Gravestones 21 thru 28, West Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson, IN

 

Daisy (nee Hollingsworth) Clifford, my great great grandmother on the Forkner-Clifford line. West Maplewood.

 

Hadley Clifford, my great great grandfather on the Forkner-Clifford line. West Maplewood.

 

Hannah (nee Irish) wife of Alfred Makepeace, my 4th great grandmother on the Forkner-Clifford line. West Maplewood.

 

Letitia (nee Makepeace) Clifford, my third great grandmother on the Forkner-Clifford line. West Maplewood.

 

Lieut. Emery Clifford, my third great grandfather on the Forkner-Clifford line. West Maplewood.

He served in the Civil War, in Company G of the 17th Indiana Infantry. From my research, it looks like he was promoted twice (sergeant to 2nd lieutenant to 1st lieutenant) and he served for several years. The 17th was part of Wilder's Lightning Brigade. As I'm sure you can imagine, I was beyond happy to find a Civil War veteran in my family tree!

 

Mary (nee Sangston) wife of Isaac Clifford, my 4th great grandmother on the Forkner-Clifford line. West Maplewood.

 

George and Sallie Groff, my great great grandparents on the Cookman-Groff side. West Maplewood. Sallie's name was Sarah Elizabeth Dobell, but they called her Sallie.

 

Minter Bailey and Sarah Jane (nee Meade) Cookman, my great great grandparents. West Maplewood Cemetery, Anderson, IN. Minter is pretty much the farthest back I've found on the Cookman line.

Gravestones 19 and 20, Anderson Memorial Park, Andeson, IN

 Harriett (nee Clifford) Forkner, my great grandmother. Anderson Memorial Park, Anderson IN.

Samuel Raymond Forkner, my great grandfather. Anderson Memorial Park.

I usually just refer to them as Grandma Harriet and Grandpa Sam. My father's middle name is "Ray" after his grandfather.

There's also a 'family plot' in Anderson Memorial Park that my grandparents own. They lost an infant son and he is interned there. I believe they have six spaces.

Clifford Ancestry Notes Part IV - The Babbitts

Elizabeth "Betsey" Babbitt's "immediate ancestry is remarkable for cousin marriages...Nathan Babbitt and Abigail Babbitt were brother and sister, and both of them were first cousins of Abiathar Babbitt. So the parents of Elizabeth "Betty" Babbitt were first cousins, and the parents of "Betsey" were both first and second cousins.

"Levi Babbitt had three short terms of service in the militia in 1775, one term in 1777, and one term in 1778. He lived all his life in Norton, MA.

"Nathan Babbitt had one six month term of Revolutionary War service in 1778. He lived all his life in Norton, MA.

"Abiathar Babbitt had three terms of Revolutionary War service in 1777 and 1778. He was born in Easton, MA and lived there after marrying his cousin Abigail Babbitt until they joined the Shakers. All of the family, except Betty, who had married Levi Babbitt, then moved to the Shaker colony at Harvard, MA, where both Abiathar and Abigail later died.

"Edward Babbitt was the immigrant ancestor. His first appearance on record was at Plymouth, MA on a list dated in 1643 of those males between 16 and 60 years and able to bear arms. Probably he was not much over 16 at the time. He bought his first land in Taunton, MA in 1652, and two years later married Sarah Tarne, daughter of Miles Tarne, a leather dresser, of Boston. He bought more land in 1658 and became one of the proprietors of Tauton by 1666.

"Relations with the local Indians became increasingly worse at this period. Finally the conflict known as King Phillip's War broke out. The alarm was given, and Edward and his family fled to the garrison stockade at Taunton, a few miles from their home. According to family tradition, Edward returned home to pick up some item which he had forgotten, but was caught and killed by the Indians before he could get back to the stockade."

Clifford Ancestry Notes Part III - The Shinkles

"Henry Shinkle was born in Lancaster Co. (now Lebanon Co.) PA. He married his first cousin, Maria Margaret Shinkle, later known as Margaret. He died in Fayette Co. IN. After his death, Margaret Shinkle moved to Madison Co. IN and later married a man named Stover. They moved to Missouri where she died.

