KINDLE-ING GENEALOGY: THE FAMILYSEARCH TREE APP FOR KINDLE

I've been checking out the genealogy Apps available for my Kindle Fire HD at the
Amazon Store.  As I've mentioned on my previous posts about the Kindle, I'm on
a fixed income, so my motto for Amazon apps is "Free is GOOD". Unfortunately there
are not as many genealogy apps as there are game apps, but still, I was happy to find
there were two available from well known genealogy websites, Ancestry and FamilySearch.

This post will be about the FamilySearch app which is named Family Search Tree and
uses an icon of a green tree on a white background.

You can use the Family Tree app to build a tree on your Kindle, or, if you already have a
family tree started on the FamilySearch website, you can import it into the app. If you have
a large tree, this may take awhile.  I imported my tree, and saw this Pedigree chart screen
when it was done:

You can move further back on your Pedigree chart  using the up arrows over each ancestor's
box. The screen view is also expandable:

Tapping on an individual's box brings you to their "Person" screen where you can edit or
add information.

If you want to see the "Person" page for another of your ancestors on the Pedigree screen
you just came from, tap on the circular arrow in the upper right of the screen, and this will
appear:

If you want to see the "Person" page for an ancestor that was not on the Pedigree screen
you just viewed,  you can Search for them by tapping on the magnifying
glass icon. This is the screen that appears:

If you add more information to your family tree at the FamilySearch website, it will
synch with the FamilySearch Tree app whenever you start it up on your Kindle.

One of the useful features of the app is that you can see the first five generations on
you family tree even if you do not have an internet connection at the time. This means
you now have a visual aide while discussing the family history with relatives at family
gatherings.(They may not be as thrilled as we genealogists are by that. ) 

To me the only drawback to the Family Search Tree app is that the tree on the website is
a "shared" tree where people can edit or change the information you've entered on it, so
whenever you synch with the app those changes will be made to the tree on your Kindle.
Since I find dealing with mistakes people have made to information I entered frustrate me,
I haven't used the app as much as I would have liked to have done.

Other than that, I find the Family Search Tree app easy to use, and of course, it's FREE!

I'll discuss the Ancestry App in a later post.

 DISCLAIMER: I neither work for nor receive any compensation from Amazon 
or FamilySearch.

THE DEATH OF JOSIAH WALTON: "...THOUGH HE HIMSELF TOLD THEM HE WAS A DEAD MAN..."

I mentioned in my last post that Reverend William Walton's son Josiah died in a strange
way. It happened in 1673 and and was so unusual that Increase Mather, one of the Mathers
of the Salem Witch trials, wrote of the incident:   

"In the same year, on the 21st of June, being Saturday, in the afternoon, another thunder-storm arose, during which storm Josiah Walton, the youngest son of Mr. William Walton, late minister of Marble-head, was in a ketch coming in from sea, and being before the harbours mouth, the wind suddenly shifted to the northward; a violent gust of wind coming down on the vessel, the seamen concluded to hand their sails; Josiah Walton got upon the main-yard to expedite the matter, and foot down the sail, when there hapned a terrible flash of lightning, which breaking forth out of the cloud, struck down three men who were on the deck, without doing them any hurt. But Josiah Walton being (as was said) on the main-yard, the lightning shattered his thigh-bone all in pieces, and did split and shiver the main-mast of the vessel, and scorcht the rigging. Josiah Walton falling down upon the deck, his leg was broken short off. His brother, being on the deck, did (with others) take him up, and found him alive, but sorely scorched and wounded. They brought him on shore to his mothers house. At first he was very sensible of his case, and took leave of his friends, giving himself to serious preparation for another world. His relations used all means possible for his recovery, though he himself told them he was a dead man, and the use of means would but put him to more misery. His bones were so shattered, that it was not possible for the art of man to reduce them; also, the violent heat of the weather occasioned a gangrene. In this misery he continued until the next Wednesday morning, and then departed this life. He was an hopeful young man." pp58-59
Remarkable providences illustrative of the earlier days of American colonisation (Google eBook) John Russell Smith, Publisher. London, England 1856


I am descended from two others of William Walton's children. I mentioned the descent from
his daughter Elizabeth and her husband Lot Conant earlier.  The other is through Samuel Walton, who married Sarah Maverick, the daughter Elias Maverick and Anne Harris.  Samuel
will be the subject of my next post in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, 

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2015 WEEK 21: WILLIAM WALTON, PT2

I found out a bit more about my 9x great grandfather Reverend William Walton on Google
ebooks. For instance, this from a history of Hingham, Ma, south of Boston, which inclides
a quote from a history of Marlbehead:

William Walton [III. 274] came to Hingham in 1635, and had a grant of land in the first distribution of lots. He was educated at Emanuel College, Cambridge, England, where he took his degrees in 1621 and 1625. He remained but a short time in Hingham. "Mr. Walton" had a grant of land in Marblehead, Oct. 14, 1638. This was Rev. William Walton, who was then preaching there. This is the first mention of his name in the records, and it is probable that he began the work of his ministry there in that year. Through his endeavors, with the assistance of others, a meeting-house was erected, and regular Sunday services were established.

