As the summer heats up, it’s the perfect time to catch up on reading and family history projects. The Bookstore at NEHGS is making it easier by offering 20% off on all titles. This includes all the best sellers, the Great Migration Collection, the Expert Choice Collection, and many more. But act soon, because these prices won’t last forever! *some restrictions apply.
Tracing Acadian ancestry presents unique—but not insurmountable—challenges for family historians. Record loss, destroyed communities, and large-scale migration are just some of the obstacles facing genealogists. This three-week online course provides the historical context, records, and research strategies to take your Acadian ancestry back to Canada and beyond. Live broadcasts start on July 7 at 6 p.m. Register Now
Upcoming American Inspiration Author Events
Tomorrow, July 8, don't miss Peter S. Canellos discussingThe Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America's Judicial Hero. On July 20, Menachem Kaiser will present Plunder: A Memoir of Family Property and Nazi Treasure; and on July 27, Dorothy Wickenden will share The Agitators: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women’s Rights. Learn More
Free Webinar—Last Chance!
Reimagining Historic House Museums
Curt DiCamillo hosts the legendary Ken Turino, long-time curator and educator at Historic New England, for an illustration-rich lecture that draws upon Reimagining Historic House Museums: New Approaches and Proven Solutions, his seminal 2019 book, which examines issues facing historic houses in these rapidly changing times. Join us on July 9 at 4 p.m. ET. Register Now
Spotlight: Local History and Genealogy Resources, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
by Valerie Beaudrault
The Chelmsford Public Library in northeastern Massachusetts has made a number of resources available on its website. Scroll down to find the Chelmsford-specific databases. The Cemetery Archive database is an index to individuals buried in Chelmsford cemeteries from 1690 to 2008. The Chelmsford Newspaper Obituaries database is a PDF index to obituaries found in the Chelmsford Newsweekly (6/20/1940–8/26/1993) and the Chelmsford Independent (1986–present). Chelmsford Residents Lists and Lowell Directories are also accessible on the website. The Chelmsford Town Annual Reports database is a searchable archive of the annual reports from 1874 to the present. Search Now
Catching up with Vita Brevis
In June, Philip Grover continued his account of genealogical serendipity and generosity in "Lessons in genealogical research" Parts 2 and 3. Amy Whorf McGuiggan explored her Atlantic Canada roots; Christopher C. Child examined the pitfalls of after-the-fact middle initials and middle names; Melanie McComb focused her attention on an elusive grandfather and great-grandmother; and Pam Holland sought out the fate of three boys named William Moroney.
Last week's survey asked if your ancestors were involved in the American Revolution. We received 3,602 responses. The results are:
86%, I have an ancestor who served as an officer, soldier, or sailor on the American side.
5%, I am a descendant of a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
44%, I have an ancestor who supported the American side through patriotic activity (providing aid, serving as a government officer, etc.).
5%, I have French or French-Canadian ancestors, or ancestors of another nationality who supported the American side.
9%, I have an ancestor who served as an officer or soldier for the British side (including mercenary soldiers serving on the British side).
23%, I have an ancestor who was a Loyalist.
15%, I have ancestors who were involved on both sides of the conflict.
30%, I joined a lineage society based on my ancestor's involvement in the Revolutionary War (on either side).
6%, My ancestor has an American Revolution connection not mentioned above.
9%, I am not aware of any of my ancestors being involved in the Revolutionary War.
This week's question asks if any of your ancestors or relatives kept pet birds, bees, reptiles, worms, or insects. Take the survey now
Want to share your thoughts on the survey with us? We are always happy to hear from our readers. Email us at weeklygenealogist@nehgs.org. Responses may be edited for clarity and length and featured in a future newsletter.
Readers Respond: Ancestors in the American Revolution
By Lynn Betlock, Managing Editor
Last week's survey asked if your ancestors were involved in the American Revolution. Thank you to everyone who responded. Below is a selection of reader responses.
Michael Hogan, Georges Mills, New Hampshire: Samuel Shelley, my fifth great-uncle, received a military pension for his service in the Continental Army, which included a stint at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-78. He was born in 1766, which made me doubt the records, since Samuel would have been only 11. Then I discovered that it was common for boys as young as 10 to serve as regimental fifers. I found that Samuel was a fifer for the 3rd Infantry Regiment in the Connecticut Line.
Casey Zahn, Pennington, New Jersey: I have several Revolutionary War ancestors, a lieutenant from East Lyme, Connecticut, and several privates. But my best connection was discovered through my DNA test results. I learned that an ancestor of mine was the daughter of Prince Crosley—a slave owned by another one of my ancestors—who gained his freedom by serving in the Revolutionary War.
Charlie Bass, Lt. Col., U.S. Army (Retired), Corpus Christi, Texas: My ancestor Samuel Bass, born in Boston in 1754, enlisted as a private in the Continental Army and was captured three days later—on February 26, 1779—by the British at Horse Neck (now Greenwich) in Connectict. Samuel spent the next year aboard the dreadful Jersey prison ship, where only one in ten prisoners survived the year. A year later, a prisoner exchange put Samuel back with American forces and he served with Sheldon's Second Light Dragoons of Connecticut, the unit providing bodyguard services for General George Washington. An 1835 letter written by Samuel’s son Daniel recording his father's service led to my hereditary membership in American Ex-Prisoners of War and Sheldon's Second Light Dragoons, approved during my service in Afghanistan in 2013.
John D’Alessandro, St. Joachim, Ontario: Three of my wife’s ancestors were involved in the Revolution but played very different roles. One was a conscientious objector, one was a Patriot soldier, and one was a Loyalist sympathizer. Nathaniel Fisk (1735-1807), a Quaker, refused to participate in the war and had his land in Danby, Vermont, confiscated. George Hall (1744-1822), a soldier in Col. Van Rensselaer’s regiment, was at the Battle of Bennington, an important American victory. Martin Townsend (1756-1848) was also there, but on the other side as a civilian Loyalist sympathizer. Twenty-three years later, the soldier’s son, Clark Hall (1777-1865), married the Loyalist sympathizer’s daughter, Susanna Townsend (1783-1852). One has to wonder if the Battle of Bennington came up in conversation at the wedding!
New Database—Only at American Ancestors
Portsmouth, NH: High School Students, 1846–1902
Our newest database is Portsmouth, NH: High School Students, 1846-1902. Student information can provide a more personal insight into an ancestor’s high school experience. This database contains eight volumes with over 2,300 pages of student data, and includes 48,000 searchable records and 50,00 searchable names. Search Now
Help Keep Online Education FREE for All
Your support for our webinars is vital. These free, real-time, hour-long online events allow members and guests to become better family historians by delving into a wide range of topics and research methods. We need your support to keep these valuable programs free to the public. Please consider a gift today. Thank you!
*Offer valid through July 31, 2021, while supplies last. Savings will automatically appear at checkout and cannot be combined with any other discount, including the American Ancestors member discount. This discount applies to all books, e-books, charts, and gift items. Does not apply to the Mayflower Descendant, services, or course-related materials.
Lantern slide of the original Portsmouth High School on Daniel Street. Courtesy of the Portsmouth Athenaeum.
