05 March 2021

March Birthdays

 March would seem to be a very busy month in my family for births.  Which makes me wonder just what April and May holds to cause this many births.  Maybe it’s the old “April showers bring may flowers”?  I can only imagine. 


I hope this to be a new monthly series featuring the births for each month.  If I can keep it up for a year, I’m not sure what to feature to keep this going.  A monthly death chart doesn’t seem all that worthy.  In fact, I may just combine births and deaths in a single monthly post.  Maybe that’s too morbid.  In any case, I am only listing ancestors in these posts, no living people will be listed for privacy.


I’ll start this off with the births in my wife’s family.  There are only two for March.
First is her maternal grandfather, Edgar Mosley Greene, Sr.  he was born 13 March 1883 in Geneva, Alabama.  He died 17 Jun 1963 in Dade County, Florida.  Wifey never met him, as he died before she was born.  This is a picture of Edgar and his wife, Elouise Cuthbert, and their children and grandchildren.  


The Greene Family
Edgar, Sr. and Elouise are seated center
 

Next, we have wifey’s 2x great grandmother, Sarah Julia Pelot.  She was born 28 March 1793 in Beaufort County, South Carolina and died 25 Nov 1847 in Greenville, South Carolina.  She was married to Dr. Francis Younge Porcher.  Their daughter Caroline married William Cuthbert, whence comes Elouise, wife of Edgar Sr.


From my family, there are many know ancestors and several that I’m not quite ready to say that they are indeed in my family tree just yet.  I still have to do lots of research to prove or disprove their relationships.  But I will include them as well for completeness. First, my known ancestors.


On the second of March, a paternal 4x great grandfather Richard Derrick “Dirk” Gunsalus.  He was born 2 March 1756 in Minisink, Orange County, New York.  I have conflicting sources which call this part of British Colonial America or New Amsterdam.  In either case, it was NOT the USA.  He died 15 March 1838 in Howard, Centre County, Pennsylvania.
On 6 March 1811 Martha Collins was born.  She is a 3x maternal great grandmother.  She was born in Marion, South Carolina and died there 25 Feb 1892.


I’m going to go out of date order here for a bit, since there is really neat occurrence later in the month.


That takes me to Martha Flowers, a 4x great grandmother on my mother’s side.  She was born and died in Marion, South Carolina, like so many of my mother’s family.  Her dates are 14 March 1790 – 22 June 1872.


Also on the 14th, is a 3x maternal great grandmother, Sarah Jane Rowell, 14 March 1818 – 14 Feb 1891.


Then for the 15th we have Ann Elizabeth McCauley, a paternal 2x great grandmother, who married James Campbell my constant genealogical brick wall.  She was born 15 March 1831 in Pennsylvania.  I do not have a death date for her, but I cannot find her after 2 June 1890 in any records.


Jumping back to my mother’s side we find my great grandmother, Julia V. “Jewel” Sawyer.  I know this is the correct person as my mother remembers her and gave me the name.  Plus I have her son, my maternal grandfather, Talmage Whitaker Hicks’ death certificate with “Jewel Sawyer” as his mother.  The question is do I have the correct Julia Sawyer?  I have written two posts about her already (Part One, Part Two), and I feel confident that I have her dates, 16 March 1871, Marion, South Carolina, - 1 February 1963, Dillon County, South Carolina, correct.  But my two elder siblings don’t think that the death date is correct.  They don’t remember ever hearing about her death and if it was in 1963, they would probably remember it.


A 5x paternal great grandmother was born 26 March 1735 in Kingston, Ulster, New York.  Her name was Sarah Westbrook (Wesstbroek in the original Dutch).  She married Jacobus Gonsalus (also spelled Gunsallus, Gonsalis, Consules, Gonzalez, etc..) 28 January 1753 in the Minisink Reformed Dutch Church, Schaghticoke, Rensselear, New York, and passed away about 1787 probably in Pennsylvania.


Church Record for Gunsallus - Westbrook Marriage
Church Record for Gunsallus - Westbrook Marriage

Now on to the “great convergence”.  I will list the names and dates first, then tell you why I think this is so cool.


•    Elizabeth Eve Chapman, 10 March 1860 – 4 April 1941.
•    Samuel W. Campbell, 26 March 1861 – 8 February 1924
•    Josephine Melinda “Josie” Bodle, 27 March 1885 – 21 July 1975.
•    Donald Sherwood Campbell, 28 March 1912 – 19 February 1985.
•    Herbert J. Campbell, 31 March 1884 – 5 February 1919.


Here’s my relationships, Elizabeth is my great grandmother.  Samuel my great grandfather.  Josie is the daughter of Elizabeth, so my grandmother.  Herbert is the son of Samuel and the husband of Josie, so my grandfather.  Finally, Donald is my father and the son of Josie and Herbert.


Elizabeth Eve Chapman
Elizabeth Eve Chapman

Samuel W. Campbell on the porch swing
Samuel W. Campbell on the porch swing

Herbert J. Campbell, age 21, c. 1905
Herbert J. Campbell, age 21, c. 1905

Josie Bodle, unknown date
Josie Bodle, unknown date 

Don Campbell, unknown year
Don Campbell, unknown year

That shows five family birthdays in the space of 21 days.  I can only imagine the celebrations for the seven short years when all five were alive (1912 – 1918).  I wonder which day they picked to get together.  They were all born and lived in and around Centre County, Pennsylvania.  


I only knew two on that list, my father, Donald, and his mother Josie.  There are many posts about Nanny as we called her.  But knowing Nanny, I would say that if she had the choice, they celebrated on Don’s birthday.  I sure do wish I could have attended a gathering with these folks.


I have six people on my “Research Lists” that have birth days in March.


1st – Olive Ann Gregorie, a 9X great grandmother, 1 Mar 1611/12 – 2 Sep 1684.  This would make her the oldest on the list at 409 years young!
2nd – Coenradt Ten Eyck, 9th great grandfather, 2 Mar 1616/17 – 5 Apr 1687.
6th – John Willis, 7x great grandfather, 6 Mar 1668/69 – before 16 Aug 1745.
7th – Daniel Doane, Jr., 7x great grandfather, 7 Mar 1665/66 – 1 Nov 1743.
8th – Mehetable Twining, 7x grandmother, 8 Mar 1600/61 – 1719.
18th – Jacob Matthys Ten Eyck, 8th great grandfather, and son of Coenradt above, 18 Mar 1657/58 – 6 Jul 1741.


As I mentioned these are “possible” ancestors.  I found these and others, listed in various family trees and hints on several websites and books.  I don’t have enough, or in some cases any, solid evidence to add them to the “confirmed” or even “most likely” ancestor trees.  That will happen in time.


Peace,
B


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