SUNDAY'S OBITUARY - Martin Frampton, 4th great granduncle commits suicide

 

Martin Frampton is my maternal 4^th great granduncle.  He was the fourth son born to John Frampton, Jr and Anna Barbara MARTIN.  There were 8 children in the family: Rachel, Ephraim, Elijah, Martin, Isaac, Edward, Sarah and William.

Martin was born near Lewistown, Pennsylvania 13 Jun 1788.  At age 30, Martin married Sara MANN, daughter of Robert Mann and Jane (maiden name unknown) in 1818 in Pennsylvania.  Details are limited as I have not located an actual marriage record. 

Only a record in…..

U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900

Name: Martin Frampton

Gender: male

Birth Place: PA

Birth Year: 1788

Spouse Name: Sarah Mann

Marriage Year: 1818

Marriage State: PA

Number Pages: 1   

Martin was said to be a Farmer according to the 1850 census.  In that household are Martin, his wife Sarah and children Martin, Gardner, Jane, Caroline, Isaac and Alice.  Those were the youngest of 12 children born to this couple. 

Six years later on 16 Dec 1856, Martin took his own life.  He was 68 years old.

According the the newspaper reports, Martin had gone partially blind. Then he went to Cincinnati, Ohio and an occultist destroyed his sight, in attempting to restore it. 

Another newspaper article says the following:

"Martin Frampton, an old and wealthy citizen of Lawrence County, Ohio, committed suicide on last Tuesday evening, by hanging himself in an out house, next his residence at the mouth of Simms Creek.  He lost his sight some time since."

Martin’s actual obituary was published in the Ironton Register on 18 Dec 1856. No image available.

FRAMPTON, MARTIN ESQ.----- I.R. DEC. 18, 1856

Committed suicide by hanging himself at his residence, mouth of Symmes Creek, on Tuesday of this week. Cause: severe affliction with his eyes for a year or two, from which for some time past he has been quite blind, producing a very depressing effect upon him. Mr. Frampton came from Beaver county, Pa., to this county, soon after its organization, in the next year, we believe, 1818, and located at Burlington, then just made the county seat. At the time of his death he was about 65 years old.

It's always difficult for the family when a loved one dies.  But, death by suicide always seems very tragic. Martin left behind his wife of 38 years and 7 children known to be living at that time.  Sarah never remarried and on died 18 Oct 1869 at age 70.

You may visit Martin’s findagrave memorial here #66805943

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY ~ Anna Barbara Martin–1748-1822–My 5th great grandmother (this is Martin’s mother)

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY–Triplet daughters of Elijah & Rebecca Frampton (this is Martin’s older brother)

If you are related to or connected to anyone in this blog post, please get in touch.  Let’s exchange information.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2022   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

 

AMANUENSIS MONDAY~Probate record for Isaac Frampton Jr died 1860, age 18

What does Amanuensis mean?
To put it simply, it means a “person employed to write what another dictates or copy what has been written by another.”

Today I will transcribe the last will & testament for Isaac Frampton, Jr.  He is the youngest person in my tree for whom I’ve located a will/probate record. 

Isaac Frampton, Jr. was the son of Isaac Frampton (1790-1859) and Jane MANN (1805-1857).  He was the youngest of 7 children born to this couple.  His parents, one brother, James and one sister, Barbory J. all predeceased him. 

(click on any image to enlarge it)

Here is my transcription to the best of my ability to read this record.

Isaac Frampton will:                                                                                             347

