We grew up in a family where people (on both sides) had forever been telling stories about their ancestors, although much of it was apocryphal.* Yet nothing was truly researched, nor documented meeting today’s contemporary standards. The world was so different then, and doing research on your family made you indebted to only a few available sources. Much work was done by writing letters to people, who knew people, who researched cemeteries, and had family bibles.
*An apocryphal story is probably not true, although it is often told and believed by some people to have happened. (Via the Cambridge Dictionary)
Then One Afternoon…
Around 1967, or thereabouts, our maternal grandmother Lulu Mae (DeVoe) Gore sat down at her dining room table, delicately unfolded and smoothed with her hands, a very large fan-fold style family tree. It was a decades old project at that point, having been carefully researched and crafted by her hand. Lulu’s husband Harley had passed on nearly thirty years earlier. It was his desire near the end of his life, to know more about his family origins — so, as we understand it today, this was when our family history started to become real to us.
When we met to discuss this, present were Lulu’s daughter Marguerite and her granddaughter Susan, both of whom shared an interest in family history. Grandson Thomas was also present, but being somewhat younger, he was told to “sit still, and don’t touch anything”.
This is an example of a fan-fold style family history chart. (Image courtesy of Amazon.com).
This is when we first heard stories about some New England ancestors, ongoing suspicions about there perhaps being a Mayflower relative.., all of it still very vivid today as memories. Peppering our Grandmother with questions, we tried to understand how it all fit together. Lulu had her grand chart, many photographs, and lots of anecdotal stories. She had opened the past to us, and for her, she was likely pleased that she had a daughter and granddaughter to share this legacy with.
Lulu Gore passed on in 1975 and her daughter Marguerite Bond took over the task of researching family history via traditional methods. When she retired in the 1980s, she relied mostly on resource books, and trips to both the local Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio and the Geauga County Courthouse in Chardon, Ohio. In addition, she traveled to Plymouth, Massachusetts to research the 1620 history of the Mayflower, and to the small city of Steubenville, in Jefferson County, Ohio (to research her husband Dean’s side of the family). Time went on, and she did what she could while slowing losing her ability to retain memories.
Comment: Marguerite swore that she would never, ever work on a computer. (She came from a generation which viewed a “thingamajig” like a computer with much trepidation, and in her case, some disdain). True to her word, and quite ironically, about the time that online databases started to appear, Marguerite decided to disappear — passing on in 1999. She passed her research on to her daughter Susan. (1)
This is a sample page of the type of research which Marguerite did. (Good luck reading her handwriting!) It documents a portion of the Gore family line, which we have covered in the chapter: The Gore Line, A Narrative — Six.
Hide and Seek
In 1999, the world was in the midst of the newly flourishing Go-Go-Days of the Internet. Both Susan and Thomas were living at the epicenter of this change, both residing in San Francisco, California. Suddenly, it became quite apparent that we now had new resources to help us work out “how it all fit together”. However, this didn’t happen quickly. Even though resources had greatly evolved, it took much time for the databases to be sufficiently trustworthy for our needs. We then had to dig-in and look at everything with fresh eyes. Back then much research was like a game of Hide and Seek.
Susan spent years making new discoveries, but also verifying the work of her Grandmother and Mother. She sometimes spent time tramping around cemeteries, looking for relatives whose records had fallen away.
Twenty-five years later, for our present research, we have been using the online sources: Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.com, and the Internet Archive. Depending upon the family line, we also seek out resources and databases far beyond these three websites. As an example, when we documented the Irish families on our father’s side, we utilized much of the invaluable resources available on the website ScotlandsPeople.com. That chapter alone, The McMahon and The McCall Lines, A Narrative, took one year of dedicated research and writing. (You will be able to see, at the end of each chapter we list the specific print and website resources for that chapter).
Covid 19 It’s worth emphasizing that the Ancestry and FamilySearch databases can sometimes be unreliable.Here is our viewpoint on this —
Covid 19 required that many people stay at home to prevent further spread of the virus to others. As such, many people decided to undertake projects which involved new hobbies. This is a polite way of saying that many people (would-be-tree makers) launched their own family tree projects, when most of them had no research experience. Hence, the Ancestry and FamilySearch websites became a perfect storm of poorly researched, and inaccurate information. There is still some valuable information to be found therein, but one must look very, very carefully with great discernment at what is presented. If there can be secondary sources (such as books, actual documents, etc.), which verify discoveries, then the information can probably be acceptable. (2)
Why Context Is Important
Context provides us an opportunity to understand the world as it once existed but is no more, and most importantly, narrate the world in which our ancestors lived.
Family trees are only interesting up to a point, then they can get a bit mundane. Think of historical biographies. If they were written in such a way that “this person married that person, and then they had children”, it’s likely that this category of interesting books would struggle to find readers. We would be a much poorer society for it.
“What is intelligence, and how does it work?”
Intelligence is the ability to tell stories... The “story” that I am talking about is a much broader category, and it is that type of story that forms the basis for thought. It is our superior ability to tell that kind of story that separates us from the animals.
Your brain likes these things I write, both fiction and non-fiction, because the conscious part of your brain is a story engine. It evolved to connect a bunch of observed facts into a coherent story that makes them all make sense together, and to make plans, which are also stories.
Devon Eriksen
One thing which we came to realize, is that much family history is written about the Men who were our Grandfathers, but much less is written about the Women in their lives. In some circumstances, we have been unable to learn anything about some of our Grandmothers other than their name, because scant information is available.
When it comes to historical books about women who were mostly lost to history, we often think of this book by author Jill Lepore: Book of Ages, The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin. She was the youngest sister of her very famous brother, inventor, printer, writer, diplomat, and one of the founding fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin. They were close as siblings, but their individual lives went in very different directions, and Jane Franklin left only a few records. The author did a remarkable job in telling her life story, making it possible for those of us who are alive today, to understand, appreciate, and ponder Jane’s life.
If you notice in the above chart on the right, we see that in the Josiah Franklin family, there were an astonishing number of seventeen children born from two different mothers. Women often had many children in those days, and sometimes they died in childbirth. Whenever that happened, the husband frequently remarried pretty quickly because someone needed to provide directly for the children. If the husband was the one who died, the wife also sometimes remarried quickly. This had much to do with preserving prosperity because inheritance laws back then were not favorable to women.
From the Pulitzer Prize winning book, Prairie Fires, The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser, we admired this excerpt because it’s a point of view which captures the essence of us seeking out our ancestors.
“DISCOVERING how Charles Ingalls and his family came to find themselves a few miles from the shores of Lake Pepin, just a few years after Pepin County was first marked on a map, is a detective story tracking generations into the past. Pieces of the family portrait survive, but the whole remains elusive, obscured under the soot of time. It may never be complete.
That is always a problem, in writing about poor people. The powerful, the rich and influential, tend to have a healthy sense of their self-importance. They keep things: letters, portraits, and key documents, such as the farm record of Thomas Jefferson, which preserved the number and identity of his slaves. No matter how far they may travel, people of high status and position are likely to be rooted by their very wealth, protecting fragile ephemera in a manse or great home. They have a Mount Vernon, a Monticello, a Montpelier.
But the Ingallses were not people of power or wealth. Generation after generation, they traveled light, leaving things behind. Looking for their ancestry is like looking through a glass darkly, images flickering in obscurity. As far as we can tell, from the moment they arrived on this continent they were poor, restless, struggling, constantly moving from one place to another in an attempt to find greater security from hunger and want. And as they moved, the traces of their existence were scattered and lost. Sometimes their lives vanish from view, as if in a puff of smoke.
So as we look back across the ages, trying to find what made Laura’s parents who they were, imagine that we’re on a prairie in a storm. The wind is whipping past and everything is obscured. But there are the occasional bright, blinding moments that illuminate a face here and there. Sometimes we hear a voice, a song snatched out of the air.”
With those thoughts in mind, there is one final thought we would like to bring forward… (3)
Genealogy Is Not Genetics
When testing for genetic ancestry became available, four of us from a family of seven siblings thought it might be interesting to look into our family’s genetic history to ascertain how similar we are. The idea was that if we each used a different company, we could look and see how similar the genes each of us inherited are to each other, and how the research science shaped this outcome. Of note: Our family, like many of our ancestors, is a blended family with the same biological mother, but two biological fathers. (See the chapters The Peterman Line, A Narrative and The Bond Line, A Narrative — Seven for the history).
What we learned by using different companies, is that the quality of the results varied widely. Some of that was to be expected, since three of us (Daniel, Richard, Thomas) are males and could research both the X and Y chromosome lines. Our sister Susan was researching only the X line, because at this time, that is only what can be done for females. However, some of the companies we enlisted didn’t seem too interested in our genetics, as much as they were interested in selling us other products, etc.
Perhaps also we were influenced by family reunions where people said “We’re English through and through. Or, we sometimes heard “That’s your Irish side.” Hollywood also likely influenced our expectations due to its simplistic presentation of various immigrant cultures. What we learned is that we are Northern European for the most part, with some of us presenting a bit more Dutch than we knew was possibly in there. The Neanderthal genes were also a surprise!
The idea of inheriting genes which determine your culture has been roundly disproved by genetic research. Some behaviors can be determined through the influence of genetic inheritance, but to be honest, all of us are a rather varied admixture of our ancestors. This chart shows why:
For someone alive today, the number of genealogical ancestors doubles each generation. But each DNA fragment (colored bars) is inherited through a random, zigzagging path up the family tree, meaning DNA is inherited only from a small fraction of one’s ancestors. (Image courtesy of The Conversation, see footnotes).
The word “Gene” and “Genealogy” both come from the same root word “genə-, also gen-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning give birth, beget, with derivatives referring to procreation and familial and tribal groups”. <Familial and tribal groups> is the most important aspect of this definition in the sense that it is the most meaningful.
Therefore, we are a product of both Nature (our genes) and Nuture (our environment). With regard to our genealogy, we feel that it’s essentially about our community and our familial bonds. Those are the things which remain.
For over 400 years, our ancestors migrated westward from Europe to new lives in North America, settling primarily in the United States. In the 2020s, both Thomas and Susan also migrated. Susan moved to Chesapeake, Virginia, and Thomas — contrary to the drift of his ancestors — moved to Europe. He now lives in Lisbon, Portugal. (4)
Following are the footnotes for the Primary Source Materials, Notes, and Observations
This is Chapter Eleven of eleven, being the last chapter of our narrative about the DeVoe Line. We hope that you have enjoyed following along, for this family line was sincerely, the most difficult to have researched due to certain enigmatic records… However, as we move toward the end of the 20th century, life still engages the DeVoe(s), as it has for many centuries.
Pressed Blossoms
Both of our grandmothers long out-lived our grandfathers. As such, neither of us knew our grandfathers at all. Susan knew both of our grandmothers: Mary Adele (McCall) Bond and Lulu Mae (DeVoe) Gore. However, Grandma Mary died when I was quite young, so Grandma Lulu was really the only grandmother I ever knew. She lived nearby and was a strong influence on our family.
More than fifty years ago she made me a birthday card with a few pressed blossoms from her garden and I recently found it tucked-in amongst some family photographs I was reviewing for this history. She was an avid gardener and the perfect simplicity of this card still means much to me.
— Thomas, with Susan
Most Signed Their Name With an “X”
Our ancestors are a mixed lot when it came to their educations. If they had money, they likely had the “3 R’s” of education: ‘reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmatic. These educations seemed to be offered to our male relatives first, then second to the female relatives. If our ancestors didn’t have money, some of them still could sign their name.
If they were poor, generally speaking, education was an unobtainable luxury. We have seen so many documents where they simply signed their names with an “X” which was accepted at that time. This made them dependent upon the courtesy of strangers, because witnesses were required to vouch for the signee.
Observation: Coming to understand this has helped explain why we have records for some of our ancestors that are inconsistent, with weird name spellings, incorrect locations, etc. It became apparent that many of our relatives couldn’t comprehend the words, but they knew that they were signing a contract, a deed, or a will...
The Class of ’99
Having an education became an increasingly important need as the world became more modern. Our Grandmother Lulu was the first person ever in her family, who as a young woman, to have graduated from high school — in the Chagrin Falls, Ohio, high school Class of 1899. (Then known as the Union School on Philomethian Street). None of her siblings accomplished this.
What is remarkable is this — that especially in that era, there were many people who thought it wasn’t necessary for a woman to be educated. Despite that prejudice, we believe that she was likely encouraged by her grandfather Peter A. DeVoe, who was a man who valued education. She became the beneficiary of his guidance, support, and encouragement throughout her youth. Most certainly, she always spoke fondly, almost reverently, about him.
The Union School, built in 1885, was the home of the High School until 1914. Photograph courtesy of cfhs.me — Discover Chagrin Falls History.
Coming from a poor family and achieving this feat was rather astonishingand must have taken tremendous effort on her part. To accomplish this, she moved away from her parents in Russell township, and lived as a household servant for a family in Chagrin Falls while attending school.
After her high school graduation, she went through teacher training and at the very beginning of the 20th century, she worked as a schoolteacher at different one-room schoolhouses in the area. One of the schools is located in Chester township, in Geauga County, and was then known as District School No. 2, or also, as the Scotland School. It still stands today and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (1)
The former Chester Township District School No. 2 was also known as Scotland School. Originally built in 1847, it was used as a one-room schoolhouse until 1926, when it closed.
Some Things Change, and Then… Some Things Transform
In the present day, the Village of Chagrin Falls in Ohio, is considered to be an upscale place to live with many nice homes, beautiful scenery, good schools… Typical town boosters might describe it enthusiastically, like this: “Chagrin Falls, Ohio, nestled in the picturesque Cuyahoga County, offers a charming and idyllic lifestyle that beckons residents seeking tranquility, beauty, and a strong sense of community.”
When our grandparents were alive, they certainly would have been much more circumspect in their description of the area. In their era, Chagrin Falls was a nice, but small working-class hamlet, with a village center remarkable for its triangular shape, and a bent wood bandstand where they would waltz to music. We can recall our mother Marguerite describing that many of the houses in her 1920s childhood, really needed painting, — and this was before the Great Depression.
Images of the town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio from the 1870s through the 1910s. Top row, left to right: The High Falls, after which the town is named. Right: The Chagrin Falls park band which performed in the Triangle Park gazebo. Middle center image: Map of the town from the 1892 Cuyahoga County Atlas. Bottom row, left: Main Street. Center: The Atlas cover sheet. Right: Triangle Park in the 1870s before the gazebo was built.
Our grandparents would put Marguerite in the Model T and go to the village for a haircut about once a month, while they also took care of other errands. Mom had an uncle on her father’s side who gave haircuts, (maybe Uncle Forest?) and also another uncle on her mother’s side (Uncle Frank) who did the same. It turns out that Uncle Frank was the craftier of the two, because he always gave her a lollipop when her haircut was done. Apparently it was always a drama to get her to go and see Uncle Forest, and who could blame a kid when lollipops were involved?
Marguerite Lulu (Gore) Bond, circa 1922. (Family photograph).
Knowing our mother as we did, in our mind’s eye, it seems likely she got bored hanging out at the farm, and longed for a bit more excitement in her life. When she was a young teenager, she worked for a time at Speice’s Drug Store as a soda-fountain jerk. The shop was located near the center of the Chagrin Falls village, about as far away from the farm as she could get in those days. It was the first job she had in a long career associated with food.
From Wikipedia: “Soda jerk… is an American term used to refer to a person… who would operate the sodafountain in a drugstore, preparing and serving soda [we actually said soda-pop] drinks and ice cream sodas. The drinks were made by mixing flavored syrup, carbonated water, and occasionally malt powder over either ice or a few scoops of ice cream. The drink would then be served in a tall glass with a long-handled spoon, most commonly known as a “soda spoon”, and drinking straws.”
Likely thinking she was a bit older than she actually was, we’re certain that Mom pictured her career as a soda fountain jerk with starry eyes… After all, the Depression was in full swing and after the local movie theater let out, all the cool kids went to the soda fountain. Maybe she thought her new career would be like this scene from a Hollywood movie?
To this day, as far as we know, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, has never had palm trees, nor pith helmets.
Our mother led an interesting life. To see more about her, here are some of the other narratives in which she is written about. (Please see The Gore Line, A Narrative — Eight, The Peterman Line, A Narrative, and The Bond Line, A Narrative — Seven). (2)
Lulu Mae DeVoe Becomes Mrs. Harley Gore
It is through Lulu that we connect to the Mayflower through two different family lines. We will be writing about this lineage when we document the Warner line.
Harley William Gore and Lulu Mae (DeVoe) Gore around the time of their wedding in 1905. (Family photographs).
In 1905, Lulu left her teaching career behind and married Harley William Gore becoming both a mother and a farmer’s wife. We believe that they met at a dance, or perhaps a picnic, and were introduced by mutual friends or family. At that time, it was a typical way to meet a young man during the Edwardian era. Social relationships were strictly defined by an unwritten set of rules. Young women had chaperones and one didn’t date, one was courted… All these years later, we’ve lost the thread of details about their courtship, but Grandmother used to mention dances in Triangle Park, in Chagrin Falls, and picnics at Pioneer Park at Punderson Lake in Newbury township.
Harley William Gore and Lulu Mae Devoe marriage application, 1905.
They had three children, all born in Russell township, Geauga County, Ohio:
Leland Harley Gore, born September 30, 1906 — died October 1, 1993
Elwyn Clinton Gore, born May 12, 1909 — died February 13, 1935
Marguerite Lulu (Gore) Peterman Bond, born June 28, 1920 — died March 4, 1999 (We are descended from Marguerite).
Some material for this aspect of our family narratives is covered in other narratives. We have written quite a bit about their life together, their children, and their extended family. (Please see The Gore Line, A Narrative — Eight).
We know that Grandma Gore was born at home and that there was no birth certificate. However, at some point in her life she needed one (perhaps to collect Social Security?) and the family had to “locate” two very ancient ladies that testified that she was born when and where she was… (3)
Parlor Games
For most people, television didn’t become a viable option for home entertainment until the middle of the 1950s. In prior decades, our ancestors had to be creative in how they entertained themselves in their limited leisure time. First, with the advent of the Edison phonograph, and then the development of home radios, suddenly there were many more options.
The Golden Age of Radio As a result, its popularity grew rapidly in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and by 1934, 60 percent of the nation’s households had radios. One and a half million cars were also equipped with them. The 1930s were the Golden Age of radio.
The History of the Radio Industry in the United States to 1940 Carole E. Scott, State University of West Georgia
For our ancestors who were of an older age by the time the mid-century period came along, some of their traditional entertainment choices prevailed. One such choice was card games — especially Gin Rummy, Pinochle, and Canasta!
Most people today have probably not heard of Canasta, but it was extremely popular in the late 1940s through the 1950s. Our Grandmother, along with our Uncle George, our Aunts, and their respective spouses, (and other friends) would gather at each other’s homes for potluck Canasta parties. Up to ten tables would be arranged, and the games began. Everyone would compete, shift to different players at other tables, and eventually someone would win a prize. We could be a bit wistful and say times were simpler then — and in some aspects they were, but in other ways, not so much — it was just another era. (4)
One Day in 1966, the Cleveland Press Came to Call
Lulu Gore in her flower garden in July 1966, as published in the following article Gifted Gardener Is Mrs. Lulu Gore, from the Cleveland Press, July 1966. (Family photograph).Gifted Gardener Is Mrs. Lulu Gore, Published in the Cleveland Press, July 1966. Garden photographs courtesy of finegardening.com.
Being Rooted In One Place
Lulu had deep devotion to her family, and her farm, but her passion was her ardent love of gardening, as the above article from the Cleveland Press newspaper highlights. We recall how the long rows of peony plants which lined her driveway, how the ancient maple trees surrounding the house provided shade in the hot summers, the way that boughs of lilacs perfumed the Spring air… We were allowed to play in these gardens, but there was an ever-present warning to be careful, stay on the garden paths, and not damage the plants… (in other words, we needed to be respectful of her hard work).
Her extended family filled the surrounding communities and existed in many ways like our Irish ancestors did with their kith, kin, and clan sensibilities. This gives us pause to think that perhaps this is what it was like for many of our European ancestors in their communities before they immigrated first to the British Colonies in America, then to the United States. Communities gather together for a few generations and then they change, with some leaving and establishing their own respective “center”.
For those of us who have moved around much as adults, it sometimes feels a bit constraining to think about living in one place for a very long time, but this is what Lulu did. She planted deep roots in her community and lived her entire life like the progressive rings from one of her grand maple trees — all within a five mile radius of where she was born.
“A single great tree can make a kind of garden, an entirely new place on the land, and in my mind I was already visiting the place my maple made, resting in its shade.
I’d decided on a maple because I’ve always liked the kind of light and air an old one seems to sponsor around itself. Maples suggest haven. They always look comfortable next to houses, in summer gathering the cool air under their low-hanging boughs and ushering it toward open windows.
Now I knew this wouldn’t happen overnight, probably not even in my lifetime, but wasn’t that precisely the point? To embark on a project that would outlast me, to plant a tree whose crown would shade not me, but my children or, more likely, the children of strangers?
Tree planting is always a utopian enterprise, it seems to me, a wager on a future the planter doesn’t necessarily expect to witness.”
Michael Pollan, “Putting Down Roots“ The New York Times Magazine, May 6, 1990
Lulu Mae (Devoe) Gore died four days before she would have been 93 years old. She is buried in Riverview Cemetery in Russell, Ohio next to her husband Harley William Gore, amidst many generations of other extended family members. (For more on their lives together, please see the chapter, The Gore Line, A Narrative —Eight).
She had once written a poem, titled…
When I Quit
When I quit this mortal shore And mosey ’round this earth no more, Don’t weep, don’t sigh, don’t grieve, don’t sob I may have struck a better job.
Don’t go and buy a large bouquet For which you’ll find it hard to pay. Don’t hang ’round me looking blue, I may be better off than you!
Don’t tell folks I was a Saint Or anything you know I ain’t. If you have stuff like that to spread Please hand it out before I’m dead.
If you have roses, bless your soul. Just pin one on my button hole. But do it while I’m at my best Instead of when I’m safe at rest.
She was the person in our family who helped us gain an appreciation for genealogical research. One day she looked off into the middle distance and made a comment about her family having had picnics at cemeteries. That sounded (!) completely odd to us, but it turns out it was once a thing. From Atlas Obscura: “During the 19th century, and especially in its later years, snacking in cemeteries happened across the United States. It wasn’t just apple-munching alongside the winding avenues of graveyards. Since many municipalities still lacked proper recreational areas, many people had full-blown picnics in their local cemeteries. The tombstone-laden fields were the closest things, then, to modern-day public parks.”
Lulu’s handwritten genealogy notes as she diagrammed her family relationships. (Family epherma).
Furthermore, “One of the reasons why eating in cemeteries become a “fad,” as some reporters called it, was that epidemics were raging across the country: Yellow fever and cholera flourished, children passed away before turning 10, women died during childbirth. Death was a constant visitor for many families, and in cemeteries, people could “talk” and break bread with family and friends, both living and deceased.”
One wonders if perhaps in their collective afterlife… our family members are still enjoying each other’s company breaking bread at family picnics? (5)
Following are the footnotes for the Primary Source Materials, Notes, and Observations
The Class of ’99
(1) — two records
Flickr.com One-room school house Photograph by Steve Mather https://www.flickr.com/photos/mathersteve/29573949615 Note: “Circa-1900, one-room school house. Wood & cast iron desks with inkwells. Tall stool and cone-shaped dunce cap. Teacher’s wooden desk with oil lamp. American flag. Slate chalk board. Framed photos of of American Presidents…”
Part 1. Chagrin Falls (1892 atlas map) by George F. Cram, J. Q. A. Bennett, and J. H. Beers https://archive.org/details/dr_part-1-chagrin-falls-12048097 Note: “This atlas gives a detailed cartographic record of the City of Cleveland, Ohio, and the surrounding areas in Cuyahoga County in 1892. 52 maps show Cleveland. Cram was known mostly for his world atlases and occasional regional atlases. This city and county atlas may be one of the few that he published.”
Canasta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canasta Whitman Canasta Playing Cards Set with Box Red Roses MCM Vintage Double Deck Note: Canasta playing cars image courtesy of eBay.com.
One Day in 1966, the Cleveland Press Came to Call and Being Rooted In One Place
(5) — ten records
The article about our Grandmother’s floral garden was published in July 1966 in the Cleveland Press newspaper, which ceased publishing in 1982.
“Settle somewhere, become established, as in We’ve put down roots here and don’t want to move away. This metaphoric expression, first recorded in 1921, likens the rooting of a plant to human settlement”. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/put-down-roots#
This is Chapter Eight of eight, and our last chapter in the Gore Line. This family line has been the longest and deepest family research we have yet undertaken, but the effort has been worth it. Ancestors that we once only knew by name, they are now — well — many of them are familiar.
We grew up where our parents built their home in a small, rural farming township in northeast Ohio, in the Western Reserve, where we have much history. We were surrounded by farm fields, some small light-industry businesses, and lots and lots of trees. Ironically, our early ancestors had entered the area, and spent a long time clearing away the dense forest to make farmland, which aligned with their New England viewpoints. Good thing they missed a few trees…
Our Grandfather Harley Gore Made Maple Syrup
Depending upon whom you ask, (because there are lots of opinions on this), it generally takes about 12 gallons of sugar-maple tree sap to make one quart of maple syrup. Think about that the next time you generously slather it on your Grand Slam stack of flapjacks — no wonder it’s so expensive.
Grandfather Harley had a sugaring shack back in what they then called the West Woods section of their farm, where there was lots of forest, occasionally cleaved by the tributary called Silver Creek. The sugaring shack was a ruin by the time we took any interest in it, but by then Harley had already left this world. (1)
As The Victorian Age Gave Way to The Edwardian Age
Harley Gore is the youngest son of Dorr B. Gore and Ann Susan (Booth) Gore. He was born June 7, 1881 Russell township, Geauga County, Ohio – died November 24, 1941 Newbury township, Geauga, Ohio.
He married Lulu Mae DeVoe on December 3, 1905 in Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. She was born on April 8, 1882 Russell township, Geauga County, Ohio – died April 4, 1975, Chardon township, Geauga County, Ohio (four days before her 93rd birthday).
Her parents were Clinton Chauncey DeVoe, born April 10, 1858 in New York – died November 19, 1930 Russell, Geauga, Ohio. He married Clara Antionette McClintock on November 18, 1877 in Ohio. She was born July 14, 1860 in Solon township, Cuyahoga, Ohio – died September 6, 1932 Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
Harley William Gore and Lulu Mae Devoe marriage application, 1905.
Our Grandmother Lulu, was the first person in her lineage to graduate from high school — from Chagrin Falls High School in the class of 1899. She worked as a domestic servant at a residence in Chagrin Falls to support herself while attending school. After graduation she was a teacher in one-room schoolhouses in the area, until she married Harley Gore in 1905.
Harley William Gore and Lulu Mae (DeVoe) Gore around the time of their wedding in 1905. (Family photographs).
They had three children, all born in Russell township, Geauga County, Ohio:
Leland Harley Gore, born September 30, 1906 — died July 29, 2008
Elwyn Clinton Gore, born May 12, 1909 — died July 29, 2008
Marguerite Lulu (Gore) Peterman Bond, born June 28, 1920 — died March 4, 1999 (We are descended from Marguerite). (2)
Marguerite Lulu Gore, circa 1936. (Family photograph).
Our Uncles, Our Aunt, and — Their Families
Note: All births, deaths, and marriages are in Geauga County, Ohio unless otherwise noted.
Leland Gore and Forrestine (McFarland) Gore, June 1946. (Film stills from the wedding of Dean and Marguerite Bond).
Uncle Leland and Aunt Forrestine Our Uncle Leland was the oldest son in the family. He was born on September 30, 1906 Russell township, Geauga, Ohio – died October 1, 1993 Mount Dora, Lake County, Florida. He married Marjorie Forrestine McFarland, April 12, 1926 in Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga, Ohio. She was born February 28, 1904 Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio – died March 30, 1991, in Mount Dora, Lake, Florida.
They had two children:
William Eugene Gore, born January 14, 1927 Bainbridge, Geauga, Ohio — died July 13, 2013, Eustis, Lake, Florida.
William “Bill” Gore was married to Marilyn Jean Potter (March 27, 1934 – January 11, 2018). Bill and Marilyn have two sons:
Larry Eugene Gore, born 1952
William Harley Gore, born 1953
Jerrie Lee (Gore) Hill, born July 15, 1929 Bainbridge township, Ohio — died July 10, 2023 Euclid, Cuyahoga, Ohio. Like her grandmother Lulu Gore, Jerri died just five days before her 94th birthday.
Jerrie Lee Gore married Denver Gates Hill, Jr., on September 12, 1949 in Geauga County, Ohio, where was born on August 24, 1928 – died April 21, 2013 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
They had three children:
Victoria “Vicki” Lynn Hill, born 1950
Denise Ann (Hill) Mitchell, born February 3, 1952 — died August 9, 1995
Dirk Regan Hill, born 1955
Uncle Elwyn Clinton Gore Our Uncle Elwyn died as a young man in a tragic and violent logging accident when he was 25. His death was a shock to the family and he was mourned for many years. He was born on May 12, 1909 in Russell township, Geauga, Ohio – died February 13, 1935 in Auburn township, Geauga, Ohio.
Elwyn Clinton Gore, circa 1921. Family photograph.
When Elwyn died in 1935, it was the midst of the Great Depression and the family could not afford to provide him with a headstone. Our grandparents planted a pine tree to mark his resting place, until such time in the future when an appropriate marker could be placed. A family monument was eventually installed, but to this day, the pine tree still stands there resolutely guarding our relatives. (3)
Our Mother Marguerite, and Her Two Marriages
Marguerite Lulu (Gore) Peterman Bond, the only daughter, was born June 28, 1920 Russell township, Geauga, Ohio – died March 4, 1999 Burton township, Geauga, Ohio.
Marguerite was married twice: first, to Clarence Arthur Peterman Jr., September 19, 1936 in Ripley, Chautauqua, New York – their marriage ended by May of 1942, when they divorced. (Please see The Peterman Line, A Narrative).Note: In our mother’s first marriage, her first child, a son named James Elwyn Peterman, died soon after he was born.
She married second, our father, Dean Phillip Bond, June 26, 1946 in Newbury township, Geauga, Ohio. He was born August 15, 1919 East Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio – died September 24, 1996 Chardon township, Geauga, Ohio. (Please see The Bond Line, A Narrative — Seven). Note: Dean Bond adopted both Jo Ann and John Alfred Peterman as his children. Their surnames changed from Peterman to Bond after the adoption was completed.
Together they had six children:
Jo Ann (Bond) White, born May 9, 1939, in Bedford, Cuyahoga, Ohio — died August 6, 2010 in Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga, Ohio. Married Wayne Ronald White, October 5, 1958 — divorced November 16, 1977
John Alfred Bond, born 1940 First Marriage: Marjorie Ann (Narusch) Bond, October 28, 1961 — divorced November 29, 1977. Second Marriage: Susanne (Ficht) Bond, June 17, 1987
Susan Deanna Bond, born 1947
Daniel Earl Bond, born 1950 Married Betty Jane Roberts, November 21, 1975
Richard Dean Bond, born December 20, 1952, in East Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio — died May 15, 2022, in Ravenna, Portage, Ohio
Thomas Harley Bond, born 1958 Married Leandro Jose Oliveira Coutinho, June 26, 2008 (4)
Conductor 193 on The Interurban Line
You may have noticed that our Grandfather Harley looked rather dapper in his conductor uniform for what people called The Interurban, otherwise known as the Cleveland and Eastern Electric Railway. (The parent company had the curious name of The Eastern Ohio Traction Company).
“In the late 1800’s the rolling hills of Geauga County were dotted with small farming communities linked by simple dirt roads. Most local travel was done either on foot or by hitching Old Bessie [a horse] to a wagon or sleigh, which posed many difficulties in periods of inclement weather. For longer journeys, the only other transportation available was via two steam railroads... From late autumn until spring… the normally dusty roads [were] impassible muddy ruts that were often frozen and snow covered for most of the winter. Travel in Geauga County, known for its abundant snowfalls, was difficult if not impossible most of the colder months.” [ceihsmu article]
The route that Harley was responsible for was the Chagrin Falls, Garrettsville, Hiram, Youngstown line. The red portion indicates the section which ran directly in front of his Newbury township farm property.
From writer Dan Rager, “Yes, there was a time when Geauga County was nothing but dirt roads, often impassable, and farms — farms with no easy way to get their produce to the city. The electric railroad known as the Cleveland and Eastern Electric Railway became a lifeline between the farms of Geauga county and the bustling city of Cleveland, according to the historical society. The interurbans, as they were popularly known, crisscrossed northern Ohio and provided economical and efficient access between Cleveland and the countryside…”
Observation: It is sometimes difficult for those of us who have grown up in a modern world — with paved roads, heated homes, hot tap water, and myriad groceries at our fingertips the year ’round, to appreciate how different the world was one hundred years ago. Where our ancestors lived was still really quite rural and remote from where most people lived.
Here is an easy example of the difference between the eras: Now, when most of us want to run to the store to grab a gallon of milk, we just grab our car keys, pull the car out of the garage, and run over to the local grocery — and while we are there we — pick up some Haagen-Dazs ice cream too (because > reasons).
Then, our grandparents had it much harder when it came to obtaining their food. For starters, there was no such thing as two-percent milk, nor Haagen-Dazs. (sad face) The ability to just jump in the car and zoom down to the store was science fiction straight out of an H.G. Wells novel. What is a quick jaunt today, would involve bringing out the horse(s), hooking up the wagon, or buggy, scheduling the time it would take in your busy day, etc., …and don’t forget the shovel, in case the horses decide to, well you know…
Various Cleveland and Eastern Electric Railway graphics, photos, and epherma. (See footnotes).
