Query - Hampson

Looking for any information on John W. HAMPSON, an Englishman, mariner, came to Kennebunkport about 1820 (from the book "History of Kennebunk Port by Charles Bradbury). Married 18 September 1829 in Arundel to Olive CLOUGH, b. 8 August 1809, dau. of David and Lois CLOUGH, d. 14 November 1875, Biddeford, Maine.

Six children: Isabella W. b. 1831; John A. b. 1832; Olive W. A. b. 1834; Thomas P. S. b. 1837; George O. b. 1841; Charles H. P. b. 1843.

John W. HAMPSON is missing after 1843. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Jane D. Colagiovanni, 10 Esquire Drive, Peabody MA 01960
E-Mail: janecola@verizon.net

NERGC Call for Papers

The Third Librarians' and Teachers' Day will be held on April 6, 2011 in conjunction with the 11th New England Regional Genealogical Society Conference in Springfield, Massachusetts.

"Librarians' and Teachers' Day" provides the opportunity for professionals to learn how genealogy can serve them in their dual roles as curators of their unique collections and as ambassadors of genealogy resources for their schools and libraries.

Lecture proposals are now being accepted for the series of sessions entitled "Throughout the Ages and Throughout the Curricula: Genealogy as a Pursuit for all Learners." Presentations are sought in the following categories: 1) elementary educations; 2) secondary; 3) undergraduate and beyond; and 4) continuing education and lifelong learnings.

Ideal paper proposals will suggest strategies for how to optimize the human, material, and online resources that can assist students' and community borrowers' inquiries in addition to enhancing program development to attract all prospective patrons who might otherwise be unaware of local educational and archival resources.

Each session will last one hour. This includes a question and answer period.

Please include the following information with each one-page proposal:

• a brief comprehensive lecture outline or abstract demonstrating the relationship to Librarians' and Teachers' Day theme;
• a short lecture summary (50 words or less) for the Conference brochure;
• audio/visual requirements (NERGC supplies a screen and microphone; speakers must supply their own LCD projectors);
• each speaker's full name, address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers;
• a brief speaker biography (75 words or less) for the conference brochure;
• a resume of previous lecture experience

The deadline for submissions of lecture proposals is March 1, 2010. Lecture proposals may be submitted at any time prior to that date by e-mail to or by regular mail to:

Sherry E. Gelbwasser, ED.D.
Co-chair
NERGC2011 Librarians' and Teachers' Day
51 Van Deene Avenue, Apt. E5
West Springfield, MA 01089

The Maine Genealogist - November 2009

Have you caught up with the latest issue of The Maine Genealogist yet? Once again, our quarterly journal contains some great articles. A quick look at the table of contents shows:

The Return of Reverend Silas Hall by Michael F. Dwyer

Woodman Family Letter contributed by Leslie Dow Sanders

Origins of the Colby Family of Litchfield, Maine by Glenn D. Nasman

Portland, Maine, Marriage Intentions, Volume 4, 1814-1837 (continued) copied by Joseph C. Anderson II

Also included in this issue is the complete index to Volume 31.

The Maine Genealogist is the quarterly publication of the Maine Genealogical Society. For more information, please visit us on the web at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~megs.

What Was Your Ancestor's Property Worth?

The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.

Genealogists often find references to money in old deeds and other documents. Even U.S. census records frequently recorded estimates of a person's real estate. The naturally question is, "I wonder what that would equal in today's dollars?" There is a web site that can answer this question.

S. Morgan Friedman' Inflation Calculator can convert a U.S. dollar amount for any year from 1800 through 2008 into the equivalent amount, adjusted for inflation, in any other year of that range. In other words, if you find that your ancestor purchased land for $400 in 1805, the Inflation Calculator will tell you that the money he spent is equivalent to a purchase of $5667.99 in 2008.

This should be sufficient for genealogy purposes. The pre-1975 data comes from the Consumer Price Index statistics published in the Historical Statistics of the United States (USGPO, 1975). All data since then is from the annual Statistical Abstracts of the United States. You can access the Inflation Calculator at: http://www.westegg.com/inflation.

Canadians will find a similar Inflation Calculator for the years 1914 through 2009 at the Bank of Canada's Web pages at: http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/inflation_calc.htm.

Settlement of Black Point, Maine

The Greater Portland Chapter of MGS will be learning about the Settlement of Black Point, Maine "Owascoago" 1605-1800 at its February 6, 2010, meeting.

Owascoag or "Place of Much Grass" was the Indian name for Scarborough. The settlement was also called Black Poynt by the English. Owascoag is the story of Black Poynt told in the settler's own words. Patricia found diaries, letters, depositions, court records, and other interesting material, giving a first hand account of life from 1636 to the 1750's. The material covers exploration, settlement, and the Indian Wars.

So mark your calendars and plan to attend now. Saturday, February 6, 2010, from 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 29 Ocean House Road, Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Taconnett Falls Chapter News

Winter hours for the Taconnett Genealogical Library in Winslow, Maine, are Saturdays, from 12:o0 - 3:00 p.m.

The chapter recently held election of officers and the we congratulate those elected: President Fred Clark, Vice-President Bob Chenard, Secretary Kay Marsh, Treasurer Herb Brock, and Directors Thelma Brooks, Barbara Gunvaldsen and Janet Boynton.

They will be holding their Christmas Party on Sunday, December 20th.

For more information, visit them at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~metfcmgs.

Sticky Wickets

Brainstorm solutions together to help you climb your brick walls. That is what is what will be happening with the Greater Portland Chapter of MGS at their next meeting on January 2, 2010.

The Greater Portland Genealogical Society meets at 1:00 on the first Saturday of every month at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 29 Ocean House Road in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

New members are always welcome.

Come early as refreshments are available starting at 12:30.

Open Research in Penobscot County

The next Penobscot County Genealogical Society meeting is scheduled for December 16th, 6:00 p.m. at the Bangor Public Library in the Lecture Room. It will be an open research night in addition to a gathering to discuss the past efforts, successes and our individual future endeavors. It will be an opportunity to wish everyone a very happy holiday season. Refreshments will be served.

The upcoming new year season for this group promises to bring some great discussions:
Jan 20 2010 - Wayne Reilly, history columnist for the Bangor Daily News
Feb 17 2010 - Roxanne Moore Saucier, Family Ties columnist for the Bangor Daily News
Mar 17 2010 - Dr. Janet TeBrake, Lecturer in History at the University of Maine
Apr 21 2010 - Dana Lippitt, curator for the Bangor Museum and Center for History

So mark your calendars now - the new season looks great.

Stay connected with the Penobscot County Genealogical Society by visiting them on the web at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mepcgs.

Pejepscot to Discuss Christmas Ornaments

Pejepscot Genealogical Society will meet on Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 2PM in the Morrell Meeting Room (entrance on Middle Street), Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick.

Please bring a favorite Christmas tree ornament and a story about it to share with us.

We will be enjoying pot luck desserts for refreshments. If you care, bring a copy of your favorite recipe to share (for a fee, recipes can be duplicated at the library).

FMI, call 207.833.7371

Query: Grace Lufkin

New member Michelle Gatz writes that she has been searching for over three years for any information on a Grace Lufkin and would very much welcome any clues. Below is a summary of what she knows at this point:

Moses Lufkin from Phillips, Maine - his father was James Lufkin and his mother Alice Marrow. Moses is listed as Grace's father and I am not sure who was her mother or where she was born in Maine, it does show her date of birth as 1864 when she is living in Shetck, Murray County, Minnesota. When Moses lived in Phillips, Maine, he was married to one Mary Susan Mitchell on June 19th, 1860. Moses filed for a divorce saying she had run away and she was a bad wife. The date of divorce was May 15th, 1863.

After Moses divorced Mary he would go to revivals and bring women home to convert them in his bedroom. Grace is not listed on the 1870 census with Moses. I cannot find her anywhere under the name of Lufkin, so I figure she has a different name. The newspaper article said that Grace came from Iowa to live with her father, again I can find no Grace Lufkin in Iowa.

Grace had a hard life with Moses, he raped her many times, in 1886 she married one Barney Benjamin only to find out his real name was Chris Nelson and after only 6 days of marriage, she kicked him out of the house. The judge would not grant Grace a divorce as he had had many dealings with her father Moses and did not care for the man. In the denial of the divorce the judge wrote that she had taken a vow for better or for worse and she would not be granted her request based on those grounds.

In February of 1888, one William Rose tried to blow up their house at Shetck, Murray County, the bomb did not go off. In August of 1888 we find that Grace has gone back to Iowa and her father is living with Eli Slover in Redwood County, town of Gales. Here he is shot in the back while leaning against the window. After he is shot he stands up and says, "I've been shot, and I am deader than hay." He falls to the ground dead.

Grace only testifies once at the trial and the jury could not come to a verdict as to William Rose's guilt. So they tried him again and found him guilty this time and he appealed the decision, this went on for two years and when they finally did hang him the rope broke and he had to be hung twice.

During this time Grace has gone to Chicago to live with her sister Minnie Foster. It is here that she cuts her throat with a razor on May 1st 1890. I cannot find any records in Chicago of where she was buried or a death certificate as that time period is lost.

If anyone out there has any information on this woman, please contact me.

Michelle Gatz, 2389 540th Street, Granite Falls MN 56241

E-Mail: bgatz@mvtvwireless.com