Week 37 of the 52 Ancestors Challenge - "Closest to Your Birthday"

​Without divulging my actual birthday, here are some of my relatives with dates of birth near mine, at least ones where I've got photos or something to share about them. I'll add more later when I come across other July events. 

My Great-Aunt FRANCES (DOW) TOTMAN (born 8 July 1892), with her husband John (left), and her brother LAWRENCE (born on her birthday four years later).
See: My Great-Uncle Lawrence

My 5th Great-Grandmother, KEZIAH (AMAZEEN) LEAR, who was born 12 July 1766 in New Castle, NH.
See blog entries: Nathaniel Lear of New Castle, NH and Cemetery 

Week 27 of the #52Ancestors Challenge - "Independence"

​On the 14th of March, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution, recommending that all persons "​who are notoriously disaffected to the Cause of AMERICA, Or who have not associated, and refuse to associate, to defend by ARMS, the United Colonies, against the Hostile Attempts of the British Fleets and Armies." be disarmed.

In response to this, the Committee of Safety in New Hampshire passed a resolution on 12 April, 1776, requiring the selectmen of each town to gather signatures from all males above 21 years of age, excepting "Lunaticks, Idiots and Negroes", and to report to the Committee or the General Assembly all those who refused to sign. Those opposing this ASSOCIATION TEST were not necessarily pro-British, but included ministers and Quakers whose religious beliefs were anti-war. Some men who were currently serving in the army may have been missed as well, and the reports for some towns are fragmentary or missing (or never turned in).

Below are the names of my ancestors found in these Association Test lists. Some were already veterans of the war, and others would later enlist. A lack of information and/or common names will prevent me from knowing what, if any, service, the others may have been involved in.
​

BARRINGTON - John Blake (1716-1816), my 7th Great-Grandfather

BRENTWOOD - Samuel Lock (Locke), my 6th Great Grandfather (1740-1818)

HAMPTON - John Taylor (1711-1796)

NEW CASTLE 
Christopher Amazeen, 5th Great Grandfather (1737-1823)
David Mitchal (Mitchell) Jr, 5th Great Grandfather [a "Jr", but his father David isn't seen on the list]
Isaac Pridham, 5th Great Grandfather (1746- )
Benjamin Yeaten (Yeaton), 5th Great Grandfather (ca 1724-1785)
Richard Yeaton and son Richard Junr (under list of refused, but he was serving in the army at the time)
[Missing from the list are 6th Great-Grandfather Henry Tredick, and 5th GGF Joseph Amazeen (ca 1736-1825)]

NORTH HAMPTON - "Frances" (Francis) Page, 6th Great Grandfather (1724-1802). Son Coffin Page would have aged 21 at this time, so should have been a signer. He had already served in the army, and would reenlist.

NORTHWOOD - William Blaake (Blake), 6th Great Grandfather, and son of John Blake (on Barrington list above)

PORTSMOUTH - Nathaniel Lear

WAKEFIELD - Only one "Joseph Leavitt" was found on the list of this town, so the other one (either the father or son) was probably still in Exeter (listing for this town not complete), or was serving in the army.

Sources:
New Hampshire Provincial and State Papers, Volume 30 [on archive.org]
Wilson, Emily S. Inhabitants of New Hampshire, 1776. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1993 [on Ancestry.com, this is same data as above NH State Papers, but listed in alphabetical order by surname]

"Cemetery" is the Week 17 challenge for #52Ancestors.

Since the passing of my grandparents in 1979 and 1980, I had always accompanied my family on many trips to the Riverside Cemetery in New Castle, New Hampshire, to visit their graves and refresh the flowers kept there. Having not yet delved into my paternal ancestry at that time, I had not known that many of my ancestors were buried there, and I had been walking by them for so many years. 

The following are the grave stones of my direct ancestors which currently stand in Riverside Cemetery. There are other relatives here that do not have stones, nor are their plots known. The amount of cousins buried here number in the hundreds, with the family names of AMAZEEN, LEAR, MELOON, PRIDHAM, and YEATON being a part of this community since the 1600-1700's.  

Nathaniel and Keziah Lear, my 5th Great-Grandparents.  He died on April 5, 1824, Aged 57. She died April 6, 1844, Aged 78. Considering the dates of death, they were likely buried elsewhere, perhaps on their old property, and moved to this cemetery after it was opened.
See also: Nathaniel Lear of New Castle, NH 

My 4th Great-Grandparents:
William A. Meloon, 27 Nov 1795 - 27 Nov 1842
The son of Abraham (Abram) and Elizabeth (Marden) Meloon
Mary (Lear) Meloon, his wife, 25 June 1800 - 28 Feb 1873
The daughter of Nathaniel and Keziah (Amazeen) Lear

Note: ALL of these photos were taken by me, between 2008 and 2012, and I have posted many of the same ones onto "Find a Grave", and also to my Flickr account. Some of them have since found their way onto Ancestry family trees, which is fine, so long as an original source is indicated. So, to my cousins who have found their way here, I say "Hello!"

Update: Since starting this page two weeks ago, I traveled down to New Castle, and revisited the cemetery. Glad to see the Barnabus Yeaton stone is upright again!   

WILLIAM AMAZEEN MELOON was born in New Castle, NH on 27 Nov 1795, the son of Abraham and Elizabeth (Marden) Meloon. He died on 27 Nov 1842, and is buried in Riverside Cemetery, New Castle, NH.

He was married on 29 Oct 1818 to MARY LEAR, She was born 25 June 1805, the daughter of Nathaniel and Keziah (Amazeen) Lear. She died on 28 Feb 1873, aged 72 yrs, 8 mos, and is buried with her husband in Riverside Cem. She had remarried in 1855 to Phillip Yeaton.

William and Mary share this plot with their son William A Jr and his family.

In 1825 [Rock Deeds, v.326 p.465], William A Meloon purchased the land and buildings thereon of his late father Abraham Meloon from the other heirs in his family. He also bought a small piece of adjoining land from Henry Amazeen [Rock Deeds v.252 p.451], who was his neighbor in 1827.

Below is an 1857 map of New Castle, the former William A Meloon Sr. property circled in red, his sons (William A and Alfred) now occupying the land. Later maps and deeds show these houses to be located a bit further to the northeast, so this map seems a bit off (unless homes were later moved). These houses still stand today.

The children of William A Meloon and Mary (Lear) Meloon, from New Castle town records [v.3 p.355]. All born in New Castle:
i. ALFRED A MELOON, b. 8 Mar 1819; d. 26 Jan 1890. Marr Dorothy C Yeaton (8/3/1821-1/8/1895) on 25 Oct 1841 in Portsmouth [NH vr; intents 10/4/41 in New Castle].
ii. WILLARD P MELOON, b. 29 Jan (another page says June) 1821; d. 21 Aug 1895 in Portsmouth, NH. Married Sarah E Amazeen.
iii. WILLIAM A MELOON Jr, b. 13 Sept 1823; d. 9 Jan 1891 in Portsmouth. Married Mary J Beal, dau of Thomas.
iv. NATHANIEL L MELOON, b. 9 Sept 1825; d. 13 Aug 1904 in Ports., NH. Marr 1886 to Clara F Watts.
v. SAMUEL R MELOON, b. 18 June 1828; d. 30 Nov 1905 in Ports., NH. Marr Elizabeth J Hall in 1851
vi. MARY ELIZABETH MELOON, b. 3 Nov 1830; d. 14 Sept 1914 in Somerville, MA.  Marr Richard D Smart of Ports., NH.
vii. JAMES M MELOON, b. 13 Nov (10 Aug on grave) 1833; d. 1912. Marr Charlotte Campbell.
viii. ABRAHAM "ABRAM" C. MELOON, b. 30 June 1836; d. 29 Dec 1896 in Chelsea, MA (Soldiers Home). Marr 1st Ann K Tarlton in 1859, 2nd to Lavina Tarlton in 1865.

See also:
Alfred A Meloon of New Castle, NH