Couple: Front Back July 17, 1868. Boston, MassachusettsThese photographs have been handed down through generations in our family.
Today we do not know who these people are.
1. Couple: Front Back July 17, 1868. Boston, Massachusetts
2. 
Man: Front Back July 17, 1868. Boston, Massachusetts
Photos 1 and 2 above:
3. 
Boy Date and place unknown
Photo 3 above:
4. 
Man Date and place unknown
Photo 4 above:
These photos were kept for many years by Jesse Perry Shore (1877-1950).
They were handed down into our family on his death in 1950.
The people must have meant something special in his life.
Orphaned as a two-year-old child, Jesse Shore was reared in the home of his uncle Marshall Winn (1842-1904) and aunt Louisa Cedelia (Shore) Winn (1844-1931), his father's sister. Their home was in Wyoming, Stark County, Illinois.
Jesse had one brother, Albertus Arthur Shore (1874-1928). Albertus was reared in the home of his grandmother, Mary Ann (Brandenburg) Shore-Baker (1815-1892).
The family's two homes where Jesse and Albertus were brought up were only a few miles apart. It's likely that the families shared time together and shared photographs.
Because Jesse was orphaned as a young child, his family records were probably kept by his aunt Louisa (Shore) Winn in their home where he was raised, and given to him after he reached adulthood.
These photos were important enough to Jesse Shore for him to save them for many years.
He kept them for over four generations in our family. Now they are in our family heritage.
He kept many accurate records. He made a family heritage diagram showing several generations, now in our Family Gallery.
He wrote descriptions on the backs of many photographs, but nothing is recorded on these. Perhaps he was not sure, or perhaps the information was recorded elsewhere and we have not found the records.
He died before his grandchildren were old enough to ask about the family.
These photos were probably shared among the family and friends. Perhaps someday other photos will surface in a family album saved by 'distant' relatives. We may yet know who these people are.
Then we may learn how their stories add to our family's rich heritage.
We may also know why those people were dear enough for their photographs to be preserved over generations.
Your ideas are welcome.
What is happening here?
Note the broken glass in the windows and the broken sign. A policeman and two soldiers are standing guard in front of the building. It appears to be a bank.
The cardboard border of the photo reads, "Pleasant Recollections". There is no other writing or identification on the photo, front or back.
"Pleasant Recollections" seems to have a touch of irony, because the photo shows a policeman and two soldiers guarding a building with broken windows and a broken sign.
The photo, and its meaning, are a mystery.
The location is unknown. There is no date. The trolley is steam-driven. There are telephone wires.
The photo was saved by Jesse Perry Shore (1877-1950). He was born and reared in Stark County, Illinois. He lived for a brief period about 1903 near Peoria, Illinois, before settling in San Antonio, Texas in 1905. His military service took him to posts in The Philippines, West Texas, Arizona, New Jersey, and San Antonio.
We do not know why Jesse Shore saved this photo for so many years.
In 1905 he was stationed in San Antonio, Texas and in 1912 in west Texas near the Mexican border. In 1916 he was stationed at Camp Warren (now Bisbee) Arizona where the US Army was posted against raids coming into US towns from across the Mexican border by Pancho Villa's raiders.
On close examination, the soldier on the right has a resemblance to Jesse Shore. Perhaps he saved it because it was he who was on duty.
Holy Piece
This is a holy piece made of gilded and red felt, hand-sewn. It has the text "Copyright 1915", a silver holy medal dated 1886 and a piece of gold foil attached, a Madonna and Child, and a paper clipping with Latin text. It has a loop for attaching a pin or neck loop.
It is oval, 2 inches wide by 2-1/2 inches high.
It was saved by Margaret Ann (Shore) Roberts (1910-2004). It might have originally belonged to her, or to her mother Anna Agnes (Gaffney) Shore (1872-1946), or to Anna's father or mother, James Owen Gaffney (1839-1912) or Margaret (O'Reilly) Gaffney (1850-1896).
Margaret Ann Roberts also cared for her elderly aunt Camille (Gaffney) Finegan (1877-1971), who lived in Margaret Ann's home until her death. Camille had no descendants, so it is possible that this holy piece belonged to her.
Many other holy pieces and books in our family have been identified as to their origin and to whom they belonged. This one has no writing or context with which to identify it. It must have been dear for many years to someone in our family, but now we simply do not know.
Book
Click here to view some pages: Pages
The book is "Drelincourt on Death". by Charles Delincourt; translated from French into English by Marius D'Assigny.
It was published in London in 1814. It contains 560 pages.
Printed in gold leaf on the spine are these words:
DRELINCOURT
ON DEATH
E. ROBERTS
1818
The book is worn. Both covers are detached, the spine is torn, and pages are stained. Nothing is missing, however: all pages and covers are complete.
