WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: Ella and Milton’s Date, Middletown, NY

No, not wordless! 

Middletown Daily Times-Press, Saturday, July 27, 1918, page 2

In Their Country's Service

   Milton E. Ludlum, of the Times-Press composing room force, has been accepted for service with the Emergency Fleet Corporation.  He has reported for duty at Boston, Mass., where Charles E. Greening, an operator on the Times-Press, is now stationed.

Ella Wilson and Milton Gardner Ludlum

Great Aunt Ella Wilson married Milton Ludlum June 1920. This photo must have been taken when they were dating. Milton died a young man in 1925. Aunt Ella would marry a second time to Ray Simpson fifteen years later.

Meet Darius Peck and Hannah Warner from Norwich, CT

I began my blog Dec. 3, 2013 writing about 3^rd Great Grandfather Bester B. Peck. Today I’d like to introduce Bester’s Grandfather and my 5^th Great Grandfather Darius Peck.

5^th Great Grandfather was born March 14, 1749/50 in Norwich, New London Co., Connecticut.[1] He was the third child born to Jonathan Peck and Bethia Bingham. Darius’ family settled in Franklin, a section of Norwich originally known as West Farms. The Peck’s were members of the Congregational Church in Franklin and the Norwich First Congregational Church.

Darius wed Hannah Warner Nov. 5, 1772 at the Congregational Church in Scotland, Connecticut.[2] Scotland is a town in Windham Co., Connecticut. 5^th Great Grandmother Hannah was born in Windham Nov. 23, 1751 to Dr. Timothy Warner and Irena Ripley.[3] Hannah and Darius' marriage was recorded in both Windham and Norwich town records:

 

Vital Records of Norwich 1659-1848

Extract from page 498

Jan. 30, 1774 Darius and Hannah promised to follow the beliefs of the Norwich First Congregation Church.[4]

They became the parents of seven children. My ancestor, Bradford, was born Nov. 5, 1773[5] followed by Darius in 1775[6], John in 1778[7] and Joseph in 1782.[8] Bethia and Henry were baptized 1788.[9] Warner was born Sept. 10, 1789.[10] Six days after his birth Great Grandmother died.[11]

Darius remarried four years later to Mary Frances on Dec. 14, 1793 in Franklin.[12] Anna, Elisha and Lucy joined the Peck siblings in 1794, 1796 and 1799.[13]

April 13, 1804 Great Grandfather passed.[14] Darius rests beside Hannah in the Franklin Congregational Church Plains Cemetery.

 

To view posts published about 3^rd Great Grandfather Bester B. Peck, click on his tab at the top of this page. Click here for more information about 4^th Great Grandfather Bradford B. Peck.

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[1] Vital Records of Norwich 1659-1848, pub. Hartford; Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut; 1913, p. 234

[2] Ibid, p. 498

[3] Connecticut Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection). Ancestry.com Connecticut Town Birth Records, database online. Windham Vital Records, p. 364

[4] Norwich First Congregational Church 1699-1917, Connecticut State Library; CT Church Records Abstracts; Ancestry.com p. 277

[5] Vital Records of Norwich 1659-1848, pub. Hartford; Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut; 1913, p. 498

[6] Ibid

[7] Ibid, p. 499

[8] Ibid

[9] Norwich First Congregational Church 1699-1917, Connecticut State Library; CT Church Record Abstracts Ancestry.com, p. 277

[10] Barbour Collection, Franklin, CT Vital Records, p. 75

[11] Ibid, p. 74

[12] Ibid, p. 73

[13] Ibid, pgs. 73 & 74

[14] Ibid, p. 73

TREASURE CHEST THURSDAY Spitler Family Saga, Augusta Co., VA, Part 5, Jacob’s Place

Join me today for a look inside 3^rd Great Grandfather Jacob Spitler’s place. Raised in Augusta County, Virginia he would become a lifelong resident.

Jacob married two times. His first wife was my 3^rd Great Grandmother Margaret Dunlap. Grandfather’s second wife was Jane F. (Roberts) Acord.

Almost a year after Jacob’s death on Sept. 7, 1864, his administrator, Alexander B. Lightnor, presented an inventory of his personal estate to the Augusta County Court. George Shuey, Alexander McComb and J. B. Trimble prepared an appraisal.

You’ll see from the images below Grandfather owned a colt, a 10 – 12 year old blind mare and a 14 year old sorel horse. He had many tools; I’m assuming these were farm utensils.

Miss Spitler claimed a corner cupboard. This was most likely Jacob’s youngest daughter, Susan Margaret Spitler. Jacob’s widow, Jane F. Spitler, wanted a bedstead and bedding. Daughter Susan Margaret called dibs on an old bureau and a cow. A stepson, George Echard, claimed 19 sheep, a red cow, a pale red cow, and one white faced cow. (George was the son of Jane F. Roberts and her 1^st husband, Andrew B. Acord.)

It was customary for the widow to receive her dower. But if she wanted anything else, she had to buy it. That’s just what Jane F. Spitler did. She bought a copper kettle for $20.00, a spotted cow for $45.00, 19 sheep for $109.25, and a $100.00 sorel horse along with household items.

Grandfather’s personal property sold at a public auction Sept. 20, 1865. The sale bill is a genealogical gem. You have the item, purchaser’s name and selling price. Friends, family and neighbors joined the bidding that raised $923.45.

Here’s the inventory and bill sale. Take a good look. You never know; you might find an ancestor.

Jacob Spitler’s Inventory

Augusta Co., VA Will Book 40, page 216

Jacob Spitler’s Inventory and Sale Bill

Augusta Co., VA Will Book 40, page 217

 Jacob Spitler’s Sale Bill

Augusta Co., VA Will Book 40, page 218

Jacob Spitler’s Sale Bill

Augusta Co., VA Will Book 40, page 219

You might like to see earlier ‘Spitler Family Saga’ posts. Just click on each title.

   TREASURE CHEST THURSDAY Spitler Family Saga, Augusta Co., VA, Part 1 

   SURNAME SATURDAY Spitler Family Saga,Augusta Co., VA Part 2

   MILITARY MONDAY Spitler Family Saga, AugustaCo., VA Part 3, The War Years

  

   SURNAME SATURDAY Spitler Family Saga,Augusta Co., VA, 4th Gr-Grandparents Kids during the Revolution, Part 4

  

SIBLING SATURDAY, How We Are Getting Along on this Wide World

Jane Kimber and her husband Moses Seely wrote to her sister Sarah Kimber and spouse William Mackney in Owego, Tioga Co., NY in today’s letter. Although Jane addresses her letter to her ‘dear brother and sister’ Jane’s writings were meant solely for Sarah.

‘The Sisters’

Published by Currier & Ives c. 1845

Courtesy of the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Collection

Jane is catching Sarah up with the Orange County, NY family news. Their parents (Keziah and Benjamin Kimber) were well. Another Kimber sister, Abigail, would spend 2 weeks with Caleb. I’m certain this must have been Caleb Jones, the husband of their sister Susan. Susan passed in 1847 leaving Caleb with 4 children. I bet they needed Abigail to care for the Jones children.

You’ll hear about a Sabbath school celebration, the weather, little Isabel who’s quick on her feet, Phebe’s sparking, and Jane’s supper that night.

Then Jane got around to the news about sister Charity (Kimber) Clark—my 3^rd Great Grandmother. Kimber sister Julie Ann and husband Erastus Elston visited with Grandmother. It wasn’t good news. Charity was upset because her folks hadn’t been to see her. She told Julie Ann she “felt sometimes as if she could not live and then to think she had no friends to come and see her”. That was only the beginning of her trouble which started with my 3^rd Great Grandfather William P. Clark and their oldest child, James. Jane writes “William and James has been cutting up grate dido   they took them up once they settled it and paid ten dollars a peace”. I don’t know what cutting up grate dido means. I hope it was merely a moment of bad judgement. It cost the family $20. Grandmother had her hands full with eleven children and lonesome when William and James got themselves in some kind of fix.

Jane closes her letter wishing to see Sarah.

Transcription Letter 3:

August the 21 (no year, prob. 1852) 2 o clock

Dear Brother and Sister

I now take the pleasure of writing a few lines

to you to let you know how we are getting  along

on  this  wide  world    we are all very well at

present and I hope that these  few lines will

find  you all the same    I received your letter

the 17th and I was glad to get it   I tell you for

it done almost like talking with you   l want to

see you O how bad   O I have got a string as

long as from here to Owego to tell you the whole

but l will have to wait until I see you   Father

and Mother is well as can be expected   Abigail

has gone  to Calebs to stay two weeks   I have

not seen her since I got the letter but I will

keep it until I do   she was some better the

last time I saw her than she was when you went

away    she is going to Newburg while she in gone

   Caleb is going with her   We have been over

there and to Erastus Elstons since you left here

   we had a very good visit at both places  I

have been to Orange to meeting on Saturday and

on Sunday it was our communion season  I

enjoyed myself well   Mrs. Geimsley wanted us to

go home with them and stay all night   she asked

about you and said she wanted to see you and Mr.

Grimley said that he knew me by you for I looked

so much like you    we have had very warm wether

here not only warm but hot for one week   but we

have had almost a week of rainy wether since

that  they are going to have a sabbath school

celebration the 3 day or September in the woods

by old johnney howells near the school house

there  is six schools going to meet there and

they are  going to have the brass band from Port

   I think it will be worth seeing and l think

that I shall be around about that time    they

talk of holding a meeting on for a week    well

Sarah I hold my own yet    Only I have had the

Erysipelas in  my hands    it made me feel not

very good for a day or two but they are better

now   Isabel is well   she talks most everything

and runs till it hard to get on track of her

ofter   phebe is well   she is a spining now

they spark as much as ever and sometimes a

little more for he has to stay downstairs with

her every night   I think that looks rather

green but I think keep cool   they think they

are some pumkins   I should say rather small

ones   now Sarah I will tell you what is the

reason   I have not writin you before   I did not

know where to direct it till I could  send home

to know   now I will keep it   O shaw   why cant

I run over and see you once in a while   if I

lived as near you as you do to me I would come

and see you every now and then   I was glad to

hear that you was so much better than you were

here  and that you had got to be a walker   I

wish you and William would take a walk out  here

some day   now Sis   I must eat a peach and then

I must go and see about the grub for it is most

five o clock   I will tell you what I am goinq

to get   I am going to have short cake and

cucumbers and some berries  some peaches  and

some apples and tea   well Sarah it is tuesday

afternoon and I have got my baking done and have

just taken my pen in hand to resume my letter

again   I have not seen Chartey yet, but  Erastus

and  Juliann has been there and they said that

she was grieving herself most to death about her

folks not coming to see her   she said that she

felt sometimes as if she could not live and then

to think that she had no friends to come and see

her   she almost felt crazy   but O Sarah, you

dont know the trouble that she has now   William

and James has been cutting up grate dido   they

took them [up or pu] once but settled it and paid

ten dollars a peace   I wont wright any more

about it   now for Moses is a going to wright

William all about it and put inside of his   it

wiil be the particulars I suppose   Sarah I

told Abigail what you told me to tell her about

the papers that you took and she said it was

just like you   Mary was here a Sunday a little

while   she was well and she said that I must

tell you that she sent all of her love to you

but a little that she saved for some one else

I will tell you more about it the next letter I

wright   I dont know that I have got much more

to tell you   I cant think what to wright but if

I could see you I could talk   I tell you you

must not make fun of my wrighting for it is

awful but you know its me   O Sarah I wish you

could be here a few days and then back again

you must wright to me as often as you can and I

will do the same   William Moses wants you to

wright as soon as that trial comes of   it is a

getting late and I must close my letter for this

time but I remain your Sister untill Death. So

good bye Brother and Sister till we meet

wright to me as soon as you can

Moses and Jane E. Seely to William T. and Sarah

B. Mackney

[The Mackneys were in Owego at this time.]

[Susan Isabel was born 10 July 1851 in Orange

Co.]

NOTE: Edna Raymond, a past Town of Minisink historian, gave me typed transcripts of the letters exchanged between the Kimber sisters and their parents. This is letter 3 of 31.

Let me tell you what I can recall about the provenance of the Kimber letters. It was many years ago when I visited Edna and learned of the letters. Edna has since passed away. I believe Edna told me a couple from Illinois visited the Minisink Town Hall and brought the original Kimber letters. The Kimber descendant allowed Edna to photocopy the letters in his/her presence. Edna worked quickly. In those days copy machines were slow and the quality left much to be desired. Edna spent many hours studying and transcribing the letters as the ‘old time’ handwriting and spelling was especially difficult to read.

I can’t say how the Illinois couple came by the letters. The Mackney’s and Congleton’s moved to Illinois so it’s possible the Illinois couple were from either branch of the family tree. Winfred Drake Riddall added comments to the letters. She was a Moses Seely and Jane Kimber descendant from Buffalo, New York.