silent film actress: Rhea Mitchell

Rhea Mitchell was born in 1890 in Portland, Oregon.  Her mother, Lillie Ross Mitchell, was the first cousin of my great-grandfather Ben Plymale of Medford, Oregon.  Rhea's grandmother, Elizabeth Plymale Ross, was the sister of my great-great-grandfather William Plymale.

Early Life

Rhea Mitchell was raised in Portland, Oregon, the only child of Willis and Lillie Mitchell.  Her father worked as a local shipping clerk to support the family.  In his spare time though, he volunteered as a stage hand at a local theater.  It was because of this early exposure that Rhea ultimately became involved with theater and acting.  Rhea's talents were soon noticed by her father's boss George Baker, the manager of the Baker Stock Company in Portland. In 1907, at the age of 17, she was given her first role in a local theater production.  Over the next several years, she continued acting with the Baker Stock Company in Portland, quickly going form minor to leading roles in the performances.  Her success and popularity soon prompted her boss to send her to act in theater companies in other cities.  Between 1911 and 1913, she lived and acted in Spokane, Washington; Seattle, Washington; Vancouver, BC; and San Francisco, California.  During this time period, she also switched from traditional theater performances to vaudeville acts in the Orpheum Circuit. It was while acting in Vancouver, BC that she was apparently discovered by movie scouts. 

Silent Movie Actress

Rhea Mitchell and costar Fred Stone in the 1918 film "The Goat"

Although Rhea loved stage acting, her dream was to act in the movies.  Luckily for her, she was quickly discovered and signed by a movie studio, the New York Motion Picture Company.  In 1913, she moved to Los Angeles and began her long career as a Hollywood film actress.  The height of Rhea's popularity was during the 1910s, when she was frequently the lead role in variety of silent movies.  She frequently appeared in Westerns opposite leading man, William S. Hart.  Rhea continued acting in films up until her final role in 1952, spanning a career of nearly 40 years.  Unfortunately, we do not know exactly how many films she appeared in; partly because many of the early ones have been lost and she was not credited in all of the movies she appeared in.  Estimates range from 64 to over 100. 

Surviving records infer that life as an actress during the 1910s was perhaps not as glamorous as it now is.  In a letter that she wrote in 1914, she indicated that she often had to ride on horseback to movie sets that were not accessible by vehicle.  During this time period, she had to commute from her apartment in Hollywood to the movie studio which was then located on the ocean in the Santa Ynez Canyon in Santa Monica, which at the time was very remote. (The movie studio in Santa Monica became known as Inceville.)  She indicated in her letter that her workdays often lasted 12 hours.  She wrote "I have a cunning apartment, and loads of nice acquaintances whom I scarcely have time to bow to, I'm so busy.  and when I'm not busy, I'm sleeping. Sometimes I just fall into bed, dead tired from climbing hills or being pursued through gullies."  During this time period, she gained the nickname "little stunt girl", because of her willingness to attempt thrilling scenes that other actresses avoided.  In her 1914 letter, she complained about having to "drown herself" in a stream in January during filming.

1916 newspaper advertisement for one of Rhea's movies

In her letter, Rhea indicated that while she was happy being a film actress, she missed acting on stage.  In particular she missed performing in front of an audience and being given flowers.  Because of this, she often returned to act on stage during her career as a film actress.  Rhea's popularity lessened in 1919, when she was replaced in a film by a younger woman.  In that same year, she sued her producer for $55,000 for breach of contract.  In the suit, she claimed that she had only been paid $10,000 over the course of two years for a three year contract. 

Even though Rhea's film roles lessened, she continued to act.  She also put her attention to writing.  In the late 1920s she worked as a scenarist (screenwriter) on a variety of films.  In a 1928 article, she explained that screenwriting was difficult and dissuaded "wannabe" writers from attempting it.  She explained; "It is ridiculous to say that every person is a potential author. The very drivel most amateurs write would prove it.  And "having an urge" to write is by no means the equivalent of an ability to write."

