Corinth, TN

Continuing north with plans to visit Gary's nephew in Kentucky. Stop over at Corinth, TN. Had planned to do Nashville but they were underwater from floods. Visited a Civil War Museum in town.

The Sidewalk leading to the Museum was "littered" with various civil war items cast in bronze.

Lysander and Lydia Robison Joslin

In about two weeks I'll be going to Springfield, Missouri to attend the fourth reunion of the Descendants of Lysander and Lydia Robison Joslin (DLLRJ). Held every two years, the first DLLRJ reunion was in August .. in Springfield, Missouri. The picture at right is my mother and her sister, Pat, standing in front of "the wall" of descendants. Lysander and Lydia are my 3rd great-grandparents.

In July .. the reunion was in Monroe, Louisiana and in August .. it was in Whitley County, Indiana. The gathering is a little late this year because there was so much going on with the various families. That and the fact that families are scattered all across the United States (New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Indiana, Wyoming, Missouri, New Mexico and elsewhere) added to the complexity.

Lysander Price Joslin was born May 1, 1825 in Delaware County, Ohio and was the son of James and Abigail Goodrich Joslin. Lydia Robison, the daughter of Henry and Anna McMorron (or McMorrow or McMorran - another of my "roadblocks" to be discussed in a future post) was born October 10, 1825 in Champaign County, Ohio. Lysander and Lydia met up in Whitley County, Indiana where they were married on August 23, 1843 when Lysander was 18 years old and Lydia was 17. Between November 1844 and June 1868, Lydia would give birth to 15 children, 5 of whom would not live beyond their third year. (Photo at right: Lysander and Lydia Joslin, received from Harry Joslin, Jr.)

If you were to go by census records alone, you would think that Lysander and Lydia lived in Whitley County, Indiana continuously from 1850 through 1870, but you would be wrong. Records show that in October 1866 Lysander and Lydia sold their land in Whitley County and headed west with all of their living children. The oldest daughter, Anna Eliza, had married William Klingaman the previous October and records of them were found in Jefferson County, Iowa. The last two children of Lysander and Lydia were born in Iowa in June 1868; they were the twins Elmer and Elmus. Elmer died within a month of his birth and is presumably buried in Iowa.

In March of 1867, Lysander filed a law suit against the man who had purchased the land in Whitley county. Seems the fellow had not made the mortgage payments as promised. A Whitley County deed record of May 25, 1868 shows that the land was sold at auction and purchased by Lysander Joslin. It is not known when Lysander and Lydia returned to Whitley County though it would have been after the birth of the twins and prior to the 1870 Federal Census. All of their children, except for Anna Eliza, returned to Whitley County with them.

On January 8th 1877 Lysander and Lydia once again sold their property in Whitley County. They kept possession until March 1st so it is presumed that the family didn't leave until the spring of 1877. This time they went to Barton County, Kansas. They are found in the 1880 Federal Census in Cheyenne Township. In the 1885 Kansas State Census they are in Odin Township, Barton County.

Of the 10 adult children of Lysander and Lydia, all except Malissa left Whitley County. Some of the children remained in Kansas near their parents, but others moved on to Okalahoma, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, Washington, South Carolina, and Missouri. One possibly went to California.

Found online in February .. were these two items from "Barton County, Kansas Newspaper Gleanings: Short stories from Barton County newspapers gleaned for your edification and entertainment."

• Hoisington Dispatch -- Thursday, June 12, 1890: Mr. H. P. JOSLIN, of near Odin, was a caller Saturday and ordered the Hoisington paper sent to his address.
• Hoisington Dispatch -- Thursday, July 10, 1890: L. P. JOSLIN was in from Odin Friday and reported a very heavy hail storm in his vicinity the night before. Much damage was done to wheat, corn and fruit. Mrs. JOSLIN lost about fifty little chickens and twenty-five turkeys by the storm.

