morris area genealogy society newsletter · membership dues for 2015-2016 individual - $15.00...

Morris Area Genealogy Society - 1 - Vol 28 No 3, September 2015

Morris Area Genealogy Society Newsletter

Vol 28 No 3 September 2015

RECENT PROGRAM

June 2: Carolyn Dorsey presented Preserving Heirlooms and Old Photos. She told us, “Treasures matter as they tell us about our family.” The items that

have sentimental value to us are our family treasures. They include letters, photographs, jewelry, books, etc.

Ms. Dorsey brought several of her prized family possessions. During the presentation she told us about each item as she shared her expertise in preserving them. She provided a Family Archives Storage Checklist. It should be included with your genealogy will.

Carolyn told us to think of how we want our treasures to be organized. Then it is important to identify the people in the photos and the date and location. You can write up the family information about the handmade quilt and put it with the item and also with your inventory.

You have two decisions to make about what enclosures to put them in and what environment they should be in. Never store archives in an attic or basement. They needed to be in a room where the temperature and humidity are stable.

To display documents or pictures, use copies and store the original. Use Mylar sleeves or acid free paper to store photographs and documents.

A two page handout with recommended sources for information on conservation and preservation and a list of vendors selling preservation paper, folders, boxes and polyester sleeves was provided by Ms. Dorsey.

Also she compared items that were not preserved properly to those stored correctly. Carolyn recommended going online to see how to clean/store specialty items. There was a discussion on when and where to get photographs professionally restored.

Morris Area Genealogy Society website: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~njmags/

In This Issue MAGS Recent Programs ..................... Adelaide Johnson Howell .............................. 2 Bible Records: Pollard ................................... 3 New Acquisitions at NJHGC ......................... 7 Parsippany Historic Home ........................... 10 The Pathways of History .............................. 11 Local Spotlight Rockaway Borough ........... 12 MAGS News ................................................ 13 Other Societies. ............................................ 14 Fall Ideas. ..................................................... 15 MAGS Upcoming Programs. ...................... 16


Morris Area Genealogy Society P.O. Box 105

Convent Station, NJ 07961-0105

Officers President ............................................................................... Susan Kehr Vice President/Program Chair ........................................... Susan Simon Treasurer .............................................................................. Mary Keane Recording Secretary ............................................................. Ellen Lanza Corresponding Secretary ...................................................... Nancy Lack Trustee (15-17) ............................................................. Marianne Totaro Trustee (14-16) .................................................................... Roy Lindsey Trustee (past president) ..................................................... Susan Simon President Emeritus ........................................................ Linnea B. Foster

Committee Heads Historian ............................................................................... Roy Lindsey Hospitality .......................................................................... Gini Anderson Indexing ......................................................................... Linnea B. Foster Library Liaison ....................................................................... Claire Kissil Membership ...................................................................... Linda Mathew Name Badges ............................................................. Linda Heinzerling Newsletter Editor ......................................................... Mary-Jo Solomon Publicity ......................................................................... Bonnie Mangold Research Coordinator ................................................... Linnea B. Foster Webmaster ............................................................................ Susan Kehr

Membership Dues for 2015-2016 Individual - $15.00 Family - $20.00

Institution (Newsletter only) - $10.00

Meetings Meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of the month September through May at the Morris County Library, 30 East Hanover Ave, Whippany, New Jersey. Refreshments are served at 6:30 pm; meeting begins at 7:00 pm. Usually a brief business meeting is held first, followed by the evening’s special program.

