Granite in My Blood

Tombstone Tuesday: Hyde Gravestone

2012-01-30T10:54:00.001-05:00

Hyde Gravestone, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Unknown Hyde Gravestone

My husband's cousin took this gravestone photo but I am not sure what it says. I did find a list of gravestones for this cemetery and discovered that there are two Daniel HYDE gravestones listed. One should be David HYDE. You can see why that mistake could have been made with such a worn gravestone.

I think this may be a gravestone to mark the deaths of other children in this family.I can't find death or marriage records for other children.

DANIEL HYDE, d. 1821, aged 23 years
RUTH HYDE, d. 1813, aged 5 years
RUTH HYDE, d. 1804, aged 18 years
EBENEZER HYDE, d. 1813, aged 58 years
RUTH HYDE, wife of Ebenezer, d. 1793, aged 29 years
ABIGAIL HYDE, d. 1828, aged 66 years
DANIEL HYDE, d. 1826, aged 21 years

Sutton, MA Web site

Sutton, MA Cemetery Page

Daniel HYDE

2012-01-30T10:25:00.001-05:00

Daniel HYDE, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Daniel HYDE

Daniel was the first born son of Ebenezer Hyde, Sr. and his second wife, Abigail NEWTON.

This is a close-up shot of the stone.

Daniel was born 28 Sept 1797 in Sutton, MA and died 15 Mar 1821 (unmarried) also in Sutton, MA.

He lies buried in Dodge Cemetery with his parents.

Daughter Ruth HYDE

2012-01-29T11:10:00.001-05:00

Ruth HYDE, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Ebenezer Hyde, Sr. and his first wife's second child was named Ruth. She was born 19 Dec 1786 and died at age 17 on 11 Jan 1804. This is a close-up photo of the faded carving on this gravestone.

Property of Ebenezer Part 1

2012-01-29T10:58:00.004-05:00

From the family book of 20 pages of Ebenezer Hyde [NEHGS] donated by Clarence Saunders Brigham

Capitalization and punctuation are as in the transcribed and printed document. Order of sentences are adjusted for this post. I wish he had included his marriage dates.

"Ebenezer Hyde was born the 30 day of April and in the year 1755. my first wife Ruth Hyde was born the 1 day of July and in the year 1765 my second wife Abigail Hyde was born the 20 day of June and in the year 1762.

my first wife name was Ruth onthnank

my second wife name was Abigail Newton

Ruth Hyde my wife Died September the 8 day in the year 1793 and she was 28 year old and two months and 8 Day when she Died.

my first wife mother onthank Died the 28 Day in December and in the year 1794 and she was 68 years old and two mounths (sic) and twelve day

my second wife mother newton Died the 4 Day in June and in the year 1793

father newton [David NEWTON] Died the 19 of March and in the year 1807 and in his ninetieth year of his age."

Whole Page

2012-01-29T06:47:00.001-05:00

TB_1829_Birth_1, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Here's the whole page for comparison.

Cottar

2012-01-27T14:29:00.001-05:00

Cottar, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

What is the word under Cottar?

I think, judging from the other records on the page that it is a place. Location of Record: Kirkinner Year: 1829

[Cottar: A tenant occupying a cottage with or without land attached to it, a married farmworker who has a cottage as part of his contract (cot-house - tied farmworker's cottage) ]

Abigail NEWTON

2012-01-26T11:07:00.001-05:00

Abigail NEWTON, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Abigail NEWTON

Abigail NEWTON, second wife of Ebenezer HYDE, Sr. like many women of her day, married a man whose wife died and left him with small children. (photographed by William Dunbar) Close-up of her name on the stone.

Unlike the record of his first marriage, which I can't find, are TWO "records" of marriage for Ebenezer and Abigail. This might be because the NEWTON family was a prominent family in this area.

Marriage Banns, although common, are not something I have consistently found as I search vital records. This one looks like this:

HYDE: (see Hide), Ebenezer and Abigail Newton of Southborough, int. May 4, 1794. Town Page Detail: Sutton Marriage Sutton, MA

Since Ruth ONTHANK, his first wife died at age 28 on 8 Sept, 1793, this intention to marry the following May in 1794, may seem hasty. But, Ebenezer had Ebenezer (age 9), Ruth (age 8), and little William (age 5) who needed a mother. I always feel sympathetic toward these previously maiden women who took on an established household. Such in life in the 1700s in New England.

Abigail married Ebenezer the following July as evidenced by the vital record of their marriage:

NEWTON: Abigail and Ebenezer Hide of Sutton, July 13, 1794. Town Page Detail: Southborough Marriage Southborough, MA

They had five more children. How did New England women manage this many children?

Ebenezer's gravestone and his second wife Abigail have matching gravestones obviously carved by the same stone cutter.

Abigail was born 20 June 1762 in Southborough , a daughter of David NEWTON and his wife Abigail. She died at the age of 66 in 1828, as a widow and is buried in Dodge Cemetery in Sutton.

Hyde Family Records

2012-01-25T14:50:00.001-05:00

Hyde Family Records, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Found during a search for Hyde ancestors was the clip of a transcribed journal which belonged to Ebenezer Hyde, Sr.

Ruth ONTHANK

2012-01-24T10:29:00.002-05:00

Ruth ONTHANK, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Ruth ONTHANK

Ruth ONTHANK, first wife of Ebenezer Hyde,Sr. is buried in Dodge Cemetery in Sutton, Worcester, MA. I discovered as I researched her, that she was the daughter of William ONTHANK and his wife Elizabeth JAMES. She was the sister of William ONTHANK who is buried at Old Southborough Burial Ground. I took a photo of his gravestone before I knew that my husband was an ONTHANK/UNTHANK descendant! I posted that blog post on July 1st.

Ruth was born on July 1st in 1765 in Southborough.
ONTHANK: Ruth, d. William and Elisabeth, July 1, 1765. Town Page Detail: Southborough [Mass VR to 1850 Southborough, MA NEHGS]

She married Ebenezer HYDE, Sr. about 1784 (no marriage record found as yet) and had three children, Ebenezer (my hubs ancestor in 1785), Ruth (1786) and William (1789). She died in Sutton, MA at the young age of 28 years on 8 Sept 1793. Ebenezer married again, as was the custom, in 1794.

HYDE: Ruth, w. Ebenezer, Sept. 8, 1793, in her 28th year. [a. 29, G.S.] Death: Sutton, MA [Mass VR to 1850 NEHGS]

This slate gravestone is hard to read. I used the one posted at Find-a-Grave to help read it as accurately as I can.

Erected/ to the memory/ of Mrs. Ruth Hyde/ who died Sept. 8, 1793/in ye 28th year/of her age.

Photo by William Dunbar. Used with permission.

Dodge Cemetery Sign

2012-01-23T11:14:00.001-05:00

Dodge Cemetery Sign, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

This is the sign for Dodge Cemetery in Sutton, Worcester, MA where my husband's ancestor, Ebenezer Hyde, Sr. and his family are buried.

Ebenezer HYDE, Sr.

2012-01-22T11:23:00.000-05:00

Ebenezer HYDE, Sr., a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Ebenezer Hyde, Sr.

Repost (with additions) of December so I can add the other gravestones from this cemetery to my blog

Steve's cousin, William Dunbar of Marlborough went to the Dodge Cemetery in Sutton, MA in search of the gravestone of Ebenezer Hyde, Sr., his wives and children. It was great to have family help on this project.

Fortunately, we can just make out the name of this gravestone. Ebenezer was my husband's fourth great grandfather.

His son was also Ebenezer (so I have added Sr. to his name) and he's buried in Southborough Rural Cemetery and was the first gravestone we located when we moved to this area.

I was excited to see this gravestone. He left behind a family journal with a brief genealogy. I don't have it but it was transcribed and I found it online at NEHGS.

Ebenezer's birth record in the Vital Records of Massachusetts to 1850 is found under the name HIDE. His parents, Job and Prudence were cousins. Her maiden name was Hyde/Hide too. They are buried in a large cemetery in Newton Center.

HIDE: Ebenezer [dup. Hyde], s. Job and Prudence, Apr. 30, 1755. Birth: Newton, MA [Mass VR to 1850 NEHGS]

Ebenezer's first wife, Ruth is his direct ancestor.

Parmenter

2012-01-22T10:47:00.001-05:00

Parmenter, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Parmenter Monument at Evergreen Cemetery

I will return to working on the gravestones in the Evergreen Cemetery that are of the surname Parmenter when I can get back to the Goodnow Library in Sudbury to look up the other name in the Parmenter genealogy.

Stay tuned....

Parmenter Children Verse

2012-01-22T10:22:00.001-05:00

Parmenter Children Verse, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

This the the verse for Althea and Ezekiel Parmenter's gravestone.

"Sweet babes no more, but seraphs now.
Before the Throne, behold them bow.
Their souls enlarged to Angel's size,
Join in the praises of the skies."

Parmenter Children

2012-01-22T10:13:00.001-05:00

Parementer Children, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Siblings: Althea and Ezekiel Sidney Parmenter

This is the double grave of two of Ezekiel and Keziah (Parmenter) Parmenter's children who died very young.

Sometimes small children's birth records are hard to find especially if they were not given a first name right away. Althea has a death record and it is indicated that she is buried in this cemetery, which at that time was the Wilson St. cemetery in Marlborough. (GR#5)

Ezekiel Sidney Parmenter was the last child born to this couple and he also has just a death record which indicates this cemetery. Since twenty years passed between the death dates of these siblings, this stone was probably put here in 1823.

These are in this family to be buried in the Evergreen Cemetery. There were many other children born to Ezekiel and Keziah but they lived to adulthood and are buried elsewhere.

Scottish Surname

2012-01-19T14:40:00.001-05:00

Scottish Surname, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Working with Scottish Ancestors

I kept dumping papers all over my office, so I brought everything down to the kitchen yesterday to get it organized and to start the process of transcribing and analyzing the birth, marriage and death certificates plus the census records that I have been gathering over the past five years. It is good that images can be saved, printed and are archived once purchased.

The census INDEX at Ancestry.com is a help to making sure that I have the right family. With so many people, both male and female with the same names in my Scottish family, working through three generations is harder than five generations of my New England ancestors.

ScotlandsPeople is not going to be providing images to Ancestry.com as they are selling them on their Web site. You buy credits with your credit card and then you start searching.

To view the results of your search costs 1 credit per page. But, you can print those and study them if you aren't sure. If you've done your homework with the index, you can narrow searches down more.

Viewing each "hit" cost five credits. But, when you have the right one it is rewarding.

The book that is standing up in this photo answered one of my questions. Who was the "registrar" listed on the B, M, and D's? It seems that the doctor or the ~~clergy~~ school master (people who had education) filled out the form, the person who was present, signed it (yes, those are the signatures of my ancestors) and then, they took it to the Registrar.

The great thing is that the family all seemed to migrate to Dalbeattie. This means the Registrar and the doctor/clergy probably knew each other.

I have made my own recording sheets so I can build a timeline. It is slow work.

By the way, recording the vital records was the law.

