September 6, 2024
Introduction: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry continues her series on Mayflower descendants, focusing again on the family lines of Ebenezer Weld Tallant, a direct descendant of Mayflower passenger Stephen Hopkins. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.
Today I continue with my series on “Mayflower Descendants: Who’s Who,” focusing on the family lines of Ebenezer “Eben” Weld Tallant (1841-1932), a direct descendant of Mayflower passenger Stephen Hopkins and his daughter Constance, who married Nicholas Snow.
Here is a historical marker commemorating the Pilgrims and Corn Hill in Truro, Massachusetts. The marker was unveiled in 1920 by the Provincetown Tercentenary Commission. The inscription reads:
Sixteen Pilgrims led by Myles Standish, William Bradford, Stephen Hopkins, and Edward Tilley found the precious Indian corn on this spot which they called Corn Hill, November 16, 1620 (old style). “And sure it was God’s good providence that we found this corn for else we know not how we should have done.” — Mourt’s Relation.
To recap: My last story covered the lineage of Eben Weld Tallant, son of Nathaniel and Lydia (Scudder) Tallant. He married Mary Elizabeth Easton (1844-1926), daughter of Hon. William R. and Eliza (Bater) Easton, and descends from several early Nantucket lines that were prominent Quaker merchants and master mariners. (See: Part 1.)
I ended Part 1 with Eben’s obituary from the Oregonian. He died on 16 December 1932, and his obituary covered some of Eben’s adventures.
This article reports:
After completing his high school education there [Nantucket] he joined the crew of the clipper ship Dragoon sailing to the Pacific Coast, to India, and then to New Orleans, where the ship was captured by the Confederates forces. Mr. Tallant was allowed to return to Nantucket, but shortly afterward he shipped on the clipper Golden State, becoming first officer.
He later held a similar post on the passenger ship John Bright, plying between Shanghai and Honolulu. After two years aboard her, he remained in the Hawaiian Islands to manage a sugar plantation, and while there assisted at the obsequies of one Hawaiian king and the coronation of another.
He came to California in 1871 and established an orange grove near San Gabriel, but sold it in 1880 to join his brother, Nathaniel Tallant, in salmon packing at Eagle Cliff, Washington. In 1883 the brothers came to Astoria [Oregon], building a large plant, and dominated the packing industry for many years.
Throughout his residence here he was active in community and state affairs. He served on the school board, the library board, city park commission, and the state board of pilot commissioners. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge for 70 years and instituted a chapter of the lodge at Maui, Hawaii. He was also a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Unitarian Church.
Children born to Eben W. and Mary Elizabeth (Easton) Tallant (all of them left descendants):
- William Easton Tallant (1870-1934) married Clara Starbuck (1867-1948), daughter of Sidney and Eleanor R. (Wiederholdt) Starbuck. Sidney is the son of George Coffin and Elizabeth (Swain) Starbuck and a descendant of several Nantucket settler families.
- Maria Louise Tallant (1875-1962) married Richard Ervin Carruthers (1874-1922), son of Robert and Harriet “Hattie” (Hunter) Carruthers.
- Harriet Elizabeth Easton Tallant (1878-1970) married Frank Leon Greenough (1876-1967), son of Harrison W. and Charlotte (Case) Greenough.
- Nathaniel Weld Tallant (1883-1968) married Florence Sarah Ross (1882-1955), daughter of John Graham and Emma Eva (Hirschfeldt) Ross.
A series of scrapbooks containing photographs of Eben W. Tallant and his descendants are housed at the Heritage Museum in Astoria, Oregon. Below are some of the photos.
Here is a photo of Mary and Eben Tallant taken at the Oakland Hotel on 3 April 1919. Behind them (left to right) are their daughters Maria Louisa and Harriet “Hattie.”
This is a photo of their daughter Maria Louisa (Tallant) Carruthers (who married Richard Ervin Carruthers) with her two sons (left to right) Eben and Richard.
I could not resist this page out of the scrapbook showing old Cape Cod scenery. The upper left of this photo collage is labeled “Grandma Scudders and Cousin Ella Crocker,” with various backyard scenes of Barnstable, Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Here is a photo of Laura Elizabeth Tallant (1910-2000), daughter of William Easton and Clara (Starbuck) Tallant. Laura married Frederick Richard Schroeder (1910-1988), son of Dietrich Bernhard and Meta (Grapenthien) Schroeder, in 1941.
A newspaper clipping from the scrapbook shows the home of Eben and Mary Tallant in 1885. In the photo is Eben, Mary, and three of their children, with other unidentified adults.
To be continued,,,
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Note on the header image: “Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor,” by William Halsall, 1882. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
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