HOUGHS NECK

When I was a kid "going to the beach" meant we were going
to visit my grandaunt and granduncle Peggy and Leo McCue
at their cottage on Hough's Neck. (pronounced How's Neck).
"The Neck" is part of Quincy, Ma. and juts out to form the
southern boundary of Quincy Harbor.


There were other nearby beaches but they were crowded
and the water wasn't too safe on some days, so for most of
my childhood we would drive out to see Aunt Peggy and
Uncle Leo. Their cottage sat at the end of the seawall on a
little dirt road named Nut Island Ave. but one of my earliest
memories of the place is of walking down a long flight of
wooden steps to the cottage from Island Ave which ran
along the hillside above it. There was brush on either side of
the stairs and walking down towards the building must have
made an impression on me because I've never forgotten it.

Aunt Peggy (Margaret) was the only surviving sister of
my grandmother Aggie. She and Uncle Leo had five
children, three boys and two girls. Four had already married
and started their own families so there were usually some
cousins around to play with when we visited. It was also great
when Peggy's youngest son Bobby was around because he was
my idea of a very cool guy: good looking, athletic, and he had
a driver's license. He was about 7 or 8 years older than me so
it was a classic case of a younger kid idealizing an older one!

The first picture is of my second cousin Margie, my Mom
on the right and oh, yeah, that's me in the middle. It's a bit
ragged like some of the old photos I have and one of these
days when I can afford the cost of Photoshop Elements I
hope to be able to fix this and others like it.

The dirt road ended at the cottage and beyond that was a
rocky beach. We used to toss rocks at the ground and watch
for the "squirt" of the steamer clams and dig them up. If you
went swimming, you either had really tough soles on your
feet or you wore old sneakers into the water.


One incident at the cottage I dreamed about for years. There
was a raft in the water made out of old planks and oil drums
and somehow or another I fell off it into the water. I must
have been around 5 or 6 years old and I swallowed a LOT of
water. The end result was that for years after, right into
college, I never put my face under the water while I swam.
We had swimming class as part of gym at college and that's
where I finally got over that fear, but I still prefer to keep my
head above water!

I have other memories of the cottage. One involves my first
taste of beer. The grownups were sitting around drinking
what I thought was ginger ale but when Uncle Leo gave me
a sip of his I didn't like it at all. My Mom told me I made
quite a face.


I've never forgotten the family dog, Lady, who was crawled
over, tugged at and pestered by grandchildren and cousins
and was always patient about it.

And the first place I ever saw "The Ernie Kovacs Show" and
The Nairobi Trio was on a tv at the cottage.

As you can see from the picture of the building, the cottage
wasn't some grand building and the atmosphere was laid back.
If you look closely, you can see somebody's leg resting on the
railing of the porch.

Uncle Leo passed sometime in the 1960's and Aunt Peggy in
1988. At some point the ownership of the cottage changed
hands but I don't know the particulars. Two of their children
had cottages in other Massachusetts towns and so my
younger brother (who is 17 years younger) has memories of
the visits to the Marshfield cottage.

I haven't been out to Hough's Neck in years and I think the
original cottage no longer stands.

But the memories live on.

SPEAK LIKE A NATIVE NEW ENGLANDER 5

Scituate is a nearby town on the coast of Massachusetts with
some nice scenery and a name that gives newcomers pause.
As usual with many names around here, it's not said as it's
spelled.

It's not "Skit-u-ate"

The 'c' is a soft c, the `tu' becomes 'chew' and the 'ate' is
pronounced as 'it': "Sit-chew-it". But it's also often
pronounced as "Sit-chwit".

It's another one of those tricky New Englander situations!

WHILE YOU'RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

When I got the idea to do a series of posts about
some of the place names of New England and
another series on pronunciations, I found two very
useful sites on Google.


One is a list of "Archaic Community, District,
Neighborhood, Section and Village, Names in
Massachusetts" on the Citizens Information
Services website run by the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts. It gives an alphabetical list of old
place names organized in the following fashion:

"place name/located in/County of/a.k.a."

So Assinippi is listed this way:

"Assinippi / part of Hanover & Norwell / Plymouth
/ Post Office in Hanover, a.k.a. Snappy".

A second site is a 1890 Gazetteer of Massachusetts
by the Rev. Elias Nason. It has a list of towns and
villages from Abbott Village in Andover to Zylonite
in Adams with other fascinating names like
Donkeyville, Dragon's Corner, Egypt, and Wyoming
along the way.

It's fascinating to see these old place names and it
made me wonder if some of my Abbott ancestors
from Andover lived in Abbott Village for example.

How about you? You may know the name of the
town or city one of your ancestors lived in, but do
you know if they lived in a specific village or district
of that town that you don't know about?

Maybe a search in a gazetteer will help!

SPEAK LIKE A NATIVE NEW ENGLANDER 4

One of the town names that newcomers to Massachusetts
initially mispronounce is Haverhill, birthplace of my ancestors
Amos Hastings and Abigail Mitchell.

The furthest off is to say the first syllable like the verb "have"
and then pronounce the 'r' as the second syllable before
ending with a"hill" so it comes out "Have-r-hill". I've heard
this once or twice from reporters new to the area.

'Have' actually has a long 'a' as in "hay" and some people get
that first part right but still fall into the 'hill' trap.

There's no hill in Haverhill. Basically, the 'h' is silent and the
name has two syllables:

"Hayv + rill"= "Hayvrill".

So remember, if you are going to Haverhill, keep the 'h' out
of it!

SPEAK LIKE A NATIVE NEW ENGLANDER 3

When I was a child, our family often would vacation in Berlin
and Milan.

No, not the cities in Europe. These are in New Hampshire and
as you might expect, we in New England pronounce them
differently than the way the original cities are pronounced.

Milan(where some of my Ellingwood ancestors were born)
sounds like "My lan". Berlin sometimes is pronounced the
same way as the German city(mostly by reporters from
down here in the "flatlands") but when my Dad or my Aunt
Flossie and her family up in Milan said the name it was
"Burlin" as in "Merlin".

Think of it this way. Merlin from Berlin is stylin' in Milan!

WITH A NAME LIKE THAT, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE COUNTY SEAT

Like most everywhere else in the USA, Massachusetts once
had many smaller towns or villages that were absorbed into
larger towns. I learned of one of them shortly after the family
moved out of Boston down here to Abington. We had visited
our cousins in a neighboring town and on the drive home as
we went through a small intersection, Dad announced that
we were in "Ass-i-nippi!'


Mom thought he was kidding but a few days later when we
went through the same area during the daylight hours Dad
pointed out a sign on a building that read "Assinippi General
Store."


Assinippi Village is now part of Hanover, Ma. and got its
name from an Indian word meaning "rocky water". I suspect
its proper pronunciation might be "Ah-sin-ippi".


But in our family it's always been pronounced as Dad did, and
so, alas, Assinippi has been the...(cough)... butt of many
family jokes.

SPEAK LIKE A NATIVE NEW ENGLANDER 2

Today's lesson in New Englandese is in honor of Terry and all
of the H.O.G.S. bloggers: ham.

No, not the kind you eat. This "ham" is the ending of many towns'
names in Massachusetts and other New England towns.

To paraphrase Mr. Rogers, "one of these 'hams' is not like the
others." Can you guess which one?

Gorham
Wilbraham
Chatham

Here's another three:

Framingham
Dedham
Wareham.

In the first group, the answer is Wilbraham (Will bra ham) and in
the second, Framingham. (exactly as it looks...Framing ham)

In the others, "ham" becomes "em" or "um":

Gorham (Gor um)
Chatham (Chat em)
Wareham (Ware em)
Dedham (Ded um)


And I've no idea why it's one way for some and the other way
for others.

I just speak it, I don't explain it!

SPEAK LIKE A NATIVE NEW ENGLANDER!

Along with funny place names, New England has many names
with easy looking names that have tricky...for outsiders...
pronunciations.It's often a cause of amusement to hear a
newly hired reporter mangle one of the local town names.

