PROMPT QUESTION No 4: FAVOURITE SEASON(S)... Fall

For the past few weeks, I've been writing (privately) on Prompt Questions for "The Book of Me".  Click on the link for more information; perhaps you might want to follow along.
  - Prompt Question No 1:  Who Am I?  (20 answers)
  - Prompt Question No 2:  My Birth  (8 answers, details)
  - Prompt Question No 3:  My Physical Self (i.e., as of now; many details)
And here is No 4, Favourite Season(s), and I decided to share this particular one: Fall or Autumn, if you prefer... [check link for Canadian preference(s)]

Sweater-weather!  Yeah!!

There’s something refreshing and inspirational about Fall in Vancouver, BC, with fresh air, cool nights, warm days in the sunshine, deciduous trees turning colours and dropping their leaves: Autumn - or Fall - as I always knew it.

The time to put away my freshly cleaned and folded summer clothes with a smile, and pull out the sweaters, long-sleeved t-shirts, some with turtlenecks, plus the sweatshirts and warmer pants.  Turquoise, purple, black, red – strong colours are for Fall, somehow.  My whole body is covered with warm soft toasty clothing.  Oh, and I’d better put that blanket back on my bed, between the duvet and top sheet.  Warm.  Ummmm.

The perfect weather to sit in my big chair with an afghan or stole I crocheted tossed over my legs as I read another book, drinking hot tea, or occasionally, hot chocolate, while the furnace hums quietly in the background. 

No more hearing the loud whines of lawnmowers and leaf-blowers working up and down the block every single weekend.  Ah, quiet.  Well, except for those new-home builders down the block, racing to finish the outside and roof before the truly heavy rains come in a few weeks.  

I sit at my desk by the south and west-facing windows and watch the huge weeping willow just down the block, as it now turns from beautiful green to yellow and brown, dropping leaves off its long drooping branches.  A gorgeous tree to watch at any time of the year.  A few maple and birch trees along the streets are dropping dry leaves to crunch underfoot – a lovely sound.  The dry crunch doesn’t last long – soon it will be the swish of wet leaves underfoot, or perhaps splashing through puddles – my all-time favourite activity with any young children/grandchildren.  Splish-Splash!! Yeah!!  Let’s do it again!!

This fall photo (copyrighted) was taken in Falaise Park in the far eastern side of Vancouver, by my brother, Jake Gillespie, a realtor with a passion for photography.  We lived over to the right of the photo.

Fresh BC-grown apples and other fruits are on show at all the produce stores, spilling over their displays.  Nothing is like the bite into a fresh apple.  A family one block over has a lovely apple tree in their front yard, and after I’d been chatting to them for a moment on my way home from the library, they handed me a big bag of apples!  Ambrosia – no, that wasn’t the apple type, it was a type of Delicious, and it tasted like both!

I’m watching my carrots and parsnips slowly growing thicker in the garden, and happily snipping more parsley and chives, putting the last tomatoes on the window sill to finish ripening.  Our winters are usually so mild that many herbs keep growing through the winter.

Fall.  The start of a serious season, somehow.  Time to hunker down, pull up my boots, and get to work – whatever that work is that I’m making to-do lists for.  Serious goals, serious thoughts, enough play time.  Oh, the Ant and the Grasshopper syndrome – I read Aesop’s tale too often perhaps.

This morning, it's raining, and the wind is tearing any loose dead leaves, sending them flying down the street. It will be raining even more very soon.  Pacific storms come regularly: the “Pineapple Express” from the Pacific Ocean, dumping rain on each mountain range it meets.  But even when it rains heavily, there’s often an hour or so of lighter rain or no rain.  And, really, it’s only water.  Good boots, warm socks, a sweater, and a Gore-Tex type waterproof jacket with a hood, and I can go anywhere, anytime.  I usually don’t bother with an umbrella.  I know I have one somewhere in that closet, but don’t need it. 

Fall!  My favourite season indeed.  Comfort - in so many ways - comes with Fall. 

MORE IRELAND ROOTS: Edward McCABE 1767-1814

Edward McCABE, b. 1767 according to a small personal gravestone stating his age at death on 1 April 1814 as 47 years old.  Too young, isn't it?  I haven't found any record of why he died at that young age.  His age at death is listed as only 42 on the large KUHN obelisk stone with his wife (their daughter married into the KUHN family in Pennsylvania).  The KUHN obelisk states he was born in 1767, and died at 47 years of age; the smaller stone states he was 42 years old at death.  This age-at-death discrepancy is not resolved, as yet.  Both stones may be seen at Conewago Chapel Basilica Cemetery, Adams, Pennsylvania.  

