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The Life From The Roots blog topics have changed several times since I began this blog in 2009. I initially wrote only about the family history I had been working on for 20 years. Years later, I was into visiting gardens, historical homes, churches, libraries that had genealogical collections, historical societies, war memorials, and travel/tourism places. I also enjoy posting autographs and photos of famous people I've met or have seen.

Along with my New England roots, other areas include New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada.

Please check out the labels on the right side for topics (please note, they need work). Below the labels and pageviews is a listing of my top nine posts, according to Google. Four of them pertain to Lowell, MA. These posts change often because they are based on what people are reading.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Finding the Kill, Roots and Flowers in Albany, New York

This river may not look special to any reader, but it means the world to me.  It is called Normans Kill (River) and is located a few minutes from Albany. In 2003 I discovered that my ancestor, Andries Ten Eyck once lived there. After the Revolutionary War, he became a Loyalist, and moved to Canada in 1794. The documentation is below. For years, I have wanted to visit this site, and Steven Danko even gave me directions from Boston to Albany three years ago.

At long last, I went May 1st with my husband, first to visit Albany, then to Normans Kill. This wasn't a long trip (about three hours one way), it was just to a new place.  Since I had posted many of my Ten Eyck / TenEyck names for Saturday Surname the same day, I thought it appropriate to finally make trip, which was a very full day for us.

Normanskill Farm sign.


View of Albany, and not a car in sight!


"I Andres Tenneyck Do hereby declare that I am a native of the United States of America from the State of New Jersey my age is Sixty Seven Years and my trade or occupation is that of a farmer that for these Six Months Last Past. I have resided at Normans Kill in the State of New York and came into this Province of Lower Canada by water on Lake Champlain on the tenth day of June 1794 and now do reside in Dunham as Witness my hand at Missisquoi Bay this Twenty Fifth Day of October 1794. Signed: Andres Tenneyck"

Lower Canada Declarations of Aliens (Film # CS, 88, Q4, L69, 1981) #000295. #21. Located at New England Historical and Genealogical Society, Boston)


Albany's annual tulip festival is next weekend, but we checked out the flowers a week early, good thing, they were in full bloom on this 85 degree day.