#52Ancestors52Weeks....Week 49 Theme...Handed Down....Have I Told You About Our Rocking Chairs??...

 This  Glider Rocker belonged to Anna King. 

The crewel work California Poppy pillow was made by Margaret Boothby for Dorothy Arthur. 

   Handed down...most families have unique, treasured items that have been handed down through the generations. These items serve as a bridge between the past and the present.  Our family seems to have acquired an eclectic collection of rocking chairs over the years, each with attached precious memories of family members that used them and the stories that accompany each rocker.  These are some of our handed down rocking chairs, as well as some rocking chairs that are still waiting their turn to be handed down in the future.  Pull up your favorite rocking chair and a cup of tea and read on....

  This first rocking chair belonged to my great great grandmother Anna Levers King (1862-1941).  

 Anna King with Spot.

 Turn of the century, photograph taken somewhere in the Bay Area (on the ranch?)  From the King Album. 

  This rocker is a platform glider rocker, first patented in the late 1880's.  Anna's daughter Emma (my great grandmother "Nana"), took off the arms and added a padded back after it was handed down to her.  She handed it down to her daughter Dorothy who took it all apart.  Auntie Dot handed it down in a box to my mother, and luckily all the pieces and parts were still together. Mom had a furniture restorer in Grass Valley strip off the old black finish and remove the padded back which revealed the spindles. The rocking chair was given a new life and now graces Mom's living room. It is still used during get togethers.  Because of the frame mechanism the chair gently glides back and forth instead of rocking.  It still creaks a bit, but that just adds to the charm!

Fun Fact:  Did you know that rocking chairs were considered to be feminine chairs uniquely suited to the needs of  women? In the mid 1800's men were never seen in public in a rocking chair.  Rocking chairs were generally limited to private use at home. Kovel's Antique Trader  antiquetrade.com

  

 Antique child's rocker from 1906.  It has always been referred to as "Uncle Jack's rocker".  

 

 I have posted a picture of this next rocker before...it belonged to Master Jack Hansen and I am sure it was used by his little brothers Bob and Harold (my maternal grandfather) as well. It made its way to Mom's house; it has recently been handed down to little JackF. who is the great great nephew of Jack Hansen. I think Uncle Jack would get a tickle out of knowing that his rocker is still in use today by Jack and his little sister Audrey...

 Jack Klemmet Hansen (1906-1986).  He was photographed with his younger brother Robley (Bob) Hansen (1909-1986) sometime in the summer or fall  of 1909.  From the Hansen Family Album.

  

 Little Mary's  vintage cane rocking chair.  

   This precious little rocking chair was handed down from Little Mary Macioccos to my paternal grandmother Terry Boothby (Nino) and now to me.  It is of unknown vintage and origin but looks like it may have been re-caned and stained at some point.   Nino added the padding in the 90's to match her living room decor, and the padding has been there ever since. I requested Little Mary's  chair in 1995 after Nino's passing; I have used this little rocking chair to rock my grandbabies and read them stories for the last 8 years. It is surprisingly comfortable and I fit perfectly! I am sure it was a perfect fit for Little Mary  also.  

The padding has helped protect the cane weaving over the years. 

   Mary Negri  Macioccos was born in Rocca d'Arazzo Italy in 1909 and married Antonio Macioccos (also known as Nino) in San Francisco in 1929.  Somehow, Nino and Little Mary became lifelong friends of my grandparents Nino and Sterl, and attended many family get togethers and dinners over many years.  I have fond memories of Little Mary always laughing and joking with my Nino and Uncle Frank.  Nino Macioccos passed away in 1973 and Little Mary passed away in 1990.  

 Can you spot Little Mary? 

L-R:  Nonna, Dottie, unknown couple, Nino, Little Mary, Aunt Dena and Uncle Frank in the back row, and Nino (Little Mary's husband) on the far right.  Photograph taken at my parents' wedding held at the Grass Valley Methodist Church June 25, 1961. 

Little Mary seated next to Dad.

Photograph taken at Nino's home in Sonoma, California during Easter celebrations.  This may have been in 1986 or 1989, as there is a stork on the table next to the Easter Bunny...

Also pictured are Dottie (on the left) and Chet and Muriel on the right. 

 An Eastlake rocking chair that was in the Hayes family home and is now in the possession of StephanieE. 

The Eastlake detail....

  This Eastlake chair was in the home of  Franklin and Sallie Hayes (my great great grandparents) at 3818 22nd Street, San Francisco.  The home, built in the 1880's, was found to be structurally sound after the Great San Francisco Earthquake in 1906.  The rocking chair, along with a matching  side chair and another larger chair, were in the home until the death of Lester Hayes (my great grandfather) in 1969.  All three pieces were restored by my grandmother, Betty Hayes Hansen, and then distributed to family members after that.  The rocker was handed down to my sister. 

 Lester Hayes

Photograph taken before 1969 at an unknown location. 

   

   Mom's maple rocking chair

Photograph taken in Stockton, California 1962 right after my birth. We spent a lot of time together in this rocker...

With a sculptured seat and curved back spindles, this rocker is very comfortable...and this is a stock photograph from the internet.  I could not find a good picture of just the rocking chair itself... it was always occupied!

   This is Mom's maple Boston-style rocking chair that was purchased before my birth.  Mom says she sat in about 50 rockers before she choose this one.  This rocking chair was always in my parents' living room on Banner Mountain and must have a thousand coats of Pledge on it by now, liberally administered by my sister and myself every cleaning day.   It is a beautiful rocker with many beautiful memories that go with it.  

 Mom's rocker is a Nichols & Stone Boston Rocker, circa 1961

 

   This is my rocking chair, and was given to me by my husband for our first Christmas together.  It is very similar in style to Mom's chair, but is a little smaller in proportion and fits me perfectly.  I rocked both of my children in this rocker.  

AmyA.'s rocking chair circa 1990 or so...

   One last rocking chair to share in this post.  This reproduction press-backed child's rocking chair was given to our daughter after she was born in 1989 by my parents.  It has gotten quite a bit of use not only from our daughter and her collection of dolls, but from our granddaughter who uses it when she stays at "Nana and Papa's" house.  I hope it lasts as long as some of our other rocking chairs! 

  I am sure I may have missed a rocking chair or two here and there, but these are the ones with the most memories.  They have been  taken care of, lovingly used and handed down to new generations.  It doesn't matter how old or new they are, they all are family treasures that hold sentimental value and give us tangible connections to our loved ones.  They help keep our family history alive. 

#52Ancestors52Weeks....Week 48 Theme...Too Funny....Little Girls in Hats on Dolores Street

These little girls are too funny.....!

 "Dolores Street"  written on back of photograph in Vere Hansen's handwriting.  This photograph may have been taken around 1923. 

Found in the Hansen family photographs. 

Back of photograph

Same little girls with the same hats. They look like they are wearing jackets with collars over their dresses. 

From the Hansen Family Album

    I originally posted the top picture way back in 2021 as part of my Friday's Featured Photo idea.  At that time I did not know the identity of these two precious little girls; I think I have solved the mystery!

  The first photograph was found with other Hansen family photographs and had no context.  The second picture I found in Vere Hansen's photo album and I immediately recognized the cute little hats the girls were wearing. Those pictures went together!  Most pictures in Vere's album were not identified in any way; the only clue to these little girls' identities was that they were photographed on Dolores Street (San Francisco).  Who could they have been?

     Vere's youngest sister Gladys married Joseph Davis and they had three daughters and a son.  Virginia Rose Davis was born in 1919, Elizabeth Burrrows Davis was born in 1920 and Ethelreda Croyland Davis was born in 1922.  Son Milton Smith Davis was born in 1926. 

    The family lived on Dolores Street in San Francisco as of the 1920 Census; Rose was just a few months old at the time.  Based on dating of clothing styles I believe these little girls were sisters Virginia Rose and Elizabeth, photographed around 1923.  The family was still living on Dolores Street. 

Gladys with (right to left) Virginia, Elizabeth and Ethel. Photograph taken on a Santa Cruz vacation sometime before May of 1929. Everyone had the sun in their eyes for this picture.

From the Hansen family photographs.

The Davis children: Virginia, Elizabeth, Ethel and Milton.

Elizabeth still had her smile! 

From the Hansen family photographs. 

Relationship Reference:

Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Harold Hansen->Vere Burrows Hansen.  Gladys was Vere's youngest sister and the Davis children were Vere's nieces and nephew. 

#52Ancestors52Weeks...Week 47...Random Number....Putting the Life of William Henry Bluett Into Context

 

List of All People from my Ancestry.com Rodda/Bluett Family Tree.

William Henry Bluett was number 62 on the list. 

