The Mysterious Jennie Whitford Faulkner (52 Ancestors #1)

Jennie M Whitford is my 2nd great grandmother on my paternal side. She, like many female ancestors, is hard to research. I have made a few discovers, but she remains largely a mystery.

Jennie was born about 1835 in either Ohio or Michigan depending on which U.S. Census  you are looking at. She first appears in the 1860 census recorded as being born in Ohio. The 1870 census lists Michigan for her birthplace and the 1880 census again lists Ohio as her birthplace.

She married Harrison Faulkner, my 2nd great grandfather, on May 1, 1856 in Grass Lake Michigan. From the Jackson Citizen Patriot dated May 15, 1856: "Faulkner, Harrison and Miss Jenni M Whitford, both of Grass Lake, m. in Grass Lake, May 1, 1856, by Rev. C. R. Pattison."

Mrs. Harry Faulkner of Faribault

So, I know she was living in Michigan in 1856. I have not been able to find any record of her prior to this wedding announcement. Her parents remain a mystery. How did she get to Grass Lake? I can find no other Whitford's listed in the early Michigan census' at this time.

By 1860 she and Harrison are living in Faribault MN with their first child, Arthur, who was born in MN in 1859. (Second son Lloyd, b. 1862 and third son Louis, b. 1864, in Faribault as well. I can find no record of any other children born to this couple.) Interestingly, in this census there are listed two additional household members. Sarah Woodford age 16 and James Nichols age 10. Both born in MI. The children's relationship is not noted. I have always wondered if Sarah might be Jennie's younger sister. And if that is true then which surname might be correct? And who is James Nichols? Neither Sarah nor James appear in the household after the 1860 census.

On May 29, 1878 Jennie is granted a divorce from Harrison. Why? I'd love to know!

By 1880 Jennie is employed as a tailoress, still living in Faribault with her three teenage sons.

In 1885 she has moved to St Paul, MN and is listed in the city directory as Jane Faulkner (wid Harrison) residing with her three sons. Harrison, apparently following his family, is found living several blocks away.

Jennie died Feb 29, 1888 in St Paul. She was only 53. Her middle son, Lloyd, had become a successful doctor by this time and she was living with him at the time of her death. There is a record of the obituary in the Dalby Database, but I have been unsuccessful at finding either the actual obituary or the death certificate. It is claimed she was buried in Faribault MN, but that has yet to be discovered. Several other family members were cremated and I suspect that Jennie was too.

Interestingly, shortly after Jennie's death Harrison returned to Faribault where he remained until his death in 1905. The three sons remained in St. Paul.

Martha McBride Faulkner: Invisible Wife (52 Ancestors #2)

It irks me so that the women of former generations were, for all intents and purposes invisible. They
might well have been strong, opinionated, highly regarded citizens, but the history books record, for the most part, only the accomplishments of their husbands, fathers and brothers.

Such is the case of Martha McBride. Martha is my 3rd great grandmother on my paternal line. She was born about 1789 probably Ulster Co (now Orange Co), New York.

Martha first materialized to me when I was researching my 3rd great grandfather. Colonel James Faulkner. Originally I did not know her name. She was mentioned as "the wife and mother" in a biographical sketch on James. The obituary of my 2nd great grandfather listed her name as "Jane McBride", which was my first clue as to her surname. Another biographical sketch on James listed his wife as "Caroline".

It wasn't until I began to build James' family and research sideways that I discovered Martha. I was able to obtain death certificates on three of the children. Therein was listed the name of the mother: Martha McBride. Happy dance ensued. I had a name! A real name!

That euphoria was to be short lived.

Even with a name and a host of other information I still could not, can not, discover who Martha McBride really was.

The story of Martha can, sadly, really only be told through her husband.

Martha McBride was born about 1789, probably in Wallkill, then Ulster Co, New York. She met and married James Faulkner, son of an early pioneer family in the area, somewhere between 1811 and 1813. (James' uncle and father were well known military men and a couple of 'larger than life' characters in early Wallkill history.) Martha's family is unknown. Martha's new father-in-law owned 1000 acres of farm land, several hundred having been sold to her husband James just prior to the marriage.

Her early married life may have been busy and perhaps worrisome. Her new husband was the Justice of the Peace in Wallkill at the time of their marriage. When the War of 1812 broke out he was put in command of a regiment stationed on Staten Island. Meanwhile Martha was home caring for one or perhaps two babies, and running a farm. After the War, Martha's husband remained an officer of the State Militia.

