Christmas Through the Eyes of a Cheap(er) Camera

The Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
I spent good American money on a nice video recorder a few years back. The batteries required removal for charging and the device needed miniature tapes for recording. That camera is now one of my home's designated dust receptacles. It sits in the closet waiting to be used. I regret buying it every time I see it in the closet. It is another electronic device I thought I needed - and did, until something else came along.

Last year I bought this handy palm sized video recorder with USB connection. It charges while attached to the computer and recordes to a flash drive - no video tape needed. It's quick and easy. Mind you, its recordings are inferior to my other device, but its ease of use and in and out of the pocket functionality trumps everything.

You wonder why I'm boring you with these details. I'm building up to an apology. The video shot this Christmas was done on my newer recorder (which doubles as a camera). This year I was lazy and proud fully admit it. You see, if I felt I had to record a few Christmas memories with my old camera, I wouldn't do it. My choice was simple, use my new camera with substandard video quality and record a few precious memories to keep me company in my old age, or record nothing at all and live a life of regret. Spending my last Christmases sitting in front of a fire, eating a bit of broth and an undercooked potato, with one candle to lite the room and waiting for a ghost weighed by heavy chains to knock upon my bedroom door.

With that said, today you get to see the few shots I took this Christmas. The video begins with the family Christmas Eve Gathering. The video progresses to Christmas Day at the Bodily Home. From there, we travel to the DelGrosso home in Highland. The video ends with still shots taken at the Mattson Christmas Party Thursday last and shots of people who couldn't (or wouldn't ) spend a moment or two of their Holiday with us. The pictures were mined from their Facebook accounts.

It is Christmas Memory Amateur Hour.
And a Happy New Year to Us All.

Simply,
Victor

Our 10th Great Grand Uncle, Son in Law to William Shakespeare (Mattson/ Pierce / McCrillis Lines)

William Shakespeare

From the Fortress of Solitude

Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Today we learn about our family's connection to William Shakespeare. This connection may not be 100% definite (what really is when you go this far back along a family tree) but my finding is based on sound judgement which I shall explain.

I begin with what I know....

We know that our Robert McCrillis is our 5th Great Grandfather. Robert was married to our 5th Great Grandmother, Mary Canney. As of 4:00 P.M. this afternoon I hadn't a clue who Mary's parents were. My afternoon goal was to discover her parents and push this family line back to where it disappears into the fog of history.

Our records show that Mary Canney was born in Lebanon Maine. I then found this passage from a book entitled Soldiers of the American Revolution of Lebanon Maine.

I believe that John Canney is a brother of our Great Grandmother Mary. John was born in 1744 and Mary in 1745. I believe our record stating that she was born in Lebanon is incorrect. I believe Mary was born in Dover N.H. and moved to Lebanon with her family. In the passage above is says, "The Father, Samuel, removed from Dover, N.H. to Lebanon about 1747, where he became the first settler within the township". How many Canney families would there be in Lebanon, Maine if Samuel Canney was the first settler in the township in 1747(ish)?

The entire text from the book mentioned above reads:

JOHN CANNEY (Kenney), b. at Dover, N. H., 24 Aug., 1744, was a son of Samuel and Susannah Canney of Dover, N. H., and Lebanon. The father, Samuel, removed from Dover, N. H., to Lebanon about 1747, where he became the Jirst settler within the township. The son, John Canney, enlisted as a private in Capt. Jedediah Goodwin's Co. of Col. Edward Wigglesworth's Reg't. He was in the same company of which Ichabod Cowell was lieutenant, and "Parson" Hasey's diary shows that on "22 July, 1776, our men [Lebanon men] with Lieut. Cowell set out for Canada." His dis-
charge was dated at Albany 30 Nov., 1776.

As a selectman he rendered services in 1770, 1771, 1772 and in 1780, 1781, 1782. He removed from the original Canney farm now (1896) owned and occupied by David W. Varney to the farm now (1896) owned and occupied by Samuel Shapleigh. He was engaged in farming and lumbering until his death which occurred about 1799. He was buried in the "Camp Hill" Cemetery, but the inscription on his supposed stone is unintelligible. In 1782 he was chosen lieutenant of the town militia and a little later Colonel, by which title he was called.

He married Mrs. Elizabeth (Thompson) McCrillis, the widow of Daniel McCrillis of Lebanon. She had no children by Canney, and lived to be 96 years of age. Her children by Daniel McCrillis were : Robert; John, who m. 25 Nov., 1765, Mary Garland ; Elizabeth, who m. 25 Oct., 1768, Daniel Roberts; and Jane, who m. Richard, son of Benjamin and Hannah Furbish of L.

