Thank you to all our Veterans

Coming to Amerikay

Patrick O'Conner was born about 1805 in Ireland he married Bridget McNamara sometime before 1830.  Their first child was a daughter named Anne.  She was born before 1830.  She is my great great grandmother.  Anne had at least 5 siblings 4 of whom were born in Ireland.  Edward was born about 1836, Bridget 1837, Patrick 1840, and Alexander in 1846 all in Ireland.  Lastly, Mary was born in 1849 in  Vermont.  This puts the time of immigration between 1846 and 1849.  1847 was the beginning of the Potato Blight.  Given that there was such a large number of years between Anne's birth and Edwards, it is quite possible that there were other children who died, perhaps during the Irish famine or perhaps they died in route to the US.   We can find no record of where the O'Conner's may have come from in Ireland but they first show up in the 1850 Census in Newbury, Vermont.   Anne was not listed with them, instead she was found in Walpole, NH.  Anne was next found in 1860 in Rockingham, VT having wed Thomas Lynch.  Thomas Lynch was born in 1830 in Limerick Co. Ireland.

There are no records of a family of O'Conner's arriving by boat in America, perhaps they came in through Canada as during the Famine many families were thrown out of their homes and lands by landlords who packed them off on boats to Canada where the families then made their way to the US.  Chicago and Vermont were common areas where the Irish entered as the states bordered the US.

Reading:  Galloway Bay Mary Pat Kelly http://www.marypatkelly.com/content/index.asp

The Civil War and James Leary

James Leary
Great Great Grandfather
m. Mary Murphy
daughter Margaret Leary
married Matthew Patrick O'Neil
daughter Mary O'Neil
married Joseph John Thibault

Regimental History

FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT

MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEER MILITIA

(INFANTRY) NINE MONTHS

Battles Fought

Fought on 14 Dec 1862 at Kinston, NC.

Fought on 16 Dec 1862 at Whitehall, NC.

The 51st Regt. Mass. Vol. Mil. was raised largely in

southern Worcester County as a part of Massachusetts' quota of

nine months troops. Its rendezvous was Camp Wool, Worcester,

Mass., where the recruits gathered in the early fall of 1862,

Col. George H. Ward of the 15th Mass. Regt., who had lost a

leg at Ball's Bluff, being commandant of the camp. The

companies of the 51st were mustered in between the 25th of

September and the 14th of October. A. B. R. Sprague, an

officer of the 25th Mass. Inf., was commissioned colonel, and

under his command the regiment left Camp Wool, Nov. 25,

1862, proceeding by rail to Boston, where it immediately

embarked on the transport MERRIMAC bound for North Carolina.

After a rough voyage it reached Beaufort, N. C., Nov. 30,

proceeding thence by rail to Newbern. Here it was assigned to

Amory's Brigade. Not until Dec. 5 were arms issued to the

regiment and the men instructed in their use.

On Dec 11, the 51st was assigned to the Goldsboro

expedition. Proceeding with it as far as Beaver Creek Bridge,

it was delayed there to guard the crossing at that

important point. Continuing on after the main body on Sunday

the 14th, it overtook the column Tuesday the 16th while it was

engaged in the battle of Whitehall. During the battle of

Goldsboro, Dec. 17, the 51st guarded the wagon train and was

not in action. It returned to its barracks on the Trent River

near Newbern on Sunday the 21st.

Company "G" was sent to Brice's Ferry, Dec. 30, to do

guard and outpost duty, and there remained during the entire

period of the regiment's service in North Carolina. On

Jany. 17, 1863, seven companies took part in an expedition to

Pollocksville, five of them proceeding as far as Young's Cross

Roads, and having a skirmish with the enemy at White Oak

Creek, returning to Newbern, Jany. 21.