"Philip Jacob Shinkle was born in Edenkoben, Electoral (Rhenish) Palatinate, Germany. he was brought to Pennsylvania at about 5 years of age. During the Revolutionary War, he was a Private in the Heidelberg Twp. Company of Associators (militia). He married Julia Ann Bolender and later moved to Ohio, where he bought land on 18 March 1805, and died at a date unknown to us.

"Christian Shinkle was born in Heidelberg Twp. Lancaster Co. (now Lebanon Co.) PA. During the Revolutionary War he was also a Private in the Heidelberg Twp. Company of Associators (militia). He married Maria Magdelena _______ and later moved to Lewis Twp. Brown Co. OH in 1805. After the death of Maria Magdalena, he married Elizabeth Stayton.

"Philipp Carl Schenkel was born in Edenkoben, Electoral (Rhenish) Palatinate, Germany. He married Maria Elisabetha Zimpel. As a serf of the Electoral Palatinate, he had to be manumitted (freed) before being allowed to emigrate, but was manumitted and permitted to emigrate without paying any of the usual fees because of his poverty. He and his family came from Rotterdam to Philadelphia on the ship "Snow Ketty" in 1752. They settled in Heidelberg Twp. Lancaster Co. (now Lebanon Co.).

"On July 22, 1984, our three-generations-in-a-van (Richard and Jeanne Forkner, Steve, Jo Ellen, Rich and John Ham) visited Edenkoben, a picturesque town on the Deutche Weinstrasse."

This image shows where Edenkoben is located in Germany.

My Irish Ancestry

I'm taking a break from my Fearless Females posts to celebrate my Irish heritage in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

First up, the Forkner side of the family and the Hollingsworths. They were Quakers.

Robert or Valentine Hollingsworth was born in England in 1547 but died in Ireland between 1599 and 1601. He may have been a settler. According to Wikipedia, he was in an English militia and went to Ireland as a planter for the Ulster plantation. His wife, Joan Parker, was born in Ireland and their son Henry Hollingsworth was born there as well, sometime in the 1580s. Henry died in Ireland, probably in or around 1675. The family lived in Ballyvickcrannel in the Parish of Segoe, County Armagh.

Henry married Katherine Cornish, who was born in 1590/1602 in County Armagh, Ireland. She died there in 1675. She was the daughter of Henry Cornish, the High Sheriff, and his wife. Henry Cornish was born in Ireland probably around 1576, but died in London.

Henry and Katherine had a son, Valentine Hollingsworth Sr. He was born in County Armag in 1632 and married in 1655 to Ann Ree. He married again in 1672 to Ann Calvert. The first marriage took place either in Tanderagee or Lurgan, County Armagh; the second in Drumgor. In Oct of 1682, he immigrated to America on the "Antelope" and died in 1710 or 1711 in Newark, New Castle County, Delaware. He's buried at the Friends Burying Ground, New Ark Monthly Meeting, New Castle Co, Newark DE.

Ann Ree was born about 1628 in Tanderagee, Parish of Ballymore, Armagh County, Ireland and died in 1671 in Ballyvickcrannell, Seagoe, County Armagh, Ireland. She was buried 1671 in Friends Burial Ground, Moyraverty, Co Armagh, Ireland. She was the daughter of Nicholas Ree

Nicholas Ree was born in the late 1570s in Ireland and was Christened 2 Oct 1597 in Tandergee, County Armagh, Ireland. He married and died in 1631 or 1641, possibly killed in an Irish rebellion.

Valentine and Ann had a son, Thomas Hollingsworth, born in 1661 in Ballyvickcrannell, Seagoe, County Armagh, Ireland. He immigrated in 1682 (presumably with his father and stepmother) and married in Pennsylvania in 1692 to Grace Cooke, who's father was born in Ireland. He died in 1727 in New Castle County, PA (now DE) and was buried at the Friends’ Burying Ground, Centre Meeting, Chester Co. PA.

