Last Friday, I took the 3+ hour trip to New Hampshire to meet and do some genealogy with my new found cousin, Lynn McManus from Vermont. Great lady! Loves genealogy as much as I do and she helped me regain my zest for more information on the Knapp side of the family. Lynn showed me (my 6th great grandfather) Peter Knap, Sr.'s headstone AND footstone - at the Hanover Cemetery in Hanover Center, NH. what a great site! He was born in 1741 and died in 1804.
I also visited my 3rd great grandparents' headstones (Nancy Knapp and Cyrus Camp) as well as the headstones of my 4th great grandparents - Theoda Bridgman and David Camp.
After a quick visit of the cemetery we went on to do genealogy at Dartmouth College Rauner Library in Hanover. Beautiful building and the people there are very help and accommodating! I was able to view and actually READ the ORIGINAL 3 page letter from Peter Knap, Jr (my 5th great grandfather) to his daughter, Polly and her husband, Nathaniel Chamberlin. That's the most exciting piece of genealogy I've come across in a LONG time.
In addition to several other documents and information, I had them copy the Gilman Dubois Frost, MD's Collection of Hanover Genealogical Records on the Camp family.
The day went by so quickly and Lynn and I parted ways - she back to VT and me back to NY. We email info regularly back and forth - sharing what we find. Hopefully, our next trip will be to Rehoboth, Bristol County, MA. I would love to visit and research in Rehoboth, Taunton, etc. as well as perhaps make a trip to Fall River where my grandfather, Ovila Beland was born and raised.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Knapp & Hartshorn family
As you all may know, I am addicted to genealogy. I'm not normally much of a puzzle or mystery person which is weird because genealogy is both - rolled into one.
Recently I went to VT for a few reasons, all pertaining to genealogy. I met my 3rd cousin twice removed, Don Haslam, about 1 1/2 years ago. Last fall I met him for the first time by traveling to Lyndonville, Caledonia County, VT where he lives. He took me to the cemeteries of our shared ancestors, the Knapps and the Hartshorns.
Two years ago, my sister Brenda and I went to Swanton, VT. My grandmother, Grace Gladden Bellanger was born and raised in Swanton. We visited 3 different cemeteries we knew family members were buried in. It was an unforgettable experience. Seeing their graves and headstones made them more real to us. Since we went on a weekend we weren't able to check out the library or the Swanton Town Hall for more records.
This time when I went, I combined several things that I wanted to accomplish. I first attended Don Haslam's annual family reunion. His family (my family!) was great! Everyone made me feel so welcome. I felt very comfortable around them and I hope to spend more time with them in the future! Don and I went to the Grove Cemetery where Peter and Zeruiah Hartshorn Knapp were buried. We attempted to go last year, but the gates to the roadway were already locked up for the winter (I went in November). It was great to finally see their headstones in person. I took some pictures, we visited a bit more back at his house (his sister Gail, great lady, and her one daughter and her family were still in town) and then finally left about 5:30pm to head on up to Swanton. Swanton seems to be a quite and laid back type of town. I went to the Riverside Cemetery where Lewis & Ella Aseltine Camp, Ernest & Jessie Camp Gladden, Seldon & May (Mary) Smith Gladden and Fred & Minnie Aseltine Coyles are buried (this time I couldn't find Fred & Minnie's headstone - the others are in the front of the cemetery).
More at another time.
Recently I went to VT for a few reasons, all pertaining to genealogy. I met my 3rd cousin twice removed, Don Haslam, about 1 1/2 years ago. Last fall I met him for the first time by traveling to Lyndonville, Caledonia County, VT where he lives. He took me to the cemeteries of our shared ancestors, the Knapps and the Hartshorns.
Don's great grandfather, Nathan Knapp had an older sister, Nancy Maria Knapp. Their parents, and our common ancestors were Peter and Zeruiah Hartshorn Knapp. Nancy Maria was my great-great-great grandmother married to my great-great-great grandfather, Cyrus Camp. Cyrus and Nancy had 4 children with Lewis being the youngest. Lewis and Ella Aseltine Camp, my great-great grandparents, had my great grandmother Jessie (an only child). Jessie married my great grandfather Ernest Gladden and they had 10 children including my grandmother, Grace Gladden (their 4th child). Grace married my grandfather, John Bellanger. They had my father, Donald Bellanger, the 3rd of 6. He married my mother, Joan Dixon and they had me and my 3 sisters. (Are you still with me?).We also visited many places throughout Caledonia County and got to know one another. It was a great visit. The last day of my visit with Don we went to the VT state archives to look at records of those family members that had once lived in various areas of Vermont. It was exciting to see and even be able to copy birth, death and marriage records of some of my ancestors. Time flew by and I knew I would have to go back as there was so much more that I wanted to look at.
Nathan Knapp married Betsey Magoon - they had Ila Belle and Sarah Jane. Ila Belle married Gordon Ellsworth Haslam. They had 3 children, with Gordon Raymond Haslam as their youngest. He married Ruth Harrington. Gordon and Ruth had6 children. Don was the youngest with 16 years between him and his oldest sibling. (Whew! That's a much shorter story!)
Two years ago, my sister Brenda and I went to Swanton, VT. My grandmother, Grace Gladden Bellanger was born and raised in Swanton. We visited 3 different cemeteries we knew family members were buried in. It was an unforgettable experience. Seeing their graves and headstones made them more real to us. Since we went on a weekend we weren't able to check out the library or the Swanton Town Hall for more records.
This time when I went, I combined several things that I wanted to accomplish. I first attended Don Haslam's annual family reunion. His family (my family!) was great! Everyone made me feel so welcome. I felt very comfortable around them and I hope to spend more time with them in the future! Don and I went to the Grove Cemetery where Peter and Zeruiah Hartshorn Knapp were buried. We attempted to go last year, but the gates to the roadway were already locked up for the winter (I went in November). It was great to finally see their headstones in person. I took some pictures, we visited a bit more back at his house (his sister Gail, great lady, and her one daughter and her family were still in town) and then finally left about 5:30pm to head on up to Swanton. Swanton seems to be a quite and laid back type of town. I went to the Riverside Cemetery where Lewis & Ella Aseltine Camp, Ernest & Jessie Camp Gladden, Seldon & May (Mary) Smith Gladden and Fred & Minnie Aseltine Coyles are buried (this time I couldn't find Fred & Minnie's headstone - the others are in the front of the cemetery).
More at another time.
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