By 1895, Lysander and Lydia had moved to Melvern Township, Osage County, Kansas. The Kansas State Census for that year shows the following summary of statistics relating to their farm:

• Production of Agriculture: 40 acres, 38 under cultivation. 130 rods of hedge fence and 100 rods of wire fence. Cash Value of farm is $1,000. There are 30 farming implements. Will plant 30 acres of corn in the spring of 1895.
• Has 100 Bushels of corn on hand 3/1/1895. Cut 3 tons of tame hay in 1894 and 40 tons of prairie cut. Sold $100 worth of poultry and eggs. Made 800 pounds of butter. Has 3 horses, 8 milch cows, 18 other head of cattle, and 80 swine. Sold $500 worth of animals for slaughter.
• Has 100 apple trees, 30 peach trees and 12 cherry trees. Made 5 gallons of wine in year ending 3/1/1895, has 2 bee stands and 1 dog.

On January 26, 1899, the day after Lydia passed away her obituary was published in the "Current Remark". This newspaper was published in Lyndon, Osage County by James Downey "J.D." Quillen, son-in-law of Lysander and Lydia.

"Lydia R., wife of L.P. Joslin of our neighborhood, died yesterday morning, January 25th, after about a week's illness of pneumonia. The funeral occurred at 11 o'clock to-day at the Baptist church in Lyndon, and the body will be laid to rest in the Lyndon cemetery. Mrs. Joslin was born in Urbana, Ohio, October 10, 1825, and was married to L.P. Joslin in August, 1843. She united with the Methodist church at the age of sixteen and was elected a life member of the North Indiana Conference, but in after years she united with the Baptist people, and at the time of her death was a member of the Lyndon Baptist Church."

After the death of his wife, Lysander sold his farm and moved to Keighly, Butler County, Kansas to live with his daughter, Minerva Knight. Lysander died less than four months after Lydia. His obituary was published in the Columbia City Weekly Commercial, Whitley County, Indiana on May 31st.

"The death of L.P. Joslin occurred last Sunday, May 14th, at the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. William Knight, at Keighly, Butler county, Kansas of heart disease. Accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Knight, the remains reached here Tuesday afternoon, and after a short service at the grave, were laid to rest beside his wife, whose death occurred the 25th of last January at their home south of this city.

Lysander P. Joslin was born near Columbus, Ohio May 1, 1825. The family moved to Whitley County, Indiana where he grew up, and in August 1843 was married to Lydia Robinson. From this union fifteen children were born, six of whom are now dead.

The family came to Kansas in 1877, and to this county eight years ago, buying the place since occupied as the Joslin home. After the death of Mrs. Joslin, he went to Butler county to make his home with his daughter.

Mr. Joslin was one of those good old fashioned, honest, industrious men whose purpose and aim in life was to do the best he could. But when his life companion, whose love, council and companionship he had enjoyed for over fifty-five years, passed on to that other home, he lost much of his interest in this life and was ready to go where she had gone. In this, his heart's desire is met, and who can say that it is not well? It is. And, while sad hearts mourn them here, there is greater joy on the other side, where two souls re-unite for the life which is all joy, and eternal.

The brothers and sisters of the Joslin family desire to extend their sincere thanks to all those who so kindly assisted them and gave them comfort and sympathy in the trial and bereavement at the death of both mother and father. - Lyndon, Kansas Current Remark May 18, 1899.

Mr. Joslin, the father of Mrs. William Brubaker, of Troy township, is well and favorably remembered by many of our older citizens."

It has taken considerable time and effort on the part of four family researchers, but we have located living descendants of most of the adult children of Lysander and Lydia and made contact with most of them. Some are not interested in the family history and won't be attending the reunion the Friday after Thanksgiving, but I'm sure that we'll have a good time and enjoy the companionship of extended family during the holiday. I'm looking forward to seeing those distant cousins again.

Weather permitting, I'm hoping to take a few days the following week and come home the "long way" through eastern Kansas and parts of Iowa to do research on siblings of some of my other ancestors. I'm in the process of trying to figure out which facilities to go to and determining what information I would like to find.

This is getting to be a rather long post, so see the post "Children of Lysander and Lydia Joslin" for information on their children.

Royal H + Lovely Bicycle: Un Petit Projet

First an idea. Then a frame. Now finally a bike!



For those unfamiliar with this project, I have been collaborating with Bryan Hollingsworth of Royal H. Cycles to create a classic French randonneuring bicycle for a customer who was as curious as we were about how these mythical creatures handle.



It's become popular to call all sorts of bicycles "rando bikes." Framebuilders and manufacturers will sometimes use this term to mean "a fast bike with fenders and racks that's meant for long distance." However, we mean something very specific: the classic low-trail geometry design with wide 650B tires, in the tradition of the early French constructeurs - as described and enthusiastically recommended by Jan Heine in the Bicycle Quarterly (see my earlier post about BQ here). We found Jan's descriptions of these machines intriguing: They promised the comfort and convenience of a fully equipped, wide-tired touring bike with the speed and responsiveness of a racing bike. Could it really be?



Jan Heine and a couple of my personal contacts in France were immensely helpful with the process of figuring out the geometry. Jan also advised on the choice of tubing and a number of other details. We specifically wanted to consult with him on these matters, because the whole point was to try the sort of bike he recommended.While our bicycle is not a constructeur (the racks and other parts were purchased, and not custom-made for seamless integration), it is a fine handbuilt frame, fully equipped with fenders, front and rear racks, and internally wired lighting. I would also like to acknowledge that we had some help from Harris Cyclery with the finishing touches of the build.



Naturally the frame is lugged, and for me the aesthetics of the bicycle are strongly defined by the lugwork in the headtube and the fork crown. I was happy to see that these lugs remained a strong focal point even once the frame became "cluttered" with components and accessories. Notice also the tiny lug where the wire for the lighting enters the downtube. There is a matching one on the left chainstay, but I don't have a good shot of it just now.



I am not going to go into details of the frame construction and internal lighting right now, so that will have to be a separate post. Some of the components are pretty interesting - such as the Nitto lugged stem and the Grand Bois Maes handlebars - and I may write about them separately as well.



Will also write about combiningShimanodrivetrains withCampagnolo shifters, which we have done to two bicycles so far.



The bicycle as shown here is not entirely complete: It's getting a handlebar bag in a few days, as well as bottle cages, a bell and a computer installed. I will be thoroughly test riding it over the course of the next month before it is sent off to the customer, and writing up my impressions in an article for Bicycle Quarterly. The BQ article will be different from, and more detailed than the posts here, so reading it will most definitely be worth it for those interested in the topic.



Yesterday I took the randonneur on its first ride: 40 miles consisting of the hilly countryside, a crowded bicycle path, and urban areas with heavy traffic. Some might say I should not be riding this type of bicycle without a handlebar bag at all, but I think it's important to get a sense of how it handles without any weight on it - even if the design is optimised for a front load, it seems worthwhile to compare the handling both with and without. The size of the frame is more or less right for me. If it were mine I would make the seat tube 1cm shorter, but probably would not change much else. I am particularly pleased that even on such a relatively small frame there is absolutely no toe overlap - in fact there is over an inch between the tip of my toe and the fender.



Because countless people have told me that low trail bicycles are a "love it or hate it" sort of thing, I expected to have an extreme reaction to the randonneur's handling. However, that did not happen. It rides like a bike, basically. A nice bike. Different from other bikes I've ridden, but not as radically differently as I expected from some of the dramatic descriptions I've read and heard. The most distinct qualities I've noticed so far are the the way it turns (different), accelerates (excellent) and climbs hills (oh my...). But I need some time to make sense of it all and put it into words, so please stay tuned.

