Introduction to Genealogy and Family Research

Tonight we begin Session II of the 5 week course “Introduction to Genealogy and Familly History”.  Session I was a “full house” and Session II looks like it’ll be the same.  The whole program is being conducted as a fundraiser for the First Church in Ludlow which is, appropriately enough, the first church that was established in the town of Ludlow in 1774. 

Ironically, the first minister of that congregation was Peletiah Chapin who, it turns out, is a 3rd cousin 6 times removed of mine.  That means our common ancestor is my 8th great grandfather, Samuel Chapin. Sign up for the class and you can learn how to make those calculations!!! Samuel Chapin was a Deacon who also happens to be one of the founders of Springfield, Massachusetts.  There’s a statue representing him in downtown Springfield by renowned sculptor, Augustus St. Gudens, called “The Puritan”.

We always have a bit of humor to get things started so I’ve planned to play a old song that was popular a few years ago: “I’m My Own Granpaw”.  Here’s the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu_Y1wQ923g

Then we get down to business.  I fully expect to be able to find old records for everyone in the class: newspaper articles, vital records, military records, etc.  Last session, I found a newspaper article describing the great grandfather of one of the attendees who was arrested for starting a brawl at a wedding!  He popped the groom in the head with a beer bottle while accusing him of marrying a 13 year old girl.  Everyone in the brawl was arrested and fined $15 each.  The wedding was in 1913 but the woman whose ancestor was arrested couldn’t tell me if the wedding actually took place….it wasn’t any of her ancestors so we moved on!

There’ll be plenty of stories this time around, I’m sure.  I’ll post the interesting ones here over the next few weeks.