They Came Before

Introducing Family History Information Standards Organisation

2012-02-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Family History Information Standards Organisation (FHISO)

New standards-setting organisation formed to support Family History and Genealogy

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA--Wednesday, February 1, 2012--FHISO (http://fhiso.org) is a newly-formed international organisation created to develop standards for the digital representation and sharing of family history and genealogical information. The standards will solve today’s interoperability issues independently of technology platforms, genealogy products or services. They will provide opportunities for innovation and will address robust user requirements such as search, capture and research administration.

In the fall of 2010, a group of dedicated technologists and users formed the “Build a BetterGEDCOM Project” to improve data exchange standards and to facilitate sharing between researchers. This grassroots effort has grown into a dynamic, open forum for the exchange of ideas, and a substantial body of work has been produced. In order to realise the project goals, a more structured, organised environment was needed. FHISO will provide this environment.

The FHISO process will identify practices and trends that require standardisation. It will provide a transparent, collaborative environment promoting innovation and consensus-building for the development of open standards. Following publication, the organisation will provide education and other support to encourage standards adoption and use. The FHISO standards will be publicly available at zero or minimal cost on a non-discriminatory basis. Anyone will be able to implement the standards for any purpose without royalty or license fees.

FHISO will be community-owned. Membership is available to all who participate in the global family history and genealogical community.

The success of FHISO depends on the voluntary participation of its members representing all the global stakeholder groups. In the standards-setting process, there is no substitute for the active involvement of vendors, developers, technologists, users and family history or genealogy organisations.

For more information, visit FHISO on the Web at http://fhiso.org. Follow us on twitter @fhisorg ; http://facebook.org/fhiso ; http://goo.gl/FsYa5 on Google+.

CONTACT:

Anthony C. Proctor, FHISO Media Relations (acproctor@fhiso.org)

Robert M. Burkhead, FHISO Acting Chair (rmburkhead@fhiso.org)

Andrew G. Hatchett III, FHISO Acting Secretary (agh3rd@fhiso.org)

Please support PA Vital Records Access ... NOW

2011-09-21T10:20:00.001-07:00

Tuesday 27 Sept 2011 update via twitter:
SenatorPileggi Dominic Pileggi by PaHR_Access...SB361 was approved by the #PaSenate, 48 to 0. It now moves to the House for consideration.

The historians and genealogists lobbying for better access to Pennyslvania historical vital records need your help.
People for Better Pennsylvania Historical Records Access has announced the important enabling legislation, Vital Records Bill SB-361, may come before the state senate for a vote as early as next week.
"There is no such thing as too many phone calls, letters, emails and visits to their offices. Even for legislators who have already decided to vote in favor of this bill it helps them to know their vote has a lot of support and also makes it easier for them to encourage their colleagues to do the same."

Genealogists are asked to "send messages of support for SB 361 to Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi and ... other [members of the senate]." See the link below for sample letters and the list of the various senate members.

Latest News: September 20th & 21st, 2011

(Originally noticed by Tim Gruber and Kathy Hinkley, APG.)

Technophoo. Join the movement!

2011-09-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

Most of us don't need to know what it is, we just need to know that it works!

Let's start documenting our sources the 21st century way.

Let's start sharing and collaborating the 21st century way.

More graphics, badges and coffee cups to come.

Related technophoo articles: No fear [Standardized Metadata]; WorldCat API

Technophoo. WorldCat API

2011-09-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

Information about another API delivering standardized metadata.

Related technophoo articles: No fear [Standardized Metadata]; Join the Movement

What is standardized metadata. Librarians and archivists have developed standards (standardized metadata) that support certain online library catalogs (and more). Yet other technologies support this standardized metadata, so that online catalogs often permit users to extract information about a source with the click of a mouse.

Why am I blogging about metadata. Genealogical technology standards don't recognize the same standards and technology used by librarians and archivists, so most of us still add new sources to the database by typing and typing and typing--the name of each author, creator, editor, title, subtitle, webpage, etc. (With 6,000 sources in my genealogical database, you know I've done a lot of typing. I'm quite adept at typo-ing, too.)

The blog article Tehnophoo. Have no fear .. Metadata is here and near overviews some of the technology surrounding metadata standards. That article featured information about WorldCat, Library of Congress (US), Zoerto, Endnote, EasyBib and The National Archives (UK) "Discovery System RESTful API" (beta).

Thanks to reader C. Rumbaugh, I've learned there is also a WorldCat API capable of delivering "MARC XML or Dublin Core content for OCLC records."

Check it out! WorldCat API --"Search WorldCat and retrieve bibliographic records for cataloged items, information about libraries that own the items and links to online catalog records when available."

Thank you C. Rumbaugh!

Note: I didn't see a reference to DACS or ISAD(G) or EAD ... more to do for Technophoo.

Technophoo. Have no fear ...

2011-09-07T15:07:00.002-07:00

... metadata is here and near!

Related technophoo articles: WorldCat API; Join the Movement

Standards developed by librarians and archivists allow modern researchers internet access to information about sources. Those same standards might seem a natural fit with the development of new genealogy technology standards. Think of the possibilities--if genealogists describe sources using the same standards by which librarians describe sources, how could this not improve our ability to share information.

There are skeptics. About a month ago I gave a few minute overview of "metadata standards" to a small group. Some genealogists in attendance passed chat comments--"I don't buy it" and "neither do I." I'm blogging today about standardized metadata as powerful collaboration tools--information about sources developed by those who know sources well.

Metadata and standards
Wikipedia defines metadata as "data about data," saying, "a good example ... is the cataloging system found in libraries, which records ... author, title, subject ..."

Genealogical software users work to identify the author, title, date, etc., for each source. We type and type and type sets of catalog-like data into our database. Using yet other techniques, the software may manipulate the user data to create reference notes and bibliographies.

Librarians and archivists around the world routinely create catalogs about their holdings--working with the same data and often the same sources with which genealogists work. The librarians and archivists have been doing this for a long time, so that standards have been developed.

Relevant metadata standards are the product of librarians and archivists working across disciplines, together with professionals from the more extended family of information science and technology. MARC and DACS are two examples of metadata standards (there are others).

MARC is the acronym for MAchine-Readable Cataloging, with a history dating back to the 1960s--before some genealogists were born. From the Library of Congress (US) MARC Standards website. "The MARC formats are standards for the representation and communication of bibliographic and related information in machine-readable form."

DACS is the acronym for Describing Archives: A Content Standard. It was adopted by the Society of American Archivists in 2004. Wikipedia describes DACS as "a set of rules for describing archives, personal papers and manuscript collections." (See also EAD, Encoded Archival Description, "an XML standard for encoding archival finding aids.")

These various standards interact with yet other, international standards. For example, DACS is the US counterpart of ISAD(G), "General International Standard Archival Description."

Standards pave the way for other supporting technologies. Today, more library and archive catalogs are available online. AND ... increasing amounts of online catalog data can be extracted by users with the click of a mouse.

Powerful, complex and user friendly, too
To a family historian like me, the actual standardized metadata and supporting technologies are complex, but shhhh.... the results wind up in the most user-friendly places. You're probably already working with standardized metadata!

Do you use WorldCat.org to search, find or extract information about a source? Various libraries and archives--the OCLC network--supply WorldCat with descriptive cataloging information about their individual holdings using international metadata standards. The result of this collaboration is a virtual library catalog of more than 239 million bibliographic records--1 billion plus individual items ... 470 languages and 112 countries. Users can search the catalog by author name, title, etc. and learn more detailed information about a source.

Visit the Library of Congress (US) website and review a title in the Online Catalog--you'll find associated “MARC TAGS” displayed in a tab. Metadata.

Perhaps you've tried Zotero or Endnote? Maybe EasyBib (...there's an app for that)? Yup. Yup. Yup--all implementations of metadata.

Ooo, and look at this--The National Archives (UK) has a library catalog API in beta! :) Metadata. Indeed, the international standard is named in the beta's help section. "Every level of description in the hierarchy is described within a catalogue entry according to the international standard ISAD (G)." [Emphasis added]

Despite so many user-friendly implementations of standardized metadata, I still find myself adding sources to my genealogical database by filling out forms. I type and type and type the name of every author, editor, and the titles of each and every website, book, article, journal and newspaper ... With a single mouse click, I'm able to extract metadata to Zotero or Endnote, but I can't port that same information to the "add new source" form in my genealogical software. Nor can my genealogical software access that information directly from the archive. So I type and type and type.

But is the "metadata" useful?
In the case of TNA's library catalog API, the metadata communicates how specific material can be retrieved from the archive--what is the Item, Piece, Sub-sub series, Sub series, Series, Division and/or Department. As well, the catalog provides "summary descriptions" of the record references; a glossary supports the catalog. TNA is inviting users to access the metadata directly via their API.

Without the API/metadata, we could each research various documents in the archive to develop a summary and learn the hierarchal organization--most of us would probably make a good record--but why not begin with imported data the library actually uses for identification? Should the next record we seek come from an archive elsewhere, why not again begin with the identification principles used by that archive?

Does it deliver a citation?
Not directly, but neither does the data entered now to genealogical software about author, title, date, etc. Citations consider context, and form preferences vary from user to user. Most supported citation styles change frequently, calling for separately supporting technologies and tools.

Products like WorldCat, EndNote and Zotero process the metadata separately to form citations. See the graphic below for the WorldCat options.

You might say standardized metadata is not so much about the comma as it is the substance between the commas.

Share and Share Alike
We are fortunate to live in an age where librarians and archivists come prepared to share data with us in modern formats they have worked to document and standardize. In many respects, they've carried the heavy water.

I'm surely among those interested in working with their standards as we advance genealogical technology standards.

Credits-
Mark Tucker, for introducing me to the MARC standard.
Geir Thorud, for directing me to higher-level thinking about metadata.
Adrian Bruce, because he finds it interesting.
Tamura Jones, for discovering the link to "Discovery System RESTful API."
Nancy, Godfrey Memorial Library (Connecticut), interview of 19 Aug 2011, about the cataloging process.
Cynthia Whitacre, quality control and customer service, OCLC (Ohio), interview of 19 Aug 2011.
Rebecca Baker Hill, Head Librarian, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center (Fremont, Ohio), interview of 19 Aug 2011.
Valerie A. Metzler, archivist and historian, about archival materials and DACS, interview of 22 Aug 2011.
Stephen Slovasky, Bibliographic Servicing, Connecticut State Library, interview about DACS, cataloging and OCLC, 23 Aug 2011.

Revised. TY to Heather and Geir for input.
Revision 2. TY to Geir for input.

Style--FREE Register Citation Formats

2011-09-06T10:47:00.001-07:00

From the editors of much beloved, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, "Register Citation Formats."

Insight and examples for commonly used source types such as:

Books, Articles and CDs
Census
Vital Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Probate and Deeds
Newspapers
Manuscripts

Other helpful articles by the fine folks at NEHGS available from their AmericanAncestors.org website include Helen Schatvet Ullmann's "Writing a Family Sketch in Register Style" and "Register Style Template."

Style--Citing Records in the National Archives of the United States

2011-09-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

Citing Records in the National Archives of the United States, aka, a NARA General Information Leaflet (no 17, revised 2010), is a 16-page FREE download (pdf) available from NARA online.

In the wake of "Footnote is now Fold3," the example of an "Online genealogical [citation]" provided a little food for thought. As below, from page 12 of the leaflet:

James J. Collins, 1920 census, Morris, Morris County, New Jersey,

T625, roll 1061, page 6B, ED 29, image 62, Ancestry.com (August

25, 2006).

Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis (2.10 of 3)

2011-06-30T13:00:00.007-07:00

Mistaken identities and relationships often lead to improper genealogy links and brick walls. The series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis," explains how a group of researchers ultimately collaborated to better identify William Preston, and how that reformed identification led to discovery of an ancestral family.

Part 1-No shortage of inconsistencies, 10 June 2011
A collection of inconsistent information written about about William Preston, the first sheriff of Williams County, Ohio.

Part 2-Driven to a more historical account (8 10 postings), 16 June 2011
Genealogy is a journey. The second article in this series presents particular information we used to break down our brick wall. The various postings mention how the records were discovered, questioned and evaluated to better identify Sheriff William Preston.
2.01 William and his Miss Butler (marriage)
2.02 He survives (census)
2.03 The Butler did it! (identifying our Butler family)
2.04 I do declare, and he did! (declaration)
2.05 Death plus 30 (probate)
2.06 Of brothers and soldiers (about John Preston at Ohio)
2.07 You do the math (about William C. Preston and the King)
2.08 One good deed (and the long road home)
2.09 Through the peep hole (the larger family)
2.10 Rummaging about Rumney

Part 3-Putting it all together

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 2-Driven to a more historical account

2.10 Rummaging about Rumney

To develop some of the research that follows, we were assisted by various town clerks, including Linda Whitcomb at Rumney; library/archival experts, including Susan Turbyne and Kathy Sobetzer (Byron G. Merrill Library, Rumney), Bill Copeley (New Hampshire Historical Society Library, Concord) and Jane Walsh at Gloucester (Mass.) Archives.

Rumney is a beautiful place. This New England town is part of Grafton County, located in west-central New Hampshire, along the Vermont border (Vermont counties Essex, Windsor, Orange and Caledonia are adjacent to Grafton County, New Hampshire).

Towns in New Hampshire (and Vermont) were sometimes "chartered" in advance of settlement. [New England Town, Wikipedia] The New Hampshire town charters were published as part of a forty volume collection, The State and Provincial Papers of New Hampshire (aka, New Hampshire State Papers, NHSP). Early town papers, very early probate, documents relating to the state during the American Revolution, and some court records are also part of the NHSP.

The town of Rumney was twice chartered (granted). ["Early Town Papers ...," NHSP (1884) 13:354]. The first grant was made in 1761 to "Samuel Olmstead and others." In 1767, Rumney was re-granted to "Daniel Brainard and others." Many of the grantees (both charters) came from Brainard's home town of Haddam, Connecticut. [Rumney, New Hampshire, Wikipedia] From NHSP (1884) 13:354, Jonathan Cummings settled at Rumney by 1765, and "the following year [came] James Heath, Daniel Brainard, and Moses Smart." Both grants were published in NHSP (1895) 25:481-489. For the 1761 charter and full list of grantees, see NHSP (1895) 25:481-485; for the second, NHSP (1895) 25: 485-489.

William Preston (1754-1842) was born at Chester and removed to Rumney "by 1768" with his parents and any number of siblings. [Vermont Families in 1791] According to the same article, in 1784, the father, William Preston (1728-1804), acquired land at Strafford, Vermont, [cites, "LR B:255"] and removed to there "probably after 1785," with wife Hannah Healey [NHVR, as Presson and Helay] and most of their children. (Vermont Families submitter Sprague reports son William (1754-1842) stayed at Rumney and the "rest of the family" migrated to Strafford.)

Many years after our research about Rumney had begun, some 1880s era written oral tradition was discovered. [Charles H. Herbert, "Papers" (MS 1989-128), New Hampshire Historical Society Library] This material reported the Preston family settled first in Rumney when William was 12, and they lived "on the East side of Baker's river, under Rattlesnake Mountain." Stereographic cards, dated about 1880, are extant for "Baker's River, Rumney, NH, near Rattlesnake Mtn" and "... On the slope of Rattlesnake Mt., Rumney, NH." ["Rumney, New Hampshire," Wikipedia]

-----------------------------
The early family group
-----------------------------
We used a variety of source materials to build a framework of the Rumney family. These included vital records, The State and Provincial Papers of New Hampshire, news accounts and Grafton County deeds. We also worked with several local published histories (Rumney, Plymouth, Wentworth, Warren and Concord, New Hampshire, and Bradford, Vermont, to name a few).

The New Hampshire Vital Records ("NHVR") include entries for the twelve known births to William and his first wife, Elizabeth Clark. There were also two children born to William and his second wife, Mary Herbert--Jonathan (1809) and Hannah (1811). [Bouton (1856), p. 66] The latter two births have not been found recorded in NHVR.

New Hampshire Birth Records, Early to 1900 (FamilySearch.org)

New Hampshire Marriage Records, 1637-1947 (FamilySearch.org)
New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947 (FamilySearch.org)

One child, Hannah Preston, died 4 Mary 1797. Little Hannah was born in 1796, the twin of Joseph Preston. (See the article, "Love it when a deal comes together," for research to overcome a conflict about the identity of the Hannah Preston who died at Rumney in 1797.)

William Preston (1754-1842) was enumerated at Rumney in the U.S. Census of 1790, 1800, 1810, 1830 and 1840. (The 1820 U.S. census for Grafton County, New Hampshire is listed as "missing.") Entries from the 1790 and 1800 U.S. census appear in the graphic to the right. (Blank 1790 and 1800 U.S. census forms are available from Access Genealogy.)

Elizabeth (Clark) Preston died in June, 1807, at Rumney. One notice of her death includes the phrase, "left eleven children to morn." [The Sun ..., June 27, 1807, see graphic to the left]

Following Elizabeth's death (June 1807), William Preston remarried in January of the following year to Mary Herbert. [NHVR; Bouton (1856), p. 669; NHGR 6 (1909): 161] In the same year (1808), not long after William's remarriage, three of his older children--Benjamin, Henry D. and Elizabeth--married. All told, at least between the time of Elizabeth's death and the time of the 1810 U.S. census, there had been material changes in the make up of the Preston household at Rumney.

(Blank 1810 U.S. census forms are available from Access Genealogy.)

We use timelines frequently in our research. Selected events about the early family, through 1810, are summarized in the timeline that follows. This summary includes all the vital events related to William Preston and children born to him through the time of the 1810 U.S. census.

In addition to 1810 U.S. census entry for William Preston's household at Rumney, we identified returns for the three Preston children known to have married before that census. (1) Benjamin Preston (m. Ann Williams "Nancy" Robie [NHVR, Plymouth]) was enumerated at Rumney (graphic above). (2) Henry D. Preston (m. Persis Bodwell [MAVR, Methuen) was enumerated at Woburn, Massachusetts (below, left). (3) William's daughter Elizabeth Preston had married Lemuel Kezer, Jr., [NHVR, Rumney] who was enumerated at Wentworth, New Hampshire (below, right).

We have not been able to identify all of William Preston's children in the 1810 U.S. census. We believe all twelve sons survived, and, as above, daughter Elizabeth (Preston) Kezer/Keyser also survived. (William Preston's youngest daughter, Hannah Herbert Preston, was not born until 1811.)

-------------------------------
Who shot the cemetery?
-------------------------------
Early in our research, notice about the grave of William Preston (1754-1842) at Rumney was found in Patricia Law Hatcher, Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots (v3, L-R). In 2004, Dr. Annette Lamb, William Smith's daughter, made a trip to New Hampshire. She was able to photograph the Preston gravestones at Rumney Depot Cemetery.

Annette fashioned the gravestone images and her commentary into a web page that reads much like a cemetery tour. See her website, eduscapes "Rumney, New Hampshire."

I maintain a worksheet about the family cemetery inscriptions at Rumney and elsewhere in New England. A summary of relevant entries from my worksheet follows.

For the purpose of this case, graves for William Preston (b. 1780) and John Preston (b. 1787) were not located at Rumney Depot cemetery or elsewhere in New England.

-------------------------------------------
Read any good deed books lately?
-------------------------------------------
The Grafton County, New Hampshire deed books are online. Although it takes a little work to access the earliest books, the records can found and read. So we read them, page by page, through about 1805.

While we had a general interest in learning about the larger Preston family from the Grafton County deeds, we really want to learn (a) more about the land interest William and Asenath sold in 1829 to Collins Preston (graphic below), and (b) whether unidentified Prestons had owned land or witnessed early deeds at Rumney. As to the latter, other then records mentioning William and Hannah (Healey) Preston and their descendants, we found no mention of other Preston families in the early deeds about Rumney. We specifically found no mention of a Charles or Cynthia Preston.

William and Asenath's 1829 deed to Collins Preston of Rumney referred to a second deed, "dated 21st of Nov A.D. 1803 & recorded in the Register .... Libre 37 folio 557." We found the referenced deed and a second deed of equal interest.

1803 Weld & Co. to Eaton
The 1829 deed, William and Asenath Preston to Collins Preston of Rumney. ("One good deed.") involved "land which Jabes H. Weld & Oliver F. Weld conveyed to Daniel Eaton by their deed dated 21st of Nov. A.D. 1803." The graphic to the left represents the image about that deed (recorded 1804) and a transcription of the deed.

We separately researched Jabez H. Weld, Oliver F. Weld and Daniel Eaton. We could not identify a family relationship between these men and the Preston family of Rumney. [See Charles Frederick Robinson, Weld Collections (Ann Arbor, Michigan: privately printed, 1938), p. 135-6, entries for Jabez Hatch Weld (no 79) and Oliver Fletcher Weld (no 80).]

