Take a Goodhart Look through Genealogy

An Ancestor is Calling to Me

2011-07-05T19:56:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, as the nation celebrated the 235th anniversary of our country's declaration of independence, I made it a point to remind myself of one of my ancestors whose life for several months was devoid of independence.

Isaac Green Mask, my 4th-great-grandfather, was a Confederate political prisoner from October 17, 1861 to January 10, 1862. Charged with treason, he ultimately ended up at Fort Warren on Georges Island, in the harbor just outside of the city of Boston. He was treated well there, but until January 1862, he did not know what his fate would be. A death sentence? Imprisonment until the war was over? A transfer to another prison? Or a release back into society and with his family?

Two years ago, I had visited Fort Warren for the first time to get a sense of where my ancestor was imprisoned. What was his life possibly like? It was a fascinating trip, and it sparked all kinds of questions in my mind. I began a search to find out what brought about his arrest and how he had come to be ultimately released. It's a personal journey still in the works, but I know much more than I did in July 2009.

On my second trip, just yesterday, I was enthusiastic about seeing the new Visitor's Center, which had just been built on the island in the summer of 2010. In 2009, I had e-mailed scanned copies of letters that Isaac wrote from Fort Warren to his family (and following his release, letters he received from an acquaintance still imprisoned there), to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. It was my hope they would choose to utilize those letters for their Visitor's Center, as I would liked to have seen Isaac's letters made available to the public - in essence, making him much more famous than he ever would have imagined. Alas, his letters were not used for the Visitor's Center exhibits.

But I gained further knowledge at the Visitor's Center about the daily lives of the political prisoners. And on one of the informational plaques in the center, I saw an image that captivated me - an image of a page taken from a "yearbook" style photo album of Confederate prisoners. Credit for the image pointed to the Department of Conservation and Recreation Archives. Last night, I sent an e-mail to the DCR and asked if that photo album is available for viewing. I look forward to the response and hope I can take a look at that album.

What if Isaac Green Mask's photograph is in that album? This would be monumental, as I have no images of him. None. I don't even have a clear idea of what he looked like. Perhaps I will, though.

Regardless, I am now determined, more than ever, to write a book about Isaac. His political imprisonment is just one significant event in his life of which I have knowledge. What a story he has to tell - and if not from him or anyone else - it must be told through me. Isaac is calling to me, and I aspire to pass forth his story to the world one day. I have much to research, and it starts with a desire to find a photograph of him.

I can only hope.

This is the Face of Genealogy

2011-06-05T13:16:00.000-04:00

In reference to LA Weekly article about a genealogy conference that showed a very poorly chosen photo, a wonderful blog post by Thomas MacEntee encourages genealogists to post their own favorite ancestor photo to create a "win situation for the genealogy community."

I choose (of course), my great-grandfather John Tyler Fairall from whom we share the same middle name. He was a pilot during World War I.

John Tyler Fairall, circa 1917-1918, Paris, France

The J.T. Fairall WWI Letters: (9) January 5, 1918

2011-05-29T19:55:00.000-04:00

In J.T. Fairall's ninth letter written during WWI, he expressed his joy over the deliciousness of a fruit cake his mother sent him (back when fruit cakes weren't the jokes of desserts). He celebrated the fruit cake with some champagne that he and some other fellow pilots shared. He got over his recent cold that he had and was sleeping well with a new comforter that he needed due to the bitter-cold temperatures of the French winter. The closest town was apparently about nine miles away, so the isolation must have made the winter feel all the more chilly. The small things, like a tobacco pipe he had just received along with the fruit cake, seem to make a big difference for him.

On the last page of his letter, an F.J. Lloyd, 1st Lieutenant, scribbled his name down, presumably someone who was assigned to ensure letters contained no sensitive or confidential details that could be used by the enemy.

1/5/17*

Dear Mother

I received your box last night and had a party at once. We had two quarts of champagne that we were saving for some unexpected occasion and they surely went fine with the fruit cake. I don't believe I ever tasted any fruit cake that tasted better. I invited three other fellows who have bunks in my alley to join me and we were all hunting for the stray crumbs. I surely did need everything that the box contained and I want to thank all.

At the time that I wrote my last letter I had a little cold but I stayed indoors for a day or two and soon got over it. It has been very cold here for the last couple weeks and of course going from about 35˚ to 7˚ below is bound to give you a little cold. When the cold snap started Ottis Williamson to get me a comforter in town and I have been sleeping like a log since. The town is about 9 mi. away and is nothing more than a village the size of Shepherdstown^ so I have only been in once since my arrival.

When Raynor comes out I wish that you would thank him for the tobacco and pipes. I broke the one that I brought along so you can see how I needed it. Tell Milton to write and tell me some of the happenings. Hoping to hear from all soon.

I am

Your loving son

Jack

J.T. Fairall

Aviation Section Signal Corps

% B.M.C.

Paris

France

[FJ Lloyd

1st Lt. ASSORC]

* Though J.T. wrote 1917, the context and known timeline would indicate that it was actually 1918. Writing 1917 for the previous twelve months made this an understandable error.

^ Shepherdstown, West Virginia was the home of many Fairall relatives - and it was where J.T. went to college before the war. To give meaning to J.T.'s reference to Shepherdstown's population, in 1920 the town had 1,063 residents [Bureau of the Census, Fourteenth Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1920 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1921), 314, "Table 51, Population of Incorporated Places."].

Envelope (front)

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The J.T. Fairall WWI Letters: (8) December 26, 1917

2011-04-18T17:08:00.000-04:00

Jack and fellow pilots in a wintry photo

Christmas Day has just passed, and in J.T.'s eighth letter written during WWI, he describes the Christmas activities he and others have had in France. One can picture many of these pilots staying warm in their decorated barracks with the two Christmas trees that would remind them so much of home. Indeed, Jack recalls with a sense of nostalgia the holidays in Baltimore and the last-minute holiday shopping at the bustling Lexington Market at Lexington and Eutaw Streets (one of the largest markets in the U.S. at the time).

Jack describes the gifts provided by the Red Cross to the military, some of which might raise eyebrows nowadays, like cigarettes and tobacco.  They enjoyed a traditional holiday dinner and were treated to a white Christmas. Of course, with the wintry weather, Jack also was met with an "inconvenient" cold.

Jack's brother Campbell is also serving in the military, but the brothers haven't been able to keep in touch thus far. Mail delivery has not been the best, and Jack mentions the curious delays his family appears to experience in receiving his letters from France.  Perhaps the delay is due to the need for the U.S. government to meticulously censor any military information in all of the soliders' letters, an act demonstrated in this particular letter from Jack with sections cut out from the second page.

This is the last letter that Jack wrote in 1917, but many more are written in the next year.

12/26 [1917]

My Dear Mother

As an Xmas preasant I received 2 letters from you. The letters from home are always events. We had a white Xmas one that would surely make the kids stay awake all night waiting for Santa. We had two trees in our barracks one in each end. We made a pool of 10 F each and had our stockings filled. Beside this the Red Cross gave out a bag to each one containing 1 towel tooth brush 1 bar soap toothpaste 1 pr socks 1 handkerchief and cigarettes and tobacco. This was very nice but when I pictured Lex and Eutaw Sts on Xmas Eve about 7 P.M. when all of late comers are pushing and shoving to finish their purchases. Then look back a little further to the time when the family was younger. How there was one grand rush for Xmas presants. This all comes into my mind. How lucky we have always been.

I was sorry to hear that Bernice had taken the baby down to Mrs. Howards for Xmas instead of staying with you. It surely would have made up at bit for Campbell's and my absence. I often wonder where Camie is at various times. I hope that he was at least be able to be ashore in the U.S. for shipboard wouldn't be any idea of a wonderful time for Xmas.

Our dinner was very good turkey cranberries fried potatoes, and coffee with nuts and figs on the side. That is doing pretty well when you consider the number of men in the Army on this side and it is a pretty safe bet that they all fared alike.

In your last letter dated about Dec. 3 you say that you haven't received any mail from me. This is rather peculiar as I mailed a letter at [censored] just before the boat left also one just before getting off of the [censored]. Both of these letters should have arrived before Dec. 3. There are of course others that could not have arrived. You say that Marguerite hasn't heard from her Jack. She should have heard from him if he has written for he left about 1 mo before I did.

The weather has been pretty cold and snowy and I have managed to catch a slight cold of course. I could hardly go through a winter without something of the kind. It doesn't amount to much but is surely inconvenient.

I suppose that you often wonder why I don't describe the country over here. Well I have been in France more than a month and have only been to one city the rest of the time I have been cooped up on camp. So you can see that [missing words] very little about anything on this side.

I [missing words] for this time. Hoping that all enjoyed their Xmas and that all have a prosperous New Year. I am

Your affectionate son

Jack

Address J.T. Fairall

Aviation Sec. Sig. Corps

American Exp Forces

American Air Service

% B.M.C.

Paris

France

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NERGC 2011: Thoughts and Future Paths

2011-04-10T10:00:00.005-04:00

I just returned last night from my second New England Regional Genealogical Conference 2011 in Springfield, Mass., the theme of which was "Exploring New Paths to Your Roots." I enjoyed seeing my two Northeimer cousins as well as eight of my classmates from "the 4th BU regiment" Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate program. I felt right at home among the 800 or so fellow genealogists, and I'm now feeling re-invigorated and ready to pursue some new (and renewed) personal genealogical goals.

I've put together a few thoughts on future potential paths I could take, and I've referenced some of the excellent presenters at the conference. Maybe one of these ideas would work well for you, too!

1. Explore university libraries special collections and archives. Previously, I only pursued academic transcripts and yearbooks in my genealogical research. But I never considered searching special collections and archives of university libraries. Laura Prescott presented a wide range of materials available in university libraries. If you know an ancestor attended a particular institution of higher education, chances are alumni records might shine a light on that individual. It makes sense when you consider that alumni tend to brag about their accomplishments and family developments via their alma mater's publications. And if an ancestor happened to work at a university, their research or involvement might also be in their records. Why did I not think about this considering I've worked at three universities over the last ten years? You might even be surprised to find a family portrait as part of a university collection; for example, if you search "family" at Miami University's Digital Archive, you'll find many family photographs and interviews.

This is a perfect time to give a shout-out to my alma mater, Radford University, for their treasure chest in their Archives and Special Collections. They've digitized so much history, and they even have recent yearbooks on-line, where you could find me in 2001, for instance).

2. Look at school district records. This is another academic area, but I hadn't considered checking these out before. These might be harder to find, but the information potentially contained within school district records includes: student enumeration lists, tax payer records, teacher term reports, school district meeting minutes (to name a few). Pam Stone Eagleson^CG did a wonderful presentation on this. I have at least a couple of ancestors who I know were teachers; perhaps I can find out more about them through school district records.

3. Utilize Twitter to connect with other genealogists. Admittedly, I have not completely warmed to Twitter; I use it sparingly to promote my blogs, but I haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet. But I know Twitter can be used to get to know and connect with others. D. Joshua Taylor, who I was surprised to learn was born in 1985 yet is already nationally known and respected in the genealogy community (and with celebrities through NBC's Who Do You Think You Are television series), briefly mentioned in his introductory keynote speech that he finds great use for Twitter. So, alright, perhaps it is time for me to really push myself into the so-called "Twitter-verse." After all, the younger generations of genealogists (like myself) tend to be more social media savvy.

4. Start recording personal histories of family members. I should really start collecting personal memories of family members, like my mother for instance!  I'm always telling her, "Mom, you should write such and such story down!" But she's a busy person and understandably finds writing all those stories down an overwhelming prospect. I picked up a book called "Legacy: A step-by-step guide to writing personal history" by Linda Spence in the exhibitor hall, and it has hundreds of questions you can ask yourself or others in order to compile a personal history. So my idea is I'll e-mail my mother one question each week and hope that she responds back with some details. This way she won't be overwhelmed but over time I'll get plenty of tidbits.

5. Write a book.  What a wish I've got here. My BU classmates continue to encourage me to write a book about my 4th-great grandfather Isaac Green Mask (see my previous blog post on him), due to the fact that I have a collection of twenty original letters written to and from this man from 1854-1871.  He and some of his close relatives had lives definitely worth writing about. One of my classmates is about to publish her own book this year, which I think is so exciting (I'll be certain to mention her book on my blog when it's published).  I really should consider writing a book -- I know I can do it; I just need to get started.

6. Become actively involved with NERGC or other genealogical societies. At both NERGC conferences, I have been a volunteer; volunteering helps make the conference flow smoothly, plus it's just a great experience. I feel as though I could contribute a lot more by serving on a committee for NERGC or another genealogical organization. As I'm now 31, I expect I have many years ahead of me where I could help make a difference and also gain experience professionally in the process through this sort of involvement.

7. Use resources such as NUCMC. NUCMC (I love how it's pronounced nuck-muck; it sounds like a strange creature a child might imagine) is the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections. I heard it mentioned at least four times in different lectures and presentations at this conference, but beforehand it was completely unknown to me. It's a useful finding aid for manuscripts, which are essentially hand-written or original copies of works, such as letters, diaries, and dissertations. Just be sure to go to the OCLC WorldCat Search on its web site.

8. Get back to researching my genealogy! I've completely neglected researching my genealogy. Around April 2010, I took all of my family tree information down from my web site and Ancestry.com after completing the BU class, because a fair amount of my data was either uncited or taken from other researchers' family trees (both I had learned were a big no-no!). However, I never really started the research again. So much to do!  While I'm at it, I also really should update my family history web site. It needs some love.

9. More and more, I'm thinking I'd love to move to the Baltimore area. I've been searching for jobs lately, and I've had fleeting thoughts of moving to Baltimore, Maryland where many of my ancestors lived. It also helps that the National Archives and Library of Congress are close by in Washington, D.C. After attending a presentation by John Philip Colletta, Ph.D. about the resources available at the Library of Congress, I am really keen on putting down this idea of moving to Baltimore as a serious goal.

10. Take more photos. I'm a little frustrated with myself for not taking pictures at the conference.  So a reminder to myself and others to visually document your adventures in the future!  There's a good photo out there somewhere of many of the BU graduates at the conference, though. I'll try to get a hold of it!

Did you attend the NERGC 2011 or have some thoughts? Feel free to comment on this post or e-mail me at michael@goodhartfamily.org.

The J.T. Fairall WWI Letters: (7) December 21, 1917

2011-03-29T21:35:00.000-04:00

In the seventh letter written, Jack has finally received mail since leaving the U.S. It took over a month for the mail to get to him at that time. His satisfaction in receiving mail serves as a reminder for how important it is to all of those in the military overseas to hear from people at home.

John, age 8

Much of his letter focuses on individuals in the family and possibly neighors or friends of the family. Unfortunately, I do not know who many of the people he references are, so the snippets of information Jack mentions don't tell a clear story since we're missing the other side of the conversations (only letters he sent are available). However, there are a select few people that I have identified who are family members. All of the letters he received must have provided him with updates on how people back home were doing. One person in particular that he mentions is his Uncle Will; he recalled that he had a lot of fun with Will when he was younger (see the photo on right of Jack at a young age).

Jack's days are busy while in training. He doesn't seem entirely happy with how he's doing, experiencing some difficulty keeping it all together. Of course, we know based on future letters and his military record, he eventually did figure it out and serve as a reconnaissance pilot.

12/21/17

My Dear Mother

At last I have received some mail. One from Mrs. Kelly one from Raynor, the one that he mailed to Dayton and 4 from you. I tell you they made me feel 200% better. I think that I have read them over at least a dozen times.

