Can't Google this stuff

Millenials.  They think they can Google anything.  Well, they can.  But sometimes the answers are not on the internet.  Horrors!!  It's safe to say that there's a heck of a lot of information out there that is not digital.  Ya just gotta go somewhere, pick up a real book, see for yourself or ask someone.

So I went.  The question is "Which house on Turkey Lane did Isaac and Miriam Pearson live in in 1850?"

Well that seems like an odd question.  But I'm in their town and I know the street, so there's a chance the original home is there since 150 year old homes are not uncommon in this area.

Family member name: Isaac and Miriam Pearson
Relationship to me: My dad's dad's mom's dad's parents. My 3x great grandparents. 

The Cumberland Historical Society in Maine is in a historical (go figure) one-room school house that is jammed to the ceiling with town artifacts.  Four grandmas are the trustees of the town's history and they know their stuff.  They're pleasantly chatty too.  Carolyn said she found some information for me about my Pearson family.  What could it be??

Non-Googleable Point #1

An old 1851 map of the town with "J. O. Piersen".  I sighed for a moment, thinking it was the wrong family.  However, a closer look at the handwritten initials showed it was "I. O."  who else has the initials I.O. but my 3x great grandpa, Isaac O. Pearson?

Non-Googleable Point #2

What street is it?  I knew they lived on Turkey Lane because I have a handwritten note from one of their granddaughters who was cleaning out their house on Turkey Lane.  But the map corresponded with modern day Range Road.  The plot thickens!

Non-Googleable Point #3

Wait!  Carolyn brought me to consult another map hanging on the wall.  It was hand-drawn with extra tidbits and drawings of the old homes of the town.  It showed Turkey Lane was parallel to Range Road, and at one time went all the way through, but now is a short dead end street.  So the Pearson home was in between Range Road and the old Turkey Lane.  Perhaps the front door faced Turkey Lane.

Ok, fine, this is Googleable

The old map also showed "G. Hall" was next door to the Pearsons.  I remembered this was true from every US Census of Cumberland.  The Pearsons were neighbors to Greenfield Hall, who I knew had to be a relative.

And this is on Google Maps

Range Road is completely straight, except for one curve in the road where the Pearson's and Hall's were on the map.  I asked Carolyn if the road is still that way.  Yes!

It took me and mom 5 minutes to drive to Range Road (deducting the time we spent detouring down Turkey Lane just to check it out and take a picture.)

So, combining the facts above, the answer to the question: "Which house on Turkey Lane did Isaac and Miriam Pearson live in in 1850?"

Isaac and Miriam Pearson lived at what is now 163 Range Road.  The lot is still there, but the original home is not.

An unlikely conversation

Family member name: Mattie Ellis Pearson
Relation: My great grandma
Detail: My dad's dad's mom

For many years I wondered where she got her name.  Many children are named after a parent or grandparent. But I could not find an Ellis in the family tree.  Then I found Mattie's father's grave (Greenfield Pearson).  He is buried with his first wife.  Wow! Didn't know he was married before. She died young. Her name was Martha Ellis.  hmmmm

Here are a few completely fictional possible conversations between Mattie's dad Greenfield and her pregnant mom Myra.

Scenario A

Myra:  What should we name our baby if it's a girl?

Greenfield:  I think we should name her Mattie Ellis.

Myra: Wow, that's pretty, but really random.  Where did you come up with that?

Greenfield:  ummm, I don't know.  Just came to me.

Myra:  Well, I was thinking about naming her after my mother or grandmother, but, ok honey, Mattie Ellis it is.  And dear... I love you.

Scenario B

Myra:  What should we name our baby if it's a girl?

Greenfield:  I think we should name her Mattie Ellis.

Myra:  Wow, after your previous wife?  Umm, I don't think that's a good idea.

Greenfield:  Well, her parents made me promise to name a child after her if I ever had a daughter.  And she died young.  Shouldn't we remember her in this way?  Can you please help me keep my promise?  You never knew her anyway.

Myra:  Ok, Mattie Ellis it is.  (Thinks to self... we're probably going to have a boy anyway.)