In collaborating on the randonneur, my main agenda was to satisfy what had become a burning curiosity about this particular type of bike while also helping create a custom bicycle from scratch in keeping with my aesthetic vision - all of which was in line with what the customer wanted. We have no expectations about whether ultimately we will like or dislike the handling, since that is the whole point of the experiment. I will have the randonneur until September and am thankful for the chance to gain a firsthand understanding of these bicycles over the course of my temporary guardianship.

Milan Bars (Alcohol-Free)

When most people think of Milan bars, they probably picture something like this:

[image: venere.com]

But these are the ones I had in mind:

The Velo Orange Milan Handlebars have now replaced the drop bars on my mixte. I picked her up from Open Bicycle today after the surgery. The bars are missing grips, but already looking beautiful. They are not nearly as wide as the distorted perspective of the shots makes them seem, but I can't get a better photo right now.

I replaced the drop bars and brake levers on Marianne after injuring my hands using the original set-up. Let's just say I am talented when it comes to injury. With the new set-up, the braking power is superb and the hand position is sporty (similar to holding the top of the drop bars) yet comfortable. The stem has been replaced with a taller and longer Nitto Technomic. The brake levers are Shimano mountain bike levers. I have some nice dark green cork tape for the wraps, which will be shellacked and twined. Will post updates once the makeover is complete.

Oh and they also removed the "pie plate" from the back wheel. It couldn't be snapped or cut off, because there was a stiff metal ring holding it together that needed to be removed as well. Marianne was very happy to get this procedure done, because all the hipster bikes in Boston were making fun of her. Now she is looking nicer than ever!

Fastrider Deluxe Shopper Pannier from Bicycle Muse

I received this Fastrider Deluxe Shopper Bicycle PannierfromBicycle Muse(a sponsor in July-August ) as part of an equal value exchange. Prior to trying this bag, I was not a big fan of single panniers and have never found one that I liked. But when I received the Fastrider, I changed my mind.



Here is a front view of the pannier. You can see that it does not interfere with the lines of the bicycle, which I like very much.The setup allows me to leave the beautiful custom rack on this bike unobscured, while enjoying the benefit of a roomy container that can be attached or removed in seconds.

To my eye, this pannier has a classic, timeless look to it that will go nicely with any vintage or classic bicycle. The style may be too quaint for some, but it suits my taste perfectly. One reason I have not been able to find a pannier I like, is that they tend to be either too industrial looking, or too "girly" - in the sense that they come in bright colours and highly stylized patterns like florals or polka-dots or paisley. Now, imagine showing up to a dinner and discovering that you are wearing the exact same outfit as one of the other guests. If it's a grey suit you are both wearing, the coincidence is not even noticeable. But if you're both wearing the exact same brightly coloured print, it's embarrassing. That is more or less how I feel when it comes to bicycle accessories, which is why I like mine to be subdued. Plus, a neutrally coloured pannier will match your outfit no matter what colour it is. A pink paisley pannier will not.



The pannier material is water-resistant woven pine. The surface is tactile, yet smooth. The colour is a warm caramel (there is also a lighter colouravailable). Underneath the flap (which secures with velcro strips allowing for different degrees of fulness) is a zipper opening. The flap and zipper together pretty much ensure that the closure does not let in water. (These panniers are made by the Dutch company Fastrider, so I am guessing water-proofing was a top priority.)



Not sure whether my pictures portray this adequately, but this pannier is huge. Dimensions are: 15.5" width, 14.5" height, 6.3" depth. The fabric-lined interior is enormously deep, and has what I initially thought were dividers for compartments, but are in fact stiffeners (I nonetheless use them as compartment dividers and find that they work in that capacity!). There is also a large, zippered internal pocket (large enough to fit a medium notebook and other accessories) and a smaller pocket that will fit a wallet or phone. You can see how much room is left over inside the bag after I place my Macbook Air inside it. If you are compulsive about your laptop, you will probably want to get a sleeve for it, as my makeshift "dividers" do not reach all the way to the top. That is the one drawback to the design - but then, it was meant to be a "shopper,"not an office bag. Otherwise, everything is fantastic for my purposes. This bag will easily fit my laptop, work-related documents, and a few days' worth of groceries.



The pannier attaches to a bicycle rack with a system of 3 plastic hooks on metal spring hinges. They are quick and easy to attach and remove; the process takes just a few seconds.



Here is a close-up. The middle hook curles under to firmly clasp the rack's tubing and can be adjusted to be tighter or looser. The two outside hooks act as extra weight supports. Plastic hooks are another reason I had been staying away from single panniers - they all seem to have them. But again and again I am told that these types of hooks are safe and are designed to withstand the weight. So - fine. I like this pannier so much that I am ready to believe that. (Any words of assurance or admonition?)



View from the non-pannier side. The handles flop to the sides, but they are not long enough to get stuck in the spokes, so leaving them that way is fine.



Pannier in motion. It attaches firmly to the rack, and there is no jiggling or movement, as far as I can tell.



It is pretty clear at this point that I love the pannier.Bicycle Museoffered me a choice of products, and I am glad to have selected this one.My plan now is to transfer the contents of my work-bag to the pannier, and share it between several bicycles. Of course, time will tell how the pannier will hold up, and I will update regarding durability once sufficient time passes.



edited to add: It is 6 months later, and I love the pannier. To my embarrassment, it took me a while to figure out that what I thought were dividers were in fact compartment stiffeners, and I've changed the text of the review so as not to mislead. Having gone through the rainy Autumn and part of winter with this pannier, I am pleased with how waterproof it is and how resistant to abuse. There is some minor fraying of the "wicker" near the hooks, but I think that is to be expected. I wish there were a smaller, equally classic version of a Fastrider pannier available in the US that would fit bikes with shorter chainstays.



edited to add: Over 1 year since the review, and the bag is no worse for wear. It survived a New England winter unflinchingly and the hooks are holding up fine so far. I own a couple of other panniers now, but this one is my designated "shopper."

Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger (1935)

The 26th Anual Reunion of the Phend & fisher families was held at Nappanee Park in the Pavillion Sunday Aug. 25th 1935

The Presideing Officers were
President Henry Phend.
Vice President Reuben Pletcher
Sec. & Treas. Cecil Phend.

The day was a nice sunshine day. The noonday Prayer was offered by Reuben Pletcher. Then we all enjoyed a good dinner, after which the buissness meeting was called to order by the President Henry Phend.

A song was sung by the group. The Sec Report was read and Approved. Offisers elected for following year were.
Pres. Henry Phend.
Vice Pres. Will Phend.
Sect. & Treas. Reuben Pletcher
Enterainment committee Chairman Evelyn Werely Bechtol

Death Report.
John Earnest - Elkhart
Sam Rinkenberger - North Webster
James Shaw - Elkhart

[page 2]
The History of the Phend & Fisher families was given by Fred Earnest giving a compleat History traced back to Switzerland.

A Special talk was given by Henry Phend.

It was moved and second that we have the Reunion at the same place next year on the last Sunday of Aug.

Treasure report.
Expence cards 1.60
Parks Building 2.50
Bal. In treasure 2.17
Collection 3.93
[balance] $6.10
[expenses] 4.10
Bal on hand. $2.00

Closing song God be with you till we meet again.

Reuben Pletcher Sec & treas



Notes:
John Ernest died March 12, 1935. He was the husband of Sophia Phend Ernest.
I do not yet have a date of death for Sam Ringgenberg/Rinkenberger (son of Christian and Caroline Fisher Ringgenberg).
James Shaw died July 1, 1935. He was the husband of Sophia Ringgenberg Shaw (sister of Sam Ringgenberg).

The Phend-Fisher families gathered for a reunion in Northern Indiana almost annually from 1909 until 1943. The events of the day were recorded in an old ledger book. Spelling has been retained as it was in the original though some punctuation and paragraph breaks have been added. To view all articles in this series click on the "Phend-Fisher Reunion Ledger" label at the bottom of this post.

