Children of Thomas J. Hale and Mary Ann F. Paxton

This project began as a work of curiosity while working with my brother Don Woodworth to find information about the first child of Thomas and Mary Ann: Edmund Augustus Hale.  Through one afternoon of searching government records on three websites, I found his birthplace; two census records; his wife’s name and their marriage record; the birth and death of his only son, Henry; and his wife’s application for his military pension in 1865.  That last bit of information led me to a record I desired, yet dreaded to find:  “Pvt. Edmund A. Hale, killed in action at Nelson’s (aka Frazier’s) Farm, Virginia, June 30, 1862.”

My work of curiosity became a labor of love as I searched further to find as much as I could about Edmund’s seven brothers and sisters.  He was not the only sibling to serve in the Civil War.

The following pages are a true story of love, sacrifice, and patriotism.  May they be an inspiration to all of us descended from this noble Hale line.

Many thanks to my dear brother Don for his research, contributions, encouragement, and editing.

Ruth Woodworth Criger
19 September 2016

The old Hale plot at Union Cemetery,

Academy Street, Laconia, New Hampshire

Left to right:  George W. Hale, Mary J. Hale, Charles L. Hale,

Mary Ann F. Paxton Hale, Thomas J. Hale.

Edmund Augustus Hale
Son of Thomas J. Hale and Mary Ann F. Paxton

• July or August, 1830:  Edmund was born in Cambridgeport, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, the first child of Thomas and Mary Ann.
• 1850:  The U.S. Census shows him at age 19, living in Meredith, Belknap County, New Hampshire with his parents and siblings.
• 24 August 1860: The U.S. Census indicates him living in Woburn, Middlesex County, MA, in a rooming house with other men, two of whom shared his occupation as a cordwainer, a member of a guild that made shoes of very high quality.  In his neighborhood, there were 19 cordwainers (typical of the guild arrangements) listed on just two pages of the census.
• 14 January 1861: Edmund married Mary Ann Dow, daughter of Daniel Dow and Susan Hallowell, in Melrose, Middlesex County, MA. (Massachusetts Marriage Records, 1840-1915)
• 6 August 1861: Edmund enlisted in Co. A, 19th Regiment Massachusetts Infantry, Grand Army of the Republic, in Lynnfield, Essex County, MA.  (Civil War Service Records- Union- Massachusetts)
• 5 November 1861: Edmund and Mary Ann became parents of Henry E. Hale, born in Woburn, Middlesex County, MA.  (Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915)
• 30 June 1862:  He was killed in action at Nelson’s Farm (also known as Frazier’s Farm), Virginia.  Described as age 31, 5’6 ½” tall, with hazel eyes and brown hair.  No record of his final resting place has been found.  (Civil War Service Records- Union- Massachusetts)
• 10 May 1865: His widow filed for a pension. (U.S. General Pension Files)
• 11 June 1888:  Edmund’s son, Henry, died, in Lynn, Essex County, MA. at age 26.
• His death record lists him as single and a shoemaker.  (Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910)
• February 1891: His widow, Mary Ann, died and was buried next to her son in Pine Grove Cemetery, Lynn, Essex County, MA.  (Find a Grave memorial # 65302513)

