Andrew's Genealogy

My great-grandfather, Andrew Nichols, had a strong interest in genealogy. He was known to help other people with their searches for information about ancestors. When I saw his detailed genealogy of our Nichols family ancestors, I was not surprised. Taped inside the front of an old book, I found a well-worn printed copy, marked up by subsequent family members.  (See photos of it, below.)

That copy lacks a date. The pages were not torn or cut from a publication, but issued separately as a reprint, it seems. I spent some time searching among old issues of the Essex Institute Historical Collections (dusty ones in boxes in my storage room, and digitized ones online), hoping to find the original on which this reprint was based.

I thank Richard Trask, Town Archivist, Danvers Archival Center, for answering my questions. He wrote, 

The  "Genealogy of the Nichols Family," by Andrew Nichols was originally published in volume 3 of the Historical Collections of the Essex Institute (1861) on pages 29-32.  

Wow!  1861 is a significant date in Andrew's life.  Later that year he would be marrying his beloved "Lizzie" (Elizabeth Perkins Stanley) of Salem and bringing her to live in Danvers, in the cottage he had designed and was in the process of building.  

April 15, 1861, was the date of the foundation of the new house.  Also on that date, President Lincoln called up state militias (the start of the Civil War).   

Coincidently here I am on April 15, 2023, thinking about this history and sharing a bit of my great-grandfather's research.

[Click on each image to enlarge]

Now I will share images of the context in which I found this reprint.  I thank cousin Betty Nichols in Modesto, CA, for passing to me several meaningful family items that had belonged to her late husband Bill Nichols (William Stanley Nichols, II), including a copy of the Holyoke Diaries (1911). 

Note that Andrew had given this copy in 1911
 to his son William Stanley Nichols (my grandfather)

I've had that book for several years now, but it was only THIS WEEK as I was handling it to take these pictures that a folded piece of paper slipped from between some back pages.  Oh!  

An Addendum to Andrew's Genealogy of the Nichols Family.

(103) Andrew Nichols C.E. the scribe married the 5th Sept 1861 to Elizabeth Perkins Stanley the dau. of John Stanley born in Liverpool England and his wife Elizabeth Hunt of Salem Mass, ...

Note: This Addendum page is based on a manuscript that I’ve never seen. I’m guessing that my uncle Edward Holyoke Nichols typed this during the years when he was assisting his daughter, Janet Nichols Derouin, as they sorted old letters from the Pine Knoll home (where Andrew raised his family). Edward, retired and living in Florida, transcribed many, many handwritten letters, mailing packages of them to Janet. (I have those packages and the resulting files that Janet gave to me. There are lots of letters from the 1890’s, which Janet says will be very interesting to read... if I ever get that far. I spent several years reviewing her earlier files, as I edited a draft of her book and created a separate website  for The Pine Knoll Story. Her draft ends at 1880.)  

P.S. Here's a relevant quote from my cousin Janet's Pine Knoll Story. She had compiled charts to show the family lineages in that story. On page 16 of her charts, I see this:

"Andrew Nichols wrote the following on the subject of ancestors."

From my examination during the past 62 years I have not been able to find a single ancestor (of those not born here) who came to this country after 1700, which is a fact that very few can say that have traced as many as I have. In three cases cousins married reducing the number to be accounted for. My children cannot say it as my wife's father was born in Liverpool.

1852 Elements of History

 

Here are photographs of a history textbook published in 1852 and owned by my great-grandfather Andrew Nichols in Danvers.

Elements of History, Ancient and Modern was written by Joseph B. Worcester. This new edition includes statements that it was adopted in the Grammar Schools of many cities (Salem, Worcester, Cambridge, Boston...), and also "required in the examination of candidates for admission into the Freshman Class at Harvard College."

Online, you can now find digitized copies of many other editions (e.g., 1831, 1835, 1866), but I have not yet found this exact one. I've photographed selected pages of this book to share here. Perhaps someone will want to compare these samples to other editions?  

See my prior post re "Peabody High School"

[Click on any image to ENLARGE it, for legibility.]

Much of the book is devoted to the history of Greece (pages 15-52) and Rome (58-110). Then, after brief chapters on Crusades and Chivalry, the Modern History section starts on page 131. Of the European countries, France and England get the emphasis. The history of America starts on page 251.  

Many Tables and Charts are included; here are some examples, densely packed with information:

Note this "Sources of History" on page 8, reminding us of alternatives to written documents:

This old book of course reveals perspectives and prejudices of the era (19th century). It gives us an idea of what was taught in Danvers schools (and elsewhere) at that time. 

I did appreciate reading some frank comments by the author where he acknowledged great harms done by European colonizers.  Here's an exceptionally revealing section (from pages 257-8):

30. It was the practice of Europeans to take possession of the parts of America which they visited, by the pretended right of discovery. The original inhabitants were treated as if they had no rights, and were no more owners of the soil than the beasts of the forest. This example was set by Columbus himself. He landed upon St. Salvador, the first island discovered, in a gorgeous dress, with a drawn sword in his hand, and the royal standard displayed, and took possession of the island for the crown of Castile and Leon ; and in conformity to this practice, it was inscribed on his tomb, that to this crown he "had given a new world."

31. The pope, in accordance with principles that were acted upon in an age of ignorance and superstition, granted to the sovereign of Spain the countries discovered by their subjects in the new world. The propagation of Christianity was held out as the chief reason for taking possession of America; and the promotion of a religion which breathes "peace on earth and good-will towards men," was made the pretext for every species of injustice, cruelty, bloodshed, and slavery, which the defenseless inhabitants of America were destined to experience from Cortes, Pizarro, and other unprincipled invaders.

32. The Spaniards who first came to America were stimulated by the desire and expectation of finding the precious metals, gold and silver. So powerful was this passion for gold, that the first adventurers encountered every possible hardship and danger in search of it, and sacrificed millions of the wretched natives, whom they compelled to work in the mines. The unfortunate Indians were distributed, like cattle, into lots of so many hundred heads each, and sold to the colonists. The Indians, who were naturally of a weak constitution, were rapidly wasted away by the hard service to which they were subjected. So great was the mortality among them, that out of 60,000 Indians who were in the island of St. Domingo, in 1508, only 14,000 are said to have remained in 1516 ; and it was not many years before the race became nearly extinct in most of the islands.

33. This cruelty to the Indians was strongly condemned by Las Casas, and other benevolent persons, and the colonists soon began to look to Africa for a supply of laborers in their mines and on their plantations. It was found that one able-bodied negro could do as much work as four Indians.

34. The first importation of negroes from Africa to the West Indies was made, in 1503, by the Portuguese and a larger one was made by order of Ferdinand of Spain, in 1511 ; since that time, the inhuman traffic in African slaves has been carried on by most of the European nations ; nor has it yet been abandoned by Spain and Portugal, the two European countries which were the first to begin this barbarous traffic and which seem disposed to be last to relinquish it.

I do know that my great-grandfather, the student owner of this textbook, became an abolitionist. 

Peabody High School

My great-grandfather Andrew Nichols attended "Peabody High School, Danvers" -- according to his handwriting, dated April 1853, in the front pages of an history textbook printed in 1852.

I've had that old leather-bound book in my bookcase for decades, along with many other dusty old books inherited from my father and his Danvers ancestors. Not until last night did I begin to READ that book and think about the school in which it was used.

Peabody High School? In Danvers?  

I don't recall ever hearing of such a school in my hometown. I've known, of course, that a southern portion of Danvers had eventually separated and become Peabody. And I'm aware that my great-grandfather's earliest years, before his father died, were spent in south Danvers.

My curiosity about this is heightened right now. I plan to come to Danvers on April 21, and to attend Salem Ancestry Days April 22-23.    

I've just looked up the history of Peabody, to review when Peabody became separate. The website of the Peabody Historical Society and Museum has a very helpful "Timeline for the Evolution of Peabody." That includes formation of the Middle Precinct of Salem (1710); founding of the District of Danvers (1752) with the Middle Precinct becoming known as South Parish of Danvers; Town of Danvers incorporation (1757); official separation from Danvers, to become Town of South Danvers (1855), with later name change to Peabody (1868) and incorporation in 1916 as the City of Peabody.

Thus, young Andrew Nichols lived and attended high school in Danvers (the South Parish of Danvers). That school was already named "Peabody" – no doubt in honor of the famous George Peabody, born in South Danvers in 1795.

According to the Peabody Historical Society and Museum,

Peabody had to leave school at the age of 11 to work and help support his family. Because of his lack of schooling, Peabody’s desire to provide access to education became the foundation of his philanthropic philosophy. Following the war of 1812, Peabody started a wholesale dry goods company based in Baltimore, Maryland, then a major hub for trade and commerce. By the 1830s, he had transformed the company into a mercantile banking empire based in London. Peabody’s vast earnings enabled him to donate more than $7 million to museums and educational institutions in England and America.

Now the words "Peabody High School, Danvers" written in 1853 by young Andrew Nichols make sense to me.

See next post for photos of his history book, and information about its content.