Elizabeth McDonald Gray Judd, 1822-??? - Fake News!

Newspapers can be wrong! Who knew? It was reported in Connecticut, New York, and Boston newspapers that my 3X great grandmother committed suicide after a scandalous divorce and separation from her children. The articles about the suicide fit the dates and places in my ggg grandmother's life, but apparently it was a case of mistaken identity. It was a different Mrs. Judd who committed suicide - a Mrs. J. A. Judd. A cousin who contacted me through Ancestry provided this mind blowing new evidence.

The Boston, Connecticut, and New York newspapers had to print retractions. 

I did wonder when I first read of the suicide about some of the facts that didn't fit. The Mrs. Judd who committed suicide was a milliner. and she killed herself in a back room in her shop. My ggg grandmother was a journalist and writer for the NY Times. Couldn't imagine her changing careers to make hats.

I'm still trying to figure out what this all means. Obviously, it means I have the wrong death date for my ggg grandmother. So what became of her after her divorce? 

Richmond: Ground Zero

My father's family has deep roots in the Richmond area of Virginia.

The Powells were living in Henrico County since before the Civil War. George James Powell and Mary Ellen Stevens married and lived in the Brookland area of Richmond, east of "Brook Turnpike." In February 1870, their property was listed for sale by auction in the Richmond Dispatch. After George passed away around 1870, Mary Ellen continued to live in Brookland (per 1870 and 1880 U.S. Census) with her young sons, including Jefferson Monroe Powell.

Marie Louise Judd married Jefferson Monroe Powell after moving to Richmond from New York City. They lived and raised their family in the Dumbarton area of Richmond. Marie Louise was active in the Bethlehem Baptist Church on Penick Road; there is a monument to her near the front of the church.

John Adam Zaun Sr. married Elizabeth Wellner and settled in the Dumbarton area of Richmond soon after arriving from Germany via Philadelphia. They had a daughter, Louise, and three sons, John Adam, Charlie Wellner, and Henry Phillip.

John Adam Zaun Jr. married Georgia Powell and lived for many years on Penick Road in Dumbarton. Their home was on the SE corner of Fernwood and Penick (left side of map below). Bethlehem Baptist Church is in the top right corner of the map; most of the family is buried in this church cemetery or in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Richmond. Three of their children Pauline, Jimmy, and Agnes raised their families in Richmond. (William moved to NJ, and Ernest to Norfolk).

George Abbott and Ida Rene Bryant, from New Jersey and Southhampton County, Virginia respectively, joining their lives in Richmond. Their daughter Jacqueline Delmar Abbott grew up in Dumbarton near Ernest Earl Zaun. They lived near their families in Dumbarton after they married until the Depression forced them to move to Norfolk to find work. Their daughter Miriam Edith Abbott married Herman Lukhard and lived in or near Richmond all her life, as did their youngest daughter, Audrey.

The next two generations of my family made regular pilgrimages from Norfolk/Va. Beach to Richmond to visit family, and some of us still do! 

Note: my mother's maternal family also originated in Virginia. Research is ongoing, but the Allen family also owned property near Richmond as far back as the early 1700's, ironically intertwining in later years with my father's family. One of my mother's paternal ancestors owned a plantation near Yorktown at the time of Jamestown, around 1634. 

A Noteworthy Generation

I have observed that my ancestors from a certain generation were notable or influential in their time. All are my great-great-great grandfathers from both maternal and paternal sides:

Orrin Bishop Judd, 1816-1892 (my paternal 3X great grandfather)
A famous preacher in the Baptist Church in Hartford, Connecticut. He authored several books, including a translation of the Bible, and wrote the foreword in several other books. He was a trustee at Colgate University (his 1st wife was Maria Colgate), and his descendants followed this tradition. He became notorious during a highly publicized divorce scandal - front page news! Elizabeth (my 3X great grandmother) eventually committed suicide over losing her children in the divorce. Orrin then married Susanna, the housekeeper who was his co-conspirator in the purported abuses against Elizabeth.

Joseph Bucklin Bosworth, 1790-1850 (my maternal 3X great grandfather)
Leader in the Mormon Church and close friend to Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church in America. His preaching is well-documented, his "visions" recounted, and his name can be found in Joseph Smith's diaries. Joseph Smith wrote, "Bro. Bozworth was strong in the faith - he is a good man, and may, if faithful, do much good."  He was born in Providence, RI, and fought in the War of 1812. He died in Illinois.

John C. Abbott, 1815-1989 (my paternal 3X great grandfather)
Award-winning piano-maker; established a piano factory in NY City. All of his brothers came to America to work with him. Possibly the son of John Abbott, a famous "music table" maker in London. Later opened the Abbott and Sons piano parts factory in Palisades Park, NJ.

John Dillingham, 1773-1861 (my maternal 3X great grandfather)
Pioneer, born in Rhode Island or Massachusetts, traveled through Ohio to Indiana. A first settler in the township of Liberty, Indiana. Fought in the War of 1812. Well known especially for his hospitality to travelers. "Dillingham" is a prevalent place name to this day in Liberty.

Capt. Jacob Wandell, 1779-1868 (my maternal 3X great grandfather)
A 2nd generation Dutch settler in NY City - son of the wealthy and prosperous shipping magnate, Jacob Wandell, also born of the famous Stillwell family in NY. Parents were connected to the famous Vanderbilts. Fought in the War of 1812, but apparently deserted. Worked as a mariner on the Hudson River. Buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

TV Genealogy Shows, a Popular trend

Genealogy is a major trend right now. More people than ever are engaged in researching their family trees. Libraries are offering classes and professional assistance. Ancestry.com, among other genealogy websites, is one of the fastest growing databases online. TV shows are based on genealogy of celebrities and regular folks. It would be interesting to determine the cause of this social phenomenon.

I don't miss an episode of any of these shows! It is fascinating to me to follow the research trail of expert genealogists as they uncover the family histories of people of all races and nationalities. The emotional reactions of these subjects as they learn the personal and sometimes tragic stories of their ancestors are completely understandable to me. I've experienced some of the most emotional moments of my life during my own family tree explorations.

Popular TV shows include:

Finding Your Roots (TLC)
Who Do You Think You Are (TLC)
Genealogy Roadshow (PBS)
Long Lost Family (TLC)

This morning I am catching up on the latest episode of Who Do You Think You Are. This episode features the ancestry of actress Courteney Cox. As the genealogist quickly traces Courteney's line back to England, some familiar names begin to pop up...Thomas Berkeley...Edward II...and I realize that they are also my own ancestors! The stories in this episode are shocking and terrible.

Here is the lineage back in time (forgive the lengthy list - just want to establish the connection):
Me
my father
my paternal grandfather, Ernest Earl Zaun, 1909-1959
my great grandmother, Georgia Powell, 1885-1973
her mother, Marie Louis Judd, 1859-1925
3X gg Orrin Bishop Judd, 1816-1892
4X gg Jotham Chester Judd, 1773-1850
5X gg Elnathan Judd, 1738-1808
6X gg Joseph Judd, Jr., 1707-1757
7X gg Joseph Judd, Sr., 1672-1757
8X gg John Judd, Deacon, 1640-1714
9X gg Thomas Judd, Deacon, 1608-1688 (the 1st ancestor to come to America)
10X gg Katherine Elizabeth Norwood, 1575-1632
11X gg  Lady Catherine Throckmorton, 1532-1581
12X gg Sir Robert Throckmorton, High Sheriff of Warwick, 1510-1581 (married Muriel Berkeley, daughter of  Lord Thomas Berkeley V)
13X gg Anna Catherine Vaux, 1488-1571
14X gg Lady Elizabeth Fitzhugh of Ravensworth, 1465-1513
15X gg Alice De Neville, Lady Fitzhugh, 1436-1503
16X gg Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, 1400-1460 (beheaded)
17X gg Joan De Beaufort, 1379-1440
18X gg John Plantagenet, Duke of Lancaster, 1340-1399 (also called John of Gaunt, or Ghent)
19X gg King Edward III, 1312-1377
20X gg King Edward II, 1284-1327 and Isabella, 1295-1358 (daughter of Phillip IV of France)

According to the expert genealogist on the show, this line can be traced all the way back to William the Conqueror. Queen Isabella was the granddaughter of Queen Isabelle of Aragon. I wish I had paid more attention in history class!

There are all kinds of sordid affairs, gruesome executions, and murderous plots among the various members of  this tree. The Courteney Cox episode of the TV show focused on the plot to overthrow King Edward II (he was apparently a terrible king). His wife Isabella conspired with her lover Roger Mortimer to seize the throne for her son. King Edward II (thereafter referred to as "the king's father") was imprisoned for months and later murdered in his chamber at Berkeley Castle (which you can visit today).

The Berkeleys - pronounced "bark-lee"- were an important family, second only to royalty in England. My ancestor Thomas Berkeley I was tried and found not guilty of the murder of King Edward II. To add to the family history drama, King Edward II's chamberlain Hugh DeSpenser was publicly executed - we are also directly descended from him through his daughter Elizabeth who married Maurice de Berkeley, son of Thomas. Side note: we are connected to the famous Berkeleys of Virginia, but not directly.

Family Tree - paternal grandfather (5 generations)

This is my paternal grandfather Ernie Zaun's family tree.  Part of this tree doesn't go back very far because my 2X great grandfather John Adam Zaun came straight from Germany. I know where he was born, but cannot identify his parents.  My burning question to him would be, why would you come to a new country at a time when it is embroiled in a Civil War?  My 2X great grandmother Elizabeth Wellner came over from Germany with her parents on the same ship with Adam Zaun.  I found them on an immigrant passenger list, but that is all I know about them.  My great grandmother Georgia Powell ("Nanny") came from an illustrious New England lineage which includes a Governor of Connecticut and First Settlers of Hartford.  I can trace her ancestry back to the earliest colonial days in the Judd and Bradley families.

My grandfather Ernie's paternal side was from Germany as I mentioned. His mother Georgia's paternal side was from Ireland and England; her maternal side was from England and Scotland.  There are previous posts telling the stories of George James Powell, Mary Louise Judd, Orrin Bishop Judd, and Elizabeth MacDonald.  

Chaucer (originally posted in Feb 2015)

My 18th great grandmother, Kathryn de Roet Swynford, was the wife of John I Plantagenet and sister in law of Geoffrey Chaucer, the "father of English Literature."  There have been other English ancestors that have gotten me excited, but this one blew me away.  My passion has been English Literature since high school because of an inspiring teacher, Mrs. Comstock.  She was the reason I became an English major in college. I loved studying Chaucer so much in college that I took every single course taught by Chaucer scholar, Dr. Rosemary Sprague.  I even learned Middle English so I could read Chaucer's works in the original language. I had a strong drive to know everything about that time period.  I know the line of descent is not direct, but still... any connection at all is amazing.

Kathryn Swynford is an ancestor through my paternal great grandmother, Georgia Powell.

Postscript: Tragically, the beloved Dr. Sprague died in her bed during a fire at her old Victorian home in Farmville, Va. I own one of her books, and still remember her fondly.

King Edward III

We are direct descendants of King Edward III of England and his wife, Philippa of Hainault, through their son, John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster.  Edward was born at Windsor Castle in 1312.  He became King at age 14 (1327) and reigned until his death in 1377.  He created the Duchy of Cornwall and founded the Order of the Garter.  He was a good king and an excellent military leader who led England into the Hundred Years War with France.

This might seem like an impressive claim... however, Edward had twelve children with Philippa, plus at least three more by his mistress Alice Perrers.  A genealogist from the UK calculated the probabilities and came to this conclusion:
There is an extremely high probability that a modern English person with predominantly English ancestry descends from Edward III, at a very minimum over 99%, and more likely very close to 100%. The number of descendants of Edward III must therefore include nearly all of the population of England, and probably much of the populations of the rest of the UK and Eire, as well as many millions in the USA, former British colonies and Europe, so 100 million seems a conservative estimate. 

The special thing about this claim is that I have traced our ancestry back to England in the 1200's through my father's maternal grandmother, Georgia Powell.  Her ninth great grandfather Judd married Katherine Norwood whose maternal line goes back another nine generations to Edward III.

Congruent Maternal/Paternal lines

I have discovered additional convincing evidence that my father's and mother's ancestors knew each other long, long ago.

In 1652 my paternal 9th great grandfather Thomas Judd was one of seven founders of the Church of Christ in Farmington, CT, and was a pillar of the church until his death in 1688.  His children and grandchildren were baptized there.

Samuel and Hannah Hickok, my maternal 8th great grandparents, were members of the congregation at the same time and their children were also baptized there.

There were only 84 proprietors of town of Farmington at the time.

Detailed church records can be seen here.

From the church website > click here.

From the Farmington Historical Society:

George Washington, who traveled through town in 1780 and 1781, is said to have called Farmington "the village of pretty houses." And when the French army, commanded by the Comte de Rochambeau, camped in town in 1781, an officer wrote, "This town contains some of the handsomest houses and best people in America."

Illustrious ancestors from the Colonies

There are so many significant persons in our ancestry that it has become tedium to sift through all of the documents and photos.  I find myself wishing that there was a simple way to present the lineage from all parents in a visual way to show how they are interconnected in history.  My mother and father's ancestors surely knew each other.  There just weren't that many people around at that time!  Ancestors from both sides played prominent roles in the founding and leadership of places such as Hartford, New Haven, and Providence.  Sometimes their names are juxtaposed on monuments or in graveyards.

Here is one monument that features several names of our direct ancestors, located in Hartford Connecticut.

Thomas Welles (10th great grandfather - paternal), John Bidwell (9th great grandfather - paternal), John Hopkins (7th great grandfather - maternal), Thomas Judd (9th great grandfather - paternal)

A list of names on the monument:  http://josfamilyhistory.com/stories/founders-monument.htm

The Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford

The Founders of Hartford

The original Founders Monument is located in the Ancient Burying Ground, also sometimes referred to at the "Old" or "Center" Cemetery. The cemetery is located at the rear of the First Congregational ("Center") Church at the corner of Main and Gold Streets in Hartford. The original brownstone Monument erected in 1837 was replaced by one of pink Connecticut granite in 1986. The Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford maintains a list of names found on the new monument and biographical information about each of the Founders.

The Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford maintains a list of names found on the new monument and biographical information about each of the Founders. Those descended from an ancestor who settled in Hartford before February 1640, may be eligible for membership.   http://www.ctstatelibrary.org/node/3531

New Jersey

Some of our ancestors were early colonists, but many came to America just a few generations ago from England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and the Netherlands. So it is no surprise that our lineage can be traced back to the area in and around New York City.

Fort Lee, NJ keeps coming up as a common place of origin, particularly on my father's side.  Thomas Whitfield came from England, married Betsy Godfrey from Providence RI, and settled in New York.  Their daughter Sarah married John Abbott from Newark, NJ.  The Abbotts' son Whitfield married Sadie Wright from Brooklyn and settled in Fort Lee. Their son, my great grandfather, George Abbott, was born there.

Orrin Bishop Judd, my dad's paternal ancestor from Hartford, Connecticut, lived in Brooklyn at different times in his life and married Elizabeth MacDonald from Bronx, NY.  My mother's great grandmother, Miriam Olivia Wandell, was born in Brooklyn of parents with a Dutch heritage.

I have always felt a draw to that part of the world, especially to Long Island and Rhode Island.  Never thought much about New Jersey, but it's looking more and more interesting now.

Reverend Orrin Bishop Judd

Zaun > Powell > Judd

If this blog emphasizes the fame and notoriety in our family lineage, it's because the more colorful characters more immediately come to mind. This post is no exception... meet Orrin Bishop Judd, the grandfather of my great grandmother Nannie Zaun (Georgia Powell).

Orrin Judd was born in 1816 in Hartford, Connecticut.  He grew up in a middle class home "removed alike from the evils of affluence and want." (Memoirs and Remains of Rev. Willard Judd).  He was the ninth of ten children - seven sons and three daughters with two decades between the ages of oldest and youngest.  He graduated from Madison University which later became Colgate University. Succeeding generations of "Orrin Judds" also attended college there.  The current Orrin Judd, who is the great great grandson of our Orrin and his third wife Susanna, maintains a blog called "BrothersJudd" in which he writes about his family's tradition:

"The Reverend Orrin Bishop Judd graduated from Madison which became Colgate and was a trustee.  
His son, Orrin Reynolds Judd, was a trustee of Colgate.  
His son, Orrin Grimmell Judd, went to Colgate and was a trustee.  
His son, The Reverend Orrin Dolloff Judd, went to Colgate-Rochester Seminary. 
His son, yours truly, went to Colgate." 
 (http://brothersjuddblog.com/archives/2008/05/fairest_theme_of_all_our_lays.html)

Rev. Orrin Bishop Judd D.D., L.L.D., was a respected Baptist theologian and author, as well as servant in both public and private office.  He wrote a translation of the New Testament (Matthew ch. 1-3), and many other works including a biography on the life, religious experiences, and teachings of his brother, Rev. Willard Judd.

(https://archive.org/details/memoirsandremai00conegoog)  

He founded the New York Chronicle, which he edited for many years (The Magazine of Christian Literature, volumes 5-6). 

Other works listed here:  http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-no97-37833.  

Orrin was quoted at the beginning of this scholarly work:  

However, on the more human side, Orrin was married three times, and made front page news in the New York Times (April 19 and 26, 1868) because of a scandalous divorce from his second wife - our ancestor - Elizabeth MacDonald.  Her son-in-law testified that Elizabeth, who herself was a writer for the New York Tribune, was "treated with the most revolting cruelty," and that her husband beat and starved her and kept her from seeing her children.  In her own testimony, Elizabeth says that when she had only been married a week when she discovered that Orrin's "love of money was his besetting sin." He would not give her money for household incidentals, even refusing to supply his aging mother, who lived with them, with sufficient underclothing.  Elizabeth took off her own underclothing for the "venerable lady" and as a consequence took ill herself.  She accused Orrin of adultery, and the testimony of offenses and tawdry details of their personal lives goes on for entire pages of the newspaper. 

Egad.

The 1880 census in Brooklyn, NY, Orrin's occupation is "6th Ave E.RR." (elevated railroad).  The 6th Ave. E.RR was constructed in 1878.  I have not confirmed positively that this is the same Orrin Bishop Judd.

Fast Facts

We have a double link to Roger Williams through the marriage of Samuel Godfrey and Patience Sabin whose mothers (both granddaughters of Roger Williams) were first cousins.  

Roger Williams, an anti-Puritan, was exiled from Massachusetts Bay Colony.  He survived in the wilderness by depending on the Indians.  He had an exceptional language ability and learned several Indian languages which he later wrote a book about.  He founded Providence Rhode Island and started the First Baptist Church in America.

Capt. Samuel Godfrey was one of the Sons of Liberty who took part in the famed Gaspee Affair, a fiery event in Rhode Island which was instrumental in sparking the American Revolution.

The Hickock/Hiccox/Hickok family is connected through Anna Dillingham Crofford.  Our ancestor, Hannah, was a 6^th cousin to Wild Bill (James Butler) Hickok.

Joost Van Den Vondell was the “Shakespeare of the Netherlands” in the 1500’s.  His great great grandson came to America in the late 1700’s. (Later note: this connection is not definitively proven).

Charles Wesley Wandell b. 1819 was a missionary to Australia.  He wrote a letter in 1869 from White Pine, Nevada to his sister Miriam Olivia (our ancestor) saying that he was glad to hear that she was “coming west” by railroad and covered wagon.

Thomas Welles, 4^th Gov of CT – through Judd ancestry.  Was a first settler of Hartford, and is memorialized on a monument there. 

Orrin Judd was a well known preacher in Connecticut.  His scandalous divorce is documented in the newspaper of the time.  He wrote a translation of the New Testament Book of Matthew (look him up on Amazon).

Sarah L Wright married Whitfield Abbott – 2^nd marriage for both – both had been widowed.  Their child was George Wright Abbott, a carpenter, who became my great grandfather.  Sarah was then widowed again at age 36.  Sarah’s mother was born in Ireland.