Cousins Hoarce and Adolphus Greeley

Okay, everyone this may make my mother-in-law's day.  It is one of those rare occasions where I prove and not destroy a family myth.  Love those kinds of days.

On one of the very first pieces of paper she gave me for my genealogy quest was an interesting hand written note.  It was the story of three brothers.   Stop laughing, you know who you are.  I will get to the three brothers in a  minute.

The note stated "Uncle Charlie told me this. -Ruth."  (Ruth Greeley was my mother-in-law's great aunt.)

The Greeley Tree

There were three Greeley brothers settled in New Eng. in early days

Horace                                                              Chas. Greeley, Sr.                                       General

Greeley                                                                   (deceased)                                             Greeley

3 gen. Chas. Greeley's alive

1. Supt. of U.S. Reform School

  District of Columbia

2. Grad of Maine State College

General Greeley

I know from researching the Greeley line that Charles Greeley was the Assistant Superintendent of the Boys School off of Bladensburg Road in Northeastern Washington, D.C.  The mystery that always hung in the air was the connection to Horace and the General.  Were they cousins through the same line?  Through Different lines?  Through three brothers?  I said stop laughing, it could happen.

In case you are not familiar with the two famous Greeley's listed here, let me catch you up.  Horace Greeley is largely famous for being the editor of the New York Tribune and is quoted as saying "Go west young man" in reference to western expansion.  General Greeley is Adolphus Washington Greeley known primarily for his polar exploration. 

Horace Greeley

I stumbled on the cousin connection to Horace Greeley this morning while I reading an older post from one of the blogs I like..  It was on the Nutfield Genealogy  blog .  It is written by Heather Rojo, and she only talks about this area’s history and genealogy in the blog.    In her post from March 12, 2010 she writes about Horace Greeley, in Horace Greeley Remembers, and at the bottom of the post is his lineage. 

I noticed something interesting looking at his lineage.  His 4th great grandfather is the same as my husbands 9th great-grandfather and immigrant ancestor Andrew Greeley.  That makes my husband and Horace 5th cousins 5 times removed.  Well what a surprise.  Now to figure out that pesky General Greeley connection.

A few months back one of my mother-in-laws cousins wrote to me about a book in the Library of Congress on the Greeley family genealogy.  Well, I was way to engrossed at the archives in March to get over to the library and have it on my plans to go over there this summer.  I looked for the book on Google Books at the time, but it is not open.  Today I got an itch to go see if I could find it somewhere else. It is!  You can find it online at Open Library.  Genealogy of the Greeley-Greely Family by George Hiram Greeley published in 1905.

Guess what... the General is 5th cousins 5 times removed to my husband also.  However, Horace and Adolphus both have one closer common ancestor than him, Andrew's grandson Benjamin, making them 2nd cousins.  My husband's line is through Andrews oldest son Philip.  Drawn out it looks like this:

Everyone likes having a famous cousin in the line don’t they??  Oh, and look, only 2 brothers make up the line... after they immigrated to the colonies.

Wikipedia Image:  General Greeley, Horace Greeley

Charles Greely to Maude Crabb 1903

Letter from Charles Greely, Sr to his daughter
Frances Maude Greely Crabb
Pioneer Washinton
Owned by my mother-in-law

Mar 16, 1903

My Dear Daughter

So you think you are feeling lazy.  Well if you feel that way, you had better be that for a while and let the work go.  If you take life easy now for a while it may make lots of difference as to your health in the future.  You are like the rest of the Greelys too much on the work to last long.

I ordered the harrow(?) and it went along from Wade and leo last Friday 3/13.  Let me know if you get it all right.

We had unusually fine weather in Feb. and lots of seed was put in the ground but since then we have been having rain with snow in the foot hills and some here last night the ground froze some and everyone is afraid their seed will rot in the ground.  We got 30 acres seeded.  It will be a long time coming up but I think it will be all right.  This morning Charley boy has gone to Farris Mill for a load of lumber.  When he gets back we are going to put a ton of loose hay down to Jon Eastman.

Charley boy has a bad cold and it has been hanging onto him for a month or more.  Carl is well only he is having a time with his teeth.  I have been trying for a year or more to get him to have them filled and fixed up but he is not like you and Charley boy he does not seem to care much about doing as I would like him to.  Gramma and Jossie(?) are at the washing today.

I think John has done well in taking Chester for a partner.

The mail is here and I will have to quit.

Your affectionate

Father

From Niece to Uncle Swanville Maine 1936

Letter from Margaret (?)  to Phillip Greeley
Owned by my mother-in-law

Swanville Maine,

Oct 23, 1936

Dear Uncle Philip,

I have been intending to let you know for the last two weeks that Goose R cranberries simply are not this year.  No one along the river has had more than half a bushel and someone stole most of them at that. (this pen is simply devilish, of course, I would forget and leave mine at the school house with a weeks vacation ahead).

State Teachers Convention is in Lewiston next week and some good fairy among the “powers that be” instigated the bright idea of giving us the whole week.  Since I am not planning to attend I really feel quite lucky.  Clyde and I had planned to drive over for a day but he suddenly changed his plans and went back to school!  Finished his Blister-Rust job Sept. 30^th, and entered U of M Oct 1^st as a Senior in the College of Education – Majoring in Math and Science as I heard him telling Don.  I was never more surprised in my life as I had no idea he would think of such a thing.

Don is working in Burlington Maine.  We have no notion what he is doing.  He simply had a card one day, a telephone call the next, and started the next, without waiting to find out anything further.  That is so near his old stomping ground that he will enjoy himself anyway.

We had a nice visit from Aunt Carrie but were much surprised to hear that you were not coming to Maine this year.  Somehow we had come to consider it an annual event.  Of course, it is nice to be busy but don’t you suppose you will find a little gap in the business somewhere?

Mother is flying about the smartest one of the family as always.  I felt amused the day after Aunt Carrie left.  Mother burst out all at once “that must be an awful life with no one to wait on.” And she was just as earnest about it as could be.  Aunt Carrie said it seemed as tho she was smarter than she was last year.

Lou is wrestling with field corn.  He had two acres and a splendid crop but it rains so much that he’s having a hard time to get it undercover any way but sopping wet.

My disposition (what little I have) will be everlastingly ruined if I write more with this pen.

Love to all

Niece Margaret

Cousins to the Rescue!

A cousin of my mother-in-law contacted me this morning and filled me in on some information that I did not know. In the letters I published from Carrie to Maude last Friday 4/20/2012 I did not list her married name. To be honest, I didn't know it. Now I do!

Here is what was sent to me this morning:

"Just checked to see the latest on your genealogy blog and read the letters from Carrie to Maude. Carrie's married name was Bradford. She married Horace Bradford, born in 1841 (and so quite a bit older than she). He was supposedly a descendant of William Bradford of Plymouth Colony. His parents were Alexander and Charlotte Bradford. Carrie's middle name was Philena (after her grandmother, I suppose) and she was a chiropractor in the Concord, New Hampshire, area."

Carrie's maternal grandparents were Philena Brown and James Cunningham from Waldo County, Maine.  He was a ship captain who was given his first schooner by his uncle (a Nickerson from Chatham, Mass) and was sailing around the world by the time he was 18.

*Image: Linda Cronin via photo pin cc

Letter from Maine to Washington 1928

Maude and John about 1923

Letter from Carrie Greeley Bradford to Frances Maude Greeley Crabb
Letter owned by my mother-in-law

Waterloo, NH
Aug. 2, 1928

Dear Maude,

It has been quite some time since I got your letter with the enclosed “snaps” both of which are good to look at.  Jasper was such a little shauer(?) when I saw him that I can hardly believe he is the dignaified looking student in the picture.  Where did your “Buddy” get that hat?  He and his dog and hat make an attractive picture and I know you have a lovely yard from what the picture shows.

Your Uncle Horace is very feeble this summer and it takes about all the vein I possess to wait on him and do the work in the house and out.  Have a fairly good vegetable garden, but not many flowers.

Your Uncle Philip, Aunt Nina and Henry were here for a few hours on Sunday recently.  Philip took you address and said he was going to write you, so you may have heard from his before you get this.

Your Aunt Ada thinks of you as a baby sitting in your Grandmother Bartlett’s lap and says it is hard to think that you have six children and are now a grandmother.  We are all delighted that we have a great great niece. (Perhaps that is not just the way to say it, but I surely feel important being a great great aunt.)

Expect you have not kept track of your mother’s relatives.  Your Uncle Rufus’s second wife died about a year ago and now keeps house alone.  Have lost track of his sons, but they were smart and quite musical.  Wonder if you would care to come to Maine, think it would be nice if you and John and Charley and Letty would come east and make us all a visit.  Better start some plans that way.

It is now 9:30 and Horace says he is tired, so I must get him undressed and in bed.  I am nurse, valet and house maid.

Love to you all
Aunt Carrie

Letter from Carrie Greeley to Maude Crabb May 1928

Letter from Carrie Greeley Bradford to Frances Maude Greeley Crabb
Letter in the possession of my mother-in-law

Waterloo, NH

May 3, 1928

Dear Maude,

Must write you a line and tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed you good letter.  Parents who raise a family of six children and get them educated (an education that they can earn a living with) have, in my intimation, done something to be proud of, and of course the children had to do their part in order to arrive.  Am wondering if you have a large farm or a small one, and specialize on some crop.   Am sure you have chicken, for I remember that you had a nice flock when you lived in Pioneer. 

If you father could have lived to see his grandchildren grow up he would have been happy and proud of them.  Your Aunt Ada has helped to raise her two grandsons and I know she enjoys them.  They are smart boys too.  Since we have been living here have has a good vegetable garden and a few flowers each year.  Horace has always helped some until last year, and this spring he is more feebleand I shall not try to do very much gardening.  The season is too short to be real satisfactory.  Last month we had 3 snow storms the last one on the 28^th.  The mercury is up to 66 this PM and it looks now more encouraging.

I should love to see your flowers as well as farm and your family, and am hoping to get those promised “snaps” in the near future.  To me it seems ages and ages since I saw you in Pioneer, although I am sure I do not feel any older.

Thought you might enjoy some NH maple sugar, and hope you recived it in good condition.  Do write again when you can all about yourself and family.  What you are all doing and etc.

Lovingly

Aunt Carrie

PS – How about Perry and Ruth – both married? Is Ruth teaching near where you live?  Is John Jr. as happy as ever?

Letter From Philip Greeley 1941

Letter from Phillip Greeley MD
to Frances Maude Greeley Crabb

Photocopy kept by my mother-in-law

Jan 19, 1941

517 Columbia Drive
Davis Island
Tampa Florida

Dear Niece,

I was very much please to get letter in spite of the fact that traveled a lot it did not seem to detract from its value.  We were at Ocean Grove a few week and decided to go to Ocean City about ten miles below Atlantic City.  I went to P.O. before left my forwarding address and for a few weeks we got our mail all right and then the little mail that came by way of Ocean City began to get into the dead letter office.  Naturally I have a lot of mail from Portsmouth N.H. and always keep that office informed of my whereabouts and they never have failed to do their duty by me yet so if anyone is not sure of my location I usually tell them to address me at Portsmouth N.H.

I guess I feel about the same [unknown word] be the new deal as you do.  I hard know what I am.  If I can find the name of an intelligent man on the ticket he might get my vote whether he belongs to a party or not. There are some good men in office I am thankful to [unknown] and plenty that are too cheap to mention.

Maine and Vermont are the only States that are still on the gold standard.  You might mention to your children that their Grand-father was born in Maine.

I met a man who had been to Wash. and western Canada.  I said I had relatives in Wash.  He learned what place and at once was enthusiastic.  “I went there to an apple festival once” said he “and it is the great apple county in the world”.  I think your father made no mistake when he picked out that county in which to settle.  There seems to be no ideal place in the U.S.A. to live the whole but I have often wondered if in Wash., Oregon, and Vancouver Canada did not come the nearest to it.  Fruit and vegetables are fast coming to the front as food and people are just beginning to find out there value as life savers and health promoters.  Improvement in the process of canning had helped as you know. 

I think I shall have to confine my writing to your fathers ancestors until I get more data on the Bartlett and Walls .On mother’s side the Cunninghams, Browns, and Nickersons are in the picture.  Sometime the latter part of the 18^th century John Cunningham went from Edgartown Martha’s Vinyard to Cape Cod and married the daughter of Slathiel Nickerson.

Two sons were all that resulted from this marriage.  William who lived in Belfast Maine.  The two brothers married sisters.  I think they were Scotch and belonged to that gang that England induced to go to Northern Ireland and made great promises for their prosperity and never kept them.  It is said that they stayed in Ireland long enough to learn the art of making corn liquer otherwise known  as moonshine or kill me quick.  It was very populare during prohibition days.  They settled in the Appalation system which extends from Canada to Fla.

In northern states a law was passed fifty years ago more or less obliging them to send their children to school.  Consequently the mountains are about uninhabited except for people who go there to visit during the summer.  This applies to Maine, NH, Vermont, Mass, Conn, NY, NJ, and part of Penn. I think they have no such law (if they do they don’t enforce) in Maryland, Vir, W. Vir., the Carolinas, Knetucky, Tennessee, and Georgia.  There is a school in Berea Kentucky for Mountaineers.  Supported by northern Money.  The president is brohter to the president of Chicago University who a few years ago was in the lime light.

The other son of John Cunningham was James who was you great grandfather. His home was in Belfast Maine.  [unknown] he reached the age of 10 yr when he went to sea with his mother’s brother, a Nickerson of course.  I have been told that it is an abbreviation for son of old nick. Nixon is an abbreviation for Nickerson.

Aforesaid James went around the world twice before he was 12 and continued to sail the seven seas till his death aged 40.  When he was 18 an uncle fitted out a schooner for him after which time he was Capt. Cunningham.  When about 40 he made a trip to Havana Cuba where he contracted yellow fever recovered started for N.Y. had a relapse died buried at sea.

This was near 1840.  As near as can size him up he was very decent man.  No he was “hard boiled” but if he was a pirate or shipped slaves or shanghaied his crew if he had done these things is come afters would have had happy time bragging about him.  As it was all they could say was that any man who had ever sailed with him once was delighted to go again if they got the chance.  We have no record that he was ever wrecked.

I am sure this will be all you will care translate for a while.  The psot office in Ocean Grove Is think was a little careless.  The above address will be my abode for the next three months.

Your Uncle Phillip

Image: mikebaird via photopin cc

Letter from Philip H. Greeley 1937

Maude about 18 years old

Letter from Philip H. Greeley MD
to Frances Maude Greeley Crabb
Owned by my mother-in-law

December 13, 1937

Dear Niece,

A little late to be thanking you for the picture you sent me of yourself nearly a year ago.  The fact is it came while I was in Florida and did not happen to be forwarded.  I have just gotten my eye on it.  Your Aunt Nina wrote me about it and that you were very fine looking and that she had send the picture to me.  Your smile is like you mother’s.   I think you must a much lighter complexion than she had.  She was quite dark with large features and as you may realize from her picture was a beautiful woman.  I was about seven years old when she came into our family.  She always had interesting gifts for my sister and I when she came to the house and knew how to interest children.  I expect you may know all this but I am just going on as I have started for a bit.  She was a graduate of Farmington (ME) Normal School, Teachers College you call it in the west I expect, and was a very successful teacher.  Farmington ME is a small town in the western far of ME in the foot hills of the white mountains of NH.  I have often thought how much your mother must have enjoyed the beautiful scenery in and around this old ME town.  I was through there about four years ago in October, had supper there a little before dark.  All the buildings looked clean and well cared for with certain dignity is apt to go well with a NE college town. Building mostly white if not brick well kept lawns and scrubbery.  When I was between the ages of 6 and 10 I used to go to your grandfather Bartlett’s and have a first rate time on the farm with him.  He was always very kind to me and if I annoyed him he not let on to me but what I was a great help.  He had a big newfound dog that I was very found of playing in his company in the fields.  Your grandfather has a wide orchard too that attracted my attention.  He had a great variety of apples that I have never seen elsewhere.  The Bartlett family were a strong NE race that were English stock and among the early settlers.  One was once governor of NH many of the them have information [unknown] like chaplain Bartlett of the Pearry polar expedition.  I have in my pocket a snap shot of son Henry a boy who was working for me and myself taken on the sidewalk in Hot Springs Ark. Two years ago.  I hope you will not feel offended to receive shuch a picture of two, hatless and discheveld relatives.  The only neat looking one being the cork.  With best wishes to you and your family for a metty xmas and happy new year.

Philip

Letter From Charles Greeley 1915

Letter from Charles "Chas" H. Greely

to Frances Maude Greeley Crabb

Owned by my mother-in-law


May 17, 1915
Ridgefield, Washington

Dear Maude

I am enclosing check for five hundred dollars and I will try and give you another five hundred next year I trust you will give mother the credit for this as she intended to leave you that amount and I am following out her wishes.

I am selling ford autos this year I have sold twenty so far and think I will sell at least ten more this summer.
Our crops look good I have planted 30 acres of potatoes and will plant ten more.
Tell john I took his dad for his first auto ride the other day and he seemed to enjoy himself.
We cleared up about nine acres down below this spring we are going to plow it year and put it in peas.
Krieger sold his place to another Dutchman, and has gone to Portland to live.
Walter Moffett is working for me now I use him a lot to teach people run their autos.
Sam Zim had bought a strip of land from McDonalds and built a bridge across the creek and has a road out to the church now.
Lettie and the kids are all well.  Dorothy will go to school next year. They put me in for School director this year, so I guess my troubles have begun.
Ask John if he will ask Begue what he intends to do about the mortgage Mary holds against his property at Raymond We have written him several times but he never answered our letter.
They are spending $15000 between Crabs corner and Ridgefield this year, putting the road on grade and crushing it and rolling it with a steam roller.
They are about to let the contract for the grading and Macadamising(?) the road from Salmon Creek to Crabbs Corner which will cost about $60000.
I trust you crops will be big and you health good and all the rest of the good thing in the world may come your way.

Your brother.

Charly

Letter from Julia Wall Bartlett 1906

Lake Swan, Swanville, Maine

Letter From Julia A. Wall Bartlett to Frances Maude Greeley Crabb
Photcopy of letter owned by my mother-in-law

Swanville Apr 1906

My dearest granddaughter,

I will write a little and you how pleased I am to hear from you and your Husband and little ones and that you are all well we are all well as usual.   O how I do want to see you but I can never expect to as I am to old to ever thinking of going west but if I was younger I should go to see you very soon.  But you know I am almost 85 years old I go out very little in cold weather but our very thankful that I am able to take care of myself.  Most off Charlie uncle Rufus’s oldest boy is not at home he had been studying music for the past 1 year.  He plays cornet and has learned [unknown words] and other musical instruments and he is at work in a telephone office and collector for the company.  Do you not think he has business enough to keep him busy be belongs to the Belfast band.  He say he likes well he tend the telephone at night so he has lots of time daytime to practice music but cannot come home very often so I do not see him very often.  I miss him very much at home.  He is a dear good boy to me and has the manner of being very good young man and I pray to God he may always be good and do right.  He was 21 last fall he does not like farming.  People call him a fine player on the cornet.  John’s at home with us working on the farm with his father but he is full of music.  He is taking music lessons.  They take the music talent from their mother.  She was and her family were followers of music.  Johnie is a good and a very sweet boy his father thinks so much of both boys.  There step mother never had any children she thinks a great deal of the boys, and has always been good to them and they are good to her.  The boys mother loved you very dearly.  She helped me take care of you the last year you were with me.  You were a very good child we all loved you.  So well it was.  O so very hard to have you taken so far from us.  You were so much like your dear mother it almost seem sometimes that time had turned back again years when she was a child again in my arms.  I often think about you and your little children and have they [unknown] will be spared to your end that you will live to see them grow up and that you husband will live.  I am very lonely sometimes.  I think of all my brothers and sisters.  They are all gone.  One brother only left there were 10 of us.  5 girls and 5 boys.  9 of us lived to have families of our own.  Do you wonder that I get lonely sometimes.  I have seen many sorrows and many joys I think God is very good to me.  I have many dear friends and a home Rufus and his family are very good to me.  I often think if grandpa Bartlett could have lived and been well he and I would have come west to live.  I do not know as you can read half of this letter.  Please excuse all blunders and write often as you can for I am so pleased to hear from you.  Uncle Rufus sends love to you so do John and his step mother.  Charlie’s not home.  My love and best wishes to you and your husband and children.

From Grandma Bartlett

Swanville Box 22

*Image: http://www.bobfenton.com/swan.lake.fall.maine.3.htm

Letter From Eliza Cunningham Greeley Smart 1897

Transcription of Letter from Grandma Greeley Smart
to Frances Maude Greeley Crabb
Owned by my mother-in-law

Swanville Feb 20 1897

My Dear Maude,

I was glad indeed to receive your nice long letter telling me of you all.  It was a real treat.  You and your brothers must be enjoying life very much.  Was sorry to learn of you mothers accident.  She must have suffered a great deal.  I suppose you are having rainy weather now while we have been have it very cold indeed and some terrible storms the worst for years we did not get to the post office for three days neither did the mail get through in that times.

There were a number of lives lost.  Six from Belfast two from Searsport were drowned.  One your father new, a school mate I think.  George Richards.  A great had their limbs frozen it was awful.  The New Year was ushered in with thunder and lightning, snow, hail and rain.  We have had a very singular winter so far and finally our season have been unusual for the last two years.

[along the side:  Hugsley Heard died last month you father well knew]

The east is having rather a hard time just now as it is impossible for them to compete with the west.  Mr. L. gets only seven dollars a ton for his hay.  Would have got nine if he had sold early in the season.  There were not many that raised any potatoes about here and they do not get a big price for them as they have shipped them from the west it is so with everything.  Think all of our beef comes from the west or the most of it.  Farmers cannot raise it with any profit.  And they are building cotton mills in the South so that the Cotton Mills in our New England states cannot compete with them and are cutting down prices ensuring strikes and shut downs.  What is coming out of it all no one can tell.  But I cannot help thinking that if the Republicans can only remain in power long enough we shall see things adjusted all right.

You will think this is a queer letter.  It just I thought your Father might like to know some things of the condition of affaires this way if he is not interested in us enough to write.  The pensions the soldiers get helps them out and there are quite a number in this town.  Our family are well and getting along very well.  Work hard keep a number of cows to sell butter and cream in Belfast.  Mable is visiting at summers at present.  Margret is a smart girl.  Milk cows plays the organ does almost anything that comes along.  Yes I think Phillip will make a very good doctor.  A surgeon as he is very much interested in his business like the most of the Greeleys.

Your grandmother Bartlett family have had quite a good deal of sickness in the family the last year.  Rufus’s wife has been sick about all the time.  He has two nice boys.

Your father may have taken the wisest course in going west but I do wish I could see you all.  You wrote a nice letter.  It shows that you are a good schooler.  Think your mother must have been have been quite a help to you.  I do not think that I have written correct sentence and do not dare look this over for fear that I shall find so many misspelled words that I shall put it into the fire.  But I know you will have charity for your grandmother when I tell you my Father died when I was a little girl, in Havana Cuba leaving my mother with four little girls and we did not have many school privileges.  But the dear lord has blessed with good children and nice grandchildren. 

[along the side: You father’s Aunt Margaret and Uncle Nemiah are in California]

Your Aunt Carrie is still at work in the Public Library in Boston.  Nellie is in New York.  Nellie was in Washington DC a few days this winter.  Hope you will write again soon and would be very glad to have you mother write.  It has been a great treat to hear from you all.  Tell your father he must not forget his old mother but try and take time to write her once in a while.

Yours with love,

Grandma Greeley Smart

A Mayflower Family or Not

There was a sense of awe in me as a child when I thought about the Pilgrims; with their bonnets and starched white collars sharing a meal with the friendly Indians.  Yes, as an adult I know how unrealistic this was, but as a child it was the image of the Pilgrims and their friends that permeated all you saw, and knew, about those historic events.  Imagine my glee when I was told by my Grandmother how our family was related to people who sailed on that ship!  She read to me the poem by HenryWadsworth Longfellow, TheCourtship of Miles Standish,   and seared into my memory the line “speak for thyself John.”  My world was crushed when I learned it was a fictional account.

According to the article Mayflower Descendants by Jim Faber, 25% of Americans think they are descended from the 26 surviving Mayflower passengers.  Best guess is that actually only 35 million people worldwide have a Mayflower ancestor; much less that the 25%, or 70 million who think they do.   The odds looked like they would not be in my favor from the outset, but that is no reason to quit!

One of the first long-lost-cousins I connected with online had grown up with the same story about John and Priscilla, which made me think that there had to be something to the story.  She also had a clue, which family line the connection was to be through!  That was something I could work with.  According to her family source (which I later found out was the same source my grandmother had, Aunt Eliza Jane) the connection was through our 3^rd great-grandmother Mary Jane Hayden. 

 Thanks to many different societies, organizations, and published works on the subject many of the lines are well documented and proven.  My task was to connect my line into the ones already proven.  Easier said than done I have to admit.  Almost a year later I think I am pretty sure of my research, but not completely.  I think it will take a trip to New England, or a really good genealogy library, to make me feel 100% confident in my work.  I found this website just a few days ago, and it helped me confirm my line past Mary Jane. 

The working hypothesis for my family line is:

1.       John Alden and Priscilla Mullins
2.       Ruth Alden
3.       Ruth Bass
4.       Priscilla Webb
5.       William Hayden - Revolutionary War Soldier
6.       Noah Hayden
7.       Noah Gilpin Hayden
8.       Mary Jane Hayden
9.       Franklin Willis Combs
10.   Everett Combs
11.   Paul Combs
12.   My Dad
13.   Me

Of course, this little endeavor left me looking  sideways at my Texan husband; the one with deep roots in New England.  He had to have someone in that web of New England genealogy that could trace a possible lineage back to a Mayflower passenger.  My bloodhound instincts have been working on this for well over 6 months.  Finally I had a break through, and I am a little more confident in his line than mine.

The working Hypothesis for his family line is:

1.       Stephen Hopkins
2.       Giles Hopkins
3.       Mary Hopkins
4.       Mary Smith
5.       Mary Hamilton
6.       Elizabeth Mayo
7.       Slathiel Nickerson -Revolutionary War Soldier
8.       Polly Nickerson
9.       James Cunningham
10.   Eliza Cunningham
11.   Charles Greeley
12.   Frances Maude Greely
13.   Elsie Crabb
14.   His Mother
15.   Him

Our families appear to have come over on the same boat!  My oldest child can't wait to get to school on Monday and tell everyone.  Especially the story of dear Stephen Hopkins, a Mayflower Compat signer and a Jamestown Settler.  Thankfully his teachers humor his history obsession and just go with it.

Well, there it is.  Anyone have any ideas, suggestions, or comments for me about how to completely prove this lineage?  I have twiddled with the idea of actually going on and submitting both of us to one of the many lineage societies for the Mayflower, like the General Society of Mayflower Descendants.

*wikimedia commons:   Sculpture of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins: "Why Don't You Speak for Yourself, John?"

*Photograph taken by me at Jamestown archeology site, Jamestown, Virginia.

Greeley / Bartlett Family

Here is my reasoning on how I pieced together who Fannie Greeley’s parents were by eliminating all other known possibilities.  So we can put it into perspective she is my husband’s great grandmother, who was born in Maine in 1855 and Died in Washington DC in 1882.

From the letter that Grandmother Bartlett wrote to Frances Maude Greeley (Fannie’s daughter) she states she was almost 85 in April 1906.  That gave me a rough birth year of 1821.  There were 2 families that had Fannie as a child in the same area of Maine within 2 years of each other.  I was able to rule out the other family as the mother’s birth year didn’t match up and that other Fannie did not get married until later in life and stayed in Maine from what I can tell.

Frances Lydia Bartlett (1860 Census) was born in Maine to William and Julia Bartlett in 1855.  They lived in several towns in Waldo County.  She had an older brother Rufus who was born in 1848.  William died between the 1880 and 1900 census (still looking up more info) and Julia died 9 Mar 1915 in Swanville Maine while living with her son and his wife (have Julia’s death certificate). 

From the death certificate I also now know that her parents were names John and Lucy.  John was born in Maine, but she gave various places for her mother’s birth on census and death records (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine) so I am not sure on her yet.  I found a record for William Bartlett from the Disable veterans national home.  It said he was in the Maine infantry and was wounded in the civil war with multiple gunshot wounds to the leg.  He was discharged from there in June 1879, with his closest relative listed as “Mrs. Julia A Bartlett, residence: Washington DC.” 

A guess at Fannie’s marriage date to Charles, or Chaz, is around 1879.  Phillip C Greeley was born in DC in 1879 and Frances Maude in 1882.

Also from the 1880 Census it has Charles, Fannie, and Phillip living at the reform school where he is the assistant Superintendent. “Reform School of the Dist. Columbia, Bladensburgh Rd.”  Bladensburg is just over the state line into Maryland, and Bladensburg Road starts there and travels west into DC through NE Washington where it becomes US-1 Alt.   The picture Shown is the reform school!

On the 1880 Census for DC I found:
CH Greeley:  26, Apt Sup, Born Maine, father born Maine, mother born Maine
Fannie C:  25, Matron, born Maine, father born Maine, mother born Maine
Phillip:  1, Boarder, born DC, father born Maine, mother born Maine

Then I found Charles and his parents/siblings on the 1860 and 1870 Swanville Maine censuses.  His parents were Phillip and Eliza. 

Richard Bartlett (4^th great grandfather to Frances Lydia Bartlett) was one of the first settlers of Newbury Massachusetts.  There is an image of the plaque at Newbury with the listing of the settlers in several places online.  It is important that when you go out searching for him that you get the right Bartlett line.  There are 3 New England Bartlett trees and they share names back and forth.

 *Image from Library of Congress Brady-Handy Collection

Crabb Family

This is my husband’s maternal grandmother’s line.  They start in Indiana and end up in Washington State. 

Lineage:

My husband
His Mom
Elsie Crabb married Howard Mills
John Jeremiah Crabb and Frances Maude Greely
Stephen Crabb and Margaret Brundage
John Crabb and Jane Swan

Stephan Crabb was born in Indiana in 1838 and Margaret Brundage was born in Illinois in 1852.

As of the 1880 census their family and Stephen’s mother Jane were all living in Vancouver City, Clark County, Washington.  According to the census, Jane was born in 1804 in Pennsylvania, her mother was from Virginia and her father was from Maryland.  In the handwritten family history I was given it says that Jane Swan Crabb was born in Cole County Illinois.  However, on every census record she lists her place of birth as Pennsylvania and that her parents are from Virginia and Maryland.