Dalbeattie Cemetery in Scotland

2012-01-17T09:56:00.000-05:00

Broadfoot Grave in Scotland
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

UPDATE! Tombstone Tuesday: Dalbeattie Gravestone

In 2008, I posted a scan of this gravestone photo and briefly gave information about it. When, I went back to look at it this weekend, I decided to delete that post and made it my Tombstone Tuesday post for this week. So, you are not crazy if you think you have seen this before!

When I was awarded the honor of being one of two cemetery blogs in the May 2010 issue of Family Tree Magazine, my friend Maureen Taylor described the name of my blog as reflective of the many generations of men who worked with granite. Ironically, this is the only photo I have of a gravestone in the old country that bears the name Broadfoot, which is my maiden name. I wish I knew if there were more. [Wishes do come true!]

When I began to post what I knew about my Scottish immigrant ancestors, I finally got a response from people who might know something beyond the genealogical information I have been researching since I was in my twenties. Finally, it payed off. In the same week, I found people who were related to me somehow to my grandparents that I never knew. ~~Maybe there are no more photos~~. [There are more gravestones of my family in this cemetery!]

My first online class was not in educational technology, it was a course in Researching Your Scottish Ancestors. At first, it was a disaster! The woman who was teaching it lived in Australia and she died a few weeks into it. The company providing the classes suspended them and hired David Webster, a well known Scottish genealogist. It was wonderful except he is seven hours away. He had to stay up late to chat with us. I learned so much. He and I worked together on some techniques to search and I helped him with an advanced use of Microsoft Word. (which took me an entire day to learn and type up)

This recent photo of the same gravestone, taken by Ruth Robb and used with her permission, is the updated version of the photograph. Notice that more names have been added. Ruth did the transcription, which I will post soon.

Until the Day Dawns

2012-01-16T12:53:00.001-05:00

Thomas and Margaret, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

"Until the Day Dawns"

Thomas Broadfoot and his wife Margaret Harcomb
their son Hugh and daughter Mary

Resting in Dalbeattie Cemetery in the town of Dalbeattie in the lowlands of Scotland is this gravestone of my 2nd great grandparents, Thomas and Margaret (Harcomb) Broadfoot. (Position 30 meters from gate on right, 10 meters Coltart stone, 10 metres behind Coltart stone facing wall)

Photograph and Inscription by Ruth Robb of Scotland.

In Memoriam/Thomas Broadfoot/died 7th February 1899,/aged 70 years./ Margaret Harcomb/his wife died 9th April 1922 aged 89 years./ Mary his daughter, died 4th October 1875 aged 4 years & 6 months. Hugh his son died 8th October 1875 aged 19 years & 4 months. "Until the Day Dawns"

Beloved Daughter, pleasant Child

2012-01-13T13:01:00.001-05:00

Beloved Daughter, pleasant Child, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

The verse at the bottom of Emeline's gravestone reads:

Beloved Daughter, pleasant Child,/ Inoffensive, virtuous, mild;/ For Earth too good, to Heaven has flown,/ And left her Friends, their loss to mourn.

Emeline PARMENTER

2012-01-13T13:00:00.001-05:00

Emeline PARMENTER, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Emeline Parmenter

Buried in the Wilson St. older section of Evergreen Cemetery is the grave of Emeline Parmenter, another daughter of Ezekiel and Kezia Parmenter.

In memory of/ Emeline./Daughter of Ezekiel &/Kezia Parmenter,/ who died/July 13, 1834./AEt 23 yrs. 11 mos,/ and 27 days. She was called "Emily".

Akie Slack

2012-01-13T11:52:00.001-05:00

Akie Slack, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

I am having a great time working with my "California cousins" looking at their collection of family photographs. I am quite fond of this one which is located in Lockerbie, Scotland. I'm not sure who lived there as yet but I wanted you to see it.

Don't you love it's name? Akie Slack.

Old Country Death Record

2012-01-12T08:12:00.001-05:00

Robert Hannah [Death] [Crop], a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Death Record of Jane HANNAH's father, Robert Hannah

Recently, I have been working on my paternal ancestors. This is a crop of a death record from Scotland. The images are copyrighted even though you pay for each search and each record.

Under copyright law, I am allowed (as an educator for teaching purposes) a piece of a document to demonstrate to other genealogists and family historians, the process of records.

Each one must be analyzed. Members of my extended family told me that my great grandmother Jane HANNAH's father was Adam HANNAH. The IGI record index told me that Jane's name was Jane Wilson HANNAH. Both records were wrong (Well, right for somebody else, I guess!)

That makes me uneasy, so I tracked her back through the Scotland census with her husband, John BROADFOOT (the monument maker) until the point where she was unmarried. I looked at each year, and studied her children. I was still unsure of her exact date of birth and place.

As you can see, Jane HANNAH's mother was Jane SMITH. (Yikes). Fortunately, this family kept naming daughters, Jane Hannah and Jane Smith. This is helpful when you are unsure of where you are going with your research.

Finally, I found out that her father was Robert HANNAH. Because of another person's tree at Ancestry.com, I could verify that I had the right father. Only then, did I go looking for his death record.

Everything was working! I carefully recorded each fact. His son-in-law was present at the death., his wife has the right maiden surname.

Ah! There are his parent's names. Now, the other researcher has different information.

Isn't anything perfect?

Death Records

2012-01-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

Thomas-Broadfoot-Death-Cert, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Thomas Broadfoot, my paternal grandfather

The old expression, "Strike while the iron in the fire is hot", pretty much describes my life for the past couple of days.

Some descendants of my paternal family that came from Scotland to America have been contacting me about the work I have done on this family. It is exciting and confusing all at the same time. I don't dare start anything new while they are feeding me information. You know the feeling?

This is a camera shot of the death record of my paternal grandfather who died in Westerly, Rhode Island where he settled after coming to America.

As you can see his death was unpleasant. Suicide. This wasn't a surprise to me but it is still awful to see on paper.

I know that my father was seventeen when he found his father's body. I can't imagine how awful that was.

Thomas had siblings that came to America but his parents never left the old country. I have been gathering census records, vital records and family photographs.

Death records in Scotland might be expensive to get and hard to find but they have even more information. However, since the information is given under emotional circumstances, how much of it can be accurate?

All of what I see here, I have been able to verify. I am hoping that a contact I have made in Scotland can tell me more. She has taken information from gravestones.

I can hardly wait to see them! Being patient is hard.

J. Broadfoot Monuments

2012-01-06T10:53:00.001-05:00

John Broadfoot , a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.
John Broadfoot of Modesto, California

This great photo of my paternal grandfather's brother, John, has been shared with me by my California family. If there was any doubt that granite is in my blood, it has been reinforced by the wonderful photos that they have been sharing with me. I hunger for more....

John was born 15 March 1880 in Scotland and lived there until 23 May 1903 at the age of 23 (with his brother James) when he came to America to join his family that was already here. The person who was already here was "Uncle Tom" Broadfoot who was established in Westerly, RI.

Westerly attracted many granite workers as it had quarries of what is now known as Westerly blue-gray granite. Many Italian monument makers also came to Westerly and the Scots and the Italians worked well together.

I have researched Uncle Tom as far as the lines go down and taken photos of all of their gravestones at River Bend Cemetery in Westerly, RI. They rest on the other side of the cemetery from my parents and grandparents. Uncle Tom's son, Josiah, was killed in World War I and earned the silver star for bravery. He's buried in France. I sent for a photo of his gravestone there.

John lived his life in California and raised a large family there. I'm excited to share my research with them. It is their story too.

Surname Broadfoot

2012-01-04T11:09:00.000-05:00

Surname Broadfoot

"The name "Broadfoot" dates back to at least 800 AD, to the Gaelic Celts, before the invasion by the Norse Vikings (and so we have Scandinavian blood as well). The Broadfoot family in Scotland was never a true Scottish “Clan”, and never even a sept of a Clan. The name is found in England also. The name originally was "Bradfute" and later "Braidfoot", means (in Scottish) "the foot of a river or plain" or "foot of hill place,." King William's English census of 1066 shows five Bradfoot families holding land in Yorkshire. The name "Turgis Bradfot" appears in 1157 in the Scottish Pipe Rolls of Cumberland, and Roger Bradfot in 1247 in the Assizes Rolls of Bedfordshire. By 1296, the name appears as "Bradfute", and, by 1379, the names "Bradfotte", "Brodefotte", and "Braydfot" were found in northern England. A fuller description of the origin of the Broadfeet may be found in a book prepared by Rev. James R. Broadfoot for the 1984 Broadfoot Clan Reunion in Seaforth, Ontario.

              “Bradfute, Braidfoot, Broadfoot. Evidently of local origin from some lost place name formerly either in Ayrshire or Dumfriesshire. The opposite is Braidhead (Dumfriesshire). The name is almost identical in meaning with the Gaelic place name Bondriech, "foot of hill place". Marian Bradfute was the wife of Sir William Wallace. Robert Braidfute was the vicar of Dunnyn, 1491. William Bredfut was minister of Falkland, 1593. James Braidfoot was a merchant in Edinburgh in 1611. James Bredfoot was retoured heir in lands in parish of Dunss in 1678. The surname is common in Lanark Commissariot Record. There was an old Cumberland family of Braidfoot. There are records of a Bradfut in 1573, Bradfutt in 1566, Breadfoot in 1639; also Braidfutt, Breadfotte, Bredfute, and Breydfut.”

       The Emperor Charlemagne was the son of Pepin "The Short", King of France, and his wife Bertha Broadfoot of Laon, France, originally from Scotland. Charlemagne's wife was Hildegard, the Schwabian Princess of Vinzgua. One of their children was Louis I, King of France.

       The beautiful Marian Bradfute, daughter of Sir Hugo Brodfute, the Earl of Lamington in 1296, was the wife of Sir William Wallace, son of Malcolm Wallace, the Scottish commoner, hero, and great liberator of Scotland in 1297 (and the hero of the recent movie "Braveheart"). They were secretly married, probably when she was about fourteen years of age, the age of adulthood in Scotland in those times. King Edward Longshanks did not tolerate marriages outside of the Church of England. Contrary to the fiction of the movie, Marion outlived William and gave birth to their daughter. In time, she was murdered by the British. Her daughter lived to adulthood and married into the Baillie Clan, and the lands of Lamington were turned over to the Baileys. That story is detailed in Rev. James Broadfoot's reunion book, pp 9-10. By the way, in 1314, Scotland did win its freedom from England.

       In England, the name became Bradford; in Scotland it became Broadfoot. In 1638, an Agnes Broadfoot lived in Glengarne, Dumphrieshire.

       The modern Broadfoot name is clearly Scottish. Our Broadfoots, only one of many Bradfute families, originated in the Dumfrieshire lowlands region of southwestern Scotland. (In 1259, it was called “Dunfres”, named after the fort on the hill. A hundred years later, it was granted a charter as a city.) The Royal Burgh of Dumfries is the seat of the Nithsdale district of Dumfries, which lies near the border of England on the River Nith, 8 miles from the Solway Firth, an Irish Sea inlet. Robert Burns, the Scottish national poet, lived there from 1791 until his death in 1796.

       Bradfute is a rather common name in Scotland, and has been for quite some time, as well as its derivatives Broadfoot, Braidfoot, and Bradfoot. Did we all descend from the same one way back when? Probably, although the name may have been assigned to a family that lived at the foot of the "broad", and there may have been several or even many families with such a designation. Imagine: "Robert at the foot of the broad", since back in the middle ages they didn't have or use last names.

       It should be noted that Dumfries was the birthplace of bicycling. The bicycle was invented and the first one built by a Dumfries blacksmith in 1839. "

"Hands Across the Sea -- 1834-1984 -- Hands Across the Borders", by Rev. James R. Broadfoot, 1984. This book was written by Rev. Broadfoot in preparation for the 1984 Broadfoot family reunion in Seaforth, Ontario, Canada, and was published privately. It is not available commercially. [Information source: Bill Brobst [Brobst-Hager@embarqmail.com]

Graveyards in the Old Country

2012-01-03T08:20:00.002-05:00

Tombstone Tuesday: Graveyards in Scotland

The celebration of the New Year was more important to my ancestors (and probably yours) so I guess it is natural that I think about how my Scottish, English and French ancestors welcomed the New Year. Because of another researcher on Ancestry.com, I have some more records that are convincing me that I am "on the right track with the lineage of my ancestor, Jane Hannah.

I felt unsure what two other researchers discovered about this family many years ago. I had my reasons. Having reasons (using Scottish records at Scotlands People and census records at Ancestry.com) has helped me find the right parents for Jane. She was the first wife of my monument maker, John Broadfoot.

It is lovely that many Web site are adding photos of the graveyards in the "old countries". We here in America don't appreciate our oldest graveyards.

Here is an example in photos, for Tombstone Tuesday, of a place that I might have ancestors buried. I know there is a castle nearby. My ancestors, in this line, were farmers. They didn't live in the castle.

Caerlaverock Parish Church & Graveyard

Where it Began

2012-01-02T08:01:00.001-05:00

Where it Began: Rebecca Noyes
[Repost from December of 2011]

This summer, I will be traveling to CT to the Thomas Stanton Reunion. This reunion is held every three years. I am going to make a display about this gravestone for members to look at while they are at the reunion.

This is a gravestone that I sought out after photographing the gravestone of my family that I knew where to find. That's when I got the idea to teach people how to find, photograph and do gravestone research.

Gravestone Tips

2012-01-02T07:57:00.000-05:00

When the new Blogger interface was announced, I eagerly jumped on the concept of "Pages" to put the posts and ideas that I think people need to make the best use of my blog. I noticed that I have had a lot of visitors to them in the past months.

Gravestone Tips are available for you to look at. I welcome ideas and links for this Page.

Monument Maker

2012-01-01T11:45:00.000-05:00

New Year's Day, 2012 [Repost]


John Broadfoot

Scottish Monument Maker

This photo of my Scottish great-grandfather, John Broadfoot, was taken in 1923, shortly before his death on 21 Nov 1924 of carcinoma of the stomach in Dalbeattie, Scotland.

The original of this photo belongs to a descendant of his son John Broadfoot and was never see by anyone in my family until a few years ago when they found my tree on Ancestry.com

John was a granite hewer and was married twice. His first wife, Jane Hannah, my ancestor died in 1895 after having seven children. I met her oldest child Jane Smith Broadfoot ("Aunt Jeannie") and her youngest Margaret Harcomb Broadfoot ("Auntie Peg") Both were old ladies at the time.

Jane's sons John, James and Thomas (my grandfather) also came to America. She and John also had an infant son that died. Their son James, died in Vancover, BC of exposure and drink and his body may have been sent back to Scotland for burial. This explains the names on the gravestone in Dalbeattie.

Their daughter, Esther Wakeman Broadfoot, married John Ferguson and had a son. I have not researched them as yet. I am quite sure that they did not come to America. I could still have family in Dalbeattie, Scotland. Hey, can't a genealogist dream?

Much of this information comes from family history I gathered and from the Scotland census records. I was thrilled to have a granddaughter of John and Jane's son, John, who settled in California, send me several wonderful photos including this one of great grandfather John and the monument he was working on.

John married again, to Helen Tait and the story continues...

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T14:36:00.001-05:00

Window 2 World, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Happy New Year 2012

Long ago, my grandmother let me stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve. Of course, she had to wake me up to do so!

I was not impressed that the view outside her window looked like just any other winter night and that in the morning, the world did not look fresh and new.

Maybe I should begin 2012, with a new shape of window? This is my last year of being a professional genealogist. Setting goals for this year might be hard. There's still a lot I'd like to accomplish before I magically turn back into a regular genealogist and family historian.

But, this blog will not really be any different since it was started while I was involved with my previous career.

Happy New Year to all my readers. Thanks for following along on my graveyard adventures.

Daniel Steadman's Journal

2011-12-23T12:41:00.000-05:00

Daniel Steadman's Journal
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Update: As this journal had been accepted as proof of a death date in my Mayflower papers for the family of Tourgee who married into the Billington family, I have been working on the genealogical information presented throughout and in the Appendix of this transcribed and edited (by Cherry Bamburg) journal.

I have discovered that Daniel Steadman was my first cousin, 6 times removed. Our common ancestors were his grandparents, Daniel Stedman and wife Susannah Perry. They were one set of my 6th great grandparents.

This is the previous post:
Purchased on a whim, this journal of Daniel Stedman, published by the Rhode Island Genealogical Society is going to be a treasure trove of genealogical "stuff" that isn't available anywhere else.

I had heard this many times, but I didn't believe it until I sat down to browse through the contents.

Apparently Daniel was a friend and neighbor to my Jabez Champlin Gardiner! He is referred to as J. C. Gardner in this book. Daniel often borrowed his wagon and horse to go to funerals/burials and to haul shingles and such. He is mentioned on many pages and most are like this:

October 17, 1838 p. 163
"...I Let J.C. Gardner have 12 Dollars which paid my part of the School House Money and he gave me a receipt..."

Daniel left us a great journal. I imagine he would have been shocked that we enjoyed it in this 21st century.

This book is going to be very valuable to the understanding of my ancestors who lived in Rhode Island during this time period. I am early reading the well done introduction, genealogy charts and the index.

Section 6

2011-12-16T10:19:00.001-05:00

Section 6, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Testing

Granite in My Blood Office

2011-12-14T11:54:00.001-05:00

Granite in My Blood Office, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Happy Holidays to all my readers! I will be taking a vacation starting with this post until after the Christmas holidays.

I will be posting some technology and genealogy posts in my other blog called Beyond the Horizon during this time period.

This is a photo of my desktop computer in the room where I spend most of my days. While it was cleaned up (grin), I thought you'd like to see it.

See you later....

Acorns & Leaves II

2011-12-14T11:26:00.001-05:00

Acorns & Leaves II, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

I have now moved all the blog posts that were part of one of my blogs called, The Stewart Family of North Stonington.

There are other gravestones in this small family cemetery. Most have no living descendants. Only one branch of this family still lives in that area.

The only other blog that covers this is available here.

Stewart Family Reunion Photo

2011-12-14T11:23:00.001-05:00

Stewart Reunion, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

The Stewart Family of North Stonington

This is a scanned copy (one of two) of an undated photo of the Stewart/Steward family homestead. It was obtained from Gladys Chase of the North Stonington Historical Society from the archives stored at the Society.

This photo was probably taken the same day as the other photo as the windows in the house are open to the same level.

Look closely to the left side where the two men are standing. What are those poles? Do you see the Stewart Hill cemetery? Note the wooden gate on the side where the house is, which I don't think is there now.

Stewart Family Reunion Photo

2011-12-14T11:21:00.001-05:00

Stewart Family Reunion, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

The Stewart Family of North Stonington

This is a scanned copy (one of two) of an undated photo of the Stewart/Steward family homestead. It was obtained from Gladys Chase of the North Stonington Historical Society from the archives stored at the Society.

Maureen Taylor, world known "photo detective" examined it and sets the date, from the clothing, at about 1900.

There are many mysteries about this photo. What was the reason for the reunion? Who is the couple standing posed having their photo taken and are the people attending family, neighbors or friends. Note that some are Orthodox Jews.

Barbary PALMER

2011-12-14T11:19:00.001-05:00

Barbary PALMER, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

The Stewart Family of North Stonington

Barbary5 (Barbara) PALMER (William4, William3, Gershom2, Walter1) was born 27 Jan 1750 in Stonington, New London, CT. She was a daughter of William PALMER, Jr. (1704-1781) and his wife Abigail WYATT (-1784).

She and Nathan were married 1 May 1768 in Stonington and were the parents of the following ten children: (red text indicates my ancestor)

Nathan, 1769-1850, m (1) Honor BROWN, m (2) Anna BROWN
Barbary , 1771-?, m Capt. Nehemiah BROWN
Edward, 1774-1837, m. Rebecca NOYES
Priscilla, 1778-?, m. Noyes WHEELER
Betsey, 1780-1861, m Col. Dension RANDALL
Russell W., 1783-?, m. Caroline LORD
George Palmer, 1786-1851 m. Mary ("Polly") HEWITT
Phebe, 1789-?, m. Oliver SWAN
Cyrus, 1792-?, m. Sophia CROCKER
Apphia, 1795-?, died young

Stewart Homestead

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Stewart Homestead (side), a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

The Stewart Family of North Stonington

This is the side view of the Stewart house that has been torn down. On the other side of the house, there is the small Stewart Cemetery. I have been told that it might now be surrounded by trees and not as easily visible as it was when I visited this location.

Stewart Homestead

2011-12-14T11:13:00.001-05:00

Stewart Homestead (Front), a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

The Stewart Family of North Stonington

(This house has been torn down and the property is now owned by a non-family member)

When was the first Stewart home built on Stewart Hill [now Wyassup Rd.]?

Nathan Steward (1745-1813) "bought out the family rights in the old homestead and built a house, which was afterward occupied by his son Edward (my ancestor) (1774-1837) and then by Denison Stewart (1807-1867)." [Wheeler: p. 605]

This is significant because it mentions that first of all, there was an old Stewart house, and secondly that this house remained in the family until Dension Stewart died in 1867. [I have found evidence of who owned the house after that through obituaries that mention the house next to the Stewart Hill cemetery.] This tells us that the house was owned by a Stewart from circa 1759 to 1867.

The notes of Mrs. A. Morgan Stewart indicate that the first house was being built by William Stewart, Jr. and his death [by family tradition] resulted from a broken neck after falling down the front stairs of the unfinished house. This puts the date of the old homestead in progress in abt. 1759.

I am not sure when the cemetery next to the homestead was first built. Upon my first visit, Gladys Chase told me that the house that was there at the time was being torn down. It was in great disrepair but I took photos anyway.

