TREASURE CHEST THURSDAY Nellie Marries Harry Sept. 11, 1912 at 24 Grand Ave., Middletown, New York

Nellie Mae Hewitt, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George B. Hewitt married Harry Everett Lee Sept. 11, 1912 at her 24 Grand Avenue home in Middletown, New York. Harry’s parents were Thomas E. Lee and Clara Cairns.

My maternal grandmother, Viola Lillian Wilson, and Nellie were 1^st cousins.  Even though Nellie was fourteen years older than Viola, I think they enjoyed a special kinship. Whenever I see photos of them together, they are standing side by side or arm-in-arm.

Passed down among my family treasures is a newspaper clipping announcing Nellie and Harry’s wedding published in the Daily Argus.

   A very pretty wedding was solemnized this afternoon at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George B. Hewitt, 24 Grand avenue, when their daughter Nellie became the bride of Harry E. Lee, of this city.

   Promptly at three o'clock the bride and groom marched into the parlor to the strains of Lohengrin, played by the orchestra which was hidden behind a large bank of ferns, and took their place under a large bell made of American Beauty roses. The ceremony which was with a ring, was performed by Rev. Dr. Thomas R. Wallace, pastor of St. Paul's Church, of this city.

   The bridesmaid was Miss Viola Clark, of Paterson, N. J., a cousin of the bride, and R. Lester Lee, a brother of the groom, acted as best man.

   The bride was attired in a white lansdowne dress trimmed with Persian trimming and carried a shower bouquet of white roses, and her traveling gown was a blue tailored suit, with large picture hat to match.

   The bridesmaid's gown was of pink crepe meteor over pink silk and trimmed with dutchess lace.

   The ring was carried on a cut glass heart by Miss Viola Wilson. The home was prettily decorated with pink and white, the decorations being by Lorentz.

   After the ceremony the guests sat down to a sumptuous banquet which was served by the bride's parents. The bride and groom left over the Erie for a wedding journey, the destination being known only to themselves.

   Upon their return they will make their home for the present with the bride's parents at 24 Grand avenue.

   The groom's gift to the bride was a large silver chatelaine bag, and to the best man a pearl stick pin. The bride's gift to the bridesmaid was a brooch set with diamonds and pearls. Guests were present from Brooklyn, Chicago, sections of Wisconsin, New York, Paterson, Newark, Port Jervis and Goshen.

   The groom is a popular young man in this city and is First Assistant fireman of Eagle Hose Co.  He is employed as plumber by Halsey E. __?__.

   The Daily Argus joins with the many friends of the young couple in wishing them a happy journey through life.

Nellie and Harry’s ‘Wedding Book’ was also saved by my family and I’ve scanned the pages below containing the names of their wedding guests. 

 

Harry’s brother, Robert Lester Lee, served as best man. Viola Clark was Nellie’s bridesmaid and a cousin from Paterson, New Jersey. Viola Clark’s father, George Emmet Clark, and Nellie’s grandfather, Jeremiah B. Clark, were brothers. The ring was carried on a cut glass heart by my 8 year old Grandmother Viola L. Wilson.

I’m not familiar with Harry’s family but anybody named Cairns and Lee must have been Harry’s guests. Hewitt, Clark and Wilson wedding attendees belonged to Nellie’s side of the family. I’ll point out the relatives that I know.

Rev. Wallace was the first to sign the guest book followed by Harry’s mother, Mrs. Clara Lee. Mrs. Martin Bennett was Harry’s sister--the former Daisy Lee. No doubt Mr. and Mrs. Samuel E. Lee were relatives of Harry. Harriet C. Knapp and Ada C. Knapp both were Nellie’s 1^st cousins, daughters of Fanny (Clark) and Dell Knapp. 

Letitia Nelson and Nellie were 2^nd cousins. Letitia was the daughter of Gr-Gr-Grandmother Harriet (Ogden) Clark’s niece Mary Elizabeth (Ogden) Nelson. The Nelson’s lived a few blocks away on East Main Street.

