Tuesday's Tip: Finding Deaf Ancestors and Relatives in Schools for the Deaf Historical Records

Columbus, Ohio Former School For Deaf
Source; Wdzinc. "Columbus Ohio Former School For Deaf." Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 28 March 2015.

March 13 marked the beginning of Deaf History Month 2015, which concludes on April 15. During this month, I will be listing tips and strategies for researching your deaf ancestors and relatives in historical records.

We've been following the three deaf children of my ancestors, Ezra and Cynthia (PHILLIPS) DICKINSON, through a variety of historical records to flesh out their lives. As mentioned previously, Ezra moved his family back to Ohio in 1842 after living in Indiana for six years, in order to qualify his children to attend the Ohio Deaf and Dumb Asylum, as there was no such school in Indiana at that time.

If you believe your deaf ancestors and relatives attended a school for the deaf--and even if you're not sure--you should consider obtaining historical school records for those individuals. Admission records can contain basic genealogical information such as date of birth, parents' names and residence, and the onset of deafness (genetic or injury/illness-caused). Additionally, knowing when your ancestor attended school can enhance their personal timeline, and help you determine if they met their deaf spouse at that particular school. Finally, reading about the history of the school may give you a snapshot in time of what your ancestor's life was like while living at the school (which were typically boarding schools). The following are some ways to determine if your family members attended a school for the deaf.

First of all, you may wish to see if your family member appears at a school for the deaf during a regular federal census enumeration, even if they are also enumerated with their family in the same census. Although Thomas Sherman Dickinson appears with his parents and siblings in Hicksville, Defiance County, Ohio in 1850, he is also enumerated at the Ohio Deaf and Dumb Asylum in Columbus, Franklin County (see line 15):

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Another hint for whether your deaf ancestors and relatives attended a school for the deaf is to check out county histories and biographies for the locations and relatives of your deaf individual's families. This is how I originally knew my Dickinsons attended the Ohio Deaf and Dumb Asylum. In 2012 and 2014, I wrote a couple of posts on how to access these county histories and biographies (also known as Mug Books). You can read more about them here and here. Below is the biography of Ezra Dickinson from the DeKalb County, Indiana county history that mentions the deaf and dumb asylum:

Where can you find historical records for schools for the deaf? First, understand that these records are most likely off line and not available to research via the Internet. Secondly, it's important to locate those particular schools. Both the Gallaudet University website and Wikipedia provide comprehensive lists of schools for the deaf in the United States. Cyndi's List provides links to a number of historical schools for the deaf. Another good resource is the Repositories of Primary Sources site, which not only links to schools and institutions with repositories, but state archives, which often are the repositories for state schools for the deaf. Don't forget local genealogical and historical societies. They may know where historical records for the local school for the deaf are now housed. Finally, a catalog search on the keywords deaf school at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City yields in a global list of 45 results. Wherever you locate a school archive--on campus, with the state archives, through a society, or via the Family History Library--you may have to pay a research fee or hire a researcher to locate and obtain copies of the records.

Don't forget that name changes in institutions were not uncommon. For instance, the school my Dickinsons attended was founded in 1826 as the Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb. Although the following year the state legislature changed the name to the Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb, it continued to informally be called the Deaf and Dumb Asylum in a number of historical records and histories. Around 1904, the name was changed to the Ohio State School for the Deaf. Use a variety of terms to do online searches to find books and images--modern and historical photographs and photo postcards--related to your ancestors' educational institution.

I was fortunate to connect with another genealogist who had purchased microfilmed admission registers of the Ohio Deaf and Dumb Asylum. She kindly looked up my Dickinson relatives and shared her finds with me:

John Fletcher Dickinson, resident of Hicksville, Defiance Co., OH. Parents, etc: Ezra Dickinson. Born 10 May 1825. Admitted 30 Sept 1845. Cause: congenital. Deaf/mute relations: one brother and one sister. Discharged 6 Mar 1848. (Admission register 1, p. 110, entry 284).

Thomas S. Dickinson, resident of Hicksville, Defiance Co., OH. Parents, etc: Ezra Dickinson. Born Nov 1835. Admitted 3 Sept 1845. Cause: congenital. Deaf/mute relations: one brother and one sister. Discharged July 1851. Absent one year. (Admission register 1, p. 110, entry 285). [This is the first record I've seen that named Sherman Dickinson as Thomas S. Dickinson.]

DICKINSON, Harriet Ann. Residence: Hicksville, Defiance Co., OH. Parents, etc: Ezra Dickinson. B. 12 Apr 1840 [family and census records are more aligned with 1838 as her year of birth]. Adm. 23 Nov 1850. Cause: congenital. Deaf/mute relations: two brothers. Discharged July 1851. (Vol. 1, p. 158, entry 450)

The Ohio School for the Deaf history page provides a wonderful account of the daily life of students at the time my Dickinsons attended:

Starting in 1845, a new building was erected on the Institution grounds for approximately $3,000 being spent for the heating apparatus and furnishings.  One hundred four students were enrolled in the facility in 1845; however, the new wing increased the school's capacity to one hundred fifty students.  Other improvements of the era included the replacement of tallow candles by coal oil at the Institution.

An 1850 account of daily life at the school indicated the following schedule of activities.  The children were awakened at about 5:00 a.m. so that they might eat breakfast, family-style, with all teachers and officers (administration) in attendance.  Students then completed all "household" chores followed by a study hall until 8:30 a.m., supervised by responsible students.  Recess lasted until 9:00 a.m. at which time all the students and staff congregated in the chapel for prayers.  The one hundred students then went to one of six classrooms for instruction until noon.  After lunch, the children returned to their classrooms to study until 4:00 p.m.  (School was also held on Saturday morning.)  The boys worked on the grounds at various duties and the girls sewed from the time school ended until supper at 6:00 p.m.  The students studied once again in the evenings.

Wherever your deaf ancestors and relatives attended school, if you can access their historical records, you are sure to find a bounty of information!


Next week, we'll look at locating your deaf ancestors and relatives in other major record groups.

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Other posts on this topic:

Tuesday's Tip: Researching Your Deaf Ancestors in U.S Federal Censuses

Tuesday's Tip: Using the U.S. Special Census on Deaf Family Marriages and Hearing Relatives, 1888-1895

Tuesday's Tip: Locating Deaf Ancestors and Relatives in Other Major Record Groups

Thursday's Tip: Resource Wrap Up for Researching Your Deaf Ancestors and Relatives

Tuesday's Tip: Using the U.S. Special Census on Deaf Family Marriages and Hearing Relatives, 1888-1895

March 13 marked the beginning of Deaf History Month 2015, which concludes on April 15. During this month, I will be listing tips and strategies for researching your deaf ancestors and relatives in historical records.

Last week, I explained how my ancestor, Ezra DICKINSON, and his three deaf children could be traced through most of the U.S. Federal Censuses from 1830 through 1910. There is another special census that was taken over the course of the years 1888 to 1895 that specifically enumerated deaf individuals in the United States. Titled "the U.S. Special Census on Deaf Family Marriages and Hearing Relatives, 1888-1895," it set out to gather statistics on deaf family members and their hearing relatives to determine if deafness was genetic, and if so, how it impacted family members. Because specific information about deaf individual's parents, siblings, spouses, and children was obtained, this census gives a unique outline of a deaf person's family tree that is much better constructed than what you would find in regular census records.

When you click on the link to the database for the U.S. Special Census on Deaf Family Marriages and Hearing Relatives, 1888-1895, be sure to scroll down to read the historical background about the census, and the information under "About this Database," which Ancestry.com has included. It is very helpful to understanding more about this census.

I entered the surname "Dickinson" into the search engine for this database and came up with 14 results. You can see that John Fletcher Dickinson and his wife Chloe Bates, as well as Thomas "Sherman" Dickinson and his wife Jennie Hensinger both appear twice in the list of results, one as the main individual, and one as the spouse (Sherman appears a third time without a spouse in this list). The nice feature of this census (and the search engine for this database) is that women's maiden names were given, increasing the chances of finding deaf females who married, as well as discovering maiden names that may have been unknown up to this point in your ancestral search.

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These census forms consisted of four pages. The first page of these forms can be downloaded at Ancestry.com, but the following three cannot. I used my photo editing software to create screen shots of the three final pages of the form. In today's post, we will be examining the census record of John Fletcher Dickinson and his wife, Chloe A. Bates. Here is the first page.

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From the notes on the first page of the form, you can see that Benjamin Talbot (who may have been an interpreter or family friend) had difficulty extracting information from John. It's too bad he just didn't have John look at the form and fill it out himself. We do know from other records that John and Chloe married 19 March 1856 in Trumbull County, Ohio and that they had at least four children, none of which were deaf.

Here's the second page, in two parts:

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On this page, John's father's name, Ezra, is given and his own full name is also listed. This is the first place I discovered that his middle initial "F" stood for "Fletcher." He also names his brother Sherman (married twice and living at Auburn, Indiana) and his sister Harriet (married to a hearing man) as his deaf siblings. He gives the birth years for all three, states he is deaf since birth (which conflicts with information he gave on the 1880 DDD Census Schedule), and that he attended the Ohio State School for the Deaf while living in Hicksville. He also gives the year he was admitted, how old he was when admitted, and how many years he attended. Finally, he gives his occupation and current residence.

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John's wife Chloe gives her information on page 3. Her father was William R. Bates, and she was born in 1824. She was the only deaf person in her family and became so at the age of one and a half due to inflammation of the brain. She also attended the Ohio State School for the Deaf, while she resided in Hiram. She spent six years at that school. She may have met John at that school, although calculating the dates, it would have been her last year and his first year there that probably overlapped.

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The final page has remarks, the date the information was completed, and a signature of an individual who was probably the enumerator. Note they referenced the 1890 census cards. Where could those gems possibly be today?

While I do not show them here, Sherman's records have even more information. Half are duplicated twice, which accounts for his name being listed three times in the search results. He gives their mother's maiden name (Cynthia Phillips) as well as the fact that he was one of 12 children, three of which were deaf. Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate John and Sherman's sister Harriet on this special census, no matter how creative I made my searches. I believe she wasn't enumerated. Even on special censuses, people got missed!

If your deaf ancestors or relatives were alive during 1888 to 1895 in the United States, be sure to check out this special census. It likely will provide useful information to construct your family tree and to learn about their education, if they had any.

Next week, we will delve into historical records at schools for the deaf.

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Other posts on this topic:

Tuesday's Tip: Researching Your Deaf Ancestors in U.S Federal Censuses

Tuesday's Tip: Finding Deaf Ancestors and Relatives in School for the Deaf Historical Records

Tuesday's Tip: Locating Deaf Ancestors and Relatives in Other Major Record Groups

Thursday's Tip: Resource Wrap Up for Researching Your Deaf Ancestors and Relatives

Tuesday's Tip: Researching Your Deaf Ancestors in U.S. Federal Censuses

The beginning of the sign for "deaf."

March 13 marked the beginning of Deaf History Month 2015, which concludes on April 15. Today, and for the next four weeks, I will be listing tips and strategies for researching your deaf ancestors and relatives in historical records.

Although no one in my immediate family is deaf*, I did have an ancestor, my 4th-great-grandfather Ezra DICKINSON, who had three deaf children out of 12. His biography can be read here. It states: "In 1842, having three children who were [deaf] mutes, he sold his farm in Concord Township [DeKalb County, Indiana] and bought one near Hicksville, Ohio, that his children might have the advantage of the deaf and dumb asylum."

*UPDATE: In 2016, my first grandchild, Theo, was diagnosed at six weeks old as being severely to profoundly hard of hearing, which is technically deaf.  He received cochlear implants at age 13 months.  Genetic testing determined that both my daughter and son-in-law carry a recessive gene called Connexion 26.  If a child receives one gene from a parent, they can be hard of hearing.  If they receive both genes, they will be deaf.  In 2019, my second grandchild, Charlotte, was born.  She also was diagnosed as being severely to profoundly hard of hearing and received cochlear implants at 11 months of age.  My two children and I either do wear or have worn hearing aids, but until my grandchildren were born, we believed our hearing loss was caused by multiple ear infections we all had as children.  We now know we carry the Connexion 26 gene.  It is entirely possible that gene came down the line from the Dickinson family through many generations.  We are becoming a bilingual family, utilizing both American Sign Language and spoken English to communicate.

