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Mothers, Weddings and a Lobster, 52 Ancestors #160
To celebrate this Mother’s Day, I decided to create a composite of weddings of the women in my matrilineal line. I feel a special affinity for this line, because not only does it include my mother who...
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Thomas Durham (before 1649-1715), A Governor’s Son?, 52 Ancestors #161
Thomas Durham’s land ultimately fell into Richmond county, on the peninsula of land known as the Northern Neck of Virginia. We know nothing about Thomas Durham’s early life, except it’s unlikely that...
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The Parents of Charles Dodson, Jamestown Unraveled, 52 Ancestors #163
First, let me say right out and straight up that we have absolutely NO EVIDENCE whatsoever for who the parents of Charles Dodson ARE. But we do have evidence that strongly suggests who they aren’t!...
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Dorothy Durham (1663 – after 1725), No Shrinking Violet, 52 Ancestors #164
Dorothy, born in 1663, was the wife of Thomas Durham by sometime in 1685, because their daughter, Mary, was born on June 5, 1686 in what was then Rappahannock County, Virginia, now referred to as Old...
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The Last Father’s Day
The heat was oppressive. The air wasn’t moving, hanging like a hot wet blanket, engulfing you, making it difficult to breathe. In the days before air conditioning, you woke up hot and sweaty, and that...
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Dorothy Durham’s Parents and the Mysterious William Smoot, 52 Ancestors #165
Given the time in which she lived, we know quite a bit about Dorothy Durham, wife of Thomas Durham, but we only have hints, and a mystery, about her parents. Dorothy was born in 1663 – that much we...
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James Lee Claxton/Clarkson (c1775-1815), Died at Fort Decatur, Alabama, 52...
James Lee Claxton or Clarkson was born about 1775, but our first hint of him is found in Russell County, Virginia in the court records that begin in 1799. The surname, Claxton, has become Clarkson in...
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Durham DNA – 10 Things I Learned Despite No Y DNA Matches, 52 Ancestors #167
First and foremost, I want to thank my Durham cousin for stepping up and taking both the Y DNA and Family Finder tests to represent the Thomas Durham Sr. line of Richmond County, Virginia. My cousin...
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Susannah (maybe) Hart (c1740-before 1805), Marcus Younger’s Mystery Wife, 52...
Actually, we’re not even positive Susannah is her first name. I should have titled this “Maybe Susannah Maybe Hart,” but then I didn’t want someone to actually think her first name was “Maybe.” I can...
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Second Act Quilt – 52 Ancestors #169
A second act. Act two. What is it? Aside from the second act in a play, a more contemporary usage of the phrase is a second career, often undertaken in retirement when one is less constrained by...
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On This Day – What Were Your Ancestors Doing? – 52 Ancestors #170
Facebook is always “helping” me recall memories with a feature called “On This Day.” I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could turn back time and see what all of our ancestors were...
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Jacob Kirsch’s Deposition and The Abandoned Wife – 52 Ancestors #174
Over time, tidbits continue to trickle in about Jacob Kirsch, the infamous one-eyed lynching saloon keeper from Aurora, Indiana. And yes, he just happens to be my ancestor. I love them colorful!...
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FIRE!!!!
Did that just strike terror in your heart? Is your pulse racing right now? It should be. Fire has played a transformative role in the lives of our ancestors, especially since they built houses and...
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Michael McDowell Sr. (c 1720 – after 1755), Breadcrumbs Scattered From...
Michael McDowell Sr. could have been born in Baltimore County, Maryland, on the boat to Maryland, or back in Ireland. We don’t know. What we do know is that in 1752, Michael McDowell sold portions of...
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Irene Charitas Schlosser, Beware the Overlooked Umlat, 52 Ancestors #176
One of the reasons I was initially hesitant to write these 52 Ancestors articles, (that were supposed to span one year, but are now beginning year 4) is because I didn’t want to publish something in...
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My Son – The Final Ten Days of a Dream Come True – 52 Ancestors #177
This is an intensely personal story, and I have written and rewritten this article about 100 times. Putting pen to paper has been very difficult, awash in so many emotions. I have decided to publish...
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Conrad (Cunradt) Schlosser (1635-1694), Calvinist– 52 Ancestors #179
Thanks to the combined efforts of cousin Richard Miller, my friend Tom, a retired genealogist who works with German records and blog commenter, Karen Parker, we know that Conrad Schlosser is the father...
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Leapfrogging: Should We Believe Our Elders? – 52 Ancestors #180
You might notice that weekends are normally when I publish my 52 ancestor stories – and this isn’t exactly a normal 52 Ancestors story – but it pertains. Trust me for a minute. Halt the Presses This is...
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Anna Ursula Schlosser (1633-1701) and the Ides of March, 52 Ancestors #181
As we unraveled the story of Irene Charitas Schlosser and her parents, my friend Tom provided critical information that unlocked the name of Irene’s mother, Conrad Schlosser’s wife. I can’t thank Tom...
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I Am A River – 52 Ancestors #182
The quilt, “I Am A River” was inspired by a dream during a very difficult period in my life in the 1990s. In fact, I refer to it as “the decade from hell.” The “elevator pitch” summary from that...
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