Finding hidden truths also means finding hidden treasures. Both are reasons I consider myself a family historian rather than a genealogist.
In Hidden Truths – Part 1 I discussed the confusion with Deerbrook, Langlade County, Wisconsin. Concentrating on here I feel the hidden truth is something yet to be revealed. Too much of this history is hidden and embellished in local histories. However, we do find in biographies written by ancestors some secrets come to light.
On the journey to find where Anna Lynn and William Bentley met, old letters were discovered. A cousin shared information from a Lynn relative giving a small crack in the confusion and darkness.
A letter dated 18 Dec 1921 written by Nellie Lynn in Ireland and sent to Anna Lynn Bentley. The letter shows the difficulty in life and family living an ocean apart. Although we see similar hardships with seeing family living miles away in the U.S.
Nellie’s letter announces to Ann the loss of their mother; Ellen McWilliams Lynn on 9 Nov 1921. The last correspondence prior to this was a letter dated 1 Mar 1920 from her mother.
Ellen’s letter starts by saying “I received a kind and welcome letter from you a long time ago…”. Ellen admits to putting off writing a reply. She specifically mentions Nellie, Robert and Pat all living together on the farm the Ellen was born on. She further added she bought a second farm for Pat and Robert to work on as the one they were all living in was too small. Told in the letter is how the purchase of the farm meant Pat and Robert had work without needing to find employment.
1920 in Ireland was considered one of the bloodiest years. Bloody Sunday, 21 Nov 1920 is one event many can remember without too much history. However, there was much more bloodshed in 1920. Ellen discusses the violence in Ireland. They live in the north, a providence called Ulster. She says there is no trouble there then goes on writing “but in the South and West there is murder every week police and people shooting each other down like dogs in the dark of night”. Furthermore are rising prices because of the war.
Historically the Irish Revolution was 1916 to 1923. From How 1920 was one of the bloodiest years in Irish history, “There was not a single day in December 1920 – including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – when several people did not lose their lives due to political violence.”
There things I learn each time I discover old letters. Validation of both author and recipient as people with real things, often historical things happening right before their eyes.
Letters have a very unique history of travel as years go on. I have six original letters written by a member of Anna Lynn’s family to Anna Lynn Bentley in Deerbrook. They were Mom’s and found their way into Dad’s genealogy. However is wasn’t until many years later; after my Uncle Dean passed I learned by cousin had a seventh letter written by another, unknown family member.
This letter has no date. Addressed:
The Decendants of
Erwin Bentley
Tomahawk
Wisconsin U.S.A.
Somehow this letter arrived in the belongings of my Uncle Dean. Separated from the six other family letters I have possession of. Unknown to either of us we had very detailed information to share.
The authors Grandmother was Anna Lynn’s sister Mary. In the letter we find a two hints, one when the family moved back to Ireland and two when they arrived in the United States. Also a big question both how this letter found someone in Tomahawk and who that someone was.
The letter states they came to the United States around 1860. My research and documentation points to the year being 1870. John and Ellen Lynn appear to have come to the United States while Ellen was still pregnant with Anna. Anna was born 7 Mar 1870. According to her death announcement she was born in New York. Research and potential matches point to her being born in New Jersey.
The letter goes on to state the Ellen and her four younger children went back to Ireland in 1892. Mary was 15 at the time the moved back.
Hmm, could this be the “Irish family” Martha Lucas was referring to in her history of Deerbrook? Date would indicate so since we know in 1888 or 1889 both Frank and William Bentley were in Deerbrook and now it looks like the whole Lynn family may have been there. Theory right now anyway as outside of this letter I have nothing to prove the theory true.
On page two “All contact was lost with the other children in Wisconsin until around 1950s my grandmother heard from Erwin Bentley,…” After that, contact was lost once again. However, somewhere a 1950 letter from Erwin to Mary exists and someone has possession of it. Still it is lost to others who have the matching letters.
All of this illustrates information lost and possibly to never be found again. It shows how just birth, marriage and death records aren’t enough to understand your families story. We are impacted directly by history without knowing it. All these are important in understanding today; they all are part of what is happening and where in your life today.
I further say to my unknown family, I am searching for you. I want to know the story and I want to bring these letters and the lives behind them together once again so finally their story can be told as it should have been told decades ago.