Eaton Barnes b. Feb 1849 married in 1872, (location unknown) to Mary Christina Roll. She was born 1 Dec 1853 and died 24 June 1920, (location unknown.) What is known is that this family was in Iowa. In 1880 they were in Mills co., and in 1900 in Pottawattamie Co. Also known are these children: Fremont b. 1873, Edy b. 1875, Vernon b. 1887 (may have died in Pottawattamie Co) Fanny b. 1878, Nettie b. 1888, Mollie b. 1884, Albert b. 1886, Nelia b. 1888, Miderick b. 1892 and Nina Barnes b. 1895; all born in Iowa. Would like further information on this family. Do have details to exchange on the Roll family. Thank you, Kathleen Rizer

Found the following in an old file of unused notes. I have a page someone copied from a book and sent to me, I do not have the complete citation. "Calendar of Wills" p. 329 1445 (R 61) 1802 June 7 1804 Febry. 7 RALEIGH, Walter, of Cambridge, Washington, Co. Wife Abigail (second wife); children by first wife John, James, Edmund, Walter, Polly and Hannah, son by second wife not named. Real and personal estate. Executors Austin Wells, JOHN H. ROLL and son John N. Raleigh, of Westmoreland, Oneida Co., in 1804. Witnesses Ebenezer Allen, Austin Wells and James Wells. (Pamela, do you recognize this John H. Roll?) Nancy Lohbrunner lohbrunner@prodigy.net

Kathleen- Your line is from what we call the Pennsylvania Roll's. I have quite a bit more on the descendents of Jacob and Juliana but not for Eaton & Mary. Will add their children and the rest of the info you listed for their line. If you would like more on this line let me know. Additions and corrections are always appreciated. Jacob > Warren > Mary C is listed below. Jan (please note change of address below)holland@uonline.net *1. Jacob ROLL - 7382 (23 Feb 1801 - 13 Apr 1864) & Juliana GWARTENY - 7391 (14 Nov 1802 - ) *| 1. Warren Larue ROLL - 8078 (30 Jul 1824 - 2 Mar 1896) & Malisa A ASKENS/ASKREN/ADKENS - 8230 (20 Jun 1823 - 10 Dec 1898) | | 1. David ROLL - 8233 (24 Jan 1844 - 6 Dec 1906) & Arthelia Ann BUZZARD - 8565 (8 Jul 1847 - 18 Feb 1920) | | 2. Julia Ann ROLL - 8234 (21 Mar 1846 - 1927) & John BROOKS - 8578 (1848 - 1927) | | 3. John Jacob ROLL - 8235 (20 Sep 1847 - Aug 1855) | | 4. Isaac N ROLL - 8236 (10 May 1849 - 4 Jan 1920) & Rebecca LEMONS - 8592 | | 