‘General Society of Mayflower Descendants’ Success!!

Well, my research skills have paid off and I was able to prove my ancestry lineage for the General Society of Mayflower Descendants!  Last year I was able to prove the lineage to the Alden Kindred Society.  (See post It’s Official!!  I Proved it!)

I never knew anything growing up of my Mayflower heritage.  In the early 1990s while visiting my maternal Grandmother in upstate New York I asked about local cemeteries.  When she realized my interest in genealogy she told me about a Minister who had stopped by once a few years before to ask her questions about her parents, etc.  She showed me a large envelope that had arrived with information.  I asked to take it and look at that evening.  While reviewing the paperwork I realized a lineage back to John and Priscilla Alden of the Mayflower.  Imagine my excitement!  A determination began in me to either prove of disprove the information I had found.

In 1995 I took my son and friend’s two daughters to visit the replica of the Mayflower, Plimoth Plantation and the John Alden Historic Site in Duxbury.  How exciting to retrace my ancestors’ steps and know where they had lived.  It has taken me over 25 years to find the time to do the actual research but I have finally proven it for the Alden Kindred of America and now Mayflower Society.  At times it was very frustrating trying to find the records necessary as well as an exercise in patience, but I did it!!

In the Plimoth Plantation picture on the lower right above the replica of the Alden home is the first house on the left.

Verifying this lineage, and in the process knowing more about my ancestors and how they lived, is a wonderful accomplishment and a great way to end the year!  A special thank-you to the Minister who spoke with my grandmother and that copies of the paperwork made it’s way into my hands to research.

If you have any corrections, additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby

A Christmas Wedding

My paternal great-great grandparents Louis King & Sarah Barry were married on this date 148 years ago.

Transcribed:  I hereby Certify, that Louis King and Sarah Maria Barry were joined in Marriage by me, in accordance with the Laws of the State of New York, in the City of Brooklyn on the 25th day of December 1870.

                                                                                                                Attest, Chas. H. Tucker
                                                                                                               Official Station, Pastor Christ Chapel
                                                                                                              Residence, 82 Woodhull St., Brooklyn
Witnesses to the Marriage,
William Healy
Caroline May Ann Henderson

Transcribed: 
Full Name of Groom:  Lewis King                                                                        Full Name of Bride:   Sarah Maria Barry
Place of Residence:  4-5 Wolcott Street                                                              Place of Residence:   133 Djikemen
Age:   28                                                                                                               Age:  19
Occupation:  Engineer    
Place of Birth:  New York                                                                                    Place of Birth:  New York
Father’s Name:  Jacob King                                                                                Father’s Name:  Ebenezer Barry
Mother’s Maiden Name:  Mary __                                                                       Mother’s Maiden Name: Catherine Boline
No. of Groom’s marriage:  first                                                                           No. of Bride’s Marriage:  first

Dec. 25, 1870

Lewis King- Groom  (signed with his X)

Sarah Maria Barry –Bride (signed with her X)

Signed in Presence of Wm Healy

and Caroline Mary Ann Henderson

I was unable to locate any pictures of Christ Chapel, however, believe it was a Protestant Episcopal Church. I was able to find the following reference to Rev. Tucker in the Journal of the …Annual Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Long Island Volumes 1-3, page 92:

I decided to plot their addresses on a map to see how closely they lived to each other:

When I look at the map and the thumbtack markers I can see that Louis and Sarah lived within 4 blocks of each other.  The church they were married in is about 10-12 blocks away.

Happy Anniversary to Sarah and Louis!  Oh, how I wish I had a picture of the two of you together.

If you have any corrections, additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby

Jemima Benjamin Warner

Jemima Benjamin Warner is my paternal 3x great-grandmother.  What can I find out about her?

• Suffolk County was created in 1683.  The Revolutionary War ended in 1783 and the first census of the United States was done in 1790 with Census day being 2 August 1790. 

When searching the census for Southold, Suffolk County, New York the following Heads of Households are listed;

• Nathan Benjamin Junior  (father of Jemima)
• James Warner (father of Daniel Warner)

Jemima was born 7 February 1791 in Baiting Hollow, Suffolk County, New York.  Her parents were Nathan Benjamin and Joanna Swezey Benjamin.

Jemima grew up as the 4th child of 8 children:  Joanna, Nathan, Polly, Jemima, John, Daniel Sarah and Goldsmith.

• Riverhead was created from Southold in 1792.  According to the 1800 US Federal census Riverhead had a population of 1,498.

Jemima, aged 21, married Daniel Warner, aged 28, about 1812 in Baiting Hollow, New York.  They were both born and raised in the community of Baiting Hollow.  I find it interesting in the 1790 census that both families lived next to each other, farm family neighbors.

• When Jemima and Daniel married in 1812 War was happening with Great Britain.  “The War of 1812 gave Suffolk County little trouble except for the worry of attack which threatened at all times from the sea.”  from LI Genealogy.  The family lived in Baiting Hollow close to the Long Island Sound.  Did they ever go to the Cliffs of the Sound and look for British war ships?

Jemima and Daniel had 6 children: Lewis, Goldsmith, Daniel (my 2x great-grandfather), Joanna, Jemima and Susan.

1850 US Federal Census taken on 12 September shows Jemima as 59 years old living with her husband Daniel (aged 65), her sons Lewis (aged 37) and Goldsmith (aged 34) and daughters Susan (aged 24) and Jemima (aged 15) in Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York.

1860 US Federal Census taken on 2 July shows Jemima as 69 years old, living only with husband Daniel (age 75) in Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York.

1865 New York State Census shows Jemima as 74 years old, living with husband Daniel (age 81), and sons Lewis (age 50) and Goldsmith (age 48) in District 2, Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York.

1870 US Federal Census taken on 15 July shows Jemima age 78 living with her sons Lewis (age 59) and Goldsmith (age 54) in Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York.  Her husband Daniel had died in March of that year.

Jemima was listed as a deceased member of the Baiting Hollow Congregational Church in their 1882 Manual of the Congregational Church in Baiting Hollow, L. I.  (See post Don’t Forget Church Records-The Warner Family)

Jemima died 8 months after her husband Daniel on 9 November 1870 at the age of 79 and is buried in the Baiting Hollow Congregational Cemetery.  The same area she lived her entire life.  I wonder how far she ever traveled from her home?

Wonderings: 

• My great-grandfather was named John Benjamin Warner.  I wonder if the Benjamin as a middle name was to honor/remember his grandmother’s maiden name or was he named John Benjamin after his grandmother’s brother-John Benjamin?
• In general it’s interesting to see names repeat in subsequent generations.
• I wonder why Goldsmith (never married) and Lewis (who was separated from his wife) are not living with the parents in 1860 but are back with them in 1865 and 1870?  I wonder if they were just not recorded in 1860?

If you have any corrections, additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby