Grandmother's Wedding Band

Wedding Band, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

It is not easy to take a photo of your own hand!

Wedding Remembrance

One hundred years ago, on this day, my maternal grandparents went to the parsonage and were wed. My grandmother told me it was a foggy day and it was a Tuesday. She told me that people did not make such a fuss over getting married as they do today and so she and her sister, and my grandfather and his brother, just got in the car and drove to the minister's house near the Episcopal church in Westerly. No parents were in attendance. There were no photographs taken. They went out to eat afterwards but that was it.

In late summer of 1971, I asked my grandmother if I could borrow her wedding band to take to have a replica made for myself. Much to my surprise, she looked at her left hand and slowly took off her ring. She handed it to me and told me my grandfather would have been surprised that I wanted it. She got up and rummaged in her desk and came up with her index card household inventory, the crop is of which is shown here. I was really stunned. I took it to Providence and had it cleaned and sized. I didn't want the inscription disturbed. They squeezed in S-M 11.6.71. My finger is sized three and a half. Do you like the cost of the ring in 1914?

She was wearing her ring when she fell and broke her kneecap and was taken to the hospital. I was about 8. Thieves broke into the house and took the contents of the safe including my mother's silver, my birth certificate and the diamond rings that my grandfather bought for her. I have no memory of those rings probably because she only wore them on special occasions. She knew my mother would have wanted those diamonds. My mother cried at the loss of her silver.

Nov. 6, 1971, photograph of us with my grandmother. My mother is on the far right.

I sent for a copy of the certificate of marriage and it is a "bare bones". It gives the correct date of January 27, 1914 and says it is in Book 3, Page 131 and that it was not filed until December 3, 1914 in Westerly, Rhode Island. My friend and cousin, Barbara Fallon went to the Westerly Town Hall and got the rest of the information that should have been included. They were married by the minister of the Episcopal church, the Rev. William F. Williams.

The band is a mix of yellow and rose gold and has beveled edges. It is very heavy for such a small ring. I like taking it off and letting people look at it.

I am hoping that my grandparents are celebrating in the life beyond today and for the next hundred years to come.

My maternal grandparents are part of the February writing challenge so I decided to begin this week with this post. All stories should begin with a celebration. It is part of the inner light.

Charles Henry Barber

Clip from Elizabeth Church's Barber genealogy, pub 1976

Clip from the Descendants of Moses Barber by Lois Barber, published 1984

Needing to review some of my earliest work from my early days as a professional genealogist (in training), I looked back at what gravestones I am lacking in the line of descent of Moses Barber of North Kingstown, RI. Two women published family history-genealogies that are housed at the LDS library and I obtained them from that website (in PDF) to study. Because there are a LOT of names, I always search for "Matthew Stillman Barber" when I want to compare the information from the people who are in this family. So many of these folks are buried in the River Bend Cemetery in Westerly, RI that I have made several trips gleefully photographing their gravestones. 

But, they are not all there...

The youngest child, named for his father, is buried in Island Cemetery in Block Island, RI. His wife outlived him so she is not buried there.

But, I have managed to track down the gravestone of Charles Henry Barber who is buried in Noank Valley Cemetery in Groton, CT. Notice that the wives names are listed but they are not quite the same. There were no children from either marriage so it had been quite the challenge to get everything correctly researched but I did have quite a couple days locating census records to piece this together.

Next spring, fellow gravestone hunter, Brian Zoldak, is going to photograph this cemetery so it is worth my while to get "worked out" all the ancestors of the wives. It is a good project because I can work on it a little at a time and not feel rushed. (By the way, her name is not Linda.) 

Back to the Problem: RI State Census

Defining the Problem

Imagine this scenario. You are a Civil War hero and you return home to marry the woman you love. On 14 March 1865 you marry her and on 2 April 1866, you welcome your first son, James Frederick Barber. Six more sons quickly follow: Albert (1868), Howard (1870), Elmer (1873), Raymond (1875), Herman (1876) and William (1879). 

Suddenly, your wife dies (1881) (possibly in childbirth) leaving you with all these boys! Your mother is dead and your father remarried a long time ago and raised you, your sister and ten more children of their own. Your father is 66 and still a farmer. You don't want to be a farmer and have started a harvesting seaweed business [1880 census: boatman]. You can't be on a boat and still take care of children. 

Then, thirteen year old Albert dies (1882). Your oldest son, James Frederick Barber is a servant in Capt. Palmer Hall's household across town "at India Point". He want to be a barber not a boatman or farmer. (Doesn't this sound like it could happen today?)

The 1880 census for James Frederick Barber's family is multi-generation. Grandfather Matthew is 65, and his second wife Rhoda is 61. Oldest unmarried son, Ellery is 34. He marries Fannie Emeline HALL (yes, a Hall) in 1888 after his father dies. 

Brother Charles is 23 and the youngest child of Matthew and Rhoda is 20 and listed as Matthew S. Barber. (We call him Junior.)

There is a Benjamin Barber listed at 23 as a son is not found in any other census and I suspect is a nephew. He's not buried in River Bend that I can find or is listed in the River Bend Cemetery Book.

Daughter Agnes has married her (first) husband Stanton Thompson and they live in the household with their 7 year old daughter Grace. Daughter Phebe Eliza is also living with them with her husband Benjamin Maryott and their two children Eliza (5) and Lewis (3). It is a full house as you can imagine.

The 1885 Rhode Island census lists each member of a household separately. Young children are not always enumerated. But, I am sure that James Frederick Barber is never part of his father's extended household again.

He's listed as Frederick, in the 1885 Rhode Island census and I would not be surprised if he is still living with Capt. Palmer Hall.

More research needs to be done but at least I have a better understanding and feeling about him living in Capt. Palmer Hall's spacious home!

A reader suggested that he may have been an assistant to Capt. Hall working the animals, tending the boats and keeping the grounds. Maybe he even cut Capt. Hall's hair?

Hall family Relationship Chart

Relationship Charts can help you think more clearly about complicated or distant ancestors. A long time ago, I researched my Hall family back from the mother of James Albert Barber, Phebe Eliza Hall. I was lucky, there are some vital records, graveyard records and known women's maiden surnames that helped me out. 

But, I wondered about the larger overall picture of the Hall family of Portsmouth and Westerly, RI in relationship to Phebe's descendents. It had taken a lot of work to find out more about Sarah Babcock who married James Hall to be able to get the middle generations in between Henry Hall, Jr, son of Hennery Hall, Sr., the immigrant ancestor that they had in common.

This will need a lot of work as yet, but at least I have some idea if Capt. Palmer Hall may have known that Phebe Eliza Hall, about 10 years younger than himself, was a member of his extended Hall family.

In the 1880 census for Westerly, RI, Capt. Palmer Hall has James Frederick Barber, living as a "servant". 

The Half Naked Grandmother

Publication of the Providence Plantation Club, privately held by Midge Frazel

My mother was not fond of keeping any papers that were not inside the family Bible, but she was proud of how beautiful her mother was, so she ripped this double paged article in a publication of the Providence Plantation Club in Providence RI.

The half naked woman is my grandmother!

The swimming pool is depicted below and they attempted to get me to swim in it when I was about 6 or 7. I can swim but I don't like it much.

Publication of the Providence Plantation Club, privately held by Midge Frazel

 

Thomas Barber Monument (front)

Thomas Barber Monument (front)
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Re-post from 2007 about Moses Barber's Descendants

This is the front side of the memorial stone for the Thomas BARBER family.
Thomas BARBER 1730-1796 and his wife Mary BARBER 1735-1817 [#17 RIGR 4:3 p. 226]


Thomas3 BARBER (Thomas2, Moses1) b. 5 June 1731, d. 19 Apr 1796 was the son of Thomas BARBER and his wife Avis TANNER and he married Mary BARNEY, of Newport, b. ca. 1735, m. 22 Oct 1754, d. 1819


Deacon Weeden BARBER 1777-1860 and his wife Hannah BARBER 1782-1871 [#10 RIGR 4:3 p. 227 ]


