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For the early settlers of modern day Harlem, guarding the settlement wasn't easy. Indian raids were devastating and newly arriving intruders were kept at a distance. According to " New Harlem past and present ", the authorities commanded that no strangers were permitted to cross the ferry at New Harlem. This photograph of the first ferry, which was very close to Daniel Tourneur's home, was taken around 1903. My paternal grandmother, Ethel Daniels, descended from Daniel Tourneur via the Dykeman family (Dyckman). They were among the early settlers of New York City. In order to secure the settlement, the Governor, Anthony Colve, successor of Nicholls, ordered the men of New Harlem to organize a militia in 1673. The roster, containing 24 courageous and honorable men, follows: Company 1 Jan Nagel, Corporal Joost van Oblinus, Private Jean Delamater, Private Jean le Roy, Private Robert Hollis, Private Company 2 Simeon Cornier, Corporal Lubbert Gerritsen, Private Samuel Pell, Private Jacque el Roe, Private Baren Waldron, Private Samuel Demarest, Private Company 3 Jan Dyckman, Corporal Arent Harmanse Bussing, Private David Demarest Jr, Private Jan Tinker, Private Conradus Hendrickson, Private Cornelis Theunissens, Private Company 4 Adolph Meyer, Corporal Laurens Matthyssen, Private David Demarest, Private Daniel Tourneur , Private Jochem Engelbert, Private Meyndert Journeed, Private If any of these brave men was your ancestor, get your commemorative certificate on Etsy OR Amazon OR Ebay Click here for more New York genealogy and history resources Click here to learn more about Daniel Tourneur . Click here to learn more about this branch of my family . Sources: New Harlem past and present; the story of an amazing civic wrong, now at last to be righted, by Carl H. Pierce, W.P. Toler, and H.D. Nutting, 1903. #DanielTourneur #Harlem #Dykeman #Dyckman #dutchsettlement #military #militia #minuteman #minutemen

Charles Russell Leonard was born November 25, 1830, in Union Springs, Cayuga County, New York. He was the son of Russel (or Russell) and Sophronia Leonard . Russel was last seen in 1833 when he went west to Michigan Territory to buy land and never returned , leaving Sophronia with two children that we know of - Charles and Jenette. She married Thomas J. Knapp on September 11, 1837, in Genoa, Cayuga County, with whom she had several more children. A list of the census records Charles has been identified in are shown below. This page will be updated if and when the missing records are found. 1840 Census - Not found Charles's mother, Sophronia, was remarried to Thomas Knapp and living in Scipio, Cayuga, New York. ( Details ) Charles may have lived in the household of Joshua Leonard, Jr., who also lived in Scipio. Joshua had a brother named Russel Leonard, who may have been Charles' father. See more about this theory in my previous article here . 1850 Census - Not found In 1850, his mother, Sophronia Knapp (age 35) was living in Genoa with her new husband, Thomas Knapp (39) and seven children: Joseph (13), Thomas (12), Mariah (9), Sophia (7), Lydia (4), Dewey (2), and William (0). They were family #217 counted on page 28 of 60. ( Details ) Note: The same year (1850), his soon-to-be wife, Polly Brown (age 12) was living with who I believe was her mother and stepfather, Peter and Lydia Shaver, also in Genoa. They were family #381 counted on page 49 of 60. The only other Leonard in Genoa in 1850 was George Leonard, who lived in the home of Otis Carson (age 48) and Polly Carson (age 45) and their children. George was age 50. No sign of Charles. 1855 Genoa, Cayuga County, New York ( See full census here ) Charles (23), Mary (17), Joseph (1) - They had been living there only two months *Notice the middle initial. It is transcribed as Charles B. Leonard. 1860 Census - Not found 1865 Groton, Tompkins County, New York Charles Leonard and Mary with children: Joseph, Susan, Charles, Sarah g., and Frances Leonard. 1870 Groton, Tompkins County, New York Charles Leonard and Mary with children: Joseph, Jane, Frankie, and Lewis Leonard . 1875 Locke, Cayuga County, New York Charles Leonard with wife, Sarah (Mary Polly Brown?) and children: Frances, Lewis & Lydia. 1880 Locke, Cayuga County, New York Chas. R. Leonard with wife Mary and children: Lewis, Lydia, Arthur and Irvin. 1892 Rose, Wayne, New York Charles Leonard with his second "wife" Luella and her children fathered by William Knapp. 1900 Lyons, Wayne, New York Charles Leonard with his second wife, Luella and her mother, Betsy Lumbert, and Malvina Leonard, a daughter, presumably a Knapp as shown above on the 1892 census. Charles's birthdate is given as December 1834 but his first wife's embroidered Family Record says he was born Nov. 23 (or 25?), 1830 (or 1831?). We know he was born before 1833 when his father left for Michigan to buy land, so his birth info here is incorrect. 1905 Groton, Tompkins, New York Charles Leonard and his wife, Luella. At the age of 72, he was still working as a "Day Laborer". Photo from Dryer Family Photos is labeled Charles Russell Leonard and Luella Schriver Knapp Wilson Leonard. Click here to learn more about Charles and this branch of my family . #leonard #charlesrussellleonard #charlesleonard #census #timeline

Cortland County is located smack dab in the center of New York State. It sits at an elevation of 1,100-2,100 feet above sea level, which results in cooler temperatures than it's southern neighbors. You can usually feel a dramatic drop in temperature the further north you travel. Precipitation from the Great Lakes and the Finger Lakes, combined with the colder temperatures from the high elevation, result in feet of snow being dumped on the many mountains and valleys of the region every winter. The snow plows are busy all winter moving the snow off the roads and by late winter, the piles of plowed snow along the sides of the roads are 8-feet tall or more and packed solid. When Spring finally arrives and all the snow and ice start to melt - the "Spring thaw", the soil is muddy for weeks, but the runoff fills the streams, lakes, and wells with fresh water, rejuvenates the trees, plants, grass, and flowers, and everything comes back to life. Cortland County was part of the Military Tract, land awarded to soldiers of the American Revolution, in the early 1800s, and prior to that it was home to various Native American tribes. For thousands of years, their trails and camps were the only sign of human life in what we now call "Upstate" New York. As you can see, from this terrain map, courtesy of Google Maps, Cortland County is southeast of the Finger Lakes. Some of the many hills are over 2,100 feet above sea level, while the valleys are level and as low as 1,000 feet above sea level. According to the intriguing account found in the old book "Stories of Cortland County," the geological history of the region is a tale of dramatic transformation. It describes a time when the hills stood tall and sharp, a stark contrast to the landscape we see today. This narrative delves into the concept of an ice age, a period of prolonged freezing that reshaped the terrain in profound ways. As the chilling temperatures gripped the land, massive sheets of ice and snow traveled from the distant northern regions, exerting immense pressure as they advanced southwards. Picture the relentless force of these icy behemoths as they gradually flattened the once imposing mountains, leaving in their wake a landscape altered beyond recognition. The journey of the ice sheets was not a gentle one; they carried along enormous boulders, shattering them into scattered remnants along their path. The valleys, once deep and rugged, bore the brunt of this glacial onslaught, being filled with layers of gravel that now lie buried beneath the surface, some reaching depths of over 200 feet. This geological upheaval shaped Cortland County, leaving fertile pastures, lush forests, and beautiful, rolling hills in every direction. Fossils found in Cortland County are from the Devonian period, while the oldest fossils in neighboring Chenango County date back to the Silurian period. The Silurian is a geologic period and system spanning 24.6 million years from the end of the Ordovician Period, at 443.8 million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Devonian Period, 419.2 Mya. The Silurian is the shortest period of the Paleozoic Era. As with other geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period's start and end are well identified, but the exact dates are uncertain by a few million years. The base of the Silurian is set at a series of major Ordovician–Silurian extinction events when up to 60% of marine genera were wiped out. [Source: Wikipedia ] The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era during the Phanerozoic eon, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the preceding Silurian period at 419.2 million years ago (Ma), to the beginning of the succeeding Carboniferous period at 358.9 Ma. It is named after Devon, South West England, where rocks from this period were first studied. [Source: Wikipedia ] Much of Cortland County and Chenango County rest on the Ithaca Formation, Upper and Lower Division, part of the Genesee Group, dating back to the Devonian period. For more information on the geology of Cortland and Chenango Counties and the central New York area, these sites are helpful: https://earthathome.org/finger-lakes-geology/geology-finger-lakes/ https://paleontological.s3.amazonaws.com/PDF/SpecialPublications-OutOfPrint/Linsley_1994.pdf Click here to learn more about Cortland County . #cortlandcounty #cortland #centralnewyork #geology #newyork

A great resource for learning about ancestors from Central New York is this 3-volume set called " History of Central New York: embracing Cayuga, Seneca, Wayne, Ontario, Tompkins, Cortland, Schuyler, Yates, Chemung, Steuben, and Tioga Counties ", by Harry R. Melone, 1932. Links to all three volumes are provided below. Volume 1 is dedicated to the places and early settlers of Central New York, including many old photographs. Sit back and enjoy this slideshow of the images! If your ancestors lived in Central New York, in the 19th-20th centuries, you're being given a peek into their world! The Table of Contents for Volume 1 is shown here. Volumes 2 and 3 contain biographies of prominent citizens of central New York, including many portraits. All three volumes are available free online! Use the links below to jump to the resource at archive.org's site. VOLUME 1 [ Link ] VOLUME 2 [ Link ] VOLUME 3 [ Link ] Volumes 2 and 3 contain hundreds of biographies and some portraits of the prominent citizens of central New York. There is no Table of Contents or Index in these, so you'll have to use the search feature. Use the magnifying glass on the left side of the window to search within each book, as shown here: Click here to see more New York genealogy resources ! #genealogy #historical #records #resources #photos #historicphotos