Newsletter The Newsletter is published four times a year: March, June, September and December. Back issues are available at $3.50 each or free if you download them from our MAGS members website. Members are welcome to submit ideas or articles for the Newsletter. Deadlines for articles for each issue are as follows: Issue Deadline March ..................................................................................... January 25 June ............................................................................................. April 25 September ................................................................................... July 25 December .............................................................................. October 25 e-mail: [email protected] ISSN 10594502 Photos in this issue by RuDan

Genealogy Contributions Keep on Giving!

by Mary-Jo Solomon

Almost all of the MAGS Newsletters since its inception in March 1988 have included the name of Adelaide J. Howell. Why is Adelaide in almost every issue? By Googling, “Adelaide J. Howell”, much information about Adelaide Johnson Howell (1871 – 1955) was found. Born in Littleton, New Jersey, she graduated from college in 1898 and was a Latin teacher at the Vail – Deanne School for Girls in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Adelaide was descended from the Revolutionary War soldier, John Pollard, and from Mahlon Johnson. Interested in history and genealogy, Adelaide compiled the Bible records of one hundred thirty seven Morris Area families into three volumes. In 1931 along with relatives she compiled and edited records of the ancestors and descendants of the Mahlon Johnson Family of Littleton, New Jersey. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/005770460 Adelaide Johnson Howell wrote two Pollard family books in the 1930s– “John Pollard of Parsippany, Morris County, NJ a soldier of the American Revolution” – compiled by his great-great-grand daughter Adelaide Johnson Howell and “Augusta Pollard and her kin” – told by her daughter, Adelaide Johnson Howell. The Adelaide Johnson Howell Bible Records and both of her Pollard books are at the North Jersey History and Genealogy Center at The Morristown-Morris Township Library.


BIBLE RECORDS

In 1968, the family of Adelaide J. Howell presented three volumes of Bible Records to the Local History and Genealogy Department of the Morristown-Morris Township Library. These are records that she had copied and collected over many years. A surname index was published in Vol. 1 No. 2 and 3 (June and September 1988) of the Newsletter.

Pollard Family Bibles

The Family Bible of John Pollard, Revolutionary soldier, containing family records, disappeared from the kin of the Pollard family for a half-century and more. It was discovered through a genealogist, a lady who was descended from a sister of John Pollard of Parsippany. She returned it to Mr. George S. Pollard of Chatham, a great-great grandson of the original owner. It is badly worn, is brass bound and has brass hinges. The names consist of two lists of births. The first gives five of the eight children of John Pollard and the second the children of his son William. Copied by Adelaide Johnson Howell. May 1935 Children of John and Sarah Pollard: Phebe Jeffries born September the 13, 1772 William Pollards born May the 4, 1778 Samuel Pollards born Jinnawary [sic] the 20, 1780 Mary Pollards born March the 17, 1782 John Pollards born June the 9, 1784 Aron Pollards born May the 17, 1787 Children of William and Catherine Pollard: Youpheme Elizabeth Pollard born Octbr 31, 1803 John Smith Pollard born Feby 18th 1806 Sarah Maria Pollard born May 7th 1809 William W. Pollard born Feby 15th 1812 Alicandra Charls Pollard born January 4th 1815 Jacob Hiller Pollard born June 27 1818 Catherin Amanda Pollard born April 27 1822 Mary Caroline Pollard born Jan 22 1825 Ann Louisa Pollard born May the 30 1828 From other Pollard’s records we can fill out the first list: Elizabeth Pollard born Nov. 9, 1790 Mary Pollard (the first died young) Sept. 29, 1792


Sarah Ann Pollard born Nov. 16, 1794 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Records from the Family Bible of John Smith Pollard now in the vault of Edward Howell, 10 Washington St., Morristown, N.J. – Published in 1834 at Hartford by D.F. Robinson and H.F. Sumner Marriages John S. Pollard was married to Abigail Beach January 14, 1830 (This seems to have been in the handwriting of John S. Pollard) Charles B. Pollard was married to Elizabeth Sabin December --- (Given in Chas’ Bible as Dec. 24, 1856) David A. Pollard was married to Eliza Stoddard February 4th 1864 Ann Augustia Pollard was married to Henry M. Johnson Sept. 27, 1865 Thompson B. Pollard was married to Emma Henion December 7th 1870 (These four in handwriting of Henry M. Johnson) John Frederick Pollard married to Roxanna Doremus December 25, 1876 John Frederick Pollard married Grace Brush Mar. 31, 1915 (These last two written by Adelaide Johnson Howell) Births John S. Pollard was born Feb. the 18, 1806 Abigail Pollard was born Sep. the 9, 1802

