A Wonderful Discovery in the Concord Library

While in Concord MA to find my 6 G'grandfather's tombstone, I spent the morning in the special collections at the Concord Public Library with another DAKIN family researcher.  The Librarian was very helpful even though they didn't have early Concord First Church records in the Library as we had hoped.

We did find one gem from Rhode Island vital records:

"Vol. VII from private record of Rev. Stephen Gano, M.D., pastor of 1st Baptist Church in Providence
Paul Dakin & Lucy Gifford m. 23 Nov. 1786"

This was in the folder with genealogical notes by an unnamed researcher, donated by Mrs.H. B. Yamagata of Lakewood NJ.  She is the person who published Albert Dakin's book on the DAKIN family after the author died.

Now, this was surprising since the marriage date for them was known, it is in Albert Dakin's book, Descendants of THOMAS DAKIN of Concord Mass. (1948) but no place was given in the book.  Others have published they were married in Hudson NY where they raised their family.  Well, now we know they were married in Rhode Island by a Baptish pastor, six years after Paul have been disowned by the Quakers in the Oblong which I wrote about in this blog.

As one question is answered, another one is raised:  who were her parents?
Were they John GIFFORD and Lucianna HATCH as had been presumed but not proven?
How did Paul and Lucy end up getting married in Rhode Island?  The potential parents of Lucy were from Sandwich and Falmouth MA.  Paul was born in Pawling NY.

I need to see if I can get a copy of this record from Rhode Island Vital Records.  It  might contain some clues!

Tombstone Tuesday: Simon DAKIN

Buried in Main St Burial Ground, Concord MA is my 6G'grandfather Simon Dakin.

It was so bright that it was actually easier to read with a shadow on it even though it make it look like it had legs!

 Here LIES BURIED
Ye BODY OF
Mr SIMON DAKIN
WHO DEPARTED
THIS LIFE
JANUARY Ye 11th
1739 IN Ye 76
YEAR OF HIS AGE

Simon DAKIN was born in Concord in 1663, son of Thomas DAKIN who was one of the persons who had first division lands.  He did not live in Concord his whole life, he went with others from Boston to South Carolina in December 1695.  They found a settlement originally called Newington and then re-named Dorchester (after Dorchester MA).  The settlement was not a success and Simon returned to Concord around 1700 to 1702.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy Week 1: My favorite Genealogy Blog, Geneamusings

Geneabloggers have been challenged to 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy, as a way to share the gems of resources we have found in our own research.  This week's request is for information about the genealogy blog that are we most thankful-- is it an early blog? or a current blog? why should others read this blog?

I am a relative newbee to genealogy blogs.  I had been reading other kinds of blogs, but genealogy ones weren't on my radar.  Last year, I found the Geneabloggers website and thought I should post a blog I had started in an effort to find one of my mystery women, Ursula WRIGHT.  I started that blog with the idea that maybe, just maybe someone else was looking for her, would see my blog and contact me.  Then I got to thinking I could write a more geneal blog also after reading others.

I read a bunch of genealogy blogs now by wonderful authors.  Some I read daily.  I love checking to see who has posted to G+ their latest blog posting.

I always read Randy Seaver's Geneamusings.  I find his daily posts interesting and covering a wide range of topics.  I've found ancestors in his Surname Saturday postings, interesting links to other blogs in his weekly review of other blogs, felt challenged by his Saturday Night Challenge (even if I don't always do it), enjoyed his "not so wordless Wordless postings," learned about webinars to help educate me, and learned about Geneabloggers radio which has become part of my Friday night entertainment.   His blog is always a wealth of information.

My Belated Thanksgiving Post: My Mayflower Ancestors

Numerous bloggers have posted their Mayflower lines in celebration of Thanksgiving.
Unfortunately, I was a bit busy right then and didn't have the time to blog.  So, I'm starting now to add my lines to the conversations.

Note:  The top of the line of descent is underlined and the passengers on the Mayflower are in Italics.

As you will probably notice lots of somewhat distant relatives married.

1. William Bradford and Alice Carpenter
William Bradford and Alice Richards
Hannah Bradford and Joshua Ripley
Faith Ripley and Samuel Bingham
Jerusha Bingham and Benjamin Robinson
Irene Robinson and John Blodgett
Luke Blodgett and Sarah Bangs
Laben Blodgett and Rebecca Blodgett
Hannah Elizabeth Blodgett and Charles Copeland
Alice Copeland and Joseph Elliot Harvey
Adelaide Copeland Harvey and Robert Worthington Richardson [my grandparents]

2. Isaac Allerton and Mary Norris
Mary Allerton and Thomas Cushman
Isaac Cushman and Rebecca Harlow
Icabod Cushman and Patience Holmes
Sarah Cushman and Daniel Vaughan
Jabez Vaughan and Lois Soule
Lois Vaughan and Nehemiah Cobb
Nathan Cobb and Elnora Esther DeLoss
Esther Elnora Cobb and Robert Searing Worthington
Martha Elnora Worthington and Harry Bogart Richardson
Robert Worthington Richardson and Adelaide Copeland Harvey [my grandparents]

3. Myles Standish and Barbara [Unknown]
Alexander Standish and Sarah Alden
Lydia Standish and Isaac Samson
Isaac Samson and Sarah Barlow
Uriah Samson and Ann White
Hannah Samson and John Reed
Hannah Reed and Jonathan Copeland
Charles Copeland and Hannah Elizabeth Blodgett
Alice Copeland and Joseph Elliot Harvey

Adelaide Copeland Harvey and Robert Worthington Richardson [my grandparents]

4. Myles Standish and Barbara [Unknown]

Alexander Standish and Sarah Alden

Sarah Standish and Benjamin Soule

Zachariah Soule and Mary Eaton

Jabez Vaughan and Lois Soule

Lois Vaughan and Nehemiah Cobb

Nathan Cobb and Elnora Esther DeLoss

Esther Elnora Cobb and Robert Searing Worthington

Martha Elnora Worthington and Harry Bogart Richardson

Robert Worthington Richardson and Adelaide Copeland Harvey [my grandparents]

5. William Mullins and Alice (Unknown)

Priscilla Mullins and John Alden

Joseph Alden and Mary Simmons

Joseph Alden and Hannah Dunham

Daniel Alden and Abigail Shaw

Hannah Alden and Joshua Blodgett

Benjamin Blodgett and Mary Berngs Riddle

Rebecca Blodgett and Laben Blodgett 

Hannah Elizabeth Blodgett and Charles Copeland

Alice Copeland and Joseph Elliot Harvey

Adelaide Copeland Harvey and Robert Worthington Richardson [my grandparents]

6. William Mullins and Alice (Unknown)

Priscilla Mullins and John Alden

Sarah Alden and Alexander Standish

Lydia Standish and Isaac Samson

Isaac Samson and Sarah Barlow

Uriah Samson and Ann White

Hannah Samson and John Reed

Hannah Reed and Jonathan Copeland 

Charles Copeland and Hannah Elizabeth Blodgett

Alice Copeland and Joseph Elliot Harvey

Adelaide Copeland Harvey and Robert Worthington Richardson [my grandparents]

7. William Mullins and Alice (Unknown)

Priscilla Mullins and John Alden

Sarah Alden and Alexander Standish

Sarah Standish and Benjamin Soule

Zachariah Soule and Mary Eaton

Lois Soule and Jabez Vaughan

Lois Vaughan and Nehemiah Cobb

Nathan Cobb and Elnora Esther DeLoss

Esther Elnora Cobb and Robert Searing Worthington

Martha Elnora Worthington and Harry Bogart Richardson

Robert Worthington Richardson and Adelaide Copeland Harvey [my grandparents]

8. William Mullins and Alice (Unknown)

Priscilla Mullins and John Alden

Ruth Alden and John Bass

Mary Bass and William Copeland

Jonathan Copeland and Betty Snell

Jonathan Copeland and Mehitable Dunbar

Jonathan Copeland and Deborah Otis

Jonathan Copeland and Hannah Reed

Charles Copeland and Hannah Elizabeth Blodgett

Alice Copeland and Joseph Elliot Harvey

Adelaide Copeland Harvey and Robert Worthington Richardson [my grandparents]

9. William White and Susanna Fuller

Peregrine White and Sarah Bassett

Daniel White and Hannah Hunt

Benjamin White and Ann Bicknell

Ann White and Uriah Samson

Hannah Samson and John Reed

Hannah Reed and Jonathan Copeland 

Charles Copeland and Hannah Elizabeth Blodgett

Alice Copeland and Joseph Elliot Harvey

Adelaide Copeland Harvey and Robert Worthington Richardson [my grandparents]

10.  Richard Warren and Elizabeth March

Elizabeth Warren and Richard Church

Abigail Church and Samuel Thaxter

Sarah Thaxter and Peter Dunbar

Samuel Dunbar and Melatiah Hayward

Mehitable Dunbar and Jonathan Copeland

Jonathan Copeland and Deborah Otis

Jonathan Copeland and Hannah Reed

Charles Copeland and Hannah Elizabeth Blodgett

Alice Copeland and Joseph Elliot Harvey

Adelaide Copeland Harvey and Robert Worthington Richardson [my grandparents]

11. Francis Cooke and Hester Mahieu

Jane Cooke and Experience Mitchell

Sarah Mitchell and John Hayward

Joseph Hayward and Mehitable Dunham

Melatiah Dunham and Samuel Dunbar

Mehitable Dunbar and Jonathan Copeland

Jonathan Copeland and Deborah Otis

Jonathan Copeland and Hannah Reed

Charles Copeland and Hannah Elizabeth Blodgett

Alice Copeland and Joseph Elliot Harvey

Adelaide Copeland Harvey and Robert Worthington Richardson [my grandparents]

12.  Francis Cooke and Hester Mahieu

Mary Cooke and John Thompson (Tomson)

Esther Thompson and William Read

William Read and Alice Nash

Solomon Reed and Abigail Stoughton

John Reed and Hannah Samson

Hannah Reed and Jonathan Copeland 

Charles Copeland and Hannah Elizabeth Blodgett

Alice Copeland and Joseph Elliot Harvey

Adelaide Copeland Harvey and Robert Worthington Richardson [my grandparents]

13. Francis Eaton and Christian Penn

Benjamin Eaton and Sarah Hoskins

Benjamin Eaton and Mary Coombs

Mary Eaton and Zachariah Soule

Lois Soule and Jabez Vaughan

Lois Vaughan and Nehemiah Cobb

Nathan Cobb and Elnora Esther DeLoss

Esther Elnora Cobb and Robert Searing Worthington

Martha Elnora Worthington and Harry Bogart Richardson

Robert Worthington Richardson and Adelaide Copeland Harvey [my grandparents]

14. George Soule and Mary Buckett

John Soule and Rebekah Simon

Benjamin Soule and Sarah Standish

Zachariah Soule and Mary Eaton

Jabez Vaughan and Lois Soule

Lois Vaughan and Nehemiah Cobb

Nathan Cobb and Elnora Esther DeLoss

Esther Elnora Cobb and Robert Searing Worthington

Martha Elnora Worthington and Harry Bogart Richardson

Robert Worthington Richardson and Adelaide Copeland Harvey [my grandparents]

15. Stephens Hopkins and Mary (Unknown)

Constance Hopkins and Nicholas Snow

Rebecca Snow and Samuel Rickard

Samuel Rickard and Rachel Whiton

Lemuel Rickard and Persis Harlow

Mehitable Rickard and Nehemiah Cobb

Nehemiah Cobb and Lois Vaughan

Nathan Cobb and Elnora Esther DeLoss

Esther Elnora Cobb and Robert Searing Worthington

Martha Elnora Worthington and Harry Bogart Richardson

Robert Worthington Richardson and Adelaide Copeland Harvey [my grandparents]

16. Degory Priest and Sarah Allerton

Sarah Priest and John Coombs

John Coombs and Elizabeth Barlow

Mary Coombs and Benjamin Eaton

Mary Eaton and Zachariah Soule

Lois Soule and Jabez Vaughan

Lois Vaughan and Nehemiah Cobb

Nathan Cobb and Elnora Esther DeLoss

Esther Elnora Cobb and Robert Searing Worthington

Martha Elnora Worthington and Harry Bogart Richardson

Robert Worthington Richardson and Adelaide Copeland Harvey [my grandparents]

My Quilt/family history book published using Lulu.com

In the past month or two, genealogists have posted on G+ about their experiences with online publishing. A couple of times people asked about Lulu.com.  I said I didn't want to say anything until after Christmas.

