An "All My Ancestors" website

Sixth Generation

32. Peter HILLMAN [image] ¹ was born ² on 28 Dec 1851 in Scaynes Hill, Sussex, England. He died on 29 Nov 1924 in Brighton, Sussex, England. He was buried on 2 Dec 1924 in Preston Cemetary, Brighton, Sussex, England. He married Esther NICHOLSON. [Parents]

A fraternal twin??

Peter Hillman was a 29 year old "builder" in the 1881 census, living at 35 Luthor Street, Brighton, Sussex, England. He gave his place of birth as Cuckfield, Sussex, England. His 24 year old wife and three year old son Ernest P Hillman lived with him. There was also a 32 year old lodger, Mary Kent, a married woman. (1881 census as per www.familysearch.org)

Cuckfield [pronounced Cook field] was an important coaching stop on the turnpike between London and Brighton by about 1820, with 50 coaches a day passing through. But it diminished in importance after local landowners opposed the buildng of the railway through it in the 1840s and the railway was built elsewhere. ("Cuckfield" Wikipedia article accessed 24 June 07). Brighton, on the south coast of England, was a popular beachfront resort area with a rapidly expanding population by 1881. (See Luthor Street, Brighton, Sussex, England accessed 24 June 07)

Came to Canada with his wife and family about 1884. "They remained in the vicinity of Hamilton until ... [about 1898] when [they] moved to England because of poor employment conditions in Canada. While here [he] being a carpenter built some homes still standing in Hamilton now." (From "Ernest Peter Hillman", compiled by JS, 1977).

33. Esther NICHOLSON [image] ¹ was born on 3 Aug 1855 in Thakeham, Sussex, England. She died on 6 Nov 1935 in Brighton, Sussex, England. She was buried on 9 Nov 1935 in Preston Cemetery, Brighton, Sussex, England. [Parents]

Appears as a 24 year old married woman living with her husband and son and a lodger in the 1881 Brighton, Sussex, England census. Her birthplace was given as "Thakham", Sussex, England. (www.familysearch.org).

[Child]

34. Francesco Eleanoro Serafino NICOLA [image] ¹ was born on 18 Aug 1839 in Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy. He was christened on 19 Aug 1839 in Torino, Piedmont, Italy. He died on 9 Nov 1923 in Brixton, Surrey, England. He was buried on 11 Nov 1923 in Brixton, Surrey, England. He married Emily MORGAN on 1 Nov 1877 in London, England. [Parents]

Francesco Nicola told his family he was an Italian prisoner of war in a Russian prison during the Crimean War, one of Garibaldi's thousand men during the unification of Italy, and later a chef at some good hotels in London, England.

"Born ... 100 miles from Turin [in Piedmont] in mountains near Switzerland ... Francesco joined the Italian Navy while very young." (From "Francesco Nicola 1839-1923, compiled by [JHS] as related to me by my father, Frank Hillman. .... As told to me about 1973").

He is said to have been part of the Piedmont force of 10,000 sent to the Crimean War in 1855. Prime Minister Cavour of Piedmont had wanted to enter the war to show the rest of Europe that Piedmont could be a military power. Italy was not yet a unified country and Piedmont was one of its independent states (Western Heritage, vol. II, 3rd ed, pp.767-770). One website refers to this force as "the Sardinians" for the island that was part of Piedmont's territory.

"In the course of the battle, three or four ships were captured by the Russians and the men thrown into Russian prison. ... To keep them from escaping,... the Russians took their shoes from them. ... [T]he flagstones of the prison were so cold that Francesco lost all feeling from his [bare] feet and during the cold nights, rats would nibble at the prisoner's toes. The Italian government paid him a pension for the rest of his life when he was eventually released for privation suffered while in prison and permanent injury to his feet. He walked with the aid of a cane thereafter. ..."

He was also supposed to have been part of the famous Garibaldi's thousand men, whose southward push in 1860 was largely responsible for the unification of Italy.

"He married a young woman [Caterina AGNESE] at Genova. Their first child was born in [1866], a son Luigi and, unfortunately the mother died at child birth at Genova.

