Weekly Puzzle - Kansas City 1888

New York Life Building
Kansas City MO
Completed 1890

It seems that Trendell's were unlucky in Kansas City.  One year to the day before the drowning death of Charles Arthur Trendell, William C Trendell and two co-workers fell to their death when a scaffold collapsed as they laid bricks on the New York Life building. The fall was over 100 feet and Billy struck a wire on the way down which broke his neck.  Unlike the other two victims he probably did not live to feel the impact.

Two days later, 30 Jun 1888, the coroner's jury found that the contractor and the foreman of the carpenter's had been negligent, but not criminally so. (1)

Who is William C. Trendell.  The newspaper account, in which he is referred to as Billy Trendell and also Tremlyn says he was an officer of the bricklayers union, that he could not have been over 27 years old, was small and had a thick black mustache.

 Thursday, June 28, 1888
Kansas City Star (Kansas City, MO)
Volume: 14   Issue: 244   Page: 1

The newspaper account quoted one mourner as stating, "Poor Billy.  Everybody that knew him liked him.  He's only a little fellow, you know, but what there was of him was good."

None of the Trendells (with any spelling) in the 1880 census looked promising.  More promising might be a few individuals born in the British Isles around 1861.  At least two do not appear to have any records after 1881.  Might they have emigrated.

I did not find a cemetery or a death certificate for William, and I also looked under the name Tremlyn using both William and Billy.

The second article, with the official verdict of the coroner's jury gave the name as William C. Trendell, making Trendell more likely than Tremlyn.

So who is William C. Trendell.  There must be more in the coroner's records.  Does anyone have access to them?  One would also expect a lawsuit or at least some sort of settlement if William had any family, so there might be information in the civil court records as well.  If not a lawsuit by the Trendell family perhaps by the family of one of the others?

And so the search is on!





(1) "A Verdict of Censure. Finding of the Jury in the Scaffold Victims' Case. John Russell", Kansas City Star, 30 Jun 1888, v:14 i.246 p1 

Weekly Puzzle - Charles Arthur Trendell

On 28 Jun 1888(9) Charles Arthur Trendell, age 14 born in Wisconsin, drowned in the Water Works Reservoir. (1)  The reservoir, known as the Holly Street Reservoir, was located in the area that in the 1930s was known as Observation Park. (2) He is buried in lot 47 plot 25 of Union Cemetery. (2)  His tombstone gives the 1888 date and the Trendell spelling , his death certificate gives a spelling of Trendle and the year as1889.

In working on this puzzle, I think I might have started to solve another.  In July I posted the puzzle of George Trindle George Trindle, railroad engineer, born in NY died in MS.  One of the possible connections was that he was the same person as George Trindale, railroad engineer, born in New York and found in Minnesota in 1880.  One of the problems with that connection was a son Arthur born in Wisconsin about 1875 and a son Arthur born in Mississippi in 1890.

So, here is a solution to that problem.  Charles ARTHUR born in Wisconsin about 1875 (would be 14 in 1889) died in 1889.  Now an Arthur born in 1890 is no longer a problem.

So, I propose that Charles Arthur Trendell is the son of George Trindal and Lydia Putnam and that George Trindal and and George Trindle are in fact the same person.  This leaves us with the questions:  Why Charles Arthur was in Kansas City?  Did George and Lydia get divorced or did Lydia die?  Did C. Arthur not want to live in Mississippi with his step-mother?  What happened to his siblings Gracy and Frank?

Much more to solve and corrections and questions are always welcome!

(1) Missouri Death Records Jackson County, Roll C #19509.
(2) The Water Supply System of Kansas City, Missouri,  T. D. Samuel, Jr.  Journal (American Water Works Association) Vol 22 No 9 (September, 1930) pp. 1236-1246; Old Reservoir, New Park Site , Northeast News.net.
(3) Find A Grave 

Weekly Puzzle - Richard Trendall

In 1635 Richard Trendall was one of the 72 passengers on the Expectation bound for Providence Island.

Providence Island Colony - Wikimedia

Settling on Providence Island by the English began in 1629 when Phillip Bell brought several Bermudians, both black and white, to set up a colony. Unlike the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the setters on Providence Island were not encouraged to become independent and until 1635 bring families was highly discouraged.

By 1635, the end of the year in which Richard Trendall arrived, there was a population of 500 white men, 40 women, 90 blacks and a few children, scattered across the island.  27 of those women had also arrive on the Expectation. The village of New Westminster had just thirty houses, mostly of timber.

You can read about the history of the Island on Wikipedia (click on link to the right) or if you'd like a more in depth look at the settlement find a copy of Providence Island, 1630-1641: The Other Puritan Colony.

The colony was wiped out by the Spanish in 1640.


