In Memory of Ernest Albert "Bud" Nicholson

I met Uncle Bud just a few times prior to his marriage to my Aunt Lillian Smith. Bud enlisted in the U.S. Navy probably in late 1943 or early 1944. After officer and flight training schools, he was assigned to PBY Patrol Bombing Squadron 71 (VPB-71) that was being redesignated in October, 1944 at San Diego, CA. About that time Bud and Aunt Lillian married, and if memory serves me correctly, she relocated to California for a short time before he was sent to the South Pacific.

Bud became a member of Patrol Bombing Squadron 71 flying PBY-5A Catalina amphibious airplanes that fulfilled multiple roles in WWII. The squadron’s planes were painted black, and were known as the “Black Cat” PBYs because their primary mission was night attacks on Japanese ships between the Philippines and Formosa.



It was not long thereafter when I learned that Uncle Bud was missing in action. The plane and crew were never found. He was officially declared dead 04 Feb 1946. I have recently discovered information about his military service that adds meaning and some closure to his short career and life.

Below is an excerpt from the squadron log of the events leading up to Bud’s disappearance -

SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS
February 1 through February 7, 1945.
Patrol Bombing Squadron SEVENTY-ONE continued long range night searches from Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, P.I. during this period. The squadron was based on the U.S.S. TANGIER and the U.S.S. BARATARIA.
Eighteen search missions were flown and while only two attacks were made on enemy shipping each of these resulted in a definite kill.
Lieutenant (jg) Albert J. LEHMICKE, Jr. with Crew 14 flying PBY-5A Bureau Number 46529 failed to return from patrol the night of 2-3 February. His assigned sector was 350-360 degrees true from Lingayen and out 600 miles which includes Formosa. The last contact with the plane was a routine radio check shortly after take-off.
Members of the plane crew were as follows:
Lieutenant (jg) Albert John LEHMICKE, Jr., USNR (l76440).
Ensign Ernest Albert NICHOLSON, USNR, (346745).
Ensign William Edward SARATH, USNR, (337810).
HARMAN, Melvin Earl, (SSN deleted by webmaster), AAM2c (CA), USN.
SELL, Wilmar Phillip, (SSN deleted by webmaster), AAM3c (CA) SV, USN.
MARTIN, Carl Coleman, (SSN deleted by webmaster), ARM1c (T)(CA), USN.
MADISON, William Thomas, (SSN deleted by webmaster), ARM3c (CA) SV V6, USNR.
TYBOR, Philip Clement, (SSN deleted by webmaster), AOM2c (T)(CA), USN-I.
WHITE, Charles Hamilton, (SSN deleted by webmaster), ACOM(AA)(T)(CA)(AB), USN.
Special searches for the missing plane were sent out on February 3, 4 and 5 with negative results. Unfavorable weather with high winds and low visibility hindered the special search planes.
Source: The War History of Patrol Bombing Squadron VP-71, page 47 (www.daveswarbirds.com)

I have also located the tablet inscription commemorating his service and death located at Fort William McKinley, Manila, The Philippines.



AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION

Ernest A. Nicholson
Ensign, U.S. Navy
Service # 0-346745
United States Naval Reserve
Entered the Service from: Pennsylvania
Died: 4-Feb-46
Missing in Action or Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery
Manila, Philippines
Awards: Purple Heart

Find A Grave Memorial# 56768441

Other Resources:

Service Personnel Not Recovered Following WWII
Person's Full Name Service No. Service Name Service Rank Date of Loss
NICHOLSON, ERNEST A. 346745 USNR ENS 03 Feb 1945
Source: Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office

Index to Griffith's Valuation of Ireland, 1848-1864

This is a listing of the McAdoo names contained in the index between 1848 and 1864. Griffith's Valuation of Ireland was the first full-scale valuation of property in Ireland. It was published between 1847 and 1864 by Richard Griffith, and it is one of the most important surviving 19th century genealogical resources.

