Library Collections: Document: Full Text

VII 440, the oldest, is untrained and makes a poor living as a laborer.

The second, VII 441, now 21, married very young an inefficient, criminal man and has several small children. She is a shy, ignorant, causationless girl.

The third and fourth children died young.

The last two legitimate children, VII 445 and VII 446, are still in school and, although retarded several years, are doing fairly well.

After her husband's death, VI 465 became a harlot and acquired syphilis, which she not only entailed on her children, but spread to many others. During this period, she had three illegitimate children who died from neglect and syphilis. She then transferred her affections to VI 466, a neighbor. This man has an epileptic wife whom he ties to a chair when he wishes to leave the place. VI 465 has one bastard girl, VII 448, by this man. This child is now syphilitic. For the past 4 years this family lived in a barn, one half used for pigs, the other for the family.

VI 467, sister of the foregoing, is a woman of more intelligence and ability. She is quite proud and refuses to own relationship with the more degenerate member of the family. She is married and has four children, average in school ability and now working in factories.

VI 470, the youngest child of Nathaniel and Hepsy, is a coachman by occupation. He has a retiring nature and is a steady worker, is married, and has one son, now 13, who is in grade 3 at school.

Returning to the main line, we take up Gilbert, V 180, son of Alan. He was a ne'er-do-well and never had any schooling. Upon his return from the Civil War he lived with a cousin, Esther, V 399, of Effie blood. This couple received help from the town for 3 years, and a daughter who died was buried by the town. Esther died and Gilbert then cohabited with Ion, V 325, another cousin. Ion, a descendant of Delia, had been married before and had two children living. Gilbert and Ion were very poor, lived from hand to mouth, and received much help from the town.

VI 472 was an illegitimate son of Gilbert and Ion. He was semi-industrious, mentally deficient, ignorant, and tubercular. He married VI 473, more capable and active mentally than himself. He eventually died of tuberculosis, but not until they had had six children. His wife then became a prostitute and associated with very dissolute persons in Z, where she was then living. She was arrested and convicted of disorderly conduct, but sentence was suspended on condition that she leave town, which, however, she did not do. She placed three of her children in an orphan asylum at this time and kept one with her (two were dead). The oldest living child of VI 473, VII 458, after being in the Children's Home for some time, was placed with a cousin. At the age of 14 she is a shy, quiet, retiring child, much afraid of her foster parents. She has attended school but little. VI 473 now has her three children home with her and all of them are doing average work in the schools. The family has received help from the town and with what the mother earns by washing is not in want.

Gilbert's brothers, Riley, V 182, and Roland, V 184, are both semi-industrious and easy-going. Each has acquired a little property and has married, but they have no children.

Mary Jane, V 186, the next child of Alan and sister to Gilbert, is now 64 years of age. She was a prostitute in her mother's brothel when young. She soon secured a common law "husband" with whom she lived for 40 years. She is a hard-working woman and, by care and foresight, has provided herself with a good home, which she owns. A few years ago she had a paralytic shock and now exhibits a marked mental defect. Jesse, V 187, her husband, has had the same position as a teamster for many years. One of their three children is a chauffeur and is doing well, while the two girls were married several times, but otherwise little is known of them.

Helena, V 188, was the next child of Ellen and was illegitimate. She was a harlot and had an illegitimate child, VI 482, who in turn became a harlot. Helena is dead; it is not known where her daughter lives.

Hetty, V 190, is the next daughter of Ellen. This person is not mentioned by Dugdale, although she was older than her brothers Reuben and Ulysses, who are mentioned by him. Hetty was born in 1853. She has never had any schooling and, though now not mentally active, she has a great deal of self-respect and has tried always to do well. Her husband Joseph, V 191, can neither read nor write, but is one of the best brick-burners up and down the river. Notwithstanding this he receives small wages and these irregularly. He tries to be a decent citizen.

Joseph and Hetty had twelve children. The first, VI 484, is a laborer in a brickyard and has acquired a little property. His only daughter, VII 469, now 16 years of age, was very "stupid" in school and incapable of learning. She is now immoral.

VI 485, the next child of Hetty, was incapable of doing average grade work in school. She left to go into the cigar factory, where she remained until she married. She is capable in house matters, and is bringing up her children well. Her husband, VI 486, is a laborer and earns fair wages. VII 470, aged 13, the only one of the children old enough to attend school, is in grade 6 B. She is mentally incapable of doing average work. She tries hard, but is unable to keep up with those of her own age.