Known as Catherine. Christened 7/12/1835 at the Garden Street Dutch Reformed Church, New York, NY (International Genealogical Index - New York). Born on Leonard St., New York, N.Y. (Eliza Catherine Dunscombe Colt notes). Following family custom she was given a geographical name: "Massachusetts."
Following are three versions of family notes by Eliza. The first are from a handwritten original in the possession of Edward A. Dunscombe and a typed version housed with the Colt family genealogical papers in the Manuscripts Division at the new York Public Library. The second are from a typed version supplied by Mary Earl. There are slight differences:
This is all I know of my Grandmother's family - C.D. Colt.
Grandfather John Dunscombe came from Bermuda about the year 1790 in his own sailing boat to visit his brother who was Yale College. Knowing Capt. McGill of Middletown Conn. he looked up the man & was invited to stay with Capt. McGill who also owned vessels, & had been to Bermuda. Capt. Mcgill had several daughters & our Dunscomb fell in love with the eldest Eliza whom he married before returning to Bermuda to which place he took his bride. Capt. McGill's wife was a Miss Denny of Middletown - her father came to this country when she was a child & did not remember much about the family as both she & her sister Miss Denny who never married were brought up in Belgium so that they spoke only French. Mr. Denny was a morose man & judging from incidents must have left England probably for political reasons. Mr. Samuel Collins my brother in law told me when a child he lived in Middletown remembers Mr. Denny who never had much to say to anyone was feared by the children as the nurses when they wished to frighten them told them that Mr. Denny was coming for them. When I went to Middletown as a child 1840-1843 we sometimes stayed at the hotel for the summer sometimes at the McGill house which was near the river. At that time my Great Grandfather Mr. Denny was dead but my Great Grandmother McGill nee Denny was alive. She had been for ten years a cripple from rheumatism & my only recollection of her is being called into her bedroom to put the floor bench under her feet after she had been taken from her bed & put in a large armchair. Beside my Grandmother Dunscomb nee McGill there were two daughters whom I saw (there were sons also but they left Middletown & I know nothing of them). One married Capt. Goodwin, & had one daughter, he went to the West Indies in his ship & never heard of again. His widow my Aunt Goodwin with her daughter lived in the McGill house as also did the other daughter of my Great Grandmother, Miss McGill, who did not marry. She told me about her grandfather Denny, as she remembered him, a morose man, one day in the attic she found a book that had a pretty picture as she supposed in the front of it, she was showing it to her mother when Mr. Denny came in & snatched it out of her hand & threw it in the fire. The Aunt Miss Denny told her was their coat of arms. My Great Grandfather McGill had another brother who lived in Middletown, one of the daughters married Capt. Kinzie USA who was sent to the frontier, later city of Chicago. She always lived there, and has written a book about the beginnings of Chicago, a sister married Judge Skinner & some of the children live in Chicago. -- Grandmother Dunscomb as I said went to Bermuda, after the birth of my father, Grandfather Dunscomb moved to St. John's Newfoundland, where he had the position of Lieutenant Gov. & as the Gov. was away for some time he had to take his place. All the rest of his children were born there & when my father was 15 years old Grand Mother came to New York to have the children educated. The gentleman to whom she had letters advised her to go to Newark, where there was at that time a famous school for boys. It was there that my Aunt met Mr. Carrmann. After some time Grand Mother returned to Newfoundland but my father decided to remain here and enter Columbia College and was in the same class with Hamilton Fish. After he graduated he studied medicine & took his degree but never practiced, going into business instead. It was at this time he took long trips to Central and South America as well as Bermuda where he met my mother. Eliza Dunscomb his sister married Mr. Henry Cammann of N.Y. Their only child died, & both are buried in Trinity Cemetery. Edward Dunscomb their next child was my father. John Dunscomb is Mrs. Mosle's father. Margaret Dunscomb married a Mr. Vallence, several children were born & grew up, but I have lost sight of them. Caroline Dunscomb married Mr. Crowdy - two children Eve Crowdy & Lucy Crowdy both living. Sarah Dunscomb married Arch Deacon Bridge. Several children, Cyprian Bridge the Admiral is one of the youngest, a girl, married an officer whose only child married Mr. Talbot of Boston. George Dunscomb was in business in New York but retired early on account of his health. He had a house in Florida and a place in Canada and this as he maintained cured his gout. When over 50 years old married a young girl whose father was a retired English army officer, they went to Florida, & he died after being married only four months. His widow returned to Canada where her child was born, being named George Dunscomb. He now lives in Chicago and was married some time ago. (Aunt?) (married?) Geo. Dunscomb he (??) Chicago & is (deceased?).
