John Fitzgerald Kennedy Remembered: An Irish Family Ancestry Connection

This past week we have been stirred with reminders that November 22 is the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the 35^th president of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. For us, it conjures memory of the magic and calamity associated with an ancestor. Fascination with this foul deed continues to impact people around the world for many reasons, among friend and foe alike (JFK). John Kennedy’s tenure as president was a life altering event for many millions. He challenged people throughout the world to believe in possibilities for the future of humanity, to believe that human annihilation by war was not inevitable, and that because our problems were caused by mankind they could be fixed by mankind (JFK). His assassination was wrought with paralyses of spirit  that still tinges the world psyche.

On a bleak 1969 December day Jennie and I entered an elevator in our hotel in Leningrad, USSR. The elevator was right out of the 1890s; hand operated and “managed” by a stern babushka-like lady (elderly grandmother). Clearly, the elevator was her domain, complete with a small table and overly comfortable chair. Prized photographs and memorabilia were evident. Besides the obligatory photo of the current Soviet General Secretary, there were photos of the USSR Cosmonauts and the United States Astronauts. Oh, yes, and a photo of the late President Kennedy. We remarked about her Cosmonauts and our Astronauts. She smiled. We noted the Kennedy photo. She beamed. I took out a Kennedy half-dollar and handed it to her. Her eyes glistened with tears. No need to show floor or room pass. The magic was still there. We were now “kindred spirits.” Wherever we traveled in Europe in the mid-60s the affect was the same.

June 28, 1963, then President Kennedy was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Michael Tierney, K.S.G., M.A., D.Litt., Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Ireland. Presented below are selections from his remarks. The entire presentation is available at: http://www.nui.ie/college/docs/citations/pre_2002/JFK_Citation.pdf

Today we are proud beyond words to be the medium through which theIrish people pay honour to the head of the greatest of all free nations, the nationto which the free world owes it freedom. All Irishmen are truly proud that their ancient race has contributed so much to the making of a great American. Our joy and pride are overflowing when the President is not alone the head of the world’s greatest nation, but can trace his lineage back to two of the noblest and most historic Irish families. Mr. Kennedy… is descended from the Dál gCais of Thomond and from the great family who were lords of Ormond from the eleventh to the sixteenth century. The Father of the original Cinnéidigh was Donnchuan, elder brother of Brían Bórú, most renowned of all Irish Kings and his name is still commemorated in that of the parish of Killokennedy in East Clare. On his mother’s side the President is descended from perhaps the greatest of the Norman families [a.k.a., Butlers] who settled in North Kerry and Limerick in the thirteenth century and held an extensive palatine lordship as the Fitzgerald Earls of Desmond.  In course of time they were the rulers of all Norman Ireland as the King’s Deputies. 

Both Jennie and William have genealogical ties to President Kennedy through our Irish ancestry. This lineage covers many centuries, entwining several different family lines. William has a direct linage to the Fitzgerald line. Jennie’s linage includes the Butlers, as noted above, under the greatest of the Norman families. In our St. Patrick’s Day Blog we intend to flesh out the Irish connections a wee bit more.

William

"Howdy Pilgrims" (With apologies to distant cousin John Wayne)

Failing to reach their intended destination in Northern Virginia the Mayflower travelers first anchored off Cape Cod near present day Provincetown. About forty of the estimated 150 or so passengers were so-called religious “Pilgrims”, others being adventurers, craftsmen, ship’s crew, etc.  Among the Pilgrims was one O. William Bradford, whose likeness appears to the left. Much of what we know of the crossing and early life at the Plymouth Colony was from Bradford. As noted below, Bradford is my 9^th ggf. Eventually he would be elected governor of the “New” Plymouth Colony five times. His first wife, Dorothy (May) Bradford died from falling into the cold waters from the Mayflower while it was anchored in the Cape Code Harbor. His second wife, Alice (Carpenter) Southworth became my 9^th ggm. 

