Rootsmapper

There is a neat tool that maps your ancestor's locations. I first heard about it from a friend. She probably explains it better on her blog than I do on mine, so check her's out, if you are interested:
http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/2013/10/where-did-your-ancestors-live.html#.UnUq2yfYCSo

You need to have your info at familysearch.org (anyone can create a free account and download his/her gedcom there) and when you go to rootsmapper.com, you log in with your familysearch account. Then you choose how many generations you want it to map. It takes a little while to run its course, especially if you choose 7 generations.

Once you have your 7 generations mapped, then you can click on a 7th generation ancestor which will then allow you to add their parents. You can continue to do that until you have mapped 20 generations.

Here is what my 7 generations looks like:

If you click on a number, basic info on the person it represents comes up. Notice how everyone is clustered? If you click on a cluster, it will expand and you can see the individual numbers so you can access them. Like this:

Then, when I clicked on the 7 in the lower right, I got this:

See the blue and pink 8s in the lower right hand corner? That's where I click so that Johann's parents will be placed on the map, too.

Fun stuff.

This allowed me to see some mistakes in the database at familysearch as when I first tried it out, one of my ancestor's dots was in Africa instead of Canada, due to a typo in his birth location.

I still have some playing around to do with it. It might continue to prove to be a helpful tool as well as a fun one.

photo with Joshua Purdy JERVIS and maybe his brother George Smith JERVIS updated

Being contacted by a 3rd cousin once removed who was asking if I had of photo of his ancestor, George Smith JERVIS, has prompted this post.

I have this photo of my great-grandfather, Joshua Purdy JERVIS. I know his daughter, Grace, and her family are in it (husband William and children Scudder and Sara SMITH). But there are 2 other men in it. One might be his brother, George Smith JERVIS (1851-1927).

unknown (George Smith JERVIS???), Joshua Purdy JERVIS, unknown, Grace JERVIS SMITH, her son Scudder, her husband William Wallace SMITH, and her daughter Sara SMTH. This photo was taken probably in 1918 in Lloyd's Neck, Suffolk, New York.

Here's another photo with Joshua and an unknown.

Since Joshua's brother, George, is almost 1 1/2 years older than Joshua and this man seems younger, I would guess that this isn't George. But, if it's not George, who is it? This photo is in between photos taken in 1911 and 1914, but several photos are out of order in this section of the photo album, so dating it is hard.

******************************************************************************************************************

For more info on Joshua and George:

http://turningourhearts-beth.blogspot.com/2011/02/scudder-carll-jervis-1823-1907-and-mary.html

when your step-mother is also your mother-in-law your kids only have 1 grandma

It's time for more fun with family history. This one is reminiscent of the old song I'm My Own Grandpa where the singer married a widow and his father married the widow's daughter, thus making him his own grandpa.

While working on a collateral line on my dad's side of the family, I came across an interesting situation. Someone even wrote a riddle about it and someone else posted it to ancestry.com. Alfred J. Cotton, the author, was married to Peter and Josiah's sister, Phebe.

Peter and Josiah's mother is my 4th great-aunt.

From "Cotton's Keepsake" by Rev. Judge Alfred J. Cotton.

Peter Platt to Susan N. Milliken.
Please tell me, you who know, (Those are excused who can't,)
How this man's brother is his uncle -- His brother's wife his aunt.
Still wilder pranks has Hymen played,  By the Union of these twain;
The Mother of this happy groom,  Is Mother to him again.

            ANSWER

Josiah Platt, "long time ago."

Married a fair damsel, even so, even so;

Then old Mr. Platt -- O what a twister!--

Soon afterward married his son's wife's sister;

And now gallant Peter not long did loiter,

Till he took for his spouse his step-mother's daughter;

So now, my young friends, I've 'splained the whole riddle,

If you can't understand it, you ain't worth a fiddle.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<  EXPLANATION >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The Riddle refers to the following Marriages: 

 Josiah Platt (1813-1858) to Mary Milliken (1818-1865) 23 Sep 1841.

