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Uncovering the Family

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Uncovering the Family

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Solving Puzzles and Having an Adventure

Finding the family is an adventure which triggered by an 1858 letter to Sarah Derickson Harvey proving a family myth that our family had been involved in the Underground Railroad in Wilmington, Delaware.

During the search for ancestors, I've uncovered two grandmothers who were hung - Mary Barrett Dyer (1660) and Martha Allen Carrier (1692), and another massacred by Indians - Anne Marbury Hutchinson (1643). As almost anyone with early New England ancestors, there are relations to presidents and royalty, but most exciting was finding a distant cousinhood with Julia Child. In addition to many English ancestors who settled in both New England and Virginia, there were Swedes, Palatine Germans, Welsh, Scots, and at least one French Huguenot. With only a few exceptions (the Dryhursts and the Shutes), almost all of our ancestors came in the 1600's or well before the Revolutionary War. We have relatives who fought on the revolutionary side or were Loyalists and others on the Union or Rebel side. Many of the family became Quakers in the mid 1600's and early 1700's. There were also Anglicans, Bretheran, Methodists, and Mormons (William Wines Phelps).

My research is just beginning. Some of the folks here will be lopped off the family tree as new evidence comes to light, and others will be added. My goal is not just to find their names, date of birth, marriage and death, but to gain more insight into their lives and the context in which they lived - real family history.

Contact Us Ann Barry.

Quakers and Abolistionists

A Quilt for Sarah Derickson Harvey

The Harvey and the Derickson families are united on a signature quilt made to celebrate Sarah Derickson Harvey. Sarah was born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1836 to Amor Hollingsworth Harvey (1806-1887)and Martha A. Derickson (abt 1811-1882). The Harveys were Quakers, the Dericksons Swedes.

53 blocks were signed by close family including Sarah's grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and even boyfriends of cousins located in Wilmington and Pennsylvania. Judging by the handwriting, Martha and her sister signed for very small children and their dead sister, brother and his wife. Not all the signers haven been identified, but quilt affirms a united family.

The Underground Railway

Every family has their myths. And one of the most exciting ones when we were children is that the house at 1801 Market Street, Wilmington Delaware was used as part of the Underground Railroad. When we were living in the house as kids, we explored the basement to see where an escaped slave could be hidden. However, the myth became more real when my mother gave me a letter written in 1858 asking Sarah Derickson Harvey (1836-1913) to “expedite the African”.

More family members including Sarah's uncle, Ellwood Harvey, and associates were involved in the Underground Railroad and Anti-Slavery efforts. More information and photos to follow.

Aggravating Brickwalls

Rachel (Ferguson) Shelnutt

Rachel Ferguson was born in South Carolina, probably in Edgefield about 1784. She married William Charles Shelnutt about 1800 based on the census. The question is who were her parents? Based on recent research in land, tax and probate records, it appears as if Charles H. Ferguson, the noted potter, and James Ferguson are her brothers or very close relations.

More information: Rachel Ferguson

Sarah (Rice) Derickson

Sara Rice was born about 1772, probably in Delaware and married her first husband, cooper and Baptist minister, Thomas Ainger in 1796. He died in 1797, leaving her with one daughter. She then married Jacob Derickson in 1800 and had another 7 children. Two of the boys had middle names of Rice and Springer. Possible brothers are William Rice (d. 1811), John Rice (d. 1805), James Rice, and Henry Rice (1766-1856)

More information: Sarah Rice

John M. Burghart

The origins of William Burghart are very elusive. Based on the age of his children, he was probably born about 1785 in the Mohawk Valley and married Barbara Moyer (daughter of Henrich Moyer and Maria Elizabeth Rosner). His six children were all baptized at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Minden, New York between 1807 and 1827. Children include Catherina, William, Gertrude, Anna, Jacob,John M., and Betsy Sophia. According to his children, he was born in NY. Was he a Palatine German or part of the Burgharts that came from NYC to Kinderhook and then to Barrington, MA?

Does Our DNA Match?

DNA testing has a been a great way to conquer brickwalls and confirm my paper trails. One of the most exciting finds was a strong link to my Finnish cousins via the DNA of Antti Mulikka who was listed in 1564 census as as householder at Old Saarijärvi (Palvasalmi) area in the Middle of Finland, which was by this time a part of Rautalampi.

Grandmothers Who Were Hung

Mary (Barrett) Dyer, my 10th great grandmother, was hung on Boston Commons in 1660. Her crime, and those of the 3 men hung with her, was being a Quaker.

Martha (Allen) Carrier, was hung in 1692 in Andover, Massachusetts for the crime of being a witch. She was only 33. A third grandmother, Sarah (Hood) Bassett escaped hanging after being jailed for two years.


Dunne Malerba Families

The Dunnes and the Keenans came from Ireland, the Maleberas and the Martinis from italy, ended upon the North Shore of Long Island and thus were united.

More ...

Revoltionary War Ancestors - 30 and Counting

I knew I had Revolutionary War ancestors, maybe 5, but on a whim and with the use of the DAR Ancestor Database, I started searching for as many as I could find. Right now the list is up to 30 and if I could break through a few more brickwalls, probably more. These folks were old and young, located in the north and south and performed a variety of tasks to support the Revolution including giving money and being a drummer boy.

More ...

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What's Next

Stories and additional photos are coming next. Also bug and link fixes.

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