52 Ancestors: Week 4 "At the Library": The Truth About the Death of Catherine Elizabeth (Winters) Graham Mapplebeck

According to her death certificate, my 2nd-great-grandmother Catherine Elizabeth (Winters) Graham Mapplebeck died of coronary sclerosis due to chronic nephritis on 4 March 1942.

 Elizabeth Maplebeck death certificate. Missouri State Board of Health.

She was 80 years old, so the cause of death seemed quite plausible. I never suspected that there was more to it until I visited the Hayner Public Library District's Genealogy & Local History Library in Alton, Illinois, where Elizabeth and her children had lived for a time. I searched the digitized newspaper collection and came across a brief item from the 5 March 1942 issue of the Joplin Globe entitled "Two St. Louis Women Overcome by Smoke, Die." One of the women was Elizabeth Mapplebeck!

I went to the St. Louis County Library to look for more information. At that time, I did not have access to the digital archives of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, so I looked through the microfilm. The 3 March 1942 issue of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch contained more details ("Invalid Perishes in Nursing Home Fire; 9 Overcome," p. 3.). A fire had broken out at the Brantwood Nursing Home in Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri. The nursing home had opened about four months previously, and had no outside fire escape. The fire started near the motor for the electric icebox. One man, Henry Kern, died of asphyxiation an hour after he was taken to the hospital. Five others had been carried out while unconscious, but had been revived. Three people were stated to be in serious condition. Elizabeth Mappleback was at the hospital, but was not considered to be in serious condition. However, the next day, her death was reported ("Woman, 82, Second Victim of Lemay Hospital Fire." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 4 March 1942, p. 7C. )

It is strange that there was no mention of anything related to the fire on her death certificate. She must have suffered from smoke inhalation. Perhaps the stress of the experience brought on a heart attack.

Mary Winters

Mary Winters, the daughter of my 4th-great-grandparents Hugh Winters and Mary Bennet, was born 176 years ago today, on 27 November 1840. She was baptized on 13 December 1840 at St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland. The baptismal sponsors were John Finegan and Cath Boylan.

She arrived in New York, New York on 12 June 1849 on the Pursuit with her father and most of her siblings.

Passenger manifest, Pursuit, 12 June 1849. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36. National Archives at Washington, D.C. Year: 1849; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 080; List Number: 706. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. 

Mary's mother and sister Margaret apparently traveled separately, but the whole family was together in Brooklyn, New York by 1850.

1850 United States census, Brooklyn Ward 10, Kings County, New York, population schedule, p. 131A. Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.

In 1855, Mary was a servant in the home of John and Mary Blair. Her mother had apparently died by this time.

New York State Census, 1855, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6W3-Z9M : 19 November 2014), Mary Winters in household of John Blair, E.D. 2, Ward 12, Brooklyn City, Kings, New York, United States; count clerk offices, New York; FHL microfilm 1,930,199.

Mary died on 12 September 1876 in Charity Hospital, Blackwell's Island, New York, New York. The causes of death were phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis) and alcoholism. Asthma was a contributing cause. She was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.

New York, New York. Board of the Health Department. Death certificate no. 248060, Mary Winters, 1876.

Assassination of James A. Garfield

Engraving of James A. Garfield's assassination. A. Berghaus and C. Upham. Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 16 July 1881. Public domain. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

On 2 July 1881, President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C. Guiteau had wanted Garfield to appoint him to the position of consul in Paris, but he did not receive the position. He shot Garfield in the back and in the arm. Garfield died on 19 September 1881.

My great-grandmother's brother Garfield Graham may have been named after President Garfield. He was born on  26 May 1881 or 1882 in Quebec, Canada (probably in Montreal). His birth year is recorded as 1881 in the family Bible, but the record may have been made long after his birth, or copied from an earlier family Bible. His World War I and World War II draft cards, his Social Security application, and his death certificate all give his birth year as 1882.

