Hannah, an earlier child of Nathaniel Dunn and Sarah Adams

Another child of Nathaniel Dunn (1790-1840s) and Sarah Adams (1796-1882) was discovered, thanks to Ancestry's DNA matches.

Nathaniel and Sarah were paternal 4th great grandparents. They lived in Nottingham, Burlington County, New Jersey. This area later became part of Mercer County. I descend from their son, Ezra (1821-1898). The date of death and the parents of Nathaniel are not determined yet. Sarah's parents were Ezra Adams (1768-1824) and Hannah Haines (1771-1824).

This map from 1834 shows the New Jersey counties at the time Nathaniel Dunn and Sarah were raising their family. The area of Burlington County where Nathaniel lived now lies in Mercer County. It was near the borders of Hunterdon, Middlesex, and Monmouth Counties, as well as another state, Pennsylvania. Because of changing borders and close proximity to other county and state lines, records for Nathaniel may be spread across many repositories.

Among the DNA matches at Ancestry are other descendants of Ezra Dunn, along with descendants of Ezra's sister, Lucy, and brother, David. 

The "Shared Matches" function produces dozens of other matches. These people do not necessarily share ancestors of Nathaniel or Sarah. If the match were on the same segment of DNA, then we would suspect a connection to Dunn or Adams. Ancestry will not reveal which segments of DNA are shared, so this is a drawback to this feature.

Someone matched in the fourth cousin range and provided a limited family tree. I honed in on the Burlington County, New Jersey branch and a great-grandmother named Hannah Dunn, wife of William Leatherbury (1805-1883). They had children from the late 1830s through the early 1850s.

1850 United States Federal census
Mansfield, Burlington County, New Jersey
William Leatherbury, coppersmith
Hannah, Zillah, William, Ezra, Mary, Sarah

Hannah died October 23, 1889 in Fieldsboro (Bordentown), Burlington County, New Jersey. I traveled to the New Jersey State Archives in Trenton to view her death certificate. Her parents were listed as Nathaniel Dunn and Sarah Dunn! She is tentatively placed as the oldest child of Nathaniel and Sarah According to her death certificate, she was 70 years old in 1889. This places her birth around 1829. In the 1850 census, her birth year would be attributed as 1819. The earlier record is usually more accurate for age.

1889 death certificate of Hannah Leatherbury
Her place of birth is listed as Mercer County, which was actually
Burlington County at the time of Hannah's birth.

I also copied the death certificate of Hannah's husband, William Leatherbury. He died September 20, 1883 in Bordentown, Burlington County. He was born in Maryland to William Leatherbury and Mary Dunn. More documents are needed to determine if this really was his mother's name.

Hannah and her husband William were buried in Bordentown Cemetery. I added them to Find A Grave. One of their children, William (1840-1909), was also buried in this cemetery.

The children discovered (so far) of Nathaniel Dunn and Sarah Adams:

1. Hannah Dunn, born about 1819, married William Leatherbury.

2. Ezra Dunn, born about 1821, died 1898, married Hermion Dunlop.

3. Lucy Ann Dunn, born about 1822, died 1910, married George Sweet and John Seal.

4. Catharine Dunn, born about 1825, died 1865, married John Holcombe Butterfoss.

5. Sarah Dunn, born about 1833, died 1916, married James Burroughs Keller.

6. David Dunn, born about 1836, died 1925, married Lucy Smith.

Pottery of Ancestors

In May I saw and touched pottery made by the company of my third great grandfather, Ezra Dunn (1821-1898). This collection is housed at the Matawan Historical Society. Several historical locations in Monmouth County were open as part of the Weekend in Old Monmouth organized by the Historical Commission.

Description: beige vase with navy imprint of tulips and the initials A.H.C.

Description: beige cylindrical container with navy tulips.
Imprinted Van Schoik, Dunn, & Co., Makers, Middletown Point, NJ.

Description: brown glazed cylindrical container with imprint on side
"Mrs Wm A Lowe Matawan N.J. Mar 30 1894"

The pottery company, which still exists today, underwent changes in ownership over the decades. Ezra Dunn was originally from the Trenton, New Jersey area. By 1850, he and my third great grandmother, Hermione Dunlop (1827-1900), were residing in what was known as Raritan Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Newspaper article from the Matawan Journal dated April 26, 1884.
Details the changes in ownership of the pottery company
of Dunn, Dunlop, and VanSchoik.

Much thanks to the Matawan Historical Society for reaching out to me and showing me the pottery and for their continued research into the families of Monmouth County.

Dunn Siblings

Left to right: Frances, John, Katherine in August 1938

After identifying my great great grandmother, Katherine Butterfoss Dunn (1865-1944) in several family photographs, I noticed a few of her later in life posing with an older man and woman. On the back of the photo is handwritten "August 1938." I think they were her siblings, Frances Dunn (1858-1944) and John Dunlop Dunn (1870-1939).

Their parents were Ezra Dunn (1821-1898) and Hermione Dunlop (1827-1900). As of August of 1938, these were the three remaining living siblings, having outlived the other five. The children were born in the 1850s, 60s, and 70s in what was then called Raritan Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Although they lived and died outside of Monmouth County, they returned home for their final resting places.

I found no marriage record for John. He was buried with his parents at Rose Hill Cemetery in Matawan.

Katherine was buried with her husband, William Walling Winterton, in Green Grove Cemetery in Keyport.

Frances was buried at Fairview Cemetery in Middletown.

John and Frances appear in other group photos and separately.

This wedding picture helped me decide that this elderly woman is Frances Dunn, a sister of Katherine and John.

The back of the photo is labeled, but not with complete names:

Frances Mae

Grandma

Ruth Bridesmaid

June 15, 1940

In 1884, Frances Dunn married George Smith in Brooklyn, New York. George died at the Trenton Insane Hospital in Ewing, Mercer County, New Jersey in 1896. This institution is now called Trenton Psychiatric Hospital. (I will copy his death certificate on my next trip to the Archives to find his burial place.)

George Smith
died at the Trenton Insane Hospital on
Tuesday of last week and his body was
taken to his father's house in Middletown
Township the next day, where the
funeral was held on the following Friday.
Mr Smith leaves a wife, who
is a daughter of Ezra Dunn of this place,
and two children. Mrs Smith has
been making her home with her father
since her husband was taken to the
hospital a couple of months ago. Mr
Smith was 45 years old.

George Smith and Frances Dunn had two children, a son, Floyd K Smith (1885-1967) and a daughter, Georgia Davis Smith (1890-1971), who married Arthur Beach Nichols (1888-1971). Their daughter, Ruth Harriet Nichols (1917-2009), married George Andrew Miller (1916-1988). The newspaper article is below. Frances Mae Nicholas was Ruth's oldest sister. According to the article, the ceremony was on June 8, not June 15.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York). Sunday, June 16, 1940. Page 33.

MILLER-NICHOLS

Announcement is made of the marriage of Miss Ruth Harriet Nichols, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Beach Nichols of 863 E. 10th St., to George Andrew Miller, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Everett Miller of 1664 42d St., on June 8, at the Parkville Congregational Church.

The bride wore a white satin gown with a court train, long tulle veil caught with orange blossoms and carried a nosegay of baby's breath and lilies of the valley. Miss Frances Mae Nichols, her sister, was maid of honor and was gowned in nile green marquisette with a nile green veil. She carried a nosegay of Talisman roses.

Everett Miller, brother of the bridegroom was best man. William Miller, Arthur Nichols and Grant Edmonds were the ushers.

A reception followed at the Pierrepont Hotel.

After a tour of New England States the couple will reside at 687 E. 4th St.

Photographs of Great Great Grandparents

While sorting through family photos and identifying my great grandmother, Ethel Laurel Winterton (1891-1962) and her brother, William Gladstone Winterton, I noticed an older woman in a lot of the photos, sometimes with an older man. They are probably Laurel and William's parents, Katherine Dunn and William Walling Winterton.

Left to right: William Walling Winterton, unknown boy, William Gladstone Winterton,
Katherine Dunn (wife of William W), and Sophia Winterton (wife of Joseph Walling).
Sophia and William Walling Winterton were siblings. She is clearly identified in other labeled photographs.
 She relocated to California by 1920 and sent pictures home to Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Standing: Unknown woman, Katherine Dunn
Seated: William Walling Winterton, William Gladstone Winterton

Father and son?

Colorized and enhanced at MyHeritage

This couple playing in the snow could also be William and Katherine. 

William Walling Winterton, unknown children,
and Katherine Dunn standing at old car.
Same house in background as other pictures.

The supposed Katherine identified herself on the back of one photograph, but not by name.

Right to Left:
Kitty Stanhope
Jennie
Sallie Cuttrell
and myself

Sallie Cuttrell was born Sallie Cailhopper (1869-1936). She was a first cousin of William Walling Winterton- the husband of Katherine Dunn. Sallie's mother, Serena Winterton (1843-1914), was a sister of William's father, John R Winterton (1831-1890).

Older cabinet cards were in this collection. Two cabinet cards were from the studio of Grotecloss at 44 West 14th Street in New York City. The woman could be Katherine Dunn. She has the same pale eye color and facial expression.

A young man was also photographed by Grotecloss. Could this be William Walling Winterton?

From another photo album is a cabinet card of perhaps the same woman. The photographer was L H Doremus of 240 Main Street in Paterson. This business existed from 1888-1901. Katherine would have been in her late twenties. Her first child was born in 1891.

What do you all think of the pictures from the 1800s? Same people- Katherine Dunn and William Walling Winterton?

Pictures of a Great Grandmother

I continue sorting the pictures sent to me by a family member (thank you D.N.).

Most pictures are not labeled, which is most unfortunate.

I was able to identify some pictures of my great grandmother, Ethel "Laurel" Winterton (1891-1962). She was born in Matawan, Monmouth County, New Jersey. She relocated to Newark in Essex County by 1910, when she married Howard Lutter.

When she was around three or four, professional photos were taken by Ferdinand Maag in Keyport. I colorized them at MyHeritage.

Looks like Laurel was in a group school picture. This could be Holmdel, as the family was enumerated there in the 1900 census. If anyone recognizes this picture, any of these people, or the building behind them, please comment below.

This photograph by Walter Joseph Bourie in Newark might be Laurel's graduation from high school. She is holding a rolled up paper. Maybe she graduated around age seventeen, so the year was circa 1908.

This picture could be Laurel with her mother, Catherine Butterfoss Dunn (1865-1944), at a festivity.

This picture is Laurel with her daughter, Beryl Lutter (1918-1988). The woman in the middle is probably Laurel's mother, Catherine Dunn (also pictured above). The man would then be Laurel's father, William Walling Winterton (1863-1932).

Catherine and William were living on Telegraph Hill Road in Holmdel in the 1930 census. No house number. If anyone recognizes this house, please comment below.

I use Gary Saretzky's website to figure out photographer's names, locations, and dates that they were in operation.

Wedding Guest Book

Thank you to my aunt for sharing the wedding guest book of my great grandparents, Howard Lutter (1889-1959) and Ethel Laurel "Laura" Winterton (1891-1962).

They were married in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey in 1910.

Witnesses were the bride's parents, William Walling Winterton (1862-1932) and Catherine Butterfoss Dunn (1865-1944).

Front cover

The only guests who signed the book were Howard's mother, Clara Rosalie Uhl (1865-1955), Laura's brother, William Gladstone Winterton (1898-1976), and Miss J Brown. I do not know who this is.

 

Wedding guests (not bridal party)

In later years, a descendant drew on the book during childhood.


Howard and Laura divorced in 1927. Howard remarried to Fiorita Lorenz in 1928. Fiorita was newly divorced from James Winnie. I do not know how or when they met, but Howard lived with Fiorita and her husband as a tenant in Bloomfield. Fiorita testified for Howard in his divorce. Howard purchased the house from Fiorita and James and then resided in it with his two children, Fiorita, and her daughter.

Death Certificate Provides Range of Dates for Death

Andrew Newcomb met a sad death in the winter of 1928-1929. He became lost and froze to death. He was missing for over five weeks.

Andrew and my third grand aunt, Emma Newcomb (1855-1890) had at least four children before she died. They lived in Matawan, Monmouth County, New Jersey. After Emma's death, Andrew married Annie McKee in Brooklyn in 1892 and they resided in New York.

I previously wrote about Andrew when the lack of a specific date of death was brought to my attention via Find A Grave.

Ironically, Emma's date of death is also questionable.

Andrew's tombstone reads 1851-1929.

Green Grove Cemetery, Keyport, Monmouth County, New Jersey

Newspaper accounts explained that Andrew left home from Westbury on Long Island, New York in December. His body was found in January of 1929 in Laurence Harbor, Middlesex County, New Jersey. He may have been trying to visit family in nearby Keyport or Matawan, Monmouth County.

The next piece of evidence needed was Andrew's death certificate from the New Jersey State Archives.

Madison in Middlesex County is now called Old Bridge.
(Not to be confused with Madison in Morris County.)

The death certificate explains, "left home Dec 15, 1928 and found Jan 21, 1929."
"Left home Dec 15, 1928 found in the woods Jan 21, 1929. Died from exposure."

This is the (modern-day) map of Andrew Newcomb's starting and ending points. This is not an easy trip to make today because of traffic.

Andrew may have been traveling by train and got off at the wrong stop, Laurence Harbor, which is near his probable destination of Keyport or Matawan. He may have become disoriented. When he left home on December 15th, this time of year is the least amount of daylight. If he did not have a place to stay by early darkness, he was left to the elements.


I have two questions.

First, how would someone likely travel from Long Island to the coastline of the Raritan Bay in the late 1920s? Would Andrew have taken a train and then a boat? Was he dropped off at the wrong port? Or could he have taken a train through the shore points and exited at the wrong stop? (See this link for old maps of the area, including the train routes.)


Second, what date of death is to be used in a situation like this, when the person was missing for over five weeks? The date the body was found? He did not die that day- he was already frozen. The time frame overlaps two calendar years, so neither year is definitely the year of death.