Where in the World is William Powers of Vermont and New York?

 Where in the World is William Powers?

Where in the World is William Powers?

FACT	DATE	PLACE OF RESIDENCE
Birth	14 January 1777	Bennington, New Hampshire, British America
Marriage		Lucinda “Lucy” Pixley
Residence	1802	Vernon, Windham, Vermont, United States
Census	1810	Seneca, Ontario, New York, United States	Roll 33, Page 834
Military	1812	Ontario county, New York
Death	22 October 1813	Possibly Ontario County, New York

Where in the World is William Powers?

Obviously, I have a little more research to do for my fourth great grandfather, William Powers. He died young at the age of 36 from injuries suffered while serving in the War of 1812. His wife, Lucinda "Lucy" Pixley applied for a pension in lieu of bounty land. 

I found William Powers pension records on Fold 3, but do you think it would give a marriage date and place for William and Lucy? No. It did give me a marriage date,"on or about the 10th of February 1818, and name of her second husband, Walter Hyde. William left six children under the age of 15.

William Powers is a common name and I have yet to single my William out in the 1790 and 1800 U.S. Federal Census. The other record I would like to find is William's and Lucy's marriage. 

 

The Great Big New England Genealogy Tour: A Visit to Indiana

Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center

Why would one visit Indiana if they are preparing to go to New England to conduct research? Why wouldn't one wait until she got there to do New England research?  The answer is because the Kalamazoo Valley Genealogical Society(KVGS) was taking a bus trip to the Allen County Public Library's (ACPL) Genealogy Center.  KVGS invited my local genealogical society, Calhoun County Genealogical Society and even offered a pick up in Marshall, Michigan.

I thought this would be a wonderful way to go to the genealogy center and get a little research done that would save me time when I get to New England.  I couldn't see using time at libraries in New England if I could conduct the research closer to home.  I figured it would give me time to research items that I don't have access to here.

So, I went and I had a great time.  I had a list of resources (seven pages) that I had prepared by using the Genealogy Center's website.  One of the problems I have is when I go to ACPL I feel I need to take advantage of their resources and I research all over the place.  This time I narrowed my research down to two research questions and using the Fold 3 database at the library:

1. Who were the parents of Daniel Fenn, that was born circa 1789, possibly in Vermont and married Huldah Rowley 28 Feb 1808 in Shoreham, Addison, Vermont?
2. What is the maiden name of Lucy Powers Hyde, who married William Powers? 
3. Check Fold 3 for the following records:
1. Hopkins Rowley-American Revolution
2. Jonathan Rowley-American Revolution
3. Daniel Fenn-War of 1812
4. William Powers-War of 1812

I thought if I just concentrated on these three things I would be focused on my research. Hah! Have you ever been to Allen County's Genealogy Center?  It is hard to stay focused.  First, you find what you thought you wanted on the shelf and next to it are three more books that look interesting.  Next, you find what you want and it takes you in another direction than you thought you would be going. These aren't bad things, they are just bright shiny objects that distract me.

I did pretty good, I think.  The library has carts that patrons can use to bring multiple books back to the table to look through.  I had a lead that the Fenn family may have come from the Litchfield area of Connecticut and decided to pursue that lead, so the morning was spent with mostly Connecticut records.  I had two and a half shelves of the cart full.  I looked at early census records and early settlers of CT. I spent a lot of time with the Master Index to Early Connecticut marriages.  There are seven volumes of marriages.  The problem I have is just looking at one or two surnames.  I figure if I have the book in my hands I might as well check other surnames.  I had nine surnames in Connecticut to look for and found eight of the nine.

I decided I better stick with the Fenn surname and looked at early Connecticut probate records next. Of course, I found my Rowley family and had to make copies of that.  The History of Litchfield, Connecticut looked interesting, but I decided to see if that was available online, which it is, so I just made copies of the Fenn names and pages in the index.

Next, I wandered into church records.  This was a blind search on my part as I wasn't sure which church they belonged to at the time, but the records were available and I checked.  It was a negative search, but at least I know to keep looking.

I used my Flip Pal scanner and scanned lots of pages to look at and analyze when I got home.  I had gone through my cart and decided to load up a second time.  This time I wanted to look at two books that would help me once I got to the New England Historic Genealogical Society library: 1) Manuscripts at the New England Historic Genealogical Society and 2) Guides to Diaries in the R. Stanton Avery Collection, on to the cart they went.  Next, I decided to spend some time with Vermont records.  Huldah Rowley's father, Hopkins Rowley, was a member of Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys, and I thought I would use a few resources to look into that further.  Other Vermont records I checked were rosters of soldiers in the war of 1812 for Vermont, Migrations from Vermont, Vermont families in 1791, and probate extracts.  I found Daniel Fenn in a few of these, but nothing that furthered my research into his parentage.

It was time for lunch!  I was back at it after lunch.  I decided to shift focus and use the Fold 3 database that is available at the library.  I had taken my own computer and could hook into their databases on it. I found information on all four people I was looking for.  I can't wait until the Preserve the Pension project uploads the "P" pension files, as William Powers received a pension.

I ended the day by looking at periodicals.  I had used PERSI before my visit to the library and had a few articles I wanted to find.  The ones I used were Connecticut Nutmeggar, Colonial Genealogist, Americana, and Connecticut Ancestry.  I finished a half hour before the bus was due to pick us up and so I went outside and got some fresh air and waited for the bus.

Two carts full of resources, not a bad day.  I did miss my research assistant, Kirk, when he goes he gets the materials and I can research.  I had more positive searches than negative ones and I think narrowing my research down helped me focus better than I have in the past. I used the report feature in Roots Magic, which helped as well.

"Who Was There" Roots Magic Report for Shoreham

One of the reports I ran before I went to ACPL was the "Who Was There" report in my Roots Magic software program.  The "Who Was There" report is wonderful.  It lets you create a list of people who were in a certain place at a certain time.  It is found under reports, either all reports or lists. A pop up menu lets you fill in the search parameters that you are looking for.  The one above I just put Shoreham in the space for "Find people who may have lived in this place" I used a date range of 1600-2016 for the "On this date (or during this time period)".  You can filter by people to include and minimum and maximum age.  The report above is an example of what is generated.

I made reports by state, mainly New England, for my visit to ACPL:  Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.  I figured the reports would come in handy when I go to New England. 

I am still processing the information that I found at ACPL.  Although I wasn't able to answer my two research questions, I found information that helped.  I think the clue to Daniel Fenn's parents may lie in Connecticut and Vermont records.

I am looking forward to my New England research trip and the information I found at ACPL will help me once I get to New England.  ACPL is a wonderful research repository and if you ever have a change to go there, you should.  Just don't blame me when you get sidetracked by all the information that is available there.

Lucy Powers Hyde Maiden Name Is ...

The maiden names of our female ancestors are often elusive, especially the further back in time one researches. It would be great if we could find a marriage record for every couple in our family, but that isn't always the case.  If a marriage record isn't available then one has to use other records to help find a maiden name.  Some of the records include census, probate, newspaper, and church records.  

Source: "War of 1812 Service Records," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2012), Entry for Powers, William; National Archives and Records Administration. Index to the Compiled Military Service Records for the Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812. Washington.D.C.

My elusive maiden name was for my fourth great grandmother, Lucy Powers Hyde.  I first found Lucy's name in the War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index for William Powers.  She was listed as William's widow, former Lucy Hyde.  I was wondering if former meant this was her maiden name, or had Lucy remarried after William's death.

Further research of Lucy Hyde led to the following records:

• Mrs. Lucy Hyde was admitted to membership of First Presbyterian Church, Ypsilanti, Michigan on 2 January 1834.
• Lucy Hyde was named in Ypsilanti's First Presbyterian church session records as the mother-in-law of Samuel S. Glover on April 27, 1835. 
• Lucy Hyde is living with Charles W. Glover and Mary Ann Powers, her daughter, in the 1850 Census, in Ypsilanti, Washtenaw, Michigan. 
• Lucy Hyde is living with Charles W. Glover and Mary Ann Powers, her daughter, in the 1860 Census, in Ypsilanti, Washtenaw, Michigan.

Since Lucy was going by Hyde as early as 1834, I concluded that Lucy Powers remarried a male Hyde between Williams death in 1813 and her mention in church session records in 1834.  Again, no marriage record has been found.

I continued my research of Lucy by researching William Powers death.  I found William's probate records in Abstracts of Wills, Adminstrators and Guardianships in NY State, 1787-1835 at American Ancestors.org.  The abstract provided the information I needed to find the actual records, dated 2 May 1817, available at American Ancestors. These records included making Lucy the administrator of William's will and naming Lucy Powers guardian for her children: Eliza Ann, Mary Ann, Remus Vernum, William, Samuel S, Vinera Egleston and Mary Ann Powers. (Note: Mary Ann was listed twice in the abstract and in the actual court transcript)

Another record showed that Asa Pixley was appointed guardian for Remus Vernum Powers of Framington, Ontario, New York, dated 18 March 1820.  This was the first time I saw the Pixley surname.  Who was Asa Pixley?  Was he family?  Was he in Lucy's family?  

Each record I found led to more questions on my part.  None of the records answered my research question by itself: What is the maiden name of Lucy, the mother of Vinera Egleston Powers and wife of William Powers?

I found Pixley as Lucy's maiden name in a Bible record at Ypsilanti Historical Society, Ypsilanti, Michigan.  The Bible was a Glover Family Bible, owned by Mrs. Hal W. Glover, Annie Overton Crary Glover. Hal W. Glover was the great grandson of Lucy, through her daughter Mary Ann Powers, who married Charles Williamson Glover.  The Bible record stated that "Mary Ann Powers married Charles Williamson Glover".  Her parents were recorded as "William Powers and Lucy (Pixley) Powers of St. Albans, Vermont."  Did I find Lucy's maiden name?  Maybe?

