#52Ancestors Week 17: William Chase

Once again I'm too late making my entry to get into this week's 52 Ancestors: Weekly Recap.  But since I don't want to lose my momentum, I'd better write something, right?

When I wrote about Barnabas Chase, my missing link to my previously unknown Massachusetts ancestors, I embedded a book that recorded many of his ancestors in America. I want to talk about William Chase, whose descendants are recorded in that book.  I've recently received information that takes his ancestry back a few generations.  His line is the longest in my family tree; he was my 10th g-grandfather!

William and his family came to America with John Winthrop in 1630, making me and his other descendants eligible for  membership in the Winthrop Society.  I have never tried applying for any of the hereditary societies that I might be entitled to join, so I don't know what kind of documentation might be required.  For more information see their website.

Something I find interesting about William Chase is that he was a signer of the Freeman's Oath.  The book embedded below defines those men as:

FREEMEN OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY

A Freeman of this colony was a member of the body politic and as such entitled to exercise the right of suffrage and to hold office.

As early as 1631, in order to become a freeman, it was required that the applicant produce evidence that he was a member of the Congregational church. But this regulation was modified in 1664. Freemen were admitted by the General Court of the colony.

The Winthrop Society page lists the original signers HERE with this description:

Redacted and introduced by Marcia Stewart,
Chairperson of The Winthrop Society

A primary goal of The Winthrop Society is to determine the identities of the first settlers of Massachusetts Bay Commonwealth. There are no firmer grounds for establishing an early settler among the founders of the Commonwealth than the lists of the first Freemen --- those who applied for that estate in Boston in October, 1630, and those so sworn thereafter.  The Freemen were the only colonists who were franchised to vote, and the franchise was not offered to all. One generally had to be a mature male church-member, and must have experienced a transforming spiritual experience by God's grace, as attested by himself and confirmed by church leaders. Therefore, the list of names below represents just a small percentage of the population. And apparently, a number of qualifying church-members would not take the oath because they had problems with the wording. An oath in those times was taken very seriously, as though it were a promise made directly to the Almighty with ones soul forfeit in the breach. Numerous persons who are on church and court records of 1630-1632 did not take the oath until 1634, when the oath was shortened and modified to replace the persons of the Governor etc. to whom obedience was due with the impersonal "common weale." Others, such as those who later became Quakers, objected strongly to oaths in general. One can understand all their reservations when one reads this "mother of all American loyalty oaths," below.


The Oath of a Freeman, or of a Man to be made free.


I, A B, etc., being, by the Almighty's most wise disposition, become a member of this body, consisting of the Governor, Deputy Governor, Assistants and a commonalty of the Massachusetts in New England, do freely and sincerely acknowledge that I am justly and lawfully subject to the government of the same, and do accordingly submit my person and estate to be protected, ordered, and governed by the laws and constitutions thereof, and do faithfully promise to be from time to time obedient and conformable thereunto, and to the authority of the said Governor and Assistants and their successors, and to all such laws, orders, sentences, and decrees as shall be lawfully made and published by them or their successors; and I will always endeavor (as in duty I am bound) to advance the peace and welfare of this body or commonwealth to my utmost skill and ability; and I will, to my best power and means, seek to divert and prevent whatsoever may tend to the ruin or damage thereof, or of any the said Governor, Deputy Governor, or Assistants, or any of them or their successors, and will give speedy notice to them, or some of them, of any sedition, violence, treachery, or other hurt or evil which I shall know, hear, or vehemently suspect to be plotted or intended against the said commonwealth, or the said government established; and I will not at any time suffer or give consent to any counsel or attempt that shall be done, given, or attempted for the impeachment of the said government, or making any change alteration of the same,contrary to the laws and ordinances thereof, but shall do my utmost endeavor to discover, oppose, and hinder all and every such counsel and attempt.  So help me God.

#52Ancestors Week 16: Mary Frances (McConnell) Fife

Better get my submission for week 16 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks done in time; don't want to miss the deadline for the weekly recap again!

I've written about my 2nd g-grandma, Mary Frances (McConnell) Fife before, way back in 2009 for a Tombstone Tuesday entry, HERE.  I hope you'll visit that page to learn for more about Mary Fife's life.  Her husband died young in a violent accident, so I can't help thinking of her life as tragic.  

You may know that Ancestry.com and the state of Pennsylvania have recently made the images of Pennsylvania Death Certificates for the years 1906 to 1924 available to Ancestry members at 

Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1924

This past weekend, I went crazy looking for the records of relatives who died during that time.  One that I found, for the first time, was the one for Mary F. Fife.

Click HERE to view

I already knew her full date of birth and death, I've visited her grave at Bethel Cemetery many times, and I know enough to realize that her mother's maiden name was actually Ann Jane Morrow, not "Mary McConnell" as it's listed on the form.  What I didn't know was that she lived with her daughter, Kate McGinnis, in Wilkinsburg, PA, at the time of her death.  And I discovered that she died of breast cancer.  That actually scared me a little.  I know how important it is to know my family's medical history and I was concerned enough to search for information about how concerned I should be about the fact that my great-great-grandmother died of that illness.  I quick Google search for making a medical family history.  Not one page I looked at mentioned collecting information further back than my grandparents.  I suppose that means that I don't have to be overly concerned about Mary Fife's cause of death.  

But I found an interesting website that has inspired me to collect more of the information that I should have for my own medical history at My Family Health Portrait.  It's probably not the only site like that, but I think it will work well for me.  Check it out!  

#52Ancestors Week 15: Where was Mary Elizabeth (Wolfe) McDaid really born?

For week 15 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, I want to touch on the mystery of where my 2nd great-grandmother, Mary Elizabeth (Wolfe) McDaid was born in 1837.  While I am fairly certain that I know now, when I was first researching my family history, she confused me!

I first found her in the 1880 Census for West Finley Twp of Washington County, PA.  She was called Elizabeth and it listed her place of birth as Pennsylvania.  That seemed logical, most of my father's side of the family had been born in PA and lived there all their lives.  I went back ten years to 1870 and found the McDaid family in the same place, but at that time, they listed her birthplace as Ohio and she was called Mary E. McDaid.  So, my first thought was that my g-g-grandfather Samuel McDaid had been married twice.  Once again, I went back ten years to 1860 and found Samuel and "Elizabeth" McDaid.  Her place of birth was once again Ohio.  This led me to believe it was the same woman in all three of those census records and that whoever provided information to the enumerator in 1880 didn't know where she was born. 

Because my grandma had filled out my dad's side of the family in the family tree chart in my mom's Bible, I knew that Mary Elizabeth McDaid's maiden name had been Wolfe, so it was relatively easy to find 13 year old "Elizabeth Woolf" in the 1850 Census when she had lived with her parents Luther and Nancy in Morris Twp, Greene County, PA.  Imagine my surprise when her birthplace was once again listed as "PA." With the 1890 Census unavailable, I next searched for her in the 1900 Census and found "Mary E. McDaid", a widow, living in West Finley with her daughter, Margaret Sprowls and Baby Sprowls.  Again, her birthplace was listed as Pennsylvania, and I found the same thing in 1910.  By then, I was beginning to think that the two census records that said she was born in Ohio were anomalies of some kind.  

About that time, I got in touch with my 3rd cousin, Marilyn (McDaid) Varilone, who was also a 2nd g-granddaughter of Samuel and Mary Elizabeth McDaid.  She shared her family tree with me.  I was surprised to see that she had g-g-grandma's place of birth listed as Mount Vernon, NY!  I had never seen any evidence that these people had been in New York, but I wondered if Mount Vernon might be a clue.  There is a Mount Vernon in Knox County, Ohio.  A search of records for that county indicated that there were people named Wolfe living there and that it seemed possible that a man named Daniel Wolfe of that county was the brother of Mary's father, Luther.  Perhaps Mary Elizabeth Wolfe's parents lived for a short time in the same area?

While I have not found a primary source for Mary Elizabeth (Wolfe) McDaid's birth, in the early 2000s, I was researching Delayed Birth Certificates for my family members on microfilm at the Family History Library when I came across one for Margaret McDaid Sprowls who was the daughter of Samuel and Mary and the sister of my great-grandmother, May (McDaid) Atkinson.  One of the pieces of information required on the form was her mother's place of birth.  On it, Margaret had entered "Mount Vernon, Ohio."  And while I realize that Margaret Sprowls could have been mistaken about where her mother was born, until I have further information, I'm going to take her at her word!

Mary Elizabeth McDaid and her husband were buried with many of their family members in West Finley Cemetery.  Take a moment to visit her memorial on Find a Grave by clicking on the photo on the left!

#52Ancestors Week 14: May (McDaid) Atkinson

Time to fill you in on another of my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  Can you believe this is the 14th week of 2014 already? 

Until 2008, I had no idea what my paternal great-grandma Atkinson looked like.  Luckily, I have a nice cousin who scanned the photos his mom has of her and he emailed them to me! She was obviously very young in this picture.  Her full name was Lilly May (McDaid) Atkinson, but she seemed to have always gone by May.  Even her gravestone is engraved "May L. Atkinson."

She was the daughter of Samuel and Mary E. (Wolfe) McDaid.  She was 28 years old when she married in 1898 and her husband, George Atkinson was 11 years older than she was.  Her first two children, my Pappap, Charles and his sister, Esther, were born early in their marriage, and then she had one more son in 1915 who was named George McDaid Atkinson. 

For a long time, I wasn't especially interested in May Atkinson.  According to what my Mom--who never met her--had heard, she was the mother-in-law from Hell and was the cause of some rocky times in my grandparents' marriage.  I don't remember Pappap ever talking about his mother, but Grandma told me once that May didn't want them to get married...in fact, according to Grandma, Pappap's mother already had someone else picked out for him to marry.  So I imagine it was a blow to her when they got their way and were married in 1926.  But I heard this story long before I was interested in my family history.  It's funny how things you learn about a person you never knew can taint your opinion of that person.  Wouldn't it be interesting to know May's side of that story?

This photograph must have been taken sometime before 1920...May Atkinson with son George, husband George, son Charles, daughter Esther, and an unknown girl.

 

#52Ancestors Week 13: William Steffel Tolbert

I've written about my great-grandfather, William Steffel Tolbert a couple times in the past, but I suppose it's likely that I will repeat myself a few times if I'm going to keep this challenge going.  I hope you'll check out those previous entries HERE and HERE.

William Tolbert was my mother's grandfather.  He was born in Carroll County, VA, on and died in Fayette County, WV, on July 12, 1939. My mom lived with him and his second wife when she was a little girl on his land near Pax, WV. He's buried there in a tiny cemetery that once held only him and his wife, Anna (Larwood) Tolbert.

When I went there many years ago with my mom, we couldn't find the place, but with the help of someone who was originally from that area, I have been able to visit the graveyard a few times.   My mom went with me once and pointed out the foundation of their old house, now overgrown with weeds.  She lived there until she was five or six years old.  The house had no electricity or running water and she remembered traveling to town in a horse-drawn wagon because they didn't own a car.  It's so hard to imagine isn't it?  That wasn't that long ago.

View Larger Map

I'm very lucky to have lots of relatives who lived in West Virginia.  Did you know that they have most of their birth, death and marriage records online?  Their website is a wonderful resource!  Back when I first received William's death certificate, I actually visited the WV Archive in person and had them print me out a copy. Now I can look at it and share it to the right.  I ♥ the Internet!

#52Ancestors Week 11: Christopher Wolfe

It's Week 11!

This week I'm writing about my 4th great-grandfather, Christopher Wolfe.  He was probably born in Morris County, NJ in about 1767 and moved to southwest Pennsylvania in about 1800.  I haven't researched his ancestry myself, but when planning this blog entry, I remembered an email that was sent to me way back in the year 2000 that mentioned that his father was probably George WOLF (b.10 Aug 1737 d.16 Sep 1789) whose father was Johaan Augustus WOLF (b.Abt 1712 d.Aft 1759).  More info is available at: Wolf family of NJ which was copied directly from the email I was sent.  I'm not sure what all the abbreviations for the locations meant, but if you have questions, I'd be happy to make a guess. 

Christopher Wolfe died sometime in  April 1847 and he was buried in the Upper Ten Mile Presbyterian Church Cemetery.  Luckily, his gravestone had been transcribed at sometime in the past because, as you can see, his marker is disintegrating.  One cemetery transcription can be found at: Upper Ten Mile Cemetery Prosperity, Washington County, Pennsylvania.  Clicking on the photo to the left will take you to his memorial on FindaGrave.com.  You may also notice the military flag next to his grave.  I have seen information that Christopher Wolfe fought in the American Revolution.  He would have been about 16 years old when it ended in 1783 and I have not researched whether that might be likely or not.  I have searched the DAR records and they do not list any men named Christopher Wolfe in their database.

Christopher Wolfe was married twice.  His first wife was a woman named Phebe whose last name is unknown to me, although I have seen her listed in some trees on the Internet as Phoebe Douglas.  She was my ancestor, the mother of my 3rd great grandfather, Luther Wolfe.  After she died in 1813, Christopher married again, this time to a woman named Elizabeth Smith.  It seems to have been a rocky marriage, at least at the beginning.  My evidence for that is the following notice which I found transcribed on page 47, in Abstracts of the Washington Reporter; January 1, 1817 to February 6, 1820. 

From the Washington Reporter, Monday, Sept 22, 1817

Caution.  The subscriber is under the painful necessity of cautioning the public against trusting his wife Elizabeth Wolfe, late Elizabeth Smith, of Morris Township.  She had previous to this time absented herself and threatened to involve me in debt and to get as much on my credit as possible, whether she stood in need of it or not.  Notwithstanding her improper conduct I looked over it and restored her to my house and protection - but now finding that nothing else will do, I am compelled to publish to the world that I shall refuse to pay any debts she may contract in future unless compelled by law, especially while she continues in her present unlawful and unbecoming course. /s/ Christopher Wolfe, Morris township.

As far as I know, Christopher and Elizabeth Wolfe were together until he died.  In his will, he mentioned her with the sentence:  

I will that my wife Elisabeth have a comfortable support at the Expense of my Estate as long as she remains my widow with liberty of remaining in the house where I now live.

#52Ancestors Week 10: Charles Edgar Fife

I've made it to week 10 of the 52 ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge!

Charles Edgar Fife with his daughter, Rowene, my grandma.

I never met any of my great-grandparents.  Charles Edgar Fife was my grandma's father.  I wish I had taken the time to find out more about all of the family members of my grandparents and if you're lucky enough to be able to ask your grandparents questions about their families, I hope you will take the opportunity to do that!  

Charles was born in 1874.  His father, John Calvin Fife, died in a horrible accident while helping to build a bridge in 1879.  I wonder if he remembered his father at all?  His mother, Mary (McConnell) Fife never remarried, essentially raising four children as a single mother.  How did that affect Charles Fife as he was growing up?  The Fife family was relatively prominent in Upper St. Clair PA where he was born, but the fact that his mother was advertising a sale of household items in the paper on the same day that her husband's obituary appeared in the paper makes me think that there probably wasn't much money. 

Charles E. Fife seemed to work at many jobs in his life.  In the 1910 Census, he was listed as working for a gas company; in 1920, he was listed as working for a tin plate mill.  His obituary, in 1941, said he was a machinist at the Carnegie-Illinois Company.  He owned a house on Smithfield St in Canonsburg, PA, and last I knew, that house still belongs to my Dad's cousin. 

He can be seen in this photo; I believe he's the person 4th from the left.

Written on the back of this photo is:

• Mr & Mrs WH Dunlap
• Mr & Mrs CE Fife
• Mr & Mrs John Schaufele
• Mrs. F. L. Bell (Callie) & Rowene Fife
• Canonsburg Water Dam 1920 

Please take time to visit his Find a Grave Memorial

#52Ancestors Week 9: My Pappap, Charles William Atkinson!

I think it's hardest for me to write about the people I knew and loved.  For week 9 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, I'm going to try to tell you about my grandfather, Charles William Atkinson.  I'm a bit surprised to realize that I haven't written about him before.  I hope I can do him justice, and if I get anything wrong, I hope my family members will correct me!

This pattern is called "Moss Rose"

Grandpap worked at the Canonsburg Pottery. Most in our family are still interested in where our dishes  are made.  My sister says that you can tell an Atkinson because we always turn our plates over to see if there's a pottery mark!  I bought an almost complete set of china made at Canonsburg Pottery several years ago on eBay and while our place is too small for a full china hutch, you can see how I display a few pieces to the right.  A while back, the Jefferson College Historical Society posted a wonderful history of the pottery on their website which disappeared several years ago.  I saved a copy of the entire article along with the photos they posted and while writing this entry, I was inspired to ask for permission to repost that story.  I'll let you know if I hear back from them!

Pappap always seemed so dignified to me. The photo to the left is how I remember him most of the time, but he couldn't have always been so serious.  To the right is a wonderful picture of him with his brother George McDaid Atkinson who was 15 years younger than he was.  Grandpap was the son of Andrew and May (McDaid) Atkinson. He also had a sister named Esther Lillian Atkinson.  He grew up in West Finley Twp, a rural area near the West Virginia state line in Washington County, PA.  

Another more light-hearted photo of him
is this one with my dad, Jim Atkinson

Pappap loved roses and his backyard was full of the rosebushes he grew.  That's why this is my all-time favorite photograph of him.  That's me in his arms in the summer of 1959!  My mom always said I was Pappap's girl from my earliest days!

A short biography and more photographs can be seen on his Find a Grave Memorial.  He left us suddenly in the summer of 1987.  My dad and my brother were on vacation at the time and they were staying at his house.  One morning, Dad went up to check on him because he was usually an early riser.  He found Pappap lying on the edge of his bed, dressed for the day as if he had sat down to put his shoes on and had just fallen back dead.  I hope I can go like that someday. 

#52Ancestors Week 8: Who was Polly Tolbert?

Last week I mentioned that I've been lazy, and this week will not change that!

Be sure to check out the recaps of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge HERE!

I'm sure we all have ancestors who we know so little about that they are only a list of dates to us.  Mary (Polly) Tolbert is one of mine. She was my 3rd great-grandma, she never married, and she was the mother of four daughters including my great-great-grandmother, Ellender Tolbert.  She was a daughter of Allen and Eleanor (Sutphin) Tolbert.

I have so many questions!

Who was the father of her children?  I don't judge, but I find it very inconvenient that she didn't make sure that future generations would be able to figure this out!  Is it a clue that Ellie Tolbert was called "Eleanor Helm" in the 1850 census?

