Individual Summary for Harvey Hervey SEYMOUR
Compiled 9May 2003 Page 1
Born 3 Jan 1827 Rome, Oneida, NY Died Aug 29, 1895 Tampico, Whiteside, IL
Sex: M
Father: Collins SEYMOUR Mother: Sarah GOWDY (Sally)
Marriages Spouse
Spouse 1: Martha Jane PADDOCK m. 2 Sep 1847 Rome, Oneida, NY
Spouse 2: Elizabeth Ann BOWMAN m. 1881
Notes Compiled by Evelyn W. Henry - January 2002
Harvey Hervey Seymour was born in Oneida County, New York on 3 January 1827, the son of Collins Seymour and Sarah
(Gowdy) Seymour. He married 1) Martha Jane Paddock in Rome, Oneida County, New York on 22 September 1847. He
married 2) Elizabeth Ann Bowman (Mclntire,) date unknown, but around 1881.
Per granddaughter, Daisy Nokes, H. H. Seymour and Martha, with their eldest daughter, Juliette, went west from New York
by covered wagon and were in Whiteside County, Illinois by 1854. Twin. daughters were born in 1854 and their birthplace is
given as Illinois. (There is no evidence that H. H. Seymour returned to Oneida County, New York in 1861 for the probate of his
father's estate. His place of residence in the probate papers was given as Prophetstown, Illinois.) Other sources say he went
first to Dixon (Lee Co.); then to Morrison and Prophetstown, both in Whiteside County. (A son, Charles W., was born in Dixon.)
In any case, the Seymours were settled in Hume Township, Whiteside County, by 1857, and it was there the two youngest
children, Clara and Fred Harvey, were born. Before the spring of 1874 they had relocated for the last time to the Village of
Tampico, Whiteside County, Illinois, where Harvey H. Seymour lived out his life.
In Tampico, Harvey Seymour followed the trade of carpenter, setting up a shop on Main Street, where he built wagons and
made wagon wheels.
In the Bent & Wilson "HISTORY OF WHITESIDE COUNTY, ILLINOIS," and in the Tampico Centenniel Booklet, published
in 1975, Harvey H. Seymour is listed as "Second Assistant" to the Foreman of the "fine Hook & Ladder Company of thirty
members," when the fire department for the Village of Tampico was organized 24 May, 1877. In the same source, he was listed
as one of the townspeople who sustained damages ranging from $25 to $200 during the tornado of 6 June, 1874. Daisy Nokes
recalls hearing that her grandfather played the drums when there was a street parade in Tampico.
Harvey H. and Martha J. Seymour settled into a home at what is now 100S. Benton Street, and raised their family there.
The property consisted of four lots. (In his final years, Harvey relocated his wheel making business to an out-building on his
property, according to Daisy Nokes.)
Martha Jane (Paddock) Seymour died on 19 May 1880 in Tampico. After her death Harvey H. married 2) Elizabeth Ann
Bowman (Mclntire). The date and location of that marriage has not been determined by this researcher through numerous
attempts. They were the parents of one daughter, Lillian (Lily May) Seymour, born 9 May 1882 in Tampico.
CENSUS: (Not found in NY or IL 1850 011855 State Censuses. Married in 1847, Harvey and Martha would not have been shown with their birth families at those times. They may have been traveling toward Illinois at the time the 1850 census was taken. 1850 Census Indexes for states along the route have been searched, but the names do not appear.
1860 Federal Census - shows the family in Morrison, Whiteside County, Illinois
1870 Federal Census - in Prophetstown, Whiteside County. Harvey and Martha Jane were in Tampico, Whiteside County, by
Spring of 1874, and continued in residence there to the end of their lives.
1880 Federal Census - They were enumerated in Tampico, and their presence is documented through Whiteside County Grantee/Grantor records as listed below.
1880 Census - Whiteside County - Tampico, Illinois - Page 3018
Seymour, N. H. M W 53 Born New York
Fred M W IS " Illinois
(By 1880, all of the older children had married and most were living nearby. Their mother, Martha, died earlier that year,
before the census was taken, and Harvey H. had not yet remarried.)
DEED RECORDS from GRANTEE?GRANTOR INDEXES:
Oneida Co. NY Harvey Seymour from Simeon Smith Bk 103 p. 290 9 Oct 1841
Oneida Co. NY Levi L Gowdy from Harvey H. & wife Bk 246 p. 273 10 Oct 1863 (by power of attorney)
Whiteside Co., IL purch. land 1862, 1864, 1865, 1868, 1870, 1874 (2), last two involved Lots 17, 18, and 19 in Block 21,
Tampico, the location of the family home later owned by Fred Seymour.
Whiteside Co., IL sold land 1864, 1865, 1868, 1870, 1872, 1874 (2). His widow, Elizabeth (Bowman) Seymour received land in lock 21, Tampico on 5 October 1896 by Admin. Deed. Fred purchased the land and home from his widowed stepmother in 1896.
Harvey Hervey Seymour died in Tampico on 29 August 1895. An obit which appeared in The TAMPICO TORNADO, copy in possession of Evelyn W. Henry, makes no mention of his second wife, Elizabeth, although she was living with him at the time of death. No doubt, the information for the obit was given by one of the children who was at odds with Elizabeth. Further evidence that there was an "estrangement" is the fact that at least two of H. H. Seymour's children protested the disposal of his small estate to Elizabeth. (See her notes.) The obituary, which appeared in the "TAMPICO TORNADO" weekly newspaper on
31 August 1895, reads as folows:
"AT REST
"Harvey 1-lervey Seymour was born in Rome, Oneida County, N.Y. Jan. 1827, where he spent his childhood. Sept. 22, 1847 he married Martha Jane Paddock, and shortly after they removed to Dixon, Illinois, and afterwards resided in the vicinity of orrison and Prophetstown. In the spring of 1874 he came to Tampico, which place he has made his home until his death which occurred August 29, 1895. He was a carpenter by trade and followed that avocation until, on account of ill health, he could not stand the outdoor exposure, he engaged in the wagon repair work, which business he was engaged in at the time of his demise.
"He was a man that suffered greatly for the last year, and often in the past few months, made the remark to his children that he was not long for this world, although he was hopeful and never complained but little. For the last six months a gradual decline
was noticed and his children, becoming anxious as to his welfare, would ask concerning his health and he would invariably answer: "I think I am a little better, (still at the same time he said it to cheer his children, but God knows my time is short.") He
was a man that will be greatly missed by his children, especiallly those who live near him. A great many times when they look to see his feeble footsteps coming to their homes they will have to weep in sontw for he never more will come. Oh, how sad it is to lose a loved one; but this we must all endure, hoping he has gone to a happier resting place, and we all bid him good bye.
"The funeral takes place today, Saturday at 10:30 at the house, Rev. Gao. Wells officiating, and the remains will be laid to rest in the Tampico cemetery."
Appearing immediately below was the following:
"Card of Thanks
`We extend our heart-felt thanks and gratitude to those who were so kind in assisting us in the sickness, death and burial of our beloved father.
Mrs. Seymour and Children." fNote: "Mrs. Seymour" was Elizabeth.1
Harvey N. Seymour was buried in the Tampico Memorial Cemetery, Block G, Lot #13. His grave is beside that of first wife, Martha (Paddock) Seymour. There is a large monument with her name and date of death, but there is no marker on Harvey's grave. However, a letter of confirmation from a member of the Tampico Cemetery Board, stating that he was buried in that location, is in possession of Evelyn W. Henry, who has viewed the gravesite and photographed the grave marker of Martha Seymour. The graves of youngest son, Fred H. Seymour and his wife, Emma (Bowman) Seymour are also in this plot.
Notes: Although there is no grave marker with his name - Fred H. Seymour's father', Harvey Hervey Seymour, was buried in same plot. Block G, Lot 13. The stone marked "Mother" is for his first wife (Fred's mother), Martha Paddock Seymour
SOURCES:
> Family records and Bible records of the Fred H. Seymour Family preserved by daughters, Daisy Seymour Nokes and Ethel
Seymour Whitmer, now in possession of Evelyn W. Henry.
> Handwritten records of Martha Paddock Seymour, in possession of Daisy Nokes, copies shared by Daisy and Barbara Cunniff.
(According to Barbara (Stewart) Cunniff, a great granddaughter of Martha Paddock and H. H. Seymour, the handwritten record
of Martha Paddock Seymour was found "in a small box of her possessions after she died, and Daisy Nokes has the original." A
photocopy of this was sent to this compiler by Barbara in 1981 and a somewhat clearer copy sent later by Elsie Nokes. It isa
list of the children of Martha Paddock and H. H. Seymour, and of the parents and siblings of Martha Paddock.
> Family records collected by Barbara (Stewart) Cunniff, descendant of a daughter of H. H. Seymour
> Family records collected by George F. Perkins, descendant of a daughter of H. H. Seymour
> DAR Application of Daisy Seymour Nokes.
> Articles prepared by Daisy and Elsie Nokes titles "See More (Seymour) of Old Tampico", and published in the
PROPHETSTOWN ECHO, Prophetstown, IL during 1982-1983.
> Bent & Wilson "History of Whiteside Co., IL" p. 461, mentioned as 2nd assistant, fire company, and on p. 459, as one
affected by the tornado of 1874.
> Tampico, Illinois Centennial Booklet published 1975, p. 75, re: fire company, as above.
> Federal Census records for Whiteside County, Illinois 1860, 1870 and 1880.
> "The Seymour Family", Donald L. Jacobus & George Dudley Seymour, New Haven, CT, 1939. p. 169. (This source covers
early generations of Seymours, and lists the father of H. H. Seymour.)
> Bible record of Collins Seymour found Rome Hist. Soc., Rome, NY in vertical file "Seymour".
> Probate records of his father, Collins Seymour, Oneida County, NY, 1861.
> Pension record/Sarah Gowdy Seymour names children and birth dates, Harvey H. among them.
> "Family Hist of GADE-GAWDIE-GAWDY-GOWDY (etc) from A.D. 800 to 1919", Hon. Mahion M. Gowdy, Providence, RI,
1919, Journal Press, Lewiston, ME, p. 376-7, Vol. II. (Gives yr of birth in error as 1820) - no further info.)
> Photo of H. H. Seymour with second wife, Elizabeth, that may be their wedding photo, was shared by Daisy Seymour Nokes.