Back to writer Dan Rager, “…the interurban served a valuable purpose… It brought milk and produce from Geauga county farms to the city of Cleveland, and mail and other goods from Cleveland to the countryside, he said, adding city dwellers took the train to enjoy the country and those living out in the country took the train to see shows and shop in the city. Groups would even charter the trains for outings and picnics.”
The interurban lines existed from the 1890s until circa 1925, when they fell into disrepair due to technological changes with the development of bus lines, and the advent of the personal automobile. By that period, our Grandfather Harley had forsaken his railway career and now worked as a farmer. (5)
Their Life On The Farm
In 1910, the census records indicate that Harley and Lulu were renting farm property somewhere in Newbury township, and we know that later in that same decade, they were living “just next door” in Russell township. This is because they had moved to another farm, where they had rented property at the Russell/Newbury township border. (This is where our mother Marguerite was born).
Photos from the early 1920s. Left image: Lulu and Harley Gore. Right image: Brother and sister — Leland and Marguerite Gore.
In 1920, when Marguerite was one month old, they moved again, to a large farm property they had purchased in Newbury township. This is where Lulu, Harley, and Marguerite lived for the rest of their lives, and for Leland, in actuality, for most of his life too. So let’s just call it what it is (sotto voce) — same street syndrome. In their history together, the Gore families eventually all lived near each other on the same street.
The distance from the Harley Gore Farm, Russell township on the left, to Leland Gore Newbury township on the right, is about 3-4 miles as the bumble bee flies. Right in the middle are the homes of our Gore Grandparents, and Marguerite Bond’s home with Dean Bond, which is where we grew up.
When our Grandmother Lulu was in her 80s, we asked here about what it was like in “olden times” when she was involved in running the farm. She said that they were up and dressed before dawn and that the animals — meaning the cows, horses, chickens, pig, cats, and dog — all were fed and watered before anything else was done. That would make at least 1-2 hours of time. Then, while the men continued to work, she came back to the house and started a fire in the wood stove, to cook breakfast for the family and the hired farm hands. Everything had to be made fresh, because there was no refrigeration.
After that, Harley and the other men would head back out to the fields and barns to continue their chores. That would involve many things, such as plowing, planting, cleaning stalls, fence mending, animal veterinary skills, chopping wood, and so on. Lulu would clean up after breakfast, empty the chamber pots, and put the house in order, gather eggs, fetch water, tend to sewing, work in the vegetable garden, prepare a mid-day meal, do laundry, then hang it out to dry, slaughter a chicken, prepare dinner, etc. Just a dizzying array of tasks!
Observation: People were busy (!) and tapping out this history on a keyboard makes us feel like sedentary ground sloths by comparison. We don’t know how they found time for other things, but obviously they did. Before television, there were picnics, card parties, garden clubs, and grange meetings. We heard that Harley was quite a history buff. Also, at a community level, he was involved in making sure that the cows were properly treated for TB, which can be found in unpasteurized milk.
The simple facts were these…
Radio was just starting to come into people’s lives, so after dinner, the family would listen to the radio, or read.
Saturday was the day when everyone had a bath from a tub which was set up in the kitchen.
When Marguerite was born, she eventually attended a one-room school house for the first few years, until the regular school was built in 1928. She told us that her father used to walk her to school about three miles each way.
If something wasn’t available, you would just need to make do with what was at hand.
March 1999, Volume 10, issue of the Russell Township Historical Society Newsletter, page 2.
Sometimes we find a bit of family history which comes along and captures some of the simple pleasures they found in life. Shown above is page two from a local historical newsletter. (Page one is in The Gore Line, A Narrative — Seven). (6)
Sunny hanging out with the Gore family heirloom chair. Family photo, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2023.
An Heirloom Story
What does an heirloom represent?
The chair pictured above descends from the Gore Line and has been in our family for about 200 years, probably even longer. We don’t know specifically when it entered our family’s history, but it seems like it must have been during the Gore family’s time when living in either Vermont State, or New York State.
Our mother used to sit in this chair and rock her children, and her grandchildren. Like the many Grandmothers before her, she was quietly there, loving her children as best she could.
“Heirlooms represent family history, wealth, and treasured memories. They’re more than objects, serving as symbols for stories that deserve to be recounted and preserved indefinitely. Their value is not necessarily monetary, but deeply emotional. A family heirloom connects you to the struggles and successes of your loved ones, and because of that, they’re irreplaceable.” [The Magic Of An Heirloom]
This was a truth for our generation, our parents generation, their parents before them, and so forth…
When our mother Marguerite died in 1999, her own memories erased and long-dimmed by illness, we had emptied out her home a few years earlier. Our Pop had passed in 1996, and since Mom required complete care, living at home was not an option anymore. When we removed things from the walls, the patterns of their living emerged — years of smoking had tattooed the walls with outlined patterns of the former objects once held there. When the house was empty, we didn’t miss the building. We missed their things. Their objects, mementos, heirlooms — all of these things represented them.
“An heirloom is often the final, fragile link to the memory of a parent or loved one, making it invaluable. Handed down for generations, the stories behind them become the stuff of family lore, ensuring that the legacy of the one who passed it on is immortalized.”
from The Magic Of An Heirloom
When writing these genealogy chapters, we have uncovered many interesting stories about our ancestors. Hopefully, the histories we are documenting, will pass through time and represent our own way of sharing an heirloom of memories with future family descendants. (7)
Following are the footnotes for the Primary Source Materials, Notes, and Observations
Marriage documents for Dean Phillip Bond and Marguerite (Gore) Peterman. In looking at this document, it seems obvious that Reverend Clarence E. Hall had been trained initially to write with a quill pen. (Family documents).
From our family documents: Russell Township Historical Society Newsletter March 1999, Volume 10, Issue 8, pages 1 and 2 Note: Page 1 is also found in the footnotes for The Gore Line, A Narrative — Seven.
This is Chapter Seven of eight. We have been covering many interesting centuries of the Gore Family and their forebears, but now we are coming up on these modern times. For the most part, our ancestors are now firmly established in Ohio, living as either farmers, tradesmen, or keeping house.
Where Did These Things Come From?
Tucked in among the paperwork and family ephemera we went through when our Grandmother Lulu Gore died in 1975, were several different anti-slavery newspapers. They both surprised and baffled us because our family stories were silent on the subject of slavery — we wondered how these things had come into the family.
A clue was hiding in plain site on the top of one of the newspapers, where the name Wm Munn had been written in with a quill pen. (This was not really a surprise, because the local Munn family had been in the area as long as our family had, and perhaps, even a bit longer. However, we didn’t see the connection yet). Almost 50 years later, the mystery was solved when we wrote The Gore Line, A Narrative — Six, our previous chapter. In that section, we learned that our Great-Great-Grandfather Luke Gore had been a town clerk in Newbury township, Ohio for the years 1842 and 1844. Looking more closely we observed that William Munn, had served in the same role in 1843 and 1845. It seems then they must have been friends and alternated in this role over the four years.
These newspapers are, the —
Geauga Republican & Whig, March 18, 1845
National Anti-Slavery Standard, July 22, 1847
National Anti-Slavery Standard, May 13, 1852
This got us to thinking about the role that the people of the Western Reserve played in the years leading up to and including the Civil War. In the early part of the 18th century, the Ohio Country was frequently referred to as the West, and from the perspective of New Englanders who settled it, it was indeed pioneer country. By the 1850s and 60s, the Western Reserve wasn’t thought of as a frontier anymore, but actually, it still was — that frontier being a psychological perspective, a state-of-mindabout what it meant to be a good citizen in this newly-created country. (1)
The New England of The West
From an article written in 1957, titled The Connecticut Reserve and The Civil War, we learned several interesting perspectives about the area. “Within this region [of] some three million acres, approximately the size of Connecticut herself… [and] modified only slightly by contact with the frontier, the area became more like New England then New England itself.”
This meant that there was a moral fervor, conditioned by the churches of Protestant Puritanism, which had been transplanted from the New England states, to this new area. Furthermore, the “leveling tendencies” of the frontier experience had deepened the ideas of New England “democracy” within the population of settlers.
This resulted in an emphasis on “the democracy of the town… [and] Eastern culture provided a new synthesis in the field of popular education… social mobility and a re-affirmation of individual worth, equality, and dignity of man in general.” [Lottick] In other words, their state-of-mind, their ethos of hard work, having an education, using a democratic voice, and righteous behavior, was the desired standard. This was an empowering shift from of the previous generations who had chaffed under the rule of a capricious king in the British Colonies.
In the 19th century, the Western Reserve “was probably the most intensely antislavery section of the country”. John Brown Jr. called it, in 1859, “the New England of the West.”
Wikipedia article on the Connecticut Western Reserve, discussing John Brown, Jr.
Twenty years before the Civil War, “According to the theory of Boston’s Wm. Lloyd Garrison and the American Anti-Slavery Society (1833), slavery was a personal and social sin requiring immediate repentance of slaveholders and all others who had failed to witness against the institution.” [Case Western]
The Western Reserve College and Oberlin College became centers of Abolitionist agitation. In truth, Oberlin’s abolitionist viewpoint “was strengthened further when recruits from the Lane Theological Seminary…joined its fold.” [Lottick] Abolitionism then, grew out the mingled influences of both religion and education in the area where our ancestors lived. “People known as abolitionists believed that slavery should not exist and fought to end it. Northeast Ohio was a hotbed of abolitionist activity. Men and women, Black and White, free and enslaved, worked together for their cause.” [Cuyahoga Valley National Park article]
In contrast, the Southern states during this period had flourished under a very different system that most New Englanders (and their transplants) found to be very strange. It was a way of life built upon the use of slaves — essentially, upon a class-and-caste system of belief. As such, the possibility of “social mobility and a re-affirmation of individual worth” were not part of the equation.
Top section, left image: Participants from the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue. Center image: Leg shackles used in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Right image: A painting of fugitives smuggled during winter, The Underground Railroad (1893 ) by Charles T. Webber. Lower section, left image: the National Anti-Slavery Standard newspaper, July 22, 1847, family document. Right image: April 24, 1851 “CAUTION!! Colored People of Boston” broadside warning of watchmen and police acting as kidnappers and slave catchers. [Please see the footnotes for specifics.] (2)
“Routes of the Underground Railroad.” The Underground Railroad was not an actual railroad, but a network of secret routes and safe houses used by black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada. (Observation: There are so many red line over Ohio, that it looks like a cardiac diagram).
The Underground Railroadin the Western Reserve
The battles of the Civil War did not have a profound effect upon the Western Reserve territory, but the existence of the Underground Railroad did. In fact, initially there were many people in Cleveland who were not particularly concerned about the plight of slaves. This changed when “The completion of the Ohio Canal in 1832 enhanced the strategic importance of the city…” because this became one of the most direct routes from the slave-holding South, to freedom in Canada.
Furthermore, the indifferent attitude of some people changed dramatically when The Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850. This law lit a white hot fire under the Abolitionists.“The severity of this statute inspired an increased number of abolitionists, the development of a more efficient Underground Railroad, and the establishment of new personal-liberty laws in the North. These personal liberty laws were enacted in eight Northern States and prohibited state officials from assisting in returning fugitive slaves to the South…” [Case Western]
Our ancestors, being settlers from New England, and as evidenced by the anti-slavery newspapers, were likely concerned about and involved with, the abolitionist movement. We know for certain, that this branch of our family did not own slaves. (3)
The 1870s in Geauga County, Ohio
Luke Gore died in 1868, but several of his children continued to live in the area. When we reviewed the 1870 census, it showed that Dorr B. Gore is 18 and listed as living with his mother Electa, and his brothers Milan and Otto. They have a domestic servant, Myra Fowler — it turns out that she eventually married Dorr B.’s older brother Milan Gore on July 4, 1870. Observation: Perhaps this family liked holiday themed weddings?(Maybe it was budget-friendly and helped them save on decorations.)
Engraving of the Geauga County Courthouse reproduced from the History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio, by the Williams Brothers, circa 1879.
We observed that Luke Gore’s oldest son, Crockett Gore, was living with his wife Etta and their young family in Russell township. He was working as a farmer on land that his father had previously farmed (see The Gore Line, A Narrative — Six). From the Russell township Historical Society newsletter, March 1999: “Luke enlarged the farm, adding land in Russell to a total of 163.5 acres. After he died, his eldest son Crockett Gore, farmed the land.”
“He married a neighbor, Lois Havens, and they had Luke W., Dana and Ralph C. Luke W. is listed in our old school records as a student in the brick school in 1872. He died at the age of 17 in Russell, and Ralph C. also died young, aged 21. Both are buried with their parents in Munn cemetery in Newbury.”
“In 1882 Crockett built the home that is still there. He quarried sandstone for the foundation from a quarry on the farm, and cut and used wood from his own woodlot. He died in 1900 in Clio Michigan, but is buried in Munn cemetery in Newbury, with his parents, his wife Lois and a son who died at the age of 17.” (4)
The Kids Get Married! Dorr B. Gore Marries Ann Susan Booth
As always, times change, but love blooms eternal — starting the new year off right (!), our young Great-Grandfather Dorr B Gore (at just 21), married our Great-Grandmother, (even younger at 19), Ann Susan Booth, on January 1, 1872 in Burton, Geauga County, Ohio.
1872 Antique Victorian Home Insurance Company, promotional calendar.
Dorr B. Gore, born September 8, 1851 Newbury, Geauga County, Ohio – died June 11, 1930 Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Ann Booth was born October 30, 1852 Burton, Geauga, Ohio – died March 11, 1908 Newbury, Geauga, Ohio.
Ann’s parents are James Monroe Booth (March 12, 1827-July 8, 1889) and Adelia Rose (March 31, 1827-January 25, 1910), whose families were among the very first pioneers to settle in the Western Reserve area.
They had four children:
Nettie Belle (Gore) Robinson, born December 24, 1873 Geauga, Ohio – died April 20, 1922 Oblong, Crawford, Illinois.
Clara Edna (Gore) Matthews, born July 3, 1876 Auburn, Geauga, Ohio – died March 26, 1933 Russell, Geauga, Ohio (Note: it is interesting to observe that she is a centennial baby).
Forrest Munroe Gore, born August 11, 1878 Newbury, Geauga, Ohio – died January 31, 1930 Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
On the 1880 census, Dorr B. is 28 and also on the census are: Ann 28, Nellie 6, Clara 3, Forrest 1, his mother Electa 58, and the farm hand Elmer E. Brewer.
Harley William Gore, born June 7, 1881 Russell, Geauga, Ohio – died November 24, 1941 Newbury, Geauga, Ohio. (We are descended from Harley). (5)
Dorr B. Gore Had Two Wives
The Gores continued to live their lives mostly as farmers. Dorr B. Gore’s wife Ann Booth died on March 11, 1908 of heart failure after having had pneumonia for three weeks. Eighteen months later he married for a second time, to Amelia Harnden on October 12, 1909. A local resident, Amelia was born January 1, 1863 – died July 8, 1947, having outlived her husband Dorr B. by seventeen years.
Ann Susan (Booth) Gore death notice, March 1908. Source unknown.
A transcription of Ann Susan (Booth) Gore death notice: August 7 — Ann Susan Booth, daughter of Monroe and Adelia Booth was born in Burton, Ohio, Oct. 30, 1851 where she lived until Jan. 1, 1872 when she married Dorr B. Gore of Newbury, where she lived the rest of her life. She had heart trouble for years and after a sickness of a little over three weeks with heart trouble and pneumonia she passed away Thursday morning, March 12, 1908, aged 56 years, 4 months, 12 days. She was a true kind and sweet disposition carrying love and sunshine where ever she went. She leaves a husband and four children who loved her and will miss her more than words can tell. Nettie B. Robinson, Clara E. Mathews, Harley W of Russell, and Forest M, who lives at the old home in Newbury, also an aged mother, Mrs. Adelia Booth, Burton. Three sisters, Mrs. P. D. Bishop, Andover, Mrs. Chas Stickney and Mrs. Carl Wicks of Burton, and her twin brother, Wm Booth of Midland, Mich. (6)
Tiny, but mighty. The modest and unassuming Union Chapel located in Newbury township, Ohio, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Union Chapel and “Equal Rights in Newbury”
Our Grandmothers never had the right to vote until the year that our mother Marguerite (Gore) Bond was born — in 1920. That’s still rather astonishing today, but her mother Lulu was 38 years old, before she had the right to vote. Here is how women’s suffrage happened in our local community.
When the Abolitionist movement was birthed, “Many were entering the political arena for the first time. Women in Northeast Ohio organized female anti-slavery societies, circulated petitions, served as delegates to state and national antislavery conventions, and drafted editorials that were published in local papers such as The Anti-Slavery Bugle. In time, growing political experience and awareness of the plight of enslaved people, inspired women to consider their own freedom more critically; the women’s suffrage movement grew from the ranks of the abolitionist movement.” [Cuyahoga Valley National Park article]
The Union Chapel “was built between 1858-1859 by outraged citizens after members of the Congregational Church across the street refused to allow future President James A. Garfield to speak, fearing his topic would be controversial.”
“At the time the area was a vibrant settlement with a grist mill, tannery, tavern wagon and blacksmith shops, a post office and other shops. The population was described as liberal… In retaliation for the church’s snub, Anson Matthews, a store owner and the man who had invited Garfield to speak at the church, donated a one-acre plot of his land across the street for the Union Chapel. Today, both of the buildings continue to face each other.”
“The Union Chapel’s premise was for a “public hall or meeting house for literary, scientific, moral and religious purposes and lectures on all useful subjects,” according to its deed. It was to be open and free and not to be used to the exclusion of anyone. Numerous important social reform movements were launched from within its walls.” [cleveland.com article]
Gallery, left image: James A. Garfield. Right image: Susan Brownell Anthony Images courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery.
Famous among the many speakers at the Union Chapel were James A. Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, and Susan B. Anthony.“She is known as a staunch advocate for women’s suffrage, [but] Anthony also participated in a wide spectrum of social reform movements.”
Here, community reformers—mostly women, but men, too—pushed for progress considered radical for its time. Newbury, like other nearby towns, had been settled by travelers from the East, many from Massachusetts, then considered the center of culture and “advanced thinking.”
The unconventional truth is, the women of Newbury township started to get people’s attention when some of them rightly decided that-corsets-were-just- not-at-all-sensible. “The first reform movement, in 1870, called for women to dress without ‘unnatural and unhealthy’ corsets, bustles and sweeping skirts. ‘Dress reform’ advocate Ellen Munn caused quite a stir when she showed up at a community picnic in trousers.” [Esmont]
“Ruth Fisher was born on January 25, 1809 in Newbury, Ohio. She married William Munn on April 18, 1833.” [Northeast Ohio Suffrage article] We have met William Munn in the introduction to this chapter, as he was a friend and colleague of our Great-Great-Grandfather Luke Gore.
[The year 1871] “witnessed the most significant crusade in the chapel’s history—to secure the right of women to vote.” [Esmont]
“The dress reform organization led to the formation of the South Newbury Woman’s Suffrage Political Club… [It] was established after a group of women, including Munn, presented themselves at the polls to vote in a previous election, but were refused. The chapel served as an incubator for the budding suffrage movement, and became home to the second-oldest women’s suffrage group in Ohio.In 1871, Munn was one of nine women to illegally cast a ballot in a local election at the Chapel, becoming one of the first female voters in Ohio’s history.” [Northeast Ohio Suffrage]
“More women would show up at subsequent elections to cast ballots. An account in the Geauga Republican newspaper from 1873 stated the election judges were “courteous and gentlemanly, as usual” but declined the votes. The women—and the men who supported them—inscribed 50 ballots: “People’s Ticket. Equal Suffrage for all Citizens of the United States, an Inalienable and Constitutional Right. Knowledge and Truth in Opposition to Ignorance and Prejudice.” [Esmont]
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the United States, on July 4, 1876, the Suffrage Club members planted a tree which came to be known as the Centennial Oak.
Top row, left image: Ruth (Fisher) Munn. Center image: Illustration of typical corsets worn in the 1880s. Right image:Dr. Julia Porter Green, shown August 23, 1919. She was the only surviving charter member of the South Newbury Woman’s Suffrage and Political Club to attend the August 23, 1919 procession at the South Newbury Union Chapel, as shown in the bottom image —”On Aug. 23, 1919, suffragists marched from South Newbury Union Chapel to a wreath-laying at the nearby Centennial Oak to commemorate the 19th Amendment”, via [Valiant Visionaries of the Vote].
A full report of the adoption of a constitution for the South Newbury Woman’s Suffrage and Political Club, including committee members, can be found in the book: 1798 – 1880, Pioneer and General History of Geauga County, with Sketches of Some of the Pioneers and Prominent Men by The Historical Society of Geauga County. (Please see the footnotes).
“The 19th amendment legally guarantees American women the right to vote. Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle—victory took decades of agitation and protest. Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote”. [archives.gov]
“Planted by the Newbury Women’s Political Suffrage Club on July 4, 1876, the tree, just like the suffrage movement, survived and grew larger and stronger. It was a symbolic move, planting the roots of a movement that would go on to change America’s face forever”.
In the next chapter, which is our last chapter for The Gore Line, we will be writing about our Gore grandparents, our uncles and our mother, during their times in the 20th century.
We have found, like other genealogical researchers, that so much deep history is recorded mostly about men — that when we find records for our female ancestors, our premise became…sometimes our ancestral grandmothers are more interesting than our ancestral grandfathers. And as always, these women, the foremothers, are quietly there… and in our family, we’re thinking about Lulu and Marguerite. (7)
Following are the footnotes for the Primary Source Materials, Notes, and Observations
Where Did These Things Come From?
(1) These newspapers are items from our family collection and have been donated to the Geauga County Historical Society.
Dore Gore Marriage – Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZZ1-PZQ Book page: 86, Digital page: 58/169, Left page, top entry Note: For Dorr Gore marriage to Ann Susan Boothe.
This is Chapter Six of eight. In this chapter, we will spend all of our time with our family in the 19th century, almost entirely in an area known as the Connecticut Western Reserve located in the Ohio Country.
Family
So much work in genealogy is about looking backward and trying to make sense of whatever history, stories, family anecdotes — are receding into the rearview mirror. For these family history narratives, we are attempting to look forward into the future — to a future that we know we will not be part of someday. We are creating and crafting a resource for the benefit of future generations.
“During the years when my ancestors went West, so did millions of other people… Many families moved again and again; only a few headed back East across the mountains…
A French observer said that a true American’s life was like a soldier’s, here today and tomorrow fifty miles off… Old America seems to be breaking up, and moving westward… towards the Ohio…”
Ian Frazier, author of Family page 60
In 1994, the great American writer Ian Frazier published a wonderful book called Family, in which he criss-crossed the United States beautifully writing about the past and present histories of his family — from both sides —his mother’s, and his father’s. Much of the book took place in the Western Reserve of Ohio. It inspired us then and still does today! It was such joy for us to read, and with our encouragement, several of our siblings also read it. (In those years, our parents were in much declined health, and even though we told them how much we enjoyed Mr. Frazier’s Family, neither of them were able to read the book.)
We have excerpted a few Family quotes from Mr. Frazier’s book to use in this chapter. We hope he doesn’t mind — with thanks to you, Ian!
“In 1790, almost all Americans lived along the coast in the original thirteen colonies; by 1850, only half did.” — Ian Frazier, author of Family, page 61
The last place we were with our grandfather Luke Gore, was in Belleville, Jefferson County, New York in the years after the War of 1812. From his generation, he and most of his siblings spread out across the young United States. We continue his story. (1)
Luke Gore Marries his First Cousin Mila
Our Grandfather Luke Gore married twice, but first-things-first, we’ll write about his first marriage to his first cousin Mila Gore.
In 1834, when Luke was 28 years old, he traveled to Bernardston, Massachusetts to visit his cousins — his paternal uncle, Ezekiel Gore’s family. Ezekiel was married to Miriam Strate and they had three daughters: Anna, Esther, and Mila. The History of The Town of Bernardston, Franklin Co., Massachusetts 1739-1900, wryly describes his visit:
“Mila m.[married] Jan 19, 1834, Luke Gore (a cousin) of Black River, N.Y., after a long and tedious courtship of three days.”
Mila was born in Halifax, Windham, Vermont and was living with her parents in Bernardston, Massachusetts. At that time Luke was living in Jefferson County, New York. The Bernardston book describes him as being from Black River, a small village in Jefferson county, named after the local river.
How were they cousins, you ask? In the previous generation, (see The Gore Line, A Narrative — Five), Luke Gore’s father Samuel Gore (4) and Mila Gore’s father Ezekiel Gore, were brothers. Observation: It’s reasonable to assume that marrying first cousins would not be allowed in today’s time, but things were different then…
We have a letter from a distant cousin, Pearl Avia Gordon Vestal, written on January 25, 1940, to our Grandmother Lulu (DeVoe) Gore, a portion of which further discusses this trip:
From the above letter it seems clear that Pearl thought Rebeckah (Barney) Gore moved to Ohio. We are not so sure, since Rebeckah is buried in Belleville, New York.
Luke Gore is our Great-Great-Grandfather, born April 1, 1805, Halifax, Windham, Vermont – died October 2, 1868, Newbury, Geauga, Ohio. He married Mila Gore on January 19, 1834 (as written above). She was born circa 1813 Bernardston, Franklin, Massachusetts – died September 29, 1848, Newbury, Geauga, Ohio. They had three children:
Crockett Gore, born 1839 Brattleboro, Windham, Vermont – died December 9, 1900 Vienna, Genesee, Michigan. On January 16, 1866 he married Lois Haven.
Eliza (Gore) Richmond, born May 1846 Russell, Geauga, Ohio – died June 9, 1917 Allapattah, Dade, Florida. On August 10, 1867 she married Cassius Richmond.
Milan R. Gore, born January 6, 1847 Newbury, Geauga, Ohio – died February 20, 1920 Newton Falls, Trumbull, Ohio. On July 4, 1870 he married Myra Fowler.
Luke Gore married a second time about one year after Mila died. He was a widower with three young children. His second wife is Electa Stanhope, who is our Great-Great-Grandmother. They married September 20, 1849 in Claridon, Geauga, Ohio. Electa was born September 13, 1822 in New York – died January 6, 1907 in Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
Her parents are Asahel Redington Stanhope born July 11, 1793 Gill, Franklin, Massachusetts – died September 8, 1879 Mantua, Portage, Ohio and Mary Finch. She was born May 21, 1798 in New York State – died 1873, unknown location.
Marriage license for Luke Gore and Electa Stanhope, September 20, 1849.
Electa and Luke had two sons:
Dorr B. Gore, born September 8, 1851 Newbury, Geauga, Ohio – died June 11, 1930 Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio. (We are descended from Dorr B.)
Otto S. Gore, born September 1854 Newbury, Geauga, Ohio – died April 17, 1941, same location. Otto married Charlotte (Luce) Reed in 1902. (2)
What Was Going On In “The Ohio Country”?
We grew up in the Western Reserve of Ohio and it was puzzling for us when visitors would go-on-and-on about how beautiful New England was in the Autumn. And this: OH My! The Maple Syrup! From our viewpoint, things around us looked just like Connecticut, and our maple syrup was a matter of esteemed civic pride. It all makes sense now, that where we grew up really is New England’s child.
“As a colony, and then as a state, Connecticut had never accepted the finality of her western boundary… After the war, when other states were giving up their western lands, Connecticut said she would yield all but a strip of the Ohio country 120 miles long and 50 miles wide. She said she reserved this section for herself, which is how it got the name Western Reserve. Congress finally accepted this reserve… maybe because Connecticut was so persistent it was just easier to let her have her way.” [Frazier, page 54]
The area was the first gateway westward for the Northwest Territory, and became critical for settlement after President Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase of 1803. From Wikipedia.org: “The Ohio Lands were the several grants, tracts, districts and cessions which make up what is now the U.S. state of Ohio The Ohio Country was one of the first settled parts of the Midwest, and indeed one of the first settled parts of the United States beyond the original Thirteen Colonies.”
A Map of the Connecticut Western Reserve, from [an] actual Survey, circa 1798. Image reproduced courtesy of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History.
“Map of the Connecticut Western Reserve in what is now Ohio, from Sandusky Bay and Lake Erie to the north, Ashtabula and Trumbull counties to the east, Medina and Portage counties to the south, and the Fire Land to the west. The other counties depicted are Lorain, Cuyahoga and Geauga. All counties are outlined in red and each county seat is colored red.”
From the Western Reserve Historical Society, “The Connecticut Western Reserve was the area of northeast Ohio that Connecticut had reserved for her citizens in 1786 in exchange for ceding all western land claims to the U.S. government. The area comprised all land south of Lake Erie to 41′ latitude and within 120 miles of Pennsylvania’s western border. The Connecticut Land Company (1795-1809) was authorized by Connecticut to purchase and resell most of the Western Reserve, and received title to all Reserve land except for the 500,000-acre Firelands on the extreme west which was reserved for Connecticut victims whose lands were burned by the British in the Revolution. Gen. Moses Cleaveland, a company director and its general agent, led the first company survey party to the Reserve in 1796 and founded the settlement of Cleveland at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River.”
Because of many problems, the Connecticut Land Company failed to return a profit and was dissolved in about 1809. With the advent of the War of 1812, progress was further delayed, but eventually, settlers started to move into the region.
“There were two routes to the Western Reserve. One was through the Mohawk Valley, crossed New York to Buffalo and entered Ohio either by boat or along the lakeshore to Conneaut. The other crossed Pennsylvania, climbed the mountains and down to Pittsburgh, following the trails to Youngstown and into the Reserve from the southeast. Travel time for both was about the same.” [A Mini-History of Newbury]
Ohio became a state in 1803. Geauga County originated as part of Trumbull County, then partitioned and reorganized as Geauga County in 1806. In 1840, the northern part of the county was partitioned off to become Lake County. Since that time, Geauga County has had 16 townships. (3)
Those Two Younger Sisters
Perhaps it was the zeitgeist, or the spirit of the age, that propelled our ancestor Luke Gore with the urge to move west and settle in the Western Reserve of Ohio. It could also simply be because his two younger sisters (and his aunt) had gotten there first.
Belinda (Gore) Barton married Horace Barton in Chardon township, Geauga County, Ohio in 1835. Belinda lived in that area until she died in Lake County in 1900. Additionally, Mary Genette (Gore) Brayman married Lewis Brayman in Claridon township, Geauga, Ohio in 1837 and at some point the Brayman family then continued west to Iowa.
We also know that Luke Gore’s Aunt Sarah (Gore) Slater and her husband John were living in Chardon township at this time. They are listed as residing there for both the 1840 and 1850 censuses, so they must have arrived before 1840. Therefore, we think that all of these family members arrived in the area at about the same time.
Many of his children were born there… We know that our grandfather Luke Gore was living in Geauga County in the 1840s, as four of his five children were born there, starting in 1846 with Eliza, then Milan in 1847, Dorr in 1851 and finally, Otto in 1854.
Tax assessments He was also paying tax assessments from 1838 through 1852. One particular tax record of 1838 through 1852, for Newbury township, includes the name of his brother, Hart Gore.
His oldest son Crockett Gore, was born in 1839, Brattleboro, Windham, Vermont, so we know that Luke and Mila were not living in Ohio yet — but after Crockett was born, he and Mila were on their way! Observation: So Luke was likely an investor and probably influenced by the choices of his relatives: his aunt, his younger sisters, and their husbands. (4)
Our Great Great Grandfather Luke Gore is listed as the Newbury township Clerk in 1842 1nd 1844. From 1798 – 1880, Pioneer and General History of Geauga County, with Sketches of Some of the Pioneers and Prominent Men, page 237.
“1798-1880 Pioneer and General History of Geauga County”
Below are excerpts from the book, 1798-1880 Pioneer and General History of Geauga County, which paint a picture of what life was like in that area from 1810 until the 1840s. It seems that initially, it was quite a wilderness.
Detail showing Newbury township, Geauga County, Ohio in 1847. Reproduced from the foldout map endpiece, Historical Collections of Ohio, published in one volume in 1847 by Henry Howe.
“When the lands composing the Western Reserve were first surveyed [the 1790s], they were all covered by a dense forest, and were considered of little value, so were surveyed very carelessly. They connected but few or no lines. Many of the townships were surveyed by the job, as it is called… The townships of our county are called five miles square…”
“In the month of July, 1810, Mr. Lemuel Punderson and wife moved from Burton (where they had lived most of the time since their marriage in 1808) and settled where the Punderson homestead now stands, near the foot of the lake, and commenced improvements in earnest, where he had previously built their mill and distillery.” Mr. Punderson had been an agent for the Connecticut Land Grant Company. We were taught in school that our township of Newbury was among the first places to be surveyed in the area due to the large lakes there providing excellent sight-lines for the later surveyors. Today, those lakes are an Ohio state park named after Mr. Punderson.
Reproduced from the Historical Collections of Ohio, published in one volume in 1847 by Henry Howe, page 189.
“From [about] that time [1810] the settlement of Newbury became a reality, and family after family came into town from the eastern States. — In the year 1812 the State road was cut through to Chardon. [the County Seat] The contract was to cut all timber less than eight inches, and clear out the road. The larger timber was girdled so it would die. —In the year 1817 the present township of Newbury was set off from the township of Burton by the commissioners…“
“In 1819 Joshua M. Burnett returned to Massachusetts, received pay for property sold, and came back, bringing with him material for building, and that season employed David Hill, of Burton, to erect him a frame house, it being the first frame house in the township. [Prior to this time, settlers lived in log cabins] People gathered from all this and neighboring townships to the raising. They came early and stayed late, it being a new era in the new settlement. The building was named, after the custom of those days, “The Farmers’ Delight,” by Mr. Hamlet Coe, after which the bottle of whiskey was thrown from the top of the house to the center of the road without breaking, which was considered a good omen, and called forth loud huzzas.”
Reproduced from the Historical Collections of Ohio, published in one volume in 1847 by Henry Howe, page 125.