While there is no written proof that our Mary was the daughter of Samuel, I believe the circumstantial evidence is strong. There is also the fact that our Great Grandmother Mary married a McCrillis and so did John as stated in the reference above (whom I believe is her brother); therefore I put Mary as the daughter of Samuel Canney in our family tree.

That being said, there are records which take the Canney line back to England and to Stratford Upon Avon, home of William and Anne Shakespeare.

This therefore, is our tie through marriage to the youngest daughter of the Great Bard himself, William Shakespeare.

Relationship Chart

Judith Shakespeare (1582 - 1662)
wife of our 10th great grand uncle Thomas Quinney (1588 - 1661)

Richard Quinney (1557 - 1602)
Father of Thomas

William Kenney (1593 - 1653)
Son of Richard

Thomas Canney (1610 - 1681)
Son of William

Thomas Canney (1639 - 1677)
Son of Thomas

Samuel Canney (1677 - 1735)
Son of Thomas

Samuel Canney (1699 - 1790)
Son of Samuel

Mary Canney (1745 - 1828)
Daughter of Samuel

John Kenney McCrillis (1785 - 1868)
Son of Mary

Joseph E. McCrillis (1808 - 1890)
Son of John

Isabella Denora McCrillis (1851 - 1896)
Daughter of Joseph E.

Vesta Althea Dennis (1892 - 1978)
Daughter of Isabella Denora

Voilet Mae Pierce (1918 - 1987)
Daughter of Vesta Althea

Violet Pierce married Walter Mattson
to
Luella, Linda, John, Marvin
to
Us

Anne and William Shakespeare's younger daughter, Judith, the youngest of the Bard's children was betrothed to Thomas Quiney. Anne and William would have initially approved of the betrothal of Judith and Thomas as Quiney came from a good family. In view of the changes in his family's circumstances, and his own advancing years and possibly declining health, William Shakepeare prudently drafts his will on January 25th 1616, a few days before Judith and Quiney's marriage. Judith married Thomas Quiney, a vintner and tavern owner from Stratford, on February 10th 1616. Judith was 31 and Thomas Quiney was 27 years of age. The initial approval of the marriage quickly changed with the scandalous news that Thomas Quiney had made another girl pregnant. Anne must have been desperately worried about Judith. The scandal would have spread through Stratford. It then appeared that Quiney did not receive the special licence necessary for a wedding during lent before his marriage. The situation was really serious and on March 12th Judith and Thomas were excommunicated. William must have been mortified with the turn of events. He summoned his lawyer and promptly modifies and signs his will on March 25th 1616. The modification of the will was to ensure that Judith would receive a sum of money (300 pounds) inherited in her own name. Shakespeare leaves the bulk of his fortune to his daughter, Susanna. On March 26th Quiney was prosecuted for 'carnal copulation' with a woman named Margaret Wheeler, who had died in childbirth that month along with her baby by Quiney. He confessed and was sentenced to perform public penance. His penalty, however, was commuted to a small fine of five shillings and private penance.

The Signature of Judith Shakespeare

Thomas and Judith Quiney had three children giving the Bard three Quiney grandchildren:
Shakespeare Quiney was born in Nov 1616. He died in infancy, aged 6 months, in May 1617.
Richard Quiney was born in Oct 1617. He died in Jan 1639 aged 21 (possibly of the plague).
Thomas Quiney was born in Jan 1619. He also died in Jan 1639, the same month as his brother, aged 19 (possibly of the plague). So none of the children of Judith survived to continue the Shakespeare line.

Christmas Eve at the Fortress and the Mattson Family Christmas Party.

Jilane Williamson Bodily with Santa

Official Blog Christmas Photo for 2011
(Her photo posted. Whew, that's one gift done)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Merry Christmas!

Choosing to be the good son, I took my mother (Luella) out this early morning for a bit of last minute Christmas shopping. It's good to take her out for an airing occasionally. Getting her out of the house and shopping has a beneficial side effect - exercise. She spends hours a day playing Solitaire on her new iPad. That kind of inactivity at her age results in less blood flow to the extremities. Less blood flow to the extremities leads to a general loss of circulation. A loss of circulation leads to gangrene. Gangrene leads to noxious odors and amputation. Amputation leads to more inactivity, which continues the downwards spiral into the grave - all brought on by and iPad and an addiction to Solitaire.

Early morning Christmas Eve Shopping is perfect for people like me who put off their shopping until the last minute. WalMart was eerily empty at 7:30 A.M. I saw a few women, but mostly men. One man I overheard at the jewelery counter.

"I need something nice and quick. What do ya got?" The man looked like he'd just come off the graveyard shift at the steel mill. The sales assistant, who looked like she'd come over from the bakery department to help out, led him to a locked case where Walmart kept its good stuff ( Walmart's jewelry's selection starts with the plastic stuff in the claw machines near the entrances to 10K gold with diamond flakes and speckles in the locked cabinets).

