House of Alexander

Dearest Sarah,

I have just printed out a copy of Dave’s web pages.  ALL 33 OF THEM!!  I hope it wasn’t too much trouble for you to do it.  I can’t get over all the descendents that came from Andrew’s two sons Jacob and John over 200 years and where they all ended up.  They certainly knew how to populate.  In my wildest dreams I didn’t think I would end up with so MUCH information about our family.  What a great day it was for me when I contacted you!!

Lots of love and please keep well,

Norma.  XXX

Dearest Sarah,

Whatever you do is O.K. with me, I will have a little look now.  I go along with your motto, too. I always say “Don’t put anything off, this isn’t a practise run”.  I’m just waiting for a book to arrive from Ireland and I’m so excited.  I have been searching all over the world because it’s out of print, called “Limavady and the Roe Valley” by Dr. T.H. Mullins published in 1983.  BUT on the inside flyleaf of a book of legends sent to me by this friend I’ve made in Limavady was a recommendation to read this particular book and it said that it was published by the Borough Council of Limavady.

I decided to ring them and asked to speak to a person who looks after history matters and got onto a lovely girl - Ailish McAtamney - have you ever heard such an Irish name!!!  She tells me she has red hair, too!!! I told her I was doing family history on the Alexanders.  She said “Oh, the Limavady Alexanders?”  I told her I was after this particular book because four generations of our family were burgesses on the council in the 16 and 1700s.  I received a reply the next morning to say that she had found a copy and was sending it to me, free of charge.  She told me not to tell anyone in Limavady because they are as scarce as hen’s teeth.  I find the Irish people just so kind and they can’t do enough to help you.

Another lovely person I’m in touch with Dr. William Roulston who is the Research Director of the Ulster Historical Society has just sent me news of the arrival of their first baby, Harry William Martin.  Wasn’t that a nice thing to do?  I told Ailish how old I was and time was running out, she said she hoped she was as good at ,.. and still so active in the mind.

Keep well, and don’t forget your Memoirs…..

Lots of love,
Norma.
  —– Original Message —–
  From: Sarah Culton
  To: Norma Solomon
  Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 5:33 AM
  Subject: Re: Alexander Family History

  Dearest Norma,

  Re:

       Thank you for your inspirational message!  My motto is “Use it or lose it!”  Therefore, I think   you  will see the very best I have to offer!  John is super help and now I have you!  I believe our “trio” (three musketeers) can accomplish much. …….

  More soon, hopefully!

  Love you much,

  Sarah
    —– Original Message —–
    From: Norma Solomon
    To: Sarah Culton
    Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 6:56 PM
    Subject: Re: Alexander Family History

Last June of 2009, I, Dr. Sarah (Alexander) Culton, received messages from both Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World, which reported the following information:

Congratulations!  Because of the reference value of your outstnding achievements, Marquis Who’s Who has selected your biography for inclusion in the forthcoming 2010 Editions of Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World.

These exciting and unique editions will profile the country’s most accomplished men and women from all fields of endeavor. It is a testament to your hard work and dedication to success that you have earned a place in America’s and the World’s premier biographical resources.  YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS, and that I am !

Last December, both books were published, and I am, indeed, included in both of them.

Dearest Sarah,

Yes, of course you can use anything of mine.  I just think it’s so wonderful being able to share these wonderful stories across the miles.  Isn’t the internet a wonderful facility?  It’s a tragedy that so may awful people abuse it so much.

I didn’t log on to my computer until yesterday (Monday) because I was flat out on Saturday finishing your ASTONISHING record.  I don’t know how you did it - your mind must have been going around, nineteen to the dozen, wound up like a watch spring!!  How did you turn off at night?  John tells me that you haven’t been well lately and you did tell me you were doubtful you would finish your Memoirs.  Please get well - everyone will be missing out on the very best part…..After all the terrible hardship and turnoil that went on in the lives of the previous generations carving out and making preparations for a wonderful democratic country to pass on to the following generations of their family.  Wouldn’t they be proud of you - getting right to the top in your education - the very thing that they could only dream about.  To do them justice you will have to record, even briefly, how you managed it all.  All because they were determined to make a better life for their families and future generations.  Please try.