1803 Charles Clark to Weld & Co.
On 21 November 1803 Charles Clark (wife Molley) of Rumney, sold a parcel of land to Jabez H. Weld & Co. The deed was recorded in 1803. This transaction occurred the same day that Jabez H. Weld & Co. sold land to Daniel Eaton (above 1803 Weld & Co to Eaton). The witnesses to both deeds are the same.

The grantor, Charles Clark, is the man who is only probably the brother of Elizabeth (Clark) Preston (1760-1807), the wife of William Preston--see "Through the peep hole." Charles Clark was only probably the uncle of William Preston, Jr.

We continued working with the Grafton deeds though a more extended period. For surname Preston and the period ca1805 to about 1850, we worked mostly from Grafton County Deed indexes. Virginia cousin, S. Smith, a descendant of Alice (Van Wormer) Preston, was helpful in this effort.

---------------------------
Did I will? Did I do?
---------------------------
Early in our research about the Preston family of Rumney, we located the Gloucester, Massachusetts, notice of intent to marry about "John Preston of Rumney" and Mary Cook.

Gloucester early vital records - Cook births Preston births

Gloucester early vital records - Cook marriages Preston marriages

Gloucester early vital records - Cook deaths Preston deaths

A distantly related Presson/Preston family then resided Gloucester [Biographical Review (1898) 28:155-56], but the intention identifies this John "of Rumney"--and we believe only William and Elizabeth's son by that name would have been so identified at that time.

For years, we struck out in attempts to learn more about this vital record entry. We could not find evidence of an actual marriage or even better identify the bride-to-be.

There were two Cook families at Gloucester in the 1810 U.S. census (graphic at left), and two "Mary Cook" entries in the subsequent marriage vital records. (Blank 1810 U.S. census forms are available from Access Genealogy.)

In the 1820 U.S. census, there was only one family Cook indexed at Gloucester--Mary Cook. Sigh. (Blank 1820 U.S. census forms are available from Access Genealogy.)

The two interesting Mary Cook marriages in the Gloucester vital records were Mary Cook, a widow, married 21 Jun 1814 to David Lane, Jr., and Mary Cook married 5 Aug 1821 to Zebulon Parsons.

We turned to Jane Walsh and the Gloucester Archives for help. Jane found the bride-to-be had been identified most recently by Mary H. (Johnston) Sibbalds (1926-2009) in The descendants of Jeffery Parsons of Gloucester, Massachusetts, 2 vols (Salem, Mass: Higginson, 2003, 2006). Working over the weekend, Jane locate Sibbalds' passages and other information that would help us further identify this Mary Cook.

Very interesting dates, no? (Hint ... timeline ... Is it likely the same John Preston filed an intention to marry Mary Cook in June 1811 at Gloucester, fathered a child with her there b. February 1813 and also married Sophia Ewing in October 1814 at Piqua, Ohio?)

Rockport, where Sibbalds reports Mary (Cook) Parsons is buried, was part of Gloucester until about 1840. ["Rockport," Wikipedia]

We haven't yet obtained Jane's underlying source materials or found other reference to William Pool's source for John Preston's date of birth (as 13 Feb 1813, graphic above). Equally relevant, however, seem a number of negative research results. There is no Preston 1813 birth recorded in the Gloucester vital records [VR Gloucester 1:560] ... nor is a birth of Martha Perkins recorded there in 1810. [VR Gloucester 1:534-535] Indeed, a search in the Massachusetts Vital Record collection at American Ancestors returns no births for "John Preston" between 1810 and 1814. (There were births of two children "John Cook" in the returns--one "John Cook," born 1811 to Francis and Elizabeth at Billerica, Mass; the other, "John Little Cook," born 1814 to Jonathan F. and Mary at Roxbury, Mass.) American Ancestors returns no results from the same collection for births of "Martha Perkins" or "Martha Cook" between 1808 and 1811.

Although we have not been long been researching Mary Cook's son, John Preston, we have identified some information about him from vital records and census returns. An overview of those records follows.

Death register, Rockport, Mass, 1868
John died 31 Aug 1868, age 56 yrs, 6 mos. The death register reports John was born at Rockport to John [Preston] and Mary Cook.

John Preston's marriage was recorded in the early vital records of Gloucester, 19 May 1835 to Mary Ann Sturdevant. [VR Gloucester, 2:439] She died his widow, Mary Ann Preston, at Rockport 8 Feb 1890, ae 78 yrs, 11 mos, said b. Bouwingham [sic], Maine. [FamilySearch.org, "Massachusetts Deaths," cites FHL film 960243 (separately, MAVR, 409:379)] No parents names were listed, but clues to her larger family exist among the various census records we examined.

In the early vital records of Rockport, Massachusetts, we located the births of four children to John Preston and Mary A. [(Sturdevant)] Preston-- [VR Rockport, p. 35] (1) Emma Horton Preston, born 25 April 1840 ("d. John and Mary Ann"); (2) Mary Ann Preston, born 25 Oct 1843 (d. John, stone cutter, and Mary A."); (3) John Preston, born 17 July 1845 ("s. John, stone vender, and Mary A."); (4) Jane C. Preston, born 8 April 1848 ("d. John, stone dealer, and Mary A.")

John and Mary Preston were enumerated at Rockport in the 1840 U.S. census. Their dau. Emma, b. 1840, died 13 Jun 1844, at Rockport.
[FamilySearch.org, "Massachusetts Deaths," cites v14 p 97]

... and at Rockport in the 1850 U.S. census. John is ae 38, a stone cutter, b. Massachusetts. His wife and children Mary A., John, Jr., and Jane C. are reported. Son John Preston died 06 Mar 1851, at Rockport. [FamilySearch.org, "Massachusetts Deaths," cites v57 p 152]

... and again at 1860. John is ae 48, a stone cutter, born Massachusetts. His wife and children Mary A. and Jane C. are reported in the home. Also residing in the home is Harrison Sturdevant, ae 13, and Elizabeth ?Beaton, ae 17, reportedly a servant.

Massachusetts State Census for 1855 and 1865, transcribed, are available at American Ancestors. John Preston, at Rockport, was reported in both. In the 1855 state census, he was ae 43, born Mass. In the 1865 record, he was ae 43, born Rockport. [AmericanAncestors.org, "Massachusetts State Census Transcriptions for 1855 and 1865 (Essex, Middlesex, and Plymouth Co.)"]

----------------------------------------------
Who's this John and Mary Preston?
----------------------------------------------
One John Preston was reported in the 1810 U.S. census at Grafton, Grafton County, New Hampshire (2-0-2-0-0^0-0-1-0-0). This is almost certainly the John and Mary whose children's Grafton births were recorded New Hampshire vital records. A son, Alpheus Preston was born 02 Nov 1804 [NHVR] -- well in advance of the Preston-Cook intention. Also recorded at Grafton were Burton Preston, b. 21 Dec 1809 [NHVR] and Lydia Preston, b. 22 Jan 1811. [NHVR]

We have researched the family and corresponded with descendants who believe the mother to be Mary/Polly (Tucker) Preston. In brief, see also (a) FindaGrave entry for John Preston at Button Cemetery; (b) biographical sketches about grandsons Nathan G. Preston [Lovejoy* (1911), 2:917 ; descendants call him Nathan Greenough Preston (E. Smith to GJ, e-mails of 16 Oct 2008-1 Jan 2009)] and George Washington Preston [Lovejoy* (1911), 2:917]; (c) John J. Dearborn, History of Salisbury, New Hampshire (1890), for "The Tucker Family," Polly Tucker, therein no. 25; (d) Vermont Probate (Tunbridge), estate (17 Dec 1819-4 Oct 1822) of John Preston (referenced in E. Smith to GJ, emails 2008-2009).

From our separate research, the John Preston in Grafton at 1810 was probably the man by that name b. 1 Sept 1786 to Robert Greenough Preston and his wife, Hannah Brown. [Vermont vital records (recorded at Strafford), extracted] This Robert Greenough Preston, born 12 Aug 1766 at Chester, New Hampshire [NHVR] was a first cousin of William Preston (1754-1842) of Rumney. [Among many others, Robert Preston, S 41,077, New Hampshire line, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, NARA M804]

*Evelyn M. Wood Lovejoy, History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911 (1911) 2:917; digital images, InternetArchive (www.archive.org : accessed Dec 2009). Sigh. The link to pages referenced above broke prior to publishing this article. Assuming the links update, I'll include them again as an update to the blog.

--------------------------------------------
1808 S. Masten to Wm Preston, Jr.
--------------------------------------------
On 17 March 1808, William Preston, Jr. of Rumney purchased a one-half interest in land described at Groton from Samuel Masten. The graphic below represents our working image and transcription of the deed; it was recorded in 1808.

We are confident the grantee in this transaction was William Preston (b. 1780), son of William and Elizabeth. Reading the early Grafton County deeds contributed to our identification--William (1754-1842) had been referred to in deeds as as "William Preston, Jr." about the time his father, William Preston (1728-1804) lived at Rumney.

In our research, we learned little about Samuel Masten.

This 1808 deed is the one of two records we identify with the son, William Preston [Jr.], b. 1780, at New Hampshire. Notice of the second record follows.

----------
Blasted
----------
Hanover, Grafton County, New Hampshire, is a town along the Connecticut River at the Vermont border. Dartmouth College is located in Hanover. Frederick Chase and John King Lord, A History of Dartmouth College and the town of Hanover, New Hampshire (2 vols 1890, 1913), 2:631-33, tells the story of attempts to construct improved passage along the falls at Hanover. The project suffered a series of setbacks and "in September 1808, half the dam at the lower fall, in the course of construction, was carried away by another freshet and three of the workmen ... were drowned." The next month, October 1808, a series of contracts were let in the hope of repairing and improving upon the former design. As part of that October effort, the group contracted with "William and Collin Preston" to "blast out and compete the lock." [Chase and Lord (1913) 2:633]

It is not clear that the Preston contract was a successful one. Lord writes, "Mr. Olcott called his brother-in-law, Ben Porter, to his aid, and gave work into other hands, but the enterprise still suffered from the careless work that had already been put into it ... The upper lock was so poorly constructed that on being filled for the first time with water it wholly burst and had to be torn down and rebuilt at great expense ... Not until 1810 were the works completed as to be effectual ... Mr. Olcott found that he had expended, instead of the $300 originally contemplated, nearly $23,000 on the work itself ..."

We have an outstanding inquiry with the college to learn if the archived papers mention or otherwise identify William or Collins Preston.

-------------------
OOooO. Oops.
-------------------
The 1829 deed ("One Good Deed") was originally read and transcribed to read, "I William Preston of Defiance in the State of Ohio ... for ... the sum of three hundred dollars ... paid by Collins Preston of Rumney ... miner ..."

In 2007, however, we discovered a series of 1812 Boston death notices for "Collins Preston, late of Rumney, NH, ae 31." One such obituary appears in the graphic to the left.

Alas, there was more than one Collins Preston of Rumney. Meet Collins Preston, the younger (graphic to the right).

----------------
Odds 'n ends
----------------
(a) William P.'s pension file. William Preston (1754-1842) served in the Revolutionary War and was a pensioner at the time of his death. His pension file (S3222; W2667; Bounty Land Warrant 5079-160-55) does not mention sons William Preston or John Preston. The file mentions as family only his second wife, Mary (Herbert) Preston, and two of his children, neither of whom are directly named. The most direct reference therein about the two children mentioned is found in a document titled, "A list of my Famaly" [ca1819-1820] (graphic below). The document might be better described as a list of the campaigns in which William served. A research log/outline of William Preston's entire pension file can be read here.

(b) Rumney Then and Now. The family of William Preston (1754-1842) was covered in J.A. Barney's 1967 work, Rumney, Then and Now. There is no mention of son William in Barney's overview.

(c) More family group tid bits. With the exception of sons William and John Preston, we have located proof of death about each of the other children born to William Preston (1754-1842). All of the records located report deaths at New England, or, in the case of his youngest daughter, at Illinois. I maintain a research log showing, for each family member, if we have located a vital record, gravestone reading and/or picture, obituary and/or other death related information. See the graphic below.

Various documents about early New Hampshire are recorded in the The State and Provincial Papers of New Hampshire (aka, New Hampshire State Papers, NHSP). We keep a research log/worksheet about our work with the NHSP. See the graphic below.

While it is not represented in the graphic that follow, we also maintain a clipping file of various newspaper items that have been located about family members.

(d) Probate. No probate file has been located for William Preston deceased 1842, nor for William or John Preston at Grafton County, New Hampshire. Probate files at New Hampshire exist for two of William and Elizabeth Preston's children--Washington Preston (dec'd 1825) and Michael Preston (dec'd 1849); worksheet follows.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

This article (2.10) is the final installment to Part 2 (ala, our historical research) in the series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis." We have presented information we learned about William and John Preston at Ohio, and select information about the family of William Preston (1754-1842) in the area of Rumney, New Hampshire, and other parts of New England.

Genealogy is a journey. The next article is a record of how we use the information to solve identity and relationship questions about Sheriff William Preston.

<< 2.09 Through the peep hole *** Pt 3 Putting it all together >>

Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis (2.09 of 3)

2011-06-22T13:00:00.002-07:00

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 2-Driven to a more historical account

2.09 Through the peep hole

We are collaborating to learn the family history of Sheriff William Preston, a first settler (c1815/6) of Defiance, Ohio. We have found (a) primary information about William's age (49 in 1829) and (b) documents showing William owned a 1/2 interest in land at Rumney, New Hampshire, which was sold to Collins Preston of that place in 1829. We have located a record and historical accounts suggesting (c) William migrated to Defiance from Piqua, Ohio, with John Preston, quite possibly a brother. From the vital records of Rumney, New Hampshire, we have identified a family of Prestons--including brothers William (b. 1780), Collins (b. 1782) and John (b. 1789), all children of William Preston and Elizabeth. The parents' names, however, conflict with family tradition saying Sheriff William's parents were "Charles Preston" (an immigrant), and "Cynthia Lord." We believed a more exhaustive search is necessary to prove the parents of Sheriff William Preston.

Research about the father, William Preston. While it wasn't a coordinated effort, we worked from local (Rumney) references to learn the history of the Preston family who had migrated to the town. We ultimately determined this family was documented in Vermont Families in 1791. The Prestons had migrated early to Rumney from Chester, New Hampshire. The parents (William Preston and Hannah Healey) had later removed to Strafford, Vermont, but their son, William Preston (1754-1842) had remained at Rumney; he married first, Elizabeth, and second, Mary Herbert.

Wait--Vermont Families in 1791 is the same work we used to help determine William C. Preston, the other (1797-1869), of St. Joseph, Williams County, Ohio, was not the son of Sheriff William. See the article, 2.06 You do the math. According to the Vermont Families genealogy, William and Elizabeth's son William Preston (b. 1780) and William C. Preston (1797-1869) were first cousins.

No sign of Charles Preston or Cynthia. After years of research about the ancestors of the Preston family we did not find a Charles Preston or a Cynthia. Based only on observation, while William and John are common names in the various families, the name Charles is almost non-existent.

Research about the mother, Elizabeth-Elizabeth Clark. See the blog entry "... the maiden name of Elizabeth (Clark) Preston (1760-1807). Elizabeth's ancestry has not been proven. Her birth is recorded at Rumney with a date 22 Feb 1760, under the name "Elizabeth Preston." The record is obviously delayed, because Rumney wasn't settled until several years later.

Elizabeth was only probably the daughter of Joseph Clark, thus a sister to Charles Clark, Joseph Clark, Jonathan Clark, Michael Clark and Susannah Clark, who resided Rumney. These Clarks were mentioned in a 1775 Haddam, Connecticut, land record about interests of the late Joseph Clark.

A Rumney vital record shows Charles Clark of Rumney (probable brother of Elizabeth) married to Molley Brown of Plymouth at Rumney, 24 Sept 1767. Children were born to this Clark couple at Rumney.

What's next? Satisfied that we had not found a Charles Preston or Cynthia Lord who were closely associated with this Rumney Preston family, our focus shifted to the family William and Elizabeth (Clark) Preston. What information could we locate that might help us prove or disprove that sons William (Jr.), Collins and John were the men mentioned in our Ohio research ...

<<< 2.08 One Good Deed *** 2.10 Rummaging about Rumney >>>

Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis (2.08 of 3)

2011-06-21T17:25:00.011-07:00

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 2-Driven to a more historical account

2.08 One good deed

Genealogy is a journey. Sometimes "answers" are just another milestone in the longer journey.

Without explaining why the court had taken interest, "2.05 Death plus 30" describes a document naming six of William Preston's apparent heirs who gathered for a Williams County (Ohio) court appearance some 30 years after the sheriff's death. Are you curious?

Details. Details. Details.

On 4 July 1834, William Preston bought 77.12 acres at the village Edgerton (part of St. Joseph twp, Williams County). [Ohio to Wm Preston, 4 July 1834] In 1845, long after his death, that property was sold to William Semans by Asa R. and Asenath Thomas, otherwise Aseanath (Butler) (Preston) Thomas. The same year, Semans re-sold the land. The property was traded over and over again. In 1868, three men with current interest in the property transactions--John H. Sergeant, Samuel Bement and Calvin Crane--claimed Semans had died without fully executing a deed on the land sale. Since Semans had administrated the original property owner's estate, these claimants sought the court to appoint a new estate administrator for the purpose of re-issuing a deed.

Who wouldn't want to know more about that tortured logic?

Gene Preston, our cousin in Michigan, traveled to Williams and Defiance counties, Ohio, for the purpose of documenting Sheriff William's real estate transactions. As part of that effort, Gene found an 1829 recorded transaction that forever changed the direction of our family research.

The "ah-ha" record Gene found was dated 1829--William Preston and Asenath Preston of Defiance, Ohio, had sold a one-half interest in land located "Rumney" to Collins Preston of Rumney, Grafton County, New Hampshire. Could life be better? Actually yes, because the very same transaction was found recorded in the deed books of Grafton County, New Hampshire.

So they drove to Rumney. Armed with Aunt Sena's 1940s era genealogy journal, Gene, his wife, and Iowa cousin Thomas R. Preston drove to Rumney. They hoped to answer some relationship questions about Sheriff William.

(a) Could we find Charles Preston and Cynthia Lord--the parents of the William Preston of Defiance, Ohio, age 49 in 1829 [Butler declaration] who had married Asenath Butler at Ohio in 1820 [marriage record]?

(b) Could we find earlier notice of soldier-brothers William and John Preston, those known of Piqua (1814) and Defiance (1815/6), Ohio?

While at Rumney, Gene and Tom found vital records about a family of 12 children born there to parents William Preston and Elizabeth--including sons William Preston b. 1780, Collins Preston b. 1782 and John Preston b. 1789. But ...

... Gene and Tom found no reference to Sena's Charles Preston or to Cynthia Lord. Sigh. The only reference they found to "the Crossroads" was a sign post. Tom Preston snapped a photograph.

To make matters worse, depending on your perspective, the father of the 12 recorded births at Rumney, above William Preston, was not an immigrant, but born at Chester, New Hampshire. Could William Preston, the father, still be the man Sena called Charles Preston? Could the mother "Elizabeth" have been aka Elizabeth Cynthia Lord?

During the National Genealogical Society 2011 conference, Tom Jones quoted Helen Leary, saying "Conflicting evidence is incompatible with a conclusion."

The final two articles to this Part 2 look at the research we did to learn about William Preston and Elizabeth's family, hoping to learn if sons William and John Preston were or were not, men by those names at northwest Ohio.

<<< 2.07 You do the math *** 2.09 Through the peep hole >>>

Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis (2.07 of 3)

2011-06-19T16:21:00.027-07:00

Mistaken identities and relationships often lead to improper genealogy links and brick walls. The series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis," explains how a group of researchers ultimately collaborated to better identify William Preston, and how that reformed identification led to discovery of the ancestral family.

Part 1-No shortage of inconsistencies, 10 June 2011
A collection of inconsistent information written about about William Preston, the first sheriff of Williams County, Ohio.

Part 2-Driven to a more historical account (8 10 postings), 16 June 2011
Genealogy is a journey. The second article in this series presents particular information we used to break down our brick wall. The various postings mention how the records were discovered, questioned and evaluated to better identify Sheriff William Preston.
2.01 William and his Miss Butler (marriage)
2.02 He survives (census)
2.03 The Butler did it! (identifying our Butler family)
2.04 I do declare, and he did! (declaration)
2.05 Death plus 30 (probate)
2.06 Of brothers and soldiers (about John Preston at Ohio)
2.07 You do the math (about William C. Preston and the King)
2.08 One good deed (and the long road home)
2.09 Through the peep hole (the larger family)
2.10 Rummaging about Rumney

Part 3-Putting it all together

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 2-Driven to a more historical account

2.07 You do the math

I've heard folks compare genealogy to working on a jigsaw puzzle--but what do you do when you have just too many pieces in the same puzzle box?

