Once, Twice Thrice??

[JOHN THURSTON]

The only source book I have on have that even makes an attempt tp cover the US incursions into Canada is:" A Country Made by War". by Geoffrey Perrett.
I believe he wrote a companion book "The Price of Admiralty".

As an aside there is a town named Whitehall (the building in which the British Admiralty is housed) on the Border of Lake Champlain and the great canal to the nearby great lake.

Apparently this is the town is where the Ships that took place in the Naval Battles on the Great Lakes...

At some point the town Fathers changed the name of the Town to Whitehall. I admit I forget its original name.

I stayed there one night after visiting Ticonderoga in what i cheerfully remember as the "Vacation From Hell".

One cannot actually see the lake very well at all. as most of the buildings, none newer than 1850, except the MacDonalds, are haphazardly crunched along the lakefront.

While we were there a passing motorist flipped a butt into the new vinyl awning of the "Bed and Breakfast" in which myself and my family were staying. The butt set the awning and barnboard on fire..

I courageously roused my family and the other guests, and grabbing my boom box headed for the proverbial hills.

It was 3:30 am.

if I had not been awakened by a ------------ everyone in the building would have died. No BS.

I was, somehow, not surprised when the local fire dept (i called them) and the constabularly (I called them) arrived, assisted me in putting the fire out and designated me as the firebug and Instead of a tendering a word of thanks, placed me in a cruiser.

They 'knew' everyone else that was in the area, so I was suspect # one.

At some length, and after significant vomiting on my part, they relieved me of the garden hose I had grabbed and allowed but that I didn't do anything but at the right time.

I gave them all a good dose of my Denny Crane Routine, threatened massive civil lawsuits and noting the townspeople and other potential crispy critters I had at least partially rescued with my little comandeered garden hose , and was released to flee home. I fled immediatley despite the Owner's assurance that the 'excitement was over'. this experience is overshadowed thus far only by my witnessning a murder on Arch Street in the late 70's. (this includes only matters in America)

The owner eventually sent me a check for my lost two night's stay.

My only point is stay in Ticonderoga, the town, not the fort.

Despite all this the Town of Whitehall is a must see (an 1850's period piece and some nice folk) but the accomodations leave somethng to be desired.

More to Follow.

Once, twice, Thrice refers to the apparent 3 invasion attemps.

JT

[f.Channell]

Sounds like a bad night.

Wrong place-wrong time.

I've never been to that fort, someday I'll get to it.

The last Revolutionary battle site I was on was in Tiverton R.I. where the American troops were dug in during the battle of R.I. There are trails looping around the site.

Funny I found out years later my 5th great grandfather was there serving.

The only interesting thing in that battle is how we captured a British General without getting discovered.

F.

[JOHN THURSTON]

Golly Gee Fred:

Tell Us more about your relative.

Sorry it took me two tries to cover the "invasions' you had originally asked about (about which you had asked?)

JT

[f.Channell]

Hi John,

Interesting guy old grandpa Abraham Channell.

Snuck away from his indenture as a tailor to join the british Navy.
According to a history book in Canada was captured by an American Privateer, switched sides and enlisted on the privateer.
Lived and worked in Essex (then Ipswich) Massachusetts. His first wife died.
Second wife was a widow whose husband was lost at sea and returned so they got that marriage anulled.
Then left for New Hampshire, while engaged to a Colonels daughter had to go back to Ipswich and we assume "had to" marry the Reverends daughter.
Here's her headstone in Byfield Mass.

http://gravematter.smugmug.com/gallery/ ... 7161/Large

Somehow she ended up back in Massachusetts and my grandfather married again in Georgeville Quebec. He had his last child at 71 years old and lived to 110. He successfully ran the Union Tavern, later called the Camperdown Hotel, a grandhotel on the banks of Lake Memphremagog.
This hotel later burned down when the train came through and missed the town. It had been the major stagecoach route from Boston and New York to Montreal.
Although settled by English settlers from New Hampshire this region now would seem mostly French.

It's a huge puzzle to put these things together, but a lot of fun.

Not much about his participation in the battle of R.I. Another grandfather was very active as well. around Dorchester Heights and Cambridge.

I'm hunting around for info on his Privateer activity right now. Not much on that.

F.

[Rising Star]

It is always fascinating to dig up info on your ancestors. One of mine, David Page, was among the first settlors in the Lunenburg/Fitchburg MA area.

I found this tale about him interesting.

"This Page, having a roving disposition and a speculative cast of mind, took it into his head, when young, that he could make more money by trading with the Indians, than by cutting down forest trees and cultivating the soil. Accordingly, he directed his course towards Canada, and commenced purchasing beaver and otter skins of the ignorant natives upon this principle - that his foot weighed just four pounds and his hand one pound, This they seemed to doubt, but were soon satisfied by his making the declaration that it was as fair for one party as the other, since he weighed off to them by the same weights, his powder, tobacco, shot, etc. This grand field for making an honest living was, however, soon closed; for some other traders coming that way, explained the trick to the Indians, and the old Governor's speculating son had to decamp very suddenly - wieghts and all to save his life."

Found this little tale in a quaint book - "Fireside Legends- Incidents, Anecdotes, Reminiscences, etc Connected with the Early History of Fitchburg, Mass and Vicinity" 1890.

Enjoy,

John

PS - NO comments from the peanut gallery please as to whether this explains me being an Attorney! LOL!

[benzocaine]

What's an FMS Attack?

(sorry about that chief. FMS is a particualrly nasty pain disorder. It's correct name is Fibromyalgia Syndrome. Attacks of fairly high painlevels can hit at any time and last for any length of time-I made a mistake in mentioning it-but, i suppose it was part of an otherwise semi humorous narrative)

[JOHN THURSTON]

I spent a great deal of time in the NEGS trying to clear a few really screwed up titles.

Page, Hackett, Ainsworth were a few of the trees I was dug into.

Unfortunately I don't have the resource material left for Page.

JT

[Rising Star]

My dad is a serious history freak so I have lots of Page info but I would relish anything you should happen to come up with.

He has shared much with me but.....

John

[f.Channell]

The first U.S. census was in 1790 but gives little information.

There is a volume of books listing all soldiers and sailors from Massachusetts in the Revolution.

I have other resources if you need them.

A great beginning point, not for the Page family but others beginning who know little is www.familysearch.com

F.

[JOHN THURSTON]

1. Should I tell the inquirer what FMS is? It came in sorta by accident.

2. The best thing to do would be to get an Idea of where the pages lives a a certain times

Then, as fred noted, start looking thru the various "suspspicious" years and see what turns up.

Some Registries are on line. Essex is. Give me some "page" names and time periods and I'll see what I can find.

A trip to the Town Hall suspected of harbouring some Pages might glean some info.

JT

[JOHN THURSTON]

Electronic Records (ie: scanned in) for Worcester County Start only in 1966.

None are noted for North. Fitchburg Registry is nice little Registry.

I'll dig about on the web for a bit

[JOHN THURSTON]

Many David Pages shown born in North Worcester County ie: Lunenburg in 1704.

The Mormons keep excellent records and if that is part of your heritage it is a plus.

The New England Genealogical Society is always a good place.

If I can zero in on your ancestor----it would be a help.

JT

[JOHN THURSTON]

The First Pages in New England may have been:

Robert page: Boston 1637
Thomas Page: Boston 1635

Ring any bells yet?

the Problem is americans never write down their family history as THEY remember it. Example; I could never get my mother to write hers or what She new of my father's.

My (excuse me-Grandmothers)mother's maiden name was Corbett of Irish extraction out of St. John's N.B....Corbett would not seem to be an "Old Irish Name" ie; from the Gaelic family name, perhaps a twist of a Norman or Norman English name.

For Example; Robert The Bruce's (De Brus) wife Elizabeth was a "De Burgh" (norman) is Irish usage, where DeBurgh was a Norman/Irish Lord the name devolved into "Burke". She was captured when Robert took up Wallace's Cause. If you are from around here I can tell you that Wallace looked more like "hog" Hannah than Mel Gibson, yet "Gib-Gibbie" Hay was A constant and devout follower of the Bruce. So A Gibson is a Gib's Son.

Page, Stewart (steward) and Chamberlain should date back to the time of name taking required by William I's "Domesday Book". People often to the surname based on where they were from or what they were doing at the time.

Deeds In Suffolk County Boston date back to the Charter of The Massachussets Bay Colony (a "Kings" colony" and in Plymouth often times to the Mayflower Compact. How that is recognized vis a vis Indian claims was not settled until the mid 70's.'.....

I have run Suffolk titles back to the 17th Century and Plymouth 's to the seven Great Lots referred to in the Compact. Both Registries have now relocated with a clear attempt to make old records harder to find.

I can't get into Canadian records on the Web, mostly,

My Best friends ex wife was also a Corbett who's family hailed from St. John's. One runs into such coincidences.

It's endless.

Anytime you want to go for a dig around let me know.

I fouind my best friend g-g-g-granfather on the roles of a New Jersey Civil War Regiment. Mass. Records are not, generally, accesible on the web.

The Lunenburg connection seems solid.

Two books are shown on Amazon by "David Page Coffin"--Coffin is a very old Nantucket Yankee name.

JT

[JOHN THURSTON]

The Town Hall of Lunenburg might be a good place to start. It was originally called "hunting hill" a Colonel Fitch, accorinding to the custom, rased a regimernt of 133 men. Fitch was captured.

It could be Fitch burg, a breakoff of Lunenberg, was named after him.

Lunenburg lost 33 Men in the War. Their names are shown on a marble tablet in the Town Hall. This is consistent with Massachusetts practice. I found an heir to a title on the roster of the Civil War dead in Wakefield Ma., town hall.

JT

[Rising Star]

The Fitchburg Registry is very cool - especially when you go into the basement files!