Friday, December 10, 2010

Doing the Genealogy Happy Dance

Just found a portrait of Van Epps Hugunin on Historic Mapworks from a Phillips County Kansas Atlas from 1902 :)

Monday, December 6, 2010

Granddaddy Cone

Today is Granddaddy's 112th birthday! Charles Newton Cone was born in Worthington, Nobles County MN on 6 Dec 1898. He was named for his maternal grandfather, Charles Shepard Newton. His older brother had been named for the paternal grandfather, William Warner Cone.

He really grew up in Mapleton, Utah where his family including grandparents and even a great-grandfather (John Champion Clarke) had moved in 1900. The family had gone there as lay missionaries for the Presbyterian Church to save Mormon women from polygamy. Granddaddy often talked about the difficulties of growing up one of the only gentile families in the area south of Provo, Utah.

One of the stories I remember him sharing about his birthday talked about the celebration in 1941. The family waited until the next day, Sunday Dec. 7th to have a late afternoon dinner at the Multnomah Club and celebrate. My siblings will remember eating there nearly every time we visited our Cone Grandparents. The family was enjoying their meal when the word came that Pearl Harbor had been attacked shocking everyone.

So... Happy Birthday Granddaddy!

Friday, November 26, 2010

What we know about the Pilgrims

Much of what we know about the Pilgrims come from William Bradford's writings. Most of the Pilgrims and their immediate descendants were simple, uneducated people who were unconcerned about the importance of the colony they founded. They did not even bother to keep town records in Plymouth until 1632. Early on in their settlement, they wrote and published to tracts trying to attract additional settlers. It is known as Mourt's Relation and makes an interesting read. I've included the link www.histarch.uiuc.edu/plymouth/mourt1.html. It was written by Pilgrims Winslow and Bradford, with Bradford's contribution largely being in the first section.

From 1630 to 1650, Bradford set about writing the history of the the sect and Plymouth, he describes the effort as "scribled Writings", "peeced up at times of leesure afterwards. During most of this time he was the Governor of the Plymouth Colony. He eventually titled his efforts "Of Plimouth Plantation" and it covered the story of the Pilgrims for 1606 to 1647. An electronic edition of his writings can be found at www.mith2umd.edu/ and makes interesting reading.
Bradford's manuscript was not published. For two hundred years, it was handed down from father to son. Occasionally, passages were copied into Church records by his nephew Nathanial Morton who as Secretary of the Old Colony used it as the basis of his own account of the colony in "New England's Memorial" published in 1669. Many years later, Bradford's manuscript turned up in the hands of Rev. Thomas Prince's library in the Old South Church in Boston where it remained until looted by the British during the American Revolution. Most disappeared until 1855 when it was discovered in the library of Fulham Palace, the residence of the Bishops of London, on the city's outskirts. The bishop allowed Bradford's writing to be published the next year.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

William Bradford

Things have been a bit out of control here as we try to remodel the kitchen and host Thanksgiving but the oven and stove top were finally installed yesterday so it looks like I'm cooking tomorrow so.... I'll come back to William Brewster's story but I wanted you to know about our other Pilgrim ancestor William Bradford.

William was born in Austerfield, York, England in 1589/90 he was orphaned early and was shuttled between relatives for years. About the time he was 12, he visited the nearby town of Scrooby where he attended a church service (perhaps hosted by William Brewster at Scrooby Manor) and was won over by the simplicity of the service and the congregation's passion for reform. At that time, much of the profit from the land in England was paid to the church leaving the population largely destitute.

He wrote about the Separatist's beliefs in his journal. "One the one side (The Separatists) laboured to have ye right worship of God & discipline of Christ established in ye church, according to ye simplicite of ye gospell, without the mixture of mens inventions, and to have & to be ruled by ye laws of Gods word, dispensed in those offices, & by those officers of Pastors, Teachers, & Elders, &c. according to ye Scripturs. The other partie (the Church of England), though under many colours & pretences, endevored to have ye episcopall courts, cannons, & ceremonies, togeather with all such livings, revenues, & subordinate officers, with other such means as formerly upheld their antichristian greatnes, and enabled them with lordly & tyranous power to persecute ye poore servants of God." (from Pilgrim Hall Museum's website).

He was virtually adopted by William Brewster around 1602. He is variously described as a silk worker and a fustian (a coarse cloth made of cotton and flax somewhat like twill). He lived in Amsterdam from 1607-1609, then moved to Leyden.

Bradford was about 30 years old, married with a young son and very much involved, when the congregation decided to leave Leyden for an area north of the Virginia Colony. He and his wife Dorothy decided to leave their four year old son behind with their pastor in Leyden.

Much of what we know about the Pilgrims today comes from the journals and papers that Bradford kept. He was involved with the many of the administrative responsibilities of the group and the correspondence between them and their financial backers as they prepared to sail to America.

Have to continue the story tomorrow, time to get Colby and Chris from the airport.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Elder William Brewster is another of our Pilgrim Ancestors. He was born about 1566 probably in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England or in the vicinity. He was the son of William Brewster and his wife Mary (surname thought to have been either Smythe or Simkinson). William Sr. was the bailiff for Scrooby Manor which belonged to the Archbishops of York for about 31 years. Scrooby Manor was important as it was located on the main road to the north. The position included being Postmaster.

William studied Latin and Greek at Peterhouse College at Cambridge University from about 1580 to 1583 though there is no evidence that he took a degree. After the University, he served as a secretary to Sir William Davison who was an assistant to Queen Elizabeth's Secretary of State Sir Francis Walsingham. It was while working for Davison, that Brewster first traveled to the Netherlands.

While it may have been during his Cambridge years that Brewster first became involved with the religious reformism, certainly, his time in the Netherlands gave him additional opportunities to experience the Reformed Church.

Davison fell out of favor with Elizabeth, and William returned to Scrooby where he assumed his father's position as Postmaster from 1590-1607. Brewster's home became the meeting place for dissenting Puritans and in 1606 they formed the Separatist Church of Scrooby.

The atmosphere of restrictions and persecution, convinced the congregation that they should leave the country for the more tolerant Netherlands. They first tried to leave in 1607, but were arrested at Scotia Creek and several were imprisoned. They were finally successful in leaving for Amsterdam in 1608 where they joined the Ancient Church of Francis Johnson and Henry Ainsworth. Caught up in the in-fighting between the two men, they relocated to Leiden in less than one year.

Brewster taught English to support his family, and later printed and published separatist religious books in English for sale in England. This raised the ire of the English who prevaled upon the Dutch to have Brewster and his partner arrested in 1619. Brewster escaped and knew the congregation would have to move on.

The story continues tomorrow.

Oh, for the descent.... William Brewster's daughter Patience married Thomas Prence, their daughter Hannah married Nathaniel Mayo, their son Thomas married Barbara Knowles, their daughter Lydia married Joshua Merrick, their daughter Abigail married Elisha Hopkins, he married Druscilla Conant, their daughter Rhoda Hopkins married Thomas Warner, their daughter Joanna Warner married Naaman Cone, their son William Warner Cone married Eliza Utley and their son was Frederick Naamen Cone, Frederick married Helen Brown Newton, and their son was Charles Newton Cone.... you know the rest.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Giles Hopkins

Continuing with information about our Pilgrim ancestors, Giles Hopkins, son of Stephen Hopkins and his first wife Mary. New research shows that he was born in Hursley, Hampshire, England sometime shortly before 30 January 1607/8 as that was the date of his baptism.

Giles was part of a family of five that traveled together on the Mayflower, including his step-mother Elizabeth and sister Constance, and step-sister Damaris. His half-brother Oceanus was born during the voyage.

Records show he volunteered for service in the Pequot War of 1637 but was not called.

Giles married Catherine Whelden in Plymouth in 1639. Soon after his marriage, the couple followed Stephen Hopkins to the Yarmouth area of Cape Cod where Stephen had built a house in 1638. (The Plymouth Colony Court did not authorize a permanent settlement in Yarmouth until 1639).

About five years later, Giles' brother-in-law Nicholas Snow helped found the town of Nauset. By 1650, Giles had also settled there and soon the town's name was changed to Eastham.

Catherine and Giles had 10 children. The exact date of Giles death is not know but evidence proves that he died sometime between 5 Mar 1688/89, the date a codicil to his will was witnessed and 16 Apr 1690, the date his will was entered in to probate.

Our descent from Giles is the same as for Stephen Hopkins.

You can see the references to Giles in Plymouth Colony at the following link www.pilgrimhall.org/hopkinsgilesrecords.htm

To follow.... information on our more famous Pilgrim ancestors.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Our Pilgrim Ancestors

As we approach Thanksgiving Day, the stories circulate once again of the first Thanksgiving Feast at Plymouth, Massachusetts. It's interesting to know that we had several ancestors who celebrated that first meal.

Stephen Hopkins was born about 1582 in England and was a tanner (cured cow-hides into leather for shoes, clothing, etc.) and merchant. He was not part of the Pilgrims' congregation but rather on the group of Mayflower passengers the Pilgrims referred to as "The Strangers". He signed the Mayflower compact and served as an assistant to the governor through 1636.

Evidence suggests that Stephen Hopkins had come to America before the Mayflower. He arrived at Jamestown, Virginia in 1609 aboard the new flagship of the Virginia Company, the "Sea Venture". He signed on as the Minister's Clerk to the Admiral of the Fleet. The ship, is desperate need of provisions, intended to stop for supplies in Bermuda. Supposedly, she was deliberately sailed onto the reefs off Bermuda to prevent her from foundering because the ship had been severely damaged in a storm.
Luckily, all 150 passengers and a dog survived the ship wreck.

Stranded on the island, the passengers and crew fitted the ship's longboat with a mast and volunteers set out for Virginia and help. Alas, they were never heard from again.

The remaining survivors built two ships, the "Deliverance" and the "Patience" from tree found on the island and materials salvaged from the wreck of the "Sea Venture".
It seems that patience was not won of Mr. Hopkins' strong suits. He was sentenced to death for trying to start a mutiny. Pleading for mercy based on how his death would destitute his wife and children, he was later freed.

Eventually, both ships made it to Jamestown, where Hopkins stayed for two years before returning to England.

My great-grandfather Frederick Newton Cone proved his descent from Stephen Hopkins and was a member of the Mayflower Society. The Descent goes as follows:
Stephen Hopkins-Giles Hopkins-Stephen Hopkins=Nathaniel Hopkins-Nathaniel Hopkins, Elisha Hopkins-Rhoda Hopkins-Joanna Warner-William Warner Cone-Frederick Naaman Cone-Charles Newton Cone-Charles Newton Cone, Jr. Cecily Louise Cone

Caleb Johnson has written an excellent book about Stephen Hopkins and his adventures entitled "Here Shall I Die Ashore: Stephen Hopkins, Bermuda Castaway, Jamestown Survivor and Mayflower Pilgrim".

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Happy Birthday Chuck



There would be 83 candles on a birthday cake for Charles Newton Cone, Jr. today if he had lived. I've been reading over the baby book his mother Hazel Bynon Allen maintained meticulously through his childhood and thought you might like to know a little more about his parents, birth and first months.




Hazel Bynon Allen and Charles Newton Cone were married on 04 Sep 1926 after a whirlwind courtship of not much more than two weeks. Charles had come to Memphis from his home in Seattle to do business with Hazel's father Chester Bynon Allen. Chester was in the plywood business and Charles was a chemist working on developing new glue methods for making plywood for I. F. Laucks and Company in Seattle. Chester was impressed enough with the young chemist to invite him home to dinner. As the father of an unmarried 30 year old daughter, he may have had ulterior motives.




Hazel had been teaching for at least six years at Bruce Elementary School just a block from the home on Vinton Street where she lived with her parents. She probably thought of herself as an 'old maid' as her younger sister Martha was already married and a mother. She thought of herself as a second mother for her sister Dolly who was nearly 15 years younger.




Hazel and Charles hit it off and within two weeks Charles invited Hazel to dinner at the Peabody Hotel (the poshest in Memphis). He proposed marriage with his in-laws dining discreetly in another part of the room.




At first glance, it might seem that the petite southern girl had nothing in common with the lanky northwesterner however both of their fathers were from the same region in New York. Charles' father and Chester's father were fruit farmers. Their families placed a high value on education. In addition to Hazel, her sister Martha and Charles' sister Molly were teachers. Still, I think it may have been their love of music that brought them together. Charles had won some acclaim as a vocalist including performing as a soloist with the Salem (Oregon) symphony and Hazel was an accomplished pianist.




Soon after their wedding was celebrated at St. Mary's Cathedral in Memphis, they were on a train heading back to Seattle. Grandmother told me that because of kidney problems she had as a child, it was expected that she would not be able to have children. Evidently, this was not a hindrance, as Chuck was born a little more that nine months after their wedding.




Still a stranger in the northwest, Hazel went home to Memphis for the birth feeling safer surrounded by her family with the delivery in the able hands of her brother Dr. Chester Dye Allen. According to the baby book, he delivered the 7 pound 1 ounce baby at 8 pm on Wednesday June 8, 1927. Hazel carefully preserved the hospital label in the baby book. The fading blue ink reads "Baby Cone - Boy, Dr. Allen - 6/8/27.




Younger sister Dolly sent the first wire to Seattle to tell Charles of the arrival of his son. Martha provided his layette. The list of gifts carefully recorded in the book includes a sweater given by Great-grandmother Newton and a ring from Great-Grandmother Allen (reading about the later gift was very exciting as I had supposed she had died much earlier).




Chuck was christened on the second of July at St. Mary's Cathedral where Hazel and Charles had been married by Dean Noe. She notes that Dean Noe also preformed her confirmation. Hazel's sister Martha was godmother and godfathers were Uncle "Doc" (Chester Day Allen) and Uncle John (how Uncle John fits into the family remains a mystery).




Hazel and Chuck stayed in Memphis for six weeks before taking the train home to Seattle. She writes, "Baby's first real outing was when his mother brought him home to his daddy from Memphis, where he was born. Baby Chuck was only six weeks old then but he seemed to know that he was going home to his daddy for he behaved beautifully. Everyone on the train remarked about how lovely he was and he disturbed no one. When he got to Seattle, she smiled at his daddy and won his heart as he already had his mother's. Mother felt very proud and very humble at being able to put such a fine baby boy in this father's arms."




The book is filled with the milestones celebrated in every baby's life. One interesting note, we learn where slow teething comes from genetically speaking that is. Hazel writes, "Chuck got his first tooth Monday, March 19th when he was nine months and eleven days old. He then cut six in six weeks."




After Grandmother Cone (Hazel) died, I asked Granddaddy about how they had met. He related the story about going to Memphis and added that Hazel's mother had been a difficult woman who had been an invalid following a train accident. She had expected Hazel would never marry and stay home to care for her parents. Because Hazel had lost her right eye in an accident at home when she was a child, Ida Dye Allen assumed and told Hazel that no man would find her attractive enough to marry. In reading the baby book, Hazel's love and excitement at becoming a wife and mother are obvious on every page. Chuck was clearly adored.




So another Happy Birthday Chuck, Daddy, Granddaddy! You were well loved and are still missed.




Saturday, May 8, 2010

Happy Mother's Day!

Hi Mom-

We hope you enjoy your new blog!

Amanda will be in charge of helping with the techy stuff and Colby will handle the design and layout for you. We are looking forward to your first blog post!

Love,
Amanda & Colby