While Luella pondered the multitude of gift card choices near the cash registers, I wheeled my cart with the wobbly wheel in search of a gift for my sister Jilane and her husband Kevin. I thought a nice set of silverware wouldn't go unappreciated, considering we have a weekly standing invitation at her home for Sunday dinner.

We are all trained to move quickly when her Kevin announces that "Dinner is ready!". The few usable forks they have go to those of us lucky enough to get to the kitchen first. The young and elderly are left to eating their turkey and trimmings with a spoon or, as I've had to do in the past when caught in the restroom when the dinner call was made, the tablespoon from the ring of measuring spoons. I'm getting smarter in my old age. Now when I arrive for Sunday dinner I go to the kitchen and hide a fork for later use.

"Not worth it." A man said when he saw me comparing two different sets of tableware, one cheap and one more expensive. "Our silverware ends up in the yard. Not worth the money."

I thanked him for his input and agreed. I returned the cheaper set that I had settled on to the shelf and wobbled away with empty cart. I reasoned that the Bodily children probably had dozens of forks hidden under their beds, chairs and sofas. Why should I buy more and add to the collection?

The actions of a few teenagers nearly cost me the holiday spirit. I watched a car park in the last handicap parking place as I waited in the Battlestar for Luella to finalize her gift card quandary. Three teenagers got out of the car and walked into the store. I couldn't see a handicap license plate so I drove around to see if they had a handicap badge hanging from the car's rear view mirror. They did. I came to the conclusion that the teens borrowed their Grandparent's handicap badge to do a bit of shopping. To be perfectly honest, I would do the same. Who wouldn't want to park near a shop's front door on one of the busiest shopping days of the year?
My lukewarm holiday spirit returned.

The Annual Mattson Christmas Party was held Thursday evening in the cultural hall of John and Bev's local LDS chapel. A good time was had by all. It was a 'bring your own pizza' with Christmas treats a plenty on the serving table. Bev made her world famous brownies and Bev's sister Joanne, knowing our insatiable appetite for her caramel popcorn, had several bowls of it ready to satisfy our sweet tooth.

Uncle John spoke about his time on the Montana ranch.
"I remember one late afternoon as we were coming in from working a long day in the fields. My mother was driving the tractor as I leaned out over the side - the most dangerous place on a tractor. My dad was on the other side. I remember thinking that life couldn't get any better. It was one of those moments that stay with you forever."
Uncle John continued to pay tribute to his mother Violet saying she was the kind of woman who could have done anything.

"She could out run and out shoot all of us, she was just that good. One time we were having company over and mother went out to shoot a couple antelope for dinner. She hit them both and they were running!"

Luella spoke a few minutes about her life on the ranch. I was asked to talk about our family history and Angie and Kent's eldest daughter sang. Normally I cringe when someone gets up to sing, not knowing what to expect. It's also a good time to excuse oneself for a quick bathroom break. I have a problem with getting embarrassed for people.

Taylor opened her mouth; we held our breath. My worry was unnecessary. Taylor gave me my holiday surprise. She has a beautiful voice. She hit all the notes spot on. Good Job Taylor!

And now, the family pictures from the party. Let me first apologize for the out of focus shots. I didn't have my glasses, meaning I couldn't see whether or not the pictures were correctly focused on the camera's small display. I had the camera on 'Auto' but this cheap camera has a mind of its own and enjoys giving me grief. Also, picture clarity isn't helped when you accidental touch the camera's lens with fingers greased by a slice or two of pizza. I tried to clean the lens using my felt jacket. I think you know the result. Grease doesn't wipe away that easily - it just smeared even worst...... Good Grief.

Relationship Chart
to help you place the people in the pictures

Brother and Sister.
What a Striking Family Resemblance. How many of us have that Mattson Nose?
Luella Mattson Williamson and John Mattson.
Children of Walter Mattson and Violet Pierce.

Luella with Charles
John with Bev
Time has been good to our family

John, Bev and children.
L to R. Gina, Camille, Jake, Joe, Bev, John, Kirk and Angie.
Candace is missing

Jake and Emily Mattson with Children.

Joe and Katie Mattson with family.

Gina and Quinn Walker with family

Kirk and Val Mattson with family.

Angie and Kent Berntsen and family

Jilane Williamson Bodily with husband Kevin their children
and new daughter in law Jessica (standing above Kevin - married to son Brayden)

Amber and Brock Doxey with family.
Amber is Kim Williamson DelGrosso's eldest daughter.

Brandon DelGrosso, wife Monica and family. Brandon is Kim Williamson
DelGrosso's second eldest son.

