Tombstone Tuesday - Hidden in Plain Site

 

Etta Fleming Hubbard

b. 06 Aug 1890 in Augusta, Richmond, Georgia, USA
d. 19 Oct 1979 in Greenwich, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

laid to rest at
Summerville Cemetery
Augusta, Richmond, Georgia, USA

    Etta was married to my 3rd cousin 3x removed, Ralph Hustace Hubbard.  Our common ancestors are Thomas Hubbard II and Sarah Boardman.  These are lines you don't see me writing about often, since these are my Northern (Yankee) ancestors, and I do not know as much about them.  What is ironic is that Ralph was raised in Manhattan, New York and Etta was from right here in Augusta.  I do not know how they met, but Etta lived in the Northeast most of her adult life.  It appears that when she passed, she wanted to come home to Georgia.

        

     Summerville Cemetery is not far from where I now live.  It is a lovely, old cemetery, with lots of ornate headstones and the graves of several famous Georgians.  Cousin Keith and I went there last week, and Etta's was the only grave I was in search of there. We probably walked past her headstone a hundred times, but didn't see it.  It was only after we left for a bit, did some research on our phones, found out she was on the same headstone with her parents, and saw a picture of it that we went back, determined not to leave until we found it.  It still took us awhile.  There is no large Fleming Grave marker.  There is not even a small one.  Just this headstone with the words hard to read.  But find it we did!  

Wedding Wednesday

Transcribed by ChatGPT: 

"NATALIE KOUNTZE BECOMES A BRIDE

Marriage to Duncan Sterling Jr. Takes Place in Parents’ Hotel Apartment.

BEFORE INTIMATE GROUP.

Miss Mimi Kountze Attends Sister and Oliver J. Sterling Is Best Man at Small Wedding.

  The marriage of Miss Natalie B. Kountze, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Davies Kountze, to Duncan Sterling Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Duncan Sterling of this city and Oyster Bay, L. I., took place yesterday afternoon in the apartment of her parents at the Savoy-Plaza. It was a small wedding. Only members of the two families were asked to the ceremony and small reception that followed.

  The bride, who is a granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Herman Kountze and of the late Captain and Mrs. Henry Emerson Palmer, wore a gown of cream-colored lace and a veil of tulle held in place with orange blossoms. She carried a bouquet of gardenias and lilies of the valley.

  Miss Mimi Kountze, whose marriage to John Bigelow Clark will take place on June 14, was her sister’s only attendant. She wore a gown of white organdy and a large leghorn hat trimmed with blue ribbon.

  Oliver J. Sterling, a cousin of the bridegroom, was best man. There were no ushers.

  Mr. Sterling and his bride when they return from their wedding trip will live at 1140 Fifth Avenue."

    The marriage took place June 7, 1933 in New York City. Duncan (1907-1993) and Natalie (1911-1987) were married 54 years, and they had one child.

    Duncan Sterling, Jr. is my 4th cousin 2x removed.  Our common ancestors are Thomas Hubbard II and Sarah Boardman.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - How Many Surnames in Your Family Tree Database?

 From Randy (a cousin discovery!!) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

(1)  Go into your Genealogy Management Program (GMP; either software on your computer or an online family tree), and figure out how to count how many surnames you have in your family tree or database.

(2)  Tell us which GMP you are using and how you did this task.

(3)  Tell us how many surnames are in your database and, if possible, which Surname has the most entries.  If this excites you, tell us which surnames are in the top 5! or 10!! Or 20!!!

(4)  Tell us all about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, in a post on Facebook, or on Twitter.  

Here's mine:

I use Family Tree Maker 19 (FTM19) as my GMP.  In FTM19, go to "Publish,", then "Person Reports," and then choose "Surname Report."  I then tweaked the Settings to "All Individuals," "Sort by Surname Count," and "Show Divider Between Surnames."

I have 75 pages of surnames, listed from the most number of instances down to the least number of instances (1).  I did a count of how many surnames on a page (44), multiplied that by 74 pages, and then added the 20 entries on the last page (page 75) and got a total of 3,276 surnames in my family tree.

