Friday, July 17, 2009
Coffin Plate of Henry Richmond 1813~1885
Henry ? Richmond
Died March 30th 1885
Aged 72 yrs 7 mos 6 days
Henry Richmond Coffin Plate
Monday, July 13, 2009
Crazy Coffins
Friday, July 10, 2009
Maxwell Factory In St.Marys Ontario

This is a photo of my Great Grandfather John Massey at work in the Maxwell Factory in St.Marys Ont. John is the guy in the middle with the funny look on his face. I am told he was a bit of a clown at times so the photo would seem to back that up. I think the photo was taken around 1920.
The Coffin Plate of Alexander Cameron 1806 ~ 1889
You can have a look at the coffin plate of Alexander Cameron 1806 ~ 1889 at Alexander Cameron
If you are interested in looking at the index to all the coffin plates on AncestorsAtRest.com just go to the Coffin Plate Index
Thursday, July 09, 2009
St.Johns Anglican Cemetery, Waverley, Simcoe County, Ontario
St.Johns Anglican Cemetery
If you are interested in other Simcoe County Ontario Cemetery records try Simcoe County Ontario
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Archeologists to recover bodies from downtown Montreal grave yard
The area was once the site of a Roman Catholic cemetery where between 40,000 and 50,000 people were buried.
A number of bodies were moved to Notre-dame-des neiges cemetery when the downtown burial site closed in mid 1850s, but some of the bodies are still there.
Read More
Monday, July 06, 2009
St.Andrews Presbyterian Cemetery, Hillsdale, Simcoe County, Ontario
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Coffin Plate of Mrs Mary Love 1834 ~ 1879
Sunday, June 28, 2009
The Coffin Plate Of Samuel Lorenzo Love
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Cemetery Discovered at Florida Building Site
Read More
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Government to locate kin of Civil War veteran killed with ax in 1877
Read More
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Southampton headstone found north of Barrie
Ann-Marie Collins, archivist at the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre, confirmed that McDonald's grave marker had been missing from the old cemetery along the banks of the Saugeen River.
"It's just amazing that this stone has been found," she said. "There has been one other stone turn up in my time at the Bruce County museum, that's eight years now, and we're still trying to place it."
No one has been buried in the old Southampton graveyard for more than a century, and McDonald would have been interred there in its last 10 years of operation, Collins said.
He was only 46 years old when he died of "brain fever" on April 6, 1890. Collins first caught wind of a possible Bruce County link yesterday morning from a Simcoe County museum staffer. Further investigation verified it. Collins obtained a copy of the cemetery interment records and McDonald's date of death matched.
Several phone calls were received from people who subscribe to Ancestry.com
... Continue reading
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Unique Graves, Headstones & Tombstones
Mel Blank, a Scrabble Headstone, Hippies, Computer Geeks and more....
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Coffin Plate of Lucy Andrews 1790 ~ 1869
If you want to see the coffin plate of Lucy Andrews or take a look at the index of over 500 coffin plates go to Coffin Plates
Monday, June 01, 2009
The Forgotten Coffin Of Gladys Winifred Fowler
But one nagging question remains for Barry Smith: Will anyone from Canada come forward to bring her home?
Read more about Gladys Winifred Fowler who was only 18 when she died in 1917.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Missouri Archives Online Vital Records
I have added a link to this valuable Missouri resource on my Death Records page on Ancestors At Rest.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Parish Of St. John, Pequea And Christ Church, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
St.John Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Canadian National Registration File of 1940
Saturday, May 23, 2009
500 More Names Restlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, El Paso Texas
Restlawn Memorial Park Cemetery
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Want to Buy a Cemetery?
One last thing: It’s a cemetery, one that comes with 6,500 filled graves.
Read More
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Restlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, El Paso Texas 3000 Names
Restlawn Memorial Park Cemetery
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Cool Site For Ontario Photos
I just found a cool site for photographs. It is called Images Ontario and it is just great. I have all ready found some of my ancestors and am just getting started. I don't know how long the site has been online but I think its great.
Images Ontario
Thursday, May 14, 2009
World's top 10 cemeteries
Monday, May 11, 2009
Havana's famed Colón Cemetery suffers ravages of time
Read More
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Pioneers Of St. Marys, Perth County Ontario 1840~1860
I have many early St. Marys lines and thought it would be fun to have a place to talk to others with ancestors in St.Marys.
Pioneers Of St. Marys, Perth County Ontario 1840~1860.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Coffin Plate for William Roughsedge 1830~1884
Or William Roughsedge Coffin Plate
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Making a Genealogy Time Capsule
If you are interested in sending a little bit of yourself into the future you may be interested in a series of articles on the Olive Tree Genealogy Blog called Making a Genealogy Time Capsule.
Just think how fantastic it would be if a hundred or perhaps a thousand years from now archaeologists were to find a time capsule full of information about you and your family.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Woodlawn Cemetery Guelph Ontario
Friday, May 01, 2009
Unique Roman glass dish found at London grave site
The "millefiori" dish (a thousand flowers), believed to date from around the 2nd to 3rd century A.D., is a mosaic of hundreds of indented blue petals with white bordering.
"For it to have survived intact is amazing. In fact, it is unprecedented in the western Roman world," said Jenny Hall, curator of the Roman collection at the Museum of London.
(edited)
The artifact was found 2.5 to 3 meters (yards) down at a sprawling ancient cemetery in Aldgate, east London, just beyond the old city walls. Romans were required by law to bury their dead outside the city gates.
It formed part of a cache of grave goods found close to a wooden container holding the ashes of a probably wealthy Roman citizen from the ancient imperial outpost of Londinium, now mostly hidden beneath modern-day London.
Continue reading Unique Roman glass dish found at London grave site
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Roman York Skeleton Could Be Early TB Victim
Radiocarbon dating suggests that the man died in the fourth century. He was interred in a shallow scoop in a flexed position, on his left side.
The man, aged 26–35 years, suffered from iron deficiency anaemia during childhood and at 162 centimetres (5ft 4in), was a shorter height than average for Roman males.
The first known case of TB in Britain is from the Iron Age (300 BC) but cases in the Roman period are fairly rare, and largely confined to the southern half of England. TB is most frequent from the 12th century AD in England when people were living in urban environments. So the skeleton may provide crucial evidence for the origin and development of the disease in this country.
Continue Reading Roman York Skeleton Could Be Early TB Victim
ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 30, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/09/080916101038.htm
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
More Obits From The Wichita Eagle, Sedgwick County Kansas
Monday, April 27, 2009
Coffin Plate of Millicent McLean 1888~1905
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Egyptians hope to find Cleopatra's tomb
Read More
Thursday, April 16, 2009
CanadaGenWeb's Cemetery Project Updates
http://cemetery.canadagenweb.org
Photos are now online for:
MANITOBA
- Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cemetery, Ethelbert
SASKATCHEWAN
- Riverview Cemetery, Kamsack
ONTARIO
Elgin County:
- Light Cemetery
- Old Richmond Cemetery
Essex County:
- Fairview Cemetery
Kent County:
- Sherman Cemetery
- Wallace Cemetery
Lambton County:
- Delmage / Little Methodist Cemetery
Leeds County:
- Herald Angel Anglican Church Cemetery
Lincoln County:
- Lakeshore Cemetery
Middlesex County:
- Littlewood Cemetery
- Melrose United Cemetery
- Mount Pleasant Cemetery Sections D & S
- St Peter's Cemetery
Norfolk County:
- Johnson Cemetery
- Port Dover
- St John's Anglican Church Cemetery
- Windham Centre Cemetery
- Woodhouse United / Old Methodist Cemetery
Wentworth County:
- Free Methodist Church Cemetery
- Hamilton Cemetery Section T
- St George's Anglican Cemetery
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Saving Shanghai’s Jewish past, headstone by headstone
and volunteers are restoring dozens of historic Jewish cemeteries.
But in Shanghai, there are none to restore.
The four cemeteries that once served this city's small but prosperous
Jewish community disappeared in the late 1960s during China's Cultural
Revolution. The sites were paved over to build a factory, park, hotel
and Muslim cemetery, their history forgotten.
Israeli photojournalist Dvir Bar-Gal is trying to change that.
While the cemeteries may be gone, since 2001 Bar-Gal has made it his
mission to track down as many of the original headstones as possible.
He has located 85 and hopes to use them in a memorial to Shanghai's
Jewish past.
Continue reading at
http://jta.org/news/article/2009/04/13/1004154/saving-shanghais-jewish-past-headstone-by-headstone
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Interment records of St. Joseph's Cemetery, Stratford, Perth County, Ontario
St.Joseph's Cemetery
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Coffin Plate of Abigail Edson 1803 ~ 1866
Abigail Edson
Sunday, April 05, 2009
More Sedgwick County Kansas Obits Online
The latest batch of 100 obits can be found at Sedgwick County Kansas obits
To see all my obits try the Obit Records Page
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Coffin Plate of Mary Taylor Brigham 1828 ~ 1912
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
A new King Family Genealogy Book
Lewis and Thomas King were brothers born in Wenhaston Suffolk England to parents James King and Hannah Blanden aka Blanding. In October 1830 when Lewis was 37 and Thomas was 34, the brothers joined a group of men and sailed from England to New York. According to written histories, the men arrived in November 1830.
Read More About From England to Arkell
Saturday, March 28, 2009
More Kansas Death Records
Kansas Death Records
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Mass Grave For 19th-century Irish Immigrants
Read More
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Coffin Plate of Adam Wilkin Now Online
See the coffin plate of Adam Wilkin
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Reburied After 700 Years
Monday, March 16, 2009
No Photos Of Tombstones Allowed
Read More
Coffin Plate of Pamelia A Grovesteen
Permelia A Grovesteen Coffin Plate
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Vampire Unearthed In Venice
An archaeological dig near Venice has unearthed the 16th-century remains of a woman with a brick stuck between her jaws - evidence, experts say, that she was believed to be a vampire.
Read More About The Vampire Of Venice
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Coffin Plate of Samuel Allen 1799 ~ 1874
Or take a look at the coffin plate index atCoffin Plate Index
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Simcoe County Ontario Pages
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Coffin Plate of Howard M Caryl
Howard M Caryl
Friday, March 06, 2009
St Ann's Cemetery in Penetanguishene Simcoe County Ontario
I am still geting the new grave photos on line and it will most likely take me the rest of the day to finish.
You can see what I have online so far at St Ann's cemetery
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Paddington Cemetery Sinking
Read More
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Coffin Plate of Hannah Herbert 1850 ~ 1861
You can see the Coffin Plate of
Hannah Herbert on Ancestors At Rest.com
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Coffin Plate of Mary L Durfee 1856 ~ 1864
I dont know who this Mary was but she may have been from North Providence, Providence, Rhode Island.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Graveyard Rabbits Carnival, Manly Family Coffin Plates

The topic for the premier edition of the Graveyard Rabbits carnival is "exceptional finds. So I thought I would share my 3 favorite coffin plates from my collection. I started my collection of coffin plates after my mother gave me one that had been handed down in our family for over 100 years.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with the subject. Coffin plates are decorative adornments attached to the coffin that contain genealogical information like the name and death date of the deceased. Generally made of a soft metal like lead, pewter, silver, brass, copper, zinc or tin. The different metals reflect the different functions of the plates, or the status and wealth of the deceased.
In North America in the 1840s the practice of removing the plates from the coffin before burial as mementos started to become common. This practice was particularly popular in the North Eastern United States, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The farther you get from the Northeastern U.S. the less common the practice becomes. This practice peaked in the late 19th century (1880~1899) and by the 1920s it had all but stopped.
I have many coffin plates in my collection, several hundred in fact, but my 3 favorite plates are rare as the come from England. The English never went in for the North American practice of removing the plates before burial. They preferred to leave the plates attached to the coffin when it was buried so as you can imagine the English coffin plates are a little hard to get.
English coffin plates were also different from North American plates in that the English plates were often much larger. In north America most coffin plates are only about 4 to 6in wide. However in England they often used much larger plates called breast plates. Breast plates can be as much as 12in wide and 18in tall and are often shaped like a shield.
This set of three brass coffin depositum plates are all from the Manly family. These items were removed with the family's permission upon the deconsecration of the church and clearing of crypts etc. The two from 1875 are in classic Gothic shield style are professionally manufactured by Ingali Parson whilst the 1893 piece is heavily influenced by Arts & Crafts movement but has no makers mark. All three plates are brass with hand engraved lettering.
The plates read
William Manly Died Oct 25 1893 Aged 84 years.
Martha Manly Wife of William Manly Died April 26th 1875 Aged 62 years.
George Frederick Manly Died April 8th 1875 Aged 28 years.
Many people are a little surprised when they first see my collection of coffin plates. A lot of them ask me why I collect something that to them is kind of creepy or morbid. To me they are works of art. The beautiful engraving was all done by hand in the days before machines took over that job. The designs of the plates themselves reflect the styles of the period in which they were made. They also represent the growing industrial skill of the metalworking industry. And of course as a genealogist I love the way they connect me to the past. When I read the names on the plates I think about who the person was, what their life was like. I often try to do a little research on the family to see if I can learn any thing about them. I feel in some small way like I am keeping the memory of that person alive. I may not be related to that person but in many cases I am probably the only person who ever thinks about them, or in some cases is even aware they ever existed. And I think everyone deserves to be remembered.
Monday, February 16, 2009
William Massey Paid A Heavy Price
However my favourite Black Sheep Ancestor is William Massey. William was my 4th Great Grandfather and he lived in the small town of St.Marys Ontario. The details are sketchy but it seams William worked for the Wells Fargo company in the early 1860s as a stage coach driver. One of the things that Wells Fargo did was transport money from place to place. One day for reasons we will never know William decided to help himself to over $888 dollars. This may not seem like much money to us today but back in 1863 it was a lot of cash.
Well I guess William was not the smartest criminal who ever lived as he soon found himself in front of the local magistrate on an indictment of larceny. I do not know much about the workings of the Canadian Justice system in the 1860s but it seems that this Court appearance was some kind of preliminary hearing to see if charges were warranted. Sort of like a Grand Jury in the United States. One interesting little side note is that one of the jurors was Timothy Eaton. Mr Eaton went on to found the Eaton department store chain. For you Americans out there, Eatons was Canada's equivalent of Sears.
Anyhow it would seem that the jury thought there was enough evidence to warrant charges so William was sent home to await his trial. However old William did not want to take his chances in court. He decided to get the heck out of Dodge and head south for the border, and a few weeks later he was in Massachusetts where he enlisted in the U.S. Army to fight in the Civil War.
Now it appears William being the crafty criminal mastermind that he was may have enlisted under the alias of John Smith. However William, or John Smith, did not much care for Army life for he soon deserted and made his way back to St.Marys just before his death in November 1865. It is hard to say what William's reasons for going back to St.Marys might have been. One can only speculate. His daughter claimed that he was so broken in body and spirt after the war that he died soon after returning. Whatever the reason it would seem he paid a heavy price for that $888.00 in stolen Wells Fargo money.
Hopewell Township, York County Pennsylvania, 1890 Tax Records
Hopewell Township, York County Pennsylvania, 1890 Tax Book
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
More Coffin Plates
Coffin Plates
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Edward Haskell and Judith Haskell Coffin Plates
Coffin Plates
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Coffin Plate of Josiah Rockwood 1851 ~ 1853
Friday, January 30, 2009
Hats Off To You Girls

The 10th Edition of Smile For The Camera is Costume so with that in mind I thought this photo might be appropriate. The photo is of the sisters of my Great Great Grandmother, Harriet Purdue. The girls were all milliners, that is to say they made hats for a living. They also were accomplished seamstresses and made their own clothing. The photo was taken in St.Marys Ontario around 1895~1900.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Denver County Inheritance Tax Records 1909 -1912 Colorado Archives
1911: Workmen Dig Up Coffin with Coffin Plate in Philadelphia
July 1911 PhiladelphiaWorkmen digging foundations for 11th Street Opera House unearthed a small coffin with a brass plate. The inscription on the coffin plate read
Samuel Ford
died February 8 1826
age 6 years 5 months 6 days
The Opera House site was formerly a church and cemetery. In 1850 the bodies were moved but sadly it seems little Samuel was left behind.
See AncestorsAtRest.com for more coffin plates, funeral cards and death records
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Man pawns wife's coffin plate in 1882

Dec 23, 1882 Altoona Pennsylvania
Philip Gabriel tries to pawn the coffin plate from his wife's coffin.
Her coffin plate inscription:
Mrs. Philip Gabriel
died Nov. 29, 1882
Age 50 years 9 months 3 days
Mr. Gabriel was said to ask 25 cents for the silver coffin plate so that he could purchase whiskey.
To see if your ancestor's coffin plate is online visit the largest collection of coffin plates online (over 500!) at AncestorsAtRest.com
A Hairy Situation

This rather strange photo came to me in a box of family photos. I unfortunately don't know the name of this person but the other photos in the box are all my Elgie and Facey relatives so this person probably is as well. The Elgie and Facey families lived in Ontario, just south of a place called St.Marys. I would think it has to be some kind of gag photo as no one in my family has had hair like that (not even in the 70s). I think the photo was taken about 1900.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
'Walking In A Winter Wonderland" A Cold Day For A Wedding

This is the only photo taken of my Massey Grandparents on their wedding day, Dec 31st 1939. The wedding was a small affair as it was the depression and they did not have a lot of money. My Grandfather was employed a delivery man for a bake shop at the time and my Grandmother was a bar maid in a local hotel. I don't know how much money they were making but I am sure it was not much.
They had only been married a few minutes when my Grandmothers father suggested that they should get a picture. And as cameras did not have a built in flash back in the days of yore, you had no choice but to go out side no mater how cold it was. And as it happened it was a typical freezing cold Canadian Winter day. My grandmother not having a coat on hand grabbed a old ratty sweater off the back of the door and out they went. I think the sweater actually belonged to my Great Grandfather.
So that is the story of my Grandparents only wedding photo. They may not have had a lot of money but the marriage lasted 50 years so I guess they had what matters.
Friday, January 09, 2009
John Becker 1871 ~ 1898 and John Becker 1827 ~ 1902
http://www.ancestorsatrest.com/coffin_plates/
Coffin plates are an overlooked free genealogical resource. They often contain the Birth Record and Death Record and can be used as a substitute for vital records.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Now You Can Ask Olive Tree Genealogy a Question
http://askolivetree.blogspot.com/
Sunday, January 04, 2009
The Search For My Irish Roots, Part 5
The quest to find my Masseys would not have been possible without the kindness of strangers. Jenny had done all the work of getting me the records from Delgany and it should be remembered that this info was of no value to her, she is not a Massey, she did it for no return. And now Annie would do something equally nice. She got her fathers D.N.A. tested for me. I say she got it tested for me because there was little she could learn from the test. You have to rember that Annie already new her lines were from Delgany. If her father and I were a match it would only tell her she had a few more distant cousins out there, that’s it. But for me it had the potential to finally prove once and for all the question that I had been working on for so many years.
I am a Delgany Massey
So as you may have guessed Annie and I are a D.N.A. match. Not a perfect match as I had hoped but close enough to prove what I had suspected all these years - that Annie and I are related and that my William Massey was almost certainly born in the Parish of Delgany. As you can imagine I was ecstatic. To finally have the answer to a question that had plagued me for so long was a great feeling. I was so happy. For about 10 minutes. Then like a true genealogist I started to think about what I still did not know, and I realized my search will never be over. Because for me it is not just about the answer, it’s about the search itself.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
The Search For My Irish Roots, Part 4
I was contacted by a man who was researching the family of William Massey’s wife Ellen. I had never been able to find anything on Ellen, I did not even know her last name. As it turns out I probably would never have found her as I was looking in the wrong country. Anyway he had found a letter that Ellen’s father William had written to his brother Thomas in Etobicoke about 1860. The letter is now in a museum. The letter states among other things that William Massey was from a place just a few miles south of Dublin Ireland. And what is just a few miles south of Dublin. You guessed it, Delgany.
So I was now convinced that my Masseys were from Delgany but I of course had no real proof of this and I had run out of places that I could think of to look. Then again out of the blue another piece of the very circumstantial puzzle fell from the sky and landed in my lap. I made contact with a man by the name of Ron Mahone who was researching a Massey family that lived just a few miles from my Massey family in St. Marys Ontario back in the 1860s. The story handed down in Ron's family was that they were from a place called Redford or Redfoord. So I did a little diging and was able to confirm that they were indeed from Redfoord. And where is Redfoord? You guessed right again, Delgany. Now I had no proof that this new Massey family was connected in any way to mine but there were not a lot of Irish Massey’s in Ontario in the 1860s and knowing that the Irish would often settle in family groups I felt this was yet another small arrow pointing me to Delgany.
Then last year Jenny Selfe came to my aid again, albeit in a round about kind of way. She had received a letter from an Annie Massey about the Massey family. Jenny had put all the Delgany Massey data that she had on her website. Not having any more info than what was on her website she put Annie in touch with me. Now for Annie their was no question that she was a Delgany Massey. She had her lines well documented, for her there was no doubt about it. And with a little digging she was able to prove that she was related to the Massey family that had lived just a few miles from my Massey family in St. Marys Ontario. So everything kept pointing me to Delgany, it was like the place was calling me but I could not get that last little piece of the puzzle. The proof was always just out of reach. What to do?
The kindness of strangers.
To be continued.......
Friday, January 02, 2009
The Search For My Irish Roots, Part 3
Meanwhile back in Canada I had searched for many years with out finding that magic little record that would tell me what Irish County my William Massey was from. Then one day in a most unexpected place, I found it. In a Cemetery record of all places. I had seen my William's tombstone many times and had searched for an obit to no avail, but then at the Archives of Ontario I found the interment records of the cemetery on microfilm and there it was. Wicklow Ireland. The strangest part was that my William was not even originally buried in that cemetery. His body had been moved after the original cemetery he was buried in was closed. So it was just blind luck that someone had recorded his place of birth.
Now you would think I would be happy with this new found info, lots of people never find this much, and I was happy, for about 10 minutes. Then like most genealogists I started thinking about what I still did not know. Where in County Wicklow was he from? Did they mean the town of Wicklow? How will I know where to start looking? So it was at this point that my one name study of Irish Masseys started to pay off. For one of those little pockets of Masseys was located in County Wicklow. In a little place called Delgany Parish.
Now I know what you are thinking, that it is hardly proof that my William Massey was from Delgany. And you are right, it was totally circumstantial. But I just had a feeling that I was on the right track. So I made a big leap of faith and started to concentrate my efforts on Delgany.
So I started to learn everything I could on Delgany. What records were available, the history of the parish, the geography. I read everything. I even spent hours looking at the place on Google Earth. It was during this search to learn everything I could about Delgany that I came across a lady by the name of Jenny Self. Jenny was an Australian living in England, who had done some research on her own lines in Delgany. Now Jenny and I are not related so she had no Massey info, but I found her work so interesting that I dropped her a quick email just to thank her for taking the time to put all her hard work online. Well to make a long story short this led to a correspondence and Jenny offered to do some looking in the Delgany Parish records on her next trip to Ireland.
I was very excited at the prospect of Jenny taking a look in the Parish Records as these records are only available in Ireland. But you can imagine how happy I was when a few months later Jenny sent me all the Massey Births, Marriages, Deaths and Burials for over 200 years. It was a fantastic windfall and I am still grateful for the hours of work that she put in to help someone who was basically a stranger. But to my disappointment William was not there. Of course at this point some people would have moved on but I still felt that Delgany was the place. And I would soon find more evidence to keep me looking in Delgany.
Sometimes you don’t find the next clue, it finds you.
To be continued.......
Thursday, January 01, 2009
The Search For My Irish Roots, Part 2
Now don't get me wrong, there is no anti-Irish sentiment in my family that I am aware of but some how this little tidbit of information had gotten lost or perhaps hidden somewhere along the way. My grandfather had told me we were English. There was no talk of Ireland in the family stories, no Irish names, no tombstones in the local cemetery with the words, Native Of County Blah Blah Ireland, Nothing. Thus began my quest for my new found Irish roots.
Now what???
I quickly learned that to do any meaningful genealogy in Ireland you need to have some idea of what County your Irish ancestors came from. Without this you are just flailing around in the dark.
The 1861 census had told me my GGG Grandfather William Massey was a native of Ireland. Where in Ireland I had no idea. So I did what any new genealogist would do, I started flailing around. However in my case my flailing around would one day pay off. It would just take about 30 years.
Fortunately for me Massey is not a common name in Ireland (this makes hunting a little easer) so I began to collect even the smallest mention of the Massey name anywhere in Ireland. Sort of like a one name study of Irish Masseys. At the same time I continued to research my Masseys in North America in the more conventional organized way, working on my direct lines. It was these 2 styles of research that would one day give me some of the answers I was looking for.
My somewhat haphazard one name study of Irish Massey’s soon began to paint an interesting picture. It told me that almost all the Masseys in Ireland are descended from a few men, most likely just 3 of 4 who came to Ireland in the 1600s. It also told me that the descendants of these men tended to stay in the same locations as their original immigrant ancestor. This has the effect of producing little pockets of Masseys located at a few different places in Ireland. This info was interesting but of course it did not tell me what little pocket of Masseys I belonged to.
Then I got lucky......
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The Search For My Irish Roots, Part 1
My personal search for my Irish ancestors has taken over 30 years of digging, scrounging, reading, learning, traveling, and taking wild leaps of faith. I have talked to dozens or relatives, hundreds of people, and traveled from one coast to the other. I have spent hundreds of hours in little dark rooms with my head buried in microfilm machines. I have seen more libraries than I can remember, and have looked through (and yes in some cases read) so many books that I could not begin to count them. I have spent hundreds of hours online and hundreds or perhaps thousands of dollars in my never-ending quest. And best of all, I even managed to find a wife along the way. But that is another story.
My search started as a young boy listening to stories about the family told by my grandparents. They were not stories of brave deeds or fantastic exploits. They were just what I call the stories of life. I will not bore you with the details of my family stories, suffice it to say that if you changed the names and dates they could be any family's stories.
Now the stories told by my grandparents may not have been worthy of a Hollywood Blockbuster but as a child I was hooked. I could not get enough. I always wanted more. So being the strange kid that I was, I set off for the local museum.
I was fortunate as a budding genealogist that my family had lived in the same small town of St Marys Ontario, since about 1859. This made the search a little easer for a beginner as the museum had lots of newspapers and cemetery records to keep me happy, at least for a while. It was at the local Museum that I received my first of what would be many genealogical surprises. There in the 1861 census was my GGG Grandfather William Massey, a native of Ireland. Ireland? My family was Irish?
To be continued.........