Well, now that it has passed Christmas and so I can share what I wrote over the past few months as my present for my children and siblings and a some Dakin cousins: Quilts in our Family.  I documented the family quilts, most done by "Mother Dakin."  I photographed all of the quilts I could locate.  I wrote about Mary Alice Smith Dakin (Mother Dakin) who was born in Kent CT in 1855 and died just over the town line in Gaylordsville CT in 1931.  I included information on the Richardsons who used those family quilts and then I told the story behind each of my family quilts.

As a bonus, when researching Mary Alice Smith and her husband Edward Dakin, I found another DAKIN cousin and her sister -- such a bonus!!  I wrote about that in another post on this blog:  A fortuitous post found in spam


I found Lulu.com a wonderful choice to use to self-publish.  If you want the services of a publisher, you pay for them.  If you're on a budget, you can "do it yourself" with help from their techs who patiently answer questions via e-mail once you actually start the project.  They are a print on-demand company with a quick turn around on the delivery of the order.  They will print a run of one book to an order of thousands.  You do not need to buy large numbers upfront.  I chose to order a few books to use as gifts.  I made it available publically, just in case another DAKIN cousin emerges in the future and wants a copy.

I would recommend that if you were going to self-publish with Lulu.com, to download the format for the book before you start writing so you work in the format rather than adapt your already existing manuscript to their formats.

The Massachusetts Genealogical Conference's Call for Speakers

Here is a copy of the MGC's press release.  If you're an expert in any of these countries, consider talking.

The Massachusetts Genealogical Council (MGC) is excitedly preparing for our upcoming 21 July 2012 Seminar. A Call for Papers has been issued for speakers and presenters on the theme of  "Ethnicity and Genealogy." If you are or know of an expert in French-Canadian, Italian, Irish, Polish, Jewish, Scandinavian or any other ethnic group found in the area, WE WANT YOU! Whether it be migration routes, religious affiliations, methodology, record groups, or cultural implications, we are looking for a wide variety of topics . Follow the link below to see details on the MGC website.

SEE DETAILED CALL FOR PAPERS HERE: http://tinyurl.com/7e2lmmg

We look forward to seeing you all in July!

Kind Regards,
Mary Tedesco and Phil Hermann
Program Co-Directors, MGC
program@massgencouncil.org

Ancestors GeneaMeme

As part of Randy Seaver's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, he suggested we participate in the Ancestors GeneaMeme created by Jill Ball on the Geniaus blog.

Here are the directions:

The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type
You are encouraged to add extra comments in brackets after each item 

Which of these apply to you?

1.  Can name my 16 great-great-grandparents [Robert DAKIN, Hannah Maria COLBY, Stephen SMITH, Abigail JENNINGS, Charles EVANS, Hannah Elizabeth RADFORD, Eric HELSTEN, Mary HEARTY, William RICHARDSON, Mary AC BOGART, Robert Searing WORTHINGTON, Elnora Esther COBB, Enoch Dole HARVEY, Mary Hubbard NYE, Charles COPELAND, Hannah Elizabeth BLODGETT.]

2.  Can name over 50 direct ancestors

3.  Have photographs or portraits of my 8 great-grandparents [7, not 8; unfortunately, no one seems to have a picture of Joseph E HARVEY; I checked with various distant relatives who might have HARVEY pictures with no success.]
4.  Have an ancestor who was married more than three times [Dennison WORTHINGTON buried three wives, but I don't think he tried a forth time.  I don't know of anyone else who had more than three.  Will keep my eyes open!]
5.  Have an ancestor who was a bigamist [not to my knowledge, we did discover a family "friend" was a bigamist years ago.]
6.  Met all four of my grandparents [never will happen -- my father's father, Robert Edward DAKIN died when my father was 2 years old in 1918.]
7.  Met one or more of my great-grandparents [all died before I was born, however, my great grand daughter can answer this question yes!]
8.  Named a child after an ancestor 
9.  Bear an ancestor's given name/s [only by accident.  My mother thought no one in the family had the name, when told my name, my grandmother announced "you named her after my grandfather Eric HELSTEN!  Thank you!"  Years later, doing family history, I discovered Eric had a sister Erica.]
10.  Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland 
11.  Have an ancestor from Asia [not to  my knowledge]
12.  Have an ancestor from Continental Europe 
13.  Have an ancestor from Africa [not to my knowledge]
14.  Have an ancestor who was an agricultural labourer [lots of farmers in the old censuses]
15.  Have an ancestor who had large land holdings [not to my knowledge, unless those "royality in everyone's background" counts]
16.  Have an ancestor who was a holy man - minister, priest, rabbi [Rev John REED 1751-1831) and his father Rev Solomon REED (1719-1785), I think there might be more but I don't remember who they were.]
17.  Have an ancestor who was a midwife [not to my knowledge]
18.  Have an ancestor who was an author [after my father died, I discovered he wrote an article: "The Effect of Penicillin on  the Development of the the Primary Lesion of Syphilis" in VENEREAL  DISEASE INFORMATION (December 1944).  In 1895, my GGgrandfather Eric HELSTEN saved a man from drowning and wrote and sold a pamphlet on his method.  I've written weaving and math books, but I'm not my own ancestor!]
19.  Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones [my G grandmother was Mary Alice SMITH (1855-1931) and I have her line traced back into the 1600s in Connecticut:  Stephen SMITH, Aaron SMITH, Peabody SMITH, Stephen SMITH, Stephen SMITH, John SMITH.], [I have Mary JONES (b. 1698) possible line: Isaac JONES, Wm JONES]
20.  Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng 
21.  Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X 
22.  Have an ancestor with a forename beginnining with Z [Zachariah SOULE (1694-1751), Zachary BICKNELL (abt 1590-abt 1637) 
23.  Have an ancestor born on 25th December [I have a cousin born on 25 December 1983] 
24.  Have an ancestor born on New Year's Day [Thomas DAKIN's 1st wife, Susanna SLATER, not a direct descendant.]  
25.  Have blue blood in your family lines [supposedly if Royal Descendants book is right]
26.  Have a parent who was born in a country different from my country of birth [my husband can claim this, not me.]
27.  Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth [my husband can claim this, but not me; my most recent immigrants were GG grandparents, Eric HELSTEN from Sweden and his wife Mary HEARTY from Ireland.] 
28.  Can trace a direct family line back to the eighteenth century [numerous direct lines]
29.  Can trace a direct family line back to the seventeenth century or earlier [numerous direct lines] 
30.  Have seen copies of the signatures of some of my great-grandparents [Edward DAKIN, Mary Alice Smith DAKIN, Charles Harold EVANS, Harry Bogart RICHARDSON]
31.  Have ancestors who signed their marriage certificate with an X [probably true, not seen  yet.]
32.  Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university [after watching a canal for the hydroelectric power plant being dug thru their family farm, he grew up and went to university and became a civil engineer and supervised the addition to the plant which brought electricity to his neighborhood; when he died young, his wife went to school to become first extension nutritionist for the state of Connecticut:  Robert DAKIN and Marion Evans DAKIN.  I suspect he paid for college with the money they got from the sale of part of their farm to the power company.] 
33.  Have an ancestor who was convicted of a criminal offence [probably, but not to my knowledge]
34.  Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime [probably, but not to my knowledge]
35.  Have shared an ancestor's story online or in a magazine [see my blogs, this one and Will the real Ursula Wright please stand up.
36.  Have published a family history online or in print [part of my family tree is on Ancestry.com]
37.  Have visited an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries [my mother grew up in the house built for her grandmother as a wedding gift by her father who built the house next door.  They were married in 1889.  For my mother's 80th birthday, we had a family portrait taken in the photography studio that is located there now] 
38.  Still have an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries in the family 
39.  Have a family bible from the 19th Century [1806, it includes listing of births in late 1700s.]
40.  Have a pre-19th century family bible

GeneaMeme