It’s been a while since I shared a mystery family photo. This photo style was prevalent in the 1880s and 1890s. Photographer W.G.C. Kimball took over the family photography business in Concord, New Hampshire in 1880 and it continued to do business under his son when W(illis) G(aylord) C(lark) Kimball died in 1909.
This photo, part of the collection I inherited from my great grand aunt, Pearl (Adams) Chadwick, is, I believe, of Benjamin Shattuck. Pearl’s mother was Nellie Tarbox Adams and her grandparents were George Rogers Tarbox and Mary Elizabeth (Scripture) Tarbox.
Benjamin Shattuck married Lucretia Scripture, sister of Mary Elizabeth. Therefore, Benjamin and Lucretia were Nellie’s aunt and uncle and grandaunt and granduncle of my Aunt Pearl.
Mary Elizabeth’s and Lucretia’s parents, Oliver Scripture and Mary Goddard (Bucknam) Scripture lived in Mason, Hillsboro, New Hampshire as their young family was growing up.
The little town of Mason sits about 50 miles due south of Concord, New Hampshire, where this photo was taken.
Do the photo clues fit with the information found about Benjamin Shattuck? I think they do.
Benjamin Shattuck was born on 16 February 1833 in Maine and died on 11 August 1900 in Calais, Maine. He married Lucretia Scripture on 15 November 1858 in Robbinston, Washington, Maine. It seems likely that Lucretia might have been visiting her sister, Mary Elizabeth, as George and Mary Tarbox lived in Robbinston at that time and met and fell in love with Benjamin Tarbox.
Benjamin would have been in his 40s or perhaps early 50s when this picture was taken. The Shattuck family would have had reason to be traveling either to New Hampshire to visit Lucretia’s relatives or even to Massachusetts to visit some of the Shattuck clan.
I would love to compare notes with Shattuck descendants to determine whether or not this really is Benajmin Shattuck.
Benjamin and Lucretia lived their married lives in the area around Calais, Washington, Maine. Lucretia was born 25 April 1837 and died on 15 September 1892. They were the parents of six known children:
1. Ann G., born c1859; died between the 1860-1870 censuses.
2. Benjamin, born c1863; married Minnie Noble
3. Edgar Scripture, born December 1866; died 21 January 1910, Calais, Washington, Maine; apparently unmarried.
4. Annie G., born c1869; died 16 June 1896, Calais, Washington, Maine; unmarried.
5. William Henry, born November 1872; married Ethel Johnson of Perry, Washington, Maine, 5 March 1913.
6. Mary Ella, born 21 September 1877; married John A. Sprague, 1 July 1915. John was born in 1864 and lived in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada. Mary Ella was 39 when she married and it isn’t known whether they had any children. It isn’t known when or where the Spragues lived or died.
Of these six children, only two are known to have had children – Benjamin and William.
Benjamin married Minnie Noble and had two known children:
1. Benjamin Isaac, born 29 November 1894; unmarried in 1930 and boarding in a home in Perry, Washington, Maine. It is unknown whether he married and/or had children.
2. Lola Noble, born 19 August 1899; died 17 February 1984; married Austin Calvin Humphries, 24 December 1912, Calais, Washington, Maine. They had five children: Evelyn May, born 21 October 1913; died 28 March 2014, Benjamin, born 4 November 1914; died 22 January 1980; unmarried, Robert Lewis, born 1916; died 1945, apparently unmarried, Angus Edward, born 16 December 1917; died 25 April 2002, married Lola M. Gove, 29 September 1951 and Catherine Holmes, born 29 December 1918; died 12 August 2006; married (1) Mr. Bucklin, by November 1945 (2) Nelson B. Camick, by November 1973.
Lola has descendants today.
William Henry married Ethel Johnson of Perry, Washington, Maine on 5 March 1913 and had at least one child:
1. Leonard E., born 5 February 1916; died 24 May 1968, Calais, Washington, Maine; married Norma Isabelle Diffin of Perry, Washington, Maine, 25 December 1949. They had three children.
Leonard has descendants today.
I would love to make contact with some of these Shattuck cousins. Perhaps they have the same photo in their family collection and can verify Benjamin’s identity for me.