Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: If You Won ...

Tonight's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun finds me in front of a fire in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, contemplating the question ...

1) If you won the grand prize in the Ancestry.com Ultimate Family History Journey Sweepstakes of $20,000 for genealogy travel to places of your choice, where would you go, and what would you do?

2) Tell us of your dream genealogy trip using the prize money in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this post, or in a comment on Facebook.


Okay.. I can't justify some serious bling in the name of genealogy so I begin my second favorite internet activity ... shopping for bargin air fare to the U.K. Wait! I have twenty thousand smack-olas so why am I looking at flying coach? I'm not sure I can totally justify the cost of upgrade to Business Class but having the extra leg room on my flight from Chicago to London is much appreciated.


After enjoying a traditional first night in London meal at Cafe Uno near Carnaby Street, I head off to East Anglia and research on my Clarke family line. While I am there, I will enjoy time spent at Bury St Edmonds, the site of RAF Rattlesden Airfield.  Originally designated as a satellite for RAF Bury St. Edmunds during WWII, the airfield was assigned to the 3rd Bomb Wing which controlled most of the USAAF assigned airfields in Suffolk. In June 1943 it was decided that the airfield was suited for B-26 and finally the 447th Bombardment Group (Heavy) of the Eighth Air Force. The crew that included my uncle Lee Bergeron was among the first of 447th B-17 Flying Fortresses that arrived at Rattlesden from America.


From East Anglia, I will head up to Lancashire and spent time researching my Hornby and Howard family lines. Then up to Rochdale for Jones family research before my U.K. research quest continues north looking for the elusive Armstrong family lines.


Back on American soil my traveling companion (Mom) and I make a road trip to Pennsylvania for research in Clarion and Luzerne counties. As long as we are in the neighborhood, we will certainly spend an afternoon at Space Farm and Zoo; founded by a descendant of Peter Space, the brother of the progenitor of my Space line, John.


This is truly a dream come true ... wait. What?? You mean this isn't really my moment in the sun and only a dream?


Really ... don't bother waking me up.

Surname Saturday: Space and Armstrong Research

As any family historian will tell you, locating our elusive female ancestors presents a number of unique challenges which is why, after much debate, have decided to highlight my 3rd Great Grandmother Katherine Armstrong Space.


According to census records, Katherine/Catherine Armstrong was born circa 1793 in Pennsylvania. It is believed that her father's name was John Armstrong as this name appears in several families in the Space family. Family legend states that John Armstrong was among the early Scottish settlers of the Wyoming Valley, Luzerne County, PA. Legend also goes on to state that John, as a child, was one of the survivors of the Wyoming Valley Massacre that occurred in July 1776. However, I have been unable to locate any documentation to prove this statement. While there was a well-known figure named John Armstrong involved with this incident, his life and family history are well documented and there appears to be no link between this John Armstrong and the father of my Katherine Armstrong.

Katherine Armstrong married Zephaniah Space on 25 May 1811 in Wyoming Valley, Luzerne Co, PA. Zephaniah was born circa 1789 in Sussex Co, NJ to John Space and Abigail Mott. John, who immigrated to New Jersey from Germany, is the progenitor of my Space family line. John Space is the reason I was able to make my application to the Daughters of the American Revolution; he enlisted in Hackensack, NJ, in 1776 serving for the entire duration of the war: spent the cold winter at Valley Forge and was present at Yorktown. I find it more than interesting that John's older brother, Peter Space, who supposedly immigrated with John, did not serve. But that is fodder for a future post.


John received 100 acres of bounty land in the Luzerne area, where he and Abigail raised a family of 9 known children of which Katherine's husband, Zephaniah, was the oldest known son.


In 1818 Zephaniah and Katherine immigrated to Clarion County, PA, settling on land in the New Bethlehem area. They also raised a family of 9 known children; my line descends from their son, Zephaniah Allen born in 1826.


A Space family history published in 1936 was the cause of my first genealogy "ah ha" moment. Citing a visit by the authors (who happened to be first cousins) to Clarion County as well as information found in census records, gave me reason to believe that what was written certainly must be true - right? It was a number of years before I questioned their statements, including the following: "In the Armstrong family there were only two children, Catherine and her brother John. Catherine's father was John Armstrong, and the parents died when John and Catherine were children. Catherine was reared in East Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in a family by the name of Hart."


When I finally asked myself, "How do I know that this is true?" did I discover no documentation or reference of Katherine living in Clarion County prior to 1818, following her marriage to Zephaniah, in Luzerne County. It seems unlikely that Katherine could be 'raised by a family in East Bethlehem', assuming this is Clarion County, in an area that was not yet settled only to return to Luzerne County to be married in 1811. A list of the early settlers of Clarion County area does not list "Hart."


Another Space and Armstrong family researcher has shared information from her ancestor claiming that Katherine Armstrong's mother married twice. The first marriage to John Armstrong with John and my Katherine as issue. The second marriage to Adam Nolf/Nulph with five children born to this union: Jake, John, George, Polly and Barbara. The girls marrying brothers Nicholas and Jake Hetrick. Both Nolf/Nulph and Hetrick are common families in the Clarion County, PA area.


"Finding Grandma Katie" remains at the top of my Top Ten Most Wanted. Maybe 2010 will be the year I discover her family and make yet another connection in her life.