Saturday, November 18, 2017

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Expanded "Ancestors Geneameme"

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)  Jill Ball created a 40 question "Ancestors Geneameme" in 2011, and Linda Stufflebean recently expanded it to 70 questions on her Empty Branches on the Family Tree blog.  

2)  Let's do Linda's expanded list this week for SNGF.

3)  Copy and paste the list of questions below and replace my answers with your own.

4)  Share your answers as a comment on this b;og post, in your own blog post, or on Facebook or Google+.   Please leave a comment and al ink to your answer in a comment on this blog post.

Here's mine:

  1. Can name my 16 great-great grandparents.   YES
  2. Can name my 32 great great great grandparents   YES
  3. Can name over 50 direct ancestors  YES
  4. Have photos or portraits of my 8 great grandparents  YES
  5. Have an ancestor who was married more than three times YES
  6. Have an ancestor who was a bigamist   NO, not that I know of
  7. Met all four of my grandparents  NO, not my paternal grandfather
  8. Met one or more of my great grandparents  YES
  9. Bear an ancestor’s given name/s  NO
  10. Named a child after an ancestor  NO
  11. Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland  YES
  12. Have an ancestor from Asia  NO
  13. Have an ancestor from continental Europe   YES
  14. Have an ancestor from Africa  NO, except from 50,000 years ago
  15. Have an ancestor who was an agricultural laborer  YES
  16. Have an ancestor who had large land holdings   YES
  17. Have an ancestor who was a holy man – minister, priest, rabbi   YES
  18. Have an ancestor who was a midwife  NO, don't know for sure
  19. Have an ancestor who was an author    NO
  20. Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng    NO
  21. Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones   YES
  22. Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X  NO
  23. Have an ancestor with a forename beginning with Z  NO
  24. Have an ancestor born on 25th December  YES
  25. Have an ancestor born on New Year’s Day   YES
  26. Have an ancestor who shares your day and month of birth  NO
  27. Have blue blood in your family lines  YES, have Royals in England
  28. Have a parent who was born in a country different from my country of birth    NO
  29. Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth  NO
  30. Can trace a direct family line back to the 18th century  YES
  31. Can trace a direct family line back to the 17th century  YES
  32. Can trace a direct family line back to the 16th century  YES
  33. Have seen signatures of some of my great grandparents  YES
  34. Have ancestors who signed with an X (or other mark)  YES
  35. Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university   NO 
  36. Have an ancestor convicted of a criminal offense    NO, don't know for sure
  37. Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime  NO, don't know for sure
  38. Have shared an ancestor’s story online or in a magazine/periodical  YES
  39. Have published a family history online or in print  YES
  40. Have visited an ancestor’s home from the 19th or earlier centuries  YES
  41. Have a family Bible from the 19th century  YES
  42. Have a family Bible from the 18th century or earlier  NO
  43. Have an ancestor who was part of a multiple birth (twins, etc.)  YES
  44. Have a family member who closely resembles an ancestor  NO, don't know for sure
  45. Have an ancestor who owned their own business  YES
  46. Have an ancestor who belonged to a trade guild  NO
  47. Have an ancestor who moved more than 100 miles away from his/her birth home, EXCLUDING emigration to another country  YES
  48. Have an ancestor who gave birth to twelve or more children  YES
  49. Have an ancestor with a rare/unusual/uncommon forename  YES
  50. Have an ancestral family who changed their surname  NO, don't know for sure
  51. Have a passenger list or travel manifest for an ancestor  YES
  52. Have an ancestor who was adopted  YES
  53. Have an ancestor who adopted a child   NO, don't know for sure
  54. Have a naturalization record for an ancestor  YES
  55. Have an ancestor who received a military pension  YES
  56. Have a school record or school census for an ancestor  YES
  57. Have an ancestor with a gravestone still in existence from the 18th century  YES
  58. Have an ancestor with a gravestone still in existence from the 17th century or earlier  YES
  59. Have an ancestor who had only one child who survived to adulthood  YES
  60. Are descended twice from one couple  YES
  61. Are descended three times or more from one couple  YES
  62. Are descended from an American president or other political figure  YES (Mass. colonial governor)
  63. Are descended from a person famous in history, other than in politics  YES
  64. Have an ancestor with a rare/unusual/unique surname  YES (Pickle? Sovereign? Bucket?)
  65. Have an ancestor who you have found mentioned in a pre-1870 newspaper  YES
  66. Can name the ship on which at least one ancestor emigrated  YES
  67. Have a female ancestor who worked outside the home pre-World War II  YES
  68. Know of at least one ancestor who returned to the ancestral home after emigration  YES
  69. Know of at least one ancestor who permanently returned to the ancestral home after emigration   YES, one died and buried after returning home
  70. Have an ancestor who was survived by 50 or more grandchildren  YES
So I have 48 YES out of 70.

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Copyright (c) 2017, 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.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Surname Saturday -- CRAFT (England to colonial Massachusetts)

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


I am working in the 9th great-grandmothers by Ahnentafel number, and I am up to Ancestor #2051 who is Hannah CRAFT (1628-1692). 
[Note: the earlier great-grandmothers and 9th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts.]

My ancestral line back through two generations in this CRAFT 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)

32. Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825)
33. Abigail Gates (1797-1869)

64. Benjamin Seaver (1757-1816)
65. Martha Whitney (1764-1832)

128.  Norman Seaver (1734-1787)
129.  Sarah Read (1736-1809)

256. Robert Seaver (1702-1752)

257.  Eunice Rayment (1707-1772)

512.  Joseph Seaver (1672-1754)
513.  Mary Read (1680-????)


1024.  Shubael Seaver (1640-1730)
1025.  Hannah Wilson (1647-1722)


2050.  Nathaniel Wilson, born before 02 August 1621 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England; died 17 September 1692 in Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  He was the son of 4100. Isaac Wilson and 4101. Susan Holgate.  He married 02 April 1645 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States.
2051.  Hannah Craft, born about 1628 in England; died 17 August 1692 in Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.

Children of Nathaniel Wilson and Hannah Craft are:
*  child Wilson (1646-1646).
Hannah Wilson (1647-1722), married 1668 Shubael Seaver (1640-1730).
*  Susanna Wilson (1650-1725), married 1673 Thomas Gill (1649-1725).
*  Nathaniel Wilson (1653-1721), married (1) 1680 Hannah Jackson (1660-1690); (2) 1693 Elizabeth Osland (1668-1715).
*  Joseph Wilson (1656-1710), married 1685 Deliverance Jackson (1657-1718).
*  Benjamin Wilson (1656-1706), married 1677 Sarah LNU (1658-1689).
*  Isaac Wilson (1658-1720), married 1685 Susanna Andrews (1659-????).
*  Mary Wilson (1661-1729), married 1682 Thomas Oliver (1660-1715).
*  Abigail Wilson (1663-1746), married 1687 Edward Jackson (1652-1727).
*  Samuel Wilson (1666-????), married 1696 Experience Trowbridge (1675-1705).

4102.  Griffin Craft, born before 21 May 1600 in Hereford, Yorkshire, England; died 04 October 1689 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States.  He married before 1628 in England.
4103.  Alice LNU, born about 1600 in England; died before 26 March 1673 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States.

Children of Griffin Craft and Alice are:
Hannah Craft (1628-1692), married 1645 Nathaniel Wilson (1621-1692)
*  John Craft (1630-1685), married (1) 1654 Rebecca Wheelock (1634-1667); (2) 1669 Mary Hudson (1632-1724).
*  Mary Craft (1632-1653), married 1652 Joseph Griggs (1624-1715).
*  Abigail Craft (1634-1706), married (1) 1651 John Ruggles (1625-1658); (2) 1659 Ralph Day (1620-1677); (3) 1678 Edward Adams (1629-1716).
*  Samuel Craft (1637-1691), married 1661 Elizabeth Seaver (1643-1731).
*  Moses Craft (1639-1718), married 1667 Rebecca Gardner (1647-1699).

