The story begins

This entry is a bit different from the previous two, and I feel it needs a certain amount of explanation.  My family is very fortunate in that going back at least five generations (that’s as far back as I can go off the top of my head) in my maternal line, there have been only two children who have not lived out full lives.  That does not mean that there were not still-births, or children who died soon after birth which seems likely, but of those who were named only two died prematurely.  One met a tragic accidental death when she was very young, the other suffered from, and finally succumbed to, tuberculosis that he got while spending time in jail. 

Ebenezer Kingsbury, the seventh child and youngest son of my great-great-great-grandparents, spent time in the Newfane Prison—about two years out of a ten year sentence.  He was found guilty of manslaughter in the death of an infant, and while according to official records he was the father of the child, family stories are less clear on the issue.  What is undeniable is that Eb and the baby’s mother knew each other, their families were close, and the mother never served time.  What is also known is that the community rallied around Ebenezer, fighting for his release, and that they succeeded.  He did return home, but never regained his strength or health, and he was the only one of his immediate family not to marry and have children.

The reason that this is relevant information is because so many of Ebenezer’s letters survive.  There are a fair number of letters to and from Eb, spanning about ten years, ranging from his late teens until his death.   

 Because there are so many letters, as well as poems and short notes, Ebenezer begins to take shape more than many of the authors and recipients.  The kinds of things that were written to him are revealing not only of the writers but of Eb himself.  It is my intention to put together all of the letters regarding Eb, as well as to find out more about the trial and the child’s mother in order to try to ferret out the truth of the matter.  Of course, I am biased and believe the family stories that Eb was a good boy and that the child simply died while the couple were traveling—it was certainly common for infants to die in the mid-nineteenth century, and as the mother was a factory worker, it is quite likely that the child was not particularly healthy as its mother would have been in less than ideal circumstances during her pregnancy. 

The random letter that I happened to transcribe this time around is as follows.  It was sent from a nephew to Ebenezer while he was in jail, and it reveals a wonderful childlike innocence, as well as fabulously erratic spelling and handwriting.

"Jamaica Apr 6 1869

Dear Uncle I now seat myself

to write a few lines to you

in answer to yours we are

as well as common.  hope you 

are feeling well to night

Uncle Dan is here to night

and Uncle Charles too Jim 

Robbins commenced his work to 

day we have been chopping

got some tired Uncle Mart

is here.  says, tell Eb I am 

cumming down as soon as I 

can I should like to com

go down there and see you

to night but dont no as 

I Can the season I why

Father and dont Mother

dont write is becose tey

rether come donn and see 

you and write it thn

you ask me if I had

sene the nead of the love

of god I have I sould like

very much to bee good

but I Cant as lon as 

I stay at home

well I Cant tink of 

mch to write Ezra tite come

ing is A leon down here

this spring and going 

to Weaks well I must 

Close fore tis tine write 

often and write all the 

news yours truly

         from

         Leslie W Kingsbury

         to E.S. Kingsbury"

What really caught me about this letter was the closing "write often and write all the news."  Write often I understand, but "all the news"?  He was in jail in a small town; I can't imagine there was all that much news to report.  While everything I can find tells me that Leslie was Ezra's son, the mention of Ezra confuses me.  If only my overly detailed family tree wasn't sitting in my bedroom at my parents' house...ah well, he was a nephew of Ebenezer's and I can definitively rule out three of the seven possible parents based on who he refers to as uncles.  

So, there is the some of the groundwork laid for what I hope will be an interesting foray into one man's life.  I will also try to be at least somewhat chronological with posts regarding Eb, and will try to spice things up once in a while.  

And for those of you who were in Research & Writing with me last fall, the "jolly brown rouser" will be making an appearance (so to speak) yet again!