The Homefront

Google News Archive can turn up interesting finds about your ancestors. I found this blurb about my great-grandmother, Annie (Gibbs) Cotton. I wish she was still alive so I could ask her what she actually did as a neighborhood group leader. I love the artwork of the war posters so I thought I would include a few that target the efforts of those on the homefront.

The Lewiston Daily Sun - Feb. 26, 1943

Neighborhood Group Leaders, Mechanic Falls

Mechanic Falls - Mrs. Herberta Mitchell, chairman of the neighborhood group, has issued the names of the group leaders and their territory. These leaders' aim is to assist those in their alloted territory with authentic knowledge pertaining to the war effort and to be of such assistance as may be needed. The public will cooperate and make this organization a success by calling on their leaders when assistance is wanted:..Mitchell Street, Annie Cotton;....

Google News Archive

52 Ancestors - #3 Christopher Grant

Christopher Grant is my 8th great-grandfather through my grandfather, Thomas Richard Carter.
He was deposed on April 6, 1658 and gave his age as 48 years old so he was born in England about 1610. He dies in Watertown, Massachusetts in September 1685. He came to Watertown in 1634 and he worked as a glazier as noted by the fact that records show he reglazed the Watertown meetinghouse windows multiple times.

Based on the birth of the first child, Christopher Grant married a woman named Mary by 1634 and the couple had eight children - all born in Watertown, Massachusetts.
1. Abigail b. February 6, 1634/5; married Roger Rose in late 1660.
2. Joshua b. June 11, 1637; married Sarah Beckwith about 1670.
3. Caleb b. September 8, 1639; married Mary.
4. Benjamin b. September 6, 1641; married Mary Beckwith, sister of Sarah, who married his brother Joshua.
5. Sarah b. February 1, 1642/3; married twice, 1) Samuel Seaverns on February 23, 1665/6 in Charlestown, MA. 2) Thomas Silvester by November 27, 1696.
6. Joseph b. September 28, 1646; married Mary Grafton (or Graffam).
7. Mary b. abt. 1648; married Daniel Smith on February 22, 1667(8?).
8. Christopher b. abt. 1650 and d. November 4, 1694; does not appear to have married.

Benjamin Grant
Priscilla Grant
Abigail Ware
Abigail Wight
Roxanna Spurr
Mary Frances Stanley
Edward Mellen Carter
Thomas Richard Carter - my grandfather


The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995).

52 Ancestors - #2 Isaac Allerton

Isaac Allerton is one of those ancestors where you just don't know where to start to tell his stories. He is my 12th great-grandfather through my great-grandmother, Annie Florilla (Gibbs) Cotton. He came on the Mayflower from Holland and was involved in so many things in the early days of the Plymouth colony. He has a wikipedia page and is well documented by a large number of sources. This post will cover the basics. 

In 1620, Isaac arrived in Plymouth but he would also live in Marblehead, Massachusetts, New Amsterdam (NY), and New Haven, Connecticut. As a merchant, he made frequent trips to England on both personal and colony business. Allerton was chosen as the assistant to Governor William Bradford and served for many years starting in January 1633/4. 

Based on his deposition in 1639, it is calculated that he was born about 1586 and he died in New Haven between the first and the twelfth of February 1658/9. He was in court on the first and his inventory was taken on the twelfth. 

The precarious health situation of those times is seen in Isaac's life story. He was married three times because his first two wives died fairly young and he lost two children in 1620. His first wife, Mary Norris died, along with many others, during the first winter in Plymouth. Isaac married Fear Brewster, daughter of Pilgrim William Brewster, but she died within a few years in 1634. His third wife was the widow, Joanna Swinnerton and they married by 1644. 

With his first wife, Isaac had five children but only three survived.
1. Bartholomew b. abt. 1613. He returned to England and became a minister. 
2. Remember b. abt 1615; married Moses Maverick, son of Rev. John Maverick. 
3. Mary b. abt 1617; married Thomas Cushman, son of Robert Cushman. Interesting to note that she was the last of the Mayflower passengers to die - November 28, 1699. 
4. Child, buried in Leiden, Holland, February 5, 1620.
5. Son, stillborn aboard the Mayflower, December 22, 1620 in Plymouth Harbor.

With his second wife, Isaac had two children, one of whom has no further record so was possibly another early death. 
6. Sarah, b. abt. 1626, nfr.
7. Isaac b. abt. 1630; married twice, 1st to Elizabeth, 2nd in Virginia to Elizabeth (Willoughby) (Overzee) Colclough, daughter of Thomas Willoughby and widow of Simon Overzee and George Colclough. 

Isaac's sister, Sarah Allerton was married three times; 1st to John Vincent, 2nd to Degory Priest (Pilgrim), and third to Godbert Godbertson. 

The Great Migration summary of Isaac Allerton by Robert Charles Anderson notes that he was "one of the busiest and most complicated men in early New England..." and "records for Allerton may be found in virtually every colony on the Atlantic seaboard, and in the Caribbean, including Newfoundland, New Netherland, New Sweden, Virginia, Barbadoes, and Curaçao. 

