Almost a Shocker... But Then I Double Checked!

Was on Ancestry and looking for Thomas F. Myers' occupation to find out how wealthy he might have been to spend however much money it cost to print up that little book about his ancestral history. Found out a couple of tid-bits: he lived two doors down from the printer, and that he worked as a house painter. Mom says that he could have made a lot of money in the late 1800s and early 1900s painting houses. By 1910 he and his son, who lived next door, were both clerks in a grocery store a couple of doors down the street.

Then with a few minutes to kill I searched Elias Thompson (one of two named sons in Nehemiah Newans' will) on Ancestry member trees. I got a real nice match with pretty good sources, which I double checked for trust. I did a quick print of the tree branches that interested me and messaged the tree owner that my 5th GGF might be the missing father of Elias Thompson and gave him my email address. Don't know if I'll hear back because the tree owner hasn't been on Ancestry for more than 6 months.

Then it happened! BAM! I clicked on the list of 6 sources cited for Elias' birth and there at the bottom was a tag for Union service records of the Civil War for a "Colored Regiment" veteran named Elias Thompson!

I thought we were white! We look pretty white... no, I'd say we look real white... we look like we're all from Ireland, England, or Wales which we are. We don't tan, we burn;) So the Colored Regiment thing was a shocker. Not that I'd mind because it would make a great story, and you know I do love a great story above all else!

Then I took a close second look after I printed out the service record. And this new-to-me Elias Thompson was born in New York and mine was born in Pennsylvania. OK, not my guy. Makes sense now... we're not black after all. Too bad... it would have made a really cool story.

My Newbie Status Revoked?

Am busy collecting tidbits of information about my 5th GGF Nehemiah Newans and weaving them into a narrative of his life. I've constructed a timeline (see tab at top) that's been indispensable for ready reference as I plow through information that may or may not be relevant. That was a good and useful idea.

That done, up pops the desire to weave a narrative out of it, put flesh on the bones so to speak. So off I went to do that. But I got bogged down with the story of General Braddock and set the project aside for a while. Best to let it cool off.

When I returned to the project I saw how big it was, and rambling too. Who'd want to read that mess? And that was the purpose: to have a document that captured what I'd found out, citing sources, enfolded in relevant history, for others to read. It had to be readable. That was job one! Cousin bait, descendants bait... whatever you want to call it.

In writing there's a maxim: I didn't have time to write you a short letter so I wrote a long one. Long essays and letters usually suffer from TMI Syndrome... too much information. Therefore I knew if I could write a cogent short story about Nehemiah's life, it would be less daunting to flesh the short one out  than it would to simply try to build a skyscraper of a document.

Funny thing is that at about the fourth draft of the short story I saw that it was really the little book (see tab above, Ancestral History, etc.) that drove the engine of the narrative. So that's the way it went.

When the short story was finished and Mom gave her seal of approval, I thought what the heck, I'd send it off to the newsletter editor of the Genealogical Society of  Allegheny County, Maryland.  What's the worse that could happen... they'd say no thanks. Harriet couldn't have been nicer! She replied to my email pretty fast and my article is going to run in the Old Pike Post.

So... is my newbie status in question as I'll soon have a published article? No, I don't think so. I think "newbie" is a state of mind... I really don't know very much about this genealogy stuff. I'm just doggedly persistent with way too much focus on one tiny detail at any given time. I have no clue, mostly, as to what I need to do next. I get lost in the forest of the trees and can't see what's what. And citing sources is the bane of my life. Yup, I'm still a wet behind the ears newbie!

Some Awsome New (to me) Cousins!!

Was out on the google-thing giving Nehemiah Newans one more shot. My thinking at the moment is to wrap up what I know (or think I know) about his life now and write it up while it's fresher in my mind. Don't want to get down the road a ways, pick up the project again and think, now where was I on this?

So I go google and what pops up is something I've seen a number of times before and that's an entry to a massive project with Nehemiah Newan as one of the named individuals. It transcribes a portion of the Thomas F. Myers book (see tab above). So what the heck, no stone left unturned, right? I email the contact person and whamo! I get an email back and we're off to the races. It's John on the other end of the email and he provides a connection to a Myers line cousin, Molly! Two new, to me, cousins!!

Cousin John has this truly awsome web site and here's a link.
http://www.himedo.net/TheHopkinThomasProject/TheHopThomasProject.html
There's so much rich information there, I'm just getting going on it! WOW!

My absolutely favorite "toy" of the day is this family finder. Really, you have to click on this link and then click on one of those blue dots... I promise you will be impressed!
http://www.himedo.net/TheHopkinThomasProject/FamilyTies/FamilyTreeHtmls/FamilyTreeIndex.html

Did you click on one of the blue dots with photos? I love that!! Way ta go, cousin John!

Anyways, I don't know much more about Nehemiah Newans now that I did before contact with Cousin John but the journey sure is fun!

What Was I Thinking?!

I dunno. Sometimes I do stuff that's totally off base, or even more frequently, get something in my head that's kinda the opposite of what the facts are. I'm new to this genealogy stuff so guess that excuses can be made for some of the nonsense I do, but for the rest of it... oh, my!

Take for instance, the color of the cover of the Thomas F. Myers book (see tab at top) where I say in a previous post that it's tan in color. Well when last I went to see Mom I took the book out to photograph it and whatta ya know, it's black!! I was shocked! How could I have gotten it so very wrong? Tan is not black!!

Here's another example: I kept on thinking that Nehemiah Newans was a captain, but it looks like he was a sergeant. Maybe he was a captain later, and even a major after that as it says in both the Myers book and the ad that ran in Canandaigue as land for sale next to Major Newens' property.  So is it me confusing the facts again or a mish-mash of facts all pointing in different directions? Obviously I need to double and triple check my work.

UGH! This genealogy makes my head hurt...:) Is it just me???

Bumbling Around Britain

This newbie is looking for records of my Revolutionary War ancestor, Nehemiah Newans. Reportedly from a family history (see tabs above) his family purchased a commission for him and he served with General Braddock but I need proof. So I've spent the morning on the British Archive web site trying my best to find records. Found out that what I need is under WO 12 (War Office) where the colonial muster and pay records are. Did not find it online so posted a note to them through their web site... it will be replied to within 10 working days the site says.

Have been enjoying my time researching Braddock and Washington before him in what's now Western Maryland, where my people come from. Found a downloadable book published in the mid-1800s containing all manner of details. Was delighted to read even more about the Braddock Expedition, but mid-read I sort of hit myself on the head and said to myself: was Newans even there?!

After all the only evidence we have at the moment is what's written in the printed family history entitled, "Ancestral History of Thomas F. Myers". That's pretty flimsy if you ask me. I'm at the point where it's evident that I need proof. Thus my foray into the British Archives. Keep your fingers crossed for me that the archivist who replies has good news:)