I do not feel that my research is complete, especially when primary sources are scarce, unless I conduct a broad search.  At this point, I don't feel I have conducted a broad enough search. Everything I have found is one piece of a very large puzzle, but a few more pieces are needed to come to the conclusion that Pixley is her maiden name.

Further research found a Lucinda Pixley birth record in Vermont Births, Marriages and Deaths to 2008 at American Ancestors.  It gave a birth date of 9 August 1783, in Westminster, Windham, Vermont.  Parents were Paul Pixley and Sylvia.  The birth year of 1783 coincides with census records that gives Lucy's age.

Am I ready to write a conclusion of my research question: What is the maiden name of Lucy, the mother of Vinera Powers and wife of William Powers?  Does the preponderance of the evidence lead to Pixley as Lucy's married name?  Not yet, but I feel I am getting closer.

What are my next steps?  

• Find marriage record for William Powers and Lucy, who married in Vermont, possibly. 
• Research Westminster, Vermont and St. Albans, Vermont records for family information for William Powers.
• Use Fold 3.com to research William Powers, War of 1812 records.
• Research children of William Powers and Lucy, including William R., Eliza Ann, Remus Virnum, and Samuel S. Powers.
• Research Asa Pixley.

What would you do next?  Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions of where to look for Lucy's maiden name.

 

Where in the World is Vinera Eglantine Powers Glover?

Where in the World is Vinera Eglantine Powers Glover?

FACT	DATE	PLACE OF RESIDENCE	PAGE ID
Birth	Circa 1802
Census	1820	Phelps, Ontario, New York, United States	286
Church	23 Mar 1820	Oaks Corners, Ontario, New York, United States
Census	1830	Phelps, Ontario, New York, United States	48
Church	2 Jan 1834	Ypsilanti, Washtenaw, Michigan, United States
Census	1840	Oceola Township, Livingston, Michigan, United States	184
Death	Circa 1847	Oceola Township, Livingston, Michigan, United States

Vinera Eglantine Powers Glover has been one of the hardest ancestors to research. The census records during Vinera's life only listed the head of the household.  The three censuses I have cited are for Vinera's husband, Samuel Stillman Glover.  I included church records where Vinera Glover was listed by name to help place Vinera in a certain place at a certain time.

I do not have primary sources for her birth and death dates.  That is why I put the circa there.  I believe I will have to rely on church records for this information.  First, I need to determine where she was born.

I have seen Vinera's name as Venera, Veneria Englantine and Veronica in my research.  I have often wondered if there was any significance to her middle name "Eglantine" as it is an unusual name.

Jesse and Annette (Glover) Youngs Celebrate 62nd Anniversary in 1922

I am at the point in my research where I am trying to fill out what some call "in between the dashes"; the happenings in a person's life that goes between their birth and their death. Newspaper articles are a great way to flesh out an ancestor's story.

The above newspaper article is one such find.  It is an announcement of Annette Glover Youngs and Jesse Youngs' 62nd Wedding Anniversary in 1922.  First, it is awesome that a couple has been married for 62 years, but just as awesome that both people were around 80 years of age when they did so.

The above newspaper article is rich in genealogical treasures.  I wish I had one for each of my ancestors.  Although I don't know who wrote the article, I know it was published one month after their anniversary and the Youngs were still alive.  Some of the information included in this article was Annette Glover's birth date, the family of Annette, her early years, the migration of the Youngs family, how Jesse and Annette met, where they married and by whom, their children and more.

Annette Glover Youngs is my second great grand aunt.  She is the daughter of Samuel Stillman Glover and Vinera Eglantine Powers, my third great grandparents. Annette Glover Youngs is the younger sister of Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr.  A descendant of Annette, Peter, sent me a copy of this wonderful tribute to his ancestors.  Peter has been very generous sharing his research with me and I am grateful for that.

Annette Glover married Jesse Youngs on the 13 December 1860 in Canton Center, Michigan.  Below is a transcription of the article.

Transcription:

Famed For Their Hospitality

Photo Caption:  MR. AND MRS. JESSE YOUNGS OF TUTTLE HILL.

Tuttle Hill, Jan. 31.- Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Youngs of Tuttle Hill, who celebrated their sixty-second wedding anniversary Dec. 13, 1922, are the parents of 8 children, the grandparents of 40 grandchildren and the great-grandparents of 37 great-grandchildren.
     Mrs. Youngs, nee Glover, was the daughter of Samuel Stillman and Veneria Eglantine Glover of Howell.  She was born March 17, 1844.  When an infant her mother died, leaving a husband and a family of seven sons and six daughters.  When Annette was five years old she came with her father to Ypsilanti township where she has ever since made her home.

