Tag: Adam Shafer

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Another Revolutionary War Patriot Approved – Thomas Sanford

I have had another Patriot approved by The Daughters of the American Revolution.  Thomas Sanford through his daughter, Polly was approved this past week.  That makes 9 and I have two or three more in the queue to be approved.  Those I’m waiting for approval are Adam Shafer through his grandson, Payne Shoemaker and two for Thomas White through his grandchildren William and Sarah.  These grandchildren of Thomas married each other.  I have already had Adam Shafer approved through his grandson, Malachi.  For you who have similar situations, you can get credit for one patriot twice.

Thomas Sanford fought in the 6th Regiment, Connecticut Line, under Captain Barker and Cols. Douglas and Meigs.  I first found out about the Sanford’s while I was taking a course – Coming Home to New England at the New England Historic Genealogical Society a couple of years ago.  This explains why my grandfather, John Sanford Brown has his middle name.  I was always curious because we never heard about this family.

Thomas’ daughter, Polly, sometimes referred to as Molly married William Beardsley.  They were the parents of Ruth Beardsley who married Ziba Morse.  Ziba’s grandfather also is an approved patriot – Obadiah Morse.  Ruth and Ziba were both born and married in Connecticut, but then migrated to Pennsylvania.  This was probably during the time that Connecticut thought they owned the upper portion of PA.  They stayed on in Bradford County, PA and have many descendants who still live there.

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Another Ancestor in the Revolutionary War

I have finally proven my ancestor, Susannah Shafer Shoemaker Ayres, to be the daughter of Adam Shafer and Elizabeth Swartout/Swartwood of Luzerne County, PA. This was a hard one. I first found her listed on an application for NSDAR, as one of the children of Adam and Elizabeth. I could prove all the other children, but could never find a record to connect my Susannah to any parents. I began to think maybe I was trying to prove a negative – these weren’t really her parents. I checked for records in many of the counties of Pennsylvania, between New Jersey, where Adam was born to Franklin County where he was living at one point.

“Never give up” is now my motto. I had sent an email many years ago to a person on the internet, inquiring if she had any information about my ancestor. Just about when my 2 years was running out on the DAR application, this wonderful person wrote back that she had transcribed some letters that might be helpful. The letters were written by Adam Shafer’s grandson and included connecting information about “Aunt Susannah”, he had attended the Shoemaker reunions, he knew his grandfather, viola, connection.

Folks, this is what it is all about. Share those family stories, letters, bible inscriptions. Put it out there so we can get connected. I now have another line of my family documented for the ages. We need to make these connections so our children and their children will know from where they are descended.