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| Charlotte Cushman by William Page, 1853. National Portrait Gallery. |
Waterford's calm serenity of this Memorial Day weekend could fool a new resident into thinking things are always this way! But regional historians know there's always another controversy or change brewing, because that's what "family" and "community" engage with.
A few months ago, I (Beth Kanell) was working on an assignment unrelated to Waterford history when I spotted the name Charlotte Saunders Cushman. Cushman is a Waterford name, so I stopped to look her up. It was a delight to discover she is a "relative" of Allen Hill, who gave the Waterford Historical Society a baking peel from the Streeter Tavern of long-vanished Upper Waterford; Charlotte was the 3-greats granddaughter of Thomas Cushman 1608-1691, who in turn was the great-great-grandfather of Soule Cushman (I) (1748-1795).
[For genealogy buffs: Charlotte Saunders Cushman 1816-1876, dau. of Elkanah Cushman 1769-1841 and Mary Saunders Cushman 1793-1865; then Elkanah Cushman 1741-1776 and Mary Lathrop 1739-1792; then Elkanah Cushman 1706-1742 and Lydia Bradford 1719-1756; then Elkanah Cushman 1678-1715 and Hester Barnes 1682-1770; then Elkanah Cushman 1651-1727 and Elizabeth Cole 1657-1682; then Thomas Cushman 1608-1691 and Mary Allerton 1616-1699; and at last "Pilgrim" Robert Cushman 1577-1625 and Sarah Reder.]
In her time, Charlotte Cushman, a highly esteemed actress, often made the news and gossip publications. Not only was she extraordinary on stage, but she was an ardent feminist who chose her own lifestyle. When the New England Historical Society posted an article on her, they called her a "Cross-Dressing Tragedienne of the 19th Century."
Cross-dressing wasn't new -- every Shakespearean play required it -- but Charlotte Cushman took her adventurous role into her own life. For the surprising story of the woman pictured so demurely in her portrait above, click here! As the saying goes, "There's nothing new under the sun." But don't we ever have time rediscovering that!
If you are a Waterford Cushman descendant, I hope you'll leave a message here to let us know whether Charlotte's story surprised you.
For more Cushman material on this blog, click here. And to browse the blog (there's a white search box at the top left, click this: https://waterford-vt-history.blogspot.com.
NOTE: Here is a basic "backbone" tree of the Cushman family of Waterford, including Mr. Hill:
Cushman (first portion)
Thomas Cushman (1608-1691, b. Canterbury, England; d Plymouth MA) mar. Mary Allerton (1616-1699)
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Thomas Cushman (b Plymouth MA) 1637-1726 mar. Ruth Howland 1637-1726 (or 1646-79)
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Robert Cushman (1664-1757) mar. Persis Lewis (1671-1744)
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Joshua Cushman (1707-1764) mar. Mary Soule (1711-1750)
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Soule Cushman (I) (1748-1795) mar. Thankful Delano (1757-1814)
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Soule Cushman (II) (b. Littleton NH 1792) mar. Esther Hendrick (1799-1879) (Soule may have died “after 1850” in “Canada East”)
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Ezra Hendrick Cushman (1825-1888; his 1863 Civil War draft registration credits him to Concord VT) mar. Katherine Penelope Poppy Leavitt (her 2nd marriage; 1830-1904); they lived on the farm at the mouth of Chandler Brook
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Kate (Katherine Ellen) Cushman (1861-1964) (great-grandmother of Allen Hill, donor of Streeter Tavern baking peel) mar. George Morse (1853-1928), eldest child of John Morse (1805-1877) and Harriett Temple (1832-1876), who lived just over the line in Concord, VT
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Katherine Lyle Morse (1889-1981) mar. Allen Frank Hill (1882-1955); they lived in Littleton NH (Allen Hill’s grandmother)
I am a descendant of Soule Cushman b1792 & his second wife Sarah Wolcott after he disappeared & went to “Canada East” Then his great great grandson married into the Daniels family of Waterford.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting family history to be able to savor. I have wondered what took Soule Cushman north, and perhaps into the wilderness of his time. Every now and then, I look again at what material has become available; wouldn't it be wonderful to find out more?
ReplyDeleteYes! He is the one ancestor that I have spent the most time trying to learn about! Partly to prove the Mayflower connection. He left his wife, Esther Hendrick, & reappeared in Quebec with a woman from Charleston... it seems kinda obvious what happened. But I can’t find out where/when he died. Any help would be much appreciated!
DeleteHe died sometime after 1880 if I remember correctly. I have already proven the Mayflower connection for the Soule Cushman line as well as the Sons of the American Revolution.
DeleteI can be reached at
Smitchelliii@yahoo.com if you have any questions on all the Mayflower connections here.
I will keep working on this, and will share anything more that I can discover!
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