Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Finding the Parents of Kimball Samuel Hackett - Chipping Away at the Brickwall (PART 1)

Some brickwalls in family history aren't really brickwalls, more like fences, which are easily climbed when you look at the problem from a different direction or with fresh eyes.  With that said, I have a brickwall that has plagued my family for over 70 years.  Little by little I chip away at the bricks, but it still remains there in front of me.  This daunting wall of bricks.  Well, all my ancestors who are watching over me have the answer, but it isn't like I can call them on the phone to ask either.  I know there is one little piece of paper some where (and not online in an actually repository) that has the answer.  But for now I have to knock my brickwall down with indirect evidence or until I can get DNA from descendants of suspected relatives.

The question...  Who are the parents of Kimball Samuel Hackett?

Here is what I know about Kimball Samuel Hackett (my 3x great grandfather).

Kimball Samuel Hackett was born on 14 March 1828 most likely in Barnard, Windsor, Vermont and died on 2 April 1909 in Hartford, Windsor, Vermont.  Kimball married Elisabeth A. Buck on 21 March 1846 in Hartford, Windsor, Vermont.  Elisabeth died in July 1847.  Kimball Married Sarepta Ann Leavitt, daughter of Josiah and Betsey (Brown) Leavitt, on Jan 1849 in Hartford, Windsor, Vermont.  Kimball, Elisabeth and Sarepta are all buried in the lower portion of the Hartford Cemetery in Hartford, Windsor, Vermont. 

For many years, it was thought that his parents were truly not known because of something written on the vital record card filed at the state where the information is copied by the Town Clerk copied from the official death record filed with the Town.  It said "not known" on the State vital record card for his parents.

BIG RED FLAG HERE!  Many people were treating this card like it was an original source!!  It is not!  The official death record recorded in the Town of Hartford would be the original. 

Once the death record is checked, you see that the medical doctor (not a family member) is the informant of the information.  So of course he doesn't know Kimball's parents.  The only clue from the death record is that Kimball's birth place is listed as Barnard, Vermont. 

Is this the correct birth location?  Not 100% certain because this is a death certificate (made so many years after the birth of Kimball) with the medical doctor as the informant (wasn't present at the time of the birth).

So where did I go from here?

TO BE CONTINUED.... 



2 comments:

  1. I am a descendent of Kimball Hackett. I am interested in who his parents are. I know they have been looked up for a long time.

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  2. Emily - You are Bob's daughter. He has helped me out so much with genealogy info. :)

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