Food is Love (No Matter How Bad the Food)

Generations Cafe (Amy Johnson Crow): Week 14 Favorite Recipe

I believe it was in middle school that I got the flu or a very bad cold forcing me to stay home for a week. As I mended, I became very bored and decided to organize my mother’s recipes that were written on pieces of paper or index cards. Some were written in my grandmother’s handwriting. I put them into a black 3-ring binder, a small 5×7 one, nothing huge. I do not know if my mother appreciated this but I can still see the binder and a recipe for rum balls written by either my mother or my grandmother in my memories. This is the recipe I will share below. Every Christmas my mother would make rum balls and other cookie recipes. When my mother died, I did not know this little black book would be important to me some day so I didn’t take it and I am sure it ended up in garbage. In the moment of grief, it is difficult to identify what will become important years from now.

My Mother’s Rum Ball Recipe

My mother’s side of the family was overtly British in terms of food. My cousin would make Yorkshire pudding at Christmas and my mother would set aflame the English Christmas pudding with hard sauce on the side. My great-aunt would have a huge party on New Year’s Day with so much food and conversation. As a child, I was extremely bored and sick from the cigarette smoke.  The meal was always a huge ham and scalloped potatoes. Tables were set up everywhere – in hallways, and in bedrooms – there was that many people. I am sure I missed the opportunity to meet great-aunts and uncles from Britain. I gaze at photos from then trying to figure out who was who. I am not sure my grandmother’s Sunday roasts were not overcooked but the meal was always filled with the love of family. There are photos of adults sitting in my grandmother’s flower-filled backyard at tables with a kiddy pool underneath for their feet for the cooling effect. This side of the family equated food with love. I still have my mother’s vintage 1954 Betty Crocker cookbook, most likely her first cookbook after marriage.

My Mother’s Cookbook (Betty Crocker circa 1954)

My father’s side of the family was influenced by his mother’s Norwegian roots. Everything about this side of the family, the maternal Norwegian and the paternal Irish, is overshadowed by the opinion of my parents. With genealogy, I have tried to wipe the slate clean and start afresh and develop my own opinion. My father always said his mother was a terrible cook and until he married my mother, he didn’t know a decently cooked, very rare steak. My paternal grandmother did not have a cookbook except many free government or company how-to’s and educational pamphlets. She wanted to be educated in how to be the best wife and mother to her family. There are many photos of her entertaining friends and family at their home but food appears to be lacking. On Easter, we would go their home to have an “Easter egg hunt” and lunch. Lunch consisted of canned Vienna sausages, canned ham spread, and saltine crackers. I don’t think she enjoyed cooking but she enjoyed having us there. Instead of the negativity surrounding the meal, we could have brought something but this is the past. As Goethe says, “Nothing is worth more than this day. You cannot relive yesterday. Tomorrow is still beyond your reach.”

My Grandmother’s Educational Cooking Pamphlets

I wonder what my children will remember of our celebrations and every day meals. Will they remember the walk-around waffles, special birthday cakes, and the holiday celebrations? And of their memories, which will they choose to pass down their families? It was difficult to decide which of my memories to share here because with each moment, a new memory arises, just like ants at a picnic.

Using Parish Records

Generations Cafe (Amy Johnson Crow): Week 13 Worship

Patrick Doyle and Mary Flynn were married on September 11, 1853 at St. John’s Church in Newark. St. John’s Roman Catholic Church was opened in 1828 at 26 Mulberry St. in the Diocese of Newark. As the family grew and settled in the Ironbound section of Newark, they began to attend St. James Roman Catholic Church, established in 1854 to serve the needs of the Irish in that section of Newark. St. James became the social center of the area with the addition of a hospital, school, convent, and rectory set within the block of Lafayette, Jefferson, Madison, and Elm streets. Perhaps the Doyle children went to the parochial school?

From Newark Religion Old Newark

Parish records are an important genealogical source of information but it is not always easy to find the records establishing birth, marriage, and death dates for individuals. It can feel like a treasure hunt searching for the location of digital and physical parish records, hoping for an index to the register, and most of all, praying for decent handwriting, lack of ink spots, and no water damage or ripped pages. Parish records can be found in several genealogical services such as Ancestry and others. Lucky for me, familysearch.org has the St. James Parish Register for free on its platform.

Why are these records important? Besides providing a birth date for the individual, it proves the parentage for the child and leads to building a family chart. The sponsors for the child are typically family members or friends that can answer other questions. Lastly, a baptism record can provide an address of the family or occupation for the father. Unfortunately for me, I have found few baptism records for the 10 children of Patrick and Mary Doyle. Some day I will browse the St. James Parish registers and look for the other baptism records but not today!

I was able to find the baptism parish record for my great-grandfather, Joseph, baptized on June 24, 1871. He was baptized at St. James Church in Newark by Reverand M. Gervais. The church was absolutely beautiful but torn down to provide parking for St. James Hospital in the 1980s (see Newark Religion for photos).

Baptism of Joseph Doyle on June 24, 1871. (From Familysearch.org FHL 1378069 Image Number 251)
– 3rd entry on left

The most important baptism records are those from Ireland concerning Patrick Doyle and Mary Flynn. I have been focusing on Patrick since I have found DNA relatives. So far, I have found no DNA matches for Mary Flynn. These records are extremely important since a record would corroborate the DNA connection to the Doyle relatives in Ireland. On June 30, 1922, the national Public Record Office was blown up during the Irish civil war destroying church records, property deeds, census returns, and much more dating back to the Middle Ages. In addition, restrictions were in place until the 1820s when Catholic Emancipation and the Catholic Relief Act were enacted that allowed religious events to be registered legally. Irish parish registers were in various locations but brought together and digitized by the National Library of Ireland. 

The National Library of Ireland has parish registers for 1000 parishes covering all 32 counties. I am interested in County Wicklow, specifically the civil parish of Derrylossary. Indices exist provided by Ancestry and Findmypast but it was not so simple as putting in search terms and coming up with records. I only know the father’s name not the mother’s and there are several possibilities. Patrick’s birth was approximately 1820 around Glendalough, County Wicklow, Ireland. Parishes were absorbed into other parishes but possibilities include Glendalough and Rathdrum. Using DNA amounts, relationships can be predicted but not with certainty.  Naming conventions in Ireland in the early 1800s can add some tantalizing clues. Lastly, there is now the ability to map the chromosomes and follow segments of DNA through generations. This can determine a relationship exists between the various descendants but cannot yield the answer of relationship between past ancestral individuals. 

My best guess is the record that follows: Patrick’s parents may be Thomas Doyle and Anne Doyle; he was baptized on October 22, 1819, and was sponsored by Hugh Doyle and Maria Doyle in Glendalough, County Wicklow. RootsIreland.com provided the transcription and I am thankful since I can’t read the record (Can you?). Further evidence through genealogical records, DNA, and chromosome mapping may give more credence to my selection.

Baptism of Patrick Doyle October 22, 1819 (From National Library of Ireland Microfilm 06474/01, page 29)

Does Anyone Own a Radio?

Generations Cafe (Amy Johnson Crow): Week 12 Technology

The US Census of 1930 asked the question, “Does anyone in this family own a radio?” I wondered who in the Doyle family made this leap into technology or were they resistant to change or unable to afford a radio. So I decided this rather than the many other technological advances would be my subject for this week’s #52ancestor blog entry.

After World War I and the lifting of restrictions on civilian radio stations, Westinghouse engineer Frank Conrad of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania initiated broadcasts of phonograph recordings to others. Soon wireless radio sets or “radios” were on sale for purchase with broadcasting stations not far behind this new trend. The radio is considered a “disruptive technology” since it changed how people lived their lives. Just as the internet has influenced our everyday actions, so did the radio. Now a person could obtain real time information about entertainment events, political news, and cultural influences occurring far away. Imagine the wonder of listening to a baseball game played 1000s of miles away or hearing who won the Presidential election! 

Politicians quickly recognized the power of the radio and how it could influence society’s perception of reality. Just remember Orson Welles broadcast of the World of the Worlds in 1939. Business concerns began to advertise goods for sale. Careers were built centered on the this new industry. In 1930, 500,000 workers were employed in the industry and there were 626 US radio stations.¹ No longer was a person’s world confined geographically to the area around them, as their personal experience could be placed in the larger context of the world. All of this was happening during the Great Depression and then World War II. 

During the data gathering phase, the enumerator for the 1930 US Census would ask the informant if anyone in the family had a radio. If yes, the box was marked R. We will never know if the younger members of the family owned the radio or was it a family radio in the living room that all gathered around to listen to the news, music, and other broadcasts. It is interesting to note in the following table, the descendants of Patrick and Mary Doyle provided the following information to the enumerator.

I was able to find 1930 census records for 12 families out of the total of 15 families that existed at that time. Most of the family remained in the New Jersey area although Cecilia Satchwell moved to California. Her father, William Satchwell disappeared in 1916 and I wonder if he was in California, but this theory lacks evidence. Based on home value, Richard Graf and Mary Noonan were the most prosperous. Home ownership and rented were split at 50% each. Based on the results of the 1930 US Census, most of the Doyle family should have a radio (see Table 39). New Jersey, with its urban setting and location in the northeast, yielded 50% ownership. Of the Doyle families that participated in the 1930 US Census, 73% had radios. The Doyle family as a whole had become wealthy enough to own a radio and progressive enough to want one. There is no other causal factor as shown by the data but it is interesting to observe some characteristics of the family in 1930 after approximately 100 years in the United States.

Index of Data Tabulated from the 1930 Census of Population

1. Census Fun Fact #3 – Do You Own a Radio? ↩︎

School Bells Are Ringing

Generations Cafe (Amy Johnson Crow): Week 11 Achievement

It is most likely that Patrick Doyle spoke English when he arrived in North America in the 1840s. The US census records for Patrick and his spouse, Mary Flynn, are ambiguous whether they could read or write. The only document that provides any evidence of the couple’s literacy is a Land Deed from 1872: Patrick was able to sign the deed whereas Mary made her mark. Patrick and Mary had 10 children beginning in 1852 and ending in 1870. The motivation, ability, and social expectation towards educating children in Newark changed during that span of time.

According to the 1860 US Census, Mary (aged 6) and John (aged 5) did not attend school. By the 1870 US Census, both Mary and John are working in factories. Until after 1900, most boys began work after the 4th-5th grade. Thomas, James, Michael and Margaret, aged 13 to 7, are all at school. At this time in Newark, the need for educating the workforce became apparent. The advent of telephones, electric lights, plastics, and the rise of the automobile required the ability to read and write. The older Doyle children stayed in school a bit longer but the family’s financial needs prevented any from obtaining any high school education. By the 1880 US Census, Joseph (aged 9) was in school. Interestingly, Ellen (aged 12) was also in school but the enumerator marked she could neither read or write. 

There is no proof but the children might have gone to the Oliver Street Primary School on Oliver Street in Newark. It was built in 1868 at the cost of $55,000 primarily for the new wave of Irish and German immigrants. According to Holbrooks Newark Directory for the 1880 year, the average cost of educating a primary school student was $12.53.¹

There were other opportunities for education at this point of time. A night school, a well-established Newark tradition, existed to educate apprentices and adults immigrants. It is not known whether any Doyle parents or children took advantage of this education.

Although the number of schools and high schools increased in the early 1900s, there is little proof that Patrick’s grandchildren had any high school education. All of the children could read and write and attended primary school but at the age of 14 or 15, all male grandchildren entered the work force. Limited evidence only indicates that the female grandchildren either worked or married at some point during their late teens-early 20s. Based the 1930 US census, Joseph’s 2 children, Joseph Jr. and John (my grandfather) worked but also attended school in 1919. 

What of Patrick’s great-grandchildren, the generation of my grandfather, John Doyle? Seventeen of Patrick’s grandchildren had children totaling 25 great-grandchildren. All of the great-grandchildren could read and write and many completed high school to varying degrees. Six attended college with 3 completing their degrees. Mildred Maier was the first woman to attend college (1909-2002) but only for one year according to the 1940 US Census. Thomas Maier (1918-2002) obtained his Bachelor degree from Temple University and a teaching degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He was treasurer of the Trenton Teacher Association and went on to work for The Piman Publishing Company in California. He was a professor at the University of Santa Clara in the accounting department. John Graf (1917-1999) and Robert Graf (1928-2006), children of Mary Catherine Noonan and Richard Graf, went to college. Robert attended NYU and went on to be an engineer. John went to the University of Minnesota and then to Columbia to obtain his Masters in Library Science. He worked at the Newark Public Library for over 30 years. 

Information is limited for the next generation so I will stop here. However, we all know the focus on getting a college education increased.

Retirement Luncheon for John Doyle 15 Sep 1965.

Academic achievement was a slow process for the Doyle’s. Two families were able to have some of their children go to college 100 years from Patrick’s birth. Most of the women married and went on to nurture their families. The single women developed careers as clerks and secretaries and became the family caregivers. Families were still focused on their financial well-being and careers did not require a college education to be successful. My grandfather, John Doyle, exemplified this. With only 2 years of high school education, John went on to become the chief liquidator of the Port of Newark, US Customs.

