Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day - U.S. Army Service WWI

Geo Ensign SMITH in the gunner seat
Army serial # 1,640,541
Enlisted in: NG at Logan Utah 9 Apr 1917 (age 19)
Organizations: Btry C 145 FA to disch.
Grades: Corp 4 Aug 1917; Sgt 1 Oct 1918
Served overseas: France - 5 Aug 1918 to 4 Jan 1919

Fort Douglas Sep 1917 (sitting far left Geo Ensign SMITH)
"1 Henry Frogley 2 Hula (dog) 3 The Hon. (Geo Ensign SMITH) 4 A.T.Larsen"
arrows points to Geo Ensign SMITH

"Geo. Ensign SMITH and Henry Frogley some where some time"
"1 Dots Im (Geo. Ensign SMITH) 2 Saigt Picket 3 No. Croxton 4 Zollinger 5 Frank"
"1 Henry Frogley a dandy good clean chum 2 The Hon (Geo Ensign SMITH)
3 A L Larsen from Cove up by Lewiston (ID)"



Forwarded 26 Jan 1921 Victory Medal with clasp: France
Bronze "Victory Button" issued
Paid in full $24.40 21 Jan 1919


[note below photo of girlfriend A. Ella Hawkes they married 27 Aug 1919]
The United States of America Honors the Memory of George E. SMITH
signed Lyndon B. Johnson President of the United States

Ninety four years later (1917-2011) great great grandson visits George Ensign SMITH (1898-1967) memorial .
note: memorial births is off by one year.
See: grandson in GE SMITH WWI helmet.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Peggy Fell Overboard John Saved Her Life

John WATSON and Margaret SMITH both IMMIGRANTS, 1632. “John Watson & Margaret Smith sailed together from England. Tradition is that she fell overboard and he saved her life. He removed from Windsor to Hartford about 1637, where they were married.” --Ted Steele

John and Margaret (Smith) Watson

John WATSON - b. England; d. 1650, West Hartford, Hartford Co., CT. Son of Robert WATSON and Elizabeth. His will was dated Mar. 26, 1650; inventory of estate at £126.01.06 taken Jun. 4, 1650. At Hartford, CT by 1644; juror 1644; highway surveyor 1646. Married in America.

Margaret SMITH - d. 1683, West Hartford, CT. Will dated Mar. 1683, and proved Sep. 6, 1683.

Oral will of Margaret Watson - Mar. 1683

The last Will & Testament of Margaret Watson, who deceased March last past, did declare her Mind & Will as followeth concerning her Estate, & how she would have it disposed of, as she did declare it to Sarah Watson & John Merrells sen: She bequeathd to her daughter Sarah Merrells her red cloth Petticoat. She gave her searge petticoat and her Penny stone Peticoat to her daughter Mary Seamore. She gave to her gr. child Sarah Merrells 1 Pillow beere & one sheet & a white apron. She gave to her gr. Child She gave to her gr. child Susannah Merrells 1 Sheet & 1 Pillow beere. She gave her gr. child Mary Seamor 1 Sheet & 1 blankett & her green apron. She gave to her gr. child Margaret Seamor 1 Sheet & 1 blankett & a Neck Handkercheire. She gave to her gr. Child John Watson 1 great pewter Platter & a Porringer. She did desire that her daughters, Sarah Merrells & Mary Seamor, should have 5 pounds paid to each of them, that was bequeathed to them by their Father's Will. Also she did desire that the now wife of her son John Watson may have the use of the House & Homsted if it should please God that my son John should die before her, for her lifetime.

Sarah X Watson

Taken May 1683 by John Coale, Stephen Hosmer.

Children of John and Margaret Watson

  1. Sarah - b. 1641, Hartford, CT. Married John MERRILL.
  2. John - b. 1646; d. 1725, West Hartford, CT. Administration on the estate granted Jul. 6, 1725 to the widow and sons Cyprian and Caleb. Estate inventoried at £1017, and distributed Jul. 2, 1730. Married first Anna; and second by Mar. 1683 Sarah. Children of John WATSON: John married Sarah STEELE; Thomas; Zachariah; Anna married Lamarock FLOWERS; Cyprian married first Elizabeth STEELE, and second Abigail; Sarah married Thomas SHEPARD; and Caleb married Hannah PORTER.
  3. Mary - Married John SEYMOUR (d. 1713), son of Richard and Mercy. Settled at Hartford, Hartford Co., CT. Children of Mary and John SEYMOUR: John married Elizabeth WEBSTER; Thomas married first Ruth NORTON, and second Mary WATERS (daughter of Bevil WATERS and Elizabeth); Mary married John NORTH; Zachariah died young; Margaret married first Timothy ROOT, and second John REW; Richard married Mary WILSON; John (or Jonathan); Nathaniel; and Zachariah married Hannah OLMSTED.
---------------------------
Parents: John Watson (d. 1650 in Hartford, Hartford Co., CT) and Margaret
Children: Sarah (c.1646), John, Mary

JOHN2 WATSON, son of Robert, was born about 1616, in England. He went to Hartford from Windsor, Conn., about 1637, and married there Margaret (Smith). She was born in England, and tradition says that Peggy Smith, a fellow passenger on the ship coming to America, fell overboard. John Watson saved her and later married her. He was surveyor of highways in Hartford, 1647. In 1645, "The eare marke for Jo Wattson: a little slitt of the side of the near eare & both the tops cutt of both eares." He died in Hartford, in 1650, between March 26, the date of his will, and June 4, its probate. He left his property to his wife, naming portions to be given his son John, when of age, and five pounds each to his daughters Sara and Mary, at eighteen years old. His widow died March, 1683. The will of Margarett Wattson, made March 26, and probated May 31, 1683, mentions her daughters Sarrah Merrels and Mary Seamor; and granddaughters Mary and Margaret Seamor; and the new wife of her son John Watson. (The Bassett Preston Ancestry, pp. 311, 312.) (D. F. P. A. 1913, p. 76--No. 110 John Watson, 1646; married Ann, his first wife; married second, Margaret Smith, between March 25, 1660 and June 4, 1650. She died 1683. (Records of Hartford, Conn., 1644)--John Watson served as Jury, Surveyor, 1646. He died in Hatfield, leaving a widow, Margaret, who died 1683. Reference: "Genealogy of Conn.," Vol. I, p. 351.
Sources: Three Hundred Colonial Ancestors and War Service, Pp. 321-22, Author: Elizabeth M. Leach Rixford, Call Number: R929.1 R62t. Families of Early Hartford, CT, Page 391.


(Geneology.com - Justin Maitland)


1- Ancestry Chain: 10th Great Grandparents John WATSON 1632 Immigrant b.1616 and wife Margaret SMITH, Mary WATSON b.1644, John SEYMOUR b.1666, John SEYMOUR b.1694, Lucretia SEYMOUR b.1730, Isaac ENSIGN Rev.WarVet. b.1756, Horace Datus ENSIGN b.1797, Martin Luther ENSIGN b.1831, Harriett Camilla ENSIGN b.1859, George Ensign SMITH b.1898, Myrle, sons, grandchildren.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

John DRAKE Dies After Being Run Over, Elizabeth DRAKE lives to be 100

John DRAKE Sr. (1585-1659),
1st m. 1616 Elizabeth SHAKESPEARE (-1623),
2nd m.
Elizabeth ROGERS (1581-1681).

Children of John Drake and Elizabeth Rogers:
1-Job Drake d. 6 Aug 1689
[gr. grandparent of Oliver Wolcott a signer of the Declaration of Independence.]
2-John DRAKE Jr. b.1625 Wiscombe, Devon., England, m. Hannah MOORE 30 Mar 1648 Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, d.7 Jul 1688 Windsor, Hartford, CT
3-Jacob Drake (abt 1623-1689)
4-Samuel Drake
(abt 1624-1686)
5-Mary Drake (abt 1625-1683) m. John GAYLORD son of William GAYLORD and Mary WALTER
6-Elizabeth Drake
(abt 1626-1716) m. William GAYLORD Jr. son of William GAYLORD and Mary WALTER
[William GAYLORD is first cousin of 10th and 11th great grandmother Alice GAYLORD TREAT.]

Notes for John Drake Sr.

Immigrated from England to New England with wife and children. He may have arrived on one of the ships that left Weymouth, England in Apr 1637, as several of those families ended up in Taunton.

Listed on a list of original proprietors of Taunton that dates to 1638 or 1639. He is found in 1641 in Windsor, receiving an average size grant of 16 acres.

Recorded in the 1640 Town Records at Windsor in the list of "First Settlers of Windsor, five years after their removal from Dorchester." (NEHGR 5:365) [The list includes people who arrived after 1635, such as those who came with Huit in 1639.]

On his death, town records of Windsor gave the following account: " August 17, 1659, John Drake, Senior dyed accidentaly, as he was driving a cart loaded with corn, to carry from his house to his son Jacob's the Cattle being two oxen and his mare, in the high way against John Griffin's something scar'd the Cattle, and they set a running, and he labouring to stop them by taking hold on the mare, was thrown down on his face, and cart wheels went over him: brake one of his legs and bruised his body, so that he was taken up dead, being carried into his daughter's house and life come again, but dyed in a short time and was buried on the 18th day of August 1659." 53

There are pedigrees floating around linking him to the Drakes in Ashe, Devon (the family of the navigator Francis Drake). However, that family was of considerable prominence and wealth, which is not reflected in the social standing of this John. In addition, the wills of the family don't mention him, with the exception of that of Francis in 1634 (the source of the speculation in the first place). He is also not likely the John Drake who came with Winthrop's Fleet to Boston in 1630. That John is listed as one to be made a freeman in Oct 1630, but did not actually take the oath. Most of the other men of whom that was the case died or returned to England. Furthermore, there is no other record of John Drake until 1638. It would have been virtually impossible for a man with a family to avoid any mention for 8 years. (See articles in The American Genealogist for a more in depth explanation.)

Savage's: JOHN, Dorchester, or Boston, came in the fleet with Winthrop prob. as we find his req. 19 Oct. 1630 to be made freem. yet his adm. is not found, and he rem. from our col. perhaps as a purch. of Taunton 1639 [Baylies, I. 286], and not long after to Windsor, and there, by a cartwheel running over him, was k. 17 Aug. 1659, leav. s. Jacob and Job, bef. ment. and John, beside one, if not more, d. His wid. d. 7 Oct. 1681, but we may hesitate at the old ch. rec. story of her hundredth yr. yet agree to the main truth of her being call. "old wid. D."

WILL

Firs t, I bequeah my soule to God that gave it me, and my body to Earthly burial. As for my worldly goods, I thus dispose of them: First, I desire that there may be a Inventory tooke off my State and within twelve months after my decease: I give to my son John L20; and after my wyve's decease, out of the State I have, I give him tenn pounds more; and to son Job I give my six acres of meaddow that is bounded of the South side with Goodman Phillps, Within twelve moneths after my decease, then, after my wife's decease, I give that six acres forementioned to his sonne Job; and after my wife's decease, I give to all grand children, viz., three of sonne John, and four of my sonne Job, and one of my daughter Elizabeth Gaylord, three pounds apeece; and too my wife I give all my part off Howsing and Lands that Ihave in possession ffor to make use of as shee and her ffriends shall think will be fore her best advantage; and my land that I bought of Goodman Bissell that Lye of the East Side of the great river I give to my sonne Jacob provided that he pay to my sonne John tenne pounds after my wif's decease, ffor to make his porshon L30; the house and my land that I bought that was Mr Sen Nicholases (Mr. John Saint Nicholas) that lys of the west side of the great river I give to my sonne Jacob, and after my wife's decease he shall pay the rest of his brothers & sisters sixteen pounds ffor the Land that I have given to my sonne Jacob; my wife is to have the propriety of it for her use while shee live, and after her decease then my sonne Jacob shall have full possession of it with its appurtenances yt appertain thereunto, provided that he pay the formentioned Sums of money to his Brethren, viz., tenne pounds to my sonne John and sixteene pounds to the rest of his brothers and sisters; too my sonne Jacob I also give him my two tables and a bedsted that he maks use of yt belongs to that end of the House next the Highway in the lower romms; to my daughter Mary Gayler I give one fetherbed and two blankets and a bolster after my wife's decease; and to my daughter Elizabeth I give one coverlid after my decease; and to Timothy I give him forty shillings and two good sutes of clothes when his time is out; and the rest of Stock shall be equally divided amongst my five children after my wife's decease."

Notes for Elizabeth Rogers

Windsor records note "Old widow Drake in her 100th year of age dyed Oct 7th 81."

(Unknown Author)

Ancestry Chain: 10th great-grandfather John DRAKE Sr. (Immigrant) b.1585, John DRAKE Jr (Child Immigrant) b.1625, Mary DRAKE b.1666, Catherine MARSHALL b.1699, Catherine FOWLER b.1723, Lydia NOBLE b.1768, Horace Datus ENSIGN (Pioneen) b.1797, Martin Luther ENSIGN (Teen Pioneer) b.1831, Harriett Camilla ENSIGN b.1859, George Ensign SMITH b.1898, Myrle, sons, grandchildren.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Francis HAWKES


Ancestry Chain: Utah Pioneer Mary Ann MILES b.1798, Utah Pioneer Francis HAWKES b.1830, Herbert Henry HAWKES b.1869, Amy Ella HAWKES b.1897, Myrle, sons, grandchildren.

The History of Francis HAWKES
Who Came to Utah in 1865
Written By His Daughter Nellie HAWKES CURTIS
For the Henry Ballard Camp, Cache Valley Chapter,
[of The Daughter of The Utah Pioneers
]

[Francis HAWKES married 23 Nov 1862 Eliza COLE daughter of William George COLE and Sarah LARNDER.]

Click on each page 2-11 to enlarge and read, follow the labels for photos and other history.