Family Heirlooms

 

While exploring backwards, I have become the repository for some of our family’s heirlooms.  I could not be more proud.  However, in order to be a good custodian, you want to know the story behind the object or objects.

I have my great-grandfather Peter Kersten’s revolver.  It is a top-break Iver Johnson.  It is a very old gun.  I suspect he purchased it so after he arrived in the United States.   Peter immigrated in 1893.  The model that I have is probably from 1895.

Peter and his gun

As discussed previously, I am the custodian for the Whitehead Family Bible.  You can read about it here:  https://exploringbackwards.wordpress.com/2015/12/12/the-bible/

I also have two books that my grandfather, Fred Whitehead had in school.  One that I received from my cousin Sara, and just recently, my sister, Kathy passed on the Fryes Higher Geography book.  Inside the book, it has my grandfather’s signature and a date of September 16, 1913.  That is over 100 years old that he was holding this book.  He used this textbook in high school.

Fred’s textbook

September 1913

Most recently, my sister let me take home a portion of a tea set of two mugs and a sugar bowl.  It is unknown if there were more pieces at one time.  The history of the set as we know is that it came from my German Grandparents, Peter and Anna Kersten.  After inquiring with my paternal Aunts, neither of them knew anything about it.   I am stuck without a story.  You see, the set has images of the Cherbourg Swing Bridge that was created in 1885 in Cherbourg-Octeville, France.  This is on the English Channel.  Therefore, it is unknown how my great-grandparents come to have this piece.  I am left to wonder.  Maybe it was a house-warming gift from a family member.  Maybe they took a trip at one point after they were married; a honeymoon even.  Maybe Anna found it at a flea market or estate sale.  Who knows?

Anna Kersten’s tea set

I think I will try to my second cousin, 2x removed, Father Ron.  Maybe he can shed some insight.

Heirlooms.  You do not need to fill your house with everything they owned, but to share these priceless family artifacts with each other is what genealogy is all about.  Until later, I will be exploring backwards.

 

 

 

 

A Revolutionary Connection

One of the great things about genealogy and these National holidays is that I can put my family in the context of the times.  Therefore, this weekend as we celebrate the birth of our nation 240 years ago, I can marvel in the fact that I know that my ancestor Benjamin Sublett was a patriot fighting England for our Independence.

Benjamin was born to Pierre Louis Soblet and his wife Marte Martain on 23 April 1733 in Goochland, Virginia.  Benjamin is my fifth great-grandfather.  Benjamin was the sixth child born in this union.  His parents were Huguenots.  They fled France to Virginia in 1700.

Benjamin grew up with five brothers and a sister.  Both his parents were deceased prior to the Revolution.  Benjamin married Elizabeth Molly Jordan when he was 29 years old (24 June 1762).  Together they had nine children.

Benjamin was part of a variety of Regiments during the Revolutionary war, including the 5th and 11th Regiment.  According to a Sons of the American Revolution Membership application, Benjamin was first a Private and then a corporal in Captain James Grey’s Company of Foot; he was a Corporal of Major Stephenson’s Company.  He enlisted on 6 December 1776 and was discharged on 9 December 1779.  Benjamin has the distinction of having served under General George Washington at Valley Forge (source: Valley Forge Muster Roll).  He was discharged as a Sergeant (Cameron, 2008).

Muster Roll

On 20 June 1783, Benjamin received a land grant (200 acres of land) as payment for his service to his country.  It was this land grant that moved the family to Kentucky (Kentucky Secretary of State, 2016).  Benjamin was fifty years old.  It is somewhat unclear exactly when the family moved to Kentucky.  It appears to be between 1788 and 1800. As his youngest daughter Mary Scott Sublett was born in Charlotte, Virginia on 12 February 1788 and his wife died in Kentucky in 1800.  I will have to look at deed records to get a more precise time.

Military Land Grant

Benjamin died around 1815-1816* and is buried in Highland Cemetery, Bowling Green, Warren County, Kentucky.  He was 82 years old.

*There seems to be some confusion on his date of death.  The marker indicates 1809; however, there seems to be information that there was a will dated 19 May 1815 where he bequeathed his property to his son Benjamin Branch Sublett.  His will was probated February 1816 (Source: Allen, 2008).

Benjamin Sublett Tombstone

Sources:

Valley Forge Muster Roll, Retrieved on 3 of July, 2016 at     http://valleyforgemusterroll.org/muster.asp?id=VA33806

Allen, Cameron, The Sublett (Soblet) Family of Manakintown, King William Parish Virginia, 45th Anniversary Edition, 2008.

Kentucky Secretary of State, Military Register and Land Records, retrieved on July 4, 2016 at http://apps.sos.ky.gov/land/military/revwar/Revdetail.asp?Type=v&warrant=0899.0

 

Until later, I will be exploring backwards!  Happy 4th of July!