Ogden-Cronin Genealogy Blog

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...

~ 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 su...