Re-Installing Legacy 9

I'm still getting used to the program.  This is a chance to review how to set up and customize the program, which never hurts.  The new features in Legacy 9 can be previewed here.

Well, my plans for genealogy tonight were altogether different.  I planned to experiment with an older version of my tree with the "Map Your Family" on my Legacy 9 and realized that it didn't work (something to do with Bing's new programming maybe?).  It's a  new year and I don't feel like futzing about with this, soI've decided to just re-install my Legacy 9 tonight and start fresh.



© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Anne Baker (1703 - 1779)

Anne Baker, one of my maternal seventh great grandmothers, was the grandmother of William Sill whose life and probate we've been examining in the last week. She outlived her husband James and wrote her own last will in 1779.*

[Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Methodist Church Records. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: Eastern Pennsylvania United Methodist Church Commission on Archives and History.]

 As far as I can tell, Ann and James had eight children, five boys and three girls. I'm descended from their oldest son, another James Sill.

[Ancestry.com]

All the records we have for the Sills place them in Pennsylvania, first in Chester County** and later in Allegheny. My great great grandfather Abner Webb was the first of that lineage to leave, settling first in Iowa in the 1850s and later dying in Texas, probably in 1861..



*Which I'll post about at a future date.
**Edgmont Township is now in Delaware County, which was created out of Chester in 1789.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Sunday Drive: Borrego Springs, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park - 1936

The Curreys went camping in the desert--the date is a guess on my part because there were no captions on these photos.

[Mother and Dad Currey--that's probably Junior's shoe in the foreground.

Too bad about the damage to the image of the waterfall.]

[Someone was tired after the hike! All photo from my personal collection]

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Spring Cleaning 2018: Using Mary Hill's Color-Coding System in Legacy

My pedigree with Mary Hill's color scheme, which is included in Legacy 9.

I have a tendency to overthink things.  Organization is one of them.  I've needed something that works for my genealogy papers and notes, and while I have my online files well organized, until now I had yet to settle a system for my offline work.  I think Mary Hill's relatively uncomplicated color-coding filing system might just do the trick.

Legacy Family Tree Webinars has a great collection of how-to organization videos, most only for subscribers.  Mary Hill presented "Get Organized Using the FamilyRoots Organizer Color-Coding System" in 2014.  I prefer the narrative and explanation of the webinar, but if you don't have a subscription to Legacy Family Tree Webinars, you can visit her website The FamilyRoots Organizer Color-Coding System.

I already have the folder box with the lip or ridge around the edge.  Now I need to buy the appropriate hanging colored folders and supplies and can set up my color coding system.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: William Sill - Allegheny County, Pennsylvania - 1841

Eighty-one year old William Sill executed his last will and testament on May 5, 1838, dividing his property fairly equitably among his son Jesse and his three daughters, although in the case of his two married daughters he directed that each of them and their husbands were to hold the property for their lifetimes and that it then was to go to a named grandson of each couple.

The will wasn't presented for probate until March 9, 1841.

The Last will and testament of William Sill of
Versailles township Allegheny County._____
In the Name of GOD Amen: I William Sill
Considering the uncertainty of this mortal life and being
of sound mind and memory (blessed be Almighty God
for the same) do make and publish this my last will and
testament  in the maner and form following (that is to say)
First I give and bequeath to my Daughter Ann that
messuague or tract of Land containing on hundred Acres
now in possession of John Gray being part of the original
tract on which I now reside in Versailles township Allegheny
County to have and to hold forever together with all the
appurtenances                    Item I give and bequeath
unto my son Jesse Sill for and during his natural 
life and the lifetime of his wife Elisabeth that messuage
or tract of land on which I now reside containing one
hundred and fifty acres being the same more or less
and on the death of Jesse Sill and his wife Elisabeth
the aforesaid messuage or tract of Land is to Entail
to my Grandson William Sill together with all the app
urtances to hold the same forever and the residue of my origin
al tract of about thirty acres be the same more or less is
bequeathed to Jesse Sill [???] together with the Apurtenan
ces   Item I Give and bequeath to my soninlaw William
Penny and my daughter Martha that tract or parcel
of land on which they now live in Elisabeth township
County aforesaid containing one hundred and Eighty six
Acres with the allowances, for and during the natural live
time of the aforesaid William and Martha 

together with all and singular the appurtenances
to the same and on the death of the said William and
Martha the aforesaid tract of land is is toto Entail to my
Grandson John Penny (son of William and Martha
Penny) with all appurtenances [????]      Item
I give and bequeath to my soninlaw James Penny and
Jane his wife all that messuage or tract of land set
ini Versailles township County aforesaid Containing one
hundred and sixty acres be the same more or less o which
said Penny now lives during their natural lives
together with all all appurtenances and on the death of
said James and Jane Penny I bequeath the aforesaid
tract of land to my Grandson Levi Penny son of James
and Jane Penny aforesaid  to him and his heirs to hold the land
forever.  Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Ann one
good horse & saddle two Cows six chairs 2 beds one beaureau
two tables and ten sheep __ __ Item I give and bequeath to my
four children the residue of my household goods [????] and
Live stock of every kind that is to say Jesse Martha
Ann & Jane to be Equally divided share and share alike
Lastly my debt and Money'd matters I will after my funeral
Expenses and expenses of the Execution of this my will is paid
allowing my just debts to be paid {????????????????????? ]
more may be is to be equally divided between Jesse Sill
Martha Penny Ann Sill and Jane Penny
Further I make and ordain William Penny
Hamilton Stewart and Fauntley Muse Jr Executors
of this my last will and testament

In testamony whereof I have hereunto set my hand
and Seal this 5 day of May in the year of our Lord
one thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty Eight
                                               William Sill {Seal}

Signed Sealed Published and declared by the above named
William Sill to be his last will and testament in the 
presence of us; who at this request and in his presence
have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto
                                                      John Kelly
                                                      Andrew F Cowan

Allegheny County
Be it remembered that on the 9-th
day of March 1841 personally came before Me D Gilliland
Register fore the Probate of Wills in and for Said County John
Kelly & Andrew F Cowan the subscribing witnesses to the
foregoing Instrument who being by Me Solemnly Sworn
Say that they heard William Sill the above testator publish
and declare the foregoing Instrument as and for
his last will and testament and that at the time
he done so he was of sound and disposing mind
memory and understanding according to the best of their
observation and belief given under my hand the date aforesaid
                                                           D Gilliland
                                                           Registrar


The tape used to repair the pages make it really difficult to read some of the lines and some of the wording in the section written by the registrar was deduced by looking at other wills.

His daughter Ann Sill never married and I'll share her will with you next time.


© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Limited Time Free Webinar: Pam Stone Eagleson presents "Finding Thomas' Father: an 18th Century Prince William County Virginia Case Study"

Oh boy do I have a few of these types in my ancestry--Virginians in the 1700s:

Thomas Stone left few records when he died in 1791 in Prince William County Virginia. No document or reference names his parentage. Finding Thomas's father took thirty years. Using indirect evidence and helped by technological advances, Thomas's father has been found. Land records make the case. This presentation demonstrates the process of creating a proof argument to identify Thomas's father.

Pam Stone Eagleson presented this Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) webinar, "Finding Thomas' Father: an 18th Century Prince William County Virginia Case Study," on January 16, 2018.

Runs 1 hour 23 minutes
Free through January 23, 2018

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Working on Wednesday: William Sill (1757 - 1851), Farmer, Veteran

William Sill (or Sills) is one of my maternal fifth great grandfathers. He was residing in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, by 1800 according to the Pennsylvania Septennial Census of that year which only gives the most general information.

[Year: 1800: Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: Septennial Census Returns, 1779–1863. Box 1026, microfilm, 14 rolls. Records of the House of Representatives. Records of the General Assembly, Record Group 7. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, PA.]

We know he owned land in Versailles Township and he's mentioned several times in The Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette. The first reference shows us that he paid his taxes in 1806:

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 3 March 1807. Newspapers.com]

In the next mention of William Sill that I found he was listed as one of the neighbors of a William Richardson who was in the process of losing his land. The description of Mr. Richardson's property gives us clues to the location of my ancestor's land holdings.

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 12 May 1807. Newspapers.com]

Early in 1808 his name appears as the lead defendant in a court case scheduled for the January term. I don't know what the cause of the suit was.

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 15 January 1808. Newspapers.com]

The 1810 federal census lists him in Versailles Township. (His son Jesse Sills is my direct ancestor.)

[Year: 1810; Census Place: Versailles, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: 44; Page: 340; Image: 00178; Family History Library Film: 0193670. Ancestry.com. 1810 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Third Census of the United States, 1810. (NARA microfilm publication M252, 71 rolls). Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.]

In 1811 his name appears in another bankruptcy case, this time as a court-appointed custodian of the "certain goods, chattels and effect" of John Hill, a fellow resident of Versailles Township.

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 9 August 1811. GenealogyBank.com]

The 1820 U.S. Census once again shows William and his son Jesse living in Versailles Township.

[1820 U S Census; Census Place: Versailles, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Page: 189; NARA Roll: M33_97; Image: 107. Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

Original data: Fourth Census of the United States, 1820. (NARA microfilm publication M33, 142 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.]

Although I haven't found any mention of William Sill in the 1830 U.S. Census, we know he was still living in Versailles Township from the following newspaper clipping and we also learn that Jesse Sill was facing a forced sale of his land.*

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 26 October 1830. Newspapers.com]

By the date of the 1840 federal census, it appears that William was living in Jesse Sill's household.

[Year: 1840; Census Place: Versailles, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: 441; Page: 520; Family History Library Film: 0020536. Ancestry.com. 1840 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.  Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Sixth Census of the United States, 1840. (NARA microfilm publication M704, 580 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.]

William Sill died in 1841 and is buried next to his wife Jane in the McKeesport and Versailles Cemetery. Next time I'm going to try to figure out what's behind this record:**

[Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, 1777–2012. Digital Images, 3–5. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Bureau of Archives and History. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.]

As far as I can tell, William never applied for the 1832 pension which would give us details of his service.


*You can find a definition of the legal term "venditioni exponas" here.
**There are records for at least two men named William Sill and I'm not certain which refer to my ancestor.


© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.