Isaac Allerton
Remember Allerton
Abigail Maverick
Martha Ward
Martha Tuthill (Tuttle)
Ruth Safford
Martha Haskell
Mary "Sally" Houghton
Florilla Dunham
Nina King Ellingwood
Annie Florilla Gibbs
Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother


Great Migration 1634-1635, A-B. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume 1, A-B, by Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999.

52 Ancestors - #1 George Allen

I'm coming late to the party on this challenge but needed to take a brief respite from blogging as life got in the way. I decided that documenting some of my Great Migration ancestors would be a great motivator for this challenge.

George Allen is my 10th great-grandfather in the line of my great-grandmother, Annie Florilla (Gibbs) Cotton. It is not known where George and his family were in England before they sailed for America but it is believed that he arrived in Weymouth, Massachusetts in 1635. He later moved to Sandwich, Massachusetts. George had his name put forward for freeman of Plymouth Colony on March 5, 1638/9 and was admitted on September 3, 1639. He held a few offices including constable of Sandwich, surveyor of highways and served as deputy for Sandwich to the General Court in Plymouth in the years 1640, 1641, 1642, and 1644.

George Allen married twice and had five children with each wife for a total of nine sons and 1 daughter. The name of his first wife is unknown and the name of his second wife was Katherine.

1. John Allen b. abt. 1610, married Christian. My line descends from this couple. 
2. Robert Allen b. abt. 1614 and d. bef. 1661, does not appear to have married.
3. Ralph Allen b. abt. 1617, married possibly Susanna.
4. George Allen b. abt. 1619, married Hannah.
5. Rose Allen b. abt. 1621, married twice - Joseph Holway (Holloway, Holley), and William Newland.
6. William Allen b. abt. 1627, married Priscilla Browne.
7. Mathew Allen b. abt. 1629, married Sarah Kirby.
8. Henry Allen b. abt. 1631, married Sarah Hill.
9. Samuel Allen b. abt 1633, nfr.
10. Gideon Allen b. abt 1635, m. Sarah Prudden, daughter of Rev. Peter Prudden.

George Allen
John Allen
Deborah Allen
Lydia Bucklin
Deborah Barrows
Content Benson
Rachel Barrows
Asa Freeman Ellingwood
Nina King Ellingwood
Annie Florilla Gibbs
Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother

Great Migration 1634-1635, A-B. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume 1, A-B, by Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999.

Winters Past

When the cold temps get you down, remember that it can be and has been worse! I found a weather report from January 23, 1857 in Bethel, Maine on the web site Genealogy Bank. It said the temperature 26 below at sunrise and still 15 below at 9 am. The wind was blowing and going outside was dangerous because of frost bite. So if it's cold, windy, snowy where you are, light a fire in the woodstove or fireplace, pile on the quilts, and if you must go out, remember to bundle up!

Try to remember to get out an enjoy the winter when you can! And remember that we live in a time when it's never been easier to move to some place warmer if you truly hate the winter and the snow. 

Happy 86th Birthday!

Mary Jane (Abbott) Capen was my 2X great-grandmother. Her daughter with whom she lived, Fannie Carter, was my great-grandmother and my grandfather, Richard Carter was one of her seven grandchildren (brother to Rebecca mentioned in the article). Fannie's husband was killed when he was struck by a car in 1923 and raised her 5 children, E. Augustus, Rebecca, Richard, Stanley, and Paul on the Carter family farm in Middle Intervale, Bethel. This newspaper article describing Mary Jane's birthday celebration is full of genealogy information as it lists the names of her parents, her children who lived to adulthood along with some important dates in the family timeline.
Lewiston Evening Journal - Jan 10, 1933

86 YEAR OLD E. BETHEL WOMAN ACTIVE IN THE HOME

EAST BETHEL, Jan 10 - At the age of 86, Mrs. Mary Jane Capen is in very good health and is able to do considerable work in the home. She quietly observed her 86th birthday Friday, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Fannie Carter at Middle Intervale, with whom she now lives. She received gifts from her seven children and cards from her many friends. 

Mrs. Capen was born in Bethel, the daughter of John and Sarah Akley Abbott. Seventy years ago, she was married to Edward Capen, who died in 1912. To this couple were born seven children, two sons who died when young; a son, Charles, who died in 1930, and four daughters, Mrs. Laura Roberts of China, Miss Minnie Capen, Miss Alice Capen of Bethel, and Mrs. Fannie Carter. 

Mrs. Capen has seven grandchildren, one of whom is Rebecca Carter, a student at Bates College. She also has two great-grandchildren. Mrs. Capen attends the Methodist church at Bethel. 

Surname Christmas Tree

Randy Seaver's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun for last Saturday was to create a Surname Christmas Tree. I'm a couple days late but here is my surname Christmas Tree made with Tagxedo.  Merry Christmas everyone!