Jonathan Southwick
1819 - 1902
Jonathan Southwick was born July 30, 1819 in Northbridge, Massachusetts. Another boy David was born on the same day making them twins. This small town was also the place where his father David was born. His mother Lucretia was born in another town in Massachusetts, Berlin. David and Lucretia were married in Northbridge and they spent the rest of their lives there. Jonathan also lived his entire life in Northbridge.
On March 28, 1844, Jonathan married Miranda Carpenter in Northbridge. The ceremony was performed by a pastor of the Baptist Church. Miranda's parents were married in a Baptist church. Jonathan's parents were Quakers.
Jonathan and Miranda had a few children. Two daughters got married. Marion married Millard Hopkins and moved to Rhode Island. They did not have any children. The other daughter, Josephine, married Herbert Bennett. They had three children.
Jonathan and Miranda had a son, Jerome, who died when he was 22. He died of consumption which is another name for tuberculosis. His death record also mentions that he was wounded in battle. He made his will three weeks before he died. He left a dollar to each of his four sisters and his father. He left his bounty money and military pension to his mother. This inheritance to his mother was to be free from the interfernce and control of her husband.
Jonathan and Miranda were divorced in 1871. She deserted him on May 10, 1865. Her son who left Miranda his money died in 1867.
Worcester Daily Spy, Worcester, Massachusetts, Friday Morning, May 5, 1871
Their daughter Harriet was a teacher and she died at the age of 31 from phthisis which is another name for tuberculosis. Another daughter Ella died at age 19 from consumption.
Jonathan and Miranda probably had another child. The 1855 census lists Adelia born in August 1855 living with the family. There are no more records for this child.
Miranda died at age 50 in 1871 from consumption. Her death occurred five months after the divorce.
In the 1855 and 1865 Massachucetts state censuses Jonathan's occupation is a bootmaker.
In the 1860 census Jonathan's mother Lucretia is living with the family. Lucretia is 70 years old. In 1870 she is living with her daughter Louisa and her family. Lucretia owns real estate worth $1,500 in 1870. She dies in 1878 of old age in Norhtbridge.
In the 1870 census Jonathan is living with the Smith family in Northbridge. Miranda and daughter Harriett are living together in Mendon. Harriet is 15.
By the 1880 census Jonathan is a farmer and his daughter Josephine is living with him. Josephine is divorced and her three children are living with their father in Iowa. They are living in the Adams Corner District probably on Sutton Street in Norhtbridge.
In the 1900 census Joanthan is a farmer living alone at 6 Sutton Street. He owns this house and it does not have a mortgage.
Jonathan Southwick home
Grandpa's house Northbridge Mass
The above photo was in the possession of Jonathan's granddaughter Minerva. This type of photograph is called a cyanotype. It became popular in the 1880s.
Jonathan dies in 1902 from heart disease and old age. This is the cause of death on his death reocrd.
Worcester Telegram, Worcester, Massachusetts
Thursday, January 23, 1902, page 7
Jonathan Southwick died at his home in
Rockdale last night from dropsy, after an
extended illness. His age was 82 years and
6 months. He was born in Northbridge, as
was his father before him, and the family
of Southwicks was prominently connected
with the early history of Northbridge.
He was a widower and leaves two
daughters, one in Colorado and the other
in North Scituate, R.I. He was a son of
David Southwick and was born on the old
David Southwick place, which is one of
the oldest houses in the town of North-
bridge. He had lived
Alone for Many Years,
The funeral will be tomorrow afternoon
at 1 o'clock from his home, with burial in
Riverdale cemetery in Northbridge.
Jonathan's daughter Josephine is living in Colorado and his daughter Marion is living in Rhode Island.
A photo of Jonathan's tombstone can be found at FindAGrave.
Sources
"Massachusetts State Census, 1855", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQ46-8MG : Sat Jul 20 10:50:09 UTC 2024), Entry for Jonathan Southwick and Miranda E Southwick, 1855.
"Massachusetts State Census, 1865", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQH1-9V8 : Sun Jul 14 11:52:11 UTC 2024), Entry for Jonathan Southwick and Maranda Southwick, 1865.
"Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1925", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4CZ-383 : Thu May 23 00:41:23 UTC 2024), Entry for Jonathan Southwick and Miranda Carpenter, 28 Mar 1844.
"Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1925", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NW33-CHC : Wed May 22 20:45:24 UTC 2024), Entry for Harriet L. Southwick and Jonathan, 1887.
"Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1925", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NWK3-1P2 : Wed May 22 22:19:32 UTC 2024), Entry for Jerome T. Southwick and Jonathan, 12 Aug 1867.
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH5D-PDW : Sat Mar 09 16:22:42 UTC 2024), Entry for Miranda Elvira Southwick and Savel Carpenter, 26 September 1871.
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHYT-BXG : Sun Mar 10 08:35:00 UTC 2024), Entry for Ellen M. Southwick and Jonathan, 8 January 1868.
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHWD-RWT : Sat Mar 09 03:15:49 UTC 2024), Entry for Samuel Carpenter and Tyla Burt, 5 October 1806.
Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census, Census Place: Mendon, Worcester, Massachusetts; Roll: M593_654; Page: 322B, Miranda E Southwick head.
Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census, Census Place: Northbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts; Roll: M593_655; Page: 34A, Davis J Smith head.
Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census, Census Place: Northbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts; Roll: M593_655; Page: 43A, Edward F Batcheller head.
Ancestry.com. 1880 United States Federal Census, Census Place: Northbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts; Roll: 566; Page: 95a; Enumeration District: 858, Jonathan Southwick head.
Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census, Census Place: Northbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts; Roll: 693; Page: 25; Enumeration District: 1662, Jonathan Southwick head.
Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Death Records, 1841-1915, _Pre 1903, 1878, image 1043 of 1134, line 63, death Lucretia (Larkin) Southwick.
Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Death Records, 1841-1915, _Pre 1903, 1902, line 3, Jonathan Southwick death.
Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991, Jerome P Southwick, Worcester, Probate Records, Vol 397-398, 1865-1868, image 487 of 664.
FamilySearch, Worcester County, Massachusetts, court records (including divorces), 1797-1887, Vols. 21 - 23, 1870-1876, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3S6-DQMX-H?i=103&cat=973544 image 104 of 737, divorce Jonathan Southwick and Miranda E Southwick.
Southwick, Jonathan, Probate Administration 1902, Location Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, Case Number 29572, Place of Last Residence Northbridge, Page 117666