West in New England

ELISHA HOUGHTON HAD A GUN,,, AND THEN HE DIDN'T

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 17:56:00 +0000

((Today is the 249th Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Several of my ancestors took
part in the battles, including my 5x great grandfather Elisha Houghton. I first posted this on 21
August, 2012:))

I mentioned my ancestor Elisha Houghton the other day and
that he was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. I found this
story about him in History of the Town of Harvard, Massachusetts
1732-1893 by Henry Steadman Nourse (p323):

"Coliney of the Massachusetts Bay.

To the Honnorabel General Coart seting at Watertown the Petion
of Elisha Houghton a Solder under Comand of Captan Hastings in Conl
Whitcomb's Rigement in the year 1775 and I was in the fight on Bunkers
hill So Called in Charlston on the 17 of June in the year 1775 as above
sd and on my Return I and others Lited on one Jacob Davis who was
wounded who requested our help and in tacking Care of the sd Davis
Caused me your Petinor to take Mistick Road to convey the sd Davis to
where he thought he could be tacken Care of and in so Doing 1 came
acros by Winter hill to go to head Quater at Cambridge and in Coming
by the Gard of Connal Starks which was set on sd hill they took away
my Gun which I and others that Knew sd Gun Judged to be worth teen
Dolers. I Endevuered to Recover my Gun again but was Denied the
Same which may be made Evident to this Coart by Reading the Paper
acompining this Petition. 1 also Sertify this Coart that I have Never
Reseved my Gun since Nor any Consideration for the same. I therefore
your Poor Petitioner Humbly Pray that this Coart would be Pleased to
take my Case into your Consideration and alow me Pay for my Gun
and your Petitioner as in Duty bound Shall Ever Pray. Bolton Jan. the —
1776 Elisha Houghton

This may Certify that Elisha Houghton of Col Whitcomb's Regiment
in Capt. Hasting's Company was in the Action on Bunker's hill and
helping bringing the wounded men off to Cambridge went mistick Road over
Winter hill and the Guard that was set on winter hill took away the Guns,
and this sd Houghton's Gun was among the Rest, the next Day with [a]
number of others sd Houghton went in order to Get his Gun with an officer
with him, but could not find it and have Never heard of it since—as I know of.

Josiah Whitney, Lt. Col. of sd Rgmt.
Dorchester Camp Febury 29th. 1776"

I don't know if Elisha ever got recompensed for his lost gun, but I suspect he
was one of the earliest victims of "requisitioning" in the American military tradition.

FATHERS DAY 2024

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 22:36:00 +0000

In honor of Fathers Day I'm posting pictures of some of the fathers on my family tree. From the Wests:


Our Dad, Floyd E West, Jr.


Great grandfather Philip J. West, Cousin Stanley & Grandfather Floyd E West, Sr.

2x great grandfather Jonathan P.West & wife Louisa Almata (Richardson)West

3x Great grandfather John Cutter West

Some of the maternal grandfather's from Dad's family:


2x great grandfather Asa F Ellingwood & wife Florilla (Dunham)Ellingwood.


2x Great grandfather Amos Hastings Barker & wife Betsy Jane (Moore) Barker.


3x Great grandfather Philip Richardson

4x great grandfather Moses Coburn

And the only pictures I have from Mom's side of the family:

Great grandfather John McFarland & wife Annie (Kelley)McFarland.

Great Grandfather Edward J White.

Happy Fathers' Day!

MOTHERS DAY 2

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Sun, 12 May 2024 01:33:00 +0000

In honor of Mother's Day, here are pictures of our Dad's female ancestors.

First, on his mother's side:


Amos H Barker & Betsey J (Moore) Barker

Our 2x great grandmother Betsey Jane Moore was born on 16 Aug 1842 at Waterford,
Oxford, Me. She married Amos Hastings Barker in 1856 and they raised a family of
12 children, 11 of whom survived to adulthood. Betsey died 12Mar 1924 at age 82.


My great grandmother Charlotte Lovenia Barker is the lady on the right.

Our great grandmother Charlotte Lovenia Barker was youngest of Amos & Betsey's
12 children. She was born on 3 Aug 1879 in Albany, Oxford, Maine and was known as
":Lottie". She married her first cousin Frank W. Barker on 16Oct 1898 and they had
4 children before Frank died in 1905 from pneumonia caused by "La Grippe" (the flu).
She was married three more times before her death on 3Jan 1944 at Bangor, Maine.


Cora Berthella (Barker) West & her great granddaughter Mindy Sue West

Our grandmother Cora Berthella (Barker) West was born 27Oct 1899 and was the eldest
child of Frank and Charlotte. She preferred the name Bertha, although it was given as
Cora on her marriage certificate. Bertha married Floyd E.West Sr on 24Mar 1919 and
had 5 children, one of whom was our Dad.

On his Dad's side of the family:


Arvilla (Ames)West

Our 3x great grandmother Arvilla Ames was born in Livermore, Androscoggin, Maine
on 25Jan 1810, one of 10 children. She married John Cutter West on 23Sep 1827
at Sumner, Maine, and five years later they moved to Letter B Plantation (later renamed
Upton), Oxford, Maine. She had 10 children, 3 of whom died in a diphtheria outbreak
in 1862. She died at age 97 at Hermon, Maine.

Louisa A.(Richardson) West

Louisa Richardson, our 2x great grandmother was born in Wilton, Maine on
23Jun 1837 at Wilton, Maine. She was the second wife of Jonathan Phelps West,
whose first wife had died in the 1862 diphtheria outbreak. Louisa and Jonathan
married on 31Jan 1865 and had 4 sons. She died 4Oct 1925 at age 88.

Florilla (Dunham) Ellingwood & Asa F Ellingwood

Our other paternal 2x great grandmother was Florilla Dunham who was born 29Aug
1832 at North Paris, Oxford, Maine. She married Asa F. Ellingwood on 10Aug 1850
at Woodstock, Oxford, Maine and 11 children.(She was one of 11 children herself.)
She died in Paris, Oxford, Maine on 21Feb 1917.

Clara (Ellingwood) West

Finally, our great grandmother Clara Ellingwood was the 8th child and youngest
daughter of Florilla and Asa Ellingwood. She was born 6Mar 1865 in Dummer, Coos,
NH. Her first marriage with Charles Tidswell ended in divorce and she married our
great grandfather Philip J West on 25May 1894 at Shelburne, Coos, NH. She had
three children by her first marriage and two by her second, including our grandfather
Floyd E West, Sr. Sadly, Clara died young after an illness in Augusta, Maine on 10Apr
1901. She was only 36 years old.

And those are the pictures we have of the mothers in our family.

Happy Mothers Day!

MOTHERS DAY 1

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Sun, 12 May 2024 01:30:00 +0000

Once again for Mothers Day I'm posting photos of our family's mothers, starting with the maternal line of my family..

For our Mom's side we don't have very many since her grandparents immigrated
here from Ireland and Germany in the 19th century.

John McFarland & Annie (Kelley) McFarland

First there's Anna Kelley, born 1Oct 1858 in Kiltrustan, Roscommon, Ireland. She married
my great grandfather in Edinburgh Scotland on 16May1879 and shortly after they came
to America and settled in Boston. She had 17 children, 10 of whom survived to adulthood.
Anna died 15Feb 1945 at Boston, Ma. at age 86.

Pauline (Offinger) White

Our other maternal great grandmother was Pauline Offinger, born 17Dec 1873
in Cambridge, Massachusetts to German immigrant parents. She married Edward J.
White on 27Nov 1895 in Boston, Ma. and had 9 children.

Agnes (McFarland) White

Our grandmother Agnes (McFarland) White was born 7Oct 1898 in Boston, Ma, the
14th of John & Annie's 17 children. She was known as "Aggie" in the family.
She married Edward F.White, Sr. and had two children, our Uncle Ed and our Mom
Anne Marie. She died 12Feb 1957 in Malden Ma.

Anne M. (White) West

Finally, our Mom, Anne M. (White) West. She was born 7Jul 1927 at Boston, Ma and
married our Dad on 29Jun 1947, also at Boston. To her McFarland cousins she was
known as "Red White". She died on 28Jul 1999 at Weymouth, Ma and she is missed by
my brother, my sister, myself and the rest of the family.

ON THIS DATE: APR. 24th

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 21:59:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:

MARRIAGE:

24 Apr 1669 8x ggp Philip Brown & Mary Buswell were married at Salisbury, Ma.

DEATHS:

24 Apr 1666 8x ggm Mary Parker died at Scituate, Ma.

24 Apr 1656 11x ggf John Tidd died at Woburn, Ma.

24 Apr 1676 8x ggf Simon Willard died at Charlestown, Ma.

THE SHOT HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 19:57:00 +0000

Today is the 249th Anniversary of the Battles of Lexington & Concord which
started the American Revolution on 19Apr 1775.

These are our colonial ancestors from our Dad's family lines for whom I have
so far been able to discover records that they took part in those battles and served in the
Revolution:

Jonathan Barker Jr. My 5x great grandfather
Was a Minuteman from Methuen Ma with rank of Sergeant.
He responded to Lexington and Concord with his sons
Served in Captain Samuel Johnson's Company in
Colonel Titcomb's Regiment for 2 months in 1777 in Rhode
Island and then with Nathaniel Gage's Company in Colonel
Jacob Gerrish's guards from Dec 1777 to l Apr 1778 guarding
the captured troops of General Burgoyne.

Jonathan Barker 3rd My 4x great grandfather
Enlisted on 19 Apr 1775 in Continental Army, Capt. John
Davis' Company, Col. James Frye's Regiment, in the
Massachusetts line for 8 months in Cambridge, Ma. At the
conclusion of the term, he reenlisted for another 3 months in
Capt John Allen's Company, Colonel John Waldron's Regiment,
General Sullivan's Brigade in the New Hampshire Brigade at
Charlestown, Ma. He then enlisted a third time in June 1778
at Methuen, Ma., joining Captain Samuel Carr's Company, Col.
James Weston's Regiment, in General Lerned's Brigade at
White Plains, N.Y. and serving for another 9 months.

John Ames My 5x great grandfather
Was a Minuteman under Capt. Asa Parker on April 19th,
1775. He then enlisted in the Continental Army under Captain
Oliver Parker, Col. William Prescott's Regiment and
in the Brigade that was commanded in turn by Generals
Putnam, Lee, and Washington and served for 8 1/2 months.

Asa Barrows My 4x great grandfather
A member of the militia from Middleborough , Ma. (south of
Boston) in the Company of Captain Joshua Benson, in Colonel
Cotton's Regiment, and General William Heath's Brigade for
8 months during the siege of Boston. In December 1776 he
joined a militia Company commanded by Captain Joshua
Perkins and marched to Barrington, R.I. and was stationed
there for 6 weeks. In July 1780 he again enlisted, this time
in a militia company commanded by Captain Perez Churchill
that marched to Tiverton, R.I. .

Moses Coburn My 4x great grandfather
Moses Coburn got into the War late and by reason of being
"hired by a certain class of men in the then town of Dunstable
to go into the Continental Army in the summer of 1781."
When he reached Phillipsburgh in New York he was placed in
Captain Benjamin Pike's Company, in the Regiment of the
Massachusetts line commanded by Lt. Colonel Calvin Smith in
which he served for nearly two years until it was broken up.
He then transferred to the Company of Judah Alden in the
Regiment commanded by Colonel Sprouts until his discharge
in 1783.

Samuel Haskell My 5x great grandfather
Samuel served in Captain Joseph Elliott's Company in Colonel
William Turner's Regiment and then under Captain Hezekiah
Whitney in Colonel Josiah Whitney's Regiment.

Amos Hastings My 5x great grandfather
Amos responded to the Lexington Alarm as part of
Captain Richard Ayer's Company and Colonel William
Johnson's Regiment. He later served in Captain Timothy
Eaton's Company in Colonel Edward Wigglesworth's Regiment
and was at the taking of the British General Burgoyne at
Ticonderoga.

Elisha Houghton 5x great grandfather
Enlisted at Harvard Ma as a Private in May of 1777 in the
Massachusetts militia and was at the Battles of Bunker Hill
and Stillwater. He then enlisted for three years in the infantry
company commanded by Captain Joshua Brown in Colonel
Timothy Bigelow's 15th Regiment of the Massachusetts line.
and took part in the Battles of Monmouth and Newport and
was at Valley Forge. He twice was promoted to Sergeant and
twice was busted back down to the ranks.

Amos Upton My 5x great grandfather
Responded to the Lexington Alarm and marched there from
his home in Reading. He later joined the militia company
commanded by Captain Asa Prince as an orderly sergeant
and then enlisted for eight months in the Continental Army
under Colonel Mansfield. He was at the Battle of Bunker Hill.
He was discharged in October of 1775.

John Griffith My 5x great grandfather
Enlisted in 1781 as a Matross (he swabbed out the barrel of
the cannons after they fired, or so I've been told) in Captain
William Treadwell's Company in Colonel John Crane's
Artillery Regiment.

Reuben Packard My 5x great grandfather
A Sergeant in Captain Josiah Hayden's Company in Colonel
Bailey's militia. They marched to Lexington at news of the
Alarm. He also responded several more times as a Minuteman
for a total of nearly 8 months duty.

Jonathan Abbott My 5x great grandfather
Served as a Sergeant in the Militia under Captain Henry
Abbott and responded to the Lexington Alarm

Samuel Stowe My 5x great grandfather
Minuteman from Sherborn, Ma. Served in Capt. Benjamin Bullard's
Company in Col. Asa Whitcomb's 5th Massachusetts Bay
Provincial Regiment.

Besides those direct ancestors, these other relatives fought
in the Revolution:

Moses Barrows, brother to Asa Barrows.

Samuel, Jesse, and Benjamin Barker, sons of Jonathan
Barker, Jr. and brothers to Jonathan Barker 3rd.

James Swan, brother in law to Jonathan Barker.

ON THIS DATE: APR. 3rd

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 03:49:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:
BIRTHS:
3 Apr 1665 6x ggm Elizabeth Briggs was born at Sandwich, Ma.
3 Apr 1712 6x ggm Keziah Shuttleworth was born at Wrentham, Ma.

DEATHS:
3 Apr 1693 10x ggf Edward Bumpas died at Marshfield, Ma.
3 Apr 18385x ggf Amos Upton died at Norway, Me.

ON THIS DATE: APR. 2nd

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 03:38:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE

BIRTHS:
2 Apr 1678 7x ggf Henry Haskell was born at Gloucester, Ma.
2 Apr 1637 9x ggf Jonathan Morey was born at Plymouth, Ma.

DEATHS:
2 Apr 1697 8x ggf John Ellis died at Sandwich, Ma
2 Apr 1833 5x ggf John Ames IV died at Canton, Me.

ON THIS DATE: APR. 1st

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 03:42:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:

BIRTH:
1 Apr 1646 8x ggm Deborah Barnes was born in Salisbury, Ma.

MARRIAGE:
1 Apr 1639 9x ggp William Parker & Mary Rawlings were married in Scituate, Ma.

DEATH:
1 Apr 1688 9x ggf John Beal died in Hingham, Ma.
1 Apr 1777 5x ggf Abel Moore died in Bolton, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MAR. 31st

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 03:26:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:

MARRIAGE:
31 Mar 1727 7x ggp John Nutting & Mary Spaulding were married in Chelmsford, Ma.

DEATHS:
31 Mar 1657 9x ggr John Ayer died in Haverhill, Ma.
31 Mar 1687 9x ggf John Tuttle died at Rumney Marsh, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MAR.30TH

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 02:26:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:

DEATHS:

30 Mar 1703 8x ggf Benjamin Abbott died at Andover, Ma.

30 Mar 1665 10x ggf Richard Linton died at Lancaster. Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MAR. 29th

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 02:20:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:
BIRTHS:
29 Mar 1726 5x ggf Thomas West was born at Kingston, Ma.
29 Mar 1638 8x ggf Thomas Rogers died at Duxbury, Ma.

DEATH:
29 Mar 1671 9x ggf George Hayward died in Concord, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MAR.25TH

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 02:09:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:
ARRIVAL:
25 Mar 1880 ggp John McFarland & Anna Kelly arrived in New York from Ireland.

;MARRIAGES:
25 Mar 1691 7x ggp Samuel Herrick & Sarah Leach were married in Salem, Ma.
25 Mar 1727 6x ggp Samuel Hamilton & Bethiah Stewart were married in Chatham, Ma.

DEATHS:
25 Mar 1797 6x ggm Eve (Hawke) Bancroft died in Lynn, Ma.
25 Mar 1720 8x ggp John Pierce died in Woburn Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MAR. 24th

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 01:13:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE: MARCH 24TH

0N THIS DATE:
BIRTH:
24 Mar 1689 7x ggm Zerviah Holt was born at Andover, Ma.
24 Mar 1684 7x ggf Jeremiah Dean was born at Dedham, Ma.

MARRIAGES:
24 Mar 1645 10x ggp Robert Ware & Margaret Hunting were married at Dedham, Ma.
24 Mar 1919 gp Floyd Earl West Sr. & Cora Bertha Barker were married at Errol, N.H.

DEATHS:
24 Mar 1671 10x ggf Edmund Greenleaf died at Boston, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MAR. 23rd.

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Sun, 24 Mar 2024 03:32:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:

BIRTH:

23 Mar 1821 3xggm Regine Xiane Frederika Kaufman was born in Wurtemburg, Germany

MARRIAGE:

23 Mar 1718 6xggp Ebenezer Ellingwood and Sarah Tuck were married at Beverley, Ma.

DEATHS:

23 Mar 1678 9x ggf Gamaliel Beaman died at Dorchester, Ma

23 Mar 1676 9x ggf John Ellis died at Plymouth, Ma.

23 Mar 1698 10x ggf Thomas Brewer died at Hampton, N.H.

ON THIS DATE: MAR. 15th

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 20:01:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE

BIRTH:
15 Mar 1735 6x ggf Jonathan Williamson was born at Georgetown,Me.

DEATHS:
15 Mar 1646 10x ggf Rice Cole died at Charlestown, Ma.
15 Mar 1641 9x ggm Isobel (Denton) Halstead died in Concord, Ma.
15 Mar 1708 7x ggf John Doane died at Eastham, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MAR.14th

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 03:58:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:

BIRTH:

14 Mar 1721 5x ggf James Swan was born at Methuen, Ma

MARRIAGE:

14 Mar 1655 8x ggp Ralph Ellinwood & Elenor Lynn were married at Beverley, Ma.

DEATHS:

14 Mar 1663 9x ggf James Pitney died at Marshfield, Ma.

14 Mar 1697 9x ggf William Barnes died at Salisbury, Ma

ON THIS DATE: MAR. 13th

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 03:44:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:
BIRTHS:
13 Mar 1830 2x ggf Nathaniel Swan Barker was born at Newry, Me.
13 Mar 1648 8x ggf John Abbott was born ar Andover, Ma.
13 Mar 1667 8x ggm Abigail Lakin was born at Groton, Ma,

DEATHS:
13 Mar 1676 10x ggf John Nutting died at Groton, Ma
13 Mar 1672 10x ggf Adam Hawkes died at Lynn, a

ON THIS DATE: MAR. 12th

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 03:53:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:

MARRIAGE:
12 Mar 1766 6x ggp John Laughton & Jane Adams were married at Pepperell, Ma.
DEATH:
12 Mar 1671 9x ggf Thomas Little died at Marshfield, Ma.
12 Mar 1924 2x ggm Betsy Jane (Moore) Barker died at Newry, Me.
12 Mar 1691 9x ggf Samuel Ward died at Quebec, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MAR. 7TH

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 04:37:00 +0000

0N THIS D ATE
BIRTHS:
7 Mar 1749 5x ggm Mary Walton was born in Reading, Ma.
7 Mar 1643 8x ggf John Pierce was born in Woburn, Ma

MARRIAGE:
7 Mar 1722 6x ggp Joseph Herrick & Mary Woodbury were married at Beverly, Ma.

DEATHS:
7 Mar 1662 10x ggf William Mann died at Cambridge Ma
7 Mar 1693 10 ggm Mary Wight (Ellis) died at Medfield, Ma.
7 Mar 1716 9x ggf John Bumpas died at Rochester, Ma.
7 Mar 1718 7x ggm Sarah Beaman (Sawyer) died at Lancaster, Ma.
7 Mar 1760 6x ggf John Spaulding died at Chelmsford, Ma

ON THIS DATE: MAR. 6th

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 05:01:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:
BIRTH:
6 Mar 1709 6x ggf John Safford was born in Ipswich, Ma.
6 Mar 1865 ggm Clara Ellingwood was born in Dummer, Me.

MARRIAGE:
6 Mar 1744 6x ggp Jacob Walton & Eunice Hawkes were married in Reading, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MAR. 5TH

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 04:39:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:
BIRTH:
5 Mar 1704 7x ggm Eleanor Estey was born in Rochester, Ma.

DEATHS:
5 Mar 1768 8x ggf John Laughton Sr. died in Harvard, Ma.
5 Mar 1735 7x ggm Hannah (Challis) Dow died in Seabrook, NH.

ON THIS DATE: MAR. 4TH

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 04:56:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:
BIRTHS:
4 Mar 1676 7x ggm Mary West was born in Beverly, Ma.
4 Mar 1664 8x ggm was born in Ipswich, Ma.
DEATH:
4 Mar 1688 9x ggf John Gay died in Dedham, Ma.
4 Mar 1670 8x ggm Elizabeth (Sutton) Safford died in Ipswich, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MAR. 3RD

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 21:53:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:
BIRTHS:
3 Mar 1656 8x ggf John Bancroft Sr. was born in Reading, Ma.
3 Mar 1689 7x ggm Zerviah Holt was born in Andover, Ma.

DEATHS:
3 Mar 1691 9x ggf John Giddings died in Ipswich, Ma.

ON THIS DATE: MAR. 2nd

noreply@blogger.com (Bill West) — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 00:01:00 +0000

ON THIS DATE:
BIRTH
2 Mar 1693 6x ggf Elisha West was born at Duxbury,Ma.

DEATHS:
2 Mar 1669 8x ggf John Dunham died at Plymouth, Ma.
2 Mar 1651 9x ggf John Crow died at Yarmouth, Ma.
2 Mar 1688 9x ggf Benjamin Butterfield died at Chelmsford, Ma.
2 Mar 1718 7x ggf Joseph Tuck died at Beverly, Ma.