Stories from the Past: July 2016

During a recent trip to England and Scotland, my daughters and I kept running across things named for a St. Margaret. Chapels, streets, universities--Margarets were everywhere. We noticed because my oldest daughter is Margaret, named for my mother. There are several Margarets in our family tree, so inadvertently we have continued that family name.

We have some names that have been passed down, like Oscar, Llewellyn, Jean, and Richard. But when we first started getting interested in our genealogy, a cousin sent us a family tree that included some other cool names: Dency, Avery, Caleb, Mercy. Unfortunately for my sister Betsy, Mom and Dad didn't know there was a Betsy Ann that she could have been named for, before she got saddled with the middle name Lou.

My grandfather Oscar used to call all his granddaughters "Bridget" even though none of us were named that. There are Bridgets in my mom's line, but we have to go back really far in Dad's to find a Bridget. I don't know why Grandpa picked that name, but it makes me smile every time I think of it.

As I dig into our ancestry, more cool names pop up, most of them for females. Some of them make me wonder what was going on that a particular name is popular. "Freelove" and "Azubah" are tops on that list. We have a bunch of Freeloves in our tree, curiously. There's also Dimmis, Olney, Waity, Robe, Elnathan, Tryntje, Emmetje, Celitje, Gryet, Femmetje, Aeltje, Honour, Patience, Thankful, Damaris, Mehitable, Lavina, Obedience, Isabel, and Mena. We have our fair share of Susannahs, Hannahs, Elizabeths, Sarahs, and Marys. Lots of men named John, William, Thomas, Amos, Benjamin, James.

One of these days I'll do a first name study on our tree to see how fashions change with first names, and how typical naming patterns (like naming the first son for the grandfather, second son for the father, and so on) do or don't appear in our family. Interesting stuff. I still want to know where Freelove came from!

My 3rd great grandmother Polly Bailey Franklin was the daughter of a prominent Clarks Summit citizen, George Anson Bailey, and his wife Elizabeth Barnes. She married Esek Franklin sometime around 1820; their son Edwin Argyle was born in September of that year. A second son, Oscar Anthony, arrived in 1833. The couple had two other sons, but all four pre-deceased their mother.

The family had more than its share of heartache. Oscar Anthony and his wife Mary Doak lost two young sons, William and Edwin Benjamin, within days of each other in February 1859. Mary died in 1871, and Oscar followed in 1874, orphaning their three remaining sons Delvin, Charles, and Llewellyn. Esek's and Polly's son Benjamin died in 1875, Father Esek passed away in 1878, and Edwin Argyle, his last surviving son, died in 1885.

By the time Edwin Argyle died, his mother Polly had given up her old home and moved in with Edwin and his wife Harriet. Bereft of her home and family, she was lonely and heartbroken. In the few entries I have from her diary, her pain--and her longing to go home to heaven to be with her family--is palpable. She died on January 14, 1892, shortly after the last entry.

Here is Polly, in her own words:

Polly Franklin’s diary (as written, with spelling errors and lack of punctuation)

1885

I have lived to see 78 years and I thank the Lord that my life has been spared so long and I bless God for health and strength that I can go about and do for myself and others while I live I want to do something to help somebody but my grief has allmost overcome me at parting with my last and only son Argyle Franklin[1] I am living with his family and have been most three years but I go to my old home on the hill where I have lived about 40 years raised a family of three sons and four sons lie in the graveyard with their father and soon I expect to lie there with them and if I am only prepared to meet them in heaven to praise God to all eternity o what a happy time it will be when I my friends in glory see Delvin[2] Charles[3] and Welly[4] with their families I want to meet you all there and and Harriet[5] with all her family we want to be children of the heavenly king as we journey sweetly sing praises to our God and king forevermore

Polly Franklin

February 25 1886

I am now in my eightyeth year and I thank the Lord for the health and strength that I have and for the great friends and neighbors that I have as it has been my painful duty to part with my last and only son the last of my family he died on the twelfth of March 1885 I left my old home on the hill in 1882 and came here to live with him and his family where I now am waiting and wanting to be ready when God shall see fit to call me to join with those that have gone before me and with all the blood washed throng to sing praises to God and the lamb forever my Christian friends pray for me that this may be my happy lot and what a happy theme it will be when I my friends in glory see through tribulations deep the way to glory is

Polly Franklin

Abington March the 12, 1888

I rented my house to Joseph Miller one year in 1883 for thirty six dollars that Argyle had I did not receive anything for it, also he had the use of five acres of land ten years that belonged to me that I have not received , also the use of a cow nearly five years, and the use of nine hens five years and the use of a cow my lifetime that the mill calls for also one house and a lumber wagon and a market wagon mowing machine wheel rake iron bars and farming tools to numerous to mention, one two horse slay one large trunk and one overcoat that belongs to me and my dower that belongs to me in 1883 I cut and soed carpet rags and wove about seventy yards of carpet for Harriet Franklin worth fifteen cents yard

Polly Franklin

1892

Polly Franklin was born in the town of Putnam near the Susquehanna River her parents George and Elizabeth Bailey moved to Abington now Dalton in 18--[6] when she was too years old they lived on the farm where Doctor Miles now lives when it was a wilderness Elder S---yer[7] came there from Rhode Island when she was about twelve years old he preached in log cabins and small dwellings and often at my fathers house I saw that I was a sinner and needed a saviour and gave my heart to Jesus and was baptized when about thirteen years old I have been trying to serve ever since I am now 83 years old my family are all dead and I am waiting to join the bloodwashed throng in heaven to praise God and the lamb forever.

[1] Edwin Argyle Franklin, 22 Sep 1827- 12 Mar 1885

[2] Delvin Doak Franklin, 16 Nov 1858 – 2 Apr 1892

[3] Charles Esek Franklin, 7 Apr 1860 – 25 Mar 1891

[4] Llewellyn Frederick Franklin, 11 Jan 1870 – 1 Oct 1953

[5] Harriet Phillips Franklin, wife of Argyle, 15 Feb 1829 – 24 Apr 1900

[6] Last two digits illegible. Polly was born in 1807, so the likely year is 1809.

[7] Illegible. Could be Stovyer, Stevyer, Hevyer…

Franklin family cemetery