The Ship Brooklyn Story - Volume 2 by Richard H. Bullock The Addison Family Isaac Addison, his wife Eliza Addison and eir daughter Elizabe R. Addison comprise is family. Little has been located about e Addison family. Isaac Addison apparently came into is world in 80 in Norampton County, Virginia. He was living in Philadelphia, age seventeen, and making a living as a seaman in 825 when he applied for a Seaman s Protection Certificate from Philadelphia City Alderman George Bertram Esq. These certificates were used to identify e seaman as a United States citizen while in foreign ports, and make sure ey were not made captive of anoer vessel illegally. Isaac s certificate identified him by name, age seventeen, height of five feet six and a half inches, hair color sandy, complexion fair, and distinguishing marks of a mole on his right chin and a scar on e right side of his chest. A Margaret Pertain appeared wi him and swore at she knew Isaac well and knew at he had been born in Norampton, Virginia. 2 Isaac worked as a merchant seaman from e port of Philadelphia and would have spent time in U.S. waters as well as foreign seaports, most likely England. During is time Isaac met Eliza and ey courted and were married about 830. We have no information as to e maiden name of Eliza or even where she may have been born about 8. Various census records have stated Maryland, Maine, and Massachusetts. Her dea certificate states Boston. In e 880 census she stated she had been born in Massachusetts, at her faer was a native of England and her moer had been born in Maine. They were still living in Philadelphia when eir daughter Elizabe R. Addison was born on 20 May 83. Most likely Isaac and Eliza heard e teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints while living here and decided to join e ship Brooklyn voyage when ey heard e message to move west from Church leaders. They may have even heard about e teachings of e Church directly from Joseph Smi Jr. Joseph Smi Jr. organized e Philadelphia branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 23 December 839 on e corner of 7 and Callowhill Street. On January 80, he spoke to an audience of about ree ousand at e First Independent Church of Christ... located on e and Lombard Streets. He preached Mormon doctrine, specifically from e Book of Mormon, and e Historical Society of Pennsylvania holds many early printed editions of is gospel. Soon, congregations of Mormons were found roughout e Delaware Valley, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Philadelphia newspaper accounts from e 9 century record e exponential spread of Mormonism in e city. Like most early Mormon converts, e majority of Philadelphia members migrated to e 2 NARA, Seaman s Certificates for e Port of Philadelphia. Application dated 25 November 825. IBID. Thanks to William Allen email 25 Jan 20.
far West as a result of intense persecution. 3 By November 85 e Mormon plans were set for leaving e United States and e voyage of e Brooklyn was just part of ose plans. Many of e Eastern Saints left for Nauvoo, and ose left behind wi little means were forced to look at e Brooklyn as a last possible means of escape. 5 November 85 - arriving is evening in Philadelphia... ere found Bro. O. Pratt, s. Brannan, and Willard Snow from New York. 6 November 85 - Elder O. Pratt addressed e Saints... in regard to e duties devolving upon em... all at could go e following spring to California Mexico - by water and some by land - and leave e Mobs and Gentiles to perish in eir own abominations... Elder Brannan addressed e meeting. After which a considerable number of names were given to Elder Brannan for to go to California. As e date for sailing approached Brannan kept e potential passengers informed of eir progress rough e New York Messenger, a publication originated by Brannan and backed by e Church. The Messenger stated at all potential passengers must by in New York City by e end of January wi eir fees paid and be ready to leave at e appointed time. The Addison family were in New York at e appointed time and stayed in a local hotel or friendly Saints home until eir sailing on February 86. They made e voyage and endured all e experiences along wi e oer passengers. Isaac was approached by Lucy Eagar during e latter part of e voyage from Hawaii about possibly marrying one of her daughters in polygamy, as she had heard about while in e East. She was not aware at it was a practice at was reserved only for e top leaders of e Church. She had been told about spiritual wifery by Elder William Smi and was just trying to follow at teaching. Brannan heard about it and excommunicated several for even listening to her. When he found at she persisted after ey landed Brannan excommunicated Isaac Addison and oers for e same ing. On e arrival of e Mormons at Yerba Buena a few of e passengers endeavored to make mischief and trouble, but eir designs were frustrated. Four persons were