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This photograph, taken by my father John Spencer French, shows his buddies Louis Zieminski and Patsy Ruggiero. John passed away in 2014, Pasquale “Patsy” died in Florida in 2013 and Louis in 2004 in Wallingford, CT. Copyright © 2019. All… Continue Reading →
Part II – This post offers several more newspaper clippings from the Hartford Courant about life on the farm in Bloomfield, Connecticut featuring my second great-grandfather, John William Spencer (1834-1896). The topics of the articles range from corn and pumpkins… Continue Reading →
Above is a probate notice from 18 July 1878 that notes a bequest of $2,000 from Jason Goodwin (J.G.) Eggleston to his grand-niece Anna Eggleston Spencer. Anna is my second great grandmother. $2,000 in 1879 is equivalent in purchasing power… Continue Reading →
With genealogical research, it is often a case of feast or famine. With my 2nd great-paternal grandfather, John William Spencer (1834-1896), I have discovered a wealth of material. In a previous post, Introducing Annie and John Spencer, I described the… Continue Reading →
While I hate to admit it, I believe my paternal great-grandmother, Mary “Minnie” MacEachern French, might be viewed as a gold digger. The evidence comes from a sensational series of articles that played out in Boston newspapers from 1916-1918. What… Continue Reading →
As a boy growing up in Wethersfield, Connecticut, I recall two distinct images about our backyard. The first was a weeping willow tree and the second were the massive bloodhounds kept by our neighbor directly behind our yard. What I… Continue Reading →
William Kelsey, my 9th great paternal grandfather, arrived in New England in 1632 and was one of the original founders (proprietors) of Hartford, Connecticut. He was a member of the Braintree Company (Congregation) and a follower of Reverend Thomas Hooker…. Continue Reading →
Bigod (Beget/Begatt/Beggett/Baggett) Eggleston was a man with a mysterious name, mysterious origins, and a mysterious marital history… One estimate suggests that Bigod Eggleston is the ancestor of more than 12 million Americans. Founders Series: Bigod Eggleston – Windsor Historical Society… Continue Reading →
The Episcopal Parish of St. Gabriel was organized December 14 1842. Its original members were Isaac Underhill, George Spalding, Fitch Bissell, John Spencer (my 2nd great-grandfather), Alonzo M. Smith, Quarles Bedorthy, Samuel Loomis and Henry A. Bliss. The corner stone… Continue Reading →
Eight U.S. Presidents (Barack Obama. George W. Bush, John F. Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt, Rutherford B. Hayes, John Quincy Adams and John Adams) walked through this yard to attend classes at Harvard University. The oldest part, and center… Continue Reading →
