My Happy Place ~ The Library

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025: Week 19 (AT THE LIBRARY)

At the library gives me the opportunity to talk about me!

I have worked in public library for the past 15 years.

Prior to that I worked in social services.

When I went for my interview I was asked "Deb, why the library?" as the first get to know you question as they looked at my resume that included nothing like the library.

My answer "When I was young we moved a lot. I was in five schools in three provinces for grade 3, and three schools in two provinces for grade 4. Every time we moved the library was my happy place. I would love to work in my happy place everyday."

They hired me, and honestly after 15 years I still love the library.

BUT it's strange that the library was my happy place because I wasn't actually reading books when I was there.

I was a late reader. 

The peaceful space in a time of chaos in my life was special. 

The library was a magical place for me. 

When I was almost ten I taught myself to read with Archie comic books. 

I struggled with sounding out the words, but the pictures in the comic books made it easier to figure out what was going on. 

I remember the day I laughed, and then realized they were funny.

That was the day comprehension began. 

The first non-comic book I read was a few months later - the Diary of Anne Frank. 

I went from not reading to being a reader.

I remember getting ready for school - drying my hair with one hand, and holding the book with the other. 

I was obsessed with reading.

I often read two or more books at the same time. 

This is still something I do.

A perfect moment in time -
a cat, a tea. a book

When the library is your happy place!!! 

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***

Photos:

Personal

Links:

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

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!

______________________________________________________________

Preserving the History ~ Puritan Arrival In Massachusetts Bay Colony

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 19 (PRESERVE)

I have 3 PRESERVED cousins in my tree.

1st cousin 10x removed
Preserved Clapp
BIRTH 23 NOV 1643 • Dorchester, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 20 SEP 1720 • Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA

his son
2nd cousin 9x removed
Preserved Clapp
BIRTH 29 APR 1675 • Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 11 OCT 1757 • Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA

and via the same Thomas Ford/Elizabeth Charde line
2nd cousin 9x removed
Preserved Strong
BIRTH 29 MAR 1680 • Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 26 SEP 1765 • Coventry, Tolland County (Tolland), Connecticut, USA

"Preserved supposedly got his name because he was born in a "great snow storm, and preserved, 'notwithstanding its severity, and the extreme cold weather following.'" (from the book John Lee, by Sarah Marsh Lee, Norwich, 1878, p. 135)"  1  

When I first began researching this line I didn't understand the naming patterns. It was only in understanding the family lines were Puritan immigrants from England to Massachusetts Bay Colony that I was able to figure out why they named their children the way they did. 

"The Puritans were a group of Protestant Christians with strict religious beliefs. They disagreed with some practices of England’s official church, the Church of England. The English government mistreated them because of their beliefs. The Puritans wanted to find a place where they could practice their religion in peace. In 1629 King Charles I of England gave a group of Puritans permission to trade and settle in America. The group was called the Massachusetts Bay Company." 2

Massachusetts Bay Colony     3

The given names included: Wait, Unite, Desire, Thanks, Hopestill, Waitstill, Experience, Return, Thankful, Freedom, Supply, Mindful, Unite, Remember, Preserved, and many traditional names.

"Despite their eccentricities, the Puritans did leave us some beautifully resonant names. Names like Verity, Felicity, and Hope more than make up for the Humiliations, Die-wells, and Kill-sins." 4

This is the part of our Bramble Bush where my mother's maternal line & Chris' father's maternal line become overgrown. 

Chris' 11th great uncle was John Winthrop 

"The Winthrop Fleet consisted of eleven ships. The well-planned and financed expedition was lead by Governor John Winthrop, who transported seven hundred Puritan immigrants from the religious turmoil in England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the spring of 1630. " 5

Chris' 10th great grandmother is THE WINTHROP WOMAN 
Elizabeth (Bess) Fones
BIRTH 21 JAN 1610 • Groton, Babergh District, Suffolk, England
DEATH 1 FEB 1673 • Astoria, Queens County, New York, USA
She first married her cousin, Henry (Harry) Winthop
then 10th great grandfather Robert Feake
then may or may not have married William Hallett

Preserving the family history for those who come after me!!! 