When I first caught the genealogy bug in the year 2000 and started researching my Leonard roots, my grandfather, Robert Leonard was already deceased nearly two decades. No one could recall what his father's name was, since his parents had split up when he was a small child. The only clue was that he married a woman named Valentine. A visit to the town clerk's office in Willet produced my grandfather's birth certificate, though, and on it was his father's name: Albert Leonard . Immediately I began researching men named Albert Leonard in New York and there were several. How was I ever going to find out which one was my great-grandfather? That was in the early days of the internet and I tried a search on AOL and I came across a cemetery index containing the name of a man named Albert Leonard with a wife named Valentine, buried in Rose Cemetery in North Rose, Wayne County, New York. It was a 90-mile drive from where I was living at the time, so we took a trip to see what we could find! (You can see the photos and documents we found that day in my previous blog, here ). We visited the Cayuga County Historical Society and found a book there, called "Memorial, genealogical, historical, and biographical, of Solomon Leonard, 1637, of Duxbury and Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and some of his descendants", by Manning Leonard, 1896. I was certain this must be my family, even though it contained no familiar names! Now you can find it online , free. Through genealogy message boards, I got in touch with a few people researching Leonards in the area and with their help and clues provided in Dryer Family Photos , I learned that Albert's father was Lewis Leonard and Lewis' father was Charles Russell Leonard . Charles was believed to have been given his father's name and his mother was Sophronia Burrill (or Burlet, according to his death certificate). I checked Manning Leonard's book, but Charles was not found. Although many people had been searching for years, we could find no information about Charles' father. Finally, a few years ago I found a newspaper clipping from 1834 , which indicated his name was Russell, and he left to buy land in Michigan Territory on November 1, 1833, and hadn't been heard from since. Sophronia and her children were "suffering" and it was requested that anyone with information contact the postmaster at Port Byron, New York. Nothing further has been found and Sophronia was remarried to Thomas Knapp by 1840. A search of Russell Leonards living in Michigan on subsequent censuses revealed a man by the name of Russell Leonard, born May 18, 1808 , in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. He married to (Lydia) Leonard Forbes on November 19, 1833, in Townsend Township, Ontario, Canada - 200 miles west of Port Byron. Could he have deserted his wife and children to elope with another woman? The other strong potential match is Russell, son of Joshua Leonard and Hannah Sylvester , also of Worthington, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. The family lived in the same towns as Charles and his mother. See my previous blog for the many reasons I suspect this is my line. My father's haplogroup seems to indicate he is a descendant of Solomon Leonard of Duxbury. Both of these Russells were 4th great-grandsons of Solomon Leonard. They were 3rd cousins to each other! This explains why my father's DNA matches BOTH Russell of Burtchville and of Chesterfield. (It appears he has fewer results with the Michigan line, but additional comparisons will need to be made to make a positive determination). In conclusion, after researching for the past nineteen years, and still having no definitive proof of either relationship, creating the chart shown above helped me see that Solomon Leonard is my 10th great-grandfather either way! Yes, there are some blurry links in between - my line is the green and either the blue or the pink, but Samuel Leonard (grandson of Solomon) was the 2nd great-grandfather of both of the Russells I have spent years researching! My initial hunch (and hope) was true! Note: Brad Leonard is publishing an updated version of the Descendants of Solomon Leonard (1610-1671). Last I knew, it was 640 pages with the index! Stay tuned for more on that! BONUS News! In light of this recent discovery, descendants of Solomon may be interested to know that his wife, Sarah Chandler, was the daughter of Roger Chandler and Isabella Chilton. Isabella was a daughter of James Chilton, Mayflower passenger! Click here to learn more ! Are you a descendant of James Chilton? Commemorate his life and memory with your very own certificate! You can find them on Ebay or Amazon ! If you have any information to contribute, please comment below or contact me! If you are in this family and have had your DNA tested, please upload the raw data to GedMatch and add your test info to WikiTree so we can compare! Note: WikiTree is a collaborative tree, where each person is allowed only one profile. No duplicates! We work together on each person's profile, adding information. Sources are required and changes are tracked. Join me in reconstructing the Leonard tree there! Find your place in the tree from Charles Russell Leonard ( click here ). #leonard #solomonleonard #genealogy #mayflower #mayflowerdescendant #pilgrims #newengland

Due to the lack of information about the mother of Charles Russell Leonard, and my theory that there may be some confusion about the identity of "Sophronia Burrill", the reported mother of Charles Russell Leonard. Her name appears to be first hand knowledge given by someone, as no record to confirm this has been found. A woman by the name of Sophronia Burrill was living in Elbridge, Onondaga, New York as early as 1850 until her death in 1883. Her name was Sophronia Campbell, wife of Nelson Burrill. See " The Burritt family in America : descendants of William Burritt of Stratford, Connectucut, 1635-1940 ", p. 63. The similarities between Sophronia, wife of Thomas Knapp, and Sophronia, wife of Nelson Burrill are astounding, leading me to believe the two could easily have been confused. Aside from their names, these two woman appear to have been born around the same year and they both died in 1883. Furthermore, the Burrills lived 11-12 miles east of Port Byron, where Sophronia Leonard reported her husband missing in 1833. Was Sophronia Campbell married to Russel Leonard before she married Nelson Burrill? No record of either Sophronia's marriages can be found and no conclusive evidence has been found. The only evidence I found which may prove that Sophronia Campbell was NOT married to Russel Leonard is on the 1865 New York State Census, where "Number of times married" is asked and the answer for Sophronia was "1". (Note: Sophronia Knapp indicated she was married two times ). People didn't always answer census questions honestly, however. A marriage record would still help positively prove or disprove my theory. Following are copies of Nelson and Sophronia Burrill on the census beginning in 1840. From these we learn she was probably born in Onondaga County, New York, and her parents were born in Massachusetts. Notice, in 1840, Charles Russell Leonard, would have been 10 years old. No children in the home match this age. He doesn't appear to have lived in Sophronia Knapp's home either that year, though. Sophronia Burrill's death was announced in The Cayuga Chief, Weedsport, April 21, 1883, as follows: An attempt to locate Sophronia Campbell's parents yield only one result so far. In Chester, Massachusetts , a daughter named "Sophrona", was born to Alvan and Polly Campbell on October 15, 1814. She appears to have had a brother named Nelson, born May 1, 1811. On p. 146 of the same book, the marriage between Polly Goodwill and Alvan Campbell, is recorded. They were married Jan. 3, 1811. Click here to learn more about Sophronia Burrill, mother of Charles Russell Leonard . #sophroniaburrill #census #elbridge #jordan #onondagacounty #nelsonburrill #burrill

The search along the trails left behind by my Leonard family, have led me squarely to a place commonly found by genealogists - a brick wall. The earliest Leonard that has been identified in my line is Charles Russell Leonard who was born in 1830, possibly in Union Springs or Springport, Cayuga County, New York. He had a sister named Jenette who was born in 1833. Others in the family researching this line give his mother's name as Sophronia, reportedly Sophronia Burrill. An extensive search of newspapers published in the area during that period produced this very interesting find: Who was this "Russel Leonard", husband of Sophronia Leonard, who left Lock Port on November 1, 1833, never to be heard from again? Watch this video, which explains my theory: It seems most likely to me that Sophronia's husband, Russell, was a son of Joshua & Hannah Leonard of Worthington, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. He was born June 27, 1808, in Chesterfield, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, according to Massachusetts Town Vital Records. His birth record is shown here beside his brother, Joshua Leonard, Jr.'s in Chesterfield Vital Records. Their father, Joshua, was born on Nov. 8, 1773, in neighboring Worthington. [Vital records of Worthington, Massachusetts, to the year 1850, p. 44]. He lived in Chesterfield in 1810. Joshua Sr's father was Amos Leonard. ( Possible match here ). Joshua Leonard, Jr., was living in Scipio, Cayuga County, New York, in 1820. In his home there was a young man born between 1805 and 1810, which could very well have been his younger brother, Russell. It couldn't have been either of his other two brothers, as the ages don't match. In 1830, Joshua Sr., was counted on the census in Venice, Cayuga County, New York. Venice was formed from Scipio in 1823, so perhaps he didn't move, but rather the location of his home fell in the portion of Scipio that became Venice. He was counted on the census in Venice again in 1840, at which time we find Thomas Knapp, and presumably Sophronia, living nearby in Scipio. It does not appear that her son, Charles Russell Leonard, was living in the home, however. Charles would have been 9 years old at the time and may have been the boy age 5-9 who was counted on the census in Joshua Leonard's home in 1840. Joshua was between 60-69 years old. What ever happened to Russell, the son of Joshua Leonard, who was born in 1808? Was he the husband of Sophronia who went missing in 1833? I had previously researched another Russell Leonard who was born in 1808 in Hampshire County, Massachusetts and died on October 22, 1874 in Grant, St. Clair, Michigan. His death record states his parents were Elisha Leonard and Elizabeth Brown who were married in Washington, Massachusetts, on March 23, 1802. This Russell, however, was actually named Elisha Russell Leonard, Jr. , born March 19, 1808, in Massachusetts. He married Lydia Almina Forbes and I believe there may be some confusion between her and Lydia Ann Leonard. Her memorial on findagrave (memorial #134570823) says she was Lydia Ann Leonard, the daughter of Benjamin Leonard of Massachusetts and Eva Burgett. It says Lydia was born April 11, 1811, in Chautauqua, New York, and married first to a Mr. Forbes. the problem is, her name was given as "Almina Forbes" when she married Russell, "Elisha R. Leonard" - not Lydia or Ann. They were married in Townsend, London District*, Ontario, Canada on November 19, 1833. Sophronia's missing person's notice, published in May of 1834, says he left from Lockport, New York, on the first day of November last, meaning November 1, 1833, to buy land in Michigan. Could he have made it to Townsend, Ontario, Canada, by November 19th to marry Lydia? Yes, he could have. Lockport is only 89 miles from Townsend. By 1850, this "Russel Leonard", age 42, was working as a Shingle maker and living in Burtchville, Michigan, with his wife, Lydia, and five children: Almina, Wellington, Alice, Abigail, and George Leonard. According to a very informative post by Marla Gearhart on the message boards in the Leonard Family Genealogy Forum on genealogy.com, Elisha Leonard (1751-1832) did have a son named Elisha and a grandson named Elisha Russell Leonard. Elisha Leonard, Jr. moved from Massachusetts about. 1815 and lived in Madison County, New York, and then in Oneida County before moving to Ontario, Canada, about 1825. She claims his son, (Elisha) Russell settled in Michigan abt. 1847, which may explain why he is found there in 1850 but not in 1840, but he did marry in 1833. While the dates line up, and the places are close - they are not close enough. These Michigan Leonards show no connection to Port Byron or Union Springs. They also show no other known males named Charles in the line. Furthermore, if Russell's father was already in Canada in 1825, then it seems likely that his son was also there with him. For these reasons, I do believe the Russell who was the son of Joshua Leonard is more likely a paternal match for our Charles Russell Leonard. I hope to confirm this eventually. Someone please tell me he didn't leave poor Sophronia in upstate New York alone with two small children just as winter was approaching, only to run off and marry another woman! Please?! There may have been a connection between Joshua and Elisha's families, since they were both from Hampshire County, Massachusetts. The fact that they both used the Russell name, however, seems to be coincidental. Joshua's son, Russell, appears to have been named after his mother's brother, Russell Sylvester, while Elisha Russell Leonard was named after his father. Deeper investigation into the lines will prove to be more confusing since there was another Joshua Leonard b. 1797 living in Cazenovia in the mid-1800s. He was a Reverend. In another post I will share my research on that line. Update 6/27/24: Both Russel Leonard, son of Joshua, and Russel Leonard, son of Elisha, were 2nd great-grandsons of Samuel Leonard, a grandson of Solomon Leonard. In fact, these two Russels were 3rd cousins. Soon I'll share an analysis of my DNA results compared to descendants of these Russels. Stay tuned! Your comments, questions and suggestions are welcome! Please share! #Leonard #leonard #CharlesRussellLeonard #RusselLeonard #missing #Michigan #missinglink #ElishaLeonard #JoshuaLeonard

