William L Hanscom
Rank: Pvt Co: D Age: 39 Residence: Berwick Birthplace: Eliot Occupation: joiner
Married; Height: 5' 5 Eyes: Blue Hair: Dark Complexion: Dark
WILLIAM LYMAN HANSCOM was born in Eliot, Maine (Descriptive Roll) about 1823 (based on age in censuses), his parentage not yet certain. He died between 1880 and 1884, and is buried in the Free Will Baptist Church Cemetery in South Berwick, Maine.
He was married first to SUSAN SPURLIN, 20 Oct 1844 in Dover, NH [VR of Dover, NH, pg 248]. She was born abt 1825 (calc from age at death) in NH. She died on 8 Feb 1863 (while William was in Virginia with the 27th ME), aged 38 yrs, and is buried in the Free Will Baptist Church Cemetery. He secondly married, on 25 Jan 1864 in South Berwick, to SARAH W NASON, perhaps the daughter of Lucius and Sarah W Nason. She was born in 1832 [grave] and died on 24 Nov 1884 [York County Probate]. She is buried in same plot as husband in South Berwick. |
William was a carpenter (joiner), and lived in Eliot, Berwick, and South Berwick, Maine, as well as Dover, NH.
The following children, based on census data, may not be complete:
i. ELLEN M HANSCOM, b. abt 1846 in Maine; d. 25 July 1867, aged 21 yrs. Buried in Free Will Baptist Cemetery, South Berwick.
ii. ESTHER G/J HANSCOM, b. abt 1848 in MA. Alive in 1884 (listed in step-mother's probate).
iii. HENRY L HANSCOM, b. ca 1851 in ME or NH (age 9 in 1860; a. 19 in 1870; obit says b. 10 Sept 1849 in Malden, MA); m. ELIZABETH JANE BAILEY, b. 11 Aug 1856 St. Paul, MN, dau of William and Elizabeth (Holland) Bailey, d. 12 Dec 1943, Dover, NH [NH vr]. Henry was a painter, and lived in So. Berwick and Dover.
All children recorded in Dover, NH VR., though death records for a couple indicated a different birth place.
1. Eugenie Idella Hanscom, b. 25 Sep 1878
2. Alice Chase Hanscom, b. 5 Dec 1880, So. Berwick, d. 29 May 1891, Dover, NH
3. Willie Bailey Hanscom, b. 31 Dec 1884, No. Berwick, d. 27 May 1891, Dover, NH
4. Susan Foye Hanscom, b. 5 Oct 1886, d. 1983
5. Albert Smith Hanscom, b. 7 Oct 1888, d. 27 May 1891, Dover, NH
6. Edgard Lord Hanscom, b. 19 Nov 1889, d. 24 Nov 1890, Dover, NH
7. Mildred Weed Hanscom, b. 27 Feb 1891
8. Lemuel Simons Hanscom, b. 27 Jan 1893, d. 25 Feb 1893, Dover, NH
9. Marion Elizabeth Hanscom, b. 9 Apr 1896
10. Esther Felicia Hanscom, b. 5 Jun 1901
iv. FANNIE A HANSCOM, b. abt 1857 (age 22 when marr in '57; not w/ family in 1860 census), d. Haverhill, MA; m, 11 Jun 1879, ALBERT FRANCIS SMITH, son of Edward Smith. M. 2nd, 31 Dec 1902 in Lynn, MA, ALFRED N HOOD. Later censuses show her with ca 1863 birth year - not w/ family in 1870 census, however.
v. ALSADIE ELSINE HANSCOM, b. abt 1858 in South Berwick, ME. Marr. CHARLES E GERRY (or GAREY) 18 Dec 1878 in Rollinsford [NH VR]. Divorced Sept. 1882 [SJC, v 37, pg 301].
vi. MARY HANSCOM, b. Mar-Apr 1860 (aged 3/12 in June 1860 census, taken in July ), probably in Berwick, ME. Not in 1870 census (see below). Not mentioned in step-mother's 1884 will.
[NATHANIEL HANSCOM, not w/ family in 1860 census, aged 11 in 1870 census. His name is written clearly on the latter census, though was originally marked as female, and written over with an "m". As "he" is not seen in earlier or later censuses, this was perhaps a mistaken entry for Mary, herself missing from the 1870 census (or at least not in this household)]
by 2nd wife:
vii. WILLIAM P HANSCOM, b. abt (calc) 12 June 1865; d. 12 Jan 1871, aged 5 yrs, 7 mos. "Willie" was drowned while sledding on the river and slid through a hole in the ice. Fisherman nearby ran to his aid, but his body did not surface downstream, as did the sled. The Dover Enquirer, on Jan. 26th, wrote that "he was never seen again". Stone in plot w/ parents.
viii. ALICE C HANSCOM, b. abt (calc) Mar 1867; died 23 Oct 1867, aged 7 mos. Buried with parents.
ix. GEORGE OLIVER HANSCOM, b. 19 Nov 1874 in South Berwick [WWI Draft Card]. Marr, 7 Apr 1894 in Canaan, NH, BERTHA M CARLTON, dau of Foss and Georgianna Carlton. Born Jan 1880 in Epping, NH.
1. Elsie Alzaida Hanscom, b. 22 Jan 1908 in Groveland, MA [MA vr]
The following children, based on census data, may not be complete:
i. ELLEN M HANSCOM, b. abt 1846 in Maine; d. 25 July 1867, aged 21 yrs. Buried in Free Will Baptist Cemetery, South Berwick.
ii. ESTHER G/J HANSCOM, b. abt 1848 in MA. Alive in 1884 (listed in step-mother's probate).
iii. HENRY L HANSCOM, b. ca 1851 in ME or NH (age 9 in 1860; a. 19 in 1870; obit says b. 10 Sept 1849 in Malden, MA); m. ELIZABETH JANE BAILEY, b. 11 Aug 1856 St. Paul, MN, dau of William and Elizabeth (Holland) Bailey, d. 12 Dec 1943, Dover, NH [NH vr]. Henry was a painter, and lived in So. Berwick and Dover.
All children recorded in Dover, NH VR., though death records for a couple indicated a different birth place.
1. Eugenie Idella Hanscom, b. 25 Sep 1878
2. Alice Chase Hanscom, b. 5 Dec 1880, So. Berwick, d. 29 May 1891, Dover, NH
3. Willie Bailey Hanscom, b. 31 Dec 1884, No. Berwick, d. 27 May 1891, Dover, NH
4. Susan Foye Hanscom, b. 5 Oct 1886, d. 1983
5. Albert Smith Hanscom, b. 7 Oct 1888, d. 27 May 1891, Dover, NH
6. Edgard Lord Hanscom, b. 19 Nov 1889, d. 24 Nov 1890, Dover, NH
7. Mildred Weed Hanscom, b. 27 Feb 1891
8. Lemuel Simons Hanscom, b. 27 Jan 1893, d. 25 Feb 1893, Dover, NH
9. Marion Elizabeth Hanscom, b. 9 Apr 1896
10. Esther Felicia Hanscom, b. 5 Jun 1901
iv. FANNIE A HANSCOM, b. abt 1857 (age 22 when marr in '57; not w/ family in 1860 census), d. Haverhill, MA; m, 11 Jun 1879, ALBERT FRANCIS SMITH, son of Edward Smith. M. 2nd, 31 Dec 1902 in Lynn, MA, ALFRED N HOOD. Later censuses show her with ca 1863 birth year - not w/ family in 1870 census, however.
v. ALSADIE ELSINE HANSCOM, b. abt 1858 in South Berwick, ME. Marr. CHARLES E GERRY (or GAREY) 18 Dec 1878 in Rollinsford [NH VR]. Divorced Sept. 1882 [SJC, v 37, pg 301].
vi. MARY HANSCOM, b. Mar-Apr 1860 (aged 3/12 in June 1860 census, taken in July ), probably in Berwick, ME. Not in 1870 census (see below). Not mentioned in step-mother's 1884 will.
[NATHANIEL HANSCOM, not w/ family in 1860 census, aged 11 in 1870 census. His name is written clearly on the latter census, though was originally marked as female, and written over with an "m". As "he" is not seen in earlier or later censuses, this was perhaps a mistaken entry for Mary, herself missing from the 1870 census (or at least not in this household)]
by 2nd wife:
vii. WILLIAM P HANSCOM, b. abt (calc) 12 June 1865; d. 12 Jan 1871, aged 5 yrs, 7 mos. "Willie" was drowned while sledding on the river and slid through a hole in the ice. Fisherman nearby ran to his aid, but his body did not surface downstream, as did the sled. The Dover Enquirer, on Jan. 26th, wrote that "he was never seen again". Stone in plot w/ parents.
viii. ALICE C HANSCOM, b. abt (calc) Mar 1867; died 23 Oct 1867, aged 7 mos. Buried with parents.
ix. GEORGE OLIVER HANSCOM, b. 19 Nov 1874 in South Berwick [WWI Draft Card]. Marr, 7 Apr 1894 in Canaan, NH, BERTHA M CARLTON, dau of Foss and Georgianna Carlton. Born Jan 1880 in Epping, NH.
1. Elsie Alzaida Hanscom, b. 22 Jan 1908 in Groveland, MA [MA vr]
Additional Source Data:
- Card Records of Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, ca. 1879-ca. 1903: lists his full name (no death date)
- Dover, NH Marriages, 1824 - 1847, Vol. 1, pg 213: Marriage intents of William Hanscom of Ports, NH and Susan Spurlin of Dover, 29 Sep 1844
- Dover, NH City Directory: William not listed in 1848 or 1859
- Find a Grave: memorial #64159723. Note that this William Lyman has the death date of William Leighton Hanscom (3 Sept 1881) on his memorial (and numerous family trees on Ancestry). It is also linked to Alpheus and Joanna (Stacy) Hanscom, said to be his parents, but I have yet to find sources to verify this.
- York County Probate: No file for William L.; his widow Sarah W, file #8421, mentions "Esther, Henry L, Fanny, and Alsadie E. Hanscom, children of my dec'd husb. William L.", of which she writes "I give nothing".
1850 Dover, Strafford, NH census: hh 906/1277
1860 Berwick, York, Maine census (pg 45)
1870 Berwick, ME census (pg 49)
1880 South Berwick, ME census (pg 16)
- no pension filed under his name
- Card Records of Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, ca. 1879-ca. 1903: lists his full name (no death date)
- Dover, NH Marriages, 1824 - 1847, Vol. 1, pg 213: Marriage intents of William Hanscom of Ports, NH and Susan Spurlin of Dover, 29 Sep 1844
- Dover, NH City Directory: William not listed in 1848 or 1859
- Find a Grave: memorial #64159723. Note that this William Lyman has the death date of William Leighton Hanscom (3 Sept 1881) on his memorial (and numerous family trees on Ancestry). It is also linked to Alpheus and Joanna (Stacy) Hanscom, said to be his parents, but I have yet to find sources to verify this.
- York County Probate: No file for William L.; his widow Sarah W, file #8421, mentions "Esther, Henry L, Fanny, and Alsadie E. Hanscom, children of my dec'd husb. William L.", of which she writes "I give nothing".
1850 Dover, Strafford, NH census: hh 906/1277
1860 Berwick, York, Maine census (pg 45)
1870 Berwick, ME census (pg 49)
1880 South Berwick, ME census (pg 16)
- no pension filed under his name