Information about this Craft family was obtained from:

*  Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins, Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Volume I (Boston, Mass. : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), pages 489-491.

*  Joan S. Guilford, The Ancestry of Dr. J.P. Guilford (Orange, Calif. : Sheridan Psychological Services, Inc., 1990), Volume 1, pages 178-184.

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Copyright (c) 2017, 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.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Friday, November 17, 2017

Genealogy News Bytes - 17 November 2017


Some of the genealogy news items across my desktop the last four days include:

1)  News Articles:


*  
Findmypast Announces Plans to Publish Trinity Mirror Archive

*  RootsTech 2018 Photo+Story Competition

*  Introducing We Remember – Free Online Memorials

*  FamilySearch Free Sign-in Offers Greater Subscriber Experiences and Benefits

*  23andMe revs up Ancestry Composition feature

*  AncestryProGenealogists Scholarship Announced

*  NEHGS Launches Interactive Mayflower Website

2)  Record Databases:

 
New Records Available To Search This Findmypast Friday, 17 November 2017

New Records at the Genealogy Giants Websites

New Fold3 Database:  Virginia Half Pay Pension Application Files

3)  Genealogy Education:


 GeneaWebinars Calendar

*  Free Family History Library Classes and Webinars for November 2017

*  Upcoming Family Tree Webinar - Tuesday, 22 November 2017, 5 p.m. PST:  Research in Federal Records: Some Assembly Required, by Malissa Ruffner

*  Archived Family Tree Webinar:  Searching for a Pennsylvania German Ancestor, by James Beidler

*  Archived Family Tree Webinar:  British and Irish research: the differences, by Brian Donovan

*  Maureen Taylor Video:  Ask Maureen: Bonus Episode ~ Beth Forester from Animoto

* Maureen Taylor Video:  Ask Maureen: Episode 10 ~ Fun with Family History Videos

*  Genealogy Connection Podcast:  #032 - Kathy Meade, Researcher

*  Cousin Russ YouTube Channel - FTM2017 User Question: How to manage a large Marriage Report?

*  Cousin Russ YouTube Channel -  FTM2017 User Question:Why am I getting Bad Search Results?

*  DearMYRTLE's YouTube Channel:  GenDoc 10 - Chapter 10 Citing Numbered, Grouped, and Subgrouped Offline Sources

*  *  DearMYRTLE's YouTube Channel: WACKY Wednesday - Sharing Genealogical Data

*  Nicka Sewell-Smith YouTube Channel:  BlackProGen LIVE! Ep 46: Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes

*  American Ancestors YouTube Channel:  Navigating Notarial Records in Quebec

*  BYU Family History Library YouTube Channel:  Getting the Most Out of Puzzilla Premium by Judy Sharp

*  Family History Fanatics YouTube Channel:  Can You Trace Your Ancestry to Adam?

4)  Bargains:

*  Genealogy Bargains for Friday, November 17,  2017


*  MyHeritage Complete on Sale for 50% Off – thru Thursday, Nov 23

*  RootsTech 2018 Registration Giveaway Contests

5)  Neat Stuff:


*  12 Useful Web Tools You Didn't Know About

Good Morning America Features MyHeritage DNA Reunion Live on Air!

*  Adopted woman, birth family who thought she died meet after 66 years

Did you miss the last Genealogy News Bytes - 14 November 2017?


