"Leaving Connecticut"

Periodically I hear from Isabel...whose ancestor, Nancy, was the sister of Stephen Hall Carrington, my third ggrandfather. They were born in New Haven, Connecticut into a supposedly comfortable family. The family has been in America since before 1662 with many members in the medical field, educated in Yale. We know that Stephen had some land in Wisconsin and was included in an 1850 Brown County, Wisconsin census. That's about all the information I have for him. Stephen and Lydia's son William Carrington was married to Mary Bartholomew, whose ancestors arrived in America in 1634 and were successful in leadership and business.

Isabel writes: "I've always had an extra-close feeling for her - and admiration - from a wealthy eastern family to a wilderness where she spent long stretches of time without adult companionship while her husband made trips selling his lumber, and then her lonely death (at the age of 31 years, with three little boys) from cholera. And I wonder how her family back in Connecticut felt about all this. Wouldn't it be wonderful to find their diaries!"

That would be my dream...finding the writings of any of our women ancestors. I remember reading about tears and depression and will try finding that source. How did they feel about leaving an established family home, not knowing what was going to be experienced on the move west? Did they share their spouses dreams of adventure and lots of free land? What special material possessions did they get to bring along...what things had to be given away? How many family members had to be left and how many came along? There must have been fears of childbirth and illnesses so far away from medical care. What did these women do to keep joy in their life and confidence in the future? These thoughts were no doubt shared by the men who dared to leave for parts unknown. What brave people they were. Coming from a family made up entirely from Homesteaders I feel very, very honored to have this heritage.