My Young Cousin Takes an Interest in Family History

October was Family History and this year it started out in an awesome way. On September 30, my Cousin Lisa messaged me a photo of her oldest son, age 12, reading a family history book that I made for him when he was born. It's a series of brief biographies about our shared branch of his family tree. When a 12 year-old takes an interest in family history, anything really, you have to strike when the iron is hot and so a few days later he and I had a video chat about the family's history.

He seemed especially interested about my grandpa, his great grandpa. Oh I could tell him stories. I used to spend a month every summer with my grandpa at his home in Florida when I was in my teens.

My young cousin also expressed interest in looking at the old documents. Oooh, I've got them too.

I am now in the process of writing up a few more profiles on a handful of our ancestors. I have learned a lot more in the last 12 years and have collected a great deal of documents since then. Thus far, I have sent him one package including an updated biography on my great grandmother, his great-great, Mayme Sharp-Gardner (October 2, 1891 - January 25, 1961). 

I am presently writing about her paternal grandmother's line, the Moores of St. Felix-de-Kingsey, Quebec by way of Londonderry, New Hampshire of Scottish extraction. They are an interesting lot - the had family members who were Early American settlers, who served in the American Revolution (at the surrender of Burgoyne), as well as some who perished in the Glencoe Massacre in Glencoe, Scotland in 1692.

I also encouraged my young cousin to sit down with his paternal grandma and work on building his dad's family tree. I didn't want to say it like this but... grandparents don't last forever. You need to talk to your elder family member while you can. As far as I can tell, his paternal grandma's family stretches back a long way in the area that he presently lives in. I know what that is like; I live a stone's throw from where my father's family settled nearly 400 years ago. Their history is right around you. Perhaps my young cousin and his grandma could even visit a few local cemeteries where his ancestors are buried. 

Again, once their interest is piqued, you have to strike while the iron is hot. I'm excited!! I have more info headed his way this month.

Where Did You Go, Lydia?

I have been looking at my tree, considering what family stories I want to record and realizing that there are some ancestors I truly struggle finding any information on, and I kind of want to record that for posterity too; what I don't know and can't seem to discover.

My research into my maternal line I have done with little to no guidance. I am estranged from my mother. My maternal grandmother passed before I was born and my maternal grandfather didn't really discuss the past. Reluctant to talk about his family history, I didn't really dig into his line until after he died in 2004.

One year I set the goal to find the names of all my 3rd great grandparents. I did it. With most of the discoveries came dates of birth and death if nothing else about their lives. However, some of those dates escape me. One in particular that plaques me is the date of death for my 3rd great grandmother Lydia Marie McLean-Sharp. 

She was born on September 15, 1868 in Barnston, Quebec to Elizabeth Walker-McLean and Donald McLean. I know that from her baptismal registration in the Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records otherwise known as the Drouin Collection; a rather thorough resource of vital statistics given the time and place of their creation. She was baptized at the Church of England in Hatley, Quebec, not far from Barnston.

For the life of me I cannot find her date of death though. I have combed through those Drouin records a million times; page by page. Index be damned. Maybe there was some mistranscription of something. Page by page in the narrow time period she must have died in, I find nothing in any of the records for that church or any of the other churches where other relatives had their sacraments of baptism, marriage, and burial. I don't know where she went and it drives me batty.

I see her in the 1911 Census of Canada, listed as 38 years-old and widowed, although I believe she would have been 43 at the time. She was living with her two children, Mayme (my great grandmother) and Daniel James Sharp Jr. in the house of a cousin, Calvin Moore. Then no mention of Lydia again. I think she had to have passed before 1916 when her son Dan enlists in WWI and lists his sister as his next of kin.

Lydia was widowed on October 12, 1898, when her husband, Daniel Sharp Sr., 46 years her senior dies in St. Felix-de-Kingsey, Quebec. Yeah, he was 46 years older than her. 46 and a half years older. Don't get me started. It grosses me out too.

Lydia was young when she was widowed. Maybe she remarried? Moved away? Canadians have this great habit of retaining the woman's maiden name though, in their vital records and on their headstones. A headstone would have likely read "Lydia McLean wife of Daniel Moore." Even so, I still think she died before Dan Jr. enlisted otherwise I think he would have listed his mom as his next of kin. 

She had to have died young too, between 43 and 48. Did she? Where did you go Lydia? What record sets do I even look in? 

A Visit to My Patriot

This past March, my cousin Pete and I ventured up to Vermont to visit his aunt. On our way home, we stopped into Forest Hill Cemetery, in East Derry, New Hampshire, where my Moor/Moore ancestors are interred. The Moores are on my maternal side, not the side I share with Cousin Pete but he happily joins me on a lot of my cemetery jaunts. In fact we did a cemetery marathon which you can hear more about in this presentation I did for Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center, called Victor Henry's Headstone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw53oHpcfgA

Anyway...

My great-great-great grandmother, Annie Moore-Sharp (About 1782 - January 14, 1868) was born in this area of New Hampshire. She died in St. Felix-de-Kingsey, Quebec, Canada. 

Her father, my 4th great grandfather, William Moore (About 1763 – July 1817), and her mother, Eleanor Moore-Moore (About 1767 – October 19, 1836), were also born in New Hampshire and died in Quebec. 

Yes, Eleanor's maiden name was also Moore. She and her husband, William, were actually first cousins. Yeah, grosses me out too but whatever... They were the grandchildren on John Moor (About 1683 - January 24, 1774) and Janet Gray-Moor (About 1687 - March 8, 1776). Actually, I am not confident about Janet's maiden name. She may have been a Cochrane. Both she and John were said to be born in Antrim County, Northern Ireland, making them my European immigrant ancestors on this line of my family tree. They arrived in the New World from Northern Ireland in about 1724.

Eleanor was the daughter of Colonel Daniel Moore (February 11, 1730 - April 13, 1811). William was the son of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Moore (May 26, 1726 -  October 25, 1778).  Daniel and Robert were brothers who served in the American Revolution. 5th great grandpa, Robert, is buried in this Forest Hill Cemetery along with his wife, parents, and several children. His brother, Colonel Daniel is buried in Old Bedford Cemetery in Bedford, New Hampshire about 15 miles northwest of East Derry.

Back in June of 2012, when I first discovered these patriots in my family tree, I had some dear friends of mine visit this cemetery to look for my family's headstones for me. An odd request, as I tend to do cemetery visits for myself but it just so happened that at the time my friends, Andrea and Laszlo, were visiting his parents who lived in, guess where? That's right!  Derry, NH. What the heck, right? Such a small world that these friends had family in a town that my family helped to settle.

That's right, my ancestors helped to settle Derry, NH. In April 1719, sixteen Presbyterian Scotch-Irish families settled there. Then known as Nutfield, the settlement became Londonderry in 1722, shortly before my Moores arrived. Then in 1827 it became Derry. The Moores arrived there in about 1727, only a few short years after their arrival on this continent. One reason the settlement is noteworthy is that in the first year, 1719, a field was planted, known as Common Field, where it is said that the first potato was grown in North America. Nom, nom, nom!

East Derry was also home to Alan Shepard, yup, first American to travel into space. Anyway... we were in East Derry. Well, we were AT East Derry; my ancestors are IN East Derry...buried in it.

Initially, my friends weren't so sure they'd be able to find the graves of my ancestors. Sometimes it does take a lot of time to find graves in a cemetery, especially if it lacks a directory or someone on the staff present to help you find the headstone.

Nine out of 10 times my relatives don't even have headstones. They were generally poor people who couldn't afford stones. In any case, Andrea and Laszlo were kind of astonished that the headstones from the late 1700s were still there. I was kind of astonished that they were astonished. In Hungary, though, where Andrea and Laszlo were raised, gravesites must be financially maintained by the family in order to stay intact. A very foreign concept to Americans who own their family plots for perpetuity.

