Shadrach Hoar was an American Revolution Militia man from Ervingshire, Ma. Shadrach was baptized in Berkley, Ma. by the Reverend Toby of the Congregational Church in 1743. His older brother was born in 1741, so he was probably born in 1743 as his parents usually waited two years between children. Shadrach’s parents were John Hoar and Mary Makepeace Staples. Being the youngest child, Shadrach was 7 years old when his father died. There appears to be no records of his movement to the New Salem Ervingshire area of Massachusetts. However, many people from Berkley, Salem and Middleboro immigrated to this Connecticut Valley which recently opened in the 1740’s to farming. Shadrach married Anna Haskins, the daughter of William Haskins and Mary Cole. In William Haskin’s will, he leaves his land in Ervingshire, Massachusetts, which today is known as Wendell, to Shadrach. The Haskins family was well known, well off and there were a lot of them. Shadrach became a Baptist, as were most of the Haskins. According to the book, “Among the Dry Bones” by Mark W. Harris, Shadrach was a “pewholder” in the New Salem Baptist Church located on Fish Hill in New Salem. The Baptist Church in its infancy during the late 1700’s was scorned to pay “church taxes” to the “mainstream” Congressional Church. The Church had a cemetery across the street which was disinterred in the 1930’s and removed to the Quabbin Cemetery in Ware. In my research, I found there were 96 unknown people buried in this cemetery on “Fish Hill”, which were removed, placed in a small 18” x 12” copper coffin and mass buried in Ware. I found the location and marked it with a memorial headstone in October 1996. My father, Donald M. Hanson, paid for the stone and Athol Granite Works installed it.
The stone reads:
Unknown But to God
The People of Fish Hill Cemetery
Dedicated by the Family of Shadrach Hoar
Revolutionary War Hero
Family:
Shadrach and Anna have six children, their only daughter, Anna (1768), Elijha (1770), Johnathan (1772), William (1774), Elihu (1776) and Shadrach, Jr. (1778). The location of his farm was on the same road as the Fish Hill Baptist Church. His nearest neighbor was Seth Peebles as they were the first settlers on this road. Tax records indicate that the home was an “ell” shaped house, total value about $700.00. His farm was 34 acres. Shadrach’s farm at one point “backed up” to the farm that Daniel Shay’s (Rebellion) rented. This connection may have changed Shadrach’s life later on.
The American Revolution:
Shadrach answered the alarm of the minutemen in April 1775 and marched to Boston to the take on the British. He participated in the seige at Dorchester Heights and at Roxbury. He would have been 33 years old and a father of four children. After that, he returned home and then was called up again in Hadley under Colonel Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge in August 1777. He was made a corporal and marched to Pawlett, Vermont to confront the rear guard of General Burgoyne’s advancement from Canada to Saratoga in September 1777.
The Pawlett Expedition:
In August 1777, the British, under General Burgoyne, led an expedition to try to cut New England away from the rest of the colonies by coming down the Hudson River. General Washington sent General Benjamin Lincoln to Pawlett, Vermont to form a force of Continental and militia soldiers to “cut- off”. Burgoyne’s supply line from Canada through Fort Ticonderoga.
General Lincoln assembled three 500- men divisions, all volunteers, to march north. According to Lincoln, these men had to be of extreme high character, physically fit, and a good fighter. They had to be able to march through the woods 13 miles a day. They had to march through the woods and around towns and villages so that the British would not be warned that they were coming. They had to be of high character so that any “bounty” they might come across would not deter them from their pursuit of any retreating British forces. If supplies and personal items were abandoned at the time of the retreat. Lincoln’s militia had to be above looting these items and Shadrach was promoted to corporal in Woodbridge’s division because of his high moral character and fighting abilities. Michael O. Logusz states in “With Musket and Tomahawk” that these divisions were a continuation of American Ranger Forces.
Division One under Colonel Brown, their orders were for 500 men to go to Fort Mount Defiance to free American prisoners of war and take the fort, if possible, located at Lake George, New York.
Division Two under Colonel Johnson, their orders were for 500 men to create a diversion at Mount Independence to keep the garrison at Fort Ticonderoga engaged so that Brown could free the prisoners.
Division Three under Colonel Woodbridge, their orders were to take the town of Skensborough (now known as Whitehall). The town was on the south shore of Lake Champlain and all British supplies came through here from Canada. The division was to burn all warehouses, docks, wharves, ships and ports. This was to prevent Burgoyne from receiving supplies or being able to retreat. By Saturday, September 27, the Pawlett Expedition was over. Lincoln’s brigade made their way to Saratoga to confront Burgoyne. Brown went back to Pawlett and fought in Burgoyne’s rear. Lincoln’s other two division were sent to support General Gates at Saratoga.
Upon Burgoyne’s surrender in October 1777, the British captured soldiers were marched to Boston. They traveled right through New Salem on their way. I imagine one of those guards was Shadrach on his way home from Saratoga. At the Swift River Historical Society in New Salem, there is a stone marking the road used to march the prisoners to Boston, across the street from the society. Most of these surrendered soldiers were German Hessians who were being marched to Boston. This was part of an agreement of the Convention. At the close of his military service, Shadrach would have been 34 or 35 years old.
During this period between the British surrender at Yorktown (1782) and 1787 when the Constitution was signed, an Agrarian uprising occurred in 1787 in Massachusetts called Shay’s Rebellion. Many of the farmers in Western Massachusetts had been driven into debtors’ prison or had their land seized by Eastern bankers for loan delinquencies. There was no central national bank. All currency was printed by the individual states. There was very little money to go around. The Farmers’ Revolt was started in the fall of 1786 and was “put down” in February 1787 in Petersham, Massachusetts, next to New Salem. While there is no evidence that Shadrach’s farm was ever in economic trouble, Shadrach did participate in the rebellion.
Recently I uncovered and article written by Mr. Edward Hoyt of Vermont, who states that 1/3 of Woodbridge's regiment were assigned to Colonel Brown and marched with him to Ticonderoga while the rest of the Woodbridge division marched to Skenesborough. This means that Shadrach could have been at either place. We will never know because the record keeping for these militia where poor at best. The only reason to mention this is for future historians who might be able someday to answer the question, "Where was Shadrach?"
Shadrach - The Regulator:
Shadrach Hoar is listed on the Massachusetts’ record for having taking the “Oath of Alligence” to the State of Massachusetts on March 29, 1787, along with 15 other men from New Salem. Daniel Shaw proceeded over the Oath, collected 9 pense and Shadrach’s rifle. In turn, Shadrach was granted amnesty from persecution for being a regulator or Shayite.
Under the condition of the amnesty, he could not own or keep a tavern, teach school, vote, hold public office or serve on juries for three years. Also the Eastern bankers usually refused them bank loans or “they had bad credit”.
Shadrach’s son, Shadrach Hoar, Jr. will be engaged and married to Betsy Hammond of Petersham in 1802. Shadrach dies, making her a widow. However, by 1818, Betsy will remarry to Lypscom Brigham, as it appears. I believe he was buried with Shadrach and Anna at Fish Hill Cemetery in New Salem.
Shadrach, Sr. dies on March 1, 1808 at the age of 65. I believe he was buried at Fish Hill Baptist Cemetery along with his wife, Ann, in unmarked graves. It appears that instead of being a hero of the American Revolution. Shadrach and family were “blacklisted” for his participation in Shay’s Rebellion. Many Regulators were buried in unmarked graves. Also, the Baptist were known for using field stones with initials or not wasting the money on placing a carved gravestone to mark the grave.
There is no evidence or record that Shadrach was heavily involved with Shay’s Rebellion. However, understanding the man he was, I believe that he did help “close the courts”, marched on Springfield, retreated to Petersham and then went home to take the Oath and lived quietly for 21 years as a farmer and a father and husband. Finally, there are 20 men from New Salem that we know were involved in Shay’s Rebellion. Ten of these men were from the New Salem Baptist Church and one was Shadrach.
Elijha Hoar Hanson (Shadrach’s son):
Elijha was born on January 29, 1770 in New Salem, Massachusetts. He was married to Mary Gunn, the daughter of the Deacon Israel Gunn and Mary Root of Montague, Massachusetts. Elijha was called “Captain” because he was an officer with the New Salem Militia during the War of 1812. This war, some historians say, was a very unpopular war in New England. Elijha was a farmer and a “cooper”, which means he made wooden boxes and barrels. He lived in a section of New Salem which became Prescot in 1822. Elijha and Mary had the following children: Lucretia (1805), Erastus Gunn, Morilla, Ashael Gunn, Elijha Shaw, Jason Mixter (1827), and Warren Fayette (1829). In 1818, Elijha and his brother William officially petitioned the state to change their names, as well as their children’s names, to Hanson, 10 years after their father’s death in 1808.
Johnathan Hoar, another brother, changed his name to Johnathan Wheeler in 1818 and later to Johnathan Hanson. On July 14, 1849, Johnathan hung himself in Petersham, at the age of 62. I have found the burial for his wife, Priscilla, and their daughter, Hopey, both interred next to Elijha and Mary in Mountain View Cemetery on the border between South New Salem and Prescott. The remaining and youngest brother, Elihu, kept the Hoar name; however, he changed the spelling to “Horr”. William Hoar Hanson, married to Sophia Root, is buried along the Mohawk Trail, west of Greenfield, near Shelbourne Falls, Ma. He had lived many of his years in Deerfield, Massachusetts. It is this family line that produces Janice Joplin, the famous musician of the 1960s.
The Baptist Church on Fish Hill and the cemetery were formed in 1772. There were 77 members who made up their fellowship and it was located in New Salem. Sometime after 1810, the church burned and was rebuilt three miles north on the same road. A cemetery called Mountain View was established across the street. In 1822, Prescott was formed and land taken from New Salem was given to Prescott. So the church was moved 50 feet to another corner so that the church could be known as the Prescott New Salem Baptist Church. The town line ran down the middle of the church. A parsonage was built across the street and still stands today. Later the church became a store.
When the Baptist church folded, another church was built across the street in Prescott called the Methodist Church of Prescott. In 1934, the church was sold to the Swift River Historical Society and moved to North New Salem, where it still stands today. Elijha Hanson helped build this church and was a member. He and his brother Elihu are buried at Mount View Cemetery, along with many other Hoar and Hanson family members.
Warren Hanson, Son of Elijha Hanson:
Warren F. Hanson was born in 1829. The last child of Elijha and Mary Hanson of Prescott, Massachusetts, Warren was first married to Jehoddan Vaughn and she gave him one daughter, Lucy Florilla. Hanson, who died of consumption at the age of 17. They also had five sons, Samuel, Henry, Charles, Daniel and Alpheus. Soon after Lucy passed away, Jehoddan also passed away from consumption (tuberculosis). Once his wife and daughter passed away, Warren moved to Erving from Prescott.
Warren, a carpenter and mechanic, left Prescott during the Industrial Revolution to receive a steady paycheck that the farm could not offer him. He was employed in the Erving Industrial Center at Washburn Pail Company. During his time in Erving he donated the land that the old Town Hall was built on Route 2, across from the train station. Today a park stands at the site where in 1971 they ripped the old hall down. The road running to the right side of the park is called Hanson Court, named for him. The house on Hanson Court, was where my grandfather, Ray Hanson, was born in 1892.
Warren also married Jeanette Graves of Northfield. He had two daughters from this marriage. Tragically, Warren was killed in an industrial accident at work in 1881. His death certificate list his cause of death as an “enlarged brain” or a concussion. He left behind his new family and his five sons from his first marriage. Jeanette went back to Northfield with her two daughters. Samuel, the oldest son, took took care of his younger brothers, called the “Hanson Boys”.
Warren is buried at Mt. View Cemetery next to Jehoddan and Lucy, his daughter. We are very lucky to have two derrotype prints of Warren and Jehoddan and a large framed picture of Lucy Florilla before her death.