I would be interested in knowing what the life of an unwed mother in the mountains of Virginia was like during her lifetime.  Was she looked down on?  Did her family help support her?  Did she get any help from her children's father(s)?  A cousin once told me that she believed there were so many unwed mothers in our families after the Civil War because there were so many men killed in the war that there weren't enough men to marry them all.  However, all of Polly's children were born before the war, so that couldn't have had an effect on her.

I don't know where she was buried.  The date for her death came to me from another researcher, but I have no confirmation of it's accuracy except for the fact that I trust the person who told me!

I have one tiny piece of personal information about her.  The following tidbit was taken from an email on a list I'm a member of concerning an estate sale for a man named Elijah Turman in December of 1868:

Polly Tolbert was shopping that day too. She bought 1 oven for .80, 1 sill baker for 1.50, 1 large oven for 1.60, 1 large wheel for .15 and a flax wheel for 15. 1 sifter for .75.

She's one of those people in my family history that I wish I could sit down and have a conversation with.  She left so little behind, yet I know that if she hadn't lived, then neither would I!

#52Ancestors Week 7: James P. Skiles

I've made it to the 7th week of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  I've come to realize that I tend to be a lazy blogger and that's something I have to improve on.  I've been avoiding writing about some of my more complicated ancestors because I don't have the documents and other information I need close at hand and since I want to do a thorough job, I'm saving them for a date in the future.  Unfortunately, this means that you all are only getting to read about the ancestors who I know the least about.  Several years ago, I bought a version of Adobe Acrobat with the intention of scanning and organizing all my photocopies and written notes into PDF documents.  Writing about my ancestors makes it painfully obvious to me that I need to quit putting off that project! I have papers everywhere that need to be organized!

And in the meantime, I'm sharing another lazy blog post on my 3rd g-grandfather, James P. Skiles. James was born about 1815, and he lived his whole life in Pennsylvania, probably in Peters Twp of Washington County where he was found in the census throughout his adult life.  Who were his parents, though?  I keep hoping to be able to connect him to Gideon Skiles and to Gideon's son and grandson, both named Samuel, who seem to be the Skiles family members living closest to James.  Gideon and his descendants are buried at Oak Spring Cemetery in Canonsburg, PA, and there was a short article in the Beers Project at the Chartiers.com website mentioning their Skiles family which has been transcribed HERE!

James P. Skiles was a wagonmaker and a blacksmith.  His wife's maiden name was Martha Hair (or perhaps it was spelled Hare).  He was my grandmother's great-grandfather.  He and his family were Presbyterians, and he was buried in the cemetery for Center Presbyterian Church in Peters Twp, and you can click on the photo of his gravestone to look at his Find a Grave memorial. 

James P. Skiles also left a will.  Below is what it said.  I find it interesting that he thought family photographs were important enough to mention specifically and I think that we have that in common!  I'd also be interested in knowing what happened to the pictures of his daughters Mary Anne and Rachel.

Will of James P. Skiles

(Willbook 14, FHL US/CAN Film 1318308)

I James P. Skiles of Thompsonville in the County of Washington and State of Pennsylvania, do _____ and declare my last will and testament to be as follows, viz:  I bequeath to my wife Martha all my household goods, out of which she is to give to my son Ebenezer our bedstead, one featherbed and bedding therefor.

I bequeath to my daughter Rebecca the picture now in her possession of my deceased daughter Mary Anne.

I bequeath to my daughter Martha the picture of my deceased daughter Rachel now in the possession of Wm J. Wallace.

I will that my executor sell and convey in such manner and upon such terms as to him shall seem best, all my real estate and that the proceeds thereof, and of my personal property not specifically bequeathed be applied first in payment of my debts and funeral expenses, and that the residue after payment thereof be invested by him during the life of my wife in National State or Municipal bonds, or on first mortgage or real estate that the net income therefrom be paid to her for and during her life and that at her death the principal be divided among my children then living, or hereunto born of my children who are or shall be dead, Such children to take together such share as their parent would have taken if living.  In case my wife shall elect to claim to have any part of my of my estate set apart to her by virtue of any statute allowing an exemption in her favor she shall take nothing under this will.

In case any legatee under this will shall present any claim against my estate, he or she so claiming shall receive nothing under my will but shall be excluded and not counted in the distribution.

I do hereby appoint Wm. J. Wallace to be my executor of this my last will and testament.

James P. Skiles {L.S.}

Signed sealed and declared in the presence of us in in the presence of each other and at his request this twenty fourth day of July one thousand eight and eighty-three.

George Guinn
H. D. Gilkison

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Washington County S.S.