Nathan STEWARD

2011-12-14T11:11:00.000-05:00

Nathan STEWARD
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Nathan3 STEWARD (William2, Jr. William1, Sr.) was born 22 Jun 1745 in Stonington, CT. He married Barbary PALMER 1 May 1768 in Stonington, CT. He died 1 Nov 1813 in Stonington.

He is buried in Great Plain Cemetery #57 in North Stonington, CT on the top of the hill beside his wife.

His gravestone is sandstone and is flaking off but the footstone remains above ground.

"In memory of/ Mr. Nathan Steward/who died/Nov. 1, 1813/aged 69 years."

Nathan STEWARD [my 4th great grandfather] and his wife Barbary PALMER are the first gravestones I have been able to find in my STEWART/STEWARD line.

As Nathan and Barbary had ten children, I am hoping to meet other descendants researching them. [to date I know of only one person.] They are buried in the Great Plain Cemetery in North Stonington in the near center of the graveyard on a hill. Their gravestones are sandstone and they are flaking off BUT they both have intact footstones.

The links here will take you to my gravestone blog where I am posting gravestone photos and information.

Nathan3 STEWARD/STEWART (William2, William1) was born 22 June 1745 and died 1 Nov 1813 in Stonington, New London, CT. He married Barbary PALMER on 1 May 1768.

"He was a man of great resolution and his wife was a noble woman. He lived to see nearly all his children married." [Wheeler p. 605-606]

Stephens-Stevens Family

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The Stewart Family of North Stonington

Stephens-Stevens Genealogy Lineage from Henry Stephens or Stevens of Stonington, Connecticut by Plowden Stevens, New York, 1909, Frank Allababen Genealogical Co. [Repository: Ancestry.com]

Appendix [p. 299: Stewart family listed with reference to Stonington VR Book 3, Page 128 [William and Elizabeth Stevens marriage, Lucretia, Lucy, Nathan, Elizabeth, Mary, William, Content, Elisha and Eliphalet birth dates]

First Generation
#1 Henry1 STEPHENS, Sr. p. 23 married Elizabeth GALLUP, daughter of Capt. John GALLUP and Hannah LAKE. She was born at Stonington, CT. [This source says Elizabeth GALLUP's dates of birth, marriage and death are not known.] Henry, Sr.'s death is listed on p. 47 as 1726.

Second Generation
#4 Henry2 STEPHENS, Jr. p. 23-26 was the third child, third son of five children. He was born 20 Nov 1681 in Stonington and bapt. 18 Feb 1693 in the Congregational Church. He married Elizabeth FELLOWS on 2 Mar 1708/1709. Elizabeth was admitted to the North Stonington Church on 16 Jun 1741. She was born at Ipswitch, Essex, MA 14 Sept 1685, daughter of Ephriam FELLOWS and his second wife Anna. It is not known when Elizabeth died but she was still alive 16 Jan 1749/1750 as mentioned in her deed of land to her daughter.

Henry and Elizabeth had seven children. #15 Simeon married Mercy COATS [p. 47 marriage 3 Nov 1737 by Theophilus Baldwin, Justice in Stonington] and had son Jared [p. 37] and his sister #18 Elizabeth married William STEWART, Jr. and had daughter Lucy. Lucy and Jared married and they were first cousins.

William STEWART

2011-12-14T10:58:00.001-05:00

William STEWART, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

The Stewart Family of North Stonington

This is the gravestone of William3 Stewart (William2, Lieut. William1).

William STEWART, born 16 Mar 1752 in Stonington, New London, son of William STEWART [Jr.]and his wife Elizabeth STEPHENS married (1) Anna COATES 25 Sept 1744 and (2) Amanda DARROW. He died 23 Jan 1843 and is buried in the Stewart Hill Cemetery in North Stonington, New London, CT.

"He was a master mechanic, built saw mills and grist mills."

"Wm. Stewart/Soldier in the Revolution/DIED/Jan. 23, 1843/in the 92 yr/of his age./An ancient pillar of our land has fallen by the Almighty hand"

Source: Wheeler's History of Stonington, page 606-607Birth: Barbour Index Stonington Vital Records Vol. 3 p. 151 William, s. W[illia]m & Elizabeth, b. 16 Mar 1752

Note: William was my 4th great-grand uncle.

Migration to New York

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Many families from the Stonington, CT area, migrated to areas in New York. Some settled down but some returned back to Connecticut.

Hal Miller, Webmaster of the Berne Historical Society in New York, wrote this article about those families. The Web page for the Berne Historical Project is of great interest to any of us with families that moved to New York. It is rich with census records, maps and gravestones.

Hal so loved the idea of this blog, that he started one for the sharing of ideas about these families called Berne, New York Blog. I hope you will visit it.

Other Early Stewart Ancestors

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Nathan STEWARD, son of Lieut. William STEWARD/STEWART

[Stewart Clan Magazine, page 190]

"Nathan2 STEWARD (William1), born Jan. 8, 1717, in Stonington, Conn. perhaps died in 1743. Administrator's bond on the estate of Nathan Stewart was filed June 15, 1743 by his father, William Stewart [Probate, E:13]."

Nathan Steward dies unmarried and without issue.

Lucretia STEWART and Dr. John BARTLETT

While researching Dr. John BARTLETT, husband of Lucretia STEWART, I discovered that they may have been married on the island of Nantucket, MA. I thought this was quite interesting for the time period so I pursued it further.

The Vital Records of Nantucket at Ancestry.com lists a lot of Bartlett names of births and marriages of children but since I have accesss to this at NEHGS, I decided to look there for information since I had no idea what PR38 meant for a source. Luckily, this is annotated at NEHGS and says:

"private record, from the William C. Folger genealogical records in the possession of the Nantucket Historical Association (This compilation has been used because of the valuable clues it affords, but its statements should be received with caution, as it is not free from errors. It should also be understood that in many instances the events recorded did not take place in Nantucket, and in a few cases attention has been called to the question of residence.)"

This makes me wonder about the marriage of Lucretia Stewart and a Dr. John Bartlett of Lebanon, CT. It says that she was of Amherst?

Since this could be a different Lucretia and the VR listing of Nantucket's locations may be wrong how can this be verified?

Lucy STEWART

Lucy STEWART, daughter of William STEWART, Jr. and his wife Elizabeth STEVENS was born 30 July 1743 in Stonington, CT. [Barbour Index: Stonington VR Book 3 Page 128]

Lucy married Jared4 (Simeon3, Henry2, Henry1) STEVENS [her cousin].

Jared STEVENS was born 28 Sept 1739 in Stonington, son of Simeon STEVENS and Mercy COATS. [Jared #54 pps. 67-68, STEPHENS-STEVENS Genealogy by Plowden Stevens] Jared was the grandson of Henry STEVENS and his wife Elizabeth FELLOWS and so was Lucy STEWART which makes Jared and Lucy first cousins.

Jared and Lucy lived in Stonington CT, Voluntown, CT, Stephentown, NY and Knox, Albany, NY. Jared was a farmer and possibly was a Revolutionary solider in the 2nd Rensselaer Battalion, Albany County Regiment. [Jared is listed in the DAR Patriot Index and in this database listed below]

Ancestry.com. New York Military in the
Revolution
[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network,
Inc., 2000.
Original data: Electronic reproduction of New York in the
Revolution as Colony
and State, Vol. II, originally published in
1897.

Heading: Albany
County Militia -- Fourth
Regiment
Rank: Enlisted Men
Name: Jered Stephens

He died abt 1800 after being thrown from a horse.

Lucy and her son William [this is not correct; he did not die in this fire] died in the burning of their home in Knox, Albany, NY in December 1820

There were nine children:
William 1761-
Jared II 1763-1853
Lucy 1765-
Mary 1767-
Jedediah 1770-1857
Elizabeth 1772-
Roswell 1775-1854
Eliphalet 1777-
Simeon 1780-1856

Wiilliam STEWART, Jr.'s Children

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William STEWARD Jr., son of Lieut. William STEWARD/STEWART
[Stewart Clan Magazine, May, 1926]

William2 STEWARD, [Jr.] was born Dec. 26, 1714, in Stonington, Conn. married there Dec. 4, 1740, Elizabeth Stephens, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Fellows) STEPHENS. He died prior to Jan. 4, 1760, [see notes below] for on that date his widow Elizabeth was appointed administratrix of his estate. She subsequently married Joseph PALMER, a widower with nine children and had a daughter by him named Sabra.

Family legend says he fell down the stairs of the unfinished Stewart Homestead and broke his neck and died.
The Diary of Jabez Fitch recorded the death of William as "Sund: ye 9th...This Day Wm Stewert was burried &c." [buried 9 Dec 1759] [The Complete Mayflower Descendant, Vol. XV, Diary of Jabez Fitch, Jr., Page 148. Source: Genealogy.com]

Children:

Lucretia born July 30, 1741, m. Mar. 8, 1761, Dr. John Bartlett of Lebanon, [CT]
Lucy born July 30, 1743, m. Jared Stephens/Stevens, her [1st] cousin
Nathan born June 22, 1745, m. May 1, 1768 Barbara [Barbary] Palmer
Elizabeth born Oct 7, 1747, m. John Coates, as [his] second wife
Mary born Nov 28, 1749, m. Oliver Wilcox
William born Mar. 16, 1732, m. (1) Sept. 25, 1774 married (2) Amanda Darrow
Content born June 6, 1754, m.Timothy Coates
Elisha born June 29, 1757, m. Sarah Witter
Eliphalet born Aug 14, 1759, m. Mercy Coates

Marriage of William STEWART, Jr.

2011-12-14T10:28:00.002-05:00

[Barbour Index, Stonington, p. 372], Vol. 3, p. 128

Steward, William, Junr, m. Elizabeth STEPHENS, Dec 4, 1746 by Rev. Joseph Fish

Children of William Stewart

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[Wheeler's History: page 605] [Print]

#2. William Jr., b. Dec. 26, 1714
#3. Nathan, Jan 8, 1717
#4. Oliver, b. Feb. 12, 1719
#5. Phineas, b. May 16, 1721
#6. Lemuel, b. May 3, 1723, d. Feb last, 1727 [the last day of February]
#7. Sarah, b. Jan 10, 1725-6
#8. Content, b. Dec. 24, 1727
#9. Eliphalet, b. Nov. 10, 1729
#10. Lemuel, Jan. 31, 1732

[First Church of Stonington Baptism Records] (NEHGS [online])

Oliver
1719 Oct 25
William has s. Oliver b.

Phineas and Lemuel
1725 Apr 25
William had ch [children] Phmichas Lemuel b.

Sarah
1725 July 4
William had d. Sarah b.

Nathan
1717 Sept 1
Nathan s. Wm b.

[Barbour Index Stonington p. 372] Vital Records Vol 2 Page 14 (Ancestry.com [online])

Steward, William, s. William, b. Dec. 26, 1714
Steward, Nathan, s. William, b. Jan 3, 1716/7
Steward, Oliver, s. William, b. Feb. 12, 1718/19
Steward, Phinehas, s. William, b. May 16, 1721
Steward, Lemuel s. William, b. May 3, 1723; d. Feb 28, 1727
Steward, Sarah d. William, b. Dec 24, 1727
Stewart Content, d. William, b. Nov 10, 1729

Mary BELLOWS

2011-12-14T10:03:00.000-05:00

Mary BELLOWS was second wife of Lieut. William STEWART. Mary and Lieut. William had no children.