From there, the Hollingsworths went to the Carolinas, Ohio and finally to Indiana where Daisy Hollingsworth married Hadley Clifford.

My ancestor James Savage (Fink side of the family, they married into the Braley line) was born in Ireland in 1673 and died in Maine around 1745. He's the last of the Savages I have in my research so I don't know anymore about him or his family.

Also in the Fink line, my research shows that the Ewings originally came from Ireland as well. William Ewing was born in Londonderry about 1690 and his son James or Charles was born there as well in 1720. He immigrated to America, married in Virginia in 1740/41 and died in 1800/01 in what is now West Virginia. His son would be Swago Bill who was mentioned in my first Fearless Females post which was about his wife. Swago Bill's mother was Margaret Sargeant and she was also born in Ireland.

Fearless Females March 6 - Heirlooms

March 6 — Describe an heirloom you may have inherited from a female ancestor (wedding ring or other jewelry, china, clothing, etc.) If you don’t have any, then write about a specific object you remember from your mother or grandmother, or aunt (a scarf, a hat, cooking utensil, furniture, etc.)

I have several family heirlooms.

I used to have my great grandma Fern’s wedding ring but I lost it. It was a gold band with flowers and leaves on it. My mother said it was cursed. Apparently my great grandfather had bought it at a pawn shop and the owner had told him that the original owner had divorced. My great grandparents also divorced. I wore it for years and in my senior year of high school, took it off during art class while working with clay and left it (and my graduation ring) on the table. Never saw either one again. I still miss my rings. I also have a gold locket with a diamond in it that's engraved that was Grandma Fern's and a gold pocket watch as well. Its also engraved. The locket has flowers, the watch a cross (I think). Oh and I almost forgot the most important thing! My sewing machine was Grandma Fern's as well! I use that more than I use about anything. And its even named Fern after her.

I also have furniture from the Fink side of the family – a dresser and a mirror. They were Aunt Nora’s but I got them when I was about seven. Nora was the daughter of John and Annette Fink, my 3^rd great grandparents, so I guess that makes her my 3^rd great aunt. From what my great aunt Esther Jo said, they may have been brought to Ohio from Pennsylvania when Jacob and Nancy Fink (my 4^th great grandparents) migrated.

I also have a huge woven basket and an abalone shell that belong to my great grandmother Edna’s on the Cookman side (she was a Groff). It took me years to get that basket from my mother. My argument was that I should have it because she was only a Cookman by marriage, not blood. I wonder what she used the basket for...

I don’t know if it’s really an heirloom, but today I’m wearing a top that my grandma Jenny made while she was in the hospital. My mother wore the top and now I wear it. It’s a 70s cream polyester pullover with hand embroidery.

How Long My Family Has Been In Indiana 2

Here is an examination of the rest of the Forkner / Clifford branches presence in the state of Indiana.

Family #7 - The Showalters and Farmers who married into the Hollingsworth Family

9. Abraham Showalter was born in 1778, married in 1802 and died in 1869. I don’t have locations for these events, but he lived in Franklin County, Virginia and Henry County, Indiana.

8. Abraham and his wife Frances had a daughter named Mary who was born in 1802 and probably lived in Indiana, considering that her father, husband and son all resided in that state.

8. John Farmer was born in 1794 and married in 1820. He resided in Franklin County, Virginia and Wayne County, Indiana.

7. John and Mary had a son, Isaiah, who was born in 1825, married in 1844 and died in 1853. I do not have locations for any of these events, but I do know that he resided in Henry and Madison counties in Indiana.

6. Mary Ellen Farmer was Isaiah’s daughter with his wife, Elizabeth Fifer. She was born in 1850 and died in 1928 in Madison County, Indiana. She resided in Anderson, Indiana.

