2016 BY THE NUMBERS

Time for a look back at my some of my genealogy activity  in 2016 with a comparison with 2015.

Database:
My research numbers as shown by RootsMagic7:
2015-30,823 people, 110,992 citations, 577 sources.
2016-31142 people,  111434  citations. 577 sources

The number of people in my database went up by 313 because of new discoveries
on the Barker side of the family.

Find a Grave
My total contributions went up modestly:
2015- 615 memorials,  962 Photos, 162 volunteer photos taken
2016- 616 memorials, 1002 photos 185 volunteer photos taken.

My total memorials only increased by one because I transferred a number to relatives
of the deceased.

Blogging
This is post 237 for this blog this year. It's the fourth straight year the blogpost total has gone up,
and the third highest total all time:

2016 (237)

2015 (220)

2014 (199)

2013 (179)

2012 (170)

2011 (248)

2010 (196)

2009 (254)

2008 (214)

2007 (208)

My posts on the Old Colony Graveyard Rabbit went down to 5 from 6. I really have to
post more there.

Not a bad year, but I'll do better in 2017, I hope!

AFTER CHRISTMAS 2016

((originally posted in December 2013))

When I was a kid the day after Christmas was a wonderful day: I knew I had a
week or so off from school and I had some new toys or games to play. If I
grew bored with them I'd just go to the library and take out some more books
to keep me occupied. If it had snowed, I'd go sledding over on Selden Street
with Barry Solomon and the other kids. 

The torn wrapping paper was stuffed into empty department store bags (
plastic trash bags didn't become popular until the 1960's) and the boxes that
toys and appliances came in were hauled out by the curb for the city
trash trucks. This was how we knew what  the other kids got for Christmas
or Hanukkah. Inside, gifts had to be removed from under the tree to our
rooms a day or so after Christmas so the pine needles under the Christmas
tree could be vacuumed up.  
  
If Christmas fell on a Friday or Monday that year there'd be a round of visits
to our McFarland and McCue relatives or they'd visit us. So Christmas decorations
stayed up for several weeks, sometimes to the end of January. When we were
living on Capen St. my Mom used Glass Wax stencils to decorate our apartment
windows but she stopped after one year when cleaning the windows off was
harder than usual. Besides, nobody could see them anyway since the apartment
was on the third floor! We also only used "angel hair" to decorate the tree
once.

But eventually we'd take off the decorations, lights, and garlands from the tree
and pack them away, and the tree would be hauled out to the curbside. If it
snowed before trash pickup it might be out there an extra week or two. In time,
as we grew older, the artificial tree would be disassembled and taken down to
the cellar.

Christmas was  over.

2014 Update
Since I'm a single "senior citizen" the after Christmas cleanup is minimal. After New
Years I'll put away the six inch tabletop Christmas tree and it's decorations away. Easy

peasy!

2015 Update
After Christmas cleanup was even more minimal than usual, since I didn't put out
the mini-Christmas tree this year.

FINDMYPAST FRIDAY RECORDS COLLECTION RELEASES FOR 30 DECEMBER 2016

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MY 2016 GENEAPLANS: HOW WELL DID I DO?

 Before I make my "geneaplans" for 2017, let's see what they were for 2016 and how
well I did fulfilling them. My comments on how I did on each are in red type: 

1. Work more on my family tree: I still have plenty of collateral relatives to add to my database but I also need to continue to work on merging the duplicates I put in the database back when I first started researching online and was in my "name gathering" newbie phase. I also need to add citations and sources where I don't have any entered.

Result: I added more families to the Barker side of the tree. I added some collateral lines but not as many as I'd hoped. The same is true of citations and sources.

2. Visit more of the towns where my ancestors  lived, see their graves and homes, and take photos: I need to make more of an effort at this as soon as the snow season is over, especially getting up to Essex and Middlesex counties, and west to Worcester county.

Result: Again, not as good as I hoped. I did visit Dedham and Lancaster, but by the time I got to both places it was too late to do more than a quick drive around.

3. Blog more: I met my 2015 goal for this blog of going over 200 posts by reaching 220. So for 2016I need to top that, even if it's only by just one more post. And I will institute that 52 Gravestones in 52 Weeks series for my Old Colony Genealogy Rabbit blog.

Result:  This is post #234 so definitely a success this year for this blog.But I failed miserably in my
Graveyard Rabbit blog.


4. Keep on with Find A Grave activities: I still have a whole lot of cemetery photos to use to creatememorials, and I want to get out and fill some more photo requests.

Result: A moderate success. I found 23 requested headstones and 40 photos so far. There's still a few days left in the year so that may go up a little more.

5.Transcribe: There's a bunch of Probate Files I haven't worked on yet. I started using the program Transcript last Fall and it's simple to use, so I'll see if it makes it easier to keep this resolution.

Result: I'll call this another moderate success since I did transcribe some probate files but there are still plenty more to do.

6. Stay organized: I need to keep at putting things I download onto my hard drive into whatever folder they belong in immediately, rather than letting them sit in the Downloads file until I get around to it.

Result: Success. Having to transfer everything to a new computer helped me organize many files.

7. Scan more: I still have family photos to scan.

Result: Failure.

8. Index more:  I hope to do some indexing for Familysearch without waiting for another crowd sourcing "event" to motivate me

Result: Failure.

9. Join a local society: I say this every year. Hope springs eternal.

Result: Failure, Hope is still springing but I still haven't done this.

10. Break down that John Cutter West brick wall: Maybe this will be the year!

Result: Failure. That brick wall still stands.

And again, as in every year, to keep having fun with genealogy!

Result: Still having fun!

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES: DEALING WITH CARDS 2016

I don’t get a lot of Christmas cards, mostly because I don’t send
out a lot myself. I get some from the family and a few from friends
but since I’m not much of a social animal there’s no more than perhaps
a half dozen each year sitting atop my tv.

In years past the amount of cardage fluctuated. When I
was a kid there were a lot of cards, usually taped to the
door frames or sitting atop the end tables in the living room.


When we moved to Abington they were displayed across the
mantel piece or taped around the edges of the mirror above it.
The years when my folks were actively involved in the VFW
brought the highest number of season’s greetings. Mom would
spend a few hours herself signing and addressing cards to be
sent out. But as she and her generation of family and friends
grew older the flood of Christmas cards dwindled. Several years
Mom even had some unused cards left over when she finished.


I tend not to like sending “mushy” cards so I usually try to find
something funny. Although this year I may be giving people a
look at a certain dancing elf via e-mail!

2010 Update: I'm going to see what sort of selection we have at
the store tomorrow and hopefully find something funny, although
last year I sent out cards that were more "New England-y"

2011 Update Since Borders has closed I'm going to have to take
a long walk over to Target soon to get some boxed cards!

2012 Update I'm waiting for my box card order from B&N
to arrive.

2013 Update I haven't bought any Christmas cards yet. I'm also
trying to figure out what to do with the leftover cards from the
last few years.

2014 Update:
I'll probably buy my cards this weekend. I don't really start thinking
about Christmas cards until right about now, although I've already
received one this holiday season. 

The past few years I've taken to displaying the incoming cards on my
bookcase, as in this photo from a  few years ago:

2015 Update
I still have several boxes of leftover Christmas cards from previous years, so this year
I'm going to send those instead of buying a new box.


2016 Update: 
I was a bad boy again this year and never sent out any cards.And I feel a bit guilty as
I received a bit more than usual:

((Originally posted in 2007)) 

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2016 WEEK 52: DEACON GREGORY STONE OF CAMBRIDGE PT2

New England was at odds with the Mother Country long before the American Revolution. Besides the conflict between the Puritans and the Church of England, there was also the Crown's desire to make Massachusetts a royal province which would change the form of government. Instead of a governor chosen  by election, he would be appointed by the king. Fear that this would happen worsened when Charles II became king after the restoration of the monarchy.

In 1664 the residents of Cambridge, Ma. voiced their concerns in a document, the Cambridge Memorial. It was brought to the General Court by four men, one of whom was my 9x great grandfather Deacon Gregory Stone.

From Joseph Gardner Bartlett's Gregory Stone Genealogy: Ancestry and Descendants of Dea. Gregory Stone of Cambridge, Mass., 1320-1917:

But the most noteworthy committee on which Dea. Gregory1 Stone served was in 1664, when he and three other Cambridge men presented to the General Court a memorial signed by them and about one hundred and forty other residents of Cambridge, protesting against the then proposed government of New England by a Royal Commission, as an arbitrary government of a Council or Parliament in which they were not represented, and contrary to the intent of the original patent of the Colony. This was the first muttering of the spirit which over a century later was heard in full tones in the Declaration of Independence of 1776. The Colony Records thus describe this occurrence:

"19 Oct. 1664. The Court being'mett together & informed that severall persons, inhabitants of Cambridge, were at the doore, & desiring liberty to make knowne theire errand, were callled in, & Mr. Edward Jackson, Mr. Richard Jackson, Mr. Edw: Oakes, & Deacon Stone, coming before the Court, presented a peticon from the inhabitants of Cambridge, which was subscribed by very many hands," etc., viz:

"To the honoured Generall Court of Massachusetts Colonie. The humble representation of the inhabitants of the towne of Cambridg.

