Overflowing With Thanks ~ 8 Thankfuls In One Part Of The Tree

THANKFUL is this week's prompt.

I immediately thought about having seen a person whose name was Thankful in our Bramble Bush. 

When I went searching I discovered we have 8 Thankfuls in our Bramble Bush. 

Noticing that all of them were female I started wondering about the origin of the name. 

"The name Thankful is a girl's name of English origin.

In the Plymouth Colony of the seventeenth century, Thankful was the third most popular of the abstract word names. It disappeared after 1700 and has virtually no chance of returning."1 

It was the moment I read this that I realized my ancestors were part of the origins of Thanksgiving. 

This week was American Thanksgiving. We are Canadian. Our Thanksgiving was a month ago.

BUT the origins of Thanksgiving are connected.

As a child I loved hearing about Plymouth and the origins of Thanksgiving. I would have loved to have known I had ancestors there. 

In the years since I have viewed the story through a different lens. 

If you want to learn more about the origins of Thanksgiving click the History.com article sourced below. 

Back to the Thankfuls in our tree. 

None are our direct ancestors or super close, but they are ours to claim through my mother's maternal line.

My 1st cousin 10x removed 
Thankful Strong
BIRTH 25 JUL 1663 • Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 5 MAR 1726
her parents were
John Strong
BIRTH 1610 • Taunton, Taunton Deane Borough, Somerset, England
DEATH 14 APR 1699 • Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA
and
Abigail Ford - my 9th great grandaunt
BIRTH 8 OCT 1619 • Bridport, Dorset, England
DEATH 6 JUL 1688 • Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA

My 2nd cousin 9x removed (and niece to Thankful above)
Thankful Strong
BIRTH 15 APR 1672 • Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States of America
DEATH 16 APR 1742 • Coventry, Tolland County, Connecticut, United States of America
Her parents were
Jedediah Strong - my 2nd cousin 9x removed
BIRTH 7 MAY 1637 • Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States
DEATH 22 MAY 1733 • Coventry, Tolland County, Connecticut, USA
and
Freedom Woodward
BIRTH JUL 1641 • Dorchester Suffolk County Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 17 MAY 1681 • Northampton Hampshire County Massachusetts, USA

My 1st cousin 10x removed 
Benjamin Lyman
BIRTH 10 AUG 1674 • Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts
DEATH 14 OCT 1723 • Northhampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA
his wife
Thankful Pomeroy
BIRTH 31 MAY 1679 • Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 18 SEP 1773 • Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA
Her parents were
Medad Pomeroy
BIRTH 19 AUG 1638 • Windsor Hartford County Connecticut, USA
DEATH 30 DEC 1716 • Northampton Hampshire County Massachusetts, USA
and
Experience Woodward
BIRTH 10 NOV 1643 • Dorchester Suffolk County Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 6 JUN 1686 • Northampton Hampshire County Massachusetts, USA
Benjamin's parents were
John Lyman (my 9th great granduncle)
BIRTH 16 SEP 1623 • High Ongar, Essex, England
DEATH 20 AUG 1690 • Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA
and 
Dorcas Plumb
BIRTH 12 JAN 1635 • Weathersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, United States
DEATH 20 APR 1725 • Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts

My 3rd cousin 7x removed 
Aaron Dewey
BIRTH 25 AUG 1734 • Lebanon, New London County, Connecticut, USA
DEATH 4 FEB 1805 • Mount Tabor, Rutland County, Vermont, USA
his mother in law
Thankful Babcock
BIRTH 1686 • Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 20 JAN 1736 • Coventry, Tolland, Connecticut, USA
her parents were
Jonathan Babcock
BIRTH 07 MAR 1652 • Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 05 JAN 1732 • Coventry, Tolland, Connecticut, USA
and
Mary Curtis
BIRTH 09 JAN 1655 • Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States
DEATH 28 MAR 1710 • Windham, Windham, Connecticut, United States
Aaron's wife (and Thankful's daughter)
Maria Porter
BIRTH 18 JUN 1731 • Coventry, Tolland, Connecticut, USA
DEATH 1778
Maria's father (and Thankful's husband)
Thomas Stanley Porter
BIRTH 1 APR 1683 • Hadley, Hampshire, MA
DEATH 7 AUG 1752 • Coventry, Tolland County, Connecticut, USA
Aaron's parents were
Jonathan Dewey - 2nd cousin 8x removed
BIRTH 6 MAR 1710 • Lebanon, Conn
DEATH 23 DEC 1759 • Lebanon, Conn
and 
Mary Collier
BIRTH 1714
DEATH 19 DEC 1800 • Pomfret, Windham, Connecticut, USA

My 3rd cousin 8x removed (and daughter of Thankful above)
Thankful Root
BIRTH 4 AUG 1700 • Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, United States
DEATH 16 APR 1750 • Torrington, Litchfield, Connecticut, United States
Her parents were
Thankful Strong - 2nd cousin 9x removed
BIRTH 15 APR 1672 • Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States of America
DEATH 16 APR 1742 • Coventry, Tolland County, Connecticut, USA
and
Deacon Thomas Root
BIRTH 11 APR 1667 • Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 13 NOV 1758 • Coventry, Tolland County, Connecticut, USA

My 2nd cousin 8x removed 
Thankful Marsh
BIRTH 15 MAR 1728 • Sunderland, Franklin, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 19 FEB 1817 • Montague, Franklin, Massachusetts
Her parents were
Ebenezer Marsh - 1st cousin 9x removed
BIRTH 1 MAY 1687 • Hatfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts
DEATH 9 SEP 1747 • Montague, Hampshire, MA
and
Elizabeth Gillette
BIRTH 1 MAY 1689 • Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, United States
DEATH 8 MAR 1753 • Sunderland, Franklin, Massachusetts, United State

My 3rd cousin 7x removed (and daughter to Thankful above)
Thankful Gunn
BIRTH 17 AUG 1754 • Montague, Hampshire, Massachusetts, United States
DEATH 10 JUL 1808 • ,, Massachusetts, United States
her parents were
Thankful Marsh - 2nd cousin 8x removed
BIRTH 15 MAR 1728 • Sunderland, Franklin, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 19 FEB 1817 • Montague, Franklin, Massachusetts
and
Asahel Gunn
BIRTH 16 NOV 1730 • Montague, Franklin, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 11 JULY 1796 • Montague, Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States

My 3rd cousin 6x removed 
Thankful Skinner
BIRTH 1785
DEATH Unknown
her parents were
Jonathan Skinner
BIRTH ABT 1748 • Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
DEATH ABT 1808 • Pompey, Onondaga, New York
and
Jerusha Merrill - 2nd cousin 7x removed
BIRTH 24 AUG 1760 • West Hartford, Hartford Co, CT
DEATH Unknown

As you can see my family line took the name Thankful into the 1700s in defiance of the quote above. So far I haven't found any record of it in the 1800s, but I haven't been looking!

Organizing the Thankfuls into this week's blog in a way that seemed to make sense was challenging. 

I hope I have managed to include it in a way that makes some sort of sense to someone besides me.

Trying to keep track of all the Thankfuls!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Footnotes:

1 Thankful Origin and Meaning, Baby Name, Retrieved November 26th 2021 from https://nameberry.com/babyname/Thankful

Sources:

History of Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving 2021, History.com. Retrieved November 26th 2021 from 
https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

________________________________________________________________

Making Memories ~ A Nose Piercing For My Birthday

BIRTHDAYS is this week's prompt.

My mom died in 2015. 

Every year since I think about mom on my birthday.

This year we had our oldest son and our daughter-in-law visiting from Ontario. They surprised me arriving the day before my birthday. I was completely shocked when I turned around at the local Starbucks to discover the two of them standing there when I thought they were on the other side of Canada. I was so confused my son had to take his mask down and say "Happy Birthday Mom" for me to understand they were actually standing in front of me. 

On the morning of my birthday the 4 of us were sitting at the table drinking our warm beverage of choice when my daughter-in-law asked if I had ever considered getting my nose pierced. She said she wanted to get a second ring behind the one she already had, and thought it would be fun for us to go together.

HMMMMMM --
had I ever really considered getting my nose pierced?

UHHHHH -- no. 

I am petrified of needles, and have always wondered how those with nose piercings manage to blow their noses, but was afraid to ask.

BUT -- every year on my birthday I think about my mom. 

What exactly does my mom have to do with a pierced nose?

That is a fantastic question!!!

My mom stayed with us from the time of her diagnosis until her death. During that time we had many heart to heart conversations. After a discussion about how challenging I had been as a teenager she mentioned that she always thought I would get a tattoo or a nose piercing after I left home. She mentioned how cute she thought I would look with my nose pierced. At the time I laughed, and said I had no plan to get my nose pierced at almost 50 years of age. 

Over the past 6+ years I have thought about this discussion a lot, and wondered if maybe it wouldn't be so hard to blow your nose with a piece of jewelry inside of it. 

Back to the warm beverage discussion at the table on the morning of my birthday.

I tell them about my mom's thoughts about my having a nose piercing. 

The next thing I know we have appointments for nose piercings at a top reviewed reputable shop downtown for that afternoon. 

When we walked in she asked who was going first. 

I said me. 

In my head I was thinking there is no way I can see what actually is going to happen & then get it done myself. 

I must go first! 

I am known for researching everything very carefully, but this time I went in blind. 

Our piercer was very good. 

It barely hurt -
well it hurt more than I had hoped, but less that I had expected.

My daughter-in-law held my hand & told me how brave I was. 

In the weeks since I have discovered that blowing my nose is no different than before. 

It no longer hurts even when I sleep on my left side.

I have already chosen my next nose stud --- it's a dragonfly!

Remembering my mommy!!!

In 2019 Mom visited me:

And brought dad along too:

I will be forever grateful for this experience my daughter-in-law and I shared on their surprise visit to see us. 

We had the best time, and have fantastic memories. 

Creating memories with those we love! 

UPDATED to add:  I got my dragonfly as an early Christmas present!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Sources:

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

________________________________________________________________

The Jenny Smith ~ Isabella (nee Glass) Thomson's poem

Current me is super pleased with past me. 