Delia Ann Pollard was born Nov the 8, 1830 Charles Beach Pollard was born April the 4, 1833 William Henry Pollard was born Nov the 20, 1835 David Alexander Pollard was born January the 14, 1838 Thompson Baker Pollard was born January the 29, 1840 Ann Augustia Pollard was born Jan. the 9, 1842 George Randolph Pollard was born March 25th, 1845 John Frederick Pollard was born Aug 2’d, 1847


William W. Pollard born May 4th, 1778 Catherine Pollard born January 6, 1784 David S. Pollard born July 13, 1866 All these seem to be written by John S. Pollard Deaths Delia Ann Pollard died Sep. the 11, 1833 George R. Pollard departed this life June 18, 1861 William W. Pollard died Nov. 10, 1844, aged 66 years These three seem to be written by John Smith Pollard John S. Pollard died November 17, 1873 Eliza S. Pollard died October 31st, 1875 Abigail B. Pollard died Feb’y 19th, 1881 Thompson Baker Pollard died Jan 21st, 1912 These four are in the handwriting of Henry M. Johnson

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On a separate sheet in the Bible of John S. Pollard appears the following list of births. The same list, probably a copy, appears in the writing of Henry Mahlon Johnson, a son-in-law of John S. Pollard. Both sheets are laid in the Bible with the records. Phineas Beach born April 24th 1772 Patience Beach born June 29th 1773 Moses Beach born July 31st, 1797 Betsy Beach born February 21st, 1800 Abigail Beach born September 9, 1802 Locky Beach born May 10th, 1805 Aaron Beach born March 18th, 1808 Mary Beach born September 20th, 1811 David Beach born August 28th, 1814 Margaret Louisa Beach born January 7th, 1827 Note: Margaret Louisa Beach was the daughter of Phineas Beach and a 2nd wife Patty Ball. A.J.H.

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Family Register of Charles B. Pollard - Bible printed by George E. Eyre & Wm Spottiswode. In the possession of George S. Pollard, Chatham, N.J. Marriages George Sabin married Sophia Washburn Sept. 15, 1831 John Smith Pollard married Abigail Beach Jan. 14, 1830 Charles Beach Pollard married Sophia Elizabeth Sabin Dec. 24, 1856 George Sabin Pollard married Alma Dell Martin Jan. 18, 1893 Charles Wilson Pollard married Harriet Florence Jarvis Oct. 5, 1897 Joseph Egbert Pollard married Mabel Alice Davison Apr. 8, 1899 Births George Sabin born Apr. 20, 1805 Sophia Washburn born Aug. 13, 1809 John Smith Pollard born Feb. 18, 1806 Abigail Beach born Sept. 9, 1802 Charles Beach Pollard born Apr. 4, 1833 Sophia Elizabeth Sabin born July 14, 1834 Children: George Sabin Pollard born Oct. 29, 1857 Charles Wilson Pollard born May 17, 1860 Maria Louisa Pollard born Dec. 3, 1864 John Henry Pollard born Jan. 9, 1868 Joseph Egbert Pollard born Aug. 3, 1870 Augusta Elizabeth Pollard born Nov. 1, 1872 Deaths George Sabin died Feb. 25, 1882 Sophia Wasburn Sabin died Dec. 13, 1868 John Smith Pollard died Nov. 17, 1873 Abigail Beach Pollard died Feb. 19, 1881 Sophia Elizabeth Sabin Pollard died Nov. 28, 1914 Augusta Elizabeth Pollard died May 4, 1879 Maria Louisa Pollard died Nov. 29, 1915 Charles Beach Pollard died June 27, 1923 John Henry Pollard died “ This information is in Volume III pages 33-37.