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Copyright (c) 2017, 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.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

New Records Available To Search This Findmypast Friday, 17 November 2017

I received this information from Findmypast today:

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

New Royal Welch Fusiliers records, National Archives First World War Medical records and Pension Forms available to search this Findmypast Friday

There are over 423,000 new records available to search this Findmypast Friday, including;



Search for your military ancestor in The National Archives' collection of medical records from the First World War. Containing over 212,000 names, these records will enable you to discover when and where your ancestor was wounded, the nature of their injuries and how long they were held at the medical facility for treatment. Images may provide additional details including notes on the nature of the wounds or diseases you ancestor was treated for. This collection comprises The National Archives' series, MH106, War Office: First World War Representative Medical Records of Servicemen. They include admissions and discharge records from hospitals, field ambulances, and casualty clearing stations. These records are also available to browse.



It is estimated that three to four million women became war widows during the First World War, most of whom had children to support. Search over 8,000 brand new First World War pension forms to find out whether your ancestor was one of them. The collection consists of transcripts and images from The National Archives' series PIN 82, Ministry of Pensions: First World War Widows' Pensions Forms. Transcripts will reveal your military ancestor's service number, regiment, cause and date of death, spouse's name, marriage year and children's names. Images may provide further details about your ancestor, such as their attestation year, rank and date and place of death. Some records will also note if your ancestor received any awards or medals.



Did your ancestor serve with the? Explore our brand new collection of over 96,000 Royal Welch Fusiliers enlistment registers, transfer registers, discharge registers and casualty reports from 1830 to 1946 to uncover a detailed history of their military service. The original records are all held by the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Museum Trust. The records include the names of those who served during the Anglo-Boer War, Boxer Rebellion, First World War, and Second World War. Each result will include both a transcripts and an image of the original document. The nature and amount of the details recorded will vary depending on the type of document you are viewing.



Search over 14,000 records from the Portsmouth History centre to find out whether your ancestor sought exemption from military service by applying to a military tribunal. When the British Government passed the Military Service Act on 2nd March 1916, all able-bodied, single men between the ages of 19 and 41 were automatically enlisted in the armed forces. Certain occupations, often referred to as scheduled or reserved, were deemed exempt or essential to the war effort. Others however could also seek exemption by applying to a tribunal for reasons such as illness, potential business damage, conscientious objection, or family hardship. Each result will provide you with a transcript and image of the original record. Depending on the document type, transcripts will list a combination of your ancestor's birth year, marital status, the date of their tribunal hearing and the location. Images may provide additional details such as addresses, occupations, employers' details and decisions or recommendations made by the tribunal.



Explore more than 6,000 pages of Military Historical Society Bulletins to discover historical facts about military events, background information about regimental uniforms, and regimental histories, images of soldiers, uniforms, and badges. Issues from 1950 through to 2017 are available in this collection. For the first time these bulletins are available online as fully searchable, high-resolution scanned images. You can search for a name or a specific issue by month, year, or volume. The text search will allow you to search the full body of text within the bulletin.



View beautifully captured school portraits of Old Harrovians. Each result will provide a portrait or group photograph along with a transcript of details related to the student.  Harrow School, an independent boarding school for boys, was founded in 1572. Among its alumni of Old Harrovians, it can claim Prime Ministers, Members of Parliaments, artists, poets, scientists, actors, and more. The photographic portraits of students found within this collection were originally captured by Hills & Saunders. Findmypast has been able to add additional supplemental information about each student from the Harrow School Registers including their house, housemaster, clubs, monitor, father's name and address.



Explore over 2,000 issues of the War Office Weekly Casualty List, a weekly publication of the names of those who were reported as missing, taken prisoner of war, wounded, or killed in action. Entries will provide the individual's name, rank, regiment, and service number. The weekly lists were updated; therefore, if your ancestor was previously listed as missing, you may find your ancestor's name a second time listed as captured, wounded or killed in action. These records are also available to browse.



Over 47,000 new records Scots Guards records have been added to our collection of British Army Service records. The collection includes a myriad of Army forms including attestation papers, medical forms, discharge documents, pension claims, and proceedings of regimental boards.



