March Ruminations

I've noticed that many books posted at Internet Archive have better images than those at Google Books, but Google Books has better ways of searching through books, so I have taken to working back and forth between the two.

For example, images for "The Alvord Look" were taken from the book A Genealogy of the Descendants of Alexander Alvord. To find the images within the book, I used the book's Overview page at Google Books, scrolled down to Selected Images, clicked More, and then made note of the page numbers. Then I found the Internet Archive version of the book, went straight to the page numbers, right-clicked and chose Copy Image, then went over to Paint Shop Pro and pasted the images there to work on.

I also like that you can easily print single pages from Internet Archive books. And for viewing online, I like that Archive's page images are color, not greyscale, although when you print them it takes more ink because the background, even if it looks white, may be enough of a color to print.

But Google Books still has, by far, the best Search tool. What a boon it is to have both!

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I'm very thankful this month for help received from Barbara Poole at Life From The Roots and from Karen at Benson Memorial Library in Titusville, Pennsylvania, both of whom went above and beyond the call of duty to provide me with information I was searching for.

Incidentally, Barbara and I found that we are Alvord-Voar cousins, both descended from Alexander Alvord and his wife Mary Voar.

Another of my geneablogging cousins, Cheryl Schulte, has resumed posting at Two Sides of the Ocean, after a long period of absence due to time constraints. She's completed the 12-part series she started last year--From Whence I Came--and is now posting in the present. Welcome back, Cheryl!

Early in the month, Jasia's post, Genealogy as Therapy, struck a chord with me and with a lot of others as well. A week and a half ago, she did it again with Melancholy and Melancholy Too. Readers with ancestral roots in Detroit will identify with what she has to say in these two poignant posts.

The other day I visited several blogs looking for something I recalled reading. I discovered that a number of bloggers have removed the NavBar at the top of the page, and thus there is no Search This Blog feature. I wish y'all hadn't done that!

Don't miss NPR's great interactive slideshow, The Jobs of Yesteryear: Obsolete Occupations.

So happy to say that the North America section at Sedgwick.org is back up and running!

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March Accomplishments

• More than a third of the 78 surnames listed on my Surnames page have now been linked to a post with more details about my ancestors of that name.
• Remaining focused on the Surnames page project has resulted in what may be a first-ever accomplishment for me--a full month of blog posts! And, while the formulaic nature of these posts does not make for the most exciting reading, that's the very trait which is helping me stay on task and get the job done. I also believe these posts will make my blog more useful in the long run.
  
• The Surnames page again! Preparing the posts to link there has resulted in a fairly orderly (for me!) search for information and sources to link to, and I've actually added a few surnames to my tree as a result.
  
• I added a Contact page to my blog, and I'm happy to say it was taken for a successful test run by a reader who needed some pages from a book I own.
  
• I set up a new binder for ancestors of Elijah Sedgwick. At present I'm collecting published information about them. I'm in no hurry to research people about whom books have already been written.
• I finally managed to make a backup copy of my Legacy database on a cute little thumb drive that my cousin Cheryl sent me. It's not the same as backing up my whole hard-drive, but it's definitely the most important single item and by far the hardest to replace.
  

And in the other column . . .

I'd intended to participate in the 91st Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, A Tribute to Women, but I just didn't get my act together. And I haven't even started on my taxes yet either!

Surname: Tobian (also Tobien, Tobin, Tobine)

The Tobian surname comes to me via my grandmother Evelyn Hauer Kerr. I've seen this name spelled Tobin, Tobine, and Tobien in addition to the spelling I use. Evelyn's great-grandfather was:

• Ferdinand Tobian, probably born sometime between 1800-1825, probably in Prussia/Germany. Ferdinand's wife was Joanna ----. They were probably married before 1848. They were my third great-grandparents.
  
• Alvina Tobian, born 23 March 1848 in Germany. She married Joseph Meyer Schulte there about 1866. They came to the U.S. together with their first-born child in 1872 and made their home in Detroit. She died 8 June 1902 and was buried three days later at Trinity Cemetery on Mt. Elliott in Detroit. Alvina was my great-great-grandmother.

To date I've been unable to locate any German records for this family under any of the spellings listed here. Any help would be much appreciated!

Surname: Wolfschlager

Marriage record of Johann Peter Wolfschlager & Maria Elisabeth Wigger
24 May 1829 ~ Helden, Westfalen, Preußen
(click to enlarge)

The Wolfschlager surname comes to me via my grandma Evelyn Hauer. Her great-great-grandfather was:

• Wilhelm Wolfschläger, a Catholic farmer of Helden, Westfalen, Preußen. He would have been born by or about 1780. He married Anna Gertrud Merren. They were my fourth great-grandparents.
  
• Johann Peter Wolfschläger, born about 1804. On 24 May 1829, he married Maria Elisabeth Wigger in the Catholic church at Helden, Westfalen. They immigrated, arriving at New York on 16 August 1845 aboard the ship Cotton Planter from Antwerp, Belgium. My third great-grandparents, Johann Peter and Maria Elisabeth settled in Detroit, Michigan. They had ten children.
  
• Theresa Wolfschläger, born 16 October 1843 in Helden. She married Joseph H. Hauer 146 years ago today, on 29 March 1864, at St. Clements Church, Center Line, Michigan. Theresa and Joseph were my great-great-grandparents.
  

Marriage record of Joseph H. Hauer and Theresa Wolfschläger
29 March 1864 ~ St. Clement's Church, Center Line, Michigan
(click to enlarge)

The marriage record above was included as part of Theresa's documentation when she filed a claim for a Civil War widow's pension.

Surname: Hauer

My maternal grandmother's maiden name was Hauer. Her great-grandfather was:

• Theodor Hauer, probably born between 1800-1817. His name was given in his son's marriage record, but his wife's name was not. I don't believe Theodor ever came to the U.S., and I know nothing more about him except that he was my third great-grandfather.
• Joseph H. Hauer, born about April 1837, probably in Holland or Luxembourg. He came to the U.S. as a young unmarried man. After serving during the Civil War, he married Theresa Wolfschlager on 29 March 1864 in Center Line, Michigan. They had six children. Joseph died on 6 June 1893 at age 56 and was buried at Mount Elliott Cemetery in Detroit four days later. Joseph was my great-great-grandfather.
• Felix J. Hauer, born 5 January 1867 in Detroit, Michigan. He married Elizabeth Louise Schulte on 21 June 1893 in Detroit, where they made their home for the few years they had together before his death at age 30 on 19 May 1897. He too was buried at Mount Elliott Cemetery. Felix was my great-grandfather.
• Evelyn Elvina Hauer, born 1 April 1894 in Detroit. She married Rosmer Pettis Kerr on 12 June 1916. She died in Warren, Michigan on 19 December 1988 at the age of 94.

Click on the "hauer" label below to find other posts about this family.

Surname: Schulte (also Meÿer, Meyer, Meyer Schulte)

Joseph Meyer Schulte with my great grandmother Lizzie,
in the middle his son Rudolph, and on the right his wife
Alvina Tobien Schulte holding daughter Ida, about 1875

The Schulte surname comes to me via my grandma Evelyn Hauer Kerr. Her third great-grandfather was:

• Balthasar Meÿer of Herzfeld, Westfalen, Germany. He would have been born before or about 1730. His wife was Maria Kochs. He was my fifth great-grandfather.
  
• Joan Herman Meÿer, christened 24 March 1750 in Herzfeld. He married Maria Clara Friderici. Joan and Maria were my fourth great-grandparents.
  
• Johann Hermann Meyer, christened 14 December 1788 in Herzfeld. He married Maria Gertrud Hagedorn on 11 August 1840 in Beckum, Westfalen. He died of Wassersucht (dropsy, congestive heart failure, edema) on 20 May 1855 in Beckum and was buried there three days later. Johann Hermann and Maria Gertrud were my third great-grandparents.
  
• Joseph Meyer Schulte, born 7 February 1843 in Beckum and christened there two days later. About 1866 in Germany, he married Alvina Tobian. He died in Detroit, Michigan on 16 October 1921 and was buried at Trinity Cemetery on Mt. Elliott in Detroit. Joseph and Alvina were my great-great-grandparents.
  
• Elizabeth Louise Schulte, born 28 June 1872 in Detroit and christened 11 August at Trinity Lutheran Church. She married first Felix Hauer on 21 June 1893 in Detroit, and second George T. Corneilson on 31 December 1902. She died 25 June 1930 and was buried three days later at Mt. Elliott Cemetery in a plot already shared by both of her husbands. Elizabeth and Felix were my great-grandparents.

Read The Mystery of Meyer-Schulte for a discussion of this surname.

See also Surname: Meyer.

Surname: Wigger

Evelyn Hauer Kerr's known Wigger lineage includes:

• Mathias Wigger, a Catholic man of Kr. Olpe, Helden, Westfalen, Preußen, born by or about 1790. He and his wife Catharina Ronnewinkel were my fourth great-grandparents.
  
• Maria Elisabeth Wigger, born about 1810. She married Johann Peter Wolfschläger on 24 May 1829 in Helden. They arrived at New York on 16 August 1845 aboard the ship Cotton Planter from Antwerp, Belgium. My third great-grandparents, Johann Peter and Maria Elisabeth settled in Detroit, Michigan.
  

I haven't yet done any additional research on the Wigger lineage.

Surname: Merren

The Merren surname comes to me via Evelyn Hauer. Her great-great-grandmother was:

• Anna Gertrud Merren, wife of Wilhelm Wolfschläger. Anna and Wilhelm would have been born about 1780, give or take, as their son Johann Peter was 25 years old at the time of his marriage in 1829. The image above is a detail from that record. The marriage took place in Helden, Westfalen. I'm not sure I'm correct in my interpretation that Merren is both a place name in line 2 and Anna's surname in line 3.

I haven't yet done any further research on this line.

Wordless Wednesday: Souvenir of Detroit, 1891

Surname: Ronnewinkel

The Ronnewinkel surname comes to me via my grandmother, Evelyn Elvina Hauer (Mrs. R. P. Kerr). Her great-great grandmother was:

• [Maria?] Catharina Ronnewinkel, who married Mathias Wigger. She was probably born before or about 1790. The detail above is from the 1829 marriage record of their 19-year-old daughter Maria Elisabeth Wigger. Catharina and Mathias were my fourth great-grandparents.
  

I haven't yet researched the Ronnewinkel surname any further.

Surname: Auchmuty

Rosmer P. Kerr's third great-grandmother was:

• Mary Auchmuty, said to have been born in or near Westerly, Rhode Island. She married Elijah Crandall in Westerly on 28 March 1754. Elijah and Mary were my fifth great-grandparents.

I'm not sure there exists any evidence regarding Mary's parentage. I can only say that the Auchmuty surname originated in Scotland. I've seen it spelled in some very creative ways: Auchmoedy, Auchmerty, Auchmoody, Auchmoutie, Agmoedi . . . !

As always, I welcome additional information!

Some Sunday Schoolin' with Rev. Samuel Stone

A little about the history of this 1684 text appears on the page immediately preceding the title page.

Rev. Samuel Stone was my ninth great-grandfather.

Thank you, Google Books, for enabling me to see this rare little treasure!

Sedgwick researchers will want to know . . .

The North American section of Sedgwick Genealogy Worldwide is back online at Sedgwick.org after being down for several weeks. This is a spectacular surname website and a great example of what a surname website can be.

Surname: Stone

Rosmer P. Kerr's Stone lineage is said to be as follows:

• John Stone of Hertford, England, born about 1571.
  
• Rev. Samuel Stone, baptized 30 July 1602 in the Church of All Saints, Hertford. He had at least three children with his first wife. He married second Elizabeth Allen of Boston in July 1641. They had two children. Samuel died 20 July 1663. He and his second wife Elizabeth were my ninth great-grandparents.
  
• Elizabeth Stone married first William Sedgwick, divorced him after years of neglect in 1674, and later married John Roberts. Elizabeth and William Sedgwick were my eighth great-grandparents.
  

Rev. Samuel Stone was a prominent figure in history, so it's not hard to find his name in books about his era. In this post, I'll include just two, both of them genealogies.


Goodwin, Nathaniel. Genealogical Notes, Or Contributions to the Family History of Some of the First Settlers of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Hartford: F.A. Brown, 1856.

The book below pertains primarily to a different line of Stones, but I include it here as a heads-up and an aid to differentiating between the lines of two different Rev. Samuel Stones, the one in my lineage from Hertford, and the other from Hereford.



Stone, Truman Lewis and William Leete Stone. Book II of The Family of John Stone: One of the First Settlers of Guilford, Conn.: Also, Names of all the Descendents of Russell, Bille, Timothy and Eber Stone. Buffalo, N.Y.: Charles Wells Moulton, 1898.

Richard Cecil Stone wrote about other New England Stones, but mentions Rev. Samuel Stone briefly:

Samuel Stone came to Boston in 1633. He was educated at Cambridge, England, and probably originated in Hertford, about twenty miles from London. He remained a short time in the vicinity of Boston, but accompanied Hooker and the first settlers on the Connecticut River. They called their settlement Hartford, from Hertford, the name of the town from which Samuel Stone emigrated. He was associate Pastor with Hooker until his death, when he became sole minister of the Hartford Church, which he sustained many years, and was then gathered to his fathers in a good old age. Samuel Stone left four children,—one son and three daughters. His son, Samuel, was educated for the ministry; but, becoming intemperate, fell, before middle life, from the high river bank upon the rocks below, was killed, and the family became extinct.

Stone, Richard Cecil. Genealogy of the Stone Family Originating in Rhode Island. Providence: Knowles, Anthony and Company, Printers, 1866.

As you can see, not all Stones in America spring from a common immigrant ancestor.

Other Before My Time posts about Rev. Samuel Stone of Hartford can be brought up using the "stone" label at the bottom of this post. There will certainly be more added in the future. Tomorrow, for example, will feature a little book by Rev. Stone.

See also Surname: Stone.

Surname: Allen

The Allen surname comes to me via my grandpa, Rosmer Pettis Kerr. His seventh great-grandmother was:

• Elizabeth Allen, second wife of Rev. Samuel Stone. She was born about 1604 in England. To date, I've been able to learn nothing about her parentage. She was living in Boston at the time of her marriage to Samuel, a widower with three daughters (Rebekah, Mary and Sarah) in July 1641. Together they had two children (Samuel and Elizabeth). Elizabeth outlived Samuel and she later married Lt. George Gardiner of Salem and Hartford. She died at Hartford in 1681. Elizabeth and Samuel Stone were my ninth great-grandparents.

Converse, Charles Allen. Some of the Ancestors and Descendants of Samuel Converse, Jr., Of Thompson Parish, Killingly, Conn.; Major James Convers, of Woburn, Mass.; Hon. Heman Allen, M. C., of Milton and Burlington, Vermont; Captain Jonathan Bixby, Sr. of Killingly, Conn. Boston, Mass: E. Putnam, 1905. In this source, see p. 710:

In reply to an inquiry as to the parentage of Elizabeth Allen, Mr. O. P. Allen, of Palmer, Mass., genealogist of Allen families, says: "Nothing to my knowledge, has come to light concerning the parentage of Elizabeth Allen who married Rev. Samuel Stone at Hartford about 1641; but from the fact that she came to Boston at the same time as Rev. Thomas Allen, and both joined the church at Boston at about the same time, in 1639, I am inclined to think she was in some way related to him — as a sister, or cousin. Rev. Thomas Allen was son of John, born in Norwich, Co. Norfolk, England, in 1608. Savage says Elizabeth Allen was a maiden; it does not seem reasonable that a woman would have come over alone, without some relative: so it is a very plausible theory that Elizabeth and Rev. Thomas were relatives."

Surname: Alvord

~ click to enlarge ~

None of these Alvord men are in my direct line,
but I think there's a strong family resemblance among them
and I imagine our shared forebears would have looked quite like them.

In my Alvord line, Rosmer Kerr's eighth great-grandfather is believed to have been:

• Thomas Alvord, thought to have married Joanna Hawkins 11 May 1618 at Ashill, County Somerset, England. They would have been my tenth great-grandparents.
  
• Alexander Alvord, thought to have been baptized 15 October 1627 at Bridport near Whitestaunton, England. He married Mary Voar on 29 October 1646 in Windsor, Connecticut. They were my ninth great-grandparents.
  
• Abigail Alvord, born 6 October 1647 at Windsor, Connecticut. She married Thomas Root on 3 July 1666. They were my eighth great-grandparents.

Read more about the Alvords here:



Alvord, Samuel Morgan. A Genealogy of the Descendants of Alexander Alvord: An Early Settler of Windson, Conn. and Northhampton, Mass. Webster, N.Y.: A.D. Andrews, 1908.

May your Wednesday be wordless, but lyrical!

Top o' the mornin' to ya! Settle back and I'll serve up a pint or six, and you can tell me which ones go down the easiest. Beannachtam na Feile Padraig!

Surname: Higgins

The Higgins surname comes to me via my grandpa, Rosmer P. Kerr. His seventh great-grandfather was:

• Richard Higgins, born in England. He is thought to have come over between 1629-1632 as an adult. He married Lydia Chandler in 1634. She died about 1650 and he next married Mary Yates in 1651. He died about 1677. Richard and Lydia were my ninth great-grandparents.
  
• Jonathan Higgins, born 1637 at Plymouth. He married first Elizabeth Rogers and second her sister Hannah (granddaughters of Thomas Rogers of the Mayflower). The date of his death is unknown. Jonathan and Elizabeth were my eighth great-grandparents.
• Joseph Higgins, born 14 February 1666-7 at Eastham, Massachusetts. He died before 21 May 1729. Joseph and his wife Ruth were my seventh great-grandparents.
  