Your first letter written 11/4/17 arrived 12/20/17. One mo. 16 da. You mention the last Sunday morning breakfast. I would certainly enjoy another such a one if I could drop in unexpectedly on Xmas morning. If you remember this will only be the 2 Xmas I have ever been away.

I hope that Emmett* and Mr. Slocomb got together again. There is a much better chance with an interest in a business than there is managing some other persons.

I am sorry to hear that the baby was sick and surely hope that she is well by now. She is at the age where she must be watched over very carefully. I suppose that when her Uncle Jack gets home again she will be quit grown up. She could talk the last time. She will be quit accomplished.

The supper that you had with Uncle Will and Aunt J^ and Raynor must have been very pleasant. I am sure that it lasted 2 hrs. I would liked to have been there. Willie was as full of fun as ever or has he gotten over it by now. Somehow I always enjoyed life more when Willie Raynor and I were together. I wonder if we will have any of those times over again. I am sorry that G-ma wasn't home when I left. If I had known that she would come I would have sent her word. Tell her to take good care of herself and she will be there when "Johnny comes marching home." I bought $10,000.00 insurance and sent a signed copy of the application to you which you have received by this time.

Your description of the US club is very interesting. There will be more than one poor sucker get homesick for such treatment when he gets over on this side especially the infantry men. They are the boys that have the nasty work.

I haven't receive either the sweater or the box. They will be along though. The mail is so heavy that they have to haul it from [censored - maybe Paris?] in trucks a distance of about [censored]. I hope that the fruit cake doesn't go astray as fruit cake are going to be mighty scarce over here. The tobacco and cigaretts are also needed very much. I have exactly 4 pcks of 20 cigaretts ea left of the store that I brought along.

My flying is coming along slowly. I will get it into my head some of these days. I am in the best of health. Outside of a little cold in my throat I have been O.K.

I will write to Issy Cath and G-ma in a day or two. Tell them to write often as my days are all crowed from daylight to dark. We have a lot to learn besides flying so we are rushed all the time.

If you see anything in the papers send it. We don't get very much news from the states. I would enjoy reading the register so you might mail one now and then or better still several together.

With love to all

Jack

J.T. Fairall

American Exp. Forces

% B.M.C.

Paris

France

*Emmett's full name is Emmett Mills Howard (b. 6 Apr 1890, d. unknown); he was the husband of John's sister, Bernice Fairall.
^Uncle Will is likely William Henry Kline, Jr., John's maternal uncle (b. 18 Aug 1880, d. unknown); Aunt J. was William's wife Virginia - possibly going by Jennie (maiden name presently unknown).

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The J.T. Fairall WWI Letters: (6) December 13, 1917

2011-03-19T14:50:00.000-04:00

One of the planes flown in WWI

In his sixth letter home to his mother, Jack covers two topics: flying and food.

For the past ten days, Jack and others have been training in "scout machines" which presumably were for reconnaissance missions. If someone wasn't fit for flying the scouts, they'd instead fly bombing machines. Jack shows an obvious preference for the faster scout machine, which is what he ended up flying throughout the war.

The dominant topic of his letter was about food, though! He eats well and there is a variety of hot food, though this shouldn't be a surprise since he wasn't that close to the war front yet. I personally take an interest in Jack's use of the words dinner and supper. Many people, like myself, use the two words interchangeably. But often in other cultures, dinner is a late afternoon meal while supper is a late evening meal. The latter perspective is how Jack views these meals. Also, he mentions Karo syrup which I've never heard of before, but their web site shows they have a wide presence in the U.S. today and have been around 1902.

On a side note, Jack may have written this letter in a hurry, due to some spelling mistakes and missing or repetitive words. That is generally not the norm for his letters. Perhaps training was taking up more of his time. He also was getting anxious to receive more mail from his family, as he wasn't really getting any letters at the time.

12/13/17

My Dear Mother

No mail but still have hopes. We have been here since 12/3 and have started our training for the scout machines which are the fastest machines. If we break a machine we will be sent to another field and put on a bombing machine which is much slower. Of course we don't care for this although there have been quite a number apply for these machines of their own accord.

This camp is much more comfortable than other that we have been to. We have very warm barrack heated by the large coal heater which do except when some fresh air friend opens the windows. Our food is very good. We had turkey one day since our arrival this doesn't happen often but every day it is good. For breakfast we have oatmeal with milk and sugar or molasses which goes very good try it some time. Don't put any milk on the oats but use a little Karo syrup. We always have bacon or some other meat and coffee along with this. For dinner we potatoes and tomatoes or beans also coffee and meat. I forgot mention that we quite frequently have hot biscuits or hot cakes for breakfast. Supper is usually about the same as dinner. From the above you can see that I am far from starvation. I am really in fine health. I haven't ever had a cold this winter, which is out of the ordinary.

The next time you write I wish you would tell me weather Raynor has ever sold the oboe and the amount so I can send the balance to him. I would like get that matter out of the way. Tell Peck* I would like to hear from him also.

For this time I am

Your affect. son

Jack

Address

John T. Fairall

American Exp. Forces

American Air Service

Via B M C

Paris

France.

*Peck is the nickname of Jack's younger brother Milton Lee Fairall.

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The J.T. Fairall WWI Letters: (5) December 1 & 4, 1917

2011-03-06T19:19:00.001-05:00

Tours, France - Jack is on the far left smoking a cigarette!

A month long journey from the States lands J.T. Fairall in Tours, France at the 2nd Aviation Instruction Center for the beginning of his military training with the French. In his fifth letter, Jack writes to his mother. The short but rough boat trip across the channel from England to France brought about seasickness for many; apparently, it was worse than the trek across the Atlantic.

Jack's initial impressions of the French are very positive. His thoughts on the available "rank" cigarettes are a different matter. But he seems so happy to be flying again. The 2nd Aviation Instruction Center is fairly new, and the airfield is still being completed. Jack and his fellow aviators are finally preparing for the war on the front.

Supplementing Jack's letter, check out this film clip found at Criticalpast.com showing some excellent footage of the aviation center in 1918.

France 12/1/17

Dear Mother

I have been on the go since my last letter at Southhampton. The worst part of the trip was that across the channel. I don't believe that there was a person on board that didn't get sick. I had to sleep standing in a corner to keep me from rolling around the floor. We came over on a small fast steamer that bobed around like a cork. We didn't see any submarines

[section of page missing]

the remains of the fire - Revolutionary times. The people of France are exceedingly polite and will often forget themselves out to help you. The other night we were having dinner in a cafe down town and one of our fellows took too much wine. He was making a fool of himself by trying to talk to every one in the place. He didn't know any French but was using one of the French-English phrase books. All of the Frenchmen were doing their best to help him but had he been in the U.S. he would surely have been arrested as a nuisance.

[section of page missing]

war isn't nearly over and the people of the U.S. will have to get that idea out of their heads and go at the proposition in a more business like manner. I think that our government will be a big factor in settling the matter but the people will have to do a lot more towards helping out in the matter, than they are doing at present.

12/4/17

I was interrupted the other day and I have been unable to write more until today.

I am now located at the training school and hope to get busy flying very shortly. This field like all of the rest is new and a little unsettled but the work is going on with good speed and will soon be as complete field as there is in the world. The flying is great. You can see the same tactics here that are used on the front.

I believe that I have caught up with all of the fellows that went ahead except Bob Kelly. He will turn up sooner or later they all do.

I am sending a carbon copy of my insurance. If I were you I would file it in case of any mixup. There is no telling. Of the 47 R.M.A.*, about 9 have gotten their commissions and the rest of us are waiting. If by any chance mine is sent home please forward at once. For I anticipate some little trouble from this mixup.

When you get this I wish that you would mail me some American cigarettes. The ones that we get here are rank. Be sure and pack them well.

Tell everyone to write but not to wait for an answer. The mail is very slow in finding us. I expect to be reading letters for a week when it does come in.

Goodby for this time.
Jack

* R.M.A. is an abbreviation for Reserve Military Aviator.

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The J.T. Fairall WWI Letters: (4) November 22, 1917

2011-03-03T23:34:00.001-05:00

Winchester Cathedral, a few miles
north of Southampton

In the fourth letter written by J.T. Fairall during WWI, Jack has finally made it back on land. Currently in Southampton (southern coast of England), he is taking in the scenery and the people of the United Kingdom. The British accent is a bit challenging for Jack to understand, particularly of those in Liverpool where he had just come from, and anyone from a Scottish or Irish descent.

Jack relates to his mother a comparison of prices of goods between the States and England. It gives the reader an idea of the currency exchange rate - in 1917, an American got a better deal in England; while in 2011, the opposite is generally true.

Jack seems relaxed, appreciating the holly trees and parks, as well as the local restaurants and cafes. He also believes he came across a familiar name to the family, a K.E. Rockey. None of Jack's letters confirms whether it was indeed the Keller Rockey he thought. Jack's letter (among several others to follow) is written on a YMCA paper, printed especially for the U.S. military. The YMCA played a major supporting role for the military during World War I.

11/22/191[7]*

Dear Mother

We are now in Southampton waiting to be sent across. We have quarters in an English rest camp just at the edge of town in what was evidently a park, a very pretty location. It is filled with trees, some of the prettiest holly trees I ever saw much prettier than the holly that we have at home.

This is a very small world. I don't believe I ever went anyplace that I didn't meet someone that I know. The first name that I saw when I landed in camp was Capt. K.E. Rockey on a headquarters door of the American marines. I inquired of some of the marines and I am sure that he is Keller Rockey that we know.

Southampton is a very pretty town. It is very neat and clean with several parks scattered around. The dwelling houses are very quaint. There are some that are set back in yards but most of them set on the sidewalks with no porches. The majority have [illegible - four words?].

The people here are much easier to understand than in Liverpool. The night before we left L[iverpool] we had leave several of us went sightseeing. We had dinner in a cafe and I left a cap. I was lucky when I remembered it. It was about 11 P.M. I just got back in time to the waitresses going home. The manageress a very pretty little woman opened up and got my cap. I talked with her for a while but surely had a time [illegible - three words?] for everyone here talks very fast especially the people of Scotch or Irish decent.

I have been very interested in the store windows. About 80% of the mndse here is much cheaper than at home shoes that we would pay $10.00 for sell at about $7.00 all other stuff is as cheap a suit of cloths that we would pay $35.00 for sells at $25.00. The people here cannot complain of the high cost of living.

As it is dinner time I will close as ever

Your affectionate son
Jack

address J.T. Fairall R.M.A.
Aviation Section Sig Corps
American Expeditionary Forces
via New York

* 19 is date stamped on the top of the page, but the year is not further specified. Based on the known timeline, the letter was likely written in 1917.

Envelope (back is blank)

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The J.T. Fairall WWI Letters: (3) November 18, 1917

2011-02-26T19:54:00.000-05:00

A photo of a typical plane that J.T. flew - after two weeks of
no flying, Jack was anxious to get back in the air.

With just a day left of his voyage across the ocean to Europe, J.T. Fairall writes his third of fifty-two letters during World War I.  He's getting impatient with the "monotony" of life on the sea, especially considering he recently had been actively flying every day while training for his responsibilities in the war. And two weeks of relative inactivity have resulted in Jack gaining some weight. So in addition to looking forward to flying again, he's also anxious to get back into shape.

You'll notice in this letter that a word or two has been erased possibly by a censor. You can see this in the scanned image of the first page of the letter far below.  It is not the first time something has been censored in Jack's letters. Since this letter was written in pencil, it would have been easy for either Jack or a censor to erase information that could be of use to the Germans.

Finally, on a side note, I aim to include a relevant photo with each of these letters. After the war, Jack put together a small photograph album of pictures he took.  I think these photos will add a layer of depth and interest to Jack's letters.

Jack's third letter:

11/18/17

Shipboard

Dear Mother,

We will be in port tomorrow, can see both Scotland and Ireland now. The trip has been very tiresome and only saw 2 ships and several schools of fish to break the monotony of seeing nothing but water. It has been nothing but eat sleep and rest. After flying every day for 2 or 3 mo., this inactivity is surely tiring. We had a stopover in Halifax but were not allowed to go ashore.

Yesterday our fleet was met by a fleet of [erased - censored?] Destroyers. They are very speedy and it helps some to watch them run around our scows*. For the last 2 days we have had to lug a life preserver around with us all the time even to our meals. The weather was a little rough mostly all the way over but none of the fellows got very sick. The salt air affected me as it always does. I have eaten so much that I am about to the butchering stage. It will take a good bit of work to get down to normal again.

Our orders read to France but we are liable to land in Egypt before we are settled. I sent a letter from Halifax. Hoping that this finds all well. I am

Your affectionate son Jack

Address J.T. Fairall R.M.A.

Aviation Section Signal Corps

American Expeditionary Force

Via New York

* A scow in the literal sense is a flat-bottomed boat with a blunt bow, similar to a barge. In this case, Jack was possibly making fun of the slowness of their ships compared to the speed of the Destroyers.

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The J.T. Fairall Letters: (2) November 17, 1917

2011-02-24T19:34:00.001-05:00

In J.T. Fairall's second of fifty-two letters written during World War I, he is two weeks into the trip across the Atlantic Ocean. He wrote this letter to his mother's brother Issy with an apology for not being able to meet up in New York before his ship went to sea. His ship recently stopped in Halifax of Nova Scotia. Interestingly, only a few days later on December 6, 1917, the largest explosion in world history at the time occurred at that same Halifax port, when two ships - one of them carrying munitions - had collided, resulting in more than 1,900 deaths. Thankfully, Jack was already in France by that time.

His letter reveals that there is a love for playing musical instruments in the family including the oboe and the cello. Jack also mentions his desire to get a Lorey - it's unclear what instrument or brand he is referring to here, though there is a well-known company called Lowrey that makes pianos and organs. In the photo below (taken after the war), Jack can be seen playing the violin while his wife Catherine plays the piano.

So here's Jack's second letter, in his own words:

Shipboard 11/17/17

Dear Issy*,

I am very sorry that I was unable to see you in New York. I received your telegram just about an hour before we fell in to go to the ship. I hope that you didn't come without my reply. I am also sorry that I missed you while in Balto. I would have phoned but didn't know your number nor your new address.

We stopped over at Halifax for a week but no one went ashore. You cannot realize how tiresome it is to stay on board with land so close especially when it looks as though you could get most anything with a good rifle and shot gun and a good partner. We will have to make the trip someday if nothing interferes.

The trip has been very uneventful, sighted two ships going opposite direction and a few odd fish. For the last two days every one has been required to carry a life preserver around with them even to their meals. I am continually leaving mine and having to trot back for it. "great dope" also good exercise. We surely haven't had very much of any other exercise. Every morning we get out for fifteen minutes calisthentics, rather strenuous 15 min., every time the ship rolls you take a dive for the railing. The mental exercise that we have is poker, blackjack, craps, chess, checkers, etc. The rest of the time is spent wearing out your shoes on the deck or your trousers on a deck chair. Some life!

We are now one or two days out and are surely glad that the trip is about over. Two weeks on board ship is just beyond the point of enjoyment, especially when there are 4 in a stateroom and no ventilation.

Have you been able to do anything with the oboe? Tell me in your next letter. If I can get one reasonable I am going to get a Lorey. It will be something to pass the time. Do you still want me to look out for a cello. If so let me know in your next letter. # For this time,

Jack

Address J.T. Fairall R.M.A.

Aviation Section Signal Corps

American Expeditionary Force

via New York

* Issy is short for Isadore Raynor Kline - Jack's maternal uncle.

