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.
Showing posts with label RI Genealogical Society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RI Genealogical Society. Show all posts
Friday, December 23, 2011
Monday, February 01, 2010
Colonial Burial Grounds
On Saturday, I bought, for a very reasonable price, this brand new, hardcover book and two DVDs of the 8, 500 gravestone photographs of the colonial burial grounds of Newport, RI. (yes, that's a lot of photos)
Sold by the RI Genealogical Society, this exciting project took YEARS of work. You will remember, that last fall, I was privileged to attend a workshop led by Letty Champion at the Newman Cemetery in Rumford, RI where she used the double mirror technique. She is one of the team that made this book/DVD set possible. She and Barbara Austin took the photos from 2006-2009.
It's a beautiful book and I have read the introduction by Cherry Fletcher Bamburg, FASG. I was luck enough to have the very gracious Cherry sit with me during lunch and she gave me some wonderful advice about how to solve the problem of my Maria who has no maiden surname. She is a lovely, smart genealogist. I was thrilled to talk to her.
The book alone is $35 (non-member) and $31 (member), The DVDs alone are $29 (non-member) and $26 (members) . The combo package is $59 (non-member) and $49 (members).
Of course, RI charges a tax (which I paid) and the shipping would be extra. I am sure they will be advertising this on their Web site and in their newsletter soon. I love coming home with such wonderful resource from my home state. Those who worked on this project deserve a big ound of applause.
I am delighted to report that the first gravestone is the oldest carved gravestone in RI, who was John Coggeshall, 1647. It's a great photo!
Sold by the RI Genealogical Society, this exciting project took YEARS of work. You will remember, that last fall, I was privileged to attend a workshop led by Letty Champion at the Newman Cemetery in Rumford, RI where she used the double mirror technique. She is one of the team that made this book/DVD set possible. She and Barbara Austin took the photos from 2006-2009.
It's a beautiful book and I have read the introduction by Cherry Fletcher Bamburg, FASG. I was luck enough to have the very gracious Cherry sit with me during lunch and she gave me some wonderful advice about how to solve the problem of my Maria who has no maiden surname. She is a lovely, smart genealogist. I was thrilled to talk to her.
The book alone is $35 (non-member) and $31 (member), The DVDs alone are $29 (non-member) and $26 (members) . The combo package is $59 (non-member) and $49 (members).
Of course, RI charges a tax (which I paid) and the shipping would be extra. I am sure they will be advertising this on their Web site and in their newsletter soon. I love coming home with such wonderful resource from my home state. Those who worked on this project deserve a big ound of applause.
I am delighted to report that the first gravestone is the oldest carved gravestone in RI, who was John Coggeshall, 1647. It's a great photo!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Genealogists and Historians Working Together
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of teaming up with author and Civil War expert, Robert Grandchamp. My ancestor, James A. Barber was the inspiration of his new book. [The Boys of Adam's Battery G.] We co-spoke at the January meeting of the Rhode Island Genealogical Society [current newsletter]
Robert and I have has quite the adventure working together to dig deeper into my 2nd great grandfather's life and while I worked on that, he zoomed ahead to write about the lives of the other men in Battery G, including my aunt's great grandfather, Nathan CHAMPLIN. I would know nothing about my ancestor's Civil War Service if it wasn't for Robert's attention to his deep, well researched and cited chapters.
Robert and I both have degrees from RIC, he lives just a few miles from where I grew up and we both hate tuna fish and love gravestone hunting.
I introduced myself as the "short before the movie", telling the story of posting my 2nd great grandfather's photo to the Web and waiting for people to find me.
Then, I passed the microphone to Robert and sat down to let him talk about his book. I was very pleased that many people enjoyed my display board and stayed to talk to us both after all the presentations and the luncheon. Very friendly, interested people belong to this society!
Related posts:
At James A. Barber's gravesite
Photos of RIGS Meetings
Robert and I have has quite the adventure working together to dig deeper into my 2nd great grandfather's life and while I worked on that, he zoomed ahead to write about the lives of the other men in Battery G, including my aunt's great grandfather, Nathan CHAMPLIN. I would know nothing about my ancestor's Civil War Service if it wasn't for Robert's attention to his deep, well researched and cited chapters.
Robert and I both have degrees from RIC, he lives just a few miles from where I grew up and we both hate tuna fish and love gravestone hunting.
I introduced myself as the "short before the movie", telling the story of posting my 2nd great grandfather's photo to the Web and waiting for people to find me.
