Titanic Connection

By F.G.O. Stuart (1843-1923) - , Public Domain, Wiki Commons

Emily Borie Ryerson was born in Chicago on October 8, 1893 to Arthur and Emily (Borie) Ryerson. Emily was the third child of five in the family. Arthur Ryerson was a lawyer and president of a steel company. The family was on vacation in Europe in April, 1912 when they received word that their eldest son, Arthur, Jr., 22, had been killed in an automobile accident in Pennsylvania. They quickly boarded a ship bound for the United States. That ship was the ill-fated Titanic. Arthur, Sr. died when the ship sank after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage. The alarm was sounded around 11:40 pm on April 14th and the ship went under only a few hours later on April 15, 1912. However, Arthur's wife, Emily (Borie) Ryerson, and children, Susan "Suzette", 21, Emily Maria Borie "Millie", 20, and John, 15, were rescued by the Carpathia. The final sibling, Ellen or "Nell," 17, was not on the ship.

Heading of the manifest of Titanic survivors on the Carpathia

Ryerson survivors on the Carpathia

So what is my connection to this family? Emily "Millie" Ryerson married my 3rd cousin, twice removed, George Hyde Clarke, Jr.  George's mother was Mary Gale (Carter) Clarke, granddaughter of Rev. Lawson Carter (1793-1868). Lawson was the eldest son of Dr. Timothy & Frances (Freeland) Carter and big brother to my third great-grandfather, Elias Mellen Carter.

Findagrave Memorials
Arthur Larned Ryerson, Sr. - died in the sinking
Emily Maria (Borie) (Ryerson) Sherfesee - remarried and died in Uruguay
Arthur Larned Ryerson, Jr.  - includes a newspaper description of the automobile accident
Susan Parker "Suzette" (Ryerson) Patterson - survived the sinking but died at age 31.
Emily Maria Borie "Millie" (Ryerson) (Clarke) Cooke - Titanic survivor
Ellen Ashford "Nell" (Ryerson) Salvatore - not with the family on the Titanic
John Borie Ryerson - Titanic survivor

Dr. Timothy Carter
Elias Mellen Carter - Brother of Rev. Lawson Carter
Augustus Mellen Carter
Edward Mellen Carter
T. Richard Carter - my grandfather

Horse Shoots Rider - Funny Friday

As far as I know this Yates is not a relative. I found this while searching for Yates family members in old newspapers. 

Pack Horse Shoots Rider

Cave Creek, Ariz.  - Hubert E. Yates, 29, Phoenix, was shot by his horse on Sunday. Yates was unsaddling a pack-horse when it kicked his revolver from his holster, causing the gun to fire. Deputy Sheriff Lewis Forman said the bullet hit Yates in the leg. 

Biddeford-Saco Journal, Tuesday, April 17, 1962, p. 2
Newspapers.com; Clipped April 26, 2015

Gone Too Young - Tombstone Tuesday

Riverside Cemetery, Bethel, Maine

Lewiston Evening Journal - Jun 14, 1893
A little son of Edward Capen of Bethel, eight years old, was killed Wednesday afternoon. His father was tethering his horse in the door-yard and left the horse with his little boy who tied the rope which was around the horse's neck around his wrist. The horse became frightened and ran nearly half a mile, when he was stopped by C.C. Bryant, who cut the rope, but the boy was dead.

Robert Woodbury Capen - born 1884 - buried Riverside Cemetery - Bethel

Robert is listed as Robbie W. 

Robert W. Capen was the brother of my great-grandmother, Fannie May (Capen) Carter. Edward Abbott & Mary Jane (Abbott) Capen had seven children. Four of the children are buried in the same plot with the parents. Two sons who died at young ages and two daughter who never married are listed on the same stone as their parents.