Envelope (front)

Envelope (back)

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The J.T. Fairall WWI Letters: (1) November 5, 1917

2011-02-21T19:42:00.003-05:00

I'm grateful and honored that among my family history collection are fifty-two letters that my great-grandfather John "Jack" Tyler Fairall (b. 8 Apr 1892, d. 7 July 1972) wrote during World War I as a reconnaissance pilot in the 88th Aero Squadron. I'm pleased to share with you not only my transcriptions of the letters, but also the scanned digitized copies of the letters and envelopes. I have transcribed the letters word-for-word as they were written. I will also follow up each transcription with any additional insights or interpretations I can provide based upon my research.

Firstly, a bit of an introduction to Jack Fairall's first letter, which was written while aboard a ship heading across the Atlantic Ocean from the United States. He started out as a private rank in the Enlisted Reserve Corps on June 5, 1917. He then attended the School of Military Aeronautics in Columbus, Ohio at The Ohio State University on June 11. On the first of July, he was promoted to the rank of private first class. About a month later, he then trained at the Aviation School at Wilbur Wright Field of Ohio on August 6. Three months following that training on November 2, he was sent to Tours, France to begin his next steps of training at the 2nd Aviation Instruction Center.¹

So, we begin with his first letter as he journeys eastward upon the great Atlantic ocean:

Shipboard 11/5/17

Dear Mother*

I surely am glad for this opportunity of writing. We have had an excellent time very good food, and as quite a number of the fellows play the piano we have quite a bit of music especially after dinner. The weather has been cloudy and for the last day or two the water has been rather rough, so far all have made very good sailors. We are out of regular lanes of travel we have seen no ships. On the second day out we went through a school of porpoise. This has been the only happening to break the monotony of the water.

I received your letter saying that the sweater had been mailed but did not receive it before leaving it will be forwarded but there is no telling where it will catch up with us.

I am sorry that I was unable to see Raynor^ in New York and I surely hope that he didn't make the trip without hearing from me but I didn't receive his telegram until we were forming to leave and there was no possible chance to answer it there. I wish that you would call him up and explain as I will be unable to write to him at this time.

Tell Cousin Estelle to write and send her "piece." Tell every one to write but not to expect interesting letters as both the incoming and outgoing mail are censored and we are not allowed to say anything that could be of use to the Germans and as there is no telling when they might get their hands on our mail we must say nothing.

Goodnight

Jack

Aviation Section Signal Corps

American Expeditionary Force

Via New York, NY

P.S. I haven't received my commission yet. Please write to Mrs. Lamien and ask her to send it home if it comes. Then forward. J.

*John's mother's name was Anna E. Rentch (nee Kline, married to Milton Lee Fairall then a partner of John Elmer Rentch).

^Raynor is John's maternal uncle - Isador Raynor Kline.

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Source Citations

¹ "Maryland Military Men, 1917-18," database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/ : accessed 21 February 2011), entry for John Tyler Fairall.

The Day Before Armistice Day

2010-11-11T10:18:00.003-05:00

On this Veterans Day, I honor my great-grandfather J.T. Fairall.

On November 10, 1918, one day before Armistice Day, John Tyler Fairall, 1st Lieutenant, A.S.U.S.A. (Aviation Section, USA), a reconnaissance pilot and pilot instructor serving in France, wrote a letter to his mother.

Upon the front of the envelope:

In his writing:

November 10 1918

Dear Mother

I have just received my first mail at this post. Your letters of September 20th and 24th were in the lot. I suppose that by now every one knows that the German representatives are in France, and every one is waiting for the outcome of the conference. I surely hope that it will end so that I can get back. I am beginning to get tired of it all and will be glad to return to the U.S. There is quite a number here bemoaning the fact that they won’t get to the front. I can sympathise with them for it was an experience that I would not have missed for anything, but I am glad that it is all over but the shouting.

Paul Smith is evidently in the same fix as quite a lot more over there. It is new and having new experiences and is too busy to write. He is all right very likely.

I will write again in a day or so. This is all for this time.

As ever
Your loving son
Jack

J.T. Fairall 1st Lt. A.S.U.S.A.
St. Jean de Monts (Vender)
France

Thank you to all of our veterans serving us - past, present, and future.

Profiling Isaac Green Mask (1801-1877), Part I

2010-11-01T18:56:00.003-04:00

Multitudes of my ancestors deserve a well-formed writing in memory of their lives. A select few have left behind enough records, photographs, and/or property to an extent that I can dedicate a series of writings.

One such man, a fourth-great-grandfather of mine, is Isaac Green Mask. According to his grave marker in the Reformed Graveyard in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, Isaac was born on October 11, 1801 and died on December 24, 1877. Most federal census records confirm approximately his date of birth. A daughter's death certificate and his obituary place his birth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. An obituary in The Baltimore Sun backs up his date of death, additionally pointing out he died in a daughter's residence in Shepherdstown.

Isaac led a busy life, and he nearly lost his life as a political prisoner during the Civil War. A combination of letters that he and an acquaintance wrote (that are now in my possession), along with Department of State records, document his experiences during the war.

The first written record that I have found mentioning Isaac is an advertisement promising a $100 reward for Isaac's return. The ad, placed in The Baltimore Sun on April 8, 1818, shows that William Lusby, a Baltimore tailor, was looking for his missing apprentice boy:

The 1818 ad reads: "ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS REWARD. Ran away from the subscriber, living in Baltimore, on Sunday, the 5th instant, an apprentice boy to the Tailoring business, named ISAAC GREEN MASK, about five feet four or five inches high, between 16 and 17 years of age - he had on when he went away, an olive cloth coat, blue cassimere pantaloons, buff and cassimere vest - fair complexion, very light hair. All masters of vessels and others are forwarned employing, or harboring, or carrying off the said apprentice, as they will be dealt with agreeably to law. Whoever takes up the said apprentice and secures him in any jail so that I get him again, or give information to me, at No. 100 1/2 Market street, shall receive the above reward. WILLIAM LUSBY. The following papers will copy the above four times and forward their bills: - National Intelligencer, Alexandria Herald, Fredericktown Examiner, Hagerstown Gazette, Lancaster Journal, York Gazette, and Democratic Press, Philadelphia. april 7 - dit."

The above ad gives me the best physical description of Isaac of any records I've found. You can visualize what he looked like and what he was wearing in his adolescent youth. As an apprentice boy, he was probably contracted as an indentured servant to Mr. Lusby. He must have been suspected of having the ability or connections to make his runaway trip to a variety of locations. The $100 reward in 1818 would be the equivalent of $1,740 in 2009 (see MeasuringWorth inflation calculator). Quite a reward! By the way, the word "cassimere" is a variant of cashmere. A well-dressed tailoring apprentice!

While I don't know if Isaac was returned to Mr. Lusby, Isaac did follow the tailoring trade throughout his adult life. He also maintained his rebellious streak. More to come...

Memory Mondays: Living on the Farm

2010-09-27T19:07:00.003-04:00

2007 Photo: Just outside Warsaw, NY in the fall

I recently received my long form birth certificate in the mail. Aside from my slight disappointment in finding nothing surprising or new in the form (what did I expect?), which is actually a very good thing - the record starts out as a good segue into Memory Monday, a weekly blog post where I aim to bring up memories of my own or of a family member. Today, I thought I'd go with a few bits of childhood memories of living on the farm.

Up until I was five years old, my parents, my older brother, and I lived in Wyoming County of western New York. For the first year of my life, that was in a small house in the village of Warsaw. After that, we moved to a farm on Dillon Road just a few miles northeast in Pavilion, NY.

My older brother and me (I look cranky) on the farm

On the farm, we had a little house on the edge of the road, with several acres of land.  We had some crops - my dad had a tractor he'd use to plow the land. We had a barn with a silo next to it, lined with a fence. Within the borders of the fence, we had several bulls and cows that were notorious for jumping the fence and getting loose. My parents would then have to head out and round up the cattle.  Once one of the calves must have been feeling ill, and I vividly recall the calf was sitting in the house with some hay strewn about. How many folks can say they had a cow living in their house?   My mom gave them some creatively morbid names such as Hamburger Patty, Big Mac, Angus (Gus), and Sir Loin. They were ultimately sold for meat, poor things.

In the barn (no longer standing, sadly), we had some chickens.  There was a bottom level of the barn, but there was a ladder that led up to the top level. I remember at some point in time, I was up at the top of the barn with my brother. The radio was on, specifically playing the song "Flashdance" by Irene Cara (check out the official music video on YouTube!). It's funny how songs can stick with your memories so intensely. My brother would take pleasure in jumping off the top level of the barn onto a big stack of hay outside.

We also had some pigs on the farm, and I must say, I have a lingering mild dislike of pigs. I had a little plastic pool filled with water, and at one time, the pigs decided to use the pool for some unsanitary business. I couldn't use the pool anymore, thus a part of my childhood was somewhat ruined... by pigs.  Perhaps their escapades have influenced my love for BBQ pulled pork. Bacon tastes pretty good, too. Enough of that disturbing rant.

2007 Photo: Of the farm where we lived from 1980-1984

Onto a more pleasant thought, my dad would sometimes take the tractor into town. There was a frequently occurring auction in town, and I suspect my parents got some good stuff at those auctions. I remember sitting in my dad's lap taking one of those tractor trips down the hill into Pavilion. It's a simple but happy memory!

The farm holds plenty of good memories for me.

Memory Mondays: Pepa

2010-09-20T22:55:00.001-04:00

Memory Mondays: A tradition I intend to solidify on my genealogy blog. Every Monday, I will post a memory either of my own or of a family member. I begin Memory Mondays out of thankfulness for my paternal grandfather's efforts in researching the Goodhart family history and thus the inspiration he effected for my own interest in genealogy and family history research.

The following is the eulogy I wrote and delivered at my grandfather's memorial service on Friday, December 11, 2009. I wrote this eulogy just a few hours before the service. I have made just a couple small changes, such as a date of genealogical significance, to reflect historical accuracy.

A Eulogy in Loving Memory of Frederick Wilson Goodhart

For the last thirty years, my grandfather has brought many treasured memories into my life. Many of my memories include both my grandfather and my grandmother, so it is easiest to share many of my thoughts today to include both of them.

We all tend to have certain nicknames bestowed upon us by different people in our lives without our asking, and at a young age when my older brother was a toddler and was attaching names to the grandparents, it started with my grandmother - Mema, which is a traditional grandmother name in the Goodhart family. But in my brother's toddler logic, he took the word "Mema" and gave my grandfather the name "Pepa." When I came into the world, I continued my brother's naming choices. "Pepa" is an unusual name for a grandfather, but that was my brother's and my gift for him, even if Pepa didn't ask for it.

I recall many wonderful get-togethers over the holidays for Thanksgiving and Christmas at the Goodhart household at 224 South Main Street in North Wales, Pennsylvania, with Pepa at the head of the dinner table and Mema on the other side. It was always nice when the family got together for our holiday dinners. And the lively discussions and debates that we had over dinner certainly initiated some excitement, though meaningful, for various family members. But these entertaining dinners are memories for which I am entirely grateful. I recall after one particular family debate, when I first voiced my own opinions on the topic of the night, Pepa sat me down afterward and told me that he was proud of me for standing up for my thoughts, and that we live in a world where standing up for our beliefs is an exceptionally important trait to have.

I remember warm sunny vacation days at the condo in Ocean City, Maryland with Mema, Pepa, and my family. The taste and aroma of crab meat still lingers in my senses today. Eating crab was a Goodhart tradition, so I was informed, from when Pepa and my dad and uncle lived in Baltimore. I miss Ocean City.

I am thankful that Pepa and Mema helped to pay for my way through private school at Norfolk Collegiate and college at Radford University, and I was so happy to be gifted with their presence at both my high school and college graduations. Without Pepa's and Mema's assistance, I would not be where I am today in life.

One particular memory I have of Pepa is when I was about fifteen years old. Pepa brought me up to his office and showed me printed pages several inches thick, full of thousands of names. Pepa researched the Goodhart family history to such depth and detail, and this was the first time that he opened this magical world for me. Pepa showed me all of these names of Goodharts - people's husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, sons, daughters, cousins - all truly numbering well over 1500 names that Pepa lifted off of pages that he copied down in courthouses and family research centers around the state for the last few decades. And these names he himself brought forth into a pattern of the Goodhart family history. Pepa traced the Goodhart family history all the way back to Germany in the late 1600's. The first Goodhart to step foot on American soil was Heinrich Guthard in 1737 in the city of Philadelphia. Our ancestry moved forward in time through the hills of Berks, Lancaster, and Lackawanna counties. Farmers most of them were. You see, Pepa planted a seed that day when I was fifteen. A great passion - just three years ago, I chose to follow in Pepa's footsteps, to be not only the keeper but also the continual discoverer of our ancestry. But not just the Goodhart ancestry, but also along all trees and branches of Mema's as well as my mother's side of the family. I feel this is the greatest gift my grandfather gave to me. In 2006, Pepa gave me access to the names, dates, places of birth, marriage, and yes, death - but most importantly, memories. The memories of those 1500+ people will continue to live on.

There is a general concept about family history that goes like this: if your parents didn't meet up the way that they did and conceive you into the world; if each of your parents' parents did not come across each other perhaps one day spontaneously for the first time on a city street; if your parents' parents' parents didn't choose to board a ship across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States - and so on and so on, you would not exist or at least not as you are. And so I look at my family history, and I am thankful for every single ancestor - every single person. But today, I am most grateful for my grandfather, Frederick Wilson Goodhart. His legacy lives on in all of us, and will continue to do so for all of time. Pepa, thank you for everything that you have given to me. I love you, and I will always miss you.

Green, Natural Burials

2010-09-14T16:39:00.001-04:00

Planning for one's burial or a family member's burial isn't the most upbeat thought. But in my opinion, considering it in advance rather than waiting until death seems to be the smart thing to do, logistically and financially. I pondered whether to post about this topic on my personal blog or my genealogy blog, and I chose to go with the latter. After all, the location of an ancestor's burial site is one we usually tend to research as genealogists. We strive to visit an ancestor's grave and/or obtain vital information from a tombstone.

I recently had a brief conversation with my family about what we'd want done with our bodies when we die. How morbid, right? I think exploring the topic is somewhat fascinating. This type of discussion doesn't come up often, but again, I think it's important. People usually consider two options (or a combination of the two): a) traditional burial in a cemetery plot or b) cremation. What many people don't know is there's a third option: natural burial.

What is natural burial? The Centre for Natural Burial defines it as "an environmentally sustainable alternative to existing funeral practices where the body is returned to the earth to decompose naturally and be recycled into new life." Typically, one's body is: a) not embalmed, and as a consequence, buried rather quickly after death, and b) buried in some form of biodegradable material. It's not a new method historically, although as far as I know it's not common to most western European cultures.

I originally heard about the concept of natural burial from the HBO TV series Six Feet Under (in which the main character, Nate, is buried this way). Additionally, there's a great book entitled Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (it's referenced in Six Feet Under, as well). I highly recommend both - they are a bit morbid but very entertaining! I soon plan to read Grave Matters by Mark Harris.

Photo from Cedar Brook Burial Ground web site

There are only about thirteen places in the United States where one can be naturally buried, though more are in the works. The only natural burial ground in New England is the Cedar Brook Burial Ground in Limington, Maine (just west of Portland). A green cemetery, as it is often called, must be created in agreement with a private land-owner. Grave markers are sometimes permitted, but only if they lie flat against the landscape and the stone is natural to the area (which means you'd still be able to visit a family member/ancestor there and/or retrieve vital information). Sometimes a tree is planted at the burial site as a memorial. A natural burial is much cheaper than a traditional burial or even cremation. It's also more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

From my personal perspective, a natural burial is a beautiful and spiritual connection with the earth. Your body acts like a fertilizer, returning nutrients to the surrounding landscape, and while it wouldn't be a pretty sight to see the decomposition process, it certainly seems better than lying in a somewhat impermeable coffin (that would be an even worse sight over time). I wouldn't want to embalmed - nor would I want an open casket as that's not the last memory I want people to have of me! - and while I often thought I'd want to be cremated, a natural burial seems to be, well, the most natural and "green" way to go.

Here are a couple informative web sites on natural burials:

The Centre for Natural Burial - http://www.naturalburial.coop/

Green Burial Council - http://www.greenburialcouncil.org/

So, what are your thoughts on natural burial? Would you consider it?

A Quick Note - "One Record a Month"

2010-09-04T20:40:00.000-04:00

It has been quite a while since I last posted, and this one will be brief! Work and life have been very busy over the last month, so I haven't had any time to devote to genealogy. But things will begin calming down now, and posting a blog note is a good way to get back into things.

It's been about a year (possibly more) since I last sent out for any documents related to my (or any) family history. Before that, I'd often send out for documents in large bunches and spend loads of money at once. For the sake of my budget, but also to keep a steady and manageable research plan, I plan on requesting one document every month related to one of my family members. No more, no less. Considering I have many, many years ahead of me (hopefully) to continue my research, there really isn't a hurry!

So the first record I'm requesting should probably have been the first record I ever requested when I started my research in 2006. I'm forking out some dough to get the long form version of my birth certificate. N.Y. State's processing fees are not cheap. Presently I do have an abbreviated certificate that just lists my name, date and place of birth, and parents. While I highly doubt I will find any new information in my long form birth certificate, I think it's good practice to have the most detailed available primary source that begins my genealogy.

Frederick Guthard: His Last Will and Testament (1791)

2010-06-23T11:18:00.011-04:00

Frederick Guthard, probably as a young child, immigrated to the New World at the port of Philadelphia with his father Heinrich Guthard on August 30, 1737 from what we now know as Germany. The ship "Samuel" had brought them to their destination after a several months long journey from Germany to Rotterdam (of the Netherlands) and across the Atlantic Ocean. He settled in Pennsylvania. In 1790, he lived in the township of Exeter, population 893, comparable to most of the towns in Berks County at that time. This was rural farm country.

On Friday, May 6, 1791, Frederick and those close to him knew he didn't have much longer to live. His family helped draw up his last will and testament, and Frederick scrawled his signature on the piece of paper confirming his wishes for the distribution of his real estate and personal property. Within two days of that last stroke of the pen in his hand, he had departed this world and his body was buried near Schwarzwald Reformed Church in Exeter, PA. The church shared the name "Schwarzwald," the Black Forest of southwestern Germany, not far from Frederick's homeland.

217 years after Frederick Guthard's death, and about 100 miles southeast of his place of burial, one of his 6th great grandsons (yours truly) held Frederick's will in his hands. The yellowed and faded loose papers were neatly organized in a manilla folder in the files of the Register of Wills office in the Berks County Courthouse in Reading, Pennsylvania. I made photocopies, and in June 2010, I finally took a good look at my ancestor's estate record and transcribed it into a PDF document which you can easily view.

Take a look for yourself at the exquisite handwriting of the will in the image below (you can right-click on the image and open it in a new window to read it).

Frederick's will indicates he was survived by his wife Maria Catherina; six sons - John, Henry, William, Jacob, Frederick, and Peter; and two daughters, Catherina (widow of Isaac Wagner) and Magdelina (widow of Elias Wagner). The name "Frederick" has been very common along my Goodhart family line. Beginning with this Frederick Guthard of 1791, seven of my eight paternal ancestors have "Frederick" either as a first or middle name. Frederick means "peaceful ruler" in Old German.

Frederick was most likely a farmer, judging from the inventory of items listed in his will. Even if he had another primary occupation, the quantity of livestock and crops indicate he was able to live off the land he owned. For livestock, he had two cows, an old horse, six old sheep, three lambs, 6 "hoggs," five pigs (hogs are older and heavier than pigs), and "a half share of 4 hives of Bees." His crops consisted of wheat, rye, clover, indian corn, and flax. A "winowing fann" would have been used to remove the inedible parts of the grain crops. With a "flax brake," a "cloath press," and a spinning wheel, he (or other family members) were able to make linen bags, clothes, sheets, and various cloths, using the flax available on the land - or wool from his sheep. He was also part owner of an apple mill. Considering he had a grind stone, a crosscut saw, and an axe and hammer, he could have cut down trees on his land for firewood or to make furniture (or even his home).

Clothing was made of various materials - linen, flax, leather, felt, and even velvet. The family certainly could have produced the first four materials, but I'm unsure if they could have made the velvet "jacket" and "breeches." Velvet was probably not easy to make or come by.

He must have had an adequate kitchen (where his wife or daughters most likely worked considering the time period). He had a ten plate stove for cooking, along with kettles and pots. There was plenty of pewter kitchenware - more than a dozen plates, two dishes, two "basons" (basins - possibly used for keeping things cold), thirteen spoons, and a quart (for holding or serving drinks?). There was enough dining ware to serve the entire family and some guests.

He had a 30 hour clock, so they could keep track of the time.

Religion played a role in Frederick's life, as can be inferred from the place of his burial and the Christian references in the first paragraph of his will. He also owned a book of the new and old testament, as well as a "Folio German Bible." Oh, how I wish I could find that particular bible! Perhaps someone in another line of the family now possesses it.

I am fascinated with the knowledge that Frederick had a collection of various coins and currencies. I wonder where he got these - traveling? Did he hold onto these when he left Europe to come to Pennsylvania? Or were they passed down from his mother or father? In his possession were seven half Johannes coins (from Portugal), four Guineas (from England), eighteen French crowns, and 21 Spanish dollars. Since they assessed the value of all of Frederick's items, one can also get a sense of how much each of these currencies were worth in 1791 in Pennsylvania.

Frederick apparently had slaves according to his will, though they were not counted in the 1790 census. The slaves were considered one of the family debts in the inventory. Much of the money from the sale of Frederick's property was disbursed to neighbors. The reasons for this disbursement are not made known - maybe they were payments for services or products, before and after Frederick's death.

Frederick's wife Maria Catherina was given a third of the share of his personal property, and according to Frederick's will, she initially was to be given one third of the purchase money from the sale of his real estate. However, Maria Catherina later affirms (with her mark - meaning she was unable to write) that she was instead intended to receive one third of the interest made from his real estate. Was this a genuine mistake in the original will? Probably. Though it is interesting to think about the family discussion regarding this matter.

All told, the entirety of the financial matters seems to have been settled on or around June 17, 1792, more than a year following Frederick's death.

This was a learning experience for me in analyzing Frederick's estate record. Certainly, my research was not by any means exhaustive. Additionally, there is more I can do in looking at Frederick's entire life. Apparently, there are deeds and church records out there according to others' research, though I did not mention them here because I want to see them for myself before referring to them. It is amazing how different the terminology was compared to the present day. Many of the items listed in the inventory were completely unknown to me. Thank goodness for Google and Wikipedia.

Feel free to comment if you notice any errors - or if you have an observation or just want to appreciate the material!

What I'm Presently Working On

2010-06-20T21:24:00.005-04:00

Just a quick update on what I'm working on with genealogy right now. A couple of years ago, I made photocopies of the last will and testament of my 6th great grandfather Frederick Guthard at the Register of Wills office in Reading, Pennsylvania. Last night, I finally got around to transcribing it - and wow, it's definitely fascinating to read the inventory of appraised items he left behind back in 1791 when he passed away. If you're curious to read the PDF file I created of the transcription, you can do so here: Last Will and Testament of Frederick Guthard. Within the next couple of days, I plan on posting some of my thoughts and analysis of what I found.