                                     In Days of Migrations
     Jess Youngs, son John and Eve Youngs, was born on the farm, where he has always lived, March 24, 1841.  He grew to manhood in a home where hospitality and neighborly helpfulness were the watchwords of the family.
      Settlers going through to the west with the few wordly (sic) possessions of the pioneer loaded in ox-drawn wagons, the women and children walking or riding by turns, often stopped with "Uncle John" and "Aunt Eve", as the parents of Jesse were known.  These pioneers would remain for a night's or day's rest before resuming the long journey.  Frequently those who came to settle in Michigan made the Youngs' home their stopping place while they looked for a new home.
     John Youngs and Hiram Tuttle, for whom Tuttle Hill was named, were among a party of five who came to make their homes here.  The deed to the Youngs' famr reads,  "The United States to John Youngs, June 8, 1833." Loyal Tuttle, a cousin of Hiram Tuttle, followed soon afterward.
     On Dec. 13, 1860, Jesse Youngs and Annette Glover, schoolmates at Tuttle school, drove to the home of Elder Isaac Cannon at Canton Center and were married.  They established their home in the same spirit of helpfulness and hospitality as was manifested in the household of John and Eve Youngs.  
     Nine children were born to this union.  They were Jesse Edward, who died July 15, 1918, the first break in the family in 58 years of married life; Mrs. Ella Kelly of near Tuttle Hill, Charles of Madison, Wis., John of Ypsilanti, Eugene of Highland Park, Bert of Ypsilanti, Mrs. Eva Bunton of Highland Park, William of Ypsilanti, and Mrs. Louise Faragher of Loraine, O.
     For more that 40 years Mr. Youngs owned and operated a threshing machine.  He is known to hundreds of farmers throughout Washtenaw county.  When sickness or death or trouble of any nature came to a home in the vicinity Jesse Youngs and his wife were always among the first to call and offer their services.  Many a person in financial straits has been welcomed to the table in the Youngs' home and invited to stay until things turned out right again.
     Said one of the sons to the writer: "There were not many days we sat down at the table with just ourselves present.  Anyone coming by would be given a place in the family often for several days if in hard luck.
                                        Mother of Neighborhood
     During her lifetime Mrs. Youngs has cared for scores of babies and their mothers in the community.  The first baby whose entrance into the world she assisted and whom she dressed was R. F. Walters of Willis, whose parents were at one time near neighbors of the Youngs.
     Mrs. Youngs was a cousin of the late H.P. Glover of Ypsilanti.  George Grimstone of Ann Arbor and Mrs. Youngs are the last of a long list of cousins.  Several years ago she fell and injured one of her legs severely, and has been trouble with its (sic) at times since.  But her hospitable spirit is as strong as of old and she still delights to have a neighbor or friend come in for a chat over a cup of tea.
     At the sixty-second wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Youngs 80 guests were present, five of whom were more than 80 years old.  Mrs. Rhoda Derbyshire, 87, was the eldest, the others being John Bunton of Arbor, Hiram Eaton of Ypsilanti, Mrs. Rachel Tuttle of Tuttle Hill and Mr. Youngs.  Seven, D.C. Griffin and Mrs. Mariam Sanderson of Ypsilanti, Mrs. Hattie Prince of Waterloo, J.C. Tuttle, Mrs. J.C. Tuttle and Charles Newton, all of Tuttle Hill, and Mrs. Youngs, were more than 70 years old.
     Mr. Youngs, though nearly 82 years old, is still hale and vigorous.

     Among the chief delights of Mr. and Mrs. Youngs today are the visits they receive from their 37 great-grandchildren.

 

Samuel Stillman Glover Ex-Communicated and the Reason Shocked Me!

Those of us who are beyond researching the names and vital record dates of our ancestors and looking to fill in between the dashes, look for records that will help us in our journey to understand those ancestors better. I found more than I was looking for when a Glover researcher, Peter, sent me a few church records that he had found on my third great grandfather, Samuel Stillman Glover, Senior.

Peter and I share Samuel Stillman Glover as an ancestor.  We are both descended from Samuel through his children.  Peter through Samuel's daughter, Annette, and I through Samuel's son, Samuel Jr.  Peter was doing research at Ypsilanti Historical Museum Archives and shared church records that he found with me.

Anytime I receive an email with records attached, I immediately read it.  I was shocked and saddened by these records!  The records were from First Presbyterian Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan.  I knew I had to plan a trip to Ypsilanti, Michigan to see these records for myself after reading them.

Photo Courtesy of the Ypsilanti Historical Society.  Used with permission.

First Presbyterian Church, Ypsilanti Michigan 1836-1857

Visiting the YHS Archives

Kirk and I visited the archives and I did get to read first hand the records pertaining to my ancestor, Samuel Stillman Glover.  The record group that these records were found in were First Presbyterian Church 1899 (up to).  The records were the recorded session minutes of the First Presbyterian church elders.  The records of interest to me were dated from 2 January 1834 to 13 November 1835.