So, I'll be posting a series of short posts to help people learn
how to speak New England-ese.

First up, Leominster, in honor of Randy Seaver who often
mentions it.

Looks like "Leo-minster", right?

Nope.

It's "Leh-minster", at least as pronounced in Eastern
Massachusetts.

It might have a slightly different accent "west of Worcester."

I'll get into that another time!

WHEN YOU SAY CHARGOGGAGOGGMANCHAUGGAGOGGCHAUBUNAGUNGAMAUGG, YOU'VE SAID IT ALL.

Massachusetts and New England has some interesting
geographical names and I thought I'd occasionally write about
some of the more unique ones. And if I'm going to do that, I
might as well start right at the top:

Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg.

No, I'm not gargling.

That is the original Nipmuc Indian tribe name as well as the
offical name for a lake that is also known as "Lake Webster"
because of the town where it is located. When I was a kid and
we drove by it once my folks told me the name meant "You
fish on your side, we'll fihs on our side, and nobody fishes in
the middle." but according to the Wikipedia article here,
that definition was a humorous attempt by a local writer to
resolve the arguments over the meaning of the word.

The Nipmuc Indian Association of Connecticut (Webster is
close to the Connecticut-Massachusetts border) website says
the name incorporates the name of a local Nipmuc village of
Monuhchogok but there also seems to be some reference
to a "meeting place" in the name.

The word has several distinctions. It is often cited as the
longest place name in the USA and the 6th longest in the
world. The letter "g" is used 16 times which is the most
times any letter is used in any word in the English language
and the letter "a" is used 9 times, again the most times for
that letter in the language.

I think the Nipmucs would have preferred to keep their
beautiful lake and forego the linguistic distinctions.

It is a mouthful, though, isn't it?

Do any of you fellow geneabloggers have a unique place name
near you? Write about it on your own blog and let me know
and I'll post the link here!

UPDATE:

Randy has commented with "Funny Place Names"

Jessica has as well with "Speaking of Funny Place Names..."

THE 48th CARNIVAL OF GENEALOGY IS OUT

Well, the 48th Carnival of genealogy is out and this one had a
Mother's Day theme, "Mom, How'd You Get So Smart?".
Jasia gathered together articles from 22 contributors for
another great collection of reading!

The theme for the 49th CoG is just in time for warm weather:

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy
will be: Swimsuit Edition! Why should Sports Illustrated
have all the fun? This is your chance to show off the bathing
beauties in your family. Pull out the old photos of Grandma
Moses in her seaside bloomers, Auntie Mae in her pin-up
girl suit from the 1940s or 50s, cousin Paula in her
psychedelic bikini from the 1970s, or even yourself in your
Speedo! Let's have some fun here! Memorial Weekend is
knocking on the door and that means the start of the
summer sun, sand, and seaside season so let's get in the
mood with summer fun photos.

What? You don't have any swimsuit photos you dare to
share? No problem! Tell us your best family beach stories
instead! The deadline for submissions is June 1st.

Submit an article from your blog here and join the fun!

THE OBITUARY OF FLOYD EARL WEST SR.

From the Norway, Me. Advertiser-Democrat February 5,
1970:


"Floyd E. West


UPTON--- Floyd Earl West, 76,
died at his home, Wednesday, January
28.

He was born April 14,1893 at South
Paris, the son of Philip J. and Clara
(Ellingwood) West.

He married the former Cora Barker.
Mr. West lived most of his life in Up-
ton and Wilsons Mills and was a re-
tired woodsman. He was a veteran of
World War I.

Surviving are his widow of Upton;
three daughters, Mrs. Malcolm Harvey
Wentworth Location, Mrs. Charles
Bargar, Uhrichsville, Ohio, Mrs. Her-
bert Balser, Milan, N.H; two sons,
Floyd E. Jr., of Abington, Mass, and
Stanley R. of Molan, N.H.; two broth-
hers, Clarence P. West of Wilsons Mills
and William Tidswell, Turner; 15
grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

Funeral services were held Satur-
day, January 31 at 2 pm from the
Greenleaf Funeral Home, Bethel, Rev.
Bertha Burris officiating.
Burial in the spring at the Lincoln
Plantation Cemetery."