This is the first page of my report:

Surname Report 05-14-2022

The top 20 are, with birth date ranges:

TAPLEY - 927 from 1691-2010

MNU (Maiden Name Unknown) - 672 from 1531-1984

OZMUN - 300 from 1764-1973

CLAXTON - 299 from 1764-1997

DRAKE - 291 from 1647-2001

PRICE - 272 from 1680-1967

BUSH - 264 from 1589-1971

POWELL - 257 from 1750-1980

SMITH - 249 from 1648-1984

RANNEY - 232 from 1661-1973

HUBBARD - 212 from 1601-1925

WILLIAMS - 145 from 1777-1992

DAVIS - 126 from 1760-1965

GOODWIN - 125 from 1776-1961

DURDEN - 123 from 1775-1960

JOHNSON - 123 from 1681-1974

WILSON - 116 from 1847-1981

BARWICK - 113 from 1731-1957

WHEELER - 108 from 1807-2017

BEASLEY - 97 from 1788-1983

I found surprises in my list.  First of all I would have thought that my number of Tapleys would have been higher.  I also did not realize how high the numbers are for Smith, Johnson, Davis, and Williams.  I had to laugh that Powell was in the top 10 - all of the them married into my family.  I have none in my direct line.  However, my family intertwines with the Powells over and over again to the  point that a fellow Powell researcher I know and I call each other cousins anyway.  I was surprised (and disappointed) that the number of Odoms, Goths, or Schwalls were not higher.  But then I have had a harder time researching those surnames, so it shouldn't be a surprise.  

I am looking forward to see how this changes over the next few years since I am about to dive into the Ranney family records again.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - "Who Was Your First Ancestor Born in...?"

 From Randy (a cousin discovery!!) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

(1)  Lorine McGinnis Schulze asked in her blog post "Who Was Your First Canadian or American Born Ancestor?"

(2)  Let's broaden it a bit to "Who was your first ancestor born in Canada, America, or your chosen country, state, province, or county?" based on your known ancestry.

(3)  Tell us all about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a post on Facebook.  

Here's mine:

None of my ancestors were from Canada.  Most were from various countries in Europe, but I haven't "jumped the pond" yet in my research.  So I'll be concentrating on various states in the United States.

- My first ancestor born in American and the state of Connecticut was my 9th great-grandmother, Mary Hubbard, born 16 Jan 1642 in Hartford, Connecticut.  She was the daughter of George Hubbard Sr and Elizabeth Watts Hubbard.

- The first of my ancestors born in Massachusetts was Stephen Snow, born before 1648, though I'm not sure exactly where in Massachusetts.  He was my 8th great-grandfather.  His parents were Nicholas Snow and Constance Hopkins Snow.  Constance came over as a teenager on the Mayflower in 1620 and Nicholas came over three years later on the Anne.

- The first of my ancestors born in New York was Jacob Isaac Osman, born 1732 in Suffolk County, New York.  He was my 5th great-grandfather.  He was the son of Isaac Osman and Mary Bayley Osman.

- Pennsylvania:  Peter Conrad Hesser was born 1760 in Germantown, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.  He was my 5th great-grandfather.  His parents were Johann Conrad Hesser and Anna Heizer Hesser.

- After a migration to the Western Reserve, my 4th great-grandfather, Luther Boardman Ranney, was the first of my ancestors born in Ohio.  He was born in Hudson, Summit County, Ohio on 28 Nov 1809.  He was the son of Comfort Ranney and Elizabeth Hubbard Ranney.

- Soon the Ranney family migrated again... to Michigan.  The first of my ancestors born there was also named Luther Boardman Ranney (grandson of the one mentioned above).  He was born 11 Mar 1870 in Chapin, Saginaw County, Michigan.  He was my great-grandfather.  He was the son of Comfort Ranney and Mary Margaret Hesser Ranney.

Now let's head south...

- Virginia was the landing place of most of my southern ancestors.  The first of my ancestors born there was Thomas Jordan II, born 07 July 1634 in Isle of Wight County.  Thomas was my 8th great-grandfather.  His parents are unknown.

- The first of my ancestors born in North Carolina was my 5th great-grandfather, Dempsey Goff.  He was born in 1758 somewhere in the state.  His parents are unknown.  

    

    (However, this information is unsourced so to be on the safe side, let me say that it is possible that my first ancestor born in North Carolina was actually Francis Bryant Drake.  He was born 16 Oct 1806 in Nash County.  He was my 3rd great-grandfather and the son of Richard Drake and Pherabah Bryant Drake.)

- My 3rd great-grandmother, Sarah Tapley, born in 1775, was the first of my ancestors born in South Carolina.  She was born on a stopover during the family's migration from North Carolina to Georgia.  She was the daughter of Newhampton Tapley.  Her mother's identity is unknown.

- Last but not least is my home state of Georgia.  Samuel Goff was born 1790 in Emanuel County, Georgia.  He was my 4th great-grandfather.  He was the son of Dempsey Goff and Catherine Herring Goff.  

    

    (Again, the Goff information is not well sourced, so it is possible that the first ancestor of mine born in Georgia was one of Sarah Tapley's twins.  George Washington Tapley (my 2nd great-grandfather) and James Marion Tapley were born 02 May 1814 in Emanuel County, Georgia.  Their father was Canneth Swain.)

On Board the Mayflower

 Happy  Thanksgiving!  

The Pilgrims celebrated the very first Thanksgiving 399 years ago in 1621.  After a very hard first year in the colony, the people had much to be thankful for.  Those that had survived the first winter in cold, snowy Massachusetts, a first harvest, and their new friends, the Native Americans who shared the celebration with them.  

2020 has been a very hard year.  A pandemic that has killed about 200,000 Americans; a very contentious presidential campaign; more racial division and violence that we could have thought possible; and for a lot of us, being unable to share Thanksgiving with our loved ones due to the fear of getting our elderly parents and grandparents or other health compromised family and friends sick.  Yet, each and every one has something to be thankful for this year.  Zoom.  Without it, we wouldn't even be able to see our family members' faces.  Food and a home.  At least we still have foot to eat and a roof over our heads.  Pets.  Miniature, fur-covered, full of personality someones who are here with us day in and day out to keep the loneliness at bay.    

I am also grateful for connections.  Connections to the past and where and who I come from.  Connections with "new" cousins around the country.  Connections with historical events and times.  It helps history come alive for me.  

Last weekend, I made an exciting discovery that has really made me realize the roots my family and I have put down in the United States.   I discovered that I am a direct descendent of someone who came over on the Mayflower in 1620.  

Let me just say that the possibility of being a Mayflower descendent never occurred to me.  Most of my family lines are from the southern U.S. and came into the country through Virginia.  But this is where it is handy to have "Yankee" ancestors!  The possibility was there.  Plus the New England colonies kept better records.  

I use a lot of Ancestry hints to help me with my research.  So while I was going through some hints last weekend, one came up that mentioned the Mayflower.  I was like, "What?!"  The last name was Snow, and that did sound familiar.  So I looked up the surname Snow in my Family Tree Maker 2019 database and there was Hannah Snow.  And I could trace her ancestors back to the Mayflower.  Then I searched for a list of passengers on the Mayflower on MayflowerHistory.com - still not believing it was possible.  Oh but it was.  My 10th great-grandfather and his daughter, my 9th great-grandmother, came over on the Mayflower.  

Here's the line from me all the way back:

Mary Elizabeth Tapley (me!)

Linda Irene Tapley (my mother)

Ethel Irene Ranney (1913-1973) (my grandmother)

Luther Boardman Ranney (1870-1943) (great-grandfather)

Comfort Ranney (1838-1920) (2nd great-grandfather)

Luther Boardman Ranney (1809-1890) (3rd great-grandfather)

Elizabeth Hubbard (1790-1868) (4th great-grandmother)

Thomas Hubbard II (1750-1803) (5th great-grandfather)

Hannah Snow (1720-1756) (6th great-grandmother)

Ebenezer Snow (unknown-1725) (7th great-grandfather)

Stephen Snow (bef. 1648-1705) (8th great-grandfather)

Constance Hopkins (abt. 1606-1677) (9th great-grandmother) came over on the Mayflower with her father, step-mother, and two siblings.

Stephen Hopkins (abt. 1581-1644) (10th great-grandfather) came over on the Mayflower with his wife and 3 children.  A 4th child was born during the voyage.  

Wow.  That's all I know to say.  Wow.

That's not all.  It turns out that Stephen Hopkins lived quite the life.  There is even a book written about him that I immediately ordered.  The book, Here Shall I Die Ashore - Stephen Hopkins: Bermuda Castaway, Jamestown Survivor, and Mayflower Pilgrim, was written by Caleb Johnson.  I haven't read it yet, but it teases even more on the back cover:

"By the time he {Stephen} turned forty, he had already survived a hurricane, been shipwrecked in the Bermuda Triangle, been written into a Shakespearean play, witnessed the famine and abandonment of Jamestown Colony, and participated in the marriage of Pocahontas.  He was once even sentenced to death! He got himself and his family onto the Pilgrims' Mayflower, and helped found Plymouth Colony. He signed the Mayflower Compact, lodged the famous Squanto in his house, participated in the legendary Thanksgiving, and helped guide and govern the early colonists."

