Tombstone Tuesday–Merritt Howell Jr.

My 4th great-grandfather Merritt Howell, Jr. died in Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York on 4 December 1857 at the age of 74.  (See previous post The Life of Merritt Howell, Jr. and The Will of Merritt Howell, Jr.)  He had outlived his wife and several of his children.

Merritt Howell

Died

Dec. 1, 1857

AE. 74 years 4 days 

(there is an inscription at the bottom that is, unfortunately, very difficult to now read)

Riverhead Cemetery, Riverhead, New York

The photo for FindAGrave, added by Joy Ann Strasser in 2013, shows the writing as much clearer.     It is astonishing to note the deterioration that has occurred in 6 years.

• I noticed the death date on the stone as 1 December and I have found it listed elsewhere as 4 December.  Hmm...I need Church records and perhaps a Family Bible?
• After I read Codicil One where Merritt directed “As for the tombstones for myself and my said wife it is my will that my Executor shall pay forty dollars for each and that he shall enclose our graves and that of my deceased child Elenor Ann with a substantial iron fence” I looked again at the photo and realized there was no iron fence.  On the ground I can see what might have been part of a stone base and stone posts and wonder if perhaps an iron fence one day had been connected to that?
• I hadn’t realized until I was recently researching Merritt that he was buried in the Riverhead Cemetery.  While visiting New York during the Holidays I decided I ‘needed’ to go to the Cemetery and find his grave, as any good Genealogist would need to do, in order to get my own photo and pay my respects.  (Yes, there was already a photo on FindAGrave but I needed my own photo.)
• My father, step-mother and I set out on a quest to find the grave.  How difficult could that be?  His grave was listed as Grave #1 for the cemetery and my father knew where the original entrance had been.  I drove in to the cemetery and parked.  We fanned out in different directions looking for a stone that said Howell.  We walked and walked only to realize, eventually, that Merritt's grave was right next to the right bumper of the car.  Without realizing it I had parked right next to the Howell plot.
• I found it very interesting that as I stood there behind his grave and looked up, this is what I saw 

there in the background stood the school (Pulaski Street School) I had worked at for 11 years, right there adjacent to the cemetery!  For most of those years I even had classrooms on the side overlooking the end of the cemetery where my ancestors lay.  You just never know the connections you may have to a specific area.


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

Codicils Two and Three for Merritt Howell Jr.

If you have been following the Life of Merritt Howell Jr., and the  Will of Merritt Howell Jr., you know there were Three Codicils to his Will.  The First Codicil for Merritt Howell Jr. was previously presented and discussed.  We can see and understand the reason for several of the changes to the original Will. What can we learn from the last two Codicils that follow:

Second Codicil (11 November 1857)

(click on image to enlarge)

Transcription: 
Whereas I, Meritt Howell of the town of Riverhead in Suffolk County have made my last will and testament I hereby give and bequeath to be equally divided among my said seven children, Fanny B., Hampton F., Betsey, Sally, Harriet, Francis and Jemima (the children of Jemima to take together the same share their mother would have taken if living) all my personal property including money notes and stock, except household furniture after paying my just debts and the legacy given by my Codicil to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and except the notes I hold against John K. Smith and Hallock Edwards decd [deceased] which are given away by my said will_
I hereby appoint my son Hampton F. Howell and Sylvester Hallock my son in law Executors of my said will and of this Codicil and I hereby substitute the said Hampton F. Howell and Sylvester Hallock in the place of my daughter Sally Edwards as Trustees of the lands given by my said Will and Codicil for the use of my grandson Elbert H. Edwards and it is my will that they shall take the said lands with the same powers & for the same purposes (&subject to the same legacy to the said Sally Edwards might have taken them under the said Codicil, and that they shall furnish the said Elbert a house and support and ordinary schooling till 21 years old (unless he shall sooner marry) out of the income of such property_And I hereby annul so much of said Will & Codicil as gives to Sally Edwards any fire wood or cordwood out of said lands_ I desire that this Codicil may be annexed to & taken as a part of my said last will and testament as aforesaid to all intents & purposes_ In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this eleventh day of November one thousand eight hundred and fifty seven_
                                                                                                         Merritt Howell L.S.

Signed sealed published & declared by the said Merritt Howell as & for the Second Codicil to his last will & testament in presence & in the presence of each other have signed our names as witnesses-
     James H. Tuthill residing in Riverhead in Suffolk County
     Sylvester Miller residing in Riverhead in Suffolk County


Some thoughts and questions:

• Daughter Jemima (my 3^rd great grandmother) died 22 October 1857 only weeks before this Codicil was written.
• In the original Will Merritt’s wife Elenor and only son Hampton were listed as Executors. In Codicil One Elenor has passed away and no one is mentioned as Executor except his son Hampton. Now in Codicil Two Merritt lists Hampton again and adds his son-in-law Sylvester Hallock as Executor. Why did he decide to add his son-in-law Sylvester Hallock (Frances' husband) as an Executor? Why not add one of his other son-in-laws?
• What happened with Sally and why did he make these changes?  Why did he no longer what her to be trustee for her son?  Is it because she remarried?
• Now in this Codicil he adds his personal property to his Will and divides it equally among his living children but also includes the children of his deceased daughter Jemima.

Third Codicil (24 November 1857)

Transcription:
I, Merritt Howell, hereby make this third Codicil to my last will and to testament by which Codicil I hereby give and bequeath to the children of my deceased daughter Jemima Howell all the notes I hold against my son in law Daniel Howell to be divided equally between them share and share alike, which notes are to be executed from the personal property bequeathed by my second Codicil bearing date the eleventh day of November 1857, and this bequest is not to affect the share of the said children in the other personal estate given them by the said second Codicil_In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty fourth day of November one thousand eight hundred and fifty seven_ his

                                                                                                              Merritt Howell L.S.


Signed sealed published and declared by the said Merritt Howell as & for the third Codicil to his last will and testament in presence of us who at his request & in his presence & in the presence of each other have signed our names as witnesses_
     James H. Tuthill residing in Riverhead in Suffolk County
     Joshua L. Wells residing in Riverhead in Suffolk County


Some thoughts and questions:

• This Codicil is dated 13 days after the 2^nd Codicil.
• This Codicil only relates to the death of Merritt’s daughter Jemima (my 3^rd great grandmother) and the ‘Notes’ Merritt holds against Jemima’s husband Daniel Howell. I wonder if Merritt didn’t feel he had been explicit enough in the 2^nd Codicil about dispersing what he had given to Jemima previously as now going to her children upon her death?
• Joshua L. Wells was a witness for the original Will also. James H. Tuthill was a witness for all three Codicil.
• Merritt would die on 10 days after this Codicil was written.  Looking at the events occurring in Merritt's life during the time of the original Will and the Codicils tells me more about what he was thinking at the time.  While there are still unanswered questions I feel like I know more about Merritt then I did before I reviewed his Will and the Codicils.  I also learned valuable information on who his daughters married and their children's names.  What a wealth of information!

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

First Codicil for Merritt Howell Jr

In two previous posts I have told the story of the life (The Life of Merritt Howell Jr) and have reported on the Will (The Will of Merritt Howell Jr) of my 4th great-grandfather Merritt Howell Jr.  Next there are three Codicils to his Will to look at next. This is the 1st Codicil:

(click on images to enlarge)

First Codicil     (19 March 1855)

Transcription:

Whereas I, Merritt Howell, of the town of Riverhead in Suffolk County have made my last will and testament bearing date the seventh day of February one thousand eight hundred and fifty three, in and by which I have devised to my wife Elenor Howell (now deceased) certain real estate during her natural life and after her death the same to go to my grandson Elbert H. H. Edwards and have given the care and control of such real estate to my daughter Sally Edwards after the death of my said wife until the said Elbert H. H. Edwards shall arrive at twenty five years of age, and have directed my son Hampton L. Howell to pay to the said Sally Edwards four hundred dollars for the said Elbert to build a house with, and have directed my Executors to pay thirty dollars a piece for tombstones for myself and my said wife. Now therefore will by this my writing, which I hereby declare to be a Codicil to my said last will and testament, and to be taken as a part thereof, order and declare that my will is that all the real estate which in my said will I gave to my said wife for her natural life, now that she is dead, shall go to and I do hereby give and devise the said real estate to my daughter Sally now the wife of David Horton in trust for the use and benefit of my said grandson Elbert H. H. Edwards until he shall arrive at the age of twenty five years as aforesaid then I do devise the said real estate to the said Elbert H. H. Edwards when he arrives at the age of twenty one years shall convey to his brothers and sister James H. Edwards, Serepta E. Edwards and Chauncey A. Edwards or to such of them as shall then be living all his interest in the estate of his father Hallock Edwards deceased_ And if the said Elbert H. H. Edwards shall die before he arrives at the age of twenty one years the said real estate shall go to my heirs at law_ But the devise of the real estate above mentioned is subject to the payment of six hundred dollars to my said daughter Sally, wife of David Horton, and I do hereby direct my Executor Hampton L. Howell to sell enough off of the North part of the west half of my homestead, at my decease to said the said sum of money and pay the same to her_ as for the sum of four hundred dollars to be paid the said Elbert H. H. Edwards by my son Hampton, my will is that the said Hampton shall pay out of his own money to the said Elbert the sum of four hundred dollars and deliver to him or his _ the back kitchen answered to the __ I have in with the store of the cellar under it, when the said Elbert shall devise to build a house on the lands above mentioned_ it is my will that my daughter Sally, wife of David Horton, shall furnish the said Elbert H. H. Edwards a home and support and ordinary schooling until he shall arrive at twenty one years of age unless he shall marry before that, and reimburse himself out of the income of the lands given to her for his use, and the said Sally may cut from the part of the homestead given to her in trust as aforesaid what firewood she shall need for her family, and also twenty four foot cords of wood annually for the purpose of obtaining manure to put on __ part_As for the tombstones for myself and my said wife it is my will that my Executor shall pay forty dollars for each and that he shall enclose one graves and that of my deceased child Elenor Ann with a substantial iron fence_My will is that the rightof way mentioned at the bottom of the second page of my said will shall begin at that part of the cedar swamp which Hampton may convey to Elbert’s land_And I do further give and bequeath the sum of one hundred dollars to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, unless I shall have given that sum to that Board before my death and after the date of this Codicil_ And lastly it is my desire that this Codicil be annexed to and made a part of, my last will and testament as aforesaid to all intents and purposes_In witness where of I have hereunto set my hand & deal this nineteenth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty five.
                                                                                                 Merritt Howell L. S.

The above instrument consisting of one sheet was at the date thereof signed sealed published and declared by the said Merritt Howell as and for the Codicil to his last will and testament, in presence of us who, at his request and in his presence, and in the presence of each other, have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto. The word “dollars” interlined over sixth line of 2^nd page and word “ordinary” intertwined over fourteenth line of same page_
     James H. Tuthill of Riverhead Suffolk County
     Ira Land of Riverhead Suffolk County


Some thoughts and questions:

• Merritt’s wife Elenor died on 31 October 1854 so this may have been the first reason for him to add a Codicil.
• Merritt makes sure there is money for tombstones for himself and Elenor. The money has increased by $10 for each. He is also requesting a fence around his, Elenor and deceased daughter Elenor Ann’s graves. I believe Elenor Ann died at the age of 15 in 1823.
• Merritt’s widowed daughter Sally has remarried. Perhaps an additional reason for the 1st Codicil. Her son Elbert was 11 years old at the time of this Codicil. I wonder why Merritt was so concerned about Elbert having money for a home when this was not a concern for any of the other grandchildren? Was it because Elbert’s father had passed away and his mother Sally had remarried? It also sounds like there is an estate that Elbert will be eligible for from his father, so, that may be why he is then transferring some of his estate to Elbert’s brothers and sister. Sister Rosalie was not born at this time. I find this change interesting.
• What is the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions? Merritt is leaving them a substantial amount of money ($100 then would be equivalent to about $3,000 today). After some research I learned that the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was among one of the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most important of American missionary organizations and consisted of participants from Reformed traditions such as Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and German Reformed churches. I am not finding Merritt in local Presbyterian records, so, I am guessing he may have attended the Congregational Church in the area?  What does this tell me about his religious beliefs?
• There are new witnesses to this Codicil then in the original Will: James H. Tuthill and Ira Land.

Some major changes in life and interests have led to this first Codicil.  There are two more Codicils to learn from.  Merritt would live for two more years.  How will Merritt’s wishes change in the next Codicil?


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

The Will of Merritt Howell Jr

When I gather documents about an ancestor it’s not just about gathering the information but about putting that information in perspective for that ancestor’s life. I can look at the events of their lives to try and understand what might have been important based on those events. I won’t know for sure but I can make assumptions about what they may have been thinking. If all I do is just gather information and not put it in perspective then all I am doing is gathering documents.

The Will for Merritt Howell, Jr. , my 4^th great-grandfather, is a long one. (See post The Life of Merritt Howell, Jr. for more information on his life.) For a while now I have struggled to make this as meaningful to his life as I possibly can. I finally decided to break up the Will and Codicils with some comments after each section that help tell the story of what was happening at the time and some questions that arose for me as I was reading it. This helped me put some perspective on the Will and Codicils.