I found this clipping tucked away in the top drawer of the
dresser the other night while trying to find my old school
report cards. I immediately scanned it and saved the image,
but it wasn't until I was discussing finding the obituary with
a co-worker at the bookstore that I realized that it was
incorrect, genealogically speaking. My father did indeed have
a brother named Stanley, who was born before Dad but he
died in infancy. The Stanley R. West in the obituary is actually
his nephew, the son of my Aunt Hazel who is the "Mrs.
Malcolm Harvey" in the list of children. I was told by my
parents that Stanley's father had died and that when Hazel
married Malcolm Harvey, my grandmother raised Stanley.
A researcher might assume that there was only the one
Stanley unless they already knew the family history or had
seen the death record of the infant Stanley.

Another error but a minor one is the typo in Stanley's
residence which should be Milan, not Molan, N.H. And finally
there is how my Aunts are listed, not by their own names but
by their husbands.

The information in death notices and obituaries is usually
provided by the surviving family or family friends and often
reflects their viewpoint of the deceased and the family. So
while obituaries are a great source of family information, it's
still important to check the facts!

MOM

My Mom, Anne Marie White, never graduated from high
school. The only school I recall her mentioning was the Mary
E. Curley School in Jamaica Plain, which today is a middle
school, grades 6-8, and I haven't been able to determine as
yet if it was a high school in her day. And the only story I
remember her telling about her school days was one about
how she'd been made to sit under the teacher's
desk once for acting up in class back in elementary school.

Mom dropped out of school sometime during WWII and went
to work at an A&P Supermarket. Uncle Ed had enlisted in the
Navy and so there was just Mom and my Grandmother Aggie.
I'm not sure how old she was when she went to work, but
Mom was born in 1927 so she'd have had to have at least 14
or 15 years old. Years later when we living in Malden she'd
shop at the A&P in Linden Square and I remember her using
the coffee grinding machine which impressed me!


Mom was a very intelligent woman and I'm quite sure that if
she'd stayed on in school she would have done well. She was
well-spoken, a good conversationalist, and liked to read. She
liked historical novels and some of her favorite authors were
Taylor Caldwell, John Jakes, and Susan Howatch, but she
also enjoyed Sidney Sheldon and Jackie Collins. She also
read historical romances such as Beatrice Small's books, and
mysteries. Occasionally she'd surprise me by reading one of
the books I'd been reading, such as a Stephen King novel, and
then asking me if the author had written anything else. The
only type of books I do not recall her ever reading were the
science fiction and fantasy books I loved other than Marion
Zimmer Bradley's Arthurian fantasy "The Mists of Avalon" .


Over the years Mom held a variety of jobs most of which
were of the light assembly or warehouse variety, although
her last one was as a switchboard operator/receptionist.
That one required using a computer for the first time and
once she got over her initial unease she did it well.

She was the Red Headed Witch of Evans Street and
taught me how to ride a bike in her own unique style.

My mother had style too, and dressed as well as family
finances and the budget allowed. When my sister and I were
working in the garment business at Collegetown and had
employee discounts we had no trouble figuring out what to
get Mom for her birthday, Christmas, and Mother's Day.


I'm firmly convinced that given her intelligence Mom might
have done quite well if she'd finished high school and maybe
gone on to college if circumstances had allowed it and if she'd
been a little more self confident. She never got over her
father's estrangement from the family.

I'm proud of both my parents. Neither of them graduated
from high school but they raised three kids to adulthood and
did it through good times and some very tough times but
did their best to keep a roof over our heads and food in our
bellies. They weren't perfect but they kept at it.


And they are missed.


Happy Mother's Day, Mom.

A MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION

A moving story of how genealogy reunited a 72 year old man
with his 90 year old birth mother!

A VERY GOOD YEAR!

