Monday, October 31, 2016

Notes From My Grandmother | Potwin Lineage and Genealogy, Beulah's Letters


Somehow, much of my grandmother's hand written and (badly) typed notes and research wound up in my possession. Traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles and back to Chicago again. It sat, in the dark of my mother's closet, until my dad passed and my mom decided to begin her great purge. Knowing I had picked up the torch, the next generation to pursue the Greatest Hobby on Earth, the papers came to live with me. Unsure for many years on just what to do with them, I have decided to bring them out and share them with you - transcribed, of course - no one can read my grandmother's handwriting! But in her own words; mistakes, rambling sentences, and all. I think she will be pleased her work and her writing are once again out in the light.


Dear Friend,

Glad to hear from you so soon - your visit to Iowa was short or was the weather too bad -

I want to talk about Iowa - I was born in Shelby Co at Portsmouth - 83 years, next April. Not long ago I asked for a birth certificate from Iowa and got it back immediately - Surprised me as I never could get my oldest daughter's birth certificate from Pierre S.D. - just shows you - some states keep better records.

My father was a Sims (and I have now a wonderful record way back for my family too - from England to America and down to the present) - 

To go back to Iowa - The Sims boys (6) came to Iowa from Penna - settled on farms in Jackson Co. - My mother (a Marlow) came west from a Maryland Plantation (that is, her grandmother did before the Civil War) also had 14 children - all died before she did. She lived to be 97. My father's mother lived to be 93 spent her last days at Portsmouth Ia.

My father had gone to Ames Ia. to school. My mother had the first square piano in Iowa, became a brilliant pianist so I started too at 5 to play - At 5 years of age I was attending kindergarten in Marion, Ia. then we moved to Savanna Ill where we lived til I was out of High School - went fishing and hunting with my father - had a nice horse to care for in High School days. Then went to Oberlin to college while my two sisters went to Northwestern in Chicago. Then after college we all moved west - and lived in Aberdeen S.D. for schools - I had two smaller brothers by then.

I met my future husband at Aberdeen - He had graduated from Yale the year before - came west - got on a newspaper and never left the job of being an editorial writer

We finally came west and I certainly would not live any place else!

See how I wander! I was telling you about Iowa - I spent many summers with relatives in Jackson Co - in Harlan Ia - they were my mother's relatives - Stewarts at Cedar Falls and Cedar Rapids. My grandfather sold cattle to Henry Wallace who had a newspaper in Des Moines - I still have the old letters they wrote each other - but no one liked Henry Jr the boy much - look where he got! Vice President to Roosevelt, but Presidents seem to want weak men around them.

Enough for Iowa now - Tell me where you lived in Iowa, what did your husband do - I want your children's names, birth dates, their children, if any, etc.

Now - last week at the U of Wash graduate dept where Inez, my youngest daughter, has a wonderful job - she writes brochures and other matter for the Pres - the deans, etc - interviews the entering graduate students - One young man from Massachusetts was named Potwin, so I explained to Inez he was a Scandinavian, and he looked like one, she said. That doesn't mean that he is not of that family clan - the Potevines - history says the Huguenots (in 15th century) were Protestants and as we all know much of that foreign world was Catholic - even the Kings obeyed the mandates of the Pope and bishops etc - Well, there was a King Chas. in France who vowed to kill all the Huguenots off and proceeded to do just that - so many fled - to Scandinavian countries - to England - to America.

Also a girl from Iowa told Inez she had a teacher in Iowa named Hildegard Potwin. Do you know her - perhaps your son's daughter? Don't forget to give me your children's names - where they live - their children etc.

Another thing - as I am making a copy of the genealogy - one point comes up. Was it Augustus Monroe or Monroe Augustus? (son of Benjamin) On page 17 of the original genealogy he is listed as Augustus Monroe. Let me know which is correct and I will make a change -

You asked when John (2) went to Yale, but it says he was there.

John(2) - gold and silversmith - his work is in museums in Boston - New Haven (at Yale) one of the best of early craftsmen - work is sought after by collectors. Moved to Hartford 1740 where he had a store selling fine merchandise. His wife Mary - daughter of Thomas Jackson of Boston, a family who has many prominent Boston descendants buried in East Windsor, Conn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have a tablespoon made by Paul Revere who worked with the Potwin craftmsen at one time in Boston. I think I have a picture somewhere of the Potwine homestead - I'll send it for you to see and please send it back - Ann my married daughter has 2 daughters, one in college - she was here the past weekend and she is most excited with all this history.

Wrote Random House and asked them if they would comment on some discrepancies I found. And also have asked for Amy Kelly 's address in Miami - She went to Lake Erie College in Painesville Ohio where Ruth Potwin was a teacher a long time - she taught sports - horseback riding, tennis, etc. Wonder if she knew Amy?

I miss Ruth very much - we wrote so often. She was always begging me to come back there and I was so afraid of their muggy summers - their terrible winters, but I should have gone. She was alone - her husband died a year after they were married - left her a lovely colonial home just down the street from her parents. She was just  my age - seemed afraid of old age. Well, no one believes I'm 83 - and I never act it either - sprier than I was 20 years ago.

In Magnificent Century they gave Elinor a different father and mother and a group of sisters. In Conquering Family she had a brother (letter mentions) and a sister (Petronella) who married a Saraceu who became King of Jerusalem, etc. I am reading "Three Edwards" now - Edward I was John's son and tried to be a good king - 

So it goes.

If you have read this far, please forgive me for being so garrulous - I shall now work a puzzle - a hard one - to rest my nerves.

Do write me. Oh, by the way there are some Potwins in Oregon I know about. Some in Portland I know belong. I knew their father - he was a railway detective and looked like a P. too, but he is dead. Told me his father David came from Canada -

Tell me all the towns you lived in in Iowa. I had a wonderful childhood running about in Iowa - the farms of both my grandparents. Remember my great grandmother well - never saw her ill - she came west with a Blakeley Family who had 14 children.

