Wordless Wednesday - Cats All Around!

The Hannan Sisters with their cats!

Palermo, Maine

early 1950s

Tombstone Tuesday - Foster Wells Kinney

Old Fernwood Cemetery

Kingston, Rhode Island

Foster Wells Kinney

born:  August 17, 1892 South Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island

died:  July 5, 1893 South Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island

Foster was the first child of my husband's great-grandparents, Lorenzo and Helen May (Wells) Kinney. 

Surname Saturday - Dunton

Today I will outline eight generations of my Dunton line. 

Prudence Dunton, my 3rd great-grandmother, was born September 19, 1806 in Westport, Lincoln, Maine.  She married Norton Phillips Parsons on December 20, 1825 in Edgecomb, Lincoln, Maine.  They had seven children - George, Eliza, Ozais, Stephen, Westbrook, Merrill and Norton.  Prudence's  husband Norton died before the 1860 census, leaving her a widow at a fairly young age.  She is found in the 1870 and 1880 census' with her son Norton.  Prudence died January 2, 1894 in Palermo, Waldo, Maine.

Stephen Dunton was born January 6, 1782 in Westport, Lincoln, Maine.  He was a farmer.  He married Dorothy Knight on November 30, 1803 in Edgecomb, Lincoln, Maine.  They had eight children - Prudence, Lucy, Eliza Ann, Stephen, Merrill, Lydia, Caroline and Susan. Stephen died February 16, 1873 in Westport.

Samuel Dunton was born 1745 in Westport, Lincoln, Maine.  He married Lydia Crosby November 17, 1768 in Woolwich, Lincoln, Maine.  They had eight children - Samuel, Eunice, Joseph, Lydia, Susanna, Stephen, Abner and Simon.  Samuel died in Westport.

Timothy Dunton was born August 20, 1715 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts.  He was a seaman, fisherman and farmer.  He married Mary Elizabeth Smith on December 17, 1737 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts.  Timothy was an early settler of Maine, going first to Woolwich and then to "Jeremy Squam" Island, now Westport.  He was one of the signers of the petition to incorporate Wiscasset, Maine.  He had nine children - Joseph, John, Samuel, Elizabeth, Sarah, Abner, Timothy, Daniel and Ruth.  He died after 1805 in Westport.

John Dunton was born December 28, 1686 in Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts.  He was a wheelwright.  He married Sarah Jeffords on February 9, 1715 in Reading.  He had five known children - Timothy, Samuel, John, Anna and Sheubal.  He died in Reading.

John Dunton was born May 14, 1665 in Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts.  He was married to Ruth in 1686.  They had nine children - John, Samuel, Ruth, Elizabeth, Thomas, Joseph, Mary, Sarah and Hepzibeth.  John died in 1721.

Samuel Dunton was born about 1627 in England.  He is first mentioned in Lynn, Massachusetts.  He was a wheelwright and was named on the list of proprietors at Reading, Massachusetts in 1644.  He married (H)Anna Felch.  They had nine children - Samuel, Hannah, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary, Ruth, John and Thomas.  Samuel fought in King Phillip's War.  Samuel died November 7, 1683 in Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts.

Robert Dunton was born about 1597 in England.  He immigrated about 1639 to Lynn, Massachusetts with son Samuel.

Tombstone Tuesday - Thomas and Eliza (Megginson) Todd

Hollywood Cemetery

Richmond City

Richmond, Virginia

Thomas Jefferson Todd

b. December 23, 1845

d. September 17, 1917

Eliza Parke Megginson Todd

b. June 12, 1881

d. July 20, 1919

Thomas and Eliza are my husband's great-grandparents.  They were both born and died in Virginia. 

Surname Saturday - Belyea/Bulyea/Boulier

My great-great-grandmother was Martha Jane Belyea.  She was born March 6, 1840 in Wickham, Queens, New Brunswick, Canada.  She was married to William Henry Craft in 1862.  They had 10 children, Anna Eugenia, Robert, Frederick, Sarah Jemima, Albert Henry, John Howard, George, Ernest, Harry and Ida Maude Craft.  Martha died on January 11, 1931 in Queens, New Brunswick. 

I am afraid I had a mistake in Martha J (Belyea) Craft's death.  She died on January 10, 1929 at Belyea's Cove, Queens, New Brunswick.  She was buried next to her husband in the Craft Family Cemetery in Craft's Cove, Queens, New Brunswick.

Martha Jane Belyea

Abraham Belyea was the father of Martha Jane.  He was born on March 8, 1803 in New Brunswick, Canada.  He married Sarah Gerow on December 15, 1824.  He was a farmer and the father of nine children:  George, John Stephen, Sarah Ann, Jemima, Thomas, Leverett, James, Martha Jane and Elizabeth.  He died October 30, 1883 in New Brunswick.

James Albert Belyea was born in 1755 at Cortlandt Manor, Westchester, New York.  He was a loyalist during the American Revolution, fighting for the British.  After the war, he and other loyalists migrated to Canada.  He married Jemima Purdy in 1782 in White Plains, Westchester, New York.  They had 16 children: Thomas, James, Henry, Oliver, Pheobe, Polly, Jemima, Nehemiah, Nancy, John, Lucy, Abraham, Stephen, Hannah, Coles and Archilaus.  He died in 1840 in St. John's, New Brunswick, Canada.

Hendrick "Henry" Belyea was born April 17, 1700 in Tarrytown, Westchester, New York.  He married first Deborah Carpenter in 1739.  They had 4 children: John, Mary, Judith, and Joseph.  After Deborah died he married Engeltjie "Angelica" Storm in 1755.  She was the widow of Abraham Jurckse.  They had eight children: James Albert, Deborah, Abraham, Wintie, Thomas, Robert, Henry and William.  Hendrick was also a loyalist and removed to New Brunswick, Canada after the American Revolution.  He died about 1803 in Greenwich, New Brunswick, Canada.

Jan Boulier was born before 1698 in Long Island, New York.  He married Helena Willamse in 1719.  They had seven children: Hendrick, Marytie, Rachel, Helena, Catharina, Jane, Robben.  He died in 1766.

Louis Boulier, the first of this family to come to America, was born about 1672 in Saintonge, France.  He was said to have been a Huguenot mariner who fled France to escape persecution following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes.  He married Anna Konninck in 1697 in Hackensack, New Jersey.  They had three children:  Jan, Jacob and Catherine.

Treasure Chest Thursday - Get me a Minister!

My parents have saved this letter that they received from the minister who performed their marriage ceremony.  My mom just showed it to me the other day.  I don't think I had seen it before and am quite surprised and pleased that they saved it!

Ancestor Approved Award

 I am very humbled to receive this award from my fellow geneabloggers, Karen at Ancestor Soup,  Carol at Reflections From the Fence and Hummer at Branching Out Through the Years.  You guys are all wonderful and give me such inspiration to continue to share my ancestor's stories!

Now as I understand it, I am to list 10 things I have learned about my ancestors that have surprised, humbled or enlightened me and then pass the award on to 10 other genealogy bloggers who I feel are doing their ancestors proud. 


1.  Humbled by my ancestors who left all that they knew to seek a better life for themselves and their children.  Many of them knew they might never again see the ones they left behind.

2.  Surprised to find that I have an ancestor who was accused, convicted and hanged for being a witch during the Salem Witch Trials.  Her  name was  Margaret Stephenson Scott and she was my 10th-great grandmother.

3.  Surprised to learn that my grandfather Ross Hannan was the valedictorian of his 8th grade class.  Unfortunately, he was unable to get transportation to continue his schooling.

4.  Enlightened to learn more about my loyalist ancestors, those very ancestors that my grandmother Elsie Robinson McKiel was so very proud of.

5.  Surprised by the stories of my ancestors who hung in there in the Maine wilderness through unsettled times with the Indians.

6.  Humbled by the many ancestors who served (and continue to serve) our country in the armed forces.

7.  Humbled by my 3rd great-grandparents, Moses and Aurilla Gowen's, tragedy of 1861.  Four of their seven children, Dorcas, Moses, Sarah and Sylvia, died in three short months.

8.  Enlightened by the many countries from which my ancestors originated.  Given that almost all of them lived in Maine or Massachusetts in this country, it is amazing how wide spread their home countries are.

9.  Enlightened by the longevity of my ancestors.  I always thought most early New Englanders lived much shorter lives than present day but I am surprised how many of my ancestors lived to their 80s and 90s.

10.  Humbled by my ancestors who left all that they knew to seek a better life ... oh wait, I said that.  However, I think I am most impressed by this fact.  Living most of my life in the same town and being a bit of a homebody, I am most suprised, enlightened, humbled and proud of my ancestors who took on the unknown (and persevered) to make their way to this country and improve life for the generations to come.

I am passing this on to the following bloggers:

Lynn at The Armchair Genealogist 
Mavis at Georgia Black Crackers 
Renate at Into the Light
Wendy at New England Genealogy
Nuccia at Growing Up in an Italian Family
Midge from Granite in My Blood

Tombstone Tuesday - William A. Hannan

Hannan Cemetery

Palermo, Maine

William A. Hannan

born August 21, 1846 Liberty, Waldo, Maine

died May 6, 1905 Liberty, Waldo, Maine

William Hannan is my 1st cousin 3 times removed.  He was the son of John Colby Hannan and Julia (Overlock) Hannan.  He served in the Civil War in the 19th Maine Infantry and the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery. 

Happy Easter!!

I know this looks like a pregnant Easter bunny but it is actually a treasured family heirloom.  In my husband's Italian family, Easter breakfast is a big tradition.  All the aunts, uncles and cousins, along with assorted friends and neighbors come for breakfast/brunch.  There is always eggs, ham, bacon, rice pie, strata, fruit, egg biscuits, Portuguese sweet egg bread (I know, not Italian, but someone married a Portuguese guy), chocolate eggs, jelly beans ...  you get the picture!  Lots of good stuff.

About 20 years ago Uncle Jack made this bunny out of plywood and now each family that hosts the breakfast must host the bunny prominently displayed in their front yard.  A few years ago we also started having the host family sign and date the back.  An heirloom was born!

So if you ever find yourself in southern Rhode Island on Easter Sunday and you spot this bunny, just pop in.  No one will question your presence.  Just say you're related to Tony or Jack or one of the aunts and fill your plate.  Say Hap-py Easter, with emphasis on the Hap, and you'll be all set.

Here's a Bunny Happy Easter to You All!

Treasure Chest Thursday - Palermo Grammar School Graduation

This is the Graduation Program of my grandfather Ross Hannan.  He was born and raised in Palermo, Waldo, Maine.  The Palermo Grammar School held grades 1-8, and in 1918 my grandfather was finishing eighth grade.  You can see him listed as the Valedictorian, giving his speech towards the end of the program.  My mother tells me that this was the end of his education because the town had no high school.  He could have gone to high school in another town but would have had to have his own transportation and his family could not provide that.

Another interesting note, the ceremony did not being until 8:30 pm.  Palermo was a farming town.  By waiting til 8:30 pm, most farming chores were done and the families could attend the ceremony.

I am going to list all the names found on this program here in the hopes that anyone looking for my grandfather's classmates might find them.

Mabel Gladys Saban
Gayland Briggs Turner
Verda Elsie Bailey
Sidney Burton Haskell
Earl Andrew Turner
Helen Gertrude Nelson
J. Lyle Trask
Melissa Spratt
Mary Ernestine Moore
Maurice Eugene Tobey
Alice Lena Morang
Ross Newell Hannan
Hazel Gertrude Turner