Person:Ebenezer Gurney (1)

The following is taken from an article I wrote on my genealogy blog called "Genealogist Journal" You can view the full article here: http://genealogistjournal.blogspot.com/2013/07/mystery-monday-who-is-aunt-betsy.html

E. Henry was born 20 Jan 1841 in Hanson, son of E.B.K. Gurney and Almira Jane Josselyn. On 27 Jan 1861 he married Sylvina W. Everson and that same year he signed up to fight in the American Civil War. At first he was stationed at Fort Monroe down in southeastern Virginia along the coastline. After his initial three month term, E. Henry signed up a second time, this time for a full year during which he went with General Sherman on raids down in Georgia. He was the company's chief bugler. This last bit information is according to E. Henry's youngest sister, Ella Josephine Gurney, which I have not confirmed at this time.

During these Civil War years E. Henry and Sylvina had two daughters, Amy Semple Gurney and Ella Laforest Gurney. Unfortunately nine months after Ella was born Sylvina died of consumption or for those of you who do not know what consumption is, tuberculosis, on 7 Dec 1866 leaving E. Henry alone with two small girls.

The mourning period did not last very long as within less than a year after his wife's death on 3 Sept 1867, E. Henry and his very pregnant new bride, Mary Williams Orcutt, eloped to Brookline, New Hampshire to get married. Their daughter and my 2nd great grandmother Agnes Ellen Gurney was born a month later on 12 Oct 1867. If I have done my math correctly E. Henry would have found comfort in the arms of Mary only one month after his wife Sylvina had passed!

Mary Williams Orcutt born on 13 Aug 1844 in Abington Massachusetts was the daughter of Oran Orcutt and Mary J. Jones. According to Agnes Gurney's story her mother Mary Williams Orcutt had a lovely voice and took singing lessons from none other than E. Henry Gurney. Here is the account in her own words:

"To begin with, I was the child of two old New England families. My father, E. (Ebenezer, probably) Henry Gurney, was a teacher of voice in Boston, and my mother, Mary Williams Orcutt, was his pupil. I am told she had a very beautiful voice which he took pleasure in developing when he fell in love with and married her."

She goes on to say later on the same page:

"I was born in Pepperell, Massachusetts, on October 12, 1867. When I was three months old my mother brought me to live in the town of East Abington, Plymouth County. Very soon the name of the town was changed to Rockland."

Where was E. Henry Gurney in 1870? I quickly found my answer after a little digging. He was living in Pembroke, Massachusetts with his eldest sister Almira J. Gurney Bryant and her family working as a music agent.

Mary left E. Henry only four months after they were married! What happened I wonder? After a brief search for a divorce record I came up empty so I went looking for the next record that could tell me something, the 1870 US Federal Census. Sure enough I found Mary and her toddler Agnes living with a Nathan S. and Betsey Jenkins in Abington, Massachusetts. Again, I went back to the story Agnes told in her later years:

"We boarded with my dear Aunt Betsey Jenkins, and for nine years, that was my childhood home. Aunt Betsey was my grandmother Orcutt's first cousin. She was an unusual woman, with a good mind, but with an uncommon amount of New England reticence and reserve."

1. ↑ Hanson, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Hanson, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1911)
   28.

   GURNEY, Ebenezer H., s. E. B. K., stone layer, and Almira, [born] Jan. 23, 1841.

2. ↑ Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. 1850 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication M432).

   digital image on www.ancestry.com

3. ↑ Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. 1860 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication M693).

   digital image on www.ancestry.com

4. ↑ Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication M593).

   Digital image on www.ancestry.com

5. ↑ 1878 Chicago Directory.

   Digital image found on www.ancestry.com. He is listed as E Henry Gurney. He is listed as working as a Teacher

6. ↑ Hennepin, Minnesota, United States. 1880 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication T9).

   Digital image on www.ancestry.com

7. ↑ 1887 Minneapolis Directory.

   Digital image found on www.ancestry.com. He is listed as E Henry Gurney. He is listed as working as a Tuner.

8. ↑ 1888 Minneapolis Directory.

   Digital image found on www.ancestry.com. He is listed as E Henry Gurney. He is listed as working as a Clerk

9. ↑ 1890 Minneapolis Directory.

   Digital image found on www.ancestry.com. He is listed as E Henry Gurney. He is listed as working as a Clerk

10. ↑ 1898 Worcester Directory.

    Digital image found on www.ancestry.com. He is listed as E Henry Gurney.

11. ↑ 1899 Boston Directory.

    Digital image found on www.ancestry.com. He is listed as E Henry Gurney. The directory does not list his occupation.

12. ↑ Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States. 1900 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication T623).

    Digital image on www.ancestry.com

13. ↑ Rhode Island Deaths and Burials, 1802-1950.

    Found on Ancestry.com