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My Genealogical Adventures through 400 Years of Family History

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The Girl from Alabama

August 28, 2011 by Diane Boumenot, One Rhode Island Family

I remember my grandmother once mentioning that one of her grandmothers was from the South.  This was surprising to me but I didn’t get much further information.

My gg-grandmother Emma was born in Alabama. Wait, what?

But you know how family stories are.  It was only partly true.

Emma Luella Lamphere was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on 19 Apr 1857.  This is gleaned from the Rhode Island State Census of 1905, and to a lesser extent from other census records and her death record. I have no birth record.

Emma’s parents were Russell and Hannah (Andrews) Lamphere.  Russell was from an old Westerly, Rhode Island family.  Hannah was from either a Connecticut or Massachusetts family that is a bit of brick wall for me.  Russell and Hannah had five children that I know about:

  • William H Lamphere  1840 – 1912
  • Sarah E Lamphere 1843 – 1905
  • Charley C. Lanphere  1846 –
  • Caroline M. Lamphere 1847 –
  • Emma Luella Lamphere 1857 – 1927

The first four were born in or near Norwich, Connecticut.  Some time between the 1850 census and Emma’s birth in 1857 the family relocated to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  They are in the 1860 Federal Census, page 11 as found on Ancestry.com.  I won’t show you the whole thing, but trust me it’s them.  What I would love people to look at is Russell’s occupation:

A What’s My Line moment from the 1860 census

Manuts – St – Marchad???    really?  any ideas?  please??  I examined the handwriting on the rest of the page but my only conclusion is that the middle word is NOT Ste. but is St.  Not helping.

What I do know is that in most previous census records Russell was listed as a machinist.  Family lore says that they went down to Alabama in the 1850’s to start a business.  After, or possibly during, the war the business failed.  After moving to R.I. in the 1870’s, Russell is listed as a mill overseer at the Oriental Mills, Admiral Street, Providence (now the Union Paper Company building).  Oriental Mills was one of many cotton fabric mills in Rhode Island.  I can’t help but think he must have used those machine skills down south and been a part of a fabric weaving mill startup … perhaps with partners.  After the war the family was unhappy during the upheavals of reconstruction, had lost the business, relocated for a while to Meridian, Mississippi, and then moved back North.  But this is despite Russell’s 1860 enlistment in the Alabama militia.  I sense they were committed to the south but then gave up.

A recent photo of the Oriental Mills building by Marc N. Belanger (public domain, thanks, Marc.)

After moving to Providence, Rhode Island in the 1870’s, Hannah (Andrews) Lamphere died in 1878 “after a long and painful illness” which was only noted as gall stones (“biliary calculi”) on the death certificate.  Daughter Emma married, on 5 Mar 1879, Addison Parmenter Darling, a silver engraver in Providence. The father also remarried in 1879.

Emma and Addison had 3 children, the first of whom was my great grandfather, Russell Earl Darling.  Grace Luella  and Addison Jr. soon followed.  Emma’s somewhat difficult life ended tragically at age 69 in a streetcar accident on Broad Street, Providence while on the way to a family function.  The family waited for her and she never arrived.  She lingered in pain for a day or two at the hospital and passed away 2 Feb 1927.

So I am seeking help on two fronts: reading the handwriting from the 1860 census, and also, understanding the business climate in Tuscaloosa in the 1850’s.  Were there cotton mills there? What evidence remains?  I haven’t explored Tuscaloosa deeds yet, but it’s possible Russell owned the property for the business, or owned a home.  Perhaps he paid taxes on the business.

Any leads on collecting this info would be great.  As the blog title suggests, I am way up here in R.I.!

Diane

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Posted in Lamphere | 11 Comments

11 Responses

  1. on September 2, 2011 at 5:50 pm Susan Clark

    I promise I’m not completely insane. I needed a distraction today. Look at page 5. There’s a Steam boat pilot listed (Pilat St. Boat). Still no clue on the first word, but could the last two be St. machinist?

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    • on September 2, 2011 at 6:36 pm One Rhode Island Family

      I completely agree that the census taker randomly abbreviated the middle words in three-word job titles. And if one assumes bad spelling (not hard to do here) I can see the word being machinist. Are you actually thinking it was steam machinist? Never thought of that before. You are being so kind! I owe you a latte.

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  2. on September 2, 2011 at 1:07 pm Susan Clark

    I’m so glad you left a comment this morning on my Best of post – though it has cost me at least half a day! You’ve inspired another post with your quest for Russell’s occupation. Short answer – I’ve still no idea. But I have learned more about Tuscaloosa in 1860. There was a cotton manufacturing plant there then.

    You’ve done a grand job with your blog, Diane. Wish I’d found it Wednesday but glad to have found it now.

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    • on September 2, 2011 at 1:40 pm One Rhode Island Family

      thanks so much, Susan! My Alabama article also raised some questions with my family (who are starting to understand my genealogical ramblings a little better with the help of the blog) and after talking with my sister I realized I needed to re-check the entire 69 page Tuscaloosa census from 1860. Two things jumped out at me – a LOT of wealth in that town in 1860, and, Russell and Hannah Lamphere had relatives living next door, Nathan and Louisa (Lamphere) Potter. NATHAN’s occupation, also tragically hard to read, may be “Manufac. Collar”. I’ve seen evidence in the census of a collar factory. This really doesn’t solve Russell’s occupation but gives me more clues. Can’t wait to see your Tuscaloosa thoughts!! thanks!!

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      • on September 2, 2011 at 2:39 pm Susan Clark

        After also reviewing the entire 69 pages I think “Collar” is Cotton. The enumerator was casual (to say the least) crossing his Ts. If you look at the surnames Potter and Shelton on the same page the last letter of the word is an N. Of course, he crossed both those Ts. Enough to drive one crazy.

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      • on September 2, 2011 at 2:48 pm One Rhode Island Family

        You rock, Susan!! Good point. I think it is cotton.

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  3. on September 2, 2011 at 12:41 pm aquamarinesteph

    What a challenging bit of family history to research. Good luck with it! And AMAZING genealogy blog! I want mine to look this good one of these days! Thanks again for dropping by there!

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    • on September 2, 2011 at 1:06 pm One Rhode Island Family

      thanks so much!! I think we both have the same idea about a blog – tell interesting stories and tell enough about our process that others might get ideas here and there. I’ll continue to follow your blog. Loved the Are You My Mother?
      –Diane

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  4. on August 28, 2011 at 12:29 pm Wendy Callahan

    I thought that I was all New England, so imagine my surprise when I also found some southern heritage! What a cool find. 😀

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    • on August 28, 2011 at 1:21 pm One Rhode Island Family

      I know, quite a surprise! After more digging, I may find relatives in this part of the family on BOTH sides of the Civil War. You know, Wendy, ALL of your Brick Wall list are names that are vaguely familiar to me. I’ll be posting a Brick Wall list soon – you may have the same experience!! thanks for commenting!
      Diane

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      • on August 30, 2011 at 11:59 am Wendy Callahan

        I’ll be watching for that brick wall list!

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