• Beriah Higgins, born about 1692 at Eastham. He married Desire Cooke about 1716. They were my sixth great-grandparents.
  
• Deborah Higgins, born 26 October 1725 in Provincetown, Massachusetts. She married Samuel Sedgwick. They were my fifth great-grandparents.

Read more about the Higgins family here:


Higgins, Mrs. Katharine Elizabeth Chapin. Richard Higgins, A Resident and Pioneer Settler at Plymouth and Eastham, Massachusetts, and at Piscataway, New Jersey, and His Descendants. 1918.

In the section beginning on page 14, Mrs. Higgins refers to two differing opinions about the English origin of Richard Higgins. The full text of The Pioneers of Massachusetts by Charles Henry Pope doesn't appear to be available online, but the two-part Richard Higgins and Some of His Descendants by Orra Eugene Monnette is waiting for you at My Ancestors in Books.

Surname: Cooke

I don't imagine it's terribly unusual for a Mayflower descendant to have more than one Mayflower line. Rosmer Pettis Kerr had a few. In this post, we'll take a peek at his connection to the Cooke surname. Rosmer's eighth great-grandfather was:

• Francis Cooke, born in England in 1577. He married his wife Hester while living with the Puritans in Holland. Francis and his son John came over on the Mayflower in 1620. Hester and the other children arrived in July 1623 aboard the Ann. Francis and Hester were my tenth great-grandparents.
• Josiah Cooke, born about 1616. He married Elizabeth Ring, widow of Stephen Deane, on 16 September 1635 in Plymouth Colony. They were my ninth great-grandparents.
• Josiah Cooke Jr., born about 1645. He married Deborah Hopkins on 27 July 1668. They were my eighth great-grandparents.
• Josiah Cooke III, born 12 November 1670 at Eastham, Massachusetts. He married Mary Godfrey. They were my seventh great-grandparents.
• Desire Cooke, born 14 June 1694 in Eastham. She married Beriah Higgins about 1716. They were my sixth great-grandparents.
  

Read more about Francis Cooke here:



Print or download a 7-page typescript of the entire text of A Memorial of Francis Cook at The Vertical File.

View or download A Memorial of Francis Cook in your choice of several formats at Internet Archive.

Cook, Henry. A Memorial of Francis Cook, One of the "First Comers" of the Plymouth Colony, December 22, 1620, and of His Immediate Descendants. Boston: Printed for private distribution, 1870.

Surname: Littlefield

The Littlefield surname appears to be part of Rosmer P. Kerr's heritage. His ninth great-grandfather, and my eleventh, would be:

• Francis Littlefield, born 1565 in Exeter, England. He died in October 1618 in Titchfield, Hampshire, England.
  
• Edmund Littlefield, born 1591 in Exeter, England. His wife's name was Annis (Agnes) Austin. They were married in England and had eight children. Edmund and Annis are thought to be my tenth great-grandparents.
• Elizabeth Littlefield, born in England. She married a John Wakefield. They are thought to be my ninth great-grandparents.

Since I've just discovered the Littlefields perched in my family tree, I started with a search for them at Google Books. It quickly turned into a good lesson on taking everything you read with a grain of salt. One story can vary quite a bit from another.

The first three books below were edited by William Richard Cutter. In the first, begin on page 1238, column 2:


Cutter, William Richard. New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial; A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co, 1913.

Below, start on page 833, bottom of column 1.


Cutter, William Richard. Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co, 1908.

Below, start on page 1596, bottom of column 1:


Cutter, William Richard. Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. New York: Lewis historical publishing company, 1908. (Volume 4)

I've opened The History of Wells and Kennebunk to page 73, where a good section about Edmund Littlefield begins, but you'll find much more Littlefield history throughout this book. Search term: Littlefield.


Bourne, Edward E., and E. E. Bourne. The History of Wells and Kennebunk from the Earliest Settlement to the Year 1820, At Which Time Kennebunk Was Set Off, and Incorporated. Portland: B. Thurston & Co, 1875.

Below, start at the bottom of column 1, page 101:


Little, George Thomas, Henry S. Burrage, and Albert Roscoe Stubbs. Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co, 1909.

Also well worth a visit are The Littlefield Family Research Page and Glenn Gohr's Littlefield Genealogy. At the first, I learned the name of Edmund Littlefield's father and the surname and parents of his wife Annis. This website, however, lists only one child, a son named William, for Elizabeth Littlefield and her husband John Wakefield. As I indicated in my previously posted Surname: Wakefield, Dr. Albert Wakefield is attributed to this couple also in the book Wakefield Memorial. On p. 136, William, who came over on the Bevis with Annis Littlefield, is "supposed to be a brother of John Wakefield, of Wells." My connection to the Littlefield surname is entirely dependent upon that being the case. I would be most happy to hear from anyone who has delved further into the Wakefield genealogy, especially with regard to Dr. Albert Wakefield's parentage and whether it has yet been proven or disproven.

At Glenn Gohr's webpage, I learned that both Millard Fillmore and Calvin Coolidge have Littlefield ancestry. I was already aware of Millard Fillmore's descent from another of my ancestral lines, Stephen Hopkins and Dorcas Bronson. Through that lineage, President Fillmore was my fourth cousin, five times removed. Through the Littlefield lineage, he would also be my sixth cousin, five times removed.

Well, readers, it just doesn't get any more exciting than that, so this session is hereby adjourned!

Surname: Wakefield

The Wakefield surname comes to me via Rosmer P. Kerr's great-great-grandmother. Our Wakefield lineage is:

• John Wakefield, a commissioned officer who served Charles I, said to have emigrated from England to Ireland. He is said to have been married to Elizabeth Littlefield. Based upon assumptions as noted in Wakefield Memorial, John and Elizabeth were my ninth great-grandparents.
  
• Dr. Albert Wakefield, a surgeon on the staff of William of Orange. Based upon assumptions as noted in Wakefield Memorial, he was my eighth great-grandfather.
  