All that I know of his origins is that it is stated he came from County Monaghan, Ireland, and that he was likely born there in approximately 1767.  He married Rebecca HUDSON (b. 18 Mar 1777) in Morgantown, Berks, Pennsylvania. Therefore we can assume that he was in Pennsylvania approximately a year or more before then.  I'm still searching through all the pages of any 1790, 1800, and 1810 censuses for any McCabe families, in case he came with some relatives! Chester county, Lancaster county, Berks county, and Adams counties - all to be searched.

Rebecca, his wife, was born in Morgantown where her parents settled, and was the middle child of 7 children. Her parents were Jonathan HUDSON & Mary MORGAN, and her grandparents were all early Welsh settlers in Pennsylvania, living at times in Caernarvon, Churchtown (Chester county), and Morgantown.

He is found on the 1800 Census, living with his family in Uwchlan Township, Chester county, PA.  No details of his possible occupation are available.  And I have yet to find more records - wouldn't it be wonderful to go visit?  Unfortunately the 1800 Census is transcribed from the earlier original records, as it is listed alphabetically - Sigh!! So no friends or family relationships are available to be researched.

Next, I will be writing to the Uwchlan Township Historical Commission to request several possible histories which might be practical for researching the early settlers. Hopefully, including a sentence or three about my McCabe ancestor. A long shot, but perhaps something will show up there.  Land records so far show no results, but I'm at early stages of searching.

Edward & Rebecca had only 3 children before he died in 1814:
1.  (Sister) Maria Cecelia McCabe b. 1798 in Morgantown, PA.  I believe she died in MD, but I don't have details as yet.
2.  (Dr.) Edmond Hudson McCabe b. 1800 in Morgantown, PA.  He had 5 children (4 boys, 1 girl), no grandchildren! All his children died before the age of 56.
3.  Jane Rebecca McCABE, my ancestor, b. 25 Oct 1803 in Downington, Chester, PA.  Jane married Joseph Jacobus KUHN in 1826, in Conewago, Adams, PA and they had 9 children.  I am descended from the 2nd son, (Dr.) Louis DeBarth KUHN, b. 22 Oct 1829 in East Berlin, Adams, PA.

If any of this information is related to your ancestors, do not hesitate to contact me, either by leaving a comment below, or by emailing me  calewis at telus dot com -- I would love to hear from you!  Or, if you have more information on any of these ancestors, I'd be thrilled to have even a small clue to work with!  Thanks for dropping by.

LABOUR DAY - My Work History

Randy Seaver did a great summary of his work history for Labor Day (USA)  and I thought I'd do the same... as best I can remember!  I've lived in Vancouver BC Canada almost all my life, so assume the jobs are in Vancouver unless I mention another place.   And the spelling is of course, Canadian!

My first job started when I was about 12 years old, babysitting all the many little children and babies living near where we lived, on Matapan Crescent in Renfrew Heights.  "Maternity Crescent in Diaper Heights" was the nickname - 600 rental homes built specifically for married Canadian veterans' families having at least 2 children.  All streets had WW2 battle names: Dieppe, Falaise, etc.  Whew!  Lots of babysitting jobs there, for many years.  And when that one year old baby woke up and threw the poop from her diaper all over the bedroom, wall, and floor... well, Mom was just across the street to help!  I made lots of money in those early days:  25 cents/hour, 35 after midnight.  Enough to help me start buying my own clothing, music sheets of the Top 20, and more.

When I was 14 years old, I somehow got a summer job in the Kraft mayonnaise factory a few blocks away from our home, on Grandview Highway.  Unloading clean jars onto the conveyor belt for an hour, then sitting on a stool beside the conveyer belt making sure there were no broken/chipped/misplaced jars being filled, finally loading the filled mayonnaise jars -- 4 at a time -- into clean labelled boxes.  Boring job -- very.  Paid quite well.  One summer was plenty!

The next year, both my older sister and I worked at Kitsilano Beach at the Fish'n Chip concession stand.  Everything done by hand - potatoes dumped into the unit that scrubbed them and cut them, the batter made fresh for the fish fillets cooked individually.  I still love battered fish fillets with malt vinegar on them!  A great job for the summer.

Ohhh, a "real job" when I was 16.  I worked for Canada Safeway stores as a cashier on Friday evenings and all day Saturday.  Great wages - $1.25 per hour!  Each week, we had to memorize not only all the specials, but all prices in the produce section -- actually ALL prices in the store.  It's quite amazing how one could touch a tin or an apple and know immediately the price.  The Canadian government began the Social Insurance Number card system in 1964, and since I was still working part-time for Safeway, their head office in Ontario did all the paperwork for all their Canadian employees.  My SIN card starts with the Ontario code rather than the BC code - something to confuse an ancestor-hunter in the future!!  This job was essential for my being able to go to university - I continued to work off and on for 5 or 6 years.