I've been fortunate to be able to trace this family through the U.S. Federal Censuses, and even more fortunate that our government decided to identify deaf and mute individuals in many of those censuses. In fact, the 1830 census was the first to identify people as deaf and dumb (the archaic term used for mute individuals, whether they were mute genetically, or were mute due to deafness and the inability or lack of opportunity to learn to speak). For the next six censuses, through the mostly destroyed 1890 census, all population registers identified the deaf and/or deaf and dumb. Also, the 1910 and the 2000 censuses identified this group. We will be taking a "walk" through these censuses to determine what can be found about your deaf ancestors and relatives, by using my Dickinson family as an example.

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When the 1830 census was taken, Ezra DICKINSON was enumerated in Johnston Township, Trumbull County, Ohio. Only heads of household were named in this census. There were six individuals in the household: three sons, a daughter, and Ezra and his wife, Cynthia.

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On the second page of the census, we see the total number of people in the household (six), plus a one in the column identifying deaf and dumb individuals under the age of 14. This would probably have been son John Fletcher DICKINSON, born 10 May 1825.

If you use Ancestry.com to view these census images, please note that you cannot download the second page of the images, because--as they state--those pages aren't indexed (that seems rather silly to me). I took a screen shot of the above image and used my photo editing software to create a clip for this post. Here is the link to the 1830 census database at Ancestry.

In 1840, Ezra and his family were enumerated in DeKalb Co., Indiana (the township is not given). Four sons and five daughters graced their home. Again, only heads of household were named (here is the link for the 1840 census at Ancestry).

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On the second page of the census, the number 11 shows the total number of people in the household, followed by a 2 representing the number of people in the household engaged in agriculture. Then a 2 and a 1 are given in the columns for deaf and dumb individuals, ages 0-13, and 14-24, respectively. These likely were Harriet Anna DICKINSON (probably born 13 Dec 1839), Thomas Sherman DICKINSON (born November 1835), and John Fletcher DICKINSON, mentioned above.

The 1850 census was the first one in which every individual was named within a household; before this, only heads of households (usually male) were named. In this year, Ezra and his family were in Hicksville, Defiance Co., Ohio, having moved to that state so his deaf children would be eligible to attend the state school for the deaf and dumb. The family had originally lived in Ohio before moving to Indiana, so it wasn't a stretch for them to return and set up life in their former home state. Ezra and Cynthia are shown with seven of their children. Some of the adult children are out of the home, and there may have been children born after this census. Three children of theirs have yet to be identified by name. Cynthia died in 1852.

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As you can see in the far right column, John, Sherman, and Harriet are listed as "Deaf & Dumb." Sherman is specifically enumerated as a student for his occupation while older brother John is farming, and younger sister Harriet, although age 10, does not have a student occupation. Keep this in mind for when we discuss school records from schools for the deaf  in the future.

If you are researching enslaved ancestors in the 1850 and 1860 censuses, they will be identified if deaf-mute. However, they will not be named, but only be identified by gender and approximate age. If you believe your enslaved ancestor was a deaf-mute either from a family story or from identification as a deaf-mute in post-1860 population schedules, this can help narrow down the possibilities of where that ancestor was living and who his or her slave owner was. Slave schedules for 1850 and 1860 can be found here and here, respectively, as separate databases at Ancestry.

In 1860, Ezra, his second wife Hannah "Elizabeth," four of his children, and a step-son were back in Indiana, in Wilmington Township, DeKalb County. Sherman and Harriet are identified as deaf and dumb. John was married to his wife Chloe BATES, also deaf and dumb, and living in Brooks Township, Newaygo Co., Michigan (not shown).

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By 1870, all three deaf children of Ezra were married and living in their own homes with their spouses and children. Here are Sherman and John, living next door to each other in Sheridan Township, Newaygo Co., Michigan. As you can see, Sherman, John, and John's wife Chloe were identified as deaf and dumb. 

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Harriet was living with her husband, James Root, in Mount Pleasant, Cass Co., Nebraska (not shown). Interestingly enough, they had a hired hand living with them who was also deaf and dumb. He does not appear to be related.

If you find your deaf ancestors on the 1880 census, be aware that there is more to look at than just the population schedules. Here are Sherman and his family living in Rock Bluffs, Cass Co., Nebraska, probably to be near sister Harriet's family. The Harriet in his own household is a niece; she is John and Chloe's daughter.

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To the far right of Sherman's name, you can see a 1 in the column identifying deaf and dumb individuals. This information informs you that Sherman's name can be searched in the 1880 Schedules of Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes, which include deaf individuals. This is a separate database at Ancestry. These schedules were additional information gathered regarding "defective" (physically and mentally disabled), dependent (the indigent and orphans), and delinquent (criminal, imprisoned) individuals who were identified in the 1880 population schedule.

When I searched for Sherman in the DDD Schedule, he was enumerated on it on the same page as his siblings and sister-in-law, as all were living in Cass Co., Nebraska. Harriet was living in Rock Bluffs proper, while the rest were living in Rock Bluffs Precinct.

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The DDD schedule listed the individual, where they lived, and whether they were self-supporting, or partly so (the family members we are studying all said "yes" to this question). Then they were asked at which age deafness occurred. Harriet and Sherman said they were deaf from birth, Chloe stated she was 11 months old when she had brain fever (perhaps scarlet fever or meningitis), and John stated he was 2 years old when he had a contusion of the head when falling into a well. That is an interesting story; it does conflict with information given when he entered the Ohio State School for the Deaf, which stated he was deaf from birth. The next question was whether the individual had ever attended an institution for the deaf. All four stated the Ohio School for the Deaf in Columbus. John added that he had attended the School for the Deaf in Flint, Michigan, which may give us a hint about the family's migration to that state from the Indiana-Ohio region. Next is the number of years in the institution. The final column gives the date of discharge from the school.

The next census to identify the deaf was the 1890 census, which unfortunately was mostly destroyed mainly by water and mold damage as the result of putting out a fire. Neither John, Sherman, nor Harriet lived in a community where the 1890 census remnants are extant. However, for those fortunate enough to find their ancestors on these remnants, the information would be very similar to that which is found on the 1850-1870 censuses.

The last historical census that has been released to the public which identifies deaf individuals is the 1910 census. In this census, only deaf and dumb individuals are identified; those who were deaf (but not dumb) or dumb (but not deaf) were not identified.

I found Harriet living in Ward 7 of Lincoln, Lancaster Co., Nebraska in 1910. In the very last column on the right, you can see "DD" written, for "deaf and dumb."

Since 1910, the only census that has identified deaf individuals is the 2000 census. It will not be released to the public until 2072. Question 16 of that census asks: "Does this person have any of the following long-lasting conditions: a. Blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment?" It is unfortunate that our descendants will not be able to track deaf ancestors for over 90 years (the gap between the 1910 and 2000 censuses).

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I hope this "census walk" from 1830 to 1910 has been helpful for you in tracking your deaf ancestors and relatives. Next week, we will visit a special census that was taken over the course of 1888 to 1895 which was focused entirely on deaf individuals, their families, marriages, and hearing relatives.

Other posts on this topic:

Tuesday's Tip: Using the U.S. Special Census on Deaf Family Marriages and Hearing Relatives, 1888-1895

Tuesday's Tip: Finding Deaf Ancestors and Relatives in School for the Deaf Historical Records

Tuesday's Tip: Locating Deaf Ancestors and Relatives in Other Major Record Groups

Thursday's Tip: Resource Wrap Up for Researching Your Deaf Ancestors and Relatives

My Top 10 Brick Walls - Dad's Side

Image courtesy of GenealogyInTime Magazine www.genealogyintime.com

Several people have been posting their Top 10 Brick Wall Ancestors, so I decided to do so as well. The trouble was, when I started looking through my family tree, I realized I had a lot more than ten (don't we all?). So this post is about my top ten brick wall ancestors on my dad's side. Which, of course, means there'll be a post on the ones on my mom's side.

I've written about some of these folks before, but not all of them. Those that have previous blog posts have been linked. Do YOU have the answers to my brick walls?

My Top 10 Brick Walls - Dad's Side

1. Are the parents of Joseph Josiah ROBBINS (1820 - 1905)--of Oceana Co., Michigan, McKean Co., Pennsylvania, Tioga Co., Pennsylvania, and Otsego Co., New York--George Washington ROBBINS and Abigail HICKS?

2. Nelson H. PECK (b. c. 1819; d. 15 Apr 1849, probably in Potter Co., Pennsylvania) - when and where was he born, where did he die, what was his cause of death, and who were his parents? There are a lot of PECKs in Potter County, Pennsylvania around the time he lived there...but how do they connect?

3. Who were William KIMBALL's parents? He was b. c. 1806 in Vermont, moved to Cuyahoga Co., Ohio; and later removed to Kalamazoo and Newaygo Counties in Michigan.

4. Who were Cynthia PHILLIPS' parents? She was b. 10 May 1802 in Sharon, Litchfield Co., Connecticut; m. Ezra DICKINSON 12 November 1820 in Trumbull Co., Ohio; and d. 21 March 1852 in Hicksville, Defiance Co., Ohio after giving birth to 12 children.

5. Who are Richard WILKINSON's parents? He was b. c. 1815 in Yorkshire England; and m. Mary LAMOREAUX/TERRY before 1842, probably in York Co., Ontario. When and where did he die? He was last noted on the 1881 Canadian Census in Whitchurch, York Co., Ontario; and in 1891, his wife is a widow. He does not appear in the death records.

6. Why do we have two surnames for Mary LAMOREAUX or TERRY? Was she adopted? Who were her parents? Was she born (c. 1818) in Ontario or New Brunswick (I have both locations as birthplaces, from various documents).

7. When and where did John Henry SAYERS and his wife, Mary CAHOON, die? They are last found on the 1871 Canadian census in Cavan Twp., Durham Co., Ontario. They don't appear in the Ontario death records, nor the Michigan ones (a number of their children emigrated to Western Michigan around 1880-1881).

8. Were Stephen YORK and Amy FRANKLIN of the Town of Clarence, Erie Co., New York the parents of Jeremiah Franklin YORK (1791 - 1876)? I'm 99% sure that they were. I just need to find that one document with the evidence.

9. James W. BARBER (1841 - 1912) of England, Bruce Co., Ontario, and Lapeer and Genesee Counties, Michigan: Who were his parents?

10. Were William CLEVELAND and Lydia SHAW of China Twp., St. Clair Co., Michigan the parents of Clarissa CLEVELAND (c. 1832 - 1877)?

Signature Sunday: Ezra DICKINSON

This signature of my 4th-great-grandfather, Ezra DICKINSON, comes from the marriage license that he applied for on 7 November 1820 in Trumbull County, Ohio. His signature testified that he had made "a solemn oath" that he had attained the age of 21, that his intended, Cynthia PHILLIPS (my 4th-great-grandmother), had attained the age of 18, and they were no closely related than first cousins. Ezra and Cynthia were married five days later, possibly in the community of Fowler, although they both resided in Johnston Township. Their marriage record has the place name Fowler with the marriage return date, so it's not clear if that is the marriage location or just a notation that the return was documented there.

Although this was his first marriage, it certainly was not his last. He married four more times, outliving his first four brides, but making his fifth wife a widow when he died 17 September 1886 in Auburn, DeKalb County, Indiana. 

You can read his published biography here and learn more about his Civil War service here.

Surname Saturday: DICKINSON

DICKINSON is a true patronym; a name derived from "son of Dickin." It can also be spelled "Dickenson." It was a common name in Northern England. Dickin or Dicken is a pet form (nickname) of Dick. The name Dick can have two origins; it can be a nickname of Richard, which means "rich-hearted"; or its own origins are a derivative of the word "thick," with similar meanings including "fat," "strong," and "stout." It can also mean someone who lives near a thicket.

Stories and History:

Ahnentafel #8960 - William DICKINSON (1570 - 1628) - born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, he married Sarah STACY (dates unknown) in 1594. He died in Ely, Cambridge, England. Although I have seen information taking William's line back another thirteen (!) generations, I do not know the accuracy of this. William's descendancy has been well-documented by genealogists, including those of the New England Historic and Genealogical Society, so I am beginning my family tree with him.

Ahnentafel #4480 - Nathaniel DICKINSON, I (c. 1600 - 1676) - born in Ely, Cambridge, England, he married Anna [--?--] (d. bef. 29 May 1676) in January 1629/30 in East Bergholat, Suffolk, England. She was a widow of [--?--] GULL, and had one son, William GULL. The Dickinsons immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where the first three of their eleven children--nine sons and two daughters--were born in Watertown, Middlesex County. Later, they moved to Wethersfield, Hartford County in the Connecticut Colony, where their remaining children was born. Wethersfield is the oldest European settlement in Connecticut. Nathaniel was probably a part of a discontented Puritan group of families from Hartford and Wethersfield who petitioned to start a new colony after controversy over local church doctrine. These families removed to Hadley, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts Bay Colony. When Nathaniel died, he was buried in the Old Hadley Cemetery, but apparently has no marker. Tradition has it that since he died during the days of frequent raids by Native Americans, he was buried at night with no marker. This was common at that time, so that the Natives would not know how many colonists had been killed.

During Nathaniel's lifetime, the King Philip's War greatly affected not only his own generation, but his children's and grandchildren's as well. This was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day New England, and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675-8. King Philip was the English name of the main leader on the Native American side, Metacom(et). He was the second son of Cheif Massasoit, who had been a friend to the Pilgrims and Puritans. A fifty-year treaty that the Pilgrims and Massasoit had agreed upon was broken, as the Natives became alarmed at the expansion of the colonists upon their land. In less than a year, twelve of the region's towns were destroyed and many more damaged, the colony's economy was all but ruined, and much of its population was killed, including one-tenth of all men available for military service. About 30 years later, another conflict, Queen Anne's War, occurred between the French and their Native allies and the English colonists. This was the second of four major conflicts between the French and the British in North America. The most destructive event during this war was probably the sacking of Deerfield, Massachusetts on 29 February 1704. The third of the French and Indian Wars is referred to as King George's War (1744-8); this also affected my DICKINSON family.

Nathaniel and Anna's oldest child, John (1630 - 1676) was killed 19 May 1676 in the Battle of Turner's Falls during the King Philip's War. John's daughter, Hannah, married Samuel GILLETT, who was also killed the same day as his father-in-law. Hannah then married Stephen JENNINGS. On 19 September 1677, Hannah and two of her step-children were captured by the Natives and taken to Canada when Hatfield, Massachusetts was sacked. While in captivity, Hannah had a daughter, whom she named Captivity JENNINGS. Captivity grew up to marry Abijah BARTLETT. During Queen Anne's War, Abijah was killed by Natives on 13 October 1708 at Brookfield, Massachusetts. John DICKINSON's sons, Stephen and Benjamin, were killed by Natives on 22 July 1710, also at Brookfield. John's daughter, Sarah, married a widower, Martin KELLOGG. During the sacking of Deerfield, Martin, his son Martin, Jr. from his first marriage, and three of Martin and Sarah's children, Joseph, Joanna, and Rebecca, were captured and forced to mark 300 miles to Canada. Sarah hid her youngest son Jonathan and herself in the cellar. The Natives heard her son crying, found and killed him, and set fire to the house. Sarah escaped with her step-daughter, Anna KELLOGG. In 1706, Martin KELLOGG, Sr. returned to Deerfield. After his capture, Joseph DICKINSON spent two years with the Natives and eight years with the French. He spent the rest of his life as an interpreter between the Natives, French, and English. Joanna DICKINSON married the chief of the Cahnassaga tribe of Mohawks and remained with them for life. Rebecca DICKINSON chose to stay with the Natives until 1728; she devoted the rest of her life to work among and advocate for the Natives, chiefly at Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Nathaniel and Anna's second child, Joseph (1632 - 1675) served in Captain Beer's Company in the King Philip's War and was killed on 5 September 1675 while trying to relieve the fort at Northfield, Massachusetts.

Nathaniel and Anna's fourth child, Hannah (1636 - 1712/3) married John CLARY. He was killed by Natives on 16 August 1688 at Northfield, as well as their daughter, Sarah. Earlier, Hannah and John's son, John CLARY, Jr., had been killed by Natives on 3 April 1671. Hannah and John's daughter, Mary CLARY, married Moses HUTCHINSON. Moses and their son Moses, Jr., were both killed by Natives on 13 May 1704 at Deerfield.

Nathaniel and Anna's sixth child, Obadiah (1641 - 1698) married Sarah BEARDSLEY. He was a sergeant during the King Philip's War. In the same 19 September 1677 raid on Hatfield in which Obadiah's niece, Hannah and her two step-children were captured, Obadiah's house was burned, and Sarah was wounded and left for dead. She did escape. Obadiah and one of their children (possibly a daughter, also named Sarah) were taken captive and forced to march to Canada. They were eventually ransomed and returned to Hatfield in the spring of 1678. There is no death record for daughter Sarah; it is believed she died in 1677 during captivity. In the 1680's, Obadiah and Sarah had another daughter, whom they also named Sarah; a common practice in those days.

Finally, Nathaniel and Anna's tenth child, Azariah (1648 - 1675) was killed by Natives on 25 Aug 1675 in Hatfield. His grandson, Obadiah FRARY, was killed by Natives near Fort Edward, Massachusetts.

Ahnentafel #2240 - Nathaniel DICKINSON, II (1643 - 1710) - born in Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut, he was the seventh child of Nathaniel DICKINSON, I and his wife, Anna [--?--]. He was married three times; his first wife was my ancestor, Hannah BEARDSLEY (1642 - 1679), whom he married in 1662 in Hatfield, and with whom he had six children. His second wife, Elizabeth HAWKS (d. c. 1684), whom he married in 1680, was the widow of Joseph GILLETT. His third wife, Elizabeth BURT, whom he married in 1684, was the widow of Samuel WRIGHT, Jr. Both Joseph GILLETT and Samuel WRIGHT were killed by Natives on different days in September of 1675. Nathaniel DICKINSON, II died in Hatfield

Nathaniel and Hannah's third child, John (1667 - 1761) married Hepzibah WELLS, who in 1693 was tomahawked by Natives and left for dead, but survived to a ripe old age.

Ahnentafel #1120 - Nathaniel DICKINSON, III (1663 - 1751) - born and died in Hatfield, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts Bay Colony. He married Hepzibah GIBBS (1664 - 1713), who was from Windsor, Hartford Co., Connecticut Colony. They had nine children.

On 15 July 1698, a small group, including Nathaniel and oldest sons Nathaniel IV and Samuel, were hoeing corn in the Hatfield meadow when they were fired upon by Natives. Nathaniel IV was killed and Samuel was taken captive but later rescued (more in next paragraph). Nathaniel III's horse was shot from under him, but he escaped. Later, Nathaniel III and Hepzibah had another son, whom they also named Nathaniel.

Nathaniel and Hepzibah's second son Samuel (1687 - 1761) was captured as mentioned above. He was recovered in the Pomeroy Pursuit. He was captured again 11 October 1723 at Northfield, Massachusetts and taken to Canada. He returned in June 1724. Samuel's wife, Hannah FIELD, and their daughter Hepzibah, were drowned 3 September 1740 while fording the Dearfield River on horseback.

Nathaniel and Hepzibah's sixth child and second son to bear the name Nathaniel (1698 - 1747) was scalped and killed by Natives at Northfield, Massachusetts on 15 April 1747, as part of King George's War. A monument commemorating the victims of the attack of 1747 was erected on Patchogue Hill in Northfield in 1872.

Nathaniel and Hepzibah's youngest child Catherine (b. 1706) married Caleb CHAPIN. He was killed at Lake George, New York by Natives on 8 September 1775, along with two of their sons, Joel and Hezekiah.

Ahnentafel #560 - Ebenezer DICKINSON (1690 - 1774) - born in Hatfield, he married his first cousin, Sarah DENSLOW (b. 1694) in 1716 in Hatfield. Ebenezer's and Sarah's mothers were the GIBBS sisters. They had nine children, probably all born in Hatfield. Later they removed to Litchfield, Litchfield Co., Connecticut Colony.

Ahnentafel #280 - Elisha DICKINSON, Sr. (c. 1730 - aft. 1790) - born in Hatfield, he married Elizabeth BARNES in 1769 in Cornwall, Litchfield Co., Connecticut Colony. They had five known children. Elisha served in the Revolutionary War from Cornwall.

Ahnentafel #140 - Philip DICKINSON (1770 - 1859) - born in Cornwall, he married Phoebe HUTCHINSON (1772 - 1858) in 1791. They had 14 children! Philip served in the U.S. Marines during the War of 1812. Later, he and his wife and most of their children settled in Trumbull Co., Ohio, which was part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, land claimed by Connecticut Colony, originally granted by King Charles II. Philip and Phoebe both died in Fowler, Trumbull County.

Ahnentafel #70 - Ezra DICKINSON (1800 - 1886) - a Civil War veteran; read his AnceStory here

Ahnentafel #35 - Lucy May DICKINSON (c. 1842 - 1873) - one of the youngest of 12 children, Lucy was born in Hicksville, Defiance Co., Ohio. She apparently migrated with her adult brothers to Western Michigan. There she married Benjamin Henry KIMBALL (1845 - 1924) in 1863 in Newaygo County. Her husband enlisted in the Union Army. After his return from war, they had four children. Lucy passed away shortly after the birth of her youngest child, Mary.

Ahnentafel #17 - Mary May KIMBALL (a.k.a. Lula WEAVER) (1873 - 1950) - when her mother died shortly after childbirth, Mary was raised by her maternal aunt. I have written a detailed AnceStory for her on my website here.

Ahnentafel #8 - William Bryan ROBBINS, I (1896 - 1972) - served during WWI in North Russia as a Polar Bear. Read more here. I've also written extensively about his experiences in North Russia on this blog.

Ahnentafel #4 - Robert Lewis ROBBINS (1920 - 2003) - a WWII veteran, and you can read all about him here. I remember how well he could ride a unicycle!

Ahnentafel #2 - my father (living)

Ahnentafel #1 - myself

More About the DICKINSON Family:

1. Online database (I update this at least once a month): DICKINSON ancestors and relatives (no info on living persons available)

2. Posts about DICKINSON ancestors and relatives on this blog

3. Some scanned DICKINSON photos

4. Some scanned DICKINSON documents

5. My DICKINSON Virtual Cemetery on Find A Grave

My DICKINSON Immigration Trail:

Cambridgeshire, England > Suffolk, England > Massachusetts > Hartford Co., CT > Hampshire Co., MA > Litchfield Co., CT > Trumbull Co., OH > DeKalb Co., IN > Defiance Co., OH > Newaygo Co., MI > Muskegon Co., MI > Ottawa Co., MI > AK > Stevens Co., WA > Spokane Co., WA

Mug Book Monday: Ezra DICKINSON (1798 - 1886)

"Mug books" are collections of biographical sketches usually found within county histories of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries, particularly in the United States. Each Monday, I'm highlighting ancestors or relatives who were featured in these mug books.

Ezra Dickenson [sic], a retired farmer of Auburn, was born in Sharon, Litchfield Co., Conn., Aug. 26, 1798. He was reared a farmer, living with his parents till his majority. In 1819 he went to Ohio and located in Johnson Township, Trumbull County, where he bought a tract of wild land which he cleared and cultivated, residing there until 1836, when he came to Indiana and entered 120 acres of Government land in Concord Township, De Kalb County. In 1842, having three children who were [deaf] mutes, he sold his farm in Concord Township and bought one near Hicksville, Ohio, that his children might have the advantage of the deaf and dumb asylum. In 1852 he sold his farm, and returned to De Kalb County and bought a farm in Wilmington Township where he lived till 1880, when, feeling the infirmities of old age creeping on, he sold his farm and bought a residence in Auburn that he might spend the rest of his life in a more quiet manner. When he came to Indiana, De Kalb County was a dense wilderness. Indians were plenty, but white people scarce. There were no roads, and oxen were the only teams used. He was one of the first Petit Jurymen of the first Circuit Court of De Kalb County. The first court was held in a log house on the site of the present court-house in Auburn. The jail was a loft over the court-room, which was entered through a hole in the floor, and the ladder taken away to prevent the escape of prisoners. The nearest markets were Fort Wayne and Hicksville. While living in Wilmington Township, Mr. Dickenson served four years as Justice of the Peace. In 1861 when, in his sixty-third year, he enlisted in Company F, Forty-fourth Indiana Infantry, barely passing the examination of the mustering officer, who took him to be about forty-five. April 3, 1862, he was discharged for disability. He is living with his fifth wife who was Mrs. Rebecca (Waldron) Sibert, to whom he was married April 22, 1882. He is the father of twelve children, eight of whom are living. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and his wife of the Lutheran church. He is a member of DeLong Post, No. 67, G. A. R. He has affiliated with the Republican party since its organization.

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Ezra was my fourth-great-grandfather. His first wife, Cynthia PHILLIPS, was my ancestor, as was their daughter, Lucy May (DICKINSON) KIMBALL, who is one of the four children deceased by the time this sketch was published. Several years ago, I highlighted Ezra's Civil War service here.

This biographical sketch was taken from History of De Kalb County, Indiana, together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, published in Chicago by Inter-State Publishing Co., 1885. Ezra's sketch was found on page 864. This county history, along with many others, can be found at the Internet Archive.

Friday Findings: My Swedish Line, KLAP, MIDKIFF, DICKINSON, Free and Low-Cost Resources

On Sunday, I worked on my adoptive great-grandmother's (Ida Carlotta GUSTAFSDOTTER) Swedish line. Anna-Karin had done some lookups for me with her resources quite a while ago and using the information she found, I was able to then trace back another two generations of ancestors, along with many collateral relatives. My main source was the International Genealogical Index and the Vital Record Index on FamilySearch, and while I know that the IGI is not always very reliable, the records I found seemed to be consistent with other information I found, and precise in date and location. I also spent some time on Swedish database websites found on Cyndi's List of Swedish websites, but what little records I found that could possibly be my family's required paying subscriptions.

Received an email from a KLAP descendant. My great-grandfather HOEKSTRA's older sister, Grace, married Adrian KLAP, and the individual who contacted me states that Adrian's uncle married his great-grandfather's sister. That particular line immigrated to Australia in 1950. I will add the info to my database, in case I come in contact with a descendant of Aunt Grace.

Received an email from a possible MIDKIFF descendant, as well as from a woman researching the 44th Indiana Infantry who has info to share regarding my ancestor, Ezra DICKINSON.

An amazing array of free and low-cost resources continue to be listed on my discussion forum at GenealogyWise. I have found some wonderful sites and gotten some ideas for offline resources, too, and I'm sure you'll appreciate them as well. Check them out!

A Civil War Soldier: Pvt. Benjamin Henry KIMBALL (1845 - 1924)

How Related: My 3rd-great-grandfather

Born: March 1845 in Michigan, probably in Pavilion Township, Kalamazoo County

Parents: William KIMBALL (c. 1806 - 1879) and Amanda WESTBROOK (1816 - c. 1882)

Siblings: Benjamin was sixth of eleven children and one of three brothers who served in the Union Army:

• John E. (1835 - 1910)
• William R. (1837 - 1924)
• Fanny C. (c. 1838 - bef. 1853)
• George Washington (1841 - 1918)
• Mary Jane (c. 1844 - 1925)
• David P. (c. 1848 - 1903)
  
• Fanny Charlotte (b. c. 1853)
• Ella A. (b. c. 1858)
• Lydia P. (b. c. 1862)
• Lucinda May (b. c. 1866)

Married: first, my ancestor, Lucy May DICKINSON (c. 1842 - 1873) on 5 September 1863 in Newaygo Co., Michigan. Second, Lydia L. (DAVID) DORWIN (1835 - 1906) on 3 July 1873 in Newaygo Co., Michigan

Children: With Lucy, Benjamin had four children: William Arthur (b. c. 1866), George Ezra (b. 1868), Leota Nellie (b. 1870), and my ancestor, Mary May KIMBALL (1873 - 1950). Benjamin did not have any known children with Lydia, but she had three children in their teens from her first husband at the time of her marriage to him, and he may have been responsible for their support until they married or became independent adults: Loarie (b. c. 1856; a daughter), Ernest W. (b. c. 1857), and Mary Jane DORWIN (b. 1859).

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Source: Civil War Pension Index Card of Benjamin H. Kimball. National Archives and Records Administration. Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 [database on-line at http://www.ancestry.com]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000. Original data: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. T288.

Source: Civil War Pension Index Card of Benjamin H. Kimball. Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900. National Archives and Records Administration. Publication T289. Digital image purchased at Footnote [http://www.footnote.com/].

Enlisted: 29 March 1864 at Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan in Co. D, 27th Michigan Infantry; private

Side served: Union

Mustered out: 26 July 1865 at Delaney House, Washington, D. C.

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Biography or Information of Interest:

Henry and David Kimball and Orson David
By A.L. Spooner

In the spring of 1864, 3 young men from Fremont [Newaygo Co., Michigan] went to Grand Rapids [Kent Co., Michigan] to look for employment. They were Henry and David Kimball and Orson David. Not finding work, they decided to enlist in the army. In a few days they were sent to St. Johns [Clinton Co., Michigan] for training and then were assigned to Company D, 27th Regiment Michigan Volunteer Infantry.

The 27th Regiment took part in several of the hardest fought battles of the Civil War beginning with Vicksburg and ended with the capture of Petersburg, Virginia, April 3, 1865.

It has often been said that there were more casualties in the Civil War than the combined casualties of all the wars since. Some idea of the losses sustained by the 27th Regiment hen be gained from the following letter written by Orson David dated at Petersburg, Virgina, August 8, 1864 and addressed to: "Dear Brother and Sister," which reads as follows:

"I received your letter this morning and was glad to hear from you. We had a big fight here on the 30th of last month (Battle of the Crater) but did not accomplish much. My company went into the charge with 34 men and when we came outt, we had 14 left. We lost a great many officers. The ground is black with knapsacks and guns. The talk now is that the whole regiment is coming to Michigan this fad because there are only 84 men in the regiment fit for duty out of 6 companies that came out with me. When our regiment started out last spring, there were 1,180 men and now we have got only 84. I have not got much to write this time, only if there were ever a fellow that wanted to see home and friends, it is myself."

Source: David, Orson Otis. Photograph. C. 1864 or earlier. Original photograph in the possession of Archives of Michigan Digital Collection [http://haldigitalcollections.cdmhost.com/]. 2008.

Orson David never made it home. He was captured at the Battle of Weldon Railroad and confined to Andersonville Prison and later transferred to Wilmington Prison at Wilmington, North Carolina.

General Sherman reached Wilmington with its fort and prison in January, 1865. The records of the 27th Regiment show that Orson died March 3, 1865 and is buried in the National Cemetery at Wilmington.

After the war, Benjamin married my ancestor, Lucy May DICKINSON. She was the daughter and sister of Civil War soldiers Ezra, Philip Reuben and Wallace William DICKINSON. Together they had four children. At or shortly after the birth of their youngest child, Mary, Lucy died. Mary was raised by Lucy's sister and brother-in-law, Mary (DICKINSON) and Philip WEAVER. Within four months, Benjamin married Lydia L. (DAVID) DORWIN, widow of Amos DORWIN, and mother of three teens. Lydia was the sister of Benjamin's friend, Orson. Another David sibling, Able Artemus DAVID, married Benjamin's sister, Mary Jane KIMBALL. It was only natural that with the Kimball and David families so entwined that Benjamin would marry Lydia, both needing each other for economic support and the raising of young children.

Benjamin was one of two great-grandfathers of my paternal grandfather, Robert Lewis ROBBINS, who had served during the Civil War and were alive during his childhood. Although my grandfather met one of these great-grandfathers (Charles H. ROBBINS) and even attended Grand Army of the Republic reunions with him, he never remembers meeting Benjamin.

Died: 28 January 1924 in Alba, Antrim Co., Michigan (see the story of how I found his death location after many years of searching, here)

Source: Tombstone of Benjamin H. and Lydia L. Kimbell, Plot M-02-02A-026-02-1, Maple Grove Cemetery, Fremont, Michigan. Photograph taken at the request of Miriam Robbins Midkiff by Find A Grave volunteer Jason Felton. Digital copy in the possession of Miriam Robbins Midkiff, Spokane, Washington. 2008.

Buried: Maple Grove Cemetery, Fremont, Dayton Twp., Newaygo Co., Michigan. Lydia shares his monumental tombstone, which is marked "KIMBELL." Another alternate spelling is "Kimble."

A Civil War Soldier: Pvt. William DICKINSON (1819 - 1901)

Source: Dickinson, William. Photograph. Date unknown. Digital image found at Newaygans in the Civil War [http://ncha.ncats.net/data/Civil_War_Veterans/]. Whereabouts of original photo unknown. 2008.

How Related: Brother of my 4th-great-grandfather, Ezra DICKINSON

Born: 29 November 1819 in Litchfield, Litchfield Co., Connecticut

Parents: Philip DICKINSON (1770 - 1859) and Phoebe HUTCHINSON (1773 - 1858)

Siblings: William was the youngest of 14 children!

• Philip, Jr. (dates unknown)
• Irena (1792 - 1841)
• Eliza (1794 - 1830)
• Nathaniel (b. 1796)
• Delana W. (b. 1798)
• Ezra (1800 - 1886)
  
• Martha "Patty" (1802 - aft. 1892)
• Laura (b. 1803)
• Harriet Amanda (b. 1805)
• Elisha (1808 - 1893)
• Samuel (1811 - 1897)
• Amelia (1814 - 1845)

Married: Caroline A. HART (c. 1819 - 1857) on 21 December 1844 in Cornwall, Litchfield Co., Connecticut. Also married Sarah A. BARNES (1836 - 1908) on 7 November 1857 in Johnston Twp., Trumbull Co., Ohio.

Children: Like many of the Dickinsons, William was prolific. He had 19 children between his two wives. With Caroline he had the following:

• Walter (1844 - 1923) - also served in the same company and regiment as his father
  
• Wallace (1847 - 1847)
• Wallace (1848 - 1860)
• Phoebe Hannah (1849 - 1929)
• Mary Elizabeth (1850 - 1887)
• Elias (c. 1852 - 1940)
• Charles E. (1854 - 1924)

With Sarah, he had 12 children:

• Willie (1858 - 1862)
• Ida Mae (1859 - 1941)
• Chester (1860 - 1876)
• George Horatio (1863 - 1948)
• Sherman (1865 - 1866)
• Frank S. (1866 - 1947)
• Gertrude (1869 - 1939)
• Alice (1871 - 1942)
• John Samuel (1873 - 1960)
• William "Tige" (1875 - 1963)
• Orla Belle (1877 - 1922)
• Philip (1879 - 1955)
  

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Source: Civil War Pension Index Card of William Dickinson. Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900. National Archives and Records Administration. Publication T289. Digital image purchased at Footnote [http://www.footnote.com/].

Enlisted: 23 August 1861 in Co. K, 41st Ohio Infantry

Side Served: Union

History of Unit: 41st Ohio Infantry

Discharged: 24 July 1862 in Columbus, Franklin Co., Ohio

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Biography or Information of Interest: For further information, see Newaygo in the Civil War by John A. Braden and my cousin Terry Wantz. Use the Find feature of your browser and look for Dickinson in the text.

Died: 12 November 1901 in Denver Twp., Newaygo Co., Michigan

Buried: 14 November 1901 in Bull Cemetery, Denver Twp., Newaygo Co., Michigan