From Dixon to Elvira, "in consideration of the love and affection I bear to her my daughter"

I think it's unusual to find a deed in which a sentiment is included and even more unusual to find one in which a father tells of his love for his daughter.  But that's just what I found.

This deed (image and transcription below) with an indenture of property has my great-grandparents' and great-great-grandparents' names on it and their relationship is stated.  You can probably guess how I found it.  Yes, through FamilySearch's new full-text search of property records!  What a boon that resource is to family history researchers.  Thank you, FamilySearch.

In this record Dixon and Rebecca (Smith) Bartley deeded property, with an indenture, to Frederick and Elvira (Bartley) Gerner.  (Note the name variations:  Dixon is Dickson; Frederick is sometimes Fred; Elvira is sometimes Alvira.)  In an indenture, there is an exchange of obligations by both parties on the deed.  The deed was dated March 15, 1883.  Elvira was 28 years old with eight children, ages three months to 9 years.  Three years earlier, in June, 1880, Fred and Elvira were living in Putnam County, West Virginia.  I don't know the date of their return to Butler County, Pennsylvania, but it's clear from this document that they already owned property there.

Find this image here (with a free FamilySearch account).  It is in FamilySearch's collection, "Butler.  Deed Books 1882-1883, 1883-1884, Deeds 1884," image 396.  Image 330 and 331 tell me that the title of the book is Deed Book 69, owned by the Butler County Court House in Butler, Pennsylvania.   (To enlarge these pages for easier reading, click the image.  It will open in another tab and be easier to read.)

This is the transcription.

[page] 65 [left side]
Dickson Bartley Aux
To
Frederick Gerner
   Alvira  Gerner

      This Indenture, Made the Fifteenth day of March
one thousand eight hundred and Eighty Three between Dickson and
Rebecca Bartley of Parker Township Butler
County Pennsylvania of the first part
and Frederick Gerner and Alvira Gerner
his wife of the county and State aforesaid
parties of the second part
      Witnesseth, That the said parties of the first part, for and in consideration of the sum of Eight Hundred Dollars, lawful money of the United States of America, unto them well and truly paid by the said parties of the second part, at or before the sealing and delivery of these presents, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, HAVE granted, bargained, sold, aliened, enfeoffed, released, conveyed and confirmed, and by these presents DO grant bargain, sell, alien, enfeoff, release, convey and confirm unto the said parties of the SECOND PART, their heirs and assigns, forever, all the following described property, viz:
    Beginning at a stone pile on line of D. P. Kelly on the East thence along line of Harrison Adams One Hundred and nineteen perches to a Hickory tree, thence along line of George Daubenspeck ninety eight perches to a post.  Thence S. 87½ [degrees?] E along lands of the first party thence along line of D. P. Kelly to the place of beginning ninety eight perches.  To each of the parties of the second part in the following proportion. Thirty two acres off the North side to Frederick Gerner in his own right and in consideration of the erection and maintenance of a fence on one side of a lane leading from his house to the public road as well as the payment of Twenty five dollars per acre, the above consideration of Eight Hundred dollars.  And Forty acres to Alvira Gerner in her own right.  For and in consideration of the love and affection I bear to her my daughter Elvira.  Containing seventy two acres and one hundred and Forty perches as represented on drafts No 1 as surveyed by N M Slater February A D 1883.  It is understood between the parties hereto that the second parties are to have limestone for their use on the farm ? from the South East corner of said first parties lands
     Together with all and singular the Said property improvements, ways, waters, water courses, rights, liberties privileges, hereditaments and appurtenances whatsoever thereunto belonging, or in anywise appertaining, and the reversions and remainders, rents, issues and profits thereof and all the estate, right, title, interest property, claim and demand whatsoever of the said parties of the first part, in law, equity or otherwise howsoever, of, in and to the same and every part thereof TO HAVE AND TO HOLD said Seventy two acres and One Hundred and forty two perches of land hereditaments and premises hereby granted or mentioned, and intended so to be, with the appurtenances, unto the said parties of the second part, their heirs and assigns, to and for the only proper use and behoof of the said partof [sic] the second part, their heirs and assigns FOREVER.

[page] 65 [right side]
AND Dickson Bartley and Rebecca Bartley his wife the said parties of the first part, their heirs, executors and administrators, do by these presents covenant, grant and agree to and with the said parties of the second part, heirs and assigns that they the said parties of the first part and their heirs, all and singular the hereditaments and premisce herein above described and granted or mentioned, and intended so to be, with the appurtenances, unto the said parties of the second part, their heirs and assigns, against them, the said parties of the first part, and their heirs, and against all and every other person or persons whomsoever lawfully claiming, or to claim the same or any part thereof subject to the conditions herein set forth
SHALL AND WILL WARRANT AND FOREVER DEFEND.
     In Witness Whereof, The said parties of the first part have to these presents set their hands and seals.  Dated the day and year first above written.
Sealed and Delivered in the Presence }  Dickson Bartley (Seal)
J H Otto [signature]                           }  Rebecca  her x mark  Bartley  (Seal)
Jas Buzzard                                       }
     RECEIVED, the date above mentioned, of the above named parties of the second part, the sum of Eight Hundred DOLLARS, consideration money in full.  D. Bartley

State of Pennsylvania  }
Butler County             } SS.
On fifteenth day of March 1883, before me a Justice of the Peace came the above named Dickson Bartley and Rebecca Bartley his wife, and acknowledge the above deed to be their act and deed, and desire to have it recorded.  Said Rebecca Bartley being of full age, and by me examined, separate from her said husband and the contents of said Deed being first made known to her declared that she signed, sealed and delivered said Deed of her own free will and accord, without coercion or compulsion of her said husband.
     Witness my hand and seal, the day and year above written.
James Buzzard J. P.  [signature]  (Seal.)

