Elizabeth (Arnold) Blackmur (1845 - 1920)

Born 1 Dec 1845 in Little Harbour, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, Canada

Ancestors

Wife of Horace Blackmur — married 9 Aug 1865 in Chelsea, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States

Died 10 Apr 1920 at age 74 in Quincy, Norfolk Co., MA.

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Biography

"Born in the small Nova Scotia town of Little Harbour, Bessie was one of eight children. With the exception of Albert, all were girls. Bessie was 15 years old when the Arnold family moved to Chelsea, a community north of Boston. Five years later she married an Englishman, Horace Blackmur, also a Chelsea resident. Horace had been married once before and it is uncertain that it actually ended in divorce. Horace was to prove to be quite a playboy and within five years he and Bessie were divorced on grounds of his adultery, leaving her with their only child, Paul. Within the year following the divorce, Bessie married her divorce attorney, John Eldridge, who may also have had a Nova Scotia heritage. She and John had seven children, of whom four died before they were five years old. Her husband, John, died just two months before the birth of Seth Arnold Eldridge, leaving her a 45 year old widow with children. She remained a widow for the next thirty years. The two who lived normal life spans were Avonia and John Loring Eldridge III. Given the heartbreak of losing so many of her children, she was fortunate to be spared knowing of the sudden death of her son, Paul Blackmur, only two months following her own death. Luckily her parents also lived in Quincy during the years when the youngest children died and must have provided welcome emotional support." The 1880 Census for Quincy shows John L. Eldridge, age 37, Lawyer, Bessie, his wife, 36, daughter Avonia 6, John L., 1, and Paul Blackmur,13. The household had two servants. Bessie's obituary on April 10, 1920 read "Mrs. Bessie Arnold, widow of John L. Eldridge died at her home at Quincy Avenue this morning in her 76th year. Mrs. Eldridge is survived by two sons and a daughter. Her two sons are Paul R. Blackmur and John Eldridge, and her daughter Miss Avonia Eldridge. Funeral services will be private, will be held from her home Monday."

Elizabeth and Horace were divorced April 20, 1870 at Norfolk, MA.

Sources

• Arnold and Spearwater Papers, Mrs. Jean Blackmur

South Shore Genealogical Society, Lunenburg