Joseph Alphonse Frederick (1848 - 1936)

Born 1 Aug 1848 in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Died 7 Jul 1936 at age 87 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Biography

J. A. Frederick was a Marylander.

Joseph was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1848. He passed away in 1936 and was buried at New Cathedral Cemetery.^[1]

He grew up in Baltimore with his six siblings, the son of German immigrants John and Anna Margaret Frederick.^[2][3]

In 1870, he lived with his family while he was a student at seminary.^[4] After seminary, he was the assistant pastor at St. Martin's Catholic Church in Baltimore until 1876, when he was appointed pastor of St. Mary's Church in Deer Creek.^[5] From 1876 to 1889 he served as pastor of St. Mary's, except around 1880, when he had a brief appointment at a church in Hagerstown.^[6] In 1880, he resided in Hagerstown.^[7]

In 1888, he knowingly officiated the secret wedding of Howard Calder, known to his congregation as "Hanna," and his teenage lover. In March 1889, the story became a national sensation, and his interview with reporters was republished in many newspapers.^[8] In May 1889, he became an assistant pastor at St. Joseph's in Baltimore and left St. Mary's behind.^[9]

Between 1889 and 1893, he served at St. Joseph's in Baltimore and St. Boniface's in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[10] By 1894, he was back in Maryland, working as the pastor of St. Ignatius' Church in Hickory.^[11]

In 1901, he came into possession of a house in Bel Air, which he started renting out.^[12] However, in 1905, the house was renovated into St. Margaret's Chapel, and he left his position at St. Ignatius' to work at St. Margaret's.^[13] In 1910, he lived in rural Harford County with two of his sisters and younger distant family.^[14]

The last known year he worked was 1916.^[15] In 1930, he still lived with sister Philomena and distant relative Alphonse Ganges in Baltimore.^[16]

Research Notes

While FindAGrave lists his death date as July 6, the probate for his estate lists his death date as the 7th.^[17] Because FindAGrave doesn't have a clear photograph of his headstone or death certificate, the date from the probate is being used here.

Sources

1. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/126173035/joseph-alphonse-frederick: accessed 22 September 2022), memorial page for Rev Joseph Alphonse Frederick (1 Aug 1848–6 Jul 1936), Find a Grave Memorial ID 126173035, citing New Cathedral Cemetery, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Maryland, USA; Maintained by Dan Phelan (contributor 47709857) .
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD4H-12F : 22 December 2020), Alfonzo J Frederick in household of Jno W Frederick, Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M698-9JR : 18 February 2021), Alphonse Fredericks in entry for John M Fredericks, 1860.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN3S-BSL : 29 May 2021), Joseph A Frederick in entry for John W Frederick, 1870.
5. ↑ "Rev. J. A. Frederick..." The Baltimore County Union (Maryland), October 28, 1876. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016368/1876-10-28/ed-1/seq-3/
6. ↑ "Rev. J. A. Frederick, formerly pastor of St. Mary's..." The Aegis & Intelligencer (Maryland), January 16, 1880. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016107/1880-01-16/ed-1/seq-2/
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN7M-SPY : 14 January 2022), J. A. Frederick, Hagerstown, Washington, Maryland, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
8. ↑ "Girls Marry Each Other." The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer (West Virginia), February 21, 1889. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026844/1889-02-21/ed-1/seq-1/
9. ↑ "The Rev. J. Alphonse Frederick, formerly of St. Mary's Catholic Church..." The Aegis & Intelligencer (Maryland), May 24, 1889. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016107/1889-05-24/ed-1/seq-2/
10. ↑ "Mrs. Anna M. Frederick, in her 71st year..." The Aegis & Intelligencer (Maryland), January 22, 1892. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016107/1892-01-22/ed-1/seq-2/
11. ↑ "Fair and Festival." The Aegis & Intelligencer (Maryland), July 27, 1894. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016107/1894-07-27/ed-1/seq-2/
12. ↑ "For Rent - A Commodious 8-Room Cottage..." The Aegis & Intelligencer (Maryland), June 21, 1901. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016107/1901-06-21/ed-1/seq-2/
13. ↑ "The new Roman Catholic chapel in Bel Air..." The Aegis & Intelligencer (Maryland), September 29, 1905. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016107/1905-09-29/ed-1/seq-3/
14. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2FT-QQL : accessed 22 September 2022), J Alphonse Frederick, District 3, Harford, Maryland, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 100, sheet 3B, family 65, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 565; FHL microfilm 1,374,578.
15. ↑ "Reeve-Thompson." The Aegis & Intelligencer (Maryland), June 16, 1916. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016107/1916-06-16/ed-1/seq-3/
16. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X3WS-4WY : accessed 22 September 2022), Alphonse J Frederick in household of Joseph P Mchugh, Election District 02, Baltimore, Maryland, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 17, sheet 19A, line 38, family 2, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 845; FHL microfilm 2,340,580.
17. ↑ "Maryland Probate Estate and Guardianship Files, 1796-1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KX1T-F65 : 13 March 2018), Joseph Alphonse Frederick, 28 Jul 1936; citing Baltimore City, county courts, Maryland.