Sepia Saturday 482: A recap of the series on the odd 1860 separation of my great-great-great grandparents Zebulon and Hannah (Hance) Blakeslee — a summertime census mystery.
Two months ago I began a quest to discover why my paternal third great-grandfather Zebulon Blakeslee was living separately from his wife Hannah (Hance) Blakeslee at the time of the 1860 federal census.
That journey took me through census records, county histories and digital newspaper archives — and led to the surprise discovery that my Blakeslee third great-grandparents were divorced in 1866!
As each question about the Blakeslees was answered, new queries arose — and before long I was headed on a Genealogy Road Trip to the Susquehanna County seat in Montrose, Penna., to see what more I could learn about my third great-grandparents and their final rift.
I discovered a great deal on that trip — which will be the subject of future blogs. But for now, here’s a recap what I have learned about my Blakeslee ancestors so far.
Separation and divorce
- 1860: The odd separation of Zebulon and Hannah (Hance) Blakeslee
- 1860: Census clues about my Blakeslee ancestors’ separation
- My Blakeslee ancestors and the Panic of 1857
- 1866: The final rift between Zebulon and Hannah (Hance) Blakeslee
Life moves on
- Epilogue: Life moves on for the Blakeslee divorcees
- The “widowhood” of Hannah (Hance) Blakeslee
- 1867: Zebulon Blakeslee’s second marriage
- 1870-1880: Shoemaker Zebulon Blakeslee’s final years
- Ancestors-in-law: The Shermans of Susquehanna County, Penna.
New Discoveries
Many thanks to the readers of Molly’s Canopy for following along throughout this series and posting insightful comments. There will be more on the Blakeslee saga in coming posts.
Up next: A new series on the Blakeslees’ divorce proceedings, as revealed by the court records. Meanwhile, please visit the blogs of this week’s other Sepia Saturday participants here.
© 2019 Molly Charboneau. All rights reserved.