Blog

More Darn Friths

The Family of William Frith the Immigrant Ancestor

I have a love/hate relationship with William Frith. He’s an open book and yet annoyingly devoid of records that would lead me further or provide much help in an ancestor search. He rudely dies in 1855 so there is only one census record to work from and no death notice or death certificate.

William Frith was born in England about 1806. One of William’s children stated his full name was William Henry Frith¹ and the name William Henry appears frequently in this line, including his oldest known son. However, both are common names of the time. His oldest definitive record with a birth year is the passenger list from the Hampton which arrived in New York on 14 Jul 1837. His stated age is 31.²

On 15 Aug 1836, William Frith married Frances Brown in Saint James, Westminster, London, England.³ I have not yet looked at the original record to see if it provides further information such as parents or a birth location for William. [Update May 2016 – the source record provided no further information.]

On the Hampton’s passenger list, William states his profession as “Gentleman.” He is accompanied by wife Frances, age 23. They are not accompanied by any children; however, based on the 11 Oct 1837 birth date of daughter Fanny C., Frances was pregnant at the time of their immigration.

The 1840 census is consistent with his known family and also states that one person (has to be him) is involved in manufacturing or trade.⁴ On the 1850 census, William’s occupation is stated as “Hardware.”⁵ He never appears in the New York or Brooklyn City Directories, although there are several Friths of about the same age from England who work in trade jobs such as cabinetmaking and steel. I have not been able to tie any of these Friths together yet.

Frances (Brown) Frith died 20 Feb 1854 in Brooklyn, and on 9 March William filed for Letters of Administration for her estate.⁶ In that application, he named their eight surviving children. She was interred in grave 8 of the Brown/Frith family plot, Sec 2, Lot 161 in Cypress Hills Cemetery.⁷ Sadly, youngest daughter Anna died only a few months later in Jul 1854 at the age of 7 months and was interred with her mother.⁸ There are no headstones in the family plot.

William passed away in April 1855 and was interred with his wife on 17 April in Cypress Hills Cemetery in grave 12.⁹

William and Frances (Brown) Frith had eight known children together:
Fanny C. Frith Bagwell Maxwell Maddern (1837-1918)
Susan Wynn Frith McLean (1839-1915)
William Henry Frith (1841-1858)
Ellen E. Frith (1844-1857)
Ruth Frith Reed (1846-1907)
George Richard Frith (1848-1903)
Matthew Taylor Frith (1850-1929)
Anna Frith (1853-1854)

Even though he left behind 7 children under the age of 18, I have not yet found a probate file for him. It appears that the children were taken in by Ellen Winn (1784-1860). Ellen and William Winn (d. bef 1850) traveled with William and Frances from England aboard the Hampton and is most likely a relation, but I have not yet figured out how. The Winns were close enough that William and Frances named second daughter, Susan Wynn Frith for one of them. I have not been able to locate Ellen or any of the children on the 1855 New York State Census, but in 1860, Ruth, George, and Matthew are enumerated under the name Winn in Brooklyn with Ellen.¹⁰ Unfortunately, the 1860 does not prove relationships. [Update May 2016 – A search of films of guardianship records showed no entries for the Frith children or Ellen Winn.]

1. “New York Death Records,” database(accessed 29 Oct 2015), Mathew Taylor Frith, died 5 Jun 1929, buried 7 Jun 1929 Greenwood, parents: William Henry Frith and Frances Katherine Brown. Cit. Date: 29 Oct 2015.
2. “New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957,” online images(accessed 12 May 2014), manifest, Hampton, 14 Jul 1837, William Frith, 31, gentleman. Cit. Date: 12 May 2014.
3. Marriage Record, England Select Marriages, 1538-1973, Ancestry, William Frith/Frances Brown, 15 Aug 1836, Saint James, Westminister, London, England. FHL Film #1042320. Cit. Date: 5 May 2014.
4. 1840 U.S. census, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, p. 652, line 26, Wm Frith; digital images, Ancestry (accessed 12 May 2014); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M704, roll 289. Cit. Date: 12 May 2014.
5. 1840 U.S. census, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, p. 652, line 26, Wm Frith; digital images, Ancestry (accessed 12 May 2014); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M704, roll 289. Cit. Date: 12 May 2014.
6. New York, Probate, Frances Frith, Application for Letters of Administration by William Frith, stating Frances Frith died 20 Feb 1854, Brooklyn, Kings, minor children: Fanny, Susan, William, Ellen, Ruth, George, Matthew, Ann; digital images, Ancestry(accessed 29 Oct 2015). Cit. Date: 29 Oct 2015.
7. Interment Records, Mrs. Frances Frith, age 38, interred 23 Feb 1854, William Brown Family Plot Lot 161, Sec 2, Cypress Hills Cemetery. Cit. Date: 12 May 2014.
8. Interment Records, Anna Frith, age 7 mo., interred 12 Jul 1854, grave 8, William Brown Family Plot, Lot 161, Sec 2, Cypress Hills Cemetery. Cit. Date: 14 May 2014.
9. William Frith, age 48, interred 17 Apr 1855, grave 12.William Brown Family Plot, Lot 168, Sec 2, Cypress Hills Cemetery.
10. 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Brooklyn, Kings, New York,, p. 403, family 1194, George Winn [Frith] with Ellen Winn, Ruth Frith, Mathew Frith; digital images, Ancestry (accessed 29 Oct 2015); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M653, roll M653 774.

