Researching Daniel Crossman Brings Cause for Thanksgiving (Case Study B)

In Case Study A I gave an example of how false information can be spread quickly via the Internet. In this one I would like to show an example of how this same medium can be used to make surprising discoveries!

At one time, Daniel Crossman was only a name found in an old genealogy book while researching another family line. He was mentioned incidentally as the father of Freelove, wife of Nathan Slater. (Source: Memorial of John Slafter, by Rev. Edmund F. Slafter, c. 1869, page 90.)

The next piece of information was also found coincidentally while researching Nathan's father, Benjamin Slater. Rev. Slafter's 1869 work noted that Benjamin was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. This led to research in the Daughters of the American Revolution Patriot Index which can now be found online as part of their Genealogical Research System (GRS) found here. Clicking on the icon next to the name of his descendant, Edith Mitcheltree, brought up her ancestry through another one of her patriot ancestors, Daniel Crossman and his wife, Alice Brett! Since the online transcribed application states that there are additional unverified generations that were not transcribed I purchased a copy of Mrs. Mitcheltree's application. (Source: DAR Application of Edith Luse Mitcheltree; Daniel Crossman, patriot ancestor. Notes: 1.This Benjamin Slater is no longer recognized by the DAR as a patriot. 2.Older applications such as this one cannot be purchased online and downloaded as more recent applications can.)

My Slater research now segued into the search for Crossman ancestors. Mrs. Mitcheltree's application contained the names of Daniel's parents, Joseph Crossman and Margaret Turner, which was the additional unverified generation. Having her full application in hand also let me see what proofs she used to document her lineage. These always provide clues for further research. One of the items she mentioned was a family letter which may no longer exist, but if it does, someone may post it on the Internet one day. That happens occasionally.

Armed with names and general dates and places for births and marriages, I performed multiple searches via books and on the Internet. The first find showed that Daniel and Alice married in 1778 as generally stated in Mrs. Mitcheltree's application but now the specific date and location of June 4, 1778 in Easton, Massachusetts were known. (Source: Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, Volume 2, page 59. This book can be seen through Google Books here.)

Another reference pertaining to Nathan Slater stated that his wife, Freelove Crossman, was from New York, therefore more proof was necessary to ensure that this was indeed the right family since no one else in the Crossman family had any documentation to place them in New York.(Source: History of Butler County, Pennsylvania, c. 1895, page 811 found here).I consulted the 1850 census. It confirmed that Freelove, the wife of Nathan Slater, was born in Massachusetts. (Source: 1850 US Federal Census, Cranberry Twp., Butler Co., PA; page 138, line 24.)

A search of the birth records of Easton Massachusetts confirmed the names of Daniel's parents to be Joseph Crosman, Junior and Margrat [sic] with a specific birth date for Daniel given as Monday, 2 May 1757. However, no birth record for Freelove was located. (Source: LDS microfilm #1059951 entitled "Easton, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Births, Deaths and Marriages by Families, 1697-1847" transcribed by John A. Maltby, c. 2002, found here. Daniel's birth was originally on page 23.) Joseph Crossman, Jr. married Margaret Turner on February 26, 1756. (Source: Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850, Volume 2, page 100. This volume can be read on Google Books here.)

But the search that truly surprised me was when I typed "Daniel Crossman" and "Alice Brett" into the Google search engine and found myself directed to the page for The Alden Kindred of America! After all, the surname "Alden" speaks for itself! (Source: website here. Note: When I checked the genealogy page at the Alden Kindred website recently,there was a broken link. An identical search would not generate the same results today.)

After further research in Plymouth Colony and Mayflower records, it was determined that one of Daniel's Crossman ancestors did marry one of the descendants of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins. The analysis of this union is now included in the "Mayflower Five Generations Project" and the discussion by Alicia Crane Williams pertaining to the Crossman-Alden link is found here.

This is just one example of how the ever-expanding Internet has changed the face of genealogy for the better. Technology gives genealogists many reasons to be thankful.