 Peter Platt (1821-1903)  to Susan Milliken (1824-1875)  29 Oct 1842.

 (Peter is Josiah's Brother.  Mary is Susan's Aunt)

 Gilbert Platt (1772-1867) (3rd Mg) to the widow, Margaret Matthews Millikin (1791-1880) 8 Jun 1842. 

(Gilbert Platt is father to Peter and Josiah; Margaret is Susan's Mother)

When Gilbert marries Margaret, she is actually Mary Milliken's Sister-in-Law. (Sister by implication) 

SOOooo.. Margaret is already Peter's STEP-Mother when he marries Susan, she becomes his Mother-in-Law.

Sir Ronald Ketchum connection and story not proven

OK, this post is just for fun. I just discovered that on familysearch.org one of my lines has been extended one more generation from that of  Edward Ketcham to his father Sir Ronald Ketchum (who would be my 10th great-grandfather). I do not know the sources, and I haven't tried to find them yet, but the story I found on rootsweb (which is stated may or may not be true) is a fun one. So I am posting it, knowing I may not really be related to Sir Ronald and his story may not be true any way.

SIR  RONALD (OR ROWLAND)  KETCHUM STORY

This story has never really been proven or dis-proven as yet.  There has been numerous newspaper articles printed regarding Sir Ronald Ketchum, but no proof has been forthcoming.  As there has been no birth records found, a lot of people have discounted this story as being false.  In reality, no birth record being found does NOT constitute proof that Sir Ronald Ketchum did not exist.  Many birth records have been destroyed or lost.

The following is one of many, many, many newspaper articles that was printed on Sir Ronald Ketchum.  This particular one was printed in Saint. John, New Brunswick, Canada. The printing date is unknown.

I believe the original article was quite old and handed down in the Ketchum family from generation to generation, and was brought to the attention of the Saint John New Brunswick Newspaper by the members of the Ketchum family living in Saint John at the time of this printing.  This is an exact copy of the Newspaper article.

THE MAN ON THE STREET – Saint John, New Brunswick Newspaper  Nov. 5, ???? (Unknown Year) Unknown Author.

     This is the day when English children celebrate the discovery of the famous “Gunpowder Plot”, an attempt to blow up the the English House of Parliament, back in the year 1605.  The plotters began their project in December, 1604, when one of them went to France and approached a man noted for exceptional coolness and courage to carry it out.

     He was Guy Fawkes, a Yorkshireman, on his way from service in the Spanish Army and his military experience is supposed to have been an asset to the plotters.

     The plans were so well laid that the attempt, which was to culminate in a grand explosion on

Nov. 5, would probably succeeded if one of the plotters, anxious about a friend in the House of Lords, hadn’t tipped him off by urging him not to attend the meeting of the house.

     Even with this warning, the gunpowder which had been in readiness in the cellar under the House since May, 1605, was not found until the day before it was to have been detonated.

    A house adjoining the House of Parliament had been rented and Fawkes took up residence there, acting as sentry while workmen tunneled into the cellar next door.  He made frequent inspections of his installation and in August replaced some of the gunpowder which he thought had been damaged by dampness.

    The man credited with finding the gunpowder – all thirty-five barrels of it weighing more than a ton and a half – hidden under coal and faggots with a covering of iron bars to make the explosion more effective – was given a singular name and was entitled to his own crest.

    He was named Sir Ronald Ketchum, because he had managed to “ketch” Guy Fawkes in readiness to set a slow match to the charge.  And so for more than three centuries his successors have proudly borne their historic name and some of them have worn the crest.

    A tracing of the heraldic design is in possession of embers of the Ketchum family now living in Saint John.  They include H.W. Ketchum, Mrs. Jean Kean and Miss Ida Ketchum.  The book by William Osborne, a Boston, Mass. authority on heraldry describes the crest as follows:  

    “The Crest he beareth quarterly argent and azure in the first and third quarters a Talbot’s Head erased Sable by the name of Ketchum granted to Sir Ronald Ketchum of the Principality of Wales, a true and loyal subject of his Prince and Country and well deserves the honours of the above grant.”

