Guest Blogger W Johnson on Marion L Cook Antilla

Marion Lottie Cook, My Grandmother. 

By Guest Blogger W. Johnson

Just seeing a picture of my Grandmother flooded my mind with memories. 

Every week my grandmother "Gram" (Marion Cook Antilla) would drive over to my aunt (who was her daughter) Gwen's house in her white Saab which had with moon roof. 

 Gram lived in a sweet, two-story, dark brown cedar shake-sided house in Rindge, New Hampshire, only a few miles away from Jaffrey, NH where Gwen lived.

Every week, aunt Gwen would set her mother Marion's hair. I remember Marion carrying a shoe box which held her hair rollers into Gwen's house. 

Sometimes, as a kid I got to watch my Aunt Gwen set her mother's hair. Afterwards wrapping my grandmother's head in a small scarf and then tying the ends in the front of her head, carefully tucking in the ends of the tie.

Aunt Gwen was considerate: always sent her mother home with a dish of something. 

She took such good care of her mother's needs-always with a pleasant look on her face.

#28 - Yes, Another Witch Called out in Topsfield, MA

 Sarah Averill (Wildes)

I realized I had overlooked another Petts ancestor who suffered terribly during the Salem Witch Trials.  I visited Salem (and Topsfied) again last month but missed this gem. However, someone (hat's off to you, writer!) who posted it online. The originals are also digitized and online if you wish to look at the information.

(I haven't had time to dig in to this and add any commentary due to a lack of time--all credit goes again to the writer of this blog. I just cut and pasted the story in here if you don't want to go to another link).

https://historyofmassachusetts.org/sarah-wildes/

Sarah Averill Wildes was a woman from Topsfield who was accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials.

Sarah Averill Wildes was born sometime around 1627 to William Averill and Abigail Hynton Averill in Chipping Norton, England. The family later moved to the Massachusetts Bay Colony around 1637 where they settled in Ipswich, Mass.

Sarah Averill had previous brushes with the law before her witchcraft accusation in 1692. In 1649, Sarah was brought before the Ipswich Quarterly Court and ordered to be whipped for fornicating out of wedlock with Thomas Wardwell and in 1663 she was accused of violating the colony’s sumptuary laws by wearing a silk scarf (Robinson 295).

In November of 1663, Sarah married a local Topsfield judge named John Wildes, a widower with eight children whose first wife Priscilla Gould had died in April, and the couple went on to have one child together, Ephraim Wildes, in 1665.

The family lived in a house that stood in the triangular area between Perkins Row and Meetinghouse Lane in Topsfield.

By 1670, John Gould and Mary Gould Reddington, the brother and sister of Priscilla Gould, had developed a hatred of Sarah Wildes, according to an article, titled Topsfield in the Witchcraft Delusion, by Abbie Peterson Towne and Marietta Clark in the Historical Collections of the Topsfield Historical Society:

 

    “After the marriage of John Wilds and Sarah Averill, there had been war between them and John Gould and Mary Reddington the brother and sister of Priscilla, the first wife. It has been supposed that the ill feeling was caused by the hasty second marriage, but that does not seem likely, for in those days eight months was a long time for a widower to remain single. But whatever the cause the effect was the same and cost Sarah Wilds her life” (Topsfield Historical Society 30).

 

The ill will towards Sarah continued for years and, even after Mary Gould Reddington passed away from natural causes years later, Mary’s friends continued to speak ill of Sarah Wildes.

 

In addition, the Wildes family were entangled in a land dispute between Topsfield and Salem Village which might have made them unpopular with the Salem villagers, according to Winfield S. Nevins in his book Witchcraft in Salem Village in 1692:

 

    “The Wildes family belonged to the faction in Topsfield which was active in the feud with Salem Village. It is not possible to say whether this in any way influenced the prosecutors of Sarah Wildes. Ephraim Wildes, son of Sarah, deposed that the marshal of Salem came to Topsfield with the warrants for the arrest of his mother and William Hobbs and his wife. The marshal served that on Sarah Wildes, and young Wildes arrested Hobbs and his wife. Subsequently they accused his mother, and he thought it might be because he arrested them” (Nevins 205).

