#52 Ancestors 2022 Week 26 Identity: Who Was Mrs. Henry Boswell?

On the whole, I have been pretty successful in tracking down my ancestors and filling out my family tree. However, one of my brick walls is the identity of my 4-X great grandmother, the first wife of Henry Boswell. 

Henry Boswell, whom I believe to be the oldest son of Matthew Boswell of Charles County MD, was born about 1761. His mother or step-mother was named Jane. 

He was the proprietor of a Tavern in Nottingham, Prince George's County MD and ran a ferry service across the Patuxent River to Calvert County.  

He was also an inspector of public roads for the Nottingham district and a collector of customs at the port of Nottingham. He was an Anglican, worshipping at St. Paul's Church in Prince George's County. 

Henry probably married about 1783, when he was in his early 20’s, and may have had a daughter Jane born about 1784. He had at least two daughters and a son in this marriage.  The first daughter, Jane, I'm a little uncertain about.  The other three I'm certain are Henry's children:

(?) Jane M. Boswell about 1784

Ann Smith Boswell 24 August 1791

William Henry Smith Boswell 1794

Eliza Smith Boswell 1798 (my 3-X great grandmother, who married John Scrivener in 1817, and had twelve children with him, but that's another story).

The 1800 Census of Prince George's County shows that Henry Boswell's household fits this pattern, keeping in mind that this census only gave the name of the head of household.  The rest were just listed by age ranges. 

So, there's Henry, age 26 to 45 (born 1756-1774), 

1 male under 10 (born 1790-1800) William?, 

2 males 16-25 (born 1775-1784) Don't know who these are 

3 females under 10 Ann and Eliza and ?

2 females 10-15 Jane and ?  

and 2 females 26-45 one is probably his wife; don't know who the other is. 

He also had 23 slaves. 

I'm not sure who the extra people are in his household.  They could be relatives, in-laws, or servants.  Anyway, this household does account for Henry, his wife and at least four children, consistent with the list above. 

In the 1810 Census of Prince George's County, both Henry and his presumed wife are over the age of 45 (born before 1765).  Henry marries for the second time in 1811, so his first wife probably died around that time.

Now, I'm sure you can spot the big clue there about the name of the mother of these children--that's right, Smith!  It just screams right at you.

If only their middle name was Kleinfluffer or something a little more unusual, it wouldn't be too hard to figure out the name of Henry Boswell's wife.  But Smith, well...

The good news and the bad news is that there is a very prominent family of Smiths in the area where Henry lived.  But none of them were named William Henry or William or Henry, so the easy option is ruled out.  When I see the names of the three daughters, I assume that at least one of them was named for her mother.  That would mean I'm probably looking for an Ann, Jane, or Eliza Smith of an age to be married by about 1783, so born by about 1765 or earlier, consistent with the Census data above. 

Henry Boswell married for a second time in 1811 to Eleanor Pickrell and had two more daughters with her: Elizabeth Ellen in 1814 and Priscilla Jane in 1819.  That means Ms. Smith, the first wife, died sometime around 1811. Unfortunately, I haven't found a nice long obituary spelling out her family background. Drat!

The Smiths, the family that I believe Henry married into, lived across the Patuxent in Smithville, Calvert County (now known as Dunkirk). Since Henry ran the ferry across the Patuxent, he would naturally be spending time over on the other side of the river, and Smithville is almost directly across from Nottingham. As shown in the map below, Nottingham is in the area where my Sasscer and Summers ancestors also lived, near Croom and North Keys. Smithville, in Calvert County, is in the general vicinity of Friendship, where the Scriveners lived. 

The village of Nottingham, by the way, no longer exists, just vanished.  All that remains is a sign on an obscure back road. I wonder if the British soldiers might have raided Henry Boswell's tavern while they were camped in the area?

So, who lived in Smithville?  One clue about who lived there is who died there, and there is a Smith Family Cemetery in Smithville, with about 18 burials.  The earliest one is Fielder Bowie Smith, born 1775, died 1844. Fielder was the son of Mordecai Smith and Phoebe Finch (who, by the way, went on to marry yet another Smith--George Smith--after her husband Mordecai's death).  Fielder Bowie Smith married twice, first to Sarah Smith Plummer and second to Lucy Middleton Smith.  (You are noticing the pattern here, right?)

As it turns out, Henry's son, William Henry Smith Boswell, married two of the daughters of Fielder Bowie Smith: Elizabeth Ann Smith and Phoebe Finch Smith.  Marrying one's cousins was certainly not unheard of in this time period. William and both of his wives are also buried in the Smithville cemetery. 

Fielder Bowie Smith had a younger brother, Mordecai Finch Smith, born 1777, died 1834. He also married twice: first in 1810 to Jane M. Boswell, Henry's possible daughter, and second to Ann Wheeler Kent in 1821. 