During the month of February the regiment suffered much

from the ravages of disease and especially from an epidemic of

cerebro-spinal meningitis, a number of men dying of the latter

disease. Early in March several companies of the regiment

were distributed at various points along the railroad between

Newbern and Morehead City, while others were stationed at

Beaufort and Evans' Mills, Colonel Sprague being assigned to

the command of the District of Beaufort, which included Fort

Macon. Company " C " became a part of the garrison of this

fort. On May 4, the regiment returned to Newbern much

improved in health, and reoccupied its old camp on the Trent

River.

On June 24, 1863, the 51st was ordered to Fort Monroe.

Arriving at this place on the 27th, it was ordered to report

to General Dix at White House where a force was being

collected to attack Richmond. Arriving at White House, June

28, it was almost immediately ordered back to Fort Monroe.

Here the colonel offered the services of the regiment for

emergency duty until the Confederate army under General Lee

should be driven back from Pennsylvania, and it was

immediately transferred to Baltimore, Md., where it remained

from July 1 to July 6, searching houses for concealed arms,

guarding prisoners from Gettysburg, etc.

On the date last mentioned it was attached to a

provisional brigade under Brig. Genl. H. S. Briggs, the other

regiments being the 8th, 39th, and 46th Massachusetts.

Proceeding to Sandy Hook, Maryland Heights, and Fort Duncan,

opposite Harper's Ferry, it remained at the latter place until

July 12 when it started for Funkstown, Md., in front of the

Confederate position at Williamsport, and here on the

following day it joined the 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac.

The night following its arrival, the Confederate army

recrossed the Potomac. On the 15th the regiment was sent with

the 1st Corps to Berlin, Md., where the Union army was

preparing to cross the Potomac in pursuit of Lee. Here the

51st was detached from the corps and ordered to Massachusetts

for muster out. Arriving at Worcester, Mass., July 21, the men

were furloughed for six days, after which they reassembled and

were mustered out of the service July 27, 1863.

Source: Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors & Marines in the Civil War

On January 27, 1864 James Leary reinlisted in the Massacusetts 4th Cavalry. Company G.  

4th Regiment Cavalry

Organized at Readville December 26, 1863, to February 8, 1864. 1st Battalion formerly Independent Battalion, Massachusetts Cavalry, was assigned as Companies "I," "K," "L" and "M" February 12, 1864. Attached to Light Brigade, District of Florida, 10th Corps, Dept. of the South, to April, 1864. Unattached, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, 10th, 18th and 24th Army Corps, and 25th Army Corps, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, to August, 1865. Dept. of Virginia to November, 1865.

SERVICE.--Expedition from Jacksonville, Fla., to Lake City, Fla., February 7-22, 1864. Battle of Olustee, Fla., February 20. McGrath's Creek, Cedar Run, March 1. Cedar Run April 2. Ordered to Bermuda Hundred, Va., arriving there May 8. Operations against Fort Darling April 12-16. Bermuda Hundred May 20-30. Jordan's Crossing and Petersburg June 9. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. At Headquarters, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, June 21 to August 15, 1864. At Headquarters, 10th Army Corps, until December, 1864. Demonstration on north side of the James August 13-20. Strawberry Plains August 14-18. Flusser's Mills August 18-19. (Co. "M" detached at Harrison's Landing on outpost duty August 23, 1864, to March, 1865.) Before Petersburg August 24 to September 28. Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights, September 28-30. Harrison's Landing October 13 (Co. "M"). Fair Oaks October 27-28. Expedition into Charles City and Henrico Counties November 1-5. Duty before Richmond until March, 1865. At Headquarters, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina, December, 1864, to April, 1865 (Cos. "I," "L" and "M"). At Headquarters, 24th Army Corps, December, 1864, to April, 1865 (Co. "K"). Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9, 1865. Fall of Petersburg April 2. High Bridge, Farmville, April 6-7. Appomattox Court House April 9, Surrender of Lee and his army. Duty at Richmond until November.