This week's prompt STORMY WEATHER had me struggling to decide who or what to write about. 

I decided to leave it to later in the week hoping inspiration would hit.

What happened was I forgot the prompt so went to the weekly prompt list I printed at the beginning of this year's challenge.

I discovered I had a notation about who I was going to write about.

Current me is super pleased with past me for how organized I was & now am.

I had decided to post a poem written by my 2nd great grandmother

Isabella Glass
BIRTH ABT. 1848/1849 • North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH 29 JUL 1943 • Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, Scotland
my 2nd great grandfather
Thomas Thomson
BIRTH ABT. 1849 • Buckhaven, East Wemyss, Fife, Scotland
DEATH 22 FEB 1919 • Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Isabella's birth year is not fully confirmed. 

Using the 1861 census her age was recorded as 12 making her birth year 1849. Her parents were married November 8th 1947 so that date makes sense. All of the following census records support 1849 as her birth year.

Her granddaughter (my grandmother) believed her to have died at age 98, but that would make her birth year 1845, and none of the records support that. I only mention this because grandma recorded on the poem page her belief that Isabella died at age 98. Find A Grave notes her as 94 or 95 when she died. The Find A Grave was created by my dad's 2nd cousin who I know researched with the assistance of a professional genealogist. His facts can be trusted. 

X2 great grandmother's poem about the stormy weather on THE JENNY SMITH fits this week's prompt. 

Isabella grew up a fisherman's daughter, and married a fisherman. 

She lived on the east coast of Scotland, North Berwick. As fisherfolk they traveled as evidenced by the 1891 census showing them in England. 

X2 great grandma, Isabella, knew all about the hazards of weather!

The poems were transcribed by my grandmother for her son, my dad.  The second poem, ROBIN REDBREAST, is also connected to weather.

The final line about tea made perfect sense. Grandma never left her Scottish roots behind. 

The love of tea was passed to me.  

I also shared it with my children.

about 1998

Grandma was very connected to her grandparents, Isabella & Thomas. She was born in their house on Clifford Road in North Berwick. 

Someday I want to walk in front of my X2 great grandparents house, but for now a virtual walk with Google Street View will do! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Sources:

8 Clifford Road, North Berwick, UK. Retrieved November 11th 2021 from 
https://www.google.ca/maps/place/8+Clifford+Rd,+North+Berwick+EH39+4PW,+UK/@56.0576394,-2.7271301,15.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x488707623eb664fd:0x2b65709873599406!8m2!3d56.0552935!4d-2.7211801?hl=en&authuser=0

Memorial 128537868, Isabella Glass Thomson, Find a Grave. Retrieved November 11th 2021 from 
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/128537868/isabella-thomson

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

________________________________________________________________

Cousin Barack Obama ~ Spoiler Alert, Not Exactly

 As a Canadian this week's prompt, VOTING, made zero sense. 

Knowing the prompt was chosen last year in seems that voting in November in an expected thing. 

3 years ago I was also confused about the November voting. 

In seeking answers I decided to research in the typical way my age cohort does:

My question from 3 years ago

My brother & his family kindly answered, and it mostly became clear. The Canadian & American voting systems really are different.

Knowing the Americans were voting, but Canadians were not I was left to ponder what exactly to write about. 

I decided I would choose my own prompt this week. 

In the days I pondered what/who I should write about my cohort's research arena came through again.

My husband's 6th cousin via his paternal line posted that he was 23 degrees from Barack Obama via their shared ancestry's line. 

Really -- my husband & children are connected to Barack Obama.

How cools is that ponders me, but is it true?

As is usual with any good genealogy find there is some truth.

Barack Obama is in our forest, but not directly in our tree. 

He is the 1st cousin 8x removed of the wife of my husband's 7th great-granduncle via his mother's paternal line.

Is that close enough to call ourselves family?  Obviously!

Or maybe not

BUT wait - that connection is via his maternal line. His mother's father's line. The 6th cousin posted the connection via his father's paternal line. 

Back to researching, and adding folks. As usual, I had to be cautious in not doubling up since the spouse I needed to connect the two lines was already in our tree. 

After carefully connecting and back-checking the connection is clearly through my husband's mother's maternal line and his father's paternal line. 

Does it make the connection closer when it is through both parental lines?

I think it does!!!

Since Ancestry only provides one line of connection the exact cousin connection would take a lot more time than I am willing to provide this week to identify for his father's paternal line. 

Is our Bramble Bush connected to 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama?  Yes! 

Is he related to my husband and children? No! 

Do they have shared relatives they are related to? Yes. 

Is there shared blood?  No!  

That could change in the future, but for now....

Wikitree says that Barack Obama & my husband are 25 degrees of separation apart.

My husband and Barack Obama  live side by side in this Bramble Bush.

When you find folks you admire connected to your tree! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Source:

25 degrees of separation to Barack Obama, Wikitree. Retrieved November 6th 2021 from https://www.wikitree.com/

  

Photo:

Bramble, Google Images, Open Source. Retrieved November 6th 2021.

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

________________________________________________________________