Contagious Genealogy: A Pandemic

  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...

  JULY 31, 2021 Born 8 March 1812 in Dunkard, Greene County, Pennsylvania, Harriet Americus Wildman, was the daughter of Elizabeth Sams and Jerry Wildman. While her parents reportedly only lived into their sixties, Harriet had the distinction of nearly hitting the centenarian marker! She died less than one month short of her 100th birthday on 1 February 1912 in Springhill, Green County, Pennsylvania. Week 30: Health Harriet’s near achievement made nationwide news, noting she had all of her faculties about her and had never even needed to wear a pair of spectacles during her lifetime. It’s thought that Harriet married John Ott in 1829 at the age of 17. Though her first recorded child was a daughter, Mary, born in 1840. In total, she had eleven children! And by the time she passed away, her family had grown to include 70 grandchildren and 200 great grandchildren! She outlived her husband by more than 50 years. Sadly, she even outlived 3 of her own children. Her longevity was outstand...