MYSTERY AT HAMPSHIRE COUNTY PROBATE COURT: A MISPLACED LETTER OR FAMILY CONNECTION?

Posted May 17, 2012

Two weeks ago I posted an article regarding a letter which was found in a probate file for George Greene of Belchertown, Massachusetts. 

If you knew or know Marie Constance Elaine (Florence) Bernier, please contact me. I would like to speak with her to clarify the information in the letter. My husband and his cousin would like to verify what, if any, relationship she may have with their family.

George Greene was employed by the Belchertown State School. His first wife Melanie Gagne,  passed in 1950. His second wife was Eugenie Freve. George died in 1957.

Marie Constance may have been known as Connie Florence or Connie Bernier.

If you have any information please contact me by email: fh_research@hotmail.com or call 1-413-323-6878.

Thanks!

Elizabeth Banas

Archives and Such

Posted May 14, 2012

Circumstances beyond my control prevented me from completing my blog post for this week. However, you may want to check out my archived posts. The most popular titles include: Cutler's Lung, Jimmy Clark and the W.E. Bailey Hose Runners, Calvin Coolidge: Fact or Family Lore, Identity Theft in 1928 and Nothing New Under the Sun.

Those of you who have visited the site in the past will notice that I have changed the font. This change was to make the text clearer and crisper and ultimately easier to read.  I also changed the cover photo, which was taken by Geo when we toured  Northern Ireland a few years ago.

You can check my family history by clicking on the Cashman and Clark tabs at the top of the page.

Wishing you health, happiness and fulfillment of your fondest dreams.

See you next week!

Under Construction!

Posted April 30, 2012

Please excuse our appearance. We are under construction.

BACK IN THE DAY: PEOPLE WITH EPILEPSY

Posted April 16, 2012


“Don’t get near her!” “If you get the spit on you, you’ll get the fits.” 

 Wilbur Cleary was born in Bennington, New Hampshire in 1893.[1] Wilbur was my grandfather. He liked to entertain his grandchildren with stories about his childhood adventures in Bennington. However, he said little about his parents. His explanation was that he was an orphan, raised by relatives.

Researching the Cleary family was one of my first genealogy projects. It was a journey filled with stunning revelations which left me confused and troubled. I quickly learned through my research that Wilbur was not an orphan. Though, he did spend some of his early years in Norfolk, Virginia with an aunt and uncle, his parents were very much alive. In fact, Wilbur’s mother Maggie (Cashion) Cleary passed in 1924, when Wilbur was already a married man with children.[2] His father Andy died in 1937.[3] By then, Wilbur was middle-aged. This discovery was confusing, at best, however the bombshell, which shook me to the core was the discovery of a sibling; a sister named Ave Maria.[4] We never heard the name, nor did we ever dream that he had a sibling and yet at the time of Wilbur’s death in 1964, Ave was alive and living in Berwick, Maine. I could only ask myself why he did not tell us the truth?

The Cleary and Cashion lines of my family, settled in Bennington in the 1800’s and many of their descendants still reside there. Through a friendly woman at the Bennington Town Clerk’s Office, who knew the families, I eventually met with distant cousins, who were born and raised in Bennington.

 It was through the cousins I learned that my great-grandmother Maggie (Cashion) Cleary and her only daughter Ave Maria suffered from Epilepsy. According to their information, Ave was born with a wry neck and the doctor wanted to euthanize the infant upon examining her at birth. There is no evidence to support that anecdote. Older cousins who knew Ave personally, described her as an eccentric and a religious zealot. I was told her seizures were followed by psychotic episodes and that she was often confined to the state hospital.

They also learned through a local historian that when Andy and Maggie decided to marry, the local Catholic priest refused to perform the ceremony, apparently because of Maggie’s disease. Eventually, they were married in a Baptist church.[5]

 The cousin’s knowledge of the family was limited and they suggested that I meet with Gladys Newhall, an elderly Cleary descendant. A meeting was arranged at one of the cousin’s homes.

Gladys was a country woman; a former teacher and a business person.  Even at an advanced age, her mind and her memory were sharp. Gladys was well-acquainted with the family. She knew both of my great-grandparents, as well as, Wilbur and Ave. Gladys told me that remains of infants born to Maggie, who died at birth were buried in the back yard of the former Cleary residence, which she inherited from her family. The old house was torn down to make way for a log cabin.

Another anecdote placed Gladys at a Cleary outing, where she watched Maggie fall to the ground in an epileptic seizure. She remembered one of the men saying: “Don’t get near her.” “If you get the spit on you, you’ll get the fits.” It was a colorful story that gave me cause to pause and consider how Maggie and her daughter may have been perceived in a small isolated town such as Bennington early in the 20th century. I put that question to Gladys, who reassured me that neither Maggie nor Ave were treated poorly and discriminated against. I questioned the honesty of her response to that question and I could not help but wonder how much of the information revealed that day was exaggerated and pure gossip?

Apparently, many common misconceptions about epilepsy in the 19th and 20th century were born in ancient times when epilepsy was thought to be a contagious disease or that the person with the disease was possessed. Some of those old beliefs persisted through the ages. As late as the 19th century, it was believed that people suffering from Epilepsy were prone to violence.

Despite the introduction of medications to treat the disease in the 19th and  20th centuries, erroneous beliefs and misconceptions commonly held by the public continued to proliferate fear, discrimination and stigmatization of those suffering with the disease. Public attitudes regarding Epilepsy were so passionate, legislation was passed in some states and countries to force sterilization and restrict victims of the disease from marrying. In fact, until mid-twentieth century, people with Epilepsy were restricted from marrying in 17 U.S. states. A journal article entitled “Epilepsia: The History and Stigma of Epilepsy,” published by the International League against Epilepsy, imparts some troubling statistics regarding the treatment of victims of Epilepsy in our recent history: “In 1956, 18 states provided for the sterilization, on eugenic grounds, of people with epilepsy. In the United Kingdom, a law prohibiting people with epilepsy from marrying was repealed in 1970. In some parts of the world, Epilepsy is still commonly viewed as a reason for annulling marriages or simply prohibiting them.”[6]

The information I gathered was grim. Wilbur’s early life must have been difficult and even more so for his mother and sister. Certainly, he was touched by the stigma attached to the disease. This may have been the reason he never spoke of them.

Wilbur died on October 27, 1964. There is a part of him that we will never know. The burning questions of why he remained silent will never be answered. However, as I have learned in my genealogy adventures, sadness is often the precursor of silence. We never saw his sadness. He hid it well. The man I remember was smart, funny and full of stories. Wonderful memories!


[1]      “New Hampshire Birth Records, Early to 1900,” database, The Church of Latter-Day Saints, Familysearch (http://www.familysearch.org  :  accessed  16 April 2012), entry for Wilber Edward Clary, born 27 Oct 1893, Bennington, New Hampshre; 1,000,375.

[2]       “New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947,” database, The Church of Latter-Day Saints, familysearch (http://www.familysearch.org  : accessed 28 Feb 2011), entry for Margaret C. Clary, died 9 Sept 1924, Bennington, New Hampshire; FHL microfilm 2,026,165; cause of death was noted as “Instantly” and “probably rupture at heart.”

[3]       “New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947, database, The Church of Latter-Day Saints, familysearch (http://www.familysearch.org  :  accessed 15 Apr 2013), entry for Andrew M. Cleary, died 31 Dec 1937, Bennington, New Hampshire; FHL microfilm 2,078,688.

[4]       1920 U.S. census, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, population schedule , Bennington, Enumeration District (ED) 69, sheet 4A,  p.39 (stamped), dwelling 2, family 2, Ave M. Cleary; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com  :  accessed 15 April 2013), citing National Archives, microfilm publication T625, roll 1009; This enumeration named both parents and Ave M.

