John Doolittle and his Wife, Hannah Guernsey

"...they dug up an iron kettle of silver coins...kept the money themselves, but sent the kettle home to grandmother..."

I've always loved to read historical accounts of regular people making their way daily through times very different than mine. Now that I research my own family's history, the stories are even better because the people I read about are related to me. No matter how distant the connection, just knowing that we are of the same blood and that we share a bit of DNA makes them my people.

Two brothers, Abraham and John Doolittle, came to Boston, Massachusetts from England in 1640 (or perhaps earlier). This John Doolittle (there are many!) died in 1681, leaving no children. It is therefore believed that Abraham is thus the ancestor of all the Doolittles in America.

Abraham had a son named John, who had a son named Samuel, who had a son named Abel. Abel Doolittle (1724-1769) and his wife, Thankful Moss, had a son named (of course) John! So Abraham's great great grandson was the John Doolittle who stars in today's post.

John Doolittle (1750-1825) is my first cousin, six times removed. I'll explain that relationship at the bottom of this post. He married Hannah Guernsey (1755-?), the great great great granddaughter of John Guernsey, who was thought to have emigrated from the Isle of Guernsey in the English Channel and settled in Milford, Connecticut.

Quoting from The Doolittle Family in America, with my remarks in brackets:

John Doolittle was a stone mason by trade. In 1786, with the war of independence ended, he and Hannah with their 3 young ch. [Mary, age 8; Abel, age 6; and John, age 4] moved from Watertown and made the first settlement on the west side of the Susquehanna river in N.Y. It was at the mouth of Doolittle Creek, where the town of Win[d]sor, Broome Co., now stands. 

Here is a map showing that today's trip from Watertown to Windsor would be 191 miles.

The story continues:

At that early day it was all a howling wilderness inhabited by Indians and wild animals. John cleared a place in the woods, built a log house with one room and made some rough furniture--the table and some of the wooden plates are still preserved. 

The following is told by his gr. dau. Mrs. Marietta Doolittle Maynard, of Stanford, N.Y.: "When my grandparents rem. from Conn., grand father walked and carried large leather saddle-bags with their clothing in, and grand mother and the 3 ch. rode horseback on a big leather pillion containing other parts of their outfit. Their living was mostly game, fish and corn. After locating, my grandfather built a mill to prepare their corn for jonny-cake which they would bake on a board before the fire. 

"They had many interesting experiences with the Indians. At one time he found a savage almost frozen to death. Grandfather cut a stick so that the Indian could help himself along, but the latter fainted--thinking the white man was going to kill him. Grandfather carried water from the creek in his hat and restored the Indian whom he took home with him. It was six weeks before the sick man was able to go away. In a short time he returned with a present of some apples and the carcass of a deer. Soon after this four Indians came and urged grandfather to go to the river bank with them, where they dug up an iron kettle of silver coins. They kept the money themselves, but sent the kettle home to grandmother. 

"Their pioneer life had many trials and privations. One day three years after emigrating, Hannah was gathering greens and caught sight of a white woman across the river--the first since leaving Conn. By means of a slab raft they met, and she learned that a number of families had come to the locality. Soon after this religious services and a school were started."

The Doolittle Family in America goes on to tell that John and Hannah had seven sons and two daughters: 

Mary, born Sep 27, 1778, married David Way

Abel, born Jul 27, 1780

John, born Sep 19, 1782

David, born Dec 28, 1786

Roswell, born Apr 26, 1790; died Aug 3, 1794

Sally, born Oct 18, 1794

Garrett, born Feb 6, 1797

Charles, born Sep 13, 1799

"They lived near the old homestead and d. at good old ages. Some of their descendants still reside in the same vicinity but many are scattered in other states. His sons became farmers. Their lands except Samuel's joined their father's along Doolittle Brook and the place is known as Doolittle Farms. There they lived and d. 

John, Sr. prob did not remain more than a few years on the lands he originally settled near Win[d]sor, but rem. 1 1/2 miles farther up the river and located at what is now Onaquago [now called Onaquaga] in Broome Co. [New York].

He d. Aug 17, 1825, a. 74, and was buried at Win[d]sor. His wid. reached the extraordinary age of 96 and d. in 1851. "

*****

Sources

1. Abraham Doolittle and Some of His Descendants, by Orrin Peer Allen. Reprinted by the Magazine of New England History. Newport, Rhode Island: R.H. Tilley, 1893. http://rs5.loc.gov/master/gdc/scdser01/200401/books_on_film_project/BOF001/20060410014ab.pdf

2. The Doolittle Family in America. Compiled by William Frederick Doolittle. Cleveland, 1901. https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/14940/dvm_GenMono002448-00001-1?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return.

