Saturday, August 21, 2010

Royal Vilas Family Ogdensburgh, New York

This family bible concerns the immediate family of Royal Cooper Vilas. The earliest hand written date in this bible is December 12, 1878. The family names are Royal Cooper Vilas and Carrie Augusta Ward - Dec. 12th 1878 at Newburgh, NY. Their children listed as:

Royal Cooper Vilas Jr. born August 21st 1879 died 1932
Elsie Vilas born October 17th 1880
Ward Ashman Vilas born January 22nd 1882
Eleanor Vilas born January 14th 1884

There is also some indication that Royal Vilas had been previously married, in 1864 to Mary Emma Cornell (born 1845, died 1873) but I don't see any children from this first marriage.

Reviewing some information from the Internet, it appears that Royal Cooper Vilas is the son of Royal Vilas (3 April 1804 at Alstead, Cheshire, New Hampshire - died 1874) and Mary Ashmun (1808-1886).

The children of Royal Vilas & Mary Ashrum are given as:
1. Russell Ashman Vilas Born: 12 OCT 1833 Ogdensburg, St Lawrence, New York (married Frances Alma Maine 15 FEB 1860 Madison, Dane, Wisconsin) Died: 1884
2. George Hooker Vilas Born: c1835
3. Royal Cooper Vilas Born: 1842 Died: 1903
4. Louis William Vilas Born: 1844
5. Henry Chapman Vilas Born: 1846
6. Vilas, Francis Upson Born: 1848 Died: 1874
7. Vilas, Anna

Vilas Names At Ogdensburgh Cemetery

Vilas (See also: Barnes, Matheson, Richards, Willard, Witherhead)
George Byron Vilas, 1868-1944 (Section 2)
Phebe Curtis Vilas, wife, 1866-1953 (Section 2)
Curtis Nathaniel Vilas, son of G.B. & P. C. Vilas, 1894-1976 (Section 2)

Erastus Vilas, b. Oct 13, 1824 - d. March 27, 1907 (Section 20)
Emma Lake, wife of Erastus Vilas, b. June 28, 1832 - d. June 21, 1883 (Section 20)
Sarah P. Ballard, wife of Erastus Vilas, 1831-1902 (Section 20)
Calvin E. Vilas, b. Nov 4, 1856 - d. May 24, 1931 (Section 20)
Spencer Erastus, son of Calvin E. & Jennie L. Vilas, Oct 12, 1883 - May 3, 1891 (Section 20)

Cortes Vilas, Father, 1827-1900 (Section 27)
Cortes Vilas, d. April 1, 1850 Aged 50 yrs (Section 27)
Paulina Wheeler, wife of Cortes Vilas, b. Feb 25, 1806 - d. May 28, 1888 (Section 27)
Paulina M., dau of Cortes & Paulina Vilas, Feb 21, 1835 - Feb 17, 1868 (Section 27)
Jane L. Vilas, wife of L. D. Dean, Feb 25, 1837 - Nov 23, 1858 (Section 27)
Charlotte Vilas, 1831-1910 (Section 27)
Louisa Vilas, wife of Erastus Vilas, died Aug 28, 1831 Aged 35 yrs, 2 mos, 25 dys (Section 27)

Vilas Monument (Toppled over)
***en M., daughter of ... Vilas, died ...1856, 20 yrs (Section 29)

Margaret Louise, dau of Royal Vilas, b. June 4, 1832 - d. Nov 26, 1889 (Section 29)
Margaret B., wife of Royal Vilas, died June 14, 1832 Age 26 yrs (Section 29)

Harriet L. Vilas, departed this life Feb 14, 1856 Age 16 yrs; Our Hattie (Section 39)
Charles A. Vilas, b. July 4, 1842 - Oct 8, 1867; Close-up (Section 39)
W. Spencer Vilas, b. June 16, 1846 - d. Sept 10, 1869; Close-up (Section 39)
Edwin B. Vilas, 1850-1878 (Section 39)
Henry L. Vilas, 1853-1891 (Section 39)
Annie A. Vilas, 1855-1927 (Section 39)
Elizabeth Vilas Holcombe, 1849-1946 (Section 39)
Ellen Baldwin, wife of Alden Vilas, 1819-1884 (Section 39)
Alden Vilas, 1806-1899 (Section 39)
Sally Chandler Baldwin Ames, 1796-1883; Inscription, "in 1817 she married Thomas Baldwin, who was born in 1797 and died at Potsdam NY 1826 (Section 39)
David E. Southwick, 1831-1908 (Section 39)

Albon Vilas, 1859-1948 (Section 90)
Jennie M., 1868-1948 (SEction 90)
Mary Ruth Vilas, 1893-1979 (Section 90)
Roy G. Vilas, 1889-19__ (Section 90)
Margaret N. Vilas, 1890 - 19__ (Section 90)
Frederick A. Nichols, 1858-1923 (Section 90)
Marguerite U. Nichols, 1858-1931 (Section 90)

To see more about this family bible, the eBay item number is 280551313539

Vintage 1839 Yocum-Stetler Family Bible Pennsylvania Back To Sweden

An interesting Family Bible has come up for auction on eBay and I took a look for the births, marriages and deaths of the various families mentioned to see if I could connect the dots. The bible itself is in pretty rough shape having been printed in Philadelphia in 1839 by Hogan & Thomas and the cover is separated from the book. Of course it is the family history that always catches my eye and this one has some family records from the 1700s and those always intrigue me genealogically.

Reviewing the information provided, there's information as follows:

One of the pictures provided by the seller shows "ibeller Yocum was born April 12th 1782" and presumably her husband's birth is shown as "August 1st 1776." Not much to go on, but I did some research and found the following...

Enoch Yocum
born 1 Aug 1776 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
married 29 Nov 1798 The Old Swedes Church, Kingsessing, PA. by Pastor Nicholas Collin
died 4 Sept 1848 Liverpool, Perry County, Pennsylvania

Enoch married Isabelle Robeson "ibeller"? She was listed as the daughter of  William Robeson & Sarah Beebe. Born 5 Apr 1782 Bucks County, Pennsylvania, died 29 Mar 1846 Liverpool, Perry County, Pennsylvania.

One of Enoch & Isabelle's children is given as Abraham Yocum, born 8 Nov 1821 Perry Co., Hunters Valley, Pennsylvania died before 8 Apr 1848 Perry Co., Pennsylvania. In one of the pictures you can see "Abraham Yocum was born November 8 1824" too close to call.

The family tree for Enoch goes all the way back to Peter Yocum\Jochimsson born 1620 at Schleswig-Holstein, Sweden and died  aft Jun 1654 New Amsterdam (Manhattan), New York.