I was digging through some of the dresser drawers tonight
hunting for some old report cards I had kicking around for
years. I didn't find them as yet, but I did find this Merit
Award from June of 1959 which was, I think , for fourth
grade. Third grade was a nightmare as I tried to switch
from one school system's (Malden) way of teaching math
to the more traditional math taught in Boston. So I KNOW I
didn't get an A or B in Math that year, despite Mom's
vigorous attempts to get me up to speed on the higher
numbers in the multiplication tables.

So, yeah, this must have been fourth grade and the zenith of
my school career at the Frank V. Thompson. I don't recall
making the Honor Roll there very much and math was always
the bane of my young existence. Heck, it was all the way
through college graduation! I still occasionally have a dream
in which a request for my college transcript leads to the
discovery that I hadn't graduated after all because of some
bad grade in math or chemistry.

I haven't found the report cards yet. When I do, I'll scan
them and post them here, and then challenge my fellow
geneabloggers to show theirs.

I bet we all got good grades for "Works Well With Others"!

BOSTON ARCHDIOCESE ARCHIVES CLOSED FOR REST OF 2008

The Archdiocese of Boston is closing its Archives to
researchers for the rest of 2008 while they are moved to
a new location in Braintree , Ma.

Sacramental records needed for official purposes will be
temporarily unavailable from "Jun 1st to about Aug.4"

Records for genealogical purposes will not be available to
next year.

The full story is available here at the Boston Pilot website.

JONATHAN BARKER'S PENSION FILE4

In my last post about my 4x great grandfather, Jonathan
Barker, I mentioned that after seeing his Revolutionary War
Pension file there were some things that puzzled me. How
had he gone from being a a cofounder and landholder of
Newry, Maine with a wife and family to being penniless and
alone at the time of his pension petition?

I downloaded his file from Footnotes.com in September of
last year, but his was one of many that I found at that time.
At twelve images his was one of the smaller files, while his
brother Benjamin's was nearly 5 times larger. It took awhile
to finish finding as many of my ancestors' files as I could and
I only managed to transcribe one, Asa Barrows' file, before
the Christmas rush at work and other matters pushed the
transcriptions aside for a bit.


Then in January I mentioned the Barkers again in my blog
and shortly after I received an email from Howard Kaepplein
who is a fellow descendant of Jonathan Barker. His letter
cleared up the questions about Jonathan's situation at the
time of the petition. Howard has been kind enough to grant
me permission to quote here from his email:

"Bill,
I have read about your Barker genealogy with great
interest, since I am also a descendant of Jonathan Barker
3rd. In fact, I am writing an historical novel about his
father, Jonathan Barker Jr. The book was originally
planned to be about Jonathan 3rd until I took a writing
course and my teacher suggested that the primary
character should be a heroic figure, or at least one that the
reader could empathize with. Jonathan Barker doesn't
qualify, since, after his children were grown and married,
his wife, the former Nancy Swan, left him and went back
to Methuen. Jonathan had become an alcoholic and, in a
drunken stupor, burned his house down. He became an
embarrassment to his children and grandchildren. My
great grandmother, Marcia Barker Saunders, daughter
of Amos Barker and granddaughter of Jonathan
3rd, became a staunch member of the Women's
Temperance Movement, and often spoke about her
grandfather's drunkenness. She moved to Cambria County,
PA with her husband, Nathan Saunders, and cousin,
Abraham Andrews Barker (who became a congressman
during Lincoln's term). Marcia's husband was killed in a
train accident in the Galitzin Tunnel, after he had survived
two of the bloodiest Civil War battles. My grandmother,
Laura Saunders Hysong, continued living in Marcia's house
until her death, but her husband, who fathered six of her
children, was not allowed to live in the house because he
opposed Prohibition. Eventually, when it became law, he
was allowed to move in.

Jonathan Barker 3rd is buried in an unmarked grave at
the back of the old Newry cemetery, while his brothers and
co-founders of Newry, Benjamin and Jesse and their wives
have prominent stones on a hill near the front of the cemetery

There are two anecdotes about Jonathan Barker in "History
of Bethel, Maine" by William B. Lapham. One is about
Jonathan encountering some Indians (probably three) who
challenged him to wrestle with them. He took them on, one
by one, starting with the smallest, and layed each one on his
back. The other is about Jonathan's great strength in pulling
a sled loaded with all his belongings eight miles through the
snow in March, from Fryeburg to Newry. There are also
anecdotes about James Swan, father of Jonathan's wife,
Nancy. One is that James was impressed into the English
Navy in 1768 and placed on a ship heading out of Boston
Harbor. However, he and two crewmen overtook the
English officers and sailed the ship back into Boston
Harbor. James then fled to Methuen and took his family
to Fryeburg, ME where his brother, Caleb Swan had
been one of the first settlers with his brother-in-law,
Joseph Frye.

There is more information about the Barkers in "Sunday
River Sketches". Also, "A History of Newry" by Carrie
Wight and "Newry Profiles" by Paula Wight. All of this
material is available at the Bethel Historical Society, where
I am a life member..."

The men who filed for their Revolutionary War pensions
were men who were in need of help. Jonathan Barker
was one of those men. Some of us when starting our
genealogy research want to believe that our ancestors
were extraordinary people.

The truth is that they, like ourselves, were human
beings, trying to get through life the best way that they
could.

VATICAN BARS LDS FROM DIOCESES RECORDS

I routinely Google for news stories involving history or
genealogy and today was taken aback by reports that the
Vatican has instructed Catholic dioceses worldwide not to
allow LDS members access to copy diocesan records.
Obviously, this is a blow to those of Catholic descent who
might find information and images on FamilySearch.

The issue is the rebaptism controversy but I must confess
to a certain amount of skepticism as well. I have to wonder
if the recent boom in genealogy might not have called
attention to the fact that if Church records are available free
from the LDS, the Church loses out on the fees they charge
for making copies of the records for researchers.

Here's a link to the Catholic News Service story. After
rereading it just now, I noticed the order from the Vatican
was issued before the Pope's visit to America but wasn't
made public until now.

And for the record, I'm Catholic myself. Another Church
policy I disagree with, I'm afraid.

THE CARNIVAL OF GENEALOGY IS UP!

Jasia posted the latest CoG earlier tonight and it's a doozy!
Over thirty geneabloggers represented, some with more
than one post, so there's plenty of good reading.

The next Cog will be the 48th and will have a Mother's Day
theme:

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is:
Mom, how'd you get so smart? We'll examine our mothers'
education. What schools did your mom attend? Did she
graduate high school or attend the school of hard knocks?
Did she attend a one room school house or was she home-
schooled? Was she the first in the family to attend college?
Maybe your mom took self-study courses or was an avid
reader. Tell us all about how a mother figure (mother,
grandmother, mother in law, godmother, etc.) in your life
became so brilliant! The deadline for submissions is May
15th.

IN TOUCH WITH MY INNER THWENG

I was buying my lunch at the cafe at work today and was in
a good...alright, silly...mood when I reached the cashier. Now
it's routine for the cashier to ask for the customer's first name
so they can let them know when their order is ready, but they
already knwo mine so they never ask.

As I said, I was in a silly mood..so after I placed my order, I
added "And my name is Marmaduke Thweng."

The cashier laughed

I added "I come from a long line of Thwengs!" (alright, just
one.)

And that cracked her up.

Nothing like an possible ancestor with a unique name for a
few laughs at work.

And of course, as we all know, it don't mean a thing if you
ain't got that Thweng!

JONATHAN BARKER'S PENSION FILE3

For some reason, even though Jonathan Barker's Pension
application had been approved and submitted by Judge
Albion K. Parris, he didn't receive his pension right away.
In fact he appeared before Judge Parris again nearly a year
later:

"UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
DISTRICT COURT OF MAINE, ss.

At a District Court of the United States begun and
holden at Portland within and for the District of
Maine, on the first Tuesday being the sixth day of June
and by adjournment from day to day, on the twenty
ninth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and twenty, before the Honorable
ALBION K. PARRIS, Judge of said Court.