In the name of God amen I Isaac Frampton of the County of Cabell and State of Virginia being of sound mind & memory and considering the uncertainty of this frail & transitory life do therefore make ordain publish decree this to be my last will and testament that is to say first after all my lawful debts are paid and discharged I direct my executors, who are hereafter named first to have my body interred beside the ____ of my father & mother then to inclose the grave w an iron railing having first erected a neat tombstone over my remains  I give and bequeath to Charles Everett the entire use controll & benefit of my whole landed estate proceeds of the present years crop all moneys due by note document or otherwise for the next two ensuing years the money notes acounts & __ with my sorrel filley & my bed and beding to be his forever  I next give & bequeath to my Sister Rebeca J EVERETT the forty acre field including the two lots & houses now ocupied by H McCULOUGH bounded on the East by the farm of the late G L Busing on the south by the James river & Kanawha turnpike on the west by the land runing from said turnpike to the Ohio River & on the North by the Ohio River to be hers forever then at the expiration of the two years above mentioned I give & bequeath the residue of my ___estate to be divided equally between David Frampton Hyram Frampton & Charles T Everett by each one paying to Ephram Frampton the sum of one hundred dollars Likewise I make constitue & ____Charles T. Everett & H McCulough to be Executors of this my last will & Testament there by revoking all former wills by me made in writing where of I have here with subscribed my name and affixed my seal this 27 day of September A D 1860

Cabell County court clerks office Oct 1st 1860 The last will & testament of Isaac Frampton decd was this day presented in court the same is ordered to be recorded  A copy teste H H Wood clk

For such a young man, age 18, to have to write a will is sad.  What did he died of?  The only cause of death I have for the other family members, is his father Isaac Sr., who died of Dropsy.  That was recorded in the 1860 Mortality schedule.

Of those mentioned in Isaac’s will, sadly, both his brothers, David & Hiram and his brother-in-law, Charles Everett, all died in 1861.  Again, wondering how did they die?  David was 29 yrs, Hiram was 30 and Charles Everett was 32.

Isaac is buried at Burlington Green Lawn Cemetery in Fayette, Lawrence, Ohio.  I've been to this cemetery and visited the graves of many family members, including Isaac.  You may visit his memorial here #66806705

If you think you might be related to anyone mentioned in this blog post, please contact me.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2021   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

FRIDAY FINDS ~ Quaker Church Records - 1701 - My maternal 8th great grandmother, Elizabeth Potter & her daughter Sarah Frampton

Early Quaker meeting house in New Jersey

Today I was reviewing my Frampton family.  What records do I have?  What records do I need?  What records can I locate?

I came to my 8th great grandparents, William Kent Frampton and Elizabeth Potter.  They married 27 Jul 1680 in Newport, Rhode Island.  Shortly thereafter they moved to Phildelphia, Pennsylvania.  William was acquainted with the well known Pennsylvania Quaker settler, William Penn.   You can read about their connection here William Penn conveys land to William Frampton 1684

Sadly, my 8th great grandfather, William Frampton died 3 Jul 1686 at the age of 43.  This left his widow Elizabeth with 3 young children; Elizabeth, age 5, Thomas, age 3 and Sarah, age 2.

 

As with most women in those days, who were left widowed with young children, Elizabeth remarried.  She married Richard Basnett on 30 Sep 1688.  They had a son, William Feb 1689.  At the time of young William’s birth the couple was living in New Jersey.  I wonder if they had named their son after Elizabeth’s deceased husband, William Frampton.

I don’t know a lot about Richard Basnett, his birth, his occupation etc.  What I do know is that he died just six short years after his marriage to Elizabeth.  He died 8 Oct 1694 in Colonial New Jersey.  He did leave a will naming Elizabeth as an heir.

Now Elizabeth is widowed again and has not 3 children to raise, but her 5 year old son from her marriage to Richard Basnett, as well.  Richard had a daughter by his first wife and some records say that Elizabeth was also raising her.  That makes 6 children under 10 left in her care.

While Elizabeth didn’t remarry right away, she did eventually marry a third time.  This time to Thomas Gardener on 6 Oct 1701 in Burlington, Colonial New Jersey.

I have located the Quaker church records regarding their desire to marry and the church granting that request.  While I was looking at the record I also noticed, on the same page, the request to marry by Elizabeth’s daughter Sarah (daughter of her first husband William).

TIP:  We’ve all been told this over and over, but it bears repeating.  Always look at all the entries on any record where multiple events are listed. 

 (Please click on the image to enlarge it)

 Both couples did marry.  I am still looking for information on Thomas Gardener/Gardiner.  I don’t know anything about him.

Please contact me if you are related/descended from him and have any information.

 

Elizabeth Potter Frampton Basnett Gardener died about 1711.  Did she outlive her third husband?  I don’t know….yet.

 

When we are researching our ancestors this far back we generally have to rely on church records, probate records, books or other historical writings.  This doesn’t always make it easy to find information.

I don’t know about you, but I try to picture what their lives were like back in those colonial days.  So much hardship and danger.  I watch any historical shows or documentaries I can find on TV to learn more.  I also enjoy reading books about that time in history. 

Here's a website I located about Quaker research in New Jersey - 1677-1750

 

If you are a Frampton descendant, I’d love to hear from you.  Let’s exchange information.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2020   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

FRIDAY FINDS ~ Hospital Register for Deaths of Volunteers in the Civil War–J.W. Frampton died 1864

I’ve located a Civil War hospital record for J. W. Frampton.  This record was located on Ancestry.com U.S., Registers of Deaths of Volunteers, 1861-1865  I’ve not seen these hospital registers before.  I was actually searching for records of another Frampton ancestor when I saw this one.



This record is indexed as J. H. Frampton.  I believe in looking at this record, and comparing the “H” and “W” written on it, that this is J.W. Frampton.

Name: J H Frampton
Death Date: 6 Jun 1864
Death Place: 2 Corps Field Hospital
Enlistment State: Pennsylvania
Rank: Private
Company: I
Regiment: 84 Penn Inft
Box Number: 49

Here is John's headstone from FindAGrave #40243488

Headstone for John W. Frampton and his brother Isaac - used with permission from Caz who placed the image on FindAGrave

This man died of a gunshot wound.  I have Framptons who originated in Pennsylvania and later moved to Ohio and Virginia/West Virginia.  Is this young man one of them?  At this point I don’t know.  Further research is needed.
 
Have you seen these hospital records before?  It seems like I’m always turning up new records.  Think how many are online that we don’t know about. Will we ever see them all?  I doubt it.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

FOLLOW UP FRIDAY ~ Speaking of divorces…what is the earliest one I have on record?

William Walker Frampton - from page 104 of The Frampton Family by J. S. Wrightnour, published about 1916

A week ago on Wedding Wednesday I wrote a post about how many divorces I had found in my tree on my Legacy database.  These are divorces for whom I have actual records and/or dates.  You can read that post here Wedding Wednesday with a Twist - How many divorces have I recorded?

That got me to wondering.  What was the earliest divorce date?  Are most of the 83 divorces I have in my tree, more recent?  Or do they go back before 1900?  If so, how far back?

I again, used the handy and quick Search feature in my Legacy database. Search>Find>Detailed Search and select your search criteria.

In this case I wanted the marriage, marriage status date AND a second condition also.

What I found was a list of 10 individuals (5 couples). 
The earliest recorded, documented divorce I have in my file is for my 1st cousin 5 times removed and the first of his 3 wives.

William Walker Frampton married Mary E. Miller on 21 Apr 1850 in Adams Co., Illinois.  He filed for divorce on 27 Nov 1865, in the State of Kansas, County of Johnson.
 
Reason for the divorce SHE ELOPED WITH ANOTHER MAN!

Here is the transcription of that record.

The State of Kansas, County of Johnson
William W. Frampton, being duly sworn on his oath, ___ that he has commenced a suit in the Dist. Ct. for Johnson County, State of Kansas against Mary E. Frampton, to obtain a divorce from her, and that she eloped with one Thos. C. Johnson; and that she is not a resident of the State of Kansas at this time: affiant further states that he does not know where she now resides.  Further he saith not. 

Sworn before me this 27th day of M. a no 1865 – AB Mynick, Clerk by B. P. Noteman DC


I don’t know about you, but sometimes I say WOW! when I reviewing records for my ancestors.

Here is the published notice for the divorce.  DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?  “The petition will stand for hearing at the next term of said District Court to be held in March, A.D. 1866.”

Why is the date of March 1866 important?  Well…..because according to marriage records, William Frampton married Martha Ann Thomas Johnson (wife of the man his wife ran off with) on 10 Dec 1865 in Johnson, Kansas.  This would have been 13 days after the divorce notice was published, but BEFORE the court had the final hearing the following March.
 
Kansas, County Marriage Records, 1811-1911, page 6 Film No. 001572005.
Name:    Wm W Frampton
Gender:    Male
Marriage Date:    10 Dec 1865
Marriage Place:    Johnson, Kansas, USA
Spouse:    Martha Ann Johnson
Film Number:    001572005

Marriage record - William W. Frampton to Martha Ann Johnson - 10 Dec 1865  

So, did they marry before his divorce was finalized?  I haven’t found any further records regarding the divorce from Mary, so I don’t know.

POST SCRIPT:  Martha Thomas Johnson Frampton was adjudged insane and sent to an asylum in Topeka, Kansas, according to this newspaper article in The Olathe Mirror on 2 Sep 1886.  She died just 6 months later on 8 Mar 1887.  As we know, people were admitted to asylums for reasons such as mental issues, but also for illnesses.

Published in The Olathe Mirror 2 Sep 1886, page 2

William went on to marry one more time, to Ella Eckman 4 Apr 1888.  She was 25 years younger than him.  She filed for his Civil War Pension upon his death in 1912.  This was William's longest marriage - 24 years.

Kansas, County Marriage Records, 1811-1911

Name:    Ella Eckman
Gender:    Female
Age:    33
Birth Date:    abt 1855
Marriage Date:    4 Apr 1888
Marriage Place:    Douglas, Kansas, USA
Spouse:    William W Trampton
Film Number:    001547790

Marriage record - William W. Frampton to Ella Eckman - 4 Apr 1888

William Walker Frampton certainly had no trouble attracting women.  He was never unmarried for very long.

Do you have ancestors who married multiple times?  I’d love to hear about them.

If you are connected to any of the ancestors mentioned in this post, or have any additional information about them, please contact me.
 
OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
TOMBSTONE TUESDAY–Civil War Soldier Headstones (William W. Frampton mentioned here)
FRIDAY FINDS - Newspaper article - David Frampton, Rebel Prisoner - Dec 1861

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2019   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

THOSE DISTANT COUSINS ~ Colonel Samuel Camp Johnson, Jr. & Rachel Z. Frampton–of Lawrence County, Ohio 1800’s

Sometimes I enjoy researching and learning about my distant cousins.  In this case I was researching another line of my Frampton family, my 4th great granduncle Martin Frampton and his wife, Sarah Mann.  This couple had 12 known children from 1819 to 1841.  Sarah Jane, Barbara Ann, Mary Ann, Elizabeth Isabel, Rachel Zanetta, Martin Mann, William G., Jane, James Robert, Caroline Gertrude, Isaac Gillen and Lucinda Alice.

Today I’ll be talking about Rachel Zanetta Frampton who married Colonel Samuel Camp Johnson, Jr. on 20 Feb 1848 in Chesapeake, Lawrence, Ohio.¹

Rachel is my 1st cousin, 5 times removed.
 
According to the obituary published in the Ironton Register, 15 Oct 1885 for Col. Johnson, he was born in Durham, Connecticut on 2 Feb 1820.  He came to Lawrence County when he was a young man.  He is said to have served as County Commissioner, Representative in the Legislature and Member of the State Board of Equalization.

Ironton Register
JOHNSON, SAMUEL C. COLONEL I.R. OCT. 15, 1885
Col. Samuel C. Johnson died at the house of a farmer, 18 miles from Columbia, Tenn., where he happened to be while engaged in looking up ore lands for a Birmingham furnace company. . . . His son Fred, who had seen him 10 days before . . . Col. Johnson was born in Durham, Conn., Feb'y 2, 1820; moved to Western Reserve when a mere child, and came to this county when a young man; living in this region - - at the Rock, at Burlington, at Ironton, on Symmes Creek, in Huntington. He at times held the position of County Commissioner, Representative in the Legislature, and Member of the State Board of Equalization. He had ten brothers and sisters, nine of whom are living; one brother (Sherman) is dead. Eight were at the funeral: T. N. and F. L. Johnson of Portsmouth; Orin Johnson, of Ashland; Seliman Johnson, of St. Louis; Mrs. G. A. Knight, of Cincinnati; Mrs. Amelia Johnson, of South Point; Mrs. Turner Kemp, of Whitwell; Mrs. Eba, of Catlettsburg. But one living, Mrs. Wright, of Kingville, O., was absent from the funeral. The deceased leaves a wife and six children to suffer the grief.

NOTE:  The Ironton Register contains hundreds if not thousands of articles about the families in southern Ohio.  It is not available on any of the newspaper websites.  However, you can find some of the articles on The Lawrence Register website and also obtain assistance on the Facebook page for Lawrence Register, which is very active.

Colonel Johnson registered during the Civil War draft registration in 1863.  I don’t, however, find a record of any service. How did he come to have the title of Colonel?  Is that one of those titles that sometimes was assigned or attached to a particular person as a nickname?



In the 1860 census, Colonel Johnson was working as a Farmer.  I have not located the family, yet, in the 1870 census.  By 1880 he was a Hotel Keeper.

I do notice that in the 1860 census, there are 3 of Rachel’s family members living with her family.  Her mother, Sarah Mann Frampton, age 61, who was widowed in 1856 when her husband, Martin Frampton committed suicide by hanging.  It is said that Martin had gone blind and that may have been the cause of his despair, he was only 68 yrs. old.
 
Also living with Colonel Johnson & Rachel and five of their children were Rachel’s sister, Alice, age 20 (she later married Joseph Sylvester Stewart) and Rachel’s brother, James Robert, age 26.  James Robert is enumerated as “blind” in this 1860 census.  His occupation – broom maker.  James Robert did eventually marry and have 8 children.  I wondered if other census records would indicate he was blind?  I found that the 1900 census also indicates this condition.  He obviously didn’t let it slow him down from living his life.  Was he born blind or did he have a condition or accident that caused it?  That is subject for another blog post.

Of Rachel and Colonel Johnson’s 7 children his obituary states that 6 of them lived to adulthood.  Their first child, Lucius Martin Johnson died at age 4 yrs 9 mos. when he was run over by a 4 horse wagon, near his grandfather, Martin Frampton’s place.  This must have been very sad for his family.  His two other siblings, Frank and Jessie would have been about 3 and 1 at the time of the accident.
  
Here’s the excerpt from the Ironton Register

JOHNSON, LUCIUS MARTIN I.R. OCT. 06, 1853
Sad Accident - A little son of S. C. Johnson, of Hecla Furnace., aged about 5 years, was instantly killed last Friday, being run over by a 4 horse wagon, near the residence of his grandfather, Martin Frampton, at the Mouth of Symmes Creek . . . son of S. C. and R. Z. Johnson; aged 4y 9m 21d.

Colonel Samuel Johnson died at age 65 on 6 Oct 1885 in Columbia, Maury, Tennessee.  He was apparently on a trip to look for ore lands for a Birmingham Furnace Company.  He died at the house of a farmer. Was he taken suddenly ill?  Did he have a stroke or heart attack?  I have not been able to locate his death certificate, so I don’t know his cause of death.

You may visit the FindAGrave memorial for Colonel Samuel C. Johnson here #111492790.

According to her FindAGrave headstone, Rachel died in 1897.  She and Samuel are both buried at Woodland Cemetery, Ironton, Lawrence, Ohio.  Again, I have not death certificate or record for her.  You may visit her memorial here #111492893

Sources: 1 - Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993, film number 000317716 and U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900

I will continue to research this family as the Frampton’s are a direct line for me.  If you are related to any of them, in particular this couple, I’d love to hear from you.  Leave me a comment or send me an email.  You can see my contact information at the top of my blog under the “contact me” tab, or click here.

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2018   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION