Life From The Roots

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.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Two Hills -- Surname Saturday

Below are two Hills lines in my tree, both very early New England families. The first was from Newbury, Massachusetts and the second family (in dark rose) from Hartford, Connecticut. My direct lines are in All Caps. As in the past, I'll share my sources, if you want them.

My many surnames already posted are on the right side, if you want to see them, scroll down to the Surnames.

Generation No. 1

GEORGE HILLS. He married MARY.

Child of GEORGE HILLS and MARY w\o GEORGE HILLS was:

JOSEPH HILLS was born ABT 1602, and died 5 FEB 1687/8 in Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts.

Generation No. 2

JOSEPH HILLS (GEORGE HILLS¹) was born ABT 1602, and died 5 FEB 1687/8 in Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts. He married ROSE CLARK 22 JUL 1624 in Billeericay, Essex Co., England. She died 24 MAR 1649/50. He married Hannah SMITH 24 JUN 1651 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He married Helen\Eleanor ATKINSON JAN 1655/6 in Malden / Newbury, Massachusetts, daughter of Hugh ATKINSON. She died BET 8 JAN 1660/1 AND 10 NOV 1662. He married Ann (__) 8 MAR 1664/5 in Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts. She died 1688.

Children of JOSEPH HILLS and ROSE CLARK were:

+	3	i.	ELIZABETH HILLS was born 1626 in Great Burstead, Billericay, Essex Co., England, and died 25 NOV 1674 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.
	4	ii.	Mary HILLS was born MAY 1627 in Great Burstead, Billericay, Essex Co., England. She married John WAYTE ABT 1644.
	5	iii.	Joseph HILLS was born ABT 2 AUG 1629 in Great Burstead, Billericay, Essex Co., England, and died 19 APR 1674 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He married Hannah SMITH NOV 1653. She died 11 JUL 1674.
	6	iv.	John HILLS was born 31 MAR 1631, and died 28 JUN 1652.
+	7	v.	REBECCA HILLS was born ABT 20 APR 1634, and died 6 JUN 1674.
	8	vi.	Steven HILLS was born 1 MAY 1636 in Malden, co. Essex, England.
	9	vii.	Sarah HILLS was born ABT 14 AUG 1637, and died ABT 15 AUG 1637.
+	10	viii.	Gershom HILLS was born 27 JUL 1639 in Charlestown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.
	11	ix.	Mehitable HILLS was born 1 JAN 1640?41, and died JUL 1653.

Children of JOSEPH HILLS and Hannah SMITH were:

12	i.	Samuel HILLS was born JUL 1652, and died 1732. He married Abigail WHEELER 20 MAY 1679 in Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts. She was born 1656, and died 1742.
13	ii.	Nathaniel HILLS was born 19 DEC 1653, and died 26 FEB 1653/4.
14	iii.	Hannah HILLS died AFT 14 SEP 1687.

Children of JOSEPH HILLS and Helen\Eleanor ATKINSON are:

	15	i.	Deborah HILLS was born MAR 1656?57, and died 1 OCT 1662.
	16	ii.	Abigail HILLS was born 6 OCT 1658, and died 9 OCT 1662.

Generation No. 3

ELIZABETH HILLS (JOSEPH HILLS², GEORGE HILLS¹) was born 1626 in Great Burstead, Billericay, Essex Co., England, and died 25 NOV 1674 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. She married GEORGE BLANCHARD 3 JAN 1665 in Charlestown, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, son of THOMAS BLANCHARD and AGNES BENT. He was born 1622 in Penton Grafton, Hants, England, and died 18 MAR 1700 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.

Children of ELIZABETH HILLS and GEORGE BLANCHARD were:

	17	i.	Thomas BLANCHARD died 11 DEC 1678.
	18	ii.	Joshua BLANCHARD died 15 JUL 1716 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He married Elizabeth w\o Joshua BLANCHARD ABT 1688 in Charlestown, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. She was born ABT 1667, and died 15 JUL 1688 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He married Mehitable ABT 1693 in Charlestown, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. She was born ABT 1666, and died 10 JAN 1742 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.
	19	iii.	Jonathan BLANCHARD. He married Sarah PAIN 11 NOV 1708.
	20	iv.	Abraham BLANCHARD. He married Sarah WHITMARSH 25 JUL 1690 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts.
	21	v.	Elizabeth BLANCHARD. She married George GRIMES 15 APR 1675 in Charlestown / Billerica. He was born 1649, and died ABT 1710.
	22	vi.	Hannah BLANCHARD. She married Thomas SHEPHERD 7 DEC 1682 in Charlestown / Bristol, Rhode Island. He died 1726.
	23	vii.	Mary BLANCHARD.
	24	viii.	Abigail BLANCHARD.
	25	ix.	Sarah BLANCHARD. She married Thomas DEAN FROM AUG 1687 TO NOV 1687 in Cambridge / Concord / Charlestown. He was born 1664 in Concord, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.
	26	x.	Joseph BLANCHARD was born ABT 1653, and died 24 OCT 1694 in Medford, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He married Hannah SHEPARD13 APR 1681 in Charlestown, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts.
	27	xi.	George BLANCHARD was born ABT 1667. He married Sarah BASSETT 15 DEC 1687 in Charlestown, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts.
	28	xii.	Ruth BLANCHARD was born 6 AUG 1668.
	29	xiii.	Bethia BLANCHARD was born 1668. She married Daniel PAIN BEF 1697 in Woburn, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.
+	30	xiv.	RACHEL BLANCHARD was born ABT 1670 in Charlestown, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, and died in Middlesex Co., Connecticut.

