In 2022, I revisited Henry’s profile on my family tree. I discovered that he had a twin sister named Henrietta. She was named in his Last Will and Testament.

Henry Adams

Born: 1812 in Hartwick, Otsego County, New York, USA

Father: Abner Adams (1773 to 1857)
Mother: Desire Ashcraft (1770 to 1844)

Spouse: none

Married: no

Children: none

Died: 25 MAR 1890 in Hartwick, Otsego County, New York, USA

Burial: Hartwick Center Union Cemetery

Timeline:

1844 Death of mother, Desire
1850 Hartwick, Otsego County, New York, USA
1855 Hartwick, Otsego County, New York, USA
1857 Death of father, Abner
1860 Hartwick, Otsego County, New York, USA
1862 Death of sister, Betsey
1865 Hartwick, Otsego County, New York, USA
1867 Death of brother, Albigence
1868 Death of sister, Sylvia
1868 Death of sister, Catherine
1870 Hartwick, Otsego County, New York, USA
1875 Hartwick, Otsego County, New York, USA
1880 Hartwick, Otsego County, New York, USA
1880 Death of sister, Lucretia
1890 Death and Burial

Occupation: farmer

Records:

1850 to 1880 United States Federal Census Records
1855,1865, and 1875 New York State Census Records
New York, Death Index, 1852-1956
The U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
New York, Wills and Probate Records, 1659-1999

Variations of Surname: none

Can You Answer This Question?

Why did four of Abner and Desire’s adult children never marry? Please see my post for Henry’s brother, Chester, which goes into more detail on this subject.

New Addition to the Adams Family:

I received a surprise when I revisited Henry’s profile. I found a hint that led me to another family tree. The owner had added the notation of “twin” to Henry’s name. I discovered that Henry was the twin brother of Henrietta.

The Find A Grave memorial for Henrietta includes a newspaper article that listed Henry and Chester as her brothers:

From the Cooperstown NY Otsego Farmer, 7 Jul 1905:

Mrs. Henrietta Barney, aged 93 years, died late on Wednesday afternoon at her home on North street, with her daughter and husband, Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Potter.

Mrs. Barney’s maiden name was Adams. She was a sister of the late Henry and Chester Adams of this place.

She was married to J.H. Barney on Feb. 11, 1841, with whom she lived until his death about five years ago. Since his death, she has lived with and been tenderly cared for by Mrs. Potter above named.

At the age of 24 years, she united with the Christian church at Fairview, Erie county, PA. where she was teaching in the public school. After two years she returned to this place, transferring her membership to the First Christian church of Hartwick, where she has been an esteemed member until her death.

She leaves surviving her three adopted daughters, Mrs. R.W. Potter, Mrs. E.J. Weeks of Syracuse, and Mrs. Nellie Barney of Boston, Mass.

Her funeral will be held on Friday. Interment in the family plot in the Hartwick cemetery.

—Hartwick Reporter.

I found another document on Ancestry.com for Henry. It was his Last Will and Testament. This excerpt included Henrietta and one of her adopted daughters:

It always pays to revisit your ancestors’ profiles. You never know what new information you will uncover!

Notes:

John Adams (1595 to 1633) was the first person with that English surname to immigrate to North America from England. In 1621, John boarded the Fortune. This was the second ship, after the Mayflower, to bring puritans to North America. In late November of that year, the Fortune arrived at Plymouth Colony. John was the progenitor of all the Adams descendants listed in these posts.

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for births, marriages, and deaths.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory that is passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. The records can include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.

If you have a unique surname, like Wakenight, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are many others on the internet for other countries like Ireland, Italy, and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would typically start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on.  There are also family trees that go “forward into time.”  Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty, and move forward into the present time.  The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline with that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!