Tag: family-history

Gathering More Leaves

PART X – CHAPTER FOUR

I suspected that a wealth of information regarding the Pickering’s and collateral families of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts lay hidden within out-of-print 19th-century books. Furthermore, I believed other genealogists were, and had been, investigating these same family lines, placing them years—even decades—ahead of me. These realizations prompted me to adopt new and radical research technique. I began by gathering information from personal trees on Ancestry.com’s OneWorld section. While recognizing … Continue reading PART X – CHAPTER FOUR

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Gathering More Leaves

PART X – CHAPTER 2

Let’s pause the Pickering saga for a moment to introduce some other key persons in Cordelia Pickering Gaume’s family tree. Understanding these relationships, which go beyond just marriage, is vital. They all shared the major event of the Great Puritan Migration and the Winthrop Fleet in the 1630s, which connects them significantly. On top of that, some of them were participants in a pivotal case … Continue reading PART X – CHAPTER 2

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Gathering More Leaves

PART X – CHAPTER 1

I’ve been procrastinating since April, but now finally getting back to working on my book, Gathering More Leaves. I’m up to the tenth and final part of the book, which will probably be about seven chapters. Originally, I was hoping to be completed by my 70th birthday next month, but that’s not likely to happen (although I am committed to working on this every day). … Continue reading PART X – CHAPTER 1

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Bannon

Typical (Irish) Immigrants!

One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. However, when it comes to slot machines and genealogy, repeating the same actions can sometimes lead to surprising and rewarding outcomes. That’s why, every year around St. Patrick’s Day, I visit Ancestry.com to continue searching for my Irish ancestors. On my father’s side, the O’Malley family settled in … Continue reading Typical (Irish) Immigrants!

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DeBacker

The Importance of the Portsmouth Compact

A month ago, I wrote an article titled “Massachusetts Ancestors with Wikipedia Articles.” Yet it’s only now, through further study, that I am realizing the significance of what three of those ancestors did when they put their names on a document in the spring of 1638. These men are ancestors on my father’s side of the family, and their names were Philip Sherman, John Coggeshall, … Continue reading The Importance of the Portsmouth Compact

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Family

Massachusetts Ancestors with Wikipedia Articles

Growing up, I had no idea I had Colonial American ancestors on both my parents’ sides. My mother’s colonial ancestors settled in the South, from the Carolinas to Georgia. My father’s ancestors were YANKEES! These are all ancestors of my father who settled either in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Plymouth Colony, the Rhode Island Plantation Colony, or they are the ancestor of ancestors who … Continue reading Massachusetts Ancestors with Wikipedia Articles

Unknown's avatarD. M. DeBacker2 Comments
Dobbs

International Man of Mystery Part 6

When my great grandfather James M Dobbs was appointed to a consul generalship in South America at the start of the 2nd Cleveland Administration, his name appeared in newspapers all over the United States. In the majority of those appearances, it was one item in a list of other men who had been appointed to an office that April in 1893. Most of the newspapers … Continue reading International Man of Mystery Part 6

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Dobbs

From Bavaria to New York: An Immigrant Journey

The recent discussions about immigrants eating cats and dogs remind me that my ancestors were immigrants. Some arrived from Europe as early as the 1630s, while others came as late as the 1880s. Their experiences varied—some were treated better than others. For instance, my German ancestors managed to preserve their culture and language long after arrival, which the English-speaking population found objectionable. There was pressure … Continue reading From Bavaria to New York: An Immigrant Journey

Unknown's avatarD. M. DeBacker2 Comments