After high school, I went to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver; after completing a year of sciences, I was accepted into the Nursing School in Applied Sciences.  I graduated with a BScN from U.B.C in Vancouver.  I received a substantial bursary for my final nursing year, from the Victorian Order of Nurses who did home nursing, baby clinics and follow-ups etc., with the proviso that I would work for them anywhere in Canada for one year.  I used some money from the $1500 bursary to buy myself my very first new coat - a black blin'n blin wool coat with shawl collar and deep pockets plus cuffs.  I ended up in tiny Leamington Ontario - the home of Heinz!  Carts of bushels of tomatoes heading along the farm roads to the Heinz factory.  I was the one and only VON nurse in the area, teaching classes for new mothers, as well as doing home nursing (strokes, heart attacks, multiple sclerosis, post-surgery care, diabetes care, wound care, etc.).   I was able to pay off my university loan in one year!

Back home, and I took some time off - first time off in 6 years.  Got married, then worked at St. Paul's Hospital in the Newborn & Premature Nursery.   Then followed a few different nursing jobs interspersed with babies of my own.  Public Health nursing for the City of Vancouver.  Psychiatric Nursing at the new UBC Psychiatric ward of the not-quite-yet-built hospital.   After which I worked on and off for my (now-ex) husband and his brother's [Bill Lewis] music store - guitar store, with repairs, and students.  I was the pregnant one behind the cash register, booking students, selling music and guitar accessories, talking with the parents while balancing a baby on a hip.  Memories - wonderful musicians came through our store... Johnny Cash was such a treat!  And being Canadians, we were all soooooo respectful while he bought several solid-top guitars to practice on in the hotel room.  No requests for autographs until he was totally done.  People kept sliding into the store very quietly, whispering, talking very softly, watching.  Amusing.  Very sweet.  So many other musicians as well.

Divorced, sharing the care of our 4 kids, I raced back to UBC for yet another degree - this time an M.A. in Counselling Psychology.  Since my nursing degree was in Sciences, I had to take many arts courses to get enough arts credits to eventually be accepted into the MA programme.  And I took whatever jobs I could take.  The first job I found at UBC was selling at the Thunderbird shop - terrible wages, so that didn't last long.  I found a counselling job out in Abbotsford, working with parents and their teens who were in 3-6 month temporary foster care due to behavioural/family challenges.  Another job was doing research jobs for several different UBC professors - one in nursing, another in psychology, another in medicine.  Another job was using a computer typesetting programme (TeX) for an introductory university mathematics textbook.  Oh, the things I did.  Money was so tight, and the 4 kids needed every bit I could find! 

When I finally graduated with my MA (original research thesis: Social Support-Seeking Behaviour of Fathers of Elementary School-Aged Children Diagnosed with Severe Learning Disabilities)... I started work at the Vancouver Neurological Centre (VNC) - now known as the BC Centre for Ability.  I ran the Parkinson's exercise and group program, helped begin support groups especially the young-onset group, counselled adults with epilepsy, was team leader of teams of rehabilitation therapists providing services to children with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders.  Later I became one of 2 provincial coordinators for a community/home-based rehabilitation program for children and teens with recent brain injuries; I also developed and edited/wrote the newsletter, and various handouts for parents.  I stayed at the BC Centre for Ability for almost 23 years, before retiring.  Whew!

Labour.  It means different things to different people.  For me, it was freedom.  Freedom to care for myself, to care for my children, to bring more knowledge to my volunteer work.  None of the 'jobs' I had were my passions, however one does what one needs to do.  And, I learned a great deal.  Cheers.  Do leave your comments below. 

THE BLOGGERS GENEAMEME - My Responses to 20 Questions!

Jill Ball at geniaus.blogspot.co.ukhttp://geniaus.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/the-bloggers-geneameme.html  posted a wonderful set of questions for genealogy bloggers several days ago, and here I am with my responses!  Somewhat delayed - it takes me a few days to get my head organized, and I had to finish my post yesterday on a not-so-brick wall ancestor first... 

20 Questions:

1. Titles, URLs of blog(s):
   Twigs and Trees  is my personal blog on my ancestors
   Terwilliger Souvenir Album  is my page-by-page inventory and research of my maternal great-grandfather's 1800s souvenir album.  Many pages yet to go. 
2. Cousin Bait blog story? 
   No - not yet, but I have high hopes.  My family enjoys the posts, however, so all is not lost! 
3. Why start blogging? Someone who inspired me? 
   I enjoyed reading and commenting on others' blogs, Jill's among many others.  So many inspired me - Jill being one of them.
4. Blog Title? 
   My mother's mother was a TERWILLIGER, and the nickname for males is often "Twig", thus the title for "Twigs and Trees".  My great-grandfather's Souvenir Album - it is what it is - the "Terwilliger Souvenir Album", being inventoried.
5. Blog from mobile device?
   I don't yet blog from any mobile device - only one is my Galaxy S3 smartphone, and I want more availability to use photos, document snippets and more at the same time.
6. Let others know about new posts?
   I "publish" then do a G+ comment for the Genealogy community on G+ plus I add Family for several of my kids on G+;  I also Tweet the new post linkage;  and finally, I do a FaceBook post on each new post, and highlight so it hopefully shows up on my busy kids'-cousins'-and friends' FB pages.  
7. How long blogging?
   ONE YEAR for both of them - I started Twigs and Trees several months before the Album blog.  Can't believe it's already been a whole year!!
8. Widgets, elements essential on genealogy blog? 
   Hmmm.  I like to add some photo or snippet of a document, for interest. Plus links to webpages of places or maps.  Anything to add some sense of place or person.  
9. Purpose? Intended audience?
   Family - known family like cousins and kids, plus unknown cousins - or even some known but not talked with for awhile (years!).   Also, if anyone reads about their family - in the Album blog there are many calling cards, other papers listing friends and acquaintances - I hope to learn more about my greatgrandparents' social lives if readers share their bits of information with me. 
10. Posts proud of?
    That is so hard to answer - not so much 'proud' but satisfied and pleased with the way posts came out.  The Inside Front Page of the Terwilliger Souvenir Album was a big deal for me - so many bits and pieces to write about.  I also got the most amount of help and views on G+ on that one.  But the photos on Wordless Wednesday posts - love those as well - here's one that received comments on G+, FB, as well.
11. Keep up with blog reading?
    Feedly at the moment, although Google Reader was so easy.  Luckily many also publish on G+ as well, reminding me to read particular posts.  I have a small list of about 40 blogs-must-read, and zip through them most mornings. 
12. Platform? 
    Blogger - easy, simple, trouble-free (except for the past 2 days!), and free - which is terribly important to me and my minuscule budget.
13. New Features for blogging software? 
    I don't have suggestions - I just want it easy to use!!  
14. Most popular posts with readers? 
    The Inside Front Cover, mentioned above, had the most views (Album). 
    Twigs and Trees posts are about equal, with little bumps up on Wordless Wednesday photos.
15. Sole blogger or shared blog?
    I'm it, the one and only blogger.  
16. How do I compose my posts?
    I sit at my computer and type, putting in the title first, then write until I'm done;  edit for readability, add links for webpages of interest, add images if I can, put in the names and places in the Labels section, add a final paragraph asking for contacts from people who might have something to add.  I love to write and simply - write  (well, type).  
17. Non-genealogy related blogs? 
    Not at present.  However I'm trying to do more fiction writing, belong to several writing groups, and will hopefully be starting a whole new 'face' for my writing persona.  Within a year I hope.
18. Listed at Geneablogger? 
    Of course!  
19. Resources helpful for blogging?
    Others' posts are very inspirational for various reasons.  Nothing sticks out as particular resources.  Hmmm. This is an interesting question.  
20. Advice to new Geneablogger?
    Do it.  Just do it.  Start and keep going.  Do it for yourself - you will learn so much from writing on your genealogy.  And the support from others in the community - PRICELESS!  A whole new world of wonderful people are out there wanting you to succeed according to your own personal standards.  Don't forget to comment on others' blogs as well - we all love to receive friendly comments. 
    
    Thanks so much, Jill. A very interesting exercise!
    

A SMALL MUD WALL - Charlotte BORTLE

I know very little indeed about my 3rd great-grandmother, Charlotte BORTLE.  However, I'm only calling her a "mud wall" rather than a brick wall in order to keep positive, and to remind me to continue gathering clues.  Just starting to write this blog and I'm already finding several clues, plus ideas of what else to dig through!   

Charlotte BORTLE was born 10 Oct 1797 in New York state, of unknown parents.  She appears on the marriage register, Northumberland, Saratoga, New York, married by a Justice, Reed Lewis, to Grover BUELL - one of my three Grover BUELL direct ancestors. Those three Grovers are another story needing to be told, later.   Marriage date:  17 December 1814.

