WILLIAM MATHERS "The Actor and Dancer" #12 52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS

WILLIAM MATHERS  “The Actor and Dancer”  #12  52 ANCESTORS 52 WEEKS

In January 2014, Amy Johnson Crow of the Ancestry blog issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.

The premise: write once a week about a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, a research problem — any that focuses on that one ancestor. The next week, write about a different ancestor. In 52 weeks, you’ll have taken a closer look at 52 people in your family tree… and maybe learned a little bit more about them in the process

WILLIAM MATHERS/MATHEWS/MATTHEWS was born in May of 1890 in New York City.  His parents were James Mathers and Cecelia O’Brien.

This person is a mystery.  I found him in the census from 1890 to 1940.  William was first living with his parents in Manhattan and then after 1910 he lives with his grandmother, until she dies in 1933. He continued to live in the same house in Richmond Hill, Queens, New York in the 1940’s with his Aunt Katie Morris and cousin Bunny Morris.

William’s parents, James and Cecelia, are a mystery also.  I can’t find death records, census records after 1910, directories or cemetery listings for either parent.

William Mathers worked in the theater on Broadway, sometimes as a prop man but most times as an actor as indicated in the census.

My father remembers him practicing tap dancing in his room on a piece of plywood.  

Everyone in the family I have asked would say “Oh yes Willie was an actor” but no one really knew anything about him.  I have checked for death records and cemetery listings and have not found him.  I don't believe he ever married, if he did it would be after 1940.

I looked at some “Variety” magazines for any mention of him in the theater but never found him. 

Hopefully with all my questioning of family members someone will have a memory of him besides he was an “actor and dancer”.  I would like to know what shows he might have been in, what theaters he played in, did he dance or act in the show and see any pictures of him besides the one I have.

BENJAMIN FOSTER REVOLUTIONARY WAR HERO #11 52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS

Benjamin Foster born 1726 in Greenland, New Hampshire was my 5^th great grandfather.  His parents were Benjamin Foster and Wilmot Griffin.  He first married, Abigail Milliken in 1747 and after Abigail died he then married Elizabeth Scott in 1750.  My family line is descended from the Elizabeth Scott marriage.

 

Benjamin Foster was a soldier in the French and Indian wars under General Abercrombie but he was most known for his service in the Revolutionary War.

 

Benjamin Foster lived with his wife Elizabeth and 7 children in Machias, Maine most of his life.

 

The name Machias is believed to derive from a Passamaquoddy word meaning "bad run of water" or "bad little falls", either of which does describe the difficulty of canoeing some of the rapids in the river. The river was used as a seasonal migration route by Indians.   The first European settlement is believed to have been an English trading post in 1633, almost immediately destroyed by the French. The first permanent settlement in the area in 1763 was intended to be a site for the production of lumber, with 1.6 million board feet produced in 1764. The river mouth and offshore waters were the scene of the Battle of Machias — the first naval battle of the American Revolution, occasioned by the British need for lumber for Boston. Lumber remained a main industry along the river, with the river powering the saw mills. Production was as high as 40 million feet in a year, but declined in the late 19th century to between 10 and 20 million feet per year (with a similar amount of lath also produced). The woods cut were originally pine, and later also hemlock and spruce.

 

Benjamin Foster was one of the  leaders in planning and organizing the expedition which captured the British war vessel, the “Margaretta”, at Machias, Maine, June 11, 1775.

 

In June 1775 the “Margaretta” a British armed schooner under the command of Lt. Moor, sailed up the Machias River to the town of Machias, Maine.  Its mission was to obtain lumber for the British barracks in Boston.  The citizens of Machias already aware of the battles of Concord and Lexington, fought earlier that year were very angered by the demand of the British officer.  They gathered by a brook in a meadow outside of town to decide what to do.  After much discussion, one of the leaders of the group, Benjamin Foster, leapt across the brook and called all those who would oppose the British to follow him.  One by one they did, thus committing themselves and their town to the Revolution.  On this spot, known today as Foster’s Rubicon, stands a marker erected by the DAR.

 

The British officer, Lt. Moor, aware of the hostility of the citizens of Machias, hastily sailed the “Margaretta” down the Machias River.  The next morning some of the patriots of the town including Benjamin Foster, followed in a small sloop the “Unity” and captured the British ship.  This was the first naval engagement of the Revolutionary war.

 

Benjamin Foster continued as a leader in his community, becoming a Colonel in 1776.  He was militia commander-in-chief for the Eastern District of Lincoln County during the Revolution.  George Washington presented him with a sword in gratitude for his leadership and courage.

 

 

References

 

Drisko, George Washington (1904). Narrative of the Town of Machias, the Old and the New, the Early and Late. Press of the Republican. OCLC 6479739

 

Leamon, James S (1995). Revolution Downeast: The War for American Independence in Maine. University of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 978-0-87023-959-5.

 

Volo, James M (2008). Blue Water Patriots: The American Revolution Afloat. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7425-6120-5. OCLC 209652239

THOMAS JOSEPH MURPHY #10 52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS

In January 2014, Amy Johnson Crow of the Ancestry blog issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.

