Let’s have some fun today! This is a quiz for all my relatives with Porter County, Indiana roots. When you’re finished, leave a comment at the end and let me know how you did. I hope others will enjoy as well. In 1956, the book This is Porter County, by John Drury, was published by… Continue reading On the Wing
Tag: James
Margaret Casbon, 1864–1903
The original title for this post was going to be “What Happened to Margaret?” I was going to write about how female ancestors can be more difficult to trace than males. However, in the course of writing, I came upon new (to me) data sources. With the new information, some more puzzle pieces have slid… Continue reading Margaret Casbon, 1864–1903
The Birth Record of Amos James Casbon
A short while ago I wrote about a birth record I had obtained from the General Register Office (GRO) in England.[1] I actually received three birth records from the GRO in the same order. In addition to that of George Casbon, I received the records from Amos James Casbon and his sister Margaret. I’ll write… Continue reading The Birth Record of Amos James Casbon
New Document Breaks through a Brick Wall
Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post about George Casbon, an orphan who was sent from England to Canada to live and work when he was 15 years old, under the auspices of Doctor Barnardo’s Homes.[1] I knew that George was born June 11, 1914, that his birth was registered in Croydon, Surrey, and… Continue reading New Document Breaks through a Brick Wall
James Casbon (~1813–1884): Final Days in England
Today’s post serves as a coda to my previous post about James Casbon (~1813–1884). In that post I mentioned that James might have been living in Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, as early as 1861. He was probably living there when he married Mary Jackson in 1866; and he was definitely living there when his son Amos was… Continue reading James Casbon (~1813–1884): Final Days in England
Did James Casbon (~1813–1884) Use an Alias in the 1861 Census?
OK, I’ll admit it – it sounds a bit fantastic. But hear me out, it’s not totally crazy. Why would I think this entry from the 1861 census of England might be James Casbon? For starters, here is a little background. James was my fourth great uncle, the youngest brother of my third great grandfather,… Continue reading Did James Casbon (~1813–1884) Use an Alias in the 1861 Census?
Two Women of Folkestone
Had you been reading The Folkestone Herald on March 25, 1899, you would have come across this advertisement and article.[1],[2] Who is “Miss Casbon … Late of Claremont house”? From census records, it is clear that she is Fanny Sanders Casbon. Very few records of her life exist, but I think they are enough to… Continue reading Two Women of Folkestone
The Amos Casbon Farm, Boone Grove, Indiana
During my Indiana visit, my cousin (third, twice removed) Ron Casbon toured me around the parts of Porter County most closely associated with the descendants of Amos James Casbon (1869–1956). Amos was the only one of James Casbon's (~1813–1884) sons who came with him to America. As such, he is the patriarch of what is… Continue reading The Amos Casbon Farm, Boone Grove, Indiana
An Almost Forgotten Occupation
One of my favorite sources for stories has been the British Newspaper Archive, hosted by Find My Past. The collection is constantly being updated with new materials. Just last week the Herts and Cambs Reporter and Royston Crow was added. “Herts” stands for Hertfordshire and “Cambs” stands for Cambridgeshire. Royston is a town in northern… Continue reading An Almost Forgotten Occupation
Nancy Casbon (~1800–before 1871): Research Methods
I thought I would share a bit about how I find and use old records to learn about my ancestors’ lives. I’ll use the baptismal record of Nancy Casbon as an example. Nancy was the daughter of James (“James Casbon of Meldreth (~1772-1833)”) and the sister of James (“James Casbon, Farmer and Carrier, 1806-1871, Part… Continue reading Nancy Casbon (~1800–before 1871): Research Methods