Again, wow!  Can't wait to read the book!  

I will be writing and sharing more once I read the book and other information about the voyage and the Plymouth Colony.  

Amanuensis Monday: George Hubbard's Will

George Hubbard was my 9th great-grandfather.  While his will had already been transcribed, I still wished to include it here on my blog.

The transcription I am presenting is from "1000 years of Hubbard History, 866-1895," Edward Warren Day, Harlan Page Hubbard, New York, 1895 as shared by Craig Hubbard on RootsWeb.com:  Descendants of George Hubbard (1601-1685) of Middletown, CT and Related Lines," as updated February 18, 2013 and accessed by myself on February 23, 2013.

His will is published in "Early Connecticut Probate Records, Vol 1, Hartford District, p. 325, Charles W. Manwaring, Hartford, CT, 19902.  His original will is on file in the Hall of Records at Hartford, Connecticut, in a box labeled "Wills - H, 1647 to 1750," and bears a date of May 22, 1681.

HUBBARD, George, Middletown.  He died 16 March, 1684/5.  Invt. £243-10-00. Taken 13 May, 1685, by Hiles Hamlin, Nathaniel White, William Warde.  Legatees: the Widow, son Joseph age 42 years, Daniel 41, Samuel 37, Nathaniel 33, Richard 30, Mary (the wife of Thomas Ranny) 44, Elizabeth (the wife of Thomas Wetmore) 25 years of age.  Will dated 02 May 1681.

I, George Hubbard of Middletown, bieng about 80 years of age, yet in comfortable health of bodie and having the use of my understanding as formerly, do make this my last Will & Testament:

Imprimis:  I give to my Eldest son Joseph HUBBARD, besids what I have formerly given him, one Acre of my meadow At a place called pasen chauge on the East sid of the Great River, to ly on the North sid the Cricke which Runs through my Land.  It.  I give to my son Danill HUBBARD, besids what I gave him formaly, two Acres of Swompe at the west end of my Long meadow swompe Next the bogie meadow.  It.  I give to my son Samuel, besides what I formerly gave him, the on halfe of my halfe mile Lott on the East sid the grat River, divided by the List in 1673.  It.  I give to my son Nathaniel HUBBARD my peice of bogie meadow, being about on acre & quartre, Lying Next Mr. Giles Hamlins meadow; more over I give to my sayd son the one halfe of my Leaven acre Lott at the South End of the towne; I give allso to my sayd son the on Halfe of my Great Lott at the Long Swanp, as allso the on halfe of my great Lott in the westermost Rang of Lotts.  It.  I give to my daughter Elizabeth HUBBARD All the Rest of my Land on the East sid the Great River, besides what is formerly Desposed of, both which is Layd out & which is Lotted for by the List of Estate in the yeare 1673, only my half mille Lott excepted; It. I give to my daughter Mary Rany fourty shillings out of my Estate, but on further consideration insstead of that fourty shillings I give my sayd daughter the on halfe of my halfe Mille Lott on the East sid the Great River, devied by the List in 1673.  It. I give to my son Richard HUBBARD my hous I now Dwell in & my barne and all other building, with my home  Lott they stand on; as also my Long meadow Land & the Rest of my Long meadow swampe besids that which I have given to my son Danill, hee allowing my son Daniel a Lamas higway to goe to the Swampe I give him if need Require; more over I give to my sayd son the other halfe of the Leaven Acre Lott at the south end of the towne, as allso the other halfe of my Great Lott at the Long Swampe, & Likewise the other halfe of my geat Lott in the Westermost Rang of Lotts.  Moreover it is my meaning herein, and my will is, that my sayd son Richard shall be my sole Executor, Injoyning him to provid Comfortable for his mother During her widlow hood, And to pay all my Just Debts for my Desent Buriall; move over I give to my Loving wife Elizabeth HUBBARD all my household Goods During her Natural Live, and after he Deseas my will is that my household Goods be equally Divided between Nathaniel And Richard & Elizabeth, Except the Great Kettle, which I will to my son.  And farther it is my will that my Loving wife shall have the South end of my hous To Dwell in by her self if shee see cause, & rome in the seler for nesesary use During her widow hood.  More over on farther Consideration my will is that my wife Shall have falfe my hom Lott & halfe my orchard during ther widow hud, and also on Cowe, And soe to provid for her selfe, & that my son Richard shall pay her three pownds pr year of Corent pay of the Country During her natural Life.