Enoch Yocum
son of Abraham Yocum 1744-1800
son of Peter Yocum 1712-c1766
son of Charles Yocum 1682-1741
son of Peter Petersson Yocum 1652-1701
son of Peter Yocum\Jochimsson 1620-c1654

1880 U.S. Census

At Monroe, Snyder, Pennsylvania

Household:

Jacob STETLER Male age 45 (1835) in Pennsylvania, Occupation Farm Laborer, both parents born PA
Amanda STETLER Wife age 38 (1842) in Pennsylvania Keeping House, both parents born PA
John STETLER Son Single age 14 (1866) in Pennsylvania, Farm Laborer, both parents born PA
Orin STETLER Son Single age 12 (1868) in Pennsylvania, Farm Laborer, both parents born PA
Ida STETLER Daughter Single age 16 (1864) in Pennsylvania, Farm Laborer, both parents born PA

There are 17 individuals living in Monroe, Snyder, PA with the surname Stetler for the 1880 with two other families, one headed by a Noah Stetler and another by a Thomas Stetler, both also born in Pennsylvania and around the age of Jacob. Possibly brothers or cousins?

Jacob Stetler and Amanda Miller are listed on Familysearch.org as having been married 01 January 1861 at Snyder, Pennsylvania. Jacob is also shown as born 10 Jan 1835 Winfield, Union Co., Union Twp., Pennsylvania to Nicholas Stetler (c1798-1865) and Elizabeth Trutt (born 1798). Nicholas is also shown as the son of Vallentin Stettler born c1764 Germany, died 1828 Union Twp, Union Co., Pennsylvania.

Jacob and Amanda Elizabeth Miller's marriage 01 Jan 1861 is also shown as taking place at Union Township, Snyder County, Pennsylvania, narrowing down the place even more and confirming Amanda's middle name. Her date of birth is shown as 2 Jan 1840 and place of birth as Selinsgrove, Union/Snyder Co., Pennsylvania.

Most importantly, considering the family bible, Amanda's parents are shown to have been John H. Miller, born 27 May 1809 Selinsgrove, Synder County, Pennsylvania, died 15 Apr 1884 Selinsgrove, Synder County, Pennsylvania and

Isabella Yocum born 22 August 1814 Philadelphia, PA died 20 May 1850 Selinsgrove, Synder County, Pennsylvania and Isabella's parents are listed as Enoch Yocum 1776-1848 and Isabelle Robeson 1782-1846!

So the Stetler family in the 1880 census listing at Monroe, Snyder, Pennsylvania ties in with the Yocum family and back to Sweden for several generations.

If you are interested in seeing this family biible in more detail, the eBay item number is 200510505526

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

1857 Family Bible Edson Legate (Leegate/Leggatt) & Mary Malvina Williams

This particular family bible was published back in 1857 and is in fairly good condition for a bible of it's age with yellowed and mildewed pages, but with both covers intact.

The family information starts with the marriage of Elson B. "Leegate" to Mary M. Williams on 6 September 1855 and records Elson's death as 10 Sept., 1870. Looking online, we find that Elson B. Legate (note different spelling) married Mary Malvina Williams (her full name!) on 6 Sept., 1855 and the location as Sangamon, Illinois. There is a record of an Elson Legate born 17 January 1828 at Charlemont, Franklin, Massachusetts to Thomas and Almira Legate. Almira's maiden name is shown elsewhere as Parker, and Thomas Legate is shown as born 8 July 1799 to Thomas Leggatt (note spelling change) and his wife Mary Farwell. This Thomas was shown as born 6 May 1771.
The Thomas Leggatt born 1771 is shown as the son of Robert Leggatt (b: 20 July 1740) and Mary Colburn (b: 4 Oct 1742). Robert in turn is listed as the son of Thomas Leggatt (b: 27 Feb 1704 d: c1745) and Magdelane Dupree.
Three of the children of Elson B. Legate and Mary M. Williams are reported in the bible as:

William Albion
Edwin Barnes
James Williams

Taking a quick look at the 1880 Census shows the following:

Living at Elgin, Kane, Illinois
Mary Legate, widow, age 46 (born c.1834 Massachusetts), father born NY, mother born unknown
Wilber Legate, son, age 21 (b: c.1859 Illinois), with both parents born Massachusetts
James Legate, son, age 17 (b: c.1863 Illinois), with both parents born Massachusetts
Edwin Legate, son, age 19 (b: c.1861 Illinois), with both parents born Massachusetts

A note in the flyleaf indicates that Mary M. Legate (maiden name Williams) was living at Mango, Florida by 1886. If this is the same Elson Legate born to Thomas and Almira, then the family tree extends back to before the American Revolution.

Taking a look only for Mary Malvina Williams, we are also in luck. Even with a commonly found surname as Williams, I found her listed as born 12 April 1834 in Charlemont, Franklin, Massachusetts, and died 5 Jan 1920 in Elgin, Cook & Kane, Illinois. Her parents are listed as:

Father: Simeon Hodges Williams, born 1 July 1801, and died 18 Feb 1868 in Shelburne Falls, Franklin, Massachusetts.
Mother: Sylvia Dickinson, born 25 October 1805 in West Briton, Hartford, Connecticut, and died 30 December 1878 in Elgin, Cook or Kane, Illinois. They married 20 Sep 1832 at Charlemont, Franklin, Massachusetts. Mary had a brother, James Montgomery Williams, born 13 Aug 1840 and a sister born 27 Dec 1836. Simeon Hodges Williams' parents are given as John Williams and Susanna Hodges.

Sylvia Dickinson's parents are listed as Levi Dwight Dickinson b c.1763 and Levinia Barnes 8 July 1767 in Southington, Hartford, Connecticut. Lots of Dickinson relatives can be found online with a simple search of Levi's name.

To take a closer look at this family bible, the eBay item number is 280530478256.

Bowman-Grim-Painter Of Frederick, Virginia Family Bible

Taking a look at this old family bible that is up for auction on ebay, we find a bunch of family genealogical information on the Bowman and Grim families of Frederick, Virginia. The bible itself was published way back in 1829 at Lunenburg, Massachusetts. The first entry is for the marriage of John Bowman and Mary Ann Grim who married 16 March 1822 at Frederick, Virginia.
Other names shown in the bible include Charls Welty Painter, a Samuel S. Painter who married Noira Bowman. The ebay seller mentions it appears they wed possibly in 1860, but looking online shows that a Samuel "L." Painter married a "Noine D. Bowman at Shenandoah, Virginia on May 30th, 1880. Obviously I am unsure if this is the same family as that mentioned in the family bible, so more research would be needed.

If you want to take a closer look at this bible, check on ebay item number 270603448951. The seller says they are a descendent of these families having received the bible with other effects from his grandmother about ten years ago.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Family Bible Of Barrett Family Of Concord, Massachusetts Connects To 1600s

BarrettThere's a family bible of one of the older families of Massachusetts on sale at eBay. It concerns the Barrett family who have lived at Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts since the early colonial era although this particular bible contains family information starting in the mid-to-late 1700s.

The bible itself was printed in 1809 by Matthew Carey of MA and is in fairly good condition for it's age. There are numerous pictures of the bible and its contents on the eBay auction. There are 5 pages of Barrett and related family history information with, according to the seller:

Births 1755 - 1895
Marriages 1779 - 1870
Deaths 1826 - 1944

The bible originally belonged to Amos Barrett and his wife Mary Hubbard who wed in 1779. Unfortunately the information is a bit difficult to read in the photographs provided, but some details are legible. One of the entries that I can make out is the marriage of Rufus Gilmore and Abigail Barrett, 18 June 1816. Looking online, this Rufus Gilmore is Rufus Gilmore Jr born 25 Dec 1790 at Union, Knox, Maine, the sone of Rufus Gilmore and Sally or Sarah Robbins.

If you are doing genealogical research and have family that lived in or around the area of Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, you might want to take a look at this site: Barrett Family Tree, which has 48 pages showing the descent from Humphrey Barrett (b: 1630 England, d: 3 Jan 1714/15 at Concord). Lots and lots of families and names to read through and there is a connection down to Amos Barrett and Mary Hubbard.

If you want to take a look at the family bible (and all the pictures of family history), the eBay item number is 370400590550.

Tiffany-Best Family Bible On EBAY


If you are researching the Tiffany or Best families in New York state, you might want to take a close look at this family bible that has come up for auction on eBay. The bible itself is in fairly good condition according to the seller and has quite a bit of family information.

The genealogical information starts with the marriage of Charles David Tiffany to Ada Best June 5, 1878. Other entries show Ada's parents as Henry Best and Catherine Maria Smith.

I took a look online and Henry Edgar Best (son of Robert) married Catherine Maria Smith Oct. 15, 1856. Ada's siblings are given as: Carry (b Sept. 6, 1859; m. Byaly Miller); Jessie, (b. March 30, 1862; d. May 10, 1863); Anna Maria, (b. Aug. 26, 1864; m. Jonas A. Rossman); Janette, (b. Mch. 5, 1867; m. Nov. 2, 1887, James I. Leggett; d. Oct. 19, 1888. No issue); Lulu, (b. Oct. 30, 1874; m. James H. Miller); Eugenia, (b. Nov. 13, 1877 ; m. Edgar S. Bradley); and Catherine E., (b. Apr. 17, 1879; d. Mch. 16, 1881).

Ada was born July 12, 1857 and married Charles D. Tiffany (he was born June 3, 1856). Their children:

Claude, b. March 5, 1879
Gordon, b. Mch. 10, 1881; d. July 8, 1899
Lila Erroll, b. Sept. 1, 1884
Mary Irene, b. Sept. 9, 1889
Rossman, b. July 29, 1895
Harold, b. Oct. 6, 1900

Henry Edgar Best's father, Robert Best was born Jan. 1, 1799; d. Dec. 3, 1890; married Anna Maria Hallenbeck.

Here's a link for more on the Best Family Tree.

If you want to take a closer look at this family bible, the eBay item number is 110551199069.

Eisenhart And Smith Family Of Tipton, Cedar, Iowa Family Bible

This old family bible was printed in 1853 at New York by the American Bible Society and appears to have come into the possession of a "J.S. Eisenhart." The bible itself seems in fairly good condition, with "some doodles" according to the seller. One page shows a Jacob Eisenhart marrying an Ellin? Smith, as shown to the right.

Doing some quick online research, it seems that Eisenhart came from Pennsylvania according to the census info seen below.

Take a look at the following 1880 Census information for Tipton, Cedar, Iowa:

Rebecca Smith Widow, age 74 (born 1806) born Pennsylvania, parents both born Pennsylvania
Ella Eisenhart, daughter, married, age 40 (born 1840) born PA, father born Maryland
Jacob Eisenhart, son-in-law, married, age 46 (born 1834), born PA, Occupation Agent Setting Spring Beds, both of Jacob's parents born in PA.
Dessie Eisenhart, daughter, age 20 (born 1860), born Iowa
Earnest Eisenhart, son, age 12 (born 1868), born Iowa

It looks like Jacob is living with his mother-in-law, Rebecca Smith. Interestingly, Jacob seems to have been born in Pennsylvania and moved to Iowa. If searching for more information on this particular Eisenhart family, looking into Pennsylvania records may be in order. There is a "Jacob Schmucker Eisenhart" born 27 January, 1834 at York, Pennsylvania to Jacob Eisenhart and his wife Eliza. I don't know if this would be the same Jacob that marries in Iowa, but more research may be in order.

If you are looking for more information on the Eisenhart family in Pennsylvania, take a look at this page about the Eisenhart/Isenhart family. The name "Jacob" shows up and it looks like this family also spread over to Ohio.

To take a look at this family bible, the eBay item number is 170505709597.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Wachter From Lewistown, Maryland 1850s-Era Family Bible On EBAY

Are you a Wachter from Maryland? I just spotted a family bible on sale at eBay that may be of interest to you. The seller has this leather-bound bible that contains family history information that you might want to take a look at. The births of several Wachter children from a farming family in Lewistown, Frederick, Maryland is handwritten over several pages and if you have that surname in your background, you might want to take a look.

The names I can decipher are as follows:

Milton (Valerin?) Wachter born 1853
Marien Eugene Anderson Wachter born 1854
Willie Haward Wachter born 1856
Florence Elmira Wachter born 1859
Charles Samuel Wachter born 1860
Elmer Curtis Wachter born 1862
Lillie Anna Bell Wachter 1865.

There is actually more info on the pages than just the year of birth. Their exact date of birth as well as their date of baptism is given. The children were baptised by a "Reverend Geo. W. Anderson" and the second child listed has Anderson as a middle name, so possibly a relative of the family? Or maybe the good reverend was held in very high esteem by the family. I don't know at this point. Some of the other children were baptised by different reverends.

Taking a look online, This family seems to be the same as that listed in the 1880 Census for Lewistown with the following details:

Lewis H. Wachter married age 47 (born 1834) Born MD Occupation Farmer, Both parents born in MD.
Amanda Wachter married age 50, Born MD, Keeping House, also parents born in Maryland.
Eugene Wachter, son, age 25 (born 1855), laborer
Charles Wachter, son, age 19 (born 1861), laborer
Elmer Wachter, son, age 16 (born 1864)
Anna Wachter, daughter, age 15 ( born 1865)

These children are also shown as born in Maryland. Also, a few houses away lives the family of Andrew Wachter, age 39 and his wife Cornelia and their 5 children,. A little farther down the road is another Wachter family: John Wachter, age 28, his wife Mary and the couples 2 small children. Another Lewis F. Wachter, age 46 and his family live close by - perhaps a cousin of the Lewis H. Wachter?

There's also a record of the marriage of Lewis H. Wachter to Amanda A. Pacely 2 September 1852 at  St Johns Parish Protestant Episcopal, Joppa, Harford, Maryland. There seems to have been several Wachter families in County of Frederick, Maryland since at least the 1780s. More research would need to be done to link all these branches together to see who is a couson or brother to whom, but as I am not tracing this particular family, I'll leave that to others.