"Shortly after this Francesco moved to England ... with his young son. It was in London where he met grandmother, Emily Morgan, she was working as a waitress and he was the cook at their place of employment. He is said to have been a great chef at several good hotels in London. On 1st of November, 1877 they were married. His English was not good and he was a quiet man.

"In January of 1884 four of their five daughters died of diptheria, referred to at that time as the plague. This left them with only my grandmother, Leonora. My father, Frank Hillman, was named after Francesco, his grandfather.

"Francesco always walked with the aid of a cane because of the damage to his feet and also with a slight limp. He ...wore a tall stove pipe hat, coattails, evening dress, and sometimes a cape. He was a fastidious dresser.

"Francesco was a Roman Catholic. In his young years while a sailor he was tattooed extensively on his body and when he became older he had wings and dresses added to the tattooed ladies so that they in effect became angels. He was a devoted father to his children." (From "Francesco Nicola 1839-1923, compiled by JHS as related to me by my father, Frank Hillman. .... As told to me about 1973").

Cuneo, Italy? We searched Youtube for a video of Cuneo, Italy and this video entitled "Salone del libro enogastronomico" was among the results. Google translates this as "Hall of the enogastronomico book". (Cookbook bookstore?) If we are correct (I don't know Italian) this is a delightful view of Francesco Nicola's birthplace. If you understand Italian please e mail me and let me know!

35. Emily MORGAN [image] ¹ was born on 25 Sep 1856 in Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England. She died on 9 Nov 1924 in , London, England. She was buried on 11 Nov 1924 in Brixton, Surrey, England. [Parents]

[Child]

36. Alfred James BOURNE ¹ was born ² on 27 Mar 1851 in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, England. He was christened on 27 Apr 1851 in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, England. He married Emma COOPER on 23 Dec 1871 in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, England. [Parents]

The 1881 census taker found that 30 year old Alfred J Bourne lived with his family of then five children at "Road To Hare Farm Cott[age]", Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, England. He was a Grocer's porter, born at Hartley Row, Hampshire, England. (www.familysearch.org).

A delightful video showing glimpses of Hartley Wintney in summertime as found at Youtube

37. Emma COOPER ¹ was born ² on 20 Oct 1849 in Cliddesden, Hampshire, England. She was christened on 11 Nov 1849 in Cliddesden, Hampshire, England. She died on 21 May 1929 in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. [Parents]

31 year old Emma Bourne lived with her husband and five children during the 1881 British census. She gave her birthplace as Cliddesden, Hampshire, England.

[Child]

38. Charles SHARPE ¹ was born ² on 5 Sep 1840 in St. John, New Brunswick. He died on 1 May 1928 in Houghton, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada. He was buried in Second Baptist C, Norfolk, Ontario. He married Lavina Adeline PURDY on 4 Oct 1863 in Houghton, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada. [Parents]

The 1881 census places Charles Sharp in Houghton, Norfolk South, Ontario, where he was a farmer with a wife and five children. His family were Baptists. (See familysearch.org)

39. Lavina Adeline PURDY ¹ was born on 1 Mar 1848 in Houghton, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada. She died on 10 Jun 1917 in Houghton, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada. [Parents]

Also "Lavina Adelaide" on FGS where she appears as a child

[Child]

40. Benjamin HITCHCOCK [image] ¹ was born ^{2, 3} about 1821 in New Brunswick. He died ⁴ on 15 Feb 1899. He was buried ⁵ in Ortonville, Victoria, New Brunswick, Canada. He married ⁶ Catherine DEE on 31 Aug 1846 in Andover, Victoria, New Brunswick. [Parents]

Before the 1851 census Benjamin Hitchcock Jr and Catherine (Dee) Hitchcock had moved to the Restigouche River at the north part of New Brunswick. "I do not know how [long?] Grandfather Benjamin and family lived in Restigouche. Albert would know where his father was born. But their stay probably was not long. ..." (Letter [Gerty Duffy] to CHH written from Halifax N.S. Aug 1, 1978).

When he heard that his mother was in her last illness they returned to what is now Victoria County. There were fewer roads in New Brunswick then. They took a canoe or batteaux and paddled up one of the tributaries of the Restigouche (a river that flows east and north). They would have carried the canoe from the tributary and proceeded overland (this is called portaging) until they reached perhaps Green River, which flows south and west. They would have paddled down this until they reached the St. John River, where Benjamin's mother, Cecelia (Collins) Hitchcock, was probably in her last illness. This was a canoe trip that stuck in the memory of one of the daughters, a child at the time, who told the story in her family until it was retold in a 1970s letter by Benjamin's grand daughter Gerty Duffy to CHH. I have paraphrased it until I can see the letter again.

(The NB provincial archives has an 1898 picture of a family portaging to the Restigouche - the Hitchcocks may have travelled in the same way. For the on-line image please see portaging ).

They then settled on what became a three hundred acre farm on a promontory that juts out into the St. John River in what is now Ortonville, Victoria County, New Brunswick. The action of the River has worn away some of the riverbank today, but descendents of Benjamin through his son Benjamin Hitchcock (the third) continued to live there perhaps to the present time.

The River in front of "Ben Hitchcock's place" was where a tragic drowning victim was found on 10 June 1888. (See Daily Telegraph 11 June 1888 as per Daniel Johnson's newspaper index at PANB website link

Benjamin Hitchcock Jr. was an asthmatic pipe smoker who used to stand outside at the corner of the house so that he could smoke and the wind would carry the fumes away around the corner of the house.

When the wood-burning kitchen stove would "smoke" into the room, he would cry "Catherine! You are trying to kill me! You are trying to smoke me to death!" (Catherine was pronounced to rhyme with "line"). (CHH).

"Benjamin was Anglican of course" in contrast to the religion of his father in law, the Irish-born Nicholas Dee.

"[Benjamin] lost his home through his son's ... dealing. and was taken in by good kind Uncle Marshall and Aunt Jane. So that is where they ended their days - Catherine going at 66 and Benjamin at 78. Dates are on the stone in the Ortonville cemetary." (Letter [Gerty Duffy?] to CHH written from Halifax N.S. Aug 1, 1978).

41. Catherine DEE was born ^{1, 2} about 1831 in New Brunswick. She died ³ on 31 Jul 1896. She was buried in Ortonville, Victoria, New Brunswick, Canada. [Parents]

"Catherine was supposed to be Catholic. But Rebecca [her mother] was Protestant and the church was probably not mentioned. ... Grandmother [Catherine] was baptized by immersion by Rev. Charles Henderson so she became a Baptist.

"Catherine was strait-laced and did not like off-colour stories." (Letter [Gerty Duffy] to CHH August 1, 1978, written from Halifax, N.S.)

[Child]

42. William MERRITT [image] ¹ was born ² on 18 Jun 1828. He died ³ on 11 Aug 1911. He was buried ⁴ in Ortonville, Victoria, New Brunswick, Canada. He married ⁵ Mary RIDEOUT on 4 Jul 1854 in Andover, Victoria, New Brunswick. [Parents]

"William Merritt, farmer" lived at Grand Falls Portage, Victoria County, according to the 1870-1 McAlpines' Maritime Provinces Directory, Victoria County. (See McAlpines') This was approximately the Trans Canada Highway south of Grand Falls, which had been the portage around the Grand Falls. (CHH 29 May 2004).

He appears in a family photograph taken with several grown grandchildren, where he is incorrectly named "Henry Merritt" (however Henry Merrit passed away before the 1871 census). The original circa 1911 picture was in the possession of the late Pauline (Watson) Bell. Her mother was Ethel (Hitchcock) Watson. (CHH).

71 year old William Merritt was living with his son Bert Merritt in Grand Falls, Victoria County during the 1901 census. His birthdate was precisely given as June 18, 1829. (Automated Genealogy )

83 year old William Merritt was living with his son Albert Merritt in Grand Falls Parish during the 1911 census, taken a short time before he passed away. June 1827 was given as his birth year, contrasting with the 1871 census' reported birthdate. He couldn't read or write. (See Automated Genealogy, page 15, line 5).

Grandson Albert Hitchcock returned from lumbering and told his grandfather William Merritt that he had encountered a real telephone in Maine. The skeptical William Merritt made a vulgar remark “telephone my *”. (CHH 15 April 2005).

43. Mary RIDEOUT was born ¹ on 6 May 1835 in New Brunswick. She died ² on 28 Jun 1899. She was buried ³ in Ortonville, Victoria, New Brunswick, Canada. [Parents]

[Child]

44. Thomas Westbrook WALDRON [image] ¹ was born ² on 4 Apr 1821 in St. David Parish, Charlotte, New Brunswick. He died ^{3, 4} on 16 Feb 1907 in Tower Hill,Charlotte, n.B.,Canada. He was buried ⁵ in Moores Mills Cemetary, St. David, Charlotte, n.B., Canada. He married Mary POLLARD. [Parents]

Known as "Westbrook" by his contemporaries, apparently to distinguish him from his father, who was known as "Thomas". He was found in his parents' home in the 1851 census, aged 29, living two houses away from the home of his future wife, Mary Pollard.

"Westbrook Waldron 'built a house on Central Tower Hill' in St. David [Parish], N.B...." (St David Parish website) He married twice, both wives, like himself, descended from New Hampshire families.

Lovell's Directory of Names in St. David's Parish, New Brunswick, for 1871 gives Moore's Mills as the residence for this farmer's family. (See Lovell's Directory). Three other Waldron families, all which were Westbrook's relatives, also lived in Moore's Mills. (see also http://archives.gnb.ca/APPS/PrivRecs/...) For a picture of Moore's Mills in about 1895 see old Moore's Mills, NB

He is a 61 year old Anglican in the 1881 census of St. David Parish, Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada. His second wife, Margaret, and five children lived with him then. He was a farmer.

This Anglican had converted to Universalism by the 1901 census. His daughter Annie, his grand daughter Mildred, and son Robert and his wife Maud and their family were living with them and had "no denomination." He was a farmer, an employer, and "working on his own account."

"I remember Grandpa Waldron (Westbrook): as you say, I was only 8 years old when he died: To me, as a child, he seemed a bit stern: but not unkind: Your Aunt Lily was a bit afraid of him. If she went in to Grandpa's at noon hour from School, he would say to Aunt Ann ... 'Put a plate on the table for that girl' Lily would say she had had her dinner: but he would shout .. 'Sit up and eat your dinner', and she would obey... He meant to be kind, knowing she had eaten only a cold lunch she had brought from home in the morning. But Lily did not understand. " (Vivian B. Waldron to CHH 30 Oct 1976, p.1)

"A nice old man, as I remember him." Affectionately called one of his grand daughters "Effel Drey" [his teeth were out]. (Ethel Mary Waldron Hitchcock to CHH, undated)

Birth date: 1819 according to reverse of his only known photo. 1820 according to his gravestone. 1822 calculated from 1851 census. 1821 according to 1881 and 1901 census.

Birth and death dates: There seems to be a lot of variability in the dates given for his birth: 1) Vivian B Waldron letter to CHH 21 Nov1975: "I visited grampa's grave: his dates are 1820-1907." 2) His only known surviving picture suggests 1819 as date of birth. 3) He is 29 in 1851 census, suggesting 1822 as birth year (The New Brunswick Census of 1851 - Charlotte County: Vol. 1, ed. by Robert F. Fellows (1974: Provincial Archives of N.B.: p282. Original entry found p6 of microfilm c-994). We rely on the 1901 census, which though later than the 1851 census, is more precise (day, month, year). It is entirely consistent with the 1881 census. Of course if the 1851 census was taken before Westbrook's birthday it would not recognize that he was to turn 30 that year, making his birthdate agree with the 1901 and 1881 census information.

Marriage to Mary Pollard: may be recorded on p. 314 of Prov Arch N.B. microfilm F-137, according to 27 Jan 1981 letter Charlotte Carlson to CHH.

