Caddie Porter
Here is my great, great grandmother, Caddie Porter (1857-1941), photographed in 1877 when she was about 20 years old. She is my mother's mother's mother's mother. I am the last of the females directly descended through females from her (meaning from mother to daughter to daughter to daughter). There are, of course, several sons along the way, but my connection to her goes only through women. I am not sure how much that matters, but I think it is kind of neat, and it makes her and the three women between us especially special to me. I plan to put together all the information I have about her, including relevant family members and friends, starting with her childhood and ending with me.
Caddie was born on Sept 17, 1857 in Danvers, Massachusetts, to George and Abbie Porter. George was born in Great Falls, NH during 1830. Abbie was born in Shapleigh, ME in 1836. Census records (1870 through 1940) indicate that Caddie lived her entire life in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, I cannot find her listed in the 1860 census, but will keep looking. I will also keep looking for information about her parents. I know they were married in Danvers, Essex County, Mass, but I am not sure of the date. On September 2, 1877, Caddie married William H Barnes, Jr., a printer from Providence. The marriage took place in Peabody (formerly known as South Danvers), Essex County, Massachusetts. The groom was 24 years old, and Caddie was 20. The photo (shown here) could have been an engagement photo, since it dates back to the same year. William and Caddie had three children, William Lester Barnes (1878-1936), Alice M Barnes (1880-1946), and my great grandmother Maud Louisa Barnes (1887-1962). |
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Four Generations: Spring 1936
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Jumping ahead to the spring of 1936, here is a quick peek into Caddie's future, showing Caddie (seated, bottom left) and the three other women who led to me. Next to Caddie, you see Caddie's daughter Maud (Barnes) Morris. Standing in the back, you see Caddie's granddaughter Isabelle (Morris) Knudson. Being held by Maud, you see Caddie's great granddaughter Ebba (Knudson) Liguori, also known as MY MOM! I wouldn't come along for another 25 years, and I never had the honor of meeting Caddie. But at least I got to meet the three women who connect Caddie to me.
Fortunately, I was lucky enough to inherit many old photographs and a few other interesting items from Caddie. I plan to share much of this information below. As I come across additional information, I will add it. |
The Marriage of Caddie's Parents in 1855
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Though my membership at Ancestry.com, I found out that George W. Porter was married in Danvers, Essex County, Mass, during 1855. The record is a line-entry (see highlight) that directs the reader to volume 87, page 148. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to access the specific record. I would like to find an actual certificate of marriage, including the date of the wedding and his wife's maiden name.
On a related note, during 1855, the town of Danvers was divided into the towns of Danvers and South Danvers. Subsequently, on April 30, 1868, the town of South Danvers was renamed Peabody in honor of philanthropist George Peabody. This complicates my investigation somewhat because early records are listed under Danvers, while later records are listed under South Danvers or Peabody. |
Breaking News: Revelations about Caddie's Parents, Especially her Mother
I searched on line for hour and hours, trying to figure out the date that Caddie's parents got married as well as the bride's maiden name. I found an index to all marriages (shown above), but that was the best I could do. Finally, I decided to contact the County Clerk in Danvers, explaining the situation and requesting assistance. The following day, I received a polite and helpful reply from Janell Viel, the County Clerk, indicating that all such records are housed at the Danvers public library. She suggested I contact Richard Trask, the town's archivist, and she provided me with his contact information. So I sent an email to Richard Trask, explaining the situation and asking whether he can help. This was a Friday. Then on Monday afternoon, I received the answers I had hoped to find. This is part of what Richard Trask said, "I am attaching a copy of the Intentions of Marriage certificate in vol. 13, page 56 of the Danvers Vital Records. It states that George W. Porter, 23, and Abby P. Ham, 19, filed their intention to wed on November 17, 1855, and were joined in marriage on November 22, 1855 by Rev. Milton P. Braman." I could hardly believe it! This is exactly what I needed to know! This helped open the door to all sorts of additional information about Caddie's mom and her family.
