Tombstone Tuesday ~ Lydia Hurd Truesdell

Lydia Hurd Truesdell is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois.

  This tombstone picture was taken by Alva Van Houten and found on Find A Grave at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=90413567&PIpi=60273659.

Lydia Hurd Truesdell must have been a most fascinating woman! Her obituary is titled Grandmother Truesdell.  I have seen that title for two of my ancestors that passed away when they were very old.  It just makes me think that she was well respected but also loved.

Thanks to Alva Van Houten for posting this on Find-A-Grave with the tombstone picture. 

Lydia was born December 1791 in New York or Massachusetts depending upon which census you want to believe.  Her parents have not yet been found as of yet.

She married Solomon Truesdell on 22 April 1815 in Warsaw, Wyoming County, New York according to the book Elder John Crandall of Rhode Island and his descendants by John Cortland Crandall.  Solomon was born August 1789 in Massachusetts to Gideon Truesdell and Dorcas Crandall.  Solomon passed away 19 August 1850 in Warsaw, Wyoming County, New York.

Lydia and Solomon had eight children.  Erastus born 1817, Diana born 1818, Lucretia born 1820, Myron born 1822, Franklin born 1823, Lavina born 1825, Alvira born 1828 and Allen born 1830 (my ancestor).

In 1854 Lydia is selling 40 acres of land as the "widow of Solomon Truesdale deceased Private in Captain Nobles Company New York Infantry....War of 1812".  By 1860 Lydia and Allen are in Owen, Winnebago County, Illinois.  Lydia is written down as Mary in this census however all other records show her as Lydia or Grandma.  Allen married and Lydia then moves in her with her daughter Diana Truesdell Benson where she will eventually pass away.

So do you have Lydia Hurd Truesdell in your family?  Do you know more about her?  I would love to hear from you so that I have more to remember this part of my family!

Three Marriages and Two Wives: Figuring It All Out

Samuel F. Brackett was born 1 August 1827 in Limington, Oxford County, Maine.  He is the son of Samuel Brackett and Susan Foss.  He grows up in Maine and marries Elizabeth Libby on 20 October 1848 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine.  Elizabeth is born 26 June 1823 in Scarborough, Cumberland County, Maine.  She is the daughter of Cyrus Libby and Lois Libby (yes they have the same last name!!!).  Elizabeth and Samuel have a son George A born 6 June 1854 in Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  Their next child is Benjamin Franklin and he is born 31 January 1856 in Janesville, Rock County, Wisconsin.  By 1860 the family is in Richmond, Shawano County Wisconsin.  The last child is Alice Abbie born May 1862 in Wisconsin.  By 9 August 1862 Samuel enlisted at Shawano County in the Civil War.  He was in Company I 32nd Infantry Regiment.  7 February 1863 finds him mustered out.

On 21 August 1866 Samuel married in Port Huron, St. Clair County, Michigan to Lucy Maria Ficke.  Lucy Maria Ficke was born 8 June 1847 in Canada.  Here's where things get a bit dicey!!!  In 1870 Lucy and Samuel are living in St. Anthony, Hennepin County, Minnesota by themselves.  There are no children and I have not seen where Elizabeth passed away.  So maybe a divorce?  On 1 March 1873 Samuel and Lucy once again marry in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska.  If they married in Michigan why on earth would they marry again in Nebraska????  On 4 August 1875 they have a daughter Esa Pearl who is born in Iowa.

Not being able to find any information about Elizabeth I sent away for the pension record of Samuel.  In his interview he gives the name of his wife Lucy M Fick and that they were married in 1866 in Port Huron. How interesting though that the license he submits for proof of the marriage is from Nebraska!! When asked if he was previously married he said yes to Elizabeth Libby in Scarboro (sic) Maine.  He states the names of his children but the years are all wrong for all of them.

In 1905 Samuel dies and Lucy applies for a Widow's Pension.  Her declaration also confirms the 1873 marriage date in Nebraska.  However she gives a bit more information on Elizabeth that she died July 1870. So now I have a date but it doesn't help me find her.  Elizabeth is still among the missing.  If Elizabeth and Samuel divorced I have not found that either.  Did she die in Wisconsin or in Maine??

In 1870 Elizabeth and Samuel's daughter Alice is living with Elizabeth's sister Lydia and Lydia's husband Phineas Foss.  She continues to live with them in 1880 and she is called their granddaughter.  Benjamin cannot be found in the 1870 census (YET!) but is living with his father and step-mother in 1880.  He eventually marries Martha A. Truesdell and they in turn have a daughter named Frances Hazel Brackett who is my great grandmother.  George is married in 1878 in Greene County, Iowa to Sarah Roberts.  Still no sign of Elizabeth.

So hopefully someone else will see this blog and maybe help find out where Elizabeth went after her and Samuel split up.  Until then keep digging and trying to bring her story to life!

My Big Discovery

I went to NGS 2012 in Ohio and had a great time!  Not only were there some great lectures to attend but the vendor area is always a new experience.  It took a couple of days to get through it and then of course I had to go back and check things out a couple more times in case I missed anything.

The great find though was the Bureau of Land Management booth.  There I met Patricia Tyler who is the Branch Chief for the General Land Office Records.  They have a great site that you all need to visit.  It is http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/.  When you get there you click on Land Patents and it takes you to a new screen.  At that screen you can put in your ancestor's name.  Being a descendant of the Boone family the first person I always try is my Urbain P. Boone.  Patricia put the name in and lo and behold a record popped up.

If you want to see for yourself here is the link http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/results/default.aspx?searchCriteria=type=patent|st=IA|cty=|ln=boone|fn=urbain|sp=true|sw=true|sadv=false

The record shows various information about the transaction.  It shows the names involved in the land, the legal description of the land etc.  There is an Accession Number that shows up in light blue and you click on it and wonderful things continue to happen!!!

It tells you that the Document is a Military Warrant (in this case) where the land was, the date it was issued, what land office and also includes an Act that was the authority (in this case the Scrip Warrant Act of 1850).  In a later session I learned more about the fact that I have to look these up and understand each Act (as there were many Acts regarding military service and land).

Once again if you want to see it for yourself here it is the link http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=0625-215&docClass=MW&sid=x03rdn20.04o

You get more information than you know what to do with!  But Patricia took my hand and guided me through it all.  See if you click on the patent image you get a wonderful document!  The best part was that they printed it off right there for me and put a nice red seal on it.  (Well I had to come back and get it because I was late for the next session!)

Here is what it looks like....



If you read the certificate it states that Urbain P. Boone, Sergeant in Captain Ford's Company, United States Rangers, Black Hawk War.  It is a Military Warrant.  Patricia explained he received this land for his service.  She next told me I should get his file from the National Archives because when they received land they had a certificate that they had to turn in.

The great thing was I went to my hotel room that night and found another Military Warrant for Lydia Truesdell widow of Solomon Truesdell, Private in Captain Noble's Company, New York Militia, War of 1812.  The great thing about this file is that Patricia states she would have to show proof of their marriage and I DO NOT have proof and have been unsuccessful in finding any!!!  So this would be a huge find!  As in a major happy dance coming for all to see!

This is a to be continued blog for once I have all the Land Entry Files from NARA I will write more about each of these finds!

So for now I will just keep remembering the family as I know them!!!