memorial day

We just celebrated Memorial Day, which made me wish that I had spent some time at the cemeteries. I am not sure why I did not go out, I think that my kids would not have appreciated spending one of the first nice weekends walking through cemeteries searching for ancestors.

It did get me thinking of which cemetery I most wanted to visit. About once a week I drive past the Hanover Center Cemetery. I always glance at the stones as I drive by looking for familiar names. One of my third great grandmothers, Maria (Harding) Stoddard is buried in Hanover according to her death record. Maria died in Norwell on August 11, 1908. I have yet to take the time to try to find her though. I thought rather than going to a cemetery this Memorial Day, I would focus on finding where exactly Maria is buried.

I called the Cemetery department for Hanover, which is in the Public Works department. I spoke with a very nice person who looked in her records for Maria, but was unable to find her. She looked under both Harding and Stoddard. She also searched for Maria's husband, David Stoddard, but no luck. She said there were about two pages of Stoddards though; unfortuantely, not from my family.

I then emailed the Quincy Public library to ask for a look up of Maria's obituary for me. I have had so much luck emailing and getting Patriot Ledger newspaper articles and obituaries from the librarians in Quincy. Again, no luck this time. The librarian stated that most of the obituaries during this time were from Braintree, Quincy, and Weymouth.

I searched a little bit to see if there were other newspapers in Norwell or Hanover during the early 1900's, but I did not come up with any. I think my next step would be to visit the local libraries, Norwell and Hanover, to see if they have any advice. I also came across a South Shore Genealogical Society website, which would be interesting to see what kind of information they have. I emailed them for information on membership, but their website does not look to have been updated since 2009.

I am more determined now to find where Maria is buried and finally visit her.

UPDATE: (sept 2013)
I found Maria!  I went to the Union Cemetery, Assinippi, in Hanover, MA to try to find some Stoddards that were referenced in a deed to have bought land in this cemetery.  According to Plymouth deed 76(261), Hezekiah Stoddard, my 5th great grandfather, (Maria's husband David Stoddard's grandfather), would be buried here.  I went looking for him, and came across the stone for David T Stoddard and Maria Harden Stoddard, buried with three of their children, David, Henry and Joseph.  I was not expecting to find them here, but I am so happy I did!  (I never did find Hezekiah, but I think that his stone has either faded or is missing)

From memorial day maria harden stoddard

benjamin whiton and joanna gardner

I know that the names of one set of my 6th great-grandparents are Benjamin Whiton and Joanna. I know this because my 5th great grandfather, their son Benjamin Whiton (b 1772), died in 1858 and the death index for the South Scituate vital records on americanancestors.org lists Benjamin and Joanna as his parents. This death record also states Benjamin was 85 years old when he died, and was born in Hingham. According to the Hingham records available on americanancestors.org, a Benjamin Whiton and a Joanna Gardner married in Hingham on April 27, 1766. This was the only Benjamin Whiton in Hingham listed on the Hingham index marrying a Joanna during this time. As of now, this is the best documentation I have that Benjamin Whiton and Joanna Gardner are my 6th great grandparents.

The History of the Town of Hingham (1893), also came to the conclusion that Benjamin and Joanna Gardner are Benjamin's parents; as seen in the excerpt below from google books:



The book has a bit more information on the couple than I have been able to find using only online resources. I was only able to locate the birth records of two of their children on americanancestors.org, Benjamin (mentioned above b. 1772 d. 1858) and Joanna (b. 1768). The Hingham book has my 6th great grandparents having 6 children in Hingham. My guess as to where the authors found this information would be church records, land records, or probate.

Rather than writing a post on information I have on Benjamin and Joanna, I am going to focus on how I will eventually go about finding these church records, land records, and probate records. These documents will provide further evidence that Benjamin and Joanna are who I think they are.

My first step will be to go to the Hingham Public Library as it looks like they have a large collection of historical documents for the town of Hingham, including vital records. The NEHGS database online that I have access to seems to only be a handwritten transcription of Hingham records, so looking at copies of the original documents may provide more information. In these birth records I would be looking for Joanna's last name, hopefully Gardner, and other children of Benjamin and Joanna.

The Hingham Public Library also produced a list of other historical documents which may be of interest. One item I would be looking for is a deed or will of Joanna Gardner's father to see if he mentions Joanna and her husband Benjamin Whiton, further evidence that Joanna's last name is Gardner. The resource list for Hingham Public Library states they hold some Hingham deeds. According to the History of Hingham book, Joanna's father was John Gardner who died in Hingham in 1802.


