Norman Ames, died 1877-1887, possibly Panama?

[Michael ONeil]

I'm trying to find the death details of a Norman Ames 1877-1887 location unknown.

He was born 1825 or possibly a few years later in Rutland County, Vermont, although a couple of census have given his birthplace as Connecticut and New York.

I don't have any earlier details however he was definitely in New York City shortly before 1850. He married before the 1850 Census (30th July) to a Mary J. Beechinor.

He's in the 1850, 1860 and 1870 Census in NYC. The last city directory entry I have for Norman is in 1865 and there's none for a Mary, widow of Norman at all after that.

His daughter marries 30 April 1873 and the newspaper notice says she is the daughter of Norman Ames Esq so he's still alive.

His wife Mary dies 3rd June 1887 her obit states widow of the late Norman Ames so he's dead by this date.

He was an engineer by occupation and worked on the steamships sailing from New York to Aspinwall (Colon) in Panama and quite possibly San Francisco. I have him listed as doing this between 1851 and 1877 with a seaman's certificate from 1858 giving his birth details above.

He's not in the 1880 Census and unfortunately his wife for that year is listed in the Schedules of Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes as being a patient at a NYC hospital but there are no marital status details so I don't know if she was a widow by then.

All the newspaper notices or obits I have for the above and other family members state variously, Panama Papers, Panama Herald, Panama Star, California papers copy meaning presumably the notices were copied in those locations?

I can't find anything for his death in the USA so...

Deaths at sea? Died in Panama?

[Lisa in California]

Were any other family members living in California at the time that the California papers "were copied"?  Also, were any family members living in Panama?   

[Michael ONeil]

Hi Lisa - cheers for the reply.

No other family members in Panama to the best of my knowledge. His occupation as engineer on the packet ships took him there. Both himself and a brother in-law (George Good) worked on various steamships principally for the Pacific Railroad Steamship Company.

Yes to California. Another brother in-law, Norman A. Beechinor (who I'm sure was named after Norman Ames) was resident there from at least 1873 in San Francisco (California, Voter Registers, 1866-1898). Born January 1850 in NYC less than 2 years after the family's arrival, he was the youngest of 12 Beechinor children and by this date Norman Ames had already married Mary J. Beechinor.

Beechinor, Ames, Good and other family members and in-laws all stayed in NYC and Norman Beechinor is the only one I managed to trace to California. He might have made it there before 1873 as I can't find him on the 1870 Census. I have a reasonably complete picture of him until his death in San Francisco in 1919.

Going back through all my obits and newspaper articles, the earliest date I can find mention of a copy to California papers (also Panama) is George Good's obit in January 1869 so maybe Norman Beechinor was there at that date?

[Lisa in California]

Looking at the records you mentioned, could the following provide any clues?

Since the earliest census stated that Norman was born in Vermont and his citizenship record shows Rutland County, Vermont I might guess that his actual birthplace was Vermont.

He was noted as being 6' 1" (citizenship record) which could have been an unusual height for that time?  Have you looked at any Ames records to see if there were any possible siblings for Norman (who also might have been seamen and possibly taller than average)?  Could Norman have been buried with Ames family members?

The notation for Beechinor/Ames Calvary Cemetery record on FindAGrave states that the plot contains 19 burials.  You most likely tried contacting the cemetery office to see if Norman was buried in the cemetery? 
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/148272116
Note:  According to internet information from 2013, there is apparently a (somewhat large) fee to provide information.  Also, since you don't know when or where Norman died, they most likely cannot help you.  So, scratch that idea!

Is this a different Mary Ames?
1880 New York City Census
Presbyterian Hospital
Mary Ames, age 47, Boarder.  Widowed/Divorced column is marked.
  Born in Ireland as were parents.
  Occupation:  None
  Sickness/disability:  Intermittent(?) fever
I just found the Schedule of Defective, etc. and it appears to be the same person as noted above so if she was recorded accurately, she was widowed/divorced by 1880.

Since you've not yet found an obituary record for Norman, I wonder if he and Mary split up at some point?   It seems a bit odd that you've found other newspaper bits but nothing for Norman.   

[Michael ONeil]

Hi Lisa

Yes - Rutland County, Vermont is the closest I've managed to get to a location but I've not managed yet to get an actual birth record. I've got a list of about 6 likely towns to try. I have him in NYC in 1850 but as you probably know the earlier census only list heads of households and then males/females between certain age brackets. I've tried comparing 1840 back to 1830 using Ames as heads of households and looking for males aged say 5 or 6 in 1830 that might correlate to males 10 years older in 1840. It was too hit and miss though and I couldn't be sure. Anyhow the upshot was that there was no actual Norman Ames. So 1850 is the earliest census I have.

I did try other Ames in NYC Census, directories and Seaman's records for possible siblings and nothing definitive.

The Find A Grave memorial you found is my memorial. It's a family plot of 19 graves and there's no Norman. I paid a few hundred dollars (ouch) back in 2014 for all the details and it's mostly Beechinor, Dickers and Good who were all in-laws. The plot was bought by Joannah Good (nee Beechinor) upon the death of her husband George Good in 1869 and as well as later burials to as late as 1924 there were some re-interments at the same time as George Good was buried. I discovered this was the case and often pass on to other Calvary Cemetery researchers. I'd been given the original grave info for William Dickers when he died in 1865 and was surprised to find him in the later and different plot meaning that Calvary most likely don't keep track of re-interments. Calvary will only give out free plot details over the phone if you know name, year and month of burial. Anything more involving other members in a plot or wider searches costs money and it is quite a hefty fee.

And yes that is the correct Mary Ames. The Presbyterian Hospital is up on East 72nd Street and for that year her daughter (Hannah Angela) was living a couple of streets further up the east side most likely to be near her mother. Hannah was close to her cousin (Dickers) and they lived in this area. Hannah's son James O'Neil used Dickers' address on a number of occasions. I couldn't find any column in the record that states marital status thus confirming your widowed/divorced reference??? If you're correct then he's dead by 1880 which narrows any search down to 1877-1880.

I'm of the opinion that Norman's occupation took him away from home for large periods so that might explain various references to copy to Panama Papers and residential absences. The last 1877 reference is a shipping manifest - NYC to Aspinall (Colon) in Panama. Given that the family seemed to put obituaries in the NYC papers then the fact that Norman is missing seems odd as I think that even if he had died at sea or elsewhere they would have made mention of this even if only for a requiem mass. Like you suggest perhaps they were estranged?

Michael.

[Lisa in California]

Mary is shown on two census forms.  The 1880 Federal Census is the form that shows her marital status.   

[Michael ONeil]

Hi Lisa - nice find. I'd only looked at the delinquent classes entry and assumed that was it - I never imagined there'd also be a census listing too. Anyhow it narrows down Norman's demise to 1877-1880 given as you say she was a widow.