52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #19 — Calvin Read, From Vermont to Florida

Detail from Samuel Augustus Mitchell, Henry S. Tanner, and Frederick Bourquin, “Florida,” 1848, in A New Universal Atlas; David Rumsey Historical Map Collection, List No. 4578.022, Image No. 4578022. Cropped and enlarged to show Mandarin in Duval County, Florida

Calvin Read was born on 2 December 1793 in Vermont, the son of Benjamin Reed and Huldah Pratt, who lived in Woodford, Bennington County, at the time of his birth. By about 1812, his family was living in Putney, Windham County. In 1824, Calvin and his brother, Luther Read, purchased land together in Putney that lay near land associated with their father, Benjamin Reed. It is thought that Calvin relocated to Florida soon after this land transaction. Note that although their parents and extended family usually used the spelling Reed, Calvin and Luther consistently spelled their surname as Read. 

According to the Reed Genealogy, Calvin married Mary Reynolds, also from Windham County, on 22 February 1830 in Florida. Mary died in January 1833, and Calvin later married Rebekah Elizabeth Jones on 1 March 1834 in Duval County, Florida. He served as a private in the Florida Militia during the Florida Indian Wars. 

Although Calvin made his home in Florida, he kept his property interests in Vermont. After his death, Vermont probate records identified him as “late of Mandarin” and listed his half of the Putney farm he had owned with his brother, Luther. 

Calvin Read has been credited with naming the town of Mandarin in 1830. He was a citrus farmer with a significant orange grove on the St. Johns River. A Mandarin Museum newsletter included a document from the 1848 U.S. Senate involving a payment of $716 to Calvin Read for cutting down trees for a fort built in response to the Seminole raid on Mandarin in 1841. A brief reference in John Ludovicus Reed’s Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade, of Weymouth, Mass., from 1635–1902, published in 1901, adds another interesting detail: “In connection with a Mr. Lowell he bought a large tract of land on the St. John's river. The old home is still standing and occupied by his grandchildren. The parapet to protect the town from the Seminole Indians was built on Calvin's property, the remains of the works can still be traced.” Since the book was published in 1901, the statement that the home was occupied by his grandchildren likely refers to that period or to the years shortly before publication.

Calvin died by accidental drowning at Mandarin on 26 July 1850.  The newspaper account reported that Calvin had gone aboard a brig to arrange passage north, but fell from the gangway while leaving the vessel. His body was recovered, but efforts to revive him failed.

It was written in his obituary that he had lived in East Florida for about twenty-five years and that he was a longtime postmaster and justice of the peace at Mandarin. Calvin was survived by his widow, Rebekah E. Read, and by Charles F. Read, his son by his first wife.

For more stories about the families I research, follow my Facebook page, where I share new posts and other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2026

“Calvin Read obituary,” Florida Republican (Jacksonville, Florida), 8 August 1850, digital image, OldNews (https://www.oldnews.com/en/record?record_id=record-11024-225493483&page_id=3 : accessed 13 June 2026). OldNews incorrectly indexed this issue as The Florida Republican, Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, 1 January 1848; the masthead identifies the paper as Florida Republican and gives the date as Thursday, 8 August 1850.

Calvin Read, private, 1st Florida Mounted Volunteers (Warren’s), 1837–38, Florida War; compiled service record card, indexed with enlistment date 19 June 1837 and enlistment place Jacksonville; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 June 2026), database “Florida, U.S., Compiled Service Records, Florida Indian Wars, 1835–1858,” path: Florida War > 1st Florida Mounted Volunteers (Warren’s), 1837–38 > M–Y; citing National Archives microfilm publication M1086, Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Florida During the Florida Indian Wars, 1835–1858.

Duval County, Florida, marriage-related property agreement, Calvin Read and Rebekah Elizabeth Jones, signed by Rebekah Elizabeth Jones, 15 March 1830; images, FamilySearch, “Duval, Florida, United States records” (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89QR-M1MM?view=fullText: accessed 13 June 2026), image 677 of 1380; citing Duval County, Florida, County Judge; Image Group Number 005886100.

John Ludovicus Reed, The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts, from 1635–1902, vol. 1 (1901); digital image, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/reedgenealogydes01reed/page/n11/mode/2up : accessed 18 April 2026), page 170.

