Last Sign of Lyman

 

There are many times in family history pursuits when we can spot a resource affirming a specific detail about our ancestor, but there are not as many opportunities for us to find documents verifying such claims. This is apparently where I am stuck at the end of this month's research on my mother-in-law's fourth great-grandfather, Lyman Jackson.

Let's take a look at what we've found so far on Lyman. Thanks mostly to his grandsons and one great-granddaughter, there have been written reports concerning Lyman's roots, but those are in the form of accounts printed in local history books from over a century ago. Granted, a book printed in 1907 or 1916 would be far closer to Lyman's time than what our current perspective might give us, but I still would like to see some verification.

The census records for Lyman Jackson in Erie County, Pennsylvania, certainly confirmed there was a man by that name living there. But what about the other locations where he was said to have lived? I did find an 1800 census record for someone by that name in Otsego County, New York, just as some narratives had asserted. With a household containing two adults and nine children under the age of sixteen, it is plausible that this would be our Lyman.

And yet, that is not the only place where Lyman was reported to have lived. Looking at his Patriot listing on the D.A.R. website, I see another residence listed as Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and the place of his birth attributed to Hartford County, Connecticut. In addition, information on one of his older sons shows that he might have been born in Vermont, yet another stopping place I'll need to confirm.

At least the Jackson family history manuscript discovered at FamilySearch.org contains some transcriptions of letters written by Lyman and Deidama Jackson in their later years, providing helpful information on the names and dates regarding their thirteen children. Consider those my working papers for the next time I tackle this research topic. After all, though the relationship is a stretch, there are a few DNA matches which link my mother-in-law's family with descendants of the other Lyman Jackson children. At some point, I'll want to dive into those collateral lines to document those relatives, too.

For now, with the close of the month, we'll close the chapter on Lyman and Deidama Jackson and their thirteen children. There is still much work to be done, but that will be added to the plans for another year's research. Tomorrow, we'll start fresh with another research project, and revisit a research project from two years ago: Matthias Ambrose, an early resident of Pennsylvania.