Elizabeth A. Hale
Daughter of Thomas J. Hale and Mary Ann F. Paxton

• 1834 or 1836:  Elizabeth was born in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, the second child and first daughter of Thomas and Mary Ann.
• 25 July 1850: The U.S. Census shows her living in Meredith, Belknap County, New Hampshire with her parents and siblings.
• 25 December 1858:  She married John Bailey in Gilford, Belknap County, New Hampshire.  No record of her or John can be found in the 1860 U.S. Census.
• 1860 to 1863:  Elizabeth gave birth to three children, surname Bailey: James H., who died on 23 April 1860 at 3 months of age; Mary Elizabeth, who died at age 15 on 6 July 1876; and Lula F., who died on 28 August 1866 at 3 years and 4 months of age.  All are buried in the old Hale plot neat the Academy Street gate at Union Cemetery, Laconia, Belknap, New Hampshire, near their mother.  Lula and James share a headstone; Mary E. has her own.   (Names and dates from gravestones, Find A Grave Index memorials #78630778, 78630606, and 78630883)
• 10 May 1863: Her husband, John, died “of wounds” at Falmouth, Virginia.  He was a member of the Union Army, Co. H, 12th New Hampshire Volunteers, the same company in which his brothers-in-law George and Charles, served.   Apparently, his body was not returned, as his grave is not found in the family plot.  (Civil War Widows’ Pension Records, page 18)
• 6 June 1870: Elizabeth and her daughter Mary Elizabeth (Lizzie) were living with Elizabeth’s parents at the time of the US Census in Gilford, Belknap, New Hampshire.  Elizabeth’s occupation was listed as “weaver,” probably in one of the local woolen mills.
• 8 June 1880:  The 1880 Census shows Elizabeth living in Laconia, Belknap County, with her father and two brothers, George, 40, and James, 27.  Her daughter Mary Elizabeth (Lizzie) had died four years earlier.
• 4 January 1882:  Elizabeth married Francisco Benitez, son of Francisco Benitez of Cadiz, Spain.  She was 46; he was 58 and divorced.  Interestingly enough, they were neighbors on the 1880 Census, which showed Francisco and his wife Hannah R. living two houses away from Elizabeth and her father.
• 17 August 1894:   Elizabeth died in Laconia, Belknap County, NH.  She shares a plot and headstone with Francisco in Union Cemetery.  (Find a Grave Index memorial #78629255)  The old Hale plot is near the Academy Street entrance to the cemetery.  Her attachment to her father is shown by an inscription on his gravestone:  “Erected by Elizabeth A. Benitez.”  Her husband Francisco died 18 August 1899 in Danvers, Essex County, Massachusetts.

The headstone of Elizabeth A. Hale

and her second husband,

Francisco Benitez, in the same cemetery.

George W. Hale
Son of Thomas J. Hale and Mary Ann F. Paxton

• 9 March 1841:  George was born in Campton, Grafton, New Hampshire, the third child and second son of Thomas and Mary Ann.
• 25 July 1850:   He was enumerated as being 13 in the U.S. Census of Meredith, Belknap County, New Hampshire with his family.  Many of the children’s birth years on that document show them being born a few years earlier than their actual birth years.  George was probably learning the trade of shoemaking from his father at about age 13 or 14.
• 26 June 1860:  The family, including all children except Elizabeth, were listed on U.S. Census records in Gilford, Belknap County, New Hampshire.  George, listed as age 22, was working as a shoemaker.  The family surname was incorrectly transcribed as “Hall.”
• 9 September 1862:  George, along with his younger brother Charles, enlisted in Company H, 12th New Hampshire Volunteers, to fight for the Union in the Civil War. (U.S. Civil War Soldiers Index)
• 1-5 May 1863:  George’s regiment fought in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania County, Virginia.  Union troops numbering 97,000 fought against 57,000 Confederates, resulting in the deaths of approximately 24,000 men.
• 2 July 1863:  George was wounded on the second day of fighting in defense of Emmitsburg Road in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. About 48,000 lives were lost in the Battle of Gettysburg.  According to family tradition, his wound, two inches above the ankle, led to a serious infection that froze the lower leg at right angles to the thigh.  (U.S. Civil War soldier records loaned by Edwyna Chapman)
• 28 November 1864:  George applied for a pension and was listed as an invalid.  (New Hampshire U. S. Civil War and Later Pension Index)
• 6 June 1870:  George was listed on the 1870 U.S. Census as living with his parents in Gilford, Belknap County, New Hampshire.  His occupation was specified as “works in shoe shop.”
• 8 June 1880:  George, still single, was living with his father, his brother James and sister, Elizabeth A. Bailey (widowed) in Laconia, Belknap County, New Hampshire at the time of the 1880 U.S. Census.  He was working as a shoemaker.
• 14 March 1900:  George died of consumption in Laconia, Belknap, New Hampshire at age 59 and was buried in Union Cemetery, lot #3, Laconia, near the Academy Street entrance.  (New Hampshire Death Records)

Charles L. Hale
Son of Thomas J. Hale and Mary Ann F. Paxton

• About 1842:  Charles, fourth child and third son of Thomas and Mary Ann, was born, probably in Campton, Grafton County, New Hampshire.  Very few records mentioning Charles exist.
• 1850:  Charles was not at home and so was not listed with his family in the 1850 U.S. Census.
• 26 June 1860:  Charles was listed (surname transcribed incorrectly as Hall) on the 1860 U.S. Census in Gilford, Belknap County, New Hampshire.  He was listed as age 20, with no occupation specified.  All family members were enumerated, except for his sister Elizabeth, who had married in 1858.
• 9 September 1862:  With his older brother George, Charles enlisted in Company H, 12th regiment, New Hampshire Volunteers.  At the time of enlistment he was close to his 20th birthday, 5’ 9” inches tall, with black hair and eyes, and a mechanic (machine operator) by trade.  (U.S. Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865; New Hampshire, Civil War Service and Pension Records, 1861-1866)
• 18 January 1863:  Charles mustered out of the army in Falmouth, Virginia.  His discharge shows that he had severe infections, with cough, diarrhea, and weight loss, which left him unable to serve for two months.  Further, these problems were believed to have resulted from exposure on the night of 26 October 1862, during picket duty.  Thus Charles did not see action with his brother at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.
• 22 May 1866:  Charles died in New Hampshire at age 25.  His land in Gilford was inherited by his father.

Thomas A. Hale
Son of Thomas J. Hale and Mary Ann F. Paxton

• 5 June 1844:  Thomas was born in Campton or Thornton, Grafton County, New Hampshire, the fifth child and fourth son of Thomas and Mary Ann.
• 25 July 1850:  The U.S. Census showed him living in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire with his parents and siblings.
• 26 June 1860: The Hale family, surname incorrectly transcribed as “Hall,’’ was enumerated on the U.S. Census in Gilford, Belknap, New Hampshire.  Thomas is listed as 17 years old.
• 24 December 1872:  Thomas married Mary Celina Landry in Laconia, Belknap, New Hampshire.  He was listed as a mill worker at the time of the marriage.  Mary Landry, indexed as Sandry or Laundry on some records, was born about 1854 in Canada.  She used the name Mary on marriage and birth records, continuing until about 1885, when she appears as Celina.  (New Hampshire Marriage Records)
• 1873-1894:  Thomas and Mary became parents to six children, all born in Laconia, New Hampshire:
  • Maggie (1873-1873)
  • Thomas Napoleon (1876-1955)
  • Alfred (1878-1943)
  • Charles Joseph (1883-1953)
  • Rosa (1885-1950)
  • Georgiana Celina (1894-     )
• June 1900:  He was living at 337 Court Street, Laconia, New Hampshire, with his wife and five children at the time of the 1900 U.S. Census.
• 29 April 1910:  Thomas, head of household, and his wife Mary C. were enumerated in the 1910 U.S. Census of Laconia, Belknap, New Hampshire.
• 13 April 1919:  Thomas died in Laconia, Belknap, New Hampshire of a cerebral hemorrhage.  His death record listed his occupation as “waste sorter.”  He was interred two days later at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Laconia.  His wife passed away in 1920, also in Laconia.

Mary J. Hale
Daughter of Thomas J. Hale and Mary Ann F. Paxton

• About 1845:  Mary was born in Campton, Grafton County, New Hampshire, the sixth child and second daughter of Thomas and Mary Ann.
• 25 July 1850:  Mary was living with her family in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire, as the U.S. Census showed.
• 26 June 1860:  Mary’s name was listed along with her family, living in Gilford, Belknap, New Hampshire.  She was 15 at that time.  A later transcription of the census interpreted the surname of the family as “Hall.”
• 6 June 1870:  She was living with her parents, brothers George and James, sister Elizabeth A. Bailey, and her niece Mary Elizabeth Bailey (Lizzie) in Laconia, Belknap, New Hampshire.  The 1870 U.S. Census lists her as a dressmaker.
• 5 September 1876:  Mary died at the age of 31.  (Headstone in Union Cemetery, Laconia, Belknap County, New Hampshire, old family plot near the Academy Street entrance.)

