Tuesday, March 22, 2011

I Am So Grateful -- But . . .

Is it me (or are there others of you who agree with me)?  I only listed my blog with Geneabloggers about four months ago -- and it's been nothing but wonderful. In October 2010, there were 341 page views -- mainly from my immediate family (and undoubtedly me) since I haven't changed the settings to exclude my own page views.  In the past month, I've had nearly 3000 page views.  What a difference becoming part of Geneabloggers has made for me.

When I initially joined Geneabloggers, I was jealous of the people who had had their blog acknowledged with an "Ancestor Approved" designation.  I wondered if anyone would ever think my blog was worthy of such an award. I was absolutely thrilled when Jenn of Roots and Stones  recognized my blog in early January with the Ancestor Approved Award.  Part of your obligation when you accept this award is that you must then pass on the award to 10 additional blogs.  For me, this was a very rewarding task because it forced me to look at numerous blogs.  I started "following" several of my awardees and have corresponded with many of them.  In many cases I admire their creativity and writing style.  They are part of my "Dashboard" and "Google Reader" and my life has been enriched though this process.

Fast forward two months.  On March 14th, Margel of 2338 W. Washington Blvd. awarded me the "One Lovely Blog Award."  I am a total fan of Margel's blog and have cited her blog in the past.  I was thrilled -- but -- after my experience with "Ancestor Approved", I did not know if I could accept it.  Unlike three months ago, I probably "follow" more than 30 blogs and my google reader is loaded every day.  I started searching for other candidates for this award and discovered that many already had this award.  Since I'm a former math teacher, I wondered how long it would take everyone in Geneabloggers to receive this award.

Here's my hypothetical situation.  I receive the award.  I award it to 15 bloggers.  They each award it to 15 more.  Theoretically, in just a couple of days, the math could work out like this:
1 blogger awards the designation to 15 additional bloggers -- total 16
The second group of 15 award it to 15 additional bloggers -- 225 + 16
Those 225 bloggers identify 15 blogs each to receive  the award -- 225 X 15 = 3375

So if I'm doing my math correctly, in just three cycles, 3616 blogs would receive the award.  What's really scary is to realize that if 3375 bloggers award 15 bloggers each with the award, that's an additional 50,625 recipients.  I think you get the idea.  (Besides, there are only about 1700 bloggers listed in Geneabloggers.  This results in the same blogs necessarily being recognized repeatedly). 

By the way, before I could even decide how I was going to handle this latest award, I was notified by Leslie Ann of Ancestors Live Here that she, too, had selected me to be a recipient of the "One Lovely Blog Award." As much as I was complimented and thrilled that Leslie Ann felt that Family Matters was worthy of this award, I'm afraid I am going to have to decline all future awards of this type. Instead, I'm making a resolution to recognize those blogs that have had special significance for me. I love this community that I've joined, the people who have chosen to "follow" me, and what I've learned from so many of you. But I want to get back to the reason for this blog in the first place -- namely, that the JONES FAMILY MATTERS.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Kathy

Friday, March 18, 2011

Protecting Your Blog

Yesterday I was reading a post from one of the blogs I follow, 2338 W. Washington Blvd.  In her latest post "Pondering about Blog Posts," Margel captured so many of the reasons I enjoy blogging.  At one point, she mentioned the "panic" she experienced when she thought she had lost a post she had spent three hours writing.  I can so identify.

Although this is not a solution for the loss Margel was discussing, it made me think of the times I've read about people accidentally deleting their entire blog.  That was always one of my worries -- because if anybody can do this, I can.  I commented on Margel's blog that I have found a partial solution.  We all get annoying pop-up ads and I had seen one repeatedly for Blog2Print. I decided to check out the site, because I have a cousin who has repeatedly asked me if I could print out my blog -- something I've had no desire to do.

Another one of my favorite bloggers, Nancy of My Ancestors and Me read my comment and suggested I do a post on this topic.  I steer away from advertising and try to limit my posts to my family history, but I'm following up on Nancy's suggestion -- because I feel very strongly about preserving my work.

When you go to the website, you type in the URL for your blog, and depending on the size of your blog, the whole thing is uploaded in a few minutes.  It then takes you to a page where you can click on any posts you want to include.  This is a great feature because I could just select two families and choose all posts related to them.   You then can choose the cover, title, add pictures, write a dedication, etc.  The nice thing is that you don't have to do it all at once.  It will save a book you have in process.

