Looking for clusters of closely related families—whether by kinship, marriage, social position, or wealth—can help solve some of your trickier genealogical mysteries. Genealogist Alicia Crane Williams explains: Read More
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Heritage Tour
Country Houses of the Scottish Borders
Experience the history, art, and hospitality of Scotland on a tour of some of the country's most glorious houses and gardens, led by expert historian of art and architecture Curt DiCamillo. May 31-June 6, 2034. Register Now
The Weekly Genealogist Survey
This Week's Survey:
Do You Have a Family Quilt or Any Quilters in Your Family?
Share your thoughts about the survey at weeklygenealogist@nehgs.org. Responses may be edited for clarity and length and featured in a future newsletter.
Last Week's Survey:
Do You Have Family Connections to a Jail or Prison?
Total: 3,606 Responses
48%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives was incarcerated in a jail or prison.
17%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives worked in a jail or prison.
2%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives assisted in building a jail or prison.
6%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives had some other connection to a jail or prison.
6%, I have a family connection to jails or prisons not mentioned above.
38%, I don’t think I have any family connection to a jail or prison.
Readers Respond
Carolyn Schomer, Warner Robins, Georgia: My ancestor John Megie was held prisoner in the Whigs' Vault at Dunnottar Castle near Aberdeen, Scotland, with 167 other men and women in 1685 because he was a Presbyterian Covenantor. His name is inscribed on a plaque in the vault. He was later banished and settled in New Jersey, where he was an early part of the Elizabeth Presbyterian Church.
William B. Saxbe Jr., CG, FASG, Williamstown, Massachusetts: Martin Bowen Saxbe (1855-1920), the younger brother of my great-grandfather, was elected sheriff of Champaign County, Ohio, in 1888. From 1896 to 1900 he was the Captain of the Guard at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus. One of his charges was William Sydney Porter—better known as O. Henry—who was serving a term for embezzlement. O. Henry wrote many of his short stories while incarcerated.
Rachel Dobson, Cottondale, Alabama: My ancestor William Archibald Lester Tucker (1845-1911) served as jailor of the Russell County, Alabama, jail in Seale in the early 1880s. One night, after being on the job for only a month, he went out on business, leaving his wife, Evelyn P. Tucker, in charge. Six prisoners made their escape while he was gone. Apparently, they all got away except one man who turned himself in.
Elizabeth Handler, Needham, Massachusetts: The old Norfolk County Jail in Dedham, Massachusetts, was built in 1817 and expanded in 1851. Inmates (including Sacco and Vanzetti) were housed there until 1992, when a new correctional center was built. After being empty for many years, the historic stone building was renovated into gorgeous condominiums and opened in 2003. My mother was one of the first to move in and lived there for over ten years. Family members loved to address her mail to "the jail" on Village Avenue in Dedham.
Patty Vitale, Germantown, Maryland: My ancestor Domenico Caldarelli immigrated to the U.S. from Italy. The first American record I found him in was the 1900 census, which listed him as an inmate in Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York. I learned he killed a man in broad daylight in New York City. After a neighbor told Domenico, a pushcart peddler, that his wife was “bestowing her smiles" upon another peddler, Domenico laid in wait and shot the peddler. Domenico was sentenced to ten years in prison and served eight. Upon his release, he returned to live with his wife and children.
Barb Welch, Hancock, Maine: My mother’s ancestor Peter Hallam was a convict transported to Australia in 1838 for stealing a pair of boots in Sheffield, England. He served his seven-year sentence and stayed in Queensland for the rest of his life, where he had several more brushes with the law. My father’s great-grandfather Joseph Watson was charged with treason for his participation in the Rebellions of 1837-1838 in Canada. He served nineteen months in a crowded Toronto prison. Inmates occupied themselves by carving small wooden boxes from the firewood, which were smuggled out to family members. Two of Joseph’s boxes survive, and I have one of them.
Susan Hintz, Missoula, Montana: When people ask me where I met my husband, I say "in jail." We both worked for the Missoula County Sheriff's Department, which included duty time in the jail.
What We’re Reading
Three Abandoned Children, Two Missing Parents and a 40-year Mystery “Elvira and her brothers, Ricard and Ramón, were left at a train station in Barcelona aged two, four and five. As an adult, when Elvira decided to look for her parents, she discovered a family history wilder than anything she had imagined.”
The Truth About Sea Captains’ Houses “In New England’s coastal towns and cities, gracious sea captains’ homes were built as showcases of success, but as This Old House veteran Bruce Irving discovered, the full story is a little more complicated.”
Spotlight: Appanoose County Historical Society Newspaper Database
by Valerie Beaudrault
Appanoose County is located in southern Iowa and seated in Centerville. The Appanoose County Historical Society provides an online newspaper database comprising more than 360,000 pages from 42 newspapers, including Centerville Daily Iowegian And Citizen (1916-2004), Centerville Iowegian And Citizen (1956-1981), Centerville Daily Citizen (1894-2009), Daily Iowegian (2010-2019), Centerville Journal (1881-1922), Iowegian and Citizen (1969-1974), Semi Weekly Iowegian (1900-1919), and Centerville Citizen (1872-1903). Two cemetery records databases have also been included in the collection. Search by keyword across all titles at the same time, or select a single newspaper; limit your results by date range. Individual newspapers can also be browsed. Search Now
We've added five new sketches and updated one sketch in Early Vermont Settlers, 1700-1784. Additions include the Brattleboro families of Timothy Church, Timothy Whipple, Zachariah Whipple, James Wright, Sawyer Wright, and Alexander Young. Search Now
Free Video from American Ancestors
Finding Your Ancestral Homestead
Every family historian wants to visit their ancestral homestead. Changing street names, landscapes, and boundaries can make this task difficult. This online lecture discusses resources for identifying an ancestor’s address and provides practical skills for finding current locations using land deeds, maps, and other records. Watch Now
Your Legacy. Your Peace of Mind. Your Free Will.
As a family historian, you know that wills are important in your research—but have you created a will for yourself? Free Will, an easy and free online will creation tool, will guide you step-by-step through identifying beneficiaries for your assets, supporting the causes that are important to you, and planning for the preservation of your research. Learn More
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