Short Family History & Genealogy

Looking for Short Family who's ancestors originated from Newbury, MA first settlers of 1635 who came from Totnes, Devonshire England.

Henry Moses Short I joined a group of people from Totnes England in 1634 with his sons Henry Moses Short II and Anthony Short and families on the 'John & Mary to come to America. They landed in Ipswich, MA 1634. They spent the winter there and a large group of them sailed the coastline north to the Parker River lead by Rev. Thomas Parker. They named the area Newbury, after a town he taught in, in England. The town was incorporated in 1635. My town just celebrated its 375th anniversary recently.

My ancestors were farmers and seamen. A grandfather Moses Short b.1740 was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. A great grandson of his, Moses Edward Short was killed at the Battle of Fair Oaks (Seven Pines) in Virgina and was buried there. His nephew (my GG grandfather Samuel Sewall Short Jr Served on the USS Sebago out of Portsmouth NH during the Civil War. I have at least two Atwood relatives who served and died from their wounds or disease just after they returned home from the War.

I was able to learn that Moses Edward Short's brother (my GGG-grandfather, Samuel Sewall Short Sr and his wife Mary Jane Dana Harris, named a son after Moses shortly after he was killed in 1862. I also was able to connect the Byfield, MA Shorts that I grew up with to this Moses Short. Private Moses Edward Short was married to Eliza Dodge, and they had one son before his death in the civil war. Lewis Henry Short. Lewis married Hattie Aubin and they had one son. Henry Moses Short of Byfield, who was close to my grandfather George. They raised pigs, cut hay and grew vegetables together in the 30's and 40's. Henry married Alberta who died young in childbirth after having several children. Son John married Kathryn Ward and that connects me to the cousins I went to school with, John Jr, Brian, Tammy, Carma and Jewel. Another son Robert, connects me with the Rowley Shorts, Jay and his daughters that went to school with my daughter.

Most of my ancestors were fishermen and clammers at the mouth of the Merrimac River, Newbury, Newbuyrport, MA . My great grandfather Charles Lewis Short was a member of the Plum Island Life Saving Service, Newburyport with his uncles Jacob and George G "Jonah" Short, which later became the first US Coast Guard Station in the country.

Great-great Uncle George Granville Short called "Jonah" saved the life of 4 men in an over turned boat during a storm at the mouth of the river in on June 26, 1892. He was awarded two Humane Society Medals, one from the city of Newburyport,MA and one from the state of Massachusetts. He owned to sailing vessels "The Joppy-ite" named from the area in Newburyport where he and generations of his family lived, nick-named "Joppa Flats" . The other sailing vessel was named the "Billy Bowen" that he named after the boat designer and builder. The model is in the Newburyport Custom House Museum, in Nbpt. My grandfather and father were named after him.

My paternal Great grandparents were Charles Lewis Short and Bessie Perkins Hilliard that lived on Water st, Nbpt across from the infamous seawall. Charles parent's names were Samuel Sewall Short Jr and Lydia Mary Tenney Atwood. This marriage connects me to a lot of cousins that I am in contact with regularly today.

Lydia had a brother named Lewis Johnson Atwood I who's grandson Lewis J Atwood III grew up with my father. I am close to his 3 daughters Karen, Carol and Louann. I began my family search in order to figure out exactly how were were related. We have GGG-grandparents in common. Lydia and Lewis' parents. Jabez Atwood and Margaret Ann Foster who came here from Winchester, NY. Oral history tells us they were never married and had a common law marriage. Margaret was previously married to a Mr Toliff and had two children with him, that she left behind. I located divorce records for them. There were Atwoods living in Newbury/Newburyport, and I am trying to learn if they were related and that is why they came to Newburyport, MA I think that Jabez was Jabez Atwood III, I think I located his grandfather Jabez I who served ion the Revolutionary War in NYC area. Records for the 1700's are sparse so I am having trouble connecting the dots at this point.

I am descended from the Noyes Family of Newbury, again another first settler, Nicholas Noyes. My paternal grandmother, Carolyn heard Peatfield-Short's great grandfather was Benjamin Noyes Ellsworth. His mother was Sarah Noyes, daughter of Simeon Noyes who was son of Nicholas, if I have my facts straight. The second way I am connected to they Noyes family is via another Moses Short, son of Moses Short the Rev. War Solider. He married Elizabeth Noyes. His house is on Atwood St in Newburyport, we believe. It is rumored that he was a pharmacist. The 3rd way I am related to the Noyes Family is via Samuel Sewall Short's daughter (my great grandfather Charles' sister Emily Florence "Flossie" Short who married Harry Verne Noyes I. Samuel Sewall Short Jr is buried with her and her family.

According to Newburyport Census records, Samuel Sewall Short Jr and Lydia divorced somewhere between 1880 and 1900. (1890 records were burned in a Newburyport fire.) She remarried in her 50's to an elderly gentleman named Warren Peavar. It is recorded that my great grandparents lived in a house (presumably the one they bought and lived in for decades) with the mother or Warren Peavar. I have not been able to locate her headstone. Divorce was pretty uncommon in those days,so I would be interested to learn more.

My great grandparents Charles and Bessie had 3 children. Henry Sewall Short that was stillborn, Bessie Hilliard Short who is a graduate of Simmons College (never married) , and my grandfather George Granville Short Sr. He was in the Navy during WWII, stationed in San Diego. My father was in the Navy at the end of the Korean Conflict and was stationed in Japan. One interesting note to that - while there, cousin Rear Admiral Lewis J Atwood II's ship was in the Korean Sea. My father got permission from the Navy to travel to the ship and visit his cousin.

Andrew Short married Leanthe Thomas in Ross, Co Ohio in 1827 He is recorded as being born in Virginia in 1789. The raise 10 children in Jefferson Twsp in Ohio untill 1849, when they moved the whole family to Iwoa including the Thomas clan too. My GreatX4 grandfather Younger Thomas settled where he remarried in Keokuk Co Iowa (Iowa City) now. My GreatX2 grandfather Thomas Wesley Short followed his father Andrew a couple years later to Clarke Co. Iowa (Osceola)with his new bride Susan Brittain. After helping his dad to set up his farm Thomas Wesley and wife moved to Warren Co. Iowa (Indianola) where they set up their homestead and raised ten kids also. Their fourth son Harmon Brittain Short my great grandfather married an Elsie French and moved to Polk Co. Iowa (Des Moines) where they raised six kids. Their youngest son was Willard Lawrence Short b.1900. He changed his name to Lawrence W. Short and married Nora Lorraine Hirsch. They had four kids in Des Moines. My father Donald Lee Short was their first son born in 1931. Don arried Ruby C. Tilton of Des Moines in 1950. I am the oldest of their five kids. My little brother Jerry is the youngest of the five. He had five kids with the last wo being boys. I had 3 kids with the last two being boys. As far as I know those four boys are the only ones to carry on the SHORT name from Harmon Short's line. If there are any other Short s out there from Thomas Wesley, George W., Benjamin, Greenberry, Andrew P., Joseph, John and Hugh Short please write me at [contact link]

Lonnie Burton Short Sr. (Oklahoma J.) was born on Feb 27 1942 in Kanawha County,West Virginia. He died on Oct 8 2000 in Kanawha County West Virginia. He was buried on Oct 13 2000 in Simmons Creek Cemetery,Kanawha Co West Virginia.

Register for Oklahoma J. Short

I aquired this 124 year old photo album of Short Family with many names written in that matched my family tree! I worked on compileing all the names and spent weeks on enhancing the photos and tin types. Afterwards I listed them on Ancient Faces and my Family Home page. After a year I have come to the conclussion that thes were not my branch and more than likely not even the right tree! I put notes on all the Genealogy E boards with no bite, but I notice a message that mentioned a marriage between two of the names in the album. I butted into the message and asked to discuss the album! Sure enough she rattled off some of the names andI seemed to have a new owner! When I went to wright her personal E dress it seemed familiar! Sure enough it was one of my newest members on the Short Home Page. Come to find out she was also a member of Ancient faces, but just never checked on the mystery Photos! Moral of this story... check everything while your here!