The Captain Johnston Blakeley Chapter, US Daughters of 1812 met at the home of Member, Sheila Ward in Garner, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. A video was shown on the Saint Michael’s and All Angel’s Church in Dartmoor, England. During the War of 1812, American prisoners were held by the English in Dartmoor Prison. French prisoners started building this church, but it was finished by American Prisoners of War. By 1813 prisoners totaled 6,553 with 271 known dead. Nine N.C. Seamen are buried in the cemetery. In 1910 the US Daughters of 1812 donated a beautiful stained glass window of which a likeness is on their Membership Certificate. The window and the church are now in need of repair so members donated $45 from the Chapter and individual donations.

Members have donated the following amounts to National Committees for their projects: National USD Library in Washington, DC - $70, American Merchant Marine Library-$45, Veteran’s Rehabilitation- $70, Fort McHenry Shrine in Baltimore, Maryland- $45 and the Star Spangled Banner House and Museum in Baltimore, Maryland- $40 for a total of $275.

Trophies and certificates recently awarded at the State Council meeting, framed membership certificates and a picture of Captain Johnston Blakeley were on display.

President Charlotte Carrere, from Garner, reminded everyone that the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 is in 2012 and she is a member o f the State Committee planning events for this celebration.

Lynne Belvin, Chapter Historian, from Garner, reported that she has held a Tombstone Dedication and Wreath Laying ceremony in Powhatan, Virginia in memory of her Great Great Grandfather, Banister White, who was a Private in the Virginia Militia in the War Of 1812. She also reported that a total of 15 articles and pictures have been published about the Chapter this year in the Garner News, the Benson News and Review, the Angier Independent and the North Carolina SAR Newsletter. One member, Joe Ann McGee, was in a picture taken with others at the Halifax Resolves Wreath Laying Ceremony that was published in the National SAR Magazine.

Joe Ann McGee, Veteran’s Rehabilitation Chairman, from Angier, reported that 11,190 coupons have been mailed to Military Families and 8,618 used stamps for Stamps for the Wounded project. Items were collected to take to the Veterans’s in the VA hospital in Durham for Christmas, which included new underclothes, new socks, wool caps, and 17 pairs of flip flops for the shower. They also collected books and magazines to be mailed to the Merchant Marine Library. This reading material is given to the men on the ships who are at sea four months at a time.

Anne Locke, Librarian, from Raleigh, reported that Lynne Belvin has donated a copy of the book she compiled on The Bullock Family, to the Genealogical services branch of the State Library in Raleigh, the National US Daughters of 1812 Library in Washington, D.C. and the Granville County Library in Oxford, North Carolina. Locke also reported that seven books about the War of 1812 have been read by members this year.

“Savor The Spirit “ a hardbound cookbooks will be sold as a project with the proceeds going to the North Carolina Room in the 1812 Headquarters in Washington, D.C. These cookbooks are unique in that they not only have delicious recipes but bits of history on each page. They originally sold for $20.00 each but will sell now at the special price of $10. Contact Lynne Belvin 919-772-6899 or lwbelvin@aol.com if interested in purchasing one.

If you are interested in joining the US Daughters of 1812 and have a qualifying ancestor contact Registrar Laura Edwards, of Garner at Iedwards6@nc.rr.com.