For as much as we have heard that theire have beene representations made unto his Majesty conserning divisions among us and dissatisfactions about the present government of this colonie; we whose names are under written, the inhabitants and householders of the towne above mentioned, doe hearby testify our unanimous satisfaction in and adhearing to the present government so long and orderly estableshed, and our earnest desire of the continuance theirof and of all the liberties and privileges pertaining theirunto which are contained in the charter granted by King James and King Charles the First of famous memory, under the encouredgment and security of which charter we or our fathers ventered over the ocean into this wildernesse through great hazards, charges, and difficulties; and we humbly desire our honored General Court would addresse themselves by humble petition to his Maiesty for his royall favour in the continuance of the present estableshment and of all the previleges theirof, and that we may not be subjected to the arbitrary power of any who are not chosen by this people according to their patent. Cambridg the 17th of the 8:1664.
Charles Chauncy
Edward Oakes
Samll Andrewe
Jonathan Mitchell
Elijah Corlett
Richard Champny
Edmund Frost
Gregory Stone"
[The names of one
hundred and thirty
more signers follow.]

(Massachusetts Colony Records, vol. 4, part 1, p. 136; and "History of Cambridge," pp. 74-75.)
-pp47-48
Gregory Stone Genealogy: Ancestry and Descendants of Dea. Gregory Stone of Cambridge, Mass., 1320-1917  Stone family association, Boston, Ma  1918


And the governor of Massachusetts in 1664?

My 10x great grandfather John Endicott!

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2016 WEEK 52: DEACON GREGORY STONE OF CAMBRIDGE PT1

And so  I've come to my last ancestor for this year's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, 9x great grandfather Deacon Gregory Stone of Cambridge, Ma.  Here's the entry in William Richard Cutter's Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 4:

Gregory Stone, immigrant ancestor, came to America with his family, in the "Defence," which sailed from London early in July, 1635, and arrived, presumably at Boston, in October of the same year. He had as fellow passengers Rev. Thomas Shepard and his associate, who were fleeing religious intolerance at home. On the voyage they were exposed to greater danger than that found by most of the colonists, for their ship had  "a bottom too decayed and feeble indeed for such a voyage so that a perilous leak endangered her safety on the way hither." In the same year his brother Simon came with his family on the ship "Increase," also from London.

(II)Deacon Gregory Stone, born in England, about 1590, baptized at Great Bromley, Essex county, England, April 19, 1592, died at Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 30, 1672. He settled first at Watertown as early as 1636, but soon removed to Cambridge, of which he was a proprietor in 1637. He was admitted a freeman May 25, 1636, with his brother Simon, both of Watertown. His farm at Cambridge was noted for high state of cultivation and excellent orchards. It is the site of the present Botanic Gardens of Harvard College. He was deacon of the Cambridge Church thirty-four years, deputy to the general court, and local magistrate. He deposed September 18, 1658, that he was aged about sixty-seven years. He died November 30, 1672, aged eighty-two. His will was proved December 14, 1672. The widow died June 24, 1674. He married in Nayland, England, July 20, 1617, Margaret Garrad, baptized at Nayland, December 5, 1597, and buried there August 4, 1628. Stone married second, in England, Lydia Cooper, widow, born in England and died in Cambridge, June 24, 1674. His second wife had by her first marriage a son John Cooper, who married Anne Sparhawk, and a daughter Lydia, who married David Fisk. Children: i. John, baptized July 31, 1618, in England; settled in Framingham; ancestor of the main families of Worcester county of this name. 2. Dr. Daniel, baptized August 15, 1620; resided in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 3. David, baptized September 22, 1622; resided in Cambridge. 4. Elizabeth, baptized October 3, 1624, buried at Nayland, England. 5. Elizabeth, baptized March 6, 1628: married Anthony Potter, of Ipswich. 6. Samuel, mentioned below. 7. Sarah, baptized February 8, 1632: married July 12, 1653, Joseph Merriam, of Concord; she died April 8, 1704. -p1889

Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 4  Lewis historical publishing Company, N Y. N.Y. 1908


But this wasn't the only place I found online with details of Gregory's life, and I found something very interesting about Gregory on another website.

To be continued.

FINDMYPAST FRIDAY RECORDS COLLECTION RELEASES FOR 23 DECEMBER 2016

Nearly 57,000 new records from Scotland and England are included in the Findmypast Friday
release for the Christmas weekend:




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IF I RAN CHRISTMAS 2016...

...these are the rules I'd make.


Christmas sales and advertising would be banned until the day
before Thanksgiving.


Black Friday would start at 9am local time sharp. No midnight
madness. No lines at store doors at dawn. People would instead
spend more time at home with their families and store personnel
would not have to leave Thanksgiving gatherings early because
they need to go prep the store for opening.


Shoppers would behave in a mature, civilized and orderly fashion.
If the store has run out of some item the shoppers would not
treat the salespeople as if they have suddenly become the spawn
of Satan but instead would move on to the next items on their
shopping list.



No national chain stores open on Christmas Day. Christmas is
Christmas, period. Forget about sales for one day and let your
employees enjoy the day with their families. Mom & Pop stores
can open but half the day only so that folks who run out of milk or
butter can get some quickly and easily.


People would hold doors open for other shoppers and give up
their bus seats to senior citizens. Young children would not throw
temper tantrums and older children would not curse at their
parents.


Everyone would have someplace to go to and someone to be with
on Christmas Day. No one would be alone and no one would be
cold or hungry.

Drunk drivers would be unable to start their cars and so have to
take cabs or other means of transportation.


All our Armed Forces would be home to safely celebrate the
holidays with their loved ones.

There’s much more that could be added, I’m sure. But I’d be
happy with these for starters.

((First published in 2008))

2012 Update: I've added a new one:
There'd be no commercials using Santa to sell cars.


And no commercials with Christmas carols sung badly and loudly
off key for supposed "comic effect". (Are you listening, Target?)

2013 Update: A few more new ones:
NO THANKSGIVING DAY openings. The sales can wait until
after midnight.

No more Michael Bolton car commercials. I'm doing this for you,
Michael. Things can't be so bad you need to do these. Have some
self respect!

And while we're at it, no more Ron Burgundy car commercials.
They were funny at first, but now they're tiresome.

And another thing about commercials: I'd limit how many times
each commercial could be played an hour. Playing the same
commercial three times in ten minutes would be penalized
by being sent to the "penalty box" for twelve hours.

That's it for now. I'm sure I'll have more by next year!

2014 Update:

Things have improved greatly!  No Michael Bolton car
commercials! We are not being bombarded by the same
commercials being shown three times in a row.

However....the Joe Boxer pajama bottoms commercial
involving men pounding their beer bellies like kettledrums
has to to!

2015 Update: 
There has been very little to complain about this holiday season.
But there is one minor annoyance: the car commercials with
the salespersons basically hostages to the couples taking test
drives. Wouldn't the car dealerships call the police when an
employee and car have been missing for hours? Why aren't
the salespeople using their cellphones to call for help?

Well, at least Michael Bolton isn't along for the rides!

2016 Update:

This one is for all our sanity:
No mention of presidential politics between Christmas Eve and Jan 2.
Everyone step back, take deep breaths and be kind to each other.
And for God's sake, someone freeze a certain person's Twitter account
until after New Year's Day!

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2016 WEEK 51: JOSEPH MERRIAM JR. OF LEXINGTON, MA.

Continuing with my Merriam branch of my grandmother Cora Barker's side of the family:

My 8x great grandfather Joseph Merriam Jr. appears to have been, like his father Joseph Sr., a wealthy man . This is the entry for him in Charles Henry Pope's Merriam Genealogy in England and America:

Joseph3(Joseph, William'), born in England about 1629; grew up in Concord, Mass., but removed when adult to the neighboring town of Cambridge, the part called “The Farms,” which afterward became the parish and town of Lexington. He was admitted to the church, and was made a freeman (or citizen), May 22, 1650. He married at Concord, July 12, 1653, Sarah, daughter of Dea. Gregory Stone, who made a bequest to her in his will, dated Nov. 22, 1672. He accumulated something of a property for the times, as appears from the inventory of his estate and from the subsequent division. He died 20 April, 1677, “aged 47,” says the record on his gravestone, the oldest now extant in the ancient “Hill Burying Ground” in Concord. The widow died April 5, 1704.

The property remained undivided many years after his death, and was then distributed in a kindly and equitable manner. We quote a portion of the instrument in which all was definitely arranged, giving in full the opening part which relates to the mother.