Garfield's parents James Graham and Catherine Elizabeth Winters were American citizens who were living in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Perhaps they still felt patriotic and that influenced their choice of name. I have wondered if there might be something more, though. Perhaps there was a reason that they particularly liked President Garfield. Maybe they could relate to his background. When James Garfield first left home, he got a job managing the mules that pulled a canal boat. Catherine Elizabeth Winters' father John Bennet Winters probably worked on the first enlargement of the Erie Canal. Although I have not conclusively identified James Graham's family of origin, the family that I suspect was his spent some time living in Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio. They were living there at the time of the 1860 United States census. James Garfield was from Ohio. He had been a state senator and served until 1861. Perhaps James Graham's family had liked him. Maybe Garfield Graham's name is yet another clue that suggests I have identified the right family of origin for James Graham.

References
James A. Garfield

Those Places Thursday: Montreal General Hospital

General Hospital Montreal. Ancestry.com. Canada Historical Postcards [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Original data: Mary Martin Postcards (www.MaryLMartin.com), Perryville, MD, USA.
 
My 3rd-great-grandfather John Bennet Winters died in Montreal General Hospital on 25 December 1879.

 

Montreal Daily Witness, 27 December 1879, p. 1

In 1818, fund raising began to establish an English-speaking hospital in Montreal. On 1 May 1819, a small hospital on Craig Street opened.  It had room for 24 patients. In 1820, property was purchased on Dorchester and Dominique Streets.The cornerstone of the hospital was laid in 1821. In 1822, Montreal General Hospital opened. It had 72 beds. In 1823, the hospital received its charter. The hospital became affiliated with McGill University in 1832.

Photograph, Montreal General Hospital, Dorchester Street, QC, about 1890, Wm. Notman & Son. Silver salts on paper mounted on paper - Albumen process, 15 x 17 cm. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

On 30 May 1855, Montreal General Hospital moved to a new location on Cedar Avenue.

Source: Montreal General Hospital

Mystery Monday: Winters Wives

How many wives did my 4th-great-grandfather Hugh Winters have? Did his sons have any wives that I do not know about? What were the maiden names of these women? I am still trying to identify some Winters women, most or all of whom married into the family.

Hugh Winters married my 4th-great-grandmother Mary Bennet on 24 January 1831 at St. Mary's Church in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1849, Hugh and his most of his family sailed from Glasgow to New York City on the Pursuit; they arrived on 12 June 1849, and settled in Brooklyn. His wife Mary and daughter Margaret did not go with them. They apparently traveled separately, since they were enumerated with the family in the 1850 U.S. Census. Hugh and Mary's last child, Elizabeth, was born on 12 January 1851 and baptized at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn on 18 January 1851.

Ancestry.com. Brooklyn, New York, St. Paul's Catholic Church Baptism Records, 1837-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2008. Original data: James R Reilly, comp. St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, Brooklyn, New York, Baptism and Marriage Records, Volumes I-II. Salt Lake City, UT, USA: Redmond Press, 1996.

Two additional Winters children were baptized at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn. Their parents were John Winters and Mary Mitchell. Did my 3rd-great-grandfather John Bennet Winters have a previous wife? He married my 3rd-great-grandmother Anna "Ann" Walker in Tonawanda, Erie County, New York on 10 October 1859. Or is this John Winters the brother of Hugh Winters? His brother John, also known as Owen, married Elizabeth Hamell on 13 October 1835 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He married his second wife, Elizabeth Baillie, on 7 December 1845 in Leith, Midlothian, Scotland. Did he also come to New York? Did he marry a third time?  Or is this John Winters another relative, or someone unrelated?

Hugh's wife Mary probably died between 1851 and 1855. In the 1855 New York State Census, Hugh was enumerated as a boarder in the home of John and Rosey Moran, and none of his children were living with him. His daughter Mary was a servant in the home of John and Mary Blair, and his son Hugh and daughter Margaret were in the nursery in Flatbush, New York.

In 1860, an Irish-born woman named Mary Winters, age 30, lived with Hugh Winters and his son Hugh. Who was she? Hugh's daughter Mary was born in Scotland and was not quite 20 years old. Are her age and birthplace incorrect in this census record? Did Hugh remarry? Is this Mary his wife? Is she a younger sister, niece, or cousin who left Ireland and moved in with the family? Is she Mary (Mitchell) Winters?

1860 United States Census, Brooklyn Ward 6, District 1, Kings County, New York, population schedule, page 649. Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Original data: 1860 U.S. census, population schedule. NARA microfilm publication M653, 1,438 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

The 1865 New York State Census gives relationships. According to the census enumeration for Hugh's family, Hugh was married to Margaret Winters, age 38, born in Scotland.

 1865 New York State Census, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, 6th Ward, page 26. Ancestry.com. New York, State Census, 1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Census of the state of New York, for 1865. Microfilm. New York State Archives, Albany, New York.

The 1870 U.S. Census enumeration for the Winters family shows that Hugh was married to Eliza Winters. She was 40 years old and born in Ireland.

1870 United States Census, Brooklyn Ward 6, Kings County, New York, population schedule, page 183. Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Original data: 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

What happened to Margaret? When did he marry Eliza?

Eliza died in Kings County, New York on 5 April 1874. I have not found evidence of later wives. However, I did run across something interesting in the February 4-5, 1869 issues of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 4 February 1869, page 3

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 5 February 1869, page 3

Hugh Winters lived at 36 State Street in 1869. Although two men by that name were listed in the 1869 Brooklyn city directory, my Hugh Winters was consistently listed as a laborer.

Brooklyn City and Business Directory for the Year Ending May 1st, 1869, Containing Also a Street and Avenue Directory and an Appendix. Compiled by Geo T. Lain. Brooklyn and New York, NY: Lain & Company. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. 

Who was Catherine? She was not Hugh's daughter Catherine, who married Joshua Hunt Thomas on 17 March 1872 and died in Providence, Rhode Island on 14 February 1931. Was she another wife of Hugh's?

Surname Saturday: Winters

The surname Winters has multiple origins. According to the Internet Surname Database, it was originally a nickname for "someone of a frosty or gloomy temperament." Wintr was the word for "winter" in Old English, Middle High German, and Norse. It is also an ornamental surname that was given to Ashkenazi Jews in Germany. It can also be an Irish surname that comes from the Gaelic Mac Giolla Gheimhridh. Gheimhridh means "winter." Irish Ancestors contains information from the surname dictionary Sloinnte na hÉireann, which states that the surname Winters is numerous in Counties Armagh, Down, Monaghan, and Tyrone. In The Surnames of Ireland, 6th ed. (Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1985), Edward MacLysaght states that in County Tyrone, Winters is used as a synonym of MacAlivery (Mac Giolla Gheimhridh).

My known Winters ancestors are:

2nd-great-grandmother: Catherine Elizabeth Winters
born 12 November 1861, Tonawanda, Erie County, New York
married James Graham (my 2nd-great-grandfather)
married James Mapplebeck 20 November 1885, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
died 4 March 1942, St. Louis, Missouri

3rd-great-grandfather: John Bennet Winters
born 19 December 1831, Leith, Midlothian, Scotland
married Anna Walker (my 3rd-great-grandmother) 10 October 1859, Tonawanda, Erie County, New York
married Elizabeth Buise 18 May 1878, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
died 25 December 1879, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

4th-great-grandfather: Hugh Winters
born about 1810, Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, Ireland
married Mary Bennet (my 4th-great-grandmother) 24 January 1831, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
married Eliza
died 7 February 1887, Flatbush, Kings County, New York

Thriller Thursday: Murder Near Tonawanda, New York

Atlas and Argus (Albany, NY), 20 October 1860, page 2

On 17 October 1860, a woman's body was found on the tracks of the Buffalo and Niagara Falls road, about a mile from Tonawanda, Erie County, New York. One person reported that the woman was standing near the track and fell over as a train approached. The train stopped, and it was discovered that the woman was dead. Her throat had been cut. Another person reported that the woman's body was lying on the tracks and was run over by a train. Her body was cut into two, but it was discovered that her throat had previously been cut. Either way, the killer apparently wanted the woman's death to seem to be the result of a railroad accident.

My 3rd-great-grandparents John and Ann (Walker) Winters were living in Tonawanda at the time that the murder took place.They probably heard about it.

Wednesday's Child: Baby Boy Winters

My 3rd-great-grandfather John Bennet Winters died on 25 December 1879 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. At the time of his death, his wife Elizabeth Buise was pregnant. She gave birth to a baby boy on 10 July 1880. Sadly, the child died on 31 July 1880. He was buried in Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal.

I learned about this child when I found the Find A Grave page that had been created for him. When I came across it, I learned that the infant of the late John Winters had died on 31 July 1880 and was buried in Mount Royal Cemetery.

I called Mount Royal Cemetery for more information, and was told that the child was male. No name was recorded, other than the name of his father, John B. Winters. I was told that the child was born on July 10, 1880 and died on 31 July 1880.


This little boy only lived for three weeks. The posthumous child of John Bennet Winters may not even have been given a name. If he had a given name, I have not yet found it. Nevertheless, he will be remembered.

Maritime Monday: The Pursuit, Glasgow to New York, 1849

My 4th-great-grandfather Hugh Winters and most of his children (including his son John, my 3rd-great-grandfather) sailed from Glasgow, Scotland to New York, New York on the Pursuit in 1849. (His wife Mary Bennet and their daughter Margaret apparently traveled separately.)

The manifest, filled out by the ship's master Henry Evans, was dated 12 June 1849.

Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36. National Archives at Washington, D.C. Year: 1849; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 080; List Number: 706. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36. National Archives at Washington, D.C. Year: 1849; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 080; List Number: 706. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36. National Archives at Washington, D.C. Year: 1849; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 080; List Number: 706. Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

The 11 June 1849 issue of the New York Daily Tribune reported that the Pursuit had arrived from Glasgow. 

New York Daily Tribune, 11 June 1849, page 3. Available from Chronicling America. 

Several British newspapers also reported the ship's arrival.

Caledonia Mercury, 28 June 1849, page 4. Available from British Newspaper Archive. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Greenock Advertiser, 29 June 1849, page 3. Available from British Newspaper Archive. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Liverpool Mail, 30 June 1849, page 7. Available from British Newspaper Archive. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Two of the newspapers reported that the Pursuit had sailed from Clyde. They must have been referring to the River Clyde.

Mappy Monday: Route of the Erie & Western Transportation Co. (Anchor Line)

Route of the Erie & Western Transportation Co. (Anchor Line) and connecting railroad and steamer lines, showing summer excursion tours. Traveler's Official Guide of the Railway and Steam Navigation Lines in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. New York: National Railway Publication Co. 32nd year, no. 10. March 1900. Page 462. Available from Google Books.

This map shows the route of the Erie & Western Transportation Co. (Anchor Line), as well as connecting lines (both railroad and steamer). Passengers could travel from Buffalo, New York; Erie, Pennsylvania; Cleveland, Ohio; and Detroit, Michigan to the summer resorts. They could connect at Mackinac Island and then take steamer lines.

I found this map interesting because it gave me an idea of how my ancestors John and Ann (Walker) Winters and their daughter Elizabeth may have traveled from Tonawanda, New York to Chicago, Illinois.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities poster, 2015. Available from http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/idpd_poster_2015.jpg

December 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The day has been observed by the United Nations since 1992. The theme for 2015 is "Inclusion matters."

People with disabilities are part of our family history, and we should be sure to include them. My 2nd-great-grandfather's brother Petter Troedsson (31 January 1855 - 27 October 1908) was listed as idiot krympling in Swedish household examination records. His mother was 38 years old when he was born; he may have had Down syndrome. According to the 1850 and 1860 United States Censuses, my 5th-great-grandmother Obedience (Lucas) Gatlin was blind. She was in her 60s and 70s at the time of the censuses; I am not sure when her blindness began. My 4th-great-grandfather Hugh Winters was listed as blind in the 1880 United States Census and was also enumerated in the Defective, Dependent and Delinquent schedule. William A. Paley, the husband of my maternal grandfather's sister Geraldine Boe, lost the use of his legs as a result of a circulation ailment. The "Flag of the Day" news item in the 30 August 1966 issue of the Chicago Tribune noted that for the last ten years, he had seen that the flag was displayed at his home every morning, and that he worked as an assistant to the music director at Columbia Broadcasting System. He seems to have focused on his abilities, not his disabilities.

References
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
UN Enable - International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 3 December 2015

Travel Tuesday: Elizabeth (Winters) Mapplebeck and Granddaughter Vivian Visit Toledo, Ohio

In 1907, my 2nd-great-grandmother Catherine Elizabeth (Winters) Mapplebeck and her granddaughter Vivian briefly visited Alton, Madison County Illinois. They had moved from Alton to St. Louis, Missouri in 1906. They probably visited Elizabeth's friends. They then went to Toledo, Ohio for a few weeks.

Alton Evening Telegraph, 3 June 1907, page 5

Elizabeth's son Garfield Graham was living in Toledo, Ohio in 1907. They must have been going to visit him.

Polk's Toledo Directory for the Year Commencing July 1907, page 646. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Those Places Thursday: Conley's Patch

Catherine O'Leary's cottage on DeKoven Street in Chicago, 1871. By A.H. Abbott, Photographer (Stereoptican card) [Public domain]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.
 
Conley's Patch was a poor shantytown in Chicago, Illinois that was built by Irish immigrants in the 1850s. Monroe and Wells Streets were at the center of the neighborhood. The Encyclopedia of Chicago calls Conley's Patch the most notorious of the communities of boardinghouses and saloons. The community was known for its high crime rate as well as its poverty. The majority of the saloons, houses of prostitution, and gambling dens were located in Conley's Patch. Macaulay (2007) reported that only four percent of Conley's Patch residents were homeowners.

From 1858 to 1868, Roger Plant ran brothels on the northeast corner of Monroe and Wells Streets. The area was called "Under the Willow" because of the willow tree on the corner. It was also known as "Roger's Barracks." It was considered to be the center of corruption in the city.

Patrick and Catherine O'Leary's residence on 137 DeKoven Street, at the corner of Jefferson Street, was in the vicinity as well. 144 years ago today, on 8 October 1871, a fire started in the O'Learys' barn. It spread rapidly, resulting in the Great Chicago Fire.

My 3rd-great-grandparents John Bennet Winters and Anna "Ann" (Walker) Winters and their daughter, my 2nd-great-grandmother Catherine Elizabeth Winters, moved to Chicago in the mid-1860s. They lived at 247 S. Jefferson, where John ran a grocery store. His business failed in 1871, and he applied for a free peddler's license. His petition was granted in June 1871. They lived at the edge of the district that was burned by the Great Chicago Fire, and probably had to move as a result. They were not listed in the city directory that was published after the fire.

According to Gangland Chicago: Criminality and Lawlessness in the Windy City, 1837-1990, Catherine O'Leary was "the milk woman of Conley's Patch" and sold milk to the neighbors who lived on Jefferson Street. Perhaps the Winters family knew her.

References
The Chicago Crime Scenes Project: Monroe Street 
The Chicago Crime Scenes Project: Under the Willow 
Lindberg, Richard. Gangland Chicago: Criminality and Lawlessness in the Windy City, 1837-1990. Lanham, MD: Rownan & Littlefield, 2016.
Macaulay, Dendy. The Importance of Neighborhood Ties: Relocation Decisions After the Chicago Fire of 1871. Diss. University of Chicago, 2007.
Mack, Edwin F.  Old Monroe Street: Notes on the Monroe Street of Early Chicago Days. Chicago: Central Trust Company of Illinois, 1914. Available from Internet Archive.
"Multicentered Chicago." Encyclopedia of Chicago. Ed. James R. Grossman, Ann Durkin Keating, and Janice L. Reiff. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004. 548-553.
Sawislak, Karen. Smoldering City: Chicagoans and the Great Fire, 1871-1874. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995.

52 Ancestors: Week 33 "Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent": Hugh Winters

My 4th-great-grandfather Hugh Winters was enumerated (as "Winter, Huge") on the list of blind inhabitants in the 1880 United States Census Defective, Dependent and Delinquent schedule.

1880 United States Census, Brooklyn,  Kings County, New York, Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes schedule, Blind Inhabitants, page 586. Ancestry.com. U.S. Federal Census - 1880 Schedules of Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. 
 
Although many additional questions are asked on this schedule, the only ones that were answered were the number and line taken from the population schedule, name, and residence. Based on what I know about Hugh Winters, I will consider what the answers may have been to the unanswered questions.

Is he (or she) self-supporting or partly so?

In the 1880 United States Census, Hugh Winters was enumerated in the household of James and Mary Feenan (son and mother). His occupation was "Laboring." He appears to have been at least partly self-supporting.

1880 United States Census, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, population schedule, enumeration district 4, page 61C. Ancestry.com. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.

Age at which blindness occurred

In 1866, Hugh stated that he drove a coal wagon for the Scranton Coal Co. His blindness must have occurred after he made this statement, since no one would hire a blind person to drive a coal wagon.

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 23 November 1866

Form of blindness
Supposed cause of blindness

There are many reasons that Hugh could have been blind. Some possible explanations are:

Accident - Perhaps Hugh lost his sight in an accident.

Cataracts - According to "Leading Causes of Blindness" (NIH MedlinePlus, Summer 2008) and "Causes of Blindness and Visual Impairment" (World Health Organization), cataracts are the leading cause of visual impairment in the world. Hugh was born about 1810, so he would have been about 70 years old in 1880. At his age, he may have had cataracts.

Diabetic retinopathy - According to "Facts About Diabetic Eye Disease" (National Eye Institute), diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in adults, and is the most common diabetic eye disease. "Leading Causes of Blindness" states that it is the most common cause of blindness in adults in the United States. Perhaps Hugh was diabetic and the blood vessels in his retina were damaged.

Glaucoma - According to "Glaucoma Facts and Stats" (Glaucoma Research Foundation), older people have a higher risk of glaucoma, and glaucoma can also cause blindness.

Macular degeneration - According to the American Optometric Association, age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in adults over 50 years of age. Hugh may have experienced macular degeneration. If he did, he may not have been able to see objects clearly, and may have experienced partial blindness,

Trachoma - Hugh may have contracted trachoma, a bacterial infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. Trachoma is more likely to spread in areas with poor sanitation ("Hygiene-Related Diseases: Trachoma," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) "The Condition of Brooklyn's Streets and Houses" (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 9 May 1885) reports on the poor sanitary conditions in Brooklyn in the 1880s.

Without more information, it is unclear which of these, if any, was the cause of Hugh's blindness.

Is the person totally blind?
Is the person semi-blind?

On 25 December 1881, Hugh was admitted to the Kings County Alms House. His admission record indicated that he could read, but not could write. His 1880 U.S. census enumeration had indicated that he could not read or write. No mention of blindness was made on the admission record; his cause of admission was a sore leg. He seems to have been able to work in 1880 in spite of being blind. Perhaps he was semi-blind and could read a little. However, if he could see enough to read, he was not supposed to have been listed on the Defective, Dependent and Delinquent schedule. Perhaps he had been able to read before going blind, so he said he could read. Or perhaps his blindness had been temporary, not permanent.

Admission record, Hugh Winters, Kings County Alms House, 25 December 1881. New York State Archives, Albany, New York. New York State Archives; Albany, New York; Census of Inmates in Almshouses and Poorhouses, 1875-1921; Series: A1978; Reel: A1978:46; Record Number: 5828. Available from Ancestry.com. New York, Census of Inmates in Almshouses and Poorhouses, 1830-1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Has this person ever been an inmate of an institution for the blind? If yes, give name of such institution.

On the above admission record, when asked if he had been an inmate of any other charitable institution, Hugh stated that he had been in the Kings County Hospital for two months. He did not mention any institutions for the blind, so the answer to this question appears to have been "No."

Date of his or her discharge

Not applicable.

Is this person also insane?
Is he (or she) also idiotic?
Is he (or she) also a deaf-mute?

Hugh did not appear on the list of Deaf-Mutes, Insane, or Idiots, so the answer to these questions appears to have been "No."

52 Ancestors: Week 30 "Challenging": Elizabeth Buise

I do not know much about Elizabeth Buise, the last (second as far as I know) wife of my 3rd-great-grandfather John Bennet Winters. John and Elizabeth were married by Robert Campbell on 18 May 1878 at Presbyterian Saint Gabriel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The church record stated that Elizabeth's parents were George Buise of Montreal and his wife Margaret White, and that they were deceased.

Marriage of John Bennett Winters and Elizabeth Buise, 18 May 1878. Presbyterian Saint Gabriel, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Ancestry.com. Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin. 