3. John Doolittle (Person 403) in The Doolittle Family in America: https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/14940/dvm_GenMono002448-00153-1/262?backurl=&ssrc=pt_t67617247_p290192241700&backlabel=Return&rc=859,245,1198,283;141,451,273,507;1905,668,2074,735;269,1718,417,1770;416,1719,729,1770;1228,1723,1402,1793;1911,1851,2078,1907;1324,2073,1494,2130;1620,2508,1790,2580;315,2846,456,2914;455,2847,741,2904;207,3296,492,3349;1007,3518,1219,3586#?imageId=dvm_GenMono002448-00153-1

How John Doolittle and I are connected:

John Doolittle (1750 - 1825)


1st cousin 6x removed


Thankful Moss (1728 - )


mother of John Doolittle, and my 6th great aunt




John Moss (1682 - 1755)


father of Thankful Moss




Hannah Moss (1709 - 1787)


daughter of John Moss. Hannah is my 5th great grandmother




Capt. David Ives (1740 - 1820)


son of Hannah Moss




Merab Ives (1776 - 1843)


daughter of Capt. David Ives




John Shepherd Kinney (1802 - 1872)


son of Merab Ives




Sarah Ann "Anna" Kinney (1842 - 1935)


daughter of John Shepherd Kinney




David Jewett Crabtree Sr. (1875 - 1954)


son of Sarah Ann "Anna" Kinney. David is my grandfather




Elva Myrtle Crabtree (1914 - 1998)


daughter of David Jewett Crabtree Sr.




Clair Marie Harris (that's me)


I am the daughter of Elva Myrtle Crabtree

Progress Report: My Mother's Family

The first chart below shows several generations back for my mother's family. A lot has been added since I first posted her family tree on this blog. Of course, each of these people has many more pages showing relatives of their own, which you can see by clicking on any name.

When I first started this research, it was difficult to know where to begin, as there were so many blank generations to be filled in. I knew my mother's parent's and grandparent's names, but my knowledge stopped there. This chart shows both the progress and the places where more research is needed. Clearly, I will need to be concentrating on my great-grandmother, Martha Grant, and her ancestors. 

This chart doesn't tell the whole story, however. There just isn't enough room on this page to represent all the known generations. If you will scroll down to the second chart, which starts with my great great grandfather, John Shepherd Kinney (1802-1872) who is in the fourth column from the left in the first chart, you will see that there is more to the story.

Elva Myrtle Rodriguezformerly Crabtree Born 27 Dec 1914 Died 29 Sep 1998 Sister of Alma Adelia Nickerson , Clifford Alden Crabtree, Beecher Henry Crabtree, Jesse Howard Crabtree, Hope McLeod, Bess Lelia York, Anna Avis Middleton, Sarah Norma Ariel, Gladys Laversa Hudgins, Lois Carrow Stockson, Muriel Evelyn Blakely  and David Jewett Crabtree Jr.  Wife of Daniel Lawrence Harris   Wife of Ernest Rodriguez  Mother of Clair Marie Zarges   and Jean Lee Harris		David Jewett Crabb Sr.   20 Jun 1875 - 17 Apr 1954		William Henry Crabb Jr.   1837 - 28 Jun 1890		William Henry Crabb Sr.   1802 - 1868		John Crabb Jr.   1770 - Nov 1853
								Elizabeth Mary Cram   abt 1759 - aft 1803
						Elizabeth Nason   abt 1805 - aft 1840		[Great-Great-Grandfather?]
								[Great-Great-Grandmother?]
				Sarah Ann Kinney   03 Oct 1842 - abt 14 Aug 1935		John Shepherd Kinney   1802 - 15 Dec 1872		Stephen Kinney   1771 - 03 May 1837
								Merab Ives   1776 - 23 May 1843
						Sarah Crabtree   1820 - abt 1887		Richard Arnold Crabb   30 Nov 1789 - 12 Jun 1867
								Mary Giggey   02 Nov 1788 - 26 Dec 1863
		Edith Rae Giberson   10 Mar 1880 - 26 Sep 1946		William Giberson   1856 -		Samuel Giberson   10 Aug 1826 -		James Giberson   03 Jul 1791 -
								[Great-Great-Grandmother?]
						Elizabeth Campbell   1837 -		Tamberlane Campbell   Sep 1813 - 05 Nov 1892
								[Great-Great-Grandmother?]
				Martha Grant   abt 1858 - bef 1890		[Great-Grandfather?]
						[Great-Grandmother?]