    The theme for this week was "Random Number".  As a fun exercise the idea was to pick a random number between 1 and 100, and find the corresponding ancestor on your tree to write about.  I thought it would be interesting to see who popped up on my Bluett/Rodda tree since I have not visited that tree for awhile.  I decided to go with my current age (should I divulge?) for my random number....and William Henry Bluett came up as lucky number 62.  I have briefly written of his life before, but I thought this week I would take a deeper dive into William's life story.  Even though he was not a direct ancestor, William's place in our family tree and within Nevada County history was uniquely his own and worthy of writing down. 

  

    William H. Bluett was the son of  John Bluett and Susan Tonkin, both originally from Cornwall, England.  John Bluett was the older brother of my third great grandmother, Harriet Bluett Hurd; William was her nephew. I previously wrote about John and Susan's family who lived at the top of Nevada Street in Nevada City, California, back in 2021 (March 21, 2021 The Bluett Family in Nevada City).

      William was the third child of John and Susan, and was born in Nevada City on December 3, 1864.  He lived to be 50 years old. He was buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery and his grave location is currently unknown.  Here is William's life story in timeline form...

1864    Birth on December 3 in Nevada City, California. William's  older siblings were John Wesley Bluett and  Susie Virginia Bluett (Durbin).  Williams' cousin Carrie Amelia Hurd had been born in Nevada City in February of that year while William Hurd and Harriet Bluett Hurd were living near the Manzanita Mine.  His other Hurd cousins were John Henry Hurd, Elizabeth Jane Hurd (Burrows)...my great great grandmother, William George Hurd (born in Nevada City in 1857) and Ella Hurd (born in Nevada City in 1860).

1865   William's uncle Joseph T. Bluett arrived back in Nevada City after serving in the Civil War, and brought back the small bible he was given before he left by my great great grandmother Elizabeth Jane Hurd. 

1866   Birth of his brother James Edward Bluett in Nevada City, California. 

1868     Birth of his cousin Winifred Melvine Hurd in Nevada City on September 3 while William and Harriet Bluett Hurd were living near the Manzanita Mine. 

 1869    Birth of his sister Abbie J. Bluett in Nevada City, California. 

1868-1869    The family of William Hurd and Harriet Bluett Hurd moved back to Pennsylvania sometime during this period and were back in Pennsylvania by the 1870 Census. 

 1870   The 1870 Census for William looked like this: 

 William's father John was a gold miner making a good living and Susan was at home taking care of 5 young children.  It must have been a very busy home!  William was most likely just starting school.  The family lived in Nevada Township, Nevada County California.  Their home was in the vicinity of Nevada Street and Old Washington Road. 

1870 US Federal Census for William H Bluett

Ancestry.com

 1873   Death of his sister Abbie J. Bluett on September 6, 1873.  She was 4 years old, and her cause of death is unknown.  William was 8 years old at the time and this must have been a very sad event for him.  I can't imagine what John and Susan felt after losing their baby. But, unfortunately, it was a common occurrence for  the time and place.  She was buried at the Pine Grove Cemetery in Nevada City, California. Plot location unknown. 

1875  The Hurd family was back on the west coast living in Virginia City, Nevada where William Hurd was working at the Ophir Mine.  The Great Fire occurred on October 26, 1875.  William was sure to have heard about the devastation the fire caused and how it affected his uncle and aunt and his cousins. 

1876  Death of his father John Bluett who was 50 years old.  John's cause of death is unknown.  He was a miner, so his death could very well have been related to his occupation. He was buried at the Pine Grove Cemetery, plot location unknown. William was 11 years old at the time.   Also, William's uncle William Hurd died in an accident in the  Ophir Mine in Virginia City, Nevada. His cousins had lost their father, too. 

1878   Death of his mother Susan Tonkin Bluett. Susan was 43 years old and died of cancer.  In her will she bequeathed the home and property to all of her remaining children.  The oldest child John Wesley was 18 years old.  He became the head of the Bluett family in the Bluett home at the top of Nevada Street.  William was 13 years old.  Susan was also buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery, plot location unknown. 

1880  The 1880 Census looked like this:

 The household looked much different by 1880.  John Wesley was working as a laborer at the age of 20 (and was head of the household), sister Susan was taking care of the home at the age of 18, and "Willie" and Eddie were most likely in school still, being 16 and 13 years old. The home was listed as being located on Nevada Street. 

1880 US Federal Census for William H Bluett

Ancestry.com

1880   William's sister Susie married Alexander Durbin in Nevada City, California after the census was taken. They lived as a married couple in the same home as the Bluett boys. Eight children were eventually born to the Durbins, beginning in 1881. William became an uncle! 

There is a large gap in records between 1880 and the 1900 census.  William's brother Eddie was married and living in Yuba County, working as a farmer by 1900 and continued to live the rest of his life in Marysville.  They had no children.  William's brother John Wesley was still living in Nevada City, as he was found on the California Voter Registers for 1892.  He worked as a painter. 

 1892  William Henry was found in the California Voter Registers also. The Presidential election that year was between Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison (Cleveland's win made him the first president in American history to be re-elected to a non-consecutive term....shades of our future 2024 election...).  This source is important for several reasons.  

Great Register of Nevada County 1892 California Voter Registers

Ancestry.com

   

 We get a good look at William's appearance from this source; he was 5 feet 4 1/2 inches tall with a dark complexion, blue eyes and brown hair.  His right hand was missing the second finger at the last joint.  His darker complexion was probably due to the fact that he worked out of doors as a mill man.  At that time this was a hazardous occupation, especially regarding digits! William had already lost one finger. 

 We also get a look at where William was working in a mill;  the town of Maybert, California.  I had to do some quick research on where Maybert was located.  It was a mining town in Nevada County, California, on the south side of the Yuba River and about 6 miles east of the town of Washington.  

Maybert is located about 22 miles from Nevada City.   You can drive Highway 20 from Nevada City up to the turn off to Washington and follow the road to what's left of Maybert in about 40 minutes.  It may have taken a bit longer by stage in the 1890's. 

Google maps

 The little town of Maybert's heyday was from the mid 1880's to the early 1900's.  It had sprung up to house and serve the area mines and their workers. A road and a bridge were constructed to connect the town of Washington and the large Yuba Mine in 1876. A newer bridge was constructed in 1895. 

  The 1895 Maybert Road bridge crossing  Canyon Creek, pictured before it was taken down in 2016 and replaced with a modern bridge.  Nevada City plans on using the old bridge as part of its trail system in the future. 

www.bridgeoftheweek.com

  Maybert boasted a school, its own election district (32 votes were cast in the 1892 election...one was probably William's!), its own telephone company, a post office and a hotel with a saloon.  It was connected by stage to Washington, Nevada City, Downieville and other points in Nevada County.  Even though William was living and working up the mountain from Nevada City, he was able to take the stage and visit his family on Nevada Street.

  William worked at one of the sawmills in the area.  The mills served the mines; the principal mines were the Yuba, Eagle Bird, Blue Bell and the Blue Jay.  These mines had their own mills, and could pay their mill men $3-$3.50 a day.  It was a hazardous job, as I found out by looking at the 1896 Voter Registration...

1893    Death of William's aunt Harriet Bluett Hurd in Virginia City, Nevada. 

1896   William was back living in Nevada City and was recorded in the 1896 California Voter Register. He was still working as a Mill Man, but had a new injury...the end of his first finger on his left hand was gone.  I wonder if he voted for William McKinley or William Jennings Bryan? 

1898   William's brother John Wesley served in the Spanish American War as a private in the 8th California Infantry. 

1900  The California Voter Register recorded William as living in Graniteville, Nevada County, still working as a Mill Man.  He was a registered Democrat by this time. Did he vote for William Jennings Bryan? William McKinley won that rematch.  Graniteville was a small community located on the San Juan ridge separating the middle and south forks of the Yuba River.  

Google maps

 Graniteville (formerly Eureka) was a small community.  Everyone knew each other's political tendencies....

California Voter Registrations for William H Bluett 1900

Ancestry.com

1900 Williams' brother John Wesley had moved to Marysville and was working as a painter. 

1910  Death of brother John Wesley on April 5th.  He died from his injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident some months before. He was just shy of his 50th birthday.

1915  Death of William Henry Bluett on November 17th.  He was 50 years old. 

The Morning Union 18 March 1915

Newspapers.com

   

 William Henry Bluett is a collateral descendant on the Bluett tree, but thanks to a random number we got to take a much closer look at his life this week.  He wasn't a gold miner as  many of my direct descendants were, but he became a skilled mill man who was well respected in the communities he lived and worked in.  His occupation supported the mines that were economically important to the area of Nevada County. He was an integral part of the mining culture that gave Nevada City and the surrounding areas  their unique identities as part of the "Gold Country".

