Maurer in Schmiedrued

Strohhaus in Schmiedrued, aus Ein Bauart aus alter Zeit einem Kalender fur das Jahr 1918.
Im Strohhaus wohnte die Familie Maurer Sigwarte.
Es wurde ca 1917/1918 abgebrochen.
Am rechten Bildrand im Hintergrund der Giebel des alten Restaurant Sternen.

Rough translation: Thatch house in Schmiedrued, out from Ein Barat, out from an older time
Calendar for the year 1918.
In thatch house resided the family Maurer, Sigwarte His rank/title about 1917 hand in/deliver to broken.
In the right hand pictured in background the gable of old restaurant Sternen.

Maurer is the family name of 4th & 5th great grandmothers: Anna Mauer 1743 who married Sigmund Bolliger and Margaretha Maurer 1681 who married Heinrich Wirz.

It's interesting to think that several generations back folks would have been living in homes just like this. All the wood stacked and ready for winter makes me think it must have been very cozy this time of year. Imagine it with a coating of snow.
Merry Christmas!

Schmiedrued - from the air

Flugaufnahme von Schmiedrued mir Lohren, Eggschwill und Obereggschwil, im Hintergrund der Benkel.

Translated caption: Arial view of Schmiedrued with Lohren, Eggschwil and Obereggschwil in background der Benkel.

Bemerkenswert sind die vielen Obstbaumgarten.
Remarkable great fruit tree growing garden/region.

Die neue Strasse Dorf-Kehracker ist noch nicht gebaut.
Something about the new road between villages is still not improved.

Schmiedrued is in the foreground - note the position of the larger buildings. This shows a great view of the Rueder Valley. Compare with google maps or the previous postcard to get your bearings.

Webers - Kirchrued

Caption: Postcard of Kirchrued with post office mark 4 June 1910.
At right is picturesque old parish house in background different straw roofed (thatched) houses.

Kirch translates to Church. This small hamlet seemed to be centered around the church which also served Schmiedrued. The small cemetery is in back of the church. This is where the Webers and Goldenbergers attended their meetings, were baptized, married and buried. It replaced an older church which burned - so this is known to locals as the new church. It was built about 300 years ago. A stone plaque from the original church can be seen in the chapel.

Webers and Schmiedrued

Rough translation of caption on the back of this card:
"Colored postcard from Schmiedrued with post mark 17 Aug 1929".

George's wife, Martha was born to Swiss Immigrants, Samuel and Verena Weber. After a series of events which forced Samuel and Verena from Schmiedrued to find work, they met the LDS Missionaries and through another series of events, eventually made their way to the United States. Martha was born a few years after their arrival.

Pull out your genealogy and read up on their story. They were very courageous in a strange country. I regret that we lost the German - maybe some of the older children's families learned some, but I feel that Martha's family didn't have that exposure. Luckily for us Google has the translator option.

This postcard shows the hometown they left. It is a beautiful - as in Star Valley in the spring - place. It nestles in the bottom of a valley with green fields surrounding it. The buildings are well cared for. The homes look large, but usually held 2-3 families. The weaving mill has been converted to a museum. I believe it may be the 3 story building just right of center. The postcards came from the Museum.

Esther's Photos

Well, those are a small part of Esther's collection.

Esther Matthews occupies a special position in the George Kennington Family. She is the daughter of George's oldest sister. Her grandmother, George's mother Annie Rebecca, raised her and when Annie Rebecca passed away, Esther lived with George and Martha.

So she is unique: a niece to George and Martha and an older cousin to all their children. To me she seemed like an aunt, but I was the only one who thought she should be called "Aunt" Esther.

I know she taught school for years and had a nice library.

Hopefully we can locate more photos from her wonderful collection in the near future.

Gwen and Bev with Dolls

Gwen and Bev Kennington
photo by Esther Matthews Crook
about 1926

Beverly with Rocking Horse

Beverly Kennington
Photo taken by Esther Matthews Crook
Abt. 1923

On the rocking horse

Beverly Kennington and older sister Berniece or Clarissa Kennington.
Photo taken by Esther Matthews Crook
abt. 1923

Hard for me to tell the twins apart, but I think this girl has Berniece's look more than Cliss's. Someone who knows for sure, please send me an email.