keyed by Carole Flatley


New Acquisitions and Holdings in the North Jersey History and

Genealogy Center at Morristown/Morris Township Library

by Stephanie Reidinger and Carolyn Dorsey

Title: Batsto Village, Jewel of the Pines Author: Barbara Solem Photographs: Albert D. Horner Publisher: Plexus Publishing, Inc., Medford, NJ H3Bu5 Wash Bats Sol Batsto Village is in Washington Township in Burlington County. It is in the heart of the Pine Barrens. Today it has thirty-three historic buildings including a general store, sawmill, blacksmith shop, post

office, cottages, the piggery, carriage house, the barn and the Batso Mansion that you can stroll through in Wharton State Forest. It is a forty-acre open-air museum that brings history to life. This town had a sawmill in 1760. Then it became an ironworks village in 1765 when Charles Read built an iron furnace at this location. Mr. Read knew about the bog ore on the edges of the streams and rivers, and also about the pine trees that could be turned into charcoal to fuel the iron furnaces along with the running water in the area. So Batsto Village was a major arms supplier for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. General George Washington exempted the furnace workers from military service because their work was their service in the fight for independence. Eighty years later Batso Village in 1846 under the owner, Jesse Richards, used the natural resources of the region to produce a glass works industry. After Mr. Richards’ death in 1854 and other problems the industrial village declined. In 1874 an industrialist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Joseph Wharton, purchased the Batso tract of land. There are many historic people mentioned in the book such as John Cox, Charles Thomas, Benedict Arnold, Nathanael Greene, Charles Pettit and others because of their connections and importance to the village. The author has included ten chapters in the book: In the Beginning -- Revolutionary War Years -- Beginning of the Richards Dynasty -- The Glass Years -- Village Life -- The Wharton Years -- The Village – Restoration -- Atsion: Sister Village -- Batsto Village Today. This book gave details about the restoration of the buildings and the archaeological digs done on the site. After reading about Batso Village’s contributions to New Jersey’s history and seeing the photographs of the restored buildings, you will certainly want to plan a visit to this Jersey jewel. Batso Village is listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.


Title: The First Hundred Years of the Bergen County Medical Society 1854-1954 Author: Charles S. Gregg H3B1 Berg Fir The Bergen County Medical Society’s archives contributed records so that this historical booklet could be created. Charles Gregg offered his services to the Historical Committee and was able to put this narrative together from all of the collected sources. Mr. Daniel

Peragine offered his photographic skills with the reproduction of the many images that are placed in this booklet. It was originally printed for the members of the Bergen County Medical Society and was a personal gift to the Morristown-Morris Township Library. The Bergen County Medical Society was established in February of 1854 in Hackensack. Actually “modern” medicine in Bergen County began more than 150 years prior. The Doctor Johannes who practiced in Hackensack in 1688 was the earliest physician mentioned. Subsequently Dr. Van Emburgh, Dr. Abram Van Buskirk, and Dr. Joseph Sackett practiced in the county. At this time the medical training was minimal and most doctors practiced from a manual called “Solomen’s Basic Herbal” published in England in 1697. These doctors were competing against charms and potions created by the locals. Midwives delivered most of the babies but the doctors pulled teeth, lanced an abscess and set broken bones. During the American Revolution Dr. John Campbell and Dr. Joshua Hornblower were the local physicians. The first hospital in the county was Hackensack Hospital. It was founded in 1888 and it had only twelve beds. In Englewood a hospital building was erected in 1890 at the cost of more than four thousand dollars. Using The Inflation Calculator, www.westegg.com/inflation, $4,000.00 in 1890 is equivalent to $103,798.00 in 2014. During the first year seventy-eight patients were admitted and seventeen operations were performed and the net profit at the end of the year was $112.00. Mr. Gregg has included pictures of each of the doctors of the Bergen County Medical Society of 1902. Also there is a list of Presidents of the Society from 1854 to 1954. Mr. Gregg has also inserted Biographical Sketches of most of the doctors mentioned in this booklet. In 1911 the Medical Society found the need for an Isolation Hospital for the county. Bergen Pines Hospital for Communicable Diseases and Tuberculosis was established in Paramus. It is now part of Bergen Regional Medical Center. Each hospital in the area has a section with images and descriptions of their beginnings. This book is a great treasure if your ancestor was a member of the Medical Profession in Bergen County.