Her Murder

Rhea Mitchell in the 1915 film "On the Night Stage"

Rhea Mitchell was never married and spent the rest of her life living in a variety of apartments in Los Angeles.  After the death of her mother in 1943, she lived alone.  After the end of her film career in the early 1950s, she supplemented her income by managing apartment buildings.  On September 17, 1957, her dead body was discovered in the dressing room of her apartment in the La Brea neighborhood of Los Angeles, having been strangled by the sash of her blue silk robe.  Initially, police feared that her death was connected to a serial-killer strangler in the Los Angeles area.  Since her windows and doors were locked though, it was assumed that she knew her killer and let him/her into her apartment. 

After the discovery, police questioned the buildings' two janitors, who were the last known people to see her alive.  One of the janitors, Sonnie Hartford, failed a lie detector test and was immediately booked on suspicion of murder.  At first he denied everything but eventually confessed to the murder.  He at first explained that he did not know why he did it, and elaborated: "I liked her. She was a very decent woman."  After more time had passed though, he explained that he had made an obscene remark to her (or "complimentary" in his words) which offended her.  He then killed her so that she wouldn't tell the owner of the building.  During the course of the investigation it was revealed that Sonnie was on probation for a robbery conviction.  Eventually, in February 1958, Sonnie pled guilty to second degree murder.  It is not known what his sentence was or what eventually happened to him.  Interestingly, newspaper articles from Los Angeles during the murder investigation expressed fears that the incident would incite further racial unrest because Sonnie Hartford happened to be African American.

Rhea Mitchell was 66 years old at the time of the murder.  She is buried in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. Since Rhea was never married and was an only child, she had no close relatives. Her closest relatives were some cousins who lived in Seattle, who were questioned after her death. As an adult, Rhea often went by the nickname "Ginger."

Seattle History

I have always lived in or near Seattle, Washington.  Although Seattle is my hometown, my ancestors have only been living here since the 1940s.  Still, I have a variety of family connections and relatives that have been involved with the history of the city since the 1800s.  This post explores some of those connections.

Mayor of Seattle

The inaugural ride of Seattle's first street car in 1884, shown here at Yesler

and Occidental.  My relative Lascelle Struve, wife of mayor Henry Struve

 is one of the passengers in the car.

Courtesy University of Washington Libraries Special Collections

My relative* Henry Struve was the mayor of Seattle between 1882 and 1884.  Henry was a lawyer and politician who moved to Seattle with his family in 1879.  (*Henry's wife, Lascelle Knighton Struve was the first cousin of my great-great-grandmother Josephine Martin Plymale.  Both women were granddaughters of Zadock and Susannah Martin.)

Henry Struve was an influential citizen of Seattle and had many appointments, duties and activities that helped to shape the history of the city during its early years.  Henry was quite interested in education and served as regent of the Territorial University (later University of Washington).  Between 1884 and 1887, he was director of the public schools for Seattle. 

He was also highly interested in public transportation and the development of infrastructure and roads in the city.  During his term as mayor, he oversaw over $500,000 in improvements to the city, including regrading the streets.  He also helped to develop the city's first cable car system (Seattle Street Railway), which ran from downtown Seattle to the Madison Valley.  When the cable car first opened in 1884, his wife Lascelle was on the inaugural ride. 

Henry operated a private law practice in Seattle, where he represented many big clients, including railroad companies.  He also helped to develop banks and insurance companies in Seattle.  He and his family were living in Seattle during the great fire of 1889, but escaped unharmed.  The Home Insurance Company, which he co-founded, paid out large sums in claims due to damage from the fire.  The Struve family first lived in a house at 2nd and Pine in downtown Seattle (just two blocks from what is now the Pike Place Market).  Later, during the late 1890s, they moved to a house on First Hill. 

Georgetown

Effie Merriman Bellinger in 1887, a pioneer settler and
business owner of Georgetown, Seattle
Photo courtesy Southern Oregon Historical Society

In about 1898, my great-great-great-aunt Effie Merriman Bellinger moved by herself to Georgetown, Washington (now a part of Seattle).  Effie was a recently divorced dressmaker who had previously lived in Oregon.  I don't know why she moved by herself to Georgetown, but she probably wanted to start a new life after her divorce.  At the time, Georgetown was a small but growing town on the Duwamish River, just south of Seattle.  The town was originally called Duwamish, after the river adjacent to it.  In 1890, it was renamed Georgetown, after the son of the town's developer.  In 1904, Georgetown incorporated as an independent city.  The main impetus behind the movement to incorporate was lobbying of saloon and brewery owners who did not want to lose the right to manufacture or sell liquor if they remained unincorporated.  Georgetown was an independent city from 1904 until 1910, when it was annexed by Seattle.

