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.

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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.”