Mc Adoo, Alexander County : Donegal
Parish : Tullyfern
Location : Claggan
Mc Adoo, Alexander County : Donegal
Parish : Tullyfern
Location : Garrygort
Mc Adoo, Charles County : Donegal
Parish : Aughnish
Location : Rathmelton
Mc Adoo, Charles County : Donegal
Parish : Aughnish
Location : Town of Rathmelton - The Mall
Mc Adoo, Charles County : Donegal
Parish : Tullyfern
Location : Ballyboe
Mc Adoo, David County : Donegal
Parish : Tullyfern
Location : Drumatrumman
Mc Adoo, George County : Monaghan
Parish : Killeevan
Location : Glasdrummond
Mc Adoo, James County : Donegal
Parish : Aughnish
Location : Town of Rathmelton - The Mall
Mc Adoo, James County : Donegal
Parish : Taughboyne
Location : Dernacally
Mc Adoo, James County : Londonderry/Derry
Parish : Lissan
Location : Killybasky
Mc Adoo, James County : Monaghan
Parish : Clones
Location : Carn
Mc Adoo, John County : Londonderry/Derry
Parish : Lissan
Location : Knockadoo
Mc Adoo, John County : Londonderry/Derry
Parish : Templemore
Location : T/Derry/Shipquay St.
Mc Adoo, John County : Monaghan
Parish : Ematris
Location : Lisnaveane
Mc Adoo, John County : Monaghan
Parish : Killeevan
Location : Cashlan
Mc Adoo, John County : Monaghan
Parish : Killeevan
Location : Glasdrummond
Mc Adoo, John, Jr. County : Monaghan
Parish : Killeevan
Location : Glasdrummond
Mc Adoo, John, Sr. County : Monaghan
Parish : Killeevan
Location : Glasdrummond
Mc Adoo, Kennedy County : Londonderry/Derry
Parish : Lissan
Location : Caneese
Mc Adoo, Matthew County : Monaghan
Parish : Ematris
Location : Lisnaveane
Mc Adoo, Matthew, Jr. County : Monaghan
Parish : Ematris
Location : Lisnaveane
Mc Adoo, Mungo County : Donegal
Parish : Taughboyne
Location : Dernacally
Mc Adoo, Robert County : Donegal
Parish : Tullyfern
Location : Claggan
Mc Adoo, Robert County : Londonderry/Derry
Parish : Lissan
Location : Caneese
Comment : John
Mc Adoo, Robert County : Londonderry/Derry
Parish : Lissan
Location : Knockadoo
Mc Adoo, Samuel County : Antrim
Parish : Ballylinny
Location : Ballylinny B
Mc Adoo, Samuel County : Donegal
Parish : Clondavaddog
Location : Rosskirk and Killhill
Mc Adoo, Thomas County : Donegal
Parish : Tullyfern
Location : Claggan
Mc Adoo, Thomas County : Monaghan
Parish : Killeevan
Location : Mullaghboy
Mc Adoo, William County : Donegal
Parish : Clondavaddog
Location : Rosskirk and Killhill
Mc Adoo, William County : Donegal
Parish : Tullyfern
Location : Garrygort
Mc Adoo, William County : Donegal
Parish : Tullyfern
Location : Gortcally
Mc Adoo, William County : Donegal
Parish : Tullyfern
Location : Kilwrry
Mc Adoo, William County : Londonderry/Derry
Parish : Lissan
Location : Knockadoo

A Fate Not Worth Dying For—the Story of Franklin Cemetery

My current genealogy research is focused on locating the cemeteries where my ancestors are buried. The task was not too difficult on my mother’s (Smith) side of the family. I was fortunate to discover an extensive genealogy database of a small area of Yorkshire, England, where many Smith relatives had lived, The Kildwick Parish Church cemetery and several other nearby church cemeteries might very well be filled to overflowing with Smith ancestors and their families, or so it seems since I have traced my roots back to the thirteenth century in Yorkshire.