When Effie Bellinger moved to Georgetown in about 1898, she opened up a dressmaking parlor in the town center, being one of its pioneer business owners.  She did not remain single for long and was soon married to Joseph Hill, a street car conductor.  Later, Joseph worked for many decades as a Deputy King County Sheriff.  Effie lived for more than 50 years in a house in the center of Georgetown, at Bailey Street and Carleton Avenue.  Their house was only a block away from the King County Hospital (precursor to Harborview Hospital on First Hill).  Their house was also very close to the Duwamish River, before the river was straightened in 1913 and the course of the river changed.  Their house was eventually torn down and the site is now covered by an onramp to I-5. 

In 1903, another great-great-great aunt Josephine Merriman Beek also moved to Georgetown, to be closer to her sister Effie.  Josephine's husband John Beek was elected City Clerk of Georgetown in 1904 and remained in that position until the city was annexed in 1910.  John was quite involved with city business and the growth of the region during that time period.  In 1909, the city passed an ordinance that closed saloons at 1:00 a.m. (they were previously allowed to remain open 24 hours a day).  It is suggested that John Beek's activities as City Clerk might have been partially responsible for the citizens electing to annex to Seattle in 1910.  In late 1909, it had become apparent that John had doctored the city's financial records. Since John ran unopposed for his position as City Clerk, there were newspaper campaigns that called on the citizens to vote for annexation as the only way to get John out of office.

The Beek family lived in a house just east of Georgetown on Beacon Hill.  In 1915, they sold their house and moved to north Seattle.  John later worked for many years as an accountant for the city of Seattle.

Boeing



from the 1973 Boeing Annual Report
Courtesy University of Washington Libraries

Special Collections

In 1948, my maternal grandparents Ben and Patricia Plymale moved to Seattle from Portland, Oregon.  They were married in June 1948, and after spending their honeymoon in San Francisco, they moved immediately to Seattle so that Ben could attend graduate school.  Between 1948 and 1951, Ben and Patricia lived in an apartment in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of north Seattle (the Phinney Apartments).  While living there, Ben attended graduate school at the nearby University of Washington and Patricia worked as a secretary at the Sand Point Naval Air Station on Lake Washington. 

In 1950, Ben quit graduate school to accept a job offer as an engineer at Boeing Company.  Because Ben was now working at the Boeing plant in south Seattle, they decided to move.  Between 1951 and 1953, they lived in an apartment in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of south Seattle (now the Lake Washington Apartments).  In 1953, they purchased a house in the Mount Baker neighborhood of south Seattle, which the family owned for 30 years.  Later, after their divorce, Ben lived in the Seward Park neighborhood and Patricia lived in the Madison Park neighborhood.

Except for a brief stint (1968-1972) working in the Pentagon as an Assistant Director to the Secretary of Defense, Ben remained employed by Boeing from 1950 until his death in 1981.  He began his career as an engineer, but his brilliance allowed him to advance quickly within the company and he quickly became a company executive and an authority of strategic space systems.  He was one of the managers who developed the Minuteman missile program.  From 1972 to 1981, Ben was a vice president of Boeing. During his time as vice president, he managed the Space and Ballistic Missile Group, the company's marketing program, and the 757 and 767 airplane system integrations. 

The city of Seattle owed much of its growth to the Boeing Company, which helped to revitalize the economy after World War II and became a major local employer.  It could be argued then that Ben's high level of involvement with the company had an indirect, but major impact on the history of the city. 

Baseball

My great-great-great-uncle John Beek providing his input on why the Seattle
baseball team (then the Seattle Turks) always seemed to lose their games.
From a June 4, 1908 edition of the Seattle Daily Times

I have never been interested in professional sports or identified with my city's sports teams.  Still, professional teams seem to be a source of much pride and cohesion for many American cities.  When doing my research, I cannot help but notice how much this hasn't really changed over the years.  The city of Seattle has had a baseball team since 1890.  The names of Seattle's baseball team has changed over the years and has included: Seattles, Seattle Braves, Seattle Siwashes, Seattle Turks, Seattle Giants, Seattle Rainiers, Seattle Indians, Seattle Rainiers (again), Seattle Angels, Seattle Pilots and finally the Seattle Mariners. 



Portion of the 1912 Baist map of Seattle showing the location of the Band Box
Park, which was used by Seattle's baseball teams between 1907 and 1913. 
The area shown in this map now includes the Yesler Terrace Housing
Projects, the Bailey Gatzert Elementary School, the King County Archives
and the Juvenile Detention Center
Courtesy pauldorpat.com



Prior to 1913, Seattle had no official stadium for its baseball team.  Before that though (between 1907 and 1913), they did play at a baseball park in the Central Area neighborhood of Seattle known as "Band Box Park".  Although that baseball park is long gone, it just happens to have been at the site of my previous workplace, the King County Archives, at 12th and Yesler.  Coincidentally, this location also happens to be in the recorded subdivision of Struve's Addition (named after the family of my relative, mayor Henry Struve).  Band Box Park was constructed at the same time (as a sister project) as the Pike Place Market.

Band Box Park was succeeded by Dugdale Field in 1913, followed in 1938 by Sicks' Stadium.  Sicks' Stadium (at Rainier and McClellan) was Seattle's baseball stadium for 38 years, before the Kingdome and Safeco Field. 

 

Genealogy and Politics

George Merriman in 1899

As a matter of self-preservation and diplomacy, I avoid contributing to any discussion about politics.  I am presenting the issue here though to highlight genealogy research being used for an unusual purpose.

Recently, one of my cousins sent me a link she came across regarding my great-great-grandfather, George Merriman of Medford, Oregon.  At first glance, the page seemed typical and unremarkable; it contained a short biography from an 1896 publication and a basic chart showing his descendants.   Further browsing though revealed that this information was essentially published for propaganda purposes for a political party.

The page in question is on a blog titled Oregon Republican League, which describes itself as "dedicated to building a Republican majority in the state of Oregon, through directed issues research/review, outreach and social service projects."  The included biography of my great-great-grandfather was actually from a Republican publication which described George's involvement with the Republican party in the 1880s and 1890s.  The information about my ancestor was published in 2006 as part of a "Bridging the Generations Project", along with hundreds of other posts including biographies and genealogies of Oregon Republican politicians from the 1890s. 

The implicit purpose of the project was to inspire current generations of Oregonians to associate with the Republican party because their ancestors happened to be relatively prominent Republican politicians.  This is a seemingly creative and innovative method of attempting to gain supporters and members of a particular political party.  Admittedly, the blog post is 6 years old and the "project" seems to have been effectively abandoned, with no activity on the blog for at least 2 years.  Also, it is not clear how, if at all, the blog and its efforts were related to or endorsed by the official Oregon Republican Party.  Research at the Oregon Secretary of State reveals that the Oregon Republican League was officially incorporated in 2004, but has since become inactive.

Aside from whether this effort had any connection to the official Republican Party, it makes me wonder whether the use of genealogy research would actually be effective in gaining support for any political purpose.  A major flaw in the logic is that political party platforms and ideologies change over time, and the Republican Party of the 1890s is not quite what it is today.  (Another great-great-grandparent of mine from the same time period, Josephine Plymale, was a staunch Republican who also happened to be quite progressive and something of a militant feminist.) Additionally, although a person might find it interesting that a particular ancestor happened to be a politician, would that do anything to actually sway their own political ideologies?  As a genealogist, I personally resent my family tree being perverted and used by any political party for their own purposes.  At least the blog project did not include the names or identitities of living individuals. 

My great-great-grandfather George Merriman was a founding settler of the city of Medford, Oregon.  He was a lifelong blacksmith who owned his own business for many years and raised a family of 7 children.  George was definitely a staunch Republican, and although he rarely held political office, he was involved with the party in many ways.  He was a member of at least five Republican conventions in the 1880s and 1890s; he was elected as trustee for the city of Oakland, Oregon; he served on the city council of Medford, Oregon; and was involved with a number of other related committees and clubs.  In 1892, he ran for the position of Jackson County Sheriff, but was defeated by a small majority.  In 1895, he was almost appointed as the warden for the Oregon State Penitentiary.  Between 1900 and 1904, he served as Postmaster for the city of Medford.  His personal passion and interest was in educational matters, serving on the school board of Medford and was also a founder and director of the city's first college, Medford Business College.  Aside from a passion for education, we do not know much about George's specific political ideologies.  Perhaps a clue to his ideologies is a strangely-worded statement from a 1912 biography: "He has sought not alone his good but also that of the public."  Also, from a 1904 biography: "While not seeking recognition himself he has earnestly helped his deserving friends, and by no means confined himself to any one party in offering help."

Children

What follows is a variety of photos of children in family tree, ranging in dates from the 1860s to the 1980s. 

Two of my great-great-grandfather George Merriman's sisters: Lucinda
Merriman (left) and Mollie Merriman (right), circa 1867, Jacksonville, Oregon.
Courtesy Southern Oregon Historical Society

My great-great-grandfather Oscar Wadleigh at about 5 years old, circa 1870.  He is
sporting what was apparently fashionable dress for little boys.  Sanbornton, New Hampshire.

Mary J. Halliburton, the niece of my great-great-great-grandmother
Elizabeth Halliburton Current.  Photo taken in about 1875 in
Clarksville, Tennessee. Mary died from yellow fever in 1878 at the
age of 9 along with all of her siblings.
Photo from Barbara Wentz via findagrave.com

Three of my great-grandmother Vera Merriman's siblings: Thomas Merriman
(left), George Merriman (middle) and May Merriman (right).
Photo taken circa 1888, Medford, Oregon.

Two of my great-grandfather Benjamin Plymale's sisters: Marie Plymale (left)
and Emaline Plymale (right), circa 1893, Jacksonville, Oregon.
Courtesy Southern Oregon Historical Society.

 

My great-grandfather Neil Bixby, circa 1898, Garden City, Minnesota.

Three children of Fred Wadleigh, my great-great-grandfather's brother: Theodore
Wadleigh (left), Ruth Wadleigh (center), Winthrop Wadleigh
(right), circa 1906, Milford, New Hampshire.

My great-grandfather's niece Arline Bixby, circa 1918, Minnesota.
Courtesy Debra McEachern.

My grandfather's brother Eric Wadleigh (right) and his cousin
Harry Dragoo (left), circa 1922, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Left to right: Keith Bixby (my grandmother's cousin), Evelyn Bixby (my grandmother's sister),
Shirley Bixby (my grandmother's sister), Deane Bixby (my grandmother's brother),
circa 1928, Portland, Oregon.

My grandmother Bettye Brown, circa 1930, unknown location.

My grandfather Paul Wadleigh, circa 1933, Indianapolis, Indiana.

My grandmother Patricia Bixby (bottom right) and her siblings (Evelyn, Shirley and Deane, in back) and cousins
(Keith and Dennis Bixby, front), circa 1933, Portland, Oregon.

My mom's birthday in 1956, Seattle, Washington. Left to right: George Plymale, Margaret Brown,
Tracy Brown, Barbara Plymale, Catherine Plymale.

My dad and his siblings and cousins at their grandparents' house for Christmas, apparently making a gingerbread house,
late 1950's, Indianapolis, Indiana. 

My cousins Deana Plymale and Ira Wilks, 1981, Woodinville, Washington.

an inventor in the family

The actual design figures for Hugh's sawing machine,
from Patent #136,216
(courtesy US Patent Office)

My great-great-great-grandfather Hugh Current was born in 1832 in central North Carolina and came from a relatively poor family. Sometime between 1850 and 1857, Hugh moved by himself out west and settled in Clarksville, Tennessee.  There he married Elizabeth Halliburton in 1859, the eldest daughter of a wealthy plantation owner.

Hugh was sometimes a farmer, but it seems that his primary vocation and skills were in woodworking.  In 1860 he was described as a carpenter.  In 1873 or 1874, Hugh moved with his family from their rural farm to a house in the city of Clarksville.  There, Hugh opened up a chair making business where he devoted himself to making quality hand-made chairs for his customers.  His speciality was rocking chairs.  Hugh owned and operated his chair making business in Clarksville for at least seven years, and probably longer.  At some point after his chair making enterprise, Hugh also owned and operated a printing supply business.  In old age, after having outlived two of his wives and separating from his third, Hugh became a minister in the Universalist church.  Current Street in Clarksville was named after him and his family.

