52 Ancestors Challenge Week 11: "Flowers" - 3 generations of my Earle grandmothers' heirlooms

This is an adaptation from an earlier post published in March 2013; but when you say "flowers" in relation to my family history, I think of these objects among my family's heirlooms.

Shortly after my Grandpa Earle passed away in June of 2000, my grandmother (otherwise known as Nanny) gave me an Earle family heirloom as a birthday gift; a hand-painted plate. Nanny told me she was given the plate by my grandpa's Aunt Susie Earle-Gilvey (12 June 1877 - 28 June1965). It is a plate that Aunt Susie brought with her on her immigration from Newfoundland to New York in about 1900. The plate, we believe, was hand-painted by my great-great grandmother, Sarah Samms-Earle-Bromley (13 October 1857 - 20 March 1899). 

As a painter myself with a deep interest in family history I think it was a very appropriate gift.  I am not sure if Great-great Grandma Earle considered herself an artist but hand-painting plates was a popular hobby for women of her time.

This is not the only hand-painted Earle family heirloom that Nanny has given to me. Several birthdays later, Nanny gave me this canister which was painted by my great grandmother, Ethel Mae Losee-Earle (14 February 1896 - 27 May 1960).

There is something profoundly impacting about touching an object that was once held by someone you only know through stories and documentation. The next woman in this chain of Earle grandmothers, though, is my Nanny. She just turned 93 on February 27.

She doesn't paint but she does handcraft afghans and shawls of which I own a few. For a time she did ribbon embroidery of flowers but I do not have a piece of her flower work. Instead, here is a photo a blanket she crocheted for me. As a child it covered my bed. There was also an accompanying blanket she made for my doll. It had a similar pattern and was made in the same colors; my favorite, pink and green. I wish I still had that doll blanket. I don't know where it went.

God willing, I will be able to care for and maintain these artifacts long enough to hand them down to the next "Earle" grandmother or keeper of the family heirlooms.

 

Earle DNA Matches

In my last post I wrote about matching up with a cousin in Newfoundland.

My great grandfather, Abram Thomas Earle, was born in Twillingate, Newfoundland on January 13, 1891 to Abraham Earle and Sarah Samms-Earle. That I know and have documented.

Abram's sister, Susanna "Susie" Earle-Gilvey, left in her papers a handwritten list of names.

I don't know how she developed this list but it wound up in my grandmother's papers. I clearly see Aunt Susie's name at the bottom of the list though. 

Above her name is that of her father's; Abram is a common nickname for Abraham. I know my great grandfather's proper name was Abram, though, not Abraham and that he was named after his father who died at sea before great grandpa was born. Thus, I believe Aunt Susie is listing her father's name above hers. 

I think this is a family tree. I don't know how she made it; meaning that I don't know her sources but this list leads me to believe that Aunt Susie's grandfather is Elias; the name listed above Abram Earle - her father.

I've done quite a bit of research on Elias Earle and have very little proof that Abraham was his son.

What I find is that the eldest son of Elias was William Earle born in about 1829. Abraham, who I think is the youngest son of Elias was born in 1849. A 20 year gaps is a big difference between siblings but not unheard of. 

Is Abraham the youngest child of Elias or could perhaps he be the eldest child of William? 

My most recent DNA match, Cousin Tina, is descended from William. It is my hope our match could help me answer this question.

Scenario 1: Abraham was the youngest child of Elias thus William's brother.

Scenario 2: Abraham was the son of William thus the grandson of Elias.

According to these charts my father, who has the DNA match with Cousin Tina, is either Tina's 3rd cousin once removed (3c 1r) or her 3rd cousin twice removed (3c 2r).

They share 47 centimorgans (cM) on 1 segment of DNA. Using The Shared cM Project 3.0 Tool called the DNA Painter at https://dnapainter.com/tools/sharedcm. 

If you have that much DNA in common (47 cM) there are many, many, many possibilities as to the potential relationship represented by the brighter colored boxes above. Both 3c 1r and 3c 2r are likely. However, if you look at the number listed above the range for 3c 1r it says 48, then the range of 0-173. Yup that's right. You may not have any DNA in common with a 3rd cousin. The average amount of DNA 3rd cousins once removed have in common though is 48 and that is pretty damn close to 47. 

Could Tina and my father be 3c 2r? Yes. They could even be 4th cousins 3 times removed. However, I am leaning toward their relationship being 3c 1r and thus scenario 1. That Elias is their common ancestor and that William and Abraham were brothers.

I am always open to other possibilities. What this all confirms for me though is that both my father and Tina are descended from Elias Earle. That much I got right.

Thanks Aunt Susie!

Earle Women's Heirlooms

There is something profoundly impacting about touching an object that was once held by someone you only know through stories and documentation.

Shortly after my paternal grandfather passed away in June of 2000, my grandmother (otherwise known as Nanny) gave me an Earle family heirloom as a birthday gift; a hand-painted plate. Nanny told me she was given the plate by my grandpa's Aunt Susie Earle-Gilvey. It is a plate that Aunt Susie brought with her on her immigration from Newfoundland to New York in about 1900. The plate, we believe, was hand-painted by my great-great grandmother, Sarah Samms-Earle-Bromley. 

As a painter myself with a deep interest in family history I think it was a very appropriate gift.  I am not sure if great-great grandma Earle considered herself an artist but hand-painting plates was a popular hobby for women of her time.

This is not the only hand-painted Earle family heirloom that Nanny has given to me. Several birthdays later, Nanny gave me this canister which was painted by my great grandmother, Ethel Mae Losee-Earle.

The next woman in this chain of Earle grandmothers would indeed be Nanny. Now she doesn't paint but she does handcraft afghans and shawls of which I own a few. 

God willing, I will be able to care for and maintain these artifacts long enough to hand them down to the next keeper of the Earle family crafts.