Gene Notes

Some random and some not-so-random thoughts on family history.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Another Attack of OCFRD*

I've done it again. I went looking for a marriage date for someone --for Wednesday's "Wedding Wednesday" -- and the next thing I knew I was combing through Benjamin Percival's Diary 1777-1817. Benjamin Percival was the great-grandson of my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, James Percival.

Most years Benjamin kept a fairly detailed account of his daily life, crops, etc. Also included were local births, deaths and marriages. Some were not so local as Benjamin was also a Selectman and traveled to Boston frequently from his home on Hog Pond in Sandwich on Cape Cod.

The late Frank Barrow, a descendant of Benjamin, published the diary in 1995. It is so well documented you want to cry. Except for the introduction with an Ahnentafel of Benjamin's lineage back to 1422. I've never been able to duplicate the information pertaining to the Percivals.

After finding some information in the diary, I went surfing for more information, hitting the usual haunts such as FamilySearch and Find-a-Grave. Both yielded some good hits. Then I googled Barnstable MA vital records and B-I-N-G-O found some town records online that I hadn't seen before. Like 20th century birth records. Oh yeah!

I guess I'd better get back to what I was doing!

*Obsessive Compulsive Family Research Disease. This is a highly infectious disease. Once it has you in its grasp, you will be hooked forever.


Copyright 2011, ACK for Gene Notes

No comments:

Post a Comment