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.)

Thankful Thursday: Without their sacrifices, I wouldn't be here

 Today is Thankful Thursday and it also happens to be St. Valentine's Day.  So as Daisy-dog and I were returning from a McDonald's run with my dinner, thanks to a Valentine's gift of McDonald's gift cards from my mother (Thanks, Mom!), I began to think about my family, my ancestors, and how the brave things they did made it possible for me to be the person I am today.  It was their sacrifices and hard work that created a family and left a legacy that I am thrilled to track down today.  Here are a few things they did that I am thankful for:

- That several of my ancestors gave up the life they knew in their home countries and made the oftentimes treacherous and certainly terrifying voyage to the New World to make a life in America.  Among those:

   * George Hubbard (my 9th great-grandfather) left England and came to Hartford, Connecticut before 1639.

   *  Richard Watts (my 10th great-grandfather) brought his family, including his daughter, Elizabeth, who married George Hubbard, from England before 1640.

  * Thomas Rany (my 9th great-grandfather) left Scotland and settled in Middletown, Connecticut about 1657.

  * Hosea Tapley (my 6th great-grandfather) left England and came to North Carolina between 1691 - 1743.

  * Johann Conrad Hesser (my 6th great-grandfather) came from Germany sometime in the 1700's.

  * George Schwalls Sr. (my 2nd great-grandfather) left Germany and came to Georgia in the 1850's.

-  I am thankful that my 3rd great-grandmother, Sarah Tapley, was ahead of her time.  She bore and raised her children out of wedlock with her head held high, and she obviously raised them to be proud and productive members of society.

- I am thankful that so many of my ancestors and family members served in the military and fought for their country during the greatest conflicts in our history, including:

  * Nathaniel Ranney, my 6th great-grandfather, served in the American Revolutionary War.

  * Archibald Odom, my 4th great-grandfather, served as a horseman in the Georgia Militia during the War of 1812.

  * Francis M. Tapley, my great grand uncle, was killed at the Crater near Petersburg, Virginia, during the Civil War.

  * James Madison "Jim" Tapley, my great-grandfather and Francis's brother, fought during the Civil War and fortunately made it home.

  * George Schwalls, Sr. also fought in the Civil War after only having been in this country for a few years and suffered several health problems resulting from his service.

  * James William Drake, my 2nd great-grandfather, along with at least three of his brothers:  Francis Milton, John Saffold, and Richard Franklin, all fought during the Civil War.

  * Comfort Ranney, my 2nd great-grandfather, fought during the Civil War... on the Northern side.

  * Charles Morgan Tapley, my grandfather, served in the U.S. Navy twice, including in action during World War II.

  *  My uncle, John Russell "Russ" Tapley, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

  *  My cousin, James Cullen "J.C." Tapley, gave his life in Italy during World War II.

  *  My brother, Harry Earl Tapley, was a career Marine and served during the Vietnam War.

  *  And all the others who served.

- I am thankful that a childless couple named Charles K. and Sarah Melissa Schoonover Carter adopted an orphaned baby girl and doted on her their entire lives.  That little girl was my great-grandmother, Bessie Carter Ranney.

- I am thankful that my grandmother, Ethel Irene Ranney Tapley, persevered and retained her sweet soul despite being unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair for over half her life. 

- I am thankful that my grandmother, Nealie Drake Tapley, was such a strong, God-fearing woman.  She raised five sons and a daughter by herself, worked many jobs to feed  her family, and still found the energy to drive her horse and buggy over 10 miles each way on Sunday to play the piano at Powell's Chapel.

- I am especially thankful for my mother, Linda Irene Tapley, who is always there for me.

- I am thankful and proud that I have been able to devote a good part of my life to preserving my family's stories, histories, heirlooms, and facts.  I do not write this blog because I don't have a life; I write this blog because it enriches my life. 

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours.

Tombstone Tuesday: Nathaniel Hubbard

Nathaniel Hubbard

b 10 Dec 1652

Middletown, Middlesex County, Connecticut

d 20 May 1738

Middletown, Middlesex County, Connecticut

husband of

Mary Earle Hubbard

son of

George Hubbard

and

Elizabeth Watts Hubbard

Tombstone incription:

"Here lieth the body of 

Mr. Nathaniel Hubbert,

who dec'd May y 20th 1738

in the 86 years of his Age."

laid to rest at

Riverside Cemetery

Middletown, Middlesex County, Connecticut

Nathaniel Hubbard was my 8th great grand uncle.

Mary Elizabeth Tapley	Me
Linda Irene Tapley	My mother
Ethel Irene Ranney	My grandmother
Luther Boardman Ranney	My great-grandfather
Comfort Ranney	My 2nd great-grandfather
Luther Boardman Ranney	My 3rd great-grandfather
Elizabeth Hubbard	My 4th great-grandmother and Luther’s mother
Thomas Hubbard	My 5th great-grandfather
Thomas Hubbard	My 6th great-grandfather
Daniel Hubbard	My 7th great-grandfather
Daniel Hubbard	My 8th great-grandfather
George Hubbard	My 9th great-grandfather
Nathaniel Hubbard	My 8th great grand uncle and Daniel’s brother