Family #8 - The Fifers who married into the Farmer family

8. John Fifer was born in 1784 and married in 1808. He died in Indiana.

7. His daughter Elizabeth married Isaiah Farmer. She was born in 1816 and died in 1892. It is probable that she lived in Indiana since her husband did and since her father died in that state.

Family #9 - The Forkners

8. Isaac Forkner was born in 1775 in Surry County, North Carolina. He married Mourning Moura Lawrence in Grayson Virginia in 1797 and died in 1863 in Wayne County, Indiana.

7. Isaac and Mourning had a son, Jesse, who was born in 1798 in Surry County, North Carolina. He married Hannah Cornelious in 1817 in Virginia and died in 1844 in Madison County, Indiana.

6. Jesse’s son Samuel was the first Forkner born in Indiana. He was born in 1821 in Henry County, Indiana. He married in 1844 to Elizabeth McShirley (his first marriage) and died in 1872 in Madison County, Indiana.

5. Elizabeth and Samuel had a son they named Martin Luther. He was born in 1850 in Madison County, Indiana. His second marriage was to Victoria Belle Sharpe and they wed in 1891 in Anderson Indiana. Martin died in 1937 in Anderson.

4. Martin and Victoria had a son they named Samuel Ray. He was born in Anderson Indiana in 1892. He died in 1956 in Anderson Indiana. He was my great great grandfather.

Family #10 - The Cornelious', who married into the Forkner family

8. George Cornelious was born in Madison County, Indiana in 1774.

7. His daughter Hannah was born in 1800 in Indiana. I’ve also seen Pennsylvania as a birth place for her, but find Indiana more believable since that is where her father was born. She died in 1853 in Madison County, Indiana. She married Jesse Forkner.

Family #11 - The McShirleys married into the Forkners

6. Elizabeth McShirley was born in Macon County, Kentucky in 1825 and died in 1858 in Henry County, Indiana. She married Samuel Forkner.

Family #12 - The Sharps, who married into the Forkner family

6. Samuel Sharpe was born in 1832 in Rush County Indiana

6. Malinda Heflin was also born in Rush County, Indiana, but she was born in 1836.

5. Their daughter Victoria Belle was born in 1858 in Rush County, Indiana and died in 1918 in Anderson Indiana. She married Martin Luther Forkner.

How Long My Family Has Been In Indiana 1

My father was born in Indiana. After my recent post on how long my family has been in Ohio, I thought I'd see how long his branch has been in Indiana. And I found out that the Forkner / Clifford branch has been there, just as long as the Finks have been in Ohio. There's so much information though, that I plan to split this post. So here's the first post covering the first six families.

Family #1 - Clifford, Pierce, Forkner, Cookman

10. Johnathon Clifford was born in 1769 in Rumney, Grafton, New Hampshire. He resided in Barnet, Vermont and Fayette County, Indiana and died in 1836 in Fayette, Indiana.

9. His wife Sarah Pierce was born in 1774 in Barnet, Caledonia, Vermont and died in 1862 in Indiana.

8. Johnathon and Sarah had a son , Isaac. He was born in 1812 in Vermont and married in 1841. I don’t have a death date for him, or a location of his marriage or death. However, considering that his parents died in Indiana and his son was born in Indiana, one can assume that he at least lived in the state for a period of time.

7. Emery Clifford is the son of Isaac and his wife Mary. He was born in 1842 in Fairview, Fayette County, Indiana (the first Clifford born in Indiana!) and married Letitia Makepeace in 1864. He died in 1915 in Indiana. IN

6. Emery and Letitia had a son named Hadley, who was born in Anderson, Indiana in 1869. This is our first Anderson birth! He married Daisy Hollingsworth in 1891 and died in 1957 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana.

5. Harriet Clifford was Hadley and Daisy’s daughter. She was born in 1898 in Anderson Indiana and married Samuel Ray Forkner in 1918 in Anderson, Indiana. I don’t have a death date for her.

4. Harriet’s daughter is my grandmother – Kathleen Frances Forkner. She was born in Indiana and married Donald Cookman.

3. Their son Clifford (my father) was also born in Indiana. However, he moved to Ohio, so as we already know, I was born there and not in Indiana. BUT, my uncles’ children (2) were all born in Indiana and my cousins’ Casi and Jessica both have children that were born in Indiana (1). So that gives us ten generations of the family in Indiana.

Family #2 - The Sangstons, who married into the Cliffords.

9. Isaac Sangston died in 1828 and resided in Fayette County, Indiana.

8. His son William was died in 1833 and resided in Brownsville, Indiana.

7. And his daughter Mary Sangston married Isaac Clifford. She was born in 1822 and died in 1866. I don’t have locations for either, but assume she lived in Indiana for at least a period of time, since her father and grandfather lived in Indiana and her son was born in Indiana.

Family #3 - The Makepeaces, who also married into the Cliffords

8. Amasa Makepeace was born in 1777, married in 1800 and died in 1848 in Chesterfield, Union Township, Madison County, Indiana. He resided in Norton, Mass. and Chesterfield, Indiana.

8. Betsey Babbitt was born in 1784 and died in 1858 in Chesterfield, Madison County, Indiana.

7. Amasa and Betsey’s son Alfred was born in 1804 in Norton Mass. I also found that he may have been born in Chesterfield, Madison County, Indiana. He married Hannah Irish in 1828 in Madison County Indiana, resided in Anderson, and died in 1874.

6. Their daughter Letitia (Emery Clifford’s wife) was born 1842 in Chesterfield Indiana and died in 1926 in Anderson Indiana. She lived in both cities during her lifetime.

Family #4 - The Irishs, who married into the Makepeace family

8. James M Irish was born in the 1780s in New York and married in Rensselaer County, New York. He died around 1861 either in Texas or in Madison County, Indiana. Since he’s buried in Madison County, I personally lean towards Indiana as his death place, unless they moved his body.

8. His wife Elizabeth Dibble was born in the late 1780s / early 1790s in Connecticut and died in 1869 in Pendleton, Madison County, Indiana.

7. James and Elizabeth’s daughter Hannah (wife of Amasa Makepeace) was born in 1810 in Nassau, Rensselaer County, New York and died in 1858 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana.

Family #5 - The Hollingsworths, who married into the Cliffords

8. Elias Hollingsworth was born in 1794 in Fish Dam Townhip, Old 96^th District, Union County, South Carolina. He married Elizabeth Curtis in 1814 in Clark County Ohio and died in 1846 in Osage County Missouri. He may have lived in Indiana for a time before moving on to Missouri.

8. His wife Elizabeth was born in 1795 in Harrison County, Virginia and died in 1849 in Indiana, either in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County or Richland Township, Madison County. You may remember Elizabeth from my Pioneers post a little while ago – she was the first white woman in Madison County.

7. Elias and Elizabeth’s son James was born in 1815 in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio. He married Mary Elizabeth Shinkle in 1836 in Fall Creek, Madison County, Indiana. James died in 1902in Lafayette Township Tippacanoe County Indiana.

6. James and Mary Elizabeth had a son named George, the first Hollingsworth born in Anderson, Indiana, in 1843. He married Mary Farmer in 1858 and died in the early 1890s in Anderson, Indiana.

5. Daisy Hollingsworth was the daughter of George and Mary. She was born in 1873, probably in Indiana since that is where he father was born. She died in 1940 in Anderson, Indiana. She was the wife of Hadley Clifford, mentioned above.

Family #6 - The Shinkles who married into the Hollingsworths

8. Henry Shinkle was born in the mid 1790s in Pennsylvania, probably in Heidleberg. He married his wife Maria Margaret in 1814 in Feesburg Ohio and died in 1857 in Osage Missouri. I’d like to note here that my great uncle Dick’s research puts Henry’s death in 1827. Henry lived in Indiana.

7. Mary Elizabeth Shinkle (wife of James Hollingsworth) was born in 1819 in Feesburg, Ohio. She died in 1891 in Indiana, either in Anderson or in Lafayette Township, Madison County.