The Will was written 7 February 1853 when Merritt was 70 years old. He and his wife ‘Elenor’ (a different spelling then I previously believed) Howell had been married 50 years. Some of my information on the children is sketchy. At this time, I believe, he had the following children still living, 1 son and 6 daughters:

• Sally (Sarah)
• Jemima (my 3^rd great grandmother)
• Hampton
• Betsey
• Fanny
• Harriett
• Frances

Liber 6 pages 309-320, Suffolk County Probate

Transcription:
In the name of God Amen, I Merritt Howell of the town of Riverhead, County of Suffolk, State of New York, being of sound mind and memory do make, ordain and publish and declare this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say:

First, I give unto my beloved wife Elenor Howell the one equal undivided half part of my homestead North of the highway on the West side_Also one equal undivided part of one quarter of an acre on the East side of my land and meadow lying before my door South of the highway_ for the purpose of a Dock and Landing place_Also the West half part of my land and meadow lying before the door South of the highway after taking out the quarter of an acre above disposed of_Also one equal undivided half part of a tract of Meadow called Broad Meadows in the town of Southampton to use as she thinks proper during her natural life_likewise I give unto my beloved wife Elenor all my moveable property both outdoors and indoors_all my money and Notes_except such as are herewith otherwise disposed of_After paying all my just debts and funeral charges with thirty dollars for each of us tombstones_

Secondly-I give to my grandson Elbert H. H. Edwards all of the real estate above given to my wife during her natural life-on her decease with the condition and restrictions following towit:

I give to my daughter Sally Edwards the other undivided half tract of my homestead on the North side of the highway, during her natural life, then to go to her son Elbert H. H. Edwards and his heirs-After the decease of my wife Elenor I give to my daughter Sally Edwards the use and control of all my real estate above given until her son Elbert H. H. Edwards arrives to the age of twenty five years- then the real estate given to my wife Elenor she being deceased to go to him-If he should die before that time leaving no heir the real estate above given to my wife to go equally to my children_It is my will that the real estate above given to my daughter Sally Edwards during her natural life should go to her son Elbert H. H. Edwards and this heirs_But if he should die before her decease without heirs, it is her to dispose of as she pleases_I likewise give to my daughter Sally Edwards a certain mortgage and notes which I hold against her deceased husband-

I give unto my son Hampton F. Howell the woodland which I own in the thirty six Lot Quogue Purchase_also another tract of woodland containing four or five acres lying near the village of Riverhead between the Quogue and Flander roads adjoining the land of Charles Vail_Also one half part undivided of my land and meadow lying before the door, the balance after giving my wife as above directed_that is to say one equal half part of the quarter of an acre set off for a Dock and Landing and the Eastern half part remaining_Also one equal half part of Broad Meadows and one equal half part of my meadow at Muddy Creek_Also I give him the East part of my barn, with this condition nevertheless that my son Hampton F. shall give to my grandson Elbert H. H. Edwards three acres on the North End of the Cedar Swamp now owned by him and a right of way through gates and bars_likewise he must pay my daughter Sally four hundred dollars for Elbert when he shall have arrived to the age of twenty one years to build a house with if should want it_

I give unto my daughter Jemima Howell a certain note which I hold against her husband Daniel Howell and sixty acres of woodland a part of the Thousand acres so called during her natural life then to her heirs_

I give unto my daughter Betsey Smith a certain mortgage and Notes which I hold against her husband John R. Smith and sixty acres of woodland a part of the Thousand acres so called during her natural life then to her children_

I give unto my daughters Fanny B. Terry, Harriet N. Hallock and Frances N. Hallock each equally undivided all that tract or parcel of woodland lying near the village of Riverhead South of the Mill Pond adjoining the same containing one hundred and sixteen and a half acres_

I give unto my Grandsons hereafter to be mentioned as follows to Henry H. Howell twenty acres of woodland to Meritt H. Smith twenty acres of woodland, to Theodore B. Terry twenty acres of woodland, to my grandsons James H. Edwards and Chauncy A. Edwards each ten acres of woodland, all to be of the tract which I own called the Thousand Acres. It is my will that my daughters Jemima Howell and Betsey Smith take their sixty acres each making one hundred and twenty acres from the West part of my land called the Thousand Acres undivided_the Remainder Eighty acres to go to my Grandsons undivided as above written_

Last I give unto my beloved wife Elenor all of that tract of land lying North of the North Road called my “North Side” adjoining the Sound and lying between of Warren Young on the one side and Josiah Howell and Wells Howell on the other to dispose of as she sees fit_

I hereby appoint my beloved wife Elenor Executrix and my son Hampton F. Howell Executor of this my last will and testament, hoping that it may be executed according to the true intent and meaning thereof_

In witness whereof I have set hereunto my hand and seal this seventh day of February one thousand eight hundred and fifty three_
                                                                                                             Meritt Howell L. S.

Signed sealed published and delivered by the above Meritt Howell to be his last will and testament in presence of us who have subscribed our names at his request as witnesses in presence of the testator and of each other_
     Joshua L. Wells Jun. of the town of Riverhead in the County of Suffolk_
     Caleb Hallock of the town of Riverhead in the County of Suffolk

From the Will I know which children are living in 1853 at the writing of the will, what the married names of the daughters are and what grandsons there are:

• Sally married an Edwards and had sons Elbert H. H. Edwards, James H. Edwards and Chauncy A. Edwards. Sally’s husband died in 1848. They had 3 sons and 2 daughters. I wonder why Elbert was given more in Merritt’s Will then the other 2 sons who were all fatherless at a young age? 
• Jemima (my 3^rd great grandmother) married a Howell and had a son Henry H. Howell
• Hampton was Executor and no children listed
• Betsey married a Smith and no children listed
• Fanny married a Terry and had a son named Theodore B. Terry
• Harriett married a Hallock and no children listed
• Frances married a Hallock and no children listed

Color coding the children and grandsons really helped me. After I did that I noticed that there were only grandsons mentioned and began to wonder if there were granddaughters that were not mentioned? Some additional research said yes, there were granddaughters that were alive but not mentioned in Merritt’s Will. That’s interesting! I guess he did not feel that leaving them property, money or items was important?

I find it interesting that Merritt did leave 'mortgages' and 'Notes' he must have held connected with his daughters individually to them. Did several of his son-in-laws borrow money from him to buy property for their families? Was the land part of Merritt’s property that he sold to them? Interesting question for later research.

Were Joshua Wells and Caleb Hallock friends of Merritt and/or possibly related?


Stopping here to digest the information learned seems like a good thing to do.  I learned a great deal about Merrritt and his family from this will.  There are an additional 3 Codicils for the next post. What else will I be able to learn about Merritt from those?

Note: Up until the 1850s paper was made from recycled linen and cotton rags.  In the 1850s paper was beginning to be made from wood.  Pens with metal nibs that could hold ink began to be produced in the 1820s.  I wonder what ‘paper’ and 'pen' Merritt used to record this will?  


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

The Life of Merritt Howell, Jr.

I thought I’d take a look this week at my paternal 4^th great grandfather, Merritt Howell Jr. What could I find out about his life?

When Merritt was born on 10 November 1783 in Southold, Suffolk County, New York to Merritt Howell Sr. (1750-1818) and Sarah Luce Howell (1755-1824) America was just seven years old. Merritt was the third of four children and the oldest son.

At the age of nine Merritt, his parents, sisters Patience and Sally as well as brother Benjamin must have been living in the newly formed (13 March 1792) town of Riverhead which broke off from the town of Southold. Merritt’s father, Merritt Sr. was named as one of the Overseers of the Poor in the new town at the first town meeting held on 3 April 1792.

1800 US Federal Census Merrit (age 17) appears to be living in Riverhead with his parents, brother Benjamin (12) and sister Sally (19). Patience (23) was married.

Merritt, at the age of 20, married 17 year old Eleanor Luce in 1803. They would have 12 (?) children: Buel, Jemima (my 3^rd great grandmother), Eleanor, Fanny, Hampton, Betsey, Sarah, Henrietta, Merritt, Frances, Eleanor and Daniel. Four of their children would die at a young age Buel (2 years old), Eleanor (1^st) (15 years old), Merritt (1 year old), and Eleanor (2^nd) (1 year old).

1810 U.S. Federal Census finds Merritt (27) and his wife Eleanor (24) living in Riverhead with children Sally (6), Jemima (4) and Eleanor (2).

12 November 1819 Merrit Howell purchased a tract of land in Halseys Manor in the town of Brookhaven from Abraham Luce, John P. Luce and David Hulse.

1820 U.S. Federal Census finds Merritt (37) engaged in Agriculture and living in Riverhead with his wife Eleanor (34) and children Sally (16), Jemima (14), Eleanor (12), Fanny (10), Hampton (8), Betsey (6), Henrietta (1).

1830 U.S. Federal Census finds Merritt (47), wife Eleanor (44) and children Hampton (18), Betsey (16), Sarah (14), Henrietta (11), Frances (4), Daniel (?), Eleanor L. (1) still living in Riverhead, New York. Living with them were also a free Colored male (age 10-23) and a free Colored female (age 10-23).