Another option, and I'd pay attention to this one, is that you can have the pages printed exactly as you set them up, or you can let the software rearrange your pictures to save space.  You can preview it both ways.  I chose the option to print it the way I set it up.  Here is a sample page:


It will give you the price, and like all of these sites, you can wait because they are bound to have a sale soon.  I was impatient and ordered this one right away.  From the day I submitted the book to the day I received it was FOUR days -- despite their claim that I'd have it in a couple of weeks.  I chose standard shipping.

The book was so beautiful and the pictures of such high quality that I ordered a second book, focusing on other family lines. This time they were running a sale discounting the book by 15%.  Again, it arrived four days from when I ordered it.

As you can see, each blog post is separated by a title in enlarged text and in a different color. Last night I took my two books to the Board meeting for our local Genealogical Society. They could not believe the quality. If I were ever going to "monetize" this blog, it would be to promote this company. (I'm not there yet). When my family members saw the books, they immediately wanted to order copies for themselves. My siblings are even talking about buying copies for their children as Christmas presents.

So thank you, Nancy, for the suggestion. Should any of you have other ideas on how to preserve your blog so you can sleep better, let me know. If you try out this option, I'd love to know if it worked for you.


On a completely separate note, I want to join the rest of my family in welcoming 7 lb. 11 oz. Benjamin Matthew Jones to the family.  He is my great-nephew.  My thoughts are with his parents and older sister.  Benjamin has no idea what a wonderful family he was born into.  We welcome him with joy.

Great Aunt Kath

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Google Genealogy News Timeline Tool

Today I made a "new-to-me" discovery.  I am a fan of many of the tools that google has developed that make doing research so much more interesting.  Through the GeneaBloggers Daily, I came across this video:



I was unaware of Lisa Louise Cooke's GenealogyGems website, but I'm sure I'll be a frequent visitor. I tested googles' NewsTimeline tool.  I searched on these terms:  Longview Cincinnati 1879.  Up came three articles about the "Longview Insane Asylum" placed within the context of other news stories of the day.  What an incredible tool!

Regular readers of this blog know that I have been researching the Longview Insane Asylum in preparation for a post I intend to write about my gg-grandfather who died while a patient there in 1879.  The state of this mental health facility was deplorable.  If you read my post on "Graham Crackers and Corn Flakes" you realize just how little we knew about the causes of mental illness.

It's one thing to not understand what causes mental illness, but it's quite another to treat the "inmates" with so little compassion.  This article was published in the Three Rivers Tribune, April 3, 1979.


To describe this kind of treatment and then conclude that the attendant "has the sympathy of all the attendants" is just beyond my comprehension.  It seems that if you weren't "insane" when you arrived, you would become insane once admitted for "treatment".

If you haven't tried out this tool yet, search on one of the topics you are researching.  I'd be interested in whether or not your search proves as interesting as mine.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Celebrating 50 Years!

The Golden Lamb is recognized as Ohio's longest continuously-run business, opening its doors in 1803.  Over the years it has undergone a lot of renovation and additions. Twelve U.S. Presidents and other dignitaries have visited during the history of this inn and restaurant.  James Garfield was the first President to visit the inn and G.W. Bush was the most recent.  It is one of my brother Don's favorite places.

Don and his wife, Frani, invited his siblings, their spouses and any children still living at home to enjoy a birthday dinner in honor of the "BIG 5-0."  We were treated to not only wonderful food, but wonderful company, great stories and a sense of history.

When Don was born, the 7th of seven, my Dad did not participate in his birth.  He stayed at home taking care of the oldest six.  I was rooting for a girl, and admit to being initially disappointed when the phone call came that we had another boy -- Boys 5, Girls 2.  (In hindsight, that was the best possible outcome because what would a lone girl at the end of the line have done with no female siblings close in age).

We had a pattern of naming everyone with the same first initial.  The first three boys were Tom, Tim and Ted and the two girls were Kathleen and Karen.  Mom wasn't really in love with any more names that started with a "T", so when Dan came along, she switched to "D".  Don followed that pattern.  Our "common" names were somewhat intentional.  Mom always said that she wasn't going to give us "unusual" first names to balance out our "common" last name (Jones).  I can't say we followed that "rule" in the next generation.

Don asked me to tell the "potato" story. With Mom in the hospital giving birth, Dad asked me to ride my bike to the grocery store and buy some potatoes. He gave me a dollar. In 1961, 25 pounds of potatoes could be purchased for 99 cents -- and that's exactly what I bought. I struggled to balance this sack of potatoes on my bike, but I successfully got home with all 25 pounds of them. I don't think that's what Dad had in mind.


Just before we cut the cake, we asked our waitress to take a picture of those in attendance. We then had to sing the "Jones Version" of Happy Birthday, complete with harmony and a second song.  The verse of the second song has these lyrics:

Today is your birthday
That is what I've been told
On the day of your birthday 
You are one more year old
On the cake there'll be candles
All lighted for you
And the whole world is singing
Happy birthday to you.

We then sing, "Make a wish and blow out the candles, wishes for good boys and girls come true . . . "
It was beautiful.  You can hear both songs from an old 78 RPM on the post for Ted's birthday. (The youngest generation will have to "google" 78 RPM).  Don then blew out the candles -- each candle representing a decade!

Don, Haley and Frani

 Bill and I enjoyed "comparing notes" with Ted at dinner, so afterward, Bill took a picture of Ted and Sally.

Sally and Ted
A great time was held by all.  Happy birthday, Don, and thanks.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

It's Don's 50th Birthday!

Don, Dad, "Pop", Charles Henry and Alexander Jones
Don's Baptism
Regular readers of this blog know by now that I've been trying to put together a post for each of my sibling's birthdays.  Today is Don's birthday, and it is a special one.  I can't believe my brother Don, the littlest of the "little kids", is 50 years old today!  We are the bookends of the family.  I am the oldest and he is the youngest with 12 years separating us.

My goal in these posts is to feature some pictures from when each of my siblings was little.  When you are the youngest of seven, you begin to think that no one ever took pictures of you.  You know how it is -- the first-born gets studio pics -- it's such a novelty.  By the time the younger ones come along, no one seems to care.

Because of our age difference, however, I was getting to the age when I had my first camera -- one of those little "brownie" cameras that had very low resolution.  Using a flash bulb was beyond the budget and reserved for special occasions.  Even coming up with the money from my allowance for film development took a little bit of doing.  Boy, have things changed.

As Don was growing up, I was a little Mother Hen.  I was old enough to actually be responsible for feeding him his baby food while Mom prepared dinner and changing diapers as needed.  I never could understand why any girls would be interested in dolls when I had real, live, warm, cuddly responsive babies in my life.  I still remember this outfit -- the shorts were bright red and with a matching red collar on the shirt.


Tim holding Dan and Don

It's hard for me to overcome my desire to jump to discussing Don as an adult, a husband, a father of two beautiful girls, a businessman, and above all a boat captain -- but I shall resist. I gathered some of the "old" pictures and put them together with "old" music, especially for his daughters.  Here is the link: Don's Photoshow

Most of us will be together later today to celebrate this wonderful day. Just know that one of the greatest joys of my life was being able to be the "big sister".

Love,

Kath

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Women's History Month -The Women in My Family


I've read several posts this month in which the contributions of women have been acknowledged.  It made me think about the women who are responsible for my existence.  As I have said many times -- I come from a long line of strong women.

Pictured in the collage above are both my maternal and paternal foremothers. Starting in the top row:

Me - Kathleen Ann Jones Hellmann Reed
My Mother - Virginia Roseanna Ryan Jones Godar Klug
My Maternal Grandmother - Virginia Elizabeth Vonderheide Ryan
My Maternal Great-Grandmother - Anna Catherine Moser Vonderheide
My Maternal Grandfather's Mother - Mary "Rose" Agnes Pauline Gross Ryan

My Paternal Grandmother - Norine Lucy Dailey Cronin Jones
My Paternal Great-Grandmother - Lucy Probert Cronin
My Paternal Grandfather's Mother - Rachel Adela Wainright Jones
My Paternal Grandfather's Grandmother - Mary Elizabeth Darby Wainright
My Paternal Grandfather's Paternal Grandmother - Elizabeth Kinley Jones

Three were widowed and had to figure out how to raise very young children on their own.
Three were seamstresses with a real passion for sewing.  One of these was also a milliner.
Only my mother married after having been widowed -- twice.
They are Irish, English, German and Pennsylvania Dutch.
Most lived relatively long lives, with the exception of Rachel who died at the age of 41 of "consumption."
They had from to two to nine children, averaging five.
They range from women who can trace their ancestors to the Revolutionary War and first-generation Americans.
They are me -- and I am grateful for all of them.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Tom's Birthday -- My Irish Twin


It's Tom's Birthday! It's that time of the year when for three weeks just this side of spring that we are the same age. My mother used to say that we were "Irish twins" -- a term used for siblings born less than 12 months apart. There was no time in my life that I don't remember Tom being a part of it.

