Aaron
B. Wilkinson was born about 1827 in Madbury, New Hampshire, the son of Rufus
Wilkinson (1800 – 1868) and his wife Catherine Bunker. He is my
2nd cousin 4 generations removed. Our closest common ancestor
is James Wilkinson (born about 1730 in Berwick Maine) and his wife Hannah Mead.
My third great grandfather was also named Aaron Wilkinson (1802 – 1879).
Cousin
Aaron B. Wilkinson was married twice, first to Elizabeth Edwards in 1852, and
to Caroline Waterhouse on 3 November 1873. His marriage to Elizabeth
ended in October 1873 due to divorce (he wasted no time in marrying Caroline!)
I could not find records of children from either marriage.
During
the Civil War Aaron served in the 5th Maine Regiment, Company B
from 24 June 1861 to 17 September 1861 when he was listed as deserted two days
after he was reported sick in Alexandria, Virginia. This was about a
month after this company fought in the First Battle of Bull Run in nearby
Manassas, just 30 miles from Washington, D. C. The newspaper of
Saco, Maine The Maine Democrat, ran an article on 10
September 1861 where members of the Biddeford Company of Volunteers (Company B)
ran a statement “We, the undersigned, members of the Biddeford Company of
Volunteers, having been present with the 5th reg't of Maine during the whole
time it was under fire at Bull Run, and having seen a statement repeated in the
Union and Journal, printed at Biddeford, to the effect that Capt. Goodwin did
not have command of his company on the battlefield, do wish most emphatically
to deny that statement. We wish to assert that
Capt. Goodwin did command his company at Bull Run, and that Lieut. Stevens did
not. Lieut. Stevens was present and did his duty. Capt.
Goodwin was also present and did his duty well and bravely as commander of the
Company.” Aaron B. Wilkinson was one of the 22 names listed
under this statement.
After
I found this news clipping above, I had a lot of fun finding other information
about Aaron B. Wilkinson in newspapers. There was little about his
life in other sources. Censuses and city directories list him as a
railroad employee, but the news clippings were fantastic and full of fun
details!
Portland
Daily Press, Thursday, 25 April 1867, Portland, Maine, Volume 6, page 3
"Municipal
Court
Judge
Kingsbury Presiding
Wednesday.....
John Henderson, for assault and batery on Aaron Wilkinson, was found [sic]
$5.00 and costs. Committed"
The
next news notice was in the Daily Eastern Argus, Wednesday
29 July 1868, Portland, Maine, Volume 36, Issue 147, page 3
"Shocking
Accident - Aaron Wilkinson, a watchman at the P.S. & P. R. R., was engaged
in firing up a locomotive, Monday, and used a can of naphtha to ignite the wood
more quickly. His foot slipped and the fluid flew up on his bare
arms and at the same time took fire. He screamed for a bucked [sic]
of water and at the same time with his hands scraped the flames from his arms,
taking the flesh at the same time, laying the cords and muscles bare to the
wrists. He was at once attended by a physician, who dressed the
injuries as best he could under the circumstances, and had the man carried to
his home. It was a terrible accident, which may result in permanent
injury."
Then
this notice of another accident in the train yard was run in the Boston
Herald, Saturday, 5 April 1873, Boston, Massachusetts, page 6.
"Portland,
April 4, Aaron Wilkinson, employed as a switchman for the Eastern Road at the
company's grounds on Turner's Island, near this city, as he was attempting to
block a freight train going slowly at that spot, Wednesday afternoon, was
struck by the stick of timber he was using in such a way that he was fatally
injured. He vomited blood when he was taken home. He was
about forty years of age."
Of
course, we know that it was not a fatal accident, and soon after this accident
Aaron was divorced, remarried, and lived to be enumerated in the 1880 Census
with “Carrie” his wife. And then a third accident in the train yard was
reported in the Portland Daily Press, Saturday 27 November
1886, Portland, Maine, Volume 24, page 2.
"Cape
Elizabeth...
The
hoisting gear of an engine used in hoisting coal for a Maine Central engine
gave way and a large tub filled with coal fell and struck Mr. Aaron Wilkinson
of Cape Elizabeth, inflicting serious wounds on his head and one shoulder, and
slivering the bone of the right leg."
Aaron
B. Wilkinson died in Portland, Maine on 8 November 1873. The last
news clipping I found recorded the death. No cause of death was
given. Let's hope that poor Aaron was retired from railroad work and died
peacefully at home!
Portland
Daily Press, Thursday 9 December 1897, Portland, Maine, Volume 35, page 6
“Deaths
....
In Pleasantdale, Dec. 8, Aaron Wilkinson aged 70 years 11
months. [Funeral on Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock from his late
residence, Kelsey Street.]"
Genealogy:
Immigrant Ancestor Thomas Wilkinson "of
London" (about 1690 – Before 1739) m. Elizabeth Caverly
Gen. 2
James Wilkinson
(1730 – about 1800) m. Hannah Mead
Gen. 3 Daniel Wilkinson m. Hannah Weymouth William
Wilkinson m. Mercy Nason
Gen. 4 Rufus Wilkinson m. Catherine
Bunker Aaron Wilkinson
(1802 – 1879) m. Mercy Wilson
Gen. 5 Aaron B. Wilkinson (1827 –
1897)
Robert Wilson Wilkinson m. Phebe
Cross Munroe
Gen.
6 Albert Munroe Wilkinson m.
Isabella Lyons Bill
Gen.
7
Donald Munroe Wilkinson m.
Bertha Louise Roberts
(my
grandparents)
Aaron B. Wilkinson (1827 – 1897) was my 4th great grandfather’s (Aaron Wilkinson (1802 – 1879) 2nd cousin one generation removed. These are only two Aaron Wilkinsons in my notes about the descendants of Thomas Wilkinson, so it was not a common first name.
---------------------------------
To Cite/Link to this post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Accident Prone? Aaron B. Wilkinson (1827 – 1897) of Portland, Maine", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 2, 2021, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/03/accident-prone-aaron-b-wilkinson-1827.html: accessed [access date]).
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