Mary Ellen (Tuttle) Bearce (1831 - 1916)

Born 26 Jun 1831 in Connecticut, United States

Descendants

Died 20 May 1916 at age 84 in Lincoln City, Lincoln, Oregon, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jason Clark [send private message]

NOTE: Mary Ellen Tuttle is implicated in a fraudulent 1935 genealogy that claims "she was an I/8th blood Wee-paug or Paugusset Indian through her"Cockfield"strain; And had another slight Indian strain through Mary Mitchell old age wife of Experience Mitchell". See below and this analysis of the fraud.

Biography

The Myth

According to Franklyn Bearce:

Mary Ellen Tuttle wife of Iron Face was a dau of Sullivan Masters Atwater Tuttle, direct descendant of Titus and Kaleb Tuttle Salem Mass, I623 Experience Mitchell, I620, Plymouth, and many other old Mayflower families; Of Pilgrim and Puritan Stock; Mary Ellen Tuttle was born at Litchfield Co Conn, June 26 I83I, she was an I/8th blood Wee-paug or Paugusset Indian through her"Cockfield"strain; And had another slight Indian strain through Mary Mitchell old age wife of Experience Mitchell, whos mother was a daughter of a younger brother of Massasoit; Mary Ellen Tuttle was very proud of her descent from massasoits family, and her Mayflower anscesters; She named one of her sons Daniel Taylor Mitchell Bearce after some of these early anscesters, of mixed white and Indian blood; She was a wonderfully good courageous pioneer woman, who visited the sick and layed out the dead who had passed out; She lies sleeping on the family plot at Allegan. Mary Ellen Tuttles mother was, Eliza Cockfield Parmalee, of Walcotville Conn, a 1/4 blood Paugusset Indian through her"Cockfield" strain. Her mother was a half blood dau of, Sargent Cockfield of the British Light Horse,who was killed in action by Colonial Troops during the Rev War in Fairfield Co Conn, and a full blood Paugusset Indian Princess of Fairfield co Conn, dau of a Weepau Sagamore, and a grandaughter of Wampanoag Sachem on M.V.I. Tuttle migrated with my Grandfather Iron Face to Allegan Co. Mich from Conn, and settled first at Gun Marsh and then at Otsego Mich in Allegan Co, where he and Eliza Cockfield Parmalee lie sleeping.

When I was 6 years of age we resided that summer up over the Post office at Otsego Michand My father worked at Lagrange Indiana; And with my mother we were frequent visators at my greatgrandparents home in Otsego Villiage on the old Tuttle place. I also attended the anual reunion of my greatgrand-parents at Otsego with my grandfathers family; I remember my great grandmother Eliza Cockfield Parmalee; She was very Lovely in her old age, grey eyes, and bright,light copper colored skin;After my grandfather William Henery Bearce passed out at Allegan, my grandmother Mary Ellen Tuttle gave my grandfathers riffels (rifles ?) and his colletion of Arrow heads, and stone spear heads to her brother Uncle Homer Tuttle who still resided on the old Tuttle Place in the Villiage of Otsego Mich. Most of those Old Indian Relics, were licked up at the old Pottowatimie Town out on the old sand hill road Pine Plains Allegan Co Mich, on the banks of Swan Creek where I used to play when a boy; The children of Iron Face and Mary Ellen Tuttle were, the oldest my father, Noble Sullivan BeArce born Sept the 5th I852, Washington Township , on Wearamaug Lake, Litchfield Co Conn; Elanor May Bearce, she was named May after her Mohican Indian anscestors, Anna May full blood) born June 15th I854 Washington Township , on Wearamaug Lake, Litchfield co Conn. William Edgelbert Bearce born april 3oth I857 Hope Berry Co Mich. (At the time of my grandfathers first migration to Michigan) He returned again to Litchfield Co Conn; Daniel Taylor Mitchell Bearce born May 3Oth I858, Bethany Mission, Litchfield Co Conn, Alsace Margaret Bearce, born Mar I0th I86I Semere, Litchfield Co Conn. Franklyn Tuttle Bearce-Frances Tuttle Bearce,(Twins) born, June 30th I863 Bethany,s Mission,Litchfield Co Conn. Frederick Walter Bearce, born May 9th I868, Allegan Co Mich. Infant dau, born Allegan Mich Dec 24th I870. Passed out Feb I87I of Small Pox; William Henery Bearce, learned his trade of carpenter and mill right,from his mothers brothers and uncles the Rau Boys at Dover Dutchess Co N.Y. (For further information see original written manuscript on deposit at the(Congressional Library Wash D.C and public Library New York City N.Y.)"

The Reality

I couldn't find any pre-marriage record of Eliza Cockfield Parmalee, however, I would note that the largest grouping I found, of the surname Cockfield, was in Quaker records. As for Experience Mitchell, a reasonable argument can be put forward, that all but his last daughter, Hannah, belonged to first wife, Jane Cooke. So, unless Eliza Cockfield Parmalee descends specifically from Hannah Mitchell (Franklyn doesn't tell us anything about how they're supposedly connected), then Eliza is very unlikely to have descended from Mary _____, whether she was actually Native American, or not.

On the 1850 US Census, Sullivan Masters Atwater Tuttle, recorded as "Sullivan M A Tuttle", and his wife, Eliza Cockfield Parmalee, recorded as "Eliza", are living in Washington, Litchfield, Connecticut. With them are 5 children, "Harriet", "Homer", "Almira", and twins, "Carlyle" and "Caroline".^[1] Franklyn's grandmother, Mary Ellen Tuttle, is listed nearby, living with, and likely working for, the family of Daniel T and Lois Mitchell.^[2]

Noble Sullivan Bearce can be found, on the 1860 US Census, living with his parents, "William H Bearce", a 31 year old wagon maker, and 28 year old "Mary E Bearce", in Washington, Litchfield, Connecticut. Also living with them, are siblings "Mary E" (not May), "William A", "Daniel T M", and "Alice".^[3]

On the 1870 US Census, "Noble Burce", a 17 year old white labourer, is on his own, in Allegan, Allegan, Michigan.^[4] His parents, "Wm C Bierce", a 41 year old white carpenter, and "Mary E", a 38 year old white housewife, are also living in Allegan, Allegan, Michigan, along with 6 of Noble's white siblings, "Mary E" (not May), "Willie A", "Danl T M", "Alice M", "Fanny F", and "Frederick".^[5]

On the 1880 US Census, "Wm H Bearce", a 50 year old white carpenter, and wife "Mary E", a 47 year old white housewife, are living in Allegan, Allegan, Michigan, along with 5 of Noble's white siblings, "Wm A", "Danl T M", "Alice M", "Fanny F", and "Fredk W".^[6] "Wm H Bearce", a 67 year old white carpenter, then passes away on June 16th, 1896, in Allegan, Allegan, Michgan.^[7] His parents are listed as "Gideon N Bearce" and "Margaret Bearce".

"Mary E Bearce", a widowed 68 year old white mother-in-law, is living in Marysville, Snohomish, Washington, with her daughter "Frances B", formerly "Fanny", and son-in-law, "Marcus L Solomon", on the 1900 US Census.^[8] Then, on the 1910 US Census, "Mary Bearce", a widowed white 78 year old grandmother, is living in Meadowdale, Snohomish, Washington, with Nina R Marsh, the daughter of Alice M Bearce, her own daughter, and Henry H Marsh. On the census, "Nina R" is the 28 year old white wife of "William H Hamby".^[9]

On May 20th, 1916, "Mary E Bearce" passed away in Lincoln City, Lincoln, Oregon.^[10] She likely moved with Nina, as "Nina M Hamby" is found in Oregon, a 38 year old white widow, on the 1920 US Census.

Eliza Cockfield Parmalee died, November 26th, 1878, in Orangville, Barry, Michigan.^[11] She is listed as "Eliza Tuttle", a 70 year old white married housewife, just as she was listed on the 1870 US Census, except for being 61 years old, at that time.^[12]

Apparently, none of these proud descendants of Indian princesses, were proud enough to actually call themselves Indians on primary documentation...not his siblings, not his parents, not his aunts and uncles, not his grandparents, not his great-grandparents, not his grand uncles and aunts, not his great-grand uncles and aunts, not any of his cousins, of any kind, no, not even Franklyn Bearce himself.

Did Franklyn Bearce have the remarkable ability to remember his great-grandmother, Eliza, from before he was 7 months old, when she died? No, he lied, and led us to believe he met her, when he was 6 years old.

Was "Eleanor May" Bearce named after the May Indians? No, her name was apparently Mary Eleanor, very much similar to her mother, Mary Ellen.

Was Daniel T Mitchell Bearce named after distant Native American ancestors, and Mayflower descendants? No, he appears to have been named after a nice old man, that took Mary Ellen in and gave her first job.

Did Homer Caleb S Tuttle live on the "old Tuttle place", in Ostego? Heck, I don't know if Sullivan Tuttle lived on the "old Tuttle place", in Ostego. He did die in Ostego, September 20th, 1888, listed as a white 82 year old widowed moulder.^[13] In 1860 he had moved from Litchfield, Connecticut,^[14] to Orangeville, Barry, Michigan.^[15] Then, by 1870, he had moved from Orangeville to Gun Plains, Allegan, Michigan,^[16], where he was still found in 1880.^[17] He only appears in Ostego, to die.

Homer was also living in Orangville, in 1860, and then Gun Plains, in 1870. In 1880, he's living in Wayland, Allegan, Michigan. Then he's living in Hopkins, Allegan, Michigan, in 1900, and 1910, where he dies, "Homer C S Tuttle", a 75 year old married white farmer, on May 8th, 1911 (Michigan, Deaths and Burials Index, 1867-1995). Homer doesn't appear in Ostego, at all. If either of them actually lived at the "old Tuttle place", in Ostego, it wasn't long enough for the place to be old, to them, or to get themselves recorded as living there.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch ([1] : accessed 10 April 2016), Sullivan N A Tuttle, Washington, Litchfield, Connecticut, United States; citing family 327, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch ([2] : accessed 10 April 2016), Mary Tuttle in household of David F Mitchell, Washington, Litchfield, Connecticut, United States; citing family 9, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch ([3] : accessed 10 April 2016), Daniel T M Beane in entry for William H Beane, 1860.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch ([4] : accessed 10 April 2016), Noble Burce in household of Rollin J Brownell, Michigan, United States; citing p. 47, family 367, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,159.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch ([5] : accessed 10 April 2016), Wm C Rierce, Michigan, United States; citing p. 54, family 422, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,159.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch ([6] : accessed 10 April 2016), Wm H Bearce, Allegan, Allegan, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district ED 16, sheet 297D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0569; FHL microfilm 1,254,569.
7. ↑ "Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995," database, FamilySearch ([7] : accessed 10 April 2016), Wm. H. Bearce, 16 Jun 1896; citing Allegan, Allegan Co., Michigan, reference v 2 p 226; FHL microfilm 1,017,873.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch ([8] : accessed 10 April 2016), Mary E Pearce in household of Magis L Solomon, Getchell, Marysville, Shoultes, and Tulalip Precincts Marysville city, Snohomish, Washington, United States; citing sheet 4B, family 93, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,241,750.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch ([9] : accessed 10 April 2016), Mary Bearce in household of William H Hamby, Meadowdale, Snohomish, Washington, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 299, sheet 11A, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,375,681.
10. ↑ "Oregon Death Index, 1903-1998," database, FamilySearch ([10] : accessed 10 April 2016), Mary E. Bearce, 20 May 1916; from "Oregon, Death Index, 1898-2008," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2000); citing Lincoln, Oregon, certificate number 30, Oregon State Archives and Records Center, Salem.
11. ↑ "Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995," database, FamilySearch ([11] : accessed 10 April 2016), Eliza Tuttle, 26 Nov 1878; citing Orangeville, Michigan, reference v A p 103; FHL microfilm 1,008,318.
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch ([12] : accessed 10 April 2016), Eliza Tuttle in household of Sullivan H Tuttle, Michigan, United States; citing p. 17, family 130, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,159.
13. ↑ "Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995," database, FamilySearch ([13] : accessed 10 April 2016), Sullivan M. A. Tuttle, 20 Sep 1888; citing Otsego V., Allegan, Michigan, reference v 2 p 96; FHL microfilm 1,017,873.
14. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch ([14] : accessed 10 April 2016), Sullivan N A Tuttle, Washington, Litchfield, Connecticut, United States; citing family 327, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
15. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch ([15] : accessed 10 April 2016), Sulivan Tuttle, 1860.
16. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch ([16] : accessed 10 April 2016), Sullivan H Tuttle, Michigan, United States; citing p. 17, family 130, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,159.
17. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch ([17] : accessed 10 April 2016), Sullivan A Tuttle in household of Carlyle Tuttle, Gun Plains, Allegan, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district ED 25, sheet 440D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0569; FHL microfilm 1,254,569.