USA > New York > Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and family history of New York, Volume II > Part 27
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Subsequently Mr. Crooke invented a method which he pat- ented for extracting copper, silver and gold from copper matt. This process was successfully worked at Pueblo, Colorado, pro- ducing from nine to ten tons of refined saddle bar copper per day. The gold and silver extracted as by products were re- covered in the usual manner. The process in a few years was abandoned after the introduction of electrolysis, which is now the present method.
Previous to this, in connection with his brother Robert, parting and refining works had been erected at Fifteenth street and Eleventh avenue, New York City. At once there was a great influx of base bullion from the west consigned for parting and refining, and even with four tests of one thousand pounds ca- pacity each, and a bank of retorts running day and night there were frequently from five to seven hundred tons crude bullion awaiting treatment.
This business lasted until by the usual leaking of technical secrets through suborned workmen, the knowledge was finally disseminated throughout the smelting world. There was at this time a process for refining hard lead in Europe. The Eu- ropean process requiring from seven to ten days, the Crooke process producing better results in from seven to ten hours. In the same plant tools for parting tin from scrap lead were erected. The lead was refined, fitted for corroding to white lead, and the by-product, tin, properly alloyed, was made into solder and electrotype metal. This business was carried on for a num- ber of years. But all this belongs to the beautiful past and is now dead, killed by a vicious protective policy. The demoneti- zation of silver, the capture of the one standard, and the conse- quent formation of "trusts."
The birth of this graft singing question marks the paraly- sis of individual effort in silver and gold mining. Those vast
Rufus Fordham
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combinations of money, politely called "trusts," working under strictly piratical laws divide the bulk of the plunder among its officers, allowing a small leakage to the crew, thus enriches the few and depauperates the many.
From the loins of these few will spring a death struggle between the many of American labor, and the few of the com- ing American "grand dukes."
This is the prophecy of four score years and three. In con- clusion would cry: "I, who am about to die, don't salute you, Oh! Caesar."
THE FAMILY OF FORDHAM.
All the families of the name of Fordham in this country are descended from Rev. Robert Fordham, who came to Amer- ica before 1641. Letchford in his book, "Plaine Dealing" or "News From New England," published in 1642, says he was then living in Sudbury, Massachusetts. In 1644 he accompanied Mr. Denton to Hempstead, Long Island, and he is the first per- son named in Governor Kieft's patent for that town. In 1648 he came to Southampton. Long Island, and was the second minister of the church in that place, and labored in the min- istry until his death in September. 1674. The traditions con- cerning him show that he was of an amiable disposition, and gave general satisfaction in the discharge of his pastoral duties. He must have been a man of some means, for his estate was inventoried at £1,164. He possessed what was probably the largest library on Long Island at that time, his books being valued at £53, a large sum for those days. One of his sons, Rev. Jonah Fordham, was a graduate from Harvard, 1658, and was pastor of the church in Hempstead from 1660 to 1680. In 1691 he became minister at Brookhaven, and remained several years. He returned to Southampton and died there,
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July 17, 1696, aged sixty-three. Rev. Robert Fordham left wife Elizabeth, and children: Captain Joseph, Robert, Rev. Jonah, John, Mary, wife of Edward Howell; and Hannah, wife of Samuel Clark.
Captain Joseph Fordham died September 7, 1688. He had children: Major Joseph, born July 30, 1669; Elizabeth, Nathan, Peletiah, Hannah and Althea.
Major Joseph Fordham married Mary Maltby, December 5, 1689. She died March 10, 1719. Their children were: Mary, Joseph, born September 19, 1693; Phebe, Alexander, born October 3, 1700; John, born October 27, 1703, and Hannah, born July 19, 1707. The descendants of these children are very numerous, and the name is still found in Southampton, where their ancestor, Rev. Robert Fordham, labored so many years.
John Fordham, son of Major Joseph Fordham, with many other Southampton families, removed to New Jersey. He had a son John, and perhaps others, who seem to have removed at a later date to Scranton, Pennsylvania, and was probably the father of Rufus Fordham. The probability of this appears from the fact that all the other branches of the Fordham family have been traced to other localities. The father of Rufus Fordham (probably John Fordham) married Rachel Starkey. Their only son, Rufus Fordham, was born 1782, died July 12, 1868, aged eighty-six. It has been thought by some that the father of Rufus Fordham, owing to some disagreement with his father-in-law, enlisted as a soldier in the Revolution, and was one of the "un- known dead." His widow married (second) William Parker, and of this marriage had other children.
Rufus Fordham at an early age went to Saybrook, Con- necticut, and learned the trade of ship carpenter, in which he became skillful, doing the fine work of finishing off the cabins of vessels built at that place. He was also largely engaged in
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the shad fishing, and was the owner of the fishery known as the "Parsonage Pier." He was also the owner of a well conducted and profitable farm. He was offered a pension by the United States government for services at the old Saybrook Fort, but de- clined to receive it.
Rufus Fordham married (first) Rebecca Shipman. Mr. Fordham married (second) Hepsibah Beckwith, who died Au- gust 11, 1831. The third wife of Rufus Fordham was Mehitable Lindergreen. They were married in Saybrook, November 3, 1839. There were no children by this marriage.
The children of Rufus Fordham and Rebecca Shipman were :
1. Orrin Frederick, of City Island.
2. Emeline, married Harry Conklin, and had children: Augustus H., John A., Leander and Julius M.
3. Lydia, born 1810, died 1823.
4. Rufus, married Sarah Ann Pratt, July 9, 1838. She died January 12, 1884, aged sixty-eight. He was born Decem- ber 26, 1812, died November 8, 1885, aged seventy-two. Their children were: Edward, born April 22, 1839, died December 2, 1849. Theodore P., born February 3, 1844, married Matte B. Mack, June 9, 1866, and had children: Ida E., wife of Stephen . W. Stearns, and have children: Charles F., Winchester and Emma J. Stearns; and Flora L., wife of Charles Storrs Hall, who have children : Randolph F. and Theodore P. Hall. Carrie B. George, born January 23, 1852, died December 28, 1852. Horace. born February 16, 1858, died April 26, 1861.
5. Patience, born 1815, died September 21, 1898, aged eighty-three.
6. Rebecca, married Charles S. Burr, and had children : Frederick, and Jane R., wife of A. A. Giesler.
7. John S., born 1817, died October 31, 1869. aged fifty- two. He married Phebe Hulse, no children.
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8. Rachel S., born 1822, died November 7, 1892, aged sev- enty-two. She was the first public school teacher in City Island. She married Frederick Gladding.
9. Thomas P., born 1820, died June 27, 1901, aged eighty- one.
Rufus Fordham had by his marriage with Hepsibah Beck- with one son, Henry Fordham, born April 7, 1828, married, No- vember 7, 1849, Ann E. Wells, born January 11, 1830. Their children were: 1. Emelina A., born May 26, 1852, married, Sep- tember 2, 1874, A. Charles Bolton; children: Edna Fordham, born July 24, 1878; Erna Alberta, born February 16, 1882; Lillian Maud, born August 14, 1885; Walter Charles, born June 4, 1895. 2. H. Fletcher, born July 30, 1858, married, March 19, 1882, Annie Lewis Thomas; children : Edith May, born June 2, 1887; Daniel Henry, born June 22, 1895. 3. Frank W., born September 18, 1863, died September 25, 1865. 4. R. Bertram, born September 28, 1866, died February 23, 1906; married, Octo- ber 21, 1891, Lillie V. Clark; one child, Erna Alberta, born Jan- uary 13, 1895. 5. Annie Wells, born April 23, 1878, married, May 4, 1892, Frederick L. Terry ; children : Frank Fordham, born March 31, 1893, deceased; Frederick Russell, born August 7, 1895; Hattie Annafred, born May 20, 1898. Henry Fordham, father of these children, died March 21, 1890.
Orrin Frederick Fordham was a thorough representative of this ancient and honorable family. He married Levina E. Billar, a native of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, born January 16, 1815, and came to City Island, New York, in 1837, and became one of the pioneers in the business of oyster planting. In this place he passed the remaining years of his life and passed away August 24, 1845. In 1839 he was a trustee of school district No. 2 in the town of Pelham, being one of the first trustees of the same. He was known as a just and conscientious man in all
John Oscar Fordham Angeline A. Fordham
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his affairs, and was highly respected by all who knew him, and both he and his wife were prominent and useful members of the Methodist Episcopal church. His widow married Nathan C. Bell, and died May 29, 1887. The children of Orrin Frederick Fordham were:
1. Mary Rebecca, wife of Alexander Rolfe. She died Octo- ber 11, 1862, aged thirty-nine; has one son surviving, Thadeus C., of City Island.
2. Sarah E., married, February 21, 1857, George F. Carew, who died September 5, 1894. Their children were: 1. George F .. Jr., born April 21. 1858, married, January 28, 1885, Margaret Farrell, of Brooklyn, no issue. 2. Orrin F. born January 15, 1860, died January 12, 1885. 3. Levina M., born April 30, 1862. 4. Mary F., born July 31, 1864, married, September 24, 1884, John W. Wood, of Brooklyn; children : Edna L., Lena E., John W., Annabell E., George C., Elizabeth M., Orrin F., Emily F., Herbert F., Arthur W. and Harold W. 5. Catherine S., born April, 1868, died October 3, 1869. 6. Sarah E., born August 31, 1870, married, September 28, 1904, Frederick Yarwood, of Brooklyn, no issue. 7. Edna L., born December 25, 1879, de- ceased. 8. Clara A., born September 3, 1885.
3. Orrin Frederick, died November 27, 1863, aged twenty- two.
4. John Oscar, the subject of this review.
5. William R., married Mary L. Johnson, and resides at City Island.
John O. Fordham, the fourth child and second son of Orrin Frederick Fordham, was born at City Island, April 2, 1844. His early education was received at the public schools, and at the early age of thirteen he entered upon the practical duties of life, and in his fourteenth year began to learn the trade of stone mason with his brother-in-law, Alexander Rolfe, and served
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faithfully an apprenticeship of five years. He did not, however, pursue his trade, having become engaged in navigation on the Long Island sound, and served a number of years under the tuition of Captain Benjamin F. Horton; after the death of Cap- tain Horton, Mr. Fordham concluded his apprenticeship with Captain Thomas J. Jennings, a noted navigator of Long Island sound. Mr. Fordham, after having received a license as pilot, pursued his calling for a number of years on the waters of the East river and Long Island sound. He next became engaged in oyster planting at City Island, and while engaged in this line of pursuit contributed much by his skill and enterprise to the suc- cessful development of City Island. He was instrumental in the establishment of two of the first shipyards, namely, Hillman & Hubbee, now the John P. Hawkins, and the Archibald Robert- son ship building establishments. He was also active in the organization and was one of the charter members of City Island Lodge, No. 712, Free and Accepted Masons, and was the first master of the lodge. When this portion of Westchester county was annexed to the city of New York, he was one of the trustees of school district No. 2.
John O. Fordham married, July 5, 1866, Angeline A. Jen- nings, born March 20, 1848, daughter of Thomas and Mary Ann (Booth) Jennings. The latter was a native of Long Island and the former a native of New York City. Of this marriage Mr. Fordham had born to him a family of ten children, as follows :
1. Orrin Frederick, born August 28, 1867. He married Norma Abbott, August 31, 1893. and has children : Orrin Fred- erick and Frances Fordham. Orrin Frederick Fordham pub- lished the City Island Drift for six years, with good ability and success.
2. Ida Jennings, born July 28, 1870, died October 6, 1903.
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She married Frederick Lowndes, October 21, 1897, and had chil- dren : Jennie H., Arthur F. and Dorothy H. Lowndes.
3. Annie Louisa, born July 12, 1872, married Irving Lowndes, October 28, 1891, and has children : Harry, Bertha D., Wilfred and Charlotte Lowndes.
4. Jennie Olivette, born December 6, 1876, died September 3, 1879.
5. William Johnson, born March 19, 1878, married Lena Milford, of Patchogue, Suffolk county, March 14, 1903. Of this union there is no issue. He served in the United States army, in the signal corps, faithfully for a period of three years in the Philippine Islands. He received a gunshot wound while in action.
6. Jessie Edna, born September 17, 1880, married Louis F. Bowdish, December 29, 1902, and has two children: Arvine C. and Catherine L. Bowdish.
7. Irving Elwood, born June 4, 1883.
8. Catherine Elizabeth, born September 10, 1885.
9. Albert Allen, born February 26, 1888.
10. Frank Dexter, born April 17, 1891.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Fordham are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church at City Island. Mr. Fordham has been for a period of over sixteen years superintendent of the Sunday school, and has at all times given his time for church and charitable work.