This second chart takes us back to my ggggggg grandparents, if I've counted correctly. WikiTree's concept of a "worldwide collaborative family tree" makes this chart possible. The further back we get in family history research, the more genealogists have worked on our common ancestors and the more information we have to share.

But wait, there's more! If you will locate Daniel Kenney (1705-1780) in the chart below, we can take a look at his ancestors as well. Just scroll down to the third chart. I hope you'll be surprised to find out just how far back we can go. I certainly was!

John Shepherd "Sugar John, Praying John"Kinney Born 1802 Died 15 Dec 1872 Brother of Israel Kinney,Israel Kinney , Stephen Kinney, Daniel Kinney, Josiah Kinney , James Kinney,Elijah Kinney, Ruth Kinney,Esther Kinney, Susan Kinney,Abigail Kinney and Eunice Kinney Husband of Sarah Crabtree   Father of John Shepherd Kinney  , Aaron Kinney ,Sarah Ann Kinney  , Susan Kinney , Adelia M. Kinney ,Richard Wayman Kinney and Charles Allen Kinney		Stephen Kinney   1771 - 03 May 1837		Israel Kinney   23 Oct 1739 - 24 Dec 1791		Daniel Kenney   19 Oct 1705 - abt 1780		Daniel Kinne   23 Jul 1682 - 28 Mar 1766
								Mary Richards   1684 - 28 Mar 1766
						Elizabeth Stockwell   1706 - abt 1795		William Stockwell   - 1747
								Elizabeth Shaw   - 1716
				Susannah Hood   27 Oct 1745 - 14 Jan 1812		Nathaniel Hood   1707 - 08 Jun 1755		Nathaniel Hood   09 Jun 1669 - 30 Oct 1748
								Joanna Dwinnell   05 Jul 1685 - 01 Mar 1732
						Abigail Potter   06 Sep 1713 -		Samuel Potter   1657 - 02 Aug 1714
								Sarah Chilson   04 Jun 1673 - 05 Oct 1737
		Merab Ives   1776 - 23 May 1843		Capt. David Ives   -		[Great-Grandfather?]
						[Great-Grandmother?]
				[Maternal Grandmother?]

I have to send out thanks to all the genealogists who have spent many thousands of hours compiling this information. Perhaps, working together, we actually can build a collaborative family tree for the entire world's population. Anything is possible, I suppose. 

One last note: It's almost an embarrassment of riches, but if you click on Henry Kinne's (1623-1696) name below, then on "family tree" on his page, you can see that his information reaches back for at least another four generations.

Daniel Kenney Born 19 Oct 1705 Died about 1780 Brother of Israel Kenny and Mary Kenny Husband of Elizabeth Stockwell Father of Daniel Kenney andIsrael Kinney	Daniel Kinne (23 Jul 1682 - 28 Mar 1766)	Thomas Kinne Sr. (11 Mar 1655 - 01 Jun 1687)	Henry Kinne (08 Jul 1623 - 19 Jun 1696)	John Kinne (1602 - 1670)
				Sarah Cheever (abt 1600 - 1663)
			Ann Putnam (1637 - 1680)	Edmund Putnam (1603 - 1675)
				Anne Compton (1607 - 1680)
		Elizabeth Knight (07 Apr 1658 - 06 Feb 1694)	Joseph Knight (abt 1624 - 13 Aug 1687)	John Knight (abt 1595 - 22 May 1674)
				Mary Pickering (1598 - 16 May 1676)
			Hannah Lamb (17 Dec 1633 - 13 Jan 1695)	Edward Lamb (bef 1608 - bef 1650)
				Margaret French (1610 - 1650)
	Mary Richards (1684 - 28 Mar 1766)	Joseph Richards (1653 - 24 Feb 1695)	William Richards (23 Jan 1619 - 25 Jul 1682)	John Richards (1578 - )
				Grace Weightman (08 Oct 1592 - )
			Grace Shaw (15 Aug 1621 - aft 1682)	Abraham Shaw (14 Nov 1585 - 10 Oct 1638)
				Elizabeth Best (09 Apr 1592 - abt 1649)
		Susan Richards (1654 - 1680)	____________________ [Great-Grandfather]	____________________ [G-G-Grandfather]