Readers will recall evidence of a sixth child in the early census tallies of Sheriff William Preston's household (2.5 Death pus 30). Also, from the same blog article, two heirs named William Preston seem present at the 1868 court hearing about the estate of our good sheriff.

How about one more William? Just about the time you think we have a handle on the good sheriff, we find another William Preston in the records about Williams County, Ohio. William C. Preston, "the other," was enumerated at St. Joseph township, Edgerton post office, in the census of 1860. (We believe he was enumerated there at 1850, but that census entry has eluded researchers.)

Many maybes. Was he a son of Sheriff William? Perhaps the other heir at court in 1868? Maybe he was of no relation--sent by a ghost of genealogists past, reminding us to be diligent!

For the purpose of this article (2.7), William Smith was successful early on in identifying key dates and locations about William C. Preston, the other. The information from his obituary led us to vital records about him; the will helped us identify his children.

Obituary of William C. Preston (1797-1869).
From his obituary, we learn this man was born in Strafford, Vermont, 16 July 1797. He had migrated to Ohio via New York, where he married his wife, Nancy W. Claire. William first traveled to Wayne County, Ohio, but settled finally at St. Joseph, Williams County, in 1842.

William C. Preston (1797-1869) was a Mason and served as a Justice of the Peace at William County for 15 years.

(A man born in 1797 could not have been the extra child--under age of 5--in Sheriff William's household in the 1830 U.S. census.)

Ohio vital record (death) about William C. Preston, d. 1869. The good news is William died after Williams County had begun recording births and deaths. The bad news is--the earliest of those records did not include inquiries about the parents' names.

Vermont vital record (birth) about William C. Preston, b. 1797. A quick check of extracted Vermont vital records reported one William C. Preston, born Strafford, Orange County, Vermont, with a birth date given 16 November 1797; parents Joseph Preston and Lydia. Which led to a recently published genealogy referring to "William Chase" Preston, who seemed likely our man.

Vermont Families. The family of Joseph and Lydia (Dow) Preston was included in a submittal by Barbara Sprague to Vermont Families in 1791. This sketch called out William Chase [Preston], born 16 November 1797 at Strafford.

Sprague's published submittal was among the documents researchers used to confirm William C. Preston (1797-1869) was not a son of Sheriff William and was most likely the first born son of Joseph and Lydia.

Hint: Make sure you catch the brother's name, David Dow "King" Preston, and the sister named Julia.

(A William C. Preston, the son of Joseph and Lydia, could not be Sheriff William's son by a former marriage.)

Will of William C. Preston (1797-1869).
William C. Preston's will was dated 10 May 1869; his son-in-law, D. H. Strickling, was appointed administrator. Children named in the will were Julia A. Preston, King H. C. Preston, Marion N. Stickling, and Abigail M. Geaugue.

Further research into son King Hiram C. Preston was also conducted--no trace of a relationship to Sheriff William Preston could be found. King H. C. Preston resided Manlius, Onondaga County, New York. King married Louisa Phillips. We also researched the seven children believed born to King and Louisa and found no connection with Sheriff William's family.

So, we have this one in the bag, right?
Humm... maybe not so fast. Lookie, lookie at the graphic below. We find the record of Sheriff William's daughter, Alice Preston, marrying husband, Lucious D. VanWormer in 1847--and the marriage is performed by William C. Preston, J.P.

More to write, can't spoil all the fun now. --

<<< 2.06 Brothers and Soldiers <<< *** >>> 2.08 One good deed >>>

Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis (2.06 of 3)

2011-06-19T01:50:00.255-07:00

Mistaken identities and relationships often lead to improper genealogy links and brick walls. The series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis," explains how a group of researchers ultimately collaborated to better identify William Preston, and how that reformed identification led to discovery of his ancestral family.

Part 1-No shortage of inconsistencies, 10 June 2011
A collection of inconsistent information written about about William Preston, the first sheriff of Williams County, Ohio.

Part 2-Driven to a more historical account (8 postings), 16 June 2011
Genealogy is a journey. The second article in this series presents particular information we used to break down our brick wall. The various postings mention how the records were discovered, questioned and evaluated to better identify Sheriff William Preston.
2.01 William and his Miss Butler (marriage)
2.02 He survives (census)
2.03 The Butler did it! (identifying our Butler family)
2.04 I do declare, and he did! (declaration)
2.05 Death plus 30 (probate)
2.06 Of brothers and soldiers (about John Preston at Ohio)
2.07 You do the math (about William C. Preston and the King)
2.08 One good deed (and the long road home)
2.09 Through the peep hole (the larger family)
2.10 Rummaging about Rumney

Part 3-Putting it all together

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 2-Driven to a more historical account

2.06 Of brothers and soldiers

It would be more fun to play at the fort if a brother was tagging along. :)

Historians report Sheriff William Preston arrived at Fort Defiance with a brother, John Preston, who had married "a daughter of Judge Ewing, of Troy." John reportedly died about 1819.

Searching at Williams and Defiance counties, no reference was found to a John Preston probate, death notice, grave marker or marriage. Working with three clues, "Judge Ewing," "Troy, Ohio" and "John Preston," we hoped to and did identify a Preston-Ewing marriage (1814) recorded at Miami County, Ohio (graphic below).

Notice of John's marriage is the earliest Ohio record we have located about the two Defiance settlers, John and William Preston.

Unfortunately, the record contains nothing by which one could know the name of the bride's father or further associate John and William Preston.

Miami County, Ohio, is located south of Williams and Defiance counties. The Miami Valley Genealogical Index was one of the first aides I used to in the quest to learn about possible Preston-Ewing connections in the area. The index is a highly summarized listing of recorded events. There are three early Preston entries in the index--all about John Preston, (a) his marriage in 1814, (b) the purchase of a lot at Piqua in 1815 [said 2:413] and (c) the sale of a lot there in 1816 [said 3:50]. While long overdue, we have not pulled the two deeds indexed about John Preston, but Miami County officials have separately confirmed that no probate about John Preston exists there.

The hint of a relationship. Fort Winchester at Defiance, Ohio, is thought to have been abandoned by troops in the "spring of 1815," [Historical Marker] not long after which we believe William and John Preston settled there. We found clues the Preston men had migrated from the Piqua area about the same time settlement at Defiance would have occurred. Perhaps the best of the clues in my files is an 1816 news item by the Piqua post master, reporting letters waiting there for both John Preston and William Preston. (The circumstance of John's lot sale in 1816, as the last deed recorded there in his name, is also evidence of migration.)

Finding notice of both men at both migration points (from Piqua and to Defiance) at the right time, in and of itself, doesn't prove the men were brothers, but when coupled with comments about the relationship in Defiance area histories, one can infer that a family relationship of some kind did exist between the two men.

Ewings of Piqua. A history of the area indicated Piqua was surveyed in 1807, when a reportedly seven homes there were, "occupied by John Manning, Edward Manning, Alexander Ewing, Benjamin Leavell, Arthur Brandon, Nathaniel Whitcomb and Joseph Porquette." [Thomas C. Harbaugh, Centennial History: Troy, Piqua and Miami County, Ohio (1909), p. 132] "In 1809, the famous Ewing tavern stood on Main Street. For some time it was the commercial center of Piqua. It was the first place sought by the new comer ..." [Harbaugh (1909), p. 137]

Alexander Ewing and daughter Sophia. From biographical accounts of the man and his family in Brice's History of Fort Wayne (1868) and Griswold's The Pictorial History of Fort Wayne, Indiana (1917), among others, it was clear Alexander had interests at Troy and Piqua, and had a daughter, Sophia/Sophia Charlotte, about the right age to have been our bride. Unfortunately, published biographicals, including comment by Sophia's son, William Ewing Hood, mention only two marriages, one to William N. Hood (1827) and, still later, to Smallwood Noel (1843)--we could find no published Ewing reference to John Preston or an earlier marriage. The son's statement called out five Hood children. [Griswold, p. 255-56]

The House of Ewing. In 1998, William Smith read Robert A. Trennert's Indian traders on the Middle boarder: the house of Ewing, 1827-54 (1981). There was again no mention of John Preston in the work, but Smith afterward wrote a memorandum relating Preston family tradition about the brothers' trading operation at Defiance (indirectly, as early as 1815 to as late as 1828) [Corbit, p. 92] with the development of the early Ewing trading operation. [1]

The footnote. Brief notice about "Captain John Preston" as the first husband of Alexander's daughter, Sophia Ewing, was found in the footnote to a published 1826 letter referring to "Mrs. Preston." [The John Tipton Papers ... 1809-1927]

The Tipton editor's footnote cited "Genealogy of the Ewing Family, compiled by Mrs. Sam R. Taylor, in Indiana Biography Series, 4: 99-101." It was a long process (years) to locate the Taylor manuscript--found by state archivists indexed under Mrs. Taylor's given name, "Isabella H. Taylor" (graphic above; in relevant part). With the assistance of K. Yeuxdoux, member, Genealogists in SL, we identified Isabella Houghton Taylor as Mrs. Samuel R. Taylor and confirmed she was a co-author of The Pictorial History of Fort Wayne Indiana.

Taylor's 1929 manuscript cites "... [leading words not represented on the filmed image] a few data from my own knowledge gained through many letters from Emily [therein, Miss Emily Wright Hood, daughter of William Ewing and Mary Wright (Homans) Hood]. Taylor also refers to genealogical work done by Ewing relations (and their attorneys) to "break W. G.'s will."

Separately, Ewing family researcher K. Avery provided a death and burial date for "Captain John Preston," Sophia's first husband. While we don't know the source of Avery's reference to military rank or burial date, she shared her transcription (c1998, at the National D.A.R. library) of a 1904 William Ewing Hood affidavit in which John Preston was mentioned.

Taylor's references (1929) and the details in William Ewing Hood's 1904 affidavit suggest other documents referencing John Preston were extant and are yet to be discovered. Research continues to locate the original William Ewing Hood 1904 affidavit and other documents relied upon or referenced by Taylor and Hood. [2]

Like father, like daughter--another incomplete historical record. Taylor's 1929 manuscript reports John and Sophia's daughter, Eliza C. Preston (1816-1833), married, as his first wife, "Daniel Bearss." The same manuscript (p. 3) calls him "Dan'l Bearss, uncle of Cynthia Hill." Yet more, Taylor writes (p. 2) that William Griffith Ewing (1801-1854) "[m]arried Esther Bearss, sister of Daniel R. Bearss (uncle of Mrs. O. G. (Cynthia) Hill)." Working from the Taylor manuscript, we identified Eliza's husband as Daniel R. Bearss (1809-1884), a prominent man of Miami County, Indiana.

Sigh. Just as John Preston was not mentioned in several published Ewing biographical reports, Eliza C. (Preston) Bearss was not mentioned in the published biographical about her husband, Daniel R. Bearss. [Bodurtha (1914) 1:158-159] Daniel married second, Emma A. Cole, daughter Judge Albert Cole.

?Soldiers. Ewing tradition [Taylor manuscript (1929)] refers to, "Captain John Preston." Separately, Defiance, Ohio, area histories report William and/or John Preston served and/or were officers in the war of 1812. [Winter (1917), p. 405; Slocum (1905), p. 524] Family tradition about Sheriff William suggests he served.

It's certainly noteworthy to see Ewing documents that bestow a military title on John Preston, but modern Preston family researchers have not found evidence that William and/or John served in the Regular Army. Research continues about those who served in Ohio militias, especially those who might have been associated with Alexander Ewing during the war.

As well, research continues to locate more timely documentation about John Preston and/or something closer to primary information (statements written by his wife during her lifetime, or by his daughter, Eliza). Researchers continue to chisel away at the timeline for John and William Preston in the Piqua area. We can surmise the men were there early enough to have provided a courtship for John and Sophia--but were they at Piqua early enough to have participated in war of 1812 missions that involved others from Piqua?

"The growing town [Piqua] was considerably helped by the War of 1812 ... Piqua became a place of rendezvous during the war. Provisions were collected there and from there transported north. This brought a good deal of business to the town." [Harbaugh (1909), p. 133]

In the alternative, did somehow the war bring them to Piqua, or did they migrate there for some other reason.

Genealogy is a journey. Questions remain; research continues.

Summary. There is more to write about John Preston, but the short genealogical sketch in the graphic here summarizes discussions about his family for the purpose of this section 2.6.

For the fun of it ... early Piqua habits. In his 1909 work, Harbaugh included the account of Joseph Hilliard about some early Piqua habits. "The common dress of the young men consisted of hunting shirts made of buckskin and cut in notches in such a way as to make ornamental fringes, and pantaloons of the same material. Instead of hats they wore fur caps of their manufacture and made from the skin of fox or raccoon and adorned with the tail of the animal for a pendant. Boots and shoes were little worn, buckskin moccasins being worn instead. When fine shoes were worn they were ... much longer than the foot and terminated in a sharp point which of course turned up. Young ladies dresses were made of calico or chintz, but principally of calico. Their ordinary dresses were made of striped linsey and very often they had no other kind. There were no hoops in those days, our log cabins scarcely affording sufficient room for the modern style of female dress." [Harbaugh (1909), p. 133]

----
[1] Some early documents related to the Ewing trading operation are extant--part of 56 boxes/32 volumes of the William Griffiths Ewing and George Washington Ewing Papers held by Indiana State Library [my notes read "G. W. and W. G. Ewing Papers" (business records); earliest recorded date, 1801]. These records are mostly not indexed; they have not been reviewed by those researching John and William Preston.
[2] Since both provide secondary information, if we aren't able to drill down and find the documents Taylor consulted for the 1929 manuscript with the documents William E. Hood consulted for his 1904 affidavit (transcribed), we can't really know if they weren't working with the very same set of materials.

<<< 2.05 Death plus 30 <<< *** >>> 2.07 You do the math >>>

Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis (2.05 of 3)

2011-06-16T17:25:00.025-07:00

Mistaken identities and relationships often lead to improper genealogy links and brick walls. The series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis," explains how a group of researchers ultimately collaborated to better identify William Preston, and how that reformed identification led the group to his ancestral family.

Part 1-No shortage of inconsistencies, 10 June 2011
A collection of inconsistent information written about about William Preston, the first sheriff of Williams County, Ohio.

Part 2-Driven to a more historical account (8 postings), 16 June 2011
Genealogy is a journey. The second article in this series presents particular information we used to break down our brick wall. The various postings mention how the records were discovered, questioned and evaluated to better identify Sheriff William Preston.
2.01 William and his Miss Butler (marriage)
2.02 He survives (census)
2.03 The Butler did it! (identifying our Butler family)
2.04 I do declare, and he did! (declaration)
2.05 Death plus 30 (probate)
2.06 Of brothers and soldiers (about John Preston)
2.07 You do the math (about William C. Preston and the King)
2.08 One good deed (and the long road home)
2.09 Through the peep hole (the larger family)
2.10 Rummaging about Rumney

Part 3-Putting it all together

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 2-Driven to a more historical account

2.05 Death plus 30

Williams County, Ohio, didn't being keeping death records until 1867, and we have not otherwise located an obituary or tombstone that might have memorialized William Preston's demise. Sena (Preston) Stupka and Richard Paul Springer, Iowa cousins, both reported Sheriff William drowned in the Auglaize River.

The best evidence of William's death is a probate file, dated August 22, 1839 (Williams County, case #74).

I don't know why the file is dated 1839. Some 18 months earlier, the widow, Asenath, had asked the court to appoint William Semans as administrator. We believe this William Semans was otherwise the first Williams County treasurer; he was a member of the Williams County bar in 1837. [Winter, History of Northwest Ohio, pp. 407, 618] In the 1850 U.S. census, William Semans was enumerated at Defiance, by then Defiance County, as a lawyer, age 48; born Virginia.

About the estate, however, it's a court record dated 1868, thirty years later, that is so remarkable. Asenath was the only Preston mentioned in more timely entries about the estate, but the 1868 document includes a list of heirs. See the graphic below for the passage, "In the matter of the Estate of William Preston, deceased-- ... thereupon came William Preston, Henry C. Preston, Geo. W. Preston, James P. Preston, William Preston & Alice Preston, Heirs of said decedent ...."

Descendants of the Iowa family branches were interested to find more than four persons listed as heirs. All of us, however, were impressed to find six names, including two named William. One of the Williams seems referred to therein as "William Preston 1st."

Analysis of William's 1830 census and Asenath's 1840 census suggest a sixth child did live in the home.

I have not concluded the sixth child in the home at 1830 or 1840 is another son of William Preston, much less a child named William. I have also not identified the second William Preston listed among Sheriff William Preston's heirs present at court in 1868.

<<< 2.04 I do declare ... ! <<< *** >>> 2.06 Brothers and soldiers >>>

Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis (2.04 of 3)

2011-06-16T17:04:00.013-07:00

Mistaken identities and relationships often lead to improper genealogy links and brick walls. The series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis," explains how a group of researchers ultimately collaborated to better identify William Preston, and how that reformed identification led the group to his ancestral family.

Part 1-No shortage of inconsistencies, 10 June 2011
A collection of inconsistent information written about about William Preston, the first sheriff of Williams County, Ohio.

Part 2-Driven to a more historical account (8 10 postings), 16 June 2011
Genealogy is a journey. The second article in this series presents particular information we used to break down our brick wall. The various postings mention how the records were discovered, questioned and evaluated to better identify Sheriff William Preston.
2.01 William and his Miss Butler (marriage)
2.02 He survives (census)
2.03 The Butler did it! (identifying our Butler family)
2.04 I do declare, and he did! (declaration)
2.05 Death plus 30 (probate)
2.06 Of brothers and soldiers (about John Preston)
2.07 You do the math (about William C. Preston and the King)
2.08 One good deed (and the long road home)
2.09 Through the peep hole (the larger family)
2.10 Rummaging about Rumney

Part 3-Putting it all together

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 2-Driven to a more historical account

2.04 I do declare, and he did!

John Butler's Revolutionary War pension file (no. S46,461, BLWt 1505-100) represents 14 filmed pages. The file includes correspondence from others who early researched the Butler family, but the core file is John's application for a bounty land warrant. His application is dated 8 August 1828; the personal statement he submitted at that time was witnessed by William Preston.

Some six months later, 7 April 1829, additional documentation was prepared and submitted in support of John's application. Among the 1829 documents is a declaration by William Preston in which he represents his age as "forty-nine"; Preston reports he has "long been acquainted with John Butler."

We didn't just note clues that helped weave together bits of evidence. We looked for and communicated about conflicts, too.

(1) Recall the 1830 U.S. Census of William Preston--someone aged 49 on 8 April 1829 (above, the Butler Bounty Land declaration) would have been 50 a year later, but easily could have been enumerated as "of forty and under fifty" at the time of the 1830 census.

(2) Henry C. Preston's biographical sketch [History of Jones County, Iowa (1910) 2: 92-93], reports William Preston died in 1837, then age "fifty-two"--but if our William Preston was ae 49 in 1829, he would have been about age 57 in 1837.

During the National Genealogical Society 2011 conference, Tom Jones quoted Helen Leary, saying "Conflicting evidence is incompatible with a conclusion."

For me, resolving this conflict first involved re-testing the my assertion that the man who (a) witnessed John Butler's application in 1828, (b) supplied the 1829 declaration and would later (c) serve as the administer of John Butler's estate were all the same man and indeed Sheriff William Preston. Satisfied they were, I felt the best evidence of William's age was his own sworn statement providing timely, personal information.

Genealogy is a journey. There is still more to learn.

<<< 2.03 The Butler did it! <<< *** >>> 2.05 Death plus 30 >>>

Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis (2.03 of 3)

2011-06-16T10:30:00.027-07:00

Mistaken identities and relationships often lead to improper genealogy links and brick walls. The series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis," explains how a group of researchers ultimately collaborated to better identify William Preston, and how that reformed identification led the group to his ancestral family.

Part 1-No shortage of inconsistencies, 10 June 2011
A collection of inconsistent information written about about William Preston, the first sheriff of Williams County, Ohio.

Part 2-Driven to a more historical account (8 10 postings), 16 June 2011
Genealogy is a journey. The second article in this series presents particular information we used to break down our brick wall. The various postings mention how the records were discovered, questioned and evaluated to better identify Sheriff William Preston.
2.01 William and his Miss Butler (marriage)
2.02 He survives (census)
2.03 The Butler did it! (identifying our Butler family)
2.04 I do declare, and he did! (declaration)
2.05 Death plus 30 (probate)
2.06 Of brothers and soldiers (about John Preston)
2.07 You do the math (about William C. Preston and the King)
2.08 One good deed (and the long road home)
2.09 Through the peep hole (the larger family)
2.10 Rummaging about Rumney

Part 3-Putting it all together

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 2-Driven to a more historical account

2.03 The Butler did it!

A Butler connection
In 1997, genealogists in Williams County called our attention to a 1947 news clipping about the death of a Revolutionary War veteran, John Butler (1830). This John Butler's estate had been administered a William Preston. Hopeful this John Butler might be related to Asenath (Butler) Preston, cousin William Smith ordered the probate file. The file called out John Butler's widow, Lena, but didn't directly directly provide other details about John or William. Or did it....

Published notices of the same death, often the same estate led us to John's Revolutionary War pension file (file no. S46,461, BLWt 1505-100) and provided an insight into John's larger family, sometimes called the "Fighting Butlers."

No if, ands or buts--when one source referred to or was derived from another, whether obvious or not, we wanted want to review that second source.

One patriot's record and a bit of Irish luck
We learned a bit more about John from his Revolutionary War pension file. To the point of this case, the file reported John Butler's "discharge [from military service] was Last at the time General Hull surrendered Detroit." By comparison, William's wife, Asenath, was said to have resided Detroit at the time of that surrender. [History of Jones County, Iowa (1910) 2: 92-93] (Detroit had a population of about 600 persons in 1812. ["Siege of Detroit," Wikipedia])

John's application made reference to the location of his current residence. As luck would have it, that record had to be altered to read, "Richland town[ship]." The file includes separate remarks about the alterations, saying it was, "necessary to alter the name of the county as Henry is attached to Williams [for government]." A strike through in the document (see the graphic above) can be interpreted to place John at "Snaketown" (now Florida, Ohio). These locations, Snaketown or Florida (Ohio), correlate favorably with historical accounts saying William's wife, "Miss Butler," had brothers living on the Maumee River, not far from Defiance. [History of Defiance (1883), p. 157]

We never stopped asking each other to explain the reason why any particular document or entry should be considered more than coincidental or something other than "the name's the same."

Documents located later named Asenath's father as John Butler, but the pension file alone (including reference to Hull's surrender and the Snaketown location) suggested a family relationship was quite possible between the two Butlers. More to the point of this case, however, researchers concluded Sheriff William was almost certainly the man who administered this John Butler's estate.

Evidence connecting the good sheriff to John Butler was important, because another document in the pension file provided us identifying primary information about William Preston ....

<<< 2.02 He survives <<< *** >>> I do declare, and he did! >>>

Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis (2.02 of 3)

2011-06-16T09:12:00.028-07:00

Mistaken identities and relationships often lead to improper genealogy links and brick walls. The series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis," explains how a group of researchers ultimately collaborated to better identify William Preston, and how that reformed identification led the group to his ancestral family.

Part 1-No shortage of inconsistencies, 10 June 2011
A collection of inconsistent information written about about William Preston, the first sheriff of Williams County, Ohio.

Part 2-Driven to a more historical account (8 10 postings), 16 June 2011
Genealogy is a journey. The second article in this series presents particular information we used to break down the brick wall. The various postings mention how the records were discovered, questioned and evaluated to better identify Sheriff William Preston.
2.01 William and his Miss Butler (marriage)
2.02 He survives (census)
2.03 The Butler did it! (identifying our Butler family)
2.04 I do declare, and he did! (declaration)
2.05 Death plus 30 (probate)
2.06 Of brothers and soldiers (about John Preston)
2.07 You do the math (about William C. Preston and the King)
2.08 One good deed (and the long road home)
2.09 Through the peep hole (the larger family)
2.10 Rummaging about Rumney

Part 3-Putting it all together

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 2-Driven to a more historical account

2.02 He survives

Despite numerous historical references to William Preston's demise in about 1828 (years before my ancestor was born), we find his name reported in the 1830 U.S. Census--at Defiance, then Williams County.

This William Preston's age is reported as "of forty and under fifty" (indirectly, born 1780-1790). There are three (3) children in the home, all said under the age of five. Humm...

Working with early U.S. census can be tricky business. This census has been reviewed many times by researchers, in part because of what seems an extra young boy in the home. At different times, researchers have reviewed the handwritten numbers in this entry against the numbers in other entries. While it's not shown in the graphic, the enumerator for the Defiance 1830 census was John Perkins, possibly the same man who married William and Asenath in 1820.

What information do you usually note about early census? Do you make the effort to reconcile each entry against what you know about the family group? Do you check to see if the census was reported in alphabetical order? If it's not in alphabetical order, do you record the names of apparent neighbors or where you found others of the same surname in the same town?

P.S. Indexing gone wild. Years ago, I found William's census entry had been mis-indexed at Ancestry.com as "William Fuston," so I sent in a correction. Somehow the correction was entered to two different records. When I revisited the census more recently, the I found two William Prestons in the index at Ancestry. One is my William and the other, his apparent neighbor, William Gragham. Sigh.

<<< 2.01 Miss Butler <<< *** >>> 2.03 The Butler Did it! >>>

Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis (2.01 of 3)

2011-06-16T07:58:00.027-07:00

Mistaken identities and relationships often lead to improper genealogy links and brick walls. The series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis," explains how a group of researchers ultimately collaborated to better identify William Preston, and how that reformed identification led the group to his ancestral family.

Part 1-No shortage of inconsistencies, 10 June 2011
A collection of inconsistent information written about about William Preston, the first sheriff of Williams County, Ohio.

Part 2-Driven to a more historical account (8 10 postings), 16 June 2011
Genealogy is a journey. The second article in this series (in eight separate postings) presents particular information we used to break down the brick wall. The various postings mention how the records were discovered, questioned and evaluated to better identify Sheriff William Preston.
2.01 William and his Miss Butler (marriage)
2.02 He survives (census)
2.03 The Butler did it! (identifying our Butler family)
2.04 I do declare, and he did! (declaration)
2.05 Death plus 30 (probate)
2.06 Of brothers and soldiers (about John Preston)
2.07 You do the math (about William C. Preston and the King)
2.08 One good deed (and the long road home)
2.09 Through the peep hole (the larger family)
2.10 Rummaging about Rumney

Part 3-Putting it all together

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 2-Driven to a more historical account

2.01 William and his Miss Butler

Historical accounts report William Preston married a "Miss Butler, whose brothers lived about eight miles below on the Maumee." [History of Defiance County (1883), p. 157] They probably married before Mrs. Hill "lived with the Prestons" at the old fort during the year 1821-1822. [History of Defiance County (1883), p. 261] Family tradition written by William's children and/or records about them call the mother "Asenath Butler."

As early as the 1960s, family members had searched about Williams and Defiance counties for a record of William's marriage. In the late 1990s, our collaborative group broadened the search and found what seemed the right record indexed among the marriages of Wood County, Ohio.

As with many documents presented in this article, we learned more by researching beyond "just the facts." We discovered direct and indirect clues that helped us confirm this record was about our ancestors' marriage and learned more about them in the process.

What clues would you have found?

Hints. This marriage (a) recorded six months after the fact; (b) found in Wood County books; (c) among the very first marriages recorded Wood (page 2 of book 1); (d) she is reported "Miss ... Butler," married by (d) John Perkins, J.P. Preceding entry (e) recorded on the same date is Billair-?Gorden, married by (f) William Preston, J.P. carries dateline "[(g)] Defiance, [(h)] November 22nd ..." See also Slocum, History of the Maumee River Basin ... , p. 528.

[For this graphic, we pulled a nice, clean image from FamilySearch. The entry had been indexed as "William Mr. Preston" and "Asseneth Miss Butler." Sigh.]

<<< Part 1 Inconsistencies <<< *** >>> 2.02 He survives >>>

Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis Part 1 of 3

2011-06-10T18:06:00.009-07:00

Thanks to the efforts of many, our family enjoys the luxury of various written family tradition. We are also fortunate to have stories about family members memorialized in county history books written in the 19th and 20th century. Every so often a snippet of family tradition here or there, or brief mention by a historian has led us down an unfruitful research path. So became the case of research about William Preston of Williams County, Ohio. We affectionately refer to him as Sheriff William Preston--he migrated to and became the first sheriff of Williams County, Ohio, twice elected.

Mistaken identities and relationships often lead to improper genealogical links and brick walls. This series of blog postings explains how a group of researchers ultimately collaborated to better identify William Preston, and how that reformed identification led us to his ancestral family.

Part 1-No shortage of inconsistencies, 10 June 2011
Part 2-Driven to a more historical account
Part 3-Putting it all together

------------------------------------------------------------------------

WILLIAM PRESTON married, at probably Defiance, then Williams County proper, 7 Dec 1820, ASENATH BUTLER (1802-1888), the daughter of John Butler. William's five identified children were born at Ohio, in or near Defiance. The children ranged in age between two and ten in 1837, when William is thought to have died.

1. William Preston, b. 06 Feb 1826; d. Bridgewater twp., Williams Co., Ohio, 17 May 1910
2. Alice Loraine (Preston) VanWormer, b. 17 ?Dec 1827; d. Cedar Falls, Iowa, 27 Feb 1919
3. George Washington Preston, b. 07 Dec 1832 (twin) d. Jones County, Iowa, 5 Nov 1901
4. Henry C. Preston, b. 07 Dec 1832 (twin) d. Jones County, Iowa, 10 Mar 1910
5. James P. Preston, b. 22 Feb 1835; d. 20 Dec 1906 (resided Deer Lodge, Montana, from 1870-1900)

The eldest of the identified children, William Preston (1826-1910) lived at Bridgewater twp., Williams County, Ohio. Three of the children, Alice, George and Henry, removed with their mother, Asenath, step-father, Asa Ruggles Thomas and family, to Jones County, Iowa. The youngest, James P. Preston, set out from Ohio for the California gold mines, shortly after 1851.

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PART 1-No shortage of inconsistencies

Mistaken marker
Those who travel the beautiful shoreline area of Defiance, Ohio, will find historical markers at the former locations of Fort Defiance (1794) and Fort Winchester (1813). The latter marker, most recently placed in 2010, includes the statement, "Shortly [after the "Army abandoned the post in the spring of 1815"], settlers inhabited the fort. These included William Preston, a veteran of Gen. Anthony Wayne's army ..."

This reference is certainly about Sheriff William, as he was a first settler of Defiance, but the officer serving under General Wayne was not a first settler. If the marker's claims were true, however, he would have been Maj. William Preston (1765-1821) of Virginia and Kentucky, appointed captain by President Washington in 1794.

The origin of the mistaken identity is not yet clear; however, Slocum's 1905, History of the Maumee River ..., supposed the same confusion.

Helen (Burgoon) (Von Clasburg) Preston (1899-1988) took up Slocum's published lead in the late 1960s, hoping further research might lead to a DAR connection for descendants. Helen's husband, John Preston (1904-1997), was a grandson of James P. Preston (1835-1906).

Modern family researchers believe the good sheriff likely served in the war of 1812, but no evidence of service in the Regular Army has been found that might be attributed to him. Research continues about those who served in Ohio militias at that time.

Premature demise
Perhaps nothing is more disheartening than to read over and over again that your ancestor died seven years before the birth of his son, also your ancestor.

History of Defiance County, Ohio (Chicago: Warner, Beers, 1883), p. 157, "William Preston ... removed to St. Joseph Township, Williams County, where he died about 1828."
Nevin O. Winter, History of Northwest Ohio (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1917) 1:405, "William Preston ... finally removed to Williams County, where he died about the year 1828."
Charles Elihu Slocum (1841-1915), History of the Maumee River basin from the earliest account to its organization into counties (Indianapolis: Bowen & Slocum, 1905), p. 524, "He removed to a farm in St. Joseph Township, Williams County, probably in 1827, where he died about 1828."

Sena, Cynthia, 1800 and four
By the mid-1940s, Sarah Asenath “Sena” (Preston) Stupka (1880-1963) had written a family history (booklet). Sena was the daughter of George Washington Preston (1832-1901), and the journal mostly mentions her Iowa cousins' families (descendants of William and Asenath's three children who removed to Iowa). Sena sometimes commented about how she learned information ("I came across the letter I received in 1943, from Myrtle Van Wormer, she said ..."), but other notes are unsourced.

One unsourced passage concerns Sheriff William and his parents. Sena wrote, "[Williams' father (she calls him Charles)] came from England, away back when there were pilgrams [... and Indian Wars;] he was a teacher and preacher at the Crossroads ["born 1760"] had a family of children. was married to Cynthia Lord ["1762"][who] was 40 years old when George W was born. [Their son] William G Preston was born June [1 or 9]st 1800 [appears an altered year] died 1837 married 1828 to Asenath Butler, born 1802 died 1888 ["86 yrs old"]. 4 children were born to this marriage."

Of the entry as a whole, after years of research, descendants have only been able to reason Sena's assertions about (a) William's relationship to Asenath Butler, (b) Aseanth's lifespan dates and (c) the year given for Sheriff William's death.

Separate from the passage above, Sena reports William drowned in the Auglaize River. Likewise separately, without reconciling the conflicts, Sena calls him Sheriff William C[harles] Preston and reports he died 1837, then age "fifty two."

Richard, Charles, Surrey and 1760
Richard Paul Springer (1940-2005), a second great-grandson of Henry C. Preston (1832-1910), made trips to Iowa, Ohio and elsewhere, interviewing cousins and visiting cemeteries. He loved history and the quest. After Richard passed away, his widow shared genealogical records found on Richard's computer.

Only partially echoing assertions in Sena's journal, Richard's computer notes suggest the sheriff's father was "Charles Preston," born in "Sussex or Surrey England in 1760 [who] married Cynthia Lord in 1780. Came to America settling in New Hampshire where he was a teacher and preacher." Richard reported son William was born in 1785; another son, John, 1787, but also reported the man we know otherwise as Sheriff William Preston to have been born in 1760. Richard supposed William had settled in Ohio "By 1810," and believed he was the Sergeant William Preston of Captain Joseph Carpenter's Company (2nd Ohio) in the War of 1812.

As with Sena's journal, researchers have not found evidence or explanation for a some of the details Richard provided in his notes about Sheriff William Preston.

James, the captain and ten
James P. Preston (1835-1906) would have been only two years old in 1837, when the family believes his father died. James seems to be the first to migrate from Ohio. He traveled originally to California, but later settled at Deer Lodge, Montana. In 1885, a biographical sketch was published about dear old James P. Preston. This publication calls the father "Captain William Preston, an officer of 1812." James reportedly "left his parents" at age seventeen and was "the youngest of a family of ten children."

Henry C. Preston and "fifty two"
In 1910, a biographical sketch of Henry C. Preston was published. This sketch reports Henry was born "in Defiance county, Ohio, on the 7th of December, 1831," to parents William C. and Acenath (Butler) Preston. The father is described as "a native of New Hampshire," who settled at Fort Defiance where he operated a "trading post for ten or twelve years." After which "he removed to Williams county, Ohio, where he entered a quarter section of land and turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits. This farm afterward became the site of the town of Edgerton." Henry's sketch remarks about William Preston's death in 1837, "when he had attained the age of fifty-two years."

About Sheriff William, the sketch continues, "His political allegiance was given to the Whig party and he served for two terms as sheriff of Defiance county. He was a worthy exemplar of the Masonic fraternity and the weight of his influence was ever given on the side of right, truth, justice and progress. His widow, long surviving him, removed westward in 1854 and throughout the remaining years of her life made her home among her children in Iowa. She lived to attain the ripe old age of eighty-five years, passing away in April, 1888. At the time of Hull's surrender she was a resident of Detroit."

Tom, William and Cynthia, Furness Abbey and collaboration
In 1998, Thomas R. Preston (1941-2001), a descendant of Henry C. Preston (1832-1910), sent a query to Fred Preston's "Preston Bulletin Board." The query suggested the immigrating parents, William and Cynthia Lord, came from Furness Abbey [Cumbria] and settled at Rumney, New Hampshire; had sons William and John. These "sons migrated to Ohio, around Defiance and fought in the war of 1812."

By that time, Tom was collaborating with our cousin, Gene Preston of Michigan, a descendant of George W. Preston (1832-1901). Gene already had a copy of Sena's 1940s era genealogy and had begun the process of seeking supporting documentation.

Interestingly enough, on the same date Tom's query was posted, Dr. William Smith, a descendant of James P. Preston (1835-1906) sent a query to the same board, seeking research about the same family at Defiance, Ohio. Dr. Bill had long been developing web pages about Sheriff William and his family. In part because of this ironic set of queries, researchers descending of all five of William's identified children ultimately came to exchange notes and records.

What does it all mean?
In the midst of the process to uncover, question and evaluate yet other documents, Tom Preston sent an e-mail to this blogger asking "What does it all mean?" We hope the next article in this series begins to answer his question.

For now, I wonder how many inconsistencies readers can spot in the various information related to this blog entry?

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Supplemental blog pages, below, include more extractions from some of the historical references mentioned in this article. Each extract is further linked to digital images of the publication at InternetArchives.org.

History of Defiance County, Ohio (1883)
Slocum, History of the Maumee River Basin ... (1905)
Winter, History of Northwest Ohio ... vol. 1 (1917)

>>> Continue reading - 2.01 William and his Miss Butler >>>

History of Defiance (1883)

2011-06-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

This page supports the blog series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis."

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"Click here," below, to view the passage in its full context at InternetArchive.org.

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(1) p. 84 [Click here] "The first court in Williams County at Defiance was held April 5, 1824, with Ebenezer Land, Presiding Judge, and Robert Shirley, John Perkins and Pierce Evans, Associate Judges. ... William Preston was sheriff."

(2) p. 85 [Click here] "First Elections: At the first elections for county officers, held April 8, 1824, Timothy T. Smith received 37 votes, and H. Jerome 26 for Auditor; for Coroner, Arthur Burras 6 votes, John Oliver 40, and Tomas Warren 17; for Sheriff, James Shirley had 14 votes and William Preston, 48; for Commissioners, Jesse Hilton, 58, Cyrus Hunter 37, Charles Gunn, 31, Montgomery Evans, 28, Benjamin Leavell, 26, William Hunter, 4, and John Oliver, 1."

(3) pp. 156-157 [Click here] “In 1819, William Travis, a pioneer of Noble Twp, visited Fort Defiance, and found here seven cabins, occupied by French traders. A few Americans were also here. In old Fort Winchester, John and William Preston were living. The former had married a daughter of Judge Ewing, of Troy, Miami Co, Ohio, and died soon after Mr. Travis came."

(4) p. 157 [Click here] “William Preston, who was a soldier at Fort Winchester in 1812, is regarded as the first white permanent settler of Fort Defiance. He married a Miss Butler whose brothers lived about eight miles below on the Maumee. He was a farmer by occupation, intelligent, sober and industrious. He removed to St. Joseph Township, Williams County, where he died about 1828.

(5) p. 203 [Click here] Recollections of Shirley family, “My parents were pleased to find Mr. William Preston, a gentleman of intelligence and of pleasing manners, in possession of the fort. He had been there most of the time since the war”; she continues, ”There were two good log houses In the fort, built for the officers, one of which Mr. Preston’s family occupied; in the other, my father’s family found narrow but quite comfortable quarters.”

(6) p.. 261 [Click here] “…during the year 1821-22, Mrs. Hill lived with the Prestons, who at that time occupied the old fort, using the block houses for storing grain. Preston kept tavern in a log house near the fort.”

Winter, History of Northwest Ohio (1917)

2011-06-10T17:58:00.003-07:00

This page supports the series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis."

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"Click here," below, to view the passage in its full context at InternetArchive.org.

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(1) 1: 405 [Click here] “Among the first, if not the very first, real settlers who established themselves in the neighborhood of Fort Defiance were two brothers, by the name of John and William Preston, who had seen service in the War of 1812. William Preston became the first sheriff in this part of Ohio and finally removed to Williams County, where he died in about the year 1828. His brother had passed away several years earlier. His surname is perpetuated at Defiance in the name of an island and also of a small creek. At the same time came James Partee, John Plummer, John Perkins, and Montgomery Ebons […..] John Perkins came from near Chillicothe … surveyed land for the United States … James Partee located along the Tiffin River. William Travis, who became one of the prominent early settlers of Defiance, first visited the town in 1819 … James Driver, who was a silversmith, came here accompanied by his brother, Thomas…."

(2) 1: 406 [Click here] "When Williams County was organized for self Government, in 1824, Defiance was chosen as the seat of government by and act of the Legislature in January of the following year. Prior to that i had been a part of Wood County, and was included within Auglaize Township. The first two justices of the peace were John Perkins and William Preston ... As a consideration for its selection as the permanent county seat, the proprietor of Defiance agreed to deed to the county one-third of all the lots in the town and to build a jail. These conditions were complied with. The first Court of Common Pleas for this county was held in that village on April 5, 1824, in the second story of Benjamin Leavell's store. Ebenezer Lane was the presiding judge, and his associates on the bench were Robert Shirley, John Perkins, and Pierce Evans. .... At the second session of these judges, in the following May, John Evans was appointed recorded of the county .... William Preston was allowed to call himself sheriff and Samuel Vance was named as assessor."

(3) 1: 407 [Click here] "Cyrus Hunter, Charles Gunn, and Benjamin Leavell were the first county commissions of Williams County. Their first formal session was held December 6, 1824, in the same room as the court had met. ... They authorized a road along the north side of the Maumee to the east line of Henry County, and William Preston, John Evans, and Arthur Burrows were appointed the viewers of this road, which John Perkins authorized from the Indiana line, along this line was certified to the commissioners of Wood County in 1822. Defiance Township was carved out of Auglaize in the same year. In 1825, William Semans was appointed treasurer of the county ..."

(4) 1: 618 [Click here] "Not much is known about the early bar of the county. In 1837, the only names credited to Williams County were Curtis Bates, Horace Sessions, and William Semans ... In 1842, the names of the lawyers upon the tax list included the following: William Semans ..."

Slocum, History of the Maumee River Basin ... (1905)

2011-06-10T17:55:00.002-07:00

This page supports the series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis."

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"Click here," below, to view the passage in its full context at InternetArchive.org.

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(1) p. 524 [Click here] "Several of the soldiers who served at Fort Winchester and along the the Maumee in the War of 1812 returned to Defiance and its vicinity at the close of the war. Among those who returned in 1815-1815 as settlers in the true sense and were the first to occupy the buildings of Fort Winchester after their abandonment by the soldiers, were John and William Preston [*] brothers; James Partee, John Plummer, John Perkins, and Montgomery Evans …"

"John Preston married a daughter of Judge Ewing of Troy, Ohio. He died about the year 1820. William Preston became the first sheriff in this part of Ohio in 1824. He married a Miss Butler whose brothers dwelt at the site of the present Florida, Henry County. He removed to a a farm in St. Joseph Township, Williams County, probably in 1827, where he died about 1828. His surname is perpetuated at Defiance in island and creek or 'run.' John Perkins came from near Chillicothe, and dwelt some years at Camp No. Three … "

"[*] It is supposed that this William was the Captain Preston with General Wayne's army, see ante pages 201, 202."

(2) p. 528 [Click here] "At the organization of Wood County in 1820, the outlined Counties of Henry, Paulding, Putnam and Williams (then including Defiance) were attached to Wood for government. The Commissioners of Wood County organized the Township of Auglaise to include the territory of all these Counties. The Court appointed March 7, 1820, John Perkins and William Preston of Defiance Justices of the Peace in and for Auglaise Township for a period of three years, the former qualifying August 12th before Charles Gunn Justice of the Peace, and the latter the 14th August before John Perkins. Timothy S. Smith and Charles Gunn were appointed in April, 1823, in place of William Preston ..."

"Williams County was organized for self-government February 2, 1824, and the Counties of Henry, Pauling and Putnam were attached to it for their government. Defiance was chosen the seat of government by an Act of the Legislature January 13, 1825. The first Court of Common Pleas for these counties was held at Defiance April 5, 1824, in the second store of Benjamin Leavell's store, by the appointed Ebenezer Lane as Presiding Judge. Associate Judges Robert Shirley, John Perkins and Pierce Evens, whose commissions from the Governor were signed February 4th. ….The other county officers had been named, as follows: Timothy S. Smith, Auditor; William Preston Sheriff, and Samuel Vance Assessor. …"

(3) p. 529 [Click here] "The County Commissioners, appointed by the Ohio General Assembly, reported to the Court at this session. They were Cyrus Hunter, Charles Gunn and Benjamin Leavell. Their first session, of which we have record, was held December 6, 1824, also in the second story of Leavell's store … William Preston, John Evans and Arthur Burrows were appointed viewers of this road, and John Perkins, surveyor."

Corbit, History of Jones County, Iowa ... v2 (1910)

2011-06-09T16:53:00.002-07:00

This page supports the series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis."

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"Click here," below, to view the passage in its full context at InternetArchive.org.

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p. 92 [Click here]

Henry C. Preston, the owner of a valuable and well improved farm of one hundred and fifty-five acres in Madison township, has now made his home within the borders of this county for forty-five years. His birth occurred in Defiance county, Ohio, on the 7th of December, 1831, his parents being William C. and Acenath (Butler) Preston, the former a native of New Hampshire and the latter of Michigan. Locating at Fort Defiance, the father there conducted a trading post for ten or twelve years, on the expiration of which period he removed to Williams county, Ohio, where he entered a quarter section of land and turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits. This farm afterward became the site of the town of Edgerton. The death of William C. Preston there occurred in 1837, when he had attained the age of fifty-two years. His political allegiance was given to the Whig party and he served for two terms as sheriff of Defiance county. He was a worthy exemplar of the Masonic fraternity and the weight of his influence was ever given on the side of right, truth, justice and progress. His widow, long surviving him, removed westward in 1854 and throughout the remaining years of her life made her home among her children in Iowa. She lived to attain the ripe old age of eighty-five years, passing away in April, 1888. At the time of Hull's surrender she was a resident of Detroit.

Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana ... v2 (1914)

2011-06-09T14:21:00.001-07:00

This page supports the series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis."

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p. 826 [Click here] (quoting below)

William N. Hood. One of the original proprietors of the site of Peru,

William N. Hood was a native of Ohio, born about the year 1791 or '92.
His father, Andrew Hood, emigrated from Kentucky in an early day and
was one of the first residents in the vicinity of Dayton, near which city
the subject of this biography passed his youth and early manhood. In
1819 William Hood came to Indiana and located in Fort Wayne, were
for a number of years he carried on a successful mercantile business,
dealing extensively with the Indians during the period of his residence
there. He moved to Miami county in 1831 and purchased of Mr. Holman
a large tract of land on the Wabash river, including that upon which the
city of Peru now stands ...
While a resident of Fort Wayne, he became acquainted with and mar-
ried Sophia C. Ewing, daughter of Alexander and Charlotte E. Ewing,
who were among the early prominent residents of that city. Mr. and
Mrs. Hood reared five children, viz.: Andrew A., Richard B., William E.,
David B., and Susan W., the wife of Howard Huggins of New York city.
Mr. Hood was a man of fine abilities, and in 1836 was elected to repre-
sent Miami county in the state legislature. He served one term, and in
1838 was re-elected to the same position, but did not live to enter the
second time upon the discharge of his official duties, dying on the 9th
day of July of the latter year. Mrs. Hood survived her husband about
thirty-one years, dying in 1869.

Brice, History of Fort Wayne ... (1868)

2011-06-09T14:12:00.003-07:00

This page supports the series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis."

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p. 23-27 (Biographies addendum) [Click here]

Griswold, The Pictorial History of Fort Wayne Indiana v1 (1917)

2011-06-09T12:44:00.006-07:00

This page supports the series, "Sheriff William Preston's identity crisis."

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(1) p. 254-255 [Click here] (reformed extract below)

(1) p. 255-256 [Click here] (reformed extract below)

Northwest Ohio Plus (present day)

2011-06-09T05:38:00.001-07:00

Beyond the Little Green Leaf: Ancestry for sale, cheap. Vital records not included.

2011-05-31T22:31:00.000-07:00

How five generations of my family mostly managed to avoid vital record registration

This blog entry is a redux of information compiled for another project. I'm adding the content here, because it provides insight into the record circumstance influencing research about which I often blog.

Some of my ancestors were pioneer settlers in the area of Columbiana County, Ohio. These ancestors came to Ohio between about 1800 and 1810, when land there became available for purchase and settlement. They came from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland; the men were farmers and probably traders. The known surnames are Carle, Low(e), Firestone, Miller and Kimmerling.

Columbiana County began recording marriages in 1803, but the practice there of recording births and deaths didn't begin until 1851. http://www.familyhistory101.com/county/oh-county-columbiana.html

Other than the "names the same," the marriage records I work with from Columbiana County don't contain the kind of identifying information by which I could relate them more directly to a birth record (even if such a record existed). The early marriage records I work with from Ohio usually contain the bride/groom names, date of marriage, who performed ceremony, and date and place the marriage was recorded. An example of one marriage record is below.

For the most part, two generations of my family's births and deaths occurred at Columbiana County for which no vital record ever existed.

Moving down the road. Almost 20 years before Columbiana County began to report births and deaths, the third generation of my Ohio based ancestors, those who married at Columbiana County, had moved on. They moved to Richland and then Williams County, Ohio, as land in the more northwestern part of the state opened up. Both Richland and Williams counties didn't begin to record births and deaths until about 1867.

Another group of my ancestors were pioneer settlers in the western part of Ohio. John Butler was an Irish immigrant. He settled at northwest Ohio after his service in the Revolution, via Pennsylvania and Michigan. About 1812-1814, two brothers, reportedly soldiers and traders, arrived from New Hampshire via a route we haven't yet learned. The brothers were in Miami County, Ohio, long enough for one to marry in 1814.

Like Williams County, Miami didn't start to record births and deaths until 1867.

From Miami County, the brothers migrated to Fort Defiance, say 1815-1816. They are considered the first settlers of that place. It became part of Williams County when the latter was formed in 1820. Still later, the same place became part of Defiance County, but I digress.

By the time Williams County was formed, one of the New Hampshire brothers had died. No vital record exists about his death, and his children's births were not recorded, either. The older brother, my ancestor, became the first sheriff of Williams County. He married in 1820, probably at Defiance, then part of Williams County. Williams County didn't have a place to keep records until 1824, so his marriage was not recorded for six months. Even then, it was written into the books of Wood County--two Ohio counties to the east.

Many children were born to the Sheriff and his wife, but there are no vital records about those births.

It's finally 1850--Columbiana County will soon start recording births and deaths. Time for the next generation of my family to migrate out of Ohio via the Oregon Trail, headed for the California gold rush. :) These fine folk will eventually settle at Deer Lodge County, Montana. Deer Lodge didn't start recording births until 1907; they started recording deaths in 1895. :)

... And they blew the house down

2011-05-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

Sad but thankful. In about 1800, my Revolutionary War ancestor, William Preston (1754-1842) built a house at Rumney, New Hampshire. The house still stands, but not for long. Demolition has already begun.

If walls could talk. William's first wife, Elizabeth (Clark) Preston died in 1807, quite likely in the home. Maj. William probably died there, still later. William's second bride, Mary (Herbert) Preston would have considered it to be her home, too.

Elizabeth was the mother of twelve children, and Mary, two. Each of the mothers lost one child young, but there were no doubt many at the table over the years for family occasions. There were other visitors, too. About one of the stories William and Mary's daughter, Hannah (Preston) Webster, told her cousin, Charles Herbert, he wrote (1887), "She remembers men coming about pensions, also when decanters were always on a table—later, when set aside, when any one came & all were welcome—especially old soldiers, it was, 'Mary, get out the decanters--' & her mother speedily responded with other refreshments.”

I imagine this house is where William and Elizabeth's first born son, William, Jr. (b. 1780), announced that he and brother John would set out for Ohio. Maj. William was probably here, at the home, when he learned John Preston had died at Ohio in 1819; son William, in 1837.

Private beach and swimming hole. The house stands on just over 15 acres. The acreage is for sale and soon the house, now in a state of disrepair, will be no more. The property description (Gowen Realty) reads, "This is a great field lot with two levels one part sitting high above the river and the other level at river bank height. This parcel has a great private beach and swimming hole. Equestrian potential keeping horses in the lower field while sitting above on your deck watching them graze and enjoy all the space. Also a terrific view of Stinson." According to the listing agent, parts of the house and/or hardware will be recycled by the demolition firm.

Ivan Kemp. The man who last owned and much loved the house, Ivan Kemp, passed away in 2008. Ivan also cared for the Rumney Cemetery where William Preston and his first wife, Elizabeth (Clark) Preston are buried. Ivan passed away about a month after I last interviewed him.

This old house. I spoke this morning with Susan Turbyne, Byron G. Merrill librarian and active blogger (http://rumneylibrary.blogspot.com/). I understand from our conversation that more than one group organized to save the house, but it was not to be.

Susan says the house was lovely at one time. She's located a picture held by the historical society and hopes to send it along. From my conversation earlier this week with the listing agent, I'm hopeful still other photographs might be found. In the mean time, Susan took time this afternoon to take and send a picture of the home in its partially deconstructed state (above).

Our thanks to those who kept the house standing for more than 200 years, and to those who have otherwise memorialized the house William built.

Zotero and Blogger: Love at first sight

2011-05-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

Zotero is my choice as a user-friendly reference management tool, and Blogger is the place I, err... blog. There's been a little match making going on. My two favs seem to be playing in the same sandbox!

I have Zotero installed in my browser, so logging a Blogger citation entry was as simple as Click- 1-2-3.

I'm using Firefox, and I'm on an iMac. When I'm viewing a Blogger page, a small blue icon appears to the left of the favorites star in the browser address bar. (See the small blue icon circled in the graphic below.)

Clicking on that small blue icon saves the citation metadata as a "blog post" (item type) to Zotero. The metadata saved includes the TITLE of the blog post, DATE of the blog post viewed, the post AUTHOR, the BLOG NAME, web address or URL, and ACCESS DATE.

Isn't this cool! But wait, there's more....

Since the data is saved as a "blog post," once Zotero has captured the metadata, it's a simple 1-2-3 to capture/store an image of the web page and slide the citation into Microsoft Word (for me, that's Microsoft Word 2011 for Mac).

With the blog entry selected (Zotero displays the image #1 in the graphic), I click the paperclip icon on the Zotero toolbar (item 2, circled in red)--Zotero saves a digital version of that relevant blog entry/page as an attachment to the citation entry. (The image attached to my entry has just a little different background than blog page, see the graphic.)

Oooo, don' t you love it.

I simply drag the listed citation entry (not shown in the graphic) to Microsoft Word 2011, and it formats a citation (see #3 in the graphic).

I would probably dress up the formatting (Bear is a big EE fan) and add some additional references, but for Click 1-2-3, I'm more than pleased about this Zotero-Blogger relationship.

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*Note: This worked "out of the box" for blog entries on the front page. To support archived blog postings, I had to update the Blogger.js file in my Mac folder, User>Library> Application Support> Firefox>Profiles>xxx.default>zotero>translators . See the link here for the update input I used.

Beyond the Little Green Leaf: Proving the maiden name of Elizabeth (Clark) Preston (1760-1807)

2011-05-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

It was not surprising to find my ancestor, the wife of Maj. William Preston (1754-1842), listed as "Elizabeth Preston" in the death records of Rumney, New Hampshire. It was disappointing, however, to find her birth recorded there as "Elizabeth Preston." The birth record is negated as evidence, as it is an obviously delayed entry--Rumney wasn't populated until 1765. Unfortunately, the Rumney vital record of her 1779 marriage also called her "Elizabeth Preston." She was the mother of twelve children, and each child's birth vital record calls her just "Elizabeth." Eleven of her children survived at the time of Elizabeth's death.

Understanding the records. In New Hampshire, it has long been the job of the town clerk to record births, marriages and deaths. In the mid-1800s, a law was passed requiring towns to report about vital events to the state. Regular reporting of vital events became more uniform and effective in about 1905, when New Hampshire established a "Bureau of Vital Statistics," See, "New Hampshire Vital Records," for reproduction of George F. Sanborn Jr., FASG, and Alice Eichholz, Ph.D, CG from Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.

I access the early Rumney vital events using FamilySearch collections titled "New Hampshire Birth Records, Early to 1900," "New Hampshire Marriage Records, 1637-1947," and of course, New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947." For the Rumney eighteenth and nineteenth century vital events, these collections represent images of card-like forms created and supplied by the town in about 1905, working from the various early town record books. The entry about William and Elizabeth's 1779 marriage record, from the FamilySearch collection, appears below.

A crack in the armour. If you look closely at the marriage record, above, you'll see someone crossed through Elizabeth's surname, "Preston." The name "Clark" appears faintly written below. Click on the image snippet below to see the strike-through and added notation more clearly.

Perhaps the alteration was made before the records were submitted to the state in 1905, or maybe a third party tried to change the record still later. From looking at the filmed images, we only know this additional "information" was added before the records were filmed by FamilySearch (1975-1976). If only they'd used a Bic, included their initials and dated the entry, huh!

Rumney's Vital Record Books. In 2008, I contacted Rumney Town Clerk, Linda Whitcomb, to learn what I could about the town records. Rumney had received a grant for the maintenance of the old records not too long before, so the records had all been placed in plastic sleeves and rebound. The clerk confirmed the town marriage books report the Major's wife's name as Elizabeth Preston.

A second set of books holds the key. In addition to the vital record books, a set of "Town of Rumney: Town Clerk Ledgers" exists. Linda described the ledgers as "town clerk notes from the late-1700s to the 1800s; notes about the goings on in the town."

Linda found the marriage recorded in the Town of Rumney: Town Clerk Ledgers B: 242. The record reports William Presson and Elizabeth Clark married on 10 May 1779!

So there you have it. A little more than 100 years after her death, Elizabeth has a surname. Maybe someday soon I'll have a snap shot of that entry. --GJ

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Select Sources

[1] "Died," Elizabeth Preston obituary, The Sun, Dover (New Hampshire) Gazette, and County Advertiser, Saturday, June 27, 1807, pg. 3, col. 1; digital image, NewsBank, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 5 January 2008), "Historical Newspapers" collection.

[2] Registrar of Vital Statistics, New Hampshire, "Index to marriages, early to 1900"; for William Preston-Elizabeth Preston, married 10 May 1779, Rumney; database and digital images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : 16 Dec 2010), viewed as part of "New Hampshire Marriage Records, 1637-1947," cites film 1001291.

[3] Town of Rumney, New Hampshire (79 Depot St., Rumney, NH 03266) to GeneJ, information supplied telephonically by Linda Whitcomb, Town Clerk, 20 October 2008, for William Presson and Elizabeth Clark, married 10 May 1779, citing "Town of Rumney: Town Clerk ledger," book B, pg 242.

[4] Separately see, Daughters of the American Revolution National Society, Lineage Books of the Charter Members of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, 152 volumes (18xx-1936); transcribed/database edition, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 2000+), 100 (1928): 12, entry for Mrs. Mary Wallace Morse, DAR ID 99032, "... [descendant of] William Preston m1 Elizabeth Clark ..."

Beyond the Little Green Leaf: Research about Revolutionary War Service

2011-03-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

Now for many years, I've researched the Revolutionary War service of William Preston of Rumney. In 2008, I took on the task of comparing and contrasting information from his pension file with records available from the New Hampshire State Papers. At the conclusion of that effort, I wrote a mostly complete research report. I'm sharing parts of that report here and may comment on it separately.

Ultimately, only a paragraph or so of information about William's service will be finalized and included in his genealogical biography. We chose to take this step to uncover nuances between the records we had about his service and the notes we could find about that service in the New Hampshire State Papers [NHSP].

The report here is in three parts--one section for each phase of his service (Bunker Hill, Quebec and 3rd NH Regiment). (There was a summary, too, but I've updated the blog entry to delete the summary, which captured information from a variety of additional sources.)

BUNKER HILL, etc.

In the c1819 declaration for his pension, William stated:

In an affidavit for Jonathan Fogg dtd 1 Sept 1832, William testified:

In an affidavit for Hannah, Nathaniel Chandler Abbot’s widow, 17 Nov 1837, William testified:

Historical References:

Battle of Lexington - 19 April 1775

Battle of Bunker Hill - 17 June 1775

NHSP Comments:

As below [...], calculated from the payroll records and confirmed by other sources, William’s enlistment can be proven at least to 4 May 1775; continuing though 1 Sept 1775, [at which time he] enlisted for the Quebec expedition.

1. William’s name IS NOT FOUND on the list of Capt. Abbot’s payroll [NHSP 14: 60-62]. The title of that table is, “Pay Roll of Captain Joshua Abbot’s Company in Col. John Stark’s Regiment to August 1, 1775.”

In that roll of Capt. Joshua Abbot’s Company, Samuel Atkinson (no. 2) is reported to be Lieutenant, enlisted 3 May 1775; a footnote to the roll reports that Atkinson was of Boscawen; Nathaniel Chandler Abbot’s name was also on that roll, “Nat Chandler Abbot” (no. 14), enlisted April 24 1775; however, Jonathan Fogg’s name, like William, is not on that roll. Not to worry . . .

2. William’s name IS FOUND on the record of men who were enlisted FROM Abbott/Stark for Dearborn/Arnold’s expedition to Quebec (table “1-240”; NHSP 14: 214-6; Wm on pg 215):

Table 1-240, “Pay Roll of Capt. Henry Dearborns Company in Colo Arnolds detachment for Canada inlisted out of Colo Starks and Colo Poors Regiments from the time of entry in said Regiments to Sept 1^st 1775.” Parts of William’s entry were torn off in the records used to produce the table. The part town includes the column “Time of Entry” (which, according to William’s Rev. War Pension file declaration, should have read May 1 [1775]). Fortunately, the entry for his “Whole Amount” paid (including blanket and coat), “£9 . 12s. –,“ is reported. Table below reconstructs this “Whole Amount” to the equivalent ”Amount of Wages,” for William, from which his “Time of Entry” can be best estimated. (According to Wiki, prior to 1971, there were 20 shillings in a pound; table 1-240 says privates were paid 40 shillings/month):

The entry next listed in full, after the torn or illegible entries that include William’s) is a James Beverly.[1] James Beverly has the same “whole” amount as William. Ditto, dear James had no travel miles and was also a private. As this James Beverly enlisted 4 May 1775—it seems reasonable to assume that our William’s “official” enlistment date was probably exactly or about the same.

So, the most complete independent source for William’s Bunker Hill service is, interestingly enough, the 1 Sep 1775 Dearborn table 1-240 at NHSP Vol. 14, pgs 214-216; William at pg 215.

[1] He is presumably the same James Beverly, of Nottingham, who had wife Margaret, on whose behalf William Preston supplied an affidavit dated 7 Aug 1837 [Revolutionary War Pension file W15, 576].

=====================================

QUEBEC EXPEDITION

In his declaration, William stated:

"[...In September 1775] I joined Capt Henry

Dearborn's company (now. Gen'l Dearborn) Benedict

Arnold was Commander of the detachment we marched

through the Province of Main so on to Quebeck ---

on the 30^th* day of December (morning) the day General

Montgomer was killed I was taken prisoner where I rem-

aind until Sept 1776 and the most part of sd time in

Irons from there I was put aboard a Ship and carried

to New York where I was Exchang’d. I got discharged

and returnd Home the last of October 1776 ..."

[Pension file S3,222]

* Separately, Montgomery said killed 31^stDec 1775.

In an affidavit for Elkanhan Danforth dtd 6 Dec 1819, William testified:

I enlisted into the Company of Capt Hennery

Dearborn in the regiment of Col. Benedick Arnold in Cambridge

in the State of Massachusetts in September AD. 1775

in the revolutionary war under the contanintal establishment

for the expedition to Canada [...]and said regiment in Septem

ber 1775 and on or about the Eighteenth day of September

1775 we embarked at Newburyport on our sd

expedition for Canada and on the Thirty first day of

December 1775 at the Siege of Quebeck I [...]

was taken prisoner [...]

and was retaind at Quebeck till sometime

In August AD 1776 at which time we were shipd to

New York and retaind aboard said ship till some

time in the Month of October 1776 at which time

we were set on shore at Elizabeth Town in New Jersey

from thence we went to Kingsbridge in New York where a

part of our Army was; and we received thirteen Months

pay from the continental pay Master and than returnd

home on parole ...

[Pension file W15,889, S16,959]

William Preston’s 1842 obituary [The (Baltimore, Maryland) Sun, reports William was sent to the Quebec prison and held there “mostly” in irons.

Comments:

One assumes there are many document to be discovered that mention William in the Quebec mission, his captivity and release at New York, but the three references below seem good “independent” sources for William’s service in the mission to Quebec and his captivity.

1. NHSP Vol. 14:

The Dearborn table dated 1 Sept 1775 (“1-240,” previously herein, “Bunker Hill”) proves William signed up for the campaign.

2. NHSP Vol. 14

Table on pgs 210-212 (Wm on pg 211, no 26) reports that on 18 Sept 1775, William rec’d two months wages for the Campaign from Saml Brooks.

3. George Gilmore (see source below) put together a list of the NH men who were at Bunker Hill. He included notations about those who went to Quebec, and even made notations about those who were taken prisoner at Quebec. He lists our William, notes Wm was at Bunker Hill (citing NHSP vol. 14), that he went to Quebec, and that he was taken prisoner at Quebec.

George C. Gilmore, State Senators 1784-1900 : New Hampshire Men at Bunker Hill (1899); digital images, Google Books (http://www.books.google.com : accessed 13 November 2008), cited as Gilmore’s Manual, entry at pg 43 for William Preston of Rumney, Private, Abbot’s Company, Stark’s Regiment, citing NHSP, vol. 14, pg 217, remarks report William was a taken prisoner in Arnold’s expedition to Quebec [“A. P.,” see pg. 29 “Men taken prisoner at Quebec].

Concord archives (Benoit Shoja) suggested contacting Quebec archives to for inquiry about William during his time captivity. Google Books, noted a text _Report on Canadian Archives_, pg. 176, …”No. 3, “List of Prisoners taken at Quebec, 13st December 1775”; No. 4, “Recapitulation of prisoners taken from the beginning of the war up to 10^th August 1776.” Google Books reports any number of books that report some Quebec prisoners were returned aboard ships that arrived New York 11 Sept 1776, and that from those ships, the prisoners were exchanged, seems gradually. (Search terms: Quebec Prisoners released September 1776 "New York".)

==============================

3rd NH (Three Years)

In his declaration, William states:

William Preston wrote, "[...I]n January

1777 I enlisted in Capt. Benjamin Stones Company

third New Hampshire Reg. Commanded by Elexander

SCammels for three years and marched immediately

for Ticonderoque in June following I was taken prison-

er by the Indians on the last of Sept I made my escape

and joined my company before the taking of Borquene

I was in the Battle at Monmouth in the year 1778

and in 1779 I went with Gen'l Sulivan up Suquehan-

nah River so on to Genesee to Destroy the Indian Settle-

ments &c. and was at Newton Battle with the Indians ..."

The Revolutionary War pension file includes William’s discharge papers dtd 21 Jan 1780, Danbury, Conn., signed by Brig. General Enoch Poor and Major James Norris.

William Preston’s obituary says, “he was three months captive" with Native Americans, "when a British general bought him" for a "keg of rum." Other research is needed to identify information from which we might learn more about this note.

Comments:

The NHSP provide numerous references to William’s three-year service in the 3^rd NH Regiment. Several references in the NHSP provide for his discharge on 10 Feb 1780 after his term of service, and, apparently based on that discharge date, some set his enlistment date exactly three years earlier; however, images of the original papers appear in his pension file set a discharge date as 21 Jan 1780 at Danbury, Conn.—one assumes William did not register later than three years prior, so no later than 21 January 1777.

Later references in the NHSP (v16) suggest William was a Corporal and rec’d promotion 1 Jan 1778 to Sergeant. The earlier references (v14) either suggest William enlisted as a private or are silent as to his rank.

When William enlisted, he was assigned to Capt. Benjamin Stone’s unit. Stone resigned 20 May 1779, and Capt. David McGregore (or McGregor) took charge of the unit. The rolls returned by Capt. McGregore remark that William Preston was transferred to Capt. Hawkins’ unit [poss. the William A. Hawkins, Captain in 3^rd Regiment (see v16, p 208 for list of Scammell’s officers)].

Volume 14

Vol. 14 pgs 565-9, table 3-41, “Three Years Men enlisted from Col. Stickney’s Militia Regiment, 1777”:

For men enlisted “Three Years …. from Col. Stickney’s Militia Regiment, 1777. [Noted as Col. Stickney “of Concord”]; pg. 566 for “William Presson [no rank], Rumney,” from Concord Parish, with Captain Stone.

Vol. 14 pgs 656-8, table 3-137, “Captain Stone’s Co.”

For the “Muster Roll” of Capt. Benj. Stone’s Co. in Col. Scammel’s Regiment, certified by William White, Muster Master and by Joseiah Gillman Junr, the latter dated Exeter, 1 Oct 1778; pg 656, William’s name near the bottom, reports he mustered 21 Mar 1777; no rank stated, but his “State Bounty” was £20; he was not credited with travel miles to Charlestown; Benjamin Presson on the following page, mustered 3 April 1777; also with “State Bounty” of £20.

Volume 15

Vol. 15 pgs 459-60, table 5-30, “Men Enlisted from Colo. Hobart’s Regiment,”

Original title “List of the “Mens Names and the Towns they belong to…. Engaged in the Continental Service for Three years … under the Command of Colo. David Hobart of Plymouth,” certified by Hobart, dated 18 May 1778 at Plymouth; pg 460 for William Preston Jur, in Capt. Stone’s Company; Benjamin Preston in the same listed, as “belonging to Rumney,” also with Captain Stone.

Vol. 15 pgs 605-6; table 5-186, “Col. David Hobart’s Return.”

List of men engaged for three years …. Under Command of David Hobart of Plymouth; pg 605 for William Preston Jur, for Rumney, under Capt. Stone, about March 1777.

Vol. 15 pgs 607-11, table 5-187, “Col. Thomas Stickney’s Return”:

For list of men in “Col. Stickney’s Regement,” enlisted for three years; pg 609 for William Presson of Rumney, enlisted for Concord,” under Capt. Stone.

Vol. 15, pgs 710-713. “Depreciation Rolls to January 1, 1780”; see table no. 5-360, “9^th Company [of the 3^rd Regiment],” pg. 732; William Presson (first listed), reported Corp. & Sergeant.

(The “Depreciation” represented payments intended to make up for the depression in the value of the currency. There is another such roll in NHSP vol. 16 for the following year. See also NHSP v13, pg. 357, Dearborn separately pd William $800.00, “towards depreciation” on 13 April 1780, dtd Exeter.)

Volume 16

Vol. 16 pgs 35-37, table 6-44, “Return of Capt. Benjamin Stone’s Co.”

Original title as “List of Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates, “in the late* Capt. Benj. Stone’s Company, 3^rd NH Regiment, all the rolls 8 Nov 1776 to 15 Jun 1777 and one roll from Jan 1778 (being all the rolls that can be found)”; pg 35, reports enlistment 10 Feb 1777 of William Preston, Corporal, for three years; promoted to Sergeant on 1 Jan 1778 and discharged 10 Feb 1780 [separately herein, William’s discharge papers were dated 21 Jan 1780]; on pg 36, enlistment 10 Mar 1777 of Benjamin Presson, private, for three years; discharged 10 March 1780.

*Francis Bernard Heitman, Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During the War of the Revolution, April 1775, to December, 1783 (1914), pg 523, entry for Benjamin Stone reports he resigned 20 May 1779; digital images, Google Books (http://www.books.google.com : accessed 14 November 2008); subsequently transcribed:

Stone, Benjamin (NH). Regimental
Quartermaster 20^th Continental In-
fantry, 7^th September, to 31^st Decem-
ber 1776; Captain 3^rd New Hampshire,
8^th November, 1776; resigned 20^th
May 1779 (Died 13^th February, 1820).

Vol. 16 pgs 38-40; table 6-48, “Return of Capt. McGregore’s Co.”

Original title is “Return of the men Inlisted in the seventh Company, third New Hampshire Regt by “Capt Benja Stone-Now Comded by Capt. McGregore”; pg 40, entry for Wm Presson, Sergeant, remarked only as “Transfered to Capt Hawkins Company”; Benjamin Presson reported on pg 39 as enlisting 10 March 1777 for three years, without further remark.

Vol. 16, pgs 40-41; table 6-52, “Return of Capt. Hawkins’s Co.”

Original title is “Return of the men in Capt. Hawkins Company No. 9, in the third New Hampshire Regiment”; list was dated 9 Feb 1780* at Camp Danbury and certified by John Cilley Ensign, and Daniel Livermore, Capt. Com; pg 40 for William Presson, Corporal, promoted to Sergt 1 Jan 1778; enlisted 10 Feb 1777 for three years; discharged 10 Feb 1780 [separately herein, William’s discharge papers were dated 21 Jan 1780].

* One day before that date given as his discharge; pension file reports he was discharged 21 Jan 1780.

Vol. 16, pgs 189-90; table 6-288, “Return of Captain McGregore’s Co.”

Original title is “List of the Non Commissioned Officer and Privates in Captain David McGregores Company in the third New Hampshire Regiment Commanded by Colo Alexd Scammell from January 1^st 1780 to January 1^st 1781”; pg 189 for William Preston, Sergeant, enlisted for 3 years, remarked as “Discharged Feb’y 10^th 1780.” [Separately, herein, William’s discharge papers in pension file report date as 21 Jan 1780.]

Vol. 16 pgs 197-213, Depreciation Rolls to Jan 1, 1781” [thus for the year, 1780], 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd NH continental regiments, arranged by regiment and then by company; see table 6-326, “9^th Company,” pg 212, for William Presson, Sergeant of the 9^th Company, 3^rd Regiment.

[GJ: Amt attributed to Wm is only £7, but he served only a short time in 1780; NHSP report he was discharged 10 Feb 1780; discharge papers in pension file report his discharge 21 Jan 1780.]

Separate from the two references noted to depreciation pay, there is a separate entry in NHSP (13 : 357) for Rumney. On 21 Jan 1780 the entry reads:

New Hampshire, Provincial and State Papers

Exeter April 13th 1780

Pleas to charge me with Eight hundred dollars towards de-
preciation & credit the same to L Col H. Dearborn he having
paid me that some in money this day--

Wm : Presson, Serg^t

To the Committeee on Soldiers acc^ts

Presson belongs to Rumney

Revised 26 May 2011 to correct items quoted from obituary.

Please, let's not Wiki FamilySearch Historical Record Collection Sources

2011-01-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

Last week I noticed FamilySearch had invited us to "wiki" away and add source citations to it's Historical Records Collections. See "Are FamilySearch 'Historical Record Collections' sources really subject to open addition/edit?" (27 December 2010) I followed up with a blog about the host of problems with the wiki-driven sources in one of those Historical Record Collection databases. See "A closer look at FamilySearch 'Historical Record Collection' sources." (29 December 2010) Since then, I have experienced the FamilySearch wiki-a-source process. I'm blogging about my experience and thoughts in the hope FamilySearch will change this policy.

You, Me and Elmer Fudd
This morning, another FamilySearch user and I have been going back and forth, trying to agree on how the source should be reported for the FamilySearch database "New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947." This source will appear on the database search page and related wiki, "New Hampshire Statewide Deaths."

We've been through two edits, and we both know it still doesn't "look" right. Much of our discussion is memorialized on the Wiki discussion page. Keep in mind, neither of us is a known authority about this database. Rather, we are making educated guesses about the universe of FamilySearch records that made up this single database. What we decide will become the source for a million records/images in this single database--it is less than one-year old.

Oh my!! We aren't far into the process before it hits me, anyone registered for the Wiki could add "Elmer Fudd" as a source author to ALL the Historical Record Collection databases.

Worthy of a source!
I'm sure many of us who participate in FamilySearch Indexing feel connected to the Historical Record Collections. From the indexing website (emphasis added), "The key life events of billions of people are being preserved and shared through the efforts of people like you ... Millions of rolls of microfilm provide census, vital, probate, and church records from over 100 countries for indexing projects. Governments, churches, societies, and commercial companies are also working to make more records available."

Indexing is one part of the whole effort behind these fabulous collections. Someone collected and microfilmed the records, digitized those papers, films or reels; organized the materials into an indexing project, wrote that incredible indexing software ... and more and more and more.

I can't estimate the man-hours it will take to bring these Historical Record Collections to our computer screens ("millions of rolls of microfilm," storing "billions" of life events). I know that each and every collection represents a massive effort. That effort certainly seems worthy of the relatively simple administrative tasks necessary to assure each and every collection is PERFECTLY sourced back to the specific titles listed in the Family History Library Catalog.

Don't you agree? --GJ

Andy's 2011 Index Challenge - win a One Year World Deluxe membership to Ancestry.com

2010-12-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

The contest begins January 1, 2011. Here's the notice from Andrew G. Hatchett III:

Win a One Year World Deluxe Membership!

The contest will run from January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2011.

First Place Winner will receive a One Year World Deluxe Membership.
Second Place Winner will receive a One Year U.S. Deluxe Membership.
Third Place winner will receive a One Year Subscription to FootNote.

The purpose of the contest is twofold:
1) To help Ancestry identify every census sheet of each U.S.Census from 1850 through 1930 on which the first name on the census sheet does not match the first name on the Ancestry Index shown below the census sheet image.
2) To demonstrate the need for an actual centralized place to report indexing and other problems.

The rules are simple:

Each entry will be awarded one point if it is the first to report such a mis-indexed census sheet.
Each entry must be submitted in the specific format required (See Below for details).
Each entry must be posted to the "2011 Index Challenge Entries" thread on the US Census General Message Board as a direct reply to the original post in that thread.
Entries posted as replies to other entries in the thread will not be counted as valid entries.

Please note that entries should only be for those sheets where the first names on the census sheet and the Ancestry Index do not match. Other indexing errors within the census should not be posted as a contest entry.

Those errors previously reported will not be considered valid entries:

1860, Georgetown Ward 1, Washington, DC Census
1860, Mannington Township, Salem County, New Jersey Census

Required Entry Format-All entries should be submitted in the following format:

Valid entries will consist of four lines.

Line 1= Image number from Ancestry Index shown below the census image.
Line 2= URL of Census Sheet (This can be copied from your Browser Bar)
Line 3= First name on census sheet
Line 4= First name on Ancestry Index shown below census image.

Nothing else should be included in the submission.

Post entries HERE; learn more about or discuss the contest HERE

Image below provides a detailed explanation of where to find this information on the census sheet and Ancestry Index below it:

The contest will run from 1 Jan 2011 through 31 Dec 2011
Winners will be announced as quickly as possible after the close of contest.

Please note that this contest is neither sponsored nor are prizes being awarded by Ancestry.com
The contest is sponsored and prizes will be awarded by a paid subscriber of Ancestry.com

Andrew G. Hatchett III
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Quite simply- I'm tired of the indexing mess over there!

A closer look at FamilySearch "Historical Record Collection" sources

2010-12-29T04:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I noticed FamilySearch had invited all of us to add source citations to it's Historical Records Collections. See, "Are FamilySearch "Historical Record Collections" sources really subject to open addition/edit?" (27 December 2010). Today I'm taking a closer look, from a user's perspective, at those same Historical Record Collection sources.

Earlier this month, I blogged about locating the 1797 death record of little Hannah Preston. (See, "Love it when a deal comes together!" 2 December 2010.) As part of the test run today, I'll try to locate the source information for Hannah's database and digital image entries in the FamilySearch Historical Record Collection, "New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947."

Note: I started a discussion about the topics in this blog on the wiki page related to "New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947." Click HERE to access that discussion page. (You have to log-in to FamilySearch to post on the discussion. I hope you will.)

What we see: Setting up the search

There is source information available on the search page (see the lower clip in the graphic). That information doesn't seem to refer to the same database I'm searching, "New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947"; rather, the posted "Source Information" refers to a 2010 database by FamilySearch titled "New Hampshire Death Records, 1901-1948." I'm looking for a death that occurred in 1797--much, much earlier than 1901. The "source of the source" to the presented citation references those same dates (1901-1948).

The search page has a small window, "Quick Facts"; it calls out yet another date range, "1799-1800." (I never did learn how those "Quick Facts" are supposed to help me.)

There are two "Learn More" links on the search page. Both of those lead to a related wiki, titled "New Hampshire Statewide Deaths." In the next graphic, we'll take a look at that wiki.

What we see: Related Historical Records Wiki

I don't know why someone chose to give the wiki a different name ("New Hampshire Statewide Deaths") than the database (New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947"). Personally, I found that a little confusing.

I discovered other inconsistencies on the wiki page, especially about the record dates. We know the database title carries the dates "1654-1947"; however, in one section, "Collection Time Period," someone entered, "This collection includes information for the years 1639-1948"--so, beginning 15 years earlier than the database title suggests and ending one year later. Another section, "Record History," opens with, "Town Clerks began recording deaths as early as 1640." (Okay, so where do those 1639 records come from? Are they in the otherwise 1654-1947-dated database?)

It would have been nice to see the various entries on the wiki page referenced to footnotes, like Wikipedia does.

Toward the bottom of the wiki was a section titled, "Sources of Information for This Collection"--it contained the same citation information I'd seen on the search page, referencing those same dates, "1901-1948." The "source of the source" in those two citations refers to Family History Library microfilm. In the next graphic, I'll try to resolve my title and date differences by locating source information in the Family History Library Catalog. From the source of the source, here is what I will look for:

Author: New Hampshire Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics
Title: New Hampshire Death Records, 1901-1948
Microfilm: 316 rolls

Arithmetic 101: Family History Online Catalog (first take)

Using the Family History Library Catalog's search function, I pulled up titles by the author, "New Hampshire Bureau of Vital Records." (Note the shorter author name; there were NO returns for the longer author, "New Hampshire Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics.") There were eight returns, none matched the title, "... Death Records 1901-1948." There were two death-related titles, as below and in the graphic above.

Death Certificates, 1901-1937
Death Certificates, 1938-1947

Both death-related titles were filmed by GSU. The first title was filmed in 1997 and 1998; the second, in 2002. In total, the two titles represent 256 microfilm reels.

According to the source information (Record Search and wiki pages), I'm looking for 316 rolls of film and, of course, to find little Hannah's death, records dated much earlier.

I've exhausted my breadcrumbs from source/source of the source information reported on the database search page and wiki. In the next graphic, I return to Record Search and try to trace the source information from clues in Hannah Preston's database entry.

Taking another route from Record Search to FHL Catalog

The database entry for Hannah Preston, died 1797 at Rumney, provides for three numerical references:

film number: 1001099
digital folder number: 4243768
image number: 01268

Using the "film number," I searched the Family History Library Catalog online to locate an associated source. Indeed, a title returned "Index to deaths, early to 1900," author as New Hampshire, Registrar of Vital Statistics, said to represent 60 reels of microfilm (no doubt the missing 60 reels from the earlier search). The records in this film-associated source are arranged "by surname, [using] the first and third letter."

Sure enough, scrolling down to the film-by-film list of records for that source, I find surnames "Pierce to Pelton" (in which the Preston records would be found) said to be recorded on film 1001099.

Yes!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am forever beholden to FamilySearch for all they have and continue to do. Without FamilySearch and the volunteer digitization efforts, it's unlikely I'd have found the 1797 death record that plays such an important role in questions about my early families.

On the other hand, I'm sure folks (and more than just a few) have recorded the now-seems-bogus source data represented on the search page and wiki for "New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947"/"New Hampshire Statewide Deaths"--that's sad.

If we want modern technology to support online citations, we first need easily discernible, reliable online source information. --GJ

Are FamilySearch "Historical Record Collection" sources really subject to open addition/edit?

2010-12-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

See also subsequent blog entry, "A closer look at FamilySearch 'Historical Record Collection' source."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Today I noticed FamilySearch has invited all of us to add source citations to it's Historical Records Collections. See, "New Hampshire State Wide Deaths (FamilySearch Historical Records)."

Have I misinterpreted this open invitation? Perhaps someone from FamilySearch will correct my understanding.

Seems "we" are able to write/edit the instructions/procedures "we" should follow to create that same source data, too, since the instructions are in another wiki. See "FamilySearch Wiki:Guidelines for FamilySearch Historical Collections pages."

Oooo. I hope "we" misunderstood this. Hate to see the FamilySearch Historical Records Collections' source information take on characteristics of the old IGI. --GJ

Just in time for Christmas: The tombstone of Peter Miller (1779-1845)

2010-12-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Bask in the sunlight! Feel the joy!
Some things were meant to be celebrated.

Peter Miller was born Pennsylvania 10 Aug 1779, died Stark County, Ohio, 11 June 1845. He married first, at Pennsylvania, ca 1800, Rosanna Kimmerling, born 17 Sept 1781; died 17 June 1813, dau. Ludwick and Anna (Bonewitz) Kimmerling. Peter married second, Columbiana County, Ohio, 29 Dec 1813 by James McCracken, Mary Stewart, born ?Maryland, 1786; died Paris Twp., Stark County, Ohio, April 1855.

Seven children were born to Peter and Rosanna; five to Peter and Mary. Twelve children survived at the time of Peter's death.

Our many thanks to David Brower for sharing the image, included here with his permission.

Select Sources
[1] LVene (Smith) Thomas, Miller Ancestral Chart, c1997, 26 pp., supplied by Thomas (1910-2004), Iowa, correspondence to GJ, 1997; based on her family knowledge and research, c1935-1997, about Peter Miller's descendants. According to her son, John, the obituaries, wills and other documents that LVene saved are maintained in three ring binders, which he inherited upon her death (int. of J. H. Thomas, February 2008); the collection includes only a few of the many letters she received from relatives over the years; reports date of birth and death for Peter Miller, Rosanna Kimmerling (as d. 17 June 1803 [sic]), birth and death for Mary Stewart; father of Rosanna Kimmerling; various children's births. LVene (Smith) Thomas was a descendant of Peter Miller by his son, John Miller m. Rebecca Firestone Carle.
[2] Date of Miller-Kimmerling marriage estimated based on the birth of their first child, Samuel Miller, b. 26 Sept 1801. Place of Miller-Kimmerling marriage as Pennsylvania based on where Rosanna's father lived at about the time of their marriage and where Peter and Rosanna's first four children were born.
[3] Will of Peter Miller, dated 8 June 1845, probated Stark County, Ohio, 17 Jun 1845; filed Stark County wills B: 374. The will calls out the names of Peter's 12 known children and provides the names of his daughters' husbands.
[4] Clifford T. Wig, "Family Tree of Daniel Miller and Lucinda Baker, " Canton, Ohio, 1986, FHL film no. 1321475 Item 8. Clifford Wig's grandson descends of Peter Miller by the his son, Daniel Miller. Wig reports Peter Miller b. 1779, d. 11 June 1845.
[5] Mrs. John L. (Helen) Preston (1899-1988), genealogical file, charts and research notes, c1930-1980. Helen was born at Ross County, Ohio; she and John lived at Chillicothe from about the time of their marriage until the early 1950s. They traveled to various towns and counties in Ohio and Pennsylvania in search of evidence about John's ancestors.
[6] Subsequent correspondence with Jack Stover, e-mails of 27 Dec 2010, citing Stark County Chapter OGS, Cemetery Inscriptions ... Vol. 1 (15 Feb 1982), p. 346, reports "Peter Miller (d. 11 June 1845; a 66y)." [GJ Note: If Peter Miller was ae 66 at the time of his death and also born on August 10th, then he was born in 1778, not 1779 as most of our family histories suggest. ]

Any time you connect a Miller, it's a good day!

2010-12-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

My family descends of Peter Miller (1779-1845), by his first wife, Rosanna Kimmerling (1871-1813). Peter and Rosanna's eldest son was Samuel K. Miller (1801-1886). Samuel marred, we believe, Magdalena Smouse; they were the parents of 9 children, Rosannah, John Peter, Mary Ann, Sarah, Elizabeth Jane, Catherine, George Carl and Samuel Smouse.

We knew Samuel K. Miller died at 1886 Carroll County, Iowa, where his nephew lived. Just earlier, in 1885, the Iowa State Census reported a man who otherwise fit Samuel's description, then widowed, living with a Samuel and Catherine Barrett and family at Highland, Guthrie County, Iowa. It even reported Samuel Miller to be a retired miller. As with all things, especially Miller, we need to be sure.

From a separate family record of births, we believed Samuel and Magdalena had a daughter named Catherine born 14 April 1837. The death certificate of Catherine M. Barrett confirms she was aka Catherine (Miller) Barrett, the daughter of our Samuel, as below. It lists her mother's name as Elizabeth ?Smouse, but otherwise appears a solid record. The informant is a Mrs. W. A. Dobson. We'll do some more research to learn if that might be aka Ina [(Barrett)] Dobson, the daughter who was reported living with Samuel and Catherine (Miller) Barrett at Highland in the census of 1900.

Here's to hoping descendants of this family might have more information about dear ol' Peter Miller or maybe more clues about where Samuel was born.

One spoonful at a time: 1816 news noticing William Preston and John Preston

2010-12-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

Today I found this little item about William and John Preston letters remaining at the Post office at Piqua, Ohio in 1816. I'll spend the rest of the night wondering what treasures might have been in those letters.

Our family descends of William Preston (1780-?1837), son of Maj. William and Elizabeth (?Clark) Preston [NHVR, Rumny TR]. William Preston (we call him Sheriff William Preston) was born at Runney, Grafton County, New Hampshire. [NHVR]

The last record I attribute to William Preston at New Hampshire is dated October 1808. [1] There is a record of marriage intention for John Preston and Mary Cook, published Gloucester, Massachusetts in 1811. [2] A brother, Collins Preston, died at Boston in 1812. [3]

We are still working to piece together details of how and when William and John Preston (1789-1819) made their way to Ohio. Defiance area histories report they were soldiers and/or officers in the War of 1812, but we have not found matching reference to the men. With his brother John, William is said one of the first settlers of Fort Defiance after the war of 1812. [4] Local (Defiance) research reports the Fort was abandoned by U.S. Troops "in the spring of 1815." [5]

William Preston married probably at Defiance, Ohio, 07 December 1820, Asenath Butler (1803-1888), dau. John Butler. [6]

William's brother John Preston married 1814, as the first of her three husbands, Sophia Ewing (1796-1867), dau. of Alexander and Charlotte (Griffith) Ewing. [7] Separately, the early Ewing family resided Piqua, Miami County, Ohio.

----- Select references ----_
[1] Frederick Chase and John King Lord, A History of Dartmouth College ... (1913); digital images, Google Books (http://books.google.com: accessed 20 Jan 2008), p 633 [seems vol. 2], "... and William and Collin Preston for $2000 to blast out and complete the lock."
[2] Gloucester, Massachusetts, "Vital Records of Gloucester ....., 2: 439, "John [Preston] of Rumney and Mary Cook, int. June 22, 1811"; digital images Massachusetts Vital Record Project (http://www.ma-vitalrecords.org: accessed 12 Dec 2007)
[3] "Died--," Collins Preston obituary, The (Boston, Massachusetts) Repertory and General Advertiser, Friday, October 9, 1812; digital image, NewsBank, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 18 November 2007), "Historical Newspapers" collection.
[4] Nevin O. Winter, History of Northwest Ohio, Vol. 1 (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1917), pgs. 404-414, chapter 32, Defiance County, pg. 405 for this reference.
[5] Louis A. Simmonis, "Fort Winchester 1812, The Greater Defiance (Ohio) Area Tourism and Visitors' Bureau ( http://www.defiancetourism.com/history.htm : accessed June 2006).
[6a] Wood County, Ohio, marriages, book 1, p. 2; "Mr. William Preston and Miss Assenith Butler," by John Perkins, J.P.; image copy from FHL film 406,699. They probably married at Defiance. See Wood County, Ohio marriages, same volume, same page, Billair-Gordon, marriage by William Preston, JP, and the dateline, "Defiance November 22nd, 1820" -15 days prior to Preston-Butler marriage. The Billair marriage also recorded 30 May 1821 at Wood County. Ohio created both Wood and Williams counties at the same time (1820), but Williams was attached to Wood for certain government functions until 1824. See Charles Elihu Slocum, History of the Maumee River Basin (Indianapolis: Bowen & Slocum), 528, "The Commissioners of Wood County organized the Township of Auglaise to include the territory of [Henry, Paulding and Williams] Counties. The court appointed March 7, 1820, John Perkins and William Preston of Defiance Justices of the Peace in and for Auglaise Township for a period of three years..."
[6b] Thomas Spooner, Records of William Spooner of Plymouth ... (1883), p. 253, entry for Asa Ruggles Thomas; digital images ...
[7a] Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958, database, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org: 13 Dec 2010), cites FHL film 550177, p. 68 no 213.
[7b] Wallace A. Brice, History of Fort Wayne, from the Earliest Known Accounts of this Point (1868); digital images, GoogleBook Search (http://books.google.com : accessed 1 March 2008), for Col. G. W. Ewing, "The Ewings..." pages 23 -28, a biographical family sketch.

----- Revisions ----
3 Jun 2011: Updated entry in "Select references" to add more detail in support of a separate, pending blog entry.

Bear working on a picture ....

2010-12-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

The blog related to this graphic is posted at Build A BetterGedcom, entry of December 14, 2010.

Enjoy. --GJ

Love it when a deal comes together!

2010-12-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

For quite some time, my files have contained written identity proofs about Hannah Preston (1796-1797), dau. Maj. William Preston and wife Elizabeth, and Maj. William's sister, Hannah Preston (born 1756), daughter William Preston and Hannah Healey.

The 1797 New Hampshire vital record death entry for Hannah Preston of Rumney, Grafton County, New Hampshire, was included in a well documented, modern-day genealogy, Scott A. Bartley, Vermont Families in 1791 (Genealogical Society of Vermont, 1992), 2: 159-167. The death was associated with Hannah Preston born Chester, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, 25 March 1756, [citing VR] daughter William Preston and Hannah Healey. [Remarks about births, "Recorded as children of William Presson and Hannah Healay."]

I suspected identities of the Hannahs might be confused as Maj. William Preston and his second wife, Mary Herbert, named a daughter Hannah Herbert Preston (b. 1811). Attempts to located traces of Hannah Preston b. 1796, who was a twin of Joseph, turned up only records of Hannah Preston married 13 Sept 1774, Asahel Brainerd (bef 1754-1813) of Rumney. [The genealogy of the Brainerd-Brainard family in America : 1654-1908 (1908), vol. 1-part 3, pp. 52-3.]

Today the 1797 New Hampshire death record was located at FamilySearch Labs, in the collection, "New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947." The record clearly reports the Hannah deceased 1797 as daughter of William Preston and Elizabeth.

Locating this 1797 death record helps with separate on-going research about my direct ancestor, believed Maj. William's eldest child, otherwise Sheriff William Preston of Defiance and Williams counties, Ohio. Among the many documents contributing to that father-son proof is snippet from 1807 obituary of Elizabeth (?Clark) Preston saying she left "eleven children to morn." [The Sun, Dover (New Hampshire) Gazette, and County Advertiser, Saturday, June 27, 1807, pg. 3, col. 1.] The births of twelve children to Elizabeth are recorded in Rumney vital records, so it's nice to have a document identifying the name of one child known to have pre-deceased the mother.

Yes! --GJ

Mixing it up: the indirect evidence challenge.

2010-11-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

For some time, cousin Robert and I have been reporting his descent from George F. and Elizabeth (Sanor) Carle, by their son John S. Carle (aka John Sanor Carle), born Missouri in 1841, and by John’s son, George Herbert Carle, born Washington (state), 1887. We also report George F. Carle had maternal grandfather, Mathias Firestone, separately proven to have been a soldier in the American Revolution.

Robert wanted to join the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) based on his claim of descent from Mathias Firestone, but he couldn’t locate obvious proof his George F. Carle was the same man as Mathias’ grandson by that name.

Tell a family historian there's no proof, and watch her go to work!

Mathias Firestone (1744-?1829) had a well-proved daughter, Mary Ann “Mary” Firestone (1789-1869), who married Columbiana County, Ohio, 1807, to Richard L. Carle (c1777-c1837). [i] [ii] Richard and Mary (Firestone) Carle lived and farmed at Columbiana County from the time they were married until their deaths. [iii]

You be the judge! Using mostly indirect evidence, have we not proven the two men named George F. Carle are the same person? (Pssst, surprises at the end.)

STEP 1: Evidence that Richard and Mary (Firestone) Carle had son George, aka George F. Carle.

1. I am not a descendant of George F. Carle, but of Richard and Mary (Firestone) Carle’s eldest child, Rebecca Firestone Carle (1809-1892), married Columbiana County, Ohio, 1832 to John Miller. John and Rebecca (Carle) Miller lived most of their married lives at Williams County, Ohio. In researching Rebecca’s family, we find a biographical sketch of her son, William Carl Miller; the sketch includes a short clip about the Carle family reporting Rebecca had a brother named George.

Commemorative Biographical Record of Northwestern Ohio (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1899), pp. 385-386; biographical sketch of William C. Miller, "Rebecca (Carl) [Miller] ... a daughter of Richard Carl, and of German descent … was the eldest of nine children, the others being Mary A.; Lydia; Harriet; George; Richard; John; Daniel; and Joseph." [iv]

2. Rebecca (Carle) Miller’s father, Richard L. Carle, died c1837. The only record located about his death is a probate file. We presume the man who was Rebecca’s brother, George F. Carle, was an heir to the estate and also served as an administrator.

(a) Columbiana County Probate Court, Ohio, Estate of Richard Carle, dec'd Case #1919 (1837), 20 extant pages, for administrator’s bond dated 15 July 1837; reports sureties George Burns, George F. Carle (signed Georg F. Carle), Joseph F. Carle and Michael Sainer; administrators were George Burns and George F. Carle; annotated image follows:

(b) Columbiana County Probate Court, Ohio, Estate of Richard Carle, dec'd Case #1919 (1837), for “George Burns, administrator, account of money paid to heirs” dated 30 Aug 1844, including entries for payments to "J & R Miller" and George F. Carle; annotated image follows, in relevant part:

“J & R Miller,” highlighted above, most assuredly refers to my Rebecca and her husband, John Miller.

3. There is little question that Richard’s widow, Mary, was Mary (Firestone) Carle and the mother of all his children. Rebecca’s youngest siblings, Harriet and Lydia Ann, were minors at the time of their father’s death. Daniel Firestone (1797-1864), the brother of Mary (Firestone) Carle, acted as the guardian for Richard Carle's minor heirs. A John Sanor was one of the sureties for the guardian’s bond.

Columbiana County Probate Court, Ohio, Guardianship of Lydia Carle, et. al., Daniel Firestone, guardian, Case #2133, five extant pages as of 1997; for guardianship bond, 3 May 1841; sureties were Daniel Firestone, George Lower and John Sanor; guardian was Daniel Firestone, minors were Lydia Ann and Henrietta Carle [elsewhere therein as Harrietta/Harriet Carle; surname sometimes "Snider"], separately, file calls the children “minor heirs of Richard Carle, dec’d,” the guardian's bond was witnessed by Jacob Lower, Sr.

Separate research shows the two minor daughters later married. Harriet Carle married 1853 to Capt. Robert M. Reid, and Lydia Ann Carle married 1850 to Joseph Jackson. [v]

4. Columbiana County Probate Court, Ohio, Estate of Mary Carle, dec'd 1869, Case #6806, 11 extant pages in 1997, Joseph F. Carle, administrator. From the administrator's accounting as well as Mary’s obituary and gravestone, we know this estate was that of Mary (Firestone) Carle. [vi]

Nowhere in the file does the name George Carle or George F. Carle appear.

STEP 2: Evidence of George F. Carle at Ray County, Missouri.

5. 1850 U.S. Census, Ray County, Missouri, population schedule, no city listed (District 75), sheet 618 (penned), page 310 (printed), dwelling 294, family 284, George F. Carle household, as of 27 Aug 1850; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 Mar 2007), cites National Archives micropublication M432, roll 412. George is ae 39, born Ohio; his apparent wife is Elizabeth Carle, ae 32, also born Ohio. Apparent children are Richard, ae 13, Harriet, ae 10, John, ae 9, Lydia Ann, ae 2; and Elizabeth, ae 2/12, all children born Missouri except the eldest, Richard, said born Ohio. Relevant entry, annotated, follows.

6. Howard L. Conard, Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, v. 5 [select pages for Ray County, Missouri] (1901), digital images from microfilm, McGuire Home (http://mcguirehome.tripod.com/Images/marriagesandwills_h3.jpg : accessed 2010), entry for Nancy J. Helton and spouse, James Tanner, married 15 Aug 1848, comments, "Nancy by consent of George F. Carle and wife with whom she was living"; cites a reference 134.

7. Although Robert must prove the link from John S. Carle to his father, George F. Carle, for the purpose of his SAR application, that is not the charge of this blog entry. Robert has separate evidence about John’s parentage placing his ancestor, George F. Carle, at Missouri; we have some insight into Robert's separate evidence.

(a) "Civil War Declaration of Pension - John S. Carle," abstract by Robert Yates (address private); Robert Yates to GJ, E-mail of 16 May 2007, "...[John] is 66 years of age, having been born on the 9th day of August 1841..."

(b) “John Sainor Carle’s Volunteer Enlistment,” 17 August 1864, abstract by Robert Yates (address private); Robert Yates to GJ, E-mail of 17 Nov 2010, “I, John Carle born in Camden in the State of Missouri, aged 23 years, and by occupation a miner….”

(c) Robert R Yates, John S. Carle in "CARLE," Carle-L listserve , 26 Feb 1999 (archive online, Rootsweb.com), compiler writes, "My g-grandfather John Sainor CARLE was b. in Camden, Washington County, Missouri on August 9, 1841. John's father's name was George CARLE and possibly came from the 'Old Country' (Holland) ... John S. CARLE was a miner by trade and also was a surveyor. He helped survey Anacortes and Bellingham, WA. ... John S. Carle died September 26, 1912. He was buried on the family farm on Lopez Island, WA"; without further citation.

STEP 3: Prove George F. Carle, son of Richard and Mary (Firestone) Carle, is the same man who resided Missouri and was enumerated at Ray County in 1850.

For this work, we examine yet other evidence and then look more closely at some of the documents previously mentioned.

8. The Ohio death certificate for Harriet (Carle) Cobourn, born Missouri, died Columbiana County, Ohio, reports she was the daughter of George and Elizabeth (Sanor) Carle.

Harriet J. Cobourn, dec'd 17 Oct 1915, Certificate of Death, v. 1748, file 53217 (19 Oct 1915), Ohio Historical Society, Columbus Ohio; informant is K. L. Cobourn of Salem, O. Harriet's date of birth given as 18 Sept 1839, at Missouri, to parents George Carle and Elizabeth Sanor, both b. Ohio; informant separately identified as Harriet's son, Kertis L. ("Curtis L.") Cobourn (1871-1939). This is aka Harriet J. (Carle) Cobourn, wife of Nathan Cobourn, see Hinshaw, The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. IV - Ohio, p. 671 "[COBOURN], Nathan, m. Harriet J. Carle, dt/ Geo. & Elizabeth, b. 1839, 9, 18 (G)."

9. The obituary of above Harriet J. Cobourn, deceased 1915, called her siblings, then all deceased, as Richard, John, Lydia (Carle) Whinery and Elizabeth Carle. The information compares favorably with the 1850 George F. Carle census record at Ray County, Missouri (herein, see Step 2, item 7); indicates the parents died shortly after moving from Missouri to Ohio, when Harriet was about 15 (so, c1854).

Obituary of Harriet J. Cobourn, deceased Sunday afternoon, "Deaths," The Salem (Ohio) News, edition of Monday, October 18, 1915; viewed as annotated copy from microfilm "original" by Peggy Cobourn Brobeck (address private), included in correspondence to GJ, 28 April 2007. Represented in part below.

From the obituary, "[Harriet] was born in Missouri and lived with her parents at a small boat landing on the banks of the Missouri river until she was about 14 years old when she came with her parents by boat to East Liverpool and drove from there to Salem, locating about four miles southwest of Salem, near New Middleton ... Her father's name was George Carle and her mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Sanor. She was the oldest of a family of five children, Harriett J. Carle, Richard Carle, John Carle, Lydia (Carle) Whinery, and Elizabeth Carle, all of whom preceded her in death. Mrs. Cobourn's mother died when the decedent was about 15 years of age, and her father passed away a few months later ... She was married to Nathan Cobourn December 25, 1869 ... [he] died in 1887..." [vii]

10. From the death and obituary records about Harriet (Carle) Cobourn, we attribute the trace of a separately identified Columbiana County marriage record to her parents. See "Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958," database, FamilySearch.org (http://beta.familysearch.org : extracted 17 November 2010), for George F. Carol and Elizabeth Sanor, married 16 March 1837, Columbiana County, cites Family History Center film #927766.

11. Okay, we’re almost there. When considered with the evidence already presented, we believe the next few items prove Harriet (Carle) Cobourn and her siblings were descendants of Mary (Firestone) Carle, so that their father, George F. Carle, is also a descendant and surely Mary’s son by that name.

(a) Columbiana County Probate Court, Ohio, Estate of Mary Carle, dec'd 1869, Case #6806, in particular for "Final account of Joseph Carle - Administrator of Mary Carle Deceased," dated ?13 December 1872, 4 pp., opening with the language, "Amt on hands on last Settlement Jun 17th, 1871." [viii] Of the some 32 entries (transactions) recorded in the accounting, compiler attributes two payments from the estate to George's children, one each to Harriet [(Carle)] Coburn and Lydia Carle. (Image follows.) None of the entries in the extant accounting for Case #6808 can be associated with George's sons, John and Richard, or his daughter, Elizabeth.

There is little doubt that this is the estate of Mary (Firestone) Carle. At the time of Mary's death, her nephew, Solomon Jefferson Firestone (1833-1912, son of Daniel F. Firestone) was the Columbiana County Probate Judge. Mary's son, Joseph F. Carle, administered Mary's estate; bonded first by additional sureties Nathan Cobourn (would appear Harriet Cobourn’s spouse) and George Burns. Later, it appears, sureties for the bond were named S. J. Firestone (would appear the judge himself) and another nephew, Daniel W. Firestone (1837-1896, son of Daniel F. Firestone). The change in sureties likely related to a letter in the estate file, Nathan Cobourn to the court (undated); he asks to be removed as a surety on the bond.

(b) George F. Carle’s daughters, Harriet and Lydia, are the only two of his children we find named in the accounting records for estate of Mary (Firestone) Carle (Mary Carle, Case #6806). Harriet and Lydia are also the only two of George’s children we find in the 1870 census residing at Columbiana County—and they were living together at the time the distributions were made by Mary’s administrator. (Note the date of the census!)

1870 U.S. census, Columbiana Co., Ohio, population schedule, Perry Twp. (P.O. Salem), page 256, sheet 16, dwelling 116, family 119, Nathan Coburn household, 28 Jun 1870; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 Mar 2007), National Archives microfilm publication M593, roll 1184; relevant entry, annotated, follows:

We find Lydia Carl, ae 22, born Missouri, without occupation, living with Harriet Coburn, ae 30, b. Missouri; Harriet is apparent wife of Nathan Coburn.

You might think we’ve got this circled—but wait, there’s more!

(c) At Columbiana County, yet another estate. This time for Richard L. Carle, dec’d (1876). The estate contains only one asset--a distribution from Joseph F. Carle, administrator of the estate of Mary Carle, “which amount Richard L. Carle would have been entitled to as an heir at Law of said Mary Carle, Deceased."

By separate research, we know this 1876 estate does not belong to Richard L. Carle, the son of Mary (Firestone) Carle, as her son didn’t die until 1880. [ix] The 1876 estate reports heirs at law Mrs. Harriet Cobourn, Mrs. Lydia Whinery and John S. Carle. Given the evidence examined, we attribute this estate to Richard L. Carle, the son of George and Elizabeth (Sanor) Carle, with the heirs being Richard’s siblings.

Columbiana County Probate Court, Ohio, Estate of Richard Carle dec'd 1876, Case #8661 (docket no. 5, page 425), six extant pages as of 1997, for Final Accounting, 24 Mar 1877, John E. Rogers, administrator. (Image follows)

PSST ... Little Surprises

In the course of compiling the material for this blog, we scanned a few Internet genealogical sites--just to make sure we hadn't missed evidence that might contribute or contradict this proof.

Lookie, lookie--see what we found. At Ancestry.com, there were two patent deeds related to land in Williams County, Ohio; both records were indexed as "George F. Carle." When we looked at the deed images, we found the actual purchaser's name had been George Firestone Carle--one reporting his residence as Columbiana County, Ohio; the other as Ray County, Missouri.

Issued 18 April 1849, certificate 4867, for George Firestone Carle of Columbiana County, Ohio

Issued 1 July 1850, certificate 16169, for George Firestone Carle of Ray County, Missouri

George Firestone Carle (Columbiana County, Ohio), cash entry certificate 4867, Lima (Defiance), Ohio, Land Office; digital image, "U.S. General Land Office Records," Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 November 2010), cites "United States. Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records, Automated Records Project; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes, http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/, Springfield, Virginia: Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States, 2007"; subject land described as 80 acres--the "east half of the south east quarter of Section eleven in Township seven, North, of Range three, East"; relevant part of this image follows:

George Firestone Carle (Ray County, Missouri), cash entry certificate 16169, Defiance [formerly Lima], Ohio, Land office digital image, "U.S. General Land Office Records," Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 November 2010), cites "United States. Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records, Automated Records Project; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes, http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/, Springfield, Virginia: Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States, 2007"; subject land described as 40 ares--the "South West quarter of the South East quarter, of Section eleven, in Township Seven North, of Range Three East"; relevant part of this image follow:

This "find" is ever so sweet. Unrelated to this proof, we know that Mary (Firestone) Carle's brother, George Firestone, married a woman, Rebecca Carle, who we report as the younger sister of Richard L. Carle. Since my ancestor had been named Rebecca Firestone Carle, I suspected the son was George F[irestone] Carle. Wonderful to see that full name in print.

Endnotes---

i. For the marriage and Mary (Firestone) Carle’s ancestry, see George Ely Russell, C.G., FASG, FNGS, "Firestone Family of Frederick County, Maryland," Western Maryland Genealogy, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Jan 1993), and Vol. 9, No. 2 (April 1993), pages 62-72, for #7-Mathias^2 Firestone, vol. 9, No. 2, page 63-64, for the children of Mathias and Anna Maria (Bieber) Firestone, including "42 vi. Anna 'Mary'^3 Firestone, b. 9 Oct. 1789; bp. Frederick Town E-L Church 18 Oct. 1789; sponsors: John and Louisa Lieblich: m. Columbiana Co., Ohio, 17 Dec. 1807 Richard Karl/Carle," citing "Pastor Krug's Marriage Register," Maryland Magazine of Genealogy 4:27 and Columbiana County, Ohio, Marriage Records, 1804-1835 (E. Liverpool, Ohio: Griscom DAR Chapter, 1938).

ii. Dirck Lowe "Richard L." Carle, baptized "Dirick Lou Cerel," see A. Van Doren Honeyman, "Neshanic Reformed Church Baptismal Records, Early Records, 1762-1796," Somerset County Historical Quarterly, ongoing series beginning Volume I, No. 2 (April 1912) (Somerville, New Jersey : Somerset County Historical Society, April 1912); online transcribed digital edition, GenealogyLibrary.com (http://www.genealogylibrary.com : extracted 15 Jun 2007); entry at page 135, entry for Josif and Maria Cerel, baptism of "Dirick Lou," June 8, 1777. Church baptism records were made in Dutch through the Revolutionary War, and were arranged earlier by date, the Quarterly editor (Honeyman) alphabetized the entries;" the Low/Lowe baptisms were recorded under the surname Lou, even though Dirck Lowe's name appears elsewhere in the church records as Low and/or Lowe.

iii. Separate research/evidence show that Richard and Mary (Firestone) Carle lived their married lives at Columbiana County, Ohio. This evidence includes but is not limited to estate records, land records, plat maps and census records.

iv. As an aside, at least as far as we have been able to learn in our separate research, it was Rebecca's mother, Mary (Firestone) Carle, who was of German descent, not the father, Richard, whose family name is more commonly spelled "Carle." Richard was born in New Jersey; we know much about Richard's maternal ancestry; it was Dutch. We have yet to discover German ancestry on Richard's father's side.

v. Robert M. Reed and Harriet J. Carles, Columbiana County, married 1 Sept 1853, "by Rev. H.H. Moore, a Methodist Minister," for bride, groom, date and location, see Jordan Dodd (Liahona Research), compiler, "Ohio Marriages 1803-1900"; database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 2000-200X), cites Columbiana County, Ohio Marriages, 1851-70 FHC film # (0927767 - 0927768) which in turn cites country marriage books; for Jackson-Carl marriage see Family Tree Maker Marriage Index: Ohio; 1789-1850; CD-ROM (Novato, California: Broderbund Software, 1996), Joseph Jackson to Lydia Ann Carl, Columbiana County, 17 Dec 1850.

vi. "Paulding County, Ohio - Death Records 1867-1872," Gateway to the West, 2 vols (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co.: 1989), II: 334, for record, "Carle, Mary - d 9-15-1869; a 80-11-6; w; pd Emerald twp.; pb Maryland.", originally published by Ruth Bowers and Anita Short, Gateway to the West , (42 mostly quarterly issues vols. 1A-11, 1967-1978), Vol 11 (1978); viewed as digital images, Genealogy.com (http://www.genealogy.com : accessed 31 Mar 2007); preface reports that these records are from "Death Record 1" located in the Probate Court at the court house in Paulding. Continuing, "Page on which the record may be found in the original book is given in parenthesis. Only Persons over 40 years of age have been included in this record. Abbreviatons: d=died; m=married; w=widow or widower; s=single, pd=place of death; pb=place of birth; res=residence. Residence is the same as the place of death unless stated otherwise."

vii. Obituary reports Harriet was the eldest of the five children, but she was probably not the eldest. See 1850 U.S. Census, Ray County, Missouri, population schedule, for George F. Carle household, as of 27 Aug 1850, discussed herein.

viii. The extant Mary Carle estate accounting records do not reconcile and contain debit entries are dated from 22 June 1871 to 12 December 1872; credits, from 2 June 1870 to 6 Dec 1872).

ix.“Carle,” Richard L. Carle obituary, publication unknown, annotated July 1880; Paulding County (Ohio) genealogical files; digital images from photocopies by Kevin Arvin (address private) to GJ, E-mail c30 July 1999; reports Richard’s only relatives as a brother from Columbiana County and sister, Mrs. Harriet Reid, of Emerald township. Compiler notes Richard's sister Rebecca (Carle) Miller also survived; she passed away in 1892.

Bits and Breadcrumbs: Rev. Michael Merrill^8 Preston (Michael^7, Maj. William^6, William^5, William^4 Presson, William^3 Presbury, John^2, perhaps John^1)

2010-10-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

While searching for Canadian records about the family of Michael^7 Preston, I discovered a naturalization index record and U.S. passport application for the son, Rev. Michael M. Preston.

Rev. Michael M. Preston, application no. 1?48 [?1048] dated 16 May 1851 at Boston, Suffolk Co., Mass.; Passport Applications, 1795-1925; General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59, National Archives, Washington, D.C.; digital images, _Ancestry.com_ (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 31 Oct 2010), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M1372. Reports he is age is 30 years, he is 5 feet 8 inches tall, has a high forehead, blue eyes, a straight nose, medium mouth, round chin, light brown hair, light complexion and oval face. States Michael was born at ?Broome, Lower Canada [indexed in the related database as Broone, Lower, Canada]; he is a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Michael M. Preston, card P623 (penned at upper left), naturalized 16 May 1851 at U.S. District Court, Boston, Mass. (cites certificate vol 4, page 287); Index to New England Naturalization Petitions, 1791-1906, National Archives, Washington, D.C.; digital images, _Ancestry.com_ (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 31 Oct 2010), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M1299, roll 102<, [CD]>. Reports his address as Hingham, Mass; "Country of birth or Allegiance" is Great Britain, born 5 April 1821.

Although we hope there remains much to be learned about Rev. Michael M. Preston, these bits are nice additions to the prior evidence located. First, the naturalization index card provides us a document supporting the otherwise unsourced IGI entry for Michael M. Preston. That IGI entry reported his birth 5 April 1821 at Canada. It's also interesting that Michael applied for his passport on the same day he was naturalized.

Finally, it's noteworthy that these two 1851 records become the last (as in latest) personal records I have about Michael M. Preston in my current research.

Breadcrumbs:
(1) Isadore Preston, born 26 Sept 1844 is a named party in seven (7) WorldConnect entries at Rootsweb.com (and in six User-Submitted trees at OneWorldTree [Anestry.com]). From these WorldConnect entries, it appears Isadore married 1 Jan 1862 to Edward Burgess Slafter, born Killingly, Connecticut, 5 April 1841, son of Brayton and Patience (Millard) Slafter ; two of the trees reported Isadore to be the daughter of Michael Merrill Preston. All of the entries reported Edward Burgess and Isadore (Preston) Slater were the parents of a daughter, Alice Maria Slafter, born 20 Aug 1863, generally citing Rev. Edmund F. Slafter, A. M., _Memorial of John Slafter_ (1869), pp. 111, 129.

(2) Images of above source were located at Ancestry.com; entry from p. 129, "Edward-Burgess [Slafter] ... b. April 5, 1841; m. Isadore, dau. of the Rev. Michael Merrill Preston of Killingly, Ct., Jan 1, 1862. She was born Sept. 26, 1844." Reports issue as Alice Maria, b. Aug 20, 1863. Entry includes notation "Providence, R.I."

(3) Searching the surname spelling "Slater," other references were located, including a variety of family trees reporting Edward B. Slater married more than once; also had wife Jennie D. See Elaine Tenis, "Adams," Ancestry Public Trees, entry for Edward Burgess Slater, b. 5 April 1841 at Rhode Island, d. 28 Oct 1902 at Rhode Island, citing as to the latter, Ancestry database, "Rhode Island Deaths, 1630-1930. I viewed the latter entry, which confirms the date of death; also reports Brayton Slater as "kin 1" and Matin M. Slater as "kin 2."

(4) 1900 U.S. census, Providence City, Rhode Island, population schedule, Providence City, page 34 (stamped), enumeration district (ED) 42, sheet 1A (penned), dwelling 4, family 8, Edward B. Slater household, 1 June 1900; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 31 Oct 2010), citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 1507<; [CD]>. Edward B. Slater, ae 59, b. April 1841, married 6 years; born, RI/RI/RI; is a gas inspector; wife is Jennie D., ae 39, b. April 1861, married 6 years, no children, b. Mass/Mass/RI.

-------------

Michael Merrill Preston (Rev.) was born at Canada 05 April 1821, the son of Michael Preston and Mary Merrill.[1] Rev. Michael M. Preston married at Willingly, Windham Co., Conn., on 09 Oct 1843 to Eliza M. Law, [2] b. c1821 at Conn.[3]

There were two children born to Rev. Micheal and Eliza M. (Law) Preston, as follows:
1. Isedora Elizabeth Preston, born at Wrentham, Norfolk Co., Mass. on 06 Sept 1844 [4]
2. Mary M. Preston, born at Connecticut about 1850. [5]

[1] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), "International Genealogical Index," database, _FamilySearch.org_ (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed, 20 Oct 2008), North America Region; entry for Michael Merrill Preston, born 05 April 1821, location unknown, bap. 14 Feb 1823 at Shefford, Shefford Co., Quebec, s/o Michael Preston and Mary Merrill, submitted by unidentified LDS church member, n.d., batch 8010021<, [CD]>.

[2] "Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital Records," online vital record transcriptions, _Windham County Connecticut GenWeb_ (http://www.ctgenweb.org/county/cowindham/records/barbour/barbourkillinglynop.htm : accessed 20 October 2008), Killingly Vital Records, citing vol 2, pg 20, entry for marriage of Michael Preston and Liza M. Law; entry reads, "[Preston], Michael M., Rev., m. Eliza M. Law, b. of East Killingly, Oct 9 1843, by Rev. R. W. William, of Norwick<, [CD]>.

[3] 1860 U.S. census, Windham County, Connecticut, population schedule, Killingly, page 561 (stamped on facing page), sheet 84 (penned), dwelling 650, family 675, Eliza M. Preston household, 30 June 1860; digital image, _Ancestry.com_ (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 October 2008), citing National Archives microfilm publication M653, roll 92<; [CD]>.

[4] "Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841 - 1910," vol. 11, pg 130 (Wrentham Births), Isedora Elizabeth Preston, born 1844 Sept 6 at Wrentham, Massachusetts, to Michael M. and Eliza M. Preston, the father, Michael M. Preston is a clergyman; digital images, New England Historic and Genealogical Society, _NewEnglandAncestors_ (http://www.newenglandancestors.org : accessed 20 Oct 2008), cites original records held by the Massachusetts Archives, Boston<; [CD]>.

[5] 1860 U.S. census, Windham County, Connecticut, population schedule, Killingly, page 561 (stamped on facing page), sheet 84 (penned), dwelling 650, family 675, Eliza M. Preston household, 30 June 1860; digital image, _Ancestry.com_ (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 October 2008), citing National Archives microfilm publication M653, roll 92<; [CD]>.

Buyer beware! Wake-up Microsoft!

2010-10-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Office 2011 (Mac) is out. There are two suites, "Home and Business" and "Home and Student." ("Home and Business" has "Outlook.") Microsoft offers each suite in a single license-single user pack and in multi-license packs.

Buyer beware! If you only need one license, you can buy it, but not at the Microsoft store online. The Microsoft website offers only multi-license (more $$) packages.

Wake-up, Microsoft. You nixxed "upgrade" pricing, so make the more affordable packages available at your online store also.

DearMyrtle's, "Blogging for Beginners"

2010-10-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

I'm attending DearMyrtle's, "Blogging for Beginners" webinar, so this is where the blog begins.

"Blogging for Beginners," was hosted by Geoff Rasmussen, Legacy Family Tree.

The webinar is great. We've learned how to set up a blog, how to pool our blog subscriptions and how to upload images to a blog. Myrt has even talked to us about what to blog about.

She's also shown us the blogger resources available at Geneabloggers. We are now in the live Q & A section of the program.

This was a great one-hour webinar. As you can see, it worked for me! --GJ