Tag: Ebenezer Avery

Posted on

Found a new cousin, Gerry Veley

When you are looking for information about your ancestors, it is good to get the word out there in any outlet you have available.  That is how I found “cousin” Gerry or more correct, he found me.  He is related through the Packard family, which has caused me hissy fits for years.

Who are the parents of Joel Packard and Ebenezer Avery?  I spent a week at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston looking for their parents.  I know that Joel Packard was born in Massachusetts or Connecticut, depending on what you read.  I know he died in Bradford County, PA and came to this county with his brothers, Silas and William.  He may have a sister, Millie who came with them also, but have found no further record about her.  I did not find anything that proves the parents of Joel, but worked through wills that NEHGS has on microfilm and other records to see if I could locate any record that mentions the three brothers.  The next time I visit Boston, I’ll be looking at any court records beyond the wills and estates for mention of parents.  Any suggestions from my readers would be appreciated.

Some researchers say that Joel’s father was Daniel, some Samuel and from my research at NEHGS, the most likely person is Jonathan.  So what next?  Gerry sent me a copy of a letter he recently acquired that tells of Joel, Silas and William, their children and grandchildren, but doesn’t mention anything about the parents of the original three brothers.  Research in Bradford County helps me fill in the blanks from Joel, Silas and William on down the line, but not going back to place of origin.

I’ll keep working on this brick wall until I locate something that definitively proves their parentage, then I’ll work on Ebenezer.  Do you know how many Ebenezer Avery’s there are in Connecticut?  More than you would think, same with Joel Packard.  Well, until my next blog.

Posted on

Benjamin Stone is Official

I’ve been notified that another one of my NSDAR supplements has been approved.  Benjamin Stone was born in 1732 in Dudley, Worcester Co., MA and married Susannah Buckman.  These are the parents of Perris Stone who was married to Jesse Morse.  I also have Obadiah Morse as an approved ancestor.  His is the father of Jesse.  Many of my newer ancestors hailed from the New England states of Massachusetts and Connecticut.  My next ancestor to verify will be Samuel Clason.  He is the father of Lydia Clason Avery who is buried in the Alba, Bradford Co., PA cemetery with her husband, Ebenezer Avery and daughter, Esther Avery Packard.  Ebenezer, Lydia and Esther all died in 1842 within a short time of each other.  I’ve not taken the time to figure out what from, but can only assume it was some flu or other illness.

According to a letter that James Doty wrote to his cousin, Clell Shoemaker (I have documented most of this letter and will be publishing it shortly), there is probably a Revolutionary War ancestor in the Avery and Packard families, to locate.  My problem is finding the parents of Joel Packard and Ebenezer Avery.  In Connecticut Ebenezer Avery is as common as John Doe, so it has been a challenge teasing out the correct Ebenezer.

I have another ancestor waiting to be completed at NSDAR and that is Susannah Shafer Shoemaker Ayres father, Adam Shafer from Luzerne Co., PA.  This may never be resolved unless someone knows about a document that shows the parents of Susannah.  I only need to document that Adam and Elizabeth Swartwout Shafer are her parents.  Easier said than done and my time is running out to do this.