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 Preserved Strong. FindAGrave. Retrieved May 10th 2024 from
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36164159/preserved-strong

2 Massachusetts Bay Colony. Brittanica Kid. Retrieved May 10th 2024 from
https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Massachusetts-Bay-Colony/390804

3 jpitha, . (2021, January 18). Massachusetts Bay Colony Plaque. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13315/massachusetts-bay-colony-plaque/

4 A Boy Named Humiliation: Some Wacky, Cruel, and Bizarre Puritan Names. Slate. Joseph Norwood. Originally published September 13th 2013. Retrieved May 10th 2024 from
https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/09/puritan-names-lists-of-bizarre-religious-nomenclature-used-by-puritans.html

5 Eleven Ships Sailed to Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Winthrop Fleet in 1630. The Macy-Colby House. Retrieved May 10th 2024 from https://www.macycolbyhouse.org/Winthrop-Fleet/

Sources:

A Boy Named Humiliation: Some Wacky, Cruel, and Bizarre Puritan Names. Slate. Joseph Norwood. Originally published September 13th 2013. Retrieved May 10th 2024 from
https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/09/puritan-names-lists-of-bizarre-religious-nomenclature-used-by-puritans.html

Massachusetts Bay Colony. Brittanica Kid. Retrieved May 10th 2024 from
https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Massachusetts-Bay-Colony/390804

Massachusetts Bay Colony Plaque. World History Encyclopedia. jpitha, Originally published January 18, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13315/massachusetts-bay-colony-plaque/

Preserved Strong. FindAGrave. Retrieved May 10th 2024 from
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36164159/preserved-strong

Puritan New England: A Resource Guide. Library of Congress, Research Guides. Retrieved May 10th 2024 from 
https://guides.loc.gov/puritan-new-england

The Puritans. Editors. History Channel. A&E Television Networks. Updated June 27th 2023. Originally published October 29th 2009. Retrieved May 10th 2024 from
https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/puritanism

Puritans and Iron Making. National Park Service. Retrieved May 10th 2024 from
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/puritans-and-iron-making.htm

The Winthrop Fleet in 1630. The Macy-Colby House. Retrieved May 10th 2024 from https://www.macycolbyhouse.org/Winthrop-Fleet/

Photos:

Massachusetts Bay Colony Plaque. World History Encyclopedia. jpitha, Originally published January 18, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13315/massachusetts-bay-colony-plaque/

Links:

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

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!

______________________________________________________________

Is This Child Really Mine ~ Not Bald As Expected

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2023: Week 19 (BALD)

When we were expecting our first child we talked about many things, but we never talked about hair. 

We talked about gender.
I was fairly confident we were having a boy.
Chris had no feelings either way.
We had our first in a time & place when finding out the gender wasn't available.

We talked about names.
Cassie or Emma if we had a girl.
We decided on the boys' name complete with middle by about the 6th week of pregnancy, and never wavered. 

We talked about parenting styles along with hopes & dreams.
We never realized our imaginary children were not our real children. 

We never talked about who the baby might look like.
We never talked about features or hair colour.

I had been picturing our baby (a son in my visions) as a blonde cue ball for the entire pregnancy. 

All of the babies that I recall being born in my family have been born bald so I was shocked when they wheeled me off the elevator from the recovery room after an emergency c-section (general anesthetic) to see this baby with a head of thick black hair.

Had I been awake when he was born I would have known he was mine, but there was no time for a spinal. 

My first visual of our baby was Chris holding him while leaning against the wall in the hallway of the maternity ward. I was shocked to see a full head of dark hair. I immediately thought they gave him the wrong baby. I then noticed Chris looking down at the baby and thought 'oh no...he's already attached'. 

I couldn't quite understand how my blonde cue ball baby turned into this baby with thick dark hair. 

I would like to believe it was the result of: the anesthetic, lack of sleep, or 2 days of labour. Regardless of why - I was confident they gave us the wrong baby.

