Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The Seven Faces of Frank's Parents



Are these the faces of people willing to adopt a child? This is Benjamin Franklin Rosell and Jane Elizabeth Pelton. Parents of Abigail who was born in 1844 and not seen since the 1850 census (presumed dead), Helen born in 1848, Ida born in 1850, Frankling born in 1852, Sarah born in 1854, Sidney born in 1856 and William born in 1858. Jane is dead by 1860 and Benjamin remarries a Mary Harris and we don't have enough room here to go into what children they had. Theodore Freeman was living steps away from the Rosell's in 1850. We know Frank's father is a Freeman, not a Rosell so it could be assumed that Theodore is Frank's father and Frank was taken in by this family down the way.


I'm going to start scouring the 1850 census and the pages surrounding our little lonely orphan's possible father and adoptive parents to see if there are any suspicious looking women who could be Frank's mother.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't forget another reason why Benjamin could be the adopted father of Frank.... According to a source at the Rochester Hills Museum, Ray Russell mentioned that his great-grandfather's name was Benjamin. :o)

cosmichorror said...

You've talked to Ray's son Brian, right?