My grandfather was a young man then - negroes on their plantation in Maryland so he was not used to work - he married one of the Blakeley girls so the Marlowes and Blakeley's were closely knit as one of my father's sisters married the only Blakeley boy and with all those loving sisters he had - he was a spoiled brat - his progeny live in Butte Montana and I correspond with them - they too keep up the family history.

What do you think of Chicago? I was there a lot - when we only lived 135 miles west at Savanna on the Mississippi - It was wonderful those days - my mother's sister had a lovely big home in Austin (near Oak Park) we went to the parks for nightly band concerts - to operas, etc - I have never seen Chicago since the advent of skyscrapers!

I see by the genealogy there was a Henry Potwin went to Chicago - back when! My aunt told of meeting two very nice young Potwin girls - I know my husband wasn't interested in the genealogy - he thought his sister Bess thought too much of family - and they didn't split up any valuable antiques either - 

All for now - 

Rest up - 

Beulah E Potwin




to be continued ........




©2016 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved
©1965 Beulah E Potwin - Private Collection

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Book Of The Week: Genealogical and Family History of Northern New York.....





Genealogical and Family History of Northern New York: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 3


by: William Richard Cutter
Lewis historical publishing Company, 1910





©Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Friday, October 28, 2016

Photo Friday :: EWA's Boys



This series was birthed from the large old photo album I rediscovered in the back of my closet. Many of the photos are from my grandmother's side of the family. There are also unknown photos that came with the album. Story goes my dad, an avid garage saler, picked up a celluloid covered Victorian era photo album on one of his scavenges. It already contained photos of an (as yet) unidentified family. My parents put our own vintage family photos in the album alongside the mystery family's.  As children we marveled at the old fashioned clothing and settings, often wondering who these people were and what their lives were like. Of course, we thought that ALL the people in the photos were our relations! It wasn't until my mom passed the album on to me after my dad died that I learned of the mystery family residing alongside our own!

I plan to share these photos over time, sometimes they will be my family, and identifiable, others will be of the mystery family. Thanks to the world wide web, they may find their way home yet!

Enjoy!



"Eusebius Ashby's sons"
Ralph Ashby (standing) and younger brother Charles. Taken about 1880. 
Washington, IA



©2016 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Video Of The Week: Genealogy Methodology: Documenting Parentage

We watch a lot of videos in the Cave. Webinars, instructional videos, continuing education videos, you name it! If it helps with our genealogical pursuit we are all over it!

Each week we thought we'd share one we've enjoyed.

Hope you enjoy it too!









©2016 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Frasers of Fife: Generation Three | Duncan Fraser and Helen Mowbrey

1880 John Fraser Family Tree
18. Duncan Fraser (Alexander -5, Duncan -1) born March 29th 1797


married at Leslie 1824


Helen Mowbrey born 1808 ("Wellie Moutrey")



children of this union:


51. i. Charlotte Fraser born July 13th 1825 m. James Irvine

      ii. Alexander Fraser born July 29th 1827 d 1835

 52.  iii. Janet Fraser born May 29th 1829 m. John Jarvis

      iv. William Fraser born August 29th 1831

      v. Helen Fraser born August 27th 1832

53. vi. May Fraser born March 18th 1835 m. Robert McKendrick


Duncan died 1836 aged 38 years
Helen death unknown


~ all information provided here has been taken directly from the John Fraser family tree compiled in 1880 and as such is the only source for these writings - the objective being to record his work for further study and documentation ~ 

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Harrison Faulkner: A Man of Many Tales (52 Ancestors #26)

Harrison Faulkner. I'm convinced he was a teller of tales. Some of the information I have found on him just doesn't line up. But he was likable so it seems.

As with other Faulkner's, Harrison "Harry" is elusive. Now, I don't really believe that all of my ancestors should have lived in such a manner that it would be easy to uncover the details of their lives, but in a perfect world .........

Born in 1825, maybe, in Wallkill, Orange County, New York. Eighth or ninth, depending on when he was actually born, child of James and Martha Faulkner. Youngest son. Migrated to Michigan Territory with his family when he was about 8 years old.

From his obituary we learn: "Harrison Faulkner was born in Goshen, Orange co., N.Y., in 1825. He studied medicine for two years, but gave up that profession. Working on a railroad, he was the first fireman on the Michigan central railroad. Then he went to the lead mines at Galena, Ill., and remained there a number of years. In 1855 Mr. Faulkner married Miss. Jennie Whitford, and in 1856 he came to Minnesota, being one of the first settlers of Faribault, as his grandfather had been one of the early settlers in New York, and his father one of the early settlers of Michigan.

Mr. Faulkner for a time followed the trade of carpenter in this city. He was a man of honest, upright character in all his dealings. he was well educated, as were all his brothers and a pleasing gentleman to converse with, having seen much, and observed and thought much about what he had seen. He will be missed not only by his family, but by the early settlers of the city."

Speaking of his father, the obituary reported this: "Col. Faulkner lived for a time in Tennessee, and was owner of a large plantation, and of a good many slaves, but when he removed to Michigan he took only a few slaves with him, whom he freed soon after. They would not leave their old "massa."

Now, let's dissect this.

Harrison was born in Wallkill, Orange Co, New York. On the family farm. The informant states his birth year as 1825. I have no direct evidence for this, however I did find the death certificate for his sister Antoinette, stating her birthday as February 15th 1825. Either Harrison is Antoinette's twin, or he was not born in 1825. He moved to the Michigan Territory with his family in 1833.

As for a "large plantation in Tennessee"? Nonsense. Pure fantasy. The Faulkner's lived in Orange County New York right up to the time they headed west to Michigan. Sadly, Harrison's father did own 4 slaves in 1820, but by 1830 there was only one "free colored person - male" living in the household. By 1840 when the family was in Michigan, there were none.

The first medical college in Michigan opened in 1850 at University of Michigan. I did not find him listed among the students. He could have gone to school in another state.

The Michigan Central Railroad came to Jackson, Michigan in 1842. Some farmers in Jackson and Wayne  Counties were involved in the Great Railroad Conspiracy. The timing of the Conspiracy and the account of Harrison leaving the area for the Galena lead mines is curious. While perhaps not directly involved, he may have know the parties involved, and was scared enough to leave the state.


