Sunday, March 31, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Monogram mystery solved!
A few days ago I asked one of the mailing lists I am subscribed to for help in identifying an old monogram found on a pocket-watch and ring that were among items from my parents' safety deposit box. The monogram was so ornate it was hard for me to convince myself what the initials in the monogram are.
It appeared that the ring monogram contained the same initials although the surface is quite worn.
Mystery solved!
I determined the watch and ring had belonged to my maternal grandfather, Harold Theodore Veith. What clinched the identity for me was finding a photo of my grandfather wearing this ring in 1909. In photos of him in later years, this ring is replaced on his hand by his wedding band and sometimes his masonic ring. Before I found this photo, I was browsing monogram fonts and came across a font entitled 'Monogram kk' in which the letters 'HTV' are pretty similar to the engravings. The letters can be closely traced with the additions of a few extra flourishes.
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| Harold Theodore Veith 1909 |
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| closeup of ring |
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| 'Monogram kk' font for initials 'HTV' |
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Rescued Photo #2 - Eliza Turner Savage
When I was in Vermont last September, I spent an hour or so browsing at the Antique Center at Camelot Village in Bennington, VT. This shop is huge and is composed of many individual 'stalls' where all kinds of antiques are sold. I could have spent days in this place, and hope to go back on my next visit.
I spent most of my time there looking thru old photos and was amazed at how many of them had identification written on the back. If only all my old family photos were identified! I decided to buy a few that caught my eye and see if I could identify the families of the individuals, and possibly to locate a living descendant who would like to have these photos. Please contact me if you are related to these people and would like the original photo.
This photo is approximately 4 1/4" by 2 1/2" and is identified as Eliza Turner Savage. The location of the photographer is Waukesha, Wisconsin. I believe I may have found Eliza in the Wisconsin Deaths and Burials index on FamilySearch.org. (citation at bottom of page). According to the transcribed information in the Index, Eliza was born 11 May 1802 in Salem, Washington County, New York. Her father is listed as James Turner. Eliza died in Wisconsin at age 81 on 20 May 1883 and the burial place is noted as Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The original death record should be examined to confirm this information.
The 1860 U.S. Federal census shows John A Savage (age 60) and Eliza Savage (age 54) living in the city of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Living in the same household are John A. Savage, age 28, Eliza Savage, age 24, Edward Savage, age 18, and William Savage, age 16. All of these people were born in New York. It appears the family was in western New York at the time of the 1850 census - they are enumerated in Oswegatchie, Saint Lawrence County. Two additional probable children are listed with the family that were not there in the 1860 listing: Mary Savage, age 25 and Harriet Savage, age 12.
There is a public family tree on Ancestry.com that seems to include this person. Eliza is identified in this tree as Elizabeth Turner born 11 May 1802 in Lisbon, New York to James Turner and Eleanor Hunsdon.. Lisbon is on the other side of New York state, but the date is the same. The husband is identified as John Adams Savage who was born 9 Oct 1800 in Salem, New York and died 13 December 1864 in Wisconsin. His parents were Abraham Savage and Mary Adams.What is pretty exciting is that the owner of the tree has a photo of John Adams Savage already posted but none for wife Elizabeth/Eliza. I have sent an email to the owner of the tree and hope that I can return this photograph to a descendant!
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"Wisconsin, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1968," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XL6V-JLC : accessed 03 Mar 2013), Eliza Turner Savage, 11 May 1802.
1860 U.S. Census, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, population schedule, Waukesha city, page # 10, sheet 20, family 76, John A Savage household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 2 March 2012), citing National Archives microfilm publication M653, roll 1436.
1850 U.S. Census, Saint Lawrence County, New York, population schedule, Oswegatchie, page 100A, family 293, John A Savage household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 2 March 2012), citing National Archives microfilm publication M432, roll 589.
I spent most of my time there looking thru old photos and was amazed at how many of them had identification written on the back. If only all my old family photos were identified! I decided to buy a few that caught my eye and see if I could identify the families of the individuals, and possibly to locate a living descendant who would like to have these photos. Please contact me if you are related to these people and would like the original photo.