In an effort to find out if Joshua Burrill was the father of my 4th great-grandmother, Sophronia Burrill, I took some time to make a timeline for a better angle. Since Joshua's will names his three oldest daughters, his son, and his youngest daughter, I wanted to find out when and where Sophronia came into the picture and if there was any evidence of her being with the family. Take a look at what I discovered! 1781 - Joshua Burrill was born in 1781 in Thompson, Windham, Connecticut. 1809 - He married Caroline Fitts in Oxford, Massachusetts, on March 9, 1809. (Oxford is abt. 10 miles north of Thompson). The marriage intention was filed January 21, 1809, at Oxford. 1810 - Joshua & Caroline's daughter Martha "Patty" Burrill was born Jan. 29, 1810 in Connecticut. 1812 - Joshua & Caroline's daughter Brooksey was born Nov. 14, 1812. Her obituary states she was born in Middlebury, Massachusetts but no such place exists in Massachusetts. There is a Middlebury in New Haven County, Connecticut, abt. 84 miles southwest of Thompson, where Joshua was born. Another possibility is that she was born in Middle borough , Massachusetts. 1813 - Joshua & Caroline's son, Arba F. Burrill was born in Connecticut. 1814 - Joshua & Caroline's daughter Achsah was born in Massachusetts. 1815 - Joshua & Caroline's daughter Sophronia was born in Massachusetts (UNCONFIRMED BUT LIKELY) 1820 - Census of Auburn, Worcester, Mass. (One male under age 10 (Arba), one male 26-44 (Joshua), three females under age 10 (Brooksey, Achsah, Sophronia?) , one female age 10-15 (Martha), one female age 26-44 (Caroline). 1825 - Joshua & Caroline's daughter Mahaleth was born in Massachusetts. 1825 - Joshua appears on tax list in Camillus, Onondaga County, New York. 1827 - Joshua & Caroline's daughter Martha "Patty" Burrill marries David Redman. 1830 - Census of Elbridge, Onondaga, New York (One male age 5-9 (???), one male age 15-19 (Arba), one male age 40-49 (Joshua), one female age 10-14 (? Mahaleth was abt. 5), one female age 15-19 (Brooksey?), and one female 40-49 (Caroline). 1830 - Joshua & Caroline's daughter Brooksey Burrill marries John King, October 1830. 1840 - Census of Pembroke, Genesee, New York (one male age 20-29 (Arba), one male age 50-59 (Joshua), one female age 20-29 (?), and one female age 50-59 (Caroline) 1848 - Caroline died in 1848 and Joshua remarried to a woman by the name of Merinda. 1864 - Joshua's will was written on April 23, 1864. 1865 - Joshua died on April 15, 1865. It was the very same day of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Joshua's will was probated on May 22, 1865, in Genesee County, New York, and names all his children except for Sophronia. Why? We don't know, but the omission of her name has led many to believe Sophronia wasn't his daughter. Arba had a daughter he named Sophronia and there was a tradition in the family to name children after siblings. In fact, Arba, was named after his mother's brother, Arba Fitts. Also, my DNA matches several of Joshua's other children's descendants , so it's nearly proven that Sophronia was related, but no documentation can be found. Hopefully this census sheds some light on the family during the time when Sophronia would have been about 5-9 years old. Note also, the spelling of the family name on this census, "Burrell". If you have any information or insight to offer about Sophronia's relationship to this family, please let me know! See also: My Burrill DNA matches Joshua Burrill's Last Will & Testament This branch of my family #joshuaburrill #sophroniaburrill #burrill #leonard #timeline

As a child, I remember asking my mother to tell me stories about when she was younger. How I wish I had asked all of my grandparents and great-grandparents that question while they were still living. If I had asked my great-grandfather, John Reese, what the most tragic event of his life was, he might have told me first about the death of his little brother, Harold E. Reese, who died at the young age of 6 in 1931, but I'm sure he would have added that just seven years later, his 32-year old brother, Raymond Reese, took his own life. Raymond L. Reese was born in 1906 in North Mountain, Franklin Township, in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. He was the eldest son of Maynard and Ada (Temple) Reese. The family moved from Pennsylvania to New York between 1911 and 1912, and lived in Ledyard (Aurora), Cayuga County, New York, for many years. On Sunday, June 26, 1938, a man driving "the old Ithaca-Elmira highway", noticed a sedan parked in an open field half a mile north of the hamlet of Sullivanville in the town of Veteran, Chemung County, New York. Upon investigating, the man approached the vehicle and observed Raymond Reese, age 32, sitting in the driver's seat. A woman named Grace Collins, age 38, was at his side, slumped against him and his arm was around her shoulder as the pair peacefully departed this life together. The couple were reportedly living together in Ithaca, at 108 First Street, but only for the previous week. Grace's estranged husband, John Collins, reported that she abandoned him and their two children, who lived on Lake Road, north of Ithaca. The two children, a daughter and a son, were born in 1918 and 1919, so they were about 19 and 20 years old at the time of their mother's departure. Their son has descendants living today. In the previous week, Gertrude Reese, who lived in Ellis Hollow, a hamlet in Ithaca, had also filed charges against Ray for abandonment. She and Ray had been married for about 14 years but appear to have had no children. Ray had been arrested for the charge and was set to appear in court Saturday night, but he failed to appear and chose his own judgement instead. It was late Saturday night that the couple affixed a hose from the car's tailpipe, directing the fumes into the vehicle. They sat and awaited the effects and soon died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The fumes are said to be deadly within a few minutes. Their deed wasn't discovered until the following day, when the unknown man reported his finds to the storekeeper in Sullivanville. The New York State Death Index reports their deaths occurred in Veteran, Chemung, New York, on Sunday, June 26, 1938. Following are several news clippings regarding the incident. These were from The Cortland Standard, Elmira Star Gazette, Tonawanda Evening News, The Saratogian, The Syracuse Journal, Utica Daily Press, and Knickerbocker News (Albany), all published on Monday, June 27, 1938. Raymond's funeral was announced in The Union Springs Advertiser on Thursday, June 30, 1938. Note: Gertrude Reese's maiden name may have been Gertrude M. Bellinger. See New York State, Marriage Index, 1881-1967 on ancestry.com.

If you've ever done a search on popular genealogy sites, you may have seen records from the source "Biography and Genealogy Master Index". This source indexes millions of genealogical tidbits found in various biographical and genealogical resources. It's worth checking for your family names, to see if you could have missed an important source. Various editions and volumes were published and below you can find the ones I've located and indexed for you, with links to access the books for free on Archive.org. In each volume you will find the names sorted alphabetically, with codes following the name. The key to the codes is found in the beginning of the book, indicating which source provided the information. Vol 1, 2nd Edition, 1980 A-B [Link] Vol 2, 2nd Edition, 1980 C-E [Link] Vol 3, 2nd Edition, 1980 F-H [Link] Vol 4, 2nd Edition, 1980 I-L [Link] Vol 5, 2nd Edition, 1980 M-O [Link] Vol 6, 2nd Edition, 1980 P-R [Link] Vol 7, 2nd Edition, 1980 S-T [Link] Vol 8, 2nd Edition, 1980 U-Z [Link] 1981-85 Cumulation Vol 1 A-C [Link] 1981-85 Cumulation Vol 2 D-G [Link] 1981-85 Cumulation Vol 3 H-L [Link] 1981-85 Cumulation Vol 4 M-R [Link] 1981-85 Cumulation Vol 5 S-Z [Link] 1986-90 Cumulation Vol 1 A-G [Link] 1986-90 Cumulation Vol 2 H-O [Link] 1986-90 Cumulation Vol 3 P-Z [Link] 1990 A-Z [Link] 1995 A-Z [Link] 1999 A-Z [Link] 2000 A-Z [Link] 2001 A-Z [Link] 2014 A-Z [Link] 2016 A-Z [Link] Click here for more free genealogy resources!

A man named William R. Daniel submitted a claim for 160 acres of bounty land in Missouri on January 4, 1819, for his service during the War of 1812. He was a Private in Captain J. Rothrock's Company, 38th Reg't of Infantry. The claim was settled January 4, 1819. According to the land map, the property was located here, in De Witt, Carroll County, Missouri. It was 160 acres of land between Route 230 and Route 240. The property's edge is 1.28 miles from the banks of the Missouri River to it's east. You can have a look around with this interactive Google map but there's not much to see there: William Daniel may not have ever lived on this land. He may have sold it upon receiving it. There were only two men named William Daniel counted on the census in Missouri in 1830. They were: William Daniel living in Mississippi, Scott, Missouri, in a household of 4. He was age 40-49 (born bet. 1781-1790) and the woman of the house was age 50-59 (born bet. 1771-1780). There was a young man age 15-19 (born bet. 1811-1815) and a young woman age 10-14 (born bet. 1816-1820). William Daniel living in Lincoln, Missouri, in a household of 6 including himself, age 30-39 (born bet. 1791-1800), and a woman the same age, presumably his wife. There were 2 boys under age 5 (born between 1825-1830), and one boy age 5-9 (born bet. 1821-1825). There was one young girl, age 10-14 (born bet. 1816-1820). Note: There were three Daniel households listed consecutively. William was listed between Nancy Daniel and George M. Daniel: George M. Daniel's home had four occupants including himself, age 20-29 (born bet. 1801-1810), a boy under age 5 (born bet. 1825-1830), a young girl age 10-14 (born bet. 1816-1820), a young woman age 15-19 (born bet. 1811-1815). Nancy's home had nine people including herself, age 50-59 (born bet. 1771-1780), and a young woman age 15-19 (born bet. 1811-1815), as well as seven slaves - a female age 24-35 and six children under the age of 10. In a book called "The New Stars", by Manie K. Morgan, she explains that "Slavery was less fundamental an interest in Missouri than lower south. It was like slavery in northern Kentucky - much more a domestic than a commercial institution. Slaves were mostly family servants and held in small numbers." Nancy was mentioned in History of Lincoln County, Missouri. On page 234, it states that Nancy Daniels was a daughter of John Riffle, who settled in Lincoln County in 1804. They were at Fort Howard during the War of 1812. On page 249, it states she was born in 1804, which doesn't align with the census. I found no mention of Mr. Daniels (or Daniel). At this point, I'm not sure if William R. Daniels was the father of Austin Miles Daniels, who married Mary Ellen Wilkinson somewhere in Morgan County, Missouri, in 1836/37, but there is a possibility. In 1843, Austin bought land in Florence or Richland Township, a mere 57 miles from William's land in De Witt, by today's boundaries. From there, he moved his family to Holt County, and they left Missouri by 1851, going to Oregon by ox cart. While searching for more information about this William Daniel, I found this abstract on fold3.com: This is interesting because the William I am looking for named his son Austin. Did he name them after his commanding officers, Col. A. Austin? And I know it's a stretch, but Austin named one of his sons Johnson. Could it be that William also named a son Johnson and Austin later named his son after that uncle? These are just my theories. We'll have to keep looking for more information. If anyone can help prove or disprove who Austin's actual father was, please comment below or contact me. To follow my research on William Daniels, see his profile here. More useful links: Bounty Land Warrants for the War of 1812 can be searched on FamilySearch here Search the Bureau of Land Management's records here Find thousands of free genealogy resources here #daniels #williamdaniels #austindaniels #missouri #warof1812

