Francis Woodruff Family
I remember trying to find family information before the internet, but it was a slow and arduous job. Now, with the internet, fast computers and the plethora of online documents — it is so pleasurable that it can become an addiction. I “met” the author of the blog titled “Chips Off the Old Block” online because we share many common ancestors. My Dickinson ancestors married into the Woodruff family (or vice versa). The Dickinson family is my link to the Mayflower. Rather than rewriting “Chips” blog post about Francis and Mary Jane Woodruff’s family, I am going to reblog it. Their daughter Emma married John W. Dickinson. I’ve written about John being a dentist in Brooklyn, NY, in an earlier post. And his father was a coroner in Williamsburgh (Williamsburg), NY. (please see earlier posts)
John W. Dickinson, (1843-1916). Dentist in Brooklyn, New York
Map of Williamsburg, NY 1827
John W. Dickinson fought in the Union Army for four years. He originally enlisted on May 6, 1861 and then reenlisted on Aug 22, 1862, and stayed until his term of service ended on June 19, 1865. He spent the last several months of his enlistment in Ward United States Army General Hospital, Newark, NJ. I haven’t been able to find out what happened to him, but he probably became ill as there were so many communicable diseases among the soldiers during the Civil War.
John W. married Emma Woodruff of Elizabeth, NJ on September 16, 1874. He was thirty one years old when he married. The Brooklyn Directory lists John W. Dickinson as residing at 522 5th Ave., Brooklyn, NY in 1884 and lists his occupation as a Dentist. The original building has been torn down, but it is now a commercial area in Park Slope.
Fifth Ave. Brooklyn, NY copied from the blog “66 Square Feet”
John W. Dickinson’s Dental Office, Brooklyn, NY
His daughter, Mabel Dickinson, had this photo of her father’s dental office among her belongings.
Below is a comic post card depicting “Painless Extraction”
Painless Extraction, Photo from The Burns Archive
Our Country Divided — The Civil War (Not the 2012 Presidential Election)
On the Britt side of my family, I had the Confederates. On the Dickinson side, I had the Union Soldiers.
John W. Dickinson (1843 – 1916)
is your 2nd great grandfather
Mary Emma Dickinson (1877 – 1919)
Daughter of John W.
Florence Adele Lamb (1903 – 1984)
Daughter of Mary Emma
Grace Adele Britt (1928 – 1975)
Daughter of Florence Adele
Janet K. Page (aka Ellen Britt)
You are the daughter of Grace Adele
John W. Dickinson was born at Oyster Bay, NY in 1843. John W. married Emma Woodruff, who was born in Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey in about 1847. He enlisted in the war originally on May 6, 1861 and then reenlisted on August 22, 1862. From September 28 of 1864 until June 19, 1865 (when he mustered out) he was in the hospital. Part of the time he was in Ward U.S.A. General Hospital, Newark, NJ. The records don’t say if he was injured or sick — many of the men caught communicable diseases like typhoid, Camp Fever, dysentery or tuberculosis.
The Mayflower Society
― John Wayne
During its trans-Atlantic voyage of September 6 – November 9, 1620, the majority of them becoming the settlers of Plymouth Colony in what is now Massachusetts. Of the passengers, 37 were members of the separatist Leiden congregation seeking freedom of worship in the New World. The Mayflower launched with 102 passengers, as well as at least two dogs, and a crew of 25-30 headed by Captain Christopher Jones. One baby was born during the trip and named Oceanus Hopkins. Another, Peregrine (meaning “wanderer”) White, was born on the Mayflower in America on November 20, before the settlement at Plymouth. About half of these emigrants died in the first winter. Many Americans can trace their ancestry back to one or more of these individuals who, ‘Saints’ and ‘Strangers’ together, would become known as the Pilgrims.
John H. Dickinson, My 3rd Great Maternal Grandfather
John H. Dickinson was the Coroner of the City of Williamsburg, NY. It is such a coincidence that my daughter and her family live in Williamsburg, which is now part of Brooklyn, NY. We’ve gone a full cycle back to our genealogical roots. Unfortunately for John H., he died in his 40th year of age.
John H. Dickinson married Mary Weeks. They had seven children and all died in infancy or unmarried except two, Anne, Born 1839 who married H.M. Funston, and John W. Dickinson who married Emma Woodruff and had four children. I am here because of John W. Dickinson — but more about him later.
John H. Dickinson (1816 – 1853)
is your 3rd great grandfather
John W. Dickinson (1843 – 1916)
Son of John H.
Mary Emma Dickinson (1877 – 1919)
Daughter of John W.
Florence Adele Lamb (1903 – 1984)
Daughter of Mary Emma
Grace Adele Britt (1928 – 1975)
Daughter of Florence Adele
Janet K. Page (aka Ellen Britt)
You are the daughter of Grace Adele
Below is John H. Dickinson’s Obituary. They took his body back to Oyster Bay, NY on some kind of wagon with horses. I imagine he wasn’t in the best shape upon arrival.
John H. Dickinson graduated from Columbia School of Medicine. I emailed Columbia University and received the following documents — they are difficult to see, but say that John Dickinson has been a student of medicine for three years and is of good moral character and is over twenty one years. (no Doogie Howser, my John H. Dickinson)