In a comment to a post about another family birthday, Tom's daughter, Melissa, asked, "Was my Dad ever a kid?" That's what happens when you are one of the "big kids." All family pictures show you as older than everyone else. So I tried to take up Melissa's challenge and see if I could find pictures of her Dad as a kid.

Tom

The pictures in the collage at the top of the page include one of my favorites of Tom and I sitting on the steps of our Grandmother's house in Wyoming.  The other picture was "clipped" from a family movie.  Tom is parading in on Easter Sunday with his cousins, Chuck and Bill.  I was also able to crop a picture of Tom as a little boy from another family picture.



Dogs were always a part of our growing up.  T-Bone was one of the dogs of our youth.   Here he is pictured with Tim and Tom.





As an adult, Tom has loved and owned horses. Pictured is Tom on a horse on a family vacation to the apple orchard home of the Crowell's in Carbondale, Illinois. Mary Davis Crowell was one of Mom's best childhood friends.


I don't know where to draw the line.  My goal is to share some pictures that I'm sure most of my siblings have never seen.  So let me add a couple more.



I had forgotten that Tim and Tom played on Kiwanis Little League baseball teams. The picture almost looks like everyone was told to stand at attention.












Let me complete this birthday tribute with one of my favorite pictures. Tom has never been able to escape his role as the big brother -- thankfully for all of us, it's been a role he's always played well. I think I can speak for all of us when I say, "Happy birthday, Tom and we LOVE you."



Kath

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Robert Willis Darby

Photo Credit:  Wikipedia
Robert Darby was the first member of the Darby family to be born in the United States. He was born in Cincinnati on April 17, 1842.  What I know of Robert's life comes by way of Edwin Cyrus Darby's family history:
Father's brother, Robert, married Mary Pacey, an English girl.  Had five sons and four daughters. The boys' names: Jonathan, William, Harry, Arthur. I forget the other boy's name.  The girls: Elizabeth, Bettie, Nellie, Zylpha.  Jonathan married and went to South Carolina.  Had a family.  Willis went to California, married there and died young. If they had any children, I don't know it.  Harry married and lives in Avondale where he was born. Arthur, I believe, went to Massachusetts to live.  Married and had a family.  I don't know anything about Uncle Robert and Aunt Mary.  Both died. She went first a good while ago.  So ends that chapter.
So Edwin left some holes in the story -- holes I've not yet filled. I do know, that like his father before him, Robert was a painter. His death certificate refers to him as a "contracting painter." I know that not only was the family involved in the painting of houses, but also used their talents as sign painters. Robert's wife, Mary, died in 1910 at the age of 65. Robert lived with two of his daughters who remained unmarried.

Near the end of the Civil War, Robert signed up with his brother, Joseph, enlisting in the 191st Ohio Volunteer Infantry on March 8, 1865. (They were previously part of the 185th OVI, enlisting February 13th).  Robert was 22.  The 191st was first ordered to Winchester, Virginia where Major-General Hancock was organizing the First Army Corps. At Harper's Ferry, the regiment was stopped and ordered to report to General John R. Brooke. They were assigned to the Second Brigade, Second Division, Army of the Shenandoah. Their only duty was garrison duty in the valley until they were mustered out on August 27, 1865 in Winchester.  The war was all but over when Lee surrendered on April 9th.

USS Carondolet
For some reason during that period, Robert must have volunteered to become part of the Navy. He became a Corporal and became a member of the crew of the USS Carondolet.  I have not been able to find the date of his transfer to the navy, but I doubt that he saw much action by the time he got there.  This ironclad boat along with similar Confederate boats had played a major role in the war along the Mississippi River.  Here is a picture of the Carondolet in a battle in 1862.

Bombardment and Capture of Island Number Ten on the Mississippi River, April 7, 1862
Colored lithograph published by Currier & Ives, New York, circa 1862.

He served enough time, however, to have it mentioned in his obituary.

