John Varney is my great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather. I have posted a little but about his part of my genealogy in my discussion concerning his first wife at Who Was Kaziah Varney's Mother? I have yet to solve the mystery of who his first wife was, but I did find his Will which I include below in case someone else is searching for this family.
WILL OF JOHN VARNEY
[Will Book pp. 157-159, Dutchess County, New York]
And thereupon the last Will and Testament of John Varney deceased with the probate thereof were produced and are as follows, to wit –
I John Varney of the town of Dover, County of Dutchess and State of New York being in sound disposing mind and memory do think fit to make a distribution of my estate which shall remain at my decease in manner following, that is to say, First I do order and direct that all my just debts together with my funeral expanses be justly paid and satisfied out of my estate.
Next, I give to my wife Prissilla the one equal undivided half of all my household furniture one equal half of my dwelling house and one equal undivided half of all my remaining real and personal property to her heirs and assigns forever and the use and occupancy of the other half of the house during her life all which above legacies I give to her in sight and lieu of her dower.
Next, I give to my two daughters Sally Higby wife of Flemon Higby and to my daughter Keziah Cutler wife of Calvin Cutler the other equal undivided half of all my real and personal property to be equally divided between them their heirs and assigns forever and after the death of my wife that half of the house given to her during her life I give to my two daughters above named to be divided equally between them their heirs and assigns forever.
Now Therefore in order that this my last Will and Testament may be carried fully into effect I do hereby constitute and appoint my beloved wife Prissilla Varney my Executrix and John Wing and Calvin Cutler my Executors hereby authorizing and empowering them to do with and dispose of my property both real and personal in manner and form as aforesaid directed in this my last Will and Testament.
In Witness Whereof I have hereunto this my last Will and Testament set my hand and seal at Dover this ninth day of the fourth month in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty one hereby revoking all former wills by me made and ratifying this and none other to be my last Will and Testament.
Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said John Varney as for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us whose names are under written who did each of us subscribe our names as witnesses at his request and in his presence and in the presence of each other.
John Varney (L.S.)
Asahel H. Haviland. ) Town Dover,
Buel Giddings \ Dutchess County.
State of New York, Dutchess Surrogate Court In the Matter of proving the last Will and Testament of John Varney deceased .
Dutchess County
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Family Of Nellie Maria Barrett Tompkins
Solomon Barrett and Sarah Knox Had 12 Children. You’ve read the stories of Jennie Barrett and Lucinda Barrett who both had 8 children. However their sister Nellie had 18 children.
Nellie Maria Barrett was born 06 Jul 1867 in Kent Cliffs, Putnam County, NY, and died 18 Jul 1924 in Willimantic, Windham Co, CT. She married Briggs Perry Tompkins 12 Sep 1880 in Kent Cliffs, Putnam County, NY, son of Nathaniel Tompkins and Mary Williams. He was born 10 Jan 1859 in Carmel, Putnam County NY, and died 26 Apr 1925 in Willimantic, Windham County, CT.
Children of Nellie Barrett and Briggs Tompkins are:
i. John Barnes Tompkins, born 24 Jan 1881; died 16 May 1949. He married Sarah A Tompkins 16 Sep 1908;
ii. Robert Solomon Tompkins, born 25 Mar 1883; died 25 Apr 1883.
iii. Ida May Tompkins, born 13 Apr 1884; died 08 Jan 1949 in Windham, CT. She married William E Light 17 Jul 1912.
iv. Floyd Truman Tompkins, born 20 Aug 1885 in Kent Cliffs, Putnam Co, NY; died 21 Nov 1967 in Newark Valley, Tioga Co, NY. He married Gertrude E Tompkins 14 Feb 1911 in Granite Springs, Somers, Westchester Co, NY; born 21 Jun 1889 in Granite Springs, Westchester Co, NY; died 15 Feb 1986 in Athens, Bradford Co, PA.
