Facebook is exploding with genealogists and family historians! In just a few days, I have many new online friends who blog about genealogically related topics.
I was pleased to be invited to join a Facebook group called Genea-Bloggers.
It's a very cool idea to be able to present your own blog to others with like minds and to find blogs that you may not have known about to learn from. (I am wondering where I will find the time to read all of them?)
Genealogists, historians and family historians are discovering that social networking can work for them in a very big way. Isn't this 21st century idea great?
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Abigail FISH
Today, while poking through Denison graves (there are 1, 319 graves referenced!) at Find a Grave, I discovered a reference for this woman, Abigail FISH, daughter of Samuel FISH and Sarah STARKE. She is referenced there as being buried in the BURROWS Burying Ground in Groton, CT but she is not buried there, she is buried in the Old Packer-Burrows Burying Ground. (I am sure there was confusion since both graveyards have Burrows in their name!)
Abigail's gravestone is quite amazing. It lists her parents and both her husbands. Her first husband was Cap't Daniel ELDREDGE who she married 26 June 1711. After he died she married Deacon Daniel DENISON, Sr. as his third wife! His others were Mary STANTON (my ancestor) and Jane COGSWELL.
He is buried alongside Mary STANTON at Elm Grove Cemetery in Mystic. Cap't Daniel ELDREGE lies buried here at the Old Packer Burrows Burying Ground.
Abigail's gravestone is quite amazing. It lists her parents and both her husbands. Her first husband was Cap't Daniel ELDREDGE who she married 26 June 1711. After he died she married Deacon Daniel DENISON, Sr. as his third wife! His others were Mary STANTON (my ancestor) and Jane COGSWELL.
He is buried alongside Mary STANTON at Elm Grove Cemetery in Mystic. Cap't Daniel ELDREGE lies buried here at the Old Packer Burrows Burying Ground.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Early Graveyards in Massachusetts
Two somewhat unrelated events have occurred this month but now I see the relationship that makes a process understandable. The process of seeking early gravestones is complicated and frustrating even in this age of digital photography.
Matthew, a gravestone photographer, and friend on the photo hosting Web site, Flickr, went to the ancient graveyard, Copp's Hill, in Boston and took several amazing photographs. I stopped dead at this one and decided that this John Saxton , might be a brother to Capt. Joseph Saxton (1656-1715), 2nd (and thirteen years younger) husband of Hannah DENISON (daughter of Capt. George DENISON and Lady Ann BORODELL).
Using information in the Torrey's Marriages database at NEHGS, I discovered that this John and my Joseph are step-brothers. His father Thomas married three times and both of these men were his sons. My Joseph's mother was Ann COPP. (I wouldn't be surprised to find out she's a Copp of Copp's Hill.)
At about the same time, Nancy Hauser, a Denison family historian, tried to find the ancient cemetery in Roxbury where William DENISON, father of Capt George Denison is buried and John Eliot, the revered minister to the Indians is also resting.
After much research on both of our parts and a consultation with graveyard expert David Lambert of NEHGS, we have concluded that there many persons buried in Boston with no grave markers. Dave and I takled on the phone. I was his first consultation via the social networking Web site, Facebook, where we both are members.
The Web site for the City of Boston does have a Historic Burying Ground Initiative which can help us with our oldest, and in many cases, immigrant New England Ancestors. It is interesting to search this but it is important to remember that you should not assume you can visit the graveyard (many are gated and locked) and even if there is a gravestone or a footstone, it may be unreadable or underground. When using this be sure to use the abbreviations key. I recommend purchase of Dave Lambert's book for visiting many Massachusetts cemeteries. He tells me a new, revised edition may be ready by December.
But, I know you would like viewing this wonderful gravestone!
Here Lyeth Buried/The Body of/John Saxton/Aged 38 Years/Departed This/Life the 31 Day/of May 1686
Matthew, a gravestone photographer, and friend on the photo hosting Web site, Flickr, went to the ancient graveyard, Copp's Hill, in Boston and took several amazing photographs. I stopped dead at this one and decided that this John Saxton , might be a brother to Capt. Joseph Saxton (1656-1715), 2nd (and thirteen years younger) husband of Hannah DENISON (daughter of Capt. George DENISON and Lady Ann BORODELL).
Using information in the Torrey's Marriages database at NEHGS, I discovered that this John and my Joseph are step-brothers. His father Thomas married three times and both of these men were his sons. My Joseph's mother was Ann COPP. (I wouldn't be surprised to find out she's a Copp of Copp's Hill.)
At about the same time, Nancy Hauser, a Denison family historian, tried to find the ancient cemetery in Roxbury where William DENISON, father of Capt George Denison is buried and John Eliot, the revered minister to the Indians is also resting.
After much research on both of our parts and a consultation with graveyard expert David Lambert of NEHGS, we have concluded that there many persons buried in Boston with no grave markers. Dave and I takled on the phone. I was his first consultation via the social networking Web site, Facebook, where we both are members.
The Web site for the City of Boston does have a Historic Burying Ground Initiative which can help us with our oldest, and in many cases, immigrant New England Ancestors. It is interesting to search this but it is important to remember that you should not assume you can visit the graveyard (many are gated and locked) and even if there is a gravestone or a footstone, it may be unreadable or underground. When using this be sure to use the abbreviations key. I recommend purchase of Dave Lambert's book for visiting many Massachusetts cemeteries. He tells me a new, revised edition may be ready by December.
But, I know you would like viewing this wonderful gravestone!
Here Lyeth Buried/The Body of/John Saxton/Aged 38 Years/Departed This/Life the 31 Day/of May 1686
Friday, July 11, 2008
Adventures at Burial Hill
Yesterday, I went to Plymouth to tour the newly renovated Pilgrim Hall Museum. I am having visitors in the fall who will be staying in Plymouth for part of their vacation and I wanted to spend some time there deciding what they might like to see.
For fun, I trekked up Burial Hill once again. I enjoyed taking random shots of interesting gravestones, like this one, and to my delight I have discovered a database of transcriptions of this cemetery at Ancestry.com. If I had known that before I left I might have taken twice as many photos.
So many people visit this burying ground that many of the interesting and oldest stones have been encased in granite molds. It looks weird to me but the ground of this hill is, well, hilly. One misstep and like Jill of Jack and Jill, I could have rolled down the hill and broken my crown. I decided to be choosy where I stepped. After all, I am getting old.
What a lovely summer day to take photos!
For fun, I trekked up Burial Hill once again. I enjoyed taking random shots of interesting gravestones, like this one, and to my delight I have discovered a database of transcriptions of this cemetery at Ancestry.com. If I had known that before I left I might have taken twice as many photos.
So many people visit this burying ground that many of the interesting and oldest stones have been encased in granite molds. It looks weird to me but the ground of this hill is, well, hilly. One misstep and like Jill of Jack and Jill, I could have rolled down the hill and broken my crown. I decided to be choosy where I stepped. After all, I am getting old.
What a lovely summer day to take photos!
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