ASK, RANT OR PRAISE, BUT NEVER IGNORE

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NOT THE RIGHT LEAR LINE
Oops!!  After having researched Benjamin Lincoln Lear, it is apparent that my ancestor Benjamin Lear/Lair could not possibly be the son of Tobias Lear, based on B. L. Lear's date of death.  Apparently Aunt Thelma had the "story" wrong. Oh well, at least I had my hopes up for a couple of hours tonight.  It was fun while it lasted. Best wishes to you for a Happy New Year.
 Chip Clarke

MORE CORGI CORRESPONDENCE

(1) LOVED THE ARTICLE!!! Picked it up Friday in the Gazette, saw it on you web site today. BTW, corgi clothes don't work out too good. Their legs slip out. Linda, who in more over the edge than I, got Byron (the corgi) a personalized sweatshirt last Christmas. He keeps slipping out of it. Have we gone over the edge??? A number of folks I work with think so
--  We have a license plate on that car that is "CRGIWGN"
--  We have one of those Euro Stickers with a Corgi on it with Byron's Name on it.
-- Magnetic Paw prints going up the side of the car.
-- The bumper sticker "My Corgi is smarter than your Honor Student" on my truck.
Pat McLin

(2) Well, I must say you've held out for a much longer-than-average time than most people.. Reverend Beebe (whom I've met and find wonderful) is teaching you to be better at everything you do simply by his being in your life.  It's o.k. to admit that! And it's o.k. to pamper the little guy... he deserves it. Welcome to the world of folks who know that a deep connection with animals makes us better people. p.s. We have 4 greyhounds, so I know what I'm talking about....
Karen Johnson

(3) [My sister-in-law owns/houses/adores/loves two Corgi's!! Attached is her reaction to your essay. -- Bob Field] What a fabulous article and a welcome break from my day! Please tell your friend that there were over 75 Pembroke Welsh Corgi's in the Middleburg Christmas Parade, and the all behaved before marching exactly as he described at the "Corgi Meet Up!"
Holly H in Purcellville, VA

(4) Having read your Corgi piece, I have news for you. From what you describe of Beebe's behavior your wife is the alpha dog, not you. Beebe thinks you're a cat.
Rod Philbrick

(5) Having met the Rev. Beebe on the beach with Mr, Buster (our dog-Norwich terrier) I loved your musings.
Patricia Lynch

COMMEDIA DEL CORGI
Ok, you got me!  I laughed out loud several times at  your pages written about Beebe.  Our youngest daughter's family has two of these creatures and they do all the things your dog does.  So please remember, as all new parents need to be cautioned, don't pull out the pictures of the latest addition unless someone asks for them.  In the meantime, I'm always appreciative of news from Portsmouth and especially the Shoals, my spirit's home.
Joan Johnson
 

THE EDITOR IS NO FOOL
Dennis, Don't stop your extemporaneous postulations.  (Click and scroll to bottom of page for rant). It is the most viable discussion I've read and could only be derailed by the party machines, which is why Bush won. I was at Portsmouth Rotary for both Bush and McCain in '99 and I saw a party animal vs an honest candidate. The honest man didn't win.
Keep up the good work.
John R. Wheeler, Zephyrhills, FL 

THE EDITOR IS A FOOL
Your aside comment about Dick Cheney and Halliburton detract from what proved to be an interesting article. There is a Middle Eastern proverb  about three men that applies here. It goes something like this:  There are three men. One who knows and knows that he knows. Learn from him. The second doesn't know and knows that he doesn't know. Teach him. The third doesn't know and doesn't know that he doesn't know. Leave him, for he is a fool. You fit the description of the third man as far as Cheney/Halliburton is concerned.  Aside from partisan politics, if you are really interested, I can tell you why both you and John Kerry are ignorant as far as that subject is concerned. I'm an avid reader of articles on  your very interesting website.
Jmiller

EDITOR’S REPLY:  Bring it on. We’re more than interested in an details that will show the current VP in any positive light whatsoever. For the record, the comment referenced was simply a comparison. I noted that the Cheney/Halliburton story is similar to the early practice of privateering. From one view, it looks like a legitimate contract between government and private industry to perform a task, From another view, however, it looks like sheer piracy. The definition depends on whomever is in power or whomever writes the history books. And that view is likely to shift over time. My wish was that Clifford Beal, who works as a UK consultant to the defense industry, would explain the Iraq situation with the same clarity in which he explained the life of 18th century pirate John Quelch. Time will tell how the VP and his corporate pals will fare. But for the moment, it looks like corruption of the highest order to us.   