Title: Remarkable Women of the New Jersey Shore:

Clam Shuckers, Social Reformers and Summer Sojourners Author: Karen L. Schnitzspahn Publisher: History Press., H SCH REM The author has written about women of the New Jersey Shore area, from Sandy Hook to Cape May. The time frame is from before colonization to the present day. Some of these women were locally

famous but some of them were just ordinary folks trying to make a living for themselves and their families. Many women had to do the “dirty work” just to get by, possibly because of their husband’s death or illness of someone in the family. You will not find well-known women in this book. The life stories and contributions of cranberry pickers, lifeguards, doctors, writers and entrepreneurs are told in this book. One of the first sections in the book describes the Lenape Indians that lived in New Jersey and around the shoreline and how the women of the tribe shared responsibilities with the men, the power being passed down the line through the woman’s clan. This foreshadows a story about Penelope Stout around 1643 with a small Dutch sailing ship running aground near Sandy Hook and her encounter with Lenape Indians. There are a number of images in this book. One of them is “Long Branch, New Jersey” by Winslow Homer, 1869. This is not what the author feels is the typical view of the beach, with ladies and their parasols and long dresses denoting how well off they were, and standing on the sandy cliff of Long Branch beach. Ms. Schnitzspahn also shows a picture of women in their woolen bathing suits of 1908. Prior to the late 1800s men and women bathed at separate times, designated by white and red flags. The chapters in this book: Coastal Workers -- Lifeguards and a Champion Swimmer -- First Ladies on Vacation -- Reformers and Crusaders -- Writers, Artists and Entertainers -- Innovators and Leaders show the variety of the contributions of the women of the Jersey Shore. The author picks out a number of individual women that have done something memorable during their lives that took place in this costal region. In 1905 Dr. Margaret Mace of Wildwood graduated from the College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Mace was instrumental in the building a hospital in Wildwood in 1915. She worked there in until shortly before her death in 1951. During those decades she delivered thousands of babies, and also treated the injuries of many fishermen. Ms. Schnitzspahn also picks out groups of women that have collectively worked at some occupations that men did not do. All of these women have contributed to the rich history of the “Jersey Shore”.


Tour of Historic Home Focuses on Immigration & Genealogy

by Sandi Kron

There is no denying it: (as we genealogists already know) genealogy has gotten to be an extremely popular hobby. And with that comes the natural interest in history.... of our country, our state and our town plus why and where our ancestors came from. That was the theme of an event held at the Livingston-Benedict House in Parsippany, New Jersey, on May 16 & 17, 2015: Immigration to Parsippany - Then and Now. Hosts and current owners of the house, Julie and Bob Petersen, open their historic home to the public twice a year - each time with a different theme. Members of the Parsippany Historical and Preservation Society volunteered as docents at the event, including fellow MAGS members - Ginny Walton, Linda Kelly and Sandi Kron. Visitors signed in and filled out an "Ask me about ___" nametag where they could fill in the name of an ancestor who immigrated to America as well as put a pin on a map showing the location from where they came. To showcase the historic significance the house has in Parsippany, which was built about 1750, two local residents played the parts of General Nathanael Greene and the wife of Governor William Livingston. They were discussing the progress of the war. This house is referred to as the Livingston-Benedict House because Gov. Livingston and his family rented the house from owner Lemuel Bowers for about three and one-half years during the Revolutionary War in an attempt to stay safe from the British army. The Benedict Family and their descendants have lived in the house since 1857. Next on the tour of the house highlighting the immigration theme was a young Irish boy who had recently arrived to America explaining why he came here and the perils of his journey. Ethnic food was a popular stop on the tour. A Slovakian Easter was set up in the dining room complete with kielbasa, perogies, pickled beets, ham, studenina (jellied pigs feet), decorated hard boiled eggs and babka. An Italian cooking demonstration in the kitchen featured freshly home made pizza, home made pasta, and meatballs. The docents at each spot talked about customs of the "old country" and the cooking traditions of their respective heritages with the Slovakian hostess dressed in clothing typical of the area her relatives were from (the town of Matiasovce in the Tatranska Lominca region of Slovakia). She also explained who her ancestors were, complete with pictures of individuals in her family tree with their corresponding documents. On the front porch of the Livingston-Benedict House two genealogy display tables were set up hosted by Ginny, Linda and Sandi. One table displayed various genealogy books,