GEORGE X HUBBARD, senior

Upon farhter Consideration I see cause to give the whole eleven acres of Land over the two Sticks brooke by the fulling mill to my Son Nathaniel. 

GEORGE X HUBBARD, senior

Signed in the presents of us:

Sar. Samuel X Ward
John Hall senior
Ebenezer HUBBARD

I Request my Loving brethern Robert Warner & Deacon John Hall to be the over seers to the performance of my will.  27 February, 1683/4.

Court Record, Page 112 -- 3d September, 1685: Will Proven.

At George's death, his inventory showed him worth £243, 10s, and possessed of a dwelling-house and home lot worth £50, "2 1/3 acres of long meadow" worth £18, 10s, "3 acres of meadow (at Pessenchaug) on the east side of the Great River" worth £9, a tract at Long Hill of 226 acres, another "parcell west from the towne" of 300 acres, one "parcell on the east side of the Great River" of 464 acres, and the "one-halfe Lott" of 30 acres, a total of over one thousand acres.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Top 20 Surnames in Your Family Tree

From Randy over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

(1)  Go into your Genealogy Management Program (either software such as Family Tree Maker (in my case!) on your computer or an online family tree) and figure out how to count how many surnames you have in your family tree database.

(2)  Tell us which GMP you're using and how you did this task.

(3)  Tell us what the top 200 surnames are in your database, and, if possible, how many entries for each.  How many different surnames are in your family tree?

(4)  Write about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, in a status or comment on a Facebook post.

NOTE:  If you can't figure how to do this in your GMP (Genealogy Management Program), use the Help button in your program and search for "count surnames" or "surname report" then follow the directions.

Here's mine:

I used Family Tree Maker 2019 because that the software I use for my GMP.  In FTM 2019, go to Publish, then Person Reports, then Surname Report.  You can tweak your report and choose to include either Immediate Family, Extended Family, All Individuals, or choose only those individuals you wish.  Of course, for this exercise, I chose All Individuals.

Then you can choose to sort by surname court (I did.), limit counts to included individuals (I'm not sure how this works.), show divider between surnames (makes it easier to read) and include preparer information.

Then click Generate Report.  I got this:

It looks a lot like Randy's report from RootsMagic 7.  It was easy to do and I have 51 pages of surnames.  It doesn't give me a total number of surnames, but if I do the math like Randy did:  24 names per pages 1-50, plus 20 on page 51 = 1,220 surnames in a database of 14,693 people.  

My top 20 surnames, with earliest and most recent dates they occur:

TAPLEY, count 803, from 1691-2010

MNU (Maiden Name Unknown), count 428, from 1592-1970

Drake, count 269, from 1647-1967

Powell, count 268, from 1715-1980

Bush, count 251, from 1655-1966

Ranney, count 214, from 1661-1951

Claxton, count 197, from 1764-1997

Price, count 197, from 1680-1959

Smith, count 197, from 1738-1984

Hubbard, count 181, from 1601-1913

Goodwin, count 125, from 1776-1947

Durden, count 110, from 1775-1960

Flanders, count 109, from 1756-1970

Kight, count 98, from 1775-1983

Wheeler, count 98, from 1807-2017

Russell, count 94, from 1798-1951

Williams, count 91, from 1777-1979

Odom, count 87, from 1798-1966

Davis, count 86 from 1760-1961

Kea, count 86 from 1810-1957

And one bonus one if you don't want to count the MNU:

Beasley, count 85, from 1791-1972

What surprises me is how few of the top surnames (in numbers) are actually direct line ancestors!  

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 4): Close to Home

Amy Johnson Crow from Generations Cafe is hosting a blog writing prompt this year called 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  Since I need a swift kick in the you-know-what to get me blogging more regularly again, I thought I'd jump in.  I like that she gives us "permission" to interpret the prompt however we wish and share it however we wish.  It doesn't have to be a blog post; it could be a family video, a letter to a child or grandchild, an e-mail, etc.  I'm actually jumping back a week to address the prompt "Close to Home." 