Spring 1921 at the Kennington house

Gordon, Gwen and Garth Kennington
Photo by Esther Matthews Crook
abt. 1921
Notice the log pile (far left) with lots of wood chips on the new grass.

By the log pile

Garth and Gwen Kennington
photo by Esther Matthews Crook
abt. 1919

Early Photographs of George Kennington Children

Version 1 Caption:
Back Row: Cousins, older girls unknown, maybe Nora Low and ? holding baby ?, Cliss and Berniece (or visa versa)
Front Row: Garth, Gwen or a cousin, Gordon or Gwen? or some cousin mixed in with the group.
About 1918 - 20?

Version 2
Back row: cousin 1, baby - Perhaps Gordon?, cousin 2, Cliss & Berniece (about school age)
Front row: Garth (about 4), cousin 3, maybe Nora Low?, Gwen (abt 2)
About end of summer, 1919?

Options for older cousins might include: Wanda Low (1902), Nora Low (1905), Irene Kennington (1903), Annie W. Kennington (1903), Annie Oda Jensen (1907), Melba Jean Kennington (1910), Ada Berlin Kennington (1912) and probably others for whom I don't have records.

I think Annie Oda looks like Cousin #2 and Nora could be #1. The little girl by Garth looks like Martha Jensen (1915). Baby is still a mystery.

Version 3
(The most accurate)

Back row: Nora Low, baby likely Gordon Kennington, Annie Oda Jensen, Clarissa and Berniece Kennington (or reverse order).
Front row: Garth Kennington, Martha Jensen, Gwen Kennington.

Location is almost identical and summer cotton clothes match with women's picture in the post,"A fine Spring Day" Sept. 2010. So the cousins likely belong to those aunts: Molly Lowe and Ida Jensen. Anyone have suggestions? It seems more like late July after the first crop has been cut and you can get out into the fields. They weren't big on lawn mowers back then were they? A picnic for the 24th? Apparently there is a photo from this series of the men too.

You can almost imagine the call for the kids' picture first, then get all the women for a shot. My mother Dorothy, remembers Dad(Forrest) mentioning that Esther Matthews had the camera, but George's family didn't, so these photos came through Esther's efforts.

Source: Found this series of photos in the "Family History" box at Mom and Dad's. Esther Matthews Crook, niece to George, apparently took these pictures.
You may all ready be familiar with the images. They're done on heavy paper and are slightly blurry. They show George's first 6 children. Please let me know if I mis-label anyone. I'm guessing on this first photo. Your input would be welcomed!

Page 15. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

...and so can Frosty.

The End

Page 14. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

Frosty's big brothers can tell you....

Page 13. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

Yep!
Those bears with the glowing red eyes really do live in Uncle Dick's Cave in the dark woods!

Page 12. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

By the time Frosty's big brothers were tip-toeing up to Uncle Dick's Cave,
Frosty and his squeaky wooden wagon were hidden in the shadows on top of the hill.
As he ate his sandwich he quietly waited and watched.

Now Frosty's big brothers would see if the tale of the bears with glowing red eyes who lived in Uncle Dick's cave was really true.

Page 11. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

By the time his big brothers were awake,
Frosty was tip-toeing to the mouth of Uncle Dick's Cave.

He was a little nervous and his toes twiddled inside his shoes.
He listened closely....

You know what?
All those bears with glowing red eyes who lived in Uncle Dick's Cave were scared away by his squeaky wooden wagon - just like Frosty's big brothers had said!

Frosty grabbed his hammer and set to work.

Page 10. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

The next morning, before his big brothers were awake,
Frosty quietly packed a sandwich, a hammer and a flashlight into his squeaky wooden wagon.

He took a deep breath and headed out on his own great adventure in the dark woods.

Page 9. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

Frosty planned his own great adventure in the dark woods.
He forgot about his supper. He forgot about his brothers.
And he forgot to twiddle his toes, because he he wasn't nervous,
not even a little bit.

Page 8. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

He was still mad when he brought up the milk for supper
in his squeaky wooden wagon with the big red reflectors.

Then Frosty had an idea...

Page 7. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

Frosty's big brothers made him sad. Then he became mad.
He stayed mad all afternoon, even when he read to his mother.

Page 6. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

Oh No!

Frosty's big brothers said he had to stay home
because he would ruin their great adventure in the dark woods!

They said his legs were too short to keep up with famous explorers.

They even said his squeaky wooden wagon was so noisy it would scare away all the bears with glowing red eyes who lived in Uncle Dick's cave in the dark woods!

Page 5. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

Frosty thought about the great adventure while he did his chores the next morning.

His squeaky wooden wagon would carry all the stuff for their great adventure.

He would be the bravest of all the famous explorers!

He would protect his big brothers from the bears with glowing red eyes
who lived in Uncle Dick's Cave, even if he was a little nervous.

His toes twiddled.

Page 4. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

Frosty dreamed about becoming a famous explorer and
going on a great adventure day after tomorrow.

He twiddled his toes under the blanket because the thought of
going on a great adventure in the dark woods made Frosty just a little nervous.

Page 3. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

Frosty's big brothers told him a tale of bears with glowing red eyes
who lived in Uncle Dick's Cave in the dark woods.

Frosty's big brothers were going to become famous explorers
and go on a great adventure day after tomorrow.

They would search for the bears with glowing red eyes
who lived in Uncle Dick's Cave in the dark woods.

Page 2. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

Frosty's Great Uncle Dick had been a gold prospector a long time ago.
He dug a cave in the dark woods, but Uncle Dick didn't find any gold.
Now the cave was empty...or was it?

Page 1. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

There was once a boy named Frosty who lived at the edge of the dark woods.
The dark woods made Frosty just a little nervous.
The dark woods made Frosty twiddle his toes, which he always did,
even when he was just a little nervous.

The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

We've been pretty serious for several posts and I'm getting tired of black and white photographs. So with your kind indulgence, we're going to hear a little story.

You all remember Uncle Dick, the bachelor brother of William Henry. I get the impression he might have been a colorful character. He was a prospector. One of his mines was up Swift Creek Canyon. In fact, I believe the cave still existed in the 1990's when it was finally blasted shut because teenagers were up to mischief. It was on the south of the canyon and dug into the north side of the hill, near the camp ground if I'm not mistaken.

Many of you older cousins and grandchildren probably know more about him than our family did, but I do know one story.

When my daughter Andrea was in middle school, she did a report on her grandfather's (Forrest's) experience with Uncle Dick's Cave. He may have embellished the experience a bit - and when I took the report years ago and turned it into a kid's story, I certainly embellished it a bit more. So, just for fun, and because it is in color, relax and enjoy The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave (copyright kkhamblin) which will follow.

Freighting on Crow Creek

Freighters on Crow Creek
Date: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown

Pulling into the shade, freighters pause for the photographer. Bringing in supplies via Crow Creek from Montpelier and the railroad was an important fall enterprise because snow storms could quickly close the road, isolating the valley. These freighters were probably looking forward to a break at the Half Way House to rest their teams. How many fellows do you count? I believe there are seven.

Land Commissioner

During the early years of the last century,
William Henry Kennington was a United States Land Commissioner for Wyoming at Afton.
Above is one of the documents he filled out.

A grand son, Forrest Kennington related the following: "In 1952, Carl Cook, a lawyer practicing in Afton, filled out deed papers for me and told me this story: He, Carl Cook, visited the land office in Afton and filled out papers for people settling in the Etna area. (Carl Cook was one of the men who selected the name of Etna for the town...). He said he wondered why William Henry wrote so slow.
With a smile Carl started writing and said that when you are old, you just write slow."

This document gives us a good look at William Henry's penmanship as an older man (he died in 1916 at the age of 74); the letters are still firm and the script even and flowing.

