Home to Lupinfield Cottage

I am presently engrossed in teaching my summer course on genealogy research for pre-service librarians. It is a short course with a lot to cover so it is very overwhelming, not only for my student but also for me. While I have a little downtime today, while the students are digging into their family research, I want to share about my summer trip back to Twillingate, Newfoundland back in June.

This was my third visit to the tiny tourist town on the northeast shore of Newfoundland where my great grandfather, Abram Thomas Earle, was born on January 13, 1891. With the present day population of about 2100 people, tourism plays a big part in its economy, its claim to fame being that it is "The Iceberg Capital of the World." In spring and summer months, icebergs float past and lodge themselves in it craggy coastline.

My great grandpa Abe immigrated to the Unites States in May 1903 when he was just 12 years old; first by boat from St. John's, Newfoundland to Sydney, Nova Scotia, and then by train to Boston where he presumably was taken in by his maternal aunt, Jane Samms-Whynot (July 7, 1870 - April 19, 1959), and her family.

Abe's father, Abraham Earle (about 1849 - winter 1890), died at sea aboard a ship called The Rise and Go shortly before Abe was born. Then his mother, Sarah Samms-Earle (October 13, 1857 - March 20, 1899), remarried to James Bromley on September 15, 1894. Less than 5 years later, when Abe was just 8 years-old, his mother succumbed to tuberculosis. What Abe's life was like between the passing of his mom and his move to the U.S. is unknown to me.

When I made my second visit to Twillingate in June 2018 with my Uncle Thomas, we stayed in an AirBnB called Pumpkin House on Farmers Arm Road. According to my great grandfather's birth registration he was born on Farmers Arm and so at the time of booking our reservation at Pumpkin House I thought, "Well, this is probably as close I will get to the location where Abe was born. He probably knew who lived in this house and he probably played on this street."

The homeowners of Pumpkin House, Charlie and his mother Nancy, welcomed us like family. Charlie had just purchased another house on Farmers Arm Road, not far down the road. Below, Pumpkin House is circled in yellow and the "new" property is circled in red.

One morning, Charlie called Uncle Thomas and I down to his new property. Once there he rolled out his deed for us and there in the corner of it, it stated that the home had been the property of John and William J. Earle. 

John Earle (August 11, 1863 - May 8, 1913), a fisherman and shipbuilder, was Abe's much older first cousin; 28 years older. William John Earle (January 14, 1889 - September 9, 1959), a generation below Abe, was actually 2 years older than Abe, almost exactly to the day, and was the man responsible for building the addition on the back of that home which now contains the kitchen and dining room space.

Since our visit in 2018, Charlie and Nancy have renovated the Earle family home into another beautiful rental property now known as Lupinfield Cottage. During the years Charlie has shared with me, and through social media, the renovation progress and the many precious finds; markings on the walls, children's scrawling in cabinets, and a pocket watch he unearthed in the yard. 

On this visit to Twillingate with my Uncle Allen and Aunt Rita, we had the beautiful opportunity to stay in the home that was originally built by Cousin John Earle.

It is hard to put into words the profound feeling of walking on the very land where you know your ancestors once walked. For me there is a deep, indescribable emotion that rises in me. I often become suffused with an aching reverence and overwhelming connection to lives long gone, yet somehow still very present in the soil beneath my feet and the walls that surround me.

I didn't know Abe. He died about 7 months before I was born but I know Abe was there on Farmers Arm. I don't know if he ever stayed in his cousin John's home or what nearby structure he may have resided in, but he was there and now so was I. 

52 Ancestors Challenge Week 7: Letters & Diaries - Six Months of a Newfoundland Missionary's Journal, from February to August, 1835

While exploring my Earle family line I came across someone on Ancestry.com who saved a page from a book as a profile picture for my 4th great grandfather, Reuben Samms (1799 - December 11, 1870). The page came from a book called "Outrageous Seas: Shipwreck and Survival in the Waters off Newfoundland, 1583-1893" by Rainer K. Baehre, published for Carleton University by McGill-Queen's University Press in Montreal, Quebec in 1999, which I have now purchased and added to my personal library.

Chapter 11 of the book discusses the journal of a missionary sent to Newfoundland, Edward Wix (1802-1866), and his encounters with residents of the island. His journal is a valuable document providing insight into the life of a missionary in the 17th century but also into the lives of early Newfoundland settlers and the challenges they endured in such a remote location. The actual primary resource, "Six Months of a Newfoundland Missionary's Journal, from February to August, 1835", or at least a transcription of the missionary's journal, is available online though AnglicanHistory.org (https://anglicanhistory.org/canada/nf/wix_six.html) and Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/b29349746/page/148/mode/2up).

Baehre quotes from Wix's journal about his experience in the home of Reuben Samms and his wife Sarah. MY 4th great grandparents! The journal itself is much more detailed than the secondary source which distills the information about the Samms family members but indeed presents accurate quotes from the journal entries.

The entry for Tuesday, April 28, 1835 reads:

"Walked at six A.M., accompanied by my hostess and another person from Rencontre, upon the hard snow by some very mountainous hills, to Bay Chaleur, four miles. The French islands of St. Peter's, and Miquelon could be seen from the hills. At Bay Chaleur was the residence of Reuben and Sarah Samms, a poor but worthy couple."

That's my poor but worthy couple!! Wix goes on to write about the wreck of the William Ashton, and the work my family did to rescue it's passengers.

"The barque "William Ashton", of Newcastle, had struck on the rocks at Lance Cove, on her way from Dublin to Quebec, with sixty-three souls on board, at two, A.M., of August 9, 1830. Reuben and Sarah entertained fifteen of the crew and passengers in their present little dwelling, and each day supplied the remaining forty-eight persons with provisions in the tilt, which they built for shelter at Lance Cove, the scene of the wreck, three miles from Bay Chaleur. A captain John Stoyte, of the 24th Regiment, with his wife and her child and nurse were among those who were inmates of Reuben's house..."

Wix lends more detail about the character of Reuben. Then goes on to highlight the baptism of some of the Samms family members:

"...The conduct of Reuben Samms, contrasts well with the less creditable conduct of many upon this shore, as regards wrecks. Before the wreck of the "William Ashton", he had been instrumental with his brother, in saving persons at different times from five other wrecks. On one occasion, he had observed signs of a wreck and discovered footmarks upon the rugged shore, and tracked them several miles into the interior, where he found seven men from the "Mary", which belonged to Mr. Broom, the present senior magistrate of St. John's. The poor fellows had been three days and nights without food, and, but for his exertions in pursuing their tracks, must have perished. The simple description which he gave me of the joy which was depicted upon the haggard countenances of these starving and lost seamen, when they first caught sight of him in the interior, was most affecting, and reminded me of the experience of the lost sinner, when he first makes discovery of a Saviour!...

