Copyright © 2001 BeNotForgot.com. All rights reserved.
Today is

Search BeNotForgot

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Appreciation for Hometown Newspapers

Just wanted to take a minute to share something I received in my email today . . . it talks about today's final issue of a small town newspaper [i.e., the Journal Tribune] . . . and is from a library in Biddeford, Maine . . . where I have spent many pleasurable hours looking for tidbits about the lives of Mom's New England kith 'n kin while digging thru their newspaper archives . . . both onsite and online . . .

Which prompted me to write a little about how much I enjoy and appreciate both the current Rockdale Reporter as well as the archives of . . .


For more than a century, the Reporter family has memorialized countless tidbits about our kith 'n kin, e.g., there was . . .


And the numerous reports thru the years from the little communities of Bethlehem and Cole Springs and Tanglewood give us a delightful snapshot of their day-to-day lives . . . which we would not have if not for the Reporter, so . . .

To all of the Reporter family . . . both past and present . . . I will quote from the McArthur Library blogpost . . . 

"Thank you for being a part of my story." 


P.S. . . . and just as an additional FYI . . . some of the HERNDON ancestors of the COOKE family were / are near neighbors [both in life and in death] of some of Dad's kith 'n kin who came to Texas from Alabama and Mississippi . . . to wind up living and dying, and resting for eternity, in a little country cemetery in Tanglewood . . . 

Sunday, August 25, 2019

1692 :: Warrant for Arrest of Barkers and Marston


On this date in our family history . . . the 25th day of August . . . in the year 1692 . . . after being accused of the supposed crime of witchcraft, a warrant is issued for the apprehension of certain individuals from our family tree, i.e. . . . 



Essex To the Constables of Andov'r

Complaint being made to me this day, by Sam'l Martin of Andover & Moses Tyler sen'r of Boxford, against Willia Barker sen'r Mary Marstone the wife of John Marstone jun'r & Mary Barker the daughter of Lef't John Barker , all of Andov'r in that the aboves'd William Barker Mary Marstone & Mary Barker, have woefully afflicted & abused, Abigail Martin & Rose foster of Andov'r, & Martha Sprague of Boxford by witchcraft, Contrary to the peace of o'r sovereigne Lord & Lady #[King] William & Mary King & Queen of England &c: & to their Majes'ts Laws in that Case provided:

These therefore require you in their Majes'ts names upon sight hereof, to apprehend & seize the bodies of William Barker sen'r Mary Marstone the wife of John Marstone jun'r & Mary Barker the daughter of Lef't John Barker all of Andov'r & them safely Convey to Salem, before their Majes'ts justices of the peace there, to be examined & proceeded with according to law, for which this shall be yo'r warrant: given und'r my hand & seal this #[eighteenth] 25'th [25] day of August Anno Domini 1692: in the fourth year of their Majes'ts Reigne:/ *Dudley Bradstreet justice of Peace
The s'd Martin & Tyler have given suffitient bond to prosecute s'd persons to effect, which bond remains with me:

(Reverse) [torn] In Obediance Two this warant I have aprehended the within Riten persons and have brought them to Salom the 29'th of August 1692 Before their honours mentined in the Rit: pere me *Ephraim Foster
Constable of Andover

W'm Barker
Mary Marston Mary Barker
Exa'd 29: 6. 92

The names mentioned in this warrant and their kinship to the Keeper of this family history blog are as follows . . . 


  • Samuel Martin [step 9th great-grand-uncle] 
  • Moses Tyler [9th great-grandpa] 
  • William Barker [8th great-grandpa]
  • Mary Marston [stepdaughter of 8th great-grand-aunt]
  • Mary Barker [7th great-grandma]
  • Abigail Martin [wife of step 9th great-grand-uncle]
  • Rose Foster [7th great-grand-aunt]
  • Martha Sprague [step-8th-great-grand-aunt]
  • Dudley Bradstreet [father-in-law of 8th great-grand-uncle] 
  • Ephraim Foster [8th great-grandpa]




Copyright © 2001 BeNotForgot.com. All rights reserved.