The 12th Century scholastic, Bernard de Chartres is quoted as saying "In comparison with the ancients we stand like dwarves on the shoulders of giants". This thought was later taken up by Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) when he wrote, "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants".
The study of ones' genealogy can be somewhat humbling because you come to realize that many of our traits were passed on to us by ancestors who were at times indeed giants. Individuals who left their homelands to seek a better life in the new world. Once here they worked hard to survive.
Before the advent of television, families would gather around the dining table after supper and tell the stories of their aunts and uncles, grandparents and great- grandparents. About twenty five years ago we began to collect these knowing that our children and children's children would not know the richness of these stories. We thank our parents and other relatives for passing on what they knew.
We found that some of the stories were more in the form of legends while others bore some elements of truth. Many years were spent trying to trace a direct line to Gen. James Hammond, a revolutionary war hero who had lived in the area in which I was born and to whom I was told we were directly related. . It was later found that our Hammond line came from the Mayflower, lived for a time in Nova Scotia, Canada and finally to New York. For this reason, we have tied to link our findings to one or more sources. We are sure there are errors and would welcome comments and suggestions by e-mail.
We would like to recognize the work of Paul Dayton Kilburn who showed us a new way of looking at family history against the background of history and social changes.
It is a pleasure to share information about those giants On Whose Shoulders We Stand.
Part one lists Bob's ancestors and Part 2 lists Irene's.
Introduction To The Bolger Family, Cooke Family,
Hammond Family, Kettle Family Lothropp Family, Newcomb Family, Strong Family, Tramonte/Tomonto Family,
Francis Cooke and Richard Warren were signers of the Mayflower Compact, November 11, 1620.
Benjamiin Hammond first of the Hammond line to land in the new world 14 years after the Mayflower.
Captain Archelaus Hammond served in the French & Indian War. Settled in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Judge Judah Hammond was edgar Allen Poe's landlord in NYC.
David Ketel saw brother killed and wife carried off to Canada in the French & Indian War.
Joachim Ketel driven from home by the Thirty Years War, sailed to New Amsterdam in 1642 on the advice of the Court Jeweler, Killian Van Rensselaer.
Clara Dora Nash a gentle English woman who became spokeswoman for the Settafratti contingent in NYC.
Harry (Chunky) Nash, Clara's brother, served in China, Ireland and France as Lt. Colonel, Hussars, East Lancashire Regiment.
Howard Nash, also Clara's brother, killed in London by a bomb dropped from a German zeppelin in WW 1.
Lieutenant Andrew Newcomb was in command of the fortifications at Martha's Vineyard during the King Phillips War (1675).
Elder John Stronge early settler of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Father of 18 children.
Filippo Terenzio patriarch of our Terenzio line.
Mario S. Terenzio went from the seminary in Italy to eventually own and operate a butcher shop in NYC>
Vincent G. Terenzio Chief Engineer of the Board of Water Supply of the City of New York.
Dovilo Tontodonati was a member of the Italian Air Force shot down during WW 1 and buried in a POW grave in Bombay, India.
James Tramonte trainer of polo ponies who traded working for the Italian Army Team to train ponies for a Wall Street Broker in Greenwich, Conn.
Graf Von Ketel earliest known ancestor, born about 1400 in Rugen, Polerana, Denmark.