My First Brush with the Revolutionary War

As I continue to work my way through the Hull family lineage, I introduce to you my 5X great grandparents, Stephen Hull (1743 - 1803) and Comfort Babcock (1746 - 1806).

Stephen Hull, of Stonington, Ct., is the first ancestor I discovered who served in the American Revolutionary War as a member of the Continental Army. Using Ancestry.com, I viewed the 1920 "Sons of the American Revolution" application of Harold Bragdon Winslow. He is also a descendant of the Hull family and has documented that Stephen and his father, also named Stephen, served in the 8th Connecticut Regiment under the command of Captain Thomas Wheeler & Thomas Holmes between September 8 - November 17, 1776. They also served under Lt. Col. Oliver Smith's regiment out of New London but no dates were given. The site also provides a copy of the actual payroll for this militia and shows one of the Stephen Hulls as a sergeant. Also listed are some other names that I have become familiar with during my genealogy research, such Denison, Babcock, and Billings. I have not been able to locate much of the activities of this regiment during the time period indicated.

Roll Call of members of the Eighth Connecticut Regiment in 1776.

A year prior to enlisting in the army Stephen Hull had married Comfort Babcock in Willington, CT. According to other family trees that I have connected to they had seven children:

• Elias (1778-?)
• Comfort (1780-?)
• Ami (1782-?)
• Latham (1784-?)
• William Little (1786-?) *my 4x great grandfather
• Matilda (1788-?)
• Lucretia (1792-1870)

  According a variety of sources, they resided Willington, CT., Windham, CT., and Stonington, CT. According to the pension roll of the US Revolution, Stephen died in 1803 in Willington. The Newspaper Abstract from the Northeast reports that Mrs. Comfort Hull died in Boston at the age of 66.

Journey Through the Hull Branch

Yesterday I wrote about my 3x great grandparents, John William Hull (1810-1881) & his wife, Sophia C. Kelley (1815-?), in an attempt to manage my research on the Hull Family. JW Hull was the son of William Little Hull (1786-1836) and the third child of seven siblings. His mother was Lydia Packard (1788-1870)

William Little Hull [4th great grandfather] was born on February 2, 1786 in Willington, Connecticut. On December 29,1805 he married Lydia Packard [4th great grandmother] in a service by the Reverend Stephen Gano in Rhode Island. They had seven children:

• William Sterry (1806-1843)
• Joseph Augustus (1808-1852)
• John William (1810-1881)
• Cornelia Augusta (1812-1851)
• Charlotte (1814-?)
• Harriett (1822-1885)
• Alexander (1824-1884)

 William and Lydia moved at some point to the Rochester, NY area and he died when he was 50. He is buried at the Brighton Cemetery in Monroe County. Lydia had moved in with her son Alexander in Brooklyn by the 1855 NYS census and she was also living in Brooklyn in the 1865 census at her daughter Cornelia's home. Cornelia [4th great aunt] was married to Washington Van Zandt (1809-1868). She died in 1870 and was buried with her husband at the Brighton Cemetery.

I came across some interesting information regarding the Reverend Washington Van Zandt. He and Cornelia lived in upstate Rochester, New York. According to several books, Van Zandt, rector of St. Paul's Church, was the subject of a trial involving the seduction of 16 year-old Sophia Murdock in 1941. He was found guilty and assessed with damages of $3000. A very hefty fine in those days. It was quite scandalous for the era and was covered by many newspapers across the region. Van Zandt maintained and protested his innocence and there were several articles in the following years regarding appeals. He was dismissed from ministry by the Episcopal Bishop Delaney in 1848. A disgraced Washington & Cornelia were residents of Syracuse during the 1850 census and had moved to Brooklyn by 1865.

Portrait of Cornelia Augusta Hull Van Zandt

By 1856 Washington Van Zandt had become a newspaper editor of The Daily Star. There was a scathing column against him in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle which states, "That a creature with a character so foul and leprous; whose deeds have been recorded in the genial columns of The Police Gazette ; whose transition from the ministry to the purlieus of a three-cent grog cellar was in accordance with the natural gravitation of his character, should invite the lash of personalities by attacking others is a mystery which can only be explained by acknowledging the truth of the quotation, "Quem deus vult perdere prius dementat" ("Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad"). Quite the wordsmiths over in Brooklyn!

According to a Brooklyn Daily Eagle article from 1937, there is a portrait of Rev. Washington Van Zandt at the Zion Episcopal Church of Douglaston-Little Neck. It was unveiled at their 107th Anniversary. It turns out that Washington was the 11th son of Wynant Van Zandt who founded the church in 1830.

Working in the Opposite Direction

In the past, I have started discussing a branch of the family at its furthest point and brought the family tree back to me. I am going to go with the opposite approach with this branch of three because of its reach and distance.

As a child I was told that that one of my ancestors was famed US Navy Commodore Isaac Hull of the USS Constitution who had fought in the Quasi War, the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812. Before the days of the internet, I had seen hand written family trees where it showed my second great-grandmother was named Sophia Kelley Hull. She was married to John Guttridge Wright. I had discussed them a few years ago in this post but we explored the Wright side of the family. Now, I will escort you on my journey to reveal if Isaac Hull was actually in my family tree or is one of those long told family lore that cannot be verified.

Commodore Isaac Hull

Sophia Kelley Hull (1838-1927), born in New York City to John William Hull (1810-1881) and Sophia C. Kelley (1815- ?). She married John G. Wright when she was 19 years old and had three children (Frederick Harriman Wright, William John Wright, and Madeleine Wright) by the time she was 25. John was a successful grain merchant and they seemed to be doing well before 1880. In the 1880 Census it appears that John and Sophia were living separately. Sophia and her son William, a book keeper, were living in Park Slope, Brooklyn at 401 Third Street. John was living a few blocks away at 426 Sixth Street with Frederick, 16 years old. They were all listed as "boarders". John died in 1908 in Chaptico, MD. Sophia was located in the 1910 census in Washington DC with her son William, who had become a minister. In 1920 she was with her son William & wife Lucy Hayden Gough (1881-1969) in Statesville, North Carolina according to a local newspaper article but was also listed in the census as residing with her daughter Madeleine and her husband Cheever Newhall Ely (1849 - 1929) at 289 Madison Ave, NYC (with their two maids). She died on March 11, 1927 in Washington, DC and was buried in NYC on March 27th.

John William Hull, Sophia's father, was a railroad iron dealer according to the 1860 census. He & his wife, Sophia Kelley, lived in 21st Ward. This was the area of Sixth Ave to East River from E 25 St to E 40 St. They also resided in the same building as their daughter Sophia & John G Wright along with 2 servants. Their "Personal Estate" was worth $14,000 according to the census record. John Hull died in 1881 at 71 years old. I wonder if The Hull's were on hand for the grand opening of Central Park in 1858?

Sophia C. Kelley (my 3rd great-grandmother) was born in Philadelphia in 1815. I have not found any records indicating who her parents were. I am not sure how she came to live in NYC or how she met John W. Hull, however, after his death she lived with her daughter Sophia Wright in the Brooklyn apartment on Third St... and no servants!

Sometimes you come across a surprise... (Wright Tree)

I have yet to discuss the Hull branch of the family in any detail. It is a daunting task since it essentially takes us back to the first century. However, this little tidbit is a little more recent. Ancestry.com has a great tool that gives the genealogist "hints" when the information you provide and the endless lists and resources they have accumulated match. The ordinary hint includes a census page or a death index. This evening I came across an unusual hint where an old library index card was matched to a distant relative.

James Joseph Rorimer (1905-1966) was married to Katherine Newton Serrell (1908-2000). Neither of these names would sound familiar to anyone in the Wright family. Katharine Serrell is the 2x great granddaughter of William Little Hull (1786-1842) who is my 4x great grandfather. That would make Katherine my 4th cousin 1x removed. (got that?) There are several notable individuals that have come from this tree but like I said, this one made me raise an eyebrow.

James Rorimer, born in Cleveland, OH., was a well educated art expert. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University & was hired immediately by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He eventually became the museum's curator. He was also instrumental in developing The Cloisters museum in upper Manhattan.

In 1943, Rorimer enlisted in the US Army during WWII. The Army did not waste his his talents and assigned him as an officer in the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section in Normandy and Paris. This may sound familiar to those of you who have seen the film "The Monuments Men". The character played by Matt Damon was based on James Rorimer. He was a captain by the time he was released from service.

James and Katherine had two children, Louis and Anne. James died in May of 1966.

If you care to read a little more on his life & work: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Rorimer

More Fannings Discovered

On a recent visit back to New York I stayed with my aunt who shared with me several documents and photos that I hoped would shed some light on our genealogical search. One unique item that I found interesting was a menu from my grandparents' "Nuptial Breakfast" on September 6, 1941. It was held at Dante's Restaurant & Bar at 1544 Third Avenue at E. 86 St. The menu was signed by everyone who was in attendance and there were 2 names present that I had never heard before.... Emile and Margaret Fanning.