Be it remembered.  That upon this 5th day of February 1885 before me John F. Cooper, Register for the Probate of Wills and granting Letters of Administration within and for said county came Geo. Guinn and H. D. Gilkeson the subscribing witnesses to the foregoing attached will of James P. Skiles deceased who after being duly qualified according to law depose and say :  That they were present at the execution of said will saw the testator sign the same, heard him publish it as and for his last will and testament; that they at his request, in his presence and in the presence of each other subscribed their names thereto as witnesses.

Sworn and subscribed before
John F. Cooper
Register

George Guinn
H. D. Gilkeson

And now Feb 5, 1885;  It being adjudged that the said will has been duly proved;  it is admitted to probate and letters issued to Wm J. Wallace in said testament named who was qualified by

John F. Cooper
Register

#52Ancestors Week 6: Barnabas Chase

In 2001, I received an email from a distant cousin who mentioned that our common ancestor, my 3rd g-grandmother, Nancy Jane Wolfe's maiden name had been Chase. The information she shared came from a letter that had been passed down in her family!  I was excited because before then I had no clue as to Nancy's origins.  I searched the census for West Finley, Washington County, Pennsylvania, and decided the most likely person to be Nancy's father would be Barnabas Chase who I found in both the 1850 and 1860 census.  Nancy probably married before 1832, so the census did not help me connect her to Barnabas, though.  But I continued to search for information about Barnabas.  According to the census, he was born in Massachusetts, so during a weekend when the New England Historic Genealogical Society was allowing free access to their online databases, I was able to connect that Barnabas Chase to the family of William Chase who came to America in 1630 with John Winthrop. The book embedded below shows some of William Chase's descendants.

I also found a page in an online document database for Washington County, PA, that mentioned that  Barnabas Chase had been married to Elizabeth Carroll in 1802.  I had no indication that Nancy Jane Wolfe had been his daughter, however, until I was able to visit the Family History Library in March of 2002. I was able to view the will of Barnabas Chase on microfilm, which contained this line: 

"my daught Nancy Wolff has got hir hundred"

I made an excited sound right there in the quiet library and then looked around embarrassedly at the people close by who only smiled.  I guess they understood that feeling!

The entire will reads:

Will #344,
Willbook #9, page 503
Washington County, PA

Will of Barnabas Chase

I Barnabas Chase of West Finley Township Washington County do make this my last will and testament first I commit my soule to God how give it and my body to the earth from whence it came--- 2 that my executors pay all my just debts, 3d I will my son James Chase the farm where he now lives forever, and I will my son Joseph Chase Eighty Acres of the home farm of the South west side  Going McNays so to run a parlel line so it will be an equal breuth from Southerland heirs clene thrugh land I will my son John Chase the balance of the home farm and I will my son Simen C. Chase five hundred dollars, and I will my daughter Ruth one hundred dollars-- and I will my daughter Jane Bromer One hundred dollars and my daught Nancy Wolff has got hir hundred -- and I will to my two granddaughters  Mary E. McKeag and Suny E. McKeag three hundred dollars each and will the household and kitchen furnerture and the balance of my parsonly property and money is to be equally devided ammonnge my sons and daughters and I constute and appoint my son John Chase and John Burnes my executors to settle my estate in testimony thereof I set my hand and seal this 30 day of July 1866.

Barnabas Chase (seal)
test
Wm Jordan
Millin M. Sutherland

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Washington County SS

Be it remembered that on this 1st day of June before me I. Y. Hamilton Register for the Probate of Wills and granting Letters of Adminstration within and for the said County came Wm Jordon & Wm M. Sutherland the subscribing witnesses to the foregoing attached will of Barnabas Chase deceased who after being duly qualified according to law, depose and say; that they were present at the execution of said will, saw the testator sign the same -- heard him publish that they at his request, in his presence & in the presence of each other subscribed their names thereto as witnesses and at the time of doing so the said testator was of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge observation and belief.

Sworn and subscribed before I. Y. Hamilton Regr.

Wm Jordan
W. M. Sutherland

And now June 1 1870 it being adjudged that the said will has been duly proven and John Burns one of the executors being deceased & the other executor John Chase having renounced his right to the same, Letters are issued to J. W. Hancher by agreement who was duly sworn by

I. Y. Hamilton  Regr.

In the years since then, I have not found the burial place of Barnabas and Elizabeth Chase.  Perhaps his grave was never marked or maybe the stone is no longer legible, but I have not given up hope!  I never imagined before that time that my family had any connection to New England, much less to a family who was here in America so early! 

#52Ancestors Week 5: Charles McConnell

I've made it to week 5 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.  Be sure to take a look at what other people are writing.  You can see the list of recaps HERE! 

This week, I've chosen Charles McConnell, my 3rd great-grandfather and, as far as I know, my most recent immigrant ancestor.  According to the information on his gravestone, he was born in County Donegal Ireland in 1800, he came to America in 1820, and he died on Christmas Day in 1871.  

I first found him in the census for Upper St Clair, Pennsylvania, for 1850 as a single man living in the household of John Morrow.  By 1860, Charles was married to John Morrow's daughter, Ann Jane and they had two daughters, Mary F. (my g-g-grandmother, Mary Frances) and Sarah C.  John Morrow also lived with the family as well as three other people whose connection to the family I have not yet determined.  Their names were George McConnell (whose name I originally recorded as Gerry because the census taker's handwriting was difficult to read), Anna McConnell, and Samuel Corti (or perhaps "Corle" which was how his name has been transcribed on Ancestry.com).  They were all born in Ireland.  At first I theorized that George and Anna were possibly children from a previous marriage of Charles.  Once I discovered that Charles McConnell immigrated in 1820, that seemed unlikely, so perhaps they were his cousins or his niece and nephew.  

Charles and Ann Jane McConnell are buried at Fawcett Methodist Church Cemetery in Bridgeville, PA.  A George McConnell is buried in the same small graveyard.  I found this interesting because my research indicated that most of my family on my dad's side were Presbyterians.  My grandma, her parents and siblings were all associated with the First Methodist Church in Canonsburg, PA, and my grandfather joined that church after he married Grandma.  Charles and Ann Jane were my grandmother's great-grandparents.  This could explain why my father grew up belonging to the Methodist church.

#52Ancestors Week 4: Lydia (Lafferty) Skiles

I'm very grateful to Amy Johnson Crow who challenged everyone to write about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  She has really given me a reason to push myself to write at least one blog entry every week this year!  I can see myself accomplishing this goal and I encourage anyone reading this to play along!  I'm also going to make an effort to read other people's blogs and make comments.  It's important to give and receive feedback.

Lydia Lafftery Skiles is a real mystery to me.  I'm not sure when she was born, and I have no idea who her parents were.  My dad once told me that he had always heard she was an orphan.  She was one of his maternal great-grandmothers.

The earliest record I've found for her was the 1860 Census.  She was living with Joseph and Jane (Gilkeson) Denniston in Peters Twp of Washington County, Pennsylvania, and they claimed that she was 12 years old at that time.  When she was listed in the 1870 Census, she was living alone with Jane Denniston and her age was given as 26 years old.  By 1880, she was married to James H. Skiles.  They lived in North Strabane, PA, she was 29 years old, and she and James were already the parents of three children.  Obviously, there was some confusion about exactly how old she was.  

I have searched, page by page, through the Orphan Court Records for both Washington and Allegheny Counties of Pennsylvania that are available on microfilm at the Family History Library for any hint I could find about her birth family with no luck.  I have so many questions.  Were the Dennistons related to her, or did she merely work for them as a domestic servant as the 1870 census indicated? 

In 1904, Lydia Skiles died from lung problems.  Her obituary appeared on the front page of the Canonsburg (PA) Herald on July 28, 1904.  It says she was "in the 55th year of her age" which seems to indicate that she was born around 1849.  This is what it said:

Lydia L.  Skiles -- On Monday night, July 25, at her home on East Pike Street, Mrs. Lydia L.  Skiles died of lung trouble in the 55th year of her age.

She is survived by her husband, Jas.  H.  Skiles and the following children: Mrs. C.  Fife, Mrs. H. Bowers, Alice and Maude.  The funeral services were held in the First M.  E.  Church on Wednesday at 1 p.m.  Interment was in the Center Presbyterian Cemetery.

Lydia was buried at Center Church Cemetery in Peters Twp.  There are no markers there for her or her husband, James, but I have assumed that they were buried in an empty space near James H. Skiles' parents, James P. and Martha (Hair/Hare) Skiles.  Joseph and Jane Denniston are also buried in the same cemetery.

A cousin once told me that Lydia and James used to have markers on their graves but that my great uncle claimed that he visited the cemetery once many years ago and found the stones in a rubbish pile and because he didn't speak up, they were lost.  That's a little difficult to believe.  Uncle Selwyn was known for his jokes and tall tales. 

Click on the photo to view Lydia Skiles' memorial on Find a Grave.

#52Ancestors Week 3: Sarah (Combs) Webb

Once again, thanks to Amy Johnson Crow for her great idea to write about 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks! 

This week I wanted to share the story of my maternal great-great-grandma, Sarah Ann (Combs) Webb.  I wish I had more than a basic outline of her details because I feel certain that her life was very difficult.  It would have been interesting to hear her describe it in her own words.

Born about 1840 in southwestern Virginia, "Sally's" parents were Newell and Frances (Beamer) Combs.  On July 20, 1855, she married John J. Webb in Carroll County, VA.  She gave birth to four children while he was alive.  After the South seceded from the Union in 1860, John Webb joined Co. I of the 13th Virginia Infantry, fighting for the Confederacy.  At first I assumed that John Webb was my ancestor and that he had fathered my great-grandmother, Rhoda (Webb) Tolbert, after he had returned from the war.  However, I was disappointed to learn that John Webb was taken prisoner and died of typhoid at the Federal Prison Camp at Camp Chase near Columbus, Ohio on May 2, 1865.  Since Rhoda Webb was born in October of 1866, it seems unlikely that John J. Webb was her father.

Sarah Webb bore 9 children after her husband died, but she never remarried.  A distant cousin, Freddie Spradlin, mentioned in an email that when he looked at the original birth records for her children at the court house in Carroll County, VA, he found notes from a person he called a "helpful" clerk (quotes added by Freddie) noting that her husband had died in the Civil War. 

I haven't been able to locate burial places for most of my ancestors on my mother's side of the family and I have assumed that their graves were unmarked.  I was very excited to find Sarah listed on Find a Grave HERE. Her memorial had been created by a volunteer who was able to visit  Cruise Cemetery in Carroll County where Sarah is buried. In October of 2013, I was able to visit her grave myself and took many photos, including the one I've posted here.  It seems likely that this marker was placed long after she died.  I find it interesting that only the first three of her children are mentioned on the stone, although another of her children, Fair Lillian (Webb) Nester is buried nearby. There is also no date of death engraved.  I have been unable to determine exactly when Sarah Webb died.  She was still living when the 1900 Census was taken, but she was not enumerated in the census for 1910.  She probably passed away sometime between those years, but since many of my ancestors seem to have hidden from the census taker, I'm not assuming that is true.

#52Ancestors Week 2: James Curtis Atkinson

For more info about this challenge, see:  52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks!

For week 2, I'm writing about James Curtis Atkinson, my great-great grandfather.  He was the grandfather of MY grandfather, Charles W. Atkinson.

 

I think of James Curtis as an anomaly because he was born in the panhandle of West Virginia.  He went west into Delaware County Ohio as a child with his parents, George and Susannah (Faris) Atkinson, but later, after he had married and had a few children, he and his wife, Sarah Jane (Kimmins) Atkinson, moved EAST, to Washington County, Pennsylvania.  My Atkinson family has been in Washington County from then on -- I still have cousins from that line who live in the Canonsburg area. 

#52Ancestors Week 1: Johnston Adams

My first entry for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a simple one.  

My 4th great-grandfather, Johnston Adams was a brickwall for my distant cousin, Johanna Myatt who passed away a few years ago, and has been one for me, too.  The following is the text from an email sent to the Allegheny County, PA Rootsweb list  that was my first contact with Johanna in 1997.  

I would like to identify Johnston's parents and his wife Jane's family. I have not been able to place Johnston into the family of Dr. Samuel Adams who lived in St. Clair in the late 1700s early 1800s and then migrated to Beaver Falls. Through an agreement ("as compensation and not a bequeath") for the care of Thomas and Mary (FIFE) PATTERSON (a childless couple) dated 1837 Johnston acquires the land of Thomas and Mary PATTERSON after their death. The transfer of this land was disputed in court in 1866. The records indicate that in 1837 Johnston was residing on the land conveyed to him for about 7 years and he had done many acts of kindness. He abided by the contract and moved into the Patterson's house to give care until the time of Thomas's death in 1837 and did maintain the widow Mary until 1838 when she left the house and went to live with "another relative." The language of "as compensation and not a bequeath" and Mary moving in with "another relative" makes me suspect a connection between Johnston and/or his wife to the Pattersons or Fifes but I can't find it. There was also a dispute over the validity of Thomas Patterson's will in 1853 by heirs at law, William PATTERSON and John ----bower and his wife Sarah Jane Patterson. I have the 1820-1860 censuses, tax lists, all the real estate transactions on the parcel of property, and the orphan court records. Johnston's will stated to sell his property at public auction and divide between the children of Mary Fife, the children of Thomas P. Adams, and the children of Sarah Hultz. The executors were James W ROFF and John B. STILLEY. Witnesses: A. M. MORGAN and W. M. STILLEY

It would be wonderful to have the answers to these questions someday.  Mary Fife, wife of Thomas Patterson mentioned above, was a distant cousin of mine, and Johnston's daughter, Mary (Adams) Fife was my 3rd g-grandmother. 

Since that time, I have visited his grave at Bethel Cemetery, but he remains mostly a mystery to me still!

A Goal to Aim For: 52 Ancestors--52 Weeks!

This may be the inspiration I've needed to get interested in keeping up with this blog again!

 

Click the image above to check out Amy Johnson Crow's blog or visit her page on Facebook: 

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