Her husband, Grover, was born 24 Dec 1794 in Northumberland, Saratoga, New York, so I am making an assumption that her BORTLE parent(s) lived in that area at the time.  Northumberland as a town was formed in 1798, according to their website. 

After they married, they seem to have stayed in Northumberland, as their first 3 girls were born there:  Mary, b. 18 Jan 1816;  Sally, b. 4 Feb 1819;  Ann Janette b. 15 Dec 1822.  The family apparently moved in 1823 to Lysander, Onondaga, New York, and remained there until the parents died there several years apart, in the 1870s.   Both Simon - the only boy - b. 13 Feb 1827, and the final and 4th girl, Harriet (my direct ancestor)  b. 27 Jan 1829, were born in Lysander, Onondaga.  Check out this website for more information on the village of Lysander.

Charlotte died the 22nd September 1879 in Lysander, and is buried in Lysander Union Cemetery.  Her inscription is on her husband's gravestone, and can be found here;  the stone states she was 81 years, 11 months, and 12 days old.  

Grover was a farmer, and Charlotte was listed as "Farmer's wife" on the Federal Census Mortality Schedule for Lysander, Onondaga, New York. She had died in the year prior to the 1880 Census, thus providing a few more clues for me by being recorded. Her listing is in rather small writing, but states (my additions):
Buell, Mrs.   (age) 82  F  W   (b) New York  (fa) N.S.  (mo) N.S.  (occupation) Farmer's Wife   
      (month died)  Sep't (1879)  (cause)  Asthma   (attending physician)  Dr. Leslie Martin

Of course you can see those clues, can't you?  Her father and mother - birthplace listed as N.S.  Nova Scotia, Canada!  Yeah!!  Well, they are only clues, nothing proven at all. But I'm hopeful and will be doing more research as soon as possible.  Bortle is considered to be from a possible Dutch origin, and the name of their 3rd daughter, Ann Janette, implies this origin as well.  Another tiny and interesting clue. 

If you have any of the 3-in-a-row Grover BUELL ancestors in your tree, do contact me; and/or if you have information on Charlotte BORTLE and her family, I'd love to hear from you:  calewis at telus dot net  [you know what to substitute for the words].  

SATURDAY NIGHT GENEALOGY FUN - 100 words, My Favourite Ancestor

A challenge from Randy Seaver :  SATURDAY NIGHT GENEALOGY FUN  
"In 100 words, describe your favourite ancestor."

My favourite ancestor is one of my earliest settlers in the New England colonies - well, he's my favourite since I'm researching more details at the moment!  Every week a new favourite ancestor.  100 words, eh? Whew!  Follow the links for more information and interesting details.  Here's 96 words on William BUELL:

 =============  =============

BUELL (BUEL), William 1610- 23 Nov 1681, from England to Plymouth in about 1630 in one of two boats led by Rev. John Warham.  William settled in Dorchester MA, owning land by 1636.  Dorchester was renamed Windsor by 1637.

William married Mary POST 18 Nov 1640 in Windsor CT where they brought up their 7 children (5 girls, 2 boys). Mary's parents were lost in the 2nd boat, by the way - I'm not certain who would have been raising her.  William was apparently a cabinet maker/carpenter.

My ancestor is their eldest child, Samuel William BUELL.
 =============  =============

I have found the Albert Welles' book of the History of the Buell Family in America full of misinformation and incorrect assumptions, making for some definite challenges in early research. Here's another book I've also used, and there are more of course on early history of Windsor.   A quick search on Google will turn up a number of books, booklets, histories and more.

Wikipedia has a lovely 1640 map of Windsor, showing Wm Buell's land (top half, left of centre).  Don't you love these wonderful old maps -?!

Anyone reading this with more information on these early settlers, Mary POST & William BUELL/BUEL - do contact me with a comment below, and/or email me, calewis at telus dot net  

THE NORTHERN IRELAND CONNECTION - Gillespie line

My father's surname was GILLESPIE, and I knew very little about his parents' ancestors when I started trying to research our family tree about 8 years ago.  All direct grandparents and parents were deceased by then, and I wasn't very close to my much-older first cousins on that side.

Dad was born in Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire, Scotland  on Sunday April 7, 1907, coming over to Canada with his Mom and 4 siblings in November 1914, following his father who had arrived in Canada in 1911.  Thank heavens for passenger lists with all their details!   remember both his parents having an accent of some sort - maybe it was Scottish, or English - I wasn't even sure! My Dad was nicknamed "Scottie" when he was younger because of his accent - which disappeared in his teens. My grandparents never talked about the old country that I remember.

