The Story of “Sister Mary”
by
Theodore Groom, Ph.D.
for
The Totoket Historical Society, Inc.
by
Theodore Groom, Ph.D.
for
The Totoket Historical Society, Inc.
Before relating the Title Story I would like to thank two individuals who made significant contributions to the resolution of this investigation. They are Ms Deboorah Trotter of The Blackstone Library in Branford and Jane Bouley, the Branford Town Historian. Their efforts are much appreciated.
In 1964, the Revezzi family owned a parcel of land stretching form their garden center (located where Big Y is now) back towards Cedar Lake Road. The C. W. Blakeslee Co. Purchased rights to the from the Revezzi’s in order to use the dirt as fill in their construction of the Route 91 connector. During the project the excavation crew uncovered a solitary grave. The grave was surrounded by a small rail fence that was still standing in the 1940s The marker associated with this grave read only “Sister Mary," Died May 29, 1874.” Over time this grave had been forgotten. No one at that time knew who Sister Mary was and the project was halted until the grave could be disinterred and removed to a new burial site. Under Connecticut law that can only be accomplished by approval of the next of kin or a court order. Investigations then began to determine exactly who “Sister Mary’ was and who might be the closest living relative.
Mrs. Harry Juniver of North Branford, a distant relative of the deceased, was instrumental in determining exactly who “Sister Mary” was. Mrs. Juniver's information apparently come from a family bible. She discovered that a baby girl named Mary Ann was born to Jeremy and Phoebe Page Linsley of Branford in 1823. This date turned out to be incorrect. Many Ann grew up and was married to John Igo of Winstead on March 21, 1852. The couple lived with Mary Ann’s aunt, Parnell Linsley, on Cedar Lake Road. Mary Ann apparently had no children. In 1874 Mary Ann was struck down with small pox and died. Due to the contagious nature of the disease people feared contamination and victims were not buried in local cemeteries. It is rumored that the victims possessions and clothing were often buried with them.
In July, 1964 several months after the discovery of the grave, the closest living relative to Mary Ann was determined to be J. Alden Linsley of Branford. Mr. Linsley approved the disinterment of Mary Ann and she was reinterred in the Linsley family plot in the Branford Center Cemetery in a simple pine coffin of the type used at the time of her death.
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Note from the author:
The story of Sister Mary and her family related above has been ferreted out from excerpts contained in The Branford Review from May to December, 1964 by downloads from The Blackstone Library database.
The specific articles of interest are as follows.
May 28, 1964 Pages 1 and 6.
July 30, 1964 Page 24
August 13, 1964 Page 24
December 31, 1964 Page 15
Much of the information has been copied directly from those pages although some of it has turned out to be incorrect.
There does not appear to be much published information on Mary's family. Her marriage to John Igo in1858 is documented but at this point neither I, or the Branford Town Historian, have not found any documentation of her birth or death from online records. Her father, Jeremy Linsey, was born on May 21, 1799. He married Phoebe Page about 1820. Phoebe died Nov. 5, 1831 and Jeremy was remarried to Sarah Beech od Guilford on December 25, 1841. Jeremy passed away on December 25, 1872.
This photograph was taken from the May 28, 1964 edition of the Branford Review. It clearly reveals the Death of "Sister Mary" as May 29, 1874. Below that it reads AE 48 YRS. AE represents "at the age of." According to the 4 articles in the 1964 Branford Review "Sister Mary" was born in 1823 and died in 1874. If she was actually born in 1823. she would have been 51 at the time of her death. From the photo it is revealed that she was 48 years old at the time of her death. Consultation with Ms Debbie Trofatter of the Blackstone Library, Branford and Ms Jane Bouley, Branford Town Historian, it was learned that Sister Mary was baptized in 1836. Analysis of the photograph reveals that Sister Mary was 48 at the time of her death implying a birth date of 1826. The birth date of 1823 as published in the Branford Review is incorrect. Other data leads us to believe she was born in 1828.
Let us now look into Sister Mary's life and see what we can learn.
Her Family
Sister Mary's father was Jeremy Linsley. Jeremy was born in Branford on May 21, 1799 and married Phoebe Page, The marriage date is unrecorded. Phoebe was born in Branford in1804. Phoebe died on November 12, 1831, age 27. She was buried in The Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven. Sister Mary was born in 1828 and was baptized in 1837. Jeremy married Sarah Beech on December 25, 1841. Jeremy Linsley died on December 25, 1872.
Sister Mary's father was Jeremy Linsley. Jeremy was born in Branford on May 21, 1799 and married Phoebe Page, The marriage date is unrecorded. Phoebe was born in Branford in1804. Phoebe died on November 12, 1831, age 27. She was buried in The Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven. Sister Mary was born in 1828 and was baptized in 1837. Jeremy married Sarah Beech on December 25, 1841. Jeremy Linsley died on December 25, 1872.
Sister Mary's exact birth date is unknown at this time. We know that she was baptized in 1837, nine years after her birth. The first United States Census to record all persons living in a residence was in 1850. Prior to that only the head of the household was listed by name.All others were listed only by Male, Female, Slave or Free Black by age groups, such as Under 5, 5-15, 15-26, etc.
In the 1850 census where all residents the household are listed by name Mary Ann is not listed in the census as living with Jeremy and Sarah. She was only 22 years old the time. I wonder if she lived under a name other than Linsley. I have not been able to find Mary Ann Linsley listed under her name or the name of her grandparents in the 1850 census or for that matter under under any name consistent with her birth date, age or marital. status.
Sister Mary married John Igo of Winchester, CT, a section of the town of Winsted. John was born in New York in 1831. They were married on March 21, 1852 by the Rev T. P. Gillet, in Branford. They are found in both the 1860 and 1870 Census in Winchester. John and Mary Ann had two Children, Ida, born August 31, 1857 and died Feb 3, 1866, aged 8, years, 5 months and also Ella who died February 7, 1870, age 15 years. As mentioned earlier Sister Mary died of Smallpox on May 29, 1874 at 48 years old. As far as the author can tell she died in Winchester. She was buried on the private property of her aunt, Miss Parnel Linsley on what is now Cedar Lake Road in North Branford. Sister Mary's death as recorded in North Branford records states that she was born in Fair Haven and resided in Winsted presumably at the time of her death. If so, then why was she buried in North Branford? At that time people feared the Contagiousness of smallpox and perhaps refused to allow her burial there. Interestingly, her aunt Parnel Linsley's death is recorded on the same page as Sister Mary's in the North Branford records. she died of "old age"at 90 in September 1874 only 4 months after Sister Mary.
Sister Mary married John Igo of Winchester, CT, a section of the town of Winsted. John was born in New York in 1831. They were married on March 21, 1852 by the Rev T. P. Gillet, in Branford. They are found in both the 1860 and 1870 Census in Winchester. John and Mary Ann had two Children, Ida, born August 31, 1857 and died Feb 3, 1866, aged 8, years, 5 months and also Ella who died February 7, 1870, age 15 years. As mentioned earlier Sister Mary died of Smallpox on May 29, 1874 at 48 years old. As far as the author can tell she died in Winchester. She was buried on the private property of her aunt, Miss Parnel Linsley on what is now Cedar Lake Road in North Branford. Sister Mary's death as recorded in North Branford records states that she was born in Fair Haven and resided in Winsted presumably at the time of her death. If so, then why was she buried in North Branford? At that time people feared the Contagiousness of smallpox and perhaps refused to allow her burial there. Interestingly, her aunt Parnel Linsley's death is recorded on the same page as Sister Mary's in the North Branford records. she died of "old age"at 90 in September 1874 only 4 months after Sister Mary.
After the grave was found all construction on the Blakeslee project was halted until the closest living relative of Sister Mary could be found. That was determined to be J. Alden Linsley of Branford. On August 6, 1964 She was reinterred in simple pine coffin of the type used in 1874 in the Linsley burial plot in the Center Cemetery in Branford.
The above map shows where the property of Miss Parnel Linsley on Cedar Lake Road where Mary Ann was buried. The road has changed somewhat since that time
In the1964 Branford Review Articles it is stated that after their marriage John and Mary Ann lived with her Aunt, Miss Parnel Linsley on Cedar Lake Road in North Branford. That may or may not be true. By 1860 they were living in Winchester.
What happened to john Igo after Sister Mary's death is unknown at this time. No record has been found after much genealogical searching.