The years of 1816 and 1817 found Martha's husband elected to the State Legislature, spending time in Albany NY. Meanwhile Martha was home, pregnant with twins, while caring for her two toddlers; and running a farm. (It is said Martha's husband was not reelected due to his siding with Gov. Clinton on the construction of the Erie Canal.)

The years between 1818 and 1826 found Martha pregnant three more times, the third pregnancy being another set of twins. Martha's husband began work as a county land surveyor and was "enjoying in a marked degree the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens", meanwhile Martha was home caring for 8 children; and running a farm.

By 1826 the Faulkners had begun to sell off their farmland, and by 1832 they began to plan a move to the wilderness of Michigan; and Martha had her ninth child.

bit of 1826 land sale record - note Martha only 'made her mark' - she probably could not read or write

Martha's husband purchased 600 acre of Michigan wilderness in 1833 in the area of Grass Lake, Jackson Co, Michigan. The move was soon to follow. The trip took 4 to 5 weeks, traveling by wagon with all they possessed. The Faulkner's were among the first to settle the area. By the fall of 1834 James had erected the first hotel in the new town, having cut the timber himself from the heavily forested wild land which, "he had improved from wilderness to fruitful fields". Martha had her tenth child.

In 1835 Martha had her eleventh, and final, child.

In April 1845 Martha lost her third daughter to complications of childbirth. Amazingly, all of Martha's children thrived and grew to adulthood. Only four of her children married, three daughters and one son, whom I descend from.

At Christmastime 1845 Martha departed the earth, she was only 56. I can find no obituary or death record. Her final resting place remains a mystery, but it is speculated she is probably buried near her daughter, most likely in the old Maple Grove cemetery.

In 1929 the courthouse containing all the early town records burned to the ground.

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.

Field Notes: Are Facebook Groups In Your Tool Kit?

Facebook is a great genealogy resource. I'm on Facebook all the time. But not in they way many people are "on Facebook". I don't actually remember the last time I "went on" Facebook to browse my news feed. My husband likes to scroll through his while watching TV and, thinking I'm on Facebook ALL DAY, he asks "did you see this?", "I suppose you already knew that?"

Well, no. Actually.

If I'm in a particular mind-set, I might retort "I did find this great new source for Ulster County land records" or "I 'met' the great, great granddaughter of my 3rd great grandmother's son by her first marriage" And watch as his eyes glaze over as he returns to his scrolling, mumbling something like "wow, that's great".

I'm talking Groups! Facebook groups! Oh how I love them! What a wonderful resource. A brilliant place to network with like minded researchers. Or experts. Or historical and genealogical societies. And, travel around the globe without leaving your chair!

Got a Brick Wall? Take it to a group! Just started using RootsMagic and have some questions? Take them to a group! Working on a theory and need some feedback? Yup ..... take it to a group!

I belong to over 100 various genealogical groups. (I was a bit shocked to learn this ...) Some are for research, some are for software and technology, some are for blogging. Some are just social. (Where else are you going to find people who "get" you and you're crazy genealogy 'addiction'?) If you're doing research in New Jersey, for instance, there's a group for that! Want to join/already belong to DAR? There's a group for that. Mayflower descendant? French Canadians? Adoptees? There are state-specific groups, county-specific groups, even city-specific groups. There are so many choices! Doing Prussian research? (sorry) there are a few great groups for that.

I'm not going to go into detail about how to find, or join groups. I suspect you are all pretty savvy when it comes to ferreting things out. (Just put in "'whatever you are looking for' genealogy" in the Facebook search bar) Besides, there are helps right on Facebook to walk you through. I would suggest that once you've joined a group, under 'notifications' click on 'all posts' or 'highlights', depending on your needs. I switch back and forth. If I'm concentrating my research in Orange County, New York, for example, then I want to receive ALL notifications from the related groups. If I belong to the Prussian group (I do), but I'm not currently working on a Prussian line, I usually choose 'highlights'. I still get some notifications, but I'm not pinged with every post.

So, yes. I am on Facebook all day. I consider it a valuable tool in my research kit. And you should too! (Just don't ask me if I saw "hey cat" ..... my eyes will glaze over as I stare at you blankly)

I'd love to learn what your favorite Facebook groups are, and/or if you've made any discoveries with the aid of a Facebook group. Please share in the comments!

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

Field Notes: Do You Yahoo!?

