Dudley Family Records

This week I had the honor to receive an album of information, newspaper clippings, letters, and photographs related to the Dudley family.  This family documentation was apparently compiled by my great-grandfather, Jesse Dudley with the assistance of his eldest child, Charles.  After Charles' death, the information must have been passed on to his brother, Clarence.  One of Clarence's step-grandsons was kind enough to send the information to me.  One of the pages in the album reads as follows:
These records was set forth by the hand of Jessey Dudley in the year of our Lord Dec-9-1922 and to him goes the credit for their keeping to the best of his knowledge, his records were handed down to his first born son Charles Henry Dudley who has faithfully kept them to the best of his knowledge.  And they will be kept and handed down to all the Dudley progenitors to come.  In God we trust.  Amen.
This family record answers a lot of questions, but also raises a lot of new ones.  Some of the information probably doesn't pertain to my Dudleys at all.  Still, I have plenty of new clues to pursue.

This is truly a family treasure and I am honored to be the keeper of it, at least for my generation.  It really makes me feel a connection to the past.  It is clear that Jesse and Charlie intended for this information to be shared with their ancestors and I will be scanning the information to share with others.  I will also make sure that the information is properly preserved.


Front Row (L-R): Lewis Dudley, Mary E. Dudley, Mary J. Dudley, Jesse Dudley, Charles Dudley.
Back Row: Absalom Dudley, John F. Dudley, Thomas Dudley, Clarence Dudley

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