5. Nancy Elizabeth ROLL - 8237 (13 Dec 1850 - 5 Jun 1852) *| | 6. Mary Christina ROLL - 8238 (1 Dec 1853 - 24 Jan 1920) & Eaton BARNES - 8245 (Feb 1849 - ) | | 7. George Gaylor ROLL - 8239 (17 Apr 1855 - 13 Nov 1873) | | 8. Abigail Sarah ROLL - 8240 (28 Apr 1857 - 9 Nov 1919) & Clement BISHOP - 8246 | | 9. William Henry ROLL - 8241 (28 Jan 1859 - 7 Jan 1936) & Naomi ROLL - 8259 (16 Nov 1869 - 7 Aug 1944)** | | 10. Hanna ROLL - 8242 (18 Oct 1860 - ) & Mr. MADDOX - 8247 | | 11. Warren Larue ROLL - 8243 (29 Dec 1862 - ) & Mary Alice BAILEY - 8604 (4 Sep 1867 - 4 Oct 1948) | | 12. Amanda Melissa ROLL - 8244 (28 Jun 1865 - 18 Dec 1940) & Elmer Ellsworth TILTON - 8617 ( - Dec 1940) | 2. George Washington ROLL - 8079 (3 May 1826 - 11 May 1913) & Hannah PETER - 8248 (27 Aug 1828 - 21 Jan 1912) | | 1. Lucinda ROLL - 8251 (25 Mar 1853 - 9 Mar 1922) & Preston La Fayette WILLIAMS - 8626 | | 2. William Peter ROLL - 8252 (21 Mar 1855 - 22 Jul 1863) | | 3. Elizabeth ROLL - 8253 (1 Jan 1857 - 25 Jan 1946) & Oliver LE FEBURE - 8631 (29 Sep 1857 - 6 May 1904) | | 4. Malica/Malise ROLL - 8254 (16 Nov 1858 - 10 Nov 1861) | | 5. Hanna ROLL - 8255 (19 Dec 1860 - 17 Aug 1861) | | 6. Isaac Van ROLL - 8256 (16 Oct 1862 - 2 Jul 1863) | | 7. Julia Ann ROLL - 8257 (16 Jul 1864 - 24 Jul 1864) | | 8. George Washington Peter ROLL - 8258 (30 Oct 1865 - 29 Nov 1909) | | 9. Naomi ROLL - 8259 (16 Nov 1869 - 7 Aug 1944) & William Henry ROLL - 8241 (28 Jan 1859 - 7 Jan 1936)** | 3. Isaac ROLL - 8080 (4 May 1828 - ) & Sarahan HOOTEN - 8260 (11 Oct 1830 - ) | | 1. George T ROLL - 8263 (11 Jun 1850 - ) | | 2. Sarah Elizabeth ROLL - 8264 (10 Feb 1852 - ) & Jacob W BINGHAM - 8268 | | 3. Phebe ROLL - 8265 (1853 - ) & Henry BINGAMON - 8269 | | 4. Julia E ROLL - 8266 (1858 - ) & Melizar M COULTER - 8270 | | 5. Ida A ROLL - 8267 (1867 - ) & John A HAMMACK - 8271 | 4. William Taylor ROLL - 8081 (11 Nov 1830 - 3 Oct 1904) & America HOOTEN - 8272 (Aug 1833 - 20 Sep 1904) | | 1. Martha ROLL - 8273 (3 Jan 1854 - ) | | 2. John ROLL - 8274 (1857 - ) | | 3. Matilda ROLL - 8275 (1865 - ) | | 4. W. George ROLL - 8276 (1867 - ) | 5. Sarah ROLL - 8082 (11 Jan 1833 - 1850/1851) | 6. Mary Margaret ROLL - 8083 (13 Oct 1835 - Circa 1865) | 7. Nancy Jane ROLL - 8084 (26 Mar 2843 - 1 Aug 1863)