Deacon Weeden BARBER (Thomas3, Thomas2, Moses1) b. 11 Dec 1777, d. 30 Aug 1860 was the son of Thomas BARBER and his wife Mary BARNEY. He married Hannah LEWIS, dau. of James LEWIS and Thankful BARBER, b. 1782, d. 1871


Benjamin M. BARBER 1823-1868 and his wife Martha BARBER 1821-1879
Benjamin6 Maxson BARBER (Benjamin5, Benjamin4, Nathan3, Benjamin2, Moses1) b. 1823 d. 1868 and his wife Martha Ann BURDICK b. 1821 d. 1879
He was the son of Benjamin5 BARBER and his wife Nancy BRAND


Nathan M. BARBER 1845-1910 and his wife Martha BARBER 1844-1893Nathan7 M. BARBER ( Benjamin6, Benjamin5, Benjamin4, Nathan3, Benjamin2, Moses1)b. 1845 and d. 1910 and his wife Martha (maiden name unknown)

Barber Vital Records

For a study of such early ancestors, you must spend a lot of time trying to find the original sources listed in such publications. I always capture the title page. This is the one I have from the document at the Mormon Library at FamilySearch.org

But, before we go to read it, let's see what we can find out about the Barbers of Kings county, RI in the NEHGS vital records of RI

Marriage Record of Moses Barber and wife Susannah

BARBER

BARBER Moses and Susannah Wait, March 24, 1691-2. (Another date reads

1691

North Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island, United States

Marriage

Randy Seaver's Ancestor, Anna BARBER's birth

BARBER Anna, Oct. 8, 1717.

1717

South Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island, United States

Birth

My Ancestor's Birth

BARBER Susannah, Oct. 23, 1697.

1697

North Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island, United States

Birth

Moses Barber's Father

This clipping is from a book titled First Hundred Years Pawcatuck Seventh Day Baptist Church. First of all, that is Pawcatuck not Pawtucket. To find this book, use Google. Type in First Hundred years Pawcatuck Seventh Day Baptist Church. Notice that it is not available for download in ebook format. Ancestry.com has it for searching.

The similarities of the words of two separate places can really mess up your research when you are not a native of Rhode Island. Pawcatuck is just over the border of Rhode Island in Connecticut.

Pawtucket, birthplace of the author of this blog, is famous for a minor league baseball team.  [But I do have ancestors from that area.}


Rhode Island is full of such problems. I love to listen to Cherry Bamburg give presentations about Rhode Island. She understands why people are so confused! I always learn something new about my home state.

This clip is all I know about the father of Moses Barber. That's really not much. Rhode Islanders has to PAY to have their vital records recorded. Our RI ancestors buried their dead in the backyard and today, those places don't exist.  There are more than 4, 000 family cemeteries in Rhode Island. Many have been moved to larger cemeteries.

This "we keep it to ourselves" attitude is classic Rhode Island.  I love it and hate it.

In the 1980s, a woman who is a Barber descendant wrote a monograph about the Barber families in Rhode Island. I hope this link works. The FamilySearch book library keeps changing.
 
Moses Barber of South Kingstown

Rhode Island Genealogical Register

Rhode Island Genealogical Register, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Moses Barber

Fellow Genea-blogger, Randy Seaver, asked anyone if they were related to the Barber line. Yes, I am, I replied. What an adventure my Barber line has been!

I decided to look up the beginnings of what I have learned about the man called Moses Barber of Rhode Island.

I pay for a subscription to Genealogy.com just because they have offered access online to some important Rhode Island Records.

I discovered that, for some reason, the images that I found there are not available at this time, so I have to pull the large binder and scan the pages (with references) so Randy and I can see how we are related.

The RI Genealogical Society offered me copies of some, but not all, of the bound copies of the RI Genealogical Register. I gratefully accepted. I have been looking at them a volume at a time, when I have the time. These books are referred to as Beaman because Dr. Alden G. Beaman and his daughter compiled them. I am lucky in that two of my families are "featured".