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As you can see (above), in addition to the details of the wedding itself, the certificate indicates that George was a shoe-maker, age 23, born in Berwick, ME, and his father's name was James. Aby was 19, born in Shapley, ME, and her father's name was William. I entered this information into the Ancestry.com website and found all kinds of new information, not only about additional ancestors, but also about what happened to Aby after George died in the Civil War (see below).
Up until this point, the only spelling I had seen for the bride's name was Abbie. I later discovered (birth record) that indicated her birth name was Abigail. This is no surprise. But it helps show the added complications that can come up when trying to track people down. Once I knew Abbie's maiden name, I was able to track down information about her parents, including her own mother's maiden name, Perkins. The family tree (shown here) has lots of additional hints (see green leaf symbols) and further suggestions of names. |
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Caddie's Birth Record, September 17, 1857
Here is everything I have found so far about Caddie's birth and the identity of her parents. I re-typed relevant information to make it easier to decipher the record. Caddie's dad was George W. Porter, born in Great Falls, NH (also known as Somersworth, NH). Her mother's married name was Abbie or Abba or Abigail, and she was born in Shapleigh, ME. I am still trying to figure out her maiden name.
George's occupation is listed as cordwainer, which means that he was a shoemaker. Unlike a cobbler, who repaired shoes and had fewer years of training, a cordwainer was highly-skilled and created shoes, typically from leather. As you can see from this record (which I edited by removing lines 4-13 ), there were quite a few men whose profession is listed as cordwainer. It turns out that the leather industry was quite productive in the area of Danvers (South Danvers was renamed Peabody during 1868). It makes sense that the shoe industry and leather industry would be closely connected.
Caddie was born Sept. 17, 1857, about two years after her parents married. I am guessing she was the firstborn child. As far as I can tell, she was an only child. Due to the fact that her father enlisted in 12th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and left home in April 1861 and subsequently died in battle, I am guessing that Caddie remained an only child.
George's occupation is listed as cordwainer, which means that he was a shoemaker. Unlike a cobbler, who repaired shoes and had fewer years of training, a cordwainer was highly-skilled and created shoes, typically from leather. As you can see from this record (which I edited by removing lines 4-13 ), there were quite a few men whose profession is listed as cordwainer. It turns out that the leather industry was quite productive in the area of Danvers (South Danvers was renamed Peabody during 1868). It makes sense that the shoe industry and leather industry would be closely connected.
Caddie was born Sept. 17, 1857, about two years after her parents married. I am guessing she was the firstborn child. As far as I can tell, she was an only child. Due to the fact that her father enlisted in 12th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and left home in April 1861 and subsequently died in battle, I am guessing that Caddie remained an only child.
Young Caddie and her mother Abby in 1859
I posted most of the information on this page back in July 2021. Well here it is, January 2022, and I have some amazing new information. I have identified the individuals in this card-de-visite photo, as well as a couple other photos (later on this page). Introducing young Caddie Porter (about 1.5 to 2 years old) and her mother Abby (approximately 23 years old).
A very similar photo hangs on my mom's wall. Mom and I spent some time talking about it. When she was growing up, my mom was told that it was a photo of her great grandmother. I kept staring at the photo and telling my mom it didn't make sense to me because the young mother doesn't resemble my mom's great grandmother, Caddie. I have several photos of Caddie as a young woman, and I could tell that "this" face wasn't right. As it turns out, my mom was right, and so was I. My mom's great grandmother Caddie was the little girl, not the young mother. This is indeed a photo of my mom's great grandmother and also her great-great grandmother.
So how did I finally put together this information? I went back through some old photos that I first looked at two years ago. There is a card-de-visite photo of a middle-aged woman who is identified as Grandma Norton. That meant nothing to me when I first saw it, and it left me feeling frustrated and confused. There are NO Nortons in the family, at least not as far as I could tell. Meanwhile, time passed, and I spent a lot of time on Ancestry.com, trying to fill out as many branches as possible in my family tree.
When I returned to my photos earlier this week, I finally realized that Grandma Norton is actually one in the same as Abby (Ham) Porter. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but Abby was widowed and about 9 years later, she remarried. That is when she became Grandma Norton. See below.
