Carpenter Museum News - November 2014

Uh, oh…Do you Have the Right Date on your Calendar?

Annual Folk Art & Artisans Show

Fri., Nov. 14, 4-9pm, Sat., Nov. 15, 9am-4pm at Francis Farm

Don’t be confused! Usually the Carpenter Museum’s Folk Art & Artisans Show at Francis Farm is on the same weekend as the Rehoboth Congregational Church Christmas Bazaar. This year the Church Bazaar is on Nov, 7 & 8. The Folk Art & Artisans Show is on the following weekend: Friday, Nov. 14, 4-9pm and Saturday, Nov. 15, 9am-4pm at Francis Farm, 27 Francis Farm Road, Rehoboth. We’ve got lots of new vendors, and your favorites over 70 in all! Go to our website carpentermuseum.org for a complete list. Last year we had over 2,000 visitors. So tell all your friends, and come enjoy a special day of holiday shopping! Entrance is FREE. For more information contact us: 508-252-3031, carpentermuseum@gmail.com, carpentermuseum.org.

Caption 1: Ready for a great weekend of shopping? Make sure you have the right date for the Folk Art & Artisans Show at Francis Farm, 27 Francis Farm Road, Rehoboth: Fri. Nov. 14 (4-9pm) and Sat. Nov. 15 (9am-4pm)

Really? She Lived in Rehoboth and Fought Slavery in the 1700s?

Come Hear a Talk about Patience Brayton, Wed., Dec. 3 at the Carpenter Museum

Mary Ann McDonald and Diane Goodwin of the Somerset Historical Society will speak about Patience Brayton, an early abolitionist who lived in Rehoboth in the 18th century, on Wed., Dec. 3 at 7pm at the Carpenter Museum. We hope you will join us for this event, which is free and open to all. No reservations are required.

Massachusetts history is full of remarkable women, and Patience Brayton deserves to be better known. We are eager to hear more about this Quaker woman whose ministry as an abolitionist took her from New England to the deep South hoping to convert slave owners, and even to Ireland and England. Patience, who was married to Preserved Brayton and the mother of at least six children, lived in Rehoboth, and was a minister at the Swansea Friends Meetinghouse on Prospect Street in Somerset.

The talk will be followed by a question and answer period and refreshments. For more information contact the Carpenter Museum, Rehoboth’s Museum of Local History, 4 Locust Ave., Rehoboth, 508-252-3031, carpentermuseum@gmail.com, carpentermuseum.org.

Helpful Tips for Finding Your Ancestors

By Helen Smith, Vice President of the RI Genealogical Society

Helen Smith, vice president of the Rhode Island Genealogical Society, led a two-part workshop on finding your roots at Rehoboth’s Carpenter Museum in October. She provided lots of hands-on help and gave her personal advice on genealogy research. Here are some of her tips:

Say “hello” to distant family: Contact family members, especially distant relatives, for any information they may have.

Get help from these sources: Ancestry.com charges a fee for members. FamilySearch.org is a free service provided by the LDS (Mormon) Church. Helen also recommends Family Tree Magazine to help you with your research.

Choose software for recording your info: Once you are ready to start filling in your genealogy charts, there are two computer software programs Helen suggests: Family Tree Maker (through Ancestry.com) or Legacy.

Back up, back up, back up: Frequently save your computer work, alternating between two thumb drives. You might want to print a paper copy, too.

Just do it. Places to get started on genealogy research include the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Massachusetts State Archives, and Boston Public Library, to name just a few. Helen praised the Trim Room at the Blanding Library in Rehoboth for its extensive Rehoboth records.

Caption 2: Lots of researchers joined us for our “Adventures in Ancestry” workshops at Rehoboth’s Carpenter Museum in October. Here speaker Helen Smith, VP of the RI Genealogical Society, helps Kevin Wanamaker.