Charles L Decoff
Rank: Pvt Co: G Age: 22 Residence: Eliot Birthplace: PEI Occupation: Farmer Married/Single: S
Height: 5' 7.5'' Eyes: Blue Hair: L Complexion: Lt
CHARLES LEVI DeCOFF, born 11 June 1840 [grave] at Halfway Cove, in Guysborough, Nova Scotia [surname spelled "Dickoff" in Christ Church Records, Guysborough County: "D", pg 12, says 1839], the son of James and Jane DeCoff. Charles died in Eliot, Maine on 4 Jan 1925 at age 84 yrs, 6 mos, 24 das. He was buried in Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Eliot.
He married first, on 12 June 1864 in Boston [MA vr v.173,p.68] to SARAH A KENNARD, the daughter of William and Mary E Kennard. She was born ca May 1840 in Eliot, ME, and died on 27 Dec 1890 in Portland at age 50 yrs, 7 mos, 18 das [ME VR]. She was buried in Mt Pleasant/Greenwood Cem.
He married second on 25 June 1892 in Blue Hill, ME [ME Marr Rec] to LUCY E STAPLES of Blue Hill, ME. She was born 26 Sept 1865 [ME Death Rec] in Blue Hill, ME [Marr rec; death rec says Sedwick, ME] to Alfred and Adelaide (Hanscom) Staples [ME VR]. She died in South Berwick, ME (at Fall Mem Hosp) on 15 Nov 1939 at age 74 yrs, 2 mos, 20 das. She is buried with Charles at Mt Pleasant/Greenwood Cem in Eliot.
Naturalization papers claim that Charles arrived in Portsmouth, NH in the spring of 1845. I found on the Boston Passenger Lists a Charles DeCoff age 13 who arrived in Boston on 5 June, 1852 aboard the Sch. Mary Virgin, who sailed from Pictou, Nova Scotia. He was with a Jane DeCoff, age 37 and 4 others, said to be from Cape Breton, and looks to be his family. He was naturalized on 9 Sept 1892 in Portland, Maine.
He was in Boston for the 1860 census, a tool maker. He was back in Eliot for his enlistment, but returned to Boston after the war. Most rec's give him an occupation of machinist until his later years where he had a farm. He was in Boston for 1870, stayed a short time in Taunton, MA, moved back to Eliot for awhile before going up to Portland to work on the railroad, but returned to Eliot and lived out the rest of his life there.
He only had children by his first wife Sarah:
i. LEONORA L DECOFF, born 13 Dec 1865 in Boston [MA vr], she died in Boston, MA on 17 Mar 1876 at age 10 yrs, 4 mos, 4 das from diphtheria [MA VR]. Buried with parents in Eliot.
ii. CHARLES L DECOFF, born ca Dec 1867 [didn't find birth rec] in Boston, MA, he died on 10 Feb 1871 in Boston at age 4 yrs, 1 mo, 15 das [MA vr v.240,p.24] of gastric fever. He was buried in Eliot, ME.
iii. WILLIE K DECOFF, b. about Dec 1872 in Taunton, MA [death rec]; died on 23 Mar 1876 from diphtheria at age 4 yrs, 4 mos, 1 day [MA VR] and is buried with his parents and siblings in Eliot, ME.
iv. (our baby), small grave in DeCoff cemetery plot gives no indication of name, date, or parents, but believed to be a child of Charles and Sarah.
I see no evidence of any other children that survived, only two of the above seen in census records.
Additional source data:
York County Cemetery Inscriptions: (pg 609): Mt Pleasant Cem, Eliot
1890 Veteran Schedule: Charles in Portland, ME, 106 Clark St
Boston Passenger Lists 1820-1943 - online database
Civil War Pension Index: Chas filed 26 Aug, 1890 [app #942,576 cert #701855], widow Lucy E filed (date unreadable) [app #1227550 cert #961510]
1860 Eliot,ME census - a James age 49 and Jeremiah L age 13, both b.Nova Scotia in town
1860 Boston, MA census
1870 Boston wrd-2 census (pg 8) - notes that Chas was born St Johns, N.B.
1880 Eliot,ME (pg 12) - b.NB
1885-86 Portland direct, Chas a machinist for M.C.R.R., bds at 169 York
1888, same occ, bds 41 Bracket
1889-91 now at 106 Clark, a machinist
1896 still in town, with h.36 Gilman, a machinist for MCRR
1900 Eliot (pg 4B) - says immigrated 1851, b.N.S., had a farm but still a machinist
1910 Eliot (pg 7B) - now a farmer, b.NS
1920 Eliot (pg 5A) house on River Road; immigrated 1848
1921 Eliot Street Directory: Charles and Lucy on River Road
1930 Mansfield, Bristol Co,MA - the widow Lucy E, age 64, is here (error on viewer so couldn't see who she's living with)
He married first, on 12 June 1864 in Boston [MA vr v.173,p.68] to SARAH A KENNARD, the daughter of William and Mary E Kennard. She was born ca May 1840 in Eliot, ME, and died on 27 Dec 1890 in Portland at age 50 yrs, 7 mos, 18 das [ME VR]. She was buried in Mt Pleasant/Greenwood Cem.
He married second on 25 June 1892 in Blue Hill, ME [ME Marr Rec] to LUCY E STAPLES of Blue Hill, ME. She was born 26 Sept 1865 [ME Death Rec] in Blue Hill, ME [Marr rec; death rec says Sedwick, ME] to Alfred and Adelaide (Hanscom) Staples [ME VR]. She died in South Berwick, ME (at Fall Mem Hosp) on 15 Nov 1939 at age 74 yrs, 2 mos, 20 das. She is buried with Charles at Mt Pleasant/Greenwood Cem in Eliot.
Naturalization papers claim that Charles arrived in Portsmouth, NH in the spring of 1845. I found on the Boston Passenger Lists a Charles DeCoff age 13 who arrived in Boston on 5 June, 1852 aboard the Sch. Mary Virgin, who sailed from Pictou, Nova Scotia. He was with a Jane DeCoff, age 37 and 4 others, said to be from Cape Breton, and looks to be his family. He was naturalized on 9 Sept 1892 in Portland, Maine.
He was in Boston for the 1860 census, a tool maker. He was back in Eliot for his enlistment, but returned to Boston after the war. Most rec's give him an occupation of machinist until his later years where he had a farm. He was in Boston for 1870, stayed a short time in Taunton, MA, moved back to Eliot for awhile before going up to Portland to work on the railroad, but returned to Eliot and lived out the rest of his life there.
He only had children by his first wife Sarah:
i. LEONORA L DECOFF, born 13 Dec 1865 in Boston [MA vr], she died in Boston, MA on 17 Mar 1876 at age 10 yrs, 4 mos, 4 das from diphtheria [MA VR]. Buried with parents in Eliot.
ii. CHARLES L DECOFF, born ca Dec 1867 [didn't find birth rec] in Boston, MA, he died on 10 Feb 1871 in Boston at age 4 yrs, 1 mo, 15 das [MA vr v.240,p.24] of gastric fever. He was buried in Eliot, ME.
iii. WILLIE K DECOFF, b. about Dec 1872 in Taunton, MA [death rec]; died on 23 Mar 1876 from diphtheria at age 4 yrs, 4 mos, 1 day [MA VR] and is buried with his parents and siblings in Eliot, ME.
iv. (our baby), small grave in DeCoff cemetery plot gives no indication of name, date, or parents, but believed to be a child of Charles and Sarah.
I see no evidence of any other children that survived, only two of the above seen in census records.
Additional source data:
York County Cemetery Inscriptions: (pg 609): Mt Pleasant Cem, Eliot
1890 Veteran Schedule: Charles in Portland, ME, 106 Clark St
Boston Passenger Lists 1820-1943 - online database
Civil War Pension Index: Chas filed 26 Aug, 1890 [app #942,576 cert #701855], widow Lucy E filed (date unreadable) [app #1227550 cert #961510]
1860 Eliot,ME census - a James age 49 and Jeremiah L age 13, both b.Nova Scotia in town
1860 Boston, MA census
1870 Boston wrd-2 census (pg 8) - notes that Chas was born St Johns, N.B.
1880 Eliot,ME (pg 12) - b.NB
1885-86 Portland direct, Chas a machinist for M.C.R.R., bds at 169 York
1888, same occ, bds 41 Bracket
1889-91 now at 106 Clark, a machinist
1896 still in town, with h.36 Gilman, a machinist for MCRR
1900 Eliot (pg 4B) - says immigrated 1851, b.N.S., had a farm but still a machinist
1910 Eliot (pg 7B) - now a farmer, b.NS
1920 Eliot (pg 5A) house on River Road; immigrated 1848
1921 Eliot Street Directory: Charles and Lucy on River Road
1930 Mansfield, Bristol Co,MA - the widow Lucy E, age 64, is here (error on viewer so couldn't see who she's living with)