Jane's Husband, according to family history, floated rafts down the Mississipi from Indiana to New Orleans with his brother.  He died from a fall on the docks in New Orleans the same day thier last child was born 27 December 1835.  I would love to be able to prove this...

Margaret was Stephan’s 2^nd wife.  In the 1870 census he is listed living with his mother Jane and Frances Crabb who was 6.  According to the 1880 census the next child was born when she was 9.

The 1860 census has Stephan (aged 22) and Jane living in Ashmore Township, Coles County Illinois.
The 1850 census has Jane (aged 46) living in Clinton Township, Vermillion County, Indiana with 2 daughters. Mary aged 19 and Zantippe aged 14. 

Found John Jeremiah’s Spanish American war enlistment records:

From the Register of Enlistments US Army
Crabb, John J
Enlisted: Aug 12, 1896; Vancouver; by Lt. McCain; for 3 years
Born: Pioneer Washington
Age: 21
Occupation: Barber
Eyes: Brown
Hair: D. Brown
Complexion: dark
Height: 5'10"
Regiment: 14 Inf Company E
Discharged: Aug 11, 1899

Also found his WWI draft card.  It states he was tall with a medium build, brown eyes and hair.  Occupation Farmer, and Married To Maude F Crabb. (Just love how people changed their names on a whim back then.  First to middle, middle to first, spellings….argh).

Bit of family trivia for you:  John Jeremiah’s older brother William enlisted in the army the same time he did.  They both were stationed in Manila together and unfortunately while they were there William died from an illness.  William was originally to marry Frances Maude, but John Jeremiah did instead upon his return.

A treasure trove of letters

Late last week I received 13 letters from a cousin of my Mother in Law.  They are from 1902-1941 and were correspondence between her grandmother in Washington State and members of the family back in Maine.  Over the next few weeks I am going to transcribe these for the family and see what I can glean of the family history from them.

Last Spring I received 5 letters from my mother in law, which were written to her grandmother.  2 were from her grandmothers, and one from her father’s brother.  These letters proved very useful as they were full of names, dates and places that lead me to find 4 more generations of the family. 

Without these letters I would have been unable to make the leap into the prior generations as I had no idea how/where to look.  I knew Frances Maude Greeley’s grandmothers had the first names of Eliza (Elizabeth?) and Julia, but who were they?  Marriage records didn’t appear; birth records listed no maiden names.  I was stuck.  Then I read, and re-read the letters.  Finally I typed them out, and here are some of the things I found:

Letter from Grandma Greeley Smart to Frances Maude Greeley Crabb; Swanville Maine February 20, 1897:
 “But I know you will have charity for your grandmother when I tell you my Father died when I was a little girl, in Havana Cuba leaving my mother with four little girls and we did not have many school privileges.” 

 Letter from Julia Bartlett to Frances Maude Greeley Crabb; Swanville Maine April 1906:

 “I think of all my brothers and sisters.  They are all gone.  One brother only left there were 10 of us.  5 girls and 5 boys.  9 of us lived to have families of our own.”

Letter from Philip H. Greeley to Frances Maude Greeley Crabb; December 13, 1937:

“The Bartlett family were a strong NE race that were English stock and among the early settlers.  One was once governor of NH many of the them have information psrtim (?) like chaplain Bartlett of the Pearry polar expedition.” 

Letter from Phillip Greeley to Frances Maude Greeley Crabb; Tampa Florida January 19, 1941:

“On mother’s side the Cunninghams, Browns, and Nickersons are in the picture.  Sometime the latter part of the 18^th century John Cunningham went from Edgartown Martha’s Vinyard to Cape Cod and married the daughter of Slathiel Nickerson.  Two sons were all that resulted from this marriage.  William who lived in Belfast Maine.  The two brothers married sisters.  I think they were Scotch and belonged to that gang that England induced to go to Northern Ireland and made great promises for their prosperity and never kept them”

“The other son of John Cunningham was James who was you great grandfather. His home was in Belfast Maine.  [unknown] he reached the age of 10 yr when he went to sea with his mother’s brother, a Nickerson of course.”…“ Aforesaid James went around the world twice before he was 12 and continued to sail the seven seas till his death aged 40.  When he was 18 an uncle fitted out a schooner for him after which time he was Capt. Cunningham.  When about 40 he made a trip to Havana Cuba where he contracted yellow fever recovered started for N.Y. had a relapse died buried at sea.”

I have 13 more letters to read, and I can’t wait to see if they have any more confirmation on what my research has dug up!  Stay tuned…

*The image of Maine is from Classroom Clipart