Blanchard Connections

Mayo H. Blanchard and Charles F. Blanchard (believe they are on the right of the gentleman in the suit), building the Bristol CT Theatre



While searching around on the internet the end of last week, I came across the Brookfield, VT Historical Society.  Since I knew that Luther Waters Blanchard, and his father, Amasa Blanchard had both lived here, thanks to census records, I worked my way through their blog posts.  I was disappointed to not find anything, especially on Luther.  I left a comment on their blog to this effect.


A few days later I received an email from Elinor, who is the historian for the society, and as chance has it, is also part of the same Blanchard clan (connected a few generations back, as is her husband apparently).  She mentioned a friend she had, Joyce, who was seeking out Blanchard history, as she is one as well.

I am Blanchard on my mother's side:
My mother
to
Mayo Howard Blanchard (b:1901 VT, d:1961 CT)
to
Charles Forrest Blanchard (b:1867 VT, d:? Newtown CT)
to 
Luther Waters Blanchard (b: 1833 VT, d: 1906 NH)
to
Amasa Blanchard (b: 1792 MA, d: 1887 VT)
etc...

 Lucy A (Riley) Blanchard and Charles F Blanchard with two of their sons (not sure yet which ones, possibly Mayo?)

Anyway, turns out Joyce is the daughter of Charles T. Blanchard, my grandfather's brother.  She gave a tip about another cousin, Dennis.  I was able to contact him through the Blanchard Yahoo group he set up to connect with others from the family who might be out there.  He is the son of my grandfather's youngest brother, Ernest Blanchard.

It amazes me sometimes, thanks to the internet, that I can find relatives that I never knew I had.  My mother didn't know any of them either, as the Blanchard family pretty much scattered from CT. There are a few still there, but many of us have moved to other states.

I never saw a picture of my great grandfather, Charles F, or my grandfather Mayo H.  Dennis had some amazing photos that he let me download. What a treasure! 

Never underestimate those random facts or connections you find on the internet in your searches, you just might come up with gold, or better yet, family!

 

Mistaken Idenity

I have had this photo for over twenty years:

 When my grandmother passed away, all of her items (photos, etc) were divided up between the kids. I don't know if any real system was used, just sorted into boxes.  This photo was in the box my dad got.  My grandmother's cousin had identified it as my great grandfather, Joseph D. Ede, from England.  For twenty years, that is who I believed it was.

Over the last couple of years I have been able to connect with some cousins on Facebook, who are sharing photos from our family history as well.  This photo turned up from my cousin Donald:

 I firmly believe this is the only photo of Joseph D. Ede, and his wife Olive, based on the clothing they are wearing.  Olive died sometime between the 1920 and 1930 census, and both were in their 60's by the 1910 census.

Now look at the photos, side by side:

 Sure looks like a family resemblance to me.  I am fairly certain now, that the first photo is not of Joseph D. Ede, but rather his father, Edgar Ede, also of England.  He and his wife Esther did come to America, after Joseph and another son, and settled in the Strafford, CT area, where they are buried.

Being able to use a photo, estimating the year(s) it might have been taken, to see a visual of the people you come from is so exciting!