A bit old school, perhaps, Yahoo Groups is a great place to talk genealogy. And often get answers you might not find elsewhere. Researching Illinois? There's a group for that. How about Irish or Dutch? There's a group for that. Twin Cities? You bet. There are county groups, surname groups, state groups, nationality groups. City groups, DNA groups, adoption and brick wall groups.

Are you a member of one, or several? If not you need to be! I first discovered Yahoo Groups about 9 years ago when I was just starting my research into my Faulkner line. I can't even tell you how I happened upon it. Serendipity, happenstance, genealogy fairies?

The HOW, I guess, is really not that important.

I had more questions than answers and my research was going nowhere fast. I knew there had to be answers out there. After my lackluster success with various genealogy message boards, I stumbled into the Yahoo group that eventually was paramount to my success in tearing down a very irritating brick wall.

The key members of this particular group (it was a county group) either lived in the county or did extensive research in the county. Some were members of the genealogical/historical society there, others had centuries of family history, being of the same stock as the county's founding families. I was able to request lookups in various books and other materials that might only have been available to me had I made the 800 mile trip myself.  Bonus, the surnames I was researching were familiar to them and I was able to learn more than I would have in other types of groups or message boards.

And, like all of us, the group members in all the groups I belong to really, genuinely enjoy the research and are more than willing to lend a hand.

I encourage you to investigate Yahoo Groups for yourself. You just might discover that missing piece you've been searching for! Or possibly you could have the answer to someone else's brick wall.

So as not to reinvent the wheel, here's a great wiki that will walk you through the process and get you up and running in a flash.

Do you Yahoo!?

Something New ... And Exciting!

After the breakthrough I had last week with my brick wall 2nd great grandmother, I decided the way to go about researching all my brick walls was to go wide and deep.

Now, I have never been one for a ginormous family tree anyway. Having just come off a successful culling of my own out of control tree. which, as it turns out, wasn't so out of control as some. But that's not the story here.

The story today is to share with you what I am currently attempting in the Cave.

I spent the weekend casting a very wide net, going in deep on the Whitford family that I discovered last week. Turns out the whole clan is nuts - and they liked to marry and divorce numerous times. I would not have seen this pattern if I was sticking to just my direct line. By starting a new research tree on Ancestry dot com I was able to include all the collateral family, half cousins, step grandparents, all the odd, but blood related at some level, characters that I would not have bogged down my own tree with. (No, I do NOT want my own WikiTree, thank you). And, guess what!? I did start to see patterns, and was able to put some 'orphans' in families based on information found on other relatives documents, death certs, wills, etc. I must admit it was quite exhilarating!

Genealogy high?

So I have started to create research trees for all my dead end ancestors, adding all the spouses, children, brothers & sisters, aunts & uncles, etc; and following the trails to see what I might unearth.

It is very satisfying, for my obsessively orderly brain not to have all these trails, these webs, dangling from my own tree like so much Spanish moss. And, when I want to research a particular family I can just open that tree and work.

Now, I have member tree hints turned off so I don't get a gazillion bad trees popping up in my new hints, but once I have found all the legit sources available, I will pop over to search and look at those trees.

This is where the magic can happen.

Like it did for me last week.

Most often not, mind you, but it can, so I always look.

And, here's another thing. Once I get the research tree built, and have become pretty familiar with the surnames, I can hook my AncestryDNA to the tree and wait a bit to see if I snag anything! If I had one of those 30,000+ behemoths I would certainly not recognize the name of my 6th cousin five times removed. But with a compact little research tree I would.

The information is out there - we just have to dig deep and go wide sometimes until we spot that glimmer of light at the end of the long, long, long rabbit hole.

Today I am working on my McBrides and my O'Connells - should be a piece of cake!
 

Ancestry Dot Com Made Me A Lazy Genealogist

It's true. I am a bit ashamed to admit it. Lazy. Not that I didn't know how to research outside of Ancestry, they just make it so darned easy to search "one and done". I'm a bit embarrassed that I fell into that trap, but now I'm coming clean.

When I was a newbie Ancestry was a BSO that, in my uneducated world was the "Great and Powerful Oz". EVERYTHING I needed was there, and oh-so-easy to access. Who needs records and proof when you have all these amazing family trees! Copy, click, done. Solved all my grandmother's Brick Walls in a matter of hours. Holla and High Five!

