1820s Pinterest Goals

When I found out that my ancestor’s home was not only still standing, but welcomed visitors as a bed and breakfast, I was so excited. I HAD to go stay there! 

I really didn't think about what I would learn or how I would feel when I arrived. I just wanted to stand in their shoes for a moment. I never considered that I would learn about my ancestors through how they decorated their home!  Here's the story.

Family member name: Nicholas, Ozni and Hannah Hall
Years of life: 1753-1835

Places lived: Falmouth, Maine

Tree branch: Pearson
Relation: My 5x great-grandfather, his son and daughter-in-law

On February 5, 1823, my 5th great-grandfather Nicholas Hall sold the family home in Falmouth, Maine, to his youngest son, Ozni Hall, for $2,000. How do we know?  That information was included in a document from 1977 regarding the nomination of Hall's Tavern (as it used to be called) into the National Registry of Historical Places.

After the sale, the house was redecorated, as often happens.  Since home décor is usually overseen by the woman of the house, I am attributing the improvements to Hannah Hall, Ozni's wife.  Of course they could have acted as a team, we just can't be sure.

Hannah transformed the house, enlisting a local artist to decorate the walls with stunning stencils. These intricate designs turned a simple home with white walls into a work of art and give us a glimpse of Hannah's personality and creative vision.  

Who was the artist?  This is the subject of much interest to American folk art enthusiasts.  Experts who examined the designs agree that they are in the style of Moses Eaton or his son, Moses Eaton, Jr.  Moses Eaton is now remembered as a renowned artist.  In fact, his stencils and artwork are in museums!  The experts aren't 100% sure, but since Moses was from the local area, it is probable the stencils were done by him.

Bold floral and geographic stencils

These are the original 200-year-old paintings most likely done by Moses Eaton.

So, Hannah turned the house into a masterpiece!

I was fortunate to stay overnight in Hannah’s home in October 2016. Then operating as the Quaker Tavern Bed and Breakfast, the house still carried the warmth and charm that Hannah must have envisioned when she chose the bold pastoral and floral stencil designs. Walking through its rooms, I could picture my ancestors living there, surrounded by the vibrant art that reflected their creativity and love for beauty. Knowing that these walls once held their daily lives was a moving experience for me.

Their beautiful home is a tangible link to my family’s past, a reminder of their hard work, creativity, and vision. Nicholas’s decision to pass the house to Ozni set the stage for Hannah to transform it into something extraordinary—a space that is as much a part of American folk art history as it is my family history. 

This journey reminds me that our ancestors were more than just names on a tree; they were creators, dreamers, and storytellers whose legacy still speaks to us today.

Sources:

* Ancestry.com for the National Register of Historic Places: Inventory--Nomination form

* Proprietor's oral history of Quaker Tavern BnB

* Wikipedia: Moses Eaton, Jr. 

* Antique Homes Magazine article: Hospitality at the Quaker Tavern Inn

Street Signs

Sometimes when a family is well-known in the community and lives there for several generations, a street gets named after them.  Here are some street signs named after my family members that I've come across in my ancestry road trips around New England.

1. Webber Road, Brimfield, Massachusetts

Charles Arnold Webber and family lived on this property in Brimfield for many years in the 1800s.  I'm holding his picture under his street sign and he is my 2x great-grandfather.

2. Morse Street, Putnam, Connecticut

Just over the border of Woodstock, Connecticut is Morse Street.  The Morse family lived in Woodstock since the 1600s. Peter Morse, my 8x great-grandfather, was one of the original settlers of Woodstock.  

3. Peake Brook Road, Woodstock, Connecticut

Sarah Peake is my 7x great-grandmother she was one of the first generation of settlers born in Woodstock whose parents were originally from Roxbury, Massachusetts.  Sarah Peake lived to be 99 years old (1702-1801).  Peake Brook Road was named after their family.

4. Harris Road, Cumberland, Maine

The huge Harris family lived in Cumberland and North Yarmouth, Maine for several generations in the 18th and 19th centuries.  Harris Road is just a couple miles from Turkey Lane and Gray Road, where other Harris family members lived. Amos Harris was my 5x great-grandfather. 

"Captured by the Indians"

Living in newly settled territories in the 1600s was not without danger. John Harris and his wife, Amy, were some of the early settlers of North Yarmouth, Maine after moving there from Charlestown, Massachusetts.  That area of Maine, which is just north of Portland, was already known for raids by Native Americans.  John became a victim.  

Family member name: John Harris
Years of life: 1630 - 1695
Tree branch: Pearson

Places lived: Charlestown, MA; North Yarmouth, ME
Relation: My 8x great-grandfather (my dad's dad's mom's dad's mom's dad's dad's dad's dad's dad)

See the highlighted section of the Harris Family portion of the book "Old Times in North Yarmouth, Maine".

Yes, my 8x great-grandfather was captured by Native Americans in 1688 when he was about 58 years old.  At that same occurrence, a prominent citizen named Capt. Walter Gendall was killed.  Grandpa Harris was not the only one captured that day, it seems he was one of many.  

What was it like to be captured?  We don't know what it was like for Grandpa John.  At that time, Native Americans killed the majority of their victims.  Many were held for ransom or sold.  But interestingly, many captives were adopted by the tribe.  Adoption was practiced on a large scale by Native Americans in order to produce peace between the tribe and others. Part of the adoption ceremony stated "you are now one of us" and they were treated as family from then on.  Several firsthand accounts of captured colonists relate that, when given the opportunity to return to their English family, they actually preferred to stay with their new Native American family.

We don't know if Grandpa John was ransomed, let go, escaped or rescued by force.  We don't know how long he was in captivity (days? months?) or how much suffering it involved.  But it is possible that his captivity with the Native Americans in Maine was not torturous, but instead peaceful.

Grandpa Harris passed away seven years later in Rowley, Massachusetts in March, 1695, which is 326 years ago this month.

Sources:

Book "Old Times in North Yarmouth, Maine" by Corliss

Captured by the Indians: 15 Firsthand Accounts, 1750-1870 

Experience Stone's fire

The kitchen is the heart of the home.  As true as that is today, imagine what life was like without our fancy granite-laden, stainless steel clad (not to mention electrified) HGTV kitchens.  

Before the modern stove and indoor plumbing, life revolved around the fire, and homes were built around chimneys and fireplaces.  All cooking was done over the fire.  Taking a bath this week? No fire meant you got a cold bath.  Cold hands and bodies stood by the fire.  Hot coffee was not a push of a button.  Who's gonna wake up early, pump the water then start the fire to get that water boiling?

If the fire went out, your day was ruined.  Families could not leave the fire unattended for very long.

This short post is to imagine my 5x great grandmother, Experience Stone, and all the time she spent at her hearth.

Family member name: Experience Stone (best name ever)
Tree branch: Pearson
Lifetime: 1757-1827
Relation: My 5x great grandmother (my dad's dad's mom's dad's mom's mom's mom)

Not only did she have a husband and 10 children to feed, but they also fed hungry travelers.  Around 1800, they built their new home in Falmouth, Maine and turned it into a tavern.  It was called the Hall Tavern.  Nicholas Hall was her husband.

The Hall Tavern became an Inn.  Over 200 years later it is still an inn, now a historical landmark and called the Quaker Tavern B&B, since the Hall's were Quakers.

Quaker Tavern B&B

It was a gorgeous autumn weekend in 2016 to spend the night at my ancestor's home.  I woke up in their freezing cold bedroom, which is the true Maine experience.  I walked up and down their perfectly creaky stairs. I looked out their original lead-glass windows to see the gorgeous colored leaves, maybe even falling from the same trees.

And I sat at my grandmother's hearth. The fire was out.  But I could see her there, being the best mom and business owner she could be.

Experience Stone's hearth at the Quaker Tavern B&B

Experience Stone's view.

The Burning of Falmouth

I recently learned that some family members were greatly affected during the Revolutionary War in what is called The Burning of Falmouth.  It occurred in Portland, Maine.

Family member name: William Pearson 
Lifetime: 1740-1776
Tree branch: Pearson
Relation: My 5x great grandfather

William Pearson moved to Falmouth (now called Portland, Maine) in 1762.  He married shortly thereafter and started raising a family which would include five children.  William is mentioned in the book History of Portland in a biographical note.

It says "William Pearson built a one-story house at the eastern end of Fore Street in 1775, and had just moved into it when it was consumed in Mowatt's attack, which swept off every house on that part of the street east of India street."

Local residents called the incident Mowatt's attack or Mowatt's bombardment.

Here is a modern-day map of Portland.  His house would have been around the site of the current Railroad Museum.  It is the first street from the water. This location would have been helpful for his work, since he was a caulker by trade.  A caulker used tar and hemp to make ships watertight.

Apparently those in Falmouth were quite the rebellious bunch. They taunted the British by stealing supplies and helping the cause down in Boston which was well underway since the battles of Lexington and Concord had occurred six months prior.  Unfortunately, they were also defenseless, which is a bad combination.

The British had had enough.  They sailed into Falmouth harbor on the morning of October 18, 1775 with Captain Henry Mowat in command.  A British lieutenant went ashore with an ultimatum: swear allegiance to King George or become cannon fodder.  Option number one was out of the question, so the townspeople evacuated.  The British mercifully gave them two hours to do so.

Multiple war vessels pummeled Falmouth with cannon balls and burning missiles for the rest of the day.  Most of the town was destroyed, about half of the residents became homeless, including my 5x great grandparents and my 4x great grandfather, their son Jonathan.

What a heartache!  Your brand new home is destroyed, your young family needs a place to live, your work is affected because most ships in the harbor were also destroyed.  I don't know how the family handled the situation.  However things got worse because William died less than 6 months later, not yet 37 years old.

Was William one of the "rebels"?  Was he one of the intended targets or was he an innocent victim?  Either way, the family's life got turned upside down during the Revolutionary War in a little-known event called The Burning of Falmouth.

Stock buckle

We were snowed in after a blizzard in Virginia.  My dad finds an old box from somewhere and we dig in to find family treasures galore.

What in the world is this? (Next to the pen.)

We had no clue.  Good thing it was inside a labeled envelope. 

"Silver stock buckle.  This stock buckle was made from Mexican silver dollars and worn by Jonathan Pearson, father of Isaac, therefore great-great grandfather of the Webber Quartette."

My grandpa Roger Pearson Webber was the eldest of the Webber Quartette.

Family member name: Jonathan Pearson 
Lifetime: 1766-1841
Tree branch: Pearson
Relation: My 4x great grandfather

Now we know who, but still, what is a stock buckle?  It's a buckle for a stock.  Duh.  When looking at paintings of men from the 1700s and early 1800s, it's common for them to be wearing a wrapped, folded white linen cloth around their necks.  It's the predecessor to the neck tie, and it's called a stock.  It was the most formal of neckwear.  The stock was wrapped around the neck and had tabs like buttonholes in the back where the stock was secured with a stock buckle.  A stock buckle was often silver and sometimes embellished with gems.  It was jewelry for men.

We don't know what Jonathan Pearson looked like, but here is a photograph of his son, Isaac, wearing a stock.  I like to think he's wearing his father's stock buckle.  I realize how rare it is to possess something that belonged to a great great great great grandfather.  I'm grateful.

Now, the question remains, where did a family in the early 1800s from Maine procure Mexican silver dollars in order to make this stock buckle?  The plot thickens.

Dowry or trousseau?

A 4x6 piece of 200-year-old paper outlines some "money and other things" belonging to my great great great grandmother.  It was found in an envelope labeled by her granddaughter "doubtless the dowry of Miriam Harris".

Family member name: Miriam Hall Harris Pearson 
Lifetime: 1807-1878
Tree branch: Pearson
Relation: 3x great grandmother

dow·ry

ˈdou(ə)rē/

noun

1. property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage.

Dowries are not used much today. In India, dowries were officially outlawed in 1961, but sadly are still used as income for the groom's family. Obviously, they have the negative connotation that a woman is only worth the money she brings into a marriage.

trous·seau

ˌtro͞oˈsō,ˈtro͞oˌsō/

noun

1. the clothes, household linen, and other belongings collected by a bride for her marriage

Over time, the tradition of the dowry in the US first evolved into a trousseau or hope chest.  Sometimes a mom or grandma wanted to pass along some family heirlooms for use when her daughter is married, or the single maiden collects or sews handmade housewares for her future married self.  Those articles were added to the hope chest.   Today that tradition has evolved again into online bridal registries.

Miriam Hall Harris was born in 1807 in North Yarmouth, Maine, not far north of Portland.  She married my great great great grandpa Isaac Pearson, a young widower, in 1837. Since she was almost 30, she would have been considered an old maid by that time.  Research suggests that dowries were still in limited use in New England in the mid-1800s.

Dowry or trousseau?  Decide for yourself. (A transcribed version follows the pictures in case the handwriting is difficult to read.)

Memorandum of money and other things for Miriam Harris: Viz (definition: as follows)
Cash one hundred and twenty one dollars. $121.00
2 packed (?) Bed Quilts  16.00
2 Coverleads  9.00 (perhaps coverlet, meaning bedspread)
2 Bed Quilts  9.00
1 Bed Quilt 3.50
1 Bed Quilt 2.33
1 Counterpin 1.50 (definition: bedspread)
2 Bed puffs 3.00
4 pairs of bed blankets 20.50
2 table cloths 3.00
6 table cloths 8.64
2 table cloths 1.00
2 table cloths 2.25
2 Bowler (?) towels 1.20
6 hand towels 2 hand cloths 2.63
6 hand towels 1.50
6 hand towels 1.00
207.05

Memorandum for Miriam Harris continued
Cash Fifteen Dollars 15.00
1 Dineing table 5.00
1 Breakfast table 4.00
1 Light Stand 1.50
1 Bed Stid 5.00 (perhaps a bedstead, meaning a bed frame)
One Silver waist bukel 1.50 (perhaps a belt buckle?)
32.00
Brought over 207.05
$239.05

The only reason I would lean towards this indeed being a dowry is the fact that cash is included in the assets.  A trousseau would not have included cash.  Calculating for inflation, the $136 in 1830 would  be worth $3,515.00 as of 2018.  Not too shabby.  Go Miriam!  No wonder she held out and nabbed a hottie who later became a lawyer.

Here is my great great great grandma later in life.

He hath done what he could

Is genealogy just a compilation of facts? Plain data entry?  No.  If we read between the lines and put two and two together, sometimes we can gain insight into the personalities of our ancestors.  And today I'm darn proud of them.

Family member name: John O. Pearson

Relation: My 3rd great uncle

Huh?: My dad's dad's mom's dad's brother

John O. Pearson was entered into auxiliary census records.  They are called the Schedules of Defective, Dependent and Delinquent Classes.  Apparently, they weren't so concerned about political correctness in 1880.  Schedule Type: Idiots.  Horrible! Of course we know that word's usage has completely changed in the last one hundred years. But it still hurt my finger tips to even type it in and it hurts my eyes to read it. 

When I looked back at the "regular" US Census, this is what I saw.

What do we learn?

1. John O. Pearson was 25 years old, was living as a "Boarder", was single, not employed, and "idiotic".  (Cringe!)

2. He was living with his older brother Moses and his family.  This is heartwarming, for a few reasons.

• Their parents had died within the past 3 years.  From other documents, we learn that his mother was 47 when he was born.
• His brother could have sent him to some kind of asylum when his parents died, but instead took him in to his own family.
• It appears that Moses and family lived in the same home as Moses and John's parents, thus John continued to live in his childhood home, by the way his cousins lived next door.

Here is John's picture.

What do we learn?

1. He is no doubt mentally challenged.

2. The family cared enough about him to provide him with nice clothes

3. The family loved him enough to spend money and travel to have his picture professionally taken.

Last year when visiting John's hometown of Cumberland, Maine, I learned a couple more things after visiting his grave.

1. His headstone was the same size and in the same area as his parents and siblings.

2. No other family member has an epitaph except him.  It reads "He hath done what he could".

3. He was well-loved.

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.