Tag Archives: Smith

Favorite Photo/ 52 Ancestors

Family Photo about 1850

This is one of my favorite photos, the picture tells me much, I just wish it told me who they are!

I believe the photo to have been taken in Scotland about 1850 dating the clothes and hair styles and the photographers information on the folder.

The photo reminds me of Sunday morning when trying to get little people ready for church. The little ones are dressed and looking cute as buttons. Whereas Dad is looking a bit ascue! Tie is not quite right and his collar is not right, can’t tell for sure if it should be up or down ! I can see two little ones scampering all over his lap before they were made to sit still for the photo, which in this time period is a bit of sitting still.

The on last question I have, is where is Mom? I am not sure if this is a common setting for a photo or not for that time period. As genealogy goes always questions!

Happy Hunting

Julie

Amanuesnsis Monday-History of Dresden Presbyterian Church 1819-1919/Part 2/

Amanuensis Monday – An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. 

The following History will be presented in 6 parts each one being posted on Monday.  This is a History of the Presbyterian Church in Dresden Ohio as of 1919, that is in my possession.  My Great Grandfather was the Pastor of the Church when this piece was commissioned. I have pulled it from a earlier posting on my rootsweb family website. I hope that it brings information you can use or maybe an interesting read. Enjoy! There is more to Dresden then baskets 😀

 1819- Dresden Presbyterian Church History -1919
written by Mrs. T.M. (Mary Louise Cresap) Stevenson

CHRONOLOGY

 First Pastor-Rev. Prescott B. Smith(1819-1823)

Rev. Prescott B. Smith, the third member of the Presbyterial Commitee and noble Triumvirate, became our very first Pastor. He was a native of Vermont, was educated at Middlebury College, and ordained at Newark in 1818. He began preaching in 1818 soon after his ordination, lived in Irville. He so continued until his death in 1823, aged only twenty-nine.

Though only twenty-nine at his death, Rev. Prescott B. Smith was the Nestor of our Pastors. Some of our honored guests this evening are his grandchildren, viz., the familie of the late Mr. Horace Smith, of Adams Mills, faithful, active members of the Adams Mills Presbyterian Church. His works do follow him and his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are amoung us, a blessing today.

Charter Members

The Church records give the Charter members in the following order: Daniel Stillwell, Esq., Joseph F. Munro, John C. Stockton, Mrs Mary Smith, (wife of pastor), Mary Munro, (wife of J.F.), Mrs. Sohpie Cass, (wife of G.W.), Mrs. Mary Cass, (wife of Major Jonathan), and Rev. Hildreth adds Major Jonathan Cass. As Mrs. Munro was the daughter of Major Jonathan Cass, and Rev. and Mrs. Hildreth made their home with Mrs. Munro, Mrs. Hildreth’s mother, Rev. Hildreth’s testimony is accurate.

Major Jonathan Cass was the great-grandfather of Mrs. J.W.P. Ried, Zanesville; Miss Mary Munro, Granville; Mrs. Rhoda Dunmead, Newark; Mrs. Minnie Dunmead, of the Old Munro Home; former members of the Dresden chruch and now active Presbyterians in their home towns, with one exception, and we welcome them to this Centennial reunion as we look in their faces.

Mrs. Sophie Cass, wife of George W. Cass, another Charter member, is represented in Dresden today by the widow of Dr. Edward Cass and their two sons, Dr. Edward McDowell Cass and George Cass, both soldiers in the Great War. Dr. Edward attained the title of his ancestor, “Major” overseas, and George, a non-Com on this side.

Daniel Stillwell, Esq., was great-grandfather to the Scott families, of Adams Mills, as well as to the Horace Smith families, and wonder of wonders, Hamilton Scott’s daughter, great-great-grandaughter, is present tonight helping us to celebrate and to keep the ideas of Daniel Stillwell, Esq., in the Church active. The Scotts are also grandchildren of another of our Charter members, John C. Stockton. John F. Munro, the very first elder of this Church, and his wife, Mary G. Munro, both Charter members, were also represented by here Mrs. Ried, Miss Munro and Mrs. R. Drunmead, her grandchildren. Was ever a church so blessed?

Think of it! The descendants of every single one of the Founders of this Church gathered together to help celebrate its Centennial, and all still faithful workers in the Presbyterian Church. We heartily welcome you all to this, our “Home-coming.”

Second Pastor-Rev. James Parmele(1824-1825)

Rev. James Parmele surely had a vision of the future of our Church, for he arranged to preach in the town of Dresden. He obtained the town log school house located where the Union School Building now stands, and there held his preaching services. Rev. Parmele had faith in the increase and prosperity of the town and the Church must needs be in the center of the town and grow with it. He remains only a little over a year.

Third Pastor-Rev. Ebenezer Churchill(1825-1829)

Before the close of 1825 came the Rev. Ebenezer Churchill to care for our Zion. He ministered to the three Churches, Dresden, Adams Mills and Irville, where he lived, and gave each Church one-third of his time. He was a man of great energy, physically, mentally and spiritually. He frequently walked to his appointments, even all the way from Irville to Adams Mills, twelve miles.

The Church had then only one elder, Mr. Joseph F. Munro. There was always harmony in the session. At the suggestion of Rev. Churchill two more were added viz., Daniel Stillwell and John C. Stockton, by the choice of the congregation and session. Rev. Churchill labored with the Chruch from 1825 to 1829. During his pastorate there were received into the Church (1829) by examination, Mr. Gilbert Shaw, and Phoebe, the wife of William F. Compton, of Dresden. Received also, by letter, George Smith and his wife Polly. He also received into the Church by Baptism, three infants, viz., Henry Munro, son of J.F. and Mary G. Munro; Mary Selden, daughter of G.W. and Sophie Cass; and Samuel Shaw, son of Gilbert and Phoebe Shaw.

Fourth Pastor-Rev. John Pitkin(1829-1836)

Very soon after the departure of Rev. Churchill, Rev. John Pitkin began his labors with the Dresden Church. By this time the school house was brick and was built on the mound in what is now the Cemetery. That sounds strange, but then it was not “Gods Acre.” That was then east of the canal bridge as you go down to Old Town. When the canal was dug the cemetery was removed to its present location and the school house was returned to its former and present situation.

Rev. Pitkin was a graduate of the Ohio University at Athens, (then under Presbyterian supervision). Mrs. Pitkin was a daughter of President Wilson of that University. For a while Rev. Pitkin lived in Irville. Very soon he came back to Dresden and built a house of his own. We are glad to know that house still stands. It was the former residence of Mrs. Michael Carter, was from Main Stree back to the alley and new house errected on the site where Mr. Joshua Stump now lives, and Rev. Pitkin’s house is Mr. Stump’s garage. Another Presbyterian minister lived in Rev. Pitkin’s house, viz., Rev. William Wallace. He and his eldest son had the Dresden paper. His second son, James Wallace, was a musician and a jeweler, and he married Miss Amelia Ingalls, daughter of Major J.N. Ingalls, one of the ruling elder of our Church. Rev. Wallace has also a little daughter, Amelia, and a little son, Chalmers. Amelia later married Joames White, who was principle of the high school when the Stevenson brother, Thos. M. and Robert W., his successor, were superintendents. James White is now D. D., and their son is now a successful pastor in Ohio, both in the United Presbyterian Church. Rev. Wallace lived and died in Rev. Pitkin’s house. It was a good house of seven rooms, five below and a center hall, and two above.

Mrs. Pitkin deserves special attention. She had ideals and carried them out. She organized the First Female Prayer Meeting in Dresden, which met at her home. Then she had a vison of the Church of the future and organized the First Sabbath School ever held in Dresden and conducted it regulary, every Sabbath, in her own home. She had no helpers at first. What ever did she do with the restless little ones? How did she teach the adults at the same time? The Female Prayer Meeting soon developed worker to assist her. From that Sabbath School in 1829 to 1919-these ninety years-the Presbyterian Chruch has kept up faithfully its Sabbath School, though started by a woman.

