Saturday, January 23, 2016

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- Two Degrees of Separation

Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 
 It's Saturday Night again - 
time for some more Genealogy Fun!!



Here is your assignment if you choose to play along (cue the Mission Impossible music):


1)  Using your ancestral lines, how far back in time can you go with two degrees of separation?  That means "you knew an ancestor, who knew another ancestor."  When was that second ancestor born?

2)  Tell us about it in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, in a status line on Facebook or a stream post on Google+.


Here are several of mine:


1)  My Seaver/Richmond line:   Me (born 1943 in San Diego) - I met my paternal grandmother once in 1959.  My paternal grandmother Alma Bessie (Richmond) Seaver (1882-1962, born in Connecticut, daughter of Thomas Richmond (1848-1917) born in England)  knew her grandfather, James Richmond (1821-1912, born in England, died in Connecticut).

 2)  My Carringer/Spangler/King line:  Me (born 1943 in San Diego) - my maternal great grandfather, Henry Austin Carringer held me when I was a baby.  Henry Austin Carringer (1853-1946, born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, died in San Diego), son of David Jackson Carringer (1828-1902, born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, died in San Diego) and Rebecca Spangler (1832-1901, born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, died in San Diego),  knew his paternal grandfather Henry Carringer (1800-1879, born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, died in Iowa) well.  He also knew his maternal grandmother, Elizabeth (King) Spangler (1796-1863, died in Mercer County, Pennsylvania). 

3)  My Carringer/Auble/Kemp/Sovereen line:  Me (born 1943 in San Diego) knew my great-grandmother, Georgianna (Kemp) Auble (1868-1952).  Georgianna Kemp (1868-1952, born in Norfolk County, Ontario, died in San Diego), knew her maternal grandfather, Frederick Sovereen (1786-1875, died in Norfolk County, Ontario).   

4)  My Carringer/Smith/Vaux/Underhill line:  Me (born 1943 in San Diego) - my great-grandmother, Della (Smith) Carringer (1862-1944, born in Wisconsin, died in San Diego) held me (I don't remember it, of course!).  Della Smith, daughter of Abigail Vaux (1844-1931, born in Erie County, New York, died in San Diego), granddaughter of Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux (1815-1880, born in Erie County, New York, died in Kansas) may have met her great-grandfather, Amos Underhill (1772-1865, born in New Hampshire, died in Erie county, New York), but I doubt it! 


So I can connect, with two degrees of separation, back to a 4th great-grandfather born in 1772 (but that man likely did not "meet" his great-grandchild).  For the requirement that they actually met, I can get back to a 4th great-grandfather born in 1786.  230 years ago, or 157 years before my birth.  


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Copyright (c) 2016, 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 -- LEARNED (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 #1197 who is Hannah LEARNED (1649-????) 
[Note: the earlier great-grandmothers and 8th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].

My ancestral line back through three generations of this LEARNED 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)


18.  Edward Hildreth (1831-1899)
19.  Sophia Newton (1834-1923)

36.  Zavhariah Hildreth (1783-1857)
37.  Hannah Sawtell (1789-1857)

74.  Josiah Sawtell (1768-1847)
75.  Hannah Smith (1768-1824)

148.  Ephraim Sawtell (1738-1800)
149.  Abigail Stone (1736-1800)

298.  James Stone (1702-1783)
299.  Mary Farwell (1709-1783)

598.  Joseph Farwell (1670-1740)
599.  Hannah Colburn (1673-1741)

1196.  Joseph Farwell, born 26 February 1641 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States; died 31 December 1722 in Dunstable, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  He was the son of 2392. Henry Farwell and 2393. Olive Welby.  He married 25 December 1666 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.
1197.  Hannah Learned, born 24 August 1649 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.

Children of Joseph Farwell and Hannah Learned are:
*  Hannah Farwell (1668-1739), married (1) 1685 Samuel woods (????-1712); (2) 1717 Peter Joslin (1666-1759).
*  Joseph Farwell (1670-1740), married 1696 Hannah Colburn (1673-1741).
*  Elizabeth Farwell (1672-1729), married 1694 John Richardson (1669-1746).
*  Henry Farwell (1674-1738), married 1696 Susannah Richardson (1677-????).
*  Isaac Farwell (1678-1753), married 1703 Elizabeth Hyde (1690-1753).
*  Mary Farwell (1681-1739), married 1707 Thomas Colburn (1675-1770).
*  Sarah Farwell (1683-1736), married 1707 Jonathan Howard (1679-1758).
*  John Farwell (1686-1709).
*  William Farwell (1688-1754), married 1710 Elizabeth Solendine (1685-1756).
*  Oliver Farwell (1692-1724), married 1717 Mary Cummings (1692-1751).