New records covering non-British Soldiers have been added to our collection of Prisoner of War records. This collection of records from The National Archives includes papers from the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, War Office, Admiralty and Air Force. The records include the names of thousands of prisoners from nations around the world.

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Disclosure:  I have a complimentary subscription to Findmypast, and have accepted meals and services from Findmypast, as a Findmypast Ambassador.  This has not affected my objectivity relative to Findmypast and its products.


Copyright (c) 2017, 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.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

52 Ancestors - Week 201: #280 Thomas Dill (1682-1718) of Medford, Massachusetts

Thomas Dill (1682-1718) is #280 on my Ahnentafel List, my 6th great-grandfather, who married #281 Mary Pierce (1682-1713)  in 1706 in Woburn, Massachusetts.


I am descended through:

*  their son, #140 Thomas Dill (1708-1761) who married #71  Mehitable Brown (1714-1758) in 1733.
*  their son, #70 Thomas Dill (1755-1836), who married Hannah Horton (1761-1797) in 1782. 
*  their daughter, #35 Elizabeth Horton Dill (1791-1869), who married  #34 Alpheus B. Smith (1802-1840) in 1826.
*  their daughter #17 Lucretia Townsend Smith (1828-1884)who married  #16 Isaac Seaver (1823-1901)  in 1851.
*  their son #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922) who married #9 Hattie Louisa Hildreth (1857-1920) in 1874.
*  their son #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942) who married #5 Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962) in 1900.
*  their son #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) who married #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002) in 1942.
*  their son #1 Randall Jeffrey Seaver (1943-living)

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

1)  PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
   
*  Name:                        Thomas Dill[1–6]  

*  Sex:                           Male  

*  Father:                       Peter Dill (1645-1692)  
*  Mother:                     Thanks Shepard (1650-1733)  

2)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*  Birth:                         27 January 1681/2, Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1]  
*  Death:                       29 January 1717/8 (age 36), Medford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[4–5]  
*  Probate:                    3 December 1722 (age 40), administration filed; Littleton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[6]  

3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*  Spouse 1:                 Mary Pierce (1682-1713)  
*  Marriage 1:             17 January 1705/6 (age 23), Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[2]  

*  Child 1:                  Mary Dill (1706-    )  
*  Child 2:                 Thomas Dill (1708-1761)  
*  Child 3:                 Elizabeth Dill (1712-1714)  

*  Spouse 2:              Mary Cheney (1695-1735)  
*  Marriage 2:           11 May 1713 (age 31) Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[3]  
*  Child 4:                 Marey Dill (1714-    )  

*  Child 5:                 Rebeck Dill (1716-1803)  

4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):    


Thomas Dill was born 27 January 1681/2 in Concord, Massachusetts, the last of seven children of Peter and Thanks (Shepard) Dill[1].  He was a twin with his sister Mary Dill.

Thomas married, first, Mary Pierce on 17 January 1705/6 in Woburn, Massachusetts[2].  She was the daughter of Nathaniel and Elizabeth (--?--) Pierce.  Thomas and Mary had three children recorded in the Medford, Massachusetts town records before Mary died before May 1713.

Thomas Dill married, secondly, Mary Cheney on 11 May 1713 in Cambridge, Massachusetts[3].  They had two children recorded in the Littleton, Massachusetts town records.

He died 29 January 1717/8 in Medford, Massachusetts[4-5].  There is no known burial site.


Thomas Dill died intestate, and an administration was filed on 3 December 1722 in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Probate Court (see Middlesex County Probate Court Packet 6,281)[6].  Widow Mary Dill of Littleton and Thomas Brown of Cambridge posted a 50 pounds bond.  Mary Dill, widow of Thomas Dill, late of Littleton, was appointed administratrix.  No inventory, account or distribution was included in the probate packet.
 
5)  SOURCES
 
1. George Tolman (compiler), Concord, Massachusetts Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1635-1850 (Concord, Mass. : Committee on Printing, 1894), Middlesex County Register, page 25, Thomas Dill birth entry, 1682.

2. Edward F. Johnson,  Woburn Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths [5 Volumes], (Woburn, Mass.: The News Print, 1893), Marriages, page 77, Thomas Dill and Mary Pierce entry, 1706.

3. Thomas W. Baldwin (compiler), Vital Records of Cambridge, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston, Mass. : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1915), Marriages, page 118, Thomas Dill and Mary Cheney entry, 1713.

4. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), "Medford Town Records, 1657-1718," Volume 1, no page number, Thomas Dill death entry, image 140 of 150.

5. Henry Ernest Woods, (Editor), Vital Records of Medford, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, Mass. : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1907), Deaths, page 393, Thomas Dill entry, 1718.

6. "Middlesex County, MA: Probate Papers, 1648-1871," digital image, American Ancestors (http://www.AmericanAncestors.org : accessed, 1 November 2017), Probate Packet 6,281, Thomas Dill of Littleton, 1722 (3 images).

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NOTE:  Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors" in her blog post 


 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  I have extended this theme in 2017 to 208 Ancestors in 208 Weeks.



Copyright (c) 2017, 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.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Seavers in the News - Did Frank Seaver Jilt His Girlfriend?

It's time for another edition of "Seavers in the News" - a semi-regular feature from the historical newspapers about persons with the surname Seaver that are interesting, useful, fun, macabre, or add information to my family tree database.

This week's entry is from the San Francisco [Calif.] Call newspaper dated Thursday, 13 July 1899:




The transcription of this article is:

SHE DIED FOR LOVE THAT WAS SLIGHTED

Pretty Anita Byrne Ends Her Troubles With Poison. Brooding Over a Possible Dark Future Caused Her to Seek Solace in the Great Unknown.

In a moment of desperation, due to the threat of her lover that he was about to desert her for another, Anita Byrne, chief operator in the telephone office at Sutter and Hyde streets, committed suicide yesterday by swallowing the contents of a phial of carbolic acid. 

Her mother discovered her lying on a bale of hay in a barn in the rear of their home at 16 Bourbon place. She was still alive, but her condition indicated that she could not possibly survive the fatal draught. .Summoning a neighbor her mother had her removed to the house. Dr. C. C. Mohun was at once sent for, but despite his efforts she breathed her last several hours later. 

The man for whom the unfortunate woman killed herself, so it is claimed, is Frank Seaver, a switchboard attendant in the main office. Seaver met Miss Byrne about two years ago, while he was acting as manager of the telephone office at Sutter and Hyde streets. She fell desperately in love with him and he seemed to reciprocate her affections. Frequently they were seen together, and among the .other telephone girls it was whispered that they were engaged to be married. 

Tuesday evening Seaver met the misguided woman by appointment and they went to Oakland. They returned to this city about 10 o'clock and repaired to the Byrne residence on Bourbon place. The family had already retired and the couple sat in the parlor for about an hour. Seaver then took his departure, after promising to sec Miss Byrne "in the near future," as he expressed it.

Shortly afterward the unhappy woman visited the room occupied by her mother and. kissed her good night. It is presumed she returned to the parlor, and after brooding over her troubles determined to end her existence. 

Shortly before 6 o'clock yesterday morning her mother awakened from her slumbers and went to her daughter's room, intending to arouse her so that she would not be late at work, as she was due at the telephone office at 7 o'clock. After entering the room she was surprised to find it empty and the bed undisturbed. 

After vainly searching the house for her missing daughter Mrs. Byrne, suspecting something had happened to her, went to the barn, determined to make a thorough investigation. As she threw back the door she was horrified to see her daughter lying on a bale of hay. fully dressed and unconscious. 

By her side was a half empty phial that had contained carbolic acid. The usual farewell message was not in evidence, the foolish woman evidently concluding to die without acquainting the world with the perfidy of her lover. 

