John Brady Piatt and Lydia Wetzell
John 'Brady' Piatt was born March 20, 1812, in White Deer Valley, Pennsylvania (probably Lycoming County) to William and Mary Brady Piatt and died May 18, 1860, probably in Williamsport P O, Brady Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. He married on August 13, 1844, probably in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, Lydia Wetzell who was born c1819 in Pennsylvania.
All the records which I have found for Brady's parents and his own family were in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. William was in Washington Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, on the 1830, 1840 and 1850 census.
The known children of Brady and Lydia are:
- William Brady Piatt b: 21 May 1846 White Deer Valley, PA (probably Lycoming Co) d: 27 Apr 1895 m: 26 Nov 1884
Zelia Diffenbach
According to the 1905 Swopes Family History: "Born in the White Deer Valley, he left home after the death of his father, began work with an engineering corps of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, leaving it to connect his interests with the Reading Railroad Company. He furnished large quantities of timber supplies, and on account of his business superiority, he was given immense contracts to fill for the company. He was a Democrat and the Northumberland county Democrats gave him an unsolicited nomination for state senator, but he declined the honor. In 1881 he was elected chief burgess of Watsontown and in 1892 served out the term of the unexpired time of Burgess McClure. He was the largest stockholder in the National Bank and owned a vast amount of property in and around the town. He belonged to the Masonic fraternity. His commanding presence, jovial manner, remarkable memory, and helping hand will long be remembered by hosts of friends."
- Susanna W Piatt b: c1848 PA (probably White Deer Valley, Lycoming Co) m: (spinster age 45 on 1900 census)
- Catherine W Piatt b: c1850 PA (probably White Deer Valley, Lycoming Co) d: 8 Apr 1901 m: (still spinster age 42 on 1900 census)
- Mary J Piatt b: c1851-1856 d: bef 1860
- Robert M Piatt b: c1851-1856 d: bef 1860
- Francis Anna Piatt b: c1857 PA (probably Lycoming Co) m: (still spinster age 38 on 1900 census)
- Nancy Brady Piatt b: c1860 PA (probably Lycoming Co) m:(still spinster age 34 on 1900 census)
Brady and family are found first in Washington Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, on the 1850 census as follows:
- Piatt, Brady age 36 born PA / wm / farmer / $1200
- Piatt, Lydia age 31 born PA / wf
- Piatt, Wm age 4 born PA / wm
- Piatt, Susanna age 2 born PA / wf
- Piatt, Catherine age 6/12 born PA / wf
- Whitson, Susan age 65 born PA / wf
This family was enumerated #478/485 pg 408B (Ancestry.com image 47/51). Also in Washington Township were: his parents, William and Mary Brady Piatt; his first cousin, William Piatt with wife Hannah Brady Piatt; William and Hannah's son, James B Piatt; and, his first cousin (once removed), Catherine J Piatt Whitson. I would hazard a guess that the Susan Whitson living with Brady on this census is the mother (or other relative) of Catherine's husband, James.
Brady died in May just prior to the 1860 census. His widow and others were still in Williamsport, Brady Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania:
- Piatt, Lydia age 39 born PA / wf / $5,000/$1,227
- Piatt, Wm age 14 born PA / wm / att school
- Piatt, Susan age 12 born PA / wf / att school
- Piatt, Catherine age 10 born PA / wf / att school
- Piatt, Anna F age 3 born PA / wf
- Piatt, Nancy B age 1/12 born PA / wf
- Piatt, Samuel T age 35 born PA / wm / $500
- Wetzell, Ann age 50 born PA / wf
This family was enumerated #2712/2770 pg 73A (Ancestry.com image 27/31).
Samuel T Piatt was Brady's brother. In what case would it be proper to have an unmarried male non-blood relative living with a widow and her children? Since she had a newborn baby and Brady had only been dead a number of weeks, would people have made an exception to her living with a man not her husband? Is is okay since there is another female in the household? Ann Wetzell was Lydia's sister. I did not find an Ann Wetzell about 50 years old on the 1850 census.
In the Swopes manuscript written in 1905 it said about Brady "He died in the White Deer Valley, after which his family moved to Watsontown, Penna., where they have since resided."
Watsontown is in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, which is where I find Lydia on the 1870 census:
- Piatt, Lydia age 48 born PA / wf / keeping house / $4000/$250
- Piatt, William age 23 born PA / wm / without occupation
- Piatt, Susan age 22 born PA / wf / without occupation
- Piatt, Catherine age 20 born PA / wf / without occupationj / att school
- Piatt, Alla Francis age 18 born PA / wf / without occupation / att school
- Piatt, Nancy B age 10 born PA / wf / without occupation / att school
This family was enumerated #114/135 pg 186 (Ancestry.com image 17/30). At #114/136 was the Minor Cady family and at #116/136 was the Martha Housekneckt family. Also in Watsontown on pg 191 (Ancestry.com image 28/30) were Lydia's widowed sister-in-law, Fannie B Piatt Hammond; her brother-in-law, Samuel T Piatt; and, her widower brother-in-law, Robert H McCormick with four of his children.
They were still in Watsontown for the 1880 census:
- Piatt, Lydia age 56 born PA / WWF / Keeping House / father/mother born PA
- Piatt, William (Son) age 31 born PA / SWM / Railroad Contractor / father/mother born PA
- Piatt, Sue W (Dau) age 28 born PA / SWF / Teacher / father/mother born PA
- Piatt, Kate (Dau) age 26 born PA / SWF / At Home / father/mother born PA
- Piatt, Fannie (Dau) age 20 born PA / SWF / Teacher / father/mother born PA
- Piatt, Nancy (Dau) age 17 born PA / SWF / At Home / father/mother born PA
- Wetzell, Ann (Sister) age 72 born PA / SWF / At Home / father/mother born PA
This abstract was taken from Familysearch.org; pg 210B. I did not view the actual entry. Still living in Watsontown (but very near Lydia this time) on page 208B were Lydia's sister-in-law, Fanny B Piatt Hammond, her brother-in-law, Samuel T Piatt, (both of whom were her husband's siblings) and her widowed brother-in-law, Robert H McCormick, with three of his children.
Evidently, Lydia died by 1900 as I was unable to locate her on the index to the 1900 census and her daughters were all living together without her as follows in Watsontown, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania:
- Piatt, Catherine age 42 born Mar 1858 PA / swf / father/mother born PA
- Piatt, Frances (sister) age 38 born Apr 1862 PA / swf / father/mother born PA
- Piatt, Nancy (sister) age 34 born Jun 1865 PA / swf / father/mother born PA
- Piatt, Sue W (sister) age 45 born Mar 1855 PA / swf / father/mother born PA
This family was enumerated #168/190 pg 259A (Ancestry.com image 16/18).
Sources:
