Tuesday, July 18, 2017

My DAR Line to Patriot Stephen Bliss



In 2015 I joined the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) by proving my paternal Grandpa's line of descent from the Revolutionary War Patriot Asa Corbin. This past year, I sent in a "supplemental" application to prove the line of descent for my paternal Grandma. Each line of descent I prove enables other descendants of the same Patriot to more easily join the DAR because the amount of documentation they need is cut down. Anyone joining the DAR has to provide proof of their connections, such as copies of birth, marriage and death records, for each generation until they can connect to someone in a line already proven. They have to go all the way back to the Patriot if no one else has done that. 

My paternal Grandma is a direct descendant of the Patriot Stephen Bliss. I was able to connect to other DAR members who included his son Gideon Bliss in their line of descent, so I needed to provide documentation for my connections all the way to Gideon Bliss - that was 7 generations. My supplemental application was approved in May, so now any female descendant of Stephen Bliss who has in her blood line my Grandma or any of her siblings, her Mother or her siblings, and so on, can join DAR and less documentation would be required.

My direct ancestors are listed below in bold type, each of their children would potentially be a direct line for someone else. Starting with my Great Grandmother, Cora (Gaisford) Mann, this is the basic info I have for the line to Stephen Bliss:

Cora Gaisford, (1882-1971) Cora married Clarence L. Mann on July 5, 1899 in Fairbury, Nebraska. They raised their family in southeast Nebraska. Their children:
     Leila (1900-1997) married Charlie Roy Wierman
     Florence (1902-1983) married Pearle T Nickeson 
     Esther (1903-2000) married Roe K Hudson
     Lester (1906-1982) married Lydia Krebs
     Orra (1907-1992) married Charlene Vance 
     Clare (1909-2004) married Rulo Rathbun, other marriages with no children
     Faye (1911-1977) married Frank Carpenter
     Vivian (1913-2002) married Earl Bartlett
     Blanche (1915-2006) married Lyman Bartlett
     Bethel (1917-2014) married Elmer Krebs
     Dean (1920-2003) married Doris Kollekowski
     Doris (Living) married Kenneth Menke - my Grandparents
     Keith (1922-1923) 
     Letty (Living) married Bob Phelps


Henrietta Smith (1848-1932) born in Norwich, Connecticut. She married Charles Gaisford in Worcester, Massachusetts on May 23, 1867. They had 11 children: 
     Charles (1868-1947) married Nancy Erhard
     Mary Ann "Maime" (1870-1959) never married
     Anna (1871-1943) married Henry Fielder 
     Emma (1874-1939) married Rufus Thompson, other marriage with no children
     Carrie (1876-1899) married Sherman E White
     Ella (1880-1881) 
     Cora (1882-1971) above
     Nellie (1883-1919) never married
     William (1885-1953) married Ethel Middleton
     Gertrude (1888-1966) married Harlen Weaver 
     Gladys (1890-1986) married Frank Amos


Mary Abigail Bliss (1829-1866) was married to John Potter Smith in Norwich, Connecticut in 1847 and they moved to Worcester, Massachusetts soon after. They had 5 children, Mary's death happened with the last one: 
     Henrietta, above
     Anna (1854-1929) married Myron Barrows
     Minnie (1859-1859)
     Carried (1861-1889) married William A Brown
     Charles (1866-by 1870)


Austin Bliss (1786-1871) married Abigail Bumstead in Monson, Massachusetts. They moved to Connecticut about 1822. Their 12 children were:
     Edward (1818-1871) 
     Sylvester (1820-1867)
     Austin (1821-?)
     Alvin (1824-?)
     Horace Harrison (1826-?)
     Sanford Joseph (1827-1873)
     Mary Abigail, above
     Harriet Eliza (1831-1875)
     Julia Maria (1833-1835)
     William Henry (1835-1902)
     Julia M (1838-1871) married Henry Kirkland 
     Sarah Elizabeth (1842-?)


Gideon Bliss (1766-1847) married Mary Woodworth in Massachusetts where they raised these children:
     Roswell (1791-1869)
     Mary (1792-1866)
     Betsey (1792-1795)
     Chloe (1794-1797)
     Austin, above
     Gideon (1798-1828)
     Sylvester (1800-?0
     Betsey (1802-1881)
     James B (1804-1843)
     Willard (1806-?)
     Catherine (1809-1880)
     Lewis Tirrell (1811-?)
     Henry Harrison (1813-1897) married Lucy Maria Sawyer


Stephen Bliss (1732-1806) was a Private from Longmeadow, Hampshire county, Massachusetts. He served under Captains Pinneas Stebbins and Joseph Browning; and Colonels Nathan Sparhawk, Seth Murray and John Bliss. He was married to Katherine Burt in 1756 and he died in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. They had at least six children:
     Catherine (1757-1838)
     Mercy (1759-1776)
     Stephen (1761-1850)
     Susannah (1764-?)
     Gideon, above
     Chloe (1769-1776) 


If you're interested in joining the DAR, I suggest you contact your local chapter, or visit the website DAR.org. If you have questions about anyone listed here, just drop me a note and I may have more information.



4 comments:

  1. Laura, that's a good point to consider about doing these DAR supplementals to also provide a paper trail which can make the way easier for other applicants. Thanks for the community-minded reminder.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I appreciate your comment, Jacqi! I have one line myself where finding the documentation is very difficult, so if someone else is having trouble I know their frustration and hope this helps them.

      Delete
  2. I love the idea of DAR, and the fact that you can trace your ancestors back through the 18th century. Well done.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Dara, for reading and letting me know you enjoyed this post!

      Delete