Over the years, we have been contacted by a number of people who have found this website and wanted to share their information and findings. One of the highlights was Lenny Goldsmith, who told us about the Nye family descendants on the Titanic.
We received another interesting query back in November 2015. It seems that Chris Hunt from Staten Island, New York, had met her husband for lunch in the quiet surrounds of the Fairview Cemetery at Castleton Corners in Staten Island. She noticed an interesting obelisk grave marker and took a photo of it. When she arrived home after work, she searched the internet for the name on the obelisk, which was that of Anne Nye, born 10 January 1828 in East Peckham, Kent, England.
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| Obelisk gravemarker of Anne Nye, surrounded by gravemarkers for her grand-nephews William Turner, Charles Turner and Norman Turner |
Chris Hunt had no relationship to the Nye name but was interested in finding someone who did. Turns out that she found us and contacted my mother, Janice Nye Lutz. This was yet another very interesting beginning in the search for Nye information.
Who was this Anne Nye? How did she end up in New York? Why is the name James Judson Turner on the left side of the obelisk? And what of the three gravestones next to the obelisk with the names Charles B. Turner, Norman Kent Turner and William H. Turner? What did these four people named Turner have to do with Anne Nye?
Here is what my mother found, step by step, and shared with me this week:
Caroline Nye, daughter of Job Nye and Ann Rolfe, was married to George Charles Bateman at Old Church, Saint Pancras on 19 March 1846.
On the New York Passenger Lists 1820-1957 there was a ship called the Ionian which sailed from London and arrived in New York on 22 Jun 1852. On board were Caroline Bateman age 32, sons George age 4, and Charles infant, all born in England.
Apparently her husband, George Charles Bateman, departed London first to settle and establish himself in the USA, then sent for his wife Caroline and their two small children.
They settled in Connecticut, as the 1860 United States Federal Census for Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut shows George C. Bateman age 30, born in England, was a hotel keeper. It also shows his wife Caroline age 32, born in England, and son Charles age 10 born in England. There were also four additional children, all born in Connecticut: Frederick age 8, Fanny age 6, Frank age 4, and Carolina age 3.
The same 1860 Census entry shows Ann Nye, age 30, servant, born in England; and 6 other hotel boarders. This is the Anne Nye on the obelisk, the younger sister of Caroline born in 1828 in East Peckham, Kent.
Five years later, Anne Nye is found in the 1865 New York State Census for Castleton, Richmond District - which is on Staten Island, New York: Annie Nye, age 37, born about 1828, cook, born in England, working for T. G. Shaw and family.
Meanwhile, things were not going so well for her sister Caroline Nye Bateman. The 1870 United States Federal Census for Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut shows George C. Bateman, age 45, hotel and saloon keeper, born in England; Charles Bateman, age 18, works in sewing machine shop, born in England; and Eugene D. Clarke 26, clerk in saloon, born in Massachusetts. But no mention of Caroline and it lists only one of their children.
Amazingly, my mother found Caroline in the 1870 United States Federal Census for Hartford Ward 4, Hartford, Connecticut, Insane asylum: Caroline Bateman age 50, inhabitant, insane, born about 1820 Connecticut (she was actually born in East Peckham, Kent, England).
Sadly, Caroline died in the insane asylum in Hartford, Connecticut about 1877.
The next time we find Anne Nye is in the 1875 New York State Census for Albany Ward 05. There she is in the home of George Loveridge, age 49, head, confectioner, born in England; Anne Loveridge, age 48 bride, born in England, Frank L. Loveridge, age 18, adopted son, born in Connecticut; Hattie Robinson, age 17, not related, born in Penns. County.
The census taker assumed that all members of the household were the Loveridge family, but Anne Loveridge was actually Anne Nye, and Frank L. Loveridge was actually Frank L. Bateman, the son of George C. Bateman and Caroline Nye. There is no record of any marriage or adoption, and the record is partially corrected in the next Federal Census.
1880 United States Federal Census for New York, Albany County, Albany Township: George Loveridge, age 54, confectioner, born in England; Ann Loveridge wife, age 53, keeping house, born in England; Frank L. Bateman, age 24, boarder, huckster, born in Connecticut; Fred Bateman, age 26 boarder, huckster, born in Connecticut; Carrie Bateman, age 21, boarder, at home, born in Connecticut.
So it seems that Anne Nye and her nephew Frank Bateman brought his brother Fred Bateman and sister Carolina ("Carrie") Bateman to Albany to live. What was happening in Bridgeport, Connecticut with their father George Bateman and his hotel and saloon? Perhaps it was not a pleasant environment for the family, and they all fled after Caroline was put in the insane asylum.
The census taker also called Frank and Fred "hucksters". Today, that has a very negative connotation as someone who is dishonest, but a huckster is simply a person who sells small items door-to-door or from a market stall.
We don't know much about what happened for the next 20 years, as the 1890 Federal Census was largely destroyed by fire, but we do know that in 1886 Carolina Bateman was married to James Watkins Turner.
In the 1900 United States Federal Census for New York, Richmond Ward (Staten Island) we find the following: James Turner head, born Dec 1857, age 42, expressman, born in New York; Carrie A., wife age 41, born in Connecticut; Ella B. daughter, age 13, at school, born in New York; Charles B. son age 8, at school, born in New York; William H. son, age 6, at school, born in New York; Norman K. son, age 4, born in New York; Caroline M. daughter, age 2, born in New York; and Anne Nye, aunt, single, born Jan 1828, age 72, born in England, Immigrated 1852 or 1855 (actually 1857).
So after residing with George Loveridge in Albany at the time of the 1875 and 1880 censuses, along with some of the children of her sister Caroline Nye Bateman, by 1900 Anne Nye is now listed as single and living with with her niece Carolina Annette Bateman and her husband James Turner on Staten Island.
Again we find Anne Nye in the home of her niece Carolina and James Turner in the 1910 Federal Census for Richmond District, New York, and in the 1915 New York State Census for Staten Island at 100 Jewett Avenue, a location that today is a workshop for a construction business.
Last of all, my mother found Anne Nye in the New York State Municipal Deaths: Certificate #2174, "Ann Nye, age 89, born about 1828, death 25 Dec 1917 in Richmond, New York".
Less than 2 miles away, Anne Nye was buried at the Fairview Cemetery, in the area known as Castleton Corners on Staten Island, where Chris Hunt had lunch and noticed an interesting grave marker and wanted to find more information. She is buried surrounded by her grand-nephews James, Charles, Norman and William Turner who she undoubtedly helped raise and whom they obviously loved enough to erect an obelisk in her honor.
Thank you, Chris and your husband, for bringing us this puzzle and helping us to find more descendants of the Nye Family of Kent!
(For a list of the family of Caroline Nye and George Bateman and their Turner grandchildren, go to the Nye Genealogy page and press Ctrl+F on your keyboard to search for Job Nye.)
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| Inscription on the obelisk grave marker, which reads: Anne Nye, born Jan 10, 1828 Hale St. East Peckham, Kent England |
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| Gravestone of Anne Nye's grand-nephew, Charles Turner, which reads: Charles B Turner, New York Pvt Co. C 51 Pioneer Inf, World War I Sept 11 1891 - Sept 14 1947 |
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| Gravestone of Anne Nye's grand-nephew, Norman Turner and his wife, Anna Hansen Turner, which reads: Norman Kent Turner, New York Cox USNRF, World War I Sept 13 1895 - July 23 1957 Dear Mother of Harry Anna Turner 1895 - 1975 |
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| Gravestone of Anne Nye's grand-nephew, William Turner, which reads: William H Turner, New York EN2 US Navy, World War I Dec 26 1893 - April 23 1968 |
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