Timeline for Charles Miller JERVIS, Sr (1885-1961)

This is my grandfather's timeline. His main blog post can be found at:

http://turningourhearts-beth.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-miller-jervis-sr-1885-1961-new.html

My grandfather, Charles "Curly" Miller JERVIS, Sr., was a first a civil engineer and later became a manager of a sugar plantation. He traveled the world. So besides the normal time line of family events, grandpa's timeline includes places he'd traveled to. He had several scrapbooks and he had some interesting lists in one of them.

Charles Miller JERVIS, Sr Timeline

age    date                place                                                           event

 0    14 Oct 1885      Amityville, Suffolk, New York             his birth
 3    6 Sep 1889        Amityville, Suffolk, New York            death of his brother, Scudder Carll JERVIS
24    16 June 1910    Potsdam, St. Lawrence, New York  graduation from Clarkson School of                                                                                                             Technology*
25-27    1911-1913   Philippines                                        working as a surveyor
30    1916                 Alaska                                               working as a surveyor
31    26 Oct 1916    (Lakewood, Ocean, New Jersey)**   death of his sister, Sarah Emma 

                                                                                              (Jervis) WRIGHT                                          31    1917                Cuba                                              working there--became manager of a sugar                                                                                              plantation

36    26 Aug 1922    Santiago, Oriente, Cuba                     marriage to Carolie MEIGS
38     5 April 1924    Marcané, Oriente, Cuba                     birth of first child, Joel Russ JERVIS
47    14 Oct 1932     (Jacksonville, Duval, Florida)**          birth of second child, Charles Miller                                                                                                           JERVIS, Jr
53     3 Jan 1939      (Amityville, Suffolk, New York)**       death of his father, Joshua Purdy JERVIS
53    24 Jan 1939     (Amityville, Suffolk, New York)**       death of his mother, Mary Jane MILLER
75    23 Jan 1961     Copiague, Suffolk, New York            his death   

*now called Clarkson University
** Charles Sr was not necessarily present for the event


Some Travels--from in the inside back cover of one of grandpa’s photo albums along with some dates of photos in the albums

from photos:
Oct 1910    Howell’s River, Canada

leave per S.S. Siberia
9 May 1911   Honolulu, Hawaii
20-21 May    Yokohama, Japan
22 May         Kobe, Japan
24 May         Nagasaki, Japan
25-26 May    Shanghai, China
29-30 May    Hong Kong, China
2 Jun             Manila, Philippines

31 Jul        Iloilo, Philippines

from photos:
Jan 1912-Apr 1913    Batbatan Antique, Philippines

leave per S.S. Lagazpi
15 July 1913    Manila, Philippines
22 Jul        Singapore
26 Jul        Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
3 Aug        Aden, Arabia
14 Aug        Suez Canal
16 Aug        Port Said. Egypt

leave per S.S. Buenas Ayres
19-25 Aug 1913    Barcelona, Spain
27 Aug         Valencia, Spain
29 Aug        Malaga, Spain
31 Aug        Cadiz, Spain
11 Sep         arrive New York

from photos:
Nov 1913    Copper Rock Falls Ontario and Grass River, New York


leave per S.S. Calamares
13 Jun 1914    leave New York
17 Jun         Kingston, Jamaica
19 Jun        Colon, Panama
22 Jun         Panama, Panama
25 Jun        Payta, Peru
26 Jun        Eten, Peru Peru
26 Jun        Pacasmayo, Peru
27 Jun        Salaverry, Peru
Jun 28-Jul 1    Calloa, Peru

per S.S. Limari
3 Jul     1914    Mollendo, Peru
4 Jul                Arica, Chile
5 Jul                Iquique, Chile
6 Jul               Antofagasta, Chile

from photos:
Oct 1914    Chuquicamata, the biggest open copper pit mine in the world

leave per S.S. Limari
13 Feb 1915    Antofagasta, Chile
14 Feb             Iquique, Chile
14 Feb             Pisaqua, Chile
15 Feb             Arica, Chile
16 Feb             Mollendo, Peru
18 Feb             Calloa, Peru
19 Feb             Salaverry, Peru
20 Feb             Pacasmayo, Peru
20 Feb             Eten, Peru
21 Feb             Payta, Peru
25 Feb             Panama, Panama
1 Mar             Colon, Panama
4 Mar             Havana, Cuba
8 Mar             arrive New York       