Samuel Fayette Hanson, Warren’s eldest son:
Samuel Hanson was born in 1850, the eldest son of Warren Hanson and Jehoddan (Vaughn) in Prescott, Massachusetts. The family was moved to Erving, where the five sons grew up. Samuel was a carpenter, who was a “cainer” at the Heywood Wakefield Furniture Company in Erving. Samuel wove the cain onto chairs and children’s buggies.
Samuel married Abbie Mabel Murdock of Hubbardson, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of Chyenne Murdock and Julia Greenwood. The couple had two children, Ray Hanson and Ethelynn (Hanson) Lezotte, who was blind later in life.
Samuel also was a Mason in the Eastern Star Lodge in Athol. Samuel was the town’s baseball coach, first in Erving and later on, in Orange.
Later Samuel worked as a stonecutter in Orange and also as a foreman in the Tapioca pudding plant in “downtown” Orange. Samuel had diabetes, he lived until he was 91 years old. They removed his left leg due to complication from diabetes. He was buried in Erving Central Cemetery with full Masonic rites. He survived all his brothers.
Ray Hanson, Samuel’s son (my grandfather):
Ray was born in 1892 in Erving, Massachusetts to the parents of Samuel and Mabel (Murdock) Hanson. He was their only son who survived and along with his sister, Ethelynn, grew up in Erving. During World War I, Ray had a heart murmur so he could not become a soldier. So he and his girlfriend, Edith Bell Howard, eloped and went to teach English in Puerto Rico. They went to Puerto Rico aboard the S.S. New York. In Puerto Rico, they were married on the ship. Their wedding certificate survives today.
In 1918 at the close of World War I, they returned to the United States and settled in South Jersey. Ray took a position teaching English in the Camden School District at School #9, which later was known as Clara Bourghs #9 Middle School. In 1933, when Cooper B. Hatch Middle School opened, he transferred there to teach woodshop for grades 7-9. Ray coached basketball, track, and baseball in the middle school. Ray was one of the first coaches in his day to allow negro players to participate on his team. Many times he would drive them home for their own protection. Ray was a diabetic, like his father and retired from the Camden City Schools in 1963, after 44 years of service.
Ray and Edith had three children, Shirley Rae, Bruce Vaughn and Donald Murdock. Shirley Rae married Jack Scarborough, they also had three children, John, Debbie and Mary.
Bruce Vaughn Hanson first married Jeanne and had three girls, Janey, and a set of twins, Terri and Wendy. Bruce was an air force bombardier in World War II. He later adopted Janey’s son, Jason, who now is an attorney in Seattle, Washington. He later married Audrey and they are still together today. Donald Murdock and Gertrude (Restein) Hanson had two children, Thomas Ray Hanson and Eileen Mary Hanson. Ray died in October 1966 from complications from diabetes.
Donald Murdock Hanson, Veteran U.S.N.R. WWII:
Donald was born May 12, 1925 to the parents of Ray and Edith Hanson. Donald grew up in the Fairview section of Camden, NJ. In 1943, Donald was drafted into the Naval Reserve and spent his training in Biloxi, Mississippi. When his ship, the L.S.T. 496, was completed and it sailed from Cincinnati to New Orleans, where the ships’ crew was picked up. Donald was a coxswain and at 19 years old, was a signal man aboard the Higginsboats that were going to land troops during the invasion of Europe D Day. The L.S.T. 496 had a crew of 125 men. The ship was involved in the training at Slapton Sands, England, in which the German’s u boats sank two L.S.T. ships in the biggest allied naval disaster in the Western Front.
D Day:
On June 6, 1944, Donald was assigned to the second wave of the invasion of Omaha Beach. He was supposed to go in at 7:15 but because of problems with the first wave, the second wave didn’t go in until 1:30. Donald’s Higginsboat was lost on the way back to the 496. The small wooden boat with iron sides, sank next to the 496.
The 496 went back to England with American wounded and German prisoners of war (P.O.W.). They arrived in Southampton on June 8th. On June 9th, they returned to France with 50 Sherman tanks and their crews. In the early hours of June 9th, the ship struck a two stage German sea mine. Donald was wounded but saved by his friend, Rueben Hill of Bordentown, New Jersey. The ship sank two miles from the coast of Normandy. The ship lost 88 of its 125 crew members, including the captain.
Donald came home from World War II with a “Purple Heart”. He took a job as an automobile mechanic. Later, he married Gertrude Restein and became a Collingswood (NJ) policeman. Donald retired as a lieutenant from the Collingswood’s Police Department after 25 years of service.
Donald was the father of Thomas Ray Hanson and Eileen Mary Hanson. He had three grandchildren, Erik Donald, Lindsay Kay and Johnathan Jones Hanson. Donald passed away on December 17, 1996 due to complications from diabetes, he was 71 years old.
Donald travelled with me through a lot of my investigations into the family history. He instilled in me the love of family and the importance of knowing where you come from. His stories of his father and grandfather showed how much he loved them and all of his family. The only time I saw him cry was when his father died in 1966. “Pop”, as he was later known, made a deep impact on the lives of his family.
My children, Lindsay and Erik, help to retrieve a lot of this information. Lindsay was great at the research, while Erik was better working in the “field”. Many times, Erik would explore the cemeteries, cellar holes, wells and the Prescott Peninsula. Also Erik was the best for jumping from “rock to rock” across “Miller’s River”.
Recently, I had the privilege of presenting my grandson, Connor Thomas Delaney, to the “family” in Massachusetts. Connor is the son of my daughter, Lindsay, and her husband, Daniel Delaney of Mount Laurel (NJ). He is the 12th generation of our family living in America today.
My grandson, Connor, is the eighth generation from Shadrach Hoar. Prior to Shadrach, there were three generations of the family in America. Shadrach’s father, Johnathan; his grandfather, Nathaniel and his great- grandfather, Hezekiah Hoar. The next part of this manuscript will be dedicated to those who come before Shadrach.
On November 7, 2015 my son Erik married Jenna Albertson of Sicklerville New Jersey. Jenna is the daughter of William and Lisa (Brando). Erik is a marine biologist who works at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden NJ. Jenna is a pediatric dental hygienist. Erik and Jenna had their first son Cole William, on February 16 2018, their second son Cody Thomas, was born October 15 2019. They are the 8th generation from Shadrach Hoar and the 12 since coming to America in 1633
Johnathan Hoar- Shadrach’s father:
He was the son of Nathaniel Hoar and Sarah Wilbore. He was marred to Mary Makepeace Staples. She was the daughter of Joseph Staples and Anna Makepeace. Johnathan was born circa 1693 in Taunton, Massachusetts and died in 1748. He was the father of Hannah, Sarah, Job, Johnathan, Elijha, Shadrach and Patience Hoar. He had his children baptized in Berkley on August 22, 1743 by Reverend Toby of the Congregational Church (the record still exist).
He was a farmer, as his father before him, and we know that he was Nathan’s son (according to the deed of 1726), in which he leaves property to his son, Johnathan. Apparently, Johnathan dies in 1748, leaving behind his five year old son, Shadrach.
After careful research, I found that Johnathan served in the Taunton Militia as a lieutenant and served under General Wolf at the Siege of Louisburgh during the French and Indian Wars.
One of the family’s major genealogical problems occurred with Johnathan’s wife, Mary’s parents, Joseph Staples and Anna Makepeace. There are no marriage records that have survived “fires” to properly document their marriage. Some people think that Joseph Staples married Anna Cudworth or possible, Anna Smith. This means that our lineage is not granted permission to “the Mayflower Society”. As late as the 1890’s, we were considered Mayflower because Anna Makepeace’s grandmother was Abigail Tisdale.
However, Macomber family genealogy says that Anna, the daughter of William and Sarah (Holloway) Macomber, married Johnathan Hoar and had a daughter, Anna. Anna married Seth Hodges on June 14, 1744. On September 8, 1735, Johnathan Hoar had petitioned the court to appoint a guardian for his daughter, Anna, who had a claim of the estate of J. Macomber through her mother.
My research clearly leads to another John Hoar who married Anna Macomber. He was not our Johnathan. None of the children listed as Johnathan’s was named “Anna”. Johnathan’s grandfather on his mother’s side was Shadrach Wilbore, who kept meticulous records as the town clerk in Taunton for over 45 years. He would have recorded the birth of this child (Anna), his granddaughter as he did all his other grandchildren.
Records also show that there was a “John Hoar, Jr.” who married a “Ann Smith” in Middleboro. Our “John” is not a junior as his father was Nathaniel. “John Hoar and Ann (Anybody)” were very common names at this time in colonial history. We have to take knowledge and the records we do have and reasonably assume that Anna Makepeace was married to Joseph Staples of Taunton and was the mother of Mary Makepeace Staples, wife of Johnathan Hoar.
Also after research, I believe Johnathan is buried in the Staples St. Cemetery or the Caswell Cemetery in Taunton/ Middleboro. The Staples St. Cemetery was bequeathed for a family cemetery from a Hoar farm. Many of the family are buried at these two cemeteries which are near one another.
Nathaniel Hoar, Shadrach’s Grandfather:
Born March 31, 1656 in Taunton Massachusetts (Bristol County), married Sarah Wilbore on February 2, 1681 and died in 1745 in Taunton. He was the father of Abigail (Hoskins), Samuel, Hannah (Caswell), William, Patience, Elijha, Shadrach, Johnathan and Isaac.
Nathaniel’s farm was on the south side of the Taunton River, where the Taunton High School is now and also the Ocean Spray Cranberry farm. There are very little records of Nathaniel except that both he and his wife, Sarah died before 1745. I don’t even know where he is buried. He is the only grandfather whose burial place I have not been able to discover.
Nathaniel’s father in law was Shadrach Wilbore, a very accomplished “Town Clerk”, who kept superior records in Taunton.
We know him to be the son of Hezekiah by his will in 1692, in which he gives 100 acres of land to each of his children.
Hezekiah Hoar- First to come to America:
Hezekiah was born in Sidmouth, England on July 10, 1608. He was the 13th child to Bernard Hore and to his second wife, Mary Channon. Hezekiah arrived in Scituate, Massachusetts in 1633 aboard the ship “Recovery”, captained by Gabriel Cornish. The ship’s manifest has Hezekiah coming over by himself. The record is found in the “William and Mary Project”, dealing with the Winthrop Fleet.
He was one of the first purchasers of both Cohansett and later the North Purchase of Taunton, Massachusetts. He paid 100 pounds for his shares of land. He was a founding father of Taunton and a very prominent citizen. Hezekiah was the first signer of the contract to establish “The “Bloomerie” which was the first ironworks in America and he was one of the three leases in 1660. He was a surveyor of highways in 1666, constable in 1657, 1663 and 1672. He was enlisted as ensign in the Expedition against the Dutch in New Amstrdam, under the command of Myles Standish.
Little is known about his wife, Rebkah (or Rebecca). We don’t even have records of her last name. They lived on the west corner of Winter Street, which back then, was “Hoar’s Lane”. They were married when he was 44 in 1653.
Together they had nine children: Sarah (Stoughton)- 4/1/58; Nathaniel- 3/31/56; Edward- 9/25/62; Rebecca (Smith)- birthdate unknown; Lydia- 3/24/65; Hezekiah, Jr.- birthdate unknown; Mercy (Spur)- 1/31/54; Elizabeth- 5/26/60; and Mary- 9/22/69.
Rebkah probably dies before 1692 because she is not mentioned in Hezekiah’s deed or will in that year. On February 27, 1692, he deeded all of his property to his sons, Edward and Hezekiah, Jr., “the home place for them for themselves”. The other land holdings were to be divided up 100 acres to each child. The deed was recorded August 4, 1693 which was probably after his death. Hezekiah was 85 when he passed on. Rebkah, we believe was 62 because there are records to indicate she was born 1630. I have gone to Taunton and found the historical society very helpful. Unfortunately, the records in Taunton were destroyed by a fire in the 19th century. I tried to find Hezekiah and Rebkah’s graves. Everyone’s best guess is the “Neck O Land” Cemetery, in the center of Taunton. The cemetery was much larger than it is today. The town has “encroached” upon its borders, disturbing the dead. One stone that I found was a Paddock Hoar, which may have been a relative. Other than that, I do not know where he or his son Nathan, are buried.
Grandmothers:
Rebkah - Married to Hezekiah, 9 children, died when she was 63. There is no record of her maiden name.
Sarah Wilbore - Wife of Nathaniel, 7 children, died 1745 in Taunton
Mary Makepeace Staples - Wife of Johnathan, 7 children, born around 1700, daughter of Joseph Staples and Anna Makepeace.
Anna Hoskins - Wife of Shadrach Hoar, Sr., 6 children, daughter of William Hoskins and Mary Cole.
Mary Gunn - Wife of Elijha Hoar Hanson, 7 children, daughter of Deacon Israel Gunn and Mary Root, married July 10, 1776 in Hatfield, MA
Jehoddan Vaughn - Wife of Warren Hanson, 6 children, daughter of Daniel and Lucy Vaughn, died from a fever in 1865, born on January 10, 1827, died at the age of 38, leaving 5 sons.
Mabel Murdock - Wife of Samuel Hanson, 2 children, daughter of Joseph Cheynne and Julia Greenwood of Hubbardston, MA. She was born in Wendell, MA.
Edith Bell Howard - Wife of Ray Fayette Hanson, 3 children; Burlington, VT, father died in Burlington from appendicitis before Edith was born. Adopted by Judge Clifford Howard of Burlington, VT. Edith survived to 99 years and 6 months before passing in Sommer’s Point, NJ. She was a librarian in Collingswood, NJ.
Gertrude Rebecca Restein - Married Donald Murdock Hanson in June of 1952, 2 children, secretary at Collingswood Jr. High School, Great Grandmother to Connor Delaney, daughter of Walter Restein and Bertha Lawrence.
Lisa Marie Kay - Married to Thomas Ray Hanson on October 13, 1979, 2 children. Graduate of Collingswood High School, daughter of John Kay and Rose Marie Mondelli (daughter of Clement and Marie Mondelli), Accounting Manager for an international company.
Why Hanson?:
While there is no written record about why Elijha, William and Johnathan chose Hanson as the family surname, there may be some clarity found in American history. First and foremost, for the obvious rationale, “Hoar” within itself took on a very bad meaning, vernacularly representing prostitution. Many of the Hoar women complained of the name and I suppose that the children did also.
The second reason probably had to do with Shay’s Rebellion. Most of the Shayites were “blacklisted” for the rest of their lives by the New England Society. They were considered “traitors” and while they were not prosecuted by the Commonwealth, it was difficult for them to make it financially because they usually could not acquire loans from banking institutions or gain employment because of their association with that of being common criminals.
Upon the Shayites death, many were buried in unmarked graves so that people would not be able to disturb their bodies. I suppose this also translates to the families of the Shayites as we see common developments in the different families.
After researching the history of Hanson, MA, which was originally Pembroke, I found that the town changed their name in 1820. The name was chosen to honor Alexander Conte Hanson of Baltimore, MD. He was also the grandson of Johnathan Hanson, the first president of the Articles of Confederation.
Alexander Conte Hanson was a founder and editor for the Federal Republican and he was very critical of the administration in Washington, DC in getting us into the War of 1812. The War of 1812 was very unpopular in the New England States. Elijha was a captain in the New Salem Militia maybe this is a reason for our surname. Pembroke, MA changed their name to Hanson in 1820 because of Alexander who died April 20, 1819.
“Under the influence of Major Thomas Hobart of Pembroke, who was a representative in the General Court in 1820. The town was incorporated so that the name of this great, notable, vindicator of the free press was selected as a suitable name for the town.” (From the Pembroke Town Archives, Hanson, MA)
On June 12, 1818, Elijha, son of Shadrach, with his brothers, Johnathan and William, changed their name to Hanson. As well, all of their children were granted the name change by the Courts of Massachusetts.
The Old Family Home:
If you leave 202 Daniel Shay HWY and make a left at the sign that says “South New Salem”, you won’t only find Mt. View Cemetery but you will find one of our family homes. On the left hand side of North Prescott Road going south, you will come across a White Greek Revival built in the 1738 by Captain Haskins who I believe was at one time a ship’s captain or a militia captain in New Salem. The Haskin’s cottage became the parsonage for Baptist ministers on Fish Hill in 1825 about “3 rods away” south of the Fish Hill Baptist church. Logically when the church was moved to the New Salem Prescott line in the 1822, the home continued to be the parsonage. By then, the house was only one rod from the church called the New Salem Prescott Baptist Church or the New Light Baptist Church of New Salem.
In 1825, the home was in the possession of Betsey and Sarah Davis. They sold it Jacob Nichols and William Davis for $350. The building was to be used as a parsonage for the Baptist Society. It remained as such until 1843 when the Richard Dean family purchased it from church. The Baptist Church dissolved its congregation in 1878.
Emma Dean married Hebert Lysander Horr, the son of Nelson and Laura Horr on January 1, 1873. They stayed in this home and celebrated their “Golden Anniversary” with their only daughter, Miss May E. Horr. Emma died in the home in 1934.
May lived there until her death in 1966 from inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia). The entire family can be found at Mt. View Cemetery right of the main gate.
Miss May E. Horr was a school teacher in New Salem and was also a genealogist. Many of her notes from her hand written manuscript helped me to complete this work. There are many pictures of May and her parents, along with other family members available.
In 2009 during one of my visit to Mt. View, the house was being renovated by a private contractor. I was allowed to tour the home. At some point working on the main fireplace, a black and white picture of Emma and Herbert fell from behind the mantle. On the back of the picture, it stated “Herbert and Emma’s Golden Anniversary”. Since I have seen a copy of the photograph, I left it there… where it belongs.
The contractors acknowledged that the house was in “great shape”. Additionally, they stated that the longevity of the structure was due to the 18” sill plates that kept the snow from gathering high above the foundation which never allowed major deterioration. Today, the house is a rental property that you pass on the way to Mt. View Cemetery. The home is possibly the oldest home in New Salem, Massachusetts.
Honor Roll
Elijha Hanson
· Captain of 1 of 3 New Salem Militia groups during the War of 1812
George E. Hanson
· Civil War (1861) 20th Massachusetts
· 6th Commander of the G.A.R.
· Born in New Salem, MA
· Enlisted at the age of 19 in the 29th Massachusetts Regimental Band
· Served in Gen. Burnside’s Expedition in North Carolina
· Discharged August 30, 1862, because the division dropped the band.
· Second enlistment, July 14, 1863, Company A, 2nd Massachusetts Artillery, Provost Marshall at Bendford, North Carolina; a clerk in regimental headquarters.
· Commissioned 1st LT. 14th ITS colored artillery, June 21, 1865 to November 1865; discharged December 1, 1865
Forrester E. Hanson
· Civil War 31st Massachusetts (1861)
Roger L. Hanson
· World War I, Prescott, MA
Ernest E. Hanson
· World War I, Prescott, MA
Warren Alpheus Hanson
· World War I, Erving, MA
· Died in World War I, his name is listed on the monument in Irving, MA for World War I soldiers.
Forrest Hanson
· US Marine Corps, World War II
Bruce Vaughn Hanson
· US Army, Air Corps, Bombardier, World War II, Camden, NJ
Donald Murdock Hanson
· US Navy Reserve, Coxswain, D- Day, World War II, Camden, NJ
Warren A. Hanson
· Sgt, US Army, World War II
Herman Hanson
· Special Note:
· Vocational teacher, New Salem Academy (1947)
· New Salem volunteer firefighter
· Son of Frank and Myra Hanson of Dana
· He married Dorothy Stone and had three daughters
· Buried in Mt. View Cemetery, New Salem, MA
· He believed he was the last of the Hanson family still living in the valley.
Jason Mixter Hanson:
Older brother to my great-great grandfather, Warren, both of New Salem Mass. was married to Mary Stacy also of New Salem. He was a farmer and a stone cutter. Jason and Mary had two children, Charles Mizter and Julia (Aldridge Horr). Jason was born 1823 to Elijah and Mary Hanson of New Salem, later Prescott Mass. He volunteered in 1863 for the 3rd volunteer MA Calvary, first as a private and then to a corporal. They were based in New Orleans and fought at the battle of Winchester. He also participated as part of Sheridan’s Shenandoah’s Valley Campaign in 1864, as well as many other battles. Upon the completion of the war, he was shipped to Baltimore Maryland where he caught dysentery and dies at the Jarvis Military Hospital towards the end of June. He is buried at the Loudon Park National Military Cemetery in Baltimore Maryland, he was 42 years old. His son Charles placed a monument to his father, Jason, in the Oakgrove Cemetery in Springfield Mass. where his wife Mary and their daughter Julia are buried.
Shirley Rae Hanson:
Daughter of Ray R. Hanson and Edith Bell (Howard) Hanson was born in Camden, NJ on July 8, 1919 and passed March 22, 2014.
She married John Jack Fredrick Scarborough and had three children:
1. John Hanson Scarborough married Maryanne Augustine. They had one son, Hunter John Scarborough on August 22, 1980. John is a carpenter by trade.
Hunter has two children, a daughter, Jordyn born in 2004 and a son Brayden, born in 2013.
2. Debra Jane Scarborough married Steven Layton. She has two daughters from this union:
a. Tracey Lynne Layton Fox, the wife of Leonard Fox. They have one son, Shane.
b. Jennifer Layton Lawler, the wife of Royce Lawler. They have two children, Nathan and Maya Lawler. They live in the state of Oregon.
Debra later married Edward Fitzpatrick.
3. Mary Jane Scarborough married Brian Richard Stevens. They have three children:
a. Shaun Christopher, born September 17, 1988
b. Karley Lynne, born September 30, 1991
c. Jason Taylor, born January 17, 1994
* Special Note: Uncle Jack Scarborough served in the US Coast Guard during World War II.
Bruce Vaughn Hanson:
Son of Ray R. Hanson and Edith Bell (Howard) Hanson, born on December 9, 1920 in Camden, NJ. Husband of Jean, has three daughters:
1. Jane Lind Hanson, was born January 2, 1950. She is the mother of Jason M. Hanson, who is also the adopted son of Bruce Hanson.
2. Terry Lee Hanson (Powell) was born on July 27, 1952.
3. Wendy Lynn Hanson (Heavens) was born on July 27, 1952.
4. Jason Matthew Hanson was born on January 25, 1972. He is married to Katherine. They are both lawyers in Seattle, WA and live in Bellevue, WA. They have two children.
Bruce Vaughn Hanson, Captain in the U.S. Air Corp WWII Uncle Bruce, my father’s older brother, was a bombardier and pilot during WWII in the Pacific theatre. He flew in the 5th Air Corp, 38th bombardier, 71st squadron. Uncle Bruce flew 43 missions from 1942 – 1945 in a B-25 Mitchell. He was shot down twice and was rescued by “sea-air search”
Bruce is a retired Sun Oil Executive and is currently married to Audrey Kellum
Pink Pills for Pale People:
According to the Federal Census, Elijha Hanson had a nephew living with him, Andrew Tracey Hanson. Andrew was the youngest of Johnathan and Pricilla (Shaw) Hanson of Prescott. As previously noted, Johnathan, a “stonecutter”, committed suicide on July 14, 1849 by hanging himself in Petersham, MA.
Andrew, the youngest son, was born August 2, 1826 in Stowe, VT. He died August 2, 1906 on his 80th birthday in Schenectady, NY. He is buried in Vale Cemetery. Andrew was married to Miss Anna Johnson in 1855 and they belonged to the State Street Methodist Church.
Andrew was originally a manager of a Sash and Blind Co. in New Amsterdam, NY. In 1895, he entered the wholesale leather business and he continued in the business until 1888. He moved to Schenectady when he entered the leather business. The couple had six children:
1. Alice, married Charles T. Snow of Brooklyn
2. Carrie, married Lansing De Forrest Gates of Schenectady
3. Kate Barhydt of Schenectady
4. Willis T. Hanson, president of Union National Bank
5. H. A. Hanson
6. James Howard Hanson, of the law firm of Nesbit and Hanson
Willis T. Hanson, President of the Union National Bank and the head of the Dr. Williams Medicine Concorn, was the son of Andrew Tracey Hanson and Anna Johnson. He was born on January 27, 1858 in New York City. Will was the president of Dr. Williams “Pink Pills for Pale People”. The pill was given for a variety of ailments.
Will was a banker and business man and an author, mostly of local history books. He married Margaret Bean. They had two children:
Willis Tracey Hanson, Jr., was born in June 1882
George Fulford Hanson was born in May 1894.
Willis T. Hanson married Julia Devereux on October 31, 1881. They had two children, Margaret, born in 1907 and Devereux in 1909. He was a banker at the 31 and still living at home.
George F. Hanson studied at Oxford, England. He had a service record for World War I.
Dr. Williams “Pink Pills for Pale People” was a 19th century patented medicine containing iron oxide and magnesium sulfate. It was produced by Dr. Williams Medicine Co., the trading arm of G. T. Fulford and Co. It was claimed to cure cholera, loco motor ataxia, partial paralysis, seistica, neuralgia, rheumatism, nervous headache, palpitation of the heart, pale and sallow complexion, and all forms of weakness in males and females. William T. Hanson, Sr. was the president of operations.
The Pink Pills included ferrous sulfate so that they would have had a general effect against anemia. They were more expensive than regular iron pills of that day so they were considered an “over-the-counter” drug. Also, there was no real “Dr. Williams”, that was a marketing technique. The pills were sold in Ontario, New York City, London, Australia, and Hong Kong. The company existed until 1989, selling other medicines.
The Pawlett Expedition:
Recently I uncovered an article written by Mr. Edward Hoyt of Vermont, who states that 1/3 of Woodbridge's regiment were assigned to Colonel Brown and marched with him to Ticonderoga while the rest of the Woodbridge's division marched to Skenesborough. This means that Shadrach could have been at either place. We will never because the record keeping for these militia where poor at best. The only reason to mention this is for future historians who might be able someday to answer the question. Where was Shadrach?
The stone reads:
Unknown But to God
The People of Fish Hill Cemetery
Dedicated by the Family of Shadrach Hoar
Revolutionary War Hero
Family:
Shadrach and Anna have six children, their only daughter, Anna (1768), Elijha (1770), Johnathan (1772), William (1774), Elihu (1776) and Shadrach, Jr. (1778). The location of his farm was on the same road as the Fish Hill Baptist Church. His nearest neighbor was Seth Peebles as they were the first settlers on this road. Tax records indicate that the home was an “ell” shaped house, total value about $700.00. His farm was 34 acres. Shadrach’s farm at one point “backed up” to the farm that Daniel Shay’s (Rebellion) rented. This connection may have changed Shadrach’s life later on.
The American Revolution:
Shadrach answered the alarm of the minutemen in April 1775 and marched to Boston to the take on the British. He participated in the seige at Dorchester Heights and at Roxbury. He would have been 33 years old and a father of four children. After that, he returned home and then was called up again in Hadley under Colonel Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge in August 1777. He was made a corporal and marched to Pawlett, Vermont to confront the rear guard of General Burgoyne’s advancement from Canada to Saratoga in September 1777.
The Pawlett Expedition:
In August 1777, the British, under General Burgoyne, led an expedition to try to cut New England away from the rest of the colonies by coming down the Hudson River. General Washington sent General Benjamin Lincoln to Pawlett, Vermont to form a force of Continental and militia soldiers to “cut- off”. Burgoyne’s supply line from Canada through Fort Ticonderoga.
General Lincoln assembled three 500- men divisions, all volunteers, to march north. According to Lincoln, these men had to be of extreme high character, physically fit, and a good fighter. They had to be able to march through the woods 13 miles a day. They had to march through the woods and around towns and villages so that the British would not be warned that they were coming. They had to be of high character so that any “bounty” they might come across would not deter them from their pursuit of any retreating British forces. If supplies and personal items were abandoned at the time of the retreat. Lincoln’s militia had to be above looting these items and Shadrach was promoted to corporal in Woodbridge’s division because of his high moral character and fighting abilities. Michael O. Logusz states in “With Musket and Tomahawk” that these divisions were a continuation of American Ranger Forces.
Division One under Colonel Brown, their orders were for 500 men to go to Fort Mount Defiance to free American prisoners of war and take the fort, if possible, located at Lake George, New York.
Division Two under Colonel Johnson, their orders were for 500 men to create a diversion at Mount Independence to keep the garrison at Fort Ticonderoga engaged so that Brown could free the prisoners.
Division Three under Colonel Woodbridge, their orders were to take the town of Skensborough (now known as Whitehall). The town was on the south shore of Lake Champlain and all British supplies came through here from Canada. The division was to burn all warehouses, docks, wharves, ships and ports. This was to prevent Burgoyne from receiving supplies or being able to retreat. By Saturday, September 27, the Pawlett Expedition was over. Lincoln’s brigade made their way to Saratoga to confront Burgoyne. Brown went back to Pawlett and fought in Burgoyne’s rear. Lincoln’s other two division were sent to support General Gates at Saratoga.
Upon Burgoyne’s surrender in October 1777, the British captured soldiers were marched to Boston. They traveled right through New Salem on their way. I imagine one of those guards was Shadrach on his way home from Saratoga. At the Swift River Historical Society in New Salem, there is a stone marking the road used to march the prisoners to Boston, across the street from the society. Most of these surrendered soldiers were German Hessians who were being marched to Boston. This was part of an agreement of the Convention. At the close of his military service, Shadrach would have been 34 or 35 years old.
During this period between the British surrender at Yorktown (1782) and 1787 when the Constitution was signed, an Agrarian uprising occurred in 1787 in Massachusetts called Shay’s Rebellion. Many of the farmers in Western Massachusetts had been driven into debtors’ prison or had their land seized by Eastern bankers for loan delinquencies. There was no central national bank. All currency was printed by the individual states. There was very little money to go around. The Farmers’ Revolt was started in the fall of 1786 and was “put down” in February 1787 in Petersham, Massachusetts, next to New Salem. While there is no evidence that Shadrach’s farm was ever in economic trouble, Shadrach did participate in the rebellion.
Recently I uncovered and article written by Mr. Edward Hoyt of Vermont, who states that 1/3 of Woodbridge's regiment were assigned to Colonel Brown and marched with him to Ticonderoga while the rest of the Woodbridge division marched to Skenesborough. This means that Shadrach could have been at either place. We will never know because the record keeping for these militia where poor at best. The only reason to mention this is for future historians who might be able someday to answer the question, "Where was Shadrach?"
Shadrach - The Regulator:
Shadrach Hoar is listed on the Massachusetts’ record for having taking the “Oath of Alligence” to the State of Massachusetts on March 29, 1787, along with 15 other men from New Salem. Daniel Shaw proceeded over the Oath, collected 9 pense and Shadrach’s rifle. In turn, Shadrach was granted amnesty from persecution for being a regulator or Shayite.
Under the condition of the amnesty, he could not own or keep a tavern, teach school, vote, hold public office or serve on juries for three years. Also the Eastern bankers usually refused them bank loans or “they had bad credit”.
Shadrach’s son, Shadrach Hoar, Jr. will be engaged and married to Betsy Hammond of Petersham in 1802. Shadrach dies, making her a widow. However, by 1818, Betsy will remarry to Lypscom Brigham, as it appears. I believe he was buried with Shadrach and Anna at Fish Hill Cemetery in New Salem.
Shadrach, Sr. dies on March 1, 1808 at the age of 65. I believe he was buried at Fish Hill Baptist Cemetery along with his wife, Ann, in unmarked graves. It appears that instead of being a hero of the American Revolution. Shadrach and family were “blacklisted” for his participation in Shay’s Rebellion. Many Regulators were buried in unmarked graves. Also, the Baptist were known for using field stones with initials or not wasting the money on placing a carved gravestone to mark the grave.
There is no evidence or record that Shadrach was heavily involved with Shay’s Rebellion. However, understanding the man he was, I believe that he did help “close the courts”, marched on Springfield, retreated to Petersham and then went home to take the Oath and lived quietly for 21 years as a farmer and a father and husband. Finally, there are 20 men from New Salem that we know were involved in Shay’s Rebellion. Ten of these men were from the New Salem Baptist Church and one was Shadrach.
Elijha Hoar Hanson (Shadrach’s son):
Elijha was born on January 29, 1770 in New Salem, Massachusetts. He was married to Mary Gunn, the daughter of the Deacon Israel Gunn and Mary Root of Montague, Massachusetts. Elijha was called “Captain” because he was an officer with the New Salem Militia during the War of 1812. This war, some historians say, was a very unpopular war in New England. Elijha was a farmer and a “cooper”, which means he made wooden boxes and barrels. He lived in a section of New Salem which became Prescot in 1822. Elijha and Mary had the following children: Lucretia (1805), Erastus Gunn, Morilla, Ashael Gunn, Elijha Shaw, Jason Mixter (1827), and Warren Fayette (1829). In 1818, Elijha and his brother William officially petitioned the state to change their names, as well as their children’s names, to Hanson, 10 years after their father’s death in 1808.
Johnathan Hoar, another brother, changed his name to Johnathan Wheeler in 1818 and later to Johnathan Hanson. On July 14, 1849, Johnathan hung himself in Petersham, at the age of 62. I have found the burial for his wife, Priscilla, and their daughter, Hopey, both interred next to Elijha and Mary in Mountain View Cemetery on the border between South New Salem and Prescott. The remaining and youngest brother, Elihu, kept the Hoar name; however, he changed the spelling to “Horr”. William Hoar Hanson, married to Sophia Root, is buried along the Mohawk Trail, west of Greenfield, near Shelbourne Falls, Ma. He had lived many of his years in Deerfield, Massachusetts. It is this family line that produces Janice Joplin, the famous musician of the 1960s.
The Baptist Church on Fish Hill and the cemetery were formed in 1772. There were 77 members who made up their fellowship and it was located in New Salem. Sometime after 1810, the church burned and was rebuilt three miles north on the same road. A cemetery called Mountain View was established across the street. In 1822, Prescott was formed and land taken from New Salem was given to Prescott. So the church was moved 50 feet to another corner so that the church could be known as the Prescott New Salem Baptist Church. The town line ran down the middle of the church. A parsonage was built across the street and still stands today. Later the church became a store.
When the Baptist church folded, another church was built across the street in Prescott called the Methodist Church of Prescott. In 1934, the church was sold to the Swift River Historical Society and moved to North New Salem, where it still stands today. Elijha Hanson helped build this church and was a member. He and his brother Elihu are buried at Mount View Cemetery, along with many other Hoar and Hanson family members.
Warren Hanson, Son of Elijha Hanson:
Warren F. Hanson was born in 1829. The last child of Elijha and Mary Hanson of Prescott, Massachusetts, Warren was first married to Jehoddan Vaughn and she gave him one daughter, Lucy Florilla. Hanson, who died of consumption at the age of 17. They also had five sons, Samuel, Henry, Charles, Daniel and Alpheus. Soon after Lucy passed away, Jehoddan also passed away from consumption (tuberculosis). Once his wife and daughter passed away, Warren moved to Erving from Prescott.
Warren, a carpenter and mechanic, left Prescott during the Industrial Revolution to receive a steady paycheck that the farm could not offer him. He was employed in the Erving Industrial Center at Washburn Pail Company. During his time in Erving he donated the land that the old Town Hall was built on Route 2, across from the train station. Today a park stands at the site where in 1971 they ripped the old hall down. The road running to the right side of the park is called Hanson Court, named for him. The house on Hanson Court, was where my grandfather, Ray Hanson, was born in 1892.
Warren also married Jeanette Graves of Northfield. He had two daughters from this marriage. Tragically, Warren was killed in an industrial accident at work in 1881. His death certificate list his cause of death as an “enlarged brain” or a concussion. He left behind his new family and his five sons from his first marriage. Jeanette went back to Northfield with her two daughters. Samuel, the oldest son, took took care of his younger brothers, called the “Hanson Boys”.
Warren is buried at Mt. View Cemetery next to Jehoddan and Lucy, his daughter. We are very lucky to have two derrotype prints of Warren and Jehoddan and a large framed picture of Lucy Florilla before her death.
Samuel Fayette Hanson, Warren’s eldest son:
Samuel Hanson was born in 1850, the eldest son of Warren Hanson and Jehoddan (Vaughn) in Prescott, Massachusetts. The family was moved to Erving, where the five sons grew up. Samuel was a carpenter, who was a “cainer” at the Heywood Wakefield Furniture Company in Erving. Samuel wove the cain onto chairs and children’s buggies.
Samuel married Abbie Mabel Murdock of Hubbardson, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of Chyenne Murdock and Julia Greenwood. The couple had two children, Ray Hanson and Ethelynn (Hanson) Lezotte, who was blind later in life.
Samuel also was a Mason in the Eastern Star Lodge in Athol. Samuel was the town’s baseball coach, first in Erving and later on, in Orange.
Later Samuel worked as a stonecutter in Orange and also as a foreman in the Tapioca pudding plant in “downtown” Orange. Samuel had diabetes, he lived until he was 91 years old. They removed his left leg due to complication from diabetes. He was buried in Erving Central Cemetery with full Masonic rites. He survived all his brothers.
Ray Hanson, Samuel’s son (my grandfather):
Ray was born in 1892 in Erving, Massachusetts to the parents of Samuel and Mabel (Murdock) Hanson. He was their only son who survived and along with his sister, Ethelynn, grew up in Erving. During World War I, Ray had a heart murmur so he could not become a soldier. So he and his girlfriend, Edith Bell Howard, eloped and went to teach English in Puerto Rico. They went to Puerto Rico aboard the S.S. New York. In Puerto Rico, they were married on the ship. Their wedding certificate survives today.
In 1918 at the close of World War I, they returned to the United States and settled in South Jersey. Ray took a position teaching English in the Camden School District at School #9, which later was known as Clara Bourghs #9 Middle School. In 1933, when Cooper B. Hatch Middle School opened, he transferred there to teach woodshop for grades 7-9. Ray coached basketball, track, and baseball in the middle school. Ray was one of the first coaches in his day to allow negro players to participate on his team. Many times he would drive them home for their own protection. Ray was a diabetic, like his father and retired from the Camden City Schools in 1963, after 44 years of service.
Ray and Edith had three children, Shirley Rae, Bruce Vaughn and Donald Murdock. Shirley Rae married Jack Scarborough, they also had three children, John, Debbie and Mary.
Bruce Vaughn Hanson first married Jeanne and had three girls, Janey, and a set of twins, Terri and Wendy. Bruce was an air force bombardier in World War II. He later adopted Janey’s son, Jason, who now is an attorney in Seattle, Washington. He later married Audrey and they are still together today. Donald Murdock and Gertrude (Restein) Hanson had two children, Thomas Ray Hanson and Eileen Mary Hanson. Ray died in October 1966 from complications from diabetes.
Donald Murdock Hanson, Veteran U.S.N.R. WWII:
Donald was born May 12, 1925 to the parents of Ray and Edith Hanson. Donald grew up in the Fairview section of Camden, NJ. In 1943, Donald was drafted into the Naval Reserve and spent his training in Biloxi, Mississippi. When his ship, the L.S.T. 496, was completed and it sailed from Cincinnati to New Orleans, where the ships’ crew was picked up. Donald was a coxswain and at 19 years old, was a signal man aboard the Higginsboats that were going to land troops during the invasion of Europe D Day. The L.S.T. 496 had a crew of 125 men. The ship was involved in the training at Slapton Sands, England, in which the German’s u boats sank two L.S.T. ships in the biggest allied naval disaster in the Western Front.
D Day:
On June 6, 1944, Donald was assigned to the second wave of the invasion of Omaha Beach. He was supposed to go in at 7:15 but because of problems with the first wave, the second wave didn’t go in until 1:30. Donald’s Higginsboat was lost on the way back to the 496. The small wooden boat with iron sides, sank next to the 496.
The 496 went back to England with American wounded and German prisoners of war (P.O.W.). They arrived in Southampton on June 8th. On June 9th, they returned to France with 50 Sherman tanks and their crews. In the early hours of June 9th, the ship struck a two stage German sea mine. Donald was wounded but saved by his friend, Rueben Hill of Bordentown, New Jersey. The ship sank two miles from the coast of Normandy. The ship lost 88 of its 125 crew members, including the captain.
Donald came home from World War II with a “Purple Heart”. He took a job as an automobile mechanic. Later, he married Gertrude Restein and became a Collingswood (NJ) policeman. Donald retired as a lieutenant from the Collingswood’s Police Department after 25 years of service.
Donald was the father of Thomas Ray Hanson and Eileen Mary Hanson. He had three grandchildren, Erik Donald, Lindsay Kay and Johnathan Jones Hanson. Donald passed away on December 17, 1996 due to complications from diabetes, he was 71 years old.
Donald travelled with me through a lot of my investigations into the family history. He instilled in me the love of family and the importance of knowing where you come from. His stories of his father and grandfather showed how much he loved them and all of his family. The only time I saw him cry was when his father died in 1966. “Pop”, as he was later known, made a deep impact on the lives of his family.
My children, Lindsay and Erik, help to retrieve a lot of this information. Lindsay was great at the research, while Erik was better working in the “field”. Many times, Erik would explore the cemeteries, cellar holes, wells and the Prescott Peninsula. Also Erik was the best for jumping from “rock to rock” across “Miller’s River”.
Recently, I had the privilege of presenting my grandson, Connor Thomas Delaney, to the “family” in Massachusetts. Connor is the son of my daughter, Lindsay, and her husband, Daniel Delaney of Mount Laurel (NJ). He is the 12th generation of our family living in America today.
My grandson, Connor, is the eighth generation from Shadrach Hoar. Prior to Shadrach, there were three generations of the family in America. Shadrach’s father, Johnathan; his grandfather, Nathaniel and his great- grandfather, Hezekiah Hoar. The next part of this manuscript will be dedicated to those who come before Shadrach.
On November 7, 2015 my son Erik married Jenna Albertson of Sicklerville New Jersey. Jenna is the daughter of William and Lisa (Brando). Erik is a marine biologist who works at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden NJ. Jenna is a pediatric dental hygienist. Erik and Jenna had their first son Cole William, on February 16 2018, their second son Cody Thomas, was born October 15 2019. They are the 8th generation from Shadrach Hoar and the 12 since coming to America in 1633
Johnathan Hoar- Shadrach’s father:
He was the son of Nathaniel Hoar and Sarah Wilbore. He was marred to Mary Makepeace Staples. She was the daughter of Joseph Staples and Anna Makepeace. Johnathan was born circa 1693 in Taunton, Massachusetts and died in 1748. He was the father of Hannah, Sarah, Job, Johnathan, Elijha, Shadrach and Patience Hoar. He had his children baptized in Berkley on August 22, 1743 by Reverend Toby of the Congregational Church (the record still exist).
He was a farmer, as his father before him, and we know that he was Nathan’s son (according to the deed of 1726), in which he leaves property to his son, Johnathan. Apparently, Johnathan dies in 1748, leaving behind his five year old son, Shadrach.
After careful research, I found that Johnathan served in the Taunton Militia as a lieutenant and served under General Wolf at the Siege of Louisburgh during the French and Indian Wars.
One of the family’s major genealogical problems occurred with Johnathan’s wife, Mary’s parents, Joseph Staples and Anna Makepeace. There are no marriage records that have survived “fires” to properly document their marriage. Some people think that Joseph Staples married Anna Cudworth or possible, Anna Smith. This means that our lineage is not granted permission to “the Mayflower Society”. As late as the 1890’s, we were considered Mayflower because Anna Makepeace’s grandmother was Abigail Tisdale.
However, Macomber family genealogy says that Anna, the daughter of William and Sarah (Holloway) Macomber, married Johnathan Hoar and had a daughter, Anna. Anna married Seth Hodges on June 14, 1744. On September 8, 1735, Johnathan Hoar had petitioned the court to appoint a guardian for his daughter, Anna, who had a claim of the estate of J. Macomber through her mother.
My research clearly leads to another John Hoar who married Anna Macomber. He was not our Johnathan. None of the children listed as Johnathan’s was named “Anna”. Johnathan’s grandfather on his mother’s side was Shadrach Wilbore, who kept meticulous records as the town clerk in Taunton for over 45 years. He would have recorded the birth of this child (Anna), his granddaughter as he did all his other grandchildren.
Records also show that there was a “John Hoar, Jr.” who married a “Ann Smith” in Middleboro. Our “John” is not a junior as his father was Nathaniel. “John Hoar and Ann (Anybody)” were very common names at this time in colonial history. We have to take knowledge and the records we do have and reasonably assume that Anna Makepeace was married to Joseph Staples of Taunton and was the mother of Mary Makepeace Staples, wife of Johnathan Hoar.
Also after research, I believe Johnathan is buried in the Staples St. Cemetery or the Caswell Cemetery in Taunton/ Middleboro. The Staples St. Cemetery was bequeathed for a family cemetery from a Hoar farm. Many of the family are buried at these two cemeteries which are near one another.
Nathaniel Hoar, Shadrach’s Grandfather:
Born March 31, 1656 in Taunton Massachusetts (Bristol County), married Sarah Wilbore on February 2, 1681 and died in 1745 in Taunton. He was the father of Abigail (Hoskins), Samuel, Hannah (Caswell), William, Patience, Elijha, Shadrach, Johnathan and Isaac.
Nathaniel’s farm was on the south side of the Taunton River, where the Taunton High School is now and also the Ocean Spray Cranberry farm. There are very little records of Nathaniel except that both he and his wife, Sarah died before 1745. I don’t even know where he is buried. He is the only grandfather whose burial place I have not been able to discover.
Nathaniel’s father in law was Shadrach Wilbore, a very accomplished “Town Clerk”, who kept superior records in Taunton.
We know him to be the son of Hezekiah by his will in 1692, in which he gives 100 acres of land to each of his children.
Hezekiah Hoar- First to come to America:
Hezekiah was born in Sidmouth, England on July 10, 1608. He was the 13th child to Bernard Hore and to his second wife, Mary Channon. Hezekiah arrived in Scituate, Massachusetts in 1633 aboard the ship “Recovery”, captained by Gabriel Cornish. The ship’s manifest has Hezekiah coming over by himself. The record is found in the “William and Mary Project”, dealing with the Winthrop Fleet.
He was one of the first purchasers of both Cohansett and later the North Purchase of Taunton, Massachusetts. He paid 100 pounds for his shares of land. He was a founding father of Taunton and a very prominent citizen. Hezekiah was the first signer of the contract to establish “The “Bloomerie” which was the first ironworks in America and he was one of the three leases in 1660. He was a surveyor of highways in 1666, constable in 1657, 1663 and 1672. He was enlisted as ensign in the Expedition against the Dutch in New Amstrdam, under the command of Myles Standish.
Little is known about his wife, Rebkah (or Rebecca). We don’t even have records of her last name. They lived on the west corner of Winter Street, which back then, was “Hoar’s Lane”. They were married when he was 44 in 1653.
Together they had nine children: Sarah (Stoughton)- 4/1/58; Nathaniel- 3/31/56; Edward- 9/25/62; Rebecca (Smith)- birthdate unknown; Lydia- 3/24/65; Hezekiah, Jr.- birthdate unknown; Mercy (Spur)- 1/31/54; Elizabeth- 5/26/60; and Mary- 9/22/69.
Rebkah probably dies before 1692 because she is not mentioned in Hezekiah’s deed or will in that year. On February 27, 1692, he deeded all of his property to his sons, Edward and Hezekiah, Jr., “the home place for them for themselves”. The other land holdings were to be divided up 100 acres to each child. The deed was recorded August 4, 1693 which was probably after his death. Hezekiah was 85 when he passed on. Rebkah, we believe was 62 because there are records to indicate she was born 1630. I have gone to Taunton and found the historical society very helpful. Unfortunately, the records in Taunton were destroyed by a fire in the 19th century. I tried to find Hezekiah and Rebkah’s graves. Everyone’s best guess is the “Neck O Land” Cemetery, in the center of Taunton. The cemetery was much larger than it is today. The town has “encroached” upon its borders, disturbing the dead. One stone that I found was a Paddock Hoar, which may have been a relative. Other than that, I do not know where he or his son Nathan, are buried.
Grandmothers:
Rebkah - Married to Hezekiah, 9 children, died when she was 63. There is no record of her maiden name.
Sarah Wilbore - Wife of Nathaniel, 7 children, died 1745 in Taunton
Mary Makepeace Staples - Wife of Johnathan, 7 children, born around 1700, daughter of Joseph Staples and Anna Makepeace.
Anna Hoskins - Wife of Shadrach Hoar, Sr., 6 children, daughter of William Hoskins and Mary Cole.
Mary Gunn - Wife of Elijha Hoar Hanson, 7 children, daughter of Deacon Israel Gunn and Mary Root, married July 10, 1776 in Hatfield, MA
Jehoddan Vaughn - Wife of Warren Hanson, 6 children, daughter of Daniel and Lucy Vaughn, died from a fever in 1865, born on January 10, 1827, died at the age of 38, leaving 5 sons.
Mabel Murdock - Wife of Samuel Hanson, 2 children, daughter of Joseph Cheynne and Julia Greenwood of Hubbardston, MA. She was born in Wendell, MA.
Edith Bell Howard - Wife of Ray Fayette Hanson, 3 children; Burlington, VT, father died in Burlington from appendicitis before Edith was born. Adopted by Judge Clifford Howard of Burlington, VT. Edith survived to 99 years and 6 months before passing in Sommer’s Point, NJ. She was a librarian in Collingswood, NJ.
Gertrude Rebecca Restein - Married Donald Murdock Hanson in June of 1952, 2 children, secretary at Collingswood Jr. High School, Great Grandmother to Connor Delaney, daughter of Walter Restein and Bertha Lawrence.
Lisa Marie Kay - Married to Thomas Ray Hanson on October 13, 1979, 2 children. Graduate of Collingswood High School, daughter of John Kay and Rose Marie Mondelli (daughter of Clement and Marie Mondelli), Accounting Manager for an international company.
Why Hanson?:
While there is no written record about why Elijha, William and Johnathan chose Hanson as the family surname, there may be some clarity found in American history. First and foremost, for the obvious rationale, “Hoar” within itself took on a very bad meaning, vernacularly representing prostitution. Many of the Hoar women complained of the name and I suppose that the children did also.
The second reason probably had to do with Shay’s Rebellion. Most of the Shayites were “blacklisted” for the rest of their lives by the New England Society. They were considered “traitors” and while they were not prosecuted by the Commonwealth, it was difficult for them to make it financially because they usually could not acquire loans from banking institutions or gain employment because of their association with that of being common criminals.
Upon the Shayites death, many were buried in unmarked graves so that people would not be able to disturb their bodies. I suppose this also translates to the families of the Shayites as we see common developments in the different families.
After researching the history of Hanson, MA, which was originally Pembroke, I found that the town changed their name in 1820. The name was chosen to honor Alexander Conte Hanson of Baltimore, MD. He was also the grandson of Johnathan Hanson, the first president of the Articles of Confederation.
Alexander Conte Hanson was a founder and editor for the Federal Republican and he was very critical of the administration in Washington, DC in getting us into the War of 1812. The War of 1812 was very unpopular in the New England States. Elijha was a captain in the New Salem Militia maybe this is a reason for our surname. Pembroke, MA changed their name to Hanson in 1820 because of Alexander who died April 20, 1819.
“Under the influence of Major Thomas Hobart of Pembroke, who was a representative in the General Court in 1820. The town was incorporated so that the name of this great, notable, vindicator of the free press was selected as a suitable name for the town.” (From the Pembroke Town Archives, Hanson, MA)
On June 12, 1818, Elijha, son of Shadrach, with his brothers, Johnathan and William, changed their name to Hanson. As well, all of their children were granted the name change by the Courts of Massachusetts.
The Old Family Home:
If you leave 202 Daniel Shay HWY and make a left at the sign that says “South New Salem”, you won’t only find Mt. View Cemetery but you will find one of our family homes. On the left hand side of North Prescott Road going south, you will come across a White Greek Revival built in the 1738 by Captain Haskins who I believe was at one time a ship’s captain or a militia captain in New Salem. The Haskin’s cottage became the parsonage for Baptist ministers on Fish Hill in 1825 about “3 rods away” south of the Fish Hill Baptist church. Logically when the church was moved to the New Salem Prescott line in the 1822, the home continued to be the parsonage. By then, the house was only one rod from the church called the New Salem Prescott Baptist Church or the New Light Baptist Church of New Salem.
In 1825, the home was in the possession of Betsey and Sarah Davis. They sold it Jacob Nichols and William Davis for $350. The building was to be used as a parsonage for the Baptist Society. It remained as such until 1843 when the Richard Dean family purchased it from church. The Baptist Church dissolved its congregation in 1878.
Emma Dean married Hebert Lysander Horr, the son of Nelson and Laura Horr on January 1, 1873. They stayed in this home and celebrated their “Golden Anniversary” with their only daughter, Miss May E. Horr. Emma died in the home in 1934.
May lived there until her death in 1966 from inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia). The entire family can be found at Mt. View Cemetery right of the main gate.
Miss May E. Horr was a school teacher in New Salem and was also a genealogist. Many of her notes from her hand written manuscript helped me to complete this work. There are many pictures of May and her parents, along with other family members available.
In 2009 during one of my visit to Mt. View, the house was being renovated by a private contractor. I was allowed to tour the home. At some point working on the main fireplace, a black and white picture of Emma and Herbert fell from behind the mantle. On the back of the picture, it stated “Herbert and Emma’s Golden Anniversary”. Since I have seen a copy of the photograph, I left it there… where it belongs.
The contractors acknowledged that the house was in “great shape”. Additionally, they stated that the longevity of the structure was due to the 18” sill plates that kept the snow from gathering high above the foundation which never allowed major deterioration. Today, the house is a rental property that you pass on the way to Mt. View Cemetery. The home is possibly the oldest home in New Salem, Massachusetts.
Honor Roll
Elijha Hanson
· Captain of 1 of 3 New Salem Militia groups during the War of 1812
George E. Hanson
· Civil War (1861) 20th Massachusetts
· 6th Commander of the G.A.R.
· Born in New Salem, MA
· Enlisted at the age of 19 in the 29th Massachusetts Regimental Band
· Served in Gen. Burnside’s Expedition in North Carolina
· Discharged August 30, 1862, because the division dropped the band.
· Second enlistment, July 14, 1863, Company A, 2nd Massachusetts Artillery, Provost Marshall at Bendford, North Carolina; a clerk in regimental headquarters.
· Commissioned 1st LT. 14th ITS colored artillery, June 21, 1865 to November 1865; discharged December 1, 1865
Forrester E. Hanson
· Civil War 31st Massachusetts (1861)
Roger L. Hanson
· World War I, Prescott, MA
Ernest E. Hanson
· World War I, Prescott, MA
Warren Alpheus Hanson
· World War I, Erving, MA
· Died in World War I, his name is listed on the monument in Irving, MA for World War I soldiers.
Forrest Hanson
· US Marine Corps, World War II
Bruce Vaughn Hanson
· US Army, Air Corps, Bombardier, World War II, Camden, NJ
Donald Murdock Hanson
· US Navy Reserve, Coxswain, D- Day, World War II, Camden, NJ
Warren A. Hanson
· Sgt, US Army, World War II
Herman Hanson
· Special Note:
· Vocational teacher, New Salem Academy (1947)
· New Salem volunteer firefighter
· Son of Frank and Myra Hanson of Dana
· He married Dorothy Stone and had three daughters
· Buried in Mt. View Cemetery, New Salem, MA
· He believed he was the last of the Hanson family still living in the valley.
Jason Mixter Hanson:
Older brother to my great-great grandfather, Warren, both of New Salem Mass. was married to Mary Stacy also of New Salem. He was a farmer and a stone cutter. Jason and Mary had two children, Charles Mizter and Julia (Aldridge Horr). Jason was born 1823 to Elijah and Mary Hanson of New Salem, later Prescott Mass. He volunteered in 1863 for the 3rd volunteer MA Calvary, first as a private and then to a corporal. They were based in New Orleans and fought at the battle of Winchester. He also participated as part of Sheridan’s Shenandoah’s Valley Campaign in 1864, as well as many other battles. Upon the completion of the war, he was shipped to Baltimore Maryland where he caught dysentery and dies at the Jarvis Military Hospital towards the end of June. He is buried at the Loudon Park National Military Cemetery in Baltimore Maryland, he was 42 years old. His son Charles placed a monument to his father, Jason, in the Oakgrove Cemetery in Springfield Mass. where his wife Mary and their daughter Julia are buried.
Shirley Rae Hanson:
Daughter of Ray R. Hanson and Edith Bell (Howard) Hanson was born in Camden, NJ on July 8, 1919 and passed March 22, 2014.
She married John Jack Fredrick Scarborough and had three children:
1. John Hanson Scarborough married Maryanne Augustine. They had one son, Hunter John Scarborough on August 22, 1980. John is a carpenter by trade.
Hunter has two children, a daughter, Jordyn born in 2004 and a son Brayden, born in 2013.
2. Debra Jane Scarborough married Steven Layton. She has two daughters from this union:
a. Tracey Lynne Layton Fox, the wife of Leonard Fox. They have one son, Shane.
b. Jennifer Layton Lawler, the wife of Royce Lawler. They have two children, Nathan and Maya Lawler. They live in the state of Oregon.
Debra later married Edward Fitzpatrick.
3. Mary Jane Scarborough married Brian Richard Stevens. They have three children:
a. Shaun Christopher, born September 17, 1988
b. Karley Lynne, born September 30, 1991
c. Jason Taylor, born January 17, 1994
* Special Note: Uncle Jack Scarborough served in the US Coast Guard during World War II.
Bruce Vaughn Hanson:
Son of Ray R. Hanson and Edith Bell (Howard) Hanson, born on December 9, 1920 in Camden, NJ. Husband of Jean, has three daughters:
1. Jane Lind Hanson, was born January 2, 1950. She is the mother of Jason M. Hanson, who is also the adopted son of Bruce Hanson.
2. Terry Lee Hanson (Powell) was born on July 27, 1952.
3. Wendy Lynn Hanson (Heavens) was born on July 27, 1952.
4. Jason Matthew Hanson was born on January 25, 1972. He is married to Katherine. They are both lawyers in Seattle, WA and live in Bellevue, WA. They have two children.
Bruce Vaughn Hanson, Captain in the U.S. Air Corp WWII Uncle Bruce, my father’s older brother, was a bombardier and pilot during WWII in the Pacific theatre. He flew in the 5th Air Corp, 38th bombardier, 71st squadron. Uncle Bruce flew 43 missions from 1942 – 1945 in a B-25 Mitchell. He was shot down twice and was rescued by “sea-air search”
Bruce is a retired Sun Oil Executive and is currently married to Audrey Kellum
Pink Pills for Pale People:
According to the Federal Census, Elijha Hanson had a nephew living with him, Andrew Tracey Hanson. Andrew was the youngest of Johnathan and Pricilla (Shaw) Hanson of Prescott. As previously noted, Johnathan, a “stonecutter”, committed suicide on July 14, 1849 by hanging himself in Petersham, MA.
Andrew, the youngest son, was born August 2, 1826 in Stowe, VT. He died August 2, 1906 on his 80th birthday in Schenectady, NY. He is buried in Vale Cemetery. Andrew was married to Miss Anna Johnson in 1855 and they belonged to the State Street Methodist Church.
Andrew was originally a manager of a Sash and Blind Co. in New Amsterdam, NY. In 1895, he entered the wholesale leather business and he continued in the business until 1888. He moved to Schenectady when he entered the leather business. The couple had six children:
1. Alice, married Charles T. Snow of Brooklyn
2. Carrie, married Lansing De Forrest Gates of Schenectady
3. Kate Barhydt of Schenectady
4. Willis T. Hanson, president of Union National Bank
5. H. A. Hanson
6. James Howard Hanson, of the law firm of Nesbit and Hanson
Willis T. Hanson, President of the Union National Bank and the head of the Dr. Williams Medicine Concorn, was the son of Andrew Tracey Hanson and Anna Johnson. He was born on January 27, 1858 in New York City. Will was the president of Dr. Williams “Pink Pills for Pale People”. The pill was given for a variety of ailments.
Will was a banker and business man and an author, mostly of local history books. He married Margaret Bean. They had two children:
Willis Tracey Hanson, Jr., was born in June 1882
George Fulford Hanson was born in May 1894.
Willis T. Hanson married Julia Devereux on October 31, 1881. They had two children, Margaret, born in 1907 and Devereux in 1909. He was a banker at the 31 and still living at home.
George F. Hanson studied at Oxford, England. He had a service record for World War I.
Dr. Williams “Pink Pills for Pale People” was a 19th century patented medicine containing iron oxide and magnesium sulfate. It was produced by Dr. Williams Medicine Co., the trading arm of G. T. Fulford and Co. It was claimed to cure cholera, loco motor ataxia, partial paralysis, seistica, neuralgia, rheumatism, nervous headache, palpitation of the heart, pale and sallow complexion, and all forms of weakness in males and females. William T. Hanson, Sr. was the president of operations.
The Pink Pills included ferrous sulfate so that they would have had a general effect against anemia. They were more expensive than regular iron pills of that day so they were considered an “over-the-counter” drug. Also, there was no real “Dr. Williams”, that was a marketing technique. The pills were sold in Ontario, New York City, London, Australia, and Hong Kong. The company existed until 1989, selling other medicines.
The Pawlett Expedition:
Recently I uncovered an article written by Mr. Edward Hoyt of Vermont, who states that 1/3 of Woodbridge's regiment were assigned to Colonel Brown and marched with him to Ticonderoga while the rest of the Woodbridge's division marched to Skenesborough. This means that Shadrach could have been at either place. We will never because the record keeping for these militia where poor at best. The only reason to mention this is for future historians who might be able someday to answer the question. Where was Shadrach?
Walter Lawrence Restein
Born May 14, 1893
Died May 8, 1976
My grandfather, Walter Restein, was a leather glacier in Philadelphia, PA and Camden, NJ. He was member of the Leather Workers Union. Walter worked for the Evans Leather Company of Camden and King Kidd Tannery of Philadelphia, PA. The company was located on 2nd and American Street. Walter suffered a common throat disease called tuberculosis of the throat. The disease was caused by chemicals used in the tanning process. This disease ended his leather worker’s career. Later, he was a crossing guard in Collingswood, NJ and a security guard at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
Walter was married twice and had three daughters from the two marriages. His first wife, Mary Rae Black, died from the influenza crisis in Camden. Her death date was October 28, 1918 at the age of 24. From this marriage, Mary Virginia was born on January 18, 1915. A second daughter, Florence Elizabeth, was born on April 25, 1917. Walter was 25 years old with two infant daughters.
Walter then married Bertha Lawrence, my grandmother. Bertha worked in Hollers’ Bakery in Camden and was very fond of Walter’s two young girls. They were married and my mother, Gertrude Rebecca Restein, was born on November 11, 1929. The family resided in Collingswood, NJ. My grandmother, Bertha, passed away on December 31, 1952 at the age of 46 from hypertension. I never knew her but I’ve heard only wonderful stories about her. Walter and Bertha are buried near each other in Harleigh Cemetery in Camden, NJ. Walter’s first wife, Mary Rae, and his mother, Margaret, were buried next to each other in the New Camden Cemetery on Mt. Ephraim Ave. in Camden, NJ.
Mary Virginia Restein married Theodore Patterson of Gloucester, NJ. Aunt Mary was a WAC serving during World War II. She was under the direct command of Sergeant Alvin York’s daughter. Aunt Mary and Uncle Ted had no children. They lived and cared for Walter until his death in 1976. Aunt Mary passed away on February 4, 1992 and was buried next to her father in Harleigh Cemetery.
Florence Elizabeth Restein married Howard Bud Shaw of Camden, NJ. They lived in the Cramer Hill section of the city in a home previously built and owned by his parents. Aunt “Duck” passed away on February 15, 2006. Florence and Bud had three children: Robert, married Rosemary Deets, and had two children, Kathy and Robert, Jr.; Karen, married James Musik, and had three children, Scott, Christy Lee and Michael; and Barry, married Sharon Venable, and had three children, Patrick, Andrew and Daniel.
Aunt “Duck” retired from the Colonial National Bank of Philadelphia.
Gertrude Rebecca Restein married Donald M. Hanson. Donald was a Navy Veteran of World War II. He also served as a Collingswood Police Officer for 25 years. They lived on Jessamine Avenue in Collingswood, NJ. They had two children: Thomas R., who married Lisa Kay, and had two children, Erik and Lindsay; and Eileen M., who married Johnathan Jones, and had a son, Johnathan, Jr. After divorcing Mr. Jones, Eileen remarried to Steven Kirk, from whom she is currently widowed.
Gertrude retired from the Collingswood Board of Education where she was a secretary in the middle school.
Walter's Parents
Walter’s Parent
Charles Eastman Restein, Jr. was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1865. He married Margaret “Maggie” Wilson. Charles and Maggie had two sons, Walter and Hugh. Hugh was a “blue baby”, who died from a hole in his heart when he was six. Hugh’s death created a terrible “strain” on the family and Walter, at the age of 12, left his family, never to return. Pop said that he heard his mother Maggie moaning, “Why did it have to be Hugh, why couldn’t it have been Walter?” Walter left, took a job with Evans Leather in north Camden and lived on the premises. In happier days, the family lived on Walnut Street in Camden. Charles worked in his families’ chromo-lithographic company and the Restein Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia. At some point, Charles passes away and Maggie lives in an apartment on Broadway in Camden. My grandfather monetarily took care of his mother until her death in 1932, at the age of 65.
Walter's Grandparents
Walter’s Grandparents were Charles E. Restein, Sr. and Mary Ellen Eggler. Charles and Mary Ellen were married on June 23, 1863 at the Evangelist Catholic Church in Philadelphia, PA. Charles, Jr. was their first of three children, coming in 1865. Charles, Sr. was a “wool agent”, who dealt in selling wool to factories in the textile mills. He may have worked for a company called American Wool because they had offices in both Boston, MA and Philadelphia, PA. He and his family were known to have lived in both cities. Charles, Sr. died at the early age of 58 on February 9, 1900 in Boston, MA.
Walter's Great Grandparents
James and Catherine Restein came to American from France in 1852. James was a picture framer by trade. James was born in France in 1811 and Catherine was born in the Alsace Lorraine section of France in 1812. They had at least three sons, Edmond, Louis and Charles. James and his first two sons began working in picture card novelties in Philadelphia. The brothers formed a company, E. P. and L Restein Chromo- Lithograph Company of Philadelphia. Most of the family including Charles, Jr. worked in their factories. We currently own an example of the lithograph cards from the 1880’s. The most famous lithograph done by the family was “Washington Evacuating NYC”, officially called
Bertha Lawrence Restin
She was born prematurely on August 20, 1906. Her mother Bertha LeDent Lawrence died during child birth. She is buried with her parents Ann and Reynolds LeDent in the Trinity section of Harleigh Cemetery. Bertha LeDent Lawrence was married to Harry Lawrence, when she died Harry’s mother, Rebecca Lawrence raised my grandmother until Harry, her son, remarried. Rea Della was his second wife. Rea Della also died young, in 1919 from influenza and was pregnant with twins. Uncle Arthur Lawrence was born from this union of Harry and Rea Della on September 21, 1910
Uncle Art, the step brother to my grandmother, was married several times. Art served in the US Army during WWII as a private. He served in the Mechanized Calvery driving a half-track armored vehicle in Patton’s 3rd army. After the war he was a salesman and passed away on August 23, 1966. He was buried next to my grandmother Bertha Restin in the Highland section of Harleigh Cemetery
Johnathan H. Lawrence
Biography Johnathan H. Lawrence, grandfather of Bertha Lawrence Restein, father of Harry Lawrence, husband of Rebecca T. (Hartzell) Lawrence . Johnathan was the son of William and Elizabeth Lawrence who immigrated from France. He was born in 1841 and passed away on March 21, 1909 at the age of 68. He and his wife, Rebecca, are buried in the Trinity Section of Harleigh Cemetery in Camden, New Jersey. John was a carpenter by trade in Camden, NJ.
Civil War
Johnathan, at the age of 20, volunteered to fight for the Union in August of 1861. He enlisted in Wilmington, Delaware and joined the 2nd Delaware Volunteer Infantry. In May of 1863 he was captured by Confederate forces during the battle of Chancellorsville. He was captured crossing the Rappahannock River with the ambulance division, he was a stretcher bearer bringing back wounded to the hospitals from the battlefields. He was paroled in October and missed Gettysburg, he was 21 years of age. He served for three years when his enlistment ended July 1, 1864.
The Second Delaware fought in eight major battles for the Army of the Potomac. They started with Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor and Petersburg. They also were involved in 15 minor engagements during the three years.
During the battle of Antietam, the Second fought at Second Lane (Bloody Lane) and after a counter chase, they seized the Piper Farm. The Second lost 12 men, 44 were wounded and two missing.
During the battle of Gettysburg, the Second Delaware fought in the Wheatfield near Devil's Den. The Second brought 280 men to the battle, 11 were killed, 44 wounded and 12 missing. They also took 65 Confederate Prisoners of War.
Dr. William Shakespeare Horr
William was the son of Isaac and Nancy Horr, he was born in Worthington, Franklin County Ohio on November 23 1820 (abt). William was the younger brother of Dr. Asa Horr, a famous professor who was plain in charge setting of the National Time Zones. This family is a direct line from Nathanial Hoar of Taunton, as we are.
William studied at Kenyon College in Gambier OH and became a Dr. of Medicine. He was married 3 times,
1) Christina Young, who dies leaving him a son, Charles
2) Eleanor O’Leary, they had 2 children
All 3 of this children died at young ages, he left Eleanor and moved to Brookhaven Mississippi. There he met Mary Jane Hollensed, she was 20 years his younger, they married and had 4 children.