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| Eliza Turner Savage |
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| back of Eliza Turner Savage photo |
The 1860 U.S. Federal census shows John A Savage (age 60) and Eliza Savage (age 54) living in the city of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Living in the same household are John A. Savage, age 28, Eliza Savage, age 24, Edward Savage, age 18, and William Savage, age 16. All of these people were born in New York. It appears the family was in western New York at the time of the 1850 census - they are enumerated in Oswegatchie, Saint Lawrence County. Two additional probable children are listed with the family that were not there in the 1860 listing: Mary Savage, age 25 and Harriet Savage, age 12.
There is a public family tree on Ancestry.com that seems to include this person. Eliza is identified in this tree as Elizabeth Turner born 11 May 1802 in Lisbon, New York to James Turner and Eleanor Hunsdon.. Lisbon is on the other side of New York state, but the date is the same. The husband is identified as John Adams Savage who was born 9 Oct 1800 in Salem, New York and died 13 December 1864 in Wisconsin. His parents were Abraham Savage and Mary Adams.What is pretty exciting is that the owner of the tree has a photo of John Adams Savage already posted but none for wife Elizabeth/Eliza. I have sent an email to the owner of the tree and hope that I can return this photograph to a descendant!
_______________________
"Wisconsin, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1968," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XL6V-JLC : accessed 03 Mar 2013), Eliza Turner Savage, 11 May 1802.
1860 U.S. Census, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, population schedule, Waukesha city, page # 10, sheet 20, family 76, John A Savage household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 2 March 2012), citing National Archives microfilm publication M653, roll 1436.
1850 U.S. Census, Saint Lawrence County, New York, population schedule, Oswegatchie, page 100A, family 293, John A Savage household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 2 March 2012), citing National Archives microfilm publication M432, roll 589.
Rescued Photo #1 - Ann Brayton Pratt
When I was in Vermont last September, I spent an hour or so browsing at the Antique Center at Camelot Village in Bennington, VT. This shop is huge and is composed of many individual 'stalls' where all kinds of antiques are sold. I could have spent days in this place, and hope to go back on my next visit.
I spent most of my time there looking thru old photos and was amazed at how many of them had identification written on the back. If only all my old family photos were identified! I decided to buy a few that caught my eye and see if I could identify the families of the individuals, and possibly to locate a living descendant who would like to have these photos. Please contact me if you are related to these people and would like the original photo.
The first photo is identified as Ann Brayton Pratt, (Mrs Frank Pratt 2nd), daughter of Mr and Mrs Alanson Brayton. I was able to find her death certificate on FamilySearch.org .
From the information on the death certificate we know that Ann Eliza Brayton was born 26 January 1833 in White Creek, New York, daughter of Elanson Brayton, birthplace unknown, and Matilda Crandall born in Hoosick, NY. She died at age 77, widow of George F. Pratt on 7 October 1910 at Sloan Road, Williamstown, Massachusetts of "senile degeneration complicated with cancer of liver". Ann was buried in Hoosick, New York on 9 October 1910. The informant for the information contained in this certificate was Mrs. Frank Young, of South Williamstown. Her relationship to the deceased is not given.
Ann E. Pratt is found with her husband Frank Pratt in the 1900 Federal census (citation at the end of this article), living in Williamstown, MA in the home of the Frank and Gertrude Young family. Ann and her husband are listed as father-in-law and mother-in-law to the head of the family, Frank Young. Presumably wife Gertrude Young is the daughter of either (or both) of the elder couple. In this census entry, Frank Pratt is listed as born in Oct 1829, age 70 and married for 32 years (1868). He and his father were born in Vermont, and his mother was born in New York. No occupation is listed. Ann E Pratt is recorded as born in Jan 1834, age 66. She is listed as having zero children, with zero children living. Ann and her mother were born in New York, and her father was born in Vermont.