Clifford Ancestry Notes Part 2 - The Hollingsworths

"Elias Hollingsworth was born in Union Co. SC, probably married in Ohio, and died in Osage Co. Missouri. His wife Elizabeth Curtis was born in Harrison Co VA (Now WVa). There are supposed to have come to Madison Co IN from Clark Co. OH. Clark County was formed in 1818, about four years after the probable year (1814) of their marriage. Some years ago I searched the marriage records of the four counties surrounding Clark, but found no marriage record for Elias and Elizabeth. Her parentage remains unknown to me.

"Benjamin Hollingsworth was born in New Castle Co. DE and married and died in the area which became in 1785 Union District SC. He remained a Quaker in good standing until 26 Feb. 1780, when he was disowned "for taking up arms in a warlike manner". He was in the battle of King's Mountain (7 Oct 1780). According to an account many years later by another participant, "Ben Hollingsworth and myself took right up the side of the mountain and fought from tree to tree...to the summit." Ben was restored to Quaker membership 29 May 1790. He married Phebe Posey, daughter of Francis Posey and Mildred _____.

"The ancestry of Francis Posey has not been determined. It seems quite possible that he was descended from Francis Posey (1615-1654), who came to Virginia in 1637 and later moved to Maryland. The late James Emison of Terre Haute, IN published a book about the Posey family and identified Francis as a French Huegenot who was brought to England as a boy in the 1620s, and as a member of the French family of Poschet of Voyauz (near Cambrai). Our descent from this man remains only a possibility.

"Elias Hollingsworth was born in New Castle Co. DC and died in Union District SC. He married, at New Castle DE, Susannah Pearce. She died in South Carolina before 20 Aug. 1791, because Elias and Dinah ______ were shown on that date as husband and wife in a deed. Elias was disowned by the Quakers at least twice, the first time in 1760 for not paying his just debts. In 1763 Elias and Susannah and four children moved to Louden Co. VA and in 1766 to South Carolina where they lived in the area which in 1785 became Union District. He was reinstated in 1769 as a Quaker. With the onset of the Revolutionary War, he was disowned again 3 March 1776. He served as Quartermaster in the South Carolina militia. Later he became a Justice of the Peace.

"Valentine Hollingsworth was the immigrant ancestor. He was born at Ballyvickcrannel, Seagoe Parish, Co. Armagh, in northern Ireland (now Ulster). His father, Henry Hollingsworth, probably had come to Ireland from England in the 1620s as a part of the first Ulster plantation. Probably at a time not long after his marriage he became a Quaker. When he stopped attending the Church of Ireland services and paying his tithes, he got into trouble with the government. The magistrates began to seize his farm produce in lieu of his tithe. After several years of these losses, he emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1682. Very soon thereafter, he was a member of the first assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania and served in that body at later times."

Clifford Ancestry Notes Part 1 - Jonathon Clifford and Sarah Pierce

I've finished updating my research with information from "Clifford Ancestry", compiled by my great uncle Dick. The back of the book contains several pages of notes on the research, and I thought I'd reproduce them here.

"We have been unable to discover any record of their marriage, but the fact of the marriage is roved by a combination of family tradition, a short biography of Jonathon in the History of Plymouth, New Hampshire, and a quit-claim deed in the land records of Barnet, VT (in the Vermont Archives in Montpelier). The quit-claim deed also proves Sarah's parentage.

According to family tradition, some of Jonathon's sons walked to Indiana and entered land in Fayette County; then the parents and younger children joined them. Jonathan and Sarah are buried in Fairview Cemetery in Rush County, just west of the Fayette County line."

My Puritanical Roots II

In exploring the "Clifford Ancestry" book that I am borrowing from my grandmother, I discovered that I am descended from the Pilgrims on her side of the family as well.