I wasn’t able to bring up your attachments, but I called my computer man and he will call on me tomorrow morning to enable my machine to call it up.  I belong to the Society of Australian Genealogists and we have an amazing library in Sydney.  They have the best array of Burke’s marvellous publications I have seen - many more that our State Library.  So I got my material from Burke’s Landed Gentry 1862 and Burke’s Irish Family Records 1976, the same as J. P. Helton.  At our library I also found Boyle’s Records of Limavady - 1609 to 1808.  A wonderful account of the Council Meetings on which our family were burgesses over four generations, passing down from father to eldest son.  It was a fount of information about marriages and deaths and the brilliant planning under Sir Thomas Phillips who first built a water mill on the River Roe to trap beautiful water for the use of the settlement.  He defended the town in 1641 with the garrison and help of the townspeople, some of whom were women, for the whole winter, when besieged by Sir Phellam O’Nial.  The castle was, however, subsequently taken and burnt, together with the church and the town.

Strangely, on the same website that I found J. P. Helton, there was the name of William R. Phillips, 4414 Gailwood Ave., Memphis Ten.  I tried to get in touch with him by phone but didn’t have any success.  I think he could have been a descendent of Sir Thomas.  Oh, well, all you can do is try - he probably passed away also.

John Alexander rang me from Sunbury last night and did we have a LONG, LONG conversation.  We get on like a house on fire.  He told me the story of you and and . . . disagreeing about something and you, a GIRL, turned out to be right. What a blow to manly pride!  But John said he did own up that you were right, that’s something.  . . .

I would love to have a chat with you.  John reckons we are very much alike and we’d enjoy it.  I want you to tell me just what time it would be most convenient and the day you would like me to call because I wouldn’t want to catch you at a bad time.

Lots of love and please keep warm, it must be FREEZING over there and we are sweltering.  Thank goodness for airconditioning, we couldn’t cope without it. Cheerio for now….

Norma.
  —– Original Message —–
  From: Sarah Culton
  To: Norma Solomon
  Sent: Friday, February 12, 2010 6:26 AM
  Subject: Re: Alexander Family History
  Re:

  BUT — the amazing thing about it, you quote (Arnold John Pinkney, J. P. Helton, Our Alexander Research to Date, unpublished).  I have been trying to get J. P. Helton’s address for some time without any success. Would you please be able to help me?

  The story is — I was searching the net one day and I came upon a site within a site which said that J. P. Helton had a picture of a portrait of Andrew and Jessie Phillips when they married in 1666.  WOW!! … I looked at the time and I should have been getting the dinner…. I closed down like a good wife should and raced off.  When I returned, do you think I could locate that particular site — no way.  I tried getting in touch with societies and libraries on the east coast and no-one knew him and he didn’t have a personal website.  I thought, recently, that I would ask you if you had heard of him.  AND THERE IT WAS ON PAGE 188!!!  Do you know where I would be able to contact him?  If I could get a picture of that portrait — to see what they actually looked like, would be absolutely wonderful and just “put the icing on the cake” for me.

  ——————————————————————–

  Here is what I recall about Rev. J. P. Helton:

  When I was doing the research for my book, I came across a posting by Rev. J. P. Helton that indicted he knew something about your particular line, so I wrote to him asking for information which I quoted in my book.  I wrote back to him and thanked him for his help, but I never received a reply.  A short time later, I found a posting saying that he had passed away.  I cannot, at this time, find any other records for him or his family.

  I contacted his widow and asked for assistance in finding someone who could follow-up on the research concerning your line.  She sent me the name of an individual on the Washington coast near where our daughter lives.  He sent me no information, but said to meet him at the Scottish Games Celebration, which was coming up, so I did.  He still claimed he had no information about that particular line!

  I have forwarded some information to you that indicates Rev. J. P. Helton got his information by checking Burke’s Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage and Burke’s Landed Gentry records!  Apparently, the information that he gained there was his contribution in tracing the early members of your family line — quite interesting!

  None the less, I will keep my eyes and ears open — maybe I can find a record of his descendants that might provide some clues.

  Love and Best Wishes,

  Sarah

  PS:  May I continue to post some of the wonderful statements you have made to my Website at:  www.houseofalexander.com?

 
    —– Original Message —–
    From: Norma Solomon
    To: Sarah Culton
    Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 7:26 PM
    Subject: Re: Alexander Family History