After the Civil War, the North was building a railroad near the town of Brookhaven, north of New Orleans. At this point in 1867 Gov. Alcorn appointed Dr. Horr to be the mayor of Brookhaven, in 1870 the federal government passed the 15 amendment, giving “all men” the right to vote no matter their race. As mayor, William was going to allow this to take place in the upcoming election
On October 29th 1870 at 8pm, a “brick bat” was thrown through Dr. Horr’s office window, hitting him on the left side of his head, knocking him unconscious, he never regained consciousness, he lingered until December 3, 1870. The accused assassin was a man named Frank Campbell, who paid $2000.00 and was granted bail, that’s where the story ends, no other information is available. The courthouse in Brookhaven was burned, twice, in 1893 by “cotton tops”, another name in the South for the Klu Klux Klan.
For some reason Mary Jane after 1903, took 3 of her children west to Provo Utah. In 1903 she sold acres of land to the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church for $65.00, it is thought that this is where William Shakespeare Hoar was buried, on Hollensed land, it is now the churches cemetery. There are no records of his burial, however, this is the thought of the Lincoln County Historical Society, who were incredibly helpful with this research.
I have also found a Freedman’s contract for work certificate that says that William and Mary Jane hired a couple who were 60 years old to work for them at $7.50 per month. Emanuel and his wife Lavinia as domestic help.
We have found a letter in which professor Horr was in New York City, trying to get funding for a new fabric mill or factory in Brookhaven Mississippi. After the Civil War, he was trying to rebuild the manufacturing in that area.
We know that he was Baptist, we assume that some of his children converted to Mormon because their children were given Mormon leaders names as their middle names. They appear in the 1910 census in Utah
There is no doubt in my mind that William Shakespeare Horr died a hero in the early history of Civil Rights Movements
Born May 14, 1893
Died May 8, 1976
My grandfather, Walter Restein, was a leather glacier in Philadelphia, PA and Camden, NJ. He was member of the Leather Workers Union. Walter worked for the Evans Leather Company of Camden and King Kidd Tannery of Philadelphia, PA. The company was located on 2nd and American Street. Walter suffered a common throat disease called tuberculosis of the throat. The disease was caused by chemicals used in the tanning process. This disease ended his leather worker’s career. Later, he was a crossing guard in Collingswood, NJ and a security guard at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
Walter was married twice and had three daughters from the two marriages. His first wife, Mary Rae Black, died from the influenza crisis in Camden. Her death date was October 28, 1918 at the age of 24. From this marriage, Mary Virginia was born on January 18, 1915. A second daughter, Florence Elizabeth, was born on April 25, 1917. Walter was 25 years old with two infant daughters.
Walter then married Bertha Lawrence, my grandmother. Bertha worked in Hollers’ Bakery in Camden and was very fond of Walter’s two young girls. They were married and my mother, Gertrude Rebecca Restein, was born on November 11, 1929. The family resided in Collingswood, NJ. My grandmother, Bertha, passed away on December 31, 1952 at the age of 46 from hypertension. I never knew her but I’ve heard only wonderful stories about her. Walter and Bertha are buried near each other in Harleigh Cemetery in Camden, NJ. Walter’s first wife, Mary Rae, and his mother, Margaret, were buried next to each other in the New Camden Cemetery on Mt. Ephraim Ave. in Camden, NJ.
Mary Virginia Restein married Theodore Patterson of Gloucester, NJ. Aunt Mary was a WAC serving during World War II. She was under the direct command of Sergeant Alvin York’s daughter. Aunt Mary and Uncle Ted had no children. They lived and cared for Walter until his death in 1976. Aunt Mary passed away on February 4, 1992 and was buried next to her father in Harleigh Cemetery.
Florence Elizabeth Restein married Howard Bud Shaw of Camden, NJ. They lived in the Cramer Hill section of the city in a home previously built and owned by his parents. Aunt “Duck” passed away on February 15, 2006. Florence and Bud had three children: Robert, married Rosemary Deets, and had two children, Kathy and Robert, Jr.; Karen, married James Musik, and had three children, Scott, Christy Lee and Michael; and Barry, married Sharon Venable, and had three children, Patrick, Andrew and Daniel.
Aunt “Duck” retired from the Colonial National Bank of Philadelphia.
Gertrude Rebecca Restein married Donald M. Hanson. Donald was a Navy Veteran of World War II. He also served as a Collingswood Police Officer for 25 years. They lived on Jessamine Avenue in Collingswood, NJ. They had two children: Thomas R., who married Lisa Kay, and had two children, Erik and Lindsay; and Eileen M., who married Johnathan Jones, and had a son, Johnathan, Jr. After divorcing Mr. Jones, Eileen remarried to Steven Kirk, from whom she is currently widowed.
Gertrude retired from the Collingswood Board of Education where she was a secretary in the middle school.
Walter's Parents
Walter’s Parent
Charles Eastman Restein, Jr. was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1865. He married Margaret “Maggie” Wilson. Charles and Maggie had two sons, Walter and Hugh. Hugh was a “blue baby”, who died from a hole in his heart when he was six. Hugh’s death created a terrible “strain” on the family and Walter, at the age of 12, left his family, never to return. Pop said that he heard his mother Maggie moaning, “Why did it have to be Hugh, why couldn’t it have been Walter?” Walter left, took a job with Evans Leather in north Camden and lived on the premises. In happier days, the family lived on Walnut Street in Camden. Charles worked in his families’ chromo-lithographic company and the Restein Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia. At some point, Charles passes away and Maggie lives in an apartment on Broadway in Camden. My grandfather monetarily took care of his mother until her death in 1932, at the age of 65.
Walter's Grandparents
Walter’s Grandparents were Charles E. Restein, Sr. and Mary Ellen Eggler. Charles and Mary Ellen were married on June 23, 1863 at the Evangelist Catholic Church in Philadelphia, PA. Charles, Jr. was their first of three children, coming in 1865. Charles, Sr. was a “wool agent”, who dealt in selling wool to factories in the textile mills. He may have worked for a company called American Wool because they had offices in both Boston, MA and Philadelphia, PA. He and his family were known to have lived in both cities. Charles, Sr. died at the early age of 58 on February 9, 1900 in Boston, MA.
Walter's Great Grandparents
James and Catherine Restein came to American from France in 1852. James was a picture framer by trade. James was born in France in 1811 and Catherine was born in the Alsace Lorraine section of France in 1812. They had at least three sons, Edmond, Louis and Charles. James and his first two sons began working in picture card novelties in Philadelphia. The brothers formed a company, E. P. and L Restein Chromo- Lithograph Company of Philadelphia. Most of the family including Charles, Jr. worked in their factories. We currently own an example of the lithograph cards from the 1880’s. The most famous lithograph done by the family was “Washington Evacuating NYC”, officially called
Bertha Lawrence Restin
She was born prematurely on August 20, 1906. Her mother Bertha LeDent Lawrence died during child birth. She is buried with her parents Ann and Reynolds LeDent in the Trinity section of Harleigh Cemetery. Bertha LeDent Lawrence was married to Harry Lawrence, when she died Harry’s mother, Rebecca Lawrence raised my grandmother until Harry, her son, remarried. Rea Della was his second wife. Rea Della also died young, in 1919 from influenza and was pregnant with twins. Uncle Arthur Lawrence was born from this union of Harry and Rea Della on September 21, 1910
Uncle Art, the step brother to my grandmother, was married several times. Art served in the US Army during WWII as a private. He served in the Mechanized Calvery driving a half-track armored vehicle in Patton’s 3rd army. After the war he was a salesman and passed away on August 23, 1966. He was buried next to my grandmother Bertha Restin in the Highland section of Harleigh Cemetery
Johnathan H. Lawrence
Biography Johnathan H. Lawrence, grandfather of Bertha Lawrence Restein, father of Harry Lawrence, husband of Rebecca T. (Hartzell) Lawrence . Johnathan was the son of William and Elizabeth Lawrence who immigrated from France. He was born in 1841 and passed away on March 21, 1909 at the age of 68. He and his wife, Rebecca, are buried in the Trinity Section of Harleigh Cemetery in Camden, New Jersey. John was a carpenter by trade in Camden, NJ.
Civil War
Johnathan, at the age of 20, volunteered to fight for the Union in August of 1861. He enlisted in Wilmington, Delaware and joined the 2nd Delaware Volunteer Infantry. In May of 1863 he was captured by Confederate forces during the battle of Chancellorsville. He was captured crossing the Rappahannock River with the ambulance division, he was a stretcher bearer bringing back wounded to the hospitals from the battlefields. He was paroled in October and missed Gettysburg, he was 21 years of age. He served for three years when his enlistment ended July 1, 1864.
The Second Delaware fought in eight major battles for the Army of the Potomac. They started with Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor and Petersburg. They also were involved in 15 minor engagements during the three years.
During the battle of Antietam, the Second fought at Second Lane (Bloody Lane) and after a counter chase, they seized the Piper Farm. The Second lost 12 men, 44 were wounded and two missing.
During the battle of Gettysburg, the Second Delaware fought in the Wheatfield near Devil's Den. The Second brought 280 men to the battle, 11 were killed, 44 wounded and 12 missing. They also took 65 Confederate Prisoners of War.
Dr. William Shakespeare Horr
William was the son of Isaac and Nancy Horr, he was born in Worthington, Franklin County Ohio on November 23 1820 (abt). William was the younger brother of Dr. Asa Horr, a famous professor who was plain in charge setting of the National Time Zones. This family is a direct line from Nathanial Hoar of Taunton, as we are.
William studied at Kenyon College in Gambier OH and became a Dr. of Medicine. He was married 3 times,
1) Christina Young, who dies leaving him a son, Charles
2) Eleanor O’Leary, they had 2 children
All 3 of this children died at young ages, he left Eleanor and moved to Brookhaven Mississippi. There he met Mary Jane Hollensed, she was 20 years his younger, they married and had 4 children.
After the Civil War, the North was building a railroad near the town of Brookhaven, north of New Orleans. At this point in 1867 Gov. Alcorn appointed Dr. Horr to be the mayor of Brookhaven, in 1870 the federal government passed the 15 amendment, giving “all men” the right to vote no matter their race. As mayor, William was going to allow this to take place in the upcoming election
On October 29th 1870 at 8pm, a “brick bat” was thrown through Dr. Horr’s office window, hitting him on the left side of his head, knocking him unconscious, he never regained consciousness, he lingered until December 3, 1870. The accused assassin was a man named Frank Campbell, who paid $2000.00 and was granted bail, that’s where the story ends, no other information is available. The courthouse in Brookhaven was burned, twice, in 1893 by “cotton tops”, another name in the South for the Klu Klux Klan.
For some reason Mary Jane after 1903, took 3 of her children west to Provo Utah. In 1903 she sold acres of land to the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church for $65.00, it is thought that this is where William Shakespeare Hoar was buried, on Hollensed land, it is now the churches cemetery. There are no records of his burial, however, this is the thought of the Lincoln County Historical Society, who were incredibly helpful with this research.
I have also found a Freedman’s contract for work certificate that says that William and Mary Jane hired a couple who were 60 years old to work for them at $7.50 per month. Emanuel and his wife Lavinia as domestic help.
We have found a letter in which professor Horr was in New York City, trying to get funding for a new fabric mill or factory in Brookhaven Mississippi. After the Civil War, he was trying to rebuild the manufacturing in that area.
We know that he was Baptist, we assume that some of his children converted to Mormon because their children were given Mormon leaders names as their middle names. They appear in the 1910 census in Utah
There is no doubt in my mind that William Shakespeare Horr died a hero in the early history of Civil Rights Movements