Military Monday ~ East India's Company's Service

George Booth (1830 - 1859)  his wife Ann Read Booth (1831 - 1856) are both of England.

- Effects under L50

25 June 1877 -  Administration of the effects of George Booth formerly of Woolwich in the County of Kent Sergeant in the Royal Marines but late of Merriott in the County of Somerset a Gunner in the East India's Company's Service a widower who died 12 August 1859 at Neemuch in the Presidency of Bombay was granted at Taunton to George Paul Read Booth of Oxford-road New Windsor in the County of Berks Baker the Son and only Next of Kin.

George Booth (1830 - 1859) is my great great great Grandfather (I have no photos of him). My records show George Paul Read Booth (my great great Grandfather and no photos) is his only child and this above report would lead me to believe there are no other children.  I was thinking there may be others .. but I guess not.

The above is the Probate Court determining who is next in line for his estate.  The odd part is .. everyone else on that page died in 1877 .. but George Booth died back in 1859 so this is done 18 years later.

It states that he served in the Royal Marines as a Sergeant and Gunner in "East India's Company's" service. I was reading up on East India's Company and there was a significant battle that took place and they mention the city of Kabul (which is know is the capital of Afghanistan).  It was stating that the British sent soldiers to help in the battle and that those who volunteered in this battle were sending themselves on a suicide mission as there were few that survived. 

 

Bing Images

It states he died in "Neemuch" and this is what I found on that place ....
>>> Neemuch (Hindi: नीमच)   or Nimach is a town in the Malwa region in state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Neemuch shares its north eastern border with state of Rajasthan. It is the administrative headquarters of Neemuch District. Nimach is an abbreviation of "North India Mounted Artillery & Cavalry Headquarters". Formerly a large British cantonment of Gwalior princely state, the town in 1822 became the headquarters of the combined Rajputana–Malwa political agency and of the Malwa Agency in 1895. It is a road junction and distribution centre for agricultural products. It is the birthplace of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in 1939. The town hosts a large scale recruit training center for CRPF, and still maintains Neemuch's British Military Cantonment, one of the first of its kind in India. Neemuch is known as India's Eye donation capital as it accounts for the highest per capita eye donation rate in the country. Neemuch has been known for the production of opium, through the government-owned Opium and Alkaloid Works. Handloom weaving is the major industry here. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It also states that this was "granted in Taunton".   This is what I learned about "Taunton".
>>> Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset.The town has over 1,000 years of religious and military history, and is now undergoing a regeneration project. It has various transport links which support its central role in economy and commerce. Taunton is the site of Musgrove Park Hospital and Somerset County Cricket Club's County Ground and is home to 40 Commando, Royal Marines. Central Taunton is part of the annual West Country Carnival circuit. The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office is located on Admiralty Way.  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And this is what I found out about East India Company and the British during this time . . .

The British had control over almost all the parts of India except the Mughal Empire, which was  achieved during Sepoy Mutiny of 1857.In the Indian Mutiny of 1857-1858 the 2nd Goorkhas showed striking proof of their loyalty at Delhi where, together with the 60th Rifles (now part of The Rifles), they held Hindu Rao's house, the key to the British position which was under continuous fire from the mutineers, for over three months.  During this period the 2nd Goorkhas suffered 327 casualties (including 8 of their 9 British Officers) out of a total strength of 490.  Also during the mutiny, 12 Nepalese Army Regiments, a force of 8,000 men under the personal leadership of the Prime Minister of Nepal, took part in the final relief of Lucknow.  Taken from http://www.army.mod.uk/gurkhas/history.aspx/

It appears he never made it back to England alive and it took them 18 years to actually claim his as dead. Don't know .. that's just speculation.   What an interesting story ....   I sure am learning a lot about history.  :)

Warm Regards, 

Sepia Saturday

Ahhhh  look at all the fun those people are having! It's a nice day out and appears the sun is shining. So I went digging around in the family photos to see what I could find to fit the theme. 

Florence Weiss    Laura Mulder Ferrier   Arthur Ferrier      Tillie Rhea

 The couple in the center are my paternal great grandparents, Laura (nee Mulder) Ferrier and Arthur Ferrier.  The two women on either side of them I don't know (Florence and Tillie) but I assume they are friends.  The back of the photo lists all their names and "Long Beach Pike 1923".  They seem overdressed to me to have a fun day at the Pike but maybe that's just the way it was back then.  There must be a chill in the air the way they are bundled up.

Long Beach California "Pike" 1924

                            Laura Mulder Ferrier immigrated to the United States in 1887 from Holland.  She originally settled in Nebraska where she met Arthur.  They married in 1901 and had two daughters (one who was my Grandmother) and one son. Arthur was an Architect and thought if he moved the family to Los Angeles there would be more opportunities for jobs for him as Los Angeles was a growing city. 

Laura Ferrier, Esther (left), John, Elsie  1908

This photo of Laura and the three children was taken in 1908 just prior to the family's move to Los Angeles. Once they arrived Arthur discovered that  obtaining architect jobs was difficult.  Finances became tough and they ended up putting their three children in an orphanage. Both Arthur and Laura worked doing anything they could to bring in an income. They visited their children weekly and after a year or so, when they were more stable, the children came back home.  The family remained in Los Angeles for the remainder of their lives. (The little girl on the left, Esther, was my Grandmother.)   *I know this information because I spent time with my grand aunt Edith Capen Ferrier who shared family history stories with me.  Edith lived to be 100 years before she passed.

My great grandparents came a long way... beginning in Nebraska, moving to California, not able to find work, to becoming stable and enjoying at day at the Pike!

Warm Regards, 

Written Word Wednesday ~ Handwriting

So many of us are thrilled when we find handwritten documents from one of our ancestors.  Especially those notes with just random thoughts or what the writer was doing that day.  It's the simple things that my ancestors did that intrigue me. .. was it sunny out?  were there children running around outside?  is there an ice cream truck going by with it's music playing?  who did they talk to on the phone that day?  Wouldn't it be fun if we all found a written note from an ancestor.. lets say ... three generations back?  Three generations back would take me to the mid-1800's.  I would love to read something written by my great great grandparents.  I'd love to read what a typical day was for them.  What did they serve for dinner?  What was the family like and who talked to who.   

So .. with all that being said I am going to put more focus on keeping my journaling up. I began writing in journals for four special people in my life about fifteen years ago. Yes.. that's four separate journals with my individual thoughts for each person. I keep them tucked away, but close by, and know they will be found when I'm gone. I went back and read what I wrote years ago and its amazing what was going on at the time.  I'm so glad I enjoy writing.

"Written Word Wednesday" is going to remind me that it's time to write. . . write something... anything.  I think the written word is disappearing and I find that sad.  I don't want it to go away.  With all of us blogging and texting, no one receives, or sends, anything handwritten anymore.  I want my descendants to know about how I lived and what my handwriting looked like.  

So I am going back to my writing and I will post a snippet of what I write. Something to indicate that I'm keeping up with my journal writing.  I hope many of you will join me.  So whether you write in a journal or send an actual letter off in the mail I think it will be fantastic if we all brought back the written word and then shared about it in our blog.  I'd love to hear your story on how you are bringing back the written word for your decedents.

"Wednesday, June 20, 2012

There's a cool breeze and it's about 68°.  We just celebrated Father's Day this past Sunday and I had some of the family over; Mark, Cassie, Marcus, Matthew, and three of their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Craig and their son Darren.  We BBQ'd and enjoyed the pool.  It was a lot of fun.  I'm sorry it's been a long time since I've written in my journal and for that I feel bad.  I will do my best to keep up with my writings.  

 Much Love  .  .  .  " 

Warm Regards,  

Tuesday Tip ~ Lists of Children in Orphanages

Courtesy of Bing Images

Have you been looking through census records only to find the children seemed to have disappeared?  You wonder what could have happened to them or where did they go.  I had that happen to me.  I saw my Great Grandparents on the census alone and their young children were not with them.  I couldn't imagine what could have happened. I began an intense search for them and just by luck, not sure how I found them, but they showed up in an orphanage!    I asked a living relative about it and I was told that when the family arrived in California from Nebraska the jobs were much harder to get then they thought and they had a difficult time caring for their children.  The children were put in the orphanage where, I was told, my great grandparents visited them weekly but had to place them there temporarily so they could both work.  Ten years later the next census showed the family back together again.  

So my Tuesday Tip for you today is to be sure and check orphanage records!  Here's orphanage records for  .  .  .

FEDERAL and STATE CENSUS INFORMATION Lists of Children Residing in Orphanages Jewish & Other Denominations

Courtesy of Bing Images

 

I hope this Tip urges you to search places you may not have thought of.  We have to think of the times and what parents had to do for the family to survive. 

Warm Regards, 

Sepia Saturday

The theme for this weeks Sepia Saturday led me to focus on "legs".  It brought me back in my memory banks to a conversation I had with my Mother many years ago.  It's coming back to me pretty clearly and a memory I hadn't thought about in a long, long time.  This photo of the couples legs was a trigger to a pleasant afternoon with my Mom and a conversation we had over a hot cup of coffee .  .  .  

My Mother (left) and her sister, my Aunt (right)

I loved my conversations with my Mom and I miss them dearly.  Mom passed away just over one year ago. She knew my love for genealogy and family history and we had many conversations on our family's past.  This one afternoon Mom was sharing with me what it was like for her, and others, in the 1940's. She shared with me the difficulty in getting what us women think now as simple things, such as nylons. Mom explained that nylon was scarce and in much demand during WWII.  Mom, with her cigarette tapping the ashtray, and a steaming cup of coffee on the table, shared with me how she wore makeup on her legs to appear she was wearing nylons.  She smiled and laughed as she shared what that was like... painting her legs and then when she wanted to look "real good" she'd have someone draw a line in the back with and eyebrow pencil to resemble the seam.  She laughed as she shared what she used to do.  She then added ... the only problem was you had to stay away from water and if the boys knew you had leg makeup on they would try to push you in the sprinklers.  I loved it how Mom got lost in her stories.  She knew she had a captive audience in me and she knew I held on to every word she said. 

Photo Courtesy of Bing

During the war nylon was needed for parachutes among other things.  Mom reminded me that money was short and cosmetics were hard to get so you'd have to get creative. Mom told me one had to just "make do" with what you had. 

She shared some of the following tips which we both laughed about (although very useful even today);

• Use red lipstick for rouge.
• Bath in tea bags to help you look more tan.
• No lipstick? Boil red vegetables (beets) and rub on your lips.
• Put oatmeal and egg whites on your face for a nice facial.
• Use strips of rags for curlers. Wet hair, wrap hair around the rag and tie the ends of the rags together. When you wake up you have beautiful curls.  (My Mom actually curled my hair a lot that way when I was young)
• Need your hair lightened? Put lemon juice in your hair and go out in the sun. 
  

I Love You Mom and miss you and our talks very much. 

I hope this Sepia Saturday brought back some nice memories for all of you.

Warm Regards, 

Mystery Monday ~ Where is the Furtney Family now?

 I have an old photo album that was acquired at a garage sale.  Most of the photos in it are not marked. But there are a few with names and I'd like to get them to their family.  Unfortunately my scanner is down so I took photos of these pictures with my phone (yikes!)   I love old photos and I especially like to look at the background.  Look at that car, it's wonderful.  

I've included a photo of the back of that family picture.  It reads "this is 4 generations Myself & Lillie Edward and his son Vernon Furtney"  I searched these names on ancestry.com and I believe I found their family tree  :)  I will contact the owner of that family tree and direct him to these photos.  I hope these photos belong to them as I'd like to get them in the mail to their family.  Wouldn't we all like to receive a surprise like this? It would be wonderful if I had lost family photos that came back home. 

  
This looks like such a lovely couple.  The same name appears on the back - Furtney.  As I look closely at the picture, she has a wedding ring on and some chain hanging in front of her.  I'm not sure what that is.  He has a chain in front as well and I assume that's his pocket watch.  Also, I've notice in most old photos the subjects are never smiling.  I wonder if they were told not to.

  There is writing on the back on this photo as well.  I've included a picture of it here and as you see it's very difficult to read.  Looking at the original photo it appears to say "Mrs Maud Furtney Ft. Dodge, Iowa".   Interesting because the back of the photo also has the emblem of the photographer A. Larson who is from Minneapolis, Minn.  I will update my blog if I find the family of these photos  :)

Warm Regards,

Saturday Surprise ~ I found our Dead Baby!

I hope that title didn't shock anyone but that's exactly what happened . . . I found our dead long lost baby!  I have been looking litterly for years. My Grandfather told me, when I was a child, that he had a sister who died when she was a baby. The circumstances weren't discussed .. .that I recall.. but I had remembered hearing about a child that died. I also remember, at one time, seeing her in a coffin. I've haven't seen that picture since and have no clue where it is. All I knew was that the child was a girl, named Clara or similar, about 2 years old, and she died in the Cleveland Ohio area. Her parents were Andreas and Anna Rasmussen who immigrated to the United States from Denmark in 1889 and they settle in Cleveland. They remained in Cleveland for a while and had ten children, with six living (per census records) I knew the six living as they were my Grandfather and his five sisters (my great aunts). I remember my Aunts well. One of them is "Auntie" who I wrote about earlier in this blog. The family eventually traveled West settling in California. So for the past ten years or so my cousin (another genealogy fanatic) and I have been searching for her throughout Cleveland and all over Ohio. We both searched every record we could; baptismal, cemeteries, this list, that list, etc. It was years. I eventually put it away and focused on other areas. My cousin and I were so frustrated because we KNEW she existed, just knew it, but couldn't find her. We heard stories of my Great Grandmother having all those children and losing several,one who was baby Clara. But I put it to rest for a bit.. a long bit.. finally after about a year I decided to begin looking again.  I was reading blogs and saw on one of them something about Ohio records being updated. I thought, what the heck, let me try her again. I did a little searching... didn't actually take that long and within an hour I found her! I about fell over. You all know that feeling! I was consumed with emotion and so driven to keep going, to confirm my facts, to tell myself this HAS to be her!   I found her on this "Register of Internments" that I posted here.  There she is ... little Clara! Then I discovered she was only 10 months old when she died. I thought I recalled her being closer to 2 years old so my memory was incorrect. Her name is spelled incorrectly as it's listed there as Rasmuson, Clara M. when it's actually Rasmussen - very close though. 
Oh No! Another problem!  Look at that record ... the Cemetery name is blank! You've got to be kidding!  So I think I've found her but I'm back to searching cemeteries in Cleveland!  Wait... I was able to go back a page on that record.  The page prior says Woodland Cemetery.  Ah ha!   So now I move over to Woodland Cemetery, Cleveland Ohio records.  Low and behold that cemetery has a search feature!  I put in Clara and there she is!   There's a details button and when I click on that it lists her home address in Cleveland, which I know so well from looking at many census records. It also shows she died of "Cholera Infantum" a fact I didn't know.  But wait... there are other babies buried in with her.  I start  clicking on their details and they are at the family's home address as well.  My eyes wander down the list and there's another baby!  Buried in the same area but not in the same plot.  She has the home address!  Not only did I find Clara but I also found her three stillborn siblings (unnamed).   I now can put to rest the 10 births and 6 living from the census records.  The 4 missing are all together at the same cemetery in Cleveland. My cousin and I are elated! The last names are all spelled incorrectly but it's confirmed by the home address on the "details" link.  