"When I had performed full service at Bay Chaleur, and baptized his four children, his wife humbly offered herself also for baptism, as did also his mother-in-law, who was sixty-two years of age, but had never before had an opportunity, though well read and instructed, and of pious conversation--of thus solemnly dedicating herself in this scriptural method to the service of CHRIST."

I was able to find that baptismal record on Ancestry which helped me to determine who the "mother-in-law" was. She was the 62 year-old Catherine Poole, listed as the widow of John Young and wife Thomas Samms.

So I am a little confused about Sarah Samms's maiden name. Sarah Samms, who according to Wix's journal was also baptized with her four children [Sarah Samms (age 8), Rueben Samms (5), Catherine Samms (3), and Marianne Samms (1)] and Catherine, does not appear in the register. 

If Catherine was Rueben's mother-in-law, that would make Catherine Sarah Samms's mother. Catherine, though, was also married to a Samms according to the register. Catherine's first husband was John Young and her second husband was Thomas Samms.

If Catherine is Sarah's mother, was Sarah's maiden name and married name both Samms?

Wouldn't be the first time that has happened in my family tree but I think the journal entry is  wrong. I think Catherine Poole-Samms was Sarah's mother-in-law, not Rueben's. I think Catherine was Reuben's mother. That would make more sense since a few lines above you can see an entry for Rueben's baptism on April 27, 1835, just the day before Catherine and Rueben's four children were baptized. The parents listed for Rueben are Thomas Samms and Catherine. You can also see on that page that Rev. Wix baptized Rueben's younger brother, Benjamin Samms, and his parents are also Thomas Samms and Catherine.

I am tremendously grateful to Edward Wix's account of his service, and to Rainer Baehre's gathering of stories regarding shipwrecks, as well as the individual who shared it on Ancestry, and countless unnamed caretakers of the original 1835 resource. God bless the stewards. 

Below is an image I found online of who may be Edward Wix.

 

 

Image from http://ngb.chebucto.org/Articles/wix01.shtml

The Sticky Wicket of Bringing DNA into your Bag of Genealogy Tools

Everyone should enter these tests with caution. Maybe you just want that silly "piechart" of ethnicity estimates but, if you ask me, its not really worth that. I personally think they are junk. They are just estimates that will indeed change over time and from company to company as each company increases their data pools and refines their algorithms. They mean very little. Unless of course you get some large quantity of unexpected ethnicity, which may be an indication that your family isn't who you think they are.

Just as you can discover unpleasant truths in your genealogy record research, using DNA in your research can be a disarming and potentially painful experience. Maybe you won't suffer major surprises in your DNA results but it is likely that hidden in your tree is an unknown offspring of some relative.

That being said there is a great deal to be gained by adding the tool of direct-to-consumer DNA to your toolkit.

Few Surprises to Me

Of the 150+ DNA matches of mine and my father's that I have linked into my Ancestry family tree, few were much of a surprise. Mine and my father's, you ask. Yes. Whereas all of my father's DNA matches are individuals who belong in my family tree, I do not match all the people he matches to.

That can be a hard concept for newbies to get but I only got half my DNA from my father. So some of his DNA that I didn't get are the bits that connect him to some of his distant matches. He matches them, I don't, but they are my relatives just the same.

I personally know my top 28 matches. I mean, like I have met them in-person, in real life, long before DNA tests were available to the public; I have their phone numbers. I KNOW them.

My first "surprise" was a third cousin match at 41 centimorgans (cMs). She had a family tree linked to her DNA. It was sparse but when I looked at it, I immediately recognized her great grandmother, listed just as "Elizabeth" as my great grandfather's sister. I knew who Elizabeth was because my match had Elizabeth's husband's full name listed. I knew my Elizabeth married that man and thus, Elizabeth was OUR Elizabeth

I decided to reach out to my match and tell her that I knew her great grandmother's maiden name and had a whole bunch of research done on the Earles of Twillingate, Newfoundland. My match wrote back and said that was great because... she was adopted. 

I wasn't shocked in a shattering way but rather felt good that I could contribute to her effort to know her biological family history.

Breaking Through Brick Walls

DNA has also helped me to break through a nagging research brick wall that I had. 

For the longest time I didn't really know my third great grandmother's maiden name. I know, unbelievable, right? (I say in jest). I know that this is very common. Women's maiden names can be hard to track down. Such is life in a patriarch.

One year, it may have been in 2010, I set the goal of trying to put a name to each of my third great grandparents. For my father's maternal line, I could trace back to a man named Victor Henry born in about 1838 in Switzerland and who died in Queens County, New York on November 9, 1896. His wife's name was Mary. Her maiden name was something like Carrion; which is actually a word that means the decaying flesh of dead animals. Lovely. But I knew that name was not correct because, 1. I had seen is spelled a dozen different ways, and 2. because of this notation on Mary's death certificate:

It reads: Could not ascertain Mother's Maiden name - August Henry

August was her son and the informant providing details to the medical examiner about Mary.

I knew Carrion was not correct.

Flash forward to receiving my DNA results in mid-November 2013. I really didn't know all the benefits of using DNA as a genealogy research tool then. Now I can handle results in a systematic way to decipher relationships and connections but back then I was just scrolling through matches and randomly poking around in peoples' family trees. I came across a tree that had all this old Long Island family names. Thus I assumed the match was through my paternal grandfather who's maternal line settled on Long Island in the 1630s. As I got to the bottom of the tree though I saw the name Joseph Carillion. Carillion. Hmm. I had seen that name before. Yes, on August Henry's marriage certificate, his witness was Harry Carillion. And when I had first seen his marriage record I recalled researching Harry suspecting that perhaps he was a cousin. Carrion. Carillion. They sound a lot alike. I couldn't make a connection back in late 2011.

Once I had seen this match in my DNA results though, I reached out to the individual who managed the DNA kit and received a lot of information and was finally able to solidify that Mary's maiden name was indeed Carillion. Harry was her nephew. August and Harry were first cousins. Since my match was descended from Mary's brother, there wasn't that patriarchal name changing business that I had to deal with.

Finding Mary's maiden name allowed me to find much more documentation for the family and deepen my understanding of that line's family history.

...But Not All Discoveries for Everyone are Happy Discoveries.

Now that I have a decade of dealing with my own DNA results, I am confident helping others decipher their results. 

I volunteer to help people track down their bio-dads or birth parents; the term most commonly used for this is search angel. The experience has resulted in a mixed bag of emotions. 

• I have had to tell a man who was nearly 50 years-old that he was adopted.
• I've had to tell people that the man they know as their father is not their biological father.
• I've had birth fathers tell me to go away.
• I've had a Vietnam veteran have to tell his children that there was a newly discovered sibling from his time in the service; and they were all good with it.
  
• I've confirmed suspicious for a woman that her father was not her bio-father which only deepened the schism between her and her mother. The lies and the denial, unfathomable
• I have had to tell donor conceived sisters that they were not full biological siblings despite what the sperm bank told their mother.

And sometimes people don't have high enough matches to determine who their birth parents were and unfortunately, I can't tell them much of anything.

