Contagious Genealogy: A Pandemic

There is still plenty I have yet to learn about my paternal third great grandmother's life before she married Charles Miller in Lisbon, St. Lawrence County, New York in 1842. The Geddes family bible gives both her given name and nickname: Ageness (Nancy) Geddes, as well as mentioning she was a native of Belfast, Ireland and was born in 1815. "Agnes Nancy Geddes," photo, undated; database with images, Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/171969200?p=52592885&returnLabel=Agnes%20%22Nancy%22%20Geddes%20(L69W-35P)&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Ftree%2Fperson%2Fmemories%2FL69W-35P : accessed 10 Feb 2024); user-submitted photo by robertwaynerace1, 8 Apr 2023. I found it curious to see her formal name spelled in that way, rather than the modern take of Agnes (which was embossed on her cemetery marker); though the bible was not the only place in which I've seen that spelling for an Irish woman carrying that name. And in one of ...

Have you ever heard of this commemorative holiday? It’s also known as the Glorious Twelfth, and is celebrated in Ireland each year to honor the Protestant king William III (the former Prince William of Orange)’s victory over the Catholic king, James II, at the Battle of the Boyne in the year 1690. During that year, the battle actually took place on the 1st of July, however, since that time, our calendars have changed from using the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, thus shifting the observation date to the 12th of July.  James II’s reign was the last time a king of the Roman Catholic faith has ruled as monarch over the kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland. It should be noted that modern analysis of documents from that time suggest that soldiers of both Catholic and Protestant beliefs fought on both sides. Historically, this day has seen its fair share of violence on the streets of Ireland (particularly during the ‘Troubles’ of the 1960s-1990s), as it’s a quite contro...

  JUNE 30, 2021 Did my 2nd great grandmother, Margaret (Miller) Hinman, die in 1936 or 1938? There appear to be sources that support the possibility of both! Furthermore, did she typically spell her name as Margaret or Margret? While spelling variations are quite common throughout history, nailing down a subject’s preferred spelling or pronunciation of their own name further rounds them out as a person. Week 26: Conflict Margaret Miller, circa 1870. Mrs. Margaret Hinman was born Margaret Miller on 11 Nov 1853 in Lisbon, St. Lawrence County, New York, to immigrant parents Charles and Agnes Miller of Ireland. In her teen years, the family moved south to Boone County, Iowa, where she met her husband, Frank Rymer Hinman. She married at the age of 21 and quickly began raising a brood of five. In the mid 1890s, the family temporarily homesteaded in Smith County, Kansas, but eventually returned to Boone, upon realizing their settlement in Kansas was not bearing fruit. She and Frank remain...

  JANUARY 06, 2021 I’m challenging myself this year with the #52Ancestors project, where I tell a story about a different ancestor each week, for 52 weeks, based on prompts set by professional genealogist and host of the “Generations Café” podcast, Amy Johnson Crow. Charles Henry Miller, ca. 1870s, St. Lawrence County, New York or Boone County, Iowa. Week 1: Beginnings   If there’s one subject in my ancestral tree who knows about starting fresh, it’s Charles Henry Miller. Charles was born circa 1798 in Ireland. Though considered a native of Belfast, it’s thought the family originated in Ballinasloe and were uprooted to Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, not much is known of his time there. It’s claimed he was married with three children, two boys and a girl, whom, as of yet, have gone unidentified. The reason for the mystery relates to his religious, and somewhat controversial, affiliation.   Those familiar with Ireland’s history, are well aware of a tense and torrid relati...