USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Antrim > History of the town of Antrim, New Hampshire, from its earliest settlement to June 27, 1877, with a brief genealogical record of all the Antrim families > Part 34
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78
315
WITCHCRAFT.
to have been a favorite stream with them. Along its banks they hunted, fished, and planted their corn ; and down its waters they sailed in their canoes to the Indian headquarters at Con- cord. This river retains the name they gave it ; but it is to be lamented that of all other streams, as of all the mountains in Antrim, the Indian names have disappeared. The last of the Indians in this town was Peter Waug, who, having married a half-breed wife, remained on the ground, and died here at an advanced age, about 1815. He lived many years in a shanty on the northeast side of the old road from the pond to George Brown's, nearly up to the corner. Here he was at one time burned out, rumor whispering that the ill repute of his wife had something to do with it. But it was not a matter of great expense to rebuild his abode, and here he died, childless and poor, and the last of the original owners of the soil.
SUPERSTITIONS.
Our Scotch ancestry, with all their intelligence, retained, like other wise people, some delusions which were handed down from the past. Many of the people believed in witches, or at least had some lingering dread of them, and took various pre- cautions against them. If the butter would not come, they threw in a red-hot horse-shoe ; and in such cases it was said the witch herself was burned, it not occurring to them that heating the cream some other way would accomplish the same thing, and save controversy with the said witch. Mrs. Stephen Curtis is remembered as frequently using a horse-shoe in this way, and she was sometimes charged with being a witch herself. In the southwest corner of Hillsborough, near Mrs. Curtis, in a little old house alone, dwelt "Aunt Jennie," a little, shrill-voiced, wiry, thin, sputtering old woman, shrewd, and, may be, a little ugly with the rest. It was whispered, that, when the old lady was dry, no liquor could be carried by her house without divid- ing with her. She could make a moping old horse jump through a small barn window, make a sheep ugly, make a fire refuse to burn, and various other such marvelous things ; at least such things were told and believed. As she lived near to Antrim line, she seems to have carried on the business here as much as in her own town, and there is reason to believe she spoiled as many churnings of cream here as there! Another old lady, with her husband, kept a hotel on the side of a hard hill, and she
316
OTHER SUPERSTITIONS ..
was shrewd enough to make her witchcraft profitable, as she bewitched all travelers so dreadfully that they could not go by without buying a drink! Loaded teams were said to stop squarely at the house, and refuse to budge an inch till the driver had received his toddy ! Such " possession " at the present day is more common, though not accounted so remarkable.
Some families would not go a day without a horse-shoe over the door. Many would not begin a job or a journey on Friday, it being considered an unlucky day. If a corpse were kept unburied over the Sabbath, they felt sure another death would occur in town before the week was out. If a dead body were carried out of the house head foremost, there would be another death in the family before a year. If twice there were raps on the door, and on opening it nobody was there, it was considered a sure admonition of speedy death in that house. Dreams also had fated meanings, good and bad.
" Saturday night's dream, Sunday morning told, Was sure to come to pass before a week old."
Fortune-telling was quite common, also, and some gave much credence to it. Houses were haunted in those days, past which many could not be hired to go in the night. Ghosts, now and then, were reported to appear; and children were generally frightened into good behavior by mention of various warlocks, and witches, and bogles, and hags, and sprites, and various other such beings! About the roaring fire at evening horrid stories of hobgoblins and lighted graveyards were told. Espe- cially if it were dark and howling without, it was a time for ghost stories.
" That night, a child might understand The de'il had business on his hand."
But if one were out, and were pursued by a whole army of spec- ters and skeletons, he had one good chance for safety in rushing for the nearest brook, since these creatures dare not cross a run- ning stream! Antrim, being well watered, had some advantages in this respect !
These and other such superstitions have in a great measure died away. Yet some traces of them I find now and then, kept along, I suppose, by a certain desire to be humbugged, which exists in the human race generally.
