Rebecca NOYES

Rebecca NOYES
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This is the gravestone of Rebecca NOYES, wife of Edward STEWART. Rebecca married Edward on Feb 15, 1801.

This gravestone stands tall in the Stewart Hill Cemetery in North Stonington. Edward's grave, which is next to hers, has fallen over and broken. But, both footstones remain.

Edward was a farmer and lived on the land inherited by his grandfather William Steward, Jr. William's father, William was probably the immigrant ancestor.

But, as this is Rebecca's stone, this story is about her...

As you can see she died 30 Sept 1842 aged 61.

Family Bible

Family Bible
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Ask anyone interested in genealogy and family history and they will tell you to first look to the sources you have in your family before venturing out in the world to seek information about your ancestors.

This is the family Bible that belonged to my Stewart [2nd great] grandparents. It was passed down to their son, then to his son [my grandfather] and then to my mother. Now that they are all gone, it belongs to me. The title page reads 1859 and since that is the year their oldest child was born, I assume it was a celebration of his birth.

In the center are several pages of handwritten entries of births, marriages and deaths. On the pages for births there are two names, Edward Stewart and Rebecca Noyes with no dates after their names. Since the Bible belonged to this couple's son, I wondered why he did not know the dates of his own parent's birth! The handwriting on the page is that of his wife, so maybe he wasn't home when she began the process of filling in the vital records.

But, there was a very tiny envelope with a folded, fragile document which is the marriage certificate of Edward and Rebecca.

February 15, 1801, which was 207 years ago! I have researched every name on these pages and each one has been proven to be correct.

It was this tiny bit of information that send me on a search of Edward and Rebecca's resting places which is in North Stonington, CT.

Some journeys end in the cemetery and some begin....

Gravestone Photography Bag

Gravestone Photography Bag
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Flickr, the photo hosting Web site, is also a great community of groups of persons with like minds and interests. There are numerous gravestone photography groups to which I belong and I just joined one called, "What's in Your Bag?" and I have contributed the contents of my gravestone hopping bag.

Click on the photo to see it at Flickr and to examine the notes that I have placed on the photo explaining the contents of my bag. Ideas and comments are welcome.

River Bend Cemetery Sign

River Bend Cemetery Sign
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Some months back, I received an email from Ed Faulk of Fullerton, CA about the posting of my family photos and gravestones pics of James A. Barber, my 2nd great grandfather who received the Medal of Honor in the Civil War.

Ed, when on vacation in June, 2006, took photos of his family at this large, lovely waterfront cemetery in Westerly, Rhode Island. This is one of his photos.

I asked him if he would share them with me and being a Web designer, he created a page of them so that anytime I needed them for research I could look at them.

Last night, while planning my next cemetery hopping event, I discovered that three stones that were on my list to be photographed are on his page! I love it when a plan comes together....

I am reminding all of you who read this blog, that it is important to take a photo of the cemetery sign, the gate or whatever will remind you where it is because not matter how carefully you plan you will be returning (hopefully, on this side of the grass) to take another photo or two or in my case 50 or 60!

Broadfoot Grave in Scotland

Broadfoot Grave in Scotland
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This is a scanned photo of the only grave that I know of where the remains of my Broadfoot family is buried in Dalbeattie Cemetery in Scotland.

John & Jane Broadfoot 1876

John & Jane Broadfoot 1876
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Connecting people together is the most important thing the Web has done for all of us.

I would never have found my "cousin" Nancy, if it was not for my tree at Ancestry.com!

She is sharing the greatest thing with me....pictures of my Broadfoot ancestors. This is John Broadfoot and his first wife Jane Hannah who lived in Scotland. Most of John's children came to America. I never expected to get more information about them, never mind such great photographs.

I have been working on my Broadfoot and Aiken grandparents lines now that I have help from Nancy and Virgil and Anne.

Ralph and Mary DENISON

Ralph Denison
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

In August of 2004, I went in search of the Starr Burying Ground in Groton, CT to look for my 2nd great grand aunt who was the last woman in my family to belong to the DAR. (Yes, I found it, but that is a story for another post!)

The day before, I met a fellow Denison "cousin" at the annual Dension Day and in conversation, I told her where I was going. She gave me some names to look up graves there for her. I found them easily. It's fun finding other people's ancestors too.

But, while I was there, I took three random photos of graves with the surname Denison. Later, she told me her grandparents were buried there and I asked her to email me their names so if I went back to Groton, I could take the photo for her.

This got me to thinking about the random photos I took that day and when I went looking for them, I discovered her grandparents were one I had taken. She and I are both surprised!

That's gravestone radar, isn't it?

Burial Hill Sign

Burial Hill Sign
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This sign marks Burial Hill in Plymouth MA. Notice the reference to Edward's Gravestone.

Edward Gray Grave sign

Edward Gray's Gravesite
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This sign next to Edward Gray's gravestone certainly makes it easy to locate. I don't think you will miss it if you visit here.

Edward Gray's Gravestone

Edward Gray's Gravestone
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

At once time, old gravestones were re-set in concrete as it was thought to better preserve them. (Probably not.)

In this case, this gravestone may have been set in concrete to deter theft as his grave is the oldest on Burial Hill. Early graves of the first English settlers were marked with wooden markers, fieldstones or not at all.

Close-up of Edward Gray

Close-up Edward Gray's Gravestone
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This is a close-up of the oldest surviving gravestone on Burial Hill in Plymouth, MA. It is very hard to photograph since it is located in a heavily treed section of Burial Hill.

If you click on this photo, it will bring you to Flickr where I have attempted a transcription of the carving.

History of the Town of Plymouth by James Thacher

History of the Town of Plymouth, from Its First Settlement in 1620, to the Present Time With a Concise History of the Aborigines of New England, and Their Wars with the English, &c. By James Thacher: ""

The Gift of History

Not too many people have the opportunity to read a diary written by their ancestor. Robert Grandchamp of Warwick, RI, and a Master's candidate at my alma mater, Rhode Island College discovered one of the diaries of my second great grandfather, James A. Barber. Honestly, I don't know who is more excited, Robert or myself, at this rare opportunity to read a primary source document of the Civil War.

This diary is in the special collections of the Providence Public Library, a place I have spent a great deal of time at as a teenager and college student while living in my native state of Rhode Island. I hope you will take a moment to read this blog posting...

There's a photograph of James, a photo of the diary itself and a sample page with his handwriting. It's a real treat.