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Wisconsin Divorce Index, 1965-1984 now online
This database contains an index to divorces granted in Wisconsin between 1965 and 1984. Information listed includes names of husband and wife, ages of husband and wife, divorce date, and divorce county
Monday, December 22, 2008
Florida State Census, 1867-1945
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Delaware Marriage Records, 1744-1912 online
Information listed may include: names of bride and groom, ages of bride and groom, marriage date, and marriage place.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Quebec City Passenger Lists Index 1865-1900
Library and Archives Canada
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Coffin Plate of John Salladin 1822 ~ 1877
http://www.ancestorsatrest.com/coffin_plates/john_salladin_coffin_plate_1877.shtml
Monday, December 15, 2008
This Could Be Your Ancestor
Archaeologists do not know if they will be able to extract DNA from the brain. If they do, someone may find they have a very interesting story for their family tree.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Cabinet of Curiousities: A Bowl Full Of Goodies
Tombstone Tales: Gravestone Motifs Part 6

Cross
Cross - there are many different types of crosses. It is an Emblem of faith.
The crucifix, a Christian symbol, is a Latin cross with an image of Christ nailed to it and depicts the sacrifice Jesus made for human salvation
The shepherd's cross has a crooked apex and represents both the Christian faith and Jesus' role in guiding people through life and saving lost souls.
Also see Graven Images: Gravestone Motifs & Their Meanings
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Xmas in World War 2

I do not have a lot of family Xmas photos from days gone by but this one has to be my favorite. It is a photo of my grandfather Art Conn at a Xmas party during World War 2. I do not know the year of the photo, my best guess is 1943~44 but I do know it was taken in England.
Art was an aircraft mechanic working on the big bombers. I have other photos of him with smashed up and damaged aircraft but this one has to be my favorite. The Santa is a real work of art and I can only imagine what kind of drunken Xmas hijinks's they most likely got up to that night.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Tombstone Tales: Gravestone Motifs Part 5

Lamb
The Lamb indicates Purity, Innocence, Gentleness, Sacrifice. In Christianity it represents the sacrificial crucifixion of Christ for the sins of the world.
Also see Graven Images: Gravestone Motifs & Their Meanings
Thursday, December 11, 2008
More Frederick, Miami County, Ohio, Blacksmiths Ledger
if you want to have a look for one of your ancestors go to Ohio, Blacksmiths Ledger.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tombstone Tales: Gravestone Motifes Part 4

Willow Tree and clasped hands
Trees represent Life. Willows are found in a variety of styles. This symbol is of German origin and usually represents sorrow
Also see Graven Images: Gravestone Motifs & Their Meanings
Monday, December 08, 2008
Tombstone Tales: Gravestone Motifs Part 3

Hand with pointing finger
Hand with Finger Pointing represents Gone Home, Look to God, Direction. The pointing finger represents direction, whether physical, spiritual or psychological.
Also see Graven Images: Gravestone Motifs & Their Meanings
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Carnival of Genealogy: My Famous Canadian Ancestor, the first Canadian astronaut to walk in space
Chris was born in Sarnia Ontario, was a Wolf Cub and later joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets' 820 Blue Thunder Squadron. In 2005, the squadron was renamed 820 Chris Hadfield Squadron in his honour.
Chris trained as a pilot in the Canadian Forces and was top graduate in his jet training class in 1983. He flew CF-18 fighter jets on NORAD missions for three years.
In 1992, he successfully competed with more than 5300 applicants to join Canada's space program, and was assigned to NASA's Johnson Space Center
For his first shuttle mission in 1995, Hadfield was Mission Specialist #1 on Atlantis, operating the Canadarm for NASA's second space shuttle mission to rendezvous with the Russian Space Station Mir. On his next mission, as Mission Specialist on Endeavour in 2001, Hadfield spent 14 hours, 54 minutes outside the craft on two spacewalks, including the first by a Canadian.
Read more about Chris on Wikipedia or in "A History of the Facey Family of St. Winnow Parish, Cornwall" compiled by Jean Spearin. 1995
Interactive WW2 Records online at Footnote.com
The WW2 records include the first-ever interactive version of the USS Arizona Memorial, WWII Hero Pages, and millions of WWII photos and documents previously unavailable on the internet.
Search the WW2 Records
You can Upload photos, view timelines and maps, add your stories to the HERO pages. You can search the Arizona Memorial Wall for names you know. Leave a tribute, a story or photo for any USS Arizona casualty.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Tombstone Tales: Gravestone Motifs Part 2

Hand Holding an Anchor
The Anchor was used in the 18th and 19th centuries to represent hope or the deceased's seafaring profession. The hand, with its five fingers, takes on the meaning of the number five - love, health and humanity.
Also see Graven Images: Gravestone Motifs & Their Meanings
Friday, December 05, 2008
U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 Now Online
In the 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 census, names were recorded for individuals who died that year. These mortality death records usually have the name of the person who died, their age, sex, race, occupation, month of death, cause of death and often other details.
U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Tombstone Tales: Gravestone Motifs Part 1

Two hands joined typically signify union.
Also see Graven Images: Gravestone Motifs & Their Meanings
Monday, December 01, 2008
Harrison Eaton, Gracie A Gould and Charles G Torri
Coffin plates are decorative adornments attached to the coffin that contain free genealogical information like the name and death date of the deceased.
If you would like to have a look at the coffin plate index go to
Coffin Plates
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Coffin Plate of Joseph L Seavey 1799 ~ 1860
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Today On Ancestors At Rest, Lusitania Passenger Lists
I have added a list of Lusitania Passengers from the Pitsburgh Gazette Times. The Cunard Liner Lusitania, which sailed out of New York with more than 2,000 aboard. Was sunk off the Irish Coast by a German submarine in 1915.
If you want to take a look go to
Lusitania Passengers
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Coffin Plates For Bolton, Darling and Stickney
Coffin plates are decorative adornments attached to the coffin that contain free genealogical information like the name and death date of the deceased.