Mandarin Museum & Historical Society, “October 2018 Newsletter from Mandarin Museum & Historical Society,” MMHS News, October 2018, “A fascinating new accession for our collection”; https://myemail-api.constantcontact.com/October-2018-Newsletter-from-Mandarin-Museum---Historical-Society.html?aid=NmHt1xrFiqU&soid=1102459510579 : accessed 10 June 2026.

Mandarin Museum & Historical Society, “Other Notable Residents,” Mandarin Museum, Calvin Read entry; https://www.mandarinmuseum.org/mandarin-history/notable-residents : accessed 10 June 2026.

Putney, Windham County, Vermont, town records, p. 579, Benjamin Reed to James Clay, deed, 23 April 1811, acknowledged and recorded 2 March 1812; “Putney, Windham, Vermont, United States records,” digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSCM-6SS2-H : accessed 22 February 2025), image 309 of 719.

Putney, Vermont, land records, David Carpenter conveyance and related transactions involving Calvin Read and Luther Read, 24 August 1824 and 16 June 1833; images, FamilySearch, “Putney, Windham, Vermont, United States records” (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYS-1348-3?view=explore : accessed 13 June 2026), image 112 of 582; citing Putney town records, Windham County, Vermont; Image Group Number 008349644.

Samuel Augustus Mitchell, Henry S. Tanner, and Frederick Bourquin, “Florida,” atlas map, 1848, in A New Universal Atlas Containing Maps of the Various Empires, Kingdoms, States and Republics of the World (Philadelphia: S. Augustus Mitchell, 1848), p. 21; digital image, David Rumsey Historical Map Collection, List No. 4578.022, Image No. 4578022, https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~35719~1200945:Florida- : accessed 1 June 2026; cropped and enlarged by DBQuinn to show Mandarin, Duval County, Florida.

The Vermont Journal, December 30, 1793, Page  4. via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vermont-journal-benjamin-reed-of-woo/199505909/ : accessed June 13, 2026), clip page for Benjamin Reed of Woodford  by user dewquinn.

“U.S. Brig Somers, sketched by a crewmember of USS Columbus,” digital image, Wikimedia Commons, “File Somers (1842).jpg”; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Somers_(1842).jpg : accessed 13 June 2026; citing Naval History and Heritage Command photo no. NH 97588-KN.

Windham County, Vermont, probate records, document naming Calvin Read and Luther Read; images, FamilySearch, “Windham, Vermont, United States records” (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BH-JSYV-M?view=explore : accessed 13 June 2026), image 495 of 577; Image Group Number 007714788.

Friday's Photo: Putney, Vermont

Said to be Vermont's oldest General Store, the history of this store goes
back to 1796 - see more at Putney General Store.

In the 1980s, before I developed an interest in genealogy, I was focused on traveling and furnishing my new home with antiques collected along the way. A trip to New England in 1984 perfectly aligned with those interests. During that trip, I managed to fit in one brief family history stop: a visit to Putney, a small town in Windham County, Vermont. At the time, all I knew was that someone on my mother’s side had once lived there.

Mary Lucy Glynn

After years of research, I know just how significant Putney is to my family history. My fourth great-grandparents, Benjamin Reed and Huldah Pratt, lived there and are buried in the town. Their daughter and my third-great-grandmother, Nancy Reed, wife of Joseph T. Glynn, is also buried in a local cemetery, along with my second-great-grandfather, Albert Joseph Glynn. My great-grandmother, Mary Lucy Glynn—who married Charles Giddens—was born in Putney. 

Now, a return trip to Vermont is at the top of my wish list. This time, I plan to visit the cemeteries where my ancestors are buried and spend time in local archives to dig deeper into my family history.

If you want to know more about the families  I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2025

"Putney, Vermont abt 1984" and "Mary Lucy Glynn," photographs; scanned images, original photograph from the privately-held collection of Diana Bryan Quinn, Virginia Beach, VA, 2025.

Knowing How to Find the Key at Ancestry.com Leads to Original Records

Huldah Pratt, who married Benjamin Reed in 1778 in Abington, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, was my 4th great-grandmother. I know a little about Huldah, but I also have many questions. While looking for Huldah, I knew that some of my questions might be answered if I found more original records. 

Huldah died in Putney, Windham County, Vermont on 17 May 1842. Her gravestone and death record both indicate that she was 82 years old. This gave her a birth year of approximately 1760, matching her age found in Revolutionary War pension records for her husband. Recently, a hint at Ancestry.com gave me a birth date of 16 November 1760. This matches the date I found in many online family trees. Unfortunately, the hint did not show the actual source. 

I really wanted to see the original record, so I clicked on the Source tab to determine where Ancestry found this record. The source was described as Massachusetts, U.S. Town Birth Records, 1620-1850, published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society. This was a little too vague for me, so before leaving Ancestry to look for the publication, I decided to do a another search. 

I searched for Huldah Pratt in Brockton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, with a 1760 birth year. The original hint was one of two results. The other was found in the database Massachusetts, U.S., Compiled Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1700-1850. The source for the record was Vital Records of Brockton, Massachusetts to the Year 1850. This was published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society in 1911. 

Huldah was seen on image 122 of the book. The heading on that page was Brockton Births. Huldah's name was followed by "d" and then "John," indicating that she was the daughter of John. The date, Nov. 16, 1760, was preceded by "bp." On the same page, there were four other daughters of John and a son, John. Betty, Hannah, Keturah, and Lydia all had the same birth date, Nov. 16, 1760, preceded by "bp." Was that the baptism date? And what does CRI mean at the end of each entry? 

To find the key to abbreviations in a book or directory, you will usually need to go to the beginning of the book. Huldah was found on image/ page 122 (see below). Changing  122 to 1 and hitting enter took me to the beginning of the book. 

The key to the abbreviations was on page five. "bp" was baptism, and "CRI" meant that records came from the Fourth Church of Christ of Bridgewater, renamed the First Congregational Church of Brockton. 

A quick Google search took me to the Congregational Library & Archives where, lucky for me, the original records are held and digitized. 

I now have names for Huldah's possible parents as well as siblings. Researching these family members may prove or disprove my Huldah's relationship to this family. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27499358/huldah-read: accessed February 7, 2024), memorial page for Huldah Pratt Read (–), Find a Grave Memorial ID 27499358, citing East Putney Cemetery, East Putney, Windham County, Vermont, USA; Maintained by Cynthia Kaley (contributor 51056978); photograph of gravestone contributed by Donna G. Dunham (contributor 46871624).

“First Parish Congregational Church Brockton, Mass. Records 1740-1805,” title of digital link is "Church records, 1740-1805, First Parish Congregational Church in North Bridgewater," digital images, Congregational Library & Archives History Matters (https://congregationallibrary.quartexcollections.com/Documents/Detail/church-records-1740-1805-first-parish-congregational-church-in-north-bridgewater/5618 : accessed 4 Feb 2024), image/page 36

"Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910, 1921-1924," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V58S-H21 : accessed 3 Feb 2023), Huldah Pratt in entry for Benjamin Reed, 1778.

"Massachusetts, U.S. Town Birth Records, 1620-1850," database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/4094/ : accessed 2 Feb 2024), hint for birth record of Huldah Pratt. 

"Massachusetts, U.S., Compiled Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1700-1850," database, Ancestry.com ((https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/44862:61401? : accessed 2 Feb 2024); Vital Records of Brockton, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, New England Historical Society, 1911, p. 122. 

U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900,” database and images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/49769:1995 : accessed 25 June 2022), for Benjamin Reed, images 266 to 320; citing "Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files" (NARA microfilm publication M804, 2,670 rolls). Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954,"FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V8MP-5Z7 : accessed 3 Feb 2023), entry for Huldah Read and Benjamin Read, 17 May 1842.

