John Francis Abbott (1833-1895)
John, my great-great grandfather, was born February 1st, 1833 in Hampton, Connecticut. He died June 23, 1895, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He is buried in the Walnut Hill Cemetery on Armistice Boulevard. He married Sarah Louise Allen (1843-1929) and they had five children together. He is our first heir to move to Rhode Island, first settling in Natick, a factory village in the city of West Warwick. According to the 1880 census he was employed as a “clerk in market”, and the 1885 census lists him as “manager, Chicago Beef Co.” “They commenced business in Pawtucket in 1880 under the management of J. F. Abbott”. John Francis “managed the business for 10 years, when owning to poor health he was obliged to retire.” Relatives believe it was sugar diabetes; insulin had not yet been discovered. [Note: During my research, I found several in our lineage who became blind later on in their lives, I believe the causation was diabetes, which is hereditary] He and Sarah had five children and oldest son Charles L. was “Chicago Beef Co. bookkeeper.” The company was located at “33 Bayley” Street and their residence was “177 Pine” Street.
List of Children:
- Charles Lewis, born 1868, died unknown
- Frank Allen, born 1869, died unknown
- Herbert, my great-grandfather and our next heir, born August 30, 1871 in Natick, Rhode Island, died August 25, 1930 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He married Gertrude “Kate” Thompkins on January 31, 1900. She was born in England in 1879, emigrated to the United States of America in 1890 and died in 1948. They had four children together, two boys and two girls.
- Henrietta, born 1873, died 1957
- Fred Chauncey, born September 25, 1875, died January 22, 1882 at the age of six.