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