Author Archives: jimsandford

September Commemorations

Married Wednesday September 6, 1905 (116 years ago) in Newburgh, New York. James Louis Hynes and Bessie Gordon, great grandparents Fought in and survived the Battle of Antietam, Wednesday September 17, 1862 (159 years ago) in Sharpsburg, Maryland. Aaron Sechler, second great grandfather Died Tuesday September 18, 1945 (76 years ago) in Kalamazoo, Michigan. LauraContinue reading “September Commemorations”

Our Wright Origins in America

We have a pretty good understanding of our Wright ancestors back through the Prince Edward Island generations, but we have not yet looked at the generations prior to the American Revolution. The Wrights’ immigration to Connecticut in the 1880s was the family’s second immigration to New England. What can we say about the first? FamilyContinue reading “Our Wright Origins in America”

August Commemorations

Died Wednesday August 3, 1921 (100 years ago) in Ontario, California. Elizabeth Smith, 2nd great grandmother, mother of Annie Calderwood Married Tuesday August 12, 1890 (131 years ago) in Mankato, Minnesota. Henry Swan and Mattie Tuttle, great grandparents Born Sunday August 23, 1840 (181 years ago) in Topsham, Maine. Edward Sandford, great grandfather Born WednesdayContinue reading “August Commemorations”

The Wrights of Bedeque, Prince Edward Island–A Genealogy Written by Doris Muncey Haslam

With the recent reopening of the Library of Congress comes the opportunity to catch up on my backlogged list of genealogical and historical texts that are out of print but have not been digitized. One such book is the two volume The Wrights of Bedeque, Prince Edward Island, a Loyalist Family is the definitive sourceContinue reading “The Wrights of Bedeque, Prince Edward Island–A Genealogy Written by Doris Muncey Haslam”

The Founding Wrights of the Connecticut Colonies

Having discussed Sandford and Tuttle origins in early colonial Connecticut, we now turn to another founding family, the Wright branch of Janelle’s family. The ancestors of her maternal grandfather, Arthur Wright, came to New England as early as the mid 1630s, establishing homesteads in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. (As a reminder, there is noContinue reading “The Founding Wrights of the Connecticut Colonies”

The Loyalists’ Ordeal

We’ve discussed the paths taken by our fifth and fourth great grandparents William and Nathaniel Wright, both born in Westchester County, New York and exiled to Nova Scotia and later Prince Edward Island during the Revolution. The details of the Wrights’ ordeal before getting back on their feet in PEI are harrowing. The following biographicalContinue reading “The Loyalists’ Ordeal”

July Commemorations

Born Saturday July 14, 1877 (144 years ago) in Newburgh, New York. Addie Gordon, great grandaunt, sister of Bessie Gordon Married Tuesday July 16, 1889 (132 years ago) in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Edward T. Sandford and Annie Calderwood, great grandparents Born Saturday, July 19, 1873 (148 years ago) in Danville, Pennsylvania. George Sechler, great grandfatherContinue reading “July Commemorations”

Researching Our Gelston Roots: In Vain Pursuit of More Hartford Founders and a Mayflower Ancestor

Each of us has 64 fourth great grandparents. By the time we work back to the 17th century we are in the realm of eighth and ninth great grandparents, of which each of us has 1024 and 2048, respectively. There are a lot of places to look for interesting ancestors. Further fueling this math isContinue reading “Researching Our Gelston Roots: In Vain Pursuit of More Hartford Founders and a Mayflower Ancestor”