Ruth Ann Hawley

Ruth Ann Hawley was born in Nova Scotia to English parents who were supposedly direct descendants of the Mayflower pilgrims who founded the Massachusetts Plymouth colony in 1620. Her family (Tories) left the US for Cape Breton Island/Nova Scotia, Canada in 1775.

The Hawleys later moved to what is now Connecticut and founded a colony, which they named Hawleyville. It is near New London, Connecticut and still exists as a town.

From the records I've been able to glean from the 1880 US Census, it appears that Ruth Ann moved from Nova Scotia, Canada to Malden, Massachusetts when she was 19. According to the Massachusetts, Index to Boston Passenger Lists, 1848-1891, she arrived in Boston on the S.S. Carroll on October 28, 1878. It noted her occupation as service. According to the 1920 census, it shows that she became a naturalized US citizen in 1892.

In a letter from my cousin "Ruthie" Harwood Cline to my father on April 23, 1999 she states that Ruth Ann Hawley had two sisters: Katherine, also known as "Kate" Hawley and Rachel who ran the Cameron House in Mabou, Nova Scotia.

Before moving to the US, it appears that Ruth Ann had an illegitimate child, whom she named Daniel William Hawley. Evidently, she was married in a minister's parlor to a traveling salesman. When he was tracked down, it was found that he was already married with children, which invalidated her marriage (see below).

Ruth Ann Hawley was subsequently married twice to:

• Herbert Chick--an upholster
• Josiah Jones-a--Civil war veteran and pensioner

After Herbert's death, Ruth Ann moved to Litchfield, Maine and married Josiah Jones.

According to the 1910 Litchfield Maine Census, it lists Jones' occupation as a farmer and both Edna and Esther Chick as his stepdaughters.

Ruth Ann had an illegitimate child (see the next paragraph).

My father, Howard Thompson, referred to Ruth Ann Hawley as "grammy Jones." My father writes in his memoirs: "Upon her death at age 93, a skeleton emerged from the family closet. A stranger by the name of William Hawley appeared at my Dad's "Aunt Esther's" home in Chester, Connecticut. He introduced himself as the illegitimate son of Ruth Ann Hawley and a traveling salesman. The salesman had promised to marry Ruth Ann although he was already married. Leaving her pregnant, he moved on and Ruth Ann never heard from him again."

According to the letter from Ruthie to my Dad, Grammy Jones' first cousin "Kate" raised her illegitimate son, Dan Hawley. Aunt Alice also revealed on her deathbed that Kate's son was really Grammy Jones' son, which led to the reunion between Dan and Ruthie's "Grandma Cash." The Hawleys lived Glendyer, Nova Scotia and were described as poor farmers, but very hospitable with real cream on their table. Ruth's mother said that Grammy Jones used to cry when she heard "Danny Boy."

According to my Dad's memoirs, Ruth secretly supported him for years from her meager pension of thirty dollars a month.

The profile picture that I have came from my cousin, Leo Martin. It shows four generations: my oldest cousin, Randy Martin (the baby), my Aunt Ruth Martin (born Thompson--my father's sister), Edna Gladys Chick Thompson (my grandmother), and Edna's mother Ruth Ann Hawley/Chick/Jones (my great grandmother).

In the 1920 census, it shows that Ruth Ann lived with her daughter Ruth Esther and her husband, Leon Cash when she was 58, most likely after Josiah Jones died.