REBECCA HILLS (JOSEPH HILLS², GEORGE HILLS¹) was born ABT 20 APR 1634, and died 6 JUN 1674. She married THOMAS GREENE ABT 1653 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, son of THOMAS GREENE and ELIZABETH LYNDE?. He was born 1630 in of Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 13 FEB 1671/2.

Children of REBECCA HILLS and THOMAS GREENE were:

+	31	i.	REBECCA GREENE was born ABT 1653 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 26 MAY 1726 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.
	32	ii.	Thomas GREENE was born FEB 1655 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 15 APR 1674.
	33	iii.	Hannah GREENE was born 16 OCT 1658 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 1659 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.
	34	iv.	Hannah GREENE was born 24 FEB 1659 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 1741. She married John VINTON 16 AUG 1677 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, son of John VINTON and Ann w\o John VINTON. He was born 1650, and died 1727.
	35	v.	Samuel GREENE was born 5 OCT 1670 in Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, and died 2 JAN 1735 in Prob. Leicester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts. He married Elizabeth UPHAM 28 OCT 1691 in Malden / Leicester, MA, daughter of Phineas UPHAM and Ruth WOOD. She died ABT 1761 in Leicester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts.

10.

Gershom HILLS (JOSEPH HILLS², GEORGE HILLS¹) was born 27 JUL 1639 in Charlestown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He married Elizabeth CHADWICK 11 NOV 1667 in Malden / Charlestown. She was born 1648.

Generation No. 1

THOMAS HILLS. He married JANE SCARBORROW.

Child of THOMAS HILLS and JANE SCARBORROW was:

WILLIAM HILLS was born 27 DEC 1608 in Essex County, England, and died JUL 1683 in Hartford, Hartford Co., Connecticut.

Generation No. 2

WILLIAM HILLS (THOMAS HILLS¹) was born 27 DEC 1608 in Essex County, England, and died JUL 1683 in Hartford, Hartford Co., Connecticut. He married MARY (__) DEC 1648. She died BET 1655 AND 1657 in Hartford, Hartford Co., Connecticut. He married Phyllis LYMAN ABT 1632 in Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. She was born 1611, and died BET 1645 AND 1648. He married Mary STEELE BEF JAN 1669 in Hartford / Hadley.

Children of WILLIAM HILLS and MARY (__) were:

	3	i.	Joseph HILLS was born BEF 17 MAR 1650 in Hartford, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died 8 NOV 1713. He married Elizabeth in Glastonbury, Hartford Co., Connecticut. He married Mehitable HURSDALE. She was born 1663.
+	4	ii.	SUSANNAH HILLS was born ABT 1651 in Hartford, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died 23 OCT 1701 in Glastonbury, Hartford Co., Connecticut.
	5	iii.	Benjamin HILLS was born ABT 1653 in Hartford, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died 1728. He married Mary BRONSON 11 JAN 1688 in Hartford, Hartford Co., Connecticut. She was born 1668.
	6	iv.	Abraham HILLS was born ABT 1655.

Generation No. 3

SUSANNAH HILLS (WILLIAM HILLS², THOMAS HILLS¹) was born ABT 1651 in Hartford, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died 23 OCT 1701 in Glastonbury, Hartford Co., Connecticut. She married JOHN KILBORN 4 MAR 1674 in Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut, son of JOHN KILBORN and NAOMI. He was born 15 JAN 1652 in Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died 25 NOV 1711 in Glastonbury, Hartford Co., Connecticut. He was buried in Green Cemetery. Glastonbury, Hartford Co., Connecticut.

Children of SUSANNAH HILLS and JOHN KILBORN were:

	7	i.	Susannah KILBORN was born 4 FEB 1674 in Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died 7 MAY 1685 in Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut.
+	8	ii.	John KILBORN was born 30 OCT 1676 in Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died 1738 in Palmer (was called Elbows), Massachusetts.
+	9	iii.	Ebenezer KILBORN was born 11 MAR 1680 in Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died 1732 in Hanover, Hunterdon Co., New Jersey.
+	10	iv.	JONATHAN KILBORN was born 7 SEP 1681 in Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died 16 FEB 1766 in Colchester, New London Co., Connecticut.
	11	v.	Benjamin KILBORN was born 30 MAR 1684 in Glastonbury, Hartford Co., Connecticut.
	12	vi.	David KILBORN was born 25 FEB 1687 in Glastonbury, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died 26 FEB 1713 in Suffield or Glastonbury, Hartford Co., Connecticut.
+	13	vii.	Abraham KILBORN was born 25 AUG 1691 in Glastonbury, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died 20 APR 1770 in Glastonbury, Hartford Co., Connecticut.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Meeting up with Blogger Friends -- Part 2

Within the past month, I've met with two genealogy blogger friends. First was Cynthia Shenette who has the Heritage Zen blog. My outing with her can be seen in Part 1, HERE. The second outing was with Diane MacLean Boumenot of the One Rhode Island Family blog. I had met each of them four times, so they weren't "new" to me. Below are photos taken last Saturday when Diane and I met in Lexington, Massachusetts (where I once lived for 8 years), and Concord, Massachusetts. It was a perfect weather day, lunch was good and while I was there I took photos of me in old yearbooks, which I'll post at another time.

