September 6, 2017
My ancestor Deacon Edward Fox (1755-1839) was a Revolutionary War veteran who served in the 2nd New Hampshire Regiment. He was born in Nottingham, New Hampshire, in 1755 and married Anna Creighton (1762-1843). Together they had 10 children.
According to notes on FamilySearch.org and Find-a-Grave, Edward supported his family by working as a cordwainer in a shoe factory.
Cordwainer? What exactly does a cordwainer do? I wanted to learn more about cordwainers in America, so I searched the term in GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives.
This search led me to a Salem Observer newspaper article that gave me a bit more information about the profession.
A second article, this one from the San Francisco Bulletin, describes the science of being a cordwainer.
According to Wikipedia, a cordwainer made new shoes from leather – while a cobbler only repaired shoes. So, my ancestor was a shoemaker.
Edward died in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire, in 1839 and was buried in the Sanborn Cemetery in Belknap County. Unfortunately, the cemetery was vandalized and Edward’s gravestone was destroyed.
You can clearly see the initials E. F. on the remnants of Edward Fox’s gravestone in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire. See: Find A Grave.
Edward’s wife Anna died at age 81 in Meredith, New Hampshire, and was buried with Edward in the Sanborn Cemetery. I found her obituary in GenealogyBank.
A quick Google search of “Anna Creighton Fox + New Hampshire” led me to a photo of her gravestone, which is, fortunately, still intact. See: Find A Grave.
Genealogy Tip: Search GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives using your ancestor’s occupation as a keyword to find more insights into their lives and the times in which they lived.
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