My father's father's father ...
My father was one of four brothers who were sons of one of four brothers. I'm aware of six cousins of my father's, only two of whom I've known.
William Thomas (4 Sep 1915 - 25 Dec 1987), Francis Vincent (to my surprise his birth certificate says Vincent Francis and I doubt he ever knew it!) (16 Aug 1916 - 15 Apr 1996), John J. (28 Dec 1919 - 13 Sep 2006), and Clifford James (16 Jun 1922 - 17 Nov 2008) were the sons of William Thomas Hawkins (6 May 1890 - 15 Feb 1962) and Margaret Kenny (13 Mar 1891 - 10 Oct 1981). Margaret was adopted as a baby, her birth name was Joanna Smith , daughter of John Smith and Margaret Cross/Roche. Margaret Kenny had been engaged to William's brother, John Hawkins (b. 8 Apr 1889) but John died 16 Dec 1911 at just 21 years old. Almost three years later, on 15 Nov 1914 Margaret married John's younger brother, William.
The next younger brother of John and William was George Edward (b. 5 Aug 1892). George married Emma Desmond and their children were George E., Evelyn Marie, and Harold Joseph. I never met this branch of the family.
Benjamin Franklin Hawkins (13 Aug 1899 - 12 Nov 1967) was the youngest of the four brothers. He chose to go by the name of Robert Hawkins but records are found under the name of Benjamin. Benjamin married Mary O'Connell (29 Oct 1900 - 13 Feb 1985) and they were the parents of Mary A., Joseph Edward, and Betty.
The parents of John, William Thomas Sr., George and Benjamin Franklin were John Hawkins (22 Apr 1863 - 25 Apr 1953) and Mary Sherer (1 Mar 1869/70 - 13 Nov 1935). John's genealogy is the subject of this post.
The story I was told about John Hawkins was that he was orphaned at the age of 9 when his father was killed in a whaling accident. The records I found show that John was orphaned, however his father, William Hawkins (b. about 1832) died before John was 2 years old. In 1865, a widowed Mary Hawkins appears in the NY State Census with her three children, Rachel (b. abt. 1856), William (b. abt. 1860) and Henry (b. abt 1863) (yes, this is the wrong name but the correct name is used in later censuses). They are living with James and Elvira Barr and their daughter, Jane. Mary is listed as the sister-in-law of James Barr so, since she wasn't married to his brother (which would have made her Mary Barr), she must be either Elvira's sister or the wife of Elvira's brother. This census also tells us that Mary has been married once and is now widowed, while Elvira has been married twice and is currently married. And we learn that Mary is the mother of 4 children and Elvira is the mother of 6. This leaves 1 of Mary's children not living in the home and 5 of Elvira's children not in the home.
Going back to 1860, I find William and Mary Hawkins living in Brooklyn with their children, Rachel (b. abt. 1855) and James (b. abt. 1858). William is listed as a Watchman (security guard). It would not make sense to think that a watchman was killed in a whaling accident but the story John told of his father's death may actually be about his uncle since he never really knew his father. John did live with his uncle, James Barr from the time his father died until James died around the time John was 9 years old. As for the baby in the 1860 census named James Hawkins, I found a burial for the 2 year old James who died 1 Sep 1860 and is buried at the Evergreens in Brooklyn. His mother Mary (1830 - 5 Apr 1868), his brothers William (1860 - 4 May 1917) and John (22 Apr 1863 - 25 Apr 1953), and John's wife Mary Sherer Hawkins are all buried at the Evergreens as well.
I have a death certificate for a Mary Elizabeth Hawkins (1830 - 5 Apr 1868) that I believe is John's mother. I know that she had died by 1870 when Rachel, William and John Hawkins are living in the home of James and Elvira Barr and their children, Eugenia and Thomas. Relationships aren't listed in this census but occupations are and James Barr is listed as a Seaman. It is reasonable to think that when John spoke of his father dying in a whaling accident when he was just 9 years old that he meant his uncle, James Barr, who was a seaman and whom John would have known from age 2 to age 9.
By 1875 Elvira Barr has been widowed (James died in 1872). The census lists 3 sons as William, John, and Thomas Barr (it's not uncommon to see the children all listed with one surname even though they aren't brothers). The next family listed is that of John Leeper with his wife, Jennie (Eugenia Barr from the 1870 census) and son, James. And the family following is that of Andrew Harris and his wife, Jane (Jane Barr from the 1865 census) and their children, Theodore, Emma, Marie, and Andrew. I don't know what ever became of Rachel Hawkins.