Edward Abbott Capen
Fannie May (Capen) Carter
T. Richard Carter - my grandfather

The Tragic Deaths of Two Brothers

My 5X great-grandparents, Joseph & Miriam (Lyon) Spurr had two sons named Robert. Both of them died in tragic accidents, thirty-one years apart. Both sons were logging at the time of their deaths. My family has been involved in logging for many generations and it's a dangerous business.

Robert #1
The first son named Robert was born on May 23, 1755 and died on February 23, 1774. A newspaper extraction says that he fell under a sled loaded with wood. There is a Findagrave memorial for him in Wrentham Center Cemetery, but it doesn't have a picture of his gravestone. The History of Otisfield says that he was "killed by a loaded sled running over him." This book says that his tombstone has the following inscription:

As I did walk the road, 

Down hill a sled with me, 

The team ran very fast, 

My fall was the death of me. 

He was killed by a sled in a moment.

Robert #2
The second son named Robert was born on July 15, 1774, just a few months after his older brother of the same name was killed. The second Robert died on May 18, 1805 in Otisfield, Maine. The History of Otisfield says that he was "killed by a landing of logs rolling over him, breaking his back, at Crooked River, Otisfield." This Robert is buried in Bell Hill Cemetery in Otisfield and Findagrave has a picture of his gravestone.

Robert (2) was married on September 21, 1802 to Sarah West. She raised their son, John, alone and remarried on November 9, 1826. Her second husband was Simeon Turner. John Spurr was born on December 15, 1805, five months after his father's death.

Joseph Spurr died on June 17, 1805, about a month after losing his second son named Robert. Miriam died on November 6, 1811.

Joseph & Miriam (Lyon) Spurr
Enoch Spurr
Roxanna (Spurr) Stanley
Mary Frances (Stanley) Carter
Edward Mellen Carter
T. Richard Carter - my grandfather.

The Accidental Death of Edmund Ingalls - 52 Ancestors #43

Edmund Ingalls died at the age of 60 from injuries sustained when he fell through a bridge. In March of 1648, he was crossing the bridge over the Saugus River on horseback and somehow fell through the bridge. The town of Lynn spent £20 to repair the bridge and Edmund, fearing he would not recover, wrote his will. Edmund's will was proved on September 14, 1648, and his inventory came to a little over £135.


After his death, the family petitioned the town for compensation for the loss of their father. These damages were granted to the family on October 18, 1648.

"The humble petition of Robert Ingalls, with the rest of his brethren and sisters, being eight in number, humbly showeth that whereas your poor petitioner's father hat been deprived of life by the insufficiency of Lynne Bridge, so called, to the great impoverishment of your poor petitioner's mother and themselves and there being a court order that any person so dyeing through such insufficiency of any bridge in the countrye, there should be an hundred pounds forfeit to the next heire, May it therefore please this honorable Court to take your poore petitioner's case into consideration." 

Edmund and his wife, Ann, had the following children:

1. Elizabeth was born about 1619 and married Rev. Francis Dane. 
2. Robert was born about 1620 and married Sarah Harker.
3. Faith was born about 1622 and married Andrew Allen. 
4. John was born about 1624 and married Elizabeth Barrett. 
5. Sarah was born about 1626 and married William Bitner.
6. Henry was born about 1627 and married Mary Osgood. 
7. Samuel was born about 1632 and married Ruth Eaton. 
8. Mary was born about 1634 and married John Eaton. 
9. Joseph, nothing further is known.

Information from The American Genealogist, Volume 52.

Edmund Ingalls
Elizabeth (Ingalls) Dane
Francis Dane
Hannah (Dane) Phelps
Hannah (Phelps) Abbott
Mehitable (Abbott) Abbott
Zerviah (Abbott) Ellingwood
John W. Ellingwood, Jr.
Asa Freeman Ellingwood
Nina (Ellingwood) Gibbs
Annie F. (Gibbs) Cotton
Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother

Mystery Guy - 52 Ancestors #30

First, I found a newspaper article about a relative who died from his injuries after he was struck by a car. That sent me on a quest to find out more about this relative and I ended up with as many questions as I found answers. In other words, a pretty typical day in the life of a genealogist.