[5]      “New Hampshire Marriage Records, 1637-1947,” database, The Church of Latter-Day Saints, familysearch (http://www.familysearch.org  :  accessed 15 Apr 2012), entry  for Andy Cleary, married Maggie Cashion, 15 Jan 1891, Antrim, New Hampshire; FHL microfilm 1,000,974; Record contains a notation that a Baptist clergy performed the ceremony.

 [6]     International League Against Epilepsy, “The History and Stigma of Epilepsy,” Epilepsia 44 (Aug 2003), on-line archives, Wiley On Line Libraryhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1528-1157.44.s.6.2.x/full  : accessed 12 Apr 2012.

Sources:

Epilepsy Foundation of America. The Legal Rights of Persons with Epilepsy. Maryland: Epilepsy  Foundation of America, 1992.

Freak, Fact. E Fact a Day. http://www.efactaday.com : 2012.

International League Against Epilepsy. “The History and Stigma of Epilepsy.” Epilepsia  44 (Aug 2003).  On-line archives.  Wiley On  
Line Library.   http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1528-           1157.44.s.6.2.x/full : 2012.

New Hampshire. Hillsborough County, 1920 U.S. Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com.       http://www.ancestry.com   : 2012

“New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947.” The Church of Latter-Day Saints [LDS]. Familysearch.  http://www.familysearch.org :

“New Hampshire Marriage Records, 1654-1947.” The Church of Latter-Day Saints [LDS]. Familysearch. http://www.familysearch.org  : 2012.

 “1920 United States Federal Census.” Database. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com  : 2012.

To learn more about Epilepsy go to the Internationl League Against Epilepsy site: http://www.ilae.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 

ELUSIVE ANCESTORS

Posted April 2, 2012

THE ELUSIVE ANCESTOR: HIDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY FACE

I know you’re there!  I just need to find a way to find you. - E.B.

The proverbial brick wall can be likened to a nagging headache that continues unabated until it is solved. I don’t know anyone who engages in the business of genealogy, who doesn’t have at least one pesky ancestor, who wandered away from the fold and vanished into the ethers.

There are people who die and are never identified. There are those that vanish by their own volition, change their name and disappear into the crowd, but not very many. Almost everyone has a paper trail. If someone is looking for them, they will be found.

I experienced my first brick wall when searching for a long lost uncle, who boarded a train and eventually lost contact with his family. I remember sitting at my desk day after day, staring at his vital statistics. No one in the family knew what happened to him. No one had a clue. I believed the answer to the mystery was hidden somewhere on that page and indeed it was staring back at like a huge red flag.

My missing uncle served during the Spanish-American War. After some research on military records and a flurry of phone calls, I was able to retrieve a copy of his military pension file. The mystery was solved. The pension file was a road map of his life after he left Northampton, Massachusetts. Affidavits told the story of his travels through the West and his encounter with a stranger, who attempted to steal his identity and his military pension. Most touching was the hospital records that documented the details of his death and the funeral home records that described the suit he was buried in.

At the end of the day, I came to realize that a good working knowledge of resources and well-developed analytical skills are the keys to finding an elusive ancestor. When I consider all of the trial and error internet searches, phone calls to relatives and days spent pouring over the same information, I shake my head. Everything I needed to know was on that tattered sheet of paper.

When confronted by a brick wall, think about other resources that might contain the information you are seeking. As an example, instead of relying on an internet search or census records to locate children, consult the parent’s will or probate record. Research newspapers for obituaries for known family members, which will name next of kin.

Stick with it. Your elusive ancestor is hiding right in front of your face.

Need assistance with your genealogical research? Go to: http://www.eabanasgenealogyservices.com or write to Elizabeth Banas at fh_research@hotmail.com.

What was I thinking? Duh!

Posted March 19, 2012

The last few weeks have been daunting. I am working on several projects and I have taken on a new client. Instead of writing about a topic I am currently researching or a subject that requires research, today I will share a personal experience that still makes me cringe when I think about it.

Geo and I relocated to Belchertown, Massachusetts in 2011. We raised two children and lived in the same wonderful home for 32 years. I am not a pack rat. However 32 years is a long time and over those years, like so many wives and mothers, I was the keeper of family memories and personal artifacts.

The clean out for the move began over two years ago. Selling some of my antiques and furniture that would not fit into our new condo was not a problem for me. After all, it was just stuff. The toys and the Barbie furniture the children promised to take home with them that were sitting in cellar for a decade were donated. Clothing that was not worn for more than a year was donated, as well. My purging paid off. Our new home had everything it needed and nothing extra.  However, there were some less bulky, but emotionally weighty items that had been put aside for a quiet winter afternoon project when I was settled in the new place. Our vast and growing collection of CD’s was one of those projects. I am not talking about music CD’s. The CD’s which I had carried with me from our old home contained files related to my real estate business and Geo’s  old company, writing project long since completed and photos of items taken for advertisements that were sold before the move.  On a Sunday evening last month, I promised myself that I would address the task of organizing the CD’s and destroy those that contained information that was no longer useful to me or anyone else.

 After breakfast on Monday morning, I began the task with hammer in hand, a wastebasket nearby and stacks of CD’s. Some of the CD’s I reviewed. Other’s that were labeled with old dates and titles that were related to old business where smashed and tossed. When I came upon a disc labeled “Geo’s miscellaneous items 2008. “ I lingered over it for a moment and then tossed it in the pile of discs I planned to destroy. I assumed the content of the CD was items Geo sold in 2010 and 2011 when we were selling our home.  However, I did not take into consideration that both he and I took photos on holidays and vacations over the years, sometime with the same camera. Oftentimes, Geo would upload the photos and email them to me. In turn, I would burn them to a disc for safekeeping. Apparently, there were times when he burned a disc and simply filed it without mentioning it to me.

An angel must have been watching over me that morning. For some reason, as I sat with hammer in hand and placed the disc labeled “Geo’s miscellaneous items,” on the floor to breakup for the trash, my curiosity was piqued. I wondered if there was anything else on the disc. Probably nothing worthwhile I thought, but what the heck, it only takes a few minutes to put it in the computer and look through the files.

My heart was sin my throat as the first photo appeared on the screen. It was a picture of my father, who died in 2010. The photo was taken on Christmas day 11 years ago. I do not remember shooting the picture. What I do remember is that I brought English Christmas Crackers for the table that year. Christmas crackers on the holiday table is a tradition we observed when we stayed in England years ago. If you are not familiar with the tradition, crackers are tubes wrapped in paper and secured with wire ribbon on each end like a Tootsie Roll. Each contains a paper crown and small gifts. On Christmas day in England, everyone dons a paper crown from a cracker, whether in a public place or at their dining room table. When the tab in the end of the cracker is pulled, it makes a sound similar to a fire cracker, thus the name Christmas crackers.

The photo of my father was taken in the kitchen of his home in Palmer, Massachusetts, wearing the paper crown, laughing as if he had heard a great joke. I have just a few pictures of him and I was thrilled when I discovered a photo that captured him in a jubilant mood. However, I still cringe when I think that I almost destroyed the CD that contained the photo.

This is another lesson in organizing and preserving family artifacts and memorabilia. Photos are poignant, telling and important historical documents and should be respected as such. I have friends who keep their photos in paper bags and plastic trash bins. I know some who keep hoards of photos in shoe boxes under their beds. I hope they read this post and take heed.

I am proud to report that my photos are now organized in folders on discs. I plan to have hard copies made in the next few weeks.  The originals are in albums and archival bags in a fire proof box. I am considering storing them in a bank deposit box.

The photo of my father is a treasure, a forgotten moment, immortalized for generations to come. Never again will I shred a box of old business documents or toss an old CD without pouring over each and every item.  I am still asking myself: How could I have been so mindless?

