In my mother's family lineage, there is one branch, unlike all other branches, that transcends the emigration in the 19th century, but harkens back to the late 17th century. This line follows the Bittle family and the Quakers that followed William Penn to the New World. My ninth Great Grandfather, William Sharples, is mentioned in a transcription of records of the Radnor Monthly Meeting, "...in the Welcome Committee, a record of early arrivals at William Penn's Colony which had a footnote quoting John Bevans certificate of removal from Treverigg, Glamorgan, dated September 10, 1683, issued by the men's meeting both at Cardiff and Treverigg and filed at Radnor Monthly Meeting. It speaks of the loss we and others have sustained in the removal of our dear freinds to wit, John ap Bevan and Barbara, with their tender family along with them. In like manner a certificate bearing the same date was issued for Ralph Lewis of Eglwysilan, Glamorgan, and his family passing ye same time with our friend John ap Bevan, for Pennsylvania, and one for John Richard of small ability, for William Sharples, who was looked on as a harmless man, low-in-the-outward, and for John Lloyd ye goeth as a servant to John ap Bevan." The Quakers would issue certificates that vouched for the standing of a person to traverse the seas to the New World. William Sharples was not a Quaker, but must have endeared himself to travel along and be worthy of having a spot on the ship overseas to Philadelphia. Our family also decends from the Bevan family. My eighth Great Grandfather, William Bevan, was the brother of the aforementioned John ap Bevan. More about the royal line of the Bevan's will come later.

For Mother's Day, I thought I would post some photographs of my Grandmother, at one of her favorite places to visit, Wildwood, NJ. My Grandparents owned a bungalow at 420 West Burk Avenue. There is a picture of my Grandmother in front of the house and subsequent pictures of what it looks like today. Enjoy! And happy Mother's Day to all!!!

In 1846, my Great, Great, Great Grandfather, William Bennett and his family left Leeds, Yorkshire, England for America. Below, you will find the home that they left from, in Providence Place, Stanningley, Leeds and settled at 4725 Umbria Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Bennett's were in the textile business for generations. The row homes look so similar. They must have been prosperous, for they came across the ocean in first class, not in steerage, with an abundance of personal property listed on the manifest.

On Saturday, July 7, 1882, my Great, Great Grandfather Frank Boyle, was working in the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company's No. 9 mine, in Lansford, PA. At the time, there were over 200 men at work within the mine. An accident occurred, wherein a fall of coal breaking a safety lamp of the fire boss caused an explosion. This caused the caving in of one breast and destroying a shute and a portion of a monkey gangway. There were 16 men at work in this section of the mine, when the explosion occurred. Nine of the men were more or less severely injured, including my Great, Great Grandfather. He had suffered a dislocated thigh with his face and body being severely burned. Two of his sons, John and Daniel were also employed at the mines at this time. John, my Great, Great Uncle, started as a slate picker, at the age of eight years of age. His employment record is shown below, along with a photograph taken with him and other slate pickers, taken in 1875.