Month: February 2017

Close to Home and Close to my Heart

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant1 Comment

kiddos

This week’s challenge was to write about a story that hits close to home, so this week I wanted to write about my grandchildren. While, technically, I am not writing about an ancestor, I just could not pass this opportunity to share about each one, for they brighten my world. And it’s for them that I started this blog.  Continue reading “Close to Home and Close to my Heart” →

General James Cudworth: A Man of Conviction

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant13 Comments

We honor him as a lover of religious freedom, a brave and able commander, and a true patriot.

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Men of Kent Cemetery, Scituate, Massachusetts

General James Cudworth was a humble man of conviction, a man who longed for peace, and a man who longed for tolerance among all people. Because of his beliefs, his kindness towards others, and his own acts of civil disobedience, he was relieved of his civic and military duties for nearly 16 years. However, on July 4, 1673, he was once again reinstated as a freeman, and his life as a public servant and military officer once again took center stage in his life.  Continue reading “General James Cudworth: A Man of Conviction” →

Grandma’s Cottage

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My Sweet Grandmother ~ Elva Marie

My grandmother, Elva Bryant Allen, was my hero and my strength; I have often felt she was the only one who truly loved me unconditionally.  Her home and her love were always my safe haven.  Many years after she left this world, I decided to take her name.  After my divorce in 2002, I asked the judge if I could take her maiden name.  And today, I still proudly share this bond with my dear grandma.  Years ago I wrote this poem, and I decided to share it in this blog, for this week’s challenge was about love.  Continue reading “Grandma’s Cottage” →

John Gallup ~ My Seafaring Grandfather

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant8 Comments

Who wouldn’t love a grandfather that chased pirates, battled ship-stealing marauders, and avenged the lives of friends and neighbors?

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Who wouldn’t love a grandfather that loved the sea? Who wouldn’t love a grandfather that chased pirates, battled ship-stealing marauders, and avenged the lives of friends and neighbors?   My 12x great grandfather was an adventurous man who sailed to a new land and cultivated a corner of this world and called it his own. On March 20, 1630, John Gallup left Plymouth, England on the John and Mary, and ten weeks later he arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. After he arrived, he set his sights on the lands around the Boston Harbor, and there he made his home.  Continue reading “John Gallup ~ My Seafaring Grandfather” →