My Head Hurts from Keeping Them All Straight!

I realize that reusing a name, and passing a family name on to the first child is a long honored tradition.  I have all the Brown family "duplicates" straight in my mind and records. Frederick, Ellen, Sarah, Owen, Mary - just some of the names that are seen in each generation, and sometimes in the same generation as one child dies, and another is named the same name.

But on Sunday I actually had to close my books and genealogy program to take a break because I was having trouble following all of these --

Brewster Higley  married Esther Holcombe --  They had a son
 Brewster Higley II  who married Esther Holcomb -- They had a son
  Brewster Higley III who married Esther Owen -- They had a son
    Brewster Higley IV who married Naomi! 

And if that is not enough Brewsters and Esthers for you, 3 of Brewster's siblings named children Brewster and Esther, and Esther Owen's mother was also named Esther!

Family gatherings must have been confusing:

Hey Brewster, would you please get me a cider? No not you dad, no not you son, I was talking to my nephew. Which nephew - that one there standing near the cider crock.

 Who made the mincemeat pie? Esther did? Which Esther? Esther Higley?  But which one???

Okay so I am making a joke at the expense of my ancestors, but it is really confusing to keep them all straight. I had to undo and redo 3 hours work the other day because I was on the wrong Brewster/Esther combo when I started to enter children.


Hope you can keep all of your ancestors straight!

Two Pages from Annie's Autograph Book

Dedicatory

Bring each your gifts to holy Friendship’s shrine

Rarest of gems upon her robes to shine;

Of flowers the fairest round her brow to twine,

While loves ripe vintage pours its joyous wine.

Nor be ye absent from the feast divine,

             Ye classic muses mine!

      Very Truly Yours

     Joseph E King

                           Fort Edwards Institute NY

Dec 2 1862

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Very sincerely your friend

Melissa B. King

Fort Edward N Y

Dec 1862

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Reverend Joseph E. King was born November 30, 1823 in Laurens, Otsego County, New York to Reverend Elijah King and Catherine Olmstead King. 

On July 22, 1850 he married Melissa Bayley in Newbury Vermont. Melissa Bayley (sometimes spelled Bailey) was born April 4, 1828 to Colonial Amherst Bayley and Melissa Stevens Bayley.


Joseph and Melissa had 3 daughters:

Mary Ellen who married Dr.M. W. Van Denberg

Alice who married Professor W.W. McGilton

Helen M. who married J. Earl Cheesman

Joseph E King graduated from Wesleyan College with distinguished honors in 1844. He taught Natural Science and Latin at Newbury Seminary in Vermont from 1849 to 1854, when he took charge of the Fort Edward Institute, which had been erected for him to operate.

Melissa King  taught along side Joseph at the Fort Edward Institute until her death on October 16 1887. King remained as the head of education and finance at Fort Edward Institute until 1910, when the old school building burned down. Three years later he passed away.

Joseph and Melissa are buried together in section 5, lot 5 of the Union Cemetery in Fort Edward, Washington County, New York.

Photo Credit - Anne Dickinson

 

December 2 -- A day for Reflection

1859 -- Charles Town, Virginia

John Brown is hanged for his crimes against the state of Virginia

1949 -- The United Nations

The UN declares Dec 2, as the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

Today is a day for reflection, contemplation, and honoring those who have been affected by the horrors of slavery.