After learning the facts in the case Coroner Hill visited police headquarters and invoked the aid of Captain of Detectives Bohen in finding Seaver. He said he had visited the telephone office, where he is employed, but could get no trace of him. His object in asking the assistance of the police in locating him was to hold him until the inquest on the body was held. 

Coroner Hill is of the opinion that Seaver had jilted the unfortunate woman and after brooding over his perfidy she determined to die. 

Mrs. Byrne, the mother of the young woman, said last night that her daughter had been enjoying a few weeks' vacation from her labors in the telephone office when she took the fatal dose. 

"She seemed to regret that she had to return to work," tearfully remarked her fond parent, "as she feared that she might lose her position for some reason. She frequently spoke of the recent dismissal of several of her chums from the employ of the company and lived in fear that she would be similarly treated. I know she held Seaver in high esteem, but it did not dawn upon me that she was in love with him." 

The bottle of carbolic acid, the contents of which the .woman drank, was purchased in Oakland. 

Seaver was seen last night at the Beresford Hotel, where he is stopping.

He had not heard of the sad event and was much affected when informed of the sad case. "Why, I left her last night at her house," he said, "and there wasn't the lease indication of anything wrong with Miss Byrne. I am simply dumfounded: it seems so impossible. We spent a pleasant evening in the company of her sisters, and when I left her house at 11 o'clock I went directly home. 

"My relations with Miss Byrne have always been pure and honest. I liked her exceedingly and we were more as brother and sister. Now that this has happened  I recall something her sister said to me last night. During the evening in the midst of a general conversation she told me that Anita seemed blue; that she noticed her crying at times, refusing to explain the cause. Last night Anita received a telephone message from the office, saying that she was to report today at 12. Whether it was this or something else that worried her I do not know.  

"I can't understand for a moment why she committed suicide," iterated young Seaver. "We were always the best of friends, and this is a deep shock to me. I swear that my relations with her were none other than the most honorable in the world." 

The source citation for this article is:

"She Died for Love that was Slighted" article, San Francisco [Calif.] Call, 13 July 1899, page 14, column 4, Suicide of Anita Byrne; California Digital Newspaper Collection : accessed 27 July 2017),  accessed using www.Elephind.com.

A search for Anita Byrne in the Call newspaper revealed several later articles, including one the next day that said Frank Seaver and Anita would come to work drunk, and that he was only a switchboard operator and couldn't be trusted.  An article the same day said that Anita was overworked and demented caused by the stress of the telephone office and perhaps a sister's illness. Another articles two days later noted that the coroner's jury decided she was temporarily insane when she committed suicide due to domestic worries.  And then there are no more articles.  

The coroner and the reporter seem fixated on the cause of the suicide as Anita being jilted.  Two things happened the night before - she was asked to come to work at 12 the next day, and Frank Seaver came to visit with her.  It's unknown if he was still employed by the telephone company.

What a fascinating genealogy puzzle.  Who was Frank Seaver?  I figured that he was probably aged 20 to 40 and residing in San Francisco Bay area.  Is he in the 1900 U.S. Census in California?  A search on Ancestry.com for a person with the name and in the age group resulted in several results in the Bay area, but none that had an occupation related to telephone operators.  There is a Frank L. Seveir in San Francisco, age 28, married for one year to Jennie.  There was another Frank L. Seaver in Los Angeles aged 21, who lived with his mother and had been born in San Francisco.  There is a Frank G. Seaver, age 33, in the 1910 census in San Francisco.  He was married in 1898, and they had their first child in late 1898, so it probably is not him.

I looked through my list of persons named Frank Seaver (and variants) in my RootsMagic database, but it is incomplete, and I have only vital records and census records for most of them.  The two Frank L. Seavers mentioned above are the only single ones I can place in San Francisco before 1899.  