Don't get me wrong - I loved him from the first moment, and was solidly attached instantly. He was so darn cute, and such an amazing baby.

BUT I kept looking at the blonde cue ball baby in the bassinet across from the one they said was mine wondering if he was mine.

By the time we were discharged to home several days later due to my surgery and his jaundice I had forgotten that I hadn't been sure he was our baby.

It probably helped that he had a bump on his ear that matched his dad perfectly, and I had also realized our families have equal amounts of both blonde and dark hair - just a random set of genetics that results in a baby.

If only I had seen a baby photo of Chris I may have been ready for a dark haired child because as newborns both our boys looked just like their dad. 

Many years later we were at a community gathering where that blonde cue ball baby in the bassinet across from us was also in attendance. In my most judgy voice I said to Chris 'It doesn't matter - I do not want that child - this one is mine!".

By the time he was a year old he looked so much like me there was little doubt he was mine. 

By the time our second arrived I fully expected all the dark hair he was born with. When our boys were about 2 and 5 a coworker commented that I got Pete & Re-Pete.

Being a new parent is exhausting....

When your child is nothing like the imaginary child you envisioned!!! 

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***

Photos:

Personal Family Photos

Links:

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

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!

______________________________________________________________

Fashionista ~ Past & Present

Thinking about this week's prompt TEXTILES I started thinking about how fashion changes over time. 

Often we look at old photos and are confused about what was 'in style'. Looking at how our ancestors dressed through the eyes of today we are often left giggling. How could THAT possibly be in fashion we ask ourselves.

I would like to believe my husband's ancestors were fashionable since it's a trait he has & has passed to our children. 

I have written about my husband's fashion sense before - read it here: Fashionista ~ Princess Chris

I have been known to go out looking less than 'well put together', but they never do! 

This is my husband's 4th great grandmother on his father's paternal line.

Sarah Elizabeth (nee Hawthorne) Meharg was known as Elizabeth. 

Looking at this photo we wonder -- was she fashionable? Was the bonnet the latest fashion?  or not? 

When I look at the photo there is no doubt she is related to my husband. They share similarities in the nose, lips, chin and face shape, along with hair line. They may also share eyebrows, but we can't be sure 4th great grandma didn't alter hers for beauty practices of the day.

It's always interesting to find features shared with ancestors.

She was 22 years old when she married John William (known as William) Meharg at Drumballyroney Civil Parish, County Down, Northern Ireland. This information was provided by an ancestor & genealogy researcher via message on Ancestry. Their first born child was born in that parish near the village of Rathfriland further supporting the claim.

She was 84 years old (widowed at age 40) when she died while visiting daughter Esther (married to Daniel Archibald Mosher) in Yale, Michigan, USA.

My husband's 4th great grandparents: 

Sarah Elizabeth (Elizabeth) Hawthorne
BIRTH 1 JAN 1804 • County Down, Northern Ireland
DEATH 30 AUG 1888 • Yale, St. Clair County, Michigan, USA
and
John William (William) Meharg
BIRTH County Down, Northern Ireland
DEATH 1844 • Ontario, Canada

Elizabeth & William had 9 children including 2 sets of twins born just just 2 years (less a day) apart. 

That household must have been so busy with 2 year old twins, newborn twins, a 4 year old, a 7 year old, and a 9 year old. I can't imagine how she coped with looking after the children & the home in a time when no conveniences existed.

Their children:

William Meharg
BIRTH 1830 • Ireland
DEATH ABT. 1852

John Franklin Meharg (my husband's 3rd great grandfather)
BIRTH 24 JUN 1832 • Rathfriland, Ulster, County Down, Ireland
DEATH 7 JUN 1909 • Norfolk, Haldimand-Norfolk Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada

James Meharg
BIRTH 12 AUG 1835 • Ireland
DEATH 17 DEC 1914 • Ludington, Mason, Michigan, USA

Elizabeth Margaret Meharg
BIRTH 8 NOV 1837 • Ireland
DEATH Unknown

Samuel Meharg 
BIRTH 8 NOV 1837 • Rathfriland, County Down, Northern Ireland
DEATH 14 OCT 1912 • Russell County, Kansas, USA