I assumed we were Scottish, because of his birthplace, and the tossed-off comment that his older siblings remembered playing on Hadrian's Wall.  But I also knew they lived in Barrow in Furness, Lancashire, England, before coming to Canada.  Hmmmm.  Odd that we never questioned them - or maybe it isn't very odd at all.  Children are rather narcissistic by nature and development, so by the time I thought to ask questions, my grandparents and their older children were deceased.

Research now shows that my grandfather GILLESPIE - Jack (William John) - was born in Augher, County Tyrone, Ireland, 23 August 1876.  And I have the birth registration to prove it, showing his father, his mother and her maiden name (ARMSTRONG), the village, and the belated registration of his name in October 1876.  Yeah!! And the person "present at the birth" had the same surname as Grandpa's mother's maiden name: a Margerie Armstrong, living in the same village of Augher. Possibly her mother? A sister? Aunt? Clues galore! Grandpa's younger brother, Jim (James Robert), was born a few miles further north in Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland.  Page-by-page-turns through a Family History film found me his birth registration, with same parents' names.  Excellent confirmation.  The entire family - Grandpa, his brother Jim, his parents, and his grandparents with aunt and uncles - all moved from Ireland to Barrow in Furness between 1879-1881, as they are all listed on the England Census 1881.

A few years ago, I finally reached out to a few of my elderly first cousins on my dad's side.  He was the 2nd youngest in the family, and his elder siblings were already married and with teenaged children when he finally got married in 1941. Our first cousins ranged from 15-25 or more years older than us, the youngest grandchildren. June had a lovely large photograph of my Grandpa's siblings and parents, in the mid-1890s (incorrectly labelled as 1890). Grandpa is the young man on the left. What a glorious find! I have also had wonderful conversations with another cousin, Catherine, who is now 87 years old, about our mutual grandparents and stories she remembers.

Now I'm searching diligently through Northern Ireland records, and maintaining a relationship with Catherine, enjoying reminiscing with her, teasing out more possible clues to follow, and enjoying her stories.  She has photographs my parents didn't - which I've scanned, and is also able to give me relatives' names in England, early history of our grandparents in Canada, explanations, and more!

If you have more information on our GILLESPIE-ARMSTRONG family, do please contact me at calewis at telus dot net and I'll be happy to correspond.  Or, leave a comment below.

SURNAME SATURDAY - GILLESPIE plus SMITH

Cousins?  Any cousins out there?  Check the list of children #3... perhaps they are your family!

I'm attempting to fill in the great-grand aunts and uncles of my GILLESPIE father's side, in hopes of finding a few cousins who may have stories or photographs or more to share!  Note that capitalized surnames are my direct line ancestors.

My GreatGrand-Aunt Margaret Gillespie is still quite unknown to me.  Her husband Joseph Smith shows up in 1882 for the first time, marrying her in Barrow in Furness, Lancashire, England.  This is where the 3 generations of the Gillespie family settled just before 1881, and where Margaret and her husband Joseph raised their 9 children.  The family disappears before the 1911 Census.

In Barrow in Furness, shipbuilding and steel work were the big industries in the mid to late 1800s, but became less so in the early 1900s. Families needed to be able to move to where employment could be found in steel work, ship work, etc.  For example, my grandfather moved his family up to Newmains Scotland for a few years in the early 1900s, and two of his uncles (Andrew and Robert) moved back to Ireland settling in Belfast around the same time.

Joseph Smith was working as a "Shipyard Labourer" on the 1891 Census for Barrow in Furness.  And on the 1901 Census, his occupation is listed as "Fireman Shipyard."

1. James GILLESPIE, b. abt 1821, N Ireland (father, Robert GILLESPIE)
    + Eliza (Elizabeth) MORRISON, b. abt 1823, N Ireland (father, John MORRISON)
    2.  George GILLESPIE, b. 1851 Newton, Tyrone, N Ireland
          + Catherine ARMSTRONG, b. 1853, Clogher, Tyrone, N Ireland
             (4 children)
    2.  Andrew Gillespie, b. abt 1858, N Ireland (no marriage)
    2.  Robert Gillespie, b. abt 1861, N Ireland
         + Mary Jane McGarry, b. 1863, Belfast, Antrim, N Ireland
            (7 children)
 * 2.  Margaret A. Gillespie, b. abt 1863, Northern Ireland
         + Joseph Smith, b. abt 1864, Ireland  (m. December 1882, Barrow)
          9 children, all born in Barrow in Furness, Lancashire, England:
          3.  Margaret E.  b. Dec 1883
          3.  Mary  b. 1885, d. Sep 1899
          3.  Mabel  b.  Jun 1887
          3.  James  b. Jun 1889
          3.  David  b. Sep 1891  (namesake - Joseph's older brother David)
          3.  Robert  b. Dec 1893
          3.  Joseph  b. Dec 1895
          3.  Sarah Jane  b. Mar 1898
          3.  Elizabeth  b. Dec 1899

Unfortunately I have not been able to track down these children by marriage or residence, mainly because of the Smith surname and relatively common first names.  Note that James & Elizabeth Gillespie, and George & Catherine Gillespie died in Barrow in Furness (often listed as Barrow), Lancashire. However, Andrew Gillespie and brother Robert & Mary Jane Gillespie moved to Belfast area, and died in Northern Ireland.

If any of these are your relatives, do please contact me at calewis at telus dot net -- I'm happy to share whatever I do have with you, and work with you to find more details as well.
       

SURNAME SATURDAY - BUELL, England to CT

The first BUELL immigrant is William BUELL, born possibly before 17 Feb 1604/5 in Chesterton, Huntingdon, England, according to several records.  He arrived in approximately 1630, apparently settling first at Dorchester MA, then moved to Windsor, settling there in about 1635 or shortly after.  In England, the surname was sometimes seen as Bevil(le). Occasionally the Buell family is considered from Wales, but this may well be an error.  In the link about Chesterton in 1870-1872  HERE, the Bevil name shows up as of the surname of early owners of the Manor in the Parish of Chesterton.  And more information for searching in this region of Huntingdon is found HERE.  

One major source for Buell records is Albert Welles' publication in 1881: The History of The BUELL FAMILY in England, From the Remotest Times Ascertainable from Our Ancient Histories, and in America, from Town, Parish, Church and Family Records.  Illustrated with Portraits and Coat Armorial.  This book is available on  Google Play free.  There are apparently some errors and confusion with some of the details in this book, particularly with the earliest statements of ancestry, but as providing a set of clues for early settlers in America, it has been very helpful in my first steps with the Buell families.  

William BUELL & his wife Mary POST married in Windsor, Connecticut, 18 Nov 1640, and eventually had 7 children, 2 boys and 5 girls, all born in Windsor. William was apparently a skilled cabinet maker, and general carpenter, excellent skills for the new colonies.  

My line goes as follows - # is generation number:

  1. William BUELL, 17 Feb 1604/5 Chesterton, Huntingdon, Eng;  d. 1681 CT;  Mary POST

  2. Samuel William BUELL, 2 Sep 1641, CT;  d. 1720 CT;  Deborah GRISWOLD

  3. Samuel BUELL, 20 Jul 1663 CT;  d. 1732 CT;  Judith STEVENS

  4. Nathaniel BUELL, 29 Sep 1700 CT;  death date not known;  Deborah HORTON

  5. Grover BUELL, 4 Apr 1732 CT;  d. 1818 NY;  Jerusha BUCK

  6. Grover BUELL, 22 Jan 1759 NY;  d. 1811 NY;  Mehitable [unknown]

  7. Grover BUELL, 24 Dec 1794 NY;  d. 1874 NY;  Charlotte BORTLE

  8. Harriet F. BUELL,  27 Jan 1829 NY;  d. 1911 NJ;  James M. TERWILLIGER

  9. James Grover "Grove" TERWILLIGER,  27 May 1856 NY;  d. 1929 NJ;  Clara GRAVES

10.  Marguerite Josephine TERWILLIGER,  19 May 1880 NY;  d. 1973 BC Canada; ChasEK

   -  then, my mother;  JnoG

   -  then, ME    

Do you see all those "Grover Buell" individuals?  Some of their siblings named their sons Grover Buell as well, living in the same region, in the same years. Challenging, very challenging!   Because first names were repeated in each generation of each sibling - making a rather confusing mixture of finding same-named individuals in the same geographic setting at the same time - many records need to be followed with local histories, christenings, birth/marriage/death/burial records, land use, and early census records are essential to follow the lines.  

Early BUELL settlers in the first and 2nd generations married into well-known New England families:  Fenner,  Griswold,  Horton,  Palmer,  Parmalee,  Porter [many marriages], and Welles/Wells.  Mary POST, wife of William BUELL, has listed her mother as Mary Porter Mills... and the Porter intermarriages may be cousins of course.  Both the BUELL and POST families were originally from Chesterton; Mary's parents apparently died at sea on the way over from England to the colonies.

Several wives of these BUELL men [#'s 6, 7] are very difficult to research, and continue to be end points in my family tree. Bit by bit by bit, I hope to start filling in more information.  This is by no means the only information I have on the Buell line, but I'm always happy to find out a bit more, see another land grant, or a record of any kind.  

If you have any information on any of these individuals, please feel free to comment below and/or contact me at calewis at telus dot net.  

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - James "Grove" Grover TERWILLIGER

Apparently I'm not the only one in our family to struggle with math...

My great-grandfather, James Grover TERWILLIGER, known as "Grove" in the family. Born 27 May 1856, Syracuse, Onondaga NY, died 17 Mar 1929, Englewood, Bergen, NJ.  He is found in the middle of this page of those students needing to pass a Math exam (again).

From files,1873-1874: from Munroe Collegiate Institute, Williams College, Williamstown, MA

Note the names of fathers are given here, providing another source for parentage.

SURNAME SATURDAY: Joseph WHITEHOUSE 1793-1844

Joseph WHITEHOUSE, my 3rd great-grandfather, was born in the Rowley Regis area, Staffordshire, England.  He was apparently born about 1793, according to various Census records, but no parish register has yet been found for his birth. Joseph's parents are unknown at this time.

A marriage has been tentatively used for him, but has not yet been accepted as proven.  For the purposes of future research, his first child Samuel was christened in St. Thomas church in Dudley, Staffordshire; his mother was listed as Mary.  He apparently married 17 March 1822 to Mary GROVES, in Dudley, where the family apparently settled.  Dudley was a large area, and inhabitants often stated Dudley on forms when they actually lived in Rowley Regis and other small hamlets in the surrounding area.

Joseph worked first as a Nailer (nail-maker) and later as a Miner.  This occupation information shows up on baptism records of his first sons, then on the marriage registration of my direct ancestor Thomas WHITEHOUSE, the 4th son of Joseph and Mary, seen above. You will notice his son's marriage register records Joseph as "Dead" at the time, 1856.

The Black Midlands had many mines, iron foundaries, and steel mills in the region, as it was very rich in coal and iron.  The men and older boys experienced amazingly hard unhealthy work here in the mines and in the nail-making industry (the latter often done as a home based job, and others in the family would also help, in order to supplement the family income).

He and his wife, Mary, had 7 boys for whom I have found christening records (all at St. Thomas Church):  ** indicates my direct ancestor
  - Samuel  b. 23 Oct 1822    m. Johana, at least 2 boys
  - Benjamin  b. 11 Aug 1824   no marr. found to date
  - Henry  b. 5 Jul 1827     m. Jane Price, 3 boys, 1 girl
  - **Thomas  b. 10 Jul 1829   m. twice; Sarah PRICE Shutt (wid), 5 boys, 1 girl
  - Eli   b. 18 Mar 1832    m. Mary Ann Homer,  4 boys, 4 girls
  - John  b. 18 Jun 1834   no marr. found to date
  - Enoch  b. 9 Jul 1836  m. Esther Carter,  4 boys, 1 girl

I have not yet been able to find Joseph WHITEHOUSE on the 1841 UK Census for either Staffordshire or Worcestershire.  So far I've checked with all 7 of the children, and there are several possibilities and more ways of searching of course.  Perhaps I'll find him mistranscribed after I go through more Censuses page by page.

Joseph died 16 Mar 1844 in Dudley, Staffordshire, and was buried 21 Mar 1844 through St. Thomas Church (burial record with death date).  Note that St. Thomas Church is in the parish of Worcestershire due to historical decisions.  His wife Mary is shown with various groupings of the younger boys in the following Censuses, living later with her married sons, Eli and then Enoch, after they were married.

My goal for this year is to continue searching in the WHITEHOUSE line.  My research log has many possible records still to check online, as well as possible correspondence to write for additional details.   Maybe I'll find a snippet or two here and there to fill out our history.  25 grandchildren - that I know of - lived to continue Joseph's heritage in Canada, Washington State, and England.

And if you have any information on any of these people, please do not hesitate to contact me by either leaving a comment below, or emailing me at calewis at telus dot net.  Thanks for dropping by.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - Last Day at my desk

Almost Wordless... 

Morning of April 30, 2008

Note the X marks on my calendar - which started several months earlier!

I began planning my retirement 36 months before this final date, in order to be ready physically (knee replacement surgery the first week in May 2008), mentally (began focus on Genealogy, and on Creative Writing), and financially (no pension, so saved & prayed!)  

For the final 10 years, I was one of two Provincial Coordinators for a community/home-based rehabilitation programme for children and teens with recent brain injuries.  I wrote their newsletter, handouts, set up teams of therapists as per parents' goals and preferences, funded, oversaw the work, went to various team meetings of all kinds (medical, educational, and more), provided advocacy and educational information and support.  Satisfying work in many ways.

Retirement is great!  (and I'm 60+ pounds lighter!)