Caesar Toney is my 5th great-grandfather. He married Margaret (Peggy) Romsor of Worcester on 7 September 1756 in Upton, MA. Peggy and Caesar had two sons Caesar Jr. and Abraham. Caesar Jr. and Abraham married two Narragansett sisters, Susannah and Mary Harry. Caesar and Peggy and their family lived on their own farm in Upton, MA – a bit unusual for people of African descent … Continue reading Caesar Toney
Death came in the early morning hours on May 19, 1676. Hundreds of Native families were gathered under the Falls on the for the annual fish run. In May and June of each year, salmon, shad, eel, lamprey and herring made their journey upstream to spawn. The Connecticut River was thick with fish, making it an ideal time to gather food for the entire year. … Continue reading Battle of Great Falls or Massacre at Peskeompskut
I heard some folks talking during a recent event about their ancestor, Joseph Pegan, and his Revolutionary War service. They sounded a little proprietary to me, as if he belonged only to their family. Which seemed strange because he is a claimed ancestor to hundreds of Nipmucs including those belonging to these families – Henries, Sprague, Nichols, White, Wilson, and mine! Dudley, Massachusetts vital records … Continue reading Not Just YOUR Ancestor – Joseph Pegan, Revolutionary War Veteran
This is the first in a series of blog posts dedicated to my female ancestors and their maiden names. Mary Ann Curless Vickers was my 4th great-grandmother. She lived to be more than 100 years old. Born in Smithfield, Rhode Island on 16 August 1797, she also resided in nearby Thompson, CT and Oxford, MA. Her parents were Nancy (Annie) Pollock and Christopher Curless. Christopher … Continue reading Surname Saturday – CURLESS/CURLISS/CORLISS
I thank Heather Rojo from Nutfield Genealogy for her post on how she organizes her Surname Saturday posts. I’m going to work on the maiden names of women in my ancestry beginning with my maternal line. Those names include: Ransom, Slocum, Dailey, Curless, Vickers, Williams, Scott, Harry, Foster, Money, Henry, Quow, Jackson, Willett, Romsor, Pegan, Pollock, Brown, Toney, and Hazzard. And, yes, I know these … Continue reading The Women Before Me
This was my 5th NERGC (New England Regional Genealogical Conference) conference and I think it was the best one yet! It was held at the Rhode Island Conference Center which was a beautiful spot. My hotel was a block away (the Courtyard Marriott) and my room was fabulous. The conference was special for me because it was my first time presenting at NERGC. I made … Continue reading NERGC 2015
From the connecticuthistory.org website Although I didn’t know it at the time, my best friend from grammar school is a descendant of Venture Smith. She and other family members recently journeyed to Africa to witness the beginnings of their ancestor’s incredible life. You can read about the trip in the New York Times Travel Section by following this link. Venture Smith was born about 1730 … Continue reading Venture Smith – From African Prince to Connecticut Freeman
Cheryll Toney Holley 