#27 - Relatives in the Old Country

 Relatives in the "Old Country"

Nothing is more exciting than a DNA discovery--except for finding new relatives and them sharing photos. We live for this. The most recent discovery is one I'm still working on as I don't know all the naming traditions of Finland, nor their history. 

This most recent discovery has to do with my husband's mother's father's roots (his maternal grandfather). His mother's father Andrew Antilla was the son of Finnish immigrants: Henry or Heikki Antilla and his wife Ida Paavola.
 

The connection came through a Facebook Group: in the group ′Reisjärvi families'  the great grandfather Heikki Anttila Juho's son was born in Reisjärvi on 1856 and moved to USA on 1892. The Finnish relative wrote: "My grandfather Juho Juho's son Heikki Anttila (b. 1863) was the oldest brother."
He added, "I've been curious to read [the US cousin's] stories about the lives of American relatives.  It reminds me that my family [in Finland] was in correspondence with Heikki's son Tauno Anttila [my husband's great uncle] family in the early 1960's. "

He adds, "[But] for some reason we lost contact and America's relatives were forgotten. As best I can, I've tried to tell Rebecca about Heikki's birthplace and relatives here in Finland. Thanks for contacting me! This is a wonderful thing for all of us."

In the picture below is Heikki's brother Juho Anttila (1863-1942)

Juho Anttila (Uncle of Andrew Antilla, bro. Heikki Anttila) 1863-1942

Another another descendant wrote in this:
"Aili Anttila, (Juho and Heikki  sister) always got an American package with such nice clothes that you couldn't wear them here in the country.
She always liked to show them out (off) though. As I recall, the packages came from the American side of their husband's family."

Aili Anttila

References:
Living people shared the photos. I'm keeping them private for now.

#26 - Large Losses of Ida Paavola (Antilla)

Large Losses

Nothing is worse than losing a child. In the not-so-distant past, my husband's gr-grandmother suffered the pain of her children's death.
Ida Paavola's Losses
Ida Maria Paavola, my husband’s mother’s paternal grandmother was a Finnish immigrant who married another Finnish. 

Several of her children died--and like many immigrants, she had no support other than her husband and her immigrant community. She didn't learn the language right away for she got married "off the boat." Only 4 children survived survived to adulthood.

Ida Maria Paavola was born in 1875 in Reisjärvi, Oulun Laani, Finland to Veino Maria Wilhelmina, age 20, and Andrew Paavola, age 25.
She was christened 19 Jul 1875
She took either her communion or communion or confirmation in 1880 in the parish of Sippolo, Viipurin (county: lääni), Finland
I found no school records.
She lived there until her departure for the USA about 1893.

Ida Paavola arrives Boston May 1893

  ** A UK Departure record has her leaving Liverpool for Boston on 5 May 1893**
I also found her arrival in Boston for later that month--as well as an arrival for Antilla.
Shortly after arriving in Boston, she got married.
On 22 May 1893 when she was 17  years old (though she says she was 18), she married Heikki (Henry) Anttila in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.
Their Children:
1 Her son Johan was born on August 23, 1895 and passed away that same day. Fitchburg, MA
2 Son Vaino Ilmair was born on October 3, 1896, in Fitchburg, MA (1896–1969)
3 Daughter Jennie was born in December 1898 in Massachusetts
4 Her daughter Veino - (later she went by "Vienna") was born on March 15, 1900 (1900–1973) in Minnesota.

In Minnesota they lived in Eveleth & Sparta Villages, St. Louis County.

5 - 1903 Her 5th recorded birth, was Andrew Robert was born on July 11, 1903, in Sparta, Minnesota. (1903–1949)  Sparta, Chippewa, Minnesota, United States

In 1905 they are in St. Louis, Minnesota, in June.

But by 1908, she had her 6th child back east:
6 - Roy Benjamin was born on November 24, 1908, in Troy, NH (1908-1975)

Then, at some point their child, Jennie who was 1 in Minnesota in 1900, (born 1898 in Mass) died before the 1910 Census.

Here is data from the 1910 Census:
They live in Troy, Cheshire Co, New Hampshire
By 1910 Ida was speaking English (the 1900 census said she did not, but Henry could).
In 1910, Ida was 34 and he was 51.
Their children appear in the 1910 Census:
~Vaini was 13 born in Mass.(boy)
~Veino or Vaino was 9 she was born in Minnesota.
~Andrew was 6 yrs, born in Minnesota.
~Roy was 1 year old, born in New Hampshire.

7 - In 1911 Ida was 35 when she had her 7th child.
Etheli Mirjami was born on December 16, 1911. She died on March 1, 1912, when she was less than a year old. (1911–1912)

8 - 1913 Her 8th child, son Tauno, was born on August 11, 1913, in Troy, New Hampshire. (1913–1990)
After 1910 it doesn't appear that they moved back to Minnesota. But lived either in Keene or in Troy New Hampshire.
1919 Keene, New Hampshire
1920 Troy, New Hampshire

Henry (Heikki's) Death: Her husband Heikki died in Troy, New Hampshire on October 5, 1926, at the age of 70. She was 51 years old and they had been married 33 years.

She stayed in Troy until we find her again in Keene, New Hampshire, in 1935.  (She always stayed with her children on West Hill Rd in Keene).

In the 1940 census, she was living in Troy NH in April.

Ida Paavola (Antilla) died 2 June 1940, in Troy, New Hampshire, when she was 64 years old.

#25 - Samantha Allard Gets a Job which Leads to A Family

Samantha Allard, my husband’s great-great grandmother, was born 10 Apr 1840 in West Ely, Shefford, Quebec, Canada. According to local families, the Allard family is of French-Canadian origin. Samantha apparently spoke English as well for she married an Anglo-Canadian.

Samantha was the schoolteacher to the Kendall children (and others) in a rural one-room schoolhouse. Little did she know at the start of her teaching job, that she’d end up married to a father of some of her students.

I don’t know how much they earned, but based on my understanding of the area and the era, she may have been paid in produce and the like. It was a small country school, much like many others that dotted the Eastern Townships of Quebec at that time. It probably resembled schools in this website: Eastern Townships Schools [this site has other info on the Eastern Townships].
I am guessing it was small then (Lawrenceville has a population of 662, Stukely and West Ely are tiny crossroads). 

When she was 20 she married the widower, Joseph Ward Kendall, on 30 May 1860 in Lawrenceville, Shefford Methodist Church in Quebec, Canada. 

Her husband Joseph Ward Kendall was 20 years older than his new wife. (My husband is descended thru their son Luke Kendall).
Joseph Kendall, born in 1820, was the son of Henry Kendall and Dorothy Thankful Parker.

The much younger Samantha Allard and her husband Joseph Ward Kendall

 

1862 Gazeeter. Ely Twnship is circled

 

 

 

Their Family: 

Their first surviving child together was Isaiah Johnston Kendall born on 4 Sep 1863 in Lawrenceville, Shefford County, Quebec, Canada. 

Their second son was my husband’s great grandfather Luke Hale Kendall, was born 27 Dec 1866 in Lawrenceville, Shefford County, Quebec, Canada (died 1948).

Luke Hale Kendall prob 1882

The rest of the children Samantha had were:
3 Gardner Ward Kendall (1871-1935)
4 Dorothy Vermilia Kendall (1874–1941)
5 A son Alpheus Gordon Kendall (1876-1956)
6 Florence Marion Amanda Kendall (1878-1935)
7 Jennie Grace Kendall (1886-1908)

Prior to the birth of her last child, in 1881, Samantha Allard Kendall's father, Stephen Allard died.
By the time little Jennie Grace was 4 or 5, by 1891, the family had moved and were living in Waterloo, Quebec, a city of some size.
Within 7 years her husband died, on August 5 1898 in Waterloo. Joseph Kendall was 78 years old at the time of his death. Ten years later, her daughter Jennie also died at the age of 22 in Massachusetts.
Samantha lived on for a while in Waterloo.
Death:
Samantha Allard died in 1913.
I found her death recorded in Folio 3 of the registers for Masonville Methodist Church, Quebec says 

“Samantha Elizabeth Allard, age 73 years, 6 days, relict [widow] of Joseph Kendall died on this date” it was April 16, 1913.
The Waterloo Advertiser Apr 25 1913 reported she died "after many years of suffering from rheumatism." 

Samantha Allard, 2nd wife of Jos Kendall and their children

Above Photo:
Seated, middle: Joseph Ward Kendall with  Samantha Elizabeth (Allard) and their 7 children.
In the back: Luke Hale, Isaiah Johnston, and Dorothy Vermilia.
Seated in the front : Gardner Ward, Alpheus Gordon, Florence, and on Samantha's lap is Jenny Grace.

Burial:
Joseph Kendall and Samantha Allard, as well as many other Kendalls and relations are buried in the Waterloo (Quebec) Graveyard (Protestant). 

A great-great grandson at the Waterloo Cemetery in 2018

---------------------
Joseph had several children with his first wife Emily Hunt. As they are half-relations, and I have their names, I list them below.

Joseph's first wife:
Emily Hunt (not a direct ancestor) -
B 8 Sep 1819 , Quebec, Canada
D 21 Aug 1858 Shefford, , Quebec, Canada
The children of Emily Hunt & Joseph W Kendall
1 Henry Peter Kendall 1842–1920
2 Rachel Kendall 1844–1917
3 Vining Paul Kendall 1846–1927
4 James W Kendall 1848–1868
5 Elizabeth Kendall 1850–1871
6 John Frederick Kendall 1854–?
7 Adelbert Kendall 1856–1927
8 Baby Kendall 1858–1858 

#24 - Where There’s a Will - David Petts leaves Widow Phoebe in the Lurch

Widow Phoebe (Stevens) Petts was left a widow without a will 

and with little money. 

*Phoebe Stevens (my husband's 3rd gr grandmother)

Daughter of John Stevens (1779-1840) and Azubah Procter (1776-1840)

B 3 May 1812 Stoddard, New Hampshire

D 3 Apr 1902 Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire

Her siblings

~~John Stevens (1807–1865)

~~Henry Stevens (1808–?)

~~Azubah Stevens (1808–1852)

~~Ephraim Stevens (1814–1895)

Married *David Towne Petts (his 3rd gr grandfather)

B 25 Nov 1810, Weston, Windsor, VT

D 3 Dec 1856 in Marlow, Cheshire, New Hampshire

Their children:

~Ferdinand Petts (1834–1933)

~Rosina Petts (1835–1861)

~Lyman Gustavus Petts (1836–1927)

~George A Petts (1842–?)

~Myranda Anette Petts (1843–1917)

~*Christiane L Petts (1845–1871) (his 2nd gr grandmother)

Phoebe outlived her husband by 46 years, falling short of living to 90 years old by one month.

A wife in this period was not the automatic heir to her husband's property. The husband owned everything, including his debt.

David T. Petts died intestate (without a will). Consequently, there are a lot of records (from 1856 for at least 2 years) in New Hampshire.

Still, as the widow, Phoebe was entitled to a “dower”-the state gave widows that much. Typically, it was 1/3 of the entire value of the estate (it was handled by the probate judge). Phoebe got slightly-very slightly-more the 1/3.

Phoebe also asked to be  the administratrix—something she had to petition the court to be. Amos Fiske was ‘commissioned’ by the court to appraise and list all belongings of David T Petts.

To settle the estate, Phoebe (as administratrix—or as widow, depending on the document) had to fill out a court document and have it approved.

She got ‘reimbursed’ for travel, but it was out of the estate.

David Petts died in 1856—the estate got bogged down by people wanting their money--and then it seems that the court suspected the family was hiding property. It finally was settled in 1858.

Phoebe auctioned the estate (apart from the ‘dower’ which was hers) and then paid back her husband’s creditors

There are two sets of inventories. One looks like the final ‘official’ inventory (has a seal on it), the other is in long hand. The inventory in long hand lists the value of each item and next to each is also has a list of names. Perhaps the longhand sheet was the worksheet for the public auction.  Several of the bidders were related to her (sons).

No other records indicate that they ran a tavern/inn.

But when you see the inventory you realize they must have. The quantity of food and alcohol, along with bedding for that time period indicates an inn. The unofficial inventory is 9 pages long. The inventory is very large for the time. (If you read on, you’ll see verification.)

I don’t know anything about antebellum New Hampshire estates, but I am guessing Amos Fiske who was commissioned by the court, may have made a profit on reselling the articles he bought at auction.

Inventory:                                                                  - $642.98

S. for Wid. Allow.

[ie the widow’s dower, or 1/3 of David’s property)   $200

          ________

                                             $442.98   

Sold for                $360.08

                                            $82.98 L of S  

If David Towne Petts owed his creditors more than $443.06, then the creditors could not be repaid in full. When you adjust this for inflation, $443=$14,560.

I looked at his creditors (from those who came forward after notices were posted and published), you find he owed more than $2,240.

This, adjusted for inflation, is equivalent to $74,000--when he had the equivalent of $14,560.

Ooops!
His creditors had to accept what the court allowed.  If they were owed $5.24, they were allowed about .59 cents. Most of his creditors were “promissory notes” or IOUs.  But there were about 6 or 7  judgements on David Petts, and some of them very large. 

This tells me that he had borrowed money on time and had not fulfilled his obligation of repayment in a timely manner---and the creditor had to file a judgement in court against him.

 

David Towne Petts died intestate. His estate was INSOLVENT.

16 Dec 1856
(His widow) Phoebe Petts petitioned court to be the administratrix of her husband's estate.
16 Dec 1856
A bond for: Phebe Petts, Amos Pike, and Samuel Buss amount of $1200 to execute estate accdng to the laws of New Hampshire.
6 Jan 1857
Phebe Petts, of estate of David T Petts of Marlow deceased intestate, says she is unwilling to be charged with the goods and chattles belonging to the said estate as appraised. Wherefore she prays that she may have license to sell the same at public auction. "foregoing petition is decreed granted and the license is issued accordingly"
6 Jan 1857
The estate of David Petts was published for 3 consecutive weeks in the Cheshire Republican (newspaper) printed in Keene, Cheshire County (NH) with additional notifications at some publick house in each of the towns of Marlow and Stoddard (for at least 40 days). - Judge of Probate 6 Jan 1857
Jan 1857
Phebe Petts, widow and relict of David T Petts of Marlow. "Prays your honor to make her such an allowance out of the Personal Estate of said deceased, for her present support and comfort, as may be suitable to her condition and degree, and consistent with the situation of the Estate." "Phebe Petts" (response): “January 1857  Upon the above petition, it is...decreed that the said widow be allowed in such article as she may choose, out of the Inventory of the Personal Estate of said deceased, suitable to her condition, at their appraised value, the sum of two hundred dollars, for her present support and comfort. (Judge)
 Jan 1857
Several Pages of the Official Inventory & appraisal Jan 6 1857 done by 3 men
Jan 1857
New Hampshire, Cheshire County, the Judge of Probate for County; To Phebe Petts, Administratrix of the Estate of David T Petts late of Marlow in said county, deceased intestate: You are hereby licensed and ordered to sell at public auction, all the goods and chattels of said deceased, except such part thereof as has been ordered to you for your present support (see petition).
And you are directed to give notice of such sale by posting up advertisements thereof in two or more public places in said Marlow at least 10 days before said sale. If you comply with this order, and act with fidelity and impartiality in said sale, you will be credited with loss, or charged with the gain upon such sale. 6 January 1857 - Judge of Probate 

Jan 1857
Amount of Sales at Auction of the Estate of David T Petts Late of Marlow; Deceased; by Phebe Petts Adminstratrix - Jan 29 1857

 

Auction - inventory

  

Inventory (partial)

Inventory--more!

Appraisal less widow's dower

Sept 1857 Creditors & Heirs at Law of the Estate of David T Petts of Marlow in Cheshire County. ... 1st Tuesday of September [1857]...and ordered that Phebe Petts give notice causing the Citation to be published 3 weeks successively in the Cheshire Republican printed at Keene in said county.

Creditors

 

Judgments

 

Sept 1857 Amos Fiske of Marlow, the commissioner of the Estate of David Petts of Marlow was given a year from 1 Dec 1857, a list of all the claimes which have been received against David Petts' estate. (Signed by the judge on 1 Sept 1857) - fig 1 

Accounting: 1856 

Expense of Administration 

First, Cash paid Out Fees: 

Kimball for Advertising .75 

1857 L. Tenny for services at auction $4

Samul Bress for services as appraiser and clerk $4 

Elisha Bress for services as appraiser $2 

Amos Pike for services as appraiser $2 

1858 

AS Fiske Commissioner for services as a commissioner $8 Kimball for Advertising $4.75 

1857 Paper 2 - Funeral Charges of the deceased 

Dec 5 Paid Daniel Mack for coffin & box / recipt No 1 $8.00 

Dec 5 Paid John Mellen for digging grave & box recipt No 2 $4.00 

  $12.00

Phebe Petts, Administratrix

Second Personal Services of Administratrix

1856 [Date] For attending Probate Court expenses, to take letter      $3.50

     [Date] Expenses with appraisers                                        $2.00

1857 [Date] Attending probate court, expenses, to take license $3.50

     [Date]  Service at the sale                          $2.00

     [Date]Attending Probate Court and expenses                   $3.50

     [Date]Attending Probate Court and expenses                   $3.50

1858 [Date] Attending probate Court and expenses $3.50

     [Date] Attending probate Court and expenses      $3.50

     [Date]  Making administrative account                    .75

      --    Attending Probate Court and expenses          $3.50

1858 ?? attending count from New Ipswich to settlement  $3.50

                                                                                    ----

                                                                                    $61.25

                                                                                    Phebe Petts

Account Papers

Paper A

In trust on personal property

In trust on cash taken at sale

Collected of Amos Pike on note for property $3.64

                                    bought at sale

Collected of Ferdinand Petts on note for property bought at sale $21.52

Collected of Samuel Buss on note for property bought at sale $1.55

Collected of Elisha Buss on note for property bought at sale $1.16

                                                                                                __

                                                                                                $27.87

 

1 March 1858-Estate was discharged...and report made by the Commissioner is accepted. - Judge

 June 15 1858

Their eldest son (who was an adult), Ferdinand Petts, was summoned to appear in court to be examined regarding his father’s estate.

I cannot figure out what the larger point was but assume that the probate court was not satisfied that the discharging the amount owed by David Petts’ estate had been handled legally. 

A horse was quite valuable at that time and the court questioned Ferdinand Petts regarding his possessions in 1856. He was also asked about this stallion.  (Interestingly he brings up the name Amos Fiske, who is the same man who was commissioned by court to do the appraisal on the estate).

Ferdinand’s testimony includes this:

“In May 1856 my father was in need of a horse to use in connection with the tavern & informed me of it & wanted I should help him to one. ?? at the same time the said stallion was a pace horse & one he should like and I told him if he could buy it. So as I --- would? be sure to not lose by it he might buy him for me. He made the trade, took & kept him until Dec 1856. Q Did you experience the horse during the negotiation for the purchase, or have anything to say as to the price or qualities of the horse?”[etc].  

The testimony goes on on property and notes.

Ferdinand is questioned about a "tavern stand" which apparently he bought. The court wishes to know where he got the money from. At this point there is some involvement-or suspected involvement-of Fiske (Amos Fiske who was also the Commissioner for the estate). 

At one point in time, the deceased, David Petts, needed money and so borrowed it from his son. And so on.

There many questions, all about money and property which go on for pages, and some of which are hard to understand due to the handwriting of the note-taker. 

There are 35 questions, but many of them are compound questions, requiring more than one answer.

Ferdinand was finally done with his testimony on July 20, 1858. 

 

page 1 of Ferdinand's court testimony

 21 September 1858

Whereas the Commissioner presented all claims allowed the sum is $2539 dollars and 39 cents; and whereas the settlement of your account, except the widow's dower, having been sold and the proceeds accounted for. There appears to be a balance of $312.96.

The creditors were notified accordingly, and you are directed to distribute the balance of 312.96 to aforesaid creditors by paying to each of them the proportion to each of their claim respectively annexed. --Judge