v. Bessie Elizabeth Tompkins, born 03 Oct 1887 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 12 Feb 1891.
vi. Leonard Knox Tompkins, born 26 Aug 1889 in Shrub Oak, Westchester Co, NY; died 17 Apr 1963 in Windham Center, Windham Co, CT. He married Katherine Ophelia Light 21 May 1909; born 20 May 1891 in West Somers, Westchester Co, NY.
vii. Wesley Lester Tompkins, born 21 Sep 1891 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 18 Dec 1953. He married Josephine Elizabeth Brown.
viii. Briggs Carrigan Tompkins, born 26 Aug 1891 in Baldwin Place, Westchester Co, NY; died 1951. He married Nina Stinard 15 Aug 1911; born 1881; died 25 Jan 1981.
ix. Samuel Lounsbury Tompkins, born 07 May 1895 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 19 Sep 1935. He married Myra Scofield.
x. George Lewis Tompkins, born 20 Apr 1897 in Baldwin Place, Putnam Co, NY; died 05 Dec 1945 in Binghamton, Broome Co, NY. He married Rena Mae Patch 08 Mar 1916; born 13 Apr 1897 in Speedsville, Tompkins Co, NY; died 19 Dec 1955 in Berkshire, Tioga Co, NY.
xi. Rufus Robin Tompkins, born 29 Oct 1899 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 25 Feb 1972 in Ossining, Westchester Co, NY. He married Gladys A Smith; born 09 Jan 1902 in Somers Center, Westchester Co, NY; died 26 Jun 1979.
xii. Joseph Putney Tompkins, born 13 Aug 1901 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 11 Dec 1959. He married Ida May Smith; born 17 Jul 1903; died 12 Apr 1986.
xiii. Raymond Ralph Tompkins, born 22 Sep 1902 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 22 Sep 1902 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY.
xiv. Fannie Beyea Tompkins, born 27 Feb 1904 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 04 Jun 1978 in Middletown, Middlesex Co, CT. She married Mr. Smalley.
xv. Mabel Jane Tompkins, born 22 Jun 1905 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 22 Nov 1980 in Sarasota, Sarasota Co, FL.
xvi. Luella Tompkins, born 22 Aug 1906 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 1971 in Willimantic, Windham Co, CT.
xvii. Velma Cornelia Tompkins, born 24 Oct 1907 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 11 Aug 1992 in Wallingford, New Haven Co, CT. She married Irving Prentice Emlott 16 Nov 1935 in Windham Center, Windham Co, CT; born 08 Aug 1906 in Boston, Suffolk Co, MA.
xviii. Berma Glenn Tompkins, born 17 Dec 1908 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 29 Jan 1914 in Speedsville, Tompkins Co, NY.
 |
Front Row: Weslie Lester, Joseph Putney, Velma Cornelia (Billie), John Barnes, Ida Mae, Leonard Knox, Floyd Truman(Truie), Back Row: Briggs Carrigan, Samuel Lounsbury, Mabel Jane (Jennie) George Lewis (Lew), Fannie Beyea, Rufus Robin, Luella (Loll). Abt 1934. |
Nellie Maria Barrett was born 06 Jul 1867 in Kent Cliffs, Putnam County, NY, and died 18 Jul 1924 in Willimantic, Windham Co, CT. She married Briggs Perry Tompkins 12 Sep 1880 in Kent Cliffs, Putnam County, NY, son of Nathaniel Tompkins and Mary Williams. He was born 10 Jan 1859 in Carmel, Putnam County NY, and died 26 Apr 1925 in Willimantic, Windham County, CT.
