Taboo

Europeans who ventured into the South Seas during early voyages of exploration were intrigued by colorful native customs. Some of the most puzzling were those that forbade passage or contact. Among the Tongans, it seemed that everywhere a seaman turned he was confronted by a priest who barred his way and uttered: “Tabu!, Tabu!” (Forbidden!, […]

Lydia, Wife of Sherebiah Lambert

Many Trees online have Sherebiah’s wife as Lydia Hopkins. I disagree with this because I could not find one Lydia Hopkins in the correct time frame. I found four women named Lydia Hopkins in the proper time born in the 1720s to mid-1730s. There are other girls named Lydia Hopkins that died young. The following […]

There is a wonderful two-column obit on Donald “Alfred” Turner in the Star Herald. He was one of 12 children. He had 9 children, 23 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren. He named everyone by family unit with their spouse’s names. What a genealogical gift.

Also from the Smithsonian: There’s an article on diphtheria. There was an outbreak in 1659 in Mass. In 1735 a child in Kingston, NH had it and it spread to the Kittery/ Hampton Falls area and from there further into Maine and south into Mass. The epidemic lasted until 1740. Rowley lost 1/8 of its […]

From the Oct. 2021 Smithsonian magazine: In case you’re related to this family. A picture of The Paul Family Quilt (1830-35) is on display at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Catherine Paul made it and embroidered it with images of the family. She and her husband William, their four sons, and his widowed […]

Gleanings from NEHGS e-newsletter in reference to The Guardian newspaper article: Graves in 19,000 English churchyards are to be digitally mapped. A free website will launch in the spring of 2022. It’s a 7-year project by the Church of England and will eventually list every grave memorial in every churchyard in England.

Changes in Names

Found on Internet Archive: Changes in Names by Special Acts of The Legislature of Maine 1820-1895 compiled by Marquis King in 1901. Perhaps you have someone who is unaccounted for. Over 2000 names are listed in alphabetical order by birth name.

Working in the Archival Room

This has been a busy month for work in the archives; unfortunately, much of it is not obvious. John helped to install a pine board on the back wall, which will enable me to hang items without them falling off. That wall is a painted cement finish and nothing adheres to it for very long […]

Caribou Archives Room

You may ask where we hold our monthly meetings. At the Caribou Public Library, in the basement in the Archives room. What is in the Archives room? That is what we will find out at our next meeting as Brenda, Ann and Allen will give an “explanation tour” of what is available and how it […]