Category Archives: Family Lines

Third Great Uncle Henry Howell

Posted on December 5, 2025 by Don Taylor

Henry Howell, the eldest known brother of Peter M. Howell, may hold essential clues to identifying their parents. Drawing on census records, a Virginia death certificate, and a detailed comparison of five FamilySearch tree profiles, this study evaluates which online identities likely represent the same man. While three profiles appear to converge on Henry (born c. 1807), several questions remain unresolved, including the identity of his wives, the accuracy of relationships assigned in online trees, and whether a possible sister—F. Josie Thomas—fits into the Howell family narrative. Continue reading →

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A Possible Mayflower Connection Through the Roberts Line

Posted on November 27, 2025 by Don Taylor

This Thanksgiving, I explored a newly discovered possibility that my Roberts line may connect to Richard Warren, a passenger on the Mayflower. Early generations of the line are well documented, and only three ancestor pairs remain to verify. If confirmed, this connection would link my family directly to one of Plymouth Colony’s earliest settlers. Continue reading →

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Tracing Reuben Sutherland – From Horseneck to Charlemagne

Posted on November 1, 2025 by Don Taylor

Could Charlemagne connect my wife and me as 32nd cousins? Tracing our shared lineage led me to Reuben C. Sutherland, a Revolutionary War soldier born before 1755 in Horseneck, New York. His story—spanning frontier disputes, Dutchess County militia service, and family roots reaching medieval Europe—reveals how genealogy links the personal to the historical. Continue reading →

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4th Great Uncle – Asa Perry Taft, Jr. (1794-1880)

Posted on October 29, 2025 by Don Taylor

A brief genealogical profile of Asa Perry Taft, Jr. (1794–1880), 4th great-uncle in the Roberts-Barnes-Taft family line. Tracing his early life in Partridgefield, Massachusetts, migration to Broome County, New York, marriages, children, census records, and burial in Triangle, NY. Continue reading →

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A Letter from the Past – Florence Darling to Bertha Huber, 1934

Posted on October 8, 2025 by Don Taylor

A 1934 letter from Florence Darling to Bertha Huber reveals family health struggles, caregiving, and correspondence that kept loved ones connected—a valuable glimpse into daily life for genealogists. Continue reading →

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