1840 U.S. Federal Census finds Merritt ((57) living with his wife Eleanor (54) and children Hampton (28), Betsey (26), Daniel (15-19), Frances (15), Eleanor L. (11). Also living in the home is a free Colored female (age 10-23). Three people in the household were employed in Agriculture.

• *Up until 1850 in the US Federal Census records children are just listed by age. I am guessing at which children are still living with them during these census years based on their ages and the dates I have for their marriages and probably moving out of the home. If you know of any errors in my estimations above, please let me know so I may correct these errors.

1850 U.S. Federal Census reported on 5 September shows Merritt (66) still living in Riverhead with his wife Eleanor (63) along with Elbert Howell (6) and Priscilla White (12). I wonder if Elbert and Priscilla are grandchildren?? Merritt has listed his occupation as a Farmer and the value of Real Estate owned is listed as 20,000.

1850 September 5^th U.S. Census Non-Population Schedules, Agriculture

Transcribed:

• Acres of Land-150 Improved, 850 Unimproved. Cash value of farm 20,000.
• Value of farming Implements and Machinery-100.
• Livestock-Horses-2, Milch [cow kept for milking] cows-4, Other cattle-15. Swine-9. Value of Live Stock (1 June 1850)-300.
• Produce during the year ending 1 June 1850: Wheat, bushels of-50. Rye, bushels of-30. Indian corn, bushels of-250. Oats, bushels of-80. Irish Potatoes, bushel of-100. Butter, lbs. of-200. Hay, tons of-40.
• Value of Animals slaughtered-60.

Merritt’s wife of 51 years Eleanor would die on 31 October 1854 just three years before he did.

Merritt died 4 December 1857 at the age of 74 in Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York.

I started with the basic of facts about Merritt and was still able by transcribing the information to determine a lot about his life. I have more research to do but this is a good start. Looking at the Census records from 1850 and the neighboring farmers leads me to believe that he had one of the most prosperous farms in the area. Now I would like to find out more about where his farm was and his land purchases that brought him up to 1,000 acres of land with a value of $20,000.

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

San Diego Genealogical Society Presents Lisa Alzo

On Saturday Lisa Alzo presented for the San Diego Genealogical Society. Lisa is writer, lecturer and genealogist. She is the author of 10 books, numerous articles and a blog entitled The Accidental Genealogist. Lisa is well known for her Eastern European Genealogy Research. I found Lisa to be a very informative, engaging speaker with great examples that shared her personal experiences. While I have no Eastern European heritage, to my knowledge, I was interested to see if there was a technique or a tool that Lisa talked about that might help me in my research and her presentations did indeed have some ideas for me to try out.

Lisa’s first presentation was entitled Ten Ways to Jumpstart Your Eastern European Research. In this presentation Lisa discussed her list of 10 ways to get started on your research. These 10 ways not only applied to Eastern European research but any research you are embarking on and included; talk to your family, plant your family tree online, map out your ancestral towns/villages, document your work, utilize Family Search, watch videos, try a new database or search technique, share your brick wall, attend a conference/workshop or seminar, and hire a pro.

• Lisa talked about Videos available on Family Search under the Learning Center and I tried the following 15 minute video about Irish Research.

https://www.familysearch.org/ask/learningViewer/44

• I also watched a YouTube Ancestry video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZnshl_fxmI

Whatever you are researching, no matter how experienced or inexperienced you are, these are both great ways to help you with your research and try out some new ideas. And the best part is these videos are available for free.

• Lisa discussed the importance of keeping a Research Log. I like to try out different Research Logs recommended by speakers and from my own personal experience use different research logs for different purposes. I tried Lisa’s research log for an ancestor I have yet to really research or write about to see what I have already found, where my gaps are and what else I still what to search for:

(Click on images to enlarge)

Lisa reminded us to also attend ethnic conferences. I have attended two and learned a great deal about specific ethnic research and made some great connections with others researching the same ethnic groups.

Lisa also discussed the great advantage to Immersion Genealogy where you can bring your research full circle when you can visit an “ancestral homeland to walk in your ancestors’ footsteps, and perhaps meet up with long-lost cousins” as she has been able to do.

