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

  ((Today is the 247th 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.

THE MILITARY HONOR ROLL PROJECT 2022: ABINGTON, MA

 

 ((I first posted this back in 2013.))

Heather Wilkinson Rojo of Nutfield Genealogy is once again asking
bloggers to transcribe their local veteran monuments and list the names
on their blog. It's called the Military Honor Roll Project and I wanted to
take part this year.  I headed over to the memorial here in Abington
which is located right next to the building shared by the American Legion
and VFW Posts. It's a beautiful spot and there's quite a few names on it for
such a small town. They start with World War 1 and run up to the present
day.
 
It was a bright sunny day and I thought perfect for taking the pictures I needed
to work with for the transcription, but it turned out to be it was less than ideal.
The nearby trees were casting shadows over most of the monument and the wind
moving the leaves would cause the shadows to shift around.

 

                     DEDICATED
          IN LASTING MEMORY OF
ABINGTON'S MEN AND WOMEN WHO
       SERVED AND SACRIFICED IN
         THEIR COUNTRY'S WARS

             KILLED IN ACTION



World War I
Edgar D. Bascomb
Chester W. Belcher
Walter W. Coleman
Charles Cook
Lloyd Crossman
Lewis V. Dorsey
Robert B. English
George H. Gillespie
Henry C. Hurst
John J. Mahoney
Joseph D. Martin
Charles E. Murphy
Charles S. Myers
Myron Stewart
Harold L. Taylor
Shirley S. Thayer
George L.  Whore

World War II
Charles H. Bellows Jr.
Wendell E Chamberlin
Lloyd R. Clapp
John Colburn
George W. Coleman
Edmund G. Crossley
Elton E. Eckstrom
George S. Forsyth
Roy E. Hjelm
Wellington Jamieson
John R. Keeley
Clifford Kimber
Richard L. McCue
Harold R. McGeoch
John F. Monahan
John Rice
Frank D. Warner Jr.

Korea

Viet-Nam
Dennis K. Holly
Peter D. Christianson DFC
Richard F. Gliniewicz
Glenn R. Gordon
Ralph G. Hamlin
Ernest H Laidler
Richard A. Fitts


Afghanistan
Daniel Vasellian

Never forget.

MOTHERS DAY Pt. 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

 

 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.

THE BAPTISM OF AGNES MCFARLAND

 The Americanancestors.org website has been adding the Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 for awhile now and I had had no luck finding any of my family in them. But I wouald check back periodically, and finally, a few weeks ago, my luck changed. I found the image of Page 100 from Blessed Sacrament (Jamaica Plain) Baptisms, 1892-1903,and at the very bottom of the page was the entry for my maternal grandmother, Agnes McFarland.

 

Massachusetta:Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2019 (From records supplied by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston).
Page     100


My grandmother was baptized on 10/16/1898. The names of her parents and witnesses are given in a mix of English and Latin:

Father Joannes, John McFarland
!
Mother Ann Kelly

Witness1 Hugh Clark

Witness2 Maria, Mary Flynn

I also found the record for her younger sister Margaret. It was a big family so there are more that I can look for!

ON THIS DAY: FEBRUARY 28th

 Big list today

On this Day

BIRTHS:

28 Feb 1668 7x great grandmother Hazadiah Fairbanks was born at Lancaster, Ma.

28 Feb 1663 7x great grandfather Benjamin Barker was born at Andover, Ma.

28 Feb 1639 9x great grandfather John Moore was born at Lancaster, Ma.

28 Feb 1744 5x great grandmother Betty Whitcomb was born at Bolton, Ma.

28 Feb 1655 8x great grandmother Patience Sabin was born at Rehoboth, Ma

MARRIAGES:

28 Feb 1683 9x great grandparents George Adams & Martha Fiske were married at Lexington, Ma.

28 Feb 1827 3x great grandparents Wesley Coburn & Lucy Stowe were married at Newry, Me.

DEATHS:

28 Feb 1687 9x great grandfather John Hoyt died at Amesbury, Ma.

28 Feb 1708 9x great grandfather Richard Reith died at Marblehead, Ma.

15TH BLOGIVERSARY!

 Well, it's 15 years now, and I'm still here. I'm not back to the level of productivity I had in the past,but I'm still chugging along and hope to do better this year

Here's  where I'm at according to the stats.

283 followers

2771 posts

3317 comments

And here's my all time most viewed posts;

Thanks to all the viewers and commenters over the years!

ON THIS DATE: JANUARY 14th

 

Two ancestors named Sarah: one born and one died in the same year on this date:

 

On This Date:

 

BIRTHS:

14 Jan 1755 4x great grandmother Elizabeth Wiley was born in Andover, Ma.

14 Jan 1661 8x great grandmother Sarah Farnum was born at Andover, Ma.

 

MARRIAGE:

14 Jan 1702 7x great grandparents Samuel Upton & Abigail Frost were married in Salem, Ma.

 

DEATHS:

14 Jan 1719 8x great grandmother Deborah (Barnes) Davis died at Haverhill, Ma.

14 Jan 1733 7x great grandmother Hannah (Marston) Barker died at Andover, Ma.

14 Jan 1661 10x great grandmother Sarah (Parker) Converse died at Woburn, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: JANUARY 12th

 

On This Date:

MARRIAGES:

12 Jan 1688 7x great grandparents William Hoyt & Dorothy Colby were married at Amesbury, Ma.

12 Jan 1702 7x great grandparents James Thorn & Hannah Brown were married at Salisbury, Ma

12 Jan 1845 3x great grandparents Christian Luick & Christiane Ruppmich were married at Wurttemberg, Germany

 

DEATHS:

12 Jan 1776 6x great grandmother Edna (Bailey) Hastings died at Bradford, Ma.

12 Jan 1777 6x great grandfather Joseph Herrick died at Gloucester, Ma.

12 Jan 1717 7x great grandfather Jonathan Hallett died at Yarmouth, Ma.

ON THIS DAY: JANUARY 5th

 

On This Date:

MARRIAGE:

5 Jan 1696 7x great grandparents Abiel Kelley & Rebecca Davis were married at Newbury, Ma.

DEATH:

5 Jan 1666 10x great grandfather Roger Mowrey died at Salem, Ma.

MY GENEAPLANS FOR 2022

 So my geneaplans fpr 2022 are the same as they were for 2021 and 2020. Luckily they are all things I can do online since I am no longer driving. And getting anything done depends on my health, so we'll see how this goes this year.

The geneaplans:
1.Continue adding more of my ancestors siblings and their lines to my database.

2. Again.this year I'm  going to set a goal for my blogging: to try to reach 200 posts in this blog and to post anything, anything at all, in my Graveyard Rabbits  blog. But anything over 50 posts will be an improvement over this year.
(I ended up with 70 posts here for 2021 but failed to post anything on the Gravetard Rabbits blog. I have a plan to remedy that this year.)

3. Post more photos for Find A Grave from the many I still have sitting in folders on my computer..

4. Continue to stay organized:  Keep putting images  I download into  the folder they belong in immediately,

5. Transcribe more of the wills and probate files I've downloaded already.

6. Find and download the wills and probate files of female ancestors.

7.  Keep working  on  the timeline for my ancestors who were involved in the Colonial New England Indian wars, including those who were captured.

8. Go back and finish the series about the "Hot Mess" probate file of ancestor Nathaniel Stowe which I forgot to finish in May 2015. (Probably because it's such a "hot mess").

9. Write more  about my ancestor Gov. John Endecott. I keep pushing it aside, I think, because he did somethings that were nasty.

10. Make more use of the MyTreeTags feature to make lists of things my anestors were involved in .

11. Keep having fun with genealogy
Hopefully I will do better this year!

ON THIS DAY: JANUARY THE 3rd

 

On This Date:

BIRTH:

3 Jan 1682 8x great grandfather John Laughton was born in Lynn, Ma.

 

MARRIAGE:

3 Jan 1692 7x great grandparents James Thomas & Mary Tilden were married at Duxbury, Ma.

 

DEATHS:

3 Jan 1698 8x great grandfather Peter Ayer died at Haverhill, Ma

3 Jan 1737 8x great grandfather Ralph Farnham III died at Andover, Ma.

ON THIS DAY: JANUARY 2ND

 

On This Date:

BAPTISM:

2 Jan 1574 10x great grandfather Edmund Greenleaf was baptized at St. Mary's-la-Tour at Ipswich, England.

 

BIRTH:

2 Jan 1651 7x great grandmother Mary Sawyer was born at Lancaster, Ma.

2 Jan 1627 7x great grandfather Henry Ingalls was born at Skirbeck, England.

 

MARRIAGES:

2 Jan 1688 7x great grandparents Benjamin Barker & Hannah Marston were married at Andover, Ma.

2 Jan 1738 6x great grandparents Nathaniel Dana & Abigail Dean were married at Boston, Ma.

 

DEATHS:

2 Jan 1743 7x great grandfather Samuel Ayer died at Haverhill, Ma

2 Jan 1754 7x great grandmother Martha (Conant) Perkins died at Plympton, Ma.

2 Jan 1692 8x great grandfather Francis West died at Duxbury, Ma.

2 Jan 1682 8x great grandmother Sarah (Pitney)Thomas died at Marshfield, Ma.

ON THIS DAY: JANUARY 1st

 

Today's List has three New Year's babies and a birth and marriage on the same day.

On This Date:

BIRTHS:

1 Jan 1643 9x great grandfather Jeremiah Swain was born in Charlestown, Ma.

1 Jan 1707 7x great grandmother Hepzibah Stimson was born at Reading, Ma.

1 Jan 1702 6x great grandfather Moses Coburn was born at Dracut, Ma.

MARRIAGES:

1 Jan 1651 9x great grandparents John Lovejoy & Mary Osgood were married at Andover, Ma.

1 Jan 1643 10x great grandparents Henry Rice & Elizabeth Moore were married at Sudbury, Ma.

1 Jan 1698 7x great grandparents John Moore & Hazadiah Fairbanks were married at Concord, Ma.

DEATHS:

1 Jan 1669 8X great grandfather William Barstow died at Scituate, Ma.

1 Jan 1777 5x great grandmother Mehitabel (Abbott) Abbott died at Andover, Ma.

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES: I SAW THREE SHIPS

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

This year I'm sharing "I Saw Three Ships" because it was sung by one of Mom's favorite singers, Nat King Cole. Mom loved playing records on the stereo console when we were kids and Christmas time she's load up albums and sing along. (Although I don't remember he singingalong to this one.)

You can hear Nat King Cole sing the song here.




"I Saw Three Ships"

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning
On Christmas Day in the morning

And what was in those ships all three
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?
And what was in those ships all three
On Christmas Day in the morning?
On Christmas Day in the morning

The Virgin Mary and Christ were there
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
The Virgin Mary and Christ were there
On Christmas Day in the morning

And all the Angels in Heaven shall sing
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
And all the Angels in Heaven shall sing
On Christmas Day in the morning

Then let us all rejoice again
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
Then let us all rejoice again
On Christmas Day in the morning
On Christmas Day in the morning

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES: OH CHRISTMAS TREE, OH CHRISTMAS TREE

 Originally posted in 2007


You know that part of the movie A Christmas Story where
the family goes out to buy the tree and the parents have a little
argument over it? Well, I laugh every time I see it because
like so much in that film it echoes my childhood.

Every Christmas when I was younger either we’d go shopping
for a tree or Dad would buy one on his way home from work.
Now as regular readers of this blog know by now, my Dad was
from Maine. But even more than that, he had experience in trees.
He’d helped his father cutting down trees, and he’d worked for a
landscaper in the Boston area when he’d first come home from
the war. Mom would remind Dad of his experience every year
when the tree was fixed into the tree stand, the rope cut from
the branches and the inevitable big empty space was discovered.
Usually the problem was solved by rotating the tree so the empty
spot was in the back facing the wall. The lights were strung(and
here we differed from the film. We never blew out the fuses.),
then the garlands, the ornaments, and the icicles. Finally the
angel went up on top of the tree and we were all set. With
judicious watering the tree would last us until around “Little
Christmas” at which time it would be undecorated and deposited
curbside to await the dump truck.

Of course our tree paled in comparison to the giant my Mom’s
Uncle Tommy and Aunt Francis had in their home down in
Milton. It was so big they cut the top off and the branches didn’t
taper at the top. They were all the same size: large. I could
never believe they'd gotten that big a tree into the house in the
first place!


Then the first artificial Christmas trees hit the market and Mom
began vowing she was going to get one as she vacuumed up pine
needles from the rug. Eventually we did but that provided us
with new challenges, such as assembling the tree.


As we all grew older the prospect of trying to get the tree
together became less enchanting and so it too was replaced, this
time by a small ceramic musical tree that was lit from within by
a light bulb. I used that tree myself for several years after Mom
died although I felt no great urge to wind it up for the music. It
lasted until a few years back when I dropped it and the base
cracked.

Its replacement is a small artificial tree that I bought at work with
my employee discount along with a garland. Last year some
friends sent me some snowmen ornaments for it. I haven’t put it
up yet but think I will this weekend. It fits on top of the tv.


And at some point over the holidays I’ll see that scene from A
Christmas Story again and grin.

2009 update: I bought a small string of battery powered lights
to add to my tree last week!

2010 update: I lost my Christmas stuff in my move last April so
I'll be picking it up another one at work soon.

2011 update
I bought another teeny Christmas tree with lights and ornaments
at Borders. Since the company closed, it will remind me of my
store when I set it out each year.


2012 update
I haven't put up my teeny Christmas tree yet but plan to do it this weekend.


2013 Update
I'll be putting the tree out tomorrow. I may have to buy a new string of
lights this year since some of the teeny weeny bulbs may have died last year.

2014 Update
I haven't put the teeny Christmas tree up yet again. I think I will do
it tomorrow, though.

2015 Update
The teeny Christmas tree will go up this weekend as soon as I decide 
where it will go this year.   


  

2018 Update:
I still have the teeny Christmas tree which I haven't put up yet.. I may spring for maybe a few of those electric candles for my apartment window, though.

2019 Update: 
I'll probably put the teeny tree up this coming weekend.

2020 Update:My windows are being replaced this week so I'll put the tree out after the mayhem is over. 

2021 Update:

I bought a new foot tall  tree and will add the ornaments to it tomorrow. 

 

 

 

 

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES : DEALING WITH CARDS

 
((Originally posted in 2007))

 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:

 2019 Update: I received a few cards so far this year,, and I actually sent out mine earlier than in past years so hopefully they have arrived at their destinations  before the holidays.


2020 Update: I sent some cards out today (8th Dec), and have already received a few. I might take a photo of them if more come in.

2021 Update: I sent mine out a bit late (last week). Hopefully they make it in time for Chrismas. Here's the cards I've received.

 

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES:OBJECTS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR

 ((First published in December, 2007))


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.




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?"


 

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES: OH APPLE TREE, OH APPLE TREE!

(originally published in Dec. 2007)


My family was fortunate in that we never lived in the sort of place
where Christmas outdoor decorations becomes a blood sport.
Yes, people strung lights in their shrubbery or along their house
gutters but there was never anyone determined to turn their
front yard into the North Pole’s Southern Branch Office.

Now for light shows back then you went to someplace religious,
like Our Lady of La Sallette Shrine in North Attleboro or the local
cemetery with it’s entrance lit up, or even just cruised a stretch
of highway to look at the neighborhood lights that might be seen
from a distance as you drove by.


We didn’t really have outside lights ourselves until we left Boston
for Abington. Up until then the only lights other than on our
Christmas tree were the electric candles we put on windowsills.
But at the house Dad did the obligatory shrubbery and gutter
displays as well as one other spot: the apple tree in the front yard.


Dad had experience both with wiring and tree climbing so putting
a string of lights up in a small apple tree was a piece of cake. It
was the taking down part that didn’t seem to work at least for
the tree. One year, long after the other outside lights were down
and packed away, the lights still were hanging in the apple tree.
I’m not sure exactly when he took them down but I do know it
was well after Spring had sprung. I think they were even plugged
in one or two nights. I don’t know the reasons why they were
still there: my Dad’s sense of humor, perhaps? Or maybe an
instance where Dad’s Maine stubbornness and the Irish
stubbornness of my Mom brought about some impasse on the issue?


On my way home the other night from work I noticed at least
three of those large hot air snow globe scenes on front lawns.

Those families must have big electricity bills!



2010 Update: As I discovered in 2008, the apple tree  in
the front yard of the house is long gone. But a news report
the other night made me think of Dad. The holiday
lighting ceremony at Braintree has been postponed a week
because squirrels had eaten through the wires.

The lights had been left up all year since last Christmas!


2011 Update: The big snowstorms last winter had one
interesting effect. Some of the homes with heavily
decorated outside yards remained that way until
the snow melted. One home in particular had an inflatable
Santa and other decorations buried under snow drifts
and you could  just see the tops of them as you drove by
the house. I think they were there until mid-March!


2013 Update: It's a bit early yet apparently for the lights
to go up for Christmas around here. I don't work anymore
and haven't driven around much after dark so I haven't
seen any houses lit up yet. I did, however, spot two of
those big inflatable figures on someone's front lawn yesterday
afternoon.


2014 Update
 I'm not sure there be many houses lit up this year, or that they
will be many elaborate displays. The electric companies in the
New England area have raised their rates over 30% and that
may be too much for many people to afford to put up Christmas
lights.


2015 Update
There's only a few homes along the main streets in the area that have put up
their outside lights so far this year. But there are some in specific neighborhoods
and I've noticed word gets out via Facebook on where the best displays are to take
your kids to see them.


2016 Update:
Since my retirement I don't drive much after dark any more, so I haven't seen
any houses decorated so far. But there's a contest for best decorations going on,
and a Christmas Tree lighting going on at Island Grove as well,



2018 Update: 
There's a really good Christmas display over on Lake Street by Island Grove that gets a lot of  visitors every year. It looks like a lot of work to put together. But unfortunately some unusually high winds knocked over the big Christmas tree at Island Grove after it was lit just the week before.
  

MY ALLERTON AND WARREN ANCESTRY

  Whenever I am talking or writing about my Mayflower descent, for some
ironic reason I always forget about Remember Allerton. The reason for the
irony is that both my Dad's parents were Allerton descendants: Pop from
Remember Allerton and Grandma Bertha from Mary Allerton.:


Allerton #1 through Ellingwood Line

Isaac Allerton & Mary Norris
Remember Allerton & Moses Maverick
Abigail Maverick & Samuel Ward
Martha Ward & John Tuthill(Tuttle)
Martha Tuthill(Tuttle) & Mark Haskell
Martha Haskell & John Safford
Ruth Safford & Samuel Haskell
Martha Haskell & Moses Houghton
Sally Houghton & James Thomas Dunham
Florilla Dunham & Asa Freeman Ellingwood
Clara Ellingwood & Phillip Jonathan West
Floyd Earl West Sr  & Cora B Barker
Floyd Earl West Jr &  Anne Marie White



Allerton #2 through Barker Line


Isaac Allerton & Mary Norris
Mary Allerton & Thomas Cushman
Sarah Cushman & Adam Hawkes
John Hawkes & Mary(Margery)Whitford
Eva Hawkes & John Bancroft         Eunice Hawkes & Jacob Walton
John Bancroft & Mary Walton
Sally(Sarah)Bancroft & Francis Upton
Hannah Upton & Cyrus Moore
Betsey Jane Moore & Amos Hastings Barker
Charlotte Lovenia Barker & Frank W Barker
Cora B, Barker & Floyd Earl Wesrt Sr
Floyd Earl West Jr and Anne Marie White.

My Warren ancestry comes through my Ames line

Warren #1 Through Ames Line

Richard Warren  &  Elizabeth (?)
Mary Warren & Robert Bartlett
Mary Bartlett & Jonathan Mowrey(Morey)
Hannah Mowrey(Morey) & John Bumpas
Mary Bumpas & Seth Ellis
Mary Ellis & Ephraim Griffith
John Griffith & Mary Boyden
Polly Griffith & Jonathan Phelps Ames
Arvilla S. Ames & John Cutter West
John Cutter West & Louisa Richardson
Phillip Jonathan West & Clara Ellingwood
Floyd Earl West Sr & Cora B Barker
Floyd Earl West Jr and Anne Marie White.



Warren #2 Through Dunham Line:

Richard Warren & Elizabeth (LNU)
Ann Warren & Thomas Little
Hannah Little & Stephen Tilden
Mary Tilden & James Thomas
John Thomas & Abigail Dunham
Mary Thomas & John Dunham
James Dunham  & Cynthia Packard
James Thomas Dunham & Sally Houghton
Florilla Dunham & Asa Ellingwood
Clara Ellingwood & Philip J West
Floyd E West Sr & Cora Bertha Barker

MY ELLINGWOOD MAYFLOWER ANCESTRY

 Back when I first started researching the family genealogy online I was
thrilled to discover we were descended from several Mayflower passengers.
At one point I even carried around a small folded up piece of paper
in my wallet with the lines of descent to show when discussing genealogy
with some customer at the bookstore. But I lost that some time ago, so I
thought I'd post them here for other family members.

The first three lines come down through my Ellingwood ancestry from
Stephen Hopkins, Thomas Rogers, and James Chilton.

Hopkins Line
Stephen Hopkins and Mary____
Constance Hopkins & Nicholas Snow
Elizabeth Snow & Thomas Rogers
Eleazer Rogers & Ruhamah Willis
Experience Rogers & Stephen Totman
Deborah Totman & Moses Barrows Jr.
Asa Barrows & Content Benson
Rachel Barrows & John Ellingwood Jr
Asa F. Ellingwood & Florilla Dunham
Clara Ellingwood & Philip West
Floyd West Sr & Clara Barker
Floyd West Jr & Anne M White

Rogers Line
Thomas Rogers & Alice Cosford
Joseph Rogers & Hannah___
Thomas Rogers & Elizabeth Snow
Eleazer Rogers & Ruhamah Willis
Experience Rogers & Stephen Totman
Deborah Totman & Moses Barrows Jr.
Asa Barrows & Content Benson
Rachel Barrows & John Ellingwood Jr
Asa F. Ellingwood & Florilla Dunham
Clara Ellingwood & Philip West
Floyd West Sr & Clara Barker
Floyd West Jr & Anne M White

Chilton Line
James Chilton & ?
Isabella Chilton & Roger Chandler
Sarah Chandler & Moses Simmons
Moses Simmons Jr & Patience Barstow
Patience Simmons & George Barrows
Moses Barrows & Mary Carver
Deborah Totman & Moses Barrows Jr.
Asa Barrows & Content Benson
Rachel Barrows & John Ellingwood Jr
Asa F. Ellingwood & Florilla Dunham
Clara Ellingwood & Philip West
Floyd West Sr & Clara Barker
Floyd West Jr & Anne M White

WHEN THE FROST IS ON THE PUNKIN" BY JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

  ((Oddly enough, both my parents occasionally would quote a line or two from Riley's
two most famous poems. This is the one Dad would quote. I first posted this on 13Oct 2012)) 


We had the first frost of the fall season in parts of New England and it put me in mind 
how Dad would  sometimes recite "When the frost is on the pumpkin...". That's the only part of
the poem he'd say. I think he must have had to recite it in school when he was a kid and that's all
he remembered.

Reading it just now I had to grin at the line about the turkey since I've now had experiences with
a loud, "struttin" turkey here in my own backyard!




 "When the Frost is on the Punkin"
                          James Whitcomb Riley

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,   
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,   
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,   
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;   
O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,         
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,   
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,   
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.   
 
They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere   
When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here—   
Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees,   
And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;   
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze   
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days   
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock—   
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.   
 
The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,   
And the raspin' of the tangled leaves as golden as the morn;   
The stubble in the furries—kindo' lonesome-like, but still   
A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;   
The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;   
The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover overhead!—   
O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,   
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.   
 
Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps   
Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps;   
And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through   
With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage too!...   
I don't know how to tell it—but ef such a thing could be   
As the angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me—   
I'd want to 'commodate 'em—all the whole-indurin' flock—   
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

ON THIS DATE NOVEMBER 4th

 BIRTH:

4 Nov 1700 6x great grandfather John Thomas was born at Duxbury, Ma.

MARRIAGES:

4 Nov 1611 11x great grandparents Isaac Allerton & Mary Norris were married at Leiden, Holland.

4 Nov 1658 8x great grandparents John Carver & Millicent Ford were married at Duxbury, Ma.

ON THIS DATE NOVEMBER 3rd

 BIRTH:

3 Nov 1673 7x great grandfather Eleazer Rogers was born at Eastham, Ma.

3 Nov 1650 8x great grandfather Nathaniel Wilder was born in Charlestown, Ma.

3 Nov 1657 7x great grandmother Ruth Knowles was born at Plymouth, Ma.

MARRIAGE:

3 Nov 1693 8x great grandparents John Ames & Priscilla Kimball were married at Bradford, Ma.

DEATH:

3 Nov 1683 9x great grandfather John Emery died at Newbury, Ma

"LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE"

 ((First posted on October, 2011))



When we were small our Mom occasionally would recite this poem and would tickle us when she reached the "Gobble-uns 'll git you ef you don't watch out!" part. Then when I was in the third grade at the Frank V.Thompson school in Dorchester I read the poem in our English text book. Years later I used to post it every Halloween on an email list for a fantasy role playing group. So it's a sort of Halloween tradition for me.


Anyway, it's the best Halloween poem I know. Enjoy.

And `ware th' Gobble-uns!

Little Orphant Annie

by James Whitcomb Riley.

LITTLE Orphant Annie ’s come to our house to stay,   
An’ wash the cups and saucers up, an’ brush the crumbs away,   
An’ shoo the chickens off the porch, an’ dust the hearth, an’ sweep,   
An’ make the fire, an’ bake the bread, an’ earn her board-an’-keep;   
An’ all us other children, when the supper things is done,         
We set around the kitchen fire an’ has the mostest fun   
A-list’nin’ to the witch-tales ’at Annie tells about,   
An’ the Gobble-uns ’at gits you   
        Ef you   
            Don’t           
              Watch   
                Out!   

Onc’t they was a little boy would n’t say his pray’rs—   
An’ when he went to bed at night, away up stairs,   
His mammy heerd him holler, an’ his daddy heerd him bawl,           
An’ when they turn’t the kivvers down, he was n’t there at all!   
An’ they seeked him in the rafter-room, an’ cubby-hole, an’ press,   
An’ seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an’ ever’wheres, I guess;   
But all they ever found was thist his pants an’ roundabout!   
An’ the Gobble-uns ’ll git you           
        Ef you   
            Don’t   
              Watch   
                Out!   

An’ one time a little girl ’ud allus laugh an’ grin,         
An’ make fun of ever’ one, an’ all her blood-an’-kin;   
An’ onc’t when they was “company,” an’ ole folks was there,   
She mocked ’em an’ shocked ’em, an’ said she did n’t care!   
An’ thist as she kicked her heels, an’ turn’t to run an’ hide,   
They was two great big Black Things a-standin’ by her side,          
An’ they snatched her through the ceilin’ ’fore she knowed what she ’s about!   
An’ the Gobble-uns ’ll git you   
        Ef you   
            Don’t   
                Watch          
                    Out!   

An’ little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,   
An’ the lampwick sputters, an’ the wind goes woo-oo!   
An’ you hear the crickets quit, an’ the moon is gray,   
An’ the lightnin’-bugs in dew is allsquenched away,—        
You better mind yer parents, and yer teachers fond and dear,   
An’ churish them ’at loves you, an’ dry the orphant’s tear,   
An’ he’p the pore an’ needy ones ’at clusters all about,   
Er the Gobble-uns ’ll git you   
        Ef you           
            Don’t   
              Watch   
                Out!

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 28TH

 On This Date:

BIRTHS:

28 Oct 1681 7x great grandmother Sarah Stevens was born at Andover, Ma.

28 Oct 1653 7x great grandmother Sarah Learned was born at Chelmsford, Ma.

MARRIAGES:

28 Oct 1819 3x great grandparents John Ellingwood & Rachel Barrows were married at Woodstock, Me.

28Oct 1600 10x great grandparents John Maverick & Mary Gye were married at Islington, Devonshire, England

DEATHS:

28 Oct 1735 9x great grandmother Mary (Loker) Prescott died at Groton, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 24TH.

 On This Date:

BIRTHS:

24 Oct 1744 5x great grandmother Edith Upton was born at North Reading, Ma.

24 Oct 1697 6x great grandfather Richard Kelley was born at Newbury, Ma.

 

MARRIAGES:

24 Oct 1768 5x great grandparents John Bancroft & Mary Walton were married at Lynn, Ma.

24 Oct 1643 9x great grandparents James Converse & Anne Long were married at Woburn, Ma.

24 Oct 1689 7x great grandparents John Carver & Mary Barnes were married at Plymouth, Ma.

 

DEATHS:

24 Oct 1694 8x great grandmther Elizabeth (Stream) Packard died at Bridgewater, Ma.

24 Oct 1728 8x great grandmother Priscilla (Kimball) Ames died at Groton, Ma.

24 Oct 1657 9x great grandfather Thomas Moulton died at Charlestown, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 23rd

 On This Day:
BIRTH
23 Oct 1728 5x great grandfather Jonathan Barker Jr. was born at Andover, Ma.

MARRIAGE
23 Oct 1676 8x great grandparents Stephen Greenleaf  & Elizabeth Gerrish were married at Newbury, Ma.

DEATH
23 Oct 1667 9x great grandfather Thomas WIlder died at Lancaster, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 20th

 

On This Date:

BIRTHS:

20 Oct 1640 8x great grandfather John Hayward was born at Concord, Ma.

20 Oct 1663 7x great grandfather Joseph Dow was born at Hampton, NH

20 Oct 1717 6x great grandfather Amos Upton was born at Salem, Ma.

 

MARRIAGE;:

20 Oct 1650 9x great grandparents Daniel Poor & Mary Farnum were married at Boston, Ma.

 

DEATHS:

20 Oct 1688 9x great grandmother Mary (Gawkroger)Prescott died at Lancaster, Ma.

20 Oct 1748 7x great grandfather John Hawkes died at Lynn, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 19th

 

On This Date:

BIRTH:

19 Oct 1748 5x great grandmother Meriah Peirce was born at Harvard, Ma.

CIVIL:

19 Oct 1630 10x great grandfather Samuel Skelton took the Oath of Freemen at Salem, Ma.

MARRIAGE:

19 Oct 1924 grandparents Edward F White Sr and Agnes McFarland were married at Boston, Ma.

DEATH:

19 Oct 1677 8x great grandfather Edward Bangs died at Eastham, M

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 16th

On This Date:

 

BIRTHS:

16 Oct 1676 6x great grandmother Patience Simmons was born at Duxbury, Ma.

16 Oct 1672 7x great grandfather Thomas Safford was born at Ipswich, Ma.

 

MARRIAGE:

16 Oct 1898 great grandparents Frank W Barker & Charlotte L Barker were married at Gorham, NH (They were 1st cousins)

 

DEATH:

16 Oct 1705 8x great grandmother Susannah (Edson) Keith died at West Bridgewater, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 15th

 On This Date:

BIRTHS:
15 Oct 1663 7x great grandfather  Joseph Wright was born at Chelmsford, Ma.
15 Oct 1753 4x great grandmother Hannah Crowell was born at Yarmouth, Ma.

DEATH:
15 Oct 1728 &x great grandfather John Crowe died at Yarmouth , Ma

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 14th

 

On This Date:

MARRIAGE:

14 Oct 1663 10x great grandparents Jonathan Johnson & Mary Newton were married at Marlborough, Ma.

DEATH:

14Oct 1710 9x great grandmother Elizabeth (Holt) Farnham/Farnum, died in Andover, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 13th

 

On This Date:

MARRIAGE:

13 Oct 1750 5x great grandparents Jonathan Barker & Abigail Mitchell were married at Haverhill. Ma.

13 Oct 1616 9x great grandparents Michael Metcalf & Sarah Elwyn were married at Waynham, England

 

DEATHS:

13 Oct 1743 8x great grandfather Stephen Greenleaf died at Newbury, Ma

13 Oct 1746 &x great grandfather Robert Woodbury died at Beverly, Ma.

13 Oct 1771 6x great grandfather Samuel Haskell died at Harvard, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 12th

 

On This Date

 

DEATHS:

12 Oct 1682 10x great grandfather Robert Adams died at Newbury, Ma.

12 Oct 1708 8x great grandmother Elizabeth (Jackson) West died at Beverly, Ma.

12 Oct 1639 11x great grandmother Isabella (Drake) Smith died at Watertown, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 11th

On This Day:

BIRTH
11 Oct 1670 8x great grandfather John Ames Sr. was born  at Andover, Ma.

MARRIAGE:
11 Oct 1680 8x great grandparents Ephraim Stevens & Sarah Abbott were married at Andover, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 9th

 

On This Date: 

 

MARRIAGES:

9Oct 1639 9x great grandparents Richard Willis & Amy Glass were married at Bridgewater, Ma.

9 Oct 1685 8x great grandparents Ralph Farnham & Mary Sterling were married at Andover, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 8th

 

The photo is of the Elusive John Cutter West.

On This Date:

BIRTH:

8 Oct 1802 3x great grandfather John Cutter West was born at (supposedly) Plymouth, Ma.

 

MARRIAGES:

8 Oct 1739 6x great grandparents Jonathan Abbott & Martha Lovejoy were married at Andover, Ma.

8 Oct 1665 8x great grandparents Daniel Cheney & Sarah Bailey were married at Newburyport, Ma.

 

DEATH:

8 Oct 1715 8x great grandfather Thomas Tarbell died at Lexington, Ma.

 

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 7th

Big list today

BAPTISM:

7 Oct 1621 8x great grandfather Nathaniel Stow was baptized at Biddenden, Kent, England

BIRTHS:

7 Oct 1898 grandmother Agnes McFarland was born in Boston, Ma.

7 Oct 1676 7x great grandfather Daniel Pierce was born at Woburn, Ma.

MARRIAGES:

7 Oct 1712 7x great grandparents Stephen Greenleaf & Mary Mackres were married at Newburyport, Ma.

7 Oct 1698 7x great grandparents Thomas Safford & Eleanor Cheney were married at Ipswich, Ma.

DEATHS:

7 Oct 1666 9x great grandfather Thomas Pierce died at Charlestown, Ma.

7 Oct 1688 9x great grandmother Elizabeth (Kendall) Eaton died at Reading, Ma.

7 Oct 1662 10 great grandfather Stephen Gates died at Lancaster, Ma.

 

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 4th

 On This Date:

BIRTH:

4 Oct 1696 6x great grandmother Mary Carver was born at Plymouth, Ma.

DEATH:

4 Oct 1664 8x great grandmother Mary (Faunce) Harlow died at Plymouth, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: OCTOBER 3RD

 

On This Date:

BIRTHS:

3 Oct 1742 5x great grandfather Amos Upton Jr. was born at Reading,Ma

3 Dec 1643 7x great grandmother Patience Barstow was born in Dedham, Ma.

 

MARRIAGES:

3 Oct 1759 5x great grandparents Reuben Packard & Anne Perkins were married at North Bridgewater (now Brockton), Ma.

3 Oct 1803 4x great grandparents Stephen Moore & Miliie Davis were married at Waterford, Me.

3 Oct 1614 9x great grandparents Robert Long & Sarah Taylor were married at St. Albans, Herfordshire, England.

 

DEATH:

3 Oct 1689 9x great grandfather Edward Phelps died at Andover, Ma.