Dunscomb & Seon:
My father Edward Dunscomb married Ann Mary Seon, she was the only child of Daniel Seon of Bermuda. Daniel Seon married Miss Catherine Manly of Bermuda. Daniel Seon's brother married the other Miss Manly, Ann Francis. He died when my Great Aunt Seon had only been married six months. Is out of the silver coins my Aunt Seon found in her husband's trunk that the silver waiter is made. After her husbands death she was just 18 & came to live with her sister my Grand Mother Seon. When mother married she came shortly afterwards to live in New York & when I was born May 28 1834 Aunt Seon came to make her house with father & mother & always lived with us & when mother died in Nurnburg Bavaria & was buried there 1851 she took al charge of us and returned with us all to live in Bloomfield NJ till father married again in 1858. She died in Flushing at Mr. Joseph F. Darling's house & is buried in the Darling (the letter breaks off in mid-sentence. The following pages contain a record of marriages, births & deaths).
From the typed version:
Grandfather John Dunscomb came from Bermuda about 1790 in his own sailing vessel to visit his brother who was studying at Yale College. Knowing Capt. McGill (Magill?) of Middletown, Conn., he sailed up the Conn. River and was invited to stay with the McGills. who had been in Bermuda. Capt. McGill had several daughters and John Dunscomb fell in love with the eldest, whom he married before returning to Bermuda.
Capt. McGill's wife was a Miss Denny, of Middletown. Her father had come to this country when she was a child and she know little about her family as she and her sister had been brought up in the Low Countries and spoke only French. Mr. Denny, a morose and violent man, seems to have left England for political reasons. He had little to say to anyone and was feared by the children. Nurses, when they wished to frighten the children, would say: "Mr. Denny will come and get you."
When as a child we went to Middletown for the summer, 1840 1845, we sometimes stayed at the McGill house, near the river.
Besides Eliza, there were several daughters in the McGill family. One married a capt. Goodwin. He sailed in his ship to the West Indies and was never heard from. His widow, my Aunt Goodwin, lived in the McGill house, as did Miss McGil, an unmarried daughter of Capt. McGill.
Capt. McGill has a brother who lived in Middletown. One of the daughters married Capt. Kinzie, U.S.A., ordered to the frontier, where Chicago is. She always lived there and wrote a book about the beginnings of Chicago. Another sister married Judge Skinner. Some of their children were in Calif. in 1907.
John and Eliza Dunscomb lived in Bermuda till after the birth of Edward Dunscomb (1806). Then they moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, where he held the office of lieut. governor; and as the governor was away for some time, he had to take his place. All the rest of his children were born there.
When father (Edward Dunscomb) was 15 years old, grandmother came to New York to have the children educated. The gentleman to whom she had letters of introduction advised her to go to Newark where there was at that time a famous school for boys. It was there that my aunt Eliza met Mr. Cammann, whom she married.
After some time, grandmother returned to Newfoundland, but father remained here and entered Columbia College and was in the same class with Hamilton Fish. After graduating he studied medicine and took his degree but never practiced, going into business instead. It was at this time that he made long journeys, to Central and South America and to Bermuda, where he met my mother.
Eliza Dunscomb, Edward;s older sister, married Henry Cammann, of New York. They had one daughter, who died. Both are buried in Trinity Cemetery.
John, third child of John, was the father of Mrs. Mosle.
Margaret Dunscomb married a Mr. Vallence; several children, but I have lost sight of them.
Caroline Dunscomb married Mr. Crowdy; two children: Col. Crowdy, and Lucy Crowdy, both living in 1907.
Sarah Dunscomb married Archdeacon Bridge, and had several children. Cyprian Bridge, the admiral, is one of the youngest; a girl married an officer whose only child married Mr. Talbot of Boston.
George Dunscomb, in business in N.Y., retired early on account of ill health; had a home in Florida and a shooting lodge in Canada; when over 50, he married a young girl whose father was a retired English army officer; four months later he died, in FLorida; the widow went back to Canada, where her son, George Dunscomb, was born. In 1907 he was living in Chicago.
My father, Edward Dunscomb, married Ann Mary Seon. She was the only child of David Seon, of Bermuda. Daniel Seon married Miss Catherine Manley, all in Bermuda. Daniel Seon's brother married the other Miss Manley, Ann Frances. He died when my great-aunt Seon had been married only six months. It is out of the silver coin that Aunt Seon found in her husband's trunk that the silver waiter is made. After her husband's death - she was just 18 - she came to live with her sister, my Grandmother Seon. She died when my mother was ten years old and Aunt Seon kept house for her brother-in-law and brought up my mother.
When mother married Edward Dunscomb, they came shortly afterwards to live in New York; and when I was born, May 28, 1834, Aunt Seon came to make her home with father and mother, and always lived with us after that. She went with us to Europe, and when mother died in Nurnberg, Bavaria, and was buried there in 1851, she took all charge of us, returning with us to live in Bloomfield, N.J., till father married again in 1858. She died in FLushing at Mr. Joseph F. Darling's and is buried in the Darling lot there.
Thanksgiving Day. 1907.
MARRIED
Edward Dunscomb and Ann Mary Seon
Edward Dunscomb and Cecil Grosehopff, 1858
Catherine Seon Dunscomb and Harris Colt, April 9, 1857
Frances M. Dunscomb and Joseph Frith Darling, October 2, 1861
Mary Dunscomb and Joseph D. Ibbotson, Nov. 17, 1869
Edward Dunscomb, Jr.
John Godfrey Dunscomb and Katharine Stuart, Sept. 29, 1884
Katharine Sophie Marian Colt and Samual Sloan, Jr., Nov. 27, 1888
BIRTHS
Edward Dunscomb, son of ELiza Magill, of Middletown, Con., and John Dunscomb of St. John's Hill, Pembroke Parish, Bermuda; born July 9, 1806, St. John's Hill (now known as Clarence Hill), Bermuda
Ann Mary Seon, wife of Edward Dunscomb, daughter and only child of Daniel Seon and Sarah Catherine Manly; born, St. George's, Bermuda, Tuesday, November 10,
1812, between 11 and 12 o'clock.
Sarah Catherine Manly, born May 10, 1788, Bermuda; died Wednesday, May 28, 1834, St. George's, Bermuda
Ann Frances Manly, born June 26, 1789, Warwick Parish, Bermuda
Children of Edward and Ann Mary Seon Dunscomb
Eliza Catherine Seon Massachusetts Dunscomb, born May 28, 1834, 108 Leonard Street, New York City
Ann Frances Manly Missouri Dunscomb, born Jan. 25, 1836, Pearl St. near White Hall St. (Richard C. Tucker's house).
Edward Mississippi, Oct. 12, 1838, 355 Houston St., New York
Appalachicola Ann Mary Dunscomb, April 12, 1841, State St., corner of Henry St., Brooklyn (old Marquard house); died March 20, 1849 at Halle a/ Saale, Germany
Alabama Ann Mary Seon Dunscomb, Feb, 23, 1845, Bloomfield, N.J. (Israel Ward's house)
Hans von Deutschland Dunscomb, born Sept. 30, 1847, No. Kleine (old Wagener's house), Halle a/ Saale, Germany
Daniel von Bayern Dunscomb, March 5, 1850, Vorstadt St., Johannes, Nurnberg, Germany
Children of Harris and Catherine Dunscomb Colt
Francis Seon Colt, born Oct. 8, 1858, Kleinischer Garten(?)
Harris Dunscomb Colt, March 19, 1861
Richard Collins Colt, December 30, 1863
Katherine Sophie Marian Colt, April 24, 1868
Deaths
Apalachicola Ann Mary Dunscomb, Monday, March 20, 1848, No. Kleine Stein Strasse (old Wagener's house), Halle a/ Saale, aged six years, 11 months, 23 days; the most clever and lovliest child I ever saw.
Ann Mary Dunscomb, Sunday, March 1851, 9.30 p.m., Kleinischer Garten, No. Vorstadt St. Johannes, Nurnberg, Germany, sweetly fell asleep, grasping the hands
of her children, saying in broken words: "Children - love - Jesus."
Ann Frances Manley Seon, October 26, 1876, at Flushing, L.I.
The above lists of marriages, births, and deaths are not a part of the Narrative. In the original copy they are differently typed, and appear to be taken from family records kept by Edward Dunscomb. Variations in the spelling of names: Manly, Manley; Magill, McGill
The following letter was written by Catherine (Dunscomb) Colt to her brother John Dunscomb(e) and is postmarked December 14, 1918 in New York City. This is four days after John's son Cecil died. The handwriting in the original is difficult to read, but it appears that she spelled the family name without the elusive "e." It is addressed to John at 221 Gates Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y.:
December 14
My dear John,
Your letter has just come and I hasten to send you a few words of sympathy in your great sorrow. I wish I could do something for you or your poor young daughter-in-law. If there is anything you can suggest please let me know. I remember what a fine looking young man Cecil was the only time I saw him & May has often spoken of the favorable impression he made on us both in our short interview. I have phoned Sam & Kitty to tell them, but Sam had an operation yesterday & although it was successful he has to be in bed of course for sometime, else I would remind him of his promise to try & find something for you in the way of business. For certainly you need to be with that poor little wife & grandchildren now when she is left all alone. I hope she has parents or near relatives that can also be a comfort to her. Do come over to see us as soon as you can. With love ever
Your affectionate sister
Catherine
May sends her love & tells me to say to you how much she feels for you. Frank had already left for Water St. before your letter came.