In general, everyone should enter these tests with caution. Maybe you won't suffer major surprises but, again, it is likely that hidden in your tree is an unknown offspring of some relative and perhaps you will be placed in the middle of a uncomfortable situation.

Often the uncomfortable situation has very little if anything to do with you. You are just the waypoint for another to learn their truth. 

52 Ancestors Challenge Week 39: "Road Trip" - My top 3 favorite family finds while road tripping

I live for road trips. I love them. Anyone who knows me knows that. However, I did wait quite awhile to get my license. Most of my peers rushed out to get their learner's permits as soon as they could, which here in New York is 16. I don't know if I was scared to drive really but I simply was not eager to drive; which now is not at all true. I waited until I was 20 to get my license but now I can't wait to drive. I live to road trip. I find real comfort in driving.

I am not underplaying my road trip experiences either. I have driven to 49 states. You can't drive to Hawaii. For any of you who may be familiar with the book "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" by Mo Willems, while in Hawaii, I was that pigeon. I was with a tour group but I begged and begged and begged that tour bus driver to just let me drive the bus if only so I could say that I have driven in all 50 states. Guess I'll have to go back. Oh well! 

I have also been to all of the Canadian provinces and 2 of the 3 Canadian territories. I am missing Nunavut but so are most Canadians I bet.

My most challenging travel experience has to have been driving around Ireland. Although I can drive a 5-speed transmission, I was fortunate to get an automatic because that driving on the other side of the road business while on the other side of the car was brutal.

My most frequent travel companions are, of course, my cousins! Most frequently Cousin Pete. Cousin Kelly takes a close second. But there have been many others: Jenny, Meghan, Andrew, Rachel, Ashlee, Zach, Adam, Vanessa, Elizabeth...  And they will attest to the fact that nearly every trip includes a little family history whether it be a stomp around a cemetery or a little bit of research time. I mean, you're headed out there, you might as well walk in your ancestors' foot steps if you have the chance.

My top 3 favorite family finds while road tripping have to be the following. All of which I have blogged about before but are worth revisiting and which you can read more about at the links below to old posts:

#3. Running from cicadas in Dayton National Cemetery: Third Great Grandpa, John Joyce, Dayton National Cemetery

The giant cicadas are only part of what makes this most memorable. Imagine bugs the size of half a Twinkie, flying at you. And not just one but dozens of them surrounding you at every step. Yeah, traumatizing.

This cemetery stop was part of my goal last year, 2021, to locate and visit the burial locations of all my direct ancestors back to and including all my 3rd great grandparents. I did pretty well. At the start of that project I had 30 graves to visit out of the potential 59. You have the maximum potential of 62 direct ancestors back to your 3rd greats. With living parents and a nonagenarian grandma, I had 59. I mean, I'm a genealogist, I visit cemeteries. But still there were many graves I had never been to. 30 is a lot. At present I have only 9 I have not visited; 1 great-great grandparent, and 8 3rd great grandparents, many of which are somewhere in Quebec. When I figure out where they are, I'll visit.

Another project that came out of my 2021 cemetery adventure that I am very proud of is the replacement of my great-great-great grandfather, Victor Henry's headstone which you can watch a presentation about on YouTube called, simply, Victor Henry's Headstone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw53oHpcfgA

#2. Stumbling upon the Morleys in a random cemetery abroad: Tombstones in Templenoe

I tell my students and researchers I work with that sometimes there are some relatives that just do not want to be found. And then there are others screaming to be remembered - that would be my cousins', Jenny & Kelly's maternal line.

The Morleys are not my relatives and I wasn't in Ireland doing genealogy research. I wasn't even with Kelly or Jen. I just happened to stop into a random cemetery with Cousin Pete while driving the Ring of Kerry and - BOOM - there they were; Cousin Jen & Kelly's great-great grandparents, Daniel Morley (abt. 1839 - March 17, 1914) and Abigail Meara-Morley (March 1844 - July 7, 1885) of Kenmare, County Kerry, Ireland.

Photo by John (Paul) Hallissey taken from https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2551046/templenoe-burial-ground-(old)

#1. Meeting a Desjardins cousin - my mom's side from Montreal - on Earle family property in Newfoundland: Cousins in Unlikely Places, Part 1 & Cousins in Unlikely Places, Part 2

Not all discoveries take place in cemeteries or even archives and libraries. Some discoveries happen right where you stand.

Again, on this trip I was not actively conducting genealogy research at this location. However, I think I have come to realize I'm always kind of conducting genealogy research. Anyway, I had just traveled back to where my great grandfather was born with my paternal uncle, Thomas. I most certainly did not plan or even consider finding living connections to my mother's side of my family while there. Both lines have Canadian ancestry but Newfoundland is really quite far from Montreal, 2,258 kilometers or 1,403 miles for my imperial system friends.

All parts of these favorite family discoveries made while on road trips had an obvious element of surprise but when you are planning to take a road trip, whether to do genealogy research or not, you have to do a lot of planning, almost to avoid surprises. You want your car at top condition, your hotels all booked, your route surveyed for stops at attractions, gas, and grub. You'll have lists of things to pack; clothes, food, emergency equipment, etc. Add to that a desire to research while on the road and you will want to make sure you have research location addresses, hours of operation noted, and a detailed list of what you are looking for - not only your questions but also a review of the resources the research facility has that you want to see. For cemetery stops, I recommend you call ahead to whomever manages the property to ask for a location. Even with a section, range, row, plot, and grave number, it can take quite a bit of roaming around to find the spot you are looking for. 

Most of all, though, leave lots of time to just marvel at the happenings. 

52 Ancestors Challenge Week 31: "Help" - Meadow Island Life-Saving Station

Just recently I had the opportunity to stay in a lighthouse. Yeah no joke. There is a beautiful AirBnB property called Wings Neck Lighthouse, in Pocasset, Massachusetts where you can stay in the lightkeeper's home of what is now a decommission lighthouse. There is no actual light in the lighthouse but the views of Buzzards Bay from the top of the structure are amazing. I highly recommend it to anyone who has the chance to stay on Cape Cod.

While there I reflected a great deal on the lives of my seafaring ancestors. I am not a boat person. I turn green just thinking about it but I come from a long line of seafaring people. Here is a smattering of my nautically inclined ancestors:

• Both my grandfathers served in the U.S. Navy during WWII.
  

• Great grandpa, Abram Thomas Earle (January 13, 1891 - November 18, 1973) purportedly built his own boat. 

• His father, my great-great grandfather, Abraham Earle (1849 - 1890) died at sea aboard a ship called the Rise and Go.

• Abraham's father-in-law, my 3rd great grandfather, Reuben Samms (1830 - October 7, 1869) also died at sea. As did his father, also named Reuben Samms (1799 - December 11, 1870).

Sad story there with those Samms. It seems that during the 1870s, the Samms family of Gadds Harbour, Newfoundland carried on seal hunts on a small scale. The enterprise was short-lived though because of an accident at the ice. Their ship, The Reddie, was lost with her entire crew of 7 men; one of which was Reuben Samms the elder. That crew left 6 widows and about 14-16 children without fathers. It is said that there was only one man left in Gadds Harbour after the loss of The Reddie. One spring, that gentleman attempted to walk across the ice from Gadds Harbour to Woody Point for food and supplies and never returned. It is assumed he fell through the spring ice and drowned.

• Another of my great grandfathers, Charles Aloysius Henry (March 26, 1896 - June 14, 1949), lost a brother, Victor (July 10, 1902 - September 13, 1940), in a boating accident.

• A 3rd great grandfather, John Aloysius Joyce (February 11, 1829 - September 30, 1910), served in the U.S. Navy during the Mexican-American war (1846-1848) when he was just a boy.

I am sure if I plunked around a bit more I could find others who either perished at sea or rode upon it as part of their occupation, military service, or personal passion. What most of them needed was a watchful eye from their peers, like that of the brother of my 3rd great grandfather John Losee. 

His brother, Leander Losee (November 8, 1846 - April 23, 1917), served in the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War. He went on to serve as head of a Life-Saving Station here on Long Island, New York. Unfortunately, Leander had a pretty public ousting from his position due to gambling and drinking on the job but that is neither here nor there really. 

Life-Saving Stations were the precursor to the United States Coast Guard. They consisted of extraordinary boat houses strategically located along the coasts of both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as around the Great Lakes and stouthearted men, yes, as far as I can tell for Leander's Station it was only men, knowledgeable and at the ready to rescue those in need. Ships running aground was extremely common and especially so along the south shore of Long Island and the coast of northern New Jersey as an excessive number of ships attempted to enter the narrow passageway into the Port of New York at a time before air travel and advanced nautical navigation systems.

The first legislation for the establishment of U.S. Life-Saving Stations was enacted in 1848. Some of the earliest were built on Long Island beginning in 1849. Much like volunteer firefighters today, the crews of these Life-Saving Stations were comprised of men with the best of intentions to save, to rescue, those in danger. In a position, though, that is much like manning a reference desk (said the librarian), a lot of time is spent sitting around waiting for something to happen; waiting to be needed. And what is that saying? Idle hands are the Devil's play things. Vices take hold when waiting is your workshop. Oh Leander. (Oh. Hey. Oleander is a flower) Anyway...

According to a U.S. Coast Guard list from 1876, there were 11 District, encompassing 157 stations. 36 of the stations were in the 3rd District, the second largest district. District 3 consisted of stations in Rhode Island and Long Island. 32 of those 36 stations were on Long Island and Leander Lozee (misspelling of his surname Losee) is listed as keeper of station #28, Meadow Island, L.I. 

However, an article from The Brooklyn Daily Eagle from February 3, 1880, puts Leander in charge of Life Saving Station #31. #28? #31? I have a feeling the stations numbers changed with the growth of the program. 

The Coast Guard's website (https://www.history.uscg.mil/Browse-by-Topic/Assets/Land/Stations-Units/Article/2665769/station-meadow-island-new-york/) states the Meadow Island Life-Saving Station was positioned at the entrance to Jones Inlet. For those Long Islanders who have never heard of it, I am not surprised. It is due north of where the present-day Coast Guard Station is located on the west end of Jones Beach. There are a couple bay houses on Meadow Island but it is largely uninhabited and hosts a significant stretch of the Loop Parkway.

I find the station listed as "discontinued" in the report dated June 30, 1880. The Coast Guard's website also states Leander was the only known keeper and that he was appointed on December 9, 1872 at the age of 30.  A mention in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on page 3 of the February 17, 1880 edition states the station was ordered closed. Thus, I assume the rise and fall of that Life-Saving Station all hinged on Leander.

Just scrolling through the very detailed Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Stations for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1880, I learned that the number of disasters in District 3 totaled 22 with 144 people saved and no lives lost. At least 15 of those lives can be directly connected to Leander and the Meadow Island Life-Saving Station; that's 10% of the lives save in that year alone. I'm not sure I was entirely comprehensive, however, 11 of those individuals saved were crew members of 2 wrecks near Jones Inlet:

1. The schooner L. V. Ostrum out of Patchogue, Long Island traveling from Fire Island to New York City with a crew of just 3 men
2. The schooner Hector out of Boston destine for Philadelphia with a load of coal and a crew of 8.

For those doing the math, the additional 4 lives rescued by the members of Meadow Island station came just days before it's closure. On February 4, 1880 a vessel called Gussie ran aground after being caught in a gale and was heaved afloat by the crew of Meadow Island's station.

Point is, the sea is dangerous and just like our more familiar firefighters on land, there were and continue to be individuals willing to risk their lives at sea to help others. Some of those souls were my relatives.

52 Ancestors Challenge Week 29: "Fun Facts" - A list of 10

Here are some fun facts I have in my family history:

1. My parents grew up next door to each other. 

That's not an expression. They literally lived next door to each other.

2. I come from a long line of seafaring men yet just looking at the ocean can make me seasick. 

Both my grandpas served in the navy in WWI. My great grandpa, Abram Earle (January 13, 1891 - November 18, 1973) started building his own boat. His father, my great-great grandfather, Abraham Earle (About 1849 - Fall 1890), died at sea abroad a ship called The Rise and Go in Newfoundland. Abraham's father-in-law, my 3rd great grandfather, Reuben Samms (About 1830 - October 7, 1869), also died at sea during a seal hunt. Another of my 3rd great grandfathers, John M. Losee (August 17, 1841 - February 10, 1918), had a brother, Leander L. Losee (November 8, 1846 - April 23, 1917), who served in the Navy during the American Civil War and was captain of a life saving station along the south shore of Long Island. And yet another 3rd great grandpa, John Aloysius Joyce (February 11, 1829 - September 30, 1910), served in the U.S. Navy during the Mexican-American War (mid-1840s) at 16 years-old as a cabin boy on the U.S.S. Potomac. Boat people! I'm queasy just writing this.

3.  My family has multiple children born on their parent's birthday. 

My grandmother was married on her 20th birthday and then had her 3rd child on the same date 5 years later, February 27. That son's ex-wife had their second child on her birthday, June 2. My grandma's brother, Robert, had his first child on his birthday, October 21.

4. My mother, my paternal aunt, and my step-mother were all in the same graduating class at the same high school.

5. My father's sister married his best friend from high school. 

6. Both my brother-in-laws were best friends in high school too. 

And get this, those boys when to the same high school as mom, Aunt Jane, and my step-mom.

7. I have a pair of aunts who married brothers.

Also, my great-great grandmother, Flora Smith-Losee (Mar 1875 - September 1, 1920), and her a sister, Melinda Smith-Losee (November 1, 1869 - August 19, 1955) married brothers; John M. Losee Jr. (March 25, 1870 - May 24, 1940) and Oliver Combs Losee (May 3, 1868 - February 10, 1937), respectively.

8. I have two 5th great grandfathers who served in the American Revolution; Colonel Daniel Moore (February 11, 1730 - April 13, 1811) and Lieutenant Colonel Robert Moore (May 22, 1724 - October 27, 1778).

And... they were brothers whose children married. Yeah my 4th great grandfather, William Moore (1763 - July 1817), and 4th great grandmother, Eleanor Moore (1767 - October 19, 1836), were 1st cousins.

9. William and Eleanor Moore helped settled the area of St. Felix-de-Kingsey, Quebec, Canada in 1803.

"Settler" is just a term for people showing up and building a house, typically to colonize the area and thus, typically European white people were settlers.

10. I descend from the man who settled Freeport, Long Island in 1659; Edward Raynor (1624 - 1685). 

52 Ancestors Challenge Week 27: "Extended Family" - George Organ of Norris Point, Newfoundland

If we are to interpret "extended family" to mean relatives outside of the nuclear family such as aunts and uncles, and cousins of all ilk, I have already been writing about them throughout this blogging challenge so instead I am going to consider "extended family" to mean those relatives who share no blood line at all, like the families of in-laws, cousins of cousins, etc. You know, those elders you call aunt and uncle but really aren't related. Those people you invite to family functions but that are not related to you but are related to people you are related to.

Well, when I was in Twillingate, Newfoundland the first time in 2014, the birthplace of my great grandfather, Abram Thomas Earle (January 13, 1891 - November 18, 1973), my cousins and I rented a house in which there was a coffee table book called This is Our Place, This is Our Home by Joan Edward. It is a collection of oral histories from every corner of Newfoundland. The author had included a portrait and illustration with each story.

I was particularly drawn to one with this illustration of a small group of headstones, one of which appeared to be a unique wooden pillar.

We were headed to Norris Point, the area where my great grandpa's mother, Sarah Samms (October 13, 1857 - March 20 1899) was born. She is buried in Twillingate in Hart's Cove Cemetery but she was born near Norris Point.

Beneath the illustration it read: "April 17 - I set off for Norris point with the idea of photographing the cemetery with the majestic Tablelands ranging in the background. Snuggles in the center of the village, the cemetery lay blanketed in snow, many of its tombstones decorated with little colored plastic flowers at their base. My attention was soon riveted by a most fascinating tall headstone carved out of wood, silver-grey with age, dating back to 1871..." (page 181).

On the following pages the author shared her interview with James Knott of Norris Point. She wrote, "James' sister-in-law, Myrtle, revealed that her grandfather, George Thomas Organ, had carved the headstone himself for his brother's wife, Sarah... There are always connections in Newfoundland."

Didn't think much of it at the time. I was now kind of looking forward to seeing that cemetery marker in-person, though. I was fairly certain this would be the cemetery in which my Samms ancestors were interred, the St. Barnabas Anglican Cemetery in Norris Point.

Sure enough it was. My great-great grandmother Sarah Samms mother was interred there; my 3rd great grandmother, Frances (May 9, 1837 - January 6, 1925). Make that Frances Organ-Samms-Smith. That's right, my 3rd great grandmother's maiden name was Organ and that wooden marker carved by George Organ was for my 4th great grandmother Sarah Elizabeth Matthews-Organ (December 19, 1811 - April 12, 1872).

Pretty neat right?

I didn't know it at the time I read that book back in the living room of our rental in Twillingate that that fascinating wooden cemetery marker was my 4th great grandmother's.

 

If you look real close, you can see two reddish headstones a few rows back on the left and right for Knott family members. I'm confident James Knott is amongst those buried here.

I have been back to Norris Point one time since and sadly that marker was not there. I asked around about it and someone told us someone had taken it down to be restored. I have not been back since 2018 but I hope it is back in place.

52 Ancestors Challenge Week 18: "Social" - Family in the Freeport Fire Department

I am not much of a joiner, that is to say that I don't belong to a lot of clubs or organizations. The few organizations I do belong to I do so just in name really. For the most part, I pay my dues for the benefit of receiving whatever publications the organization provides its members or to have access to some database or discounted service. In short, I'm not one looking to lead. I do enjoy attending a conference or two though. Such events provide opportunities to be social.

I don't find many records for my ancestors being active in clubs or organization either except my paternal grandmother's parents, Charles Henry (March 26, 1896 - June 14, 1949) and Anna Marie Sauer-Henry (July 19, 1899 - May 8, 1986) who were leaders in their Rabbit Club and Goat Club. I wrote about the goats a few times in my blog. 

But then there is my paternal grandfather's dad, Abram "Abe" Earle (January 13, 1891 - November 18, 1973), who, along with his brother-in-laws, was active the the Freeport (NY) Fire Department.

Amongst the family treasures that have been bestowed to me overtime, there are photos that once belonged to Abe and his wife, my great grandma, Ethel Mae Losee-Earle (February 14, 1896 - May 27, 1960), that show some organizational gatherings. Some of the photos show Ethel's brothers and Abe in their fire department dress uniforms gathered around the company's trucks.

This image was included in an Images of America book about Freeport, New York. It was written by Cynthia J. Krieg, who is affiliated with Freeport Historical Society, and Regina G. Feeney, a librarian at Freeport Memorial Library.  My grandfather's maternal uncle, Luman Losee (June 26, 1894 - January 13, 1954) is in the front row #4 from the right. I think her brothers, Fredrick Losee (About 1903 - May 5, 1926) and Forest Losee (August 11, 1897 - February 2, 1945) are also in this image but I can't pick them out. My grandpa knew his Uncle Forest but my father didn't; Forest died very young. Uncle Fred died even younger. He died in an accident, he fell off a roof. Again, though I suspect all 3 brothers, Luman, Fred, and Forest Losee are in this picture below.

For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Images of America, published by Arcadia Publishing, they are kind of like photo albums of a specific community. Each image is captioned though, however, there isn't a lot of text to these books. These aren't heavy history books. They're really kind of fun. They're a great way to introduce novices and young people to the history of their community. There might be one about your community, if not, think about creating one. I understand Arcadia is very easy to work with. 

There is also another book in which the above photo appears; An Illustrated History of the Freeport Fire Department, 1893-2008 by Miguel Bermudez and Donald Giordano published in 2008. I am not acknowledged in the book, nor is credit given to my family's photo collection but I did give digital images to one of the authors of all the Freeport Fire Department photos in my family's possession and they appear on pages 111 - 113. Including this one below of what my grandmother calls a ragamuffin parade. The image horrifies me as it shows several member in black face; a truly racist imagery. 

In the Illustrated History, this image is captioned identifying Luman as the drum major and Forest as the tuba player as well as my great grandpa, Abe, as the clarinet player, kneeling # 3 from the right. Now I can pick Abe out based on other photos I have seen of him. I know his son, Allen, played clarinet, as did I in school. However, I didn't know Abe played clarinet as well. I believe the clarinet that belonged to his some, Allen Earle (March 17, 1916 - November 8, 1956), is still in the possession of my Uncle Thomas, now if that clarinet was also Abe's clarinet, pictured above, I have no idea. Anyway - - horrifying image, right?

