Politicians
Belva Ann Lockwood 1830–1917
Fourth Cousin Eight Times Removed's Wife
Belva Ann Bennett was born on Oct. 24, 1830 in Royalton, New York. Belva married Uriah Harrison McNall in 1848. She married Ezekiel Lockwood on Mar. 11, 1868. She passed away on May 19, 1917 at age 86. She was buried in the Congressional Cemetery.
"Booms for Belva." The Daily Astorian 16 Oct. 1884. Chronicling America. Web.Perhaps Belva Lockwood can tell us what becomes of the pins? No presidential candidate can kiss the babies half so gracefully as Mrs. Lockwood.—Rochester Post-Express. It is now claimed that Mrs. Lockwood "hugs a delusion." Will the campaign of slander never end?—Rochester Post-Express. If Mrs. Lockwood cannot refute the rumor that she wears a false bang, which has gained currency, she had best withdraw.—Life. Candidate Belva Lockwood is very confident of success. She has already called at the White house to see if it has closets enough.—Philadelphia Call. The public is beginning to lose all interest in the fact that Mrs. Lockwood is running for the presidency. It never was an interesting sight to watch a woman run, anyway.—Lowell Citizen. Many persons of good sense are now predicting that Mrs. Belva Lockwood will have a majority in Pennsylvania at the coming election. The reason for this is that Mrs. L. has promised, if elected, to abolish the female bang.—Norristown Herald. "We must always have the ladies on our side," says the artful Mr. Blaine. There is one lady who will not be caught with this taffy. She is the young, the beautiful, the accomplished, the fascinating Belva Ann Lockwood.—Louisville Courier-Journal. Lockwood, Belva Ann. "How I Ran for the Presidency." National Magazine Mar. 1903. Web.It was in the regular course of presidential elections in 1884 that I received the nomination to the office. The national conventions had been assembled, and had made their nominations early. James G. Blaine, then in the zenith of his popularity and one of the leading statesmen of the nation, had been nominated by the republican party, and Grover Cleveland, then a new possibility, and comparatively unknown, was nominated by the democratic party; John P. St. John headed the ticket for the prohibitionists, and Benjamin F. Butler was nominated in Michigan by the laboring men's party, and his nomination had been made by a woman. Progressive and thinking women from all parties had attended in greater or less numbers all of these conventions, and were pressing forward for recognition. |
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Lorna Elizabeth Lockwood 1903–1977
Seventh Cousin Four Times Removed
Lorna Elizabeth Lockwood was born on Mar. 24, 1903 in Douglas, Arizona. Lorna passed away on Sep. 23, 1977 in Phoenix, Arizona at age 74. She was buried in Phoenix.
| State | Office | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Representative | Democratic |
| Arizona | Supreme Court Justice |
Mahlon Betts 1795–1867
Third Cousin Six Times Removed
Mahlon Betts was born on Mar. 16, 1795 in Pennsylvania. Mahlon married Mary Richards Seal on Nov. 8, 1818. He passed away on Mar. 4, 1867 in Wilmington, Delaware at age 71. He was buried in Wilmington.
| State | Office | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Representative | |
| Delaware | Senator |
Henry Alger Gildersleeve 1840–1923
Fifth Cousin Five Times Removed
Henry Alger Gildersleeve was born on Aug. 1, 1840 in New York. Henry married Virginia Crocheron on Apr. 14, 1868 in New York. He passed away on Feb. 27, 1923 in New York at age 82. He was buried in New York.
| Branch: USA | Unit: 150th Regiment, New York Infantry | Rank: Major |
| United States. National Park Service. The Civil War. Web. | ||
| State | Office |
|---|---|
| New York | Supreme Court Justice |
The International Who's Who. Ed. H. L. Motter. New York, 1911. 510. Web.
Judge. Secretary and president Nat. Rifle Assn.; member N.G.S.N.Y. Member G.A.R. Born Aug. 1, 1840, at Dutchess Co., N.Y.; son of Smith James and Rachel (Alger) Gildersleeve. College Hill, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and Columbia University Law School. Admitted to bar, 1866; served capt. and maj. during Civil War, and was bvtd. lieutenant-colonel for gallant and meritorious services in Georgia and Carolina campaigns. Judge Ct. of General Sessions, 1876-89; judge Superior Ct., 1891-94; justice Supreme Ct. of N.Y., 1894-1911. Democrat. Capt. of co. of Am. riflemen sent to Ireland, 1875. Married, April 14, 1868, Virginia Crocheron, of New York. Address: 28 W. 48th St., N.Y. City, U.S.A.
Who's Who in New York City and State. 1911. 379. Web.
Jurist; b. on farm in Township of Clinton, Dutchess County, N. Y., Aug. 1, 1840; s. Smith J. and Rachel (Alger) Gildersleeve; reared on father's farm; ed. in dist. school, Schultzville, N. Y., Hudson River Inst., Claverack, N. Y., and College Hill, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.; taught dist. school in Bull's Head Dist., Town of Clinton, 1857; recruited a company, and was mustered in, Sept. 17, 1862, as capt. Co. C, 150th N. Y. Vol. Inf.; served with reg't at Baltimore, participated in battle of Gettysburg and subsequent campaign in Md. and Va., in Army of the Potomac; served in Sherman's army until the close of war, including the March to the Sea; made provost-marshal 1st Div. 20th Army Corps on staff of Gen. Williams, of Mich.; promoted major of reg't and brevetted lt.-col. U. S. V., by President Lincoln "for gallant and meritorious service in the campaigns of Georgia and the Carolinas," mustered out June, 1865. Studied law in office of Henry W. Johnson, N. Y. City, attended Columbia Coll. Law Sch.; admitted to Bar at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., May, 1866; m. N. Y. City, April 14, 1868, Virginia Crocheron; children: Alger Crocheron, Virginia Crocheron. Practised law in N. Y. City from 1866; elected judge Court of Gen. Sessions, N. Y. City, 1875; renominated 1899, but failed of re-election; appt'd by Gov. Hill, May, 1891, to fill vacancy in Superior Court of City of N. Y., and elected Nov., 1891, to same position; transferred to Supreme Court of N. Y., in Jan., 1896, under provisions of New Constitution, abolishing Superior Court; re-elected, 1905, for term expiring Dec. 31, 1919; resigned Dec. 1, 1909, and resumed practice of law. Elected lt.-col. 12th Reg't, N. G. N. Y., 1870, and during Orange Riots in N. Y. City, 1871, had command of State Arsenal at 35th St. and 7th Av.; distinguished as marksman and member of the American Rifle Team which won in contest with the Irish Team at Creedmoor, 1874, and capt. of the team in the contest (which it won) with the Irish team at Dollymount, near Dublin, June 9, 1875; also in several competitions in England and Scotland; offered by Gov. Dix, but declined, position of gen. insp. rifle practice. Author: Rifles and Marksmanship, 1876. Democrat. Recreations: Fishing, hunting, golf. Clubs: Manhattan, National Democratic, N. Y. Athletic, Garden City Golf, Oakland Golf, County of Westchester, Robbins Island Hunting. Residence: 28 W. 48th St. Address: 2 Rector St., N. Y. City.
Samuel Drake Lockwood 1789–1874
Fifth Cousin Seven Times Removed
Samuel Drake Lockwood was born on Aug. 2, 1789 in Pound Ridge, New York. Samuel married Mary Nash on Oct. 3, 1826. He passed away on Apr. 23, 1874 in Batavia, Illinois at age 84. He was buried in Batavia.
| State | Office |
|---|---|
| Illinois | Attorney General |
| Illinois | Secretary of State |
| Illinois | Supreme Court Justice |
The Ottawa Free Trader 2 May 1874: 4. Chronicling America. Web.
We see announced, in despatches to the Chicago papers, the death at his home in Batavia, in this state, on the 23d ult., of Judge Samuel D. Lockwood. He must have been over 80 years of age. He had for many years been a Judge of the Supreme Court of this state, and while he was never accounted a remarkably able or brilliant man, his decisions were always marked by sound common sense. He was one of those sterling men of the old regime whose integrity was always above suspicion.
Moss Kent Platt 1809–1876
Cousin (6)
Moss Kent Platt was born on May 3, 1809 in Plattsburgh, New York. Moss married Elizabeth Freligh on Oct. 14, 1830. He married Margaret Anne Freligh on May 20, 1858. He passed away on Mar. 1, 1876 at age 66.
| Legislature | Office | Party |
|---|---|---|
| New York | Senator | Republican |
Jonas Platt 1769–1834
Cousin (5)
Jonas Platt was born on Jun. 30, 1769 in Poughkeepsie, New York. Jonas married Helena Livingston in 1790 in Poughkeepsie. He passed away on Feb. 22, 1834 in Peru, New York at age 64. He was buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Plattsburgh, New York.
The Columbian Cyclopedia. Vol. 24. Buffalo, 1897. Web.PLATT, Jonas: 1769, June 30—1834, Feb. 22; b. Poughkeepsie, N. Y.; son of Zephaniah P. He studied law with Richard Varick; settled as a lawyer in Whitesboro, near Utica; was gen. of cavalry in state militia; member of congress 1799–1800; four years in state senate from 1809; made the first motion in the senate for construction of the Erie canal, seconded by De Witt Clinton, 1810. He was made judge of the supreme court 1814, and member of the convention that framed the state constitution 1821. He died on his farm near Plattsburg, N. Y., 1834. |
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| Legislature | Office | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Congress | Representative from NY | Federalist |
Orville Hitchcock Platt 1827–1905
Cousin (7)
Orville Hitchcock Platt was born on Jul. 19, 1827 in Washington, Connecticut. Orville passed away on Apr. 21, 1905 in Meriden, Connecticut at age 77. He was buried in Washington.
The Columbian Cyclopedia. Vol. 24. Buffalo, 1897. Web.PLATT, Orville Hitchcock: born Washington, Conn., 1827, July 19. He received an academic education, studied law, and began practice 1849. He was clerk of the Conn. state senate 1855–6; sec. of state of Conn. 1857; was in the state senate 1861–2, and in the state house of representatives 1864 and 69. Elected to the U. S. senate as a republican, he took his seat 1879, Mar. 18; he was re-elected 1885 and 91. |
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| Legislature | Office | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Congress | Senator from CT | Republican |
Sir Francis Drake 1588–1637
Second Cousin Fifteen Times Removed
Francis Drake passed away on Mar. 11, 1637 in Devon, England.
| Legislature | Office | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| England | MP from Devon | Plympton Erle |
Sir Francis Drake 1617–1662
Third Cousin Fourteen Times Removed
Francis Drake married Dorothy Pym on Jan. 18, 1640. Francis passed away on Jan. 6, 1662.
| Legislature | Office | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| England | MP from Devon | Bere Alston |
Richard Drake 1535–1603
Fifteenth Great Uncle
Richard Drake married Ursula Stafford. Richard passed away on Jul. 11, 1603 in Devon, England.
| Legislature | Office | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| England | MP from Norfolk | Castle Rising |
| England | MP from Northumberland | Morpeth |
John Drake
First Cousin Fifteen Times Removed
John Drake married Dorothy Button. John passed away on Apr. 11, 1628 in Musbury, Devon, England.
| Legislature | Office | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| England | MP from Devon | |
| England | MP from Dorset | Lyme Regis |
Nehemiah Platt 1797–1851
Cousin (6)
Nehemiah Platt was born on Jul. 25, 1797. Nehemiah passed away on Mar. 29, 1851 at age 53. He was buried in the Nichols Cemetery in Nichols, New York.
| Legislature | Office |
|---|---|
| New York | Senator |
Thomas Collier Platt 1833–1910
Cousin (7)
Thomas Collier Platt was born on Jul. 15, 1833 in Owego, New York. Thomas passed away on Mar. 6, 1910 in New York. His death at age 76 was due to acute nephritis. He was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Owego.
The Columbian Cyclopedia. Vol. 24. Buffalo, 1897. Web.PLATT, Thomas Collier: politician: b. Owego, N. Y., 1833, July 15. His health failed while he was at Yale College, and he left in his Sophomore year and engaged in business. He became pres. of a bank in Tioga, N. Y.; was interested in the lumber business in Mich.; member of the lower house of congress as a republican 1873–77, and of the senate for a few weeks 1881, resigning with Mr. Conkling because of disagreement as to control of federal official appointments in New York; and was defeated for re-election. He was a quarantine commissioner of the port of New York 1880–88, was removed in the latter year, and his appeal to the courts for reinstatement was denied. He was offered, but declined, the position of minister to Spain 1890, and the same year in Sep. was appointed one of the commissioners to select a site for a dry-dock on the Pacific coast n. of Cal. For some years he was pres. of a railroad, and since 1880 has been pres. of the U. S. Express Company. Later, he became a well-known republican leader. |
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| Legislature | Office | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Congress | Senator from NY | Republican |
Daniel Newton Lockwood 1841–1906
Sixth Cousin Six Times Removed
Daniel Newton Lockwood was born on Jun. 1, 1841 in Hamburg, New York. Daniel passed away on Jun. 1, 1906 in Hamburg at age 65. He was buried in Buffalo, New York.
A Biographical Congressional Directory. 1913. 814. Web.Lockwood, Daniel Newton, a Representative from New York; born in Hamburg, Erie county, N. Y., June 1, 1844; was graduated from Union college, Schenectady, N. Y., in 1865; studied law, was admitted to the bar in May, 1866, and practiced in Buffalo, N. Y.; district attorney for Erie county 1874–1877; elected as a Democrat to the Forty-fifth Congress (March 4, 1877–March 3, 1879); delegate in the Democratic national conventions of 1880, 1884, and 1896; United States attorney for the northern district of New York from October, 1886, to June, 1889, when he resigned; reelected as a Democrat to the Fifty-second and Fifty-third Congresses (March 4, 1891–March 3, 1895); resumed the practice of law in Buffalo, N. Y.; general manager from New York at the Pan American exposition in 1901; died in Buffalo, N. Y., June 1, 1906. |
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| Legislature | Office | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Congress | Representative from NY | Democratic |
George William Fowler 1859–1924
Fourth Cousin Five Times Removed
George William Fowler was born on Feb. 24, 1859 in Hammondvale, New Brunswick. George married Ethyl Georgina Wilson on Jul. 28, 1897. He passed away on Sep. 2, 1924 at age 65. He was buried in Hammondvale.
| Branch: CEF | Unit: 104th Overseas Battalion | Rank: Lieutenant Colonel |
Canada. Libary and Archives. First World War. Web.
Declaration Paper
Canadian Expeditionary Force
Answered by Officer
01 Name: George William Fowler
02 Birth Place: Hammond Vale, N.B.
03 Birth Date: Feb. 24, 1861
04 Wife: Ethyl Georgiana Fowler
04 Address: Sussex, N.B.
05 Profession: Barrister at Law
06 Religion: Pagan
07 Vaccination: Willing
08 Militia: 8th Hussars
09 Duration: 20 Years
10 CEF Service: Willing
The Canadian Parliamentary Companion. Ed. J. A. Gemmill. Ottawa, 1897. 335. Web.
Fowler, George William (King's Co.).
Great grandfather, Weedon Fowler, a Lieutenant in the Revolutionary Army, came from New York with the Loyalists in 1783, and settled at French Village in King's Co. B., 24 Feb., 1859, at Hammond Vale. Ed. at Varley School, St John; Dalhousie Univ., Halifax; and Boston Univ. Law School, graduating with honors at latter institution in June, 1884. Admitted to the Bar of N.B. in 1884. Was a mem. of the Municipal Co. of King's Co. from 1886 to 1890, and Warden of the Co. in 1889; Grand Master of Orangemen of N.B. from 1890 to 1893. First returned to Ho. of Assem. at g. e. 1895. A Conservative.—Sussex, N.B.
Who's Who in Canada. Ed. B. M. Greene. 1922. 854. Web.
FOWLER, Senator George W., K.C.—Born Hammond Vale, King's County, N.B., 1859, son of Weeden and Harriet (Fownes) Fowler. Educated: Varley School, St. John; Dalhousie University; Graduate, Boston Law School. Called to New Brunswick Bar, 1884; has large lumber and mining interest in British Columbia; elected to New Brunswick Legislature, 1895; mover of address, first session; elected to House of Commons, King's County, 1900; for Kings-Albert, 1904; defeated, 1908; re-elected, 1911; appointed to Senate, 1916; Warden, King's County, 1889. For many years an enthusiastic militia man, retiring from 8th Hussars with rank of Captain, 1898. Raised the 104th Overseas Battalion, C.E.F., 1915, and in 1916 went to England as Commanding Officer; appointed O.C., 13th Reserve Battalion, C.E.F., England. Married Ethyl G. Wilson, daughter of Captain John Wilson, July 28, 1897; has two sons. Conservative. Residence: Sussex, N.B.
Joseph Platt 1672–1748
Uncle (2)
Joseph Platt was born on Feb. 17, 1672 in Norwalk, Connecticut. Joseph passed away on Jun. 12, 1748 in Norwalk at age 76. He was buried in Norwalk.
| Legislature | Office |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | Representative from Norwalk |
Sir John Drake 1625–1669
Third Cousin Thirteen Times Removed
John Drake was baptized on Apr. 4, 1625. John passed away on Jul. 6, 1669.
| Legislature | Office | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| England | MP from Dorset | Bridport |
Sir Edmund Prideaux
Cousin (18)
Edmund Prideaux passed away on Aug. 19, 1659.
| Legislature | Office | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| England | MP from Dorset | Lyme Regis |
Sir Peter Prideaux 1626–1705
Cousin (19)
Peter Prideaux was baptized on Jul. 13, 1626. Peter married Elizabeth Grenville on Nov. 7, 1645. He passed away on Nov. 22, 1705.
| Legislature | Office | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| England | MP from Cornwall | St Mawes |
| England | MP from Devon | Honiton |
John Vivian
Third Cousin Seven Times Removed
John Vivian passed away on May 21, 1817. John was buried on May 30, 1817 in Camborne, Cornwall, England.
Cornwall. Online Parish Clerks. Burials. 1817. Web.
Date: May 30
Parish: Camborne
Name: John Vivian
Age: 45
Residence: Pencalannick
James Vivian 1735–1782
Second Cousin Eight Times Removed
James Vivian was baptized on Feb. 28, 1735 in Camborne, Cornwall, England. James passed away on Nov. 2, 1782. He was buried on Nov. 7, 1782 in Camborne.
Cornwall. Online Parish Clerks. Baptisms. 1735. Web.
Date: February 28
Parish: Camborne
Name: James Vivian
Father: John
Cornwall. Online Parish Clerks. Burials. 1782. Web.
Date: November 7
Parish: Camborne
Name: James Vivian, Esq.
Note: Multis ille bonis flebilis Occidit
Sir John Mundy
Fifteenth Great Grandfather
John Mundy was born in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. John passed away in 1537.
Chaffers, William. Gilda Aurifabrorum. London. 42. Web.
Sir John Mundy, goldsmith, Mayor 1522–3, was son of William Mundy, of Wycombe, Bucks. He was buried in the church of St. Peter in Cheape; ob. 1537.
Lysons, Daniel, and Samuel Lysons. "Mundy, of Markeaton." Magna Britannia. Vol. 5. London, 1817. Web.
Sir John Mundy, Lord Mayor of London, a native of High-Wycombe, in Buckinghamshire, settled in Derbyshire in the reign of Henry VIII., having purchased Markeaton of Lord Audley. The present representative is Francis Mundy, Esq.
Arms: Per pale, Gules and Sable, on a cross, engrailed, Argent, five lozenges, Purpure; on a chief, Or, three eagles' legs, erased, a-la-quise, Azure.
Crest: A wolf's head, erased, Sable, bezantée; fire issuing from his mouth, Proper.
William Mundy 1801–1877
Tenth Cousin Six Times Removed
William Mundy was born on Sep. 14, 1801. William passed away in 1877.
| Legislature | Office | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | MP | South Derbyshire |
Francis Mundy 1771–1837
Ninth Cousin Seven Times Removed
Francis Mundy was born on Aug. 29, 1771. Francis passed away on May 6, 1837 at age 65.
| Legislature | Office | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | MP | Derbyshire |
Wrightson Mundy
Seventh Cousin Nine Times Removed
Wrightson Mundy married Anne Burdett. Wrightson passed away on Jun. 18, 1762.
Edward Miller Mundy 1800–1849
Eighth Cousin Eight Times Removed
Edward Miller Mundy was born on Nov. 10, 1800. Edward passed away on Jan. 29, 1849 in Barbados at age 48.
