My blog, The Firelands History Blog, at http://firelands.wordpress.com, tells the history of the founding of the town of Norwalk, Ohio in 1817 during the settlement of the Firelands or “Sufferers’ Land,” a part of the Western Reserve that was given to “Sufferers” burned out of their homes by the British during the Revolution. One of the early settlers of the Firelands was Lucy Preston, who came to Ohio from New Hampshire in 1819 with her parents and brother. Her story is a major part of this history.

Lucy was a descendent of Richard Hassell, who settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts around 1643. I have posted on The Firelands History Blog a genealogy showing the descent from Richard Hassell to Lucy Preston. This genealogy was compiled by my great-grandmother and grandmother from 1910 to 1977.

I post an episode of the history of the “Sufferers’ Land” on my blog every Monday and will continue until October. My fondest wish is that people interested in the history of the Hassell family and other Firelands pioneers will be entertained and informed by these postings and fill in gaps and correct inaccuracies in my research.

Thank you for your kind attention. I hope you visit my blog and enjoy the genealogy of Richard Hassell and my story of the early pioneers of the “Sufferers’ Land.”

Regards,
Dave Barton