As far as I can find out, Fielder Bowie Smith and Mordecai Finch Smith did not have a sister, and even if they did, it is very unlikely that Mordecai would have married his own niece. Looking further back in the Smith family, Fielder and Mordecai did have an uncle Daniel Smith, but I have not found any information about his possible family. And there is always the mysterious cousin George Smith who was the step-father of Fielder and Mordecai.  I don't know anything about him either. But maybe Daniel or George had daughters who could have married Henry Boswell. 

More bad news: Calvert County is one of those places that has suffered multiple courthouse fires, so no chance of finding a probate file that conveniently names all the Smith children and their spouses. )-: 

As for the rest of Henry's children with Ms. Smith:

Jane M. Boswell, as noted above, married Mordecai Finch Smith and had a daughter, Ann Stockett Smith. She died about 1821, predeceasing Henry.

Ann Smith Boswell married twice: first to Samuel Wood, with whom she had three children--William Henry, Mary Jane and Susan Jane; second to Joseph Chaney, with whom she also had three children--Joseph, Samuel, and Selima. She died in Anne Arundel County MD in 1874.

William Henry Smith Boswell, as noted above, married Smith sisters and had eleven children with his second wife: Eliza Virginia, Mordecai Finch , William Henry Smith, Fielder Bowie Smith, Susan, Ann, John Emory, George, Francis Asbury McCallum, Mary Elizabeth, and Bernard Boswell. He died in Calvert County MD in 1865.

Eliza Smith Boswell (my 3-X great grandmother) married John Scrivener at Nottingham (probably at her father's tavern) in 1817, and had twelve children with him: John Henry, Sarah Jane, Samuel Wesley, Elizabeth Ann, William Boswell (my 2-X great grandfather), Elizabeth Sydney, Francis George, James Edward, Mary Priscilla, twins Maria Louisa and Emily Augusta, and Rose Matilda Scrivener. She died in Baltimore MD in 1874.

So, there are definitely some family connections between the Smiths of Calvert County and the Boswells of Prince George's County. I keep prowling around the existing land and probate records, hoping there is a further clue out there somewhere, like someone giving property to their dear daughter who married Henry Boswell or naming their esteemed son-in-law Henry Boswell. But so far, no luck.   

Or, it could be a completely different Smith family. Or Henry was just good friends with some Smiths, but didn’t actually marry into the family. Sigh!

One final trick I have tried in the past: look at the grandchildren's names, in this case focusing on the girls.  Surely one of Henry's children would have named a daughter after their own mother?  Here's what we have among Henry's granddaughters:

Ann Stockett Smith (Why Stockett?  Is this a clue or just a red herring designed to confuse future family historians?)

Mary Jane Wood

Susan Jane Wood

Selima Ann Chaney

Eliza Virginia Boswell

Susan P. Boswell

Anne R. Boswell

Mary Eliza Boswell

Sarah Jane Scrivener

Eliza Ann Scrivener

Elizabeth Sydney Scrivener

Mary Priscilla Scrivener

Maria Louisa Scrivener

Emily Augusta Scrivener

Rose Matilda Scrivener

Unfortunately, I don't see a strong pattern here.  A couple of Ann's, a couple of Eliza's, a couple of Susans and some Janes in the middle.  I'm sure that at least one of these girls is named for her Grandmother Boswell.  But which one?

Henry Boswell died in Prince George's County MD 10 November 1821 at about the age of 60. 

Henry did leave a will, written in August 1821.  He leaves his property in Nottingham to his wife Eleanor and names his two unmarried daughters: Elizabeth Ellen and Priscilla Jane.  His wife and his son William H.S. Boswell are his executors.  He does not mention any of his grandchildren. 

As an aside, both Mordecai F. Smith and Joseph Chaney show up in the settlement of Henry's estate, so they did at least have some acquaintance with him, although they are not specifically identified as his sons-in-law.

#52 Ancestors 2022 Week 36 Exploration: The Three Sisters Travel the World

 

The Three Sisters ca. 1953

I am very lucky to have two sisters, Louise and Maripat, and even more lucky that we enjoy travelling together. As you can probably tell from the picture above, we have always been ready for adventure. 

For many years now, we have planned Three Sisters Trips together once or twice a year.  At first, we went fairly close to home, like Philadelphia or Virginia, just looking for a brief escape from children and work.  But at some point, we discovered cruising and then our adventures really took off around the world. Sometimes there are only two sisters and sometimes we have allowed spouses, siblings and children to accompany us (at their own risk, of course).  But we still think of our adventures as Three Sisters trips; it's our brand. 

Three Sisters in Philly

This map has an X on every country we have travelled to, outside the United States.  We have covered Europe fairly well, still considering whether we can make it to Africa or South America. 

One of our first "foreign" adventures was a cruise from New England to Montreal in 2005. 

We returned to Canada several other times. On a cruise to Alaska, we ended our trip in Vancouver and visited the gorgeous Butchart Gardens.  It remains one of our favorite places of all time. 

We returned to Canada again to visit Calgary and Lake Louise.  Of course, since one of my sisters is Louise, we had to see the Lake named after her. 

Maripat and I enjoyed a cruise on the West Coast of the US in 2009, with stops in San Francisco, Astoria, Seattle, and Vancouver BC. We had a chance to visit some excellent wineries in Sonoma and checked out Stanley Park in Vancouver. Here we are in Astoria OR. We bought the hats there because it was so cold. 

One year, I was lucky enough to win a trip to Hawaii for two.  Fortunately, my sister Louise was available to go with me.  We toured the Big Island in a snappy convertible, checked out the local volcano, and tried our hands at snorkeling while we were there. 

When two of us retired in 2013, we celebrated with a Baltic cruise, where we visited Germany, Estonia, Russia, Sweden, and Denmark. We visited the home of the Nobel Prize in Stockholm and a reconstructed Viking ship in Denmark. One highlight of a very hot day in Berlin was a visit to the Berlin Wall. And we especially loved the chance to visit the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. 

Three Sisters at the Berlin Wall

Louise and I enjoyed a Caribbean cruise with my sons.  Louise graciously filled in at the last minute, when my two daughters-in-law were unable to join us, one with a new baby, and one expecting her first child. (You have to book these trips way ahead of time!) We had a great time south of the border, including going snorkeling in Belize. My sons were able to do what they wanted, and Louise and I were able to go where we wanted, which wasn't usually the same places.  So, the boys didn't want to go zip-lining in the jungle with us?  Who knew? We met up for dinner and compared notes. 

We all enjoyed playing with the monkeys in the jungle, though. 

Two Sisters at Blarney Castle

When my chapter of the Sweet Adelines proposed a singing trip to Ireland, I was all in.  Again, my sister Louise volunteered to keep me company as we warbled our way around the Emerald Isle; well, I warbled, Louise shopped.  We saw the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry, Blarney Castle, and of course, the Guiness brewery and the Book of Kells in Dublin. (And no, just for the record, we did not kiss the Blarney Stone.  That requires way more athletic ability than either of us had.)

Probably our most spectacular trip was a Mediterranean cruise with our brother Phil, where we booked the Haven suite with three bedrooms and enjoyed being pampered for two weeks while we travelled through Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Croatia.

Three Sisters at Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

Three Sisters plus one brother in Florence

 The pandemic certainly put a damper on our travel plans, but as soon as we were able, my sister Louise and I took advantage of a lull to try a river cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, stopping at many lovely German cities along the way, and finishing up with a few days at Lake Lucerne. (Covid testing every day aboard the ship!) 

Two Sisters in Koln

The longest trip we have taken is to Australia and New Zealand, with my sister Maripat.  One of her sisters-in-law was stationed in New Zealand, and we took advantage of the chance to visit Down Under at Christmas.  Having a summertime Christmas was definitely a new experience; we had a Christmas day picnic. We did an amazing cruise around New Zealand, including a visit to the Hobbiton set built for the Lord of the Rings movies. A  highlight for me, since Lord of the Rings is probably my favorite book of all time. I also got to visit up close with some koalas and kangeroos and attend a performance at the world-famous Sydney Opera House. 

One Sister at the Sydney Opera House

Here is our group with Smaug the Dragon from Lord of the Rings.

Meanwhile, the Three Sisters have recently taken themselves to beautiful Sedona AZ to soak up sun and the energetic vibrations. 

Three Sisters in Sedona

And we're looking forward to our next cruise (Around the British Isles).  We've had to cancel this once due to the pandemic, but we are hoping it will sail this year so we can visit Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and London. 

If you want to see the world, there's no better way than in the company of the sisters who understand your quirks and put up with you anyway, most of the time. 

#52 Ancestors 2022 Week 27 Extended Family: Calvert County Cousins

Calvert County MD 1865

 The Scrivener family from whom I am directly descended lived in the southernmost part of Anne Arundel County MD, around the present-day village of Friendship. 

However, in the early 1800's, a branch of the Scriveners began to appear in Calvert County MD, just a few miles from the border with Anne Arundel. 

I don't have definitive evidence that these two branches of the family are connected, but it stands to reason that they are.  So here is what I know about my Calvert County cousins.

The first Scrivener to appear was Francis Scrivener, shown on the 1810 Census in a household with 2 males between 16 and 26, one male under 10, one female between 16 and 26, one female between 26 and 45, and one female under 10.

Although I don't have definitive proof for this, I am assuming that this Francis is the youngest son of my 6X-great grandfather, Francis Scrivener.  In his 1797 will, Francis Sr. charges his son John with the care of his brother, Francis, implying that Francis is a minor or in some way not capable of caring for himself. 

In the 1800 Census, just three years after Francis Sr.'s death, my 5X-great grandfather, John Scrivener, who was about 20 years old at the time and not married, is in a household with a male under 10 and 2 females. I am fairly certain that the young boy is his brother Francis and the two young women are his unmarried sisters, Mary and Sarah. 

So, back to the 1810 Census. Assuming that Francis was between 16 and 26 years old in 1810, he was born between 1784 and 1794.  Given that name and date of birth, he certainly fits the profile for being John Scrivener's youngest sibling. I assume that he is married in 1810 and probably around 20 years old. I also assume that Francis is the father of the two young children in the census and probably married a few years earlier. It is possible, though, that these are step-children from a previous marriage of his wife, who appears to be a little older than Francis. I have not been able to determine the name of Francis's wife, but I am calling her Ellen because that is the name of the only daughter I can attribute to this family. 

This Francis served in the militia in the War of 1812, in the same company as his presumed older brother, John Scrivener, under the leadership of Captain Thomas Simmons. 

By 1820, Francis and Ellen (?) had produced quite a large family.  Francis was between 26 and 45 years of age and had nine males under the age of 10 (!), one male 10 to 16, and one female between 16 and 26. Either Francis was running a boarding school or he had ten sons.  I have not found Francis in the 1830 census, so I assume he has died by then or moved out of the county. 

Unfortunately, of the ten presumed sons of Francis, I can only identify a few, and even then, I'm guessing. 

The son that I'm most sure about is Captain Thomas Scrivener. (I wonder if he could have been named for his father's old commander, Thomas Simmons? This is the first appearance of the name Thomas in the Scrivener line.)  

Thomas Scrivener appears in the 1840 Census of Calvert County with 3 sons and a daughter.  He appears again in 1850, living in the Second District, a farmer and planter. The census gives his age as 40, while a family Bible and other records put his birth about 1805.  In either case he is the right age to be a son of Francis.  In his 1850 household are his wife Ann, and children Thomas, Francis, Charles, Margaret, Ellen and Louisa Jane. It is the son named Francis that convinces me of Thomas's parentage. 

Captain Thomas was a mariner.  He is said to have done the rigging when the statue of George Washington was raised to its pedestal on the Mount Vernon Square monument in 1829.  The city directory for that year shows him living in Baltimore.

Thomas married Ann about 1830 when he was 25 and Ann was about 20 years old.  Their son John Thomas Scrivener was born in 1832, their son Francis in 1834, their son Charles Washington in 1836, followed by four daughters: Margaret 1837, Ellen 1840, Louisa Jane 1844 and Susan 1846. 

According to a family Bible, Thomas's wife Ann died in 1883 at the age of 73.  Thomas died in 1889 at the age of 84.

John Thomas Scrivener married Barbara Jane Rawlings about 1865 and they had a daughter Cora Elizabeth.

Francis Scrivener married Rebecca Wood in 1861 and they had four sons: Francis, George, Wesley and William, and five daughters: Frances, Mollie, Hattie, Ida, and Florence. 

Charles Washington Scrivener married Christina Virginia Kelton about 1875.  They had five sons: Charles Orville, Maurice Kelton, Thomas Carlton, Guy Frederick, and Grover Cleveland Scrivener.

Ellen Scrivener married Richard Trott and they had children: Katie, Emma, William Edward, and Sarah Ellen Trott.

As to other possible sons of Francis and Ellen (?) Scrivener, I have two other possibilities.  One is James Scrivener, born about 1819, who travelled along the National Road from Maryland to Ohio, along with a great many other Calvert Countians. He ended up in Belmont County OH where he married Elizabeth Cox and they had a son John Francis Scrivener, who was a shoemaker.  According to the family in Ohio, James came from Calvert County. Several other Scrivener cousins also ended up in Belmont County. 

The second possible son of Francis is Henry Scrivener, born about 1820.  He is shown in the 1850 Census of Calvert County MD along with his wife Eliza, age 25 and daughter Margaret, age 10.  Henry was a miller, who died sometime after 1880.  Margaret Scrivener married Reverdy Emory King and had 8 children with him before her death in 1886.

I think that Francis's daughter was Ellen Scrivener, born about 1816.  She married Essom Monnett in Calvert County and had at least three children: Elizabeth, Charles, and Barbara Jane Monnett. 

As for the other seven boys in Francis's household, I don't know.  Some of them probably died young, an all too common occurrence.  Others may have moved out of the county where I have not been able to connect them to Francis.

So that is what I know about my Calvert County Scrivener Cousins.  I'm always hopeful another one will turn up unexpectedly.  Unfortunately, Calvert County is one of those places that suffered multiple court house fires, so a great many records that might have revealed more about the family are lost.  But you never know when somebody will find that long-lost family Bible in the attic. Fingers crossed!