In the 1900 census, children of Frank and Gertrude Young are listed as Harry Young, age 20, Lulu Young, age 18, Bliss Young, age 16 and Ella Young, age 12.
Since Gertrude Young is age 39 on this record, she was born 7 years before Frank and Ann married and was probably Frank's daughter from a previous marriage. This correlates with the report of zero children and is consistent with the name of Mrs Frank Pratt 2nd on the back of the photo. Ann Brayton was probably Frank Pratt's 2nd wife and Gertrude is most likely Ann's step-daughter.
So it appears that Ann Eliza Brayton Pratt did not have direct descendants but her siblings may have had descendants who would value Ann's photograph. From the 1850 U.S. Federal census (citation below), Ann appears as one of probably nine children of Alanson and Matilda Brayton. The minors in this household are:
Caroline S Brayton, age 18, Ann E Brayton, age 16, Amon O Brayton, age 14, Julia G Brayton, age 12, Franklin B Brayton, age 10, Ardelia C Brayton, age 8, Marcus M Brayton, age 6, Mary J Brayton, age 4 and Charles E Brayton, age 2.
Hopefully, some descendant of the Brayton/Pratt/Young/Crandell family will someday see this post in a google search of names. Contact me if you want the original photo!.
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I spent most of my time there looking thru old photos and was amazed at how many of them had identification written on the back. If only all my old family photos were identified! I decided to buy a few that caught my eye and see if I could identify the families of the individuals, and possibly to locate a living descendant who would like to have these photos. Please contact me if you are related to these people and would like the original photo.
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| Ann Brayton Pratt |
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| back side of Ann Brayton Pratt photo |
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| "Massachusetts, Deaths, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N43L-8C3 : accessed 03 Mar 2013), Ann Eliza Pratt, 1910. |
Ann E. Pratt is found with her husband Frank Pratt in the 1900 Federal census (citation at the end of this article), living in Williamstown, MA in the home of the Frank and Gertrude Young family. Ann and her husband are listed as father-in-law and mother-in-law to the head of the family, Frank Young. Presumably wife Gertrude Young is the daughter of either (or both) of the elder couple. In this census entry, Frank Pratt is listed as born in Oct 1829, age 70 and married for 32 years (1868). He and his father were born in Vermont, and his mother was born in New York. No occupation is listed. Ann E Pratt is recorded as born in Jan 1834, age 66. She is listed as having zero children, with zero children living. Ann and her mother were born in New York, and her father was born in Vermont.
In the 1900 census, children of Frank and Gertrude Young are listed as Harry Young, age 20, Lulu Young, age 18, Bliss Young, age 16 and Ella Young, age 12.
Since Gertrude Young is age 39 on this record, she was born 7 years before Frank and Ann married and was probably Frank's daughter from a previous marriage. This correlates with the report of zero children and is consistent with the name of Mrs Frank Pratt 2nd on the back of the photo. Ann Brayton was probably Frank Pratt's 2nd wife and Gertrude is most likely Ann's step-daughter.
So it appears that Ann Eliza Brayton Pratt did not have direct descendants but her siblings may have had descendants who would value Ann's photograph. From the 1850 U.S. Federal census (citation below), Ann appears as one of probably nine children of Alanson and Matilda Brayton. The minors in this household are:
Caroline S Brayton, age 18, Ann E Brayton, age 16, Amon O Brayton, age 14, Julia G Brayton, age 12, Franklin B Brayton, age 10, Ardelia C Brayton, age 8, Marcus M Brayton, age 6, Mary J Brayton, age 4 and Charles E Brayton, age 2.
Hopefully, some descendant of the Brayton/Pratt/Young/Crandell family will someday see this post in a google search of names. Contact me if you want the original photo!.
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1900 U.S. Census, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Williamstown,
Enumeration District (ED) 89, sheet 11-B, family 249, Frank Young household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 March 2013),
citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 633.
1850 U.S. Census, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Williamstown, sheet 152-A, family 129, Alanson Brayton household, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 2 March 2013), citing National Archives microfilm publication M 432, roll 305.
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