     WITNESS:
Asa Steel

Recorded August 6th 1883

For me, the interest of this deed goes above and beyond a transfer of property.  Yes, Fred and Elvira payed for the property and Fred was to meet other considerations in return.  What I love about this document is Dixon's declaration that 40 acres will go to Elvira without any additional request of her "in consideration of the love and affection I bear to her my daughter Elvira."  At times like this I wish for a journal or photographs or anecdotal accounts to help me understand Dixon's and Elvira's relationship.  She was his sixth child and third daughter.  Did he have a special affection for her, and she for him? 

Notes, Comments, Thoughts

I find it interesting that the deed states only "Butler County" and not the township.  The only way to locate this property now would be to use an old map created after 1883 which identifies property boundary lines and names the property owners.  Since I know Dixon lived near Bruin in Parker Township and have identified his home, I believe it's safe to assume the property Dixon sold was in Parker Township.  It's surprising that none of the boundary lines Dixon used seemed to border his property.

It was interesting to learn that there was a lane from the public road to Fred and Elvira's house.  Wish I had photographs of that house!  These days would we call it a driveway?

Sometimes these old documents are brutal when it comes to the boilerplate language.  Below are some of the new words I encountered.  I found this post from a surveyor's point of view helpful.  For the words below I chose the simplest-to-understand definitions from across the internet.

• Indenture of Property.  A deed in which two parties agree to continuing obligations
  From Investopedia.
• Enfeoff.  To put in possession of land in exchange for a pledge of service, in feudal society.
  From https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/enfeoff
• Perch.  A linear measurement of 5½ yards or 16½ feet; also called a rod or a pole.  
  From Black's Law Dictionary, 2nd ed. at https://thelawdictionary.org/perch/
• Hereditaments.  An archaic term which is still found in some wills and deeds.  It denotes any kind of property, either tangible or intangible, that can be inherited.
  From https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/hereditament
  
• Appurtenances.  Property (as an outbuilding or fixture) or a property right (as a right-of-way) that is incidental to a principal property and that passes with the principal property upon sale or transfer.
  From https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appurtenance
• Behoof.  An old-fashioned word that means something that is useful or beneficial to someone. It is often used in legal documents to describe a benefit that is part of a property transfer.
  From https://www.lsd.law/define/behoof
• Premisce.  I was unable to find a definition for this word.  Perhaps it is a spelling variant of "premise."

The conditions of the indenture are these.

• Dixon parted with the property.
• He also give permission to use limestone from his property.
  
• Fred and Elvira were to pay Dixon and Rebecca $800.00 for the property.
• 32 acres were to go to Frederick in his own right.
• Fred was to erect and maintain a fence on one side of a lane leading from his house to the public road.
• Fred was to pay $25.00 per acre.  Was it in addition to the $800.00?  It's unclear to me.
• 40 acres were to go to Elvira in her own right, "For and in consideration of the love and affection I bear to her my daughter Elvira."
• It seems there were no conditions on Elvira's acres.
• Frederick and Elvira were to have limestone for their use on the farm from the southeast corner of Dixon's property.

The witness to this deed, Asa Steele, was Elvira's brother-in-law, husband of Elvira's next younger sister, Lavina.

As thrilled as I am to find this deed/indenture, I can't help wishing the location of the property had been a little more specific, such as at least naming the township or town.  Perhaps more research will uncover a helpful map. 

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2024 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.

Meeting Robert Bartley, Dixon's Father, for the First Time

I have not researched the Bartley family beyond Dixon, my second-great-grandfather, but it's not as if I hadn't been aware that other family historians named Dixon Bartley's father as Robert Bartley.  Plenty of researchers declare that relationship, both in printed books and in online trees.  But the document below is the first time I've seen the relationship expressly stated.  Of course, I was thrilled to find both names and their relationship in this 1864 indenture for property in Butler County, Pennsylvania. 

Deed of Sale (or Indenture) for Property of Robert Bartley, Senior, 1864, Butler County, Pennsylvania

I found this record using FamilySearch's experimental finding aide for deeds and other court records.  It has been unavailable for the past few days with the message, "503 Service Temporarily Unavailable."  It was such a great tool.  I hope they make it available again soon.

The Transcription.  (At the end of the transcription is an abstract.)

