A. Gates and Mary Ann White Childs

I had the most wonderful experience earlier this month. It started with a phone call from a woman calling from Kentucky. She had come across my blog and website. She thought I was just the person she had been "hunting for" to give family papers to.

It turns out that for many years, she lived across the road from a family named Schwanderman, in Boone County, Illinois. Garden Prairie, Boone Co., is where my grandfather, Garth Beckington was born and raised. The wife of this couple, Marian, was the daughter of Alva McMaster and his wife, Markella White. Markella was the daughter of A. Gates White and Mary Ann Childs.  Marian and her husband, Elsa, had no children and they were both only children. They died in 2001 and 2004.

My phone caller and her husband lived in Garden Prairie for many, many year. The job of cleaning out the Schwanderman house fell to them.  She has donated many of the papers to the appropriate historical societies, but she kept the papers on the White family. She has been searching for someone who might treasure them.

Mary Ann and my great-grandfather, Carlos Webster Childs, were the children of J. Webster and Lucy Hubbard Childs. I had never seen a picture of Mary Ann. So it was especially exciting to see the beautiful picture (below) of her included in these papers. There was also a picture of her with her husband and other family members, taken about 1920. Both Mary Ann and Carlos were adopted from the New York Foundling Home (American Female Guardian Society and the Home for the Friendless). I wrote about Carlos' adoption (or indenture at the time) in "A 19th Century Adoption" on April 1, 2013.

Mary Ann Childs White

I received another daguerreotype of J. Webster and Lucy when they were young (see the column mentioned above). This one is in better condition. Mary Ann and Gates' marriage license is included, a few letters from various people and writings by J. Webster Childs. They used to practice their penmanship in those days. J. Webster was in the Michigan Legislature in the 1860s and 70s and there is a letter from a Civil War Soldier asking for help of some sort.  I will transcribe for a future column. What generosity!

How exciting someone is willing to share this information with family, and to take the time to find them. If I hear from someone in the White family who is interested in this information, I will share.  I tried several years ago to find descendants of daughter Neenah, but didn't find anyone interested.

Aurelius Gates White and Mary Ann Childs had six daughters:  Lelia B.; Lucy Millicent "Millie"; Neenah E.; Markella; Winnifred and Geraldine. Gates and Mary Ann may have had one son who died young. The daughters all married and had children. I count 17 grandchildren in all (may not be completely accurate). I did research on this family a few years ago.

1 Aurelius Gates White (1859 - 1931)

+Mary Ann Childs (1858 - after 1930)

   2  Lelia B. White (1881 - 1918)

       +Russell Sears

3 Elizabeth Aileen (Aileen) Sears (1904-1980)

+Francis M. Toth

2    Lucy Millicent (Millie) White (1883 - 1972)

+John Daniel Clancy (1875 - 1952) 

 3 Gates White Clancy (1909 - 2001) 

+   Mary Lucille Jackson (1910 - 1989)

 3  John Daniel (Jr.) Clancy (1911 - 1953)

+  Marian Sawales

+  Dorothy Weldon

  4   Edward C. Clancy (1912 - 1912) 

3 Catherine Clancy (1914 - )

+Charles Popejoy

3 Millicent M. (Mugs) Clancy (1916 - )

   + Frederick E. Jones

3 Female Clancy (1919 - 1919)

2  Neenah E. White (1884 - 1966)

 +Charles E. C. Trueblood (1877 - 1942)

             3  Gwyn J. Trueblood (1909 - 1986) 
                      + Ona Baillargeon

+ Charlotte Ferris (1919 - )

          3  Elizabeth Trueblood (1911 - 1994)

          +David Allen Benson (1898 - 1984) 

          3 Brooks Gonaulus Trueblood (1921 - 2000)      

        + Lillian Ann Bergman (1922 - 1963) 

        + Elizabeth Jane Harris

        +  #3

         2  Markella White (1888 - 1972) 

 + Alva Henry McMaster (1884 - 1952)

         3 Marion McMaster (1916 - 2001)

          + Elza R. Schwanderman (1910 - 2004)

    2  Winnifred White (1894 - before 1940)

         + Alfred Christian Meyers (1884 - 1964) 

          3  Virginia A. Meyers (1918 - )

              + David J. Henry (1913 - )

          3  Alfred G. Meyers (1923 - 2003)

             3  Marilyn W. Meyers (1926 - 1927)

             3  Maynard W. Meyers (1927 - 1987)

         2   Geraldine White (1899 - after 1951)

              + Charles D. Chumbley (1895 - 1939)

                 3  Venita Chumbley (1922 - )

             3   Germaine Chumbley (1928 - )

          + ? Fritz

I do have more on this family, but will not include any members that may still be living.

