Just Another Manic Monday

Not really manic. It is going to be as hard to title these posts as it is to write them.

Today was the first time I washed off the groceries I brought home before I put them away. Just a soapy sponge on the plastic containers: a gallon of milk, orange juice, and onion dip. Oh, and grape soda. It tastes like my fourth grade picnic. The empty paper aisle at Food City is striking, and there are signs posted to limit all purchases to two of any item. There's plenty of meat, but I don't feel that I need any beyond a few portions I have frozen.

And snow! This is not what I wanted at this point of the month. I was hoping to take a walk in the Federal Street cemetery in Greenfield. I guess I'll go back to researching, but I like to visit these people when I get to "know" them better. When I start writing when I wake up, I don't break for breakfast until later. I made it until noon before I turned on the TV today.

Zoom Time

I'm thankful for new technologies that let me video chat with my family. We had a Zoom meeting last night. I could see their faces in Alaska and North Carolina yesterday (and, Brian, local.) My nephew Brendan also chimed in. I hope they are willing to do this weekly. We got to see the baby wiggling in real time for 40 minutes. Brian put the dogs on screen for Linda to see. There's nothing better for a mother than witnessing the natural interactions between her children.

Although I'm not good with too much structure, I'm going to make a point of getting my body moving. I took a walk across the river this afternoon. It's not enough, but I want to be conscious of it. It has felt like a weekend after all.

Saturday

As I said, I mostly work from home, but I really feel like I have to remind myself it is Saturday today. Or, as I was reminded of what the Dowager Countess said in Downton Abbey, "What is a weekend?" My schedule is flexible. Some people I know who have brought their work home have a better sense of time off today. 

The sun is shining, and that makes all the difference to me. The Income Tax filing deadline has been extended to July, but that's still on my To Do list. 

The medical profession is feeling the stress in the more populated areas. The shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a crisis that the federal government isn't prepared to solve. That is a crime. Articles are circulating with instructions on how to sew face masks, but I don't understand how that will help. Old T shirts don't stop germs. Calling retired doctors and nurses out of retirement will only put them at extreme risk. They can't say no. 

Cases of COVID 19 are confirmed at the Buckley Nursing home in Greenfield. I am relieved that I don't have to worry about elderly family members. I am it. Cousin Val just returned from a Panama Canal cruise. I hope she and her family are safe. It has been a rough month for death even before the pandemic kicked in. There will be too many obituaries to be written in the next months. This week Julie Burns Mangione was taken by pancreatic cancer. It was a couple of years ago we got together in EMass. but I'm glad I had that contact. Last week it was Ed Jeronczy, 94, prostate cancer. I will see if I can finish writing his war stories for him. I was asked to be a pall bearer for Denise Lundgren's husband, Nate (blood infection). It was an honor. Funerals are no longer being held.

That's today's update. Let's see if I can do this daily.

Genealogy in the Time of Coronavirus

Preserving personal experiences for history, that's what any good genealogist should do, right? I'm going to let the next series of posts go from research-based to stream of consciousness.

Someone asked yesterday, "When was your last normal day?" I know today was my most abnormal day yet. I got up early to grocery shop and found the parking lot at Market Basket as full at 7 am as any afternoon when I have been there. As I thanked the employees who served me, I realized I was about to break into tears. The stress has been building and I wasn't aware how close to the surface it is.

My shopping list was somewhat changed from previous weeks. I don't usually buy dried beans, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to have some on hand. I got milk in 1/2 gallon containers to freeze, just in case. There was no flour. Is everybody learning to bake bread? There was, however, plenty of bread. I stocked up on cat food and litter. I don't want to do without that.

On March 4th I flew back from seeing Carolyn in North Carolina. Was that a normal day? My seat-mate swabbed down the seat belt and tray table before sitting down. Do some people do that all the time? I wondered if the plane was less full than usual, but that can vary.

On March 7th I went into Boston for a NEAPG meeting. I was more conscious than usual about not touching anything in the shuttle bus from Alewife and the train into Park Street. Don't touch your face. Don't touch your face. I went straight to the bathroom at the Congregational Library where the meeting was held and used soap to wash my hands.

Since then I've been to the grocery store, take-out food places. Not much else.

I live alone. I mostly work from home. My quiet days are not unusual. Having nothing on the calendar is unusual. I shouldn't watch so much TV, but I like to get my news live. I have confidence in the governors and their infrastructure planning. No faith in the administration in Washington.

I have plenty of writing, researching (cleaning?) to do here. I have cats wrapped around my legs. I have started to draw on my 401K, but that was done in anticipation of summer construction work replenishing it. We shall see. Social media keeps us in contact, but video chat is better. Genealogical friends have embraced it immediately. Let's see if I can get the family to sit down and try that.

Keep praying. Watch out for each other.

Intersecting Lives in Greenfield's Black Community

In 1860 the census recorded 0.7% of the Massachusetts population as "Black." We can do the math, but I would expect an even smaller number in rural western Massachusetts. While researching Smead family descendants for another project, I found a record of two young girls noted as black in the household of Solomon Smead and Desire Wheeler in Greenfield, Franklin County, one in 1855 and one in 1860. That is the kind of information that can send me down a rabbit hole, wanting to know more. This post can serve as a place-holder to remind me to look a little farther, while I share what is easily accessible regarding these individuals.