Robert and Dixon
Bartley Executors of Robert
Bartley Dec'd
To
Joseph Knough

This Indenture made the Fourteenth day of April in
the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
sixty four between Robert and Dixon Bartley executors
of Robert Bartley deceased of the one part and Joseph
Knough of the second part:  Whereas the said Robert
Bartley deceased was in his lifetime and at the time of
his death seised in his demesne as of fee of and in a certain tract or parcel of land
situated in Penn Township Butler County Pennsylvania Containing Seventy eig-
ht Acres more or less and bounded and described as follows, to wit:  On the North
by lands of the heirs of the said deceased; on the East by lands of Rev Ogden and by
a public road; On the West by lands of Joseph Harper and on the South by lands
of Joseph Logan.  And whereas said Robert Bartley deceased made a will which was
duly probated and in which he appointed the said testators sons Robert and Dixon
Bartley aforesaid his executors.  And Whereas said testator in his said last Will and
testament directed that all his property real and personal should be sold within three
three [sic] years after his death but made no order or provision in said last will and testa-
ment as to whom should sell the same or how or by whom the deed should be made
And whereas the executors presented their petition to the Orphans Court of Butler County
and state of Pennsylvania asking leave to sell and convey by deed to the purchaser
the said described piece or parcel of land.  And Whereas the said Court granted the prayer
of the petitioners aforesaid an [sic] ordered that said property should be sold on the first
day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight-hundred and sixty four
And whereas the said property was on the day fixed by said Court sold to Joseph
Knough aforesaid for the sum of Two thousand one hundred and six Dollars he
being the highest and best bidder and that being the highest and best price bidden
for the same.  And whereas the report of said sale was presented to said Court by
said executors on the 19th day of March [?] 1864 and duly confirmed by said Court
And Whereas said court for the same day ordered that Deed be made to said pur-
chaser by said Executors for said described piece of land on his complying with the
terms of said sale as ordered by said Court  Now this Indenture witnesseth that the
said Robert and Dixon Bartley for and in consideration of the sum of Two thousand
one hundred and six Dollars to them in hand paid by the said Joseph Knough
at and before the sealing and delivery here of receipt whereof  hereby ac-
knowledge and therefore acquit and forever discharge the said Joseph Knough his
heirs executors and administrators by these present hath granted bargained sold
(aliened) released and confirmed and by these presents do grant sell, release bar-
gain and confirm unto the said Joseph Knough all that certain piece or parcel of
land situated and described as aforesaid Together with all and singular the
[next page]
houses out houses buildings and also all the right title interest property claim and demand
whatsoever of the said Robert Bartley Sr. dec'd in his life time at and immediately before the time
of his decease or of them the said Robert and Dixon Bartley in law, equity or otherwise howsoever
of in [illegible word] out of the same To have and to hold the said piece or parcel of land [two illegible words] and
premises hereby granted or mentioned so to be with the appurtenances unto the said Joseph Kn
ough his heirs and assigns to the only proper use and behoof of the said Joseph Knough his
heirs and assigns for ever  In [?] Witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names and aff-
ixed our seals the day and year first above written
Signed sealed and delivered in presence of us
James McNair                   D. Bartley  seal [handwritten]
S. D. McPrinkin [?]          R. Bartley  seal [handwritten]
                   Stamp $2 00/100  [handwritten]

Received of the aforesaid Joseph Knough the day of the date of the above Indenture the sum
of Two thousand one hundred and six Dollars  the consideration money above in full.
Witness
James McNair                  D. Bartley
J. D. McPrinkin               R. Bartley

Butler County   } ss.
State of Penna  }
On this Fourteenth day of April [?] 1864 personally appeared before me
a Justice of the Peace in and for the County and State aforesaid Robert and
Dixon Bartley above named and acknowledged the above indenture to be their lawful
act and deed for the purposes there in set forth.  Witness my hand and seal this day
of the date of the above indenture.    James McNair J. P.  seal [handwritten]

Recorded April 14 1864

The Abstract
Robert & Dixon Bartley, executors of Robert Bartley, deceased, to Joseph Knough
Indenture made 14 Apr 1864

• At the time of his death Robert Bartley owned a 78-acre parcel of land in Penn Township, Butler Co, Penn'a
• Robert Bartley's will was probated; he appointed sons Robert and Dixon as executors
• Robert directed that all his property should be sold within three years after his death but made no provision as to whom should sell the property, or how or by whom the deed should be made
• The executors petitioned the Orphans Court of Butler County, Pa, asking leave to sell the parcel of land by deed to the purchaser
• The Court granted the petition and ordered that the property should be sold on January 1, 1864
• The property was sold on that date to Joseph Knough for the sum of $2,106.00
• The report of the sale was presented to the Court by the executors on March 29, 1864, and confirmed by the Court
• On the same day, the Court ordered the deed to be made to the purchaser by the executors

This indenture witnesses that Robert and Dixon Bartley received $2,106.00 from Joseph Knough before giving him the receipt and closing the sale on the property and its houses, out houses, and buildings, and releasing the property of Robert Bartley, Sr., to Joseph Knough and his heirs forever.

Notes and Comments.
This document is in the FamilySearch collection, Deeds, 1804-1902, Index to Deeds, 1800-1925, and, more specifically, Butler Deeds, v. 5-7, 1863-1864, from Butler County, Pennsylvania Deed Book 7, unnumbered page, image 461.   It can also be viewed on FamilySearch Film #8036721.

I'm still not certain why this is called an indenture of property instead of a deed.  Dictionary.law.com tells me that an indenture is "a type of real property deed in which two parties agree to continuing mutual obligations.  One party may agree to maintain the property, while the other agrees to make periodic payments."  In this indenture I don't recognize mutual obligations other than the exchange of money for the property.

Was it an oversight (by Robert or his lawyer?) that Robert wasn't specific about who should manage the sale of his property after his death?  And did he own other property, too?  

There's always at least one more ancestor to research--and now, from this document, I have two.

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2023 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.

"The Adventure of Mrs. Bartley" + a Newspaper Tip

Thomas Bartley and Robert Bartley were brothers, both born in the late 1700s and died in mid-1800s.  Robert is my third-great-grandfather.  Thomas and his wife are, I believe, my great-great-great-grand-uncle and -aunt.

The stories below come from a newspaper column called "Pioneer Tales" by James A. McKee.  This was published on page 4 of the March 27, 1912 issue of The Butler Citizen.  James A. McKee edited and compiled the book 20th Century History of Butler and Butler County, Pa. and Representative Citizens.  As far as I can tell, the entries below were not copied from the book.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

        Adventure of Mrs. Bartley.
    Thomas Bartley, a native of Ireland,
came to the township about 1807.  Mrs.
Bartley was unaccustomed to frontier
life and was utterly ignorant of the
dangers from wild animals that infest-
ed the wilderness about her cabin
home.  One day she noticed a raven-
ous-looking dog in the yard, and from
purely sympathetic motives she en-
deavored to coax the animal into the
cabin with corn meal mush attached
to the end of a stick.  The strange
beast resisted all overtures to be
friends and finally loped off into the
woods, where it disappeared from
sight.  That evening Mrs. Bartley told
the story to her husband, who in-
formed her that what she had taken
for a dog was a timber wolf and that
she was lucky to escape an attack
from the beast.
    Robert Bartley, a brother of Thom-
as, settled in the same neighborhood.
He ran a small distillery as well as his
farm and it is said that the boys in
the neighborhood caused him a good
deal of trouble.  It is also recorded
that the boys did not always get the
best of the conflicts they had with the
hot-headed Irishman.  On one occa-
sion, they were smarting under defeat
and decided to get even with Bartley.
    The boys captured a live possum and
one night when the Bartley family
were sitting at their evening meal be-
fore the open fireplace in the log
cabin, the boys climbed to the comb
of the root and dropped the possum
down the wide chimney into a blazing
fire that was cracking on the hearth.
The antics of the frightened animal
almost caused a panic among the Bart-
ley children.

In addition to the stories themselves, other information I garnered from this article include:
-- Thomas Bartley and Robert Bartley are brothers.
-- Thomas Bartley was born in Ireland and immigrated to the U.S. in or before 1807.
-- Thomas was married at the time of this incident (though no date is recorded).
-- Thomas and his wife lived in a rural area.
-- Robert had a family and children.
-- Robert operated a distillery and also farmed.
-- Robert was described as a "hot-headed Irishman."
-- Robert and his family lived in a log cabin.

Sadly, the original source of these stories is not recorded.  In the second story the phrases "it is said" and "it is recorded" leave me wondering who said it and where it was recorded.  Will I ever know?

A Newspaper Tip.
If you're searching ancestors' names in newspapers, don't ignore results that were published long after his or her death.  Oftentimes, especially in the 20th century, newspapers published looking back or history sections, such as 25 years ago, 50 years ago, 100 years ago, etc.  You may be surprised, as I was with this clipping, to find an ancestor's name many years after he or she died.

-–Nancy.

Copyright © 2022 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.

Reunion Time for the Bartley Family

The descendants of Dixon and Rebecca (Smith) Bartley held semi-regular annual family reunions in the 1930s and '40s.  They announced them in various newspapers either before the event or after it happened.  With nine children of their own, its easy to imagine multitudes of grand-, great-grand-, and great-great-grandchildren gathering to enjoy each others' company.

from The Pittsburgh Press, Wednesday, September 3, 1930.  The date of the reunion was Saturday, August 30, 1930.

      Bartley Reunion Held
A reunion of the Bartley family
was held at Riverview Park last Sat-
urday. More than 70 attended.
Guests were present from Buffalo,
Philadelphia, Butler, Freeport, Ta-
rentum, Saxonburg, Mars, Sharps-
burg, Crafton, Ben Avon and War-
ren, O.


from The Pittsburgh Press, Tuesday, August 21, 1934.  The date of the reunion was Wednesday, August 22, 1934.

         Plan Family Reunion
          At Riverview Park
                  --------
The annual reunion of the Bartley
Family will be held at Riverview
Park tomorrow. A sports and race
program under the direction of Mr.
and Mrs. C. S. Maeder will begin at
3 p.m. Refreshments will be served
at 5:30 p.m. under the direction of
Mrs. Horace Love, Mrs. Elliot Noble
and Miss Edith Cumming.
Officers of the organization are
Harry M. Bartley, president; Mrs.
J. S. Baughman, vice pesident, and
John McLain, secretary and treas-
urer.


from The Pittsburgh Press, Monday, August 15, 1938.  The reunion was scheduled for Saturday, August 20, 1938.

        Reunion Is Planned
The annual Bartley family re-
union will be held next Saturday
at the Dickson Bartley homestead,
near Bruin, Pa., Butler County.  A
picnic dinner will be served to
members of the family, their neigh-
bors and friends.


from The Pittsburgh Press, Tuesday, August 15, 1939.  The reunion was scheduled for Saturday, August 19, 1939.

    Bartley Family Reunion
The annual Bartley family re-
union will be held Saturday at the
Dixon Bartley farm near Bruin,
Butler County.


from The Pittsburgh Press, Tuesday, August 12, 1941.  The reunion was scheduled for Saturday, August 16, 1941.

            Bartley Reunion
The annual reunion of the Bartley
family will be held Saturday at the
Dixon Bartley Homestead near But-
ler, Pa.


Dixon Bartley is my great-great-grandfather.  His daughter Elvira (Bartley) Gerner is my great-grandmother, and her daughter, Beulah Mae (Gerner) Doyle is my grandmother.  I have some information about Elvira's siblings but nearly nothing about their children or grandchildren.  I don't  recognize any of the names mentioned in these announcements. 

My father would probably have enjoyed attending these reunions, especially the ones from 1938 to 1940, but because his mother died soon after his birth, he seems not to have had much association with her side of the family.  Even if these had been published in a Youngstown or Niles newspaper, I wonder if he would have recognized that he was a descendant of Dixon and Rebecca Bartley.

The only family names garnered from these notices are:
Mr. and Mrs. C. S. Maeder
Mrs. Horace Love
Mrs. Elliot Noble
Miss Edith Cumming
Harry M. Bartley
Mrs. J. S. Baughman
John McLain
Perhaps future research will reveal the relationships between these people and Dixon and Rebecca Bartley.

-–Nancy.

Copyright © 2021 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.

Prosperity

Our modern idea of prosperity is usually thought of as the accumulation of monetary wealth.  But it wasn't always so.  Since my ancestors lived in the past I'm using this definition of prosperity from Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary to focus on the prosperity of one ancestor.

PROSPER'ITY, noun [Latin prosperitas.] Advance or gain in any thing good or desirable; successful progress in any business or enterprise; success; attainment of the object desired; as the prosperity of arts; agricultural or commercial prosperity; national prosperity  
Our disposition to abuse the blessings of providence renders prosperity dangerous.

Dixon and Rebecca (Smith) Bartley were prosperous in several good and desirable ways.

Family
According to census records and their 50th anniversary article, referenced below, the Bartleys had 13 children.  As far as I can tell only these nine lived to adulthood:  Eliza Ann, Thomas, Keziah Jane, George Washington, Edward Gilmore, Elvira, Lavina, Joseph, and Arabella.  At least several of the sisters remained close throughout their lives.

Home
The Bartleys owned a beautiful home in Bruin, Butler County, Pennsylvania.  I believe Dixon built the home or had it built but I have no history of the building.

Work and Property
Dixon was recorded as a farmer in the 1880 U.S. Agricultural Census which tells me that he owned at least 120 acres of land as well as 4 horses, 10 heads of cattle, 10 pigs, and 40 chickens.  In 1879 he harvested 108 bushels of buckwheat, 135 bushels of Indian corn, 180 bushels of oats, 60 of rye, 45 of wheat, and 250 bushels of potatoes.  He had a 6-acre orchard and harvested 700 bushels of apples.  He also harvested 200 pounds of honey.  Apple blossom honey, perhaps?  I have yet to research property and tax records to gain additional information.

Friends and Associates
Rebecca and Dixon seemed to have a wide circle of friends if one can base that statement on a newspaper article reporting on their 50th wedding anniversary.  Two hundred and fifty friends, neighbors, associates, and family members attended the celebration.  Their neighbor, H. S. Daubenspeck referred to Dixon and Rebecca as "being good citizens and kind neighbors."     

Church and Service

Membership in a church suggests the likelihood of willing service to others (though by no means guarantees it).  Dixon was a member of St. Peter's Reformed Church in Fairview.

Dixon also served in the position of Overseer of Poor in Parker Township for at least in 1876 for at least one term, based on a Parker Township Auditors Report published in the July 18, 1877, issue of The Butler Citizen.  I hope that his position involved more than just overseeing money but even if not, at least he was giving general service to the township.

I think Rebecca and Dixon Bartley were prosperous in the ways that matter most.

This post was written for Amy Johnson Crow's 2020 version of 52 Ancestors.  The post topic was "Prosperity." 

–Nancy.

Copyright ©2020, Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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Snapshot of Dixon Bartley's Farm, 1880

I searched for and found Dixon Bartley in the 1880 U.S. Agricultural Census where Dixon and his neighbors were enumerated in Parker Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania.  Dixon was not a poor farmer in 1880, nor was he one of the wealthiest among the other 119 farmers recorded in his township's census report. 

Below is a transcription of the 1880 U.S. Agricultural Census for Dixon.

Schedule 2.--Production of Agriculture, Parker Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, S.D. #10, E.D. #51, pg. 2, line 9, June 3, 1880. 

Column [Column numbers not included had no entries.]
  1    Bartley Dixson
  2    Owner
Acres of Land Improved.
  5    100 acres tilled land including fallow and grass in rotation (pasture or meadow)
  6    20 acres land in permanent meadows, permanent pastures, orchards, vineyards
Farm Values.
  9    $4000 value of farm including land, fences, and buildings
10    $100 value of farming implements and machines
11    $1000 value of livestock
Fences.
12    $50 value of fences, cost of building and repairs in 1879
Labor.
14    $50 paid for wages for farm labor during 1879 including value of board
16    $800 estimated value of all farm productions (sold, consumed, or on hand) for 1879
Grass Lands.
17    12 acres mown land
19    20 tons hay harvested
Horses of all ages on hand June 1, 1880.
22    4  
Neat Cattle and Their Products - On Hand June 1, 1880.
25    5 milch cows
26    6 other
27    4 calves dropped
Neat Cattle and Their Products - Movement, 1879.
29    10 cattle sold living
30    8 cattle slaughtered
33    700 pounds butter made on the farm in 1879
Swine on hand June 1, 1880.
45    10
Poultry on hand June 1, 1880, exclusive of spring hatching.
46    40 barnyard
47    50 other
Cereals - Buckwheat.  1879.
51    4 acres
52    108 bushels crop
Cereals - Indian Corn.  1879.
53    4 acres
54    175 bushels crop
Cereals - Oats.  1879.
55    6 acres
56    180 bushels crop
Cereals - Rye.  1879.
57    6 acres
58    60 bushels crop
Cereals - Wheat.  1879.
59    3 acres
60    45 bushels crop
Potatoes (Irish.)  1879.
78    1½ acres
79    250 bushels crop
Orchards - 1879.
84    6 acres apple
85    700 bearing trees apple
Bees - 1879.
97    200 pounds honey

Dixon owned at least 120 acres of land, with 31 one of those (or 31 addition acres) used to grow food products.  Dixon's farm appears to have been the primary producer of apples -- 700 trees on 6 acres -- and honey -- 200 pounds -- in Parker Township in 1879.

This record for Dixon, and for other farmers in Pennsylvania in 1880, is available at this link to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission website where you can choose the county where your ancestor lived and view the record.  A large, clear view of this particular image for Parker Township is available here.

–Nancy.

Copyright ©2020, Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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Out of Place Records

A few years ago I performed a broad search at Ancestry for my great-great-grandfather, Dixon Bartley.  Based on other research, I believed he was born in Butler County, Pennsylvania, in about 1806, lived there his whole life, and died there in about 1900.  If I found any information other than census records in my Ancestry search, I expected his name to be in records for Butler County.

So it was a surprise to see Dixon's name as a result in Ancestry's Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 in the Durham Reformed Church, Durham, Bucks County, Pennsylvania collection.

I almost ignored the link thinking it couldn't possibly be him.  To my surprise, I found the names of Dixon along with other citizens of Butler County.  Could they all have moved together from that area to Bucks County?  If so, why would Dixon have moved more than 300 miles in his later years?

It took a bit of investigation to discover that the record I saw was from the pastoral record book of Rev. Charles F. Althouse, who had been assigned to St. Peter's Reformed Church in Fairview, Butler County, Pennsylvania, from February 15, 1897, to June 30, 1902.  Dixon and friends hadn't moved.

Rev. Althouse served in eight different locations, the last being Durham Reformed Church in Durham, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  I assume that whoever catalogued these records at Ancestry checked the location at the beginning and end of the Rev. Althouse's record book but not the locations in the middle of the book.  It seems that because Rev. Althouse's last location of service was in Durham, these records were included in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records at Ancestry. 

Because I have more than a few ancestors who lived in this location at this time, Rev. Althouse's book was a boon to my research.  I found Dixon, his wife, Rebecca, and their son's father.  The records in the book also added some social history and context to the lives of those ancestors.

Don't be fooled by search results.  Just because the record seems like it couldn't possibly be for your ancestor because the stated location of the record is not where your ancestor lived, don't ignore it!  Some records are just out of place.  

This post was written for Amy Johnson Crow's 2019 version of 52 Ancestors.  The post topic for the week was "Out of Place."

--Nancy.

Related Posts
▸Mixed/Misidentified Church Records on Ancestry - Church Record Sunday
▸Dixon Bartley - Church Record Sunday 

Copyright ©2019, Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner.
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Twelve Favorite Family Photos

I think family photos are most fun when you can get a little information about them, so I've included that for these 12 favorite family photographs.  I won't be offended if you just scroll down to look at the photos and don't read the captions (which are under the photos), but you're welcome to stop and read if a photograph interests you.

I cannot remember seeing my grandfather, "Bob" Meinzen, smile.  He was a very serious man, older when  knew him than in this photo, probably with worries and concerns that children aren't aware of.  Here he is looking, for all the world, joyful!  He is with his youngest daughter, Polly, and his adorable granddaughter, Dolly.  What a happy photograph!

I love this photo of the Bartley family home and all the details it includes.  It looks like a family reunion, of sorts and was my first introduction to that family line.  It is the home of my father's maternal great-grandfather Dixon Bartley of Bruin, Pennsylvania.  This photo was taken with his descendants some years after his death.

My grandfather, the same one who is smiling in the first photo, stands on the left.  He was a barber in Steubenville, Ohio, for a number of years in the early 1910s.  I have no history of this photograph but wonder if the man next to him is his sister Hannah's husband holding one of their daughters, either Edna or Zerelda.

The littlest of the girls, the one at center front with her arms back ready to send a splash toward the others, is a spunky one, not willing to take the splashes without sending some back.  I think of her as the water sprite and I laugh every time I look at this photo.  To the best of my mother's memory, this is a group of Meinzen cousins in Steubenville, sometime in the early to mid-1920s.

Full of himself, I'd say!  My father as a young man, perhaps in his late teens or very early 20s.  They tell me he had a great sense of humor.  He grew up on a farm and helped with the work from an early age.  Both his father and grandfather smoked a pipe.

Mary Thompson Bickerstaff, my great-grandmother, had nine children, four daughters and five sons.  One daughter died in infancy.  These are the other daughters, from left Mary Ellen/Mame, Mary Thompson Bickerstaff, Cora, and Emma, my maternal grandmother.  I knew all of the daughters.

Like mother, like daughter.  This is Elvira Bartley Gerner and her daughter Mabel.  Elvira's father was Dixon Bartley whose home is in a photo, above.  I find this photo positively charming.  Both stand in work clothes, taking a break.  But it's the pose I most love, with heads tilted to the right.

This informal family photo was probably taken around the time I was two.  There I am on my mother's lap with my brother on the left and my sister sitting on the floor in front of my father, his arms resting on her shoulders.

My aunt believes these photos of my paternal grandfather, Gust Doyle, were taken about 1904 when he was about 14, at a small photo booth at the county fair where the photographer had a selection of hats the subjects could choose to wear.  The originals are tiny, each image about an inch square.  Isn't he a good looking young man?

This is another photograph that makes me laugh.  Oldest to youngest, these three sisters are my mom Audrey, Geraldine/Jerree, and Doris Jean/Dot.  It appears to me that Jerree has been charged with helping Dot stay still for the photo, but she doesn't have a gentle touch and holds Dot's head against her stomach.  There!  Take the photo so we can get on with our play.

I love this farm photo of the barn and fields in Stoneboro, Pennsylvania, where three generations of my Doyle family lived, raised cows, farmed, and mined coal.  The barn had been in disuse for several decades when I took this photo and was torn down a few years later.  It was once a beautiful, strong barn.  If barns could talk, what stories might it have told?

This is the happiest photo I have of my parents, Lee and Audrey (Meinzen) Doyle.  By the time I was born, they were incredibly serious about life and there were few smiles and little laughter.  It's fun to imagine that there once was joy in their lives.

So those are a dozen of my favorite photographs.

This post was written for Amy Johnson Crow's 2019 version of 52 Ancestors.  The post topic for the week was "12."

--Nancy.

Copyright ©2019, Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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Meeting My Grandmothers with Photos and Questions in Hand

In this life I've known only one grandmother, Emma (Bickerstaff) Meinzen.  I dearly loved her and still do.  Is it any wonder my heart leans toward the grandmothers I haven't had the opportunity to know?  I'd love to meet all of my ancestors -- I have questions for all of them -- but just now I'm thinking of these three grandmothers.  If I could, I would introduce myself and hopefully ask them to tell me the stories behind these photographs.

Beulah Mae (Gerner) Doyle
Beulah is my father's mother.  She died in 1913, a month after my father was born.  Beulah, with her Gibson Girl hair style, is standing in the photo on the right.

Beulah is also in the photo on the left.  Gust is at the back, Leota is in the white dress, and Beulah is at the front in the suit.  (Yes, that's really Beulah!)  In the photo on the right, Gust and Leota sit near Beulah. 

I would like to ask Beulah about these photos.  When and where were they taken?  Was this a fun outing, a celebration of some kind, or . . . ?  How did she come to be wearing a suit, and where did she change clothes?  Who was the photographer?  I know there's a story here but, unfortunately, it was never recorded. 


Elvira (Bartley) Gerner
Elvira is Beulah's mother.  In this photo she is beside her daughter, Mabel (Gerner) Bannon.  I love how their heads are both inclined to their right.  Like mother like daughter?

They seem to be standing near a porch which has a hose coiled near the post and there appears to be something hanging from a clothesline on the porch.  They both seem to be in house dresses or work clothes, possibly protective pinafore-type coverings, though neither looks dirty.  Elvira's dress looks like it's gingham.

I would like to ask Elvira where they were, as in, at whose home, and what they had been doing before this snapshot was taken.  Were they getting ready to work or was this a break from work?  Were they spring cleaning, or canning, or . . .?  Who took the photo?  Who else was around that day?  Did they sew their own dresses?

I know that Elvira was the mother of 16 children and that she was a self-reliant lady who was also service-oriented.  She served as the neighborhood midwife.  What stories she could tell!


Elizabeth (Armitage) Meinzen
Elizabeth is my mother's paternal grandmother who emigrated from England in the mid-1860s with her father, siblings, and step-family.  Her mother died when she was a child.  She was the mother of 15 children.  In the photo below, Elizabeth is on the right and her sister, Ann (Armitage) Hardy is on the left.  I'm uncertain who the boy is though I wonder if it could be my grandfather.  This scanned image was made from a poor, black and white photocopy of a real photograph. 

I would dearly love to ask Elizabeth about this photo.  The three appear to be standing in a woody area, yet they seem to be dressed up.  Both ladies are wearing hats, white shirtwaists, and "ties" with pins at the neckline.  Annie is holding what seems to be a handkerchief in her right hand.  Her pose suggests a non-nonsense personality and the expression on her face is serious, if not dour.  And Elizabeth is holding a glass of liquid, maybe water.  I think I can see the hint of a smile (maybe?) on Elizabeth's face.

I would like to ask Elizabeth the story behind this photo.  How did they choose to be photographed in a woody area?  Why were they dressed up?  And why was she holding a glass of liquid for the photograph?  They look too serious for this to be a playful occasion and yet. . . .  Who was the photographer?  What year and month was this photo taken?  What happened before and after the camera shutter snapped?


I would love to get to know these three grandmothers, discover their personalities, and learn more about their lives.  As much as I want to learn the names and dates of events in ancestors' lives, I crave knowing their stories.  If only pictures could talk!

This post was written for Amy Johnson Crow's 2019 version of 52 Ancestors.  The post topic for the week was "I'd Like to Meet." 

Copyright ©2019, Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner.
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Bartley Family Reunion This Saturday, August 19 (in 1939)

From The Pittsburgh Press on Tuesday, August 15, 1939.

The distance between Bruin and Pittsburgh is about 60 miles.  Without modern highways or the speed of our current cars and speed limits, the drive could have taken the better part of 2 hours in 1939.  It was a surprise to find the announcement in a Pittsburgh newspaper but a large city newspaper would have had a wider circulation than any of the local Butler County papers.

The reunion date was Saturday, August 19, just four days after the publication of the announcement.  For people learning about the event for the first time in the newspaper, the announcement didn't give much time to plan ahead.   Since it was announced as an "annual" reunion it's possible that it was held every year on the third Thursday in August, in which case attendees would have already known the date.

Sometimes write-ups about reunions are published in local newspapers after the event.  They may give details about who attended, the food on the menu, and the activities of the day.  I wasn't able to find a newspaper account of this or any other Bartley reunion.

The location of the reunion was Dixon Bartley's farm near
Bruin, shown below in 1909.

  














My known ancestors who could have attended were
> Lee Doyle, my father, and his soon-to-be wife, Audrey Meinzen
> Elvira (Bartley) Gerner, daughter of Dixon

Dixon's grandchildren / Elvira's children who could have attended were
> Alfonzo Gerner
> Alonzo Gerner
> Lana Gerner Snair
> Della Gerner Fletcher
> Alma Gerner Kitch
> John Gerner
> Leota Gerner Holland
> Mabel Gerner Bannon
> Warren Gerner
> Brendice Gerner Davis
> Paul Gerner

Of course, the Bartley reunion would have included all of Dixon's children and grand- and great-grandchildren and could have included descendants of Dixon's siblings, too, since it was announced as a "Bartley family reunion."

This photo of Elvira and her sisters may have been taken at the reunion in 1939.  If other photos were taken they have not fallen my way but have either been dispersed among other family descendants or may have been discarded.

I wish I could step back in time.

--Nancy.

Copyright © 2009-2015 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
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If You Could Chat with An Ancestor....

With church in the morning, my Sunday afternoons are usually quiet, leisurely, and restful.  They are the perfect time to think about my ancestors.  Today I'm envisioning a visit with my great-great-grandmother Rebecca (Smith) Bartley.  I know her birth date (1820), marriage date (to Dixon Bartley in 1836/38), and death date (December 1899), and where she and Dixon lived.  I also know that there was a very large golden wedding anniversary party for her and Dixon in July, 1888.  But I know little else about her.  Nothing of her appearance, her personality, education, beliefs, nor, especially, the essence of her:  who she was/is. 

If I could visit with Grandmother Bartley, I hope the conversation would cross boundaries of times and interests.  I would ask her about her childhood:  her interests, activities, chores, hobbies.  I would want to know whether she attended school and about the things she learned from her mother.  I hope we would talk about courtship and marriage, and becoming a wife, household management, and her daily schedule -- how she arranged the necessities of her days.  I would like to hear about her becoming a mother, and her thoughts on raising children.  (How did she manage diapering, infant cleanliness, and keeping children away from hot stoves and fires?)  I would especially like to learn about any handwork she might have done:  sewing clothes, knitting, crocheting, quilting.  Did she spin her own wool?  I hope we could touch on her religious beliefs.  Rebecca was a married lady during the Civil War living in a Union state.  I would like to know about that experience.  I would also like to hear details about their golden wedding anniversary celebration.  And so much more.

