Research Log - Robertson Clan (Duncan)

The Robertsons are known in Gaelic as clan Donnachaidh after Duncan, who led the clan at Bannockburn in 1314. The clan continued to be known as Duncan until around 1450, when hey adopted the name of Robert, one of their chiefs who captured two of the murderers of King James I and handed them over to justice.

The clan's early history is obscure, several accounts being given - one that they are descended from the MacDonalds, another that they descend from the old Earls of Atholl, and yet another that they belong to the Kindred of Columba and would thus descend from very early Irish kings. 

Duncan who led the clan at Bannockburn seems to be the earliest chief on record, and it is from his son Robert that the Robertsons of Struan descend. Their chiefly title of Struan-Robertson is derived from their Struan lands which were ereced into a free barony in 1451. The question of style was a matter of chiefly choice, and the Robertson chief could just as easily have elected to be called the MacDuncan or the MacRobert of MacRobert. 

William Struan was killed by the Earl of Atholl in 1530, and the Earl seized nearly half of the clan lands. The 11th laird died in 1636 leaving an infant to succeed him, and the child's uncle Donald became the captain of the clan during his infancy. He was

Research Log - MacGregor Clan

Our Magruders are descendants of the MacGregor clan of Scotland.  The following is from Charles MacKinnon's book The Scottish Highlanders, New York, NY: Barnes & Noble, 1984.

Clan MacGregor, the 'Children of the Mist,' proclaim their Alpinian descent in their motto 'S Rioghal Mo Dhream' - Royal is my race.'  They have never failed to assert their seniority in the Alpinian 'family,' a menaingless seniority since the clans always acted independently and were bound only by a common origin. In fact . . . if anybody was senior it was the MacNab, who was a generation nearer the ancient thron than MacGregor, MacKinnon or MacQuarrie. . . . 

Glen Orchy Parish, Scotland

The MacGregor's earliest lands were in Glenorchy, as far back as the reign of Malcolm Canmore. John of Glenocrchy, who was chief in 1292, was captured by the English in 1296, and his successor, Malcolm, fought for [Robert the] Bruce at Bannockburn [1314] and afterwards accompanied Edward Bruce to

Research Log - January 2023

1/6 - Virginia marriages / families to take a serious look at:

• Robertson, Andrew, physician, md. 27 Nov. 1758, Ellen Chichester. Lancaster Co. Marr. Record. Dr. Andrew Robertson b. 1716, Scotland; md. 1) (--?--); md. 2) 27 Nov. 1758 Ellen Chichester; md. 3) Sept. 1760 Eliza Downing, probably Lancaster Co., md. 4) 1771 Ann Glasscock, probably Lancaster Co. His will dated 28 Feb. 1795 Lancaster Co. NNHM 4:1:303 - immigrant generation
• William Robertson of Edinburgh, Scotland
• Robertson, Archibald, son of William of Edinburgh, Scotland to VA 1745 md. 1748 Elizabeth Fitzgerald, dau. of John & Elizabeth (Poythress) Fitzgerald; res. Prince George Co. 34V78; 5W(1)186 - immigrant generation, fits family legend that one parent born Scotland (presumably Robertson) & the other Ireland. 
• William b. 5 Feb. 1750, d. 1829 son of Archibald & Elizabeth (Fitzhugh) Robertson; md. 7 May 1775 Elizabeth Bolling d. 1830, dau. of Thomas Bolling of Goochland Co.
• Charles Robertson
• Robertson, Charles son of Charles Robertson b. 1681; md. Isabella McDonald 33V194
• Robertson, Donald b. 27 Sept. 1717, prob. Aberdeenshire, son of Charles & Isabella (McDonald) Robertson; md. 1) Henrietta Maxwell; dau. of Sir William Maxwell, Springkill, Scotland. She d. 25 March 1753, Edinburg, Scotland. Donald removed to VA 29 March 1753; md. 2) Rachel Rogers, dau. of John Rogers of King & Queen

Research Log - December 2022

Using Elephind.com newspaper search engine I found the following items in the Fairplay Flume (Colorado) newspaper:

1915 - July 23 - Commissioner's Proceedings (column) - [bills allowed] - John Barr, work road 18 road district no. 3, $21.00

1923 -  October 12 -  Black Mountain News (column) - John Barr has been helping Mr. Corliss with his hay the past week.  Most of the hay is still in the shock on account of the rains.

1923 - October 12 - Commissioner's Proceedings (column) - Oct. 2, 1923 The Board of County Commissioners of Park County, Colorado met in regular session at 8 o'clock AM October 2, 1923 for the transaction of any and all business that may properly come before them. . . . The following bills were allowed . . . John Barr, jurors fees Hopkins case, $2.65.

1924 - March 7 - Black Mountain News (column) - Mrs. John Barr and little son Jackie left last week for Wayne county, Ill., where they will visit friends and relatives for a few months.  

 This is Ruby (Gurley) (Barr) Musteen and her son John Barr, Jr.  Ruby was the daughter of J.R. & Lou Emma (Speer) Gurley. She and her husband John Barr were married in Colorado Springs, CO in 1921, Jackie was born in 1922.  John & Ruby attempted to obtain

Research Notes - Northfield Settlement & Raids

Northfield, Massachusetts

The town, as granted by the General court in 1672, was eight miles long by four and a half miles wide, extending 3/4 of a mile from the river west, and 3 3/4 miles east.  . . . The outlines were not regular. 

The river is the Connecticut river which runs north to south.

Second settlement - 1685 - added a tract of land to the south, on the east side of the river.  Another addition was made so that the town bounded Deerfield to the south.

River Indians:

In the 1670s thought to be have been about 1200 people and of that 300 warriors

Agawam - occupied region above & below Springfield. 

Nonotucks / Norwottucks - head of the falls of the Connecticut to Mount Wequomps / Sugarloaf

Squakheags - claimed area of Northfield

Pacomptocks - valley of the Deerfield river, largest, most warlike, best known

Research Notes - DNA Stuff

I've done two DNA tests.  23 & Me and Ancestry.  Here are the origin results.

Ancestry:

• England, Wales & Northwestern Europe 92%
• Ireland & Scotland 4%
• Germanic Europe 2%
• France 2%

Additional Communities

• Lower Midwest & Virginia Settlers
• Missouri Ozarks
• East Tennessee Settlers

23 & Me:

• Maternal Haplogroup - J1c8
• Northwestern Europe - 99.7%

• British & Irish 53.4%

• Greater London, United Kingdom - highly likely match
• Lancashire
• Greater Manchester 
• Tyne & Wear

Research Notes - Harold Erkman

While going through the General Stuff Notebook #2 awhile back I came across an AWON newsletter.  That's American World War II Orphan's Network.  I was a member for awhile b/c mom is a World War II orphan.  The newsletter suggested requesting an IDPF [individual deceased personnel file] because many World War II service records were destroyed in a fire at the St. Louis archives in the 1970s. Which is what happened to Harold Erkman's service record. So I wrote to the National Archives and got a letter back that the file existed and for photocopy fee they would send it to me and they did and it arrived today!  [Nov. 13th]  And being a government file, it is in reverse chronological order. 

Document 1: Receipt of Remains - Day Letter  

J.F. Combs Funeral Service, Wayne City, Illinois

Remains of the Late PFC. Harold E. Erkman being shipped to you accompanied by military escort. On train number 1-123 C&EI RR [Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad] leaving Chicago 10:00 pm CST Friday 20 August 1948 and due to arrive Wayne City, Ill., 11:24 am CST Sat. 21 August 1948.  Request that you immediately inform the next of  kin and make arrangements to accept remains at station upon arrival. Refer to control number 8244.  

Carroll J. Grinnell, Lt. Col. QMC

Notebook - General Stuff No. 2, Part 2

Fitch, John. Photographing Gravestones, Nexus, Vol. XVI, No. 1.

Consider the matter of the sun being on the wrong side of the subject about half the time. Most tombstones face the west. Take pictures in the afternoon. Noon is standard time, in summer the sun will reach it's zenith at 1:00. Have a picnic and wait for the sun.

Take a tripod and a mirror. The first to steady the camera and the second to use to reflect sunlight onto the tombstone when the sun is not in the right place. The mirror should be about 2' x 4' to work well with all sizes of stones.

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Gleason, Michael.  Switch to Gregorian Calendar was Unpopular with Colonists, The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. XVII, No. 3, May/June 1991.

The last thing Virginians needed in 1752, amid rumors of French & Indian raids along the Ohio River frontier, was a new calendar system that included a new New Year's Day. Still, that's what they got from the British Parliament. 

Great Britain that year adopted the Gregorian calendar, eliminating 11 days and switching New Year's Day from March to January. 

Notebook - General Stuff No. 2, Part I

Abstracting: Do It Right!, The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, August 1997

Extracting the essential facts from a record without copying the document verbatim is a technique that genealogists commonly refer to as abstracting. Printed forms for abstracting pertinent records are commercially available. They may be useful, but many are not satisfactory because the documents themselves do not always conform to the format selected by the form designers.

Wills

• Citation - note county, will book #, beginning page number
• Testator's occupation, age, health, residence, etc.
• Abstract names of all people named and their relationship to testator
• Essentials of bequests, land descriptions, slaves, money, etc.
• Special explanations or restrictions, trustees, guardians, etc.
• Executor / executrix
• Witnesses, signatures or signed with X or mark
• Dates written and probated
• Inventory
• Sale bills
• Administrator bonds

Notebook - New England No. 1

Anderson, Robert. Reflections on the Great Migration Study Project, New England Ancestors, Holiday 2008.

On November 15, 2008, we celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the beginning of the Great Migration Study Project.

During my early years in genealogy, while handling typical client commissions, I was constantly faced with the problem of learning what research had already been undertaken and published for a family of interest. This search frequently consumed much of the time allocated for research and became very frustrating.

Thus arose the concept of a reference work for New England genealogy which would update and supplant Savage and some of the other single-colony-based compendia.

Work began on November 15, 1988 with the pilot project which became the Great Migration Begins series of volumes which covered immigration to New England from 1620 to 1633.

Sketch format:
Section one - migration

Research Log

Yellow Notebook - Robertson/Maulding/Clark Section

Jefferson County Illinois Death Book
Mauldings -
Eliza J. Bk 1, p. 19
Elizabeth O. Bk 1, p. 37
Clarence E. Bk 1, p. 53
James Bk 1, p. 58
Ransom Bk 1, p. 71

Oscar Gentle death - Book 3, p. 161

Laura Lathrop, Book 3, p. 186
b. Indiana 1857, Nov. 11
d. IL 1914, Nov. 5
parents David Lathrop b. NY and Sarah Dodds b. OH

1860 Jefferson County, Illinois, Census, Dodds Twp.
Maulding, Wesley A. 1828
Elizabeth 1832
Lorenzo D. 1854
Martha O. 1856
Eliza A. 1859

Ambrose Maulding buried in 10 Mile Cemetery, Hamilton Co., IL, Lots of space for other graves some small stones nothing legible

Research Log

Yellow Notebook - Butler/Gentle/Parrish/Perry/Shepherd/Wright Section

Jefferson County, Illinois Census 1870, Webber Twp.
Butler, Vardona 1848 - this is Vardaman
Kansas 1852
Edward 1869

Gentle, John 1816
Frances 1819
Howard 1846
Amanda 1855
Selestine 1859
Cordelia A. 1861
Fresene J. 1867

Gentle, Wm. S. 1838
Rebecca A. 1849

Wayne County Gleanings, see also Robertson section
p. 92, Wayne County Press, Dec. 17, 1874 - John Gentles, who departed this life, Nov. 30th, 1874, aged 58 years, 6 months, 19 days.

Research Log - Lathrop Section, Yellow Notebook

Lathrop Family - Summer 1987 trip to Vermont

Marriage - Town of Richford, Vermont
Book 1, p. 331, Russell Lathrop & Cynthia Powell
Book 1, p. 334, Hannah Lathrop & Daniel Janes
Book 1, p. 347, Bradford Powell & ClarissaLevi
Book 1, p. 332, Prosper Powell & Polly

Rowland Powell is Patriot for Daughters of American Revolution

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Information supplied by Don Lathrop
1. Levi Lathrop
2. George Lathrop
3a. Irene Del Lathrop md. Everett Dean
3b. Ethel Fay Lathrop md. Selvin Poddick
4a1. Leon Alan Dean md. Janice Linka
4a2. Marian Louise Dean md. Floy Ekin
4a3. Rosemary Dean md. Lester O'Brien
4a4. Lyndon Lee Dean md. Pat Finke
4a1a. Jessica Ann Dean

Research Notes - Caldcleugh Mill Account Book

In researching the Hinkles in Rowan County I came across references to Caldcleugh's Mill and in turn to Andrew Caldcleugh's Mill Account Book which is housed at the W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library at the University of Alabama.  I've been corresponding with the archivists and this week they sent images of pages in the account book.

Research Log - Recipes

Going through cookbooks I came across some family recipes.  Genealogy should take in all aspects of family history, not just names and dates.  Also including some items from my historical cookbooks.  Share family recipes in the comments if you have them. 

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Banana Cake - Betty (Richardson) White
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs
1/2 c. sour milk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. mashed, ripe bananas
2 1/2 c. sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream shortening. Add sugar and eggs. Beat well. Add soda to sour milk. Add bananas to egg and sugar mixture. Sift dry ingredients. Add alternately with sour milk and add vanilla. Bake in 375 degree oven. When cool, top with your favorite icing.

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Bean Bake - Diana (Shaw) Shields
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 c. chopped onions

Research Log - 300 Years Ago

January

4 - Jedidiah Lathrop born in Norwich, Connecticut son of Israel & Mary (Fellows) Lathrop

7 - General Israel Putnam born  

9 - France declares war on Spain 

12 - Rowland Powell md. Mary Tilden in Connecticut

21 - William Beasley will written in Essex County, Virginia

March 

7 - Josiah Rockwell born son of Josiah & Rebecca (Loomis) Rockwell

Research Log - 200 Years Ago

January

1 - Frankenstein published

15 - Esther Marsh died Scotch Plains, New Jersey age 72

26 - Amelia Speer born daughter of John & Mary Barbary (Grove) Speer

February

19 - Esther (Marsh) Clark probate

March

2 - Harriet (Rice) Powell born

15 - Andrew Jackson invades Florida during the Seminole War

18 - U.S. Congress approves first pensions for government service

Research Log - Fitch Sermon re: Anne Mason

Anne (Peck) Mason was born 1618 in Hingham, Norfolk, England, the daughter of the Rev. Robert & Anne (Lawrence) Peck.  She immigrated to Massachusetts with her family at age 19 arriving in 1638.  The next  year she married Major John Mason and moved to Windsor, Connecticut.  Two years later her parents went back to England during the Long Parliament and the English Civil War.  Anne & John Mason had seven children.  Anne (Peck) Mason died in Norwich, Connecticut in 1672 and this is the sermon her son-in-law the Rev. James Fitch wrote in her honor.

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Peace

The End of the Perfect and Upright,

Demonstrated and usefully Improved in a

Sermon,

Preached upon the Occasion of the Death and Decease of that

Piously Affected and truly Religious Matron,

Mrs. Anne Mason

Sometime Wife to Major Mason, who not long

After finished his Course, and is now at rest.

Research Log

Eastern Kentucky University Special Collections, Dec. 21, 2001

Townsend F. 457.M17 N6630 McDowell - McGee

Col. Joseph McDowell md. 1) Sarah Irvine, daughter of John, 2) Prudence Armstrong, 3) Jane (--?--)

son by first wife - Samuel md. 1) Marion Ball, 2) Martha Hawkins

Samuel McDowell, son of Judge Samuel & Mary (McClung) McDowell & grandson of Col. John & Magdaline (Woods) McDowell was born 8 Mar. 1764 and was a revolutionary soldier, he married Anna Irvine.

Children:
William Adair b. 21 Mar. 1795 md. Mariah Hawkins Harvey

Children:

• Sarah Shelby md. Bland Ballard
• Henry Clay md. Anne Clay, granddaughter of Henry Clay
• William Preston md. Kate Wright
• Edward Irvine
• Mary Keith
• Magdalene Harvey
• William Adair

Research Log - Hanover County, Virginia, ver. 2

Hanover County, Virginia was created November 26, 1719 from St. Paul's Parish of New Kent County.  I-295 on the north side of Richmond is a significant portion of the county's southern border. The York River forms the northern boundary between Hanover and Caroline County.  It is the probable crossroads of six families - Meeks, Priddy, Butler, Denny, Henry and Robertson/Robinson.

Our relevant line:

5. Grace Butler b. 1912, Wayne City, IL, d. 1980 St. Louis, MO

10. Morton Butler b. 1883 Jefferson Co., IL, d. 1953 Wayne Co., IL

11. Mary Anna Robertson b. 1882 Wayne Co., IL, d. 1967 Wayne Co., IL

20. George Butler b. 1861 Illinois, d. 1946 Marion Co., IL

21. Florence Gentle b. 1862 Edgar Co., IL, d. 1938 Jefferson Co., IL

22. James Robertson b. 1839 Lawrence Co., OH, d. 1929 Wayne Co., IL

23. Mary Maulding b. 1847 Hamilton Co., IL, d. 1910, Wayne Co., IL

40. Minor Butler b. ca. 1822 Kentucky, d. after 1880 Illinois

41. Mary Williamson b. 1826 Illinois, d. ca. 1873 Illinois

44. David Robertson b. 1800 Virginia, d. 1872, Illinois17

45. Rebecca Clark b. 1804 New Jersey, d. 1873, Illinois

80. James Butler b. ca. 1782, d. after 1840 probably in Kentucky

81. Elizabeth Meeks b. ca. 1788, living 1840 Kentucky

88. David Robertson b. ca. 1775 Virginia, after 1834 Illinois

89. Mary Ann Henry b. ca. 1779 Virginia, after 1830 Illinois

162. Priddy Meeks b. 1746 Hanover Co., VA, d. after 1820 probably in Kentucky

163. Elizabeth Denny b. ?, d. after 1820 probably in Kentucky

178. John Henry Sr. b. ? probably Virginia, d. ? probably in Virginia

324. William Meeks b. ca. 1725 probably Virginia, d. after 1768 possibly in Hanover Co., VA

325. Molly Nolin b. ?, d. after 1768 possibly in Hanover Co., VA

648. William Meeks b. England?, d. possibly in Hanover Co., VA

The St. Paul's Parish register contains the following entries regarding processioning which was an annual review of boundary lines.