There is still plenty I have yet to learn about my paternal third great grandmother's life before she married Charles Miller in Lisbon, St. Lawrence County, New York in 1842. The Geddes family bible gives both her given name and nickname: Ageness (Nancy) Geddes, as well as mentioning she was a native of Belfast, Ireland and was born in 1815.
"Agnes Nancy Geddes," photo, undated; database with images, Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/171969200?p=52592885&returnLabel=Agnes%20%22Nancy%22%20Geddes%20(L69W-35P)&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Ftree%2Fperson%2Fmemories%2FL69W-35P : accessed 10 Feb 2024); user-submitted photo by robertwaynerace1, 8 Apr 2023.
I found it curious to see her formal name spelled in that way, rather than the modern take of Agnes (which was embossed on her cemetery marker); though the bible was not the only place in which I've seen that spelling for an Irish woman carrying that name. And in one of the letters I've seen scribed in her own hand, she also signed her name as Ageness. For this reason, I choose to keep her recorded in my family tree as Ageness "Nancy" Geddes.
"Letter from Nancy Agness Geddes Miller to daughter Mary Wells Miller Webb 1889 Pages One & Page Four," black and white photocopy scan of letter, 1889; database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/171787419?p=52592885&returnLabel=Agnes%20%22Nancy%22%20Geddes%20(L69W-35P)&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Ftree%2Fperson%2Fmemories%2FL69W-35P : accessed 10 Feb 2024); user-submitted photo by robertwaynerace1, 5 Apr 2023.
She was one of my most recent immigrant ancestors, as most of my branches have fairly deep roots in America. I have not yet discovered on which ship or when she emigrated from Ireland, or with whom exactly, but it's likely she came over by way of Canada and then down the St. Lawrence River to Lisbon, New York in the late 1830s or early 1840s, then marrying Charles Miller in 1842. By 1850, her mother and sister, Elisabeth and Mary Geddes, respectively, had also made their way to Lisbon and are found residing practically next door to Ageness and her husband in the U.S. federal census.
There are plenty of questions that still remain concerning her reasons for resettlement, most importantly, what drove her, and at least part of her family, to leave their home in Belfast?
Perhaps some of these answers lay in her parents' rumored pasts. Here is a story I was emailed about Ageness back in 2008 by the husband of a Miller cousin:
"Hi Kira.................Some family members call her Nancy Agnes, I don't know which is correct and I have found some family members called her " Anna".
The story is her mother, Elizabeth Wells ( I have been given the name Wells by a family member, but I'm not too sure that it is correct ) was born into a very wealthy Irish family in 1790, Manchester, England. They had a scottish Gardener, who had a son named Isaac. He was born in 1794. Isaac and Elizabeth fell in love and knowing her parents would not approve, they ran off together and were married, probably about 1813 or 1814, for Agnes Nancy was born August 24, 1814 in Belfast Ireland. They were right about her parents not approving of the marriage, for they disowned her. The unforgivable was that she betrayed her ancestry, her heritage, her class and her breeding by falling in love, and having an affair, with a peasant.
They moved to Glasgow where the Geddes family came from. They had 5 children before Isaac died in 1845 at age 50. Elizabeth took the children back to Manchester, England, where they were accepted without Isaac. By 1850 census Elizabeth Geddes and daughter Mary Jane were listed as living in house 852 in Lisbon Twp., St. Lawrence Co., New York. She died there at age 72 in 1862.
Scottish Clans: The name Geddes appears in the Clan Rose, the Clan Gordon and the Clan Scott. Agnes Nancy was half Irish and half Scottish.
There is more to come.
Tom="
As happens with most family legends, this tale is riddled with inconsistencies, gaps, and asks the reader for suspension of disbelief. The part I hold most questionable is the the frequency and distance of moves.
Google Maps
While each location named is known to be quite close to the Irish Sea and therefore accessible by ship, it seems quite unreasonable for a family to see this level of relocation in the early 1800s, especially when not driven by employment. However, I can't rule it out until I've seen evidence to prove otherwise. For now, this is the Geddes family story.
After I implored further, the cousin (by marriage) shared further details on Ageness' possible immigrant experience:
"Hi Kira..................I don't know if Agnes Nancy came over from Ireland by herself or possibly with another family member. The cousin who told me Elizabeth returned to Manchester, England with the children, did not say how many, or which of the children, Elizabeth still had at home. She may not have known that, and I didn't think to ask. If we find the passenger list for when they immigrated it would answer many questions. That is a part of genealogy, the search and hunt for answers to the mystery of your ancestors. Many of the answers you get will come from cousins and family members who, also, just know bits and pieces, but when put together you start to fill in the holes of your ancestors history.
At the time of Agnes marriage to Charles she was 27 years old, in that day and age, she would have been considered, almost, an old maid. So it is no surprise that she would leave home and seek a life of her own in America. Many young ladies came to this country from the old world to stay with a family member or relative that was already here. I find that there was a George Geddes living in Lisbon Twp., Saint Lawrence Co., N.Y. in the 1840 census. I don,t know if he was a relative or not, or if Agnes was staying with them, for the 1840 census just lists heads of household. But this is a possible. All of her brothers and sisters, along with her mother Elizabeth came to this country and settled. Most likely because, there just wasn't much opportunity for a better life in the old country. Joseph is the only one I have found a year of immigration year for so far. He came over in 1856.
I must stop here for tonight, I will continue tomorrow.
Tom"
Tom noted that these stories were told by Matilda Miller to her grandson (Tom's father-in-law). Matilda was a daughter of Ageness and Charles Miller. Matilda married a cousin, James, so her surname never changed. Tom heard these same stories from other relatives of his wife's, so he always assumed them to be true, given the general corroboration.
"Agnes Nancy (Geddes) Miller" tintype photograph, undated; database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/2869533/person/-1518197940/media/ef994ba4-3ba3-4a45-b3e5-cac19c66deef?_phsrc=Vnp5488&usePUBJs=true&galleryindex=4&albums=pg&showGalleryAlbums=true&tab=0&pid=-1518197940&sort=-created : accessed 10 Feb 2024); user-submitted photo by Kira Foltz, 20 Oct 2018.
Until we find any records that conflict with this tale, I'm inclined to agree with Tom's assessment. The latter half of Ageness' life, after she married Charles Miller and had ten children with him, paints a much fuller picture. For this article, I wanted to capture her days while she was still unattached, as I refer to her most frequently in stories that paint Charles as the lead protagonist.
"Charles, Agnes Miller" black and white photograph, undated; database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/2869533/person/-1518197940/media/04e06f9c-0cac-45da-b1f6-f6135dfc7cec?_phsrc=Vnp5490&usePUBJs=true&galleryindex=6&albums=pg&showGalleryAlbums=true&tab=0&pid=-1518197940&sort=-created : accessed 10 Feb 2024); user-submitted photo by PatriciaWalling55, 13 Jun 2012.
The family moved south from Lisbon to Boone, Iowa. The children grew up and moved out of the house, and Ageness and Charles retired there, both passing away in the late 1890s. They were buried together in what is now known as Linwood Park Cemetery.
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