{"id":7317,"date":"2014-06-05T15:40:09","date_gmt":"2014-06-05T15:40:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=7317"},"modified":"2016-06-16T14:25:18","modified_gmt":"2016-06-16T18:25:18","slug":"our-ancestors-stories-live-in-old-newspaper-ads-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/our-ancestors-stories-live-in-old-newspaper-ads-too.html","title":{"rendered":"Our Ancestors\u2019 Stories Live in Old Newspaper Ads Too"},"content":{"rendered":"

I like to look at every mention of each ancestor that I am researching\u2014and that includes newspaper classified ads<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While looking through the Newark Daily Advertiser<\/em> for 1835 I was surprised to see this unusual paid advertisement.<\/p>\n

\"ad<\/a>
Newark Daily Advertiser (Newark, New Jersey), 3 July 1835, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is with this odd newspaper advertisement?<\/p>\n

This is to certify, that the bearer, Julia Moore\u2026[is] perfectly honest, never having had the slightest cause for suspicion.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Something must have been wrong if E. Allen felt compelled to take out an ad attesting to Julia Moore\u2019s honesty.<\/p>\n

Wait\u2014here\u2019s another one.<\/p>\n

\"ad<\/a>
Newark Daily Advertiser (Newark, New Jersey), 3 July 1835, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This old newspaper ad tells us that Julia lived with the Seguine household \u201cfor two months during the fall of 1834.\u201d The subscriber went on to state:<\/p>\n

I found her perfectly honest, and industrious: she had every opportunity of being dishonest, if she had been so inclined, but I never have had the least cause for suspicion.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

OK. There must be more to this story if both subscribers took out ads testifying to the honesty of Julia Moore.<\/p>\n

[search_box]<\/p>\n

Digging deeper into the newspaper archives I found the answer\u2014in the classified ads.<\/p>\n

\"ad<\/a>
Newark Daily Advertiser (Newark, New Jersey), 27 June 1835, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Julia Moore, a young Irish girl of about 13 years old, was accused of stealing an elaborate woman\u2019s hat from her employer when she left for a different job. The former employer bluntly attacks the honesty of the young girl, and also tries to push that suspicion onto her friends that \u201crefuse to tell where she is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now the situation is clearer. Not only was Julia\u2019s reputation insulted in the June 27th ad, but so was the good name of \u201cher friends\u201d\u2014the Allen and Seguine households\u2014causing them both to take out ads six days later attesting to her honesty.<\/p>\n

This discord gives us a lot of genealogical information:<\/p>\n