part 3 of 3. Sorry to go on so long. I am not happy with my writing either but want to get the research out there. Here's hoping it will give you ideas to continue yours. I always say, collect every record. This is especially true of census records. Other people in the family, even the neighbors, can provide valuable clues. After I understood that William and Martin Knowlton's maternal grandfather was Elisha S. Mott, a nice unusual name, I began looking for him on earlier censuses and googling him. Oddly, in 1860, after Prosper Knowlton and his family had gone to Ohio to be tenant farmers, I found Elisha S. Mott living in the very same location in Hackensack, Bergen Co., NJ, that Prosper had inhabited in 1850. Even with no streets on the census records, I could tell this because 1) the Isaac Best family from England was still there on the same page, 1850 and 1860, and 2) the place was still a quarry with about 20 quarrymen living next door to Elisha, who was listed as Gentleman. But who were these ladies living with Mr. Mott? Mrs. C. E. Knowlton, 45, widow, worth $80,000 in real estate and $2000 in personal estate, born NY; and Mrs. Moore, also 45 and b NY. Looking for Elisha in 1850, I found a really strange household: 18th ward of NYC, NY county, NY, p. 412. E. S. Mott, 56, quarryman, $10,000. worth in real estate (the only person on the page with anything), born NY. Followed by: Caroline _________ 30 f Alex 13 m Phoebe 11 f John Knowlton 30 m Hatter Susan 28 f Wm 16 m Mott 13 f Chas. Carpenter 18 m clerk all born NY Margaret Donohan? 18 f born Ireland Unfortunately, I had not tracked Motts in my years of ordering city directories. So I popped into my Family History Center for a little work on ancestry.com, which does have some of them. I discovered that in both 1829/30 and 1839/40, Elisha lived on West St. in NYC at the corner of Leroy. In the latter, his occupation was Stone, the quarry, I would guess. Ah, but who else had lived at West and Leroy? A DANIEL Knowlton, who from at least 1830 through 1838 was a grocer at that address (under the present West Side Highway, I believe). Ordinarily I could not connect a common name like Daniel with my Orange Co. family, but this was a good tie-in. The Bull history said there was a son Daniel, named obviously for his grandfather. Checking my directory notes again, I found Daniel listed at E 25th St between Ave 1 and 2 in 1847, occupation, Quarry. The other piece of information I found on ancestry about Elisha was that he had died 18 Apr 1873 in CT (at his daughter's), a quarryman, and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Hmm, I had mined that cemetery listing on line once for Knowltons but did connect any of them with those I was researching. I checked his entry and found three other people listed in the plot with their interment dates: Phoebe S. Mott in 1848 (Elisha's wife, from other sources); Daniel Knowlton, 1849 (ah, so that is why he vanishes after that date); and Caroline E. Knowlton, 1869. Suddenly it was all falling into place. Back to the city directory entries. 1852 Caroline, widow of Daniel, E 33rd St, corner of Lexington. Despite her being listed as a Mott on the 1850 census, I believe the Caroline or CE living with Elisha in 1850 and 1860 is the same Caroline, widow of Daniel. It is tempting to see Caroline as Elisha's daughter, but I have no record of that yet. His daughter Miriam was married to Daniel's brother, and marriages of two sisters to two brothers were common then. Checking the 1840 census again, I looked at Daniel Nolton, 16th ward NYC, p 197. There are 14 men 40-50, 10 men 30-40, 1 15-20, and one under 5; one woman 40-50, one 30-40, two 20-30, two 15-20, two 10-15, and one girl under five. Plenty of room here for Elisha and Phoebe, Daniel and Caroline, and various others. Was this the quarry business? I was thinking the men were too old until I looked again at the men in the 1860 quarry and discovered that most were from 30-50. Now that I perceived two family groups, it was easy to add John Knowlton, the hatter on the 1850 census, to the group. Yes, a John appeared in the Orange Co. Knowlton family group also. (The boys listed were Robert, Daniel, Prosper, and John.) He and Susan were alone in 1860; he was alone in 1870; he does not appear in 1880. Each year he is listed as hatter, hat presser, or straw hat presser. One city directory, 1862, also lists him as a "presser," home 12 4th St. There was something poignant about this former farm boy spending his life in a factory, the well-off older brother