William Rufus Fordham, father of J. Alfred Fordham, was born at City Island, borough of the Bronx, October 24, 1845. He received his educational training in the schools at City Island. At the early age of thirteen he took up the practical duties of life, having become engaged in the oyster planting business, which line of pursuit he followed throughout the active years of his life. He was an active member of City Island Lodge (now
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Pelham Lodge), Free and Accepted Masons, and during his many years of membership attained to a high degree of the order.
He was married in New York City, January 7, 1869, to Mary Louise Johnson, born January 8, 1850, daughter of Jacob and Sarah Jane (Miller) Johnson. Of this marriage they had born to them a family of nine children: 1. J. Alfred, born De- cember 28, 1869, see forward. 2. Minnie Levina, born February 23, 1872, is a missionary of the Episcopal church and foreign mission of New York City, and is at the present time stationed at Ponce, Porto Rico, where she has served for a period of over three years. 3. Sarah J., born April 3, 1874, is a graduated nurse; she married, January 17, 1906, George Spencer. 4. Wil- lietta, born May 10, 1876. 5. Frances, born November 19, 1879, died June 8, 1880. 6. William Frederick, born January 12, 1882, died November 4, 1883. 7. John Oscar, born July 10, 1884. 8. Howard C., born February 15, 1887. 9. Clarence, born August 3, 1890. The father of these children died at City Island, June 6, 1903. His faithful wife and mother of these children, Mary Louise (Johnson) Fordham, survives her husband and resides in a pleasant cottage on the lands of the old homestead at City Island.
J. Alfred Fordham acquired his elementary training in the schools of City Island, at the age of sixteen entered the Pennington Seminary at Pennington, New Jersey, and upon his return home learned the trade of mason, which line of work he pursued for some time, and with his father was engaged at the oyster planting business. In March, 1894, Mr. Fordham was elected town clerk of City Island and served in that position for a period of over fifteen months, when City Island became an- nexed to the borough of the Bronx. In 1898 Mr. Fordham was
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appointed in the capacity of letter carrier at City Island and has held that position to the present time.
J. Alfred Fordham married, December 28, 1891, Adeline E. Martin, born October 28, 1872, daughter of Thomas and Annie E. (Cochran) Martin, and of his marriage have been born three children : 1. Mary R., born October 31, 1892. 2. William Alfred, born February 15, 1895. 3. Benjamin Howard, born January 15, 1897. Mr. and Mrs. Fordham are consistent members of the Methodist church at City Island.
JACQUES CASTEL.
Jacques Castel, a highly respected and representative citi- zen of Grant City, borough of Richmond, where he has resided for over thirty years, was born in one of the suburb towns near the city of Nice, in the Canton Contz, France, September 29. 1836, son of Joseph and Madeline (Castel) Castel, and is one of a family of four sons, of whom Jacques of this review is the only one who came to this country.
Jacques Castel was educated and reared to manhood in his native country, where he resided up to 1864, when he concluded to come to the United States, hoping here to find more favorable conditions and establish a home for himself. Upon his arrival at New York city he became employed in the baking trade, which line he pursued for some time in the employ of the well known establishment of James Purssell, on Broadway. In 1878 Mr. Castel. having accumulated sufficient capital to begin business on his own account, came to Grant City, borough of Richmond, where he purchased lands and at first erected a small house, where he took up his abode and engaged in the baking business. In 1881, owing to the increased demand for the products of his establishment, he erected additions to the premises to facilitate the requirements of his increasing trade. Mr. Castel became
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well and favorably known by all with whom he came in contact, and is regarded as a useful and one of the leading citizens of Grant City. He was for over six years a member of the board of road commissioners, during which time he did much for the improvement and betterment of the public interest of the neigh- borhood. Politically Mr. Castel has been an ardent supporter of the Democratic party. Mr. Castel is an active member of Lodge No. 12, Union Francaise; Free and Accepted Masons of New York city; also of Concord Lodge, No. 43, Independent Or- der of Odd Fellows, of New York city.
Jacques Castel married, October 7, 1869, Henrietta Werth- muller, born August 28, 1848, daughter of Christian and Eva (Wolff) Werthinuller. Of this marriage he had born to him four children, all of whom died in early childhood years.
Case 2
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