I thought you might like to see Vol. 1 and 2 and the exact reprints of the beginning of the part about Moses Barber.

Second Great Grandmother in 1940

 Success!

Listed at the wrong house number (160 not 156) is the household of my great grandfather, James Frederick Barber, his wife Ellen Schofield and his daughter, Dorothy (of the preceding post). 

This is the first mention of my great aunt's divorce. In the 1930 census, she is still listed as married (probably already divorced).

Best of all, here is my 2nd great grandmother, Sarah Gardiner SCHOFIELD at 94 years old. She died four years later.

Hannah and her Sister

Hannah and her sister, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

 My grandmother, Hannah and her sister

Searching the images of the 1940 census is making me lonely for my "old" family. You know what an "old" family is, don't you? It's a family that was already in place when you were born.

I took this photo at a holiday meal in 1976 of my grandmother, whose first name she hated, which was Hannah, and her only sister, whose name was Dorothy. My grandmother preferred to use her middle name, Josephine, and of course, my mother was named after this Aunt Dorothy. We called her Tattie.

The holiday in this photo, which was Thanksgiving, is really unimportant to the story because this is a story about Easter. 

My great aunt Dorothy lived in Westerly, RI but in the part that was Pawcatuck, CT (a village in Stonington, CT). Huh? You say, how can she live in two states? Well, she lived in a family home that was so close to the border of the two states that her mailing address was Rhode Island and her car license plates were CT.

 So, you can see why I am reminded of this as I search for her in the 1940 census.

One Easter, when I was about 11, we switched to having Easter at our house instead of my grandmother's apartment. She had just moved into an apartment from her beautiful house. She was a little sad and not completely unpacked. 

We decided that we would celebrate my great aunt's birthday at the same time. She was born on April 7. When she came to our house, she was wearing a new necklace which was a string of pearls (or so we thought). My mother admired them and then to our horror, my great aunt pulled at them and they flew all over the room.

They were pop-beads! How we laughed and laughed! It was so unlike her to do such a thing. It took all of us half an hour to find them all. I bought a bag of pop-beads to remember her by and I think I will wear them this Easter.

Tombstone Tuesday: Grandma Jo

Midge and Heather at Elm Grove, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Happy 118th birthday to my maternal grandmother! She used to joke that she was born the day before Columbus discovered America.

In 2007, we all went to Mystic to the Mystic Seaport as a fun family activity. I was surprised when my daughter asked if we could go to Elm Grove Cemetery so she could show her husband the gravestones!

He took this photo of us with the gravestones of her great grandparents. As my daughter was 17 when my grandmother passed away at the age of 98, I emphasized to her that it is unusual for someone her age to have vivid memories of a great-grandparent. The photo below the headstone is a crop of us at 4 generations.

Field Diary April 1862

James Albert Barber
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Transcript of the Diary of James Albert Barber. 

1862

Month:  April
[material in brackets entered by transcriber] 
Past Posts [March]

Tuesday April 1^st 1862

The day comes in cloudy while sailing on towards Fortress Monroe while nearly in sight of the fort we began to have a little bit of sea and it made the Delaware roll a little and we lost a wagon and a box of clothing. We arrived in the Harbor at sun rise. We lay anchor all day long.

Wednesday 2ond

The day is very pleasent  [pleasant] we are lying at anchor of fort Monroe with a large fleet of vesells [vessels]. There we had a fair view of the Monitor after her having the fight with the great naval monster so called the Merrimack. She done the Monster but little damage while the Merrimack was obliged to skidad up to Norfolk where she came from.

Thursday April 2d 1862

The day comes in pleasant [pleasant] the Delaware too the two Ohio in from the fort up in too a little crick leading in to Hampton there we unloaded our battery marched through the place out on to an open field an encamped with 2 large number of troop Hampton was all burnt by the revels some time ago nothing but the brick chimnies [chimneys] and walls of the buildings.

Friday 4^th

The day comes in cloudy we started from Hampton early march all day. The road was crowded. We marched as

as far as Great Bethel encamped.