The lead mines of Galena were booming. Gold Fever had taken many to California, but Galena was still highly productive around 1850. The railroad may have played a part in Harrison's decision to head to Illinois, as the railroad continued to move ever westward.

Harrison returned to Grass Lake sometime in the mid 1850's, and on May 1st, 1856 he married Miss Jennie Whitford. (A divorcee with a 6 year old son who sometimes went by "Jane", we would later come to find out!) The couple soon headed to the Minnesota Territory to make a home, away from controversy, perhaps? They are found in the 1860 census residing in Faribault with their first born son, age 1 year, and Jennie's 10 year old son from her first marriage.

Harrison did do carpentry work. I have a cabinet made by him that my grandfather always said contained "7 different kinds of wood!" I recently had the good fortune of finding a second cousin, who also has a piece of furniture crafted by Harrison.

Harry and Jennie would have three sons together. Arthur Edward, Lloyd Anson and Louis Nelson. Lloyd Anson became a medical doctor. Louis Nelson took up the craft of stone cutting, which took him from Texas to New York, and he even played a part in the construction of the Minnesota State Capitol.

Jennie and Harrison were divorced on May 29th 1878.

Jennie moved to St Paul and supported herself as a tailoress.

Harrison followed.

Jennie died in 1888.

Harrison moved back to Faribault.

Harrison penned his last will and testament on August 9th, 1905, leaving $100.00 each to sons Arthur and Louis, and the remainder to Lloyd.

Harrison died September 3rd, 1905 and is buried in Maple Lawn Cemetery in Faribault in an unmarked grave.

Harrison Faulkner's Obituary

"The late Harrison Faulkner, whose funeral took place in Faribault Wednesday afternoon, came of a family with some distinguished members. His great grandfather, who was of Scotch lineage, immigrated to what was in his time the colony of New York, early in the eighteenth century. James Faulkner, father of Harrison Faulkner, settled in Michigan 1833, on a tract of land where he spent the remainder of his days, near Grass Lake. He had been a colonel in the war of 1812, and was at one time in command of Staten Island, N.Y. before moving to Michigan.

Col. Faulkner lived for a time in Tennessee(*), and was owner of a large plantation, and of a good many slaves, but when he removed to Michigan he took only a few slaves with him, whom he freed soon after. They would not leave their old "massa." 

Harrison Faulkner was born in Goshen, Orange co., N.Y., in 1825. He studied medicine for two years, but gave up that profession. Working on a railroad, he was the first fireman on the Michigan central railroad. Then he went to the lead mines at Galena, Ill., and remained there a number of years. In 1855 Mr. Faulkner married Miss. Jennie Whitford, and in 1856 he came to Minnesota, being one of the first settlers of Faribault, as his grandfather had been one of the early settlers in New York, and his father one of the early settlers of Michigan.

Mr. Faulkner for a time followed the trade of carpenter in this city. He was a man of honest, upright character in all his dealings. he was well educated, as were all his brothers and a pleasing gentleman to converse with, having seen much, and observed and thought much about what he had seen. He will be missed not only by his family, but by the early settlers of the city.

Mr. Faulkner leaves three sons; Arthur E. of St. Paul; Dr. Lloyd A. of Lonsdale, and Louis N. of New York City. Louis Faulkner is a distinguished stone carver, having been an instructor of the Armour Industrial school in Chicago, and employed in work on some of the finest mansions in the east.

Harrison Faulkner was the last of his family - all his brothers and sisters having preceded him to the grave, at advanced ages." 


Funeral Notice

 "13/sep/1905--the funeral of Harrison Faulkner was held from the cathedral at 2 p. m. Wednesday, Rev. A. R. Hill officiating. The pallbearers were Alex Smith, Cap. Cavanaugh, H. P. Sime, Judge Turner, M. B. Haskell, William Wachlin, and George Dandelet. The interment was made in Maple Lawn. Mr. Faulkner was an early settler in this city but of late years has resident in Lonsdale. No man was held in higher respect by his friends. Mr. Faulkner died at the advanced age of 80."


Monday, October 24, 2016

Notes From My Grandmother | Potwin Lineage and Genealogy, Beulah's Letters


Somehow, much of my grandmother's hand written and (badly) typed notes and research wound up in my possession. Traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles and back to Chicago again. It sat, in the dark of my mother's closet, until my dad passed and my mom decided to begin her great purge. Knowing I had picked up the torch, the next generation to pursue the Greatest Hobby on Earth, the papers came to live with me. Unsure for many years on just what to do with them, I have decided to bring them out and share them with you - transcribed, of course - no one can read my grandmother's handwriting! But in her own words; mistakes, rambling sentences, and all. I think she will be pleased her work and her writing are once again out in the light.


Yakima, Wash. 
Nov. 22, 1965

to: Mrs E. P. Thomas
Chicago Ill
2007 N Sedgewick


Nov. 20


Dear Mrs. Thomas,

Sorry to be so long in writing but time does fly - I wrote to Connecticut to a sister-in-law (Mrs. Stephen Potwin - my husband's brother (died a few years ago) And received a wonderful list - all the names of your father's family etc. - She got them out of "Stiles Ancient History" of Connecticut - which she has - and I have a lot of data to send you but may not get to it til after Thanksgiving - So you will be hearing from me later.

I enclose what she sent me but will give you a lot more later - 

Sincerely,

Mrs. Beulah E Potwin
113 N 27th Ave
Yakima Wash


(from Mrs. Stephen Potwin)

Potwin

Benjamin (Dr.) (Thomas, Rev. Thomas, John, Dr. John) married
   Cornelia Curtis 25 June 1816 who was b. 28 Jan. 1798 res. Ell. NY

children
  1. _______ dau. b. 6 d. 16 May 1817
  2. Cornelia M. b. 4 Aug 1818 - m. Birdsall Wygant 13 Dec. 1838
  3. Benjamin Curtis b. 25 July 1820
  4. Martha Caroline b. 8 Jan. 1823 m. B. Franklin Fuller 20 June 1854
  5. _______ son b. 4 April 1825 d. same day
  6. Sarah Ann b. 17 April 1826 d. 23 Mar. 1858 m. Wm Worth
  7. Mary Ann b. 10 May 1829 m. Simon Lawrence 6 Aug. 1855
  8. William Stiles b. 9 June 1831
  9. Junius Franklin b. 24 June 1833 d. Sept 22 1862
  10. Elizabeth Hall b. 6 Aug 1835 m. B. Franklin Hammond May 21 1855
  11. Augustus Monroe b. 28 Aug. 1837
  12. _______ son b. and d. 1 Nov. 1840
Augustus Monroe (Dr. Benj., Thos., Rev. Thos., John, Dr. John)
   married 1 Jan 1866 Ella A Birt

children
  1. Gertrude b. 10 Feb 1869
  2. Archie b. 25 Mar 1871

to be continued .......





©2016 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved
©1965 Beulah E Potwin - Private Collection

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Book Of The Week: A Genealogy of the Curtiss Family.....




A Genealogy of the Curtiss Family: Being a Record of the Descendants of Widow Elizabeth Curtiss, who Settled in Stratford, Conn., 1639-1640

by: Frederic Haines Curtiss
Rockwell and Churchill Press, 1903




©Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All RightsReserved

Friday, October 21, 2016

Photo Friday :: Great Uncle Cehe



This series was birthed from the large old photo album I rediscovered in the back of my closet. Many of the photos are from my grandmother's side of the family. There are also unknown photos that came with the album. Story goes my dad, an avid garage saler, picked up a celluloid covered Victorian era photo album on one of his scavenges. It already contained photos of an (as yet) unidentified family. My parents put our own vintage family photos in the album alongside the mystery family's.  As children we marveled at the old fashioned clothing and settings, often wondering who these people were and what their lives were like. Of course, we thought that ALL the people in the photos were our relations! It wasn't until my mom passed the album on to me after my dad died that I learned of the mystery family residing alongside our own!

I plan to share these photos over time, sometimes they will be my family, and identifiable, others will be of the mystery family. Thanks to the world wide web, they may find their way home yet!

Enjoy!



"Great Uncle Cehe"
"Eusebius Ashby"
"Priscilla Ashby Twining's (Great Grandmother Twining) brother"

Eusebius Wade Hampton (EWH) Ashby. Born 1834 in Virginia. Married Elizabeth Thrig (Ihrig). Had at least 8 children. Died 1910 in Washington, IA


©2016 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Video Of The Week: Using City Directories in Your Research


We watch a lot of videos in the Cave. Webinars, instructional videos, continuing education videos, you name it! If it helps with our genealogical pursuit we are all over it!

Each week we thought we'd share one we've enjoyed.

Hope you enjoy it too!








"City directories are a very rich genealogy research resource. But, you may wonder just what they could possibly tell you besides your ancestors name and address. Join Crista Cowan as she explains how to use city directories to trace your ancestors' residences, occupations, and even, possibly when and where they died. She'll also show you how to use city directories as a tool to differentiate between your ancestor and someone with a similar name."


©Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Frasers of Fife: Generation Three | Isabella Fraser and Thomas Johnstone

17. Isabella Fraser (Alexander -5, Duncan - 1) born February 18th 1795


married


Thomas Johnstone born 1789



children of this union:

      i. Robert Johnstone b. August 19th 1829 d. 1844 in Callas

47. ii. Alexander Johnstone b. July 29th 1822 m. Mary Marcer

      iii. Andrew Johnstone b. August 8th 1824 d. 1863 at sea

      iv. Thomas Johnstone b. 1827 d. 1863 Cape Town

      v. Duncan Johnstone b. 1830 d. in infancy

48. vi. Janet Johnstone b. 1832 m. David Lindsay

49. vii. William Johnstone b. 1834 m. Unknown Wife

      viii. James Johnstone b. 1836 d. 1861 at sea

50. ix. George Johnstone b. 1838 . M. MacMillan


Isabella died December 1877
Thomas  died November 6th 1875





~ all information provided here has been taken directly from the John Fraser family tree compiled in 1880 and as such is the only source for these writings - the objective being to record his work for further study and documentation ~ 

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Col. James Faulkner: A Well Respected Man About Town (52 Ancestors #25)

To learn about James, I had to start at the end. His birth and early life shrouded in mystery, as if he had sprung, fully grown, from the earth in rural Michigan in 1834. I banged my head against that brick wall for years. Until one day, a chink of mortar fell, and then another ...... Here is the life of James Faulkner, as I have come to know it.

James Faulkner was the third son, and sixth child of a family of eight, born to Samuel Faulkner and Elinor, his wife. Reportedly born July 2nd 1779, early life is hazy. The Faulkner's farmed in Wallkill, Orange County New York. James' father Samuel was a nose to the ground sort. Working hard and keeping to himself.

James grew up in the shadow of his war hero uncle, Captain William Faulkner, and long-time militia-man grandfather, also William Faulkner. They may have been influential in James' decision to join the military.  In 1806 he joined the 5th Regiment, Orange County New York, as an Ensign. He made Captain by 1809, 1st Major by 1815, and finally Colonel in 1816.

James fought in the War of 1812. The details remain sketchy as I write this.

In 1814 he was a Justice of the Peace, in 1815 a land surveyor, and a member of New York state assembly from Orange County, 1816-17.

In 1807 James purchased the farm he resided on from his parents for one hundred dollars.


James married Martha McBride of Wallkill about 1808. 11 children were born to them. Their first born was a son, Nelson, followed shortly by daughter Caroline.  After the war, Mary Jane and Fannie joined the family. Between 1818 and 1831 six more children were born to the couple. Four girls; Nancy Martha, Antoinette, Henretta and one other, and two boys; Anson and Harrison. The young daughter with no name died sometime between 1821 and 1829.

James' father Samuel died in 1811. His mother Elinor in 1826.

At this point I need to address the slaves in the household. I was saddened and disappointed to discover my family had a part in it. Even as common as it was for the times. James' father never had slaves. I do not believe his grandfather did either. It wasn't until 1820 do 4 slaves show up in the James Faulkner household. James' uncle William, his father's brother, the one I suspect had a significant influence on James and his life choices, did have many slaves. Was he an influence on this decision? We'll never know. Happily, by 1830 there is only one free colored male in the household, and by 1840 - none.

