Weddings in my Ancestral Line: December 8th through 14th

Two of my known direct ancestral couples were married during the second week of December:
maternal 6X great grandparents Moses Cooper and Mary Mathewson were wed in Glocester, Rhode Island, on December 10, 1732; and maternal great grandparents Lewis Logan Slater and Rufina Tomlinson in Severy, Kansas, on December 13, 1885.

[Lewis Logan Slater & Rufina Tomlinson Slater-undated double portrait

courtesy of Olive Slater-Kennedy]

The following two couples also married during the second week of December but I'm less certain of my relationship to them: paternal 10X great grandparents Thomas Ford and his first wife Joan Way wed in England on December 13, 1610*; and maternal 5X great grandparents William White and Jemima Wright were married on December 13, 1781 in Adams, Massachusetts, by my 6X great grandfather Elder Peter Worden.**

*This is a line that I haven't looked at in years and so I'm not certain of my connection. In any case, I would be descended from his second wife Elizabeth Charde.
**This couple's relationship to me is entirely speculative and not to be relied on. If it's true they are the grandparents of Hannah Leonard, the wife of Porter Worden (my 3X great grandparents)



© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

December Weddings in my Family Tree

In 2016 the Martha Stewart Weddings website opined that Christmas is one of the worst days to get married, but I've noticed that date given for the nuptials of some of my ancestors. I asked Christine if she could create a list of those folk and she responded with 17 pages of December weddings. Of course most of those folks aren't in my direct line but I've decided I'll spend the next several days seeking out the ones who are and sharing them here.

This mid-19th century engraving hints at the small-scale celebration involved in a marriage,* but it would be misleading to think that many of my ancestors' unions would have taken place in such opulent surroundings.

[Art and Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. The wedding. Forrest, J. B. (John B.) (ca. 1814-1870) (Engraver)

Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e2-d187-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99]

As far as we know, none of my direct ancestors got married on Christmas Day but there are two couples whose weddings took place on December 24th:

My 3X great grandparents Jesse Warren Jr. and Timney P. Watts married on on December 24th, 1824, in Morgan County, Georgia and 2X grandparents George Marion Tomlinson and Elizabeth "Betsey" Taylor on Christmas Eve, 1860 in Washington County, Iowa.

Coincidently neither of these couples were destined to have a long life together. Jesse Warren Jr. died a little over a year later (when his only child was an infant) and Betsey Taylor Tomlinson disappeared from records about the time of her daughter Rufina's birth in early 1863. Both surviving spouses married again; their second unions lasted for decades and produced more children.

Why get married during the Christmas season? This blogpost by findmypast focuses on England but I think some of the same reasons would be relevant for U.S. couples.

*You can find a description of mid-19th century wedding preparations here at a blog by NYC's Merchant’s House Museum.


© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

A Job Taylor DNA Circle has Formed

Just noticed this.  My confidence that I am a descendant of Job Taylor continues to increase.  From my AncestryDNA Circles.

I goofed up when I originally worked on my 2nd great grandmother Rufina Tomlinson Slater's Taylor upline, so it is reassuring whenever the evidence that Job Taylor is my ancestor continues to build.

The main problem with Job is that I have no idea who his parents were, or what his wife Betsey's maiden name was.  Apparently no one else seems to know yet either.  But we know we are related!


© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Working on Wednesday: Clinton Samuel Tomlinson (1860 - 1904) & Ann Eversole Tomlinson (1868 - 1949)

Clinton, my first cousin three times removed, attended Northwestern University, Class of 1886 and was undoubtedly the first of his family to graduate from college.*

[Commencement program for Northwestern University. 28th annual commencement, 1886.

Source: Internet Archive]

His first job after graduation was as the editor of the Boone (Iowa) Republican which remembered him respectfully years later:

[Boone News Republican, December 6, 1915, p. 43]

As stated in the above piece, after two years Clinton's next step was the editorship of the Daily Republican in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri, which is where he met and married 23-year-old teacher Ann Eversole in 1891.

By 1900 the couple were living in Chicago and Clinton was the editor of the Chicago Dry Goods Reporter, a trade publication of the garment industry.** No occupation is listed for Ann.

[Dry Goods Reporter. Chicago, January 1900. Source: Hathi Trust Digital Library]

However Ann Eversole Tomlinson's name appears in newspaper stories across America later that year.

[Chicago Daily News Thursday, Apr 19, 1900 Chicago, IL Page: 5.

Source: Genealogy Bank.]

Clinton's view of his wife's possible inheritance appeared on the same day as the above article:

[19 Apr 1900, 2 - Chicago Tribune at Newspapers.com]

The next information I found about the couple is Clinton's 1904 obituary

[30 Oct 1904, 5 - Chicago Tribune at Newspapers.com]

While I haven't found any further newspaper reports confirming the amount Ann received from her ancestor's estate, her lifestyle as a widow seems to indicate that she was a wealthy woman. Next week we'll look at her career after Clinton's death.



*With honors too.
**Many editions of the Dry Goods Reporter are available digitally through the Hathi Trust and Google Books. They offer a fascinating insight into the fashions of the times.



© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: Vincent C. Tomlinson - Boone County, Iowa - 1892

Vincent, my third great uncle, was the older brother of my great great grandfather George Marion Tomlinson. It's clear from his 1892 obituary that he had been an active member of his community in Boone County, Iowa.

[16 Feb 1892, 1 - Sioux City Journal at Newspapers.com]

But it's not my intention to delve into Uncle Vincent's life--I'm using his will to introduce you to his son Clinton Samuel Tomlinson (and especially Clinton's wife Anne Eversole Tomlinson) because I'll be posting about them next week.

[Ancestry.com. Iowa, Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA:

Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Iowa, County, District and Probate Courts.]

In the name of God Amen
                            I Vincent Tomlinson of Boone Iowa
being of sound mind an being aware of the uncertainty of
human life o make and declare this my last will 
and testament.
1st.  I desire all my debts to be paid if any there be at my
decease.
2nd. I devise and bequeath to my well beloved daughter Mrs
Hannah C. Carringer of Boone Iowa Lot Number Seven (7)
Block No. (128) One Hundred & Twenty Eight in the City of Boone
Iowa which shall be hers free and clear of encumbrance.
This devise of said lot is as an equivalent for the money ad-
vanced to my son Clinton S. Tomlinson to assist him
in his education
3rd. That my wife shall if she survives me have all my
other property during the term of her natural life and all the
rents and income of the same for her own use and benefit
but she shall not sell of alienate the same unless necessary
for her support. She shall also release her dower in
Lot 7 Blk 128 Boone Iowa to Mrs Hannah C. Carringer
as above set forth in #2 of this will.
4th. On the death of my said wife in case she survives me
I desire that all the property herein bequeathed to her shall
descend to Mrs Hannah C. Carringer and Clinton S.
Tomlinson equally, share and share alike & in case either
is dead then to their heirs. In case either shall die
without living issue then his or her share shall belong
to the survivor or his or her heirs. Witness my hand
May 14, 1889.
                                                   Vincent Tomlinson {L.S.}

Signed published and declared by the said testator to be
his last will and testament in the presence of us who
have signed our names at his request as witnesses in his
presence and in the presence of each other.
                                                    W. H. Slade
                                                       B W Reynolds

In this will Vincent was careful to divide his estate fairly between his son and daughter so Hannah was bequeathed a city lot to her because he had given Clinton money for his education.

Next week we'll see where Clinton went to school.



© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, )All Rights Reserved.

Working on the Railroad: Samuel Louis Martin (1866 - 1943) From Coal Heaver to Locomotive Engineer

Samuel Martin is one of my second cousins, twice removed, through my great grandmother Rufina Tomlinson's lineage. He lived in Iowa his whole life and worked for the Chicago & North Western Railway Company for 51 years, rising from coal heaver to locomotive engineer during his career.

[Ancestry.com. U.S., Chicago and North Western Railroad Employment Records, 1935-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Original data: Chicago and North Western Railroad Employee Records. Chicago & North Western Historical Society, Berwyn, Illinois. Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Employee Records. Chicago & North Western Historical Society, Berwyn, Illinois.]

Here's how we're related:

[Ancestry.com]

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

My Great Grandparents Visited the St. Louis World's Fair - 1904

St. Louis celebrated the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase by hosting an international exposition* which was officially opened by President Theodore Roosevelt on April 30, 1904.**

[1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition poster showing area covered by the purchase-image found at Porter Briggs.com]

Before it closed on December 1st, nearly 19.7 million people visited the site, including my great grandparents Lewis Logan Slater and Rufina Ellen Tomlinson accompanied by their 14-year old daughter Opal. 

[13 Oct 1904, 8 - Democratic Messenger at Newspapers.com]

Since the railroad line goes right through Severy I'm sure they traveled to St. Louis by train.

[Kansas railroad map - Kansas Memory. Kansas Historical Society]

The Exposition fairgrounds sprawled over 1,270 acres:

[Panoramic aerial view of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (St. Louis World's Fair) held in St. Louis, Missouri, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. View was probably made from a tethered balloon at the Aeronautic Concourse in the northwest corner of the fairgrounds, looking roughly southwest. Source: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum]

[Ground Plan Of The Louisiana Purchase Exposition St. Louis, Mo. 1904. Buxton & Skinner Stationery Co. Publishers, Fourth & Olive St. St. Louis, Mo. Copyright, 1904 By Parker Eng. Co. Source: Davis Rumsey Historical Map Collection]

This daily program for the Exposition dates from a few days before the Slaters arrived, but it gives us an idea of the kind of event to be seen by visitors.

[An Official Daily Program from the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition for Saturday, October 8th

found at the National Park Service-Gateway Arch site.]

[Order of the day from an Official Daily Program from the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition for Saturday, October 8th

found at the National Park Service-Gateway Arch site.]

I wonder if they brought home one of these?***

[Souvenir book of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, © 2017 The Wolfsonian—Florida International University]

*Here's a French poster:

[Poster for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, painted by artist Alphonse Mucha.

Wikimedia Commons]

**And a bust of President Roosevelt sculpted in butter was a featured exhibit.

[Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print]

***You can see the rest of the pages of this book here.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Gone for Soldiers: Pete Slater Writes Home - March 31, 1919 (Part IV)

In this last installment of the letter written by my great uncle Pete Slater he detailed his experience in the advance troops of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive* which ended on the day the armistice was signed and "the big show was over."

[29 May 1919, Page 8 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

*Here's a good source of information including some photographs of the offensive.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Gone for Soldiers: Pete Slater Writes Home - March 31, 1919 (Part III)

Continuing with the third part of Pete Slater's letter to his great uncle describing his experiences on the battlefields of France during World War I. Up to this point in his deployment he had not seen much action but that changed. During this action all the officers and half of the men in his company had been killed.

[22 May 1919, Page 10 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

A Bit More Information about the Slater-Tomlinson Wedding - December 25, 1885

We've already seen this maternal great grandparents' marriage license but thanks to a small item in a local newspaper we now know where their wedding took place:

[25 Dec 1885, Page 1 - The Eureka Herald and Greenwood

County Republican at Newspapers.com]

I wasn't able to locate a picture of the hotel but here's an ad for it a few years later:

[9 Jun 1888, Page 4 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

A reminder:--here's a portrait of the happy couple that was probably taken at about the time of their marriage:

[Courtesy of Olive Slater-Kennedy]

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Gone for Soldiers: Pete Slater Writes Home - March 31, 1919 (Part II)

Here ise the second of a series of articles from the The Severyite of a letter sent by my great uncle George Logan "Pete" Slater to his great uncle Albert Ross Tomlinson back in Kansas describing his experiences during World War I.

[15 May 1919, Page 8 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Gone for Soldiers: Pete Slater Writes Home - March 31, 1919 (Part I)

In my post last week I shared a clipping from The Severyite with a letter my maternal great uncle George Logan "Pete" Slater wrote to his uncle A.R. Tomlinson* just before he was shipped off to France and lamented that we didn't know more about Pete's wartime experiences.

I spoke too soon.**

This week I found a series of articles in the same newspaper referring to another letter Pete wrote to his uncle from Germany four months after the Armistice was signed.

[8 May 1919, Page 8 - The Severyite at Newspapers.com]

 
Come back next week for the next installment.


*Alfred Ross Tomlinson (1847-1923) was Pete's maternal grandfather's brother.
**Hint: I've found that relying on a single search on Newspapers.com doesn't turn up everything on the subject you're searching for. Every time I repeat my search I get new hits. It pays to try and try again!

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.