MIRIAMS SETTLEMENT OF AGREEMENT
Whereas Joseph Miriam belonging to the Towne of Cambridge in the County of Middx in New England Twenty two years Since died Intestt. Who left Sarah his Relict Widow Together with many Small Children, Eight of which are yet Surviveing. And there haveing never yet been a Legall Division of this Estate. Therefore Sarah Miriam his R widow, as also his Children Namely Joseph Miriam Jno Miriam Robert Miriam & Thomas Miriam Together with his Daughters (& with ye Consent of theire husbands) vizt Sarah flecher, Elizabeth Wood, Mary Stearns, & Ruth Stow Do all mutually agree & Determine to make a Division of the Said Estate both Reall and prsonall in Manner & form as followth:

Imprms: They Do all agree that Sarah Miriam the Relict Widow Shall have the free use of the houseing and lands hereafter Expressed, all during the term of her naturall life vizt: The new End of the Dwelling house from top to bottom also the lower room of the oldhouse next to ye new aforesaid, and the use of ye halfe of the Cellar the one halfe of the Barn and halfe of the cowyard and free liberty to cutt halfe her fire wood on ye land of her sonn Jno Miriam and the other halfe to gett it off from the land of her son Robert Miriam That is to say—the West land. And further she is to have about an Acre and an halfe of the Land by the Dore also in ye pound three acres and an halfe. Also in the Comon feild Two acres & an halfe of plow Land. also mowing Land in the Comon feild all that wch She hath had ye actuall Improvement of of late Together with Two acres and three quarters of Land in the Orchard, as also the free use of wt moveable Estate she hath in her possession, to be at her own Disposall and what of that she shall not [have] disposed of at her Death, that to be equally divided amongst all the Children.
 
And as an Addition to what the sd Eight children have had settled upon them in time past It is as followeth:

Then follow detailed descriptions of the several shares, hardly needful to be copied.
Signed November 29, 1700, by the eight children and Isaac Stearns, Nathaniel Stow, Samuel Fletcher and Isaac Wood.
[Mdx. Probate Records, 10, 507.]

Children:
 i. Sarah; b. 2 Aug. 1654; m. 14 June, 1688, Eleazer Ball, who d. 15 Nov. 1698; she m. (2) 7 June, 1699, Samuel Fletcher; she d. 29 April, 1703. 

ii. Lydia, b. Aug. 3, 1656; d. 29 Dec. 1690. 

12. iii. Joseph, b. May 25, 1658. 

iv. Elizabeth, b. May 20, 1660; m. Isaac Wood. 

13. v. John, b. Aug. 30, 1662. 

vi. Mary, b. June 14, 1664; m. Isaac Stearns.

14. vii. Robert, b. Feb. 17, 1667.

viii. Ruth, b. 1670; m. Dec. 3, 1690, Nathaniel Stow; she d. July 14, 1718. 

115. ix. Thomas, b. 1672.
-pp44-46
Merriam Genealogy in England and America, Charles H. Pope, Boston, Ma. 1906

BLOG CAROLING 2016: THE COVENTRY CAROL

It's become a Geneablogger tradition to join our friend footnoteMaven in the annual Blog Caroling Event, when geneabloggers post their favorite Christmas carols. 

I chose a carol this year that appeals to my love of medieval history. The Coventry Carol was first
performed in a nativity pageant in 1534 and was written by Robert Croo (Crow). I like the version 
recorded by Annie Lennox.


 Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child,
 Bye bye, lully, lullay.
 Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child,
 Bye bye, lully, lullay.

 O sisters too, how may we do
 For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we sing,
"Bye bye, lully, lullay"?

Herod the king, in his raging,
Chargèd he hath this day
His men of might in his own sight
All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor child, for thee
And ever mourn and may
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
Bye bye, lully, lullay."

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2016 WEEK 50: JOSEPH MERRIAM SR. OF CONCORD, MA.

I had thought I'd finished up the year on the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge for the Barker side of Dad's family but discovered I'd missed two branches on the family tree, the Merriam and the Stone families. They are connected  to me through the Stowes:

So my subject for today is my immigrant ancestor Joseph Merriam St, my 10x great grandfather.He came from a well- to- do merchant family back in Kent England and was wealthy enough to charter a ship, the Castle, along with some of his brothers and colleagues) to come to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Here are some excerpts from Merriam Genealogy in England and America by Charles Henry Pope, Charles Pierce Merriam, C. E. Gildersome- Dickinson, James Sheldon Merriam:
  
Joseph (William'), eldest of the sons mentioned in the father's will, and the only one through whom the family name has descended, was probably born in the county of Kent, about the year 1600. He married Sara, daughter of John and (probably) Frances (Jefferie) Goldstone, whose brother was a resident of the town of Tonbridge, near by the home of Joseph and that of his father at the period of the emigration...
-p32 
Merriam Genealogy in England and America, Charles H. Pope, Boston, Ma. 1906


We know that Joseph had learned and entered on the business which his father had followed, for Robert Goldstone's will gives him the title “clothier,” which is evidence of an unquestionable sort. This business had put him in possession of good means for the venture on a voyage to New England, and gave him a good start here. But it would necessarily give him a great deal of work in the line of collections, settlements, sales, and shipments. With so much property and such excellent business experience, it is not strange that he joined with others in chartering a vessel and taking freight and passengers to help pay the expenses of the voyage. The particulars of his venture are many of them brought out in connection with lawsuits between the partners...
-p32 ibid

Joseph made his home in Concord, having a comfortable homestead for a “planter.” He was soon received to the church, and, in accordance with the method of the time, was admitted to the freemanship or citizenship of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay on the 14th of the first month, March, 1638–9, nine months after his arrival.

His life in the colony was brief. He died on the first day of January (1(11), 1640-1, leaving a will which shows his business-like habits and his kindly thought for the welfare of others.

His oldest son William was not yet of age. The expected child had provision made for his support. Two of the foremost citizens of the little town and his brother Robert were charged with the duty of overseeing the carrying out of his plans for his loved ones....
pp34-35 ibid

The widow Sara married second, Lieut. Joseph Wheeler, of Concord. The three sons, William, Joseph, and John, joined in a quitclaim deed of any rights they might be supposed to have in the estate of Joseph Wheeler, “their fatherin-law'” (or stepfather as we now say), April 17, 1667. Sarah, “wife of Lift. Joseph Wheeler,” died March 12, 1670–1.
 
Children:
5. i. William; b. in England about 1624.
 ii. Sarah, b. in England about 1626.
6. iii. Joseph, b. in England about 1628.
 iv. Thomas, b. in England; living in 1637.
v. Elizabeth, b. in England; m. Thomas Henchman (Hinkesman); living in 1681 and a legatee of her uncle Robert Merriam, of Concord.
 vi. Hanna, b. in England; living in 1637.
7. vii. John, b. after the death of his father, at Concord, July 9, 1641.
p35 ibid

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES: IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR 2016

Every Christmas Mom would break out the Andy Williams
Christmas Album to play on the stereo. There was also a Nat
King Cole album and a Mitch Miller “Sing Along With Mitch”
Christmas edition. But for me, even rock and roll dinosaur
that I am, it’s the Andy Williams album that “feels” like
Christmas to me. I need to hear that "It's the Most
Wonderful Time of the Year."


As I’ve gotten older and my musical tastes expanded, I find
myself listening to New Age and Celtic Christmas music. And
Josh Groban just put out a holiday album that we’ve played at
the bookstore since Thanksgiving and it’s easy on the ears.

As for caroling, well, there are some things that one should
never do in public and in my case, singing is one of them!

2010 Update: I splurged this year for the "Now That;s What
I Call Christmas Essentials Collection." It has the Andy Williams
song and Nat King Cole's version of "Christmas Song" on it,
and I plan to play it Thursday afternoon on my day off!

2011 Update Now that Borders has gone out of business and
I avoid the radio stations doing the "All Christmas, All the Time"
since mid-November, I haven't burned out on Christmas music
as early as previous years. But unfortunately, I am now tired of
"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year". Staples use of it
in the back to school ads was funny. But this year, the song has
been overused by retail stores and car dealerships so much
that it's like beating a dead reindeer! Bah, humbug!

2012 Update: My favorite piece of Christmas music this year
is this performance by Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, and Mariah
Carey. It makes me smile.

2013 Update: One of the things I've noticed since I no longer
work at Borders is I don't find Christmas music as grating as
I did for all those years when I heard it all day long at work. I
have some Celtic Christmas music collections Cds I will start
playing soon here at home, I think. There's also a local PBS
radio show "Celtic Sojourn" that puts on an annual live stage
and this year there is a tv special of it I want to see. 

2014 Update:
WGBH is showing a taping of "A Christmas Celtic Sojourn"
from a few years ago this year on tv. If you can find it, I think
you'll enjoy it:
  

2015 Update

 I've been listening to Christmas music on Pandora this year while working on my genealogy research. I haven't any new favorite this year so far, but if I find one I'll blog about it here.


  
2016 Update

This year my favorite piece of Christmas music is Loreena McKennit's
 ((originally posted in 2007))

BLOOD LINES

I've been meaning to put together a timeline of my colonial New England ancestors during
the Indian wars that began with the Pequot War and ended with the French and Indian War.
That's over a century of conflict and as might be expected it took a quite a toll in lives and injuries
on both sides. The timeline was a "someday" project but learning  about the Nathaniel Wilder incident finally was the push to get me started on doing it.

I've  gone through my database and blog posts the past few days and it became apparent
this will take awhile to finish. So working on this is one of my resolutions for next year. I've
already started though. All my colonial ancestors are on my Dad's family through his father
Floyd E. West Sr. and his mother Cora Berthella Barker. Below is a list of  direct ancestors who were killed during the war divided into the West and Barker side of the family. At this point I've found eleven. They are listed chronologically in each group:

West Line
John Nutting                                  13 Mar 1676         Groton, Middlesex, Ma.               10x ggf
Thomas Kimball                             13 May 1676         Bradford, Essex, Ma                    9x ggf
John York                                       17 May 1690         Casco Bay, Cumberland, Me.       8x ggf
Gershom Flagg                               6  Jul 1690             Lee, Strafford, N.H.                     9x ggf
Peter Weare                                   25 Jan 1691            York, York, Maine                        11x ggf
James Blood                                   13 Sep 1692          Groton, Middlesex, Ma                 9x ggf
John Ames Sr.                                 9 Jul 1724             Groton, Middlesex, Ma                 8xggf



Barker Line
Jonas Fairbanks                             10 Feb 1676         Lancaster, Worcester, Ma              8x ggf
John Hoyt Jr                                   28 Feb 1687         Amesbury, Middlesex, Ma.          9x ggf
William Frost                                  ? May 1690         Wells, York,Me.                            8x ggf
Nathaniel Wilder                           31 Jul 1704           Lancaster, Worcester, Ma              8x ggf

Three died in King Philip's War
Five died in King William's War
One died in Queen Anne's War
One died in Dummer's War
One, John Hoyt Jr., died in a random attack.

 
There may be more names added to this list. There is also a large number of siblings and other relatives who died. I have direct ancestors and others who were taken captive as well and later
freed. 

As I said, this will take awhile. 

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ONLY HUMAN

I've been thinking the last few days about the discovery that my ancestor Nathaniel Wilder was sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of six Indians three women and three children. Tthere is always the possibilty that  the two men who were hung were the actual murderers while Nathaniel Wilder and Daniel Hoare merely looked on and so gained clemency.

I have a degree in history and was taught in college that we should not impose our present day beliefs and ethics when examining the events of the past. It's hard not to sometimes do that, though, when it's your own family history. Some of the Wilder genealogies published in the 19th century show that later generations changed the facts a little, saying it was only one Indian killed, a brave that had surrendered. One male Indian was easier to swallow than six women and children.

I took a course in philosophy at college and one day the professor asked us if world peace was possible.(This was back in the 1960's.) I said no, because we were all humans and had emotions like hate, greed and jealousy. The professor said I was a cynic and moved on to the next student.

Nathaniel Wilder's family and neighbors in Lancaster, Ma. had been attacked and besieged by Indians. Some had been wounded, some killed. So it's probable his involvement in the deaths were prompted by hatred. It was a human reaction, It doesn't excuse it, but it helps in understsanding what happened. He was only human.

And it's only human for me to wish he had been able to control his emotions.




 
  
   


    

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES: PARTIES: OBJECTS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR...

I don’t recall many holiday parties from my earlier childhood. In
our family folks were too busy working or shopping at Christmas
time. And when we lived in Dorchester the apartments weren’t
really big enough to hold large parties in, although there might
have been one or two. If so, they would have followed the rules of
other adult parties my folks had: after saying hello to the adults,
my sister and I would be sent off to our beds to eventually fall
asleep while listening to the adults in the other room laughing
at Rusty Warren records. We wondered what "roll me over
in the clover" meant.

As an adult, most of my Christmas party experience has been at
work, including one at a now defunct toy chain warehouse(more
on that job later) when I was in my early twenties. It snowed
when I left for home. My car at the time was an Olds 98 and
being in a hurry to get home, I didn’t completely clean the rear
windshield. I backed up, turning the car around….