In the Fall of 1833 James decided to move his large family to the wilderness of the Michigan Territory. It's quite possible the migration was made by way of the Erie Canal, recently completed. James supported Governor Clinton, to some opposition by his constituents, in the grand undertaking.

"During the first half of the 19th century, innovations in transportation made traveling faster, easier, and cheaper. The steamboat was the first to impact travel to Detroit. Before the steamboat, travel between Buffalo, New York, and Detroit took a month. In April 1818, the first steamboat on the Great Lakes, named the Walk-in-the-Water, made the trip in 44 hours and 10 minutes.

When the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, travel to Detroit was made even easier. The Canal connected the Hudson River with Lake Erie, making it possible to travel completely by water from the Atlantic states to Detroit. Moving from New York to Michigan became affordable and easy, because it was cheaper and faster to travel by water than by wagon."  ~Detroit Historical Society

It is recorded that upon arrival in the wilderness of Michigan, James erected a log cabin, and by the following year the first frame dwelling. James opened the first hotel in Grass Lake soon after. He purchased 480 acres of land in what was know as the "Toledo Strip", adjacent to land purchased by his son eldest Nelson.
About 1835 the couple welcomed their final child, a daughter named Iantha. 

I can't even begin to imagine what life would have been like in the wilderness. With 10 children, four under the age of 10, and one infant. Or how James' wife Martha coped with it all. Or how he kept his family fed and clothed. There are just so many things we take for granted in this modern world, things that are of no concern to us, that were literal life or death matters to these Pioneer people.

James was well liked in the new community of Grass Lake. His children grew, as did the town he was now a part of. He traveled back to Wallkill on occasion. There are land records that record James and his brothers selling the family farmland. The last parcel was sold sometime around 1840, about the same time James' other brothers left the area.  

In 1841 James and Martha witnessed the marriage of their daughter Frances Ann "Fannie" to Joseph Watkins. A grandson followed soon after. 

A happy time, no doubt, but it was to be short lived.

Sunday morning, April 20th, 1845 Fannie Faulkner Watkins passed away. She was 29. She left behind a grief stricken husband, a tiny son and mourning family. This was the second child lost to James and his wife. Son Harrison was employed with the railroad at the time, and would become involved in a scandal that would take him to the lead mines of Galena, Illinois in flight. Later that same year, around Christmas, James lost his beloved wife Martha. 

Now a widower, James continued to make his home with six of his children, the youngest having just turned ten, and his older brother David. A tight-knit family, they would remain under the same roof for most of the rest of James' life. 

In 1856 Harrison returned to Grass Lake to marry Jennie Whitford. The couple moved shortly thereafter to Minnesota. Harrison and his wife would give James 3 grandsons. 1861 brought the marriage of daughter Henrietta to Charles Cassidy, a prominent businessman of the area. They would give James two granddaughters. Not to be left out, Nancy Martha found her way to the alter in 1862 when she wed the widower John Soper, 20 years her senior. No children were born to this couple. The remainder of James and Martha's children never married, and continued living together the rest of their adult lives.

April 19th, 1869 Colonel James Faulkner died. He received a glowing obituary in the Jackson Daily Citizen:

 "Col. Faulkner was a citizen of Orange Co. N.Y., previous to his residence here. In the War of 1812 he was in command of a regiment stationed on Staten Island. Afterward he was an officer of the State Militia. He was elected to the Legislature for several terms, and supported the measures of Gov. Clinton, particularly for the construction of the Erie canal. This course gave offense to his constituents, but later years justified its wisdom and value. In 1833 Col. Faulkner removed to Michigan, at that time and for four years afterward a territory. He located at Grass Lake, then a wilderness. For a number of years he pursued a retired life, though not indifferent to the events of the time.  When the late national conflict came upon the country, though past 80 years of age, he comprehended the issues and committed himself upon the side of freedom. His life covers almost the whole period of our history as a nation - extending to within three years of the Declaration of Independence. Col. Faulkner was a man of more than common physical and mental vigor. He was self reliant, independent, cheerful and deliberate. His parents were members of the Presb. Church O. S. His ancestors were from Scotland. For a number of years past he was a constant reader of the Bible, and gave evidence that he had found comfort and peace. The present generation are deeply indebted to these men on the past. We inherit the valuable fruitage of their wisdom, toil and self sacrifice."


James is buried in Grass Lake Cemetery with his wife Martha, daughter Fannie and brother David.

Read The Series Here


Monday, October 17, 2016

Notes From My Grandmother | Potwin Lineage and Genealogy, Beulah's Letters


Somehow, much of my grandmother's hand written and (badly) typed notes and research wound up in my possession. Traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles and back to Chicago again. It sat, in the dark of my mother's closet, until my dad passed and my mom decided to begin her great purge. Knowing I had picked up the torch, the next generation to pursue the Greatest Hobby on Earth, the papers came to live with me. Unsure for many years on just what to do with them, I have decided to bring them out and share them with you - transcribed, of course - no one can read my grandmother's handwriting! But in her own words; mistakes, rambling sentences, and all. I think she will be pleased her work and her writing are once again out in the light.


Yakima, Wash. Sep 15 1965

to: Mrs. E. P. Thomas
Chicago, Ill 60614
2007 N. Sedgwick St

Dear Mrs Thomas,

Rec'd your letter and will be glad to help you on information about the Potwin clan. First however would like to know your mother's father's name, where your mother was raised and who was her grandfather on the Potwin side -

There's a long genealogy going back to 1600 in this country and back to 1066 in France. The earliest Potwin's were French - so write me again soon - Did your mother know of the Connecticut Potwins? - particularly those early settlers there from the Massachusetts Bay Colony -

There is a written history, kept up to date by my husband's sister - but she died last winter and I do not know who holds the book now - So after hearing from you again I'll be glad to fill in all I can of the family history.

