Recently my grandmother asked me if I wanted to come over and look through a box in her closet. She wasn't even sure what was in the box, seeing as she hasn't touched it in at least twenty-five years! So as we searched and searched we found some old photo's of my great-grandfather which I had never seen. There were also some newer photo's including my baptism pictures and baby pictures. As we were getting to the bottom of the box there were a majority of photo's from the 1970's. As I opened a photograph envelope I saw a small picture of an old lady. I originally did not think much of the old woman, I thought she could have just been a friend of my great-great-grandmother. When looking at old photo's my initial reaction is to check the back side, just incase of any writing or anything on the back. I turned the photo over the first thing I saw was "Grandma Sarah Allen" written by my great-great-grandmother.
My heart went through the roof! My jaw dropped as I held the picture. My grandparents were sitting right in-front of me and didn't even know what I had in my hand.
"Oh my god. Guess what I just found." I said.
"What?" said my grandmother.
"Grandma Sarah Allen." I said as I handed the old photograph to her.
I had just found a load of information on Sarah H Allen a couple weeks ago. Before a couple of weeks ago, I did not know much about her. I only knew that her name was Sarah H. and that she married Phillip Allen and they lived in New Bedford. I had contacted someone at the New Bedford Public Library and they very kindly looked up her death record and gave me a copy of it.
Sarah H. Smith was born November 23, 1805 in Dartmouth, Massachusetts to Perry Smith and Phebe Mosher. She married Phillip Allen and had six children. One of which was my great-great-great-grandmother.
Immediately I wanted to try to get this dated. I had also recently joined a fantastic website RootsChat.com. RootsChat is "an easy to use messaging forum for everyone researching their family history or local history" they also have a Photo Restoration and Photo Dating forum board. When I posted the picture I got two great restorations and two datings.
I learned that the photo was a Carte De Visite and was dated mid 1880's. When she died in 1894 she was 88 years old, so I would suppose she was 78 in the picture. Which is appropriate, she does look the age.
When I thought about it, it means I have 7 generations of pictures. Me, My mother, My grandmother, My great-grandmother, My great-great-grandmother, my great-great-great-grandmother, and my great-great-great-great-grandmother. That's a lot of greats and a lot of hyphens.
I feel that it was so strange finding this picture. That it was just thrown in an envelope of pictures taken in 1976. My grandmother doesn't even remember ever seeing that picture before. Even more ironic is that I had just found so much information on her and all of a sudden I found her picture. I think she was looking down and could see me going through all of these photos so she placed herself right there in that box. I wonder how it ever did get in there, while all other old photo's like that were preserved and put in the back of the closet in her room. She looks very much like her granddaughter, and my grandmother. This really makes me wonder if there are any other envelopes that have old photo's in them.
Now, on my desk proudly sits a big 8x10 picture of Sarah.
I'll be back soon to post more. If you ever find any relation in my blog, feel free e-mailing me at bullfrog1995@yahoo.com
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