Then, I passed the microphone to Robert and sat down to let him talk about his book. I was very pleased that many people enjoyed my display board and stayed to talk to us both after all the presentations and the luncheon. Very friendly, interested people belong to this society!
Related posts:
At James A. Barber's gravesite
Photos of RIGS Meetings
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Close-up of Mirror and Shade
Recently, at the Rhode Island Genealogical Society meeting held in Rumford, Rhode Island, Lettie Champion, showed us some new gravestone photography techniques in the Newman Cemetery. [26 Sept 2009]
She uses an umbrella with a stake attached to the bottom to purposefully create shade. Sharp and pointy, this allows the umbrella to be placed in the dirt near the gravestone so that the person who is holding the mirror doesn't have to hold it in place. [I didn't get a good photograph of the umbrella in the ground which to passer-by folks must have looked bizarre!]
The umbrella creates artificial shade so that the sunlight can be directed on the face of the stone. Many times, I have noticed that using the mirror tends to bleach out the stone because the sunlight is too strong. [example of marble stone and too much light with the mirror taken by me in Elm Grove Cemetery in Mystic, CT]
Lettie sometimes uses two mirrors so that the sun reflects off one mirror to the other and allows for the concentration on the sunlight on the stone. This is shown here with the mirror on the left taking the sunlight from the mirror on the right (not in the photo) with the stone itself in the shade.
Lettie made a very clever mirror stand so that at least one mirror did not have to be held. Of course, all of this works well when there is more than one person working on the project.
We had a great time wandering around the cemetery angling the mirrors in different ways. I took several "with" and "without" the mirror. [CARPENTER, MEHITABLE 1777c - 25 JUL 1864 from the RI Historical Cemetery Database at NEHGS and her maiden name may be PHINNEY from Findagrave]
Now, I need an umbrella and a stake! Sounds perfect for October!
Lettie Champion gave her permission to be photographed and be featured in my blog and I gave permission for RIGS to use my photos in the October issue of the RIGS Reporter Newsletter which is available in PDF format.
Here's a link to some excellent photographs taken at Sanborn Cemetery in Bristol, NH using the mirror, courtesy of Lee Drew.
She uses an umbrella with a stake attached to the bottom to purposefully create shade. Sharp and pointy, this allows the umbrella to be placed in the dirt near the gravestone so that the person who is holding the mirror doesn't have to hold it in place. [I didn't get a good photograph of the umbrella in the ground which to passer-by folks must have looked bizarre!]
The umbrella creates artificial shade so that the sunlight can be directed on the face of the stone. Many times, I have noticed that using the mirror tends to bleach out the stone because the sunlight is too strong. [example of marble stone and too much light with the mirror taken by me in Elm Grove Cemetery in Mystic, CT]
Lettie sometimes uses two mirrors so that the sun reflects off one mirror to the other and allows for the concentration on the sunlight on the stone. This is shown here with the mirror on the left taking the sunlight from the mirror on the right (not in the photo) with the stone itself in the shade.
Lettie made a very clever mirror stand so that at least one mirror did not have to be held. Of course, all of this works well when there is more than one person working on the project.
We had a great time wandering around the cemetery angling the mirrors in different ways. I took several "with" and "without" the mirror. [CARPENTER, MEHITABLE 1777c - 25 JUL 1864 from the RI Historical Cemetery Database at NEHGS and her maiden name may be PHINNEY from Findagrave]
Now, I need an umbrella and a stake! Sounds perfect for October!
Lettie Champion gave her permission to be photographed and be featured in my blog and I gave permission for RIGS to use my photos in the October issue of the RIGS Reporter Newsletter which is available in PDF format.
Here's a link to some excellent photographs taken at Sanborn Cemetery in Bristol, NH using the mirror, courtesy of Lee Drew.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Single Mirror Technique
Letty Champion of Newport, RI did a gravestone reflection workshop last Saturday in the Newman Cemetery in Rumford, RI. She gave permission for me to photograph her showing her techniques.
The members of the RI Genealogical Society showed great enthusiasm for learning to use the mirror to help read gravestones and a member told me that Letty and another woman are photographing the Common Burial Ground in Newport for an upcoming publication. That should be spectacular reading.
Letty is shown here angling a single "door" mirror so that the sun is reflected on the surface of the stone. This is the technique that I have been using for some time. She is looking away to answer a question about the mirror itself.