   William was also a son, nephew, cousin, brother, and uncle within a very loving and supportive family.  He had his own unique place in the family tree and I'm glad I took the time to dig deeper into his life.  His story weaves richer threads into our family tree tapestry, don't you think? 

  Pine Grove Cemetery late October 2020.  Photograph by PattiA. 

We are still looking for the Durbins and the Bluetts! 

Pine Grove Cemetery, Nevada City, California

References:

YubaNet.com Maybert Bridge Construction and Road Closure by Nevada County Public Works August 26, 2016  https://yubanet.com/regional/maybert-bridge-construction-and-road-closure-starting-on-monday/

 Maybert, California         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maybert,_California

Graniteville, California    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graniteville,_California

For more Bluett and Hurd family posts, click on the labels on the right.  

 

#52Ancestors52Weeks....Week 46...Cultural.....The Tradition of Swaddling and The Brondolo Fasce (Swaddling Band)

 

 This mysterious roll of embroidered linen belonged to the Brondolo Family. What was it used for?? 

 

   This mysterious and intriguing roll of embroidered cloth has been in the box of Brondolo/Bertonasco pictures for years.  I have unrolled it on occasion, wondering what it was, how it was used and who it belonged to.  It was a mystery!  

 

 When the piece is unrolled, it is 6 feet in length.  It has a width of 6 1/2 inches.  It has strings on the finished end for tying. 

The finished end, underside, with  strings for tying. 

 "Amato Bene" means "Loved Well" or "Beloved" in Italian.  The embroidery was not done by hand, but by machine. 

 Amato Bene is repeated along with the pattern.  

      Was this a keepsake from a wedding? A confirmation?  A wall hanging or a table runner?  I found a Facebook group for all things 'Italian Genealogy' and several members knew right away that this was a beautiful  swaddling cloth.  It must have belonged to my grandmother Tersilla Palmina Brondolo, born in Vesime, Northern Italy, on March 31, 1911.  The swaddling cloth, or band, could have also been used for her siblings Emilio, Celestina, Francesco, Agostino and  Guilio.  Considering the relatively good condition it is in, it may have only been used for Nino (Tersilla) who was the baby of the family.  Sadly, we have no photographs of her as a baby. 

   After discovering what the cloth was used for I did some quick research into the practice of swaddling and its cultural significance.  I also found pictures of swaddling bands that were very similar to ours.  

   Swaddling is an ancient practice that has been passed down through generations and cultures. From ancient Greece to Roman times through the Medieval period and up to the 1800's, the practice of wrapping babies helped promote a sense of security and warmth, helped promote better sleep,  and served to limit a baby's movement to prevent accidental injury. It was also thought to prevent limbs from growing crooked.  Swaddling garments were often adorned with intricate designs and patterns to reflect the cultural artistry and craftsmanship of each society. Italian swaddling bands could be beautiful works of art...

 This is a needlepoint (cutwork) lace swaddling band made in Italy, Sicily, in the 16th century.  From the Cleveland Museum of Art. 

     The embroidery on our swaddling band appears to have been done by machine.  A contributor on the Italian Genealogy Facebook site suggested that it may have been done on a special embroidery machine after the turn of the century.  She said that it was not unusual for young girls to do this kind of embroidery after school hours.  These types of bands are still beautiful! 

This was advertised on Etsy as an "antique Italian swaddling band" from the 1920's.  It is made of cotton.  This one has Mille Baci embroidered on it....or "thousand kisses".  So sweet!  And very similar in style to ours. 

     Swaddling is a practice that was once widespread in Italy and much of Europe and the Mediterranean.  In fact, it was still a part of baby care in Italy, Germany and Russia up until the 1960's.  

  Linen fasce (baby band) from Italy, 1600-1625; Victoria and Albert Museum

This is how it was done!

Swaddling has come back in style with new parents these days, although in a more modern form.  Pictured are my grandchildren; both were swaddled as babies.  

Photograph taken in 2021. 

Amato Bene! 

Fasce:  Swaddling

      

References:

Victoria and Albert Collections

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O38155/swaddling-band-unknown/

Baby Wrapping-Traditional Baby Swaddling in Italy and Beyond October 29, 2018 Michael Curtotti     https://beyondforeignness.org/7340

{{cite web|title=Needlepoint (Cutwork) Lace Swaddling Band|url=https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1920.1132|author=|year=16th century|access-date=14 November 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}