52 Ancestors # 17: Carl Gustaf (Carlsson) Knock, From Sweden to Iowa

     When I started to research Dennis' family in 1978 or so, his mother, Eloise Margaret Knock Negley, told me that Knock was not the family name in Sweden.  She said that when her grandfather, Carl Gustaf, and his brother, Johan August, came to America their last name was Carlsson, as their father's name was Carl.  On the ship they met a man named Knock and they liked the name so they decided to adopt it. However, Johan seems to have spelled it Knocke and Carl spelled it Knock. I've been very glad she told me this as I've never seen it anywhere else and I would've had a hard time trying to find them as Knock in Swedish records!

     Carl Gustaf was born 29 May 1846 in Varnum (now part of Kristinehamm), Varmlands, Sweden. His parents were Karl (Carl) Johan Jonson and Johanna Olsdotter. His brother, Johan August, was born 11 Mar 1849,and a sister, Johanna Maria born 24 January 1852. Unfortunately, Johanna Maria died in September 1853, followed by their mother a month later in October 1853. Carl would've been 7 1/2 when his mother died.

His father remarried, Maria Johanna Andersdotter, and they had two children, Anton Frederick born in 1855 who lived for one day and Regina Matilda, born 1 Sep 1856. I think that Carl had a fondness for his little sister, Regina, as he named his youngest daughter for her. She mentions this in the book she wrote and published about the family. Then in February 1858, the father, Carl Johan, died as well. This left the boys orphans with their stepmother. She then married again, Johan Svensson, with whom she had a son, Anders Niklas.

     It was 1860 when Maria married Johan Svensson, Carl was 14. So now we had a situation where we had two teenage boys living in a family where neither parent was related to them! The only one in the family related to them was their little sister, Regina. I think this must have been very uncomfortable for everyone. So we find Carl and Johan living outside the family as "drang"s ( farm laborers) by 1863 or so. It is no surprise that they came to America in April 1869. I haven't actually found them in the passenger lists yet but found them in the parish "utflyttning" (those leaving the parish)record in April 1869 and in the Swedish emigration records from Goteborg. I'm sure they felt they had no reason to stay in Sweden and every reason to find their fortune in America.

     The Webster and Hamilton Counties, Iowa Biographical Record, published in 1888, has a short biography of Carl on page 456. He is called "Charles G. Knock". According to them he landed at New York City with his brother and went to Kansas.  He didn't like it there, although Johan August stayed in Kansas.  Carl went to Evanston, Ill and then to Lake County, working as a carpenter.  On 23 Jan 1875, in Chicago, he married Anna Louisa Ericksdotter Lindquist.  She also had assumed the last name of Lindquist, along with her brother and sister, upon arrival in America. They had eight children.

     The Biographical Record mentioned above tells us that Carl settled on his farm in section 32 in 1876. It was a "tract of wild prairie" but he improved it to the point, "he ow has one best farms in the township". It contained 120 acres. He also served "in the principle positions of the township" (Clay township) and was the clerk in 1888 when the book was written. The biography also tells he was a Republican and a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

     Following in the footsteps of his mother and father, Carl did not live to an old age, dying on 21 Jun 1893 on his farm in Clay. He was 47 years old. His wife proceeded to raise the children. She never remarried and died in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1925. Several of his children became ministers, professors and educated men. His story is one that shows that no matter what your early circumstances you can still make your own life and become successful.

52 Ancestors #16: Sarah Lane Buck Kay

     Sarah Lane was born to William Lane and Hannah Caldwell on 25 Aug 1820 in Manchester. Lancashire, England.  She was baptized at St. James Cathedral on 24 Sep 1820. Her father was an iron monger and she was raised in a relatively well to do middle class household. On 31 Dec 1839 she was married to John Buck at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Liverpool, England. They had three children, Edward born 31 Aug 1841, Hannah Elizabeth born 10 May 1844 and John born 14 April 1846. In the 1841 Census of England she is living with her husband in her father's house in Manchester. Her husband, John Buck, died  16 Dec 1846 and her son, John, died soon after.

