I began researching back about 1971 - after my mom and her sisters piqued my interest with a few stories and names. Over the years, my research capabilities have grown to the point where I can teach classes and am confident in my abilities. Every day I thank my mom for all her help back when I was asking so many questions.
At this point my multiple family trees include Sheridan & Prince, Porter & Dillingham and Conner & Daly for a total of 5,921 names that are included and mostly researched. My Porter family is documented only to 1790 New York. Dillingham's are documented to England, but they didn't arrive in America until 1632 when Henry and Ursula Dillingham arrived on the ship William Frances. The Prince family didn't arrive until the 1830's in America from England. Micheal Sheridan arrived in New York in June of 1826 from Ireland.
And out of all those names, only one person is a descendant of someone that allows me to apply to a National Lineage Society.
Imagine my surprise when I was able to document my grandmother Pauline (Prince) Sheridan to John Howland of the Mayflower via Bethia Brown. John Howland was my 9th great-grandfather through his daughter Lydia (Howland) Brown.
And through Bethia's husband Jacob Bliss, Jr we can connect to the American Revolution as his father Jacob Bliss, Sr was a member of Lt John Dryer's Company on the march from Rehoboth to Bristol, RI December 8, 1776, and also Colonel Carpenter's Regiment of Rhode Island.
Which brought me back to Grandma Sheridan and her family. The Prince and Harris side. The side that I was able to follow the female sides back and make my connections to the beginning. And what a goldmine it has been for me. My most recent application was to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and it was approved just a few weeks ago. This is through Jacob Bliss, Jr husband of Bethia (Brown) Bliss. Jacob and his father Jacob, Sr (our 5th great-grandfather) also participated in Shay's Rebellion in Western Massachusetts from 1786-1787.
"A Mr. Jacob Bliss and Jacob, Jr., took the oath of allegiance to the commonwealth of Massachusetts in March of 1787 and delivered up their arms to the government, they having engaged in the [so called] Shay insurrection." (Source: Genealogy of the Bliss Family in America)
By 1815, Jacob Bliss Jr. had moved his family from Rehoboth, Massachusetts to the Greenfield Township of Huron County, Ohio. Our Bliss 4x great grandparents became landowners once again as the Federal government gave out parcels of land to help settle what would become the state of Ohio.
His daughter Sylvia Bliss would meet and marry Pardon Yaw in Massachusetts and not follow her parents to Ohio. Sylvia and Pardon's daughter Lois Yaw would marry Ebenezer Harris (our 2x great grandparents) and travel to Michigan. Their daughter Lillian Harris would meet and marry Frank T Prince. Their daughter Pauline would marry John Sheridan.
Being able to prove the connection to the Mayflower and also to the American Revolution was a great culmination of my years of research. All because of one ancestor.
Barbie
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