A Bedroom or a Stable?

We are doing some serious restructuring to our apartment, and in the midst of it our bikes have all been temporarily crowded into the bedroom. So I took this opportunity to get a group shot. Here they all are: His and hers Pashleys, Raleigh DL-1s and Motobecane Mirage / Super Mirage. See? That's a modest three bikes per person. Still within the bounds of sanity, right? The helmet on the bedspread is a lovely Bern. I do own a helmet; I just don't wear it while riding a bicycle.

Hopefully, the restructuring will make bicycle storage and access more convenient. The Pashleys and Raleighs can't be hung on hooks like the Motobecanes (too heavy), so they pose a real design challenge. This is further complicated by the fact that our cats are drawn to the bicycles like magnets, and they tend to be a little destructive in their affections (chewing on the dressguards and cables). Well, we'll figure something out. Or move to a house with a barn, like I have been gently suggesting to the Co-Habitant...

Recent adventures on rock

During the past three weeks, life has been progressively more manic, as is normal in Lochaber at this time of year. Usually in February, the weather gets amazing for almost all types of climbing, and this season has been especially good. Trying to get anything else done apart from new routes is quite a challenge and usually involves late nights and early starts. Maybe the rain will return by March and I’ll take a rest day?!






When I got home from Spain, I was pretty keen to get into the hills. I started off with a day on the Ben with Kev and could hardly walk the next morning. However, my ankle seemed to continue to adapt and I went back up a couple more times. Since both of us were only really able to walk short distances with big packs, we opted for the CIC hut cascades. Kev cruised the icefall.




Next up I went to a ridiculous boulder roof in the glen. It’s quite low to the ground and fully horizontal. An acquired taste maybe - a bit like a darker version of the darkness cave in Magic Wood. There’s 25 feet of horizontal climbing on brutal crimps in there, with three logical starts. The shortest link will be Font 8aish and the full trip looks like solid Font 8b+. I couldn’t imagine doing it at the moment, but I did do about half the moves on my first session.




I’ve also been trying a bit of running with mixed results. I did some trail and hill runs up to 12 miles and was getting on fine. Then one evening I did some short fast sections since it was already getting dark after the climbing. I misjudged the angle of a boulder on the trail and hit the ‘no go zone’ in my ankle hard and let out a yelp. It’s been worse ever since, which is rather depressing. I can’t really do much except hope I’ve not done more damage. Not good.








Ardverikie deer forest. Here be boulders...



The next day I was getting pain even walking which put a downer on an otherwise great day out in Ardverikie Forest returning to a boulder I’d found on a run two years ago. I went to look at a roof that I’d estimated about Font 8b. But to actually try, it felt way harder. I pretty much gave up, although to be fair I wasn't in the most positive frame of mind, and the easterly was biting cold. It was a series of savage first joint undercuts in a roof with microscopic granite crystals level with your head for feet. A bit like doing harder versions of the Hubble undercuts crux about 5 times in a row. Maybe I’ll make a model on my board and try it once more in the spring.













The solid river Nevis today, near Steall.









Dan cleaning new problems, new boulder in Glen Nevis today.




Today saw some great new problems get done after a monster cleaning. I'll take some pictures of them next time. I did the problems almost in the dark since we were brushing for a lot of the afternoon. The boulder has probably 15 problems to do from Font 5 to 8A+ on the usual lovely honeycomb Glen Nevis schist. I hope my arms aren't too tired for tomorrows session back on the Ben. Off to sleep!

Father of Eva Rupert :: Is it John or Adam?

Online trees are certainly a “mixed bag” when it comes to reliable information but sometimes you find a gem that provides a clue or lead to follow-up on. Such was the case with the WorldConnect database of another descendant of Conrad and Eva/Eve (Rupert) Yarian. Her parents were given as John and Barbara Rupert and it had a source for her baptism - the Lower Bermudian Church in Adams County, Pennsylvania.



