ON THIS DATE: JUNE 22ND

 

ON THIS DATE

BIRTHS:

22 Jun 1805 3x ggf James Thomas Dunham was born in Hebron. Me.

22 Jun 1649 10x ggm Mary Newton was born at Sudbury, Ma.

22 Jun 1701 8x ggm Elizabeth Drury was born at Framingham, Ma.

DEATHS:

22 Jun 1675 10x ggf Richard Kimball died at Ipswich, Ma.

22 Jun 1791 7x ggm Meriah (Moore) Houghton died at Lancaster, Ma.

22 Jun 1762 8x ggf John Bumpus died at Wareham Ma.

ON THIS DATE: JUNE 2OTH

 ON THIS DATE:
BIRTH:
20 Jun 1639 8x ggf John Stevens Jr. was born at Newbury, Ma.
20 Jun 1813 3x ggf Cyrus Moore was born at Waterford, Me.

DEATHS:
20 Jun 1654 10x ggf Joseph Morse Sr. died at Dorchester, Ma.
20 Jun 1640 9x ggm Joan (Nudd)Dow died at Watertown, Ma.

ELISHA HOUGHTON HAD A GUN....AND THEN HE DIDN'T.

   ((Yesterday was the 248th Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Several of my ancestors took
part in the battles, including my 5x great grandfather Elisha Houghton. I first posted this on 21
August, 2012:)) 

I mentioned my ancestor Elisha Houghton the other day and
that he was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. I found this
story about him in History of the Town of Harvard, Massachusetts
1732-1893 by Henry Steadman Nourse (p323):

"Coliney of the Massachusetts Bay.

To the Honnorabel General Coart seting at Watertown the Petion
of Elisha Houghton a Solder under Comand of Captan Hastings in Conl
Whitcomb's Rigement in the year 1775 and I was in the fight on Bunkers
hill So Called in Charlston on the 17 of June in the year 1775 as above
sd and on my Return I and others Lited on one Jacob Davis who was
wounded who requested our help and in tacking Care of the sd Davis
Caused me your Petinor to take Mistick Road to convey the sd Davis to
where he thought he could be tacken Care of and in so Doing 1 came
acros by Winter hill to go to head Quater at Cambridge and in Coming
by the Gard of Connal Starks which was set on sd hill they took away
my Gun which I and others that Knew sd Gun Judged to be worth teen
Dolers. I Endevuered to Recover my Gun again but was Denied the
Same which may be made Evident to this Coart by Reading the Paper
acompining this Petition. 1 also Sertify this Coart that I have Never
Reseved my Gun since Nor any Consideration for the same. I therefore
your Poor Petitioner Humbly Pray that this Coart would be Pleased to
take my Case into your Consideration and alow me Pay for my Gun
and your Petitioner as in Duty bound Shall Ever Pray. Bolton Jan. the —
1776 Elisha Houghton

This may Certify that Elisha Houghton of Col Whitcomb's Regiment
in Capt. Hasting's Company was in the Action on Bunker's hill and
helping bringing the wounded men off to Cambridge went mistick Road over
Winter hill and the Guard that was set on winter hill took away the Guns,
and this sd Houghton's Gun was among the Rest, the next Day with [a]
number of others sd Houghton went in order to Get his Gun with an officer
with him, but could not find it and have Never heard of it since—as I know of.

Josiah Whitney, Lt. Col. of sd Rgmt.
Dorchester Camp Febury 29th. 1776"

I don't know if Elisha ever got recompensed for his lost gun, but I suspect he
was one of the earliest victims of "requisitioning" in the American military tradition.

FATHERS DAY 2023

 

 In honor of Fathers Day I'm posting pictures of some of the fathers on my family tree. From the Wests:

Our Dad, Floyd E West, Jr.

 

Great grandfather Philip J. West, Cousin Stanley & Grandfather Floyd E West, Sr.

2x great grandfather Jonathan P.West & wife Louisa Almata (Richardson)West

3x Great grandfather John Cutter West

Some of the maternal grandfather's from Dad's family:

2x great grandfather Asa F Ellingwood & wife Florilla (Dunham)Ellingwood.

2x Great grandfather Amos Hastings Barker & wife Betsy Jane (Moore) Barker.

3x Great grandfather Philip Richardson

4x great grandfather Moses Coburn

 And the only pictures I have from Mom's side of the family:

Great grandfather John McFarland & wife Annie (Kelley)McFarland.

Great Grandfather Edward J White.

Happy Fathers' Day!

