[My grandmother was a vaudeville star and I am following her career, trying to learn of her many performances. In October 1919, she joined the cast of the Charles Dillingham production of “Chin-Chin” “Chin-Chin” played in the US and Canada until June 1920. I recently researched “Chin-Chin” playing at the Chatterton Opera House in Bloomington, IL. As I searched, I came across a small mention of the show playing somewhere I didn’t have a record for.]
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Sprimont Russell Dumontell and Ruth Paradis drove to Kankakee last Sunday and saw Chin Chin at the Majestic.
November 6th, 1919, was a Thursday, so “last Sunday” would have been 2 November. The venue fits nicely between November 1st, at the Chatterton Opera house, and Streator, at the Plumb theater. Cinema Treasures confirms that the Majestic Theater operated in Kankakee from 1915 to 1957.
New Venue Added:
Nov 2, 1919 – Kankakee, IL – Majestic Theater “Chin-Chin”
This week, for Photo Friday, I identify the people in five more envelopes from the Ethel Wight Studio Collection[i]. The envelopes contain the names who paid for the photos, not necessarily of the individual portrayed in the image. As such, it is vital to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] Ultimately, my goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.
Madeline Howard, circa 1937
This negative envelope says, “Miss Madeline Howard, ME Gen Hospital #1042.”
Madeline Howard, circa 1937
Why I believe this to be the individual.
The 1937 Portland City Directory lists Madeline Howard as a student nurse at 22 Arsenal (Maine General Hospital).
The 1938 Portland City Directory lists Madeline B Howard as a nurse living at 218 Park Ave, Apt 6.
The 1939 Portland City Directory lists Madeline B Howard as a nurse who married Ally A Accidio. The Maine Marriage Index, 1892-1996 identified that Madeline B Howard married Ally A Accdo on 18 May 1938.
The 1940 US Census lists Ally A Accido and his wife Madeline living at 90 Grafton Street. Madeline is 24 years old and lived in rural Penobscot County, Maine. Her occupation is a Trained Nurse who is nursing in private practice.
This is a photo of Madeline B Howard circa 1937 when she graduated from nursing school.
Ancestry has 18 public trees that refer to Madeline Borden Howard, born 22 October 1915 in Bucksport, Hancock County, Maine. Family Search has a profile for Madeline Borden Howard, L5NK-NP9. So, I have uploaded two photos of her to profile Family Search Memories.
Earnest Winslow Huston, circa 1935.
This negative envelope says, “Mr. E. W. Houston, Head Quarters Battery, Fort Preble #280.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Fort Preble was a military fort in South Portland. It was built in 1808 and was active until 1950, when it deactivated. It may be that Mr. E. W. Houston was not in Portland; instead, he lived in South Portland. Based upon the photo ID number (#280), the photo was likely taken about 1935.
The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Ernest W Huston, who was in the US Army and resided at 26 Portland in South Portland. The directory also notes that Portland Street ran from 213 Front Street to the Harbor (Spear’s Wharf) in South Portland, less than a mile from Fort Preble.
The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Ernest W Huston as a driver (from Bridgewater, Mass.) residing at 26 Portland in South Portland
In 1937, Ernest was employed at 17 Cross; no home address was provided.
In 1938, Earnest W. Huston was a driver at 241 Commercial and residing at 70 Forest Ave.
In 1939, Ernest W. Huston and his wife Sally J resided at 24 Briggs in Portland.
The 1940 US Census lists Ernest and his wife, Sally, living at 24 Briggs Street. The 28-year-old Ernest was living in Puerto Rico during the 1935 Census.
I’m sure this photo is of Ernest W. Huston about 1935 when he got out of the US Army, and he was about 23 years old.
Ancestry has 13 public trees that refer to Ernest Winslow Huston, born 4 October 1911 in South Portland, Maine. Family Search has a profile for Ernest Winslow Huston, LB19-CC3; I have uploaded his two photos to his Family Search Memories.
The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Charles H Hunter, an electrician living at 80 Cumberland.
The 1936 Portland City Directory available at Ancestry is missing pages 454 to 456. So I am unable to confirm Charles or Katherine in that directory.
The 1937 Portland City Directory lists Charles H Hunter living at 45 Smith.
The 1938 and 1939 Portland City Directories list Katherine M Hunter living at 45 Smith Charles but is not listed as Charles’ wife, suggesting a different relationship. Also living at 45 Smith are William H and William J. Hunter, Jr.
The 1940 Portland City Directory lists Charles, living at 335 Congress. William and William, Jr. are residing at 165 Cumberland.
The 1940 Census lists William Hunter, Jr. as the head of household with his father, sister Kaytlene, and niece Marjorie M West living with him. Marjorie is seven years old.
Social Security Applications and Claims identify Marjorie Minola West, whose father is Raymond C. West and whose mother is Elizabeth M. Hunter. Marjorie was born on 4 April 1933 in Portland.
Continued research did not find any references to Elizabeth M. (Hunter) West after the birth of Marjorie. So, I suspect Elizabeth died before Katherine took Marjorie to have her picture taken about 1935. In any event, I believe this is a photo of Marjorie Minola West.
Ancestry has four public trees that refer to Marjorie Minola West. Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Marjorie. So, I have added her photo to Dead Fred.
Josephine (née Melaugh), Dorothy, and Avery Hughes, circa 1936.
This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Avery Hughes, 49 Mayo St #699, #700.”
This set of films includes a woman with two children, a boy about six, and a girl around 4. There is one additional image of the younger child.
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Josephine (née Melaugh), Dorothy, and Avery Hughes, circa 1936.
The 1934 Portland City Directory indicates that Josephine E Melaugh married Avery E Hughes during the previous year.
The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Mrs. Josephine E Hughes living at 49 Mayo.
The 1939 Portland City Directory lists Mrs. Josephine Hughes living at 39 Cotton.
The 1940 Census lists Avery Hughes and his sister, Dorothy Hughes, living with their stepfather, Carl Belyea, and his wife, Mary Belyea. Avery is eight, and Dorothy is 6.
Ancestry Family Trees indicate that Dorothy Jane Hughes was born 7 January 1934 to Avery Ellis and Josephine (Ely) Hughes. Josephine’s parents were John & Cora Melaugh.
Dorothy Jane Hughes, Circa 1936
I am confident this is a photo of Josephine with her two children, Avery and Jane, about 1936.
Josephine Melaugh appears in 27 public trees on Ancestry. She also has a family Search profile, G77V-HWH. Dorothy Jane Hughes appears in six Ancestry Trees. Avery E. Hughes appears in only one Ancestry Family Tree, and in that tree, a marriage record was misread to identify his place of birth incorrectly. Neither Avery nor Dorothy appear to have profiles on Family Search. I have uploaded one photo of Josephine with the two children to Josephine’s Family History Memories. I have uploaded one photo of Dorothy by herself to Dead Fred.
Confirmed to be Josephine (née Melaugh) & Dorothy Hughes by a granddaughter of Josephine.
Robert Allen [Littlefield] (adopted) Howard, circa 1933.
This negative envelope says, “Ms. Geo S Howard, 22 Cedar St #172.”
Robert Allen [Littlefield] (adopted) Howard, circa 1933.Why I believe this to be the individual.
The Portland City Directories lists George S Howard and his wife Lillian residing at 22 Cedar, Apt 4.
The 1940 US Census lists George and Lillian Howard living at 25 South Street. With them are their three sons, Kenneth, Clarence, and George Jr.; the youngest was 16-year-old son, George Jr., clearly too old to be the child in this photo. However, the Census also indicates that Robert Littlefield, a six-year-old adopted son, lived in the household.
Ancestry Family Trees indicate that Robert Allen [Littlefield] Howard was born on 7 July 1933.
This photo appears to be of Robert about 1933.
Ancestry has eight public trees that refer to Robert Allen [Littlefield] Howard. Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Robert Allen [Littlefield] Howard, so I have added his photo to Dead Fred.
Conclusion
I fully identified all seven Three of them have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories
I identified three individuals who did not have Family Search profiles but did appear in Ancestry trees, so I posted their images to Dead Fred.
One photograph was of a person without a Family Search profile; however, his mother was also in the photo; I uploaded his image to his mother’s profile on Fam mmily Search.
For all the Ethel Wight Collection analyses, please see here.
Final Note
If any of these photos are of your family member, I would love to hear your reaction. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.
Endnotes
[i] The Wight Studio was in Portland, Maine. Many thanks to Ethel Wight’s family for access to and permission to use the collection of their great aunt.
[ii] These images were converted to positives using a lightbox, a Nikon camera and computer software.
Howell Research
Howell-Pankey-Binford Line
By Don Taylor
[Following women during colonial times is always tricky, and Betsy Kinsey (Binford) Pankey is no exception. Seldom are women mentioned except in the context of another family member. What I have learned about Betsy was found in various wills and Quaker records.]
Betsy Kinsey Binford was born in 1739 in Henrico, Virginia, the daughter of Elizabeth and Thomas. She married Samuel Pankey in 1759 in Henrico county. They had five children during their marriage. She died as a young mother in 1770 in Goochland, Virginia, at the age of 31.
5th Great-grandfather: Thomas Binford (____-1754)*
6th Great-grandfather: James Binford (____-____)*
7th Great-grandfather: Anthony Binford (____-____)*
(I have not researched the Ancestors marked with an asterisk “*”; thus, they are speculative/tentative.)
Betsy Kinsey Binford (1739-c. 1771)
Birth
Betsy was born about 1739 in Henrico County, Virginia Colony. She was the fifth child of Thomas and Elizabeth (Kinsey) Binford. In various records, Betsy is referred to as Betsey and Bettie. Likewise, her middle name (and her mother’s maiden name) is spelled Kinsey and Kinsie in various records.
Children of Thomas and Elizabeth Binford (Siblings)
Name
Born
Married
Died
James
1722
Margaret Mosby – 1745
1781
Priscilla
1724
Benjamin Watkins – 1754
1793
Thomas
1726
Judith Ladd – 1753
1815
John
1728
Susanna Ellyson – 1784
1790
William
1732
Mary Peebles – 1756
Bet 1791-1815
Betsy
1739
Samuel Pankey – 1759
Bet 1770-1772
Mary
1741
Joseph Ladd – 1767
1775
Sarah
1743
Amos Ladd – 1763
1814
In 1752 she was mentioned to receive ¼ of her father’s estate upon her mother’s death, Elizabeth. Her father died before August 1754, when she would have been about 15.
Marriage
Betsey married Samuel Pankey in 1759 in Henrico County. She was 20, and he was 21. She did not receive permission from her mother to marry outside of her Quaker Faith and was disowned at a Quaker Meeting in August 1762. Her brother Thomas aided her in helping her to get to a priest for the marriage. He was found guilty but wasn’t punished by his Monthly Meeting “due to his youth.”
Children of Samuel and Betsy Kinsey Pankey
Name
Born
Married
Died
Marion
1761
Sheldrake Broaddus – 1777
1831
Philip
1763
Ann Brown – 1788
1819
Thomas Armstrong
c. 1765
Martha Cannon – 1785
1829
Judith Elizabeth
c. 1767
Joseph Sallee – 1795
1818
Elizabeth
c. 1770
George Walton – 1796
1616
Death/Burial, etc.
Betsey died between 1770 and 1772 in Manakin Town, Goochland County[i], Virginia Colony.
Events by Location
Virginia Colony, Henrico County – Birth 1739 until 1759 (Marriage).
Virginia Colony, Goochland County, Manakin Town – 1759 until c. 1771 (Death).
Sources
Mary L. Bruner, Binford Family Genealogy ( Greenfield, Ind., Wm. Mitchell Printing Co., 1925), Archive.Org, Page 19.
William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy (Baltimore, MD, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Orig 1950, Reprint 1973, 1993), Ancestry, Page 159 – 1762, 8, 7. Betty Kinsey Binford
Edmund West, Compiler, “Family Data Collection” – Individual Records, Ancestry, Samuel Pankey – No Image. Birth year: 1738; Birth city: Manakin Town; Birth state: VA.
Edmund West, comp., “Family Data Collection” – Marriages (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001), Ancestry, Samuel Pankey – Betsey Kinsey Binford – 1759.
George Edward Pankey, John Pankey of Manakin Town, Virginia, and His Descendants: Descendants and Connections of His Son Stephen Pankey, Sr., of Lucy’s Springs, Chesterfield County, Virginia (Lousiana: Ruston, 1969), Page 48 – 4. Samuel Pankey. Personal Library.
George Edward Pankey, John Pankey of Manakin Town, Virginia, and His Descendants: Descendants and Connections of His Son Stephen Pankey, Sr., of Lucy’s Springs, Chesterfield County, Virginia (Lousiana: Ruston, 1969), Page 51 – 4. Samuel Pankey (Continued). Personal Library.
Virginia Births and Christenings, 1584-1917, Family Search, Philip Pankie – 29 May 1763. Virginia Births and Christenings, 1584-1917″, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRRC-2KF : 28 January 2020.
Endnotes
[i] Goochland County was founded in 1728 as the first county formed from Henrico Shire.
Amanuensis[i] Monday
Howell-Pankey-Binford Line
By Don Taylor
Researching 18th Century women is often difficult. Learning that 4th great-grandmother, Betsey “Betty” (Binford) Pankey, was disowned by her religion because she married outside her Faith puts other events into context, such as why she was ignored in several wills of her family.
Whereas Betty Kinney Binford Daughter of Thomas & Elizabeth Binford of Henrico was educated in the profession of us the people called Quakers and did sometimes frequent our Religious Meetings, but for want of a faithful adherence to the dictates of that Divine Principle which was sufficient to have preserved her in a due observance of the known Rules of our Society hath been prevailed on to suffer self to be joined in marriage by a Priest to a man of a different Persuasion in matter of Faith
[page change to the top of page 71]
Without the consent of her parent & contrary to the advice of Friends.
We do therefore hereby disown the said Betty to be of our Society until she come to witness that Godly sorrow that worketh true repentance which that the Lord may mercifully grant her is our sincere desire.
Signed by order & on behalf of our monthly meeting
held in Henrico County the 7th of the 0th mo. 1762 } Robert Pleasants teth
Dolly Jordan Elizabeth Elmore Mary Ellyson Jane Ellyson Judith Ladd Mildred Kinsey Elizabeth Crine Urnela Pleasants Morning Crine
Discussion
Betsey’s brother, Thomas, married Judith Ladd, and her brother, John, married Susanna Ellyson, likely a relative of Mary and Jane Ellyson. Likewise, Betsey’s sister Sarah married Amos Ladd. So, it appears that although Betsey married outside of the Quaker community and was disowned, her siblings married within the Society.
Conclusion
I was surprised to learn that Quakers would disown a person for marrying outside of the Society.
Endnotes
[i] John Newmark started the “Amanuensis Monday” category in 2009 on his Blog, Transylvanian Dutch and many bloggers have followed suit using the tag. Google provides the following meaning for amanuensis: “A literary or artistic assistant, in particular one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.”
The surname Whitney – Name Origin, My Whitney Ancestors, Direct Descendants of Benjamin Whitney.
Roberts-Barnes-Taft-Whitney Line
By Don Taylor
Name Origin
Forebears indicates Whitney is derived from a location, “of Whitey,” a parish in Herefordshire. Ancestry suggests that it probably comes from hwit, meaning “white.” However, Genealogy Bank indicates the name probably refers to the River Wye, which runs through the rea of Whitney in Herefordshire. In any event, they all agree that the surname derives from a location in Herefordshire, England. Herefordshire is in the West Midlands of England, bordering Wales.
Geographical
The surname Whitney is predominately in the United States, with 83% of the people in the world with the surname living in the US. It is most common in the Falkland Islands, where one in 224 people have the surname.
In the United States, New York, Massachusetts, and Texas have the largest number of Whitney’s, and Maine had the greatest frequency where one in 1,322 people have the surname.
8th Great-grandfather: Benjamin Whitney (___-___)*[i]
* – Individuals marked with “*” have not been independently researched and confirmed by me. The names and dates are tentative and unverified.
Historical
Sarah Whitney was born on 11 July 1773 in Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts Colony. I have not yet determined who my immigrant ancestor was nor when he arrived in the Colonies. However, Dedham was settled in 1635; my Whitney ancestors could reach back then.
Direct Whitney Descendants
I have 297 known descendants of Benjamin Whitney, including 27 Barnes, 23 Taft, 21 Roberts, and 17 Ransford. Two hundred eighty-nine of them are direct descendants of Sarah Whitney. I have previously written about four of those descendants.
Probably the most famous Whitney is Eli Whitney, Jr., known for inventing the cotton gin. Daniel Lawrence Whitney, known professionally as Larry the Cable guy, is a well-known comedian. And the little-known Josiah Whitney, the state geologist of California, you may not have heard of; however, Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the 48 contiguous United States, was named for him.
[i] Benjamin’s wife, Jane Poore, is currently the highest Ahnentafel number in my Roberts-Barnes line. (She is my most-distant known ancestor on my paternal side.)
[My grandmother was a vaudeville star and I am following her career, trying to learn of her many performances. In October 1919, she joined the cast of the Charles Dillingham production of “Chin-Chin” “Chin-Chin” played in the US and Canada until June 1920. I recently researched “Chin-Chin” playing at the Chatterton Opera House in Bloomington, IL. As I searched, I came across a small mention of the show playing somewhere I didn’t have a record for.]