[Barbour Index, Stonington, p 371] and [Wheeler: History p. 605]

Stewart William, Lieut. m. Mary BELLOWS, Mar 16, 1747 by Rev. Ebenzer Punderson. Vol 3, page 151.
There seems to be no more information about Mary BELLOWS.

Sarah CHURCH

2011-12-14T10:02:00.002-05:00

Sarah CHURCH was the first wife of Lieut. William STEWART and the mother of all of his children. It may not be that this woman Sarah Church is of the Church family referenced below as all that is really known of her is her death record in the Barbour Index of Vital Records of CT.

[Barbour Index, Stonington, page 371] Stewart, Sarah, w. Lieut. William, d. Mar 2, 1745 Vol. 3 , Page 151.

Another Sarah Church surfaces in Massachusetts in the family of Garrett Church:

Vital records of Massachusetts to 1850: Watertown [203: 1689] page 128 source: NEHGS
Baptism "Ye 6th of October 1689 one child, of David Churche's called Sarah"

There is an article at NEGHS in the Register [Vol 123, July 1969, p. 186] which discusses the CHURCH family.

It states that Sarah was the daughter of David CHURCH and his wife Mary. Mary's surname is unknown. David CHURCH was the youngest son of Garrett CHURCH. There was an different David Church that married a woman name Mary Wild.

James Savage's "Genealogical Dictionary of New England" Archive CD Books [$29.95] lists the family of CHURCH.

David CHURCH was born 1 Sept 1657 [Savage]. His wife Mary was admitted to the church the day that their son John was baptized on 6 Nov 1687. The daughter, Sarah, was baptized there 6 October 1689. David was an innkeeper in Watertown, Massachusetts in 1687 and 1688.

He was later called a tailor. There is no record of a marriage of David and Mary CHURCH.

Garrett CHURCH, the immigrant ancestor, was born ca. 1611 probably in England and died bef 3 Feb 1665/1666 in Watertown, MA (now is Middlesex county). His occupation was tailor. He was admitted to the Watertown Church prior to 2 May 1649 and married Sarah, whose maiden surname is unknown, in Watertown. She was probably born in England ca. 1614 and she died in Watertown.

Garrett and Mary had John, Samuel (married Rebecca daughter of William SHATTUCK), Mary, Jonathan and David.

David CHURCH removed to Killingly, CT (Windham county) about 1708 and died there aft. 1738, aged about 80 years. His wife Mary died at a very old age.

There is a Church family Web page maintained by Dan Bornt of IL

Lieut. William STEWART

2011-12-14T09:56:00.002-05:00

There is an early vital record listed in the Barbour Index Vol 3 Page 5. [Barbour Index, Stonington, p. 371] source: Ancestry.com [online]

STEWART William, d, Mar 4, 1733/4

This is the earliest Stewart vital record. This is a "ledger" book, handwritten in script, and probably says [in Book/Vol. 3 page 5]:

William Stewart departed this life March 4th 1733/4

It is speculated that this may be the father of Lieut. William but the only reason for that is that in Lieut. William's will he left money for a gravestone for his father but it doesn't state where the father was buried or what his name was.

As there are so many small graves in wooded land in North Stonington, this grave may turn up but even if it does, we do not know if this is the father of Lieut. William.

We don't know why Lieut. William was given the title of Lieut. either!

Lieut. William STEWART has no recorded birth date or place in the Vital Records of North Stonington. It is not known if he was born in America, England or Scotland.

The Vital Records of North Stonington are recorded in the Barbour Index under STEWART and STEWARD. The original records are housed at the Town Hall in North Stonington and early records are archived in the old Town Hall.

The surname for this family is spelled most often as STEWART but some of the oldest records list it as STEWARD. Some descendant families and some secondary sources (like newspapers) spell the name as STUART.

Lieut. William STEWART was baptized "as an adult" on 13 Feb 1710 by Rev. James NOYES of The First Congegational Church. [This church is now called the Road Church] This record is listed at NEHGS in the Index to the Records of the First Church of Stonington, CT.

Stewart-Steward-Stuart 1710 Feb 13 William (a dull) b. [record type] Baptism

This does not mean that William was a "dull" person; it is how the record was recorded and transcribed with two ll's instead of the modern lt in the word adult.

This event is also listed in [Wheeler: History of Stonington, page 605]

Lieut. William married for his first wife, Sarah CHURCH on 5 May 1713 [Barbour Index Stonington p. 372] source: Ancestry.com and [Wheeler: History of Stonington, page 605]

Steward, William m Sarah Church May 5, 1713 Vol. 2 p. 14

In 1728 he purchased lands containing Asoupsuck Pond, north of Stewart Hill from Richard and Henry Stevens. source: [Wheeler: History of Stonington, page 605]

Another source for information on this family is a publication called, "The Stewart Clan Magazine" and that will be referenced here.

It is assumed that Lieut. William was of age when baptized and when he purchased land so it is possible he was born abt. 1690, but this is not verifiable as far as anyone knows.

Sarah and William had 9 children. One son named Lemuel died and they named a later child with the same name. This was customary for the times.

Sarah was the mother of all nine children.

After Sarah died [see her entry], Lieut. William married second, Mary BELLOWS.

[Stewart Clan Magazine: May, 1926, Vol. IV No. 11, page 189]

Lieut. William STEWARD of Stonington, CT by Horace W. Dickerman, New Haven, Conn. [Mr. Dickerman was of the opinion that Steward was of the family closely related to the mother of Oliver Cromwell, but this is still unproven.]

"Lieut. William Steward was baptized as an adult on Feb. 13, 1710, in the Congregational church in Stonington. He married (1) May 5, 1713, Sarah Church. On Dec. 27, 1722, he and his wife Sarah deeded to "ye Reverend Mr. Creighead, clerk in Stonington," land they had bought five days previously of Saxton Palmer. He bought Apr. 4, 1726, of Aaron Stark, land in Voluntown, and on Nov. 5, 1728, he bought land of Richard Stephens and Henry Stephens, in North Stonington. On Apr. 9, 1727, Sarah Stewart was dismissed to the church in North Stonington. On Mar. 2, 1729-30, William Stuard, yeoman, of North Stonington, deeded to Jonathan Dean the land in Voluntown, which he had bought of Aaron Stark. [Alexander Steuard sold land in Voluntown Feb. 11, 1729-30, to this same Jonathan Dean Cf. p. 21] He acquired the title of lieutenant, and was a man of prominence. It is said that he knew the line of his ancestry back to kings, and a set of dished bearing a coat-of-arms was later in possession of his descendants. His wife Sarah died Mar. 2, 1745. He married (2) Mar. 16, 1747, Mary Bellows. The date of his death is unknown. In his will, drawn Oct. 20, 1753, probated Dec. 26, 1754, he provided for "grave stones for my father, and fomer wife, and child and myself.", made bequests to his "two grandsons William Steward" and mentioned the following children (except for the first Lemuel) whose births were recorded in Stonington.

[note: births mentioned above same as those in the vital records]

For Stewart Researchers

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Stewart Hill Cemetery, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

The Stewart Family of North Stonington, CT

Stewart Hill Family Cemetery [list of persons buried there]

[Wheeler: History of Stonington]

Richard Anson Wheeler's book is titled, "History of the Town of Stonington, county of New London, Connecticut, from its First Settlement in 1649 to 1900 with a genealogical Register of Stonington Families." It is currently published by the Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc. Baltimore, MD. 1977 and was originally published in New London, CT in 1900. This book is not in the public domain and is still copyrighted. I purchased my copy through Alibris.

[North Stonington Historical Society]
[A. Morgan and Dorothy Stewart, compilers]

North Stonington Historical Society is located at 1 Wyssaup Road, North Stonington, CT. This houses the work of A. Morgan Stewart and his wife Dorothy Kellogg Stewart who compiled a genealogy of family group sheets on this family taken from vital records, land records and family lore. We are lucky to have this resource. A. Morgan Stewart and his wife Dorothy Stewart are deceased.

[Stewart Clan Magazine]

The Stewart Clan Magazine was a publication [editor; Thomas, Edson [of Filley, Nebraska] in the 1900s for all Stewart families.

[Barbour Index]

This is an index of the vital records of Connecticut. As the Stonington/Mystic/Groton area is near Pawcatuck, CT and Westerly, RI there are marriages listed there for Stewarts. (This is available in print format but I access it with my subscription to Ancestry.com)

[Stevens-Stephens Genealogy]

Stephens-Stevens Genealogy Lineage from Henry Stephens or Stevens of Stonington, Connecticut by Plowden Stevens, New York, 1909, Frank Allababen Genealogical Co. [Repository: Ancestry.com]

The Stewart Clan Magazine

2011-12-13T14:39:00.000-05:00

The Stewart Family of North Stonington, CT

For all things "Stewart", researchers have been lucky to have access to a 10 volume magazine whose first volume was published in 1922. Google Books has them all "bound" together in a downloadable PDF. For easy searching, use the one version and then print the pages you need from the downloadable PDF.

The Stewart Clan Magazine
George Thomas Edson, 1922, The Stewart Clan Society of America, Inc. 1922

The Stewart Legend

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The Stewart Family of North Stonington, Connecticut

"Two British sailors who had been pressed onto service jumped ship along the New England coast in the 1660's and lived with the Indians for a time to avoid being caught. According to Frank Church of Petersburg, New York, the two sailors, Church and Stewart formed a bond of friendship and swore the two families would always be closely associated. No hard evidence but Frank's mother lived to a "ripe" old age and his grandmother lived to be 103 years old, so the stories may have been handed down. William may have been descended from Elizabeth Stewart, Mother of Oliver Cromwell. "He acquired the title of Lieutenant and was a man of prominence. It is said that he knew the line of his ancestry back to the Kings and a set of dishes bearing a coat-of-arms was later in possession of his descendents"

[Research of Mamie Ford Smail, WorldConnect] From the [Stewart Clan Magazine May, 1926]

This interesting tale is in almost all the publications you may read about this family. If there is any fact to this, it would mean that Stewarts have been another generation back from Lieut. William Stewart.

Any sailor who jumped ship would not have dishes, so perhaps, if this is true, forbearers of Lieut. William came to America after this story.

Where it Began

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Rebecca NOYES, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

The Stewart Family of North Stonington, CT

Merging my Blogs

This post was originally written to bring readers up to date on what this blog "is all about".
I am re-posting it here once again today.

This is the gravestone that started it all. I went in search of this gravestone as this is my maternal line. I still love the simplicity of this gravestone of the mid 1800s. Rebecca was over 40 when she had her last child, my ancestor.

This is the gravestone of Rebecca NOYES, wife of Edward STEWART. Rebecca married Edward on Feb 15, 1801. She was the daughter of Joseph NOYES and his wife Prudence DENISON. I didn't even know that much when I stood in front of this stone and took the photo. She was born 16 Mar 1782 in Stonington.

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.

As you can see she died 30 Sept 1842 aged 61. This is the information I have been gathering about her:

In my family Bible is a very small envelope with faded writing on the outside. I very carefully opened it to find the most fragile handwritten marriage certificate.

Who was the bride listed in this certificate who married into my Stewart family? Her name and Edward’s, her husband, were written in the Bible but with their marriage and death dates.

I decided to find out who Edward and Rebecca were and got very lucky (on the first shot) in finding a lot of help from Gladys Chase at the North Stonington Historical Society. All it took was one email and about a fifteen minute wait.

Rebecca ⁵NOYES one of my 3^rd great grandmothers, was the 2^nd great granddaughter of Thomas STANTON. (Joseph⁴ NOYES, Dea. John³ NOYES, Dorothy² STANTON, Thomas¹ STANTON) I call this NOYES line one of the easiest lines to trace since they were involved in the church, they left behind an easy trail of vital records.

She was the ninth of ten children of Joseph NOYES and his wife Prudence DENISON and my 3^rd great grandmother). She lived her whole life in North Stonington, CT. [Wheeler: Stewart family p. 607]

Rebecca was the wife of Edward STEWART, Edward4 (Nathan3, William2, Jr. William1 Sr.) who was great-grandson of the first STEWART who lived in North Stonington. Edward was a farmer and lived in the house owned by his father Nathan and later by his son Denison STEWART

But oddly, Edward’s great grandfather, William Steward, Sr. was baptized as an adult by Rebecca’s great grandfather, the Rev. James NOYES (husband of Thomas Stanton’s daughter Dorothy) on 13 Feb 1710.

If that wasn’t enough, three siblings of Rebecca married member of the STANTON family.[Thankful NOYES married Thomas STANTON, Polly NOYES married Samuel STANTON, and Denison NOYES married Hannah R. STANTON.]

[Wheeler: Noyes family p. 485]

Tombstone Tuesday: Some Changes

2011-12-13T14:23:00.001-05:00

Behind the Gravestone, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

I have decided to merge two of my blogs. One of my blogs, The Stewart Family of North Stonington, was created as an example for one of the books that I wrote.

I am going to move those posts over to this blog and then delete that blog.

After my upcoming vacation, I will continue to blog as I have been before.

Please Stand By....

A Weary Pilgrim Rests

2011-12-12T08:19:00.001-05:00

A Weary Pilgrim Rests, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Althea Parmenter's Verse

Here a weary Pilgrim rests,/ Reposin (g), on her Saviour's Breast;/ And her spirit soar'd on high,/ To praise her God eternally.

Althea PARMENTER

2011-12-12T08:17:00.001-05:00

Althea PARMENTER, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Miss Althea PARMENTER

Althea rests with her parents and siblings in the Evergreen Cemetery in Marlborough, MA. She was named for her baby sister who died three years before she was born (in 1803). Althea was born in Aug 1806 (calculated from gravestone).

In memory of/Miss Althea,/daugh.of Mr. Ezekiel/& Mrs. Kezia Parmenter./who died/Feb. 4, 1836,/AEt. 29 yrs. & 6 ms.

Happy Birthday, Daughter

2011-12-10T10:49:00.001-05:00

Baby Heather Frazel, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Tomorrow is my daughter's birthday. My doctor liked to take his own photos of the babies he delivered. I am quite fond of this one.

It is hard to believe that my baby is a mom herself. But, today, I will remember her just like this for a few moments.

Nesting Snow People

2011-12-10T10:28:00.001-05:00

Nesting Snow People, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Nesting Toys

Since I am home sick with a bug, I thought I'd mention how much I enjoy reading other blogs with memories of Christmas.

My grandmother outlived her husband by many years. One Easter she gave me a chicken nesting toy in my Easter basket. In her memory, I have been buying at least one nesting toy for every holiday we put out decorations. These snowmen are new this year. I like to collect snow persons but I don't like snow.

You know, I am a very weird person!

Missed a Letter!

2011-12-09T09:32:00.001-05:00

Missed a Letter, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Mistakes must be even worse when carving a gravestone. Good thing there was room next to the n to insert the last letter.

Another Daughter's Gone

2011-12-08T09:09:00.001-05:00

Sally D. Parmenter [verse], a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Sally D. Parmenter

Evergreen Cemetery, Marlborough, MA

Alas! another daughter's gone; But we do trust our loss her gain; In full assurance of God's love, She left this World for that above.

Wordless Wednesday: Striped Shirt

2011-12-07T02:41:00.001-05:00

Striped Shirt, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

A photo of my mother on vacation in Maine in the early 1950s. Clearly, they must have been bored and playing with the camera.

Tombstone Tuesday: Sally D. PARMENTER

2011-12-06T06:32:00.001-05:00

Sally D. PARMENTER, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Sally D. PARMENTER

Buried in the row with her parents, is this lovely weeping willow gravestone which features "posts" that look like bedposts to me.

Forever sleeping here is Sally, who sadly died at the age of 24 on December 23, 1836. Her birth doesn't seem to be reported but as calculated from the date on the gravestone it would be 4 Aug 1812 in Marlborough, MA where this family lived.

One family tree at Ancestry.com states that her middle name was Dalrymple. I recorded that in my notes because it seems to me that that might be the maiden name of an earlier ancestor.

Hear Thy Voice No More

2011-12-05T09:38:00.001-05:00

Ezekiel Parmenter [Verse], a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Verse from the gravestone of Ezekiel Parmenter

Now partner dear, farewell a while;
The time will surely come,
When we, with all the ransom'd world,
Rest in a Father's home.
Farewell Father, here we leave thee,
And we hear thy voice no more;
But in Heaven we hope to meet thee,
When life's fleeting scenes are o'er.

Jacob HARRINGTON

2011-12-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

Jacob HARRINGTON, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Jacob HARRINGTON

died on this day 4 December, 1789

Jacob's gravestone caught my eye because of the date of his death. December 4th is my birthday. Jacob was the son of David Harrington and his wife Mary and was born 10 Feb 1725 in Marlborough, MA. It looks as if he was single. Rest in peace, Jacob.

This is his death record:

Jacob HARRINGTON
Jacob, Dec. 4, 1789, in his 66th year. G,S.5.

Death
Marlborough, MA

Ezekiel PARMENTER

2011-12-03T11:32:00.001-05:00

Ezekiel PARMENTER, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Ezekiel PARMENTER

Husband of Keziah PARMENTER, son of Jedidiah and Silence PARMENTER, Ezekiel was father of 11 children.

He was born in 1771 in Sudbury probably under the name PARMINTER and married Keziah on 15 Jan 1797 in Framingham. He died 26 August 1843 in Marlborough and he is buried next to his wife in the Wilson St. section of Evergreen Cemetery in Marlborough.

His death record, which lists his name as PARMINTER, says he was married at the time of his death and either died on 23 Aug or 26 Aug with a cause of death as Epileptic Fit.

Be Forever Blest

2011-12-02T11:07:00.001-05:00

Keziah Parmenter [Message], a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Verse from the gravestone of Keziah Parmenter Parmenter

Dear children, mourn no more for me,
No more for me repine,
Believe that I am happier far,
Than e'er with you in time:
I've left this world of sin and pain,
And reached a peaceful rest;
'Tis there I trust to meet you all,
And be forever blest.

Keziah PARMENTER

2011-12-01T15:05:00.001-05:00

Kezia PARMENTER, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Kezia or Keziah PARMENTER is buried in the Wilson St. section of Evergreen Cemetery in Marlborough, MA. She was the sister of my husband's ancestor Ezra PARMENTER who married Susan or Susannah BROWN.

Kezia whose maiden name was PARMENTER married a PARMENTER!

She was married on 15 Jan 1797 in Sudbury and died, as you can see here, on 26 July 1849 in Marlborough at 75 years of age.

It is not unique in New England for "cousins" to marry. All of the graves in this row are her family. They photographed very well.

To find her birth record, I had to use the name "Thirze" as it was given in the Parmenter genealogy. She is #602 on page 67.

Thirze PARMENTER
Thirze, d. of Joshua, bp. June 26, 1774. C.R.1. Birth/Framingham, MA

Wordless Wednesday: Training Wheels

2011-11-30T14:49:00.001-05:00

Training Wheels, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Retirement

This week I made a big decision about my future. I decided to semi-retire. It feels a lot like I did when my Dad took the training wheels off my bike; a little wobbly and unsure.

I'll still be doing a lot of the same work. I will still be teaching my cemetery class for Family Tree University, I will still be taking gravestone photos and blogging about them, I'll still be keeping up with technology as it applies to genealogy.

I won't be considering speaking engagements. I don't own a projector for my computer and I won't be sitting for hours creating PowerPoint presentations. I will be making video and mini-presentations to be shown on the Web. In short, I will become more of an Internet genealogist.

I think it is time to spend more time relaxing and reading for pleasure. I need to slow down. Maybe I am really going BACK to the training wheels?

I am not making money being a professional genealogist. It wasn't my goal. I wanted to help people find their roots. I will still do that for a year or so and most likely stop my professional status when I turn 65.

For now, at almost 64, I am content to coast on by waving to you as I travel. I liked the training wheels.

Tombstone Tuesday: Hand of God

2011-11-29T06:14:00.001-05:00

Hand of God, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

I don't see too many new graves with Bible verses on them. I thought it might make an easy Tuesday post!

Side Entrance

2011-11-28T13:12:00.001-05:00

Side Entrance, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

I went to Maplewood Cemetery in Marlborough to look for a few gravestone for a friend. It is a medium sized cemetery so my husband and I walked the interior of 3/4 of it and then drove to the back and looked at newer graves.

I didn't find what I was looking for but we still had ground to cover after and hour and 15 minutes. We logged in what we have left to search and went in search of coffee.

I noticed this little fence in the upper right side of the cemetery. I wonder why it is there? There are two main entrances to this cemetery from the main road.

Interesting?

Lieut. Thomas BIGLO

2011-11-26T14:54:00.001-05:00

Lieut. Thomas BIGLOW, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Evergreen Cemetery in Marlborough, MA on Wilson St. in the old section is this beautiful stone.

I don't think this is a family member of my husband's but it is so clearly readable I just had to photograph it.

Vital records to 1850 say that Lieut. Thomas BIGLO's name might be BIGLOW or BIGELOW. Thomas died 10 Feb 1779 in his 74th year.

Update: one tree at Ancestry.com states that Thomas's wife was Bethia Newton, daughter of Jonathan Newton and Bethia Rice who were my husband's ancestors.

This lovely stone's death message is clear. My glass (hourglass) is run (empty of sand) and so must yours. Everyone dies.

Small Fry

2011-11-24T15:05:00.001-05:00

I close the box, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

"I close the box", says our 2/12 year old grandson. He liked the box the dinner came in more than the dinner.

He gives out hugs and kisses and wore the Native American outfit that my mother made for my daughter. I'm glad I saved it. It was cute. He's curious about everything!

Another holiday, come and gone. Next up? My birthday.

Thanksgiving 1993

2011-11-23T18:07:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving 1993, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Taken in 1993, my daughter took this photo of me showing a photo album to my parents.

Gone but not forgotten.

Improved iPad Google app

2011-11-22T19:52:00.001-05:00

I just downloaded the updated app for Google for my IPad and it is waaaaaayyyy better!

The Pilgrims and Midge

2011-11-22T11:45:00.001-05:00

The Hostess, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

This is a photo taken of me (by my daughter) on Thanksgiving Day, 2006 in my Bridgewater home.

Family history often precedes knowing and proving you are a descendant of those who came early to New England. Many of mine came later than the Mayflower. My paternal grandparents came here from Scotland. We are all immigrants.

My maternal grandparents lived a short distance from the house I grew up in. I know that my mother [my parents] did not grow up in that house as my grandparents bought that house after she graduated from high school. It was a beautiful English Tudor style home which still stands. I spent all my early years at Thanksgiving and Christmas there. [Collage of Houses]

One Thanksgiving, before 1955, my grandparents raised their glasses and toasted to their Mayflower ancestors. As the only child in my family, I was used to the weird grownup conversation but this was something else. "Pilgrims?", I said. "Which ones?" I'd just had that in school. The fact that both grandparents knew their families had them, freaked me out. But, they didn't know which ones. Dinner went on. I remembered.

The winter after my grandfather died, my grandmother showed his family Bible. That's when I became a genealogist. But still, no Pilgrims.

In April of 2004, I bought a $125 book, The History of Stonington, Connecticut, by Judge Richard Anson Wheeler. It was the best money I have spent yet. It may not be perfect but the way it is written helped me piece my grandfather's ancestors together.

On page 340 in the Denison family section, it lists George Denison, grandson of Capt. George as marrying "Mercy Gorham, daughter of Jphn Gorham and wife Desire Howland, daughter of John Howland of the May Flower (sic)." So, I am a Howland.

On page 515 in the Palmer family section, it lists "Thomas Palmer marrying Mrs. Priscilla Chesebrough, daughter of Samuel Chesebrough and wife, Priscilla Alden, and granddaughter of Daid Alden and wife Mary Southworth of Duxbury, Plymouth Colony, and great-grandaughter of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins of Mayflower fame." So, I am an Alden.

Proving this took a lot of time but at least I had a start.

Billington Mayflower line

2011-11-22T10:41:00.001-05:00

Behind the Gravestone, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Our Mayflower Lines: Billington

Midge's Billington Line

John Billington
Francis Billington and Christian Penn
Joseph Billington and Grace
Elisha Billington and Jane
Joseph Billington and Abigail Braman
Sarah Billington and William Tourjee/Tourgee
John Tourgee and Hannah Gould
John Tourgee, Jr. and Maria
Hannah Josephine Barber and Evans Stewart
Dorothy Frances Stewart and Thomas Harcomb Broadfoot
Midge

Howland Mayflower Line

2011-11-22T10:25:00.001-05:00

Behind the Gravestone, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Behind the Gravestone: Our Mayflower Lines

Midge's Howland Line

John Howland
Desire Howland and John Gorham
Elizabeth Gorham and Joseph Hallett
Lois Hallett and Henry Cobb
Eunice Cobb and Benadam Gallup
Benadam Gallup and Hannah Avery
Benadam Gallup and Bridget Palmer
Bridget Gallup and Sands Fish
Levina Fish and Isaac Denison, Jr.
Eliza Fish Denison and Dudley Wheeler Stewart
Charles Edward Stewart and Ada Ann Evans
Evans Stewart and Hannah Josephine Barber
Dorothy Frances Stewart and Thomas Harcomb Broadfoot
Midge

Soule Mayflower Lines

2011-11-22T10:08:00.001-05:00

Gravestone Back, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Behind the Gravestone: Our Mayflower Lines

Midge's Soule Line

George Soule
Susanna Soule and Francis West
Susannah West and Moses Barber
Benjamin Barber and Mary Perry
Benjamin Perry Barber and Hannah Merriott
Matthew Stillman Barber and Phebe Elizabeth Hall
James Albert Barber and Hannah Josephine Tourgee
James Frederick Barber and Nellie Schofield
Hannah Josephine Barber and Evans Stewart
Dorothy Frances Stewart and Thomas Harcomb Broadfoot
Midge

Steve's Soule Line

George Soule
John Soule and Rebecca Simmons
Moses Soule and Mercy Southworth
Jedediah Soule and Tabitha Bishop
Ichabod Soule and Martha Barton
Phebe Soule and Amos Sylvester
Salome Sylvester and Jeremiah Cotton
Eliza Ann Cotton and James Rogers Merrow
Fredericka Bremer Merrow and Vergene Ovando Hyde
Linda Edwards Hyde and Phares David Frazel
Wilbur Hyde Frazel and Ruth Hannah Craig
Steve

Tombstone Tuesday: George SOULE

2011-11-22T08:05:00.001-05:00

George SOULE, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Little did I know when I took this photo that my husband was also a descendant of George Soule!

This is a memorial stone.

Alden Mayflower Lines

2011-11-21T14:45:00.001-05:00

Gravestone Back, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Behind the Gravestone: Our Mayflower Lines

Midge's Alden Line

John Alden
David Alden and Mary Southworth
Priscilla Alden and Samuel Chesebrough
Priscilla Chesebrough and Thomas Palmer
Bridget Palmer and Sands Fish
Levina Fish and Isaac Denison, Jr.
Eliza Fish Denison and Dudley Wheeler Stewart
Charles Edward Stewart and Ada Ann Evans
Evans Stewart and Hannah Josephine Barber
Dorothy Frances Stewart and Thomas Harcomb Broadfoot
Midge

Steve's Alden Line

John Alden
Elizabeth Alden and William Pabodie
Mary Pabodie and Edward Southworth
Mercy Southworth and Moses Soule
Jedediah Soule and Tabitha Bishop
Ichabod Soule and Martha Barton
Phebe Soule and Amos Sylvester
Salome Sylvester and Jeremiah Cotton
Eliza Ann Cotton and James Rogers Merrow
Fredericka Bremer Merrow and Vergene Ovando Hyde
Linda Edwards Hyde and Phares David Frazel
Wilbur Hyde Frazel and Ruth Hannah Craig
Steve

Nesting Thanksgiving 2

2011-11-21T08:43:00.001-05:00

Nesting Thanksgiving 2, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

This nesting set was purchased last year for my collection of touchable Thanksgiving decorations.
(Thanks to Carol for spotting my typo!)

Nesting Thanksgiving Toy

2011-11-20T10:54:00.001-05:00

Nesting Thanksgiving 1, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

I started my nesting collection so that my grandchildren could have a fun thing to play with when they come to visit.

Of course, the clothes are wrong but I do think this is a cute set. Last year, I bought another set. I'll show you that later in the week.

The Parmenter Genealogy

2011-11-18T15:08:00.001-05:00

The Parmenter Genealogy, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

This is the genealogy for the Parmenter family. Written in 2009, this is the only copy I could find to look at.

That's my husband, the Parmenter descendant in the background.

Location of Gravestone

2011-11-18T11:26:00.001-05:00

Ezra Parmenter [Arrow], a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Locating Ezra Parmenter's gravestone

The location of a gravestone in a area of family is important. This is what is difficult to judge when you are looking at gravestones online taken by volunteers.

Standing behind the first row of gravestone near the Parmenter monument, I took this photo of the location of Ezra and Susannah's gravestone (and those next to it).

Because many women have their maiden names on their gravestones or their married name, it may not be obvious to be able to find all the family members.

First Glance

2011-11-16T14:35:00.001-05:00

First Row Parmenters, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Where's Ezra?

At first glance, with using Emily Brady's photos as a guide, I thought this was going to be the easiest graveyard I have ever looked for graves in. I took this photo as I approached the Parmenter monument. (I inwardly groaned at the stones that had fallen over.)

I said to my husband ( remember, these are HIS ancestors), "Oh, good. Piece of cake!" I wanted a cup of coffee. I started to take photos as fast and organized as possible.

He said, "Where is Ezra?" I said, "Oh, I thought he might be behind the monument."

No, he wasn't...

Back of Ezra Parmenter's row

2011-11-16T06:34:00.001-05:00

Back of Ezra Parmenter's row, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Footstones Resting Behind Headstones

This is the back view of the row of Ezra Parmenter's family. Notice that the carekeepers of this cemetery have pulled up the footstones and placed them behind the headstones. This is for easier maintenance of the cemetery.

From right to left:
Jewel, his wife Eliza, Jerusha, and Ezra/Susannah

Old Entrance to Wilson Farm Cemetery

2011-11-16T06:23:00.001-05:00

Old Entrance to Wilson Farm Cemetery, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Old Entrance

As you can see the old entrance to the Evergreen Cemetery still exists. You can't drive up it but it does show how people walked in from the street to visit their ancestors.

It reinforced the fact that this was a separate cemetery on farmland in my mind.

Ezra Parmenter

2011-11-15T14:14:00.001-05:00

Ezra Parmenter, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Section of page 665 of The History of Framingham

Parentage of Ezra PARMENTER

2011-11-15T13:07:00.001-05:00

Vital Records Ezra, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Will the REAL Ezra PARMENTER please stand up?

A cousin of my husband worked on their family tree some years ago. I am glad he did because it gave me a great place to start. Knowing it might not be perfect, I tackled it two years ago with a skeptical eye.

The HYDE line he worked on I could prove but the Parmenters still continue to plague me until this month when I found additional evidence.

I made this screen shot of the list of the Vital Records of 1850 of ALL of Massachusetts of a search of men named Ezra Parmenter. I have discovered the cousin's mistake. It was an easy one to make but not an easy one to prove.

First, we can eliminate the records for Oakham and Cambridge, MA as they are not the right family. The Hyde family records confirm Abraham HYDE's wife, Eleanor as being from Framingham.
Second, I have Ezra Parmenter's gravestone with his wife listed on it. It is another piece of evidence that this is his third great grandfather as it matches the vital record and the entry in the History of Framingham on p. 665. This reads: Ezra Parmenter and Susanna Brown (she of Sudbury) were married in Framingham on 11 Aug 1791.

What happened is that the cousin made the logical mistake of Ezra being the son of Sam[ue]ll and Mary (TOWER) Parmenter born 26 June 1760 in Sudbury. (See the second entry in the screen shot.)

Ezra's birth is recorded as PERMENTER in the Vital Record of Framingham.
PERMENTER: Ezra, s. of Joshua and Pearsis, Jan. 31, 1767. Framingham

Now that I have a better lead of Ezra's parents, I need to look at the death records. We know what it says on the gravestone. It clearly reads 30 Nov 1833. BUT, if you click on the record, it says that GR #5 is a cemetery in Framingham named Edwards. It is an annoying coincidence that Evergreen Cemetery, or Wilson Farm Cemetery as it was once known, is ALSO GR#5.