Temple Announced for Star Valley

A shot of the major buildings in Afton with Star Hill in the background.
The high school (below) was built to the east of the public school.

The Tabernacle

What a great day for Star Valley - a temple announced by Pres. Monson at the Sat. Conference session. I would bet tears were shed by everyone who has a tie to the valley. What a great convenience it will be for the western side of Wyoming and I would imagine eastern Idaho.

Speculation would be fruitless because the behind the scene work has been done and the site is chosen. But it's still fun to wonder - there's the Temple Bench tradition (flat plateau behind the High School at the mouth of Swift Creek Canyon), the Tabernacle has lots of room to the east and maybe to the south (if that land reverted to the church after the high school was torn down), or maybe someplace high (but snow removal is a real concern several months of the year) or some beautiful spot in the Lower Valley (which has grown so much in the past 30 years).

We'll just wait and see. In any event, wonderful changes will be coming to Star Valley.

George Kennington's growing family about 1922

L-R Front: Garth's shoulder, Gordon, Bev, Gwen.
Back: Cliss and Berniece

Afton in December

Afton's Main street in December in the 1930's
looking south possibly from the Valleon Hotel

This photo should cool off anyone sweltering in the late August heat. Just past the Christmas Tree is the show house marquee, so I'm guessing the Elk Horn Arch crosswalk would be just past that. The corner gas station on the right is now part of the city offices. On the left, a Maverick gas station now sits where the Sinclair station was.

Dad and I were preparing another book on the valley when he passed away. This photo is from that file. I'm guessing on the decade but the woman on the far right looks a little more like the 1940's.

It is certainly a bleak winter day. Sleigh riding and a little skiing were the only winter relief in those days, and the winters did seem to stretch out.

One piece of sage advice was to never go up the canyons after Christmas. The danger for avalanches was too great by then.

Snow machines came along in the '70's and changed the way we viewed winter. Overnight it became something to be anticipated rather than dreaded. Snow machines, or sleds as they are now called, also entice folks to ignore the old advice for safety in the canyons.

What do Rustlers, the British Army and Tasmania have in Common?

Summer time came with a whole different set of expectations for the generations past in Star Valley. They were worried about crops - too much rain, not enough rain, early frosts, late frosts and getting that all important hay in before the weather turned. Their economic success hinged upon it!
We tend to forget how dependent farmers were on horse power (literally) for getting that hay in. The bond between horse and man is evident in this copy of a hand written account I found in the Kennington file today. I believe it came from Forrest Kennington whose cousin, Scott Gardner, is the writer; perhaps it was something to do with the historical society. Wherever it came from, it is too good to pass up:

"August 1993

"This is a story told to me by Harve Crook of Smoot, -91 years old-

"In 1914 his brother Ray Crook had a fine team, one black and one brown. They were well matched and the envy of the whole community. One day they came up missing. They had been stolen.

"Late in the summer Harve crossed the mountain to the Green River Country to work in the hay fields. This was the custom for Star Valley men to do this each summer after their own hay was stacked.

"There was talk of a fine team in the area, one black and one brown. Harve started looking for the team He was told they had been sold to the British Army Horse Buyers. World War I was raging in Europe.

"In 1924 Harve was on an L.D.S. Church mission in Hobart, Tasmania. One day a team and wagon came down the street, one black and one brown. He stopped the driver and examined the horses. They wore his father's brand and the British Army Brand."

[signed] Scott Gardner

Richard Kennington's Baptism 1804

Richard Kennington

North Thoresby, Lincolnshire Baptismal Record for 1804.
FHL Film # 1542352

Thanks again to Jenny, we now see conclusive proof of Richard Kennington's entry into the world. It reads: Richd. Son of Sarah Kennington illegitimate Oct. 30th [1804].

This parish entry seems to blow the theory that Sarah was married to Richard's father, but still leaves the door open a bit that perhaps the father was someone she intended to marry. Napoleon was stirring things up in Europe. Britain and France had been at war for a year. We might be looking at a soldier who didn't come back...

I have been musing on the reasons why Sarah or her parents would choose to have the baby baptized/christened at North Thoresby rather than Louth, the parish where all the family's blessings, marriages and deaths had been recorded for at least three generations. If anyone has some insights, please volunteer your point of view.

Some angles to consider: The Parish was the welfare agent for folks in need and orphans, etc. So they were very careful about single mothers and illegitimate children because odds were the parish would end up helping support them. Consequently there are stories about forcing the mother to reveal the father's identity during the delivery or ordering the mother across parish boundaries to avoid financial burdens.
Perhaps Sarah:
1. Went there to work at North Thoresby while awaiting the baby.
2. Was North Thoresby the father's home parish and since he was libel for the support of the baby it would be logical to have the baby there?
3. Sarah stayed with family or friends while there.
4. The Parish in Louth was not accepting of unwed mothers or the family would be discraced
5. Perhaps the family was working in that area or had moved there for a time...we wouldn't know from the parish register unless someone married or died....
And the list could go on....

So far as my current records show, Sarah was Thomas and Ann's only surviving child. Thinking in terms of family support systems, I went looking for Sarah's aunts and uncles - much to my surprise there aren't a whole lot. I expected many from Michael's big family, but infant mortality was high. In fact, we only have record of one aunt - Mary Kennington about 10 years Sarah's senior, who married John Leaning from Killingholme (north Lincolnshire along the coast). Until we know more about Sarah's mother's family (the Smiths), Mary is all we have to go on. She was raising a large family in Killingholme and was having her 8th child when Sarah at 25 was expecting Richard. If Sarah desired to get away from Louth, why didn't she go up there?

The Leaning cousins had a few surprises. Two of the boys emigrated to New York and became farmers in the 1830's. They are on the census's, in the historical accounts and we can even see where they are buried thanks to the internet. So Richard had cousins in America before he ever set sail. Had any of you ever heard that from family traditions?

Two other Leaning sons stayed in the Killingholme area and in the 1851 census I believe their mother, Mary is a widow living with Joseph. She reported her birth place (not her baptism place) as Glanford Brigg just northwest of Caistor. Mary was 85 at the time. If that is a true statement, then Michael's family moved around a bit - or it was important for them to travel back to the home parish of Louth for their church records. Can anyone shed a little light on that?

Well, I hope some of you can think through this situation better than I can. I think I'll take a look at Brigg's records. We may get lucky.

Glossop-Sharp Marriage, 1771

Marriages 1771-

Banns of Marriage Between Francis Glossop-and Sarah Sharp, both of this parish were an---published the twentieth day of October the third-and Seventh day of November----

This Marriage was solemnized between
us by Banns in this Parish Church this
twenty fifth Day of November 1771 by me

Jno Mounsey

Francis Glossop
her
Sarah x Sharp
mark

In the presence of
Francis Pratt
E. Diggery [ ] Ch.W.

Jn'o Mounsey Curate
E. Diggery [] Ch'h Warden

(Thoresway, Lincolnshire Parish Register FHL Film # 933208)



This marriage is the strongest contender for Jane Glossop's parents so far. Francis Glossop is a unique name - haven't found many in the area.
Thoresway is just outside of Caistor. It is the only marriage in 1771; some years there were no marriages, births or deaths recorded at all. Probably most church rites were performed in Caistor.

This document could possibly point us in a couple of directions. First, it is interesting that they are in Thoresway in the late fall. So were they or Sarah's family working at some agricultural job which required them to be perhaps wrapping up harvests, feeding livestock or butchering?

Second, the witnesses also have possibilities. Francis Pratt: same first name as Francis Glossop - Godfather? Uncle? E. Diggery has quite the signature. There must be some history about him somewhere, otherwise that's a lot of fancy penmanship wasted.

Francis and Sarah have their children baptized at Caistor. There is Elizabeth in 1772, then a gap of 10 years. Robert in 1783, his mother is listed as Sarah. He is buried in 1784 and his mother is Mary. Sarah is baptized in 1784 at Caistor. Jane is baptized in 1785 and then Mary in 1787. Their mothers are listed as Sarah. So I'm hoping that "Mary" listed on Robert's burial was a slip by the recorder.

Mary Ann Davison's baptismal entry

Mary Ann Davison
Wife of Richard Kennington

Baptismal Entry for Mary Ann Davison

Caistor, Lincolnshire, England Parish Record1810
FHC Film # 1450424
Courtesy of Jenny Kennington Wagstaff

The Caistor Parish Record (6th entry down) reads:
Davison, Mary D.[daughter] of Thomas and Jane, April 8th.
The year, 1810, is listed at the top of the page.

Well folks, I believe Jenny's research has put the Mary Ann Davison question to rest. Combined with the marriage entry for Thomas and Jane the year before, we have a pretty clear picture of a newly married couple having their first child, a daughter, on April 1st, 1810 (according to family records) and having her baptized at the parish church when she was a week old.

By the way, the parents were married by Banns in the parish church. That indicates that for 3 weeks prior to their marriage, their intent to marry was announced at the church - giving anyone who objected the opportunity to do so. This was the normal way to marry. But If couples were in a hurry to marry, were enroute to another town, etc. they could buy a license and be married without the waiting period in another parish. So it seems to me that Thomas Davison and Jane Glossop were comfortable where they were and likely had family around to support them. They may have been agricultural laborers. The Glossop name has the double s. At that time the first s was written like our cursive f. So to our eye, the name might look like Glofsop, but it's Glossop.

In case you haven't consulted your maps yet, Caistor is about 16 miles north west from Louth as the crow flies. North Thoresby, where her future husband, Richard, was born is to the east of Caistor about 8 miles. Louth is to the south east of both towns.

A few notes on Caistor:
Pigot's Directory of 1828 describes it as a "small market town in parish of the same name...157 miles from London, 23 from Lincoln, 8 miles from Brigg...Parish Church dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul...grammar school founded in 1630...population in 1821 was 1,388 inhabitants...a fire in 1681 left 45 families in poverty and consumed over 1/2 the town's buildings..."

The 1841 Census of Caistor has a Sarah Davidson 25, with several children. There is also a Benjamin Davison or Dawson, 40, Blacksmith and family. Several Kennington families are also there: Thomas, 55 Wheelwright and family, a Richard 65 or 45, Carpenter with wife,, Mary 60 or 40 and Sarah, 10 ... (I know, that sounds like them doesn't it?, but the names don't line up, we need to do more research)

We need to go 2 directions now:
1. Back in time to find and document Thomas Davison and Jane Glossop and their families.
2. Forward in time to untangle the Progressive Men of Wyoming quote: "His parents were Richard and Mary (Davidson) [sic] Kennington, who came with their young family to the United States in 1856 and settled in Utah...The family consisted of of thirteen children, seven of whom died in infancy." PMW, pg. 855. The missing children need to be accounted for and added to the family record and we need a marriage date for Richard & Mary Ann.

Thanks again Jenny.

Mary Ann Davison's Parents Discovered?

Marriage Certificate for
Thomas Davison and Jane Glossop
1809
Caistor, Lincolnshire, England
FHC film # 1450424
Courtesy of Jenny Kennington Wagstaff, great granddaughter of Henry Kennington (Uncle Hen)

The search for Mary Ann Davison's parents has been a long one with several false leads, but I think this may be the real deal.

Let's review the family traditions:

1. Name: Mary Ann Davison or Davidson (confusion has always been present on the last name) but she named her son Richard Davison Kennington.
2. Birth Date: 1 April 1810 - Date never varied in any of the family records.
3. Location: Family tradition held that she was from Durham, England. This tradition of coming from Durham may be a partial truth. Mary Ann's father may have come from Durham, or her family may have moved to Durham for part of her youth, etc. There are many Davison families in that area. The History of the County Palentine of Durham England is loaded with references to Gentlemen, Knights, Vicars, Merchants, Soldiers, etc. named Davison.
4. Parents & Family: None mentioned as far as I've been aware of in the older family group sheets.
5. Aunt Gwen in 1988: "...I did find Richard and Mary Ann in a record (as I recall Caistor) that I can't recall or find now..." They would have needed a reason to be living there.
6. Valentine Davison in Sedgefield, Durham, England and Mary Bales were good candidates for Mary Ann's parents - they did have a Mary Ann (8 May 1811 St. Giles, Durham, Durham). They were the best option yet discovered in the 1980's and are presented in the Kennington History Book, We follow Great Pioneers, Ruth Miller Kennington, 1996. One red flag with Valentine Davison is the obvious fact that his unusual surname did not continue with his Kennington descendents.

Jenny shared her information just this week. What a pleasure to connect with cousins who also have the same goals and interests in family history. We appreciate her willingness to offer up new discoveries with the blog.

A few points in favor of Thomas Davison and Jane Glossop as Mary Ann's parents are:

1. The record of Mary Davison's birth to Thomas and Jane Davison 1 April 1810 recorded in the Caistor Parish Register (Copy to follow in a later blog) The date is dead on accurate.

2. 1851 Census recording Mary Ann's birth place as Caistor (see earlier entry for census)

3. Jane's name carried on through grand daughter, Sarah Jane Kennington (1839). Though one wonders why we don't have more Thomas's and Glossops...

Take a good look at the family and the Caistor connection. Let us know if there are any red flags we should discuss. It would be fantastic to finally extend the Davison line. We'll get into Mary Ann's birth records and Caistor a bit more in the near future.

Please feel free to leave your comments or email me at kkhamblin@gmail.com

Annie Rebecca Seward Kennington and home

We may have seen this before, but let's take another look. It's from Maude's album. Annie Rebecca was her grandmother and Esther her first cousin. I was under the impression they (Maude and Esther) were around the same age. So this photo may have been taken by someone older. Anyone know?

Did Annie Rebecca stop teaching school when Esther came to live with them?

A little bit about the Sewards and Covers

William Henry's wife, Annie Rebecca Seward, intrigues me. So I've been digging into her family a bit. Her grandmother Seward, Ann Cover Seward, has been a hard one to trace.

Last night I stumbled on to the Cover/Gover research on Ancestry.com. A kind gentleman from England emailed me back this morning with a great site: http://startx.co.uk/Kingsclere/contents.html.

It's a collection of materials which include the Sewards. I'm still working through the Cover/Gover material and am thinking there's either a second marriage or some "creative blending" of children.
At the moment I'll stick by my guns and say Annie Rebecca's grandmother is Ann Cover from Tunworth.

Enjoy!

Our "Richard Hemington"

In case you're as lost as I was about finding Richard Kennington (William Henry's father) in the Louth, Lincolnshire 1851 Census, here's a photo. For some reason he's been transcribed as Richd Hemington. The family is there and everything matches.

Anyone know where they are on the 1841 Census? They should have some children - at least Henry who died in 1853. Anyone know how he died? And what's the deal about having 13 children with 7 of them being buried in England? Anyone have a lead on that they'd like to share?

Richard's half brothers, William and John Onn are easy to find on every census. William (1818) was a brick and tile maker and a farmer on the side. John (1810) was a joiner and carpenter. Both had large families. They lived good long lives.

The old Kennington Barn

Found this on the S.V. Historical Society Site. It's the most complete label I've seen for the barn.
There are so many things I think I know, and remember talking to Dad about, but when it comes to actually putting them down on paper now, I don't trust my memory. The lesson is to label things now while they're fresh on your mind. Lucky for us Dad did that.

I believe in August of 2010 we also ran a photo of the barn. You can get a close up on that one and see a little more detail.

How would you feel about preparing some material on your parents? I think we could benefit from seeing and learning about each aunt and uncle. All we'd need is a childhood, adolescent wedding or, mid life and mature adult photos. I have Uncle Garth's trunk - have been going to write something for about the last - hmmm- 7 years or so. We could also get Aunt Ruth's photos out and scan them again.

I know you folks are a little shy about admitting you're out there - but think about it seriously.