Sarah Lavina Meharg
BIRTH 7 NOV 1839 • Hillsborough, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland
DEATH 17 MAY 1922 • Watertown, Codington Co., South Dakota, USA

Esther Meharg
BIRTH 7 NOV 1839 • Ireland
DEATH 28 JUN 1920 • Yale, St. Clair County, Michigan, USA

Robert Meharg
BIRTH ABT. 1841
DEATH Unknown

Edward Meharg
BIRTH ABT. 1843
DEATH ABT. 1843
Edward died on the trip to Canada, and was buried at sea

The first child I could find records for was born 4 years after their marriage. After that babies arrived about every 2 years. I suspect there was infants born still or died young that didn't make the trip from Ireland, and their records are lost to us at this time. We may find them in the future. No child should be forgotten.

On a side note - the family story is the Meharg family were sheep thieves, and after deciding to leave their thieving days behind reversed the spelling of their name. The name was originally Graham. When I first heard this family tale I was concerned about my husband and I being related since my mom's maiden name was Graham. As I cautiously clicked the One-to-one Autosomal DNA Comparison button on GedMatch I was relieved to see No shared DNA segments found, and even more relieved for the same answer with my mom's sister's kit number. 

My Grahams are from Scotland, and his Mehargs are from Ireland.

We are not related.

Finding no shared branches between spouses!!!

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***

Photos:

Sarah Elizabeth (nee Hawthorne) Meharg, Retrieved May 22nd 2022 from Ancestry. Original source of photo unknown.

Sources:

Drumballyroney.  Civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. Retrieved May 22nd 2022 from https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Drumballyroney

Marriage information for Sarah Elizabeth Hawthorne & John William Meharg. Descendant & Genealogy researcher Carol (Meharg) Morrow. Provided January 2022

Links:

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

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!

______________________________________________________________

Wedding Present ~ Bowls 129 Years Later

On September 10th 1893 Amy Louisa Baker married William Herbert Dendy.

On that day, almost 129 years ago, they received these 2 bowls as a wedding present. 

The bowls are 6 inches across and 2 inches deep.

They are etched with a flower (including stem & leaves) on each side

129 years later they held snacks on the table at their great grandchild's 50th wedding anniversary celebration.

What an amazing legacy these bowls stand for. 

I'm not sure if there were more bowls to the set, but it's likely there were. Only these 2 bowls remain.

They traveled across the Ocean from England to Canada in 1903. They were then passed down daughter to daughter until arriving safely to the homes of two great granddaughters who treasure these heirlooms. I have no doubt they will continue to be passed down through the family lines. 

Maybe someday the relative of mine who hold them will find this blog. 

Receiving these bowls at their wedding were:
The Bride, Amy Louisa Baker, 
BIRTH 18 MAR 1875 • Ealing, Middlesex, England
DEATH 23 DEC 1949 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
& the Groom, William Herbert Dendy, 
BIRTH 27 JUL 1866 • Wandsworth, Surrey, England
DEATH 25 DEC 1929 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

They were married September 10th 1893.

Amy's sister Mary & William's brother Harry were their witnesses.

The church they were married in still stand today: 
St Andrew's Church in London, England. 

Food & Drink is the prompt for Week 19 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, and I thought these bowls fit perfectly. 

This is my  4th year participating in Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Prior to #52Ancestors  I had been in an uncommitted relationship with my genealogy blog since first starting it in 2014. Since 2019 I have written weekly about someone in our Bramble Bush. If you would like to learn more click the link at the bottom of this blog. 

Genealogy blogging for future searchers!!!

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:

Photo, St Andrew's Church. Retrieved May 12th 2022 from 
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2628490

St Andrew's Church, Stockwell Green, London: Victorian Re-Modelling by H. C. Coe, Retrieved May 12th 2022 from 
https://victorianweb.org/art/architecture/churches/79.html

Links:

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

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!

______________________________________________________________

Mother's Day ~ Remembering My Mom

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2021: Week 19 (MOTHER'S DAY)

My mommy and I  

plus my brother

2021 marks my 7th Mother's Day without my mom. 

My mom died in March 2015. Grief is complicated.

That first Mother's Day I struggled with the realization that I was now motherless. I was a mother myself, but celebrating Mother's Day was always about my mom & not about me. 

That first Mother's Day while I was feeling sorry for myself I realized that my grandmother had lost the child that first made her a mother. 

mom with her parents

That year started an annual tradition of sending grandma a Mother's Day package. Mom always made a big deal about celebrations like Mother's Day, and I realized that grandma would be feeling that loss immensely. Sending grandma a Mother's Day package assisted me in feeling like I was still honouring mom.

I always sign every package I send grandma with my mother's special code XOXO... 

Mom began adding it to all cards, letters, and presents to stand in for my dad after he passed away in 2010. 

The code now stands for mom on these special packages.
I'm not sure if grandma knows, but I do.

me with my mom & dad and two brothers

In the years that have passed I have learned to celebrate myself as a mother

honour grandma

 

and remember mom!

Knowing it's okay to be sad while celebrating her memory.

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***

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!

________________________________________________________________

 

Service to the Crown ~ Widow Havens' Land Grant

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2020 Week 19 (SERVICE)



Climbing the Vannatter branch of this Bramble Bush in search of someone who had a story to tell about service, I found the perfect tale.


In 1836, 54 year old, Elizabeth (nee Schram) Havens became a widow. 


I haven't found her husband William's will, but I have read enough old wills to know that Elizabeth would likely have been able to continue residing at her home for the rest of her natural life. She wouldn't actually own her residence. Likely the family of the son who inherited the land and residence from William would move in with Elizabeth. She would be a guest in the home that she had shared with her husband.


I'm thinking that didn't sit well for Elizabeth.
She was the daughter of a Loyalist. 

Elizabeth can be found in this book 1

Her father had fought in the American Revolution for Britain.  In 1840 she filed for, and received, a 200 acre land grant. 

John Schram U.E.L. and his children 2

The Loyalists, and their children, were offered land in Canada as a token of Britain's appreciation for their service.

As compensation for her father's service to the crown Elizabeth received 200 acres of land in Ontario. She was a landowner, in her own right, at the age of 58. 

Elizabeth's Land Grant 3

I haven't yet found Elizabeth's death date or who inherited her land.

My husband's 5th great grandparants:
Elizabeth Schram
BIRTH 28 FEB 1782 • New York, USA
DEATH Sometime after 1840 • Ontario, Canada
and 
William Havens
BIRTH 20 MAY 1764 • Jefferson, Gloucester, New Jersey, USA

DEATH 20 DEC 1836 • Gore, Erin, Ontario, Canada
They had 9 children: 5 daughters & 4 sons.

My husband descends through their daughter Mary (4th born child) who married Benjamin Vannatter.



Putting flesh & bones to the names of our ancestors!







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 Livingston, Mildred R. Upper Canada sons and daughters of United Empire Loyalists, M.R. Livingston; 1st edition (1981), front cover

2 Livingston, Mildred R. Upper Canada sons and daughters of United Empire Loyalists, M.R. Livingston; 1st edition (1981), Page 276.

3 Livingston, Mildred R. Upper Canada sons and daughters of United Empire Loyalists, M.R. Livingston; 1st edition (1981), Page 276.



Sources:

Canadian Encyclopedia, Loyalists in Canada, Wilson, Bruce G. Last edited December 4th 2019. Retrieved May 11th 2020 from
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/loyalists

From Germany to North America Our Schram Family Genealogy, Schram, John A. rivately Published in Canada, March 2016. Retrieved May 11th 2020 from
http://www.nornet.on.ca/~jcardiff/submissions/!_!/schram/Schram%20Family%20History.pdf

United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada, Loyalist Directory, S, Schram, John (Johannis on his father's will in 1784), Detail, Retrieved May 10th 2020 from
http://www.uelac.org/Loyalist-Info/detail.php?letter=s&line=115





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!

___________________________________________________________