ON THIS DATE: MAY 25TH

 ON THIS DATE:
MARRIAGES:
25 May 1894 ggp Philip J. West & Clara Ellingwood were married at Shelburne, N.H.
25 May 1687 8x ggp Joseph Dow & Hannah Challlis were married at Amesbury, Ma.
25 May 1690 8x ggp Henry Herrick & Lydia Woodbury were married at Beverley.Ma.

DEATHS:
25 May 1714 8x ggm Anna (White) Hayward died in Concord. Ma
25 May 1700 9x ggf James Parker died at Groton, Ma

ON THIS DATE: MAY 21ST

 ON THIS DATE:
BIRTH:
21 May 1648 8x ggm Herster Wormall was born in Boston, Ma.
21 May 1647 8x ggm Elizabeth Hedge was born at Yarmouth. Ma.

MARRIAGES:
21 May 1649 8x ggp Henry Jefts & Hannah Births were married at Woburn, Ma.
21 May 1657 10x ggp Thomas Ellis & Mary Wight were married at Medfield, Ma.

DEATHS:
21 May 1905 ggf Frank W. Barker died in Bethel Maine.

ON THIS DATE: MAY 20TH

 ON THIS DATE:
BIRTH:
20 May 1672 8x ggf Eleazer Green was botn at Lancaster. Ma.
20 May 1638 9x ggm Mary (Crispe) Green was born at Watertown, Ma.

MARRIAGE:
20 May 1663 8x ggp John Kelley & Sarah Knight were married at Newbury, Ma.
DEATHS:
20 May 1699 8x ggf John Thomas died at Marshfield, Ma.
20 May 1676 10x ggm Mary (Tidd) Kendall died at Woburn, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MAY 19TH

 ON THIS DATE:
BIRTH:
19 May 1659 7x ggm Mary Harlow was born at Plymouth, Ma.

 MARRIAGE:
19 May 1673 9x ggp Samuel Mann & Ester Ware were marroied at Dedham, Ma.

DEATHS:
19 May 1661 9x ggm Anne (Jundon) Butterfield died at Chelmsford, Ma.
19 May 1709 9x ggf Jonathan Morey died at Plymouth, Ma.

MOTHERS DAY 2

 

 In honor of Mother's Day, here are pictures 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 Ellingwood. 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 Mothers Day! 

MOTHERS DAY 1

 

 Once again for Mothers Day I'm posting photos of our family's mothers, starting with the maternal line of my family..

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.

ON THIS DATE: APRIL 30th

 0N THIS DATE:
BIRTHS:
30 Apr 1699 6x ggf Mark Perkins was born in Beverly, Ma.

MARRIAGES:
30 Apr 1674 7x ggp Andrew Spaulding  & Hannah Jefes were married at Chelmsford, Ma.
30 Apr 1662 7x ggp John Doane & Hannah Banges were married in Orleans, Ma.

DEATHS:
30 Apr 1814 5x ggf John Dunham died in Carver, Ma.
30 Apr 1754 7x ggf Thomas Safford died at Ipswich, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: APRIL 24th

 ON THIS DATE:
MARRIAGE:
24 Apr 1669 8x ggp Philip Brown & Mary Buswell were married at Salisbury, Ma.

DEATHS:
24 Apr 1666 8x ggm Mary Parker died at Scituate, Ma.
24 Apr 1656 11x ggf John Tidd  died at Woburn, Ma.
24 Apr 1676 8x ggf Simon Willard died at Charlestown, Ma.

THE SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD

 

 Today is the 248th Anniversary of the Battles of Lexington & Concord which
started the American Revolution on 19Apr 1775.

These are our colonial ancestors from our Dad's family lines for whom I have
so far been able to discover records that they took part in those battles and served in the
Revolution:



Jonathan Barker Jr. My 5x great grandfather
Was a Minuteman from Methuen Ma with rank of Sergeant.
He responded to Lexington and Concord with his sons
Served in Captain Samuel Johnson's Company in
Colonel Titcomb's Regiment for 2 months in 1777 in Rhode
Island and then with Nathaniel Gage's Company in Colonel
Jacob Gerrish's guards from Dec 1777 to l Apr 1778 guarding
the captured troops of General Burgoyne.


Jonathan Barker 3rd  My 4x great grandfather
Enlisted on 19 Apr 1775 in Continental Army, Capt. John
Davis' Company, Col. James Frye's Regiment, in the
Massachusetts line for 8 months in Cambridge, Ma. At the
conclusion of the term, he reenlisted for another 3 months in
Capt John Allen's Company, Colonel John Waldron's Regiment,
General Sullivan's Brigade in the New Hampshire Brigade at
Charlestown, Ma. He then enlisted a third time in June 1778
at Methuen, Ma., joining Captain Samuel Carr's Company, Col.
James Weston's Regiment, in General Lerned's Brigade at
White Plains, N.Y. and serving for another 9 months.

