New Durham, N.H. Vital Records

I could have entitled this posting, Deborah (---) Wallis--Hail Mary #4 and Final.  I wanted to make sure I crossed my t's and dotted my i's on this matter.  Her youngest son, Isaac, died at New Durham and I had his death date from the following source: Record of the Baptisms, Marriages and Funerals from the Note Books of Rev. David Leighton Edgerly 1818-1891 of New Durham, NH copied by Edwin L. Edgerly (typescript at NEHGS, also available in microfilm via the Family History Library).  Although I didn't have luck with the town level vital records of Rochester, Holderness, and Ossipee, they were intriguing enough to have me send for the New Durham version of the same.

Again, the Family History Library has let me down.  According to their catalog there were two distinct versions.  One #987961 was just called Town and Vital Records 1759-1913.  The other, #2367314 was called New Durham New Hampshire mortgages, town records with births, marriages, and deaths, 1846-1947.  Naturally, I ordered both.  However, they are identical.  So, I wasted $5.50.

In this case it should be noted that the records are actually:

VRs, 1850-1867, mostly marriages after 1858

VRs, 1868-1913

VRs, Marriages 1860-1868, births and deaths 1858/9 to 1864/5

Marriage Intentions 1870-1899

Marriage certificates 1870-1876

There were significant gaps in the death records including the quality of the records themselves.  In any case, Isaac Wallace's death was not recorded.  Neither was my ancestress Alice (Runnels) Pinkham in 1855, whose death appears in the same source above.  Her father, Ebenezer Runnels, paradoxically was recorded as dying of old age, age 86 years on 13 September 1851.  But I already knew that.  That record is in the state-wide N.H. vital records as well as a newspaper death notice.

Comments

[Richard M. Hunt]

Next to you, I may be the most disappointed person on the failure of Hail Mary #4. However, your experience and general rule on finding maiden names will help others. Also, some future genealogist will praise you for exhausting all leads so that he/she will be able to justify pursuing the DNA route.

[Martin Hollick]

I truly hope so! It would be so great if someone can make a silk purse out of this sows ear. One more thing to check. Im waiting for the Free Will Baptist Church Records of New Durham, N.H. The Pinkhams were Free-Will Baptists. Ive never looked at these records for Walliss.

[Lazloe Wallace]

Hello Martin,
I know we are somehow related in the Wallis/Wallace lines. I'm in the DNA group # 3 listings. Have you checked Sunderland,Vt. ??? One of my cousins believes his Nathaniel Wallace-1[1]. He married Deborah Watrous. However he has never been able to find anything on that Deborah. Is this perhaps what you are seeking ???

Richard M. Wallace AKA lazloew@gmail.com