SEEKING POLLY GARDNER TUCKER
Hello.  I came across you name while looking into Portsmouth history.
Maybe you can help direct me to some history of the Gardiner family. 
My research shows that Polly Gardiner married John Tucker in 1978. 
They are grandparents of Francis Tucker Odams.  Francis is my husbands
Great Grandmother.  We are just starting to learn about genealogy.  Do
you know of any interesting stories of Francis Tucker Odams?
I hope that you can help me out.?
Claudia

THE EDITOR REPLIES: If Gardner and Gardiner are the same family, then Sandra Rux at the Wentworth-Gardner House may know something

CLAUDIA REPLIES:
I got most of my info from a hand written note? Seems that the spelling may be different but the same family. Polly was Major Gardner's niece. She lived in the Wentworth Gardner house when she married John Tucker about 1798.? Polly Gardner would be my husbands great, great, great, great grandmother?

MEMO FROM SANDRA RUX (Manager, Wentworth Gardner House):
I have found some information about Polly Gardner Tucker. She was the daughter of David Gardner (eldest brother of William Gardner of the
Wentworth-Gardner house) and his wife Mary Cate. David was born 22 Feb 1746 and married 28 Sept 1769. His parents were John and Elizabeth Perry Gardner. John baptized in North Church in Portsmouth NH 20 Nov 1715 and married 30 June to Elizabeth Perry. He was a tailor as was his father before him. He was eldest son of his father David and Margaret Cate Gardner.  Died 1797 aged 82. David and Margaret married 11 June 1713; he died before August 7 1723-mentioned widow Margaret, 4 children and brother James in will. Margaret remarried about 1732 to John Wyatt.

Back to Polly Gardner- she married John Tucker. William Gardner died in 1834 leaving life use of most of his estate to wife Sarah Purcell. Some parts were specified to go to various siblings, nieces and nephews. However, Polly Tucker, daughter of his brother David and Sukey Wendell, daughter of his brother Samuel were not specifically mentioned. Sarah Purcell Gardner died in 1841 and left the remainder of the estate as she pleased, leaving out Polly Tucker and Sukey Wendell. The women and their husbands-John Tucker, Joiner and Abraham Wendell, merchant-petitioned the probate court for redress. This is in a newspaper notice attached to a copy of
Wm Gardner's will in our files. I will need to actually look at Sarah Gardner's will and the probate records to see what happened. I do know there was also a suit by John Gardner, Sukey's brother over ownership of Wentworth-Gardner House against Susan Purcell, Sarah's heir, who was living in the Wentworth-Gardner House.

NEVER SAY NEVER
Did Portsmouth ever build the velodrome?
Chris at Argo Marketing Group

EDITOR’S REPLY: That veldrome at Pease Int Tradeport was never a plan, but a fantasy of The Great Balkini, our bike guru. As with the best of ideas, it is still on the shelf, but we can always hope.  

GOSPORT STILL IN PRINT 
I found the book, Gosport Remembered on your web site. Is this book still available for purchase? My niece who lives in Massachusetts is interested in books with photos from the 1800's. Do you have any other books that she might find interesting if this book is not available. Her mother's family comes from northern Maine and she was born in Connecticutt. 
Barbara Donery

EDITOR’S REPLY: Yes, I’m pleased to say (since my wife co-edited the book with Peter Randall) the book has recently been re-issued in paperback and is available in Portsmouth area stores and at the Portsmouth Athenaeum. You can order it shipped immediately from Amazon.com or purchase it from the publisher at this link.  For books about the 19th century with lots of pictures, Arcadia Publishing has hundreds in their catalog. (Click here for Arcadia) 

OLD IRONSIDES NEGATIVES
I kind of stumbled across your site from the U.S.S. Constitution homepage. I have three glass negatives (very clear) of U.S.S. Constitution that were taken in the early part of the twentieth century probably about 1910. I assume they have value as many individuals have tried to purchase them from me. I acquired them among a large number of negatives that I purchased at auction. Two of the photos are from on board and one is from the water and shows the whole ship. I don't know that I am looking to ask you anything but I just saw the note on your website to contact you if one knew of any other pictures.
Frank at AOL

EDITORS REPLY: Old Ironsides, simply because it has survived, remains attractive to collectors and historians and might be of value, whereas most glass plate negatives seem to have little value to collectors today. Yours could be images that are already well known and for which there may have been many copies, or they could be views rarely seen. As you know there are hundreds of images of the ship, but any "new" view might feel in some details for historians. The best thing you can do is get a really high quality print of the images before they deteriorate further (there are a few archival photographers like Thom Hindle in Dover, NH). The image is what is interesting. Secondly, you want to make sure they are stored in a safe archival way (right envelope, right temperature and humidity) since that will retard deterioration. My guess is that, if the image has a label, it is a mass-produced copy negative, but the only way to know is to make a copy, watermark it clearly, and send it around to people who know the images well.

FACE TO THE NAME 
It was nice to meet you Dennis on Saturday night. Thank you again for tackling the history of "Strawbery Banke". I can't wait to dig into your book. I've read your newspaper contributions with interest over the years and it is nice to put a face to a name. I use this web-site frequently by the way and of course never took the time to read "who we are" - until now.
Rich Gilston