New Discoveries - Chapman

     I am still trying to recover, organize and move ahead from our wonderful DC trip. I did make a new discovery which has led to more documents being found.  I want to thank Sharon at the Southern District Registry of Deeds in Great Barrington, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, for all her extraordinary help to make these finds possible.
     When I was at the DAR Library in DC, I came across a document in the file of our Revolutionary War Soldier, John Chapman (my 5th great-grandfather). He served from Massachusetts and lived in New Marlborough, Berkshire County, at the time. The only information I have ever been able to find on him, in New Marlborough, were censuses. A few years ago, I received an inventory of his estate after his death in 1814. He had a great deal of property, but no will or probate was found by the people I had searching. I am still working on that. The document in the file (this information can only be accessed from the DAR Library while on their computers) was for his daughter Polly Chapman Standish (husband Jonas, descended from Miles Standish). It was a quit claim deed (the original and the transcription) showing Polly and Jonas selling their (her) 1/11th share of her father, John Chapman's, land to Jonathan Chapman. Jonathan is her half-brother.
   

John Chapman (1751 - 1814)

+  Rachel Jackson (1752 - 1781)  

2  Sarah Chapman (1774 - before 1850)  

+ Ezra Lane (1768 - 1859)

            2  Ashbel Chapman (1775 - 1865)  

+ Polly Lane (about 1780 - 1862)

2  Mary (Polly) Chapman (1777 - about 1824)

+ Jonas Standish (1776 - 1853)

2  John Chapman (1779 - )

2 Baby Chapman (1781 - 1781)

+  Dorcas ? ( - 1814)  

2  Male Chapman (1783 - 1783)

2  Jonathan Chapman (1785 - )

2 Rachel Chapman (1787 - )

+ John W. Pollock

            2 Betsey Chapman (1789 - )

2  Senay Chapman (1791 - )  (name may be Asenath)

2  Lucy Chapman (1794 - )

2  Asher Chapman (1796 - 1865)

+ Polly Moon (1808 - before 1865)  

     With this information in my hot little hands - my question was: where are the quit claim deeds for the other 10 children? NOTE: Only 10 children are listed above - so another dilemma. According to the New Marlborough birth and death records (online), the Male Chapman, was born 4 Jan 1783, and died 5 Jan 1783. Other researchers attach an older (than Sarah) child named Jesse to this family and even other researchers have an Ira, b. 1801, attached. I have no evidence for either child.
     I contacted Sharon in Great Barrington, mentioned above. She was wonderful and over several days, and many emails back and forth, she found deeds selling land for Asenath, Lucy, Asher, Rachel, Ashbel and Sarah Chapman Lane. They all mention their father and several mention selling their 1/11th share. John Sr. sold John Jr. land in 1810, before Sr.'s death. Several of the siblings sold their shares to James Thorp Rhoades/Rhodes. Jonathan eventually sold his shares to "Thorp" Rhoades. Thorp was a brother to David Rhoads. David was my 4th great-grandfather. His daughter, Jerusha, married Roswell (3rd great-grandfather), son of Ezra (4th great-grandfather) and Sarah Chapman Lane.
     OK, so where is the deed for Betsey (Elizabeth?) Chapman? I guess she could have kept it and sold it many, many years later. Since her name does not show up under Chapman, she probably married so we need that name to research further. We have accounted for a total of eight children, minus Betsey. Who are the 10th and 11th children?  If either Jesse or Ira are included in this family - there were no deeds found.

Research in DC

     I returned home last Thursday after nine days of research in Washington, DC, with a like-minded group of genealogists. What fun we had - we looked at too many books/papers and maps. Linda, our tour guide, organizes this trip every year in early December for interested people from the Phoenix area. Some of the people on the trip have gone several years. This was my first trip.

     It is organized very well. The hotel we stayed in was very convenient to the subway and busses. DC is definitely a walking town. We were on our own for meals. Bruce and I used to live in northern Virginia early in our marriage - 35-ish years ago, so I had been there before. My friends Susan and MaryLu were on the trip too. There were a total of 14 in the group, so I met new people and enjoyed them all. Of course, most conversations were about genealogy and family history, but that is what we enjoy. Nothing like a good conversation about dead people!

     The first afternoon (Wednesday, Dec. 4) was mostly getting settled in our rooms, an early dinner and then heading to the DAR Library for a Christmas Open House. I knew I was going be spending a lot of time in that Library so it was nice to get a feel for it and learn how to get there. We got our Metro cards to ride the subway/busses. Since most of us had gotten up at 3:30 AM to catch the 6:30 flight from Phoenix, we were early to bed.

     Thursday, we headed for the Library of Congress and had a great tour and overview of what they had. There are three buildings comprising the LOC - Jefferson, Madison and Adams. We spent part of the day in the Madison Building, looking at their huge map collection including Sanborn maps, and then the afternoon was spent in the Jefferson Building with books, etc.  You can check out their digital collections online at www.loc.gov. Susan found great Sanborn maps of her family home and business in the 1930s and 40s, in Shasta County, CA. She learned a few things she didn't know about the site and it brought back lots of memories.

