Genealogy By the States – Week 11 – New York

Part of the reason I took on the Genealogy By the States challenge is because I knew it would force me not only to post something every week, but it would allow me to get in some research time.  Only 11 weeks in and I have made some great discoveries that I may never have gotten around to.  This week was no different. 

I have lots of New York connections so my initial problem was figuring out who or what to tackle.  I ultimately decided to explore the New York Land Records, 1630-1975 image collection that was added to FamilySearch a few months ago.  What a relief to be able to explore the many counties I needed to search (just for one family!) from the comfort of my home.  I cannot begin to tell you how many films I would have had to order just to research this one family, not to mention the other families I have in New York. 

Part of the reason so many counties were involved is because this particular family lived in three different areas in New York, and during the times they were in a county, new counties were being formed.  Thank goodness for Red Book and the thoroughness of information on county formations and records.  And fortunately, I had kept excellent notes on the specific towns and the trail of counties the belonged to and when.

After searching all but one of the applicable counties, I found three deeds that were relevant to my research goal of finding land records for Aaron Webster in known places of residence in New York.  Oddly enough, each of the three are the selling of land and I was not able to find the initial purchase for any of them.  The good news is I have a better timeline to work with, which will be helpful for continued research on this family.

Below is one of the deeds I found in Jefferson County.¹

Click image to see the original on FamilySearch.

Another interesting resource I found was The Balloting Book, and Other Documents Relating to Military Bounty Lands in the State of New York (this was found under Onondaga County).  This book lists all of the townships (including those outside Onondaga County) and who was awarded each lot of land.  It also lists each person and whether they were actually deeded the land or if they assigned it to someone else.  For more information about the Military Tract of Central New York, see the Wikipedia entry for Central New York Military Tract and information put together for the Cayuga County NYGenWeb Project entitled A Summary History of the Military Tract of Central NY.

Even though this resource didn’t really apply to what I was working on (or any of my ancestors, that I’m aware of at this point in time), I thought maybe I could figure out who was awarded Lot 47 in Fabius that Aaron acquired and later sold in 1806.  I hoped that I could follow the trail and perhaps find the deed where Aaron purchased the land, thinking perhaps it wasn’t indexed correctly or at all under Aaron as the grantee. 

I was able to figure out that Thomas Warner, Lt. was awarded Lot 47 in Fabius and assigned it to Richard Platt.  This was verified by the deed index showing the transaction for that land from Thomas Warner to Richard Platt (however, I cannot locate the actual record).  Unfortunately, I could not find a record of Richard Platt ever selling that land.  On top of that, in the handwritten pages after the book, there are other names listed for Lot 47 in Fabius:  William Cooper and Seth Johnson.  This was further confirmed by the Awards of the Onondaga Commissioners book.  I’ll have to work on this further and see what shakes out.

My focus was on Aaron Webster’s land transactions in New York, but while I was searching the indexes, I also noted other Websters I knew were in the same areas.  So now I have a list of other deeds I need to pull and work on in the future.  My next step in Aaron’s project will be to transcribe the three deeds I found and adjust my visual timeline accordingly.  Those “unknown” gaps of time are getting smaller!!

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Sources

1.  Jefferson, New York, Deed Records, F: 210, Aaron Webster to Roger Read, deed, 21 March 1814; digital images, "New York, Land Records, 1630-1975," FamilySearch (familysearch.org : accessed 20 March 2013).

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Genealogy By the States is a theme created by Jim Sanders over at the Hidden Genealogy Nuggets blog.

New Book on Researching in New York to Be Available Later This Year

I just received my copy of the Fall 2012 issue of The New York Researcher, a publication of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society.  In it, they announce a new book that contains 500+ pages of information for researching your family history in the State of New York. 

The book, New York Family History Handbook, contains “foundational research resources, individual guides to resources in each of New York’s sixty-two counties, and a complete gazetteer of places in New York—past and present.”  It was a huge undertaking for the Society and it sounds like the publication will be well worth their effort.

According to the announcement, it looks like prepublication purchases will start by December of this year.  Those wanting to receive notice should email NYHandbook@nygbs.org.

War of 1812 Ancestors

The Battle at Fort McHenry set the stage for Francis Scott Key’s Star Spangled Banner.

Today, 18 June 2012, marks the bicentennial of the War of 1812.  Two hundred years ago America was once again at war with Britain in what some refer to as our “second war of independence.”  In honor of all War of 1812 patriots, I thought I’d post about two of my ancestors who participated in the war.

Aaron Webster – Aaron Webster, son of Ashbel and Rachel (Price) Webster, was born 28 August 1775 in Hartford, Connecticut.¹  He married Sarah Norton, presumably the daughter of Solomon and Sarah (Rexford) Norton, on 3 January 1797 at either Poultney, Vermont or Washington County, New York.²   According to two different books, Aaron served in the War of 1812 at Sackets Harbor, New York as a minute man.³   Both Aaron and his wife died in 1823 in Oakland County, Michigan.⁴   I have not located any additional information to confirm the assertions made in the two books about Aaron’s military service.