By the way, I lived in Illinois all my girlhood - west of Chicago at Savanna on the Mississippi River. Had relatives in Chicago, so I spent many summers there on west side - called Austin then, next to Oak Park - it was a lovely city then - before skyscrapers. We drove a horse to Lincoln Park evenings - band concerts, etc.

I went to World's Fair and have seen nothing since to beat that wonderful time - 1895 to 1900 - I am 82 but no one believes it. I don't either. But they were wonderful days -

Have you seen the Northwest, wouldn't live anywhere else.

By the way - any redheads in your mother's family? I have three sons with the Potwin red hair - Bob was a blonde and my four daughters are dark, but oh - the Potwin traits that pop out!


Beulah E Potwin
113 N 27th Ave
Makiwa, Wash


To be continued ......



©2016 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved
©1965 Beulah E Potwin - Private Collection

Sunday, October 16, 2016

the Sunday Soapbox | Responsibility In Genealogy or Please, Stop!


Stop! Stop right now! If you are unsure of something, or if it just 'seems' like it might be correct - please, don't do it! Make sure all the facts are, in fact, correct before proceeding. Especially if you are going to meddle in a public crowd-sourced project. You are not being "helpful". You are potentially messing up years of other people's research. Of course I'm talking about genealogy here, and the big, group-effort world trees. There is enough bad genealogy out there already, why add to it? Some days I want to just say "STOP" this is a job for the professionals! But love of genealogy is not something I really want to discourage. However ......

 Earlier this week I was greeted with an inbox message from FamilySearch detailing the weekly changes on my watch list. "Recent Changes In Family Tree" it was titled. Now, usually I glance at these but nothing raises the alarm flag.

Usually.

This week was different. This week listed Samuel Faulkner, James Faulkner, Harrison Faulkner and Martha McBride among others. At first I was excited - another Faulkner researcher!! I've dreamed of this! It's been a long, lonely road thus far and Finding Faulkner has not come easily. But then I saw this:


 DELETED!!!!! What the #%**?!? Oh, no. No, no, no. Then I saw this:



Argh!!! adamjerrypeters1 what are you doing?!? Yes, I hoped that adamjerrypeters1 found Samuel's actual birthdate, christening record and wife's surname, among all the changes he preformed. 

I hoped.

I was wrong. Of course I was wrong.

adamjerrypeters1 was being helpful. Merging some names that were similar enough. Deleting other's that no longer fit the new family. The reason given for the changes? "updated info". That's all. No other explanation, AND none of it was sourced! The 'new' Samuel Faulkner was born and christened in England in 1741, death date UNK. Wife? Martha, daughter? Ann. Married? Yes, in England. Sources? NO. The 'old' Samuel Faulkner was born in New York in about 1740, died in New York about 1811, son Col. James Faulkner. Source? 1.

As for deleting Col. James Faulkner? I just don't know. adamjerrypeters1 replaced him with a James Faulkner also born in 1779, wife UNK, two children (maybe) one born in Nova Scotia, one born in Massachusetts. Then he tried to link Harrison Faulkner, born in New York as another child.

Rat's nest.

I don't know. I have no words. I eventually restored it, left detailed notes and added a few more sources to be on the safe side. I wondered what other messes adamjerrypeters1 left around FamilySearch. And, if no one is watching, will these 'improvements' become 'truths'?

Normally I leave a wide berth around all of the community trees. Geni is the worst of them. I have dabbled in WikiTree, I had not yet really explored FamilySearch, but I did expect more from them. 

Lesson learned.

I have strong, but mixed feelings about all of this. My frustration with all the bad research made public, the abandoned trees, the just plain nonsensical reasoning led me to choose to keep my research mostly off-line. I do keep a private online tree at Ancestry and at FindMyPast. I plan to go 'public' with my Faulkner tree now that the research is solid. This mess of public trees was the driving force behind my decision to start my blog. A place where I could document my research publicly, but where I remained in control. 

Just coming off a week of intense education in the form of  BCG's Free Day of Quality Education webinars, I was reminded that we must be mindful in our work and to practice responsible genealogy.

Genealogy, once  the hobby of grandmothers and the academic crowd. Researching pedigrees and descendants of nobility. Serious stuff. Not a lot of fun.

But genealogy IS fun. And the World Trees make it more inclusive than ever before. It's fun to put your family history up on Ancestry, FamilySearch, WikiTree, etc and find cousins and kin you didn't know existed. And we've all made some rookie moves, okay lots of rookie moves, when we first started out. We had to crawl before we could run.

So, how do we encourage these enthusiastic 'helpers' without chasing them away? How do we keep the public research as accurate as possible? I don't really know. Maybe it's something that just needs to work itself out. 

But please, I beg you. As tempting as it might seem to 'help' out and 'fix' a few things, it does so much more harm than good. And someone, somewhere is left to straighten out your mess. When they had better, more productive things to do.

Preaching to the choir, I know.

Thanks for listening.


©2106 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Book Of The Week: Genealogy: A Journal of American Ancestry, Volumes 1-2




Genealogy: A Journal of American Ancestry, Volumes 1-2

by: W.M. Clemens, 1912





©Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Friday, October 14, 2016

Photo Friday :: A Handsome Fellow



This series was birthed from the large old photo album I rediscovered in the back of my closet. Many of the photos are from my grandmother's side of the family. There are also unknown photos that came with the album. Story goes my dad, an avid garage saler, picked up a celluloid covered Victorian era photo album on one of his scavenges. It already contained photos of an (as yet) unidentified family. My parents put our own vintage family photos in the album alongside the mystery family's.  As children we marveled at the old fashioned clothing and settings, often wondering who these people were and what their lives were like. Of course, we thought that ALL the people in the photos were our relations! It wasn't until my mom passed the album on to me after my dad died that I learned of the mystery family residing alongside our own!

I plan to share these photos over time, sometimes they will be my family, and identifiable, others will be of the mystery family. Thanks to the world wide web, they may find their way home yet!

Enjoy!




"Frank Rowley" "early 1900's"
"(uncle of child Ray)"

Samuel Frank Rowley. Born 1869 in Blandinsville, IL. Married Letha Stanbary in 1909 in Des Moines IA. Had three children. Died in 1952 in Biggsville, IL.



©2016 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Samuel Faulkner: Hiding In Plain Sight (52 Ancestors #7)

Samuel Faulkner is my favorite. I think because he was so hard to find. A multi-year brick wall that I just kept butting my head into until it finally cracked. One day a chink fell out and I quickly was able to tear the wall down.

Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

My introduction into the seductive world of genealogy came with a box of stuff from my grandmother, interesting family lore and Ancestry.com.

On my maternal side were Patriots, Pilgrims, Pioneers and suggestions at Royalty. Talk about Bright Shiny Objects! I quickly entered all my grandmother's research into my new Ancestry.com account and ... Oh My Gosh!! ... Well, I never! What?? By the end of an afternoon I had added centuries to my family tree! Centuries!

Well, that was easy. Mom's side - DONE.

I know, you are either laughing hysterically or totally aghast at this point. Wait. Things were soon to take a turn. I was about to get schooled.

So on to my dad's side. The Faulkner side. No one had ever done any research on my dad's side, that I was aware of. I actually had to build it from scratch. And, to make it even more interesting my dad was an only child. And had recently died. My mom had a few notes from a second cousin who could not be less interested in genealogy - so the quest began. With no one to consult on this family I set out to forge a new trail into the wilderness.

Samuel Faulkner is my 4th great grandfather on my paternal side, but I did not know this for a very long time. The oldest piece of information I had at the beginning of my quest was the name of my 2nd great grandfather. My father has started a file labeled "Operation Grandpa" which I did not find until after he had died, and it made me laugh.  He had been searching for the mythical Faulkners too!

Using Ancestry, I plugged in all the information my dad had gathered.  I immediately found some good census, birth and death records. I found marriage and divorce records. I found obituaries. I found children. And blessedly I did not find one single Family Tree to mess me up!

I contacted Historical Societies, wrote to cemeteries, joined Yahoo groups, posted to message boards. I posted public trees on every site I could think of hoping to lure a cousin or two. I ordered genealogy and history books through the library that I couldn't view online.

I discovered some second cousins I did not know I had, and managed to track them down via long evenings Googling. That hard work proved unfruitful for family info, but I gained brand new kin.

None of this was easy. There were a lot of misses. A lot of dead ends. A lot of "I'm sorry, we are unable to help you with your request". A lot of years searching in vain for a man with no name.

I can't even describe the twists and turns my research took. The one step forward two steps back. The high hopes dashed in an instant. And all the quitting. Throwing my hands up in disgust and walking away - muttering "it's impossible!" "it can't be done!".

But something kept pulling me back. I was a mad woman on a mission. Why was no one else researching this family? No one! I became very protective of MY Faulkners. Yes, My Faulkners. I had gone there. At this point I had invested 4 years of solely researching this particular family. Investing my own blood, sweat and tears. I lived and breathed Faulkner history. I was pretty annoying to be around.

With all the information I was able to gather I had been able to prove my way back to my 3rd great grandfather - a regionally famous man named James Faulkner - I wrote about his wife here.  Of course, in all the biographies and histories done on him there was never a mention of his father.

And I had a very strong candidate for my 5th great grandfather, William Faulkner. Very strong.
Early on in my research I was given a transcript of his will. By all indications this was my 5th great grandfather. And it listed 4 sons. Hallelujah!

Maybe.

So, how to get from James to William? Another year or so passed as I worked the four sons lines. I ruled out one right away as he was deceased and there was no mention of any offspring. Another was a Patriot and there had been some lineage work done on him. The third son married into the Bull family of New York, and traceable through extensive histories. That left Samuel. Invisible Samuel.

Plugging Samuel in to my database brought me nothing. I started my writing, searching, posting campaign yet again, to no avail. This man was invisible! This man who, at one time owned 1000 acres of land in Wallkill, New York was invisible! Another year passed and I sadly put my quest for Samuel away. Vowing to travel to New York one day to pick up the search in person. Time to get on with life. Time to rejoin the living.

Then it happened.

A week after Christmas.

2012.

A casual mention in a chat room about newly added unindexed records on FamilySearch.

Oh. Hell. Yes.

Locked in my Genealogy Cave - fueled on nothing but raw tenacity and coffee - eyes bleary and red from hours of scrutinizing the computer screen ....... there it was!

No. What? Did I do it? Did I just find Samuel?

Staring in shocked disbelief. Frozen in the moment. The quest was over. OVER.

Stumbling out of the Cave I began my happy dance. I did a little Church Lady, and cried tears of joy.

It was a wonderful, frustrating, magical 5 years. I learned a lot. Not only about my Faulkner family, but about researching from scratch and doing it right. Best lesson ever. This is why Samuel Faulkner is my favorite. I worked hard for him and was rewarded magnificently.

Samuel Faulkner was never really lost. Just hiding, in plain sight.

Video Of The Week: David Rencher - How do I deal with common names in Ireland?

We watch a lot of videos in the Cave. Webinars, instructional videos, continuing education videos, you name it! If it helps with our genealogical pursuit we are all over it!

Each week we thought we'd share one we've enjoyed.

Hope you enjoy it too!







©2016 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Frasers of Fife: Generation Three | Hugh Fraser and Ann Amelia Cleminston

1880 John Fraser Family Tree
16. Hugh Fraser (John - 4, Duncan - 1) born December 25th 1813. Millwright at Carlisle.


married 1839 at Gretna


Ann Amelia Cleminston born 1819


children of this union:



45. i. John Duncan Fraser b. December 28th 1846 m. Anna Eliza Liddel

46. ii. Alexander Fraser b. November 28th 1850 m. Sarah Ann Crum


Hugh death unknown
Ann death unknown




~ all information provided here has been taken directly from the John Fraser family tree compiled in 1880 and as such is the only source for these writings - the objective being to record his work for further study and documentation ~ 

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Finding Faulkner: Coming Full Circle


It started, as good quests always do, with a family tale.

When I first began this epic journey of discovery; seems 100 years ago, I held in my hand this book: History of Orange County New York. I looked at this patent map, read every name, wanting desperately to read "William Faulkner" among the patent holders.