Akin to this was the Capt. Kidd furor which raged in this
317
. CAPT. KIDD'S GOLD.
vicinity about 1823. This noted pirate was executed in London, May 24, 1701 ; and his plunder was seized, consisting of sixty- two pounds of gold, seventy-one pounds of silver, and various . bags of diamonds and curiosities. But this was considered only a fraction of what he had, and he was said to have buried here and there immense treasures for future use. It was in 1698 that he returned to New York with his booty ; and hence there had been ample time to obliterate all signs of the hiding-places of the pirate's wealth. Some way the rumor got afloat that he had borne a part of the gold into New Hampshire, and buried it on the shores of Rye pond in Antrim! Somebody started this as a practical joke. But it was talked over, and taken up by fortune- tellers, till one and another went to hunt for the treasure. By and by they began to dig for it in various places, and for a short time there was considerable excitement, the bags of gold appear- ing to many willing imaginations. Hazel rods were used to detect the spot of concealment. Time and labor and money were freely spent. - Rooty bog and rocky soil were dug over in vain. In this way the delusion soon wore itself out, and those who had been duped were glad to hear no more about it. It is pleasant to say that citizens of Hancock and other towns shared in these Rye-pond adventures, and that to this day the shores of Long Island Sound and the banks of the Hudson are occasion- ally explored in pursuit of the buried wealth. Yet, that Kidd should come as far as Rye pond, all alone and on foot, and as early as 1700, and carrying fifty pounds of gold, besides gun and provisions, on his back, certainly would show a very great lack of hiding-places near New York !
GAME.
In the day of the Indians, Antrim was a valuable hunting- ground. The first white settlers gained a large part of their living by wild game. Nor were there any deadly serpents in the bogs and forests. The rattlesnake, common within twenty miles, has never been seen within the limits of this town. Black snakes, once formidable and swift as an arrow, have very rarely been found here. Most, however, of the lesser animals common to New Hampshire, have always abounded here. Formerly the valuable otter was often caught. Hedge-hogs were formerly found in the neighborhood of Hedge-hog Hill. Years ago, the raccoon, a small animal weighing from twenty to forty pounds and
318
WILD ANIMALS.
resembling the bear, was common here, and was hunted in the night. It was counted rare sport to "go cooning." Boys, and even old men, from two to six together, would tramp all night to " tree a coon," and then bang away at him till they " brought. him down," or watch him there till morning. The flesh was considered choice food. Foxes have always been plenty in An- trim. The lynx, an animal of the cat kind, but larger and stronger, and exceedingly fierce, has from time to time appeared here, though now probably exterminated. The moose was occa- sionally met with by the settlers, and afforded a " winter's stock of meat" to one who was fortunate enough to capture him. The last moose was killed here as late as 1795. It was an Indian name, probably taken from the noise the animal made. Smaller specimens of the deer kind were occasionally found here till a half- century later. Bears were numerous among these mountains till 1800, but were gradually subdued, and called exterminated about 1840, though rarely heard of later than 1815. In the early days they occasionally killed swine, - rarely a sheep. They were very destructive in the corn-fields in autumn, and were then hunted and trapped ; and some, like Mr. Dinsmore, watched their patches of corn by night against the bears.
Wolves were dangerously thick here for nearly a half-century after the town's settlement. Their howlings by night were both unpleasant and dangerous. woods a little before sunset.
These began to echo through the People that were at work in ob- scure places, or alone, made that a signal to go home. These ravenous, fearless creatures did most damage by killing sheep. They have been known to attack cattle, but unsuccessfully and rarely. Wolves were accustomed to go in small flocks, and if one of their number were shot, the others would stop and tear him to pieces and eat everything but his bones. These animals have been exterminated here about a half-century. Mr. Whiton says the last mischief done by them was about 1825. I quote from him as follows: " A Mr. Curtice, who lived on Windsor Mountain, once turned out his cattle to browse in a swamp; a pack of wolves beset them ; the cattle made a quick but well- planned retreat, the cows taking the front, the small cattle the center, while the oxen assumed the perilous task of guarding the rear, and beating back the wolves with their horns. The herd made good their retreat ; that the oxen killed or at least wounded some of the enemy, was inferred from the fact that their horns were bloody on their arrival at the barn."
319
STORES IN TOWN.
TRADERS.
The first store in Antrim was opened by Ebenezer Kimball, in 1788, or more probably in the fall of 1787, about on the spot where the Carter House now stands. After about six years, he was succeeded for a short time by Andrew Seaton, from Amherst ; then came Moses McFarland. William Whittemore then took the business, building the Gibson house for the purpose, and was succeeded by Miller and Caldwell, and James Campbell. The Woodbury store was opened in 1794, and has continued in the family since, except a short time when it was run by Thomas McMaster. A Mr. Wallace from Milford put up a store about where the old post-office stood, now Jameson's block, about the same time of Woodbury's beginning, but the place was not large enough for both, and he left in about two years. Charles Mc- Keen opened a store in 1845, and occupied the same till his death ; his successors on the same stand being James W. Brad- ford, Cummings and Putney, E. D. Putney, and E. D. and L. W. Putney. The stove and tin business was commenced in South Village by Luke Thompson, in 1862, who sold to the present occupant, Squires Forsaith, in 1872. . John Hopkins began trade in what is now the Corey house, in 1822, and continued about three years. In the east part of the town, Henry Campbell traded from 1793 to 1801, at the place now occupied by widow John G. Newman. Thomas Jameson traded on the turnpike about four years, closing up in 1819. At the north part of the town, James Wallace opened a small store on the William Stacy place as early as 1789, and continued in trade several years. Jacob Tuttle began trade at his farm, now James M. Tuttle's, in 1796, removing his business to Branch Village some twenty two or three years later ; being succeeded by Hiram Griffin (who traded in all sixteen years), Griffin and Bell, Fairfield and Shedd, and Almus Fairfield, the last having been in trade there more than thirty years. A store was opened in 1813 in the house now Mr. Swain's, and run under the firm name of Tuttle, McCoy, and McAuley, which continued some years. Subsequently some of these parties seem to have traded in the three-story house. Moody B. McIlvaine built the store now George P. Little's, about 1852, and was in trade there some years.
At the Center of the town, Robert and Henry Reed com- menced trade in 1827, at the stand now Rev. W. R. Cochrane's dwelling-house. Most of what constituted the store is now gone.
320
POST-OFFICES.
This store was continued sixteen years. Reed Brothers traded seven years ; their successors being Martin L. Chandler, Chand- ler and Vose, Charles Gates, and John M. Whiton, Jr. Business was closed up here in October, 1843.
The store in Clinton was opened in 1873, by Clark B. Coch- rane, being the first in that village.
In old times, traders dealt in everything they could buy or sell. They bought wood, lumber, ashes, fat cattle, cloth, flax, furs, wool, -everything. One who did much business would have a few droves of cattle and sheep to drive to market annually. Gro- ceries and rum were the main things sold to the people. Large quantities of corn, rye, oats, and beans were annually exported from Antrim as a surplus. Sometimes the farmers had wheat to sell. Now we do not raise enough of any one of these articles to supply our town market.
The traders now in business here are given for future refer- ence : -
Branch Village, - Almus Fairfield ; George P. Little.
Clinton, - Clark B. Cochrane; also John G. Abbott, dealer in meal, grain, and hardware.
South Village, - Squires Forsaith, stoves, tinware, and glassware; B. F. Upton, dealer in harnesses, etc .; Mrs. B. F. Upton, millinery ; J. B. Woodbury ; E. D. and L. W. Putney.
POST-OFFICES.
Mail matter for all the towns in this section came to Amherst as late as 1809. A letter before me, dated May 16, 1799, is marked " To be left in the post-office at Amherst." Letters were rarely written except on urgent matters of business, or once in a half-dozen years to bring tidings of absent friends. There was no post-office here for more than ten years after we had one thousand inhabitants. The first office in Antrim was opened in 1810, in what is now the Gibson house, South Village, James Campbell being postmaster. The office was in his kitchen, and superintended by his wife. The successive postmasters in the village have been George Duncan, George C. Duncan, Luke Woodbury, James C. Breed, James W. Bradford, Charles Mc- Keen, N. W. C. Jameson, D. H. Goodell, N. W. C. Jameson, E. D. Putney.
There was a post-office at the Center about ten years, the post- masters being Robert Reed, M. L. Chandler, and Charles Gates.
Geo. W. Nesmith.
321
COLLEGE GRADUATES.
A post-office was established at the Branch in 1835, and the postmasters have been Hiram Griffin, William P. Little, Hiram Griffin, and Almus Fairfield, the latter having held the office more than a quarter of a century.
:
When the mail was first brought here, it was carried from Concord through Deering, South Antrim, Hancock, and Nelson, to Keene; and we liad two mails a week, once from Concord and once from Keene. It was a long time before facilities were any better. A daily mail is of quite recent date. Now we have several mails per day, and get our Boston morning papers before noon. The railroad to Antrim was opened for travel, June, 1878.
PRINTING.
The first printing of any great amount in town was by Almus Fairfield, who, in connection with his store, did quite a business in the line of posters and all similar work for many years, very neatly and successfully. After him the business passed into the hands of Edward J. Thompson, at South Village, who has prose- cuted the same and done a large amount of work. For a time he publislied the " Antrim Home News "; also edited and printed the " Hillsborough Messenger " for a brief period. The best of work is done in this office.
GRADUATES.
The following were college graduates from this town : -
John Nichols, Dartmouth College, 1813, missionary, Bombay.
Daniel M. Christie, LL. D., Dartmouth College, 1815, lawyer, Dover.
George W. Nesmith, LL. D., Dartmouth College, 1820, judge supreme court, Franklin.
Luke Woodbury, Dartmouth College, 1820, judge of probate, Antrim. Thomas W. Duncan, Dartmouth College, 1817, clergyman, Nelson.
Sylvester Cochran, Dartmouth College, 1835, clergyman, Vermont- ville, Mich.
Hiram Bell, Williams College, clergyman, Westchester, Conn. Seneca Cummings, Dartmouth College, 1844, missionary, China.
Charles I. Fox, Dartmouth College, 1831, lawyer and author, Nashua. Cyrus Baldwin, Dartmouth College, 1839, professor, Meriden. Isaac Baldwin, Dartmouth College, 1849, lawyer, Clinton, Io. John D. Hutchinson, now of Middlebury College, Vermont.
The following persons from Antrim, not college graduates, have been lawyers, doctors, or professional teachers, or clergy- men, and of honorable rank in their professions : -
21
1
322
LAWYERS. 2
John McFarland, lawyer, Hillsborough, died young.
Dr. John Bertram, Dartmouth Medical College, 1825, Townsend, Mass.
Dr. James A. Gregg, Unity and Manchester.
Dr. Samuel Vose, New Portland, Me.
Dr. Dexter Baldwin, Dartmouth Medical College, 1823, Marlborough, Mass.
Rev. Stephen G. Abbott, pastor Baptist churches, Needham, Mass., and other places.
Prof. Benjamin F. Wallace, teacher and editor.
Prof. Joseph McKeen, LL. D., New York City.
Prof. James E. Vose, Ashburnham, Mass.
Dr. Morris Christie (studied in New York City), Antrim.
Dr. Augustus G. Stickney, Williams Medical College, West Townsend, Mass.
Dr. James M. Stickney, Vermont Medical College, Pepperell, Mass.
Dr. George A. Wilkins, Albany Medical College, Hillsborough.
Dr. Jacob P. Whittemore, Dartmouth Medical College, 1847, Haver- hill, Mass.
Dr. Silas M. Dinsmore, Francestown.
Rev. Joseph Moulton, pastor Methodist church, South Waldobor- ough, Me.
Prof. Nathan B. Barker, Jr., principal Buffalo Public School, N. Y.
Prof. James W. Barker, president New York Teachers' Association, Buffalo, N. Y.
Rev. Sewall P. Barker, teacher and Methodist pastor, Shelby, N. Y.
Edgar A. Wallace, Harvard Law School, 1867, lawyer.
Dr. M. W. Atwood.
LAWYERS.
This has not been a good field for this class of professional men. We have always been a law-abiding people. We have sent out some of the best lawyers in the State, to help settle the troubles of other towns. The first lawyer who opened an office in this town was Hon. Luke Woodbury, who began in Hancock, but moved his office to Antrim in 1826. Was much in town office ; an excellent presiding officer ; judge of probate from 1838 to his death in 1851, being also at that time candidate for governor, with almost a certainty of election. John McNiel, of Hillsborough, succeeded Judge Woodbury, but did not remain more than two or three years. Subsequently Brooks K. Web- ber practiced law here some years, then removed to Hillsbor- ough. Samuel W. Holman now has an office here for one day in every week.
323
PHYSICIANS.
PHYSICIANS.
Up to 1786, this town depended upon neighboring towns for medical help in severe cases, others being left in charge of some of the good mothers who were excellent nurses and often as efficient as a doctor. Dr. Little, of Hillsborough, came here principally, and was of great service to the town. The first phy- sician here was Dr. Frye, who came in 1786 and stayed about a year. He was succeeded by Dr. William Ward, who remained about five years. Dr. Cleaves followed Ward, remaining till his lamented death in April, 1807. Dr. Stickney then came, locat- ing at the Branch, and continuing in practice about half a cen- tury. He was succeeded at the Branch by Dr. D. W. Hazleton and Dr. Wilkins.
Dr. Graham, living on the Caleb Roach place, had some prac- tice from 1847 to 1851, not being, however, a physician in reg- ular order, but somewhat successful.
The first physician in South Village, after Drs. Frye and Ward, was Dr. Charles Adams, who began at the Center in 1807, and after about a year moved to the village, going to Oak- ham, Mass., in 1816. He was succeeded by Dr. Burnham. The names and date of practice of all in town are here given. Drs. Christie and Anthoine, now our physicians, have large practice in this and adjoining towns.
Frye
1786-1787.
William Ward
1787-1792.
Nathan W. Cleaves
1793-1807.
Jeremiah Stickney .
1807-1865.
Charles Adams
1807-1816.
Israel Burnham
1817-1849.
G. H. Hubbard
1848-1851.
D. W. Hazleton
1849-1853.
V. Manahan .
1850-1851.
Levi W. Wilkins
1852-1860.
William M. Parsons
1855-1869.
Morris Christie
1860-
J. R. Kimball .
1869-1873.
I. G. Anthoine
1874-
·
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
John Duncan (about 1775 to 1813), Daniel Nichols, Jacob Tuttle (1810- 1846), Mark Woodbury, Jacob Whittemore (1812-1857), James Hopkins (1814-1839), Amos Parmenter (1824-1844), Luke Woodbury (1825-1849), George Duncan (1827-1847), Samuel Fletcher (1828-1848), Thomas Mc-
324
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE, AND FIRES.
Master, Jr., David Nahor, Mark B. Woodbury, Cyrus Saltmarsh, Thomas S. Holmes, Joseph Davis, 2d, Hiram Griffin (1843-1863), William Carr, John G. Flint (1844-1870), Edward L. Vose (1846-1866), Isaac Baldwin (1847-1871), George H. Hubbard, Thomas Dunlap (not sworn in), John McNiel, Bartlett Wallace, Lemuel N. Pattee, Charles McKeen, Imla Wright (1855-1879), James Boyd (1855-1871), William S. Foster (1855- 1871), N. W. C. Jameson (1856-1879), Ira Cochran, John B. Woodbury, Isaac B. Pratt, James W. Bradford, James Wood, John M. Wallace, John R. Abbott (did not qualify), Reed P. Whittemore, Samuel Wilson, Henry B. Swett (did not qualify), William N. Tuttle (1860-1879), Almus Fair- field (1862-1879), Brooks K. Webber, Samuel G. Newton, D. H. Goodell (1866-1879), C. E. Dorr, George A. Cochran, Mark True, Edward D. Putney, Samuel S. Sawyer, John R. Kimball, William R. Carr, John M. Duncan, Francis M. Shattuck (did not qualify), J. D. Clement (did not qualify), David Steele, Eben Bass, Charles B. Dodge, James E. Vose, J. R. Bartlett, Morris Christie, Josiah Loveren, Nathan C. Jameson, Charles F. Holt, Alfred A. Miller, Samuel W. Holman, Elliott W. Baker, Frank O. Clement.
