Today’s announcement of the engagement of Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales and Ms. Rachel Meghan Markle reminds me of an interesting genealogical tree that recently entered the Society’s collection. Bought by D. Brenton..

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The Confederate army was in full flight, with repercussions as far north as Cambridge, Massachusetts. Yet even in triumph there were intimations of some fresh disaster; reading the..Continue reading →

At last the war’s end was in sight. In her homely way, Regina Shober Gray [1] manages to weave the domestic (“stooping over the old carpet on the backstairs”) with the martial (“though the..Continue reading →

It must have seemed to Regina Shober Gray [1] that the Civil War would never end, although there were signs, as here, of a looming resolution. In the second paragraph of this entry Mrs. Gray..Continue reading →

We tend to think of a bright line dividing North and South during the Civil War, but in families like the Grays of Boston there were a number of living connections between the two regions...Continue reading →

The Civil War was drawing to a close, but there remained much suffering in store for Regina Shober Gray [1] and her circle:

61 Bowdoin Street, Boston, Sunday, 12 February 1865: Tomorrow..

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Even as she followed the last weeks of the Civil War in the press during the winter of 1865, Mrs. Gray [1] found time to contribute to her daughter’s happiness:

61 Bowdoin Street, Boston,..

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The month of January 1865 brought further deaths to Mrs. Gray’s [1] circle, but also allowed her a welcome respite in visits to local galleries to see the latest paintings.

61 Bowdoin..

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[Editor's note: This blog post originally appeared in Vita Brevis on 8 March 2016.]

When researching a family, one can quickly become focused on names, birthdates, and death dates. It is easy to get caught up on going as far back..

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Early in the new year of 1865, Regina Shober Gray [1] had news to report on her son in Philadelphia and on sad situations closer to home:

61 Bowdoin Street, Boston, Sunday, 8 January 1865:..

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