…and smashed my rear windshield by backing the car up under
a tractor trailer box front end as if it were a big rig hooking up.

The good news was, my Dad worked in the auto glass repair
business.

The bad news was I had to call him and tell him what I’d done.

It was an …umm…interesting conversation.


((First published in December, 2007))

2013 Update: I think this is my favorite out of all the things 
I've posted every year about past Christmases. I remember the
windshield incident with a smile now but at the time I was 
a nervous wreck waiting for Dad's reaction, especially since I'd
had a few highballs at the Christmas party which probably had
a lot to do with my backing into the trailer. I also had to drive
the car home with no rear windshield in a snowstorm and I was
worried I'd get pulled over by the police. When I got home we
covered the broken window with something, probably a cut
open garbage bag and masking tape, and a few days later Dad
found a replacement at Goldy's, a local junkyard. 

Most of all, I remember Dad getting out of his car when he drove up 
to the  Child World warehouse, taking a puff on his cigarette, and 
giving me The Look before asking me "How the hell did you manage 
to do that?"


((First published in December, 2007))

DEAR GENEA-SANTA 2016

Dear Genea-Santa,

Hi, it's me again! First, I'd like to thank you for those Worcester County Probate files over on the AmericanAncesters.org site.  And thanks for the hint from Elizabeth Pyle Handler that helped me fill in a whole lot of blanks on my Moore family ancestors.

I'm going to try to keep my wish-list short and sweet this year. Here I go:

-Please help get more Suffolk and Plymouth, Ma. County probate files online,

- I'd really appreciate it if you could do the same for the court records for Middlesex, Plymouth, Suffolk, and Worcester County court files, I just know there's probably some juicy family stories in them like the ones I found in the Essex County court files,

-Could you  get me a bit more ambition to get out next year and drive to the towns my ancestors lived in? 

-As usual, I need help in breaking down a few more brick walls, especially the one for the Elusive John Cutter West,

-Finally, I want an app that will help me find the gravestones I'm looking for when I visit one of the cemeteries where an ancestor is buried. Something that makes it easy, like maybe a hologram of a flashing neon arrow pointing down at the headstone as a trumper blares. Maybe you can get the  Ronco Company to manufacture a Ronco Easy Headstone Spotter?

That's it for this year Genea-Santa! Thanks again! 

And Merry Genea-Christmas!



   
((Inspired by a Saturday Night Genealogy Fun prompt from Randy Seaver over at Genea-Musings.))

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52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2016 WEEK 49: NATHANIEL WILDER OF LANCASTER, MA. PT3

In August 1676 my 8x great grandfather Nathaniel Wilder and three other men were sentenced to death for the murders of six Indians: three women and three children.

On 26Sep 1676  two of his co-defendants,  Samuel and Daniel Goble were hung in Boston. Neither Nathaniel or the fourth man, Daniel Hoare, were executed at that time. In fact they never were. I have my own theory on why the death sentence wasn't carried out. My ancestor and Daniel Hoare were sons of two prominent residents of their towns. Hoare and the Gobles were from Concord where the murders took place but the Gobles were not from an influential family. Appeals for mercy were probably made and two weeks after the date on which they would have been executed the following ruling was made by the Court:

 Oct 1676. Upon the humble petition of Daniel Hoare & Nathaniell Wilder, presented to this Court, acknouledging the justice of this Court. & begging pardon for their lines, the Court haue granted their petition, and accordingly doe remitt the sentence of death passed against them, and order, that they pay prison ohardges and ten pounds apeece money, halfe towards the charge of witnesses. to be payd to the Tresurer of the country. and the other halfe to Andrew Pittime, & Swagon, ye Indians prosecuting against them: on payment whereof they are dischardged.
[Massachusetts Records.]


p118
The Early Records of Lancaster, Massachusetts. 1643-1725  W. J. Coulter,Pub.Lancaster,Ma. 1884


So for the sum of ten pounds my ancestor escaped the hangman's noose.

But I wonder. Two Indians had brought the accusation of murder against the four colonists. Five pounds in recompense for the loss of three women and three children probably did nothing to soother their grief and anger. So, when the town of Lancaster was attacked again by Indians in 1704 it may not have ben just coincidence that Nathaniel Wilder was killed, nor the death of his son Jonathan three years later in 1707. Another son, Ephraim, was severely wounded in that 1707 attack as well.

Perhaps the Indians exacted their own justice .