My Great Grandparents are 8th Cousins!

Maybe I'm a little weird, I think it's kinda cool that my wife's great grandparents are 8th cousins. Maybe "interesting" would be a better choice of words than cool...but in any case, the whole process has been really fun. Years of research led to finding a connection that forms a circle that spans 10 generations and around 300 years. Raymond Clifford Wisner married Beatrice Marie Hawver in 1921, approximately 300 years after their 7th great grandparents were born. I tried making a graphic for it in Excel. Check it out:

Christopher Douglass - Husband and Cousin

Christopher Douglass was born today 225 years ago, on 22 February 1787 in New London, CT. I don't know if his last name should have 1 s or 2, I have seen it both ways. I have seen it more often with a double s, so that's the way I'm spelling it for now.

His parents, Capt. Daniel Douglass and Lydia Douglass, were 3rd cousins. So does that make Christopher's brothers and sisters also 4th cousins? In addition to that, he married Phebe Douglass, who was his 1st cousin, once removed. If it were me, I might be a little suspicious of marrying someone with the same last name as me, especially when they were born in the same town as me, in the same year...in colonial Connecticut. They must have known. When they were kids at Christmas they would be like "Merry Christmas grandma!"
"No that's great grandma!"
"Hey, wanna get married?"

I have found reference to him in a few different books. Here is a quote that gives a brief summary of his life:

History of Walworth county, Wisconsin
By Albert Clayton Beckwith
Pg 511

Christopher Douglass was twice descended from William and Ann, who came to Boston in 1640, and to New London about 1651. He was son of Capt. Daniel5 (Robert4, Thomas3, Robert2, William1), and Lydia5 (William4, Richard3, William21); that is, these were third-cousins. Christopher was born February 22, 1787, at New London, Connecticut; married Phoebe Douglass, his mother's brother William Jr.'s granddaughter. Her parents were Ivory Douglass and Phoebe Smith. He came from Cattaraugus county, New York, to section 28, Walworth, in 1837, with ten children. He was chairman of the board of county commissioners, 1840-2, and a supervisor in 1848. He was one of the earliest school commissioners. He died February 16, 1867. His children were: Oscar Houghton, Christopher Columbus, Aurilla Ann, Roxana Columbia, Maria Theresa, Gilbert Lafayette, Phoebe Angeline, Agnes Noailles, Carlos Lavallette, Maria Louisa Josephine.

In the same book in a different section it made reference to the fact that he was at one time judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Erie county, NY, and also served in the war of 1812.

So in the end it looks like he did ok for himself. 10 kids, getting to be called "Your Honor," and the advantage of having 6 fingers.

Birthday Bio - William Douglass (1731-1805)

There is a lot of information already written on the Douglass family, and I have found a lot of William Douglasses. This one was born 279 or 280 years ago today on 7 February 1731 or 1732 in New London, CT. Here is some information that I have found on him.

A collection of family records: with biographical sketches bearing the name Douglas
Charles Henry James Douglas
Pg 147

96.
WILLIAM5 DOUGLAS (William4 Richard3, William2, William1), born in New London, Conn., Feb. 7, 1731-2. He married, May 31, 1752, Mary, daughter of Ivory and Mary Lucas, of New London. He was first constable and collector in New London from 1764 to 1772. He died Oct. 1, 1805. She died Jan. 31, 1810, aged 83 years. Children, born in New London :—
242. i. William6, b. Sept. 29, 1753; m. Lucretia Caulkins.
     ii. Margaret6, b. Feb. 19, 1755; m. Joseph Tinker, N. London.
     iii. Mary6, b. Dec. 25, 1757; m. Stephen Morgan, N. London; set. Wethersfield.
243. iv. Caleb6, b. April 16, 1760; m. Grace Morgan.
244. v. Ivory6, b. 1761; m. Phebe Smith.
     vi. Samuel6, b. abt. 1763; m. Deborah, dau. Samuel Morgan, N. London; d. s.p.
245. vii. Jonathan6, b. Aug. 31, 1765; m. Abigail Lay.
     viii. Sarah6, b. 1767; d. young.
240. ix. Daniel6, b. 1770; m. 1st, Lucy6 Douglas, 2d, Amelia6 Douglas.
247. x. Josiah6, b. 1772; m. 1st, Mary Griswold, 2d, Mrs. Elizabeth (Starr) Bishop.
     xi. Richard6, b. 1774; d. young.

Henry Sylvester Hawver died 108 years ago

Henry Sylvester Hawver (1822-1903) died 108 years ago today in Auburn California. I have been trying to find where he is buried. I thought that even though he died in Auburn, he would have been buried in Nevada County somewhere since that's where he lived.

I found a copy of his obituary in the Placer Herald on Saturday, 5 September 1903. Here is the text:

Death of Henry S. Hawver
Henry Sylvester Hawver, father of Dr. J.C. Hawver, died in this city on Friday of last week at the age of 81 years. The deceased was born in New York, January 4, 1822. His parents located shortly after in Wisconsin, where his childhood and young manhood were passed, and where, in 1842, he married the daughter of Judge Douglas. In 1850 he crossed the plains with the rush of gold seekers to California, where his wife and four children joined him three years later. He mined in El Dorado, farmed in San Benito, teamed to Virginia City in it's boom time, lumbered in the Sierras, and finally settled in Nevada county among the hydraulic mines, where he made his home for thirty years. A short time ago he was brought to Auburn for special care and treatment, owing to his fast failing health.

He leaves a wife and six children, ninteen grandchildren and nine great grandchildren scattered from Cape Nome to the boarders of Mexico. His surviving children are: Mrs. Cypres Johnson, Pacific Grove, Cal., Mrs. S.W. Modie, Los Angeles; Dr. J.C. Hawver, Auburn; Mrs. John C. Modie, Kern City; Mrs. C.W. Godgrey, Nevada City; Dr. H.D. Hawver, Spokane Wash.

Mr. Hawver's life was that of the typical pioneer, pushing his way toward the setting sun, with more hope for tomorrow than confidence in today.

I went to the Old Aurburn Cemetery to see if there were any Hawvers buried there. I found that JC Hawver had purchased a plot, but when I went to the plot there were no markers there. Later I found in the Hooper Weaver Mortuary Records Index 1877-1928 a reference to Henry S Hawver's wife: Anastasia Noailles (Douglass) Hawver. I went to the Doris Foley Library in Nevada City to look at the record. I discovered that even though she died in Nevada City, she was buried in Auburn, presumably next to her husband.

Check out the document:


So my conclusion is that both Henry and his wife Anastasia are buried at the Old Auburn Cemetery.

For more info on Henry S Hawver that I have found check out my Rootsweb page on him.