Calvin Coolidge: Fact or Family Lore

Posted March 5, 2012

I have carried these tidbits with me through my adulthood. I hoped that my visit to the Coolidge Presidential Library might help confirm the stories told by family. -E.B

Last week Geo and I set out for the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Museum and Library in Northampton, Massachusetts. The library and museum are located on the second floor of the Forbes Library in “The Calvin Coolidge Memorial Room,” which is exactly as the name implies. The collection is a small exhibition of artifacts related to President Coolidge, which includes the door from his office on Main Street in Northampton, along with the original furnishings, as well as his personal library, family portraits and campaign memorabilia. Personal possessions, including a pair of cowboy boots and an Indian headdress are among some of the unexpected objects displayed.

I was looking forward to touring the library and museum. However, I had an ulterior motive for my visit.

My ancestors settled in Northampton, Massachusetts in the 1880’s.  Many of the stories passed down through the generations refer to events and local people, whose influence extended far beyond Northampton and the surrounding villages. President Calvin Coolidge was one of those people.

Calvin Coolidge was born in Vermont in 1872. He attended Amherst College and later practiced law in Northampton. He became involved in local politics, served as governor of the State of Massachusetts and was elected vice-president in 1920 under Warren G. Harding. He succeeded Harding in 1923, after his untimely death from heart disease. In 1924, he ran for a second term and was elected President. Despite his successful political career and his tenure in the White House, throughout most of his adult life, he called Northampton home.

For many years, the Coolidges resided in a two family house on Massasoit Street not far from Bay State Village where my grandmother was raised. My grandmother, who had a way of imparting important information, as if it was mundane fare, told me that she and Calvin Coolidge took the same trolley to work. “He never spoke a word to anyone,” she said. “He never looked at anyone. He never said a word.” A politician who didn’t talk to anyone?  How strange. I never forgot that morsel of information.

I have also been told by the grandson of my late great-aunt Julia Foran, that she and her husband John knew the Coolidges through various associations in the community. Though it has been said that they loved Mrs. Coolidge, few words were spoken about the President.  

Another anecdote recounts an encounter between Julia and Mrs. Coolidge the day the president died. Apparently, Mrs. Coolidge frequented the dress shop where Julia worked in downtown Northampton. According to her grandson, Aunt Julia said Mrs. Coolidge came to the dress shop the day the president died.  She gave no hint that anything was wrong nor did she mention the president was ill. When word went out that the president had died later in the day, she was shocked.

I have carried these tidbits with me through my adulthood, wondering if there was any credence to the stories. I hoped that my visit to the library might help confirm the family buzz.

The luck of the Irish was with me that day. It was a slow afternoon at the museum and Julie Bartlett, the library’s archivist was able to spend some time talking to us about the library and the Coolidge family.  I repeated the anecdote about the president’s demeanor on the trolley and she noted that it sounded like him. She also described the events that preceded the president’s death noting that he suffered from a bit of indigestion a few days before he was stricken. Indeed, Mrs. Coolidge was out shopping in Northampton the morning of the day he died. When she returned home later in the day, she found him lying on the bedroom floor-deceased.

Even though I have no tangible evidence Aunt Julia saw Mrs. Coolidge that fateful day, the story coincides with the historical record of what transpired and I cannot confirm my grandmother’s story. However, having driven past the Coolidge home on Massoit Street and noting  it’s proximity to Bay State Village, it is likely that my grandmother saw Calvin Coolidge on the trolley. I have since learned that Calvin Coolidge was known as “Silent Cal.” This is additional evidence of that her story is an honest portrayal of her observations.

Even though these stories coincide with history as it has been written, I will never be able to prove beyond a doubt the authenticity of the narratives. Still, they are interesting tidbits that should be included in a family history, accompanied of course, by a careful explanation of the sources.

I am always skeptical of family stories, but I never discount anything as a flat out lie. I am glad I went the extra mile to try to confirm the family’s tales of the Coolidge family and now that my curiosity has been satisfied, I am thinking about how I might confirm stories about other illustrious historic figures whose names I have heard bantered about for so many years. Researching the Kennedys and James Michael Curley is going to take a little more time.

Sources: 

Wikipedia.  http://www. Wikipedia.org : 2012.

Forbes Library. Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum. http://www.forbeslibrary.org/coolidge/coolidge.shtml : 2012.

 

 

Happy Anniversary!

Posted February 20, 2012

                                 

                                   James M. Clark and Mary Cashman: They were one…

 

James Michael Clark and Mary Ann Cashman were married on February 26, 1895 at the Church of the Annunciation in Florence, Massachusetts.[1]

At the time of their marriage James was twenty-seven years old. He was employed as grinder at Clement Manufacturing in Bay State Village, Northampton.[2] He was also a well-known local athlete and a volunteer fireman.[3]

Mary Ann was a  silk spooler, probably at the Corticelli Silk Mill, which was located close to the Cashman residence on Nonotuck Street.[4] The marriage certificate stated that she was twenty-four years old. According to Aunt Peg, who lived with Mary and James for an extended period when her mother was ill, Mary was a domestic diva, who loved to cook and sew. She had a penchant for stylish clothing and fashionable shoes.

The couple’s first home was a rental on Federal Street in the Bay State section of Northampton.

The Northampton Herald reported the wedding event:

James Clark of Bay State and Miss Mary Cashman were married at the Church of the Annunciation at 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon in the presence of a large number of relatives and friends, Father McManus performing the ceremony. Miss Julia Cashman, sister of the bride, was bridesmaid and Thomas Keneavy of the center best man. The bride was dressed in light tan brocade, the bridesmaid wearing the same material. A reception followed at the residence of the bride. Mr. and Mrs. Clark will reside in Bay State.[5] 

             Happy Anniversary! 



[1]      Hampshire County, Massachusetts, marriage certificate, unnumbered (1895), Clark-Cashman; City Clerk’s office, Northampton.

[2]      Hampshire Co., MA, marriage certificate unnumbered (1895), Clark-Cashman; The marriage certificate contains James Clark’s age and occupation.

[3]      “Here and There,” undated clipping, 1927, from unidentified newspaper; Clark Family papers, privately held by Elizabeth Banas, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Belchertown, Massachusetts, 2012. A gift from Andrienne Clark, widow of John Paul Clark, grandson of James Clark.

[4]      Hampshire Co., MA, marriage certificate unnumbered (1895), Clark-Cashman; The marriage certificate contains Mary Cashman’s age and occupation.

[5]      Murch, Edward, transcriber and compiler. Northampton. Hampshire Gazette, 27 Feb. 1895.

Jimmy Clark and the W.E. Bailey Hose Runners

Posted February 13, 2012

   *I would like to thank James Bills for sharing the muster photo below. I would also like to thank Andrienne Clark for the wonderful newspaper tribute to James "Jimmy" Clark.  Below: Jimmy Clark and Steve Farrell.                                                   

                               

                                                        

Before there was television and million dollar contracts, there were the Hose Racers. E.A.B.

Since childhood I have heard family discussions about James Clark’s athletic career. He was an energetic, charismatic personality I am told, who died prematurely. He was not a wealthy man.  His legacy was the races he ran and the competitions in which he participated. That said his claim to fame was his association with the W.E. Bailey hose running team.

Jimmy’s life was never easy. He and his twin sister Mary were born in the Cheapside section of Deerfield, Massachusetts on June 23, 1868 to John Clark and Hannah (Madigan) Connors.[1]  Cheapside was a poor, crowded and unhealthy environment to raise a family. The headstones at Old Calvary Cemetery in Greenfield, where countless Irish immigrants are interred, are a testament to the harsh conditions in Cheapside. At the time of his birth, Jimmy’s father was a grinder at John Russell Cutlery. However, sometime after John Russell relocated to Turners Falls, the Clark’s moved to Buckland, where his father found employment at the Lamson & Goodnow cutlery.[2]  In 1883 the family relocated to Northampton, where the family settled into a home in Bay State Village on the corner of Main (now Riverside Drive) and Norwood Street, a stone’s throw from the infamous Clement Manufactory, which employed Jimmy’s father.[3]  On February 26, 1895, he married Mary Ann Cashman. However, the marriage did not dampen his athletic endeavors. [4] Mary Ann was perhaps, one of his strongest advocates.