These parades were an annual occurrence in many communities in the New York metropolitan area. Typically they were held around Halloween and featured children in their costumes, but obviously, this wasn't just a children's activity and I do not know when it took place because the photo is not labeled but it has to be after April 30, 1923 when the Russell Park section of Roosevelt, Long Island, New York was annexed into the town of Freeport. I can tell from the band's drum.

There were ragamuffin parades and then there was also Ragamuffin Day, which was something else entirely that my grandmother has told me about. Begun around 1870, Ragamuffin Day was once part of Thanksgiving celebrations which my grandmother recounted participating in to me on several occasions. Much like Halloween, it involved children going door-to-door dressed as beggars seeking candy and playing tricks on non-complaint homeowners; soaping windows, ringing doorbells and running away, and similar shenanigans. Grandma said that she and her siblings didn't just beg for candy but preformed little skits, sang songs, or did some dance for the neighbors who provided them with sugary treats or change.

The racist image of the ragamuffin parade in Freeport disturbs me, but it also reminds me a little bit of a much less scornful social practice that still takes place in Newfoundland, where my great grandpa Abe was born. There they have Mummers.

 

Creepy as all get out Mummers go mummering or mumming. It is a Christmas-time, house-visiting tradition in which groups of friends or family member dress in disguise and visit neighbors. If welcomed in, the mummers often do an informal performance followed by the homeowner having to correctly guess the mummers' identities. Once identified, the mummers remove their disguises and spend some time eating and drinking with the hosts before traveling on as an even bigger group to the next house.

One thing about that Russell Park section of Roosevelt/Freeport, that is where my family lived long before Lillian Russell for whom the section was named. Lillian Russell, an incredibly well-known actress of her time, lived in the area. She was born Helen Louise Leonard and the Illustrated History states Leonard Avenue in Freeport was named after her. I beg to differ. I am certain Leonard Ave is named after the man who originally owned the property, that would be my 4th great grandfather, Leonard Losee (January 21, 1817 - November 21, 1886). Let me show you.

Here is a map from 1914. The green box represents the original size of the property owned by my Losee family. The red box indicates the last bit of Losee Family property sold to local developer and politician, Albin Johnson, in 1912. The street highlighted in yellow shows Luman Street. Luman? Sound familiar? It no longer bears his name but prior to WWI and the family's sale of their property, the map shows the first 1500 feet of the western end of Independence Ave was called Luman Street after my grandpa's uncle. The blue boxes show two homes owned by Losee family members on Stevens Street, once known as Losee Place. The northern blue box was owned by F. Losee, could have been Forest Losee but might have been Frederick, and the lower blue box was owned by Georgianna Losee (July 19, 1866 - November 29, 1935), the sister of my great-great grandfather, John M. Losee Jr. (August 17, 1841 - February 10, 1918). 

Street naming business aside, all these aforementioned social practices give me a sense that my great grandparents generation, often referred to as the Lost Generation (those born from 1883 to 1900 who came of age during World War I and the Roaring Twenties), were involved in their communities and socialized with their neighbors in a way that I have not experienced in my lifetime. Sure I belonged to Girl Scouts as a kid and sold cookies door-to-door. I marched with the Junior High and High School bands on Memorial Day playing my own clarinet too, but I don't think I experience "community" quite like they did. And, honestly, I'm a bit jealous that I don't have that sort of natural inclination to be part of my community. 

52 Ancestors Challenge Week 14: "Check It Out" - My Annotated Bibliography of Publish Local and Family Histories

As a librarian, this week's theme of "Check It Out", of course, makes me think of library books. There are several wonderful published family histories that I have discovered about various lines of my family tree. And, like a librarian, here is my annotated bibliography for you. These come straight from my personal library. You'll have to forgive me my formatting. Blogger doesn't allow me to create hanging indents:

Berger, Antony R. The Good and Beautiful Bay: A History of Bonne Bay to Confederation and a Little Beyond. St. John's, NL: Flanker Press Limited, 2014.

This book is about the history of the Bonne Bay region of western Newfoundland, in the heart of Gros Morne National Park. It encompasses the communities of Woody Point and Norris Point where my great-great grandmother, Sarah Samms-Earle-Bromley (October 13, 1857 - March 20, 1899), was born and where she lived until she married my great-great grandfather, Abraham Earle (1849 - 1890) of Twillingate, Newfoundland. Sarah and her parents are mentioned in the text by name but my favorite detail is on page 95-96. "Across the tickle [that is what Newfoundlanders say for a narrow salt water channel] from Norris Point is Gadds Harbour...When families moved, their houses commonly went, with them, as did the Sammses' in Gadds Harbour..." To the right of that statement is the photo below of my family's home bobbing across the water and a caption above which read "The Samms house, the last in Gadds Harbour, was floated across The Tickle to Norris Point (Woody Point Collection)." Remarkable, right?

Evans, Calvin. Master Shipbuilders Of Newfoundland And Labrador, Volume 1: Cape Spear to Boyd's Cove. St. John's, NL: Breakwater Books Ltd., 2013.

If you have family from the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, you likely have a shipbuilder somewhere in your family tree. This author explores every coast, bay, and harbor around the "Rock" chronicling each craftsman's productivity. I only own Volume 1. Chapter 5 covers The Straight Shore and "Fogo, Twillingate, and Morton's Harbour" where my Earles came from. Page 204 mentions John Earle of Farmer's Arm. I am not sure how I am related to John but that is where my great grandfather was born. I am certain I am related. I think the John they speak of could be my great grandfather Abram Thomas Earle's first cousin, John Earle (August 11, 1863 - May 8, 1913). It names 4 ships he built between 1900 and 1908: The first, name not recorded but was built for John B. Lock of Twillingate, then there was the Invincible, Snowbird, and the John Earle.

Flynn, Michael F. Historic Bay Roberts: Not Your Typical Small Town. St. John's, NL: Flanker Press, 2011.

The first paragraph on page 2 of this books begins, "John Earle, Sr. was born on November 1, 1678, in Poole, Dorset, England but moved to Newfoundland..." Now I'm not sure that is my ancestor but my great-great-great grandfather Elias Earle was born in about 1808 somewhere in Newfoundland and died in Twillingate, Newfoundland on February 28, 1875. Twillingate is less than 250 miles from Bay Roberts, Newfoundland. So do I think there is a connection between my Elias and that John - - yeah, probably, which is why this book is in my collection.

History of Bedford New Hampshire from 1737: Being statistics compiled on the occasion of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the town, May 15, 1900. Concord, NH: The Rumford Printing Company, 1903.

