Forebears and Bears

                                                                                            Orinza (Chase) Covil                     Julia Etta (Covil) Chase The first entry in my grandmother's "Birthday Book" is that for Ezra Covil.  The entry notes that Ezra was born 15 January 1800 at Harwich, Massachusetts, and died 16 January 1882.  Ezra Covil (sometimes written Covill or Covel) was my great great great grandfather on my mother's father's side.   Only a few photographs of my Yarmouth ancestors exist, and those that do are not labelled.  Amongst the collection are several images of a dark haired woman that, through research and deduction, have been identified as Julia Etta ...

Patriots Day has once again come and gone, and still while I live within a few miles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts, I have yet to attend the reenactments and festivities that take place.  Maybe next year.  I have every reason to attend - not only due to the proximity of the historic sites - but given that my ancestor and four times great grandfather Nathan Fessenden was enrolled in Captain Parker's Company of Minutemen and was at the Battle of Lexington in 1775.    On one of my off season jaunts to Lexington, I visited the Old Burying Ground in the town center and came across several graves of ancestors, including those for Thomas and Hannah Fessenden -- my five times great grandparents. [1]                                                                            ...