Happy Halloween

Sunday Sights -- Lowell, Massachusetts

 Lowell Memorial Auditorium

Lowell is the home to eight or more mills, seven canals, a major river (Merrimack), a smaller river (Concord) and three riverwalks. Those photos  will be posted in the coming week. See additional photos at the links below.

See More Photos:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Independent and Not Corrupted

In the past, I've mentioned my huge Westover tree, with about 950 people with the surname of Westover. So why not add a few more? Ginny initially wrote in early August, 2012, after seeing my blog; saying she had, "other information from an old family list called 'Westover Family Record' from my mother's family, and would be happy to share what tidbits I can, if you are interested in enlarging your large collection of Westovers yet further!"

Ginny's information is valuable because all her information is new. Ancestry and other sites have William married only to Catherine Hostetter, and not to his first wife Eleanor, who was the mother of three of his children, one being Ginny's direct line. She lives in Wisconsin and recently went on a research trip to Ontario and found supporting information.

Based on her information, we know this is a new line. I especially like what she wrote, "To me it's interesting that what I've told you pre-dates the internet. So while you don't have the information and confirmations of information that the internet can provide, at the same time this information from my mother's family is independent and not corrupted, the way information on the internet can sometimes get corrupted and errors can get spread around. That's not to say that it is necessarily completely without error, of course." We all know how many errors are in the family trees found on the internet. I'm so glad Ginny and Sue from the previous day's post, Stunned Disbelief and Incredulous Silence, wrote me. Two great cousin connections were made.

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Generation No. 1 William #1 is my first cousin, 6x removed. The men listed in green are my direct lines.

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1.	William WESTOVER (John WESTOVER5, JOHN WESTOVER4, JONAH WESTOVER3, JONAS WESTOVER2, GABRIEL WESTOVER1) was born 13 OCT 1769 in Sheffield, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, and died ABT 1837 in St. Catherine, Grantham Twp., Ontario, Canada. He married Catherine HOSTETTER 2 JUL 1805 in Lincoln, Ontario, Canada, daughter of Herman HOSTETTER. She was born 29 JUL 1785 in Shelbourne, Nova Scotia, Canada, and died 14 JUL 1828 in Canada. He married Eleanor BEF 1795. She was born 25 NOV 1775.
	Children of William WESTOVER and Catherine HOSTETTER were: 2   i. John WESTOVER was born 28 APR 1806. He married Lydia HAVENS 9 MAR 1830 in Lincoln, Ontario, Canada. 3   ii. Ann WESTOVER was born 17 JUN 1807 in Lincoln, Ontario, Canada. + 4   iii. Herman WESTOVER was born 1 DEC 1808 in Lincoln, Ontario, Canada, and died 1870. + 5   iv. Isaac WESTOVER was born 15 JUL 1810 in Lincoln, Ontario, Canada. 6   v. Jacob WESTOVER was born 24 FEB 1812. 7   vi. Elizabeth WESTOVER was born 9 SEP 1813 in Grantham Twp., Ontario, Canada. 8   vii. Charlotte WESTOVER was born 1 JUN 1815 in Lincoln, Ontario, Canada. 9   viii. Rufus WESTOVER was born 19 APR 1816 in Lincoln, Ontario, Canada. 10   ix. Enos\Enon? WESTOVER was born BET 1817 AND 1819. 11   x. Caroline WESTOVER was born 9 JUN 1820. 12   xi. George WESTOVER was born 22 SEP 1821 in Lincoln, Ontario, Canada, and died 18 AUG 1871 in Ontario, Canada. He married Clarissa Eunice PRITCHARD. 13   xii. Noah WESTOVER was born 28 JUN 1823. 14   xiii. Barbara WESTOVER was born 14 MAR 1825 in Lincoln, Ontario, Canada. Children of William WESTOVER and Eleanor were: 15   i. Phebe WESTOVER was born 13 MAY 1795, and died 28 NOV 1800. 16   ii. Samuel WESTOVER was born 24 APR 1797. + 17   iii. William WESTOVER was born 1799 in Quebec, Canada, and died 1875 in Norfolk, Ontario, Canada.

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Generation No. 2

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4.	Herman WESTOVER (William WESTOVER6, John WESTOVER5, JOHN WESTOVER4, JONAH WESTOVER3, JONAS WESTOVER2, GABRIEL WESTOVER1) was born 1 DEC 1808 in Lincoln, Ontario, Canada, and died 1870. He was buried in Vernon Center, Blue Earth Co., Minnesota. He married Eliza E.. She was born 1818 in Canada West, and died 1892. She was buried in Vernon Center, Blue Earth Co., Minnesota.
	Children of Herman WESTOVER and Eliza E. w\o William WESTOVER were: 18   i. Lewis WESTOVER was born in Canada West. 19   ii. Frank Alan WESTOVER was born in Canada West, and died 1847. 20   iii. Ursula WESTOVER was born in Canada.