My Ranney family roots in the United States are definitely rooted in Middletown, Connecticut.  My 9th great-grandfather, Thomas Rany, immigrated from Scotland about 1658 and settled in Middletown.  He married Mary Hubbard, daughter of George and Elizabeth Watts Hubbard, in Middletown in May 1659.  He was the first of six generations that were born or lived in Middletown until the Ohio Reserve opened up and the Ranneys migrated westward. 

First a little history on Middletown.  It is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state.  It is 16 miles south of Hartford and was originally included in the County of Hartford.  In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Native American name, Mattabeseck.  A mere three years later, the name was changed to Middletown.  This was chosen because the site was approximately halfway between Windsor and Saybrook on the Great River.  Middlesex County was formed in 1785.  The city was originally a busy saling port and then an industrial center. 

The land on the western bank of the Connecticut River where Middletown now lies was home to the Mattabesett Native Americans (also spelled Mattabesec, Mattabeseck, and Mattabesek) and the area was named after them.  At the time the first European settlers arrived, the Mattabesetts were a part of a group of tribes in the Connecticut Valley, under a single chief named Sowheag. 

Plans were drawn up for the settlement as early as 1646, and the first Europeans arrived from nearby Connecticut colonies in 1650.  The town was established in 1651.  Life was not easy for these early colonial Puritans; cleaning the land and building homes, and tending farms in the rocky soil of New England was a labor-intensive ordeal.  Law, too, was often harsh among the Puritans; offenses legally punishable by death in the Connecticut colonies included, "witchcraft, blasphemy, cursing or smiting of parents, and incorrigible stubbornness of children."

Other Indians, the Pequot Mohegans, arrived in the Middletown area in the latter half of the 17th century.  They were traditional allies of the English colonists, but enemies of the Mattabesett and other local tribes.  Upon arrival, conflict between them and the local tribes ensued.  Sowheag hoped that the colonists would intervene.  They did not.  Smallpox also afflicted the Mattabesett, lessening their ability to resist and their cohesion as a tribe.  Records show that Sowheag was forced to sell off most of the Mattabesett property to the local colonists.  By 1676, the Puritans owned all but 300 acres of the former Mattabesett territory.  Similar stories of tragic interaction between Native Americans and colonists were common in 17th century New England.

During the 18th Century, Middletown became the largest and most prosperous settlement in Connecticut.  By the time of the American Revolution, Middletown was a thriving port with one-third of its citizens involved in merchant and maritime activities.  The port's decline began in the early 19th century with strained American-British relations and resulting trade restrictions, which led to the War of 1812.  My family (or at least the direct line) left the area at different times between 1790-1810. 

As I mentioned, Thomas Rany (or Ranney) was the first of my direct line to live in Middletown.  I found this quote about him during my research:

"Thomas Ranney was admitted an inhabitant of Middletown and granted a home there, February 9, 1658, next to that of Thomas Hopewell; who lived on the corner of Main and Church Streets.  In 1663 he had located to what is now Cromwell Ct.; he frequently held town offices."

Thomas (1616-1713) and Mary (1642-1721) had 11 children (that I know of).  I am descended from their oldest child:

Thomas (1661-1726) who married Rebecca Willett (abt 1663-1731) of Hartford on March 29, 1691 in Hartford.  They had 7 children (again, that I know of) and I am descended from their 5th child:

Nathaniel (1702-1766) who married Rachel Sage (1708-1755) on January 16, 1734.  They had 8 children, and I am descended from their oldest:

Nathaniel, Jr (1735-1800) who was born in Middletown and married Prudence Willard (1739-1803) on March 10, 1757 in Middletown.  Between 1790-1800, Nathaniel Jr and Prudence left Middletown and headed west to Ohio.  Nathaniel died in 1800 in Summit County, Ohio. Nathaniel and Prudence had 12 children, and I am descended from their 2nd child:

Comfort (1759-1859) was born in Middletown and married Ruth Lenora Treat (dates unknown).  I am only aware of two children they had, and I am descended from the oldest:

Comfort (1788-1823), born in Middletown, married Elizabeth Hubbard (1790-1868) on December 25, 1808 in Haddam, another town in Middlesex County.  All of their children were born in Ohio.  So they must have migrated immediately upon marrying - between 1808-1809, as their first child was born November 28, 1809.)

"Soon after their [Comfort and Elizabeth] marriage, they removed to Cleveland, Ohio, where Mr. Ranney, who was a ship carpenter by trade, engaged in shipbuilding."

Comfort Ranney (1788-1823) was the last of my direct line of Ranneys to be born or live in Middletown, Connecticut.  About 150 years of Ranneys.

Sources:

A new and accurate map of Connecticut and Rhode Island, from best authorities. [London, 1780] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/99466763/>.

Akron and Summit County, Ohio, 1825-1928, Scottt Dix Kenfield, Supervising Editor, 1928

Cronin, William. Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England. 2003, Hill and Wang, New York.

The Hamlin Family, A Genealogy of Capt. Giles Hamlin of Middletown, Connecticut, 1654-1900 by Hon. H. Franklin Andrews, 1900.

Middlesex County Historical Society and Wesleyan University Library's Special Collections Archives. The History of Middletown "Part I: 1650–1800." Prepared by Jeff Harmon. Cited from the City of Middletown website Archived May 15, 2006, at Archive.today January 1, 2007.

Middletown Upper Houses: A History of the North Society of Middletown from 1650 to 1800, C.C. Adams, (New York, 1908)

Warner, Elizabeth. A Pictorial History of Middletown.Greater Middletown Preservation Trust. Donning Publishers. Norfolk, Virginia, 1990.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, January 21). Middletown, Connecticut. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:38, February 2, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Middletown,_Connecticut&oldid=936817405

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Ancestor with Most Unusual Occupation

From Randy over at Genea-Musings: 

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

 Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1)   Which of your ancestors had an unusual occupation?

2)  Tell us in a blog post of your own, in a comment on this blog, or in a Facebook post.

Here's mine:

I think my ancestor with the most unusual occupation is my 9th great-grandfather, George Hubbard, Sr. (1601-1684/85).  

According to the book "1000 Years of Hubbard History, 866-1895," Edward Warren Day, Harlan Page Hubbard, New York, 1895:

"About 1650, or when he left Hartford, he carried with him a commission from the Colonial Government as 'Indian Agent and Trader for the Mattabesett District.'"  

(He had sold his land in Hartford, Connecticut and moved with about 15 other families to Mattabesett, which later became Middletown.)

"One record of him says that he was "highly respected, and of marked integrity and fairness."... "He must have been a man of "marked integrity and fairness" to have been selected by the colony as its Indian Trader.  Much judgment had to be used by this representative of the colony in these dealings.  Promiscuous trading by any one was forbidden, as fire-arms and fire-water were frequently bartered by indiscreet persons, which produced direful results.  This resulted in the selection of one man to do the trading for all.  On his judgment and prudence much depended.  He must have erred, however, at one time for the Colonial Court fined him... for exchanging a gun with an Indian."

I should note that this indiscretion and fine occurred in 1649, either right before or right about the time he was chosen as Indian Trader.

I personally like to think that because he was a man of marked integrity and fairness, he got along well with the Native Americans and treated them fairly.  

This is definitely a job I had never heard of before!

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Ancestral Homes 150 Years Ago

From Randy over at Genea-Musings: 

Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 

 It's Saturday Night again - 

time for some more Genealogy Fun!!

 

 

 Here is your assignment if you choose to play along (cue the Mission Impossible music, please!):

1)  Determine where your ancestral families were on 1 June 1863 - 150 years ago.

2)  List them, their family members, their birth years, and their residence location (as close as possible).  Do you have a photograph of their residence from about that time, and does the residence still exist?

3)  Tell us all about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a Facebook Status or Google+ Stream post.

Here's mine:

 

*  My 2nd great-grandparents, George Washington Tapley (1814-aft.1880) and Elizabeth MNU Tapley (1824-aft. 1880) were living in Johnson County, Georgia.  I do not have a photograph of their home; it has long since been destroyed.  The household included my great-grandfather, James (Jim) Madison Tapley (1847-1912).  

*  My 2nd great-grandmother, Elizabeth Scoggins Page (1802-unknown), was living in Johnson County, Georgia.  Her husband, Solomon Page (1800-1860), had already passed.

 

*  My great-grandmother, Elizabeth Rebecca (Becky) Page (1844-1924) was also living in Johnson County, Georgia, probably with her mother.  I do not have a photograph of their residence, but my cousin has pointed out the location to me.

*  My 2nd great-grandparents, James William Drake (1829-1908) and Mary Ann R. Brantley Drake (1837-1891) were living near Adrian in Emanuel County, Georgia.  In 1863, James was serving in the Civil War in G Company of the 32nd Infantry from Georgia.  Also in their household was my great-grandfather, William John Drake (1857-1927).  

*  My 3rd great-grandparents, Francis Bryant Drake (1806-1875) and Selina King Drake (1812-1899) were living near Adrian in Emanuel or Johnson County, Georgia (Adrian sits half in each county).  I have no photographs of any of the ancestrial homes near Adrian.

*  My 3rd great-grandparents, James K. Harrell (1814-1895) and Nancy Beasley Harrell (1814-1898) were either still living in Darlington County, South Carolina or had already located to Emanuel County, Georgia.  In 1863, I believe my 2nd great-grandfather, William Robert Harrell (1838-1908), was still residing with his parents as he didn't marry until 1865.  

*  My 4th great-grandparents, Archibald Odom III (1798-1873) and Isabella Elizabeth Anderson Odom (1796-1873), were living in Emanuel County, Georgia.

*  My 3rd great-grandparents, Elijah Samuel Odom (1816-1870) and Rutha Goff Odom (1812-1895) were living in Emanuel County, Georgia.   

*  My 2nd great-grandmother, Catherine M Odom (1841-1875) had recently been widowed and could have still been living in Johnson County or with her parents in Emanuel County, Georgia.

*  My 2nd great-grandfather, George W. Schwalls Sr (1837-1908) was living in Johnson County, Georgia.  In 1863, he was serving in the Civil War in Company E of the 48th Infantry from Georgia. 

  

*  My 3rd great-grandparents, Zachariah W. Claxton (1806-unknown) and Lincelia Bush Claxton (dates unknown), were living in Edgefield County, South Carolina.

 

*  My 2nd great-grandmother, Lincelia E. Claxton (1839-1882) was recently widowed and living in Edgefield County, South Carolina.  

*  My 4th great-grandmother, Elizabeth Hubbard Ranney (1790-1868) was most likely living in Summit County, Ohio. 

 

*  My 3rd great-grandfather, Luther Boardman Ranney (1809-1890) was also most likely living in Summit County, Ohio.  My 3rd great-grandmother, Sarah Maria Carter Ranney (18121846) had passed away and Luther was remarried to Caroline Clapp Ranney (1821-1895).  

 

*  My 2nd great-grandfather, Comfort Ranney (1838-1920) was living in Boston, Summit County, Ohio and was serving in Company D, 61st Infantry Regiment during the Civil War.

 

*  My 4th great-grandparents, James Warren Hesser (1819-1906) and Sophia Humphrey Hesser (dates unknown), were living in Summit County, Ohio.

*  My 3rd great-grandparents, Jonathan Hesser (1791-1876) and Casena Viers Hesser (1800-unknown) were probably living in Ohio, too, though I have not confirmed that fact.  They were in Ohio by 1870.  

 

*   My 2nd great-grandmother, Mary Margaret Hesser (1842-1920) was also living in Summit County, Ohio,  mostly likely with her parents. I have no photographs of any of the ancestrial homes in Ohio. 

*  My 3rd great-grandparents, Samuel Carter (abt. 1815-unknown) and Polly Marie Ozmun Carter (1817-unknown)  were probably living in Summit County, Ohio.  Their son, my 2nd great-grandfather, Charles K. Carter (1843-1916) may or may not have been living with them.  

*  My 3rd great-grandparents, Richard Schoonover (dates unknown) and Sara Ozmun Schoonover (1800-1870), along with their daughter, my 2nd great-grandmother, Sarah Melissa Schoonover (1840-1918) were living in parts unknown in 1863.  They were probably in Ohio, but I do not know if Charles and Sarah were married by then or any other details. 

I believe that is all of my ancestors alive in 1863 - 3 great-grandparents, 12 second great-grandparents, 15 third great-grandparents, and 5 fourth great-grandparents.  The lived in Georgia, Ohio, and South Carolina.  

I have no pictures of homes where they were living in 1863.  In most cases, I do not even know a location.  I also see where there are huge holes in my research as to the 1860 census and where many of my ancestors were living at that time.  MUST GET BUSY researching.