Ancestry extraction completed

I did complete the Ancestry extraction yesterday; good news for that as it was eye tiring work. Because I changed my strategy part way through I need to go back and check some of the division of paternal and maternal into the two lines within the grouping but for the most part it is complete and I have  39 Rawlings/? (possibly Cotteril) matches between 27 and 111 cM at Ancestry. Since they use TIMBER to create these particular results they will likely be smaller than the actual since lengths that are "common" to simply being of the British Isles or particularly in the British Isles are removed by this application. All of the matches has myself as the largest match which was not a surprise since I am the strongest match to Rawlings of the four of us. No one else comes even close to the numbers that I have for matching. They are all less than half of my matches. A number of the matches are known to me in terms of our MRCA. That will be my next step and then eliminate all of those that match these individuals. I will then be left with people who are descendant of my paternal grandmother's father. It is a back-burner project though that I will add to as matches come in. More of a housekeeping project; since it exists I should work on it but there was never this deep need in my memory to actually know but perhaps that was because my paternal grandmother was raised by her actual mother. I think that I should come closer to 60 matches (looking at the other databases I do exceed that number in all the other databases another 50 or more above 30 cM (I may move this to 40 cM because of TIMBER) but the size of the Ancestry database does tend to make me keep looking there; plus the trees) before I really get going on this project. It certainly is an interesting way to put in one's retirement but I suspect I would have also enjoyed knitting, smocking and sewing if I had lived a half century earlier but it is now and life has changed. 

I do think that having Mary Simon as our Governor General is an excellent idea. We need to have more input from the First Nations peoples in our governance. The Kings/Queens signed the treaties  between the First Nations and these treaties should be respected and honoured. If the land was not ceded but rather claimed as Crown Land then sold the original owner does continue to be the First Nations and they should receive some recompense for that land and it comes before any provincial claim. The First Nations know the land and they love the land; it isn't just a place to live; it is in their souls.

I do find the Residential Schools to be a stain on Canada. Reconciliation is certainly a step forward but we need to keep the First Nations peoples in our minds and thoughts. That children would be forced to leave their families rather than being asked if they want to come to schools where they could learn and take that learning back to their families is so wrong. The children were not treated in a proper manner; their beliefs were not respected; the horror is that some children died from poor medical care or fear which made them run away and they did not always make it home. We must move forward walking together; learning together how to live respectfully in this land that they have shared with us. 

Prayers for Ukraine as always. 

On to breakfast. Today I shall look at my backburner projects and decide how to divide up the next couple of weeks of my research time. Definitely the Siderfin book is high on that list and I have now decided to put the stories that James Sanders recounted concerning the various Siderfin families into an Appendix at the back of the book. As I come to each individual thus mentioned I will refer the reader to the appropriate Appendix. I suspect there will be about five Appendices in total although time will tell on that. Continuing working on the 5th and 6th Generations will be the next project as I work my way through the hits for Siderfin on the Find My Past website. I am on page 39 which means I have reached the 781st hit so I am roughly one third of the way through. I am only looking at results for Britain and do have the World package but the movement out of England into the rest of the world did not happen until the 1800s and at that point I will not likely follow the families unless I have the material at hand already for the most part. I will think about that though as I am working my way through. For instance my line came to Canada in 1851 represented by Elizabeth (Rew) Pincombe whose mother was Elizabeth (Betty) Siderfin daughter of Robert and Grace (Kent) Siderfin. She was baptized in 1759 and Elizabeth Rew was baptized in 1801 so quite aways back. Time is such an asset in doing research. As you set down a project to do the routine work you mull it about and come up with ideas on how to continue.

Another beautiful spring day

Golden sunrise and fairly clear skies with a temperature at 7:00 am of minus nine degrees celsius. Not a return to winter even though we did have snow yesterday; just a typical spring day in Canada. Spring is coming it is just a very short season in Canada as we quickly go into summer and heat! The winter does last a long time in Canada with snow coming as early as late October or early November (not a lot just a taste mostly) and then we still have quite a bit of snow on the yards and the piles along the streets edge are melting but they too are still there. This year mid April may see us free of snow or perhaps a little earlier but no promises on that; one never knows if there will be a good snowfall in April. But today it is clear and no snow in the forecast but it may be a cool one since we are only promised zero degrees at the warmest part of the day and a little cloud. Friday mentions snow so March may go out the way it came in - like a lion.  

Yesterday I continued to work on the Ancestry matches and pulled out the Rawlings matches that we (the four of us) share. There are two nice sized ones. One known to me is a half second cousin once removed so I know she is matching me on the maternal side of my paternal grandmother. Since she has tested at several sites I also know where she is matching me. We share 1.1% which isn't bad for a half second cousin once removed. I also have another cousin, not on ancestry, known to me and he too is a half second cousin once removed and I share 1.82% of my DNA with him but significantly different sharing as he descends from one generation earlier so that there is more random selection at play. The two of them do give me a well rounded look at my great grandmother's line (mother to my paternal grandmother). But returning to Ancestry as I would like to learn a little more about this line that does give me quite good-sized matches on occasion. The other match that I have shares 2% of DNA with me and is estimated as a 2nd-3rd cousin by Ancestry. She also matches my known Rawlings cousin at Ancestry so does not give me any information on the father of my paternal grandmother. But the match does let me see that the match is stronger on the Lywood side of the Rawlings family (my paternal grandmother's grandparents were William Rawlins and Elizabeth Lywood). Using these matches I am able to look at the Rawlings matches that do not match these two individuals. That little group is slowly growing but a lot of them are Americans so I can not be sure if they are sharing DNA that is simply hardier coming down from further back - the two strongest share 1% of their DNA with me. I am now up to six individuals that all match each other and share 1% of their DNA (I am looking at half cousin relationships so (half 1C2R, half 2C, half 2C1R, half 3C, half 3C1R and it continues). Going by ages (the children from the three marriages of the possible father were all younger than my grandmother (would be her half siblings)). My father would be a half first cousin to their children and I would be a half second cousin to the children of their children). Some of these people have large trees but spotting the relationship has not yet happened. I shall have a look but probably I will just for the moment continue extracting the information for the two siblings not yet finished to 25cM and then set it aside as I have some work to do on other items. But it is interesting. I do tend to have to set aside projects on occasion but it does give me the opportunity to mull them over a bit before I actually get back to them again. Ancestry, having the largest database, does seem like the right place to look at my paternal grandmother's father. The other side of this, was it correct when both the baptismal record and the civil registration listed Cotteril as the likely surname of the father?

Blake Newsletter all organized and ready to go. I will publish it on Saturday the 1st of April. I have an article that interested me in this one. I was going to continue with James Blake at Knights Enham but I received a submitted article from one of the members of the yDNA Study at FT DNA so gave it the first spot and wrote a shorter article looking at two Latin wills from the 1520s relating to the Andover Blake family. I believe I may have resolved a descendancy issue with these two wills using the Latin Translator and the latin that I have managed to assimilate thus far. Another back-burner project which I hope to work on this summer a little. 

Nice to see King Charles III in Germany (too bad the French side of the trip had to be cancelled). The Royal Family has roots in Germany from the 1700s to the  early 1900s and roots in France from the 1000s to the 1400s. It is good to see that relationship continuing even though Brexit happened. I suspect that it will be the Prince and Princess of Wales who come to Canada one of these days. It is a lot though for them to leave their three children for an extended trip especially now that they are in school all day. I am still very much in favour of having the King as our Head of State (it is neat and tidy and non-political). I tire of the negative attitude of the present Conservative Party - we do need a refresher there and more Progressive Conservatism with an eye on being fiscally sound for all of Canada. The last time the Conservatives were in power they did not properly support Ontario preferring to put all of their support behind the oil industry only. I believe in the oil industry as it is an important commodity for Canada but the other provinces also have important commodities and the support should be equal across the country. 

On to Breakfast and the day. It is a beautiful one thus far - sun is coming up brilliantly in the east. There will be a lot more melting today. The spring flowers are lovely.

 

Spring Fog

 This morning the world around me is shrouded in fog; not so heavy that you can not see but fog none the less. Another good sign of spring as the snow both melts into the ground and saturates the air around it. It is minus 4 degrees celsius at 7:00 am and we are promised 6 degrees celsius later in the day with rain and snow showers. A typical March day it would appear. I do love the Canadian weather but suspect you have to be born into it. I think my grandfather found this to be the worse time of the year as he waited to garden. By now in England one would likely be preparing the ground for summer crops. I just think that because there were flowers there in February and it was so green in April when we were there on two different occasions in that time of the year. He so loved England; he gave me that love as well but I am firmly rooted in Canada - my birth country. And in the end so was he; he loved Canada too. He could have gone back any time after the Second World War but choose to stay here with his grandchildren and son plus his brother and family were still living in Toronto. 

Yesterday cleaning all accomplished. I do that more because that was what I was trained to do; not because I feel the need to be constantly cleaning. It is a routine that makes up my life and always has. This is God's world and we should do the best that we can for it. 

Today continuing with the Ancestry matches although will stop when I reach 25 centimorgans as there are just so many matches and not knowing the actual placement of the matches does limit the possibilities somewhat. With the four of us there are 843 matches shared by at least one of the four and of these 843 there are 476 shared by one or more at 4th cousin or closer looking at my matches (I have perhaps 50 to 75 matches that are not shared by anyone else). I inherited quite differently from my siblings on many of the chromosomes. This chart does bring that home as well as the phasing of my grandparents. If I could be different then I was! Probably a profound statement that they would agree with I suspect. Since I started this chart right at the beginning (we tested over ten years ago now and I did a repeat on mine a couple of years ago and the differences are negligible) I have a lot of very small matches (where the sharing is smaller for particular matches although one of us would have tested at 4th cousin or less) which can no longer be seen. 

I need to finish the Blake newsletter as another member of the study is taking on one of the subgroups of Blake which is most exciting. There are really two subgroups left that do not get managed - Irish Blake that is not Galway and Irish Blake in Northern Ireland. The Blake family in Ireland is quite large and has at least three founders - there are a couple of other lines there that have not yet yielded sufficient testers. Perhaps over time more people will test and there will be a wonderful picture of Blake. 

The budget yesterday was interesting here in Canada. I really like the luxury tax on alcohol and would like to see the GST go back to 7% (that was a mistake to make it 5%). Those with low incomes will benefit from the increase in the rebate. Coming from a family of nine I do know that it is expensive to manage food and clothing for everyone. Funding the military is expensive and we need to do that; our military helps us in so many ways here in Canada plus serves around the world for the United Nations, NATO and NORAD as well as being available for the many co-operative groups to which we belong. NATO and NORAD are the necessary groups created after Russia overran Eastern Europe and created the Iron Curtain which stood for fourty five years and we had no idea of Russian intentions. I believe we now see those intentions at play. So we must protect those countries that obtained their freedom with the fall of the Soviet Union (the Soviet Union went into bankruptcy when they attacked Afghanistan and collapsed). Really Russia did nothing for those countries that they enslaved at the end of the war; basically they had not moved beyond the level of living style that was present at the end of World War II and that really doesn't make any sense. It didn't at the time actually but people have to decide to be free and be ready to fight for it; sad that it has to be that way. Those countries definitely earned the right to be free sovereign nations so that they could take better care of their people and become greater supporters of the world in that they would be able to bring in better means of living for their people which benefits everyone around the globe. Ukraine has been a powerhouse for food production and would like to continue doing that if Russia would just get out of their country and stop destroying it.  

The latest news about water on the moon has been shared by one of the Chinese scientists. Great work and plans are afoot to learn even more about the ice trapped in the polar regions of the Moon. Research is so much more interesting and productive for mankind; a good expenditure of money.

Although we share a huge water border with Russia we do not have nuclear weapons on our soil; having them only in central locations is smart. Although they may serve us well to defend earth; rattling the nuclear war saber is foolish. You do not need to be a genius to understand what Armageddon is but expertise and proper control is needed to handle nuclear weapons. Certainly our military is trained with such devices. Containment is important! Look at North Korea constantly bombing the ocean and killing off the fish stocks and destroying the ecosystem. It does seem rather a waste with people starving in some parts of the world. Plus it destroys the economy of people who depend on the fishery resource for their livelihood in that area. Perhaps the United Nations will deal with that to help protect the countries that border on this area.

On to breakfast and the day awaits although still somewhat foggy but the snowdrops are blooming. Yeah spring! 

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Continuing to work on the Ancestry matches

Along with cleaning the basement yesterday, I continued to work on the Ancestry matches. I have now looked at three of four siblings matches in common and not in common and found only one where I did not agree with placement on the paternal side; rather it is the maternal side. I will look into the  Thrulines though to see why that path was selected as it is a match in common with all four of us. A number of the unassigned have now been assigned and just a few not assigned. It is an interesting process though and thank you to Ancestry for adding it to their repertoire of analyses to look at. 

Another beautiful day in God's world. Every day brings us closer to spring; the snow is slowly melting (minus 4 degrees celsius at 7:00 a.m.) and looking out the window I think the snowdrops are blooming. Must check that out a little later. The larger cleaning day is today and I will soon begin. 

I have my seeds and small greenhouse ready to go and will probably plant towards the end of April. Last year we culled the old raspberry bushes and so the back of the garden should be ready for planting. Must get a large bag of earth this year as I need to redo the front of the lawn as the winter can be hard on that area. We continue to work on regenerative gardening and fresh earth is part of that. 

Other than that it is a cloudy day and we are promised part sun/part cloud. We may get up to 4 degrees celsius which is great news for the Maple Syrup people - hopefully it will be a good crop. 

On to breakfast and cleaning. Thank you God for another beautiful day on Earth and to Mother Nature for the bountiful spring flowers that have broken through the ground still surrounded by snow but gradually melting. Listening to my Psalms this morning; they are beautiful. The Lenten theme published by PWRDF is "Love that Changes us." This week we have concentrated on Ethiopia and their struggles with conflict and now the resolution that has come to them. Justice and accountability are called for in that unnecessary war and so it should be. All wars should end; the hazards to our world are too great. Let us live in peace on God's earth; give all the nuclear weapons to the charge of the United Nations; we may need them one day to protect ourselves. Blessed are the peacemakers.

The Snow is melting; the sunrise is golden

The last week of March and the snow is now into its melting cycle. The leaves of the crocuses and snowdrops are through the ground and growing rapidly. The snow still around them but a little bare earth here and there  where the green growth is coming. Spring is coming and with it the hope that Jesus brought to us over two thousand years ago. That we can be a God-loving people; respecting all mankind and wanting to live in peace and charity. The bare branches of the deciduous trees reach high into the sky; their winter sleep is over and the maple sap is running. Truly it is magic and yet we understand it very well but to a child it is magic when spring comes. Soon the buds on the trees and the flowers on the crocus and snowdrop will welcome us each day. The squirrels are already busy and more birds have come home for the summer. 

Yesterday I worked on the Ancestry matches looking at the new process where matches are assigned to Maternal, Paternal or Unassigned. I have looked at the first 100 of my matches and now working on one of my brothers because each of us (the four of us on Ancestry) have different amounts of shared chromosome with others and different matches. I like to work on the Ancestry matches every couple of months just to see what is there. The database is so very large and very few of my family lines are missed going back into time. I can perhaps start to look at my paternal grandmother to see if I can see anything constructive there. I have a lot of Rawlings matches (we all do but me especially). I inherited more from Rawlings than I did from Blake in that cross. My paternal grandmother loved being part of her family but then I would imagine it was partly because her mother was her natural mother but I have known adopted children who are really quite content with their adopted parents and I rather think she was one of those with a great love for her step-father. There are hints way back in my mind about the father of my paternal grandmother - he was a bailiff on a farm my father said. But he loved his maternal step-grandfather and not that interested in who his actual grandfather was - just a matter of fact sort of statement and not much interest. But he did enjoy talking about his maternal step-grandfather who was a gardener and very good at it apparently. He knew him well as he was nine years of age when he and his parents came to Canada. So I will watch for a hint of that person in the matches just to be complete in my researching but keep remembering that this was a family that encircled all of its members with love. The letters tell that story. 

Today is cleaning day once again. Today looks enthusiastic; the sky is bright although still minus 2 degrees celsius it will be above zero today and another day of melting snow. It enriches the earth with moisture all that slowly melting snow. It will soon be Mud Season here in Canada; it is coming quickly as it generally does. Spring is short in my part of the world; it will soon be like summer. 

The Apple CEO is in China and gave a show of support for China as a market and manufacturing base. It is good I think to see the good in countries and congratulate them. We are in the midst of a discussion on Chinese interference in our elections but personally I think we just need to know it; we are capable of deciding at the ballot box what our thoughts are. The two Michaels will be in our minds for a long time yet. It is sad that it always has to be for or against but our friendship with the United States of America is long standing and important to us and we will protect that relationship. 

Probably work on Ancestry during my rest periods from cleaning. On to Breakfast and the day.

They have come home once again

 Yesterday whilst I was working away on my Ancestry matches I could hear a sudden whoosh outside of my window and looked up to see a large flock of birds swooping down towards the bird feeders. They were red winged blackbirds and they have come home for the summer. It is a wondrous sight to see these migrations coming back. The day was full of such large groups of birds taking a break during the winter snow storm to come down to shelter and food before heading further north although some will stay here. What a wonder nature really is and preserving it should be ever upper most in our minds. For if the birds can not live in our world then how can we? It really is just a simple fact of life. They tell us that the air is good, the land is good and the water is good else they would not survive. They deserve our respect and care. 

Prayers for Ukraine as always. Proliferation of nuclear weapons does not bode well for the future of the world given the aggressive militaristic attitude of Russia (likely Russia would blame Belarus for an "accidental" nuclear attack) and North Korea (and perhaps China that remains to be seen though as they too do not like nuclear weapon saber rattling). There can be great goodness in nuclear power but there is an evil side to it as well as it would destroy God's earth - His creation. Watching The 100 a Netflix production and it is fascinating. A world after Nuclear War has destroyed the earth (I believe it would actually break up into asteroids and be flung around the universe). But it is 100 years later and 100 young people have been sent to earth to see if everyone could return because the space stations which had maintained a semblance of the life on earth were running out of survival ability - their date stamp had been reached.

My favourite prayer:

Dear Father hear and bless thy beasts and singing birds 

And guard with tenderness small things that have no words

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

There are other lines I put in to remember my grandparents, parents, siblings and husband who have passed on in this life but the basic prayer has been the same from childhood when I learned it from my grandfather. There is a beauty in those few lines that really tell the story of mankind - dominion over the earth but with control comes responsibility and that responsibility is vast.

Yesterday was a great day for research although  not on Siderfin or the one-name studies. I decided to work on the 37 matches that my three siblings and myself have collected up over the past couple of months on Ancestry. I keep them all in an excel file where the four siblings are all recorded beside each other letting me see the matches readily. Ancestry has a new addition - matching the Paternal, Maternal or Unassigned sides of one's family. Actually it is quite good and on occasion has provided rather new and interesting ground. Not having the actual values of the matches has not proven to be a hindrance in looking at them in some ways - all of us have tested at other companies so have those results and it is possible to look at the Ancestry matches knowing the number of chromosome matches involved and actually apply that in a logical way and realize that these individuals are also matching us in the same area since often enough one of us is a smaller match and hence the match must be in a particular chromosome.  

Another Sunday and Church on You-Tube. We are into Lent 5 now and I have missed having a Bible Study for Lent. Next year I must select a book and do one totally on my own unless I find one on the Internet. Perhaps I did not look hard enough. I did read the one book which was interesting and I did follow through with all of the suggestions on "Mapping the Journey" which I found to be a thought provoking time. 

Chapter two - The Path of the Holy Fool

Day 2 - Chapter 2 (23 pages)

Living the brave truth is the body of this chapter named The Journey to Consciousness. I am humbled by the ability of people to overcome prejudice because I know that as a person who is white I do not suffer from the sorts of prejudice that many of the peoples of the world experience. But my own path of understanding has led me to believe that the real truth is that we must walk together.

Suggested advice was bad advice for me as it turned out  – become more active in the life around you. That did not awaken in me any sense of belonging but rather a feeling that I was rejected when the suggestion was proposed to me. I did not fit in (partly me probably). My own sense of what I was on earth to do came to the rescue and I found again my driving force as I retreated from that life.

Reflection Exercise

Appointed to a volunteer role which I could do and did for a number of years but again it was not something that was actually good for my mental health. Since then I have found my place in the volunteer world in my retirement which is home working on my transcription documents – old parish church records from the 16^th and 17^th centuries (England).

I do wonder what my life would have been had I married at 16 years of age and gone to Africa. I was going to go into medicine there. Instead I spent an entire lifetime here in Canada married at 20 to another. I am now widowed but in widowhood I have definitely developed even further my interest in my parent’s surnames as one-name studies with the Guild of one-name studies. It would not have happened likely had I gone to Africa and this intense interest although developing when my husband was still alive (he was an avid genealogist) has totally enveloped me now in a way I would not have thought possible (but it was my cousin George DeKay who sent me down that path when he was editor of the Westminster-Delaware History Books in 2003-5 and needed a Profile for my Pincombe family line in that area!).

I was cared for by a psychiatrist after a physical/nervous/mental breakdown in my early 30s. I appreciated all of his insights and have lived the life he suggested when I have been able. I like to be on the periphery of life doing my bit but preserving my quietness.

The United States of America and Canada

President Biden's speech was greatly welcomed in Parliament and all across Canada; still reading the posts. Lots of discussion with the Prime Minister and the President resulted in some really good decisions being made. We share a huge amount of land in North America along with Mexico. We have managed to be friends all of these years, all of us, and have one of the most productive free trade agreements in the world from the original NAFTA to the now CUSMA as we familiarly call it in Canada. The United States and Canada also have a defense agreement NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) and we are both partners in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). Both defensive organizations which grew out of the end of the Second World War with the Iron Curtain that fell across Eastern Europe put in place by Russia. We believe in democracy and support it 100% around the globe when people ask for our help. We are both founding members of the United Nations - the organization meant to be there for everyone and to end all wars. Everyone has one vote whether you are a very small country or a huge one. We, the members of the United Nations, invited the People's Republic of China to take over the Chinese seat that was held by the Republic of China (Taiwan) after a vote in the United Nations General Assembly 25 Oct 1971 and they were given both the seat in the General Assembly and became one of the five permanent members of the Security Council. We, some of us, guaranteed Taiwan's security and right to self-determination but have been rather low-key on that through the years - visiting them, trading with them, is low-key in my opinion. As a country they are larger than many of the existing countries in the world and they are a nation that has been and continues to be a great contributor to the advancement of science and people (I do tend to see countries in that way). Thank you to President Biden for such a stirring speech in our House of Parliament. The United States of America and Canada are linked by every way you can think including blood; even I with my very small Canadian line - my mother, her father and his mother - have cousins in the United States who have served in the military and work everyday lives as well. Their ancestors were sisters to my grandmother. So we are linked by blood and friendship; we are family. 

Yesterday I worked on the hits in Find My Past moving forward to Page 39. It was a busy day though as I was still contemplating the wills that I had transcribed and James Sanders book. I am not sure what to do with the interesting stories now from the 1600s/1700s about individual Siderfins. They are in his book and I could simply refer to them and only put in information that gives details on the generational aspect of the Siderfin family. That involved a little of my contemplation time (I thought about an Appendix as well). 

I have also accumulated a number of matches on Ancestry once again and today I will work through them and assign them to my excel file - I record all the fourth cousin and up matches in a table which compares the four of us on ancestry. I have been able to make some good use of this material simply because so many people have produced family trees. With matches on these same family lines in databases that do give me chromosome material I am able to conclude where we are matching in many cases. I seldom write matches simply because I would be on my email all the time if I did that. I do reply to any queries although they tend more towards people trying to find their relationship with me rather than knowing it. 

I must admit that President Biden does quite amaze me. At 80 years of age he has taken on a formidable task and he has done an excellent job for the American people - if he didn't have a label of Democratic Party he would be beloved in all of the United States I believe (I was a Conservative for many years but now I am an Independent although do tend to vote Liberal because the Conservative party has put "social Conservative" as the more important aspect rather than "fiscal Conservative including putting defense at the top of the budget" as their banner). I do not believe it is our place to tell people personally how to live their lives so long as no one is injured (I also believe abortion is a woman's decision; it does not belong in the criminal code). President Biden has brought the United States through COVID and into the time after COVID including the invasion by Russia into Ukraine - a free sovereign country and member of the United Nations. He has been a friend to all Americans and helped the youth which is perhaps the most important thing that a government can do especially in trying times. His going to Kiev (after informing Russia that he would be going) was truly an amazing feat especially by an 80 year old. What it said was beautiful; something that the United States can be proud of for many years to come. God Bless America and Canada too. We are a God-loving; God-fearing people. Our time on earth is a blessed gift from God and respect for the earth was uppermost in President Biden's speech as well. We need to work hard to protect the earth (particularly from war mongers and childish testing of weapons - threatening us is simply ignorant). God is ever with us but only watching these days; but loving those who love Him in the way that He demands. 

Matthew 22:37-39: Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On to Breakfast.

President Biden in Canada

With our enormous border between us, the United States and Canada have been friends for all the time that Canada has existed as an independent country. Although we continue as part of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom we are an independent country that simply has the King (King Charles III) as our Head of State represented in Canada by our Governor General Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon who greeted President Biden at the airport. It is an honour to have the President of the United States visiting our country and he will speak to Parliament today. 

Yesterday was highly productive. I transcribed a second will this time for the Anne that married Thomas Siderfin (Thomas 4, Robert 3, William 2, John 1). Thomas was born circa 1637 at Luxborough  (baptism not located) and married first to Elizabeth Lightmaker before 1665 in London, England (Elizabeth died in 1665). He was a Barrister of the Middle Temple and married Ann (possibly Hinde as her mother is mentioned in her will) next and they had a daughter Anne (Christiana) baptized 12 Sep 1675 at St Dunstan in the West, London, England. This daughter married Johannes Darch and they had four sons - Thomas Darch, Robert Darch, James Darch, and Philip Darch. Still learning more about this particular family since they are mentioned in the will of Robert Siderfin (Thomas 4, Robert 3, William 2, John 1) who was a younger brother to this Thomas of the Middle Temple. 

Anne Siderfin does leave an interesting will. She is the widow of Thomas Siderfin (Thomas 4, Robert 3, William 2, John 1) as she mentions that her husband’s clerk at the Temple was a Mr Edward Haberfeild. According to James Sander’s chart they had a daughter named Anne but she does not mention her in this will although her husband has provided for her in his will.

Only an abstract remains of the will of Thomas Siderfin – her husband:

Thomas Siderfin of the Middle temple, London, Esq.: Will dated March 17 1678. Proved 15 June 1681 by Ann Siderfin the Relict (98 North). To my wife Ann, George Evelyn and Henry Pollexfen Esqre and my brother Robert Siderfin, my messuages of Crodon, Manors of Exton and South Quarme (in Exton). Lands in Carhampton, Somerset and in Lambeth, Withypoole, Hawkridge, Cutcombe, Luccombe, Timberscombe and Lands elsewhere, in trust to pay my wife £1000 and £100 a year during widowhood and my daughter Anne £2000 at 21 years of age and £50 per annum and if they die the premises in Somerset to my brother Robert Siderfin his heirs male of his body - Wife Executrix in presence of Robert Darch, Wilmote Westrene, William Jordan, wife's mother Ann Hinde.


Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 24 Mar 2023
Source: National Archives, UK, PROB 11/493/121
Place: Lambeth, Surrey, England
Type of Record: Will
Dated: 22 Mar 1686/7, probated 05 March 1707

Tm: Anne Siderfin

1    I Anne Siderfin of the parish of Lambeth in the County of
2    Surrey Widow being in perfect health of body and of sound and
3    right Judgement in mind doe make this my last Will and
4    Testament in manner and forme following First I commend
5    my Soul into the hands of God in full hopes and expectation
6    of a blessed Resurrection and the forgiveness of all my Sinns
7    through the merits and by the precious blood of Jesus Christ
8    my only Saviour and Redeemer Next I give my body to the
9    earth from whence it came to be therein interred in the
10    Parish Church of Lambeth in the County of Surrey as near as
11    possible to my dear husband and Mother after such manner
12    as is decent and suitable to my Quality and Condition Item I
13    give to the poor of the parish of Lambeth five pounds to be given
14    them on the day of my burial Item I give Twenty pounds a
15    year to the poor of Lambeth Tenn pounds of which to be
16    distributed to them on the Second day of June yearly five pounds
17    of it in bread and five in money The other Tenn pounds to be
18    laid out in frize Coats or Gowns for six old Men and six old
19    women. What is left of Tenn pounds after the Twelve Coats
20    or Gowns are bought to be given equally among them in money
21    to be given on Christmas Eve yearly Item I give to my Cousin
22    Jane Knight if living at the time of my death the summe of
23    fifty pounds to my Cousin       Gould likewise if then
24    living the summe of 40 pounds to Bridget Mott my own Maid
25    the Summe of Fifty pounds if then living with me and five pounds
26    to buy her Mourning and all my wearing Cloaths Which
27    five pounds and my wearing Cloaths I give to whoever else
28    shall be my own Maid at the time of my death To Mary
29    Greene Widow who was a long time my Mother’s Servant
30    the Summe of Fifty pounds if living at my death to Mr Edward
31    Haberfeild of the Temple who was my Husband’s Clerke the
32    summe of Fifty pounds to buy himself and Wife Mourning
33    and something to keep in remembrance of me Item I give to
34    all my Servants that shall be with me at the time of my death
35    a Year’s Wages to buy them Mourning Item I doe give the Summe of
36    fifty pounds to Sir Peter Rich if living them for a Legacy Item to
37    my Aunt Gee I doe give all my personal Estate which is in plate
38    Linnen Rings and householdstuffe and my broad gold Item I doe
39    give to her two eldest sons Orlando and John Gee to each of them
40    the Summe of Tenn pounds and To the youngest my Godsonn
41    Lackery Gee the Summe of Fifty pounds Item I doe give to
42    Thomas Scrivener the Summe of Tenn pounds if then living
43    Item I doe give to my Cousin Gil: East of London                 the
44    summe of Tenn pound to buy him a Ring for remembrance of
45    me Lastly I doe make his Sonn my cousin William East of the
46    Middle Temple Esquire Sole heir to all my Estate of Land and
47    houses freehold and copyhold to which I am or may be any
48    ways intituled which I hereby give to him and the heirs of his
49    body but in case he dyes without such heirs Then I doe make
50    my Godsonn Lackery Gee heir to my Estate in Land and
51    houses as before mentioned And if he should happen to dye
52    without heirs Then to his Brother John Gee and his
53    heirs And for want of such Issue to his Brother Orlando
54    Gee but if they should all dye without Children to my Aunt
55    Elizabeth Gee if she survive them Item I doe appoint all
56    the Legacies which I have hereby given to be paid within halfe
57    a year after my decease Item I doe make my Cousin William
58    East before mentioned Sole Executor of this my last Will and
59    Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto sett my
60    Hand and Seale this 22 day of March in the year of our Lord
61    1686/7 and in the Third year of the Reigne of our Sovereigne Lord
62    King James the Second Anne Siderfin Signed Sealed and
63    Published in the presence of three witnesses John Smith
64    Rebecca Cleeve Jane Smith
65    Probatum fuit humoi Testamentum apud London
66    coram venti viro Willimo Clements Legum doctore Surro
67    ventis et egregij viri domini Richard Raines Militis Legum
68    etiam doctoris Curia Prerogative Cantuariensis Magri Custode
69    sive Commissary etime constitute Quinto die mensis Martij
70    Anno domini Millesimo Septingenimo Sexto Juramento William
71    East Executoris in dicto Testamento nominat cui commissa fuit
72    administrato omnium et singulorum bonorum jurium et
73    creditorium dicti defuncti de bene et fideliter admistrando
74    eadem ad Sancta Dei Evangelia Jurat Ex

An interesting will which says nothing about Siderfin and seems to be contrary to her husband's will but it didn't actually matter as Thomas and his brother Robert both died heavily in debt.

More thoughts on the world and how we as Canada fit in. I actually do support the idea of having a border wall (perhaps a satellite system that constantly keeps the entire border area in its sights) between the United States and Canada to control gun and drug trafficking. We are a huge country (the second largest in the world) with just under 40 million people mostly along the border so policing that border is not an easy thing. It has been the longest undefended border in the world but we have entered into a new age where nefarious people deal in drugs and guns that are harmful to people for the simple reason that whoever is behind it is out to create as much havoc in North America as they possibly can. Who is behind it? That maybe a mystery to me but I am sure that CSIS and the FBI know more about that. Greed for land and desire to dominate is the new creed for some countries. I do not believe that we in North America are interested in dominating the world; we simply want to live in it without war and so we were part of creating the United Nations which was to help with that; too bad not everyone is on board with that idea.  

We actually need to have people stop wars when that ability is under their control (the loss of Ukrainian life and property is horrific and unacceptable - they have done nothing wrong; also dreadful the death of all those young Russians). It isn't a world of us against anyone; it is time to think of Mother Earth and preserving her for the future generations (North Korea constantly testing bombs in our oceans is a hazard to fish life/fish ecosystems (and I suspect is part of this ongoing unsettling of the earth's crust giving us so many earthquakes)). This should be a no-brainer as well (that it should be stopped), those who can stop it should for the good of the world (the world will certainly honour your effort at the United Nations)).

On to breakfast. Back to the 2424 hits for Siderfin at Find My Past.

The Will of Alice Siderfin, Periton, Minehead, Somerset, England - National Archives UK, PROB 11/942/259

 I first started to transcribe this will nearly twenty years ago but never did finish it. The will reminds me that the Siderfin, Question, Quirke and Short families were all part of the marrying relationships that formed in these families in the 1600s/1700s. In this case the testator is Alice (Quirke) Siderfin married to Walter Siderfin 25 Jan 1717 at Luxborough.

 There were three sisters (all daughters of (unknown) Quirke and Mary (Coffin) Quirke (although the age difference between these sisters is fairly large) namely Mary and she was married to John Question (brother to Elizabeth Question who married Robert Siderfin), Alice married to Walter Siderfin and Isott Quirke married to a John Quirke.

 Fortunately Mary (Coffin) Quirke left her will dated 3 Mar 1728 and proved 29 April 1730 where she names her family members:

Mary Quirke, Periton, Minehead, Somerset

Widow, Will dated 3 Mar 1728, Will proved 29 April 1730

Son in law Walter Siderfin

Grandson Thomas Quirke

Daughter Mary Question

Daughter Alice Siderfin

Son John Quirke

Son James Quirke

Son Robert Quirke

Son Thomas Quirke

 To bring the Short family into the discussion. John Short married Susannah Question (baptized 13 Feb 1706 at Carhampton daughter of Augustine Question and Cecilia Russell) 13 Apr 1732 at Carhampton. Augustine Question was a brother to Elizabeth Question and John Question both mentioned above.

Alice, the testator, does say that John Short is her nephew and I have not yet determined that relationship, he is related (at least his children are) as he married Susannah Question  whose mother was Mary Quirke, sister to Alice. It would be interesting to discover the actual relationship going further back as there was perhaps. Alice’s son Robert Siderfin died before his mother and so the properties given to her son and that she inherited in her own right she would want to stay in her family or close by which perhaps explains why it is John Short’s children that are to benefit. 

Another will of interest is once again only an abstract as the original was destroyed in the bombing of the Devon Record Office in 1942.

 Robert Quirck, Minehead, Somerset, Gentleman
Will dated, 19 July 1731, Will proved 9 July 1732
Uncle Mr. Robert Siderfin (Executor)
Son of kinsman Mr. Walter Siderfin, is Robert Siderfin, gives his estate in Old Cleeve

Robert is likely a son of Mary (Coffin) Quirck and so brother to Alice (Quirke) Siderfin who was married to Walter Siderfin. The son of Walter and Alice is mentioned namely Robert to inherit Old Cleeve (this property reverted to his mother and mentioned in the will below). The Robert Siderfin to whom he is referring is an interesting mention because there only appears to be Robert (married to Elizabeth Question) but his will was also written in 1731 and probated then but this couple did have a son Robert Siderfin (baptized 9 Mar 1685 at Selworthy) but not sure one would see him as an Uncle. So very interesting and will work on that one. But one can see the reason for confusion sometimes found in James Sanders' book. 

Trying to identify the Robert Siderfin who would have been Robert Quirck's uncle. His mother was Isott Quirke married to John Quirke. Isott Quirke had two sisters, Mary married to John Question (he would have been an uncle to Robert) and Alice married to Walte3r Siderfin. Walter did have a brother Robert but he was deceased in 1714 (married to Joanna Kittener 25 Apr 1713 at Wootton Courtney). But Robert would just have been a brother to his Uncle Walter Siderfin. So an interesting Abstract and probably preferring to Robert Siderfin married to Elizabeth Question but he was not an uncle. Rather Robert would be a cousin to Walter Siderfin and his brothers Robert and John since their fathers were brothers.

 Recorded: 29^th November 2005/23 Mar 2023

Source: National Archives, UK, PROB 11/942/259

Place: Periton, Minehead, Somerset, England

Type of Record: Will

Dated: 21^st November 1768, probated, probated 30 Sep 1768

 Alice Siderfin

1	In the Name of God Amen
2	I Alice Siderfin of Periton within the parish of Minehead
3	in the County of Somerset widow being sick of Body but
4	of sound and perfect mind and memory praised to God for
5	the same do make and ordain this my last will and
6	Testament in manner and form following that is to say
7	first and principally I commend my Soul into the handes
8	of almighty God my Creator hoping through the merits of
9	Jesus Christ to obtain pardon and remission of all my
10	Sins and to inherit Everlasting life and my body I commit
11	to the Eart to be decently buried at the discretion of my
12	Executor herein afternamed in the Chancel of the parish
13	Church of Minehead as near to the Body of my Mother
14	Mary Quirke deceased as conveniently may be and as to
15	such worldly goods and temporal Estate as God has been
16	pleased to bestow upon me. I give devise and dispose thereof
17	as follows First I will and order that all such just debts as I
18	shall incure at the time of my decease shall be paid and
19	satisfied and whereas by virtue of my marriage settlement made
20	on my intermarriage with my husband Walter Siderfin   I am
21	seized in Fee Simple of and in certain lands tenements and
22	hereditaments situate lying and being in the parish of Withycombe
23	in the County aforesaid now in the tenure or
24	occupation of Robert Slocombe. I give devise and bequeath the
25	same unto my nephew John Short of Minehead aforesaid
26	apothecary and to his heirs and assigns to the use of the said
27	John Short his Sons and assigns for ever upon the trusts and to
28	and for the said intents and purposes hereinafter mentioned expressed
29	and declared (that is to say) In Trust and to and for the use
30	and Benefit of my Cousin Robert Quirke Short (first Son of
31	my said Nephew John Short) and his Heirs for ever But in
32	case he shall happen to die before he shall attain his age
33	of twenty one years then I give devise and bequeath the
34	same unto my said Nephew John Short In Trust and to
35	and for the use and Benefit of my Cousin John Short Second
36	son of my said Nephew John Short and his heirs for ever
37	But in case he shall also happen to die before he shall attain
38	his age of twenty one years then I give devise and bequeath
39	the same unto my said Nephew John Short In trust and to
40	and for the use and Benefit of my Cousin Samuel Short Third
41	son of my said Nephew John Short and his Heirs for ever
42	but in case he shall also happen to die before he attains
43	his age of twenty one years then I give devise and bequeath
44	the same unto my said my Cousin Augustine Question Short and his heirs for ever but in case they shall all happen to dye before they again the age of twenty one years Then I give devise and bequeath the same to my nephew the said John Short in Trust and to and for the use and benefit of Nephew John Short In Trust and
45	to and for the use and Benefit of all such other Child or
46	Children of the Body of my Nephew the said John Short on
47	the Body of Elizabeth Short his now wife begotten or to
48	be begotten and to their heirs and assigns for ever to be
49	equally divided between them share and share alike
50	and Whereas I am also seized in Fee Simple of and in certain
51	Lands Tenements and hereditaments situate lying and being
52	in the parish of Old Cleve called or known by the name of
53	Endley now in the Tenure or occupation of Robert Slocombe
54	I also give devise and bequeath the same unto my said Nephew
55	John Short and his heirs for ever upon the Trusts and to
56	and for the new Intents and purposes hereinafter also
57	mentioned and expressed that is to say In trust and to and for the use
58	and Benefit of my Cousin the above named Robert Quirke
59	Short and his heirs of ever But in case he shall happen
60	to die before he shall attain his said age of twenty one
61	years then In trust and to and for the use and Benefit of
62	my said Cousin the above named John Short and his heirs
63	for ever But in case he should also happen to die before he
64	shall attain that age then In Trust and to and for the use
65	and Benefit of my Cousin the abovenamed Samuel Short
66	and his heirs for ever But in case he shall likewise
67	happen to die before he shall attain his said age of twenty
68	one years then I give devise and bequeath the same unto
69	my said Nephew the said John Short and his heirs for
70	ever In Trust and to and for the use and Benefit of my
71	said Cousin the above named Augustin Question Short and
72	his heirs and assigns forever But in case they shall all
73	happen to die before their said age of twenty one years
74	then I give devise and bequeath the same to my said nephew
75	the said John Short In trust and to and for the
76	use and Benefit of all such other Child or Children of
77	the Body of my Nephew the said John Short
78	begotten or to be begotten on the Body of the said Elizabeth
79	his now wife and to their heirs and assigns for ever to
80	be equally divided between them share and share alike
81	and Lastly all the Rest Residue and Remainder of
82	Lands Tenements and hereditaments Goods or
83	Chattels Real and personal Estate Moneys and Securities
84	Money whatsoever or wheresover they be and which
85	shall be my my now entitled unto at the time of my death
86	I do devise and bequeath the same unto my said
87	nephew the said John Short whom I do hereby ordain and constitute
88	desire and appoint whole and sole Executor and
89	to see my Legacies of this my last Will and Testament
90	hereby revoking all former wills Bequests and Legacies by
91	any way heretofore made bequeathed or given
92	and do make and declare this only to be my last Will
93	and testament In trust nevertheless and to and for the
94	use and benefit of all and every such Child or Children
95	of the body of the said John Short on the Body of the said Elizabeth
96	his now Wife begotten or to be begotten equally to
97	be divided between them share and share alike As they
98	may respectively attain their age of twenty one years
99	my will further is and I do hereby order and direct that
100	all the Rents and profits of the said Estates and all the
101	interest of the Moneys or so much thereof as shall be
102	requested and necessary for that purpose shall be paid
103	and applied for and towards the Maintenance and
104	education of such Child or Children until they shall respectively
105	attain their age of twenty one years and at the time that
106	either of them attain his or her said age of twenty
107	one years then my will is that his or her share or shares
108	shall be paid unto him or her so attaining that age But
109	in case or either of them shall happen to dye before he
110	or she shall attain such age then his her or their Share
111	so dying shall be paid to and be equally divided amongst
112	the Survivor or Survivors of them share and share alike
113	In Witness thereof I the said Alice Siderfin the Testator
114	have to this my last Will and Testament set my hand
115	and Seal this twenty first day of April in the year of our
116	Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty six Alice Siderfin
117	Signed Sealed published and declared by the above named
118	Alice Siderfin the Testatrix to be her last Will and
119	Testament in the presence of us who have subscribed our
120	names as Witnesses thereunto in her presence and in the
121	presence of each other of us Thos Leigh, Mary Leigh
122	Alexander Briant
123	This Will was proved at London on the thirtieth day
124	of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven
125	hundred and sixty eight before the Knight worshipful George
126	Hay doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the
127	Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by
128	the oath of John Short the sole Executor named in the said
129	will to whom Administration of al and singular the
130	Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased
131	was granted he having been first sworn by Commission
132	duly to administer Ex