Lewiston Sun Journal, July 11, 1940, accessed on Google News Archive

Guy Morrison Cotton was my 1st cousin, 3 times removed. He was born on February 14, 1888 and died on July 11, 1940, the son of William F. "Frank" & Deborah J. "Jennie" (Lamb) Cotton. He was a teamster, a shoemaker, a member of the National Guard, a servant, and a farm laborer. He married an older widowed woman, Inez (Kenerson/Kennison) Goodwin, on March 20, 1913. Guy's occupation is listed as shoemaker. Tracing this couple through the records in very interesting. Inez was married previously to James Goodwin, who died on April 30, 1911. They appear in the 1900 census and her birthdate is given as May 1866. However, the marriage record between Guy & Inez lists her age as 40 (born about 1873) and he was 25. Since Inez shows up with her parents in the 1870 census, it would seem that she was shaving off a few years when she stated her age for her marriage license in 1913. James and Inez had one adopted daughter, Etta. Guy and Inez have no children as she was about 47 when they married.

So how does a 47-year-old widow end up married to a 25-year-old young man? There must be a story here. Their marriage record makes it look like she's only 15 years older than him, rather than the actual age difference of 22 years.

From marriage record - Note the bride's stated age and Guy's occupation

1900 Census shows Inez (Enez) listed with her first husband and her correct birth date - May 1866

In 1900, Guy is 12 and living in Oxford, Maine with Charles & Lilian Brown. They are only 21 and 17 and he is listed as the brother of the head of household. His parents are renting in the same building with his 14-year-old sister, Florence. My guess is that they were all living together and the census taker recorded Guy with his brother-in-law as head of household. His uncle (my great-great-grandfather), Francis Llewellyn Cotton is living next door in a home he owns. My great-grandfather, Ray Everett Cotton, son of Francis Llewellyn, is the same age as Guy and I imagine that they would have gone to school together.

In 1910, there is no trace of the family in the census. In 1920, Guy and Inez are living with his parents in Paris, Maine. George is 32 and Inez lists her age as 52 (closer to the truth but still shaving off a couple of years). Guy is listed as not working but Inez is a "laborer" and Guy's parents are listed as "farmer" for his father and "laborer" for his mother. There is no sign of any other family nearby but a granddaughter is listed, Dorothy Brown, age 1. She is likely the daughter of Guy's sister Lilian and her husband, Charles.

Where is Guy and/or his parents in 1910? Where are Charles and Lilian Brown in 1920? Lilian is not listed among his surviving relatives in the news article about this death. Is Dorothy being raised by her grandparents or her aunt and uncle, Inez and Guy? Since all the other adults worked, was Guy the caretaker for Dorothy? That seems quite unusual for the time.

In 1930, Guy is listed as singe, living in Northumberland, New Hampshire, and a servant in the household of Ernest Tillaltson (pretty sure the transcription is wrong). Also in the household are Ernest's wife, Gadriella (possibly Gabriella) 56, sons Paul 31 and Blanchard 22, daughters Florence 20, and Barbara 18.

So what happened to Inez? Why is he not listed as a widower if she is deceased? Who is this Tillaltson family and what work does Guy do as their servant?

Guy served in the military. His draft registration card indicates that he works as a teamster but was out of work at that time. In addition, he has six years of service in the National Guard and his application for a military headstone indicates that he enlisted in the 331st Guard and Fire Company on July 29, 1918 and was honorably discharged on January 8, 1919. The war ended on November 11, 1918 and he never was deployed overseas.

Physical description from Guy's draft registration card

Guy's work experience from his draft registration card

Guy's military experience from his draft registration card

On July 11, 1940, the Lewiston Sun Journal, reported the death of Guy Cotton after he was struck by a car. Although the age is not correct, the parents and other relatives are those of Guy Morrison Cotton, born in 1888. That means he was 68, not 40, when he died.

Guy's cousin, Ray Everett Cotton, was my great-grandfather.
Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother.

Falling Tree Kills Workman

Irene (Blake) & Ray Everett Cotton, Jr.
Leonard Ray "Joe" & Phyllis Cotton

I scanned the picture above from my grandmother's photo collection. I remember my grandmother talking about her brother who was killed in an accident in a beryl mine and my dad was close to his cousin, Joe. They were born in the same year. I remember visits with Joe & Jackie and their girls, Lisa and Jennifer but at the time I never connected the dots and understood how it was all connected. I figured it out when I started looking at the family tree and recently I found the following article in the Lowell Sun from July 30, 1952. 

Ray Everett Cotton, Jr. was the son of Ray Everett and Annie Florilla (Gibbs) Cotton. He was born on April 9, 1916 in South Paris, Maine and died on July 29, 1952 in Alstead, New Hampshire. He married Irene Blake on January 16, 1937. 

His children:

1. Phyllis born in 1937.
2. Leonard Ray "Joe" born in 1939.
3. Arthur born in 1941.
4. Gary born in 1943.
5. Alan born in 1945. 
6. Larry born in 1946. 

He is buried in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Mechanic Falls, Maine.

My grandmother, Fern Lyndell (Cotton) Carter was six years younger than her brother, Ray.

Distraught Father Sues After Two-Year Old Daughter Dies in a Pit - 52 Ancestors #46

Elizabeth Newhall was my 1st cousin, 10 times, removed. I descend from her father's sister, Susanna (Newhall) Haven. She died when she was just two years old when she fell into a pit and drowned. Her three older brothers were Thomas Newhall (the 3rd so-named, age 12), John Newhall (age 10), and Joseph Newhall (age 7). It is a bit unclear whether they are three sons who used the pit to keep alewives for fishing or if it was her father and his two brothers, Francis and John, sons of her grandfather, Thomas Newhall, the immigrant. There were so many dangers of life in colonial times and losing a young girl to an accident seems especially tragic. 

Daughter of Thomas Newhall, Jr. 
The death by drowning of Thomas Newhall's daughter Elizabeth in November of 1665 was a tragedy that resulted in litigation. The distraught father, Thomas Newhall, brought suit against George Keaser "for damage he sustained by his digging a pit to the loss of his child." The little girl, just two years old, had been out of her mother's sight for half an hour or more, when she was found by the wife of Robert Potter and the wife of John Newhall, floating on the water of a pit near her home, dead. The pit had originally been dug by George Keaser as a tan vat, and Newhall claimed he had left it open. Testimony, however, showed that the pit had been drained by the Keasers, and had been reopened and filled with water (to keep alewives for fishing) by the three sons of Thomas Newhall, and the verdict was for the defendant. ~ The Essex Genealogist, 1995, Vol. 15, p. 42

Thomas & Mary Newhall were in Lynn, Massachusetts by 1638. They were the parents of Francis, Susanna, Thomas, John, and Mary. Thomas Newhall, Jr. was the father of Elizabeth. 

Susanna Newhall married Richard Haven before 1645. Susanna was the aunt of Elizabeth Newhall. 

Mary Haven, daughter of Richard & Susanna (Newhall) Haven, married John Tarbox. 

Nathaniel Tarbox
Benjamin Tarbox
Jedidiah Tarbox (female) 
Patience Smith
David Shepard
Sarah Shepard
Laura E. Emmons
Estes Gilbert Yates
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

52 Ancestors #39 - Look Before You Leap!

Originally published on Nov. 11, 2012

The Lewiston Daily Sun - July 24, 1923

CARTER INJURED HERE SUNDAY NIGHT DIES

Bethel Man Hit by Auto on State Road Succumbs From Internal Injuries

Well Known in Bethel Where He Was Engaged in Lumbering Business With Father

Edward Carter, aged 43, of Bethel died at Ste. Marie's hospital yesterday morning from injuries sustained when he jumped from a wagon on the Lisbon-Lewiston road about midnight Sunday directly into the path of an automobile owned and operated by Harry S. Morton of Brunswick. Mr. Carter was driving a four horse team when he jumped to the ground intending to fix something in the rear of the conveyance. He evidently was unaware that a machine was approaching. 