charts and other visual aids. The second table had a huge assortment of free handouts from local libraries, state repositories and agencies including the National Archives in Washington DC and the Library of Congress plus membership applications for MAGS to show those interested all of the resources available for family research. There were also copies of a flow chart explaining in simple terms how to begin doing family research, a list of genealogy websites and two handouts briefly explaining source citation and organizing one's work. Magazines, newsletters and other material donated by MAGS members were additional "freebies." MAGS member, Martha Corson, donated some materials from the Family History Center in Morristown. The Parsippany Public Library featured books on local history and the genealogy materials that are in their collection.

Second Year for the Parsippany Historical & Preservation Society Participation

by Sandi Kron

October 10th and 11th will be the sixth annual The Pathways of History Tour weekend in Morris County and it will be the second time that the Parsippany Historical & Preservation Society will join twenty other historical groups in the event. Between the hours of 10:00AM to 4:00PM Saturday and noon to 4:00PM Sunday twenty-three museums and historic sites in northern Morris County will be open free of charge. Pathways was started by five historical groups six years ago in an effort to make the public aware of the rich history in Morris County and the various local historic locations that are not as well known as the Ford Mansion, the Jockey Hollow Encampment Area or the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms. Because there are so many locations open, Pathways has three tours labeled as the Blue Tour, the Red Tour and the Gold Tour that are based on their geographic location in the county. Details on Pathways can be found at www.PathwaysofHistoryNJ.com. Each location will offer something different -- from re-enactors to demonstrations to exhibits -- focusing on a different aspect of Morris County's history including the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. This year at the Bowlsby-DeGelleke House at 320 Baldwin Road, the Parsippany Historical & Preservation Society will be focusing on the effects the Civil War had on families with a wake of 17-year-old George N. Bowlsby who died in Tennessee in 1864. There will be tours of the house by members of the society in period costumes as well as exhibits reflecting the period and a display table for those interested in researching their ancestors. The society, which was created in 1986 to "encourage an appreciation for, and an understanding of, the history of the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills,” has meetings the third Wednesday of the month, including some that are open to non-members. http://parsippanyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com/


Local Spotlight: Repository Holdings in the Borough of Rockaway – Historical Society,

Library and the First Presbyterian Church & Cemetery

by Bonnie Mangold, Mary-Jo Solomon & Marianne Totaro

The Special Projects Group members are visiting local repositories to learn what genealogy related materials might be available for review by our members in researching their ancestors and/or gaining historical context to enhance their stories. In a series of articles we share the main features of our interviews with repository members spotlighting the information, collections and features available for research at each location. In this issue we cover our visits to three repositories in Rockaway Borough, Morris County, New Jersey.