1. Oliver Street School
   ↩︎

Breaking That Irish Brick Wall

Generations Cafe (Amy Johnson Crow) Week 10: Language

In the beginning of family history research, every word appears to be in a foreign language. For example, BMD? Of course this refers to birth-marriage-death records. Census records and their headings require an understanding of enumerator instructions, methodologies, and exceptions-to-the-rule. Church records may require the deciphering of secretary hand, an understanding of the religion and church administrative procedures. Cemeteries and death records have their own language: day books, burial records, death certificates, death announcements, and obituaries. And this is only the beginning. Each record and nuance of our ancestors’ lives requires taking on their viewpoint in that time and the sociology of that moment. I struggled and enjoyed this education and developed a large family tree for the Doyles. But what I did not find is where Patrick Doyle was born in Ireland. This is a common problem with Irish family history. Due to the Great Hunger, the Irish spread across the globe and their receiving locales simply recorded Ireland as their birth location. The only solution is to utilize DNA research and hope that someone in Ireland also is interested in genealogy.

All human beings obtained 50% of their DNA from their father and 50% of their DNA from their mother.  Looking only at the paternal side of DNA inheritance, Joseph Doyle, one of the children of Patrick, would therefore have 50% of his DNA from Patrick. John, the child of Joseph, would only have 25% of his DNA from Patrick. With each succeeding generation, the amount of DNA from Patrick would halve. The passage of DNA through the generations is a random total amount, not absolute, but if the same unique string of DNA is passed through the generations, that string is unique and defined “common”. The unique string of DNA is measured in centimorgans (cM) and percentage of total DNA. A long DNA string and higher percentage of DNA means it is a closer relationship. 

The genetic genealogy process looks at that small amount of DNA that different testers have in common. For example, in Ancestry, the process is called Shared Matches. In mathematical terms, it is similar to the transitory process. If A has similar DNA to B, and C has similar DNA to B, then A and C have the same DNA and are related. When looking for ancestors using DNA, some descendants of common ancestors may be absent as Patrick’s DNA may not have been transmitted to the next generation along that line.

Analysis of Ancestry Shared Matches is the process I used to find where Patrick Doyle came from in Ireland. My dad tested and I used his DNA. I was able to match his DNA with other DNA testers and, using genealogical activities, determine that these other testers were descendants of Patrick’s siblings. They are my father’s second cousins. By looking at smaller amounts of DNA, I was able to match his DNA to testers that live in Ireland. The common ancestor, called the Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) in this case is Patrick’s father, Thomas. These testers would be my father’s third cousins. These testers know the family lived in County Wicklow, specifically Drummin near Glendalough. At this point, I can attempt genealogical research and attempt to find BMD records to prove we are absolutely related. Unfortunately, due to record loss, this may never happen but I am hopeful it will someday with the discovery of new records all the time.

But DNA matching does not always result in a happy outcome. DNA, since random, can be lost with subsequent generations as smaller and smaller amounts of DNA from a specific family line are lost in the shuffling process call inheritance. People may not test in that specific line. Not all people are obsessed as I am in discovering their origins or where the family ended up. I waited about 2-3 years for a match back to Ireland. Also in order to make any sense of DNA evidence, the first step was to build the tree for the American side of the Doyle family and that took a few years. 

Do I feel I have proved beyond a shadow of doubt that Patrick came from Drummin, County Wicklow? I feel confident this is true but I am not absolutely certain how the Irish DNA testers and my family are connected. There is more DNA research that can be done: yDNA, mtDNA, and chromosome painting. Each has its own vocabulary and process to understand. There is also the genealogical aspect to pursue. Many new methods are also on the horizon due to the usage of AI. 

What’s In a Name?

Generations Cafe (Amy Johnson Crow) Week 9: Name Change

With each great-grandparent branch of my family tree, I have had to research a different nationality. That is not a complaint since that is what makes genealogy challenging and fun. It is a way to learn all aspects of that country and how the history is reflected in the records and my family’s actions. My Irish family research is challenged by the Four Courts fire and Irish battle for independence. Research into my British family is easier since there are church records and census records and I can trace my family to the 1700s. But that side of the family changed their name from Boulton to Skern in order to marry without divorce. It is a relief the German branch has been completed by another family genealogist and I do not have to delve into European history and Gothic writing. But I then end up with the Scandinavian branch of my family and the Gothic writing, extra alphabet letters, and patronymic naming patterns. 

Occasionally while doing my Irish genetic research, I have started to look into my Norwegian relatives. Records are difficult to read since the records are in Norwegian, of course, but is complicated by the Gothic handwriting. In addition, the Norwegian language has 3 extra letters in their alphabet so a name may translate to different spellings. Some of the difficult is alleviated by AI such as Google Translate and the newly announced FamilySearch translation feature. Once these challenges are overcome as familiarity increases, the next obstacle is the patronymic naming convention. The last name of a person changes with each generation with a child taking the first name of their father as their last name with a gender add-on.  An example is my great-grandmother Olivia Halvorsdatter. Her father’s first name was Halvor so she is Halvor’s daughter yielding Halvorsdatter. In addition, a person may also have a farm name which can change if they moved. It would be tacked onto the end of the person’s name. That is another thing to understand and delve into. There are maps of the farms and it would be wonderful to visit one of my family’s farms someday. A woman once married retained her surname which is a benefit in Scandinavian research. A fixed surname was not adopted in Norway until 1923. 

When the Berntson family arrived in American in 1907, there was no mythical Ellis Island name change. The passenger names would have been given to the shipping agent in Norway and the name listed on the passenger list was the name used at Ellis Island. However, Johan decided he wanted an American name and changed the family surname to Bensen using legal channels in 1928. Each person also changed their first name to a more American version of their name. But various versions of Bensen exist in the records. Most records appear to use Benson which makes it confusing when searching for a record. Some of the children chose Bensen, others Benson. Fortunately, I have a copy of the transcription of paperwork for the name change to Bensen from which I can see it was filed in Hudson County courts. Now to track that down.

Transcription of Berntsen to Bensen Documentation (circa 1928)

The name change process was changed via New Jersey legislation in 1876, making it a function of the circuit courts of the county. The petitioner had to then publish in a county newspaper the intention to change their name and following the order, publish the judgment in the county newspaper. A copy of the petition, the order, and an affidavit stating the newspaper publication had to be filed with the county clerk. Lots of opportunities to corroborate the name change and none of which I can find (as of yet).

A Christening Gown for the Family Babies

Generations Cafe (Amy Johnson Crow) Week 8: Heirlooms

As the family historian, I could open up my basement as a museum and call it “I See Dead People Museum.” I enjoy having the various items in my basement and house since each one brings back memories but it is tough when I think of downsizing and moving to a much smaller abode.

Picking one item to write about has been difficult. For the last week, I considered the following:

• My paternal grandmother’s sewing machine
• My paternal grandfather’s desk
• My paternal grandfather’s baptismal gown
• My maternal great-grandmother’s wedding dress
• My maternal great-grandmother’s Swedish butter paddle
• My paternal great-great grandmother’s teacups from Germany, circa 1850s (maybe)
• Various jewelry items
• Bassinet from spouse’s family

Each item required varying degrees of research in order to write about it and whittling it down by my time restrictions, I decided to write about my grandfather’s baptismal gown. My grandfather’s birth date varies depending on the document. His NJ birth registration states his birth date was June 9, 1904 but this document was filed in February 7, 1923 after a correction was processed. The correction paper states his name was wrong and his name was changed from Francis to John Francis. Other documents put the birth year as 1905 or 1906. My grandfather had a brother, Joseph Patrick Jr. who was born 18 Apr 1902 and died in 1920.

I have the photos of both brothers in the christening gown but I have been unable to locate the baptism documents. My great-grandfather would have been Roman Catholic and my great-grandmother was most likely Protestant. Their marriage church record states they are of mixed religion. In addition, I have a photo of my father in the same baptismal gown. Baptism records are lacking again.

Joseph

John

JD

My grandfather’s great-grandchildren have also been baptized in the same gown. What is nice is that each generation has retained this gown. I look at the babies dressed in the gown in these photos and can understand how my great-grandmother felt because I felt the same way with my children in the gown – the bond between mother and child.

The Norwegian Side of the Family

Generations Cafe (Amy Johnson Crow) Week 7: Immigration

There are several methods that can be used to find the passenger record for an individual. One is by knowing the ports of departure and entry and year of arrival. This can narrow down the ship list possibilities. Another is to have a unique name and/or family members traveling together. In some cases, members of the same town or village would travel together and finding multiple names of neighbors or family members on the same passenger list can identify the ship. Naturalization papers for the United States and other records can identify a best guess of arrival.  Or a genealogist can just be lucky and find the passenger record in Ancestry hints. My paternal grandmother’s family, the Berntsen’s arrived in the United States from Vest-Agder, Norway in 1907 and settled first in Brooklyn and then in Jersey City. I was lucky for once and easily found their passenger record. The Berntsen story is a common emigrant story but with its own trials and tribulations.

My grandmother left me her preliminary genealogy papers with her family names, birth and death dates, and other pertinent information. This was the basis of my Norwegian family tree and helped identify the correct family in the Norwegian record collection.

Johan Gotfred Berntsen (b. 1878) and Olivia Halvorsdatter (b. 1880) were married in 1899 in Kvarstein, Vest-Agder, Norway, when they were in their early 20s. The Norwegian Folketallet  (census) of 1900 identifies Johan, Liv, and their child Hartvig Gotfredsen. The birth years match my grandmother’s records so this is the correct family. Despite Norway’s independence in 1905, Johan decided to try his luck in America and tested the waters in 1906. Most likely he had heard of the opportunities in America. Johan would have traveled via steamship from Kristiansand to Hull, England, and then via train to Liverpool. Norway Emigration records have him leaving Kristiansand on April 19, 1906, on the White Star Line, a steamship passenger company. The agent might have been Gerhard Dahl who would have created the entry for Johan on the passenger list almost making it unreadable. From Liverpool, he traveled on board the SMS Baltic.

Liv, Grandmother & Father, Johan Berntsen (About 1932)

The Baltic was one of the new large ships of the White Star Line and was owned by J.P. Morgan. It was launched in 1904 from Belfast and could carry 3,000 passengers and a crew of 350. She could make the trip to NYC in 7 days, 13 hours and 37 minutes. The Captain was Lieutinent E.J. Smith. Johan would have been one of 555 passengers in 3rd class.

Johan most likely stayed with a relative in Brooklyn based on the information from his next voyage. He returned to Norway sometime before 1907 and convinced his wife, Olivia, to emigrate to America with 3 young children.

Before leaving Norway forever, the Berntsen family would have sold all of their possessions and  packed supplies for journey and settling in America. The Norwegian Emigration List and Passenger records identify Johan Godfred Berntsen, his wife, Liv, and their 3 children, Hartvig, Borre (William), and Arthur as 3rd class passengers on the ship C.F. Tietgen leaving on April 13, 1907. The C.F. Tietgen was a steamship owned by the Scandinavian America Line and carried passengers directly from Kristiansand to New York City. As passenger lines realized, it was a lucrative business transporting emigrants to various locations around the globe. Steamships became bigger in order to carry more passengers and improved engines carried them faster.

The family traveled 3rd class, the cheapest rate of travel. There were 3 separate areas with cabins on steamships. Single men were typically at one end, single women at the other, with families separating the single travelers. Food was brought down to steerage and everyone ate in a dining saloon. 

The passenger record provides a great deal of information about each passenger. The ship left from Kristiansand and traveled directly to New York City. The Master was A.G. Thomsen and there was a ship surgeon onboard. Johan had been in the U.S. before – his 1906 experiment – was noted on the passenger list. Emigrants had to either have a destination (sponsor) or sufficient funds so they didn’t become supported by the government. The destination for the Berntsen family was an Aunt, Mrs. Nielsen at 24 1st Place, Brooklyn. None of the family had been in prison, was a polygamist, or an anarchist!

Name	Age	Occupation	Read/Write	Passage Coverage	Money	Description
Johan Godfred Berntson	28	Carpenter	Can read and write	Passage was paid for by Johan	$35	5’10.5”/brown hair/gray eyes
Liv	26	“Mrs.”	Can read and write	Husband paid for passage		5’1”/brown hair/blue eyes
Hartvig	7	Child	Cannot read or write	Father		Fair hair/blue eyes
Borre	5	Child	Cannot read or write	Father		Fair hair/blue eyes
Arthur	3		Cannot read or write	Father		Brown hair/blue eyes

Passenger List Information for the Berntsen Family Traveling in 1907

Upon arrival at New York City, 1st and 2nd class passengers were allowed to disembark at the City docks. Passengers traveling 3rd class were brought to Ellis Island for processing. Hartvig had atrophy of both legs due to illness (perhaps polio). The family was held for Special Inquiry and allowed into the country after obtaining a certificate from a doctor. If Hartvig was not allowed in, he might have been separated from the family and sent back to Norway at the steamship company’s expense. I would hope the whole family would have gone back.

The family lived in Brooklyn where Johan worked as a carpenter building docks for Robbings and Raysly, 50 Church St. Later the family moved to Jersey City where he continued to work on the docks for Richard Steers Company and was a member of Dock Builders Local 1456 and the Freya Lodge Sons of Norway. 

Reference

Norway-Heritage Hands Across the Sea

The Doyle Sons – Another Day’s Work

Generations Cafe (Amy Johnson Crow) Week 6: Earning a Living

The Doyle family grew along with the city of Newark as it became a hub of major industrial development in New Jersey. The Morris Canal had been completed in the 1830s which carried freight across the state. Industries such as shoe making and other tannery- based industries led to extensive trade with the South. Seth Boyden, an inventor, created patent leather, silver plating, and malleable iron from which factories and jobs were created. Hat making was an early export from Newark. Seth Boyden developed a hat-forming machine which led to further expansion into textiles and thread manufacture. Furthermore, John W. Hyatt developed celluloid for camera film which gave rise to plastic and photography businesses. Early banks such as the Newark Banking and Insurance Company and Newark Mutual Assurance Company provided the base for the the founding of Prudential Insurance Company in 1875. Newark, as the center of road, canal, and rail transportation in the area, allowed the import and export of goods within the northeast and as a port of entry, to the South. Savvy Newark business owners put “Made in New York” in order to capture the markets based in New York City. Thus began the shadowing of Newark and New Jersey behind the stature of New York City.

When Patrick Doyle arrived in Newark sometime during the 1840s, he sought work as a laborer. The occupation of laborer could mean anything from improving the Morris Canal as a laborer to working a machine in a factory. As the children of Patrick and Mary approached their teenage years, they entered the work force. According to the 1870 US Census, John (born 1852) began working at the age of 14 in trunk manufacturing. With the discovery of processing celluloid into a plastic in the 1870s and the opening by John Wesley of a 5-story factory on Newarks Mechanic Street, John worked as a polisher most likely in this factory (1870 US Census). It was a very dangerous place to work with 39 fires and explosions, 9 deaths, and 39 injuries over 36 years of operation¹. Possibly John worked for the Celluloid Manufacturing Company located at 295 Ferry St, corner of Ashbridge St. run by John A. Bartow, or the Rubber & Celluloid Harness Trimming Co on Prospect, corner of Ferry St. run by Andrew Allbright. If the latter, this catalog is a sample of items John might have worked on.

John may have worked on the trimmings to bridles and other items

By the time of the 1880 US Census, John was still working at the Celluloid manufacturing and his brother Thomas (born 1856), age 23, was a hatter.  Hat making had been in Newark since 1811 with the arrival of William and Andrew Rankin. By the 1880s, there were dozen of hat manufacturers and associated industry. Thomas died shortly after the census in a carriage accident. 

James (born 1858) and Michael (born 1860) stated their occupation on the 1880 census as Brass Ornaments. James was a member of the union Polishers and Buffers Local 44 in Newark. Since electricity was limited, steam engines ran overhead shafts and pulleys to run a lathe. A polisher removed the flash, burst, and marks using ever increasing finer grits². Pulmonary disease was common. James died at 47 from pulmonary tuberculosis. Michael eventually moved into polishing of jewelry and it appears he owned his own jewelry shop but I was unable to locate it. Mary Loretta, his daughter of 16 years, also worked there. On the 1920 US census, Mary Loretta’s occupation states optical work. Jewelry may not be polishing of jewelry in our sense of the word.

My great-great grandfather, Joseph (born 1871) moved from occupation to occupation, reinventing himself to provide for his family. The 1900 US census states his occupation as leather worker. At some point, he owned a cement stone company. However by 1902, he delivered milk in a horse drawn cart. By 1907, he became a machinist since horse-cart delivery of milk most likely was superseded by gas powered vehicles. After Joseph and my great-grandmother, Elizabeth, bought a house in Newark, they supplemented their income with boarders. Joseph continued as a machinist working in gun manufacture and a steel plant until 1940.

The women in the family may have started out with an occupation but married and began having children. Mary Ann (born 1854) worked in jewelry manufacture. Winifred Augusta (born 1865) was a cigar maker. Her story is here. Margaret Ann (born 1863) and Catherine (born 1869) did not work outside the home before their marriage. Ellen (born 1868) died young.

As Newark grew and became a manufacturing hub for the northeast, the Doyle family sons worked in various industries. The work was dangerous and the safety was not the primary concern of those in power. The women maintained the home and raised the children. These children continued contributing to the work force of Newark until the next generation left Newark and moved throughout the country. The Doyle family owes its future prosperity to the inventors and entrepreneurs of Newark and the retention of manufacturing within the borders of Newark.

1.  When Newark was Americas Celluloid Capital ↩︎
2. Brass Finishers in the 1800’s/19th Century ↩︎

Influenced by a Family Mystery into Genealogy

Generations Cafe (Amy Johnson Crow) Week 5: Influencer

I remember the first commercials for Ancestry from its early days in the latter 1990s. I thought it was ridiculous that people were interested in their family history. I never hesitated to voice my bewilderment. I certainly tell a different story now! I have always loved history and in 2016, I found it safer to look to the past rather than look to the future. I started to research my family. As a librarian, I found I enjoyed the hunt for records, the subsequent analysis, and the puzzle of creating the family tree. It was very satisfying, fun, and provided motivation to travel.

However, there was a question I wanted to solve on my mother’s side of the family. Growing up, my great-uncle, Peter Skern, would frequently discuss the family with my mother in very hushed, negative tones. I listened through the years but felt I was supposed to forget what I heard so I did. In 2016, as I got interested in genealogy, I decided to figure out what the story was.

My great-grandfather, Henry Boulton, was born in Cheltenham, England in 1881. When he was 18, he moved to Lydbrook, England to become a groom/gardener for Dr. Linde, Lydbrook House. In Jan, 1900, he married Marion Jack Riddick from North Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland. There are 6 children attributed to the couple although at times, Henry was not in England. Triggered by the death of Dr. Linde in 1910, Henry arrived in Portland, Maine with his brother, John Boulton. In 1913, Henry applied via homestead application for a track of land in Alberta, Canada but by 1914, resided in Newark, New Jersey. There is quite a bit of confusion concerning Henry’s immigration.  Possibly in 1908, my grandfather, Montague Napier MacDonald Boulton, aged 8, also immigrated to Canada since he shows up on the 1911 Canadian census. Most likely there are missing border crossing records for both Henry and Montague since they also changed their last name at some point from Boulton to Skern (Henry’s great-grandmother’s maiden name, Skerne). When I get back to researching the Skern’s as my mother’s American family is known, I will attempt to construct a timeline. 

Lydbrook House. Also known as the Doctor’s House.
It is still in existence.

Henry’s homestead application stated he had a wife and 3 children yet he was identified as the father of 6 children in England. Into this story, entered Maud Elizabeth Knight, the 2nd wife. It turns out Marion never immigrated but was left in a workhouse in Monmouthshire, Wales with her 5 children, the youngest just a few months old. The children were put up for adoption and, as far as I know, Marion never left the workhouse. The records are not yet digitized so a visit or paid retrieval is required. I can find no divorce record for Henry and Marion and no marriage record for Henry and Maud. In 1910, Maud appeared on a passenger record with a Napier Boulton (somewhat illegible), aged 8. Much of the entry for Napier is overwritten in dark ink and illegible. Maud and Henry have 3 more children, settle in Summit, NJ, and enjoy their life with their children and other Boulton relatives. 

Ledbury Union Workhouse. Built in 1836 and accommodated 150 inmates.

It is a confusing story and I wish I remembered the particulars as stated by my Great Uncle Peter, the oldest child of Henry and Maud. Shortly, I will return to researching the Skern’s (aka Boulton’s) and attempt to find more records. It is an emotional story and I understand why my Great Uncle Peter was upset but I am not sure exactly why he was upset. He is the offspring of the second marriage yet Henry’s first wife, Marion, was left with 5 children in the workhouse. I have matched my DNA to several of the family members of Marion’s children who were adopted. One asked me if I had a photo of Marion and it broke my heart to say no. I don’t see how my Great Uncle Peter would have had one but his wife’s side of the family took all family papers.

I got to this point in my research and then turned to the Doyle’s, my father’s side of the family. I felt shame that my great-grandfather could have done what he did.

One final question that I cannot solve is why was my grandfather named Montague Napier MacDonald Boulton? Montague Napier was the builder of racing cars at the time of Montague’s birth. I haven’t found any connection to a MacDonald but Marion was from Scotland. I cannot come up with Henry’s and Marion’s reasonings for my grandfather’s name.

If not for my Great Uncle Peter, I would have not known this story or pursued the background. I still may not understand the total mystery of the family but I may discover the full story in the future.