Also, one thing I like to do is volunteer for FreeBMD - an online project to transcribe the Civil Registration index of births, marriages, and deaths for England and Wales. Once a month, I transcribe an index page for the site. It takes a couple of hours to do, but I feel like it's worth my time. It was through FreeBMD that I found indexes to records of my own ancestors. From those indexes, you can order birth, marriage, or death records from the General Register Office. If you're interested in volunteering to transcribe the indexes - or if you're looking for your ancestors' records, you can do so by going to the FreeBMD website.

A 1907-1909 College Transcript

2010-06-12T14:49:00.001-04:00

While academic records may not provide much in vital or relationship details, they can be useful in enriching knowledge of an individual's life background. College records can be especially rewarding since they can shed light on a person's educational or career goals. It is not difficult to obtain a copy of an academic transcript/record from a college or university, particularly if a significant amount of time has passed since the person was alive.

In my particular case, my paternal grandmother informed me that her father, John Tyler Fairall (b. 1892, d. 1972), had attended Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, West Virginia at some point in the early 1900s. His obituary also stated the same [see photo on right, he was 20 years old here - not too long after attending Shepherd College].

By calling the registrar's office of what is now Shepherd University, I was able to request his academic transcript with the estimated time frame of his attendance. I was required to provide documentation to support that I was related to J.T. Fairall, which again was not very difficult. The registrar searched through their old records (she also expressed how interesting it was to go through their archives since people typically don't request older records), and about a month later, at very little financial cost, I was delighted to receive a copy of his academic record, which you can see here. I took the liberty of electronically stitching together the sections of his record since it was photocopied on two different pages.

Academic Transcript for John Tyler Fairall
(You can right click the image and open in a new tab/window for a full view)

Source Citation: Academic Transcript for John Tyler Fairall, 1907 - 1909; Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, West Virginia; supplied 26 March 2007 to author; author's files.

The transcript shows his "date of entry" of Sep. 1907 into the college, at the young age of 15. No record was found of his graduation. J.T. Fairall was enrolled in the Cadet Corps, presumably with the understanding that he would be commissioned into the U.S. Army as an officer (he would later become a reconnaissance pilot during World War I in France with the rank of Lieutenant).

The parent's name is provided on the transcript, Mrs. A.E. Fairall (his mother, Anna Eliza).

He received credit for a few classes based on his prior education with "Grade 2 school and free school certificates." Though more classes are offered today in colleges, J.T. did have options from which to choose. He was a decent speller, according to his grades in "Orthography," a term for the study of spelling. In the study of languages, he mostly learned Latin though he took a bit of German, too. Latin wasn't his strong suit, though. Overall, he seemed to do well in classes but many of the examinations stumped him (perhaps an anxious test taker?). He had previous credit for penmanship - you certainly don't see penmanship as a college-level course anymore! At the far-right end of the transcript, there is a section called "Deportment," which I believe relates to his manners/behavior. He must have presented himself well and paid attention in class!

As you can see, his transcript showed clues of the directions toward which he was heading. What it doesn't show is whether he lived on the college campus or commuted. It is possible he made a short trek to the college as he had family living in Shepherdstown at the time.

According to an scanned pamphlet from June 1909 (http://www.shepherd.edu/libweb/about/exhibits/commencement/pdf%5Cseniorprophecy_picket_june1909.pdf), Shepherd College was a State Normal School - a teacher's college at the time. Tuition was free to residents of West Virginia - a far cry from the costs of a college education today!

Moving to Blogspot

2010-06-06T18:14:00.001-04:00

Just a quick note to say I've decided to move my blog to blogspot.com as this site is much faster. I also want to save space on my domain server for all of the images and documents.

I've also changed my blog title to "Take a Goodhart Look through Genealogy." I think it's catchy, don't you? :)

An Overdue Update!

2010-05-22T22:01:00.000-04:00

It has been so long since I last posted on my blog. I thought about what I would write and then I'd procrastinate - so I'm finally getting on here to try out a little free-writing. Where to begin?

Between January and April 2010, I am proud to say that I participated in Boston University's Certificate in Genealogical Research program. BU is just a 45 minute drive away, and I figured since I'm so close to the premier genealogical research program in the country, and since I have such a passion for genealogy, it made complete sense to pay out the big bucks and take the course. I believe it was completely worth the cost and the time. The course spans 14 weeks every Saturday from 9am-5pm broken up into five modules, so many weekends were sacrificed - no vacations away, etc. The course is taught by well-known and reputable individuals across the U.S. The class size is small, and I have particularly appreciated the opportunity to work closely with other dedicated genealogy researchers. To meet and get to know such wonderful individuals has made the experience in the program that much richer. The knowledge and skills that I have gained through the program will help me tremendously. I'm also looking forward to June 14th when we have our recognition ceremony and receive our certificates!

In very sad news, my "Pepa" (paternal grandfather) - Frederick Wilson Goodhart, Jr. - passed away on December 8, 2009 in Gwynedd, Pennsylvania. He lived to be 91 years old. I spoke at his service about his impact on my life in terms of family history and genealogy. I'm glad that I was able to publicly thank him for his work, and I'm equally grateful that he agreed to pass along his research to me. He is certainly an inspiration.

Regarding the Goodhart family website, you may have noticed that surname and name indexes have been taken down. One thing I have learned recently is the importance of proper source citation and verifying research. I am ever thankful for the research that "Pepa" tirelessly worked on for over thirty years during his life. However, he didn't cite anything, so I don't know where much of his findings came from. Though I have little doubt most of his research is accurate, there are bound to be some inaccuracies. I want every thing published on the website to meet what's called the Genealogical Proof Standard. The family tree that I posted to Ancestry.com and Rootsweb have also been taken down or set for private viewing only. As I re-do the research, I plan on gradually publishing information.

In the mean time, you'll still be able to read documents that I have found, glance over various photographs, or of course - read this blog! I promise to be more diligent with updating my genealogical adventures and findings here!

NERGC and Footnote.com

2009-04-26T15:36:00.000-04:00

I just got back from my very first genealogical conference - the New England Regional Genealogical Conference - in Manchester, New Hampshire. I learned so much from the presenters at the various sessions, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting two of my cousins from the Northeimer line.

One particular resource that I never knew about before is the web site, Footnote.com. I just subscribed to it and discovered so many fantastic records. Today, I have been amazed by two things:

1) The Navy Widows' Pension Applications, for which I found a 57-page packet of information on my 2nd-great-grandfather, Henry A. Goodhart, who served during the Spanish-American War. I now know that Henry was divorced by his wife Agnes before the war, and I also had a difficult time taking my eyes away from an autopsy report of his death. I now know the truth of his death: a problem with his heart due to some encounter while based on the Philippine Islands, possibly malaria or some other disease?

2) Gorrell's History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917-1919. In this book/manuscript, I am presently reading about the 88th Aero Squadron, in which my great-grandfather John Tyler Fairall (from whom I got my middle name) was a pilot. The manuscript has such rich detail on the history of the squadron, including thoughts and feelings of members of the squadron. There are even a few pictures included where I recognize John Fairall. Additionally, there is a photograph in the manuscript which matches a photograph in an album John Fairall created and was unmarked in that album. Now I know what that photograph showed: the grave markers of John Fairall's comrades, Lieutenants McClendon, Plummer, and Burns, who were killed in action. John Fairall makes reference of this sad occasion in one of his letters dated August 12, 1918 to his mother: "I lost three of my very best friends yesterday and one shot up very badly. All of them very fine chaps that I have met from time to time since I have been over."

Military history can be so incredibly interesting based on its stories of glory. Clearly, based on these two resources that I have found, my ancestors Henry Goodhart and John Fairall can "speak" to the darker side to war.