It's a Small, Small World

Over a year ago, I wrote about my quest to locate a second cousin of my paternal grandfather.  Some more information has come my way and I would like to share with you because it is amazing.

James Kittson died in September of 2003 and his last benefit was in Montclair, Essex County, New Jersey, according to the Social Security Death Index.  A few people with this last name or a close variant live in Montclair currently.  I sent them hand-written notes explaining how I was related to James and that I was looking for his family.  From old phonebooks, I found an address for James Kittson and sent a note to that location as well.

One person called me.  She and I worked together a few years ago.  James Kittson was a boarder in her home for over twenty years!  She said that he was quiet, kept to himself, talked very little, and gave her no information about himself.  After he died, a friend collected his sparse belongings, as he had no family that anyone knew about.

And here is the kicker:  he was a customer at our place of business!

When I heard this, I was shocked!  My mind raced back in time to so many people, names, faces.  I couldn't remember him.  I still can't.

This is so weird learning that our paths crossed- and I had no idea that he was related and that years later I would look for him.

Unburying the Ancestors

These pictures of the Zingg family plot at Woodland Cemetery (Newark, Essex County, New Jersey) illustrate the hard physical work required in genealogy.  (Thank you R.B.)  These appear to be stones forming a border.  Any surviving gravestones may be within the borders and below several feet of dirt and tree roots.

Capturing All Involved Parties

I love the index at Fold3 because all names on a document are recorded.  Finding a mention of a person of interest in a document that you would have never found otherwise opens up so many possibilities.

My ancestor Stephen C Duryea worked as a government clerk in New York City in the 1840s until the 1870s.  His name appears on a few index cards for naturalizations in the City as a witness.  I am not sure if he witnessed the event in his capacity as a clerk.  I think that his name would appear on lots of naturalization documents if this were the case.  So this leads me to the next question:  Does Peter Stewart of England have a family tie to Stephen C Duryea?  Every bit of information creates more questions to explore.

Here is Stephen's entry in the New York City directory by Doggett for 1848.  Back in the day, I photocopied the city directories from microfilm at the New York Public Library.  Fold3 has digitized them and indexed the directories, so you may view them from your own home.

1848 Doggett City Directory for New York City.
Note the variant spellings Duryea/Duryee.  This is the same (growing) family.

I do not have to return to New York City to start gathering some information on Peter Stewart.  Here he is in the 1848 city directory.  Knowing his occupation, sailmaker, will help narrow him down in the sea of Stewarts.  We can look at the other Stewarts to discover that nobody else is listed at 223 Varick.  Someone in the sailing business may be more mobile than your average elusive inhabitant of the 1800s, so be prepared to search far and wide.

1848 Doggett City Directory for New York City at Fold3.