His family in the 1871 census
Waldron Westbrook M 48 NB Baptist English Farmer M
Waldron Margaret F 45 NB Baptist English M 1

Children of Mary (Pollard) Waldron:
Waldron Charles M 16 NB Baptist English
Waldron Jenette F 13 NB Baptist English
Waldron Clark M 11 NB Baptist English

Children of Margaret:
Waldron Robert M 9 NB Baptist English
Waldron Mary F 7 NB Baptist English
Waldron Anna F 5 NB Baptist English

45. Mary POLLARD [image] ¹ was born ² calculated 1830 in New Brunswick. She died ³ on 19 Aug 1860. The cause of death was breast cancer. She was buried ^{4, 5} in Upper St. David Ridge cemetary, Charlotte, New Brunswick. [Parents]

Mary was a 21-year-old New Brunswick-born teacher living with parents in the 1851 Census, two houses away from the home of her future husband.

This is the lady whose sister Harriet wrote her a letter begging her to "git that pure religion" before she died. Original in possession of CHH.

Vivian B. Waldron in an 18 Jan 1979 letter describes her marker as "a tall slim stone," not to be found in a much-overgrown graveyard. It obviously was found again when a genealogist transcribed all of them for the St David's Parish and PANB websites.

Her descendant Ethel Mary Waldron was told that she looked like Mary (Pollard) Waldron.

(See also Pollard information prepared by Steve Robbins and T Moffatt).

[Child]

46. Josiah D LORING [image] ^{1, 2} was born ³ on 20 Aug 1815 in Perry, Maine, Us. He married ⁴ Catherine SMITH on 22 Feb 1852 in St. Stephen, Charlotte, New Brunswick. [Parents]

Josiah D Loring was an eager participant in possibly two gold rushes and a war.

He was born into a typically large Maine family which a couple of generations before had lived in or near Hingham and Hull, Massachusetts since 1634. We do not know what the "D" in his name represents, though it appears in his military records and on the back of a photo.

This may be his cousin, another Josiah Loring: He returned from a sea voyage by about July 1839 at the "Port of Passamaquoddy". He gave his age as 26. (Ancestry.com ships passengers lists) Josiah Loring of Perry, Maine, "shipbuilder" was on the Brig Amelia, headed for the gold fields of California. He sailed 9am 12 November 1849 from Eastport, Maine. During the Atlantic portion of the voyage one of his fellow passengers expressed alarm 28 Dec 1849 when "Mr. Loring shot a large bird to day that came hovering round the vessel; which was considered by some as a bad omen." The Amelia navigated around the horn of South America in severe storm weather that twice nearly sank it, and arrived 6 May 1850 in San Francisco. Only then did the passengers find that wages were low and accomodation costly. (Two of his fellow-passengers, Alexander Boyd, Jr., and D.C. Powers, described this sometimes dangerous journey in a journal and a logbook, complete with paintings and a map).

Josiah appears in the 1850 census living with his older brother, John, and his family, his 7 year old daughter Hannah, and his parents. (Please see Ref:1850 Census, Perry, Washington Co., ME, p2/166, frame 2/32, taken 8 Aug. 1850, age 33 as cited on Arnie Krause's Worldconnect). We suspect Josiah was not able to become wealthy in California.

22 January 1852 he married his second wife, the Irish Catherine Smith, in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. A locket contains their "tin type" pictures, probably taken by Josiah's younger brother, Davis, who was perhaps the first photographer in Eastport, Maine. A second photo of Josiah Loring is clearly marked "Loring's new rooms - Eastport, Maine '. I have the second photo, apparently a "19th century Albumen print carte-de-visite" (to quote the description of a similar Davis Loring photo found at the New Brunswick Museum) and hope someday to photograph the locket that holds the first photo.

Although one daughter was reportedly born in Calais, Maine, I have seen a cadestral map in the possession of Charlotte Carlson that I think showed where the couple lived in the Tower Hill area of Charlotte County, New Brunswick.

However the US Civil War saw Josiah back in his home state, where on 22 September 1862 he enrolled in the 9th Maine Infantry, Co. H. He had volunteered for three years. Much of his service was in North and South Carolina, often on "special duty" in the Quartermaster's Department. There was a long period of hospitalization in Hampton, Virginia's military hospital. Josiah was mustered out 30 June 1865 at Raleigh, North Carolina, at the conclusion of the war. A copy of his muster roll records are in the possession of CHH. For a general outline of the regimental history and sources, please see 9th Maine Regimental History and sources

Another researcher, David James, mentions Josiah's "distinguished service" in the civil war but cautions this phrase appears on many civil war records. He includes a copy of the "tin type" photo which originally appeared on this website.