Thomas Rogers was born Before 1572, Watford, Northampton, England, son of William and Eleanor Rogers. He married Alice Cosford, 24 October 1597, in Watford, Northampton, England. She was the daughter of George Cosford. Thomas died in 1620 or 1621, during the first winter after coming over on the Mayflower. He journeyed over with his son Joseph while the rest of the family stayed in Holland. Joseph survived the winter. And Thomas' Son John came to Plymouth about 1630, and there married Anna Churchman, on 16 April 1639. My family is descended from John Rogers.

John Married Anna Churchman on 16 April 1639 and Died in 1691 or 1692. He was a resident of Leiden Holland and of Duxbury MA while he was alive. Anna Rogers, his daughter, married John Tisdale.

Anna died in 1704. John Tisdale was Born in 1642, married Anna Rogers on 23 Nov 1664 and died Dec 1677. He Resided in Taunton MA. Anna and John had a daughter named Abigail.

Abigail Tisdale was born on 15 July 1667. She married William Makepeace (Born 1662 or 1663; Married 2 Dec 1685; Died Dec 1736; Resided Freetown and Taunton MA). They had a son who was in turn also named William.

William was Born in 1704 and married Experience Aldrich on 14 Jan 1724/25. He Died 15 April 1740 and Resided in Norton, MA during his life. William and Experience had a son named Peter.

Peter Makepeace was Born 18 April 1730 and married Abigail Morey on 10 April 1756. He lived in Norton MA and Died 9 Oct 1796. Peter and Abigail had a son named Amasa.

Amasa was born on 29 Nov 1777. On 18 May 1800, he married "Betsey" Babbitt. He lived in Norton MA and Chesterfield IN and died 28 Feb 1848 in Chesterfield. Amasa and Betsey had a son named Alfred.

Alfred Makepeace was Born on 3 Nov 1804 in Norton MA OR Chesterfield, Madison, IN. He Married Hannah Irish on 28 Aug 1828 in Madison Co IN and Died 3 March 1874. He was a resident of Anderson IN. Alfred and Hannah had a daughter, Letitia.

Letitia was Born 21 Aug 1842 in Chesterfield IN and Died 14 March 1926 in Anderson IN. She Resided in both Anderson and Chesterfield IN. She was married to Emery / Emory Watson Clifford on 11 Feb 1864.

Hadley Watson Clifford was Born 26 Aug 1869 in Anderson IN and Married Daisy Leota Hollingsworth on 8 Dec 1891. He Died 8 Oct 1957 in Anderson, Madison Co. IN and Resided Anderson IN while he was alive. Hadley and Daisy were the parents of Harriet Letitia Clifford, my great grandmother.

Harriet was Born 7 Dec 1898 in Anderson Indiana and Married Samuel Ray Forkner on 21 Aug 1918 in Anderson Indiana.

Kathleen Frances is Harriet's daughter and the mother of Clifford Ray Cookman, my father.

So I am the 10th great granddaughter of Thomas Rogers, passenger on the Mayflower and signer of the Mayflower Compact.

Thanksgiving and my Clifford Ancestry

For Thanksgiving, we journeyed to my grandparents' home in Anderson, IN. For those of you paying attention, you'll realize that since I was in Anderson, I was likely visiting my father's side of the family and you would be correct. We had four generations in that tiny house on the outskirts of town - my grandparents, my parents, my aunt and one of my uncles, four of the six grandchildren, three grandchildren spouses and the three babies (my cousins' children). It got a little hectic that's for sure. And as the babies grow and start sitting at the table like the oldest did this year, I start to think we need a bigger table.

While there, I noticed a frame in the hallway with old photos in it. One was easy to figure out -- it was my great grandfather Cookman and I knew that because Grandpa looks just like him. Unable to figure anything else out, I went to my father. He knew that a couple of the photos were Grandma's parents (which I should have known because her father had the distinctive Forkner chin), but didn't know who anyone else was. So I pulled the frame off the wall and perched on the loveseat arm next to Grandma to ask her. I remember that one of the photos was of the Dobell family (my grandfather's side) and another was her grandfather and step grandmother.

