This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: potts13 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newyork.counties.dutchess/6133.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Yes, I can tell you some about Coursen H. King. I'm not actually any relation to this family, but have been researching the family of the artist Louise Howland King, who is Coursen's sister. The links Jeff posted take you to some other posts I made about Coursen's father. The name Coursen apparently came from his father's grandmother, Sarah Coursen. The name was passed down in each generation: Septemious King and Sarah Coursen had a son George Coursen King, who had a son James Coursen King, who was the father of Coursen H. King. Coursen's maternal grandfather was William Stott of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, who was a ship captain and moved with his family to Honolulu in the late 1850s. Around this time also James C. King, originally from Morristown, NJ, went to San Francisco, and later also to Honolulu. There he married Capt. Stott's daughter Anna. Son Coursen was born in Honolulu, and daughters Louise and Mary/Polly in San Francisco. By 1870 the family had moved to New York City, where they appear in that census. As I said in the posts that Jeff linked to, James and Anna's marriage fell apart, and James ended up killing the man he thought was his wife's lover, and was sentenced to life in prison. In the 1880 census the three children are in boarding school in Morris County, NJ, James is in Auburn State Prison, and I have not been able to find Anna. (James was released from prison in 1891 and last heard from in Calgary; Anna died in New York City in 1931.) Coursen married around 1884 in NJ to Mattie Freeman, with who he had four children. They're listed in 1900 in Westfield, NJ. She died by 1909, when he married Jennie Perry. Jennie is with him in the 1910 and 1920 censuses, Ossinging and Clarkstown, NY, respectively. Coursen married Marcella Kramer ca 1926, and they're listed in 1930 in LaGrange, Dutchess Co, NY. I had looked at the Dutchess County deeds index last year and the last deed I found for Coursen was 1939, so he was living at least up until then (unless the deed was part of probate for him?). I wrote to the town clerk in LaGrange, though, and was told they had no death record for him. So I still haven't been able to track down his death date. I did find Marcella King mentioned in an obit for her brother Harry Kramer in 1967, so she was apparently still living then, though the obit did not say where. I've found plenty of connections in later years between Louise Cox King, her sister Polly, and her mother Anna, but no connections between any of them and Coursen. I always wondered if perhaps he took his father's side in the whole divorce/murder mess, and there was a breach between him and his mother and sisters. But that's just speculation. Let me know if you have any questions. I may be able to fill in some more. jp Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.