In the early part of the 20th century, Jimmy was also employed by Clement Manufacturing, where he worked alongside his father. However, when he was not grinding knives, he was a volunteer fireman at the local station, which was located in the bend in the road at the end of Riverside Drive. Undoubtedly, it was through this association that he was introduced to the W.E. Bailey team.

I must admit that until I began researching Jimmy’s career as a runner, I did not have a clue about hose racers and I was hard pressed to find a satisfactory explanation of the sport. However, a 1913 retrospective, which appeared in the Springfield Daily News, named Jimmy as a team leader and provided a brief explanation of the sport: “In hose racing, they use 15 men on a team. They have to draw a reel that weighs 700 pounds or more, including 250 feet of hose. The men run 100 feet, lay 200 feet of hose, break the coupling and put it on the nozzle.”[5]

“Steve Farrell and James Clark were the leaders of the team. They were the only men that wore harness on the team because they would lead the pace and others would follow. The others did not wear a harness because after running 200 yards they would be all in and drop out.”[6]

The venue for hose running and other firemen’s competition were musters. The musters were carnival like festivities, which often included a parade with fireman decked out in full regalia, food and other forms of entertainment.

Increasingly through the 1890’s, musters were a major entertainment venue and firemen who competed were the equivalent of rock stars. Their performances were widely reported by the media, analyzed at the local watering holes and discussed on street corners.

The events were held all over New England and across the United States.  Interestingly, fireman contests were the first organized athletic competitions in the United States. The contests were so popular the “Paris organizers invited volunteer and professional fireman’s teams to compete at the loosely structured 1900 International Exposition and Olympic games. The Kansas City, Missouri, firehouse won the world’s professional fireman’s championship cup.”[7]

Though I have been told that Jimmy participated in the Olympics in Paris, I have no evidence to support that report.

However, there is evidence that Jimmy Clark was a well-known and well-respected athlete in his own time.  Apart from the many newspapers reports which mention him, a piece that appeared in a local newspaper in 1927, shortly after his death tells the story of Jimmy Clark and W.E. Bailey Hose Runners:

       A friend and admirer of the late James Clark told us the following: “One of the greatest all-round athletes that wore a spiked shoe in Northampton passed on with the death of James Clark of Bay State last week.”

     Two decades ago his fame as an athlete was known wherever field sports were held, not only in Northampton, but all over New England and other states where he went and competed.

     Jimmy Clark, as he was called by his hundreds of friends, was, according to our informant, one of these real sportsmen who were absolutely on the level, his heart was always in his work and he was most loyal to his friends.

    An idea of how good an athlete, he was, may be had from his mark of 6 feet three inches, which he made in the high jump in Philadelphia, winning the event in a national meet in which were intended the best men in the country. He was equally good in the broad jump, hop step and jump and the so-called hitch and kick.

     His fame here in all these sports was great, but it was as a runner that he captured the popular fancy, and it was as leader of the great bunch that composed the never-to-be-forgotten W.A. Bailey’s world’s champion hose running team that he will be best remembered.

     For five years this Northampton running team swept all before them at firemen’s musters wherever they were held. And leading them always was the slender, but sinewy Jimmy Clark. And well he might lead, for he was close to ten seconds for the century everytime he speeded over the 100 yard distance. According to Maurice Landry, who was a close second in all-around sports to Clark, and who also was one of the sprinters on the Bailey team, Clark many times ran the century in 10 seconds. The Bailey running team is holder of the world’s record for 800 feet, which they made at Ware, Mass., and their mark has never been beaten.

     It came to pass at field meets, at least in this section, that when Clark and Landry entered the other athletes withdrew to the sidelines and watched the pair from Bay State do their stuff.

    The break-up of the Bailey running team was almost tragic when, at a cattle show, the team with such runners as Fred Britten of Fairview, one of the star sprinters of the day, teamed with Clark, and with the then holder of the mile record, Tom Carrol, of Boston, as well as, Maurice Landry, Charlie O’Neil, Tom Keneavy, Billy Chatel, Joe Tichy, and other fine runners, they swept down the course away ahead, in time , of any of the others, one of whom was Bailey’s greatest rival, the John H. Ashe team of Chicopee Falls. But disaster that they had evaded come to them, for before over 15,000 people, the late J.A. Boudway, the fastest man who ever broke a coupling, failed for the first time in the team’s history, to make the hitch and the team that for five long years never met defeat, felt its sting for the first time. How much their heart was in their work was attested when many of them broke down and sobbed.

     The team never raced again for various reasons, but to thousands memory will bring back the sinewy boy who so often led them to victory.[8]

     James Clark died on August 22, 1927 of double lobar pneumonia.

Two weeks ago I wrote about Cutler's Lung. I wondered if Jimmy suffered from that condition. While, it appears that the team broke up, I will always wonder if his employment at Clement Manufacturing contributed to his death. I have  in my possession a copy of the Western Union Telegram addressed to Mary Ann from Robert T. Lee, owner of the plant. It states: "Deepest sympathy to you in the loss of Jim whose friendship I will always cherish." Somehow I think it was just another day for Robert Lee. Elizabeth Banas (great-granddaughter)

   

 [1]     Franklin County, Massachusetts, birth certificate no.45 (1868), James Clark; Town Clerk’s Office, Deerfield. Franklin County, Massachusetts, birth certificate no.46 (1868), Mary Clark; Town Clerk’s Office, Deerfield.

[2]     1880 U.S. census, Franklin County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Buckland, Enumeration District (ED) 244, sheet

44-D, p.32 (penned), dwelling 294, family 363, John Clark household; digital image, Ancestry.com

(http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 Aug 2011), citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, Roll 533. 

[3]     Hampshire County, Massachusetts, Unindexed Property, 307:249, Jeremiah Brown to Hannah Clark, deed,

15 Feb 1883, digital image, Secretary of the Commonwealth-Registry of Deeds, Hampshire District Registry of Deeds

(http://www.sec.state.ma.us/sec/rod/rodhamp/hampidx.htm : accessed 21 Aug 2011). The title to the property was in Hannah’s name alone.

[4]      Hampshire County, Massachusetts, marriage certificate unnumbered (1895), Clark-Cashman, City Clerk’s Office, Northampton.

[5]      Unnamed author, “Patsy Corbett Recalls Some Zero Sprinting,” The Springfield Daily News, 25 Feb 1913, Genealogybank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : accessed 8 Feb 2012), p.8, col.7. para. 6.

[6]     Unnamed author, “Patsy Corbett Recalls Some Zero Sprinting,” p.8., col. 7, para. 7.

[7]      C. Frank Zarnowski, “Working at Play: The Phenomenon of 19th Century Worker-Competition,” Journal of Leisure Research 36 (2 November 2004); online archives, .docstoc (http://www.docstoc.com/docs/79305015/Working-at-Play : accessed 9 Feb 2012), p.13, par 2.

 [8]      “Here and There,” undated clipping, 1927, from unidentified newspaper; Clark Family papers, privately held by Elizabeth Banas, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Belchertown, Massachusetts, 2012. A gift from Andrienne Clark, widow of John Paul Clark, grandson of James Clark.

Family Traditions: Uncle Abe said...

Posted February 6, 2012

*I planned to write about my great-grandfather Jimmy Clark of Northampton, Massachusetts. However, I was not able to finish the project in time for this weeks blog. I underwent a Colonoscopy on Thursday morning, which left me tired and stressed. Though it was uncomfortable, the pain was worth the knowledge that I am Cancer free. Have you had your Colonoscopy? You can read about “Jimmy” next week.                              


                                        

 

There is always an audience for gossip and fantastic fabrications, even when the truth is far more compelling. E.A.B.