To take a look at this old family bible, the eBay item number is 110552108666. As always, I am not associated with any one selling family bibles on ebay and the info provided is hopefully helpful to those tracing this particular surname.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Towne-Eames Family Bible From Holliston, Mass Goes Back To 1700s

Here's another newly listed family bible on eBay. Published in 1823 by Daniel J. Smith of New York, the seller states the family history information is very clearly written in the bible and provides quite a bit of what genealogical data it contains.

The family shown is Garner Towne and his spouse Dorcus Eames. Garner Towne's info shows he was born 29 Nov 1795 and died 20 June 1879, while his wife Dorcus E. Eames was born 25 May 1801 and died 7 July 1887. They married 29 March 1825.

According to information from the Internet, she was the daughter of Daniel Eames and Molly Kittridge Wright (also shown in the family bible). The marriage of Garner and Dorcus is shown as 1826, not 1825 as shown in the bible, and her date of death as 30 June 1897, not 1887, so confirmation is needed there.

Her father Daniel Eames is shown as born 11 March 1767 (at Holliston, Middlesex, Mass) and he died in 1855. His parents are shown as Daniel Eames and Mary Cutler. Daniel Eames (1767-1855) and Molly Kittridge Wright (1768-1842) are shown with 13 children, 3 born at Holliston, Mass and the remaining 10 children born at Weston, Oneida, New York. Looking on Rootsweb, there is a family tree starting with Thomas Eames (1618-1679) of Dedham, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts, who married Mary Blanford and connects down to the mentioned Daniel Eames (1740-after 1777) and Mary Cutler (she was the daughter of Jonathan Cutler and Abigail Clark). Here's a link to the Eames Family Tree.

The item number for those wanting a closer look at this family bible is 380219140798.

Matthew Broderick On Ancestry.com's Who Do You Think You Are?

I almost missed watching Matthew Broderick on Who Do You Think You Are? last night, but caught  most of the second half of the episode. I had to miss the first 2 episodes of the series which featured Sarah Jessica Parker and Emmitt Smith because of prior commitments (and I'm kicking myself for not recording it), but I did have an opportunity to catch the Lisa Kudrow episode.

Like most genealogists and family history geeks, I love watching this kind of stuff: seeing others find out about their family's distant past. I have my own stories of my ancestry that I'm proud to share, but it is intriguing to see the untangling of the stories others are researching, even if they are celebs. On the most recent show, Broderick was trying to find out about his great-great-grandfather who died following a battle during the American Civil War and was buried in an unmarked grave. His body was later transferred to another cemetery, but was listed as unknown until Broderick found his gravesite. Interestingly, Broderick played Colonel Robert Gould Shaw in the movie Glory who dies while attacking a southern fort (one of my favorite Matthew Broderick movies, along with Ferris Beuller's Day Off, of course!) and his body is dumped unceremoniously into an unmarked grave.

What I enjoy about this program is that you see a different facet of the celebrity as they track down their wayward ancestors. Just looking into the past and finding ancestors you were previously unaware of and discovering their individual life stories is particularly fascinating. Matthew Broderick's discovery of where his great-great-grandfather was buried put a name to an unnamed Civil War soldier's grave and opens up a line of study for him if were to choose to follow up, but what I like is that other distant relatives of Broderick may become interested in the family and start doing research. There are a million lives of our ancestors waiting to be discovered if we choose to look for them. They were not all famous, but even the most mundane life that was lived contributed to who we are and deserves the respect of being remembered. Now I can hardly wait to see next friday's show which will be about Brooke Shields and her father's history which links her to European aristocracy.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Wilkinson Family Bible From Lancshire

This bible was originally published in 1860 and was the family bible of George and Martha Wilkinson, of Clayton Le Moors, Lancashire. Their children were Grace, Mary Ann, George, and Stanley Luke. George Wilkinson was born 07 March 1874 at Clayton Le Moors, Lancashire, England. I believe Martha's surname was Laynes. George's parents were listed as Luke and Ann and they were listed in the 1881:

1881 English Census
Dwelling Police Station

Census Place Great Harwood, Lancashire, England

Luke Wilkinson, age 45 (born 1836), born Ribchester, Lancashire, England, occupation Police Sergeant
Ann Wilkinson, age 43 (born 1838), born Ribchester, Lancashire, England
Children: Sarah, Thomas, John, Luke, George (age 7), Grace and Ann.


Luke Wilkinson married Ann Slater 9 April 1860 at Ribchester, Lancashire, England. Luke was born 8 Mar 1836 at Ribchester and listed as the son of Thomas Wilkinson and Sarah Jones. They married  24 June 1830 at Ribchester, Lancashire, England. Looking online, the name Wilkinson seems to be closely attached to Ribchester with the surname recorded back to the 1600s.

The eBay item number for this family bible is 170462509497.

Roderick Family Bible ~ From Wales To Canada

This is a welsh language bible originally printed in 1840 by the London Printing and Publishing Company Limited. The bible was apparently a gift from a Daniel Thomas to his daughter Eleanor, with a message written:

"The gift of Daniel Thomas of Gryshwyn Faun in the parish of Lanarthnet Carmarthan, to his daughter Eleanor Roderick of Curgan Vawr Landivilog; was born Eleanor the 6th day of Decr 1846. Be not a terror unto me;/thou art my hope /in this day of evil.".

There are several pages of Eleanor Roderick's family listed including a birth of her son, James Hamilton Roderick (born Jan 24, 1872 at Aldershott, Canada).

Checking online, there is a Canadian census entry for Eleanor Roderick and her family:

1881 Burlington, Halton, Ontario
James Rodrick, age 40 (born 1841), born England, Hotel Keeper
Elenor Rodrick, age 34 (born 1847), born England
2 of their children, Thomas and John L. born in England, with the remaining 3, James H., Margarett A., and Elizabeth all born in Ontario, Canada. Given the dates of birth of their children, it looks like the family moved to Canada between 1870 and 1872.

I did also find the marriage for James Hamilton Roderick:

016007-98 (Wentworth Co.) James Hamilton RODERICK, 26, Ontario, Saltfleet, agent GTRy, s/o James & Eleanor RODERICK, married Jessie Gertrude DAVIS, 23, Canada, Saltfleet, d/o Wm A. Davis & blank, wtn: W.O. DAVIS of Stoney Creek, & Eliza A. RODERICK of Burlington, on June 1, 1898, at Saltfleet.

And the 1901 Canadian census shows James H. and Jessie Roderick with a son, Evan W. Roderick born 19 September 1899. There is a picture online showing where Eleanor Roderick lived. The description states:

Top, residence of Mrs Roderick, Locust Street (second house from Water Street on the west side), now demolished. Eleanor Roderick was the widow of James Roderick, the innkeeper at the Burlington Hotel (now 280 Brant Street), who died in July 1900. She sold the hotel but continued to live until 1933 in her Locust Street house, which she named “Dryslwyn”.

If you would like a closer look at this family bible, the eBay item number is 260570881465.

1839 Seibert Family Bible For Pennsylvania Amish Family

This family bible is from Lancaster, PA according to the eBay seller and shows the family name of SEIBERT (looks sort of like "Seifert" to me, but that may be because of the handwriting).  The names visible indicate this german language bible once belonged to Anna Seibert, with other names such as Alice, Franklin George, Solomon. Looking online, there is a Pennsylvania family with these names listed on the 1880 census:

Lowhill, Lehigh, Pennsylvania
Solomon Seibert, a farmer age 54 (born 1826), born PA (parents both born PA)
Maria, wife, born 1830
children Alice and Frank.

Obviously more details would be needed to confirm whether or not these Seiberts are the ones from the bible, but if you would like to have a look at the family bible (published 1839 in Philadelphia), the eBay item number is 280482495542.


1802 Soloman Steward Family Bible With Family Tree Goes Back To 1700s

Here's an old family bible first published way back in 1802 by Mathew Carey of Philadelphia. The bible itself is in poor condition, the seller mentions that it is missing several front and back pages, but it does have entries for the family going back to 1763-4. It is very difficult to read based on the pictures provided, but you can see the name Solomon Steward.

If you would like to take a closer look at this family bible, it is on ebay, with the item number 250601767072.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

GenTips Has A Google PageRank Of 4!

If you look to the right, you'll see that Google now sees GenTips as having some authority in the field of genealogy and family history research and has bestowed us with a Google PageRank of 4. That is fairly good and means that this blog is seen as better than some and worse than others. Obviously what I would prefer is a higher PageRank, maybe a 6 or 7, but that will only be attained with time and an increased number of interesting, informative articles.

I should mention that securing a higher PageRank is not the primary goal of this blog, but a nice side effect. The goal remains to provide readers with good content that is helpful to those trying to get further in their family history research. What is done here is that articles are written for both general and much more specific genealogy interests. Articles will continue to include those trying to find out more about genealogy on a country-wide and world wide basis as well as a narrow focus on smaller units such as state-wide, province-wide, as well as information related to counties and individual cities and parishes.

If there is an genealogy area you would like to see more information written on, don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Genealogy Resources For Baldwin County Alabama

The map shows the location of Baldwin County, which is at the extreme southern end of the state of Alabama bordering the Gulf of Mexico. The county also borders five other counties, Monroe County to the northeast, Escambia County, Alabama to the east (as well as Florida's own Escambia County), Mobile County to the west and Washington and Clarke counties to the northeast. Baldwin County was a part of the Mississippi territory up until 1817 when it was joined with the state of Alabama and was deemed a county from 1809.

The population of Baldwin County was relatively small according the US census data, with 2,300 living within its borders in 1830. By 1860, Baldwin had 7,500 residents and finally broke the 10,000 mark by 1900, when 13200 lived there. Since then Baldwin County has had steady growth up until recently when it exploded. By 1990 there were 98,000 people but just ten years later, the 2000 census reported that the county's population had more than doubled to 200,000. The 2010 census should be interesting to see if it has experienced similar growth since 2000.

Census Records For Baldwin County

As mentioned, Baldwin County was at one time a part of the Mississippi Territory and there were a number of residents way back in 1816. Residents of Baldwin County could also be found enumerated in neighboring Mobile County. Here are the names of those listed in the 1816 Baldwin County census and the 1816 Mobile County census.

The 1820 Census for Baldwin County shows about 1,500 people living in the County.

The 1830 census is broken down in two parts, first by families led by men in alphabetical order and then those families led by women, again alphabetically - 1830 Census for Baldwin County.

The 1840 Census for Baldwin County show the families again broken down into age brackets with only the head of household listed by name.

Finally, in the 1850 U.S. census, all residents in a home were named. Baldwin County's population was 4,414, which made up only 0.5 percent of Albama's total population of 771,000 people back in 1850. Here's a link to the 1850 Census for Baldwin County which lists 15 pages of census returns for that year showing 105 families in Baldwin County.

And the 1860 Census for Baldwin County broken down into 10 pages listing Baldwin County's 7,500 inhabitants just prior to the outbreak of the American Civil War. Ancestry.com offers searchable census records for Baldwin County (and the entire United States) from 1790 to 1930 for a membership fee, although you can check the 1880 Alabama census at no charge at Familysearch.org.

Cemetery Records For Baldwin County

Individual Cemeteries:
Community Cemetery, Orange Beach
Montgomery Hill Baptist Church Cemetery, Tensaw
Bankester Cemetery, Bromley
Blakeley Cemetery, Blakeley
Chastang Cemetery
Cook Memorial Presbystian Chapel Cemetery,
Bromley

Crossroads Cemetery
Durant Chapel Cemetery
Magnolia Cemetery, Brady
Saluda Hill Cemetery
John H. White Cemetery

The USGenWeb Archives Project - Alabama has many, many more transcriptions, including photographs of cemeteries in Baldwin County

Another highly recommended site for cemetery transcriptions that includes gravestone photographs is Find A Grave as they have information on about one hundred different cemeteries in Baldwin County.

Ordering Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates for Baldwin County Online

You can order certificates of birth, marriage or death that occurred in Baldwin County (anywhere in the USA actually) through VitalChek.

A copy of the original birth, marriage and death certificates can help the family history researcher go further in tracing their family tree. Getting copies of the BMDs records help ensure the accuracy of your information.

What About Wills and Land Records For People From Baldwin County?

There is a searchable database for Baldwin County, Alabama Will Testators, broken down into three sections, from 1811-1884, 1881-1916 and 1913-1935, which gives the Name of Testator, Place of Residence and County number, Volume number, Page number. As well as there Deed and Records search page from the Baldwin County Judge of Probate office.

A good article about Land Records in Alabama is a good first step when doing research into Baldwin County Land Records.

Check for your ancestor's name at Land Patent Search which provides free online access to Federal land conveyance records for the Public Land States and provide image access to more than three million Federal land title records for Eastern Public Land States, issued between 1820 and 1908. They are currently adding images of Military Land Warrants which were land patents were issued to individuals as a reward for their military service. Images related to survey plats and field notes, dating back to 1810, are added to the site state-by-state as each state's documents are completed.

Baldwin County Biographies

A dedicated Alabama family historian (Ann Anderson) took the time to transcribe hundreds of biographies from the books Memorial Record of Alabama published way back in 1893. You can find these Baldwin County Biographies, which shows a number of past Autauga County residents.

A second excellent webpage for Baldwin County Biographies is hosted at Baldwin County, AL Genealogy Trails.

Military Records for Baldwin County

Residents of Baldwin County fought in every conflict up to the present day and although more current military records are kept confidential, older records are available for search. Ancestry.com of course has a fine collection of U.S. Compiled Revolutionary War Military Service Records, 1775-1783.

As far as the Civil War Military Records for Baldwin County there are a number of online sources you might want to take a look at:

Muster Roll, Company C, 15th Regiment, Confederate Cavalry, CSA

Some Confederate Soldiers In Baldwin County Alabama

This is really just scratching the surface of what is available to genealogists researching ancestors from Autauga County Alabama. If anything was missed that you feel should have been included, feel free to leave a comment so it can be brought to the attention of others who may be doing family in the same area.

Genealogy Resources For Autauga County Alabama

As seen on the map to the right, Autauga County is located in the middle of the state of Albama. The county is bordered by Chilton County to the north, Elmore County to the east, Montgomery County to the southeast, Lowndes County to the south and finally Dallas County to the west. The county was created in 1818, one year prior to the state being admitted into the union. At that time the county also included Elmore and Chilton counties within its territory, but they were split off to form their own counties shortly after the Civil War.

The population according to the US census was 3800 in 1820, growing to 16700 in 1860 just prior to the Civil War but declined sharply afterwards until 1900 when the county had a population of 17900. As of the 2000 census, Autauga County had 43600 residents.

Census Records For Autauga County

The 1830 census, 1840 census, 1850 census, and the 1860 census are all searchable online by at least surname, but the result show only the name and page number the name is listed on for 1830 and 1840. The 1850 and 1860 provide more details, but you will still want to consult the census returns for fuller details.

The census records are also searchable for a fee at Ancestry.com from 1820 up until the 1930 census. Familysearch.org also allows free search of the 1880 Alabama census (as well as all the then United States in 1880).

There is also the 1866 Alabama State Census Colored Population Autauga County which is available online.

Cemetery Records For Autauga County

There is a searchable online database of Autauga County Cemetery Records. You can check by surname alone or full name. It appears that most of the records also provide a date of birth for the individual, but of course all information would need to be double checked to make sure you have the right person.

Individual Cemeteries:
Bethel Baptist Cemetery (Spigner Cemetery)
Boone Chapel Cemetery
Jones Baptist Cemetery
Liberty Baptist Cemetery
Marbury Baptist Cemetery
Milton Baptist Cemetery
Pleasant Valley Cemetery
Wadsworth Baptist Cemetery

Ordering Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates for Autauga County Online

A copy of the original birth, marriage and death certificates can provide additional information such as dates, locations, parents, spouses, or other information that the family history researcher requires to go further in tracing their family tree. It is highly recommended that you get copies of the vital statistics records to ensure the accuracy of your information.

You can order certificates of birth, marriage or death that occurred in Autauga County (anywhere in the USA actually) through VitalChek.

What About Wills and Land Records For People From Autauga County?

There is a searchable database for Wills and Estates for Autauga County, as well as the Commissioners Court Records.

Check for your ancestor's name at Land Patent Search which provides free online access to Federal land conveyance records for the Public Land States and provide image access to more than three million Federal land title records for Eastern Public Land States, issued between 1820 and 1908. They are currently adding images of Military Land Warrants which were land patents were issued to individuals as a reward for their military service. Images related to survey plats and field notes, dating back to 1810, are added to the site state-by-state as each state's documents are completed.

Autauga County Biographies

A dedicated Alabama family historian (Ann Anderson) took the time to transcribe hundreds of biographies from the books Memorial Record of Alabama published way back in 1893. You can find these Autauga County Biographies, which shows a number of past Autauga County residents.

Military Records for Autauga County

Residents of Autauga County fought in every conflict up to the present day and although more current military records are kept confidential, older records are available for search. Ancestry.com of course has a fine collection of U.S. Compiled Revolutionary War Military Service Records, 1775-1783. As far as the Civil War Military Records for Autauga County there is a short list of Civil War pensioners at List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883 and there's also a great website called Autauga at War which is about Autauga County, Alabama during the Civil War.

This is really just scratching the surface of what is available to genealogists researching ancestors from Autauga County Alabama. If anything was missed that you feel should have been included, feel free to leave a comment so it can be brought to the attention of others who may be doing family in the same area.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Wardwell Family of Oxford Maine Family Bible Links To Revolutionary War Hero


The descendants of Joseph Hemingway Wardwell may want to take a look at the family bible that is up for auction at eBay. Originally published in 1828 by C. Ewer, T. Bedlington and J. H. Frost of Boston, the book is in remarkably good condition because it was stored in an oak box (which is included in the purchase price). The family history information is laid out in very ledgible handwriting starting with Joseph H. Wardwell, born October 5th, 1795.

Online, there is a wealth of information about Wardwell's family. He was apparently the son of Joseph Wardwell (1759-1849) and Sarah Hemmenway. Joseph Wardwell (1759-1849) was in the Revolutionary War having served with General Lafayette. There is a lot of information about the Wardwell family at History of Rumford, Oxford County, Maine, from its first settlement in 1779, to the present time. An excerpt: "This town was granted to inhabitants of Andover, Mass., and neighbor-ing towns, and was largely settled by people from Andover. The early Merrills, Poors, Adamses Wardwells and Abbots came from there, while others came from Newbury, Amesbury and Bradford."

Or this: "Joseph Wardwell was born in Andover, Mass., January 29, 1759, and was the son of Joshua and Mary Wardwell of that ancient town. He entered the Colonial service at the beginning of the Revolution, a mere boy, and served through the war. He entered as a private but was promoted to a Lieutenancy and served in the corps commanded by General Lafayette. He was in all the great battles of the long war, and gained an enviable reputation for gallantry and bravery. A sword presented him by General Lafayette for conspicuous bravey at the siege of Yorktown is still preserved in the family..."

Online information shows that Joseph Wardwell senior was the sone of Joshua Wardwell (1728-c1805) and Mary Sanders (1727-1805) of Andover and the line goes back several generations in colonial America.

Take a look at this excellently perserved family bible at eBay using item number 120525297328.

1854 HEATH family from INDIANA Leather Bible Possibly Listed To Wiltshire, England

There's another interesting old family bible listed on eBay that may be of interest to Heath family researchers. Published in 1854 in New York by Carleton and Phillips, the book has a soft leather cover and is reportedly in fair condition.

The names show a George A. Heath who died October 4th, 1876. It appears Mr Heath was the son of Ralph and Mary Heath and the bible also has their vitals. Ralph Heath, born November 24, 1792, died May 14th, 1861. Mary Heath, born January 20th, 1798, died May 20th, 1876.

Checking online, it looks like this would George Allen Heath, born 23 Jul 1835, Muncie, Delaware, Indiana to Ralph Heath and Mary Tomlinson. Ralph Heath and Mary Tomlinson married 23 Nov 1815, Guilford County, North Carolina. The Heaths had seven children:
Albert HEATH (1816-1909)
John Wright HEATH (1819-1903)
James Waford HEATH (1821-1875)
Ada Cameline HEATH (1823- )
Ada Camiline HEATH (1824-1825)
Jacob Watson HEATH (1824-1902)
George Allen HEATH (1835-1876)

Ralph Heath's parents listed as Jacob Heath (1747-1816) born Roxberry, Mass., and Mary Smith. Ralph listed as one of seven children of Jacob and Mary. Jacob Heath (1747-1816) one of six children of John Heath (1702- ) and Lydia Bradley. John Heath married twice, secondly to Temperance Avery and had a further eight children.