In any case, Andrea and Laszlo found my family's graves right away because they are the very first grave as you come through the cemetery's main gate. They had told me that but I didn't quite believe it until I visited and sure enough - they haven't moved. My 6th great grandparents, John Moor (About 1683 - January 24, 1774) and Janet Moor (About 1687 - March 8, 1776), are the first grave as you come through the gate.

John's headstone of the left reads:

HERE LYES THE BODY

OF MR JOHN MOOR

HE DEPARTED THIS 

LIFE JAN 24 1774

AGE 91 YEARS

Janet's headstone on the right reads:

HERE LYES THE BODY

OF MRS JENIT MOOR

WED TO MR JOHN MOOR

SHE DIED MARCH

THE 8TH 1776 IN

THE 89TH YEAR OF

HER AGE

Not far from them lies their son Lt. Col. Robert Moore (May 22, 1724 - October 25, 1778), my 5th great grandfather:

My 7th great grandfather's headstone, Samuel Moor (1655 - 1734), also known as Charter Samuel Moor I:

You can see Samuel was born in Argyll, Scotland and his son, John, above, was born in Northern Ireland. The family was part of the Clan McDonald of Glencoe. In fact, Samuel's nephew, Charter John Moore II (February 13, 1692 - 1741), not to be confused with Samuel's son John, is said to be born on the night of the infamous Massacre of Glencoe; the same night his father, also named John Moor, was slaughtered. So yeah, 7th great grandpa Samuel had a brother, son, and nephew, all named John Moor. Not real creative with the names, these Moors, which makes for some real confusion in one's research.

This is Charter John Moore II's headstone, first cousin to my 6th great grandfather John Moor:

You can tell the stone above is a modern day headstone. I assume it replaced an older stone or maybe it was never marked at all.

 

Below is the headstone of my 7th great grandmother, Mary Partridge-Moor (1660 - 1733), wife of "Charter" Samuel Moor 1:

I like her flying skull. Classic iconography of the time. Also called "death's head", it is thought to symbolize one's physical death and their spiritual regeneration.

There are actually about 80 Moors and Moores listed on FindAGrave buried in Forest Hill Cemetery. I am sure most, if not all of them are connected in some way. I'd love to examine the cemetery closer and unpuzzle the connection between them all, especially those buried so close together in the oldest section of the cemetery. Maybe some day I'll have the time to do that. Time is fleeting though, isn't it? Isn't that what cemeteries remind us?

Sadly, my friends' father-in-law/step-father, who they had been visiting in East Derry back in 2012, passed away in October 2016. He too is buried in this cemetery, not far from where my Moors are. So I got to visit his grave as well. I love that Michael is so close to my family. Just feels right. 
 

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 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.

Colonel Daniel Moore and the DAR Genealogical Research System (GRS)

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Library in Washington D.C. to research my patriot, Col. Daniel Moore of Londonderry, New Hampshire.

I found my patriots (yes, two of them) in an unexpected place on my family tree. My maternal grandfather, Clarence Albert Gardner was born and raised in New York. Both of his parents were of Canadian descent. His father, Albert Gardner was born Almond Desjardins in the Long Island City/Astoria area of Queens County, in the City of New York in 1891. Albert's parents, Damas Desjardins and Malvina Ethier-Desjardins were both born and raised in Montreal but met and married here in the City of New York. My grandpa Clarence's mother, Mayme Sharp-Gardner, was born in Sherebrooke, Quebec, Canada and immigrated to the U.S. around WWI. She arrived in New York by way of Lowell, Massachusetts. When I think about my Grandpa Gardner's lineage I think French Canadian, not American Revolutionary War patriot.

My paternal grandfather, Edwin Earle's lineage can be traced back to early American settlers. I thought for sure this is where my patriot would be, right? Wrong. Grandpa Earle's ancestors lived on Long Island, New York which during the American Revolution was a loyalist stronghold which means they were probably shooting at the patriots. Makes sense if you consider how my mother and father got along but I digress...

