'Like the willow by the waterside'
A book by John Beyea is named for a quotation
which refers to the growth of a Jacksontown church
Once Thanksgiving had passed, we knew the leaves would have reached their brightest color and soon would be falling to the ground leaving only the bare branches of the trees. The teacher seemed to think this was a good time to do a leaf collecting project.
Cliff and I first went up the hill behind the t Church to get some red maple leaves and then we roamed along the bank of the brook to find some really pretty ones from the willow trees.
The willows were special to us for several reasons. The pussy willows on their branches told us when Spring was on the way. The willows also made great fishing poles and once Gord made me a whistle from a small branch. Mum told us about the bark being used in tanning leather. Aunt Bird had a rocking chair made from the young shoots of the tree. Dad thought they were very beneficial as they grew quickly and would keep the banks of the brook from eroding since they had very deep roots.
Way back on May 10, 1879, the Rev. David Crandall of Springfield, who was 82 years old at the time, wrote a letter to Rev. Dr. John Hopper, the editor of the Christian Visitor concerning a three month evangelistic trip he had completed about forty years earlier on horseback from St. Martins and along the Saint John River to Woodstock and surrounding areas. He referred to the growth of the Jacksontown Baptist Church as being "like the willow by the waterside."
John Beyea chose the title, ‘Like The Willow By The Water Side' for his publication on the descendants of David and Elizabeth (Hopper) Crandall. The willow not only symbolizes their deep roots but the remarkable extent to which water was an important part of the environment and heritage of the developing of the Crandall family. Their first home was located near the Petitcodiac River, the second one of twenty years was at St. Martins on the Bay of Fundy while their third and final home was at Springfield near the Bellisle where many of their friends, relatives and fellow Baptists lived. Even a weeping willow was planted near the grave site of David and Elizabeth (Hopper) Crandall in the Bay View Cemetery at Springfield, Kings County.
Since the author's blood kinship is through Elizabeth Hopper Crandall, he has chosen to follow the female rather than the male line of descent. Thus, no information is provided on David Crandall's immigrant ancestor and descendants.
‘Like The Willow By The Water Side' is a 262-page book, including 26 pages of appendices and a surname index of 14 pages. It also holds 60 photographs and graphic illustrations. The numerous references are documented by 390 footnotes. John follows the members of the Crandall family as each became settled in a new locality.
Although members of the Crandall and Hopper families, may be especially interested in this book such other family surnames as Arnold, Chambers, Coffin, Cunningham, Denise, Diffendorffer, Ferguson, Goddard, Howell, King, Lugar, MacDonald, Muggah, Nobles, Rogers, Spear, Steadman, Steeves, Stephen, Toole, White and Wright are mentioned nine or more times in the surname index.
For more information on purchasing this book, contact John Beyea, 876 Route 10 Hwy, Noonan, NB, Canada, E3A 7E4 or email to jbeyea@brunnet.net.
As the roots of the willow search deep in the soil for moisture so has John Beyea searched deep in the records for information on the lives of the descendants of David and Elizabeth (Hopper) Crandall.
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Query 98-748
Nichols - Pyle: Many of the early settlers of the Presque Isle and
Maysville, Maine Townships apparently came up the Arrostook River from New
Brunswick and settled along the river bank. Little did they know that they
would become citizens of America by settling in what they thought was British
territory. My Great-great-great grandfather, John Wesley Nichols was born
1810 in Nova Scotia and married another Aroostook settler, Phebe Pyle, who
was born in 1820 in New Brunswick, the daughter of William Wright Pyle, a
Pennsylvanian who had migrated to New Brunswick. It may be that William Pyle
was in the British Navy in the war of 1812. I am searching for my roots and
wondered if anyone has information on these two families who became citizens
of the United States not by choice but by a bloodless war along the Aroostook.
-Charlie Nichols, 4706 West Washington Street, Charleston, West Virginia
25313. Telephone (304) 776-4403. E-mail to Wvtroutbum@aol.com.
Query 98-749
Martz - Sweeney: I am looking for John (Edward) Martz who married
Annie Sweeney. They were both born in Saint John, New Brunswick. Annie Sweeney
came to the US about 1869. In the 1870 Census of Appleton, Maine, she is
listed as the wife of Isaac McCurdy and had John Martz 5 and Edward
Martz 4 living with them. Edward Martz's death record of May 3, 1933 stated
he was born on Jun. 29, 1865 in Saint John. I am interested in getting information
on John (Edward) Martz who I am assuming died between 1865 and 1870. Does
anyone know the names of his siblings, parents or his date of death?
-Donna Nickerson, 538 Village Rd., Jackson, Maine, 04921-3114. E-mail
to dsjcrafts@yahoo.com.
Query 98-750
Lincoln: My sisters and I are researching our Great-great-grandfather,
Lemuel Lester Lincoln, who was born in1826 in St. Thomas, Elgin County, Ontario.
His death certificate states his father was Kinion or Kenyon Lincoln born
1790-1800 in Connecticut. We have found in the same sources, statements that
he was from Yarmouth, Elgin Co., Ontario. His first wife died there. The
same lots and concessions in that area were previously settled by Lemuel
Lincoln, the loyalist who married Isabelle Chase, daughter of Loyalist Walter
Chase. We can not find Kinion or Kenyon Lincoln anywhere in USA or
Canada. Lemuel Lincoln, the Loyalist, first settled in New Brunswick
after the Revolutioary War. We were hoping to somehow connect these Lincolns
together. Any advise or information would be much appreciated..
-Cathie Clarke Daugherty, 408 Apricot Drive, Ocoee, Florida,
34761. E-mail to cdaugh9354@aol.com
or cldaugherty@netzero.net.
Query 98-752
Dickinson: Althea Thorncraft Dickinson was born in 1813 in New Brunswick
and married Samuel Dickinson, the first Warden of Carleton County on
Mar. 1, 1831. They lived in Rockland (Coldstream), Carleton County, New Brunswick.
Althea died Sep. 7, 1902 at the home of a daughter in Chicago. We are seeking
a copy of a one-column obituary write-up for Althea. It appeared in
a New Brunswick newspaper. This obituary mentioned the names of her parents.
Please direct your reply to:
-Melinda Pearson, Box 23, Forest, Ontario, N0N 1J0. E-mail to dpearson@xcelco.on.ca.
Query 98-753
Smith - Folkins: I am searching for information on Joseph R. Smith
(1830-1851) who married Sarah E. Folkins(1832-1913). It has been said that
Joseph's father was a Loyalist from Pennsylvania, but I have no written information
to prove it.
-Mrs. Elaine Mullane, 644 Langdon Road, Richmond, ME, 04357.
E-mail to aunte@clinic.net.