Lydia H Watson and her cousin John S Watson

In 1857 Lydia, youngest child of Asa Watson and Ede Tennessee Watson, was born in Mississippi. She was listed in their household in the 1860 census as Lydia age 2. She was found twice in the 1870 census, on two different dates and in two different households.  In June she was listed, along with her sisters Julia and Tennie, in the household of 65 year old Mary Hand. Wondering who Mary Hand was and how she was connected with this family. (No relationships were included in that census). A few months later, in September, she was again listed with her parents and siblings, but as Olivia.

In 1878 Lydia married her 1st cousin John S. Watson (son of her father's brother Rufus) and in the following year, at age 21, she died following the birth and loss of their unnamed son. John, born in Mississippi in 1853, was recorded in the 1880 and 1900 census as a widower and farmer.  He was not found again, nor have I found a death or burial record for him. What happened to John? I assumed he would have been buried in the Hawkins Cemetery of Clay County with Lydia and his parents.

Marriage of Elizabeth Tibbets Pratt in NYC 1881

A marriage announcement like the one published in the New York Times on 22 April 1881 can help unravel family relationships and perhaps reveal unspoken issues within the family. Several of those named below were not instantly recognized  as they were identified only as “spouse of “ and, in one case, the surname was misspelled.

Distinguished relatives of the bride:

                                    Grandmother

Mrs Tibbets of Albany

                                    Great Aunts

Mrs Nelson, of New Brunswick, NJ

Mrs Horatio Seymour, wife of ex-Governor

Mrs Roscoe Conkling, wife of the Senator

So, I wondered who they were and how they were related to the bride Elizabeth, daughter of Col George Watson Pratt (deceased) and Anna Atwood Tibbets.  I found it curious that there was no mention of any relatives from her father’s side of the family making me wonder if they had lost contact with that branch after George’s tragic death in 1862. It is also interesting that no aunts or uncles are mentioned, only great aunts. Even odder was no mention at all of the groom’s family.

Family Snippets: The Children of Tertullus Ludington 1773-1821

Children with his first wife Rebecca Brown ~1776-1814, burial unknown

Eliza 1804-1886

In 1826 married George Austin who died in 1839

            6 children: John, William H, Celia, Edward,

            Believe she died in 1855 but not buried with husband in Catskill

Julia Eliza 1807-1886

            In 1822 married Hiram Comfort who died in 1839

            5 daughters: Mary Ann, Julia, Hellen, Charlotte, Caroline

            Buried in Catskill as is her husband

Amelia 1808-1881

            In 1826 married William McKinstry who died in 1845 in Texas

            Then married Galen Hodges of R.I., 1845 in Texas

            1 daughter: Julia

            Amelia died in Texas in 1881, Galen in 1884

Henry 1809 – prob before 1860

            Abt 1832 married Nancy MNU who died bfore 1842

            3 sons: Dennis, Ira, Charles

            Abt 1843 married Adeline MNU who died after 1915

            2 sons: George, Robert

Children with second wife Anna Egbertson 1789-1861

 buried Catskill with husband and son Ira

Ira 1814-1821

            Buried adjacent to parents at Catskill Village Cemetery

Robert 1816-1860 in Matagorda, Texas

            Abt 1848 married Mary Ann Coates, prob in NY then moved to Texas

            3 sons born in TX: Robert, Charles, Nicholas

             

Harriet 1817-1898

            Abt 1840 married John Lusk who died in1848 in Catskill

            5 children: Caroline, Ellen, Charles, James, Isabel

            then married widower Henry Turck of Saugerties in 1855

            No children together – she is buried in Catskil with 1^st husband

Tertullus Jr 1820-1892

            Grocer, not married

Do you have family members buried in Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands?

If you do, the burial cards are available online at Ancestry.com. The record shows name, dates, age and burial lot and section number.  Here is one for a member of my extended family.

Some of the cards have additional information listed on the reverse side – so, be sure to check that too as it could provide previously unknown information. So always check it. 

This is Harvey's reverse side which identified his grandchildren.