McLean/Frith/Brimlow/Brown

Those Darn Friths –

The George Richard Frith Family

In an earlier series of posts, I talked about Henrietta “Nettie” Ella (Frith) McLean and the fact that she married her first cousin George E. McLean (1867-1915). I’ve also covered much of the McLean line and in that process, I wrote about George’s mother, Susan Wynn (Frith) McLean (1839-1915). Now I need to do a quick clean up on the rest of Frith line before moving on to the Browns and Brimlows.

For those who need a reminder of who’s who, here’s a link to the MacLean, Frith, and Brimlow Pedigree Chart. Today we’re going to take a look at the family of person #6 on this chart, George Richard Frith. The next post will be about the family of William Frith and Frances Brown.

George Richard Frith was born 7 Jan 1848 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Kings, New York.^1,2 He was the second son, and sixth known child of William Frith and Frances Brown. His parents were both deceased prior to his seventh birthday and until the age of eleven, he and his siblings were taken care of by Ellen Winn. Her exact relationship to the family is not yet known; however, she traveled to New York with William and Frances and is buried in the Brown/Frith family plot in Cypress Hills Cemetery. It is not known where George and his siblings lived after Ellen’s death.

Around 1868, George married Henrietta F. Brimlow, born 7 Sep 1847, daughter of George Brimlow and Elizabeth E. Weeks. Henrietta and George’s first known child was born and died in early January of 1870. The baby appears on the interment record at Cypress Hills Cemetery as “Inft of G&H Frith, no age, interred 8 Jan 1870.”³ With no name and no death record for an infant found, it is probable that this child was a stillborn. Six more children would follow, but only two would live to maturity. Two of their children, Ruth and Matthew, died within 10 days of each other in August of 1882 and were buried in Sec 6, South ½ of Lot 596 of Cypress Hills.^4,5

Henrietta F. (Brimlow) Frith died on 26 Dec 1884 from pneumonia and asthma.⁶ She was pregnant at the time and the child was stillborn. They were buried together in George’s family plot. George filed an application for and was granted Letters of Administration on his wife’s estate, in which he named their surviving children as: Nettie E. about 10 years of age, Ada M. about 8, and Cornelia about 2.⁷ More research would be required to find out what her estate consisted of. Daughter Cornelia died 14 Mar 1886 and was interred with her mother.⁸

George worked as a grainer and painter throughout his life as did his brother-in-law Peter B. McLean, and it is likely they worked together at times. George and younger daughter Ada moved to North Hempstead to be near Peter B. and Susan and were enumerated there in 1892.⁹ Daughter Nettie remained in Brooklyn, living with maternal grandmother Elizabeth (Weeks) Brimlow. After Peter B. McLean’s death, both George and his sister Susan moved in with their married children George E. and Nettie (Frith) McLean and are enumerated there on the 1900 census.¹⁰

George Richard Frith died of cirrhosis of the liver on 15 Mar 1903 in Roslyn, Nassau, New York, and was interred on 18 Mar 1903 with his wife in Cypress Hills Cemetery.¹¹ While my initial inclination was to say he drank, it is probable that his liver issues came from spending his life working with lead-based paints.

George and Henrietta’s children were:
Infant Frith (Jan 1870)
Ruth E. Frith (1873-15 Aug 1882)
Nettie Ella Frith McLean (2 Mar 1875-21 Dec 1963) m. George E. McLean
Ada May Frith Penny (Apr 1878 – 27 Mar 1943) m. Andrew “Jack” Penny
Matthew Frith (1880 – Aug 1882)
Cornelia Maria Frith (26 Mar 1883 – 14 Mar 1886)
Stillborn Frith (26 Dec 1884)

