I have been searching for my husband’s 3rd great-grandfather for decades. If you’re just joining the search, here’s a visual snapshot of the Finding Fessenden trail so far.

Now, we have some new information. The land patent application file from NARA arrived! It wasn’t quite the treasure chest I was hoping for, but it did deliver some useful information.

Here’s what it confirmed:

• Fessenden’s death date
• His marriage to Lydia Cole
• That Horace and Mary Jane are his children

One interesting twist: every record spells his name Fessenton, which makes me increasingly suspicious that we may be the ones who got the spelling wrong. Which is correct?

New details I didn’t have before:

• Birthdates for both children
  • Horace’s matches what we already knew
  • Mary Jane’s is entirely new information (yay!)

The file also states that Fones Cole is the children’s guardian. Lydia had a brother named Fones, so I suspect he is the guardian. I don’t know why exactly, but I would guess the guardianship was arranged so the children could legally claim bounty land based on their father’s service. In fact, Lydia formally waived her own rights so Horace and Mary Jane would be eligible.

So while the file didn’t hand me the answer, it did give me several solid jewels — and a few promising new threads to pull.

The search continues. Stay tuned. I have some ideas about where to look next. 👀

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🕵️‍♀️ Part of the Finding Fessenden series
Part 1: A Name in the News
Part 2: A Card without a Story
Part 3: Coins, Clicks, and Clues

Stay tuned as the story unfolds.