioneer Pony League (13-14 years old), and two years in Pioneer Colt League (15-16 years old).  My brother, Scott, was 8 in 1964, and dad went back and coached Little League for 5 years, Pony League for 2 years, and Colt League for two years.  In addition to managing teams, he usually worked on the baseball fields for hours each week during the summer - dragging the field, mowing the grass, lining the batters box and foul lines, cleaning up around the dugouts and stands, etc.  He did not attend many pro baseball games in person, but watched the World Series, and other nationally televised games, until he died in 1983.  


2)  My father was an avid bowler (ten pins), and this was his only "boy's night out" activity from 1950 to 1970.  At the peak of his prowess, he averaged in the 190s (which was pretty good at the time).  He was 6 foot 2 inches tall, right-handed, debonair in his bowling shirt and shoes, and very graceful in his four step delivery, with a great roundhouse curve.  He bowled on several teams in San Diego, including one travel league.  Our summer vacations from 1955 to about 1963 were to the California State Bowling Tournament - we went to Fresno, Sacramento, San Jose, Los Angeles, etc. in the air conditioned Mercury and later Oldsmobile.  I don't think he ever rolled a perfect game, though, but he came close several times.  He was very competitive.  As kids, we didn't go to the league bowling with him because of our early bedtime and the unsavory environment (smoking, drinking, cussing, etc.).  As a young man, I often went with him to the bowling league on Friday nights, and even practiced driving on the way home one year.  However, we gleaned one excellent benefit from his bowling - he always stopped at a bakery after keggling and bought delicious fresh donuts, cream puffs, eclairs, etc.  We loved Saturday morning! 


2)  My father was a life insurance salesman for Prudential Insurance Company (we had a piece of the Rock!) from 1947 to 1971, when he retired.  His office was in Point Loma, and his "debit" (his service area) was in Pacific Beach - a good 12 miles away from home.  He usually went to his office once a week and to his service area two or three times a week.  He went door-to-door selling life insurance policies, and then collected monthly from his customers.  The other days, and into the night, sometimes until 11 p.m. or midnight, he worked at his desk overlooking the front door steps in our apartment at 2119 30th Street.  He had an adding machine with a narrow tape roll (it was great fun to play with when I was a kid!), file cabinets, and many ledger books in which he entered the payments received.  He was always there when I came home from school or work or evening activities.  This work schedule permitted coaching baseball and bowling.

There are my three memories of my father.  He was not especially communicative with his sons - but we loved and respected him while we were growing up, attending school and starting out work lives.  He was supportive in our athletic endeavors also, attending my brothers' high school baseball games and coaching us with bowling.  We played word games at dinner time, and sometimes we played card games (Canasta) board games (Sorry, Monopoly) in the evening if there was nothing good on television.  


The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/06/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-three.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.


Surname Saturday - COLE (England to colonial Massachusetts)

It's Surname Saturday, and I'm "counting down" my Ancestral Name List each week.  


I am in the 8th great-grandmothers and I'm up to Ancestor #1127 who is  Elizabeth COLE (1619-1688) 
[Note: the earlier great-grandmothers and 8th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].

My ancestral line back through two generations of this COLE family line is:


1. Randall J. Seaver

2. Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)

4. Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942)
5. Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)

8. Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922)
9. Hattie Louise Hildreth (1857-1920)

16. Isaac Seaver (1823-1901)
17. Lucretia Townsend Smith (1827-1884)

34. Alpheus B. Smith (1802-1840)
35. Elizabeth Horton Dill (1791-1869)


70.  Thomas Dill (1758-1836)
71.  Hannah Horton (1761-1797)

140.  Thomas Dill (1708-1761)
141.  Mehitable Brown (1714-1758)

280.  Thomas Dill (1682-1718)
281.  Mary Peirce (1682-1713)

562.  Nathaniel Peirce, (1655-1692)
563.  Elizabeth Pierce (1646-????)

1126. Thomas Pierce, born about 1617 in probably Norwich, Norfolk, England; died 06 November 1683 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  He was the son of 2252. Thomas Pierce and 2253. Elizabeth.  He married 06 May 1635 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States.
1127.  Elizabeth Cole, born about 1619 in England; died 05 March 1688 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States. 