The Borough of Rockaway Historical Society is located at 199 West Main Street. The museum is open the last weekend of the month from 1 to 4 pm. It holds a large collection of photographs, documents and artifacts from the residents and businesses in the borough. There are a small number of family documents, Bibles, journals and local business records including ledgers. Currently there is no index of these materials but the museum plans to create one over time. The pamphlet “Historic Highlights of Rockaway Borough” has a county map, the borough map, photos and information of eight historical buildings. Using this information you could complete a walking tour of these buildings and the neighborhood. A list of their meeting dates, photos of Rockaway Borough and the Military Honor Roll is on the website www.rockawayhistoricalcommittee.org. It also lists the contact information for scheduling an appointment outside their monthly open house schedule. The Rockaway Borough Library at 82 East Main Street has a New Jersey History room with many local reference books only found at this location. The library is in the restored home of Colonel Joseph Jackson, the Iron King of Morris County, which was built in the early 1800’s. Later Dr. and Mrs. George Foster lived there from 1885 to 1939. The Doctor’s office was in the lower level of the home. The top floor of the library has furnishings from around 1900; these rooms are open by appointment to groups and for special programs to the community. The building is a designated National Historic Site. The library’s Historical Images Collection is available only on the library’s website, www.rblibrary.org. Archived are the digitized letters and photographs of Allen Eaton Jenkins who was an employee of Dr. and Mrs. Foster from the late 1890s to 1909 and Edmund Drake Halsey (1840 -1896), a life long borough resident and a Civil War soldier. Mr. Eaton’s letters tell of life in Rockaway Borough and letters of Lt. Halsey tell of life on the battlefields. The borough has memorials to all Rockaway soldiers that served in the Wars. The Civil War Monument is in the First Presbyterian Church. All other soldiers are recognized in the Veterans Memorial Park that is adjacent to the library. The First Presbyterian Church (FPC) located at 33 Church Street is a short distance from both the museum and the library. The church archives include birth/marriage/death


records starting in 1809. The 250th Anniversary Program of the church (1758 – 2008) contains the church history, many family names and it documents the growth of the parish and community. Most of the previous pastors have written booklets about their tenure. There are membership books from some of the earliest years. Fortunately a number of the church records are copied and held in the Morristown – Morris Township Library in the North Jersey Genealogy & History Center (MMTL). You should look for the information first at the MMTL since the church staff time is limited. Check their finding aids at the website, www.jfpl.org. On the FPC website, www.fpcrockaway.org under “more” you’ll find the FPC Historic Cemetery link and a listing Revolutionary War Soldiers buried in the cemetery on the church grounds. Every soldier buried in the cemetery has a military footstone. Requests for FPC historical document searches of materials not held at the MMTL can be made by contacting their office at (973) 627-1050 between 9am to 1pm, Monday through Friday. Limited staff will impact receipt time and a nominal donation will be requested. If you know of a local repository that we should visit, or that you would wish to cover for a future article, please contact the Special Projects Committee at [email protected]

MAGS NEWS

MAGS Special Interest Groups: SIGs held at the Morris County Library

Title Date Time Contact Beginners & Beyond 3rd Monday

of the month 1:00 – 3:00

large meeting room Linnea Foster

Brick Walls 2nd Friday

of the month 10:00 – 12:00

conference room Susan Simon

Computer

Genealogy & Family History Writing

3rd Friday of the month

9:30 – 11:30 large meeting room

Ruth Daniels

Computer Genealogy

2nd Thursday of the month

7:00 – 8:30 upstairs #207

Ruth Daniels

DNA 2nd Tuesday of the month

7:00 – 8:30 upstairs #211

Jim Short

German & Eastern Europe Genealogy

3rd Tuesday of the month

10:00 – 12:00 conference room

Lou Andrews

Italian & Western Europe Genealogy

2nd Tuesday of the month


Susan Kehr

Crossing the Pond 3rd Tuesday of the month


Bob Stein

This publication is the sole property of the Morris Area Genealogy Society and may not be reproduced without the approval of the Morris Area Genealogy Society.


Other Society Meetings

Genealogical Society of Bergen County http://njgsbc.org/ Class: Using the “Old Fulton Postcards” Website @ Ridgewood Public Library Monday, Sept 28 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Classes: Introduction to Genealogy — Fall Semester @ Bergen Community College Tuesdays, 10:00 am – 11:45 am October 13 & 20 and Nov 3 & 10 Contact [email protected] for more information, class dates, fees, and sign up Hudson County Genealogical & Historical Society http://www.hudsoncountynjgenealogy.org/ Saturday, October 10, 2015 Event: Melissa Johnson presents: “Descendant Tracing” Time: 11:00 am -- 1:00 pm ET Saturday, November 14, 2015 Event: Judy Russell presents: ”Genealogy and DNA” Time: 11:00 am -- 1:00 pm ET Location: Secaucus Public Library, Secaucus, NJ September 17-19, 2015 - Second New York State Family History Conference, co-sponsored by the Central New York Genealogical Society and the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Syracuse, NY. Some of the speakers for the conference include Dick Eastman, D. Joshua Taylor, Judy Russell, Jen Baldwin, Jim Ison, and Eric G. Grunset. The complete list of presenters, the program schedule and the registration information can be found at www.nysfhc.org

MAGS “Members–Only” Yahoo! Group Site

To Join MAGS “Members–Only” Yahoo! Group Site Go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MAGSmembers/ If you are already a member of another Yahoo Group,

you can just click on “Join the Group.” Fill out requested information, and then click on “Join”

Otherwise, you will need to join Yahoo! first, then join our Group. Most people are approved within 24 hours.

Details can be found on our website: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~njmags/

Note – If you have a change of address, telephone number or e-mail please send info to [email protected]


Fall Genealogy Ideas

Here are a few summer activities that have been shared and suggested by MAGS members at the General and at Special Interest Group Meetings.

(1) Do a local day trip to the David Library of the American Revolution. Call in advance with your ancestor’s information and the staff will look for information for you/set up an appointment. Check their website www.dlar.org for a list of their collections, the schedule and how to contact them. 1201 River Rd, Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania 18977 Phone (215) 493-6776.…………………………………………………..Martha Corson & Roy Lindsey (2) In MAGS-CompGen, the article, Researching Your City Ancestor, is about City Directories and Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps with information and links. You need to be a registered user of this Yahoo group. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/MAGS-CompGen/files/Researching%20Your%20City%20Ancestor.pdf ……………………Ruth Daniels (3) All your photos are backed up and easy to find. They are organized and labeled. They are stored safely. You can share some or all of your photos. https://www.google.com/photos/ ………………………………………………………………………Mike Schwartz (4) There is a nifty site that takes long URLs (links) and makes them short enough so that they fit on one line in an email. It's Tinyurl.com http://tinyurl.com/create.php?url= ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Ed Miller (5) Mount Tabor is having its 22nd Annual House Tour on Sunday, September 26 from 11am to 4pm Mt. Tabor is an historic Victorian Camp Meeting Community. More than fifteen historic cottages and buildings are on the self-guided tour. At each building and cottage, either a docent or the owner of the home greets you. For additional information, please email us at [email protected] ……………………………Mary-Jo Solomon (6) The Indexes to Irish Catholic Birth Records over 100 years, the Indexes to Marriage Records over 75 years and the Indexes to Death Records over 50 years are now available to search online at www.irishgenealogy.ie ………………………………………Bonnie Mangold (7) Find a Grave is looking for help transcribing headstones and other images. Give it a try: http://www.findagrave.com/ and click on Photos to Transcribe (right column). You'll find a continually changing array of pictures, some of them in English and readable! Some are easy; some are rather difficult. You will need to be a registered user of Find a Grave. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….Ruth Daniels

Please consider submitting an article for the “MAGS Newsletter”. We want to hear from the readers who would like to share Morris Area stories, their work in Giving Back to the Genealogy Community, genealogy tips, new websites and suggestions for the Seasonal Ideas page. You can send you message to either of the email accounts. [email protected] or [email protected]


Morris Area Genealogy Society P.O. Box 105 Convent Station, NJ 07961-0105

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

September 1, 2015

Genetic Genealogy:

Bob Stein

October 6, 2015

Researching Revolutionary

War Soldiers: Bob Meyers

November 3, 2015

November Surprise

Meetings are held at the Morris County Library, 30 East Hanover Ave., Whippany, NJ Refreshments at 6:30 pm – Meeting at 7:00 pm

morris area genealogy society newsletter · membership dues for 2015-2016 individual - $15.00...

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