But, that would have been too easy. No, I needed to work for this. And work I did. My best work to date. Blood, sweat, tears. And a tenacious drive to put it all together. To not give up. To see it through to the end.

I revisited this book just last week. Looked at the map again with new eyes. And a great deal more knowledge. Thanks to the deed platter I had successfully platted the land of Samuel's sons from old land transfer records. I had also learned that all three properties shared a common neighbor - the Colden's. And the lot was an odd shape.


Hmm. All the pieces fit together to form a triangle - which was good. BUT they faced in the wrong direction. Harrumph.

Staring at the map - the light bulb finally went off! The map was not oriented correctly! Rotating it to line up with the actual earth, this is what I got:




Then I flipped the plats .......


Low and behold! It fit!!

The property willed to Samuel's three sons fit in the upper left portion of the 1130 acre untitled parcel! The rest of the parcel would, more than likely, have been the other two pieces given to William's other two sons, James and William Jr. 

Resting on my laurels (for the time being) I sat back and took it all in.

After a moment of silence, a contemplation of the magnitude of this odyssey; a pause to reflect and to offer my gratitude to all the faceless kin that have gone before me; who's blood runs through my veins, I felt humbled.

From the moment I first held this map I had already "found Faulkner", but never knew it. What is that quote?

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." T.S. Eliot

or

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust


This labor of love was one of the most personally moving things I have accomplished. But there is still much to do! First, dig deep into the unindexed land records on FamilySearch to locate the sale of the other sons' property. I can then plat it, as I did Samuel's land. With Heaven smiling upon me, the pieces should fit. I am more determined than ever to get to Goshen, NY and to dig into the land records and other early documents. Look at the plat maps. Walk the land of my ancestors and hopefully find a clue that will take me 'across the pond' to the birthplace of William. And meet some cousins!

One more quote for you:

“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” ~ T.S. Eliot

Monday, October 10, 2016

Notes From My Grandmother | Potwin Lineage and Genealogy, Bits & Pieces


Somehow, much of my grandmother's hand written and (badly) typed notes and research wound up in my possession. Traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles and back to Chicago again. It sat, in the dark of my mother's closet, until my dad passed and my mom decided to begin her great purge. Knowing I had picked up the torch, the next generation to pursue the Greatest Hobby on Earth, the papers came to live with me. Unsure for many years on just what to do with them, I have decided to bring them out and share them with you - transcribed, of course - no one can read my grandmother's handwriting! But in her own words; mistakes, rambling sentences, and all. I think she will be pleased her work and her writing are once again out in the light.


POTWIN FAMILY bits and pieces. 

Snippets of information that may or may not be interesting. Or relevant. I suspect some Potwin descendant, somewhere might be thrilled to learn of these "notes". found amongst her 'finished' story.


  • Many Potwin's had red hair.
  • The nickname "winepot" was bandied about frequently. As in "Mr Winepot" or "Mrs Winepot" or just plain "Winepot"!
  • "From a letter written by Mother (Mrs I.A. Potwin): Uncle William dropped the 'e' from the name after he came to Iowa; met a man who always emphasized the last syllable as -WINE- and as Uncle Wm. was much opposed to alcoholic drinks decided to fix that, ha! ha!"
  • These notes and records have come to me (ETPT) from Beulah E. Sims Potwin (Mrs. Thomas D. Potwin) She received the notes from her husband's sister - Elizabeth (Bess) - She was a teacher in Emma Willard School, Troy New York and must have gleaned her knowledge (most of it) from researching old histories in research libraries. The only one of the family who did. Her father Arthur E. Potwin(e), became interested after he was married and wrote a genealogy (now about falling to pieces) and at times Bess sent notes. Arthur E. added the 'e' back to his name after becoming interested in genealogy.
  •  Arthur E Potwin(e) was a redhead. As a young man he wanted to be a pipe organist. He was told that was "sissy" so he, having inherited a tobacco farm, became a farmer.
  • By Beulah E. Sims Potwin: "I married Thomas Danforth Potwin in 1907, made several trips to Conn. when my husband's father Arthur E. was alive. I knew all the brothers and sisters. Tobacco was raised in Conn since the Indian days - ten miles from Hartford - East Windsor was just a street of houses - no stores - just farm houses. Negroes had cabins in the woods - took in washings and helped in the homes."
  • Beulah continued: "Elizabeth (Arthur's sister) once said 'just brigands and no accounts went west'. They though my husband very foolish to come west. He graduated from Yale in 1902. I was in school at Oberlin, Ohio. That year my folks went west to Aberdeen S.D. There I met my husband to be - who had started work as city editor on Aberdeen's paper. Came to Oregon four children later (1918) All the family seemed to have inherited the smell of printer's ink."

Obituary
Rev. W.S. Potwin, early resident and minister of Buchanan County died at age of 91 at his home in the First Ward. He had devoted much of his life to the cause of Christianity.
Rev. William S. Potwin was born in New York state June 9, 1831, being a family of twelve children. He spent his early life in that state. He graduated from medical college in Cleveland Ohio and was engaged in practice for some years. He married Elsie M Barnes in Ellington, NY 1854. In 1864 he came west and located in Buffalo Grove where he continued to practice medicine and operated a farm. About the year 1871 he began preaching the gospel and in 1872 was ordained as a Congregational Minister. Later he had pastorates at Fayette, Monona, Quasquetone and Gatesville. In October, 1884 he came to Independence and has since been residing here.
In the family of twelve of which he was a member, three died in infancy and the others died in young manhood and womanhood with the exception of one sister, Mrs E H Hammond of Independence, and one brother M A Potwin of Corning, Iowa.
Besides his wife he leaves four children: W B Potwin of Forest Grove, Oregon, G B Potwin of Lyons, Kansas; M J Potwin of Aurora, Iowa, and Miss Grace at home. In addition 13 grandchildren and 7 great-grand-children.
In the early days for about a year he was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but Rev W S Potwin spent the remainder of his life in the service of the Congregational Church. 



NEXT: Beulah's letters to my grandmother.


©2016 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved
©1950 - 1980 Elizabeth Twining Potwin Thomas, Private Collection