Joanna Gardner's family from History of the Town of Hingham, vol 2 (1893)


If Hingham Public Library does not have the deeds or probate I am looking for, I will next have to find these records at the courts. Hingham was part of Norfolk County until 1803, so I need to find a probate book which indexes records in Norfolk and maybe even Plymouth County since the year is so close to the change in counties. There is a book titled, Probate index, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, 1793-1900, which would tell me if John Gardner created a will. Hingham Public Library does not hold this book though, but the New England Historic Genealogical Library does. The actual records are also on microfilm at NEHGS and the Family History Centers. The Family History Centers also hold microfilm of Land records - Deeds, 1793-1890 for this time period from Norfolk County. I will have to do the same for Plymouth County probate and deeds - both at Family History Center. The NEHGS library also holds Plymouth County probate index and records.

I do have some idea of where Benjamin and Joanna may have lived in Hingham. Gathering information from historical maps, census, and the Hingham history book, I wrote about Benjamin's land in another post. It would be great to find the deeds or probate relating to these land transactions.

While I was researching another ancestor in Hingham, George Lane French (whose grandson would marry Benjamin's grandaughter), I came across a resource that may also provide information on the Whitings in Hingham. There are church documents available for the First Church in Hingham, records by Reverend Ebenezer Gay, which the Massachusetts Historical Society and the New England Historical Genealogical Society both hold. From all the information I have on the Whitings though, it seems they lived in the Southern part of Hingham. Therefore, they may not be listed in these documents which are from the First Parish, not the Second Parish. The document that the Massachusetts Historical Society holds does state in the description that it contains some information on the Second Parish though. I am not sure if the Hingham Public Library holds similar documents, but they may be included in their Hingham Vital Records 1633-1900 on microfilm, as this is how the NEHGS catalogs the document in their library.

I have not been able to find a similar document for the Second Parish which lists births, marriages and deaths for Hingham. The only book I found that might contain some information is Two hundred years in South Hingham, 1746-1946, at the NEHGS library. This looks to be a history of the Second Church of Hingham, so it probably does not contain much vital records.

Once I find more information on Benjamin and Joanna, I will write a little about their life together in Hingham. I produced a lengthy to do list below organized by repository; hopefully I will be able to visit at least one library in the near future. I also searched the cenuses for 1790-1810, as these are the censuses available when Benjamin and Joanna were supposedly living. I will put all this information together in another post, but have noted my thoughts below.

Looking at census :

1790 Hingham,
Benjamin Whiting Senior: 1 male over 16, 1 female (prob. Benj. parents)
Benjamin Whiting Junior: 3 males under 16 (Joseph, Archelaus, Luther); 1 male over 16 (Benj), 2 females (Joanna, Asenath) (but where would his son Benjamin be - he would be abt. 18 years old in 1790 - but not married yet - maybe he is apprenticed somewhere - he becomes a blacksmith)

1800 Census, Hingham
Benjamin Whiton Jr.: 1 male 16-25 (Luther or Joseph, Benj. and Archelaus are married), 1 male 45 and over (Benjamin), 1 female 26-44 (Asenath - did she marry), 1 female 45 and over (Joanna)
Benjamin Whiton: 1 male 45 and over, 2 females 45 and over (probably Benj. parents - and maybe a mother in law)
1800 Census, Hanover (actually Scituate on lower page)
Benjamin Whiting: 2 males under 10 (Jared and Richard), 1 male 26-44 (Benjamin), 1 female 26-44 (Lydia)

1810 Census, Hingham
Benjamin Whiton: 1 male 26-44 (Luther or Joseph or Archelaus whose wife died), 1 male 45 and over (Benj), 1 female under 10 (? maybe archelaus daughter elizabeth - mother died, archelaus enlisted in 1812), 1 female 26-44 (Asenath)

to do:

Hingham Public Library :
1. vital records on microfilm
    a. see if Joanna's last name is listed on birth record of their son Benjamin
    b. find birth records of other children of Benjamin and Joanna
    c. find marriage record of Benjamin and Joanna - does it provide any more information
2. look for deeds and/or probate records for Benjamin Whiting Sr.(d.1806) and John Gardner (d.1802) to see if they list Benjamin and Joanna or their children.
3. look at George Lincoln's Diary
4. book on the History of the Second Church of Hingham, Two hundred years in South Hingham, 1746-1946 : the story of a church and a community / by Donald F. Robinson