Looking into the past can be like peeking into a darkened room. Every little clue we find sheds a little bit of light on its contents. Sometimes we're lucky enough to have photos of our ancestors, and it's great to see what they looked like, but what other information can an old photo provide? Ideally, someone wrote the names, dates, and places the photos were taken, but not always. Sometimes the photographer's name and the city may be imprinted on the border or backside, which could provide some clues. One of the portraits of my 3rd great-grandfather, Charles Russell Leonard, for example, doesn't have a date to tell us when it was taken, but Charles was born in 1830 and he appears to be about 60 years old in this photo, so we can estimate it was taken around 1890, but if we wanted to be sure, doing some research on the photographer could help verify the approximate date of the portrait. Charles R. Leonard's photograph is marked "GEHRING", the name of the photographer, along with the place, which is crossed out, but appears to be "Lyons, NY". A search of area newspapers for the words "Gehring" and "Photographer" helps shine some light on the photographer's career. The photographer's name was Tobias D. Gehring. From these clues, along with census records, the following is a partial timeline of his life: 1857/58 - Tobias D. Gehring born at sea in April, to parents emigrating from Switzerland. 1860 - His family of eight people was counted on the census in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1880 - At the age of 23, Tobias was counted on the 1880 census, boarding in the home of William Clayson in Syracuse, Onondaga, New York. He was single. 1882 - Tobias married Charlotte Hamilton. 1887 - He had a photography studio located at 18 East Genesee Street in Syracuse (1887-1888 Syracuse Directory). He also had a studio on Locust Street at one time. 1892 - Tobias and his wife, Charlotte, lived in Syracuse with four children: Grace, Charlotte, Ralph and Hazel Gehring. He was employed as a crucible maker. (1892 NY State Census) 1893 - Moved to Lyons, 45 miles west of Syracuse. 1894 - Gehring had a studio in the Nellis Block on Williams Street in Lyons. 1898 - Gehring had a studio in Herkimer, New York, in 1898, which he sold that year and returned to Lyons, supposedly "his former home". Lyons is about 100 miles west of Herkimer. This time, he didn't remain in Lyons long, however. 1900 - When the 1900 census was taken, he lived in Syracuse, about 45 miles east of Lyons. They had five children in their home in 1900. They were: Grace Gehring, Charlotte E. Gehring, Ralph Gehring, Hazel O. Gehring, and Harold R. Gehring. Hazel married Henry F. Loeb in Macomb County, Michigan, in 1915. Tobias Gehring died on Sept. 21, 1906, in Syracuse. Given the long distances between the places Gehring lived, one might wonder if it is the same person, but an intriguing story published in the Rochester Democrat in 1894, ties it all together, explaining that in 1894, Gehring had a photographic studio in the Nellis Block in Lyons. It also states that he had been in Lyons for a year and that he had previously operated a studio on Locust Street in Syracuse for 15 years. So, from these references, we can see that Gehring had a studio in Lyons between 1893 and 1900, which makes sense, because we know that Charles Leonard, who spent most of his life in Cayuga and Tompkins Counties, lived in Wayne County briefly. He was counted on the census in Rose, Wayne County, New York, in 1892, and in Lyons in 1900. (See his census timeline here). The village of Rose is just a few miles from Lyons. In summary, the portrait of Charles Russell Leonard was taken in Lyons, probably between 1893 and 1900. Charles would have been between 63 and 70 years old. The Nellis Block in Lyons, is shown here: Click here to learn more about Charles Russell Leonard. Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources to help in your research! #leonard #charlesleonard #charlesrussellleonard #lyons #waynecounty #photograph #portrait #photo

Elma Leonard was the sister of my great-grandfather, Albert Jay Leonard. She was born Oct. 23, 1887, in Summer Hill, Cayuga County, New York. https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/45183885/person/371002365854/facts Elma married first to Bert Delos Wilkins. They were married on May 17, 1902, at Trumansburg, Tompkins County, New York. He was born Nov. 12, 1882, and lived in Cayuga County most of his life. Elma and Bert had one known child, a son named Howard L. Wilkins. Howard was born in Genoa, Cayuga County, New York, on August 20, 1903. The family was counted on the census in Genoa, Cayuga County, in 1905 and 1910. On the 1910 census, the couple reported that Howard was still their only child. Elma underwent an operation to have her appendix removed in April of 1913 and her son was ill with typhoid fever the following year, in October of 1914. Remember, Elma's father. Lewis Leonard, had died from Typhoid fever when she was a little girl, just a week before her 10th birthday, so her son being diagnosed with it must have been a terrifying ordeal. Notice, the news reported his name as Harold, which was either an error, or perhaps another son who was born between 1910 and 1914. I failed to find the family on the 1915 census, but I believe they were still in Genoa. Large sections of the 1915 census of Genoa are too faded to read. A search for more articles about the Stickles and Wilkins produced an interesting find. Apparently, in December of 1907, John Stickles and Bert Wilkins went into business together, operating the Central Street restaurant in Moravia. It appears that Bert and Elma split up sometime between 1918 and 1920. On September 12, 1918, Bert registered for the World War I military draft at Auburn, he was living in Moravia and listed his wife, "Alma M. Wilkins" as his next of kin. He was described as being medium height and medium build, with light blue eyes and red hair. When the 1920 census was taken, Elma and Howard were no longer in Bert's home. Elma was living in Willet, Cortland County, a "boarder" in the home of Louis and Dorothy (Sternburgh) Osborn. Louis's brother, Lee Osborn, was also living in the home, but Elma's 16 year old son, Howard, was not. Howard was living in the home of an Englishman, Edwin Redman, in Moravia. He was a "hired man". When Howard registered for the draft in 1942, he listed his mother, Mrs. Lee Osborne, as next of kin. Howard was 5' 8" and weighed 157 lbs. with light skin, brown hair, and blue eyes. On Aug. 24, 1922, Howard married Leona A. Devine, in Moravia, Cayuga, New York. She was born July 6, 1906, in Moravia, and was a daughter of Arthur and Clara Devine. Three known children of Howard and Leona are: Irene R. Wilkins (1923-2014) was married Joseph Ventafido and had David F. Ventafido (1943-2007), Donna Lee (Ventafido) Curry (1946-2016), and Margaret (Ventafido) Woodcock (1948- ). Donna had two children. Irene later married Henry N. Kimari and is buried in Throop. Marion Ione Wilkins (1924-1999) who was born in Auburn and married Walter W. Dyson (1922-2004). Three known children of Marion and Walter are: Barbara (Dyson) Dixon (1945- ), Nancy J. (Dyson) Ryan (1947-2014), and Charles Dyson. Marion is also buried in Throop. Howard L. Wilkins Jr (1931- ) married Marcia Isabel Taylor (1937- ) on Aug. 29, 1959, in Springfield, Illinois. Howard was living in Auburn in 1925, and was a Teamster, living with his wife, Leona, and two daughters - Irene and Marian. Howard and Leona were divorced on March 15, 1933, and he married Genevieve "Jean" Maricle on Jan. 27, 1934 at Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. In 1960, he and Jean were living on North Greenbush Street, in Cortland. He was employed by S. D. Wilcox & Son, Inc. Elma and Lee T. Osborne were finally married on October 9, 1936, by N. H. Wilmarth, in New Milford, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Howard died Dec. 7, 1971, and is buried in Cortland Rural Cemetery. His father, Bert, died August 21, 1937, in Auburn, Cayuga County, New York. Elma and Lee never had any children as far as I know. Lee Osborne died in January, 1963, and Elma died in March of 1978, at the age of 90. They are buried in Willet Cemetery, where I recorded a video a couple years ago because some of my Hollenbeck family is buried there, too. Elma and Lee Osborne share a grave, which can be seen on Findagrave, here. Click here to learn more about Elma's family. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources to help with your research! #leonard #lewisleonard #corasherman #elmaleonard #wilkins #osborne

My great-grandfather, Albert Jay Leonard, was born in Osceola, Pennsylvania, on December 15th according to all accounts, but half of the records give his birth year as 1894 and the other half, 1895. When Albert registered for the draft on June 5, 1917, his age was reportedly 22 and his birth date was given as December 15, 1894. The dates on Albert's tombstone suggest he lived from 1894 to 1957, and his obituary boldly states that he was 62 years old when he died on October 10, 1957. To avoid doing the math, I used my handy dandy Date Estimator, which confirmed that his obituary is basing his age off his birth being December 15, 1894. On the 1900 census, though, his mother reported that Albert was 4 years old, born "Dec 1895". Then, in April of 1910, his brother, James, was head of the household and the informant who gave the information to the census taker. He reported that Albert was 14, which, once again, would mean he was born in 1895. Then, in April of 1930, his age was given as 35, which would mean he was born in 1894. So which year was he born in? 1894? Or 1895? I've stated, in the past, that when conflicting birthdates are given for a person, I find that the earliest census record is usually most reliable, and that is for a few simple reasons - it's easier to do the math when a person is a child, and many people in olden times were not highly skilled at math. It's also easier to remember the ages of children without doing the math. We also know that a person's parents are usually more knowledgeable about birth dates than a wife or other informant years down the road. So, did both Albert's mother and brother mix up his birth date when he was a child, or did his birth year get mixed up somewhere along the line? After finding his birth record in the Tioga County Birth Index and Register, we finally have the answer! In the Index, we see that his birth is recorded in Book 1, Page 55. From the Index, we go to page 55 and see Albert's birth recorded. Entries span two pages, both shown here: So, once again it is proven, mother knows best! Albert was born December 15, 1895, and, for the record, he was 21 when he registered for the draft and he died at the age of 61. His tombstone should read 1895-1957. To be exact, Albert lived 61 years, 9 months, and 26 days. Don't forget to use this free handy tool next time you need to calculate an exact age or time span. (The Time Calculator) Also, having confirmed his date of birth, we can know see clearly that Albert was only a year and ten months old when his father, Lewis, died on October 16, 1897. It was two months before Albert's 2nd birthday, making it highly unlikely that Albert had any remembrance of him. He missed out on any fatherly advice and guidance Lewis had to offer as well any family history Lewis possessed in his memory bank. It's just another demonstration of how easily family history can be lost when people die if the knowledge they have isn't documented. Even if you're not a hardcore family history seeker, it would be wise to collect whatever information you can still salvage from the memories of the elders in your family. There are books that make it easy! (Show now!) Click here to learn more about Albert J. Leonard Click here to learn more about the Leonard family Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources and tips #albertjayleonard #leonard #albertleonard #birth

Lewis Leonard was my 2nd great-grandfather. He was born in Locke, Cayuga County, New York, on October 4, 1869, and was married in 1886 to Cora Sherman. Nine years later, he died at the young age of 28, from Typhoid Fever and I finally found the evidence to prove it! The record of Lewis's death is on file at the Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Clerk of the Orphans' Court, as follows: Transcription: Typhoid fever is caused by bacteria growing in intestines, liver, gallbladder, blood, causing fever, sweating, weakness, abdominal pain, headaches, vomiting, weight loss, constipation, and sometimes a skin rash. Severe infections can result in confusion, which was probably the case with Lewis. The Typhi bacteria is spread by consuming food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person. This indicates that Lewis was exposed to poor sanitation or had limited access to clean drinking water. A search of Tioga County newspapers printed in 1897 reveals there were many deaths caused by Typhoid Fever in the area that year. Because he was the only one in the household who was infected, perhaps he was exposed to the bacteria at work. Symptoms of typhoid fever can begin between 6 and 30 days after exposure, although some people carry the bacterium and are not affected by it. They can, however, be carriers, passing it on to others. (Source) Although it is tragic beyond words that four young children lost their father, we should all be thankful that the children and Cora weren't infected. Those children have many descendants today! Click here to learn more about Lewis Leonard. Click here to learn more about the Leonard family. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources to help with your searches. #lewisleonard #leonard #death #typhoid