(I know many of you are laughing right about now. Slapping your thigh and saying "yeah, me too, been there, done that, got the mess to prove it")

I really cut my genealogical teeth when I tackled my paternal line. A great uncle had done a bit of

research, but for the most part I was sailing into uncharted territory. Ancestry was no help. Oh sure, there were census records, an occasional military record - but thankfully (really, the Genealogy Gods were working overtime on this one) not one single family tree! Not one! Alrighty then.

I dug in and got to work. I read over all the notes my dad had gathered over the years about his ancestors and plugged what I knew into a new tree. On Ancestry. I still like their ease-of-use style, for me it works. I utilized Family Search, I joined Yahoo Groups (this was pre-Facebook, btw), I used all the free and helpful little websites that I could find. I emailed genealogical societies, I wrote letters to cemeteries, I stalked living people with the surnames I was researching in the locations I was researching. I went "old school". And it worked! All my research was by my own hand. All the information I had obtained I could source. I was feeling mighty good.

High on my success with my paternal line, I ambitiously decided to revisit my maternal side.

Oh dear Lord. My mind was boggled. I saw the mess I had created with my clickophile ways and I wept. Overwhelmed, I walked away.

For several more years I dug deeper on my paternal line and just put the mess of my maternal line on the back burner for "someday".

Enter Thomas MacEntee and his Great Genealogy Do Over of 2015. "Someday" had arrived.

Never one to back away once the gauntlet has been thrown, I buckled in for the toughest genealogy ride of my life. And because one can not have too many challenges in their life at once, I also committed to the 52 Ancestors 52 Weeks writing challenge.

Now, getting back to the point of this post.

January 1, 2015. I began a mass execution of all the "ancestors" I had added to my grandmother's solid research, leaving just her work and the work I or my cousin had done that was provable. (Don't gasp - I did save a complete copy of the whole mess prior to the reaping "just in case".) I targeted my 52 ancestors writings on some of my grandmother's brick walls. And I let my Ancestry subscription expire. (I know, rogue move, now I am at the mercy of my own wits!)

At first I was frightened. And angry at Ancestry for being so expensive and having "all the records", until I gave myself a good talking to. Again thanks to Thomas MacEntee and the Do Over, I had a really nice tool kit of resources. I had many Facebook groups that I could post queries to, and I had the knowledge I had acquired from my research on my paternal side. I can DO this! The few resources/hints that popped up on my Ancestry tree (that are now hidden behind a pay wall) I am able to access merely by going to my public library. And I can even send the records home via email to be downloaded in their full glory! But that's not the lesson here.

IF I had still had a subscription to Ancestry this week while I was researching my 2nd great grandmother I may have stopped there. My grandmother had written a small bio on her that may well have been enough for me to write my blog post. Her parents were brick walls for my grandmother and there were really no record hints on Ancestry that were even correct. I had long ago turned off hints from other trees, but even looking at those showed a confusing mix of possibilities.

I went to Google and I posted on Facebook the two things I wanted clarification on prior to publishing my post and hit the motherload! I got just enough possible leads and confirmation that I was on the right track, to prompt me to dig deep into my Tool Kit and search, search, search. Not only did I get my answers, I got eight more generations of my family and busted one of my grandmother's brick walls! Church Lady dance ensued in the ol' Genealogy Cave!

And a humbled genealogist was reminded that there are no shortcuts. That good genealogy is "old school" genealogy. That this former member of the Look It Up Club almost failed to live by the motto "we never guess we look it up", or in this case quit looking if it's not on Ancestry.

Mathias Wisner: Of Maryland Not Of Pennsylvania (52 Ancestors #12)

Mathias Wisner was my fifth great grandfather. And another good mystery! There is a lot of information floating around about Mathias Wisner. A lot of confusing and contradictory information. Here is what I have been able to prove, and a bit of reasonable conclusion, I will leave the speculation to others.

Mathias first shows up in Baltimore MD in 1770 when he has a plot of land surveyed. He is mentioned in the book "The Wisner's in America" as the "progenitor of the Palatinate family." Settling in Baltimore County. By this I suspect that he immigrated from Germany as an adult, sometime prior to 1770. Mathias received his patent in October of 1774 for a piece of property known as Wisner's Prospect.

He married Sarah Mannon sometime before 1775. It is listed on Find A Grave, and other public places around the old genealogical 'hood, that their first child was born in 1775. I have found no documentation to support this and there is not an actual grave marker or cemetery listed on FAG, just a memorial page. I have treated this as a bit of information that requires further investigation.

