I have started my newest brick wall, trying to prove who
Elizabeth Lighthall’s parents really are.
Known facts, according to her Gravestone, she is the wife of
John Sponable and died March 20, 1861 at the age of 85 years 8 months.
I used John Sponable’s father, Johannes Spanknable on my DAR
application and this was accepted because someone else had supplied the necessary
proof of this relationship. Plus, since my DAR application was on the Sponable side of
the family, I didn't have to prove who Elizabeth’s parents were.
I have seen many on-line trees that seem to be leaning
towards a George Lighthall born about 1740 and his wife Margaret Cunningham.
In the book, “Early
Families of Herkimer County New York; Descendants of the Burnetsfield Palatines”
by William V.H. Barker, on page 166 has a little of this George’s ancestry. It list 5 of his children but no more. My
Elizabeth was born abt 1775-1776 and the book lists his first child as Maria
born 1777. This doesn’t rule out Elizabeth but it doesn't confirm it either.
Next I turned to the Online
Resource, Schenectady County, New York: Its History to the Close of the
Nineteenth Century: Chapter XXIV: Genealogy of the Lighthall Family located at http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/resources/yates/gen-lighthall.html.
This site is based on the book by the same name by Austin A Yates, pages
278-279. However, it doesn't mention George only his father and siblings from
the first book I used.
Next
I found the book “Compendium of Early
Mohawk Valley Families, Volume 1” by Maryly B Penrose at my local
genealogical society. On pages 485 &
486 starts the Lighthall family and it seems to be centered on George’s family
and does list him briefly as serving in the Tryon County Militia. Plus it has
the birth of George & Margretha’s child Maria born 6/21/1777 which matches
the first book. Also, I found a little paragraph describing George’s service in
the Revolutionary war and list his birth as 1747.
Finally
I turned to Ancestry.com to see what records I could find on the Lighthall clan
and I am currently using the U.S. Dutch Reformed Church Records from Selected States,
1660-1926. From the books and this baptism and marriage records I am
constructing a tree on George’s Family. I didn't want to put them into my main
family tree since I haven’t found the connection, but I also wanted to go
through the records and see what I could find.
I am hoping that once I find the connection I can merge this tree into
my main family tree. I have found that many of the on-line trees seem to have
his brother Nicholas listed as his father.
I haven’t come across a record showing that Nicholas had a son name
George yet.
I
left a post on Ancestry’s message board asking for how people came up George as
Elizabeth’s father. I haven’t tracked down a death certificate yet or even
marriage record for my Elizabeth. I have read that the records from 1775-1778
are missing and this might be why I can’t find what I am looking for. Finally,
I have had my AncestryDNA done and perhaps I will match someone via our trees
and see if I match any of George’s other children or perhaps through one of his
known brothers.
If
I find out anything more, I will make sure to post it here!