The first time I encountered this book was online through Google Books but I have since purchased a reprint of it. Since then it has also been digitized and made available through Ancestry.com. My Moore family ancestors were early settlers of Bedford, NH as well as Londonderry (now Derry), NH. Lineages and stories about the family are scattered through out this 1100+ page book. My favorite part, though is the list of illustrations that directs the reader to page 480 and an image of Col. Daniel Moore's house and Moore's Tavern. A tavern you say. That explains some things. The images do not reproduce well so in short, these structure existed during the American Revolution. Daniel Moore, sometimes with the silent "e" and sometimes without, was my 5th great grandfather and a colonel in the American Revolution, present at the surrender of General Burgoyne.

Lore, Gordon and Hector Earle. The Earles of Newfoundland and Labrador.  St. John's, NL: DRC Publishing, 2015.

The title kind of says it all. This book does not make much mention of my particular line of Earles. Earle is an old, rather common surname in Newfoundland. On page 174, though, the author lists my great-great grandfather, Abraham Earle ( About 1849 - 1890) who died aboard a ship called the Rise and Go. On page 180 my great grandfather, Abram Thomas Earle (January 13, 1891 - November 18, 1973) is listed, stating he was the son of Abraham and Sarah Samms-Earle of Twillingate. The details of both entries are not entirely accurate but does not diminish the richness of details included within the resource.

Moore, George Washington. Genealogy of the Moore family of Londonderry, New Hampshire and Peterborough, New Hampshire, 1648-1924.  Peterborough, N.H. : Transcript Print. Co., 1925.

Again, I first encountered this book was online through Google Books but I have since purchased a reprint of it. It has also been digitized and made available through Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. And this really, really follows my particular line of the Moores for multiple generations. It is more of a giant pedigree chart than a story though. I kind of like the books that have more story to them.

The book starts with John Moore (1648 - February 12, 1692) who was a member of the McDonald Clan of Glencoe, Scotland and who was killed there in a massacre by the Clan Campbell, a rather famous conflict. I am not 100% sure if I am descended from this man or his brother, Samuel. The dates of birth and death seem to vary from resource to resource. I know these are my people though. My research through documentation leads clearly from me to Col. Daniel Moore (February 11, 1730 - April 13, 1811), colonel in the American Revolution, from Londonderry, now Derry, NH

Moore, J. Clifford. The Life and Times of a High School Principal in Rural Quebec. Canada: The Townships Sun, 1996.

This book reflects on my mother's Canadian line, the Moore family, which I have written about quite a bit in my blog. It particularly highlights my 4th great grandparents, William Moore (about 1763 - July 1817) and Eleanor Moore-Moore (about 1767 - October 19, 1836) who were the second pair of settlers to arrive in what is now St. Felix de Kingsey, Quebec, Canada in about 1801 from their birthplace of New Hampshire. On page 56 there is an image of about 25 school children taken in 1912, one of which I believe is my great grandmother's brother, Daniel Sharp, labeled as Dan Sharpe. On pages 105-107, there is a listing of those buried in the Moore Family Cemetery. On that very last page is the entry for my great-great grandfather, Daniel Sharp (March 14, 1822 - October 12, 1898), and his mother, Anne Moore-Sharp (about 1782 - January 14, 1868). I have been to this family cemetery. Although it has fallen into disrepair, it is located right along the St. Francis River, an incredibly beautiful spot to spend eternity if you ask me.

Peyton, Amy Louise. River Lords: Father and Son. St. John's, NL: Flanker Press, 2005.

This book was gifted to me by the homeowner of the AirBnB I stayed in on Farmers Arm, Twillingate in 2018; Kinda-Cousin Charlie. Charlie now owns the land that once belonged to William and John Earle, my great grandfather's uncles. I am not descended from the Peytons of Twillingate, Newfoundland but my great grandfather, Abram Earle's brother-in-law was Edgar Paint Peyton (February 14, 1877 - October 20, 1964). Edgar was the man who surveyed Charlie's land when it belonged to my Earles.

Edgar was number 7 of 10 children of Thomas Peyton (December 28, 1827 - September 5, 1912). Thomas's personal journals are featured prominently in the book and include reflections on stories told to him by his father, John Peyton the younger. (Baptized January 21, 1793 - July 25, 1879), about his grandfather, John Peyton the elder (1747 - About 1827 or 1829), including descriptions of the variety of economic activities pursued by John Sr. in the predominantly dried-cod economy of  Notre Dame Bay. It is a blend of regional and family history based primarily on private Peyton family papers in the author possession which had not been previously available to academics. 

Although the author does try to dispel the shameful narratives previously written about the atrocities committed by the Peytons, especially John Sr., against the native peoples, the Beothuks, Amy Louise Peyton's direct connection to the main characters paints a unique image of Atlantic pioneers.

Potter, Ralph Kimball. Early Southards of New York and New Jersey. [Place of publication not identified]: [publisher not identified], 1974.

Not every book I have is about my Canadian ancestors but apparently most are, this one is not. Three years ago the College I work for was celebrating the centennial of its first graduating class. The valedictorian of the class of 1919 was Bradford Southard of Freeport, New York. When I tracked down his daughter to invite her to campus I mentioned to her that we were probably related. My family settled Freeport and Southard is an old Long Island family name. After discussing her family history, I came across this book in the library collection of Wantagh Public Library. It helped me to piece together not only Bradford's family line but my own as well. Thomas Southard (1615-1688) is my 9th great grandfather. 

Publish histories can be just as flawed as anyone's Ancestry family tree. Authors should provide the sources from which they have taken their names, dates, and details but often they do not. A published family history though, can be rich with information about the area and culture from which your family came. In short, such sources should not be ignored; scrutinized but not ignored.

52 Ancestors Challenge Week 12: "Joined Together" - Meeting Cousins

I suppose this week's theme of "Joined Together" is supposed to cause me to reflect on marriages in my family history but the cynic in me only makes me think of the many divorces I see in my family history. In effort to be uplifting in my posts, I'd rather write about something that makes me happy; meeting cousins.

I have many known cousins to begin. I am one of 9 first cousins on my mother's side and one of 10 first cousins on my dad's side; subtracting siblings from the mix, I have 12 first cousins in all. However, I have acquired so many distant cousins since doing online genealogy research and especially since doing an AncestryDNA test back in November of 2013. Some of them I communicate with for only a brief time, exchanging information to enhance our respective family trees. Others I have communicated with sporadically for years and years.

There are so many that I can't possibly list them all. I'll highlight a couple of them though. These are ones I have acquired strictly through genealogy research...

The One Who Has Been Around the Longest: Cousin Mary

Cousin Mary is my father's 6th cousins and thus my 6th cousin once removed. We have my 6th great grandparents in common; the elusive Jacob Raynor (unknown - March 1829) & Rebecca Raynor-Raynor (June 10, 1769 - February 14, 1855). That's right. You read that correctly, Rebecca Raynor-Raynor.

We have deep Long Island roots that reach back to the settlement of Freeport, New York which at one time was known as Raynortown. One might think Raynor is not a common surname but at that time, in that place, there were SO many Raynors. I am sure Jacob and Rebecca were cousins of some ilk but both Mary and I struggle to confirm Jacob's parents.