1. Death Certificate, County of Nassau-State of New York, Registration #3270, George Richard Frith, Date of Death 15 March 1903, Age 54 y 2 mo 8 d., Father William Frith, mother Frances Brown. Cit. Date: 14 May 2014.
2. 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, p. 265B, dwelling 1202, family 2135, George Frith, age 2; digital images, Ancestry (accessed 12 May 2014); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M432, roll M432 522. Cit. Date: 12 May 2014.
3. Cypress Hills Cemetery (Brooklyn, Queens, New York), Plot Records, Sec 2, Lot 161. Plot record states infant child of G & H Frith – no age. Cit. Date: 13 Aug 2010.
4. Kings County, New York, death certificate no. 10652 (15 Aug 1882), Ruth Frith; FHL microfilm 1,323,775. Cit. Date: 3 Aug
5. Cypress Hills Cemetery (Brooklyn, Queens, New York), Plot Records, Matthew Frith, interred 25 Aug 1882, Child. Sec 6, Lot 596, South 1/2. Cit. Date: 3 Aug 2010.
6. Kings County, New York, death certificate no. 13911 (26 Dec 1884), Henrietta F. Frith; FHL microfilm 1,323,798. Cit. Date: 2 Aug 2010.
7. New York, Kings County, Probate Administration Records; Author: New York. Surrogate’s Court (Kings County); Probate Place: Kings, New York, Henrietta F. Frith, 29 Dec 1884.
8. “New York Death Records,” database(accessed 27 Oct 2015), Cornelia M. Frith, 14 Mar 1886, Brooklyn, Kings, burial Cypress Hills.
9. New York, population schedule, No. Hempstead, Queens, 2 E.D., p. 2, line 16, George Frith; digital images, Ancestry (accessed 14 May 2014). Cit. Date: 14 May 2014.
10. 1900 U.S. census, population schedule, No. Hempstead, Nassau, New York, enumeration district (ED) 711, p. 4B, dwelling 77, family 82, McLean, George E.; digital images, Ancestry (accessed 11 May 2014); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll 1079. Cit. Date: 11 May 2014.
11. Death Certificate, County of Nassau-State of New York, Registration #3270, George Richard Frith, Date of Death 15 March 1903, Age 54 y 2 mo 8 d., Father William Frith, mother Frances Brown. Cit. Date: 14 May 2014.

McLean/Frith/Brimlow/Brown

Brick Wall… What Brick Wall?

Hunting the Family of Margaret Swasey (1806-1854)

Margaret Swasey b. abt 1806 in Massachusetts is the proven wife of Peter Charles McLean based on census records and being named in her daughter Sarah Amelia’s death records. Margaret was our brick wall for many years. We knew that Margaret had married Peter circa 1829/30 based on the age of their first child Charles Edward born 1830/31. Peter C. McLean was found on the 1830 Federal Census in Ward 7 New York as a male 20-29 with a female 20-29 presumed to be Margaret prior to the birth of Charles. Everything I knew about Margaret was posted on 24 Jun 2014.

With the release of the wills and probate on Ancestry, I did a routine search for the name of Swasey in New York prior to 1860. Margaret Swasey McLean died in 1854 so I was hoping to find a father who had named her or her children in a will.

In an application for Letters of Administration on the Estate of Nathaniel K. Swasey (deceased 28 Jul 1845; filing dated 22 Aug 1845) Sarah Swasey (signed Sarah Swasy) named herself as the mother of Nathaniel and states she and the following siblings of Nathaniel survive:
Stephen Swasey of Albany
Margaret wife of Peter C. McLean
Rebecca wife of David Bruce Jr
Sarah Swasey
Each of the children (and husbands) signed documents giving their rights up to Sarah.¹
[Click on the image for full size]

Based on the information found in that will and probate file, I researched each of the named children, spouses, and mother Sarah to reach the following conclusions:

Margaret Swasey McLean’s mother was:
SARAH “SALLIE” LEIGH
Born 26 Apr 1784 Essex, Massachusetts
Died Sep 1854 Brooklyn, Kings, New York
Interred 11 Sep 1854 Cypress Hills Cemetery

Her father was:
SAMUEL SWASEY
Born 23 Feb 1781 Essex. Massachusetts
Died aft 1825 New York
Interred Unknown

Her are the facts:
1803 – 23 Feb 1803 Sarah “Sallie” Leigh and Samuel Swasey marry in Newburyport, Essex, Massachusetts.² There are multiple records for their marriage on 14 Jul 1803, but the record from the New England Genealogical Society is the one with the earlier date and is consistent with the recorded birth of their first child Stephen in Dec 1803. Examination of the original record is now on my To-Do list.
1810 – Samuel is found (Sam Swasy) on the 1810 Federal Census in Albany, New York.³ [Daughters Sarah E. b. abt 1811 and Rebecca b. abt 1814 both claim Albany as their birth county on later NY State Census records.]
1813 – Samuel appears in The Albany Argus, 2 July, page 1, column 3 as a partner in business as a morocco dresser (a specialized process for kid (goat) leather). [Son Stephen Swasey is also listed a morocco dresser on later census records. Son Nathaniel is a leather dealer in a city directory.]
1814 – Samuel offers $20 reward for a runaway indentured apprentice, Albany Argus, 7 Jan, p4.
1815 – Samuel’s property is sold by the Sheriff at auction in Albany – Albany Gazette, 20 Feb, p4.
1817 – Samuel Swasey appears in the New York City list of letters – National Advocate for the Country, 3 Jan, p2.
1820 – Samuel Swasey appears in the list of letters in New York City – New York Columbian, 1 May, p4. [Samuel was not found on the 1820 census, but if he was living in a boarding house or with someone else he would not appear as this census only listed the heads of households.]
1822 – Mrs. Sarah Swasey appears in the list of letters – Albany Argus 4 Oct 1822 p3.
1823-24 – Samuel Swasey appears in the New York City Directory as a morocco dresser at 38 Spruce.⁴
1825 – Samuel Swasey appears in the city directory as a morocco dresser at 4 Ferry. [This is the last record I found for Samuel.]
1829 – Sarah Swasey first appears in the city directory running a boarding house in New York City.
1830 – Sarah Swasey is found on the 1830 Federal Census in New York Ward 4⁵ – the city directory of the same year indicates she is running a boarding house.⁶ This is the same ward that daughter Margaret McLean is living in.
1834 – Daughter Rebecca Swasey married David Bruce Jr. in New York City.⁷
1840 – Samuel Swasey (age 20-29) along with an older woman (40-50) is found in Ward 7 – this is the same Ward as Peter McLean. The age is appropriate for Sarah.
1848 – Rebecca Swasey Bruce gives birth to daughter Sarah Leigh Bruce.⁸
1850 – Sarah Swasey is found on the 1850 Federal Census in Williamsburg (Brooklyn), Kings, New York with Rebecca Bruce and her family.⁹
1854 – 11 Sep – Sarah was interred in the Bruce family plot at Cypress Hills. I have not yet found a death notice or certificate for her. ¹⁰

When I received the plot list for the Bruce family plot in Cypress Hills it noted that Nathaniel Swasey (age 28) was interred in this plot along with Samuel Swasey (age 29) and John Bruce (age 42) on 28 Apr 1848. No death dates were shown, but we know that Nathaniel died in 1845, so these 3 individuals were obviously reinterred from elsewhere. We also know this Samuel must be a son, as the father Samuel b.1781 would have been about 44 when last found in 1825.

The Samuel and Sarah (Leigh) Swasey family (based on the above information) is up on Ancestry and FamilySearch now. Seeing all the Bruce names now explains where some of the names used by both Peter Charles and Peter Byron McLean came from. They had a ton of Bruce cousins and the family was very well off.

There is much more research to do in proving the line back, but at least I know where to look now. And all because of this one document. Happiness is surveying a pile of rubble that was once a brick wall.

1. Letters of Administration for Nathaniel K. Swasey named mother Sarah Swasey, sister Margert McLean, Rebecca Bruce, Sarah Swasey, and bother Stephen Swasey of Albany; digital images (accessed 12 Sep 2015).
2. Marriage Record, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston: vol 0943, p64. The New England Historic Genealogical Society. 23 Feb 1803 Samuel Swasey – son of Stephen Swasey & Abigail Knapp to Sarah Leigh father Benjamin Leigh. Cit. Date: 12 Sep 2015.
3. 1810 U.S. census, Albany, Albany, New York, p. 62, Sam Swasy; digital images (accessed 12 Sep 2015); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M252, roll 26.
4. City Directory, Swasey, Samuel, morocco dresser, New York: p.472; digital images accessed 12 Sep 2015.
5. 1830 U.S. census, New York Ward 4, New York, New York, p. 216, line 13, Sarah Swasey; digital images, Ancestry (accessed 12 Sep 2015); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M19, roll 96. Cit. Date: 12 Sep 2015.
6. City Directory, , Swasey, Sarah, boarding-house 209 William, New York: p.572; digital imagesaccessed 12 Sep 2015. Cit. Date: 12 Sep 2015.
7. U.S., Newspaper Extractions from the Northeast, 1704-1930, New York Evening Post.
8. Burial Record, Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, Lot 226, Sec 2, Owner David Bruce Sr. Interment #187370 Sarah Leigh Bruce 1 Nov 1924.
9. 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Williamsburgh, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, p. 307B, dwelling 1631, family 2772, Sarah Swazey in home of David Bruce; digital images, Ancestry (accessed 12 Sep 2015); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M432, roll M432 522. Cit. Date: 12 Sep 2015.
10. Burial Record, Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, Lot 226, Sec 2, Owner David Bruce Sr. Interment #5249 Sarah Swasey 11 Sep 1854.

Blog

The Family of William Frith the Immigrant Ancestor

The George Richard Frith Family

Hunting the Family of Margaret Swasey (1806-1854)

Before Footer

Contact Me