It was a sunny day in a cemetery where most of the trees and brush are located along the wall.
The members of the RI Genealogical Society showed great enthusiasm for learning to use the mirror to help read gravestones and a member told me that Letty and another woman are photographing the Common Burial Ground in Newport for an upcoming publication. That should be spectacular reading.
Letty is shown here angling a single "door" mirror so that the sun is reflected on the surface of the stone. This is the technique that I have been using for some time. She is looking away to answer a question about the mirror itself.
It was a sunny day in a cemetery where most of the trees and brush are located along the wall.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Historian and Genealogist Chat
Wordless Wednesday 30 Sept 2009
Robert Grandchamp of Warwick chats with Pat Tourgee Chappell at the RIGS Meeting.
Robert Grandchamp of Warwick chats with Pat Tourgee Chappell at the RIGS Meeting.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Midge Exists!
Sometimes my friends at Facebook post very funny things. I can see why Robert has questioned my existence as we have been corresponding for some years but we have never actually met before.
We had a great first meeting this Saturday at the RI Genealogical Society Fall Meeting. I came out of hiding to attend. It was hard to miss me as I was wearing my "Cemetery Cravings" shirt.
We had a great first meeting this Saturday at the RI Genealogical Society Fall Meeting. I came out of hiding to attend. It was hard to miss me as I was wearing my "Cemetery Cravings" shirt.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Authors Meet
It was my great pleasure to meet and enjoy the company of Robert Grandchamp yesterday at the Rhode Island Genealogical Society all day fall meeting held at the Newman Congregational Church in Rumford, RI.
Don't we look pleased to be photographed together?
Robert at 22 is a published author of three books and numerous articles about Rhode Island History. We have been corresponding for several years about my 2nd great grandfather and his Civil War unit. It has been great fun for me as a genealogist to work with a young historian contributing, what I think is a small amount of information to his book, The Boys of Battery G. [Amazon] [McFarland Publisher]
Robert and I share a few coincidences of our own. When he first contacted me about the photo I have posted on my Web site, he was an undergraduate student at Rhode Island College in Providence, RI. This is the same college that I attended forty years ago from 1965 to 1969 where I majored in Biology.
He is now a Master's candidate in History there too. Robert lives nearby to where I grew up but it is not where he grew up. Robert also has a close relationship with his grandmother and he also hates tuna fish just as I do!
This friendship has taught me the importance of historical events in the lives of my ancestors and has taught Robert the importance of genealogical events. I continue to be interested in the things that interest Robert because it is rare to find such a mature, brilliant mind in such a young man. He's looking for a job and it seems crazy to me that someone would not immediately snap up such a prize as Robert. [His blog]
Ask yourself this question, what had you accomplished at 22?
His grandmother, who attended with him yesterday, was a delight and she is very devoted to her grandson. She was surprised at my [advanced] age and pleased to discover that I have a grandson too.
I will be blogging this week about this event that I attended. Rhode Island may be the smallest state in our country but the people who lived here past, present and future are not to be underestimated.
Don't we look pleased to be photographed together?
Robert at 22 is a published author of three books and numerous articles about Rhode Island History. We have been corresponding for several years about my 2nd great grandfather and his Civil War unit. It has been great fun for me as a genealogist to work with a young historian contributing, what I think is a small amount of information to his book, The Boys of Battery G. [Amazon] [McFarland Publisher]
Robert and I share a few coincidences of our own. When he first contacted me about the photo I have posted on my Web site, he was an undergraduate student at Rhode Island College in Providence, RI. This is the same college that I attended forty years ago from 1965 to 1969 where I majored in Biology.
He is now a Master's candidate in History there too. Robert lives nearby to where I grew up but it is not where he grew up. Robert also has a close relationship with his grandmother and he also hates tuna fish just as I do!
This friendship has taught me the importance of historical events in the lives of my ancestors and has taught Robert the importance of genealogical events. I continue to be interested in the things that interest Robert because it is rare to find such a mature, brilliant mind in such a young man. He's looking for a job and it seems crazy to me that someone would not immediately snap up such a prize as Robert. [His blog]
Ask yourself this question, what had you accomplished at 22?
His grandmother, who attended with him yesterday, was a delight and she is very devoted to her grandson. She was surprised at my [advanced] age and pleased to discover that I have a grandson too.
I will be blogging this week about this event that I attended. Rhode Island may be the smallest state in our country but the people who lived here past, present and future are not to be underestimated.
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