I have found no evidence of Mathias' actual birth date or birth place, however it is reasonable to conclude that he was born sometime between 1740 and 1750. Certainly no later. His wife is said to have been born about 1748 by other researchers, I have found no proof of this to date.

There is a record of Mathias paying a supply tax in 1783, which has earned him a spot on the Daughters of the American Revolution's roster an a new patriot. (Ancestor #A210952). Curiously, he is listed as having an unknown wife prior to marrying Sarah (who has been recorded by the DAR as Mathias' second wife). The woman who submitted the initial information for Mathias did not supply this information, so currently it is a mystery as to where the DAR unearthed it.

Mathias shows up in the 1790, 1810 and 1820 Federal Census. I was very sad to read that in 1790 he had one slave in his household. Thankfully he came to his senses, as by 1810 he no longer was a slaveholder. This part of our history is just appalling to me.

In 1816 Mathias wrote his Last Will and Testament, which was presented for probate Feb 26, 1823.

Mathias' exact date of death is unknown, or at least unproved. There is a date floating around, but I have yet to discover it's accuracy.

It is said that he is buried in the family plot on Wisner's Prospect.

This Mathias Wisner is often confused with a Mathias Wisner who immigrated to Pennsylvania from Germany in 1752. The Pennsylvania Mathias Wisner has been well documented as living the remainder of his life in PA. There should be no confusion, but the rumor still persists.

Anna Merriman Busby: Who's Your Daddy? (52 Ancestors #8)

Anna Merriman Busby is my 3rd great grandmother. Another female brick wall. A really tough one. There are quite a few people looking for her parents. There is a great deal of confusion surrounding the facts that have been discovered. This will be a short post.

Anna Merriman (or Merryman) was born 28 July 1807 according to her headstone on Find A Grave. Census records indicate she was born in Maryland.


Anna Merriman married John Wisner Busby in Harrison Co OH in April of 1826.


By 1840 the couple was residing in Carroll Co OH, where they remained until death. It is reported that they had 14 children.


Anna is buried in the Palermo Cemetery on the grounds of the former Palermo Methodist Protestant Church in Carroll Co, OH.

Over the years there has been lots of talk, theories, speculation on who Anna's father was. Some say it was Micajah "Cage" Merryman/Merriman. This has been discredited as "Cage" and his wife Sophia Snyder were actually married four years after Anna was born. "Cage" and Sophia did have a daughter named Anna and did live in Ohio in 1820, hence the confusion. There has also been another name bandied about, "Page" Merriman, but I am unclear as to the origin of this line of thought.

I must admit I have been away from this branch of the family for several years. With the Genealogy Do-Over I am jumping back in and working my maternal line once again.

So the questions remain.

Who is Anna Merriman's father?

How did she get from Maryland to Ohio, and why?

When did she arrive in Ohio? Was she an adult or a child?

She's buried in a Methodist cemetery, was she a member of the Methodist church?

To date there are a lot more questions than answers. I hope with time, and as more and more records are being discovered, we will one day know who Anna Merriman Busby's daddy was!

Sarah Kniffen Vredenburgh: Circuit Preacher's Wife (52 Ancestors #5)

Week five opens with yet another mysterious female ancestor. This week I point the spotlight on Sarah Kniffen Vredenburg(h), my fourth great grandmother. The name Kniffen is one of those that can, and has, been recorded in several different ways. Sarah's parents are UNK, making it just that much harder to verify her surname. My grandmother, the Genealogy Queen, had in her notes a question as to whether it was Kniffin or Kniffen. I have recently discovered that it might also be Sniffen or Sniffin. 

Yup.

Another good challenge designed to drive me, and others searching for Sarah crazy.

Let's see what we know, and leave the door wide open for new discoveries.

 Sarah Kniffen was born in Westchester Co, New York in July 1792, according to her monument marker on Find A Grave. Nothing is known of her childhood.

Sarah married Hackaliah Vredenburg(h), a Methodist minister, sometime before 1812, when the first of their children was born.  Some accounts claim they had eight children, other claim nine. I have been able to prove six and speculate on a seventh.

Sarah Kniffen Vredenburg's America

In 1817 the young family moved to Terra Haute, in the new State of  Indiana, but it was not to be a settled life. Sarah's husband was an itinerant preacher, a circuit rider, with an assigned territory of 300+ miles. Some of the memoirs written on Rev. Vredenburg tell of winters where there was no shelter for the family, no food to eat, "the pittance received from the people being barely sufficient to furnish them with clothing". This must have been a terribly hard life. Oft spoken of as "privations, dangers and toils of the itinerancy" I can nary imagine what this sort of life was like. Yet, Sarah lived it. I would imagine quietly and without complaint. Traveling from town to town, raising her children virtually alone while her husband was gone for days or weeks at a time, "organizing new societies and circuits, carrying the Gospel messages to the scattering settlements, and enduring all the exposures and privations of pioneer life." For further reading this book contains stories of life in early Indiana.

It is unclear as to when the Vredenburg's actually moved to Illinois, but by 1860 Sarah and her husband had settled in Vermillion County to live the retired life. It is said the Rev. Vredenburg enjoyed the time he had spent in Vermillion County while on his circuits. Several of Sarah's adult children are found in Vermillion Co, Illinois as early as 1845.

In 1869 Sarah lost her husband to what can be described as a heart attack.

In August 1870 a widowed Sarah had moved clear across the State of Illinois to reside with her daughter and son-in-law in McDonough, Illinois.

In September 1870 Sarah died. She was 78 years old.

She is buried with her husband in Vermillion County.

Sarah was just one of the uncounted thousands of strong, silent, resilient pioneer women whose stores go untold, but without whom the American frontier would not have been tamed. A Founding Mother who sadly will remain in the shadows of her husband and his accomplishments.

Thank you Sarah Kniffen Vredenburg. For your strength to plow through, despite the harshest of conditions.

Margaret Roberts Bass: Iowa Pioneer & A Bit Of An April Fool's Puzzle (52 Ancestors #4)

Another difficult ancestor. I wanted to do my 52 Ancestors project with some of my more obscure people. My hope is that in writing it out and publishing it I will a) see something new, b) someone will come forward with a new bit of information. Let me tell you what I know of my third great grandmother Margaret Roberts Bass.

Margaret Roberts was born on April 1, 1803 (according to her headstone) in Kentucky. To UNK parents. She 'disappears' for her entire childhood. She appears to have gotten married to William L. Bass 3 July 1823 in Boone KY. The record index lists her name as Peggy. I have not yet been able to obtain this marriage document.

The couple then disappears for 23 years. The next sighting is in 1856 in Mahaska Co, Iowa. They are listed in the Iowa State Census. They have five children by this time. two daughters and three sons, my second great grandmother among them. The children range in age from 19 to 11 and all are recorded as being born in Iowa.

There are some notes my grandmother the Genealogy Queen had in her Big Box of Stuff that says the Bass family moved to Bartholomew Co, Indiana but no date is given. They went on to Van Buren Co, Iowa in 1843, and then to Mahaska Co, Iowa in 1845. The notes were dated 1950 and I have no idea where she obtained the information.

Margaret and William were said to have 8 children, according to William's obituary, and were members of the Brethren church. I have found no obituary for Margaret.

Margaret Roberts Bass lived the remainder of her years in Mahaska Co, Iowa. She died on 2 Nov 1883 and is buried in the Wymore Cemetery with her husband William.

There is so much more to this story that I have yet to find out. Who were Margaret's parents? Why did they move to Indiana, and then to Iowa? Where are the other three children? With more and more resources being published on the internet every day I hope that it will only be a matter of time before I can get a few of these questions answered.

But until then, Margaret is keeping true to her birth date by being a long standing April Fool's puzzle for me!

Introducing the 2015 '52 ..., er 32, Ancestors'

As I prepare my list of ancestors I wish to study in the coming year I realize there are many I know little about! That's good for this project. Sure I have my share of Patriots, pioneers and Mayflower passengers, but I have decided to focus mostly on brick walls and women. I have decided to leave 20 slots open (for now) in hopes of filling in with new ancestors as this project progresses. I may use the topic guide or I may not, depending on the ancestor and the information. I am squeaky-clean new at this, so it will be an interesting adventure. That I have chosen to share with you. May we all learn from it and have some fun along the way!

My Ancestors (in no particular order) are:
Jennie M Whitford 1835 - 1888 OH/MI
Martha McBride 1789 - 1845 NY/MI
Samuel Faulkner 1740 - 1811 NY
James O'Connell 1799 - 1877 IRE/NY
Mary Dempsey 1815 - 1899 IRE/MN
Agnes Irons 1902 - 1950 IL
Jesse Thomas Sr 1786 - 1842 PA/OH
Ella Burt 1850 -1902 OH/IA
Cornelia Curtis 1798 - 1885 CT/NY
Ann Sammon 1853 - 1910 CAN/IL
Frederick Colyer 1847 - 1928 ENG/IL
David Burt 1824 - ? NJ
Hackaliah Vredenburg(h) 1790 - 1869 NY/WI
Jennett Smith 1780 - 1827 MA/OH
Sarah Kniffin 1792 - 1870 NY/IL
Anna Merriman 1807 - 1877 MD/OH
Margaret Roberts 1803 - 1883 KY/IA
N.W. Bass 1775 - ? VA
Mathias Wisner 1728 - 1821 GRM/MD
Elizabeth Phillips 1762 - 1843
L. L. Faulkner 1902 - 1992 MN/IL
James Irons 1827 - 1877 Scot/IL
Harrison Faulkner 1825 - 1905 NY/MN
R. W. Thomas 1904 - 1955 IA/IL
Elizabeth Twining Potwin 1904 - 1985 IA/CA
Annie Beach 1790 - 1863 NY/IA
Samuel Beach
Hannah Loveland 1760 - ?
Sarah Williams 1745 - 1820 VA/MD
Thomas Sammon 1825 - 1873 CAN/IL
James Chalmers 1777 - 1830 Scot
William Faulkner 1700 - 1784 Scot/NY

Let the stories begin!!!
 

Hackaliah Vredenburg: Brick Wall Ancestor

I've decided to finally undertake my grandmother's biggest Brick Wall, my 4th great grandfather the Reverend Hackaliah Vredenburg. Here is all I have found so far:

 Memoirs. Rev. Hackaliah Vredenburg. 

 "Rev. Hackaliah Vredenburgh was born in Westchester county, N. Y., May 10, 1790, and died at the residence of his son-in-law, Rev. Rowley, in Wisconsin, January 23, 1869.

 In 1817 he settled at Terre Haute, Ind. In 1830 he united with the Missouri Conference. His first appointment was Okaw Circuit. In 1821 the Illinois Conference was formed, Bro. Vredenburg being one of the original thirty-two members, of who two only are now left, the venerable Peter Cartwright, of Illinois, and Aaron Wood, of Indiana. He was returned the second year to Vermillion: in 1825 his appointment was Crawfordsville, and the next fall he was granted a location. In 1831 he was re-admitted into the Illinois Conference and appointed to Logansport mission. The next year the Indiana Conference was formed, and his field of labor being within its bounds, he became a member of it, and continued identified with the conferences of Indiana until his death. In 1832 he was appointed to Washington Circuit, 1833 to Lafayette, 1834 and 5, to Pine Creek, 1836 to Monticello Mission, 1837 to Dayton, 1838 and 9 to Greencastle. In 1840 he received a superannuated relation, which he retained until death with the exception of one year, 1851, when he traveled in Prairieville Circuit.

 Most of Bro. Vredenburg’s itinerant life was spent in the Valley of the Wabash. From its mouth almost to its source he preached, organizing new societies and circuits, carrying the Gospel messages to the scattering settlements, and enduring all the exposures and privations of pioneer life. In one of his charges no house could be had to shelter his wife and children while he traveled his circuit of three or four hundred miles round. Rather than leave his work, he took possession of a deserted log stable, and fitting it up with his own hands made that the parsonage for the year. At other times he was compelled on his rest days to cultivate a small piece of ground to supply his family with food, the pittance received from the people being barely sufficient to furnish them with clothing. But amid all these privations and dangers this faithful minister was always at his post, rarely missing an appointment and never deserting his trust.

 He was much attached to Vermillion county. One of the first, if not the very first to carry the Gospel there, for he preached at Butler’s Point as early as 1823, when failing health hoping there to spend the remainder of his days. But as age and increasing infirmities came upon him he was compelled to break up housekeeping and spend his time with his children. His sight had become dim and his body exceedingly feeble, yet his mind was clear and strong, and the memory of the incidents and labors of his itinerant life unimpaired. On the day before he died he was attacked with a severe pain in the chest which continued about thirty-six hours, when death released him from his sufferings. When told by his physician that he could live but a little while and that he had better prepare to die, he replied. “I have been doing so all my life.” His aged companion, who shared with him the privations and toils of the itinerancy for near fifty years, still survives."

 Source: Memoirs. Rev. Hackaliah Vredenburg. Methodist Episcopal Church. Minutes. North Western Indiana Conference. 1869. 18th. P. 32.

 This should be an interesting ride!


