Caesar Toney Again

As a followup to yesterday’s post –  What is the relationship between John Hazeltine, Esquire and Caesar Toney? The deed states that Hazeltine is selling and gifting this land to Caesar “ in Consideration of the Love and good Will I do bear to Cesar Tony” Why would a white male in 1754 hold love and good will for a black male not apparently related? Was … Continue reading Caesar Toney Again

Caesar Toney

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

Battle of Great Falls or Massacre at Peskeompskut

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

Not Just YOUR Ancestor – Joseph Pegan, Revolutionary War Veteran

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

Surname Saturday – CURLESS/CURLISS/CORLISS

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

The Women Before Me

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

NERGC 2015

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