I’ve been writing about Susanna Krewson Bothel, my 2x great-grandmother, in my ProGen Study Group Assignments as the Krewson line has been my focus for the last few months. The Krewson surname is on my dad’s mother’s side of the family and first appears through the marriage of Susanna Krewson and Andrew Bothel.
Here’s a copy of their marriage record from the original Bucks County register1:
If you’re having fun with the handwriting, it reads: “At Newtown, on Thursday evening the 26th of August 1847, Andrew Bothel to Susanna Krewsen, daughter of Mr. John Krewsen, and all of Newtown Bucks Co. Pa. 35 cts. Returned till better off!”
Read that last part again…”35 cts [cents] – Returned till better off!” Most couples were paying about $2 to get married. Andrew and Susanna were apparently so poor they paid 35 cents and had it returned to them.
By 1850, Andrew and Susanna were living in Northampton Township, Bucks County (next to Newtown) and he was listed as a farmer. He didn’t own land, but he was surrounded by men who owned a lot of it, so he probably worked for one of them. They had two sons at this point, Alexander age 3, and Charles age 1.
In 1860 the family was located in Wrightstown Township and Andrew was a day laborer. Each time they moved it wasn’t very far, but perhaps it was to where Andrew could find work.
They added three more children, Samuel age 8, Mary Jane age 6, and Frank age 3 (my great-grandfather). But where were Alexander and Charles? They were no longer with the rest of the family. [The quality of this census record is poor and would not show up well.]
Charles was found in the home of John Tomlinson, Jr. in Northampton Township. His occupation was listed as “taken boy.”
While it’s difficult to find a true definition of what this means, it seems to be a regional term meaning a child taken from a poor family to live and work elsewhere for room and board. Alexander also seemed to be in that same situation, although the census record for him in 1860 is so faint, it’s only a guess.
In 1870 the family was finally back together again…in Cecil County, Maryland, about 100 miles away from Bucks County.
Andrew was a farm tenant and his sons Alexander and Charles were farm workers. Andrew still owned no land, but the value of his personal estate had increased from $150 in 1860 to $1200.
After another 10 years, Andrew was still a farmer in 1880 in Rising Sun, Cecil, Maryland with Frank in the house as a farmer and Charles living right next door with his wife and children. I can’t find any land records showing Andrew ever owned land. As I travel I95 every week, I drive right past the exit for Rising Sun. Perhaps I can see the land he worked (or at least I’d like to think so).
Andrew Bothel died on 1 May 1881 in Rising Sun. His Find A Grave memorial says he was buried in Cecil County, Maryland, but was later moved to Chester County, Pennsylvania.5 That’s a mystery just begging to be solved. Susanna’s death date is still unknown to me.
I just recently obtained the military service record for Andrew Bothel from the Civil War. There is more to his story than being a poor farmhand. So, until next time…
Genealogy Tip: Census records are the backbone of genealogical research. Try and find your ancestor in every census throughout their life and be sure to scour the few pages before and after. Do you see surnames you recognize? If it’s been awhile since you’ve found them, take another look. You often find things you missed the first time around.
1 “U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970,” database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61048/ : accessed 2 Jul 2022), Pennsylvania > Newtown > Presbyterian Church > Baptisms, Births, Marriages, Deaths > 1838-1888, image 128 of 224, Marriage Record #74 for Susanna Krewson and Andrew Bothell; citing Church Registers, Presbyterian Historical Society.
2 1850 U.S. census, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Northampton Township, p. 81b, dwelling 12, family 14, Andrew Bodle household; image Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8054/images/4191082-00170?pId=568379: accessed 30 October 2022); citing National Archives microfilm publication M432, roll 759.
3 1860 U.S. census, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Northampton Township, p. 452 (stamped), dwelling 164, family 165, Charles Bodle in John Tomlinson Jr. household; digital image Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7667/images/4288516_00029?pId=1679652: accessed 30 October 2022); citing National Archives microfilm publication M653, roll 1083.
4 1870 U.S. census, Cecil County, Maryland, population schedule, Rock Spring Post Office, p. 36 (penned), dwelling 246, family 246, Andrew Bothell; digital image Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7163/images/4269471_00633?pId=23451441: accessed 30 October 2022), image 36 of 36; NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 583.
5 Ancestry, Find A Grave, database with images (www.findagrave.com: accessed 30 October 2022), memorial 80556544, Andrew Bothell (1826-1881), created by Johnny Mac, Union Cemetery, Nottingham, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
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