excommunicated from e church during e passage for eir wicked and licentious conduct - Elder E. W. Pell, Orren Smi, A. T. Moses, and Mrs. Lucy Eagar... Afterward, on eir arrival, Elisha Hyate, James Scott, and Isaac Addison were excommunicated - e latter having returned to e United States - and oers deserved e same fate. 5 Thus we learn at Isaac and his family were very soon on eir way back to Philadelphia and not going to tolerate e abuses of Brannan. They had caught a vessel leaving Yerba Buena, later to be named San Francisco, and probably took passage to e Ismus of Panama. Here ey traveled overland to Colon and caught anoer vessel at took em back to Philadelphia. They made eir home in Souwark Township near e Philadelphia Navy Yard, e same area ey had left two years earlier. Isaac s name appeared in e City Directories in 89, 50, 5 and 52. The 9 September 850 census records Isaac Addison age 0 a fisherman, Eliza Addison age 37 and Elizabe Addison age 20. They were living wi anoer family named Henry and Ann 3 Mormonism in Early Philadelphia, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, email to William Allen 9/3/20 Bagley, Will - Scoundrel s Tale - The Samuel Brannan Papers, Arur H. Clark, Spokane, 999 p 07 5 Daily National Intelligencer, The Mormons, District of Columbia, 7 Aug. 87 and Nor American, Philadelphia, 6 Aug. 87. Courtesy of William Allen. 2
Brinnisholtz and eir five children. Two years later on 9 January 852 a notice of Isaac s dea on 3 January appeared in e Philadelphia Public Ledger. DIED On e 3 inst., Isaac Addison, aged 9 years. Precious in e sight of e Lord is e dea of e Righteous, yes sai e Spirit, ey rest from eir labors. The relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral, from his late residence Church street above Reed, to-morrow afternoon at 2 o clock, wiout furer notice. 6 The space of six days between his dea and e notice in e local paper is an indicator at he may have died while at sea. There also is not noted a place of burial so his body may have never been recovered. The location of his grave is unknown. Eliza Addison e widow was courted by a gentleman named Daniel Miller, Sr. After his wife Elizabe Whelan had died on October 852 after a fall down some stairs at eir home. He and Eliza were married on 27 March 853 by e Rev. G. W. Jerman of Saint Paul s 7 Meodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. 8 After irty one years of marriage to Daniel, Eliza died on 8 August 88. Her body was taken to e Wharton Street Vault on August 20, e day of e funeral. Typically is vault served as a temporary resting place and e location of Eliza s grave is unknown. There has been some speculation at Eliza s maiden name is Murray and at she was e sister of Mary Murray of e ship Brooklyn. This auor feels at e use of e initial W. on her dea certificate is an indication of her maiden name being someing else. This is e only place where e initial W. has been used in her regard. Elizabe R. Addison Elizabe had been born on 20 May 83 in Philadelphia to Isaac and Eliza, and was eir only child. She sailed wi her parents on e ship Brooklyn in 86 and returned wi em e following year by way of e jungles of Panama. She grew up in Philadelphia and was courted by a man named William Siddons Allen. She accepted his proposal of marriage and e Rev. Jerman, who had married her moer to Daniel Miller, married e daughter on 20 April 85 to William Siddons Allen. 9 William Siddons Allen, e son of William and Jennie Bowers Allen was born in October 835 had been married twice before and widowed before e age of 26. Here in Elizabe Addison, age 23, he found his long term companion. They were married for forty-one years and had nine children. 0 Elizabe R. Addison Allen lived until 3 February 896. She was buried in e Mount Peace Cemetery in Philadelphia. Her husband William Siddons Allen lived until 8 Mar 9 6 7 8 9 0 Philadelphia Public Ledger, 9 January 852, pg. 2, DIED. Ibid, 29 March 853, pg. 2 MARRIED. Philadelphia City Dea Certificates, 803-95, Eliza W. Miller, 66, 8 Aug. 88 Philadelphia Public Ledger, 22 April 85, pg. 2 William Allen email of 25 Jan. 20 Philadelphia Public Ledger, 6 February 896, pg. 2 3
when he joined his wife in e Mount Peace Cemetery. His burial data in e Philadelphia Inquirer indicates at he had been in e military - probably during e civil war - as part of e 90 Regiment of e Pennsylvania Volunteers. The 90 Regiment was organized at Philadelphia October 86 and consolidated wi e Pennsylvania Infantry on 26 November 86. They were active on such campaigns as Fredricksburg, Manassas, Bull Run, Antietam, Gettysburg, Spotsylvania, and many oers. They saw extensive duty during e war and lost a total of 230 men, 02 killed and 27 from disease. This was not a high number of deas, as most regiments reported similar losses. Mount Peace Cemetery entrance Courtesy of Find-a-Grave
Dea Certificate of William Siddon Allen Courtesy of Find-A-Grave 5