As a child, I loved to watch Grizzly Adams on television along with his pet bear, Ben. I had no idea that my own ancestor, Robert Stewart, also had a pet bear! His bear’s name was “Bruin” (which means “bear”) and they lived in Pennsylvania in the mid-1800’s. While doing research, I uncovered an article titled “Mike Swartz and the Black Bear” in “History of Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania” which was published in 1883. The “black bear” in this story was Bruin, and I’m assuming things turned out alright. Robert died about 30 years before this book was published,...
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...
Last night’s “Saturday Night Genealogy Fun” challenge at Genea-Musings involved doing some semi-random research. I wasn’t able to do the research last night, but I’m ready now! Step #1: Go to your family tree database of choice (you know, like RootsMagic, Reunion, Ancestry Member Tree), and determine who the very first person on your list of C surnames is. Or the first person on your list of J surnames. Or P surnames. Or any other name you need to research. Your choice! I chose the letter “U” and my name was Boyd Ungard. Step #2: What do you know (or...
Randy posted tonight’s Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge over at Genea-Musings. Tonight’s challenge is to pick a male relative who isn’t a direct relative. Good choices would be a brother of an ancestor or the husband of an ancestor. You’re wanting someone whose name probably wouldn’t change throughout their life. Also, pick someone who was born between 1800-2000. Then, use FamilySearch to see what records come up. Tell what records you find & if you find anything new. I chose Edward L Stewart (Aug 1879 in PA – abt 1921 in PA), a sibling to my direct ancestor Andrew McClintock...
I have tried to identify the father of Andrew McClintock (1804-abt 1864 in PA) for several years. The key to busting this brick wall was in the newly released Pennsylvania certificates of death. Andrew and his wife, Mary Jane, had eight children that I know of. Three of those children died between 1906 and 1922, the years for which these death records have been released and are available at ancestry.com. Image taken from Ancestry.com. Two of these records, those for Samuel & Adam, list the maiden name of their mother as “unknown.” But the third child, their daughter Sarah Elizabeth...
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...