OBITUARY: (no date on clipping) CIVIL WAR VETERAN DIES - R.W. Darby was in River Fighting at Close of Conflict. Robert W. Darby, 81 years old, 726 Whittier Street, last surviving member of the crew of the United States steamer Carondelet, active at the close of the Civil War, died at his home late Saturday. He had been ill several months. At the beginning of the Civil War, Mr. Darby enlisted with the One Hundred and Ninety -- first Ohio Regiment and later became a member of the crew of the Carondelet, operating on the Mississippi River. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Naval Veterans and Knights of Pythias. Surviving him are five daughters and three sons. Mr. Darby was born in Cincinnati.

Both the G.A.R. and Naval Veterans will conduct services at the funeral which will take place tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock.

Robert W. Darby (1842-1922)
Robert, along with several members of his family, is buried in the Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church Cemetery.  As I've mentioned before, this blog often serves as "cousin bait."  Perhaps one of Robert's descendants will be researching their ancestor and be referred to this post.  Should I hear from one of them, I will update what we know about our Darby ancestors.  

Again I must recognize the contribution of Martha Darby Rutter, who forwarded a copy of Robert's obituary to me and her g-grandfather's Darby Family History.

Update:  I recently discovered through newspaper articles from the Cincinnati Enquirer that Robert Darby had apparently participated in one of the most significant battles of the Civil War near Vicksburg on the Carondolet. The top part of the article pictured was entitled "Vengeance for the Maine's Dead."  It appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer. April 17, 1898, p. 29.



Thursday, March 3, 2011

Putting My Darby Ancestors in Context

Photo Credit:  Wikipedia - Cincinnati in 1841
As mentioned in the previous post, the Darbys emigrated from England to America in 1841. As a life-long Cincinnatian, I was shocked when I saw this picture.  In 1841, the Miami-Erie Canal was completed.  What shocked me was the realization that the canal basically made an island out of the central core of the city.  Cincinnati is a basin city surrounded by beautiful hillsides.  For half a century, almost the entire population lived in the city basin, reinforced by the hillsides and the canal.

Wikipedia describes Cincinnati in the 1840s this way:
By 1840, Cincinnati had grown from a frontier settlement to the 6th largest city in the USA. It was a city of contrasts, with prosperous neighborhoods and squalid, violent slums. Many of the businessmen who controlled the city were interested in good relationships with the slave-owning states to the south of the Ohio River, and were hostile to abolitionists and blacks. The Ohio constitution denied blacks the franchise, and the Black Laws imposed further restrictions. Black children were denied education in the public schools, although black property holders had to pay taxes to support these schools. Black immigrants to the state had to register and provide surety. A black could not serve on a jury, testify in legal cases involving a white person or serve in the militia. However, drawn by the economic opportunities, the black population had grown from 690 in 1826 to an official count of 2,240 out of a total of 44,000 citizens by 1840. Many of the blacks had jobs as craftsmen or tradesmen, earning good wages for the time. Many owned property.
With the city's rapidly-expanding and ethnically-diverse population, trouble just needed a spark.  It came in the form of an extreme drought that resulted in the lowest water level ever recorded for the Ohio River.  The low water level threw many immigrants who depended on the river for their livelihood out of work.  Over a period of several days, several white people (largely Irish) attacked the black population.  For a fuller discussion of what occurred, click on this link.

Jonathan Darby
So here was the "Promised Land" the Darbys, Bickerdykes, and Sidebottoms encountered. This Queen City of the West was just getting started.  This period was just before the large German immigration that was to take place after 1848 as well as a large Irish influx that was to take place during the Potato Famine -- each group fighting for its place at the table.

I've included a Pedigree Chart so my family and readers can better understand my relationship to the Darbys and the generation that chose to serve in the Civil War. In addition to Mary Elizabeth Darby's husband Britton, and her brother, Joseph, brother Robert Darby also served. His story has a bit of a twist. He will be discussed in the next post.


Photo Credit for Jonathan Darby:  Martha Darby Rutter

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Joseph Bickerdyke Darby - Part II

Edwin Cyrus Darby, first-born and son of Joseph Darby and Mary Chafer, wrote a history of the Darby Family Tree in about 1937. In it, he included the following information:


Jonathan Darby came to America in 1840 with his wife and five children when Joseph was 10 years old.  The youngest son, Robert, was born in 1842 in America.

Joseph Darby married Mary Chafer in 1851 whose father came from Lincolnshire, England.  Of this union sprang Edwin Cyrus, Willis Henry, Blanch Isabell and Francis Marion.  Then she (Mary) died in 1859.  . . .


Then Jonathan Darby moved to Hancock Co., Ill. with his son Joseph, Catherine and Robert.  He went first.  Joseph and Robert and Catherine came after.  Their mother (Mary) had died in Ohio previous to this.  The move to Illinois proved to be a failure.  Catherine (the daughter) died in Illinois.  At that time, Hancock Co. was on the frontier and the hardship was too much for her.

Joseph Darby came back with his family to Boone Co., Kentucky where Grandfather Chafer owned a farm and worked for him till his wife, (mother of Edwin), died in October, 1859.  He moved back to Walnut Hills in 1860 and worked at his trade, house and sign painter, until 1863 when he married again -- a woman named Elizabeth Garwood. . . .

Joseph and Robert Darby went into the Union army in the spring of '64 and remained until the war closed in '65 when he came back to the family on Walnut Hills and worked at his trade, house painter.  He lived to be 82.  Died in November, 1912.


At the age of 35, Joseph and his brother, Robert, volunteered for the 191st Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  It was near the end of the Civil War.  According to Dyer's Compendium,  the 191st Regiment Infantry  was "organized at Camp Chase, Ohio, January and February, 1865. Moved to Harper's Ferry, W. Va., March 10, 1865. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Provisional Division, Army of the Shenandoah, March 20. March to Charleston March 21. Transferred to 2nd (Ohio) Brigade, 2nd Provisional Division, March 27. Duty near Charleston till April 4. Operations in the Shenandoah Valley in vicinity of Winchester, Stevenson's Depot and Jordan's Springs, April to August. Mustered out August 27, and discharged September 5, 1865. Regiment lost during service 29 Enlisted men by disease."

It appears as if they, thankfully, really didn't encounter any fighting.  As was typical, however, many of the men were lost to disease.

Joseph had nine children by two wives and is buried in the Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church Cemetery.  The ashes of one of his daughters is buried with him.  His second wife, Elizabeth Garwood, is also buried in the family plot.

Kathy Reed at Darby Family Plot in Pleasant Ridge

Grave Marker for Joseph Darby and his daughter, Sarah
Note:  Edwin Cyrus Darby's family history does not agree with the ship's passenger list that shows the date of immigration as 1841 and that Joseph was 11. Credit is due to Martha Darby Rutter for photographs of Joseph, the ship's passenger list, and the family history written by Edwin Cyrus Darby, son of Joseph.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Joseph Bickerdyke Darby

Joseph Bickerdyke Darby
Joseph is the brother of my gg-grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Darby Wainright.  The family immigrated from England in 1841. When I first "got into" genealogy, it was largely because of some fantastic luck I had within the first month.  My gg-grandfather was Britton Wainright.  Genealogists know how wonderful it is to research an uncommon name -- not like my father's name, John Thomas Jones.  I "googled" Britton's name and found a link to a family tree submitted to the LDS site.  It listed the submitter as Martha Darby Rutter.  I took a chance and found Martha through a phone book site.  There she was -- living in Oklahoma!

I called Martha and the hairs on my arm stood up when we realized we were "family" -- 4th cousins to be exact.  Our common ancestor is Jonathon Darby, father of Joseph.  Martha had been researching her history for years and graciously agreed to send me some documents.  She then asked me if I knew where members of this family were buried and I was shocked to find out that they were in a cemetery IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD!  I attended kindergarten right across the street from the Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church Cemetery.  Martha and I have continued to help each other out over the past 10 years.

The first document Martha sent me was a copy of the Ship's Passenger List for the Parthenon. It sailed from Liverpool to New Orleans on March 20, 1841.  The Darby, Bickerdyke and Sidebottom families traveled together.  Jonathon Darby, the father, was listed as a "painter."  (Joseph, age 11, would make his living as a painter later in his life).


The family traveled in "steerage." What is most interesting is the list of the items they chose to bring.


In addition to 23 packages of clothing and bedding for six, they brought three harps, three violins and a bass viol (listed as family instruments). Music was extremely important to this family. Martha was able to share this picture of her gg-grandfather with his violin.


Who could have predicted that this young family would have two sons and a son-in-law fight in a Civil War in their new country in a short 20 years?