Nathaniel Bowman, my 9^th great grandfather (paternal) was born in Leek, England in about 1605 and immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in I630.  Nathaniel, a yeoman, was one of the original settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts.  In 1652, Nathaniel moved to the Shawshine division in Cambridge (Lexington) where he farmed on 20 acres.  Descendants of Nathaniel resided in Lexington for over 250 years and his g-g-grandson Ebenezer Bowman was one of the militia that stood on Lexington Common (only 17 years old) and witnessed the “shot hear round the world.” (Check out this previous post: The Shot Heard Round Buckman Tavern)

“There is also no evidence that (Nathaniel) Bowman ever joined the church in Watertown or Cambridge; this is partly indicated by the fact that he applied for freemanship in 1630, but never became a freeman, which after May 1631 required church membership.” (Great Migration Study Project)

Nathaniel’s story, while remarkable in his decision to risk venturing across the ocean to start a new life, was largely uneventful with little actual documentation.  What makes him interesting is the mystery of a court confession attributed to him and sold at auction for $2,000 in 2016.

However, the true culprits appear to be his son Nathaniel Jr. (1641-1707) and his daughter Johanna (1642-1682), Cambridge “townies,” who were caught carousing with Harvard University students in 1662.  They were ordered to appear before the Middlesex Court, as described below, that later resulted in a signed confession by Nathaniel Jr. I was unable to uncover a record of any fines or other punishment by the court against Nathaniel or Johanna.

An edited version of the document reads: “The humble acknowledgment of Nathaniel Bowman humbly confesses in answer to what is charged against him by this Honored Court that he desires heartily to be sorrowful that he was so far overtaken in being in both such company & whereas so much dishonor came to God; and so much ca[u]se of offence to his people and trouble to this Honored Court; with thankfulness to the Honored Deputy for his good advice, which through the grace of God I hope will work a better change in my heart. So craving humble pardon from the Honored Court, for the offenses done.”

Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.

Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved by David R. French.

I have been fortunate in the exploration of my family history to uncover individuals who bravely faced the British on the Lexington Common and documented others who served in World War I and II, the Korean War and Spanish-American War. I have shared stories about individuals who worked as midwives, farmers, tavern owners, tailors, preachers, teachers, and many who were elected to serve their communities or faith.  

My family tree consists of well over 1,000 individuals and a couple branches extend over 10 generations.  Until now, I never crossed paths with an individual whose actions were so abhorrent that I wish I could just shake from my family tree.  The person that I am referring to is George Mitton, my 10^th great grandfather, who was born 25 August 1617 in Shrewsbury, England and died in 1660 in Falmouth, Maine.

George Mitton was married to Elizabeth Cleeve (1619-1691). Elizabeth’s father, George Cleeve, came to New England in 1630 and in 1632 established a settlement called Casco, later to be named Portland, Maine. George was also commissioned as Deputy President of the Province of Lygonia. A statue of George Cleeve stands on the Eastern Water front on private land in Portland. The statue was not accepted by the city council who claimed, without evidence, that Cleeve may have owned a slave.

The following is the sordid tale of George Mitton and his betrayal of his neighbor Richard Martin, which led to the death of a child and the hanging of Mary Martin. Richard Martin, a destitute merchant, returned to England and placed his daughter Mary in service as a servant to his neighbors, George and Elizabeth Mitton. Mary was 22 at the time and George (29) proceeded to “seduce” her, resulting in her becoming pregnant and later taking the life of her own child. There is no record of George Mitton suffering any consequences for his adultery, the death of his child or actions that led to the death of Mary Martin.

Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.

Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved by David R. French.

In 1937, my daughter’s great grandfather, Glenn Thomas Shonka Sr., played one season of minor league baseball in the Northeast Arkansas Baseball League (Class D) for the Jonesboro Giants. Class D would be the equivalent of today’s rookie leagues. Glenn was born in Richland, Nebraska in 1916 and passed away in 1978 in Columbus, Nebraska. (Left: photograph of Glenn in 1933)

Glenn was a twenty-three year old third baseman who compiled a career batting average of .160 with 0 home runs and 0 RBI in his 24-game career with the Jonesboro Giants. He played in 8 games, had 81 at-bats with 13 hits including 2 doubles and one triple.

The Jonesboro Giants played in Jonesboro, Arkansas in the American Legion Ball Park. The Giants ended the season (May 6 – Sept. 5) with a record of 56 wins and 53 losses, in third place. The league consisted of the following teams: Blytheville, Arkansas, Jonesboro, Arkansas, Newport, Arkansas, Osceola, Arkansas, Paragould, Arkansas, and West Plains, Missouri.

1936 Omaha Robin Hoods

There is a reference that Glenn was a member of the Omaha Robin Hoods, who existed (under that name) for less than one season in 1936. However, I was unable to find his name listed on a team roster for that year. If he was a player on that team, boy, that season must have been a roller coaster!

In 1936, the Omaha entry in the Western League was the Omaha Robin Hoods.  The team established a partnership with the Fontenelle Brewing Company and named the Robin Hoods after the flagship beer made by Fontenelle. The park was spruced up, new uniforms (photo of unidentified player) were acquired and it looked like it would be a great season.

However, the team was beset by troubles, as a windstorm forced the team to play several games in Lincoln, NE. Then the stadium burned down and the team was moved to Rock Island, IL where they became the Rock Island Rocks. Overall the team was 33-29 in the first half and 29-35 in the second half. (Source: Baseball Reference and Nebraska Baseball History)

1936—In August, a three-alarm fire shortly after midnight destroyed Western League/Vinton Street Park and 12 nearby homes. Destroyed were uniforms, bats, balls, and $1,000 worth of beer and hot dogs. 

Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.

Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved by David R. French.

My maternal great uncle, Edward Francis Daly Jr., was born 20 October 1899 in Portland, Connecticut. Edward enlisted in the American Expeditionary Forces on August 8, 1917 and joined Company C, 3rd Battalion of the 20th Engineers (Forestry). According to the transit document for his passage home, Edward served in the Medical Detachment for the 3rd Battalion.

Drawing from a unit history of the 20th Engineers, I provide select highlights of the journey Edward took from enlistment to his discharge from the Army. The hint that allowed me to develop this post – Pv Co C 3 BN 20 Eng – was on an index card from the U.S. Veterans Bureau that listed his service record. My appreciation to Michael Daly for the amazing photograph of his grandfather in uniform and his research on the Daly family.

15 August 1917 – General Order Number 108 authorized the formation of the 20th Engineer Regiment (Forestry) at Camp American on the campus of American University in Washington, D.C. Due to overcrowding, the 3rd Battalion moved first to Fort Belvoir, Virginia and then to Fort Myer, Virginia for basic training.

15 December 1917 – Washington, D.C.  – The Third and Fourth Battalions paraded Pennsylvania Avenue, led by the Fourth Band, they were reviewed from the portico of the War Department Building by the Secretary Baker. (below – photograph)

2-3 January 1918 – the 3rd Battalion moved to Jersey City, New Jersey to sail for France. They joined the 4th Battalion on the U. S. S. America and sailed, with 44 officers and 1956 enlisted men on board, for France, arriving in Brest, France on January 17^th. 

17 January 1918 – (Three hours from France) Lookouts sighted a torpedo wake heading for the America, it narrowly missed the stern of the ship by twenty feet. The submarine was never sighted.

23 January 1918 – Company C was sent to a hardwood operation at Sauvigney les Gray, in the upper valley of the Saone, and under the Dijon administration. The timber harvest required long hauls to the mill by narrow-gauge logging railways.

11 Nov 1918 – Following Armistice, Company C, 3^rd Battalion remained in France for six months providing fuel, rebuilding roads and dismantling the mills and camps. 

14 May 1919 – Edward boarded the Santa Paula and arrived in Brooklyn, New York on 28 May and was disbanded at Camp Merritt, NJ.

Sources:

3rd Battalion, 20th Engineer Regiment (Forestry) – Unit History

Forest History Society – World War I: 10th and 20th Forestry Engineers

Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.

Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved by David R. French.

My maternal great-uncle, James Charles Daly, was born February 1892 in Portland, Connecticut.  A cigar maker by trade, James enlisted in March 1918 in the American Expeditionary Forces and was assigned to Company C, 103^rd Field Signal Battalion, 28^th Infantry Division.  At the time of enlistment he was twenty-six years old and was described as tall, medium build with black hair and brown eyes. After two months of military training at Camp Devens (MA) and Camp Mills (NY), James sailed for France, arriving in La Harve on June 5, 1918.   

