The Nelsons of Indian Trail, Cummaquid, MA

The Nelsons of Indian Trail, Cummaquid, MA

The Nelsons approx. 1912 — left to right: front row: Harriet Leah and Elizabeth Amanda; back row Alice Louise, William John Nelson, Mary Teresa (Doyle), and William McKinlay. Twin daughters Estelle and Adele are born later.

I love this photograph. It was the first picture I had ever seen of my grandmother Harriet as a child, and more importantly of her parents William John Nelson and his wife Minnie Doyle.

Please note that William Nelson’s name is sometimes written as William John but also as John W. or John William in others - in the census record at age 2, WWI draft registration card, and various land transaction documents.

Normally, I don’t like to share personal family photographs on the internet, I feel too possessive of them, but this photograph happens to be all over Ancestry.com already so I figured it’s out there. My uncle had this framed photograph in his living room and shared it with relatives and it seems to have taken off from there.

William J. (John W.) Nelson and his wife Minnie lived on Indian Trail in Cummaquid, Massachusetts. Cummaquid is a small village situated between the villages of Barnstable and Yarmouth Port. I have a faint recollection of visiting this house when I was very small and recall there was a small pond in the backyard. My grandmother’s younger sister Estelle and her family lived there at the time, taking care of William J. in his last years, but ultimately moved on.

William’s father, Charles W. Nelson, also had a home around the corner directly on Main Street (Route 6A). Charles W. was a civil war veteran having served in the 20th Maine. I plan on expanding on Charles W. sometime soon. While my land transaction research continues, I believe that the Nelson property originally consisted of five acres, containing a bog, a pond, a shop, dwelling house, barn, etc. The property appears to have been in Amanda Nelson’s name and sold in parts to son John W., as well as to other individuals.

Indian Trail Road is a beautiful lane that ends at the waters of Barnstable Harbor where my great grandfather worked as a boat and shell fisherman. There is a large estate on the left, past my great grandparents house and towards the Harbor that belonged to the Lowells, a very wealthy and connected off Cape family. While William Nelson was primarily a fisherman, on occasion he is identified as a farmer, and in the 1950 census his occupation is caretaker. I had assumed he worked for the Lowells’ estate but a draft registration card signed in 1918 lists his employer as John Simpkins; more than likely he worked on the Simpkins estate close by (not the one in Yarmouth Port). [My uncle had shared a story about the Lowells, and the many large parties held at their property (sadly my poor family was not on the guest list). On one occasion a fast moving car coming from the Lowell’s, sped down the road and past the Nelson home, requiring my family members to frantically run to the road in order to save a child from being run down. The car continued to speed off.]

William John Nelson was born to Charles William and Amanda (Poland) Nelson 10 September 1878 in Barnstable. He died 17 September 1959 in Barnstable however his obituary incorrectly identifies his mother as Emma Poland - it is indeed Amanda Poland (Emma possible middle name). Charles and Amanda were both originally from Maine and first appear in the census records at Barnstable in 1870.

John and Mary Teresa Doyle were married on 30 November 1899. Mary Doyle was originally from Ireland. Her parents Patrick and Minnie Doyle lived in Boston. In 1900, William and “Minnie” Nelson were living in Charles Nelson’s household on Main Street (Route 6A), Barnstable. Both Charles and John were identified as farmers. By 1910 William, a boat fisherman, is enumerated head of his own household on Indian Trail Road. He and Amanda have four children: Alice (9), William (8), Elizabeth (6) and Harriet (my grandmother) aged two. Also living not far from John, on Route 6A, is his brother David. Additionally a near neighbor is named Ermond Jerauld, a laborer. William’s World War I Draft Registration card signed in 1918, presents his occupation as fisherman employed by Captain E.C. Jerauld of Barnstable. From newspaper accounts, Ensign C. Jerauld worked for the Barnstable Trap Company owned first by his uncle Elisha Bearse, and then by himself, Capt. Jerauld. A description of the company's work is described in Jerauld’s obituary below.

By 1920 William and Mary had two more children, twin girls, Adele and Estelle. Daughter Elizabeth by that time was married with children but living close by. My mother’s photo album contains many photos from the 1930’s of this large family of cousins all very close in age.

Aside from his life of hard physical work, it appears William and his brother David were members of the State Guard which encompassed police duty, and in 1925 he was apparently assisting with coast guard duty enforcing liquor law violations.

William John was somewhat of a mystery person to me. Newspaper accounts for him and his family are priceless in filling in the space between vital records and deeds. He was a hard worker, had many children and grandchildren and from what has been verbally passed down a very quiet man. I was born in 1960 one year after his death. I wish I had at least a few more years to know him and understand the Nelsons a little bit more.

My grandmother Harriet Nelson and her father William John Nelson