Harriet (Coombs) Douglass (1843)

Born 1843 in Rockland, Knox, Maine, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Robert Douglass — married 11 Mar 1867 in Rockland, Knox, Maine

Biography

Harriet was born in 1843. She is the daughter of Hosea Coombs and Harriet Drinkwater.

She married Robert Douglass some before 1868, when their first child, Alfred, was born. The 1870 U.S. census for Rockland, Maine, list Alfred as born in Chili (Chile). The 1900 census for New York City has the same birth place. No explanation has been found.

Name & Place Puzzle

Spouse: Robert Douglass, M, 30, Pennsylvania, master mariner; b. 1840.

His name is spelled Dinjlap in the 1870 census record is a transcription error - the correct spelling is Douglass. What looks like f - or ph - is a stylized double ss in cursive. Known as the long, medial or descending s. Its use in print form was well on its way out by the 1790's, but held up in handwriting in some areas until the mid 1800's. The person who filled out the census form had probably been taught that when young and still used it by habit.

Alfred Douglass, born in Chile. His father was a 'Master Mariner,' so it is possible Hattie sailed with her husband to South America.

Record Abstracts

1850 US census, Rockland, Knox, Maine

Hosea Coombs M 48 Maine, blacksmith

Harriet Coombs F 43 Maine

Ensign H Coombs M 18 Maine, day labor

Harriet F Coombs F 17 Maine, school teacher

Charles S Coombs M 11 Maine

Eva M Coombs F 9 Maine

Ada A Coombs F 2 Maine

1870 US census, Rockland, Knox, Maine

Hosea Coombs M 58 Maine, blacksmith

Harriet Coombs F 53 Maine

Robert Dinjlap (Douglass) M 30 Pennsylvania, master mariner

Hattie Dinjlap F 26 Maine (daughter Harriet)

Alfred Dinjlap M 2 Chile

Hattie Dinjlap F 1 Maine

Charles Coombs M 21 Maine

Eva Coombs F 19 Maine

Ada A Coombs F 12 Maine

Sources

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6JY-8J9 : 12 April 2016), Hosea Coombs, Rockland, Lincoln, Maine, United States; citing family 488, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). 18:19, 24 January 2019 (UTC)

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDHB-XKR : 12 December 2017), Hosea Coombs, 1860. 18:24, 24 January 2019 (UTC)

• "Maine Marriages, 1771-1907," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4FR-6BQ : 10 February 2018), Robert Douglass and Hattie F. Coombs, 11 Mar 1867; citing Rockland,Knox,Maine, reference ; FHL microfilm 12,045. 22:14, 25 January 2019 (UTC)

• "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6D2-572 : 12 April 2016), Hosea Coombs, Maine, United States; citing p. 12, family 114, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,047. 18:28, 24 January 2019 (UTC)~