Researching in Millburn, New Jersey

Mary Drake was last seen in the 1920 census in Millburn, Essex County, New Jersey.  Her husband, John, was a widower in the 1930 census in Millburn.  I sought to find out when Mary and John died and where they were buried.

I visited the Millburn Library and went through the city directories.  The more recent directories sometimes list gems such as a date of death or a new husband.  Such was the case with John Drake.  The Price & Lee Millburn city directory for 1946 gives a listing for John Drake- his death on 2 November 1945.  With this date, I then went to the microfilm rolls for the local paper, The Item.  I located his obituary, which provided me with his place of burial, Saint Stephen's Cemetery, also in Millburn.  I visited the church office and was provided with a listing of the other burials in this plot: John's wife, Mary; and their two children and their spouses.  Sometimes, when you can't trace one family member, turn to a parent or sibling.  They might be buried together, providing you with dates of death for many people.

The Millburn & Short Hills Item
8 November 1845
page 12

In the meantime, The Millburn and Short Hills Item has been published online for certain years.  You may view the issues through the library's website.

After visiting the church, I headed to the cemetery for pictures of the gravestones.  On a confusing note, Edith Drake married John Wesley Bryant.  John Wesley Drake married Edith Knoller.  The use of the same first and middle names could indicate a further relation that must be further investigated.



John Wesley Drake, son of John Drake and Mary Duryea



Edith, wife of John Wesley Drake





Edith, daughter of John Drake and Mary Duryea





John Wesley Bryant, husband of Edith Drake



Pound Ridge Trip: following up

Following up on my excursion to Pound Ridge, New York, I ordered the book, “Images of America, Pound Ridge” by Richard Major and Vincent Manna.  Two items in the book are of particular help for clarifying my findings from my summer trip to Pound Ridge.

A map from 1906 was reprinted from “God’s Country” by Jay Harris, showing a plot owned by Mrs. Eyre.  Relaxing on my couch, instead of navigating the almost dirt roads straddling the New York and Connecticut border, I was able to study this map and the modern-day map of Pound Ridge and figure out where the property is.  I think I was in the correct place.  It appears that Conant Valley Road is either a newly made road or was just not codified on early maps.  That is what was throwing me off.  I was mistaking Conant Valley Road for the nearest cross street, when actually Eastwoods Road was the cross street, at least back around 1900.

  

The second useful item was an explanation of Southwestern Farms.  Mrs. Eyre sold the property to this entity in 1910.  According to Images of America, Southwestern Farms was owned by Artemus Ward for expansion of the reservoir, and “most of the land is underwater . . . .”  I don’t think that the area owned by Mrs. Eyre is underwater.  There are small ponds on the property, but it’s not underwater.  I find little online about this man and his Southwestern Farms, so I am glad to have found the explanation in this book.

Is Alice Rosemon the former Sarah E Jackson?

The marriage of Alice Rosemon to Cornelius P Rosemon occured in Manhattan on the 25th of December, 1876.  This marriage can be found in the index at italiangen.org.  An announcement also appeared in the New York Herald.

The New York Herald, 29 December 1876, page 6, viewed at genealogybank.com

The newspaper announcement provided needed clarification that Alice was a daughter of Coe Downing Jackson.  The problem is that a daughter named Alice does not appear in the 1860 and 1870 census entries for this family.  Instead, a daughter named Sarah E. Jackson appears to be the same age as Alice Rosemon.  Sarah is not seen after "Alice" marries Cornelius Rosemon.  If Sarah's middle initial had been A instead of E, I would be more comfortable with this switch.

1860 federal census, Newtown, Queens County, New York

1870 federal census, Hunters Point, Queens County, New York

Alice Rosemon lived for several decades after marrying and had a few children with descendants alive today.  She seems to be the only one of all of the children of Coe Downing Jackson to have had issue.  Ida E. Jackson, a sister of Sarah/Alice, married Sanford Soper, but it does not seem that she had any children.  The rest of the siblings remained unmarried, often found living together, and Sarah is not among them.