Robert Parks – Robert Parks, son of Robert and Elizabeth (Hall) Parks, was born 12 February 1776 in Voluntown, Connecticut.⁵ He married Mary “Polly” Wheeler Smith about 1800.⁶   Robert died 29 June 1863, probably in Grand Rapids, Michigan.⁷ Several books mention his War of 1812 service, but again, I have not yet found anything concrete.  Following are some excerpts that discuss his military service and provide clues for additional research.

"April 27, 1810, he was commissioned Ensign of a regt. of militia, John Harris, Esq., Lieut. Col. commanding, Cayuga county, N.Y.  On March 2, 1814, he was commissioned Captain in the same regt." ⁸

"March 2, 1810, Captain Parks enlisted in the New York State Militia, and became a member of the 158th Regiment of New York Infantry in the War of 1812.  He was made captain of a company, and served as such until the close of the war." ⁹

You can see how these two contradict one another.  But at least there are many clues here to work with.  In the second reference, there is also a transcription of the Ensign commission, but there is no indication of where the original might be.

I hope one day to have a more complete picture of their.  I have a variety of sources to look at for both Aaron and Robert to hopefully uncover more information.  If you have any suggestions, please leave me a comment or send me an email.

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1.  William Holcomb Webster and Rev. Melville Reuben Webster D. D., History and Genealogy of the Gov. John Webster Family of Connecticut With Numerous Portraits and Illustrations (Rochester, New York: E. R. Andrews Printing Co., 1915), 401. 

2.  Webster and Webster, History and Genealogy of the Gov. John Webster Family of Connecticut, 401; also Charles Fey, History of Freemasonry in Oakland County, MI (Royal Oak, Michigan: Royal Oak Lodge No. 464, 1949). 

3.  Ibid.

4.  Webster and Webster, History and Genealogy of the Gov. John Webster Family of Connecticut, 401; also Oakland County, Michigan, Probate Records 1822-1911, 1: 52-68, 88, 98-103, 109, 116, 242-244 and 3: 89, 92, 104, 178, 179, 211, 212, 225, 308, 326, 327, 335, Aaron Webster; FHL microfilm 973,902, item 1. 

5.  Frank Sylvester Parks, Genealogy of the Parke Families of Connecticut (Washington, D.C.: Privately printed, 1906), 72. 

6.  Joseph Webster GARRISON membership application, National Society, Sons of the American Revolution, Office of the Registrar General, Louisville. 

7. American Biographical History of Eminent and Self-Made Men with Portrait Illustrations on Steel: Michigan Volume (Cincinnati, Ohio: Western Biographical Publishing Company, 1878), 95.

8.  Parks, Genealogy of the Parke Families of Connecticut, 102. 

9.  American Biographical History of Eminent and Self-Made Men: Michigan Volume, 95.

Image Credit:  The image is from Wikipedia and is in the Public Domain.

Researching Solomon Norton – Part 2

In Part 1 of this post, I presented a short background relating to my research on Solomon NORTON.  This post outlines my research plan as I continue to pursue Solomon and his family, to ultimately determine if he is the father of my fifth great-grandmother, Sarah NORTON Webster.

Research Plan

Before I get into the details, I just want to preface this by saying it is not a comprehensive plan.  These are simply the records that I plan to start with.  As research is conducted and new information is learned, the plan will be revised.

Because Solomon was in at least five different places during his lifetime, I used a timeline to prepare this research plan.  The dates in the timeline are estimated, so any searches conducted will cover that period, plus another five or so years on either end of the range as necessary.  Following is the timeline as presented in the last post:

Estimated Timeframe	Residence
1751 to ??	Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
?? to 1778	Canaan, Albany, New York
1778 to 1781	Poultney, Bennington, Vermont
1781 to 1823	Poultney, Rutland, Vermont (county formed in 1781)
1823 to 1836	Shoreham, Addison, Vermont
1836 to 1844	Villenova, Chautauqua, New York

Land & Census Records

1836-1844 – Villenova, Chautauqua, New York (was living with another family in 1840, may not have owned land here)

• FHL #479631 – New York State Census, Chautauqua Co., 1835 and 1845 (can't hurt to look; may be in the Aldrich household as he was in the 1840 federal census; list of state census questions)

1823-1836 – Shoreham, Addison, Vermont

• FHL #865018 – Addison Co. Land Records, Index
• FHL #865019 – Addison Co. Land Records, Vol. 4-5, 1811-1830
• FHL #865020 – Addison Co. Land Records, Vol. 6-7, 1831-1870
• FHL #28954 – Shoreham Land Records, Grantee and Grantor index, Vol. 1-18
• FHL #28958 – Shoreham Land Records, Vol. 7, 1822-1829
• FHL #28959 – Shoreham Land Records, Vol. 8-9, 1829-1851

