Pages

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.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Looking Back

A year ago I began posting my cemetery stone photos for the Tombstone Tuesday entries on my blog.  It became a huge project, since none of the 10+ year old photos were scanned and I had no organization whatsoever. In addition, I added them all into Find-A-Grave. That project is now complete and if I hadn't begun a blog, none of that would have been accomplished! Today, I posted my last Tombstone Tuesday posting. I've already begun a list of cemeteries to visit in spring. Did you know that Find-A-Grave now has 54 million grave records online?


Although, I haven't yet ordered a flip-pal (see 2-part blog review by Susan of Long Lost Relatives), I did subscribe to GenealogyBank thanks to Greta of Greta's Genealogy Bog and thanks to Elizabeth of Little Bytes of Life who mentioned the half price special at Footnote, I subscribed immediately before the deal expired. I've learned one thing from my blog friends, if somebody orders something, then we all seem to want it...I could go broke soon. But, it is so much fun.


A follow-up on my post about Historical Societies, this post now contains more photos of Historical Societies in New England. Recently, I took additional pictures, they are from Massachusetts: Sawyer House (The Bolton Historical Society), and from Keene New Hampshire is the Cheshire County Historical Society.

Sawyer House
Bolton Historical Society, Bolton, Massachusetts

Historical Society of Cheshire Co., Keene, New Hampshire





Tombstone Tuesday -- CLANCY -- (2 Generations) New York

Byron Cemetery.  Byron, Genesee Co., New York
Pierre L. Clancy, son of Milton and Phoebe Clancy
Born:  July 1859, New York
Died:  1932, Genesee Co., New York

Husband of  Helen Mann
Helen Mann, daughter of Dwight J.  Mann and Emily J. DeWolf
Born:  July 1864, New York
Died:  1924, Genesee Co., New York
Their daughter, Ina May Clancy
Born:  1894   Died:  1895

Descendants of Pierre L. Clancy

Generation No. 1

1.  PIERRE L. CLANCY  (MILTON) was born July 1859 in New York, and died 1932 in Genesee Co., New York.  He married HELEN MANN 1894, daughter of DWIGHT MANN and EMILY DEWOLF.  She was born July 1864 in New York, and died 1924 in Genesee Co., New York.
     
Child of PIERRE CLANCY and HELEN MANN is:
                   i.    IDA MAY CLANCY, b. 1894, Genesee Co., New York; d. 1895, Genesee Co., New York.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Amanuensis Monday -- History of the Eastern Townships

Amanuensis Monday was begun by John Newmark of the TransylvanianDutch blog. The term means, "a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another." Many bloggers like doing this because it allows them to freely copy something that has been written. Below is a copy of  a few pages from a book about Dunham, Quebec. I have mentioned Dunham before, as well as the Eastern Townships. Many probably don't have a clue as to where I am talking about. Hopefully the small amount of information will help. My ancestor's names are in green. This is my 4th Amanuensis, three previous ones were wills; Delight A. Benham, John Adams and Horace Adams, one about a pirates kidnapping my ancestor. Below the written article is a great map of the Eastern Townships.

History of the Eastern Townships, by C. M. Day
Pub. 1869, Reprinted, 1992,   Pages 292-293


"DUNHAM
A tract of land lying within the district of Montreal, containing 57,252 acres, 3 roods, and 30 perches, bounded north by Farnham, east by Brome and Sutton, south by St. Armand, and west by Stanbridge, was erected into a township named Dunham. The petition for this grant was dated April 28th, 1795; the warrant of survey issued August 27th of the same year; and in 1795, the township was granted to Thomas Dunn and his associates, viz., Josseph Buck, John Heliker, Jacob Heliker, George Saxe, Mathew Hall, William Ferrand, David Ferrand, Joshua Chambers, Amos Woodland, David Reychart, John Clark, Thomas Best, Daniel Mills, Jeremiah Reychart, Daniel Trever, Alexander McDougall, Thomas Pell, Andrew Ten Eyck, Henry Ten Eyck, Archibald Henderson, Henry Hall, Elisha Dickinson, Jacob Best sen., George Waymore, Abraham Lampman, John Mills, Stephen Jenner, Jacob Best jun., Adam Deal, Frederick Streit, Samuel Mills, Philip Ruiter, and Jacob Ruiter.


It is said that Dunham was the first township erected in Lower Canada. Among the earliet inhabitants if not the very first to locate within its limits, was Andrew Ten Eyck from New Jersey, who settled in the south-western part of the tract, in 1793. He was a U. E. Loyalist, and came to Canada as the forerunner of a numerous influx of the same class of settlers."


Eastern Townships Map
This map shows "roughly" what townships fell into what counties about 1871. A friend maintains the Eastern Townships site for RootsWeb, and gave me permission to copy here.  "My area" is colored in tan, located at the lower left side, just above Vermont.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Owl Hoot Maple Farm -- What Surprises Awaited Me

We, my husband and I, were in an area far from home and in an country he had never been. We passed a sign for the Owl Hoot Maple Farm and I knew I had to stop. Because I really love maple candy and syrup, we decided to check out the store. The owner, Dianne Jones came to the door, and invited us into her kitchen. Unfortunately, no candy was available, but within minutes, I found out a wealth of information.


I told her how my aunt once owned a 144 acre maple sugar farm many years ago, and Dianne asked her name. Yes, you guessed it, they had met. Pretty amazing, since Dianne was in Quebec, Canada and my aunt then lived in Vermont. I was already excited, until I learned that she knew a lot about my family genealogy, that being of the Ten Eyck line, and pointing to the large photo in her kitchen she said it was of the Ten Eyck property. That was thrilling. But, it gets better.


Since Dianne knew some of my genealogy (which I was in the process of discovering my Canadian roots in 1999), she verbally gave me some of her husband's lineage. Her husband, John is my 6th cousin! And, it get's better...their son is married to my 2nd cousin!


Throughout the years, Dianne and I have kept in touch, and sharing bits of information. My cousin called several times this fall expressing an interest in her ancestry. That was very exciting.  In one email, Dianne wrote, "Did you know our sugarbush is part of the first TenEyck settlers property. We still can see stone foundations of at least two building sites, and some old bricks that was used for a chimney."


For the past 18 years, Dianne and John have been hosting their Owl Hoot Sugaring Off Party in April, to raise money for the local hospital. Last year over 500 people attended.


Other link about the event.
Brome Missisquoi Perkins Hospital (additional pictures)
Below is the flyer I took from my visit in 1999, I'm so glad I saved it, and especially glad I stopped in.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Surname Saturday -- NELLIS -- (3 Generations) Germany > New York

Another of my German lines who settled in New York State. The name Nellis was also spelled Nelles. If you have this line, you are in luck because there is a great two volume set genealogy called Nellis - Nelles, Immigrants from the Palatinate 1710, by the The Nellis and Nelles Family Association.

Descendants of RUPERT NELLIS

 Generation No. 1

1.  RUPERT NELLIS was born in Germany, and died Bef. June 13, 1710 in (Prob.) West Camp, Ulster Co., New York.  He married MARIA ELISABETHA BUNDTIN.  She was born Abt. 1675 in (Prob.) Germany, and died Aft. June 1712 in (Prob.) West Camp, Ulster Co., New York.
     
Children of RUPERT NELLIS and MARIA BUNDTIN were:
2.                i.    JOHANN WILHELM NELLIS, b. January 05, 1693/94, Obermoschel, Pfalz, Germany; d. Abt. January 14, 1778, Stone Arabia, Montgomery Co., New York.
3.               ii.    CHRISTIAN NELLIS, b. 1697, Obermoschel, Pfalz, Germany; d. 1771, Mohawk Valley, New York.
                 iii.    JOHANNES LAURENTIUS NELLIS, b. September 12, 1699, Germany; d. December 13, 1699, Schiersfeld Reformed Church, Germany.
                 iv.    JOHANNES HENRICUS NELLIS, b. Abt. March 26, 1704, Obermoschel, Pfalz, Germany; d. May 23, 1706, Sitters, Obermoschel, Germany.
                  v.    CATHARINA ELIZABETHA NELLIS, b. Abt. November 26, 1706, Sitters, Obermoschel, Germany; d. March 30, 1754, Albany County, New York; m. JACOB KRAUS, June 24, 1724, Ft. Plain, Montgomery Co., New York.


Generation No. 2

2.  JOHANN WILHELM NELLIS (RUPERT) was born January 05, 1693/94 in Obermoschel, Pfalz, Germany, and died Abt. January 14, 1778 in Stone Arabia, Montgomery Co., New York.  He married ANA SABINA DYGERT December 28, 1714, daughter of WARNER DYCKERD and ANNA AHL.  She was born January 01, 1696/97 in Langenselbold, Hessen-Nassau, Germany, and died January 1778 in Stone Arabia, Montgomery Co., New York.
     
Children of JOHANN NELLIS and ANA DYGERT were:
4.                i.    ANDREW W. NELLIS, b. October 30, 1715, West Camp, Ulster Co., New York; d. December 29, 1806, Palatine, Tryon Co., New York.
5.               ii.    CATHARINA NELLIS, b. August 06, 1717, New York.
6.              iii.    JOHANN WILHEIM NELLIS, b. August 10, 1721, New York.
                 iv.    ANNA BARBARA ELIZABETH NELLIS, b. August 15, 1723, New York; d. Bef. 1761; m. JOHANNES WORMUTH, June 05, 1748, (Lutheran Church) Albany Co., New York.
                  v.    JOHANNES NELLIS, b. January 28, 1726/27, Palatine, Montgomery Co., New York; d. February 21, 1811, Montgomery Co., New York; m. MARIA MAGDELENA; b. 1731.
                 vi.    LUDWIG NELLIS, b. March 15, 1728/29, Albany, Montgomery Co., New York; d. Abt. 1809, Palatine, Montgomery Co., New York; m. ELIZABETH KAYSER / KAISER, 1756.
                vii.    ANA MARIA NELLIS, b. May 02, 1731, Albany County, New York; m. (1) MICHAEL SALTSMAN, Abt. 1751; m. (2) ADAM EMPIE, November 08, 1768, Stone Arabia, Montgomery, NY (Lutheran Ch.).
               viii.    ANA MARGARETH NELLIS, b. April 10, 1733, Albany County, New York; d. Abt. June 1780; m. NICHOLAS SNELL.
                 ix.    JOHANN HENRICH NELLIS, b. May 20, 1735, Stone Arabia, Montgomery Co., New York; d. January 28, 1791, Grand River area, Upper Canada; m. (1) MARGARETHA NELLES; m. (2) PRISCILLA RAMSEY.
                  x.    MARIA ELIZABETH NELLIS, b. April 09, 1737, Albany County, New York; d. Abt. 1763; m. ADAM ECKHARDT.


3.  CHRISTIAN NELLIS (RUPERT) was born 1697 in Obermoschel, Pfalz, Germany, and died 1771 in Mohawk Valley, New York.  He married BARBARA ELIZABETH KLOCK February 28, 1718/19 in (Poss. Schoharie Co.) New York, daughter of JOANNES KLOCK and ANNA SCHULTEN
     
Children of CHRISTIAN NELLIS and BARBARA KLOCK were:
                   i.    HENRICH NELLIS, b. December 25, 1718.
                  ii.    CATHARINE NELLIS, b. January 18, 1723/24; d. August 20, 1805; m. (1) ADAM ZIMMERMAN; m. (2) LEONARD HELMER; m. (3) JACOB KLOCK.
                 iii.    ROBERT NELLIS, b. January 05, 1724/25; m. ANNA.
                 iv.    ELIZABETH NELLIS, b. February 05, 1726/27.
                  v.    THEOBALD (DEWALT) NELLIS, b. December 25, 1729; m. ANNA.
                 vi.    MARGARET NELLIS, b. 1731.
                vii.    GEORGE NELLIS, b. October 26, 1732; d. Bet. September 08, 1791 - June 11, 1792; m. MARIA ELISABETHA; d. April 21, 1806.
               viii.    CHRISTIAN NELLIS, b. October 15, 1734; d. November 06, 1807; m. CHRISTIANA KEYSER.
                 ix.    ADAM NELLIS, b. October 30, 1739; m. DOROTHEA.
                  x.    ANNA NELLIS, b. July 28, 1745; m. JACOB G. KLOCK.


Generation No. 3

4.  ANDREW W. NELLIS (JOHANN WILHELM, RUPERT) was born October 30, 1715 in West Camp, Ulster Co., New York, and died December 29, 1806 in Palatine, Tryon Co., New York.  He married (1) MARIA BARBARA in Stone Arabia, Montgomery Co., New York.  She was born in West Camp, Schoharie Co., New York, and died 1793.  He married (2) CATHERINE FOX Abt. 1735, daughter of JOHN FOX and JOHANNA CURRING.  She was born May 1717 in East Camp / Haysbury, Dutchess Co., New York, and died 1750.
     
Children of ANDREW NELLIS and MARIA BARBARA were:
                   i.    ANNA CATHERINE NELLIS, b. Abt. September 1754, Stone Arabia, Montgomery Co., New York; m. JOHANN FREDERICK HESS, 1772; b. Abt. May 10, 1751, Stone Arabia, Montgomery Co., New York; d. October 22, 1830.
                  ii.    ANNA NANCY NELLIS, b. 1758, Albany County, New York; d. October 17, 1839, Oppenheim, Fulton Co., New York; m. JOHN P. SUTZ; b. December 25, 1758, Palatine, Albany Co., New York; d. January 08, 1836, Ephratah, Montgomery Co., New York.
                 iii.    DOROTHEA ANDR. NELLIS, b. August 03, 1764, Albany County, New York; m. ISRAEL RUNNIGANS, November 03, 1782, German Flats Ref. Church, Tryon Co., New York.

     
Children of ANDREW NELLIS and CATHERINE FOX were:
                 iv.    MARIA NELLIS, m. JOHN WALLRATH, December 16, 1768, Stone Arabia Reformed, Montgomery Co., New York.
                  v.    ANDREW NELLIS, b. 1744, Albany, Albany Co., New York; d. Aft. November 30, 1825, Brant Co., Upper Canada; m. ELISABETH WAGNER, 1777, Tryon County, New York; b. Stone Arabia, Montgomery Co., New York.
                 vi.    PHILIP "LIPPS" NELLIS, b. December 01, 1746, Stone Arabia, Montgomery Co., New York; d. November 10, 1818, Fairfield, Herkimer Co., New York; m. ELIZABETH DIETZ, 1770, Cherry Valley, Albany Co., New York; b. June 10, 1752, Cherry Valley, Albany Co., New York; d. January 12, 1825, Fairfield, Herkimer Co., New York.


5.  CATHARINA NELLIS (JOHANN WILHELM, RUPERT) was born August 06, 1717 in New York.  She married CHRISTIAN DAGSTADER/DAGSTETER Bef. 1743, son of GEORGE DACHSTATTER and ANNA DACHSTATTER.  He was born Abt. 1722 in New York.
     
Children of CATHARINA NELLIS and CHRISTIAN DAGSTADER / DAGSTETER were:
                   i.    ANNA SABINA DAGSTETER.
                  ii.    MARIA DAGSTETER.
                 iii.    ANNA CATHERINA DAGSTETER, b. Stone Arabia, Montgomery Co., New York.
                 iv.    JOHANNES C. DAGSTETER.
                  v.    WILHELM DAGSTETER.
                 vi.    MAGDALENA "LANEAH & LANY" DAGSTADER, b. January 22, 1755, Stone Arabia, Montgomery Co., New York; d. May 04, 1846, Stark, Herkimer Co., New York; m. JOHN/JOHANNES BACKUS, December 10, 1772, New York; b. June 09, 1750; d. June 05, 1823, Stark, Herkimer Co., New York.
                vii.    BARBARA DAGSTETER, b. January 20, 1760, Stone Arabia, Montgomery Co., New York.


6.  JOHANN WILHEIM NELLIS (JOHANN WILHELM, RUPERT) was born August 10, 1721 in New York.  He married (1) MARIA DOROTHEA SALTSMAN/SALZMANN Bef. 1753, daughter of JOHANN SALZMANN and ANNA CAPUZGI.    He married (2) ANNA DOROTHEA SCHUMACHER September 01, 1783 in German Flats Reformed, Tryon Co., New York
     
Child of JOHANN NELLIS and MARIA SALTSMAN / SALZMANN was:
                   i.    MARGARET NELLIS.

Thursday, November 25, 2010


HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL
MAY YOU ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Strong of Connecticut -- Tombstone Tuesday

Eliakim Strong
Born: September 26, 1688, Northampton, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts
Died: January 24, 1744/45, Durham, Middlesex Co., Connecticut

He was my 7th great-grandfather
Old Durham Cemetery.  Durham, Middlesex Co., Connecticut
Photos taken Oct. 1999

Many stones were in poor condition when I was there, so I imagine you can't even see them now. Fortunately, for this cemetery there are two excellent sources to use for reference.

1.  The Charles R. Hale Collection for Durham, Old Cemetery.  Pg. 15.  Eliakim Strong died Jan. 24, 1744, age 56.

2.  Durham, CT Epitaphs, 1949, Salem: Higginson Book Co., Reprint 1997.  Pg. 56.  "Mr. Eliakim Strong died Jan. 24, 1744/5 aged 56 years."

Tombstone Tuesday - KILBORN of Clinton, Connecticut

Indian River Cemetery
 Clinton, Middlesex Co., Connecticut
Jonathan Kilborn
Born:  January 28, 1769, East Haddam, Middlesex Co., Connecticut
Died:  October 11, 1850, Clinton, Middlesex Co., Connecticut

His wife was Elizabeth Farnham
Elizabeth Farnham
Born:  April 03, 1771, Killingworth, Middlesex Co., Connecticut
Died:  March 11, 1828, Killingworth, Middlesex Co., Connecticut

They were my 4th great-grandparents.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Sunday's Obituary -- John Quincy Adams

The below obituary contained a wealth of information for me. Each paragraph had something I didn't know. There was only one thing missing--that being his parent's names. (However, I already had them.) I couldn't trace John Quincy Adams in census records from 1870 to 1910, as there were too many. Then, I decided to use his wife's name, Frances, and there he was, listed as Quincy! From this obituary, I also learned he was of Wyoming, New York, not the state of Wyoming.



"1928
John Quincy Adams


Wyoming, Nov. 29,--John Quincy Adams fell dead at his home here at 5:30 o'clock Saturday afternoon of heart disease. He had been about the house during the day and was about to lie down when he was stricken.


Mr. Adams was born in Stafford on March 17, 1838. He took up his residence in the town of Middlebury when a young man and in 1859 married Miss Frances Maria Cox, who died October 31, 1923. He resided on a farm in Middlebury until 1900, when he moved to this village. Mr. and Mrs. Adams celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage in 1919. Mr. Adams was a member of the Middlebury Baptist church, was a great reader and was well posted on many topics.


Surviving Mr. Adams are two daughters, Mrs. Hattie Blatchford, who lived with him, Mrs. E. R. Jones of Utica; nine grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and a sister, Mrs. Mary Blair of No. 35 Washington Avenue, Batavia.


Funeral services will be held at Mr. Adams's late home, at 2:30 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, the Rev. C. H. Otto of the Baptist church of Wyoming officiating. Burial will be made in the Wyoming cemetery."

John was my first cousin, 4 times removed.


Descendants of John Quincy A. Adams

Generation No. 1

1.  JOHN QUINCY A. ADAMS  (HORACE, JOHN) was born March 17, 1838 in Stafford, Genesee Co., New York, and died November 1928 in of Middlebury, Wyoming Co., New York.  He married FRANCES MARIA COX November 08, 1859, daughter of JOHN COX and PHEBE COX.  She was born February 1827 in New York, and died October 31, 1923.
     
Children of JOHN ADAMS and FRANCES COX were:
2.                i.    MARY E. ADAMS, b. November 1861, New York; d. of Utica, New York.
3.               ii.    HATTIE J. ADAMS, b. February 1864, New York.


Generation No. 2

2.  MARY E. ADAMS (JOHN QUINCY A., HORACE, JOHN) was born November 1861 in New York, and died in of Utica, New York.  She married EUGENE R. JONES 1892.  He was born July 1858, and died Bet. 1920 - 1930.
     
Children of MARY ADAMS and EUGENE JONES were:
                   i.    FRANCES M JONES, b. May 12, 1894, New York; d. August 1986. (The twins were unmarried.)
                  ii.    GRACE E. JONES, b. May 12, 1894, New York; d. October 1980.


3.  HATTIE J. ADAMS (JOHN QUINCY A., HORACE, JOHN) was born February 1864 in New York.  She married WILLIAM BLATCHFORD 1887.  He was born March 1864 in New York, and died 1942.
     
Children of HATTIE ADAMS and WILLIAM BLATCHFORD were:
4.                i.    CLIFFORD E. BLATCHFORD, b. April 1889, New York.
                  ii.    WILLIAM E. BLATCHFORD, b. May 1891, New York.
                 iii.    FLOSSIE M. BLATCHFORD, b. January 1894, New York.
                 iv.    OLIVE R. BLATCHFORD, b. May 1896, New York.
                  v.    IVA BLATCHFORD, b. April 1899, New York.
                 vi.    EDITH BLATCHFORD, b. Abt. 1902, New York.
                vii.    ERNEST BLATCHFORD, b. Abt. 1902, New York.
               viii.    ARCHIE BLATCHFORD, b. Abt. 1904, New York.


Generation No. 3

4.  CLIFFORD E. BLATCHFORD (HATTIE J. ADAMS, JOHN QUINCY A., HORACE, JOHN) was born April 1889 in New York.  He married ESTELLE /A
     
Children of CLIFFORD BLATCHFORD and ESTELLE BLATCHFORD were:
                   i.    WILLIAM BLATCHFORD.
                  ii.    ELOISE BLATCHFORD.
                 iii.    JACK BLATCHFORD.
                 iv.    LEONA G. BLATCHFORD.