gone, wife dead, no children. Sure there were millions of immigrants worse off than he, crowded into NYC. In 1870 he lives in a building with 14 other people from France and Prussia. But years indoors,working at pressing hats, must have aged him prematurely. Looking back at 1850, I suddenly realized that the Wm. Knowlton was probably Prosper and Miriam's son, working in NY while they were in NJ. Was Mott, a girl, John's daughter? Or the fifth child Miriam said on later censuses she had born? And who were Alex and Phoebe? Motts or Knowltons? Still lots of research to do here. After this orgy of research, I was feeling rather sad about Daniel #459. Sure he has descendants through his female lines (definitely through the Quimbys), but there did not seem to be any Knowltons left from his line. William M. Knowlton served in the 1st Regt OH Heavy Artillery, Co. M, during the Civil War. I believe he lost an eye. He never married and lived with is mother until they both died in the early 20th c in Norwalk, CT, and are buried in the Spring Grove Cemetery in Darien. [He is also listed as buried in the Dayton Natl Cemetery in Ohio, but perhaps this is just a marker.] Martin W. Knowlton served in Co. H of the 8th CT Vols. He married twice, to Loretta and then to Julia in the last years of his life but had no children by either marriage. He died in 1908 and is buried in Spring Grove also. Doing one more google search, however, I came up with this website that raised my spirits: http://www.rowayton.org/rhs/houses/hst11Cr.htm The house seemed so peaceful and beautiful. The little community of Rowayton, so full of oystermen long ago, is still preserved and loved. I have no children myself and have never missed them. Why think that Martin felt differently? There are still lots of Knowltons on this earth, PLENTY of Knowltons, frankly, in a rather crowded earth. Enough for now, Elizabeth W. Knowlton

Don't apologize for "going on so long." I love your e-mails! They are always full of true research and interesting history, even when it's not a line directly relevant to me. I find them inspiring. What a great discovery that picture was! Martha Grenzeback graymatters@alltel.net At 09:44 PM 8/30/2005 -0400, Elizabeth W. Knowlton wrote: >part 3 of 3. Sorry to go on so long. I am >not happy with my writing either but want to >get the research out there. Here's hoping >it will give you ideas to continue yours. > >I always say, collect every record. >This is especially true of census records. >Other people in the family, even the neighbors, >can provide valuable clues. > >After I understood that William and Martin >Knowlton's maternal grandfather was Elisha S. >Mott, a nice unusual name, I began looking for >him on earlier censuses and googling him. > >Oddly, in 1860, after Prosper Knowlton and his >family had gone to Ohio to be tenant farmers, >I found Elisha S. Mott living in the very same >location in Hackensack, Bergen Co., NJ, that >Prosper had inhabited in 1850. Even with >no streets on the census records, I could tell >this because 1) the Isaac Best family from >England was still there on the same page, >1850 and 1860, and 2) the place was still a >quarry with about 20 quarrymen living next >door to Elisha, who was listed as Gentleman. > >But who were these ladies living with Mr. Mott? >Mrs. C. E. Knowlton, 45, widow, worth $80,000 >in real estate and $2000 in personal estate, >born NY; and Mrs. Moore, also 45 and b NY. > >Looking for Elisha in 1850, I found a really >strange household: > >18th ward of NYC, NY county, NY, p. 412. >E. S. Mott, 56, quarryman, $10,000. worth >in real estate (the only person on the page >with anything), born NY. Followed by: >Caroline _________ 30 f >Alex 13 m >Phoebe 11 f >John Knowlton 30 m Hatter >Susan 28 f >Wm 16 m >Mott 13 f >Chas. Carpenter 18 m clerk >all born NY >Margaret Donohan? 18 f born Ireland > >Unfortunately, I had not tracked Motts in my >years of ordering city directories. So I popped >into my Family History Center for a little work >on ancestry.com, which does have some of >them. > >I discovered that in both 1829/30 and 1839/40, >Elisha lived on West St. in NYC at the corner >of Leroy. In the latter, his occupation was Stone, >the quarry, I would guess. Ah, but who else had >lived at West and Leroy? A DANIEL Knowlton, >who from at least 1830 through 1838 was a grocer >at that address (under the present West Side >Highway, I believe). Ordinarily I could not connect >a common name like Daniel with my Orange Co. >family, but this was a good tie-in. The Bull history >said there was a son Daniel, named obviously >for his grandfather. Checking my directory notes >again, I found Daniel listed at E 25th St between >Ave 1 and 2 in 1847, occupation, Quarry. > >The other piece of information I found on ancestry >about Elisha was that he had died 18 Apr 1873 in >CT (at his daughter's), a quarryman, and was buried >in Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Hmm, I had >mined that cemetery listing on line once for Knowltons >but did connect any of them with those I was >researching. I checked his entry and found three >other people listed in the plot with their interment dates: >Phoebe S. Mott in 1848 (Elisha's wife, from other >sources); Daniel Knowlton, 1849 (ah, so that is why >he vanishes after that date); and Caroline E. >Knowlton, 1869. Suddenly it was all falling into >place. Back to the city directory entries. >1852 Caroline, widow of Daniel, E 33rd St, corner >of Lexington. > >Despite her being listed as a Mott on the 1850 >census, I believe the Caroline or CE living with Elisha >in 1850 and 1860 is the same Caroline, widow >of Daniel. It is tempting to see Caroline as >Elisha's daughter, but I have no record of that >yet. His daughter Miriam was married to >Daniel's brother, and marriages of two sisters >to two brothers were common then. > >Checking the 1840 census again, I looked at >Daniel Nolton, 16th ward NYC, p 197. >There are 14 men 40-50, 10 men 30-40, 1 15-20, >and one under 5; one woman 40-50, one 30-40, >two 20-30, two 15-20, two 10-15, and one girl >under five. Plenty of room here for Elisha and >Phoebe, Daniel and Caroline, and various >others. Was this the quarry business? I was >thinking the men were too old until I looked >again at the men in the 1860 quarry and discovered >that most were from 30-50. > >Now that I perceived two family groups, it was >easy to add John Knowlton, the hatter on the >1850 census, to the group. Yes, a John appeared >in the Orange Co. Knowlton family group also. >(The boys listed were Robert, Daniel, Prosper, >and John.) He and Susan were alone in 1860; >he was alone in 1870; he does not appear in 1880. >Each year he is listed as hatter, hat presser, >or straw hat presser. One city directory, 1862, >also lists him as a "presser," home 12 4th St. >There was something poignant >about this former farm boy spending his life in >a factory, the well-off older brother gone, wife dead, >no children. Sure there were millions of immigrants >worse off than he, crowded into NYC. In 1870 he >lives in a building with 14 other people from France >and Prussia. But years indoors,working at pressing hats, >must have aged him prematurely. > >Looking back at 1850, I suddenly realized that the >Wm. Knowlton was probably Prosper and Miriam's >son, working in NY while they were in NJ. Was >Mott, a girl, John's daughter? Or the fifth child >Miriam said on later censuses she had born? >And who were Alex and Phoebe? Motts or Knowltons? >Still lots of research to do here. > >After this orgy of research, I was feeling rather sad >about Daniel #459. Sure he has descendants >through his female lines (definitely through the Quimbys), >but there did not seem to be any Knowltons left from >his line. > > William M. Knowlton served in the 1st Regt >OH Heavy Artillery, Co. M, during the Civil War. I >believe he lost an eye. He never married and lived >with is mother until they both died in the early 20th c >in Norwalk, CT, and are buried in the Spring Grove >Cemetery in Darien. [He is also listed as buried in >the Dayton Natl Cemetery in Ohio, but perhaps this >is just a marker.] > >Martin W. Knowlton served in Co. H of the 8th CT Vols. >He married twice, to Loretta and then to Julia in the last >years of his life but had no children by either marriage. >He died in 1908 and is buried in Spring Grove also. > >Doing one more google search, however, I came up >with this website that raised my spirits: > >http://www.rowayton.org/rhs/houses/hst11Cr.htm > >The house seemed so peaceful and beautiful. The >little community of Rowayton, so full of oystermen >long ago, is still preserved and loved. I have no >children myself and have never missed them. Why >think that Martin felt differently? There are still lots >of Knowltons on this earth, PLENTY of Knowltons, >frankly, in a rather crowded earth. > >Enough for now, > >Elizabeth W. Knowlton > > >============================== >Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for >ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: >http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx