Benevolent, Friendly or Both?

 

Which one was it?

Two of the common terms used to describe a particular kind of fraternal society are benevolent and friendly. What were these organizations, how did they differ from other fraternal groups (or did they?), and are they really two different things? 
Let's start with a definition; according to dictionary.com: 

• Benevolent: adj. 1: marked by or disposed to doing good. 2: organized for the purpose of doing good. 3: marked by or suggestive of goodwill. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benevolent)
• Friendly: adj. 1: acting like a friend : kind and helpful. 2: having or showing the feelings that friends have for each other. 3: showing support or approval.

But that doesn't really help us much. How do we put these two terms into context? 

Let's try using a source that was created around the study of fraternal societies to begin with:  The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders.¹  This text describes a Friendly society as one that is British in origin, and act primarily as financial mutual aid organizations. The term “Friendly,” is used largely in Britain, and the history of friendly societies intertwines with Acts of Parliament in relation to insurance and general welfare programs provided by the government.

Benevolent organizations are those that are “set up to do good, rather than merely to be enjoyable.” The concept described in this text is similar to the definition seen above.²
 

Keep. It. Simple.

What is the difference between Benevolent and Friendly? It would seem there are two significant points:

1. Friendly societies help their members financially, versus just helping their members.
2. Friendly societies originate in England, and the term seems to have stayed there predominantly, while benevolent was used more in the United States. Simplified? The geography is the difference.

One last point to make here, which I thought to be rather telling.

“Some people distinguish between societies that help only their own members (benevolent or friendly societies) and societies that help other people (charitable or service societies), but this is not a very helpful distinction.”³

Even though the overall statement seems to be dismissing this common belief, the fact that the author puts benevolent and friendly together is an indication of how similar the two terms are. I believe we can safely say that the differences are minor, however, they are blatant enough to know that the two words are not interchangeable, and must be used intentionally when in discussion on fraternal societies.  Once again, where you are in the world makes a difference in how you research, and what you research!
 

For more information….

Wikipedia lists "some common" friendly societies, and the collection ranges from the AARP to the I.O.O.F. to the Royal Liver Assurance. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendly_society#List_of_some_friendly_societies)


Selly Sell: I wrote a Legacy QuickGuide on researching Fraternal Societies. You can find it here.
 
 

¹ Alan Axelrod. The International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders. Checkmark Books, New York, NY, 1997, p.98-99.
² Ibid, p xi, Introduction.
³ Ibid, p xi, Introduction.

Fraternal Societies Defined

What exactly is a fraternal society?

That appears to vary, according to who you ask and what terms you use. Let's start simple. Wikipedia tells us:

"A fraternity or fraternal organization is an organized society of men associated together in an environment of companionship and brotherhood; dedicated to the intellectual, physical, and social development of its members."

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraternal_society)

The American Fraternal Alliance publishes an explanation of a Fraternal Benevolent Society:

"Fraternal benefit societies are membership groups that unite individuals with a common bond, provide them the ability to secure their families’ financial security through a variety of life insurance and investment products, and form one of the nation’s most effective and efficient volunteer networks, delivering billions of dollars of direct financial aid and community service to those who need it most."

 (http://fraternalalliance.org/benefit-society/)

To me, this is a modern definition, as from what I have read and learned over the years, the societies created in centuries past had many more goals than just to provide financial security and to raise funds for various projects. The article goes on to discuss some of the origins of these concepts, although rather vaguely. This was not the answer I was looking for when I set out to define the term, "fraternal society." I wanted this done in a historical context.


Let's make it even simpler... the dictionary. From Webster's Universal College Dictionary, (Gramrercy Books, 1997),

fraternal : adj. 1. of or befitting a brother; brotherly. 2. of or being a society of men associated in brotherly union, as for mutual aid or benefit. 

Image: Ancestral Journeys, 2013

Now this, I like. Simple and clearly stated.  All three examples seem to share the following: a membership group or association, and there seems to be at least the implication that they are united for some overall good purpose.


