Tracking a Benjamin Mack - Case Study: Is this Benjamin Mack the Father of Sarah Mack?

Research on the parents of Sarah Mack originally led to potentially questioning her surname as communicated by her grandchildren.¹ The surname, Entz, was the middle name for one of her sons, Andrew Entz Hurst, who included that as her surname in his marriage record.² Several of Sarah’s other children recorded her last name as Mock or Mack in either death certificates recorded by their children³,⁴ or in an application for social security.⁵ This was creating confusion in finding connections between the Mack/Mock and Entz name.

A search for Sarah Mack with wild cards led to an 1860 U.S. Census that seemed to connect the two names, with some creative spelling. The 1860 census for Whitemarsh, Montgomery, Pennsylvania listed what looked like Benjamin Mae, Louisa, Sarah, Cristiann and a Cristiann Ence. Benjamin’s occupation was coach-trimmer. The writing indicating Mae, may be Mac, hence the reason it was identified in wild-card search on the Mack name. In addition, the presence of Cristiann Ence, which may be Entz, suggests she might be the mother to Louisa. This would connect the Entz name to Mack.

A record from the 1870 U.S. Census for Benjamin Mack, shows a family living in the Lower Ward of Norristown.⁶ Benjamin Mack, 46, is a coach trimmer, the same occupation as the Benjamin Mac in the 1860 entry.⁷ He appears to be married to Christiana Mack, 47, and one would assume two children, Sarah, 16, and Christiana, 12.

1860 U.S. Census

1870 U.S. Census

A comparison between the two census entries shows discrepancies in ages, not being ten years older and the difference in name from 1860 to 1870 for the presumed spouse of Benjamin. There is no obvious mark to indicate who may have provided the information to the census taker, thus no conclusion can be made however the similar name of Benjamin and the same occupation, being unique are suggestive this is the same family.

Name	Age in 1860	Age in 1870	Occupation
Benjamin Mack	40	46	1860: Coach Trimmer 1870: Coach Trimmer
Louisa or Christiana	40	47
Sarah	10	16
Christiana	2	12
Christiana Ence	60	N/A

An overlay of an 1871 map⁸ shows the relationship at approximately the time in question between Whitemarsh and Norristown. The proximity adds further evidence that these are likely the same family when considering the names of the two girls, Benjamin’s occupation and the relationship between Whitemarsh and Norristown.

A search of the 1880 U.S. Census resulted in no Benjamin Mack in Montgomery County. In addition, there was no record of Christiann or other spelling either as his wife or his daughter that could be located. Sarah was married and found with her spouse, Hiram Hurst, in Philadelphia.

A chance post to the Montgomery County PA Genealogy Group on Facebook led to a potential clue for an 1880 U.S. Census record for Benjamin Mack living in New Bethlehem, Clarion County, Pennsylvania married to a Mary.⁹ His Occupation was listed as Coach trimmer. This Benjamin had been dismissed previously due to a different spouse and the location being so far removed from Montgomery County. This time an investigation was undertaken of this Benjamin Mack for potential connection back to Benjamin Mack of Norristown, Pennsylvania.

1880 U.S. Census

County Map of Pennsylvania (FedStats. "Pennsylvania counties map.png." Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/

A death registration for a Benjamin F. Mack was located in Clarion County stating this Benjamin died in December 1895¹⁰. Benjamin was listed as a coach trimmer, likely tying him to the Benjamin from the 1880 census. The record indicates he was born in Red Bank Township, he was 71 years of age, making his birth about 1824. There is some discrepancy in the dates as the death seems to state 1896, yet the burial is 1895, it is likely a clerical error.

A search of the 1890 Veterans Schedules led to a record for Benjamin Mack living in New Bethlehem, Clarion, Pennsylvania. He appears to have served in the Civil War from approximately 1862 to 1863 in Company A, 175th Pennsylvania volunteers.¹¹ Benjamin has the middle initial F and appears to have a tumor in the bone of his ankle. The tumor links this Benjamin F. Mack to the Benjamin F. Mack who died in 1895 of a tumor.

Registration of Deaths, Clarion County, PA

Special Schedules of the Eleventh Census (1890) Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War

The 175th Pennsylvania Regiment provided a clue back to Montgomery County area. The 175th organized in Philadelphia on 6 Nov 1862.¹² As Benjamin’s record in 1890 shows, his date of enlistment of 4 Nov 1862, would put him in the Philadelphia area around 1862 which might link him to the Benjamin Mack found in the 1860 U.S. Census previously. One site indicated that the 175th was composed of eight companies from Chester County and two from Montgomery County, PA¹³ providing yet more evidence to the theory that Benjamin in Clarion County is the same Benjamin found in Montgomery County. A company role lists B. F. Mack, Sergeant, mustering in 4 Nov 1862.¹⁴ The Civil War records for Benjamin may provide further evidence but will need to await the Archives opening after the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020 ends. Benjamin appears to have filed for a pension 7 Aug 1884 and his widow, Mary E. Filed 25 Jun 1896.¹⁵

The obvious question other than if this is the same Benjamin Mack turns to the various names of presumed wives from the Census. Louisa, Christiana and Mary E. Are all distinct. The children in the 1860 and 1870 census are the same and the 1860 census showed another woman, presumably mother-in-law as a Christiana, so might Louisa been a way to differentiate 3 potential Christiana’s in one house? If we assume Louisa is Christiana we are left trying to figure out who Mary E is and is this the same Benjamin.

Index to Marriage Notices, 1843-1899, from the Norristown Herald, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

A search trying to locate marriage notices in the Norristown Herald¹⁶ led to only one entry for a Benjamin Mack which was a marriage record for 1871. A contact from the Historical Society of Montgomery County PA located the index entry showing a Benjamin Mack marrying Mary F. Lukens 7 Oct 1871, the notice publishing 12 Oct 1871. The source however reported that the actual record in the Norristown Herald occurred near a rip so no image was sent and when the society reopens, an actual examination of the record would be critical to determine if a church or reverend is listed for additional sources.

Two references from newspapers referring to Mrs. B. F. Mack were found; in one record from the New Bethlehem Vindicator, it states she is formerly of this place and moved from Philadelphia to Norristown, PA.¹⁷ In another from the same paper, her friends held a farewell party as Mrs. B. F. Mack was going to move to Philadelphia.¹⁸ Again, suggesting the Benjamin and Mary were likely from the Philadelphia region and somehow ended up in Clarion County after their 1871 wedding if these people are related as the evidence continues to build.

A will was found for a Mary E. Mack, in this will it indicates that Mary died 21 Sep 1904. However, more intriguing was that she named her sister, Harmina Walker as well as the desire to be buried next to her first husband, Jackson Lukens.¹⁹ Thus Mary E. Lukens who married Benjamin Mack was first married to Jackson Lukens. A marriage record for Jackson Lukens to Mary E. Hanninger dated 13 Nov 1858 in Philadelphia.²⁰ Thus, in all likelihood, the data is following the correct Benjamin Mack and finding out what happened to his wife from 1870 to 1871 would be crucial.

Why and how did Benjamin end up in Clarion County after marrying Mary Hanninger Lukens? Was the draw of oil in the area enticing to a coach trimmer for work? What happened to his wife(s) Louisa and Christiana? If this is the same person, the death would be between the time of the 1870 census, July 1870 and Oct. 1871 when Benjamin re-marries to Mary E. Lukens. Would his Civil War file have more details? The data to date strongly suggests that Benjamin Mack, father to Sarah served in the Civil War, re-married in 1871 and moved to Clarion County, Pennsylvania, and died there in 1895.

Leave a comment if you think I am tracking the same Benjamin

Timeline for Benjamin Mack

Event	Year	Location	Notes
Birth	Abt. 1824	Pennsylvania	Estimated from census records
Residence	1860	Whitemarsh Twp, Montgomery, Pennsylvania	Occupation: Coach Trimmer Age:40 Wife: Louisa, 40 Children: Sarah 10,, Christiann, 2 Other: Christiann Ence, 60
Residence	1870	Norristown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania	Occupation: Coach Trimmer Age: 46 Wife: Christiana, 47 Children: Sarah, 16; Christiana, 12
Military	4 Nov 1862	Likely Philadelphia	Sergeant in Co. A, 175th PA
Military Discharge	7 Aug 1863
Marriage	7 Oct 1871	Norristown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania	Mary E. Lukens
Residence	1880	New Bethlehem, Clarion, Pennsylvania	Occupation: Coach Trimmer Age: 59 Wife: Mary E., 53
Military Pension	7 Aug 1884		Application No: 523320 Certificate No: 445326
Residence	1890	New Bethlehem, Clarion, Pennsylvania	Tumor in ankle
Death	21 Dec 1895	New Bethlehem, Clarion, Pennsylvania	Age: 71 Occupation: Coach Trimmer Died of tumor
Burial	25 Dec 1895	New Bethlehem, Clarion, Pennsylvania	New Bethlehem Cemetery, Clarion, PA
Widow Pension	6 Jun 1896		Widow: Mary E. Application No: 636437 Certificate No: 449266

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1 Barrett, William. "Finding Sarah's Name - Wild Card Clues Offer Potential Link to Benjamin Mac/Mack and Andrew Entz." The Times of Their Lives, William Barrett, thetimesoftheirlives.blogspot.com/2017/09/finding-sarahs-name-wild-card-clues_3.html. Accessed 4 Oct. 2020.^↩
2 Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939Z-18RN-4?cc=1589502&wc=Q6V1-397%3A1590243059%2C1590262660 : 30 July 2020), Schuylkill > Marriage license applications, 1923, vol 51, no 100-598 > image 144 of 358; county courthouses, Pennsylvania.^↩
3 Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1967; Certificate Number Range: 111601-114450. William Verner Hurst, Certificate 112111-63^↩
4 Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1967; Certificate Number Range: 112651-115350. Susie Hurst Elder, Certificate 114892.^↩
5 Benjamin R. Hurst. Application for Account Number (Form SS-5), Social Security Administration, Baltimore, MD.^↩
6 Year: 1870; Census Place: Norristown Lower Ward, Montgomery, Pennsylvania; Roll: M593_1378; Page: 35A; Family History Library Film: 552877^↩
7 Year: 1860; Census Place: Whitemarsh, Montgomery, Pennsylvania; Page: 649; Family History Library Film: 805145^↩
8 FORM: Hopkins, G. M. & Co. Outline Map of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. 1:25344. “David Rumsey Map Collection" 1871. https://davidrumsey.georeferencer.com/maps/73765b85-6e9e-59d2-8700-d9de6b3fffb6/ (Accessed September 28, 2020).^↩
9 United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB5-765?cc=1417683&wc=X4S8-RM9%3A1589394781%2C1589412334%2C1589413575%2C1589395120 : 24 December 2015), Pennsylvania > Clarion > New Bethlehem > ED 76 > image 5 of 16; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, (National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C., n.d.)^↩
10 Pennsylvania. Orphans' Court (Clarion County). 1982. Registration of deaths, 1893-1907. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah.^↩
11 The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Special Schedules of the Eleventh Census (1890) Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War; Series Number: M123; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Record Group Number: 15; Census Year: 1890^↩
12 Union Regimental Histories Pennsylvania. Civil War Archive, Civil War Archives, www.civilwararchive.com/Unreghst/unpainf7.htm#175th. Accessed 4 Oct. 2020.^↩
13 175th Pennsylvania Regiment. Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Civil War, Pennsylvania Civil War Volunteers, www.pacivilwar.com/regiment/175th.html. Accessed 4 Oct. 2020.^↩
14 Gayley, Alice J. "175th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers Company A." FamilySearch.org, www.pa-roots.com/pacw/infantry/175th/175thcoa.html^↩
15 "United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9TBV-J53?cc=1919699&wc=9FFP-6TG%3A213850701 : 22 May 2014), McGuire, John - McKain, James > image 639 of 4337; citing NARA microfilm publication T288 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).^↩
16 Cramer, Peggy C., compiler. Index to Marriage Notices, 1843-1899, from the Norristown Herald, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Closson Press, 1989.^↩
17 The New Bethlehem Vindicator New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 06 Nov 1896, Fri, Page 7^↩
18 The New Bethlehem Vindicator New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 10 Jul 1896, Fri, Page 9^↩
19 Wills, 1784-1907 ; Index, 1784-1942; Author: Montgomery County (Pennsylvania). Register of Wills; Probate Place: Montgomery, Pennsylvania^↩
20Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records; Reel: 367, Nazareth Methodist Episcopal Church^↩

© William C. Barrett 2020