State censuses, where available, help us bridge the gap between the decennial federal census. Massachusetts took a census in 1855. Solomon Wheeler's household that year consisted of himself at age 38, giving his occupation as a mechanic, his wife Desire, 40, Anna (elsewhere Louisa), age 9, and Hannah Taylor, 14. The "B" is prominent in the column listing color for Hannah.

Paging through the 41 sheets of names recorded in Greenfield there are other members of Hannah's family listed, but very few other people of color. John Putnam's family includes his wife and seven children. He is listed as a barber, as are John and William Dorsey who are the only individuals marked with an "M" for mulatto. H. Green was a grocer. One more family unit, the family of James White, appears to have one daughter living at home and one with a Caucasian family. This totals 22 individuals of color among the approximately 3,300 residents of Greenfield in 1855.

Birth records of Hannah and her siblings are listed in the Greenfield vital records. Her parents were Charles and Sarah Frances (Wells) Taylor. Hannah was the first born 22 April 1841. Her sister Mary Jinsey was born 21 November 1842, followed by another girl, Sarah Frances named after her mother on 14 July 1844. The next was a boy was named after their father: Charles Henry born 25 January 1846. Joseph Willard was the last born on 18 November 1848. The family lost its mother soon after on 22 February 1849. Charles was left with five children under eight.

In 1850 the Taylor family was enumerated in Deerfield as paupers. Charles said he was a laborer. Neither his wife nor daughter Sarah were listed, so the death record found could be either one of them. Another woman was living with them, possibly helping with the children, Louisa Jackson, age 55.

In 1855, when Hannah was living with the Wheelers, Mary (12) lived with the family of Clarissa Williams, and Charles (10) lived with Elizabeth Alvord. Charles died in a fire at the Alvord house on 10 January 1856. A news article said that he was initially thought to be safe, but may have gone back into the building. He is buried in the Federal Street cemetery.

Charles and Mary Jinsey's graves are worn and hard to read

Hannah died of consumption at 16, as did her sister, Mary, in 1866. Records of the Federal Street cemetery in Greenfield have young Charles and Mary, but not Hannah.

Charles Taylor had remarried by 1860 to Jane who had been born in Virginia. In 1870 Joseph was still living with them at 21. Joseph Willard Taylor married in Halifax, Vermont 17 November 1874 to Julia Wells Church. It was his first marriage at 26, but her second. Joseph's next move is unknown. Charles was still living in Greenfield in 1880. At 65 he said he was a basket maker. A Charles Taylor received $91.59 from the pauper account in Greenfield, as listed in the 1880 Annual Town Report.

Abbie Todd lived with the Wheeler family in 1860. Both she and their daughter, Louisa, were reported to be 14. A year later, Mary Abbie Todd was married to Samuel Sugland, jr. when she stated that she was 18 and had been born in Williamstown. Their race on the Greenfield marriage register was marked "A" for African? Samuel was a cook, born in Westhampton. In 1865 Massachusetts again took a census. At that time, Abbie and Samuel were living in his mother, Lucy's, household with their two daughters, Eliza and Lucy. Abbie was recorded as 20, indicating she may have exaggerated her age at marriage. By 1870, they had two sons, Lorenzo and William. Samuel was a farm laborer, and in both 1865 and 1870 he was listed as a voter. In 1880 they were in Deerfield and had a third son, Lewis.

As I stated above, I'm posting this to get a few facts in sentences and hope to follow up in the future.

A Story in Every Cemetery

I spend time in cemeteries when I travel. Who doesn't?

This past August I walked in the unassuming churchyard pictured below. It is the former Church of Ireland parish in Belmullet in northwestern Mayo, Ireland. The church is closed because "there are no more protestants." The small number of marked burials contrasts to the large catholic cemeteries around the coast of the Mullet peninsula.

Among the scattered monuments are a group of standard military stones from the World War II era. Closer observation shows that the majority are inscribed with dates of death on either 2 July or 7 August 1940. Those designated 2 July are:

Private Donald E.V. Domican, the Welch Regiment, age 21
Trooper Frank Sidney Carter, the Royal Dragoons, age 27
Private William Fredrick George Chick of the Dorsetshire Regiment, age 19
Gunner Wallace Goodwin, 153rd (Leicestershire) Regiment, age 22

Their story becomes clear in an article in History Ireland. Ireland had coastwatchers, scanning the horizon for an invasion force during WWII. They did not enter the war and maintained their neutrality, but they could not ignore what was going on around them. On 6 August 1940, a body washed ashore on Annagh Head, east of Belmullet. The man was identified as Donald Domican, determined to have drowned, and buried the next day. Frank Carter was found on the 7th and also identified by his personal effects. Reports confirmed that bodies had been appearing along the coast to the north for ten days. The men had all been on the Arandora Star which left Liverpool on the first of July.

American internment of those with Japanese heritage during WWII is a stain on our history. Citizens and immigrants of all ages were rounded up due to their heritage, which was deemed to be a threat during the war. Germans and Italians were also held at camps around our country. In England there was less room to warehouse these people. The Andora Star was a luxury liner designed for 500 passengers, but was filled with 1,300 German and Italian internees enclosed in barbed wire, and their military guards, when she was torpedoed by a U-boat on 2 July 1940. The ship sank within an hour, and 805 on board were drowned. An unidentified man, believed to be one of the internees, and found in this period, was buried in an unmarked grave at Termoncarragh near Belmullet.

The Andora Star tragedy marked the end of the overseas deportations by the British. Internment policy was relaxed after an inquiry. Some of the internees had escaped the Nazis, only to be whitewashed with anyone of German descent.

Those buried with the August 7th date were likely on board a troop ship, the SS Mohamed Ali El-Kebir, which also left from Bristol on the 5th of August 1940. The ship was torpedoed 250 miles west of Malin Head, County Donegal, on 7 August 1940. Many men were saved by its escort ship, HMS Griffin, but others were later found dead along the coast. 

Those buried in Belmullet are:

Driver Sydney George Betts, Royal Engineers, age 24
Private William Hulme, Pioneer Corps, age 27
Sapper James Jaffray, Royal Engineers, age 27
Sapper William Ewen Morrison, Royal Engineers, age 24
Private John Halliwell Warham, Pioneer Corps, age 25

Sydney G. Betts could be the man recorded born in the spring of 1916 in Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, married in the second quarter of 1937 to Annie Wass, who were recorded in 1939 in Leicester with a child, George, born that August. His wife personalized his grave stone and gave us his first name.

John Warham's stone contains family data: Husband of Alice; Daddy of Jeanne; and son of J.H. and M. Warham.

Chief Engineer Officer, Clifford Major Mackrow, age 48 (8 August) has his ship listed on the stone.

The MV Upway Grange was a cargo vessel, built in 1925. It was enroute from Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a cargo of frozen meat when it was torpedoed by U-37, approximately 150 miles west of Erris Head, near Belmullet. 36 of the 86 man crew were reported missing.

More men were found individually the following year. Lieutenant Thomas Elvin Mitchell, Carleton and York Regiment of the Canadian infantry, died 30 April 1941, age 20. He was aboard the SS Narissa bringing troops from New Brunswick.

Wing Commander Archibald Graham Weir, age 55, was not shot down out of the sky. He was also on the Narissa when it was sunk by the Germans on 30 April 1941. He had reportedly served in the Duke of Cornwell, Light Infantry Regiment during WWI.

Leading Seaman Jack Springett Johnson served on the SS Mashona and died 28 May 1841, age 37. The previous day the Mashona was involved in the sinking of the German Bismark. The Luftwaffe sunk her off the coast of Galway with a loss of 48 of 218 on board.



Notes:
1. See more at the History Ireland blog.
2. Photos of the graves were uploaded to Find a Grave.
3. Information was taken from the listing of the war dead at Grangegorman memorial in Cabra, county Dublin.
4. Betts records found on-line at Find My Past.
5. Wikipedia has good details on SS Mohamed Ali El-Kabir.

Deerfield Academy WWII Memorial, Deerfield, MA

These photos were taken as part of the Honor Roll Project. Click here to see other transcriptions by other volunteers.

The base of the flag pole reads, "In Memory of the Deerfield Boys who were lost in World War II 1941-1945."

The names are listed alphabetically around the octagonal granite base.

Richard T. Angell, Lawrence G. Bagg, Richard T. Bagg, Edward P. Barrows, Stephen H. Barton, John R. Baumann, Jr., John G. Brackett, Jr., Thomas D. Brophy, Jr., James S. Campbell II.

William J. Carroll, Neman B. Chase, Guy G. Clark, Jr., Arthur W. Clothier, William G. Conant, Nelson C. Dale, Jr., Bayard Dodge, Jr., John H. Dudley.

Edward McF. Eagan, Jonathan B. Edwards, Steven G. Everett, Richard M. Farnsworth, Joseph C. Ford III, Albert C. Griffin, Jr., James A. Gunn, Jr., Robert K. Haas, Jr., Morgan L. Hobart.

Paul H. Hyde, Jr., Allan J. Johnson, Thomas W. Johnson, Ward T. Kane, Richard M. Kimball, Jr., Arthur B. Koontz, Jr., George A. Ladd, Peter G. Lehman, George P. McNeal 3rd.

Wilson P. Novle, Donald W. Phillips, William S Pydych, William G. Ricker, Jr., Willard W. Roberts, Frank D. Rugg, Jr., John B. Bugg, George S. Cyr, A. Holton Sayce.

David A. Scott, H. Donald Seller, Howard C. Sheperd, Jr., Wilfrid L. Simmons, Mas Solomon, Alan W. Steadman, Henry B. Stimson, Jr.

Anderson Storey

George R. Strobridge, Edward E. Vanzile, Jr., Prentice C. Weathers, Joseph H. Webber, Morgan Wesson, Woodrow W. White, Benjamin Wilcox, Jr., Clarence C. Ziegler, Jr.