There is no writing inside the book. The inside front cover has a small spot of sealing wax where a card or paper had been mounted.
The book was given by Margaret Ann (Shore) Roberts (1910-2004) to her son Joseph Oliver Roberts Jr in 1980. Her husband Joseph Oliver Roberts Sr (1901-1952) was orphaned at eight years of age, and no items from his family have been identified. If this book had been in his early Roberts family, it is the only such heirloom we have. No others have been passed down or found.
Margaret Ann Roberts did extensive research and recording of our family heritage. How the book came into her possession is not known.
U.S. Army Military Sword
Click here for photos: 1 2 3 4 5
This is one of two military swords in the family.
It is complete with its scabbard.
The sword is about 36 inches long. Its blade is inscribed with the initials "U.S".
Its hilt has an emblem of a U.S. Army shield with crossed flags. It also has the insignias of crossed swords (Cavalry), cannons (Artillery), and rifles (Infantry), suggesting that it might have been used by an officer of any of these units, or a senior commander of all three.
The handle and hilt has a built-in whistle which emits a loud, shrill sound when blown into.
The sword's purpose, whether it was used in action or was ceremonial, is not known. Its original owner is not known.
Does anyone have ideas?
U.S. Army Military Sword
Click here for photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6
This is another military sword in the family.
It is complete with its scabbard.
The sword is about 36 inches long. Its blade is inscribed with the initials "U.S", an emblem of an American eagle with a United States banner and shield, and the word "PROVED". It was manufactured by Horstmann in Philadelphia, a maker of swords in the Civil War era.
The sword's purpose, whether it was used in action or was ceremonial, is not known. Its original owner is not known.
Does anyone have ideas?
G.A.R. Woman's Relief Corps Medal
Click here for photos: Medal Front (Detail) Back (Detail)
In 1883 the Woman's Relief Corps organization was founded for women of families who served during the Civil War, in the Grand Army of the Republic. In later years its membership was further extended as a patriotic service organization for women.
The letters "F C L" superimposed and embossed on the bar pin at the top of the ribbon stand for the organization's motto: Fraternity, Charity, Loyalty.
The medal shows a Goddess of Liberty, a Woman, Children, and a Soldier. They are encircled in a wreath of stars.
This medal has been in our family for generations. It appears to be old as shown by its patent date on the rear:
PATENTED
MAY 4. AND
SEPT. 28. 1886.
The flag pin appears to be modern. It was found inside the box with the medal.
We do not know who was the original owner of the medal.
1815-1816 Ohio Supreme Court Judgement
William Brandenburg receives a judgement from the Ohio Supreme Court on the matter of allowing a game of "hussel cap" to be played in an "out house" on the premises of his public house.
Today, does anyone know how to play "hussel cap"?
Mystery Solved: 13 June 2009 Click Here
Montgomery County, Ohio 1860 Census
In our family today, every one of us is related to Mary Ann Brandenburg (1815-1892):
Everyone in our family is descended from that marriage of Mary Ann Brandenburg and John Shore. (Or, you're married to someone who is descended from them.)
We know from Mary Ann's correspondence that her father (William Henry Brandenburg) moved the family from Maryland to Ohio in 1835. They visited other Brandenburg relatives who were already living there, in Montgomery County.
Here is the 1860 US Federal Census of Montgomery County, Ohio.
It shows a "Mary F. Brandenburg" and her family.
Her birthplace is shown as Maryland. She is age 51, indicating she was born about 1809.
It appears that in 1860 she is a widow. (Our relative, Mary Ann, was widowed on March 7, 1861.)
Some of her children's names are the same as in our family: Jacob, Henry, Sarah, Matthias.
The dates and names are close -- but this is not the Mary Ann Brandenburg who married John Shore, from whom we are directly descended. But are we related?
This Mary F. Brandenburg and her children may be our distant cousins, descended from the same Brandenburgs who came from Prussia to America and settled in Maryland in the 1750s.
"Our" branch of the Brandenburg family moved from Maryland to Ohio in 1835, visiting relatives there before settling. We could be related to this Mary F. Brandenburg and her family, who are in Ohio in the 1860s.
If any of her descendants are alive today, they might have letters and records from our family, perhaps even a family Bible showing our family's heritage.
Here's a question and a challenge ...
When you're exploring your family heritage, and you find a link like this ... which is it?
- It's a way you can get sidetracked ...
-- or --
- It's a way you might discover a living connection with your family today.
Now you might have cousins living right in your area of the country. They might have stories to relate that can show you more of your rich heritage. You might have some that can help them. It could be good to 'swap' them before they become forgotten and lost.
Maybe they have been looking for you. You won't know, until you give it a try.
Can they find you? Can you find them?
Enjoy exploring!