Mr. Roads, in his " History and Traditions of Marblehead," says:—

"In October, 1668, William Walton, the faithful and zealous missionary, died, after having served his Master and the poor people of Marblehead for a period of thirty years. Coming to them as a missionary to preach the gospel, he became, without ordination as a clergyman, a loving pastor, a faithful friend, and a wise and prudent counsellor. His advice was sought on all matters of public or private importance, and when obtained wag usually followed without question. That his loss was felt as a public bereavement by the entire community, there can be little doubt."-p352
History of the town of Hingham, Massachusetts, Volume 1, Part 2 (Google eBook) published by the town, 1893

Most interesting was the fact he was present as an observer when Rev. John Eliot questioned eight Christian Indians about their catechism at Roxbury in 1654. William recorded the event and you can
read it in Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 24 (Google eBook) Charles Folsom. Cambridge Ma, 1834 pp277-284.


Finally, William Walton and his family were well known by Cotton and Increase Mather, and
it was the latter who recorded the story of the strange death of one of William Walton's sons.

I'll discuss that next.

To be continued...

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2015 WEEK 21: WILLIAM WALTON, PT1

With my entry for Week #21 of the 2015 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, I turn to the
family of my 5x great grandmother Mary Walton, wife of Francis Upton. Mary has an
interesting group of ancestors, starting with the immigrant ancestor William Walton.
I have a double descent from Rev. William and his wife, Elizabeth.

Reverend Walton was a well known figure in the Bay Colony so I was able to find a lot
of entries about him on the internet, although most are repetitions of the same source
material. Here is information from The Walton Family Records, written by Josiah Proctor
Walton in 1888: 

1. Rev. William Walton was born in England about 1598. He entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, England, February 18, 1G17 or '18, and took his degrees in 21 and '25. Became a clergyman; came to America before 35; stopped awhile at Hingham, Mass., and afterwards settled at Marblehead, Mass.

CHILDREN.

1. John, born 1627, in England.

2. Elizabeth, born 1629," Married Lot Conaut.

3. Martha, born 1632,"

4. Nathaniel, born 1636, in Hingham, Mass

5. Samuel 2, born 1639, in Marblehead. He married Sarah Maverick. In 1674, a householder.

6. Josiah, born 1640; killed by lightning at sea.

7. Mary, born 1644, in Marblehead. Married Robert Bartlett.

I received the following note and extracts:

Emmanuel College, Aug. 5, 1895. Dear Sir:—The only information I can find about your 
ancestor, the Rev. William Walton, is that he entered this college on the 18th day of February, 
1617 or '18. There is no information as to his age or county. Yours sincerely,

J. B. Peace, Bursar.

"Sarah Maverick, daughter of Elias and Anne (Harris) Maverick, and niece of Moses Maverick 
of Marblehead, married Samuel Walton of Marblehead, born June 5, 1639. The date of the 
marriage is not known, though he is recorded as a householder in Marblehead in 1674.

"Samuel Walton was the third son of the Rev. William and Elizabeth Walton.

"Rev. William Walton was a native of Seaton, Devonshire, and was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, but came to New England in 1635, settling in Hingham, but removing to Marblehead 
in 1639, where he was the minister of the town till his death in 1668.

"So far as known, Samuel and Sarah (Maverick) Walton had three children—Samuel, John and 
Elizabeth.

"The daughter married Jonathan Townsend, of Rumney Marsh. The latter died in middle life, 
and Samuel Walton assisted his daughter in administering on the estate.

"In 1707, Nathaniel Walton, brother of Samuel, in his will bequeathed £5 each to his brother, 
Samuel Walton, and his two sons, Samuel and John, and they receipted for it in 1712.

"John Walton3, ( Samuel2, the Rev. William) married Mary and settled in South Reading, near 
Wakefield. Children: John, born, 1710; Josiah, 1711; Mary, 1714; Abigail, 1716 (married Benjamin Howard); Jonathan, 1718; Jacob, 1720; Nathan, 1729; and Isaac, 1733. D. H. B."

"Lot Conant married Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. William Walton, of Seaton Parish, Devonshire, 
England, where his daughter was baptized Oct. 27, 1629.

"Lot Conant's daughter, Martha, married Luke Parkins, May 31, 1688, in Salem or Topsfield, Mass.

"Martha was born in Beverly, Aug. 16, 1664. She died in Plympton, Jan. 2, 1754, aged 90."
pp7-8

Walton Family Records, 1598-1898: With Its Intermarriages, the Oakes and Eatons, 1644-1898 and the Proctor Family, 1634-1898 (Google eBook)  Josiah Proctor Walton, Muscatine, Iowa, 1888

My second line of descent is through the marriage of Elizabeth Walton to Lot Conant, and then
through their daughter Martha Conant's marriage to Luke Perkins. That line is on my Dad's
paternal side, which was another cousin link between his parents when they married.

As I said, Reverend Walton was well known in the Colony, and I'll discuss that in my next post.

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2015 WEEK 20: JOHN BANCROFT 4th

For entry #20 of the 2015 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks my subject is 5x great grandfather John
Bancroft 4th. It is now that I've arrived at a point I reach in all my father's ancestral lines: the
time when they move north to New Hampshire or Maine. In the case of John and his family,
the destination was Norway, Maine. This was sometime in the early 1800's, and the information I've found is sparse. Here's what I know (or think I know).

John Bancroft the 4th was born on 21 Oct 1749 in Lynn, Ma. On 24 Oct 1768, he married first
cousin Mary Walton of Reading, Ma., daughter of Jacob Walton and Eunice Hawkes.  They had
eleven children, all born in Ma,. mostly in Lynn:
John Bancroft 29Nov 1768
Nathaniel Bancroft 7Feb 1769
Mary Bancroft 4Sep 1770
Eunice Bancroft 3Oct 1772
Betty Bancroft 18Oct 1776
Jacob Bancroft 27feb 1779
Rhoda Bancroft 7May 1781
Sarah Bancroft 8July 1783
Jane Bancroft Oct 1785
Ellen Bancroft 30Dec 1787
Lucy Bancroft  1789?

I have a few problems with that information. One is the apparent short time between
John's marriage to Mary on 24Oct 1768 and the birth of their first child John Bancroft 5th
on 29Nov 1768. The second is that as of yet I haven't found a record of John 4th's death.
I don't know if he died in Massachusetts or Maine. I do know that between 1797 and 1800,
two of his sons, Nathaniel and Jacob, settled in Albany, Maine. Some of the family either
went with them or followed soon after, including 4x great grandmother Sarah Bancroft
who married Francis Upton there. But I can find no record of John 4th's death at Norway,
Me., nor at the three towns associated with him: Lynn, Lynnfield, and Reading, Ma.

So in a family where I have little information, I have the least amount the most recent member
of it.

FLYBOYS 2015

((I'm reposting this today in hopes that perhaps the relatives of the men
in the photograph might one day find this picture of their veterans. First posted
June, 2008))




I think I may have posted this photo once before. It's from
when my Dad was training for the Air Corps during World
War II before he washed out due to inner ear problems.


On the back is a partial list of names of his fellow trainees,
and I'm posting that image now and my attempt at
transcribing it here in the hopes that the children and
grandchildren of these men might find it someday and see
how they looked in their uniforms before they went off to
war.


Because of the way the men are grouped it's hard for me to
assign names to specific faces. The only two I can are Michael
D. Piper Jr. and Lonnie (or Lennie?) L. Parker (?) standing to
either side of my father Floyd E. West Jr. at the far right end
of the back row. I think the first name is actually Lee Mill
Sanders and that he just signed the list "last name first."


I also noticed that Daniel M. Jeffrey's name appears twice.
The first entry is crossed over so I've assumed that either
someone else had posted the name in the wrong place or he
had done so himself and then corrected his mistake. I've
changed the first entry to "unknown".


So here they are. I wonder how many of them made it
home after the war, and I thank them for their service
to our country.


Sanders Lee Mill Artesia N.M.

Palmer E. Severson Wanooka (?) Minn,

Jerald L. Swan, Beatrice, Nebraska

Helmut Paul Zimmerman, Buffalo, N.Y.

Robert L. Rugg Pueblo, Colorado

Unknown

Charles H. Parman, Skidmore, Mo.

Unknown

Unknown

Bill C. Hays, San Angelo, Texas

Unknown

Ward L. Warnock, Camden, Ark.

Michael C. Sanborn (?) Port Arthur, Tex.

Bob Moffet, St. Joseph, Mo.

Unknown

Ross Powill, Ellisville Miss

Daniel M. Jeffrey, Jeanette, La.

Allen D. Bailey, Mpls Minnesota

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Jack Sessions Colton, California

Jack Wendt, Pecos, Texas

Unknown

Burton L. Steele, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Bob E Wick,  Denver, Colorado

James H. Trask, Kansas City, Kansas

William E. Green,  Eden, Texas

Unknown

Unknown

Michael D. Piper Jr., Queen City, Mo.

