Hannah E (Miner) Frink (1815 - 1897)

Born 21 Nov 1815 in Connecticut

Wife of Ephraim Williams Wheeler — married 23 Nov 1835 in North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut, United States

Wife of William Pitts Frink — married 21 Dec 1858 in North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut, United States

Died 7 Jun 1897 at age 81 in North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: T Counce [send private message]

Research Journal

NOTE: If anyone has access to the Frink Family Genealogical Reference Book, they might better be able to verify one way or another if the following "documentation" supports the theory(ies) or nullifies them.

Disputing The Grant Family Genealogical Reference

John Miner(s) That Didn't Marry Nancy Brown

This all started because a comment was posted on Ephraim Wheeler's profile stating that "The Grant Family (1898) purports that Hannah Elizabeth Miner was born Nov. 22, 1819, at N. Stonington, daughter of John Owen Miner & Nancy Brown. Veracity of that information should be probed," by John French Ph.D. The reference cited here has been determined thus far to be incorrect, thus the suggestion by Dr. French to probe its veracity was apt. The short version of the research results of this is that neither John Owen Miner Sr (son of Simeon Miner Jr.) nor Jr are the father of this Hannah Miner. Longer version, both Miner men married into the Avery Family. While it is possible there was a remarriage, as John Owen Jr died in 1859, and his wife, died in 1887, (Note: she is listed in History of Stonington as Adeline Avery). Nancy Brown cannot be this Hannah's mother and was never married to John Owen Jr. Who the Nancy Brown that is referred to in The Grant Family the Profile Manager has not been able to ascertain, as there just is not enough information on her.^[1][2][3]

For further clarity the timeline for both John Owen Miner Sr and Jr is as follows:

21 Jan 1785 - John Owen Miner Sr married Elizabeth Avery^[3]

26 Oct 1795 - John Owen Miner Sr and Elizabeth had John Owen Jr^[3]

13 Jun 1841 - John Owen Miner Sr married 2nd Lucy Avery

9 Sep 1819 - John Owen Jr married Adeline Ardelia Hannah Avery ^[3]

27 Apr 1851 - John Owen Miner Sr died

22 Jul 1859 - John Owen Jr died

Barbour Collection for John Owen Miner Sr and Jr

John Miners That Did Marry Nancy Brown

John O. Miner, son of Charles Miner, of Stonington, did marry a Nancy Brown on 5 Apr 1812, in North Stonington. However, records indicate that they only had two children. ^[4][5][6]

Eunice (Miner) Chapman; b. 3 Mar 1813^[6][7][8]

Stanton B. Miner; 15 Dec 1815^[6][9][10]

Additionally, Who Nancy Brown Is Not

• She is not Nancy Brown, daughter of Jedediah Brown III and Sarah (Wheeler) Brown, as she died unmarried, at the age of nineteen, and is buried with her father and mother in Union Cemetery, in North Stonington.^[11]
• She is not Nancy Brown, daughter of Shubael Brown and Lydia (Palmer) Brown, as she married Roswell Brown on 7 Apr 1814, in Stonington. They did not have a daughter named Hannah.^[12]
• She is not Nancy (Brown) Main, daughter of Deacon Josiah Brown and Deborah (Griffin) Brown, as she married Chandler Main.

Final Conclusions To Grant Family Genealogical Reference

The Grant Family: A Genealogical History of the Descendants of Matthew Grant of Windsor-Connecticut, 1601-1898 is wrong. Neither of the parents listed are the parent of the Hannah Miner that married Ephraim Wheeler.

Where Do The References/Sources Lead

The only actual "sources" that have been located are US Census Records. References are the different Genealogical Books published by various family members, a very long time ago. Finding a person requires knowing more about them than just knowing their name, and sometimes "just a marriage record is totally insufficient, as was this case with this/these Hannah(s).

Starting With The Child

Once establishing that the The Grant Family reference was wrong, the journey in discovering who the real Hannah Miner was went through a lot of weird twists and turns, and it was necessary to start lower in the tree, with their daughter Ellen Rebecca (Wheeler) Frink, as there just wasn't anything other than a marriage recording in the Christian Secretary on Hannah, that was definitive. And this newspaper listing has not been able to be verified, nor did it state more than just her name. It does support the claim made in History of Stonington and Wheeler Family in America.^[13][14]

Christian Secretary Listing of Marriage of Ephraim Wheeler to Hannah Miner 23 Nov 1835.

1850 US Census

The first census that shows any information besides the land owner/tenant is the 1850 US Census. For the Hannah married to Ephraim Wheeler, lists their daughter Ellen Rebecca Wheeler as age 13. It also lists Ephraim Wheeler (the younger), her half-brother from her father's second marriage. This indicates that it is the correct US Census and that it backs up the information found in the Family References to be correct. It is also worth noting, if it weren't for their daughter, the research probably would have died right here.^[15]

1860 US Census, The Basis For Theory Beginning

Ephraim Wheeler died 26 Jun 1851, so finding him on the 1860 Census wouldn't happen, but the search was for the daughter who would be about 23 years old.

Note: This is where the "theories" come into the picture.

In that Census Ellen Rebecca Wheeler, age 23, is living with Hannah E., last name Frink, who is married to William P. Frink. This lead to researching the possibility that Hannah E. Miner, widow of Ephraim Wheeler remarried after the death of her husband.^[16]

In some cases records/references will somehow connect the dots, but not in this case. So another turn in the research was required. There is a record of William Pitts Frink marrying Hannah E. Wheeler. The Wheeler parents of the Hannah Wheeler who married William could not be found, so the theory, based on first names of the wife matching (with the middle initial E) is that Hannah married a second time to William Pitts Frink, with her daughter of 23, from her first marriage, living with them becomes a basis of the theory.

Marriage of Hannah E. Wheeler to William Pitts Frink.

The Conundrum of the 1870 US Census

In further researching through the US Census avenue, for the 1870 Census, looking for the daughter Ellen Rebecca (Wheeler) Frink, Ellen went from "Wheeler" to Frink, so a marriage record for her was sought, and found. She married George Henry Frink, 22 Feb 1868 in North Stonington, two years prior to the 1870 Census. So finding her with her mother, Hannah, and step-father William Pitts Frink at her father-in-law's, (Pitts Downer Frink) house, in Stonington, would not be unusual.

1870 US Census, possibly the home of Pitts Downer Frink, or William Frink, (This Census was taken on 22 Jun 1870).

While making the above photo of the 1870 US Census, another 1870 Census was discovered, in which it appears that the daughter, Ellen Rebecca (Wheeler) Frink, may have been counted twice, as shown below, she appears to be at home with her husband George Henry Frink.

1870 US Census, George Henry Frink Household (This Census was taken on 30 Jun 1870).

The fact that each Census was taken 8 days apart adds weight to the theory that Ellen was counted twice.

1880 US Census

Hannah is found at home with her husband and her daughter, in Stonington, in the 1880 US Census, thus keeping some cohesion to the theories previously stated. This Census was taken on 18 Jun 1880. This is important to mention only because her daughter was counted on 1 Jun 1880 at home with her husband, 17 days prior.^[17][18]

Arguments Caused by US Censuses

Argument 1 - One could argue that the different ages of the Hannah's listed in all of the above listed Census records could possibly indicate that it was a different Hannah in all but the 1850 and 1880 Census Records.

Argument 2 - However one could also argue that the enumerators had their way of determining ages, or perhaps:

Argument 3 - She said she was younger in 1860 and 1870.

Even with these arguments, the daughter, Ellen Rebecca (Wheeler) Frink, appears to be the glue, as her age remained consistent through all four census years.

If The Theory(ies) Hold True

If the dots have been properly connected, and the theory that the widow of Ephraim Wheeler did in fact marry William P. Frink, this would explain the answer as to why Hannah was not buried with her husband Ephraim Wheeler, as his first two wives were. This was the profile manager's first question.

This would also mean that the information in the Hale Collection would also hold true (though the year of birth could still be questioned since it's about 3 years off of the census data from the 1850 and 1880). The date of birth for Hannah, comes from the Hale Collection, as 21 Nov 1815, and her date of death as 7 Jun 1897. And she is buried with her second husband, William P. Frink, in the Frink and Williams Cemetery, in Stonington.^[19]

Note: It is important to note that whether or not, this is true of the Hannah Miner that married Ephraim Wheeler, it does remain true for the Hannah that married William P. Frink if records are ever found that they are two separate people. Should the theory prove to be false all references to the Hannah who married Ephraim Wheeler should be removed.

Hale Collection Record of DOB and DOD of Hannah E Miner and William P Frink.

Of Possible Interest

Her daughter's story, while much more concrete, is also a very interesting one.

Sources

1. ↑ Grant, Arthur Hastings (1898); The Grant Family: A Genealogical History of the Descendants of Matthew Grant of Windsor-Connecticut, 1601-1898; Press of A.V. Haight, Poughkeepsie, New York; PG 78, in the entry for Ephraim Wheeler; Retrieved from: https://archive.org/stream/grantfamilygenea00gran#page/n9/mode/2up
2. ↑ Wheeler, Albert Gallatin : American College of Genealogy (1914). The Genealogical and Encyclopedic History of the Wheeler Family in America; American College of Genealogy, Boston, Massachusetts; PG 304, 312-313; Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/genealogicalency00amer/page/330
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Miner, John Augustus (1981), Thomas Minor Descendants 1608-1981; John Augustus Miner, Compiler and Publisher, Trevett, Maine; PG 155 & 280, #818 & 1859; Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/thomasminordesce2001mine/page/280/mode/2up
4. ↑ Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:78XN-78ZM : 21 September 2019), Nancy Brown, ; citing Marriage, , Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008272223.
5. ↑ Wheeler, Richard Anson; (1900); History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Connecticut, from its first settlement in 1649 to 1900; Press of the Day Publishing Company, New London, Conn.; PG 473, #224; Retrieved from: https://archive.org/stream/historyoftownofs00whee_1#page/n495/mode/2up
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Miner, John Augustus (1981), Thomas Minor Descendants 1608-1981; John Augustus Miner, Compiler and Publisher, Trevett, Maine; PG 82 & 164, #374 & #868; Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/thomasminordesce2001mine/page/164/mode/2up
7. ↑ Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F77G-ZSD : 7 January 2020), Eunice Miner, 1813.
8. ↑ Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPWW-LS7N : 21 September 2019), Eunice Miner, ; citing Birth, , Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008143426.
9. ↑ Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F743-VJF : 7 January 2020), Stanton B Miner, 1815.
10. ↑ Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP7B-2VSX : 21 September 2019), Stanton B Miner, ; citing Birth, , Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008143426.
11. ↑ See Nancy Brown
12. ↑ See Nancy Brown
13. ↑ Wheeler, Albert Gallatin : American College of Genealogy (1914). The Genealogical and Encyclopedic History of the Wheeler Family in America; American College of Genealogy, Boston, Massachusetts; PG 327, #4080; https://archive.org/stream/genealogicaland00genegoog#page/n358/mode/2up
14. ↑ Wheeler, Richard Anson; (1900); History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Connecticut, from its first settlement in 1649 to 1900; Press of the Day Publishing Company, New London, Conn.; PG 644 & 647, #170; Retrieved from: https://archive.org/stream/historyoftownofs00whee_1#page/n669/mode/2up
15. ↑ United States Census, 1850, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M68T-SJ6 : 4 April 2020), Hannah Wheeler in household of Eph Wheeler, North Stonington, New London, Connecticut, United States; citing family 14, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
16. ↑ United States Census, 1860, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHR3-WX5 : 18 March 2020), Ellen R Wheeler in entry for William P Frink, 1860.
17. ↑ United States Census, 1880, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFZ9-JT3 : 19 August 2017), Ellen R Frink in household of William Frink, Stonington, New London, Connecticut, United States; citing enumeration district ED 106, sheet 501A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,108.
18. ↑ United States Census, 1880, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFZS-N2P : 29 July 2017), Ellen R Frink in household of George H Frink, North Stonington, New London, Connecticut, United States; citing enumeration district ED 123, sheet 766A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,109.
19. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 03 June 2020), memorial page for Hannah E. Miner Frink (21 Nov 1815–7 Jun 1891), Find A Grave: Memorial #20850119, citing Frink and Williams Cemetery, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut, USA ; Maintained by C&P LaPlante Files (contributor 46814587) .