30 x 30 challenge

30 x 30 Challenge Results

/ Chiara / Leave a comment

At the beginning of November, I decided to do a 30 x 30 challenge. Research for 30 minutes every day for 30 days. You can read more about the 30 x 30 challenge at Organize Your Family History.

Well I started off strong with being focused in my research and answering specific questions and working on focused research problems. As the month wore on I went off on my tangents a bit more but did research 30 minutes a day for all but 2 days. Some of the research was just checking out new DNA matches but it is research.

So my  goal the next time I do this challenge is to stay more focused on my questions. I did do a preliminary application for 2 lineage societies so that was part of my challenge to myself so I will be polishing those up in December and sending them out.

I really liked the premise of this challenge and will definitely be doing it again thought I don’t think November or December is the ideal time of year to do them.

‘Twas the day before Thanksgiving

/ Chiara / 1 Comment

Twas the day before Thanksgiving and I have been focusing on family and the blessings of life as is the norm this time of year. I am thinking of those who came before and those who may come after. I am feeling incredibly blessed for all that I have.

There have been several of those family members who came before me that have been heavy on my mind. I can almost feel them reaching out to me to tell their stories.

Martha Winchester Beardsley, who is just a name on a tombstone in Clintonville. She died at the mere age of 20 but left 3 children behind. I know nothing but a couple of dates but I can feel here asking questions.

Arvilla Preston Shumway, who was married at 16, to a man almost 20 years her senior. She went on to have 10 children. What must her life have been like. I hear her story wanting to be told.

My own grandmother, Chiara Moro DellaVecchia, who was born in the United States and then went to Italy for 20 years before returning in 1938. What was the real reason the family returned to Italy. What must it of been like to come back. How had it changed.

We always here the stories of the men but what about the women. Their stories are just as important. Even though the records are sparse their stories need to be told. I so want to put together a profile of those families that speak to me.

I am not a writer and don’t profess to be one but I can feel the family before me asking me to tell their stories and now I need to figure a way to tell those stories and to share them. Our ancestors should not be forgotten and they should be more than the names and dates on a stone.

So today I am thankful for all of my family, past, present and future. Thank you for helping me be the person I am.

The quest to clear an AIR!

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What is an AIR? An air is this pesky thing in the DAR. It stands for Additional Information Requested and right now it is the bane of my existence and I am thinking a couple of research trips may be what I need to do.

Here is the situation. I am working on proving my lineage back to Benjamin Knowlton, who was a member of the Committee of Safety and Correspondence in New Ipswich, Hillsborough, New Hampshire. Benjamin was married to Phebe Wright.

Benjamin was born in 1728 in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts. He died somewhere in Oneida County, NY as he is buried in Sangerfield, NY.

Photos courtesy of Find A Grave.

My lineage goes through his daughter Sarah. Sarah was born in New Hampshire and I found a birth record for that. Sarah was married to Obadiah Coolidge in either Vermont or New Hampshire. (This is one of the things I am looking for.)

Sarah Knowlton and Obadiah Coolidge lived in Vermont and then settled in Jay, Essex County, New York. Essex County is my black hole for genealogy research. I lose several members of my family there.

Sarah Knowlton Coolidge died in 1832 in Essex County and is buried there. Her tombstone was erected by her son Benjamin Knowlton Coolidge.

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Photo Courtesy of Find A Grave.

My additional information request comes from the birth date on the tombstone does not correspond with the birth date in New Hampshire which I submitted as proof to the DAR.  So the requested I find the marriage record of Sarah Knowlton and Obadiah Coolidge or the will of Benjamin Knowlton naming Sarah as his daughter.

The Daughters of the American Revolution are sticklers for the documentation to prove the lineage. Benjamin Knowlton has several members under him but they all come through one child of his. He had several children who reached adulthood so this would open a new line to him. I am beginning to research sideways on this branch of the tree.

So I am thinking a research trip to Oneida County to see if I can find a will for Benjamin Knowlton or Phebe Knowlton may be necessary and then there is always a trip to Essex County, NY as there are almost no records on Family Search for them and there doesn’t seem to be many wills or deeds for the County anywhere before 1860 or so. I have 18 months to get my AIR resolved so if you have an idea or are researching these families, I would love to hear from you. Feel free to leave me a comment.

Have a great day.

Linking them all together

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So I have been working on my Grandma’s family. I have several patriots in my Grandpa’s line. I joined the DAR through his lines and all my supplemental patriots come through my grandpa. My Mom would love to have a supplemental patriot through her mom’s family.

Most of our Stewart lines are dead ends or we lose them in Canada. Since our families were early settlers of Northern New York records at times are hard to come by. I seriously need a boots on the ground trip to the Essex and Clinton County New York County Seats. ( Road trip once G retires anyone want to come.)

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Anyway we have one line through my Grandma’s Grandmother the Preston’s which seem to have several patriots but it is a matter of dotting all the i’s and crossing all of those t’s.

The past 2 days of the 30 x 30 challenge has been spent reading old published genealogies and town histories. You have to love Google Books and Internet Archive.

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I am trying to find all the documentation to prove our connection to Hannah Bartlett Kelly (a female patriot). In doing the research I am finding the Hannah Bartlett Kelly seems like a pistol. She loaned money to the town after her husband, Richard death.

Screen Shot 2018-11-06 at 5.40.39 PMActually I am trying to piece together their lives as they seem to have been well documented and Richard had personal papers that are quoted.

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I came across this gem about Judith and Joseph Sawyer (who I believe was a Selectman in New Hampshire, trying to make my way through town minutes is tedious). I am grateful to whoever documented Richard Kelly’s writings but would love to make my own way through the originals. I bet they would be full of wonderful nuggets. Hopefully I will stumble upon a collection with these writings in them.

I was able to also find Richard Kelly’s Will with his daughter Judith listed along with her spouse, a rarity in the 1700s.

I am finding 30 minutes goes very quickly but is super productive. Tomorrow I am going to work on the actual DAR supplemental application and see what actual proofs are needed. I would love to get this mailed before Thanksgiving.

 

 

Thank you 30 x 30 challenge…

/ Chiara / Leave a comment

So far the 30 x 30 challenge has been great for my research. It is forcing me to be deliberate in my research and not fall down many rabbit holes.

Progress report – Day 2 I focused on Neil Osborne, Bergetti’s husband and made a similar timeline for him but it did not reveal any additional clues, so I began a timeline for their only living child John and it is in progress as I wanted to also use the records I have in my library (marriage certificate and death certificates). I am also trying to watch a webinar on Norwegian research, as I am not sure where to go next on this line.

Saturday( Day 3) I took a slightly different approach and decided to focus on one of my own lines by cleaning up some of those annoying green leaves on my ancestry tree. I clicked one that I don’t generally click “Story”.

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What an absolute treat I found…

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It was a full sheet (I have to print things out). I work much better with actual paper and it was a bit of genealogy gold. It actually referenced books I could find on Internet Archive “The History of Warner, NH” for one and read. Mr. Joseph Sawyer was a selectman in 1776 which I believe makes him eligible to be a patriot for the Daughters of the American Revolution. Hello, new patriot (he isn’t listed in the Ancestor Database).

It also referenced Judith’s parents, Richard and Hannah Bartlett Kelly. Which lead me to my Day 4’s research  another book on Internet Archive Screen Shot 2018-11-04 at 8.19.32 AM

Which lists, the genealogy in great detail and it also references Judith’s Fathers papers which I am now on the hunt for as I like to have the actual references. Also it provides the direct proof I need to link to a proven female patriot, Hannah Kelly.

So now I just need to figure out how to print the pages I need from Internet Archive for reference.

So I must say I am enjoying this 30 x 30 challenge and it seems to be exactly what I needed to focus and my Mom will be happy as these will be patriots through my grandmother’s line.

 

Bergetti Netland Osborne (30 x 30 Day 1)

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Yesterday was day 1 of my 30 x 30 challenge and let’s just say it raised more questions.

I decided to start with my husband’s 2X Great-Grandmother, Bergetti Netland Osborne. Gerard’s Norwegian Great-Great Grandparents call me and when they are speaking you need to listen to those voices. You need to tell the story.

bergettinetlandtimeline

I went with the paper trail, I did have, from the first record, I found the 1892 NYS Census, (if only the 1890 US Census was available).

As you can see there is some conflicting information, from her age to the year, the immigration year. I did stumble upon some more records I will need to look at but have also learned I need to find some webinars on Norwegian Ancestry and naming patterns. I also need to go to Brooklyn and check out the will file I found mentioned on Ancestry. I also am curious as to what religion the Osborne’s were as they are buried in Canarsie Cemetery and their son is at Holy Cross Cemetery.

So questions raised, what year did Bergetti actually come to America in. Her son, John Osborne was born in 1884. Are Jens Olsen Netland and Birthe Oldsdatter really her parents? So thankful that her husband was the informant on her death certificate.

One thing that I found that corresponds with Gerard’s DNA results is the mention of Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway, that is one of the regions mentioned on his test.

Overall it was a productive day, 30 minutes is no time and I am off to create a timeline for Neils or Nels or Neil Osborne to see if it reveals anything different.

The timeline was indeed beneficial and there is something about putting it down with pen and paper that helps me.

If you have any tips on researching Norwegian Ancestors, I would love to hear them as this is new territory for me.

Day 1 of the 30 x 30 challenge

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Today starts the day of my 30 x 30 genealogy challenge of researching 30 minutes a day for 30 days. This concept belongs to Jane Adams of Organize Your Family History.

For my 30 x 30 challenge to be successful, I had to come up with some goals and ideas of lines I wanted to research.

Here are a couple of my goals:

  • submit my application to the Daughters of Union Veterans.
  • submit my application to National Society Daughters of the Union.
  • gather the proof for my Associated Daughters of Early American Witches
  • Work on my additional information required request for a supplemental patriot.

Some of my research questions I would like to answer:

  1. When and where did Benjamin Nurse (father of Elizabeth Nurse who was married to Joseph Da(r)by) die?
  2. When did Neils Osborne arrive in the United States? Where in Norway was he from?
  3. When did the wife of Neils Osborne, Bergetti Netland arrive in the United States? Where in Norway was she from?
  4. When and where did Sarah Knowlton marry Obadiah Coolidge?
  5. Where might I find the will for Benjamin Knowlton who died in 1808 be?

So there is just the tip of the iceberg. It ought to be an interesting month. Working on lineage applications gives me a tangible goal and I feel like I should know how to fill out each one out there.

I am going to try to report in on progress as I make some. These are all pressing questions and involve different lines for me and they may even involve me taking this tree sideways in some points.

Here is to a profitable November in finding information.