2nd Battalion.--(Cos. "A," "B," "C" and "D.") Sailed from Boston for Hilton Head, S. C, on Steamer "Western Metropolis" March 20, 1864, arriving April 1. Picket and outpost duty at Hilton Head until June. Expedition to Ashepoo River May 22-26 (2 Cos.). 2 Companies moved to Jacksonville, Fla., June 6-8, and duty there until January, 1865, participating in skirmish at Front Creek July 15, 1864. Raid from Jacksonville upon Baldwin July 23-28. Skirmish at South Fork, Black Creek, July 24. St. Mary's Trestle July 26. Raid on Florida Railroad August 15-19. Gainesville August 17. Magnolia October 24. Gum Swamp October 24. 2 Companies on duty at Hilton Head, S.C., June to November, 1864. Expedition to John's Island, S.C., July 2-10. Operations against Battery Pringle July 4-9. Expedition to Boyd's Neck November 29-30. Battle of Honey Hill November 30. Expedition to Deveaux's Neck December !-6. March to Charleston January 15-February 23, 1865. Potter's Expedition to Camden, S. C, April 5-25. Statesburg April 15. Occupation of Camden April 17. Boykin's Mills April 18. Denkin's Mills April 19. Beech Creek, near Statesburg, April 19. Duty in the Dept. of the South until mustered out.

3rd Battalion.--(Cos. "E," "F," "G" and "H.") Sailed from Boston for Hilton Head, S.C., on Steamer "Western Metropolis" April 23, 1864, arriving April 27. Moved to Newport News, Va., May 1-3; thence to City Point May 23, and duty there scouting, picketing and on the fortifications until June 16. Duty at Bermuda Hundred until August 23. Companies "E" and "H" at Headquarters of 18th Army Corps June 16-December 4, and at Headquarters of 25th Army Corps December, 1864, to April, 1865. Company "F" at Headquarters of 24th Army Corps December, 1864, to April, 1865. Company "G" detached at Yorktown and Williamsburg, Va., August 23, 1864, to April, 1865. Occupation of Richmond April 3, 1865 (Cos. "E" and "H"). Company "F" on Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. High Bridge, Farmville, April 6-7. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Regiment mustered out November 14, 1865. Discharged at Boston November 26, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 4 Officers and 28 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 128 Enlisted men by disease. Total 162.

Our German Heritage

Hans August John Gerull was born in 1895 in Memel (Klaipeda) Germany to Fredrich Gerull and Marie Miller (Muller).  Not much is known about Frederich and Marie other than we know they had at least three children.  Johann and Frederich and Heinz.  John Gerull left home sometime before 1917 when he was found to be registered for WWI in Boston, MA.  Again he registered on April 27, 1942 for WWII where it was listed that he was 5'8" and 185 lbs living at 17 Corbett Avenue, Dedham, MA.   He worked for General Sea Foods, Boston, MA.  December 19, 1938 he became a U.S. Citizen dropping Hans August and going by John.

On April 14, 1923 he was listed on a crew change record for the German ship Aval as signing on the ship.  On July 4, 1923 he was recorded on the ship Westphalia arriving from Hamburg.  This was the Westphalia's maiden voyage.  http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=westr.  It left Hamburg on June 21 arriving in New York on July 4. He was listed as Fireman.  On January 21, 1924 he arrived in Boston from Tampico, Mexico aboard the Beacon.

In 1920 he was found living at 14 Dixwell Street, Boston, MA as a boarder with his friend and fellow shipmate Max Plonske and another fellow Ernest Heim.   About 1923 he married Josephine Rose Keefe Baum, widow of Harry Baum.

More Witchcraft, Young Love and Banishment Our 9th Great Grand Aunt

PIERRE MORIN dit BOUCHER married MARIE-MADELEINE MARTIN in Acadia about 1661. They probably married at Port-Royal. Pierre was born in Normandy, France, about 1634. His home Parish in France remains unknown. Marie-Madeleine was born about 1642 at Port-Royal, Acadia. She is the daughter of Pierre Martin and Catherine Vigneau and sister of our 9th Great Grandmother Andree Martin wife of Francois Pellerin. 

