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On query #2, I would suggest contacting the curators at the Valley Forge
National Military Park in Pennsylvania. They may have an expert who can
assess the likelihood that this was a uniform decoration, or at least can
direct you to a resource. http://www.nps.gov/vafo/contacts.htm. Ask for
information on a book on Revolutionary uniform decorations, and try to
borrow it by interlibrary loan.
A uniform decoration is a good candidate, but it may not be the only
explanation. It sounds far fetched, but could this possibly have been a
prosthetic, say for someone who has lost a hand? I doubt this would be the
case, because I'd expect such an appliance to be in brass. But the Society
of the Cincinnati in Washington DC has an extensive library of information
on Revolutionary War officers. It's a long shot, but there may be a chance
they could advise whether/how to learn if Col Christmas suffered such an
injury. http://www.thesocietyofthecincinnati.addr.com/ The folks at Valley
Forge might have thoughts about this possibility, too.
That probate inventory itself may present a clue as to what type of item
this was. Typically, inventories were done room by room, and like items are
usually stored together. If items were in a trunk, typically all items in
the trunk would be listed together, and adjacent to a listing of the trunk
itself. So look at the adjacent items listed in the inventory. Is this
listed next to a dress coat, or similar accoutrements? Is it stored with
small valuable items (like a watch or silverware) that you might have in
locked drawers, or with larger items? Sometimes that context can help in
identifying obscure items, by picturing where -- and with what -- the item
was kept. Sometimes the valuation can provide a clue, too.
>From: Herbert <wht-abt(a)att.net>
>Reply-To: christmas(a)rootsweb.com
>To: Christmas-L(a)rootsweb.com
>Subject: [CHRISTMAS] Queries
>Date: Sat, 06 Oct 2007 11:47:32 -0400
>
>Had a couple queries, and hope you can help.
>
>First is from Paul Linnell, who descendants from William Claude and
>Lola Christmas of Evansville, IN. He is trying to get in touch with
>his cousin, Donald Wayne Christmas; needs email, postal or telephone.
>
>
>Second query is below:
>Christmas Homepage:
>Introducing my spouse, Frances Gordy Wroton b.1923 in Columbus,GA.,
>not far from one Christmas Cemetery Her Gordy line reaches into your
>Christmases with Richard Christmas, Revolutionary War soldier, b.1764-
>d.1848.
>
>The attached question about decorations on the sleeve of Col.William
>Christmas' uniform, valuable enough to be mentioned as an item in his
>estate, beg an explanation, probably from the grave. But since
>William won't be telling us, is there anybody who can?
> Jim Wroton, for Frances Gordy
>Wroton
>
>
> >My ancestor, William Christmas, fought in the Revolution under
> >Nathaniel Green. He served from North Carolina and served in the NC
> >House and Senate. Around 1800, he resigned his post as Colonel.
> >
> >His estate records in Williamson Co., TN refer to him only as
> >William Christmas except in the following instance, which is an
> >inventory of his estate:
> >"the Silver cup & fork worn by Col Christmas on his arm"
>
>
>Thanks,
>
>Herbert
>
>
>-------------------------------
>To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
>CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the
>quotes in the subject and the body of the message
Had a couple queries, and hope you can help.
First is from Paul Linnell, who descendants from William Claude and
Lola Christmas of Evansville, IN. He is trying to get in touch with
his cousin, Donald Wayne Christmas; needs email, postal or telephone.
Second query is below:
Christmas Homepage:
Introducing my spouse, Frances Gordy Wroton b.1923 in Columbus,GA.,
not far from one Christmas Cemetery Her Gordy line reaches into your
Christmases with Richard Christmas, Revolutionary War soldier, b.1764- d.1848.
The attached question about decorations on the sleeve of Col.William
Christmas' uniform, valuable enough to be mentioned as an item in his
estate, beg an explanation, probably from the grave. But since
William won't be telling us, is there anybody who can?
Jim Wroton, for Frances Gordy Wroton
>My ancestor, William Christmas, fought in the Revolution under
>Nathaniel Green. He served from North Carolina and served in the NC
>House and Senate. Around 1800, he resigned his post as Colonel.
>
>His estate records in Williamson Co., TN refer to him only as
>William Christmas except in the following instance, which is an
>inventory of his estate:
>"the Silver cup & fork worn by Col Christmas on his arm"
Thanks,
Herbert