If you would like to take a look at the index to over 400 coffin plates go to Ancestorsatrest.com Coffin Plates
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Stone-Age 'Nuclear Family' Unearthed
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Cenotaph for Guelph, Ontario, Canada
I have added some photos of the Cenotaph in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. A cenotaph is a monument in honour of a person (or persons) who is buried elsewhere.
The following is a list of Cenotaph Records that I have gathered in my travels around Ontario, Canada. There are over 1300 of these Monuments in Canada, and most were constructed in the 1920s just after World War 1. In most cases the Cenotaphs were updated after World War 2 and Korea and I expect that a few will have to be updated again with the names of the men who died in Afghanistan.
Guelph Cenotaph, Wellington County, Ontario.
Meaford Cenotaph, Grey County, Ontario.
Port McNicoll Cenotaph, Simcoe County, Ontario.
Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Kingston Ontario.
Twenty First Canadian Infantry Battalion Kingston Ontario.
Elmvale Cenotaph Simcoe County, Ontario.
Saugeen Indian Reserve, Bruce County, Ontario.
Waverley, Simcoe County, Ontario, For the townships of Medonte, Tay, Tiny and Floss.
St. Marys, Perth County, Ontario
Cookstown, Ontario
Nichol Township, Salem Ontario.
Midland, Simcoe County Ontario.
Penetanguishene, Simcoe County Ontario.
If you want to take a look go to
Cenotaph Records
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Frederick, Miami County, Ohio, Blacksmiths Ledger
Francis Beck Mar 2 1869, page 12
George Beck Mar 2 1869, page 12
Henry Belston Feb 15 1869, page 10
D W Bowman Jan 12 1869, page 4
D W Bowman Feb 9 1869, page 9
D W Bowman Mar 2 1869, page 12
J Bowman Jan 28 1869, page 7
J Bowman Jan 28 1869, page 7
Jos Bowman Feb 23 1869, page 11
Jos Bowman Mar 3 1869, page 12
John Cassle Feb 4 1869, page 8
John Cassle Feb 9 1869, page 9
Cassle & Moat Feb 10 1869, page 9
Cassle & Moat Feb 13 1869, page 10
Jacob H Cincle? Feb 10 1869, page 9
David Craven Jan 11 1869, page 3
David Craven Jan 21 1869, page 5
David Craven Jan 25 1869, page 6
David Craven Feb 4 1869, page 8
David Craven Feb 13 1869, page 10
David Craven Feb 13 1869, page 10
David Craven Feb 19 1869, page 11
David Craven Feb 22 1869, page 11
Jacob Cress Jan 21 1869, page 5
Jacob Criss Feb 10 1869, page 9
Jacob Curtis Feb 19 1869, page 11
Noah Curtis Mar 2 1869, page 12
Geo Elliot Jan 25 1869, page 6
William Elliott Mar 1 1869, page 12
Wm Elliott Feb 4 1869, page 8
A Fenner Jan 12 1869, page 4
A Fenner Feb 8 1869, page 8
A. Fenner Jan 11 1869, page 3
A. Fenner Jan 12 1869, page 4
A. Fenner Jan 25 1869, page 6
Agustus Fenner Mar 1 1869, page 11
John Fenner Jan 11 1869, page 3
John Fenner Jan 12 1869, page 4
John Fenner Jan 25 1869, page 6
John Fenner Jan 25 1869, page 6
Lyda Fenner Jan 21 1869, page 5
Samuel Fenner Jan 25 1869, page 6
Henry Fissle Jan 25 1869, page 6
Henry Fissle Feb 9 1869, page 9
Henry Fissle Feb 27 1869, page 11
Henry Fissler Jan 12 1869, page 4
Henry Fissler Feb 10 1869, page 9
John G Fritz Jan 12 1869, page 4
A Furnas Feb 18 1869, page 10
Aaron Furnas Jan 11 1869, page 3
Aaron Furnas Jan 21 1869, page 5
Aaron Furnas Jan 28 1869, page 7
Aaron Furnas Feb 27 1869, page 11
Aaron Furnas Mar 2 1869, page 12
Aaron Furnas Jan 12 1869, page 4
Davis Furnas Jan 12 1869, page 4
Davis Furnas Jan 28 1869, page 7
Davis Furnas Feb 8 1869, page 9
Davis Furnas Feb 9 1869, page 9
Davis Furnas Feb 10 1869, page 9
Davis Furnas Feb 15 1869, page 10
Davis Furnas Mar 2 1869, page 12
Lida Furnas Feb 4 1869, page 8
Robert Furnas Feb 4 1869, page 8
Sam Furnas Jan 28 1869, page 7
Samuel Furnas Jan 11 1869, page 3
Samuel Furnas Jan 12 1869, page 4
Samuel Furnas Feb 13 1869, page 10
Samuel Furnas Feb 15 1869, page 10
Samuel Furnas Feb 15 1869, page 10
Samuel Furnas Mar 3 1869, page 12
Alex Helenick Jan 25 1869, page 6
Alex Helmick Feb 19 1869, page 11
John Hendrickson Feb 13 1869, page 10
Albert Kindle Feb 25 1869, page 11
Francis Krick Feb 4 1869, page 8
Frank Krick Jan 25 1869, page 6
John Leckman Mar 2 1869, page 12
John Leckrone Mar 3 1869, page 12
John Lecksone Jan 28 1869, page 7
John Lecksone Feb 4 1869, page 8
Geo Leopard Jan 11 1869, page 3
Geo Leopard Jan 25 1869, page 6
Geo Leopard Jan 28 1869, page 7
Geo Leopard Feb 19 1869, page 11
Geo Leopard Feb 23 1869, page 11
Geo Leopard Feb 27 1869, page 11
Geo Leopard Mar 1 1869, page 11
George Leopard Jan 21 1869, page 5
Eli Link/Sink Jan 11 1869, page 3
Eli Links/Sinks Jan 11 1869, page 3
Henry Lissle Jan 28 1869, page 7
Enoch Macy Jan 11 1869, page 3
Enoch Macy Jan 11 1869, page 3
Enoch Macy Jan 21 1869, page 5
Moses Macy Jan 28 1869, page 7
Thomas Macy Jan 11 1869, page 3
Thomas Macy Mar 1 1869, page 12
Thomas J Macy Jan 11 1869, page 3
Thomas J Macy Jan 12 1869, page 4
Thomas Macy Sr Jan 11 1869, page 3
Thomas Macy Sr Jan 12 1869, page 4
James Mahaffey Feb 17 1869, page 10
James Mahaffey Mar 2 1869, page 12
S P & D Miller Jan 12 1869, page 4
S P & D Miller Jan 25 1869, page 6
S P & D Miller Jan 21 1869, page 5
William A Moat Feb 13 1869, page 10
Henry Neal Feb 15 1869, page 10
Robert Pearson Jan 11 1869, page 3
Robert Pearson Feb 4 1869, page 8
Robert Pearson Feb 4 1869, page 8
Robert Pearson Feb 25 1869, page 11
Levi Prill Jan 12 1869, page 4
Levi Prill Feb 4 1869, page 8
Sam Reed Jan 11 1869, page 3
Sam Reed Jan 12 1869, page 4
Sam Reed Jan 12 1869, page 4
Sam Reed Jan 21 1869, page 5
Sam Reed Jan 25 1869, page 6
Sam Reed Jan 25 1869, page 6
Sam Reed Jan 28 1869, page 7
Samuel Reed Jan 11 1869, page 3
Samuel Reed Jan 21 1869, page 5
Samuel Reed Jan 28 1869, page 7
Samuel Reed Feb 4 1869, page 8
Samuel Reed Feb 8 1869, page 9
Samuel Reed Feb 9 1869, page 9
Samuel Reed Feb 11 1869, page 9
Samuel Reed Feb 15 1869, page 10
Samuel Reed Mar 1 1869, page 12
Samuel Reed Mar 2 1869, page 12
John Right Jan 21 1869, page 5
John Right Jan 25 1869, page 6
Michael Roderick Feb 4 1869, page 8
Michael Roderick Feb 17 1869, page 10
Michael Roderick Mar 1 1869, page 12
Eli Sinks Jan 21 1869, page 5
Eli Sinks Jan 28 1869, page 7
Eli Sinks Feb 4 1869, page 8
Samuel Snell Feb 4 1869, page 8
Samuel Snell Feb 18 1869, page 10
John Sticklager Jan 25 1869, page 6
John Stocklager Jan 12 1869, page 4
John Stocklager Jan 21 1869, page 5
John Stocklager Jan 28 1869, page 7
John Stocklager Feb 4 1869, page 8
John Stocklager Feb 9 1869, page 9
John Stocklager Feb 11 1869, page 10
John Stocklager Feb 11 1869, page 10
John Stocklager Mar 1 1869, page 12
John H? Stocklager Jan 28 1869, page 7
John Stoglager Jan 11 1869, page 3
John Stoglager Jan 21 1869, page 5
Jacob Stoner Jan 28 1869, page 7
Jacob Stoner Feb 11 1869, page 9
Jacob Stoner Feb 22 1869, page 11
Alex? Vore (Von?) Jan 28 1869, page 7
Thomas Werts Jan 11 1869, page 3
Thomas Werts Jan 21 1869, page 5
Charley Wolverton Jan 21 1869, page 5
Charly Wolverton Feb 24 1869, page 11
Eli Yount Jan 28 1869, page 7
Fred Yount Jan 25 1869, page 6
Frederick Yount Jan 25 1869, page 6
Eli Yourt Jan 12 1869, page 4
If you want to take a peek at the Frederick, Miami County, Ohio, Blacksmiths Ledger try
Frederick, Miami County, Ohio
Monday, November 03, 2008
McKee Cemetery, East Garafraxa Township, Duffern County, Ontario, Now Online
Grave Photo # 1 - Quarrie
Grave Photo # 2 - McGregor
Grave Photo # 3 - Graham
Grave Photo # 4 - Hutchinson
Grave Photo # 5 - Hutchinson
Grave Photo # 6 - ???
Grave Photo # 7 - Edwards
Grave Photo # 8 - ???
Grave Photo # 9 - Platt
Grave Photo # 10 - Edwards
Grave Photo # 11 - ???
Grave Photo # 12 - ???
Grave Photo # 13 - ???
Grave Photo # 14 - ???
Grave Photo # 15 - Taylor
Grave Photo # 16 - ???
Grave Photo # 17 - Mc Cracken
Grave Photo # 18 - Clulo
Grave Photo # 19 - Thomas
Grave Photo # 20 - Ivers
Grave Photo # 21 - Ritchie
Grave Photo # 22 - ???
Grave Photo # 23 - Alexander
Grave Photo # 24 - Qurrie
Grave Photo # 25 - Smith
Grave Photo # 26 - ???
Grave Photo # 27 - Young
Grave Photo # 28 - Young
Grave Photo # 29 - Loree
Grave Photo # 30 - ???
To take a look go to
McKee Cemetery