John died on 25 December 1879. Apparently he and Elizabeth had a child, because "Infant of the late John Winters" is listed on Find A Grave as being buried in Mount Royal Cemetery (the same cemetery as John). The date of death (or burial) was 31 July 1880. I have not yet found any more information about this infant.

I have never found Elizabeth Buise in census records, and I do not know what happened to her. I do not know when she was born, but she must have been of childbearing age when she married John Bennett Winters.

Elizabeth was probably related to Charles Buise (son of Margaret McGillivray, the "mystery woman" in the Winters family Bible) and his father, Charles Buise/Bews. Jane Buise, who was a witness at the wedding of John Bennet Winters and Elizabeth Buise, was probably also a relative. She may be the Jane Buise who was enumerated as a servant in the household of  Wales and Minnie Lee in Montreal in the 1881 Census of Canada, and who married William Edgar Jesse Smith on 23 August 1881. (Charles Buise was a witness at the wedding.) Charles Buise (son of Margaret) married Virginie Chebout on 23 February 1874 in Montreal; in the 1881 Census of Canada, she was also enumerated as Jane Buise.

The only George Buise or Bews that I have found is the George Bews who was enumerated in the 1825 Census of Lower Canada in Cap Sante, Hampshire. If he was Elizabeth's father, Margaret White may have been a second wife.

George Bews, Cap Sante, Hampshire, Quebec, Canada. Canada, recensement du Bas-Canada, 1825, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHJD-6M4), citing p. 1685 1686, volume 3, MG 31 C1; Library and Archives Canada microfilm number C-718, Public Archives, Ottawa, Ontario; FHL microfilm 2,443,958.

On TheShipsList, I found a transcribed passenger list from a ship that sailed from Quebec City at 8:00 PM on 30 May 1834 and arrived in Montreal at 4:00 PM on 31 May 1834. Passengers 371 and 372 were named Buise and White. Perhaps they were Elizabeth's parents George Buise and Margaret White. Since they were not listed on the same line, perhaps they had not yet  married; maybe they left for Montreal together and married there.

Screen shot, 1834 Arrivals: Canada - 8th trip up, Quebec to Montreal, May 30th 1834, left at 8 PM and arrived at 4 PM, May 31st. TheShipsList.  http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/passengerlists/1834/cmay30.shtml

I would like to learn more about Elizabeth Buise for two reasons. One reason is that she was married to my 3rd-great-grandfather. The other reason is that I would like to figure out the connection between her and Charles Buise, son of Margaret McGillivray. Because Margaret's death notice was transcribed in the Winters family Bible, I think that she may be a relative, and perhaps that connection is what brought John Bennet Winters, his daughter Catherine Elizabeth Winters, and his son-in-law James Graham to Montreal. I do not know much about the family of Anna "Ann" Walker, my 3rd-great-grandmother and the previous wife of John Bennet Winters, and I know even less about my 2nd-great-grandfather James Graham. James Graham is my biggest brick wall, and would also  have been an appropriate choice for this week's 52 Ancestors theme, but I have already written about him and have not learned anything more about him since I wrote that post. Margaret McGillivray may have been related to Ann Walker or James Graham.

Those Places Thursday: 519 E. 9th St., Alton, Illinois

My great-great-grandmother Catherine Elizabeth (Winters) Mapplebeck lived at 519 E. 9th St., Alton, Madison County, Illinois from 1902-1905. She moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1906. Her two children, Kathleen (my great-grandmother) and Garfield Graham (also known as Kathleen and Garfield Mapplebeck) also lived at 519 E. 9th St. when the family first moved from their previous residence at 637 E. 3rd St., Alton. Garfield moved to Peoria, Illinois in 1904. Kathleen had moved to St. Louis by 1904.

W. H. McCoy's Alton City Directory, Including the Towns of Upper Alton, North Alton, and East Alton. 1902-1903. Keokuk, Iowa: W. H. McCoy. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

W. H. McCoy's Alton City Directory, Including the Towns of Upper Alton, North Alton, and East Alton. 1905-1906. Keokuk, Iowa: W. H. McCoy. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

European Maritime Day

May 20 is European Maritime Day. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the importance of the oceans and the role that they play in the lives of Europeans.

On 20 May 2008, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission signed a Joint Tripartite Declaration Establishing a "European Maritime Day".  This was done as part of the Integrated Maritime Policy, which was proposed by the European Commission in October 2007 and endorsed at the European Council on 14 December 2007.

Each year, a European Maritime Conference is held. This year's conference is in Piraeus, Greece.

The sea has played a role in the lives of Europeans in my family. My great-great-grandfather's brother Ola Peter Troedson was a sjöman (seaman) in Grevie, Skåne, Sweden. My great-great-grandmother's brother Andreas Eriksen was a skipperborger (skipper/ship master, social layer above the working class) in Haugesund, Rogaland, Norway. My 4th-great-grandfather Hugh Winters lived in the port city of Leith, Scotland and worked as a fireman, probably on ships. James Mapplebeck's father's family was from Rawcliffe, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, which is about 3 miles from the port city of Goole. His father's brother Robert Mapplebeck was a mate of a home trade passenger ship, and his father's brother William Mapplebeck was a captain who drowned when his ship was lost at sea.

References
European Commission: European Maritime Day
European Commission - PRESS RELEASES - Press release - 20 May: European Maritime Day set up by European institutions
European Maritime Day

NGS 2015: Day 2

Day 2 of NGS 2015 didn't get off to a good start when I got up later than I had planned, but I made it to the St. Charles Convention Center in time for the second lecture period, and heard Baerbel K. Johnson speak about German marriage records, laws, and customs. I learned so much from this session! Next, I heard Teresa Steinkamp McMillin speak about German farm names. I have not yet come across any German ancestors who used farm names, but it is possible that someday I will. At the Palatines to America luncheon, Warren Bittner spoke about the Palatines, German history, and German territorial pride. After lunch, I attended Patti Hobbs' lecture "Opening the Ozarks: The Legacy of Marsha Hoffman Rising." Marsha Hoffman Rising's book The Family Tree Problem Solver taught me so much about genealogical research; I began to consider things that I might not have thought about otherwise. Marsha helped to make me the researcher that I am today, so I wanted to hear more about her work. I then heard Sean Visintainer talk about steamboats in the nineteenth century. My 3rd-great-grandfather John Bennet Winters was a fireman on boats, and was also a watchman (probably on boats as well). This session gave me so much insight into his experiences. Finally, I heard Bryan McGraw talk about the military and civilian personnel records at the National Archives at St. Louis. It turned out to be a fabulous day!

Workday Wednesday: Scranton Coal

In 1866, my 4th-great-grandfather Hugh Winters was a cartman. He drove a coal wagon for the Scranton Coal Co., located at Furman St., near State St., Brooklyn, New York.

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 23 November 1866

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 30 April 1866

The coal was delivered from northeastern Pennsylvania to New York by way of the Delaware & Hudson Canal and the Gravity Railroad.

Coal had many uses. It was a source of fuel for steamships and railroads, and it was also used in stoves. There was a monthly public coal sale in Brooklyn, New York.

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 23 March 1866

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 21 December 1866

Available from  Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, BEDT, East River Terminal Railroad & Palmers Dock

Coal wagon. One of a series of designs for various types of horse-drawn transport by J & C Cooper, 1904.  Coachbuilders and Wheelwrights' Art Journal. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

Portion of map of Brooklyn and vicinity, from Rand McNally's Atlas of the World, 1897. Scanned by David Rumsey Collection. Available from Wikimedia Commons. This is the area where Hugh Winters lived and worked in 1866.

Those Places Thursday: St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, Brooklyn, New York

St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, Brooklyn, New York. By Jim.henderson (Own work) [CC0]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church is located between Congress and Court Streets in Brooklyn, New York. It was designed and built by Gamaliel King. Cornelius Heeney, an Irish Catholic merchant and philanthropist, donated the land for the church in 1836. The dedication of the completed church building took place on 21 January 1838.

During the period of the Great Famine and the early years after the founding of the Diocese of Brooklyn (formed in 1853), many Irish immigrants attended St. Paul's Church. Elizabeth Winters, the daughter of my 4th-great-grandparents Hugh Winters and Mary Bennet, was baptized at St. Paul's on 18 January 1851, when she was six days old.

References
St. Paul and St. Agnes, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens
St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church: The Irish Parish