When I was in my mid twenties I joined a group of women who met in an old barn every month at the full moon. We would laugh, sing , tell stories and drink wine. I have vague memories of who was in the group and what we talked about but one thing I clearly remember is how we started off every get together.
We would introduce ourselves by saying who our mother's were...
it was a women's group after all!
My name is Robin
I am the daughter of Kathy
who was the daughter of Mary
who was the daughter of Mabel
who was the daughter of Ellen
who was the daughter of Eliza
who was the daughter of Anna
This started my obsession with trying to find out who Anna's mother was.
Full Disclosure: I still don't know.
I have spent years researching this line. Even today if I mention genealogy my husband will make a joke about looking for the elusive Cruff's. Cruff was Anna's married name. When you reach a brick wall in genealogy you go back a generation and research everything you can about that persons descendants in hopes of getting a clue to help you solve your mystery. This is how I became obsessed with Anna's daughter Eliza Sprague Cruff.
During my research I found Eliza Sprague Cruff's will. I found it very interesting to see what a women in 1888 would leave to her descendants.
Eliza Sprague Cruff was the daughter of Artemas and Anna (Tefft) Cruff. Eliza was born in 1824 in Burrillville, RI. When she was 18 she married George Davis Joslin. They had five children but only four lived to be adults.
When Eliza was just 53 years old her husband George died. Four years later she married her next door neighbor Zachariah Lord. She made a will when she was 64 years old but did not die for another 10 years .
When Eliza was just 53 years old her husband George died. Four years later she married her next door neighbor Zachariah Lord. She made a will when she was 64 years old but did not die for another 10 years .
What I found interesting is what she left to her family.
To her current husband she left nothing .
Her two younger sons Eugene and Lester received $1.00. Was that customary? Was it a good bit of money in 1888 ? (1)
Her eldest son George received whatever was left over after paying for her funeral etc...
Her only daughter Ellen got her feather bed. I have often thought of that feather bed. Did Ellen's daughter Mabel sleep in that bed? Did her granddaughter Mary take naps there?
I would love to know what happened to that feather bed?
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| In her will she mentions her husband Zachariah Lord and her four living children: |
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| Will of Eliza Sprague Cruff Joslin Lord |
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| This is an excerpt of the dollar amount attached to Eliza's will: |
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| I have included a copy of the actual will and my typed translation. |
(1) Inflation calculator
$1.00 in 1888 is equal to $33.34 in 2024.
The actions in the old wills seem to give us more questions than answers! Each action leaves us curious. I love the women's group beginning of reciting the names of the women in your family history. I can imagine that there were many stories about them as well as many questions asked!
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