Contagious Genealogy: A Pandemic

When the first shot of the American Revolution rang out in Lexington, Massachusetts on April 19th, 1775, militiamen throughout the New England colonies were summoned to immediately band together to march for the relief of Boston and for the patriot cause.  “The bearer, Israel Bessel, is charged to alarm the country quite to Connecticut, and all persons are desired to furnish him with fresh horses as they may be needed.” – Massachusetts Committee of Safety at Watertown This was known as the Lexington Alarm. And my 5th great grandfather, Asher Hinman, was one of the 3,700 men from Connecticut dedicated to this struggle. In his early 30s, he set off from the town of New Hartford as a sergeant in Captain Seth Smith’s company to aid in the rebellion, and fend off any further atrocities by the British troops. In just 3 days’ time, when his company had only reached Hartford about 22 miles away, his service came to an end, as the immediate crisis had been extinguished, and their presence ...

  DECEMBER 27, 2021 When looking forward, it’s always good to take a glance in the rearview mirror and check out where you came from. Without my ancestors paving the way, I wouldn’t have the life I live today. Week 52: Future The earliest known ancestor in my tree to have immigrated to the Americas was Edward Bosworth. His adventurous spirit led to my future here in the United States, and I have to assume his mindset at the time of his passage circled around setting up the best possible future for himself, his wife, and his kids. Unfortunately, his travels did not go quite as planned, and he paid the ultimate sacrifice. He sailed from England and arrived in Boston on a ship named Elizabeth & Dorcas in 1634. His death was recorded there in Boston Harbor. It is assumed his death was due to natural causes and that he died onboard the ship as it approached land because of a diary entry written by Samuel Sewall: Edward Bosworth, the Father, being ready to dye ask’d to be carried up...

  NOVEMBER 28, 2021 In the early years of British Colonial America, the colonists were up against many obstacles -- finding fertile land, surviving harsh New England winters, building towns from scratch, and especially making peace with the local indigenous populations. The adversity they faced required a lot of tenacity, and my 7th great grandmother, Esther (Bobbett) Paul, survived it all. Mrs. Mary Prudence Smith, The young Puritans in King Philip's war , Boston (Little, Brown and company) 1898; pdf, Library of Congress (www.loc.gov/item/98001083/ : accessed 28 Nov 2021). Week 48: Strength Esther was born 15 April 1669 in Taunton, Massachusetts to my 8th great grandparents, Sarah Tarne and Edward Bobbett, who were married 7 September 1654 in Boston. Taunton is one of the oldest towns in the United States. It was founded by members of the Plymouth Colony in 1637 and officially incorporated into a town two years later. Many of the settlers had originated from Taunton in Somerset, E...