1781-1823 – Poultney, Rutland, Vermont

• FHL #28780 – Rutland Co. Land Records, Index and Vol. 1-4, 1773-1785
• FHL #28781 – Rutland Co. Land Records, Vol. 5-7 and 9, 1781-1822
• Newberry #F842.944 v.2 (Gen. Col. 2^nd Fl.) – State Papers of Vermont, Petitions for Grants of Land, 1778-1811
• Newberry #F842.944 v.8-11 (Gen. Col. 2^nd Fl.) – State Papers of Vermont, General Petitions, 1778-1799
• Vermont Archives #SE118 – State Papers of Vermont, Petitions to the General Assembly, Governor and Council and to the Council of Censors
• Solomon Norton listed in index for Petition, 48876, 1792-10-13, Vol. 18, p. 405
• Solomon Norton listed in index for Petition, 48877, 1797-10-16, Vol. 18, p. 405
• Solomon Naughton listed in index for Petition, 48306, 1784-10-16, Vol. 19, p. 178
• Jonah Norton, Petition, 48856, 1794-10-16, Vol. 19, p. 176 (description/location similar to those of Solomon's)

1778-1781 – Poultney, Bennington, Vermont (Included in Rutland Co. records? Rutland became a county in 1781 and the records above pre-date this.)

??-1778 – Canaan, Albany, New York

• FHL #464900 – Albany Co. Land Records, Index, Grantors M-Q, 1630-1894 (deeds also available)
• FHL #466373 – Index, Grantees N-S, 1630-1894 (deeds also available)

1772-?? – Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut (1772 is about when he would have turned 21 years old, check a few years prior in case estimate is wrong; also not sure what legal age was there at that time)

• FHL #4508 – Hartford, CT Land Records, General Index 1639-1839 (deeds also available)

Wills/Probate

1836-1844 – Villenova, Chautauqua, New York

• FHL #588087 –Chautauqua Co. Probate Records, Index to Records, A-Z 1811-1913

1823-1836 – Shoreham, Addison, Vermont

• May have filed a will here; haven’t located any tangible sources and may have to hire a researcher.

1781-1823 – Poultney, Rutland, Vermont

• May have filed a will here; haven’t located any tangible sources and may have to hire a researcher.

??-1778 – Canaan, Albany, New York (although he was young, he was involved in ARW and many soldiers filed wills; it's possible he did when he enlisted)

• FHL #463364 – Albany Co. Wills, 1691-1835 (includes partial index)

Tax Records

Haven’t located any tangible sources and may have to hire a researcher.

Revolutionary War Resources

Already have pension file and final payment voucher.  It doesn’t not appear that any of the service records for him survived.  The resources below may provide additional insight into his service and will certainly provide a historical context during his service.

• Newberry #F12.A3 C76 (Gen. Col. 2^nd Fl.) – The Old Albany and the American Revolution, by James A. Crowley
• NY Archives Series #A0200 (Education Dept.) – New York State Comptroller's Office Revolutionary War Accounts and Claims, Albany County Militia, 17^th Regiment, Vol. 7-20

Misc. Resources

• MCGS NY MAR NEW – New York Marriages Previous to 1784
• FHL #27641 – General Index to Vital Records of Vermont, Early to 1870, Nicholson –Norton, H
• FHL #27642 – General Index to Vital Records of Vermont, Early to 1870, Norton, I – Nye
• DAR A#92198 – Vermont DAR GRC Report, Series 1, Vol. 52 (Nortons on p. 68 and 69)
• DAR A#42810 - New York DAR GRC Report, Series1 Vol. 200, Unpublished Cemetery, Church and Town Records (Nortons on p. 95)
• Newberry #F846 H32 W449b – Births, marriages, and deaths returned from Hartford, Windsor, and Fairfield, and entered in the early land records of the colony of Connecticut : volumes I and II of land records and no. D of colonial deeds
• Newberry #F846 H32 H328h – Historical catalogue of the First Church in Hartford. 1633-1885
• Vermont Archives – There are many records in the State Papers of Vermont (full listing). Only the 18^th century records are indexed.
• Vermont Archives – There are several inventories of archives and records that were done for WPA. Vermont Archives has all of these inventories. Below are ones relevant to this research:

• Vermont Archives #PRA-01218 – Unpublished inventories of archives Rutland County: Ira-Poultney
• Vermont Archives #PRA-01207 – Unpublished inventories of archives, Addison County: New Haven - Whiting, and for Bennington County: Arlington - Manchester
• Vermont Archives #PRA-01232 – Unpublished surveys of church archives (Adventist, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Universalist and misc.) for Rutland and Washington Counties: Benson – Windham
• Vermont Archives #PRA-01229 – Unpublished surveys of church archives (Adventist, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Universalist and misc.)’ for Addison and Caledonia Counties: Addison - Wheelock
• Vermont Archives #PRA-01234 – Pamphlets containing surveys of church archives (Catholic, Congregational and misc.)
• Vermont Archives #PRA-01236 – Inventories of Congregational archives: Middlebury – Underhill
• Vermont Archives #PRA-01235 – Inventories Congregational archives: Addison - Marshfield

Since Ashbel WEBSTER is also a research focus, and researching him and his whereabouts could help strengthen the case for Solomon and Sarah’s relationship, that research will be done in conjunction with the research listed above.

Researching Solomon Norton – Part 1

Solomon NORTON (aka NAUGHTON) is allegedly my sixth great-grandfather, although I don’t have much in the way of “proof” indicating the father/daughter relationship between him and my fifth great-grandmother Sarah.  Right now, that “proof” consists of a compiled genealogy [1] stating Sarah is the daughter of Solomon, three DAR applications for Solomon through a daughter Sarah (wife of Aaron Webster), [2] and a handwritten transcription of a biography for Solomon found among my family papers. [3]

Because of the time and place, it is unlikely that a birth record exists for Sarah, other than a baptism record, which may be hard to find.  Instead, I will have to investigate Solomon more closely, along with his wife and children, in order to see if Sarah really belongs in this family.  There is some evidence that suggests this is the right family, which I will get into a little later in this post.

Research Background

Derivative sources (aforementioned) indicate that Sarah NORTON is the daughter of Solomon.  Sarah was born about 1780, [4] likely in Poultney, Rutland, Vermont.  She married Aaron WEBSTER on 3 January 1797, [5] probably in Poultney, or perhaps Washington County, New York.  Sarah died on 18 August 1823 in Auburn Oakland, Michigan, the day after her husband. [6]

Solomon was born about 1751 in Hartford or Farmington, Connecticut. [7]  According the aforementioned DAR applications, he married Sarah Rexford on 17 April 1774 in Canaan, Albany, New York. [8]  A short biography in A History of the Town of Poultney, Vermont lists Solomon’s children as Solomon, John, Hannah (married Zimri Howe), James R, Joel, Aaron, and Amos; there is no mention of a daughter Sarah. [9] 

The pension file for Solomon, along with censuses and other sources, helped to create a timeline for Solomon, resulting in the following residences:  [10]

Estimated Timeframe	Residence
1751 to ??	Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
?? to 1778	Canaan, Albany, New York
1778 to 1781	Poultney, Bennington, Vermont
1781 to 1823	Poultney, Rutland, Vermont (county formed in 1781)
1823 to 1836	Shoreham, Addison, Vermont
1836 to 1844	Villenova, Chautauqua, New York

Using this timeline, I was able to see some similarities between times and places for Sarah’s husband’s father, Ashbel WEBSTER.  His timeline was compiled using a variety of sources:  [11]

Estimated Timeframe	Residence
1733 to 1775	Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
1775 to 1785	??
1785 to 1790	Poultney, Rutland, Vermont (before 1781, was Bennington Co.)
1790 to 1801	Hampton, Washington, New York

Although Ashbel’s timeline is far more estimated than Solomon’s, it is clear that they resided in the same area at the same time, particularly when their children were presumed to have married.  Although it is not clear, Ashbel and Solomon could have been acquaintances while in Hartford.  And although Ashbel later relocated to Hampton, it is right across the state line from Poultney, so they were still very close to one another until Ashbel’s death in 1801.  [12]

Unfortunately, just because they were in the same place at the same time, doesn’t mean that Ashbel’s son married Solomon’s daughter.  More research is needed to see if Sarah is really the daughter of Solomon.  Part 2 of this post will go in depth on the research avenues I plan to pursue in order to find more information on Solomon’s family, and hopefully the link that ties Sarah to this family.

Sources

1.  William Holcomb Webster and Rev. Melville Reuben Webster D. D., History and Genealogy of the Gov. John Webster Family of Connecticut With Numerous Portraits and Illustrations (Rochester, New York: E. R. Andrews Printing Co., 1915), 401.

2.  National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, "Ancestor Database," database, membership no. 886958, 352593, and 333048, Genealogical Research System (services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search). 

3.  Handwritten transcription of Solomon Norton biography, McMahon Family Artifacts; privately held by Julie (Cahill) Tarr, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Normal, Illinois.  The author later learned that the biography came from the following source:  J Joslin, et al , A History of the Town of Poultney, Vermont, From Its Settlement to the Year 1875, With Family and Biographical Sketches and Incidents (Poultney, Vermont: Journal Printing Office, 1875), 315-316. 

4.  Aaron Webster Cemetery (Auburn, Oakland, Michigan), Sarah Webster marker; photograph in McMahon Family Papers, privately held by Julie M Cahill Tarr, ca. 1940s. 

5.  Charles Fey, History of Freemasonry in Oakland County, MI (Royal Oak, Michigan: Royal Oak Lodge No. 464, 1949). 

6.  Aaron Webster Cemetery (Auburn, Michigan), Sarah Webster marker. 

7.  "Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files," digital images, Footnote (www.footnote.com : accessed July 5, 2010), Solomon Naughton, pension no. S21897; imaged from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, M804 (Washington, D.C.:  National Archives [n.d.]).

8.  National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, "Ancestor Database," database, membership no. 886958, 352593, and 333048.

