Hi Caswell cousins,
My Caswell line is a brick wall and I'm hoping someone out there will
recognize this family.
My third-great Grandmother, Catherine Caswell, was born in Boston July
28, 1826. Boston has no record of her birth.
Her husband's family genealogy states that "Catherine, daughter of
William Caswell, married Charles A. Curtis on April 16, 1854 in Boston.
O. A. Skinner officiating." I believe O. A. Skinner to be the same Otis
Skinner who was minister of the Beacon Universalist Parish for 1836-1846
& 1849-1857. After the wedding, Catherine & Charles came to CA via the
isthmus of Panama.
William Caswell is listed in the 1820, 1830 & 1840 census in the 11th
ward of Boston. Households as follows:
1820 - 2 males ages 16-25, 1 female under 10, 1 female 16-26
1830 - 2 males under 5, 1 male 30-40, 1 female 5-10, 1 female 10-15, 1
female 30-40
1840 - 1 male under 5, 1 male 5-10, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 40-50, 1 female
5-10, 1 female 15-20, 1 female 40-50
I believe these households to be the same family and I believe them to
be Catherine's family. I have been unable to find the family in the
1850 census. I have tried soundex, misspelling, looking for prior
neighbours and have been unable to find the family. I'm almost to the
point of going through every William in the 1850 census in Boston.
The was an administration record for a William Caswell who died Dec.
1855 in Boston. Unfortunately, the MA archives only sent me a couple
copies and told me to get the rest from a film at the family history
center. Couldn't find anything on the film, but the papers I have
indicate that the administrator of the estate was his son-in-law,
Alexander B. Houghton. If this William was in fact Catherine's father,
than Alex's wife would be her sister. In 1850, Alex was still living
with his parents. I wasn't able to find him in the 1880 census and have
no further information on his wife.
According to Catherine's census records, both her parents were born in
Maine.
Does anyone recognize this family at all? Any ideas, thoughts,
suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I've been hitting my head
against the wall with this one.
Lisa