Monthly Archives: June 2021

Little Sebago Lake

Reminiscing – Good Old Days on Little Sebago Lake

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It’s June and it’s Summertime, which always brings back memories of the wonderful years I spent with my grandparents on Little Sebago Lake.

My grandparents, Vernon and Hazel Adams, rented their camp for a number of years – I think from the late 1940s until around 1954 – and then finally purchased the property in the middle lake area.

Earliest photo of the camp, c1946

This photo is blurry, but I love it because it is the earliest one I have of the family camp. Grandfather is with King, the collie. Grandmother is behind him. I have no idea who the person is sitting on the right, but one of the girls (on the left) standing on the porch is my Aunt Carole. The other girl looks like my mom, Doris, and the photographer, as always, was probably Aunt Barbara.

None of the roads – and the term is used loosely because they were more like bumpy dirt paths that flooded in rain – had names. How did we find the camp?

The turnoff, which was between Gray and North Windham on the state highway, had a distinctive display. Two wooden posts held wooden signs with the names of various camp owners down that road, which today is Cambell Shore Road.

The earliest photos I have of me at the camp are from 1954. I was only two years old, so don’t remember that first visit, but as I got older (school age), my excitement grew as we neared the lake.

When I saw the post with the signs, I knew we were almost there, after a long drive from New Jersey. Before we headed down the hill into the woodlands, I would catch my first view of Little Sebago Lake.

Back in the 1950s, the trees weren’t yet tall enough to block the water view.


Water View Approaching the Lake, c1960

When my husband and I went back in 1981, I was quite disappointed that Mother Nature had taken over. The trees were so tall, the lake view was totally blocked and I had to wait until we were further along the dirt road to get a look at the lake.


Road to the Adams Camp

I quickly learned to keep my hands and face inside the car because there were a few spots where errant branches would smack you in the face if you didn’t take care!

No map was needed, though, because the Adams camp, at that time, was the last camp along the road. We had to – very slowly – drive up and down a very short steep hill and then quickly turn right as the back of the guest cabin greeted us.

Grandfather was usually puttering around, working on various projects, but Grandmother and Aunt Barbara were in the cottage when we arrived and I am sure they could hear the car approaching.


We’re Here!!!!

Vacation activities were the same every summer, but what fun they were!


View through the trees

Back in the 1950’s the toilet was outside, attached to the cottage but not accessible from inside. If you look carefully at the cottage photo (above), you can see the little square outhouse shape between the pairs of trees on the left, which Grandfather built. Before that, and before my memory, the outhouse was 100-150 feet into the woods.

The water that came out of the cottage faucet wasn’t drinkable and there was no hot water, either. Once a week, we drove somewhere towards Gray, I think, and filled containers with potable water.

We swam:

Linda & Grandmother

I was forever picking blueberries and, while Grandmother made a mean fresh blueberry pie, I never have liked blueberries. However, I loved picking them:


Linda, c1955

Last, but not least, there were those fun boat rides to nowhere, taking in all that Little Sebago had to offer:


Smooth as silk


Not so much!


Grandfather’s first dock, which he built himself!

I hope you’ve enjoyed my reminiscing about the good old days on Little Sebago Lake. I have lots of family photos on the lake, but have tried to include mostly views of the lake as it was in the mid-20th century.

 

Thompson

Lawrence Thompson & (1) Gertrude (2) Sarah Finney of PA, NC & TN, 1700s

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Lawrence Thompson, born c1712 and wives (1) Gertrude (MNU) and (2) Sarah Finney is the third of four Thompson families I have previously researched.

Realizing that Thompson descendants might not want to traipse through all my theories and research steps, trying to sort out these four families, I decided to highlight each family in its own post.

The family of Lawrence Thompson is the third in the series, having already covered my research on the families of Closs Thompson and John Thompson.

This Lawrence Thompson is thought to be the brother of Thomas Thompson who married Ann Finney, but I have not found any conclusive proof of that.

My belief of the makeup of Lawrence Thompson’s family differs from most others found online. I’ll explain was we move through Lawrence’s records, but I believe that Lawrence who married Keziah Hart was the son of this Lawrence and NOT the son of Thomas and Ann (Finney) Thompson.

Lawrence, born c1712; died before 26 October 1790, Sumner County, TN, where he left a will naming his children; married (1) Gertrude, c1735, probably Berks County, Pennsylvania (2) Sarah Finney, probably c1840 in Pennsylvania.

Nothing further is known about Gertrude, with no known date of birth. She likely died before 1740. Since Gertrude’s only known child was baptized in Amityville, which was originally settled by Swedes, and Gertrude is a common Scandinavian name, she may have been of Swedish ethnicity.

Gertrude gave birth to one child, who only appears in a baptismal record in 1736. Elizabeth isn’t mentioned in her father’s will and no further records have been found for her.

Child of Lawrence and Gertrude:

Elizabeth, baptized 22 August 1736, St. Gabriel Episcopal Church, Amity, Lancaster County (today Berks County, Pennsylvania; died before her father, as she is not in his will.

Lawrence married (2) Sarah Finney, sister of Ann Finney, who married Thomas Thompson. The date of their marriage is not known, but probably around 1740 or 1741 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Sarah was likely a fair bit younger than Lawrence, as she was his second wife, born perhaps c1720. She isn’t mentioned in her husband’s will written on 26 October 1790 in Sumner County, Tennessee. Where she might have died is also not known.

Children of Lawrence and Sarah Finney (Birth order uncertain):

  1. Sarah, born c1745; died after 26 October 1790; married John Whitsett, c1767. John was born 8 October 1743 and died 11 August 1819, Greene County, Alabama. He served in the Revolutionary War in the Orange County, North Carolina militia.
  2. Sybilla, born c1747, probably Pennsylvania; died after 26 October 1790, probably Davidson County, Tennessee; married Hugh Tinnen, c1768. He was born c1745, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; died 20 December 1794, Davidson County, Tennessee.
  3. Lawrence, born c1753, probably Orange County, North Carolina; died 21 April 1835, Madison County, Kentucky; married Keziah Hart, c1780, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Nathaniel Hart and Sarah Simpson. Keziah was born c1762, North Carolina and died c1837, Madison County, Kentucky.
  4. Joseph, born c1750, probably Pennsylvania; died after 26 October 1790.
  5. Mary, born c1759; died after 26 October 1790; married William Whitsett, 1 August 1785, Orange County, North Carolina.
  6. Azariah, born c1760; died 1797, Sumner County, Tennessee; married Catherine Allison, 4 September 1784, Orange County, North Carolina.

With no birth records in existence, the children’s birth order is based on marriage years, or estimated years of marriage. Given the gaps in years, it is likely that Lawrence lost one or more children before his own death in 1790.

Why have I chosen to place Lawrence who married Keziah Hart in the family of this Lawrence Thompson? It’s because of early Kentucky and Tennessee tax records, the Thompson and Hart FAN clubs, a 1779 marriage on North Carolina and the Revolutionary War pension application of Lawrence, who married Keziah.

First, there is a marriage bond for Lawrence Thompson, son of John Thompson and Eleanor Thompson, dated 8 April 1779 in Rowan County, North Carolina. Lawrence’s bondsman was Lawrence Thompson, identified on the bond as the son of Thomas Thompson.

Now, most people have identified Thomas’s son, Lawrence, as the man who married Keziah Hart. I don’t believe that. Lawrence who married Keziah stated in his pension application ((R10546) that he had a captain’s appointment in Orange County, North Carolina and served in the war from 1776-1778, and “continued in Commission through the latter part or sometime after the year 1778 when he resigned his commission as Captain to Archibald Lytle, Colonel, in North Carolina.”

Why would a captain resign his commission? Certainly not because of Tory tendencies. The Thompsons were patriots through and through.

It was because Lawrence headed off to Fort Boonesborough in Kentucky and married Keziah Hart, c1779-1780.

Daniel Boone was a Thompson friend (and bondsman for Closs Thompson who married in Rowan County, North Carolina in 1759) and other family members were in Kentucky by 1780, if not before that time.

Next, Lawrence Thompson Sr. (born c1712) appears on the tax lists of 1789 and 1790 in Sumner County, Tennessee and wrote his will there, dated 26 October 1790.

There were not one, not two, but THREE Lawrence Thompsons on the Sumner County 1790 tax list – Lawrence Sr., Lawrence Jr. and Lawrence who was taxed for 2 polls, meaning 2 males over 16.

I am quite certain that Lawrence Jr. was Lawrence who married Keziah Hart. That’s because Simpson Hart, Keziah’s unmarried brother, died in Sumner County after writing his will dated 23 February 1790. In it, he named the five children of his sister, Keziah Thompson, and appointed Lawrence Thompson to look after the legacies he bequeathed to their five young children, all of whom he named.

Since Simpson Hart didn’t say his sister was living elsewhere, say in Kentucky, it is reasonable to think that Lawrence and Keziah lived close by.

One of his daughters was named. . . . Sarah Finney Thompson. Lawrence Thompson Sr. married Sarah Finney. It seems quite probably that she was named for Lawrence’s mother.

I believe the third Lawrence Thompson was the son of Thomas and Ann (Finney) Thompson. His brother, also Thomas, is found on the same 1790 tax list. I also believe the second male in the third Lawrence’s household was my husband’s 4X great grandfather Ephraim Thompson, born c1772.

By 1793, the Thompsons were gone from Sumner County. Lawrence Sr. had died, Lawrence and Keziah removed to Kentucky, where they spent the rest of their lives and the third Lawrence removed to Mercer and then Washington Counties, Kentucky.

