Family Matters | EMILE ROMON

Emile Francois Romon was born in 1834 in Urcerey, France. He made his apprenticeship as a blacksmith and worked in several localities of the region before his departure for the United States in 1854. He often entertained the younger generation with graphic descriptions of his trip to America, which was by sailing vessel and lasted [...]

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Family Matters | HENRY HERRICK

Henry Herrick, along with his wife Editha, were among the original thirty who founded the First Church of Salem, MA in 1629. This was the first Puritan Church in the new colony. They arrived as part of the Higginson and Skelton fleet (Winthrop) to Salem in 1629.  Rev. Francis Higginson and Rev. Samuel Skelton were [...]

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Family Matters | LYSANDER ORMSBY

Lysander Ormsby was born in Massachusetts and lived there until April of 1837, when resolving to see something of the great West, he started out and made his way by team to Albany, NY, the nearest point to the Erie Canal, and then by canal to Buffalo. After arriving in Buffalo, Lysander had to wait [...]

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Family Matters | SAMUEL CLEAVELAND

He spelled his name Samuell. One of the first to settle in Connecticut, he joined the migration of families to found the new town of Canterbury. He served as a soldier in King Philip’s War in 1675/76 and held the rank of Sergeant. A petition was written to the army, from his brother Moses, to [...]

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Deborah Sampson – Revolutionary War Soldier and American Folk Hero

Deborah Sampson was the first known American woman to impersonate a man in order to join the army and take part in combat. She was born in Plympton, MA on December 17, 1760, the oldest of three daughters and three sons to Jonathan and Deborah Bradford Sampson. Deborah is my 3rd cousin, 7 times removed. [...]

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