Puzzle Pieces

A few days ago I posted about my overall excitement of being contacted by a LINDSEY ‘cousin’ and the exchange of information that could potentially lead to may ancestral discoveries.  Only to be initially disappointed that other than dates – birth, marriage, death – and names, that there didn’t seem to be documentation to support oral histories and compiled genealogies.  If you haven’t seen the post and would like to read it before continuing with this one, here it is.  In the Absence of Documents.

As I noted “In the Absence of Documents,” I took a break from the LINDSEYs for a day or so, then came back and read through all the information that was shared with me and I also re-read the compiled genealogies and County History; I made note of the ‘puzzle pieces,’ that is, information that I thought I might follow-up on to – hopefully – discover source documents that would either sustantiate or disprove the information.

The ‘pieces of my puzzle:’  please note, this list flows, if you will, in the order that I noted the clues. The list is not necessarily in chronological order, nor necessarily in the order that I will, in the coming weeks, address them.

1.  From the History of Warren County New York, my ancestor, Edwin G LINDSEY was the editor of the “Glens Falls Observer” from 1827 – 1828.  The paper was located in Glens Falls, Warren County, New York. 

2. “The Lindsays of America” by Margaret Isabella Lindsay notes that my 3x Great Grandfather Edwin G LINDSEY was married once before to an Amerilla SKINNER, of Glens Falls, and their children were:  Washington Irving LINDSEY, born 1832, Hudson, New York; Isabel, their eldest daughter married a Mr. Church; another daughter, Polly, married Mr. Elijah Buttles; their daughter Nancy married Mr. Thomas Orton; their daughter Achseh married Mr. Ebeneezer Beebe; and their daughter Peggy, married Mr. Randall. 

3. “The Lindsays of America” by Margaret Isabella Lindsay notes that Archibald LINDSEY was Edwin G. LINDSEY’s (my 3x Great Grandfather)father.  It also says that Archibald LINDSEY came to New York from South Hadley, Massachusetts, where he was born.  The book lists he children as:  Benjamin, Cyrus, Kiliab (Caleb), Eliakim, Luke, Edwin Galloway, Isabel, Polly, Achseh, and Nancy.  It also notes that Cyrus settled in Galena Wisconsin and that Eliakim settled near Corry, Pennsylvania.

4. From the information shared with me, I learn:  prior to his marriage to my 3x Great Grandmother, Rosanna M RANKIN, my Great Grandfather deserted his wife Amerilla SKINNER and their children. 

That Archibald LINDSEY is buried in the Maxon-LINDSEY Cemetery in Attical, Wyoming County, New York.

Births and Marriages: (Archibald’s children)

Margaret:  born 23 October 1794, New York; died 6 September 1867, New Berlin, Waukesha County, Wisconsin.  She was married to Samuel Randall.

Isabel: born 10 September 1804, New York; died 17 June 1868, New Berlin, Waukesha County, Wisconsin.  She married Daniel Church.

Margaret LINDSEY & Samuel Randall’s daughter, Hannah, married Isabel LINDSEY & Daniel Church’s son Earl Askaneous.

Hannah and Earl Askaneous Church’s son, David Marks, married Sarah Burtiss; their daughter Lillian married John Alexander Peirson and one of their son’s is the father of my new found ‘cousin.’

5. My peek at the online ancestry.com LINDSEY trees yielded this tidbit. . .

Archibald was a Revolutionary War Soldier. 

This list forms a rudimentary research plan.

a). Learn more about Archives and record repositories in New York, specifically Glens Falls and both counties of Warren and Wyoming.

b).  What records and information can be located reference my 3x Great Grandfather’s marriage to Amerilla SKINNER?  What records can I locate on their children?

c).  Have you noted the similar names of both Edwin’s children and that of his siblings?  And, the marriages?  I know that it isn’t uncommon that our ancestors used the same naming conventions over and over again.  I also know that it isn’t necessarily unusual that our ancestors intermarried.  But, I pause, just a little, wondering if there might be something amiss?  So, I will need to be sure to look into the births and marriages.

d). What if anything, can I find to further document the story of my 3x Great Grandfather’s desertion of his first wife, Amerilla, and his family?

e). Is the Maxon-LINDSEY Cemetery still in operation?  Is there a cemetery office?  If not, where might I find the cemetery’s historical records.  What can I learn from them?

f).  Achibald is purported to have been a Revolutionary War Soldier.  Need to see what searches of Fold3, DAR and SAR will yield.

Have I missed anything?  Do you have suggestions?  As I make my discoveries in the coming days and weeks, I’ll be sharing with you.