With the passing of Catherine of tuberculosis probably in the following year, the children of the second marriage were dispersed among relatives. Mary Helen and Walter lived with their aunt Margaret Ann (Smith) Hatch at Prince William Station, York County, New Brunswick. Florence Amelia (we guess she was named after the ship her father sailed on in 1849/50?) lived with their uncle Davis Loring's family in Eastport, Maine.

Josiah married a third time to Mrs. Lucy Ann Greenlaw 12 Dec 1868 in Calais, Maine. (See IGI at Familysearch.org).

He may be the same as "Josiah LORRING, Customs House Officer at Calais, Maine [who] mysteriously disappeared on 11th inst. His wife was very sick and died the following morn. - St. Stephen 'Times'" (As cited in Email H(C)T to MH October 29 2007, which cites Daniel F Johnson : Volume 28 Number 300 taken from Saint John Morning News, 23 April 1870).

Three pictures of Josiah survived until recent years. The last of these was labelled "Deadwood DT", and from this we guess that he spent some time in that wild frontier town. Perhaps he came there for the 1876 gold rush. It is unlikely that he came earlier - the gold rush brought non natives to the Black Hills in significant numbers for the first time. This last picture has disappeared.

A family tradition - when Josiah was in his seventies, two of his daughters, Mary Helen and her sister Florence received letters asking for money to buy Josiah some shirts. His daughters regretted they could not afford to help him.

(Perry is described at Perry, Maine).

47. Catherine SMITH [image] was born ¹ on 15 Feb 1826 in Lower Tower Hill,Charlotte County, New Brunswick. She was buried ² on 3 Mar 1866 in Calais, Maine, Us. [Parents]

Catherine Smith was the oldest in a large family of Irish immigrants to New Brunswick. (See her 1851 Census entry courtesy of her descendant, HCT). Catherine married just before her 26th birthday to a widower almost eleven years older than her. They lived in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, and by 1856 in Calais, Maine. The children of the first marriage apparently did not live with them.

She is not mentioned in her father's 8 August 1860 will perhaps because she was married and provided for?

She had six children, one of whom passed away four years after her marriage. Another died of tuberculosis at age 19, and another was lost at sea as a young man. Her husband had volunteered for army service, leaving her alone for almost three years, returning less than a year before she herself passed away. It must have been a hard life.

That life came to an end early in 1866, when she passed away of tuberculosis. She was only 40. "Cathrin Loring buried Mar 3, 1866; age 40 yrs." There is no marker in the Calais, Maine, cemetary.

Just as had happened to her step children, her own surviving children were divided up and distributed among relatives. Walter, probably the youngest, later disappeared after leaving his employer "out west" as a young man.

Many years later her daughter Mary Helen (Loring) Waldron received a letter requesting funds to pay for the moving of the grave or for provision of a gravestone? We are unsure which. She was unable to pay. (CHH Dec 2003). Sharon Howland, a local specialist on this cemetary, advises there is no record that this grave was ever moved. There is no gravestone.

Possible future research: 1Calais Maine Cemetery Interment Books, Film F-13384 MC1779, 23 Aug 1999, St. Stephen,NB Public Library, St. Stephen, NB.
Calais Town Clerk Records 1791-1866 (Film - Calais), p216, Maine State Archives, Augusta, Maine.

Other possible research: "Rev. I. C. Knowlton, "Annals of Calais, ME & St. Stephen, NB"; Calais, J.A. Sears Printer, 1875 (LDS fiche #6,093,224
Or: US CENSUS 1860 - Maine; LDS film 803,454; Calais, Washington Co
Or: "A Calais, Maine Cemetary Sexton's Journal" (Several of these suggested sources are cited at Pehoushek.com)

[Child]

58. MANUTA.

He was the father of Feliciana Manuta and of Luciano Manuta.

Luciano Manuta was the ancestor of a California resident we interviewed, and of Hon. Romulo R. Manuta , city counselor of Marijoboc, Bohol, Philippines.

[Child]

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