Edward Miller Mundy 1750–1822
Sixth Cousin Ten Times Removed
| Legislature | Office | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | MP | Derbyshire |
Sir George Mundy 1777–1861
Seventh Cousin Nine Times Removed
George Mundy was born on Mar. 3, 1777 in Derbyshire, England. George was knighted in 1837. Sir George passed away on Feb. 9, 1861 at home in London, England at age 83.
| Legislature | Office | Constituency |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | MP from Yorkshire | Boroughbridge |
Roger Grenville
Sixteenth Great Grandfather
Roger Grenville was born in 1477. Roger married Margaret Whitleigh.
Browning, Charles H. The Magna Charta Barons and Their American Descendants. Philadelphia, 1898. 430. Web. This book is not accepted by the Baronial Order of Magna Charta.
13. SIR ROGER GRENVILLE, of Stowe and Bideford, high sheriff of Cornwall, who m. Margaret, daughter of Richard Whitleigh, of Efford, Devon
Granville, Roger. The History of the Granville Family. Exeter, 1895. 71. Web.
Sir Roger Granville resided chiefly at Stowe, and for his princely liberality was called "The Great Housekeeper." He was thirty-six and more at the time of his father's death, and two years previously had been chosen High Sheriff of Cornwall, an office which he again filled eight years afterwards.
Sir Thomas Grenville
Seventeenth Great Grandfather
Thomas Grenville married Isabella Gilbert. Thomas was knighted on Nov. 14, 1501. Sir Thomas passed away on Mar 18, 1513. He was buried in Bideford, Devon, England.
Browning, Charles H. The Magna Charta Barons and Their American Descendants. Philadelphia, 1898. 346. Web. This book is not accepted by the Baronial Order of Magna Charta.12. SIR THOMAS GRENVILLE, Knight, of Stowe, Cornwall Granville, Roger. The History of the Granville Family. Exeter, 1895. 59-60. Web.Thomas married first, Isabella, daughter of Sir Otes Gilbert, of Compton, "a family (writes Prince in his 'Worthies of Devon') of as ancient standing in the county of Devon as the Conquest, and if we may give credit to an author of our own (Mr. Wêste) it was here before, for he asserts that Gilbert possessed lands in Manadon, near Dartmore, in Edward the Confessor's days. They have matched as they descended down into honourable houses, and have yielded matches to others, in particular to the noble family of the Grenviles." By her he had two sons and six daughters, viz., Roger, his eldest, of whom presently, and Richard, High Sheriff for Cornwall, 1st, 10th and 14th Henry VIII., who died without issue. Granville, Roger. The History of the Granville Family. Exeter, 1895. 69-70. Web.His will, dated 9th March, 1512, was proved P.C.C. 12th May. It is as follows:— "In the name of God. Amen. I, Sir Thomas Graynfeld, Knyght, in my hoole mynde, make my Testament in Maner and Forme followinge. First, I bequeth my soule to Almightie God, and to our blessed Ladie, and to all the hoolie saints in Hevyn. My Bodie to be buryed in the Church erthe of Bedyforde, in the south est Part of the Chauncell Dore, where my mynde is yf I lyve to make an Altaire, and a Preste to sing there to pray for mee and myn auncestors and heires for ever. The said Preste and pore men to bee put in by discrecion of myn heires and executors. Further, I will that my saide Chappell, whennsoever it bee made, and the Church of Bedyforde in meane season have my Cope of Tissue and my Vestiment of the same, and a suet of blacke velvett, to bee made of such velvett gownys as I have, by the discrecion of myn heires and executors. Also, I will that John Greynfelde, yf he bee disposed to be a Preste, to have the next avoydance of one of the benefices of Bedyforde or of Kikehamton. And yf he will be no Preste, that then my sonne Roger Graynfelde and his heires see him have sum resonable living of landes by theire discrecions. Item, I will that my sonne Roger shall marry my daughter Onor, and I give her in marriage ccc markes in money, to bee levyed of my landes and goodis. Item, I will that my daughter Jane, which I had by my last wyff, to have cc markes in lyke manner to bee leveyed of my goodis and landes. Provided allway that yf the said Onor and Jane fortune to dye or ever they be maryed, that thenne they to have nothing of the said money. But thenne the saide money whenne it is so levyed to bee disposed for my soule by the discrecion of my sonne Roger. Item, I give to the Church of Bedyforde, and to the Brige of Bydisforde, vi lbs. xiii s. 4d. Item, to the Church of Kikehamton, iiii lbs. Roger, sonne, I woll desyr you, as my trust in you, to see this my Will performed and fullfilled, and yow I make myn executor." |
Bideford.jpg) |
Sir Hugh Courtenay
Twenty-First Great Grandfather
Hugh Courtenay was buried in Haccombe, Devon, England.
Browning, Charles H. The Magna Charta Barons and Their American Descendants. Philadelphia, 1898. 345. Web. This book is not accepted by the Baronial Order of Magna Charta.8. SIR HUGH COURTENAY, of Haccomb, Devonshire, and Boconnock, Cornwall, second son, brother of Edward, third Earl of Devon |
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Humphrey de Bohun
Twenty-Seventh Great Grandfather
Humphrey de Bohun married Maud de Lusignan.
Browning, Charles H. The Magna Charta Barons and Their American Descendants. Philadelphia, 1898. 343. Web. This book is not accepted by the Baronial Order of Magna Charta.
2. HUMPHREY DE BOHUN, Earl of Hereford and Essex, d. 1274–5. He was a very distinguished person among the rebellious Barons, temp. Henry III. In 47 Henry III. he and other Barons were excommunicated for plundering churches in time of war, and was one of the commanders at the battle of Lewes, and was constituted governor of Goodrich and Winchester Castles. He m. first, Lady Maud, daughter of Raoul, Baron d'Eue, d. s. p. m.
Eleanor of Castile
Twenty-Fifth Great Grandmother
Eleanor married Edward on Nov. 1, 1254. She passed away in 1290 in England. She was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Richard Grenville
Sixteenth Great Uncle
Richard Grenville married Matilda Beville. Richard passed away on Mar. 18, 1550.
Sir Bernard Grenville 1567–1636
Third Cousin Fourteen Times Removed
Bernard Grenville married Elizabeth Bevill.
Sir Bevil Grenville 1595–1643
Fourth Cousin Thirteen Times Removed
Bevil Grenville was baptized on Mar. 1, 1595 in Withiel, Cornwall, England. Bevil married Grace Smith. He was wounded in action on Jul. 5, 1643 in Somerset, England. He was buried on Jul. 26, 1643 in Kilkhampton, Cornwall.
Cornwall. Online Parish Clerks. Baptisms. 1595. Web.
Date: March 1
Parish: Withiel
Name: Bevill Grenfill
Father: Barnardii
Cornwall. Online Parish Clerks. Burials. 1643. Web.
Date: July 26
Parish: Kilkhampton
Name: Sir Bevill Grenville
Note: Knight
Bernard Granville 1631–1701
Fifth Cousin Twelve Times Removed
Bernard Granville was born on Mar. 4, 1631. Bernard married Anne Morley. He passed away on Jun. 14, 1701 at age 70.
Sir Bevil Granville 1665–1706
Sixth Cousin Eleven Times Removed
Bevil Granville was baptized on Mar. 10, 1665. Bevil was knighted on May 28, 1686. He died on Sep. 15, 1706.
Charles Fuller Gildersleeve 1833–1906
Fourth Cousin Five Times Removed
Charles Fuller Gildersleeve was born on Oct. 17, 1833 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Charles married Mary Elizabeth Herchmer in 1863. He passed away on Jan. 18, 1906 in Kingston at age 72. He was buried in the Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston.
A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography. Ed. Geo. Maclean Rose. Toronto, 1886. 586-87. Web.
Gildersleeve, Charles F., ex-Mayor, Kingston, was born in Kingston, on the 17th of October, 1833, his parents being Henry and Sarah (Finkle) Gildersleeve. His father had come from Portland, Connecticut, in 1816, settling in Kingston; and was a shipbuilder, an owner of steamboats, and a very active and successful man of business. The maternal grandfather of Charles F. Gildersleeve was a United Empire loyalist. C. F. Gildersleeve was educated at Upper Canada College, Toronto, and studied law, first at Kingston, and afterwards at Toronto. In 1859 he was called to the bar, and he practised his profession for five years at Kingston. In 1864 he entered the steamboat business on Lake Ontario, and was the owner of the Norseman, which ran between Rochester and Port Hope, and of the Hastings, which plyed between Kingston and Belleville. He has been president of the Kingston and Pembroke Railway Company, and was for a period vice-president of the Canadian Navigation Company. He always took a great interest in promoting civic interests, and his zeal and achievements were recognized by his repeated election to the council board, and to the chair of chief magistrate in 1879. The Kingston and Pembroke Railway, already alluded to, in the formation of which Mr. Gildersleeve took a prominent part, has added in a large degree to the commercial progress of Kingston. It is the shortest route between the principal lumbering rivers of Ontario and the American market, and throws open for settlement a large agricultural area. Mr. Gildersleeve comes of a family of sturdy, capable and successful men of business. This family was especially conspicuous as shipbuilders, the sixth generation of the Gildersleeves having engaged in that occupation at Portland, Conn. When the father of ex-Mayor Gildersleeve went to Kingston in 1816 he assisted in building the Frontenac, the first steamboat launched on Lake Ontario. Soon afterwards he built for a company the steamboat Charlotte, he himself being the principal owner and manager, till his death in 1851. The eldest son, Overton Gildersleeve, was for many years mayor of Kingston. Upon the death of his father he assumed the management of the business, and continued at the head of the same till his death, which occurred in 1864. His brother, Charles, the subject of this memoir, then became manager, and has held that position since, his undertakings being characterised by a wise mixture of prudence and enterprise. The steamboat interest, at the head of which is Charles Gildersleeve, is in all probability the oldest on the continent. Mr. Gildersleeve is a staunch Reformer, and has held office in the local association of his party. He is a master Mason, and a staunch member of the Church of England. He married, in June, 1863, Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Charles L. Herchmer, of Belleville, Ontario. There is issue by this marriage two children.
Gildersleeve, Willard Harvey. Gildersleeves of Gildersleeve, Conn. Meriden, 1914. 28-29. Web.
Born Kingston, Ontario, 17 Oct., 1833; d. there 18 Jan., 1906; m. Mary Elizabeth, dau. of Charles L. Herchmer, of Belleville. Educated Upper Canada College where he took a scholarship. He studied for and was admitted to the bar in 1859. He then traveled in Europe. On his brother Overton's death in 1864, he gave up law to take the management of the steamboat business in which his father and brother had been engaged since 1817. In his marine career, he built and owned the steamers Corinthian, Norseman, Maud, Welshman, and North King. He also owned the Empress, Bay of Quinte, Hastings and Hero. They ran between Rochester, Port Hope, Bay of Quinte ports and Kingston. In 1893, he formed the Lake Ontario and Bay of Quinte Steamboat Co., which took over his steamers, he becoming the first manager. In March, 1894, he was appointed general manager of the Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company which controls the traffic by water, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec and Saguenay River. In this he showed his marine genius. No dividends had been paid for eight years but his first year of management yielded vastly improved results. His efforts made the services the most efficient in the world. He advocated the construction of several large boats and the result was the "Toronto," the "Kingston" and the "Montreal," lake passenger steamers that cannot be excelled. He retired in 1904, after ten years of splendid service, to his old home in Kingston, where he looked after the interests of the Bay of Quinte Co., as president and manager.
From 1864 to 1894, he was active in municipal affairs, as alderman twenty-two years and mayor in 1879. He led in the promotion of the Kingston and Pembroke R. R., and was president for years. He also helped establish the Kingston School of Mining. In religion he was an Anglican, member of St. George's Cathedral, where his family had worshipped for ninety years. In enlarging the edifice, he was chairman of the building committee. In politics, he was a liberal of the old school. Marine men always spoke of the splendid condition that his boats were kept in. Interests and safety of the traveling public, he always had in view and that was why the Gildersleeve boats were so popular. He was elected first president of the Dominion Marine Association, when formed in 1903. He died 1 a. m. Jan. 18, 1906, Thursday, in Kingston, the funeral services being conducted by the Bishop of Ontario. He was buried in the Cataraqui cemetery. Mrs. Gildersleeve resides at 199 King street, Kingston, Ont., Canada.
Overton Smith Gildersleeve 1825–1864
Fourth Cousin Five Times Removed
Overton Smith Gildersleeve was born on Jan 13, 1825 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Overton married Louisa Anne Draper on Aug. 16, 1850. He died on Mar. 9, 1864 in Kingston. His death at age 39 was due to stroke. He was buried in the Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston.
A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography. Ed. Geo. Maclean Rose. Toronto, 1886. 587. Web.
The eldest son, Overton Gildersleeve, was for many years mayor of Kingston. Upon the death of his father he assumed the management of the business, and continued at the head of the same till his death, which occurred in 1864. His brother, Charles, the subject of this memoir, then became manager, and has held that position since, his undertakings being characterised by a wise mixture of prudence and enterprise.
Gildersleeve, Willard Harvey. Gildersleeves of Gildersleeve, Conn. Meriden, 1914. 27-28. Web.
Born Kingston, Ontario, Canada, 13 Jan., 1825; d. there 9 Mar., 1864. Educated at Upper Canada College where he took a scholarship and then studied law in Kingston and his last year in Toronto where all the judges of the high courts resided. After a trip to Europe, he m. 16 Aug., 1850, Louisa Anne, b. Toronto, 16 Aug., 1832; d. Toronto, 16 April, 1851, dau. of Judge William Henry and Augusta (White) Draper. (Judge Draper was chief justice of Upper Canada in 1863.) She was then 18 years old, of a very sweet disposition and a highly cultivated voice. The following spring she caught cold which turned into a rapid decline. Taken to Toronto for a change, she soon died. Overton went to England, then returned in September. 1 Oct., 1851, his father died and he became head of the house and gave up law practice as the large business interests of the steamboats engaged his attention. He was a most energetic citizen, being twice mayor, 1855-56 and 1861-2, of Kingston. In 1860, he traveled to the West Indies and Mexico.
Johnson Vivian 1701–1765
First Cousin Nine Times Removed
Johnson Vivian was baptized on Aug. 16, 1701 in Camborne, Cornwall, England. Johnson was buried on Mar. 23, 1765 in Truro, Cornwall.
Cornwall. Online Parish Clerks. Baptisms. 1701. Web.
Date: August 16
Parish: Camborne
Name: Johnson Vivian
Father: Johnson
Cornwall. Online Parish Clerks. Burials. 1765. Web.
Date: March 23
Parish: Truro, St. Mary
Name: Johnson Vivian
Tregellas, Walter H. Cornish Worthies. Vol. I. London, 1884. 314. Web.
Mr. Vivian was Mayor of Truro in 1741 and again in 1754.
Walter Guion 1849–1927
Fourth Cousin Seven Times Removed
Walter Guion was born Apr. 3, 1849. Walter passed away on Feb. 7, 1927 at age 77. He was buried in New Orleans, Louisiana.
| Legislature | Office | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Congress | Senator from LA | Democratic |
John Isaac Guion 1802–1855
Third Cousin Eight Times Removed
John Isaac Guion was born on Nov. 18, 1802. John passed away on Jun. 6, 1855 at age 52. He was buried in Jackson, Mississippi.
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| State | Office | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | Governor | Democratic |
John Shurman Fowler 1821–1902
First Cousin Six Times Removed
John Shurman Fowler was born on Nov. 1, 1821 in New York. John passed away on Dec. 8, 1902 in Auburn, New York at age 81. He was buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn.
| State | Office |
|---|---|
| New York | Mayor of Auburn |
Samuel Fowler 1779–1844
Fourth Cousin Eight Times Removed
Samuel Fowler was born on Oct. 30, 1779 in Newburgh, New York. Samuel passed away on Feb. 20, 1844 in Franklin, New Jersey at age 64. He was buried in New Jersey.
Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. Ed. James Grant Wilson and John Fiske. Vol. II. New York, 1888. 518. Web.FOWLER, Samuel, physician, b. near Newburg, N. Y., 30 Oct., 1779; d. in Franklin, N. J., 21 Feb., 1844. He studied medicine in Philadelphia, and, after being licensed in 1800, began practise in Hamburg, N. J. A few years later removed to Franklin, where he subsequently resided, enjoying a high reputation on account his scientific knowledge. He interested himself politics, and represented his county in the upper branch of the New Jersey legislature, and also his state in congress, to which he was twice elected as a Jackson Democrat, serving from 2 Dec., 1833, till 4 March, 1837. As a mineralogist he held deservedly a high rank. The zinc-mines in Franklin were once owned by him, and his descriptions of the minerals found in their vicinity, particularly the franklinite, said to have been named by him, led to the development of its metallurgy. The rare mineral, fowlerite, was discovered by him. He contributed frequent descriptions of New Jersey minerals to scientific and other journals. |
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| Legislature | Office | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Congress | Representative from NJ | Democratic |
Samuel Fowler 1851–1919
Sixth Cousin Six Times Removed
Samuel Fowler was born on Mar. 22, 1851 in Port Jervis, New York. Samuel passed away on Mar. 17, 1919 in Newark, New Jersey at age 67. He was buried in New Jersey.
| Legislature | Office | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Congress | Representative from NJ | Democratic |
Mark Sension
Eleventh Great Uncle
Mark Sension passed away on Aug. 12, 1693 in Connecticut. He was buried in Norwalk, Connecticut.
| Legislature | Office |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | Deputy from Norwalk |
Stephen St. John 1735–1785
Third Cousin Nine Times Removed
Stephen St. John was born in 1735. Stephen passed away on May 9, 1785 in Norwalk, Connecticut. He was buried in Norwalk.
| DAR #A099202 | Service: Connecticut | Rank: Lieutenant Colonel |
| Legislature | Office |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | Representative from Norwalk |
John St. John 1833–1916
Seventh Cousin Five Times Removed
John Pierce St. John was born on Feb. 25, 1833 in Brookville, Indiana. John passed away on Aug. 31, 1916 in Olathe, Kansas at age 83. He was buried in Olathe.
| Branch: USA | Unit: 143rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry | Rank: Lieutenant Colonel |
"St. John Is Dead." The Topeka Daily State Journal 1 Sept. 1916: 10. Chronicling America. Web.Olathe. Kan., Sept. 1.—John P. St. John, candidate for the presidency on the Prohibition ticket in 1884, twice governor of Kansas and one of the most widely known temperance advocates in the United States, is dead here. He was 83 years old and had been in failing health since a heat prostration two months ago, while on a speaking tour. While speaking at Jetmore, Kan., on June 20, in behalf of the Prohibition cause, Mr. St. John was overcome with the heat. He cancelled his speaking engagements and returned to his home, where he rallied sufficiently to enable him to attend the national Prohibition convention at St. Paul, Minn., in July. On his return home he spoke at Shelbyville, Ill., which proved to be his last public utterance. John Pierce St. John was one of the most widely known temperance advocates in the United States. He was a candidate for president on the Prohibition ticket in 1884, and served two terms as governor of Kansas—1879-1883—during which Kansas became a prohibition state. Born at Brookville, Ind., February 25, 1833, St. John served as a captain and lieutenant-colonel in the Civil war, and settled in Kansas, where he became a member of the state senate. He became a political factor when he won a fight to displace United States Senator Samuel B. Pomeroy. Pomeroy and St. John had been personal friends, but the latter became displeased at the way Pomeroy conducted himself as a senator, and thereupon championed John J. Ingalls, Pomeroy's opponent, who won. This made St. John a leader and resulted in his election as governor. He was called a "traitor" when he deserted the Republican party and became a candidate for president on the Prohibition ticket in '84. During his campaign he was burned or hung in effigy more than 600 times. He was twice shot at, but unhurt. Many Republicans attributed the defeat of James G. Blaine for president to St. John's entrance into the race. In 1912, notwithstanding his advanced age, he stumped Kansas for woman suffrage, declaring that when women had the vote they would have prohibition. In 1914 he campaigned in the east for prohibition, estimating that up to that time he had, altogether, traveled 350,000 miles and delivered 4,500 speeches in behalf of the prohibition cause. When he was in the Kansas capitol he inaugurated the first "water banquet," with the result that liquor has been under taboo in the Kansas state house ever since. |
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Eliphalet Lockwood 1675–1753
Tenth Great Uncle
Eliphalet Lockwood was born in 1675 in Connecticut. Eliphalet passed away on Oct. 14, 1753. He was buried in Norwalk, Connecticut.
| Legislature | Office |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | Representative from Norwalk |
James Lockwood 1683–1769
Tenth Great Uncle
James Lockwood was born on Apr. 21, 1683 in Norwalk, Connecticut. James passed away on May 5, 1769 in Norwalk at age 86. He was buried in the Pine Island Cemetery in Norwalk.
| Legislature | Office |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | Representative from Norwalk |
| Unit: Norwalk Trainband | Rank: Colonel |
John Platt 1632–1705
Ancestor (1)
John Platt was born on Jan. 11, 1632 in Ware, Hertfordshire, England. John married Hannah Clark. He passed away on Nov. 6, 1705 in Norwalk, Connecticut at age 73.
| Legislature | Office |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | Deputy from Norwalk |
| Unit: Norwalk Trainband | Rank: Sergeant |
Thomas Richard Whitney 1807–1858
Fourth Cousin Six Times Removed
Thomas Richard Whitney was born in 1807. Thomas passed away on Apr. 12, 1858 in New York. He was buried in New York.
| Legislature | Office | Party |
|---|---|---|
| New York | Senator | Whig |
| Congress | Representative from NY | Know Nothing |
George Maney 1826–1901
Fifth Cousin Five Times Removed
George Earl Maney was born on Aug. 24, 1826 in Franklin, Tennessee. George married Elizabeth Crutcher in 1853. He passed away on Feb. 9, 1901. His death at age 74 was due to cerebral hemorrhage. He was buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.