Lisa’s second presentation was entitled Crossing the Pond: Successful Strategies for Researching Eastern European Ancestors. Lisa discussed the importance of identifying your ancestor’s ‘original’ surname as it was before they immigrated, locating the ancestral village, information on researching in Eastern Europe, where to go to get help with reading and interpreting church and civil records in languages we are not familiar with, lists of websites as part of an Eastern European Genealogy Research Toolkit, and select websites for countries in Eastern Europe. Lisa also discussed the importance of making connections in various FaceBook groups related to genealogy in the areas you may be researching and for meeting cousins.

Lisa talked about the importance of learning the headings on documents in countries where you may not know the language. Family Search has Word Lists to help with this. I not to start researching my German ancestors in Germany and have hesitated because of the language barrier. I decided to start by looking for a word list and found the following Genealogical Word Lists at FamilySearch under the Help Center:

Lisa also informed us that Family Search and YouTube have language tutorial videos and that Family Search has Community Groups that will help with translations. I have been fortunate in the past to also find people willing to help with a translation in FaceBook groups. Read about my experience in my post Amanuensis Monday-A Will but…Whose Signature is That?.

What a great presentation and so many new tips that I can apply to my own research despite the fact that I have no Eastern European ancestors. Thank-you Lisa!

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

SDGS presents Julianne DeWalt Adamik

Yesterday, at the monthly meeting of the San Diego Genealogical Society the guest speaker was Julianne DeWalt Adamik. Julianne is a genealogy addict, like many of us, President of the North San Diego County Genealogical Society and a member of several genealogical societies. I found Julianne to be a humorous presenter who was able to provide easy definitions for beginnings in the field to DNA. Her use of simple visuals and several charts helped provide new researchers with a good base knowledge in order to proceed with DNA research.

Julianne’s first presentation was entitled Starting at the VERY Beginning -Genetic Genealogy for the Beginner. Genetic genealogy, she defined as a means of combing DNA (your genetic tree) along with your traditional genealogy family tree and research. Genetic genealogy being another ‘tool’ to help with your research and not a solution. DNA and our traditional genealogy will enable us to locate our MRCA (Most Recent Common Ancestor) when we have DNA ‘matches’. She described the types of DNA; autosomal, yDNA and mitochondrial or mtDNA.

• In my own research I had found a DNA ‘match’ (4^th to 6^th cousins) to a woman who now lives in PA but grew up in the general area where I grew up. Our families had lived in the area for many generations. We surmised we were related on the surname ‘Terry’ line but thought maybe there were other possibilities as well. We shared trees and did a quick look at our lines but still nothing was popping out as an exact connection. Recently, Ancestry added a new feature that, if you have a tree that goes back enough generations, will help you figure out your MRCA. For us these ancestors are Jemima and Daniel Howell my 3x great-grandparents which will make us 4^th cousins on this line. There are at least 2 other Surnames we share, so, we are probably related through those other lines as well. Success! Using genetic genealogy and traditional genealogy we now know at least one way we are related.

Julianne’s second presentation was entitled Using DNA as a Supplement to Traditional Genealogy Research. In this session Julianne covered basic DNA matching and GEDmatch Genesis, a DNA research tool. Julianne provided us with several great charts to help with understanding of the statistics involved with DNA matches. Understanding the statistics helps us determine possible relationship connections and she highly recommended Blaine Bettinger’s book The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy as a must read. Blaine’s book is a wonderful reference to help you further your knowledge base when using DNA in your research. She also pointed out the many Facebook groups available to help you answer questions and advance your knowledge. There are also specific ethnic group sites such as Irish DNA register that you can upload your DNA to in order to further your research.

• I would personally recommend the Facebook groups Genetic Genealogy Tips & Techniques and The Genealogy Squad to get started.

Cyndi’s List is another great place to look for additional information in whatever area you want to learn more about. There are a variety of on-line sources to find clues when looking for relatives including, but not limited to, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, etc.
Julianne walked us through one of her ‘brick walls’ using GEDmatch Genesis (also known as GEDMatch) which is a 3^rd party tool where you can upload your DNA data to compare with DNA from other testing companies. There are also useful videos to help take advantage of all the information available.

• When looking at my DNA matches on GEDmatch Genesis I found a new match that I was unfamiliar with. I noticed the DNA had been uploaded from Ancestry. I then went to my Ancestry DNA matches and found the person among my matches there as well. When I clicked on shared matches with this person I was able to determine which side of my family she was related to by the people we both match. Then I was able to find her on Facebook and realize who she is. Success! Another verified relationship. Now to try this with some additional matches.

Julianne reminded us to identify a ‘Genealogy Heir’. A person that will carry on our research when we are no longer able to research so our valuable information and research are not ‘lost’.

Thank-you Julianne for giving us a good foundation to work with.

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

Tombstone Tuesday A Cautionary Tale, The Partially Incorrect Warner Story

Information found on a tombstone should always be considered a gift and not fact until you prove or disprove it.  Growing up I knew of this tombstone and the story it told.  As a young girl I remember there was some concern that perhaps the story wasn’t quite right but that was all I knew.

On the side of the tombstone:

Transcription:  William Warner immigrated from England in 1637.  He had 2 sons and 1 daughter.  John, Daniel. and Abigail.  Daniel had a son in 1642 who was the father of Nathaniel Warner, who was born Oct. 1690.  Daniel son of Nathaniel was born April 30, 1731.  James son of Daniel was born April 26, 1762.  Daniel son of James was born Sept. 18, 1784.  Daniel son of Daniel was born June 9, 1818.

On the front of the tombstone:

Baiting Hollow Cemetery

Riverhead, New York

                                                   Daniel Warner                         Eleanor Howell, His Wife

                                                           Born June 9, 1818                   Born May 15, 1825           

                                                           Died June 15, 1895                 Died March 7, 1895

On the sides:

Their Children

Allen M.                                     Frances M.                                   Josephine A.                              Martha R.
b-Oct. 6, 1842                            b-July 11, 1844                             b-May 27, 1846                         b-March 3, 1848
d-Aug. 27, 1927                         d-                                                  d-Oct. 17, 1848                          d-

Franklin E.
b-Jan. 5, 1868
d-May 3, 1908  

Eunice                                       Mary A.                                         Julia                                          
b-Feb. 15, 1850                        b-Dec.   , 1851                               b-Dec. 14, 1853                       
d-                                              d-                                                   d-May 10, 1871     

                     

Charles H.                               Eleanor F.                                      John B.                                      Eugene G.
b-May 17, 1858                       b-July 20, 1860                              b-Aug 12, 1862                         b-Nov. 27, 1864
d-                                            d-Aug. 8, 1892                                d-Jun. 20, 1920                        d-
   
   Waldo D.    
    b-Feb. 11, 1856
    d-

(see post The Joy and Blessings of Meeting Cousins to see pictures of several of the 13 children as adults)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
I have a copy of a Memoranda page from a Warner Bible that lists this same story.  I am guessing this is what was used for the tombstone.  There is no date as to when this was recorded and I do not know who in the family currently has the Bible.  Where did the story first come from?  I remember as a young 13 or 14 year old being determined to solve this mystery.  I looked at the local library and while able to find William Warner I was not able to match up dates of the Warner’s from Long Island with the dates I found for William Warner’s line.  I was sure I was on to something when I found a listing for an Andrew Warner with a son Daniel and grandson Nathaniel but was never really able to pursue it at that time.  Later, I learned the story listed on the tombstone was indeed incorrect.

The Warner line on Long Island, of which I am a direct descendant, did indeed start with Nathaniel, born 1690.  He was the father of Daniel, born 1731, who was the father of James, born 1762.  James’ son Daniel was born 1784.  Daniel had a son Daniel, born 1818 who married Eleanor (parents of the 13 children listed above).  Nathaniel, who came to Long Island was the son of a Daniel Warner.  This is perhaps where the problem came.  This Daniel, born 1632 or 3, was the son of Andrew Warner and not William Warner.  Andrew came to America about 1630 from England.  Names that frequently repeat in the family, like ‘Daniel’ can create problems if you do not carefully review other vital record information.  (click on highlighted names to read additional stories)

I recently came across a document written by Justine Warner Wells, granddaughter of Eugene Warner, listed above.  Justine was the family historian for many many years.  This document, Justine stated, was a Historical Sketch of the Nathaniel Warner Family, Given at the Annual Warner Reunion on July 17, 1976 at Wildwood Park.  In this document Justine tells of having a letter sent to Eugene Warner in 1926 from a J. A. Warner of Brooklyn.  J. A. Warner stated that he was a direct ancestor of William Warner and his son Daniel.  J. A.  had done research on that line for over 20 years and did not feel that ‘our’ Nathaniel was a descendant of William Warner.  Justine also states that Elaine Warner Tuthill, granddaughter of John B. Warner, listed above, found a letter written to her father Hollis Warner by Alice Hammond Warner (Eugene’s wife) that acknowledged her concern that if the information inscribed on the stone was incorrect it should be removed from the stone.  The inscription was never removed but time and the elements make it hard to read now.  

Caution: Remember to use the information on tombstones as a starting point to research and do not assume they are facts until thoroughly researched.

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