Children of Nellie Barrett and Briggs Tompkins are:
i. John Barnes Tompkins, born 24 Jan 1881; died 16 May 1949. He married Sarah A Tompkins 16 Sep 1908;
ii. Robert Solomon Tompkins, born 25 Mar 1883; died 25 Apr 1883.
iii. Ida May Tompkins, born 13 Apr 1884; died 08 Jan 1949 in Windham, CT. She married William E Light 17 Jul 1912.
iv. Floyd Truman Tompkins, born 20 Aug 1885 in Kent Cliffs, Putnam Co, NY; died 21 Nov 1967 in Newark Valley, Tioga Co, NY. He married Gertrude E Tompkins 14 Feb 1911 in Granite Springs, Somers, Westchester Co, NY; born 21 Jun 1889 in Granite Springs, Westchester Co, NY; died 15 Feb 1986 in Athens, Bradford Co, PA.
v. Bessie Elizabeth Tompkins, born 03 Oct 1887 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 12 Feb 1891.
vi. Leonard Knox Tompkins, born 26 Aug 1889 in Shrub Oak, Westchester Co, NY; died 17 Apr 1963 in Windham Center, Windham Co, CT. He married Katherine Ophelia Light 21 May 1909; born 20 May 1891 in West Somers, Westchester Co, NY.
vii. Wesley Lester Tompkins, born 21 Sep 1891 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 18 Dec 1953. He married Josephine Elizabeth Brown.
viii. Briggs Carrigan Tompkins, born 26 Aug 1891 in Baldwin Place, Westchester Co, NY; died 1951. He married Nina Stinard 15 Aug 1911; born 1881; died 25 Jan 1981.
ix. Samuel Lounsbury Tompkins, born 07 May 1895 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 19 Sep 1935. He married Myra Scofield.
x. George Lewis Tompkins, born 20 Apr 1897 in Baldwin Place, Putnam Co, NY; died 05 Dec 1945 in Binghamton, Broome Co, NY. He married Rena Mae Patch 08 Mar 1916; born 13 Apr 1897 in Speedsville, Tompkins Co, NY; died 19 Dec 1955 in Berkshire, Tioga Co, NY.
xi. Rufus Robin Tompkins, born 29 Oct 1899 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 25 Feb 1972 in Ossining, Westchester Co, NY. He married Gladys A Smith; born 09 Jan 1902 in Somers Center, Westchester Co, NY; died 26 Jun 1979.
xii. Joseph Putney Tompkins, born 13 Aug 1901 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 11 Dec 1959. He married Ida May Smith; born 17 Jul 1903; died 12 Apr 1986.
xiii. Raymond Ralph Tompkins, born 22 Sep 1902 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 22 Sep 1902 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY.
xiv. Fannie Beyea Tompkins, born 27 Feb 1904 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 04 Jun 1978 in Middletown, Middlesex Co, CT. She married Mr. Smalley.
xv. Mabel Jane Tompkins, born 22 Jun 1905 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 22 Nov 1980 in Sarasota, Sarasota Co, FL.
xvi. Luella Tompkins, born 22 Aug 1906 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 1971 in Willimantic, Windham Co, CT.
xvii. Velma Cornelia Tompkins, born 24 Oct 1907 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 11 Aug 1992 in Wallingford, New Haven Co, CT. She married Irving Prentice Emlott 16 Nov 1935 in Windham Center, Windham Co, CT; born 08 Aug 1906 in Boston, Suffolk Co, MA.
xviii. Berma Glenn Tompkins, born 17 Dec 1908 in Somers, Westchester Co, NY; died 29 Jan 1914 in Speedsville, Tompkins Co, NY.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Help for Beginners
Some basic rules:
1)Start with yourself and go backwards generation by generation.
2)Find some way to keep track of your info. I use FamilyTreeMaker on the computer now, but started with a plain spiral notebook.
And here's one way to start the process:
First, ask questions of all living relatives. A good time for this is holiday gatherings, as one person might answer and another will add information. They might conflict, but take it all in. You never know when a clue will appear to the truth. Don't believe everything you hear. write it down and confirm it with a records or two.
See what kind of documents the immediate family has. You might see a gold mine appear before your eyes.