VA and FL were both settled before Plymouth. Although this has given rise to dibs for the “first Thanksgiving”, they do not have the Mayflower Compact (MC) on their side. This document represents one of mankind’s’ early efforts to acknowledge the necessity and pragmatism of common governance. Or, to paraphrase old Ben Franklin, we must strive to hang together, or alone we will surely perish. Thus, the MC is considered a founding pillar of the unique democratic governance process “brought forth upon this continent” (A. Lincoln). I therefore take some measure of pride that I join the millions of others who share a genealogical stake as decedents of the signers of the Mayflower Compact. In reality, however, our thanksgiving should be, in part, that we are here at all.

Arriving in December, 1620, that winter at Plymouth Colony was devastating. Unprepared, many died. The rest barely survived. The arrival of spring brought new hope, crops planted, agreements made, and as autumn came crops were harvested. The Colony chose to share their bounty with the natives who had taught them planting techniques, and who in turn brought venison to the harvest celebration. Prayers most likely were offered. However, the event was not like the fasting days of religious thanks-givings found in some European communities at the time. It most certainly was not in the style of a “Rockwell” family gathering. Neither was it the communist cabal envisioned by Rush Limbaugh in his efforts to disparage the beneficence of the Pilgrims toward one another and their native benefactors. More likely, the “thanks” would have been for having simply survived by supporting one another, receiving assistance from the native population, and coming to grips with the cold, hard life of a new and strange world.

William Bradford shares his version of the first Thanksgiving story as follows:

"They begane now to gather in ye small harvest they had, and to fitte up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health & strenght, and had all things in good plenty; For as some were thus imployed in affairs abroad, others were excersised in fishing, aboute codd, & bass, & other fish, of which yey tooke good store, of which every family had their portion. All ye somer ther was no want.  And now begane to come in store of foule, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees).  And besids water foule, ther was great store of wild Turkies, of which they tooke many, besids venison, &c. Besids, they had about a peck a meale a weeke to a person, or now since harvest, Indean corn to yt proportion.  Which made many afterwards write so largly of their plenty hear to their friends in England, which were not fained, but true reports."

 Edward Winslow, also a governor of the Plymouth Colony, made contribution as well:

"Our harvest being gotten in, our governour sent foure men on fowling, that so we might after a speciall manner rejoyce together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labours ; they foure in one day killed as much fowle, as with a little helpe beside, served the Company almost a weeke, at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Armes, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoyt, with some ninetie men, whom for three dayes we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deere, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governour, and upon the Captaine and others. And although it be not always so plentifull, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so farre from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plentie."

My pedigree to O. William & Alice Bradford is:

O. William Bradford (1590 - 1657), my 9th great grandfather on father's side

William Bradford (1624 - 1703) son of O. William Bradford

Alice Bradford (1661 - 1745) daughter of William Bradford

Lucy Fitch (1699 - 1762) daughter of Alice Bradford

William Cleveland (1719 - 1792) son of Lucy Fitch

Jedediah Cleveland (1758 - 1831) son of William Cleveland

Clarissa "Clara" Cleveland (1786 - 1860) daughter of Jedediah Cleveland

Jedidiah Cleveland Parsons (1805 - 1889) son of Clarissa "Clara" Cleveland

Mary Parsons (1855 - 1916) daughter of Jedidiah Cleveland Parsons

Jennie Sadie Wheeler (1887 - 1942) daughter of Mary Parsons

Robert William Bush (1920 - 1999) son of Jennie Sadie Wheeler

Jennie Joann Bush  - daughter of Robert William Bush

One of the reasons I decided to do this blog was to pass along some of the things I have learned about our family.  Very few stories were passed along besides our history in Johnstown, OH, or Grandma Litten's early life.  Why don't we pass these tales along?  Did our ancestors feel it was "bragging" or being self-righteous when they did not tell their children or grandchildren.  I heard very little about family heritage except derogatory, ethnically loaded statements which, of course, have been proven wrong. Just the way many people viewed those different than themselves. Unfortunately, these traits are still all to much a part of human culture.

