FROM GRANDMOTHER WEST"S BIBLE

In Late November 1979 my parents received a letter from

Florence O’Connor, a cousin of my Dad’s, announcing she had

written a book “The Ancestors and Descendants of Asa Freeman

and Florilla (Dunham) Ellingwood”. It would trace our

Ellingwood line from Ralph in Salem, Ma in 1635 and the

Dunhams from 1294 in England. A major part of the book would

deal with Asa and Florilla’s ten children and other relatives. The

hardcover book would cost $17.50.

I’m not sure if it was my folks or myself who sent the money(I’d

just turned 21and was out in the workforce.) The book arrived

and I sent Mrs. O’Connor a letter asking for more details about

the West line. She very kindly sent me a typed out transcription

of her Grandmother West’s Bible. That would have been Clarinda

Britton West, daughter to Jonathan Cutter West and Arvilla

Ames. She also sent information on our Richardson line and

another two sheets on the various West marriages and children.

At some point during the 1980’s I took the book to work and

photocopied the entries for the Ellingwoods and added them to

the file of pedigree and family sheets Aunt Dot had sent us. The

book is packed away somewhere (I hope) after several moves but

I still have those Ellingwood photocopied pages and the typed

correspondence from Mrs. O’Connor.

So, above is a scan of the transcription from Mrs. O’Connor, to

whom I am grateful. Along with Aunt Dot, she gave me the

beginnings of my interest in genealogy.