So I'm stuck.  Perhaps it's for the best that I cannot identify the right Frank Seaver involved in this sad case.  It may be a secret that he took to his grave, wherever that may be. 


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The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/11/seavers-in-news-did-frank-seaver-jilt.html

Copyright (c) 2017, 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.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Genea-Musings FREE RootsTech 2018 Registration Giveaway

I am thrilled to again be a RootsTech Ambassador. I get to share news about one of my favorite genealogy events ... and I get to give away a free registration!


One lucky winner will receive a 4-day registration to RootsTech 2018, held in Salt Lake City, February 28 - March 3, 2018 (valued at $279). This registration includes:

  • More than 300 classes
  • Keynotes and General Sessions
  • Innovation Showcase
  • Expo Hall
  • Evening events

(This pass does not include luncheon events, paid workshops, hotel, or travel.)

Here's how to enter:

1)  This contest will be conducted by a random drawing.  I will make a numerical list of entries, and use a random number selection process to select the number of the winner.

2)  To enter the contest, please go to the official RootsTech website, and perform these tasks:

*  Go to the "Schedule" page  and select one of the speaker presentations that you just have to attend - one that your research depends on.

* There is no list of exhibitors yet, so tell me which genealogy vendor you really want to visit, and why, while you're at RootsTech 2018.

3)  Tell me about your two choices in an email to me at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Title your email with "RootsTech 2018" so that I can add you to the list of entrants.

Easy, eh?  Please enter ONLY if you intend to attend RootsTech 2018.

4)  This contest will end at 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time on Friday, 24 November 2017.

5)  I will select a winner by 11:59 PM PST by Sunday, 26 November, and will publicize the winner by Tuesday, 28 November.  I will notify the winner, and will send the complimentary registration certificate by email, and the winner will contact RootsTech to redeem the certificate.

6)  If the winner has already registered for RootsTech 2018, then RootsTech will refund the registration fee already paid.

7)  The winner is requested to stop by the Media Center in the FREE Expo Hall to say hello to me and have a picture taken with me.

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Disclosure:  I am an RootsTech 2018 Ambassador and one of the perks is this Free registration contest for my readers.  I have received a complimentary registration to RootsTech 2018 also, and look forward to seeing many friends, bloggers and readers there.  It should be fun!

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/11/genea-musings-free-rootstech-2018.html

Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver

Please do not comment on this post.

1708 Marriage Record of Samuel Brown and Ruth Young in Eastham, Mass. --- Post 390 of Treasure Chest Thursday

It's Treasure Chest Thursday - a chance to look in my digital image files to see what treasures I can find for my family history and genealogy musings.

The treasure today is the 1708 marriage record of Samuel Brown and Ruth Young in Eastham, Massachusetts:


The marriage record is on the left-hand page, the third record down:



The births of five children of Samuel and Ruth (Young) Brown are also on the page below the marriage record.

The transcription of the marriage record is:

"Samuel Brown senr and Ruth Young were
married by Joseph Doane Esqu^r the twenty first day
of October Anno dom 1708."

The source citation for this record is:

"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 28 March 2016), Barnstable County, "Eastham, Orleans, Births, Marriages, Deaths, Land Grants, 1649-1722," page 73 (image 138 of 157), Samuel Brown and Ruth Young marriage entry, 1708.

Samuel Brown (1686-1749) was the son of George Brown (1652-1721) and Mehitable Knowles (1653-1721) of Eastham, Massachusetts.  Ruth Young (1688-1768) was the daughter of John Young (1649-1718) and Ruth Cole (1651-1735) of Eastham, Massachusetts.  Samuel Brown and Ruth Young had 10 children between 1709 and 1732, but only the first five were recorded in the Eastham town records above.

Samuel and Ruth (Young) Brown are my 6th great-grandparents, through their daughter Mehitable Brown (1714-1758), who married Thomas Dill (1708-1761) in 1733 in Eastham, Massachusetts.


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Copyright (c) 2017, 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.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.