I immediately updated my family tree, I updated findagrave, and I have such a feeling of accomplishment. On the cemetery's web page it states they will take photos if requested.  So, of course, I requested photos to be taken. They might not even have markers but to have a photo of the area where they are would be wonderful.  So let's hope I get some photos :)  

I also wrote my check and mailed in for her death certificate.  What an exciting treat that will be. 

This is a lesson on NEVER giving up.  For ten years, at least, I've been looking for this little girl. I will update the blog if I get photos of their graves and the death certificate.   I'm in California and tickled pink! 

Warm Regards,

Tuesday Tip ~ Old Death Records

I find this a fascinating site and get lost in time reading all the information posted here. OldDeathRecords.org is a Database of Death Records, Obituaries, Old Newspaper Mortuary Notices and other Death Articles, including Old Murders, Shootings, Suicides, and other causes of death.  The collection includes Death and Necrology Lists, Newspaper Death Lists, and Links to other Death Databases and Collections of Obituaries. You can add your own family's obituaries and death information so that others can gain access to it.  Be sure to search here when looking for lost relatives!   http://www.olddeathrecords.org/


Here's a sample of one I found quite interesting . . .

Colburn, Joseph d. 1891

Feud and Shot Gun.


RICHLAND, Minn., Nov. 21.---Joseph Colburn and his nephew, Charles Peaslee, revived and old feud yesterday. They quarreled about a colt. Colburn knocked Peaslee down. Peaslee got a gun and killed Colburn, filling his breast with buckshot.
Dallas Morning News, Dallas, TX 22 Nov 1891

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

Warm Regards,

An Amazing Treasure I Found Tucked Away . . .

As I was going through my Mother's things, after her death, I found tucked away, an envelope with her home address hand written on it.  It struck me because we seldom find hand written anything any more.  It was addressed at an old address of her's, where she lived when she was in her 20's.  The envelope was a bit wrinkled which I felt added character.   Here was a part of my Mom's past.  This letter had been air mailed to her.  I opened the envelope and carefully pulled out the letter that was placed inside.  As I read it, I got a sense it was from an old friend. As I continued reading I found it was from a gentleman that was apologizing to my Mother for his behavior.  The gentleman goes on to explain that his Mother had told him she knew my Mother was seeing another man. He goes on to let my Mother know that he will let her be and for her to enjoy this other man's company. The letter appeared sweet and had a sense of innocence about it.  This letter was written by a young man who was in the Army and stationed in Korea.  He talks a bit about things he's seen.  This letter was dated July 6, 1946.  The other man that my Mother was seeing was my Father.  :)   I'm so glad I found this letter and was able to get a peek into my Mom's past.. at a time when her and my Dad had just begun dating.  My Mom and Dad married in August of 1950.  So through this letter I've learned that they dated three years before marriage.   What a fantastic find.  Thanks Mom for saving this letter for so long.   Well, I took this letter one step further.  I researched the name of the writer of this letter and found he was still alive and not far from me.  I did the unthinkable.  Hee Hee .  Through the use of the internet I was able to find this man's phone number.  I kept hesitating but then decided to call him.  If he were alive, he would be in his 80's. I made the call and unbelievably I was able to speak to him!  I tried to explain who I was, and that I found a letter he had written to my Mother over 60 years ago.  He chuckled when I explained who I was.  He didn't recall my Mother.  I read the letter to him, hoping to jog his memory but it didn't.  He did say it sounded like a letter he would write. He was amazed that my Mother had kept this letter for so long.  We talked about how he must have been important to her.  I asked if he wanted a copy of the letter and he shared that he would.  It was such a wonderful experience to reach out and find someone that once was part of my Mother's life when she was so young.   It was a wonderful find.  Thank you Mom! 

Warm Regards,