©2014 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Samuel Faulkner of Wallkill, New York: A Brief History

Samuel Faulkner of Wallkill, New York: A Brief History

by Anne Faulkner ©2012 all rights reserved

Elgin, IL Winter 2012. Samuel Faulkner was born about 1740 in Wallkill, then Ulster County, New York. Little is known of his life as of this writing. What I have been able to discover I will share with you now. My family lore suggests that he was the second generation in America, his father having emigrated from Scotland to the “Colony of New York” in the early 1700's. Samuel Faulkner, the subject of this article, is most likely the son of William and Mary Faulkner, but no proof has been found to substantiate this at this time. There was a Samuel Faulkner listed in the will of William Faulkner dated 11 Sept. 1783, who was said to have married Elizabeth Wilkin according to the 'History and Genealogy of Wm Bull and Sarah Wells' book . Our Samuel's land was adjacent to Col. Wm Faulkner's land. However I CANNOT PROVE that this is the same man as our subject. There is a good likelihood, yes, but no proof has been found to date. That said, let's move forward to what I DO know.

Military involvement: The earliest record I have found of Samuel is the 1775 listing of New York in the Revolution. It shows Samuel as a private in Col. Clinton's New Windsor Regiment (under the command of Jacob Newkirk); in the Wallkill Second Co (Wm Faulkner Jr Captain). Orange Co leading up to the Revolution was a very exciting place to be, I am sure there is more to learn about Samuel during this time, however I have not pursued his military involvement further as of this writing.

Family life: In the 1790 Census we find Samuel Faulkner with 10 occupants in his household. Eight are children. Four boys and four girls, plus 2 adults, 1 male and 1 female. In 1800 we find him with 9 occupants – 2 older adults, 1 male and 1 female, 4 younger males and 3 younger females. By 1810 it is just Samuel and one older female in the household. Based on the information available from the census records I concluded that the first child, a daughter, was most likely born between 1763 and 1765. And that Samuel was most likely born around 1740, with his wife being born around 1745. I have come to learn that his wife's name was Elinor and the four sons were named David, Robert, James and John M. I suspect the youngest daughter to be Margaret.

Land ownership: Samuel Faulkner, owned a substantial piece of land, about 1000 acres, located in Wallkill, New York. It was situated adjacent to the land of Col. William Faulkner, as mentioned above. The Scotchtown Meeting House stood at one corner of his property. He owned a saw mill, also located on his property.(2)  In the 1803 assessment roll of real and personal estate taxable in the town of Wallkill, Samuel is shown as having $2012.00 worth of land, one of the wealthier land holders on the list. In 1807 I found Samuel and his wife Elinor (or Eliner) selling some of their 1000 acres to their four sons: David, James, Robert and John M. Each boy receives about 130 acres. Then in 1839 all four boys, along with their wives sell off all of the land they hold in Wallkill and effectively leave the area permanently.

Religious life: Samuel was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church O.S., as reported in his son James' obituary. In 1799 I found Samuel as an elder of the Union Church at New Shawangunk.(1)  The church building was known as the Old Union House and was located near Bloomingburg Mills. It had a cemetery at the same location. I have located the grave of a Samuel Faulkner buried at the Bloomingburg Rural Cemetery. He is buried with his wife “Helen”, and Margaret, whom I believe to be his daughter. The cemetery records are very old and there are no headstones. If this is our Samuel (and I strongly suspect it is) he died April 2, 1811, four years after selling half of his land to his sons. Elinor “Helen” died March 17, 1826.

Conclusion: At the death of my father in 2007 I picked up where he left off; trying to learn of his heritage and his Faulkner name. I hit many a dead end in the following years and in winter of 2011 I decided to dedicate the next 12 months to researching the Faulkner name exclusively. That's when the breakthroughs began. I have come a long way, there is still so much more to learn, my father would be so excited at the new information I uncovered. I present this to you now with the hopes that some of the information will ring a bell with you and together we can learn more of this great family name, our family name.

Afterword: I continue my research on this bloodline. If you are interested in collaborating or just want to learn more I can be contacted at ancestorarchaeology@gmail.com.

Sources:

(1)Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.) History of Orange County, New York, 1881, Philadelphia: Everts Peck [available on archive.org]
(2)"New York Land Records, 1630-1975," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-32871-9664-40?cc=2078654 : accessed 8 April 2016), Orange > Deeds 1820-1823 vol V-W > image 101 of 522; county courthouses, New York.