"Sudden Death of Gen. Maney." The Evening Star 11 Feb. 1901: 8. Chronicling America. Web.Gen. George E. Maney of Tennessee, a well-known figure in southern circles in Washington, was stricken with apoplexy last Saturday afternoon on F Street and died a few moments later in the Losekam, where he was taken by friends. The body was removed to Gawler's undertaking establishment to await the disposition of his relatives in Tennessee, who were notified. Gen. Maney was a veteran of the Mexican and civil wars. He was a brigadier general of the confederate army and after the war his admiration for Gen. Grant led him into the republican party. He entertained an ardent admiration for James G. Blaine, and during Garfield's administration was appointed minister to the United States of Colombia. President Harrison appointed him minister to Uruguay and Paraguay. He had always taken an active part in republican politics and in the last campaign was an effective speaker on the stump in New York and Delaware. He leaves a widow and one son, Capt. Maney of the 15th Infantry, now in the Philippines. |
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| Legislature | Office | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | Senator | Republican |
John Hilborn McKune 1819–1905
Fifth Great Uncle
John Hilborn McKune was born in 1819 in New York. John married Mary Gibson Bennett on Feb. 26, 1855 in California. He was an abolitionist attorney in the trial of Archy Lee in 1858 in Sacramento, California. He passed away on Mar. 22, 1905 in Sacramento.
"Chinese Servant Arrested." Los Angeles Herald 12 May 1901: 7. California Digital Newspaper Collection. Web.
SACRAMENTO. May 11.—Ah Chung, a Chinese servant in the employ of Judge J. H. McKune, was arrested today on a charge of stealing diamond rings, valued at $1600, from Mrs. Julia Dunn of San Francisco, who is a guest at the McKune residence.
Guinn, J. M. History of the State of California. Chicago, 1906. 364. Web.
Remembered as one of the oldest and most eminent members of the bar of Sacramento county, Hon. J. H. McKune, who died March 23, 1905, is named among the representative citizens of this section of the state of California. He was a native of New York state, his birth having occurred in Sullivan county March 23, 1819. Becoming a resident of Pennsylvania, he read law in the office of Bently & Richards at Montrose, Susquehanna county, from 1839 to 1844, at the close of that period being admitted to the bar at that place. He remained a citizen of Montrose for the ensuing four years, engaged in the practice of his profession, when he removed to Illinois and resumed practice in Lee Center, Lee county.
The following year he came overland to California, on the 7th of May leaving Independence, Mo., and on the 1st of September crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains at a point near where the present railroad crosses. Like the great majority of those who sought the state at that time, his first employment was in gold mining at Nevada City, in which occupation he remained for a short time. He hunted deer in the fall of 1849, and in January of the following year came to Sacramento, where he resided until his death, with the exception of two years spent in San Francisco. At the election April 5, 1850, he was chosen county attorney and held the office for two years. Following this he was appointed law agent for the United States land commission, which office he held for a like period, being the only agent appointed in California. At the general election of 1856 he was elected on the Democratic ticket to the legislature, and during the session of 1857 he took a prominent part, acting as chairman of the committee appointed to conduct the impeachment of State Treasurer Bates.
At the regular election of 1858 he was elected district judge of the sixth judicial district, a candidate of the Douglas Democrats, and five years later was elected to the same office on the Republican ticket. He held the office until the 31st of December, 1869. In company with John C. Burch and Creed Haymond, he was appointed by Governor Booth as code commissioner to compile the statutes that were ratified by the legislature in 1871-72. It is said that Judge McKune was connected with more celebrated law suits than any other attorney in Sacramento county; while he also compiled all of the ordinances of the city of Sacramento (except a few touching franchises) into one ordinance numbered 17, and that number is still preserved among the ordinances of the city.
February 26, 1855, Judge McKune was united in marriage with Mary G. Bennett, of San Francisco, and they became the parents of two children: Florence A. and Charles Ralph, the latter of whom died in June, 1889, at the age of thirty one years. Fraternally he was a Mason and an Odd Fellow, and took a great interest in the Grange from its organization. He was always an indefatigable worker, and only retired from practice two years prior to his death. He was a member of the Society of California Pioneers and of the Sacramento Society.
Stocker, Rhamanthus M. Centennial History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, 1887. 87. Web.
Joseph T. Richards, son of Daniel and Lydia Richards, read law with William Jessup, and was admitted to the bar May 8, 1838. He practiced law at Montrose for about twelve years, in partnership with B. S. Bentley a portion of the time. He was a well-read lawyer, and accurate in office-work. He went to California for his health, by way of the Isthmus of Panama. Here he contracted a fever. He partly regained his health, and formed a partnership with Judge John H. McKune, a former student of Bentley's. The partnership had been in existence only two weeks when they were burned out in the great fire that occurred at Sacramento, escaping only with his life, in his night-clothes. The exposure and excitement incident to this calamity soon terminated his life. He died in 1852.
Stocker, Rhamanthus M. Centennial History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, 1887. 574. Web.
John Hilborn McKune, the eldest son of Robert and Mary McKune, has so great distinction in California that his many friends and acquaintances in Susquehanna County hold him in highest admiration. He was born in Sullivan County, N. Y., in 1819. His mother was his principal instructor; yet a few months each year he attended school at the log schoolhouse that stood near where the Starrucca viaduct is now. In 1819 he entered the law-office of Bentley & Richards, at Montrose, as a student, and was admitted to the Susquehanna bar in 1844. In 1849 he went to California, settled in Sacramento City, and in 1850 was elected county attorney. In 1854, he was appointed United States law agent by President Pierce, to ascertain and settle private land claims. He was a member of the Democratic Electoral College of California in 1856; in 1857 a member of the Legislature, chairman of the committee appointed to impeach State Treasurer Bates; in 1858 district judge for the Sixth Judicial District, and held the office eleven years. In 1872, he was appointed code commissioner to revise and codify the State laws. He is also a member of the "Society of Pioneers'' of California.
United States. National Park Service. Civil Rights, Racial Protest, and Anti-Slavery Activism in San Francisco. By Albert S. Broussard. Web.
The most dramatic fugitive slave case in California involved an eighteen year old slave from Mississippi named Archy Lee. Lee had come to California in 1857 with his owner, Charles Stovall, who settled in Sacramento and hired out Lee in order to earn a wage. Stovall taught school for several months, but as time passed he grew increasingly concerned about Lee's loyalty and the effect that residing in California, a free state, might be having on his bondsman. When Stovall attempted to locate Archy and send him back to Mississippi, he found, to his dismay, that his slave had disappeared. Lee had initially hid in the Hotel Hackett, a business owned by free blacks in Sacramento, which had, next to San Francisco, one of the most politically active black communities in the state. Stovall, however, eventually had Lee arrested and brought to trial.
Despite the previous support of the California Fugitive Slave Law, which had expired in April 1855, a number of white antislavery supporters came forward to defend Lee and attempted to prevent his return to Mississippi. Attorneys Edwin Bryant Crocker, a former abolitionist from Indiana and the brother of Charles Crocker, who founded the Southern Pacific Railroad, and John H. McKune represented Lee in a Sacramento County court. Additionally, the noted antislavery attorney Joseph W. Winans, and numerous African Americans supported Lee. When Lee's case came before Judge Robert Robinson's court, the judge ruled that the black slave was a free man. But Lee's freedom was short-lived, for Stovall's attorneys had Lee arrested immediately and brought before a new judge in the hope of receiving a more sympathetic verdict. The state supreme court agreed that Archy Lee should return to slavery, much to the horror of his supporters.
Neither black San Franciscans nor white abolitionists, however, had any intention of allowing Lee to return to Mississippi. Blacks and whites mobilized their resources. Blacks from every social and economic class contributed funds in earnest to support Lee's defense. The well-known Republican attorney, Edward O. Baker, the product of Quaker parents and one of the great orators of the day, headed Lee's defense. When Stovall attempted to sail back to Mississippi with his bondsman, Lee, in a daring rescue, was taken from aboard a ship in the middle of San Francisco Bay, where he was arrested and protected. Stovall, his owner, was served with a writ for holding a slave illegally in California. Archy Lee's capture set the stage for a legal showdown in San Francisco.
In a brilliant defense, Colonel Edward D. Baker argued that the state supreme court had made a mockery of the constitution and pleaded, before a United States Commissioner, that Archy Lee be set free. Baker argued that Archy was not a fugitive across state lines, clearly in violation of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, but rather someone who had sought his freedom within the geographical confines of California. The federal commissioner agreed and declared Archy Lee a free man.
Lewis McKune 1821–1861
First Cousin Six Times Removed
Lewis McKune was born on Jul. 22, 1821 in Pennsylvania. Lewis married Laura Etta Corse. He died on Jul. 21, 1861 in Virginia at age 39. He was shot through the heart at the First Battle of Bull Run.
| Branch: USA | Unit: 1st Regiment, Minnesota Infantry | Rank: Captain |
| United States. National Park Service. The Civil War. Web. | ||
Benjamin McKune 1833–1898
First Cousin Six Times Removed
Benjamin McKune was born on Aug. 30, 1833 in Pennsylvania. Benjamin married Mary Barton on Dec. 26, 1867. He passed away on Nov. 2, 1898 at age 65. He was buried in the McKune Cemetery in Pennsylvania. The cemetery is next to the Priesthood Restoration Site.
Commemorative Biographical Record of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Chicago, 1900. 1085-086. Web.
