Lizzie Borden Society Forum

While browsing the net I came across some family records of Frank Wixon, the Deputy Sheriff. This is really fascinating stuff!
I was really struck when I was reading about the death of his 4 older brothers, who drowned during a storm at sea. But pleasantly surprised too, to find that Susan H. Wixon, teacher, author and freethinker, was actually his sister.
Could this be something for you genealogists to delve deeper into?

I got my information from here: http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb. ... o&id=I2557

Airmid.

Thanks!
Ah...that Roots Web...

Notice:
1850
James Wixon 36 m MA mariner
Bethia 41 f MA
James Jr. 25 m MA mariner
Nymphus 18 m MA mariner
Joshua 15 m MA
Henry 11 m MA
Frances 9 f MA
Susan 12 f MA
Bethia M. 3 f MA

Later, this Frances becomes "Frank?"
Did I read this wrong?

Do you think the genealogist who put this together made an error, Kat? Or do you rather think the census was a bit sloppy?

I don't know...I first think it's me. Maybe I didn't read it right. But that site repeated the same info, right?

If so, then James is the father of Frances, who first shows as a girl and then becomes a guy?
At that point, I can't trust it, for whatever reason.
It would need verifying with an outside source- but then all online trees do.
Unless one sees the original document (how often do we have that luxury?) we can't know where the error lies. I don't asign blame until an error is perpetuated- and still not then either- I think it's human nature.

Don't know if this is any help but I found this on Frances/Francis:

"Frances or Francis

Frances is the feminine form of the name, Francis is the masculine form, often shortened to Frank.

From the Hutchinson Encyclopaedia."

His stone in Oak Grove reads:

Francis H. Wixon
Sept. 18, 1841
Aug. 17, 1908

That would make him 9 in 1850 which agrees with the family information. Perhaps they misspelled his first name and another person assumed it was a female.

If you click on his name at that rootsweb site you get a new page and this: (Highlighting is mine)

# ID: I2558
# Name: Francis Howe WIXON
# Given Name: Francis Howe
# Surname: Wixon
# Name: Frank
# Given Name: Frank
# Sex: M
# _UID: A21E82BAD2A5D5118736AB9CD9405A401022
# Change Date: 26 Apr 2003
# Birth: 18 SEP 1841 in Dennisport, Barnstable Co., MA 1
# Death: 9 MAY 1900 in Fall River, Bristol Co., MA
# Occupation: sheriff 1887
# Residence: 1861 Fall River, Bristol Co., MA
# Event: Military 5th Heavy Artillery Rhode Island
# Note: Enrolled 7 Nov 1861; mustered 16 Dec 1861 as private, Company C; promoted Corporal; discharged 20 Nov 1864 New Bern, SC.

Hopefully this part has the year of death incorrect - 1900. Else he wasn't buried until 8 years later.

Thanks Har.
I did look at the link and decided with the errors it would need verification from outside.

I did wish to know the difference between Frances and Francis- that is helpful.
Usually the dates give a better idea- at least as a starting place to begin looking elsewhere.

Looks to me like his real name was Francis and they called him Frank.

ID: I2418
Name: Francis\Frank Dexter WIXON
Given Name: Francis\Frank Dexter
Surname: Wixon
Sex: M
_UID: 111E82BAD2A5D5118736AB9CD9405A407F12
Birth: 16 APR 1875 in Dennis, Barnstable Co., MA 1
Death: 6 AUG 1875 in Dennis, Barnstable Co., MA 2
Burial: Swan Lake Cemetery 3

Father: Simeon Dexter WIXON b: 28 AUG 1846 in Dennis, Barnstable Co., MA
Mother: Lowena A. ELDRIDGE b: 3 DEC 1853 in Harwich, Barnstable Co., MA

Sources:
Abbrev: Dennis Vital Records
Title: Dennis, Massachusetts Vital Records 1793-1900
Author: Roberta G. Bratti, Natalie H. Ross & Pauline W. Derick
Publication: General Society of Mayflower Descendants; 1993
Page: pg 424, 1154
Quality: 2
Abbrev: Dennis Vital Records
Title: Dennis, Massachusetts Vital Records 1793-1900
Author: Roberta G. Bratti, Natalie H. Ross & Pauline W. Derick
Publication: General Society of Mayflower Descendants; 1993
Page: pg 424, 1502
Quality: 2
Abbrev: Dennis Cemeteries
Title: Cemetery Inscriptions of Dennis, MA
Author: Burton Nathaniel Derick
Publication: Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, Inc.; 1993
Page: pg 378

Just read the post I made and this can't be the same guy. Look at the birth and death dates. Oh well. I goofed.

Just a wee more research and I found:
ID: I2563
Name: Francis Howe WIXON
Given Name: Francis Howe
Surname: Wixon
Sex: M
_UID: A21E82BAD2A5D5118736AB9CD9405A401022
Birth: 18 SEP 1841 in Dennis Port, Barnstable Co., MA 1
Death: 9 MAY 1900 in Fall River Bristol Co., MA
Event: Military 5th Heavy Artillery Rhode Island
Note: Enrolled 7 Nov 1861; mustered 16 Dec 1861 as private, Company C;promoted Corporal; discharged 20 Nov 1864 New Bern, SC.
Occupation: sheriff 1887
Residence: 1861 Fall River Bristol Co., MA
Event: Frank AKA

Father: James WIXON b: 9 AUG 1804 in Harwich, Barnstable Co., MA
Mother: Bethia Smith WIXON b: 5 SEP 1808 in Dennis Port, Barnstable Co., MA

Marriage 1 Anna Delilah ESTES b: 1 APR 1843 in Tiverton, RI
Married: 12 JAN 1875 in Fall River Bristol Co., MA
Children
Robert Everett WIXON
George Francis WIXON b: 26 JAN 1876 in Fall River Bristol Co., MA
Walter James WIXON b: 22 JUL 1879 in Fall River Bristol Co., MA

Sources:
Abbrev: Dennis Vital Records
Title: Dennis, Massachusetts Vital Records 1793-1900
Author: Roberta G. Bratti, Natalie H. Ross & Pauline W. Derick
Publication: General Society of Mayflower Descendants; 1993
Page: pg 259

Hi Joe!

This second offering is exactly like the one first posted by Airmid- from Rootsweb.
The UID # is the same, as well as the page #.
The only difference I can see is the second marriage is absent and yours not showing dates for *Robert Everett.*

Kat @ Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:00 pm wrote:Hi Joe!

This second offering is exactly like the one first posted by Airmid- from Rootsweb.
The UID # is the same, as well as the page #.
The only difference I can see is the second marriage is absent and yours not showing dates for *Robert Everett.*

Hi Kat,
Yup. I noticed that, but I didn't know if you had the source materials. Note he was a Mayflower descendant.
Joe

Joseph Raymond, born in 1832, is the eldest son of Peter Raymond, who was born in Portugal in 1810, came to Massachusetts in 1823, and died in 1885. Peter married Keziah, daughter of John Ellis. She was born in Dennis in 3812, and died in 1851. Their children were: Joseph, Peter T., Ensign R., Albert F. and Keziah. Joseph was married in 1851, to Laura, daughter of Josiah Doane. She died in 1883, leaving three children: Joseph W., born March 25, 1858, married to Mattie Crowell; Clara P., married Joseph L. Evens, and died January 12, 1888, and Jessie H., born January 19, 1870. Mr. Raymond was married October 11, 1885, to Mrs. Lowena Wixon, daughter of William Eldridge. They have one child, Clara B., born February 17, 1888. Mrs. Raymond has two children by her first husband: Lowena and Mary Wixon. Mr. Raymond followed the sea from 1841 to 1871. He has been station agent at North Harwich since 1877, and was postmaster from April, 1877, to October, 1888.

from a history of Harwich in
http://www.capecodhistory.us/Deyo/Harwich-Deyo.htm

Here's the 1880 U.S. Census data. Note the spelling here is Wickson, but remember that many people were illiterate during this time. Though his 10 month old son being a railroad contractor is curious.

Was Francis Wixon related to lizzie and family? I am at a loss here.

Not that I know of. Frank Wixon was the Deputy Sheriff at the time, and was among the first to enter the Borden house after the murders.

I had been looking up some background information about some of the players in the Borden case, when I came across the horrible story of the shipwreck that killed Frank Wixon's brothers, and I thought I'd share it with you.

Airmid.