Laughing Children

My children are laughing while watching Word Girl so I can steal a moment for family history.

I imported my Mother-in-laws (MIL) older family tree maker files - they look like they went in well.  So that adds a lot of my wife's side of the family tree.  MIL has been working for years on this tree and she is real model for good research and hard work.  I feel very fortunate to be working with MIL and crew working on the Kelleher side for their hard work.

I am also finding it interesting that I have been a member of HH for years but never really appreciated their newsletter (that my MIL puts hours upon hundreds of hours working on).  Now I appreciate it.  MIL suggested subscribing to Eastman Online which I have and I have twitter list for family history.  I am looking to add down the road a good news feed on family history - any suggestions would be appreciated.

Places I want to chet out is www.worldcat.org
For that Union soldier in the family - I need to check out www.suvcw.org
For the NH - Sawtell - www.sos.hn.gov/archives/nhstatepapers.html
Canadian Family - Sawtell - www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/family/index-e.html and www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/
Ireland - www.iar.ie

Have a great day!

Today's Update

So I got Family Tree 2011 in the mail - installed it and even did some of the tutorial.

I started working - I need to take William and Frank Sawtell into a new family tree but I am going to wait on that.

Decided to work on Denis Kelleher - it took a while to get some of the links that the other family members had.  But then I started to hunt for him - along the way I covered a number of threaded discussions and found a really neat site for this search - .irishgenealogy.ie as it has church records for Milltown where my family is from.  So I think I can mine this for a while and fill out the family more and get some more connections.

I also want to check www.census.nationalarchives.ie to see what can be found there.

Friday

Got the Ganno's cleared up.

When I was doing the Census forms for Kate Sawtell (Widowed with 5 children) she had a boarder a William Sawtell.  Then my cousin Scott emails me with a family story (tweaking me as a real historian) "maybe you can find out who "Uncle Bill, the horse thief" was.  Gram had a photograph of him.  She said that he was thought to have stolen horses during the Civil War.  On the 1900 census, a "William Sawtell" was listed as a boarder in the home of the widowed Kate Sawtell and her 5 children.  Not every family can claim a horse thief for an uncle

So I look at the record again - I have no record of this being a brother but I am going to add it just to work on him cleanly...

Now the lead of faith -
The census has him as William S and the military record has him as William L
They have William L going to

U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers

Admitted Year:	1891
Age at Admission:	46
State:	Maine
County:	Kennebec
City:	Togus
Branch:	Eastern Branch

They have him joining the 47th Massachusetts October 16, 1862 in company G.  


They have being in Melrose, MA and a yardsmen when he goes to the home.  He is suffering from rheumatism

http://www.mycivilwar.com/regiments/usa-ma/ma_inf_reg_47.htm 25/3/2011

The 47th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment  (Volunteer Militia)

If any information is missing, Incorrect or you want to add Information then Send us an EMAIL Unit History Nine Months The 47th Regt. Mass. Vol. Mil., the Merchant's Guard Regiment, was raised largely through the efforts of Mr. Lucius B. Marsh, a merchant of Boston, who became its colonel. The regiment was organized at Camp Stanton, Boxford, in September and October, 1862. The companies were mustered into the United States service on various dates between Sept. 19 and Oct. 31, and the field and staff on Nov. 7. The regiment was transferred to Camp Meigs, Readville, Nov. 11, where its organization and equipment was completed. Both at Boxford and at Readville it suffered considerably from desertions, but this resulted largely in the weeding out of undesirable material and thus improving the general character of the command. The regiment was ordered to New York, Nov. 29, where the Banks expedition was being organized. It remained in camp on Long Island until Dec. 21, when it embarked on the steamer MISSISSIPPI bound for New Orleans, arriving on the 31st. From Jany. I toll, the regiment was at Camp Kearney, Carrollton. On Jany. 11, it was transferred to United States Barracks in lower New Orleans. From here, on the following day, it proceeded to the Louisiana Lower Cotton Frees, returning to the city on the 14th. United States Barracks was in important post which commanded the lower part of the city. Near it was a large contraband camp, a hospital, and a recruiting station. Several of the companies were here detached and assigned to special duty. From Feb. 14 to Mar. 12, the regiment was again on duty at the Louisiana Lower Cotton Press. On the latter date the detached companies, except Co. "B ",were recalled, and the regiment was sent to Metaire Race Course, which was situated on a ridge surrounded by stagnant pools just above the city. Colonel Marsh was placed in command of the post which was garrisoned by the 47th Mass., the 1st Vt., and 26th N. Y. Infantry Regiments, and for a part of the time by the 12th and 13th Mass. Batteries. The Race Course was a very beautiful but unhealthy spot. During its stay here the regiment gained an excellent reputation for drill and discipline. Companies "D" and "H" were twice sent across Lake Ponchartrain where they captured a steamboat, a schooner, and a. large amount of cotton. After about ten weeks stay at Metaire Race Course, on May 19 the regiment was sent to "Camp Parapet" about two miles up the Mississippi River, Colonel Marsh being assigned to the command of this post. Here was stationed a considerable force of infantry, cavalry, and artillery including a part of the 42d Regt. Mass. Inf. and the 12th and 13th Mass. Batteries. At "Camp Parapet" a company of colored men was recruited to be employed in the swamps. This later became the nucleus of the 2d Regt. La. Engineers, a regiment which was officered very largely by members of the 47th Regiment. On August 5, 1863, the 47th embarked on the steamer CONTINENTAL at Carrollton and proceeded up the Mississippi to Cairo, Ill., where it arrived August 13 and there entrained for Boston, Mass. Reaching that city August 18, it was received by the mayor and a large concourse of citizens. Although the regiment had never been in action, it bad performed the duties assigned to it in a most worthy and acceptable manner. Twenty-four of its members had died of disease and one had been killed by guerrillas, After its reception in Boston, the men were furloughed for thirteen days at the close of which period, on Sept 1, they reassembled at Readville and were mustered out of the United States service. Regiment lost during service 1 Enlisted man killed and 1 Officer and 36 Enlisted men by disease.Total 38. Back to top Assignments Organized at Boxford and Readville October 16, 1862. Moved to New York November 29, thence sailed on Steamer "Mississippi" for Ship Island, MEss., and New Orleans, La., December 21, arriving at New Orleans December 31. Moved to Carrollton January 1, 1863. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 19th Army Corps, Dept of the Gulf, to July, 1863. SERVICE.--Duty at Carrollton, U.S. Barracks, Lower Cotton Press, Metarre Race Course and at Camp Parapet, Defences of New Orleans, until August, 1863. Skirmishes at Amite River April 17, and at LaFourche Crossing June 20-21 (Detachments). Moved to Boston, Mass., August 3-18, and mustered out September 1, 1863. Back to top

Millers

I got 3 emails from my Aunt and Cousin to help me work out the Miller Family.  I want to get that side correct because of all the time I spent in my youth with my 2nd Cousins.

One item that Deb and I have noticed is how many Fredericks we have in the family - Pecks, Kellehers, and Millers.

Lots of hits on Fredrick Miller Family

I got lots of hit and lots of census - I just need to clean up the records.  Still working on mastery of Ancestry

Update

- bought family tree maker
- email with Scott

Today's Research Plan

I got a mother load (or a father load in this case) from my cousin Scott so I need to send him a Thank You and start to work through that.  Wow, such neat stuff.

Other quick reminders -
I need to go back at some time to http://genforum.genealogy.com/kelleher/ and check that out.
Found a new search engine - http://www.mocavo.com

The Start of Family History

So here is the deal...
I have avoided family history for the last 10 years.  My Mother-in-law is really into it.  She loves it.  I enjoyed public history - how people lived not who they were related to.  So I avoided it.  When I was asked to become the Historian of Saratoga, I asked my mother-in-law to be the Deputy Historian - in part to deal with the family history questions.  Each year, I have had dozens of family history questions and I just did not know how to answer them.

Then last week, my Aunt Sue sent me an email about my family history.  I knew on my father side there was my father and his sister.  My grandfather who passed when I was 5 years old.  Then a series of cousins that we were close with and as children we spent many summers together.  On my father's mother side there was little that I knew.

On my mothers side, I knew more from visiting Ireland when I was 10.  I went my grandmothers farm house - which was 100 years old - with a dirt floor  My grandfather family also lived on an active farm in what I thought was a 19th Century manor house.  I visited that farm again in the 1989 and found modern prospering farm.    

So my Aunts email had all this information about the family.  I knew little of it - but I see all these connections.  Also that week, my mother and her sister - Aunt Marie were visiting.  They had all sorts of information about their family.  My Aunt Marie was great about going into the census and we were able to fact check some information.

So I share this newly found information with my mother-in-law and she decided that the bug has bit and you have to act now.  She gives me access to her subscription (but not used) to Ancestry.  I start entering information and I find that there is some great work done Irish Bridget (what a great name) and a Burke family.

Well things are taking off.  There are at least 4 people working on the Kelleher branch.  From what I can see they have been working for a long time, the research is documented.  There is one lady Liz who is going to the city clerks office looking for death certificates.

So this week this is my focus.  More to come....