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Teamster vs. Shoemaker: Correcting Henry Sheridan's Occupation

rawpixel Ok. It's a "make a choice" moment.  Earlier this year I spent many hours researching the lives of Mary Jane Sheridan and her family. I gathered many sources, analyzed the evidence, and crafted her life narrative. I was really proud of the four-part series I wrote. Except for one little fact: I got her father Henry Sheridan's occupation in Buffalo partly wrong. In Mary Jane's story, I based Henry's occupation on one city directory I'd found from 1851, where he was listed as a teamster in Buffalo's Hydraulics neighborhood. But the directories I found over the summer showed that from 1837 to 1844 Henry worked as a shoemaker/cordwainer. He was a teamster from 1848 to 1851, but that wasn't his whole story. Even when I noted Henry's sudden occupation change to shoemaker when the family moved to North Evans, Erie Co., New York, about 1851, I didn't really question it. People can make a career change, right? Well, that was a little bit of ...
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Visit to Greenwood Cemetery, Newton, Kansas


 

by Nancy Gilbride Casey


I've often shared photos, documents, and genealogical news on Facebook. I thought it worthwhile to publish them here, on Leaves on the Tree, as well. This will be an occasional project as the Facebook Memories posts come up.

 

Today's throwback is to July 3, 2021, when daughter Anne and I were coming back from a trip to Colorado. We journeyed through Kansas, and stayed near Newton, Kansas, just so I could visit Greenwood Cemetery, and capture some grave photos of my husband's Davis and Taylor ancestors.


These three headstones mark three Davis/Taylor graves. From right to left: The largest stone is for Collostin Davis and Ellen Maria Martin Davis, Jim's 3x great grandparents. The middle monument is that of the Davis' daughter Florence and her husband Henry O. Taylor. Lastly, next to the tree, is the grave of Blanche Davis Eddington, Florence's sister.

The largest stone is for Jim's 3x great grandfather Collostin James Davis, Civil War veteran of the 12th Maine Infantry. His wife was Ellen Maria Martin Davis; she and Collostin were the parents of Florence, Blanche and George. Sadly Ellen outlived her husband, and all of her children







The small, original stone for John Davis, Collostin's brother, and fellow Civil War veteran from of the 42nd Maine Infantry. An inscription for John was later added to the main stone (below), but the original one still present.

Inscription for George R. Davis, Collostin and Ellen's son.

Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) marker. The GAR was begun in 1866 as a fraternal organization for Union veterans. The F, C and L stand for fraternity, charity and loyalty. Both Collostin and John were members of the GAR during their lives and honored with these markers for their service during the Civil War, after their deaths.

Until next time....

Read other posts on the Davis and Taylor families:


NOTES

All images: Nancy Gilbride Casey, photographer, Davis and Taylor grave sites, Greenwood Cemetery, Newton, Kansas, 4 July 2021.
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