However, we know historically that there are numerous types of fraternal societies. In order to apply this information in a more specific and helpful way, it seems necessary to apply certain terminology. Benevolent, auxiliary... just a couple of the necessary additions in the task of defining the concept of a fraternal society.

benevolent : adj. 1. characterized by or expressing goodwill or kindly feelings: a benevolent smile. 2. desiring to help others; charitable. 3. established for good works: a benevolent society. 

auxiliary : adj. 1. additional; supplementary; reserve: an auxiliary police force. 2. used as a substitute or reserve in case of need: an auxiliary power system. 3. subsidiary  secondary. 4. (or a boat) having an engine that can be used to supplement the sails: an auxiliary yawl. 5. giving support; serving as an aid. -n. 6. a person or thing that gives aid; helper. 7. a subsidiary organization allied with a main body of restricted memberships; the women's auxiliary. 8. Auxiliary verb. 9. auxiliaries, foreign troops in the service of a nation at war. 10. a naval vessel, as a supply ship, designed for other than combat purposes.

Am I the only one that finds it interesting that societies such as are in question are used to provide examples for each of these terms? It seems obvious the importance of these organizations on history as a whole. With a basic understanding of what the words actually mean, we can move forward into their history, their goals and their impact.


(Selly sell : I wrote a Legacy QuickGuide on the subject of researching fraternal societies. You can find it via my website.)

Brickwall: The Case of Oscar F. Brown; Moving Forward

Within this series, I have decided to reevaluate my evidence on Oscar Fitzallen Brown, and the theories surrounding who his father may have been. The ultimate goal is to determine the following:

1. Has a reasonably exhaustive search been conducted? 
2. What other resources need to be examined? 
3. Who is the most likely candidate to be Oscar's father, based on the evidence collected and the conclusions that have been drawn from said evidence?

In the process, I have discovered some holes, which I called Action Items throughout the series. These are records or searches that need to be evaluated, conducted, ordered, etc, and I've been maintaining the list here. 

Action Item!

From Part One: Abraham Brown

• Action Item: Try to obtain a copy of the original newspaper article for Oscar's political ticket. The copy currently held is a transcription. 

From Part Two: Talmon Brown

• Action Item: Try to find a death certificate for Mrs. Tolman Brown. 
• Action Item: Death certificate or other source for the death date and location of Tolman Brown.
• Action Item: Order a copy of William H. Brown's marriage certificate, Washtenaw County, Michigan. May list parents' names.
• Action Item: Membership to the Washtenaw Genealogical Society, and the ability to search through their annual publication, "Family History Capers", which is indexed online and indicates more information is available on Talmon Brown, a William Brown, and the Collins family. (Submitted membership 28 Sep 2012. Waiting for response from organization.)
• Confirm death information for Tolman, and pursue probate records. 

Headstone of Oscar F. Brown and daughter, Sarah Alice.
Private holdings of author. 

From Part Three: William Brown

• Action Item: Inquire with the Washtenaw County Clerk and/or the State of Michigan to see if the letter noted on the death record for Mary (Brown) Collins is still available; if so, request a copy. 
• Continue to research the life and family of Mary (Brown) Collins, as well as the other siblings known to Oscar, for possible information on their mutual parents.
• Gain more knowledge of the records created and preserved through both Washtenaw County and the State of Michigan to see what else may be available. 
• Newspaper research on the Brown's of Washtenaw County, Michigan.

From Part Four: Unknown Brown

• Action Item: Order copy of the marriage record between Warren Weatherby and Harriet Brown. Source currently on record is an index only.
• Action Item: Continue to try to track the probate record for Warren Weatherby and obtain a copy. 
• Burial records and grave site for (Harriet Brown) Weatherby.
• Explore the potential of more records & resources available through both Michigan and Missouri. 

Also, the comments and thoughts that came in from you, dear readers, have been extremely helpful and interesting to read through.