9.  Joslin, et al, A History of the Town of Poultney, Vermont, 315-316. 

10.  "Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files," digital images Solomon Naughton, pension no. S21897.  Also, 1790 U.S. census, Rutland, Vermont, p. 245 (written) 14 (written), col. 2, Solomon Norton; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed July 5, 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M637, roll 12.    Also, 1800 U.S. census, Poultney, Rutland, Vermont, p. 195, line 4 (from bottom), Solo Norton; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed July 5, 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M32, roll 52.  Also, 1810 U.S. census, Poultney, Rutland, Vermont, p. 105, line 6, Solomon Naughton; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed July 5, 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M252, roll 65.  Also, 1820 U.S. census population schedule, Poultney, Rutland, Vermont, p. 567, line 14, Solomon Norton; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed July 5, 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M33, roll 126.  Also, 1830 U.S. census, Shoreham, Addison, Vermont, p. 194, line last, Solomon Norton; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed July 5, 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M19, roll 184.  Also, 1840 U.S. census, Villanova, Chautauqua, New York, p. 307 (stamped) 610 (written), line 8, G B Aldrich (Solomon Norton is listed as a Vetaran in this household); digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed July 5, 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M704, roll 307.  Also, Solomon Naughton, Final Payment Voucher 1832; Box 21, Vermont, Mu-O; Third Auditors Office; Selected Final Payment Vouchers, 1818-1864; RG 217, Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of Treasury; National Archives and Records Administration, Washington.

11.  Webster and Webster, History and Genealogy of the Gov. John Webster Family of Connecticut, 88, 189-190.  The book indicates “that he paid taxes in that place [Poultney, Rutland Co., Vt.] in the years 1785 and 1787.  Also, "Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files," digital images, Footnote (www.footnote.com : accessed June 11, 2011), Ashbell Webster, pension no. W18313; imaged from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, M804 (Washington, D.C.:  National Archives [n.d.]). This is the file for Ashbel’s son.  1790 U.S. census, Washington, New York, p. 215, line 37, Asbell Webster; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed July 9, 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M637, roll 6.  Also, 1800 U.S. census, Hampton, Washington, New York, p. 555, line 6 (from bottom), Ashbel Webster; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed July 9, 2010); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M32, roll 26. 

12.  New York Gravestones, digital images (http://newyorkgravestones.org : accessed December 11, 2009), Ashbel Webster (Hampton Hill Cemetery, Washington County).

Friday Finds – 08/06/10

Weekly column sharing genealogy-related things that I’ve learned or found.

The majority of my week was spent looking into the history of a few New York counties, as well as references for the War of 1812 and the Revolutionary War.  So this week’s finds are books available online and website on these subjects.  But before I get into that, I did find an interesting article (posted on Facebook by Becky Jamison):  “Lives of the dead come to life on tombstones.”

Revolutionary War

New York in the Revolution as Colony and State: Volume 1 (via Internet Archive)

New York in the Revolution as Colony and State: Volume 2 (via Internet Archive)

War of 1812

History of the Late War Between the United States and Great Britain Comprising a Minute Account of the Various Military and Naval Operations (via Google Books)

Sackets Harbor Battlefield Alliance (website)

Index of Awards on Claims of the Soldiers of the War of 1812 [New York] (via Ancestry)

Jefferson County, NY

Geographical Gazetteer of Jefferson County, N.Y., 1685-1890 (via Internet Archive)

A History of the Jefferson County Region (website)

Jefferson County Historical Society (website)

Jefferson County Wiki (website/wiki)

Adams, NY History and Genealogy (website)

Jefferson County (website via USGenNet)

Sackets Harbor History (website via 1000 Islands)

A History of Jefferson County in the State of New York From the Earliest Period to the Present (via Google Books)

Our County and Its People:  A Descriptive Work on Jefferson County, New York (via Internet Archive)

The Growth of a Century as Illustrated in the History of Jefferson County, New York from 1793-1894 (via Internet Archive)

Oneida County, NY

Oneida County Historical Society (website)

History of Oneida County, New York From 1700 to the Present Time: Volume 1 (via Internet Archive)

History of Oneida County, New York From 1700 to the Present Time: Volume 2 (via Internet Archive)

History of Oneida County, New York With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers (via Ancestry)

Our County and Its People:  A Descriptive Work on Oneida County, New York (via Internet Archive)

Cayuga County, NY

History of Cayuga County, New York With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers (via Internet Archive)

Cayuga County Historian’s Office (website)

History of Cayuga County, New York (website)

History of Auburn (via Internet Archive)

Historical Records of a Hundred and Twenty Years Auburn, N.Y. (via Internet Archive)

New York

Gazetteer of the State of New York (via Google Books)

Names of Persons for Whom Marriage Licenses Were Issued by the Secretary of the Province of New York, Previous to 1784 (via Google Books)

My Revolutionary War Patriots

In honor of Independence Day, I thought I’d write a post about my ancestors who are Revolutionary War patriots.

Robert Parks

Robert PARKS is the patriot I went in under for membership to National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR).  His service is listed as a private serving under Captain Benager Leffingwell.  Below is a muster roll from 1777; it is the only one I have found for him.

Robert is my sixth great-grandfather.  He was born 4 December 1737 in Voluntown, Connecticut and died in 1810 in Windham, Connecticut.  Following is my direct line to him (in bold):

1. Me
2. Joseph CAHILL (1945-1989), m. Jean MILLER (living)
3. Joan Garrison McMAHON (1927-1980), m. John Francis CAHILL (1922-1984)
4. Emma Jane GARRISON (1901-1970), m. John Ward McMAHON (1902-1962)
5. Sarah Jane MULLIGAN (1870-1947), m. James Manly GARRISON (1861-1909)
6. Sarah Norton WEBSTER (1828-1894), m. James MULLIGAN (1812-1879)
7. Betsey PARKS (1801-1856), m. Calvin Price WEBSTER (1802-1856)
8. Robert PARKS (1776-1863), m. Mary “Polly” Wheeler SMITH (1781-1844)
9. Robert PARKS (1737-1810), m. Elizabeth HALL (?-?)

Jonathan Webster

Jonathan WEBSTER took the Oath of Fidelity in October 1777 at Glastonbury, Connecticut.  Jonathan in my seventh great-grandfather.  He was born 5 October 1705 in Hartford, Connecticut and died 14 November 1781 in Glastonbury.  Following is my direct line to him (in bold):

1. Me
2. Joseph CAHILL (1945-1989), m. Jean MILLER (living)
3. Joan Garrison McMAHON (1927-1980), m. John Francis CAHILL (1922-1984)
4. Emma Jane GARRISON (1901-1970), m. John Ward McMAHON (1902-1962)
5. Sarah Jane MULLIGAN (1870-1947), m. James Manly GARRISON (1861-1909)
6. Sarah Norton WEBSTER (1828-1894), m. James MULLIGAN (1812-1879)
7. Calvin Price WEBSTER (1802-1856), m. Betsey PARKS (1801-1856)
8. Aaron WEBSTER (1775-1823), m. Sarah NORTON (1780-1823)
9. Ashbel WEBSTER (1733-1801), m. Rachel PRICE (1737-1813)
10. Jonathan WEBSTER (1705-1781), m. Mabel RISLEY (1718-1871)

Solomon Norton

Solomon NORTON is apparently my sixth great-grandfather, although I have not been able to prove this through actual records.  According to NSDAR, he is a patriot, having served as a private under Captain Bostwick in New York.  There are three members listed that have gone in under his supposed daughter Sarah, but again, I have not proven this connection through any records.  By all accounts, Solomon was born 12 May 1751 in Farmington, Connecticut and died after 1837 probably in Villanova, New York.  Following is my direct line to him (in bold), assuming Sarah is his daughter:

1. Me
2. Joseph CAHILL (1945-1989), m. Jean MILLER (living)
3. Joan Garrison McMAHON (1927-1980), m. John Francis CAHILL (1922-1984)
4. Emma Jane GARRISON (1901-1970), m. John Ward McMAHON (1902-1962)
5. Sarah Jane MULLIGAN (1870-1947), m. James Manly GARRISON (1861-1909)
6. Sarah Norton WEBSTER (1828-1894), m. James MULLIGAN (1812-1879)
7. Calvin Price WEBSTER (1802-1856), m. Betsey PARKS (1801-1856)
8. Sarah NORTON (1780-1823), m. Aaron WEBSTER (1775-1823)
9. Solomon NORTON (1751-after 1837), m. Sarah REXFORD (1757-?)

A big salute to all those who have served or are currently serving our country.

Also, a reminder that anyone can access the NSDAR’s Genealogical Research System to search for patriots.   Celebrate the 4th of July by doing a little research on your Revolutionary War patriots.

Saturday in the Attic – 06/05/10

I found this business card among my family papers.  My mom thought her mom had acquired it somewhere along the line, but…. 

Oddly enough, a few weeks before I found this, I had been working on my Parks family, so R H PARKS, to me read, Robert Hall PARKS.  I thought it was a long shot.  Robert Hall PARKS was born in Michigan and lived in Illinois and at some point, Iowa.  What I didn’t know at the time was that he did actually live in New York.  I remembered that his daughter Isabel was supposedly married in New York.  I did confirm that through her marriage record.  But having this business card made me wonder if this was actually my Robert Hall PARKS,as he was tied to New York if only through his daughter’s marriage.

I started to dig around and found the marriage announcement of Isbael to Samuel Brewster in the New York Herald.  I then started to go through the New York City directories on Footnote and consistently found listing for Robert H Parks from 1880 to 1894.  What tipped me off that this was possibly my Robert, was the entry in the 1880 directory:

Although it lists him as a broker working at 5 New, his residence is indicated as Ill.  I found him, his wife, and his daughter in the 1880 census living in a hotel in NYC.  At this point, I had at least placed the him in New York, and it was apparent he had just moved around the time of the census.  As I made my way through each directory, I found the following listing in 1893; it’s the only one that has this business address (there were several other business addresses throughout the years).

 

Who knew this hunch would lead to anything.  All I had was this card (with initials only, albeit) and a dead-end for him in Lake County, Illinois in the 1870 census.  The information about his daughter’s marriage was initially vague and unsourced.  But once I confirmed that, I thought, maybe they all moved to New York and that’s why I can’t find any of them in Illinois.  All of this was confirmed when I found his obituary, which stated at the end “Chicago papers please copy.”  That right there tied him back to Illinois.  And because of this one little card, I was able to figure out when and where Robert and his wife died (both in 1894 in New York) and learn more about his daughter’s family.

Now whether my maternal grandmother actually found this or not is still a mystery, as Robert Hall PARKS is my first cousin five times removed on my dad’s side!

Working With Timelines

One of the GeneaBlogger Games events is to create a timeline.  This really couldn’t have come at a better time, as I’ve been trying to figure out where Aaron WEBSTER and Robert PARKS (both are my fifth great-grandfathers) were before relocating to Oakland County, Michigan in the early 1820s.

According to History of Freemasonry in Oakland County, MI, as well as History and Genealogy of the Gov. John Webster Family of Connecticut, Aaron Webster was living in both Sackets Harbor and Aurelis, New York.  The 1820 census for Aurelis, New York confirms this portion, and also places him near Robert PARKS.  Unbeknownst to me, they apparently knew one another prior to their move to Michigan. 

There are several confusing factors at play here, mainly because that part of New York was undergoing several boundary changes and the settlement of new townships.  By creating a timeline, working with Aaron only at the moment, I am able to get a better picture and see what may be wrong with the data in the aforementioned sources.  For example, the book on John Webster’s family states that all of Aaron’s children were born in Sackets Harbor (except the last, born in Aurelis).  The problem is, according to what I have found so far, Sackets Harbor was not created until 1801, and one child was born in 1799, and one in 1801, meaning they may have been born somewhere else (or the same place of a different name). 

Additionally, the timeline helps with the boundary changes.  Present day Sackets Harbor is in Jefferson County, however, Jefferson County was not formed until 1805, from Oneida County.  I’m not sure if Sackets Harbor became part of Jefferson County at that time, or later (I haven’t found anything yet).  But having the timeline, along with boundary changes, I can figure that in some cases I would need to look in at least two different counties for records. 

This is the first time I’ve really had to deal with new settlements and boundary changes.  These particular families have been in the country since colonial times, but I haven’t really explored that far back as of yet.  Once they came to Michigan, things are pretty smooth in terms of location (no major changes) and finding records.  All of my other lines were immigrants after 1870 and settled in areas pretty-well developed (e.g., Chicago), so again, not much guesswork.

It will be interesting to see what I learn through this process.  I’m going to really have to dig into the history of these areas in order to determine what records are applicable to each family during a given time.  It’s going to be a lot of work, but I think I’m up for the challenge.

 

Sources Mentioned in the Article

Charles Fey, History of Freemasonry in Oakland County, MI (Royal Oak, Michigan: Royal Oak Lodge No. 464, 1949). 

William Holcomb Webster and Rev. Melville Reuben Webster D. D., History and Genealogy of the Gov. John Webster Family of Connecticut With Numerous Portraits and Illustrations (Rochester, New York: E. R. Andrews Printing Co., 1915), 401-402.

Family Events – Week of August 16 to August 22

Edward PARKS – Edward is my fourth great-granduncle, who was born on 17 August 1825.  He died on 21 January 1866.*

Aaron WEBSTER – Aaron is my fifth great-grandfather, who was born on 28 August 1775 in Connecticut.  He died on 17 August 1823 in Auburn, Michigan.

Sarah NORTON – Sarah is my fifth great-grandmother.  She was born about 12 August 1780 in Vermont.  Sarah died on 18 August 1823 in Auburn, Michigan, just one day after her husband, Aaron WEBSTER (above) died.

William LEWIS – William is my tenth great-grandfather, who was born on 19 August 1620.  He died on 18 August 1690 in Connecticut.  He married Mary HOPKINS on 19 August 1644 in Massachusetts.*

Betsey PARKS – Betsey is my fourth great-grandmother, who was born on 7 December 1801 in New York.  She died on 20 August 1856 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Alexander WEBB – Alexander is my twelfth great-grandfather, who was born on 20 August 1559 in England.  He died in 1629 in Boston, Massachusetts.*

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.

Family Events – Week of July 26 to August 1

Maida “Meta” HOFFMANN – Meta is my great-grandaunt (by marriage), who was born on 22 June 1906 in Germany.  She died on 28 July 1997 in Arizona.

Thomas PARKE – Thomas is my ninth great-granduncle, who was born on 13 February 1615 in England.  He died on 30 July 1709 in Connecticut.*

Ida MILLER – Ida is my great-grandaunt, who was born on 31 July 1891 in Illinois.  She died in December 1970 in Wisconsin.

Elizabeth “Nettie“ VLIET & Charles Rosseau LAMBERT – Nettie is my first cousin four times removed.  She and Charles were married on 1 August 1885.*

Ashbel WEBSTER – Ashbel is my sixth great-grandfather, who was born on 12 March 1733 in Hartford, Connecticut.  He died on 1 August 1801 in Hampton, New York.*

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.

Family Events – Week of June 7 to June 13

Julius DeFAUW – Julius is my first cousin twice removed (by marriage).  He was born on 19 October 1902 in Belgium.  Julius died on 8 June 1965 in Moline, Rock Island, Illinois.

Richard Alan MILLER & Maureen Ann BUDZIAK – Happy anniversary to my aunt and uncle on June 8.

Michael Bruketta & Carrie TARR – Happy anniversary to my sister-in-law and her husband on June 10.

Joseph PARKS – Joseph is my seventh great-grandfather, who was born on 11 June 1708 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut.  He died on 1786 in Connecticut.

John “Jack” Francis CAHILL – John is my grandfather, who was born on 12 June 1922 in Aurora, Kane, Illinois.  He died on 16 September 1984 in Addison, DuPage, Illinois.

Margaret “Marge” ROTTMAN – Marge is my grandaunt, who was born on 28 January 1918 in Illinois.  She died on 12 June 1999 in Round Lake, Saratoga, New York.

Anna E STOFFEL – Anna is my great-grandmother, who was born on 19 January 1887 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  She died on 12 June 1936 in Illinois.

Mary Ellen COFFINGER & Calvin E SMITH – Mary Ellen is my second great-grandaunt.  She and Calvin married on 13 June 1891.

Mehitabel GRAVES - Mehitabel is my ninth great-grandmother, who was born in 1684 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut.  She died on 13 June 1708 in Hartford, Harford, Connecticut.*

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.

Family Events - Week of May 10 to May 16

Craig MILLER - Happy birthday to my cousin Craig on May 10th!

John GRAVES & Susannah WEBSTER - John and Susannah are my tenth great-grandparents.  They were married on 11 May 1681 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut.*

Jonathan WEBSTER & Dorcas HOPKINS - Jonathan and Dorcas are my ninth great-grandparents.  Jonathan is Susannah's brother (above) and were apparently married on the same day, 11 May 1681 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut.  This is also were my family tree gets a little tangled (see Found: Cousins).*

Calvin Price WEBSTER - Calvin is my fourth great-grandfather, who was born on 10 February 1802 in Sacketts Harbor, Livingston, New York.  He died on 11 May 1856 in Bloomfield, Oakland, Michigan.

Robert PARKS - Robert is my eighth great-grandfather, who was born on 6 May 1676 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut.  He died on 12 May 1752 in Voluntown, New London, Connecticut.

Solomon NORTON - Solomon is my sixth great-grandfather, who was born on 12 May 1751 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut.

William PARKE - William is my twelfth great-grandfather, who was born in 1503 in England.  He died on 13 May 1551 in England.

Timothy J McMAHON - Timothy is my second great-grandfather, who was born on 14 May 1874 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  He died on 14 October 1939 in Chicago.

Happy birthday to Jim's cousin Jessica on May 15th.

Raymond Henry MILLER - Ray is my granduncle, who was born on 18 August 1916 in Cook County, Illinois.  He died on 15 May 1979 in Whittier, Los Angeles, California.

Pietro "Peter" BELLUOMINI - Peter is my step-father's, adoptive father, who was born on 16 May 1914 in Italy.

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.

Family Events - Week of May 3 to May 9

Byron James WEBSTER - Byron is my first cousin four times removed.  He was born on 14 April 1867 in Oil City, Pennsylvania.  Byron died on 4 May 1941 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan (his death date is calculated based on a few sources, as no exact date has been found yet).

Mary Ann "Marie" CAHILL - Marie is my great-grandaunt, who was born on 8 November 1888 in Aurora, Kane, Illinois.  She died on 5 May 1972 in Indiana.

Sarah Norton WEBSTER - Sarah is my third great-grandmother, who married her first husband, Abram Marshall COFFINGER on 5 May 1850 in Utica, Macomb, Michigan.  After Abram passed away, she married my third great-grandfather, James MULLIGAN.

Robert PARKS - Robert is my eighth great-grandfather, who was born on 6 May 1676 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut.  He died on 12 May 1752 in Voluntown, New London, Connecticut.

Garrel ROTTMAN - Garrel is my second cousin once removed.  He died on 7 May 2006 in Illinois.

Rachel PRICE - Rachel is my sixth great-grandmother, who was born in 1737 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut.  She died on 8 May 1813 in Hampton, Washington, New York.*

Helen Marie ROTTMAN - Helen in my first cousin twice removed.  She married Arthur Laschansky on 9 May 1927 in Muscatine, Muscatine, Iowa.

Kathryn "Kitty" ROTTMAN - Kitty is my first cousin once removed.  She was born on 12 August 1938 in Illinois.  She died on 9 May 2007 in Mulkeytown, Franklin, Illinois.

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.

Family Events - Week of March 1 to March 8

Joan Garrison McMAHON - Joan is my paternal grandmother.  She was born on 6 February 1927 in Oak Park, Cook, Illinois.  She died on 1 March 1980 while visiting family in Florida.

Stephen HOPKINS & Dorcas BROWNSON - Stephen and Dorcas are my tenth great-grandparents.  They were married on 4 March 1657 in Connecticut.*

Joseph CAHILL - Joseph is my dad.  He was born on 6 March 1945 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  He died on 23 October 1989 in Elmhurst, DuPage, Illinois.  He would have celebrated his 64th birthday this year.

Ethan Ellen WARREN - Ethen is my first cousin six times removed.  He was born on 6 March 1786 in Hampton, Washington, New York.  He died on 24 December 1855.*

Anna GLYNN - Anna is my second great-grandaunt.  She was born in Ireland in October 1867.  She dies on 7 March 1937 in Cook County, Illinois.

*Based on information from several compiled source, of which I have not personally verified at this time.