Arthur Russell Leonard was born May 25, 1876, in Locke, Cayuga County, New York. He was a son of Charles Russell Leonard and Mary (Brown) Leonard. He appears to have grown up in Locke, as he was counted on the census in Locke in 1880 and in 1892. He was a young man of 21 years when his brother, Lewis Leonard, died in 1897. Lewis was my 2nd great-grandfather, which makes Arthur my 2nd great-granduncle. Our relationship has been confirmed through DNA matches with several of his descendants. After Lewis died, Cora (Sherman) Leonard, Lewis's widow, married a man named Arthur Leonard in 1898, but after reviewing the evidence, I don't believe it was Arthur Russell Leonard who she married. Arthur married to Alveretta Sincerbeaux on December 24, 1903, at Auburn, Cayuga County, New York. By 1910, the couple was living in Scipio, Cayuga County, New York, and had already had four children, two of whom died young. Four year old Bertha and baby Harold were their two living children in 1910. Arthur was working as a farm laborer. In 1915, they were counted on the census in Lansing, Tompkins County, with a new addition to the family, Dorothy. By 1920, they were in Locke, with Bertha, Harold, and Dorothy, along with a four year old daughter, Alice, and 14 month old son, William Leonard. Arthur was still a farm laborer. In 1925, they were back in Lansing, and Arthur was working as a "Wood & Iron Worker". Only Bertha was missing from the home. She had married Fred Boyer in 1924, and the newlyweds lived in Genoa in 1925. Arthur and Alveretta had five known children, in addition to the two who died before 1910. From census records and other paper trails, following is what I've learned about them. If you have any corrections or additions, please comment below or contact me to let me know. Bertha M. Leonard (1905-2004), born July 4, 1905. She married first to Fred Boyer on April 2, 1924, in Tompkins County, New York, and they lived in Lansing in 1930. Bertha married second to John Mitnik (1897-1958), an immigrant miner born in Trheviste, Austria, Hungary. He had married first to a Hungarian woman named Bertha, and had a son named John born in Czechoslovakia in 1921. John's obituary says he was survived by a stepdaughter, Mrs. Betty Perkins of Genoa, two stepsons, Robert and Charles Boyer of Selma, Alabama, and five grandchildren. After John died, Bertha married her third husband, Herman Schmidtman, at the age of 56. They were married in 1962 and lived in Ithaca. She died at the age of 99, on July 2, 2004. Bertha and Fred Boyer had three known children: Robert Francis Boyer (1926-2002) of Selma, Alabama. Betty Boyer (1925-2013), wife of Francis Perkins and later Hilliard. Charles Boyer (1928- ) of Selma, Alabama. Harold Augustus Leonard (1910-1994), born April 4, 1910, in Cayuga County. He married first to Margaret Chilson on August 19, 1931, in Richford, New York. They reportedly had two children: a. Robert Leonard (1932-2009) b. Vena Leonard (1933-1991) He married second to Lola F. Barnes after 1938 and they lived in East Pompey, Onondaga County, in 1940. They reported that he had lived in Marathon, Cortland County, in 1935, while she had lived in Homer. She may have also lived in Cincinnatus at some point. They lived in East Homer in 1963, when his mother died. Margaret died in 1992 and Harold died two years later, on March 25, 1994. Lola died Jan. 17, 2007, in Cortland. Harold and Lola rest in East Homer Cemetery in Homer. They had seven known children: Harold A. Leonard (1944-2019) Richard Leonard Robert Wesley Leonard Nancy Ann (Leonard) Smith, Elsie (Leonard) Ferro (1942-2017) Carolyn (Leonard) Aldrich Beverly (Leonard) Sprouse Dorothy Jane Leonard (1913-2008), born Sept. 1, 1913, in Scipio, Cayuga County, New York. She lived with her married sister, Bertha Boyer, in Lansing, in 1930. She married Warren M. Mastin (1903-1977) very soon after, on Nov. 15, 1930, in North Lansing and they lived in Lansing in 1940. They lived in Genoa in 1959 and were still there wen her mother died in 1963. Dorothy died at the age of 94, on April 26, 2008, in Ithaca. Dorothy and Warren Mastin had five known children: Gertrude (Mastin) Bosworth (1931-2022), who married Ray S. Bosworth (1929-2018) and had five known children including John Edward Bosworth (1959-1973), and Cynthia (Bosworth) Fishburn (1955-2021). Warren Mastin, Jr. (1932-1969), born Nov. 18, 1932, in Genoa, and was still there in 1950. He married Phyllis J. Mancuso in 1958 and died Jan. 27, 1969, in Rochester. Esther I. Mastin (1934-1993), born Dec. 8, 1934, in Genoa, and was still there in 1950. She married Ernest LaVerne Stedge (1932-2002) and lived in Waverly, Tioga County, New York. Donald G. Mastin, of Genoa, Cayuga, New York. Gerald Mastin, who married Marjorie A. Lanpher in 1963. Alice Mildred Leonard, born March 9, 1916, in Lansing. She married Charles Monroe Dingy (1917-1988), in Venice, New York, on Nov. 22, 1936. Charles enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 25, 1945, and was discharged four months later, on Oct. 19, 1945, about six weeks after the end of World War II. They lived in Preble, Cortland County, in 1950, and in Wolcott in 1963. Charles and Alice had seven known children: Shirley (Dingy) Sincerbeaux Emma Jean (Dingy) Guthrie Francis Dingy Rosalie (Dingy) Snyder Marjorie L. (Dingy) Griffin William Charles Dingy Kenneth Dingy William Robert Leonard, born Oct. 22, 1918, in Ithaca, married Myleta Irene Perry on Dec. 11, 1938, in Genoa. They lived in Moravia when he registered for the draft in 1940. He was 6-feet tall, 173 lbs., had brown eyes, brown hair, and a dark complexion. He lived in Cortland when his mother died in 1963. William and Myleta lived in Preble, Cortland County, in 1950. Myleta died Dec. 16, 1980, in Harnando, Florida. William and Myleta had five children at the time: William Daniel Leonard (1939-2001) James Eugene Leonard (1944-1989) Mary I. (Leonard) Rogers Howard A. Leonard Dorothy M. Leonard Arthur died on October 12, 1961, and is buried in Bird Cemetery, in Locke. His obituary says he was 84, but if he was born May 25, 1876, he lived 85 years. Alveretta died June 15, 1963, at the age of 82. According to her obituary, in addition to her five children, she was survived by 28 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren. Arthur and Alveretta can be seen here in this portrait, along with their obituaries: Arthur's obituary, printed in the Cortland Standard, Fri., Oct. 13, 1961: "ARTHUR LEONARD, 84, LOCKE, DIES. LOCKE - Arthur Leonard, 84, a long time area resident, died Thursday at Cortland Memorial Hospital where he was a medical patient for two days. Mr. Leonard worked as a blacksmith for many years and did general farming. He is survived by his wife, Alberetta Sincerbeaux Leonard, and five children, Mrs. Bertha Mitnik of Ithaca, Harold Leonard of East Homer, Mrs. Dorothy Mastin of Genoa; Mrs. Alice Dingy of Wolcott, and William Leonard of Cortland. Funeral services will be Saturday at 2 at the Booth Co. Funeral Home in Groton, Rev. Duane Bell, pastor of the Milan Baptist Church of Locke, officiating. Interment in Bird Cemetery, Locke. Friends may call at the funeral home this evening from 7-9." It's amazing how many descendants can result from one marriage over the course of a hundred years. It brings to mind a poem on a coffee mug I bought over twenty years ago for my oldest child's first school fund raiser: Hats off to Arthur and Alveretta Leonard and their many descendants! Stay tuned for more! Click here to learn more about the Leonard family. #arthurleonard #leonard #alverettasincerbeaux #sincerbeaux

In my previous blog about "The Life of James Henry Leonard", I shared some documentation about my great-granduncle's first marriage, which took place on November 19, 1910, in Moravia, Cayuga County, New York, when he was 19 years old. He married a 21-year old woman named Zaida Brown. This is an established fact, with their marriage license application, shown here, serving as evidence: James and Zaida had a son named Charles Lewis Leonard, born Sept. 8, 1912, in Moravia, Cayuga, New York, but when the census taken in 1920, they weren't living together, and in 1922, James remarried to Edna Wallace. So what ever happened to Zaida? Well, as usual, we have to rely on newspapers to tell the story. I found several articles printed in area newspapers from 1915 to 1921, which give us a glimpse of what was going on in her eventful life. First, an article in a Bridgeport, Connecticut, newspaper called "The Farmer", July 22, 1915, mentions a man named "Henry Vredenberg, age 42, a former factory owner in Homer, N.Y.", and his "alleged common law wife, Zaida Leonard". Note that Homer is about 15 miles from Moravia, where James and Zaida were married in 1910. It was also where her family lived at the turn of the 20th century and her father died there in 1917. Vredenberg was arrested and Zaida was detained after being suspected of violating the White Slave Law. The White Slave Law, enacted in 1910, was not about race, despite what it might seem to imply. It was a law to prevent human trafficking, or detaining anyone against their will, as slaves, essentially. The brief mention in the paper doesn't give us much information, but it appears that the accusation came from Zaida's grandfather, and it was found to be unwarranted as Vredenberg was only charged a fine of $5 for breach of peace. Then, just four months later, a series of articles pertaining to "George W. Vredenberg, captain of the Steamer Venture", was charged with grand larceny after stealing a clock and a searchlight from another boat docked near his. Vredenberg's "woman companion", Zaida Leonard, was found living aboard the Venture when he was arrested and both were detained and interrogated for several hours. You can read the articles here and maybe you can find more on your own, if you're interested in investigating this case further. If you find anything, please let us know in the comments below! With no mention of James, and with the Vredenberg scandal occurring just five years after James and Zaida were married, one might wonder if this is the right Zaida Leonard, but one of the articles clearly gives her name as "Mrs. Zaida Brown Leonard". It was The Homer Republican on Feb. 1, 1917, included in the clippings above. In the end, Vredenberg was acquitted because Zaida, whose damning testimony was to be used against him, could not be found to be served with a subpoena. I could find no further information about her, other than when her father's estate was being settled in 1921. In the second to last newspaper clipping above, it was stated that she lived in Hoboken, New Jersey. My attempts to locate her on the census have proved fruitless, although it is possible she may have remarried and altered the spelling of her name or changed it all together. She may have even had more children, or, with a free and adventurous spirit like hers, maybe she traveled the world. Who knows? Anyone? As for Vredenberg, his life ended tragically in 1934, when he was involved in an altercation with a 21-year old deckhand employed on his boat. The man inadvertently knocked Vredenberg overboard and then watched helplessly as he drowned. Details were reported in the final newspaper clipping, shown above. Stay tuned for more! To learn more about the Leonard family, click here. #jamesleonard #zaidabrown #leonard

James H. Leonard was the older brother of my great-grandfather, Albert Jay Leonard. They were both sons of Lewis Leonard and Cora (Sherman) Leonard. James was probably named after Cora's father, James Sherman, and Albert may have been named after Cora's brother, Adelbert Sherman, but that's just speculation, of course. James was born April 21, 1890. There is conflicting information about where he was born - New York or Pennsylvania. I believe he was born in Cayuga County, New York, because his parents were married in Moravia, Cayuga County, in 1886, and were counted on the 1892 census in neighboring Summerhill, Cayuga Count, so it seems logical that if James was born in 1890, he was probably born in either Moravia or Summerhill, New York, but again, that's just my theory. Following is some documentation I was able to find about James Leonard. First, James was the young boy in the family photo. Here he is shown with his parents and sister, Ethel May. This photo must have been taken about 1894: Soon after the 1892 census was taken, the family moved to Pennsylvania. James was only about two years old. There, James' younger brother, Albert Jay Leonard, my great-grandfather, was born on December 15, 1895, in Osceola, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Tragedy struck the family two years later, on October 16, 1897, when Lewis died from typhoid fever, in nearby Westfield, same county. After the death of Lewis, Cora took the family back to New York, and they were living in Lodi, Seneca County, when the census was taken in 1900. In 1905, they were living in Venice, Cayuga County, and in 1910, they were in Moravia: A few months after the 1910 census was taken, James married Miss Zaida Brown on Sunday, Nov. 20, 1910, in Moravia, although their marriage license was issued in Lansing. They were married by Rev. Walter B. Jorris, pastor of the Congregational Church on Church Street in Moravia. He was pastor there from 1909 to 1913, and from there he was transferred to Rochester. James and Zaida had at least one child, a son named Charles Lewis Leonard, born Sept. 8, 1912, in Moravia, Cayuga, New York. Charles, better known as "Louis", married Lillian Louise Snover but they appear to have had no children. He remained in Venice and Moravia all his life, working as a farmer, according to the census. He worked as an auto mechanic when the 1950 census was taken and he died on July 1, 1991, in Moravia. James' mother, Cora, died in 1914, and her obituary stated that James was living in Moravia at the time. I was unable to locate James and his family on the 1915 New York State census, but on June 5, 1917, when James registered for the draft, he was described as being medium height and having a stout build. He had blue eyes and brown hair. His marital status was still "married", but he indicated that he had a child solely dependent on him for support. Nevertheless, James was selected for the draft and was inducted at Auburn, Sept. 29, 1917, into Battery F 309 First Artillery. He was later a Wagoner in the 30th Supply Co., 78th Division. He served overseas during World War I, from May 25, 1918, to Sept. 21, 1919, and was honorably discharged Sept. 27, 1919. When the census was taken in 1920, James and his 7-year old son, "Lewis", were boarding in the home of Charles Wallace in Venice, and Zaida was no where to be found. In next week's post, I'll share what I've learned about the Zaida story. You'll be able to find it here. Two years later, on April 25, 1922, James married Charles Wallace's daughter, Edna Wallace, in Moravia. James and Edna had three known children together: James Leonard, Jr. (1925-1987), born June 8, 1925, in Moravia. He had brown hair and hazel eyes, stood 6-feet tall and weighed 150 lbs. when he registered for the draft in 1943. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on Mar. 14, 1946, and was discharged Feb. 11, 1947. James married Shirley M. Hughes on Nov. 18, 1956 in Scipio, and they had at least two sons: Michael Leonard, who lived in College Station, Texas, in 1987, and Rodney Leonard, who lived in Genoa, New York, in 1987. James died at the age of 62, on Dec. 27, 1987, in Auburn, Cayuga, New York. Linford C. Leonard (1931-1981), was born Jan. 10, 1931, in Genoa, Cayuga, New York. He served in the Marines during the Korean conflict. He married Luella Zirbel in 1954 and had at least one child, a son named Allen Leonard. Linford died April 2, 1981, at the age of 50. Wallace Eugene Leonard (1933-1975), was born Mar. 31, 1933, in Venice, Cayuga, New York. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict and within months of his return, he married June M. Hughes in Moravia. They were married on July 27, 1955, and they had at least one child, a daughter named Della Leonard. Wallace died Dec. 5, 1975, at Auburn, Cayuga, New York, at the age of 42. In 1940, James and Edna lived in Venice, with James Jr, Linford and Wallace, while his son, Louis, and his wife Lillian, lived next door. They were both farmers. When the 1950 census was take, James and Edna still lived in Venice, with their son, Wallace, age 17, being the only child left in the home. The census was taken in April and the Korean War began two months later, on June 25, 1950. On Feb. 20, 1952, Linford enlisted in the Marines and on Feb. 12, 1953, Wallace enlisted in the Army. The war ended five months later, on July 27, 1953. Linford was discharged Feb. 11, 1954, and Wallace was discharged on Jan. 18, 1955. Following are the obituaries of James Leonard, Jr., and his brother, Wallace. I have yet to find the obituaries of Linford or Charles Lewis Leonard. James Henry Leonard died on September 2, 1969, at Auburn, Cayuga, New York. At the time of his death, he had twelve grandchildren. He is buried in East Venice Cemetery in Venice, New York. His wife, Edna, died at the age of 92, on Nov. 30, 1991. She outlived her husband by 22 years and she outlived all three of her sons, too. Even her stepson, Charles "Lewis" Leonard, died just four months before she died, at the age of 78. Stay tuned for more and don't forget to see my Leonard page for more information about James and his family. In the meantime, can you help update the profiles of James and his descendants on Wikitree? #leonard #jamesleonard #summerhill #moravia #cayugacounty #newyork

Lewis F. Leonard and Cora (Sherman) Leonard were my 2nd great-grandparents, shown in the photo below. In 1892, they were living in Summerhill, Cayuga County, New York. They had three children at the time, Alma, James and Ethel May Leonard. This family portrait must have been taken about 1893 or 1894, before their youngest son, Albert, was born, but why Alma is missing from the photo is a mystery. If anyone knows, please comment below! Lewis's mother, Mary (Brown) Leonard, was living just a few miles away in Locke with his brothers, Arthur and Irving Leonard, in 1892. Soon after the 1892 census was taken, Lewis moved his family moved to Tioga County, Pennsylvania, about 92 miles southwest of Summerhill, just across the Pennsylvania border. I'm assuming it was for employment that they moved there, but if anyone knows for sure, please let us know. Were the other Leonards in Tioga County related? Maybe someday we'll find those answers, but for now it's a mystery. Lewis and Cora's son, Albert Jay Leonard, was born in Osceola, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 15, 1895. This map shows the distance between Summer Hill and Osceola. The state border is highlighted in yellow. Sadly, Lewis died before Albert turned two years old. He died on Oct. 16, 1897, in Westfield, Pennsylvania, just a few miles west of Osceola. He was only 28 years old and the cause of death was Typhoid Fever. Cora was left with four young, fatherless children, but we find her and three of her children, James, Ethel, and Albert living in Lodi, Seneca, New York, when the census was taken in 1900. Her daughter, Alma, was 12 years old and living as a "Boarder" in the home of James & Polly Robinson in Summerhill. Cora and the children were living with a man named Arthur Leonard, and she was listed as his wife. Originally, upon seeing this years ago, I'd assumed Lewis's brother, Arthur, had taken them in and that they weren't really married, but in a recent search for more information, I found a brief notice of a marriage between "Arthur Leonard of Locke" and "Miss Cora Leonard of Owasco". The marriage occurred July 26, 1898, in Aurora, Cayuga, New York. The newspaper clipping is shown below. The marriage announcement called her "Miss" Cora Leonard, but the children in Arthur's home on the 1900 census (shown below) confirm this was, in fact, Mrs. Cora (Sherman) Leonard, the widow of Lewis Leonard. Note also that it was indicated on the 1900 census that this was both Arthur and Cora's first marriage, which clearly wasn't true, as Lewis and Cora were confirmed to have been married in 1886 (Certificate #17385). But was this actually Arthur Russell Leonard? Did Cora marry her husband's brother nine months after he died? Well, since the marriage notice identified the groom as "Arthur Leonard of Locke", and we know Lewis's brother, Arthur, was living in Locke in 1892 (census shown at top), it seems probable. There were no other men named Arthur Leonard in all of Cayuga County in 1892. There were three other men named Arthur Leonard, born in the 1870s, who were counted on the 1892 New York State Census. They were: Arthur Leonard of Pompey, Onondaga County; Arthur Leonard of Newfane, Niagara County; and Arthur Leonard of Milton, Saratoga County. According to the 1900 census, Cora's husband, Arthur, was born in June 1873 and he worked as a Day Laborer. Arthur Russell Leonard was born May 25, 1876, but I can't find him anywhere on the census in 1900. He may have been excluded from that census, which wasn't unheard, especially in the case of unmarried young men and women, who often boarded with other families temporarily and not reported. At any rate, the marriage between Arthur and Cora didn't last long, and in May of 1904, Cora filed for divorce. It was published in The Genoa Tribune for several days as follows: A critical piece of this puzzle is in the next fact we find. The New York Marriage Index for 1903 proves that Arthur Russell Leonard married Alveretta Sincerbeaux on December 24, 1903, at Auburn, Cayuga County, New York. This is what tells us that Cora's second husband, Arthur, couldn't have been the same Arthur who married Alveretta. He and Alveretta were legally married four months before Cora filed for divorce. In 1905, Cora was living in Venice, Cayuga County, with no husband. She lived with her two brothers, Bert and Elias Sherman, and two of her children, Albert and Ethel May Leonard. Her son, James, was counted in the home of the neighbor, Joseph Skuder. By 1910, Cora was living in nearby Moravia with her two sons, James Leonard and Albert J. Leonard, her daughter, Ethel, and Ethel's husband, William Bross. Ethel and William had just been married on October 20, 1909, in nearby Venice, and later that year, on Nov. 19, 1910, James married Zaida K. Brown, daughter of Clay Brown and Alice (Underwood) Brown, which is a story for next week's post, which you'll be able to find here (next week). Cora died on December 22, 1914, in Moravia. Her obituary can be found here. It is said that her son, Albert's hair turned white right after she died, which is astounding, if true, because he was only 19 years old at the time. She was said to have been buried in Indian Mound Cemetery. Click here to learn more about Cora E. (Sherman) Leonard, her parents, and her children. Click here to learn more about the Leonard and Sherman families. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources! #corasherman #leonard #sherman #albertjayleonard #jameshenryleonard #lewisleonard

John Dickinson was my 3rd great-grandfather, who came to America from Sheffield, England. He brought two sons, William Henry Dickinson and Harry Dickinson, and a daughter, Mary Ann Dickinson. (See the family's portrait here). Many photos of the Dickinson family have been preserved and shared by various descendants, which has been very helpful in piecing together what we know about the family. One of these photos is a tintype photograph (shown below) of young Harry Dickinson (seated), with an unknown young man standing at his side. There is no indication of who the young man was. Was he a friend? A relative? An employer or employee? Could he have been a servant? Based on the gentleman's facial characteristics, it doesn't appear that he was a relative, but I'm not convinced this companion of Harry's was a servant either. The family never had servants listed in their homes on the census and other similar photos from this batch show Harry with other men including his brother, William, and a man named Ben Allinton. We may never know who Harry's unidentified companion was, but we know Harry was born in 1863 and it appears this photo was taken in his late teenage years, about 1879. This was around time Harry and his family left England for America. This period was referred to as the Gilded age, "a time of extravagance spawned from the profits of unrestricted capitalism". Slavery had been abolished in Britain and its territories in 1807 and many entered the workforce as domestic workers - servants, maids, butlers, coachmen, or nannies. In Victorian England, it was wealth that divided classes more than race or gender. The poor, lower classes people served the middle and upper classes. Upper class households had several servants and middle class households usually had at least one or two. While servitude probably wasn't their first career choice, I'm sure they were glad to have employment and money to feed their families. But was it customary to take professional portraits with servants? I did some digging and found that it was! Great measures were taken to exude affluence in portraits. They wore their best clothes and fancy props, but nothing proclaimed affluence more than employing servants. They were often shown standing, ready to serve, which may or may not have been genuine loyalty. Harry and his father were steelworkers, which may have paid a decent wage, but I'm not sure the Dickinsons were affluent enough to employ servants. Harry's mother, Elizabeth (Reynolds) Dickinson, had worked as a servant in her youth, and his daughter, Emma, was later a housekeeper. By all accounts, they seem to have been in the middle, working class people. What do you think? Share your thoughts below! These documentaries on YouTube shed some light on the topic: "A Message From Our Ancestors (Britain's Slave Trade Documentary) Timeline" "The Old Corruption (Britain's Slave Trade Documentary) Timeline" Regarding the lives of servants, see "The footman's directory, and butler's remembrancer", by Thomas Cosnett. You can read it for free on Archive.org. #harrydickinson #dickinson #photos

After reviewing the baptisms of children of John Dickinson of Middlewood, we can see that John must have married sometime before 1763, because his son, Thomas, was baptized August 14, 1863. There was a wedding between John Dickinson and Martha Beaumond in the same church, July 18, 1762. This marriage was 13 months before John's first child was baptized at the same church. I cannot confirm that this was John Dickinson, my 6th great-grandfather, but it is the closest match and seems likely. If anyone has information about John Dickinson, please contact me or comment below. Click here to see the Baptisms of John Dickinson's children. Click here to learn more about this branch of my family tree. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #johndickinson #dickinson #sheffield #marriage #marthabeaumond

Tracing my family's history has been very interesting, to say the least. I knew almost nothing beyond my grandparents when I started researching my family's history a little over 20 years ago, but now I've got more information and memorabilia than I know what to do with! Along the way, as I learn about the places connected to my ancestors, I like to take a virtual tour of the place on Google Maps Street View. I also look for old photographs of the place to see it "first hand". Books dedicated to town, county, and state histories often have lots of photos and illustrations perfect for snipping copies of for the family album. Gazetteers, atlases, yearbooks, newspapers, and postcards are also a good place to find images of places of the past. I've bought several old postcards and photos online to add to my family albums in an attempt to fill the gaps of missing details for posterity's sake. In this case, though, my father provided me with several antique postcards containing photographs of Marathon, in Cortland County, New York. Several of my ancestors lived in Marathon. My 3rd great-grandmother, Lucy Ann (Shevalier) Hollenbeck was born in Marathon in 1828, my 5th great-grandfather, Williams Huntley, died in Marathon in 1842, and my 4th great-grandfather Peter Shevalier was murdered in Marathon by two drunk men in 1850. Six of my ancestors are buried in Marathon Village Cemetery, including Peter Shevalier's parents, Jeremiah Shevalier and Catherine (Rohrbacker) Shevalier, my great-grandmother, Rose (Hollenbeck) Leonard, along with her parents, Jasper Hollenbeck and Mary Ellen (McGinnis) Hollenbeck, and my grandfather. Others in the immediate family are buried in nearby Willet. The first postcard I'll share is a rare old photo of East Main Street in Marathon. It was taken at the turn of the 20th century, about 1900. Beyond the Brown's Hotel is the old Baptist Church, followed by and Milo T. Wooster's Drug Store. Mr. Wooster died in 1915. If you follow this road straight and go up the hill, Leonard Road is about four miles away. To purchase a copy of this photograph, click here! Compare the past with the present with this interactive Google Map: A brief sketch of Marathon's businesses and public places was published in the Cortland Democrat, Friday, April 14, 1899, around the time this photograph was taken. From it, we learn that Brown's Hotel (now Reilly's Cafe) was built around 1885, by Cornelius Brown. Mr. Brown was severely injured on July 23, 1884, "when Barnum's circus tent was struck by a cyclone in Cortland". The tent was filled with about 10,000 people and many were injured. The story of Barnum's circus tragedy was recalled in the Cortland Democrat in 1900, for those interested in that story. Next we have three more old photos of Marathon: Top left: Marathon High School - The school my grandfather attended, which has long since been rebuilt. Top right: St. Stephen's Church - This Roman Catholic Church is located on Academy Street in Marathon. The corner stone was laid in 1896, and construction began in June of 1897. The crucifix was imported from Munich, Germany, according to The Cortland Democrat, June 4, 1897, edition (front page). Bottom: Birds Eye View of Marathon, New York - This photograph was taken sometime before October of 1909, the date the postcard was postmarked. For copies of these photos, choose a link: Marathon High School ~ St. Stephen's Church Birds Eye View of Marathon ~ East Main Street Stay tuned for more area photos! Click here for genealogy and history resources for Marathon, Cortland County, New York Click here for genealogy and history resources for Cortland County, New York Click here for genealogy and history resources for New York Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources #marathon #cortlandcounty #newyork #hollenbeck #shevalier #mcginnis #photo

After finding what I believe to be the record of my 5th great-grandfather, William Dickinson's 1768 baptism, I set out to find other children of "John Dickinson of Middlewood", baptized at the same church - Sheffield, St Nicholas, Bradfield, in the mid to late 1700s. This baptism took place at Sheffield, St Nicholas, Bradfield, Yorkshire (West Riding), England, shown here: From the Parish Baptismal Records of Sheffield, St Nicholas, Bradfield, the children born to "John Dickinson of Middlewood" were: Children born to John Dickinson of Middlewood, baptized at Sheffield, St Nicholas, Bradfield: Thomas Dickinson, baptized Aug. 14, 1763 John Dickinson, baptized May 11, 1765 William Dickinson, baptized Dec. 25, 1767 Jonathan Dickinson, baptized July 15, 1770 Mary Dickinson, baptized July 15, 1770 Martha Dickinson, baptized Aug. 3, 1777, died in 1779, buried Oct. 12, 1779 at St. Nicholas, Bradfield. Hannah Dickinson, baptized Sept. 16, 1780 Click here to learn more about this branch of my family tree. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources! These Dickinson finds wouldn't be possible without the help of FindMyPast! Try a search for one of your brick walls, especially if they're in England! We may receive a small commission for purchases made and we thank you for your support, but the recommendation is made because FindMyPast is a great resource! Give it a try! #dickinson #williamdickinson #johndickinson #yorkshire #england #baptisms

Elizabeth Reynolds was my 3rd great-grandmother. She was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England, in July of 1833, a daughter of a Thomas Reynolds and Ann (Park) Reynolds. Her father was a plasterer by trade and the family was counted on the U.K. Census of 1841 and 1851, living in Wakefield. Elizabeth married John Dickinson on February 10, 1856, and had four children. They came to America in 1880 and John died in 1889. When the 1900 census was taken, Elizabeth was living in the home of her son, William H. Dickinson, at 318 Gross Street. Her other son, Harry, lived nearby at 310 Gross Street. His family was listed on the previous census page. Elizabeth died from pneumonia on February 7, 1905, probably at her son's home. She lived 71 years and is buried in Allegheny Cemetery. Click here to learn more about the Dickinson and Reynolds families. #dickinson #elizabethreynolds #reynolds

Looking for the record of a marriage that took place in Connecticut before 1800? This week I added over 100 lists of Connecticut marriages prior to 1800 to the Connecticut Genealogy Resources. The new records can be found on each town's resource page, as follows: From Early Connecticut Marriages Book 1: New Haven from 1758, Woodstock 1690, Ashford 1719, Brooklyn 1737, North Stonington 1733, Redding 1734, Pomfret 1753, East Haddam 1748, Washington 1749, Guilford-Madison 1757, Saybrook-Chester 1759, Norfolk 1762, Haddam, 1756, (New London) Montville 1724, East Windsor 1761. From Early Connecticut Marriages Book 2: Lebanon, Thompson, Plainfield, West Hartford, East Hartford, Cromwell, Branford from 1651, New London 1697, Lebanon and Canterbury 1712, Saybrook 1726, West Hartford 1727, Thompson 1730, Middletown-Cromwell 1738, Newtown 1743, Mansfield 1744, Plainfield 1748, East Hartford 1783. From Early Connecticut Marriages Book 3: Wethersfield from 1739, Colchester 1732, New Hartford 1743, Lyme 1731, Cheshire 1734, Voluntown 1729, Wilton 1750, Ridgefield 1769, Killingworth 1739, Middle Haddam 1740, Fairfield-Westport 1742, Scotland 1735, New Milford 1717, Hebron 1732, Middletown-Chatham 1740. From Early Connecticut Marriages Book 4: Farmington-Berlin 1756, Norwich-Franklin 1719, Farmington-Avon 1750, Greenwich 1728, Stamford-New Canaan 1742, Chatham-Portland, 1769, Preston-Griswold 1720, Wallingford-Meriden 1729, Wallingford 1759, Windsor-Bloomfield 1738, Windham-Hampton 1734, Bolton 1738. From Early Connecticut Marriages Book 5: Milford (First & Second Church), Killingly 1715, Lebanon (Goshen) 1730, North Branford 1750, Norwich (Lisbon) 1724, Union 1759, Milford 1747, Hartland 1768, North Canaan 1770, Cornwall 1756, Norwich (Bozrah) 1740, Fairfield (Easton) 1765, Bethlehem 1740, Somers 1727, Kent, 1741, Washington 1770, Fairfield (Weston) 1757, Stratford 1733, Glastonbury 1769. From Early Connecticut Marriages Book 6: North Haven, East Haven, Fairfield 1726, Stamford 1747, Darien 1744, New Haven 1751, East Haven 1755, East Haddam 1751, Middletown 1762, North Haven 1760, Killingworth 1764, Norwich (Hanover) 1769, Wethersfield (Rocky Hill) 1766, Ashford (Westford) 1766, Litchfield (Morris) 1787. From Early Connecticut Marriages Book 7: Stratford, Stamford, New Haven, Brooklyn, Fairfield, Preston, New Haven, Saybrook, Coventry, Torrington, Canaan, Lebanon, Windham, Barkhamsted, Enfield, Stratford, Glastonbury, Colchester. This task took up several days of my spare time, but I'm sure it will come in handy! Stay tuned for more! Click here for more Connecticut genealogy and history resources Click here to choose another State #connecticut #resources #marriages #records #colonial

Many Connecticut genealogy records can be found in old books linked on the Connecticut Resources page, where you can find resources by counties and towns, but if you're still having trouble finding the records you seek, they may have been lost or destroyed. Following is a list of records of Connecticut's Congregational Churches known to have been lost or destroyed: Andover - The Congregational Church of Andover, est. 1749: Births & marriages before 1818 burned. Bethany - The Congregational Church of Bethany, est. 1763: Before 1823, lost. Bristol - The Congregational Church of Bristol, est. 1747: No marriages before 1792; baptisms begin 1800. Canterbury (Westminster) - Records from the Congregational Church in Canterbury from its organization in 1770 to 1824 were lost. Records from Canterbury's First Congregational Church from 1712-1771 are available, however. Canton Center - The Congregational Church of Canton Center, est. 1750: Before 1826, lost. Coventry - The 2nd Congregational Church of Coventry, est. 1745: None before 1818. East Granby - The Congregational Church of East Granby, est. 1737: Lost? East Haddam (Hadlyme) - The Congregational Church of East Haddam (Hadlyme), est. 1745: No marriages before 1800; baptisms begin 1745. Eastford - The Congregational Church of Eastford, est. 1778: No records before 1800. Ellington - The Congregational Church of Ellington, est. 1736: Lost. Goshen - The Congregational Church of Goshen, est. 1740: Lost. Greenwich - The 1st Congregational Church of Greenwich, est. 1670: Nothing before 1787. Greenwich (Stanwich) - The Congregational Church of Greenwich (Stanwich), est. 1735: Burned 1821. Harwinton - The Congregational Church of Harwinton, est. 1738: Nothing before 1790. Hebron - The 1st Congregational Church of Hebron, est. 1717: Records burned. Litchfield - The Congregational Church of Litchfield, est. 1721: Before 1886, burned. Lyme - The 2nd Congregational Church of Lyme, est. 1719: Lost. Lyme - The 3rd Congregational Church of Lyme, est. 1727: Lost. Marlborough - The Congregational Church of Marlborough, est. 1749: Missing. Middlefield - The Congregational Church of Middlefield, est. 1745: No records before 1808. Middletown (South) - The 2nd Congregational Church of Middletown (South), est. 1747: No records before 1800. Monroe - The Congregational Church of Monroe, est. 1764: No marriages before 1821; baptisms begin 1776. North Guilford - The Congregational Church of North Guilford, est. 1725: Lost. Plymouth - The Congregational Church of Plymouth, est. 1740: No marriages before 1800. Ridgefield - The 1st Congregational Church of Ridgefield, est. 1714: Nothing before 1800. Salisbury - The Congregational Church of Salisbury, est. 1744: No records before 1800. Sherman - The Congregational Church of Sherman, est. 1744: Burned. South Manchester - The Congregational Church of South Manchester, est. 1779: Lost? Suffield (West) - The Congregational Church of Suffield (West), est. 1744: No records before 1840. Tolland - The Congregational Church of Tolland, est. 1723: Records burned. Torringford - The Congregational Church of Torringford, est. 1764: Records before 1837 burned. Watertown - The Congregational Church of Watertown, est. 1739: Records lost. West Haven - The Congregational Church of West Haven, est. 1719: Records before 1815, lost. Source: Early Connecticut marriages as found on ancient church records prior to 1800, by Bailey, Frederic William, 1896. #connecticut #churchrecords #marriages

Austin Miles Daniels was born in Virginia in 1812. By the 1830s he was in Missouri and in 1851 he brought his family to Benton County, Oregon, "by ox team", according to his daughter, Emily's obituary. Sometime after 1860, Austin left Oregon and moved to Northern California, among the beautiful redwood forests, the tallest trees on earth. Austin was counted on the census of 1880 in Powellville, Humboldt County, California. He was 68 years old, disabled, and living alone. Powellville's name has since been changed several times. It has been called Blockburger's, Blocksburgh, and Larrabee, but the name it has kept since 1893 is Blocksburg. Although he was counted on the census in Powellville, I don't believe he actually lived in Powellville (Blocksburg). In the voter registers for 1877 and 1880, he was reportedly living at "Camp Grant". This camp was established during the Civil War, in 1863, and was abandoned afterwards, in 1865. Powellville (Blocksburg) is about 15 miles from Camp Grant, but because the voter register shows Austin was living at Camp Grant on August 21, 1877 and on December 1, 1880, it seems safe to assume that Camp Grant residents were counted in the Powellville district on the 1880 census taken on June 5, 1880. The vicinity of Camp Grant is shown here on this 1866 map: You can have a look around to see the trails, rivers, and forests Austin Daniels lived in the late 1800s. The marker is set to the approximate location of Camp Grant, according to my estimations. There are remnants of structures on the property, but there are more on the property to the east of this one. This one, however, seems would be a more strategic location for a military camp, at the tip of the river bend, in my opinion. (Zoom out, zoom in, and have a look around. Let me know what you think in the comments below!) On the 1888 and 1892 voter registers, Austin was reported as living in Rohnerville, which can also be seen on the 1866 map above. It was just 16 miles northwest of Camp Grant. Austin may have gone to live with his daughter, Maggie Bryan, in his old age. She was counted on the 1880 in Rohnerville, Humboldt County, California (now Fortuna County), and was still there in 1900. The 1892 register provides more details about Austin: Age: 76 Height: 5'11" Complexion: Light Eye Color: Blue Hair Color: Light Occupation: Farmer Residence: Rohnerville Austin was not counted in the Bryan home or anywhere else in 1900, however, so he appears to have died between 1892 and 1900. I vaguely remember years ago finding a burial record of an Austin Daniels buried near Mount Shasta, but I can't seem to find the information again at this time. Maggie may have been the only one of Austin's children to move to California. Thomas, Emily, and Susan remained in Oregon and William removed to Washington State. I have yet to discover what became of Andrew, Nancy, Harrison, and Jonathan. If anyone can help solve these mysteries, of what became of Austin's four other children and when and where Austin died, or where he is buried, please comment below or contact me. For additional reading, see: Humboldt County, California [Wikipedia] Blocksburg, Humboldt County, California [Wikipedia] Camp Grant, California [Wikipedia] #austinmilesdaniels #austindaniels #daniels #humboldtcounty #california

Austin Miles Daniels, my 3rd great-grandfather, was born in Campbell County, Virginia, about 1812, and if you've been following along, you know he was married in Morgan County, Missouri, in 1836 or 1837, and bought land there in 1843. Details can be found in my previous post here. Digging into the history of Missouri, we find that most of the state was acquired by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase, which was finalized in 1803. Thomas Jefferson negotiated the purchase which he made from Napoleon, the Emperor of France, adding 828,000 square miles to America's territory. In 1820 Missouri was admitted into the Union after the Missouri Compromise, however the northwest portion was still owned by the Native American Indians and the U.S. government did not allow white settlers to encroach upon their lands -- that is until the Platte Purchase of 1836. The deal added present day Platte County, Buchanan County, Andrew County, Nodaway County, Atchison County and Holt County to the State of Missouri. In 1837 the pioneers came pouring in from Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. [Source: 1877 Atlas Holt County]. I found no record of when he sold the land, but seven years later, Austin's family was counted on the 1850 Census in "District 38", Holt County, Missouri. I believe this was in the area of present day Lewis Township and Forbes Township. Then, on April 10 of the following year, 1851, Austin purchased 160 acres of Byram Lewis's land, from Jesse Lewis. This land was located in present day Forbes, Holt County, Missouri. This illustration shows where Austin's land was located: You can zoom in and have a look around on this interactive Google map: Austin's 1851 land patent was signed by Alexander McCormick, Asst. Secretary, for President Millard Fillmore, the 13th President of the United States of America. Oddly enough, within a few months of purchasing this land, Austin packed up his family and left Missouri, making a 1,700-mile journey to Oregon. The gold rush that started in Oregon in 1851, along with the Donation Land Act of the same year probably had a major influence on their decision to leave Missouri. The transcontinental railroad wasn't built until 1869, so the family either crossed the Rocky Mountains on foot, or perhaps they traveled by boat along the "natural highways that carved their way through the mountainous terrain", up the Missouri River. Austin and Mary Ellen had four children at the time: William Daniels, age 13 Jonathan Daniels, age 10, Thomas Daniels, age 5, and Emily Viola Daniels, age 2. They arrived in Benton County, Oregon, in August of 1851. When the census was taken in July of 1860, they were living in Soap Creek, Benton County, Oregon. Austin was a farmer. His oldest son, William, age 22, my 2nd great-grandfather, was in the home working as a farm laborer. There were four more children in the home, who were born in Oregon. They were Harrison Daniels, age 7, Margaret Daniels, age 5, Nancy Daniels, age 3, and Andrew Daniels, age 2 months. Details about the Daniels family in Benton County, Oregon, can be found here. More details to come! See the Daniels page for more on this family. For more reading on Holt County, click here. #daniels #austindaniels #williamdaniels #holtcounty #missouri #landrecords #1850census

My great-grandfather, Percy Henry Daniels, was a sea-faring sailor and ship captain born about 1881 in Olympia, Washington. He kept an address at South Street Seaport in New York City around the turn of the century, and ship records reveals he also kept an address in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Somehow, after all that traveling, he ended up in central New York where he married Vena Dykeman at the age of 48, and started his family. He died about eleven years later, on December 13, 1940 in Solon, Cortland County, at the age of 59. I don't believe Percy's wife and daughter ever met anyone in Percy's family, because all of his family that I know of) remained on the west coast. We learned from his marriage license, that he was the son of William Daniels and Eliza Gale. With some research, I learned that William Daniels was born in Missouri between 1838 and 1840. His parents were Austin Daniels and Mary Ellen Wilkinson. Austin and Mary Ellen were married January 7, 1836/37, in Morgan County, Missouri, based on the information provided on a later land claim application. On April 1, 1843, Austin purchased 40 acres of land in what is now Florence, Morgan County, Missouri. It is on the border of Richland Township. On the deed, it was simply identified as Township 44 in Range 19. He owned the 40 acres on the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 23, as illustrated here: You can have a look around the area on this interactive Google map: It is highly unlikely that the original Daniels family home still stands, but Austin's son, William, was a Lumberman later in life and perhaps he learned the skill by helping his father clear this land as a boy. I found no record of when he sold the land, but the family left Morgan County before 1850. Stay tuned as we continue on the journey, tracing the Daniels family trails. See the Daniels page for more on this family. For more reading on Holt County, click here. Sources: Early Oregonian State Archive entry for Daniel Austin Miles. "New York, County Marriages, 1847-1848; 1908-1936," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-159371-262996-20?cc=1618491 : accessed 2 June 2015), Tompkins > Licenses, 1929-1931, no 954-1650 > image 8 of 789; county offices, New York. #daniels #austindaniels #williamdaniels #morgancounty #missouri #landrecords #map

Harry Dickinson came from England around 1880 and lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, until 1905, when the family moved to Newark, New Jersey. They lived at 178 South 7th Street when the census was taken in 1910 and in 1920, but it appears they moved 2.5 miles to the west side of Newark between 1920 and 1930. When the census was taken in 1930, Harry Dickinson lived at 324 Smith Street in Newark, New Jersey, with four of his grown children. His youngest, Ruth, was 18 years old. John was 25 and worked as a book clerk for an insurance company, Rose was 28 and worked as a school teacher at a public school, and Emma was 36 and unemployed, but, as we all know, she was standing in for her mother, Annie, as housewife of the family. Annie had died 17 years prior, in 1913, at the age of 42, when Emma was 19 years old. Emma's older sister, Elizabeth, married John MacArthur in 1914, and lived nearby, but Emma never married or had children. She had vowed to care for her father and siblings and that is her legacy. You can read her 1919 diary here. According to the 1930 census details, Harry was 66 years old and worked as Helper at a Steel Mill. He indicated he became a naturalized citizen in 1881. He was renting the family's home at 324 Smith Street and paid $57.50 monthly for rent. The following year, in 1931, Harry and his daughter, Emma, took an extended three month vacation to visit family in England. We have video and other memorabilia from that trip, that you can see here. On the ship manifest, Harry and Emma gave 324 Smith Street, Newark, New Jersey, as their address. This is the same place they lived when the census was taken in 1930. Harry died December 7, 1935, possibly here. Click here to learn more about Harry Dickinson. For more about the Dickinsons see the Dickinson page. #dickinson #harrydickinson #newark #newjersey #home #census #1930census