John Ames   My 5x great grandfather
Was a Minuteman under Capt. Asa Parker on April 19th,
1775. He then enlisted in the Continental Army under Captain
Oliver Parker, Col. William Prescott's Regiment and
in the Brigade that was commanded in turn by Generals
Putnam, Lee, and Washington and served for 8 1/2 months.

 

Asa Barrows    My 4x great grandfather
A member of the militia from Middleborough , Ma. (south of
Boston) in the Company of Captain Joshua Benson, in Colonel
Cotton's Regiment, and General William Heath's Brigade for
8 months during the siege of Boston. In December 1776 he
joined a militia Company commanded by Captain Joshua
Perkins and marched to Barrington, R.I. and was stationed
there for 6 weeks. In July 1780 he again enlisted, this time
in a militia company commanded by Captain Perez Churchill
that marched to Tiverton, R.I. .

Moses Coburn  My 4x great grandfather
Moses Coburn got into the War late and by reason of being
"hired by a certain class of men in the then town of Dunstable
to go into the Continental Army in the summer of 1781."
When he reached Phillipsburgh in New York he was placed in
Captain Benjamin Pike's Company, in the Regiment of the
Massachusetts line commanded by Lt. Colonel Calvin Smith in
which he served for nearly two years until it was broken up.
He then transferred to the Company of Judah Alden in the
Regiment commanded by Colonel Sprouts until his discharge
in 1783.

Samuel Haskell   My 5x great grandfather
Samuel served in Captain Joseph Elliott's Company in Colonel
William Turner's Regiment and then under Captain Hezekiah
Whitney in Colonel Josiah Whitney's Regiment.


Amos Hastings   My 5x great grandfather
Amos  responded to the Lexington Alarm as part of
Captain Richard Ayer's Company and Colonel William
Johnson's Regiment. He later served in Captain Timothy
Eaton's Company in Colonel Edward Wigglesworth's Regiment
and was at the taking of the British General Burgoyne at
Ticonderoga.

Elisha Houghton   5x great grandfather
Enlisted at Harvard Ma as a Private in May of 1777 in the
Massachusetts militia and was at the Battles of Bunker Hill
and Stillwater. He then enlisted for three years in the infantry
company commanded by Captain Joshua Brown in Colonel
Timothy Bigelow's 15th Regiment of the Massachusetts line.
and took part in the Battles of Monmouth and Newport and
was at Valley Forge. He twice was promoted to Sergeant and
twice was busted back down to the ranks.

Amos Upton    My 5x great grandfather
Responded to the Lexington Alarm and marched there from
his home in Reading. He later joined the militia company
commanded by Captain Asa Prince as an orderly sergeant
and then enlisted for eight months in the Continental Army
under Colonel Mansfield. He was at the Battle of Bunker Hill.
He was discharged in October of 1775.

John Griffith  My 5x great grandfather
Enlisted in 1781 as a Matross (he swabbed out the barrel of
the cannons after they fired, or so I've been told) in Captain
William Treadwell's Company in Colonel John Crane's
Artillery Regiment.


Reuben Packard   My 5x great grandfather
A Sergeant in Captain Josiah Hayden's Company in Colonel
Bailey's militia. They marched to Lexington at news of the
Alarm. He also responded several more times as a Minuteman
for a total of nearly 8 months duty.


Jonathan Abbott   My 5x great grandfather
Served as a Sergeant in the Militia under Captain Henry
Abbott and responded to the Lexington Alarm


Samuel Stowe  My 5x great grandfather
Minuteman from Sherborn, Ma. Served in Capt. Benjamin Bullard's
Company in Col. Asa Whitcomb's 5th Massachusetts Bay
Provincial Regiment.


Besides those direct ancestors, these other relatives fought
in the Revolution:

Moses Barrows, brother to Asa Barrows.

Samuel, Jesse, and Benjamin Barker, sons of Jonathan
Barker, Jr. and brothers to Jonathan Barker 3rd.

James Swan, brother in law to Jonathan Barker.

ON THIS DATE: APRIL 17TH

 0N THIS DATE:
BIRTH:
17 Apr 1742 5x ggf Samuel Stow was born at Grafton, Ma.

MARRIAGES:
17 Apr 1645  9x ggp William Gerrish & Joanna Lowell were married at Newbury, Ma.
17 Apr 1727 6x ggp Samuel Totman & Experience Rogers were married at Plymouth, Ma.

