Fathuza Orissa (Wing) Dawley (abt. 1842 - 1923)

Born about Apr 1842 in Mexico, Oswego, New York, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Bailey J. Barrows Jr. — married about 1859 in New York, United States

Wife of Samuel Dawley — married 19 Sep 1901 in Albion, Oswego, New York, United States

Descendants

Died 22 Mar 1923 at about age 80 in Richland, Oswego, New York, United States

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Biography

Fathuza Orissa Wing was born about April 1842 in Mexico, Oswego, New York. She was the daughter of Fuller Wing and Sarah Bailey.

Orissa was married three times:

First Husband: Bailey J. Barrows, Jr. - Orissa & Bailey were separated by death. Bailey was the father of all of Orissa's children

Second Husband: William H. Morton - William was Orissa's first cousin (i.e. Orissa's father was William's mother's brother). It is quite likely that this marriage was annulled, although a record of this has yet to be found.

Third Husband: Samuel Dawley - Samuel was her cousin's widower (i.e. Orissa's father was Mary's father's brother). Orissa survived Samuel and did not remarry after his passing.

Orissa passed away on 22 Mar 1923 in Richland, Oswego, New York.^[1] She was identified as "Fathinza Dawley" in her death record.

Census Enumerations

1860 New Haven, Oswego, New York Newly married, Orissa (age 18) and Baley (age 32) were living with his widowed mother, Mary (age 67) at the time of this enumeration. They were the only occupants in Mary's home. Bailey was working as a laborer at this time. The value of Mary's estate was not set at much: $250 in personal and $400 in real estate.^[2]

1870 New Haven, Oswego, New York Orissa (age 29) and Bailey (age 41) lived on their farmstead in New Haven, with their children, Arvilla, Gilbert and Bleaker. Additionally, it appears as though their daughter, Mary (who would have been 3 - 4 years old at the time), was enumerated out of order and in such a way that her age was reported as 43. Knowing that their daughter, Mary, had been born by this point in time, and that Bailey's mother, Mary, was already deceased, it seems possible that the census taker may have corrected Mary's age, then forgot to scratch the first number off. Short of that there is no other Mary Barrows that would make sense in this family unit. It was reported that Bailey was unable to write, and that Orissa was completely illiterate. The value of Bailey's property was set at $1,000 and his personal property at $500.^[3]

1875 New Haven, Oswego, New York Orissa (age 36) and Bailey (age 43) lived in a plank house (valued at $100) on their farmstead in the town of New Haven, with their children, Arvilla (age 15), Gilbert (age 13), Bleeker (age 11) and Samantha (age 9). Bailey worked a farm on the land that he owned. Orissa's brother, Franklin Wing, and his family lived nearby.^[4]

1915 Albion, Oswego, New York Enumerated as "Arissa F. Dawley", age 75, Orissa was staying with her daughter and son-in-law, Emma and Fred Rice.^[5]

Newspaper Articles

A Secret Marriage

A Secret Marriage Performed by Justice of the Peace Harmon. Both Contracting Parties, It is Said, Come From New Haven. One a Widow and the Other a Widower. The Will of the Bride's First Husband Alleged Was the Cause of Secrecy:

Friday evening about eight o'clock, Justice of the Peace George W. Harmon was enjoying the quiet of his home at the corner of East Seventh and Lawrence Streets, when a violent ringing of the doorbell aroused him from his reverie and hastened him to the door. As he drew the portals open he saw standing before him a man and a woman who were well advanced in ages, as it afterward provided, were somewhat past half a century.

They were both strangers to the squire and the inquiring look on his face made the man come right to the point and say: "My name is William Morton and this lady is Orissa Barrows. We want to get married. Of course, we could have done it east of here where we live, but there are private reasons why we did not wish to do so. We want this matter kept quiet and not have the newspaper reporters get hold of it."

"Oh! Certainly, certainly" replied Squire Harmon as he threw the door open wide enough to allow the couple to enter. "Step right this way and take seats in the parlor and I will join you presently".

This the couple did and after a wait of about fifteen minutes the master of the home entered. He was ready to go ahead and tie a knot that would last a lifetime. But, the justice was not so quiet and composed as he tried to appear. This was his first attempt at performing a marriage service and he was afraid he would slip some cog which would come up in the here and after.

Two things are absolutely necessary for Squire Harmon to perform any business which is of a weighty nature. The most important is a cigar from which he takes a "dry" smoke and the other is his black skull cap. No one has ever seen him hold court without these necessary and indispensable articles, and when he entered the parlor of his own home prepared to make two one he was enjoying his "dry" smoke and skull cap.

He had an Episcopalian prayer book in his hand and told the couple to stand up, which they did. There was a wait of perhaps five minutes, while the place in the book was being found, and in a deep, solemn voice he read the marriage service omitting prayers and joined the couple who had entered as William Morton and Orissa Barrows into Mr. and Mrs. William Morton and as he accepted the fee did not fail to kiss the bride.

The newly married and happy couple left the house and went to Brown's Hotel, where they stayed until Saturday morning. The groom was a widower and the bride a widow and they both have children. They were very careful to explain to Squire Harmon not to make public their marriage and it is no fault of his that the Times is in possession of the facts of the case, for when a Times reporter called at the office of the squire, he absolutely refused to say anything about the matter and refused to give the names of either of the contracting parties. And at Brown's hotel there was nothing on the register to show who the couple were except the entry "Room No. 9 is taken". Justice of the Peace Harmon will feel as surprised when he reads this as will the newly married couple.

The groom, it is said, is a respectable and well known resident of New Haven, where he has a large farm while the bride, who is a widow, is equally respectable and quite well to do. It is stated that the reason for keeping the marriage quiet is a clause in the bride's former husband's will.^[6]

Research Notes

• Orissa was never identified by the name "Fathuza" until she married Samuel Dawley in 1901. From this point forward, Orissa was identified as Fathuza in their marriage announcement, Samuel Dawley's pension files and her death announcement/death record. In most records and newspaper articles, she was referred to as "Orissa"; with the exception of the 1892 and 1910 Federal Censuses, in which she is referred to by her nickname "Orsie".

Sources

1. ↑ New York, State Death Index, 1880-1956. Fathinza Dawley, 22 Mar 1923; Richland, Oswego, New York. Digital: Family Search. Image 283 of 1330. Accessed 15 Jul 2023. NYS Death Index
2. ↑ United States Census, 1860. New Haven, Oswego, New York, United States. Orissa Barrows in the household of Mary Barrows; page 104, line 3, house visitation number 850, family number 859. Citing National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.; NARA digital publication M653. Digital Images: Family Search. Image 2 of 52. Accessed 9 Jul 2023. 1860 US Census
3. ↑ United States Census, 1870. New Haven, Oswego, New York, United States. Orissa Barrows in the household of Bayley Barlow; page 42, line 34, house visitation number 390, family number 401. Citing National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.; NARA digital publication M593. Digital Images: Family Search. Image 623 of 629. Accessed 15 Jul 2023. 1870 US Census
4. ↑ New York State Census, 1875. New Haven, Oswego, New York. Orrisa Barrows in the household of Bayly Barrows; page 27, line 39, dwelling visitation number 292, family number 292. Citing the Oswego County Clerks Office. Digital Images: Family Search. Image 15 of 43. Accessed 9 Jul 2023. 1875 NY Census
5. ↑ New York State Census, 1915. Oswego, Oswego, New York. Arissa F. Dawley in the household of Fred R. Rice; page 8, line 14. Citing the Oswego County Clerks Office. Digital Images: Ancestry.com. Image 5 of 6. Accessed 15 Jul 2023. 1915 New York State Census on Ancestry.com 1915 NYS Free Index
6. ↑ The Oswego Dailey Times; Oswego, New York, 22 Feb 1897, page 5, column 5, 0347.pdf. Digital Images: Old Fulton, NY Postcards; Tom Tryniski. Search "Orissa Barrows". Accessed 8 Jul 2023. A Secret Marriage

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC17-D6R : 28 March 2021), Onedse Wing in household of Polly Wing, Mexico, Oswego, New York, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). [1]
• "New York State Census, 1855," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6QZ-B5D : 3 March 2021), Orisa Wessels in household of Luke Wessels, E.D. 1, Mexico, Oswego, New York, United States; citing p. , line #12, family #291, county clerk offices, New York; FHL microfilm 857,435. [2]
• "New York State Census, 1865," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVNJ-D6D6 : 8 March 2021), Orrissa Barrows in household of Bailey Barrows, , New Haven, Oswego, New York, United States; citing Census, p. 36, citing multiple county Clerks; Warren and Lewis County Board of Supervisors; multiple counties in New York; Utica and East Hampton Public Libraries, New York. [3]
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZX1-PB1 : 19 February 2021), Orissa Barrows in household of Bailey Barrows, New Haven, Oswego, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 242, sheet 266B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,913. [4]
• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS2R-V1Z : accessed 2 July 2021), Orrissa P Barrows in household of Fredrick Rice, District 2 Syracuse city Ward 5, Onondaga, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 100, sheet 14B, family 298, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,136. [5]
• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M5Z2-5Z6 : accessed 2 July 2021), Orsie E Dawley in household of Samuel Dawley, Albion, Oswego, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 101, sheet 8B, family 112, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1062; FHL microfilm 1,375,075. [6]
• New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1915; Election District: 02; Assembly District: 01; City: Albion; County: Oswego; Page: 08; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.,Ancestry.com [ https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2703/images/32848_B094103-00019?pId=6323332]