And finally, by the 1880 census, Elvira has her own son, Thomas Barr still living with her, as well as William and John Hawkins listed as nephews. Eugenia Leeper is listed as Elvira's daughter and she is now widowed with three children, James, John, and Charles. Also living with them is a Rachael Griffin (b. abt. 1809), Elvira's mother (and likely the namesake for Mary's daughter). This would lead me to expect that Elvira Barr and Mary Hawkins would share the maiden name of Griffin unless Rachel had been married more than once but I haven't been able to confirm this.
When Mary's son William died, his brother, John provided the information for his death certificate and he gave their mother's maiden name as Mary Pell. Knowing that John had lost his father at age 2 and his mother at age 5, it wouldn't be surprising if he mistook Elvira's daughter's maiden names as his mother's maiden name (the death certificate where he provided the information was almost 50 years after the 5 year old boy had lost his mother).
This conjecture may seem forced but there are other records that lead me to believe this. The only information I have about Elvira's first marriage is on a couple of family trees posted on ancestry.com and although such trees are not reliable sources of information, they can be very useful tools to pursue further research. According to these trees Elvira's first husband was named Benjamin Tapel (although these trees give Elvira's name as Elvira Tidins). There is a marriage record for Eugenia Barr and John Leeper that gives Eugenia's maiden name as Eugenia Tapell. And in 1860 I find a record of an Edward Griffen with his wife, Emily and their sons William and John, having a 13 year old Jane Tepell living with them. I suspect this Edward Griffen is a brother to Elvira and Mary. Edward and Emily would later name a daughter Elvira, which although not unknown, was not a common name. There is also a death record for a Benjamin Tepell (b. abt. 1822) who died on 4 Sep 1858. I haven't located Elvira and her children in 1860 but if she was a recent widow at the time with two (or more) children, it would not be unheard of for one of those children to be staying with an uncle. Since both of Elvira's known daughters appear to possibly have the name Tapell/Tepell, it seems likely that this would have been Elvira's first husband.
So, with William and John growing up under circumstances where all the women in their lives were widowed young, and knowing their cousins by the name Tepell/Tapell, I don't believe it is far fetched to think that so many years later John may have mistaken Pell as his own mother's maiden name.
William Thomas (4 Sep 1915 - 25 Dec 1987), Francis Vincent (to my surprise his birth certificate says Vincent Francis and I doubt he ever knew it!) (16 Aug 1916 - 15 Apr 1996), John J. (28 Dec 1919 - 13 Sep 2006), and Clifford James (16 Jun 1922 - 17 Nov 2008) were the sons of William Thomas Hawkins (6 May 1890 - 15 Feb 1962) and Margaret Kenny (13 Mar 1891 - 10 Oct 1981). Margaret was adopted as a baby, her birth name was Joanna Smith , daughter of John Smith and Margaret Cross/Roche. Margaret Kenny had been engaged to William's brother, John Hawkins (b. 8 Apr 1889) but John died 16 Dec 1911 at just 21 years old. Almost three years later, on 15 Nov 1914 Margaret married John's younger brother, William.
The next younger brother of John and William was George Edward (b. 5 Aug 1892). George married Emma Desmond and their children were George E., Evelyn Marie, and Harold Joseph. I never met this branch of the family.
Benjamin Franklin Hawkins (13 Aug 1899 - 12 Nov 1967) was the youngest of the four brothers. He chose to go by the name of Robert Hawkins but records are found under the name of Benjamin. Benjamin married Mary O'Connell (29 Oct 1900 - 13 Feb 1985) and they were the parents of Mary A., Joseph Edward, and Betty.
The parents of John, William Thomas Sr., George and Benjamin Franklin were John Hawkins (22 Apr 1863 - 25 Apr 1953) and Mary Sherer (1 Mar 1869/70 - 13 Nov 1935). John's genealogy is the subject of this post.
The story I was told about John Hawkins was that he was orphaned at the age of 9 when his father was killed in a whaling accident. The records I found show that John was orphaned, however his father, William Hawkins (b. about 1832) died before John was 2 years old. In 1865, a widowed Mary Hawkins appears in the NY State Census with her three children, Rachel (b. abt. 1856), William (b. abt. 1860) and Henry (b. abt 1863) (yes, this is the wrong name but the correct name is used in later censuses). They are living with James and Elvira Barr and their daughter, Jane. Mary is listed as the sister-in-law of James Barr so, since she wasn't married to his brother (which would have made her Mary Barr), she must be either Elvira's sister or the wife of Elvira's brother. This census also tells us that Mary has been married once and is now widowed, while Elvira has been married twice and is currently married. And we learn that Mary is the mother of 4 children and Elvira is the mother of 6. This leaves 1 of Mary's children not living in the home and 5 of Elvira's children not in the home.
Going back to 1860, I find William and Mary Hawkins living in Brooklyn with their children, Rachel (b. abt. 1855) and James (b. abt. 1858). William is listed as a Watchman (security guard). It would not make sense to think that a watchman was killed in a whaling accident but the story John told of his father's death may actually be about his uncle since he never really knew his father. John did live with his uncle, James Barr from the time his father died until James died around the time John was 9 years old. As for the baby in the 1860 census named James Hawkins, I found a burial for the 2 year old James who died 1 Sep 1860 and is buried at the Evergreens in Brooklyn. His mother Mary (1830 - 5 Apr 1868), his brothers William (1860 - 4 May 1917) and John (22 Apr 1863 - 25 Apr 1953), and John's wife Mary Sherer Hawkins are all buried at the Evergreens as well.
I have a death certificate for a Mary Elizabeth Hawkins (1830 - 5 Apr 1868) that I believe is John's mother. I know that she had died by 1870 when Rachel, William and John Hawkins are living in the home of James and Elvira Barr and their children, Eugenia and Thomas. Relationships aren't listed in this census but occupations are and James Barr is listed as a Seaman. It is reasonable to think that when John spoke of his father dying in a whaling accident when he was just 9 years old that he meant his uncle, James Barr, who was a seaman and whom John would have known from age 2 to age 9.
By 1875 Elvira Barr has been widowed (James died in 1872). The census lists 3 sons as William, John, and Thomas Barr (it's not uncommon to see the children all listed with one surname even though they aren't brothers). The next family listed is that of John Leeper with his wife, Jennie (Eugenia Barr from the 1870 census) and son, James. And the family following is that of Andrew Harris and his wife, Jane (Jane Barr from the 1865 census) and their children, Theodore, Emma, Marie, and Andrew. I don't know what ever became of Rachel Hawkins.
And finally, by the 1880 census, Elvira has her own son, Thomas Barr still living with her, as well as William and John Hawkins listed as nephews. Eugenia Leeper is listed as Elvira's daughter and she is now widowed with three children, James, John, and Charles. Also living with them is a Rachael Griffin (b. abt. 1809), Elvira's mother (and likely the namesake for Mary's daughter). This would lead me to expect that Elvira Barr and Mary Hawkins would share the maiden name of Griffin unless Rachel had been married more than once but I haven't been able to confirm this.
When Mary's son William died, his brother, John provided the information for his death certificate and he gave their mother's maiden name as Mary Pell. Knowing that John had lost his father at age 2 and his mother at age 5, it wouldn't be surprising if he mistook Elvira's daughter's maiden names as his mother's maiden name (the death certificate where he provided the information was almost 50 years after the 5 year old boy had lost his mother).
This conjecture may seem forced but there are other records that lead me to believe this. The only information I have about Elvira's first marriage is on a couple of family trees posted on ancestry.com and although such trees are not reliable sources of information, they can be very useful tools to pursue further research. According to these trees Elvira's first husband was named Benjamin Tapel (although these trees give Elvira's name as Elvira Tidins). There is a marriage record for Eugenia Barr and John Leeper that gives Eugenia's maiden name as Eugenia Tapell. And in 1860 I find a record of an Edward Griffen with his wife, Emily and their sons William and John, having a 13 year old Jane Tepell living with them. I suspect this Edward Griffen is a brother to Elvira and Mary. Edward and Emily would later name a daughter Elvira, which although not unknown, was not a common name. There is also a death record for a Benjamin Tepell (b. abt. 1822) who died on 4 Sep 1858. I haven't located Elvira and her children in 1860 but if she was a recent widow at the time with two (or more) children, it would not be unheard of for one of those children to be staying with an uncle. Since both of Elvira's known daughters appear to possibly have the name Tapell/Tepell, it seems likely that this would have been Elvira's first husband.
So, with William and John growing up under circumstances where all the women in their lives were widowed young, and knowing their cousins by the name Tepell/Tapell, I don't believe it is far fetched to think that so many years later John may have mistaken Pell as his own mother's maiden name.
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