Restoring pride in the SS United States

SS United States is a luxury passenger ship built in 1952 for the United States Lines and was designed, amoung other things, to capture the trans-Atlantic speed record - which she did.  SS United States is the largest ocean liner constructed entirely in the United States and is the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic in either direction.  She proveded transatlantic passenger service until 1969, and is currently docked at Pier 82 on the Delaware River in Philadelphia.

In July, 2012, the SS United States Conservancy launched an online campaign called "Save the United States" that allows donors to sponsor square inches of a virtual ship for redevelopment, while allowing them to upload photos and story content about their experience with the ship. Donors to the virtual ship will be featured in an interactive "Wall of Honor" aboard the future SS United States museum.

Read the full article: Restoring pride in the SS United States - Washington Times

Visit their website: http://www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.org/

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Wednesday's Child: Ruby Casteel (1902-1911)

Ruby Casteel 

Daughter of Robert & Lucy A. Casteel

11 April 1911

15 April 1911

19 April 1911
Daily Illinois State Register

Charity Cemetery

Macoupin county, Illinois

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Elsie (Skeen) Casteel of Macoupin Co., IL

Elsie L. (Skeen) Casteel

wife of Samuel J. Casteel 

September 11, 1945

Alton Evening Telegraph

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Friday, September 21, 1945

Alton Evening Telegraph

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This Date in History: The Nine Days' Queen is Deposed

      

 (1536/1537 – 12 February 1554)

On this date in 1553, Lady Jane Grey, the great-granddaughter of King Henry VII, is deposed in favor of her cousin Mary after only nine days as the monarch of England.
In May 1553, she married  Lord Guildford Dudley, the son of John Dudley, the duke of Northumberland.  In the beginning of 1554, Jane's father, Henry Grey, joined Sir Thomas Wyatt’s revolt against Mary that broke out after her announcement of her intention to marry Philip II of Spain. While suppressing this insurrection, Mary decided it was also necessary to eliminate her political opponents, and on February 7 she signed the death warrants of Jane and her husband, Guildford.  On the morning of February 12, at the age of 16, Jane was executed in the Tower Green within the Tower of London.
 

A Hogshead of Tobacco

A receipt for one Hogshead of Tobacco 

sold by Stephen Nance

                 

A tobacco hogshead was a wooden barrel into which farmers packed cured tobacco leaves and was used in American colonial times to transport and store tobacco. Since the average hogshead weighed over one thousand pounds, animal power was used to transport the hogheads over the rural roads to warehouses.  Because of the challenges involved, warehouse operators sought river and port locations so farmers could float hogsheads on flat boats. Similarly, buyers could use boats to send out hogsheads they had purchased.  A very large wooden barrel, the standardized hogshead measured 48 inches (1,219 mm) long and 30 inches (762 mm) in diameter at the head. Fully packed with tobacco, it weighed about 1,000 pounds (500 kg).
                                            

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Estate Record of Douglas A. Casteel of Macoupin Co., Illinois

Douglas A. Casteel

Son of Joseph M. & Myra A. Casteel

1860-1893

33y 4m 25d

Charity Baptist Cemetery

Macoupin Co. Illinois

(Source: RootsWeb Charity Cemetery)

Court record regarding the Estate of Douglas Casteel

(click image to enlarge)

Today is the 94th Birthday of the Army Warrant Officer Corps

      

94th Birthday of the ARMY Warrant Officer Corps

Founded July 9, 1918 at Fort Monroe, VA

in the Army Mine Planter Service of the Coast Artillery

See History

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The Sad Case of Phebe Casteel

Phebe J. (Corwin) Casteel

Apr 1862 - Apr 1915

April 17 1915

Daily Illinois State Journal

Phebe lost her husband, Douglas A. Casteel in Nov. 1893.

In April 1895, the court declared her unfit to raise her two young girls, Lulu & Mary, and custody was granted to the Grandfather, Joseph M. Casteel.

(click imagae to enlarge & read)

Although she did not remarry, Phebe went on to have two more  children - Stella May b. Jun 1895 & James Michael b. 1904

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Sentimental Sunday: Simple Pleasures

Andy Griffith & Ron Howard

The 1812 Will of Reuben Nance of Henry Co. VA

The Will of Reuben Nance

(click image to enlarge)
  
Reuben Nance of Henry County, Virginia 

5th G-grandfather

b. circa 1745 Virginia

d. 13 Jan 1812

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The Virginia Chancery Records Index

'The Chancery Records Index (CRI) is a result of archival processing and indexing projects overseen by the Library of Virginia (LVA) and funded, in part, by the Virginia Circuit Court Records Preservation Program (CCRP). Each of Virginia's circuit courts created chancery records that contain considerable historical and genealogical information. Because the records rely so heavily on testimony from witnesses, they offer a unique glimpse into the lives of Virginians from the early 18th century through the First World War.

The original court papers are flat-filed, indexed, and conserved using a set of standards developed by the LVA. Since the tri-folded records are often in poor condition, special attention is paid to preparing them for digital reformatting. The valuable original records are then retired to secure storage.

The reformatted images—whether digital scans or microfilm—can be viewed at the Library of Virginia, at the circuit court clerk's office, or, in the case of digital images, from any internet connected computer. 

There are over 220,000 cases indexed in the database and nearly 5.6 million images of chancery causes available online.'


The Chancery Records Index search page allows for several different search methods.  the site provides a variety of search fields to make your search as broad or narrow as you desire.

Using the Chancery Records Index Search page I was able to quickly locate and view the complete 182 pg court record regarding the Estate of our ancestor Reuben Nance.  A wonderful treasure indeed!

http://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/full_case_detail.asp?CFN=089-1840-005#img

4th of July Greetings from Tangled Trees

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