Who was Samuel Stillman Glover?

First, let me give you a little background on Samuel Stillman Glover.  Samuel was born in 1798 in Conway, Massachusetts to Alexander Glover and Sarah Salisbury. He married Vinera Eglantine Powers, the daughter of William and Lucy Powers, nee unknown, around 1817.  Samuel and Vinera were the parents of twelve children: William, Samuel W., Sarah, Alanson, Dennis, Samuel S., Daniel, Vinera, George, Annette, Henry and Polly (twins).  The twins died within two weeks of birth.  Vinera died about a month after giving birth on 14 February 1847, in Oceola Township, Livingston county, Michigan.

Samuel and Vinera lived in Phelps, New York before migrating to Michigan.  Samuel and Vinera were received into the First Presbyterian Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan on 2 January 1834 having transferred from "the church in Phelps".

Ypsilanti Presbyterian Church Early Session Minutes

It was sometime in early 1835 that session minutes recorded charges against Samuel:

 "The clerk was directed to cite Samuel S. Glover to appear before them and answer to the following charges brought by common fame, viz.;  

1.  For abusive treatment of his family, particularly his mother-in-law.
2.  For using profane language
            also to give satisfaction for neglecting family and public worship."

Samuel appeared before the elders on 11 April 1835. The session minutes for this date state,

      "Samuel S. Glover appeared and to the charges brought plead not guilty.

      The names of the witnesses by whom the respective charges are expected to be sustanined were given to him and were as follows,

     To the first charge, Allen Hammond and wife, Dennis Hammond and Lucy Hyde. 

     To substantiate the second charge, Dennis Hammond, Amos Syler and Joseph Dunsmore.  

     For breach of covenant in neglecting family prayer and public worship, he was admonished.

     Session adjourned to meet in two weeks at 10 o'clock a.m. to attend to the case of Mr. Glover. 

       Closed with prayer.  

                                                                            Ezra Carpenter, Clk."

The next session where a quorum was present was 27 April 1835.  This is where my shock came from. Three pages of session notes were included here.

In essence, Samuel's case was called.  He wanted to proceed to trial and witnesses were sworn in.  The witnesses were Allen Hammond, Mary Hammond, Lucy Hyde, Virena Glover, William Glover and Worcester Glover. Lucy Hyde was Samuel's mother in law, William Glover was his oldest son, and Worcester Glover was Samuel Worcester Glover, his second oldest son.

Allan Hammond testified,

"On hearing that Mr. Glover had turned Mrs. Hyde, his mother-in-law out of doors, as a friendly neighbor I called upon him and introduced the subject.  Mr. G. said it was an unpleasant affair and was sorry it had happened.  He admitted that he ordered her out of the house if she would not cease her noise, that he was sorry it had happened. I thought from what Mr. Glover said that Mrs. Hyde had better return and consequently on going to see her I advised her to do so.  She consented to adhere to my advice provided that I would return with her which I did. On her return Mr. G. repeatedly asked her if he had not always treated her well.  I noticed that Mrs. Hyde evaded giving a direct answer to this question as often as it was put to her." 

Next to testify was Mary Hammond,

"Soon after Mrs. Hyde left Mr. Glover's, I called at his house and while I was conversing with Mrs. Glover, Mr. Glover came in and spoke in very abusive and severe terms of his mother-in-law which very much surprised and grieved me."

Lucy Hyde's testimony is the one that shocked and saddened me.

"Since I came to live with Mr. Glover, which is something like two years, in a fretful manner he has spoken of my being a bill of expense to him and indulged in other remarks which very much wounded my feelings.  On the morning when I first left, in some conversation he became very angry, placed his hand upon me, pushed me towards the door and ordered me out. I obeyed and repaired to Mr. Sears, where Mr. Hammond found me. By the advice of Mr. Hammond I returned, after which nothing particularly unkind in his conduct occured for some days.  One evening on hearing some reports to his disadvantage about my first leaving, he became very much enraged and again ordered me out of doors.  I told him I would go in the morning and not before.  On my leaving in the morning he told me never to darken his doors again, and that if I rotted above ground he would never bury me.

In regard to his abuse of others of his family I consider he has frequently been guilty of it-particularly his wife. One time about a fortnight previous to his leaving the state of New York, I saw him take his wife by the throat and choke or push her over. Their son and myself interferred and he desisted. Since we arrived in the Territory I have seen him box or strike her repeatedly. On one occasion he took a large ox whip and shook it over head and swore by J_____ C______ that he would whip her.  I interferred and he put up the whip. At another time when bringing in potatoes on asking his wife to aid him, in taking the basket from his shoulders and she refusing he became angry and through(sic) some potatoes at her. I remonstraited(sic) with him and he stopped."

