What the fork?
I just got to the part in Bob Crawford’s new book America’s Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick where John Quincy Adams visits his sister Nabby’s grave in Quincy, Massachusetts and swings over to pay respects to his great-great-great-grandfather Henry Adams.
Friends, I’m related to Henry Adams! And I’m planning to go to Quincy next month! 🤯
Easy peasy. I needed to:
make a little doodle about this.
update my checklist of things to do before my John Quincy Adams presentation in June.
Except it’s not so easy. There are handfuls of other people I’d like to visit in Hancock Cemetery, a cemetery I didn’t even know existed before today. And I needed a better family tree showing how we’re related. Maybe I’d even add those people to the family tree and highlight everyone I want to visit! Even I could see that would spiral out of control very quickly. I abandoned it in favor of a regular old list.
As you can see, I’m keeping this post under tight control. No way it’s going to veer wildly off-course or reveal any big surprises.
Let’s see how I do…
I did not keep cool. Also, this is not an April Fool’s joke.
I found a Stone.
John Adams circa 1555 (not to be confused with the versions of John Adams circa 1691, 1735, 1767, 1657, etc.) was married to Agnes Stone! That may be incredibly significant, but I’ll save those details for later… if it turns out to Actually Be a Thing.
In the interest of leaving no Stone unturned, I scoured my family tree. I found no Stones and thus turned no stones. But instead…
I found Jonathan Adams.
🤯Friends, this is a different Adams than the original Adams (Elizabeth) connecting me to Henry Adams and Presidents Adams. If I’m being truthful, I’ve noticed him previously but having discovered the other Adams (Elizabeth) goes all the way up to THEE Adams ancestors… I kinda forgot about him. What are the odds he’s also important, presidentially speaking?
This time, I poked around a bit. I found that he indeed connects back to Henry (via Edward) and updated my very new and even more improved family tree. I was content and filled with pride and a sense of accomplishment.
Then I took a picture of my giant matted family tree so I could show you “See! Here’s where I found Jonathan Adams!” and share it alongside my new family tree.
You’ll never guess what happened next.
I found Hannah Adams.
🤯Right there next to Jonathan Adams. But not in the same branch.
My very new and even more improved family tree was instantaneously neither new enough nor improved enough.
But now it is!
Ta-da…
I’m related to Henry Adams through three of his sons!
Lt. Henry Adams
Peter Adams
Edward Adams
John and John Quincy Adams are related through one son*
Capt. Joseph Adams, Sr.
*I mean, I didn’t actually dig in any farther on them so perhaps they are related more than one way, too. He’s related through a Captain and Captains outrank Lieutenants so I guess they are still winning. Except does a Captain rank higher than a Lieutenant plus a doctor and another brother that signed up for military service but I have no idea if he served or not…? Let’s just agree that I’m winning here.
Here it is again — but with motion!
Whhhhhhaaaaaattttt?!
Here it is again… with no motion. But with three purple paths leading from Henry to Heather. And one blue path from Henry to the presidents.
Neither here nor there…
All of the Johns Adams (indicated in blue below) were a skosh confusing. That’s fine. I got over it. But the Johns Fishers (in purple)?! That last one, clearly the youngest of three consecutive Johns Fisher showed up as John Fisher I in my search, leading me to think I was entirely off-base and not on the right course. Who does he think he is, claiming to be first when he’s last? Unacceptable.
He went ahead and had a John Fisher II (or IV, if you’d like me to handle the math), and that John Fisher had another John Fisher (1779) who had another one (1824) and I’m glad I didn’t have to keep going along that line.
There were several Abigails, too. Abigail Smith Fisher and Abigail Smith Adams (the First Lady). and then if I included the First Lady’s other children… Abigail Adams Smith (the reverse of her mom!) and Charles Francis Adams’ wife Abigail… whew!
In any case…
I’m looking forward to paying my respects to Henry Adams. Until then, I’m gonna try to keep it together.
For additional genealogical shenanigans….
Henry to Heather