2394.  Isaac Learned, born before 25 February 1624 in Bermondsey, Surrey, England; died 29 November 1657 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.   He married  09 July 1646 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.
2395.  Mary Stearns, born before 06 January 1627 in Nayland, Suffolk, England; died 08 January 1664 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  She was the daughter of 4790. Isaac Stearns and 4791. Mary Barker.

Children of Isaac Learned and Mary Stearns are:
*  Mary Learned (1647-????), married 1669 Moses Barron (1643-1699).
*  Hannah Learned (1649-????), married 1666 Joseph Farwell (1641-1722).
*  William Learned (1650-1684).
*  Sarah Learned (1653-1695), married 1683 Jonathan Barrett (1654-1743).
*  Isaac Learned (1655-1737), married 1679 Sarah Bigelow (1659-1694).
*  Benoni Learned (1657-1738), married (1) 1680 Mary Fanning (1657-1688); (2) 1688 Sarah Wright (1655-1737).

4788.  William Learned, born about 1580 in England; died 01 March 1646 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.  He married  22 April 1606 in Southwark, Surrey, England.
4789.  Goodith Gilman, born about 1586 in England; died before 1645 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.

Children of William Learned and Goodith Gilman are:
*  Sarah Learned (1607-1652), married (1) 1624 Thomas Ewer (1592-1638); (2) 1639 Thomas Lothrop (1613-1707).
*  Bethia Learned (1612-????).
*  Mary Learned (1615-1625).
*  Abigail Learned (1618-????)
*  Elizabeth Learned (1621-1683), married 1642 John Hall (1602-1696).
*  Isaac Learned (1624-1657), married 1646 Mary Stearns (1627-1664).

Information about these Learned families was obtained from:

Dean Crawford Smith, edited by Melinde Lutz Sanborn, The Ancestry of Eva Belle Kempton, 1878-1908, Part IV: The Ancestry of Linda Anne Powers, 1839-1879 (Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2000), page 433.

Eugenia Learned James and William Law Learned, The Learned Family in America (St. Louis, Mo. : Setco Print Co., 1967)

Joan S.GuilfordThe Ancestry of Dr. J.P. Guilford (Orange, Calif. : Sheridan Psychological Services, Inc., 1990), Volume 1, page 531. 

Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins (Boston MA. : New England Historical Genealogical Society, 1995), Volume II, pages 1164-1165.



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Copyright (c) 2016, 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, January 22, 2016

Found Barnstable County (Massachusetts) Probate Records on AmericanAncestors.org

I wrote RootsTech Conference and the Family History Library - a Win-Win-Win-Win For Me yesterday, and after I finished it, I wondered what I had missed in terms of records I should seek out.

I went browsing through my RootsMagic database, and noted that I had several ancestors that had a will, but that I did not have a copy of the will and had only paraphrased the will contents in my Notes; usually, that occurred when I obtained an abstract of the information from a published book or periodical article.  Two ancestors that I identified were William Gifford (1620-1688), who died in Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, and Stephen Wing (1621-1710) of Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts.

Before I went to look up the FHL microfilm numbers in the FamilySearch Library Catalog, I recalled that the NEHGS AmericanAncestors.org site had some Barnstable County probate records.  

Sure enough - they have a database titled "Barnstable County, MA: Probate Records, 1685-1789."  The database description says:

"The town of Barnstable on Cape Cod is one of the earliest settlements in Massachusetts and home to many Mayflower families and their descendants. Gustavus Aldolphus Hinckley (1822-1905) transcribed the records from the Barnstable County Probate Court. 

"The transcribed records include all extant Barnstable County probate records for the period 1685–1723, and records of residents of the town of Barnstable only for 1723–1789. 

"This six-volume collection of probate records was originally published by NEHGS in 2002 as part of the Records of Barnstable, Massachusetts, CD-ROM. This database, which contains only the probate records from the CD, indexes references to 11,773 names. Images of the 1,184 record page transcriptions as compiled for the CD are available from the search results pages. 

"These records were taken from the Gustavus Adolphus Hinckley papers, 1883-1905, which are available to members at the NEHGS research library, call number Mss 419. The Records of Barnstable, Massachusetts on CD-ROM is also available in the microtext department, call number F74.B14 R43 2002 CD."

I logged into AmericanAncestors.org, and clicked on the "Search" and "Databases" buttons, then selected "Advanced Search" and then entered William Gifford into the name fields and selected the "Court, Land and Probate Records" category and then the Barnstable records from the dropdown list of databases:



I clicked on the "Search" button and received a short list of 8 matches, including two for William Gifford for 1687.


I clicked on the first match, from Volume 1, page 17, and saw the record image:


This is a typed transcription of the will of William Gifford.  The next page has the proving statements by the witnesses and an inventory of William Gifford's property.  I downloaded the two pages to my computer, renamed the files, and put them in my file folder for the William Gifford family.

I then easily found the Stephen Wing file in Volume 3, and downloaded three pages, and saved them to my Stephen Wing family file folder.  

I decided to start with Volume 1, which has 131 pages, and browse through it rather than searching for other ancestors.  In Volume 1, I found probate records for these ancestors:

*  Elizabeth (Ring) Cook, died 1687, in Volume 1, pages 18-20.
*  John Young, died 1691, in Volume 1, pages 45-46.
*  Jabez Snow, died 1690, Volume 1, pages 43-44.
*  Abigail (Howland) Young, died 1692, in Volume 1, pages 71-72.
*  William Brown, died 1694, in Volume 1, pages 107-109
*  Jabez Snow, died 1690, in Volume 1, pages 130-131.

I also browsed through Volume 2, which has 181 pages.  I found one ancestor in that volume:

*  Ralph Allen, died 1698, in Volume 2, pages 58-60.

Now the challenge is to transcribe them and include them in my Notes for each person.

A source citation, you ask, for these transcribed records published in a book from the original handwritten probate records?  Here is the AmericanAncestors.org source citation format:

“Barnstable, MA: Probate Records, 1685–1789.” Records of Barnstable, Massachusetts. CD-ROM. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.)

Using the "Digital Archives" source template in RootsMagic, I crafted this source citation:

"Barnstable, MA: Probate Records, 1685-1789," New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (http://www.AmericanAncestors.org : accessed 22 January 2016), indexed database with digital images, transcription of original records, Vol. 1, pages 17-18, William Gifford will; citing Gustavus Adolphus Hinckley transcriptions of Barnstable County Probate Court Records.

Well, that was a fun four hours spent finding more records that are very useful in defining family relationships.

If you have early Barnstable County ancestors, this record collection on AmericanAncestors.org may be very useful.


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Copyright (c) 2016, 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 108: #131 Abigail (Fletcher) Whitney (1720-1783)

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 2016 to 156 Ancestors in 156 Weeks. Here is my ancestor biography for week #108:

Abigail (Fletcher) Whitney is #131 on my Ahnentafel list, my 5th great-grandmother who married #130 Samuel Whitney (1719-1782)  in 1741.


I am descended through:


*  their daughter, #65 Martha Whitney, who married #64 Benjamin Seaver (1757-1816), in 1783.
*  their son, #32 Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825), who married  #33 Abigail Gates (1797-1867) in 1817.
*  their son, #16 Isaac Seaver (1823-1901), who married #17 Lucretia Townsend Smith (1828-1884) in 1852.
*  their son, #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922), who married #9 Hattie Louise Hildreth (1847-1920) in 1874. 
*  their son, #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942), who married 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 J. Seaver (1943-....)

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


*  Name:                          Abigail Fletcher[1–2]   

*  Alternate Name:          Abigail Whitney[3–5]
*  Sex:                              Female   

*  Father:                         John Fletcher (1692-1749)   
*  Mother:                       Mary Goble (1693-1734)   
  
2)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Birth:                           2 July 1720, Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1]   
*  Miscellaneous:            1742–1767 (about age 22–about 47), list of children; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[3]   
*  Administration:           21 February 1783 (age 62), appointed administratrix of husband's estate; Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[4]   
*  Death:                         after 20 May 1783 (after age 62), Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[4]   
*  Burial:                        after 20 May 1783 (after age 62), Woodside Cemetery, Westminster, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States[5]    
  
3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Spouse 1:                    Samuel Whitney (1719-1782)   
*  Marriage 1:                 20 October 1741 (age 21), Weston, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[2]   
*  Child 1:                       Abigail Whitney (1742-    )   
*  Child 2:                       Mary Whitney (1744-    )   
*  Child 3:                       Samuel Whitney (1746-1812)   
*  Child 4:                       Abner Whitney (1748-1811)   
*  Child 5:                       Achsah Whitney (1750-1772)   
*  Child 6:                       Silas Whitney (1752-1798)   
*  Child 7:                       Martha Whitney (1755-1755)   
*  Child 8:                       Elisha Whitney (1757-1810)   
*  Child 9:                       Alpheus Whitney (1759-1821)   
*  Child 10:                     Phinehas Whitney (1761-1832)   
*  Child 11:                     Hananiah Whitney (1762-1835)   
*  Child 12:                     Martha Whitney (1764-1832)   
*  Child 13:                     Susannah Whitney (1767-1767)   
  
4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):   

Abigail Fletcher was born 2 July 1720 in Concord, Massachusetts, the third child and second daughter of John and Mary (Goble) Fletcher[1].  The birth record in the Concord vital records book says:

"Abigail Fletcher, the daughter of John Fletcher and Mary his wife was born July the 2d day 1720"

The marriage record of Samuel Whitney and Abigail Fletcher in Weston, Massachusetts records  says[2]:

Sam'l Whitney jun'r & Abigail Fletcher both of Weston were         
Married in Sd Town Oct'r 20'th 1741 W'm. Williams Min-
ist'r of the Gospel there."

Samuel and Abigail (Fletcher) Whitney had 13 children, and all were recorded in the Westminster town record book.  The list of Children in the Westminster, Massachusetts town record book[3]:

Births                                                     and                     Deaths
Leuit Samuel Whitney and Wife                             Mr Samuel Whitney           
Abigail Whitney famely                                           Deceased Jan^y the 1st Recorded                                                      viz                                                   1782 

August 27th 1742 Abigail Whitney Borne 
May the 29 1744 Mary Whitney Borne 
February the 11th 1746 Samuel Whitney Borne 
May 18 1648  Abner Whitney Borne
September 30 1750  Achsa Whitney Borne             Deceased 14th May 1772
October 20 1752  Silas Whitney Born                      Dec^d Nov. 14^th 1798
November 26 1755 Martha Whitney Borne            Deceased 
July 2^d 1757 Alpheus Whitney Borne                   Died 7th March 1821 aged 54 years
January the 16 1761 Phenias Whitney Borne
December the 1762  Hananiah Whitney Borne
September 18 1764 Martha Whitney Borne
February 9 1767 Susanah Whitney Borne
                 Amen

Abigail's husband, Samuel Whitney died intestate; his probate records are in Worcester County [MA] Probate Records, Probate Packet 65,123.  His widow, Abigail, was appointed administratrix of his estate on 21 February 1783, with bond in the amount of 800 pounds[4].

An inventory was taken by Abner Holden, Nathan Howard and Thomas Stearns, all of Westminster, on 20 May 1783;  the inventory of the personal estate amounted to 83 pounds, 14 shillings and 11 pence; there was no real estate listed.

Abigail's account was allowed 20 May 1783, with a balance of over 35 pounds. This was ordered distributed, after certain debts were paid, to the children.  On 15 June 1785, the heirs submitted a receipt[4]:


"We the subscribers do hereby acknowledge that we have each of us severally and for our selves received of our honoured mother, Abigail Whitney, Adx on the estate of our honoured father - Samuel Whitney late of said Westminster deceased the sum of two pounds three shillings in full of our part of the household furniture belonging to the estate of said deceased and we do severally acquit and discharge the said administratrix for our selves and heirs of all demands or rights or Chalange we or our heirs have or may have to the same & that this shall be a full and final acquittance for our selves and heirs to the above said household furniture forever by these presents.  In witness whereof we have hereunto severally set our hands the day and year aforesaid  Alpheus Whitney, Elisha Whitney, Benjamin Sever, Hananiah Whitney, Mary Scott, Silas Whitney, Job Whitcomb, Hannah Whitney."

There is no death record for Abigail (Fletcher) Whitney in the Westminster, Massachusetts vital record book.  She died after 20 May 1783, probably in Westminster, when her account on her husband's intestate estate was approved by the probate court[4]

The Find A Grave memorial indicates that Abigail (Fletcher) Whitney died in 1783 and is buried in Woodside Cemetery in Westminster[5].  No photograph of the gravestone is provided.

There were no probate records for Abigail (Fletcher) Whitney found in the Worcester County [Mass.] Probate Records index.  

5)  SOURCES
 
1. George Tolman (compiler), Concord, Massachusetts Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1635-1850 (Concord, Mass. : Committee on Printing, 1894), page 99, Abigail Fletcher birth record.

2. Mary Frances Peirce, Town of Weston. Births, Deaths and Marriages, 1707-1850. Gravestones-, 1703-1900. Church Records, 1709-1825. Appendix and Addenda, Centennial Society (Boston, Mass. : McIncloe Bros., Printers, 1901), page 55, Samuel Whitney and Abigail Fletcher entry.

3. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com), "Westminster, Births, marriages and deaths," page 91 (penned), image 142 of 1195, Family of Samuel and Abigail Whitney.

4. "Worcester County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1731-1881," digital images, New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors (http://www.americanancestors.org), Probate Packet 65,123, Samuel Whitney of Westminster, 1783.


5. Jim Tipton, indexed database, Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com), Woodside Cemetery, Westminster, Mass., Abigail Fletcher Whitney memorial #88187649.


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Copyright (c) 2016, 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.