DEATH:
17 Apr 1748 8x ggf Joseph Boyden died at Worcester, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: APRIL 15TH

 

ON THIS DATE:

 

BIRTHS:

15 Apr 1685 9x ggm Judith Ellis was born at Medfield, Ma.

15 Apr 1673 8x ggm Priscilla Kimball was born at Bradford, Ma.

 

MARRIAGE:

15 Apr 1668 9x ggp Gershom Flagg & Hannah Leffingwell were married at Woburn, Ma.

 

DEATHS:

15 Apr 1705 8x ggf Ralph Houghton died at Milton, Ma.

15 Apr 1686 9x ggf Thomas Hayward died at Bridgewater, Ma.

15 Apr 1678 10ggf Thomas Boyden died at Medfield, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: APRIL 3RD

 ON THIS DATE:
BIRTH
3 Apr 1665 6x ggm Elizabeth Briggs was born at Sandwich, Ma.
3 Apr 1712 6x ggm Keziah Shuttleworth was born at Wrentham, Ma.

DEATH:
3 Apr 1693 10x ggf Edward Bumpas died at Marshfield, Ma.
3 Apr 18385x ggf Amos Upton died at Norway, Me.

ON THIS DATE: APRIL 2ND

 BIRTHS:
2 Apr 1678 7x ggf Henry Haskell was born at Gloucester, Ma.
2 Apr 1637 9x ggf Jonathan Morey was born at Plymouth, Ma.

DEATHS:
2 Apr 1697 8x ggf John Ellis died at Sandwich, Ma
2 Apr 1833 5x ggf John Ames IV died at Canton, Me.

ON THIS DATE: MARCH 29TH

 ON THIS DATE:
BIRTHS:
29 Mar 1726 5x ggf Thomas West was born at Kingston, Ma.
29 Mar 1638 8x ggf Thomas Rogers died at Duxbury, Ma.

DEATH:
29 Mar 1671 9x ggf George Hayward died in Concord, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MARCH 24TH

 0N THIS DATE:
BIRTH:
24 Mar 1689 7x ggm Zerviah Holt was born at Andover, Ma.
24 Mar 1684 7x ggf Jeremiah Dean was born at Dedham, Ma.

MARRIAGES:
24 Mar 1645 10x ggp Robert Ware & Margaret Hunting were married at Dedham, Ma.
24 Mar 1919 gp Floyd Earl West Sr. & Cora Bertha Barker were married at Errol, N.H.

 DEATHS:
24 Mar 1671  10x ggf Edmund Greenleaf died at Boston, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MARCH 23RD

 

ON THIS DATE:

BIRTH:

23 Mar 1821 3xggm Regine Xiane Frederika Kaufman was born in Wurtemburg, Germany

 

MARRIAGE:

23 Mar 1718 6xggp Ebenezer Ellingwood and Sarah Tuck were married at Beverley, Ma. 

 

DEATHS:

23 Mar 1678 9x ggf Gamaliel Beaman died at Dorchester, Ma

23 Mar 1676 9x ggf John Ellis died at Plymouth, Ma.

23 Mar 1698 10x ggf Thomas Brewer died at Hampton, N.H.

ON THIS DATE: MARCH 18TH

 ON THIS DATE:
BIRTHS:
18 Mar 1657 7x ggf Ralph Ellingwood Jr. was born  at Salem, Ma
18 Mar 1648 8x ggm Hannah Lewis was born at Roxbury, Ma.
18 Mar 1667 7x ggf Luke Perkins was born at Charlestown, Ma.


DEATHS:
18 Mar 1676  7x ggf Moses Simmons died at Duxbury, Ma.
18 Mar 1693 8x ggf Richard Barker died at Andover, Ma

PRIDE

 

My Irish immigrant great grandparents John and Anna (Kelly) McFarland

 
((I wrote this back in 2008 when Borders Books was still in business))

We got a new book in at Borders last week for my "All
Things Local" section and the minute I saw it I knew I'd be
buying a copy. It's Peter F. Stevens' "Hidden History of the
Boston Irish" (trade paperback, $19.99 from History Press)
and a quick scan of the back made me grin. There was a
reference to Barney McGinniskin, who in 1851 became the
first Irishman on the Boston Police force. Barney announced
his arrival with: "Barney McGinniskin from the bogs of
Ireland!"

I could picture him roaring that out, an "in your face"
declaration of his presence despite the opposition to his hiring
that Stevens details. Many of the objections against him were
all too familiar to the Irish immigrants of the early 19th
century: he was taking work away from native born
Americans, American culture was threatened by the influx
of low born, poorly educated foreigners, and worst of all,
they were Catholic!