From her modern gravemarker in Unity Brick Church Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio we know that Eve was born on December 21, 1786. In addition, the 1850 census gives her age as 64, and in 1860 she is 75 years old. In both census records (Unity Township, Columbiana County) her birthplace is given as Pennsylvania.





Photo taken September 19, .. by Becky Wiseman

A resource I had found in the early days of my research (forgotten but recently reviewed) was a short typewritten manuscript titled “Some Descendants of Mathais Jurian” (compiled by Miss Cecil M. Smith, Hollis, New York, no date) It has two slightly conflicting dates for Eve's birth. On page 6 her birth is given as December 24, 1786 while on the next page it is given as December 21, 1786. It also states that Eve was born in born York County, Pennsylvania. (Keep in mind that in 1800, Adams County was formed from part of York.)



A search of the Library Catalog showed that the 1943 typescript “Church record of the Reformed & Lutheran congregation at Bermudian, Latimore Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania, 1745-1864” by William John Hinke was available on microfilm.





The last entry on page 21 shows [Infantes] Eva b. Dec 21, 1786 bapt. --------, 1787[Parents] Hannes Rubbert and Barbara, [Testes] John Adam Rubbert and Margaret



Having looked for these people “out there” on the internet recently, I've found a lot of conflicting information. It seems some researchers think that John Adam Rupert and John Rupert are one and the same person. Of course, without further research into Pennsylvania records I can't say conclusively that this Hannes Rubbert (John) with wife Barbara and John Adam Ruppert with wife Margaret shown here in Adams County, Pennsylvania are the same individuals who lived in Columbiana County, Ohio. But I can say that Hannes and John Adam are definitely two separate individuals!





The first entry on page 22 is the birth of Johannes born Nov. 9, 1786 to Johannes Adam Ruppert and Margaretha with witnesses Hannes Ruppert and Barbara.



The fifth entry on that page (the last entry on the scan) is the birth of Anna Catharina born Febr. 23, 1789, bap. Apr. 13, 1789 with parents Adam Rubbert and Margaretha and witnesses Henrich Flliker and Christina.



Other family trees on the net (from some of the researchers who don't subscribe to the premise that John and Adam are the same person) show four brothers - Adam, John, Martin and Michael Rupert - with unknown parents. The first three reportedly all ended up in Columbiana County, Ohio at the about the same time.





This record is from page 71 of the Bermudian Church Records showing the birth of a son Johannes on Jan. 29, 1780 bapt. on May 14, 1780 to Martin Rupert and Elisabeth with witnesses being Peter Arnold and Margret. Is Martin one of the four brothers?





On page 73 we have the birth of Jacob on June 1, 1782 bapt. June 23, 1782 with parents Johannes Ruppert and Barbara and witnesses Georg Hermann and Apollonia.





On page 74 of the Bermudian Church Records is the birth of Salome on Nov. 5, 1782 and bapt. in 1783. Her parents were Johannes Ruppert and Barbara with witnesses being Felix Thiel and Elisabeth. As a side note, this record was on a page with births for both 1782 and 1783. It is highly unlikely that Salome was born in November 1782 if Jacob was born in June of the same year. This is a transcription of the church book so the record could have been copied incorrectly or the church cleric could have inadvertently written the wrong year.





As a final “exhibit” from the Bermudian Church Records is page 101 listing the “Communicants, 18th Sunday after Trinity, 1787.” In the first column at number 23 is Johannes Rubbert, number 24 is Barbara, wf. In the second column is number 30, Adam Rubbert.



Among other sources that I reviewed on microfilm (No. 317346) at the Family History Library was “Wills of Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties” compiled by Henry R. Baldwin, no publication date. I didn't find a will listed for John Rupert but did find an abstract for that of Adam Rupert.





This is a snapshot taken with the camera. The record refers to Book 10 page 376 with a year of 1838. Heirs of Adam Rupert were his wife Margaret, sons John and Adam, daughters Catherine married John Sheets, Margaret married Adolph Saschtebergen, Mary married John Snoke (Snook), Elizabeth married Henry Sentzenisen. Grandchildren (Sentzenhisen) May, John, Daniel, Adam, Jacob, Samuel, Benjamin, Margaret, Sitter, Eliza, Ester, Henry, Lewis. Executors were John Sheets and Adam Rupert. Witnesses were William Chain and Solomon Greenamyer.



Note that Adam's wife is Margaret and there is a son John and daughter Catherine, corresponding with the Bermudian Church records.



Armed with this information and hoping to find something to help verify that John Rupert was the father of Eve, I began looking at land records for Columbiana County, Ohio.

Enchanted Gardens

Cycling past the Boston Public Garden last night, it looked so magical that we had to stop and take some night pictures. When people see pictures like this, they often assume that the wild colours are some sort of special effect - infrared photography or Photoshop. But in fact this is an entirely natural outcome of what's known as "long exposure photography." No flash, no special effects - just you and your camera.

To take a night picture, the camera is placed on a stationary surface and the photographer sets a long exposure time (the duration for which the camera's shutter remains open). To give you a point of comparison, daytime pictures are typically taken with an exposure time of less than 1/100th of a second. Night pictures are taken with with an exposure time of 5 full seconds or longer.

In order for long exposure pictures to work, both camera and subject must remain completely still - or else every movement is recorded as a motion blur. Facial expressions are the hardest to keep still and features tends to come out blurry. Bicycles on the other hand, are quite capable of standing motionless and are very patient too - which makes them perfect models for night photography.
Looking at these pictures has made me realise just how comfortable I've become cycling at night. Especially now that it's so hot during the day, that is certainly coming in handy. On Friday and Saturday nights, drivers tend to be more distracted and erratic - so being aware of that (and having one's bike lit up like a Xmas tree) will help you stay safe.

Hawker Food Culture in Singapore

In the first leg of my Singapore trip I have only eaten at ‘Hawker’ places. What a delight! I just love these home-grown places. They are the archetypal fast food places in the country, a celebrated and brilliant idea in bringing together and showcasing the different food culture and tradition -- Malay, Chinese, Indian that reflects the country’s colourful history in the now modern day Singapore.



Hawker food centres are very local, very low-key and very affordable, which are the reasons why I fell for these quirky places in the first place.



Tanglin Halt Market & Food Centre



This area is known as the elderly district but don’t let this set you back because they have a yummy hawker centre. Here I ordered the 'Prawn Noodle' at this stall for just S$3. It was delicious.











We also ordered 2 plates of 'Roasted Chicken Rice' at Tong Kee Chicken Rice for Sister J and Myrrh:











Then our drinks / desserts at this place:









The epitome of Singaporean ice dessert - Ice kachang (with mung beans, jelly and pearls), and this is my dessert, just S$1.







This one is a cocktail of fruits, pearl jellies, beans, milk and ice. You squeeze the lemon on top of the pretty cocktail. S$2.



Hawker places are basically a food court, market or a centre. It houses food stalls with a common seating area. They abound in Singapore and each neighbourhood has its own hawker. In the city centre there are many hawker places and I have already been to a few of them.



Singaporeans seldom cook because the food at hawker centres are fast, readily available (hello 24 hours) and cheap. You can have a meal for just S$4 (Singaporean Dollars) which is around 2.30 Euros. Not bad for a lunch or dinner huh?



I’ve also had my fair share of fancy restaurants in the first half of this year in the Netherlands and in my travels around Europe, as well as here in the Philippines where I am currently sitting, so I think I will be continuing my hunt for hawker places in the second leg of my Singapore trip which will happen in a few weeks.



Watch this space in the coming days and weeks as I will be posting the hawker places I have visited in the city.