Saddingtons in Brooklyn, New York (Part 1)

Searching the Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1841-1902) website was a good lesson in how much information about people's lives can be found in their local newspaper.

The first item that I came across was an obituary for Mrs Lucinda Saddington, who died on Thursday 10 January 1901 at her home, 265 Jefferson Avenue. It told me what she died of and who her doctor was. It also told me when and where she was born, and how long she had lived in Brooklyn. Also mentioned were the churches that she had attended and the main charity that she had supported. On the family history side of things, it stated that she was the widow of Thomas Saddington, and that she was survived by two sons and four daughters - although, unfortunately, it only gave the daughters' married names, e.g. Mrs Edwin Ives, Mrs George H. Pettit, Mrs E.L. Tarbox and Mrs Frank H. Adams.

Further items told me that one son, John F. Saddington, was a well known local builder, specialising in residential property, and that the other son, Thomas B. Saddington, was sued by a tenant in 1876 for assault and battery. Both sons were unfortunate enough to lose a daughter in infancy, but Thomas B. Junior is reported to be cruising with friends in their 30 foot yacht in 1894, and one of Thomas B.'s other daughters, May, is hosting a meeting of the Eccentric Social Club in 1896.

Also in 1896, John F. Saddington and his wife set sail for a trip to Europe, during which they intended to visit the Paris Exposition, the Rhine, Baden Baden, Vienna and Holland. The families also show up regularly in the newspaper, attending numerous family weddings.

It was therefore possible for me to draw up a rough family tree for this Saddington family, with a fair understanding of their social status and religious leanings, using only the information in the newspaper. If anyone knows any more about this family, please let me know.

Information from the 1880 census of the US, found on the Family Search website, in which the family are transcribed as 'Laddington', shows that the late Thomas Saddington was born in England, and that Lucinda's parents came from Scotland, which indicates that the family were relatively recent immigrants to the United States.