And a Few People Missing from the Christmas Family Gathering above can be seen in these random pictures below (click to enlarge) representing a few of my favorite pictures posted over this last year.

A family gathering from the mid 1970's on the steps of the Mattson
home in Spearfish, South Dakota. Please Ignore Jon. He insists to be at the very center,
only to make us all look good.
(click to enlarge)

Brandon DelGrosso, Annette Williamson, Lisa Williamson, Amber DelGrosso and Forest DelGrosso in the overgrown Williamson back yard.
Rapid City, South Dakota.
Brandon struggled with dressing himself, and you've got to love those bangs.
In those days it was "Shut Up, Sit Down," and out came the scissors.


Joe Mattson, Candace Mattson and Jake Mattson
American Fork, Utah.
Candace knew their kindness would only last until the flash went off.
Being the youngest, she developed a unique ability to fend for herself


Lisa Williamson, Kevin Williamson in front of their home
in Rapid City, South Dakota. Late 1970's.
Kevin was proud of that car. It meant freedom.
Lisa saw the camera and did what she did best,
Get in the Shot.

Amber and Ashley DelGrosso
Frisco, Colorado

Kevin, Janice, Jon and Jilane Williamson
Rapid City, South Dakota
Photo taken at the End of the Dark Ages.
They are gathered around the only source of heat in the living room,
one small heating duct.

The Mattson Children
Camille front.
Joe and Angie middle.
Gina and Kirk back.
(Jake Missing)

Jake and Joe Mattson

Grandpa and Grandma Liessman.
Grandma Elda was Charles Williamson's mother.

Violet Mattson (mother to Luella, Linda, John and Marvin)
Fixing one of her world famous Fried Chicken Dinners.
Grandma made the mess and we had to clean it up (oh and keep
her supplied with glasses of ICE COLD water.
"Let it run!").

Ashley DelGrosso.
At the DelGrosso Home, Frisco Colorado
The oldest DelGrosso children were raised in a small four room log cabin
in the Rocky Mountains. We only saw them in the summer. They were
snowed in the rest of the year :)


Forest and Brandon DelGrosso
Frisco, Colorado
Their Log Cabin days.
Purple Brandon? Purple?
Oh yes, you danced once upon a time....

Janice Williamson Burrows with husband Steve and
eldest child Nicole.
Ignore Brandon to the side.

Steve and Nicole.

These Pictures and More in this Favorites Slide Show for Years End

Cousin Anne Stanhope. Aunt to Henry VIII's only son Edward. Sister in Law to Jane Seymour, Henry's 3rd Wife.

Emma Hamilton played our cousin Anne Stanhope in the miniseries "The Tudors"

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Tonight is the annual Mattson Christmas Party. It is always nice to get together to catch up on family news and see how all the cousins are growing. I'll take my camera and capture a few startling photos of the us being our peculiar selves.

Today we want to meet Anne Stanhope, our 1st cousin 16 times removed. We begin with the Relationship Chart.

Anne Stanhope (1510 - 1587)

is your 1st cousin 16x removed

Elizabeth Bourchier (1474 - 1557)

Mother of Anne

Fulke Bourchier (1445 - 1479)

Father of Elizabeth

John Bourchier (1470 - 1539)

Son of Fulke

John Bourchier (1499 - 1560)

Son of John

Elizabeth Bowchiew (1518 - 1570)

Daughter of John

Richard Chase (1542 - 1611)

Son of Elizabeth

Aquila Chase (1580 - 1670)

Son of Richard

Aquila Chase (1618 - 1670)

Son of Aquila

Sarah Chase (1647 - 1726)

Daughter of Aquila

Abraham Annis (1668 - 1748)

Son of Sarah

John Annis (1700 - 1770)

Son of Abraham

Ezra Annis (1726 - 1818)

Son of John

Abigail Annis (1771 - )

Daughter of Ezra

Phineas Swift (1786 - 1854)

Son of Abigail

Elmira Swift (1809 - 1903)

Daughter of Phineas

Isabella Denora McCrillis (1851 - 1896)

Daughter of Elmira

Vesta Althea Dennis (1892 - 1978)

Daughter of Isabella Denora

Volet Mae Pierce (1918 - 1987)

Daughter of Vesta Althea

Luella, Linda, John and Marvin

to

Us

Edward Seymour (left and right - actor Max Brown who played Edward in the Miniseries "The Tudors"), husband of Anne was Uncle to Edward I of England and brother in law to Henry VIII of England. His sister Anne Seymour was Henry's third wife and mother to Henry's only male heir and future King, Edward.

Edward Tudor, future Edward I. Son of Henry VIII and Anne Seymour.

