New blog location & Website

I just moved my blog to my new website! (This is also my first post sent from my phone)

Rev. War Pensions - Thomas & Asa BLOOD

I've come accross the pension files for Thomas Blood and Asa Blood, brothers from Mason Village, NH (now Greenville, NH).

Their service record numbers are S45597 and S44632, respectively.

Here I have uploaded the images of Thomas's record.

They are somewhat hard to read due to a combination of old style handwriting and not the best photocopying...

The first part appears to be a copy of a deed from Thomas Blood to Cheney Meriam in 1822 (BK 136 / PG 356), and mentions abutting property of his daughter Sarah Blood, and son-in-laws Peter Saunderson &
Oliver Nutting.

The next part mentions his service, which I described in an earlier post; and finally a listing of his property - apparently to prove his impoverished state.

If you would like to see the images from Asa Blood's file, please send me an email, and I will forward them to you. The file mentions his wife Lucy Blood, and children Friend, and two others. There is also an Application for Transfer to transfer his pension to Montgomery County, New York, dated 1825; this Transfer also notes that his pension was originally on the Vermont Roll, then previously transfered to New Hampshire; the signature on this Transfer is the same as that on his deed (also of 1825) which I posted earlier.

Take a look at my Family Tree

I just added my familty tree data to the Acestry.com website. To check it out, click here (it's also listed under links to the left).

Thomas Blood - Soldier of the Revolution

Thomas Blood served in the Continental Line during the American Revolution from April 23, 1777 until May 1, 1780. He was a private in Captain Isaac Fry's company in Colonel Scammel's 3rd New Hampshire regiment. He is listed as a participent of the Battle of Saratoga. Given his regiment and service period, he probably camped at Valley Forge (but he's not on the Muster Roll). During his service he was "disabled in the right knee in the year 1777 by a musket ball from the enemy, also disabled by a wound in the foot." (from his pension file). His wounds must not have been too disabling since not until May 1780 was he dischared from the service at West Point in the State of New York.

His brother Ebenezer is listed on the large plaque in Cambridge, MA as a New Hampshire soldier in Captain Mann's company and killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill - though he is said to have been taken by the enemy and never returned. Their younger brother Asa Blood enlisted in January of 1781 into Captain Isaac Frye's company commanded by Colonel Dearborn in the 1st NH Regiment, (Thomas served under Captain Isaac Fry in Scammel's 3rd NH Regiment the previous year) and he was discharged in December of 1781. The British under Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781.

Thomas was born in Mason, NH on March 6, 1759, so he just turned 18 the month before he enlisted. He died in Mason on June 24, 1835. He was the son of Ebenezer (b. 6/30/1727 Groton, MA; d. 11/29/1800 Mason) and Sarah Fisk (b. 1730, d. 12/26/1825) who were married June 15, 1756 in Hollis, NH. Thomas married Molly around 1783 and had at least 6 children: Polly (1784), Ebenezer & Sarah Russell (twins 1786), Thomas (1788), Josiah (1790), and Phoebe (1797); and possibly 3 others that died as infants. Molly died January 5, 1801, possibly during child birth. Interestingly, he named his first son after his missing brother (or I suppose his father), before naming his second after himself. Thomas later married Mary, sometime prior to 1822 when she signed a deed with him.

My connection to Thomas is through his daughter Sarah Russell Blood (b. 6/18/1786 Mason, d. 10/16/1831 Salem, MA). Sarah married John Simon of France in Boston on September 20, 1807. Five days later they settled in Salem, MA where John started a business as a confectioner. My link to Sarah is a bit weaked since John's biography from the Essex Lodge of Freemason's lists Sarah as a sister to fellow Freemason Nathan Blood. However, according to family lore she is from Mason and the son of Thomas. Also, notes from a notebook belonging to my great grandfather state that "Father's grandfather ... Thomas Blood born in Mason, NH..." (this must have been written by his father). Also, after Sarah's death, her husband John owned property in Mason, which he was renting to the Nutting family (possibly his wife's sister's family since two of them married Nuttings). Also among items belonging to my great grandfather was a deed from Asa Blood son of Ebenezer and Sarah for property in Mason.

Hopefully I will get this connection straightened out soon; but if anyone reading this has anymore information, please let me know...

John Simon - Pirate from Bordeaux?

Years ago in my grandmothers basement, I came across an old note that looked very interesting. It was dated 1803 – and looked it too. The old handwriting style was hard to read, but I could get the idea that it was describing the voyage of my ancestor John Simon from Bordeaux, France to Salem, Massachusetts; probably written in his own hand since it is written in the first person - and in French!

I had grown up hearing a story of John Simon. Sailing in the West Indies; being captured by the British; imprissoned in Nova Scotia - sounded like a pirate! He aledgedly escaped with the help of a man from Beverly, MA, who brought him to Salem. Now it appeared I was going to find out the whole story...

