Well time to play catch up again but that is all okay because at least I am attempting to keep up this year. The Week 11 topic is Lucky. Well, let me tell you today I am feeling lucky. I have been busy digging deep in the wills and land records on Family Search for Clinton and Essex Counties in New York State.

I get to a certain point in my research and I am stuck. My mom’s side for the most part originated in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont for the most part, with a couple outliers in New Hampshire before the moved in NY and westward. So I lose a lot of family from 1760 until 1850, which means I can find the men but not the women. I mentioned in my post previous that I am working on my lines with ties to the American Revolution as most of my Patriots would be new children of the patriot, which would then open new lines for others to join.

So let’s get onto why I am feeling lucky. I am now going to get into what I didn’t mention in my previous post. Beverly Beardsley (1770-1815) is my 4th great grandfather. He died intestate leaving 5 minor children:

• Lydia Beardsley (1805-1875) who married Frank Otis
• Curtis Beardsley (1807 – 1882) who married Almedia Hancock and Angeline Putnam
• Catherine Beardsley (1808-1847) who married Laban Arnold
• Margaret Polly Beardsley (1813-1884) who married Samuel Wood
• Beverly Beardsley (1815-1897) who married Minerva Winchester. My 3X Great Grandfather.

He also was the father of Ada Beardsley (1796-1867) who married Asher Stevens, in the probate proceedings was appointed the guardian of the minor girls.

Beverly Beardsley was married to Ada Curits (1770-?). I have not been able to find Ada Curtis Beardsley after 1820 Census in Chesterfield, Essex County, NY.

So now let’s get back to why I am feeling lucky. I was probing around in the New York State Land Records on Family Search and I decided to probe in the Mortgage Indexes, something I have never done in the past, but believe me it is something I am going to do again.

I first found this little tidbit in a deed of Curtis Beardsley selling land in 1833.

Emmanuel Beardsley and Clotilda Curtis Beardsley are Curtis Beardsley’s presumed Aunt and Uncle. Interesting fact is I believe Clotilda is also Ada Curtis Beardsley’s sister.

I then found this second tidbit in an 1836 deed where Beverly Beardsley is selling land. He was 21 years old in 1836.

It has the same phrase of Emmanuel Beardsley and Clotilda Curtis Beardsley deeding the land to Beverly Beardsley on March 24th, 1804. I knew that since guardians were appointed to all the children there had to be land or money involved but I couldn’t find anything.

So according to these Deeds I now have a new place to look. Essex County Deed Book A. I will have to go page by page because it isn’t indexed and the deeds jump around so I will have to look at every page but it is a start.

My ultimate goal with all this is to connect Ada Curtis Beardsley to who I presume is her father Eldad Curtis who was a revolutionary war Patriot.

The only proven children of Eldad Curtis in the DAR database are Eunice Curtiss daughter of first wife, Tabitaha Perkins and Aaron Curtis son of Eldad and second Wife Clotilda Weeks, who is the presumed mother of both Ada and Clotilda.

It has been an interesting couple of days but I am indeed feeling lucky.