Rev. Zephaniah Willis (1757-1847) was a diligent recordkeeper, and every year he purchased an annual Almanac. Within the almanac he documented the daily weather and would occasionally make note of significant events within his own life, or the lives of … Continue reading Searching for Rev. Zephaniah Willis of Kingston MA’s Almanacs
Two decades of research in the making, I am absolutely delighted to annouce the launch of my book Plymouth County, Massachusetts Freeperson Families in 1790 by Mary Blauss Edwards! Buy your copy today (or ask your local library to add … Continue reading Book Launch! Plymouth County, Massachusetts Freeperson Families in 1790
Ever since I did a research deep-dive on my mysterious ancestor George Roderic McClellan (1848-1912), I have been curious to learn more about his time spent in Denver, Colorado in the 1870s. I had discovered that he was a co-owner … Continue reading How To Determine The Age of An Antique Steamer Trunk
When my father-in-law Chris last visited us, we shared a fun discovery about one of his ancestors: an incredible 1897 interview in Gardeners’ Chronicle with his great-grandfather William George Turner, who was the head gardener at The Rookery on Streatham … Continue reading William George Turner (1833-1904), Head Gardener of The Rookery, Streatham Common
A few years ago, I made a fun research discovery: this remarkable interview, transcribed below, with William George Turner, my husband’s great-great-grandfather, who was the head gardener at The Rookery on Streatham Common in England. [Read more about William George … Continue reading 1897 Interview with William George Turner, Head Gardener at The Rookery, Streatham Common
I discovered this intriguing newspaper article about the 1820 “vampyre craze” in featured in The National Gazette (Philadelphia, Penn.) 21 Nov. 1820, p. 2. From a late French Journal. VAMPYRISM. Vampyres have been, of late, brought into fashion, by romances … Continue reading The 1820 Vampire Craze
On 13 January 1769, seven young men, several of them recent Harvard graduates, the sons of the Plymouth’s wealthiest merchants, politicians, lawyers, physicians, and slaveowners, “having maturely weighed and seriously considered the many disadvantages and inconveniences that arise from intermixing … Continue reading 1773 Tensions in Plymouth’s Old Colony Club
26 year old Edward Winslow Jr. was furious about Plymouth’s Patriots supporting Boston’s Committee of Correspondence in the aftermath of Dartmouth’s landing with a cargo of tea in Boston Harbor. He quickly wrote a point-by-point response in protest, and tried … Continue reading 13 December 1773: Edward Winslow’s Plymouth Protest
The Boston Tea Party occured on the evening of December 16, 1773. But the actions of the Boston patriots that evening were not a guarantee in the lead up to that event. The American ship Dartmouth arrived in Boston Harbor … Continue reading 7 December 1773: Plymouth Patriots Lend Support Prior to the Boston Tea Party
Not all those who wander in graveyards are lost… here’s some gift ideas to guide your intrepid graveyard explorers through their cemetery wanderings, gravestone photography adventures, and ancestor-locating journeys! A membership to the Association for Gravestone Studies gives you access … Continue reading Holiday Gift Guide – Gifts for Graveyard Wanderers
Boston Evening Journal 17 Feb. 1874, p. 2-3. Horrors Truly Multiply. We gave this morning the details of a terrible tragedy which took place in the little town of Halifax, in Plymouth county, on Sunday night, in which three persons … Continue reading The Sturtevant Triple Murder: Part Three: “Horrors Truly Multiply”
The family historian in your life will enjoy these ideas to organize their family tree, make their next research trip more productive, or show off their love of investigating the past! A membership to the New England Historic Genealogical Society – definitely worth visiting during the year, but even if you don’t live nearby they have awesome digital collections that they are always adding new databases to! Show off your love of books with this Book Nerd enamel pin. Genealogists will love this fascinating new biography about the lives of the five victims of Jack the Ripper, using a wonderful … Continue reading Holiday Gift Guide – Gifts for Genealogists