His Aunt through marriage was our Anne Standhope, married to his Uncle Edward.

Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (née Stanhope) (c. 1510 – 16 April 1587) was the second wife of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, who held the office of Lord Protector during the first part of the reign of his nephew King Edward VI, through whom Anne was briefly the most powerful woman in England. She claimed (without success or entitlement) precedence over the Dowager Queen Catherine Parr.

Anne was born at Sudbury in Suffolk in about 1510, the daughter of Sir Edward Stanhope, of Sudbury (1462 – 6 June 1511) and Elizabeth Bourchier. She had two half-brothers from her father's first marriage to Avelina Clifford. They were Richard Stanhope, and Sir Michael Stanhope.

Her paternal grandparents were Sir Thomas Stanhope and Mary Jerningham, and her maternal grandparents were Fulke Bourchier, 2nd Baron Fitzwaryn and Elizabeth Dynham. Through her mother, Anne was a descendant of Thomas of Woodstock, the youngest son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault.

Anne's snobbery and pride were considered to be intolerable, yet she was highly intelligent and determined.Antonio de Guaras, a Spanish merchant living in London, would later say of her, that she was "more presumptuous than Lucifer".

At some undetermined date between 9 March 1534 and 1535, Anne married Sir Edward Seymour, the eldest brother of Jane Seymour, becoming his second wife. Jane Seymour, Sir Edward's sister, became the third wife of King Henry VIII of England in 1536. Shortly after the king's marriage to Jane, Edward was elevated to Viscount Beauchamp; less than a year and a half later, in October 1537, he was again elevated, from viscount to earl, becoming the first Earl of Hertford (first creation). In 1547, Edward was further elevated to a dukedom, and Anne was thus styled as the Duchess of Somerset.

Edward's first marriage, about 1527, to Catherine Fillol, was annulled. His second marriage was before 9 March 1534 to Anne Stanhope.

Anne had ten children from her marriage to Edward.

• Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp of Hache (12 October 1537–1539)
• Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford (second creation of that title) (22 May 1539–1621), married firstly in November 1560, Lady Catherine Grey, by whom he had two sons; he married secondly in 1582, Frances Howard; and thirdly in 1601, Frances Prannell.
• Lord Henry Seymour (1540–?) married Lady Joan Percy, daughter of Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland
• Lady Margaret Seymour (1540 - ?) noted Elizabethan author
• Lady Jane Seymour (1541–1561) Maid of Honour to Queen Elizabeth I, noted Elizabethan author
• Lady Anne Seymour (d. 1588), married firstly John Dudley, 2nd Earl of Warwick; she married secondly Sir Edward Unton, by whom she had issue.
• Lady Catherine Seymour
• Lord Thomas Seymour (1548–1574), unmarried and without issue
• Lady Mary Seymour (born 1552) married three times (Andrew Rogers, of Bryanstone, Dorset; Sir Henry Peyton, General Francis Cosbie)
• Lady Elizabeth Seymour (1552 – 3 June 1602), married Sir Richard Knightley, of Northamptonshire

Queen Jane Seymour stood godmother to Anne's first child, Edward, who was born in February 1537. The ceremony was held at Chester Place; besides the queen, Thomas Cromwell and Princess Mary also acted as godparents.This first Edward died at the age of two. A second son was born May 1539 and given the same name. This (second) Edward would be raised to the second creation of the title of Earl of Hertford by Elizabeth I, and subsequently marry a close claimant to the English throne, Lady Catherine Grey, by whom he had two sons.

Anne was present at the wedding ceremony of Henry VIII and Catherine Parr on 12 July 1543.After Henry VIII's death, Edward Seymour acted as King in all but name. With this power, Anne considered herself the first lady of the realm, claiming precedence over Catherine, Henry VIII's widow, following the latter's marriage to Anne's brother-in-law, Thomas Seymour.

Anne considered that the Dowager Queen forfeited her rights of precedence when she married the younger brother of Anne's husband. Anne refused to bear Catherine's train, and even physically tried to push her out of her place at the head of their entrances and exits at court.Anne was quoted as having said of Catherine, "If master admiral (Thomas Seymour) teach his wife no better manners, I am she that will".Catherine, in her turn, privately referred to Anne as "that Hell".Catherine Parr won the battle by invoking the Third Succession Act which clearly stated that Catherine had precedence over all ladies in the realm; in point of fact, as regards precedence, Anne came after Queen Catherine, Lady Mary, Lady Elizabeth and Anne of Cleves. The Duchess, who was described as a "violent woman", wielded considerable power for a short time, which later would reflect negatively on her husband's reputation.