Floyd E. West

Lonnie (or Lennie?) L. Parker (?), Roswell, New Mex.

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2015 WEEK 19: JOHN BANCROFT 3rd

Still trying to catch up on the 2015 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. This post concerns
6x great grandfather John Bancroft, the third of that name in a row on my family tree. Although
in town records and documents he is referred to as John Jr and then John Sr, to me he is John
Bancroft 3rd. Like his father and grandfather, he seems to have lived an ordinary life.

Sidney Perley has this to say about him:

John Bancroft4, born in Lynn June 25, 1708. His father called him "my dutiful son." He was a yeoman, and lived in Lynnfield. He married, first,Ruth____ , and she died Feb. 25, 1745-6. He married, second, Eve____ before 1749; and died in 1777, his will, dated March 16, 1776, being proved June 2, 1777. His wife Eve survived him.

Children, born in Lynn :—
40—I. James5, b. March 21, 1732 ; gentleman, lived in Lynnfield; lieutenant; m.Esther Smith of Reading (pub. July 20, I75S); she d. March 25, 1814, aged eighty-seven; and he d. Aug. 22, 1814, aged eighty-two.
41—II. Mary5, Dec. 28, 1733; m. John Merriam of Sudbury Nov. 24, 1752.
42—III. Ruth5, b. Jan. 15, 1735-6; m. Joseph Newhall (pub. Jan. 16, 1757); and was living in 1776.
43—IV. Lydia5, b. May I, 1738; m. Benjamin Wilson of Danvers Nov. 28, 1759; and was living in 1776.
44—V. John5, b. April 18, 1740; d. young.
45—VI. Sarah5, m. Thomas Bowditch of Salem April 27, 1760, and was living in 1776.
46—VII. Rachel5, b. Nov. 4, 1744; m.____ Berry before 1776.
47—VIII. John5, b. Oct. 21, 1749. See below (47).
48—IX. Ebenezer5, b. July 25, 1752. See below (48).
49—X. Job5, b. April 7, 1754; housewright; lived in Salem, 1789 and 1797; and m. Sarah _____
p58
The Essex antiquarian; a quarterly magazine devoted to the biography, genealogy, history and antiquities of Essex County, Massachusetts Vol V Salem, Ma. 1901

The last names of John Bancroft 3rd's two wives are not given in this Bancroft genealogy
but his first wife was Ruth Newhall, who was the mother of the first seven children. Eva
Hawkes, a Mayflower descendant, was the second wife and mother of the youngest three
children, including John Bancroft 4th, my ancestor.

THE FIFTH AMERICAN CIVIL WAR BLOGPOST CHALLENGE ROUNDUP

It's time for the blogposts roundup of the final American Civil War Blogpost Challenge.
There have been some great submissions with fascinating stories since I started the Challenge back in 2011. This year is no exception.

Here's this year's blogposts:   

Many monuments were erected for the soldiers and slain after the Civil War ended. Today
you can find one in nearly every town in America. Dorene from Ohio shares the details of
the construction of one such monument along with an old newspaper clipping about the
unveiling ceremony in Civil War Soldiers Monument at Castalia Cemetery on her Graveyard
Rabbit of Sandusky Bay blog.

Cousin Pam Carter visited the site of the Battle of Antietam some years back. She tells
the story about the death there of a kinsman and his final message to his family, and
includes a photo of a famous battlefield landmark in Fatally Wounded at Antietam at
My Maine Ancestry

Janice M Sellers' 2x great grandfather Cornelius Godshalk Sellers enlisted in the Union
Army at age 18. Janice follows the paper trail to detail his service and his life after the
war's end in Cornelius Godshalk Sellers, My Civil War Ancestor  at Ancestral Discoveries.

Heather Wilkinson Rojo and I are distant cousins many times over through a number of
shared ancestral lines, one of which is the Herrick family of Essex County, Ma.  One of
our distant Herrick cousins has the dubious distinction of undergoing The First Amputation of the US Civil War. You can find it at her Nutfield Genealogy blog.

The town in Texas that Amanda the Librarian lives in was named after a Confederate
general,  Hiram B. Granbury. Amanda talks about his career and includes some great
photos in the post Tombstone Tuesday: Confederate General Hiram B. Granbury at her
ABT UNK blog.