“In 1820, Welcome Bullock, J. M. Burnett, Lemuel Punderson, Jonah Johnson, and others blazed the trees and cut the brush from Burnett’s tavern to Chagrin Falls, there meeting a company from Cleveland at work on the same undertaking. They all camped a few rods north and east of the Falls. The next morning, after breakfast, they separated, each company going home over their own road.“ Observation: This roadway was very likely the street that we grew up on.
In fact, right next to the home we grew up in, was located the Morton Home. It was famous for who married there. From A Mini-History of Newbury: “Brigham Young married Mary Ann Angel, one of his numerous wives [wife number two], on the front porch of this house. She was a cousin of Mrs. Morton and a convert to Mormonism. Abraham Morton opposed the marriage and would not let Brigham Young into the house so the marriage took place on the front porch. That was in February 1834, and Brigham Young was 24 and Mary Ann Angel was 18.” (5)
The 1857 Library of Congress Map of Geauga County
Since 1838, Luke Gore had been paying taxes on properties he owned in various townships. Some of the names are localized designations within each township: Auburn Corners, Bainbridge, and South Newbury. Old tax records helped to locate some of the properties.
Map of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio By Robert Pearsall Smith, Philadelphia : S.H. Matthews [1857] Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.
From the high resolution map link above, we were able to locate the property he owned in Auburn Corners and South Newbury, situated on the border of the two townships. [See L. Gore 81a, 129a, 96-1/2a just below.] (6)
Map detail from the 1857 Smith map indicating property owned by Luke Gore in 1857.
“After That, Mushrooms Were Never Served in the Home”
When we quizzed our mother Marguerite about what she knew of her Great-Grandfather Luke Gore, one of her stories always ended with the words, “After that, mushrooms were never served in the home.” Apparently, Grandfather Luke died on October 2, 1868 — from being poisoned by mushrooms. (Since the best season to forage for mushrooms in northeastern Ohio is late March and early April, perhaps the ones that killed him were mushrooms which had been stored for the winter? We will never know for certain…)
Image courtesy of Alamy.
There are many types of mushrooms available for foraging, but the likely culprit here is probably Amanita phalloides. From Wikipedia.org: “These toxic mushrooms resemble several edible species (most notably Caesar’s mushroom and the straw mushroom) commonly consumed by humans… The genus Amanita contains about 600 species of agarics [a fungus of this style], including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded edible species. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning…”
Luke Gore death record, October 2, 1868.
Luke’s wife Electa lived on after him for another 38 years, dying in 1907 in Newbury, Geauga, Ohio. In the next chapter, we are following the life of the son of Luke Gore, the uniquely-named Dorr B. Gore, our Great-Grandfather. After what seems like centuries of Thomas(s), Richard(s), and William(s) — it’s very refreshing to have a uniquely named relative! (7)
Following are the footnotes for the Primary Source Materials, Notes, and Observations
Family
(1) — one record
Family by Ian Frazier Farrar Straus Giroux, New York publishers 1994, First edition Note: We have excerpted material from pages 54, 60, and 61.
Personal letter from Pearl Avia Gordon Vestal, written on January 25, 1940, to our Grandmother Lulu (DeVoe) Gore. Note: Pearl is the Great-Granddaughter of Mary Gennette (Gore) Brayman, the sister of our Great-Great-Grandfather, Luke Gore.
Electa Stanhope Marriage – Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XDK1-1XM Book page: 98, Digital page: 51/304, Left page, bottom entry. Note: For their marriage record.
1798 – 1880, Pioneer and General History of Geauga County, with Sketches of Some of the Pioneers and Prominent Men by The Historical Society of Geauga County https://archive.org/details/oh-geauga-1880-historical-society/page/n9/mode/2up?view=theater Notes: Topics researched as follows — Surveying work, Book page: 56, Digital page: 55/821 Mr. Lemuel Punderson, Book page: 228, Digital page: 227/821 1810 in Newbury, Book page: 228, Digital page: 227/821 State road to Chardon, Book page: 229, Digital page: 229/821 Township clerk listing, Book page: 237, Digital page: 237/821
Historical Collections of Ohio… by Henry Howe https://archive.org/details/historicalcollec00howe_4/page/n9/mode/2up?view=theater Notes: Topics researched as follows — Geauga County, Book pages: 187-190, Digital pages: 186-190/593 Chagrin Falls, Book pages: 125-126, Digital pages: 124-126/593 View in Chardon, Book page: 189, Digital pages: 189/593 Note:“…is a work of history published in one volume in 1847 by Henry Howe (1816–1893). Howe had spent more than a year traveling across the state of Ohio making sketches, interviewing people, and collecting data.”
Those Two Younger Sisters
(5) — ten records
Bilindy Gore Marriage – Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016 Book page: 99, Digital page: 54/247, Right page, center entry. Note: For Belinda Gore 1835 marriage to Horace Barton, in Chardon, Ohio.
Mary G. Gore Marriage – Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X8F4-BRM Book page: 1100, Digital page: 519/658 Left page, bottom entry Note: For Mary Genette Gore 1837 marriage to Lewis Brayman, in Portage County, Ohio.
Luke Gore, Tax – Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2RG-S4GP Note: The actual record is for 1838-1852 and includes the name of his Uncle Hart Gore. Digital page: 172/735, Left page, lower middle.
This is Chapter Five of eight. In this chapter we will be writing about how our ancestors migrated first into New York State, and then how the next generation spread into other states and territories to the west, outside of New England. This was an era of much conflict with the French and Indian War, the War for Independence, and the War of 1812.
When we were younger, our Grandmother Lulu Gore lived near us for much of our childhood years. As a creative, can-do type of Grandma, she inspired us with her gardens, her interesting holiday decorations, and her interest in family history. We lived in a rural Ohio area, and Lulu was the wife of our Grandfather Harley Gore. He had passed away years before we were born. However, before his death she helped him begin his Gore genealogy work. Toward the end of his life in 1941, as he was dying of heart disease, he asked his wife if she could begin the story of his family’s origins. The work was never finished, (as genealogy work never is…) However, we feel honored to continue what she began.
Grandma Moses Certainly Knew How to Paint The Rural Life
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, also known as “Grandma Moses” was a prolific American painter of the last century. From Wikipedia: “Moses painted scenes of rural life from earlier days, which she called “old-timey” New England landscapes. Moses said that she would “get an inspiration and start painting; then I’ll forget everything, everything except how things used to be and how to paint it so people will know how we used to live.” Grandma Moses artwork has appeared in museums and galleries the world over, and often, she painted scenes of New England life.
Moving Day on the Farm, circa 1951. Anna Mary Robertson Moses, known as “Grandma Moses” (Courtesy of wikiart.org).
We know that our ancestors didn’t live in a pastoral, problem-free world, but the work of Anna May Robinson Moses inspires us to reconnect with our many ancestors who lived before our time. (1)
Elijah Gore Sr., and Desire Safford Have a Big Family
As the third son of Samuel Gore (3) and Desire (Safford) Gore, Elijah Gore Sr., was born on February 11, 1743 in Norwich, Connecticut Colony – died about 1794, probably in Halifax, Windham, Vermont. He married Sarah Little December 11, 1767 in Voluntown, Connecticut Colony, when he was 24 and she was 18. She was born September 5, 1749 in Sutton, Worcester, Massachusetts Colony – died August 26, 1805 in Halifax, Windham, Vermont, aged 60.
*see The 1790 “Census” of Vermont (below)
The birth registrations for Sarah Little and her older brother Moses. Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001.
Sarah (Little) Gore was the daughter of Ezekiel and Margret (Fitts) Little. She is buried at Stafford Cemetery in Halifax , and it is assumed that Elijah is buried next to her, even though there is no headstone, nor record of his death.
Before 1779, Elijah Gore Sr. and his family left Connecticut for Vermont. They settled in Halifax, Windham (county), Vermont. Here he owned land located on Vermont’s southern border with Massachusetts. As is often the case, as pioneers moved from place to place they named their new towns and counties after the places they had previously lived. As a result, Windham County is in both Connecticut, and Vermont. Some of their family records also cite the adjacent location of Guilford township, which borders Halifax on its eastern side.
McClelland’s Map of Windham County, Vermont, circa 1856. Inset image: Halifax and Guilford townships from Vermont’s southern border. (Image courtesy of the Library of Congress).
Elijah and Sarah Gore had ten children. Their first born, Elijah Jr., was born in Killingly, Connecticut Colony, the next four were born in Voluntown, Connecticut Colony, and the rest in Halifax, Vermont Colony. (2)
Elijah Gore Jr., born (Killingly, Connecticut Colony), September 5, 1768 – died 1798
Ezekiel Gore, born November 20, 1770 – died May 14, 1847 in Bernardston, Franklin, Massachusetts
Margaret (Gore) Stafford, born February 10, 1773 – died March 10, 1864 in Monroe, Franklin, Massachusetts
Samuel Gore (4), born, April 10, 1775 – died August 10, 1815in Belleville, Jefferson, New York (We are descended from Samuel 4).
Obadiah Gore born November 20, 1777 – death date unknown
Hannah (Gore) Starr, born September 1, 1779 – died 1819 in Halifax, Windham, Vermont
Lucy (Gore) Bennett, born May 21, 1781 – death date unknown
Daniel Gore, born October 30, 1783 and died April 10, 1859 in Monroe, Franklin, Massachusetts
Desire (Gore) Bixby, born November 8, 1786 – died December 8, 1833 in Guilford, Windham, Vermont
Sarah (Gore) Slater, born August 12, 1789 and died September 19, 1858 in Chardon, Geauga, Ohio
The French and Indian War
Like the previous narrative, The Gore Line — Four, wars were an elemental part of history in the new American Colonies. In 1666, France claimed “Vermont” as part of New France. From Wikipedia: “French explorer Samuel de Champlain claimed the area of what is now Lake Champlain, giving the name, Verd Mont (Green Mountain) to the region he found, on a 1647 map.”
British forces under fire from the French and Indian forces.
“The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years’ War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the start of the war, the French colonies had a population of roughly 60,000 settlers, compared with 2 million in the British colonies. The outnumbered French particularly depended on their native allies. French Canadians call it the guerre de la Conquête — ‘War of the Conquest’.“
“Following France’s loss in the French and Indian War, the 1763 Treaty of Paris gave control of the whole region to the British... The end of the war brought new settlers to Vermont. The first settler of the grants was Samuel Robinson, who began clearing land in Bennington in 1761.. In the 28 years from 1763 to 1791, the non-Indian population of Vermont rose from 300 to 85,000.
The Elijah Gore Family were living in a territory that was a disputed frontier, likely quite rugged, and similar enough to other areas their forebears had lived in — that it was filled with opportunity. Indeed, this family was living in “Vermont” before Vermont was Vermont. (3)
Many People Had Tried to Claim Land in Vermont
It’s a complicated situation which played out over several decades and involved different English monarchs, Colonial Governors and various legal representatives, as the borders of Vermont were always in dispute — not only with the French, but also with the neighboring colonies, whose settlers seemed to continually want to expand their land holdings. Some of our ancestors probably got up in the morning and thought to themselves, “I feel a bit betwixt and between — wonder who is in charge today?”
From Wikipedia, on the History of Vermont: “A fort at Crown Point had been built in 1759, and the road stretched across the Green Mountains from Springfield to Chimney Point, making traveling from the neighboring British colonies easier than ever before. Three colonies laid claim to the area. The Province of Massachusetts Bay claimed the land on the basis of the 1629 charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Province of New York claimed Vermont based on land granted to the Duke of York (later King James II & VII) in 1664. The Province of New Hampshire, whose western limits had never been determined, also claimed Vermont, in part based upon a decree of George II in 1740.”
Engraving depicting Ethan Allen at the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. (Image courtesy of Wikipedia.org).
There was a lot of acrimonious behavior: “In 1770, Ethan Allen—along with his brothers Ira and Levi, as well as Seth Warner—recruited an informal militia, the Green Mountain Boys, to protect the interests of the original New Hampshire settlers against the new migrants from New York… The American Revolution changed the face of these various conflicts after the battle of Bennington, Vermont became important. “The battle was a major strategic success for the American cause…”
In Guilford, the township adjacent to Halifax, we learn from the website, We Are Vermont: “There was so much controversy between Yorkist and Vermont factions at the beginning of the Revolutionary War that 2 sets of officials were fighting for control in Guilford. The fighting escalated to a point where, in 1783, the Vermont government sent Ethan Allen with a Militia to the town to enforce martial law and collect taxes. This was known as the “Guilford War” and eventually those who opposed Vermont’s laws moved to settle in New York.” (4)
*The 1790 “Census” of Vermont
According to the National Archives: “Vermont became a state on March 4, 1791, [as the 14th state] so the census was taken in Vermont in 1791…” Specifically, “The Census was taken in Rhode Island on 7-5-1790 and in Vermont on 3-2-1791 [March 2, 1791], after they ratified the constitution.” [USGenWeb] Even though Vermont had a census, it was after everyone else’s census, and it continues to be mistakenly referred to as the “1790” census.
Our research has concluded that our ancestor Elijah Gore, even though we do not know his exact death date, was still alive after March 1791. We analyzed the census and believe this for the following reasons:
Heads of Families first Vermont census, Page 50, conducted on March 2, 1791.
Their son Elijah Jr. married Susannah Barney on August 17, 1789, in nearby Guilford, so he was likely no longer living with his parents. (When the census was done, it would be highly improbable that his household numbers could match up with the 1791 census data.) Even though he has the same name as his father Elijah Sr., there is only one listing for a man with this name in Halifax Town, Windham County, Vermont, at this time.
The “Free White Males of 16 years and upward including heads of families” would be Elijah Gore Sr., our grandfather, and his son Ezekiel, age 20 years.
The categories show only one “Free White Males under 16 years” living in the home. That would likely be our ancestor Samuel Gore (4), who was 15 at the time.
The “Free White Females including heads of families” indicates one person, who is likely our grandmother Sarah Little.
“All other free persons” are everyone else who was living in the home. That number is 8, which corresponds exactly to everyone else, from Margaret through Sarah.
Lastly, there are no slaves listed. We would expect this from people who identified as Puritans.
Unfortunately, there is scant evidence on the life activities of this ancestor. Elijah’s occupation is unknown, but it’s very likely, he was a farmer. (5)
Two Locations in Windham County?
This branch of the Gore family, owned land in Windham county in two adjacent townships: Halifax and Guilford. (This explains why family records intermix the two locations). The Official History of Guilford, Vermont, 1678-1961, cites the sale of land in Guilford, as illustrated below.
Note that Lot 168 is mentioned as being “on the Halifax line.” It also appears that Elijah Gore may have also owned a portion of Lot 167.
A plan of Guilford, drawn by Nathan Dwight, surveyor, in 1765, showing the original 50-acre and 100-acre lots. The names of many of the earliest settlers have been added, according to the best information available in existing records. From the Official History of Guilford, Vermont, 1678-1961, Digital pages, Inset: 309/585 and for Map: 396/610.
Even though these two townships are next door neighbors, because they were in disputed areas, the records are a bit complicated. Initially, the Royal Governor of New Hampshire, Benning Wentworth, was in charge of the area. From Wikipedia: “Halifax was the second town chartered, west of the Connecticut River on May 11, 1750 by New Hampshire Governor Benning Wentworth, meaning Halifax is the second oldest town in the state after Bennington…” and also, Guilford was “Chartered as Guilford New Hampshire in 1754… chartered [again] “as Guilford, Vermont in 1791″ when Vermont became an official state. Additionally, Guilford is “the most populous town in Vermont from 1791-1820.”
This may also help explain that our research turned up that Elijah Gore Sr. is recorded as having served in the American Revolutionary War, under the banner of Captain Samuel Fillbrick’s Company in (oddly enough) New Hampshire. From the Official history of Guilford, Vermont, 1678-1961, page 135:
This puzzled us at first, but it makes sense that some militias would be organized under the names of other Colonies, since Vermont did not technically exist until after the war, in 1791. (6)
Samuel Gore (4) and Rebeckah Barney Marry
Our ancestor, Samuel Gore (4), born April 10, 1775 Voluntown, Windham, Connecticut Colony – died August 10, 1815in Belleville, Jefferson County, New York. He married Rebeckah Barney on February 22, 1798, in a ceremony at Halifax, Vermont, officiated by Darius Bullock. She was born April 6, 1782 Guilford, Windham, Vermont – died October 26, 1860 in Belleville, Jefferson, New York. They likely met socially through family or friends because their home townships, Halifax and Guilford, were adjacent to each other.
Rebeckah was the daughter of Deacon Edward Barney, who was a physician and Baptist Deacon. He was born August 18, 1749 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts Colony – died August 9, 1839 in Ellisburg, Jefferson, New York. Rebeckah’s mother was Elizabeth Brown, born October 3, 1750 in Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut – died March 5, 1793 in Guilford, Windham, Vermont. Elizabeth died in childbirth with her 12th pregnancy at the age of 42 — her newborn infant daughter Mabel was buried with her. [William Barney and Familysearch.com footnotes] Together the Barneys had twelve children, with Rebeckah being the 7th child.
Our 4x Great-Grandmother, Rebeckah (Barney) Gore.
Samuel (4) and Rebecca had seven children. The first five were born in Halifax, Windham, Vermont and the youngest two were born in Belleville, Jefferson County, New York.
Observation: Quite notable about this family group, is that these are the first ancestors of whom we have photographic portraits! We’ll meet their children in just a moment, but first, we need to discuss this newly invented portraiture… (7)
The Waking Century — The Advent of Portrait Photography
Suddenly, a new age was upon us…
“Getting painted portraits done used to be exclusive to families in the upper classes of society. That all changed when photography came into existence. In 1839, Robert Cornelius shot the first successful portrait, a self-portrait (a selfie, no less), using the venerable daguerreotype. Cornelius took advantage of the light outdoors to get a faster exposure. Sprinting out of his father’s shop, Robert held this pose for a whole minute before rushing back and putting the lens cap back on.”
“You see, shooting with the daguerreotype required between 3 to 15 minutes of exposure time depending on the available light — making portraiture incredibly impractical if not impossible.” [Soriano, A Brief History of Portrait Photography]
Robert Cornelius’s Self-Portrait, 1839.
Did you ever wonder why the ancestors in many old photographs are not smiling, which is our custom today? From Time Magazine: “Experts say that the deeper reason for the lack of smiles early on is that photography took guidance from pre-existing customs in painting—an art form in which many found grins uncouth and inappropriate for portraiture. Accordingly, high-end studio photographers would create an elegant setting and direct the subject how to behave, producing the staid expressions which are so familiar in 19th century photographs. The images they created were formal and befitted the expense of paying to have a portrait made, especially when that portrait might be the only image of someone.” Indeed, these are the scant few images we have of these ancestors…
Observation: It is quite notable that this generation, born after the Revolutionary War, began heading west and moved into new states and territories: Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin — none of them died in Vermont.
Shown below are each of the Samuel and Rebeckah Gore children, with their families and respective portraits.
Gratia (Gore) Cook, born September 27, 1800, Halifax, Windham, Vermont – died, February 16, 1876, Winneconne, Winnebago, Wisconsin. Left to right: Gratia (Gore) Cook; her sons Eugene Kincaid Cook, and Malcolm G. Cook.
Hart Gore [twin of Clark], born December 13, 1802, Halifax, Windham, Vermont – died February 11, 1892, Rushford, Fillmore, Minnesota. Top Row, left to right: Hart Gore, his wife Miranda Goodenough, their son Leslie Gore, Bottom row, left to right: Their son Charles W. Gore, his wife Martha E. (Bartley) Gore, and their daughter Mary Jeanette (Gore) Valentine.
Clark Gore [twin of Hart] born December 13, 1803 in Halifax, Windham, Vermont. He married Lydia Burge and they had three children: Martha Lydia Gore, Myron Gore, and Alice Gore.
Luke Gore, born April 1, 1805, Halifax, Windham, Vermont – died October 2, 1868, Newbury, Geauga, Ohio (We are descended from Luke.) Top Row, left to right: Luke Gore, his second wife, Electa (Stanhope) Gore (our grandmother). Milan R. Gore,* Bottom row, left to right: Crockett Gore*, his wife Lois (Haven) Gore, and Crockett’s son Dana D. Gore. *Milan and Crockett are the children of Luke Gore and his first wife: Mila Gore. She was born in 1813 in Halifax, Windham, Vermont – died September 29, 1848 in Newbury, Geauga, Ohio. Luke and Mila were first cousins.
Belinda (Gore) Barton, born July 15, 1807, Halifax, Windham, Vermont – died August 15, 1900, Madison, Lake, Ohio Top row, left to right: Belinda (Gore) Barton, her husband Horace Barton, and their son Hanford Barton. Bottom row, left to right: Their daughter Frances (Barton) Cook, and her husband Eugene Kincaid Cook. Note: Frances (Barton) Cook married her first cousin Eugene Kincaid Cook [see Gratia (Gore) Cook above].
Susan (Gore) Bishop, born February 27, 1812, Belleville, Jefferson, New York – died August 15, 1897, Jefferson County, New York. Left image: Susan (Gore) Bishop and Center image: Her daughter Emogene Matilda Birdy Bishop.
Mary Genette (Gore) Brayman, born June 18, 1814, Belleville, Jefferson, New York – died February 28, 1891, Farmington, Van Burn, Iowa. Top Row, left to right: Mary Genette (Gore) Brayman, her daughter Victoria Icebenda (Brayman) Goodenough, and Victoria’s husband Gilbert Clark Goodenough. Bottom row, left to right: The Brayman children — their sons Andrew Jackson Brayman, Edward Barney Brayman, and their daughter Flora Arabella (Brayman) Orr. (8)
Ellisburgh, and Belleville, Jefferson County, New York
After his wife Elizabeth died in 1793, Deacon Edward Barney eventually remarried. He and his second wife Phebe Bennett had six more children. They also moved from Vermont to New York just after the turn of the 19th century.
From the book, The Growth of A Century: “Deacon Edward Barney came from Guilford, Vermont, about 1803 and settled in the town of Ellisburgh. He was a physician and farmer. He died in 1835, aged 86 years. Three of his sons, substantial business men, settled and raised families in that town, and were foremost in efforts to repel invasion during the War of 1812, especially in defence of Sackets Harbor.” [More on this area below.]
So, it’s clear that he relocated his family to New York State, and it was quite a move(!) They relocated up near the border with Canada at the eastern edge of Lake Ontario. Apparently, Samuel Gore (4) and his wife Rebeckah also followed sometime between 1807 when Belinda was born in Vermont, and 1812 when Susan was born in New York.
Ellisburgh and Belleville are located at the eastern edge of Lake Ontario, as indicated by the inset image. Map of New York 1814 by Mathew Carey from “Careys General Atlas” (Image courtesy of http://www.old-maps.com).
We often wondered what made them decide to emigrate to a new area after spending generations in New England. The article The Coming of the Pioneers from newyorkgenealogy.org helped explain what had been in the air: “By 1800 the tide of immigration towards Northern New York had definitely set in. The lure of cheap lands in a new country brought settlers by the hundreds from the New England states and the still new settlements in the vicinity of Utica. Marvelous tales were told there of the fertility of the lands in the Black River Country, of corn planted in the ground without plowing growing to over eleven feet in height and of wheat yielding from twenty-five to thirty-five bushels to the acre. A traveling missionary commenting on the universal contention of the pioneers in their new homes along the Black river said that he had not “seen an unhappy person for 90 miles on that river.”
“These tales and others brought sturdy, young men and their families from Vermont and Plattsburgh over the woodland trail into Chateaugay and finally to the infant settlements springing up along the St. Lawrence, the Grass and the St. Regis rivers. They brought others, their household goods laden on crude wood sleds, drawn by oxen, up through the trackless woods of the Black River Country…”
To this day, according to Wikipedia, Ellisburgh, New York is still considered a village, and Belleville, (just north of Ellisburgh even smaller), is considered a hamlet. Most of our ancestors who were there, left the area, or didn’t stay there for very long. The only exception was Susan (Gore) Bishop, who was a lifelong resident. (9)
The War of 1812
Like his father Elijah before him, Samuel Gore (4) participated in the new country’s war efforts, as a private in Captain Jonathan Scott’s Company of Colonel Anthony Sprague’s Regiment Jefferson County Militia, New York. (Curiously, his wife Rebeckah never claimed his war pension, likely because he survived unhurt: “All pensions granted to veterans of the War of 1812 and their surviving dependents before 1871 were based exclusively on service-connected death or disability.”)
We had always thought that the War of 1812 was fought because England was rather cranky and upset that they had lost the American Revolutionary War a generation earlier. [Honestly, it just wasn’t deemed to be that important in American high school history classes.] However, there was much more to the conflict.
From the USS Constitution Museum.org: “The War of 1812 pitted the young United States in a war against Great Britain, from whom the American colonies had won their independence in 1783. The conflict was a byproduct of the broader conflict between Great Britain and France over who would dominate Europe and the wider world.” If you recall, in The Gore Line, A Narrative — Four, we had commented on the fact that England had crafted an economic model that benefited them by extracting resources from their Colonies. This changed after the War For Independence, and was aggravated further when President Jefferson passed the Embargo Act of 1807 in retaliation for what was happening to America’s ships and sailors at sea. The embargo was hard on American farmers because it reduced the market for their products, but they weathered the storm, so to speak.
“In Britain’s effort to control the world’s oceans, the British Royal Navy encroached upon American maritime rights and cut into American trade during the Napoleonic Wars. In response, the young republic declared war on Britain on June 18, 1812. The two leading causes of the war were the British Orders-in-Council, which limited American trade with Europe, and impressment, [read as: kidnapping and forced servitude] the Royal Navy’s practice of taking seamen from American merchant vessels to fill out the crews of its own chronically undermanned warships. Under the authority of the Orders in Council, the British seized some 400 American merchant ships and their cargoes between 1807 and 1812.”
It’s hard to believe this today, but in the expansionist era our ancestors lived in, and with everything else that was going on… There were many Hawks in the Continental Congress who believed, The War would allow them to expand American territory into the areas of Canada, which were defined as Upper Canada (essentially Ontario), and Lower Canada (present day Quebec).
“The acquisition of Canada this year, as far as the neighborhood of Quebec, will be a mere matter of marching; and will give us experience for the attack of Halifax the next, and the final expulsion of England from the American continent.”
Thomas Jefferson to William Duane, 4 August 1812
According to the National Park Service: “…many Americans assumed that the Canadian population would welcome the arrival of American forces. In reality, the inhabitants of Canada—a mix of French settlers, American loyalists who had fled north during the War of Independence, and a growing population of ambivalent American transplants – had little reason to embrace an incursion from the south.”
Indeed, “Jefferson also overestimated the readiness of the American armies. Optimists assumed that the U.S. army could be effective as an invading and occupying force… Jefferson also misjudged the effectiveness of the British army. Their own success fighting and defeating the British redcoats during their War of Independence proved a deceptive lesson. Unlike the British troops Americans faced during the Revolution, the British army that arrived in Canada was better led and battle-hardened by twenty years of experience fighting against Napoleonic France.”
However, with our ancestors living where they lived, it was a prime area for much conflict. “Jefferson County early became the theater of active military and naval operations. Sackets Harbor was then the most important point on Lake Ontario. It was made the headquarters of the northern division of the American fleet, and here were fitted out numerous important expeditions against the British in Canada.”[RootsWeb, Child’s Gazetteers 1890]
Furthermore, “The war started in 1812 and lasted until 1815, though a peace treaty had been signed in 1814. Over 2200 US soldiers died and over 1600 British. Jefferson County played a central role in the war, from beginning to end. It was the headquarters of Commodore Isaac Chauncey and the US Navy of the Great Lakes. Six armed engagements were fought in Jefferson County during the war, more so than any other county on American soil. The successful campaigns against York and Niagara (1813) were launched from Sackets Harbor, as were the not so successful campaigns on Montreal and Niagara (1814). Perry’s victory on Lake Erie was also directed from Jefferson County under the command of Isaac Chauncey.” [Jefferson County NY Wiki]
As far as we know, it’s a miracle that none of our family members in this line, died during this time. In Part Six we are writing about our ancestor Luke Gore and his family, as they move west from New England — perhaps following other family members who led the way. (10)
Following are the footnotes for the Primary Source Materials, Notes, and Observations
A Special Note About This Chapter There is a wealth of well done documentation completed by other fellow researchers about this family line, in the Familysearch.org website. We would like to bring this work to your attention, as follows:
Note 2: The research also contains a robust amount of detail and source information for those researchers who would like to research their ancestors beyond the classical “family tree” level.
Note 3: Here is an example — again from this link: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/LQ5C-1D1 , then click on the name Samuel Gore found within the center screen block above his wife’s name, Rebeckah Barney. This will open a biography box on the right side of your screen.
From there, click on the PERSON box, just below Samuel’s birth and death information. This will open a new window which displays useful links such as Details, Sources, etc.
Here is the path: Pedigree landscape view (classical tree) > Samuel Gore biography page > PERSON link > Useful links
Grandma Moses Certainly Knew How to Paint The Rural Life
Sarah Little Vital – Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4FR-L9K Book page: 117, Digital page: 65/544. Right page, last entry. Note: For her birth registration.
Official History of Guilford, Vermont, 1678-1961. With Genealogies and Biographical Sketches Edited by National Grange, Vermont State Grange, Broad Brook Grange No. 151, Guilford https://archive.org/details/officialhistoryo00unse/page/308/mode/2up Note 1: Gore farm sale, Book page 309, Digital page: 308/585 Note 2: Tipped-in, foldout map of original property lots, Digital page 396/610
Official History of Guilford, Vermont, 1678-1961. With Genealogies and Biographical Sketches Edited by National Grange, Vermont State Grange, Broad Brook Grange No. 151, Guilford https://archive.org/details/officialhistoryo00unse/page/308/mode/2up Note: Elijah Gore Revolutionary War service, page 135.
This is Chapter Four of eight. In this chapter of the Gore narrative, we are documenting a momentous century in the lives of the men and women in two more generations of our family. They journey from their homes in Roxbury, Massachusetts Colony, to the Connecticut Colony, and eventually find themselves facing the American Revolution.
Our ancestors were born into a world already in transition… before we venture further, it is important to understand some of what had been occurring in the New England area of their births.
The New England Colonies in 1677. (Image courtesy of the National Geographic Society).
Preface: Troubles Brewing — Change is Fomenting
The English Monarchy governed its far-flung colonies by the power of extracting resources, then having those resources shipped to England for their own manufacturing use. These raw materials were then processed into goods (for example, textiles such as blankets), which were then shipped to the North American Colonies, sold and taxed. This scheme worked very well for England, but added to a growing sense of displacement which many Colonists felt about their place in the world. What were their rights to self-governance? How did a distant, far off monarchy fit into their worldviews?
Literally and figuratively, boundaries were shifting. Literally, with the actuality that colonies, territories, and borders, were all shifting in a state of flux. Unlike today, as we move through a highly-bound, demarcated world, they were somewhat unbound, trying to figure it out as they went along. Figuratively, our ancestors were starting to form a ‘mental map’ of a world which was really quite different from that of their forbearers.
The English Monarchy was also going through some important changes. From essayist Joerg Knipprath: “There have been few times as crucial to the development of English constitutional practice as the 17th century. The period began with absolute monarchs ruling by the grace of God and ended with a new model of a constitutional monarchy under law created by Parliament. That story was well known to the Americans of the founding period.”
The Gore family had settled in Roxbury, Massachusetts, which is on the far eastern shore of the North American continent. As time went on, more colonists arrived and land holdings expanded to fill what was available under British governance. People wanted stability and prosperity, but the choices about where to further gowere somewhat limited. For the settlers, this meant that ‘you’ needed to expand to the colonies to the north, or to the south. Movement into the western areas, was prohibited, but also, those areas in the 17th century were wilderness, unexplored, and generally hostile. (1)
King Philip’s War
Our ancestors were used to thinking about kings and queens of the European sort, but now they were going to meet a local king, who was new to their understanding. The following is excerpted from the Native Heritage Project article, King Philip’s War:
“King Philip’s War was sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom’s War, or Metacom’s Rebellion and was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England, English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the Native American side, Metacomet, known to the English as “King Philip”.
“Throughout the Northeast, the Native Americans had suffered severe population losses due to pandemics of smallpox, spotted fever, typhoid and measles, infectious diseases carried by European fishermen, starting in about 1618, two years before the first colony at Plymouth had been settled. Plymouth, Massachusetts, [which] was established in 1620 with significant early help from Native Americans, particularly… Metacomet’s father and chief of the Wampanoag tribe.”
“Prior to King Philip’s War, tensions fluctuated between different groups of Native Americans and the colonists, but relations were generally peaceful. As the colonists’ small population of a few thousand grew larger over time and the number of their towns increased, the Wampanoag, Nipmuck, Narragansett, Mohegan, Pequot, and other small tribes were each treated individually (many were traditional enemies of each other) by the English colonial officials of Rhode Island, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut and the New Haven colony.”
Over time, “…the building of [Colonial] towns… progressively encroached on traditional Native American territories. As their population increased, the New Englanders continued to expand their settlements along the region’s coastal plain and up the Connecticut River valley. By 1675 they had even established a few small towns in the interior between Boston and the Connecticut River settlements. Tensions escalated and the war itself actually started almost accidentally, certainly not intentionally, but before long, it has spiraled into a full scale war between the 80,000 English settlers and the 10,000 or so Indians.”
Drawing depicting the capture of Mrs. Rolandson during the King Philip’s War between colonists and New England tribes, 1857, Harper’s Monthly. (Image courtesy Library of Congress).
From Wikipedia: “The war was the greatest calamity in seventeenth-century New England and is considered by many to be the deadliest war in Colonial American history. In the space of little more than a year, 12 of the region’s towns were destroyed and many more were damaged, the economy of Plymouth and Rhode Island Colonies was all but ruined and their population was decimated, losing one-tenth of all men available for military service. More than half of New England’s towns were attacked by Natives.” (2)
King Philip’s War began the development of an independent American identity. The New England colonists faced their enemies without support from any European government or military, and this began to give them a group identity separate and distinct from Britain.
The Name of War: King Philip’s War and the Origins of American Identity by Jill Lepore
Philip Wells and The Dominion of New England, 1686-1689
The institution of The Dominion of New England by the Royal Fiat of King Charles II added to an already existing “stew” of tensions in the colonies. It didn’t last that long, and Sir Edmund Andros was dispatched by the Colonists fairly quickly. For our family, the most important resulting aspect was this:
The British rulers knew that when you have accurate maps, you have power.
From the Historical Journal of Massachusetts: “The arrival of Wells and Andros’s government in Massachusetts signaled a major change in how the colonists described borders. In late 1686, King James II appointed Edmund Andros as the governor of the Dominion of New England, an administrative body that combined all the colonies.”
“While previously Massachusetts colonists selected their governors, Andros was an imposition from the King. King James II aimed to streamline the administration of the small New England colonies and bring their unruly subjects more directly under imperial control. A stark contrast to the less experienced, agrarian focused, and rurally raised leaders of early New England.”
“Although Massachusetts colonists had begun to gradually embrace mapping as a tool after the 1650s, the Dominion, an imperial tool, accelerated this process. Unsurprisingly, Andros employed familiar tools of state building and state power, including maps. He gave Wells a new appointment as the head surveyor for the Dominion and hired at least three deputy surveyors, Richard Clements, John Gore, and John Smith. Each man generally operated in a particular area… John Gore in “Napmuge [Nipmuck] Country” in present-day central Massachusetts.“ (3)
Did the Gore Brothers See An Opportunity?
When we first met our ancestor Samuel Gore (1) in The Gore Line — Three, we learned that he had been born in Roxbury, Massachusetts Colony, in October 1652. He was not the oldest surviving son in the family. That distinction belonged to his older brother John (2), who was the (part-time) Writ for the town of Roxbury, and was also a sought-after, skilled surveyor. These positions would have required some degree of formal education, and would be in demand in a fast-growing colony.
Inset: A youthful George Washington surveying at Pope’s Creek, Virginia. Image courtesy of the National Park Service. Background: Frontispiece from Samuel Wyld’s The Practical Surveyor (1780). (Image courtesy of the American Philosophical Society, APS).
Notes: As the oldest son, John (2) would have benefited from primogeniture*, which was the standard for that time. (This meant that the Lions Share of the father’s estate went to the oldest son before any other person.) However, this did not always happen in the Northern Colonies, and in his father’s Will of 1657, this did not happen for John (2), as he had already received his portion of his father’s estate. Hence, his younger brother Samuel (1) likely benefited somewhat.
*primogeniture (noun) – the state or fact of being the firstborn of children of the same parents. – Law. the system of inheritance or succession by the firstborn, specifically the eldest son.
Observation: Additionally, as a surveyor, he was involved in projects which may have influenced the younger Samuel in his choices about where his family would live. They appear to have interacted frequently throughout their lives, as they both did surveying work, and were land-holders themselves. During a time of frequent land speculation, it seems quite likely, that they both benefited from information gained while doing their professions. From the Cameron County Genealogy Project: “Samuel Gore came into the sole possession of his father’s common lands in 1716… On 2 March 1712/13 he was elected one of the Fence Viewers of Roxbury and 3 March 1717 was one of the Surveyers of Highways.” (4)
The New Roxbury Colony, and The Mashamoquet Purchase
The people of Roxbury, Massachusetts Colony had run out of land and they decided to do something about it rather than wait for permission from, or action by, their British Governor-by-fiat, Sir Edmund Andros.
The town of Roxbury was one of the most ancient and influential in Massachusetts Colony. ”The Roxbury people were the best that came from England,” and filled many of the highest offices in the colonial government.
Nothing was lacking for their growth and prosperity but a larger area of territory, then “limits being so scanty and not capable of enlargement that several persons… — were compelled to remove out of the town and colony.
Ellen D. Larned author of The History of Windham County, page 18
In 1642, the Woodward and Saffery line was established as the southern border of the Massachusetts Colony, and thus, the northern border of the Connecticut Colony. Within a couple of decades of that date, in the rough-and-tumble early Colonial period, the people of Massachusetts wanted more land, and their neighbors to the south in the Connecticut Colony, started to take issue with what they felt was their land. It all got very complicated.
In addition, many skirmishes between the Colonists and the Native American tribes had resulted in King Philip’s War, which had destroyed much infrastructure and weakened both sides. The “Indians” in shock from their defeat, had started to return to their old haunts, which the Colonists were looking to expand into. Perhaps the Roxbury settlers were spurred on by the arrival of The Dominion, because by 1686, boundaries and settlements were changing.
There was a grant for “Indian” lands that consisted of two portions in Nipmuck County — one portion was called Myanexet, and the other Quinnatesset. This land had been acquired by the English representatives William Stoughton and Joseph Dudley; purchased in 1682 from the Indian representative Black James, for £50 by the English Government. From The History of Windham County: Among the first to arrive… “The land thus purchased was laid out in June, 1684, by John Gore [2], of Roxbury, under the supervision of Colonel William Dudley.”
This colorful image purports to show George Washington working as a surveyor in Colonial America. We are using it as a stand-in for our ancestor John Gore working with Indian guides in the wilds of the Massachusetts and Connecticut colonies.
Circa May 1686 — “In May, they were visited ‘ by Samuel Williams, Sen., Lieutenant Timothy Stevens and John Curtis, who, with John Gore as surveyor, came as committee from Roxbury, ‘to view the land, in order to the laying out of the same ; settle the southern bounds (upon or near the colony line)… Eleven days were spent by Mr. Gore in making the needful surveys and measurements — Massachusetts’ South boundary line evaded their search, so they made a station about one and a half miles south of Plaine Ilill, and thence marked trees east and west for the south line of their grant, nearly two miles south of the invisible Woodward’s and Safferys line, thus securing to Massachusetts another strip of Connecticut territory.”
Problems arose due to the perceived position of the Woodward and Saffery line, and then it was not clear who exactly who was at fault with information from 1642. (Remember, earlier maps were not very precise before this period). Ultimately, what was surveyed created problems for both Colonies.
This chart from page 15 of Windham County shows the survey work by John Gore (2) that was completed for the Quinnatesset portion of the land purchase. The horizontal line is the Woodward and Saffery line. Above that line is Massachusetts and below it is Connecticut. The small letter ‘e’ on the left portion is the designation for Samuel Gore (1)‘s purchase — the father of John Gore (2). For whatever reason, land purchased by both Thompson and Gore ended up “being-ish” (new word!) in Connecticut, not Massachusetts. This was a problem in the fact that the Colonies were (of course) governed by Britain, and these two colonies had separate governments whose interests were not aligned.
Further excerpted material from Windham County: “No attempt was made to occupy and cultivate these farms by their owners. Thompson’s land remained in his family for upwards of an hundred years, and the town that subsequently included it was named in his honor.”
As time went on, Mashamoquet was the name of a river which was frequently used as a boundry marker. By 1686, the land was known as the Mashamoquet Purchase, and the village settlement was called New Roxbury.
“The survey and divisions (of land) were accomplished during the winter, and on March 27th, 1694, nearly eight years after the date of purchase, the several proprietors received their allotments in the following order: 1, Esther Grosvenor; 2, Thomas Mowry; 3, John Ruggles; 4, John Gore; 5, Samuel Gore [1] ’s heirs; 6, Samuel Ruggles; 7, John Chandler; 8, Jacob, Benjamin and Daniel Dana; 9, Benjamin Sabin; 1 0, Thomas and Elizabeth Ruggles; 11, John White; 12, Joseph Griffin… Note that Samuel Gore’s heirs received his allotment of land. Samuel died in 1694, age 41, two years before the division of land in Connecticut was completed.”
In 1690, the village was renamed Woodstock.
Connecticut was originally settled by Dutch Fur Traders. The first English settlers arrived in Connecticut in 1663 under the leadership of Reverenced Thomas Hooker. They were Puritans from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
“By the settlement of Massachusetts boundary line in 1713… Massachusetts was forced to admit that Woodward’s and Saffery’s line ran some miles south of the bound prescribed by her patent… That Connecticut had a lawful right to the fee as well as jurisdiction of this land no one could deny, but beset by enemies at home and abroad she was forced to yield it to the stronger Colony, and allowed Massachusetts, by formal agreement and covenant, to keep the towns laid out by her in Connecticut territory, and the various grantees to retain possession of this land, receiving as equivalent an equal number of acres in distant localities. Under this arrangement, Connecticut yielded: To the town of Woodstock, 50,410 acres. …To John Gore, 500 acres…“
…and in 1749 the town officially chose to became part of Connecticut.
In the more southern portion of the Mashamoquet Purchase, below the village of Woodstock (formerly New Roxbury), another small township was established named Pomfret. It was incorporated in 1713, and is important to the next generation of the Gore Family. (5)
Captain Samuel Gore (2) Marries Hannah Draper
Samuel Gore (2) was born on October 20, 1681, in Roxbury, Massachusetts Colony – died May 27, 1756, in Norwich, Connecticut Colony. He married Hannah Draper about 1703, when he was 22 and she was 17 years old. Hannah was born April 8, 1686 in Roxbury, Massachusetts Colony and died July 11, 1741, in Norwich, Connecticut Colony. They are both buried in the Eliot Burying Ground in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
Hannah was the daughter of Moses Draper and Hannah Chandler. He was born on September 15, 1664 in Dedham, Massachusetts – died August 14, 1693 in Boston, Massachusetts Colony, age 29. His parents were James Draper and Miriam Stansfield.
Hannah (Chandler) Draper, was born September 19, 1669 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts Colony – died June 9, 1692 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, age 22. Her parents were John Chandler and Elizabeth Douglass.
Hannah (Draper) Gore was six years old when her mother died in July 1692. In November 1962 her father, Moses Draper, married Mary Thatcher. A child, Moses Draper, Jr. was born September 12, 1693. However, the father, Moses, had died the month before his birth. By age seven, Hannah was an orphan. Her guardianship was given to her Uncle James Draper on August 1, 1695. It is unclear if she was raised by him, or remained with Mary (Thatcher) Draper and her step-brother Moses. Below is interesting information regarding the settlement by 1715 of Moses Draper’s estate.
All three pages above are from The Drapers In America, Being a History and Genealogy Those of That Name and Connection, by Thomas Wall-Morgan Draper, 1892. Note on the third page (167): A past genealogist wrote-in “Samuel” in pencil, to correct the author’s error about her husband.
Samuel Gore (2) and Hannah (Draper) Gore Family
For the first eleven years of their marriage Samuel (2) and Hannah lived in Roxbury, Massachusetts where the first six of their nine children were born. Note: CTC = Connecticut Colony, CT = Connecticut State
Elizabeth (Gore) Witter, born January 12, 1704 – died April 9, 1761 Preston, CTC
Samuel Gore, born March 26, 1705 – died May 22, 1706 (one year old)
Samuel Gore (3), born May 29, 1707 – died July 26, 1791 Voluntown, CT (We are descended from Samuel 3).
Moses Gore, born September 23, 1709 – died 1786 Cornwallis, Kings, Nova Scotia, Canada
John Gore, born October 11, 1711 – died January 19, 1735, Norwich CTC
Obadiah Gore, born July 26, 1714 – died 10 January 1779, of smallpox in Wyoming, Pennsylvania. Notably, he lost several adult children in another Native American “Indian War” — the Wyoming Valley Massacre July 3, 1778.
Their youngest three were born in Norwich, Connecticut Colony (CTC):
Daniel Gore, born September 6, 1719- died October 4, 1719 (one month old)
Hannah (Gore) Burrow/Gallup, born December 20, 1720 – died March 19, 1810 Stonington, CT
Sarah (Gore) Hobart born January 15, 1723 – died July 28, 1743 Stonington, CTC
After his wife Hannah (Draper) Gore died in 1741, Samuel (2) married for a second time to Mrs. Dorcas Blunt on May 13, 1742. (6)
What The Connecticut Charter of 1662 Accomplished
The Conneticut Charter was remarkable for several reasons. From Wikipedia: The English Parliament restored the monarchy in 1660, and King Charles II assumed the English throne. Connecticut had never been officially recognized as a colony by the English government, so the General Court determined that the independence of Connecticut must be legitimized... The key document mapping out Connecticut’s original boundaries wasn’t in fact a map. It was, instead, a royal charter… arguably the most important document in Connecticut’s history—contains among its other provisions a written description of the colony’s boundaries that served the same function as a drawn map.
Charter of the Colony of Connecticut, 1662 – Connecticut State Library.
The document described Connecticut’s western borders extending through Pennsylvania-claimed lands all the way to the ‘southern sea”. From Connecticut History.org: “The “South Sea”—what we call the Pacific Ocean—was well known to early navigators, but its exact location in relation to Connecticut Colony was unclear in 1662. What England’s King Charles II effectively granted Connecticut through that grandiose wording was a swath of land some 70 miles north to south, stretching from the Narragansett Bay on the east to the northern California/Oregon coast just west of Mount Shasta...“
“Historians have long marveled at the generous provisions of the 1662 royal charter. In addition to the transcontinental footprint, the king also granted Connecticut virtually complete governmental autonomy more than a century before the Declaration of Independence. The charter’s provisions in this regard were so complete that when other states scrambled to create new constitutions at the start of the American Revolution, Connecticut simply replaced the king’s name with “the people of Connecticut” and continued using the charter as its constitution until 1818!”
Observations: It is plausible that these boundaries would could have influenced the choices of the ancestral descendants found further on in The Gore Line after this era. For us in the present day, the “western” boundary became a defining feature of where we grew up in Ohio. (7)
The Houses of Stuart and Orange: Queen Anne (reigned 1702 – 1707), and then she continued as Queen under The House of Stuart, (reigned 1707 – 1714), The House of Hanover, George I (reigned 1714-1727), George II (reigned 1727 – 1760).
The Samuel Gore Family Moves to Norwich in the Connecticut Colony
Observation: Samuel Gore (2), was the son of a carpenter and part-time surveyor, but most importantly, he was connected through his relatives to land investments in New England. Land ownership may have been his primary means of retaining wealth. He may have been a farmer (yeoman), but we doubt that he ever pushed a plow in his early life. He likely leased his lands and had other people to do much of the hard labor. (This may have been different for his children and grandchildren…)
The History of Windham County records that John Chandler, the grandfather of Hannah (Chandler) Gore purchased “Pomfret land” from Samuel Gore (2) about 1716. It is probable that Samuel (2) had likely acquired the land he sold, through his inheritance from his father Samuel (1). John then moved his family from Roxbury, Massachusetts Colony to Pomfret, Connecticut Colony. Pomfret was then a newly established area formed from the Mashamoquet Purchase.
Additionally, the Weld Collections, by Charles Frederick Robinson, records of Samuel (2)… “He was of Roxbury in 1719, and 20 July, 1734, he was of Norwich, Conn. He sold on the former date [1719] land in Roxbury on the Dedham road, for £420, Hannah his wife releasing her right of dower (SD 57.16). It is likely that this land “on Dedham Road” was the original land of Moses Draper, the father of his wife Hannah, (see Drapers in America, p 165 above).
In 1721, Samuel (2) was commissioned Captain of the 5th Company, Connecticut Militia, located in Norwich. (8)
The Susquehanna Company
Can we acquire that land? …seemed to be a dominant theme for these generations of the Gore Family. From Connecticut History.Org: “In 1753, amidst a flurry of land speculation and westward expansion that captivated the imagination of American colonists, Connecticut settlers formed the Susquehanna Company for the purposes of developing the Wyoming Valley in northeastern Pennsylvania... a shortage of farmland and a growing population had encouraged some in Connecticut to revisit the terms of the colony’s original land grant…” — the one that promised that Connecticut’s borders extended ever westward. See above: What The Connecticut Charter of 1662 Accomplished
“Pennsylvania also had a royal charter, issued in 1681 by the same king, that gave it title to the territory in question. This was not unusual, as the imperial bureaucracy back in England often possessed only rudimentary knowledge of the vast American terrain.”
Map The Part of Pennsylvania that Lies Between the Forks of the Susquehanna, Divided into Townships, ca. 1790s. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.
“So, in 1754, when the Susquehanna Company acquired the land for 2,000 pounds from an Iroquois delegation at a conference in Albany, New York, many called the validity of the transaction into question. Settlement of the area (which also included land west of the Wyoming Valley and made up almost one-third of Pennsylvania) quickly became a divisive issue among Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and several tribal nations, as well as within the Connecticut colony itself.”
Samuel Gore (2) and his son, Obadiah Gore, had become members of The Susquehanna Company. As owners of one right, or share, their names appear among the names of the grantees in the Indian deed of July 11, 1754. Twenty-four years later the younger Gore generation would fight in the Battle of Wyoming (a county in Pennsylvania).
Ultimately by 1799, Connecticut gave up any claim it had to lands in Pennsylvania, but this was not before one particularly famous, but truly terrible battle, changed the lives of some of our ancestors. (9)
The Battle of Wyoming (County), Pennsylvania
The situation in Pennsylvania came to a head in the Wyoming Valley Massacre of July 3, 1778. The family of Captain Obadiah Gore did not fare well. (10)
Battle Of Wyoming, 1778 by Alonzo Chapel (1858). Public domain.
“When the Battle of Wyoming was fought, Capt. Obadiah Gore was one of the small company of old men who remained in Forty fort for its defense…” Three of Obadiah Gore’s sons and two sons-in-law died in the Battle of Wyoming that day fighting for The Continental Army. Fully recounted below, more than a century later, in A History Of, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, 1893 edition:
Samuel Gore (3) Marries Desire Safford
Samuel Gore (3) was born on May 29, 1707, in Roxbury, Massachusetts Colony – died July 26, 1791, in Voluntown, Connecticut, USA. He moved with his parents to Norwich, Connecticut sometime in his childhood. He married Desire SaffordFebruary 25, 1735/36 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut Colony. She was born on October 18, 1717 in Voluntown, Connecticut Colony – died September 11, 1772, same location. Desire was the daughter of John Safford and Dorothy Larrabee.
From Family Search.org: “Before 1881, Voluntown belonged to Windham County, Connecticut, instead of New London County. Much of the land situated in what is now Voluntown was granted to the volunteers of the Narragansett War in 1700. The name ‘Volunteer’s Town’ turned into what is now known as Voluntown.”
Although this map was created in 1856, Voluntown boundaries had stayed the same since Samuel Gore (3)’s lifetime.
Samuel Gore (3) and Desire had nine children. He moved his family from Voluntown, some 14 miles north east of Norwich, and then returned to Norwich, and even later returned to Voluntown. He owned land in both places, and where they were living influenced where each child’s birth was recorded, as noted below — all were born in either Norwich, New London County, or Voluntown, Windham County, Connecticut Colony. Note: CTC = Connecticut Colony, CT = Connecticut State
John Gore, born November 15,1736, Norwich, New London, CTC – died August 15, 1773, Norwich, CT
Elizabeth (Gore) Eddy, born December 15, 1738, Voluntown, New London, CTC – died March 14, 1790, Salisbury, Litchfield, CT
Hannah Gore, born June 26, 1741, Voluntown, CTC – death date unknown
Dorothy (Gore) Titus, born February 6, 1746/47, Norwich, New London, CTC- died 1816, Stirling City, Windham, CT
Desire Gore, born April 19, 1750, Norwich, New London, CTC – death date unknown
Elijah Gore, born February 11, 1754, Norwich, CTC – died after 1791 Halifax, Windham, Vermont. (We are descended from Elijah).
Amos Gore, born October 9, 1755, Norwich, New London, CTC- died June 11, 1827, Halifax, Windham, Vermont
Esther (Gore) Stafford, born January 22, 1759, Norwich, New London, CTC – October 24, 1836, Halifax, Windham, Vermont
Ebenezer Gore, born February 3, 1762, Voluntown, New London, CTC- died September 30, 1790, Killingly, Windham, CT
Observation: Elijah Gore and family along with his siblings, Amos and Lydia (Carpenter) Gore, and Samuel and Esther (Gore) Stafford, moved to Halifax, Windham, Vermont, where they lived for the rest of their lives. Note that the name Windham County (confusingly) repeats in Vermont.
Samuel Gore (3) was a beneficiary of his father’s estate, so this may have provided him with the economic means to live the life of a gentleman farmer: he was a land-holder, who also did some farming. It also seems that his life was quieter than those of his father’s and grandfathers’ generations. The administrative documents for his estate are interesting, extensive, and quite illegible. In those times, all debts were to be settled when the Will was probated, so sometimes an extensive inventory of assets were necessary. (The frequent bane of our research, is trying to interpret the poor quill-penmanship of court administrators and census takers! ‘Our hats are off (to you)’ if you can read the 34 administrative papers!) (11)
First page of the administrative documents for the estate of Samuel Gore (3), circa 1791.
The Last King of America
From Wikipedia.org: “George III’s life and reign were marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdoms, much of the rest of Europe, and places farther afield in Africa, the Americas and Asia. Early in his reign, Great Britain defeated France in the Seven Years’ War, becoming the dominant European power in North America and India. However, many of Britain’s American colonies were soon lost in the American War of Independence… [The War] was the culmination of the civil and political American Revolution. In the 1760s, a series of acts by Parliament was met with resistance in Britain’s Thirteen Colonies in America. In particular they rejected new taxes levied by Parliament, a body in which they had no direct representation. The colonies had previously enjoyed a high level of autonomy in their internal affairs and viewed Parliament’s acts as a denial of their rights as Englishmen… The colonies declared their independence in July 1776…” (12)
The House of Hanover, George III (reigned 1760-1820). King George III in his Coronation Robes, by Allan Ramsay, circa 1765.
In the next chapter, The Gore Line — Five, we will feature the last of our Gore relatives who live in Connecticut. They venture on to Vermont, and then move westward to New York state. Indeed very soon, the people of the newly formed United States of America begin their westward journey.
Following are the footnotes for the Primary Source Materials, Notes, and Observations
A group of Indians armed with bow-and-arrow, along with a fire in a carriage ablaze, burn a log-cabin in the woods during King Philip’s War, 1675-1676, hand-colored woodcut from the 19th century. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:KingPhilipsWarAttack.webp Note: For the illustration.
America’s Best History, Pre-Revolution Timeline – The 1600s 1675 Detail https://americasbesthistory.com/abhtimeline1675m.html Note: For the illustration depicting the capture of Mrs. Rolandson during the King Philip’s War between colonists and New England tribes, 1857, Harper’s Monthly.
The Name of War: King Philip’s War and the Origins of American Identity by Jill Lepore Vintage Books, 1999 Book pages: 5-7
Philip Wells and The Dominion of New England, 1686-1689
This is Chapter Three of eight. Our Gore relatives move from the United Kingdom to the New England Colonies in the New World. The relationship of the Gore(s) to the British Crown, like many others in the Great Migration, was one of physical distance, and then increasingly emotional distance.
In this chapter, we are covering the first two generations of the Gore Family in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The Stuarts: King James I (reigned 1603 – 1625), King Charles I (reigned 1625 – 1649), and King Charles II (reigned 1660 – 1685). The Stuarts represent the Union of Scottish and the English Crowns. As such, they were the first kings of the United Kingdom. (1)
The Great Migration, 1620-1640
The term Great Migration can refer to the migration in the period of English Puritans to the New England colonies, starting with the Plymouth Colony and then the Massachusetts Bay Colony, (where the Gore family immigrated to). They came in family groups rather than as isolated individuals and were mainly motivated for their freedom to practice their beliefs.
This religious conflict worsened after Charles I became king in 1625, and Parliament increasingly opposed his authority. In 1629, Charles dissolved Parliament with no intention of summoning a new one, in an ill-fated attempt to neutralize his enemies there, which included numerous Puritans. With the religious and political climate so unpromising, many Puritans decided to leave the country. (2)
A New Era Begins in The American Colonies
Richard and Elizabeth Gore’s son John Gore (John 1 in America), born 1606 in Alton, East Hampshire District, Hampshire – died June 4, 1657 in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, British Colonies. He was interred at the Eliot Burying Ground at the same location. In England, he lived in North Baddesley and Southampton, Hampshire.
In July 1625 John Gore, aged 19, earned a B.A. from Queens College in Cambridge. He married Rhoda Gardner, on July 24, 1627, at Saint Trinity The Less, London Hackney, London. We believe she was born circa 1605, [“Rhoda wife of John Gore” deposed on May 19, 1655 “aged forty-five years or thereabouts”] near Waltham Abbey, Essex, England. By 1635, they had immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts in the British Colonies. Soon thereafter they moved to Roxbury where they had 10 children, all of them born in Roxbury, except as noted:
Mary (Gore) Mylame, born March 1632 (baptized April 1) in England in the parish of Ippolitts in Hertfordshire; the only record we’ve found of her is in her father’s Will
John (John 2, in America), born May 23, 1634 in England and baptized in the parish of Ippolitts in Hertfordshire in England – died June 26, 1706
Obadiah (I), born June 1636 – died September 1636 (3 months)
Abigail (I), born August 1641 – died before May 1643 (1 year)
Abigail (II), born May 7, 1643 – died October 31, 1671
Hannah, born May 1646 – died July 1686
Obadiah (II), born 1648 – died September 3, 1653
Gore Twins, birth & death dates unknown (possibly stillborn)*
Samuel (1), born June 11, 1651 – died July 26, 1692 (We are descended from Samuel). * The birth and death dates for the Gore twins is incomplete and contradictory in various records.
John Gore (1) was one of the few men in Roxbury who were given the honorific title of “Mister”. When he died in 1657, he provided in his Will for his wife and his five surviving children, as follows:
1657 Will of John Gore of Roxbury, Massachusetts Colony.
Rhoda married a second time, about 1659, to John Remington. Documentation found in Volume 3 of the book, The Great Migration…, indicates that “on 14 July 1662, “Rhoda Gore executrix aforesaid” stated that she had “some years since married with Lieutenant John Remington of Rowley, and that an event following the marriage had taken place “two years since (i.e., two years ago)”. She married for the third time on June 3, 1674, to Edward Porter. Finally, she married for the fourth time, after February 12, 1677-78 and before May 15, 1679 to Joshua Tidd.
Rhoda (Gardner) Gore Remington Porter Tidd died August 22, 1693 in Roxbury, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. She outlived three of her husbands, and her burial details are unknown.
In our research on our Gore family we came across a wonderful and very thorough Gore Family History written by a “cousin”, Jeff Gore. We have excerpted some of his writing in our narrative. You can find his complete Gore Family History at: https://jgoredotorg.wordpress.com/2018/05/27/the-gore-family-history/. Thank you, Jeff! (3)
The Massachusetts Bay Colony
Arrival of the Winthrop Colony, by William F. Halsall, (W. F. Halsall, Public Domain).
“John and Rhoda Gore arrived at the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635 with two young children. At the time of their arrival there were only a few thousand colonists in all of New England. This was just fifteen years after the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock, and five years after John Winthrop founded the city of Boston following the arrival of a fleet containing eleven ships and 700 colonists (see drawing by Halsall above). This was the second attempt by a group of investors to colonize the area, after an unsuccessful attempt in 1623 to establish a settlement further north on Cape Ann. This second attempt was successful, with about 20,000 people migrating to New England in the 1620s and 1630s in what is known as the Great Migration. The Puritans had been embroiled in a long dispute with the Monarchy regarding the practice of their religion, culminating in King Charles I dissolving a rebellious Parliament in 1629.”
Bird’s eye view of Queens’ College, Cambridge by David Loggan, published in 1690, probably drawn in 1685. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).
“John immigrated to the American colonies seven years after graduating from Queen’s College in Oxford University (drawing of Queen’s College above is from 1690). Although Harvard would not be founded for another year, Queen’s College was approaching its 300 year anniversary. John was from a wealthy English family, son of Richard Gore (1574-1644) of North Baddesley and Southampton, Hampshire. Richard [had] married Elizabeth Gore (1576- 1650) in 1599 and together they had two sons, John and Thomas.”
Research has not revealed what the reasons were regarding John’s decision to immigrate to the Massachusetts Bay Colony with his family.
Plan of Boston showing existing ways and owners on December 25, 1635 George Lamb, creator, Boston Public Library, Norman B. Leventhal Map Center
“At the time of John Gore’s arrival, the town of Boston was unrecognizable. Most strikingly, the Back Bay and South End were not yet filled in, meaning that only a narrow spit of land connected the town of Boston to Roxbury and the rest of the mainland (see far left in image above). “The “Field near Colbron’s” will turn into Boston Common, whereas what we refer to as Beacon Hill extends from the region labeled “West Hill” to the original “Beacon Hill” to the South. The town of Boston was still so small that this map could list the name of the owner of each house in the map!” (4)
First in Boston, Then Settling in Roxbury
Plan of Roxbury, made by John G. Hales (Image courtesy of digitalcommonwealth.org).
“In 1637, John Gore moved to Roxbury, just across the isthmus from Boston, with his wife Rhoda Gardner and the beginnings of their family. Although Roxbury is now a neighborhood within Boston, at the time it was an independent town. It was one of the first towns established in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. “
1839 engraving from Historical Collections, Being a General Collection of Interesting Facts, Traditions, Biographical Sketches, Anecdotes &c, Relating to the History and Antiquities of Every Town in Massachusetts, by John Warner Barber.
“Originally the name was spelled “Rocksbury,” and Barber, in his Historical Collections, says: “A great part of this town is rocky land; hence the name of Rocksbury.” The rocky soil caused challenges for farming, and William Pynchon, the original founder of Rocksbury, gave up on the location just before John Gore settled there and left with a third of the population to settle what became Springfield. Despite these initial challenges, Roxbury eventually became famous for its apples, pears, and other fruits.”
John arrived in Roxbury with his wife Rhoda on April 18, 1637and was one of the few men in the colony honored with the title of “Mister”. He is mentioned in a list of landowners of the year 1643 as owning 188 acres.
When he landed at Boston and passed on Boston Neck to Roxbury, “Mrs Gore was carried by two men, as the ground was wet and swampy. Arriving at Roxbury, the men stopped with their fair burden on a small hill, when Mrs Gore, who was much fatiqued, exclaimed “This is Paradise”, and the spot was henceforth named “Paradise Hill”.
from the Cameron County Genealogy Project
“In 1638, John was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, the oldest chartered military organization in North America and the third oldest chartered military organization in the world. Multiple generations of the Gore family stayed in the Roxbury area, and indeed many of the early Gore Family, including John, are buried in the Eliot Burial Ground.”
“Finally, John Gore was one of the founders of Roxbury Latin School, and his signature is on the school charter. His son John was an early graduate of the school, studied at Harvard from 1651-1654, and later became a master in 1673 back at Roxbury Latin.”
“About 1674 he leased the Bell Homestead in Roxbury for twenty-one years, agreeing [either to] teach the free school, to provide a substitute teacher, or to pay twelve pounds yearly in corn or cattle.” — Cutter
“At the time of his death, John Gore’s estate contained 812 pounds of real estate and buildings, including 4000 acres (over six square miles).” (5)
The Gore Family Home
The Town of Roxbury: its Memorable Persons and Places… by Francis Samuel Drake, 1828-1885, (Image courtesy of archive.org).
Excerpted from the article Paul Gore, written by Walter H. Marx for the Jamaica Plain Historical Society, in September 1990:
“The Gores prospered and early appear as selectmen in the Town of Roxbury. Their homestead (see picture from Drake’s “Town of Roxbury” above) stood by Stony Brook (before it was put into a culvert) and Tremont Street near Roxbury Crossing. A piece of the estate was later sliced off when the railroad to Providence was built.
The homestead, however, continued to stand until 1876 and was inhabited by the Gores, until the land was sold and cut up as a prize location in a Roxbury that was rapidly becoming industrialized. The present Gore Street, running parallel to Tremont Street on the west side into Parker Street, still commemorates the ancient Roxbury family and is probably the reason why the municipal government ordered Paul added to the Gore Street in Jamaica Plain to prevent confusion.”
Left: Detail of the 1843 Map of The City of Roxbury, Charles Whitney, cr. Right: Detail of the Map of the City of Boston and Immediate Neighborhood, Henry McIntyre cr. Boston Public Library, Norman B. Leventhal Map Center
“…a happy side effect of the Revolutionary War was that Britain became exceedingly interested in the Boston Area and commisioned a number of maps to be made, the most famous of which is likely the Pelham map.” (6)
A Plan of Boston in New England with its Environs Henry Pelham, cartographer, Francis Jukes, engraver, published 1777. (Image courtesy of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association).
Samuel Gore, The Second Generation
“John and Rhoda had ten children, and [we] descend from his son Samuel (1638 – 1692, although some sources list 1651 as [his] birth date). As we have seen in discussions of the original Homestead, many of the descendants of John Gore Jr stayed in the Boston region, whereas many of Samuel’s descendants spread across the Union. Although primogeniture [*] was not commonly practiced in the Northern colonies, there may still have been a difference in inheritance that led to this asymmetry.“
*primogeniture (noun) – the state or fact of being the firstborn of children of the same parents. – Law. the system of inheritance or succession by the firstborn, specifically the eldest son.
“Samuel was still relatively young when his father passed away in 1657, but his father’s property should have provided a launching pad for the young Samuel. His mother also received land, and in any case within two years was remarried to Lieutenant John Remington.
Samuel grew up to be a carpenter and, [and also did surveying work] like his father John Gore, served as selectman in Roxbury. In 1689, Samuel was one of the three officers in the military company from the town of Roxbury that took part in what you might consider a prelude to the Revolutionary War that would occur nearly a century later.”
The Houses of Stuart and Orange: King James II (reigned 1685 – 1688), Queen Mary II (reigned 1689 – 1694), and King William III (reigned 1689 – 1703). James II was ousted by Parliament less than four years after ascending to the throne. To settle the question of who should replace the deposed monarch, a Convention Parliament elected James’ daughter Mary II and her husband (also his nephew) William III co-regents, in the Glorious Revolution.
“In 1684, King Charles II revoked the charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony because the colonial leaders had refused [to] make administrative changes that would have brought the colony under tighter control of the Crown.”
In response, King James II–the successor to King Charles II after his passing in 1685–created the Dominion of New England and appointed [the] former governor of New York, Sir Edmund Andros, dominion. This was deeply unpopular among the colonists, and in 1689 there was an uprising in which 2000 militia members rose up and deposed Andros, eventually leading to the restoration of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.”
Note: The Dominion of New England is also revisited in The Gore Line — Four.
Observation: Having an education afforded John Gore the ability to be the “Writ” (the clerk) of the local Roxbury government. When you read the ancient records of Roxbury, you are reading our ancestor’s handiwork, see below. (7)
Inset excerpt from: The Town of Roxbury: its memorable people and places… Background image: The Expulsion of Sir Edmund Andros
Samuel Gore (1) Marries Elizabeth Weld
“At the age of 21, Samuel [on August 28, 1672]married Elizabeth Weld (1655-1717). [She was the] granddaughter of Captain Joseph Weld. Joseph Weld was one of the richest men in Massachusetts, and indeed the Weld family has a long distinguished history within the region (William Weld, governor of Massachusetts from 1991-1997, is the most famous living member of the Weld family). Given that the Weld and Gore families both had extensive land holdings in Roxbury, the families would have known each other well. Indeed, both Samuel and Elizabeth were born in Roxbury, with Samuel born four years earlier.”
During their marriage Samuel (1) and Elizabeth had seven children. All of the children were born in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
Abigail, born May 29, 1673 – died July 1675
John, born November 10, 1676 – died March 10, 1679
Child Gore born and died September 24, 1680
Samuel Jr. (2), October 20, born 1681 – died May 27, 1756 (We are descended from Samuel).
John, born June 22, 1683 – died November 12, 1720
Thomas, born August 16, 1686 – died October 17, 1689
Obadiah, born July 13, 1688 – died 8, 1721
Samuel Gore (1) lived his entire life in Roxbury. “He was Lieutenant in the Military Company of Roxbury in 1689, which took part in the revolution that overthrew the government of Sir Edmund Andros…” [Abbott, Courtright footnote]
Samuel Gore (1) death record, July 4, 1692.
He died on July 4, 1692 at age 41 and is buried at the Eliot Burying Ground in Roxbury, Massachusetts. (8)
The Weld Family Was Famous and Prosperous
Map of New England printed by John Seller John in 1675 CE, based on William Reed’s original survey of 1665 CE. Image courtesy of the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center.
“Elizabeth Weld was the daughter of John Weld (1630-1691) and Margaret Bowen (1623 – 1692). As was the case for most of these early colonists, her family traced their roots back to Wales and England. Captain Joseph Weld (1599–1646) was the youngest of the three brothers who immigrated from England. For his role in the Pequot War of 1637, the colonial legislature granted Weld 278 acres (1.13 km2) in the town of Roxbury. Captain Weld’s land is now much of present-day Jamaica Plain and Roslindale, and in particular the Arnold Arboretum. With the wealth generated from this grant, Joseph Weld became one of the first donors to Harvard and a founder of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts.”
After Samuel Gore died in 1692 Elizabeth (Weld) Gore married Benjamin Tucker in 1695. He died in 1713 and this left Elizabeth a widow once again. Ten years later in 1723 , aged 68, she married John Smith. Elizabeth (Weld) Gore Tucker Smith died in 1725. It is assumed that she is buried in the Eliot Burying Grounds with her family members. (9)
Women in Colonial America
Throughout the Gore narratives, we have been documenting what we can about our many ancestral grandmothers, but records are scarce. Sometimes we come upon source material that enlightens us as to what was expected of women from that era, and select a passage or two, to share. It can be difficult to understand and to not judge ancestors who held different beliefs from those we hold in the modern era.
A colonial woman’s main duty was to be married and bear as many children as possible to contribute to populating the new American country. It was common for women to have as many as six to twelve children by the time she was 40 – 45. Unfortunately, many of these children did not live into adolescence. A woman could have easily gone through her entire adulthood being pregnant and/or nursing a child. All too often many women died before reaching age 50.
“Women primarily worked at home.” (Illustration from Women in Colonial America, courtesy of Study.com).
In addition to bearing children a woman’s day of labor began at dawn and ended when the work was completed. From page 108 in Women of Colonial America…
“Wherever she lived, whether in a colonial town, on a farm or on the distant frontier, she began her day with a dizzying whirl of daily chores. Her family’s survival often depended upon her skills and efforts – her mastering housewifery.”
“Her duties included management of the house and yard which included dairy (milking, making cheese) planting and tending a kitchen garden, taking care of the hen house and often small animals such as a pig or goat. Of course, she also had to cook, clean the home, make the clothes and care for the children. If the children lived past infancy they were able to help with daily chores, including the farm work.”
Of course, some women did “make a name” for themselves. We have included the following information about Anne Hutchinson because we think it is interesting to understand how women with their own ideas were treated in the very early years of America. Additionally, our ancestor, Joseph Weld and his uncle, the Reverend Thomas Weld, are mentioned. Here is a very brief summary of her story from Women of Colonial America:
Free thought and expression did not go well for Anne Hutchinson.
Anne Hutchinson “A Woman Unfit for Our Society”
Excerpted from page 55:Will and Anne Hutchinson and their eleven children arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1634 as a part of the Puritan movement to America. At that time John Winthrop was the most powerful man, and minister, in the Colony.
“Puritans believed revelation came through scripture interpreted by a minister. Anne claimed God had revealed himself directly to her, a claim considered a vain and arrogant boast for a woman – she placed herself on an equal plane with her betters, the ministers.”
Free thought and expression did not go well for Anne Hutchinson.
On November 7, 1637 at age 46 and during her 16th pregnancy, Anne was tried by a jury of men led by John Winthrop because “she commented, interpreted and preached on church doctrine. She encouraged her followers to evaluate and question their ministers.”
“The men confronting Anne in the Cambridge meetinghouse that day saw a dangerous threat to authority, a woman who dabbled in matters not befitting a female. There was something dark, they thought, something of the devil in a woman so bold and sharp-tongued as Mistress Hutchinson.”
Anne was tried for her interpretation of God and her indiscretions to the men of the Puritan church. Her sentence “was to be banished from our jurisdiction as being a woman unfit for our society and are to be imprisoned till the court shall send you away.”
Portrait of John Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, date unknown . (Image courtesy of the World History Encyclopedia).
At this point in Anne’s trial, the Weld(s) are involved.
“That long cold winter Anne lived under house arrest at the home ofJoseph Weld.” (Captain) Joseph Weld was Elizabeth (Weld) Gore’s grandfather. He and his brother, Reverend Thomas Weld, were deeply involved with the Puritan church. Thomas Weld was one of the ministers who took part in Anne Hutchinson’s trial. Eventually, Anne and her family were expelled from Massachusetts Bay Colony and moved on to the Rhode Island Colony.
Other women were thought to be witches and went through some real terror.
The Examination of a Witch (1853), depicting the trial of Quaker preacher Mary Fisher in 1656. Oil on canvas, 97.8 x 137 cm (38.5 x 53.9 in). Image courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts, via Wikipedia Commons.
1692/1693: from Smithsonian Magazine — “The Salem witch trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts between early 1692 and mid-1693. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft—the devil’s magic—and 20 were executed.” (10)
Observation: Some of these Puritan ancestors don’t appear to be (as we would phrase it today) a barrel of laughs...
In Part 4 we will be continuing the story of the Gore(s), writing about the son Samuel Gore (2) and his wife Hannah Draper, covering two generations.
Following are the footnotes for the Primary Source Materials, Notes, and Observations
Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines : A Memorial Volume Containing the American Ancestry of Rufus R. Dawes, Vol. I, 1943 Compiled by Mary Walton Ferris https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/11708/Vol I. Gore Book pages: 320-325, Digital pages: 354-360/1773
The Town of Roxbury: its memorable persons and places, its history and antiquities, with numerous illustrations of its old landmarks and noted personages Francis Samuel Drake https://archive.org/details/townofroxburyits00drak For The Revolution of 1689: Book page 19, Digital page: 18/475
This is Chapter Two of eight. The years we will be covering are a period of 375 years, from circa 1272 to circa 1644. We’ve observed that some historical records for our family are scant prior to 1272, and we believe that this is due to the long term after-effects of the Plague of Justinian.
In Part One we looked at the long history of the Comyn family in Scotland, England, and Ireland, ending with Lady Eleanor Comyn. Her story is foundational to our family history because she is the first ancestor from this period that we can locate in a specific place at a specific time. Note: A few ancestors preceded her, but we have records neither for their years, nor their locations.
Observation: Sometimes, we think we are lucky to be here at all! Her history begins circa 1355, right after the lingering finish for the period of The Black Death.
The Plague of Justinian and the Second Plague, aka The Black Death
These three images show plague times in Europe. Left image: St. Sebastian pleads for those afflicted with plague during the 7th century plague of Pavia, by Josse Lieferinxe. Middle image: a plague doctor during the Black Death. Right image: Triumph of Death by Pieter Bruegel the Elder during the second plague.
The first plague, the Plague of Justinian in the 6th and 7th centuries is the first known attack on record, and marks the first firmly recorded pattern of plague. From historical descriptions, as much as 40% of the population of Constantinople died from the plague. Modern estimates suggest that half of Europe’s population died as a result of this first plague pandemic before it disappeared in the 700s.
The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causing the deaths of 75–200 million people, peaking in Europe from 1347 to 1351. Although the plague died out in most places, it became endemic and recurred regularly.
OK — so that history is very sobering and grim. Let’s lighten up a bit and look into the name origins for both the surnames Gore and Gower. (1)
Who’s Behind Door Number 1, Door Number 2, or Door Number 3?
Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation (surnamedb.com). In other words, it became important to know peoples’ occupation and possessions for tax purposes.
When it comes to understanding either the Gore surname, or the Gower surname, there are a dizzying amount of choices depending upon where you look. France, Germany, Wales, England… all of them contribute something to such a simple family name.
Let’s start with what either Gore, or Gower might mean. Many resources point to the belief that Gore describes a triangular piece of land:
Honestly, it doesn’t really matter if the family name of Gore / Gower came from one particular place. After a while, it’s like a bowl of Northern European soup where everything blends together into one tasty dish.
By the close of the 16th century, the spelling of the name in England had been formulated to that of Gore, although there were a few isolated exceptions. All of those bearing this name who came to New England, Maryland, and the Carolinas used the spelling of Gore. It seems that those coming to Virginia used the name Gore, as well as the variant spellings of Gower, Goar, Goare and Goore, probably due to lack of formal education not only by family members, but by those occupying positions at the church parishes and courthouses.
Eating Pigs (from London, British Library, Additional 18851, fol. 6r);
Finally here’s a unique file found at familysearch.com: “French: from Old French gore ‘sow’ (a word of allegedly imitative origin, reflecting the grunting of the animal), applied as a metaphoric occupational name for a swineherd…” (2)
Some Notes As We Begin…
When we are researching our ancestors we look at many samples of family trees, quite a few which have inaccurate dates for birth and death and sometimes mix up or add incorrect family members! [This is understandable when trying to find ancestors from long ago. A lot of research in very old documents and books have to be located and interpreted…even when written in Early English]. TheInternet Archive and Google Books have been invaluable for our research. We reference them in the footnotes so that others can look at them there if interested.
Then we begin the task of figuring out who is who, the approximate times they lived in, who they were related to, and where they lived.
All births and deaths are in England, unless noted otherwise.
The Gower family used the names Richard and Thomas for manygenerations. Don’t worry about being confused — it’s all sorted.
For an understanding of Manor House estates from this era, please see: The Bond Line, A Narrative — Two, under the subhead Slavery, The Feudal System, and the Manor System
For context, as the easiest way to understand the times within which our ancestors lived, we organize each section utilizing the various Houses of the English Monarchy.
We Begin in the Era of the Three King Edwards, 1272-1377
For this era, shown above are these PlantagenetKings of England: Edward I (reigned 1272-1307), Edward II (reigned 1307-1327), Edward III (reigned 1327-1377).
Richard 1, and Thomas 1 In the time of Edward I of England (reigned 1272-1307), genealogists have recorded that a man named Richard Gower (Richard 1) who lived in England. “A right ancient family whose pedigree is recorded in all the visitations…” taken from [The Landed Gentry by Burke]. We speculate that he may have arrived with William the Conqueror, but we do not have direct evidence of this. He had a son namedThomas Gower (Thomas 1), who married Margery.
Richard 2 In the time of Edward II (reigned 1307-1327),Thomas (Thomas 1) and Margery had a son named Richard Gower (Richard 2), named after his grandfather (Richard 1). This second Richard Gower married (unknown wife). In the time of Edward III (reigned 1327-1377), they had a son also named Richard Gower (Richard 3).
We have created this map of England circa 1450 to help locate where our ancestors lived at different times. The time period is: 1285 through 1644.
From 1337 until 1453: The Hundred Years’ War was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagenet and the French royal House of Valois. The Hundred Years’ War was one of the most significant conflicts of the Middle Ages. For 116 years, interrupted by several truces, five generations of kings from two rival dynasties fought for the throne of the dominant kingdom in Western Europe.
The next three succeeding Kings of England: The House of Plantagenet, Richard II (reigned 1377 – 1399), The House of Lancaster, Henry IV (reigned 1399 – 1413), Henry V (reigned 1413 – 1422).
Richard 3 Richard Gower (Richard 3) was born during the reign of Edward III – died (unknown date). He married Lady Elyanor Comyn, born (date unknown), from the Manor of Newbold Comyn, Warwickshire – died (unknown date). They had a son named Thomas Gower (Thomas 2) born during the reign of Edward III – died circa 1458.
You will find in The Gore Line – One, a helpful narrative, with footnotes, about the Comyns in Ireland and England. It is from this family group that we believe our ancestor, Elyanor (Comyn) Gower emerges. Through primary source documents, The Antiquities of Warwickshire Illustrated and The Visitation of 1569, we found references to Elyanor Comyn of Newbold Comyn. There is no mention of her parents. Using the references The Irish Comyns, by E. St. John Brooks and Notes on the Comyn Pedigree, by David Comyn we learned how, through the marriage of Elias Comyn and Joan, the location became known as “Newbold Comyn”. In the Antiquities of Warwickshire Illustrated, we found the following passage: “for it appears that in 8 H (Henry VIII) the moytie [one-half of the property] of this Mannour, with the moytie also of Poston-Underhill were past away by Robert Dineley, cosin [cousin?] to the said Elene, and Joan his wife, to Thomas Gower of Woodhall and his heirs”….
Since we do not have the date of this dealing other than the reference to Henry VIII, the Thomas Gower that was involved was most likely Thomas, second son of Thomas 6 and Anne (Washbourne) Gower and the 4th great-grandson of Elyanor (Comyn) Gower. We are left to speculate on why Thomas Gower stepped in and purchased one-half of the Manor of Newbold Comyn.
The Antiquities of Warwickshire Illustrated : from Records, Leiger-books, Manuscripts, Charters, Evidences, Tombes, and Armes : Beautified with Maps, Prospects, and Portraictures by Sir William Dugdale, 1605-1686, page 295.
Thomas 2 Thomas Gower (Thomas ) married Katherine Ward. Katherine was born (unknown date) – died (unknown date). They had two sons, Thomas Gower (Thomas 3) born circa 1375- died (unknown date), and Nicholas (dates unknown). Burke’s Landed Gentry describes Thomas 2 thus “resided at Woodhall in Norton juxta Kempsey co. Worcester, which is described by Habingdon as “Woodhall in Norton the fayre seat of the Gowers”. Thomas 2 served as the Escheator of Worcestershire during the reign of Henry V (reigned 1413-1422). (The medieval English escheator was a royal official who seized the goods and chattels of felons, fugitives and outlaws for the crown’s benefit.)
Thomas 3 Thomas Gowerof Woodhall (Thomas 3), was born circa 1375 in Woodhall, Worcestershire – died before 1431, in the same place. He married circa 1395 Lady Katherine, daughter of John, the Third Lord Sutton of Dudley. She was born circa 1380 – died circa 1431 in Woodhall. In the time of Henry VI (reigned 1422-1461 and 1470-1471), they had a son named Thomas Gower (Thomas 4).
Thomas 3 was also an Escheator of Worcestershire: Excerpted from British History Online— “Thomas Gower, escheator of Worcestershire in 1419-20, settled it (Woodhall) in 1410 upon himself and his wife Katherine, in whose right he appears to have held it… She was, according to a pedigree of the Gower family given in the Visitation of Worcestershire, 1569, a daughter of Lord Dudley… Habington mentions that he has seen in a book of the bishopric of Worcester the Lady Dudley called lady of Woodhall… Thomas Gower died before 1431, and his widow married John Finch, who is called ‘of Woodall’ in 1431.”
The House of Lancaster, King Henry VI (reigned 1422-1461 and 1470-1471), The House of York, King Edward IV (reigned 1461 -1470 and 1471 – 1483), King Edward V (reigned 1483).
Thomas 4 Thomas Gower (Thomas 4), Lord of the Manor of Crookbarrow and Woodhall, was born circa 1398 – died circa 1440. He married Alice, daughter of John Attwood of Northwick, Worcestershire in 1422. She was born (unknown date) – died circa 1470 in Worcester, Worcestershire. They had a son named Thomas (Thomas 5).
From the book, The Attwood Family with Historic Notes & Pedigrees, page 17.
Thomas Gower 5 was born in the time of King Henry VI (reigned 1422-1461 and 1470-1471). He had five brothers.
Thomas 5 (We are descended from Thomas 5).
Richard
Robart
William
John
Humfrey
Contemporary planning map for Worcestershire, England showing the ancient sites of Crookbarrow Manor and Woodall.
Sir Thomas Gower (Thomas 5) Lord of the Manor of Woodhall, married circa 1470 Lady Anne, daughter of Lord Norman Washbourne of Stanford, Wichenford, Worcestershire, and Margaret Lepoor, Heiress of Wichenford. Lady Anne was born circa 1455 – died (unknown date). (3)
They had eight children — five sons and three daughters:
John Gower
Thomas
Frauncis
Robart
Richard (4) (We are descended from Richard 4).
Anne
Margery
Margarett
The End of the Plantagenet Reign and The Beginning of The Tudor Reign
The House of York, King Richard III (reigned 1483-1485, The House of Tudor, King Henry VII (reigned 1485-1509, King Henry VIII, (reigned 1509-1547).
From 1455 until 1487: The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and for more than a century after, as the Civil Wars, were a series of internal wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century.
1492: Christopher Columbus, an Italian navigator, began his initial voyage (the first of four voyages), across the Atlantic ocean sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, opening the way for the widespread European exploration and colonization of the Americas. His expeditions were the first known European contact with the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
Richard Gower (Richard 4), born circa 1480 – Woodhall, Worcestershire – died May 11, 1543. He married circa 1501 Cornelia Bronson, born circa 1485 in Earls Colne, Essex – died circa 1550. They had a son, Richard (Richard 5).
Observation: In records for this generation and those following, we noticed that the family surname was transitioning in general. This was likely due to record-keeping and errors from different locations and periods. The name was anglicized, (to alter to a characteristic English form, sound, or spelling), similar to this pattern: Gower > Goare > Goore > Gore.
Richard Goare (Richard 5), born in Nether Wallop, Hampshire, circa 1500 – died May 21, 1543, in the same location. He married Elizabeth Stephenson circa 1523. She was born circa 1506 in Waltham Abbey, Great Waltham, Essex – died August 19, 1551 in Chichester, Sussex. Records vary, but they may have had four children: Dates are approximate.
Elizabeth, born 1523
Nicholas, born 1524 – died 1561 (We are descended from Nicholas).
Michael, born 1529 – died 1604
John, born 1532
Observation: We noted that Cornelia Bronson’s husband, Richard Gower (Richard 4) died May 11, 1543, and her son Richard (Richard 5) died ten days later, on May 21, 1543. With both of these deaths coming so close in time, they may be linked to the spread of the plague in 1543, in one of its recurrent phases.
Henry VIII’s idea of social distancing was seven miles.
There was plague and ‘great death’ in the capital [London] in 1543, when a proclamation forbade Londoners from coming within seven miles of the King.
Alison Weir “Ramping up the proclamations – how Henry VIII dealt with epidemics” via Culturefly
1534: For reasons not only to do with his marital situation, Henry VIII broke with Rome, the Pope and the Catholic Church. At the time the Catholic monasteries (and abbeys, priories, convents and friaries) owned over a quarter of all the cultivated land in England. Henry declared himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England and as such he had the authority to do what he wanted with all this church estate. He took possession of their assets. The Pope retaliated by excommunicating Henry in 1538. (Henry continued his plunder and pillage, breaking up over 850 monasteries in total.) Observation: In this chaos, records again were lost.
The House of Tudor, King Edward VI (reigned 1547 – 1553), [Sorry, we skipped over Jane Grey, the 9-day Queen], Queen Mary I (reigned 1553 – 1558), Queen Elizabeth I (reigned 1558 – 1603).
Nicholas Goore, Gentleman, born circa 1524 in Nether Wallop, Hampshire – died November 7, 1561 in the same location. On November 13, 1549 he married Dorothy Thistlewaite. She was born 1532 in Trowbridge, Mendip, Wiltshire and died after 1582 in Nether Wallop, Hampshire. It is not established specifically how many children they had. We do know they had at least one son, William Goore (William 1).
William Goore, Gentleman, (William 1), was born December 21, 1550 in Nether Wallop, Hampshire – died November 9 or 11, 1587 in the same location. He married Joan Pittman (date unknown). She was born circa 1562 at or near Nether Wallop, Hampshire – died circa 1610 in Nether Wallop, Hampshire.
From William Goore’s published Will, we know that they had nine children:
William
Richard (Richard 6) (We are descended from Richard).
John
Nicholas
William, The Younger
Agnes
Elizabeth
Barbara
Margery
The 1587 will of William Goore of Nether Wallop The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 40, 1886, page 38
Richard Goare, Gentleman (Richard 6) born circa 1581 at Nether Wallop, Hampshire – died January 3, 1643 in Southampton, Hampshire. He married Elizabeth Mainwaring circa 1599 in Waltham Abbey, Essex, England. She was born circa 1582 in the area of Waltham Abbey, Essex – died after 1643 in Southampton, Hampshire. Her father Oliver, of Windleshaw of Lancashire Manwaring, claimed to be a Descendant of Charlemagne. Oliver also immigrated to the American British Colonies because he died in Port Tobacco, Charles, Maryland Colony. Elizabeth’s mother Margaret Tarbock (or Torbock), claimed descendancy from King Edward I.
Richard was a leading sergemaker (clothier) in Southampton, England. In 1610, he was one of the overseers of the poor in the Parish of All Saints of Southampton. They may have had at least four children:
Thomas, born circa 1602 – died June 1646
John (John 1), born 1606 (We are descended from John 1).
William, born 1611
Margaret, born 1614
* Observation: Due to the ongoing repetitive nature of many of our grandfathers first names, we have been numbering them throughout to keep them sorted. Henceforth, as our history shifts to the British Colonies in America, John Gore will be designated as “John 1” (to start fresh).
The wax seal referred to above, likely looked similar to this example. It belonged to Thomas Gore (1631 -1684), ofAlderton in Wiltshire.
Now located in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (upcoming in The Gore Line — Four), John Gore 1 was living in Massachusetts when his father, Richard 6, died. He was the executor of his father’s Will, and in 1644 he was required to send a letter to Attorney Joseph Browne of Halster, Southampton, England to prove [his father] Richard’s will, about December 23, 1644.
Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines : A Memorial Volume Containing the American Ancestry of Rufus R. Dawes, page 320
Richard Gore’s Will, from — sites.rootsweb.com: “Richard Gore left a will dated 6 January 1643 that was written at Nether Wallop, Hampshire, England, and bears the wax seal with the Gore Coat of Arms consisting of three bulls’ heads with sabre and crescent.
He gave to son Thomas GOARE the living at Baddesley in the County of Southampton, “… wherein I lately lived together with all my cattle and the corn in the barns, and all the corn now standing or growing upon the ground there, and also one furnace now standing in the house together with the one half of all my goods of household stuff; also 200 pounds*. Give to wife Elizabeth GOARE the other half of all my household goods and implements of household, together with all my wool and yarn and 200 pounds*. [At this point in history, wool was England’s most valuable export]. Give to servants, three ministers of the towns of Southampton videlt[?] and Baddesley & the poor of those towns. All the rest of goods and chattles unbequeathed after expenses and legacies paid to eldest son John GOARE, sole executor. Well beloved friends Mr. John MAYOR and Mr. Nicholas CAPELIN the executors in trust. Wits. Augustine FULL, Mary MAUGER, Ffran. WEEKES.”
* The values of 200 pounds sterling equals about $58,000 today. Some researchers estimate that his total wealth was closer to 800 pounds…
At this point in our narrative, their association with England shifts gears. Much more happens to these ancestors — a tiny bit more in England, and then on to the British Colonies in America. (4)
We believe that Grog is definitely not one of Gore surname spellings. Borrowed from The Far Side by Gary Larson Copyright 2019-2022 by FarWorks, Inc. Thanks Gary!
Following are the footnotes for the Primary Source Materials, Notes, and Observations
The Plague of Justinian and the Second Plague, aka The Black Death
Wales “This ancient and distinguished surname, with several notable entries in the National Biography, may be either of Welsh or English (Norman) origin. As a Welsh surname Gower is locational from the Gower or Gwyr peninsula, in West Glamorgan, Wales, and the first recording from this source is particularly early.
England The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Walter de Guher, which was dated 1130, in the “Pipe Rolls of Carmarthenshire”, during the reign of King Henry 1, known as “The Lion of Justice”, 1100-1135.
Among the earliest records of the family in England are those of William ad le Gorwege of Cambridge in the year 1273; those of Allan atte Gora of Essex in 1292; those of Thomas de la Gore of Suffolk in 1292; those of Simon atte Gore of Somersetshire in 1327; those of Richard Gorwaye of Somersetshire in 1327; and those of Thomas Pegrim Gore and Mary Gore also of Somersetshire in 1367.
There is a further place called Gower north west of Eastry in Kent from which the name may also conceivably derive, as surname recordings are particularly prevalent in 16th Century Church Registers of Kent and Surrey. John Gower was christened at Farnham, Surrey, on September 22, 1552, and on June 9, 1591, Katherine Gower and Thomas Henshaw were married at Waldershare, Kent.
France There are three Norman origins for the modern surname Gower: the first of these is regional for someone who came from the district north of Paris, known in Old French as “Gohiere”; the second is locational from any of the various places in Northern France called Gouy (from the Gallo-Roman personal name “Gaudius”, with the addition of the Anglo-Norman French suffix “-er”).
Probably also from a familiar / vernacular form of the personal name Grégoire, shortened to Gore. In the United States, the Americanized form of Dutch Goor and Breton Gour .
Germany Finally, Gower may derive from a Norman personal name “Go(h)ier”, an adoption of the Old German “Godehar”, composed of the elements “gode”, good, and “heri, hari”, army.
JSTOR The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland Vol. 86, No. 2 (1956), pp. 170-186 (17 pages) The Early Irish Comyns by E. St. John Brooks https://www.jstor.org/stable/25509253
The Antiquities of Warwickshire Illustrated: From Records, Leiger-Books, Manuscripts, Charters, Evidences, Tombes, and Armes : Beautified with Maps, Prospects, and Portraitures by Sir William Dugdale and Wenceslaus Hollar https://archive.org/details/antiquitiesofwar00dugd/page/294/mode/2up Book pages: 295-296, Digital Pages: 294-295/826
For the three bulls seal] Thomas Gore (1631 -1684) https://armorial.library.utoronto.ca/stamp-owners/GOR007 ” Thomas Gore, of Alderton in Wiltshire, was the third son of Charles Gore, of Alderton, and Lydias, daughter and heir of William White, citizen and draper of London”.
Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines : A Memorial Volume Containing the American Ancestry of Rufus R. Dawes, Vol. I, 1943 Compiled by Mary Walton Ferris https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/11708/Vol I. Gore Book pages: 320-325, Digital pages: 354-360/1773
This is Chapter One of eight. We’ve documented very little from our mother’s side of the family, until now. Her “roots” (as she used to say), were from a “proud, noble people”. We’re not sure what she was getting at specifically, but in her mind’s eye, she probably pictured history similar to the way that mid-century Hollywood movies portrayed it.
A scene from the Metro-Goldwn-Mayer movie Plymouth Adventure, circa 1952.
We do know that she was quite the enthusiast for her genealogy studies, as was her mother before her. Their time existed before online research was possible, so it limited what they were able to achieve. As we all know, the world has changed a lot, and we have taken up the mantle to continue in our own way, what they started. (1)
Sometimes Our Ancestral Grandmothers Are More Interesting Than Our Ancestral Grandfathers
Human societies weren’t always male-dominated. The switch came when we became farmers — about 12,000 years ago in the Mesopotamian region. That was a long time ago, and the transition from egalitarian family unit to a patriarchal family structure was not something that happened overnight.
After years of researching our family lines, we have most often dealt with the histories of men. This is due to the fact that the men are the ones whose stories were / are often recorded, and most of the time we don’t hear the stories about the women. When we do find their stories, they tend to be within the last few hundred years, but generally speaking, they are rare.
A woodcut depicting agriculture farming 13th century. Image courtesy of alamy.com
Interestingly in genealogy, a woman’s name can provide a valuable link to an entire family history that had remained hidden. So it is with our 20x Great-Grandmother Lady Elyanor Comyn. She lived circa 1355, and was married to Richard Gower. Her life provides the foundational link that connects our family to Scottish Royalty and the Noble Class from that part of the world. We write about her influence in The Gore Line, A Narrative — Two.
We will commence with the history of her forefathers, but remember, the foremothers are quietly there too. (2)
What’s in a Name? For this blog chapter, we are presenting a deep history of the Scottish Kings and Rulers to provide historical context. Eventually, we will relate this to the ComynFamily and our own history.
Note: many of the personal names and place names written in this history are difficult for the modern reader to read and pronounce. Don’t worry about it. These names are from very old languages: Scots, and Scottish Gaelic. Just let the names wash over you as you read the history — it’s more fun that way!
The Kingdom of The Picts… The Kingdom of Alba… The Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of the Picts just became known as the Kingdom of Alba in ScottishGaelic, which later became known in Scots and English as Scotland; the terms are retained in both languages to this day. By the late 11th century at the very latest, Scottish kings were using the term rex Scottorum, or King of Scots, to refer to themselves in Latin.
Illustration of typical Pict clothing, circa 1000. (Image courtesy of Merlin’s Tales of Britannia Wiki).
“Pictish kingship didn’t pass from father to son but from relative to relative through choice. Some scholars have speculated that royal blood wasn’t patrilineal for the Picts, but matrilineal, meaning that the women of the clan (sisters, nieces, etc.) were the only ones who could give birth to kings.
Matrilineality allowed the Picts a larger pool of kingly candidates to choose from, as opposed to one or two sons of a single monarch. Although scholars aren’t completely sure exactly how the Picts chose their kings, it’s worth noting that if power passed through the mother’s bloodline, this didn’t necessarily mean that women were given more power in society.”
The reign of Kenneth MacAlpin begins with what is often called the House of Alpin, an entirely modern concept. The descendants of Kenneth MacAlpin were divided into two branches; the crown would alternate between the two, the death of a king from one branch often hastened by war or assassination by a pretender from the other. [Note: This is important to understand, that these two intertwined lines give us the early Kings of Scotland. We have documented Elyanor’s Comyn’s line through direct descendancy as much as possible.]
For Scottish Kings, an illustration of the Stone of Scone in the Coronation Chair at Westminster Abbey, 1855
Note: All births and deaths are in Scotland, unless noted otherwise.
Alpín macEchdach From wikipedia.com: Alpín macEchdach, born 778 at Dunollie Castle, Argyll – died (unknown date). He was a supposed king of Dál Riata, an ancient kingdom that included parts of Ireland and Scotland. Alpín’s mother was the sister and heiress of Causantín macFergusa, King of the Picts. Alpín married a ‘Scottish Princess’, and fathered two sons: Domnall mac Ailpín and Kenneth MacAlpin.
Alpín macEchdach, born (date unknown) – died in July or August 834, when he was either killed while fighting the Picts in Galloway, or beheaded after the battle. He was succeeded by his son Cináed Mac Ailpin, i.e. Kenneth macAlpin.
Illustration of Kenneth macAlpin (Image courtesy of britroyals.com).
Kenneth macAlpin, Cináed macAilpin, born 810 on the ‘Scottish’ Isle of Iona – died February 13, 858, in Forteviot, Perthshire. Kenneth I is traditionally considered the founder of Scotland, which was then known as Alba, although like his immediate successors, he bore the title of King of the Picts. The name of his wife is unknown, but they had four children:
Causantín macCináeda, Constantine I, King of Alba
Áed of the White Flowers macCináeda, King of Alba
Unknown daughter; she married Rhun ab Arthgal
Máel Muire ingen Cináeda; she married Áed Findliath
Succession in the kingdom was carried out in the form of tanistry* so Kenneth’s successor was his brother Donald, rather than his eldest son. After the death of Donald I (Domnall MacAilpín), the sons of Kenneth I — Causantín macCináeda and Áed macCináeda, inherited the crown. The Alpínid dynasty, which ruled Scotland until the beginning of the 11th century, was formed during this period.
*Tanistry is a Gaelic system for passing on titles and lands. In this system the Tanist is the office of heir-apparent, or second-in-command, among the (royal) Gaelic patrilineal dynasties of Ireland, Scotland and Mann.
Donald I / Constantine I, King of Alba (Image courtesy of The National Galleries of Scotland).
Donald I, Causantín macCináeda He inherited the throne upon the death of his uncle Donald I (Domnall MacAilpín), April 13, 862. Often known as Constantine I, born circa 862 – died in 877, possibly in Fife, Scotland. At the time, his Kingdom was battling the Vikings. The name of his wife is unknown,but they had a son: Donald II (Domnall macCausantín), King of the Picts of Alba.
Donald II, King of The ‘Scottish Picts’ of Alba. (Image courtesy of The National Galleries of Scotland).
Donald II, Domnall macCausantín Donald II, King of The ‘Scottish Picts’ of Alba, born 862 Forres, Moray – died in the same location in 900, in a battle with invading Dane Tribes. His death in 900 marks the transition for the use of Picts as a title, to Scots as a title. He married circa 887 Lady Sigurd Orkney (location unknown). They had one son: Máel Coluim macDomnaill. The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba has Donald succeeded by his cousin Constantine II.
Malcom I King of Alba, Mael Coluim macDomnaill was the son of Donald II. Born October 5, 887, Auchencairn, Kirkcudbrightshire – died December 3, 954, at Dunnottar Castle, Fordoun, Kincardineshire. He became king when his cousin Constantine II abdicated the throne to become a monk. Like the generations before him, he also died a violent death in battle. The name of his wife is unknown, but they had two children: Dubh mac Mhaoil Chaluim (Dub), King of Alba (Scotland), and Kenneth II, King of Alba(Scotland), Cináed macMaíl Coluim.
Kenneth II King of Alba (Scotland), Cináed macMaíl Coluim, (Image courtesy of Hulton Archive/Getty Images).
Kenneth II King of Alba (Scotland), Cináed macMaíl Coluim, born (unknown date) – died 995, was Kingof Scots from 971 to 995. The son of Malcolm I, he succeeded King Cuilén (Cuilén mac Iduilb) on the latter’s death in 971. The name of his wife is unknown.
According to John of Fordun (14th century), Kenneth II Alba (Scotland) attempted to change the succession rules, allowing “the nearest survivor in blood to the deceased king to succeed“, thus securing the throne for his own descendants. He reportedly did so to specifically exclude Constantine (III) and Kenneth (III), called Gryme in this source. The two men then jointly conspired against him, convincing Lady Finella, to kill the king. She reportedly did so to achieve personal revenge, as Kenneth II had killed her own son. Again, we don’t have a record of his wife’s name, but we know that he had at least one son, Máel Coluim macCináeda, Malcom II of Scotland.
Malcolm II, Máel Coluim macCináeda, of Scotland. (Image courtesy of scotclans.com).
Malcolm II of Scotland, Máel Coluim macCináeda Malcolm II of Scotland was the last king of the House of Alpin. Born circa 954 (location unknown) – died November 25, 1034 in Glamis. The name of his wife is unknown.
He demonstrated a rare ability to survive among early Scottish kings by reigning for 29 years. He was determined to retain the succession within his own line, but since Malcolm II had no son of his own… He strategically undertook to negotiate a series of dynastic marriages of his three daughters, to men who might otherwise be his rivals, while securing the loyalty of the principal chiefs, their relatives. His daughters were:
Bethóc ingen Maíl Coluim meic Cináeda, married Crínánof Dunkeld, mother of his successor, Duncan I.
Donalda, married Findláech of Moray, mother of Macbeth, King of Scotland
Olith, married Sigurd Hlodvirsson, Earl of Orkney, mother of Thorfinn the Mighty
In his reign, Malcom II successfully crushed all opposition to him and, having no sons, was able to pass the crown to his daughter’s son, Duncan I,Crínán of Dunkeld, who inaugurated the House of Dunkeld.
Bethoc Beatrix, Bethóc ingen Maíl Coluim meic Cináeda Sometimes referred to as a princess of Scotland, this mother of the future Duncan I of Scotland, Donnchad Mac Crínáin, was the daughter of Malcolm II of Scotland. She was born circa 984 in Perth, Perthshire – died circa 1045 in the same location. She was married to the Crínán of Dunkeld, who was also known as Crinan de Mormaer.
Abbot Crínán of Dunkeld, who was also known as: Crinan de Mormaer and Mormaer of Atholl Artwork: Oil on canvas by Netanel Miles-Yepez, 2006
Crínán of Dunkeld, born circa 976/980 (unknown location) – died 1045 (unknown location) was the hereditary abbot of the monastery of Dunkeld, and perhaps the Mormaer of Atholl. Crínán was progenitor of the House of Dunkeld, the dynasty which would rule Scotland until the later 13th century. He was the son-in-law of one king, and the father of another.
The House of Dunkeld (in Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Chailleann) is a genealogical construct to illustrate the clear succession of Scottish kings from 1034 to 1040 and from 1058 to 1286. The line is also variously referred to by historians as “The Canmores” and “MacMalcolm”.
Bethoc Beatrix and Crínán of Dunkeld had two sons: Duncan I of Scotland, Donnchad Mac Crínáin, (as mentioned above) and Maldred mac Crínán, Earl of Dunbar, Lord of Cumbria & Allerdale, born 1015 – died 1045.
Duncan I of Scotland, Donnchad Mac Crínáin (Image courtesy of ancestry.com).
Duncan I of Scotland, Donnchad mac Crinain, born circa 1001 (unknown location) – died August 14, 1040 in Bothnagowan. He was king of Scotland from 1034 to 1040. He married Sibylla of Northumbia (anglicized as Sibyl Fitzsiward), born circa 1009/1014 (unknown location) – died 1070 (unknown location). They had three children:
Malcolm III of Scotland, also known as Máel Coluim mac Donnchada and Malcolm Canmore, died 1093
Donald III of Scotland, also known as Domnall Mac Donnchada and Donalbain
Máel Muire, Earl of Atholl, also known as Melmare
He is the historical basis of the “King Duncan” in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. The early period of Duncan’s reign was apparently uneventful, perhaps a consequence of his youth. His cousin Macbeth (Mac Bethad mac Findláich) is recorded as having been his dux, today rendered as “duke” (and meaning nothing more than the rank between prince and marquess) — but then still having the Roman meaning of “war leader”. This suggests that Macbeth may have been the power behind the throne.
In 1039, Duncan led a large Scots army south to besiege Durham, but the expedition ended in disaster. Duncan survived, but the following year he led an army north into Moray, Macbeth’s domain, apparently on a punitive expedition against Moray. There he was killed in action, at the battle of Bothnagowan, by the men of Moray led by Macbeth, probably on August 14, 1040. He is thought to have been buried at Elgin, before later relocation to the island of Iona. (3)
Let’s Talk About William Shakespeare for a Moment
The first page of Macbeth from the First Folio of William Shakespeare, 1623. (Image courtesy of wikipedia.com).
All of us are familiar with the name Macbeth from the writings of William Shakespeare. Even though it is a beautiful work of fiction, it is rather intriguing to know that it involves (in name only) some of the people from the Gore family line.
From IPL, the Internet Public Library: “William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, turned what people knew as Scottish history into a powerful act of betrayal; a madman murdering a good king out of greed. Shakespeare wrote Macbeth for [the] reigning king of England, King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) who had a strong belief in all things dark and supernatural, like witches.
Macbeth includes multiple historical characters, all previous kings of Scotland; but why? Shakespeare uses the characters King Duncan, King Macbeth, and King Malcolm to explore the royalty of Scotland throughout time and to appease the king with a dark story about history.”
The ‘Chandos Portrait’ of William Shakespeare, The National Portrait Gallery. (Image courtesy of wikipedia.org).
Furthermore, why did Shakespeare pick a real Scottish King to be the protagonist of his play Macbeth and then not use his actual history?
Because he was forced to.
Shakespeare was commissioned to write a play for James I, who incorrectly believed that he was descended from Banquo. Of course, Banquo is a fictional character.
He had to write a play about what happens to someone who kills a king, or what James I believed should happen to someone who kills a king. After all, the Catholics had unsuccessfully plotted to kill him [in the Gunpowder Plot].
Joseph Langford, author of Macbeth – Chapters Unspoken at My House
Observation: Shakespeare wrote the play Macbeth in 1606, about 600 years after Duncan I of Scotland, Donnchad Mac Crínáin was born. For perspective, we are yet another 400+ years distant from Shakespeare. (4)
Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses, Lords and Ladies
Portrait of Donald III of Scotland, by George Jamesone. (Image courtesy of wikipedia.org).
Donald III of Scotland The second son of Duncan I of Scotland, and Sibylla of Northumbia, Sibyl Fitzsiward, was Donald III of Scotland also known as Domnall mac Donnchada and Donalbain [now that’s a mouthful!]. He was born circa 1034, Atholl, Perth – died 1099, Rescobie {prison], Angus. In 1059, he married Hextilda fitz Andlaw of Perth in Rescobie, Angus. She was born in 1040, Perth – died 1100, in Argyll (unknown date). They were the parents of one daughter: Bethoc Ingen Domnail Bane, Princess of Scotland.
Following his father’s death, Donald went into hiding in Ireland for 17 years, for fear that he would be killed by Macbeth. It was during this time that Malcolm’s grandfather, Crinan of Dunkeld, who was married to Malcolm II’s daughter, was killed fighting Macbeth. The minor character of Donalbain in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth represents Donald III.
1072: William The Conqueror invades Scotland. This forced the Royal Court of Malcolm III to sign the Treaty of Abernethy. The extended result was that Scotland became a liege state (subordinate) to William the Conqueror’s England.
The Purple Thistle, the floral symbol of Scotland. (Image courtesy of Alamy.com).
Bethoc Ingen Domnail Bane, Tynedale, Princess of Scotland, born 1087, Morayshire, Scotland – died 1160 Perthshire, Scotland. She married Uchtred de Tyndale, Lord of Tynedale, about 1121, in Morayshire, Scotland. They were the parents of at least four sons and one daughter:
Ranulf of Tynedale, born 1113 – (unknown date)
Simon of Tynedale, born 1115 – (unknown date)
Adam of Tynedale, born 1117 – (unknown date)
Robert Untried de Tynedale, born 1120 – (unknown date)
Hextilda of Tynedale, 1122 – 1182
Through Hextilda’s marriage, we will meet the very powerful Comyn family of medieval Scotland. Although Hextilda was not a ruler, in this line she is the first iconic and significant Grandmother we have found. This echos our premise from the introduction, that “sometimes Our Ancestral Grandmothers are more interesting than our Ancestral Grandfathers”. (5)
All Things in Comyn: The Origins of the Clan Comyn in England and Scotland
The Comyn surname is of Norman origin. It is either a place-name possibly derived from Comines, near Lille, in France, or possibly derived from Bosc-Bénard-Commin, near Rouen in the Duchy of Normandy.
This clan is believed to descend from Robert de Comyn, (or Comines, or Comminges), a companion of William the Conqueror who accompanied him in his conquest of England in the year 1066. Shortly after his participation in the Battle of Hastings, Robert was made Earl of Northumberland, and when David I came to Scotland to claim his throne, Richard de Comyn, the grandson of Robert, was among the Norman knights that followed him.
This grandson, Richard de Comyn, quickly gained land and influence in Scotland through an advantageous marriage to the granddaughter of the former Scottish King Donald III, Hextilda of Tynedale. She was a Princess of Scotland.
The Purple Thistle, the floral symbol of Scotland. (Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com).
Hextilda of Tynedale Countess of Atholl, born 1122, Tindale, Northumberland, England – died 1182, Moulin, Perthshire. She married Richard de Comyn, born 1115 in Northalteron, Morayshire – died 1179, Altyre, Morayshire. The Justiciar of Lothian in 1145, Badenoch, Invernesshire, Scotland. The Justiciars of Lothian were responsible for the administration of royal justice in the province of Lothian. They had at least seven children:
Idonea de Comyn, born 1148 – (unknown date)
Odinel (Odo) de Commi, born 1150 – (unknown date)
John de Comyn, 1146 – 1152/1159
Christien, born 1160 – (unknown date)
Simon, born 1161 – (unknown date)
William Comyn, Earl of Buchan, Lord of Badenoch, born 1163 – died 1233
Ada, born – (unknown dates)
The Clan Comyn was very successful for centuries in Scotland, and it has been confusing to keep the names, titles, descendants, etc., properly sorted and noted for this blog chapter. This account from Electric Scotland has great merit for providing a credible record of their times. We cover their history up until the time of Elyanor Comyn and Richard Gower. (6)
The Clan Comyn
THERE WAS NO GREATER NAME in Scotland towards the end of the thirteenth century, than that of Comyn. With their headquarters in Badenoch the chiefs and gentlemen of the clan owned broad lands in nearly every part of Scotland, and the history of the time is full of their deeds and the evidences of their influence.
Writers who seek to derive this clan from a Celtic source cite the existence of two abbots of lona of the name who held office in the years 597 and 657 respectively. The latter of these was known as Comyn the Fair, and from one or another of them the name of Fort Augustus, “Ku Chuimein,” was probably derived. Another origin of the family is recounted by Wyntoun in his Cronykil of Scotland. According to this writer, there was at the court of Malcolm III, a young foreigner. His occupation was that of Door-ward or usher of the royal apartment, but, to begin with, he knew only two words of the Scottish language, “Cum in,” and accordingly became known by that name.
He married the only daughter of the king’s half-brother Donald, and his descendants therefore represented the legitimate line of the old Celtic kings of Scotland, as against the illegitimate line descending from Malcolm III. The Comyns themselves claim descent from Robert de Comyn, Earl of Northumberland, who fell along with Malcolm III, at the battle of Alnwick in 1093. That Robert de Comyn, again, claimed descent, through the Norman Counts de Comyn, from no less a personage than Charlemagne. The probability appears to be that a scion of the house of Northumberland came north in the days of Malcolm III, and obtained lands in the county of Roxburgh, where one ‘of the name’ is found settled in the reign of Malcolm’s son, David I.
Map of the erritories of Regional Rulers and other Lordships in Medieval Scotland, c. 1230. Image courtesy of wikipedia.com.
A few years later, in the reign of Alexander III, there were in Scotland, according to the historian Fordun, three powerful Earls: Buchan, Menteith, and Atholl, and no fewer than thirty-two knights of the name of Comyn. There was also Comyn, Lord of Strathbogie. As Lords of Badenoch they owned the formidable stronghold of Lochindorb in that district, and a score of castles throughout the country besides. Stories of their deeds and achievements well nigh fill the annals of the north of that time.
In the boyhood of Alexander III, when Henry III of England was doing his best by fraud and force to bring Scotland under his power — it was Walter Comyn, Earl of Menteith, who stood out as the most patriotic of all the Scottish nobles to resist the attempts of the English king.
When Henry, at the marriage of his daughter to the boy-king of Scots, suggested that the latter should render fealty for the kingdom of Scotland, it was probably Walter Comyn who put the answer into Alexander’s mouth “That he had come into England upon a joyful and pacific errand, and would not treat upon so arduous a question without the advice of the Estates of his realm.” And when Henry marched towards the Scottish Border at the head of an army, it was Walter Comyn who collected a Scottish host, and made the English king suddenly modify his designs. Alas! at the very moment when he seemed to have achieved his purpose, when the English faction had been driven out, and Alexander and the Comyns, with the queen-mother, the famous Marie de Couci, had established a powerful government in Scotland, the Earl of Menteith suddenly died.
William Comyn, Earl of Buchan, Lord of Badenoch grave marker. Image courtesy of findagrave.com.
William Comyn, Earl of Buchan, Lord of Badenoch William Comyn was Lord of Badenoch and Earl of Buchan. He was born 1163, in Altyre, Moray – died 1233 in Buchan, Moray, where he is buried in Deer Abbey.
William made his fortune in the service of King William I of Scotland fighting rebellions in the north. William witnessed no fewer than 88 charters of the king. and he was sheriff of Forfar (1195–1211). Between 1199 and 1200, he was sent to England to discuss important matters on King William’s behalf with the new king, John.
William was appointed to the prestigious office of Justiciar of Scotia, the most senior royal office in the kingdom, in 1205. Between 1211 and 1212, William, as Warden of Moray (or Guardian of Moray) fought against the insurgency of Gofraid mac Domnaill (of the Meic Uilleim family), whom William beheaded in Kincardine in 1213. Upon finally destroying the Meic Uilleim(s) in 1229, he was given the Lordship of Badenoch and the lands it controlled.
Deer Abbey is a Cistercian monastery in Buchan, Scotland founded by William Comyn, Earl of Buchan in 1219; where he is buried. Image courtesy of wikipedia.com.
William Comyn married two times. His first wife Sarah Fitzhugh (aka Sarah filia Roberti) born 1155/1160 – died 1204, married 1193. (Her birth, death, and marriage are unknown locations). Their children are:
Walter, Lord of Badenoch, born 1190 – died circa 1258, married Isabella, Countess of Menteith
Richard, Lord of Badenoch, born 1194-died 1249, married Eve Amabilia de Galloway
Jardine Comyn, Lord of Inverallochy, born 1190 (or before) – died (unknown location)
Johanna (aka Jean), born 1198 – died 1274, married 1220, Uilleam I, Earl of Ross
John Comyn, Earl of Angus, born – died (unknown dates), married Matilda, Countess of Angus (aka. Maud)
David Comyn, Lord of Kilbride, born (unknown date) – died 1247, married Isabel de Valoigne
William’s second wife and family are: Marjory (aka. Margaret), Countess of Buchan (aka Margaret Colhan of Buchan), born circa 1190/1194 – died 1244 (unknown locations). They married circa 1209/1212 in (unknown location).
Idonea (a.k.a Idoine), born circa 1215/1221, (unknown locations) married 1237, Gilbert de Haya of Erroll
Alexander, Earl of Buchan, born 1217 – died 1290, (unknown locations) married, Elizabetha de Quincy
William, born 1217 – died (unknown date)
Margaret, born 1215 – died (unknown date), married Sir John de Keith, Marischal of Scotland
Fergus, Lord of Gorgyn, born 1219– died 1260, married 1249 to (unknown wife)
Elizabeth, born 1223 – died 1267, (unknown locations) married Uilleam, Earl of Mar
Agnes, born 1225 (unknown location) – died (unknown date), married 1262, Sir Philip de Meldrum, Justiciar of Scotia
The Purple Thistle, the floral symbol of Scotland. (Image courtesy of Etsy.com).
Richard Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, the eldest son of William Comyn and Sarah Fitzhugh, is unique. There is little information about his life which has yet come to light. He appears to have continued the tradition of managing his family’s extensive landholdings and estates in England and South Scotland. When his brother Walter died in 1258, he was also bestowed the title Earl of Menteith.
He was born 1194, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland – died 1249, in the same location, and is buried in Kelso Abbey. He married Eve Amabilia de Galloway, born 1215, Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland – died 1280, (unknown locations). They had three sons:
Sir John I, The Red, Comyn, Lord of Badenoch
William Comyn, born 1227 – died 1258
Richard Comyn, born (unknown date) – died 1264
Comyn Family Crest
Sir John Comyn I Lord of Badenoch, was a land Baron known as Rufus and the Red Comyn, a nickname more commonly applied to his grandson, John Comyn III. He was born 1215 – died 1274, (unknown locations).
The Comyn family were important and powerful in Scotland when Alexander III of Scotland was a minor, and John was one of those with court influence. He was an ambassador from Alexander II of Scotland to Louis IX of France in 1246. On the death of his uncle Walter Comyn in 1258, he received all of Walter’s titles (as the new Lord of Badenoch) and estates, and became the head of his family. He was appointed justiciary of Galloway in March 1258 – 1259. John Comyn I was entrusted by Alexander III of Scotland with the defence of Scotland’s northern territories from invasion by the Vikings and the Danes.
His first wife was called Eve Stewart, born 1224 – died (unknown date); married 1240 (unknown location). They had seven children:
John of Badenoch, who succeeded his father
William of Kirkintilloch, born 1240 – died (unknown date); married Isabella Russell, daughter of John Russell and Isabella, Countess of Menteith
Alexander, married Eva, widow of Alexander Murray.
Marian, married Richard Siward
a daughter, married Geoffrey Moubray
a daughter, married Alexander of Argyll
a daughter, married Sir Andrew Moray
His second wife was Lady Alice de Roos (possibly Lindsay), born (unknown date) – died April 29, 1286; married circa 1260. They had four children:
John “le jeon” born 1260 – died (possibly) 1279
Robert, married Margaret Comyn (a cousin), daughter of William Comyn of Lochaber
a daughter, Alice
an unknown daughter, married Sir William Galbraith, 4th Chief of that Ilk, Lord of Kyncaith
John “le jean” Comyn II of Badenoch, nicknamed the Black Comyn, was a Scottish nobleman; a Guardian of Scotland. He was born 1215 (unknown location) – died 1302, Inverness, Scotland.
In 1284, he joined with other Scottish noblemen who acknowledged Margaret of Norway as the heir of King Alexander. John Comyn is credited with the building of several large castles or castle houses in and around Inverness. Parts of Mortlach (Balvenie Castle) and Inverlochy Castle. As his father before him, he was entrusted by Alexander III of Scotland with the defence of Scotland’s northern territories from invasion by the Vikings and the Danes.
From Electric Scotland [again]: On the death of the Maid of Norway, the infant queen of Scotland, in the year 1290, John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, known popularly as the Black Comyn, was one of the twelve claimants to the Scottish throne, and the tradition of the marriage of the young Comyn of Malcolm III’s time with the daughter of Donald, King Duncan’s legitimate son, is proved to be authentic by the fact that the Lord of Badenoch’s claim to the throne was based upon that descent. He was among the knights who supported King John Baliol against Edward I’s invasion in 1297, but was one of those forced to surrender in the castle of Dunbar after the defeat of the Scots at that place.
The ruins of Inverlochy Castle, painted by Horatio McCulloch in 1857. (Image courtesy of wikipedia.com).
Comyn married Eleanor (Alianora) de Balliol, born 1245 (unknown location) – died 1302 in Badenoch, Inverness, Scotland, at his castle of Lochindorb. She was the daughter of John I de Balliol of Barnard Castle, sister of King John of Scotland.
They were the parents of at least one son: John Comyn III of Badenoch.
A recovered badge that adorned the horse of Sir John Comyn, the Lord of Badenoch, found in a boggy field in Kinross. Image courtesy of The Jordan Family.
John Comyn IIIof Badenoch, nicknamed the Red, was born 1274 (unknown location) – died February 10, 1306, at Greyfriars Church, Dumfries.
He was a leading Scottish baron and magnate (a man of higher nobility) who played an important role in the First War of Scottish Independence. He served as Guardian of Scotland after the forced [1296] abdication of his uncle, King John Balliol (reigned 1292–1296), and for a time commanded the defence of Scotland against English attacks. At this time there were 12 or 13 contenders for the throne of Scotland through different birth lines: John Comyn III and Robert The Bruce among them. There was much tension in the air…
John Comyn III of Badenoch, married Lady Joan de Valence of Pembroke, born 1230 – died after September 20, 1307, (locations unknown) daughter of William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke, who was the half-brother to Henry III of England, and uncle of Edward I of England.
Robert The Bruce stabs John Comyn III to death before the high altar of the Greyfriars Church in Dumfries.
Bruce and Comyn met to discuss their differences on February 10, 1306 at the Church of the Grey Friars in Dumfries, leaving their swords outside the church. An argument between the pair ensued and Bruce drew his dagger in anger and stabbed Comyn in front of the high altar of the church. He then fled the church, telling his followers outside what had occurred. Sir Roger Kirkpatrick went back inside and finished off the seriously wounded Comyn, and also slew his uncle, Sir Robert Comyn, who tried to save John. A letter from the English court to the Pope stated –
‘Bruce rose against King Edward as a traitor and murdered Sir John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, in the church of the Friars Minor in the town of Dumfries, at the high altar, because John would not assent to the treason which Bruce planned… to resume war.. and make himself king of Scotland.’
It is unlikely that Bruce had gone to the meeting with the intention of murdering Comyn in a church. However, the deed was done and there was no going back. He proceeded to attack the strongholds of the Comyns in Southern Scotland. The Bruce confessed his crime to his supporter, Robert Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow, and received absolution, on condition that as King, he would be respectful of the church, he was, nonetheless, later excommunicated by the Pope for the act.
On March 25, 1306, Robert the Bruce, was crowned Robert I, King of Scots at Scone. John (III) the Red Comyn’s only son, died at the Battle of Bannockburn, while fighting on the English side. After the Battle of Bannockburn, the estates of the Scottish Clan Comyn were distributed to other families. (7)
Let’s Learn About The Irish Comyns
Parallel to the busy marriages, alliances, fighting, murdering, etc., that was going on with the Comyn families in England and Scotland, it seems that there is another aspect to this family which needs to be explained. There were also Comyn(s) living in Ireland.
From the journal article, The Early Irish Comyn’s, the author wrote: “There is little reason to doubt that the ancestors of the various Anglo-Irish families of Comyn (Cumin) in Ireland came to this country in the wake of John Comyn, the first Anglo-Norman archbishop of Dublin. John Comyn became archbishop in 1182 and died in 1212. No Comyn’s are known in Ireland before this time.”
He wrote further: “There is little doubt that a family contemporary with him, that of Comyn of Newbold Comyn, Warwickshire, Walcott, Wiltshire and Kinsaley, County Dublin* was closely related to him. It has been suggested that his family was ultimately the same as the great Scottish house of that name.”
Swords Castle was built for the Archbishops of Dublin in the 12th century. (Image courtesy of wikipedia.com).
We researched the Irish branch of the Comyn family and the history of Newbold Comyn, because we have come across files on several genealogy websites which purport to record that Lady Elyanor Comyn’s father was named Newbold Comyn. When studying these files, there is no documentation whatsoever to support this viewpoint. Additionally, this error keeps being repeated again-and-again by other would be tree-makers.
David Comyn, the author of Notes On The Comyn Pedigree, wrote: *“These land holdings came into the Comyn family through the marriage of Elias Comyn to the heiress Johanna, the heiress of Newbolt and Walcott in Warwickshire. In about 1293 he [Elias or Helias] was granted the lands of Kinsale by the Abbot of The Holy Trinity, Dublin to Elias Comyn circa 1281.” It seems however, the Elias’s older brother John was the first trustee of these holdings. We found the record of an agreement from 1246 – 1247, between John Comyn and Geoffrey de Semele, allowing the Comyn’s “the right to fish in the River Leam” at Newbold Comyn.
Our research has determined that Newbold Comyn, on the Eastern edge of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, has never been a person’s name. It is the location of a very old estate. From the Leamington History Group: “Newbold Comyn, in [the] Domesday [Book] is recorded as having 5 Hides of land (1 Hide is generally thought to be sufficient land to support 1 family). Newbold was divided between two landlords: 3 Hides were held by Malmesbury Abbey, the gift of the former owner Wulfwine, to enable him to retire to the Abbey as a monk. The remaining 2 were held by the Count of Meulan, a major landowner in Warwickshire.” (8)
The Domesday Book, 1085 Land of Malmesbury (St Mary), abbey of.., Warwickshire folio 3, page 3. Newbold [Comyn], 25 householdsThe Domesday Book, 1085 Land of Count of Meulan, Warwickshire folio 6, page 6. Newbold [Comyn], 25 households
Kith, Kin, and Clan
Your kith are the people you know very well, but who aren’t related to you. If you’re asking all of your best friends over for dinner, you can say that you’re inviting your kith. Your kin are “family” or “relatives”. Call them what you will, but you’re stuck with those people related to you by blood or marriage. It is a bit old-fashioned now, but when when someone refers to their kith and kin, they mean their friends and family.
A clan is an extended family. Your clan might include your parents and siblings, but also your cousins, and second cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. Families that are related to each other, whether through marriage or as distant cousins, are members of the same clan. If you get together with a big family group every summer, you can say [that] you vacation with your clan. In Scotland, a person’s clan has a specific name, like “Clan Comyn.” The word comes from the Gaelic clann, “family” or “offspring,” with the Latin root planta, “offshoot.”
Truthfully, we have not been able to determine exactly which specific branch of the Clan Comyn, Lady Elyanor Comyn emerged from. Her family represented lines of people from Flanders, Scotland, England, and Ireland — areas which came to be very important for our family history.
Sadly, the names of many, many daughters were not recorded and in a sense, they become submerged by recorded history. What we do know about our 20x Great-Grandmother is that she married Richard Gower. From their union, the Gore family line from which we descend, came to be. Her life provides the foundational link that connects our family across England in The Gore Line, A Narrative — 2. (9)
Following are the footnotes for the Primary Source Materials, Notes, and Observations
Family History of Philip Wilson Donald KING OF SCOTLAND (c. 860-900) Donald II, King of the Picts of Alba https://www.whobegatwhom.co.uk/ind1996.html Note: For his portrait.
JSTOR The Early Irish Comyns E. St. John Brooks The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland Vol. 86, No. 2 (1956), pp. 170-186 (17 pages) https://www.jstor.org/stable/25509253
Finally! We are within historical shouting distance of people that we have actually known earlier in our lives, and also some we know now in the present. This is Chapter Seven of seven: most of the narrative takes place in Ohio, as our family grows, changes, evolves, and adapts through the 20th century and moves into the 21st. Thanks for paying attention and riding along with us.
Thank God for Typewriters!
Over the last few years, as we have been working on this project, we have had our struggles with deciphering / interpreting / arguing over / pondering what some past record keepers have been thinking when they take note of things. We have had to interpret Latin, Old English, Middle English, Present Day English, etc., etc. However, nothing competes with the grim torture of having to interpret writing from a quill pen — especially when the person writing(?) seemed to be having a medical emergency. In this narrative, we move on to newly-invented fountain pens (the joy!) and typewriters (sheer ecstasy!).
Most of our ancestors could neither read, nor write until more-or-less the last 150 years, so they are not at fault. Many signed their names with an “X” or could just barely scratch out a signature. We don’t intend to rob them of their dignity, but finally, we are observing that many historical documents are now printed, or even written out on a typewriter. Happy days are here again! (1)
Jerry Lewis in”Who’s Minding The Store” from 1963.
A Succession of Guardians…
When Alexander Norton Bond died in October 1897, and his wife Ruth being previously deceased in 1890… the care of the younger Bond children left everyone in a bit of a quandary. Of the four children, the two older siblings very soon moved away.
The eldest son, Dean Linton Bond moved to Tennessee to become a Preacher. He married Emma Brooks on May 10, 1899. Emma, a young widow, brought her daughter, Bessie Russell, to the marriage. Dean and Emma had no children of their own. He died on December 5, 1933 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The next eldest, daughter Edna, moved when she was 19 to Glenville, a village on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio. (As recorded in the 1900 Census). On April 27, 1905, Edna married William C. Wickes, Jr. They had one child, a son named William Alexander Wickes, born July 17, 1908. Edna Jane (Bond) Wickes died November 10, 1964 in Columbus, Ohio. She and her husband are buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio.
Alexander Bond had an insurance policy with The Commercial Traveler’s Mutual Accident Association of Utica New York which would have benefited his children with $5000 in the case of his death by an accident. However, he died from the complications of a stroke, so the insurance policy didn’t pay out fully. [Mutual’s view, as they wormed their way out of this, was to state that a stroke is not an accident. This resulted in a lower payout of $2500.] Alexander had died without a Will, so this meant that the family home and all of the possessions had to be sold at auction to create a fund for the children’s welfare and upbringing.
Advertisement for The Commercial Traveler’s Mutual Accident Association of Utica New York. It is probable that Alexander Bond selected this insurance company because he was a traveling salesman.
This left the two younger children, Lily and Earl (both minors), in need of a guardian. In November 1897, the Guardianship of Lily, age 15, and Earl, age 9, was given to Alanson Wilcox, a family friend and preacher in the Disciples of Christ Church, within which their mother Ruth (Linton) Bond had been very active. A mere four months later, it seems Lily had moved to Glenville to be near her sister Edna. She became a boarder in the home of O.C. Pinney [Orestes Caesar — understandably, using initials must have made his life easier] and his wife Grace (Cowdery) Pinney at 33 Livingston Avenue, Glenville, Ohio.
Earl Alexander Bond, age 10. (Family photograph).
At the same time, the Guardianship for Earl Bond, age 10 (almost 11), was granted to Jared Dunbar. He did not live with Dunbar, but with his mother’s older sister Caroline Litten in Wells township, near Brilliant, Ohio. At that time she was a widow, about 63 years old. Also living in the home was her unmarried daughter Annie Litten. Annie was about 30 years old. On the 1900 Census, Caroline Litten is living in a home located between the homes of her son, the George Litten family, and her daughter, the Emma (Litten) Brindley family. It seems Earl was being raised with his Aunt Caroline’s family. Perhaps he felt somewhat more secure with these relatives around, after what he had been through.
South Main Street in Brilliant, Ohio, circa 1890s. (Image courtesy of http://www.ebay.com).
Observation: Our Grandfather Earl certainly lived with a lifelong sense of contained, but confusing, and frequent loss. This must have been quite hard for him as a little boy. His mother Ruth, died tragically in a train accident when he was 2 years old. His father Alexander, suffering with severe injuries from the same accident, died from a stroke when Earl was 9. Then his older siblings were not around, and he had a family friend as his Guardian for just four months. Very soon his sister Lily also left. At almost eleven years old, he had yet another new Guardian, Jared Dunbar.
From the Alexander Bond house sale, funds had been paid out to settle Alexander’s estate and death expenses, to Alanson Wilcox (for Guardianship), and to “Uncle” Jared Dunbar (for Guardianship) and hence, given to Aunt Caroline Litten. She collected quarterly payments for Earl’s care for about 2-1/2 years, but then she died in September 1901. (She was the third caregiver of Earl’s to die: mother, father, aunt). By December 1901, the records show that payments were being made to John Raymond Litten, another son of Caroline Litten. These payments continued until July 1903. During this period we are not sure whose home he resided in. (2)
This document from Alexander Bond’s probate papers, shows some of the household items that were sold at auction on May 10, 1899.
Life in the O. C. Pinney Home in Glenville, Ohio
At this time in 1903, payments for the Guardianship of Earl were now being made to attorney O. C. Pinney in Glenville, Ohio. This was an interesting development, and raised many… “speculative questions”.
About 1898, Lily had moved into that home as an ingenue boarder while she was attending school. The Pinneys were neighbors to the home where Lily’s older sister, Edna Bond, was boarding. At this time Lily was under the Guardianship of O. C. Pinney. He and his wife Grace liked having a “daughter” around the house. O. C. and Grace had four sons: Mark (born 1877 – died 1898), Warren (born 1880), Dean (born 1883), and Wallace (born 1894). Lily was right in the middle of this age group — two sons were older than her; two younger.
In September 1900, Grace Pinney died. By May 1901, Lily’s guardianship under O. C. Pinney ended when she turned eighteen.
Lily is our Great Aunt and we shall keep this in polite society out of respect for her, but still, something seemed to have shifted. On February 27, 1903, at 20 years old, Lily Victoria Bond married O. C. Pinney, who was 31 years older than her. Did Lily marry him out of gratefulness, or perhaps a need for stability? Why did O. C. marry someone who was the age that a daughter of his would likely have been? Did his sons call someone their own age “Mom”? We shall never know answers to these questions, but we remain curious. (3)
The marriage record for O. C. Pinney and Lily V. Bond, February 27, 1903. Note that the marriage was solemnized by Alanson Wilcox, the first Guardian of both Lily and Earl.
Earl Bond Had a Stuttering, or Stammering Problem
A family story has been shared over generations that Grandfather Earl had a stuttering problem that started when he was a young boy. The National Health Service website from the United Kingdom explains this condition well on their website.
What causes stammering? It is not possible to say for sure why a child starts stammering, but it is not caused by anything the parents have done. Developmental and inherited factors may play a part, along with small differences in how efficiently the speech areas of the brain are working.
The National Health Service of the United Kingdom
It would be quite logical to assume that stuttering and stammering could be triggered by a traumatic event, such as the train wreck he survived when he was a small child. With all of the consequential anxieties produced in the aftermath, his mother’s death, his father’s disability, his being shuttled around as a child… As his descendants, everyone knitted together something that made sense, and it took on a life of its own. Truly, we just don’t know what was going on back then. We can only look at the historical records and infer.
Sometime between July 1903 and 1904, Earl is living in Glenville, Ohio with his sister and his new brother-in-law O. C. Pinney. We believe that the Pinneys had enrolled Earl into The New Lyme Institute. In all likelihood, in an attempt to help him with his speech problems and avail him to a better education.
The New Lyme Institute, like a Silent Screen Actor whose career gave way to the noisiness of Talking Motion Pictures — looks as if it has seen happier days. Photo circa 1965.
Located in Ashtabula County, Ohio, which is about 60 miles from Glenville in Cuyahoga County, the New Lyme Institute was a school that (it appears) the Pinney boys went to for their educations. Dean Pinney graduated from there in 1902.
In 1904, we see Earl Bond listed as a student in The Cleveland Directory, living with the Pinney family on Livingston Avenue in Glenville. Again in 1906, we find him listed, but now as an apprentice at 813 East 95th Street. It is plausible that the apprenticeship was an outgrowth of his earlier studies. (4)
Listings from The Cleveland Directory of 1904 (above), and 1906 (below).
The Birth of O. C. Jr., and the Death of O. C. Sr.
On February 20, 1905, Lily and O. C. welcomed their son Orestes Caesar Pinney, Jr., into the world. He was likely born at home in Glenville, a place now annexed into Cleveland, Ohio.
President Theodore Roosevelt was being inaugurated as President of the United States for his second term on March 4, 1905, in Washington, D. C. There were many planned celebrations around the country, with many, many groups traveling to Washington to be present for the inauguration. O. C. Pinney was a military Lieutenant and Quartermaster for the Cleveland Battalion of Engineers. He and his 9 year old son Wallace were on their way to Washington with this military group, but they never arrived.
Near Rochester, Pennsylvania, after they left the Clifton Station, a terrible train accident occurred and people died, or were mortally injured. It was such a destructive and shocking event that the federal government got involved. Wallace Pinney died instantly at the scene. His father O. C. was gravely injured and was transported to the hospital at Rochester. Eventually he returned to Cleveland, Ohio, where he died at home three weeks after the accident.
Immediately after the Clifton Accident, The Railroad Gazette published an article describing what had actually happened. (See the footnotes for this section).
Our Great Aunt Lily had lost her husband, (in a similar manner to how her mother had died). She must have grieved greatly. Not only was her husband dead but her stepson Wallace was also gone. The other two stepsons Warren and Dean were in their 20s. Lily was now raising her newborn son, O. C. Jr., in her home with her brother Earl Bond. (Lily called her newborn son “Ralph” in future documents. Maybe it was a nickname she gave him because it was too heartbreaking to call him O. C.)?
Her brother Earl’s welfare still needed to be looked after. The accident happened near the time of his 17th birthday and for him, this was his fourth caregiver to pass away. Stability was once again… elusive.
The Alliance Review newspaper front page, March 7, 1905.
O. C. had been an attorney, and his brother Jay Pinney, also an attorney, came to be called “Uncle Jay” by Lily. He must have stepped in at certain times to help with family matters. The settling of O. C. Pinney’s estate was a complicated issue with many interested parties involved. We learned that Lily Pinney and her family were living at 813 East 95th Street N. E. Glenville/Cleveland, Ohio by 1906. This is the same address that Earl reported as the address for his apprenticeship. (5)
O. C. Jr. Became The Son Of A Preacher Man
On October 6, 1909, Lily (Bond) Pinney married Howard Connelly in Cleveland, Ohio. The year before, he had earned his degree at Yale Divinity School in Hartford, Connecticut. This marriage was a fresh start for her and her son.
U.S., School Catalogs, 1765-1935, Connecticut, Yale University, published 1910
As indicated on the 1910 Federal Census, they quickly settled in Ardmore, Carter County, Oklahoma, where Howard raised O. C. Jr., as his son. It is notable that O. C. Jr., had by 1910, taken on the Connelly name. We have not yet located evidence of an adoption, nor did Lily and Howard have any other children.
This movie is a toe-tapping good time! Image courtesy of Etsy.com.
By 1917 at the time of Howard’s WWI draft registration card, they were settled in New Albany, Floyd County, Indiana.
Earl Bond was living with them in Oklahoma for the 1910 census, and also magically, he is recorded as living with his other sister Edna (Bond) Wickes, in Cleveland, Ohio. So what was going on?
From the United States Census Bureau, article 1910 Overview — “For the first time, enumerators in the large cities distributed questionnaires in advance, a day or two prior to April 15, so that people could become familiar with the questions and have time to prepare their answers. In practice, only a small portion of the population filled out their questionnaires before the enumerator visit, however. The law gave census takers two weeks to complete their work in cities of 5,000 inhabitants or more [such as Cleveland, Ohio] while enumerators in smaller and rural areas [such as Carter County, Oklahoma] were allotted 30 days to complete their task.”
It’s seems that both of Earl’s sisters were trying to claim him, and there must have been some confusion as to where Earl belonged. At 21 years old, he was old enough to decide where he wanted to be.
Great Aunt Lily died on March 19, 1966 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. (6)
The Last of The Gilded Age in Cleveland, Ohio
In 1873, Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner coauthored a book called The Guided Age, A Story of To-Day, the name of which came to define the era. Our Grandfather Earl had been born into what historians refer to as The Gilded Age, but as we have learned, the prosperity of that time was always just beyond him. From Encyclopedia.com:
“The Gilded Age and the Progressive Era in the United States spanned the years from the end of Reconstruction through the 1920s. Many historians overlap the end of the Gilded Age (1870–1900) with the beginning of the Progressive Era (1890–1929). [This] was an age of movement. Populations changed, people moved, and trade increased. Migration to the American west, a dramatic increase in immigration to the United States from foreign shores… the proliferation of railroads, steamers, telegraphs, and the telephone [also occurred].”
The Gilded Age was the era of the corporation, the heyday of the Robber Barons and Captains of Industry. In the era before both corporate taxes, much less personal income taxes, the city of Cleveland had greatly prospered — growing to become the sixth largest city in the United States. John D. Rockefeller, the founder of the Standard Oil Company, and many other very wealthy people lived on a section of Euclid Avenue, known as Millionaires Row. The images below, through both illustrations and postcards, document the opulence of the district.
“While the Gilded Age brought outstanding prosperity to some, it was also deeply tarnished beneath its gold veneer. The poor became poorer, the tenement slums grew, and new immigrants endured increasing economic and social hardships. Some of the most successful corporate endeavors became monopolies. Consumer prices rose; corruption and industrial labor abuses increased.
The Progressive Era sought to solve many of the social injustices of the Gilded Age. Where the Gilded Age was highly individualistic, progressive reformers thought that governments had a responsibility to promote socially beneficial programs. Progressives who advocated the government regulation of industry, asserted that economic and social policy could not easily be separated.” Looking back, it was foreshadowing the sorrows of the coming Great Depression. (7)
Women’s Suffrage Headquarters on Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio in 1912. Individuals in the picture include Belle Sherman and Judge Florence E. Allen.
Earl A. Bond Marries Mary Adele McCall
On October 12, 1910, Earl Alexander Bond married Mary Adele McCall. She was born on August 10, 1888 in South Euclid, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the third daughter of John and Mary Jane (McMahon) McCall.
Note: For the history of Mary Adele (McCall) Bond’s early life, and her marriage to Earl A. Bond, please see the blog post chapter titled: The McMahon and The McCall Lines, A Narrative.
Our Grandparents: Mary Adele McCall, circa 1908 and Earl Alexander Bond, circa 1910. (Family photographs).
Mary and Earl had four sons:
Robert Earl, born October 28, 1911
John Allen, born March 2, 1914
Dean Phillip, born August 15, 1919 (We are descended from Dean.)
Edward Lee, born November 2, 1925
They spent the majority of their marriage in East Cleveland, Ohio except for some specific instances that we know of. Three of their sons were born in East Cleveland, except for John Allen, who was born in Kent, Portage County, Ohio, in 1914. (We have no idea why they were actually living in Kent). There is a family story that they moved to southern Ohio (most likely Brilliant) about 1915, with very young sons Robert Earl and John Allen. Sometime in 1916, Mary had an (undiagnosed) “nervous breakdown” and sons Robert and John were dispatched to the care of their maternal Grandmother Mary Jane McCall-Davin and her daughter, Elizabeth. A story passed down was that Aunt Elizabeth claimed that she knew when Mary and Earl were “having difficulties” because he would stutter.
Observation: We noticed that Earl and Mary had some larger gap years between the births of some of their sons. This seems similar to a pattern we saw with Earl’s father, Alexander Bond. However, there was a difference — Alexander had been a traveling salesman and Earl was living with Mary at home. Our father’s cousin Roberta (Loebsack) Fumich stated in 2007: “They had a difficult marriage, much of it attributable to Mary.” [The story goes that] “when they would fight, she would throw him out of the house”. We do not know the circumstances of the “troubles” or where Earl would live during those times.
By the time of World War I, they were back in the Cleveland area. Earl declared on his 1917-1918 Draft Registration Card that he was responsible for a wife and two children, and he cited a Cleveland address. When Dean was born in 1919, they lived in a house they owned on Alder Ave in East Cleveland, which is documented on the 1920 Census.
Additionally from that census, Earl is supporting his family as a private chauffeur. When his son Robert was born in 1911, the story passed down was that he was working for the Quigley Estate. He must have had a knack for working with automobiles, because by the end of the decade, he is listed as an auto mechanic in the The Cleveland, Ohio City Directory for 1920.
Earl was listed all throughout the 1920s in the Cleveland Business Directory in some association with automobile mechanics. Except for 1920, the addresses all match his home address on Alder Avenue. In the 1929 Cleveland Business Directory the address 1509 Crawford Road, as shown below, is likely the location for the photograph above. (Note the sign for Bond’s Garage above the door frame), (Family photographs). (8)
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 and The Great Depression
The following excerpt from History.com gives a brief description of the Great Depression suffered by many, including our families.
“The stock market, centered at the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street in New York City, was the scene of reckless speculation, where everyone from millionaire tycoons to cooks and janitors poured their savings into stocks. As a result, the stock market underwent rapid expansion, reaching its peak in August 1929.” In October of that year…
“The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world, lasting from 1929 to 1939. It began after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors. Over the next several years, consumer spending and investment dropped, causing steep declines in industrial output and employment as failing companies laid off workers. By 1933, when the Great Depression reached its lowest point, some 15 million Americans were unemployed and nearly half the country’s banks had failed.”
At first, many people did not understand the significance of the stock market crash and warily went on with their lives. We noted on the 1930 Federal Census, that our uncle Edward Lee had been born in 1925, joining the family at their home on Alder Avenue. Among the census notes was the statement about Earl, “working on own account”.
Surrounding our Grandmother Mary Adele Bond are her four sons, circa 1930. Starting with the back left and working clockwise: Robert Earl, John Allen (aka Al), Dean Phillip, and Edward Lee. (Family photograph).
Unfortunately, like so many other American families, the times they lived in were going to get very hard. (9)
The Sad Death of Earl Alexander Bond
Our Grandfather had lived a life where there was much recurring loss. As a young boy he had experienced the violent death of his mother Ruth, the prolonged ill health of his father, then his father’s death. Additionally, different people who had been his caregivers passed away while he was still young. He had the shame of his stuttering to deal with… his Bond’s Garage business failed sometime in 1931-1932… his marriage to our Grandmother Mary was very problematic, and he frequently was forced out of the house. During one of those episodes, he was living with his sister Edna and her husband Bill Wickes at their home in University Heights, a nearby neighborhood. On February 24, 1932, he went to the garage behind the house and hung himself. Edna and Bill found him the next morning.
Earl A. Bond death certificate, February 1932.
His death was devastating for the family. During his life, our father Dean Phillip, had difficulty talking about his father’s death and how it had affected him. Nearing the end of his own life, he shared that his own father had probably been very, very depressed and maybe he felt abandoned. Our mother Marguerite told us that she still harbored bad feelings toward Mary, her mother-in-law, calling her “a strange woman”. She related that when Mary went to the coroner to identity Earl’s body, she took —only our father Dean— along with her. He was a confused and vulnerable 12 year old, who had been certainly shocked at his father’s death. He sat outside while his mother conducted her identification… but Mom always maintained that the episode deeply affected him.
We learned from the 1940 Federal Census that her sons Dean and Edward were living at home. Edward was a student and Dean, age 20, was working. The census indicates he was employed as a truck driver for a carpet & cleaning company. He shared with us that he would give his mother his paycheck to provide for her and his younger brother.
Grandmother Mary never remarried. She raised her sons on her own after Earl’s death. She lived near her mother and sisters on Bluestone Avenue in South Euclid, Ohio. At some point, she moved to Strathmore Avenue in East Cleveland. Mary became a sales clerk at the May Company department store in Downtown Cleveland where she worked for many years. She lived until she was 76 years old, dying on March 12, 1965 at the Fairmount Nursing Home in Newbury, Geauga County, Ohio. Her death was attributed to a cerebral vascular hemorrhage, complicated by congestive heart failure.
A painting that means much to our family, is one that came from Grandmother Mary Bond’s residence to our home — at the end of her life. Her sons were clearing and organizing her home for its eventual sale, when our father Dean acquired this artwork. He related that during the Great Depression, an artist came to their front door and offered to create a painting for our Grandmother, if only she would feed him a good meal. So, she agreed to this kindness, and his painting of Hydrangeas graced her walls for many years. (10)
Our Uncles, Our Aunts, and — Their Families
From things that our father Dean often said, he valued work, and being a working man. Conversely, he wanted his children to have college educations and have more opportunities and choices than he felt he had. Dean did not graduate from high school. In his 70s, he finally admitted that he could have finished high school if he had wanted to.
Uncle Bob and Aunt Lucille Our Uncle Bob was the oldest son in the family, born at home in East Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio on October 28, 1911. He died on September 26, 2000 in Cleveland, Ohio. Robert Earle Bond married Flora Lucille Burkhart on December 4, 1939 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. She was born on August 15, 1912, in Moore, Shelby County, Indiana. She died on January 19, 1999, in Cleveland, Ohio.
They had four children:
Robert Franklin Bond, born December 17, 1940 — died on November 14, 2021
Rita Ann (Bond) Bobzin, born 1943
Ruth Mary (Bond) Moorer, born 1947
Rachel Lucille (Bond) Buck, born 1952
Uncle Al, Aunt Mary, and Aunt Ruth Our Uncle Al was the second oldest son in the family, born in Kent, Portage County, Ohio on March 2, 1914. He died on August 18, 1990 in Willoughby, Lake County, Ohio. John Allen Bond married Mary Dunkle by 1940 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. She was born Mary Elizabeth Dunkle on June 18, 1917, East Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. She died on July 14, 1999, in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. They were divorced in the 1960s.
They had four children:
David A. Bond, born 1940
Gerald L. “Jerry” Bond, born 1943
Wayne Bond, born 1950
Constance (Bond) Evans, born 1955
Uncle Al married his second wife, Ruth Elizabeth (Angle) Shannon in 1969. She was born on March 19, 1913 in Logan, Hocking County, Ohio. She died on August 17, 1998 in Willoughby, Lake County, Ohio.
The four Bond brothers: Edward Lee, Dean Phillip, John Allen, and Robert Earle, before 1990. (Family photograph).
Uncle Ed and Aunt Beverly Our Uncle Ed was the youngest son in the family, born at home in East Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio on November 2, 1925. He died on July 22, 2018 in Orange County, California. Edward Lee Bond married Beverly Black on October 22, 1949 in Lyndhurst, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. She was born Beverlee Ann Black on March 8, 1927, in Lyndhurst, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and died on April 5, 2011 in Garden Grove, Orange County, California. (11)
They had four children:
Gary Lee Bond, born September 12, 1950 — died July 29, 2008
William Lee Bond, born June 18, 1953 — died November 24, 1958
Karen Louise (Bond) Boehle, born 1957
James Lee Bond, born 1960
Thomas Bond, Susan Bond, Aunt Beverlee Bond, Uncle Edward Bond in Redondo Beach, California, November 2001. (Family photograph).
Out of The Great Depression and Into World War II
Our Pop, Dean Phillip Bond, attended Shaw High School in East Cleveland and took a great deal of pride in the fact that the comic actor Bob Hope had also gone there. As teenagers, when we quizzed him about why he left school, he was always a bit hesitant, and there was never a direct answer. In researching this blog, we came across high school class pictures of him which we had never seen before. He appeared in group photos in 1937 and 1938. We thought he had left school in his sophomore year, but these were Junior and Senior year photos. Honestly, we’re not really sure what happened.
1938 The Shuttle yearbook, Shaw High School, East Cleveland, Ohio, Senior B, Room 107. Dean is pictured in the upper right corner.
When he was a young adolescent, Pop was bitten by a mosquito, contracted the yellow fever virus, and got very sick. (A vaccine had yet to be developed, and later came into use in 1938). Unfortunately, the fevers resulted in partial deafness in his left ear.
When World War II came around, he was classified as 4F — not able to serve. This caused him a lot of shame and anxiety. He was determined to serve. He said that he went to a doctor and “got the problem fixed”. We know that he continued to have partial hearing problems throughout his life by the way he sometimes tilted his head to listen. So we are not sure how his medical problem was resolved to the satisfaction of the draft board.
Pop’s Selective Service Draft Card, completed on October 16, 1940. Interestingly, his brothers Robert and John Allen completed their respective cards on the same day.
We know that he served honorably in the Pacific Fleet on two destroyer escort ships, the U. S. S. Keith, DE-241 and the U. S. S. Oliver Mitchell DE-417.
Pop had different jobs on these ships, including being a fireman. He was reticent to share stories, but at one point he stated that Japanese planes were attacking his ship. He had to man the gun turret to fight them off, all the while being surrounded by bullets. His friend, next to him, died.
One job came late in the war when when it still seemed that Japan was not going to surrender. His job was to drive this flat-style of boat on to the beach, the sides would go down, and everyone would scramble to shore. I didn’t understand this role until I saw the opening scenes to the movie, Saving Private Ryan. The army and navy were training troops for an invasion of Japan. Fate intervened, and the atomic bombs were dropped, which brought about the end to the war in the Pacific.
Pop’s Campaign Service Medals from WWII: Staring clockwise from the left: American Campaign, Asiatic Pacific Campaign, World War II, Occupation Service. These hung on his bedroom wall for years. (Family photograph).
Pop passed through Honolulu in the Hawaiian Territory several times. Once he was able to meet up with his younger brother Edward Lee who was also in the Navy. San Francisco [he called it Frisco] was a big hub for the war effort and he mentioned that he liked to go to The Top of The Mark in the Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill. (12)
A bottle of whiskey sits on the bar at the Top of Mark in San Francisco. During WWII, servicemen would buy and leave a bottle in the care of the bartender so that the next soldier from their squadron could enjoy a free drink; the only requirement being whoever had the last sip would buy the next bottle.
Top of The Mark history, at the Mark Hopkins Hotel
All It Took Was A White Flower
Pop was on leave when he and Mom went on a date at Chin’s Golden Dragon Restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio in the Summer of 1945. (Family photograph).
Our parents had a mutual attraction to each other. They talked about Mom being a waitress at the White Horse Inn in Cleveland during WWII. She was wearing a white flower in her hair and that caught his attention. Many years later, I asked her to write me (Thomas) a letter and tell me what that time was like for her. [The complete letter is in the footnotes]. Here is a partial transcription:
Nov. 1, 1981 My Dear Son Tom,
You asked for something and I shall try. The years have rolled away and I no longer feel I am on a threshold with all the tomorrows stretching ahead forever; instead I seem to wake each morning a little surprised and sometimes lay there and try to figure what day it is; a temporary vacuum — it will pass as all things do. Natures way perhaps of saying “get your act together” no one is going to do it for you.
It was June 1945. The guns had stopped in Europe, but they still blazed with fury in the Pacific. There had been three and a half years of furious warfare. My own life had gone through a raging battle. As in all battles there was no victor, only the process of rebuilding.
A sailor was home on leave from the Pacific, our paths crossed. An electrical charge passed between us. We had two weeks of fun, dancing-laughing — just fun. He left. A couple of letters, but both of us had been emotionally burned and very wary.
February 1946 — a knock on my door and there stood a sailor. The guns had stopped in the pacific. The men were coming home.
June 1946. Your father and I were married in front of the fireplace at Grandma’s. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and a handful of friends. A Happy Wedding.
The ensuing years had many ups and downs. I suppose I had always dreamed of being pampered and adored. It is a little hard to pamper a head strong, independent woman. Your father had always dreamed of having someone look up to him. It is hard to look up to a “Happy Irishman” when necessities are knocking at the door.
But, we have survived. We love our children and our home and we love each other, but probably neither of us will ever let the other really know.
On their wedding day, June 22, 1946. (Family photograph).
Our Pop was the third son in the family, born at home in East Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio on August 15, 1919. He died on September 24, 1996 in Chardon, Geauga County, Ohio. Dean Phillip Bond married our mother Marguerite Lulu (Gore) Peterman on June 22, 1946 in Newbury, Geauga County, Ohio. She was born Marguerite Lulu Gore on August 15, 1912, in Russell, Geauga County, Ohio. She died on March 4, 1999, in Burton, Geauga County, Ohio.
June 1946 Wedding of Dean and Marguerite Bond. (Length: 3-1/2 minutes)In looking at this document, it seems obvious that Reverend Clarence E. Hall had been trained initially to write with a quill pen.
Note: This marriage was the second marriage for Marguerite. For the details of her first marriage, please see the blog chapter The Peterman Line — A Narrative.
This is a pencil rendering I did in the Spring of 1980, based upon a photograph of our mother Marguerite, and our oldest sister Jo Ann. The photo was taken in the east yard of our Grandmother Lulu Gore’s home in Newbury Township, Ohio circa 1945. (Thomas)
Together they had six children:
Jo Ann (Peterman) Bond White, born May 9, 1939, in Bedford, Cuyahoga County, Ohio — died August 6, 2010, Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga County, Ohio Married Wayne Ronald White, October 5, 1958 — divorced November 16, 1977
John Alfred (Peterman) Bond, born 1940 First Marriage: Marjorie Ann (Narusch) Bond, October 28, 1961 — divorced November 29, 1977. Second Marriage: Susanne (Ficht) Bond, July 17, 1987
Susan Deanna Bond, born 1947
Daniel Earl Bond, born 1950 Married Betty Jane Roberts, November 21, 1975
Richard Dean Bond, born December 20, 1952, in East Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio — died May 15, 2022, in Ravenna, Portage County, Ohio
Thomas Harley Bond, born 1958 Married Leandro José Oliveira Coutinho, June 26, 2008
John and Jo Ann Peterman — this is a film still from the wedding of Dean and Marguerite, June 22, 1946. (Family photograph).
Dean Bond adopted both Jo Ann and John Alfred Peterman as his children. Their surnames changed from Peterman to Bond after the adoption was completed.
Dean Phillip Bond at various stages of his life. From left to right: Early 1920s, Early 1930s, Late 1940s, Summer 1979. (13)
Moving Around Until February 1957
Our parents did not have their own home for the first eleven years of their marriage. They spent almost all of their married life living in rural Geauga County, Ohio. The 1950 Federal Census locates them on Music Street, in Newbury township. Our brother John has recounted that he and Pop would climb up to the water cisterns for the house, and scrub them until they were very, very clean… because this was the water source for their home.
1950 Federal Census for Newbury township, Ohio
While their family continued to grow, they went back and forth between living with the Grandmothers: one time with Grandma Mary Bond in East Cleveland, Ohio and two other times with Grandma Lulu Gore in Newbury township. In 1956, ten years into their marriage, they started to build a home on the corner of the farm property owned by Grandma Lulu. It was an old orchard, filled with “past their prime” apple trees and many briar bushes. All of that was cleared away, they broke land, and commenced to build. They moved in on February 1957. (Susan says it was very exciting!)
This is the home we grew up in, before they did quite a bit of remodeling in 1977. (Note Pop’s garden on the far left. He did love his summer garden!)
Our mother described her 30s as being a period of great satisfaction because she and Dean had achieved much. Owning their own home made them particularly proud, and educating their children gave them great satisfaction. As with many other mid-century families — who had lived through the Great Depression and WWII — they found happiness in the stability and the freedom of choice which they could provide to their children. (14)
The Early Bird Catches the Worm
Pop spent many years working in the insurance industry (similar to his brothers Uncle Bob and Uncle Al.) During the Kennedy and Johnson eras, he worked at Sears Roebuck & Co., selling refrigerators and other large appliances. In those days, Sears was at its peak as a department store. It was fun to go to the Southgate Mall and open the refrigerators, looking at the fake food inside. Later in life, he worked as a machinist at Newbury Industries.
Mom spent some years at home with the kids, but around 1960, she went to work as the manager of the Executive Dining Room for the Lear Seigler Corporation. In 1964, she took a position at Kent State University and became their Manager of Banquet Sales. This was a position which she held until her retirement in 1986, having made many friends within the University. All six children attended/graduated from Kent State University. (15)
They Loved Having a Family
One thing that was very true about our family was that each child was viewed as an individual with their own interests. Our parents worked very hard with our education, sports, 4-H clubs, Boy Scouts… many of the things that other mid-century families did as part of their community involvement. In those days, airline flights were out of reach, so we traveled by car, visiting national parks and camping within the Midwest and the East Coast. Family reunions and birthday parties were never missed. These were busy years.
Various selected family photos — Starting clockwise with the upper left photo: June 1980, Back row – Jo Ann, John, Daniel, and Susan. Front row – Richard, Mom, Thomas, and Pop. Right column top: Spring 1954, Left to right – John, Susan, Pop holding Richard, Jo Ann, Daniel. Middle – Pop at The Grill, circa 1950. Bottom – Summer 1962, Left to right – Pop, Thomas, Richard, Daniel on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Left corner bottom – DukeandRasha, circa 1982. Middle left – Easter 1954, Susan, Richard (arms extended), Daniel. (Family photographs). (16)
As the 20th Century Winds Down…
Mom and Pop at Ocean Beach, visiting San Francisco, California in 1985. (Family photograph).
50 years to the day, and at the same location, with some of the same people, Dean and Marguerite celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 22, 1996. Old friends and family members from several generations were present. Pop was in very ill, having had heart problems, as well as recently being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. His mind was still sharp and he reveled in having achieved this moment. Three months later he died.
Dean and Marguerite with their extended family, celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on June 22, 1996. (Family photograph).
Mom, however, was another story. We had been noticing for years that her memory was slipping… slipping some more… then, slipping much more. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and had been living in assisted care after breaking her hip. It was both interesting and sad to watch how she changed over the years. It was like her life was a movie that had started to run backwards. She was good at “acting” like she knew you, but eventually she would slip up. What was weird was how this consciousness came and went… almost like the way a turtle peaks its head from the ocean waves and peers around. She could be in the present for a moment, and then she was gone somewhere into the depths of the past. She died in March 1999, of uterine cancer, but the Alzheimers had taken her away long before.
The view from our parents home for more-or-less 50 years. (Family photograph).
Our parents lived their lives completely bound by the arc of the 20th century. In many ways, their experiences were similar to others in their generation, but to us — they were quite simply, and uniquely, our parents. (17)
Now We Step Aside to Present the First James Bond 007
Television was a new and exciting invention in the 1950s. Throughout our history of The Bond Line, we have inserted cheeky asides featuring famous actors who have played 007. Quoting directly from the online article: James Bond (Barry Nelson)…
“James ‘Jimmy’ Bond appeared in the Climax episode ‘Casino Royale’, a television adaptation of Ian Fleming’s first novel which aired in 1954. Though this is regarded as the first onscreen appearance of the character James Bond, the character is an American agent with ‘Combined Intelligence’. He was portrayed by American actor Barry Nelson. (18)
Barry Nelson as James “Jimmy” Bond in 1954.
Following are the footnotes for the Primary Source Materials, Notes, and Observations
These documents were sourced through the Jefferson County Historical Society in June 2017, by researcher Tammy Hosenfeld.
1897 November, legal documents from Alanson Wilcox, for Guardianship, Bond, and Administration for Lily Bond and Earl Bond
1898 February, Guardian’s Account from Alanson Wilcox listing Alexander Bond insurance information and expenses
1898 February, letters from Alanson Wilcox and O. C. Pinney for the Guardianship of Lily V. Bond
1898 March and May, legal documents for Bond and Guardianship from Jared Dunbar, for Earl A. Bond
1899 January, Legal documents (two portions thereof) regarding Alexander Bond’s home sale from Jared Dunbar.
Note: The page on the right above indicates that the house had “insufficient rental value to justify holding it”. We interpret this to mean that it had fallen into great dilapidation — Alexander being very ill for several years. In the present day, the site of the home has been replaced by a modern highway.
Life in the O. C. Pinney Home in Glenville, Ohio
(3)— five records
1899 January, O. C. Pinney letters for the Guardianship of Lily V. Bond
Note: These photos were taken on a trip to San Francisco, California in December 2022. The bottle on the right is from the present day, but the brand is known as Woodford Reserve Bourbon, which is a brand I created in the 1990s for the Brown-Forman Company. (Thomas)
All It Took Was A White Flower
(13)— nineteen records
November 1, 1981, personal letter from Marguerite Bond to her son, Thomas Harley Bond Note: Our Mother went to secretarial school for a brief time when she was a young, woman and she always claimed that learning “shorthand” ruined her writing. We could not disagree.
Here is a full transcription of the letter:
Nov. 1, 1981 My Dear Son Tom,
You asked for something and I shall try. The years have rolled away and I no longer feel I am on a threshold with all the tomorrows stretching ahead forever; instead I seem to wake each morning a little surprised and sometimes lay there and try to figure what day it is; a temporary vacuum — it will pass as all things do. Natures way perhaps of saying “get your act together” no one is going to do it for you.
It was June 1945. The guns had stopped in Europe, but they still blazed with fury in the Pacific. There had been three and a half years of furious warfare. My own life had gone through a raging battle. As in all battles there was no victor, only the process of rebuilding.
A sailor was home on leave from the Pacific, our paths crossed. An electrical charge passed between us. We had two weeks of fun, dancing-laughing — just fun. He left. A couple of letters, but both of us had been emotionally burned and very wary.
February 1946 — a knock on my door and there stood a sailor. The guns had stopped in the pacific. The men were coming home.
June 1946. Your father and I were married in front of the fireplace at Grandma’s. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and a handful of friends. A Happy Wedding.
The ensuing years had many ups and downs. I suppose I had always dreamed of being pampered and adored. It is a little hard to pamper a head strong, independent woman. Your father had always dreamed of having someone look up to him. It is hard to look up to a “Happy Irishman” when necessities are knocking at the door.
But, we have survived. We love our children and our home and we love each other, but probably neither of us will ever let the other really know.
I feel a deep fulfillment in life. Gad gave me what I asked for. It wasn’t easy but no one ever said achieving was easy. Our home was always open to all, I can hear the footsteps, hear the laughter and the tears. See the dreams of each of our children building, some shattering, but it is always home. I know each of you have the tools to build your own lives and an inner strength to withstand the storms that will beat inevitably [ sic.beat] at your doors. And you have each other. Brothers and Sisters will never be alone.
