Wednesday, March 6, 2013

20: Martha J. and Henry Gorham

Grave of Martha and Henry Gorham (source)
Martha and Henry Gorham's story is a sad, but not unfamiliar one for the nineteenth century. Henry Gorham died on May 9, 1884. His mother Martha, age 33, died nine days later. Since Henry's exact age is not given (he is described as "infant son"), it seems plausible that he died before, during, or just after birth and that his mother died from complications of the birth. Either that or they both succumbed to illness shortly after he was born.

Martha was born in Connecticut around 1851. Her husband, Lyman, was a photographer who was also born in Connecticut. His work can be found in the New York Public Library's Photography Collection.

Four years before her death, the couple was living in New York and had no children. This was the only census in which they would appear together.

1880 US Federal Census
In 1870, twenty-year-old Lyman Gorham was living with his family in Westport, Connecticut. He was the son of David, a farmer, and Sally A. Gorham, and had two sisters. Marietta was presumably his grandmother.

1870 US Federal Census
Lyman Gorham married again, to a woman named Sarah Hendrick, in 1892. In 1900 they were living in Norwalk, Connecticut, and Lyman was working as a machinist. They were still there in 1910.

1900 US Federal Census
In 1917, Lyman was interviewed for the Connecticut Military Census. This document reveals that his middle name was Beers; that he was 5'9"; that four people were considered his dependents; and he had a hernia. I'm not sure what the State of Connecticut thought that a 67-year-old man with a hernia could do for the military, but they asked anyway.

1917 CT Military Census
In 1919, Sarah Gorham died, leaving Lyman a widower for the second time. A year later, now age 70, he had moved in with his 91-year-old father-in-law Edward Hendrick and his wife's unmarried sister Maria. Lyman was still working as a machinist.

1920 US Federal Census
Lyman Gorham died in 1927 at the age of 78 in Connecticut.

There are several other Gorhams buried in the cemetery, all children. They are:

Carrie J. Gorham, died 1860, age 1 year, daughter of Charles W. and Caroline
George Starr Gorham, died 1860, age 3 years, child of C. W. and Mary A.
James C. Gorham, died 1860, age 4 years, child of Charles W. and Caroline
Josie Gorham, died 1863, age 1 year, child of C. W. and Mary A.
Lillian Harriet Gorham, died 1860, age 2 years, child of C. W. and Mary A.

An article I found from a local newspaper in the 1890s stated that Lyman Gorham, then living in Connecticut, had ridden his bicycle over to New York to visit his relatives who lived there. I may be able to figure out how he was related to these Gorhams, but I think I'll explore that in a later post.

UPDATE: I found the obituary of Martha Gorham in the historical society, which provides her maiden name:
It is our sad duty this week to record the death of Mrs. Martha Gorham, which took place at about two o'clock last Sunday morning, May 18th, at her residence, South Norwalk, Conn., aged 34 years. The cause of death was paralysis of the heart, an affection [sic] from which she had previously suffered. The circumstances surrounding her death are of a particularly sorrowful character. On May 3rd, she gave birth to a son who died a week later. This was a severe blow to her fond hopes, which seemed to have centered on their first and only child. Mrs. Gorham, however, made good progress toward recovery from her sickness, and on Saturday morning last her physician gave most assuring hopes of her speedy restoration to health and strength. But in the evening, she was taken with paralysis of the heart, and although everything was done for her that medical skill could suggest, or loving hand could do, she died about two o'clock. As she realized that her end was near, she placed her trust in the Saviour, and became fully resigned to the separation from her friends in this world, looking forward to a happy reunion in the land beyond. She was a member of the M. E. Church, and her religion showed itself in the Christian faith and sweetness which had characterized her daily life. She was the only daughter of Mr. Newman Reynolds, of this village, and leaves her father and a brother, Mr. Eugene Reynolds. Her mother died about a year ago. She was married in 1878 to Mr. Lyman Gorham, then of this village and last year they moved to Stamford and afterward to South Norwalk. Much sympathy is felt for her bereaved husband in his deep affliction.

  1. Lyman Beers Gorham (1849-1927) m. (1) Martha J. Reynolds (1851-1884) in 1878 (2) Sarah Hendrick (1862-1919)
    1. Henry Gorham (1884-1884)

3 comments:

  1. You really write with such eloquence that even what at first appear dry statistics are as engrossing as a good novel. I am always left wanting to know more about the people you are researching. One day I have hopes of finding that you have discovered a link with my own family (although none of them, as far as I know, ended up in the US).

    I surprise myself by noticing a small error (made possible only by how truly engaging your writing is!). You say 'In 1970, Lyman was interviewed for the Connecticut Military Census'. I think you mean 'In 1917, Lyman was interviewed for the Connecticut Military Census'. At 67 he was too old for military service but at 120 years old I think he could safely give the form a miss :-)

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  2. Ha ha, wow! I must have been working on this one late at night. I've fixed the mistake. Thank you!

    And thanks for your comment. It's nice that someone else is getting something out of this project besides me, although to be honest I'd probably still do it even if no one else was interested. I'm hoping on putting up another soon, since I realize I haven't in a while.

    It's entirely possible that I will find a link to your family, since the ancestry of virtually everyone in the cemetery can be traced to the British Isles. In fact, strangely enough, they're probably more genetically similar to you than they are to the current residents of the town, whose families came in more recent immigrations. Am I right in believing that you're Scottish? Where does your family come from?

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  3. That would be exciting!

    My family are actually a British mix. I grew up in Scotland but only my Granny's family is originally from Scotland. She was a Redpath, her family was from Tranent, East Lothian originally. My Grandmother was a Bailley from Canterbury, her husband a Bellhouse from Leeds. My Grandad is a Brown from Northumbria (probably the hardest one to trace I imagine!). He is the one I think I am most like.

    I know my Granny's brothers and sisters all emigrated - some to Canada and some to Australia. I never met any of them. By repute they were all small with red hair and, so it is said, you couldn't go wrong if you guessed at the name 'Jean'.

    I half read your stories wondering if I will know any of the families and then by the end they already seem like old acquaintances!

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