Saturday 5th

The day is pleas [pleasant]. We left our camp march on across a creek where the rebels had had some Batteries an proceded [and proceeded] on and went on 9 miles more.

Sunday April 6^th 1862
The day is pleasent [pleasant] we are all in good spirits and hope to meet the rebels this morning the balloon was viewing the rebels in our fort near York Town and the line which it was fasened [fastened] by broke and it landed in our camp we did knot advance to day.

Monday 7^th

The is cold and rainy 2 ridgements [regiments] left camp to cut a road so the army could advance when ever they see an opportunity.

Tuesday 8the

The day comes in cold and it has been raining all knight [night]. The Souldiers [soldiers] are very fatigued with the cold and hunger. They cut up nearby fence to build their fires too warm them selves and dry cloths.

Wednesday April 9^th

The day comes in pleasent [pleasant] at noon began to rain as before and every ting is very wet and mudy [muddy] so we can yet scarcely any rations to eat and dry place to eat.

Thursday 10^th

The day comes in cloudy but one oclock the sun come out warm and dried up a little bit so it was comfortable for the Souldiers [soldiers].

Friday 11th

The day comes in pleasent [pleasant] early we espied a balloon come dis [distance] on our front viewing the rebels at York Town aftere [after] a short time she broke her line and landed in the camp where Genl Taners Corps was stationed in a field nearly surrounded by woods.

Saturday April 12th, 1862

The day comes in pleasent [pleasant] we constantly hear a gun in the direction of York Town the Souldiers [soldiers] are in good spirits and hope to meet the enemy soon.

Sunday 13^th

The day comes in very pleasent [pleasant] at ten Am we had an inspection our Capt orders too have our knapsacks packed and be redy [ready] for any move ment [movement] at any time.

Monday 14^th

The day is coll [cool] and windy we had an inspection by Colonel Tomkins. Lieu Tenant Ellen [Allen] and Genl orders forbidding all Bugle calls after the present time as we are in face of the enemy.

Tuesday April 15^th 1862

The day comes in pleasent [pleasant] early a large company was sent out so too cut around through the woods for the advance of our army we have had a drill on the field with the horses and pieces and cannoneer.

Wednesday 16th

The day comes in pleasent [pleasant] early in the evening we had heavy fir in between our men and the rebels. In the direction of York Town an [and] lasted all day. We left camp Colt moved on about 2 miles over a corduroy road out into an open field entirely surround woods then there we encamped close by the rebels Fortifications built for the defense of York Town.

Thursday April 17^th 1862

The day comes in pleasent [pleasant] at two am a sharp skirmish broke out between our men and the rebels. It did not last long we have kept 4 guns firing at the rebels too keep them from strenghing [strengthening] works there.

Friday 18^th

The comes in pleasent [pleasant] our battery has been firing at the rebels fort we have fired at the by sheels all day and the rebels fired a shot at they passed over heads and done us no injury.

Saturday 19^th

The day is very pleasent [pleasant] we are have spent all in repairing our guns that we broke yesterday firing at the rebels Battery A of the ri [Rhode Island] has been firing on them nearly all day but did not receive shot from rebels.

Sunday April 20^th

The day is cool and windy at 3 oclk Am firing broke out between out pickets and the rebels. we had two men wounded on our side.

Monday 21st

The weather is very coll [cool] and windy our Battery been on picket in face of the enemys [enemy’s] guns an Capt had orders knot to fire at the rebels did unless they fired at him first.

Tuesday 22ond

The day comes in pleasent [pleasant] at all Am it turned heavy rain which over flowed our tents and wet our clothes.

Wednesday 23d

The day comes in pleasent [pleasant] every thing has been quiet there has been no firing on either side ecepting [excepting] the gun boats on the river.

Thursday April 24^th 1862

The day comes in pleasent [pleasant] the rebels has been firing on our men that was on picket in front of their lines and our Battery has been has been firing at them all day at intervals.

Friday 25^th

The day comes in cold and cloudy some fireing [firing] has been going on between our men and the rebels we did knot learn the result as we have been in camp all day.