If I knew I would have an opportunity to chat with Rebecca for an hour, I would make a list of questions and add to it until the moment of our visit.   And, of course, as we visited I'm sure more questions would come to mind.  I think the visit would last longer than an hour.  (I'm imagining an older Rebecca with time on her hands to sit and talk for a good long while.)

If you could chat with an ancestor for an hour, who would it be and what questions would you have?

--Nancy.

Copyright © 2015 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.

Dixon and Rebecca - Sunday's Obituaries

Dixon and Rebecca (Smith) Bartley are my great-great-grandparents.  Their daughter, Elvira, was my father's maternal grandmother.  Both died at their home in Bruin, Parker Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania.

The Butler Citizen, January 4, 1900

BARTLEY---At her home near Bruin,
    Friday, Dec. 29, 1899.  Mrs. Dixon
    Bartley, aged about 85 years.
    The interment was at Bear Creek
cemetery.  Her death makes the first
break in a trio of old couples living at
Bruin.  Harvey Gibson and wife, John
Daubenspeck and wife, and the Bartleys
lived on adjoining places, were all over
80 years of age and all had been married
over sixty years.

The Butler Citizen, April 26, 1900

BARTLEY---At his home in Parker
    twp.  April 22, 1900, Dixon Bartley,
    aged 95  years.


Observations
It's unfortunate that Rebecca's death notice does not state her first name or her maiden name.  If I were searching for her and knew only her maiden name and not her husband's name, this obituary would be of no use to me.  Thank goodness I found other sources that give her maiden name and information about hers and Dixon's marriage.

From other sources I know that Rebecca died of cancer.  Less than four months later, Dixon died of pneumonia.  It could be just me but I have to think that Dixon and Rebecca were really close.  My romantic self imagines that after his beloved wife Rebecca died, Dixon had little reason to keep going, to carry on. 

--Nancy.

Copyright © 2014 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.

A Succession of Deaths in the Family - Sympathy Saturday

By all accounts Elvira Gerner was a strong woman.  She was the capable farmer's wife; the area midwife; the person neighbors called upon to prepare bodies for burial; and the mother of 16 children, all born alive and at home.  Strength was her character. 

Butler Citizen, February 23, 1899

I have no recorded or verbal history of her and her husband Fred's relationship with Fred's father, Christian Gerner.  When answering questions as informant for her husband's death certificate, Elvira left blank the spaces for the names of her father- and mother-in-law.  Does that indicate grief or sorrow causing absent-mindedness or a lack of knowledge?  If a lack of knowledge, then surely Fred and Elvira's family were not close to his father.  But we don't know either way.

And yet experienced Elvira may have been the person called upon in February, 1899, to prepare Christian for burial.  In fact, compassionate Elvira may have been the person at Christian's side as he struggled through and succumbed to pneumonia.

Christian was 79 when he died on February 18, 1899.  Death certificates had yet to be created so there's no way of knowing when the pneumonia began or how long a doctor had attended him.  Sacramento's The Daily Union of July 19, 1899, page 4, gives this information about congestive pneumonia.  "It is very apt to occur as the culminating difficulty of some long sickness, carrying off a great many old people and feeble people who have been invalids for some time.  In this disease the lungs seem to fill up and the weak vital forces are unable to throw off the accumulations."  Considering his age it is possible Christian could have had congestive pneumonia, but it's only conjecture.

As the oldest male in the family, Fred may have been the executor of Christian's estate but no will has surfaced to give indication of how Christian chose to govern his affairs after his death.  Neither do we know who notified the rest of the family and how if they weren't already at Christian's side.  To my knowledge, no details survive.

We have no way of knowing how long it was before the estate was settled and life returned to some semblance of normal for 46-year-old Elvira and her family:  there were 11 children living at home during this time.  Their ages ranged from 2 years to 25 years.  She and Fred were living in Parker Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, no doubt close to the home where Christian died.

Butler Citizen, January 4, 1900

And then 10 months later came another death in the family.  This time is was Elvira's own mother, Rebecca (Smith) Bartley.  Rebecca died of stomach cancer on December 29, 1899, at the age of 80, leaving behind Dixon, her husband of over 60 years.  The months before her death must have been busy ones for Elvira.  Elvira's sister, Jane, lived at home but surely Elvira spent time helping both of her parents, especially tending to her mother during her illness.  Again, we have no idea how long cancer had ravaged Rebecca's body.  Perhaps her passing was a sweet  release from pain and suffering.

Butler Citizen, February 8, 1900

Less than two months later, on February 6, 1900, both Elvira and her father had cause to mourn another loss:  that of sister and daughter, Jane.  Jane had been the daughter who lived at home, the one who took care of her mother, Rebecca; the one who continued to take care of her aging father, Dixon.  Jane was just 52 when she succumbed to pneumonia.

For Elvira?  To lose two close family members in two months must have been heartbreaking.  Though she had a young family who needed her care and attention she surely mourned the losses.  As for Dixon?  Just four days after his daughter's death, on February 10, 1900, he wrote, or possibly rewrote, his will.    

Death was not finished with the Bartley household.  

Butler Citizen, April 26, 1900

On April 23, 1900, Elvira's father, Dixon, passed away.  It was just a little over two months after his daughter Jane's death in February, and less than four month since his wife's death on December 29.  Cancer and old age were cited as the causes of death.

Even when we know death is imminent due to advanced age or illness; no matter how firm one's foundation of faith, we grieve the loss of loved-ones.  Losing three immediate family members in four months must certainly have filled Elvira with deep sorrow.  But from what we know she had a strong faith.  She also had a family with young children who needed her.  Elvira carried on. 

My sympathies to Elvira.


--Nancy.

Copyright © 2014 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.