Finding the burial locations of some of my McAdoo ancestors has proven to be a challenge. My branch of the McAdoo clan immigrated to Philadelphia from Donegal, Ireland between 1845 and 1852. There were three families, and according to the 1860 U.S. Census, they lived on the same street in the Fishtown section of Kensington. There were several cemeteries and a Presbyterian church in the immediate area where I could begin searching for information.

One of burial grounds was Franklin Cemetery, where I discovered six McAdoo relatives had been buried, including my great-great-great-grandparents, Alexander and Martha, and one of their sons, Alexander, a civil war veteran. The cemetery opened about 1800, had become dilapidated, and no longer existed. The cemetery records had been lost or more likely destroyed. A playground had been built on the site in the 1950s.

The story that I uncovered could become the plot for a horror movie. In 1947, a real estate developer and cemetery owner struck a deal with the city that granted him the titles to two decrepit cemeteries, one being Franklin Cemetery. He planned to build apartments on the land and agreed to move the bodies to individual graves with individual markers in a new Bucks County cemetery.

According the writer and historian, Thomas H. Keels, in his book, Philadelphia Graveyards and Cemeteries, he writes that the deal became the source of a major political scandal prompting the city to take back the land, condemn it, and turn both sites into playgrounds. "In all the political fuss, the location of the bodies was forgotten," he said.

So what happened to the 8,000 bodies removed from the 2400 graves at Franklin Cemetery? The ugly reality is that no one really knows and no known records survive. It is thought that the 8,000 bodies were reinterred in mass graves at one or more Bucks County cemeteries. It is suspected the gravestones became landfill or dumped in the Delaware River.

Allowing cemeteries to fall into such decay and disregard that the owners and the community become indifferent to their continued existence is criminal. Unfortunately, we often tend not to have a visceral reaction to such happenings until we learn that it has happened in our own family. I experienced such a reaction when I learned what had occurred to some of my relatives, particularly my 3X great-grandparents’ son Alexander.

Alexander McAdoo fought in the Civil War from 1862 to 1865 as a private in the 68th Pennsylvania Regiment, Infantry Company F. The regiment fought in numerous battles including Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and the siege of Petersburg. The regiment lost 10 officers, 61 enlisted men were killed, and 51 died as a result of disease during the war. He returned to Philadelphia, married, was the father of seven children, and died when he was 48 years old.

When I think about young Alexander, an immigrant from Donegal, Ireland, enlisting in the U.S. Army at age 25, and fighting in some of the major battles of the war, I am reminded of the lines from the poem, When the Regiment Came Back, by Ella Wheeler Wilcox—

“Oh, the splendor and the glitter of the sight.
As with swords and rifles new and in uniforms of blue,
The regiment went marching to the fight.

“Oh, the sorrow and the pity of the sight.
Oh, the weary lagging feet, out of step with drums that beat,
As the regiment comes marching from the fight.”

Family history is important to me. Perhaps that is one of the reasons I have become involved in the work of the Old First Historic Trust in Elizabeth, NJ. The Trust was established in 2005 to restore and develop the campus of the historic First Presbyterian Church (1664), its burial ground, and Parish House into a significant site of historic interest and relevant community and cultural activity. The colonial burial ground is one of New Jersey’s historic treasures. It contains the largest collection of surviving legible colonial grave markers in the state, dating from the late 1600s through to the early 20th century, and commemorates the lives of many colonial Elizabeth, and America’s leaders. I can’t change the past, but perhaps I can work toward assuring that what happened to Franklin Cemetery does not happen to the burial ground at the First Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth, NJ.

1901 and 1911 Irish Censuses Available Online

These two censuses are available online at The National Archives of Ireland website at http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/.

While I have been unable to connect any of my U.S. McAdoo ancestors to McAdoos in Ireland so far in my genealogy research, I did learn some interesting general information about the McAdoos.

In 1901, there were 128 individuals with the McAdoo surname living in Ireland. Most lived in Co. Monaghan (53), followed by Donegal (15), then Londonderry (15). The remaining number resided in six other counties. The predominate religion was Presbyterian (72), followed by Church of Ireland and Irish Church (46).

There were 108 individuals with the McAdoo surname listed in the 1911 Census. The largest number still lived in Monaghan (35), followed by Donegal (20), then Londonderry (17). The largest religious group continued to be the Presbyterians (58), followed by the Church of Ireland and Irish Church (39).

The website also contains a listing of Irish genealogy websites, and other valuable resource information. Check it out when you get a chance.

Smith Family Ancestry Project

I have just completed a month-long project researching my Smith family ancestors using a comprehensive database known as The Wharfedale & Craven Genealogical Study. It is an ongoing project to construct the family lines and histories of individuals and families who may have lived the Wharfedale and Craven areas of Yorkshire.

While I am still researching information on my grandfather, Herbert Smith (1881-1953), my great-grandfather, Lot Smith (1845-1921), and my 2G-grandfather, Abraham Smith (1813-1898), starting with my 3G-grandfather, John Smith (1787-1841), I have gathered comprehensive data on 500-600 direct ancestors and their children. The list goes all the way back to my 19G-grandfather, Richard Watson, born in 1223 at Bolton-Upon-Dearne, Yorkshire, England.

The timeline of British royalty during that period starts with King Henry III (1216-1272), one of the Plantagenet kings, and extends through the following families—

The House of Lancaster (1399–1461)
The House of York (1461–1485)
The Tudors 1485–1603)
The Stuarts (1603–1649) and (1660–1714)
The House of Hanovarians (1714–1901)
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1901–1910)
The Windsors (1910–today)

For details on specific individuals, please go to our family web site at http://jhmc1.tribalpages.com. The password is [vpm].

The McAdoo Clan Family Tree Reaches a New Milestone

The McAdoo Clan family tree now has more than 1000 names and is still growing! In the last several weeks, I have added more than 100 names, all in the Smith branch of my family. This “breakthrough” is the result of discovering a genealogy resource, The Wharfedale & Craven Genealogical Study. It is an ongoing project to construct the family lines and histories of individuals and families who may have lived the Wharfedale and Craven areas of Yorkshire.

Starting with the names provided to me by Josie Walsh, of Craven Indexes, The Wharfedale & Craven Genealogical Study database has generated a huge amount of family information. The data include dates of births, deaths, christenings, burials, marriages, occupations, and family groups (parents and children).

I am well into locating relatives who lived in the 16th century including William and Ellen Cockshott, my 12G grandparents. Yes, that’s 12 grands!
William was born in 1496 and died in 1591 at the age of 95. Ellen was born in 1501 and died in 1591 at the age of 90. They lived in Silsden, Kildwick, Yorkshire. The data sources are mostly from Kildwick Parish Registers.

Smith Family Ancestors—A Major Discovery!

For some time now I have faced the proverbial “brick wall” on advancing my research on my Smith ancestors. Several weeks ago I received a note from a genealogy researcher, Josie Walsh in Kildwick, Yorkshire, and our ancestral home. She had come across Smith family data on my Ancestry.com web site, and offered to check for additional information.

The information she has sent me including gravestone photos taken at Kildwick Church is simply amazing! I now have data going back to two sets of my 5X great-grandparents, Christopher Smith and Hannah Benson, as well as Thomas Cockshott and Hannah Struth. A brief summary of my Smith line starting with great-grandfather, Lot Smith is shown below. All of the new information has been recorded on The McAdoo Clan web site, http://jhmc1.tribalpages.com. Contact me if you don’t remember the password.

Lot Smith (1845-1921) great-grandparents
Elizabeth Grange (1852-1937)

Abraham Smith (1813-1898) 2X great-grandparents
Mary Ann Jackson (1810-1863

John Smith (1787-1841) 3X great-grandparents
Alice Padget (1782-1863)

Andrew Smith (1761-1838) 4X great-grandparents
Elizabeth Peel (1753-1839)

Christopher Smith (1717-1800) 5X great-grandparents
Hannah Benson (1730-1779)

Again, thanks to Josie Walsh, Craven Indexes for contributing so much information to our family tree. Her web site is http://www.cravenindexes.co.uk