I was able to find Emile with no problem in an Ancestry search but what was his relationship to me?
Going back through the census reports I found that his father was James P. Fanning and they lived at 1528 Madison Avenue in the NYS 1905 census. I jumped to a conclusion, and I don't think it is a far stretch since Emile & his wife were actually invited to my grandparents wedding, that Emile was Paddy Fanning's, my great grandfather's, cousin. James P. Fanning and Peter Fanning were most likely brothers. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any document from Ireland to confirm this.

Grandpa Peter (1863-?) immigrated to the US in 1891 at the age of 28. James (1861-?) immigrated in 1887 as a single 26 years old. There are no 1890 census records available and the next record states that James married a woman named Frances M. Guggenheim (1877-?) on June 28, 1899 in Manhattan. Frances, born in NY of German immigrants, was mentioned as Fanny in most of the censuses. 1900 shows them as newlyweds at 1685 Madison Ave with their new son, Emile. James was a foreman at a rubber store. By 1910, James & Fanny had moved to The Bronx on E. 173 St. and James still worked in the rubber business. Daughter Teresa is listed as 9 years old. The 1920 census has them living in a house at 3934 Park Ave in the Bronx. James was now working as an elevator operator at the Salvation Army. Emile, 19, worked for as a telegrapher for a paper company, and Teresa was an 18 year-old clerk for American Express. The last census James is mentioned in is the 1930 census. They resided at 1018 Summit Ave in the Bronx and still worked at the Salvation Army at 69 years old. The kids were all married by then. I do not know when either James or Fanny died.

Emile married a Yonkers girl named Margaret Hughes (1900-1972) in 1930 and they lived at her family's house for several years on Van Cortland Park Avenue staring in the 1930 census. He was a manger at a dye works company & she was a stenographer for welfare services. In 1940, Emile was a life insurance agent and he and Margaret had three children.

Emile's sister, Teresa, is documented well before she gets married but her trail runs cold after that. I found a record indicating Teresa Fanning married an Edward A. Conner in the Bronx on June 28, 1926. However, I have been unable to locate them in any other records. Nor have I been able to find any history on Mr. Conner.

Emile and Margaret had three children: Mary (1932), Anne Marie (1932), and James (1934-2012).

Mary Fanning married Fausten "Frank" Kokosky (1930-2006) and they lived in New City, NY. I am not sure about children but when I search their address it is only a few blocks away from my sister-in-law.

Anne Marie Fanning, I believe, married Donald E. Popp (1932-1913). If accurate, they lived in White Plains at the time of the 1940 census and at some point moved to Edison, NJ. An obituary states that he died in Venice, Florida, and is survived by his wife, Ann M, 4 sons (William - Nazareth, PA., John - Charlotte, NC., Stephen - Clark, NJ., Christopher - Easton, PA.) and a daughter (Maryann Savoth - Edison, NJ.)

James Fanning never married according to his obituary which reads "James Francis Fanning, a lifelong Yonkers resident, passed away on October 21, 2012. He was 78 years old. James attended Yonkers schools, served 2 years in the US Navy and was a graduate of Fordham College in the Bronx. He worked for many years as a clerk with the Metropolitan Port Authority.James is the beloved brother of Ann Popp and Mary Kokoski. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews." He is buried at St. Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx.

You may have noticed another unfamiliar signature on the menu, too. I am in the process of investigating who "Helen Fanning" is.

Catching up since my last post!

Hello! I know, I know... I dropped the ball. It's been over 2 years since my last post and I apologize to family members who have been following along.

Just because I have not posted in a while that does not mean that I have stopped the research. There have been a few discoveries which I would like to share with both sides of the family. In next couple of posts I will tell you how I have determined new branches of the Fanning family and of the Finck family on my mother's paternal side.

Since I already have the Finck page up on my other monitor I will begin there. I was searching for more articles on Alderman Frederick Finck's indictment in regards to the Broadway Railroad scandal when I came across this article:

George Illmensee Suicide

As you can see in the sub-title of this newspaper article, Alderman Finck's brother-in-law, George Illmensee, committed sucide. The article dates to June 1885 in New York City's lower east side. Finck had arranged for George Illmensee to work as a custodian in a public school at 160 Chrystie Street off Delancy Street. I will let you read the article to see what caused George's demise but the important genealogical discovery is how is he related to Finck?  A search of marriage records showed he was married in 1868 to Babbette Muger in Manhattan. This answers a long lying question that I had in regards to my 2nd great grandmother, Marie Antoinette Finck. I have a few variations of her name including Meagher and Mueger that have been taken from other family trees on Ancestry. This is the first where I have seen an official record.

So, now this leads us down the Ilmensee branch of the family which I was able to find through census and military records. George Illmensee (1838-1885) and Babette (often referred to as Barbara in records) Muger (1838-1885) were married July 13, 1868. George was a furniture maker and upholsterer by trade according to census reports. I suppose the school job provided a more steady income and allowed them to live in the basement of the school which saved them in rent. They had two boys, Herman (1873-?) and George Jr (1879-1945). George's suicide was on June 23, 1885. Babbette died three days later on June 26 in Newark, NJ, at 50 years old. I don't know the circumstances but we can assume it was more than a coincidence.

Herman Illmensee (1873-?) married Ida M. Volmar (1872- ?) November 24, 1897 in Manhattan. Ida seems to be from Oneida, NY, if my census record search is correct. They lived in the Tremont section of the Bronx, on Hornaday Place & then on Weeks ave through the 1930's. I do not know when they died. They had a son, George Volmar Illmensee. (1899-1961) who married Veronica G. (1908-?). Veronica was born in New Jersey and it appears that they settled in Atlantic, NJ in Monmouth County according to the 1930 census. George is listed as a poultry man and he died in September 1981 in Colts Neck, NJ. He was also in the Naval Reserve during WW1 as a Landsman Yeoman. Veronica died in 1961. They had one child George possibly born in 1957.

George Illmensee Jr (1879-1945) is the other son of George & Babette. He married Caroline (1877-?) before the 1905 census and they had four children. This group of the family also lived in the Tremont area of Bronx on Clay Ave for many years. George's occupation was insurance clerk. Their children are George III (1904-1975) who died in Westbury, Long Island. Daughter Grace who married Albert Kelsey (1904-?) in 1934 and they moved to NJ  after the 1940 census and her place of death is listed as Eatontown, NJ. Son Arthur (1911-1990) was married to a woman named Elinor (1911-2004). They lived with their parents in the 1940 census on Clay Ave. They had later records indicating that they lived in Eatontown, NJ, too. Elinor died in Ashburn, VA.

I have not been able to locate George III's wife but they had a daughter, Elizabeth Grace (1938-), who I was able to find an engagement notice in the TY Times. In 1962 she became engaged to Robert G. Schenker (1935-?). Both were graduate students at Adelphi University. I have been able to find public records for them residing in Peapack, NJ as late at 1993.

Tomorrow, I will outline the new Fanning branch.

Hurricane Sandy

Just about everyone in the Northeast was affected by Hurrcane Sandy in some degree, whether it was loss of electricity, a tree down across the street, a foot of snow in your yard, or inability to travel freely due to gas shortage. A couple of twigs of the Fanning family tree were adversely affected in a big way. Luckily, there were no deaths or injuries to report since the families evacuated before the storm's arrival. However, property damage is vast.

The Fanning Family bungalow in Long Beach, NY sustained great damage as the storm surge caused the ocean to meet the waters of Reynolds Channel. It appears the water was about four feet into the house and above the kitchen counter tops. There was enough water to make the refrigerator float and ruin just about everything in the water's path. Aunt Margaret, Anthony and Carolyn have been displaced since then and we will need to rebuild.

The Fanning bungalow in Long Beach after it was gutted on November 21.

In Rockaway, Aunt Ronnie and the girls were evicted by Hurricane Sandy when the flood waters caused the basement windows to break under pressure and the entire basement filled up. The water line raised up into the first floor by nearly 2 feet. There were splash marks on the exterior of the house as high as 14 feet from the ground as Jamaica Bay and  the Atlantic Ocean clashed along Cronston Ave. Furnace, hot water heater, electrical panels, and lots and lots of memories were damaged by the sea water. Water pressure was strong enough to cause an old oil tank to dislodge in the basement.

The first load of flood damaged belongings are curbside at the Hynes' Rockaway home.

To add insult to injury, a local landmark dear to the family was utterly destroyed by fire during the storm. The Harbor Light Restaurant was the venue to wedding rehearsals, birthdays, christenings, communions, and other meetings too numerous to list. As the 80 mph winds pushed the fire across the peninsula, the restaurant once owned by Uncle Walter was engulfed and burned to its very foundation. When I saw the first photo posted online of its smoldering ruins it caused me goosebumps.

The Harbor Light the morning after the storm.

If you have been following the story of my family through this blog, you have read how we have overcome adversity in the past. And we will overcome again. We have come from a strong lot who have endured months long trans-Atlantic journeys, terrorist attacks, and depressions. We have each other and through each others strength we shall soar once more.