A very similar photo hangs on my mom's wall. Mom and I spent some time talking about it. When she was growing up, my mom was told that it was a photo of her great grandmother. I kept staring at the photo and telling my mom it didn't make sense to me because the young mother doesn't resemble my mom's great grandmother, Caddie. I have several photos of Caddie as a young woman, and I could tell that "this" face wasn't right. As it turns out, my mom was right, and so was I. My mom's great grandmother Caddie was the little girl, not the young mother. This is indeed a photo of my mom's great grandmother and also her great-great grandmother.
So how did I finally put together this information? I went back through some old photos that I first looked at two years ago. There is a card-de-visite photo of a middle-aged woman who is identified as Grandma Norton. That meant nothing to me when I first saw it, and it left me feeling frustrated and confused. There are NO Nortons in the family, at least not as far as I could tell. Meanwhile, time passed, and I spent a lot of time on Ancestry.com, trying to fill out as many branches as possible in my family tree.
When I returned to my photos earlier this week, I finally realized that Grandma Norton is actually one in the same as Abby (Ham) Porter. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but Abby was widowed and about 9 years later, she remarried. That is when she became Grandma Norton. See below.
Abigail Payne (Ham) Porter (1836-1894) in the early 1860s
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I am guessing this cabinet card photo shows Abby in the early 1860s. She looks fairly young. Perhaps she is sitting at a photographer's studio, or at home, or sitting in a chair at the Well's house where she might have lived and worked as a domestic servant
Though I have found many answers, I still have many more questions. For example, census data from 1860 indicate that Abby was living in Danvers with the Wells family (which included three adults and several children) . There is no mention of her husband George and no mention of their daughter Caddie. I will need to keep looking for them and why they lived somewhere else. 
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Caddie's Father Volunteers (1861) and then Dies in the Civil War (1862)
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When Caddie was 3½ years old, Caddie's father George W Porter enlisted in the 12th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, also known as the Webster Regiment. Recruiting took place during April 1861 through the efforts of Colonel Fletcher Webster, son of statesman Daniel Webster. Within a short time, the regiment marched south, often joining other brigades and divisions in various operations and battles against the Confederate army. They spent most of their time in Virginia and Maryland. The Webster Regiment fought in many famous battles, including the Battle of Cedar Mountain (Aug 9, 1862), the Battle of South Mountain (Sept 14, 1862), the Battle of Antietam (Sept 16-17, 1862), the Battle of Fredericksburg (Dec 12-15, 1862), the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863), and the battle at Cold Harbor (June 1-12, 1864).
When researching the history of Caddie's father, George W Porter, I first found the record of his wife's application for Civil War Pension benefits, dated Feb 14, 1863. She listed herself as "widow," which confirmed the unfortunate reality that George lost his life in the war. The question was when and how? The pension record identified the regiment to which George was assigned, which helped me narrow my search for answers. After spending hours searching on line for information about Union soldiers who lost their lives in battles toward the end of 1862, I discovered the US Registers of Deaths of Volunteers, a handwritten registry in which soldiers names are organized by state and alphabet. And there it was about halfway down the page, "Porter, George, W, Private, Company B, Regiment 12 Infantry, Sept 17, 1862, Sharpsburg, MD." Matching that up with the battles, it was far too easy to figure out that George W Porter died during (or later that day) the Battle of Antietam, which took place on Sept 17, 1862, and is known as the bloodiest day of the Civil War. Sadly, this is also the day that little Caddie E Porter turned five. According to marker 10 on the Antietam battlefield (Hartsuff’s Brigade, Rickett’s Division), "The 12th Massachusetts lost 224 out of 334 engaged." |
Abby moves to Lynn, Mass, leaving Caddie in Danvers
This part of Caddie's story is heartbreaking. At some point after becoming widowed, Abby left Danvers and moved about ten miles away to Lynn, Massachusetts where she worked at a job fitting shoes. Meanwhile, Caddie stayed in Danvers, attended school, and lived with Alonzo and Luisa Hubbard.
Caddie receives "Reward of Merit" Certificates for Outstanding Academic Performance
During 1867 and 1868, Caddie received four "Reward of Merit" certificates for outstanding academic performance. The first one (left) has writing on the back, "Nov 22nd, 1867--Good lessons and attendance." The second one says, "For excellence in written arithmetic." The third one (top) says, "Good lessons." And the fourth one says, "Caddie Eva Porter, Peabody, Mass." This final certificate must be from 1868 because that is the year that the town of South Danvers, which had formally broken away from Danvers (in 1855), was officially renamed Peabody.
Valentine Cards for Caddie, February 1868
In February 1868, Caddie received several handmade Valentine cards. She was 11 years old. Many of the cards contained poems inside. Imagine having Valentine cards that are now more than 150 years old. Those young gentlemen would be proud to know that Caddie saved the cards and kept them in such good condition. Some of the cards are highlighted below.
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One of the cards has a small envelope attached to the front. You can open the envelope, remove the tiny note, and read it. This card is featured below.
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December 21, 1869, Holiday Letter from Caddie's Mom, Abbie P Porter
As I looked through the box of old photos, which I received from my mom a couple years ago, I was thrilled to find a letter addressed to Caddie from her mother Abbie P Porter. The letter was dated Dec 21, 1869. I wasn't sure of Caddie's age at the time, but have since figured out she was 12 . When I first read her letter, I knew very little about her life story, including the fact that her father had died in the Civil War on her fifth birthday. I knew nothing about possible siblings, and was somewhat confused why it seemed as though she and her mother were living in different locations.
Anyway, I have since figured out that Caddie stayed in the Danvers/Peabody area throughout her childhood and teenage years, while her mother moved to a town called Lynn, Mass, located about five miles south of Peabody. I have also learned a few more things about Abby's story, and I will include that info below.
Anyway, I have since figured out that Caddie stayed in the Danvers/Peabody area throughout her childhood and teenage years, while her mother moved to a town called Lynn, Mass, located about five miles south of Peabody. I have also learned a few more things about Abby's story, and I will include that info below.
1870 Census, Caddie lives with the Hubbard Family in Peabody, Mass
Unlike census data from the early 1800s, the 1870 census lists the specific names, ages, occupations, and birthplaces of residents in each household. This detailed information is extremely helpful for tracking the location of "important" relatives (especially non-heads-of-households), as well as verifying such things as the names and birthplaces of parents and siblings. In this case, I found an extremely unexpected surprise. During 1870, the year Caddie turned 12, she was living in Peabody, Mass with Alonzo and Louisa Hubbard. This left me wondering what had happened to Caddie's parents. Little by little, I am figuring out answers to this question. As I write this entry, I know nearly nothing about the Hubbard family and their relationship to Caddie and Abbie. But I do know that Abbie referred to them as "kind friends who take the place of father and mother." I will keep looking for more information, and I will add updates when I can.
Some of the census data from earlier in the 1800s was less helpful in terms of pinning down exactly who lived where. Many of those records simply listed the head of household along with using a tally system to count everyone else (without naming them). The older records tell us how many males and females there were within certain age ranges, without names. The old tally system allows us to know the size of the household, but without specific information about members of the household and their relationships to each other and the head.
Some of the census data from earlier in the 1800s was less helpful in terms of pinning down exactly who lived where. Many of those records simply listed the head of household along with using a tally system to count everyone else (without naming them). The older records tell us how many males and females there were within certain age ranges, without names. The old tally system allows us to know the size of the household, but without specific information about members of the household and their relationships to each other and the head.
1870 Census, Abbie is a Shoe Fitter, Living in Lynn, Mass
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If not for the letter that Caddie's mother (Abbie) wrote to Caddie in December 1869, I would probably have no idea what happened to Abbie. I would have never thought to check census data for the city of Lynn, Mass. And if I had stumbled on Abbie's name and location in a general search, I would have been skeptical that it was the "right" person. Thank goodness for the letter, which solidifies the information beyond a shadow of doubt. Abbie was, indeed, living in Lynn, Mass, while Caddie was living in Peabody with family friends who clearly had agreed to play the role of father and mother.
I will continue looking for more information about Abbie, but for now, this is all I have. In any case, it turns out that Abbie P Porter was living in Lynn, Mass, working as a shoe fitter. I am guessing that Abbie was a tenant who rented a room in the Chandler's home. Lynn and Peabody are only five miles apart, so I am hoping that Abbie and Caddie got to visit with one another fairly often. |
It seems every time I review old records, I learn something new. I recently learned that a cordwainer is a shoemaker. This time, I learned that morocco is a soft leather made with goatskin. Here is a lithograph (1884) of a morocco factory in Lynn, Mass.
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Abby (approximate age 35) married Rufus Norton on Nov 28, 1871
I was so excited to find this first-hand reference to Caddie's mother's name because it confirmed for me that my searching on Ancestry.com had led me down the right path. I spent HOURS trying to first track down info on Caddie's mom, like her maiden name and birthplace. And somehow all the pieces led me to conclude that Abby had eventually married Rufus Norton, and they had a daughter Addie Norton (1876-1970). All the pieces seemed to fall into place, correctly. But this photo with Caddie's handwriting, sealed the deal.
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Here is the "famous" card-de-visite photo on which someone wrote "My Mother's photo," and "Grandma Norton's photo." When I first found the photo a couple years ago, I was frustrated and confused. It was part of a set of photos and documents that my mom gave to me, all of which came from Caddie Porter. So I figured, maybe someone gave Caddie a picture of their mother. I wasn't sure what to make of it. But over the next year or two, I spent a lot of time on Ancestry.com and figured out that after Caddie's mom was widowed and spent some number of years living in Lynn, Mass, Caddie's mother actually remarried.
Just prior to when Caddie entered high school, her mom became Mrs. Norton. So obviously eventually when Caddie married and had children of her own, she would probably have introduced her mother as "Grandma Norton." From Caddie's children's point of view, this was the name of their maternal grandmother, not Grandma Porter, but Grandma Norton. 
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March 20, 1872, Caddie is Admitted to High School
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Education was important to the folks who colonized New England. As far back as April 14, 1682, "Massachusetts Bay Colony passed the first law in the New World requiring that children be taught to read and write. The English Puritans who founded Massachusetts believed that the well-being of individuals, along with the success of the colony, depended on a people literate enough to read both the Bible and the laws of the land." The article continues, "In 1647 Massachusetts passed another [law] requiring that all towns establish and maintain public schools. It would be many years before these schools were open to all children. Only in the mid-nineteenth century was universal free public schooling guaranteed – in time, made compulsory — for Massachusetts children." By the mid 1800s, it was common for New England children to complete eight years of education, but very few continued into high school, and even fewer of those were girls. By the age of 15, many children were expected to work full time as productive members of society, helping to support their family.
At the age of 14½, Caddie was approved for admission into high school. On the surface, this might seem like an unremarkable feat. On the contrary, this was quite an honor, especially for a girl. Caddie must have been quite intelligent and successful as a student, which allowed her to stay in school at a time when many of her classmates, especially girls, were leaving school and joining the workforce. Young men often worked in factories, became apprentices, and learned trades. Young women were often hired as domestic servants. Nowadays, most of us would take a high school education for granted, but not so for Caddie and the people who lived in Massachusetts during the mid to late 1800s.
The certificate reveals a small piece of interesting history, mentioned earlier on this page. As you can see, the name of the town South Danvers has been crossed out and replaced by Peabody. The town of South Danvers was formally changed to Peabody on April 30, 1868, but I am guessing they had extra certificates already printed and set aside, even two years later. I am guessing that the county clerk decided to edit the old certificates rather than tossing them out and getting new ones printed. As for the envelope itself, imagine simply being able to write the name and town and expecting the letter to be successfully delivered, and all that for postage of one cent.
At the age of 14½, Caddie was approved for admission into high school. On the surface, this might seem like an unremarkable feat. On the contrary, this was quite an honor, especially for a girl. Caddie must have been quite intelligent and successful as a student, which allowed her to stay in school at a time when many of her classmates, especially girls, were leaving school and joining the workforce. Young men often worked in factories, became apprentices, and learned trades. Young women were often hired as domestic servants. Nowadays, most of us would take a high school education for granted, but not so for Caddie and the people who lived in Massachusetts during the mid to late 1800s.
The certificate reveals a small piece of interesting history, mentioned earlier on this page. As you can see, the name of the town South Danvers has been crossed out and replaced by Peabody. The town of South Danvers was formally changed to Peabody on April 30, 1868, but I am guessing they had extra certificates already printed and set aside, even two years later. I am guessing that the county clerk decided to edit the old certificates rather than tossing them out and getting new ones printed. As for the envelope itself, imagine simply being able to write the name and town and expecting the letter to be successfully delivered, and all that for postage of one cent.
1875 City of Danvers Directory
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According to the city directory of 1875, Caddie was working at Gilson's Periodical Store on Main Street. It also appears that she was still living with the Hubbard family, located on Tremont Street, opposite of Wallis St. I just checked a current map of Peabody (remember, South Danvers had recently been renamed). I was able to find the location where she might have lived.
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1877 Map of Danvers, Peabody, and Surrounding Area (from City Directory)
While searching city directories for Caddie and Abbie, as well as other folks, I ran across this nice map from 1857, showing Danvers and Peabody. As you may recall from prior entries, in 1855, there was an official separation between the town of Danvers and South Danvers. Then in 1868, the town of South Danvers was officially renamed Peabody. You can see Danvers (red) and Peabody (blue) on this map. I found this map in the 1857 directory, which I found copied on Ancestry.com.
September 2, 1857, Caddie marries William Henry Barnes, Jr
On September 2, 1877, Caddie P Porter and William H Barnes, Jr were married in Peabody, Essex County, Massachusetts. In addition to providing the names and details of the bride and groom, entries such as this provide additional information about the parents. This primary reference material is extremely helpful when trying to trace back through a family tree. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find Abbie Porter's maiden name. At least I have been able to track down the maiden name of the groom. She was Almira Chandler: more on that topic later.
Here are tintype photos of the bride and groom around the time of their wedding in 1877. Caddie and William would have been 20 and 24, respectively. When I first discovered these photos in the box that I received from my mom, I was very excited and did my best to start tracking down information about the couple. At the time, I had no idea that Caddie's father had died in the Civil War, and I knew very little about William and his family. In fact, it took me at least a couple months of sorting, comparing, thinking, and re-thinking, just trying to organize the photos and figure out who was who, and when. Fortunately some of the photographs had names and dates. Most of them did not.
I have since discovered many documents (doing my best to match certain facts against other facts) to help put Caddie's and William's stories together, including the fact that William Jr also grew up without his father, just like Caddie. William H Barnes Sr, died in 1863 when William Jr. was only ten. However, there were also two significant differences. Unlike Caddie, who was an only child (as far as I know, so far), William had an older brother named Frank (1850-1895). William would have also had an older brother named Charles (1848-1849), but Charles died before either other brother was even born. Furthermore, at some point after Caddie's father's death at Antietam, Caddie's mom moved to Lynn, while Caddie remained in the Danvers/Peabody area and was raised by friends of the family.
As for William Jr, his father died (unfortunately by suicide) in 1863 when he was ten years old and his brother Frank was 13. Six months after William Sr's death, Almira married Yates Higgins (1821-1875). Together, Almira and Yates and together, finished raising her sons Frank (1850-1895) and William Jr (1853-1924) as well as his children Mary Ann (1846-1902), Yates Abbot (1848-1908), and Adeline S (1855-1890). By the time of the 1870 census, only Henry (age 17) and Adeline (age 14) remained at home.
I have since discovered many documents (doing my best to match certain facts against other facts) to help put Caddie's and William's stories together, including the fact that William Jr also grew up without his father, just like Caddie. William H Barnes Sr, died in 1863 when William Jr. was only ten. However, there were also two significant differences. Unlike Caddie, who was an only child (as far as I know, so far), William had an older brother named Frank (1850-1895). William would have also had an older brother named Charles (1848-1849), but Charles died before either other brother was even born. Furthermore, at some point after Caddie's father's death at Antietam, Caddie's mom moved to Lynn, while Caddie remained in the Danvers/Peabody area and was raised by friends of the family.
As for William Jr, his father died (unfortunately by suicide) in 1863 when he was ten years old and his brother Frank was 13. Six months after William Sr's death, Almira married Yates Higgins (1821-1875). Together, Almira and Yates and together, finished raising her sons Frank (1850-1895) and William Jr (1853-1924) as well as his children Mary Ann (1846-1902), Yates Abbot (1848-1908), and Adeline S (1855-1890). By the time of the 1870 census, only Henry (age 17) and Adeline (age 14) remained at home.
William Henry Barnes, Jr and his Family
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William H Barnes, Jr was the youngest child of Almira Chandler Barnes (1825-1914) and William H Barnes, Sr (1822-1863). Almira and William senior married in 1845. Their first son was Charles W (1848-1849) who unfortunately died before his first birthday. Frank B (1850-1895) was born July 3, 1850. William Jr was born April 29, 1853.
This set of ambrotype photographs shows the family in approximately 1862. The photographs (2.25x3.75 inches) are printed on glass and placed in the protective frame with hinges so that it folds like a book. Top (left to right) Almira and William Sr. Bottom (left to right): Frank and William Jr. One of the photos was loose in the frame, and I was able to hold it up to the light to verify that it is, in fact, printed on glass rather than metal.
This set of ambrotype photographs shows the family in approximately 1862. The photographs (2.25x3.75 inches) are printed on glass and placed in the protective frame with hinges so that it folds like a book. Top (left to right) Almira and William Sr. Bottom (left to right): Frank and William Jr. One of the photos was loose in the frame, and I was able to hold it up to the light to verify that it is, in fact, printed on glass rather than metal.
Early Photographs of William Henry Barnes, Jr and his Mother Almira (Chandler) Barnes
In addition to the set of four ambrotypes, I also have a few individual ambrotype photos of members of the Barnes family. I have done my best at estimating the date of each photo based on a few criteria, including the birth of each son (Frank was born in 1850, while William Jr. was born in 1853) as well as the death of the father, William Sr., who died in 1863. Finally, I matched the styles of frames when possible to draw connections between one photo and another, with the assumption that identical frames imply photos were taken at the same time.
The first photo appears to be Frank and William Jr. in approximately 1857 when Frank (left) would have been about seven and William would have been about four. Frank is sitting in a chair, and William Jr. is standing beside him. The middle photo appears to be William at the age of approximately seven. Notice there is a dog in the photo. The final picture is a repeat from the set of four above. Since the father was alive for the photo shoot, I am going to guess this photo dates to 1862. William Jr is starting to mature, but can only be 9 or 10 years old in this photo.
In addition to the ambrotype of Almira Chandler shown above in the set of four, I also have an individual ambrotype. The individual ambrotype matches the style of the one of William from about 1860. As you can see, the frames appear identical, including the oval opening for the photograph and the decorations around the border.
If not for the photo of William, I would have a difficult time deciding which of these photos of Almira is older than the other. She looks very close to the same age in these photos, but maybe a little younger and more beautiful in the earlier photo (left).
Considering that her husband died from suicide in 1863, at least that is what the records say, I cannot help wondering whether the second photo shows a woman who knows things are not going well at home. Truth be told, I have a few facts and photos, but I know next to nothing about who these people were and what their lives were like.
If not for the photo of William, I would have a difficult time deciding which of these photos of Almira is older than the other. She looks very close to the same age in these photos, but maybe a little younger and more beautiful in the earlier photo (left).
Considering that her husband died from suicide in 1863, at least that is what the records say, I cannot help wondering whether the second photo shows a woman who knows things are not going well at home. Truth be told, I have a few facts and photos, but I know next to nothing about who these people were and what their lives were like.