 My experience in the field of genealogy has taught me that nothing should ever be taken at face value. A case in point is family tradition. Uncle Abe, who knew them all and was the unofficial family historian, may not have gotten it right. Most stories about long departed ancestors are time worn tales, embellished with each repetition.  However, I have never discounted anything a family member has told me, as an out-and-out lie. Some family traditions, though riddled with conflicting information, contain elements that can be verified. Careful analysis of a family tradition can lead to important revelations about an ancestor that may have been lost forever, between the lines of a grandiose tale.

Several years ago, I was contacted by a distant cousin, who related a story that he had been told about our great-great grandfather. Though the story was flawed and made no sense from an historical perspective, a reference to New Orleans eventually led me to my ancestor’s naturalization petition which contained an abundance of biographical information. Several years later, a cousin, sent me an unidentified photo of a young sailor from an uncle’s collection. I remembered that the story as it was told to me, mentioned that while serving in the Civil War, great-great grandpa “jumped ship” to marry our great-great grandmother. I sent a copy of the photo to a Civil War expert, who confirmed the photo was authentic, citing that the sailor was attired in a Civil War uniform.

Though it appears likely that the image of the young sailor is our great-great grandfather, I have yet to confirm it by way of further documentation. Still, without the knowledge of an implausible family tradition, I would have filed the photo and forgot about it, all the while overlooking what may be an important piece of evidence.

Call it serendipity, but because of a strange and flawed tale told to me by a distant cousin, I have yet to meet face to face, I have made great strides in my research into the life of an enigmatic ancestor.

A cautionary word: family traditions die hard. Even when presented with indisputable evidence, family members will hold fast to the lore and ignore the truth. I have no explanation for this phenomenon, except to say that there is always an audience for gossip and fantastic fabrications, even when the truth is far more compelling. Adhere to the genealogical proof standard, cite all sources and move forward. The truth will prevail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cutler's Lung

Posted January 30, 2012

Pity the poor cutlery man! Another breath, closer to death.   

Four generations of men in my family were employed in the manufacture of cutlery at Clement Manufacturing in Bay State Village, a section of Northampton, Massachusetts. Despite the reports about the noxious air quality in the factory, I never linked their deaths to their employment, until I began assembling their vital statistics. It was then, that a pattern began emerge.  All of their deaths related to some form of  lung disease.  

The newspaper archives are filled with obituaries for young men, who worked in the Bay State Village manufactory.  A cousin once told me that an uncle, who had been a cutler at Clement for many years, was told by his physician that the condition of his lungs was similar to a coal miner. My grandmother, the daughter of a cutler, who was raised in Bay State, also commented that there were many deaths due to the cutlery. Her father was one of the casualties.

By chance, while researching for last week’s blog, I happened upon a passage in a book entitled Plagues and Epidemics: Infected Spaces Past and Present.  A chapter entitled “Everyday Mortality in the Time of Plague,” contained a fictional description of a man with a condition referred to as “cutlers lung,” which caused him to cough violently.[1] I wondered if my ancestors deaths were hastened by this condition.

My research led me to an article in The Atlantic Monthly, entitled Occupational Disease and Economic Waste. The article was a discussion of the health risks associated with factory work. One passage spoke to the high rate of Tuberculosis among the cutlery workers of Northampton, Massachusetts. “… the cutlers at Northampton, Massachusetts die from Tuberculosis at four times the normal rate.”[2]  While this statistic is stunning, a letter from a doctor, who examined a cutler post mortem around the turn of the century, was an appalling revelation.

  The following letter, written  five years ago by a physician in a New England Town is more vivid than pages of   figures:-

“I have been in practice in East Douglass since 1863 with the exception of some thirteen years   following 1873. I have seen quite a number of cases of so-called grinders consumption. I have examined one case post mortem. I found the smaller bronchial tubes

thoroughly   filled with grindstone grit; the lung and the lower part looked and felt like the liver after cooking. The symptoms are excessive dyspenea on slight exertion, dry cough, and great prostration.[3]

Short of an autopsy report, a determination cannot be made as to whether or not my ancestors suffered from “cutlers  lung,” ( also known as grinders consumption) but it would seem likely that a human being,  whose lungs are assaulted on a daily basis by metal  particulates, would  suffer damage to his respiratory system and though, I do not have a professional opinion of the state of  the  men’s lungs at the time of their deaths,  a discussion regarding their working environment and its  possible ramifications to their health is an important detail about their life, which I will include in the narrative I am preparing to write.

Taking into account, the details of an ancestors environment, as well as the socio-economic and political forces that were at work in their lifetime affords a better understanding of what shaped their characters, propelled them forward or dragged them downward during their lifetime. Genealogists call it, “placing an ancestor in an historical context.”  Though, we seldom think of ourselves as historians, in truth, that is part and parcel of our occupation. We are keepers of the past, looking toward the future.

*This subject brought to mind my great-grandfather Jimmy Clark, who was cutler by trade and an athlete in body and spirit. He will be the subject of  the next post.

 


[1]       Alan C. Swedlund, “Everyday Mortality in the Time of Plague” in Ann Herring and Alan C. Swedlund, editors, Plagues and Epidemics: Infected Spaces Past and Present (New York: Berg, 2010), Chap.1, p.1.

 [2]       C-E.   A. Winslow, “Occupational Disease and Economic Waste,” The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 103, 1909; googlebooks.com(http://books.google.com/books?id=vIsGAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA679&dq=Occupational+disease+and+Economic+waste&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5eMlT4_qFKTi0QHK5WDCQ&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Occupational%20disease%20and%20Economic%20waste&f=false  :  accessed  29 Jan 2012), para. 3.

[3]      Winslow, “Occupational Disease and Economic Waste,”  para. 4.

 

Sources

Swedlund, Alan C.,”Everyday Mortality in the Time of Plague,” Ann Herring and Alan C. Swedlund, editors.  Plagues and Epidemics: Infected Spaces Past and Present. New York : Berg, 2010. Chapter 1, p. 1.

Winslow, C-E.  A., “Occupational Disease and Economic Waste,” The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 103, 1909. Googlebooks.com. http://books.google.com/books?id=vIsGAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA679&dq=Occupational+disease+and+Economic+waste&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5eMlT4_qFKTi0QHK5-WDCQ&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Occupational%20disease%20and%20Economic%20waste&f=false  :  2011

 

April 1917: Mary Hannah had the flu...

Posted January 23, 2012


                                                         

                                                                Mary Hannah on her wedding day.

 Northampton, Massachusetts

Nineteen year old Mary Hannah Clark huddled in a blanket in front of the kitchen stove, wishing she could crawl inside of it. She could not get warm. She complained to her mother that her bones hurt and her arms felt like chicken skin. Food did not appeal to her and it was all she could do, to force down a little soup. She blamed her condition on work. She was employed at one of the houses at nearby Smith College and she was absolutely certain that is where she had contracted “this thing.” 

Some of the girls in the house had been bedridden for over a week with the malady and word had filtered down to a neighbor that one of them had died. Her mother was worried, but Mary Hannah was not in any mood to listen to her admonitions to eat something and to get back into bed. “I’m not going to die.” “I’ve got too much to do,” she told her.

Beyond her physical discomfort, Mary Hannah was worried. She was to be married in a week and unless her condition improved in short order, the wedding would not happen. As it was, she could barely stand on her feet for more than a few minutes. It was rotten luck, she thought. However, what Mary Hannah did not know was that she was lucky to be alive. Mary Hannah had the flu. The diagnosis would come by way of the local doctor, who examined her later that day.

1917 saw four flu related deaths in Northampton. Fortunately, Mary Hannah survived her bout with the disease.

However, the following year, a more virulent strain of the disease known as the Spanish flu, broke out across the United States. It was the worse pandemic in the history of the United States. More than 500,000 Americans died from the disease.

The first symptoms of the Spanish flu were seen on 27 August of 1918, aboard a ship on Commonwealth Pier in Boston. By August 30, at least 60 sailors were severely ill. It was the beginning of a long nightmare.

Once infected, the virus waged an unmitigated vicious assault on the bodies of its victims.

