James Madison Crews and Elizabeth Russell Crews

I got a fantastic surprise today!!

A message on ancestry.com from a distant cousin, Jerry Crews... Jerry shared with me the location of my 3X Great-Grandparents' grave, and pictures of their grave markers!

I was so excited.  I have been searching for years, only to find that I'd been laboring fruitlessly, because I had incorrect information.  The information I had stated that James Madison Crews died in Cherokee, Texas... when, in fact, he died in Warm Springs, Georgia!  He and his wife, Elizabeth Russell Crews are buried at Mt. Hope Church Cemetery.  :)

Without further ado, here are the photos that Jerry has so graciously agreed to let me share:

Elizabeth Crews - Stone transcription:
MOTHER
Elizabeth Russell
wife of
James M Crews
Born
Sept 1833
Died
October 28 1889
"Having served her generation she now sweetly rests.  She was too good and too gentle to dwell in this world.  Faithful to her trust even unto her death."

James M Crews - Stone transcription:
FATHER
James M Crews
Born
Jan. 25 1831
Died
Jan. 22 1910
"He is gone to his rest after a useful life.  Trusting in Jesus he passed over the river, God took him and he now is another link in heaven."

James Verdis Dunn - Photo

I haven't signed on to ancestry.com in months... in an effort to save money, I cancelled my membership for a while.  I signed on today, and found something AWESOME!

My 2x Great-Grandmother, James Verdis Dunn (posted by user jimjen1484):

I have been slightly obsessed with this branch of the family tree since I started.  I don't know why, they just captured my attention.  James Verdis is the daughter of my number one family history obsession, Araminta Carroll.

I think I am so interested in them because there is so little information.
Araminta seemed to appear out of nowhere, and vanish just as quickly.  I have since found Araminta's grave, but still know nothing about her life before she married James Hardy Dunn.

Her daughter, James Verdis, I know much more about due to family stories I came across when in contact with another researcher.  But she had a hard life, and was eventually buried in 'Stranger's Ground' at Riverdale cemetery... a section for the destitute.  It touched my heart, and I really hate that she was buried there.

I am always so excited when I learn something new about either of them, so this picture made me downright GIDDY!

And hey, look at this:  We kind of look alike, dontcha think?

Isn't that COOL?!

Araminta Carroll Dunn

I recently discovered what church my 'missing' 3X Great-Grandmother and her family attended, and where she was buried.  This is huge for me, as I have been searching for her from the beginning!

It turns out that her name was spelled one way on her marriage and census records, and a completely different way on her tombstone.  (I have my theories as to why this is...)

I found her completely by chance during a random Findagrave.com search!  Someone had added her burial record, and I was able to request a photo.  Here it is!

Her stone reads:
Airmitay Carrall
Wife of
J.H. Dunn
April 8, 1839
June 11, 1886
"Having finished lifes duty she now sweetly rests"

** Photo courtesy of Find A Grave volunteer James M. Trapp

The Rose - Isaac and Elizabeth Hart's ship

Isaac and Elizabeth Hart (11th Great-Grandparents) came to America on this ship, The Rose:

Witch Trials Documents

Warrant against Elizabeth Hart:


Susannah Sheldon vs Elizabeth Hart:


Susannah Sheldon vs Elizabeth Hart (back):

