52 Ancestors: #2, Patrick Bellew

For Week #2 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge (posted a bit late because of illness), I want to introduce my Irish great-great-great grandfather, Patrick Bellew.  I’ve chosen him as my next ancestor because of the mystery that surrounds his disappearance ...

The Beginning

Patrick Bellew was born around 1810, probably in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland.  The names of his parents and siblings are currently unknown.  We do know that on February 9, 1826, he married Rose Smyth of Mapastown, County Louth, Ireland in the Ardee Parish.  It was the first marriage for both of them.

52 Ancestors: #1, Jane "Sandusky" Flanders

Once each week, we’re going to try to introduce you to one of our ancestors as part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.  It seems fitting to start off this challenge with one of our most intriguing of ancestors – Jane “Sandusky” Flanders, my 9th great-grandmother. 

The Bare Facts

Jane “Sandusky” lived in the Puritan colonies in the mid to late 1600’s.  Given the birthdates of her children, she had to have been born sometime between 1615 and 1633. There is no factual record of her origin but family lore suggests that she was Indian, possibly of the Sandusky tribe.  Jane was married to a planter named Steven Flanders.  The date of their marriage is unknown but it presumably took place before the 1646 birth of their son, Stephen.