Rosanna P. (Layman) Stratton (abt. 1818 - 1900)

Born about 1818 in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States

Wife of Joseph A. Stratton — married 5 Oct 1854 in 615 Catharine St, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 7 Mar 1900 at about age 82 in Clayton, Gloucester, New Jersey, United States

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Biography

Rosanna (Layman) Stratton was born in New Jersey (her death certificate says "Glassboro") about 1818. Her parents are unknown.

It is unknown where she met and married her first husband, Eli White, whose origins are also unknown. He was born in either Pennsylvania or New Jersey (records differ).

Rosanna lived in Philadelphia from say 1839-1853, where she had at least four children, was widowed, and remarried Joseph A. Stratton. Joseph was also widowed and had a small daughter. His origins are also unknown, though we know his first wife was Hannah Lashley (origins uncertain).

Rosanna moved to New Jersey with her new husband and her two living children. Rosanna and Joseph had a daughter and a son in Gloucester County, New Jersey.

In all, Rosanna Stratton was the mother of at least six children. There is a seven year gap between the births of her second and third children.

1. William H. White b. 1839, d. aft. 1850
2. George Rush White b. 7 Feb 1842, d. bef. 1850
3. George W. White b. 1849, d. 1902
4. Sarah A. White b. Sep 1852, d. aft. 1900
5. Emma Stratton b. 30 Jan 1859, d. aft. 1870
6. Rufus Henry Stratton b. 8 May 1860, d. 1939

She was the stepmother of one girl, Annie Stratton.

Rosanna's great-granddaughters Laura and Gertrude both left us notes about their family genealogy, including the information that their grandfather Rufus had only one full sister, Emma, who was blind, and a list of his older half-siblings with the surname White. We also have an album of photographs that was apparently Rosanna's, with many unidentified family members.

Name Variations

• 1 June 1842 son George baptized (Rosanna White)
• 1850 Census (Rosanna White age 32)
• 5 October 1854 marries Joseph (Rosanna White)
• 30 Jan 1859 daughter Emma born (Rosanna Stratton)
• 8 May 1860 son Rufus born (R A Stratton)
• 1860 Census (Rosanna Stratton age 38)
• 1870 Census (Rose A. Stratton age 51)
• 1871 daughter Sarah marries (Roseanna White)
• 1873 son George marries (Rosanna White)
• 1880 Census (Ruth Stratton age 61)
• 1882 son Rufus marries (Rosanna Layman)
• 1885 Census (Rosanna Stratton aged 60+)
• 1895 Census (Roda Stratton aged 60+)
• 7 Mar 1900 (Rhoda P. Stratton dies in Clayton, Gloucester, New Jersey; parents are "John ___" and "Mary ___")
• 1905 son Rufus' marriage certificate (Rosanna P. Lehman)
• 1939 son son Rufus' death certificate (Rosanna Layton; the informant on the death certificate was the warden of the poor farm where Rufus died)

Records

The first record of Rosanna is her son George Rush White's baptismal record from Trinity Church, Southwark, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. George Rush White was born on 7 February 1842 and baptized on 1 June 1842. His parents were listed as "Elie and Rosanna White" and the baptism was performed by John Coleman.^[1] This church no longer stands, but was situated at the current location of Mario Lanza Park, in Queen Village, Philadelphia.

1850 Census: 5th Ward, Southwark, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

Ely T White, Waterman, 40, NJ

Rosanna White, 32, NJ

William H White, 11, PA

George W White, 1, PA^[2]

Eli White died on 8 May 1853 of bronchitis. On his death record, his residence was “Rye St, Southwark” (now re-named Philip Street; Southwark was an independent suburb of the city of Philadelphia, located in Philadelphia County, before consolidation was passed one year after Eli's death, in 1854). The church who arranged for his burial was the Wharton St Methodist Episcopal Church. It later merged with another church to become the Wharton Wesley Church. The church was located at 406 Wharton St, Philadelphia, PA.

Rosanna White and Joseph "Straton" were married by Rev. G. W. Jerman on 5 October 1854 at the St Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church. The church, since demolished, was situated at present day 615-623 Catharine Street.^[3] St. Paul's was an offshoot of Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal Church, formed in 1833-1835 when the church split in four.

1860 Census: Clayton, Gloucester, NJ

Jos A Stratton 38, Laborer, born NJ

Rosana Stratton 38, NJ

Sarah A White 8, Penn

Ann Eliza Stratton 7, NJ

Emma F Stratton 2, NJ

Rufus Stratton 1/12, NJ

Nancy Hopkins 73, Lady^[4]

Her son, George White is perhaps the 11 year old listed in a nearby household on the same census sheet. Who was Nancy Hopkins, "lady," enumerated with the family?

1865 Census: Clayton Township, Gloucester, New Jersey^[5]

Joseph A Straton

Roseanna P Straton

George W White, age 5-16

Anna A Straton, age 5-16

Emma F Straton, age 5-16

Ruphes H Straton, age 5-16

1870 Census: Clayton, Gloucester, NJ^[6]

Joseph A Stratton 50, laborer, cannot read or write

Rose A Stratton 51, keeping house, cannot write

Emma F Stratton 12, attending school

Rafus Stratton 10, attending school, cannot write

1880 Census: Franklin, Gloucester, NJ

Joseph Stratton 58, Married; farmer, cannot read

Ruth Stratton 61, Married; Wife, keeping house, cannot read

Rufus Stratton 20, Son, farm laborer, cannot read, cannot write^[7]

In 1885, Joseph and Rosanna are enumerated with her son George and his family. His surname is spelled Wright, but in the 1895 and 1900 Census, the family name is correctly spelled White.

1885 Census: Clayton, Clayton Township, Gloucester, NJ^[8]

George W Wright M 20 to 60 years

Tacy P Wright F 20 to 60 years

Charles L Wright M 5 to 20 years

John F Wright M 5 to 20 years

Ella M Wright F 5 to 20 years

William A Wright M 0 to 4 years

Joseph A Stratton M Over 60 years

Rosanna P Stratton F Over 60 years

1895 Census: Clayton, Clayton Township, Gloucester, NJ^[9]

Geo W White M 20 to 60 years

Tacy White F 20 to 60 years

John White M 5 to 20 years

Ella White F 5 to 20 years

Willie White M 5 to 20 years

Roda Stratton F Over 60 years

Death and Legacy

Rhoda P. Stratton died 7 March 1900 in Gloucester County, New Jersey.^[10]

She is buried in the Aura Methodist Cemetery, sharing a cenotaph with her son-in-law Isaac Hughes.^[11]

Rhoda's death certificate is frustrating, sloppily filled out, and has some errors. What seems accurate on the certificate is she is listed as a widow, had suffered from apoplexy for "24" [hours?], and her place of burial is listed as Aura.

When the Archives indexed this record, they recorded her age as 1 year, because her age "78" is added to the months column rather than the years column. Her tombstone and census records indicate she was actually 81 years old when she died.

The death certificate lists her parents as John [no last name] and Mary [no last name] both born in "America."

Rhoda's place of birth is listed as "Glassboro" which was not incorporated at the time. The area that is now Glassboro was Greenwich and Woolwich, later Franklin, then Clayton and Newfield, before finally being incorporated as Glassboro in 1878.

Research Notes

Larner Laymen/Layman

Larner Layman of Gloucester County is a plausible father for Rosanna.

The first available census for New Jersey is 1830. In Gloucester County in 1830, when Rosanna would have been about 12, four Layman heads of household are enumerated. Two were free persons of color (Mariah Layman and Henry Layman). A third is William Layman (with no household members under 20).

The fourth is Larner Laymen [sic]. In his home are

2 males 15-19

1 male 20-29

1 male 50-59 (Larner?)

1 female under 5

1 female 5-9

2 females 10-14 (Rosanna?)

1 female 20-29 (Elizabeth?)

Possible relatives?

Julia Ann Layman, born circa 1818 in Gloucester County, supposedly a daughter of Isaac Layman, was also a Methodist. Julia named a son Alonzo Clark; there are some records in Gloucester County for an Alonzo Layman, a veteran. Will continue to research Julia and other Laymans in Gloucester County, there are not many of them.

There is a Hannah Layman, living in Southward Philadelphia in 1850, also born in New Jersey and same generation as Julia and Rosanna. She was in the household of Lewis Palmer, a New Jersey born blacksmith.^[12]

John Layman, born in New Jersey in 1773 was living in Southwark, Philadelphia in 1850, in the household of an Ann Wilson (born in New Jersey in 1821).

Other

Records I can't find

• Marriage to Eli/Josiah White bef. 1839 (could be PA or NJ)
• Any city directory or other residency records for Eli White in Philadelphia. There are listings for an Elisha White, but he continued to be listed after her Eli had died. Recheck with name Josiah.
• Baptism of William White c. 1839, George White in 1849, and Annie White in 1852. Keep checking Methodist church records.
• any records for George R. White after 1839, William White after 1850 (death?), Sarah (White) Hughes after 1900, and Emma Stratton after 1870
• Joseph death/burial c. 1885-1895

There are four churches whose records could be reviewed for other mentions of Laymans/Lehmans, Whites, and Strattons

• Trinity Southwark, Philadelphia (Episcopal) — where George R. was baptized
• Wharton St Methodist Episcopal Church, Philadelphia — which buried Eli
• St Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church, Philadelphia — where she married Joseph
• Aura Methodist Episcopal, New Jersey— which baptized Rufus, and buried her, Annie, George W

Sources

1. ↑ Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4CR-CMG : 9 November 2014), Ely T White, Southwark, ward 5, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family 749, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ Records of Marriages, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records; Reel: 373, Via Ancestry.com
4. ↑ '"United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFHY-4LN : 30 December 2015), Rosana Stratton in entry for Jos A Stratton, 1860.
5. ↑ "New Jersey State Census, 1865," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24R-158C : 17 October 2016), Joseph A Straton, Clayton, Gloucester, New Jersey, United States; citing New Jersey State Library, Trenton; FHL microfilm 802,948.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNDF-SDQ : 17 October 2014), Joseph A Stratton, New Jersey, United States; citing p. 44, family 353, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,361.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN87-3NQ : 14 July 2016), Ruth Stratton in household of Joseph Stratton, Franklin, Gloucester, New Jersey, United States; citing enumeration district ED 92, sheet 339A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0781; FHL microfilm 1,254,781.
8. ↑ "New Jersey State Census, 1885," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6R69-1W2 : 19 July 2016), Joseph A Stratton in household of George W Wright, Clayton, Clayton, Gloucester, New Jersey; citing p. 70, Department of State, Trenton; FHL microfilm 888,615.
9. ↑ "New Jersey State Census, 1895," Clayton, Gloucester, p. 25
10. ↑ "New Jersey Deaths and Burials, 1720-1988," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZ87-BP8 : 12 December 2014), Rhoda F. Stratton, 06 Mar 1900; citing Clayaton Bo, Gloucester, Nj, reference p 13 cn 104; FHL microfilm 589,072.
11. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #117844539
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4C5-QPF : 12 April 2016), Hannah Layman in household of Lewis Palmer, Southwark, ward 3, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family 367, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).