I honestly can't remember how long ago Cousin Mary and I met, maybe since 2005-ish, but we have "joined together" on many occasions. We have done a few research trips, attended a conference, and did a genealogy presentation together. We met back when Ancestry showed you other users who had connected to the same records.

I recall being quite dismayed when we did not match on AncestryDNA though. I thought for sure I had made some research error and that Mary was not my cousin after all. Oh, I was so sad but I was quite relieved when it turned out that, although my father and I do not match Mary, my 2 uncles do. It proved that it is possible to have no genetic match with distant cousins.

It is about 2 years ago now that another researching cousin on our line passed away. Recently, Cousin Mary and I accepted the generous honor of inheriting that cousin's boxes of resources. We also recently planned to attend another conference together in June. Can't wait!

Thus, Cousin Mary and I have "joined together" in many research endeavors. She is one of  my best genealogical finds.

The Non-Genealogist Genealogy Acquired Cousin: Cousin Chris

Cousin Chris is not a genealogist. He and I are 3rd cousins on my mother side. This is the side of the family that I really don't have many strong bonds with so it is nice to have cousins on that side turn up. 

Cousin Chris and I have our great-great grandparents in common; Damas Desjardin, also known as Thomas Gardner (October 9, 1850 - October 2, 1911) and Malvina Ethier-Desjardins (February 2, 1864 - January 6, 1944). I met Chris by way of his brother, Cousin Robert, who is the genealogist. However, I have never met Cousin Robert. He posted a question to a message board a long time ago, around 2009, and then put me in touch with his siblings via FaceBook.

At the time Chris kindly extended an invitation stating, "If you're ever in Minnesota..." Well guess what, my constant road companion Cousin Pete and I were off to Minnesota in the summer of 2015. Cousin Chris (who is no relation to Cousin Pete, by the way) put us up in his home for 4 days, no questions asked. His beautiful wife and fabulous kids were so welcoming. The little cousins, gave up their beds for us. By the end of our stay Cousin Chris inquired, "Um, how are we related?" Needless to say Pete and I have been back to visit Cousin Chris and his family several times. In fact, this past summer we met up with them in Philly and stayed in the worst AirBnB I've ever stayed in in my life. Cousins made it tolerable.

The Not Quite Sure How We Are Related Cousin: Cousin Tim

A little over a year ago I received an Ancestry Message from Cousin Tim stating that he had been looking at his cousin's DNA matches and discovered I managed a few of the test with whom he matched, my father's and one of my uncles. They are distant DNA matches and originally we thought perhaps it was a connection to the Hinch family of Hacketstown, Ireland but then again, it could be through the Hughes family of Liscolman, Ireland. Either way both are in Wicklow Co. and on Grandma Earle's line. We're related somehow. I hope some day we can figure it out. Either way though, we're still cousins.

The Cousin Who Made Me Jealous by Getting to Visit Our Ancestral Homeland: Cousin Carol

Those of you who know me in real-life, you likely know that I am a ferocious road-tripper. I have been to all 50 states and all the provinces of Canada with the exception of Nunavut. Aside from Canada though, I haven't done much travel outside of the U.S. Cousin Carol has been to the most "exotic" of all my ancestral homelands though, the Czech Republic. My ethnicity pie chart reflects 99% European, most of which is from the British Isles and Ireland, thus Central European seems exotic to me.

Cousin Carol and I are 3rd cousins once removed, meaning she and my mother have my 3rd great grandparents in common; Jan Prinz (May 14, 1826 - May 22, 1888) and Franzisca Preuss-Prinz (November 17, 1830 - November 29, 1902) who were from Mladá Vožice, in Southern Bohemia, which is now the Czech Republic.

After years of researching our shared ancestral line, in the summer of 2013 she had the opportunity to visit the Czech Republic with her husband to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. They hired personal, professional tour guides who arranged ancestral tour and provided genealogical research which included meetings with village and church historians. Not only did they get to travel the roads our ancestors would have traveled, they got to visit the church where my great-great grandfather was baptized and had the privilege to ring the church bell which had been cast in 1491.

Even though we did not "join together" for that trip [JEALOUS], I did live vicariously through her and asked her to guest blog about her travels for me.

The Fancy Meeting You Here Cousin: Cousin Sylvain

In June of 2018, I had a second opportunity to visit Twillingate, Newfoundland, my Earle family's ancestral homeland. I had a truly astonishing genealogical discover then. I have written about the experience before but it still overwhelms me when I think about it. 

In brief, Twillingate is where my great grandfather, Abram Thomas Earle, was born in January 1891 on Farmers Arm which is on the Durrell side of Twillingate. On my second visit I went with my Uncle Tom. We stayed in a magnificent AirBnB called The Pumpkin House located right on Farmers Arm Road. One of the homeowners, Charlie, had recently purchased another house just a few doors down from Pumpkin House on the same road. 

One day he invited us down to his new house to show us his deed. It clearly shows a survey conducted by Thomas Peyton who was once the local magistrate and was the father of Edgar Peyton; the brother-in-law of my great grandfather and thus my uncle's great uncle. 

It turns out that Charlie's property was once owned by John Earle. Yup an Earle! The deed also indicated the land was once owned by the Late William Earle who, one would assume is the father of John, the aforementioned land owner. William Earle was my great grandfather's uncle. My gut tells me that my great grandfather was born on Charlie's land.

But it gets crazier. While Uncle Tom and Charlie poked around in one of the old structures on the property, I chatted with Charlie's friend, Sylvain. Our conversation went a little like this.

April: "So do you live here year round?"

Sylvain: "No, I live in Montreal."

April: "Oh, that's where my mom's side is from. My father's side is from here in Twillingate but my mom's side has deep roots in Montreal."

Sylvain: "I have ancestors who were early settlers in Montreal. What's the family name?"

April: "It would have been Desjardins." 

And Sylvain froze. This very blank expression came across his face and he slowly said, "My mother's maiden name is Desjardins."

Turns out Sylvain is Cousin Sylvain. He and I have my 9th great grandfather in common; Claude Jourdain Desjardins Charbonnier (1636 - about 1704-1711).

Crazy stuff; to not only find my father's family homeland but to meet a maternal cousin on that land - kind of crazy! By the way, my mother and father grew up next door to each other.

Since meeting, Cousin Sylvian has helped me with finding some information about our Montreal roots. Lovely man.

The Most Recently Acquired: Cousin Kristen

Just before Christmas 2021, I got in touch with a new DNA match, Cousin Kristen. She too is a cousin on my mother's side. Again, I have so few strong connection of that side that I am always excited by the potential for new relationships there.

Just recently we met in-person for the first time. We talked as though we were old friends catching up. I hope that such visits will become common place for us.

At this first visit, Cousin Kristen gave me a ring her and her mother chose for me a limited number of family heirlooms. She joked about proposing to me with it. I haven't taken it off.