On railroad:
6 May 1915    New York    B&O
7 May             Cincinnati    B&O
8 May             St. Louis    Missouri  P.
8 May             Kansas City    Missouri P
9 May             Pueblo        D&R G
10 May           Salt Lake City    D&R G
10 May          Ogden        Oregon Short Line
12 May          Portland        S.P.
12 May          Seattle, Washington    S.P.

On S.S. Evans
19 Oct 1915    Anchorage, Alaska   
20 Oct             Seldovia, Alaska
20 Oct             Port Graham, Alaska
21 Oct            Seward, Alaska
21 May           La Touche, Alaska
21 May           Port Wells, Alaska
22 May          Valdez, Alaska
22 May          Ellamar, Alaska
23 May          Cordova, Alaska
24 May          Yakutat, Alaska
25 May          Juneau, Alaska
27 May          Petersburg, Alaska
29 May          Ketchikan, Alaska
29 May          Seattle, Washington

9 Nov 1915    Seattle, Washington on S.P.R.R.
9 Nov             Portland, Oregon
11-17 Nov     San Francisco, California
19 Nov           Phoenix, Arizona

[1 Jan 1916    Portland, Oregon where, according to a newspaper article, he attended a party hosted by Miss Barbara Bartlett ~The Oregon Daily Journal dated 2 Jan 1916, page 39)

29 Apr 1916    Phoenix, Arizona        on Santa Fe
30 Apr            Grand Canyon                 “
1 May            Albuquerque, New Mexico          “
2 May            Denver, Colorado        on Burlinton
3 May            Billings, Montana        N.P.R.R.
4 May            arrive Helena, Montana
5 May            Helena, Montana
6 May           Glasgow, Montana


On S.S. Alameda
12 May 1916    Seattle, Washington
14 May            Ketchikan, Alaska
15 May            Wrangall, Alaska
15 May            Juneau, Alaska
16 May            Skagway, Alaska
17 May            Cordova, Alaska
18 May            Valdez, Alaska
19 May            Seward, Alaska
20 May            Anchorage, Alaska


6 Nov 1916    Glasgow, Montana    G.N.R.R.
7 Nov             St. Paul, Minnesota    Burlington
7 Nov             Chicago, Illinois        N.Y.C.
9 Nov             arrive New York


2 Jul 1917    New York        N.S.C.R.R.
3 Jul             Philadelphia        A.F.Co. SS/S.S. Lysefjord
9 Jul             Cayo Mambi, Cuba

17 Oct 1917    Cayo Mambi, Cuba    Launch Sagua
19 Oct             Antilla, Cuba        S.S. Munamar
21 Oct             Nuevitas            S.S. Munamar
25 Oct 1917    Arrive New York

25 Nov 1917    New York        S.S. Munamar
29 Nov             Antilla, Cuba   
29 Nov             arrive Copay, Cuba

15 Jul 1919    Cupey, Cuba   
16 Jul             Havana, Cuba
17 Jul             Key West, Florida

8 Sep 1919    New York
13 Sep           Cupey, Cuba

22 Jul 1921    Marcané, Cuba
27 Jul             New York

24 Sep 1921    New York
28 Sep             Antilla, Cuba
   

Areoplane “Santa Maria” pilot Rowe
leave     Santiago de Cuba     12 noon, 3 Oct 1928     arrive     Port-au-Prince 3 pm
    Port-au-Prince        4:20 pm, 3 Oct 1928        Barahona 5:30 pm
    Barahona, Sto. Domingo    6 pm, 3 Oct 1928            Sto. Domingo City 7:00 pm
    Sto Domingo City    7:30 am, 5 Oct 1928        San Juan, 10:40 am
    San Juan, Porto Rico [sic]    10:48 am, 15 Oct 1928        Sto. Domingo City, 1:30 pm
    Sto. Domingo City    9:17 am, 16 Oct 1928        Barahona 10:07 am
    Barahona        10:55 am, 16 Oct 1928        Port-au-Prince 11:52 am
    Port-au-Prince        1:17 pm, 17 Oct 1928        Barahona 2:25 pm
    Barahona        3:37 pm, 17 Oct 1928        Sto. Domingo 3:37 pm

On S.S. Guantanamo
Leave Sto. Domingo City        4:37 pm, 21 Oct 1928        Santiago 10:30 am 23 Oct 1928

States passed through:
1. New York
2. New Jersey
3. Connecticut
4. Pennsylvania
5. Ohio
6. Indiana
7. Illinois
8. Iowa
9. Nebraska
10. Colorado
11. Wyoming
12. Utah
13. Nevada
14. California
15. New Mexico
16. Arizona
17. South Dakota
18. Maryland
19. Virginia
20. West Virginia
21. Kentucky
22. Missouri
23. Kansas
24. Idaho
25. Oregon
26. Washington
27. Montana
28. North Dakota
29. Minnesota
30. Florida
31. Georgia
32. North Carolina
33. South Carolina
34. Delaware
35. Tennesse-1929
36. Maine-1929
37. New Hampshire-1929
38. Vermont-1929
39. Massachusetts-1929
40. Rhode Island-1929
41. Alabama-1931
42. Mississippi-1931
43. Louisiana-1931
44. Texas-1931

From a hand written note in the back of the album:
States Not Visited to Sept. 1929

1. Alabama  (crossed out)
2. Mississippi (crossed out)
3. Louisiana (crossed out)
4. Texas (crossed out)
5. Oaklahoma [sic]
6. Arkansas
7. Wisconsin
8. Michigan

Thomas MOSS/MORSE of Cheraw, Chesterfield, SC early 1800s updated

My great-great grandmother Emeline "Emma" (MOSS/MORSE) MEIGS has been a difficult line to trace. One of her daughters, Emma (MEIGS) HAWKINS, has the last name MOSS is listed as the mother's maiden name on her death certificate . However, another daughter, Mary Kolb (MEIGS) BREEDIN's tombstone lists her mother's maiden name as MORSE. 

In a book on the Meigs Family of America by Return Jonathan Meigs, it lists Thomas MOSS of Cheraw, South Carolina as Emeline's father. And due Emeline's 1880 and 1900 census record entries, we know that both her parents were born in South Carolina. That is all I had to go on. 

I cannot find a Thomas MORSE in Cheraw, but there is a Thomas MOSS there in 1820 and 1830. Slight confusion might come about between Cheraw and Darlington because of shifting districts and counties and court circuits.

In the 1830 census in Chesterfield, South Carolina, I found a Thomas MOSS as well as a Thomas MORRIS, but not a MORSE.

In the 1840 census I did not find a Thomas MOSS or MORSE, but I did find two Thomas MORRIS entries.

I realize that just because a child is listed in these census records, it doesn't mean that the child belongs to Thomas and his wife, but we'll pretend that all listed children do belong to them for now.