As Lord Protector Edward Seymour wielded almost royal authority. However, he lost his position of power following a show-down between the Privy Council and himself in October 1549. He and his wife were imprisoned in the Tower of London. The Duchess was released after a short time,Somerset himself in January 1550. According to the Imperial ambassador Jehan de Scheyfye, Anne Seymour had made daily visits to the house of the de facto new ruler, John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, who soon allowed Somerset to rejoin the Privy Council. The Duchess of Somerset and the Countess of Warwick then arranged a marriage between their respective eldest son and daughter, Anne Seymour and John Dudley.Somerset fell again into disgrace in October 1551, when he was arrested on charges of conspiring against Warwick, who had recently been created Duke of Northumberland. Somerset was convicted of felony on 1 December 1551 and beheaded on 22 January 1552 on Tower Hill. The Duchess of Somerset had been arrested with her husband and continued in the Tower until 30 May 1553. After Mary I's accession in July and the attainder of the Duke of Northumberland she was allowed to choose from the Dudley family's confiscated household stuffs

She lived out the rest of her life at Shelford. She died on 16 April 1587 and was buried in Westminster Abbey, London.where her tomb with its painted effigy can be viewed.

Christmas in our Homelands.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Christmas is only a few days away. What better way to get into the festive mood then with song.
Please enjoy these Christmas carols and anthems from our homelands. Of these, my favorite would by my English selection.

Victor

Sweden's Lucia Celebration



The Wexford Carol. Ireland



O Magnum Mysterium. England



Jauchzet Frohlocket. Germany



Il est ne le divin enfant. France

Gesu Bambino. Italy




Nu Zijt Wellekome. The Netherlands

The First Mormon in our Family's History. John Closson Annis (Mattson - Pierce - McCrillis)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
The fog and smog have returned to Utah Valley while the skies continue to hoard snow. Our ski resorts are making snow to stay in business. I read South Dakota is in a similar situation. Last winter we were white with snow at this time of year. I don't care much for the white stuff (a sediment arising from a steep hip breaker of a driveway. My car is scuttled if it isn't shoveled and that's where the problem lies) but like it or not, snow is a must to fill the reservoirs.

Today we learn about Abigail Annis, our 5 Great Grandmother and her nephew John Closson Annis.

Our family tree had this line dead end with Great Grandmother Abigail. Ancestry.com and the LDS site also end with Abigail. I don't take dead ends lightly and spent several hours on Sunday searching for clues concerning the linage of Abigail.

Here is what I learned.

• The family tree's listed show Abigail as born in Orange Ct. Vermont in 1764.
  
• The 1790 US Census lists the following as living in Orange County, Vermont.
  

1790 Census of Orange County, Vermont
Ezra Annes.
Jacob Annis
Jesse Annis. Fairley
John Annis. Thetford

Ezra Annis died in 1818 in Thetford Orange County, Vermont. He had brothers named Jacob, Jesse and John. His brother John died in 1778, thus too early for the 1790 Census. Ezra had sons named Jacob and John and a daughter named Abigail born in 1771. It is this Abigail whom I believe is our 5th Great Grandmother. There is a discrepancy of seven years on the birth between the two records, but how many Annis families would live in tiny Thetford Vermont in late 1700's, and wouldn't they all be related?

Thus from the 1790 Census we see that the Annis families living in Orange County Vermont are all siblings. Our Abigail fits right into this family. This is our Annis family.

Relationship Chart

Cormac Annis (1638 - 1717) born in Enniskillen, Fermanagh Co. Ulster Province, Ireland. married Sarah Chase (1647 - 1726)
to
Abraham Annis (1668 - 1751) married Hannah Badger (1673 - 1724)
to
John Annis (1700 - 1771) married Abigail Rolfe (1706 - 1770)
side note. John and Abigail also had a daughter named Abigail morn in 1741. Abigail was a common name in this family.
to
Ezra Annis (1726 - 1818) and Married Sarah Hagget Both died in Thetford, Vermont.
Their daughter Abigail was born in 1771. This Abigail I believe is our Abigail Annis who married Judah Swift. Our Abigail Annis born 1764 (or 1771) inThetford,VT. married Judah Swift (1756)

Abigail Annis Married Judah Swift
to
Phineas Swift (1786 - 1854)
to
Almira Swift (1809 - 1903)
to
Isabella Denora McCrillis
to
Vesta Althea Dennis (1892 - 1978)
to
Voilet Mae Pierce (1918 - 1987) married Walter Mattson
to
Luella, Linda, John and Marvin
to
Us

Our 5 Great Grandmother Abigail's brother John Annis (1764- 1839) had a son named John Closson Annis (1785 - 1864). John was also born in Thetford Vermont. John Closson Annis is our 1st cousin 6 times removed.

This is his story taken from the Annis Family History Facebook Page.

