Need advice/help; I'm sorely confused...

**Derek Conley** · 14th November 08, 12:03 AM

Steve, thank you. I'll absolutely use that information.

**Downix** · 14th November 08, 04:34 AM

Originally Posted by SteveB

Derek,
On the SAR work, try and contact your state society. Florida has a new member helper of Ray Lantz who can be emailed at NSSAR@bellsouth.net. Please prepare a basic line form that lists the linebearer on the left and the spouse on the right, from the revolutionary ancestor down to you. If any of your ancestry is in Massachusetts, I can help you a lot. Please PM or email, if there is anything I can help with.

WARNING...Genealogy is as addictive as kilts. See my addiction below..

Steve Brown
Member of the Massachusetts Society, Sons of the American Revolution,
Member of the Mayflower Society
President of the National Society of Old Plymouth Colony Descendants,
President of the Piscataqua Pioneers,
Treasurer General, Society of the Descendants of the Colonial Clergy
Member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society
Research genealogist at the Massachusetts State Archives.

You know, my uncle has spent a lot of time in the NEHGS looking up our ancestors. One major headache for us is the common family names. (We have 2-8 relatives all named Noah Downs/Downes, for instance)

**SteveB** · 14th November 08, 05:17 AM

Downix,
This is a more common problem then most people think. My surname is Brown, which is the same color as dog stuff on the streets and and as common. I am the seventh in a row with the first name George (which I do not use). During more agrarian times my ancestors had very large families and lived in the same communities with many cousins. Sorting it out took collecting a lot of records, and matching up data. An example was finding a George buried next to a Mary Ann in the church graveyard. The church had only one George married to a Mary Ann in its records. Then the civil record Identified several Georges married to Mary Anns. But the church record identified which maiden name to look for. From there it was possible to identify the correct parents of both through the transfer of the family farm in the deeds at the county courthouse...

I did say it is addictive didn't I?

I have some Downs family in my tree, New Hamshire ca 1830's. Fortunately a Dr Ralph Downs published a very comprehensive genealogy on the New Hampshire part of the family with excellent documentation.

Slainte

**Downix** · 14th November 08, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by SteveB

Downix,
This is a more common problem then most people think. My surname is Brown, which is the same color as dog stuff on the streets and and as common. I am the seventh in a row with the first name George (which I do not use). During more agrarian times my ancestors had very large families and lived in the same communities with many cousins. Sorting it out took collecting a lot of records, and matching up data. An example was finding a George buried next to a Mary Ann in the church graveyard. The church had only one George married to a Mary Ann in its records. Then the civil record Identified several Georges married to Mary Anns. But the church record identified which maiden name to look for. From there it was possible to identify the correct parents of both through the transfer of the family farm in the deeds at the county courthouse...

I did say it is addictive didn't I?

I have some Downs family in my tree, New Hamshire ca 1830's. Fortunately a Dr Ralph Downs published a very comprehensive genealogy on the New Hampshire part of the family with excellent documentation.

Slainte

Incidentally, that is the branch we are trying to research, as the Noah we are seeking was baptised in NH but moved to Maine after 1790. Do you happen to know where one could find the research?

**Kilted Surveyor** · 14th November 08, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by Downix

Hear hear! We are Mutts and Mutts we are all!

Amen to that, Brother!

**Carolina Kiltman** · 14th November 08, 07:03 PM

Like the Kilt Addiction, Genealogy can be addictive also. If you go in for that, then the only way is start with your parents, and move back.

Also remember that spellings change over time, and if you get far enough back, may be very different from the current! Just remember that the city of Rolla, Mo., was named after Raleigh, NC!

In any case, it can be a lot of fun.

**SteveB** · 14th November 08, 10:30 PM

There is the Noah Downs (age 23 in 1800) family that moved to Frankfort, Hancock County, Maine that continued naming their first son Noah through to the 1940's that I know of. A branch moved to Vassalboro, around 1920 and is keeping up the Noah tradition as well. This same family is doing well in Auburn, Maine today. A part of the family had stayed in New Hampshire, then moved to Arkansas in the 1950's. I have lost touch with that branch after Dr Downs passed away in 2005. I believe that Hist-Gen has a copy of his work and his papers are in the manuscript collection. He also filed some of his work with the genealogy special collection at the University of New Hampshire Durham Dimond Library. Some time ago I transcribed a lot of this into a folder here, but have forgotten which project box it is stored in. I must index these boxes........
I will look for it after church on Sunday.
Slainte

**Downix** · 15th November 08, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by SteveB

There is the Noah Downs (age 23 in 1800) family that moved to Frankfort, Hancock County, Maine that continued naming their first son Noah through to the 1940's that I know of. A branch moved to Vassalboro, around 1920 and is keeping up the Noah tradition as well. This same family is doing well in Auburn, Maine today. A part of the family had stayed in New Hampshire, then moved to Arkansas in the 1950's. I have lost touch with that branch after Dr Downs passed away in 2005. I believe that Hist-Gen has a copy of his work and his papers are in the manuscript collection. He also filed some of his work with the genealogy special collection at the University of New Hampshire Durham Dimond Library. Some time ago I transcribed a lot of this into a folder here, but have forgotten which project box it is stored in. I must index these boxes........
I will look for it after church on Sunday.
Slainte

Oh my goodness. We're decendent from Noah's son Thomas, who named his son Noah who begat James who begat Delmar who begat Lianne, and I am Lianne's son.