• Robert Wakefield I, the only child of Dr. Albert Wakefield. Robert was my seventh great-grandfather.
  
• Robert Wakefield II, thought to have been born on the family estate, which was located on the road between Aughrim and Ballinasloe, County Galway, Connaught, Ireland. He was my sixth great-grandfather.
  
• David Wakefield who, when implicated with his brothers in a plot against Catholic rule in Ireland, escaped by being hidden in a hogshead of clothes by his wife, Mary Jane Wade. Tradition has it that she embarked with it on an American-bound vessel, and they were three days out to sea before the captain of the ship found out that he was on board. David and Mary Jane were my fifth great-grandparents.
  
• Joanna Wakefield, one of eight children born to David and Mary Jane. Joanna married William Carroll in Pennsylvania about 1775, based upon the birth year of their first child. William and Joanna were my fourth great-grandparents.
  

Descendants of this line will learn much about their history in An Excerpt from Wakefield Memorial, posted at The Vertical File.

See also p. 53-54 below:


Storey, Henry Wilson. History of Cambria County, Pennsylvania. New York: Lewis Pub. Co, 1999.

In the next book, you'll want to scroll up just a tiny bit to the last paragraph on p. 208. That and the first paragraph on p. 209 are the only ones which pertain to my own lineage; however, other Wakefield descendants may want to read through p. 212:


Boucher, John Newton. A Century and a Half of Pittsburg and Her People. [Pittsburg, Pa.]: Lewis Pub. Co, 1908.

Wakefield Memorial is available online for reading or download at Internet Archive. It includes an excellent portrait of the author, Dr. Homer Wakefield, and someone thought to attach a clipping of his 1946 obituary from the New York Herald Tribune at the front of the book. That's where I learned that Homer spent twelve years researching the material for Wakefield Memorial. I also learned that, after a career in internal medicine and cancer research, ironically his life ended in a place charmingly called the Home for Incurables.

Wakefield, Homer. Wakefield Memorial, Comprising an Historical, Genealogical and Biographical Register of the Name and Family of Wakefield. Bloomington, Ill: Priv. print. for the compiler [Pantagraph Printing and Stationery Co.], 1897.

See also Wakefield Surname Origin.

Surname: Judd

The Judd line is part of Rosmer Pettis Kerr's heritage. Rosmer's seventh great-grandfather was:

• Thomas Judd, born 1608 in England. He came over in 1633 or 1634. With his first wife Elizabeth, he had nine children. She died in 1678. He married second the widow of Thomas Mason. Her name was Clemence. Thomas Judd died in 1688. He and his wife Elizabeth were my ninth great-grandparents.
• Elizabeth Judd, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Judd. Both she and her brother William were born sometime between 1633 and 1636. They are the eldest of the nine children, but it's unknown which of them was born first. Elizabeth married Samuel Loomis on 27 December 1653. Elizabeth and Samuel were my eighth great-grandparents.
  

You can read more about the Judd family below, in Doctor Henry Skilton and His Descendants. Begin at the last paragraph of page 29.



Doctor Henry Skilton Association, John Davis Skilton, George Warner Skilton, and Henry Irving Skilton. Doctor Henry Skilton, and His Descendants. New Haven Conn: Press of S.Z. Field, 1921.

See also Judd Surname Origin.

Treasure Chest Thursday: A Few Thoughts on Standards

This is the typescript called "Clann Cearr."
Click to enlarge it, if you dare!

The image above is from the first page of a photocopied 11-page typescript by Nanetta Hobbs Tice. What you're seeing is the full width of the page--there are no margins. Nan hand-printed some notes at the bottom of the page, and for the sake of posting here, I've cropped them off. Any and all dark notes or inked lines are hers; the only markings I've added are the lightly pencilled RIN numbers beside names, which I hoped would help me stay on track as I struggled to make sense of this data and enter it into my first family tree software twenty years ago.

Nan typed this in 1972. What work it must have been then, to try and keep order to the data, to type or hand-write everything. That was before family tree software. There were no PCs; it looks like Nan didn't even have access to those fancy family group sheets we depended upon before the PC. Did they exist in 1972? I don't know. My discovery of pedigree charts and family group sheets at a bookstore in the late 1980s is what really brought me to genealogy as an avocation. Before that, I had no clue how to organize the information I'd gotten from my grandma back in the '60s. For twenty years, my entire genealogy looked like this (and by that I mean this is all of it, right here in the picture!):


I don't remember how "Clann Cearr" came into my hands, but it was accompanied by another thirteen photocopied pages of notes which were entirely handwritten (by Nan or by someone else? I don't know). It must have been in a vertical file somewhere. I don't know Nan personally, and I don't think I ever corresponded with her.

I'm sure the first thing most of my genealogically inclined friends would notice about "Clann Cearr" (and heartily decry!) is the complete lack of documentation or source citation. And I shudder to think of the hue and cry and... excuse me for a moment while I strap on my bicycle helmet... the possible pummeling about the head and shoulders that may arise upon my announcing to the entire blogosphere that I added all of these undocumented kinfolk to my family tree database. Yes, the database. The one into which goes everybody... documented, undocumented, sourced or unsourced.

Are you groaning? Smirking? Dismissing me forthwith as a careless dabbler, or worse, a rampant moron tainting the genealogical universe with eternally bad information? I've definitely picked up the scent of that attitude wafting through the genealogical community from time to time. If you secretly (or not so secretly, for that matter) answered yes to any of those questions, I understand why. But it would be fair of you to take the next minute or two to consider a different viewpoint.

First of all, I acknowledge and confess that my genealogy will never be done to perfection. That's not my goal, and I don't think it should be. If it were, the doing would cease to be a pleasure; it would become an obligation, a test, a source of anxiety. That's not what I look for in an avocation.

That brings me to my next point: I am not in the business of selling genealogical services for money. If I were, I would hold myself to a professional standard for my paying customers; after all, if I were the paying client, that's what I would be paying for. But again, this is my avocation, not my vocation.

My third and final point (for now, anyway!) is this: my database is where I do my thinking, my comparing, my filing... wait, let me put that a different way. My database is where I choose to do my thinking, my comparing, my filing. It's mine, and if I wish to store 4993 as yet undocumented, unsourced, probable ancestors and cousins in there with the dozen that are almost (but not quite) perfect, that's okay with me. That's where I'll look for them later when I find the opportunity to do the research. If you want to keep separate databases for the proven and the unproven, you go right ahead, but for me that would be a source of total confusion.

Speaking of sources of total confusion, let's get back to "Clann Cearr." I've chosen to feature this typescript today because, despite the fact that it's undocumented, unsourced, and all but indecipherable, I consider it a great treasure, and one for which I am profoundly grateful--to Nan, to Arthur Kerr of the Kerr Family Association who provided the data to her, and to the unnamed others who shared their undocumented, unsourced data with the Kerr Family Association prior to 1972. I am glad--so very, very glad--to have it. Whether it's perfect or fraught with errors doesn't matter. It's still a guide for me and will help me get where I want to go.

I'm curious to know how other genealogists and family historians will respond in the poll below. You can choose as many answers as apply to you, and you can also add an answer of your own if the poll doesn't include a point that matters to you.

Surname: Gardner

The Gardner surname comes to me through my grandpa, R. P. Kerr. His great-great grandmother was:

• Hannah Gardner, born 4 September 1812. To whom, I do not know. There is conflicting information about her birthplace (Pennsylvania or New York). Hannah was the first wife of Robert Kerr. She died 30 January 1842 at the young age of 29 years, 4 months, 26 days. She's buried at Union Cemetery in Oil Creek Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. Hannah was my fourth great-grandmother.

At present, I know nothing more about my Gardner line.

Hannah was mentioned in the "Clann Cearr" typescript (see Surname: Kerr), but no dates were included there. I found them in the snippet view of Patricia Foster Heinen's Kerr: The Kerr Families of Early Oil Creek Township, Crawford Co., PA (P. F. Heinen, 1993) at Google Books.

I'm sure there's much more I'll want to see in the 556 pages of this book. There's a copy at Wisconsin Historical Society and another at Benson Memorial Library in Titusville, PA.

See also Gardner Surname Origin.

Surname: Cunningham

The Cunningham surname comes to me through the paternal grandparents of my grandpa Rosmer Pettis Kerr. Our claim to this surname was his great-great-grandmother:

• Elizabeth Cunningham, the wife of Robert Alcorn. She was my fourth great-grandmother.
  

I have no additional information about her, except that which I've already discussed at Surname: Alcorn.

See also Cunningham Surname Origin.

Surname: Alcorn

Both of Rosmer P. Kerr's paternal grandparents have Alcorn lineage. On the Kerr side:

• Margaret Alcorn, born about 1782, said to have married James Kerr III in 1799 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They are said to have moved to northwestern Pennsylvania (Crawford County?) about 1801. She died in 1866. Margaret was one of my fourth great-grandmothers.

And on the Carroll side:

• Elizabeth Alcorn, born 11 July 1800 in Pennsylvania. She married David Carroll on 11 October 1817. She died 24 February 1885. Elizabeth was one of my third great-grandmothers.

Here, the plot thickens. One or the other or both of these Alcorn women are said, in various sources, to be the daughter or daughters of:

• Robert Alcorn and his wife, Elizabeth Cunningham. If both Margaret and Elizabeth are their daughters, then Robert and Elizabeth are my fourth and third great-grandparents. I could live with that, if only it were so easy! But it's not!

Let's look at some sources and see what they have to say about this:

• Tice, Nanetta Hobbs, compiler. "Clan Cearr," typescript, 1972 [data from Arthur Kerr, Archives Section, Kerr Family Association; no additional sourcing or bibliography]. Copy privately held by T. K. Sand. According to this source, Margaret and Elizabeth are sisters, but no parent is named and no birth or death dates are given for either sister. Margaret is said to have married James Kerr III in 1799. Elizabeth is named as the wife of David Kerr, brother of James III. They had five children, one of whom was named Cunningham Kerr. David was about 73 years old when he died in 1854.
• Carroll, Emerson T., compiler. "The Carrolls of Mercer County, Pennsylvania (Extract)" Wadena, MN, 1931-32. Copy of a typescript privately held by T. K. Sand [a few sources mentioned inline, no footnotes or bibliography with the pages I have; I don't recall where, when, or how I got it]. According to this source, Elizabeth Alcorn, identified as the daughter of Robert Alcorn and Elizabeth Cunningham, married David Carroll in 1817. Her birth and death dates are not given, but David's were. He was born in 1796 and died in 1869.
• DeSantis, Loretta Barker, and Sally Glaser Dufford. Mercer County, Pennsylvania, Cemetery Inscriptions. Sharon, Pa: The Society, 1980. According to this source, David Carroll is buried in Carroll Cemetery, Worth Township, with his wife Elizabeth Alcorn who was born 11 July 1800 and died 24 February 1885.
• The Pennsylvania death certificate of Mrs. A. J. Kerr [Esther Alice Carroll] identifies her parents as David Carroll and Elizabeth Alcorn.

The Alcorns, the Carrolls, the Kerrs. Big, branchy families full of fecund females fond of a few favored first names. I don't know that I can do much more in my pajamas, and I don't know how many more leaves can be plucked from these ancestral branches in another quick round of drive-by genealogy. Ideally my next move, speaking both genealogically and residentially, would be to western Pennsylvania, where I could settle in and stay as long as it takes to tame the beast. I'll put that on my To-Do List for further consideration. Meanwhile, I commend this problem to the blogosphere--in fact, to all of GoogleSearchdom--in hopes that someone somewhere has already sorted out some of it, and is standing by with documents at the ready, just waiting for me to ask. This is me, asking!

See also Alcorn Surname Origin.

Surname: Carroll

The Carroll surname comes to me via Rosmer Pettis Kerr's paternal grandmother. Our known Carroll lineage is:

• William Carroll, born 1745. I've seen William's birthplace listed as either Ireland or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I don't know which is correct. William was married in Pennsylvania in 1775 (or possibly 1773 which I've seen in DAR lineage books) to Joanna Wakefield. They had nine children. This family settled just west of Millbrook in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. William died there on 13 June 1824. He was my fourth great-grandfather.
• David Carroll, born 8 May 1796 in Pennsylvania, a son of William and Joanna. He married Elizabeth Alcorn on 11 October 1817. They had thirteen children. He died 31 March 1869. David was my third great-grandfather.
• Esther Alice Carroll, born 9 December 1836 in Mercer County. She married Andrew Jackson Kerr on 11 September 1862. She died 9 April 1912 in Mercer. She was my great-great-grandmother.

My primary sources for this line include only the death certificate and will of Esther Alice Carroll. Secondary sources include the census and the following:

• DeSantis, Loretta Barker, and Sally Glaser Dufford. Mercer County, Pennsylvania, Cemetery Inscriptions. Sharon, Pa: The Society, 1980. (See Vol. 1, p. 4: Carroll Cemetery, Worth Township)
• Carroll, Emerson T. The Carrolls of Mercer County, Pennsylvania.
  
• Carroll or O'Carroll. Frankford, Philadelphia, Pa.: Martin and Allardyce, 1910. (10 pgs., available online through HeritageQuest) [Note: This is a lineage from the beginning of the Carroll name in Ireland. I've no idea how accurate it is. In any case, at this point my Carroll ancestors are not yet linked to this lineage. However, I've read that William Carroll was a nephew of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Charles is linked to this lineage. Maybe someday . . . ]
• Smith, Hollis D. Wakefield Pedigrees of David Wakefield and Mary Wade. Salt Lake City: The author, 1985.
• Wakefield, Homer. Wakefield Memorial, Comprising an Historical, Genealogical and Biographical Register of the Name and Family of Wakefield. Bloomington, Ill: Priv. print. for the compiler [Pantagraph Printing and Stationery Co.], 1897.
• Carroll Family, Egbert Family History (Section F: Related Families). RootsWeb Freepages.

See also Carroll Surname Origin.

What Did I Think I Had To Do?

Despite the fact that I nodded off halfway through (no fault of the show--I was sleep-deprived!) and had to watch Episode 1 again online, I enjoyed Who Do You Think You Are? much more than Faces of America. I appreciated the greater emphasis on research as a process that's worth doing the legwork for. But the emphasis was still on having a professional hand over the goods as if he/she were just hanging around the empty (but glamorous and well-funded!) genealogy library waiting for a lone descendant to show up and ask.

After twenty years of doing my own research, I now wonder if I've been doing it wrong. If I'd just gone to the right genealogy library and asked at the desk, would I have been handed my ancestors and their original documents on an archival silver platter? Well, there's still time! I confess I haven't spent the last two decades cracking my skull on the hardest nuts. There's been an ample enough flow of ancestral information to keep me plenty busy enough--I admit I've let the brick walls gather dust. But now I'm thinking surely there's someone standing just inside the door of a fancy polished archive with the Brickwall family acid-free file folder in hand, ready to read me a document that explains everything.

Un...be...lievable!

Surname: Kerr

Kerr tartan image by Celtus. Licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.

The Kerr surname originated in Scotland. Clan Ceàrr was a border clan, located near the border between Scotland and England. They were among the clans called Border Reivers or Borderers. As part of the people who were moved to Ireland during the Plantation of Ulster in the 1600s, they became known as Ulster Scots, and those who came to North America in the early 1700s were referred to here as Scotch-Irish.

In Scotland, the name sounds like care; in my family, it sounds like cur. My Kerr lineage, firmly rooted in Pennsylvania for at least five generations, is said to be as follows:

• James Kerr, born 1702 in Tyrone, Ireland. He was first married to Jane Stewart. They immigrated in 1731 and settled in Donegal Township, Lancaster County, Pennsyvania. After Jane's death, James married Susannah Stevenson, probably before or about 1742. James relocated to Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, in 1766, and he died there in 1777. James and Susannah were my sixth great-grandparents.
• James Kerr II, born 1752 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He was married about 1775, but his wife's name is unknown. The date of his death is also unknown, but would certainly have been after 1780. James Kerr II was my fifth great-grandfather.
• James Kerr III, born 1776 in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. He married Margaret Alcorn in 1799 in Lancaster County. Together they raised thirteen children. He died in 1842. James Kerr III was my fourth great-grandfather.
• Robert Kerr, born 1805 in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. With his first wife, Hannah Gardner, he had about six children. After her death in 1842, he married Jane ---. It appears he had at least three more children with her. He died 11 December 1894 in Oil Creek Township, Crawford County. Robert Kerr was my third great-grandfather.
• Andrew Jackson Kerr, born 31 October 1832 (during the administration of President Andrew Jackson, also of Scotch-Irish descent) in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. He married Esther Alice Carroll on 11 September 1862. Together they raised three children. He died in Mercer, Mercer County, Pennsylvania on 19 July 1911. Andrew Jackson Kerr was my great-great-grandfather.
• Milton E. Kerr, born 15 July 1863 in Oil City, Venango County, Pennsylvania. His first wife was Bess Zahniser, with whom he had a daughter. He and Bess were married just short of a year when she died on 4 September 1887 in Mercer. Milton relocated to Nebraska where he met Kate E. Pettis. They were married on 15 December 1889 in Omaha. Their first son (also named Milton E. Kerr) was born in Chicago in 1891, but they appear to have moved back to Pennsylvania before the birth of their second son a year later. Milton was 32 years old when he died 27 September 1895. He was buried in Mercer. Milton E. Kerr was my great-grandfather.
• Rosmer Pettis Kerr, born 30 September 1892 in Mercer, Pennsylvania. He married Evelyn Hauer on 12 June 1916 in Detroit, Michigan. They had three daughters, two of whom lived to adulthood. Rosmer died 9 February 1969 in Port Huron, St. Clair County, Michigan. Rosmer was my grandpa.
• Mary Roslyn Kerr, born 22 October 1922 in Detroit, Michigan. She married Russell M. Krentz on 5 January 1946 in Dearborn, Michigan. Together they raised my sister and me. My mom died 23 April 2005 in Clinton Township, Macomb County, Michigan.
  