NEHGS:
1. vital records - contains Rev. Ebenezer Gay for First Parish - maybe has info on second parish
2 book History of Second Church, Two hundred years in South Hingham, 1746-1946 : the story of a church and a community / by Donald F. Robinson
3. probate index and records on microfilm for norfolk county, MA - looking for information on John Gardner and Benjamin Whiton, Sr. linking parents to Benjamin and Joanna.
4. probate records and index for plymouth county - looking for information on John Gardner and Benjamin Whiton, Sr. linking parents to Benjamin and Joanna.
5. book on Whiting Genealogy : The Whiton family in America and genealogy of the descendants of Thomas Whiton (1635).
6. book on Whiting family : Memoir of Rev. Samuel Whiting, D.D., and of his wife, Elizabeth St. John, with references to some of their English ancestors and American descendants / William Whiting. Also a database online at americanancestors.org
7. There are three pages in the NEHGS library catalog when you search under subject Whiting Family.

Massachusetts Historical Society:
1. town records - contains Ebenezer Gay records but also contains some Second Parish information

Family History Centers :
1. probate index and records on microfilm for norfolk county, MA - looking for information on John Gardner and Benjamin Whiton, Sr. linking parents to Benjamin and Joanna.
2. land deeds for Norfolk County - looking for information on John Gardner and Benjamin Whiton, Sr. linking parents to Benjamin and Joanna.
3.  do the same for Plymouth County probate and deeds

pierre labrecque (1786)

Pierre Labreque was my fourth great grandfather. He was born on the Ile D'Orleans, Quebec, Canada. Pierre is a descendant of Pierre Labrec who was born in the 1600s in St. Jacques, Dieppe, Normandie, France and one of the first settlers of the Ile D' Orleans.

Pierre Labreque was born on April 22, 1786, and baptised the same day at the parish of St. Jean on the Island. He was the first child of Pierre Labreque and Marie Catherine Godbout. He came from a large family of 11 brothers and sisters.

Pierre lived his entire life on the Ile D'Orleans. Life on the island was probably a little isolated at this time as the only way across the river was by boat or crossing over the ice in the winter. Some history of the island can be found at the Ile D'Orleans tourism website. I am guessing the original settlers that were granted land on the island divided and passed on their land to their children. If families were as large as Pierre's, they would quickly run out of land to give to their children; which would result in descendants eventually leaving the island. Pierre was the oldest child in his family which probably enabled him to stay on the island while some of his siblings did settle off the island with their new families.

Picture of the St. Jean Church on the Ile D'Orleans
from the Tourisme Ile D'Olreans website

When Pierre was 26 years old he married Margueritte Audibert dit Lajeunesse on October 5, 1812 at the parish of St. Jean. They had one child together, Marguerite, before his wife died in 1816. Pierre married again at the age of 35 to my 4th great grandmother, Euphrosine Blouin, on February 4, 1822 at the same parish. They had at least seven children together; Pierre was 56 when he his last child, Sarah, was born (Euphrosine was 43).

Pierre was in his early 50's when his mother and father died in the 1830's. He was already married at this time, so I am not sure if he was living on land of his own or on his father's farm. They also could have received land from Euprhosine's family, or perhaps even his first wife's family. This information would come from notary records, but I would need to find which notaries recorded information for the island during this time period before I can find the documents.

The 1851/52 Census of Canada has Pierre and Euphrosine still living in St. Jean parish of the Ile D'Orleans. They are listed with their son Pierre, seemingly on the same land, living in a one story brick house. The 1861 census does not have the parish noted, but Pierre and his wife are in district 8 on the island; this time listed with their son Ferdinand, not Pierre. (I will have to find out which district this is). By the 1871 census, they are listed in the parish of St. Laurent, again with Ferdinand, district 148. In all the records that I have found for Pierre, his occupation is listed as cultivatuer or agriculteur (farmer). There were many river pilots and boatsmen on the island, but it seems most of my ancestors were farmers on the Ile D'Orleans.