     In 1849 the entire family, her father and mother, her older brother, William Frederick Lane, his wife, Jane, and their two sons, Samuel and William Frederick, her younger sister, Amelia, plus her two children, Edward and Elizabeth Buck, and herself all moved to America. Her brother, William Frederick, moved first. We have a letter he wrote asking her to join him soon.  He was living in or around Buffalo, New York. According to a descendant, Jim Brown, they brought a great deal of their belongings with them from England.  Most of which are still in the possession of various family members. Her younger sister, Amelia, died soon after the family arrived in America.

     In the 1850 Census the family is to be found in Buffalo, New York. Curiously the Census only lists William, Hannah, William the son and Sarah, not Jane or the four children. I don't know if they just asked William for his children and not his grandchildren as it seems odd.  William is listed as a lockmaker. While living in Buffalo Sarah married Thomas Kay.  The family Bible says they were married June 14, 1851 at "Trinity Church Buffalo U.S. of America." Before coming to America, Thomas Kay and his wife, Sarah, had a son, Robert, born 1 Nov 1846 in Holcombe, Lancashire. Sarah Kay died and was buried on 12 Jan 1850 in Astley-Bridge, Lancashire. This is likely why Thomas decided to immigrate to America. He is listed in the 1850 Census as a laborer. I don't know how they met but Thomas and Sarah must've felt a kinship at both having come from Lancashire and both having lost a spouse at a young age. Their daughter Sarah Buck Kay was born 5 Oct 1852 followed by Mary in 1854 and Anne in 1856.

     Sometime after Anne's birth the whole family decided to move once again and they re-located to Vienna in Elgin County, Ontario, Canada. Here William F. or Willie, was born in August 1859. In Vienna Sarah had a Milliner's shop and was also a seamstress. Her daughter, Elizabeth Buck, is also listed as a seamstress in the 1861 Census.  Thomas is listed as a Teamster. In approximately 1870 they moved back to the U.S., living in Saginaw, Michigan.  They seemed to miss the 1870 Census in the U.S. and the 1871 Census in Canada. In the 1880 Census, Thomas Kay is listed as a laborer and only his son,William, is still at home, all of his daughters having been married by then. Thomas died  on 6 Jul 1895 and Sarah followed him on 13 Nov 1896, both in Saginaw.

     One fact about Thomas Kay is noted enough to be quite evident,that is that he had quite a drinking problem. It is mentioned in letters from Sarah's father and brother and the Saginaw Evening News of 10 Mar 1890 reports his conviction of "being a common drunkard" but he gets off with a promise of good behavior. This must have been a trial for Sarah.

     Sarah was evidently the center of her family.  We have many letters that were sent to her from her brother, William Frederick, her son, Edward and her father. Unfortunately we don't have her replies! But it is clear that she is a key member of the family and frequently consulted by others. In the one picture we have of her she is old but she is very self-possessed.  To me she exudes stability and determination. She's not mean but I wouldn't want to cross her!

53 Ancestors # 15: John Buck, Sailor from Liverpool

     John Buck was my father's great great grandfather. He was born on 23 Nov 1810 in Manchester, England and baptized on 27 Mar 1811 in Manchester Cathedral. His father was William Buck, a fustian manufacturer, and Ann Hulme was his mother. What is a fustian manufacturer, you ask? Fustian is a type of cloth made of cotton and linen.  It was a heavy cloth, similar to denim. This was a major industry in Manc- hester in the late 1700's and 1800's. It was a cottage industry but by 1810 the Industrial was underway and it was being produced in factories. William and Ann had 7 children, John was number six.

     William died in 1815 leaving Ann with seven children from the age of 2 to the age of 14. How she coped we don't know but she did and the next thing we know is that in 1830 she apprenticed John to Thomas Elliot, a ship owner.  Here he began his career as a sailor. I have the original apprenticeship paper hanging on my wall. It was given to my father by his Aunt Mabel.  It states it is between "John Buck of Manchester and the consent of Robert Earlcott on behalf of his mother" and  "Thomas Elliot, Ship Owner" for a term of five years.

     The next we hear of John is a letter he wrote on Jan.12, 1839. This is addressed to William Lane of Manchester and the greeting is "Dear Uncle". I haven't yet found any family connection between them which would correspond to Uncle-nephew. But we know that he married William Lane's daughter, Sarah, in December 1939. So I suspect the term Uncle is used as one of respect and implying a family relationship to the father of one's bride-to-be. It's a great letter! Again I suspect he is really writing to Sarah or at least for her benefit but for the sake of propriety addressed it to her father. Here is some of the letter:
                                                                                               " Lisbon Jan ? 12th 1839
"Dear Uncle,

You will be surprised to hear from me from this part of the globe but the reason we are hear (sic) is on account of our great distress from the heavy gales we had.  We saild(sic) from Liverpool the 13th Dec and was (sic) tow'd as far as holyhead the wind being foul we had tolerable weather till we came too(sic) the mouth of the channel it then came on to blow heavy gales from SW to WSW and continued till we got well in the bay of Biscay when the wind haul'd round to the N/W and blew a complete hurricane nothing could withstand the gale  particular the Saturday night and Sunday before Christmas day. for that was worse than all, it happen'd to be my 8 hours on deck that night that his (sic) I had the first and last watch and of course had from 12 to 4 o'clock to sleep but I could not sleep for the heavy rolling of the ship for she labour'd very heavy and indeed I never saw a ship make worse weather than she did for both me and the Capt. are much deceived in the vessell(sic), she is the worst sea boat I ever was in. but I must make some allowance for the cargo that is in her that will make her worse for our cargo is partly iron which is but a bad cargo. at 2 AM all hands where(sic) calld (sic) on deck -the main topsail and mast being carried away the sea was then beginning to run swift(?) and to blow harder so we furl'd the fore topsail and foresail. then sent the watch below, it being my watch on deck at daybreak the sea was indeed awful never did I see such  a high sea before. I thought I had seen has(sic) heavy a sea off the Cape of Good Hope as could well be but I was mistook for the sea here was high and hollow soon after she ship'd a heavy sea which washed away all our Bulwarks fore and Aft Spars Cookhouse etc. I was on the point of calling the Capt. after we had secured some spars that were adrift but the shock of the sea brought him quickly on deck.  all my watch myself and Capt where (sic) on the quarter deck when another tremendous sea broke over all the decks carrying everything before it.  Dear Uncle it was a most miraculous thing that I was not washed overboard for I d

id not see the sea coming the Capt and the rest of them was (sic) holding on by the rigging when the sea struck her it carried right aft on the lea side of the ship then Capt and Crew saw it but could render me no assistance but thank god I caught hold of something but scarce know what and held onb till the sea left the deck. Dear uncle what strange things comes in a person's head when in danger I thought of the mate of the Royal William that was washed overboard in the same way. I must own that I was alarmed at so sudden a shock but I had little time to reflect when other difficulties call'd my attention the Crew were getting quite exhausted indeed I was myself but it would not do to show it we where (sic) now trying to secure our boats and water casks but was not able for sea was breaking over all the ship rolling and labouring heavy we where (sic) now compelled to lash ourselfs(sic) to the rigging for fear of being washed away and by midnight all our boats water casks and spars where (sic) washed away in short our decks where(sic) clean swept fore and aft...the Ship as(sic) put all hands quite out of conceit with her and I question weather (sic) our Crew will go the voyage or not but for my part I shall go the voyage let the consequences be what it will for it would be a folly for me to leave her Please to give my love to My Aunt and Cousins hoping you are all well Your affec J Buck"

     One can see why that letter has been saved all these years! the original letter was lost in a fire in the 1970's, I have a Xerox copy made for my father.

     John and Sarah were married at Liverpool Cathedral on 31 Dec 1839 (New Year's Eve!). Their son, Edward was born 31 Aug 1841,daughter, Hannah Elizabeth was born 10 May 1844  and lastly John born 14 Apr 1846. All were baptized at the Manchester Cathedral.  In the 1841 Census John Buck is enumerated in the household of William Lane with his wife, Sarah and is listed as an iron monger(William Lane's profession). Perhaps he was trying to stay at home and not go to sea out of concern for his family.
However, I did find evidence of other voyages during this period. So perhaps he could not stay away from the sea for long. He was ticketed as a sailor on 15 Nov 1845 and joined "The Bombay Packet Africa" on 9 Feb 1846. His ticket says he was a Mate, was 5' 1 1/2" tall, had brown hair, brown eyes, a ruddy complexion and a scar on his forehead. He could write. He was 35 years old. When he sailed with the Africa his wife was pregnant with his third child. This was probably his last voyage because the family Bible records his death on "the 16th day of December 1846 at noon aged 36 years." His youngest son, John, died soon after his demise although that death is not recorded in the Bible.

     I have often wondered whether the attempt to be a merchant and not go to sea contributed to his early death. He was well remembered by his daughter to her grandchildren and by them to their children and grandchildren.  His letter shows his courage and matter of fact determination in the face of adversity. Tat is worthy of remembering!

    

52 Ancestors #14: Margaret Hamilton Kells, "Aunt Madge"

     My mother's Aunt Madge was born Margaret Hamilton Kells on 30 Apr 1879 in Melrose, Stearns County, Minnesota. She was the first child of Stephen Avery Kells and Isabella Duncan, although she was his third child. Stephen was a widower with two children when he married Isabella Duncan. But she was their first child and Isabella named her after her own mother, Margaret Hamilton. She was generally known as Madge.  Margaret was soon followed by six brothers and one sister. She would have gone to the local schools and graduated from Sauk Centre High School in 1896. It is likely that she was planning to go on to College as her mother was a strong advocate of education for women as well as men. However, in February 1897 her mother, Isabella Kells, died of cancer and she was soon followed by Stephen who died in December 1898.

     The death of her parents left Madge the oldest of eight children ranging in age from 19 (herself) to 5 (her youngest brother, Robert). Her two older half siblings had already left home.  Henry Avery was living in Wisconsin and Bertha had gotten married in 1895. Three of Stephen Kells' brothers lived in Sauk Centre, Lucas, Lyman, and Robert. These three were always referred to by my mother, who got it from her father, as "the bankers". They owned the bank in Sauk Centre and were much wealthier and more socially prominent than their brother, Stephen. According to the story my mother told me (heard from her father) the bankers decided that the children should be split up and sent to live with different relatives since no one person wanted to take them all. The Kells siblings did not want to be separated and this was a very upsetting idea to them. To solve the problem, Madge married Jacob Key, the handyman on the farm and continued to live on the farm and raise her brothers and sister. My grandfather highly admired and loved her for this.  He felt that she had sacrificed herself for the family. I'm not sure what she sacrificed since she and Jake had a long happy marriage. But I believe he felt that she sacrificed her own College education. And probably that is true, I'm just not sure that a College education was that important to her. My impression is that what was important to her the most was family.  Madge and Jake had eight children of their own, four boys and four girls.

     Madge and Jake and their children lived on the farm and as her brothers and sister left for College and their own lives yet they would all come back to visit her on the farm. Her brother, Lyman, wrote her many letters from his barracks during WW I. They all brought their wives and children again and again to see her. The farm was home and she was home for them.  My grandmother left a shoe box full of photos of gatherings on  the farm from the 20's through the 40's. Madge is always in the center of everything and always seems happy to have her family there. Many of the pictures have the names written on the back by her or some by my grandmother or mother or even by her brother Bob. In later pictures her children and the children of her brothers are there with their children.  I also have pictures of her visiting my grandfather and his family in Seattle so the visits worked both ways. She was the loving heart of her family.

     Jake died in 1954 in Wadena, Minnesota and she died in 1970 in the same place.  They are buried in Sauk Centre. The farm is still owned by her descendants, although it is not a working farm now. My grandfather would be very happy to know it is still in the family.

52 Ancestors #13: Robert Brick Hudson

     Robert Brick Hudson was born on 28 Feb 1785 in Worcester, Worcester, Massachusetts. At least that is what it says in the book, The New Harlem Register.  The data is said to have come from the family. I have not been able to find a record of his birth. It is likely he was born in Northborough, Mass, as this is where the family was living in 1790 and his younger sister, Susannah, is recorded as born there. He was the son of Elisha Hudson and Susannah Brigham. the family moved around quite a bit in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. The proof I found of his parentage was a "removal" notice which listed all the children including Robert Brick. A town would issue a removal when they felt that the family was unable to support itself and might end up being supported by the town. So, they weren't wealthy. Robert got his unusual middle name from his mother's great grandfather, Robert Breck(often spelled Brick) who was a famous minister in the town of Marlborough, Mass.

     Sometime after 1800 the family moved to Newport, Quebec, Canada.  This is south of the St. Lawrence near the town of Eaton. I did find an Elisha Hudson in Saco, York, Maine in the 1810 Census but I don't know if that is his father or not. It's seems more likely they would go to Canada from Vermont as it was just to the west of where they were. Robert lived in Canada until 1865. In about 1808 he married Achsah Cross, the birth of their daughter, Achsah Hudson, is recorded in the records of the Presbyterian Church of Eaton. He is called "Lieutenant Robert Hudson". His wife, Achsah, died around 1815 and he married Anna Mariah Delamater on 4 Feb 1816 in the same Presbyterian Church.

     Around this period of time the War of 1812 took place. Robert fought for Canada, i.e. for Great Britain. I find this amazing as his father, his grandfather, and all of his uncles fought on the American side in the Revolutionary War. But, I understand, he fought for his family and his home. Robert was in the Frontier Light Infantry. This was two companies of the Canadian Voltigeurs, a volunteer unit made up mostly of French speaking Quebecois. The two companies known as the Frontier Light Infantry were run separately and were made up of English speaking men from Eastern Quebec townships like Robert. Robert was an Ensign, although he was called Lieutenant in the birth record of Achsah. One battle they fought in was the Battle of Colle, a Canadian victory.  Part of this was fought at Odeltown where Robert's wife's father and family lived so he must have felt very personally involved. The photo below is of the blockhouse at Colle.

       The story told of him in the family is that he was in command of one small battle over a bridge.  He saw that they couldn't hold the bridge and they were outnumbered. If they tried to hold it they would have a great loss of life so he ordered a retreat. He thought he might be courtmartialed for this but instead he was promoted. This was at the Battle of Plattsburg, N.Y. The following is on Ancestry, "13 April, 1814. In consequence of the representation made to the commander of the Forces of the distinguished conduct of Sergeant Hudson of the Frontier Light Infantry, His Excellency is pleased o appoint Sergeant Hudson to be an Ensign, vice Steele, promoted, the above appointment to take place from 20th March, 1814." This story is told by his nephew, Lorenzo Dow Hudson on the back of a picture of his son, Benjamin Lester Hudson. To me this illustrates how the family stayed in touch as Lorenzo was born in New York and died in Massachusetts. Yet he had the photo and knew the story.

      According to the Canadian Immigrant Records Pt. I at the Canadian National Archives, Robert was one of the militia men of 1812-1815 who applied for and received "the gratuity voted by the Parliament in 1875".  He died in January 1875 so either he applied early in January or one of his sons applied for him. he is the only family member that I have found who fought in the War of 1812, and he fought for the British!

     He married Anna Mariah after the War.  They lived in several towns in Eastern Quebec all close together and near Newport. I have found records of him at Drummondville, Iberville, Hinchinbrooke and Huntingdon. He is in the 1825 Canada Census at "Huntingdon Hinchinbrooke", next door to his brother. Samuel Hudson. His brother, Reuben Hudson, stood in for him as proxy at the baptism of his son, Henry, at Drummondville in 1818. Robert and Anna Mariah had 9 children. Sometime after 1843 they moved to Bristol in Pontiac County. This town is on the Ottawa River north of Ottawa. The 1851 Census of Lower Canada lists him as a farmer and says he is living in a log house. I believe that he was involved in logging as this was a big part of the life of the area, sending the logs down the Ottawa River to market.  In July 1865, his wife, Anna Mariah, died. Not long after this he and most of his children moved to Saginaw, Michigan. At that time Michigan was the up and coming lumbering area so I assume that they moved for that reason.

      His daughter, Achsah, and her husband were already living in Michigan per the 1850 Census. His sons George, Henry and William and his daughter Susannah stayed in Canada but his other children moved to Michigan with him, along with their wives and children. We find them all in the 1870 Census. Robert was 85 by then and he died only 5 years later, on 28 Jan 1875. His death certificate gives his cause of death as "old age". If the birth date I have is correct he was 89 but the death certificate says 92.

     Studying his life, Robert Brick Hudson comes across as an impressive man. His nephew wrote his story on the back of a photo. 6 of his nine children named a son after him and many of their children named sons "Robert Brick ". There is a park in Bristol named Hudson Park, could be for Henry but I suspect it is for him!

52 Ancestors # 12: Catherine Constance Collins

     Catherine Constance Collins was my husband's grandmother, his father's mother. My mother-in-law told me that she was born in "Dublin County Cork" on 8 Nov 1891. When I started to research Dennis' family I started with his Father and the Negley family. There is quite a bit published about them and I was able to find quite a bit. But Catherine was different.

     First of all there was the matter of where she was born. Eloise said "Dublin County Cork" and I realized that the city of Dublin is not in County Cork. But on a detailed map of Ireland I found two places in County Cork called Dublin.  So that was possible. Then, Eloise had James and Catherine's marriage certificate. On that she says she was born in New York, it says "New York City" but the "city" is crossed out.  It says her father, J.C. Collins, was born in Ireland but her mother (no name) was born in New York. The 1920, 1930, and 1940 Censuses all say she was born in New York. So does her death certificate. then I found a biography of her husband in the "Cyclopedia of National Biography" that said her father was Patrick Collins, an insurance broker of New York. So I studied New York Censuses for 1900 and 1910 looking for a J.C. or Patrick Collins with a daughter Catherine of the right age.  With him born in Ireland and his wife  (whose first name I had found out was Mary) born in New York. There are many J or Patrick Collinses born in Ireland with wives named Mary and daughters named Catherine in New York in 1900 and 1910! But none where all the data matched. Then when I got her death certificate IT said that her father's name was Michael, so I re-looked at New York Censuses but still no match. Then I reviewed everything I had on her and found a postcard that Dennis' mother had sent us from Ireland.  She was visiting with her sister-in-law, Barbara, Catherine's daughter. The postcard was from Williamstown, Galway, Ireland and it said "This is where your grandmother was born." So now I had four places where she was born: New York State, New York City, Dublin, County Cork, Ireland or Williamstown, Galway, Ireland.

     This lead me to feel that perhaps Barbara knew the family history and data on her mother's family. I asked her if she'd write me about it but she said that Dennis' sister, Kasey, had it all.  Kasey died and when I went through her photos and family things I found nothing about the Irish family. Meanwhile, Barbara had also died. Her son, Mark, got in touch with Dennis via Facebook. Turned out that he had all the family photos and things from his Mom.  He was puzzled on who some of the people were. So I went to visit him and we spent an afternoon going through all the photos and papers that his Mom had left. We didn't find much about Catherine's family but we did find some photos and an address. This was for "Aunt Mary" Collins. There was a photo of her son, John Collins, so I figured that Mary wasn't Catherine's sister but her sister-in-law. I tried finding an address in Ireland for one of the cousins that was in the photos and writing to them.  But I never heard back.  I put the photos on my tree and left it for a bit.

     One day I decided to try looking for Catherine once again. So I once more read through everything I had on her or related to her. In doing that I noticed that the address for Aunt Mary Collins was "Leatra, Williamstown, Ireland". Where or what was Leatra? I had thought it was a street when I first saw the address but it didn't look like a street. So I did what any 21st Century family detective would do and I googled "Leatra".  There weren't too many hits and these weren't very revealing (most were about a dog shelter) but then I saw "Collins of Leatra". What!?! I clicked on it and it led me to "The Gathering" which was an Irish site.  It seems that Ireland was having a year long event of all sorts of family reunions, village festivals, etc. to gather back in the many who had left Ireland or their descendants.  The Collins family of Leatra was having their own family reunion in April 2013 (I was reading this in January 2013). I couldn't tell if this Collins family was related to Catherine or not. There wasn't any way to contact the man (Ray Collins) putting it on although there was a place for comments.  So I left one asking if they were related.  I didn't hear and was impatient so I went to the Home page of the site and found a person to contact.  I e-mailed him and explained that I was looking for my husband's family and could he put me in touch with Ray Collins. He answered and he got Ray to e-mail me. I explained to him who I was and what I was looking for.  I sent him a picture of Aunt Mary and her son John from Eloise and Barbara's trip.  He e-mailed me back, "Mary is my grandmother and Johnny is my Uncle". I was so excited! He put me in touch with another Cousin in New Jersey, her mother had known Catherine and knew of Dennis' father. But I got a little frustrated trying to get any real genealogical data. So I asked Ray to put me in touch with whoever in the family was interested in the family history.  He put me in touch with another John Collins, his cousin, who had some family data and was interested in knowing more. We have been sharing things ever since.

     So now I knew where she was from. Now I found her in the 1901 Census of Ireland (free online at the Irish National Archives). She is listed as Kate Collins. She and her whole family spoke Irish as well as English, her parents couldn't read or write. I found the family in the 1911 Census but Kate wasn't there. Using the rootsireland site, I found the civil record of her birth, but it was for 1 Nov 1888 (not 8 Nov 1891 which had always been her birth date in any American records). I discovered that the Mormon Family History Library had a microfilm of the parish records for Templetogher Parish, which is the one Leatra is in. In it I found her birth record and that of her brothers and sisters. Here she is recorded as born on 20 October 1888, close to the 1 Nov one but three years and 19 days earlier than the one she went by throughout her adult life. Unfortunately the parish record don't go back very far because of the suppression of the Catholic Church in Ireland by the English. John Collins sent me a history of the Leatra National School where she went to school and of Williamstown and her parish which were very helpful. Now that I had her age right I found her on a Passenger list coming to America.

     Catherine Collins (as her name is in both the parish and civil birth records) was born on 20 Oct 1888 to Michael Collins and Mary Connelly Collins.  She was the sixth child and fourth daughter, four more children, two boys and two girls, followed her. She attended the Leatra National School which opened in 1888 on land which had belonged to her father, so I don't think she had far to go to walk to school.  By the 1901 Census she could read and write and also spoke Irish. The 1940 Census says she finished High School but that seems doubtful, probably 8th Grade.  I believe I found her on the Parisian sailing from Galway and arriving in Boston on 2 Jul 1906. She was almost 18. In the 1910 Census she is a servant living with the Sachi family in Winchester, Middlesex, Massachusetts.

     On 15 September 1914 she married James Casper Negley, M.D. in Los Angeles. Here is where things change. This is the first time the middle name of Constance appears as well as the birthdate of 8 Nov 1891. Neither appear in any record or mention of her before this. She spells her first name with a "K" in this record.  Before this it was always with a "C". She says she was born in New York and that her father is J.C. Collins and that her mother was born in New York. Before this any record shows her as born in Ireland.  She is listed as a Registered Nurse.  Where did she train to be a Registered Nurse while being a servant in Massachusetts? I suppose she had time in 4 years to do so. However, what I think is this:  She came to America to better her lot. Being a housemaid in Massachusetts didn't really do that. She answered an ad for a nurse in California and in the transition from the East Coast to the West Coast she changed her name, her birthplace, her father's name, her life. She reinvented herself. She was beautiful, James married her and then she was automatically naturalized and the little inconsistencies didn't matter. When you see her in photos she was an elegant, dignified woman.  The life of an Irish farmwife with 10 children was not her style, nor an Irish house maid. She knew what she wanted and she did achieve it. That is my take on it. I may be wrong but I must say that I admire her for all this.

     She and James had two children, James Casper Negley, Jr. and Barbara Jean.  They lived in a big house on a large lot in La Crescenta, California. He died in 1951 and she died on 11 April 1959. They are buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California.

52 Ancestors # 11: Benjamin Melvin Hudson, From Lumberjack to Railroad Man

     Benjamin Melvin Hudson was born on 11 Mar 1865 in Bristol, Pontiac County, Quebec, Canada. His father, Benjamin Lester Hudson, was born in Canada while his mother, Mary Yuill, was born in Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland.  The family moved to Saginaw, Michigan in 1868. Ben's father and grandfather were lumbermen and the Saginaw Bay was the new up and coming area for lumber.  So the whole family moved there. Unfortunately, Mary Hudson died in December 1874, leaving 6 young children. His father farmed the children out to family as he could.  His three middle sons he sent to work in a lumber camp. In the 1880 Census we find Alfred, Robert and our Benjamin working in such a camp.  They are listed as "raftsmen". A lumber raftsman is one who takes the cut logs down the river tied together like a big raft. Ben was 15 at this time. As you can imagine this left little time for school-in the 1940 Census under "highest grade completed" Ben said "0". While in Saginaw, Ben met Agnes Cookson, whose father was also a lumberjack. When she moved to Arkansas with her family he followed.  They were married in Fayetteville, Arkansas on 20 October 1888.

     Ben got a job working for the Rock Island Railroad (made famous by the song, "The Rock Island Line").  He started out as a carpenter but soon was promoted to Master Carpenter. In Arkansas they lived in a house built by Agnes' father, right next to his own. Here their first two daughters were born, Edna and Mabel. Then Alma and Elizabeth ("Bessie") were born in Texarkana. They moved to Union, Missouri as Ben became the superintendant of Bridges. However, they lost their house by signing for someone else's  loan that he defaulted. They then moved to Fort Worth, Texas. Ben was appointed Superintendant of Bridges and Construction for the Texas and Brazos area.

     His daughters did well in school with both Edna and Mabel going to College and becoming teachers. Alma attended college and worked for awhile as a Stenographer-Secretary.  Bessie attended College and met her husband there. Ben, along with his family, was active in the Hemphill Presbyterian Church. Edna never married and lived at home, Mabel was on and off at home.  Alma came back home when her husband died at a young age. Bessie and Walter lived nearby early in their marriage and continued to visit often. So Ben had his girls close by through out his life. His wife, Agnes, died 27 Dec 1936 of pernicious anemia. In 1940 Ben and his daughter, Edna, took a trip to the West and visited Bessie and Walter in Seattle and went to Edna's Alma Mater, the University of California Berkeley, for a visit. Edna died 3 Apr 1953 and Ben, himself, died on 16 Apr 1955 at the age of 90.

     I have a letter he wrote my father on Jan 28, 1942. Here is some of it: "Its changed up so much you could hardly understand its all built up to the T&P Ry yards and so many Gov institutions the Bomber plant is not far north of us and the Tarant field where so many are in training and the Hicks field north of Saginaw the planes are going over us all the time night and day most of them are 3 motor bombers...the airplanes make this place noisy too but it will be much better when the war is over...well about the old place I had to reputty all windows and I painted the house to as the paint was all coming of so that with moving and me bussy and none to well either and had to put in a new piece in front porch 8 ft wide and take up the roof in the bathroom and renew the floor  and put new linoleum on the kitchen floor so it cost nearly $100 to do that and my time painting too I had a time with the painting a count of the shurbry and had borrow a ladder and I sliped and slid of the roof and spilled about 3 qts paint I had the ladder siting up to the front so I caught the ladder and saved a bad fall I will be 78 in a month so am getting to feal the age quite a bit...I and Edna were both so pleased to hear of your wedding Your mother wrote us about it and Edna likes your choice very much so am sure you will get along fine...so hope and wish you both the best of luck and hope to hear from you often so with much love and best wishes will say by for now. Grandpa Hudson". And we say good by for now as well!