Hancock Hummer Histories: October 2012

Delia Deliverance Byam's History

Here is a copy of Delia's life history, written by Helen Garrett. I will work on transcribing this later, unless anyone else wants to do that for me before I get there...

Here is Delia's Patriarchal Blessing:

The Patriarchal Blessing of Delia Curtis, daughter of John and Sarah Byam, born in the town of Chelsford, Middlesex Co. Massachusetts 4 Dec 1789.

Sister Delia, I lay my hands upon your head in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, and seal you up unto Eternal Life as a blessing upon your head and as a memorial for your generations after, for you[r] name shall be recorded with the names of the blessed and shall go down to generations after you with honor, even to be perpetuated unto the latest generation, for you are of the Israelitish descent and your lineage is through the loins of Jaco, whose offsprings are among the nations, and whose seed are among the gentiles therefore, you shall be numbered with his seed, even the seed of Jacob, and be numbered with the blest, ad enter into the everlasting covenant, and receive and rejoice in your children, and that cometh upon your father's house, and your inheritance shall be with your fathers, and as to your blessings temporally shall be in common with your husband, and your name shall be perpetuated through the lineage of the Priesthood to go down with your posterity as a blessing according to the desires of your heart and you shall be blest in days and in years with seeing and hearing much of the salvation of God, and A Crown of Glory, Celestial, in the mansion of your father, and a place with Sarah and Rachel. These blessings I seal upon your head, even so, Amen.

Given by Hyrum Smith, at Nauvoo, Ill. 28 March 1843

James Hoem (?), Clerk

(Copied from the original blessing by Larua Christensen Alger.)

And Delia's endowment record from the Nauvoo Temple:

Betsy Jane Hancock

Charles Edward Hancock (1872–1963)

Charles Hancock (1849–1912)

Betsy Jane Fackrell (1824–1851)

Betsy Jane (Fackrell) Hancock is one of those ancestors who left little trace—it's difficult to find information about her life story but we have a few tidbits here.

First, a letter she wrote to her brother on January 2, 1848.

Next is a picture of her tombstone in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Family Group Records for Tillison Reed and Delia Deliverance Byam

Tillison Reed (1787–1836) and Delia Deliverance Byam (1789–1871):

Who are the people in this photograph?

We think we have Mary and Zilpha in the middle, but who are the ladies flanking them and who are the boys in the front?

Would that be Mary Millicent Hancock and her mother Zilpha Zobedia Curtis?

Joseph Crumb—1837 Letter

Charles Edward Hancock (1872–1963)

Charles Hancock (1849–1912)

Betsy Jane Fackrell (1824–1851)

Amy Crumb (1799–1885)

Joseph Crumb III (1768–1843)

This is a letter Joseph Crumb wrote to his children from Grafton, Vermont.

Signed by Joseph Crumb

Below you will find a transcription of Joseph Crumb's letter:

Dear Children once more I have the opportunity to
write to you, hoping these times may find you in good health
would inform you that your Fathers health is poor, ^tho rather beter
then it has ben in the time past the Lord has spared our
unprofitable life whilst many of our friends are sent away
to the world of spirits it has been a verry dying time in Grafton
this winter and Spring I will mention som of them Father Rhod
and Aunt Nabby Brother Cais and wife John Parks wife
Samuel Walkers wife William Hariss wife old mis Zuell
old man Dutton old Mr ^abil Goodeno and a number more have died
the winter past and soon it will be sed [said] of us that we are dead
too and what shall I say O that we were all prepaird for
that beter and briter world when I take a retrospective view of
my life it is a vapour it has flown a way swiftly and is
all most gone O that I mite live the few days as redeeming
the time yes may we all live so that we may enter in to that
Blest Canaan of Rest wher Jesus is gone to prepair mantions
for all that love him O shal we vile cretures ever be permited
to enter that happy place can it be that such sinners
as we can be pardoned yest we are great sinners but Jesus
is a great Saviour he can save to the utmost all that
come to him and may that hand that has led us so far through
this veil of tears still be our gide

Father Says he wants to give you the advise that his old
old aunt give him when he must move back from york state
and that was to stick down a stake and work around it and
not keep moving about from place to place and never
get eny home or eny thing against old age for that will
soone be here verry soone at the longist I have had a kind
of secret hope of seeing you [illegible] in this world but
now dispair of it if you goe so far off, and would say to
you live near the feet of your Saveiour may we all
meat in a happy Eternity is my desire and prayer

Joseph Crumb

It was apparently enclosed in this letter composed to "My ever dear Brother and Sister," dated May 1, 1837. The top right corner reads "Mr. J and Mrs. A Farkwell," which could possibly be referring to James Fackrell and Amy (Crumb) Fackrell, though it is unclear if the letter was to or from J and A Farkwell.