No, it was Grandpa Gardner's line where I found my patriot. The line goes like this:

Grandpa:                              Clarence Albert Gardner
Great-grandma:                    Mary Elizabeth "Mayme" Sharp-Gardner
Great-great grandpa :          Daniel Sharp
3rd great grandma:              Ann Moore-Sharp
4th great grandparents:       Eleanor Moore and William Moore
5th great grandpas:             Patriot Colonel Daniel Moore and Patriot Lt. Colonel Robert Moore

When you trace your family tree you have to move backwards in time from you to your parents, your parents to your grandparents, etc. But for clarity here I will first tell you about Daniel  and Robert Moore and move forward. 

Daniel and his brother Robert were from Londonderry, NH which is now Derry, NH. The sons of John and Janet Moor. Daniel was at the surrender of Saratoga, NY; a pretty monumental British defeat. His brother, Robert Moore, also served in the Revolution. His line is less well-documented though. To explain some of the search process on the DAR website I will focus on Daniel.

Daniel had a daughter, Eleanor who married Robert's son, William Moore in about 1784. Yes, they were first cousins which was a common, socially-acceptable practice back then; to marry a cousin. Nowadays we cringe at the thought but back then it was common.

Eleanor and William moved from New Hampshire to an area of Quebec known as Kingsey. In fact, they were the second settlers to move to the area now known as St. Felix-de-Kingsey not far from Drummondville, Quebec.

Most Americans tend to think that people who emigrate to Canada do so because they have anti-American feelings. This is not always true but yes, it is the case. For example, during the Vietnam era some Americans headed to our neighbors in the north to avoid being drafted. Canada, though, is a beautiful country and many people move there for many reasons. Eleanor and William went there for land. 

It wasn't until 3 generations later, when my great grandmother moved to Lowell, Massachusetts, and that this line returned to the United States.

Now let's get down to brass tacks here. How does one use the DAR Genealogical Research System (GRS) online. Well, first go to the website: http://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search/?tab_id=0  or DAR Genealogical Research System (GRS).
 
I'll tell you just the tiniest bit of how to get started on the DAR website. The second tab you will see is "Ancestor." Click on that and you will be presented with several search boxes. When constructing a search sometimes less is more; or in my case "Moor." 

The Moore family name sometimes appears as Moore, More, or Moor. Like marrying your first cousin, spelling didn't really count back then; nowadays we're all caught up on spelling. I get ticked when someone leaves the "e" off the end of my last name; Earle. In genealogy research though you have to let go of your modern day connection to spelling. In any case...

I did a search of the DAR Ancestor page for Last Name: Moor, First Name: Daniel, State: NH. This search returned the records of two Daniel Moores who are often mixed up in records. I am of the first Daniel Moore; the one born in Londonderry, NH on February 11, 1730 and who died April 13, 1811 in Bedford, New Hampshire.

In the search results there is a button called "See Ancestor Record." By clicking on that, one can view a list of accepted applicants listed by their national application number. Daniel has a list of 47 national numbers; that means 47 women have joined the DAR based on linking their ancestry to Col. Daniel Moore. Those are my cousins; none of which I know and none of which are descended from the same grandchild of Daniel as I am. I am descended from Ann Moore. Some of the member are descended from Eleanor and William like I am. Of those, some are descended from Ann's sister Elizabeth and some are descended from Ann's brother Daniel but none are from my Ann.

I will face the challenge of finding documentation that links Ann to her parents Eleanor and William Moore but I will not have to rigorously prove Eleanor to be the daughter of Daniel because the DAR has already accepted this fact.

Now if you want to see what documentation the DAR has accepted on a given patriot and his descendants you're going to have to either order the records or make a visit to the DAR Library in Washington D.C. I recommend the visit if you can because there, for a $6/day visiting researcher fee, you can view everything they have and print it all out for $0.25/ page. If you order it online it cost $15/ application and some packets contain more information than others. There is no guarantee that your $15 will provide you with any supportive documentation. $15 is one think if there was one accepted applicant for your patriot; it is another huge investment if you have 47 accepted applicants and you want to see everything. And what researcher doesn't want to see everything?

I say make the trip!

If you have any questions about using the site the "Home" tab provides much more detail than I have given you here about the variety of tabs and resources available to you. 

Happy hunting!