How different our family trips may have been had we known.  We lived in the Boston Area for 18 months and made numerous trips to the cape, Provincetown, and Plymouth. It would have been great to have known that our ancestors walked these lands, and drank from this spring.

  

                          In 1973 a young Nicole examines the spring where it is believed the pilgrims
                                   first found fresh water on Cape Cod, while her mother looks on.

  -- Jennie

A Gaggle of Witches: Shake the Bush family tree and a surprising number of witches come flying out.

Stumped for a Halloween costume? Take a clue from our family tree; dress like an ancestor. Visit a picture of Mary (Bliss) Parsons, my 8^th ggm,

 http://ccbit.cs.umass.edu/parsons/hnmockup/home.html.

 Mary (Bliss) Parsons (1628-1712).

Mary Bliss wed Joseph Parsons in Hartford, MA in 1646. He was a prominent member of the community. Later they moved to Northampton, MA. This was years before the notorious Salem Witch Trials (1692-93). Mary parsons was involved in at least three trials; 1656 for slander, 1674 for witchcraft and again in 1679. She successfully defended herself, although family wealth and connections undoubtedly helped. An educational site for children: http://ccbit.cs.umass.edu/parsons/goodyparsons/.

Pedigree line for Mary (Bliss) Parsons: My 8th great grandmother (through my father’s maternal line):

Mary Bliss (1628 - 1712)

Joseph Parsons (1647 - 1729)  son of Mary Bliss

Daniel Parsons (1685 - 1774) son of Joseph Parsons

Daniel Parsons (1709 - 1760) son of Daniel Parsons

Gideon Parsons (1739 - 1836) son of Daniel Parsons

Gideon Parsons (1779 - 1855) son of Gideon Parsons

Jedidiah Cleveland Parsons (1805 - 1889) son of Gideon Parsons

Mary Parsons (1855 - 1916) daughter of Jedidiah Cleveland Parsons

Jennie Sadie Wheeler (1887 - 1942) daughter of Mary Parsons

Robert William Bush (1920 - 1999) son of Jennie Sadie Wheeler

Jennie Joann Bush (Lambert) daughter of Robert William Bush 

Elizabeth (Periment) Clason (1631-1714)

While searching an ancestral thread for Elizabeth Clason/Clawson, an early finding was an account of a trial in 1692 of a woman from Stamford, Connecticut who was accused of being a witch. The label on a MA site, "Elizabeth Clawson thou art a witch and thou deseruest to dye", caught my attention. See: http://www.ctgenweb.org/county/cofairfield/pages/stamford/witch_trial.htm

What followed was a wealth of information about our ancestor's life and the community of Stamford, and of course her entire trial. After a long ordeal that included dunking and imprisonment, and an extraordinary show of support from the community, charges were dismissed.  She returned home, but suspicion followed her throughout her life. More readings: Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692. Richard Godbeer. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Subsequently, the whole family became alive through numerous books, blogs and websites.  Circ. 2008 we visited the Stamford, CT Historical Society, just had to get close and personal to events and places. Genealogy can do that to a person.

Pedigree line from Elizabeth Periment: My 8th great grandmother (through my father’s paternal line):

Elizabeth Periment (1631 - 1714) 

Jonathan Clason (1655 - 1685) son of Elizabeth Periment

Stephen Clason (1681 - 1746) son of Jonathan Clason

Susanna Clason (1716 - 1749) daughter of Stephen Clason

James Longwell (1736 - 1814) son of Susanna Clason

Adonijah Longwell (1791 - 1852) son of James Longwell

Eliza Ann Longwell (1824 - 1900) daughter of Adonijah Longwell

Wesley Bush (1845 - 1917) son of Eliza Ann Longwell

Harvey Ray Bush (1886 - 1961) son of Wesley Bush

Robert William Bush (1920 - 1999) son of Harvey Ray Bush

Jennie Joann Bush (Lambert) the daughter of Robert William Bush 

My family also has connections to other "witches"  from the period. Some escaped death; some did not. Perhaps a story for next year.  In any event, by the end of 1693, the religious frenzy and hysteria of the early NE colonies had dissipated and “witch” trials were no longer an accepted way of dealing with one’s fellow colonials. Good thing, too. Otherwise, a lot of us would not be here.

Jennie

This edition of my genealogy blog is a tangle of history and legend. The story of Robin Hood is well known through dozens of books, movies and TV productions. Although fictional, his character is based on well-documented history occurring during the 13^th century. I've been on the “trail” of this Robin Hood character for many years, and here is what I think I know about how my genealogy relates.

One tradition of the real life person on whom the legend of “Robin Hood” was most likely based, was a 13^th century English family named Fulk FitzWarin, I, II and III, but this is primarily about Fulk III. 

"Fulk FitzWarin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulk FitzWarin (also called Fulke or Fouke FitzWaryn or FitzWarren, or FitzWalter) was a medieval landed gentleman (Baron) from Whittington Castle in the English county of Shropshire. As a young boy, Fulk III was sent to the court of King Henry II, where he grew up with the future King John. John became his enemy after a childhood quarrel. As an adult, Fulk was stripped of his family's holdings, and took to the woods as an outlaw. One traditional account of his life survives in a French prose manuscript "ancestral romance" containing English, French and Latin texts. A 16th century Middle English version also exists. In any event, the tale of Fulk FitzWarin III has been noted for its parallels to the Robin Hood legend. The Fulk III story has all the right ingredients. It’s a good story, and I’m claiming it.

Now here are the intriguing family connections. Baron Fulk FitzWarin, III, through my mother’s maternal line, turns out to be my 25X ggf. Fulks III’s wife, (a.k.a, Maid Marian) was Maud le Vavasour, Baroness Butler. Butler (Botiller) was a significant family in Ireland and English history. Turns out that through a branch on my father’s paternal side, Maud was my 24 ggm. Anyway, the story of Maud and Fulk is a well-documented, convoluted, involved tale of romance and intrigue through several noble families of Ireland, England and France. And, adding another twist to the story, King John, youngest son of Henry II, and Fulk’s nemeses, is my 25X ggf (through my father’s maternal side).  Other aspects of the story include the Barons’ role in forcing King John to sign the Magna Carta at Runnymede, England, in 1215, subsequent Barons’ wars including the Fitswarin family, and a French invasion of England. William’s genealogy, through his mother’s line, is involved as well, including ties to Maud (er, Maid Marian) through Irish nobility, but that needs to be another story.

So there you have it. Both William and I have genealogical ties to the history involving the legend of Robin Hood. I have included a few links if your interest in history has peaked, including the above story and remains to the Fitswarin Castle at Strobshire.

The Beginning

I have been on this never ending genealogy journey for decades. Recently, however, things have gotten considerably more interesting. Partly because of new computer tools that brings world-wide access to records and kindred journey spirits within reach, and partly because of DNA analysis now available. Still, the journey is mostly a solitary quest, involving a lot of good old gum-shoe labor, constant fact checking, some "where in the h... did that come from" surprises and "dead" ends. 

Luckily, along the way I have met close and distant kin and helpful strangers to accompany me. In the past few years my husband William's interest has grown and we try to incorporate family history into our travels. I have learned more history and geography recently than in all my academic days.

  

So far, the journey has taken me back nearly 1500 years, and there is tantalizing evidence that even deeper dives into the gene pool are possible, at least that is the view of some world-class genealogy gurus that have offered encouragement. Even more fascinating, my husband and I share several historically prominent ancestors at pivotal points during the past 1000 years. Hopefully, future blogs will tease some of these assertions out. Meanwhile, putting a tag of great grand father or great grand mother on a person adds dramatic interest to pages of history, and makes movies like The Lion in Winter "personal."

My desire in creating this blog is to pass along some "discoveries" to children and grandchildren, extended family and interested friends and let them experience this interesting family of ours.

     --Jennie