At 07:40 PM 04-28-1999 -0500, you wrote: >The Van Woggelum's are my ancestors. I don't believe I've seen the first >article or the second. Could you bring me up to date? > >Bill Cook Dear Bill and Others, Me too! I live a two hundred miles from anywhere, and wonder if a library will send a periodical this recent on interlibrary loan. There's got to be new information in the two articles that all us Van Woggelum descendants would like to have. Sincerely, William Henry Roll Blythe, California, USA Telephone: 760.922.7181 Primary email: <wroll@redrivernet.com> Secondary email: <whroll@aol.com> __________ Dutch Genealogy from New York, New Jersey, and the Netherlands: The Roll Family Genealogy Windmill <http://members.aol.com/whroll>

Hello, All, Sorry I haven't been too involved lately...family difficulties. Two granddaughters (10y & 13y) are now living with us along with their father, so I am busy being grandma these days. We are family and that is what caring families are about. Also, have been taking care of another granddaughter with chicken pox this week! Life is busy. Wanted to say that I have been in contact with Dave the Dunham-Roll researcher, and we think we are descended from the same line of Dunhams in Westfield...and so are busy trying to find the connection. Circumstantial evidence points in that direction. I have a Dunham Homepage, so hopefully others can hook onto my line in some manner. We shall see. If interested, it is at http://home.att.net/~davehancock/DUNHAMhis.html Take care all, Audrey -----Original Message----- From: Martha <therolls@carrollnet.com> To: ROLL-L@rootsweb.com <ROLL-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Tuesday, April 27, 1999 12:33 AM Subject: Re: [ROLL-L] Fw: Ancestors in Westfield, NJ >Nancy, > I've been down for a couple of weeks. I'm still real busy and expect >family in this week-end. > In general, the Roll & Dunham lines have been crossing since Abraham >Roll & Mary Brooks children began to marry. Although I haven't found the >name Leber, I think this line might come from Brooks Roll & Phebe Ross. 2 >of their children married Dunham's. James Roll married Catherine Dunham. 2 >of their children married Dunham's. Sarah Ann seems to be a common name in >the Roll Family and also in the Dunham Family. When Janis gets back on >line, maybe she can help. If not, I will try to check deeper by the first >of next week. >Martha >-----Original Message----- >From: LOHBRUNNER <LOHBRUNNER@prodigy.net> >To: ROLL-L@rootsweb.com <ROLL-L@rootsweb.com> >Date: Friday, April 16, 1999 11:34 PM >Subject: [ROLL-L] Fw: Ancestors in Westfield, NJ > > >>Can anyone help this person? It was sent to Kay and she sent it to me. >This >>person is NOT on the Roll list. >> >>Nancy Lohbrunner >>lohbrunner@prodigy.net >> >>-----Original Message----- >>From: DMS59Dart@aol.com <DMS59Dart@aol.com> >>Date: Wednesday, April 14, 1999 5:19 PM >>Subject: Ancestors in Westfield, NJ >> >> >>> I read your note in the Westfield guestbook and was wondering. My >>>Greatgrandmother was Sarah Ann DUNHAM, who was living in Westfield at the >>>time of her marriage in 1860 to John LEBER of Millburn. She was living >>with >>>Moses and Sarah DUNHAM. She named her first child "Brooks Roll LEBER". >>>Since you decend from the ROLL lineage, I was wondering if you would have >>any >>>information on her at all. I would think Moses and Sarah DUNHAM were a >bit >>>to old to be her parents. I need to piece things together from as much >>>information as I can get. Would you send me you ROLL lineage so I can >>place >>>that in my puzzle too. Who knows, we may be cousins. I would think so. >>TIA >>>Dave from Long Island. (born and raised in New Jersey) >>> >>> >> >> >>==== ROLL Mailing List ==== >>The Olive Tree Genealogy Homepage >>http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ >> >> > > >==== ROLL Mailing List ==== >Lucinda KIDD (1834-1902) married Jonathan Smith ROLL (1828-1904) >http://members.aol.com/RLCww/Kidd1.htm >

Hansel, You got it. Vince Roll is a descendant of Roland H. Roll's (the man who did so much research on the Roll Family with I. Clifford Roll) brother, Francis Sherman Roll. I think he was having a problem and for some reason, couldn't get the file from the Windmill. He might just want a direct line until he can get everything fixed. If so, Janis might be able to help with that. Martha -----Original Message----- From: Hansel L Haycox <hanselhaycox@ecc-uky.campuscwix.net> To: ROLL-L@rootsweb.com <ROLL-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Monday, April 19, 1999 8:07 AM Subject: [ROLL-L] Francis Sherman Roll > > >Subject: Francis Sherman Roll > >Hi Vince, > >I show a Francis Sherman Roll b. Jun 19, 1891, md Elizabeth Agnes Drain. He >is second child of Gilbert 'Bert' Mundy Roll and Mary Ann Theresa Breslin. >Does this sound like the individual you are looking for? If so, I can take >you back as far as I go to Jan Mangalese, died 1705. > >Would be very interested in hearing about the descendants of this family. > >Let me know if I can help any further. > >Hansel Haycox >hanselhaycox@ecc-uky.campuscwix.net > >>> >>>>I am from the Roll family decended from Francis Sherman Roll, who >>>>moved to Australia after WW1. >>>> > >>>> >>>>Vince Roll >>>> >> >> >> >>==== ROLL Mailing List ==== >>Michael VanBaaren's Genealogy Home Page >>(including Colonial Dutch Families) >>http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/2075 >> >> > > > >==== ROLL Mailing List ==== >Remember!!! Try to limit the use of the original message in your replies. Use either a portion of the original message or a good subject line to reference your reply. Thanks. > >

Nancy, I've been down for a couple of weeks. I'm still real busy and expect family in this week-end. In general, the Roll & Dunham lines have been crossing since Abraham Roll & Mary Brooks children began to marry. Although I haven't found the name Leber, I think this line might come from Brooks Roll & Phebe Ross. 2 of their children married Dunham's. James Roll married Catherine Dunham. 2 of their children married Dunham's. Sarah Ann seems to be a common name in the Roll Family and also in the Dunham Family. When Janis gets back on line, maybe she can help. If not, I will try to check deeper by the first of next week. Martha -----Original Message----- From: LOHBRUNNER <LOHBRUNNER@prodigy.net> To: ROLL-L@rootsweb.com <ROLL-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Friday, April 16, 1999 11:34 PM Subject: [ROLL-L] Fw: Ancestors in Westfield, NJ >Can anyone help this person? It was sent to Kay and she sent it to me. This >person is NOT on the Roll list. > >Nancy Lohbrunner >lohbrunner@prodigy.net > >-----Original Message----- >From: DMS59Dart@aol.com <DMS59Dart@aol.com> >Date: Wednesday, April 14, 1999 5:19 PM >Subject: Ancestors in Westfield, NJ > > >> I read your note in the Westfield guestbook and was wondering. My >>Greatgrandmother was Sarah Ann DUNHAM, who was living in Westfield at the >>time of her marriage in 1860 to John LEBER of Millburn. She was living >with >>Moses and Sarah DUNHAM. She named her first child "Brooks Roll LEBER". >>Since you decend from the ROLL lineage, I was wondering if you would have >any >>information on her at all. I would think Moses and Sarah DUNHAM were a bit >>to old to be her parents. I need to piece things together from as much >>information as I can get. Would you send me you ROLL lineage so I can >place >>that in my puzzle too. Who knows, we may be cousins. I would think so. >TIA >>Dave from Long Island. (born and raised in New Jersey) >> >> > > >==== ROLL Mailing List ==== >The Olive Tree Genealogy Homepage >http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/ > >

Hello Nancy and Sue I was a bit confused with Sues E Mail, so I decided to repeat my first one and clarify it a bit better. It is lovely I am getting so much interest though, I thought my family must have disappeared as they seem to have not left many clues behind. The Rolls family seem to come from the Southtown Area, Great Yarmouth, England. Great Yarmouth is actually in Norfolk, but they lived, according to the 1891 census, at 5 Waveney Road, Parish of St Andrew (part of Gorleston). This part of road is in Suffolk. I am looking for information about John Henry Roll (born 1845, Southtown) who married Elizabeth Woods(born Bradwell, Suffolk) on 10/03/1870. Their children were ;George W (1869), John Henry (1875), Rose Anna (1876), Alfred (1877), Lillie May (1879), Thomas (1880), Arthur (1881), Ethel (1886), Albert (1887) & John Septimus William (1890). All were born in Southtown, except George who was born in Hull. I suspect that the father of John Henry (1845) was John Roll, although I have no information for him at all. My husband is decended from John Septimus William, who moved to and was married in Milford Haven, Wales, UK. When JOHN SEPTIMUS WILLIAM (Who is someties known as SEPTIMUS, got married, his wife had difficulty in pronouncing the surname and changed it to ROLLS. Therefore all generations down from him are ROLLS instead of ROLL. I hope this makes a little more sense and if any one out there has heard of them PLEASE HELP!!!!! Maxine

Well I can tell from the dates this isn't the line I am looking for but thanks!!! Sue In a message dated 4/22/99 8:54:31 PM Mid-Atlantic Daylight Time, MaxineRolls@compuserve.com writes: << I am looking for information about John Henry Roll (born 1845, Southtown) who married Elizabeth Woods(born Bradwell, Suffolk) on 10/03/1870. Their children were ;George W (1869), John Henry (1875), Rose Anna (1876), Alfred (1877), Lillie May (1879), Thomas (1880), Arthur (1881), Ethel (1886), Albert (1887) & John Septimus William (1890). All were born in Southtown, except George who was born in Hull. I suspect that the father of John Henry (1845) was John Roll, although I have no information for him at all. My husband is decended from John Septimus William, who moved to and was married in Milford Haven, Wales, UK. >>

> Hi Rolls I've been gone for a while. First my e-mail address changed (Please note change at bottom) then, in the process of sending my new address out my computer crashed. Most everything is loaded back on, but for some unknown reason my genealogy program won't install. Hopefully I can figure out what's going on and get it up and running by Monday. Jan hollandj@uonline.net

Hi Nancy - No, have not heard back from him. Does sound interesting, assuming I had the right connection. If I do not hear soon, I will send him a new note. Hansel Hi Hansel, Have you heard from Vince Roll of Australia? Please keep us informed. It's kind of interesting that some of the Roll's ended up there. Nancy Lohbrunner lohbrunner@prodigy.net ==== ROLL Mailing List ==== First Families of Westfield, New Jersey http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/5096

Does anyone know if the 2nd Van Woggelum article is out yet? Thanks, Nancy Lohbrunner lohbrunner@prodigy.net

In a message dated 4/22/99 12:14:30 AM Mid-Atlantic Daylight Time, LOHBRUNNER@prodigy.net writes: << Your Roll names are not familiar with me, but some of us do have Roll's other than our own. You mention Great Yarmouth/Southtown, are they in England? >> Maxine, I am looking for Rolls that no one else has heard of either. Do you still have her mail? Thanks Sue

Hi Hansel, Have you heard from Vince Roll of Australia? Please keep us informed. It's kind of interesting that some of the Roll's ended up there. Nancy Lohbrunner lohbrunner@prodigy.net

Hi Maxine, Your Roll names are not familiar with me, but some of us do have Roll's other than our own. You mention Great Yarmouth/Southtown, are they in England? Nancy Lohbrunner lohbrunner@prodigy.net

Subject: Francis Sherman Roll Hi Vince, I show a Francis Sherman Roll b. Jun 19, 1891, md Elizabeth Agnes Drain. He is second child of Gilbert 'Bert' Mundy Roll and Mary Ann Theresa Breslin. Does this sound like the individual you are looking for? If so, I can take you back as far as I go to Jan Mangalese, died 1705. Would be very interested in hearing about the descendants of this family. Let me know if I can help any further. Hansel Haycox hanselhaycox@ecc-uky.campuscwix.net >> >>>I am from the Roll family decended from Francis Sherman Roll, who >>>moved to Australia after WW1. >>> >>> >>>Vince Roll >>> > > > >==== ROLL Mailing List ==== >Michael VanBaaren's Genealogy Home Page >(including Colonial Dutch Families) >http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/2075 > >

Since there are so many new people on the list, please check out the archives. The new archives only have a few months and are at: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ROLL-L/ you can subscribe or unsubscribe from this location also The older archives are at http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl Hope those who haven't posted their lines before will post them. Also please post any queries you might have, maybe someone can help you. Nancy Lohbrunner lohbrunner@prodigy.net

I would like to hear from anyone who has traces your Rolls/Rolles line to Bradford County, Pa and both Chemung County and Broome County, NY With the help of a poster/reader I have identified my great gradparents as being in Bradford County (Monroeton) in 1882 but I do not know where they went from there. I know my grandfather ended up in Binghamton along with at least one brother. If you had family there let's compare notes. Thanks Sue

Hello My name is Maxine Rolls, and I am a new subscriber to this list. I am tracing the Rolls (Roll) family tree which seems to have come from the Great Yarmouth / Southtown area. At the moment, I am looking for information about John Henry Roll (born 1840, Southtown) who married Elizabeth Woods on 10th March 1870. They had 10 children:-GeorgeW (b 1869, Hull), John Henry (b 1875, Southtown), Rosanna (b 1876, Southtown), Alfred (b 1877, Southtown), Lillie May (b 1879, Southtown), Thomas (b 1880, Southtown), Arthur (b 1881, Southtown), Ethel (b 1886, Southtown), Albert (b 1887, Southtown) and John Septimus William (b 1890, Southtown). His father, I believe, was John Roll, although I know nothing more about him. My husband is descended from John Septimus William who moved and married to Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Since the list is a little slow, the following was something that was posted on another list I belong to. Amaze your friends! Fun Facts to Know and Tell. . . Anne Hathaway was the wife of William Shakespeare. She married at the age of 26. This is really unusual for the time. Most people married young, like at the age of 11 or 12. Life was not as romantic as we may picture it. Here are some examples: Anne Hathaway's home was a 3 bedroom house with a small parlor, which was seldom used (only for company), kitchen, and no bathroom. Mother and Father shared a bedroom. Anne had a queen sized bed, but did not sleep alone. She also had 2 other sisters and they shared the bed also with 6 servant girls. (this is before she married) They didn't sleep like we do length-wise but all laid on the bed cross-wise. At least they had a bed. The other bedroom was shared by her 6 brothers and 30 field workers. They didn't have a bed. Everyone just wrapped up in their blanket and slept on the floor. They had no indoor heating so all the extra bodies kept them warm. They were also small people, the men only grew to be about 5'6" and the women were 4'8". SO in their house they had 27 people living. Most people got married in June. Why? They took their yearly bath in May, so they were till smelling pretty good by June, although they were starting to smell, so the brides would carry a bouquet of flowers to hide their b.o. Like I said, they took their yearly bath in May, but it was just a big tub that they would fill with hot water. The man of the house would get the privilege of the nice clean water. Then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was pretty thick. Thus, the saying, "don't throw the baby out with the bath water," it was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. I'll describe their houses a little. You've heard of thatch roofs, well that's all they were. Thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. They were the only place for the little animals to get warm. So all the pets; dogs, cats and other small animals, mice, rats, bugs, all lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery so sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Thus the saying, "it's raining cats and dogs," Since there was nothing to stop things from falling into the house they would just try to clean up a lot. But this posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings from animals could really mess up your nice clean bed, so they found if they would make beds with big posts and hang a sheet over the top it would prevent that problem. That's where those beautiful big 4 poster beds with canopies came from. When you came into the house you would notice most times that the floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt, that's where the saying "dirt poor" came from. The wealthy would have slate floors. That was fine but in the winter they would get slippery when they got wet. So they started to spread thresh on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on they would just keep adding it and adding it until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. SO they put a piece of wood at the entry way, a "thresh hold". In the kitchen they would cook over the fire, they had a fireplace in the kitchen/parlor, that was seldom used and sometimes in the master bedroom. They had a big kettle that always hung over the fire and every day they would light the fire and start adding things to the pot. Mostly they ate vegetables, they didn't get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner then leave the leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes the stew would have food in it that had been in there for a month! Thus the rhyme: peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old." Sometimes they could get a hold on some pork. They really felt special when that happened and when company came over they even had a rack in the parlor where they would bring out some bacon and hang it to show it off. That was a sign of wealth and that a man "could really bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and they would all sit around and "chew the fat." If you had money your plates were made out of pewter. Sometimes some of their food had a high acid content and some of the lead would leach out into the food. They really noticed it happened with tomatoes. So they stopped eating tomatoes, for 400 years. Most people didn't have pewter plates though, they all had trenchers, that was a piece of wood with the middle scooped out like a bowl. They never washed their boards and a lot of times worms would get into the wood. After eating off the trencher with worms they would get "trench mouth." If you were going traveling and wanted to stay at an Inn they usually provided the bed but not the board. The bread was divided according to status. The workers would get the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family would get the middle and guests would get the top, or the "upper crust". They also had lead cups and when they would drink their ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock them out for a couple of days. They would be walking along the road and here would be someone knocked out and they thought they were dead. So they would pick them up and take them home and get them ready to bury. They realized if they were too slow about it, the person would wake up. Also, maybe not all of the people they were burying were dead. So they would lay them out on the kitchen table for a couple of days, the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. That's where the custom of holding a "wake" came from. Since England is so old and small they started running out of places to bury people. So they started digging up some coffins and would take their bones to a house and re-use the grave. They started opening these coffins and found some had scratch marks on the inside. One out of 25 coffins were that way and they realized they had still been burying people alive. So they thought they would tie a string on their wrist and lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night to listen for the bell. That is how the saying "graveyard shift" was made. If the bell would ring they would know that someone was "saved by the bell" or he was a "dead ringer". amazing, eh?