Person:Caroline Newlan (2)

1867 Feb. 15 / 18, Caroline Newlan md. Isaac Massey, Moultrie Co., IL, Book A, p.33

1870 census

1874 Sept. 23, Lovington, Moultrie Co., IL. Evan W. Newlan wrote his cousin Jane Love: "My younger Brother [John] and Sister [Caroline] and her man [Isaac Massey] came back from Kansas / So they are likely to be here afew days untill they can find a place"

1880 Coffey Co., KS, census, p.387D, Liberty Twp., June 9, 1880, F.A. Atherly: 28/30, ISAAC MASSEY, W M 33, head, farmer, OH -- --; Caroline, W F 32, wife, keeping house, IL OH IN; Sarah E., W F 12, dau, KS OH IL; Joseph, W M 10, son, IL OH IL; John, W M 5, son, IL OH IL; Almira, W F 3, dau, IL OH IL; Isaac, W M 3/12, Mar., son, KS OH IL.

from transcription of Fairhope Cemetery* Massey, Benjamin, son of J. & C. Massey, d. 8-20-1884, 1y 6d [born Aug. 14, 1883]

• located three miles east from Gridley, Coffey Co., KS, 1-1/2 miles south, and approximately 3/4 mile back east

1885 KS State Census for Coffey Co., p.14 (39-40-41), Liberty Twp., P.O. Barry, W.T. Gillet, information as of March 1, 1885: lines 16-23, family 4/4, Isac [sic] Massey, 39 M W, b. OH, (military: honorably discharged, Co. H, 10th IL Cavalry), Caroline, 37 F W, b. IL; Sarah, 18 F W, b. IL; Joseph, 15 M W, b. KS; John, 10 M W, b. IL; Almiry, 7 F W, b. IL; Isac [sic], 4 M W, b. KS; Benjamin, 8 mo. M W, b, KS.

1885 March 10. Caroline Massey was judged insane by the Probate Court in Coffey Co., KS, and admitted to the Topeka State Hospital. --records at the Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, KS, e-mail, Dec. 18, 2004, Cynthia Laframboise, State Records Manager <CLaframboise@@kshs.org>

Benjamin was Caroline's 6th child, and she may have been pregnant with her 7th child when he died. While we don't know when her 7th baby was born, we do know that it wasn't a normal baby, and its birth may have set something off within her. Since she was hospitalized only 4 months before they sent her back home, she may have had post-partum depression, unheard of in her day. We also know from a letter that Lydia (Isaac's 2nd wife) wrote in March of 1886 that Caroline's 5th child Zeb "was give a way by his mother to her brother Levi." Although it's not known just when this took place, it is clear that Caroline and Isaac were being tested beyond imagination during this period, and would soon lose another child.

death notice from a Coffey Co., KS, newspaper: DIED. / Massey--In Liberty township, April 10, [1885] of spinal disease, Elmira, daughter of Isaac and Caroline Massey, aged 9 [sic; should read 7] years.

from transcription of Fairhope Cemetery Massey, Elmira, dau. of J. & C. Massey, d. 4-10-1885, 7y 4m 21d [born Nov. 19, 1877; age 3 in 1880]

1885 April 12, Burlington, Coffey Co., KS. Lydia Love wrote her sister Jane Love: "I cam hear 2 weeks a go . . . I wanted to see the man that Married our mothers sister / I have had a good visit / Evan [Newlan] met me / I have seen all of them but one Caroline Massey / She has lost her mind and gone to the asylum* / they Buried one of the children to day a little girl / I was there when She died / Massey is nearly crazy / they also have a Baby with a Big head* / they have 5 children left"

• Lydia's letters suggest Caroline might have developed paranoid schizophrenia, the first signs of which usually occur between the ages of 15 and 34 <http://www.healthsquare.com/mc/fgmc2415.htm>, but if this were the case, and considering the time frame, she likely would not have been sent home just 4 months after being admitted into the hospital.
• Caroline's 7th and last baby may have been born with hydrocephalus (water on the brain), and lived approximately four to six months, or possibly a little longer.

1885 May 11, Burlington, Coffey Co., KS. Lydia Love wrote her sister Jane: "yes it was our own cousin that lost her mind / her deaughter keeps house for her father / I was to see her yesterday / I am going Back this Evening to Stay a day or two / their names are Massey / they Buried a little girl since she was taken a way"

1885 June 7, Burlington, Coffey Co., KS. Lydia Love wrote her sister Jane: "Lizie Massey was to see me to day / her father Started to Topeka to day to see his wife / she gets worse all the time"

1885 July 12, Burlington, Coffey Co., KS. Lydia Love wrote her sister Jane: "Caroline Massey is home on trial but I fears she will have to go Back / She is Still Wild / thinks some one wants to kill her all the time / if she goes Back I fear it will be for good / Lizie was to see me the 4 of July / She feels so Bad a bout her mother / there are 5 children of them and the baby not right makes it Bad"

1885 Aug. 23, Burlington, Coffey Co., KS. Lydia Love wrote her sister Jane: "that Big headed Baby that I told you about is dead and the mother is going / has consumption and some say dropsy / he [Isaac Massey] is havg Plenty of trouble"

death notice from a Coffey Co., KS, newspaper: Massey--In Liberty township, Coffey county, Kansas, August 30, 1885, of consumption, Caroline, wife of Isaac Massey, aged 37 years.

from transcription of Fairhope Cemetery Massey, Caroline, wife of Isaac Massey, d. 8-30-1885, 36y 7m 30d [born Dec. 31, 1848]

1885 Oct. 11, Burlington, Coffey Co., KS. Lydia Love wrote her sister Jane: "I havent been out in the county since Aug when our Caroline Massey was Buried"

1885 Dec. 2, Burlington, Coffey Co., KS. Lydia Love wrote her sister Jane: "Lizie Massey our cousin spent Sunday with me / She works in town / it was her mother that went Crazy and then died / he [Isaac Massey] has Broke up house keeping / I saw him a few days a go"

1886 Feb. 14, Burlington, Coffey Co., KS. Lydia Love wrote her sister Jane: "Lizie Massey and I took a Walk this after noon to the city of the dead / there are a great maney dear ones laid there and wee know not how soon wee will be there" Correspondence from the family letters and papers of Jane Love and her cousin, Lillice Jones Harper, courtesy John, Danny, and Dave Harper in 2001 and 2004, transcribed by Brenda Boyer ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Issac Massey, Woodson Co., Kansas / Looking for information of Issac Massey. He settled in Kansas near Yates Center. His son Joseph is my husbands maternal grandfather. Joseph was born July 4, 1871 in Gridley, Ks. I have no listing for his mother. If anyone can help I would appreciate it. --Michelle Hammett <pacladymadonna@@webtv.net>, message #599, posted Feb. 17, 1999, Massey Family Genealogy Forum http://genforum.genealogy.com/massey/messages/599.html

MASSEY posted by Michelle Hammett <PacLadyMadonna@@webtv.net>, March 10, 1999: I am looking for information on Issac Massey who was the father of Joseph Massey. The family first settled in Gridley, KS. Joseph lived in rural Woodson Co. during his marriage. Would like to find information on Joseph's father Isaac and his mother (unknown) and any siblings. Any help would be appreciated. http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/coffey/queries/query1999jun.html