BENJAMIN F. McKUNE (deceased) was for many years one of the most popular and influential citizens of Oakland, and for one term most capably and satisfactorily filled the office of sheriff of Susquehanna county. His devotion to the general welfare made him a valued factor in public life, and by his death the community was deprived of one of her best citizens. Mr. McKune was born in Oakland township in 1833, a son of Joseph and Sarah McKune, representatives of old and prominent families. The father, who was a pioneer of the township, owned at his death the farm of Joseph Smith, the famous Mormon prophet, who wrote the book of Mormonism there; this farm is still in the possession of McKune family. In the district schools of his native township our subject acquired his literary education, and upon the home farm obtained thorough knowledge of agricultural pursuits. In 1857 he went to California and spent about twelve years in that State, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho and Washington Territory, where he was successfully engaged in business. After his return East he was married, December 26, 1867, to Miss Mary E. Barton, who was born in the town of Windsor, Broome Co., N. Y., in 1845, a daughter of Ephraim and Lorena (Hupman) Barton, prominent citizens of that county. She was well educated in the schools of Oakland township, Susquehanna county, where her parents resided upon a farm. Mr. and Mrs. McKune became the parents of two daughters: (1) Alice G., born in Oakland township, in June, 1869, was a student in the Montrose and Susquehanna schools, is a bright and accomplished woman, and for ten years successfully engaged in clerking in one the leading dry-goods stores of Binghamton. On June 10, 1896, she married William Smith, of Binghamton, a traveling salesman, who now resides in Oakland, and they have one daughter, Eleanor McKune, born September 16, 1899. (2) Nellie N., born in Oakland township, in October, 1872, acquired a good education in the schools of Montrose and Oakland, and was married, in February, 1894, to Robert B. Thompson, Jr., of Oakland, where he is engaged with his father in the mercantile trade; they have one son, Arthur Newell, born December 9, 1899. The daughters are both members of Episcopal Church, and are quite prominent in social circles. After his marriage, Mr. McKune located on the old homestead in Oakland township, engaging in agricultural pursuits until elected sheriff of Susquehanna county, in 1879, when he removed to Montrose, the county seat, to assume the duties of the office. He was one of the most popular officials who ever served the county in that capacity. On the expiration of his term of two years he took up his residence in Oakland borough, where he made his home for a number of years. In 1887 he was appointed toll clerk of the river bridge, and filled that position most creditably for eight years, until, in 1895, it was made a county (or free) bridge, when he removed to the house now occupied by the family, and where he died November 2, 1898, from the effects of a wound received four years previously. While discharging the sick duties for a fellow Mason, he was met on his way home by a tramp, who demanded his money and watch. In the scuffle which followed Mr. McKune was shot, and he never recovered from the injury, dying of heart failure four years later. At that time he was past eminent commander of Great Bend Commandery No. 27, K. T. He was a charter member of St. Andrews Commandery No. 76, K. T. was past high priest of Great Bend Chapter No. 210, R. A. M., and was a member of Susquehanna Chapter No. 20, R. A. M. His political support was always given to the men and measures of the Republican party, and it was on that ticket he was elected sheriff by a large majority. In 1869 he and his estimable wife united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he was a devout and faithful member throughout the remainder of his life. He was widely known, and was held in high regard on account of his sterling worth and many excellencies of character.
Robert Hayworth McKune 1823–1894
Second Cousin Six Times Removed
Robert Hayworth McKune was born on Aug. 19, 1823 in Newburgh, New York. Robert married his second cousin Elmira Smith on Apr. 15, 1845. He was elected Mayor of Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1875. He was a Democrat. He was injured during a labor riot on Aug. 1, 1877. His term ended in 1878. He passed away on Oct. 9, 1894 in Newburgh. His death at age 71 was due to lung disease. He was buried in the Forest Hill Cemetery in Dunmore, Pennsylvania. He did not have a headstone until Aug. 1, 2006. There is a Masonic symbol on his headstone.
| Branch: USA | Rank: First Lieutenant |
"The Board of Trade Will Pass Resolutions on the Death of Secretary McKune." Wilkes-Barre Times 11 Oct. 1894: 5. Web.
The Board of Trade of this city held a special meeting this morning to take action on the death of Robert H McKune, the deceased secretary of the Board. They adjourned without action until this afternoon at 4 o'clock when a committee on resolutions will be appointed. The Board will probably decide to attend the funeral which will be held at Scranton tomorrow.
Referring to Mr McKune's death the Scranton Republican of this morning says: "He was one of the most genial of men. He was a man of singular force of character, with an unbounded enthusiasm in any cause which he espoused. He was persistent, forceful, almost tumultuous in all that he undertook. He was a born fireman and was never so much at home as when with the fighters, fearless, self poised, oblivious of danger a perfect cyclone of enthusiastic endeavor. "The boys" all honored and loved him. He was prominent in Masonry, and there, as elsewhere, he always led and was the inspiration of all around him. A Democrat, he was always ardent, even to fierceness, so impetuous was his zeal. He will be mourned, sincerely mourned by all who knew him." The first announcement of his death was received in this city by Attorney J. Elliot Ross. The funeral was to have occurred this afternoon at Newburg. In his will, which was made in December, 1891, Mr. McKune directed that he be buried in Forest Hill cemetery in this city, and Attorney Ross, the executor of the estate, notified Mrs Bancroft to this effect. His estate consists of little else than his life insurance. Mrs. Bancroft, his sister, is his sole legatee. J Elliot Ross is executor under the will.
"An Ex-Mayor Laid to Rest." The Scranton Tribune 15 Oct. 1894: 7. Chronicling America. Web.
The remains of the late Robert H. McKune were buried yesterday and funeral services held in ceremony and manner befitting the memory of him as ex-mayor of Scranton.
During the morning and until 2 o'clock the body lay in state in the municipal building. Public services were held in the First Presbyterian church, where the remains were taken at 2:15 o'clock, and the burial was made under Masonic auspices in Forest Hill cemetery.
The corridor of the municipal building was divided by large flags into an apartment, where the remains rested in a plain black, cloth-covered casket. All morning and until the hour of the church services many took a last look at their deceased friend. It was remembered by those who knew him best that the facial expression was wonderfully lifelike and peaceful. Behind the casket on a table reposed many floral remembrances. The guard of honor in the hallway and about the casket was composed of the following police officers and members of the crystal Engine company: Patrolmen Gurrell, Meinzer and Thomas, and G. A. Connor, H. P. Wilcox, Charles Gessler and Henry Hines.
Representatives of the Wilkes-Barre board of trade, of which the deceased was secretary, viewed the remains and attended the funeral. They were: President Isaac Long, Charles J. Long, Cyrus Straw, J. W. Driesbach, J. K P. Fenner, M. H. Post, Marcus Smith and Mr. James. Dr. Warner, J. M. Burdick, Dr. Higgins and C. Foot were also among the Wilkes-Barre men.
The pallbearers and honorary pallbearers were past masters of the Union lodge of Masons and members of Crystal Engine company, respectively, as follows: Pallbearers, William Beaumont, David McDonald, John Harvey, E. T. Hall, John T. Fitzparick, Colonel F. L. Hitchcock; honorary bearers, D. J. Newman, A. K, Adams, D. J. Sloe, F. F. Schoen, Charles Heinmein, Henry J. Kiefer. The flower bearers were John M. Kefnmerer, C. Q. Carman, John Madison and William Maylin.
At the church the central part of the auditorium was occupied by Masons, and the fire and police departments, each of whom marched in a body from the municipal building. The edifice was nearly filled.
Rev. James McLeod, the pastor, offered prayer, an excerpt of the Scripture was read by Rev. S. C. Logan, and a male quartette sang "We Are Going Down the Valley." Dr. Logan's funeral address was from Psalms xlviiii, 12, "Nevertheless man being in honor abideth not." His remarks were confined principally to the deceased's fortitude and courageous character during the Scranton riots of 1877, in his regime as mayor, and the lesson his actions offered the living.
Dr. Logan said in part:
"We are honoring today the remains belonging to a generation which will stand conspicuous in history. Robert McKune participated in three different kinds of revolution which are notable epochs in the history of the United States. He was a 'forty-niner,' a soldier in the civil war, and the defender of a city's stability. Of his character it is not necessary for me to speak. I am here only in the capacity of his friend and one whom God permitted to associate with him."
Dr. Logan then called attention to the citizens' testimonial circular archived in the Albright library. It related, he said, to a period which tested the character of officials and citizens, and when Robert McKune was the only representative the people of Scranton could look to for support and protection. Allusion was made to the riots of '77. The circular was signed by Governor Hartrandft and staff, military officers, directors of public institutions, officers of corporations, the Scranton City guard, citizens of Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Bethlehem, Elmira, and others. Excerpts read by Dr. Logan from a copy of the circular alluded to the patriotic and able administration of Robert McKune during the riots and the confidence and thanks he merited from the people.
"It is worth living," said Dr. Logan, "if our fellow men find such testimony and if it can be announced as we lay away his body to rest until the day of judgment shall indicate the righteousness of God."
Reference was made to the many worthy characteristics of the deceased, his love for children, true manhood and wonderful courage. His bravery was not known to its full extent until with a broken jaw, the roof of his mouth fractured and face covered with blood he dared to face on Lackawanna avenue a mob bereft of reason. Later he walked to meet another crowd of frenzied men on Washington avenue despite the admonitions of many friends. These acts showed the sub-strata of character and courage which were not previously known to be in him. For peace, righteousness and justice he nursed the city in its childhood for the people the speaker represented.
He fulfilled his trust with the strength God had given him. His spirit and endeavor were worthy of emulation. Following the church services burial was made in Forest Hill cemetery under the auspices of Union lodge, Free and Accepted Masons. Senior Warden Charles H. Church officiated.
"Ex-Mayor M'Kune Buried." Wilkes-Barre Times 11 Oct. 1894: 5. Web.
The Funeral of Robert H. McKune, late ex-mayor of Scranton and Secretary of the Wilkes-Barre Board of Trade, took place yesterday afternoon from the First Presbyterian church at Scranton, says the Republican. The edifice was crowded to the doors, public appreciation of his services and of the man himself evincing itself in the numbers who presented themselves at the obsequies and viewed the remains as they lay in state at the municipal building between the hours of 9 30 a. m, 1 30 p. m, Union Lodge, No. 291. Free and Accepted Masons had charge of the funeral arrangements, it being under its direction that the remains were escorted from the municipal building to the church by a cordon of police, delegations from the fire department of Scranton, a delegation of citizens from Wilkes Barre and the lodge members. Rev. S. C. Logan, D. D., was the officiating clergyman. The services were impressive but simple. All ostentation became supplementary to the sincerity, the genuine sorrow and the unfeigned sympathy. Deceased leaves no immediate relatives. There was no place reserved for mourners, yet mourners filled the church.