Barney lost his place on the force three years later during the
era of the aptly named "Know Nothing" Party's reign of anti-
Catholic terrorism, but the Irish kept coming, carving out
lives for themselves and their families in New England.


"No Irish Need Apply?' Fine, some of them started their own
businesses while others took on menial jobs that put roofs
over their heads and money in the bank. If they had to work
as maids or ditch diggers, they did; their children would have
the chance for better jobs as clerks or teachers. Bit by bit
they worked their way to their dreams. Among them were
my Mom's grandparents.


One of her grandfathers, John McFarland, started out as a
laborer in 1880 and was working for the Boston City Street
department by the 1910 census and as a gardener for the
City in 1920. At the time of his death he owned two houses.
By 1940, his sons were employed by shoe factories, a bottler,
and a diamond cutting company and each of them owned
their own homes. His grandchildren include three Boston
firemen. It's an American success story that's repeated in
many other families whose ancestors arrived here with very
little and achieved so very much through hard work and
perseverance.

I recently heard a conservative declare we make too much
of being "hyphenated" Americans, of being Irish-American,
or Italian-American or Polish-American. If he had his way,
there'd be no celebration of Columbus Day or St. Patrick's
Day or any other ethnic group festivities.

I was astonished as a historian, as a genealogist, as well as,
yes, an Irish-American. We should be proud of being
Americans but we should also be proud of where our
families came from and the contributions their cultures have
made to American culture as a whole. When I hear the debate
raging over immigration today I hear some of the same
arguments used against the immigrants of other times,
including my Irish ancestors. If those arguments had
prevailed then, what a much poorer country America would
be today!

And as a historian I am proud of the contribution Ireland itself
has made to music and literature, and in its role the Irish
monasteries played in preserving much of the Greek and
Roman literature during the Middle Ages.

So that's what I feel about being Irish and Irish-American:
pride in my ancestors for what they overcame, and grateful
to them for what they have given back to America in return!

ON THIS DATE: MARCH 15TH

 ON THIS DATE
BIRTH:
15 Mar 1735 6x ggf Jonathan Williamson was born at Georgetown,Me.

DEATHS:
15 Mar 1646 10x ggf Rice Cole died at Charlestown, Ma.
15 Mar 1641 9x ggm Isobel (Denton) Halstead died in Concord, Ma.
15 Mar 1708  7x ggf John Doane died at Eastham, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MARCH 14TH

 ON THIS DATE:
BIRTH:
14 Mar 1721 5x ggf James Swan was born at Methuen, Ma

MARRIAGE:
14 Mar 1655 8x ggp Ralph Ellinwood & Elenor Lynn were married at Beverley, Ma.

DEATH:
14 Mar 1663 9x ggf James Pitney died at Marshfield, Ma.
14 Mar 1697  9x ggf William Barnes died at Salisbury, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MARCH 13TH

ON THIS DATE:
BIRTHS:
13 Mar 1830 2x ggf Nathaniel Swan Barker was born at Newry, Me.
13 Mar 1648 8x ggf John Abbott was born ar Andover, Ma.
13 Mar 1667 8x ggm Abigail Lakin was born at Groton, Ma,

DEATHS:
13 Mar 1676 10x ggf John Nutting died at Groton, Ma
13 Mar 1672 10x ggf Adam Hawkes died at Lynn, a

ON THIS DATE: MARCH 12TH

 ON THIS DATE:


MARRIAGE:
12 Mar 1766 6x ggp John Laughton & Jane Adams were married at Pepperell, Ma.

DEATH:
12 Mar 1671 9x ggf Thomas Little died at Marshfield, Ma.
12 Mar 1924 2x ggm Betsy Jane (Moore) Barker died at Newry, Me.
12 Mar 1691 9x ggf Samuel Ward died at Quebec, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MARCH 7TH

 0N THIS D ATE
BIRTHS:
7 Mar 1749 5x ggm Mary Walton was born in Reading, Ma.
7 Mar 1643 8x ggf John Pierce was born in Woburn, Ma

MARRIAGE:
7 Mar 1722 6x ggp Joseph Herrick & Mary Woodbury were married at Beverly, Ma.


DEATHS:
7 Mar 1662 10x ggf William Mann died at Cambridge Ma
7 Mar 1693 10 ggm Mary Wight (Ellis) died a Medfield, Ma.
7 Mar 1716 9x ggf John Bumpas died at Rochester, Ma.
7 Mar 1718 7x ggm Sarah Beaman (Sawyer) died at Lancaster, Ma.
7 Mar 1760 6x ggf John Spaulding died at Chelmsford, Ma

ON THIS DATE: MARCH 2ND

 ON THIS DATE:
BIRTH
2 Mar 1693 6x ggf Elisha West was born at Duxbury,Ma.