Response from Part Two: 

Sep 30, 2012

First thing I hypothesize. Was he a preacher? If the picture is your person of interest, this would be a good lead as the apparel would suggest it. 

No, Oscar was not a preacher. I am assuming this is who you are asking about, because this is the only photo on the post of a male. He was retired military, but spent the rest of his years as a farmer and state senator. 
Second, Their would have to be a Marriage record for Tolman Brown & Mary Morvie.

This is something I have been unable to locate. The assumption is that they were married in New York, but I do not know which county. I have a few places I have tried, but so far, nothing.
Further, the history surrounding Michigan during this time period would undoughtedly coincide with Canada. Also surname "Morvie" seems off have you ever considered "Moreau", it's French and that would be extremely prominent throughout the regions at hand. I personally would play around with spellings and browse collections as a whole. Looks like you have a lot accomplished already that marriage record may give you the location that would take you to where you want to go.

This is something I have not considered, and I very much appreciate the idea. "Morvie" came from the marriage record for Oscar Brown, and of course its very possible that it was phonetic or misspelled. Thank you for this! 

Response from Part Four: 

Oct 8, 2012

This might be a good place to apply Elizabeth Shown Mill's FAN principle (Friends, Associates, Neighbors). 

If Harriet and Warren were married in MI did Warren's family live there? Working the Weatherby line in MI might lead to a closer association with the Brown family than just this one marriage. Particularly when you consider that Warren Weatherby was also born in NY according to the census image in this post. 

While Warren's probate record will be interesting in its own right it is rather unlikely to provide you much insight into Harriet's ancestors. Are there any tax rolls in MO or MI that might help you narrow down when Warren and Harriet moved? This might lead to a newspaper item or land sales that could include Brown mentions.

What was Warren an merchant of? Was this his trade in MI? A family business maybe. Something either distinct or something common enough to leave records.

Following the Weatherby family may prove just as problematic but I have had some success with this approach. I'd at least run it through your most common research protocols for any low hanging fruit. You never know what you might find.

Well said, and I appreciate the comments. I think that after I complete the items on my "Action Items" list, this approach will be next in the search. Certainly I cannot leave this out, in order to have a reasonably exhaustive search. I may already have some of this, actually, in my notes; but will have to back track to find it. Thank you, again, for the suggestions! 

I'm going to ask those questions one last time: 

1. Has a reasonably exhaustive search been conducted? 
2. What other resources need to be examined? 
3. Who is the most likely candidate to be Oscar's father, based on the evidence collected and the conclusions that have been drawn from said evidence?

I think that after I finish this list, then yes, I have conducted an approrpriate search. Aside from actually traveling to New York and/or Michigan to research on site, there does not seem to be much more that I can do. Knowing as I write this, of course, that the records I continue to acquire may only create more questions, and keep the search very much alive. 

So, who was Oscar's Dad? I'm not sure I'm ready just yet to make that determination, but I still feel that Tolman is the most likely given the circumstantial evidence. Instinct, perhaps? 

What do you think? Are you ready to draw a conclusion on this case? 

Oscar F. Brown
Private holdings of author. 

Brickwall: The Case of Oscar F. Brown, Part Two

Please refer to this previous post for the summary on this multi-part series. Thank you! 

Within this series, I have decided to reevaluate my evidence on Oscar Fitzallen Brown, and the theories surrounding who his father may have been. The ultimate goal is to determine the following: 

1. Has a reasonably exhaustive search been conducted? 
2. What other resources need to be examined? 
3. Who is the most reasonable candidate to be Oscar's father? 

Theory Two: Tolman Brown

To begin this theory investigation, we actually need to start with Tolman's name. Not a common one, I have seen it spelled a variety of ways: Talman, Talmon, Tolmon, and the most popular, Tolman, which I will use here (unless quoting a source).

Tolman's name was originally found on the marriage record for Oscar F. Brown and Frances Elizabeth Lawrence, married 15 June 1874 in Platte County, Nebraska. Although the marriage certificate appears to no longer exist, they do have a record of it within the county, in the clerk's books, that has been indexed through FamilySearch.org. The Nebraska Marriages, 1855-1995 record series lists the following information:

Groom: Oscar F. Brown
Bride: Frances Lawrence
Bride's birth date: 1854
Bride's age: 20
Marriage date: 15 Jun 1874
Marriage place:  , Platte, Nebraska
Groom's Father's Name: Talman Brown
Groom's Mother's Name: Mary Morvie
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M71473-1
System Origin: Nebraska-VR
Source File Number: 869275
Reference Number: 2:1STVDQG

Based on the previously examined political ticket for Oscar, we can assume that Tolman moved his family from New York to Michigan around 1834-1835. Again, we will start by examining the census records for this potential family.

Assuming the dates in the obituary are correct, or even within a year or two, Oscar and his family should be listed in the following census records and locations:

• 1840: Michigan. Tolman Brown can be found in the Pittsfield Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan under the name Salman Brown, with a household including: 1 free white male age 40-49, 2 free white females age 20-29, 2 free white males age 15-19, 1 free white male age 10-14, 1 free white female age 15-19. A total of seven free white people in the household, one of which was employed in agriculture. Assuming this census to be correct, that would mean that Tolman as head of household would have been born sometime between 1800-1809. 
• 1850: Michigan. Lists an Oscar F. Brown in the household of Tolman Brown of Pittsfield, Washtenaw County. No other candidates for Oscar were found in this census in the correct state. Tolman is listed as 55 or 56 years of age, born in New York; a farmer with real estate valued at $5000.00. This would indicate a birth date of around 1795. He is also listed in Schedule 4: Production of Agriculture. His wife's name is listed as Rebecca.1860: Michigan or Missouri: Oscar can be located in the household of W.W.W. Weatherby and his wife, Harriet, living in Salt River Township, Shelby County, Missouri. Later determined that Harriet and Oscar are siblings.  Tolman appears to have died in 1858 (see below). 
• 1870: Nebraska (Oscar). Colfax County, Nebraska, living independently as a farmer, born in Michigan (not New York). 
• 1880: Nebraska (Oscar): Richland, Colfax County, Nebraska, with wife Frances and two children, as well as two boarders. Birth place listed as New York.
• 1900: Nebraska (Oscar). Central City, Merrick County, in a household with wife Frances and his two youngest children, born in New York. 

The search gets more interesting as we widen the scope beyond the census records. If we assume Tolman to be born sometime between 1795 and 1809 in New York, we find the following:

• History of Washtenaw County, Michigan..., Vol II. Chicago, Chas C. Chapman & Co, 1881. Page 1250 "Pioneers" : "Talman Brown bought a tract of land located on section 11, which had been purchased of Government by Mr. Hardy. Mr. Brown was a worthy citizen, and a good agriculturist. He died at his residence on section 10."
• Past and Present of Washtenaw County, Beakes, Samuel L. The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1906. Page 774, "Pittsfield." : "The wife of Talmon Brown, of Pitt, as the town was then called, was found dead Sunday morning, June 5, 1836, in a small pool of water near her home."  This would indicate that the family was certainly in Michigan by the time Oscar was four years old, and if this was indeed his mother, he was just a young boy when she passed away.
• Michigan Vital Records from the Michigan Christian Herald (1850-[1859]). Publisher unknown, Detroit, Michigan, 1900. Page 135. "Brown, Talman, d. in Pittsfield, May 4, 1858, ae 67y. He was born at Fort Ann, Washington Co., N.Y., Nov 12, 1791. Moved to Dansville, Steuben Co., N.Y. Came to Mich. in 1834. 9-2-58"  Not only does this record provide us with his birth date and location, it also takes us back to the political ticket written for Oscar in 1882 that stated he was born in Danville. Although the town names are different, and therefore the counties, they are too similar to ignore in this case. 

Action Item: Try to find a death certificate for Mrs. Tolman Brown. 

Action Item: Death certificate or other source for the death date and location of Tolman Brown. 

• 1840 Map of Pittsfield Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan: Tolman Brown, two tracts between 10 and 11. (htttp://pittsfieldhistory.org/images/platmap_1840_80.jpg)

• U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records. State Volume Patent issued 1 Sep 1826 to Tolman Brown for Section 11, Washtenaw County, Michigan. (Document number 2195, BLM serial number MI NO S/N. http://www.glorecords.blm.gov.)  This would indicate that Tolman was planning his families move to Michigan approximately ten years before records show their presence in that place. 
• Based on the previous finds, we continued to move backward in time, and located Talmon in Dansville, Steuben County, New York in the 1830 Census. The household consisted of one male between 30-39 years, two males under five years, one female between 30-39 years, and two females between 10-15 years of age. Again, this would mean that Talmon claimed a birth date of sometime between 1800 - 1809. 
• In 1825, the Town of Dansville conducted their own census, and a Talmon Brown is listed there with 1 male, 3 females, 1 militia and 1 voter. (http://www.newhorizonsgenealogicalservices.com/1825-census-ny-steuben-dansville.htm). This indicates a member of the militia, which may mean that Talmon served or may serve eventually. I was able to locate a record for a Talman Brown, 121 Reg't (Stewart's) of the New York Militia, who served in the War of 1812. Listed as a Sergeant both at induction and discharge. I will not pursue ordering a copy of these records unless I can confirm that Talmon was indeed my ancestor, as his service in 1812 would not provide any information on his future unborn children. His pension file, if one exists, may list just that, but this is not something I can justify at this point. 

The other piece of the initial marriage record examined here for Oscar and Frances listed his mother as "Mary Morvie." All searches using a combination of names for her have come up empty, bar one, that indicates her first name may have been Minerva. However, if she is indeed the woman who died in a pool of water in 1836, it would certainly explain the 1850 Census record that lists Tolman's wife as "Rebecca". She can be tracked to be one Rebecca Shelmire, born about 1810 in New York. I have been unable to determine if they had any children together.

Talmon had at least three children besides Oscar that I have been able to document in some way: Harriet, Mary and William H. Harriet was born about 1819 (calculated from census records and provided by her descendants as a birth date) near Dunkirk, New York, and note that her birth date puts her around ten to twelve years older than Oscar. We will examine Harriet and her family, and the chain of evidence, in a future post. However, this same descendant provided a copy of a family group sheet, compiled by his great-grandfather, a direct descendant of Harriet through her daughter, Jennie Weatherby.  It is dated 1925 and notes that it is a result of conversation with Jennie Elizabeth Weatherby Yoe.  This information states:

"Harriet Brown had sister Mary, brothers William - d in San Francisco; David - killed by Indians in Idaho; Oscar F - Marine Corp Civil War - lived in Nebraska."

William H. appears in the 1850 Census, born about 1829 in New York, much closer in age to Oscar.  He appears to have lived out the majority of his life in Wisconsin, and died in California. His relationship to Oscar, and therefore Talmon, is documented through the 1850 Census and the above family group sheet. His marriage to Mary Foster is documented (by index only) online, but no images of the certificate appear to be available in this format.

Action Item: Order a copy of William H. Brown's marriage certificate, Washtenaw County, Michigan. May list parents' names.

Mary (Brown) Collins.
Personal archives of author. 

Mary, born in New York around 1817, appears to have been the oldest in the family. She married Josiah H. Collins on 24 Dec 1835 in Pittsfield, Washtenaw County, Michigan, and they had five children. The family was still in the area in the 1878/1879 Washtenaw County Directory. Mary's headstone indicate's she was Tolman's daughter, however, just so things aren't too easy, the death record from the State of Michigan lists her father was "William".