John Heath (1702- ), listed as the son of John Heath (1674-1713) and Hannah Haynes or Hains. The line continues as John Heath (1674-1713) son of John Heath (1643-1708), son of Bartholomew Heath, etc. back to another John Heath described as Of Salisbury, St. Martins, Wiltshire, England. Obviously more work would need to be done to ensure the accuracy of the information, but it looks like this Heath family connects back to early colonial times.

To take a closer look at the family bible, the eBay item number is 160400492079.

eBay Auction: Family Bible For Ely Family of Simsbury, Connecticut

The seller of this family bible appears to be a descendant of the family who owned the bible which was printed in 1861 in New York City by the American Bible Society.

The book itself looks a little worn, but it does have genealogy information that will be of interest to family historians of the Ely family in the area of Simsbury, Connecticut.

The bible has a newspaper article about the death of Benjamin Ely in 1852 that has been glued into the book. Looking on Familysearch.org, there is a Benjamin Ely who died 26 AUG 1852, spouse of Polly Pettibone, born 19 Sept 1776, died 17 June 1850 (married 14 APR 1796). She is listed as the daughter of Dudley Pettibone and Mary Lattimore.

Benjamin was born 18 JUL 1767 at Lyme, New London, Connecticut and was the son of Ezra Cullick Ely and Anna Sterling. Ezra Cullick Ely (1728-1793) was listed as the son of Richard Ely and Elizabeth Peck, while Anna Sterling is listed as born 19 OCT 1739 Lyme, New London, Connecticut, the daughter of Daniel Sterling and Esther Colt.

There are also nine children of Benjamin Ely (1767-1852) and Polly Pettibone (1776-1850)
Ezra Stiles Ely (1797- )
Edwin Dwight Ely (1798-1831)
Mary Anne Ely (1800-1875)
Henry Ely (1802-1849)
Seth Ely (1805-1828)
Nathan Ely (1807- )
Rosetta Ely (1809-1831)
Nancy Ely (1812-1877)
Dudley Pettibone Ely (1817- )

A webpage over at Colonial Ancestor Profiles says that "Ezra Cullick Ely was the great grandson of Richard Ely ("The Emigrant") of Plymouth, England..." and gives info about the family's landholding.

This family bible is available up til February 9th, 2010. To take a closer look, the eBay item number is 260547511505.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Ingoglia Family Portrait ~ Video Of A Family From Days Past

Ingoglia Family Portrait from AJ Ingoglia on Vimeo.


Brilliantly put together to music by Tom Petty, this short clip shows members of the Ingoglia family in video obviously shot years ago. This is simply a portrait of an American family highlighting various family members. This could be just about any family, but the Ingoglias have a nice keepsake, almost a snapshot of their bygone days.

Seeing this video makes you want to grab the video camera and start filming one's own family. Even when you look at pictures or film of family members that at the time they are taken seem boring or unimportant, take on renewed significance over the years as families age. Having something like this of one's own family could indeed become a family heirloom.

Video From BBC Program Highlights Black Family Research In England


'Black Edwardians' / Edwardian Family Album (BBC4) from George Pagliero on Vimeo.

This is an interesting clip showing one man, Stacy Graham's search for information about his grandfather in London, England. His grandfather, Sidney Graham, who came from Barbados around 1914 and his family has lived in the same area of London ever since. The clip is from an interesting family history program that was aired on the BBC called "The Edwardian Family Album."

I especially liked the advice from the archivist, Jennie Monroe-Collins, who said "You should look even if you don't believe you will find anything. No one is anonymous ~ even if they wanted to be." The program takes it's cue from Jeffrey Green's excellent book Black Edwardians, available from Amazon.com, that reveals a long history of a Black presence in England.

The author uses contemporary records such as newspapers, photographs and memoirs of the time, as well as family papers to challenge the conventional views of Britain's social history on the period.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Phelps Family of Potsdam, New York ~ Family Bible May Connect Family Back To 1400s


This family bible was printed in 1871 by Samuel D. Burlock & Co., of Philadelphia and has lots of genealogical information about the Phelps family of Potsdam, St Lawrence, New York that may connect with a family tree on Familysearch.org going back to a Richard Phelps born c1497 at Nether, Tyne, Stafford, England!

First off, the bible itself is in very good condition, and the seller could only find one torn page. The binding is still tight and the pages in the photos look crisp. This was a treasured and well-kept family bible. The births start c1843 and the marriages around 1868.

Looking online, one name in the deaths section showed that a Leslie Fermon Phelps (1871-1878) died at Louisville, Saint Lawrence, New York and he was born at Potsdam, Saint Lawrence, New York. His parents are given as William Fermon Phelps and Ellen Frances Calkins (the bible shows Mrs Phelps' handwriting with the name "E.F. Phelps, Potsdam, N.Y. 1871"). The dates of both William Fermon Phelps and Ellen F. Calkins are given in the bible.

According to the information at Familysearch, William Fermon Phelps (1843-1923) was the son of Samuel Mix Phelps (1806-1856) born Vermont, and Catharine A Hoxie also of Vermont.

Samuel Mix Phelps was the son of Abel Phelps born 1774 in Goshen, Litchfield, Connecticut, and his wife Polly Pelton of Vermont. Abel Phelps was the sone of Lieutenant Abel Phelps born 1739 (possibly a Revolutionary War veteran?) and his wife Lucy Beardsley. The Lieutenant is shown as the son of another Abel Phelps, born 1705 in Connecticut with two spouses, a Jerusha, and a Mary Pennock.

This Abel (born 1705) was the son of Joseph Phelps (1666-1716) and Sarah Hosford. Joseph is shown as the son of Lieutenant Timothy William Phelps born Connecticut (1639-1719) another Lieutenant! and Mary Griswold.

Lieutenant Timothy William Phelps was the son of William Phelps born 1599 Tewksbury, Gloucester, Gloucester, England, died 1672 same, and Mary Dorothy Dover.

And so on, and so on, up to Richard Phelps from Stafford, England. So quite possibly this family bible was for one of the families of Colonial America. This is one family bible that should be kept in the family or donated to a genealogical society. Unfortunately the dates of birth, marriage and death only go back to 1843 (Only!) I wish I could find a family bible going that far back, let alone connecting to one of the old families.

If you would like to take a look at this family bible, the eBay Item Number is 330394307387

British American Ambulance Corp ~ John Burnside Wilson Family Bible


Another interesting family bible is up for auction at eBay. A well worn copy of a bible from the early 1900s printed in London for the New York Bible Society. The bible has some damage from dampness and the pages are yellowed. There is a stamp on the inside cover stating it was printed by the British American Ambulance Corp.

The family history information shows the birth of a John Burnside Wilson born 1857 in Scotland with records of relatives in Brooklyn and Long Island, New York, with other surnames given as Cramer and Forsyth.

Taking a quick look online, there is a record of a John Burnside Wilson born 10 October, 1858 at Auchinleck, Ayr, Scotland to parents Andrew Wilson and Margaret Burnside.

There is a marriage of Margaret Burnside and Andrew Wilson 29 October 1844 at Abbey (Paisley), Renfrew, Scotland - the same area my own Bradshaw family was from, but I have no Burnsides or Wilsons.

More research would be needed to follow up to see if this family is the same as the fellow listed in the family bible, but if you would like a closer look, the eBay Item Number is 180455459134

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Kaga ~ Hershey Family Bible On eBay, BMDs From 1793-1916

This bible published in 1883 needs some repair as the front cover is disconnected. It was originally published by B.F. Johnson & Company of Richmond, Virginia and has the following family history information:

Births from 1793 - 1899
Marriages from 1897 - 1916
Deaths from 1875 - 1913


For Kaga and Hersey. Couldn't locate too much given the sparce information, possibly the Kaga (or Kagy, or even Cadjew) may have been from Ohio. They seem to have been connected to a Rudolph Cadjew, but more research would need to be done.

There was also considerable memorabilia tucked into the pages, including pressed flowers, a black funeral arm band (?), newspapers articles (one about a suspicious death), and a lock of baby hair tied with a faded pink ribbon. Very interesting stuff ~ sort of a mystery...

To take a closer look, the eBay Item Number is 190363737623

1880s Family Bibles of Peabody & Ball Families of Queensbury, Luzerne, New York


Another group of antique family bibles are available on eBay. Published by the A.J. Holman co. of Philadelphia in 1883, the seller says there are several bibles and he wishes he could post more than the 12 pictures allowed. Most seem to be in fair condition, but there are some loose pages and a spine missing here and there. The genealogical information is for the Peabody and Ball families of Queensbury, Luzerne, New York.

There is a note of the marriage of Richard Ball of Queensbury, NY and Mrs. Eigearia Hartman, August 7, 1871 "at the bride's mother's home" witnessed by Sanford Hartman and Miss Ella Murry and signed by the Justice of the Peace for Warren County, NY, David Varney.

The dates written in the bible begin in 1851 and go to the 1900s, beginning with the Ball family, Joel, Nora, Wilbur and Adeline. And then Nora Ball Peabody, with Susan Hartman died July 1897, Joel Hartman died 1862. Sanford Hartman born April 1, 1851 and a Joel Hartman born June 11, 1818. The seller mentions Peabody and Ball births and deaths noted from the early 1800s. There is also a PHOTO ALBUM, with all the pictures identified with the names as shown in the bibles!Truly a major find for someone tracing these families. There are about 30 cabinet photos and 16 CDV pictures, with surnames such as Howe, Selleck, "Grama Ball", James Lord, Bristol, Danzt, Dance, White, also "Uncle Sanford's family photos.

The seller asks that if there are questions, to contact him.

The eBay Item Number is 180454433679.

A quick look online shows the following on the 1880 Census for Queensbury, Warren, New York:
Richard Ball, married, age 29, born NY, with both parents born NY, occupation farmer
Eugenia Ball, married, age 27, born NY, with both parents born NY, occupation keeping house
Joel Ball, single, age 6, born NY, parents same
Elnora Ball, single, age 2, born NY, parents same

There's also a George Ball age 31 and family living 2 farms down the road, with his neighbor another George Ball, age 61, a widower, born NY, parents same. Living with him is his son, Philip Ball and Philip's wife Nellie and 3 grandchildren of George.

The IGI shows a Richard Ball born 1851 Hartman Hill, Luzerne, Warren, New York, died 1882. Parents shown as George F. Ball and wife Eliza. And a Philip Ball, parents the same, born 1848 at Hartman Hill. George F. Ball (1818-1893) married Eliza Ball 1837 at Hartman Hill. His father shown as Malboro Payne Ball. Malboro Payne Ball (1779-1850) married Rachel Varley 27 May 1800  Luzerne, Warren, New York.

Malboro Payne Ball born 1779, parents Edward Ball, Fear Young. - odd first name "Fear". Fear Young born c1744, England, married Edward Ball c1774 Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa.

All this with just a quick look online... obviously much more research would need to be done to connect the dots.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Family Maps Of Various Counties Of Alabama


The Family Maps series of Land Patent Books have been published on a county by county, and state by state basis, and the books listed below list original settlers of Alabama whose purchases are indexed in the U.S. Bureau of Land Management database.

You can locate your ancestor's Alabama land purchase by locating their name in the surname index, then an all-name index, which directs you to the map of first-land-owners. The Family Maps books are a helpful visual reference tool that make your Alabama and federal lands research that much easier. Each book has a cover similar to the picture on the right, with each edition of the series for the various counties of Alabama.

All of the counties of Alabama listed below have a corresponding reference book (available at Amazon), entitled similarly to the Pike County edition. If you are interested in Pike County, Alabama for example, you can review the book before you make the purchase.

Each book is laid out in a similar manner, with 3 detailed maps for each of the townships that make up each county. Each Township has a Patent Map, a Patent Index, a Road Map, and a Historical Map, which includes Waterways, Watercourses and Railroads.

The Road and Historical Maps also include the City-centers and cemeteries that can be found at NationalAtlas.gov. There is also a Surname/Patent Index and a Surname/Township Index to help you locate the right area of the County for your Alabama ancestors. Appendices identify multi-Patentee buying groups and also list the numerous Aliquot (section) parts you might find. This book is constructed to last with a plastic spiral binding, acid-free paper, and a tough, laminated cover.

What Information Can I Expect To Find? And What Are Land Patents?

Land patents are documents that show the transfer of land ownership from the federal government to individuals. In the very early years of the United States, Congress declared it would sell or grant the unclaimed lands in "the West" (given up by the States to the United States) for the common benefit of the United States. The individual States gave up any claims to what is now Alabama, Michigan, part of Minnesota, Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The United States could then sell this unclaimed land to settlers to raise money for the Treasury. And in turn, the United States gave up its claims to any land within the boundaries of the original 13 States and other eastern states.

The land was distributed to settlers through various acts of Congress: by sale, granting homesteads, military warrants for military service, etc. One of the major purposes of these public land laws was to encourage people from the East to move West.

In the early 1800's people were allowed to purchase public land for $1.25 an acre. For a time, they could buy up to 640 acres under this law.

Public land was also granted to soldiers instead of pay under various Military Warrant Acts granted public.

One major enticement that brought many settlers farther and farther west was The Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed people to settle on as much as 160 acres of public land. They would be required to live there for five years, make improvements (chop down trees, build homes etc.), and grow crops. This land would become the settler's provided they met the criteria and the only payment they had to make would be a filing fee. Obviously many people took what appeared to be an easy choice - basically free land, and more and more land filled up over time, and then others moved farther west as new areas opened up for settlement.