Benjamin Reed, a Patriot and my 4th Great-Grandfather

Greetings on July 4th! [1]

 

Patriots: colonists who rebelled against British

control during the American Revolution.[2] 

 

Today is an appropriate day to write about my 4th great-grandfather Benjamin Reed (also seen as Read). Benjamin was a Patriot serving in the Revolutionary War as a minute man in the Lexington Alarm and served continuously until discharged on 29 November 1777.[3]

According to his pension record, Benjamin Reed was born on 3 May 1752 in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.[4] His parents are said to be Peter Reed and Lucy Hugens from Abington, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.[5] 

In 1775 Benjamin was a young man living in the town of Cummington in the County of Hampshire, Massachusetts. It is thought that he responded to the Lexington Alarm, marching about 100 miles, with a detachment of Minute Men from the town of Williamsburg, Massachusetts, and serving from April 21 to April 27.[6] 

After Lexington, Benjamin marched on to Roxbury, where he served during the battle at Bunker Hill. He served throughout the war and is known to be at Fort Ticonderoga, Mount Hope, Crown Point, Morristown, New Jersey, Dorchester, Cambridge, and the Battle of Bennington. It appears that he was primarily employed as a guard.[7] Guards served in various duties, from guarding prisoners or structures to providing security to officers. When marching guards, were posted at the side, front, and rear of the troops.[8] 

Documentation, showing Benjamin and
Hulda's marriage date and place,
was found in the pension record.[11]

Benjamin Reed married Hulda Pratt, of Bridgewater, on 3 December 1778 in the city of Abbington, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.[9] By 1779 they were living in Woodford, Bennington County, Vermont, where Benjamin was one of the early settlers in Woodford, and his son Benjamin was said to be the first child born in Woodford on 11 August 1779.[10]  

I have documentation showing that Benjamin and Hulda had children Benjamin, Calvin, Luther, Almira, and my 3rd great-grandmother, Nancy.[12] I am sure there are others, but documentation needs to be found. 

Benjamin and his family left Woodford and moved to Wardsboro in Windham County, Vermont.[13] By 1813 the family was living in Putney in Windham County.[14] 

Benjamin Reed was the Town Clerk of Woodford from 1792-1803.[15] 

Benjamin Reed
1752-1835 [19]

Benjamin's occupation after the war is unknown. In Woodford, he served as the Town Clerk from 1792-1803 and was a land owner in both Bennington and Windham Counties.[16] He applied for a pension for his service in 1834.  After his death, Huldah applied for and received a pension.[17] 

Benjamin Reed died on 10 January 1835. Hulda died on 17 May 1842. They are buried in East Putney Cemetery. [18] 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

.

Diana

© 2022 

    1. Patriotic Greetings, postcard, n.d.; scanned image, original card found in the privately held collection of Diana Bryan Quinn, Virginia Beach, VA, 2022. 

    2. "Loyalists and Patriots," si.edu  (https://americanexperience.si.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Loyalists-and-Patriots.pdf : accessed 25 June 2022).

    3. “U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900,” database and images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/49769:1995 : accessed 25 June 2022), for Benjamin Reed, images 266 to 320; citing "Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files" (NARA microfilm publication M804, 2,670 rolls). Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

    4. Ibid.

    5. John Ludovicus Reed, The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts from 1635-1902 Vol. I  (no publisher named, 1901). 

    6. “U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900,” database with images, Ancestry.com,  Benjamin Reed, 1834. 

    7. Ibid.

    8."Guard Duty During the American Revolution," RevolutionaryWarJournal.com (https://www.revolutionarywarjournal.com/guard-duty/: accessed 3 July 2022). 

    9. “U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900,” database with images, Ancestry.com,  Benjamin Reed, 1834.

    10. Lewis Cass Aldrich, History of Bennington County, Vt. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers. (D. Mason & co, Syracuse, NY: 1889), 475-476; digital images, HathiTrust  (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yul.11775368_000_00&view=1up&seq=1&skin=2021 : accessed 25 June 2022).

    11. “U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900,” database with images, Ancestry.com, Benjamin Reed, 1834.

    12. Aldrich, History of Bennington County, Vt. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, 475-476. Also, John Ludovicus Reed, The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts from 1635-1902 Vol. I  (no publisher named, 1901). Also, "Vermont, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1749-1999," digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9084/images/005556277_00146?pId=959646: accessed 27 June 2022) Calvin Reed. Also, "Vermont, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1749-1999," digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1012159:9084?_phsrc=yzP8246&_phstart=successSource&gsfn=luther&gsln=reed&ml_rpos=1&queryId=8ee4ed59aa9a4a8ba3b0ecbb0642bf6c accessed 27 June 2022), Luther Reed, Folder 4, Wrp5-90743, Bundle 11-12, 1851-1852.

