The Kindred Spirit is our newsletter published three times a year—Fall, Winter and Spring— and is distributed by mail, email and posted to this page below. Regular communication is the best way to keep our members up-to-date on Board and Committee activities as well as local and regional reunion gatherings. Stories of interest to our readers that highlight the lives of individual Stetson ancestors or descendants are also regularly included. These articles have proven to be particularly popular with our readers.
Please scroll down to see selected past issues. The current issue is available to members only in Stetson’s Garrison.
Submissions and Contributions:
Members are encouraged to submit family history articles authored by them or a family member, and contribute historical, genealogical or current material on topics related to Cornet Robert Stetson and his descendants. Editorial staff also gives consideration to articles of general historical interest.
All material should be submitted to our Editor, Staci Kendrick Jones, at StetsonSpirit@gmail.com, or mailed to her at 385 S Orchard Avenue, Vacaville, CA 95688. Because space is limited, editorial staff reserves the right to edit articles to fit space available, following a consult with the author, if needed. Permission to reprint copyrighted articles and photos must be obtained in advance by the submitter. Advance notice of intention to submit an article is much appreciated by our staff for publication planning purposes.
Address/E-mail Address Changes: If you move or change your mailing address and/or E-mail address, please notify the Kindred so you will continue to receive the Newsletter. Address changes and/or E-mail address changes may be sent by E-mail to our Membership Chair, LaVerne Stetson, at lavstetson@aol.com, or regular mail to PO Box 31, Norwell, MA 02061. Changes to your E-mail address can also be sent to the Editor at StetsonSpirit@gmail.com.
Click on the links below to read some of the more recent past issues of The Kindred Spirit.
STETSON GENEALOGY
Tracing your family genealogy is an exciting and rewarding experience. For many, genealogy begins simply as a family story passed down from generation to generation. Through a more thorough exploration of our family’s history, we embark on a journey of personal and family discovery. Since 1905, the Kindred has connected with thousands of Stetson descendants across the US and beyond. There is no easy answer to the question “How do I begin tracing my family genealogy?,” but the Kindred is committed to assisting in this process.
HISTORY
The first volume of the Stetson genealogy was published by Rev. John Stetson Barry in 1847. Eighty-five years later, in 1933, the work continued with the records compiled by Mr. Nelson Mitchell Stetson and some additional notes of Rev. Barry being combined and published by the Kindred as Volume One, No. 1 and No. 2 of The Descendants of Cornet Robert Stetson of Scituate, MA. The third and last book of Volume One, No.3, was published in 1956.
It has been noted that many errors and omissions exist in these early books, and those researching their family lines are advised to recheck all dates carefully with other proven vital record sources. Errata should be viewed and understood through the prism of the times in which these early authors and amateur “genealogists” lived, when modern technology was not available to confirm sources to insure greater accuracy. Indeed, it is a testimony to their devotion to the task that given the geographical distances, limited mobility and record-keeping vagaries, they were able to compile enough material to publish these books. It should also be noted that these early books, by concentrating on the male lineages that retained the Stetson surname, the lineages of females were not routinely followed once they married. This is an unfortunate legacy of those times, as such an omission prevented the publication of a complete and ordered generational chronology of Stetson lines in the early books.
Since 1956, two more volumes of descendant lines have been published: Vol. 4 in 2008 and Vol. 5 in 2015. Family lineage sketches in these volumes are not consistently grouped by generation, but cover multiple generations taken from material submitted by members or researched by our genealogist, Barbara Lambert Merrick and/or Kindred volunteers. Although it is now quite clear that some errors exist relative to birth order of the children within some families in the early lineage books, the serial descendant numbering system has been retained in these recent volumes so as not to create confusion when compared with prior publications.
For those researching their Stetson roots, Books 1, 2 and 3 are available here on our website by clicking on the links below. Books 1 & 2 (now consolidated into one Book) are also available for purchase at the Kindred Stetson Store, for those who wish to own a copy. Book 3 is currently out of print, but can be purchased online from various used-book sources.
If you need research assistance, please contact Linda Brooks at lbrooks46@yahoo.com OR Roger Adams at kyfoodie@gmail.com.
The Kindred Spirit:
Kindred Spirit 2018 Winter Edition
Kindred Spirit 2017 – Fall Edition 
Kindred Spirit 2017 Spring Edition
The Stetson Kindred of America, Inc. 
Florence W Stetson born 1840 in Scituate, daughter of Jotham is my great grandfather. Her son is my grandfather John Ernest Lansing 1878-1956.
Hi Mary Jo! Jotham must be your great-great grandfather if Florence is your great-grandmother. Jotham is a very unique name and I only see him listed on page 102 of Vol 1. No. 3 as the Uncle of Ephraim Arnold Stetson who has a daughter named Mary Florence born in 1861. You might want to follow up on your genealogy with Barbara Merrick.