First two photos taken at the Lexington Green.

Old cemetery behind the above church.

We drove to Concord, and saw the sights at the Old North Bridge.

Diane taking a picture of the Concord Minuteman.

Diane had a tourist take a picture of the two of us. I am holding the iPad.

Meeting up with Blogger Friends -- Part 1

Within the past month, I've met with two genealogy blogger friends. First was Cynthia Shenette who has the Heritage Zen blog. And the second was with Diane MacLean Boumenot of the One Rhode Island Family blog. I had met each of them four times, so they weren't "new" to me. Below are photos taken almost a month ago in Harvard, Massachusetts, where Cynthia and I visited the Fruitlands Museum. To give you an understanding what it is, Wikipedia writes, "The property was purchased in 1910 by Clara Endicott Sears, who opened the farmhouse to the public in 1914 as a museum.^[5] In addition to the Fruitlands building, the site now includes a transplanted Shaker house from the nearby Harvard Shaker Village, Native American artifacts and Hudson River School paintings.^[6] The museum is primarily the result of the efforts of Sears, a preservationist." We had a very nice time, weather was absolutely perfect for walking, even though the pictures show a threatening sky.

The red house above was where Louisa May Alcott and her family lived for six months. Below is an original sofa where she sat (we were not allowed to sit on it, of course). From MassMoments, the article tells us that the Alcott family arrived at Harvard, MA from Concord, MA on June 1, 1943. Interesting article may be seen at:

http://www.massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=162

Shaker house. Wish I had taken photos inside, but I managed a shot from the back.

In the art museum, I took this photo called, Sunset in the Tropics, 1868 by Frederick Edwin Church.

The year before, Cindy and I met in Boston to tour The Gibson House Museum. From their website, "Built in 1859-60, the Gibson House stands as the historic house museum of the Back Bay. In 2001, the National Park Service declared the Gibson House a National Historic Landmark. It is unique as an unspoiled single-family residence that retains its kitchen, scullery, butler’s pantry and water closets, as well as formal rooms and private family quarters, filled with the Gibsons’ original furniture and personal possessions. Visitors enjoy a glimpse of the lives of a well-to-do Boston family and their domestic staff." We loved this old house, even though it was rather dark inside and the stairs didn't look safe, we still enjoyed ourselves. I wish I'd taken more photos, but couldn't becauswe it was quite dark inside.

UPDATE: Fall 2016 article

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Cornish, New Hampshire -- Windsor, Vermont Bridge

Walk Your Horses Or Pay Two Dollars Fine.

Cornish - Windsor Bridge

Build in 1866 at a cost of $9,000, this is the

longest wooden bridge in the United States and

the longest two-span covered bridge in the world.

The fourth bridge at this site, the 460-foot

structure was built by Dela J. Fletcher (1811-1877)

of Claremont and James F. Tasker (1826-1903)

of Cornish, using a lattice truss patented by

architect Ithiel Town in 1820 and 1835. Built as

a toll bridge by a private corporation, the span

was purchased by the state of New Hampshire in

1836 and made toll-free in 1943.

Friday, October 18, 2013

North Parish Church, Founded 1645, North Andover, Massachusetts

Photo taken October 18, 2013, all others on Memorial Day, 2013.

All previous New England Churche posts may be seen under my Tab labeled Churches.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Woburn Public Library / Winn Memorial Library, Woburn, Massachusetts (See the Resources for Genealogists)

45 Pleasant St, Woburn, MA 01801

Phone: (781) 933-0148

Website: https://woburnpubliclibrary.org/

In October 2013, I posted my photos and information about this huge 1879 library and was quite concerned when I saw they were going to enlarge it. I didn't want anything changed. So, when I returned on February 10, 2024, and saw no changes, I was surprised. The above photo is what I took. A ride around to the new parking area showed me the enlargement. Even if you aren't there to get a book or do genealogy, I think you would enjoy walking around, you will come away amazed.

I took so many pictures, but I feel the ones below will give you an idea of this lovely library. The only thing wrong was, I went on a Saturday and the archivist wasn't working and her office was closed. There is an Archives and Local History links below. Some of my surnames from Woburn are Brooks, Carter, Green, Page, Poole, and Winn.

Where the old meets the new.

This used to be the children's room. The Artifacts Room is under lock and key. I was able to see inside to take a few pictures prior to somebody who had an appointment.