My source of information for the earlier generations of this line is a 1972 typescript titled "Clann Cearr" by Nanetta Hobbs Tice. She states that the data for the typescript came from Mr. Arthur Kerr of the Archives section, Kerr Family Association, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Although Robert Kerr's children are listed in the typescript, there's little additional information about them there. This large family was enumerated in the 1850 census of Oil Creek Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. In the 1870 census, Robert and Jane and their youngest children were enumerated immediately before the family of Andrew Jackson Kerr.

There are additional source items for Robert. At some point, probably on my only research trip to Pennsylvania in the early '90s, I noted in my database that there was a Robert Kerr will (Crawford Co. Will Book H, p.288) proved and registered 14 Dec 1894, three days after this Robert Kerr's death. It appears I haven't gotten a copy of it yet. I also noted that news of his death appeared in The Crawford Journal (20 December 1894, p. 2 col. 1) and The Morning Star (14 December 1894, p. 2 col. 3), but I don't have copies or transcripts of those items either. (I may have found that information in an index.) My research trip was far too brief to do all I would have liked to do.

I have a number of source items pertaining to my more recent Kerr ancestors. Some have been mentioned in previous posts here at Before My Time; others will surely become the subjects of future posts.

Proposed Ancestry of Andrew Jackson Kerr, in PDF format, is posted at The Vertical File. It includes some family group information for the first four generations listed above.
See also Kerr Surname Origin.

Friday night TV is about to get very, very good . . .

Update: Great news! It looks like WDYTYA episodes will be available online for about six months.
If you missed it, you can see Who Do You Think You Are? Episode 1 at NBC.com. Worth doing!

But if you just can't wait for that kind of fun to begin, go pass the time with George Geder's Fierce Hat Lady. That hat is spec...wait for it...tacular!!!

Surname: Stevenson

The Stevenson surname comes to me through the lineage of my grandpa Rosmer Pettis Kerr. His fourth great-grandmother was:

• Susannah Stevenson, probably of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She was the second wife of James Kerr, who was living there when his first wife died. Susannah and James had four children together. The children are said to have been born between 1742 and 1769. If that's correct, I estimate Susannah's birth date to be about 1720, give or take, making her about twenty years younger than her husband. I have no further knowledge about Susannah and have not yet attempted any further research. Susannah was my sixth great-grandmother.
  

My source of information on this line is a 1972 typescript titled "Clann Cearr" by Nanetta Hobbs Tice. She states that the data for the typescript came from Mr. Arthur Kerr of the Archives section, Kerr Family Association, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

See also Stevenson Surname Origin.

Surname: Burch (or Bouck?)

The Burch surname comes to me through the lineage of my grandfather Rosmer Pettis Kerr. His maternal great-grandmother was:

• Salina Burch, who was the first wife of Ezekiel T. Efner. Ezekiel was born in 1801, so I would estimate Salina's birthdate to be about the same. I don't know her parentage. I believe she died at a fairly young age while Ezekiel was still living in Schoharie County, New York. I expect she's buried there, but have found no record. Salina was my third great-grandmother.

My knowledge of Salina (or Selina?) comes from secondary sources, and I've not yet found any official record pertaining to her. I admit I haven't looked very hard. I suspect others have looked but not found anything. To date, I haven't had occasion to visit Schoharie County to do any onsite research. Maybe I'll be able to plan a trip while I'm living here in Michigan.

Somewhere, years ago, I got the impression that Salina's last name may have been Bouck rather than Burch. Surname distribution in Schoharie County certainly supports that possibility.

The Tombstone Papers

In an interesting coincidence, just a day or two after I posted the Kerr tombstones at Forest Lawn last week, I found the paperwork associated with the purchase of the plot and two of the stones. They were in a metal box of papers kept by my grandma Evelyn, from whom I inherited the keep-everything gene.


When Rosmer Kerr's mother died in 1937, he purchased four burial lots together: one for his mother, one for himself, one for his wife, and one for . . . whom? It seems an odd thing to have bought an extra one of, just in case. It appears the total cost was $72.75.

The deed was dated 14 July 1937, a full month after Kate Pettis Kerr was buried there.

Kate's grave marker was ordered June 22nd. It was to be made of Wisconsin Ruby Red Granite.

The manufacturer guaranteed "unconditionally, forever and for all time, that this granite will not fade, check, crack or disintegrate from exposure to the elements in any season or in any climate." That's quite a promise . . .


. . . especially considering the price!

When Karl Parker died at the end of January 1969, that extra fourth lot was put to use. Although Karl and the Kerrs' daughter Bonnie had been divorced a few years earlier, Karl was still considered a beloved son-in-law and was buried there.

Rosmer joined him ten days later.

I'm scratchin' my head a little in regard to the plot map below. With Evelyn being the last man standing, so to speak, I'm surprised she would have had Rosmer buried next to Karl, rather than next to his mother. I tend to think she would have preferred to save Lot 8 for herself since she felt her relationship with her mother-in-law wasn't the warmest, whereas she would have been quite happy to think of herself resting for eternity between two of her three most beloved men (the third being my dad).

Surname: Lensa

The Lensa surname comes to me through the lineage of my grandmother Margreta (Gertie) Buss. Her maternal great-grandmother was:

• Wilhelmina Lensa of Pommern. I have no further information about Wilhelmina, except that she married Christian Egert of Pommern. I believe Christian and Wilhelmina lived out their lives in Pommern. They were probably married before 1831, and so were probably born before or about 1810. Wilhelmina Lensa was my third great-grandmother.

Christian and Wilhelmina were named on the North Dakota death certificate of their daughter, Wilhelmina Egert, who emigrated to the United States with her husband, August Buss.