Lyman S Kimball

When I first started my family history research, no one knew who Grandma Mary Smith's first husband was.  We knew that his last name was Kimball, but that was all.

As earlier posts in my blog show, I deduced that he may have been named Lyman Kimball.  This was later verified when I found the record of his marriage to Mary in 1851, in Dover, NH, where they both had been living in 1850 (as shown in the 1850 federal census).

I have been looking, to no avail, for some record of what happened to him, because in the 1860 census Mary and her daughter Sarah (Grandma Tomlinson) were living without him. 

I recently became aware that I have access to a lot of databases through the library at the university in Stevens Point, where I teach.  Last night I found the database called "America's Historical Newspapers (1690 - 1922)" and thought, "Why not?" 

I put in the parameters "Maine", "1850 - 1860" and the name "Lyman Kimball." 

PAYDIRT!  In the January 18, 1859 issue of the Portland Weekly Advertiser, under "Death Notices", I found him:







Lyman's middle initial was S!  He unfortunately passed away quite young. 

In 1850 both Lyman and Mary were working in the mills (textile mills, most likely) in Dover (although both were born in Maine). Lyman's occupation was "manufacture".  They boarded with a farmer and his large family, along with seven other young people about 20-21 years of age, and one 50 year old lady boarder.

They must have moved to Biddeford after their marriage in May of 1851, where their daughter Sarah was born in 1852.  The value of Mary's personal estate in 1860 was $100, and she had one boarder, Eli McBride, who was an "operative"  In the large mill towns of the east this meant a person worked as an operator of weaving, cloth cutting, or other such machinery that was involved in the making of fabric.

So - the mystery has been solved.  But since every other search I have done has yielded nothing, I doubt whether I will ever figure out who his parents were... or Mary's, for that matter. 

Great Grandpa Joseph Libby's First Family!

For many years I have known that Joseph Libby (my great-great-grandfather) had married twice.
Joseph was born Joseph Thompson Libby in December, 1825.  He was a twin with David.

Joseph married Hannah Lovett (or Leavit) in 1850.  They had two daughters:  Ida, born in 1851, and Fannie, born in 1854.


On January 30, 1870, Joseph married Sarah Adcox (Adcock) in Fannin, Texas.  They eventually had 7-8 children (several died at birth and one died as a toddler).  Their surviving children were Edward Ellison, my great-grandfather, and his sisters Ada, May, Ora and Alice.  The family lived in Waterloo, IA for a while and eventually ended up in Minneapolis.


But back to his first wife and his two daughters.  This has been an interesting search.

In 1860, in Piscataquis, Maine, Joseph and Hannah were divorced.  He was the plaintiff.  The divorce was granted in February.  On March 5, 1860, Hannah married John H Sewall (or Sewell).  That same year, Hannah gave birth a baby girl Louella.


The 1860 census lists John H Sewall, Hannah A Sewall, Ida E Libbey, 9, Fannie F Libbey, 6 living in Maine. 

On July 1, 1863, John registered for the Civil War Draft in Minnesota.  He is listed as a "moulder" living in St Anthony. 

In about May of 1866, Hannah and John had a son name William (Willie) Henry.

Louella died in May, 1862; Willie died Nov 15, 1870; and Ida Libby (now going by Sewell) died in 1864. All three of the children were buried in the Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery (also known as Layman's Cemetery) on Cedar Avenue and Lake Street in south Minneapolis.  They are in Lot 27, Block K.

(On a side note, this is also the cemetery where my father's stillborn sister (unnamed) was buried.  She died at birth at 2639 Cedar Ave and is buried in Lot 50 Block E.)

The family appears again in the 1870 census, living in Minneapolis (and coincidentally and interestingly on the same page as Sarah and Otis Wescott, whose daughter Agnes eventually grew up and married Edward Libby, Joseph's surviving son!!). 

The next record I find is a record of a marriage between Fannie F Sewall and Henry L Norton on May 11, 1874 in Sacramento, CA.  This might be Joseph's second daughter by his first marriage with Hannah.  Henry and Fanie (sic) are listed in the 1880 census living in Mendocino, where he was a clerk in a saw mill.

There is a record of John Henry Sewell living in Fresno, CA by 1876, where he farmed.  John and Hannah are listed in the 1880 census. 

I was able to find that John died on September 23, 1924.  He is buried in the Washington Colony Cemetery in Fresno, CA.  And next to his stone is one that simply states "MRS SEWELL" and the date 92 (indicating a death date of 1892).  This is consistent with the fact that John is listed as a widower in the 1900 census.

So... almost all the mysteries are solved.  Joseph had two daughters by his first wife, Ida and Fannie.  Ida died young and is buried in Minneapolis.  Fannie MAY have been married in California to Henry Norton.  I am not sure if I will be able to verify that.  I have not found any death records for Fannie or Henry Norton.

Phew!  Now if I could just solve the mystery of Lyman Kimball....