     Friday was National Archives (Archives.gov) day. We heard a talk about the Civil War and the records available to us, and how their system worked. They, understandably, have tight security. Not just for people, but the papers you are allowed to bring in with you - and take out. It was a little daunting at first, but after getting ID cards, figuring out the process to order records, where to go, etc. it was doable.  Another good day - did get the pension records for a Civil War soldier, James Green, from Bruce's family. Unfortunately, my William W. Court - who served in the Civil War for three years, fought at Gettysburg and was wounded somewhere along the way - had no the records. They said it was a wrong number, I am assuming the records are misfiled. It is hard to believe there are no records for him, but the numbers didn't lead to the records as they should have. I will contact someone there after the holidays and see if they will help.

    Saturday was DAR Library day. Again, a good overview by a librarian. This is where I spent Saturday, Monday and Wednesday. We would have gone on Tuesday, except that a smattering of snow overnight closed our government down! Bummer.

But one more day might have taken us back to the Archives. But I had a list of periodicals I wanted to check out at the LOC and never made it back there.

     Sunday we toured the Smithsonian's American History Museum. Tuesday, the Kennedy Center was near our hotel and open for a tour which we found very enjoyable.

     Thursday morning we headed home with papers and new information to add to our genealogy. All in all a good trip. I was able to meet an old friend for dinner one night (she lives in Annapolis). Unfortunately, I was supposed to meet a second cousin who lives in Richmond, VA at the DAR Library on Tuesday - but the weather kept her away. Next trip.

     After I have had a chance to go through the papers I brought home, I will write about a discovery that was made.

Lineage Societies

Lineage Societies - you either love them or hate them. Me?  I enjoy proving I can join. Most of the groups are patriotic, support our vets and the military, respect the flag, sponsor volunteer work and support organizations through giving time and money.

Check out how many lineage groups there actually are. Wikipedia.com lists the names of many - too many to count - on the "Lineage Societies" page.

You can join societies that show lineage to royalty, founders of our country, as well as  military (Civil War and Revolutionary War and many others) and even occupations. Most states have some sort of first family organization - first settlers in the state. Did your ancestor sign the Declaration of Independence? Was he a Whaling Master or a Colonial Clergy?  Did he own a tavern? One of my favorite names for an organization is: Descendants of the illegitimate Sons and Daughters of the Kings of Britain - or - (The Royal Bastards). Wouldn't that be fun to tell people - I am a member of The Royal Bastards...  actually, can't prove I am at this time! I do have FitzRandolphs in my family and a friend told me that is what the Fitz stands for - more research needed. Maybe next year.

I enjoy being a member of a lineage society. Currently I am a member of NSDAR (National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution); The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century; and the National Society United States Daughters of 1812.  I am in the process of applying for the National Society of the Dames of the Court of Honor (DCH) (one of my DAR soldiers held the rank of Captain) and - my all time favorite - the Association of Daughters of Early American Witches!  Who knew! I didn't. I had no idea that my 9th great-grandfather, Nicholas Disbrow/Disborough from CT/MA was accused of being a witch. He was not convicted. There is an interesting write-up on him on: http://bapresley.com/genealogy/hawkins/kelsey/nicholasdisborough.html

It sounds to me as though a disgruntled neighbor was involved, but then most of the "witch" stories sound like someone else was out to get the person accused.  It is almost the ultimate of bullying, especially when you read the stories of the young women accused by other young women, convicted and hanged.

I am still working on four NSDAR supplements to go with my initial soldier, Robert FitzRandolph. The supplements already proven are:  Joseph Hazelton(ine) and Capt. John Noyes. I  could probably prove approximately 50 supplements to Colonial Dames - a lot of our family came from England in the 1600s. But the grandmother of them all, in my opinion, is The Mayflower Society - I would like to reprove that someday. My great-grandmother, Mary Ella Hazelton Childs, was a member, but because she joined over 100 years ago I need to reprove it, and I have a letter in my files from the Mayflower Society at that time and they had questions about her membership, but they allowed it.  One soldier from the Revolutionary War, Samuel Hitchcock, (also a difficult reprove) was probably married to 1) Sarah Sears, and then her sister 2) Elizabeth "Betsey" Sears.  The Sears family would be my path to the Mayflower and Elder William Brewster.  The question is: was he married to them both and is Sarah the mother of the first three children by Samuel Hitchcock. It really wouldn't matter for purposes of getting into the Mayflower Society which sister is the mother, but I would like to prove - or disprove - the existence of Sarah Sears.

We genealogists - as a friend says - are never bored!  Not enough hours in the day.