On Saturday May 9th my son will graduate from North Carolina State University, the first Lucey in our direct line to receive a bachelor’s degree. We had no idea when he first enrolled, but this was not the first time a Lucey attended the university. In 1935 David Joseph Lucey travelled from Dover, New Hampshire to play football and pursue a degree at what was then North Carolina State College.
Dave made a splash at NC State, scoring the first touchdown of the season (against Wake Forest) for the freshman football team, but he would play just the one year. His mother became ill and he moved back to New England to help her, enrolling at Boston College and playing there for the next few years. His 1939 BC team went to the Cotton Bowl, where they lost a defensive battle to Clemson 6-3.
NC State Freshman football team 1935-36. Source: NCSU Library
He graduated BC (where his son and grandson would also attend) with a Bachelors in Education and later went on to coach the Saugus High School and Boston College football teams. He was also the Registrar of Motor Vehicles for Massachusetts in the early 70’s.
“Big Dave”, as he was known to me, was my 1st cousin 2x removed and a wonderful guy. Dave died in 1997 when John was very young, but they did meet several times. I think he would have been quite pleased with this coincidence.
Well-dressed David J Lucey, 1936 and John Lucey, 2014, flanked by friends at NC State.
The Bowen family of Washington County Maine made the ultimate sacrifice in the Civil War. Father William and three of his sons signed up to fight for the Union and none returned home [more here]. Back in 2001 or so, cousin Jeanne O’Shea had given me loads of information about William and family and because I lived near where William died, she had hoped I could find his headstone.
I visited the Edson Cemetery in Lowell, Massachusetts and found that the book for 1862 had gone missing so the staff could not pinpoint his burial place. They suggested that perhaps he’d been buried in a small section of the cemetery that was fenced off from the main part as a number of Civil War-era graves were there. I walked that section and checked every headstone, no luck. We had resigned ourselves to the fact that perhaps we’d never find a headstone and there might not even be one to find in the first place.
Fast forward to two weeks ago…
An Ancestry.com user, Jane Mangum, put a comment on William on my tree with a Find-a-Grave ID number and sure enough, it’s the right William! Find-a-Grave user Rick Weaver had taken a picture of the headstone and created the memorial page for William back in 2011.
Photo courtesy of Rick Weaver, used with permission.
The headstone reads:
Wm. BOWEN 1 Batty 1 Battn. ME L.A.
Translated: William Bowen, 1st Battery, 1st Battalion, Maine Light Artillery.
It’s a good reminder to check those research dead-ends every once in a while, wonderful things are happening in the genealogical world, it’s amazing what’s being made available every day. Volunteers do a lot of the heavy lifting, Rick and Jane are perfect examples, look at their profiles on Find-a-Grave, how many thousands of pages they’ve created, it’s inspiring. Thank you very much to Rick and Jane for walking cemeteries and posting the pictures, it’s a lot of work and it is much appreciated. Also thank you to Jane for bringing the page to my attention!
136 years ago today [4 Nov 1878], my 2nd great-grandfather Sewall Bridges Stanhope married Annie Amelia Hayward in Edmunds, Maine. She was the daughter of George Henry Hayward and Rachel Bridges Carter. I have no idea if Annie knew, but she was a Mayflower descendant via her mother’s line, a topic for a future post.
Sewall was born in late August, 1852 in Dennysville, Maine, to Rodolphus and Charlotte (Leighton) Stanhope, one of 10 children.
Sewall and Anna/Annie had 12 children, including my great-grandmother Bessie, over the next 28 years. They lived in Edmunds on Shore Road (which might now be S. Edmunds Rd) and his occupation was listed as Farmer or Farm laborer. Sometime between 1910 and 1920, Sewall gave up farming and moved the family to the village of Milltown in Calais, Maine and found work as a “Woodsman” at a lumber company.
He died 28 Feb 1934 at 81 years old and is buried in Dennysville, Maine.
158 years ago today [28 Oct 1856], my 2nd great-grandfather Frederic Lowell Bowen was born in Perry, Maine, the eighth and last son born to William and Mary (Boynton/Boyington) Bowen.
I imagine Fred had a pretty rough childhood. By the time he was 8, four of his older brothers and his father were dead. Leaving his mother with six children under 14 years old and the family farm.
Fred ended up keeping the farm and in 1880 married Adelaide Robinson, the 20-year-old daughter of James and Sarah (Stanhope) Robinson. Over the next 25 years, they had 12 children: William, Sadie, Robert, Justin, Walter, Mattie, George [my great-grandfather], Dora, Amy, Myron, Edna and Augusta. Unfortunately, both Addy and Augusta died in childbirth on 4 Feb 1905. They are both buried in the Ross family cemetery on the farm (see the map for the approximate location). The Ross family lived on the farm after the Bowen family and a number of both families buried there. See “At Rest in Perry, Maine” compiled by cousins Jeanne O’Shea Wagner and Colon Morrison for more information about rural cemeteries in Washington county Maine.
While I have heard some stories of Fred’s cruelty to his children, my grandmother remembered him as a kind man who took her into town (probably Calais or Eastport) on his horse and wagon and bought her a dress.
Fred died in Perry on 19 August, 1922 of angina and is buried with his wife in the Ross Cemetery.
In late 1864 into early 1865, the 2nd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery was stationed in New Bern, NC on garrison duty. Company M included 16-year-old James Lucey, my 2nd great-grandfather.
New Bern National Cemetery
In the fall of 1864 there was an outbreak of yellow fever in New Bern. An epidemic which took the lives of many, including 23-year-old fellow private and Worcester, MA native Luther Webber.
Early in 1865, the 2nd Mass Heavy Artillery was called upon to join General Jacob Cox’s Provisional Corps that were to move towards Goldsboro, ultimately to join with Sherman’s army. Just south of Kinston, near Southwest Creek, they ran into Confederate forces under the command of Gen. Braxton Bragg.
Bragg’s men attacked the Union flanks and captured an entire regiment, the last mass capture of Union troops in the war. However, miscommunication allowed the Union army time for reinforcements to arrive and fortify its position. Bragg was forced to withdraw, thanks in no small part to the heavy artillery units that repelled the rebel attack.
In the span of three days, there were a total of 2,601 injured and killed, including several of James’ compatriots in Company M. Most are buried at the New Bern National Cemetery.
My wife and I recently had the opportunity to visit Kinston and New Bern, including the Wyse Fork Battlefield and the New Bern National Cemetery. We were celebrating our 23rd wedding anniversary and continuing our tradition of visiting either a cemetery or a battlefield on our weekend away.
While Company M may have been involved in various skirmishes over the course of the war, the only documented battle is Wyse Fork. It’s always an exciting experience to walk where your ancestor walked but it’s surreal to visit a battlefield where your 16-year-old ancestor fought.
Today (1 October 2014) would be his 166th birthday.
In the New Bern National Cemetery, there are hundreds of Civil War era graves and several monuments, including one to honor the Massachusetts soldiers.
100 years ago today, my grandfather Vincent John Lucey was born in Rochester, New Hampshire, the fifth child of James and Mary (O’Brien) Lucey. He spent the first few weeks of his life in a makeshift incubator, a shoebox on a radiator, due to his size. He didn’t get much bigger, as an adult he was only 5’5″ tall.
Vinny circa 1917, York Beach Maine
He attended Rochester High School and played on the football team, graduated in 1932.
Rochester High Football, 1931-32. Vinny on the far left, front row
High School picture, 1930-32
On 28 November, 1936, Vinny married Doris Bowen, whom he met a year or so before while working at Winkley’s Market, a local grocer.
Circa 1936
They had two children in Rochester and lived there until the mid-40’s, when they moved to 28 Bridge St in Saugus, Massachusetts. He worked for Gibbs Oil as a driver and yard foreman for many years. I used to get Hess Trucks every year for Christmas, one of my favorite toys.
An avid fisherman, Vinny owned a boat that he kept in the Saugus River for quick access to the Atlantic
He and my grandmother traveled extensively around New England and eastern Canada, as evidenced by a tremendous swizzle-stick collection that I’m proud to own.
Vinny about to enjoy a Canadian Club and soda after a very long drive to some random, beautifully decorated hotel in New England
In 1976, my family celebrated Vinny’s 62nd birthday at his house, he had been ill and was about to retire and I’m sure was looking forward to spending time fishing and traveling. When we walked into our house after the short ride home, the phone was ringing. It was my grandmother, Vinny had collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital but never regained consciousness.
My 3rd great-grandfather James E. Lucey was very proud of his Civil War service. He joined the Grand Army of the Republic in Rochester, NH and participated in parades and other events, such as the one captured in this photo. The only details on the picture are “Rochester Common, G.A.R. 1928, Jim Lucey”
1928 Rochester Commons, Rochester NH G.A.R. Ceremony. James Lucey on the far right
For more information about the Grand Army of the Republic, visit the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War website
This is one of my favorite family pictures because it reminds me of early fall, the grass is long and it’s ‘sweater weather’, my favorite time of year.
The three women in this picture are my great-grand aunts, sisters of my great-grandfather James Edward Lucey: Agnes, Anna and Margaret.
circa 1910, probably at the Lucey house 66 Church St, Gonic, NH
Anna Theresa Lucey was born 7 July 1883 in Rochester, NH to James and Johanna (Donoghue) Lucey, the fifth child and second daughter. She married Percy Wilder Stevens in 1923. They had one son, Robert, later in 1923 and lived at 57 Silver St in Dover, NH until Percy’s untimely death. He had a pulmonary embolism and died on 20 March 1937 at age 48.
Anna and Bobby moved into the Lucey house in Gonic and she worked as a bookkeeper at Kendall Insurance in Rochester. A cousin remembers her as a devout Catholic; coming home from work on the bus, having a small meal and going up to her room to pray for the evening. She never remarried and lived in Gonic until she died 16 November 1972 at age 89.
I love these two pictures of my 3rd great-grandmother Martha (Cole) Odell. In the first she looks annoyed while her granddaughters goof around and pose, but in the second I think her true self comes through. In light of the second picture, I wonder if the look in the first is one of faux-annoyance and she was goofing around just as much as they were, we just can’t see the eye-roll in a still picture.
Martha (Cole) Odell with granddaughter Ethel Drake (1908-1974) and great-granddaughter Gladys May Hotchkiss (1902-1984) circa 1918
I’m not exactly sure of the date these pictures were taken, but there are a few more taken that same day in the same place of Martha’s daughter Susan and husband Julius Henry Frost (my 2nd great-grandparents). I estimate 1918 based on the ages of all the people across the photos. In 1918 Martha would have been 80, so perhaps the family had gathered to celebrate her birthday?
Martha was born about 1838 in New York, one of eight children born to John and Hester Sophia (Martine) Coles. At some point between 1840 and 1843, the family moved to Newark where Martha met Reuben Odell. They married 10 August 1856 in Newark and had eight children.
Martha died on Christmas day, 1921 and is buried in the family plot, Fairmont Cemetery, Newark.
My grandfather and his three younger brothers all served in the military during the World War II era. The youngest brother, Douglas Kingsley Frost, was an Army paratrooper that enlisted in January of 1944.
Douglas Frost 1944Everett, Massachusetts newspaper article 1944
Doug was born in Brooklyn, NY, 21 October 1925. He was married twice, first to Ruthie (unknown maiden name) with whom he had one son, David Duane, born in 1960. In 1976, David died in Miami at just 15 years old. Doug married his second wife, Dorothy [she went by Jody] (Rouleau) on 28 July 1973 in Miami. On Halloween, 1978 Doug died in his sleep probably due to a heart-related issue, he was 53 years old.
This picture is of my grandmother, Justine (Fusco) Frost with her husbands’ grandmother, Minnie Smith. The picture was taken in Minnie’s garden at 51 Hammond St. in Bridgewater, MA, probably in the summer of 1941 when Justine was “with child”. I plan on doing a more in-depth post on Justine later, but I just came across this picture and had to share it.
Minnie is the woman of many names mentioned in the post on Leon Petralis, her first husband, so far I’m up to 10 different names used on various records.
In the late 90’s we visited my great-aunt Betty (Lucey) Bedard and her family in Toronto. She knew I was interested in family history and she had a number of old family photos and documents to share, she gave me some, others I photocopied (no cell cameras at the time). One of my favorite photos she gave me was of Patrick Joseph O’Donoghue.
On the back of the photo is written “Patrick Donohue Ireland next to Montana” and ” Mary Corson’s grandmothers brother Hanna Donohue Lucey”. I don’t know about Montana, but I do know that Patrick was not Hanna Donohue Lucey’s brother, he was her nephew. But I understand the confusion, you see, both of Patrick’s parents were Donoghue’s.
His father was also named Patrick, his mother Catherine was Johanna (Donoghue) Lucey’s sister, which makes Patrick my first cousin 3 times removed.
Patrick was born 16 February 1874 in Glenflesk, County Kerry, Ireland and came to America around 1895. In 1905, he was in San Francisco, CA where he married Nora Williams. They had 5 children, Catherine, John, James, Thomas and Bernard. According to census records Patrick was a car inspector for the street railroad there for many years. He died 7 April 1958 and is buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, CA [which is known as “the city of the silent”, the dead outnumber the living 1000 to 1!].
A side note, Patrick’s brother Florence stayed in Shronaboy, Glenflesk, the family homestead of Catherine and Johanna’s father John (Sean Con) O’Donoghue [link is to a transcription of an 1896 letter from John to Johanna], thus keeping the farm in the O’Donoghue name, although not in the same patrilineal line. The descendants of Florence still live there today.
My 2nd great-grandfather Leon Petralis (or Petrolis) is still a bit of a mystery. I have multiple documents on two events that he was involved with, his marriage and the birth of his daughter (my great-grandmother). Beyond that I have a family story about how he died, a possible death record and a potential passenger list entry from when he came to America, but those are speculative and naturally, the names aren’t all the same. I’m guessing that most people with Eastern European ancestry run into the near constant changing of names. I have so far documented 10 different names for Leon’s wife, Petrusia.
Passenger List
This passenger list shows a Lewen Petralis leaving Hamburg, Germany for Boston on 7 May 1889 aboard the ship Coblenz. He is a native of Rademanz, Russland, as is the passenger directly above him, Michal Aschzin who is also traveling to Boston. The dates fit both the age and arrival of Leon, but I’m not sure if this is him.
Staatsarchiv Hamburg. Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data: Staatsarchiv Hamburg, Bestand: 373-7 I, VIII B 1 Band 078; Seite: 600 (Auswanderungsamt I). Mikrofilmrollen K 1701 – K 2008, S 17363 – S 17383, 13116 – 13183. Month : Indirekt Band 078 (1 Apr 1889 – 29 Jun 1889)The Marriage Certificate
Baptismal Certificate
This baptismal certificate was obtained by my great-grandmother in 1952 and lists her name as M. Helen Petralis. After Leon died in the late 1890’s, Petrusia married a man who went by John Frank Smith. Helen grew up thinking he was her father and didn’t find out he wasn’t until later in life. She went by Helen Smith, but did occasionally use different last names.
Civil Birth Record
This Greenfield, New Hampshire birth record has no first name listed for the child, but lists Wilno, Poland as the birthplace of Leon and Petrusia. This is the same date as Helen’s birth, 31 Aug 1894 and most of the details match the Massachusetts Birth Record below.
“New Hampshire, Birth Records, Early to 1900,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FLP3-4H5 : accessed 10 Aug 2014), Leon Petralis in entry for MM9.1.1/FLP3-4HP:, 03 Aug 1894; citing Greenfield, Hillsborough, New Hampshire, United States, Vital Records and Health Statistics, Concord; FHL microfilm 1001032.
On this Massachusetts Birth Record for Helen, it lists her first name as “Lena”, place of birth as Greenfield, NH and says the parents (Leon and Bertha? Petralis) live at 104 Garden St in Lawrence, MA.
“Massachusetts, Births, 1841-1915,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FX61-NC9 : accessed 19 Aug 2014), Lena Petralis, 31 Aug 1894; citing Greenfield, New York [this is incorrect, it’s NH], p425, Massachusetts Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1651224.
Death
The family lore about Leon’s death was that he was killed in an accident with a runaway horse when his daughter Helen was just 2 years old. These two records certainly are about the same person, but I’m not sure if it’s my Leon. The date of this Leon’s death, 19 Feb 1896, fits with both the family story and the birth of Helen’s half-sister Mae in 1898.
This Leon is the right age, is married and is from Russia. The mother’s first name is the same as the marriage record (Mary) but the father’s is different: Michael here, Mathew on the marriage record. Of course, Leon wouldn’t have been the one providing the information for the death record, so an inconsistency is not surprising. He died of Typhoid Fever and Peritonitis.
Leon does not appear in any other city directories that I can find and his widow is not listed in any later Worcester, Massachusetts directory. In fact, if this is my Leon, these would be the only records that I’ve found that show him in Worcester.
Nashua, Lawrence and Worcester are not all that far apart and as a laborer he likely just went wherever the work was. Also, all 3 cities had strong Lithuanian/Russian communities at the time. If this is Leon, then his mother’s last name is possibly Balcute, which would be a new name to me and another line of possible investigation.
Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Death Records, 1841-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data: Massachusetts Vital Records, 1840–1911. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts.Massachusetts Vital Records, 1911–1915. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts.Title : Worcester, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1897 Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.I’m hoping I have a cousin from the old country that knows all about “Cousin Leon that went to America”, are you out there?
Last night on Who Do You Think You Are some movie person that I’m not familiar with found out that her 5x great-grandfather was a Loyalist during the American Revolution. It reminded me that I too have a Loyalist ancestor, although I hadn’t done much research on him.
Stephen Fountain, my 6x great-grandfather, was born in Stamford, Connecticut around 1745 to Matthew Fountain and an unknown to me wife. Some online trees have Elizabeth Hoyt as the mother of all of Matthew’s children, but there is some conflicting information and I’m pretty sure that the first four or five children where from a different mother. More investigation is needed there.
In 1775 and 6, Stephen is married to Sarah (Scofield) and is a blacksmith/gunsmith in either Brookhaven, NY or Stamford, possibly both. And apparently, he is assisting the British ships in Long Island Sound with arms and supplies, and recruiting those sympathetic to the crown.
On 13 May 1776, the Joint Committee of Brookhaven hears “evidence being called to discover the secret plots and misconduct of sundry evil-minded persons”, namely Captain Jonathan Baker and blacksmith Stephen Fountain. Stephen’s apprentice Henry Hulse, Jr. testifies of secretive behavior:
a number of New-England people had staid in that neighbourhood, being to him strangers, who were often in private conference, in private places, with said Fountain, and would not let him (the deponent) come near them, nor hear what they said;
In all, 22 witnesses testify against Baker and Fountain and they are convicted “as persons that have acted inimical to the liberties of America in a most glaring manner”. The committee asks Lieutenant William Clarke to take the prisoners to the Provincial Congress in New York for disposition. On 8 June 1776, Congress confirms what the Brookhaven Committee had decided and sentences them to prison.
Jonathan Baker and Stephen Fountain, charged and convicted by the Joint Committees of Brookhaven, Manor of St.George, and Patenship of Meritches, of being enemies of their country, and, as such, of having taken up arms and held correspondence with our enemies on board of the Ministerial Ships of War, and very much promoted discord amongst the inhabitants, and seduced many to forsake the cause of their country, were sent to this Congress.
Resolved, That the said Jonathan Baker and Stephen Fountain, be committed to close custody.
And Ordered, That Daniel Goldsmith, the Jailer, he, and he is hereby, directed and requested to receive and keep them in safe custody until the further order of this Congress.
Details are sketchy on what happens next and how long he was imprisoned for, but it seems that Stephen escaped and joined the Royal Army.
In late 1780 through early 1781, Stephen was a member of the Queen’s Rangers. Fans of the TV series “Turn” might recognize the Lieutenant Colonel Commandant of his unit, one John Graves Simcoe, Esq. I’m hoping Stephen makes an appearance next season!
Credit for this document goes to Linda Drake, a cousin that worked with UELAC to establish Stephen Fountain as a documented Loyalist.
In April of 1783, Stephen, wife Sarah and 207 other Loyalists boarded the ship “The Union” and were resettled in Nova Scotia. The Loyalists were granted land there and Stephen established a blacksmith shop and lived in Sandy Cove, Digby, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia until he died in 1818.
Special thank you to cousin Linda Drake, who worked with UELAC to document that Stephen Fountain was a Loyalist and to past president of UELAC Vancouver Branch Wendy Cosby who called this to my attention.
Testimonial quotes taken from this source:
AMERICAN ARCHIVES: Fourth Series containing A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY of The English Colonies in North America. By Peter Force; Volume VI.; Published by M. ST. Clair Clarke and Peter Force. Available here:
Both of my grandfathers come from large families: Vincent was one of 7, Robert was one of 9 children. Coincidentally, they each had a brother that died too young, one was Vinny’s brother Gerald.
James Gerald Lucey was the eldest son of James E and Mary (O’Brien) Lucey, born in Rochester, NH on 28 July 1908.
I found a guardianship record for him dated 23 January 1923 on familysearch.org, which is confusing, since his parents were both alive and it seems that his father is being named his guardian. Seems redundant to name a parent as your legal guardian. I recently learned that when a minor is left an inheritance that a guardian has to be established. Since Gerald was only 14, perhaps that’s the situation here. [thank you Heidi Forrester for asking the question on the Transitional Genealogists Rootsweb forum]. His grandmother Johanna (Donohue) Lucey died in March of 1922, perhaps she left Gerald an inheritance? I haven’t found any probate records for Johanna, but I’ll keep looking.
The Poet
Gerald graduated from Rochester High School in 1928. His sister Betty gave me copies of several yearbook pages, including two poems that he wrote. Betty hand wrote “this one won a prize!” on one of them. Betty lit up when she talked about Gerald, you could tell he held a special place in her heart.
The quote on his profile: “Love heats the brain, and anger makes the poet.” is from the Roman poet Juvenal. Paul Whiteman was a popular bandleader in the 1920’s known as the “King of Jazz”.
Poems from students Gerald Lucey, Blanche Davis, Horace Swaine, Annie Phillips, Kenneth Palmer, and Emerson Corson appeared in the Rochester High School yearbook.
In April of 1929, Gerald married Marguerite Hayes, the 18-year-old daughter of George and Nellie (Blazo) Hayes. The Hayes family lived just a few doors down from the Lucey’s on Portland Street.
Gerald was an usher in his cousin Mary Schlenker’s 1932 wedding to Wilfred Roy.
28 April 1932 Wedding of Mary Schlenker and Wilfred Roy, Rochester, NH
He worked as a Carder at the Gonic Woolen Mills, possibly under the direction of his grandfather James, they likely worked together for a short time before James retired.
Gerald and Marguerite had one daughter, Eleanor around 1933. She married Arthur Belanger Jr in 1953, they had four children.
Just nine years later, on 28 March 1942, at age 33, Gerald died of rheumatic heart disease brought on by rheumatic fever.
Every family tree has someone who “disappeared”, right? I have a few people who seemingly drop off the face of the earth, no censuses, death records, obituaries after a certain point.
My 3rd great-grandmother, Mary (Walsh) Lucey led a fairly well-documented life right up until she didn’t. This is kind of surprising, given that she lived in the mid to late 1800’s in Massachusetts, a time and place when both church and civil record keeping was in place. I’d like to share what I know, in the hopes that someday she is found.
The Early Years in Ireland
There is a Mary Walsh born 6 Aug 1821 in the Parish Registers of the Diocese of Cloyne, parish of Templerobin, Cove, Co Cork, Ireland 1. The parents listed are Mich[ael] & Mary Thomey, sponsors William Grant and Cath Nagle. I’m not sure if this is the correct Mary Walsh but it was the only one I could find in the area in the timeframe of her birth.
The next record of Mary is her marriage to James Lucey, 10 July 1841, documented in the same parish register as the birth record. The clergyman was P Fuller and the witnesses Jim Callaghan and Mary Sloane.
In April of 1853, a Mary Lucey is enumerated in Griffith’s Valuation on Cuskinny Road (off Bishop Street) in Queenstown2[modern-day Cobh].
In America
On the 12th of November, 1853 Mary arrived in America with her sons John and James3.
Mary, John and James, coming to America aboard the Meridian. They arrived on 12 Nov, 1853.
In 1855 Mary, along with husband James [the only record of James in the U.S.] and sons John and James are living in Brighton, Massachusetts.
James, Mary and sons John and James.
In 18604, Mary lived in the BallardVale section of Andover, husband James is not listed. Her occupation is “washing” and the value of personal estate is $20.
Mary, John, James, Margaret and David
On 24 June of the following year, she married John Hogan of Lawrence, his third, her second marriage. This is the only record where her parents are listed and unfortunately, she only listed one: David Welch5, which doesn’t match the birth record I had found.
I assume that her first husband James died sometime between 1855 and 1861, but I have not been able to find a death record.
John Hogan & Mary Lucey Marriage Record, 24 Jun 1861, Lawrence MA. Edited.
In May of 1865 Mary, husband John Hogan and her children James, Mary, Margaret and David were living in South Groveland, Mass6. Incidentally, next door lived the Crotty family, including 16-year-old Mary Jane who would later marry James and die in childbirth.
27 July 1870, Mary makes her last appearance in the records7. Living in the same house as the 1865 census, but listed as Margaret Hogan with children Margaret and David, no husband listed. John was about 20 years older than Mary, so I assume that he died sometime between 1865 and 70.
Three of Mary’s children, David, Mary and Margaret, stayed in the Groveland area for the rest of their lives. James [my 2nd great-grandfather] moved to Rochester, New Hampshire in 1880. She wasn’t living with any of them in the 1880 census or with anyone else in the area that I can find. I’ve checked every Mary Hogan in the Massachusetts Death Record indexes, none fit.
I’ve searched cemetery records, newspapers, directories, civil records, census records, to no avail. It’s possible that she’s buried in the same plot as her son John at St. Augustine’s cemetery in Andover, MA, but the church has lost the records of who is buried in the plot beyond John. I’ll keep looking, hopefully someday a record will turn up that shows what happened to her. Have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments!
1. Parish Registers of the Diocese of Cloyne, parish of Templerobin, Co Cork, Ireland, no page numbers, Film Number: P4987. National Archives, Dublin, Ireland. Transcribed by the author 22 Feb 2002.↩ 2. “Heritage World Family History Services. Ireland, Griffith’s Valuation, 1847-1864 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data: General Valuation of Ireland. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Microforms Ltd., 1978. National Archives, Dublin and Public Record Office, Belfast. Parish: Templerobin. Pg. 66.↩ 3. “Boston Passenger Lists, 1820-1943” database. *Ancestry.com.* (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 Sep 2013), entry for Mary Lucy, aboard *Meridian*, Liverpool to Boston, arriving 12 Nov 1853; citing Boston, Massachusetts. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts, 1820-1891. Micropublication M277. RG036. 115 rolls. National Archives, Washington, D.C.↩ 4. 1860 U.S. Census, Essex County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Town of Andover, Ballard Vale post office, page 202, dwelling 1368, family 1615, Mary Lucy household; digital images, *Ancestry.com.* (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 Sep 2013); citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 496; Page: 202; Image: 206; Family History Library Film: 803496.”↩ 5. Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Marriage Records, 1840-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.Original data: Massachusetts Vital Records, 1840–1911. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts.Massachusetts Vital Records, 1911–1915. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts. Entry for Mary Lucey and John Hogan↩ 6. Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, State Census, 1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
Original data: Massachusetts. 1855–1865 Massachusetts State Census [microform]. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts. Town of Groveland, Lines 27-32, Household 311.↩ 7. Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Year: 1870; Census Place: Groveland, Essex, Massachusetts; Roll: M593_608; Page: 602B; Image: 439; Family History Library Film: 552107. Family 382↩
I’m fortunate to have a direct ancestor that participated in the American Revolution, my 5th great-grandfather Peter Stanhope. I’ll eventually get around to filling out my Sons of the American Revolution membership application.
He and his older brother Samuel both served, of the two, Samuel’s service is better documented due to his pension records. I’m not sure why Peter doesn’t have a pension file. Samuel served two separate stints with the militia in Massachusetts, the first for 8 months in 1775. According to his pension record “that at the time Bunker Hill Battle was fought he was at home on a furlough”
Both served in Captain Manasseh Sawyer’s Company, Colonel Nicholas Dike’s Regiment for 3 months in the fall of 1776. Samuel’s application for pension provides a description of this service:
…he joined the army at Dorchester hill – at which place he assisted in the building of a fort and where he was stationed the principal part of the time – that towards the last part of this enlistment he was ordered to Castle Island where he worked on the fortress there being built on said island during the day, and returned at night to Dorchester Hill…
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War pg. 825 entry for Peter Stanhope
Peter was born 29 Nov 1759 in Sudbury, Massachusetts to Samuel and Elisabeth (Angier) Stanhope. Peter married Elizabeth Parmenter 30 Nov 1775 in Bolton, they had 12 children there and at some point between 1802 and 1810 moved to Plantation 4 [later Robbinston] in Washington County Maine. In 1845 he died there at age 86.
Ancestry.com. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War (Images Online) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
Original data: Massachusetts. Secretary of the Commonwealth. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War. Vol. 1-17. Boston, MA, USA: Wright & Potter Printing, 1896-1908.
Fold3.com. Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, NARA M804. Record of Samuel Stanhope, page 5 of Pension Application. Accessed 4 Jul 2014. http://www.fold3.com/image/27175135/.
In March of 1904, my great-grandfather James E Lucey Jr along with his brothers David and John, purchased the Emerson Bottling Company of Rochester, NH and renamed it the Cocheco Bottling Works.
Listing in Vol 1 of the State of NH Annual Reports 1912-1913 Pg.16
They bottled their own ginger ale, tonic water as well as orange and lemon-lime crush. Around 1917, the Lucey’s sold the business to Alfred Lagasse, who lived a few doors down from James and his wife Mary on Portland St. in Rochester. Alfred was late with a payment once and Mary chased him down Portland street with a broom according to a story I was told by her daughter Betty.
The Bottling Works building made the cover of the Images of America Rochester book by Florence Horne Smith. If you are not familiar with this wonderful series of books from Arcadia Publishing, check out the available titles here. I have about 30 of them from the various places my family have lived over the years, there’s always something of interest in them.
Over the years I’ve found some bottles and a wooden crate with the Cocheco logo, it’s doubtful that they are from the time period when the Lucey’s owned it, but still nice to have.
James was born in South Groveland, MA on 14 Apr 1879 and married Mary O’Brien on Halloween in 1905. They had seven children, all in Rochester: Frances, James Gerald, Richard, Donald, Vincent [my grandfather], Joan and Elizabeth. James died of a heart attack in Rochester on 19 Jan 1944 at 64 years old.
As I mentioned in an earlier post about my 3rd great-grandfather John Frost, his wife Catherine’s surname was unknown. Recently Ancestry.com added records from the New York, New York Marriage Indexes 1866-1937 and I found the entry for John and Catherine’s son Frederick, who married Augusta Kiem in 1886 at the German Evangelical Church in Brooklyn [where Augusta’s family lived]. I ordered the original from the NYC Department of Records and 6 weeks later the photocopy arrived in the mail. It’s not always the case, but this one included quite a bit of information, including his mother’s maiden name!
The name could be spelled Dixheimer, but based on some preliminary searching I think Dexheimer is the proper spelling. Her first name is also spelled with a K on this record, but C is used on every other record I have for her, I’m pretty sure K is the more traditional German spelling.
Because John and Katherine lived in Newark, NJ, I checked Ancestry.com for records of other Dexheimer’s in the area and found one that is particularly interesting. Frederick Dexheimer was born around 1829 in Hesse Darmstadt and is a barber in the 1861 Jersey City directory. Katherine was also from Hesse Darmstadt and was born around 1818, so they could be siblings, but what’s really interesting is that he’s a barber. Katherine’s sons Julius [my 2nd great-grandfather] and Frederick [possibly named after his uncle?] were in the barber supply business for many years. I’ve often wondered how they got involved in that business, perhaps it was Uncle Fred?
Interesting how answering one question leads to so many more, the investigation continues…
References: Ancestry.com. New York, New York, Marriage Indexes 1866-1937 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
Original data: Index to New York City Marriages, 1866-1937. Indices prepared by the Italian Genealogical Group and the German Genealogy Group, and used with permission of the New York City Department of Records/Municipal Archives.
Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
Yesterday my son graduated high-school, congratulations Josh!
Eighty two years ago, my grandfather Vincent John Lucey graduated from Rochester (NH) High. I’m sure Vinny’s parents were as proud of him as we are of Joshua.
A monument stands in the Petersburg National Battlefield near Colquitt’s Salient Trail. Today there are tall pine trees, a paved path and quiet. It’s hard to imagine that this exact spot was once an open field described as “a burning, seething, crashing, hissing hell”.
Lieutenant Horace H. Shaw used those words to describe the events of 18 June 1864, when the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery regiment, some 900 men, were ordered to charge across 300 yards of open field to attack the Confederate breastworks near the tree line. Of the nine hundred, 632 were killed or wounded in the span of 10 minutes. The largest loss of life in a single action of any regiment in the war. In 1895, Horace Shaw organized funds to purchase the land and commission the monument [details here]. One of the survivors was my 1st cousin 4x removed George A Stanhope, older brother of Gilbert. George was 22 when he enlisted in 1862, his first child Emma had been born just a few months before. In November of 1864 he was promoted to Corporal and returned to Robbinston, Maine when he mustered out in June of 1865. He and his wife Susan (Laskey) had nine more children, I’ve only found seven of the ten so far: Emma, Sophronia, George Jr, John, Mary, Alice and Jessie. Susan died in 1912 and two years later George married Sophia Hatt. He died 24 May 1919 in Calais, Maine.
The more I read about what the men of the 1st Maine went through, the more I respect and appreciate the sacrifice made by the men and women in our military. I will certainly make every effort to observe Memorial Day more formally going forward, they deserve at least that.
If you are planning to visit this National Park, I’d highly recommend a visit to Civil War Hikes.
Original source for much information about the 1st Maine and the first 3 images:
Shaw, Horace H, and Charles J House. The First Maine Heavy Artillery, 1861-1865: a History of Its Part and Place In the War for the Union, with an Outline of Causes of War and Its Results to Our Country. Portland, Me, 1903. Available online via GoogleBooks ( http://books.google.com/books?id=G50dAQAAMAAJ ) Accessed 20-22 May 2014.
In 1862, Peter (my 3rd great-grand uncle) and Caroline (Davis) Stanhope had 5 sons of age to serve in the military. Curtis registered, but I can find no record of military service. Aaron and Lorenzo served in Infantry regiments (9th and 28th, respectively), George and Gilbert served in Company D of the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery.
Fortunately they all survived the war, though not without some physical reminders. In 1890 Gilbert was documented suffering as from rheumatism and deafness, he was 44 years old.
Year: 1890; Census Place: Jonesboro, Whitneyville and Marshfield, Washington, Maine; Roll: 7; Page: 3; Enumeration District: 59. Ancestry.com. 1890 Veterans Schedules [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Image modified by author to show the relevant lines.Over a 30 day span, he would have participated in the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Second Cold Harbor and Petersburg as well as a number of smaller skirmishes. During that short time, over 1100 of his comrades in the 1st Maine were killed or wounded [over 600 in just 10 minutes at Petersburg]. And the war wasn’t over, they fought for almost another year. The accounts [see Ch.9 A Burning, Seething, Crashing, Hissing Hell] of 18 June 1864 at Petersburg alone are horrifying, I can’t imagine how the survivors could ever shake the shadow of war.
Gilbert returned to Washington county after the war and married Charlotte Frost. He worked as a farm laborer and lumberman. They had seven children: Frank, Lillie, Jonas, Betsy Annie, Sadie, Isabel and Gilbert.
In 1885, the survivors of the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery gathered in Portland, Maine. I’m not sure if Gilbert was there, I’d love to find a picture of him to compare with this one.
Courtesy of Clarence Woodcock http://www.cwoodcock.com/firstmaine/index.html Image from the book “The First Maine Heavy Artillery, 1861-1865” by Horace H. Shaw, Charles J. House. Citation details at the bottom of the page.
Gilbert died 17 June 1902 at age 56. According to his death record he broke his neck falling out of a wagon while intoxicated. A sad, unfortunate end to be sure.
Source for much information about the 1st Maine and the reunion image:
Shaw, Horace H, and Charles J House. The First Maine Heavy Artillery, 1861-1865: a History of Its Part and Place In the War for the Union, with an Outline of Causes of War and Its Results to Our Country. Portland, Me, 1903. Available online via GoogleBooks ( http://books.google.com/books?id=G50dAQAAMAAJ ) Accessed 12-14 May 2014.
After the The Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery regiment fought along with the rest of the Army of the Potomac in smaller battles at the North Anna river and Totopotomoy Creek. In early June they fought in the battle known as Second Cold Harbor, near Mechanicsville, VA. In Grant’s memoir he wrote “I have always regretted that the last assault at Cold Harbor was ever made… no advantage whatever was gained to compensate for the heavy loss we sustained.”
It was there that my 2nd great-grand uncle Frederick Stanhope received a gunshot wound. I’m not sure if the wound prevented him from fighting in any of the battles over the next year or so, but he did survive the war.
Frederick was about 17 when he enlisted 5 Jan 1864. He was mustered out 11 Sept 1865 and returned home to Robbinston, Washington County, Maine.
Shaw, Horace H, and Charles J House. The First Maine Heavy Artillery, 1861-1865: a History of Its Part and Place In the War for the Union, with an Outline of Causes of War and Its Results to Our Country. Portland, Me, 1903. Available online via GoogleBooks ( http://books.google.com/books?id=G50dAQAAMAAJ ) Accessed 12-14 May 2014.
A little over a year later, he married Hannah McLaughlin and they had four children: Sarah, Laura, Lucy and Frederick Jr.
Frederick was the eldest son of Rodolphus and Charlotte (Leighton), one of 10 children. I’m related to him through his older sister Sarah (my 3rd great-grandmother) AND his younger brother Sewall (my 2nd great-grandfather).
He died in Dennysville, Maine of tuberculosis on 1 May 1898, at age 52.
Stanhope, Frederick Pension Index. Roll T288 – 449. National Archives and Records Administration. U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.This post is 19th in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge series.
George Hayward was a 33-year-old father of six when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. His youngest child, Anna Amelia [my 2nd great-grandmother], had turned two the week before he was mustered into Company K of the 18th Maine Infantry Regiment.
In 1912 the Lewiston Journal published a profile on George in which some stories were shared that I think offer some great perspective on the life of a new soldier in 1862. Thanks to David Colby Young, the family of the late Robert L. Taylor and the Androscoggin Historical Society for transcribing and permission to share from their transcription of the original.
When the companies arrived at Portland they found tents pitched and a good supply of provisions. Most of the officers had little knowledge of what a soldier’s duty was.
When the uniforms came the space between the bottom of the pant’s legs I and the tops of the new army shoes was often an illustration of the relation of 4 the northern and southern states at that time. Nothing could bring them together.
After a while the men began to look natural but it was a good thing that there were no looking glasses. The little army cap, issued and worn at that time, the men regarded as a joke and wore it in all forms except that of a soldier. The arms and equipments, included an unnecessary amount of leather straps and a cartridge box. These were put on in every conceivable manner at, first. But the men soon adjusted themselves to their harness… Aug 24th, Sunday, the regiment took the train for Washington.
Many of the men saw Boston for the first time.
Many of the survivors will remember the reception at the cooper shop in Philadelphia, a refreshing bath and delicious supper. They arrived in Washington about noon of the 27th and were quickly marched into a huge barrack rack, where they were served with a slice of bread, and a piece of boiled beef, with poor coffee to drink and no place to sit down.
That night they encamped with out tents on the side of a hill which had been washed by the, rain, leaving upon the surface stones about the size of a robin’s egg, which, of course made very restless beds.
After a year and nine months of garrison duty in Washington D.C., the 18th Infantry was converted into the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery regiment and assigned to join Grant’s army in Virginia, near Spotsylvania for the Overland Campaign. Again from the Lewiston Journal transcription:
Soon the men of Co. K were in active warfare and in the first battle at Spottsylvania courtyard, Mr. Hayward was wounded. The old soldier’s eyes filled with tears as he told how with the last charge in his gun, he was shot by a rebel.
On the 19th of May, In the same battle where Samuel Collier was killed, George was injured. While prone a bullet struck him between his spine and right shoulder-blade and traveled down his back. The bullet was cut from his hip area. George spent the next year in various hospitals and was eventually discharged in May 1865. According to his pension application he suffered lingering issues due to his injury and collected $12 per month as a result.
George and Rachel (Carter) Hayward. Used with kind permission of David Bennett
George was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia 19 July 1829, the son of Stephen and Anna (Gould) Hayward. In 1850 he married Rachel Bridges Carter (1832-1919), the eldest daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Cox) Carter. One more quote from the Lewiston Journal tells how they met:
One day while going to Pembroke to do some haying, he came to a big mud puddle, and on the other side of it he saw a pretty young lady. He helped her over and they soon became good friends. The young lady was Rachel B. Carter of Pembroke. On Jan. 2, 1850 she became his wife.
They would go on to have 12 children, 44 grandchildren and 66 great-grandchildren [that I know of]. George died 2 Sep 1913 in Dennysville, Maine at 84 years old.
You may have heard of the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery Regiment. The unit has the unfortunate distinction of having the most men killed and mortally wounded in battle of any Union regiment during the Civil War. Samuel Collier, the husband of my 2nd great-grand aunt Frances Ellen Bowen, was one of them.
Samuel was born in England around 1830 and married Frances in November of 1861. They lived in Perry, Maine and in August of 1862 when the Army came to enlist men in Washington County, he signed up. His was originally the 18th Maine Infantry unit and the men of Washington County were assigned to Company K.
Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Maine 1863 Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S., Adjutant General Military Records, 1631-1976 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Various. Sacramento, California: California State Library.For the next year and nine months, Company K served in defense of Washington D.C. in Batteries Cameron and Parrott and trained in Infantry and Heavy Artillery tactics. In April 1863, Frances gave birth to their son and named him after his father that he would never meet. Garrison duty in D.C. doesn’t sound like it was very exciting, they did a lot of practicing and drills, but never saw any actual combat. That was about to change.
In early May 1864 Grant’s Overland Campaign began and with it, the order for most of the regiments on guard duty in D.C. to join the battle. The 1st Maine joined Tyler’s Heavy Artillery Division. They met up with the main Army near Spotsylvania on May 18th and the next day had their baptism by fire.
Spotsylvania – May 12 1864. Map from NPS.gov, public domain
Although the men of the 1st had been in service for some time, they were still “green”. When they were pressed into service near Harris’ farm to defend the right flank from Ewells’ attack, they fought in a more formal, by-the-book style, rather than the get on the ground/behind cover/in a foxhole – just survive – style that the veterans used. The veterans had learned that there is honor in living to fight another day.
So they stood, literally, in the open and fired at the enemy while being fired upon. As you can imagine, the results were devastating: 82 killed (including 6 officers), 394 wounded, 5 missing. Eventually the Union troops forced the retreat of Ewell’s men and ended the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse. This was only the beginning for the 1st Maine, but that’s a story for another time.
For an excellent writeup of this unit, check out Andrew MacIsaac’s thesis “Here the Reaper was the Angel of Death: The First Maine Heavy Artillery During the Overland Campaign” posted here. Also see the National Park Service Regiment Details site.
Newspapers are one of my favorite sources, where else can you get stories like the one below? This particular article comes from the January 5th, 1895 edition of “The Press” from New York, NY and features my 3rd great-grandfather Reuben Odell. I found it on the Old Fulton NY Post Cards website.
New York Press, 5 January 1895
He Ran Away With His Child
And Then Hid Behind a Coffin in a Morgue
Frank W. Drake tried to abduct his infant child on Thursday. The child and her older sister were in the oyster saloon of Reuben Odell, at 55 Bleecker street, Newark. Odell is Drake’s father-in-law. Mrs. Drake left her husband a week ago, his treatment of her having become unbearable. Thursday she went back to her husband’s home on Pine Street, South Orange, to remonstrate with him.
During her absence he went to her father’s place. There were hot words between Drake and his father-in-law. Then there was a fight, and Drake was hurled to the sidewalk, bruised and bleeding. By and by he came back again. Odell was in a back room.
Drake saw his little girl sitting on her grandmother’s lap and asked the woman to let him kiss the child. He pleaded with tears in his eyes, and finally the little one was placed in his arms. Then he bolted out of the door and sped away down Washington street. Odell gave chase, Drake dodged into Mullin’s morgue and hid behind a coffin. Odell followed him in.
“Give me the child.” he said.
Drake hesitated a moment, and then placed the infant in its grandfather’s arms. Then he darted out of the morgue and made good his escape.
Mrs. Drake is Martha Odell, sister of Susan Odell Frost. The story does have a happy ending as far as I’m aware, Martha and Frank did reconcile and had four more children.
93 years ago today [19 April], my 2nd great-grandmother Susan Carolyn (Odell) Frost passed away at the age of 62. I’m fortunate to have a few pictures of her, including this one taken around 1919 in Newark, New Jersey with two of her children and her granddaughter.
Mae Frost Hotchkiss, Susan Odell Frost, Dorothy Hotchkiss and Fred Frost
She is buried in the family plot in the Fairmont Cemetery in Newark. Which I understand is now in a “not so nice” area, but I’d still try to visit next time I’m in New Jersey.