Saturday 26^th

The day is cold and rainy the first and second section of our Battery has been up in front firing at the rebels works built for the defence [defense] of York Town I have been in camp taking care of horses.

Sunday April 27^th 1862

The day comes in pleasent [pleasant] at seven our Battery was ordered into the woods to fire at the rebels. At 1 one oclock Governer [Governor] Sprague arrived with the pay master to pay our mony [money].

Monday 28th

The day comes in pleasent [pleasant] our Battery took its places in Bty [Battery] and opened fire at the rebels works we fired some four or five sheels [shells]  at the rebels and they returned the compliment with 32 pdr sheels which passed direckly [directly] over our gun and went throu a lorg thre. They fired 6 sheels [shells] at

Tuesday 29^th

The day is pleas [pleasant] the Paymaster Payed [paid] of [off] Battery B and our Battery 26 Dollars everything has been quiet along the lines to day.

Wedneday April 30^th 1862

The day comes in cool and cloudy Colonel Tomkins arrived and he inspected us and called the roll muster.

PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY , Special Collections Department, Harris MSS, C. Fiske Harris Collection on the Civil War and Slavery, Civil War Manuscripts, Transcript of the Diary of James Albert Barber, transcribed by Richard J. Ring, 2010.
Photograph of James Albert Barber, collection of the author.

Sentimental Sunday: Ice Cream and Romance

Peter Bros.
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Advertisement from Westerly, RI City Directory, 1915, p. 275

Last Sunday, I blogged about my maternal grandmother meeting my grandfather at the place she worked in Westerly after graduating from high school in 1912. A friend, who works in the genealogy room of the Westerly Public Library tells that when the renovations are complete she will be able to look her up in the yearbooks stored there!

As my handwritten notes say that  she worked at a place called Peters, I checked the 1914 and 1915 Westerly City Directories and easily found the same ad in both years. I have cropped it to show here as it is less than 10% of the page of city directory stored at Ancestry.com. I noted that Ancestry.com now allows these pages to be attached to your family tree and to be saved to your hard drive. This was not the case a couple years ago.

I checked the 1914 city directory and  discovered that the shop was owned by Albert L. and Brainard J. Peters and they were indeed brothers. [1914, p. 127]. This street still exists as many of the streets in New England do that are named Main St. It would be possible to stand in that spot today.

 My grandfather, Evans Stewart, was born in North Stonington, CT which is not too many miles from Westerly. His father, Charles, was an accountant when he was young and started his own business called the Westerly Laundry. Those ads in the Westerly City directory are terrific. I can track by each year the changes in the names and locations. My grandfather, took part of the business and moved it from Westerly to the Cranston-Providence line where my father worked for him. I guess I have soap bubbles in my blood, too!

Evans and Josephine married in Westerly, RI on 27 Jan 1914 with his brother, Dudley W. Stewart and her sister Dorothy Palmer Barber in attendance. It was not a big deal. They were married by the minister in the parsonage on a Thursday. The next notes say my mother was born on 7 January 1916 in the cottage hospital on Highland Ave. in Westerly.

Without these notes, I would only have what it says on the official marriage and birth certificates and not be able to visualize the events. I know that Evans and Josephine lost a baby before my mother. My mother, who was in the room when I asked these questions, didn't know that and didn't know exactly where she was born.

The city directories have allowed me to track my grandparents in all the places they lived. It is a wonderful resource! Excuse me now, I must go have a dish of ice cream and put up my feet!

Sentimental Sunday: Ice Cream and Romance

Hannah Josephine Barber
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

 Ice Cream and Romance

This is a photo of my maternal grandmother which is dated 1912. After much investigation, I have determined that this must be her high school graduation photo. She was a graduate of Westerly High School in Westerly, Washington, RI. It is one of my favorite family photos.

Josephine, as she preferred to be called (her first name was Hannah after her grandmother) went right to work right after high school. When I interviewed her she told me that she ruined her feet standing on them all day selling ice cream in a shop but that was where she met Evans Stewart, her future husband.

