John Adams Abbott MD (1902 - 1995)

Born 7 Jul 1902 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States

Ancestors

Died 6 Jan 1995 at age 92 in Lincoln, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States

Biography

John Abbott was born on 7 July 1902 in Concord, Massachusetts, the son of Grafton St.L. Abbott (born in Lowell, MA) and Mary Adams (born in Quincy, MA. ^[1]

John Adams Abbott was the son of Grafton St. Loe Abbott, who was the son of US Congressman Josiah Gardner Abbott. John’s mother was Mary Adams, whose father, a lawyer, was Brigadier General Charles Francis Adams, Sr., who served in the Union Army during the Civil War, and fought at such battles as Antietam and Gettysburg. After the war, he served on the Massachusetts Railroad Commission, and was later President of the Union Pacific Railroad (1884-1890). His grandfather was President John Quincy Adams, and his great grandfather was President John Adams.^[2]

John Adams Abbott, 1902-1995, graduated the Grofton School in 1921, Harvard University in 1925, and Harvard Medical School in 1931. He was a neurologist and psychiatrist. John married Diana Asken Ballin on 9 August 1945. They had two children, Peter Michael (1952) and Rosemarie L. (1953). In 1970, John was appointed by President Nixon to a one week term as Ambassador to Niger, and Christened the John F. Kennedy Bridge over the Niger River at Niamey. John’s sister Mary Ogden Abbott was a well known sculptor/wood carver, equestrian, and world adventurer. John died, aged 93. on 6 January 1995 in Lincoln, Massachusetts. His widow Diana donated the family’s papers to the Massachusetts Historical Society.^[3]

John Adams Abbott was born 7 July 1902 in Concord, Massachusetts, the son of Grafton St. L. Abbott, a lawyer, born in Lowell, MA; and Mary Adams, born in Quincy, MA.^[4]

In 1910, the Abbott family lived on Sudbury Street, Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts. All members of the Abbott family were born in Massachusetts. The family included Grafton Abbott, 53, a lawyer, who owned their house without a mortgage; his wife of nineteen years, Mary, 42, who had had three children, all of whom were living; their children, Henry, 18; Mary, 18; and John, 7. Also living with them were Bertha Sorensen, a cook; Julia judge, a maid; Nellie Judge, maid; Mary Myrtle, maid; and Abraham Myrtle, servant.^[5]

In 1921, in Suffolk, Massachusetts, John A. Abbott, 18, applied for a U.S. passport. He was born in Concord, MA on 7 July 1902, the son of Grafton St.L. Abbott, born in MA; deceased. John, a student, lived in Lincoln, MA. He was 5’ 10”, with “reddish hair, grey eyes, blond complexion, acquiline nose”, and oval face. John planned to leave New York on the “last of June 1921” aboard the S.S. Algeria to visit England, France and Belgium, and would return within six months.^[6]

Later in 1921: John A. Abbott returned via Liverpool to the Port of New York aboard the S.S. Albania. He was 18 years, 11 months of age, and resided in S. Lincoln, Massachusetts.^[7]

The S.S. Albania was launched in 1920, and mainly operated the Liverpool to New York route. She was a 523’ cargo liner of the British Cunard Line. The ship was laid up in 1925, then sold in 1930 to an Italian company, renamed SS California, and was run as a hospital ship. In 1937, she was purchased by the Italian government for war service. She was attacked in an air raid by British aircraft on 11 August 1941, and sunk in Syracuse Harbour, Sicily.^{[8] [9]}

1922: John Adams Abbott, 20, of So. Lincoln, Massachusetts, returning from a trip abroad, arrived at Ellis island, Port of New York, from Southampton, aboard the HMS Caronia.^[10]

The ship John Abbott sailed on, the R.M.S. Caronia (I): “Caronia, launched on 13 July 1904, was built for Cunard by John Brown & Co. of Glasgow. She left Liverpool on her maiden voyage to New York on 25 February 1905. A successful 1906 cruise from New York to the Mediterranean led to Caronia's being used for cruising frequently in the coming years. Caronia briefly placed on Cunard's Boston service in 1914, but the start of World War I saw her requisitioned as an armed merchant cruiser. In 1916, she became a troopship and served in that role for the duration, returning to the Liverpool-New York run after the War.

In 1920 Caronia was converted to oil. After returning to service, she sailed on a number of different routes, including New York/Boston from Liverpool, New York from London, New York from Hamburg (1922), Quebec from Liverpool (1924), and cruised to New York from Havana.

Her last voyage, London-New York was on 12 September 1932, after which she was sold for breaking up. Initially sold to Hughes Bolckow for demolition at Blyth, she was resold, renamed Taiseiyo Maru and sailed to Osaka, where she was scrapped in 1933.

Sources: Haws' Merchant Fleets; Bonsor's North Atlantic Seaway.”^[11]Click the link for photos of the RMS Coronia, with thanks to greatships.net.

In 1930, the Abbott family lived at 60 Sudbury Road, Concord, Massachusetts. The Abbotts were all born in Massachusetts. The family included Mary A. Abbott, 62, a widow who had been married for 23 years, and who owned her house, valued at $30,000; her children, Mary O., 35, an artist; and John A., 27, not a veteran. Also living with them were Austin Grant, a lodger; and Pearl Grant, a servant.^[12]

In 1940, John and his sister Mary lived at the Adams’ home at 60 Sudbury, Concord, Massachusetts. All members of the household were born in Massachusetts, and all members of the Adams and Abbott families had individual outside incomes, beyond their profession. The head of household was Elizabeth O. Adams, 55, who owned the house, valued at $21000, and who had completed four years of high school; her brother, Henry Adams, 57, self employed Estates Trustee, had completed four years of college; her nephew and niece, John A. Abbott, 37, a physician, completed five years of college; and Mary O. Abbott, 45, a wood carver with her own studio, completed three years of high school. Also living with them was Mary Kelley, 69, a housemaid, who worked 52 weeks in 1939, and earned $400, and had completed the eighth grade. All members of the household had lived in the same house for at least five years.^[13]

John Adams Abbott married Diana Asken Ballin on 9 August 1945.

Diana was born in Calcutta, India on 4 August 1913. She died on 7 September 2001 in Burlington, Middlesex, Massachusetts.^[14]

They had a son, born in 1952 in Burlington, Vermont.^[15]

John and Diana lived on Beaver Pond Road, Lincoln, Massachusetts in 1955 when they adopted a three year old girl from Petras, Greece. John, a physician, was born 7 July 1902 in Concord, Massachusetts. Diana was born 4 August 1913 in Calcutta, India, and was naturalized in 1946 in Boston. Their new daughter arrived in New York City on 12 September 1955 via Flying Tiger Airlines.^[16]

John A. Abbott, born 7 July 1902 in Massachusetts, died, aged 93, on 6 January 1995 in Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts. His last residence was Middlesex County, MA.^{[17] [18]}

John Adams Abbott was born in Concord, and died in Lincoln, Middlesex, Massachusetts. He is buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts.^[19]

Sources

1. ↑ Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FXHJ-6WN)
2. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #120946459
3. ↑ Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston; Abbott Family Papers 1821-1995 (https://www.masshist.org/collection-guides/view/fa0438)
4. ↑ Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FXHJ-6WV)
5. ↑ 1910 US Census, Concord, Precinct 1, Middlesex, Massachusetts (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2V7-DL9)
6. ↑ US Passport Applications, 1795-1925 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV5B-9J3X)
7. ↑ New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 192-1924 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6L8-TN5)
8. ↑ Norway Heritage (http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=alba2)
9. ↑ Wreck Site (https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?241835)
10. ↑ New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JN2H-VT5)
11. ↑ Great Ships (https://greatships.net/caronia)
12. ↑ 1930 US Census, Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQPM-66F)
13. ↑ 1940 US Census, Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4F8-SW5?from=lynx1UIV8&treeref=K2CS-X5S)
14. ↑ familysearch.org Family Tree (https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/K2CS-FXY)
15. ↑ Vermont Vital records, 1760-2008 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KF5D-Z7T?from=lynx1UIV8&treeref=K2CS-X5S)
16. ↑ United States Naturalization Records, 1871-1991 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPH1-L6XH)
17. ↑ US Social Security Death Index (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VM6D-229)
18. ↑ Massachusetts Death Index, 1970-2003 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZRS-2MT)
19. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #120946459