The minutes continue to explain that the testimony of Mrs. Glover and William, her son, corroborated Lucy Hyde's testimony in regard to his boxing or striking his wife but not in choking her.  The testimony of Vinera and William was not recorded in the record.  This concluded the testimony on the first charge.

 The session concluded with the following notes:

"Having finished the testimony on the first charge, proceeded to the second charge.  There being none of the witnesses present by whom, Mr. Glover has been informed, it was expected this charge would be sustained, by Mr. Glover's consent the witnesses present and which had already been sworn were introduced. After having asked a few questions, Mr. Glover became very angry, addressed the Session in very abusive language and refused to proceed any further with the trial. The Session accordingly cited him to appear before them at the usual place of worship on the 2nd of May at 1 o'clock p.m. to attend to the remaining parts of the trial. Joseph Sears, Dennis Hammond and Lucy Hyde, he was informed would be introduced to sustain the second charge."

The 2 May 1835 session starts and Samuel did not appear. Witnesses were Joseph Sears, D. Hammond, and Lucy Hyde.  The transcribed session notes stated,

"Session met agreeably to adjournment and began with prayer. Present I.M. Wead, Moderator, Ezra Carpenter, J. Bacon and J. Loomis, Elders.  Mr. Glover not appearing, the Rev. Root from Ohio was appointed to manage his case, agreeably to the rule provided in the Directory for such a case. 

Mr. Joseph Sears testified as follows: "On some altercation occuring between me and Mr. Glover he called me a God damned frenchman." 

Mr. D. Hammond testified and stated: "During last summer I frequently heard Mr. Glover when in a passion use the word, devilish and heard him call his children devils." 

Lucy Hyde states, "I have heard Mr. Glover on two different occasions swear by J_____ C_____ and by God that he would whip his wife.  About a year ago I heard him swear by God that no one should work on the farm which was in possession of his brother in conjunction with himself."

The Elders found that the two charges were fully substantiated.  They also felt that the reasons for his neglect were not good.  The Elders further ruled that Samuel S. Glover be "suspended from the ordiances (sic)of the church for three months or until he makes satisfaction."

The next record in the Session minutes that I found was dated, 13 November 1835.  The notes were as follows:

"The Session met at the call of the Moderator. 

Present- I.M. Wead, Chairman
              Ezra Carpenter
              James Loomis

Began with prayer

The case of Samuel S. Glover was called up. He having been visited and labored with and still manifesting an unrelenting spirit and a contempt of the Session. 

Therefore, resolved that Samuel S. Glover be and hereby is excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ.

Closed with prayer
Ezra Carpenter, Clerk

All I can say is "Wow!" I am amazed at the detail that was found in these session records.  It isn't the most flattering account of Samuel and it has left me with many questions.  Why was Samuel abusive to his wife? Did her abuse his children? Was this a pattern of behavior passed down through generations?  And poor Vinera, or is her name Virena? It looks like she had a very hard and short life.  Vinera died in her 40's. Previously, I had written about Samuel leaving his children, moving to New York, and remarrying after his wife's death.  I wondered why he left such small children in Michigan.  Do I have an answer to that question in these records? I wonder what other records are available.  Samuel married again, but it only last a short time.  Did he abuse his second wife, Maria.

The Session Records of First Presbyterian Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan filled in between the dashes, alright. The records I found were heart breaking to me, but it helped me see a side of Samuel that I would not have found in a birth, marriage, or death record.  Don't limit your research to vital records.  Dig deeper, you won't be disappointed.

(Session records of First Presbyterian Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan can be found at the Ypsilanti Historical Society Archives.)

Did I Find Lucy Powers Hyde's Burial Place?

Last week, I blogged about a visit to Highland Cemetery in Ypsilanti Michigan.  I shared the gravestone pictures of Charles Williamson Glover and his, wife Mary Ann (Powers) Glover.  I left readers with a question, "Did I Find Lucy?" Lucy Powers Hyde is the mother of Mary Ann (Powers) Glover and Vinera Eglantine Powers Glover, making Lucy my fourth great grandmother.

Another Glover researcher, Jan, and I have been looking for information on Lucy for a couple of years now. Jan felt if we could find where Charles and Mary Ann Glover were buried, we might find Lucy.  She was right!  Lucy is buried in Highland Cemetery in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

It took more than visiting the cemetery to uncover this fact.  Previously, I wrote about the information I received at the Highland Cemetery Office and the discovery of the burial of Lucy Glover, as written on the burial plot card.  I had no idea how Lucy Glover fit into my family tree.  The only Lucy I knew was Vinera's and Mary Ann's mother, but she wasn't a Glover.

My next step in my research was to find a transcription for Highland Cemetery.  I looked on the Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County website, of which I am a member, and found a transcription. This transcription was compiled by David Strong Flower using the transcription taken during the years 1936-1942 by Louis S. White. I searched for Hyde, but no hits. I decided to look through the Glover names and see if there was anything added for Lucy Glover.  I couldn't find Lucy Glover in the transcription, but on page 102, in Block 100, next to Charles W. Glover was Lucy Hyer!  I now believe that the Lucy in the Glover plot is Mary Ann and Vinera Powers Glover's mother.  More research will be needed to prove that this Lucy is Mary Ann's and Vinera's mother, but at first glance I believe it to be so.

Here is Lucy's gravestone, found in Highland Cemetery, Ypsilanti, Washtenaw, Michigan.

Gravestone for Lucy "Glover" (as written in cemetery office) or Lucy "Hyer" (as written on transcription) or Lucy Hyde (actual name), totally unreadable.

 

Tombstone Tuesday: Charles W and Mary Ann Glover

A recent visit to Highland Cemetery in Ypsilanti, Michigan turned out to be time well spent. The office was closed for lunch when Kirk and I arrived. We decided to drive around and look for Glover burials while we waited for the office to open.  Highland Cemetery is a very large cemetery and I wasn't sure we would be successful in our blind searching. Thankfully, the Glover Family Stone was large enough to see from the road.

Kirk spotted the Glover stone first and this is what he saw.  Kirk and I got out of the car and I was surprised at the twelve Glover burials on this lot.  I knew about a few of the burials, but a few were there that I had not expected to be.

Before this visit, a Glover researcher, Jan, and I had been talking about our common ancestor, Samuel Stillman Glover and Vinera Powers Glover.  Jan and I have been working on finding out who Vinera's mother was.  We knew that Vinera's sister, Mary Ann Powers, married Samuel's brother, Charles Williamson Glover.  Vinera's and Mary Ann's mother, Lucy, lived with Mary Ann for awhile and was listed in the census as Lucy Hyde.  We talked about how we needed to find where Charles and Mary Ann Glover were buried and we might find Lucy.  We even joked we would do it if we had to walk through every cemetery in Livingston and Washtenaw county, Michigan!

Well, Jan we don't have to walk through every cemetery!  I found Charles and Mary Ann Glover in Highland Cemetery in the Glover family lot!  Did I find Lucy?  Check back next Tuesday, for the answer to that!

CHARLES W. GLOVER

The two pictures above are Charles W. Glover's gravestone.  Reading the face of the stone is very difficult, but I could make out DIED and AGED 75 YEARS.  My previous research showed that Charles Williamson Glover was born in 1796 and died in 1871.

 MARY ANN GLOVER

 DIED 

Dec. 19. 1885

AGED

77 YEARS

I spent time taking a lot of pictures around the Glover family stone as there were a number of them that I wasn't sure how they fit into the family.  I finished with the Glover plot and walked to the next plot where I found a Blodget family stone.  I knew that a Glover married a Blodget and started photographing the stones there. I found twenty six burials in these two plots.

The cemetery office was open, now, and I wanted to see what information I could get on these two burial lots.  Tina, the woman working in the office, was very helpful.  She looked up the information on the Glover plot and the Blodget one.  She photocopied the cemetery cards for me.  The cards provide the following information:  the owner of the lot, Lot number, Block number, date of purchase, purchase price, who is buried in the plot and their grave number, dates of birth and death(on some, not all), and a map of the plot.  I had all the names of who was buried in the two plots.  I hadn't been able to read all of the gravestones and this was a big help.

I have my work cut out for me researching the names of the burials, but I am looking forward to it. Highland Cemetery proved to be a wealth of information. Check back often, for I will be sharing more on my Highland Cemetery finds.

Vinera Eglantine (Powers) Glover Dies Leaving Ten Children-What Happened to her Children?

The start of the new year in 1847 was an emotional one for my third great grandparents, Samuel Stillman Glover, Sr. and Vinera Eglantine (Powers) Glover. Vinera Eglantine (Powers) Glover gave birth to twins, Henry and Polly, the 15 January 1847, at the age of forty five.  Henry and Polly were her 11th and 12th child.  Vinera was 44 at the time of the twins birth.  I imagine the shock she must have had when she delivered twins.

Unfortunately, the next month was a tough one for Vinera and her family.  Henry lived nine short days, dying 24 January 1847.  Polly lived for 16 days, dying 31 January 1847.  I imagine the grief that Vinera and her husband, Samuel Stillman Glover must have felt.  It wasn't the only grief that Samuel would be feeling. Vinera died shortly after this on 14 February 1847, just short of a month after giving birth to her twins.  Samuel would lose another child, Sarah Eglantine Glover, in two years on 23 January 1849.

Vinera left Samuel and her ten children in the care of Samuel, which must have been a shock to him.  I hope it was shock which led to the next few years in Samuel's life, as I don't know if I can understand the choices that Samuel made during this time.

Within three years Samuel is remarried and living in Webster, Monroe, New York. He is living with his new wife, Maria, and her five children.  Only two of Samuel's ten children, Alanson and Daniel, are with Samuel in New York.  This made me wonder what happened to his eight other children.  I needed to know and set about searching the 1850 Census for them.

Five of the ten children were adults at this time:

• William Powers Glover, age 32, is living with his wife, Almira and son, George in Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan.
• Samuel Worcester Glover, age 29, is living in Springfield, Massachusetts.
• Sarah Eglantine Glover, died on 23 January 1849, at the age of 22.
• Alanson D. Glover, age 20, moved with his father to Webster, Monroe, New York.
• Dennis H. Glover, age 19, is living with his wife, Caroline, and son, Frank, age three months, in Oceola, Livingston, Michigan.

The remaining five children are under the age of 15 and this is where I am curious about the choices Samuel made for his children.

• Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr., age 15, is living at the residence of John Cody, merchant, in Ypsilanti, Washtenaw, Michigan.  Samuel Jr. is enumerated on his own line in the 1850 Census.  The Cody family is beneath him but their dwelling and family numbers are the same.  Who is John Cody?
• Daniel W. Glover, age 13, is living with his father, Samuel, in Webster, Monroe, New York.
• Vinera Josephine Glover, age 10, is unaccounted for.  She is not with her father or any of her adult brothers or sisters.  She isn't with Samuel Jr. either.  Where did she go?  I have tried in vain to find her in the 1850 Census.  She marries Wm. P. Paine in 1857 in Ionia County, Michigan. How did she get to Ionia and meet Wm. P. Paine?
• George W. Glover, age 8, is unaccounted for.  I have no further information on George W.  Where did he go, he was only 8?  Why would a father leave his young son behind?  Did George die before his father left for New York?
• Annette Glover, age 6, is living with the Hiram Day family in Ypsilanti, Washtenaw, Michigan.  Who is Hiram Day?  Annette wasn't even three years old when her mother died.  Annette Glover married Jesse Youngs, at the age of 16, in Wayne, Wayne, Michigan.

I have so many questions that I would like answered.  Oh, Samuel, why did you do what you did? Samuel's marriage to Maria Winegard presumably ended in divorce. Maria is found in the 1860 Census living in Webster, Monroe, New York with a marital status of widow.  Samuel is still alive at this time and living in Rochester, Monroe, New York, where he lives until his death in 1870.  To my knowledge Samuel never lived or owned land in Michigan after 1849.  

Do you have any information about Samuel Glover or his children?  Please leave a comment, I would love to know what happened to Samuel's and Vinera's young children.

New York: Genealogy by the States

Jim Sanders at Hidden Genealogy Nuggets website and blog has created the Genealogy by the States blogging prompt, suggesting that bloggers write about an ancestor or one of our families that have a connection to that state. Each week a different state is featured.  This week's state is New York.

Michigan history is filled with settlers who came from the state of New York looking for work in the lumber, mining, furniture and automobile industries.  New York was a big migration state to Michigan.

It comes as no surprise then that I have a few ancestors from the state of New York.  Six of my paternal, third-great grandparents spent some time in the state of New York.

1. Samuel Stillman Glover spent his early adult years in Phelps, Ontario, New York.  He can be found in the 1820 and 1830 U.S. Federal Census records in Phelps.  He purchased property in Ontario County in the 1820's.  He migrated to Michigan for a few years, then moved to the Monroe County, New York area where he lived until his death.  He is buried in  Mt. Hope Cemetery, Rochester, New York.  Samuel's parents, Alexander Glover and Sarah Salisbury lived in Phelps, New York.  They are buried in Josyln Cemetery, Phelps, New York.
2. Vinera Powers Glover, the wife of Samuel Stillman Glover, lived in New York and then moved to Michigan with Samuel and their children.  Five of Samuel and Vinera's children were born in New York:  William P., Samuel W., Sarah E., Alanson D., and Dennis H.  Vinera died in Michigan at age of 44.  Her burial place is unknown at this time.  Vinera Powers father, William Powers, served in the War of 1812 for New York.  
3. William G. Dyer was born in New York on 8 February 1814.  He moved from the New York City area to Cazenovia, Madison, New York before 1850.  William G. Dyer migrated to the Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan area between 1850-1860, where he lived until his death in 1875.
4. Mary Ann Swallow, wife of William G. Dyer, was born in New York in 1817.  William and Mary Ann's five children were born in New York:  Adaline L., George, Sarah, Mary, and William B.
5. Samuel B. Poor migrated to Michigan from the Steuben County area of New York.  He can be found in the 1830 U.S. Federal Census there.  Samuel came to the Washtenaw County area of Michigan around 1837.  Samuel's parents Moses A. Poor and Elizabeth Barber died in Steuben County, New York.
6. Eleanor Begole, the wife of Samuel B. Poor, married Samuel before 1826 in New York.  Their daughter, Elizabeth Ann Poor, my second great grandmother was born in New York.  Eleanor's parents Thomas Jefferson Begole and Ann Matelda Nancy Bowles lived in Wayland, New York in the first half of the 1800's.