My mother bought a "Grandmothers Memories" book [Keepsake Album by Hallmark] for me to give her for a Mother's Day gift. I found it yesterday, still in the box, unused. It is a series of oral interview questions. Inside are a few small pieces of paper in my handwriting that are answers to some of the questions in the book. I recall that she got very tired answering questions at my visits as she was over 90 by that time. [Her gravestone]

One answer prompted me to spend a hour of so of searching to confirm the information. Here's the question in the section titled "Your Grandfather"

"When I first saw him I thought..."

Here's her answer:

"I didn't think much about him and he hung around Peters, after all the other boys left and he walked me home."

Because of the wonderful Rhode Island City Directories for Westerly, I have found out more about the place that my grandmother worked.

To be continued....

Wordless Wednesday Gloria Josephine BLIVEN

Gloria Josephine BLIVEN
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Wordless Wednesday

Only known photo of little Gloria J. BLIVEN. She looks to be about 3 years old. I love her mended stockings and intense look. She may have worn glasses.

Tombstone Tuesday Gloria J. BLIVEN

Gloria J. BLIVEN
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Tombstone Tuesday: Gloria Josephine BLIVEN.

Little Gloria, who was my first cousin, once removed, lived only from 1923 to 1933. I really don't know much about her as when a child dies in a family, the sadness can overwhelm people for generations. I pat her headstone whenever I visit the plot.

Gloria middle name was Josephine, which was my grandmother's (her aunt) middle name. I don't know why she was named Gloria perhaps someone on her father's side bore this name.

All I have to research with Gloria is this headstone and the matching years of birth and death on the nearby Barber family monument. That's the source of those dates. I have her photograph, taken at about 3 years of age which will be posted tomorrow as my Wordless Wednesday.

Gloria's father was named Harry M. Bliven. He and Gloria's mother, my great aunt, were married quite briefly and divorced. I have once census year where Gloria is listed. She is listed with her mother, Dorothy Palmer BARBER Bliven (listed as married but the husband is not in the household), Dorothy's parents, J. Frederick BARBER and his wife Ellen "Nellie" SCHOFIELD and Nellie's widowed mother Sarah J. GARDINER Schofield. They live at 160 West Broad St. in Pawcatuck, New London, Connecticut just over the Westerly, Rhode Island border.

Harry M. Bliven was a salesman (1922 Westerly City Directory). I do know, from family stories that he sold automobile parts and he must have met my great aunt when he sold items to my great grandfather, J. Fred Barber at this automobile repair business in Westerly. My great aunt was a whiz at math and kept the books for her father. This was not a match made in heaven. My mother said Harry drove fast cars and she did not like him.

My grandmother, scowled when I asked about this man but smiled when I asked about Gloria. I think Gloria may have died of pneumonia. Bad lungs run in my Barber family.

I'd like to think I have found Harry. He seems to have remarried. I think his parents were Ernest Bliven and Jennie B. Da Costa. It's just a big family mystery.

Gloria would have been 24 years old when I was born. I think I missed out on knowing her.

Lost in the 1910 Census?

Westerly lighthouse
Originally uploaded by daawn

My 2nd great grandfather, James Albert BARBER, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for service in the Civil War, appears in every census in his lifetime except for two years. Both are a mystery! The first is easily solved the second is not. Here's the story...

On all of the papers where he had to write his own date of birth, James lists the year consistently as 1840. However, his gravestones [plot view] all read 1841. [monument], [marble vet], [granite vet] As we turn to the 1840 census for his father, Matthew Stillman Barber's household, we find no entry for a male under 5, so at least he was not born by 1 June 1840 (census date for that year). His sister, Sarah, who was born in 1838 is recorded as female under 5. Who the two other boys are is still a mystery!

The RI Vital Records, New Series, 8:50, list his birth as 17 July 1840, which is also incorrect as the date is listed on his death record as 11 July 1840 but the numeral 1 is often misinterpreted as a 7. [The Generations Network and Vital Record of RI]

He is listed as a child in 1850 as 10 years old. In 1860, he is still living with his father, his step-mother and their children. James's mother, Phebe Eliza HALL, died in 1842 and I doubt that James even remembered her at all. His step-mother, Rhoda Ann BABCOCK raised him, and paid for the Barber plot at River Bend Cemetery in Westerly, Rhode Island. It is her children with his father, that James was friendly with and lived with after his wife died. He was not living with any of his sons.