Edward Dolan Hale
Son of Thomas J. Hale and Mary Ann F. Paxton

• 23 April 1849:  Edward was born in Campton, Grafton, New Hampshire.  He was the seventh child and fifth son born to Thomas and Mary Ann.
• 25 July 1850:  Edward was enumerated with his parents and siblings in the 1850 U.S. Census of Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire.
• 26 June 1860:  The family, name incorrectly transcribed as “Hall,” was listed on the U.S. Census of Gilford, Belknap, New Hampshire.  Edward was listed as age 13.
• 31 December 1872:  Edward was married to Evilena (Eva) C. Moulton in Gilford, Belknap, New Hampshire.  One version of the marriage record shows her as Caroline B. Moulton, likely due to a transcription error.
• 1875-1890:  Edward and Eva became parents to nine children, all with the surname Hale:
  • Leon Paxton (1875-1936)
  • Annie Marion (1877-1943)
  • Edward Everett (1879-1891)
  • Ada Evelyn (1881-1942)
  • Henry Harvey (1883-1961)
  • Walter Cleveland (1884-1888)
  • Eva Maude (1886-1960)
  • Nellie Moulton (1888-1966)
  • Baby Boy (Stillborn, unnamed, 6 June 1890)
• 1880:  Edward worked in the brass foundry of Laconia Car Company, casting parts for railroad cars or operating power grinders in the finishing process.
• 24 June 1890:  Eva, pregnant with her ninth child, died after a fall.  The son was stillborn.  After her death, Edward raised the remaining eight children with the help of his eldest daughter, Annie Marion, who was only 13 at the time.  She remembered her father as being extremely patient with all of them, but especially with her as she learned to cook and care for the family.  (As told by her granddaughter, Elaine Wilson Spencer)
• 7 June 1900:  Edward, age 51, was enumerated in the U.S. Census in Laconia, Belknap, New Hampshire.  He was living in the home of his son-in-law and daughter, Charles Smith and Annie Marion Hale Smith.
• 27 April 1910:  In the house of his son Leon P. Hale, at 56 Academy Street, Edward lived with Leon and Leon’s wife Cora, along with their young children—Eva, Edward, and Leoine—as enumerated in the 1910 U.S. Census in Laconia.
• 9 January 1920: The U.S. Census showed Edward as a boarder with 10 others (not family members) in a home on Fair Street in Laconia.
• 19 May 1922:  Edward died and was buried in the Hale plot next to his beloved wife, Eva.  Union Cemetery in Laconia is a peaceful, tree-studded place of beauty.   Near the family plot is a lily pond, a spot visited by the family in years gone by, where the children listened to the deep-throated croaks of frogs and looked for them hiding among the floating pond lilies.  (Find a Grave #78567431)

Seated, left to right:  Henry Harvey Hale, Annie Marion Hale Smith, Irene and Sadie Smith, Edward Dolan Hale, Eva C. and Edward H. Hale, and Cora Levinia Hyde Hale, wife of Leon. Standing, left to right:  Eva Maude Hale, Leon Paxton Hale, and Nellie Moulton Hale. (Studio photograph circa 1904)

James P. Hale
Son of Thomas J. Hale and Mary Ann F. Paxton

• 17 May 1850 to 15 May 1851:  James was born in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire, the eighth child and sixth son of Thomas and Mary Ann.
• 25 July 1850:  The U.S. Census recorded him with his parents and siblings in Meredith, New Hampshire.
• 26 June 1860:  The family had moved to Gilford, Belknap, New Hampshire.  The U.S. Census showed George, age 22, as a shoemaker.  The surname was incorrectly transcribed as “Hall.”
• 6 June 1870:  James lived with his parents, brother George, sister Elizabeth Bailey, and niece Mary Elizabeth Bailey (Lizzie) in Gilford, Belknap County, New Hampshire, according to the 1870 U.S. Census.  His occupation was noted as “works in shoe shop.”
• 1 May 1878:  James and Lizzie Campbell, daughter of Alexander Campbell, were married in Laconia, Belknap County, New Hampshire.  He was 28 years old; Lizzie was 14.  He listed his occupation as music dealer, and may have owned a music store in Laconia, Gilford, or Meredith, New Hampshire.
• 8 June 1880:  James was back living with his father in Laconia on the 1880 U.S. Census.  His brother George and sister Elizabeth were also in the home, but his wife, Lizzie, was not listed.  James’ occupation was noted as “works in hosiery mill.”