President's Day

Happy President's Day! In honor of his birthday, here's our connection to our first president:



Yup, for those of us on the Hancock line, George Washington is my 4x great-grandfather's sister-in-law's great-grandmother's maternal cousin's brother-in-law.

I literally laughed for about ten minutes while writing that.

Also interesting, though, is that the Ammon family (who married into the Hancocks and gave us the Ammon first name) attended the church where George and Mary Washington were married, at the same time that they were parishioners.



(props to Joe for the Gif)

Murder on the High Seas, and all that good stuff

In my previous post on the Cape Cod Calvinist Kerfuffle of 1717-1738, I mentioned Kinney ancestor Joseph Doane, famous for capturing nine pirates fleeing the wreck of the Whydah.  

While researching the Doane line, I came across the dramatic story of the schooner Abigail, which illustrates how dangerous shipping could be in the Cape Cod area in the 18th century (1). It's also a reminder that we're descendants from, essentially, the entire county of Barnstable, Massachusetts, which covers the outer hook of Cape Cod. Or, at least, it's 17th and 18th century inhabitants.

The Abigail was owned by Captain Thomas Nickerson of Chatham, in Barnstable county. [He was my first cousin, 8x removed. His father, Thomas, was the brother of Desire Nickerson, which is both her maiden and married name, my 7xgreat-grandmother.] By the late 1700s, the economy in Barnstable county was focused on fishing and shipping. Captain Nickerson used his schooner to transport cargo between Boston and the outer Cape Cod. 

On November 15, 1772, the Abigail was found by Captain Joseph Doane Jr., himself piloting a schooner from Boston to Chatham, with her distress signal flying. [Joseph Doane Jr. was the son of pirate-hunter Joseph Doane, and therefore my 3rd cousin, 7x removed.] When Captain Doane boarded the vessel, he found the deck awash in blood and the cargo smashed open. Three men were dead, clearly murdered: Captain Nickerson himself, his cousin Sparrow Nickerson [also a relative of ours], and his brother-in-law Elisha Newcomb. [As far as I know, Elisha Newcomb was not related to our family, but I can't find his genealogy.]

There was one survivor, Ansel Nickerson. [Presumably, Ansel was also a cousin of mine, since he was a cousin of the captain, but I haven't found his place in the genealogy (2).] Ansel claimed that at 2am that morning, the crew had seen a topsail schooner heading toward them. Fearing he would be impressed into the British Navy, Ansel tied a rope around himself and let himself hang off the stern of the ship. While hanging, he heard four boats of armed men attack the ship, murder his captain, mate, and a crew-member, and carry off the youngest crew member, a boy of 13 named William Kent Jr. The pirates stole what they could, smashed open a barrel of rum and drank it, then argued about whether to burn the Abigail or just leave her to wreck herself. Luckily for Ansel, they decided to leave her.

Captain Doane carried the distraught Ansel Nickerson back to Chatham, but that was not the end of the story. For reasons that are not clear, the local official, Edward Bacon, Esq., was suspicious of Ansel's story. [I don't know if we're related to Edward Bacon. I can't find information about his family, but I don't know of any connections to a Bacon.] It seems unlikely that Ansel could have murdered four men -- for no known motivation -- without sustaining any injuries himself, but he was sent to Boston where he was tried for murder on the high seas and found not guilty when the jury deadlocked. 

The public and the courts were not satisfied, so Ansel was tried again, this time by a special Court of the Vice-Admiralty which charged him with piracy and robbery. He was represented by two Boston lawyers, John Adams and Josiah Quincy Jr., who had, two years earlier, successfully defended the British soldiers accused in the Boston Massacre. (And one of whom, of course, later became the president of the United States.) The trial lasted two weeks. Although Ansel was acquitted, something about his story, character, or evidence must have been extremely suspicious, for John Adams himself wrote in his diary, years later, that he was uncertain of his client's guilt or innocence. Ansel eventually moved to the Caribbean. Many of his neighbors remained convinced of his guilt.

Joseph Doane Jr., who had found the Abigail, went on to serve in the Revolution under Captain (later Colonel) Benjamin Godfrey of the Massachusetts militia [my 1st cousin, 9x removed. His father's brother, Moses Godfrey, was my 8xgreat-grandfather].

References:

1. Nickerson, Joseph A., Jr., and Geraldine D. Nickerson. 2008. Chatham Sea Captains in the Age of Sail. The History Press, p. 25-26. Available on-line here: https://books.google.com/books?id=FXgVBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA91&dq=boston+ship+captains&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi7orXDq8TMAhVkIcAKHXLKBuYQ6AEIRjAH#v=onepage&q=Nickerson&f=false

2. http://capecodhistory.us/genealogy/Nauset/i2819.htm

Loyalists in the closet

John Trumbull’s "Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill".
(Boston Museum of Fine Arts/BOSTON MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS)

On a recent Facebook forum someone I don't know commiserated with me for having Loyalist ancestors. My first reaction was to laugh. I mean, I'm a white woman with a 400 year family history in a nation founded on genocide and slavery. If Loyalists were the worst my family tree had to offer, I'd be thrilled.

I'm extremely grateful that some of my ancestors, and many other men and women of the time, chose to fight for our independence, but it is laughable to think that that choice was obvious, except with 20/20 hindsight (and not necessarily even then). After all, freedom and justice are wonderful values to fight for, but so are loyalty and patriotism, both of which motivated those who supported the British crown. Furthermore, while some of the liberties our ancestors fought for are rightly enshrined as fundamental human rights, some points of contention between us and the British, like slavery and white expansion into Native lands, were cases where we were definitely on the wrong side of history.

I have a post listing of all my ancestors who served in the American Revolution. But what about my Loyalist ancestors? I want to create a list of them, too, not, perhaps, out of pride, but to acknowledge this face of our past. What I've found is that Loyalists are surprisingly hard to trace. While organizations like the Daughters of the American Revolution provide "proven" genealogies to link us back to the soldiers who fought on the side of independence, there is no such organization that does the same for Loyalists (at least, not one so well-funded and comprehensive). In fact, I don't have proof that any of my ancestors fought for the British, there's just the suspicious coincidence that many on the Kinney line moved to Canada during or after the war, and they were particularly concentrated in the areas of Nova Scotia where the Loyalists were resettled. I've decided to focus some real effort on this question now, however, and will update as I find information.

Updates

I'm trying to post once a week, but this week I don't have a biographical sketch to share. I've spent my genealogical time updating the Hancock line, and I have the great good luck of being able to use someone else's well-documented research. John Frederick Dorman, who is the top expert on Virginia genealogy and the senior fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, wrote a series of books on the early settlers of Virginia and their descendants. The books, Adventures of Purse and Person: Virginia, 1607-1625 are now in their fifth edition. The Hancocks are covered in the chapter on the descendants of Thomas Harris. Harris was an "Ancient Planter", meaning he arrived before 1616, stayed at least three years, and paid his own passage to Jamestown. His daughter, Mary Harris, married Thomas Ligon, the "gateway ancestor" I discussed in my last post. Their daughter, Johan Ligon, married Robert Hancock. Johan and Robert are my 9xgreat-grandparents.

As part of my Hancock work, I came across another Revolutionary War soldier, "Colonel" Samuel Hancock. I don't know how I overlooked him before. His older brother, Simon, died in 1776 in Pennsylvania, near the Delaware River. There is no information about how he died, other than that it was while undertaking "military duties". Washington crossed the Delaware at the end of 1776, so it is possible that the Bedford County militia, which is likely where they served, was with Washington. As I discover more, I will continue adding to my earlier post listing Revolutionary War ancestors.

On the Importance of Lost Moments Found

Puritan men drinking (from https://seventreesfarm.wordpress.com, but I couldn't find
the artist). OK, so my ancestors (or at least these ancestors) weren't Puritans, but it's
surprisingly hard to find a picture of colonial men drinking.

While researching the family of Margary Dean Canan, the daughter of my 6xgreat-grandfather, James Dean, I came across a book, The History of Centre and Clinton Counties (Pennsylvania), by J.B. Linn (1975).  The book re-prints the journal of James Harris, who surveyed the area in 1784 (p.21-22). James Harris appears to have worked with, and possibly boarded with, John Canan, Margary Dean's husband. I was intrigued by the following journal entry:

"27th [of November], Mr. Brown goes for his horse to the Warrior Marks and returns to Mr. Canan's. I drink cyder with Mr. Canan at Mr. Mitchell's and Mr. Dean's his father-in-law."

A simple sentence, "I drink cyder with...Mr. Dean...", but so evocative. I imagine the men huddled close to the light and warmth of a hearth, the crude plank house dark around them. I can almost smell the wood smoke, tangy apples, and wet wool of homespun clothes. Perhaps they could hear Margary and her mother in the kitchen, or were the ladies sitting with them near the fire, working by it's light? The Revolutionary War had ended earlier that year. Did they talk about the new government, or old conflicts with their neighbors?

There is something visceral about this sentence. It captures the imagination and the senses in a way that no historical overview of colonial Pennsylvania ever could. It brings the dead to life in a way that no tombstone, no formal portrait could match.

Here, then, is the link between ethnohistory and archaeology. These records affect me much as I am affected by holding a the remains of an ancient pot, or tool, or meal. A person (not a number, not a label, but a person) once created or shaped the object, and now a person holds it again and wonders, remembers. A physical connection is made to the past. We are cultural creatures, and that cultural connection binds us to the people of the past just as strongly as the flimsy strands of DNA.

Revolutionary War Soldiers

As I work through the genealogies, I'm keeping lists, so I can easily find information about people who, for example, were all Scotch-Irish, or lived in North Carolina. Most of these lists are not share-worthy, but I think this one is interesting: a list of family members who fought in the Revolutionary War.

(Note: I'll keep updating this as I get more information)

James Baird, Captain under Col. William Graham, Tryon County Regiment, 1776-1779. From 1779-1780 served in the Lincoln County Regiment (note: this is the same county, it just changed it's name). Fought in the battle of King's Mountain, South Carolina, and in the Cherokee Expedition.(1) See also my post on his life. James Baird is my 6xgreat-grandfather. His grand-daughter, Hannah Baird, married into the Dean line.

William Hill, Colonel in the militia (which one? I don't know!). Served in the battle at Rocky Mount and wounded at Hanging Rock, August 6, 1780. Also fought in King's Mountain and Cowpens.(2) Perhaps a more important contribution would be his Ironworks. William Hill is my 6xgreat-grandfather. His daughter, Jane, was the mother of Hannah Baird, who married into the Dean line. [Update, Feb 14, 2016: Oops! Turns out Jane Hill wasn't the daughter of William, she was the daughter of John and Jane Hill of Lincoln County, North Carolina. More on this as I figure it out]

Abraham Dean, Private 3rd Class, 7th Company, 1st Battalion, Cumberland County Militia, 1780-1781, under Captain John Woods.(3) Abraham Dean is my 5xgreat-grandfather, in the direct Dean line.

William Stewart. Private 4th Class?, Cumberland County Militia. It is unclear when he served, but he is listed as part of the militia in 1778 and 1780. There is an existing pass from Captain Philip Mathias, saying "Permit the Bearer William Stewart to pass unmolested to Cumberland County as he hath served 2 months honestly and faithfully in the 4 class of Cumberland Militia. Given under my hand this 4th Day of January 1778" (4) My great aunt Lillian Dean Huffstetler has records that list him as "Captain of a troop of Dragoon", or "second lieutenant in the Cumberland County, PA militia", but it is not clear if either of these are true.

James Addair. He is mentioned as a Revolutionary War soldier in several genealogies, but the source isn't clear. He did serve in the Virginia militia before the war, and he also took the oath of loyalty in 1777. (7) 

Philip Welsheimer, Sr. Rank and File in the 3rd Battalion of the York County Militia. Listed in the roster of April 15, 1778, under Captain Michael Kohn.(5)

Johannes Philip Welsheimer. in Captain Andrew Graff's company from Pennsylvania, mustered in Philadelphia in July 16, 1776, with the remark "appointed gunsmith."(5)

"Colonel" Samuel Hancock. He served as a sergeant and private for more than two years during the Revolutionary War. The description of his service, which he gave as part of his pension application, can be found here. He seems to have spent much of the war marching around and being deathly ill. His brother Simon died in 1776 in Chester, PA, during military service. Samuel was not actually a Colonel, but like Colonel Sanders, he was a southern gentlemen of means and military background, so he was given the courtesy title. His brother, Edward, was similarly called "Captain" after serving three terms during the Revolution. Their eldest brother, William, also served. (10)

These were all the men from the Dean lineage who fought in the war. The other major branch off this side of the tree was the Brattains, who married into the Dean line when Sarah Jane Brattain married David P. Dean (my great-great-grandfather). The Brattains were Quakers, and did not fight in the war, although Sarah Brattain's great-grandfather, William Milliken, was burned out by Loyalists who objected to their support for independence.(6)

It appears that some of her non-Quaker ancestors did fight in the war, however:

Johann Georg Kissling. He served in Pennsylvania under Captain Kemp, in the Berk's County Militia, along with sons George Jr. and Conrad (8)

Jean (John) Chastain - he was too old to serve, but he is considered a "patriot" by the DAR for supplying the Bedford County, Virginia, militia with pounds of beef(9)

John Hewitt - there is a John Hewitt, of the right age and place, who was in the Revolutionary War, although it is not clear that this is the same John Hewitt as our ancestor.

