Having previously traced the ancestry of great grandfather Henry Edson Swan back to Silas Swan and Silas Kenworthy (Vermont, Ohio, Minnesota and California), we now move back to earlier generations. Our Swan ancestry goes back to colonial Massachusetts and Yorkshire England as shown below. (Another link we have to Yorkshire, England is in the ancestryContinue reading “The Swan and Ingalls Families of England and Massachusetts”
Author Archives: jimsandford
The Johnston and Winter Families of New Jersey and New York
We previously discussed 2nd great grandfather Dr. James Gordon (1838-1912) of Newburgh, New York. He was from Northern Ireland and his parents James Gordon and Susan McClughan originated from Edinburgh, Scotland. There is no earlier trace of this branch of the family. But there is quite a bit of information on the other half ofContinue reading “The Johnston and Winter Families of New Jersey and New York”
How Deep Are Our Newfoundland Roots?
Great grandfather James Louis Hynes immigrated from Newfoundland to Newburgh New York with his family sometime between 1890 and 1898 (ages 6-14). Four different United States Census reports give four different years for their arrival. 1895 (age 11) seems like the most credible number because that is the year recorded in the 1900 Census, theContinue reading “How Deep Are Our Newfoundland Roots?”
Glimpses of George Sechler’s Life and Personality
An irony of the life story of great grandfather George Sechler is that we know far more about him because of his early death than we would if he had survived the events of April 14, 1907. The two best sources of information about George years during and after his police career are newspaper articlesContinue reading “Glimpses of George Sechler’s Life and Personality”
The New York of 1907
I present this article pertaining to the aftermath of the shooting of great grandfather George Sechler as much for the item that appears below it as for the details on the arraignment of Salvatore Governale. The clipping is from the New York Sun, April 16, 1907. In 1907, the Williamsburg Bridge had been in serviceContinue reading “The New York of 1907”
The Charley Ross Kidnapping
During the summer of 1874, four year old Charley Ross and his six year old brother Walter were kidnapped by two men in an affluent Philadelphia neighborhood, resulting in a sensationalized investigation and series of events thought to be the first of its kind (the Lindbergh kidnapping would occur 58 years later). Walter was setContinue reading “The Charley Ross Kidnapping”
Did the Swans and Calderwoods know each other in Vermont?
Both our Calderwood and Swan ancestors lived in the same small region in northern Vermont in the 19th century. This raises two questions: Did the two families know each other there? Is it just coincidence that the two family branches from Vermont would merge in 1921 in Ontario, California with the marriage of grandparents JoeContinue reading “Did the Swans and Calderwoods know each other in Vermont?”
The Lacuna
Recall that we have two genealogies describing the Sandford family history. Robert Sandford and His Wife Ann Adams Sandford with Some of Their Descendants, 1615-1930, written by Josephine Sandford Ware is the one known by our branch of the family since its 1930 publication. The Sandford/Sanford Families of Long Island, Their Ancestors and Descendants byContinue reading “The Lacuna”
The Mule Driver and the Physicist
A little more on the family of great grandmother Annie Calderwood. Right after publishing yesterday’s article, I rediscovered this clipping from 1958, copied last summer from the files of the Model Colony History Room at the Ontario Public Library. The article was surely saved by our grandparents Joe and Margaret. In addition to sharing aContinue reading “The Mule Driver and the Physicist”
The Calderwood Family of Scotland and Vermont
The family of great grandmother Annavilla (Annie) Agnes Calderwood came from Dunlop, Ayrshire Scotland, about 15 miles southwest of Glasgow. Her father, John Calderwood (1822-1896), arrived in the United States in 1841 at age 18 or 19. Difficult economic conditions in Scotland, driven by the growth of the industrial revolution, created tides of immigration toContinue reading “The Calderwood Family of Scotland and Vermont”
Bridging the Silences 