Stymiest Family Well Chronicled by Sandra Devlin “Missing Links” column, January 26, 2002 Newspapers: Telegraph Journal, Saint John, NB Times-Transcript, Moncton, NB Kings County Record, Sussex, NB Northern Light, Bathurst, NB Guardian, Charlottetown, PEI Journal Pioneer, Summerside, PEI The Telegram, St. John's, NFLD Western Star, Corner Brook, NFLD Cape Breton Post, Sydney, NS Port Hawkesbury Recorder, Port Hawkesbury, NS Evening News, New Glasgow, NS Daily News, Truro, NS Bridgewater Bulletin, Bridgewater, NS Progress-Enterprise, Lunenburg, NS Yet another family chronicle. Yet another job well done by a devoted family historian. I fear sometimes, I am in danger of becoming jaded by the sheer volume in numbers of genealogy books and CDs being produced these days. But no one with a love of genealogy could possibly ignore Chatham-born Carl W. W. Stymiest's contribution to the mix. Recently released, "Down By the Old Mill Stream, A Stymiest Chronicle", has dedication and passion stamped as an invisible watermark on every one of its 600 pages. Carl acknowledges the helpfulness of "Missing Links" during parts of his researching phases. "Your column has enabled me to contact many people connected to the Stymiest family," he writes. But obviously, "Missing Links" played but a miniscule part in the 40-year project which documents nearly 40,000 souls. As Carl looks back at the early notes received four decades ago from his late paternal cousin Eldon J. Stymiest in Tabusintac, N.B., the author notes the descendants and ancestors of progenitor Casparus Steynmets, aka Jasper/Kasper (born about 1609 - died 1702) numbered a mere 200. "My interest and curiosity in the Stymiest family heritage was piqued at a very early age while visiting for hours on old verandahs, listening to wonderful stories of my great-grandfathers and countless other relatives born in and around the Miramichi," says Carl. The major focus of Carl's book is on descendants of United Empire Loyalist, Benjamin Stymiest II who settled in north-eastern New Brunswick. Included with the book, which reminds one of a major city telephone directory by its size, is also a complete version CD ROM. The Stymiest Chronicle includes substantive charts, but is more than being a simple list of names and dates. The unique dynamics which define the Stymiest family take shape in many forms: copies of original signatures, family photos, letters, memoirs, time lines and remembered stories. One of my favourite sections is Family Trivia where descendants of Casparus discover that his wife was once fined for "wearing her petticoats too short, thereby, exposing her ankles." The title of the book is a reference to the Stymiest grist and saw mills in Bay du Vin and Tabusintac. This wonderfully produced book is also fully indexed by surname. Among Carl's several other literary credits is co-authorship of "Loggieville... on the Miramichi" with the late James A. Fraser. Carl is currently completing his own anthology of poetry for publication. Cost: $49.95. Order from: Carl Stymiest, #2601-930 Cambie St., Vancouver, BC., V6B 5X6; e-mail: cstymiest@novus-tele.net or order on-line: Carl Stymiest, UE author of "Down By The Old Mill Stream: A Stymiest Chronicle" 2001 Email: cstymiest@novus-tele.net Phone: 1-(604)-662-8083 Bookstore Web Page: http://www.trafford.com/robots/01-0285.html