The victims of the 1918 Spanish flu suffered greatly. Within hours of feeling the first symptoms of extreme fatigue, fever, and headache, victims would start turning blue. Sometimes the blue color became so pronounced that it was difficult to determine a patient's original skin color. The patients would cough with such force that some even tore their abdominal muscles. Foamy blood exited from their mouths and noses. A few bled from their ears. Some vomited; others became incontinent. [1]

Unlike preceding Influenza pandemics, which killed the very young, the elderly and the infirm, this strain attacked healthy, young adults. Many victims became ill one day and died the next.

Northampton like other towns and cities ordered a shutdown of  schools,  public events and entertainment venues. Sporting events were cancelled. Fortunately, as the months wore on, the number of reported cases declined. In November, the Northampton Board of health voted to lift the ban.[2]  However, the disease persisted into the following year. In the end, Spanish flu took the lives of 97 people in the city. [3] 

Mary Hannah never spoke of the Spanish flu pandemic, nor did she mention that her grandfather had passed in 1915, as a result of the disease. She seldom spoke of unhappy times. Like many of us, she chose to remember the beautiful moments of her life. Indeed, Mary Hannah’s story had a happy ending.  

On 17 April 1917, a gaunt Mary Hannah was married at Blessed Sacrament Church in Northampton. The Hampshire Gazette reported the event.

Miss Mary H. Clark, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James M. Clark of Riverside Drive and Wilbur E. Cleary also of Riverside Drive, were married Tuesday morning at 9 o’clock in the Blessed Sacrament church, by Reverend T.P. Lucey, the nuptial high mass being celebrated. The party entered the church to the strains of the Mendelssohn Wedding march and during the ceremony Miss Barbara Carter sang, “O Promise Me” and “O Salutaris.” The couple was attended by Miss Helen Clark, a sister of the bride and Walter Cleary of Milford, N.H. a cousin of the groom. The ushers were Leo Clark, a brother of the bride and Walter Dobler. The bride was charming in a Copenhagen blue suit with black hat and a corsage bouquet of bridal roses and Gardenias. Her attendant wore a darker blue suit with black hat and pink Sweet Peas. A wedding breakfast was served at the home of the bride’s parents, after which Mr. and Mrs. Cleary left on a trip to Boston and New Hampshire. The groom’s gift to the best man was a set of Gold cuff links. The ushers received stick pins. The bride’s gift to her bridesmaid was a ring set with Sapphire. The young couple were the recipients of many gifts, including a sum of money from the college girls at the house where Mrs. Cleary was formerly employed.[4]

 ____________________________________________

[1]      Rosenberg, Jennifer, ABOUT.COM: Twentieth Century History , “1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic,” [undated and unsourced text], About.com (http://history1900s.about.com/od/1910s/p/spanishflu.htm  : accessed 20 Jan 2012.

[2]      [Unidentified author], “Vote to Lift Influenza Ban,” The Springfield Daily Republican, 8 Nov 1918, p. 13, col. 4, digital image, Genealogybank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com  :  accessed 22 Jan 2012), Historical Newspaper Archives.

[3]      [Unidentified author], Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: “1918 Pandemic, Amherst, Hadley, Northampton and South Hadley,” [undated], Amherst College (http://www3.amherst.edu/~aliljestrand/1918pandemic.html : accessed 20 Jan 2012).

[4]      Edward Murch, transcriber and compiler, “Clark-Cleary,” Hampshire Gazette, 19 April 1917, n.p., n.col.


Sources 

American Experience. Influenza 1918 : Introduction: Influenza 1918. PBS.org.  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/introduction/influenza-introduction/ : 2012.

Murch, Edward, transcriber and compiler. Northampton. Hampshire Gazette, 19 April 1917.

Pandemic Influenza Preparedness, “1918 Pandemic Amherst, Hadley, Northampton and South Hadley.”  Amherst College.  http://www3.amherst.edu/~aliljestrand/1918pandemic.html  :   2012.

Regional History. The Deadly Virus : The Influenza Epidemic of 1918. National Archives and Records Administration.  http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epidemic/ : 2012.

Rosenberg, Jennifer. About.com, Twentieth Century History. “1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic.” about.comhttp://history1900s.about.com/od/1910s/p/spanishflu.htm : 2012.

 

 

Identity theft in 1928

Posted January 16, 2012

Before there were computers and cyber crimes, there was a wily cowboy named Walter A. Timbrell, who turned the world upside down for an unsuspecting stranger…

There was no reason for Uncle Roger to board a train in Northampton, Massachusetts for Nevada in the early 1920’s. However, he was an adventurer at heart and the West was calling him. His family was sad to see him go and though Roger wrote regularly and returned to Northampton several times over the following three decades, in the last years of his life, he ceased contact with them. Roger’s disappearance from their lives was a mystery that was often discussed among members of my generation.Through Ed Murch, a distant cousin and genealogy enthusiast, I learned that Roger served in the Spanish-American War. It was by way of Roger’s military pension file, I was able to piece together the events of his life and the story of a fateful meeting with a criminal in 1928, who stole his identity in an attempt to collect his military pension.

A military affidavit written in Roger’s hand, places him in Reno, Nevada in January 1928. According to the affidavit, it was there, that he met ex-convict Walter Timbrell. Roger wrote: "Jan.1928. I was living in Reno Nevada. While there I first got acquainted with Walter A.Timbrell, We got to talking, and I told him I was in the War with Spain, he asked, me many questions about my service, where and when I enlisted, in fact all about my enlistment, he even took down notes of what I told I saw him many times for about six months. He told me that he also served, but I never saw his discharge and have no way of  knowing anything about his war service except what he told me." 

In 1930, Roger applied for a military pension. By then, he was residing in Stockton California. The response which was forwarded to Roger’s attorney was stunning. It stated the claim had been rejected and that he was aware of the rejection, by way of a letter sent in 1928 to Walter Timbrell, who served as Roger Cashman.

Timbrell’s bogus pension application filed on 10 January 1928 was among the papers in Roger’s file. Though crafty, Timbrell was not an intelligent man. The phony application contained testimony regarding his personal status. According to his statements, he was married at the time he made the application and was divorced from Ilah P. Crigler of Chadron, Nebraska.

While I was appalled by Timbrell’s gall, I was intrigued that he was capable of conceiving such a scheme. The information regarding his former marriage was all I needed to launch a investigation of him.

I was able to obtain a copy of Criglers petition for divorce, filed 9 August 1899 from the Clerk of Courts in Broken Bow, Nebraska. This document contained intimate details of her marriage to Timbrell. The petition stated: "… that he was a habitual drinker of intoxicating liquors and gambled away all of his earnings,therby being guilty of extreme cruelty to this plaintiff; that since the said defendant so abandoned the plaintiff he has been convicted and sentenced to a term in the state prison of the state of Wyoming , where he is now confined." 

It was apparent to me that Timbrell was no stranger to crime. I queried the Wyoming State Archives and much to my amazement, I received a copy of his inmate file, which included a mug shot, a  physical description of Timbrell, his occupation (rancher) and the reason for his incarceration; the crime of Grand Larceny with a one year sentence at the State Penitentiary in Rawlins, Wyoming. The physical similarity between the two men was so strong, that I wondered if Roger and Timbrell were one in the same.

I was able to put that theory to rest, when I located an obituary for Timbrell, who died in 1941 in Lander, Nevada.

It took years and many hours of Roger’s life to untangle the web Timbrell spun. His pension file is filled with affadavits and letters to the Veterans Administration. In 1947, he enlisted the help of Senator E.P. Carville, who intervened on his behalf. With Senator Carville’s influence, the application was accepted and Roger received a pension of $300 per month. 

The older I get, the more I believe there is nothing new under the sun. Roger’s story of victimization and the many years he spent struggling to regain his identity is as old as time and can be summed up in one sentence.

Once upon a time, before there were computers and cyber crime, there was a wily cowboy named Walter Timbrell, who turned the world upside down for an unsuspecting stranger, who just happened to look a bit like him.

Postscript: I will never know why Roger ceased communicating with his family. However, the military pension file provided letters and affidavits conceived by him and written in his hand. There were details of his life contained in those pages which I am sure were unknown to his family.When he died on 10 March 1955, the many telegrams sent to the family from the Veterans Administration were undeliverable, probably due to the misspellings of names and the lack of complete addresses. His sister Mary, who often spoke of him and cried over his disappearance, died just five days after he passed, never aware of  what became of her brother. A brother-in-law tried to convince Roger’s sister Julia to contact the VA about his disappearance, but she remained resolute in her belief that he would walk through the door any minute. So sad, one phone call may have brought their lost brother home.

 


 

What killed Hanora Conners' babies?

Posted January 9, 2012

Strange, the things we remember from childhood …

I remember my grandmother, Mary Hannah (Clark) Cleary telling me that her grandmother had three children that died.  I was a little girl, no more than ten or eleven years old, sitting at the top of the stairs at her home on Middle Street in Florence, Massachusetts, looking at old photos, while she sorted through a box of linens. Even though, I did not know the identity of the grandmother, that suffered the losses, I felt a sense of shock. Even today, I can remember the nonchalant, if not, matter-of-fact tone in my grandmother’s voice and her unemotional demeanor, as she prattled on about kin. I never asked what happened and she did not elaborate. Her comment was a scrap of information that I carried with me through five decades of my life before coming face to face with it again, when I began researching my great-great grandmother, Hanora (Madigan) Conners-Clark.

I had little to start with when I began my research of this enigmatic ancestor.  Through research of public records, internet sites and resources provided by distant cousins, I was able to determine that Hanora was born in the ancient village of Shanagolden in County Limerick, Ireland on 23 October 1825 to Daniel and Catherine (Wallace) Madigan. [1] She married Michael Conners, a cutlery worker in December of 1853 in Greenfield.[2]

After examining state and federal censuses, I concluded that Hanora lost a child sometime between the 1855 Massachusetts state census taking and the 1860 federal census. I was very curious about the death. To the best of my knowledge, there were no children in my generation or in the previous generation that passed due to disease or birth defects. I wondered what killed Hanora’s baby?

Geo and I decided to drive to Deerfield, Massachusetts to examine the death register. I had no idea as I poured over the volume in search of the Conners’ baby, that I would find, not one, but three babies, all dead before the age of two. As their names appeared one by one in the register, I remembered what my grandmother had told me so long ago.

The cause of death listed for the first two infants piqued  my curiosity. John, the first baby to pass, was eleven months old at the time of his death. No cause was recorded. The second infant to succumb was Daniel. According to the register, he was five months, seven days old, when he died of water on the brain. The third child, Michael Junior died of measles at the age of 1 year, 11 months and 4 days.[3]  Measles, a dreaded disease during that period was not an uncommon cause of death. However, I wondered about the other babies? Was Daniel  hydrocephalic or was there an accident that caused his condition? Was it abuse a contributing cause of the deaths? I knew that I would never know the answer to those questions.

I wondered how common it was during the 1850's for a family to lose some many children in such a short span of time?

I scoured the internet looking for an explanation for the records I discovered in Deerfield.  Eventually, my research on mortality rates and disease in this period, led me to a book by Alan C. Swedlund entitled Shadows in the Valley, A Cultural History of Illness, Death and Loss in New England, 1840-1916.  Though the subject matter may be grim, the book is fascinating.  Mr. Swedlund addresses the cultural and economic forces at work in New England that affected mortality, attitudes toward the death of children during this period and changes in mourning traditions. Shadows in the Valley is a revealing portrayal of life, disease and death and since much of Mr.Swedlund’s research was centered on Deerfield, Massachusetts during the period Hanora resided there, this book provided a historical backdrop for the facts I collected.

I will never know the details of what killed Hanora Conners’ babies, but through Mr. Swedlund's research and writing, I have a deeper, richer perspective of Hanora’s world and why so many children died during that period in history. I am certain I will be consulting Mr. Swedlund’s book throughout my genealogical research of my New England ancestors.

A postscript: Hanora’s remaining sons lived to maturity.[4] In 1866, she married my great-great grandfather John Clark.[5] She gave birth to twins (boy and girl) in 1868 and in 1870 another daughter was born to her. All three children from her marriage to John Clark lived to middle age and beyond.[6] Hanora died in 1895 at the age of seventy.[7]

 

 


[1]      Dr. Chris O’Mahoney, Manager/Research Officer, Limerick Archives, MADIGAN OF SHANAGOLDEN, report to Helen Myers,[ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] North Hatfield, Massachusetts, 14 June 1989; photocopy held by [Elizabeth Banas, 85 North MainStreet, Belchertown, Massachusetts]. This report contains birth data for Hanora (23 Oct 1825) and her siblings (Ann b. 30 Mar 1825 and John b. 11 Jan 1831) and verifies the marriage of Daniel and Catherine (Wallace); also Bessie Arena (secretary to Father Dan Madigan), Clarksburg, California [(E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE),] to Elizabeth Banas, email, 27 July 2011, Madigan Descendent, Hanora Madigan; privately held by Elizabeth Banas, [(E-MAIL ADDRESS) AND STREET ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Belchertown, Massachusetts. Bessie Arena on behalf of Father Dan Madigan, stated that Father Madigan verified Hanora’s birth date (23 Oct 1825) and noted that he has personally viewed the parish registers that contained this data.

 [2]      “Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910,” database, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,  FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 25 July 2011), entry for Michael O’Connor, married Hanora Madigan, 10 Dec 1852, Greenfield, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 1,887,525.

 [3]      Franklin County, Massachusetts, death certificate no. 28 (1855), John Conners, Town Clerk’s Office, Deerfield; Franklin County, Massachusetts, death certificate no. 49 (1856), Michael Conners Jr., Town Clerk’s Office, Deerfield; Franklin County, Massachusetts, death certificate no. 54 (1856), Daniel Conners, Town Clerk’s Office, Deerfield.

 [4]      “Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915,” digital images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 22 Aug 2011), entry for William Conners , no. 7 (1901); FHL microfilm 2,057,733; originals held at Massachusetts State Archives, Boston; Northampton, Massachusetts, Death Register, Volume 4:221, Thomas F. Conners, 1922.

 [5]     Hampshire County, Massachusetts, marriage certificate no. 134 (1866), Conners (Madigan)-Clark; City Clerk’s Office, Northampton.

 [6]     Franklin County, Massachusetts, birth certificate no. 45 (1868), James Clark, Town Clerk’s Office, Deerfield; Franklin County, Massachusetts, birth certificate no. 46 (1868), Mary Clark, Town Clerk’s Office, Deerfield; Hampshire County, Massachusetts, death certificate, unnumbered (1927), James M. Clark; City Clerk’s Office, Northampton; Mary Clark; “Rhode Island Deaths and Burials, 1802-1950,”database, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 23 Aug 2011), entry for Mary Hannah Beckett, died 9 Dec 1925, Providence, Providence County; FHL microfilm 1,940,318;  Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, “Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915,” digital images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 23 Aug 2011), entry for Jane Clark, no. 58 (1869); FHL microfilm 1,428,072. Originals held at Massachusetts State Archives, Boston; City of Northampton, Massachusetts, probate case files, no. 25250, Jane E.McCarthy (21 Dec 1943), petition for probate, 4 Dec 1943; Probate Court Clerk’s Office, Northampton. The petition noted Jane E. Clark’s date of death (2 Nov 1943).

 [7]     Hampshire County, Massachusetts, death certificate, unnumbered (1895), Hannah (Madigan) Clark; City Clerk’s Office, Northampton.

There is nothing new under the sun...

Posted January 2, 2012

 

For years, I have heard rumors and discussions regarding an alienated line of my family. No one in my line knew what or who caused the feud. However, the animosity between family members was so deep and painful, it seeped into subsequent generations.

Recently I stumbled upon an old deed which revealed a great deal about the relationships within the family of my great-great grandparents, John and Hannah Clark. The deed, which conveyed the family home to Jane, the youngest Clark sibling for one dollar was executed in May of 1895, less than two weeks after the death of Hannah.  It stated in part: “I, John Clark in consideration of one dollar and other valuable consideration, paid by Jane E. Clark, my daughter, of said Northampton, who has lived with and assisted in supporting us…”[1.]

I have a good working knowledge of this family. I know that both Thomas and William Connors, Hannah’s sons by her first marriage, received very little education. Both were working in cutleries at an early age. Thomas was still residing at the family home at the time of her death. It would appear that they contributed to the household for many years. Twins, James and Mary from her marriage to John Clark, also went to work at an early age, ostensibly to contribute to the household. The Connor brothers never attained home ownership. James and Mary were able to buy homes, but much later in life, when their children were nearly grown. I wondered what forces were at work that ledmy great-great grandfather to transfer title of his house to his youngest daughter, while forsaking  the other children, who contributed to the economic stability of the family for so many years. Was there bickering and strife between father and sons? Was he duped by his daughter or infirm? Or was he resolute in the sentiment he expressed in the deed?  I was certain that this was the event that caused the legendary feud, but where was the proof?

I will never be privy to John Clark’s private thoughts or his conversations with his youngest daughter. I will never hear the other Clark siblings tell their side of the story. Though, I strongly believe this singular act may have been the undoing of the Clark’s as a family unit, I will not state my opinion regarding this matter in the narrative I am preparing to write. Personal opinions have no place in sound genealogical research and reporting. At the end of the day, there is no evidence that the transfer of the family home to Jane caused the rift.  

It is human to form opinions and analyze the behavior of others through the prism of our personal experiences. I reread the document several times before I concluded that it was a personal life experience which led me to a premature opinion of what occurred within this family.

My father, who passed away two years ago on January 16th, made an observation regarding our family history.  He said that it seemed that history was repeating itself; that it was “all happening again.” Considering recent events, he may have been looking into the future when he made that statement.  

I seldom quote scripture, however this verse from Ecclesiastes holds special meaning for me. “What is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past into account.”  ( Holy Bible, New International Version, Ecclesiastes 3:15).  Dad knew it and I know it, too.

1.     "Hampshire District Recorded/Registered Land,"digital images, Masslandrecords.com (http://www.masslandrecords.com : accessed  28 Dec 2011), Clark to Clark, deed, 16 May 1895, citing Hampshire County, Massachusetts, Deed Book 475:177.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! NEW CONTENT ADDED TO CASHMANCLARK.ORG!

Posted December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas! Clark vital statistics have been added to the website, as well as new photos. (http://www.cashmanclark.org)


Vital Statistics for the Cashmans of Cork and Northampton: Now Online!

Posted December 5, 2011

My busy schedule did not allow time for a blog entry this week. However, I have posted vital statistics for the Cashman family of County Cork and Northampton, Massachusetts on my website http://www.cashmanclark.org.

Photos formally on the Cashman page will be replaced in the album on the homepage, as time allows.

Enjoy!

Super Stars!

Posted November 28, 2011

This was very special Thanksgiving. My husband and I spent the holiday with my cousin Tim at his home in Sunderland, Massachusetts with his wife Susan, his children and several other cousins. Until recently, we barely knew of each other. Over the years I heard his name mentioned on occasion and I knew who he was. However, I would never have recognized him, if we met face to face.

This was not always the case.  My father and Tim’s mother were brother and sister. Tim and I grew up in the same neighborhood in Amherst, Massachusetts. Our mother’s were friends and my father remained close to his sister. The families spent a good deal of time together.

However, my family moved when I was thirteen years old and the visits between our families became infrequent. After Tim’s mother died, I have few memories of seeing him and his brothers.

The years passed quickly. I married and relocated to another area. He married and we both raised our families, oblivious of each other for many years.We came together again by way of a query one of us had placed on a genealogy board and since then, we have renewed our cousin relationship.

I realized in a profound way on Thanksgiving day, as we looked at old family photos,  shared our memories and the events that shaped our lives, that by the mere coincidence of having been born to siblings, we had a huge reservoir of information about each others lives. We remembered the same things in the same way. We heard the same stories and he recounted incidents in my life, that were all but forgotten by me. Quite amazing!

I came to the realization, that we have both looked to the distant past to find our family history and I recognized in a profound way, as we sipped wine and shared stories that only family knew and cared about, that history is not made in the past. History is made in the present.

Even though most of us, think of our lives as ordinary, we all have compelling life stories which should be documented and preserved for subsequent generations. Writing about ourselves can be another generations window to the past. More importantly, telling  our story in our way and in our words void of another opinions is a way of  keeping it real and honest.

Finding time for such tasks is not easy. I have committed to writing a detailed account of each holiday beginning with this Thanksgiving.  You may not think so, but you have a story to tell, too. When it comes to family history, we are all super stars.

Why Am I Annoyed?

Posted November 21, 2011

What could be more annoying than to perform a search for an ancestor or relative and find them listed on a family tree with people that have no connection to your family? That is exactly what happened to me. Several years ago, I performed a search on a paid subscription site using my maiden name. My surname is uncommon, if not rare. There are few people who carry this name, who are not related to me.

I expected the search to return results for trees that were published by other family members. It was quite a surprise when the search produced a result for a long deceased aunt on a tree that had been published by a woman in another state, whose name was not familiar to me. At first glance, I thought the compiler must be a relative from a collateral line. Most of the information relevant to my aunt, such as her birth date and her parents’ names was correct. However, the name entered for her husband was incorrect. Furthermore, I didn’t have a clue as to how this person fit into our family. What I did know was that he was never married to my aunt. I wrote an email to the compiler and explained that she was error. She admitted she didn’t know where she got the information. I then notified my aunt’s son, who contacted the tree owner. The erroneous information was removed from the site.

This is not the only instance of mistakes I have found in on-line trees. Despite overwhelming evidence one relative refuses to acknowledge that our great-great grandfather died in Massachusetts. It is certainly easy enough to verify this information. I have personally offered to supply him with documentation. However, he has declined to even look into the matter. Talk about annoying!

Here is the lesson for my newbie genealogy friends: The next time you are searching for an on-line tree that is a match for your family, remember that just because it’s on-line doesn’t mean it is correct information. On-line sites do not require records and facts to be accompanied by evidence or documentation.

One last word to the wise: There are no genealogy police on the internet. Anyone can hijack an on-line family tree and claim it is their own

Military Pension Files: What's in them?

Posted November 14, 2011

Recently, I requested and received a military pension file for my g-grandfather, who fought in the Civil War. I knew about his service years ago. In fact, a cousin conducted extensive research on our great-grandfather’s military service a number of years ago. I was not convinced that we would glean anything new from this file. However, I thought it was important that we have every record available that was pertinent to his life.

I could not have been more surprised. This file could be likened to a road map of his life, from his enlistment until his death.  Among the items included in the file was his Declaration for Pension. This item contained a personal description and noted his places of residence after leaving the service. Another affidavit contained the names of his first and second wife, the marriage dates and the names and birthdates of all of his living children.

 Among the vital records contained in the file, were death and marriage records, which included certificates pertinent to my great-grandmother’s second marriage and second husband.  Other documents in the file were related to my great-grandmother’s application for a Widows Pension. This included handwritten letters to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The question of what happened to her financially after the death of her second husband was answered by way of a copy of a contract she signed with a women’s home shortly before her death.  Mystery solved!

If you have never worked with military pension files, then you have missed out on a great source of genealogical material.

Most military records can be ordered via the NARA reproduction site. However, the process of retrieving copies of Massachusetts military pension files is more complicated.  Hiring a professional to help you through the process may be the path of least resistance.

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Contact: Elizabeth Banas               85 N.Main Street                   Belchertown, Massachusetts FH_research@hotmail.com