Then Grandma pulled out her copy of "Clifford Ancestry", a book her brother compiled a few years ago. I paged through it, sharing interesting bits with the relatives near me and realized that there was information in there that I didn't have in my research. I asked if I could borrow it until Christmas and she conceded, upon agreement of death if I fail to return it. I'll probably make myself a copy before I return it.

And I plan to spend most of the day at work looking at my research and comparing it to the book.

Ann Smith and the Witch Trials

Ann Smith was born on February 8, 1662/63 in Hampton or Exeter, New Hampshire. She was the daughter of Nicholas Smith and his wife Ann. After her mother's death, Ann and her older brother Nathaniel were placed (fostered) in the household of William and Margery Godfrey in Hampton. The Godfreys were older, previously married and widowed, and had raised several children both from their own union and their previous ones. Nicholas Smith remarried, but never reclaimed his children. In 1671, William Godfrey died and Margery married for the third time to a neighbor. Nathaniel remained with his adoptive mother, but Ann was transferred in 1672 to another family. She was now fostered in the household of John Clifford, a very complex household as John was on his third marriage, and his wife Bridget on her second. They had children from all of their earlier unions. In 1672, the Clifford household contained thirteen people including eleven children with four different surnames. Ann Smith eventually married Israel Clifford, the son of John and his first wife Sarah. Israel was born about 1647/48 in Hampton, NH and was married to Ann Smith on March 15, 1679/80 in Hampton by Samuel Dalton. He served in King Philip's War.

While all of this is interesting, what I find most intriguing about Ann Smith is that she was an alleged victim of a witch named Goody Cole. In October of 1672, Goody Cole was arraigned for "appearing under various forms, as a woman, a dog, an eagle and a cat, to entice a young girl, named Ann Smith, to live with her." Cole had previously been jailed for 15 years for witchcraft but was acquitted of these charges. The claim was brought by Sarah Clifford nee Godfrey, wife of John Clifford the younger who lived close to his father's household. There's speculation that Cole may have reached out to Ann, seeing her as a fellow lonely soul. Or that Ann may have reached out to Goody Cole, an elderly woman who may have been nice to her, looking for a place to belong. After all, she was just one child among eleven in the Clifford household and had already been abandoned by her father and her adoptive mother.

Sources:
Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England by John Putnam Demos Oxford University Press 1982, Chapter 10.

THE CLIFFORD ASSOCIATION, David Clifford, Keeywaydin, Selsfield Road, West Hoathly, W. Sussex RH194QN (01342811252) England. Clyfford@aol.com. The Association has a database of 30,000 Clifford related people. It is sponsored by the current Lord Clifford.

Noyes/Libby/Davis, "Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire," (1939), p. 151.

How I'm related to Ann Smith and Israel Clifford - My father is Clifford Cookman, son of Kathleen Frances Forkner. She is the daughter of Harriet Letitia Clifford (born 7 Dec 1898 and Married 21 Aug 1918, both in Anderson, IN). Harriet was the daughter of Hadley Watson Clifford (Born 26 Aug 1869 in Anderson, Married 8 Dec 1891, Died 8 Oct 1857 in Anderson). Hadley was the son of Emery Watson Clifford (Born 21 Aug 1842 in Fairview Fayette Co IN; Married 11 Feb 1864; Died 10 June 1915 in Anderson). Emery was the son of Isaac Clifford (born in 1812 in Vermont; Married 21 Oct 1841). He was the son of Johnathon Clifford (Born 7 May 1769 in Rumney, Grafton, NH; Died 7 June 1836 in Fayette, IN). He was the son of John Clifford (Born 11 Sept 17 43 or 18 March 1737 in Kingston, Rockingham Co. NH; Died 1790 in Dorchester, Grafton, NH). John was the son of Isaac Clifford Sr (Born 24 May 1696 in Hampton, Rockingham, NH; died 11 Sept 1745 in Kingston, Rockingham Co., NH). Isaac was the son of Israel and Ann.

So my 8th great grandmother was a witness during the New England witch hunts.