Merry Christmas from Horace and Elizabeth

This is the outside photograph of a Christmas card from my grandparents, Horace and Elizabeth (Sheldon Dow) Rockwell.

They lived on Scarborough Street in Hartford, CT. The homes were still there when I used to visit my mother in Connecticut and they were still grand homes. Grandfather Rockwell was a patent attorney in Hartford.

It seems that there is one small child outside the door of the house - and if we're going by this as a recording of their life at the time, one could guess that this would be their first child, Connie. Unfortunately the photo is taken from way back and the child is very small.

I'm going to check the genealogy book and see when the Rockwell children were born and then maybe also check with the one remaining sibling to see if she has any knowledge of this card.

In the meantime, Merry Christmas wishes to you ... in October!

A Few Family Photos

This is my grandfather, Horace Lewis Rockwell.  He was a patent attorney in Hartford, Conn. He was married to my grandmother, Elizabeth Sheldon Dow Rockwell. They had five children: Connie, Betty, Ricky, Rock and Henry (though not necessarily in that order.

My father, Richard Rockwell is sitting on this cute little pony. At left, in the had, is Uncle Rock (Horace) and Aunt Connie (Constance). Uncle Henry is behind the horse's head. Missing is Aunt Bet. 

The girls were all educated at Oxford School in West Hartford.

The boys all attended Kingswood School in West Hartford.

More on that to follow!

The Sunday Star, Washington - December 16, 1906

Mrs. Gainford Dead.

The significance of this article was lost on me because "Gainford" isn't a family name that I'd heard of ... however, upon reading the article, it became more interesting!

It seems that Mrs. Gainford (nee, Phebe Rockwell) was the daughter of Jabez Rockwell and Elizabeth Mulford. Jabez was born on October 3, 1761 and at the ripe old age of 15, he enlisted in the 7th Regiment, recruited in Connecticut under the supervision of Gen. Benedict Arnold, under whose command he fought and was wounded at the battle of Saratoga in 1777. He was later transferred to a division of the army under Gen. Putnam and went under the direction of Gen. George Washington with whom he passed the memorable winter of  1777-1778 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Jabez was in the boat with General Washington on December 25th, 1777 when he crossed the Delaware river at Trenton.

Pretty cool to have as a part of our family history, I'd say!

Phebe was the third child of seven children born to Jabez and his second wife, Elizabeth, who were married in September 1799 in Milford, Pennsylvania. His first wife, Sarah Rundell had died on May 24, 1798. They had been married in 1784 and had seven children who were left with Mr. Rockwell.

Phebe Rockwell Gainford had been married once before as well. Her first husband, Mr. John L. Kimble died about two years after their marriage.

I'll look for Jabez in the Rockwell book when I return to Florida but for now, let's all assume this is a legitimate ancestor! Cool beans!

Ephraim Hatheway - A Soldier of the Revolutionary War

I have a letter (or copy of) from the O.W. & N. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions, Washington, D.C. dated November 1, 1895.

It seems that a J. E. Rockwell, Esq. (address: So. States Passenger Ass'n, Atlanta, GA) was looking for information doubt this man who may or may not be a member of the family.

The letter states that Mr. Hatheway's widow had applied for a pension with the Bureau ib Nart 23, 1818. At that time, she lived in Buckfield, Maine and the age at date of application is listed as 61 years. At enlistment, the residence of soldier was Taunton, Mass. In part, her application stated:

"In the fall of 1775 he enlisted for one year in Capt. Oliver Soper's company, Col. Reed's Mass. regiment, and marched from Roxbury, Mass to New York City, where he was appointed Orderly Sergeant and transferred to the company of Artificers commanded by Capt. Phineas Ford in the regiment commanded by Col Brewer; was stationed at New York City until it was evacuated when he marched to White Plains and thence to Peekskill, where he was discharged."

The letter is "signed" by Wm. Lehren, Commissioner.

Here's a scan of the letter:

Elizabeth Sheldon Dow Rockwell

201 Fern Street, West Hartford, CT.

Elizabeth, Richard, Connie, Horace & Henry

Mrs. Reynolds, Mrs. Rockwell, Mrs. Harbach -Standing MR. Reynolds, Mr. Rockwell

Obituary printed in the Hartford Courant on March 15, 1984.

ROCKWELL. Elizabeth S. Rockwell, 96. of 201 Fern Street, West Hartford, widow of Horace L. Rockwell, died Tuesday, (March 13, 1984). Born in Claremont, NH, June 1 1887, she was the daughter of Robert Kimball Dow and Mary Smith Dow of Claremont. She attended Smith College in the class of 1910. She leaves two daughters, Mrs. James S. Marshall or Gates Mills, Ohio, and Mrs. Robert S. Cross of Kiawah Island, SC; three sons, Henry L. Rockwell of New Britain, Horace E. Rockwell of Toledo, Ohio, and Richard Rockwell of West Hartford; 14 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be helps in Gross Memorial Chapel of Asylum Hill Congregational Church on Friday at 11 a.m. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery, Georgetown, Washington, D.C. There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, or the American Cancer Society.

I remember visiting Granny's house not too long before she died. I was pregnant with my first daughter, Katie, and thought it would be good news to cheer up Granny who was confined to her bed. But she thought I was my cousin Kim, as yet unmarried. I didn't tell her about the baby.

Another memory - about Granny's memorial service at Asylum Hill in the Chapel. It was a rather small gathering. Mostly family. Intimate because the chapel was a smaller space. But I was sitting next to my dad and that day was the second time that I remember seeing him cry. (The first was when he had to put his beloved poodle, Sam, to sleep.) It moved me to see my father hurting. I guess when one looses one's mother ... it's a very sad day. Now, having lived through the passing of my father (1985) and my mother (2008) I realize just how sad my father had to have been. He wasn't good about talking about his feelings but I feel like I know from first hand experience how deeply he felt about his mother.

Granny's Excellent Adventure

I have a "List of Passengers" from the American Export Lines "First Class" cruise on the S.S. Independence from November 27, 1955 to November 16, 1955.

The cruise was from New York to Gibraltar and then on to Barcelona, Cannes, Genoa, and Naples - and then back to New York via Genoa, Cannes and Gibraltar.

Mrs. Horace L. Rockwell was one of the passengers.

Captain hugh L. Switzer was the Commander of the ship with eight other officers and a staff of ten more.

Thirty-five people traveled from New York to New York (round trip), among them, Granny Rockwell. There were ten couples, nine single men and nine single women.

Wish I had more information ... but that's all that she wrote.

Family Tree

I've wanted to find a good computer program to make a family tree. I bought one a while ago called, oddly enough, "Family Tree Maker" but it stinks. We have a few odd limbs on our tree and it was unable to add them logically to the tree. So, I'm still looking. I may have to free-hand it one day or make one with apples like Kate (then Katie, soon to be Kat and then Katye) did for her family tree project in elementary school.

I have a book at home in Florida and it's a genealogy of the Rockwell family and traipses back to Merry old England where we're related to royalty. Put that in your pipe and smoke it ... or that and five bucks will get you a cup of coffee. Whatever. It's pretty cool but I'd love to get it update with all my cousins weddings, children and now children-in-law and grandchildren as well.

I also have a few books about the Rockwell family (I think they may be the same book but I've not ever read any of them) and one about the Dow family. That covers my father's side of the family but my mother's side of the family is totally un-researched. I don't imagine that we have anything as interesting on Mom's side but one never knows. One day, I'd like to look into her side of the family. Unfortunately all of the "elders" who could have told me the most interesting stories have since passed away. But maybe the cousins will remember something ... or have some histories written down!

Tomorrow I'll start scanning some of the documents that I found stuffed into the books. Some fun stuff. Let me leave you with this article from the July 1906 Los Angeles Times. (If you click on the pictures, they will become large enough to read.)