 

The premise: write once a week about a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, a research problem — any that focuses on that one ancestor. The next week, write about a different ancestor. In 52 weeks, you’ll have taken a closer look at 52 people in your family tree… and maybe learned a little bit more about them in the process.

 

 

THOMAS JOSEPH MURPHY was my husband’s grandfather. He was born 11 APRIL 1877 to JOHN MURPHY and HONORA QUINLAN.  He was the third child. The others were MARY born in 1873, PATRICK born 1875, MARGARET born 1878 and MICHAEL born1881.

 

THOMAS was born and lived in Brooklyn all his life. I have tracked his residences in the Federal Census’ from 1880 to 1940. I have also acquired his Birth and Marriage records from the City of Brooklyn.  His father, JOHN, died when he was 14 years old.  He then had to go out and work to help support his family.

 

THOMAS was a Die Hard Brooklyn Dodger fan.  He would go to every game he could and met a bunch of his cronies.  They would meet at Ebbetts Field and stand through the whole game. He also was a lover of boxing.  Jack Dempsey was one of his favorite boxers.  He would listen to the fights on the radio and occasionally go in person to watch.

 

He was a truck driver for most of his working years.  It was a hard job because in the 1930’ and 1940’s the trucks had hard tires that had to be repaired many times during a trip.  Many of the roads he travelled on were corduroy roads which were very rough to drive across.

Corduroy roads

An ancient method of creating a hard-surfaced road is to lay logs side by side across a trail. Corduroy roads, created in this way, have been made around the world for centuries (where adequate forests existed). The idea was thousands of years old when it was brought to the American continent.

In America, corduroy roads were built mainly in areas where a dirt road became impassable in wet weather or in swampy areas that would be impossible to cross without a raised road. The logs were laid in place and the gaps between the logs were filled with dirt. If a single layer of logs did not rise above the muck, another layer of logs and dirt was added on top. Sometimes entire logs were used, and sometimes the logs were split in half and laid flat-side-up. Corduroy roads were rough to drive across. Maintenance was needed to keep a corduroy road safe, stable, and usable.

 

 

 

 

 

THOMAS married in 1904 to FLORENCE MC DONALD also of Brooklyn. They had a wonderful family with four children.  JOHN born in 1906, THOMAS (I wrote about him in 52 #6), VIRGINIA born in 1911, and EILEEN born in 1918.

 

THOMAS’ wife FLORENCE died in 1958 and THOMAS died in 1964.

THOMAS MC GUIGAN SR. #9 52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS

 

In January 2014, Amy Johnson Crow of the Ancestry blog issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.

 

The premise: write once a week about a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, a research problem — any that focuses on that one ancestor. The next week, write about a different ancestor. In 52 weeks, you’ll have taken a closer look at 52 people in your family tree… and maybe learned a little bit more about them in the process.

 

My paternal great grandfather was THOMAS MC GUIGAN SR.  He was born 29 December 1846 in TYNAN parish, county ARMAGH, IRELAND.  His parents were PATRICK MC GUIGAN and MARY HUGHES.  The family also included ALICE born 25 July 1842 and PETER born 27 December 1839¹.

 

This family was a farming family and THOMAS SR. took over the farm when his father died.  The farm and house have stayed in the family since that time.  A great grandson owns the property now. The house and farm are located in CROSSDALL, TYNAN, ARMAGH, IRELAND².

 

THOMAS MC GUIGAN SR. married ANN MALLON 17 June 1874 in the parish of Tynan³.  They had 5 children, MARY ANN born 1875 (my grandmother who I wrote about in 52Ancestors #2), ALICE born 1876, ELIZABETH born 1879, BRIDGET born 1880 and PATRICK born 1881.  THOMAS MC GUIGAN SR’S wife, ANN died, when the youngest was 2 and the oldest was 8 years old, in 1883.  I am sure it was a very hard time for the family but they did have family close by to help.

 

In 1886 THOMAS MC GUIGAN SR. married CATHERINE MC NAUGHTON of LYHOLLAND, county MONAGHAN⁴.  They had a son, THOMAS MC GUIGAN JR., born 21 January 1888 in TYNAN parish⁵.

 

The family was getting too big for the farm so the older two daughters, MARY ANN and ALICE, immigrated to the United States in 1897. ELIZABETH followed several years later. BRIDGET, PATRICK and THOMAS stayed in Ireland.

 

THOMAS MC GUIGAN SR. died in CROSSDALL, TYNAN, IRELAND in the 1920’s.  He lived long enough to see several grandchildren born to his children in Ireland. 

 

Notes

1. FHL Film  #979710  Baptisms, Tynan, Armagh, Ireland
2. FHL Film #258750   Land Valuations 1864, Armagh, Ireland
3. Middletown Registration Office of Ireland - Record #11 1897
4. FHL Film #4179726 Marriage Record – Record # 49   1886
5. Middletown Registration Office of Ireland – Record #107  1888