5.	Isaac WESTOVER (William WESTOVER6, John WESTOVER5, JOHN WESTOVER4, JONAH WESTOVER3, JONAS WESTOVER2, GABRIEL WESTOVER1) was born 15 JUL 1810 in Lincoln, Ontario, Canada. He married Susannah MCCAULEY.
	Children of Isaac WESTOVER and Susannah MCCAULEY are: 21   i. Martha C. WESTOVER was born 1846. 22   ii. Delphine WESTOVER was born 1849. 23   iii. Euphemina WESTOVER was born 1852. + 24   iv. Robert James WESTOVER was born 15 OCT 1855 in St. Catherine, Grantham Twp., Ontario, Canada, and died 6 MAR 1931 in Randolph, Dodge Co., Wisconsin.

17.	William WESTOVER (William WESTOVER6, John WESTOVER5, JOHN WESTOVER4, JONAH WESTOVER3, JONAS WESTOVER2, GABRIEL WESTOVER1) was born 1799 in Quebec, Canada, and died 1875 in Norfolk, Ontario, Canada. He married Mehitable SIMONS, daughter of John SIMONS. She was born FEB 1805, and died 20 APR 1847 in Port Burwell, Ontario, Canada. He married Nancy Teall VANCE.
	Children of William WESTOVER and Mehitable SIMONS were: 25   i. Eleanor\Ellen WESTOVER was born 8 DEC 1821 in Ontario, Canada. She married James NEVILL. He was born 1815 in Charlotte Twp., Ontario, Canada, and died 1904 in Vernon, Michigan. 26   ii. Jane WESTOVER was born 1823. 27   iii. Elizabeth Caroline WESTOVER was born 29 OCT 1826 in Port Burwell, Ontario, Canada. 28   iv. Phoebe Jane WESTOVER was born 2 AUG 1829 in Port Burwell, Ontario, Canada, and died 1891 in Ashtabula, Ohio. 29   v. Nancy WESTOVER was born ABT 1833 in Roundo, Ontario, Canada, and died ABT 1900. 30   vi. William WESTOVER was born ABT 1843 in Ontario, Canada. 31   vii. Hannah WESTOVER was born 1845 in Ontario, Canada, and died 1915 in Ashtabula, Ohio. 32   viii. John Simons WESTOVER was born 2 APR 1847 in Port Burwell, Ontario, Canada, and died 1924 in Saginaw, Michigan. He married Harriet Ann FORD 1870 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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Generation No. 3

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24.	Robert James WESTOVER (Isaac WESTOVER7, William WESTOVER6, John WESTOVER5, JOHN WESTOVER4, JONAH WESTOVER3, JONAS WESTOVER2, GABRIEL WESTOVER1) was born 15 OCT 1855 in St. Catherine, Grantham Twp., Ontario, Canada, and died 6 MAR 1931 in Randolph, Dodge Co., Wisconsin. He was buried in Randolph, Columbia Co., Wisconsin. He married Etta BRADFORD 22 FEB 1878 in Randolph, Columbia Co., Wisconsin, daughter of George BRADFORD and Eliza w\o George BRADFORD. She was born 18 APR 1861 in Westford Twp., Randolph, Dodge Co., Wisconsin, and died 2 AUG 1924 in Randolph, Dodge Co., Wisconsin. She was buried in Randolph, Columbia Co., Wisconsin.
	Children of Robert James WESTOVER and Etta BRADFORD were: 33   i. Susan Elizabeth WESTOVER was born 18 NOV 1879 in Fox Lake, Dodge Co., Wisconsin, and died 1914 in Randolph, Columbia Co., Wisconsin. She married Julius N. DERBY 25 DEC 1899 in Randolph, Dodge Co., Wisconsin. He was born 29 APR 1857 in Plainfield, Illinois, and died 1935 in Randolph, Columbia Co., Wisconsin. 34   ii. Lucy Agnes WESTOVER was born 24 OCT 1880 in Buffalo Lake, Renville Co., Minnesota, and died 19 SEP 1946 in Randolph, Columbia Co., Wisconsin. She married Herman SMITH. 35   iii. Mabel Anne WESTOVER was born 27 OCT 1882 in Fox Lake, Dodge Co., Wisconsin, and died 16 AUG 1954 in Randolph, Dodge Co., Wisconsin. She married Reinhold Friedrich LENTZ 1 DEC 1898. She married Frank YAGLER 1922. 36   iv. George Issac WESTOVER was born 9 SEP 1884 in Buffalo Lake, Renville Co., Minnesota, and died 10 JAN 1962 in Markesan, Green Lake Co., Wisconsin. He married Lily Mae MOTTRAM. 37   v. Robert Adolphuas WESTOVER was born 9 JAN 1886 in Buffalo Lake, Renville Co., Minnesota, and died 21 MAY 1967 in Portage, Columbia Co., Wisconsin. He married Minnie M. BRAATZ. She was born 1885 in Germany, and died 1956 in So. Randolph, Dodge Co., Wisconsin. 38   vi. Elsie Belle WESTOVER was born 31 JAN 1889 in Buffalo Lake, Renville Co., Minnesota, and died 24 APR 1988 in Madison, Dane Co., Wisconsin. She married Edward James MALONEY. 39   vii. Claudia Loreeta WESTOVER was born 11 APR 1891 in Buffalo Lake, Renville Co., Minnesota, and died MAY 1891 in Buffalo Lake, Renville Co., Minnesota. 40   viii. Maude Grace WESTOVER was born 11 APR 1891 in Buffalo Lake, Renville Co., Minnesota, and died 11 JUL 1969 in Madison, Dane Co., Wisconsin. She married Sjouke DYKSTRA. 41   ix. Clara Mae WESTOVER was born 28 NOV 1893 in Fox Lake, Dodge Co., Wisconsin, and died 9 JUL 1961 in Randolph, Columbia Co., Wisconsin. She married Owen John GRIFFITH.

Stunned Disbelief and Incredulous Silence

Last week, I posted, Do you Have Ellsworth in your Tree? There was a reason for that, I was trying to help somebody from New Zealand who has ancestors from the same county as mine in Quebec, Canada (I live in Massachusetts). On a whim, I sent the post to a good friend still living there in Missisquoi County, Quebec. This Ellsworth family is not in my direct line, we are very distant cousins, so, I had nothing to gain by writing the post.

You know how it goes, in what seemed minutes, I received three photos from my Canadian friend. These photos were of people mentioned in my post, and were family members of my New Zealand friend, Sue. One was of her gg-grandfather, she had never seen a photo of him before now, a photo that went from Canada, to Massachusetts to her, within a very short time.

She responded right away with, "I’m speechless, gratitude beyond measure." and "Stunned Disbelief and Incredulous Silence." You will always make somebody's day when you share information, so why not make somebody's day soon.

Ed A. Ellsworth h.o. Catherine Primmerman

(Catherine was my 2nd cousin 4x removed)

 Elmer, John, Sarah children of Henry and Elizabeth (Ellsworth) Cossitt
(They are my 4th cousins 2x removed.)

Jim Ellsworth
(3rd cousin 3x removed.)

Maine Historical Society and Library, Portland, Maine

Maine Historical Society

Portland, Maine

Brown Library

When I went there in 1997, there was a spiral staircase to the top floor (you can see the floor above the door), and it never seemed safe. Fortunately, they took down that staircase.

Do you Have Ellsworth in your Tree?

Sue from New Zealand wrote on October 10th about her ancestor, Edgar Alvah Ellsworth who married Deborah Wilkins as his first wife. I had him married only to Catherine Primmerman, so I was happy for the correction. Her line apparently went from Canada to England to New Zealand. And, speaking of corrections, Sue read my post about my finding 22 cemetery stones in Canada, and I had referred to them as my 22 direct descendants instead of ancestors! For over two years, people have seen that error!

This is not my direct line, however I have a lot of Primmermans. If anybody has this line, or knows who Edgar's parents were, I can put you in contact with her. Thank you for any help.

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Generation No. 2

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2.	Edgar Alvah ELLSWORTH ( ELLSWORTH1) was born ABT 1824 in United States. He married Catherine PRIMMERMAN, daughter of Peter PRIMMERMAN and Cathright MCDONALD. She was born 12 FEB 1824 in Frelighsburg, Missisquoi Co., Quebec, Canada, and died 10 OCT 1859 in of Bedford, Missisquoi Co., Quebec, Canada. She was buried in Ploss Burying Ground, Bedford, Missisquoi Co., Quebec, Canada. He married Deborah WILKINS. She was born ABT 1850 in England.
	Children of Edgar Alvah ELLSWORTH and Catherine PRIMMERMAN were: + 3   i. William H. ELLSWORTH was born ABT 1849 in St. Armand, Missisquoi Co., Quebec, Canada. + 4   ii. Ann Elizabeth ELLSWORTH was born ABT 1852 in Lower Canada, and died 1926. 5   iii. James E. ELLSWORTH was born 1855 in Lower Canada. 6   iv. Peter L. ELLSWORTH was born 1857 in Lower Canada. Children of Edgar Alvah ELLSWORTH and Deborah WILKINS were: 7   i. Charles Wesley ELLSWORTH was born 1862, and died 1922. He married Melissa BILEER\BLEER. He married Clarissa BROWN. 8   ii. Alvah James ELLSWORTH was born 1864, and died 1926. He married Margaret Elizabeth WYLIE 29 SEP 1890 in Magnetawan, Ontario, Canada. 9   iii. George Bryon ELLSWORTH was born 1862, and died 1934. He married Mattie M. WATERMAN. He married Elura M. ROGERS. 10   iv. Frederick N. ELLSWORTH was born 1869, and died 1919. He married Edna Jane THOMAS. He married Nora C. CARR. She died 1946. 11   v. Henry H. ELLSWORTH was born AUG 1870. + 12   vi. Edward Thomas ELLSWORTH was born AFT 1870.

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Generation No. 3

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3.	William H. ELLSWORTH (Edgar Alvah ELLSWORTH2, ELLSWORTH1) was born ABT 1849 in St. Armand, Missisquoi Co., Quebec, Canada. He married Susan A. HOLBROOK.
	Child of William H. ELLSWORTH and Susan A. HOLBROOK is: 13   i. Mary Elizabeth ELLSWORTH was born 1879, and died 1952.

4.	Ann Elizabeth ELLSWORTH (Edgar Alvah ELLSWORTH2, ELLSWORTH1) was born ABT 1852 in Lower Canada, and died 1926. She married Henry Ambrose COSSITT 7 JAN 1874 in Concord, New Hampshire, son of John F. COSSITT and Sarah G. FARWELL. He was born DEC 1852 in Claremont, Sullivan Co., New Hampshire, and died 24 DEC 1928 in Claremont, Sullivan Co., New Hampshire.
	Children of Ann Elizabeth ELLSWORTH and Henry Ambrose COSSITT were: 14   i. Sarah Catherine COSSITT was born 6 DEC 1878 in Claremont, Sullivan Co., New Hampshire. She married James A MCCOMMONS 25 OCT 1904 in Claremont, Sullivan Co., New Hampshire. 15   ii. John H. COSSITT was born OCT 1880 in New Hampshire. He married Agnes B. NEWELL 9 SEP 1911 in Port Huron, St. Clair Co., Michigan, daughter of P. J. NEWELL and Agnes BROPHY. She was born 1883 in Michigan. 16   iii. George E. COSSITT was born JAN 1889 in New Hampshire, and died 21 SEP 1942 in Hartford, Windsor Co.,Vermont.

12.	Edward Thomas ELLSWORTH (Edgar Alvah ELLSWORTH2, ELLSWORTH1) was born AFT 1870. He married Elizabeth Hannah GETTY.
	Child of Edward Thomas ELLSWORTH and Elizabeth Hannah GETTY is: 17   i. Edgar ELLSWORTH.

Seeing Sights -- Old Houses of Newport, Rhode Island

 

In order to get a half decent picture, I had to crop away the power lines, cars and trash containers.

It's Nice to be Back, Connecticut

If you have ancestors in Connecticut, I hope you know about the Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Inc. (CSG). If not, you're in for a nice surprise. This was the first society I joined in 1990, and was a member for about 14 years, I dropped out for a period and then rejoined a few months ago. When I inquired about rejoining, I was happy to learn that my new membership number would be the same as my old one, it's like I never left. The packet I received was huge, boy it's nice to be back with them.

Their online site has great information, so good in fact, that I made a call to the office and received permission to share some of their information with you. They offer a lot to the members, but this post is about what they offer for free, extremely useful for those new to genealogy.

For example:

Under their first tab, Resources, click on Overview. This will bring you to Getting Started in Genealogy. A part of that section includes:
 Detailed Step-by-step Genealogy instructions

 Download free genealogy charts and forms  Join us for one of our upcoming genealogy events

Under the Resources tab is another nice section on Genealogy Basics. I receive quite a few queries about how do I begin. Now, I can point them to this site! Below is used with permission. Note: The "more detail" in red is only accessed by members.

What do you need to get started?
There are a few basic items you should have available as you begin your project. A few sheets of paper or a notebook, a few empty folders, and a pen or pencil. As your research continues, you may also find a tape recorder, camera, and computer to be useful tools, but they certainly are not requirements to get started. Better to get started and add those tools later.

STEP 1 - Start with Yourself
If you haven't already done so, you should download the free Pedigree Chart to make your note taking more organized. Start with yourself by recording your full name (including maiden name if a married female), as well as your date and place of birth. If married, record your date and place of marriage and the name of your spouse. Continue by stepping back one generation and list the same information for your father (called your paternal line) and mother (maternal line). It's also helpful to make a note of your parents siblings (your aunts and uncles). more detail

STEP 2 - Hunt for Clues
You'll quickly learn that this step is never-ending, but can be one of the most interesting components of your research. Over time, you'll recognize that clues are all around you, but you just need to learn to recognize them. An old letter may have a date and names, but the envelope (if it is still with the letter) may also carry a postmark, as well as a destination and return address which can be used to fix two people at specific places for a particular time period. Newspaper clippings, postcards, family bibles, school yearbooks, and old photographs are just some of the sources that may already be in your possession. more detail

STEP 3 - Interview Relatives
This is no time to be shy - seek out the senior members of your various family lines and initiate a dialog about your family history. Whether it's a phone call, a visit, a letter or email - try to establish a connection which can fill in gaps in your pedigree chart or verify some of what you already have found. Sharing certain items from your treasure hunt (step 2, above) can be a great way to get a discussion going. Studying an old photograph and asking who, when, where, and why can help yield valuable clues. Who is pictured in the photo, when and where was it taken, and what was the occasion for the photo. more detail

STEP 4 - Verify Your Findings
Through the first few steps described above, you will have collected information from a variety of sources. Individual memories, government documents, personal notes, and many other sources will provide a collection of names, dates, and places. Some of these sources will point in the same direction, but others will conflict with one another. In this stage of your research, you will set about to verify the accuracy of what you have found to this point. more detail

STEP 5 - Share Your Findings
Depending upon your goals, you may wish to publish your work for the benefit of distant cousins or simply to organize your findings for your immediate family. There are different points of view and no single correct course of action, but you will generally find that sharing at least some of your work will help connect you with someone sharing at least one line of your family. You can choose to share your research on a case-by-case basis, post files on the Internet, or publish a book or manuscript - the decision is entirely up to you. more detail

Tombstone Tuesday -- The Fletcher Family of Westford, MA

In Memory of

Ralph Andrew Fletcher

son of

Herbert Ellery and Carrie Hill Fletcher

May 10, 1866   January 26, 1956    January 22, 1866   November 9, 1933

His Children

John Herbert

Samuel Hill

Rebecca Ann

His Children

Cynthia

Ralph Andrew

Hasbrouck

Emerson Kennard

Fairview Cemetery

Westford, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts

I was very surprised to find this family was not listed in FindAGrave with all the other 107 Fletchers. How could anybody miss this enormous cube. This is a well-known name and granite company, which had a long history, until it closed recently.

http://www.fletchergranite.com/AboutFletcherGranite/History.asp

Did You Know This?

When a friend recently passed away, I read his obituary online before the newspaper was delivered. Imagine my surprise when I scrolled to the bottom of the page, and saw his surname, Ford, in a advertisement by Ancestry.com. It read, "Learn more about the Ford family on Ancestry.com." There is a nice map of the United States, and a breakdown of the states according to the 1920 census where the Ford family lived. Interesting. Are they tempting the descendants to begin genealogy at the time of a loved one's death?

If you have Ancestry, you've probably already seen the map, with the colored states and corresponding legend. For some reason, I couldn't copy to this site.

So, I guess, when I die, people can see where the Poole's lived in 1920 according to the census. I just realized that the search box below is "live" so go ahead and put in a name and try it out.

According to the 1920 census there were 27,001 families with the Ford surname in the United States.

During the Civil War the Ford name was found in 1,924 Confederate Records and 2,789 Union Records.

Find out more about the Ford surname.

Learn about your family name: 

MAP:

Sunday Sights -- Lowell, Massachusetts #3

Several photos of the Boot Cotton Mills, maintained by the National Park Service.

 Father John's Medicine Company (large bldg. on left.) where I worked for 10 years.

 Merrimack Street (above)

 Canals, trolleys and gatehouses

Boat and trolley tours by National Park Service.

See More Photos:
Part 1
Part 2