I'm a NERD

When pretty much all of my time is centered around family history work, really random things get me excited. For example, this week I found this incredible book, who knows how accurate it is, but it tells a great story about our ancestor Joseph Wadsworth. This man claims to have found a bunch of documents in an old chest and has published them into this book. He includes the story, in Joseph's own words, of how he saved the Connecticut Charter from the British. Included are "exact" quotes from those who stood and testified against the evil British Governor Andros in defense of their rights. One such man conveniently had an epileptic episode, he fell on the table, the candles were extinguished and another man handed the charter to Joseph who was hiding outside the window the entire meeting. Joseph ran through the night, avoiding British soldiers, and ultimately hid the charter in an oak tree, hence, the Charter Oak.

These are the signatures of our ancestors-- isn't that just cool?! I'm such a nerd, but I'm okay with that. The book is at the Darien Library if you ever want to check it out, "Wadsworth or the Charter Oak," W H Gocher. Sorry the pictures are crooked, I can't figure out how to change it.

Another cool thing, in the Public Records of CT it says: "Upon consideration of the faithful and good service of Capt. Joseph Wadsworth, of Hartford, especially in securing the Duplicate Charter of this Colony in a very troublesome season when our consititution was struck at, and in safely keeping and preserving the same ever since unto this day: This Assembly do, as a token of their grateful resentment of such his faithful and good service, grant him out of the Colony treasury the sum of twenty shillings."