Last fall I visited the graves of my 5th great-grandparents, Perez Ormsby Mason and Martha Lois Barney. They lived, died, and were buried in Monroe, Grafton County, New Hampshire. I know a lot about their grandson, my 3rd great-grandfather Amasa Mason Lyman, but I had never learned much about the rest of the Mason family. I was going to be driving through the area and decided it would be a great opportunity to see the place where Amasa Lyman grew up and to visit his grandparents’ graves.
After my visit, I became interested in the other descendants of Perez and Martha. When looking at their descendants using the Descendancy View on FamilySearch, a George Albert Moore caught my eye. He had a wife listed, but no sources attached to prove his marriage, and no children. I decided to research George. From the records I found, I was able to not only prove his marriage to his wife Bertha and discover their five children, but I was also able to learn some fun details about their story.
A Marriage Record
A 1911 marriage record for George and Bertha states that both were living in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[1]
George was 32 years old and a doctor, Bertha was 27 and a teacher. This was a first marriage for both. Their address was listed as 20 Trowbridge Street, Cambridge, MA. Perhaps George attended medical school at Harvard and Bertha taught in a nearby school, and they were both boarders in the same residence. A search for the address on Google Maps resulted in the following photo, which could have been the house where they lived.
Passport Applications
In 1916, George and Bertha applied for passports.[2] They were traveling to Paris, France via London. A letter included with the applications states that “Dr. George A. Moore and Mrs. Moore have been engaged for service at the American Ambulance Hospital in Paris.” They planned to return to the United States within six months.
A little research on Google led me to a series of articles about the American Ambulance in Paris from 1914-1917.[3] It seems that after Germany declared war on France in 1914, the American Ambassador to France arranged for an American military hospital to be created. What followed were years of recruiting efforts to encourage young doctors and students from Ivy League schools to join the effort. According to the articles, the AAFS volunteers were “upper class, wealthy, and filled with enthusiasm for the French cause. Their humanitarian impulse was well seasoned with curiosity and the youthful quest for adventure and glory.” (Part 3, paragraph 4).
It is possible that George and Bertha got caught up in the excitement of this cause and decided to apply. Their passport applications include additional information, including the following descriptions of George and Bertha:
George Albert Moore
Age: 37 Years
Stature: 5 feet 9 inches
Forehead: High
Eyes: Blue
Nose: Long
Mouth: Small
Chin: Ordinary
Hair: Brown
Complexion: Fair
Face: Oval
Occupation: Physician
Object of Visit: Surgeon, American Ambulance Hospital
Bertha L. Moore
Age: 32 Years
Stature: 5 feet 7 inches
Forehead: High
Eyes: Blue
Nose: Short
Mouth: Medium
Chin: Round
Hair: Blond
Complexion: Fair
Face: Round
Occupation: Housewife
Even better than their descriptions were small passport photos included with the application. How do their physical descriptions from the applications match their photos?
In addition to their descriptions, the applications listed their residence as 202 Spring Street in Brockton. Here is a photo from Google Maps of what might have been their home.
Interestingly enough, George and Bertha had two daughters at the time they were planning to travel to Paris. There are no applications for their children included in this record set. I wonder who stayed with the girls?
A Birth Record
A birth record for George and Bertha’s daughter Constance states that the birth took place at “Moore Hospital.”[4]
I wonder if the hospital was named for George Moore, Surgeon. I have done a little research but have been unable to answer this question. This birth record also gives the family’s address as 167 Newbury in Brockton:
The Records Tell the Story
After looking at just a few records, the story of George Albert Moore and Bertha Louise Thresher has sprung to life. I hope to return to my research about this family sometime soon! As I find new records, I am sure I will be able to add additional details to their story. Once I feel I have completed Reasonably Exhaustive Research, I will write about my research in a research report. I also plan to add a life summary to their pages on FamilySearch.
In
the absence of diaries, biographies, or autobiographies, using records and
historical context really can create a fairly detailed picture of our
ancestors’ lives. What stories have you
been discovering in your research?
Endnotes:
[1] “Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 30 September 2019), 004329366 > image 529 of 1214; citing State Archives, Boston.
[2] “United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 30 September 2019), (M1490) Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 – March 31, 1925 > Roll 325, 1916 Sep-Oct, certificate no 35301-35900 > images 1280 to 1283; citing NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372.
[3] Eugene Ginchereau, “The American Ambulance in Paris, 1914–1917 Part I: The Creation of the American Ambulance,” digital version, Military Medicine, (https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00405 : accessed 30 September 2019); Volume 180, Issue 12, December 2015, Pages 1201–1202.
Eugene Ginchereau, “The American Ambulance in Paris, 1914–1917 Part II: The University Surgical Service,” digital version, Military Medicine (https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00406 : accessed 30 September 2019); Volume 181, Issue 1, January 2016, Pages 3–4.
Eugene Ginchereau, “The American Ambulance in Paris, 1914–1917 Part III: The American Ambulance Field Service,” digital version, Military Medicine, (https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00407 : accessed 30 September, 2019); Volume 181, Issue 2, February 2016, Pages 100–101.
Eugene Ginchereau, “The American Ambulance in Paris, 1914 to 1917 Part IV: The American Ambulance and the American Red Cross,” digital version, Military Medicine (https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00408 : accessed 30 September 2019); Volume 181, Issue 3, March 2016, Pages 191–192.
[4] “Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 30 September 2019), Births > Births 1920 vol 12 Brockton > image 272 of 538; citing State Archives, Boston.
Constance Was my grandmother .,
Hi Vandie,
That’s so exciting. We are related then. It was so fun for me to learn more about Constance’s parents.
Alice
I was born on July 23 1950 at the Moore hospital in Brockton Massachusetts
I was born on July 23rd 1950 in The Moore hospital in Brockton Massachusetts
Looking for my birth records July 23rd 1950 moore hospital Brockton my
Dr. George Albert Moore and Bertha Louise Thresher Moore were my grandparents. They had 5 children, Bertha Elizabeth “Beth” Moore Hunt, Barbara Louise Moore Parant, Constance Martha Moore Porter, Albert Richard Moore and George Albert Thresher Moore. The photo you posted of the building at 167 Newbury Street was, unfortunately, built around the 1980’s to replace the original Victorian style home which housed the hospital.