What happened to Adelaide Johnson Carter?

Adelaide Johnson is my second great-grandmother.  Born in 1850, she was the daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth Fordham Johnson.  The family lived in a small village in Cambridgeshire, UK, where Hugh worked as a shoemaker.

Hugh Johnson was baptized in the Methodist church, so his family were considered to be "non-conformist."  He and Elizabeth married in August of 1830, and according to the 1851 England census, had six children:  Mary, John, William, Edward, Hannah, and Adelaide. Adelaide's twin sister Jane died sometime between 1850 and 1851.

In 1866, Adelaide married James Carter, the son of William Fuller and Mary Ann Carter.

Their son William, my great-grandfather, was born in 1867, followed by Walter (1869) and Joannah (1871).

The last time we see Adelaide is the England census of 1871, living with James, Walter, and Joannah in Qua Fen Common, Soham.  William is living with his grandparents Hugh and Elizabeth, nearby.

In 1881, the census shows that James and his children -- and his new wife, Hannah Mary Helm, who he married in 1875, are living in Yorkshire.  Hannah bears him several more children and emigrates with him to Scranton, PA. So, somewhere between Johanna's birth in 1871 and 1875, Adelaide may have died.  I found a death record for an Adelaide Carter in 1879, but the record was for a governess.  Not my Adelaide.

Adelaide's parents, Hugh and Elizabeth Johnson, are buried in this cemetery in Soham.  There is no tombstone for either of them.  The Johnsons were poor; so poor that the only time they show up in the newspapers of the time was the sad story of Elizabeth's death.  By the time she was in her 80s, dementia had set in.  One day, Hugh was in his workshop and heard a noise.  He went into the house and found Elizabeth in flames.  She had, as was her custom, used her dress to fan the flames in the hearth, and the dress caught fire.  The doctor was called, but from the news story it doesn't look like he actually came to treat her, but only sent instructions for her care.  She died a week after the incident.

Hugh and Elizabeth are buried somewhere in this cemetery field in Soham.

Adelaide enters the historical record two more times.  First, when her oldest son William marries Minnie Hartmann List in 1903, his mother is recorded as "Hatilaide" (a clue about his accent!).  Second, when James Carter dies in 1928, Adelaide's youngest daughter, Johanna, filled out the death certificate.  She lists Adelaide--not Hannah Mary--as his wife.

It's not clear whether Adelaide died in Soham or in Yorkshire, but I hope someday to go there again and see if I can find out.

Here are pictures of Soham, taken in 2015.

Deacon John Phillips, Green Mountain Boy

Since the History Channel is running a show called "Sons of Liberty" this week I thought I'd post about one of my family's Revolutionary War ancestors. We have several ancestors who fought in the War of Independence, and a deep connection with the events in Lexington on April 19, 1775.  

This ancestor, however, left a chronicle of his service in his own words.  John Phillips, the son of Welsh immigrants and a descendent of Mayflower passenger George Soule, joined Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys in January, 1776.  In 1832 he appeared before the Court of Common Pleas in Clarks Summit to request the pension he was entitled to as a soldier in the war.  Here is the record of his service:

Pennsylvania

Luzerne County

On the sixth day of April Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred thirty four personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable David Scott Charles D. Shoemaker and William J. Ross Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County  John Phillips a resident of Abington Township in said county aged eighty two years who being first duly sworn according to law do then his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7^th 1832.

When General Montgomery was killed and the Americans were defeated at Quebec there was an express sent to Lt. Colonel Schuyler.  Came (?) an order of the Northern forces requesting him to send us a reinforcement immediately.  He sent a Commission to Col. Seth Warner of Vermont to raise a regiment for three months and march them to Quebec with all possible speed and the tenth day of January A.D. seventeen hundred and seventy six I enlisted under Capt. Samuel Wright in the regiment raised by Col. Warner and on the fifteenth of the same month started for Quebec and was there until the sixth day of May ensuing when the British came up the river with their Frigates loaded with Troops and we had to make our escape as best we could.

We continued our retreat up the St. Lawrence to Point Shambly from thence to three rivers (Trois- Rivieres) from thence to the Sorell, Shambalee and St. Johns and from thence up Lake Champlain to Ticonderoga and from thence I arrived at home on the twenty seventh day of May having served as a private four months and seventeen days under Capt. Wright in Col. Warner’s regiment.  The next face(?) is November and about the first of the month the British hove in sight of Ticonderoga and the Vermont militia were all called out.  We marched to Mount Independence and were stationed there to keeping watch night and day.  I was there in service as a private twenty seven days under Capt. David Goff in Col. Herick’s regiment and received no pay due.  February 1777 I removed into Pittston on the Susquehanna in the Valley of Wyoming and in the month of June of the same year I spent ten days in building small forts of ? and F? under the direction of Capt. Jeremiah Blanchard for the purpose of protecting the settlement of Wyoming from the Indians and Tories.  Near the middle of December in the year 1777 Col. George Dorrance was ordered with a detachment of militia to go up the river and take a number of Tories.  I was one of the private soldiers under Col. Dorrance in this expedition and we went as far as New Sheshiquin and took and brought down twenty eight of the Tories, some of whom were released and others sent to Litchfield Jail having been engaged in service eight days.

Near the middle of June A.D. 1778 I was engaged with the inhabitants of Wyoming under the command and direction of Capt. Jeremiah Blanchard in making preparations for defense against the Indians whom we expected.  We built a Block House and kept guard night and day until the Indians did arrive and on the third of July the Wyoming Massacre commenced in Abraham’s Plains where they were nearly all cut off.  I remained on duty in the Block House on that day and was not in the battle.  I was engaged in building the Block House and keeping guard twenty days.  Wyoming being thus in the hands of the Indians I removed my family to Dutchess County NY.

Sometime in June 1779 the British appeared to be coming up the North River to West Point and the militia being called out I went with them as a private soldier into the Highlands under the Command of Capt. George Head.  We were gone twelve days.  Again in the last of July or first of August there was another alarm and I went again under the same Capt. down as far as Fishkill and was gone six days.  In the spring of 1779 there was a call for every sixth man of the militia for nine months—we were classed six in a class and had the offer either to draft or hire a man in our place.  My class hired a man who served the time and drew the wages.  This is the whole of my service and makes in time counting one month and a half, the one sixth of the time served by the man hired by my class, eight months and fifteen days that I was engaged in the defense of my Country.

1^st I was born in Beekman Township Dutchess County State of New York on the 24^th of December 1751 Old Style.

2^nd  I have no record of my age save one made by myself in Bible agreeably to the information given me by my father and sister.

3^rd I lived when called into service in Pawnal in the County of Bennington Vermont where I lived until February 1777 when I removed into Pittston Luzerne County Penna from where I removed to Dutchess County where I lived four years before I came back again to Pittston and have resided in Luzerne County ever since and at present in the Township of Abington, except one year which I spent in Dutchess County after the “Peninsula War” in which the Yankees were driven from Wyoming.

4^th I enlisted in the manner and at the times herein before stated.

5th  When I was in Col. Warner’s regiment at Quebec Col Dubois was there with his regiment and retreated with us—Benedict Arnold was at Quebec while I was there and had the Command, Gen. Montgomery having been previously killed.  I do not recollect any other officer or regiment.

6th I never received a written discharge from the service and don’t know of any being given to soidiers in our regiment.

7th I am kinsman to the Rev. John Miller of Abington—have been intimately acquainted with him for more than thirty years.  I am also known to General Stans (?) Esq., Andrew Bedford of Abington Center P.O.(?) Dr. John Wilson P. ch {?} of Factoryville P.O.(?) in same township and to Ezra Hall P.ch of Hallsville P.O. same township.  I am also known to Gen. Wm Ross Post Master of Wilkes Barre, Isaac Bowman, Benjamin Perry, George M. Hollinback, David Scott, and Ziba Bennett Esquire, all of Wilkes Barre.  I was also well acquainted with Abraham Bradley Esq. of Washington City when he resided in Wilkes Barre.

8th  I have no documentary evidence of my service and know of no person whose testimony can prove my service.

I hereby relinquish any claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity except the present and I declare that my name is not on the pension roll of the Agency of any State.

Sworn and subscribed in

Open Court on the day and

year first above written.

                H. Pettibone, Prot.

           For his service, John Phillips received a pension of $23.33 per year.  Known to the community as Deacon John Phillips, he married three times (Mary Chamberlain  in 1771, Lydia Tripp Harding in 1840, and Bathsheba Green in 1843).  He died in 1846 in Abingdon, Pennsylvania and is buried in Hickory Grove Cemetery in Waverly, PA.                                                    

Franz Jakob and Catherina Hartman

I have been working on my great grandmother Minnie's family because I had not been able to get too far past her.  Her death certificate lists her mother as Kate Miller, so I have been searching for a Kate or Katherine Miller Hartmann, married to Frank J Hartmann.  Minnie's family lived in the Petersburg area of Scranton, and her mom is buried in the Petersburg cemetery.

1857-1870

The first reference I can find to the Hartmanns is their son Frederick's baptism record in the Petersburg Presbyterian Church journal, in 1866.  The entry shows that Franz Jakob came from Boerfink in the Kingdom of Prussia, and Catherine (Ternes) Hartmann was from Allenbach, also in Prussia.  What a gold mine of information--not only does it give Catherine's correct maiden name, but it also tells me where both parents emigrated from.

There's also an 1867 Scranton City director entry for F J Hartmann, miner, living in Petersburg.  In the 1870 census the family is living in Scranton's 10th Ward.  Minnie's father is listed as F J Hartmann, 34 years old, a miner born in "Prussia, Germany".  Living with him are

• Wife Catherine, 25 years old, keeping house
• Frederick, 4 years old
• George, 2 years old
• Catherine, 4 months old. 

In November1866 Catherine gave birth to a son, Jacob.  He was baptized July 28, 1867.  His baptismal record in the church journal also includes a somber notation--under his name is a small cross and a date:  3 Feb 1869.  That's the day two-year-old Jacob died.

This record points out the necessity of a broad surname search.  The transcriber wrote "Kartmann" instead of Hartmann; an exact search would not have found this entry.  Likewise, Jacob's burial record is listed under "Jacob Hartmaean."

The burial entry doesn't just record the date of death; it includes the cause as well.  Poor Jacob died of burns (verbrannt means burned in German), and from the other entries on the page, he wasn't the only child to suffer such a gruesome death. What happened? Maybe some newspapers from that time will have more information. 

1870-1880

Son Franz Carl was baptized in March, 1871 according to the church records.  This entry also lists Franz Jakob as originally from Boerfink, and Catherine Ternes Hartmann from Allenbach.

During this decade another son (also named Jacob), Mina, and Louis were born.

1880-1890

The census in 1880 shows the family living at 125 Ash Street in Scranton's 10th Ward:

• Hartmann, Frank; 45 years old, married, a miner, born in Prussia. No entry for his parents' birthplaces
• Kate, 30 years old, keeping house. She and her parents were born in Prussia.
• George, 12 years old, a slate picker.
• Kate, 10 years old
• Frank, 9 years old
• Jacob, 7 years old
• Mina, 4 years old (here is Minnie!)
• Louis, who shares my birthday (December 23) and is 1 year old

There's no 1890 census record because much of that census was destroyed.  But based on baptismal records, 1890 the Hartmann family consisted of

• Franz Jakob, the father
• Catherina, the mother
• Catherina the younger
• Franz Carl
• Jacob
• Mina
• Louis 
• Helene (born in 1880)
• William (born in 1882)
• Charlotte (no record found in the church journal)

1900

In 1900 the family is at 972 Paul Ave., a house they own.  Franz Jakob died in 1896, so it's Kate listed as head of household. In this census the questions included number of children and number of those living.  Kate answered 12 and 8.  She has lost four--Friedrich (died in 1875 at 10 years old),Jacob (died at 2 years old in 1869), and George (died at 13 in 1882) are listed in the church records.  Who is the other one?  Living with her at the Paul Ave house are

• Frank, 29; soldier in the "USA" (probably the Army)
• Jacob, 25; listed as unemployed for 12 months
• Louis, 19; a day laborer
• William, 17; born in June 1882, working as a cigar maker. 
• Charlotte, 11, born in April 1889, going to school. 

Minnie is not living with her mother in 1900.  Her 1903 marriage license application states she was married to a Floyd List who died in 1900, so she was married by the time of the census.  Kate the Younger and Helene are also not at the Paul Ave address.  We only have 11 known children, so there could be another we haven't found yet.    

The 1900 census is the first to ask the emigration year.  Kate says 1857.

1910-1930

In 1910, Kate is still at the Paul Ave house but this time she lists 7 living children and 1860 as the emigration year.  Louis (29) and William (26), both laborers in a shop, are living with her. In 1920, the three still occupy the Paul Ave house; Kate's year of emigration is listed as 1875, she is not naturalized, and the entry says she does not speak English.  Louis and William are employed as laborers in the Erie Railroad shop.  The 1920 census does not ask about the number of living children.

The 1930 census is the last time we see Kate; she is 88 years old, living at Paul Ave with Louis who is now listed as the head of the household.  This census entry reports Kate does speak English, emigrated in 1870, and is not a naturalized citizen.  Louis is a laborer for the railroad.

1931:  The end of Catherina's story

Catherina Ternes Hartmann died February 22, 1931.  She is survived by Franz Carl, Louis, Minnie, Catherine the younger, Helene, and Charlotte.

Summary

So here is what we know now:  Franz Jakob Hartmann, from Boerfink in the Rhine Palatinate, married Catherina Ternes from Allenbach, also in the Rhine Palatinate.  They had several children: George, Franz Carl, Jacob, Friedrich, Catherine, Jacob, William, Louis, Charlotte, Helene, and Mina.  George, the first Jacob, and Friedrich died young.  William died in 1924.  Franz Jakob died in 1896 and Catherine died in 1931.  By the time Franz Jakob died, the family was living at 972 Paul Ave., and that's where Catherine was living when she died in 1931.  The Paul Ave house still stands, but the Ash St. place is a parking lot now.

When did they come to the US?  Their son Friedrich was baptized in the Petersburg Presbyterian Church in 1866; Franz Jakob isn't in the Scranton directory for 1865 but he is there in 1867.  Kate said she emigrated in 1857 in the 1900 census, 1860 in the 1910 census, and 1875 in the 1920 census.  Clearly, 1875 isn't the correct date, but the other two are likely.

Lots of questions, still!  But now we know more about Mom's maternal grandparents, grand-aunts, and grand-uncles.  Now we need to make a trip to Germany!