JOHN CLOSSON ANNIS was born May 8, 1785 at Thetford, Vermont; died circa 1846; married June 16, 1806, Hannah Crawford at Thetford, Vermont.

John was named for his maternal grandfather who died during the Revolution on an ill fated expedition against the British in Canada. He was married about the same time that his parents and younger brother migrated to western New York state, and did not accompany them at that time. He later traveled west, spending time at Batavia, New York, and than later worked as a boat builder at Cincinnati, Ohio. At some time he became a Mormon preacher and was at Nauvoo, Illinois during the settling of the religious community there during the 1840's. There may have been other children. His sons, Hamlet and James stayed in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. There is some conflict in the Latter Day Saints records as to the year of his death, and they have it recorded as June 16, 1849.

He also served with Mahon's regiment in western NY during the war of 1812. After the war, John C. continued his trek westward and is found on the 1820 census record in Mason Va. (now West Virginia) where his children James, Hannah Marie, and Elizabeth were born. John next appears in the 1829 Cincinnati Directory and the 1830 Ohio census. He purchased land in Cincinnati which he sold in 1833. The next chronological record is out of sequence and requires explanation:

The July 7, 1838 minutes of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints recorded in the Far West Record, indicates that John C. Annis received a blessing and was advanced to the office of a seventy for coming up to meet the camp in 1834. The camp referees to Zions Camp. Zion's Camp was a group of Mormon men from Kirkland Ohio led by the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith to relieve the suffering of the "saints" in western Missouri who were embroiled in mob violence and were being severely persecuted. To this day in the Mormon church, it is well know that the men of Zions Camp provided the leadership of the church for the next fifty years. It might be assumed that his participation in Zion's Camp gave John C. Annis a stature in the church as well as the community of Nauvoo that he might not otherwise held. He is mentioned several times in Joseph Smith's History of the Church and it might be significant that although John C. was born some 18 years earlier, the location of their birthplaces is less than eighteen miles apart. According to John C. Annis' appeal to the U.S. Congress for redress of grievances he and his family were driven by Missouri mobs from Jackson, Caldwell, Clay, and Lafayette counties between 1834 to 1839. When the Mormons were finally driven from the state in consequence to governor Lilburn Bogg's extermination order which decreed the all Mormons leave the state of Missouri or be killed, John C. Annis and his family joined the journey east to Quicey Illinois and eventually to Commerce City which became Nauvoo. The forced exodus during the winter of 1838-1839 Is a low point in Mormon and U S history, but it gave the Mormons experience in moving their people on short notice over long distances under the worst of conditions. John C. lived in Nauvoo Ill until 1846 when the Mormons in the words of Brigham Young "left because they were obliged to do so." There are numerous records from the Nauvoo period which document John C. Annis' activities. He built a saw mill on the Mississippi river at the intersection of Water and Parley Sts. the site of which is now under water occasioned by the construction of the Keokuk dam. He was involved in a court case over the logs from the mill hindering traffic and commerce and he voluntarily dismantled the mill.

Mormon Temple at Nauvoo.
Later destroyed by fire and Tornado

He purchased several pieces of property which he sold at a loss when he left Nauvoo. He served as a lieutenant in the Nauvoo legion and was active in the Nauvoo Masonic Lodge. Church records indicated that he was a member of the Nauvoo 4th ward. Mormon congregations are organized into units called wards. He was advanced to the office of a high priest is 1843, received the endowments in the Nauvoo temple which he undoubtedly helped build and received a Patriarchal blessing under the hand of John Smith in 1846. John's movement across Iowa can be roughly traced by the dated sale of his Nauvoo property.

The marriage of his daughter Hannah Marie to Cyrus Benedict Chase in Mason, Cerro Gordo county Iowa. This a little far north of the main Mormon migration route and whether he was there for the marriage has not been determined. It is know that he was with the main body of the church on March 13, 1847 when he sign a document held by the Mormon church which list his wife Hannah and their children Sabrina, William, John, Hamlet, Harvey, Nancy, James, Hannah, and Elizabeth. This document also asserts that William Taylor born to John and Susan Taylor June 12, 1832 in Pennsylvania was adopted by John C. Annis. Also included in this document is the name of Dolly Annis b. June 10, 1800 in Donnell, Caledonia Vt. The names of Dolly's parents and Dolly's children are also listed. Further investigation reveals her to be the former Mrs. Rueben Daniels of Kirkland Ohio. She was born Dolly Green in the place and on the date cited. Dolly died in either Toole or Salt Lake City in November of 1877 and was buried in a grave unmarked in 1989.

John C. Annis continued westward across Iowa and was welcomed into the Block house high priest Quorum at Potawatomee County (winter quarters) in August 1848. According to the 1850 census mortality schedule, John C. Annis died of cholera on June 12, 1849. This day is validated by Latter-day-Saint ordinance work performed on behalf of John C. Annis and his wife Hannah by Dolly Green Annis and Asa Davis in the endowment house of Salt Lake City in 1865

Joseph Smith

Also of note is the following:
1847.

To whom it may concern:--

"This is to certify that William E. McLellin commanded an Anti-Mormon company, in Missouri, who (with their faces blackened) cooperated with the other mob troops, to deprive the Mormons of their possessions, and drive them from the state. McLellin said, "I wish to God that I could see Joe Smith brought into the public square, in Far West and BEHEADED, for if the G-d__d rascal is taken to Liberty he will escape!"

At this time Joseph, Sidney, Hyrum, and the other prisoners were in a waggon, and fourteen guns were presented to their breasts, but the general slaughter was prevented by the interference of John C. Annis. McLellin was decorated with a variety of different coloured ribbons upon his hat, shoulders, and arms, as badges of distinction. M. AVERY.

Our Tornberg Coat of Arms

Hello All,
Ida Tornberg was my Great Grandmother.

Relationship Chart

Ida Tornberg married John Albert Mattson
to
Walter Mattson who married Violet Pierce
to
Luella, Linda, John, and Marvin

There are many posts in this blog about our Swedish / Finnish Tornberg ancestors. This post introduces you to the family's Coat of Arms shown above.

A description of the symbols represented in the Coat of Arms is given below.

Simply,
Victor

Tornberg Coat of Arms

"A golden upper part with three teeth on a red shield, a waving silver log in lower field with a black hunting spear. Red covering of the helmet with silver lining. Silver and red top braid. Golden flaming ring as helmet decoration, with a rising black wedge. A golden latin cross on top of the wedge."

The theme of the coat of arms refers to the distribution of the family in three northern countries and to the origin of the word "thorn", which means spearhead in the ancient scandinavian language. The origin of the family is in Ylitornio and the word Tornio might mean the spearhead shaped island in Tornio River. The helmet decoration refers also to Ylitornio and the wedge, describing a church tower refers to the many clergymen among our ancestors.

In the colors we can see the following: the red is the Lappish red, which appears in many northern coat of arms of provinces and municipalities. Also it refers to our ancestors, the bailiffs of Tornio Lapland who had red robes. The word "torn" also means tower. The family name "Tornberg" is often translated "tower mountain" in Finnish and that is why the helmet decoration contains a tower with a cross, which relates of the priests of the family. The three mountains on the shield describe the main area of distribution of the family in Finland, Sweden and Norway or the forests and hills of Tornio and Kemi rivers and Kuusamo. The silver wave can describe Tornio and Kemi rivers and the waterways of Kuusamo. The head of the hunting spear refers to the source of livelihood in the northern wilderness.

Two Separate Williamson Gatherings for Great Uncle Walt and Frances Williamson

Walt and Frances Williamson
See Relationship Chart Below for Family Link

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Two posts today, a real treat. Sundays give me a few extra hours to work on family history. I'm not someone who has a lot of hobbies so I enjoy spending my few free hours doing things I enjoy, like writing this blog.

I hope this blog gives our family an anchor in history. Each post is a letter written to you individually. Here you are introduced to our ancestors. Here you can read and come to understand the sacrifices they made by coming to this new world.

We are their living testaments, for when all is said and done, isn't being remembered everyone's last wish before death takes us into the final good night?

I'm posting pictures from two different Williamson gatherings in Deadwood, South Dakota honoring our Great Uncle Walt and Aunt Frances. I know some of the people in the photographs. Others are mysteries I leave in your good hands. If you recognize a face, please send an email so everyone can be identified.

Thank you,
Victor

Gathering One
Date? Reason?

Left to Right: ?, Mary ?, Great Uncle Walt Williamson,
Great Aunt Ethel Ogden (Walt's Sister), ? , ?

Lisa and Annette with cousin Nikki Williamson

Great Uncle Walt and Great Aunt Frances Williamson

The Walt Williamson Family. Left to Right.
Gayle, Pat, Walt, Frances and Woody.

Gathering Two.
The 50th Wedding Anniversary of Walt and Frances Williamson

Left to Right. Mary (Aunt Ethel's daughter) , Luella Williamson, Great Aunt Ethel, and Frances

Another picture at the 50th Anniversary.
Left to right is Sandy Williamson, Great Uncle Morris, Frances and Walt,
Uncle Bill and Great Aunt Joe.

Walt Williamson dancing with daughter Gayle

Great Uncle Walt Williamson and Great Aunt Frances.

Finally, a news story about Uncle Walt and Aunt Frances.