In this article, Alicia Bertrand, M.A., summarizes the lives of Revolutionary War soldiers in her family tree, including Edward Hicks Sr. and Jr, Lazarus and Simeon Puffer, Jacobus Peek, William Carl, Aaron Bagg, and David Miller. Both Patriot and Loyalist alike, these soldiers’ lives are interesting micro-histories of individuals in American and Canadian history that are mostly forgotten about in history.
Category Archives: In my Blood
Remembering Canada’s Military Heritage: Family Photos
The post honors family members who served Canada by sharing their photos, aiming to preserve their memory. The author invites anyone who recognizes a person in the images to reach out via email or comments. Many photos are unlabelled.
Featured on Murder Most Foul Podcast
November 28, 2023 By Alicia Bertrand, M.A. in collaboration with Jim Sulanowski If you remember the Ancestry by Alicia article “Rebecca Cornell’s Death: How Elder Abuse, Ghosts, Guilt, and Legal Testimonies Mattered in 1673”, you’ll recall details about the death of Rebecca Cornell and how her ghost led to the eventual hanging of her sonContinue reading “Featured on Murder Most Foul Podcast”
A Prince Edward County Cemetery Adventure
By Alicia Bertrand, M.A. August 25, 2023 On August 19, 2023, my dad, brother, fiancé and I travelled to several cities in Prince Edward County to search for my ancestors’ headstones. There were highlights and challenges that I’d like to share with readers so that if anyone wants to go on a similar journey, youContinue reading “A Prince Edward County Cemetery Adventure”
Getting Away with Murder: The Life of Charles W. Austin Jr.
By Alicia M. Bertrand, M.A. The following is a case study into the life of Charles William Austin Jr.[1] A boy who would be arrested, convicted, and acquitted along with his co-worker for the murder of their boss. Using newspaper accounts and government documentation, census, and death certificates, the murder case is explored. The lifeContinue reading “Getting Away with Murder: The Life of Charles W. Austin Jr.”
The Man Who Loved to Sue
By Alicia Bertrand, M.A. Most of us have heard stories of frivolous lawsuits: the man who sued Kellogg’s because Froot Loops aren’t made with fruit,[1] the woman who sued a grocery store after tripping over her own child in an aisle,[2] or the man who sued his parents for creating him,[3] among others.[4] In 2020,Continue reading “The Man Who Loved to Sue”
Rebecca Cornell’s Death: How Elder Abuse, Ghosts, Guilt, and Legal Testimonies Mattered in 1673
By Alicia Bertrand, M.A. *Trigger Warning: this article deals with themes such as murder, elder abuse, suicide, and other difficult topics. There are few stories that encompass all of the topics I love: ghosts, family history, murder mysteries, and strange legal precedents. The story of Rebecca Cornell and her son Thomas embodies all of theseContinue reading “Rebecca Cornell’s Death: How Elder Abuse, Ghosts, Guilt, and Legal Testimonies Mattered in 1673”
Long Distance Love in the 1940s: A Tale of Devotion from My Grandparents’ Love Letters
By Alicia Bertrand, M.A. Those of you who are in modern day long-distance relationship may have the technology to see and communicate with your partner from afar. Couples can use Zoom, Facetime, WhatsApp, etc. to chat at a moments notice and find their partner to be more responsive by these face-to-face remote communication applications.[1] ThoseContinue reading “Long Distance Love in the 1940s: A Tale of Devotion from My Grandparents’ Love Letters”
In My Blood: Witches of Massachusetts
By Alicia Bertrand, M.A. September 10, 2021 In my blood, there are two women who were legally murdered by local judges, religious leaders, and townspeople in Massachusetts in the 1600s. They were accused, tried, and hanged for witchcraft. When one uses modern rationale, one of these women, Alice Lake,[1] suffered from grief. The second, SusannahContinue reading “In My Blood: Witches of Massachusetts”
In my Blood: Vikings and a Mythical Giant
By Alicia Bertrand, M.A. Over the years that I have worked on my genealogy, I have spent hours, sometimes days, to confirm a document, a person, or detail as fact before I add it to my research notes. On the other hand, there are days when I find that facts were thrown out the windowContinue reading “In my Blood: Vikings and a Mythical Giant”
Ancestry by Alicia 