One out come of Mrs. Pitkin’s Sabbath School was that of Ainlab S. Armenia, gathered together by Mrs. Josephine Lemert Coffing and her husband, Rev. Jackson Coffing. It was then-1860-the largest Sabbath School in the world and numbered 1600. Mrs. Pitkin has had efficient, untiring successors as Sabbath School Superintendents ever since, down to the present incumbent, S.F. Spencer.

When Rev. Hilderth was pastor the Catechism and Bible verse were recited. Elmira Rambo led with 963 verses and the School recited 1496 texts, in one month. Miss Rambo later became a faithful teacher, and though unable to hear the sermon, was always in her place in Church, and said Dr. Macleod , an inspiration to him as pastor, faithful till called up higher. Today the Christian word studies the same lesson. Is not this an answer to Christ’s prayer?-“That they may be one.” Never before were so many adults in the Sabbath School, but we can only say, “all were faithful workers and we are thankful for them.”

The Church was growing steadily. Rev. Pitkin so inspired the people that they began to talk of a Church Building. This culminated in a meeting of the Session at one o’clock, December 1, 1833. It was resolved “That a subscription paper be opened for the purpose of construction a Presbyterian Meeting House in the town of Dresden.” Later, September10, 1835, John C. Stockton, one of the ruling elders, was appointed to solicit and recieve donation for the Building of this “Meeting House.”

In 1835 Rev. James Harrison took charge of the Church of Irville. Rev. Pitkin was still pastor in Dresden and that winter-1835-Rev. Harrions assisted him in a series of meetings. Many were added to this Church. In the spring of 1836 Rev. Pitkin had another revival. There are among those names that will interest some of you, viz., Laban Lemert and Lucy Ann, his wife; Mrs. Webb; Mrs Alloways; Mrs. Caroline Brice; Mrs. Catherine Wolf; Miss Julia Stockton; Frances B. Stockton; and Archibald Blackburn Brice, who later became D.D., the first Minister of the Gospel sent out from the Dresden Presbyterian Church. He studied at Meadville College and was some years ago the consecrated Pastor of the Nelsonville Presbyterian Church of Athens Presbytery.

An interesting Sessions Record occured April 27, 1833, which throw light upon the Presbytery to which we belonged. We quote: “On motion, Resolved, That this Session apply to the Lancaster Presbytery, in this State, for a continuance of the yearly sum, heretofore allowed, to the Rev. John Pitkin by the Assembly Board of Missions; his places of preaching to be designated as Dresden, Muskingum, Stillwell and Wachatomaka Settlement.” ” Also, on motion, Resolved, That this Session apply to the Lancaster Presbytery for the ministeral labors of Rev. John Pitkin as ‘Stated Supply’ form that first of May, (this was April 27), for one year for half his time.”(Church growing before we only had one -third)

Following this action was another revival and increase in membership. The Rev. Pitkin enthused the people to “rise up speedily and build.” In May, 1836, the Building Committee for the Presbyterian Church of Dresden was appointed. God’s House is so dear to us we would remember these names.

Building Committee for the Presbyterian Church of Dresden: Laban Lemert, George W. Cass, W.W. Brice, Thomsa M. Barson, and Dr. A.H. Brown.

The building was begun in 1836 and by the summer of 1837 it was finished with rough seats for temporary use. In the spring of 1838 it was completed, at a cost of $1,500, and God’s people rejoiced.

Rev. Pitkin had resigned his pulpit in the late spring of 1836, after faithful, notable service of seven years. His departure was much regretted by all. Then the Church called one they already knew and loved for our Fifth Pastor.

Part 1 Part 3

Happy Hunting

Maritime Monday/Capt. David Smith

Capt. David C. Smith
Captain of the HMS Athens

Capt David C. Smith was christened on 8 May 1832 Dundee, Angus, Scotland to Alexander and Jean Nicholl Smith.

I know very little of his early life, the few pieces that I do have come from a letter written by his cousin, my second great -grandmother. Ellen said that he was a much-loved cousin whom she had spent her childhood with as her parents had died when she was young of the small pox. She also notes in her letter that David was a Godly man, and that he had addressed  the Sabbath school children on the previous Sunday the 13 of May. May 17 fell on a Wednesday that year. He attended the Scottish Presbyterian Church. Ellen also notes that David was going to help her and her 6 children out financially as her husband Byron had perished on March 6 of that same year.

I was given a letter that David wrote. His grandson shared it with me. I believe that he was a well seasoned sailor and to have been a Captain at 33 must have been a testimony to that. The letter tells of his many travels and ports that he visited. He was quite thrilled when visiting Rio de Janeiro but he did comment about how lavish the city was and how not far from the center that destitution was rampant. Something sadly you will find still to this day.

David married Jane Elliot Nicholson in which year I am not curtain at this writing I have not posted this information to my data base and I need to retrieve it from my hard drive. Always work to do, grin.

The Gale of “65′ is a well know disaster that took place at the Cape of Good Hope, as this port is one ravaged by many storms this must mean this storm was above the standard fare for that port. The RMS Athens was his ship and he had just acquired commission of this ship two days earlier. She was a mail ship. The great gale came roaring in with such force that 22 ship suffered damage that day.  The Athens anchors were parted and David asked for birthing at an unfinished dock and was denied the birthing by the harbor master. He then set out for open seas. Sadly they ship made it only past the mouth of the bay before a huge wave took out her boilers and left her to the mercies of the seas. All hand were lost, except for the Second and Third mates as they were on shore when the weather went bad and they could not join their ship.

Here is a short piece from the  ‘The Illustrated London News’, July 29th, 1865.

ATHENS

From ‘The Illustrated London News’, July 29th, 1865.
On May 17th, a fierce storm swept Table Bay and, in endeavouring to steam out of the bay after her anchors had parted, the ‘Athens’ was carried broadside upon rocks at Green Point, between the lighthouses. Signals of distress were
made but it was impossible to give assistance, there being no lines or rescue equipment at the lighthouses. She struck at seven o’clock p.m., and screams for help were clearly heard by those on shore. Her back broke and at about ten o’clock all cries for help ceased. Nothing remained of the ship by daybreak except her engines and boilers. There were no passengers, just Captain D. Smith, Dr. J. Heath Curtis, the Medical Officer, C. Downer, T. Brown and Baker, engineers and 25 other crew members.

I have include the below link as  it is the most well put together piece on the gale and the wreck of the RMS Athens that I have found.

R.M.S. Athens 

How interesting to note how one mans life touched so many. He was not able to attend to Ellen and her family and she had to part up the family to friends and family so that they would be able to survive and in time she left Canada for Chicago to run a boarding house there.  My great grandparents met there and from there the rest is history and here I sit writing of the trials of one family that became blessings for many.

Happy Hunting!

Surname Saturday-Smith 1829 Aberdeenshire Scotland

Eeee gads SMITH!  Yah  I am  going to venture into one of my Smith families.

This is the family that I mentioned earlier in Treasures In Letters.

Ellen Smith wife of Byron Kaye is my problem child. There are a few birth dates that have surfaced for Ellen, as it stands now we believe she was born in 1829 and was older than Byron and this might be why the contradiction in dates.

As the family story goes she lost both of her parents to small pox in 1833.  We’ve not found these records yet.  This is one of the reasons that I tried to follow Captain David Smith back to his parents, Ellen wrote in her letter,  she lived with his family after her parents died. I have found this family , but have not as of yet found Ellen living with them. I know there are many reasons why she is not found, 10 yrs between census can leave a lot of room for moving around, she may not have stayed with her cousin David all the time but maybe spent time with other families as well. She could be listed under a different name such as Helen. We add that she is a Smith from Scotland and that Smith is about as common as it is here…sigh!

This is what we do have on Ellen and her family:

1.  Byron Kaye, son of James Kaye and Hannah Halroyd,
was born on 23 Apr 1836 in Kirkburton, Yorkshire, England, was
christened on 24 Nov 1836 in Kirkburton, Yorkshire, England, and died on
6 Mar 1865 in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada at age 28. The cause of his
death was Boiler Accident.

Byron married Ellen Smith, daughter of David Smith, about 1857. Ellen was born on 4     May 1829 in Kintor, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, died on 1 May 1917 in Chicago, Cook Co., Ill. at age 87, and she was buried on 4 May 1917 in Rose Hill cemetery Chicago, Cook Co., Ill.

Children from this marriage were:

2 F     i. Margaret Fischer Kaye was born on 13 Jan 1858 in
Waterloo, Ontario, CA.
3 M    ii. David Smith Kaye was born about 1859 in Canada, died
on 17 Aug 1946 in El Paso , Texas about age 87, and was
buried on 19 Aug 1946 in  Evergreen Cemetery.
4 M   iii. Byron Kaye was born in 1860 and died on 8 Sept 1883 in
Chicago Ill. at age 23.
5 M    iv. Rev. Alexander Smith Kaye  was born on 1 Dec 1861 in Geulph,
Ontario, Canada and died on 13 Sept 1952 in Florence, Alabama
at age 90.
6 F     v. Barbara Jane Kaye  was born on 31 Mar 1863 in Woodstock On
Canada, died on 9 May 1941 in Zanesville, Muskinghum,
Co., Ohio at age 78, and Barbara is buried in Dresden ,
Muskingum Co. Ohio.
7 F    vi. Anna Gordon Kaye  was born on 3 May 1865 in Woodstock,
Ontario, CA, died on 19 Dec 1949 in Los Angles, CA at age
84, and is buried  in Forest Lawn cemetery   Los Angles,
CA..
8 M   vii. Rev. James Ross Kaye  was born on 3 May 1865 in Woodstock,
Ontario, CA, died on 12 Oct 1940 in Chicago, Ill at age
75, and is buried in Forest Home Cemetery Oak Park Ill.

Happy Hunting!

Treasures in Letters

Do you have any old  letters laying around your house?  Have you read them? No, I mean have you really read them!

I was given a copy of a letter that was written by my second great grandmother (Ellen Smith Kaye) to her brother and sister (I think they were her brother and sister in law). The letter was conveying to the family the trials she has faced since the death of her husband. For many  years I focused only on grandpa’s demise. I put it away and didn’t think of it for a long while.

While I was working on trying to figure out who her parents were, family story said that her parents died of the smallpox when she was little, I went back to the letters to see what I can find if anything and happily I  found the following:

“I was glad you received my Dear Husbands likeness safe  you ask me for mine  I am sorry I do not have it   the last one I got taken was last winter along with Byron to send to a much loved cousin at the cape of good hope who has now joined around the throne those who had gone before him to Wellcome his arrival at the heavenely[sic] mansions   he was commander in one of her Magestys Mail steamers to the cape  he & his noble crew and also the vessel was lost in an awfull storm at Table Bay on the 17 of May  he had addressed the Sabbath school children of the scotish presbytreian church on the voyage of life on the Sabbath previous  the next Sabbath he was interred in the burying ground close to the church where he had so faithfully admonished the children………. it was with them I lived when at home so that I have felt their removal very keenly”

In this small piece of letter there is a lot of hidden, okay so it smacks you in the face ;-), information.

My next thought was, well If I can’t find Grandma Ellen’s parents using her, maybe I can find her parents using this cousin. So, I did a search on Table Bay and May 17 1865 and I found Captain David Smith and his ship the RMS Athens. In following searches and help from new cousin, Davids great grandson to be exact. I found his parents. We believe that her father may have been a David also, but this I have not been able to prove. I am not finding an Ellen with a father of David. In saying all that, I must show what I do have and and what was shared with me.

Capt. David C. Smith
Capt. David C. Smith RMS Athens

 

Besides this lovely picture, I was sent a letter this young man wrote to his Uncle, his marriage information and copy of his masters certificate. Now that is what I call putting flesh on the bones.

Sometimes if you open up that back door to your research, using extended family members in an attempt to find your direct ancestors, you just might find a treasure and new family.

I would also recommend re-reading your  files, letters and newspaper clippings on a regular basis! You never know what treasure will pop up at you when you least expect it.

Happy Hunting!