Category Archives: Genealogy

2017 New Hampshire and National Women’s History Month

History is not celebrated in a vacuum.  When you pay notice to an event such as National Women’s History Month, you must also include the history of New Hampshire women. Women’s History Week was first observed in Sonoma County, California … Continue reading

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He Kept New Hampshire Beds Warm: Concord’s Louis F. Gillette (1857-1937)

In the early twentieth century most New Hampshire homes did not have central heating, and warming pans were in common use. These devices warmed up the sheets, and also kept the bed warm at least for a few hours, especially … Continue reading

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Faces of the BEAN Family of Brentwood, Deerfield and Derry New Hampshire

The BEAN family arrived early in the colony of New Hampshire. They came from Scotland and made Exeter their home. This story is not an attempt to trace all of the Bean progeny, just that of one John Lyford Bean … Continue reading

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Concord New Hampshire’s Famed Spiritualist, Medium and Clairvoyant: Sophia (Bradley) Woods Craddock (1837-1909)

This story about Mrs. Sophia (Bradley) Craddock (or her preferred “S.B. Craddock”) started with my purchase of a photograph. Shown here to the left, it was taken in Maurice S. Lamprey’s Washington Square studio in Fisherville, New Hampshire. I can’t … Continue reading

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The Farm Boy Who Built New Hampshire’s Only Silver Industry: Concord’s William Butler Durgin (1833-1905)

William B. Durgin’s silver flatware and serving pieces are today still very much collectible and in demand. During the company’s heyday his Fairfax silver pattern was the leading one in the entire United States. But William Butler Durgin was not … Continue reading

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