A cousin sent me the records from the cemetery, which includes the names, ages and dates of death of the 22! family members buried in the plot, including Susan’s parents, grandparents, various aunts, uncles and cousins. Truly a genealogical goldmine of information.
Susan Carolyn Odell was born 24 April 1858 in New Jersey to Reuben and Martha (Cole) Odell, she was the eldest of their seven children. In June of 1880, she married Julius Henry Frost, a young entrepreneur that had started a Barber Supply business with his brother Frederick.
They had five children:
Mae (1881-1932)
Edward (1883-?)
Julius (1885-1956) [my great-grandfather]
Charles (1890-?)
Frederick (1891-1957)
This week, I’d like to say Happy Birthday and remember a wonderful woman, Sandra Davis.
When I moved to Haverhill, MA in 2001, I knew that my Lucey’s had lived across the Merrimack River in Groveland in the 1860’s, it was what drew me to the area in the first place. What I didn’t know, was that my 2nd great-grandfather James had a brother David that stayed in the area after James left for Rochester, NH in 1879.
David Lucey (1857-1904) lived on Temple St with his wife Jean (Brodie) and their daughter Lucille [yes, Lucy Lucey]. He was a real estate investor and owned a bar/restaurant in Washington Square in downtown Haverhill. It was such a pleasant surprise to find out about this “lost” [to me anyway] branch of the family.
Later in 2001, I found a forum post on a local website looking for information on relatives of Lucille. A woman named Sandra Davis from Texas said she was a descendant of Lucille and Harold Smith. How exciting! A real, long-lost cousin!
Sandra, a 3rd generation only child on her Lucey line, had been looking for information on this part of her family for a number of years and fortunately, my grandfather’s sisters Betty and Joan were still around and knew Sandra’s father and grandmother. They exchanged letters and in 2002 we held a family reunion at our house and Sandra attended as the guest of honor.
Sandra and Betty Lucey Bedard August 2002
We kept in touch over the ensuing years and when we moved to North Carolina, Sandra and her husband Ted came from Texas to visit their son Russell and his family who live in the same area and we visited with them. And while I haven’t met her other children, we keep in touch via social media and I’m sure will meet at some point.
Unfortunately, Sandra passed away in 2011.
In her emails to me, she would often thank me for giving her a connection to this part of her history that she never knew, but I’m the one that’s thankful. Not only was she wonderful to me, my wife and my children; she was the catalyst for having that family reunion which was the last time my grandfather’s sisters and my grandmother were together, three short years later they were all gone. We also have a great relationship with Russell and his family. Russell and I share a love of beer and music, it’s in the genes I’m sure.
So thank you Sandra and Happy Birthday, you are missed.
My 2nd great-grandfather James Lucey had a wife and child before he married my 2nd great-grandmother. She died in childbirth along with their son James in 1868. Her name was Mary Jane Crotty and according to the 1865 Massachusetts census, was literally the girl next door. There was no civil record of the marriage or of the birth, just her death record which listed her maiden name. So how do I know about it?
His Civil War pension application.
Having that information put me in contact with Flavia Adams, a descendant of the Crotty’s, fellow genealogist and a wonderful woman. It also helped to explain the strong connection between the families. If it weren’t for the pension records, that connection might have been lost to history.
The Federation of Genealogical Societies, in partnership with the National Archives, Ancestry.com and Fold3, launched a fund raising campaign to digitize 7.2 million War of 1812 pension documents held in the Archives. Once digitized the files are available for free via Fold3. There are thousands of stories in those very fragile documents, they need to be protected and made available. Please join me in supporting this extremely important effort by donating at Preserve the Pensions.
One War of 1812 Pension records that I’m particularly interested in is that of my 4th great grandfather Rodolphus Stanhope. He was born around 1796 in Massachusetts, possibly in the Sudbury area where his family lived before moving to Plantation 4 [which became Robbinston in 1811] in present day Maine. He was a young man of 15 or 16 when he volunteered for Captain Thomas Vose’s company in July of 1812, just weeks after Congress authorized the war.
Massachusetts Volunteer Militia in the War of 1812, pg. 159 Records of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia Ancestry.com. U.S., Adjutant General Military Records, 1631-1976 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Various. Sacramento, California: California State Library.Rodolphus married Susannah Hickey in 1815 and they had 13 children over the next 30 years. They lived in Robbinston, Perry and finally Whiting, Maine. Rodolphus died 17 August 1870 and a short time later Susannah applied for his War of 1812 pension. I can’t wait to see what stories might be in his pension records. Help make sure that none of the records are lost, make a tax-deductible donation at Preserve the Pensions.
Ancestry.com. War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.This post is 13th in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge series.
When my Lucey’s came to America in 1852 they left daughter Anne in Ireland, she was probably only 10 years old. I wonder why she stayed, perhaps she was sick and couldn’t travel. And who she lived with, did some other family members remain? I only found out about Anne because her daughter Elizabeth came to America and stayed with family in Haverhill and Groveland, Massachusetts (censused as “niece” in 1900 and 1910). From Elizabeth’s passenger records, I was able to find Anne and her family in the 1901 and 1911 Ireland Censuses.
The Cover Page of the 1901 Ireland Census for the Mann family
The family lived at 36 Harbour Row in Cobh or Queenstown as it was known then, in County Cork. Some additional location info is also captured on the form including:
Barony: Barrymore
Parish: Templerobin
Townland: Kilgarvan
In the 1901 Census the family consists of:
John, age 61, a carpenter born in London
Anne, age 49 [this might be 59], wife, born in County Cork
Mary Ellen, age 29, dressmaker, born in County Cork
Anne, age 20, dressmaker, born in County Cork
In 1911, things have changed a bit. Anne is now a widow and there’s a son listed, John age 38 that wasn’t listed with the family in 1901. An additional question was asked in this census, number of children born and living, to which Anne answered 9 and 7 respectively. I know of only 4 children, Mary, John, Elizabeth and Anne. So more research to do there, sounds like a good reason to visit Ireland again!
John Arthur Mann, Anne’s husband, died 27 Feb 1906 and is buried in Templerobin Cemetery in Cobh. Son John is also buried there, he died 16 Feb 1935. I don’t have any additional information on Anne or her daughters. I’m hoping there are some descendants out there, please contact me via comment or email if you are connected.
On January 13th, 1864, just four days after he turned 18, Benjamin Franklin Bowen was mustered into Company H, First Regiment District of Columbia Cavalry. He traveled nearly 200 miles from his home in Perry to the capital, Augusta, Maine, perhaps with fellow recruits and Perry-ites Columbus Frost, William McPhail and James Garnett1.
The war had already had a terrible impact to Benjamin’s family. His older brother George Washington Bowen died in Sep 1863 far away from home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Patriarch William died in 1862 at Camp Chase in Lowell, Massachusetts, a mere 4 months after enlisting. The family couldn’t afford to bring either of them home for burial.
His brother John Quincy Adams Bowen enlisted in December of 1863 and his brother-in-law Samuel Collier was fighting with the 18th Maine Infantry. Neither would make it back from the war.
Benjamin’s regiment was initially formed in mid-1863 specifically to defend Washington D.C., but in January 1864 was pressed into service with Kautz’s Cavalry Division. In late June, General Grant sent Brigadier Generals Kautz and Wilson to destroy rail lines that were feeding supplies to the Confederate troops defending Petersburg. They had destroyed about 60 miles of rail lines when they came to Roanoke Station and the covered rail bridge over the Staunton River.
Staunton River Battlefield State Park map. Photo by Dave Lucey
Confederate troops defending the bridge were outnumbered, but they had a heads up and rounded up every able-bodied man and child to defend the bridge. They dug in and on the afternoon of the 25th the Union forces advanced on the bridge. Benjamin’s unit attacked from the east and were repulsed. Fighting continued for hours, with the Confederates holding ground, keeping the bridge safe. Eventually, the unit that was chasing the Union troops caught up and attacked from the rear, forcing Wilson-Kautz to move on.
Benjamin was injured during the fight and died two days later, on June 27th. He is supposedly buried in Coyner Springs Cemetery, but I’ve been unable to confirm that. What I can confirm is that he, like his father and brothers, did not make it home.
The Staunton River Bridge. At the time of the battle this was the covered railroad bridge. Photo by Dave Lucey 2012
[1] Ancestry.com. U.S., Adjutant General Military Records, 1631-1976 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Appendix D. Pg. 935-944. Record of Recruits for First Regiment District of Columbia Cavalry. Original data: California State Library; Sacramento; Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Maine.
Last week I mentioned my great-grandmother Helen Frost’s two half-siblings and went into detail on Mae Smith Chambers. This week I’ll share what I know about her half-brother, Arthur Smith. Art was born around 1899, probably in Connecticut, but much like his sister I’ve yet to find any birth record.
Mae and Art’s father went by John Frank Smith, but that’s not his real name and I’m unsure of when he changed it. The first record I have of John is the 1930 census when he was about 65. John was born in Poland according to the that census1, Russia according the 1940 census, but was Lithuanian ethnically. I speculate that when both Mae and Art were born John was still using his original name or some variation, which makes the records difficult to find.
Art was a career U.S. Navy man and as you can tell from this photo he was a young man when joined.
In 1920 Art was in Seaview, Washington according to this picture.Helen Smith Frost, Arthur Smith, Gladys and Melvin Drake, Children Arthur Frost and Evelyn Drake in the front. Circa 1926
The next record I can find for him is the 1940 census, living in San Diego with his wife Mary. He is a Chief Radioman for the U.S. Navy2. This photo was probably taken around that time.
Art Smith circa 1940
In 1960, Art and Mary are living in San Dieguito, CA and he is working for Convair Astronautics3, a division of General Dynamics that was working on the Atlas rocket that eventually launched the Mercury astronauts into space.
My great-grandmother Helen thought highly of Arthur, so much so that she named one of her son’s after him. It would be great to find that he and Mary had a child or two during the years where I can’t find them.
This post is 10th in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge series.
[1] Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002. 1930; Census Place: Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts; Roll: 938; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 0005; Image: 590.0; FHL microfilm: 2340673. Frank Smith household. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.
[2] Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Year: 1940; Census Place: San Diego, San Diego, California; Roll: T627_448; Page: 34A; Enumeration District: 62-17. Arthur J. Smith household. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.
[3] Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Title : San Dieguito, California, City Directory, 1960 Pg. 44 Entry for Smith, Arthr J.
Since I’ve had some luck connecting with new cousins lately, I thought I’d post about a line where I’m not aware of any living descendants, but would love to connect if there are any.
My maternal great-grandmother Helen had a half-sister and brother, Mae Smith and Arthur J Smith.
Mae married William Benjamin Chambers on 1 July 1916 in Bridgewater, MA.
According to the town record of the event1 she was born in 1898 in New Haven, CT and was a telephone operator. Her parents are listed as Charles Smith and Minnie Stankiewicz. In most records her father went by John or Frank (sometimes both) and her mother went by so many names she will be the topic of another post.
Mae Smith, Arthur Smith, William Chambers, Minnie Smith
Mae and Bill lived at 118 Plymouth St in Bridgewater, MA for about 25 years, then Brockton, MA for the next 10. At some point in the 1960’s they moved to Duarte, a small community outside of Los Angeles, CA. Mae died 1 Dec 19662, her husband Bill a year later.
They had one son for sure, William A Chambers, in 1917. There is another son that is listed in the 1940 census with the family [Edward], but I haven’t been able to find any other records of his relationship.
Son William was known as Billy Boy in the family. He also ended up in California and died 1 March 1988 in Carlsbad3. I’m not sure if he had a wife or any children, but if you or someone you know is connected, please contact me!
Back Row: William “Billy Boy” Chambers, Helen “Honey” Frost, Mae Smith Chambers, Minnie Smith. Middle Row: Jane “Ginger” Frost, Helen Smith Frost. Front: Priscilla Frost. 1940 – 51 Hammond St, Bridgewater, MA
[1] Births, Marriages and Death. Ancestry.com Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Record of Marriage Intentions, Town of Bridgewater. Mae Smith and William Benjamin Chambers, filed 26 June 1916, issued 1 July 1916.
Original data: Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).
[2] Ancestry.com. California, Death Index, 1940-1997 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Place: Los Angeles; Date: 1 Dec 1966; Social Security: 013109570. Ancestry.com. California, Death Index, 1940-1997 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.
[3] Ancestry.com. California, Death Index, 1940-1997 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Place: San Diego; Date: 1 Mar 1988; Social Security: 031036503. Ancestry.com. California, Death Index, 1940-1997 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.
I was fortunate to have been able to spend a lot of time with my paternal grandmother. When I was very young, she would babysit me and I remember spending a lot of time playing with toys like Weebles and Fisher-Price Little People that she had in a special corner of her three season porch. She and my grandfather Vinny used to visit us on Sundays and bring ice cream (bubble gum flavor sometimes) from Darby’s in Wakefield, MA.
Later in life I was able to talk to her about the family and ask lots of questions. She told me about how her grandfather Fred Bowen made her feel special by taking her into town on his horse and carriage to buy her a dress. About how she worked in a sardine packing plant in Lubec Maine when she was just 9 or 10. And about how she and Vinny loved to drive to places around New England and eastern Canada, collecting swizzle sticks as memento’s from restaurants. They had hoped to do more after he retired, but cancer caught up with him on his 65th birthday.
She was a great cook and baker. She cooked for the Gibbs (oil company) family for years and her pie and cookie recipes have been handed down for several generations (although she possibly “forgot” to write down an ingredient now and then, since they are never quite the same). I think of her every time I see a Lemon Chiffon pie. I say see because I can’t ever eat another one, it can’t compare to hers.
She would have been 101 today.
Doris May Bowen was born in Edmunds, Maine in 1913 to George and Bessie (Stanhope) Bowen1. As is mentioned in a prior post, her family moved to Rochester, NH in the early 1930’s from Perry, Maine. She met my grandfather Vinny while he was working at Winkley’s Grocery Store at 81 Portland St, near where they both lived. They married on 28 November 1936 and lived in Rochester for several years before moving to Saugus, MA.
She died 30 Jan 2004 in Wilmington, MA2 but she’s thought of often.
[1] Maine Department of Health and Welfare, Certified Abstract of a Record of Live Birth. Doris May Bowen, Date of Birth: 23 Feb 1913. Date Filed: 1913. Copy in possession of the author.
[2] Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011. Number: 217-03-3658; Issue State: Maryland; Issue Date: Before 1951. Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration.
Same person? What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know.
It’s a good practice to re-examine old notes and documents every once in a while, you might make a new connection or glean new information. It’s good to have others look too, a fresh set of eyes might see things you’ve overlooked. [Sounds like a great reason to have a blog, doesn’t it?]
Case in point, the picture of the Carding room crew featured in the Woolen Mill Workers post.
I’ve looked at that picture a thousand times but never noticed that the person sitting right next to my 2nd great-grandfather James is likely his son David! A sharp-eyed cousin emailed me and pointed out that he looks an awful lot like the guy in another picture we have that we know to be David Joseph Lucey. Thank you cousin Laurie!
Same person? What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know.
I knew David worked for the Gonic Manufacturing Company as a “second-hand” from his death record, but had no idea if he might have worked with his father in the carding room. I checked the Rochester, NH Directories on Ancestry.com and sure enough in the 1909 directory he’s listed as a carder.
Rochester directory listing for David J Lucey. Dover, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1909 (accessed 12 Feb, 2014) Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Rochester Courier, 22 Dec 1922 Pg. 2B
David Joseph was born 26 Aug 1877 in South Groveland, MA and was likely named after his uncle David Joseph Lucey (1857-1904). He married Mary Hartigan on 18 Apr 1906 in Rochester, NH and they had three children, Bernadette, Mary Frances, and David.
In 1911 he was elected Tax Collector1, foreshadowing his the public service of his son, also David Joseph, who was the Massachusetts Registrar of Motor Vehicles in the 1970’s.
He continued to work at the mill as a second-hand until his untimely death of a heart attack at age 45 in December of 19222.
[1] History of Strafford County, New Hampshire and Representative CitizensBy John Scales. Published by Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co. Chicago, Ill. 1914. Available online via Google Books. (http://goo.gl/2nxwaF: accessed 12 Feb 2014).
[2] Ancestry.com. New Hampshire, Death and Disinterment Records, 1754-1947 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Lucey, David J. Image: 2453. Original data: “New Hampshire, Death and Disinterment Records, 1754–1947.” Online index and digital images. New England Historical Genealogical Society. Citing New Hampshire Bureau of Vital Records, Concord, New Hampshire.
My great-grandfather Jules was a car guy. Nearly every picture of I have of him in his younger years also prominently features a car. So I really wasn’t surprised when I came across a patent application that he filed in April of 1922. A year later his patent was granted for an automobile lock.1
Julius Henry (Jules) was born in Newark, NJ on 19 Mar 1885 to Julius and Susan (Odell) Frost. He was the third child of five: May (1881-1930), Edward (1883-?), Charles (1890-?) and Frederick (1891-1957).
On 11 Nov 1913 he married Helen Catherine Smith in Bridgeport, CT and they had 9 children, including my grandfather Robert (1919-1987) and my wonderful grand-aunts Ginger and Priscilla. He died 11 Nov 1956 in Miami, FL.
O’Brien might be the most common Irish name in America or maybe it just seems that way when I’m trying to find records for my 3rd great-grandfather, Patrick. There are over 4 million results returned when searching for O’Brien on Ancestry and that doesn’t count the misspellings.
Patrick’s last name is misspelled O’Brion on his 1874 marriage record to Ellen Ryan (spelled Rayen on the same)1 and O’Brine on his 1919 death record.2 Thankfully, his daughter Mary passed along some papers and a picture to my grand aunt Betty (Lucey) Bedard. And via Ancestry.com, I connected with a descendant of one of Patrick’s brothers. Chris was able to fill in many blanks and confirm the connection to the Amesbury MA O’Briens.
Patrick O’Brien and Helen Melson (not sure who she is)
Patrick was born in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland in March of 1848, the eldest son of Patrick and Bridget (Hare)3. He came to America sometime in the mid to late 1860’s, probably with his siblings John, Richard and Mary. They lived in Amesbury, MA and he worked in the carding room at the woolen mills there and in neighboring Salisbury4.
This signature is from one of Mary’s report cards
By 1876 he was living in Rochester, NH with wife Ellen (Ryan) and working in the woolen mill, probably the Gonic Manufacturing Co where James Lucey, the future father-in-law of daughter Mary, worked. They had four daughters in Rochester, Katherine (1876-1966), Bernice (1879-1948), Mary (1881-1972) and Sara (1883-1886).5
I love how stuff like this was published in the newspaper!
In the summer of 1910, he and James Lucey visited York Beach Maine where James and Mary (O’Brien) Lucey were vacationing.6
Patrick died 19 Jul 1919 at home in Rochester at age 71.
1. Ancestry.com. Maine, Marriage Records, 1713-1937 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.Original data: Maine Marriage Records, 1705-1922. Augusta, Maine: Maine State Archives. Pre 1892 Delayed Returns; Roll #: 81.
2. Ancestry.com. New Hampshire, Death and Disinterment Records, 1754-1947 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.Original data: “New Hampshire, Death and Disinterment Records, 1754–1947.” Online index and digital images. New England Historical Genealogical Society. Citing New Hampshire Bureau of Vital Records, Concord, New Hampshire.
3. ibid.
4. Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Year: 1870; Census Place: Amesbury, Essex, Massachusetts; Roll: M593_607; Page: 27A; Image: 58; Family History Library Film: 552106.
5. Ancestry.com. New Hampshire, Birth Records, 1659-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations. Inc., 2013.Original data: “New Hampshire, Birth Records, through 1900.” Online index and digital images. New England Historical Genealogical Society. Citing New Hampshire Bureau of Vital Records, Concord, New Hampshire.
6. Ancestry.com. Portsmouth Herald (Portsmouth, New Hampshire) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Original data: Portsmouth Herald. Portsmouth, NH, USA. Database created from microfilm copies of the newspaper. 2 Aug 1910, pg. 2.
Rather than focus on a specific ancestor this week, I thought I’d share a picture and some thoughts on the woolen mill workers in my family.
I believe my 3rd great grandfather began his long career in the mills at Ballardvale, a section of Andover, MA around 1860. His brother John likely worked there also. For any art buffs Charles Sheeler immortalized the mills of Ballardvale in his 1946 painting.
From about 1865 until 1880, the family lived in South Groveland, MA and worked in the mills there.
In 1880, James, his wife Johanna and their children, John, David and James (my 2nd great-grandfather) moved to Rochester, NH where James became Boss Carder at the Gonic Manufacturing Company.
James is in the center of the picture with his carding room crew from the Gonic Manufacturing Company in Rochester, NH.
Robert Frost wrote “The Lone Striker” about his own experiences working in the mills at Lawrence, Mass in the 1890’s. I think it paints a vivid picture:
The air was full of dust of wool.
A thousand yarns were under pull,
But pull so slow, with such a twist,
All day from spool to lesser spool,
It seldom overtaxed their strength;
They safely grew in slender length.
And if one broke by any chance,
The spinner saw it at a glance.
The spinner still was there to spin.
That’s where the human still came in.
Her deft hand showed with finger rings
Among the harplike spread of strings.
She caught the pieces end to end
And, with a touch that never missed,
Not so much tied as made them blend.
December 23rd 1934 was a cold but clear Sunday in Rochester, New Hampshire. My grandmothers younger brother Herbert Bowen was riding around town that afternoon with his friends Arthur and Eleanor when the unthinkable happened.
Arthur is behind the wheel when he spots a car backing out of a driveway. He hits the brakes but they are coming down a hill and the road is icy, he loses control and skids into a telephone pole. Herbert is dead on arrival, he was just 20 years old. The two friends are injured but survive.
What a horrible Christmas that must have been for all the families involved. My grandmother spoke fondly of her brother but I don’t recall any specific stories, just what a tragedy his death was. If any family members reading this know of any, please post a comment or send me an email.
Herbert Sewall and Doris Mae Bowen circa 1918, in the background is their grandfather Sewall Stanhope
Herbert Sewall Bowen was born 30 Aug 1914 in Edmunds, Maine to George and Bessie (Stanhope) Bowen. The family moved to Rochester shortly before the accident because work was scarce in Down East Maine at the time and George’s brother Myron had found a job a the W.H. Champlin box company. They lived in the same multi-family house on Knight street with Myron and his family until 1935 or 36 when they moved to Portland Street. My grandfather Vinny’s family lived on Portland Street, he and Doris married on 28 Nov 1936. George, Bessie and their other son Alton later moved to Meaderboro Road, not far from Walnut Street where Herbert was killed.
Transcription of the Rochester Courier article:
One Killed, Two Injured, As Car Skids Into Pole Hubert Bowen, 20, Dies in Local Crash
Herbert Bowen of 21C Knight street was instantly killed and Arthur Fairweather, Jr., 18, same address, and Eleanor Hanson, 17, of Bow Lake were badly injured when an automobile, driven by Fairweather, skidded into a telephone pole on Walnut street, Sunday afternoon.
According to police, the car was coming down the hill on Walnut street. A car, driven by Albert C. Elgar of Hillsborough and Mrs. Ethel Fitch of East Rochester, was about to back out of a driveway, which was on the left of the approaching car. A collision did not occur as the Elgar car did not back into the street, but evidently Fairweather applied his brakes and his car skidded at full speed on the icy street into the telephone pole.
Rochester Courier 30 Dec 1934 pg. 1
Bowen was taken to the Frisbie Memorial hospital and was pronounced dead on his arrival. Dr. Norman Chesley rendered aid to the other occupants of the wrecked machine.
Dr. Forrest L. Keay, medical referee of Strafford county, viewed the remains and pronounced that Bowen was instantly killed.
Fairweather had a bad cut on the forehead and another cut on the back of his head. Miss Hanson was cut and bruised.
State Officer Frank D. Manning and Traffic Officer Clyde Cotton were on the scene early, being closely followed by State Inspector Harold Foss of Dover.
An investigation was held at the City hall, County Solicitor Thomas J. McGreal of Somersworth in charge. All parties involved were questioned and the accident was declared unavoidable.
Bowen is the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Bowen and was employed at the W. H. Champlin lumber mill.
Herbert Bowen Is Buried Wednesday
Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at the Edgerly chapel on South Main street for the late Herbert Bowen, who was killed instantly in an automobile accident on Walnut street.
Rochester Courier 4 Jan 1935 pg. 5
Mr. Bowen was born in Edmunds, Me., the son of George and Bessie (Stackpole) [actually Stanhope] Bowen and was 20 years of age. He was employed at the W. H. Champlin lumber mill in this city and a wide circle of friends were deeply shocked because of the tragedy.
Rev. Daniel H. Miller, pastor of the True Memorial church, officiated. There was a large and beautiful floral tribute. Undertaker J. H. Edgerly was in charge of the funeral arrangements.
My 2nd post in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge is my 3rd great-grandfather John Frost. He was born around 1822 in Germany and married Catherine sometime around 1845. Catherine was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany around 1818, I’m not sure of her maiden name.
John, Catherine and daughter Elizabeth came to America and lived in Newark, NJ. By 1860 they had two sons as well, Frederick (1855-?) and my 2nd g-grandfather Julius Henry (1857-1934). In the 1860 census, they family is enumerated living on Camfield Street (based on comparisons of neighbors and later city directories), John’s occupation is listed as Saloon and he had a $500 valuation of personal belongings. Frost is misspelled as “Froas”.
Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Year: 1860; Census Place: Newark Ward 2, Essex, New Jersey; Roll: M653_688; Page: 168; Image: 170; Family History Library Film: 803688.John was listed in the 1861 and 1862 Newark Directories as a harness maker on Camfield street but is missing from 1863.
Title: Newark, New Jersey, City Directory, 1861. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.In the 1864 directory, wife Catherine is living at 8 Maiden Lane, no mention of John. In 1865 Catherine is listed as his widow. I haven’t been able to find a death record for John or any record of military service that might have taken him away from New Jersey, so exactly when and how he died is unknown to me.
![Staatsarchiv Hamburg. Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data: Staatsarchiv Hamburg, Bestand: 373-7 I, VIII B 1 Band 078; Seite: 600 (Auswanderungsamt I). Mikrofilmrollen K 1701 - K 2008, S 17363 - S 17383, 13116 - 13183. Month : Indirekt Band 078 (1 Apr 1889 - 29 Jun 1889)](https://eluceydator.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/passengerlist.png)
!["Massachusetts, Births, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FX61-NC9 : accessed 19 Aug 2014), Lena Petralis, 31 Aug 1894; citing Greenfield, New York [this is incorrect, it's NH], p425, Massachusetts Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1651224.](https://eluceydator.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/lenapetralisbr.png)
![Title : Worcester, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1897 Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.](https://eluceydator.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/10312505.jpg)
![Year: 1890; Census Place: Jonesboro, Whitneyville and Marshfield, Washington, Maine; Roll: 7; Page: 3; Enumeration District: 59. Ancestry.com. 1890 Veterans Schedules [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.](https://eluceydator.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/mem123_7-0882.png)
![Title: Newark, New Jersey, City Directory, 1861. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.](https://eluceydator.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/u-s-citydirectories1821-1989forjohnfrost.png)
The eLuceydator 