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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.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Wintonbury NO Bloomfield, Connecticut

A "Brick Wall" of 15 years is long enough, and I felt it was time for me to try and knock it down. Why it is so difficult to solve? I am not just looking for a John Adams, I am looking for his town also, a town no longer in existence. Last year, I was able to get one generation back, and, thanks to my cousin, found the above John buried in Elba, Genesee Co., New York. Now, who were his parents?

From the beginning. all of four years ago, I discovered that my ancestor, John Adams married Hannah Smith in Wintonbury, Connecticut. How did I know? It was from a deposition in his Revolutionary War Pension & Bounty Land Application Files, Revolutionary War Pension Records.  Series: M804  Roll: 12.  File: W23415 (Waltham, MA, viewed Aug. 12, 2008), "He married August 15, 1790, in the Parish of Wintonbury, Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut, Hannah Smith, who was born in January, 1771."

I had learned that even though Wintonbury wasn't on the map, Bloomfield, Connecticut was. Before I contact the historical society, I decided to take a ride to the town one quiet hot Sunday. That morning everything was closed, and I enjoyed the quiet and abundant parking spaces for my frequent stops for photo taking.

My ancestors were in this town in 1796. John Adams didn't move to Genesee Co., New York until 1812.

After seeing the parcel of land with the three buildings belonging to the Historical Society, we drove to the center of Bloomfield, since Wintonbury changed its name to Bloomfield in 1835.

There was more to see, so on to the town green and then locate the Old Wintonbury Cemetery, which I felt would provide a wealth of information...I was ready to go cemetery hunting, locating all the Adams and Smiths I could find.

Although I haven't solved my Brick Wall as to who John Adams' parents were, I am learning a lot about the town. These photos show you better than I could ever explain. In the next post, I'll list all the sources I've found online, what information I could use, and what I plan on doing to continue my research.

The booklet, Images of America Bloomfield, by the Wintonbury Historical Society shows some images of the town and provides history.
Bloomfield Village Green.

 Old Wintonbury Cemetery, below.
My plans for tombstone searching fell apart once I saw the tall grass and the condition of the cemetery. And, with the high temperature and humidity, I didn't mind spending time there. Maybe another time.


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