Rev. Dr. Logan’s eulogism was founded upon Psalms xlix, 12. It was the discourse of a friend upon the death of a brother, filled with veneration and respect akin to reverence. He said Robert H. McKune belonged to a generation which had passed away; a generation which had made itself conspicuous, which had been honored, and which would be honored in generations to come. He belonged to a generation which entered into the whole life of the nation, which revolutionized the whole of its institutions, which precipitated the idea of a railroad connecting the two great oceans, and gave commercial thrift to a section of this great universe, hitherto uninhabited except by savages.
Dr. Logan said:
"He was what was known as a forty-niner; he passed through the revolution, which had to do and must have to do with our nation’s prosperity, and being a lover of righteousness and purity in municipal politics, was chosen as the administrative head of this city. I am here as a friend. I have nothing to do with personal characteristics. There is no public servant who will be misunderstood and misrepresented, but this man was valorous. He served his country and his God with the same assiduousness that characterized his discharge of every trust. He was a man whom every man might honor and does honor. Like others, he had his shortcomings, but his name abides in honor still.
In ‘77, without a moment’s warning, there arose an exigency in this city which tried men’s souls. Robert H. McKune was one of the good men and true who stood ready to sacrifice anything to make this city a home of righteousness, when he stood on Lackawanna avenue facing a violent mob and commanding the special police, he showed courage which belonged to true manhood. He fought through the life on the Pacific; he carried a knapsack during the four years of the rebellion; he took the office of responsibility and with the strength and ability that were given him executed its duties. Now this good man has passed away, let us reverence his name and endeavor to learn a valuable lesson from his noble career."
At the close of the services at the church the cortege moved toward Forest Hill cemetery. Electric cars conveyed those of the hose companies and citizens who wished to attend the services at the grave. Here the services were also under the direction of the Masons and were sweetly impressive. A fine, drizzling rain, intermingled with occasional flakes of snow began descending as the procession reached the cemetery. The wind sighed mournfully through the shivering limbs of the naked trees. The cold was penetrating. Nature, upon the verge of temporary existence, bowing to her own unenviable death, seemed imbued with the solemnity of the occasion.
Crowds gathered about the yawning grave as Chaplain Charles Church, of the Union lodge, proceeded with the ritualistic services of the Masonic order. A little white lamb’s skin apron, the ancient emblem of faith was deposited in the grave. One by one the members of the lodge stepped forward with uncovered heads. They carried small twigs of evergreen which were consigned to the grave of their late brother. The pall bearers were selected from Union lodge and they were E. L. Buck, F. L. Hitchcock, W. C. Beaumont, John Fitzpatrick, John Harvey and David McDonald. The honorary pall bearers were from the ranks of the Crystal Hose Company and were C. R. Hineline, P. F. Schoen, D. J. Newman and D. J. Slowe, F. J. Amsden, of Union Lodge acted as marshal. The floral tributes were four in number, magnificence compensating for lack of quantity. A masonic emblem of pink and yellow roses, white pinks and sunlax from brother Masons, a pillow in which was wrought the words, “Our President,” from Crystal Hose; an anchor from nieces displaying “Uncle,” and a wreath of roses.
A committee from the Crystals and a committee from the Masonic order guarded the remains as they reposed in the Mayor’s office. It is estimated that 3,000 people viewed the body.
The Wilkes-Barre Commercial Travlers’ sent A. D. Powers, A. E. Lomady and John C. Farrell as a delegation and among the members of the Board of Trade of this city the following were noticed: Isaac Long, president, E. W. Davis, Chas. J. Long, Marcus Smith, M. H. Post, J. W. Driesbach, Cyrus A. Straw, Dr. Higgins, Dr. Warner, Dr. Weaver, Thos O’Brien, J. M. Burdick, Byron Shoemaker, J. K. P. Fenner, of Ashley; H. H. James, of Parsons, Mr. and Mrs. Wm L. Foote and Mrs. James Boyd were also present.
"Hon. Robert H. McKune, Fourth Mayor of Scranton." The Wyoming Valley. Ed. J. A. Clark. Scranton, 1875. 199-200. Web.
The present Mayor of our city is of Scotch and Irish descent, his great-grandfather having emigrated from Scotland and settled in Orange County, in the State of New York, in 1762, in which county the family has always since resided.
Robert was born in Newburg, on the Hudson, August 19th, 1823. His father dying when he was three years of age, he was taken in charge by his grandfather, who placed him in the private school of John James Brown, one of Newburg's oldest teachers, and subsequently entered the High School under the Superintendent, O. M. Smith, both of which teachers are still residents of Newburg.
He left his studies at thirteen, and commenced active life by entering the boot and shoe store of George Mecklan, who was at that time the largest dealer in his line of goods. After remaining here one year he united himself with a relative, Henry Schenck, of No. 12 Church street, New Brunswick, New Jersey, who carried on the same class of business, and with whom he stayed some two years.
Having always had a desire for personal independence, he concluded to learn a trade. His widowed mother had been carrying on a baking business in Newburg, and thither he repaired to join the comforts of home with his business relations, which he adhered to for several years.
In 1839 he went to the city of New York, and found employment with Messrs. Monroe, at 173 West Broadway, who at that time commanded some of the best business in the city. After remaining here for about two years, he returned to his home and took charge of his mother's business until he was of age, when, having a small patrimony left by his grandfather, he entered the grocery business in Newburg.
While here he was married to Miss Elmira Smith, of Mamaking, Sullivan County, New York, and continued his residence in Newburg for two years. His health failing he took up his abode at Cold Spring, N. Y., for another two years, when he emigrated to California in 1849, leaving New York, February 1st, on steamer "Falcon," the first which carried the first mails to California. During this trip he worked as baker both on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and was the first American that ever carried on that branch of industry in the city of Panama. Reaching California he repaired to the mines and stayed there for seven months, then went to San Francisco and engaged at his business during his sojourn there.
Upon his return to the States he settled at Susquehanna Depot, on the New York and Erie Railroad, then a town just springing into existence; after which he located at Binghamton, where he was successively connected with several firms in the wholesale grocery trade.
These firms naturally extending their arms into the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, his mind was directed to these promising localities, and an acquaintance ripened into a conversant knowledge of the business and men in the Anthracite region. He had remained in business in Binghamton for some seventeen years; when the war having broken out he went to Scranton in 1862 and connected himself in business with Mr. George Cone and A. W. Renshaw.
In September, 1862, he occupied the position of first lieutenant in the Keystone Guards, a company raised in Scranton, and with them he joined the army at the front, assisting the army of the Potomac at the battle of Antietam, he having charge of the advance guard on the Williamsport road, on the Union right. Upon his return from the emergency, he entered the service again by uniting with the secret bureau at Vicksburg, Miss, under command of Colonel Hutchinson, and remained in the secret service until the close of the war. He stayed one year South after the termination of hostilities, when he again returned North and entered upon a general insurance business in Scranton, at which he has been actively engaged to the present date.
In 1868 he was appointed by Chief Justice Chase, United States Commissioner, and held this position until his election as Mayor, when he resigned. He was nominated for Mayor by the Democratic party in 1875, and elected. The triumph of the election is a credit to his popularity, for both parties had determined, because of the odium which had been cast upon our city by the press abroad, to put forth the best representative men, so that in either case the city would be honored. He has already entered upon his administrative duties with a spirit which commends him to the favorable and hearty support of every citizen in this prosperous and growing city. That he is public spirited as well as judicious all have the utmost confidence, as his residence here for years has amply testified. That he will make radical changes for the promotion of the welfare of the city there can be no doubt, for his whole life has been a busy one; his experience is varied, extensive and liberal, and Scranton will yet be able to point to an administration of justice inaugurated by Mayor McKune, which will be fitting matter for the future historian.
His long residence in Binghamton brought him into intimate relations with the late lamented Daniel S. Dickinson, and in looking over the files of Binghamton journals we frequently find the name of Robert H. McKune as the presiding officer of assemblages, both political and social, bringing him into the nearest and most familiar connections with this great and good man. At the outbreak of national hostilities, he followed in the course of policy marked out by Dickinson, to save the Union at all hazards.
In the engine house of Crystal Hose Company of this city, can be seen hanging on the wall a certificate of membership to the fire department of the village of Newburg, dating March, 1842. Ever since he has been known as one of the most efficient and active firemen of his locality. Young yet, he is active, and having associated with men of large minds his policy as Mayor must be characteristic.
Wenzel, David. The Lackawanna Historical Society Journal [Scranton] Summer 2006: 6-7. Web.
No one ever said that being Mayor of Scranton was an easy job. You do expect to get roughed up by the media and City Council, but certainly not to have your life threatened by your fellow citizens. But that was the situation back in 1877 when labor unrest brought events in Scranton to the edge of anarchy.
A general strike that involved employees of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad had lasted for just one week when the railroaders agreed to go back to work at the same wages. The local miners had gone out with the railroaders but were in no mood to strike. The situation was so serious that the Pennsylvania Governor John F. Hartranft had requested that federal troops stand by.
On the morning of August 1st, the streets around the silk mills on South Washington Avenue were filled with five or six thousand strikers who moved to the railroad shops just below Lackawanna Avenue. They harassed and threatened the railroad workers to leave their work place and contribute to the strike.
The strikers collected near the corner of South Washington and Lackawanna Avenue and someone read a letter supposedly written by W.W. Scranton stating that they would keep the men working for thirty-five cents a day. The crowd grew more violent. Mayor McKune appeared and was greeted by hoots and jeers. McKune was a Democrat, elected just two years before in 1875 as a friend of labor.
McKune was struck in the back of the head by a club that caused blood to spurt from his mouth. He was hit with stones. Some strikers tried to protect him and were nearly overpowered when Rev. Father Dunn pleaded with the crowd and began to lead the Mayor to safety. Another striker hit the Mayor, breaking his upper jaw and fracturing the roof of his mouth. The mayor made it to Lackawanna Avenue where a posse of citizens, some of them Civil War veterans, were poised to stop the crowd from rioting.
McKune was hit one more time by a hammer blow to his head, knocking him unconscious. The posse of citizens fired on the crowd of strikers, and four were killed and a dozen more seriously wounded. The crowd dispersed. The next day 3000 armed National Guardsmen entered Scranton and proclaimed martial law.
Mayor Robert McKune recovered and served out his term as Mayor. On October 9, 1894, Robert McKune died at age 71 in Newburg, New York. He stipulated in his will that he wanted to be buried at Forest Hills Cemetery in Dunmore.