Pierre was a laborer, and owned 3 cows, 4 sheep, and had 1 arpent of land in cultivation at the time of the 1671 census at Port-Royal. By 1680 they had moved to Beaubassin. He is listed as a tenant of Michel Le Neuf, Sieur de Valliere on 20 March, 1682 at Beaubassin. On the 1686 census at Beaubassin they owned 15 cows, 8 sheep, 12 hogs and had 30 arpents of land. (An English acre is 5/6th of an arpent; 86 arpents equal 100 English acres.) Quite a bit is known of Pierre and Marie and they have an incredible tale. In 1685, Marie-Madeleine was one of the witnesses against Jean Campagna in his trial for Witchcraft at Beaubassin. Her age was given as 43 years. Campagna had been accused by his neighbors at Beaubassin of the crime. Campagna was acquitted and released. Three years after the Witchcraft trial, the Morin family would find themselves on the receiving end of the Law.  (Interesting of note here Andree Martin and Francois Pellerin's daughter married the son of Laurent Godin grandson of none other than our Pierre Godin who also accused Campagna of witchcraft.)  

They were banished from Beaubassin, Acadia in September, 1688. Pierre and Marie-Madeleine had a son Louis who was about 25 years old when he and the daughter of the above-mentioned Michel Le Neuf fell in love. One thing led to another, as it always does, and the 17 year old girl, named Marie-Josephe Le Neuf, was discovered to be pregnant in the Spring of 1688. Marie-Josephe LeNeuf was obviously close to the Morin family. She is named as Godmother on two Baptisms of Morin children.

She was the daughter of an important family -- the Le Neufs considered themselves as such. Louis Morin was the son of a mere laborer. Louis was arrested. His parents and brothers and sisters and two brothers-in-law, their children---19 persons in all---were arrested. They were tried by the local Parish Priest, a Father Trouve. Trouve acted for Le Neuf, who hoped to keep the scandal as quiet as possible; how he hoped he could keep it under wraps in such a small and interconnected community as Beaubassin.

Father Trouve organized everything, including a list of witnesses against all 19 of the conspirators... for that is how they were portrayed. All 19 were judged guilty. The property of all 19 was confiscated; and all 19 were exiled from Beaubassin and Acadia. Their property was awarded to Michel Le Neuf. (Michel Le Neuf tried to confiscate all Pierre Thibodeaus property in 1690. He was not successful with Thibodeau.) Louis Morin was sent to France and sentenced to a lifetime of service in the Royal Navy. He was sent on the ship La Fripone in September of 1688. He is said to have died shortly after.  The priest, Father Trouve, wrote a letter, (which still exists), extolling his own actions as necessary and just. He even suggests that the sentences had been lenient, considering the offense.

Father Trouve felt compelled to justify what he had participated in for he became so unpopular in Beaubassin that he was forced to abandon his Parish. When he attempted to land at Les-Mines, the citizens there refused to let him come ashore. Trouve was forced to continue on to Port-Royal.

Two years later, in October of 1690, Mathieu de Goutin wrote a letter to the Court in France. In this letter, De Goutin wrote that Father Trouve had brought the charges against Louis Morin, had heard witnesses, had pronounced judgment, and had imprisoned Louis Morin and exiled all the others charged. De Goutin charged that Father Trouve had done this despite the fact that Kings Officers had been available. Trouve had obtained an Order that the entire family be exiled on the pretext that one of the brothers-in-law had 'spoken ill' of Father Trouve, and had mentioned the name of the "gentlewoman".