Elizabeth Hutchinson Hart - Transcriptions from Salem Witch Trials

(Ann Putnam, Jr. v. Elizabeth Hart )
The Deposistion of Ann putnam who testifieth and saith that I have often seen the apperishtion of gooddy heart among the witches butt I did not know who she was: nor she did me no hurt tell the 13th of may 1692: that she came to my father house parsonally and tould me who she was and asked me if she had ever hurt me: but ever sence that day she has hurt me most greviously severall times and urgeth me greviously to writ in hir book
(On reverse side of paper) Ann putnam ag't G. Hart
( Essex County Archives, Salem -- Witchcraft Vol. 1 Page 75 )
________________________________________
(Indictment v. Elizabeth Hart )
Province of the Massachusetts Bay In New England Essex ] Anno RR's & Reginae Gulielmi & Mariae Angliae quarto Anno'qe Dom'i 1692
The Jurors for our Sov'r lord and lady the King & Queen pr'sent That Elizabeth Hart Upon or about the 28th Day of May In this prest Yeare 1692 -- And Divers other Days & times as well before as after Certaine Detestable Arts Called Witchcraft & Sorceries wickedly mallitiously & felloniously hath practised & Exercised at & in the Towne of Salem in the County of Essex aforesaid Upon & Against One Mary Warren Single Woman -- By which wicked Arts the Said Mary Warren The Day & yeare aforesaid & Divers other Days & times as well before as after was & is Tortured aflicted Tormented Consumed Wasted & Pined Contrary to the peace of o'r Sov'r Lord & Lady the King & Queen their Crowne & Dignity & the laws in that Case made & provided.
Witness
Ann Putnam
Mercy Lewis
(On reverse side of paper)
Ignoramus
Robert Payne foreman
( Suffolk Court Records Case No. 2668 Page 149 )
________________________________________
(Petition of Thomas Hart )
To the honoured Generall Court now Sitting in Boston
The humble Petition of Thomas Hart Inhabitant at Linn Sheweth that whereas Elizabeth Hart Mother to the petition'r. was taken into Custody in the Latter end of May Last, and ever Since comitted a prison'r in Boston Goal -- for witchcraft, Tho in all w'ch time nothing has Appeared against her whereby to render her deserving of Christian duty as becomes a child to parents, to make application for the Inlargment of his said Mother, being ancient and not able to undergo: the hardship that is Inflicted from lying in Miserie, and death rather to be Chosen then a life in her Circumstances, the father of the petition'r being ancient and decriped was wholly unable to -- attend in this Matter and the petition'r having lived from his childhood under the Same roofe w'th his said Mother he dare presume to affirme that he never saw nor knew any Evill nor Sinfull practice wherein there was any Show of Impiety nor witchcraft by her, and were it otherwise he would not for the world and all the Enjoyments thereof Nurrish or support any creature that. he knew ingaged in the Drugery of Satan it is well knoune to all the neighbourhood that the petition'rs Mother has Lived asober and Godly life alwise ready to discharge the part of A good Christian and never deserving of Afflictions from the hands of men for any thing of this nature May it humbly therefore please yo'r hon'rs. to take this Matter into yo'r Consideration in order to the Speedy Inlargment of this person So. much abused and the petition'r as in duty bound shall Ever pray
dated the 19th octob'r. 1692
*Thomas Hart
(On reverse of paper) The humble petition of Thomas Hart of Linn 1692
( Mass. Archives Vol. 135 Nov. 62 )

On Elizabeth Hart, from: The Salem witch trials: a day-by-day chronicle of a community under siege By Marilynne K. Roach

May 14, 1692 – Saturday
Salem Village
Young Ann Putnam had seen, but not been harmed by, the specter of Elizabeth Hart for some time. The real Goody Hart, wife of a Lynn farmer, visited the girl as Martha Corey and Willard had earlier, and sought to resolve the accusations with reason. Her results were equally unsuccessful, for her specter began to torment Ann. Today, Nathaniel Ingersoll and Thomas Putnam entered complaints against Elizabeth Hart and Thomas Farrar Sr. of Lynn; two suspects from Reading – Elizabeth Coleson and Bethia Certer Jr. (for a second time); and several from Salem Village – George Jacobs Jr. with his wife Rebecca, and her brother Daniel Andrews, plus Sarah Buckley and her daughter Mary Witheredge.

May 17, 1692 – Tuesday
Salem Village
Five suspects were in custody at Ingersoll’s when Marshal George Herrick arrived in Salem Village; Rebecca Jacobs, Sarah Buckley, Mary Witheredge, Elizabeth Hart, and Thomas Farrar Sr. As soon as Herrick locked them in the watchhouse, Constable John Putnam rode up with John Willard and the afflicted screamed in pain until Herrick pinioned Willard.

May 18, 1692 – Wednesday
Salem Village
With Rev. Samuel Parris and Ezekiel Cheever ready to take notes, John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin sat in Salem Village to hear the postponed cases. (Parris and Cheever had written the earlier transcriptions from their shorthand on full sheets of paper with generous margins. Today, by contrast, Parris’s final notes for Sarah Buckley crowded a card no longer than a man’s hand.)
Elizabeth Hart, wife of Lynn farmer Isaac Hart, was bold enough to have confronted Ann Putnam Jr. directly when the girl accused her of witchcraft, and outspoken enough that the Lynn Church had reprimanded her in 1655 for calling her fellow members fools and lackwits. She was examined and held for tormenting Mary Warren.


October 19, 1692 – Wednesday
Salem Town
Boston
Back in Boston, the General Court continued to receive petitions for the imprisoned. Not only was that good woman Elizabeth Hart in misery, wrote her son Thomas, but her husband was left “ancient and decrepit.”