Category Archives: Personal History

The Thread That Never Breaks: Why Why mtDNA Matters to Everyone

Posted on 3 May, 2026 by Janice Brown

On Mother’s Day, mtDNA gets top billing—because it’s the one gift Mom passes down 100% every single time. When people first step into the world of genealogy, they often imagine themselves wandering through dusty courthouses, squinting at old census pages, … Continue reading →

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The Quiet Journey That Carried Us

Posted on 5 December, 2025 by Janice Brown

It began, as so many journeys do, with a name. *Patrick.* Not the saint. Not a hero carved in stone. Just a name etched into a Vermont census list, beside the birthplace “Ireland” and the designation “aged 10.” No middle … Continue reading →

Posted in Genealogy, Irish in New Hampshire, Personal History | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

2022: On National Women’s History Month

Posted on 29 March, 2022 by Janice Brown

Every year since March 2006 I have written one or more blog articles about women during National Women’s History Month. This year is a little different, as I will write only one story, and provide a recap of hundreds of … Continue reading →

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Civic Leader, Manufacturing Supervisor, Town Officer: Anson Alfonso Platts of Merrimack New Hampshire(1845-1940)

Posted on 9 July, 2020 by Janice Brown

Anson Alfonso Platts was a man who seems to have escaped most notice in a town histories. He was a modest man, unassuming, but always ready to help however he could on behalf of his family, his town, his workplace, … Continue reading →

Posted in Genealogy, History, New Hampshire Men, New Hampshire Women, Personal History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

New Hampshire Matrilineality and Mothers Day

Posted on 9 May, 2020 by Janice Brown

This year for Mother’s Day, I thought I’d try something different when it comes to story telling. I was looking at my personal matrilineality–the tracing of kinship through my female line. In some cultures people are identified through their “matriline” … Continue reading →

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