De Goutin tells us that both Trouve, and Michel LeNeuf, were now very unpopular in the colony. He states that Father Trouve had been forced to leave Beaubassin. He further tells us that the Morin family was related to one-third of the habitants of Acadia, and so feelings of anger among the habitants ran deep. When Michel LeNeuf died at sea in 1705, he went unmourned in Acadia. There is evidence that some of the settlers he brought from Trois-Riviers in 1676 left Beaubassin for Quebec soon after 1705. Could they have been compelled to leave by vengeful Acadians?

As for the remaining 18 conspirators; they were sent, impoverished, to Quebec. Pierre Morin died in 1690, about two years after arriving in Quebec. In Quebec the exiles acquired powerful friends for Pierre Morin, Jr. had married Francoise Chiasson, who was also exiled. Francoise Chiasson had a brother, Jean Chiasson, who had settled at Quebec, and who married Marie-Anne Lemoine in 1697. Marie-Anne Lemoine was the cousin of Charles and Jacques Lemoine, and Anne Lemoine, who had married Michel Messier, Sieur de St-Michel. The Lemoines were the most powerful family in Quebec. This family connection may explain a large grant of land, on the Gaspe River, given to Marie Martin in 1697.

Marie Martin disposed of this land grant in September, 1702: "25 September, 1702: Marie Martin, widow of Pierre Martin, in relinquishing a fief "of half league, on either side of the Gaspe River," that had been granted her, about 1697, by Francois de Gallifet, the King's representative at Montreal, declared that her husband had died twelve years previously."

In 1699 Marie Martin was recorded as living in the house of her son Pierre at Mont-Louis, Quebec. She died at Quebec on 16 September, 1714 and was buried the next day. Pierre and Marie-Madeleine Martin had 12 children altogether. They are the parents of 5 sons and 3 daughters who have descendants.

There is no record of what happened to the baby.

Witchcraft - The first Witch trial of the Maritimes 1684

Charles Godin dit Bellefontaine, dit Boisjoli who married Marie Melanson was the grandson of Pierre Godin dit Chatillon.  Pierre Godin was born in 1630 in Châtillon-sur-Seine, Cote-d'Or, France.


Pierre Godin dit Châtillon,  son of Claude Godin & Marie Bardin, enlisted to go to Canada on 23 May 1653 in the study of notary LaFousse at La Flèche, Anjou, for the salary of 100 livres per year. He was a master carpenter, and had worked as a journeyman at Châtillon-sur-Seine (arrondissement of Montbard), Burgandy.

On 20 Jun 1653 he acknowledged receiving 127 livres advance wages (notary BELLIOTTE). He arrived in Canada as a member of the "Grande Recrue" on 22 Sep 1653 aboard the "Saint-Nicolas" and was given a land grant by Governor MAISONNEUVE on 2 Feb 1654.


On 27 Sep 1654 a marriage contract was drawn up by notary Lambert Closse, and signed by him, between Pierre and Jeanne Rousseliere, daughter of Louis Rousseliere & Isabelle Paris. She was one of the "Filles à Marier." They were married by Father Pierre Pijart, SJ on 14 Oct 1654 at Montréal.
Pierre became a soldier with the 19th squadron of Montréal's "Sainte-Famille" militia in 1663, by which time he and Jeanne had four children. Five more would follow, until 1672.


In that year Pierre Godin and his oldest son Laurent (then age 17) were tried for beating neighbor Pierre Boutonne dit La Ramée, after he had allegedly slapped daughter Catherine (then around 13), claiming she had stolen bread from him. On 30 Aug 1672 Boutonne agreed to pay the costs of pursuing the trial.


In 1675 Pierre was entrusted with the project of building a chapel at Lachine, at which time the family was living near the rapids. Between 7 Jun 1676 and 11 Jun 1677, they immigrated to Port-Royal, Acadia , where Pierre's experience as a carpenter was needed.



On 28 Jun 1685 Pierre sued Jean Campagnard for witchcraft, "claiming that Campagnard cast a spell on him to make Pierre forget threats that he made. The case was not a success for Pierre." He died at Rivière-St-Jean sometime before the 1686 census, which found his wife and three children at Port-Royal, Acadia.


http://www.museeacadien.ca/english/archives/articles/74.htm

Our English Ancestors

Pierre Laverdure and his wife Priscilla landed in 1657 after sailing from England with their sons onboard the ship Satisfaction. It is also generally accepted that the family disembarked at St. John's fort at the mouth of the St. John River. The family had sailed to Acadia with the newly appointed English Governor of Acadia, Sir Thomas Temple and a group of other settlers. Pierre and Priscilla, however, were to reside in Acadia for only 10 years.

A Boston court document from 1677 (Priscilla's petition of May 3, 1677) recorded Priscilla's late husband, "Peter Leverdure", as being a Frenchman and a Protestant and "Priscilla Leverdure" as being an Englishwoman. The petition goes on to state that Priscilla's husband had left "[St.] John's fort to escape the wrath of his countrymen Papists". This latter statement clearly suggests that Pierre was a French Huguenot who might have left France as the Catholic government's tolerance for the Protestant Huguenots began to rapidly deteriorate during the 1620's. Either due to the problems unwinding in France or for some other reason, Pierre ended up in England were he and his Priscilla were married about 1630. Ten years before Priscilla's petition the 1667 Treaty of Breda between the English and the French had ceded Acadia back to France. Pierre and Priscilla, both Protestants, were probably unable to fathom the idea of living under a French Catholic government and thus departed for Protestant ruled Boston, Massachusetts, sometime between 1667 and 1770 (Sir Thomas Temple had managed to delay the actual handing over of Acadia to French until 1670).

Two of Pierre's sons went by the Melanson surname, societal logic would dictate that this was their father's surname. However, no record has been found to put the Melanson surname with Pierre senior so perhaps Melanson was Priscilla's surname. Many have suggested that it was Mallinson (or a variation thereof) but there are no records to indicate this in any official sense that would serve to accurately enhance any historical or genealogical research. In an effort to present the most factual data available, most professional researchers and genealogists omit any suggestion of a maiden name for Priscilla from their work. Many spelling variations resembling the Melanson name did exist in England during the 1500's and 1600's but it seems unlikely that Pierre and Charles, both apparently well educated and obviously literate, would go on to consistently misspell their surname when they settled in the New World. This and other details surrounding the origin of the name has gone on to create many theories and possibilities, but it is not known for certain why or from where Pierre and Charles started to use the Melanson surname.

Charles dit La Ramée (Melanson) married Marie Dugas, daughter of Abraham Dugas & Marguerite-Louise Doucet. Charles dit La Ramée and his wife Marie would establish their family near the old Port Royal habitation in the Port Royal basin at what is today known as the Melanson Settlement (sometimes referred to as the "Melanson Village" in old records and maps). The settlement grew quite large over the years with a total of nine households being located on the land during its peak times.

Charles and his wife Marie seem to have done reasonably well as the census' show their cleared land expanding and their livestock increasing. They also had a large section of dyked marshland along the Rivière Daupin (the Annapolis River) adjacent to their property. It was from this dyke that archaeologists recently retrieved two intact aboiteax, one of which is the largest and oldest aboiteau found to date. Other archaeological digs at the Melanson Settlement discovered the foundations of many of the homes and buildings that once stood on the site, including the structure that housed Charles Melanson (son of Charles dit La Ramée) and his wife Anne Bourg.

Marie Melanson daughter of Charles Melanson and Anne Bourg married Charles Godin Boisjoli/Bellefontaine. Their daughter Anne married Pierre Sirois. Marie-Josephe Siros married Vincent Rioux. Basillisse Rioux married Hillaire Thibault. Basillisse and Hillaire were parents of Fabien our great great Grandfather.


For more reading http://www.gregors-gathering.ca/Acadia/Melanson/melansons-intro-gen1.htm