At least two major historical events occurred in Pierre's lifetime. The first was the cholera outbreak of 1832 in Quebec. A ship from Ireland brough sick passengers to Canada, which resulted in a fast outbreak of Cholera in Quebec. One Canadian History website states the outbreak resulted in the death of a tenth of the quebec population. I am sure it was a frightening time for Pierre, especially since he had a son, Ferdinand, born in July of 1832. Ferdinand and everyone else in Pierre's family survived the outbreak though, perhaps it was not as bad on the island. The other historical event was the Patriot's War, or the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837-1838. The French Canadians fought against the Colonial English that held power over Lower Canada, but failed. I am not sure how invovled residents on the Ile D'Orleans were with this rebellion, but since the Ile D'Orleans was part of Lower Canada, they would continuosly be affected by the government of England (note 1).

Pierre died in October of 1879; living a long life of 93 years, surviving his wife by two years. He also survived all eleven of his siblings except one; Joseph, who died one year later (note 2). Pierre was fortunate to have all seven of his children still living when he died, leaving him at least 59 grandchildren, all born before Pierre passed (note 3). That number seems too large to even imagine. Pierre also had at least thirteen great grandchildren by the time he died in 1879 (note 4).

Although Pierre was recorded last as living in the parish of St. Laurent in 1871; his death was recorded in the parish of St. Jean. I assume he was also buried in the St. Jean parish cemetery.

notes:
1. There were many reorganizations of Canada throughout Pierre's lifetime. When Pierre was born, Quebec was known as the province of Quebec, under Birtish rule. The Constitutional Act of 1791 divided Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada, allowing Lower Canada (now Quebec), to retain French law and institutions; while accomodating the newly English speaking residents of Upper Canada (now Ontario) with English Laws. The French Canadians of Quebec did not always comply with British rule though, and during the 1830s, groups organized which eventually led to the Rebellion of 1838. The French Patriots failed though, wich resulted in the Act of the Union in 1840, uniting Upper and Lower Canada, creating the Province of Canada. Lower Canada (Quebec) was now unofficially called Canada East. This organization lasted until the British North American Acts of 1867, when Upper Canada became Ontario and Lower Canada became Quebec, under the new Confederation of Canada.
2. I was unable to find death records of 3 of his sisters, but I was also not able to find any of them in the 1881 Canadian Census. One sister, Anathalie, most likely died before 1868 as her husband remarries in 1868. Another sister, Mary Magdalane, I did not find a marriage or any census records for, so I am assuming she died early. The last sister, Marguerite, was in the 1871 census, but I did not find her in the 1881 census.
3. I did not find any children for one of his daughters, Angelle, but the rest of his 7 children had many children of their own.
4. Twelve of the great grandchildren came from children of his daughter Scholastique and the other one from his son Pierre. He may have had more great grandchildren that I have not found from his many grandchildren.


to do:
1. find notary record of marriage for pierre labrecque and euphrosine blouin.  UPDATE : I found a research guide on marriage contracts from the Library and Archives Nationales du Quebec. I did a search on their database of marriage contracts and found that the notary who recorded his second marriage was Alexis Cote. I am amazed that this database exists and that I missed it before - how easy that was to find the notary. The library notes that the actual contract is available on microfilm, Centre d'archives de Québec, CN301, S69.
2. look at 1825 census for Lower Canada - for Pierre Labrecque (1876) who would have been married to Euphrosine and had two children by then. It is a head of household census only - microfilm 584017 at Family History Library. Not much new information would be provided outher than parish they lived in.
3.  look at 1831 census for Lower Canada - for Pierre Labrecque (1876) would have been married with five children.  This is also a head of household census - but provides much more information such as crops, farm animals, acerage, rent, etc. microfilm 1375926 at Family History Library.
4. look at 1842 census for Lower Canada - for Pierre Labrecque (1876) - also a head of household census - but provides information on land, etc. microfilm 1375931 at Family History Library - in catalog - states missing after Montmerency County.
5. find any notary records for probate or land transactions - look to see who was notary at Pierre's year of death on the Island - since there is a database for marriage contracts - start by searching for a marriage record on the island for the year 1879 and noting the notary. There are some databases on probates from the Library of Archives Quebec - but did not find a Pierre Labrecque on the island in the database. Not sure if the database covers the island, it covers only certain judicial districts. I think Ile D'Orleans is under the Quebec judicial district, which would mean it should be in the database though.

links:
1. previous blog post on Pierre's parents, Pierre Labrecque and Marie Godbout: also includes information on parish of St. Jean and information on finding notary records.