I am a very private person. It is difficult to — impossible to share my inner being. As I grow older, I realize I am regressing into myself, but that is alright. It must be the way the Lord meant it. As the tomorrows come and go — accept — What I was born for has been achieved. God Bless you always Tom. You are very special. I rejoice in the world I have been permitted to share with you and I know when you have children you too will share, as generation passes into a fresh generation, but Love, the dominating force goes on forever. Mother
This chapter is about a line from our family that was filled with much mystery and drama. Our research has cleared away many myths…
Preface
In 1936, our mother, Marguerite Lulu (Gore) Peterman Bond eloped with a young man named Clarence Arthur Peterman, Jr., and they married in Ripley, Chautauqua County, New York. The state of New York was chosen because they could travel there by car in one day, and it had laws that allowed a young woman of 16 years to get married without parental permission. Most importantly, even though the marriage was not a successful one, Marguerite had three children with “Art” — James, Jo Ann, and John. Their family lines are documented within this blog, we thought it essential to document the Peterman family line for the future benefit of our many nieces and nephews, and their descendants.
Map of the Rheinland-Pfalz by Gerard de Jode, 1593. (Image courtesy of Sanderus Antique Maps & Books).
Rhineland-Pfalz, or the Rhineland-Palatinate
The Peterman family is first encountered in the Rhineland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), located in the southwestern area of Germany. In those times, this small section of what would later become Germany, was very close to the borders of both France and Belgium. From britannica.com “Rhineland-Palatinate has had a long history of division and possession by foreign powers…” and, “The Reformation of the 16th and 17th centuries saw further territorial divisions that originated in the conflicts of Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, and Calvinism and led to the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48). Foreign countries and principalities—particularly Bavaria, Spain, Austria, Sweden, and France—determined the political development of Rhineland. In the 17th and 18th centuries the Palatinate had close political and cultural ties with France.” Essentially, the area was one of shifting borders, changing political alliances, and religious conflict. (1)
Heraldry for Landau from a 17th century document. (Courtesy of Heraldry-Wiki.com).
The Peterman Line Begins in Bavaria
The oldest surviving records for the Peterman line begin with the birth of Hanns Velti Petermann I in 1615. He lived his life in the small village called Wollmesheim, located adjacent to the city of Landau, in the Rhineland-Palatinate. He died on March 24, 1692. Depending upon who recorded the information and when, records may also list Bayern (Bavaria), and Deutschland (Germany).
We don’t know what he did for a living, but we do know he married a woman named Agnes (maiden name unknown) Petermann who was born circa 1623, also in Rhineland-Pfalz, Germany. She died on April 20, 1701 at the same location. There are two recorded dates for their marriage, one in 1643, and another in 1658, but we cannot confirm which date is the actual year they married. What we did observe is that both of their sons were born after the 1658 date.
Hans Petermann in the Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500-1971. (Ancestry.com, see footnotes).
The oldest surviving son from the marriage of Hanns Velti Petermann I and Agnes, is their son who was named after his father: Hanss Velten Petermann II. We have learned that he was born in 1659, in Mörzheim, Landau, Bayern, Germany, his death date is unknown. His wife named Margaretha Kuhn. She was born in 1670 in Baden, Preuben, Germany. She died in 1743 at the same location. Hanns II and Margaretha had 7 children. Their oldest son continued the line.
As what seems to have been a strong family tradition with the naming oldest sons, Hans Valentin Petermann III was born on June 4, 1692 in Mörzheim, Stadt Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. This was only a few months after his grandfather Hans I had died. He married Anna Elisabeth Barbara (Liebeta) Matthessin, who was born on December 24, 1702, in Odernheim, Bayern, Germany. They married in 1718 and had 12 children, all of whom were born in Mörzheim, Stadt Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Equestrian portrait of Louis XIV (1638–1715) by René-Antoine Houasse. At this time, “The Sun King” was the most powerful monarch in Europe.
The area that they lived in continued to have much volatility. From britannica.com, “During the War of the Grand Alliance (1689–97), [also known as the Nine Years War] the troops of the French monarch Louis XIV ravaged the Rhenish [Southeastern Germany] Palatinate, causing many Germans to emigrate. Many of the early German settlers of America (the Pennsylvania Germans, commonly called the Pennsylvania Dutch) were refugees from the Palatinate.” (2)
The Harrowing Journey on the Osgood
Wikipedia writes that “Gottlieb Mittelberger (1714 – 1758) was a German author, schoolmaster, organist, and Lutheran pastor. He was best known for his work Journey to Pennsylvania (1756). Mittelberger’s travelogue provides a firsthand historic account of the misery and exploitation of German immigrants during the US colonial period... [He] wrote a two-part travelogue about his voyage and experiences in colonial America... Observing from the perspective of a ship passenger aboard the Dutch vessel Osgood, Mittelberger documented the harrowing experiences of the 400 impoverished European immigrants making the transatlantic voyage from Rotterdam to Philadelphia. The majority of the passengers were representative of the influx of Germans to America from Baden, Württemberg, and the Palatinate.”
The front cover of Gottlieb Mittelberger’s 1756 book, Journey to Pennsylvania in the Year 1750 and Return to Germany in the Year 1754. (Image courtesy of Wikipedia).
As it happens, in 1750, the family immigrated to the American British Colonies, on the same ship, the Osgood. An account of the harrowing passage, including reference to (Johan) Michael Peterman has survived at: http://susanleachsnyder.com/Genealogy/TheOsgoodShip1750.html (Please see the footnotes section at the end for a transcription).
They passed through ports in Holland, and arrived in Philadelphia—but, settled in the town of York, in the newly established (1749) York County, in the Pennsylvania Colony. Their new home was a community of people who, like them, had left Europe behind. Perhaps they were seeking a new start in a place less burdened by tradition, with less strife from wars. This move afforded their children a chance at new lives, in a new world.
The ship Osgood, circa 1750. The background image is from The Pennsylvania Gazette (Philadelphia), the October 4, 1750 issue. It is included for this line of text announcing the arrival of the ship Osgood a few days earlier: “Since our last Captain Wilkie arrived here from Holland with Palatines.”
Hans III died in York, Pennsylvania Colony, on September 26, 1782. He and Ana Elizabetha may have had 12-13 children. Their son Johan Michael Petermann, carried the family line forth in America. (3)
Life in the British Colony of Pennsylvania
Their choice of settling in York, Pennsylvania was a prodigious one. It was laid out as a city in 1741, so they were among the very first settlers. After our ancestors were well established, the city became very famous for being the temporary Capitol of the United States, for the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War. (1775-1783)
“The City of York, Pennsylvania – named for York, England – was part of the building of our nation, … [the] City was the birthplace of the Articles of Confederation and it was here that the words “The United States of America” were first spoken.”
“The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was an agreement among the 13 original states of the United States of America that served as its first frame of government. It was approved after much debate (between July 1776 and November 1777) by the Second Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and sent to the states for ratification. The Articles of Confederation came into force on March 1, 1781, after ratification by all the states.
A guiding principle of the Articles was to establish and preserve the independence and sovereignty of the states.” Between 1787-1789, the Articles of Confederation were superseded by the present Constitution of the United States, our main governing document which is still in use to this day.
Continental Congress Court House, circa 1777.
In this new country, Johan Michael Peterman, his wife Anna Maria Wegener, and their children prospered. He had been born on March 15, 1727 in Mörzheim, Stadt Landau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He died on October 11, 1784 in Windsor, York County, Pennsylvania, United States. His wife Anna Maria Wegener, had been born in the British Colonies in York, Pennsylvania in 1734, and died November 15, 1810 in Baytown, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
They married in 1755 in York, Pennsylvania Colony and had 11 children. From this large family, it was their son George Michael Peterman who is our ancestor. (4)
The Family Name is Shortened by One Letter
It is interesting to note that about this time in this generation, the family surname was shortened by dropping the last letter “n”. From this point forward, the family name was simply spelled as Peterman. With this, George Michael Peterman now had an American name. George was born on September 3, 1763 in Windsor, York County, Pennsylvania (colony), and died on August 20, 1853 in Stoystown, Somerset County, Pennsylvania (state). George was a farmer his entire life.
In 1785, he married Anna Maria Frey in Stoystown, Pennsylvania. She was born on December 18, 1789 in Washington, Franklin County, Pennsylvania and together they had 9 children, all born in Pennsylvania. Anna Maria died in March 9, 1853 in Somerset, Pennsylvania. It is their eldest son, John George Peterman, who carried our family line forward. (5)
O Canada!
John George Peterman was born on May 9, 1785 in Hooverville, Shade Township, Somerset, Pennsylvania. He was the only member of his family who relocated to Vaughn Township, Ontario, Canada. John George, preferred the name “George” and used it throughout his life. He married Susanna Sell in Somerset, sometime before 1812. She was born in Washington, Franklin County, Pennsylvania on December 18, 1789. It seems that George and Susannah moved to Vaughan, Ontario, soon after they were married. Their first child, a daughter, was born in 1813 in Vaughan Township, which was located just north of Little York (Toronto).
We don’t have direct evidence of why they moved to Canada, but we can make observations about the times they lived in. The country of Canada was loyal to the British Crown. Perhaps (John) George Peterman was a Loyalist and thought that he would prosper in a place that was under British rule? It could also be that he was tired of the conflicts generated by the American Revolution, and the approaching War of 1812.
Cover of sheet music for “O Canada,” published by Frederick Harris Music Co.
At the time, Canada’s boundaries were in flux: “In 1786, Lord Dorchester arrived in Quebec City as Governor-in-Chief of British North America. His mission was to solve the problems of the newly landed Loyalists. At first, Dorchester suggested opening the new Canada West as districts under the Quebec government, but the British Government made known its intention to split Canada into Upper and Lower Canada. Dorchester began organizing for the new province of Upper Canada, including a capital. Dorchester’s first choice was Kingston, but he was aware of the number of Loyalists in the Bay of Quinte and Niagara areas, and he chose instead the location north of the Bay of Toronto, midway between the settlements and 30 miles (48 km) from the US.”
“Dorchester intended for the location of the new capital to be named Toronto. Instead, Lieutenant Governor Simcoe ordered the name of the new settlement to be called York, after the Duke of York, who had guided a recent British victory in Holland. Simcoe is recorded as both disliking aboriginal names and disliking Dorchester. The new capital was named York on August 27, 1793… [named so from 1793 -1834] …To differentiate it from York in England and New York City, the town was known as Little York.”
In America, York County, Pennsylvania, had been important to their family’s history. So, it is very interesting to observe that now there was a place rich with opportunities in Canada which was also called York:
“The Battle of York was an easy win for Americans as they eyed expansion into Canada in the first years of the War of 1812. On April 27th 1813 in York, Ontario, now present-day Toronto, 2,700 Americans stormed Fort York, defeating the 750 British and Ojibwa Indians defending what was at the time the capitol of Upper Canada…”
American strategy at the beginning of the War of 1812 was one of a young country looking for room to grow. Seeing the rivers and lakes to the North as key routes for trade and transportation, Americans attempted, unsuccessfully at first, to gain control of Canada.”
The American Battlefield Trust
Perhaps they moved to Canada because they had friends and acquaintances who had already relocated there, and they saw a farmland opportunity as advantageous. He was starting a new family and maybe he wanted a fresh start.
“Despite the hardships of pioneer life, settlers came to Vaughan in considerable numbers. The population grew from 19 men, 5 women, and 30 children in 1800 to 4,300 in 1840. The first people to arrive were mainly Pennsylvania Germans, with a smaller number of families of English descent and a group of French Royalists.” “The first settlers to arrive were Pennsylvanian Germans from the United States, but the influx of homesteaders was a mere trickle at first. In 1800, there were a mere 54 people in all of Vaughan Township. After the war of 1812, however, a massive wave of British migrants flooded the area.”
George and Susanna Peterman, circa 1860.
Canada conducts a census every ten years, beginning in the year 1851. On that census, (John) George’s occupation is listed as farmer.
He and Susanna had nine children, all born in Canada. He died on August 16, 1871, in Vaughan Township, York, Ontario, Canada. Susanna died on January 25, 1866 in the same location. They are buried in the Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery in Vaughan, Ontario. Their last child, a boy named John Peterman, is the next ancestor of whom we will write about.
John George Peterman, Jr. was born on October 20, 1814 in Vaughan, York, Ontario. On May 6, 1834, he married Susan Robins in the Vaughan Township, York, Ontario, Canada of Ontario. She was born on October 1, 1814, location unknown. Between 1886 and the 1900 United States census, John Jr. and Susan had relocated to Cheboygan, Cheboygan County, Michigan. She died there on November 20, 1892. John Jr. had a long life — he died in Cheboygan on January 16, 1911. They had eight children, but one record indicates that perhaps there were two more, for ten total. Their oldest son, George Alfred Peterman, continues the narrative.
George Alfred Peterman was born on October 30, 1832 Vaughan, York, Ontario. He died in the small lake town of Innisfil, Simcoe County, (north of Toronto), on December 20, 1927. He worked as a farmer his entire life. On January 22, 1853, he married Charlotte Elizabeth Shuttleworth in York, Ontario. Charlotte was from Lancashire, England, United Kingdom. She died on January 1, 1911 in Bradford, Simcoe, Ontario.
They had four children, and their second son was William Albert Peterman (Sr). He is the one who continues our narrative. It appears that succeeding generations of the family eventually settled in the nearby town of Newmarket.
William Albert Peterman (Sr.) was a new year’s baby, born on January 1, 1857 in Vaughan, York, Ontario, Canada. He married Mary Strasler in Scott Township, Ontario, on February 8, 1881. Mary was born on November 13, 1858 in Ontario, and both of Mary’s parents, Henry Strasler and Susanna (Meyer) had been born in Switzerland.
On the 1901 Canada Census, all four children are living at home. William lists his occupation as a carpenter. He identifies their “Race or Tribe” as German, their nationality as Canadian, and their religion as Methodist. Interestingly, on this census they identify their “Race or Tribe” as Dutch*, not German, and their nationality as Canadian. William is listed as a Cabinetmaker who works for himself.
* Could they have been confused about their family’s earlier generations having lived among a Dutch population in Pennsylvania, or perhaps, the family’s passage through Holland on the way to the American Colonies?
Observations after reviewing documents
William Albert Peterman died on April 17, 1926 in Newmarket, York County, Ontario, Canada. Mary died on May 5, 1938 in the same location. Of their four children, Clarence Arthur Peterman (Sr.) continues the history. (6)
A Man Shrouded in Mystery
Clarence A. Peterman (Sr.) was born in Newmarket, York County, Canada on May 26, 1894. He has been shrouded in mystery over the years and was not on the 1911 Canadian census with his parents. He would have been 17 in 1911 and he may have already left home. The next record we found for him is dated June 5, 1917. He was living in Minneapolis, Minnesota and had filed a US registration card, presumably for World War I. The registration information indicates that he was working as a mechanic for the Oakland Motor Company and that he was a Registered Alien in the US because he was still a Canadian citizen. Information on the card indicates he is 23 years old, single, and had no dependents. He is described as “short, slender, brown eyes, and black hair”.
Clarence Arther Peterman Sr., World War I draft registration card.
Clarence also filed a second WW I registration card. This one was for the British Expeditionary Force of the Royal Flying Corps based in Toronto, Canada. His involvement (or job) in the Corps is unknown. Perhaps he worked as a mechanic. There is no indication that he was a pilot, or that he left Canada to fight in WW I.
It seems that while he was in Toronto Clarence Arthur Peterman met, or knew, Elizabeth Patten Hines. At that time, she went by the name Bessie. Later in her life, she was known as Betty Lemr. On August 23, 1918, she gave birth to a son, Clarence Arthur Peterman, Jr. Two weeks later, on September 6, 1918, she and Clarence Sr. were married. On their marriage certificate his occupation is listed as soldier. Bessie returned to York to live with her parents, and Clarence returned to Toronto. The separation may have been because of his service in the Royal Flying Corps, or because they did not intend to live together.
Eighteen months later, in January 1920, Clarence Sr. is living in Indianapolis, Indiana. This information comes from the 1920 United States census. On the census it specifies he is single, age 26, and is an Alien (Canadian) working in the United States. (29) Since Clarence specified he was single, we looked for a record of a separation or divorce from Bessie (Hines) Peterman. To date, a document has not been located. Therefore, it is possible they were still married, but not living together. On the 1921 Canadian census, Bessie and her two year old son, Clarence Peterman Jr., are living with her parents, George and Olivia Hines in Toronto, Canada.
Map of the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, circa 1926. (See footnotes).
In 1920, Clarence is living as a boarder in the William Stroud home. William is a superintendent in the auto industry and Clarence is working as a mechanic in the same industry. Looking closely at the census, the family he is living with is from Minnesota, where Clarence had previously lived. It’s possible there was a connection in Minnesota. In addition to William Stroud, the other family members are his wife Lydia, age 28, son William, age 10, daughter Doris, age 8, and William’s mother Anna, age 72. The importance of this information will follow.
As stated earlier, Clarence A. Peterman Sr. had been shrouded in mystery over the years. What was his relationship with his son? Why didn’t he remain in Canada and live with his wife and son? One important story has been that he was involved with a woman and wanted to marry her. We know he died young, age 31 on October 16, 1925. The following story in The Indianapolis Times newspaper dated October 17, answers the questions about Clarence Arthur Peterman Sr. – or perhaps creates new ones.
The Indianapolis Times, October 17, 1925 — front page and page 3.
The tragic newspaper account above indicates that on October 16, 1925 he died in a murder/suicide with a gunshot wound to his head. His death certificate indicates that he was married, but with no information about a wife. (Recall, that on the 1920 census he registered as single.) The death certificate is signed by William Stroud, the man in whose home he was boarding.
Clarence Arthur Peterman, Sr. was buried on October 20, 1925 in Newmarket Cemetery, Newmarket, York, Ontario, Canada. He preceded his parents in death. Even though his life ended sordidly, Clarence Arthur Peterman Sr. did have a son with Bessie Hines, who was named after him and is important to the rest of our narrative.
For more information on the Hines family, see The Hines Line, A Narrative. (7)
Building a Nest… or Two
We continue with the childhood of Clarence Arthur Peterman, Jr. He was referred to by the name of “Art” most of his life, so to distinguish him from his father, we will refer to him by that name.
Art was born in Toronto, York County, Ontario on August 23, 1918 and he died on May 10, 1994 in Johnstown, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. His story in Ohio begins when he first entered the United States on January 3, 1924. His mother, Elizabeth “Bessie” (Hines) Peterman crossed into the United States with her 5 year old son Art, through Buffalo, New York. Her destination was Cleveland, Ohio to visit her sister, Emma (Hines) Wright, for three weeks.
Elizabeth “Bessie” (Hines) Peterman 1924 entry card.
It’s unknown how long he remained in the United States. One story is that he was raised by his maternal grandmother, Olivia Hines, in Toronto, Canada. This may be true because his mother Bessie married Frank Lemr in 1929, in Cleveland, Ohio. On the 1930 United States census, Art is not living with them. He cannot be found on either the 1930 United States census, nor the 1931 Canadian census.
As stated in the introduction, in 1936, just after his 18th birthday, he eloped with Marguerite Lulu Gore and they married in Ripley, Chautauqua County, New York on September 19, 1936. Marguerite was born in Russell Township, Geauga County, Ohio on June 28, 1920, and was the only daughter, and the youngest sibling with two older brothers.
Comment: Their trip to a legal marriage was the absolute shortest path possible, so they plotted well (as some teenagers do).The town of Ripley is just over the border from Pennsylvania, so literally their journey was 120 miles — a small jaunt across northeast Ohio, then a short section of Pennsylvania, and then Voilà,they were in Ripley.They did this trip in one day — they drove there, got married, drove home, and then told the parents.
This map shows the distance between Chagrin Falls, Ohio and Ripley, New York — about 120 miles of driving. (map image courtesy of Curtis Wright Maps).
They had married quite young and they had a fractious marriage. He was barely 18, and she was 16 — it’s likely that they both thought they were older than their years. Being married was probably quite fun at first, but very quickly, a baby was on the way (!)
Art and Marguerite had three children. James Elwyn Peterman was born on June 26, 1936 in the evening, at Bedford, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. From the very moment he was born, he had severe medical problems with his heart, and also his lungs. We were told that he was a blue baby, which is a condition caused when there is a shortage of oxygen in the baby’s blood. He lived for a few hours and died early in the morning on June 27, 1936 of respiratory failure. The next day, Marguerite turned 17. He is buried in Briar Hill Cemetery (Riverview) in Russell Township, Geauga County, Ohio.
In 1939, Marguerite and Art welcomed their daughter Jo Ann (Peterman) Bond White into their family. She was born on May 9, 1939 in Bedford, and died August 6, 2010. She is buried at the Western Reserve Memorial Gardens in Chesterland, Geauga, Ohio. On December 18, 1940, they also celebrated the holidays with the arrival of their last child, John Alfred (Peterman) Bond, who was also born in Bedford, a few days before Christmas.
The Peterman Family, 1940 US census.
The 1940 Census contains quite a bit of information about their life together. One of the questions asked was where had they lived in 1939? The answer given was Newbury, Geauga, Ohio. It is reasonable to assume they were living with Marguerite’s parents, Harley and Lulu Gore. Art’s job is listed as farm hand. Harley was quite ill and not able to work the farm — his son Leland Gore was operating his father’s farm, as well as his own. Art was most likely working on one, or both of the farms.
By May 1940, Art and Marguerite were living in a house in nearby Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Listed in the home are (Clarence) Art, age 24 [his correct age is almost 22], Marguerite, age 20 (pregnant with son John), Jo Ann, (age one), and June Wright, age 16. June Wright was Art’s cousin and attending Chagrin Falls High School. Art and June are listed as non US citizens, both born in Canada. Also in 1940, Art registered for the WW II draft. He indicates that he is working for City Ice and Fuel, in Cleveland, Ohio. (8)
Clarence Arthur Peterman Jr. Becomes a Naturalized Citizen
To become a United States citizen one needed to complete several documents. In 1941, Art Peterman completed a Petition for Naturalization. He is identified as being 5’6” tall, weighs 145 pounds, has brown eyes and dark brown hair. Interestingly, he states his Race as French and his Nationality as Great Britain. Canada was still part of the British Empire at the time, but his nationality should have been Canadian. Why he listed his Race as French is a mystery because the family’s history is German and English, not French.
Clarence Arthur Peterman Jr., Petition for Naturalization, circa 1941 — 1942.
There are two additional documents. An Affidavit of Witness on which two witnesses said they were acquainted with him since August 1938. A third document is the Certificate of Arrival. This document tells us that Art first entered the United States with his mother, Bessie (Hines) Peterman, on January 3, 1924 when he was five years old. They entered the United States in Buffalo, New York on the Michigan Central Railway. Clarence Arthur Peterman became a Naturalized United States Citizen on June 12, 1942.
On November 24, 1941 Harley Gore, Marguerite’s father, died of heart disease. By this time Marguerite and Art had endured a very difficult marriage and had grown apart. After her father’s death, Marguerite and the children, Jo Ann and John, moved into her mother’s home in Newbury, Ohio. By May of 1942, Art and Marguerite Peterman were divorced. On his Order of Admission form dated June 12, 1942, Art Peterman was living in Cleveland, Ohio.
By then the United States was deeply involved in WW II. In October 1942, Clarence Arthur Peterman Jr. joined the United States Coast Guard – Merchant Marines. From 1942 to 1945, he served on ships that transported vast quantities of war materiel, supplies, and equipment needed to fight the war between the United States and parts of Europe. (9)
WWII Recruitment Poster for The Merchant Marines. (Image courtesy The National WWII Museum, New Orleans).
Life After World War II
Art was discharged from the Coast Guard in 1945 at the end of the war. He and Dorothy Weyant were married, date unknown. On July 19, 1946, their only child, Dennis A. Peterman, was born in Lorain County, Ohio. Also in 1946, Marguerite (Gore) Peterman married Dean Phillip Bond. At the time of Dean and Marguerite’s marriage, Art asked Dean if he would legally adopt his children, Jo Ann and John. The adoption went forward and thereafter, Jo Ann and John’s legal last surname became Bond, and they were raised by Dean.(See footnotes).
Dennis A. Peterman, circa 1964.
At some point, Art and Dorothy Peterman moved to Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Their son Dennis married Madeline S. Koot on June 17, 1967 in Windber, Pennsylvania. Five years later, Dennis Peterman, aged 32, died on March 23, 1979, cause unknown, in Lorain County, Ohio. His mother Dorothy’s memorial on findagrave.com mentions her daughter-in-law Madeline (Koot) Peterman-Teli, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren.
Art Peterman died on May 10, 1994 in Johnstown, Dorothy J. (Weyant) Peterman died on March 19, 2013. Art, Dorothy and Dennis are buried in Richland Cemetery, Richland Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. (10)
Following are the footnotes for the Primary Source Materials, Notes, and Observations
Please note: Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.com were used extensively in researching information for The Peterman Line, A Narrative blog post. We observed that each site had both strengths and weaknesses with regards to correct information. Errors are mostly due to data entry errors by other people. It is important to look for other supporting evidence (when possible) to document correct genealogical histories.
Preface and Rhineland-Pfalz, or the Rhineland-Palatinate
[Author’s note: While researching material for this blog post, we have observed that some of the files on ancestry.com are messy and can lead the viewer down false trails. We include these links only for the interesting details found within them. However, the files found at family search.com are extensive and much more accurate in diagramming this family lineage. For an example, see * below in the section Life in the British Colony of Pennsylvania].
Nine Years’ War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Years’_War Note: For the Equestrian portrait of Louis XIV (1638–1715) by René-Antoine Houasse. The Sun King was the most powerful monarch in Europe.
From Gottlieb Mittleberger — Journey to Pennsylvania in the Year 1750 and Return to Germany in the Year 1754, trans. Carl Theo Eben (Philadelphia: John Jos. McVey, n.d.), as excerpted from: http://susanleachsnyder.com/Genealogy/TheOsgoodShip1750.html
Here is the transcription about travel on The Osgood Ship: A German immigrant by the name of Gottlieb Mittelberger, who arrived along with Michael Peterman in Philadelphia in 1750 on the ship Osgood, gave us a vivid account of his crossing to America.
“Both in Rotterdam and in Amsterdam the people are packed densely, like herrings so to say, in the large sea-vessels. One person receives a place of scarcely 2 feet width and 6 feet length in the bedstead, while many a ship carries four to six hundred souls; not to mention the innumerable implements, tools, provisions, water-barrels and other things which likewise occupy such space.
On account of contrary winds it takes the ships sometimes 2, 3, and 4 weeks to make the trip from Holland to . . England. But when the wind is good, they get there in 8 days or even sooner. Everything is examined there and the custom-duties paid, whence it comes that the ships ride there 8, 10 or 14 days and even longer at anchor, till they have taken in their full cargoes. During that time every one is compelled to spend his last remaining money and to consume his little stock of provisions which had been reserved for the sea; so that most passengers, finding themselves on the ocean where they would be in greater need of them, must greatly suffer from hunger and want. Many suffer want already on the water between Holland and Old England.
When the ships have for the last time weighed their anchors near the city of Kaupp [Cowes] in Old England, the real misery begins with the long voyage. For from there the ships, unless they have good wind, must often sail 8, 9, 10 to 12 weeks before they reach Philadelphia. But even with the best wind the voyage lasts 7 weeks.
But during the voyage there is on board these ships terrible misery, stench, fumes, horror, vomiting, many kinds of sea-sickness, fever, dysentery, headache, heat, constipation, boils, scurvy, cancer, mouth rot, and the like, all of which come from old and sharply salted food and meat, also from very bad and foul water, so that many die miserably.
Add to this want of provisions, hunger, thirst, frost, heat, dampness, anxiety, want, afflictions and lamentations, together with other trouble, as . . . the lice abound so frightfully, especially on sick people, that they can be scraped off the body. The misery reaches the climax when a gale rages for 2 or 3 nights and days, so that every one believes that the ship will go to the bottom with all human beings on board. In such a visitation the people cry and pray most piteously.
Children from 1 to 7 years rarely survive the voyage. I witnessed . . . misery in no less than 32 children in our ship, all of whom were thrown into the sea. The parents grieve all the more since their children find no resting-place in the earth, but are devoured by the monsters of the sea. That most of the people get sick is not surprising, because, in addition to all other trials and hardships, warm food is served only three times a week, the rations being very poor and very little. Such meals can hardly be eaten, on account of being so unclean. The water which is served out of the ships is often very black, thick and full of worms, so that one cannot drink it without loathing, even with the greatest thirst. Toward the end we were compelled to eat the ship’s biscuit which had been spoiled long ago; though in a whole biscuit there was scarcely a piece the size of a dollar that had not been full of red worms and spiders’ nests. . .
At length, when, after a long and tedious voyage, the ships come in sight of land, so that the promontories can be seen, which the people were so eager and anxious to see, all creep from below on deck to see the land from afar, and they weep for joy, and pray and sing, thanking and praising God. The sight of the land makes the people on board the ship, especially the sick and the half dead, alive again, so that their hearts leap within them; they shout and rejoice, and are content to bear their misery in patience, in the hope that they may soon reach the land in safety. But alas!
When the ships have landed at Philadelphia after their long voyage, no one is permitted to leave them except those who pay for their passage or can give good security; the others, who cannot pay, must remain on board the ships till they are purchased, and are released from the ships by their purchasers. The sick always fare the worst, for the healthy are naturally preferred and purchased first; and so the sick and wretched must often remain on board in front of the city for 2 or 3 weeks, and frequently die, whereas many a one, if he could pay his debt and were permitted to leave the ship immediately, might recover and remain alive.
The sale of human beings in the market on board the ship is carried out thus: Every day Englishmen, Dutchmen and High-German people come from the city of Philadelphia and other places, in part from a great distance, say 20, 30, or 40 hours away, and go on board the newly arrived ship that has brought and offers for sale passengers from Europe, and select among the healthy persons such as they deem suitable for their business, and bargain with them how long they will serve for their passage money, which most of them are still in debt for. When they have come to an agreement, it happens that adult persons bind themselves in writing to serve 3, 4, 5 or 6 years for the amount due by them, according to their age and strength. But very young people, from 10 to 15 years, must serve till they are 21 years old. Many parents must sell and trade away their children like so many head of cattle; for if their children take the debt upon themselves, the parents can leave the ship free and unrestrained; but as the parents often do not know where and to what people their children are going, it often happens that such parents and children, after leaving the ship, do not see each other again for many years, perhaps no more in all their lives. . .
It often happens that whole families, husband, wife and children, are separated by being sold to different purchasers, especially when they have not paid any part of their passage money.
When a husband or wife has died a sea, when the ship has made more than half of her trip, the survivor must pay or serve not only for himself or herself but also for the deceased. When both parents have died over half-way at sea, their children, especially when they are young and have nothing to pawn or pay, must stand for their own and their parents’ passage, and serve till they are 21 years old. When one has served his or her term, he or she is entitled to a new suit of clothes at parting; and if it has been so stipulated, a man gets in addition a horse, a woman, a cow. When a serf has an opportunity to marry in this country, he or she must pay for each year which he or she would have yet to serve, 5 or 6 pounds.”
Clarance Arthur Peterman in the UK, Royal Air Force Airmen Records, 1918-1940 U.S., Residents Serving in the British Expeditionary Forces, 1917-1919 https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/11190:9178 Note: This file is only visible with a Fold3 membership.
Clarence Arthur Peterman [Jr.] U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 Ohio > Paterson-Predmore > Petering, Williams-Peters, Ralph https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/199441456:2238 Digital page: 152/2292 Note: He indicates that he is working for City Ice and Fuel, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Clarence Arthur Peterman (Jr.) Becomes a Naturalized Citizen
Clarence A Peterman [Jr.], Migration – New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1958 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2H36-HPB Book page: 185, Digital page: 416/772 Note: The ship name: William D Moseley — List or Manifest of Aliens Employed on the Vessel as Members of Crew.
The following six documents are related to the adoption of Jo Ann (Peterman) Bond White, and John Alfred (Peterman) Bond by Dean Phillip Bond in 1948. The original documents were lost and in 1985, duplicate documents were sourced.
June 1985, Letter from Daniel Earl Bond to Clarence Arthur Peterman, Jr. requesting cooperation in providing evidence for adoption(s) of Jo Ann (Peterman) Bond by Dean Phillip Bond. (Family document).1985 Telephone notes from Daniel Earl Bond’s correspondence with Clarence Arthur Peterman, Jr. Note: “She said she thinks he decided not to execute the form.”Authorization form for adoption document duplicate.Jo Ann Bond adoption form (duplicate).Authorization form for adoption document duplicate.John Alfred Bond adoption form (duplicate).
Dorothy J. Peterman https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/112661672/dorothy-j-peterman From the Associated Press: “WINDBER — PETERMAN – Dorothy J., 90, Windber, went home to be with the Lord March 19, 2013. Born March 25, 1922, in Windber. Dorothy lived in Windber for most of her years prior to moving to Richland and recently resided at Church of the Brethren Home. Dorothy graduated from Windber Area High School in 1941 and was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church Scalp Level. She completed her studies in cosmetology and received her license in l961 after which she opened and operated “Dorothy’s Beauty Salon” in Scalp Level for more than 20 years. She also was a member of Anna L. Windolph Chapter 495 Order of the Eastern Star, Johnstown. Dorothy was a strong, kind-hearted, loving mother and grandmother. Despite her recent set backs, she remained high-spirited. She devoted her life to her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren who will miss her dearly.
Survivors include her brother, Charles J. Weyant, Richland; daughter-in-law, Madeline (Koot) Peterman-Teli; grandsons, Jason Peterman and Ryan Peterman; and great-grandchildren, Nadine and Caden Peterman, all of Ohio; and her “living guardian angel,” Bonnie Ott from Windber. Also survived by several nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by parents, Leslie and Margaret (Shearer); husband, Clarence “Art” Peterman; son, Dennis A. Peterman; brother, Donald Weyant; and devoted friend, Robert “Bob” Caldwell…”
Our Ancestors, Our Narratives 
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