 The inscription on her head stone reads as follows: "Wife of Josiah, daughter of Talmon."  A direct descendant of Mary has her father's name in his personal research notes as "William Talmon Brown", but no source is listed. They have also indicated that she had eleven or twelve children, but only five were known to survive by 1881.  Mary is buried in the Judson Collins Memorial Cemetery in Washtenaw County, Michigan. The 1870 Census listed her as "insane". A copy of her marriage certificate indicates Talman Brown as a witness to the nuptials.

Action Item: Membership to the Washtenaw Genealogical Society, and the ability to search through their annual publication, "Family History Capers", which is indexed online and indicates more information is available on Talmon Brown, a William Brown, and the Collins family. (Submitted membership 28 Sep 2012. Waiting for response from organization.)

The final sibling listed on the Family Group Sheet is David, "killed by Indians" in Idaho. Wouldn't that make an interesting story around the Thanksgiving table this year! Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate any further evidence on a David Brown in Idaho, and without more details on his life, I feel that the search is too broad to spend a significant amount of time on him. In the meantime, the family member that provided me with this information is working on going back to the source - his Grandmother - to see if she can recall anything further on the siblings.

What are we left with?

Obviously, there is a good deal of information available on Talmon Brown, and more to come. The direct sources include:

• 1850 Census listing Oscar in Talmon's household.
• Grave of Mary (Brown) Collins listing Talmon as her father. However, this source is negated by the death record listing William as her father.

The rest is really circumstantial. Certainly Tolman and Oscar's timelines match well, in regards to birth dates, the move to Michigan, etc. I am hopeful that either William or Mary's marriage certificates may provide more information to the Talmon puzzle. 

To review. 

1. Has a reasonably exhaustive search been conducted? Geez, I hope so. There are a few items that need to be reviewed, indicated above as action items. What else did I miss? Probate for Tolman, if I can confirm his death, may be an option. Did he have other children? Did he have more than two wives? To be honest, I have shied away from spending money on records up to this point because this is just a theory, and I have to pick and choose my personal genealogy expenditures carefully, but I think now is the time.
2. What other resources need to be examined? Action Items. Certainly the Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County magazine needs to be scrutinized, and that will probably occur first. 
3. Who is the most likely candidate to be Oscar's father, based on the evidence collected and the conclusions that have been drawn from said evidence?  At this time, I think there is certainly a much stronger argument for Tolman than Abraham. There is too much circumstantial piling up for me to think this is all coincidence. 

Two down, two to go.

Now a proud member. 

Brickwall: The Case of Oscar F. Brown

Capt. Oscar F. Brown, date unknown.
Personal archives of author.

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you are probably already familiar with Oscar Fitzallen Brown, my 2nd great grandfather. He is, and has been, my biggest brick wall in my direct line of ancestors. It's not that I cannot locate any information on him, it's that the information I have can not be collaborated; and it's all indirect.

I recently viewed a webinar presented by Michael Hait, CG, on the topic of a "What is a Reasonably Exhaustive Search?," and what that really means. [You can preview or order the webinar from the Legacy Family Tree website.] It was well done, and challenged me to go back to Oscar to see what else I might be able to come up with. I have decided to present this in a multi-part series, presenting each argument on his behalf to see which comes up as the most reasonable, which has the most holes.

You see, the real problem with determining Oscar's lineage is his father: right now, there are at least three, perhaps up to five, candidates. William, Tolman, Abraham, Isaac and a possible unknown, have been distressing me for at least a couple of years each. It's time to end this madness! I am truly hoping to be able to present a reasonable conclusion by the time I am done, or at least a "to-do" list of further research necessary.

Opinions are welcome! Please contribute if you know of another source, another place to look. 

In the meantime, we're waiting for our DNA test to come back to see what it will tell us. Keep your finger's crossed.

(If this is sounding familiar, you are right. I've blogged about Oscar's Pa before, but not in as much detail as I'm going to present now. You can read through that summary here.)

Keep reading to learn more. Up first will be Abraham Brown, listed as Oscar's father in his obituary.