Go to the Town records, County Records, State records. Look in the indexs, remeber to find the sibilings of your main search, as they may als have info to help you. Sometimes sibilings will give you enough clues to find out more on your direct line. After the indexes, look at the actual records. Some records are missed when making an index. Some facts on the record are not in the index. Some records are not copied correctly in an index. Be open to the idea the name is spelled differently.
Make a timeline. Even if it is estimated dates, see if you can place your ancestor at specific times in specific places. This can give you clues on where to look next.
Go look at the census. Take the timeline and names of sibilings with you. Look in the census for family members. Don’t be taken in if the name is not spelled exactly right. Often they are misspelled. You may need to look in several neighboring towns to find the people you are looking for. the ages might be off by a yerar or two too.
Look in the land records. You now have family stories, vital records, your timeline, and census items to tell you where your ancestor was when. See if you can find a land record or city directory to tell you what they where doing where wnd when. Land records might describe people in terms of their family.
Look at wills. See if you can find patterns between land exchanges and when people died. Sometimes land is gifted from one genration to another. is this the case with your family? Who else is involved? How are they related?
Start asking new questions of family. Send out inquiries through the internet. Ask for information from others studying the same town/family. Read local histories…county and town. See if the town has a local library. Read the newpaper… do they have archived papers? Where? Can you get to them. Look for obits and wedding announcements.
Go to the cemeteries. Look for the plots. Who is buried around them? What church did they belong to? Are there GAR, DAR, mason, etc markers? What markers are there and what do they mean? Can you find the cemeteries records, which would tell you who paid for the plot… and the heirs if there are open spaces in the gravesite.
Keep a record of where you have looked… and for what.
Keep a record of what was found… and where
When you are stuck, start with the timeline… and look at the resources you’ve used.
Ask. Ask others where to go, what might be found, what do they think?
Good luck… and happy digging!
1)Start with yourself and go backwards generation by generation.
2)Find some way to keep track of your info. I use FamilyTreeMaker on the computer now, but started with a plain spiral notebook.
And here's one way to start the process:
First, ask questions of all living relatives. A good time for this is holiday gatherings, as one person might answer and another will add information. They might conflict, but take it all in. You never know when a clue will appear to the truth. Don't believe everything you hear. write it down and confirm it with a records or two.
See what kind of documents the immediate family has. You might see a gold mine appear before your eyes.
Go to the Town records, County Records, State records. Look in the indexs, remeber to find the sibilings of your main search, as they may als have info to help you. Sometimes sibilings will give you enough clues to find out more on your direct line. After the indexes, look at the actual records. Some records are missed when making an index. Some facts on the record are not in the index. Some records are not copied correctly in an index. Be open to the idea the name is spelled differently.
Make a timeline. Even if it is estimated dates, see if you can place your ancestor at specific times in specific places. This can give you clues on where to look next.
Go look at the census. Take the timeline and names of sibilings with you. Look in the census for family members. Don’t be taken in if the name is not spelled exactly right. Often they are misspelled. You may need to look in several neighboring towns to find the people you are looking for. the ages might be off by a yerar or two too.
Look in the land records. You now have family stories, vital records, your timeline, and census items to tell you where your ancestor was when. See if you can find a land record or city directory to tell you what they where doing where wnd when. Land records might describe people in terms of their family.
Look at wills. See if you can find patterns between land exchanges and when people died. Sometimes land is gifted from one genration to another. is this the case with your family? Who else is involved? How are they related?
Start asking new questions of family. Send out inquiries through the internet. Ask for information from others studying the same town/family. Read local histories…county and town. See if the town has a local library. Read the newpaper… do they have archived papers? Where? Can you get to them. Look for obits and wedding announcements.
Go to the cemeteries. Look for the plots. Who is buried around them? What church did they belong to? Are there GAR, DAR, mason, etc markers? What markers are there and what do they mean? Can you find the cemeteries records, which would tell you who paid for the plot… and the heirs if there are open spaces in the gravesite.
Keep a record of where you have looked… and for what.
Keep a record of what was found… and where
When you are stuck, start with the timeline… and look at the resources you’ve used.
Ask. Ask others where to go, what might be found, what do they think?
Good luck… and happy digging!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The Barber Story
Not a story about a barber who cuts hair for a living... but about a family named Barber. Every family has their mysteries... this one is no exception. I'm still looking for answers.
We'll start with Otis A Barber. We do not know what the A. Stands for. According to the 1850, 1870 and 1880 Census, we calculate his birth date to be between 1837 - 1838. In the 1870 and 1880 census, Otis is listed as married, and his wife is named Caroline according to Census records.
The transcribed Warren County NY Marriages performed by George B Reynolds listed online state that Otis A Barber married Emmiline Crandall 3 March 1861. I believe this to be Caroline Emalene Crandall and she is listed by her middle name. I do believe this to be the same Otis as he is living in the right location to be listed in those records.
Otis was in the Civil war and appears to have filed for a pension in April of 1880. According to the transcribed civil war enlistment list online for Bolton, NY, Otis was born in 1837, his father was Ezekiel Barber and his mother was Sarah Simpson. The same information is contained in his Pension papers.
Otis died 9 Dec 1882 according to his tombstone in Federal Hill Cemetery. It states he was 44 years and 8 months old. On Dec 10th, Otis' death made newspapers all over the state. He had drowned in Lake George moving from one boat to another.
Otis appears to be the 13 year old son of Ezekiel and Sarah Barber in the 1850 census. Ezekiel is listed as 63. Otis is still living with them in 1860, listed as 23 years old . This time Ezekiel is listed as 72 yrs born in Connecticut and his wife Sarah is listed as 57, born in NY. I do not find Ezekiel in the 1870 census however Ezekiel may be the one listed in 1820 and 1830 censuses for Bolton.
Ezekiel is buried in Federal Hill Cemetery, but the stone is broken and what is left showing does not list a birth nor a death date on it. Sarah (also called Sally Barber) died Mar 24, 1864 at the age of 64. They had three children; Otis A, Leroy, and Henrietta.
The biggest mystery is Ezekiel. Who his parents are as well as his birth, marriage and death dates are all unknown. We know he lived in Bolton between 1820 and 1870, but very little otherwise. Our Barber quest is to solve this mystery. Do you know anything about Ezekiel?
We'll start with Otis A Barber. We do not know what the A. Stands for. According to the 1850, 1870 and 1880 Census, we calculate his birth date to be between 1837 - 1838. In the 1870 and 1880 census, Otis is listed as married, and his wife is named Caroline according to Census records.The transcribed Warren County NY Marriages performed by George B Reynolds listed online state that Otis A Barber married Emmiline Crandall 3 March 1861. I believe this to be Caroline Emalene Crandall and she is listed by her middle name. I do believe this to be the same Otis as he is living in the right location to be listed in those records.
Otis was in the Civil war and appears to have filed for a pension in April of 1880. According to the transcribed civil war enlistment list online for Bolton, NY, Otis was born in 1837, his father was Ezekiel Barber and his mother was Sarah Simpson. The same information is contained in his Pension papers.Otis died 9 Dec 1882 according to his tombstone in Federal Hill Cemetery. It states he was 44 years and 8 months old. On Dec 10th, Otis' death made newspapers all over the state. He had drowned in Lake George moving from one boat to another.
Ezekiel is buried in Federal Hill Cemetery, but the stone is broken and what is left showing does not list a birth nor a death date on it. Sarah (also called Sally Barber) died Mar 24, 1864 at the age of 64. They had three children; Otis A, Leroy, and Henrietta.
The biggest mystery is Ezekiel. Who his parents are as well as his birth, marriage and death dates are all unknown. We know he lived in Bolton between 1820 and 1870, but very little otherwise. Our Barber quest is to solve this mystery. Do you know anything about Ezekiel?
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