    13. “U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900,” database with images, Ancestry.com, Benjamin Reed, 1834.

    14. "List of Letters remaining in the Post Office at Putney, Vt. 31st March 1813," Reporter (Brattleboro, VT), 24 April 1813, p. 4; database with images, GenealogyBank (https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A10CE5579CE9162A8%40GB3NEWS-10F57F3DA3140E88%402383358-10F57F3E2446ED20%403? : accessed 26 June 2022).

    15. Announcement about taxes, Vermont Gazette (Bennington, VT), 15 November 1793, p. 3; database with images, GenealogyBank (https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/newspapers/image/v2%3A10380B74B5F0BB28%40GB3NEWS-105B61A5CFEF2073%402376259-105B61A65258BF23%402-105B61A7B244A76B%40Advertisement? : accessed 26 June 2022). Also, Woodford, The Vermont Gazette (Bennington, VT), 4 Feb 1876,  p.2; database and images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71374880/benjamin-reed-town-clerk-vt/accessed : 18 Feb 2021). 

    16. Windham County, Vermont, Deed Book 3:476, Benjamin Reed to Joseph Knowlton, 21 Nov 1807; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSHS-GH5G?i=527&cat=140883 : accessed 26 Sept 2020), image 528.  Also, Bennington County, Vermont, Benjamin Reed to Asa Barney, 17 Nov 1801; transcription, no deed book or page number given,  from Volume 1 of Woodford Records, copied and arranged, 1944, by Velma Brunins under direction of Henry B Walbridge for Bennington Battle Monument and Historical Association. 

    17. “U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900,” database with images, Ancestry.com,  Benjamin Reed, 1834.

    18. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27499358/huldah-read : accessed 04 July 2022), memorial page for Huldah Pratt Read, Find a Grave Memorial ID 27499358, citing East Putney Cemetery, East Putney, Windham County, Vermont; Maintained by Cynthia Kaley (contributor 51056978). Also, Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27499357/benjamin-read : accessed 04 July 2022), memorial page for Benjamin Read, Find a Grave Memorial ID 27499357, citing East Putney Cemetery, East Putney, Windham County, Vermont; Maintained by Cynthia Kaley (contributor 51056978).

    19. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27499357/benjamin-read : accessed 04 July 2022), memorial page for Benjamin Read (3 May 1753–10 Jan 1835), Find a Grave Memorial ID 27499357, citing East Putney Cemetery, East Putney, Windham County, Vermont, USA ; Maintained by Cynthia Kaley (contributor 51056978); Photograph of gravestone contributed by Donna G. Dunham (contributor 46871624).

Learning How to Look For My Irish Ancestor's Townland

Finding my 2nd great-grandmother's townland in Ireland was never high on my list. On her marriage record in New Hampshire, Julia Harvey was Johanna Harvey, born in Ireland and the daughter of Patrick Harvy of Limerick and Joanna Hartigan of Clare. She married Joseph Albert Glynn, my second great-grandfather of Putney, Vermont 9 June 1861, only a year after she arrived in the United States.[1] Her husband's family was very unlike hers as both his mother's and father's families can be found in the United States long before the revolutionary war. 

Carrie Glynn with Julia Harvey Glynn

Putting Julia's name and parents' names into search engines never yielded pertinent information about a townland. Family says she was born in Limerick but there are 1,982 townlands in County Limerick along with many Harvey families.[2] Looking for Hartigan didn't help as Joanna was not found. 

I always assumed Julia came to the United States by herself and had no family nearby. But that was an incorrect assumption as a few years ago, DNA proved me wrong by revealing her three sisters all in Vermont. I had three more names but still did not know where or how to find the townland in Limerick.

Before I spent any more time or money, I knew that educating myself should be my first step

Understanding Irish Research

After reading articles, perusing websites, and watching videos, I knew what church and civil vital records were available to search, where to find a variety of records, strategies to use when searching online resources, and so much more.  Below are some of the valuable resources I have used to familiarize myself with Irish research.

Looking at FamilySearch Research Wikis when beginning a research project provides you
with information about geography, records available, and more. Ireland Genealogy at the FamilySearch Research Wiki yields research strategies, tools, tutorials, and resources for each county. 

The Irish Genealogy Toolkit is a fabulous resource for all aspects of Irish research. 

Anything by John Grenham is full of good information. I read How to trace your Irish family history: a step-by-step guide and watched his YouTube videos, Tracing Irish Ancestors Using Online Resources. His three long videos revealed a large number of resources. Telling how he used the search engines at a variety of online websites helped me determine which paid sites I might try.  

Details about placenames, surnames, available records, and more can be found at Irish Ancestors, John Grenham's part subscription, part free website. Watching "Irish Ancestors: Welcome to the site" before using the website is extremely helpful.

Tips for finding the origins of Irish ancestors were found at the following links. 

A Comprehensive Guide to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor’s Hometown

Five Steps for Finding that Hard-to-Find Irish Ancestor

Finding Your Irish Immigrant Ancestors 10 Places to Start Your Search in the U.S. 

The excellent RootsTech 2021 session, Mournful Exodus: Strategies for Finding Your Irish Ancestors' Origins is a three-part webinar providing strategies for solving Irish immigrant research problems. 

Finding Julia

Equipped with more knowledge, I found what may be Julia's home in Ireland and more about her parents. 

I subscribed to RootsIreland.ie for one month and used the flexible search engine to search the baptismal records for children whose mothers had the surname Hartigan in the counties of Limerick and then Clare. My best results were three children, Mary, Bridget, and Jud whose parents were Judith Hartigan and Patrick Halvey (not Harvey) of the townland Quinnpool in the parish of Parteen, County Clare. Parteen is on the Clare and Limerick border. The Diocese for this area was the Diocese of Limerick.[3] 

The records at RootsIreland.ie are abstracts so a look at the actual documents found in the Irish Catholic Parish Registers at NLI (National Library of Ireland) was warranted. Records showed that Patrick and Judith had daughters, Mary in 1833, Bridget in 1836, and Judith (not Jud) in 1839. One daughter, Catherine was missing, but records did not start until late in 1831, most likely after her birth.[4] 

At RootsIreland.ie, I learned that Johanna, Joanna, and Judith were name variations for the name Julia. And, Judith and Johanna were often interchangeable.[5] 

There was much more about this family at RootsIreland.ie and Irish Catholic Parish Registers. Patrick Halvey married Judith Hartigan on 27 November 1830 in Quinpool, Parteen, County Clare.[6] In 1852 Judith Halvey, Julia’s mother, was living in Quinpool in Parteen.[7] She married Hugo (or Hugh) Crowe of Quinpool in 1853.[8] Judith Crowe of Parteen died at age 78 after having bronchitis for three months. She died as an occupier in a Work House in Limerick on 19 February 1892.[9] At age 78, Judith would have been born in about 1814.

More to Learn and More to Find

I could stop with what I have, but I don't believe I have enough documentation to say this is definitely Julia's family. There were four sisters in this family. All lived in Vermont for a time and all married men who worked for the railroad. Continued learning will help me find more in both Ireland and the United States. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

.

Diana

© 2022 

Sources

    1. "New Hampshire Marriage Records, 1637-1947," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FL6Z-GGH : 22 February 2021), Albert Glynn and Johanna Harvey, 09 Jun 1861; citing Walpole, Cheshire, New Hampshire, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Concord; FHL microfilm 1,001,262.

    2. Irish Townlands, Townlands.ie (https://www.townlands.ie/: accessed 6 March 2022).

    3. Baptismal/Birth Records for Ireland, RootsIreland.ie (http://ifhf.rootsireland.ie/quis.php?type=birth&new=1: accessed 6 March 2022).

    4. "Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI", digital images, National Library of Ireland (https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634992#page/46/mode/1up :  accessed 16 March 2022), Parteen Parish (County Clare), Diocese of Limerick, "Bapt  Sept 26 1831–Feb 14, 1877," page 46; digitized from NLI microfilm 02410 / 03. Also, "Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI", digital images, National Library of Ireland (https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634992#page/28/mode/1up :  accessed 16 March 2022), Parteen Parish (County Clare), Diocese of Limerick, "Bapt  Sept 26 1831–Feb 14, 1877," page 28; digitized from NLI microfilm 02410 / 03. Also, "Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI", digital images, National Library of Ireland (https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634992#page/12/mode/1up :  accessed 16 March 2022), Parteen Parish (County Clare), Diocese of Limerick, "Bapt  Sept 26 1831–Feb 14, 1877," page 12; digitized from NLI microfilm 02410 / 03. Also, Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16921531/catharine-m-daley : accessed 17 March 2022), memorial page for Catharine M Daley (1831–1914), Find a Grave Memorial ID 16921531, citing Holy Cross Cemetery, Saint Albans, Franklin County, Vermont, USA ; Maintained by Barb Destromp (contributor 46785064).

    5. First Names, RootsIreland.ie (http://www.rootsireland.ie/help/first-names/: accessed 6 March 2022).

    6. "Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI", digital images, National Library of Ireland (https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634991#page/30/mode/1up :  accessed 16 March 2022), Parteen Parish (County Clare), Diocese of Limerick, "Marr July 1814-Nov 9 1819 Feb 4 1821 - Jan 10 1836," page 30; digitized from Microfilm 02410 / 02.

    7. Griffith's Valuation 1852: St. Patrick's Parish, Clare County Council Libraries (https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/griffiths_parish/st_patricks.htm: accessed 6 March 2022).

    8. "Catholic Parish Registers at the NLI", digital images, National Library of Ireland (https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634993#page/8/mode/1up :  accessed 16 March 2022), Parteen Parish (County Clare), Diocese of Limerick, "Feb 9 1847 - Jan 22 1877," page 8; digitized from Microfilm 02410 / 01.

    9. Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, "Civil Records," database with images, IrishGenealogy.ie (https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1892/06041/4720769.pdf : accessed 6 March 2022); digital image, Judith Crowe, death, 19 February 1892; citing Group Registration ID 04720769; filed 25 February 1892, in the District of Limerick in the County of Limerick, stamped no. 04720769 and 363, entry no. 174.

Photographs

    Ireland Photos, photographs, 2016; scanned image, originals and scan from the privately held photo collection of Diana Quinn, Virginia Beach, VA, 2022.

    Carrie Glynn and Julia Harvey Glynn, photograph, ca. 1885; scanned image, held photo collection of Diana Quinn, Virginia Beach, VA, 2022. Location of the original photo is unknown. 

Friday's Photo: Giddens Family Buried in Easton Cemetery - Easton, Pennsylvania

My great-grandmother, Mary Lucy Glynn Giddens (aka Lucy May) is buried under
the stone for "Mother." The stones on the left and right are family stones. 

My grandmother's family lived in Phillipsburg, New Jersey just across the Delaware River from Easton, Pennsylvania. When I was young, my grandmother, Edith Giddens Davis, talked about walking across the bridge to go to school in Easton. Several of her family members are buried in the historic Easton Cemetery. 

Easton Cemetery has been in operation since 1849 and there are over 29,000 graves. Checkout The Historic Easton Cemetery.org to see beautiful photos of this cemetery, to learn about the history, and see photos of notable residents. 

My great-grandmother, Lucy Glynn Giddens, was found as Mary L.
on the Putney, Vermont birth record. She was Lucy on her marriage
license to Charles Giddens and found as Lucy M. Giddens on all
records following their marriage in 1891. Lucy was first buried
in the Phillipsburg Cemetry and later moved to the Easton Cemetery.

This stone is to the right of Lucy M. Giddens' stone. I assume that my grandmother moved
these graves to the Easton Cemetery as well. Georgie Giddens died on July 27, 1900.
He was just a year old. John Lewis Giddens died at two-months old in June 1902. 

This stone is to the left of Lucy Giddens's stone. Florence I. Samer was the daughter of Charles and Lucy Giddens.
More can be found about Florence and her family by clicking here. 

Warren Giddens, son of Charles and Lucy Giddens is buried in the Easton Cemetery beside
his wife Calla Male. I don't know the location of this grave in regards to his mother's grave.
Warren's obituary and a photo of his family can be found by clicking here. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2020

Sources

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn.

"The Historic Easton Cemetery." https://www.thehistoriceastoncemetery.org/. Accessed 7 Aug. 2020.

Quinn, Diana Bryan. "Mary Lucy Glynn."  Ancestry.com. Facts https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/45260559/person/6487535112/facts?indiv=try&h&db. Accessed 7 Aug. 2020.