FIRES.
House of John Duncan, Jan. 31, 1812.
James Dunlap's barn and sheds, July 26, 1816. Rollins's mill, Dec. 11, 1817. The three-story tavern, Feb. 1, 1818. Johnson's mill, 1842.
Twiss's shop and barn, Clinton, 1838.
Bobbin-shop, at Branch, Feb. 26, 1846. Dea. Jonathan Nesmith's house, March 4, 1841.
Steel mills, Branch, July, 1839.
Duncan tannery, June, 1841. New Duncan tannery, April 8, 1851.
Poor's patent-leather shop, March 9, 1836. John Blanchard's house, Feb. 14, 1842. Breed's woolen-mill, March 31, 1850.
Poor's saw and grist mill, March 18, 1858. Cotton-factory, Clinton, April 9, 1857. Turner's shop, Clinton, April 29, 1864.
George G. Hutchinson's barn, Aug. 17, 1866.
Baldwin's shop, November, 1867. Keyes house, 1861.
Abbott's shop, Clinton, Sept. 10, 1866. Shovel-factory, Feb. 22, 1867.
N. W. C. Jameson's buildings, Aug. 9, 1861. Peg-shop at Branch, March 17, 1869. Webster's barn (Center), Sept. 2, 1866. Tuttle house (High Range), May 16, 1873. Tristram Paige's factory (Clinton), Feb. 8, 1876. Parkhurst's mill house, 1876.
325
LIST OF TAX-PAYERS.
SUMMER BOARDERS.
Antrim is increasingly a resort for city inhabitants in summer. Eben. Bass has an attractive home and fine accommodations for fifty or more ; Mrs. Perry, at the Center, has large and well-fur- nished apartments ; Mrs. M. B. McIlvaine, at the Branch, has had a houseful for years; other pleasant homes open their doors to boarders, as well as relatives, - making Antrim a lively place in the summer. From one hundred to two hundred and fifty per year spend part of the summer among us. No richer tables, pleasanter drives, purer air, better society, finer scenes, or kinder hosts can be found in the State.
TAX-PAYERS IN 1879 OF MORE THAN FIFTY DOLLARS.
John G. Abbott $75 20 N. W. C. Jameson . $102 50
John G. Abbott as guardian 77 41
Josiah Loveren 51 20
James Boyd
88 97 Franklin Perry
50 73
E. W. Baker
52 00
Thomas Poor .
56 35
Eben Bass
80 29
Sawyer and Bryer
73 23
George Brown .
93 87
John S. Shedd
215 14
Addie P. Baker
53 77 Daniel Story .
66 57
Mary Clark
54 82
George Thompson
63 53
George A. Cochran .
63 26 James A. Tuttle
62 98
Morris Christie
101 06
Mary E. Woodbury .
56 00
William Curtis
·
53 54
Jacob B. Whittemore
77 28
D. H. Goodell .
201 23
Eliza Wilson James Wood .
50 79
Hiram Griffin
.
.
Anna M. Woodbury . 118 40
E. Z. Hastings
54 19
George E. Whittum
. 62 72
L. W. Hill
· 59 68
·
.
Goodell Company (part ex- empt term of years) . 96 00
John B. Woodbury
96 83
86 53
60 06
·
GENEALOGIES.
1
PREFACE TO GENEALOGIES.
THE following family records will explain themselves, for the most part. The arrangement is original with me, and fixed upon as best for our limited requirements, while it would not do for an extended geneal- ogy. The first generation born here or identified with Antrim is num- bered, and everything said about each child or descendants of the same immediately follows within brackets. The next generation is printed in Italics, and immediately after each name follows the record of the same and descendants in parenthesis. It will be noted that the parenthesis with its contents is included in brackets. Notices of other generations before and after these two will be given in a form of words needing no explanation. Only the first generation is numbered. This avoids the extensive use of numbers, and all mixtures of Roman and Arabic terms ; and is sufficient, as in most cases we have only three or four generations to deal with.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.