So, who was Richard Trendall?  Did he survive the end of the colony and end up elsewhere in the West Indies? Perhaps he went to Bermuda where we find other Trendall records starting in 1645 (see last weeks puzzle).    

Weekly Puzzle - Bermuda Connections

The following Trendall individuals and families are found in Bermuda.  Connections to England and the United States are likely, but to date have not been found.  Who are they?

1. Margaret Trendall (by 1648) married Peter Seawell on 11 Nov 1663 at St. Philip (1)
2. John Trendal and Margaret had a son John christened 11 Nov 1682 St. Philip (2) married Ann before 1705
1.  Sarah christened 25 Mar 1705 (3)
2. Mary bn abt 1708 married Turney Jun 1925 (4)
3. child christened 27 Dec 1710 (5)
4. Joseph christened 16 Oct 1715 (6)
5. Elizabeth christened 14 Apr 1718 (7)
3. ? Trendall married Mary Hearne 16 Jan 1693 (8)  Is this a brother of John?
4. 4 Ann Trendall bn abt 1730 married Francis Hunte 14 Oct 1753 (9)  Is this the widow of John or perhaps a daughter whose christening was not recorded?
5. There is also a John Trundall bn abt 1715 who might well be a Trendall.

View Larger Map

(1) Sanders, Joanne McRee, Barbados Records - Baptisms / Marriages  Sanders Historical Publishers 1982/4 -  p534 

(2) ibid p458

(3) ibid p465

(4) ibid p557

(5) ibid p466

(6) ibid p469

(7) ibid p470

(8) ibid p 538

(9) Ibid

Weekly Puzzle - William C. Trendell

William C. Trendell was born abt 1854 in (Jamaica / West Indies / England) depending on which census record you are checking.(1)  All three are probably correct, Jamaica being the exact island, West Indies being the group of islands in the Caribbean controlled by the English(2), and England the ruling power.  Both his parents are listed as being born in England.

William immigrated to the United States about 1879 and married Mary Cutway in New York in 1880/81. They had one child Bessie in New York in 1882 and then moved to Laconia, Belknap, New Hampshire where they had four more children.  Belle was born in 1884, George in 1886, Josie in 1889 and Maxwell in 1891.

So.....who is William C Trendell.  Does he have siblings?  Who are his parents?

But before we go......Son Maxwell born 1891 presents a little mystery as well. On 1 Jun 1911 Maxwell Trendell the son of Charles (now is that a clue for finding more on William C) Trendell, bn England and Mary Cutway bn Ogdensburgh, New York, a musician with residence in  Laconia, New Hampshire married Clara Lavinia Young.

• Vermont. Vermont Marriage Records, 1909-2003. Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, Montpelier, VT

On 12 Jul 1914 Maxwell Allen Trendell, a piano player the son of Charles Trendell and Mary Cautway married Charlotte May Billings in Derby, VT.  The mystery?  This is listed as a first marriage.  I find it very hard to believe this is not the same Maxwell Trendell, what happened to Clara?  And for that matter where is Charlotte?

• Vermont. Vermont Marriage Records, 1909-2003. Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, Montpelier, VT

(1) See Common Sources for Census -  Laconia Belknap NH:  1900 roll pg; 1910 roll 860 pg 24B; 1920 roll 1000 pg 4B; 1930 roll 1298 pg 2B
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies

Weekly Puzzle

I've been looking for a puzzle to post all week. The good news was it was a very productive week.  I checked lots of loose ends and tied them all up.  I must have connected thirty to forty individuals and that doesn't include the dozens of family members already connected to them.  But I didn't find a really good puzzle.......

So ...   I thought I'd show how I keep all those loose ends organized when I am working on a one name study.

In order to find individuals later and be able to compare birth dates and places, marriages, deaths, etc., I find that it is most practical to enter everyone into my genealogy program.  I use Roots Magic for a number of reasons, one is the ease with which you can merge two individuals into one when the records prove they are the same person.

With over 11,000 individuals in my file I need a little more organization than just entering them, in order to find them easily again. So I've given everyone the same common ancestor "Main List Trindle" and broken it down from there.

The first breakdown is by Country.  While I believe I am chasing Trindles from the British Isles, the area where they settled also had early German settlers so I decided early on that I would just collect Trindles from anywhere.  Canadian and Australian individuals might well be from the same families as those that settled in the US.  Austrians, Polish and other European Trindles might be descended from soldiers who originated in the British Isles.  Rather than arbitrarily drawing a line on what to collect, it seemed prudent to collect all.  This has proven wise over the years as connections emerege.

There are also many variations of the name spelling, and again there is no easy process of leaving out certain records.  I have too many instances of records with the spellings Trindal, Trindel, Trendle, Trindall, etc when I know that they connect to William of PA to not collect all of them.  What if I skipped the one record that might tie them all together.


The next breakdown after country is state, shire, county etc.

Most states then have between five and ten loose ends, Trindle individuals that have not been connected to a father. In the US, Pennsylvania has the most.  Forty-two individuals await the connection of their parents.  Among these are William of Trindle Springs who has thousands of descendants, William of Westmoreland, who has hundreds more, and a few individuals that are totally unconnected to anyone.


Each line is placed in the location of the earliest record found for the family.

This system works for me.  When I find a new record, or perhaps an old one that I've forgotten I had I can easily search two ways for connections.  I can look first at the main listing of people in the file to see if there is a person with that exact name and birth date that the record might be for.  Then if I'm still looking for a match I can look at those living in and around the place where the record was found to see if there might be a fit.  With so many spellings of the surname and the flexibility of given names this often produces better results.  Once I find a possible match I can then start an in depth record search for that individual.

In fact, I thought I had a puzzle for today, but that in depth search produced a record that added parents to one of the individuals involved that could not be the parents of the second.  There are still many loose ends, watch for more puzzle postings!

Weekly Puzzle - Stephen Davis Trindal

Nearly every Record for Stephen comes with a different spelling of his surname, but the last, his tombstone reads Trindle.

According to most records, Stephen was born about 1830 in Ohio.  Before 1858 he married Orilla Littlefield, whether that marriage took place in Ohio or in Minnesota is unknown.  Stephen and Orilla had eight children between 1858 and 1872. (1)

• Infant (1858-1858)
• William (1859-1932)
• Mary (1860-1879)
• Silas (1865-  )
• James (1866-1867)
• Anna (1867- )
• John (1871-1871)
• Emory (1872-1879)

The children were all born in Pilot Mound, Filmore, MN.  Stephen and Orilla were divorce by 1880.  Emory was born in 1872 and Stephen was not living with Orilla in 1875 or 1880 (3), so that time period can probably be refined to 1872-1875.

In 1880 Stephen is living in Wabasha, Wabasha, MN with Emily and two children. 

Theron (1872 - 1939)

Wilmer (1875 -   )

As Theron was born only ten months after Emory, it seems probable that Stephen left Orilla shortly after Emory's birth.

Stephen served with Company C MN 2nd Infantry from May 1964 to Jul 1865.  He filed for a pension on 25 Jan 1886.  His application number was 560003 and his certificate number was 351057.

It is possible that this compilation is for two Stephen Trindal's, but no record gets in the way of it being one man and Orilla's 1880 census record states she is divorced.

Who are Stephen's parents?

• One census record suggests they were born in New Jersey.  
• Family researchers suggest that he is the son of William Trindal bn abt 1804 in Canada and Sarah (Susan) Russell (1808-1832).  Siblings are listed as Daniel, Westley, Mary Ann and Ruth.  Ruth is listed as being born in 1834 two years after Sarah's death.  Daniel and Westley have no birth dates listed.
• Add to the mix, William Wesley Trindal living in Beaver Dam WS in 1880.  He married Harriette Spaulding in 1857 in Beaver Dam (2).  William was supposedly born in Wales on 8 Aug 1799.  Known children of William and Harriette (3) are:

• Daniel H (1852-1928)
• Belle Harriet (1860-1931)
• Wesley Willliam (1861-1944)
• John W (1863-  )
• Henry Ferdinand (1868-1925)

The two William Trindals listed here could be the same person.  No records conflict.  The listing of Daniel and Wes(t)ley as siblings of Stephen creates a tie as the only Daniel was born well before the marriage of William and Hariette, so is more likely to be the child of a first wife.  There are no records supporting a birth of a Wesley to Sarah, but we do have records supporting the connection to Harriette.

The multiple places of birth for William does create confusion.  If these records are for the same man, where was he born?  Canada, New Jersey, Wales?

It would be wonderful if researchers would list all their sources as they put those families together. 

____________________________________

1. Minnesota Historical Society. Minnesota State Population Census Schedules, 1865-1905. St. Paul, MN, USA: Minnesota Historical Society, 1977. Microfilm. Reels 1-47 and 107-164 . v 1865
2. Ancestry.com. Wisconsin Vital Records, 1820-1907. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2000. Original Data: Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services. Wisconsin Vital Record Index, pre-1907. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services Vital Records Division, 19xx.  William Trindle 09 Aug 1857 Dodge 01 0301
3. Bureau of the Census RG29 Micropublication T9 1.454 Rolls, Tenth Census of the United States 1880, population schedules (Washington, National Archives and Records Administration)  Roll 1419     Page 314C; Orilla Roll: 636; Family History Film: 1254636; Page: 448D; Enumeration District: 178