Children of Thomas Pierce and Elizabeth Cole are:
*  Abigail Pierce (1639-1643).
*  John Pierce (1643-1720), married 1663 Deborah converse (1647-????).
*  Thomas Pierce (1645-1717), married (1) 1669 Eliza (1647-1679); (2) 1680 Rachel Bacon (1652-????).
*  Elizabeth Pierce (1646-????), married (1) 1666 Thomas Whittemore; (2) 1670 Hopestill Foster; (3) 1680 Nathaniel Peirce (1655-1692).
*  Joseph Pierce (1648-1649).
*  Joseph Pierce (1649-1716), married 1681 Mary Richardson (1657-1720).
*  Stephen Pierce (1651-1733), married 1676 Tabitha Parker (1658-1742).
*  Samuel Pierce (1654-1656).
*  Samuel Pierce (1656-1721), married 1680 Lydia Bacon (1656-1717).
*  William Pierce (1657-1720), married 1690 Abigail Warren (????-1726).
*  James Pierce (1659-1742), married (1) Elizabeth Kendall (1653-1715); (2) 1688 Elizabeth Parker (1652-1715).
*  Abigail Pierce (1660-1719), married 1685 George Reed (1660-1756).
*  Benjamin Pierce (1662-1739), married 1688 Mary Reed (1670-1747).

2254.  Rice Cole, born before 1590 in England; died 15 May 1646 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States.  He married 07 June 1612 in Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England.
2255.  Arrold Dunington, born before 21 September 1587 in Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England; died before 26 December 1661 in Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States.  She was the daughter of 4510. Edward Dunington and 4511. Margaret Cox.

Children of Rice Cole and Arrold Dunington are:
*  Robert Cole (1616-1655), married 1649 Phillips (1620-????).
*  Elizabeth Cole (1619-1688), married 1635 Thomas Pierce (1617-1683)
*  Mary Cole (1621-1683), married 1641 Richard Lowden.
*  John Cole (1623-1673), married 1655 Ursula Chamberlain (1632-1673).
*  James Cole (1625-1657), married 1655 Ruth (1630-????).

Information about this Cole family was obtained from:

*   Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins, Volume 1 (Boston, Mass. : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), pages 426-429, Rice Cole sketch.

The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/06/surname-saturday-cole-england-to.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver


Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Friday, June 19, 2015

More on the Four-Mile Inn at Old World Wisconsin

I've written quite a bit about the Four-Mile Inn in Burnett, Dodge County, Wisconsin on Genea-Musings - my 3rd great-grandfather built it in 1853, and my 2nd great-grandfather, Devier J. Smith, lived in it as a young man.  My great-grandmother, Abbie Ardell (Smith) Carringer was probably born in it and lived in it for the first five years of her life.  I've visited the remodeled inn now standing in Old World Wisconsin, a living history museum.

Earlier blog posts about it are:

*  Finding an Ancestral Home (19 July 2006)
*  Santa comes early - what a gift! (18 December 2007)
*  The Four-Mile House of Ranslow Smith (16 January 2008)
*  Day 13 on the Seaver Family History Mystery Tour (18 September 2011)
*  (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 176: Inside the Four-Mile Inn Kitchen (26 October 2011)
*  (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 177: Upstairs in the Four Mile Inn (2 November 2011)

I was watching Lisa Louise Cooke's presentation at SCGS Jamboree 2015 about "Google Tools & Procedures for Solving Family History Mysteries" and she noted Google Scholar and running your Google searches every so often.

I did a Google search for ["ranslow smith" four mile inn dodge ] and was rewarded by a link to a high school student's web page about working in the kitchen of the Four-Mile Inn at Old World Wisconsin.  



There are links to a page about a Stagecoach Inn, a Boarding House, and her Experience working in the building at Old Wisconsin in 2008.  

Well done, Sophie Newhouse.  You added a bit more to my knowledge about the life and times of Ranslow Smith.  

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/06/more-on-four-mile-inn-at-old-world.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

FamilySearch Family Tree Training Materials

FamilySearch continues to add training modules to the training material for the FamilySearch Family Tree.  In general, there are text instructions for doing a specific task, and also a video that demonstrates how to do the task.

The main page for the FamilySearch Family Tree Training Curriculum is:  http://broadcast.lds.org/elearning/fhd/Community/en/FamilyTreeCurriculum/index.html.


There are green icons on the left side of the screen above for:

*  Mouse Skills
*  Level One
*  Level Two
*  Level Three
*  LDS Member Section
*  Android and iOS Apps
*  Instructor Materials

The Level One training materials are here:  http://broadcast.lds.org/elearning/fhd/Community/en/FamilyTreeCurriculum/level01/levelone.html


The major sections for Level One are:

*  Getting Started
*  Basic Account Information
*  Level One Sandbox
*  Navigation
*  Searching
*  sourcing
*  Adding Information
*  Editing

The Level Two training marterials are here:
http://broadcast.lds.org/elearning/fhd/Community/en/FamilyTreeCurriculum/level02/leveltwo.html


The major sections for Level Two are:

*  Getting Started
*  Level Two Sandbox - Part 1
*  Duplicates and Family Relationships - Part 2
*  Obtain and Manage Your Account
*  Family Tree Resources
*  Time to Organize and Make Decisions
*  IGI Sources
*  Sourcing
*  Collaboration With Others
*  Photos
*  GEDCOM Files -- Not Recommended
*  Solution to Problems

For most of the topics, there are "Hands on Activities" articles describing steps to perform the task, and "Short Videos" to demonstrate how to do the task.  Here is a screen shot of the text article for the "Adding vital and Other" in the "Adding Information" category in Level One:


The user can download or print this article for future reference.

A screen shot of the "Short Video" for this same task is shown below:



A beginning user should watch the Level One items, and someone who has been using Family Tree should also watch the Level Two items.  

Level Three is for advanced users, and addresses how to deal with significant problems in the Family Tree.

Like any other genealogy software program, users of the program should learn how to use it effectively.  This applies especially to the FamilySearch Family Tree since it is a collaborative tree in which other users can see, edit and delete the mistakes of another user.  

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/06/familysearch-family-tree-training.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.


52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 77: #92 Joseph Oatley (1756-1815)

Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors" in her blog post Challenge:  52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  I am extending this theme in 2015 to 104 Ancestors in 104 Weeks. Here is my ancestor biography for week #77:

Joseph Oatley (1756-1815) is #92 on my Ahnentafel list, my 4th great-grandfather, married in 1781 to Mary Hazard (1765-1857).

I am descended through:

*  their son 
#46 Jonathan Oatley (1792-1872), who married #47 Amy Champlin (1798-1865 in 1813.  

*  their daughter, #23 
Amy Frances Oatley (1826-1864) who married #22 Henry Arnold White (1824-1885) in 1848.

*  their daughter, #11 Julia E. White (1848-1913), who married #10 Thomas Richmond (1848-1917) in 1868. 
*  their daughter, #5 Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962),  who married #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942) in 1900.
* their son, #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983), who married #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002) in 1942.
*  their son, #1 Randall J. Seaver (1943-....)

 =====================================================

1)  PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):


*  Name:                      Joseph Oatley[1–3]   
*  Sex:                         Male   

*  Father:                     Benedict Oatley (1732-1821)   
*  Mother:                   Elizabeth "Betsy" Ladd (1735-1814)   
  
2)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Birth:                      17 July 1756, South Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island, United States[1]
*  Military:                 from 1775 to 1780 (from about age 19 to about 24), in the Rhode Island militia for several periods between 1775 and 1780, according to the 1838 declaration of his widow in their Revolutionary War Pension file.; South Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island, United States[2]   
*  Census:                  1 August 1790, South Kingstown, Wasghington, Rhode Island, United States[7]
*  Census:                  1 June 1800, South Kingstown, Wasghington, Rhode Island, United States[8]
*  Census:                  1 June 1810, South Kingstown, Wasghington, Rhode Island, United States[9]
*  Death:                    29 November 1815 (age 59), South Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island, United States[4]
*  Probate:                 11 December 1815 (age 59), administratrix appointed; South Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island, United States[3]
  
3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Spouse 1:                Mary Hazard (1765-1857)   
*  Marriage 1:             29 January 1781 (age 24), South Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island, United States[5–6]

*  Child 1:                   Polly Oatley (1781-1796)   
*  Child 2:                   Hannah Oatley (1783-    )   
*  Child 3:                   Betsy Oatley (1786-1811)   
*  Child 4:                   Nancy Oatley (1788-1873)   
*  Child 5:                   Rev. Jonathan Oatley (1790-1872)   
*  Child 6:                   Joseph Oatley (1793-1883)   
*  Child 7:                   Stephen Oatley (1796-    )   
*  Child 8:                   Mary Oatley (1798-1873)   
*  Child 9:                   Benedict Oatley (1800-1811)   
*  Child 10:                 Susan Oatley (1803-1895)   
*  Child 11:                 Rouse Oatley (1806-1812)   
  
4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):   

 Joseph Oatley was born on 17 July 1756 in South Kingstown, the son of Benedict and Elizabeth (Ladd) Oatley.[1]  

Joseph Oatley appeared in the Rhode Island Military Census of 1777, from the town of South Kingstown, 16-50 age group, "able to serve." Joseph Oatley in service for self and father, Benedict Oatley 1775-1781, under Col. Babcock and Col. Lippitt, company of Capt. Stephen Babcock, Col. Noyes, and Charles Dyer. 

Joseph and Mary were married in the Church of Christ in South Kingstown on 29 January 1781 by Rev. Dr. Joseph Torrey.[5]  There is a marriage declaration in the Revolutionary War Pension File for Joseph Oatley.[6]  It says:

"South Kingstown December 7th 1838
I hereby certify that I find Recorded on the Record Books of Marriage of the Revd Joseph Torry formerly Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in this Town the following marriage viz, 29th Day of twenty ninth day January Seventeen hundred and Eight one Joseph Oatly and Mary Hazard (daughter of Stephen) both of the Town were Lawfully married - 29th Jany 1781. a true Copy with the Exception of the Date in writing, the same being Expressed in fair [??] Legible figures in above written.
Thomas Vernon Minister of the Gospel & Stated Supply of the Presbyt Church in South Kings..

They had 11 children born between 1781 and 1806, all in South Kingstown.

In the 1790 U.S. Census for South Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, the Joseph Oakly household included:[7]

*  one male over age 16
*  one male under age 16
*  five females

In the 1800 U.S. Census, the Joseph Oatly household in South Kingstown included:[8]

*  two males under age 10
*  one male aged 10 to 15
*  one male aged 26 to 45

* one female under age 10
*  three females aged 10 to 15
*  one female aged 26 to 45

In the 1810 U.S. Census for South Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, the Joseph Oatley household included:[9]

*  two males under age 10
*  one male aged 10 to 15
*  one male aged 16 to 25
*  one male over age 45

*  one female under age 10
*  one female aged 10 to 15
*  one female aged 16 to 25
*  one female over age 45

Joseph Oatley of South Kingston died on 29 November 1815, and there is no known burial record or gravestone. 

On 11 December 1815 the Town Council named his widow, Mary Oatley, to be the administratrix of his estate.  She was ordered to levy, recover and receive all of the goods, chattels, rights and credits of Joseph Oatley, and to pay his just debts, and to render a true account of her administration.[3]

An inventory of the personal estate of Joseph Oatley, yeoman of South Kingston, deceased, was appraised by Jonathan N. Potter, John W. Knowles and Daniel Steadman.  The personal estate totaled $560.25. The inventory was presented to the Court by Mary Oatley and was approved by the Probate Court on 8 January 1816.

On 8 December 1817, Mary Oatley presented her account of the estate of her husband to the Probate Court.  There were 31 accounts to be paid to creditors of Joseph Oatley.  The account also included the typical probate charges.  The account total owed was $745.11, or $184.36 more than the value of the personal estate.  The Court accepted and recorded the account .

On 14 September 1818, Commissioners Jeremiah N. Potter and Thomas B. Hazard reported to the Probate Court on the debts still owed by the estate of Joseph Oatley.  The total is not readable on the microfilm copy.

On 12 April 1819, Mary Oatley brought her account to the Probate Court with charges totaling $303.67.  The sale of land generated $293 in cash which was used to pay off the debts and the charges of the estate.

Mary Oatley's filed for a Revolutionary War Pension after her husband's death in 1815.  The declaration of her husband's military service in the Revolutionary War Pension File says:[2]

"...I am the widow of Joseph Oatley who was a soldier in the War of the Revolution and served as a private & noncommissioned officer both in the Rhode Island continental line & militia.  I have always understood from my husband said Oatley & others and now firmly believe that he my sd husband was at the commencement of the War of the Revolution at work by the month for George Brown Esq. late Lieut. Governor of Rhode Island that he was placed there by his Father Benedict Oatley contrary to my said husband's wishes.  That he my sd husband left the service of sd. Brown some time in the summer of the year 1775 and enlisted in the service of the State of Rhode Island that he enlisted at Town Hall and was for a short time stationed at the bridge near the south ferry (so-called), and from thence was marched to Newport R.I. and stationed in that vicinity.  They was either quartered or their head quarters was at the Dudley house in the town of Middletown a short distance from Newport.  The Regiment was at first commanded by Vol. Henry Babcock but the Captain's name I do not now recollect nor can I tell the lengthy of his term of service.  In the fall of 1776 my Father Stephen Hazard Esq. brought his family from Newport to this place (to wit So Kingstown) of my memory serves it was the day before the British took possession of sd Newport on our arrival at South Kingstown at South Kingstown my Father hired a house a short distance from the residence of Benedict Oatley the Father of my husband aforesaid Joseph Oatley this I think was in December 1776.  At this time or soon after I will remember my husband said Oatley was doing duty in a Company of Militia guarding the shores against the enemy and well remember that he the sd Joseph & his Father sd Benedict were both in our company and for fear that both he and his Father should  be drafted and as both could not both leave the family he sd Joseph agreed to volunteer his services provided his Father said Benedict should not be obliged to stand a draft and the arrangement was agreed to by the company & said Joseph did perform not only his own duty as required of him, by law.  But all his Father's tours of duty when he sd Joseph was not on duty in the Continental or states service which kept him sd Joseph nearly all the time in the service of his country against the enemy either guarding the shores or any other military duty as I was younger at the time.  I cannot state the particular tours of duty, their length or in what company, but as to his service nearly all the time I have no more doubt than I have of my existance my husband was in Sparrowes [???} Expedition was out and on duty more than one month at the time the Siren was cast away in the fall of 1777- was in Sulivan's expedition to Rhode Island was in the battles on sd Islands have often heard him relate the sufferings of the troop &c, their retreat &c, but do not recollect under whom he served at any time.  I would also state that I have heard him my sd husband relate service he performed under Col. Christopher Green [??] & Major Ebenezer Flagg, have heard him relate the kindness & friendly attention he received from them when sick & his extream regret at their unfortunate and cruel death - but whether he was enlisted under them or was then serving in the Militia where they had this command, I cannot say.  In the year 1780 in the month of July he my said husband enlisted in the service I believe for nine six months.  I will remember the time I was then engaged to him & was to have him married early in the fall had he not enlisted.  I also understood that he my said husband had more bounty allowed him than the others was Fifty silver dollars & to my husband said Oatley Sixty silver dollars, the reason of this allowance, I have always understood."

5)  SOURCES
 
1. Harry J. Oatley, The Oatley Family in America and Their Descendants (Providence, R.I. : The Oatley Family Association, 1970), page 26, Joseph Oatley sketch.

2. "Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files,"  online database with digital images, Fold3.com (http://www.Fold3.com) : accessed 2011), original records in National Archives Publication M804, Pension File W 21,862, Joseph Oatley of South Kingstown, R.I., sheets 3 to 6 of 31, Mary Oatley's Pension Declaration.

3. South Kingstown (R.I.) Town Clerk, "Town Council Records, 1704-1943,"  (South Kingston, R.I.), on 8 microfilm reels, Volume 2, Pages 69, 73-74 and 143 on FHL Microfilm 0,931,837, Item 3), Joseph Oatley probate records.

4. South Kingstown (R.I.) Town Clerk, "Town Council Records, 1704-1943", Volume 2, Page 69, on FHL Microfilm 0,931,837, Item 3, unnumbered page, Joseph Oatley death entry.

5. Harry J. Oatley, The Oatley Family in America and Their Descendants, page 30, Joseph Oatley and Mary Hazard marriage entry.

6. "Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files,"  Fold3.com, Pension File W 21,862, Joseph Oatley of South Kingstown, R.I., sheet 13 of 31, Mary Oatley's Marriage Declaration.

7.  1790 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Washington County, Rhode Island, South Kingstown, page 105 (penned), Joseph Oakly household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M637, Roll 10.

8.  1800 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Washington county, Rhode Island, South Kingstown, page 701 (stamped), Joseph Oatly household,; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com; citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M32, Roll 46.

9.  1810 United States Federal Census, Population Schedule, Washington County, Rhode Island, South Kingstown, page 89 (penned), Joseph Oatley household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing Natinoal Archives Microfilm Publication M292, Roll 59.


=====================================

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/06/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks-week-77-92.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.


Thursday, June 18, 2015

Down the Research Rabbit Hole - Who is Mr. Clotworthy?

I wrote Brazil Immigration Cards on MyHeritage Record Matches yesterday, and found that my second cousin three times removed, Sadie (Vaux) Hibbard (1879-1972), had married again after her first husband died in 1931.  

Her last name at the time of her passport and visa was Clotworthy.  So I couldn't resist going down the research rabbit hole, to follow the bright shiny object (BSO) that is Mr. Clotworthy's first name.  And vitals, and more.  

To find all of that, I used Sadie Clotworthy's name to search on Ancestry.com limiting the search to the state of Colorado, where Sadie was born, married, died, and is buried according to what I knew about her.

There were some results on Ancestry.com for Sadie, especially City Directories.  There were entries for Sadie Clotworthy in the Colorado Springs city directories from 1938 to 1963.  The earliest one shows:



Melville B. Clotworthy was the husband of Sadie (Vaux) (Hibbard) Clotworthy.  They both worked at Hibbard & Co. in Colorado Springs, and in 1938 resided at 1206 Wood Avenue.

That made the resulting search fairly easy.  Here is the top of the Search results on Ancestry.com for Mel* Clotworthy restricted to Colorado:


And the bottom of thel ist (there were many City Directory matches on the list that are not shown):


The useful results included the World War I draft registration which defined his full name, his birth date and birth place, the 1910, 1920 and 1930 U.S. census records showing him with his first wife, and the US Find A Grave Index which indicates he died in 1946 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs.  Here is the Find A Grave entry:


One of the suggested records was a Pennsylvania and New Jersey Church and Town Record collection for his birth date, birth place and birth name.

I also checked the Ancestry Member Trees (two entries) and the FamilySearch Family Tree (M.B. Clotworthy).  I looked on GenealogyBank, MyHeritage and Ancestry for newspaper articles about Melville Clotworthy, and found several for his first marriage, but none for his second marriage and death.

From all of the collected information, I was able to add content and sources to my database for Mr. Clotworthy:

*  Birth name:  Melville Bates Clotworthy
*  Birth date:  9 March 1878
*  Birth place:  Hatboro, Montgomery County, Pennsulvania
*  Spouse #1:  Gertrude E. Sayman (1879-1934)
*  Marriage Date #1:  9 August 1910
*  Marriage Place #1:  Jackson County, Missouri
*  Spouse #2:  Sadie (Vaux) Hibbard
*  Marriage Date #2:  before 1938
*  Marriage Place #2:  probably El Paso County, Colorado
*  Death Date:  1946
*  Death Place:  Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado
*  Burial Place:  Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado.

I could add the 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 U.S. Census records, but I haven't yet.  He was  enumerated in the 1940 U.S. census in Colorado Springs, with Sadie, as Melville Clatworthy.  

A Google search revealed the following in a historical homes record (the building is now a Chipotle Restaurant!):

"Cassius A. Hibbard erected this building to house his growing Hibbard & Company Department Store. In 1892, Mr. Hibbard came to Colorado Springs with his mother, Mrs. P. Inscho, from Elmira, New York. They started a small shop selling millinery and ladies notions. In 1897, Melvin B. Clotworthy joined the company and eventually became a partner. The business experienced steady growth, and, in 1914, this building was constructed. Thomas P. Barber was the architect. The building opened for business on 11 December 1914, just in time for the Christmas shopping season. 

"Cassius A. Hibbard and Melville B. Clotworthy were shown as the proprietors of the store in 1921 and 1931 city directories. In 1931, Mr. Hibbard was also listed as the chairman of the board of the Colorado Springs National Bank. Mr. Hibbard died in 1931 and Mr. Clotworthy in 1946, but the department store continued to be run by their descendants. In 1953, the partners included brothers Robert G. Hibbard and Donald A. Hibbard and their mother, Mrs. Sadie Clotworthy. Robert was in charge of the active management of the store."

Not bad for about 60 minutes of effort in June 2015.  If I had done this in, say, 2000, I would be writing a letter or email to the Colorado Springs library or a genealogical society requesting a City Directory lookup.  It probably would have taken me 6 months to accumulate the information I found today in an hour.  

I stopped after collecting the above, since Melville and Sadie (Vaux) Clotworthy are not my ancestors.  I'm sure that there are more records for them in repositories and even online.  

Why do I chase these BSOs?  Because they apply to relatively close cousins, whose descendants may share autosomal DNA with me.  They may not have a family tree online yet, but they mat have information about our shared ancestors, including family letters or photos from my ancestors.  My Carringer and Vaux ancestors were great letter writers, but I have relatively few that they wrote because they sent them to relatives in distant places.

Stay tuned to Genea-Musings for another episode of "Down the Research Rabbit Hole" - I just can't help myself from chasing these Bright Shiny Objects. 

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2015/06/down-research-rabbit-hole-who-is-mr.html

Copyright (c) 2015, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.