Geo. B. Hewitt was Nellie’s father. Ella M. Wilson was another 1^st cousin well known to me as Aunt Ella. Another Knapp cousin, Edith (Knapp) Waring attended the wedding. Mrs. D. P. Clark and D. P. Clark, Ada and David P. Clark, were Aunt and Uncle to Nellie. A Paterson, New Jersey 1^st cousin, Miss Clara Fitzgerald, was a wedding guest along with Uncle Frank Clark’s daughter, Ethel M. Clark.

Mrs. J. B. Clark was Nellie’s grandmother, Harriet (Ogden) Clark. Mrs. M. E. Nelson was Harriet (Ogden) Clark’s niece, Mary Elizabeth (Ogden) Nelson. Great Uncle George Emmet Clark and his wife, Anna were the last names on this page.

Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Clark were Uncle Frank Clark and his 2^nd wife Mary. Mr. Harry E. Waring was a cousin’s husband. Mrs. William Swift was a Clark cousin, Laura (Fitzgerald) Swift who was accompanied by her little baby boy, Billy. First cousin Miss Lmeta Knapp was Aunt Fannie and Uncle Dell’s daughter. Uncle Amos R. Clark and Aunt Irene attended. Sisters Mrs. Dell A. Knapp (Aunt Fannie Clark) and Mrs. G. B. Hewitt (Nellie’s mother) completed the guest list.

Look and see if you know any of Nellie and Harry's guests. Let me know if you spot a relative.

You might enjoy an earlier post about Nellie and Harry by clicking here.

MATRILINEAL MONDAY Dolly Doty gets John’s Estate Settled Oct. 18th 1858, Goshen, NY

On October 18, 1858 Dolly Doty and William E. Mapes settled 3rd Great Grandfather John Doty’s estate at Surrogate Court in Goshen, New York. John died January 27, 1857 leaving Dolly a widow along with eight surviving children.

Clarissa Jane Doty, wife of Thomas Drake

Anna Maria Doty, wife of Elias Hockenberry

Harriet E. Doty, wife of James H. Smith

Lucinda Doty, wife of William E. Mapes

Arminda Doty

Jefferson W. Doty

Albert Doty, husband to Fanny Jane Bennett

John Doty

Dolly and her son-in-law, William E. Mapes, began probate proceedings at Surrogate Court February 16, 1857 when appointed Administratrix and Administrator. See my earlier blog post titled Dolly Doty Asks for Letter of Administration 158 Years Ago Today by clicking here.

John and Dolly’s children started a flurry of land deals involving their father’s lands before his estate was settled. 3rd Great Grandfather owned 125 acres in Wawayanda, Orange Co., New York. On May 7, 1857 the Doty sisters (and spouses) sold their title, claims and rights to their brothers for $1,040.

William E. Mapes requested a date at Probate Court to present a final accounting of Great Grandfather’s estate August 16, 1858. Click here to view my second post Dolly Doty’s Ready for Final Settlement of John Doty’s Estate Aug. 16, 1858, Goshen, NY. A citation issued that day informed interested parties to be at the Surrogate’s office October 18, 1858 for the final settlement of the estate.

Dolly and William submitted the accounting for John’s estate. The estate papers show Jefferson W. Doty accompanied his mother to Goshen.

Once John Doty’s personal property was sold May 23, 1857, $915.64 was credited to his estate. Ten Dollars cash was on hand when the inventory was prepared and $4.22 representing a book account from Gilbert More brought the total assets to $929.86.

The expenses of the administration included debts, commissions and surrogate’s fees totaling $104.19. The personal debts only amounted to $8.00. Dr. W. H. Dorrance was paid $2.00 for taking care of John. Mr. Campbell received $15.00 for handling the funeral. Philip Decker provided a $13.00 tombstone. Theodore Halstead shoed a mare and got $8.00 for his labors.

After the estate expenses were paid, Dolly and the children were left with $825.67. Dolly was entitled to 1/3 dower share equaling $275.22. The Doty children, Anne M. Hockenberry, Clarissa J. Drake, Harriet E. Smith, Arminda Doty, Lucinda Mapes, Jefferson W. Doty, Albert Doty and John Doty, got 1/8 of the remaining 2/3 share. Each received $68.80.

Bonus points for the document below as it has 3rd Great Grandmother’s signature.

Source: John Doty’s estate packet filed at Surrogate Court, Park Place, Goshen, NY

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY Finally I Know!

Wordless? Ha, April Fool’s Day! It’s fitting that I post these photos on April Fool’s Day. I’ve been trying to identify the people in these snapshots for a long time and have been tricked twice already.

The pictures were in a photo album that belonged to my grandparents Frank L. Doty and Viola L. Wilson. My Mother and Uncle thought this was my grandfather’s half-sister’s family—Mabel Taylor Doty. Mabel married two times and had a large family. She moved to Tioga Co., NY with her second husband Frank Regan. A few years ago I found a picture of Mabel and Frank on Ancestry.com. Well, this isn’t Mabel or her children!

You’ll notice that one of the men pictured is labeled “Frank”. Okay, maybe this is Mabel’s 2^nd husband’s family. I wanted to find a home for these photos so I continued to search for Frank Regan’s family. I found a granddaughter of Mabel and Frank Regan once again thanks to Ancestry.com. You guessed it—this isn’t Frank Regan’s family!

Back row from left to right Vincent, Arline, Nellie, Gram, Arnold C., Marie & Ray Parry, Geo., Minnie and Mart

Frank and Vivien standing in middle on the left (Gram has her hand on Vivien’s shoulder)

Starting in the front from left to right Johannie, Eleanor, Virginia, Bernice, Mom, Dad and Ada

 Back row left to right Vincent, Arline, Nellie, Gram, Arnold C., Marie & Ray,Geo., Lloyd and Mart

Frank’s in the middle

Seated from left to right Hazel C., Johannie, Eleanor, Virginia, Bernice, Mom, Dad and Ada

This morning I was searching for a photo for a Wordless Wednesday post. I guess I had “Frank on the brain” and thought about all the “Frank’s” in the family. Frank who?

I think I cracked the case. Frank Cosgrove. Frank’s sister, Belle Cosgrove, was the 2^nd wife of my Great Grandfather Jerome W. Wilson. Belle became a second mother to my Grandmother, Viola Lillian Wilson about 1906.

I spent the morning at Ancestry.com utilizing their census collections, draft registration cards, city directories, disabled volunteer soldiers records as well as my own family papers.

Belle was born Isabelle Cosgrove 1886 in Danbury, Connecticut to John Cosgrove and Ellen Delaney. John Cosgrove died by 1909. Ellen moved from Danbury to Hartford by this date. “Gram” is Grandma Ellen.

Belle’s siblings were:

·         John Joseph Cosgrove, born 1880. I don’t believe he’s in either picture above.

·         George Cosgrove, born 1881. Yeah, George is in both snapshots. George married and divorced. He had a daughter, Marion, born about 1908.

·         Adeline S. Cosgrove, born 1884. Adeline was known as Ada and she married Lloyd Dwight Brinton. They had three children Arline, Vincent and Bernice. They’re all there.

·         Minnie E. Cosgrove, born 1890. Minnie was living with Jerome and Belle Wilson in 1910. She’s in the top photo. I don’t know anything else about her.

·         Frank Patrick Cosgrove, born 1891. Frank’s in both snap shots. His WWII draft card registration names Arnold Cosgrove as his contact person. Frank’s pictured and Arnold’s standing next to Gram in both photos.

·         Nellie I. Cosgrove, born 1892. Nellie was also living in Jerome and Belle Wilson’s home in 1910. She married John E. Bolar (with the glasses). They had a daughter Virginia. Another Cosgrove brother, Harry J., was in Nellie’s home in 1920. Nellie, John and Virginia are at the family gathering too.

·         Catheline Cosgrove, born 1898. I couldn’t find any information about Catheline but wonder if she and her husband are “Mom” and “Dad” above.

·         Harry J. Cosgrove, born 1888. Harry never married. Harry’s WWI draft registration card provides his home as 112 Oakland St., Hartford, CT. This was Jerome and Belle’s home. The 1920 federal census has Harry living in another sister’s home, Nellie and John E. Bolar. The U. S. National Home for Disabled Soldiers took care of Harry during 1930. His sister, Mrs. Lloyd Brinton was noted to be his nearest relative. Harry’s not pictured above.

What a shame Belle, Jerome and their girls, Marion, Ida, Genevieve and Beatrice missed the festivities.

Does anybody recognize the others?