Bristol man’s article shows how to prove ancestors

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Prove everything, and prove it twice. Use only original source records, nothing that’s been copied over or compiled.

That’s what we’d like to do with all of our ancestors – or should hope to, at least. The truth is that we often have to make do with something less than primary records. But how?

Paul M. Aldrich of Bristol helps us out on that score with a very fine article, “The Joys of Good Deeds: Using Circumstantial Evidence to Prove the Parents of Eliza H. Joy of Clinton and Orono, Maine,” in the November 2003 issue of The Maine Genealogist, the quarterly publication of the Maine Genealogical Society.

Aldrich’s research included analyzing census records of Joy families from 1800 to 1840. Because only the heads of household were listed in those censuses, it can be tricky to figure out whether known family members fit into the age categories that are used to enumerate everyone else in the household.

He also did much work on identifying the siblings of Eliza H. Joy – Samuel H., Hiram, Clarinda and William and used probate records and land transactions – primary records – to help prove relationships.

Other features of the issue include “The Houston/Huston Families of Falmouth, Maine,” by Kathleen Canney Barber and Janet Ireland Delorey; and Nancy C. Battick’s “A Tale of Two Freemans: Two Cousins of Cape Cod and the Province of Maine.” The two were both named Freeman Knowles – one from Hampden and one from Addison.

In addition, there are more entries from “Kittery, Maine, Second Parish Baptisms 1721-1831,” from a typescript by Dr. John Eldridge Frost.

You may remember that a couple of weeks ago we mentioned the “service pages” of the Bangor Daily News, days when the newspaper honored the servicemen and women of World War II from a particular town. Here is the list we have so far – some dates submitted by readers, some I looked up. Could you add to our list? Let me know.

. Danforth, Dec. 1, 1942.

. Madawaska and environs, May 4, 1943.

. Hampden, May 11, 1943.

. Howland, Enfield, May 18, 1943.

. Corinna, May 25, 1943.

. Orono, May 31, 1943.

. Stockholm, June 8, 1943.

. Island Falls, June 15, 1943.

. Stockton Springs, June 17, 1943.

. Winn, Chester, Woodville, June 22, 1943.

. Harrington, June 24, 1943.

. Woodland (Baileyville), June 29, 1943.

. Dennsyville, July 6, 1943.

. Guilford, July 13, 1943.

. Greenville, July 20, 1943.

. Dover-Foxcroft, July 27, 1943.

. Abbot, Nov. 22, 1943.

. Pittsfield, Nov. 25, 1943.

. Etna, Dec. 30, 1943.

. Sangerville, Jan. 3, 1944.

. Monson, May 26, 1944.

In addition to these towns, we know that there were war pages for Bridgewater and for Patten, we just don’t know the dates.

Leland McClarie of Hermon brought in a wartime scrapbook kept by his mother, Laura Stubbs McClarie of Crystal, and it contained pages for those towns as well as for Island Falls and Crystal.

In referring to Abbot’s town page, I mistakenly credited the Abbot Historical Society for compiling the pictures of the six Carr brothers for a military exhibit. In fact, it was youngest Carr son, Merton, who put together the display, which included photos of his brothers, Dana, Richard, Clifton Jr., Phillip and Alton.

Here’s a good question: Is the list I’ve compiled of town pages during the war years a primary or secondary resource? It’s secondary because it was compiled from another secondary source, the newspaper. It is a list of dates that have been “copied over” from the newspaper.

3248. IRELAND-TOBIN-RICHARDS. Looking for information on Sullivan B. Ireland, b. about 1817, d. 1833. He married 1) Adah Tobin, 1842, in Byron; 2) Mary Richards, 1880, in Aroostook County. All three buried Riverside Cemetery, Washburn. Have found eight children born to Sullivan and Adah. Are there more? One child, my grandfather, was born to Sullivan and Mary. Janet Ireland Thibodeau, PO Box 463, Washburn, ME 04786; or e-mail thibodea@nci3.net.

3249. McLAUGHLIN-ALLEN. Looking to hear from anyone who knew my father, Bert George McLaughlin, born April 1906, Bangor. Md. 1) Florence G. Allen, was in Army in Atlanta, 1944. Think he is buried in Brewer. Odessa McLaughlin Smith, 1014 Sugar Springs Drive, Marietta, GA 30008-3524; odessas3@bellsouth.net.

Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or send e-mail to familyti@bangordailynews.net.