DEATHS:
2 Mar 1669 8x ggf John Dunham died at Plymouth, Ma.
2 Mar 1651 9x ggf John Crow died at Yarmouth, Ma.
2 Mar 1688 9x ggf Benjamin Butterfield died at Chelmsford, Ma.
2 Mar 1718 7x ggf Joseph Tuck died at Beverly, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: FEBRUARY 28TH

 0N THIS DATE:
BIRTH:
28 Feb 1668 7x ggm Hazadiah Fairbanks was born at Lancaster, Ma.
28 Feb 1639 8x ggf John Moore was born at Sudbury, Ma.
28 Feb 1744 5x ggm Betty Whitcomb was born at Bolton, Ma.

MARRIAGES:
28 Feb 1683 9X ggp George Adams & Martha Fiske were married at Arlington, Ma.
28 Feb 1827 3x ggp Wesley Coburn & Lucy Stowe were married at Newry, Ma.

DEATHS:
28 Feb 1687 9X ggf John Hoyt died at Amesbury, Ma
28 Feb 1708 8x ggf Richard Feith died at Marble head, Ma

ON THIS DATE: FEBRUARY 21ST

 

On This Date:

BIRTH:

21 Feb 1724 5x great grandmother Sarah Herrick was born at Beverly, Ma.

 

DEATHS:

21 Feb 1779 6x great grandfather William Buswell died at Kingston, NH

21 Feb 1917 2x great grandmother Florilla (Dunham) Ellingwood died at Paris, Me.

ON THIS DATE: FEBRUARY 20TH

 On This Date:
BIRTH:
20 Feb 1696 6x great grandmother Susannah Hoyt was born at Amesbury, Ma.
20 Feb 1668 7x great grandfather David Whitcomb was born at Bolton, Ma.

MARRIAGE:
20 Feb 1634 George Giddings and Jane Lawrence were married at St.Albans, Herefordshire, England.

DEATHS:
20 Feb 1666 9x great grandfather Thomas Safford died at Ipswich, Ma.
20 Feb 1669 9x great grandfather William Bachelder died at Charlestown, Ma.
20 Feb 1712 8x great grandfather Nathaniel Gay died at Dedham, Ma.
20 Feb 1638 8x great grandfather Paul Sears died at Yarmouth, Ma.
20 Feb 1721 7x great grandfather Peter West died at Plymouth, Ma

ON THIS DATE: FEBRUARY 17TH

 

On This Date:

 

BIRTH:

17 Feb 1642 9x great grandmother Elizabeth Kendall was born at Reading, Ma.

17 Feb 1743 5x great grandfather Abel Moore was born in Bolton, Ma.

 

DEATHS

17 Feb 1696 9x great grandfather Francis Dane died at Andover, Ma

17 Feb 1700 8x great grandfather Edward Colborne died at Chelmsford, Ma.

17 Feb 1732 9x great grandfather George Adams died at Lexington, Ma.

17 Feb 1745 8x great grandmother Hannah (Poor) Dane died at Andover, Ma.

17 Feb 1776 5x great grandfather Jonathan Crowell died at Liverpool, Nova Scotia

ON THIS DATE: FEBRUARY 17TH

 

On This Day:

BIRTHS:

16 Feb 1746 6x great grandmother Elizabeth Green was born at Worcester, Ma.

16 Feb 1652 9x great grandmother Mary Lakin was born at Reading, Ma.

16 Feb 1667 7x great grandmother Hannah Marston was born at Andover, Ma.

 

MARRIAGE:

16 Feb 1664 9x great grandparents Richard Reith & Elizabeth Gorge/George were married at Lynn, Ma.

 

DEATHS:

16 Feb 1750 6x great grandfather Samuel Totman died at Plymouth, Ma

16 Feb 1804 5x great grandfather Thomas West died at Liverpool, Nova Scotia.

ON THIS DATE: FEBRUARY 15TH

 

On This Date:

BIRTHS:

15 Feb 1675 7x great grandfather Joseph Keith was born at Bridgewater, Ma

15 Feb 1780 4x great grandmother Martha Haskell was born at Harvard, Ma.

15 Feb 1693 7x great grandmother Abigail Gay was born at Dedham, Ma.

 

DEATHS:

15 Feb 1806 5x great grandmother Abigail (Mitchell)Barker died at Methuen, Ma.

15 Feb 1846 5x great grandmother Mary (Boyden) Griffith died at Livermore Falls, Me.

15 Feb 1655 10x great grandmother Eleanor (Sharp) Phelps died at Salem, Ma.

JONAS PRESCOTT & MARY LOKER

 

((This was first posted on 7Jul 2008. It's a nice story with probably a
little truth to it, but true or not it makes a good Valentine's Day story)).


I mentioned in my previous post about John Prescott that
there is a romantic (and probably romanticized) story about
his son Jonas Prescott's courtship of Mary Loker. I've found it
recounted in several different books on Google Books, and
while I'm not entirely sure it's true, it does make for another
interesting family tale.

The story is that Jonas and Mary fell in love but her parents
John Loker and Mary Draper had other plans for their
daughter. They wanted her to marry a lawyer, a man of
prospects, not the son of a blacksmith who was following his
father in the family trade and they forbade Mary from any
more contact with Jonas. One version told by Caleb Butler in
"The History of the Town of Groton" says the Lokers even
went so far as to install gratings on the windows of her room
and would lock her inside if Jonas was nearby. But even this
drastic measure didn't stand in the way of love:

"He (Jonas) took opportunities when the cold wind blew
and the pelting storm raged when no listener could overhear
the soft whispering of true lovers to place himself beneath
her grated window and there enjoy sweet communion
with his dearly beloved ."

But eventually Mary's parents found out about this trickery.
Perhaps Jonas' idea of a whisper in a storm was a bit too loud?
At any rate, Mary's parents next decided to send her away to
a secluded village so Jonas could not find her while they looked
for a more suitable prospect for Mary's hand in marriage.
They sent her off to the small frontier town of Chockset which
is now Sterling, Massachusetts.


Jonas searched for Mary until one day while traveling near
Chockset he met some men of his own age and asked if they
knew of any pretty girls in the area. They told him there was
a quilting and a dance that night in Chockset and invited him
to come along.

You can see where this is going, I bet!

Jonas found Mary Loker and they continued to meet in secret
for some time until her parents once more found them out.
Mary's stubborn insistence that she would never marry any
man but Jonas Prescott at last forced her parents to give in,
although they did so with the angry condition that they would
provide no dowry for the bride. Legend says that the young
couple set up their household with so few essentials that
Mary used a large hollowed out pumpkin shell for a washpot!

I'm a bit skeptical about that pumpkin part but I think the
opposition of the Lokers to Jonas Prescott pressing his suit for
their daughter might have some truth to it. After all, although
Jonas' father John was well off, he was not exactly in the good
graces of the Puritan government, and the Lokers might have
had their hearts set on young Mary marrying someone who
could eventually rise to a position of power. Ironically, the
Prescotts eventually became one of Massachusetts' most
distinguished families.

I am descended from Elizabeth Prescott b 23Jan 1676,
d. 18Mar 1744.

She married Eleazer Green about 1694 or 1695. Their daughter
Elizabeth married John Ames(Eames), and their descendant
Arvilla Ames married my ancestor John Cutter West

ON THIS DATE: FEBRUARY 14TH

 

Big Valentines Day list:

 

What better day for one of my Lovejoy ancestors to get married? And the other ancestors married today had a Valentine's Day baby three years later!

 

It's a significant date in the Barrows family, too.

On This Date:

BIRTHS:

14 Feb 1635 9x great grandfather Zerubabbel Endicott was born at Salem, Ma.

14 Feb 1654 7x great grandmother Hannah Jefes(Jefts) was born at Chelmsford, Ma.

14 Feb 1678 7x great grandfather Stephen Abbott was born at Andover, Ma.

14 Feb 1697 5x great grandfather Moses Barrows was born at Carver, Ma.

 

MARRIAGES:

14 Feb 1694 6x great grandparents George Barrows & Patience Simmons were married at Carver, Ma.

14 Feb 1711 7x great grandparents Henry Lovejoy & Sarah Farnum were married at Andover, Ma.

14 Feb 1734 6x great grandparents Ephraim Abbott & Hannah Phelps were married at Andover, Ma.

 

DEATHS:

14 Feb 1671 10x great grandmother Sarah (Wyeth) Fiske died at Watertown, Ma.

14 Feb 1672 9x great grandmother Agnes (Napper)Woodbury died at Salem, Ma.

14 Feb 1692 8x great grandfather John Barrows died at Plymouth, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: FEBRUARY 12TH

 

 

My Grandmother, Agnes McFarland taken in 1954 or 1955.

This was taken at the house in Malden. I still remember the colors of that wallpaper:white and silver leaves on a maroon background.

 

 

On This Date:

DEATHS

11 Feb 1661 9x great grandfather Anthony Colby died at Salisbury, Ma.

11 Feb 1697 7x great grandfather Robert Swan died at Haverhill, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: FEBRUARY 6TH

 

On This Date:

MARRIAGE:

6 Feb 1705 6x great grandparents John Spaulding & Mary Barrett were married at Chelmsford, Ma.

DEATHS:

6 Feb 1675 9x great grandmother Elizabeth (Sawtelle) Sterling died at Haverhill, Ma.

6 Feb 1698 10x great grandfather Thomas Flagg died at Watertown, Ma.

6 Feb 1735 7x great grandfather Joseph Dow died at Hampton, NH

6 Feb 1680 9x great grandmother Ann (Linton) Waters died at Charlestown, Ma.

6 Feb 1742 8x great grandfather Jonathan Moore died at Bolton, Ma

• 
  

Bill West

ON THIS DATE FEBRUARY 5TH

 

One ancestor born & one ancestor died on this date in 1683.

On This  Date:

 

BIRTH:

5 Feb 1683 7x great grandmother Hannah Brown was born at Salisbury, Ma.

 

MARRIAGE:

5 Feb 1627 10x great grandparents Richard Sawtelle and Elizabeth Pope were married at Watertown, Ma.

 

DEATHS:

5 Feb 1660 9x great grandmother Anne (Crossman) Eaton died at Haverhill, Ma

5 Feb 1736 8x great grandmother Elizabeth (Sargent) Colby died at Amesbury, Ma.

5 Feb 1683 10x great grandmother Anne (Veare) Gates died at Stow, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: FEBRUARY 3RD

 On This Date:

BIRTHS:
3 Feb 1683 7x great grandmother Mary Clarke was born at Lynn, Ma.
3 Feb 1757 4x great grandfather Amos Hastings was born at Haverhill, Ma.
 

DEATHS:
3 Feb 1635 10x great grandfather John Maverick died at Dorchester, Ma.
3 Feb 1693 10x great grandfather Edward Bompasse/Bumpus died at Marshfield, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: FEBRUARY 2ND

 

On This Date:

BIRTHS:

2 Feb 1683 8x great grandmother Mary Flagg was born in Watertown, Ma.

2 Feb 1647 9x great grandfather George Adams was born in Watertown, Ma.

 

DEATH:

2 Feb 1776 7x great grandfather Henry Lovejoy died at Andover, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: FEBRUARY 1ST

 

On This Date::

BIRTHS:

1 Feb 1717 9x great grandfather Nathaniel Dana was born at Cambridge, Ma.

1 Feb 1656 8x great grandfather Samuel Parker was born at Chelmsford, Ma.

1 Feb 1642 9x great grandmother Mary Bartoll was born at Salem, Ma.

1 Feb 1640 8x great grandmother Rebecca Waters was born at Dorchester (now Boston) Ma.

16TH BLOGIVERSARY!

 Well, despite a decline in posts in 2022 I've now made it to the 16th anniversary of this blog! I will admit that there times this past year when I considered "blog retiring" but I decided to keep on going despite my frustration with Windows 11 and trying to master my newest laptop. Not to mention this latest version of Blogger.

The 2022 all time statswere:

284 followers

2812 posts

3326 comments

I only had 27 posts for the year, which is my all time low.

Hopefully this year will be much better. Thanks to all those who've read this blog over the years.

ON THIS DATE: JANUARY 31ST

 

Nathaniel Barker was born on Jan.31, married on Jan 31, and his son also married on Jan31. Coincidence? I think not.

On This Date:

BIRTHS:

31 Jan 1685 7x great grandfather John Walton was born at Reading, Ma.

31 Jan 1794 3x great grandfather Nathaniel Barker was born in Newry, Me.

 

MARRIAGES:

31 Jan 1681 8x great grandparents Joshua Lazell & Mary Trott were married at Hingham, Ma.

31 Jan 1819 3x great grandparents Nathaniel Barker & Huldah Hastings were married at Bethel, Me.

31 Jan 1858 2x great grandparents Nathaniel S. Barker and Lucy Coburn were married at Albany, Me.

31 Jan 1865 2x great grandparents Jonathan P West and Louisa Richardson were married at Upton, Me.

ON THIS DATE: JANUARY 30TH

 

.One is the ancestor of all the Ellinwoods, Ellingwoods, and Ellenwoods in the USA, the Maritime Provinces and Quebec. The other was one of the founding fathers of Andover, Ma.

On This Date:

 

DEATHS:

30 Jan 1673 8x great grandfather Ralph Ellinwood died at Beverly, Ma.

30 Jan 1685 9x great grandfather Nicholas Holt died at Andover,Ma.