Prior to opening his chair making business, Hugh put his innovative mind to use and decide to invent something.  The date and origin of the actual invention is unknown.  Eventually though, Hugh created designs and specifications for his invention and submitted it to the US Patent Office.  His patent (#136,216) was then issued on February 25, 1873 and is permanently on file with the Patent Office.  Hugh's invention is titled "Improvement in Sawing-Machines."   The machine is a free-standing apparatus with conveyor belts and circular saws.  The anticipated use of the machine was to take large "cord-wood" and cut it quickly and neatly into three pieces that would be the appropriate size for wood or cook stoves.  The entire patent can be viewed online.

Hugh Current and his second wife Margaret,
in about 1880.
(courtesy Jim Long)

Although the patent was issued, the Patent Office has no record that the machine was ever produced.  We must assume though that Hugh at least produced a prototype machine and probably others for friends and customers in Clarksville.  Interestingly, Hugh's 1873 patent was cited in the research of a 1990 "cherry splitter" patent, which employed a similar overall design to split cherries.

The invention of a firewood sawing machine perhaps seems a little odd.  I cannot help but draw a comparison to Disney's Beauty and the Beast, in which Belle's father's invention is also a machine to chop firewood (although the design is completely different).  The invention story did not appear in any of the original stories and was an element added by Disney.  Was Hugh viewed as odd by his children and contemporaries just like Maurice?

My descent from Hugh:
Hugh A. Current md. Elizabeth G. Halliburton
- Georgia Current md. Christopher C. Brown
-- Newell B. Brown md. Louetha Jones
--- Bettye B. Brown md. Paul C. Wadleigh
---- Randy Wadleigh md. Barbara Plymale
----- Ryan Wadleigh

newspaper advertisement for Hugh's
chair making business
(from Sep. 25, 1875 edition of the
Clarksville Weekly Chronicle)

military glamour shots

On this Memorial Day holiday, I am honoring my ancestors and their siblings that had military service.  Following is photographs of them:
World War II

My paternal grandfather Paul C. Wadleigh (1925-2007)
Paul served in the Navy during WWII as a mine sweeper in the Pacific Theater. 
He later served in the Korean War before being discharged in 1954 as a lieutenant.

My grandfather's oldest brother Eric J. Wadleigh (1916-2011)
Eric was a member of the 72nd Field Artillery Regiment of the Army during World
War II. 

My grandfather's middle brother Gerald M. Wadleigh (1920-1984)
Gerald was a lieutenant in the Army Signal Corps during World War II, serving in
Germany and England.  He was discharged in 1946. 

My maternal grandfather Ben T. Plymale (1926-1981)
Ben was in the ROTC during high school and then served in the Navy between 1944
and 1946.  During his service, he was based primarily on Guam.

My maternal grandmother's only brother Deane F. Bixby (1921-1944)
Deane was a lieutenant in an engineer battalion of the Army between 1942 and 1944,
serving in Europe on two separate deployments.  At the end of his second deployment
he was in charge of mine-sweeping and road clearing so that tanks could proceed.
  Somewhere in Germany in December 1944 he was personally inspecting a road in spite
of machine-gun fire when he was killed by an enemy bullet.  His heroism apparently
saved the lives of his men behind him and allowed them to capture 28 German soldiers.
  He was awarded a posthumous Bronze Star.

World War I

My great-grandfather's brother Gerald T. Wadleigh (1893-1983)
Gerald served in the Navy during World War I.

 

My great-grandfather Benjamin H. Plymale (1888-1929)
Benjamin served as a Mess Sergeant in the Army during World War I between
1917 and 1919. He served in Europe, with the majority of time spent in France. 

 

My great-grandfather Neil F. Bixby (1893-1985)
Neil served in the Army during World War I from 1917 to 1919, being
stationed in Europe. He later worked as a civilian for the Army
Corps of Engineers for over 30 years.

Civil War

My great-great-great-grandfather Irvin H. Thurston (1828-1887)
Irvin was a physician by profession, so he served in the Union Army between 1862 and 1865,
first as an assistant surgeon and then as a full surgeon in the 8th Minnesota Infantry.
  With his regiment, he served in Minnesota, Tennessee and North Carolina.

Manslaughter!

Proper genealogical research aims at uncovering the truth about our ancestors, however unsavory that truth may be.  One such example of moral failings was in 1655 when my distant ancestors Robert and Susannah Latham were responsible for the death of their 14-year old servant.

In 1655, Robert and Susannah Latham were a young couple living in the town of Plymouth in Plymouth Colony, in what is now Massachusetts.  They had been married for about six years and had about four or five young children. Both Robert and Susannah came from Puritan families that were among the original settlers of the Plymouth Colony. Susannah's mother, Mary Chilton, was a passenger on the Mayflower, and said to be the first white woman to set foot on Plymouth Rock.

Robert and Susannah were not wealthy, but by the winter of 1654-1655 they did have a servant named John Walker.  John Walker was at the time about 14 years old and was perhaps an indentured servant.  On January 15, 1654/1655, John Walker died while in the custody of his "master", Robert Latham.  His body was subsequently brought before a coroner's jury.  The inspection found that John's body was covered with bruises, slashes and open sores and showed evidence of being frozen.  When questioned, Robert admitted to whipping the boy, including the day he died.  A witness also testified that at one time John was made to carry a log that was much heavier than him and when it fell on top of him, he was whipped by his master until he got up. The investigation revealed that John was also not given sufficient food, clothing or lodgings.  John was "put forth in the extremity of cold", and thus died.  The inference then is that poor John literally froze to death, his death being exacerbated by starvation, mistreatment and physical injuries.

Upon these findings, Robert Latham was arrested and was indicted for "fellonious cruelty."  At the next meeting of the court, Robert was found guilty of "manslaughter by chaunc medley." ("chance-medley" was an old legal term used to describe unintentional killing, but usually in terms of self defense) During the proceedings, Robert asked for mercy in his punishment. He was sentenced to be "burned in the hand" and all of his goods were to be confiscated by the court.  This was a rather light sentence given that the punishment for murder was execution.  The wording of his guilty verdict though implied that the jury did not believe that Robert intended for John to die, thus he was not deserving of the full punishment for murder.

Although Robert was convicted and sentenced for John's death, it became clear that his wife Susannah was also indirectly responsible for John's death.  The inference is that although Susannah might not have physically harmed John, both Robert and Susannah had colluded with each other about the treatment, and that Susannah did nothing to help him.  On June 6, 1655, Susannah was brought before the court and arraigned for cruelty.  She was never prosecuted for the crime and eventually the matter was dropped entirely in 1658, leaving her a free woman.

Robert and Susannah's oldest daughter Mercy Latham was my ancestor.  During the murder and subsequent trial of her father, Mercy was just 4-years old.  It must have been made on a strange impression on young Mercy to possibly be witness to a murder and to have known that her own parents were responsible for the death of an innocent person.

My descent from Robert and Susannah:

Robert Latham md. Susannah Winslow
- Mercy Latham md. Isaac Harris
--- Desire Harris md. John Kingman
---- Deliverance Kingman md. Ebenezer Orcutt
----- Samuel Orcutt md. Susanna Bates
------ Keziah Orcutt md. Jesse Worrick
------- Hannah Worrick md. Thaddeus Bixby
-------- Henry A. Bixby md. Mary Palfrey
--------- Henry W. Bixby md. Julia M. Thurston
---------- Neil F. Bixby md. Bertha Hoffman
----------- Patricia J. Bixby md. Ben T. Plymale
------------ Barbara Plymale md. Randy Wadleigh
------------- Ryan Wadleigh

Sources:
1. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England. Court Orders. Vol. III. 1651-1661. Boston, William White Printer, 1855.
2. Walker, J.B.R. Memorial of the Walkers of the Old Plymouth Colony.  Northampton, Metcalfe & Co., 1861.
3. Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England. Boston, Little, Brown & Co., 1860.
4. Stratton, Eugene A. Plymouth Colony. Its History & People. 1620-1691. Salt Lake City, 1986.