ON this twenty ninth day of June in the year above
written, personally appeared in open Court, the
same having "the power of fine and imprisonment",
and being a Court of Record for said Maine District,
Jonathan Barker, aged sixty six years, late of Newry now
resident in Portland in said District, who being first
duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath
declare that he served in the Revolutionary War as
follows, viz. as a Private in the company commanded
by Capts. Davis and Carr in the Regiments commanded
by Colonels Frye and Wesson in the line of the State of
Massachusetts on the Continental Establishment, as
is more particularly mentioned and described in his
original declaration, made on the 24th day of April
A.D.1818, and on which said declaration his
Certificate of Pension, numbered 7704 was granted.
And I do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen
of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818;
and that I have not since that time by gift, sale, or
any manner disposed of my property, or any part
thereof, with intent thereby so as to diminish it as to
bring myself within the provisions of an Act of
Congress, entitled "An Act to provide for certain
persons engaged in the land and naval service of
the United States, in the Revolutionary War",
passed on the 18th day of March 1818: and that I
have not, nor has any person in trust for me, any
property or securities, contracts, or debts due to me;
nor have I any income other that what is contained
in the schedule hereto annexed, and by me
subscribed; that my occupation and ability to pursue
the same, together with the number and other
particulars of my family, are in fact and in truth as
is particularly described on the back hereof, also
subscribed by me.

Jonathan Barker

sworn to and declared on the twenty ninth day of June ,
A.D. 1820 before Albion K. Parris, U.S> District Judge
for the District of Maine."

Jonathan's "signature" is in different handwriting than on his
initial affidavit and it appears to be identical to Judge Parris'
signature.

The other side of the page has the "schedule" of Jonathan's
relatives and possessions:

"SCHEDULE of the real and personal estate, (
necessary clothing and bedding excepted) belonging
to me the subscriber, viz:
Real estate___ I have none___ Personal estate__ none
I have no family, nor have any income____ I am by
occupation a laborer.
Jonathan Barker

Sworn to June 29 1820
Before Albion K. Parris
U.S. District Judge. "

The following page is a statement by the Court Clerk, and it
would seem he was the person who signed Jonathan Barker's
name to the statement:

"MAINE DISTRICT, ss.
I, John Mussey, Junr. Clerk of the District Court of
the United States for the Maine District, do hereby
certify, that the foregoing oath, and the schedules
thereto annexed, are truly copied from the Record of
the said Court; and I do further certify, that it is the
opinion of the saidCourt that the total amount in
value of the property exhibited in the aforesaid
schedule, is one cent and no more.

In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand
and affixed the seal of the said Court, on this twenty
ninth day of June A.D. one thousand eight hundred
and twenty.

John Mussey Junr,
Clerk of the U. States District Court for the Maine
District."

And so now Jonathan Barker received his pension.:

"7704
Maine
Jonathan Barker
of Newry in the Dist of Maine
who was a private in the regiment commanded by
Colonel Wesson of the Massachusetts
line, for term of nine months.

Inscribed on the Roll of the District of Maine
at the rate of 8 Dollars per month, to commence on
the 24th of April, 1818

Certificate of Pension issued 16th of Nov 1819
and sent to A.K. Parrish, Esq,
Paris, Maine.

Arrears to 4th of Mar 1819 (illegible) 82.89
Semi-anl. all'ce ending 4th Sept 1819 48.00
_____
$130.89

Revolutionary claim,
Act 18th March 1818"

The page had been folded in half and it might have been used
as a folder to hold the other documents. Written vertically
along the fold to the left is the following:

"Died July 11th, 1824" (in dark ink)
"Notification sent to John Mussey Jr. Esq.
Portland, Maine." (all in lighter ink)

Several questions arise from reading Jonathan's pension file.

How did he go from being an original settler and landholder
in Newry to being penniless?

What was he doing in Portland in 1820?

And how could he say he had no family when , since I am one of
his descendants, he obviously did?

I'll discuss the answers in the next post on Jonathan Barker.