First I had to get the note translated to English. I took French in High School and found a French-English dictionary... Yeah, ok, that didn’t work too well! The biggest problem for me was that the old handwriting from the early 1800’s was hard to read – let alone translate. I had 10 options for every word, so I needed to know the context of each sentence. Finally I found a translator by posting a bid on TRADUguide website: http://www.traduguide.com/en/jobpost1.asp . the winning bidder was Peter Field in the UK who did a great job at a great price! (2 cents a word!). The translated version reads:

1803
Set sail from Bordeaux on January 28 on board the ship Jeune Eliza, Capt. Chabriey, bound for Les Cayes Saint Louis St. Domingue. We put into Porto Rico on February 27 and departed Porto Rico on March 12, reaching Saint Domingo on March 18. That same year, we remained on Saint Domingo until July 12 in order to return […] France. On August 8 1808, we were picked up by the English frigate The Boston, Capt. Douglas, and driven to Halifax, Nova Scotia. We reached Halifax on Sept. 12 and from then on could only glimpse it like prisoners of war, stuck as we were that September 20 on an island just off Halifax. The dark part of the island is Marvel's [Mellvilles?] Island. I came off it on October 28 of that year. I stayed in Halifax until May 7, 1804, departing that same day on the schooner la Fany out of Halifax. We reached Canso near (...)
Cape Breton on May 15, 1804 and departed Canso on June 10 for Quebec and Canada, reaching Quebec capital of Canada, on June 25. Left Quebec on July 5; reached Montreal and Canada on July 22; left Montreal on the 28th for Canso; reached Canso on August 10, 1804; left Canso on August 22 of same year on the American schooner Rebecca out of Beverly, United States of America. Reached Beverly on August 29; left Beverly on September 3 of the same year for Salem. I worked in Salem for a year, afterwards leaving for Boston on August 29, 1805. I remained in Boston until September 25, 1807*; returned to Salem, settled in this town
* NOTE: John Simon was married to Sarah Russell Blood on September 20th 1807 in Boston by Reverend W. Baldwin.

Well, no mention of pirates. Turns out he was a cooper (barrel maker), which I suppose makes sense since he's from the wine capital of France. And no wonder they were captured by a British ship, since they were at war! Britain and France had just resumed their ongoing wars at the beginning of the year after a short year and a half of peace. Not sure if he was originally on a military vessel or not; but at the time (1803-1804)Napoleon's France was desperately trying to restore French rule and slavery on the island of San Dominique (now Haiti).

"All Cough Up A Quarter" - Salem, MA

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The photo to the right is of a group of men holding coins. One man is holding a photo which appears to be of another group of men - possibly holding coins. They are seated or standing on rocks probably somewhere along the coast in Salem, MA. I believe the photo was taken about the turn of the century 1900 - give or take a decade. The men are all wearing hats, suits & ties.

In the middle row, third from the left sporting a mustache and looking off to his right is my great-grandfather: Stephen Henry Simon(s). I've been puzzled by this photo and the incription at the bottom right: "A.C.U.A.Q." Who are these men? Besides my great-grandfater, I have no idea. Some strange Salem cult? I doubt it. Possibly a group of business men?

Stephen, "Henry", owned a confectionary in Salem, passed down from his father Stephen Augustus Simon, and his father John Simon. John started the business in 1807; Henry took over in 1908; converted it to a bakery due to a shortage of sugar during World War I; and closed it in 1925.

A visit to my great aunts Ruth and Anna this afternoon, taught me what that little inscription stood for: "All Cough Up A Quarter."

Asa Blood deed

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This deed was found among items formerly belonging to my great grandmother. The deed is for a property in Mason, NH being transferred from Asa Blood to Levi Adams.

It is believed that this deed was in the possession of her husbands grandfather John Simon. John Simon was married to Sarah Russell Blood; they lived in Salem, MA. John was from France (more on him later); Sarah (b. 6/18/1786) is believed to have been from Mason, NH. She died in 1831 shortly after the birth of their last child, upon which it seems her husband John Simon took ownership of a farm in Mason. This deed may be for a portion of that property or of a neighboring one. The follwoing information is true of the family that I believe is Sarah's (based on other information to be posted later).

Sarah's father was Thomas Blood of Mason (b. 3/6/1759, Rev. War Soldier, d.3/6/1759) . He had siblings: Ebenezer (b. 5/14/1757, taken at the Battle of Bunker Hill), Asa (b. 9/28/1763), Sarah (b. 12/1/1766), Naomi (b. 5/13/1773), and possibly Cynthia. They were all the children of Ebenezer Blood and Sarah Fisk.

The deed is believed to refer to this Asa. The daughter Sarah, mentioned above, married first John Sloan, and second Saunderson; she is mentioned on the second page of the deed as Sarah Saunderson.

The back of the second page states it was recorded June 19, 1825 at Hillsboro NH in Volume 145, Page 213.

First Post: Please Feel Free to Comment

This is my first post to my new geneology site. I hope to add some information and pictures here so that my family can view them... and maybe "new family" can recognize some information and add some helpful comments...
If you would like better copies of the photos or any references for my information, please send me an email.
Thanks,
I hope you enjoy...