Book Reviews

Irish Emigrants in North America: Consolidated Edition Parts One to Ten by David Dobson: Book Review

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Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purposes of review and I have received other books from Genealogical Publishing Company, also for review. However, my opinions are my own and not influenced by outside sources.

David Dobson, I have to say, is one of the most prolific authors/compilers of genealogical records that I know. Genealogical Publishing Company actually has 182 entries under his name!

Irish Emigrants in North America, published in July 2023, is a consolidated facsimile print of the original ten books, now available in one large volume.

This is a fabulous reference book for anyone researching extensive Irish roots. There are literally thousands of names, presented in alphabetical order, with reference citations provided for every entry.

David Dobson provides a 2023 introduction to this new book, explaining a short history of events that led to mass Irish emigration from the 1600s through the 19th century.

There is also a two-page small map of Ireland, including the six counties of Northern Ireland,  and an even smaller one-page map of Ireland as it was in 1848, but both best read with a magnifying glass.

Some entries are quite short and provide only basic details:

Callahan, Cornelius, in Montserrat in 1677-1678

while others have a bit more:

Deane, William, emigrated from Newry to New York on board the Buchanan, Captain Cochrane, October 1765 [with Nesbitt Deane, immediately preceding on the same ship and date]

and, if you are lucky, practically an entire biographical sketch is written up:

Nowlan, Pat, born 1798, with his wife Betty, born 1810, and children Peggy born 1828, James born 1830, Mary born 1831, Mick born 1832, John born 1834, Ellen born 1835, Martin born 1839 and Biddy born 1841, from County Wicklow, emigrated via New Ross, County Wexford, aboard the Star, a 727 ton ship, Captain Baldwin, bound for New Brunswick on 21 April 1848, arrived at St. Andrews, New Brunswick on 28 May 1848

Not all entries relate to migration history. Here is one for a wanted man:

Henney, James, born in Ireland, aged 24, hazel eyes, fair hair, fair complexion, a downcast look, and a swaggering carriage. Genteely dressed in a blue suit, height about 5’8″, has absconded from William Hardie’s brewery and taking away a black pony with harness and carriage. Montreal, 23 May 1823.

There are a few entries for females:

Waring, Margaret, born 1678, from Queen’s County, a four year indentured servant, emigrated via Liverpool to Virginia aboard the Elizabeth of Liverpool, master Gilbert Livesay.

I have to admit I love getting drawn in by BSOs (bright shiny objects) and the entries in this book are fascinating, ranging from reprieved pirates to a Loyalist killed by Indians in 1780 to men shipwrecked off the Capes of Delaware and much more.

This Consolidated Edition is 835 pages long, packed with genealogical details of Irish emigrants and includes a 60-page all name index.

Dobson’s Consolidated Edition isn’t cheap at $85.00. However, this book is an excellent Irish reference and should be in every genealogical library and on the home book shelf of anyone with an extensive interest in the Irish who settled in North America through the centuries.

Irish Emigrants in North America: Consolidated Edition, Parts One to Ten by David Dobson is available to $85.00 and can be ordered online from Genealogical.com.

 

 

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Your Top End-of-Line Ancestors

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It’s the end of September and, supposedly, Fall has arrived, even though it doesn’t feel that way in Tucson!

It’s also the weekend and time for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun with Randy Seaver on Genea-Musings.

Here is our new challenge:

1)  Show us your pedigree (or fan) chart.  Who are your end-of-line ancestors?  Describe the top 5 or 10 of them.

Here is my 8-generation fan chart and, as you can see, there is a marked difference in the number of names in each side of my family tree:

I am fortunate enough to have the names of all of my 3X great grandparents on my paternal side.

In my father’s father’s line, I have just one name beyond the 3X generation and due, the no records surviving before the early 1820s, they will forever be end-of-line ancestors:

John Fucsik, born c1775, most likely in or near Okruzna, Slovakia; father of Anna Fucsik who married John Kacsenyak on 8 December 1824 in Okruzna, Slovakia.

In my father’s mother’s line, I actually have one set of 4X great grandparents identified:

Andreas Patorai, born c1753; married 8 February 1778 in Lipovce, Slovakia to:
Elizabeth Tarbai, born c1756, whose son Andreas married Maria Janoskova and were the parents of John Patorai, born c1810 in Slovakia.

On the maternal side of the family tree, my dead end lines in this fan chart are:

(Loyalist) Walter Stewart, born c1750-c1820, New Brunswick, Canada: although I know he came from Dutchess County, New York and there are other Stewarts living there at the same time, I’ve been unable to identify his parents. I know he married twice, first to Elizabeth Briggs and second to Sarah (MNU). None of their thousands of descendants has found any clues to her maiden name.

(Loyalist) Robert Carlisle, born c1758, place unknown-1834, Charlotte, Washington, Maine. Many attempts have proved fruitless in identifying Robert’s parents and many additional attempts have failed to yield clues as to wife Catherine (MNU)‘s maiden name. I do know that this family lived in Sussex, Kings, New Brunswick, Canada for many years before moving to Maine.

Jane (MNU), born c1785; died 2 October 1854, Upper Nelson, Northumberland, New Brunswick, Canada. She  married Daniel Astle, son of Loyalist James Astle, c1807. FAN club clues indicate she might be a Parker, but I haven’t been able to prove it even to preponderance of evidence standards. Jane’s father was probably also a Loyalist.

(?Loyalist) Philip Crouse, born c1761, Zeeland, Netherlands; died 21 February 1857, Keswick, York, New Brunswick, Canada. Philip supposedly came to the colonies as a young boy with his family, but no proof or clues to parents have been uncovered. He left North Carolina after the Revolutionary War and settled in New Brunswick, Canada. He’s called a Loyalist, but I’ve found no evidence of him in Canada before c1789.

(Loyalist) Richard Jones, born c1758, Rhode Island; died 28 January 1842, Burtts Corner, York, New Brunswick, Canada. He married Mary Boone, which is my Mayflower line back to George Soule. He is reportedly the son of James Jones, born in North Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island in 1759, based on this image (No, enlarging it won’t make it any easier to read!!!):

Richard is supposedly the last entry in the list of children of James and Elizabeth Jones. However, if his name is there, it’s illegible. He did name his first son James, but in spite of having seven daughters, none are named Elizabeth. However, he and his wife, Mary Boone, were definitely from Rhode Island.

Notice that my maternal end-of-line’s are all Loyalists.

Those are my end-of-line ancestors in my family tree. Thank you, Randy, for this week’s interesting challenge.

 

Jones

Maternal Branches on the Family Tree: Rebecca Jones (1809-1897)

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Rebecca Jones, my 3X great grandmother, is one of the few ancestors that really delivered surprises when I researched her life story.

Although her death certificate gives her birth date and place as 19 March 1809 in Fredericton, York, New Brunswick, Canada, her family lived in the nearby village of Keswick. It’s much more likely she was born there rather than in Fredericton. Rebecca may have told a family member that she was born in a little town near Fredericton, so the city is what was put down on her death record.

Rebecca was the 11th of 12 children (5 sons and 7 daughters) born to Richard Jones and Mary Boone. The first surprise encountered as I researched her parents was learning, after 37 years of researching, that I finally had a Mayflower ancestor – George Soule – through Mary Boone.

The Jones household would have been extremely busy. Her father was a small farmer and her mother would have worked daily at household chores. What was very unusual for the time is that all twelve of the Jones children lived to adulthood and married. They had some strong survival genes!

With Rebecca’s oldest brother, James, born in 1787,  not marrying until the youngest children had been born, Richard and Mary would have had many hands to help with daily life.

Rebecca married Peter Crouse around 1826. The Crouses were another large family (17 children) that lived in Keswick. Peter was born 2 February 1800, the 7th child of Philip Crouse and Sarah Burt.

Peter was apparently also a small farmer. Little is known about him as he died a young husband and father in his 30s, around 1835, in New Brunswick, Canada.

Peter Crouse and Rebecca Jones were the parents of four children, all born in Keswick:

  1. Elias, born 1828; died before 15 February 1866, probably Calais, Washington, Maine; married Cyrene A. Cook, 18 January 1858, Calais, Washington, Maine. It appears they had no children.
  2. Dean, born 1829; died between 1861-1870, probably Calais, Washington, Maine. It appears he didn’t marry.
  3. Samuel, born 1831; died between 1865-1880; married (1) Matilda Jane Carlow, 24 February 1855, Calais, Washington, Maine (2) Eliza Smith, c1860
  4. Sarah Moriah, born 7 May 1833; died 18 October 1930, Calais, Washington, Maine; married William Coleman, 6 February 1855, Calais, Washington, Maine

With Peter gone and Rebecca having four young children, she not only decided to marry again, but uprooted her family and moved to Red Beach, Washington, Maine, which today is part of the city of Calais.

She married Benjamin Blyther, as his second wife, about 1835, but how they met is a mystery since he was born in Maine and died there.

Benjamin Blyther and Rebecca Jones were the parents of six children, all born in Calais, Washington, Maine:

1. Mary Elizabeth, born 10 February 1836; died 2 June 1893, Alameda County, California; married (1) Albert J. Hannah, 23 November 1859, Calais, Washington, Maine (2) James Elbridge Hannah, 31 December 1864, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts. She had no known children.
2. Martha, born November 1838; died after 1930, probably Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts; married Joseph S. Smith, between 1860-1870, probably Calais, Washington, Maine. They raised several nieces and nephews, but had no known children of their own.
3. Helen Marr, born 16 June 1842; died 16 January 1930, Berkeley, Alameda, California; married Charles Henry Wright, 31 May 1875, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. They had two daughters.
4. Ruth, born c1844; died 10 October 1939, Alameda County, California; married Robert A. Campbell, 21 February 1867, Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts. They had two sons and one daughter.
5. Henrietta L., born 1 April 1847; died 22 January 1944, Sonoma, Sonoma, California; married (1) Philip Roemmele, 29 July 1875, Sacramento, Sacramento, California (2) Edward S. Rusing, 7 August 1878, Alameda County, California. Helen and Edward had two daughters.
6. Albert F., born March 1851; died 26 July 1858, Calais, Washington, Maine

Benjamin Blyther was quite a bit older than Rebecca – about 16 years – and he died in 1878 in Calais, Washington, Maine.

Now for the second surprise in this family! I never thought much about it, but Rebecca wasn’t readily found in the 1880 census. However, she is buried with Benjamin in Red Beach Cemetery with the death date of 1897.

As I researched the Blyther children, and discovered that the girls had married and gone to California, via Massachusetts, look what popped up in Placer County, California in the 1880 census:

This is the family of Robert and Ruth (Blyther) Campbell, living in Cisco, Placer, California – and look who is living with them (3rd line from the bottom) – R. BLYTHER, MOTHER!

I had thought that Rebecca lived out her days as a widow, living next door to daughter Sarah (Crouse) Coleman and her family in Red Beach.

There was yet another surprise when I searched for Blyther records in Massachusetts. Rebecca’s grandson, Dean Samuel Blyther, was living in Hubbardston, Worcester, Massachusetts at the turn of the 20th century.

Among the Hubbardston records was a death certificate for. . . .Rebecca Blyther!

Rebecca may have only lived in the villages of Keswick and Red Beach for most of her life, but she lived a wild life traveling as a widow in her senior years! Perhaps even more surprising is that her body was sent back to Calais and buried in Red Beach Cemetery.


Our 1980 visit to Red Beach Cemetery

Although Benjamin’s gravestone is in good condition, Rebecca’s stone is said to have broken and is lying on the ground.

 

 

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