First, Happy New Year to all! I hope you all had a marvelous Holiday season! My holiday E-Cards should be going out sometime in the next six months or so. :-)
This month’s question deals with one of our direct ancestors. Grandpa Roy’s father, Beeley Blanchford Pendleton (1824 - 1906,) was born in New Brunswick, Canada. Beeley’s grandfather, Gideon Pendleton (1751 – 1847) was born in Rhode Island and lived for many years in Isleboro, Maine, where six of his twelve children were born. Why did Gideon move his family from Maine to New Brunswick?
A. He was a “Tory” (a person loyal to England during the Revolution) and was run out of town after the war.
B. He was caught by Customs while smuggling items into Maine after one of his voyages to the West Indies and fled to Canada.
C. His ship sank off the coast of New Brunswick and since his brother Stephen had already settled there, he decided to stay.
-- ANSWER
The correct answer is: B. He was caught smuggling items into Maine. But, before we all hang our heads in shame, let me explain.
Gideon was a mariner and made frequent trips from his home in Isleboro, Maine to the West Indies. On one of his trips, in about 1797, he brought back 2 pounds of tea which he failed to declare to US Customs. Apparently, he felt the reaction of the Customs inspector was so petty, he decided to take his family a few miles up the coast and resettle across the border in Canada (where the Customs officers must have been less stringent about collecting the tax on tea.) Could this have been the beginning of the famous Pendleton “bull-headedness”?
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
December 2009 Quiz
What do Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Hubbard Pendleton (9) (c 1760 – c 1855) and Thomas Pendleton III (10) (1777-1845) have in common?
A. Both Hubbard and Thomas married great-granddaughters of JS Bach.
B. They all fathered 20 children.
C. They were all church organists.
-- ANSWER
“B. They all fathered 20 children.” Coincidentally, all three each had two wives.
As a side note, since I wrote this question in the middle of November, I have found another male relative who also fathered 20 children. His name was John Winchester (1783 – 1862.) He was a “cousin” of Dorcas Dodge who was the 2nd Great-grandmother of Roy Wellington Pendleton. My research into our collective past continues and I am currently working on the Dodge branch of the tree. So many leads, so little time!
A. Both Hubbard and Thomas married great-granddaughters of JS Bach.
B. They all fathered 20 children.
C. They were all church organists.
-- ANSWER
“B. They all fathered 20 children.” Coincidentally, all three each had two wives.
As a side note, since I wrote this question in the middle of November, I have found another male relative who also fathered 20 children. His name was John Winchester (1783 – 1862.) He was a “cousin” of Dorcas Dodge who was the 2nd Great-grandmother of Roy Wellington Pendleton. My research into our collective past continues and I am currently working on the Dodge branch of the tree. So many leads, so little time!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Holiday Pictures
It's time for my usual request... As you gather with your families for the holidays, think about sharing some pictures with the rest of us. The more candid, the better! E-Mail me your pictures and I will include them in a holiday slide show!
Jacob Birch wins horseshoe tournament

Eddie Pendleton sent me this newspaper clipping from the November 13, 2009 Kenosha News about his grandson, Jacob Birch.
Jacob (4) is the son of Daniel and Julie (3) [Pendleton] Birch. Julie is the daughter of Eddie (2) and Joan [Culver] Pendleton. Eddie is the son of Howard (1) and Merle [Hulett] Pendleton.
Congratulations, Jacob, and thanks to Eddie for sharing this news.
As I said to Eddie, one of the reasons I started this blog was to share family news. If you have any news to share, please send me an E-Mail!
Monday, November 16, 2009
2009 Family Picnic Archived
I have removed the slide show for the 2009 Family Picnic. If you want copies of those pictures, send me an E-Mail.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
New address for Aunt Mary
If you’ve been following the blog, you know that Aunt Mary went into the hospital at the end of September. When she was released, she went into a nursing home and has decided to stay there. Her new address is: 3506 Washington Road, Room 516, Kenosha, WI 53144. Her phone number is still 262-948-0759.
Kathy [Ryan] Meyer reports that her mom is not having a speedy recovery from this last bout, but the doctors and physical therapists are working with her and, hopefully, all will go well.
I’m sure she would appreciate hearing from everyone.
Kathy [Ryan] Meyer reports that her mom is not having a speedy recovery from this last bout, but the doctors and physical therapists are working with her and, hopefully, all will go well.
I’m sure she would appreciate hearing from everyone.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
November 2009 Quiz
This month’s question is pretty simple: What is the derivation of the name “Pendleton”?
A. Gaelic: In Gaelic, “Pen” means “the top” or “summit” and “Hulton” means “hill”. Combining the two, Pen-Hulton means “Top of the hill.”
B. French: Before the middle of the 15th century, men were known by their father’s name, e.g., John’s son William would have been known as William of John. One of our ancestors had been named “Pen” and his father was “Tun”, he would have been known as Pen of Tun, or in French, which was widely spoken in England at that time, Pen de Tun.
C. Anglo-Saxon: The original family name was “Pendle” and “ton” is the equivalent of the English word “town”. Pendleton means the town where the Pendle family lived.
Check back next month for the answer!
-- ANSWER
While I think each of the three languages may have had some influence, the correct answer is: A. Pen-hulton is Gaelic for “top of the hill.” I did find a couple sites on the web that state that “hulton” means “town on the hill” and I think that is probably correct, and that would make Pen-hulton “town at the top of the hill” and would refer to the place where the family lived.
There are at least 2 places in England called Pendleton. One is in Lancashire, about 30 miles north of Manchester and the other is a section of Salford in greater Manchester itself. It appears that Thomas Pendleton, the great-grandfather of Brian Pendleton (the first of our ancestors to live in America), was a resident of the latter.
A. Gaelic: In Gaelic, “Pen” means “the top” or “summit” and “Hulton” means “hill”. Combining the two, Pen-Hulton means “Top of the hill.”
B. French: Before the middle of the 15th century, men were known by their father’s name, e.g., John’s son William would have been known as William of John. One of our ancestors had been named “Pen” and his father was “Tun”, he would have been known as Pen of Tun, or in French, which was widely spoken in England at that time, Pen de Tun.
C. Anglo-Saxon: The original family name was “Pendle” and “ton” is the equivalent of the English word “town”. Pendleton means the town where the Pendle family lived.
Check back next month for the answer!
-- ANSWER
While I think each of the three languages may have had some influence, the correct answer is: A. Pen-hulton is Gaelic for “top of the hill.” I did find a couple sites on the web that state that “hulton” means “town on the hill” and I think that is probably correct, and that would make Pen-hulton “town at the top of the hill” and would refer to the place where the family lived.
There are at least 2 places in England called Pendleton. One is in Lancashire, about 30 miles north of Manchester and the other is a section of Salford in greater Manchester itself. It appears that Thomas Pendleton, the great-grandfather of Brian Pendleton (the first of our ancestors to live in America), was a resident of the latter.
Your Changes to the Blog
I am trying to provide the information you want to see, so, PLEASE feel free to let me know what you would like to see. IF I have the data, I will share it. These are the changes I am making this month:
Memorials: I have had several requests to include birth dates in the Memorials posts, so I am adding that info. The new format is the date of death followed by the name, date of birth and the genealogy/relationship.
Anniversaries: I have been asked to add a category for wedding anniversaries. I’m a little reluctant to do this because of the volatile nature of this information, but I will give it a shot. I apologize, in advance, for including ex-spouses or failing to include current spouses. Let me know if there are any errors or omissions!
Memorials: I have had several requests to include birth dates in the Memorials posts, so I am adding that info. The new format is the date of death followed by the name, date of birth and the genealogy/relationship.
Anniversaries: I have been asked to add a category for wedding anniversaries. I’m a little reluctant to do this because of the volatile nature of this information, but I will give it a shot. I apologize, in advance, for including ex-spouses or failing to include current spouses. Let me know if there are any errors or omissions!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Welcome Molly Marie Ryan. – The latest addition to Generation 4.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Genealogical Quiz
Here's a new feature I'm going to try: a monthly question about our family history. I'll post a new question each month and then post the answer the following month. Let me know what you think! If you'd like to submit a question, feel free to send it to me. Here's the first question:
From the time Brian Pendleton arrived in America in the early 1600's up until the middle of the 19th century, many of the Pendletons were involved in maritime activities - shipping, fishing and whaling. During that period, how many of our relatives were "lost at sea"?
a) 25 or fewer
b) More than 25, but fewer than 50
c) 50 or more
Check back next month for the answer!
--ANSWER
“C. More than 50.” Everett Hall Pendleton in his book, Brian Pendleton and His Descendants, cites at least 72 incidents of family members (including spouses) being “lost at sea.” He also notes another 37 relatives who drowned. Sorry I started this feature out on a depressing note.
From the time Brian Pendleton arrived in America in the early 1600's up until the middle of the 19th century, many of the Pendletons were involved in maritime activities - shipping, fishing and whaling. During that period, how many of our relatives were "lost at sea"?
a) 25 or fewer
b) More than 25, but fewer than 50
c) 50 or more
Check back next month for the answer!
--ANSWER
“C. More than 50.” Everett Hall Pendleton in his book, Brian Pendleton and His Descendants, cites at least 72 incidents of family members (including spouses) being “lost at sea.” He also notes another 37 relatives who drowned. Sorry I started this feature out on a depressing note.
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