So, the death record of Ezra 30 Nove 1833, a. 67 GS 5 Marlborough is the right one to match the gravestone.

But, the son of Samuel PARMENTER and Mary TOWER who was born in Sudbury on the same day did he died on the same day as our Ezra but the next year (in Framingham)?

Tombstone Tuesday: Daniel Dexter FAY

2011-11-15T05:45:00.001-05:00

DSC06108, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Daniel Dexter FAY

In the midst of life, we are in death

This simple stone stood out in yesterday's fall sunshine. With no matching graves around him, I wondered why he is buried here alone without a wife or daughter.

His death record stated that he was married and was the son of Daniel P. and Wealthy of Marlborough, born 2 Nov 1831. The 1880 census lists him with a wife and child, working as a stone mason.(wife named Carrie and daughter age 12 named Cora J.)

The death records says he died of alcoholic poisoning and paralysis of the heart. No wife listed but the parents are listed as Daniel P. Fay and Wealthy Morse. The gravestones behind him are of the Morse family.

I hope someone has been looking for this gravestone. He is buried in the Wilson St. section of Evergreen Cemetery.

Evergreen Cemetery

2011-11-14T14:07:00.001-05:00

Evergreen Cemetery, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Evergreen Cemetery, Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts

about 133 Wilson St.

Today, hubs and I went to Evergreen Cemetery in Marlborough to visit with his ancestor, Ezra Parmenter and his wife Susannah (Susan) Brown. They are my hubs third great grandparents. Emily Brady shared her photos with me.

According to my friend David Lambert's excellent resource, A Guide to Massachusetts Cemeteries, 2nd edition. Evergreen Cemetery is located on Wilson St. and has a date of 1959. (p. 147). However, after working with Find-a-Grave and Google Maps, I came to understand that Evergreen is the new name of a merged with older cemetery on Wilson St.

Dave's book also lists the Wilson Farm Cemetery, aka Morse Cemetery as being on Wilson St. with a date of 1764. (p. 148).

I guessed, correctly, that these locations are one in the same. Since this was once farmland, it is a vast area of newer graves with the oldest section fronting right on Wilson St. with the New England ubiquitous stone wall surrounding the cemetery.

This is only important when it comes to how the vital records are connected to the death of the person. Cemetery transcriptions list old cemeteries as GR # [numeral]. The GR stands for grave record.

According to Dave's book, the Wilson Farm/Morse Cemetery is GR#5.

This is the entrance to the cemetery, taken as we left after taking photos. It is a nice wide entrance with plenty of room for cars to be parked inside for funerals or memorial ceremonies.

When you are facing the opposite way you are looking at the lovely Evergreen Cemetery sign at the beginning of this post.

High Tech Midge

2011-11-13T18:01:00.001-05:00

I am amused by my fellow geneabloggers posting their daily routines, so I guess I should admit to my hi-tech lifestyle. I am typing this on my iPhone 4.

I often check my email in the middle of the night. I am often in bed reading by 9 PM. I sleep listening to rain on my old iPod touch with my nook ereader and my iPhone plugged in next to me.

I read my tweets and check Facebook before I get up. Hubs is retired so I let him sleep and get up. Coffee and cereal keep me company while I read a book on my iPad.

Showering, dressing and picking up the house are next. Hubs brings down the laundry and then we have our second coffee. We decide on what we want for supper and I go back upstairs to work until lunch. My work is already laid out on my desk. I blog first or do gravestone research. Then, I answer emails.

I eat a light lunch while we watch the news, finish the laundry, and I read my tweets. Some mornings I go shopping with hubs for a couple hours.

I research most all afternoons until 4 when I cook supper. I talk to my schoolteacher daughter before that on her way home.

After supper, I read the blog posts, tweets on my iPad. Genealogy magazines and books keep me busy reading while we watch TV until I go to bed.

I own two laptops, a desktop computer an iPad, a digital camera, a Flip-pal and a flatbed scanner. We have three printers. Wow. Am I a geek or what?

Parmenter Madness Update

2011-11-12T13:06:00.000-05:00

Update! I finally found the email I sent to one of the people who wrote this book. I filed it under Hyde because I was sending him Hyde data. Now, I can contact him to find out if my work matches up with his!

It pays to keep looking through your files.

Every so often I have a conversation with another genealogist or family historian about "old/outdated/neglected" Web pages that are found by using Google. I remember having this discussion with Dan Lynch when his book about Google first came out. He seemed surprised when I asked him about what was to be done when people stop writing Web pages. Here's an example of what I meant:

Recently, I visited one of these that used to have information on it. This is the index or home page.

Parmenter Family Association

When you examine this page, you see right away that it is not being supported. BUT, then you notice that there must have been data on it at one time. Instead of removing all of the information and "retiring" the family Web site, the author had chose to leave his dead links. There is no useful data on this page. He left his name and his photo on the page along with one of those annoying music playing applets.

I found that the Webmaster has a Facebook page. He has not responded to my friend request. This same person is still posting to a Genealogy forum message board at Genealogy.com

I used the Internet Archive Wayback Machine but still had no luck in finding any information.

You get the feeling that the old ways of using the Web for genealogy are slowly disappearing. I am not a fan of such message boards or family pages because the information is often not reliable.

What are we to do about such dinosaur sites? Isn't keeping this page up on the Web confusing for people seeking free information?

Organizing Genealogical Materials

2011-11-12T11:13:00.001-05:00

Surname Notebooks, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Surname Notebooks a Flickr set.

Some years ago I read an article about "how to" organize your genealogy information. I liked the way the author was thinking and so I began to purchase notebooks and put the "stuff" in them. There are no original materials in these notebooks. All my vital records, etc. are in a fireproof box.

I would have liked to color code the books but it is impossible because I would have to expand a book when what I was filing got too much. I did buy some great crates that are for notebooks so that I could grab one to work on.

Sadly, they no longer make these crates or even the colored notebooks. I shrugged my shoulders and bought three new ones that really don't fit my system.

My husband bought this wall unit for me and put all my notebooks in them. It isn't full because four notebooks are in my office.

I file papers in file folders and then those I want to keep are put in the notebooks.

Someday, I will take each notebook, remove the contents and scan them. Then, I will give away the empty notebooks.

I have learned from others that I will need to do this by the time I am 70 when I will not be able to lift the notebooks or walk up and down the stairs.

Questions?

Teaching Educators about the Pilgrims

2011-11-11T19:54:00.001-05:00

WorkshopQuest: Thanksgiving, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

I used to work at a technology center teaching educators to use technology effectively with their students.

This photo was taken with my first digital camera. This was a memorable day. I am glad to have a photo of it!

Dudley Wheeler Stewart

2011-11-11T08:39:00.001-05:00

Dudley Wheeler Stewart [II], a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Born on November 11, World War I veteran.

Great uncle Dudley (my great uncle, only brother to my maternal grandfather, Evans STEWART), was born on November 11, as you can see here by the lettering on the back of the Denison monument in Elm Grove Cemetery in Mystic, CT.

He lies buried next to my grandfather, with a matching headstone to my grandparents. He has a flag marker for WWI vets and it says, Rhode Island.

Dudley was named for his grandfather of the same name. They are buried within sight of this gravestone.

But, where is his wife? I have found a tree at Ancestry.com that contains her father and mother's name.

Dudley is listed on the Family group sheet with his brother and parents created by Dorothy Kellogg STEWART who was keeping her husband's genealogy records which are now stored at the North Stonington Historical Society. My friend, Gladys Chase, of North Stonington has been a huge help with my research there.

Dudley is listed on that sheet as the "singing cop" and I can find no record of his occupation listed as such. His draft cards list him as a truck driver and later as working for his father at Victor Cleansing Co./Westerly Laundry. He lives on both sides of the border between CT and RI.

His draft card amazes me. He is listed as TALL. Nobody in my family is tall! He has black hair, brown eyes and is medium build. This means he looked nothing like my grandfather. My father said he was exposed to mustard gas during WWI and suffered with lung trouble for the rest of his life. I can see no evidence of children from this marriage. I have no photographs of him. His WWII draft card lists him as 5' 11'' and 350 lbs and is still living with his wife.

Dudley died on 10 Feb 1943, probably in RI or nearby CT. I think this is the first person I will have to find in the 1940 census.

Rest in peace, Dudley, I am still working on your life. Thank you for your service and for your birthday today. I woke up thinking about you even though you died before I was born.

Vets in Rows

2011-11-11T02:58:00.001-05:00

Vets in Rows, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Old South Burying Ground in Bolton, MA.

Steve's Alden Line

2011-11-09T07:32:00.001-05:00

Steve's Alden Line, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Mayflower Passenger: John Alden

After several weeks of putting the right people together and finding proofs, hubs application to join the Mayflower Society was accepted. His next one, called a supplemental, is to George Soule and is roughly the same people. I have submitted that this week. Thanks for Jay Lucas of the Massachusetts Mayflower Society for his expert help.

I still have not found any connection to Myles Standish as recorded on the back of one of his family photographs.

And, so the turkey and Pilgrim season begins....

Tombstone Tuesday: Ezra PARMENTER

2011-11-08T11:44:00.000-05:00

Ezra PARMENTER, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Ezra Parmenter was one of my husband's third great grandparents.

Buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Marlborough, MA, this Ezra PARMENTER and his wife Susanna BROWN. [photo by Emily Brady of Marlborough. Used with permission]

As you can see here, Susanna shares a gravestone with her husband and is listed as Susan. Her maiden name is BROWN as you can see by the marriage record listed below.

The Vital Records of Framingham, MA list Ezra's birth as:
PERMENTER: Ezra, s. of Joshua and Pearsis, Jan. 31, 1767. Framingham
Listed in Sudbury, MA, the Vital Records of Sudbury list his marriage as:
PARMENTER: Ezra and Susanna Brown of Sudbury, Aug. 11, 1791. In Sudbury.
The Vital Records of Framingham, MA list his death as:
PARMENTER: Ezra, Nov. 30, 1834. Framingham

As great as the vital records are in Massachusetts, family name spelling can really confuse things. Notice that his birth is recorded as PERMENTER, his parents as Joshua and Pearis (her name was probably Persis) and his year of death as 1834 not 1833 as listed on the gravestone.

I think this gravestone was erected at a later date, don't you?

Parmenter Graves

2011-11-07T08:53:00.001-05:00

SANY2427, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Parmenter Graves at Evergreen Cemetery
in Marlborough, Middlesex, MA

In 2010, I asked a Find a Grave volunteer to share a gravestone with me for my husband's family.

Her name is Emily A. Brady and she lives in nearby Marlborough, MA. She delightfully sent me a CD with several Parmenter graves shown here in two rows in Evergreen Cemetery in Marlborough.

Taken in April of 2010, this photo shows the grass is just coming in, that there are trees to the left and there is a large building to the rear. In addition to the grouping of the graves and the size of each stone, this is valuable information for when I want to trek out to this cemetery and see them for myself.

If you are just starting out with cemetery work, you must consider taking a shot like this one before taking close-ups of individual graves