| Notes |
- In Sarah's birth record at New Bedford, MA, John's birthplace is given as North Carolina.
However, Eliza Virginia's birth record says he was born in Horntown, VA.
In the 1855 MA State Census, John H. Berry 27 VA seaman and Eliza Berry 22 MA are living in New Bedford.
In the Federal Census of 1860, John H. Berry is 29, his wife Eliza is 25, daughter Sarah M. M. is 2, and son John is 6 months. John H. Berry is a seaman, and his birthplace is given as South Carolina. The family is living in Ward 6, Fall River, Bristol Co., MA.
In 1863, John H. Berry 40 VA mariner is on a Civil War Draft Registration List from Fall River. I think it's he, but the age should be closer to 30, not 40.
In the 1865 RI State Census, the family is in Ward 5, District 73, Providence: John H. Berry 33 SC mariner, Eliza A. 30 MA, Sarah M. 8 MA, John H. Jr 5 MA, and Eliza V. 3 mos.
In the Federal Census on 5 Apr or Aug 1870, John H. Berry 38 and Eliza A. Berry 33 are living in Ward 5, Providence with their children Sarah 13, John H. 10, and Eliza V. 5. A young man, Charles Iakeray (?), is boarding with them. John's occupation is given as "whaler." Again, his birthplace is given as South Carolina, but his marriage certificate and ship's crew list both say he was born in Sandy Hill, MD. Perhaps his parents lived in both places at various times. The family is living near John W. & Mehitable Butts, ages 64 & 60. Could they be related to Eliza? (According to a genealogy at Rootsweb, this is John Wood Butts & Mehitable Wentworth.)
At one time, Providence was a port for 9 whaling ships (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/55152/55152-h/55152-h.htm).
My mom, Edna, at one time thought her grandfather John was born in North Carolina. I haven't been able to positively determine where he was born. However, the birth record of my grandfather, John Holland Berry, says that his father John H. Berry was a seaman, born in South Carolina. This agrees with the census information.
Notice in Fall River Daily News 29 July 1871 shows that John died before daughter Jennie died: "In Providence, 28th, Jennie, daughter of Eliza A. and the late John H. Berry, aged 6 years, 4 months and 20 days"
John probably died at sea. This needs more research to confirm. It is clear that he died sometime between the 1870 Federal Census and the time of his daughter's death as reported on 29 July 1871, noted above.
By 1875 Eliza Berry is a widow, still living in Providence, along with daughter Sarah 18, son John H. 15 (a jeweler), and granddaughter Ada (illegitimate). Eliza later remarries, to Leon Allison.
"I found a reference in an old book called 'Old Somerset on the Eastern Shore of Maryland,' by Torrence, which said Sandy Hill was 10 miles south of Snow Hill, MD . . . Snow Hill is at the head of navigation on the Pocomoke River, so a few hundred years ago when ship travel was the norm, folks could get from the Virginia Counties on the Eastern Shore up to Snow Hill fairly easy." (from M. K. Miles, compiler of Miles Files Version 7 on the Eastern Shore Public Library Web Site)
"Abstract of Protections granted to American Seamen at the Port of New York, during the 1st Qtr of 1844: 25 Jan 1844, John Berry age 16, height 5'5", light complexion, nativity: Chincoteague Virginia
Horntown, VA, is on the VA Eastern Shore near Chincoteague Bay. Horntown Road leads there from Rt. 13.
Sandy Hill, MD, being about 10 miles south of Snow Hill, must be over the border from Horntown into MD, about adjacent to Purnell Bay or Parker Bay.
Sandy Hill is now known as Girdletree, according to some records. Girdletree is on Rt. 12 in MD, just north of Horntown, VA.
The property owned by John's grandfather James Berry was in Accomack County, VA, east of US Rt. 13 between Mappsville and Temperanceville.
John H. Berry is on numerous whaling crew lists for New Bedford; at least two of these give his residence/birthplace as Sandy Hill, MD. He was 5'7" tall with brown hair and florid (reddish or flushed) complexion.
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1832 - 1875 (~ 43 years)