Civil War Pension files are a great source of information about an ancestor's military service
and in many cases what his life was like after the war.  Many pension claims are not because
of gunshot  wounds but of accidents and illnesses. Carol A. Bowen Stevens examines the
pension file and other records of on such claimant, her relative William M. Lashbrook, at her Reflections From the Fence blog in The Fifth American Civil War Blogpost Challenge :: William M. Lashbrook, Iowa 

Finally, I recently discovered that two of my Barrows family kinsmen fought in the Battle of Gettysburg. The first is WILLIAM H.BARROWS, a cousin who came back to Massachusetts from Brooklyn, N.Y. to enlist in the Union Army and who died at Gettysburg.  The second cousin.  was from the branch of the family that had moved to Maine and enlisted in one of the most celebrated regiments in the Union Army. He survived some of the fiercest fighting at Gettysburg, and the rest of the War, but his life afterward seems troubled. His story is in ASA ALDEN BARROWS OF THE 20TH MAINE here on West in New England.

That concludes the fifth and final American Civil War Blogpost Challenge. Please visit and read the blogposts from this year's contributors, and leave them a comment  if you can!

I want to thank everyone who has taken part in the Challenge over five years. I truly
appreciate all of you sharing part of your family history!

TEN TIPS FOR NEW GENEABLOGGERS.

So you are thinking of starting a genealogy blog but aren't sure it's for you? I've been
geneablogging now for eight years and if I can do it, ANYONE can do it.  Here's a few things
I've learned over the years that might help you decide to take the plunge:


1. Start off simple. Begin with what you already know about your family history, the names
and dates. Include family photos if you have any. A geneablog doesn't have to be War & Peace.

2.Write for yourself. Worry about what your readers think later. This is your blog, not theirs.
   Blogging is informal writing, and you should feel relaxed while doing it. Which leads us to...

3. Don't sweat the small stuff. Don't let comments from the Grammar Police and "Proper Way
 to Cite Your Sources" Police discourage you. See #2 for the reason why. The important thing
 is to WRITE. (Unless you are blogging for professional reasons, in which case you should
 sweat the grammar and correct citation forms.) 
 
4.That being said, DO try to let us know where you've found that record or quote with the
  name of the book or website where you found it. A link to it is also nice. Don't worry about
  proper form, just post it. You can always go back and fix it properly later.

5.If you are worried about spelling and grammar, write the post first in whatever word
  processing program you have on your computer. Use the spellcheck and grammar check
  functions on it to edit, and afterwards cut & paste the text into Blogger or Wordpress or
  whatever blogging platform you use.  

 6. Remember to use labels on your blogposts if you can. For example, if I write a post about
 Asa Ellingwood, I label the post with "Ellingwood Family" and "Ellingwood Asa". This helps
 other people looking for Ellingwood ancestors find your blog. It makes your blog "cousin
 bait" and you may be contacted by distant relatives researching your shared ancestors. Don't
 expect it to happen immediately though. Cast your cousin bait upon the waters, and be
 patient. 

7. Use the various genealogy writing prompts and memes out there if you are not sure what to write about. There's the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge from Amy Johnson Crow, the Daily Blogging Prompts on Thomas MacEntee's Geneabloggers website, and others.

8. Read other geneablogs. See how other bloggers approach writing. Not only will it help
your own writing, you'll find out all sorts of things you didn't know about genealogy
research.

9. Don't be afraid to occasionally write something SILLY. Silly is fun, and it is not a sin. I
indulge in silliness at the drop of a gedcom.  See Rule #2 again.

10.There are no rules on how often you should blog. Some of us do it every day, or a few
times a week. Others post once a month, some only a few times a year. Blog as often as
you feel comfortable doing it. See #2 again.

My genealogy blog has been so helpful to me. It is a place to write up what I've found
in my research. It has been very successful cousin bait. It's put me in touch with and
made me a part of the genealogy community. It's given me another thing to do in my 
retirement.  And it's been FUN.

Try it. You may find yourself having fun, too!

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2015 WEEK 18: JOHN BANCROFT JR.

I'm still two weeks behind on the 2015 52 Ancestors in 52 Week Challenge. Here's the Week
18 installment on my 7x great grandfather John Bancroft Jr.

John Jr. is another case where there's isn't much information on line. I've found a bunch
of land records in the Essex County Land Records Collection on FamilySearch which require
more study. One of the problems there is he is one of four John Bancrofts in a roll on my tree,
and the first three were contemporaries for some time in Lynn, Ma., so I'll need to be careful
identifying which John the land record is referencing.

Meanwhile,  Sidney Perley's The Essex antiquarian; a quarterly magazine devoted to the biography, genealogy, history and antiquities of Essex County, Massachusetts Vol V at Internet Archives has this about John Jr. and his family:

8 Dea. John Bancroft,3 born in Lynn Jan. 25, 1682. He was a bricklayer, housewright and yeoman, and lived in that part of Lynn which is now Lynnfield. He married, first, Mary Clark of Reading April 19, 1704; and she died Oct. 1, 1723. aged thirty-eight. He married, second, widow Mary Mansfield Dec. 19, 1724; and she died July 25, 1763, aged eighty-one. He died Dec. 20, 1768, aged eighty-six.
Children, born in Lynn:
24—I. Mary4, b. June 11, 1706.
25—II. John4, b. June25, 1708. See below (25).
26—III. Elizabeth4, b. May 28, 1711; probably m. Benjamin Carlton Sept.6,1731.
27—IV. Susannah4, b. Oct. 26, 1714; probably married Joseph .
28—V. Timothy4, b. Dec. 25, 1717. See below (28).
29—VI. Eunice4, b. Feb. 18, 1719-20; probably m. David Bancroft of Reading April 24, 1740.
30—VII. Joan4, b. July 8, 1722.
31—VIII. Nathaniel4, b. Oct. 22, 1725. See below (31)
32—IX. Hannah4, b. Sept. 28, 1728; d. July 23, 1738, aged nine.
-pp57-58
The Essex antiquarian; a quarterly magazine devoted to the biography, genealogy, history and antiquities of Essex County, Massachusetts Vol V Salem, Ma. 1901


Researching this article uncovered what might be a problem in my tree with the identities of
Mary Clark's parents, which I will discuss later.

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2015 WEEK 17: JOHN BANCROFT SR.

Continuing on with my exploration of my paternal grandmother Cora Bertha Barker's
ancestors for the 2915 edition of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, this post will be about John
Bancroft Sr., my 8x great grandfather.

John is the first of four ancestors named "John Bancroft" in a row in this line, and I'm
afraid that's his greatest distinction. I found this about him in Sidney Perley's The Essex antiquarian; a quarterly magazine devoted to the biography, genealogy, history and antiquities of Essex County, Massachusetts Vol V on the Internet Archives:

Ens. John Bancroft,2 born about 1656. He was a husbandman, and lived in that part of Lynn which is now Lynnfield. He married first, Elizabeth Eaton, Sept. 24, 1678; and she died March 12, 1704-5. He married, second, Hannah before 1711, and she died June 7, 1732, aged seventy-five. He died Jan. 25, 1739-40 aged eighty-three.
Children, born in Lynn : —
8 — I. JOHN3, b. Jan. 25, 1682. See below {8).
9 — II. Raham3, b. Feb. 9, 1685. See below {g),
10 — III. Elizabeth3, b. Sept. 25, 1688; m. Thomas Newhall of Lynn Dec. 12,  1717; and they were living in Lynn in 1734.
11-1V. Martha3, b. April 26, 1695 ; m. Samuel Aborne of Salem Oct. 29, 1720.
12-V. Tabitha3, b. Aug. I, 1697.
13 — VI. Hepzibah3 b. Oct. 29, 1699; m. Samuel Rawdin of Lynn before 1733.
14 — VII. Hannah3, b. March 5, 1701-2; probably m. Joseph Cowing April 10, 1722.
15 — VIII. Timothy3, b. Jan. 20, 1704-5.
-p57
The Essex antiquarian; a quarterly magazine devoted to the biography, genealogy, history and antiquities of Essex County, Massachusetts Vol V Salem, Ma. 1901

John Bancroft Sr died intestate and his son John Jr. (my 7x great grandfather) was appointed
executor of the estate. According to the Probate File, the estate was valued at 72 pounds, 10
shillings, and tuppence.

 Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.)

ASA ALDEN BARROWS OF THE 20TH MAINE

The name Asa was popular in the Barrows branch of my family tree. I haven't done much
work on the collateral branches of that line but I already have four Asa Barrows in my
RootsMagic database. The first of them was my 4x great grandfather Asa Barrows, and
when his daughter Rachel married John Ellingwood, they named my 2x great grandfather Asa 
Freeman Ellingwood. A few years ago I blogged about Asa Ellingwood's Civil War experiences
but recently I discovered that his first cousin Asa Alden Barrows had also served in the Union
Army, as a member of the famous 20th Maine.

Much of what I know about this Asa Barrows is sketchy. From what I've been able to find
online at FamilySearch, he was born around 1822 in Phillips, Franklin, Maine to Caleb Benson
Barrows and his wife Abigail. (I haven't found her maiden name yet.) Sometime before1847
Asa married a Lucinda Bryan and they had three children. Asa and their children are listed
on the 1850 Federal Census for Linnaeus, Me., but Lucinda is not part of the household.
By the 1860 Federal Census the family had grown to seven children, Lucinda was part of the
household, and Asa was working as a farmer.

Then came the war. The following image is from the Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957
on FamilySearch:
 

From 

From the Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 on FamilySearch

Asa enlisted on 21Jul 1862, then was mustered into Company H, 20th Maine Infantry on 29Aug
when the regiment was created. This document describes him as being 40 years old, standing 5' 8 1/4 ", with blue eyes, brown complexion, and brown hair. Remarkably, the regiment didn't see much heavy action until Gettysburg, on 2Jul 1863. It was in defending the Union position known as "Little Round Top" that the 20th Maine made its reputation after running low on ammunition while fighting the Confederate troops commanded by Gen. Hood. Instead of retreating, the 20th Maine charged
down the hill with fixed bayonets and broke the Confederate line. Historians credit that charge as
being the decisive moment in the Union victory at Gettysburg.

Asa survived the battle, but sometime shortly after that he fell ill. He was shipped north to
the Lovell General Hospital at Portsmouth Grove, Rhode Island. He was mustered out of the
service there on 19Jan 1864.

After that, information about him becomes even sketchier. Asa and Lucinda divorced in September
1868 and he later married a woman named Ava Davis. I found them on the 1880 Census living in
Lineeus, but Asa was working as a farm laborer. He no longer owned his own farm, perhaps
having left it to Lucinda and the children in the divorce. Some family trees say he moved to
Iowa but I have found nothing to verify that.

Asa died sometime before 1890 when I found Lucinda listed as his widow on the Special
Schedule of  Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Surviving Widows living at Oakfield
Point, Maine. It states that the "Disabilities Incurred" in his service were "rheumatism and
heart trouble". I don't know if she were eligible for a widow's pension since she and Asa
had divorced. And what happened to Asa?  So far, I've been unable to find a record of Asa's
death.

 From United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War, 1890 on FamilySearch

While Asa's life after the war seems rather melancholy, he had for a time been a member of
one of the most celebrated regiments of the Union Army, and was a survivor of one of the most
famous charges in American history.

MOTHER'S DAY PART 2

In honor of Mother's day, here are pictures of some of our Dad's female ancestors.

First, on his mother's side:

Amos H Barker & Betsey J (Moore) Barker

Our 2x great grandmother Betsey Jane Moore was born on 16 Aug 1842 at Waterford,
Oxford, Me. She married Amos Hastings Barker in 1856 and they raised a family of
12 children, 11 of whom survived to adulthood. Betsey died 12Mar 1924 at age 82.

My great grandmother Charlotte Lovenia Barker is the lady on the right.

 Our great grandmother Charlotte Lovenia Barker was youngest of  Amos & Betsey's
12 children. She was born on 3 Aug 1879 in Albany, Oxford, Maine and was known as
":Lottie". She married her first cousin Frank W. Barker on 16Oct 1898 and they had
4 children before Frank died in 1905 from pneumonia caused by "La Grippe" (the flu).
She was married three more times before her death on 3Jan 1944 at Bangor, Maine.   

Cora Berthella (Barker) West & her great granddaughter Mindy Sue West

Our grandmother Cora Berthella (Barker) West was born 27Oct 1899 and was the eldest
child of Frank and Charlotte. She preferred the name Bertha, although it was given as
Cora on her marriage certificate. Bertha married Floyd E.West Sr on 24Mar 1919 and
had 5 children, one of whom was our Dad.

 On his Dad's side of the family:

Arvilla (Ames)West

Our 3x great grandmother Arvilla Ames was born in Livermore, Androscoggin, Maine
on 25Jan 1810, one of 10 children. She married John Cutter West on 23Sep 1827
at Sumner, Maine, and five years later they moved to Letter B Plantation (later renamed
Upton), Oxford, Maine. She had 10 children, 3 of whom died in a diphtheria outbreak
in 1862. She died at age 97 at Hermon, Maine.

Louisa A.(Richardson) West

  Louisa Richardson, our 2x great grandmother was born in Wilton, Maine on
23Jun 1837 at Wilton, Maine.  She was the second wife of Jonathan Phelps West,
whose first wife had died in the 1862 diphtheria outbreak. Louisa and Jonathan
married on 31Jan 1865 and had 4 sons. She died 4Oct 1925 at age 88.

Florilla (Dunham) Ellingwood & Asa F Ellingwood

Our other paternal 2x great grandmother was Florilla Dunham who was born 29Aug
1832 at North Paris, Oxford, Maine. She married Asa F. Ellingwood on 10Aug 1850
at Woodstock, Oxford, Maine and 11 children.(She was one of 11 children herself.)
She died in Paris, Oxford, Maine on 21Feb 1917.

Clara (Ellingwood) West

                                                                                                  

Finally, our great grandmother  Clara Ellingwood was the 8th child and youngest
daughter of Florilla and Asa. She was born 6Mar 1865 in Dummer, Coos, NH.
Her first marriage with Charles Tidswell ended in divorce and she married  our
great grandfather Philip J West on 25May 1894 at Shelburne, Coos, NH. She had
three children by her first marriage and two by her second, including our grandfather
Floyd E West, Sr. Sadly, Clara died young after an illness in Augusta, Maine on 10Apr
1901. She was only 36 years old.

And those are the pictures we have of the mothers in our family.

Happy Mother's Day! 

MOTHERS DAY PART 1

 Once again for Mothers Day I'm posting photos of our family's mothers.

For our Mom's side we don't have very many since her grandparents immigrated
here from Ireland and Germany in the 19th century.

 

John McFarland & Annie (Kelley) McFarland

First there's Anna Kelley, born 1Oct 1858 in Kiltrustan, Roscommon, Ireland. She married
my great grandfather in Edinburgh Scotland on 16May1879 and shortly after they came
to America and settled in Boston. She had 17 children, 10 of whom survived to adulthood.
Anna died 15Feb 1945 at Boston, Ma. at age 86.

Pauline (Offinger) White

Our other maternal great grandmother was Pauline Offinger, born 17Dec 1873
in Cambridge, Massachusetts to German immigrant parents. She married Edward J.
White on 27Nov 1895 in Boston, Ma. and had 9 children.          

Agnes (McFarland) White

Our grandmother Agnes (McFarland) White was born 7Oct 1898 in Boston, Ma, the
14th of John & Annie's 17 children. She was known as "Aggie" in the family.
She married Edward F.White, Sr. and had two children, our Uncle Ed and our Mom
Anne Marie. She died 12Feb 1957 in Malden Ma.

Anne M. (White) West

Finally, our Mom, Anne M. (White) West. She was born 7Jul 1927 at Boston, Ma and
married our Dad on 29Jun 1947, also at Boston. To her McFarland cousins she was
known as "Red White".She died on 28Jul 1999 at Weymouth, Ma and she is missed by
my brother, my sister, myself and the rest of the family.

WILLIAM H. BARROWS

I was researching some of my collateral lines the other night in preparation for my post
in the last Civil War Blogpost Challenge.  Since my Mom's family was still in Ireland and
Germany at the time  that made it a bit easier.  I was down to the last line on Dad's side, the
Barrows family, when I discovered that two of my Barrows cousins had fought at Gettysburg.
One survived, the other didn't. In this post, I'll discuss my 2nd cousin 4x removed William H.
Barrows.

William was born on 2Jul 1832 in Plymouth, Ma to Ansel Barrows and Fanny Dunham.( He
is my cousin through both the Barrows and Dunham families ). The Barrows family is spread
throughout the Plymouth area, with many of them having lived in the nearby towns of
Carver and Plympton. At some point, William moved down to Brooklyn New York where
he worked as a bookkeeper, which is what his marriage record says about his occupation and
place of residence. Yet he married Almira Cobb back in Carver, Ma, on 24Nov 1858. It's one of
those things you sometimes wonder about when you find them: was Almira a childhood
sweetheart of William's and had he gone off to New York to earn enough money for them
to start a new life together? Or was she someone he had met on a visit home to Carver?
It's one of those questions for which I'll never know the answer.

The newlyweds took up residence back in Brooklyn, but they returned to Carver for the birth
of their son Eliot Thomas Barrows on 16Apr 1860. They stayed put this time, because
when William enlisted as a private in Company F of the  Massachusetts 32nd Infantry Regiment on 20 February 1862, Carver was his place of residence. While the 32nd was present at the Second Battle of Bull Run and at Antietam, it didn't see much action until the Battle of Fredericksburg, where a number of officers were lost in battle. This was probably why William was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in Jan 1863.

The 32nd Infantry arrived ay Gettysburg on the evening of 1Jul 1863 and went into battle the next day. It saw action in the areas of the battlefield known as The Wheatfield and the Stony Hill, suffering heavy casualties. Among those killed was William H. Barrows.

I know a little of what happened to his widow and son afterward. Almira Barrows filed for a
widow's pension on 29Aug 1863. Their son Eliot went on to have a successful career in New
York on the New York Produce Exchange and raised a family in Plainfield, New Jersey, where

he died in 1945.

A few years ago I was visiting Lakenham Cemetery in Carver, Ma., which has a number of my
Dunham and Barrows relatives among those buried there. One of the pictures I took was
of this family monument at the entrance of the cemetery. I had forgotten all about it until the
other night when I found William's record. 

While William Barrows was fighting and dying at Gettysburg, another member of the Barrows
family, Asa Barrows, was fighting not too far away, as part of the fabled 20th Maine. I'll tell
his story in the next post.