Monday's Mystery Ledger, part 5

This is a continuation of the ledger entries I started in my Monday Mystery Ledger (first posting January 31, 2011).

To repeat: The challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to try to help me figure out where this ledger came from – patterns of names connecting to families might help narrow down the possibilities. Although I don't know for sure, it probably is from somewhere near Albany in upstate New York. The first entry is 1830. My notes and running commentary are in brackets...

I hope you find something here on your family – there are a lot of tidbits, with people mentioned as “son of”, “wife of” etc. So good luck!

Names found in the posts for previous Mondays included:

Becker, Mary Becker, David Becker, Peter Beecker, David Billington, James Billington, John (son of James) Borgt, George Dusendorf, Wm Flansburg, Conrad

Fundy, Henry Groat, SimonHoug, Peter M Merenae, Abram/Abraham Mereness, John Mereness, John Jr Mereness, Martin Moak, Phillip Pinder, John Rosenburg, Jacob

Simonmons, [illegible] Sirby (Dirby?), Nicolas Rosenburg, Jacob Sommers, Abram Sommers, Harriett Vanderwarker, George (above might be Vandewater?) Vaness, John

Today, the ledger revisits some individuals who have already made an appearance. There are also some new names as well.

Make like Sherlock Holmes and see what clues you can find – on to the ledger entries!

Monday's Mystery Ledger, part 3

This is a continuation of the ledger entries I started in my Monday Mystery Ledger (posted January 31, 2011).

To repeat: The challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to try to help me figure out where this ledger (earliest date 1830) came from – patterns of names connecting to families might help narrow down the possibilities. Although I don't know for sure, it probably is from somewhere near Albany in upstate New York. The first entry is 1830. My notes and running commentary are in brackets...

When I first looked through this ledger, I wasn't sure how useful it was – but eventually I broke a couple of brick walls, finding people mentioned as “son of”, “wife of” etc. So good luck!  

Names found in the posts for previous Mondays include:

Becker, Mary Beecker, David Billington, James Flansburg, Conrad Groat, Simon Houg, Peter M

Merenae, Abram Mereness, John Mereness, John Jr Moak, Phillip Rosenburg, Jacob Sirby (Dirby?), Nicolas

Sommers, Abram Sommers, Harriett Vanderwarker, George  (above might be Vandewater?) Vaness, John

Today, James Billington and his son, John, take up the entire entry...

One very odd entry (near the end) is “ faling one mill sane” - and one entry for “pickling cockle” (a cockle is a small salt water clam). But don't think cockles would have kept fresh to be brought from the seashore for pickling inland – any ideas?

On to the ledger entries!

Monday's Mystery Ledger, part 2

This is a continuation of the ledger entries I started in my Monday Mystery Ledger (posted January 31, 2011).

The challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to try to help me figure out where this ledger came from – patterns of names connecting to families might help narrow down the possibilities. Although I don't know for sure, it probably is from somewhere near Albany, Schoharie counties, etc.  in upstate New York. The first entry is 1830. My notes and running commentary are in brackets...

When I first looked through this ledger, I wasn't sure how useful it was – but eventually I broke a couple of brick walls, finding people mentioned as “son of”, “wife of” etc. So good luck!

Note that in the ledger, you will see “cwt” in entries related to sawing planks. I think it might mean “cut weight” and the unit would be in 100 lb. equivalents? Anyone have a better idea?

So on to the ledger entries!

Monday's Mystery Ledger, part 1

I came across a very old ledger – but nowhere am I told who it belonged to... I probably could figure it out if I knew where it was from, so I am hoping for some help. If we put our collective eyes and genealogical detective skills together, we might just come up with some answers.

There is a lot of information between these pages, cover to cover. Sometimes it is confusing as things don't necessarily go from page to page in chronological order... if space was found between old lines, new entries were squeezed in...

I would like some help solving a mystery, and along the way, someone might find out something about a relative... lots of names and dates in here, even if they are not in any consistent order or format. I also find it interesting what people paid for what...

When I first looked through this ledger, I wasn't sure how useful it was – but eventually I broke a couple of brick walls, finding people mentioned as “son of”, “wife of” etc. So good luck!

What I know – its a ledger – upstate New York – probably Albany, Rensslaersville, Coeymans, Greenville, Westerlo – in the general area of Albany, Schoharie County, etc... Maybe someone will notice a pattern of names that can help identify the exact community. 

It appears to be a combination of employment records and things sold, and lots of other stuff tossed in for good measure, including sawing occasional planks and a recipe here and there...

I will transcribe and post a few ledger pages on Mondays and hope for the best. I will do the transcription in page order, which means the dates will jump around a bit. Maybe our collective noggins can solve the mystery of where it was (names should help) and who it might have belonged to... So here we go! My notes and running commentary are in brackets...

[The ledger is “hard bound” although coming loose a bit – remarkable condition for almost 200 years. Inside front cover, there is a glued on stamp about the size of a business card, that is affixed to the upper left corner.]

The Book Nook: Beverwijk, by Janny Venema

My Book Nook includes my take on books I have found useful - if not essential - in researching the Dutch Colonial line of my family tree. From time to time, I will post and review some of my favorite books in the Book Nook (as well as some of those I picked up and thought were duds). Like all self-selected lists, my Book Nook is idiosyncratic and reflects my preferences and interests. I should also give you a fair warning - I love books and read several a week (I also don't sleep a lot). Some books I plan to review here in the Book Nook are very old and no longer in print, but a review may help you to determine if you want to go to the effort of finding the book on interlibrary loan. Other books may just have been released. I have amassed a vast collection over the years; some books I have found useful and some not so useful. But enough... on to the book for the edition of the Book Nook.

BEVERWIJK: A DUTCH VILLAGE ON THE AMERICAN FRONTIER, 1652 TO 1654 (by Janny Venema, State University of NY Press, Albany, 2003).

    I found this book to be an absolute treasure. So now that we have that out of the way, some details. Based on her doctoral dissertation, Ms Venema presents a fascinating view of quite a cross section of the lives of the settlers of this outpost "upriver" on the Hudson. As only a dissertation can do, she looks at vast a number of aspects concerning the lives of the settlers that are hard, if not impossible, to find in a single volume. 

For example, Ms. Venema takes the reader through the building of the settlement, how the village was laid out and land distributed, how the settlers dealt with poverty amongst their neighbors, their educational system, the Orphan Masters, medical care, and slavery, to name just a few. In each area she covers, Ms Venema provides background information, as well as rich detail. She incorporates snippets of information on the various settlers - great and small - to demonstrate her points. These snippets on the settlers provide a priceless view of many of the settlers, utilizing the skills of a detailed and meticulous researcher. It is these details that may help you fill out your own family history, and possibly find someone who has been "missing".

Many books of this type are a rather dry recounting of facts and statistics. While Ms Venema provides a strong dose of statistics and numbers, she also adds what is missing in so many other volumes: the context - the backdrop against which the settlers of Beverwijk played out their petty quarrels and experienced their triumphs. Ms. Venema also explores key professions, such as blacksmiths, bakers, brewers and tavern keepers. Rather than merely highlighting these categories of workers, you will find detailed tables telling you who did what and when, allowing you to trace your ancestors and their economic endeavors across time.