A View of the Town: Episode 12 -- Oak Leaf House

Welcome to A View of the Town, the adventures of Dr. Willis Fletcher in a small coastal town in Maine. Offering tidbits of local color and the lay of the land, we now return to Dr. Fletcher and the sleepy seaport of Misty Cove.

This episode of A View of the Town is brought to you by Larry. Hairy Larry isn't scary but he also picks the bestest berries.  Larry lived in Misty Cove, Maine, but now he's totally insane. Larry.

Many of the stories I heard about Misty Cove came from the locals. Legends, lore, mysteries, and simple tales.  I learned much about my new home during my first years in town.  No one has ever written a history of Misty Cove which is too bad since it could fill volumes.  Thus came the beginnings of these episodes.

I remember a brisk November morning walking around town.  The leaves lingered for just an extra day it seemed and they had yet to fall.  Mrs. Maguire's house always had the best leaves.  Burnt orange, flaming red, and brilliant yellow.  All from her oaks and maples.  In fact, Mrs. Maguire's house had been named Oak Leaf House by its original builder.  A shipbuilder named Ephraim Fitzribbons had the Greek-revival style house built in 1853 for his family -- his wife, two sons, and two daughters.  Hw donated his previous house to the local charity to use for orphans, widows, and retired sailors.

No one else in Misty Cove was more blessed with luck than the Fitzribbons family.  In fact, the most sweetest but saddest story I ever heard about them took place at Christmas in 1867.  The youngest daughter, Betsy, was bright for a twelve year old.  She was known for her generosity, kindness and her bright eyes.  That Christmas of 1867, the local orphanage housed six children, ages 3 to 10.  Two were there because their mother had died and their father was at sea.  The other four came another town with no orphanage.  

Betsy begged her parents to bring the orphans to their house for Christmas.  Her parents agreed and within the hour the children found themselves in the front parlor of  Oak Leaf House.  Betsy insisted that she entertain them.  Puppet shows, singing, short plays, and games filled the evening.  Then as the old poem goes, "they all settled down for a long winter's nap." The next morning, Betsy has surprised the children with presents of old toys from her and her siblings.  That was the sweet part.

Now the sad part of the story was scarlet fever.  After Christmas, Betsy developed a serious case of it.  The orphans were immediately sent away.  Only one of the children also developed the sickness and sadly died as a result. Dr. Marsh, my predecessor in town, did not know if she would survive. Hours passed as the reddish rash and fever took their toll on her little body.  The whole town prayed for her to get well and like a miracle it happened.  On New Year's Eve.  At the final stroke of twelve, little Betsy Fitzribbons' fever broke and she awoke.  It was not a Christmas miracle, but a bright and shiny New Year's miracle.

Betsy Fitzribbons would go onto marry Milo Maguire, local minster, and proceeded to take care of any orphans in Misty Cove.  She inherited Oak Leaf House and turned it into an orphanage. In 1922, she just celebrated her 55th birthday with the biggest party that Misty Cove had ever seen. That was also the same year the Oak Leaf House found itself with a visitor.  A ghostly visitor.  But that's another story...

Join us again next time, when Dr. Fletcher spins another tale about Mystic Cove, a small port in Maine, and it residents.

This episode of A View of the Town is brought to you by Larry.  He once said that blueberries are best, but that was before someone shot his wooden chest just to get his best vest that he wore to pick the bestest blueberries.  Larry.

CSM

Genealogical Mysteries: Who was Henry Alford?

I have been an avid genealogist since I was in middle school.  I'm talking back in the days before the internet and digital access....  commonly known as the Dark Ages.  Stacks of books, letters to far off libraries seeking information, and prayers asking for an occasional miracle... or trying to coax family into "spilling the beans" about "the skeletons in the closet."  I've addressed other genealogy quandaries in past posts, but now I've decided I want to do more of them as I work my way further into the past.

So, this post is about the mysterious Henry Alford, a man seemingly lost in the annuals of history, or at least until I track him down.

My mother's maiden name was Alford. My grandfather, Ralph Monroe Alford, died when I was only a year old and I felt no connection to him, until I started researching his family.  As I struggled to find out where the Alfords came from, I realized later that the best clue was right in front of my eyes...  his middle name.  Monroe...  Monroe County, West Virginia.

To make a long story short, I am a direct descendent of Margaret and John Alford of Monroe County, West Virginia.  I found a fellow researcher online who had already researched these branches; but being the curious type, I wanted to see the primary sources for myself. So I began to fact check...

From other's research, I knew that John Alford had married a Margaret Alford in Rockingham County, Virginia, and later moved to Monroe County.  Yes, an Alford marrying an Alford; but don't fear, they were not closely related.  So, I assumed as others had already pointed out that Margaret was the daughter of a John Alford from Ireland.  (He is commonly referred to Irish John by some.)  But my curiosity sat in and I wanted to see for myself... And that's when...

I came across a reference book in Family Search --  "Old Tenth Legion marriages : marriages in Rockingham County, Virginia, from 1778-1816, taken from the marriage bonds" complied by Harry Strickler.  There is a listing for John Alford and Mary Alford, married on October 16th, 1799 in Rockingham County.  (I later learned that Strickler misread her name as Mary.)  But, one thing he didn't misspell was her father's name... and it wasn't Irish John.

So I wrote to the Library of Virginia where the original records are housed, and, for a $25 fee, obtained copies of their marriage record and a marriage bond.  I got three sheets of paper for that $25 and it was worth it.  And here they are:

1) a list of marriages that shows John Alford marrying Margaret Alford on October 16th, 1799.

  

2) a note showing that Robert Alford swore before the Justice of the Peace that Margaret was upward to 21 years of age and that she was also known as Peggy. (1799 - 21 makes her born in 1778. But the word "upwards" leaves room for the possibility of a different year.)

3) and the bond itself.  It was a printed form that was filled out by the clerk/justice of the peace.  It has John Alford, Abraham Funk, and Margaret Alford, "daughter of Henry Alford."  And I said "Wait. What? Henry Alford... Who the hell is Henry Alford!?"

Since I am a librarian at a state library with a genealogy department, I consulted with my colleagues and they all agreed that it says Henry Alford, so I wasn't misreading it.

From further digging on Family Search, I did find a Henry Alford obtaining a land grant in 1769 in Augusta/Rockingham County.  There was also a William Alford listed.  I am still digging for more about him (and William), but he seems to be a possible candidate since the land grant date is in the right range.  If he was a younger man, say 20 to 30, then he could have children born in the 1770s (since Margaret was born around 1778).

The point of this genealogical tale… Always remain curious and always look at those primary sources for yourself.  You never know what someone missed.

Well that's the first part of this tale of the mysterious Henry Alford...  Now to work on the second part, so stay tuned.  Give me a couple of weeks to gather my thoughts.

CSM