The other line, that of the Kinneys, moved to Nova Scotia before the war, although it is possible some of them were loyalists and moved there afterward. I'm still looking into that possibility. 

References:
(1). Information from "The American Revolution in North Carolina" http://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/nc_patriot_military_captains.html, accessed April 18, 2015

(2). Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, Volume 1, A-J. By Bobby Gilmer Moss. 2009

(3). "AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS OF FRANKLIN COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA", compiled by Virginia Shannon Fendrick, p.59 (Available online:http://lcweb2.loc.gov/master/gdc/scdser01/200401/World_Almanacs_1903_1923/american%20rev%20sold%20frank

(4).  "History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania..."Edited by F. Ellis and A. N. Hungerford. Published in Philadelphia by Everts, Peck & Richards, 1886, Pages 865-874.

(5) "A History of the Welsheimer Family", by Edith Welsheimer, Bronson Printing, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 1969.https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE97573

(6) "Notes on the Milliken Family", by Millard F. Hudson, California Genealogy Society, Issues 1-3, 1900, p.55 https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=oW8wzD32obkC&rdid=book-oW8wzD32obkC&rdot=1

(7) Blog by Kenny Adair: http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/adair/2999

(8) http://mcclure.freeservers.com/geokeas.htm

(9) Pierre Chastain and Descendants, Vol. 1, p.24

(10) Dorman, John Frederick. 2004. Adventurers of Purse and Person: Virginia 1607-1624. Genealogical Publishing Company, p. 287.

The Life of James Baird, (and was his wife a Meaney)?

The signature page of the Tryon County Resolves, from allthingsliberty.com.
James Baird's signature is on the left page, second column, third from the bottom

James Baird was the grandfather of Hannah Baird Dean, and therefore my 6xgreat-grandfather. As discussed in a previous post, his relationship to the Dean line is fairly well documented (unlike his relationship to his probable father, John Baird).

What is known about James Baird?

Most genealogies list him as born in Pennsylvania in 1740, but the location is based on his father's residence there. It's not actually known if he was born in Pennsylvania or in North Carolina, where his family had moved by 1753. Originally, their property was in the county of Mecklenburg, North Carolina. In 1768, Mecklenburg was divided up, and the Baird property was in the section re-classified as Tryon County. In 1779, for various political reasons, the part of Tryon County where the Bairds lived was re-named Lincoln County.

Tryon county was known for its role in the Revolutionary War. The Tryon County Committee of Safety was one of the first militia groups to declare support for independence in the wake of the Battle of Lexington. The Tryon County Resolves, declaring a willingness to fight the British, was signed by 49 Tryon men on August 14, 1775. One of the signers was James Baird.

Can we be 100% certain this is the same James Baird as our ancestor? No, but it is a James Baird in the right place and at the right age. And our ancestor did fight in the Revolutionary war, as a captain in the Tryon County militia, making it quite likely that he was, indeed, the signer of the Resolves.

James Baird's wife's last name was "Meney". Her first name is variously given as Nancy, Anne, or Margaret, but her name wasn't given in his will.

The name "Meney" is quite rare, and searching for information about a Meney family in North Carolina has turned up almost nothing, certainly nothing that corresponds to what we know about the Baird family. However, names were not spelled consistently in that time and place. Baird, for example, was sometimes spelled Beard or Bard. Perhaps "Meney" was not the standard spelling?

I searched through the history of Tryon/Lincoln County North Carolina for a family with a similar-sounding name. I found only one: Mauney. One of the other signers of the Tryon Resolves was Valentine Mauney. If on-line genealogies can be trusted (and they can't!), Valentine Mauney was born around 1740, which would make him about ten years older than James Baird's wife. He was the middle of three brothers (Jacob and Christian being the others) who moved to North Carolina from Switzerland, via Pennsylvania. Could "Nancy Meney" Baird be an undocumented sister? Alternatively, Jacob Mauney was old enough in 1750 that she could possibly be his daughter.

Or, of course, she could be unrelated. Still, further research is justified. There is a book, Three Mauney Families, by Bonnie Eloise Mauney Summers, that might be able to clarify the situation. If anyone happens to run across a copy in their local bookstore, let me know.