During World War 1, the 103rd Field Signal Battalion was the main signal support organization for the 28th Infantry Division of the American Expeditionary Forces. The strength of the 103rd Signal Battalion was close to 500 personnel in 1918.

According to his service record, James participated in battles at Marne (2^nd), Thiacourt, Meuse-Argonne, Chateau Thierry (note photograph above – was Charles in the room?), Oise-Aisne, and Saint Michel.

On September 7^th, during the Battle of the Ourcq River, James was gassed and needed to be transported to Hospital No. 5 on the coast near the town of Camiers.  He was treated at the hospital from September 10 to October 18 and then returned to his unit for duration of the war.  

James was cited for bravery for his service and was honorably discharged from service in May 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey. He returned to Portland, Connecticut to live with his parents and work for a cigar manufacturer, Julius Kuntze, in Meriden, CT. James never married and died in October 1926 at the age of 34.

Cousin Joe – I wrote a previous post on Charles’ cousin, Sargent Joseph Aloysius Grace (1892-1918) who died on October 11, 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne Operation in World War 1. Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, Bar Nothing (AAA-O)

Hospital No. 5 – At the time the Charles was recovering from being gassed, my paternal grandfather, George B. French was working at this hospital. Pvt. George B. French – World War 1

Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.

Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved by David R. French.

How is that to catch your attention? The person making the declaration was my great grandmother Mary “Minnie” MacEachern French who was calling out her husband, Walter A. French, for being a bigamist. The irony in all of this is that Minnie was, just a few years later, involved in a sensational court case against a wealthy Bostonian for breach of promise – to wed! Into the Breach-Promises, Promises. The newspaper articles highlighted in this post can be viewed in their entirety below. They are a great read!

Walter’s Tale

• Walter Abram French was born in January 1877 to Horace and Laura Foster French in Medford, Massachusetts.
• May 1896, his mother, Laura French, passed away.
• April 1897, Walter marries Minnie MacEachern. (Hello Minnie)
• January 1898, Walter has a son (my grandfather), George French, in Boston with Mary “Minnie” MacEachern. Minnie, originally from Nova Scotia, was working as a dressmaker in Boston. Walter was employed as a wagon maker.
• June 1899 – Birth of Horace French to Walter and Minnie. No additional record of Horace has been discovered, he likely died as an infant.
• 1899/1900 – Walter abandons Minnie and Walter and moves to New York.
• 1903 – June – Walter marries Sadie Elizabeth Thayer in New York. They have a son, Walter Cornelius, born in November 1903.
• 1907 – Walter, Sadie and Walter Jr. move to Hartford, Connecticut. (1907/8 – at some stage they board at home of Dr. Froelich)
• 1908 – In Hartford, Walter files for bankruptcy with business partner James Tilden (d.b.a. Auto Body and Top Manufacturing Company). Walter claimed that Tilden had assumed all financial responsibilities and he did not respond to additional court inquiries.
• 1909 – Sadie separates from Walter.
• April 1910 – Walter is living in Red Bank, New Jersey with his son, Walter Jr. Walter files a $25,000 lawsuit against Dr. Charles Froelich for “alienation of his wife’s affections.” Walter skips town in dark of night without paying his rent.

• May 1910 – After being requested by the court to clarify the date of his “marriage” to Sadie Thayer and if he was legally divorced from Minnie, Walter drops the case.

The last trace of Walter was a September 1918 WW I draft registration card that lists him living in New York City and working as an oil operator.

What about Sadie? By 1915, Sadie had returned to Brooklyn with her son Walter C. and was running a boarding house with 14 tenants. In 1918, she married Michael Schroeder, an immigrant from Luxembourg and they had a daughter (Dorthy) together. Sadie passed away in 1944.

Notes/Questions:

• While the article (Declares Red Bank) closes by stating that Sadie and George have a little daughter, all evidence points that it should have stated they had a little son, not a daughter.
• Did my grandfather, George, ever know he had a half brother?

Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.

Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved by David R. French.

The above clipping from the Hartford Courant makes reference to my 4th great-grandfather, Bildad Fowler, witnessing a bill of sale for the purchase of a slave (Pegg) in 1761 in Hartford, Connecticut. Bildad was a local farmer who later served in the Revolutionary War, he was not a slave owner. Just how and why he was present at the time to witness the signing of this document is not documented.

At the time of the American Revolution, Connecticut had more enslaved Africans than any other state in New England. In 1784 Connecticut passed an act of Gradual Abolition, which stated that those children born into slavery after March 1, 1784 would be freed by the time they turned 25. It did not free the mother, the father, or any other adults. (From the State Historian: Connecticut’s Slow Steps Toward Emancipation)

The bill of sale, donated to the Hartford Library, was in the papers of William Lloyd Garrison, a leading white abolitionist and founder of the influential American Anti-Slavery Society “In defending the rights not only of enslaved Americans in the 19th century, but also women and Native Americans, William Lloyd Garrison modeled activism that just as easily applies to the 21st century. “(Article on the Saturday Evening Post) Quote by Garrison – Connecticut “the Georgia of the North”

Who’s Who in the Bill of Sale?

Caleb Turner (Sold Pegg to Benjamin Payne) – Records indicate that Turner owned at least 5 slaves in Hartford during this time period.

Benjamin Payne (Purchased Pegg) – Benjamin Payne is also on record in 1772 as selling to Samuel Forbes of Canaan in the colony of Connecticut one Negro woman by the name of Minnah, about twenty-one years old, for the sum of fifty-two pounds, ten shillings (right. bill of sale). Payne, a lawyer, was a deputy to the Connecticut General Assembly, clerk for the House and the Governor, and during the Revolutionary War was a member of the Council of Safety, Committee of Correspondence and Committee of Prisoners. Below is an reward issued by Payne for the return of a capture British soldier.

Connecticut Courant Newspaper – May 12, 1777

Runaway: Michael Burn, Hartford, CT. Reward: Not Specified

Transcription:  Escaped from the barrack at Hartford last night, one Michael Burn, belonging to Col. Brown’s brigade in the British service, lately taken at Danbury: He is a native of Ireland, about 35 years of age, 5 feet 8 inches high, sandy short hair, […] on the fore part of his head, grey eyes, a little glaring, red complexion, thin visage, large nose, a weaver by trade, speaks very harsh, pretends to a smattering of Latin and Greek, has a comfortable number of books with him, among which are Homer’s Illiad, Ovid’s Metamorphosis, Lillia’s Grammar, &c. He wore off a snuff colour’d coat and vest, white drilling […]. Whoever apprehends said deserter and returns him to Hartford, shall receive a proper reward, and necessary charges paid, by BENJAMIN PAYNE, Committee for Prisoners. Hartford, April 9, 1777.

Valentine Vaughn (Witness) – The only reference to Valentine that I discovered was from May 1766. To celebrate the repeal of the Stamp Act, “a number of young gentlemen were preparing fire works for the evening, in the chamber of the large brick school house, under which a quantity of powder granted by the Assembly for the purposes of the day, was deposited. Two companies of militia had just received a pound a man, by the delivery of which a train was scattered from the powder cask to the distance of three rods from the house, where a number of boys were collected, who undesignedly and unnoticed, set fire to the scattered powder, which was soon communicated to that within doors, and in an instant reduced the building to a heap of rubbish (six dead), and buried the following persons in its ruins, …Valentine Vaughn had his skull terribly broken. (A Celebration Turned Tragic)

Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.

Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved by David R. French.

Recently, I shared a humorous exchange with friends about boys (or families) in the neighborhood who your parents encouraged you to not to hang out with, in this case the Murphy, Reilly and Dugan boys.  What is true today was true in mid-17th century Ipswich, Massachusetts where my 7^th great-grandfather, Joseph Fowler, was known as “a lawless and defiant disturber of the public peace.” (Source: Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts Volume 1)

A brilliant blog post entitled, “Drunkards, liars, a hog, a dog, a witch, disorderly persons and the innkeeper” (Historic Ipswich Blog), notes that “the real trouble-makers in town (were); Joseph Muzzy (a great-uncle), Mark Symonds, Thomas Cooke, Thomas Scott, and especially Joseph Fowler (my 7^th great-grandfather).” I encourage you to read the entire post to get a full picture of Ipswich in the mid-17th century. (Excerpt below)

_{Joseph Fowler“a lawless and defiant disturber of the public peace.”}

Those are the words of Thomas Franklin Waters in Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Waters noted that Joseph Fowler was sentenced to pay a considerable fine or sit in the stocks on lecture day, for saying there were seven or eight liars in the church and asking why they were not cast out, and for saying “if one would lye soundly he was fit for the church.”

Joseph Fowler was problematic even in his military training, which was a requirement of all young men in those early days. Waters wrote that “More than once, irrepressible Joseph Fowler was disrespectful to the haughty (General) Denison, and for each offense in 1647 and in 1648, he was summoned to the head of the company, and then and there made humble acknowledgment in such terms as the Major required.”

(Joseph Fowler (b.1626) died on May 19, 1676 at the Battle of Great Falls/Massacre at Peskeompskut (now Turners Falls, Massachusetts) during the King Phillip’s War)

Bonus – The post also tells us about John Bradstreet who was convicted of witchcraft based on claims that he had “familiarity with the devil” and for “bewitching a dog.”  John was the nephew of my 10th g-grandmother Bridget and Joseph Fowler’s cousin.  By the way, Bradstreet was charged with witchcraft based, in part, on testimony provided by —–Joseph Fowler! The dog was hung as a witch (Bewitched Dogs), John escape to New Hampshire.

Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.

Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved by David R. French.

I recently posted a story entitled, The Shot Heard Round Buckman Tavern that chronicled my family connection to the famous tavern on Lexington Green in Massachusetts. This story is about my 10^th great-grandfather Roger Mowry (1610-66) who ended up owning and operating a tavern and inn in Providence, Rhode Island.

In 1628, Roger sailed from England aboard the ship Abigail, a small sailing vessel with only 13 passengers, arriving in Massachusetts Bay and then residing in Salem.

In 1636/7, Roger was appointed by the town of Salem to serve as a neat-herd! Pray-tell us, what is a neat-herd?

In 1649, Roger and his wife Mary (Johnson) moved to Providence, in the Colony of Rhode Island, were they joined Puritan minister Roger Williams. By 1640 nearly 40 families were living in Providence, where they by oath declared that religious freedom and separation of church and state would be among their guiding principles. (Liberty of Conscience)

In 1653, the Court of Providence appointed him to keep an inn and tavern. The Roger Mowry House/Tavern was the gathering place for town meetings and where tradition says Roger Williams held prayer meetings. Below is a description of the Roger Mowry House.

Note: Roger Williams blamed my 9^th great-grandfather John Cotton for his banishment from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

My 3rd great-grandfather, Abiram Spencer (1812-1871) has been the subject of several of these posts. One area that I had not previously touched on was his involvement in politics. In the spring of 1860, Abiram was elected to serve on the Hartford City Council. (Left: Hartford Courant, April 9, 1860, p. 1)

Wherever the fight is hottest, there is their post of duty, and there the Wide Awakes are found.”

On March 5, 1860, presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln stopped in Hartford to give a speech denouncing the spread of slavery in the western territories and advocating for the right of workers to go on strikes. A handful of store clerks who had just organized a local pro-Republican political group attended the speech and volunteered to escort Lincoln back to his hotel room by torchlight, sparking the birth of a new political movement called the Wide Awakes. July 26: The “Wide Awakes” Rally for Abraham Lincoln in Hartford (Today in Ct. History)

It is amazing to think that Abiram Spencer was present at this speech by presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln. Perhaps as a Republican candidate for the City Council, he even had the honor to meet and shake the hand of the future president!

Later that same month (March 27), the Hartford Courant announced “A Grand Display of Torch-lights – The Hartford Wide-Awakes – Fireworks.” and listed Abiram Spencer as an appointed Marshal for the event. The featured speaker was former Ohio Governor and Senator Tom Corwin. After Lincoln was elected, he appointed Corwin as Minister to Mexico, a post that he held from 1861 to 1864.

What was the impact of the the Hartford Wide-Awakes and the Wide Awakes movement?

“It is clear, however, that the Wide Awakes fundamentally altered the tone of the campaign. They took a muddled political environment and turned it into one of the most excited elections in American history. Through marches, speeches, editorials, advertisements, cartoons, jokes, and brawls, the Wide Awakes triggered massive popular enthusiasm in the summer and fall of 1860.”Wide Awake In 1860 America: In Search of Young Men For Voting and Fighting.

Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.

Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved by David R. French.