My paternal grandmother’s grandmother is the gateway to all of my New England ancestors, and that is where you tend to find the most interesting stories and connections involving the British and (later) Americans. Susie Warren Buss (later married to John P. Small) was born in Jersey City in 1862 to parents who were both born in New England (her father in Massachusetts and her mother in either CT or RI). Here’s what her ancestor chart looks like (so far as I have completed it), father’s side on top half, mother’s on bottom half:
That’s a lot of ancestors! Among them are Revolutionary War veterans, Salem Witch trial accusers and accused, Indian fighters, shoe and chair makers, ship captains, saddlers, masons, farmers, landowners and more. Over time we’ll explore many of them and blow the cobwebs off of their exploits.
Fun fact 1: I was able to connect Susie Buss to her mother’s ancestors because her mother’s brother (Henry Thomas) lived with her family in Jersey City at the time of the 1880 census, giving me the mother’s maiden name!
Fun fact 2: I was able to discern Susie’s maiden name because her 1882 teaching certificate remained among the family possessions:
