Notes
Note N358
Index
Leading Seaman PERCY GEORGE COUSINS
5391B, S.S. "Earl of Elgin.", Royal Naval Reserve
who died age 30
on 07 December 1917
Husband of Laura Kate Cousins, of Florence Cottages, Regent St., Rowhedge, Colchester.
Remembered with honour
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
Notes
Note N359
Index
In Memory of
Lance Serjeant FREDRICK CHARLES COUSINS
20426, 2nd Bn., Suffolk, England Regiment
who died age 24
on 13 May 1918
Son of Charles Henry and Emily Cousins, of Little Horkesly, nr Colchester, Essex.
Remembered with honour
SANDPITS BRITISH CEMETERY, FOUQUEREUIL
Notes
Note N360
Index
There are 2 Josephs born around 1818 to Samuel and Elizabeths. As of October 7th 2007 we can not prove that Joseph's mother was in fact Martha.
Betty Ogden March 11 1816 - most likely given a birth year for Joseph of 1818 - Batch M135798
Betty Stott February 28 1818 - also a possible - Batch 7001618
Notes
Note N361
Index
Could be son of Thomas McMurray and Mary - Christened 1 21 1794 in Inch, County Down, Ireland - LDSC700071
Notes
Note N362
Index
BIOGRAPHY: Jacob Gunn was born 30 Jan. 1832 in Black River Township,Lorain County, Ohio.
Source - Carrie Gunn Rootsweb Page
His parents were Stephen Gunn and Margaret Shupe. His birth date was determined from Jacob's death record of 30 Dec. 1898 in which claims he was 66 years and 11 months old at the time of his death. Jacob married Sarah Ann Standen in Lorain County, Ohio on 13 July 1852. Sarah was born to William Standen and Eliza Benton in Wittersham, Kent, England around 29 May 1835. Her birth date was determined in the same manner as Jacob's. She was 45 years and 7 months old at the time of her death. The couple moved to Ionia County, Michigan sometimes during a period from 1854-56. On 19 July 1862, Jacob volunteered to join the 21st Michigan Infantry for battle in the Civil War.
From his pension files it says Jacob was 5 feet, 9 1/2 inches tall, light complexion, auburn hair and blue eyes. Jacob spent a great deal of the war in the hospital. It was reported that on the 25th of September 1862, he was
treated for diarrhea and he suffered from it and piles for the remainder of his life. It should be noted that a great deal of soldiers applying for a pension used diarrhea and piles as the reason. Jacob was in the hospital in
Danville, Ky. from 25 October 1862 to 15 December 1862. He also spent time in other hospitals from 28 Jan 1863 to 13 Feb. 1863; and from 15 Feb. 1863 to 10 Aug. 1863. He was in the hospital also from 20 September 1863, this because of the Battle of Chickamauga in Georgia, where he suffered a slight injury to the face due to buck shot. Jacob also was in the hospital from 5 April to 5 May 1865. His wound to the face was not without a controversy. On 10 October 1863 he was arrested at the hospital for being absent without leave. A letter to Major General Sheridan on that date from a surgeon H.S. Hasse claims that "justice to the man compels me to state that I have retained him after he had recovered from a slight wound received on the 20th of September in the
capacity as nurse for the wounded of his regiment." Jacob was mustered out of the service at the end of the war, along with his fellow soldiers on 8 June 1865. His outfit took part in the Grand Review down Pennsylvania Avenue on 24 May 1865. Some major battles of the 21st were Perryville, Ohio, Stones River, Tennessee, Chickamauga, Georgia, they joined Sherman after the battle of Atlanta and marched with him to the Sea. There they fought at Savannah and later in one of the last battles of the war at Bentonville, NC Sometime between the time the 1870 census was taken and their son John was born in 1877, the family moved to Allendale, Michigan. Jacob was listed as a farmer during the 1850, 1860 and 1870 census. Sarah died 29 October 1880 in Grand Haven, Michigan, from measles. She is buried at Lake Forest Cemetery in Grand Haven.
Jacob next married Mary E. Russell on 21 June 1881. She was 18 years old and born to Isaac Russell and Cynthia (unknown). A tragedy soon stuck the Russell family. Not only their daughter Mary, Jacob's wife, but another daughter, 17 year old Harriet, died from typhoid fever in 1881. Another little girl named Caroline Christley, age 9, also died from typhoid fever in 1881. Caroline died 20 October 1881, her parents were David Christley and Arminda Russell. Harriet died 2 November 1881. Jacob's wife Mary's death was on 7September 1881.
Jacob was next married to Charlotte A. Fordham in Grand Haven on 30 October 1881. On the marriage license, Jacob is listed as a farmer and a doctor. I do not know how long he had been considered a doctor, I do know that he was a dentist. Charlotte was born in Mt. Pleasant, Canada in 1848 to John Fordham and Lydia A. Bowman. Charlotte was married to Charles J. Perry in 1864 in Claybanks Township, Oceana County. After having one child, Charles A.Perry, Charles J. left Charlotte and little Charles. He moved to New York and remarried in 1869 and had a large family of 12 children. Meanwhile,Charlotte may have been waiting for Charles to return, finally filed for a divorce and was granted the divorce on 27 February 1873. So it seems Charles J. had two wives for a brief time.
Jacob and Charlotte lived in Norton Township in June of 1884. They separated in September of 1884. In Jan. 1885 Charlotte divorced Jacob, her claim was cruelty and non-support. Jacob then lived in various places around Muskegon. In 1885 and 1886 he is listed as living at what is now 508 Catherine. In 1891-93, he was living on Bourdon Street. In 1896Jacob moved back to Grand Haven. Sometime later he moved back to Allendale. He died
30 December 1898 in Allendale because of abscess of the lungs due to exposure.
He is buried in Allendale Cemetery with a Civil War Veteran grave marker. It is a marker I had placed on his at one time unmarked grave.
But even after his death, there remained one more controversy. Jacob was granted a pension, due to the pension act of 1890. After he died, Charlotte applied for a surviving widow pension. Because of the divorce and longtime
investigation took place. Charlotte's story was that after the 1885 divorce, they had a child named James, born on 16 March 1885. She claimed they were living in Laketon Township and she remarried Jacob in June of 1885. She said they lived together until Jan. of 1886. After that she moved away with the baby. Around 1890, Charlotte moved into the house of Henry Munroe of Sullivan Township. Here she kept house and acted as a servant to the widowed Mr. Munroe. Henry Munroe was seven years older then Charlotte.
Those in charge if issuing the pension wanted to find out what the facts were. They wanted to know about her living conditions with Mr. Munroe, about her re-marriage to Jacob and other facts about her previous spouse and Jacob's previous spouses. A Mr. James A. Hunt was in charge of gathering the facts. His reports included such things as the people of Sullivan have gossiped about Mr. Munroe and Charlotte living in the same house, yet none of them were able to say for sure that they lived in a man and wife relationship. He reported son James to be feeble minded and Charlotte"has a very high temper and take but little to get her very excited". He found that there was no record of a re-marriage of Jacob and Charlotte, yet a William Hart, who had been a justice of the peace in Laketon Township, told him that he performed the marriage on 12 June of 1885. (There is no record to this day of a re-marriage of Jacob and Charlotte). He visited the Munroe house and was shown the two separate beds upstairs where he was told were for Henry Munroe and Charlotte's son James. He was shown another bed in a room off the sitting room, this is where he was told Charlotte slept. He also reported, "I must say that Char and Mr. Munroe live more like hogs then human beings for it was about as filthy a place as I ever saw and what makes it so the(unreadable) say that both are too lazy to keep their house clean". (And she was earning her keep as a house cleaner?) Mr. Hunt also reports that Charlotte "is a woman who goes out very little, seldom goes downtown and is never seen out at night with Munroe or any other man". Charlotte was awarded a survivors pension which was paid to her until her death on 8 June 1909. She is buried at Sullivan Township Cemetery.