Envelope Addressed to George S Duryee

On eBay is an envelope for sale. The attraction would be to the stamp, I suppose. According to the additional writing on the envelope, the year was 1885. Preprinted as the sender is "United States Senate." The postmark is Washington, D.C. on April 15.

Envelope addressed to "Hon Geo. S. Duryea Newark New Jersey"

I noticed the listing because of the recipient: Hon Geo. S. Duryea of Newark, New Jersey. This is probably George Sharpe Duryee. He was a lawyer who lived and worked in Newark. He was born around 1850 to Peter Sharpe Duryee (1807-1877) and Susan Rankin (1816-1886).

Newark City Directory, 1890
George S Duryee, lawyer, 810 Broad, resided at 30 Washington place

This family cluster was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Newark. Two of George's brothers, Joseph and William, became pastors. You might see their names on baptismal, marriage, and funeral records for families throughout the New Jersey and New York areas in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Duryee family plot.
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Newark, New Jersey.
Section E.

George died in New York City in 1896. These records are being digitized and placed online for free; however, this year is not yet available as of this writing.

Marker at Mount Pleasant Cemetery for George Sharpe Duryee
and his wife, Virginia Teackle Beasley.

Because of the offices that George held, his death was reported in newspapers across the country. 

Article in the Newark Evening News announcing the death of George Sharpe Duryee.
"The State Commissioner of Banking and Insurance Succumbs to an Illness of Two Years' Standing."

George was married once in 1878 in Torresdale, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His wife was Virginia Teackle Beasley, born about 1856 to Reverend Frederick Williamson Beasley and Virginia Teackle Bancker.

Entry in the records of All Saints Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Record collection online at Ancestry.com

Ten months after the wedding, on August 16, 1879 in Newark, Virginia gave birth to their daughter, also named Virginia. The baby and mother were not named on the birth certificate.

Birth certificate of Virginia Teackle Beasley Duryee,
born August 16, 1879 in Newark, New Jersey.
Available through the New Jersey State Archives in person or via mail.

Virginia, the mother, died two days after giving birth from an infection. She was 23 years old.

Death certificate of Virginia T Duryee, died August 18, 1879 in Newark, New Jersey.
Cause of death- puerperal peritonitis.

Death notice for Virginia Teackle Beasley, wife of George S Duryee.
Note that her date of death is given as August 17th.
Her death certificate, which is a primary source, gives the date as the 18th.

Baby Virginia died a few months later on December 24, 1879 from bronchitis.

Death certificate of Virginia Teackle Beasley Duryee, died December 24, 1879 in Newark, New Jersey.
Cause of death- capillary bronchitis.

Both mother and baby appear in the Mortality Schedules for the 1880 census.

Virginia T Duryea [Duryee] in the mortality schedule for the 1880 census

Virginia T B Duryea [Duryee], age four months, in the mortality schedule for the 1880 census

Pictures and documents for Virginia and her family are featured in family trees at Ancestry.

Amanuensis Monday: Watson at Saint John's Episcopal Church in Jersey City

“Everdue”

Marble Dale Com.

June – 8 – 1932

Not Entered in Books

My dear Mr. Carnie:

I am sending you the correct data in connection with the deaths of my parents- this to be entered in the Parish book- for the benefit of any one in the future, wishing for such information.

Edward Malcom Watson

Born in New Milford, Connecticut

June 13, 1846

Died at his home, Marble Dale Connecticut,

September 12, 1908.

There is a window in St John’s in memory of my father. (The Parable of the Sower)

I did so enjoy being with you for a few weeks, and shall do so again in the near future.

With warm personal regards for you and yours,

Sincerely yours,

Mary S Watson

P.S.

As you know the Sanctuary Lamp is in memory of my mother.

Also please note change in my mailing address.

(Washington Depot Connecticut, R. F. D.)

My mother was-

Susanna Suttle, born in Paterson, New Jersey on July 22, 1846.

Died at her home in Marble Dale Connecticut,

July 7, 1930

My parents were married in St. Pauls Parish, Paterson, N.J. [New Jersey]

on September 18, 1867

by the Rev. Joseph M. Waite, Rector of the Church.

My mother was baptized, confirmed, and married from the same church.

If you will make correct entries I shall appreciate it so much.

I came across this note in the church book for Saint John's Episcopal Church in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey while researching a branch of my Heiser family. The author, Mary Smith Watson (1871-1948), so much wanted this bit of her family history preserved. For Mary, here is her information for anyone's benefit, as she wished.


Saint John's Church is not operational. The stained glass windows are gone. In spite of efforts to covert the structure into condominiums, the building remains vacant and deteriorating. Below is the image from Google maps in 2017.

Amanuensis Monday: Letter of Ward Family from Bloomfield New Jersey 1842

Dr I M Ward

66 N Pearl St

Albany

Bloomfield Sep 5 1842

Dear Doctor

No doubt you have been looking for

an answer to your letter to Horace in regard to Nancy

Barton, written about two weeks since. It is one week

to day since Julia called on Nancy and I supposed

that Horace had written to you on the subject until

Saturday when he told me that he had not, and

desired me to write. Nancy informed Julia that she

had just engaged to stay with Ms Matthews for six

shillings for weeks, but that if she had known that

you wanted her before she would have been glad

to come. Ms Richards and Emily left here last

Friday morning for Philadelphia. We proceeded down

the old road as far as the junction of the turnpike when

Emily was suddenly taken with flowing very copiously

immediately turned about and came up the turn-

pike and at home as soon as possible. Emily was put to

bed and the Dr was in attendance in a few minutes.

As yet nothing further of consequence has taken place

but he thinks a miscarriage inevitable sooner or later

and the consequence may be very serious. In addition

she has a light attack of Bilious Remittent fever and

is confined to the bed pretty much all of the time.

Ms Richard remains also with us untill something deci-

cive shall take place in regard to Emily. Philice has

been herefor a week or two and on Saturday she was taken

sick- pain in the breast- headache nausea +e she is

confined to the bed and the Dr prescribes for her every day

Emily and Philice have both been bled and physiced

to their hearts content I should think but we must

obey the Drs direction. Julias health has suffered some

from excitement. She has had more pain and pressure

in her breast and her cough is increased. She has taken

one powder and though it relieved her a little, since

which she has not taken any more. I have ? a his time

after time that if she gets sick again, it will be her own

fault, as she has the remedy in her power but is too

thoughtless or careless to use it. There is considerable

sickness about at present mostly of a Bilious character.

We shall be happy to hear from you whenever

convenient. Much love is sent from all to all.

I remain yours truly

Oliver P Hanks

Dr Isaac Moreau Ward (1806-1895), the recipient of this letter, was practicing medicine in Albany, New York in 1842. By 1850, he had returned to Essex County, New Jersey and was farming in Clinton, later known as Irvington.

Dr Ward's wife was Mary Ogden Rankin. They married in 1832 in Newark.


The author of this letter, Oliver P Hanks, had married Dr Ward's sister, Julia Ward (1822-1843), in 1838 in Bloomfield. Julia died a year after her husband wrote this letter and is buried in Bloomfield Cemetery.

The Horace mentioned in the letter could be another sibling, Horace Hinsdale Ward (1808-1845). In 1831 he married Mary C Keen of Bloomfield.

eBay: Letter from 1891

I've found another treasure on eBay to add some dimension to the family history.

In a letter dated April 10, 1891, Mr Lawson writes to Stephen C Duryea of Lewisboro, Westchester County, New York.

From this letter, it seems that Stephen C Duryea would show Mr Lawson's property to people.  There seems to have been an expectation of manipulation depending on the circumstances:  "If they come by the way of New Canaan and complain of the ride out, tell them Ridgefield way is more pleasant and much short drive.  If they come by Ridgefield, that they could make better time by travelling the other way.  See."

1900 United States Federal Census
Lewisboro, Westchester County, New York
Household of Stephen Duryea
Ancestry.com

Stephen C Duryea was born about 1857 in New York City.  His father, George W Duryea, was killed in 1864, shot while working as a policeman.  Around 1870, branches of the family left New York City.  Stephen's uncle, Stephen C Duryea, moved to Pound Ridge, Westchester County, New York.  Stephen may have lived with his mother, Rene Brewer, in Jersey City for a time, but eventually made his way to Pound Ridge to establish a family with Susan Ophelia Austin, a neighbor of his uncle.  By 1880, Stephen and Susan had established their own household on a farm in nearby Lewisboro.

This letter tells us that Stephen may have been a persuasive salesman of some sort.