In November 2013, I experienced a milestone in my genealogical journey: my first leap “across the pond.” Now, a decade later, the thrill of that discovery still lingers vividly in my mind. Seeing a document that connected me to my family’s origins, in their own homeland, was not just incredible—it was a profound moment of revelation and connection. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health, Certificate of Death no. 113815 (1923), Sarah Jane Merrill; digital images, “Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1970,” Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 January 2024). Sarah (Eastwood) Merrill (1848-1923) was my 2nd great grandmother. Her death certificate...
This post is based on Amy Johnson Crow’s “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks” challenge. This week’s them is: CENSUS. UPDATE 30 Dec 2023: I am no longer sure this is my Sally Eastwood. More work needs to be done! I recently located my 3rd great grandmother and two of her children—including my 2nd great grandmother—on the 1851 England census. The document is difficult to read as it is faded and stained. It is also difficult to read because of the word written on the line with her: pauper. 1851 census of England, Lancashire, Ashton under Lyne, Leesfield parish, p. 31...
The Church of England is the official church of England. Protestant churches which do not conform to the Church of England doctrines are called nonconformist churches. Register of Baptisms Kept at Providence Chapel, Spring Head, Saddleworth, County of York, [England], page 83, baptized 12 May 1835, Humphrey Eastwood; The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, England; database, “England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Register, 1567-1970,” “Ancestry.com” (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 December 2017). With his first wife, my third great grandfather had two children who were baptized in a nonconformist church. On Ancestry.com, these two baptisms are in a database...
In November of 2013 I found my first record of an ancestor in Europe. It was my first “jump across the pond.” It was a huge day for me and I was thrilled! In fact, that’s the day a volunteer told me she loved my ‘enthusiasm’ for genealogy and I came up with my blog name. So, how did this ‘pond jump’ happen? 1860 Census – Lock Haven, Clinton Co, PA from Ancestry.com At the time, I knew the following… my great, great grandmother, Sarah, was born in 1848 in England (she was 12 in the above census) according to...
I’m excited to be participating in this year’s “52 Ancestor Challenge” from “No Story Too Small.” Our ancestors are more than names, dates, & places. They lived and breathed; married and had children; celebrated births and grieved deaths. For the most part, our ancestors suffered more loss than we do. Wives often died in childbirth. Children often died while still children. Life was harsher. I’ve had very few deaths which were close to me. I lost my best childhood friend when I was 17, but I hadn’t seen her in years. I lost my grandmother about 10 years ago, but...
2014 has been an amazing year for me and my genealogy research. With increased knowledge, time, and resources available, I’ve uncovered some amazing discoveries! I had thought about making a “top 10” booklet for my family as Christmas gifts, but didn’t get around to it. Maybe I will still do that but give it to them for Valentine’s Day. But, for now, I thought I’d highlight my top 10 finds of the year. 1839 Marriage Record – Parish of Prestwich, Lancaster County, England (image from Ancestry.com) #10 – I didn’t start blogging until March of this year, so my first...
Randy has posted another Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge. This week we are looking at Sarah’s in our database with ‘last names unknown’ or LNU. I’m going to summarize the rules this time: Basically, search your database and see how many females you have with the first name of “Sarah” where you don’t know the last name. Then, do a little research and see if you can discover her maiden name. If you don’t have any Sarah’s, feel free to use a different first name. Then, post your findings! So, here goes! I have two Sarah’s, but they are such...
I’ve really been working on my English ancestors the past few weeks. It’s the Eastwood family I mentioned in my last post, “A First Jump Across the Pond.” In that post, I shared about Humphrey Eastwood who I originally thought was my ancestor’s (James’) brother, but I found out he was actually his son by a first marriage. 1841 Census – Prestwich Cum Oldham, Lancashire, England from Ancestry.com If Sarah wasn’t Humphrey’s mother, then who was? I next found a birth record for Humphrey Eastwood which shows his mother was named Elizabeth. Humphrey’s original birth record Then, I found ANOTHER...
