Week 5 of 2024’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge is “Influencer.”
John Brackett Shaw never met his father. Though the exact date of William Benson Shaw’s death is unknown, John was born on June 23, 1830 in Albion, Maine – nine days after his father’s estate went to probate. His mother, Cynthia (Witherell) Shaw, died shortly before his 13th birthday. Per her will, all three of her minor children were supposed to live with one of their two eldest brothers, George or Greenlief (my 3rd great-grandfather), whom I believe were twins. Maybe the children did initially live with one of their brothers, but by 1850, 20-year-old John was living in Framingham, Massachusetts with his eldest sister Mary W. (Shaw) Warren and her husband, Albert P. Warren. His siblings Eliza (age 22) and Abisha (age 24) were also living with Mary.
John worked as a barber and married 17-year-old Frances E. Smith in 1851. At various points in their marriage they lived in Boston, Cambridge, and Springfield, and they had three sons. He spent 10 months between September 1862 and July 1863 as part of the 45th Infantry. He was a member of the Masons.
By 1865, an extra person was living in his home – his nephew, Resolvo Shaw. Resolvo was his elder brother Greenlief’s son, and the two had quite a bit in common. Both served in the Civil War. Resolvo served in the 20th Infantry and was discharged due to an injury after 11 months of battle. Around the same time, his mother died. He didn’t lose her as a young teen like his Uncle John did, but he was barely in his 20s at the time. He was probably able to relate to his Uncle John. Maybe he viewed him as an older brother. In fact, John was closer to his nephew’s age than his brothers’. There was only an 11-year age difference between John and Resolvo, whereas there was a 13-year age difference between John and his brothers George and Greenlief.
It's reasonable to assume that Resolvo felt lost after the war. He certainly saw horrible things during battle. When he returned home, he had to recover from his injuries and mourn the loss of his mother. As a young man in his early 20s, he may have questioned what to do with his life. Did he want to go back to Maine and resume life in one of the mills? Not only that, but his father remarried about a year after his mother’s death, and started a family with his new, young wife. Maybe he felt resentful, or awkward around the newlyweds. His stepmother was only eight years older than him. However it transpired, Resolvo moved in with his aunt and uncle in Boston.
It’s not surprising that Uncle John took him under his wing. They could relate to their shared experiences during the war. It was probably through John’s encouragement and influence that Resolvo became a barber. Maybe John even taught him the trade. It’s listed as Resolvo’s profession on the 1865 Massachusetts State Census and became his lifelong career. Resolvo was still living in Massachusetts two years later when he married Sarah Amelia Stone but had returned to Maine by 1870 as he appears on the 1870 US Federal Census living in Lewiston.
In 1877, John Brackett Shaw passed away, just shy of his 47th birthday, which must have been a painful loss for Resolvo. John had an indelible influence on Resolvo during the years they lived together. He changed the direction of his life, and introduced him to a fulfilling career.
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