Gramp would come in from doing his farm chores, eat his supper and lie down on the couch. Now that I think of it, I don't ever remember him sitting in an easy chair.Gram's Morris chair sat next to the couch, and she would crochet while he smoked his cigar.
As I played with my toys, I would eavesdrop on their conversation. On many occasions, I didn't understand what they were talking about, but I still listened.
I couldn't understand Gram's warning to Gramp that "little pitchers have big ears!" I had never seen a pitcher with ears on it.
Gramp wasn't one to mince words. He stated the facts and let the chips fall. He seemed to lack patience with the young folks who did not meet his expectations.
I would hear him grumble, "What is going to become of this younger generation?"
Gram would reply, "Now Dave, You were young once yourself."
Another time, I overheard them discussing who would mow around the rock piles with the hand scythe in the coming generations.
To confuse me more, they spoke of two generations of twins in the family.
This word generations certainly was a big word and I didn't have a clue what it meant. Maybe it had some connection to a pitcher with big ears?
The years have passed and generations has become a familiar word in my vocabulary, but not always in the term of its dictionary meaning. I have learned much from Generations and look forward to its appearance in the mailbox.
Now, you are asking, "What is Generations?" Well, it is a quarterly publication of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society and is distributed to its members. The first issue was published in 1979. It has been a very informative resource for the past 20 years to those researching their New Brunswick roots.
Taking a look at the summer issue of 1999, some of the topics covered are:
A ferry story Captain William Pitt;
Miramichi Books on the Internet;
The Reeds Point beginning by Ann Waddell;
The Plested Philip family by John Pynn;
John Blair Pearce Avalanche disaster at Chilkoot Pass;
The Signature(s) of Heinrich Stief;
History of Monticello and Bridgewater, Maine;
The Fairville that was;
Pioneer families of New Brunswick;
William Taylor letter to Wentworth Dow, 1865;
List of passengers on board the brig "Australia" 1852;
Descendants of Robert Archibald and Lucilla Rogers;
From the Maple Leaf Albert County weekly newspaper (1880-1901);
Ancestors remembered Clayton families of New Brunswick;
Grand Manan marriages;
Silver dollars a Charity Newton Smith story;
Book Reviews by Sandra Devlin include "Maryland Loyalists," "Pioneer Profiles" and "The Vincent Family";
40 queries and a section on genealogical books that are available from members.
The NBGS website, www.nbgs.ca has information on membership enrolment, queries, publications and the 1997 list of the families that are being researched by members of the society.
To order publications, join the society or find contacts visit www.nbgs.ca
Visit the website of the Saint John Branch of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society at nbgssj.ca.
David N. Strickland has compiled a three-volume index to all surnames in Generations from June 1979 to the Winter Issue of 1998. He has donated copies to each N.B. Genealogical Society Branch in New Brunswick. For more information, contact David N. Strickland dstrickland@optekinc.com.
Copies of Generations can be viewed at the Saint John Free Public Library in Market Square, the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick in Fredericton and the Kings County Museum in Hampton and other research institutions.
Generations keeps us updated on the current doings of our generation as well as letting us peek into the generations of years gone by.
- Query 98-449
- Boyce - Briggs: I am looking for information on Daniel Boyce who married Florence Briggs and lived in Saint John, N.B., between 1830 and 1905.
- Norma and Herb Boyce Sr., 33 Bernice Ave., Manchester, NH, 03109-5106. E-mail to h-n-boyce-sr@worldnet.att.net
- Query 98-450
- Scovil: I am searching for the names of the parents and descendants of the following Scovil family members who lived in Smithtown, Kings County: Elizabeth (1821); William Johnston Scovil, born March 20, 1823; Jane, born Feb. 20, 1826; Barbara, born April 21, 1828; Mary, born Nov.14, 1830; John Bencroft Scovil, born Oct. 26, 1834; Margaret or Margareti, born April 23, 1837; Pheb, born Sept. 6, 1840; Henry Whitfield Scovil, born July 23, 1844; and Margaret Elizabeth Smith (presumably a granddaughter or foster daughter), born March 9, 1846. Any help with this family would be appreciated.
- Vonda Adams, 608-611 University Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3Z1. E-mail ev.adams@home.com.
- Query 98-451
- Doherty: John and Bridget Doherty were both born in Ireland. No birth year for John, but Bridget was born circa 1815. I do not know where or when they married, but they were living in Saint John when the oldest child, Rosanna, was born in 1833. The next time I can find them, they were living in the Roxbury part of Boston, Mass., in 1838. This was when my great-grandmother, Ellen [Nellie], was born in 1838. Sometime after that, they returned to Saint John where children Patrick and Margaret were born in 1841 and 1844, respectively. A son, John, was born in 1845, but I don't know the location. By 1850, Bridget and the children were living in Boston, but there is no mention of John (Sr). Patrick married Mary Ryan on Feb. 27, 1868, in Boston, and was a boiler maker at that point in time. In 1870, Bridget and Margaret were living with Ellen and her family in Boston. Ellen had married Patrick Howe, born 1835, in Ireland. They were married in April of 1863 in Boston. Margaret was working as a book binder and Bridget was listed as keeping house. By 1880, Margaret was still with the Howes and still had the same job. Bridget was not listed. If anyone can help me with this crowd, I'd be very grateful. There had to be a reason that they kept running back and forth from Saint John. I'm guessing that there was still family there.
- Ann Wheeler, 659 Gifford Ave., American Falls, Idaho, 82311. E-mail to mailto:awheel@directinter.net.
Ruby Cusack is a genealogy buff living in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Readers are invited to send their New Brunswick genealogical queries to Ruby at rmcusack@nbnet.nb.ca. When E-Mailing please put Yesteryear Families in the Subject line. Please include in the query, your name and postal address as someone reading the newspaper, may have information to share with you but not have access to E-mail. Queries should be no more than 45 words in length.
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