Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Breaking Down a Brick Wall: Susan Rood's Parents ~ Part 1

My New Year's Resolution for January 2025 was to spend the year working on identifying the parents of my third great grandmother, Susan (Rood) Chapin, using the Research Like a Pro process.

I succeeded! And I will share how I did in in a series of blog posts over the next several weeks.

I first shared information about this "brick wall" in 2011 with this sampler, created by my second great-grandmother, Susan Arville (Chapin) Adsit (1820-1906).

I have written several blog posts about what I previously knew about Susan Rood:

Chapin Family Sampler (November 2011)

Susan Rood's Parents  (July 2012)

Susan Rood Chapin (July 2015) 

And a few posts about her husband, Orramel Chapin:

Orramel Chapin Moving West Part 1 and Part 2 (July 2012)

Orramel Chapin-Boarding House Keeper (January 2019)

A quick summary: I knew that Susan Rood and Orramel Chapin married on September 17, 1816 (date from the sampler). Their marriage intention was recorded on August 20, 1816, in Ludlow, Massachusetts (Ludlow, Massachusetts, Town Records, Vol. 1, p. 427, Chapin-Rood marriage intention, 20 August 1816, at FamilySearch). 

Monday, July 6, 2026

Simeon Chapin in the Revolution

Simeon Chapin (another of my 5th great-grandfathers and a great-great-grandson of Deacon Samuel Chapin) was born on August 20, 1739, in Chicopee, Massachusetts. He married Lucy Doolittle in 1765.

The DAR Genealogical Research Database indicates that Simeon (DAR Ancestor# A020811) served as a captain under Captain (Ephraim) Chapin, whom I wrote about last month.

Service:  Massachusetts  Rank(s):  Lieutenant
Birth:
  8-20-1739 Northfield Hampshire Co Massachusetts
Death:  5-20-1799 Springfield Hampshire Co Massachusetts
Service Source:  MA Sols & Sails, Vol 3, pp 319-320  
Service Description:  1) Second Lieutenant in Capt Chapin's Co; Capt Burt, Col Porter

 

Again, we return to the multi-volume Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War for this additional Revolutionary War Chapin ancestor.