Charles Scriven (abt. 1829 - abt. 1867)

Born about 1829 in England

Husband of Elizabeth (Brundred) Scriven — married 14 Jun 1867 in Paterson, NJ [uncertain]

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Bob Scrivens [send private message]

Biography

This is Brig. Gen. George P. Scriven's father. He came from England, probably Yorkshire, the ancestral homeland of the Scriven family (see "Origin of the Scrivens Name" [1]) It is unclear when he was born, but he was a successful immigrant who made a name for himself in the fledgling advertising industry in Chicago in the second half of the 19th century.

Note from one passing through

I ran across this document.^[1] Maybe it helps. It did help me to resolve the conflict between Charles' date of death, and his younger boys' births.

Birth in England

Since no birth record could be found for Charles, I looked into the possibility that he could have immigrated directly from England. On Ellisisland.org, there are four Charles Scriven immigrants between 1800 and 1824, which seems a bit too early, but none of them have the middle initial "H." (There is a possibility, especially with the earlier ones, that one is Charles H's father, like Charles Richard Scriven, a merchant who arrived in 1806 and came from London.) Records show, however, Charles was born in England (not Pennsylvania where his son George P. and his wife were born), "as that is what unvaryingly appears in every Census record I have looked at. George's father's name, given in the indexed death registration, corresponds exactly to one of only two people with that surname listed in the city directory for Philadelphia at the time of George's birth," (from research by Rob Ton) "I think George's annual visits to England in later life (see the passenger lists on familysearch.org) also suggest a family connection rather than just 'vacationing'." (Ton)

The final confirmation of place of birth for Charles in England comes from a George P. Scriven passport in 1889. (Passport application: 10680; issued Nov. 20/89)

"I GEO. P. SCRIVEN... Solemnly swear I was born at PHILA. in the state of PA. on or about the ___ day of FEB 1854, that my father is a NATURALIZED citizen of the United States... my permanent residence being at CHICAGO in the state of ILL where I follow the occupation of U.S. ARMY..." (Caps indicate handwritten section)"

Rob Ton adds, "A later passport application in 1897 states that "my father is not living" raising the question, was he living when the 1889 application was filled out? Still later another passport application of 1917 states specifically that Brigadier General Scriven's father CHARLES H SCRIVEN was BORN IN ENGLAND. On General George's death certificate, it actually specifies that his father Charles was from Yorkshire, England."

The move to Chicago

A City Directory lists him and his wife Elizabeth in Philadelphia for 1854 and 1855 [2] (Scriven, Charles H., Bookseller, 50 Walnut, h 284 Race), but he is not listed there before or after those years. (His son, who would become Brig. Gen. George P. Scriven, was born in 1854.) There is also a Thomas Scriven, a tobacconist, in those directories as well who may or may not be a relative.

Charles probably moved to Chicago shortly after his son George was born in 1854. In 1856, a new owner for his Bookstore in Philadephia is listed (Thomas Leidy), but Charles H. soon turns up in Chicago Directories as an advertising agent, first as a partner of a Mr. Gallagher on 63 Dearborn St. (1856), then as the sole proprietor at Dearborn, h. 497 Wabash Av. (1863),and finally (1866) under "advertising agency and dealer in printing inks," 51 Dearborn bds. Tremont House. Five years later, his son George appears (1871) as Scriven, George P. on 145 21st Street.(George would have been 17 at that time.)

A publication, Forty years an advertising agent, 1865-1905, by George P. Rowell says "At the time of my first recollection of Chicago as an advertising field, one Charles H. Scriven had it all to himself. This was in 1865. He was a capable man I have always heard. The only time I ever saw him was at a type of free lunch reception given by H. T. Helmbold in his Broadway Store near the old Metropolitan Hotel in New York City. Mr. Scriven did not live very long after. If he has been as happy since as he appeared to be at the time I refer to, he has no kick coming against the fate that is his." (449) [3] Charles' appearance at a party in New York, the epicenter of US advertising, makes one wonder if he met his Philadelphia wife, Elizabeth, on one of these excursions described by Rowell.

Charles and his wife Elizabeth are also listed in an Illinois Supreme Court Ruling in 1876 (Campbell et al v. Benjamin et al) on their Illinois property that gives a death for Elizabeth of 1865 and indicates George was he and Elizabeth's only child. It reads in part:

"injury ground judicial action In Campbell v Benjamin 69 111 244 a mortgage was made by Elizabeth Scriven upon her real estate to secure the debt of her husband Charles H Scriven Subsequent to her death the mortgage was foreclosed and bought by one Wait and a deed made to him by the master. On the same day Wait conveyed the premises to Charles H Scriven and both deeds were recorded upon the same day. Subsequently Charles H Scriven executed a trust deed to secure his note for $6000 upon the premises, and then conveyed the premises subject to the trust deed and in a subsequent suit to foreclose said trust deed, it was held that had the sale been attacked while the title was held by Charles H Scriven, it might have been set aside but that as against his grantee who had no notice that the land was bought in . . .." [4] This legal record "Reports of Cases at Law and in Chancery Argued and Determined in ..., Volume 242" By Illinois. Supreme Court [5] Apparently, this was a precedent setting case, judging from the fact that it has been preserved and readily appears in an internet search.

Two Wives named Elizabeth

You will notice that Charles had two wives, both named Elizabeth, although the 2nd one seems to have gone by the name "Eliza" in the records. The first Schuff-35 is the mother of General George P. Scriven. The second, Eliza Brundred-5 married Charles near the end of his life.

Sources

1. ↑ [(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WJM-8WH "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949,"] database, FamilySearch, Charles H. Scribens, 9 Aug 1867; citing Death, Manhattan, New York County, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,324,519.

McElroy's Philadelphia city directory 1854-55

• Charles H. Scriven in entry for George Percival Scriven and Bertha Bragg, "Wisconsin, Marriages, 1836-1930" [6]

Death: PA Church and Town Records 1708-1985 in Ancestry.com

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.;Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Collection Number: ARC Identifier 566612 / MLR Number A1 508; NARA Series: M1372; Roll #: 341 (passports)

Analysis offered by Wikitree member, Rob Ton

Acknowledgements

• Thanks to WikiTree member Rob Ton for contributing many details from his research in response to my G2G query on Gen. George P. Scriven.

• Bob Scrivens did the initial research and collated it with Rob Ton's research.