Bosticks

Sergeant John Cummings Sholes was born in 1842 in Monroe, New York. He died on Jul. 3rd, 1865

John was a Sargent of Company G, 7th Michigan Infantry which was known as the Michigan Wolverines under the command of James H. Turril. Presumably this is who Turril Ave and Turril school was named after

As he was in the infantry, he would have been on Cemetery Hill, defending from Pickett’s Charge and protecting the cannon emplacements there. There is a monument to this infantry unit on top of Cemetery Hill.

The 7th Michigan was organized in Grand Rapids in 1861. They attended nearly every major battle of the war. They were at the Battle of Antietam, Harper’s Ferry, Battle of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and they were the unit trying to cross the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg Va. on December 11. John was severely wounded in the arm in that battle

John lived in Lapeer Michigan when he volunteered for the militia. He was 19 years old. His older sister was Wealthy Sholes, who is our great grandmother.

Our mother’s haplogroup is J2b1H. There is much to be told by this group, however the H on the end is quite new. That means Mom belonged to a branch that wasnt known until recent times.

As for the Mother of J? Her name is Jasmine.

(From Wikipedia)

The Seven Daughters of Eve is a book by Bryan Sykes that presents the theory of human mitochondrial genetics to a general audience. Sykes explains the principles of genetics and human evolution, the particularities of mitochondrial DNA, and analyses of ancient DNA to genetically link modern humans to prehistoric ancestors.

Following the developments of mitochondrial genetics, Sykes traces back human migrations, discusses the “out of Africa theory” and casts serious doubt upon Heyerdahl’s theory of the Peruvian origin of the Polynesians, which opposed the theory of their origin in Indonesia. He also describes the use of mitochondrial DNA in identifying the remains of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, and in assessing the genetic makeup of modern Europe.

The title of the book comes from one of the principal achievements of mitochondrial genetics, which is the classification of all modern Europeans into seven groups, the mitochondrial haplogroups. Each haplogroup is defined by a set of characteristic mutations on the mitochondrial genome, and can be traced along a person’s maternal line to a specific prehistoric woman. Sykes refers to these women as “clan mothers”, though these women did not all live concurrently. All these women in turn shared a common maternal ancestor, the Mitochondrial Eve.

The last third of the book is spent on a series of fictional narratives, written by Sykes, describing his creative guesses about the lives of each of these seven “clan mothers”. This latter half generally met with mixed reviews in comparison with the first part.

The Seven Mothers are

Mary Parsons was married to Coronet Joseph Parsons, who was also born in England. They were married November 26 1646. NOTE: “Cornet” refers to his position in the cavalry company, where he was the third officer in rank, and was the color-bearer.

ary Parsons is perhaps the most infamous resident of Northampton’s early settlement period. She was involved in witchcraft-related trials in 1656 and 1674, and possibly again in 1679. Her story is a fascinating one that sheds light on the workings of the Puritan mind and the complicated social and cultural situation of the period.

The Parsonses were one of the first families of Northampton; Historic Northampton’s buildings are located on what was once Parsons family land, where Mary and her husband, Cornet Joseph Parsons, started their family in the newly settled town. The Parsonses moved to Northampton in 1654, where the were very successful. Cornet Joseph Parsons earned his title as a color-bearer in the Hampshire Troop of Horses, and held various positions of merit in the town. In his early career, he earned money and distinction working as a merchant and fur trader for the Pynchon family, and eventually kept the first house of entertainment in Northampton; the Parsonses would eventually become the wealthiest family in Northampton. Their wealth can also be measured in terms of their family size: Mary and Joseph had a total of eleven children, most of whom lived to adulthood.

But soon after the Parsonses moved to Northampton, rumors of witchcraft began to circulate, implying that the family’s success came at the expense of other families, and was the result of Mary’s dealings with the devil. To head off the allegations, Joseph Parsons initiated a slander case in 1656, which he won. But eighteen years later, Mary was officially accused of and tried for witchcraft in 1674. She was eventually acquitted, but it seemed that the residents of Northampton, despite any court decrees, were convinced that Mary was a witch. Mary may have been the subject of another witchcraft inquiry in 1679; however, no records remain to prove this theory. Joseph and Mary Parsons left Northampton in 1679 or 1680, amid lingering questions and gossip.

The story of Mary’s trial in Northampton serves to show how the law courts worked in such complicated cases, and establishes a pattern that can be seen in witchcraft trials across New England, eventually culminating in the Salem Witch Hysteria in 1692.

Books

The Strong Witch Society: The Diary of Mary Bliss Parsons (Volume 1)

The Lost Revelation: The Diary of Mary Bliss Parsons (Volume 2)

SILENCING THE WOMEN: The Witch Trials of Mary Bliss Parsons

Information on this page, on Mary Parsons from The Mary Parsons Story

On Aug. 28, 1901, Alonzo A. Bostick and his son Austin celebrated the grand opening of Bostick Stove Works in Lapeer. Neither Alonzo nor his son could have foreseen the legacy they bestowed on our community. The simple grand opening celebration inspired the idea of a community festival held for the first time the following year. The Lapeer Days Festival was born. From simple beginning’s it has grown over the years to become the county’s largest festival and Michigan’s largest FREE festival!