Fast forward to 2005. I was doing research for a book that I an compiling on the lives of the 29 mayors of Scranton. I visited the Forest Hills Cemetery and saw the various gravestones of other Scranton mayors. Norma Reese, cemetery caretaker and my historical guide, showed me Robert McKune's plot, which does not have a headstone to mark his resting place. Knowing of his history and the sacrifice he made for his city, I was shocked.
On Tuesday, August 1, 2006, 129 years to the day of the bloody riot of 1877 and 112 years since he died, Mayor McKune will finally get his headstone. A ceremony will take place on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at the Forest Hills Cemetery to dedicate the headstone and to partially re-enact his funeral ceremony. Invited to participate are Norma Reese, who will give the welcome; Alan Sweeney, President of the Lackawanna Historical Society, who will read a history of Mayor McKune; Girl Scout Melissa Dickinson, who will relate the story of the funeral, which was covered by the Scranton Republican in great detail. Unveiling of the headstone will be handled by Sultzer-Sitler Monument Company, who donated the memorial. Union Lodge #291 of Scranton Masonic Order, the same lodge of which McKune was a member, will hold a memorial ceremony lead by Past Master Maxson. A presentation of flowers will be made by the Union Lodge 291 and the Scranton Fire Department. Mayor Chris Doherty has been invited to make remarks. The public is invited. We hope to see you there.
History of Scranton, Penn. Published by United Brethren Publishing House, Dayton, Ohio, pp. 230-233.
Hollister's History of the Lackawanna Valley, 1885
Scranton Republican, "Ex-Mayor McKune Buried," Oct. 5, 1894, page 1.
John Woodruff 1637–1691
Ninth Great Grandfather
John Woodruff was baptized in 1637 in Kent, England. John passed away in 1691 in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Genealogical and Memorial History of the State of New Jersey. Ed. Francis Bazley Lee. Vol. I. New York, 1910. 346. Web.
John, eldest son of John and Ann Woodruff, was baptized in the parish of Sturry, county Kent, England, in 1637, died at Elizabethtown, New Jersey, in April or May, 1691. He accompanied his parents and grandparents to Southampton, and April 30, 1657, included in the list of arms-bearing men. May 1, 1663, he was elected constable, and between August 29 and September 7, 1665, he sold his Southampton lands, preparatory to removing to Elizabethtown, in which latter place he soon became one of the leading citizens, holding the offices of ensign, high sheriff, magistrate and one of the most prominent opponents of the lords proprietors. His only brother was, like himself, named John, a fact proven by their father's will, but as the latter remained in Southampton, where he inherited the bulk of his father's estate, the two lines have had distinct histories.
An Index of Ancestors and Roll of Members of the Society of Colonial Wars. New York, 1922. 550. Web.
Woodruff (Wordrof), Ensign John, 1637-1691. Ensign of Militia at Elizabethtown, N. J., Sept. 14, 1673. Appointed High Sheriff, Essex Co., N. J., 1684.
Virginia Gildersleeve 1877–1965
Sixth Cousin Four Times Removed
Virginia Crocheron Gildersleeve was born on Oct. 3, 1877 in New York. Virginia passed away on Jul. 7, 1965 in Massachusetts. Her death at age 87 was due to heart attack. She was buried in Bedford, New York.
Who's Who in New York City and State. 1911. 380. Web.Educator; b. N. Y. City, Oct. 3, 1877; d. Hon. Henry Alger and Virginia (Crocheron) Gildersleeve; ed. Brearley Sch., N. Y. City, and Barnard Coll. (Columbia Univ.), A.B., 1899, A.M., 1900, Ph.D., 1908, Columbia; Fiske Graduate Scholar in polit. science, Columbia Univ., 1899-1900. Ass't English, 1900-03, tutor in English, 1903-07, lecturer 1908-10, ass't prof. since 1910, Barnard Coll., Columbia University. Author: Government Regulation of the Elizabethan Drama. Mem. Phi Beta Kappa, Coll. Settlements Ass'n, Kappa Kappa Gamma fraternity. Club: Women's University. Address: 28 W. 48th St., N. Y. City. |
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Richard Betts 1613–1713
Ninth Great Grandfather
Richard Betts was born in 1613 in Hertfordshire, England. Richard passed away on Nov. 18, 1713 in Long Island, New York. He was buried on Nov. 20, 1713.
"Abstracts of Wills." Collections of the New-York Historical Society. Vol. XXVI. 1894. 113-14. Web.
In the name of God, Amen. I, Richard Betts, of Newtown, in Queens County, on Nassau Island, yeoman, being in good health. I leave to my wife Johanah, all my homestead and buildings and lot of land belonging to the same, lying between the lands of John Scudder and Richard Betts, son of Thomas Betts, deceased; Also my tract of land between the way that leads to the narrow passage and the land of Samuel Albertus, and the meadow adjoining to the same; Also all my movable estate, and liberty to get what hay she may have occasion for during her life. After the decease of my wife I leave to my son, Richard Betts, my Camlet cloak, for his birthright, and all my right and interest in lands in Plunder neck; Also my house and home lot and buildings; Also ½ of the lands and meadows that lyeth below the road, that leads from the English Kill to the Dutch Kills, bounded by Samuel Albertus and John Allen, with all the appurtenances; Also ½ the meadow land above the homestead, situate between the lands of John Scudder and Richard Betts, sons of Thomas Betts, deceased. I leave to my grand son, Richard Betts, son of Thomas Betts, my tract of land lying between the way that leads to the narrow passage and the land of Samuel Albertus, up to Newtown spring; Also ½ the meadow and upland, that lyeth between the road that leads from the English Kills to the Dutch Kills, bounded by Samuel Albertus and John Allen. All movable estate after my wife's death to my daughters, Johanah Sander, Mary Swazy, and Martha Ketcham, and the children of my daughter, Elizabeth Sackett, deceased, and the children of my daughter, Sarah Hunt, deceased. I appoint my sons in law, Joseph Sackett and Phillip Ketcham, executors.
Witnesses, John Donan, Hannah Field, John Gould. Proved, November 26, 1713.
The Family Record [Newburgh] Feb. 1897. Web. Poyer was rector of Episcopal churches.
CAPT. RICHARD BETTS, the father of Elizabeth, the first wife of Capt. Joseph Sackett, was born Hertfordshire, England, in the year 1613. He came to New England about the year 1635, and in 1636 settled at Newtown, Mass., from which place, prior to 1642, he removed to Ipswich, where he remained until about 1654, when he became a permanent resident of Newtown, Long Island. There he soon acquired prominence and influence, and for upwards of half a century participated largely in public affairs. In the revolution of 1663 he bore a zealous part, and after the conquest of New Netherlands by the English he was a member from Newtown of the Provisional Assembly, held at Hempstead in 1665. He was "High Sheriff of Yorkshire, upon Long Island" from 1678 to 1681. For a long series of years he was a magistrate, and several times a member of the "High Court of Assize," then the supreme power in the province. His name is honorably mentioned in upwards of thirty distinct paragraphs on the pages of "Riker's Annals of Newtown," the last of which reads as follows: "The last survivor of the original purchasers, Capt. Richard Betts, died on Nov. 18, of this year" (1713), "at the patriarchal age of a hundred years. None in the township has been so eminent as he for commanding influence and valuable public service. His remains were interred on his own estate at the English Kills, on the 20th, with a funeral service by Mr. Poyer, rector of Jamaica Parish."
O'Gorman, William. Long Island Star. Rpt. in A History of Long Island. By Peter Ross. Vol. I. 1902. 709. Web.
He became a bitter opponent to Director Pieter Stuyvesant and the little town of Bushwick, which he had founded. Under leave from the Governor, the English settlers had planted their town, but were refused the usual patent, and in 1656 Richard Betts administered a severe blow to Stuyvesant by purchasing the land for himself and fifty-five associates, from the red men, at the rate of one shilling per acre. The total cost amounted to £68 16s. 4d. which, with the sum of £76 9s. paid to the sachems Pomwaukon and Rowerowestco, extinguished the Indian title to Newtown.
John Robert Comfort 1844–1905
Fourth Great Uncle
John Robert Comfort was born on Apr. 2, 1844 in Lanesboro, Pennsylvania. John married Frances May Watrous. He passed away on Sep. 18, 1905, at home at age 61. He was buried in Twin Bridges, Montana.
| Branch: USA | Unit: 137th Regiment, New York Infantry | Rank: Sergeant |
| United States. National Park Service. The Civil War. Web. | ||
"Fell off a Ladder While Picking Apples in Orchard." The Dillon Tribune 22 Sept. 1905: 2. Montana Newspapers. Montana Historical Society. Web.
The following report of the death of John R. Comfort, of Twin Bridges, clipped from Monday's Miner, will be of interest to many old-timers in this county who were well acquainted with the deceased:
Jno R. Comfort, a pioneer of this place died this morning at his home as a result of injuries received last Wednesday by falling from a ladder while gathering apples from his orchard. He was near the top of the ladder and in some way slipped, and in order to save his little grandchild, who was standing under the tree, from harm he fell in such a manner as to receive internal injuries which proved fatal.
Mr. Comfort was one of the best known citizens in this part of Montana, and he had a wide acquaintance throughout the state. He came to Montana from Pennsylvania, his native state, in 1879, and located at this place, where he has since made his home. When Mr. Comfort came to Twin Bridges the town consisted of a store, saloon, blacksmith shop, hotel and three families. He engaged in the blacksmith business with gratifying success, and was soon one of the most prominent men of the community.
Fraternally Mr. Comfort was identified with Westgate lodge, No. 27, A. F. and A. M., of this city and for twelve years he was master of the lodge. He was also a member of the order of Eastern Star, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and for a time was commander of Custer post No. 5.
Mr. Comfort was elected to the legislature in the fall of 1888, the last territorial assembly of Montana, and he served a number of terms as justice of the peace of Twin Bridges. In politics he was a republican. He has also served as one of the board of trustees in the state orphans' home. He was a member of the Business Men's association, and was United States land commissioner for this district. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. At the time of his death he was 65 years of age.
Besides his widow, Mr. Comfort leaves three children to mourn his death: Linn Comfort, a merchant and postmaster of Twin Bridges; Mrs. L. J. Williams, a teacher in the public schools of this city, and Mrs. J. M. Nye, of the Centennial valley.
The funeral was held in Twin Bridges Tuesday under the auspices of the Masonic lodge.
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