When did Joseph marry Emma?

Because of the lack of official records, it is not always easy to trace marriages in 19^th century Pennsylvania. We know CTR married Maria Ackley on 13 March 1879 and his sister Margaretta had earlier married Benjamin Land on 24 June 1873 because there are newspaper reports for these events.

As the marriage of Benjamin and Margaretta has not yet, to my knowledge, been published on the internet, below is the newspaper cutting from The Pittsburgh Commercial for 25 June 1973:

The Rev. J.M. Crum was from the Plymouth Congregational Church.

But when Joseph Lytle Russell married Emma Hammond Ackley, the sister of his son’s wife, there do not appear to be any extant newspaper announcements.

However, we can narrow down when the event happened, and a recent newspaper discovery narrows matters down even futher, prompting this article.

The starting point is the 1880 census which took place in Pittsburgh on 14 June 1880. It was intended to be a snapshot of events as they were on 1 June 1880. In this document, Joseph and Emma are not yet married. This is well over a year after CTR and Maria were married.

It is not the clearest of writing but it shows four people living together in Cedar Avenue.

*This is difficult to read. It looks a bit like Sister (step) but the correct relationship to the head of the household, CTR, should be Sister-in-Law and later also Step-Mother.

Joseph L has shaved a few years off his age. He was approaching 68 at this point, but only admits to 60.

According to this census return, at the beginning of June 1880 Joseph L and Emma are living at the same address but are still not married.  So their marriage would have to be after the date of the census.

The next month, July, we have now found a reference to them in a news item about the latest vacation hot-spot, Chautauqua Lake. This location would feature later in Watch Tower history with a convention held there (see 1910 Convention Report) but in 1880 it was a vacation destination easily accessible by the railroads from places like Pittsburgh and Allegheny. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for 27 July 1880 carried a list of visitors to the attractions.

 

A transcript reads:

CHAUTAUQUA CHAT.

Crowding Toward the Lake—Life at Point Chautauqua.

Special Correspondence of the Commercial Gazette.

Point Chautauqua, July 26.—Travel to the lake is increasing, the railroad trains are well filled, and the steamers, both large and small, are constantly plying on the waters of this beautiful lake.

Pittsburgh and Allegheny are well represented here, the following being a few of them: Dr. D. W. Riggs and sisters, Mrs. W. Jarvis, Prof. J. F. Carey, Wm. Yagle and wife, A. Johnston and wife, H. Samson, Rev. J. S. Wrightnour, Mrs. H. D. Reymer and daughter, H. Myers and family, John Hays and wife, D. P. Chapman, J. M. Stoner and wife, W. Shallenberger, J. L. Russell and wife, C. B. Priji, James E. Porter, Mrs. J. C. McCullough and daughter, Charles W. Anderson, Cyrus Pershing, Miss Lida McEldowney, Miss Kate Dickson and Rev. J. S. Hutson and wife.

The head clerk of the Grand Hotel informed me, last evening, that the house was full. And why should it not be? The splendid structure, its tasteful furnishings, its excellent table, its beautiful location and its home-like character, render it specially attractive and popular. The cottages, too, in which excellent accommodations can be obtained at low rates, are rapidly filling up.

We note that the visitors from Pittsburgh and Allegheny include J L Russell and wife. Why would a Pittsburgh merchant leave his business to go on vacation by rail 120-130 miles away? A probable answer would be that this was Joseph and Emma on their honeymoon.

We can reasonably give their wedding date then as at some time in July 1880.

This all fits with other evidence. They were to have one daughter Mabel who was born in September 1881. This information is on her marriage certificate when she married Richard Packard on 30 June 1903. If born in September 1881 then Mabel would have been conceived sometime around December 1880.

It would be interesting to discover who conducted the marriage ceremony for Joseph and Emma, but that information remains allusive. We know that John H Paton conducted the wedding service for CTR and Maria, because one of the newspapers provides the information. Although the 1880 census still lists CTR as a merchant, by now Zion’s Watch Tower had been published for a year so he was increasingly becoming known as a minister of religion. Maybe CTR conducted the wedding for his own father?

Ann Eliza's will

When checking the internet for information about CTR’s mother, Ann Eliza Russell, there is conflicting information about her death in genealogical research sites. Some say she died in Pittsburgh and others that she died in Philadelphia.

What is not in dispute is that she was buried in the family plot in the Allegheny Cemetery on Sunday 27 January 1861 just two days after her passing on Friday 25 January. Also that her business was then based in Philadelphia.

The notice of death in the Pittsburgh Gazette for Saturday 26 January 1861 states that she died on the Friday afternoon at 2.30. The funeral would be from her brother’s home the next day, Sunday. While she could have died in Philadelphia, the note of the exact time of death in the newspaper suggests she died at her brother’s home. Although a continuous rail link from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh did now exist, the train part of the journey alone would have taken 13-15 hours. It all indicates that Joseph, Eliza and the children had no proper base in Pittsburgh at the time, and also suggests that her brother Thomas and his family helped care for her in her final days.

Supporting the idea that she spent her final days in Pittsburgh is her last will and testament. It was prepared on 18 December 1860.

The will states that she was “of Pittsburgh” and that her husband was now doing business as her agent in Philadelphia. While not conclusive on its own, it does suggest she was preparing the will in Pittsburgh and that Joseph was not with her on the day.

The wording of the will shows it was not written at home with neighbors called in as witnesses. This was professionally prepared by a law firm, and the contents and wording suggest that her brother, Thomas, may have been with her, since much of the document features his role as executor. She obviously knew she was seriously ill and the will was to put her affairs in order and make provision for Joseph and the children. Although the attorney who prepared the will is not named (which apparently was quite common) the two who signed as witnesses, Jas. R. Reed and Thos. N. Murray, are listed in Thurston’s Pittsburgh Directory for 1860-1861 as clerks. The inference is that James and Thomas were law clerks, working in the same office, and were simply called in to witness Ann’s signing. Again, this supports the location as Pittsburgh.

As noted above, in the will she is presented as the business owner, and Joseph is called her agent in Philadelphia. The point of the will was that she had assets in her own right, likely inherited. The main thrust of the document was to settle outstanding debts still hanging over them from their 1855 business failure. This would help Joseph back on his feet financially.

Below is a transcript of the complete text of the document as written, with original spelling and capitalization preserved as closely as possible.

I, Ann Eliza Russell of Pittsburgh Allegheny County Penn. wife of Joseph L. Russell, who is now doing business as my agent in the City of Philadelphia Do make and publish this my last Will and Testament.

1st I give and devise to my Brother Thomas Birney of the City of Pittsburgh, his heirs and assigns, in trust for the uses hereafter mentioned, All the lands owned by me in the state of Iowa, and County of Franklin, viz The North East Quarter of Section No Eight (8) in Township No Ninety One (91), North of Range No twenty (20) west of the Fifth principal Meridian containing One hundred and sixty acres or thereabouts. To sell the same at as early a date after my decease, as in his opinion a fair price can be realized therefor; and on receiving the proceeds thereof or within a reasonable time thereafter to appropriate the same as follows To wit:

2d To appropriate to his own use such amount as will be a reasonable compensation for his trouble and expense in effecting sale thereof and maki distribution, as also to the amount of One hundred and fifty dollars additional, for money at sundry times heretofore by him advanced to me or my husband.

3d The rest and residue of the Proceeds arising from sale of the land aforesaid to be appropriated to payment or pro rata discharge of the debts due by my said husband or owing by him at the time of his failure in the year AD 1855, so far as may be made known to him the said Thomas Birney or his heirs, within twelve months from effecting sale as aforesaid. And for the purposes aforesaid I hereby nominate and appoint the said Thomas Birney my sole Executor, with full power to sell, execute and deliver a Deed or deeds for said described land without the intervention of any Court or order therefrom.

In witness whereof I hereto set my hand and seal this 18th day of December Anno Domini 1860.

Ann Eliza Russell

      

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said Testatrix as her last Will in our presence who at her request in her presence have hereunto signed our names as witnesses.

Jas. R Reed

Thos. N Murray

Sworn June 11 1861

 

It should be noted that the debts settled included money loaned by Thomas Birney in their time of need at the time of their 1855 disaster.

Joseph and the children came back to Pittsburgh to stay and build up a substantial dry goods business, both in Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, and Federal Street, Allegheny. CTR grew up and expanded the businesses. The rest as they say is history.

Last Will and Testament of Joseph Lytle Russell

The final LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT of Joseph Lyle Russell (CTR’s father) was made in July 1896, and was witnessed by three Watch Tower adherents. It made bequests to all his family members, his wife, and three surviving children. It would become a bone of contention to his wife, Emma, as perhaps evidenced by the three witnesses having to sign another statement at the end of December 1897 that Joseph Lytle was of “sound mind and memory” when they witnessed the will. It shows that Joseph owned various parcels of real estate and investments which he valued in total at around thirty thousand dollars, which would be worth well over a million dollars today. This of course would be prior to any debts that had to be settled out of the estate.

There are two copies of the will, one filed in Florida and one in Pittsburgh. There is only slight difference in wording between the two caused through human error in copying. The transcription below is based on the Florida copy, preserving original spelling, punctuation and capitalization.

 

This is the Last Will and Testament of Joseph L. Russell, of Allegheny City, Pennsylvania being of fair bodily health and of sound and clear understanding, and knowing the certainty of death and the uncertainty of life, do hereby make and declare this to be my last Will and Testament.

First: I desire that all debts owing by me including funeral expenses be paid out of my estate as soon after my decease as convenient may be. My Estate Real and Personal I at present estimate at about Thirty thousand dollars and I will name my investments affirming an estimate of their values as follows.

House and lot No. 188 Jackson St Allegheny valued at $5000.

House and Lot No. 190 Jackson St Allegheny $5800 less mortgage of $2500

House and Lot of leased ground No. 80 Cedar Avenue Allegheny valued at $5000

House and three Lots at Tarpon Springs Florida valued at $3000.

Twenty five acres of land Tarpon Springs Fla. 2500.

160 acres of land Polk County Florida - 800.

180 shares of stock in the Pittsburgh Kaolin Co. (valued at 5.00) 900.

Notes of W. D. Griffin Kinders Florida - 600

Household and Personal Property — My Entire Estate Real & Personal I hereby dispose of as follows:

First: To my beloved wife Emma H. Russell I give and bequeath in her own name and right the House and Lot No. 190 Jackson Street Allegheny subject however to Mortgage of $2500 dollars. I also give and bequeath to my wife Emma H. Russell the House on leased ground No. 80 Cedar Ave. Allegheny Pa., also one hundred Shares of Stock in the Kaolin Company of Pittsburgh Pa. par value fifty per share.

Second: To my beloved daughter Mabel Russell I give and bequeath in her own name and right, when she is twenty one years old the House and Lot No. 188 Jackson Street Allegheny Pa., also forty (40) Shares of stock of the Kaolin Company of Pittsburgh Pa. Also one half of our household furniture and our bedding and one Upright Piano and my own Gold Watch all in her own name & right.

Third: To my beloved Daughter Margaret M. Land I give and bequeath in her own name and right one house and three lots in the Town of Tarpon Springs Florida, also 25 acre of land adjoining the Town of Tarpon Springs. I also add  forty shares of stock in the Kaolin Company of Pittsburgh Pa.

Fourth: To my beloved son Charles T. Russell I give and bequeath one hundred and sixty acres of land in Polk County Florida – also thirty shares of stock in the Railway and Dock Construction Company of New York City, all in his own name & right.

Fifth: With reference to the Bequest I have made to my daughter Mabel Russell in the event of her death before she is twenty one years old, she still being single and unmarried then my desire is that all of my Bequests that have been made to my Daughter Mabel Russell shall revert to her Mother. But in case my daughter Mabel Russell should be married and have issue before she is Twenty one years old, then in that case she still retains all these Bequests I have made to her and in her own name & right as originally intended.

Sixth: I do hereby nominate and appoint my son Charles T. Russell to be my Executor and my wife Emma H. Russell to be my Executress of this my Last Will and Testament.

In Witness whereof I hereby affix my signature this tenth day of July 1896.

Joseph L. Russell (seal)

Witness:

Signed and sealed in presence of

E.C. Henninges (seal)
J.A. Bohnet (seal)
Mrs. O.A. Koetitz (seal)