The McDonald Interviews: Interviewees This list of interviewees is intended to give brief information regarding each of the people whom John Macdonald interviewed between 1844 and 1851. In some cases, no information could be found regarding the interviewee, particularly those whose first names were not provided by Macdonald. Much of the vital information for the interviewees was obtained through cemetery and tombstone records. The entries that contain a reference to "WCHS Book" refer to the tombstone transcription books in the library of the Westchester County Historical Society for cemeteries in Westchester County. Tombstone records for interviewees buried in Fairfield County, Connecticut, were found via Findagrave.com. The digitization of the McDonald Interviews was made possible through a grant from the National Historical Publications & Records Commission. www.archives.gov/nhprc
The McDonald Interviews: Interviewees ACKER, Benjamin Benjamin Acker is listed as an 87-year-old resident of the Town of Ossining, New York, in the 1850 United States Census. His tombstone in the Old Dutch Burying Ground in Sleepy Hollow, New York, indicates that he died on November 25, 1851, aged 88 years, 3 months, and 6 days (WCHS Book 25A, p.130). ALLEN, Samuel Samuel Allen is listed as a 56-year-old farmer in the Town of New Castle, New York, in the 1850 United States Census. A petition for probate for Samuel Allen of New Castle was filed with the Westchester County Surrogate's Court on November 10, 1880 (Westchester County Wills Liber 91, p.391). ANDERSON, Jeremiah Jeremiah Anderson was a son of William Anderson and Elizabeth Underhill. He is listed as a 67-year-old farmer in the Town of Harrison, New York, in the 1850 United States Census. ARCHER, Samuel Samuel Archer was the brother of interviewees William Archer and Elizabeth Tuttle. He is listed as a 54-year-old farmer in the Town of West Farms, New York, in the 1850 United States Census.