Scenario C

Myra:  What should we name our baby if it's a girl?

Greenfield:  I think we should name her Miriam, after my mom.

Myra: I think we should name her Mattie Ellis.

Greenfield:  After my previous wife?  Umm, I don't think that's a good idea.

Myra: She wasn't just your previous wife, she was a good friend of mine.  She was lovely person who died young.  We should honor her in this way.

Greenfield: Ok, Mattie Ellis it is. (Thinks to self... we're probably going to have a boy anyway.)

Which scenario do you think it was?  To answer, please leave a comment below, or provide your own scenario - please!

Here is Mattie with her father Greenfield.

Earl's Rock

My Grandma had a brother.  He is my mom's uncle.  He was the youngest of the three children of Alfred and Martha Sullivan.  He was born Earl Eugene Sullivan in September of 1928.  When he was still a baby, he was adopted by his mom's sister and husband, Harry and Alma Allen.  They changed his name to Earl Eugene Allen.  Here he is around age 2.

When he grew a little bigger, he would run down to the end of his street and sit on top of a large rock waiting for his dad to come home from work.  He did this everyday. :)

One day when Earl was almost 6 years old, he was in the family's driveway.  The milkman came with his truck and didn't see little Earl.  Tragically, Earl passed away.  Two days later, Earl was buried in what came to be the family's plot in Wheaton Cemetery, Wheaton Illinois.  The family had Earl's favorite rock moved to the cemetery as a reminder.  Here it is.

Just this month I am writing this (Sept 2016), Earl would have been 88 years old.  My grandma and great-aunt were lovely people. I can't imagine that Earl would have been any less.  I think that my mom and aunts were robbed of having Uncle Earl in their lives, as my grandma was robbed of her brother.  I can't imagine the heartache of Harry and Alma.

Also, sometimes we may look around a cemetery and something may seem out of place.  Why is that large rose bush there?  Why is that lilac tree overgrown?  Why is there a huge rock instead of a headstone?  We don't know the stories behind these things.  They may be very meaningful to the family, just like Earl's rock.

Hate-evil

Tree branch: Pearson
Relation: My 7x, 8x and 10x great grandfathers

Good news:

1. I now have deep roots in New Hampshire.  Two of my ancestors were founding members of a town in 1640.  It's the town of Dover, which is right across the river from Kittery, ME.  However it was all part of Massachusetts to begin with, so that's even better news.  Phew!

2. I researched all the way back to my 10th great grandparents.  This is the same level as Myles Standish.  There are official town documents to back up the information all along the way.  We New Englanders never throw anything away.

3.  (I consider this next point good news.  This is debatable.) We have 3 generations of grandfathers with the first name of Hatevil.  Also written Hate-Evil.  Good Puritan men?  So you would think.

7th generation: Hatevil Hall, Jr.  (1707-1797)

8th generation: Hatevil Hall, Sr.  (1671-?)

10th generation: Elder Hatevil Nutter.  Can't beat that.  (1603-1674)

By the way, these Dover people are through Greenfield Pearson's line, the Maine part of the family. :)  My father's father's mother's father.

Bad news: 

Elder Hatevil Nutter did not like those who were not like him.  There is a documented story and poem about him instigating the whipping of 3 Quaker women.  Horrible.  I feel bad.

You can read this tragic event here:

https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/library/history/the-whipping-of-the-quaker-women.html

Yet again, our family tree is full of surprises.