Thomas MOSS in 1820 in Chesterfield county, SC (where Cheraw is located) shows this:

2 males < 10 (so born between 1810 and 1820) (one of them being William? see below)
1 male 16-26 (born between 1794-1804)
1 male 26-45 (Thomas--b. 1775-1794)
3 females < 10 (born between 1810-1820)
1 female 10-16 (born between 1804-1810)
1 female 26-45 (Mrs. Moss--b. between 1775-1794)

Tho MOSS in 1830 in Chesterfield, county, SC shows this:

1 male < 5 (born between 1825-1830)
2 males 5-10 (born between 1820-1825)
2 males 10-15 (born between 1815-1820)
1 male 40-50 (Thomas--b. between 1780-1790)
1 female < 5 (born between 1825-1830)
1 female 5-10 (Emma--b. between 1820-1825...and it was about 1822)
2 females 10-15 (born between 1815-1820)
1 female 30-40 (Mrs. Moss--b. between 1790-1800)

Trying to mesh these 2 census records together, this is the family I come up with:

Thomas MOSS b. 1780-1790 in South Carolina
Mrs. MOSS b. 1789-1795 in South Carolina (1791-1792 if it's Martha, see below which is crazy since the first child was born 1794-1804. Maybe he had a second wife?)

1. male    b. 1794-1804
2. female b. 1804-1810
3. female b. 1810-1820
(I don't know the order of the males and females for children 4-7)
4. male    b. 1815-1820
5. male    b. 1815-1820
6. female b. 1815-1820
7. female b. 1815-1820
8. Emeline b. 1821 (1820-1825)
9. male    b. 1820-1825
10. male  b. 1820-1825
11. female b. 1825-1830
12. male  b. 1825-1830 (perhaps George b. 1827-28, see below)

Now, Emma moves from Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina to Darlington county, South Carolina in between 1841 and 1844 (or sooner?). I noticed 2 MOSS families living in Darlington, so I wondered if Emma's parents (or mother) left Cheraw and traveled to Darlington with her. I was excited to see that these two families, Martha and William MOSS, have their last names recorded as MOSS or MORSE, depending on the census year. So William's last name is MORSE in 1840, MOSS in 1850, and MORSE again in 1860.

In 1850, William MOSS was 38--so he was born 1811-1812 (and doing more research his birthday is 21 January 1811...which doesn't fit perfectly into my combined family group sheet above--though perhaps he would have already been out of the house by then, but I can't rule him out as being Emma's brother).

Martha MOSS, age 58 in the 1850 census (so born 1791-1792, which does fit in with my Mrs. MOSS), is listed in Darlington and living next door to her is a Geo(rge) MOSS age 22 (so born 1827-1828) which could make him child #12 above.

In the 1860 census in Darlington county, South Carolina, there is a Martha MOORE, age 65 born in SC-therefore born about 1795, living in the same house as Emeline MEGGS and her husband Jno K, but she is given a separate family number than the MEGGS's. Is Martha her mother, aunt, or not related at all?

The "problem" with George is that in the Martha MOSS household in the 1840 census there is not a male in the 10-15 age category...only one male 30-40...yet Martha was head of household (she would have been about 48 at the time). There is a Martha MORSE in Darlington in 1840 with one male 20-30 years old, 2 females 15-20, and one female 40-50.

Anyway, as I was doing research online I came across the following site:

http://www.olddarlington.scgen.org/skinner15.html

This site is for the Darlington Genealogical Society's John Carroll Skinner genealogical collection. There are thousands of cards that you can order for 33¢ each for different last names. I ordered the cards for the MOSS family (35 cards), MORSE family (3), PINNER (2), MEGGS (1), RUSS (1), and KOLB (5). In the end, I didn't find anything useful.


Next step--checking land and probate records in Cheraw and Darington for 1830-1840. Did Thomas die in Cheraw or did they move to Darlington first? As others have probably worked on finding Thomas before, I don't know that I hold out much hope for really solving this, as I would guess that the Cheraw records have been checked...but maybe not the Darlington records? They might even be the same records as the boundaries and districts changed...

I had been told that the courthouse records had been burned and I had figured it was during the civil war, so the records I would want wouldn't be there...but according to family search wiki on Darlington county (https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Darlington_County,_South_Carolina), the courthouse fire was in 1806, so maybe I can find something.

I also want to find William and George's death records to see who their parents are--though death certificates weren't required until 1915. I wonder if Martha died in between 1850 and 1860. I need to look at cemeteries, too.