THE VICARY MANSION, Freedom, Pennsylvania

Two brothers living in a big family in Wolborough, Devon in the 1750's. One, Moses goes on to found the Vicary mill and tannery in Newton Bushell, Devon.  The other, John, goes to sea and eventually becomes captain of his own ship.  During the War of American Independence he sailed two different privateers probably breaking the blockade the British Navy placed on the East Coast ports.  His last voyage was to the West Indies in 1783 in the ship 'Diligent' during which he dies in a place called Paimbouef, in Western France most likely.  John's son William also became a merchant sea captain and made several trips to China and the East Indies. After his sea days he settles down on land in Columbia PA and then along the Ohio river near Ambridge and Freedom.  It is in Freedom, Pennsylvania that he builds his mansion in 1826. 
It  is now a living museum for the Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation .

The Captain William Vicary Mansion, Freedom, Pennsylvania

It's been a long time since my last blog.  My only excuse is that I have been really busy sorting and entering loads and loads of Vickery data from both UK and Australia.  This is an ongoing exercise, having completed the 1851 UK census I am now half way through the 1861 UK census.

Last weekend I attended the Guild of One-Name Studies annual conference and seeing what other One-Namers achieve with their blogs and web sites,  I have been spurred on to do better myself.

TYNTESFIELD
Some of you may have visited this magnificent house near Bristol, now a National Trust property but once the grand home of the Gibbs family who made their fortune importing guano from South America in the middle of the 19th century.

In 1747 George Abraham Gibbs, an Exeter surgeon, married Anne VICARY (1722 - 1803) and it was their grandson William who bought Tyntesfield and greatly enlarged it.  I have not yet managed to trace Anne's own family tree but I hope to one day.