James's life prior to his Civil War service was one of a farmer's son who loved boats and the sea. He built a boat after the Civil War and went out in it well after the age of 65 even when the fishing was no longer an option. His obituary even reads that people called him "Capt. Jim". This clipping probably from the Westerly Sun, lists him as serving as captain of the Watch Hill life saving station [Watch Hill Lighthouse History] and he lived on the sloop, called the "Triumph", which was anchored in Thompson's Cove. Turns out that Thompson Cove is right next to River Bend Cemetery and the Westerly Yacht Club and within walking distance to East Ave. where James lived "off and on". [Google Map] I remember driving by here and admiring the boats.

These years on his boat must be when he is listed as being a border with James N. Thompson in the Westerly City Directories. It could be that he was taking a turn working at the Lighthouse when he should have been listed in the 1910 census. Of course, this is unproven. In 1910, James N. Thompson lives on Watch Hill Road in the Watch Hill section of Westerly nearby to the lighthouse. [My digital story of Watch Hill] The 1910 census lists many families living in Watch Hill on Watch Hill Road. One is listed as keeper of the lighthouse and his name is Thomas J. MURPHY. I am disappointed not to have found James in this page by page list even as a misspelled name.

The 1900 census (13 June 1900) lists him as living in Avondale, a village in Westerly, alone, in a house he owns. He is 59, widowed, and lists his occupation as boatman. The next family lists the head of household (Charles Rood) as working in the life saving station, and the family previously as surname Thompson. That man was married into the Barber family and was scandalously divorced.

The Westerly directories for 1900 and 1901 list James as a boarder with his step-mother, Mrs. [Rhoda] Matthew Barber. In 1906 and 1909, the Westerly City Directory lists him as a boarder with James N. Thompson. But, he is nowhere to be found in 1911, is listed as a member of the GAR in 1913 and in 1917 has reappeared as living on East Av. perhaps with step-brother Isaac G. Barber (he was a confectioner). It is possible that I must look at every page of Westerly in the 1910 census. That's a job!

The mystery continues with finding James A. Barber in 1910...

Photo of Watch Hill Light (creative commons license)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dawn3355/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Display Board

Display Board
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Since I am doing just a very short introduction to Robert Grandchamp's talk on Saturday, I thought I'd make a display board for the people to look at instead of a presentation on the computer. As I am an educator, making things like this comes naturally, but I had forgotten how time consuming it is to do!

I have FOUR Barber surname books. Yes, it just keeps getting more and more out of hand. Then, there's the folder with James A. BARBER's Mayflower line to George Soule and the folder with his pension record papers. I have tired to clean them out all week and get them organized in a manner that is workable.

I am going to use the sheet feeder on my new scanner to copy the pension record into archival images. I am on a roll.

I have already added something else to this board but you get the idea....

Tombstone Tuesday Barber Section

Barber Plot
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

For this Tombstone Tuesday, I'd like you, dear, readers, to see part of the Barber section at River Bend Cemetery. This is a photo of the placement of the gravestones for my 2nd great grandfather, James Albert BARBER who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the Civil War. [I have blogged about this before!]

He has a regular monument, a marble Vet's monument, a headstone and a newer granite flat-to-the-ground Vet's monument. This means he has his name or initials on FOUR gravestones! Sadly, his wife Hannah Josephine TOURGEE has NO gravestone. She bore him seven sons, too. Doesn't seem fair. Two sons did not live to adulthood. One is buried here with his father and I can't find where the other is buried.

Her father paid for her to be buried nearby to her husband but in the TOURGEE section.

This Saturday, I will be teaming up with Robert Grandchamp to talk to the RI Genealogical Society about how history and genealogy work together. I hope they enjoy it. I am not using the computer so I made a display board with photos and documents. Wish us luck!