Ancestry

Picking an ancestor and posting what I know about them will be an ongoing challenge. This week I'd like to post about George Lamb, my Great-Great-Great Grandfather. If you can follow along, here's where he fits in: He had a daughter, Cora Lamb. She married Clinton Samuel Church and had a son, John Carey Church. John Carey Church married Ada Mae Andrus and had a daughter: Frances Church. She's my Grandmother. So, here's what I know:

Born 29 OCT 1843 in South Otselic, Chenango County, New York.  George married Olivia Thompson (b. 13 NOV 1848).  According to the 1880 U.S. Census, we find them married and living in South Otselic with 3 children:  Cora (my Great-Great Grandmother age 12), John, and Mabel.  It lists E.P. Thompson as living with them as well.  E.P. is 50 and single.  His first name is Elihu P. Thompson, and keeps a shoe shop on the premises.  Whether he is related to Olivia, I'm not sure.  George is a blacksmith.  His blacksmith shop is called "Lamb & Thompson Blacksmith Shop"  Again, I'm curious to know why he named it "Lamb & Thompson", as his wife's maiden name is Thompson, or because the lot is shared with Elihu Thompson...we can only speculate.  Next door is a shop and Post Office possibly kept by David B. Parce.  Interestingly, when the census took place, it appears that Mr. Parce wasn't present and his wife reported who was there.  She reports a Marcia Lamb, age 8.  I believe this may be a daughter of David and Olivia Lamb, just being next door when the census took place.  I need to check this.

I'm not sure who George's parents are.  The only information I have gleaned is from the census: father born in Connecticut and mother born in Rhode Island.

Now for a little fun.  As part of my sources, I've used a map made in 1875 by Beach Nichols.  This map actually lists family and shop names in South Otselic.  It shows the "Lamb & Thompson Blacksmith Shop":
This map is sourced from the New York Public Library.  Now, I've gone to Google Maps to overlay the 1875 map with the current terrain map to see the tops of the homes that are there.  I'd like to think these rooftops are the original, but cannot confirm that.  But it's cool to see the land where family grew up.  There is still a post office on this corner, so who knows.

View Larger Map
As a side note, Frances writes in her history that she remembers churning butter with her Great Grandmother Lamb.

Let me know if you've got more information on the Lambs. More history of South Otselic can be found here.

The Church's are also from Otselic, and South Otselic...eventually moving to a farm in Baldwinsville, where Frances grew up.