THE WHIPPING OF THE QUAKER WOMEN

In 1662 three young Quaker women from England came to Dover. True to their faith, they preached against professional ministers, restrictions on individual conscience, and the established customs of the church-ruled settlement. They openly argued with Dover's powerful Congregational minister John Reyner. For six weeks the Quaker women held meetings and services at various dwellings around Dover. Finally, one of the elders of the First Church, Hatevil Nutter, had had enough. A petition by the inhabitants of Dover was presented "humbly craving relief against the spreading  & the wicked errors of the Quakers among them". Captain Richard Walderne (Waldron), crown magistrate, issued the following order: "To the constables of Dover, Hampton, Salisbury, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, Wenham, Linn, Boston, Roxbury, Dedham, and until these vagabond Quakers are carried out of this jurisdiction, you, and every one of you are required in the name of the King's Majesty's name, to take these vagabond Quakers, Ann Coleman, Mary Tompkins, and Alice Ambrose, and make them fast to the cart's tail, and driving the cart through your several towns, to whip their naked backs, not exceeding ten stripes apiece on each of them, in each town; and so to convey them from constable to constable, till they are out of this jurisdiction". Walderne's punishment was severe, calling for whippings in at least eleven towns, and requiring travel over eighty miles in bitterly cold weather.On a frigid winter day, constables John and Thomas Roberts of Dover seized the three women. George Bishop recorded the follow account of events. "Deputy Waldron caused these women to be stripped naked from the middle upwards, and tied to a cart, and after awhile cruelly whipped them, whilst the priest stood  and looked and laughed at it." Sewall's History of the Quakers continues " The women thus being whipped at Dover, were carried to Hampton and there delivered to the constable...The constable the next morning would have whipped them before day, but they refused , saying they were not ashamed of their sufferings. Then he would have whipped them with their clothes on, when he had tied them to the cart. But they said, 'set us free, or do according to thine order. He then spoke to a woman to take off their clothes. But she said she would not for all the world. Why, said he, then I'll  do it myself. So he stripped them, and then stood trembling whip in hand, and so he did the execution. Then he carried them to Salisbury through the dirt and the snow half the leg deep; and here they were whipped again. Indeed their bodies were so torn, that if Providence had not watched over them, they might have been in danger of their lives." In Salisbury, Sergeant Major Robert Pike stopped the persecution of the Quaker women. Dr. Walter Barefoot, who was one of the company that went with the constable, dressed their wounds and brought them back to the Piscataqua, setting them up on the Maine side of the river at the home of Major Nicholas Shapleigh of Kittery.Eventually the Quaker women returned to Dover, and established a church. In time, over a third of Dover's citizens became Quaker.

Tragic update on the special shoemaker

My June 15th post mentioned the namesake of my great great grandpa, Charles Arnold Webber.  I had found from census records that he was named after a man who lived with them named Charles M. Arnold who died at the age of 33.

After a little bit of digging, I found that Charles and Mary Ann Arnold were not just boarders in the household with the Webber's.  Mary Ann was Lucy's sister.  So Charles was their brother-in-law.

I decided to do a little bit of digging to find his cause of death.  One word: wow.

Here is the typed version of the document below:
"An incident of him, occurring was the closing sum of his mortal career, was this: He was confined by sickness to his room; his disease was typhoid fever, accompanied with fits or seasons of mental aberration and estrangement.  In one of these turns he sprang suddenly from his bed, hallooing "murder," and made for a window, with the declared or manifest intention of going out; his wife, the only attendant present, attempted to prevent this, but was unable so to do; he abstracted himself from her grasp, leaped from the window to the pavement or ground outside; the window was in the third story of the building, and by force of the fall both his legs were broken just above the ankle joint.  His death ensued a few days after from the combined effect of his anterior disease and the injury received from his leap from the window."

I can't imagine the heartbreak! What a tragic loss.  And what an amazing account to leave to posterity.  The account continues:
"He was a man of rather prepossessing personal appearance, of fair intelligence, and general good behavior."

You know what?  People in the 19th century did amazing things.  My theory is that they just had more time.  No TV, no internet.  They came home from a day's work and said "what do I want to do tonight?" And then had no distractions.

During the mid-1800's, record keeping was meticulous in Massachusetts.  There is so much detail.  I have never encountered a document like this, but the author was amazingly thoughtful, poetic and prolific.  He wrote a short summary of all the individuals in the town, even if they only lived there for a short time.  There are over 350 pages of families.

4 ways to NOT find your ancestor on Ellis Island

I currently live in a very cool place. From my living room window I can see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  I actually have very few ancestors who came through there, so I was excited at the prospect of my great-great-grandma. These days it almost seems to be a feather in the cap of genealogist to find an Ellis Island immigrant ancestor. 

Family member name: Ellen Fripp Bromley Wahlgren

Lifetime: 1851-1941
Tree branch: Bromley
Relation: My 2x great-grandmother (my dad's mom's mom's mom)

But I was running into brick walls. It was a learning experience. Of what not to do.

1. Search on only one name 

This is especially true of females. She was born Ellen Fripp, married young to a Bromley and married a second time to a Wahlgren. What name did she have when she immigrated?  Match the year of immigration with the year of marriage, right? For some reason I was certain she came here when she was single. Couldn't find her. 

2. Search on only one database

I was certain she had to come through Ellis Island, so I searched the Ellis Island website. I entered her name, her other name, various spellings, various years of crossing. Nada. 

3. Assume you have your historical facts straight

I knew from later documents that her year of immigration was 1881. So, "of course she came through Ellis Island, since the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France for the US's centennial in 1876", said Miss Smartypants Me to myself.  Why couldn't I find her? 

4. Stick to your guns

I went across the river to the National Archives in NYC where I performed these same searches again, hoping that a passenger list had recently been found in the bottom of a box (eureka!) and scanned by an intern.  Nope. 

My advice is to not take any of the above advice.

Finally, I asked the nice lady volunteer with glasses and a lanyard what she recommended. She informed me that Ellis Island was not built until 1892, and before that, immigrants sailed by the Statue of Liberty and landed at Castle Clinton at the tip of Manhattan in Battery Park. (Duh! The Statue of Liberty is not the same as Ellis Island!)  "Why not try the Castle Clinton website?"  Boom. One search and done. I could even print it out. 

Passenger list of the Celtic

October 30, 1881.

3. Ellen Bromley, 29, F, Spinster, From England

A five minute walk from the National Archives to Castle Clinton and I was feeling successful. It's not Ellis Island, but I got to visit the spot where my great great grandma started her new life. And I didn't have to stand in line for a boat. Here I am.

And then my husband took me out for a glass of wine. :)

Distinguishing marks

Passport applications back in the day were not politically correct.  However, it's kind of cool for us to look back on them, as it gives some great additional information. 

Family member name: Herman Emanuel Wahlgren

Lifetime: 1866-1944
Tree branch: Bromley

Places lived: Sweden; Massachusetts
Relation: My 2x great-grandmother's husband

I have seen several pictures of my great-great grandmother's husband, Herman Wahlgren.  Although not my biological great-great-grandfather, he is the grandfather that my grandma knew.  They lived right down the road from her and saw each other often.  Each picture shows him as a distinguished older gentleman wearing a suit and tie.  Most often in a dapper hat.

However, his passport application gives another detail.  Under the area "Distinguishing marks" is written "Letters 'H.V.' tattooed on left..." and the page is cut off.  Left leg? Left arm? Not sure.  But I wonder if old Herman had a wild side as a younger man, or perhaps was in the Swedish navy.

Why H.V. when his name was Herman Wahlgren?  In Swedish, there is no letter W.  In rare cases where there is a W, it is pronounced as a V.  So I wonder if his name was Vahlgren?

Maybe some further digging will reveal those answers.  For now, it's nice to have a little more insight into my grandma's grandpa.

A visit to Salem gone bad

Last night was a great episode of Genealogy Roadshow on PBS!  They actually had a lady on the show who wanted to know if the family legend was true that her relative, John Alden Jr, was involved in the Salem witch trials.  Whaaaaaattt??  My peeps!!

Family member name: John Alden, Jr.

Lifetime: 1626-1702
Tree branch: Pearson
Relation: My 10th great-uncle (my dad's mom's dad's mom's mom's mom's mom's mom's dad's mom's mom's brother)

John Alden, Sr. is my 10th great grandfather.  He was a Mayflower passenger.  His son, John, was born in Plymouth in 1626.  Johnny Jr. is not my direct ancestor (he's an uncle) so I probably would never have found this information.  So glad it was featured on TV!

Turns out Johnny was strolling through Salem on his way back from Quebec one day and a schoolgirl he never met accused him of being a witch.  Bam!  Talk about out of the blue!

John Jr. ended up spending four months in prison in Boston till he was busted out by some friends.  He got out of Dodge, realizing hysteria prevailed in the area and there was no hope of a fair trial.  He stayed away until 1693, when he went back to Salem after they stopped executing people. (!)

The charges against him were dismissed.

John Alden, Jr. was a well-known public figure in his time but is now chiefly remembered as a survivor of the Salem Witch trials, of which he wrote a much quoted account.  Click this link to read his firsthand account.

This is me visiting John Alden Sr.'s home in Duxbury, Massachusetts.  It's a national historic landmark and museum.

Source: 

Thought Co. - John Alden Jr. and the Salem Witch Trials

Don't sell wine to the Indians

My 9th great-grandfather, Edward Bangs, was a prominent member of Plymouth Colony.  He did not come over on the Mayflower, however, he came over 3 years later in 1623 on the Anne.  

Family member name: Edward Bangs

Lifetime: c1591-1677/78
Tree branch: Pearson

Places lived: England, Plymouth, MA, Eastham, MA
Relation: My 9x great-grandfather (my father's father's mother's father's father's mother's father's father's father's father's father)

He immediately jumped into life in the new world and began establishing himself. He is mentioned numerous times throughout the years in Plymouth Colony Records. Many times he is listed with Capt. Myles Standish, who is my 10th great grandfather.  I wonder if they were friends?

Here is some stuff he did:

* Division of land
* Division of cattle
* Founder of Eastham, Cape Cod
* Located boundaries of properties, including new meeting house
* Juror
* Survey highways
* Bought land
* Farmer
* Innkeeper / Tavern keeper

"Liberty is granted unto Edward Bangs to draw and sell wine and strong waters at Eastham, provided it be for the refreshment of the English, and not to be sold to the Indians," 6 Oct 1657, PCR 3:123. An account of liquor brought into Eastham dated 28 Nov 1664 included "Edward Bangs, six gallons of liquor," PCR 4:100.

He surveyed and divided up the land belonging to John Alden, a Mayflower passenger and also my 10th great grandfather.

Source:

Pilgrim Hall Museum - Passenger Biographies

North America Family Histories

A Special Shoemaker

In 1850, a man named Charles Arnold and his wife lived in the same household with my 3x great grandparents, Edwin B. Webber and Lucy Towne.  Edwin and Charles Arnold were both shoemakers.  Perhaps they worked together.  Charles Arnold was about 26 years old at the time and Edwin was 31.  I can imagine that if they lived together and worked together, they were very good friends.  I don't think those arrangements could have worked too well otherwise.

In December of 1857, Charles Arnold the shoemaker died at age 33.  How horrible!  The family must have been devastated.

Less than one year later, Edwin and Lucy had a baby boy in November of 1858.  They named him Charles Arnold Webber.  I'm sure they were reminded of their friend regularly.  Charles Arnold Webber is my great great grandfather.  This is his picture.

Family member name: Charles Arnold Webber

Lifetime: 1858-1933
Tree branch: Webber

Place lived: All in Massachusetts: Holland (Mass), Brimfield, Boston, Needham

Relation: My 2x great-grandfather (my dad's dad's dad's dad)

I can't draw.

Some people paint, some people draw.  My artistic ability plateaued in the second grade.  Some people sew.  That would be fun, but I don't have the space for a sewing machine.  As a hobby, genealogy has kind of stuck with me.

At first, my goal was just to enter the information from a paper family tree that had been typed up in the 1970s and given to me years later.  Pure and simple data entry into Ancestry.com.  "Won't take too long."  I wanted the information to be off of the aging photocopy and available to my family members online.  That was 2010.  I got sucked in. "How far back can I go?? I must know!!"  I got sidetracked on a quest to research each and every direct ancestor.  Come to think of it, I think I only entered about 5% of that photocopy. #todo

I've come to enjoy learning about my family members' lives, the towns they lived in and the history taking place in their backyard. It used to be my backyard too.  I'm learning so much that it can't fit on Instagram, Ancestry.com, or in my head.  I decided to write it down so that I could remember it later and other family members could read about it if they so desired.  This blog has no hopes of being regular, methodical, or organized in any way.  But I do hope it will be a tad bit interesting.