Another piece of the Lawrence puzzle is that Thomas’s son, Lawrence, married Ann Logue. Ann’s grandfather and brother were both named Ephraim, a given name that appears no where else in the Thompson family, with the exception of my husband’s Ephraim.

By 1794, Lawrence and Ephraim are found in marriage records and on tax lists, at least until 1796, when they appear in Washington County, Kentucky tax lists.

Now, we need to look once more at Lawrence Thompson who married Eleanor Thompson in 1779 back in Rowan County, North Carolina. This Lawrence eventually removed to Harrison County, Indiana and then to Clay County, Indiana, where he died after the 1840 census. He applied for a Revolutionary War pension and from names given in the application, we learn he had at least two children who removed to Indiana with him.

His daughter, Fanny, married James Booth on 11 February 1805 in . . . .Washington County, Kentucky.

Tax lists for that county show two Lawrence Thompsons from 1804-1806. The first is Lawrence, father of Ephraim, who appears taxed on the same day as his father and is sometimes listed right after his father and both are taxed for personal and real estate. This Lawrence was still living as late as the 1810 census, but no probate or estate records have been found for him.

The second Lawrence, who is the son of John and Priscilla Thompson, owned no land in Washington County and remained there only for a couple of years before leaving for Indiana.

In Washington County, Kentucky, Lawrence and Lawrence have come full circle, as these men are Lawrence, son of John Thompson, who married in 1779 and his bondsman, Lawrence, son of Thomas Thompson.

I have tried placing the Lawrence Thompson puzzle pieces together in multiple ways, but this is the only way that all the pieces fit together and make sense.

 

Genealogy Conferences

THE Genealogy Show 2021: A Review

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I spent a good part of Friday and Saturday attending sessions at a brand-new-to-me conference, THE Genealogy Show, normally held in London.

I wish I could say I just returned from London, my favorite city in the world because of its history, but with pandemic conditions continuing on, it wasn’t to be.

THE Genealogy Show 2021 went virtual and, at the extremely modest registration fee of £20, about $27.80 U.S., price drop – £15 or $20.75 U.S. (see Marian’s comment below), it was more than a bargain.

I loved the conference!

First, although the live conference has concluded, all the sessions remain ON DEMAND for one month. Access costs only £20 – notice that is the same price as the Early Bird registration before the conference began!

The website is extremely easy to navigate. The Home Hub is visually fun and makes it very easy to move from area to area:.

From left to right, the Community Room allowed attendees to meet up with each other and the presenters.

The Reading Room is a feature I’ve never seen before, but I really like it and wish other conferences would add it to their virtual sites. Genealogy bloggers could share posts and, while most of the bloggers were presenters, I saw at least one post by a familiar blogger who didn’t present at the conference.

The Wizards’ Corner, as one might guess, featured speakers who could answer questions and give some expert tips.

The Exhibition Zone featured about 50 exhibitors and, instead of being in the typical “expo hall” were in the Expo Neighborhood:

The tree house Games Room was home to a couple of genealogy-themed activities.

The Main Stage was the session schedule for 48 consecutive hours of live sessions!

The last stopping point at the Home Hub is one which should interest everyone for the next month. It is the On Demand platform.

Now that the 2021 live show has ended, it is no longer possible to live chat. However, all 48  sessions have been added to On Demand, which also houses several sessions recorded before the conference began.

I viewed a good number of sessions in the last few days. If you think there won’t be anything of interest to you because you don’t have many/any U.K. ancestors, you would be very wrong.

I have lots of British ancestors, but mine were pretty much all in the American colonies before 1650.

In spite of that, I found many interesting well-done sessions and learned all sorts of interesting social history tidbits and search strategies. Research methodology that works in one location can often be applied to many other locations, too.

I also enjoyed hearing talks by totally new-to-me speakers.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Evidence in Death by Fiona Fitzsimons

A Grand (Virtual) Tour of Scotland’s Archives by Alison Spring

Where to Look Online for Your Dutch Ancestors by John Boeren

An Introduction to Welsh Genealogy by Jenni Phillips

Negative Space: How Genealogy Gaps Can Help Your Tree Flourish by Dr. Sophie Kay

Jewish Genealogy Research in the Former Russian Empire by Lara Diamond

mitoYDNA.org and mtDNA by Mags Gaulden

Dear Me! Writing Research Reports to Yourself by Yvette Hoitink

My Ancestor Was a Liar by Dave Annal

Sessions ranged in time from about 25 minutes to 45 minutes.

There is a Speaker_Schedule_TGS_2021 with a list of all speakers and presentations that you can view before registering and being allowed to “enter” the show. Check out the schedule to see the wide range of topics in the sessions.

I loved this conference and believe the registration fee was very affordable. Where else will you be able to attend a two day, 48 session conference for less than $30?

I even chatted with a show rep and suggested that they consider a hybrid conference next year so that attendees aren’t prevented from attending by the cost to travel to London to attend in person. I was told that the organizers will consider that option.