County Attorney James A. Pulsifer and Dr. Blinn Russell, county medical examiner, investigating the cause of death stated that they were were satisfied that the accident was in no sense the fault of the driver of the fatal car but largely attributable to fate and the victim's negligence in not ascertaining if the road was clear before jumping from his perch on the wagon. 

Mr. Carter who has for several years been identified with his father, Augustus Carter, of Bethel in the lumbering business in Maine, New Hampshire and Canada has recently been engaged in road construction work. He was so employed at the time of the accident driving one of two four horse teams over the State road on his way to Lewiston. 

He was born in Bethel March 26, 1875, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Carter. In early life he married Miss Fannie Capen, who, with five children, also his father, one sister, Miss Frances Carter, and an uncle Herbert Carter, all of Bethel, survive him. Mr. Carter's father gave up business about a year ago since which time the son had been employed in road work part of the time.

Edward Carter was my great-grandfather. His wife, Fannie, never remarried and raised her five children as a single mother. The children were Edward Augustus (Gus) age 12, Rebecca Williamson (Becky) age 10, Thomas Richard (Dick) age 8, Stanley Capen age 5, and Paul Albert age 1. 

Newspaper accessed at 

Google News Archive

52 Ancestors #27 - Edward Mellen Carter

The Lewiston Daily Sun - July 24, 1923

CARTER INJURED HERE SUNDAY NIGHT DIES

Bethel Man Hit by Auto on State Road Succumbs From Internal Injuries

Well Known in Bethel Where He Was Engaged in Lumbering Business With Father

Edward Carter, aged 43, of Bethel died at Ste. Marie's hospital yesterday morning from injuries sustained when he jumped from a wagon on the Lisbon-Lewiston road about midnight Sunday directly into the path of an automobile owned and operated by Harry S. Morton of Brunswick. Mr. Carter was driving a four horse team when he jumped to the ground intending to fix something in the rear of the conveyance. He evidently was unaware that a machine was approaching. 

County Attorney James A. Pulsifer and Dr. Blinn Russell, county medical examiner, investigating the cause of death stated that they were were satisfied that the accident was in no sense the fault of the driver of the fatal car but largely attributable to fate and the victim's negligence in not ascertaining if the road was clear before jumping from his perch on the wagon. 

Mr. Carter who has for several years been identified with his father, Augustus Carter, of Bethel in the lumbering business in Maine, New Hampshire and Canada has recently been engaged in road construction work. He was so employed at the time of the accident driving one of two four horse teams over the State road on his way to Lewiston. 

He was born in Bethel March 26, 1875, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Carter. In early life he married Miss Fannie Capen, who, with five children, also his father, one sister, Miss Frances Carter, and an uncle Herbert Carter, all of Bethel, survive him. Mr. Carter's father gave up business about a year ago since which time the son had been employed in road work part of the time.

Edward Carter was my great-grandfather. His wife, Fannie, never remarried and raised her five children as a single mother. The children were Edward Augustus (Gus) age 12, Rebecca Williamson (Becky) age 10, Thomas Richard (Dick) age 8, Stanley Capen age 5, and Paul Albert age 1. 

Newspaper accessed at 

Google News Archive

52 Ancestors #19 & #20 - The Interesting Deaths of Thomas & Mary (Parker) Totman

Thomas & Mary (Parker) Totman are my 9th great-grandparents. They died about twelve years apart but both deaths were unusual enough that a coroner's inquest was called to investigate the causes.

Mary Parker was born to William & Mary (Rawlins) Parker on January 1, 1639 and died shortly before April 10, 1666. Her death was determined to have been caused by accidentally ingesting a poisonous root. The Plymouth Court issued the following verdict on her death:
"5 Jun 1666 The Verdict of the Corroners Enquest concerning the sudden death of Mary, the wife of Thomas Totman of Scituate: Wee whose names are under-subscribed, being impanelled on a jury by the Constable of Scittuate, the 10th day of April 1666, to enquire after the death of Mary the wife of Thomas Totman, and haveing viewed the corpse and heard that evidence can speake doe give in this following as our verdict: - That Mary, the wife of Thom Totman gathered, dressed, and did eate a root, which we judge she mistakeing it, thinking it to bee the same which she had formerly often eaten of, but the root, being of a poissonous nature, eating of it, wee judge, was the sole cause and occation of her death and that wee all agree hereunto, witness our hands this 24 of April 1666."

Thomas Totman and Mary Parker were married about March 7, 1665. This is deduced by the court records of March 7, 1665 which include this information: "Thomas Totman appeared att this Court to answere his presentment for haveing carnall copulation with his now wife before marriage and affirmed that it was after contract; which not being cleare to the Court, hee was sentenced to pay a fine of ten pounds; if not cleared by further testimony; but if soe cleared to pay but five pounds." The records show he paid five pounds so he must have been married between the first and second court appearances.

Thomas Totman died just before May 6, 1678 and the Plymouth Court called a Coroner's inquest to determine his cause of death: "5 June 1678: Wee whose names are hereunto subscribed, being, this sixt of May 1678 impanelled upon the coroners enquest to make inquiry and true presentment of the cause and manor of the death of Thomas Totman, doe declare, that we find noe other thing or cause but onely his own wilfull absenting himselfe from food to be the cause and meanes of his death."

The only child of Thomas & Mary (Parker) Totman appears to be Stephen Totman who was born about 1665 and is mentioned in the will of his grandfather, William Parker, and in the will of his uncle, Thomas Rawlins. Stephen married Dorothy Stoddard about 1690. Dorothy was the daughter of Anthony Stoddard and his third wife, Christian.

Thomas & Mary (Parker) Totman
Stephen Totman
Samuel Totman
Deborah Totman
Asa Alden Barrows
Rachel Barrows
Asa Freeman Ellingwood
Nina King Ellingwood
Annie Florilla Gibbs
Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother

Cold & Confused - A Deadly Combination

On December 8, 1661, a coroner's jury was impanelled to "view the dead body of Thirston Clarke, Senior, of Duxburrow." Thirston (Thurston) had come to an unfortunate end. According to the court record, he was found on a place called the "Longe Point" that belonged to Joseph Andrews. His body was ice-covered and the cause of death was determined to be exposure to the elements. The facts seem to be that he was returning home from Plymouth to Duxbury and was close to home when his tracks in the snow indicate he became confused and wandered about aimlessly before succumbing to the effects of the cold temperatures and icy waters. His belongings were scattered a over a short distance and before discovering his body, searchers found his basket, his cap, staff, and one mitten, each one closer to the body than the previous object. Mr. Clark was approximately 71 years old.

Thurston Clark was from Ipswich, England and emigrated in 1634 on the Francis. He settled first in Plymouth and in 1652, moved to Duxbury. He was survived by his wife, Faith, and three children.
His daughter, Faith, married Mayflower passenger, Edward Doty on January 6, 1634/5. After his death, she married John Phillips on March 14, 1666/7. He was predeceased by three daughters who died in England, Frances, Mary, and Abigail. He and Faith had two sons, Thurston, and Henry, who were not mentally capable of caring for themselves. These two sons were reliant on others in the town to care of them after the parents died.

Thurston (Tristan) Clark was my 11th great-grandfather
Faith Clark & Edward Doty
Mary Doty
Mary Churchill
Mary Stevens
Eleazer Cole
Calvin Cole
Calvin Cole
Apphia Cole
George Hayes
Eva Hayes
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother