Valentine Seaman II1,2,3

M, b. 30 September 1802, d. 29 March 1899
FatherDr. Valentine Seaman b. 2 Mar 1770, d. 27 Jun 1817
MotherAnna Ferris b. 8 Dec 1771, d. 5 Nov 1854
Valentine Seaman Jr.
     Valentine was born on Thursday, 30 September 1802 in Manhattan, New York County, New York, at the family home at 90 Beekman Street. Valentine married Ann Amelia Ferris on 30 October 1838 in New York.4 He enjoyed painting pictures especially landscapes. He enjoyed playing chess & blackgamond. Veron [1841-10/31/1901][m. 7/20/1870 Christina G. Barry], John Ferris [4/08/1845-8/26/1915][m. 1868 Anna Yates], Lindley Ferris [1847-3/24/1905], Valentine [1847-6/11/1860], Louis Livingston [10/17/1851-1/31/1932][m. 12/12/1889 Fanny Blackstone &2nd. 908 Mary Stuart], Frances Livingston [1855-7/01/1883] & William Kelly [1857-7/01/1883].5,6 1 September 1850, Valentine was listed on the U.S. Federal Census in Newburg, Orange County, New York. Enumerated in this household were Valentine Seman [49 New York], Anna [35 New York], Vernon [10 New York], John [6 New York], Lindley [3 New York], Anna [78 New York], Percival [37 New York], Hannah [55 New York], Rosa [20 New York], Julia [16 New York] & servants: Ellen Sheeler [52 Ireland], Ellen McDonald [22 Ireland], Catherine Murray [39 Ireland], Mary Sivert [14 New York] and Andrew Pennel ]22 Ireland - farm laborer].7 11 June 1860, Valentine and his wife, Ann, were listed on the U.S. Federal Census in Newburg, Orange County, New York. Enumerated in this household were Valentine Seaman [58 New York], Percival [56 New York], Anna [40 New York], Lindley J. [13 New York], Lewis [10 New York], Fanny [5 New York], William [3 New York], laborer: Joseph Brown [40 New York], and servantS: Joanna Barry [22 New York], Julia Smith [25 New York], & Bridget Forgarty [16 New York]. Valentine & Percival are master farmers.8 16 June 1880, the U.S. Federal Census lists Valentine and Ann and his wife, [ROF:Rooming House] were residing in a rooming house at Westchester, Westchester County, New York. Enumerated in this household were Anna Ferris [66 New York], daughter: Anna A. Ferris [35 New York], brother-in-law: William L. Ferris [70 New York], borders: Anna A. Seaman [66 New York], Valentine Seaman [76 New York], Lindley F. Seaman [33 New York], Fanny L. Seaman [24 New York] & Percival Seaman [75 New York], servants: Joseph Korkoski [30 New York], Ann B. van Zandt [50 New York] & Louisa Thoma [31 New York].
Anna is a bording house keeper.9 Valentine's wife, an unknown person , died on 14 June 1885 in Grove Farm, Throgs Neck, Westchester County, New York, leaving him a widower. Valentine departed this life on Wednesday, 29 March 1899 at his apartments at no. 12 West 22nd Street in the City, County & State of New York.

Obituary: Valentine Seaman Dead - He was thought to be the oldest native New Yorker
Valentine Seaman who was undoubtedly the oldest native New Yorker, died yesterday afternoon at his apartments no. 12 West Twenty-second-st. Had he lived only another eighteen months he would have reached his one hundredth year. He was born on September 30, 1802, in Beekman-st., nearly opposite the Old Brick Church. When he was born Beekman-st. was one of the most fashionable thoroughfares of the city. Its aspect was, however, from that of an uptown street or avenue today.
Mr. Seaman's earliest recollection of his birthplace was a house surrounded by large flower gardens and vineyards, and the first impressions of the child of the first decade of the century who lived to almost the end of the last decade, were of quiet and shady walks, flanked by apple and peach trees in brilliant bloom.
Although Mr. Seaman had outlived his generation he was widely known, and thanks to the attention of his sons and a host of friends, the quiet and contented life he lived in his bachelor quarters was not devoid of animation. He was an interesting man, not alone because of his great age, but because of the charm of his disposition, his remarkabe mental activity, his reminiscences of old-time New York and because also of his historic family associations. He was a descendant of Captain Seaman, who sailed from Brightling sea, on the south coast of England in 1620, in his own ship to this country. Charles I issued to him a grant of a great part of Long Island. His twenty-three sons by two marriages were the ancestors of Americans prominent in the Indian and Revolutionary Wars. Captain Seaman himself, although a Quaker, led a troop of militia against the Dutch when they attempted to take possession of Long Island.
Mr. Seaman's father, Dr. Valentine Seaman, was a man of great distinction. The intimate friend of Chief Justice John Jay and Jenner, he was the first man to teach clinical surgery in this country, he was the first also to introduce vaccination. His children were the first persons vaccinated in America, and for his faith in Jenner's discovery, he was threatened with death by a New York man. He was president of the Medical College, the forerunner of the present College of Physicians and Surgeons, and wrote the first pharmacepedia published in the New World.
For many years he wa0s chief surgeon in the New York Hospital, and a fine case of imported surgical instruments presented to him by John Jay is still in the possession of Dr. Lewis Livingston Seaman, his grandson. Although his father was so famous a surgeon, Mr. Seaman would often recount, with a merry twinkle, that he was so weak up to his fourteenth year that his father used to say he would not live long. Mr. Seaman's mother was born in the homestead at Throgg's Neck, a structure about 121 years old and still standing. The house was used by Lord Howe as headquarters in the War of the Revolution.
Mr. Seaman wa educated at the Friends school at Nine Partners. Until the great fire in New York in 1835, He was amember of the firm of Seaman Brosam in Water-st., the largest wholesale drugist in the city. Since 1835 he has not been connected with any business, say for a brief interest in the old publishing firm of Seaman & Jenkins. For the last quarter of a century his principal occupation, practiced purely as a pastime, was the painting of landscaped in monochrome. With remarkable skill he would with the aide of a sheet of celluloid, little ivory black, some turpentine and a piece of cloth execute with his forefinger pictures that were greatly admired for their artistic merit. He was an expert backgammon and chest player, and could defeat three times out of five, his son, Dr. L. L. Seaman, although the later was president of the Cornell Chest Club.
Mr. Seaman married Miss Ferris of Throgg's Neck, whose mother was a member of the Livingston family, in 1838. He leaves four sons, the eldest Vernon Seaman. The others are F. Seaman, a merchant in Shanghi; Lindley Ferris Seaman and Dr. L. L. Seaman. In a course of a published conversation about two years ago, Mr. Seaman chatted cheerly about himslf. "I supposed" he said to a reporter, "That I am the oldest native New Yorker now living, there are only two of my classmates left. They are the Jenkins boys and they live in the next street. William L. Jenkins used to be president of the Bank of America but does not do anything now. I guess he is eighty-eight or eighty-nine years old. Sylvanus Jenkins is younger, and he is still down in the Seaman's Savings Bank. We went to a Quarker School in Pearl-st. My family were all Quakers. No, I don't read as much as I used to it makes my eyes smart, newspapers are printed in such fine type now a days."
"I don't know whether I am sick or not," replied he in reply to a question regarding his health. "I have no appetite, I eat because I have to eat. I don't live to eat, I eat to live. I sleep pretty well. Go to bed about ten o'clock at night unless I have company, then I stay up later. I generally wake up about six o'clock in the morning and get up at eight o'clock. I have a pretty good time. One or the other of my sons takes me out to the park and I sometimes meet George Francis Train over in Madison Square."
"Stimulants? No, I never take anything strong. It make me sick. I don't smoke and never use tobacco, accepting in the for of snuff. When I was young, I used to do as the rest did about drinking. In those days everybody drank wine. It was the custom to keep a decanter of wine on the sideboard all of the time. I can remember when my father bought a cask of Madeira and had it hoisted up into the third floor of our house. I used to draw pitcherfulls out of it." [New York Paper]


His funeral was held at the home of his son, Dr. Louis Seaman.10,11 He was buried at Bronx, Westchester County, New York, in the Woodlawn Cemetery. His funeral was held at the home of his son, Dr. Louis L. Seaman at 18 West 31st Street.12 His will was probated on 24 April 1899 at the City, County & State of New York. At 10:30 am at the Surrogate's Court in the chambers of S. Fitzgerald.

Family

Ann Amelia Ferris b. 3 Jul 1813, d. 14 Jun 1885

Citations

  1. [S429] Personal Note of Larry & Kathy McCurdy: THE SEAMAN TRAGEDY. From the Scranton (Penn.) Republican, July 4.

    Viewed by the human standard that measures happiness by success in life, there was no reason why this successful young engineer should not feel supremely happy. He was just returning home to an unusually interesting family reunion, flushed with the triumph of his recent good fortune. His success was celebrated but a few evenings ago in this city with a banquet at which he was lionized by a number of his friends and admirers, and before going away for his holiday on Saturday he saw the product of his brain in successful operation, and received an ovation at the hands of the workmen of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company's steel mill, where he was regarded as a prime favorite. We can conceive no happier frame of mind than that which the inventor should enjoy on finding himself feted and honored by his friends after having plucked success from all the obstacles with which he had to contend while making his conquest in the realms of discovery. Returning to one's home from such a cheering scene to meet those he loved and share the repose of the family roof-tree would be more calculated to tranquilize than to disturb the tired brain, and it is not easy, therefore, in the absence of any testimony from the unfortunate young man himself, to fathom the mystery that impelled him to this awful tragedy. In the absence of any social circumstance of a disquieting ature, it is safe to presume that William K. Seaman destroyed his mental balance by over-work and won his invention at a great sacrifice. [The New York Times, Thursday, July 5, 1883] [Transcription by David J. Leggett, 26 July 2004]
  2. [S887] Valentine Seaman, Article contains a picture along with the story of his life. Noted as probably the oldest New York resident at that time.
  3. [S45] Charles Edward Crowell, Partial Genealogy of the Ferris Family, page 19 - Children of Valentine & Anna Amelia [Ferris] Seaman: Vernon [m.Joh Mrs. Gun], John Ferris [m. daughter of Dr. Yates], Linley Ferris [bachelor], Dr. Bouis Livingston [m. Fanny B. Freeman][no issue], William Kelly [deceased][no issue], & Fanny.
  4. [S79] William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Volume III: page - Dr. Valentine, s/o Valentine & Anna Seaman, b. 9/3/1802, d. 3/29/1899, m. 1838 Anna Amelia Ferris, d/o Elijah & Amelia Ferris.
  5. [S899] Eliza Seaman Leggett, Autobiography of Eliza Seaman Leggett



    , Grove Farm, July 5
    I have been trying to collect my thoughts and still my heart sufficiently to write thee the terrible tragedy that has befallen us. Oh, how can I tell thee, I have no words. I can only say that Fanny and William S. are no more. And oh, most awful, by his own hands the deed was done. Our own dear Willie, the best, the noblest of them all, and the most beloved.
    We were dining with some Friends when a noise from Fanny’s room attracted our attention. Dr. Lou rushed up but all was over. This were given to the reporter by Dr. Lou as so much that we felt that he thought best to give a correct account. I can write no more as my mind is too much tossed to think of any thing but the Dear Ones who are gone.
    We had a very small, quiet funeral, the Episcopal Minister officiating as he attended that Church and his affianced was a member. We knew it would be pleasing to her. Oh, what a sad sight to see the two coffins side by side, Valentine and Anna’s youngest children.
    I hope our sad house will not deter any of you from visiting us this summer. With love to all thy family, I am as ever, thy aff. Sister.
    Anna.
  6. [S890] Sad Result of Over Work - A Young Man Shoots Himself and His Sister, An unfortunate shooting affair took place on Sunday afternoon at “Grove Farm” the residence of Mrs. William Ferris, at Throgg's Neck, Westchester County. With Mrs. Ferris, boarded Mr. and Mrs. Seaman and their daughter Fannie. The latter, being an invalid was confined to her room on the second floor and had a maid, Fredericke Gunther, to wait on her. At 1:30 o'clock this maid had provided Miss Seaman with some soup and a glass of water and gone down stairs to get the rest of her dinner. At the same time the other members of the family were at dinner in the dining-room immediately below Miss Seaman's room. They heard some strange noises up stairs and finally a heavy fall on the floor. As the maid was just returning, they told her to make haste and see what was the matter. She ran up, and immediately returned with the intelligence that Miss Seaman had been shot dead, and that her brother, William K. Seaman, was also lying dead on the floor. The family, among whom were Dr. Louis L. Seaman, chief of the medical staff of the Charity Hospital on Blackwell's Isalnd, and Lawyer Henry Bischoff, Jr., of this city . immediately went up to the room and found the story to be true. In the brother's hand was a revolver with which he had shot both his sister and himself through the brain. They must have both died instantly. Coroner Ilyler, of Port Chester, was notified and held an inquest, when a verdict was returned that the deceased young man came to his death from a pistol-shot wound inflicted on himself while laboring under temporary aberration of mind caused by overwork. A verdict covering the case of the sister was also returned. Miss Fannie Seaman was very pretty brunette and she and her brother were particularly fond of each other.
         Mr. seaman entered the Department of Mechanic Arts in Cornell University in the fall of 1874, and soon took rank as an unusually bright student. He was especially excellent in the practical work of the machine shop, where he easily took precedence over all others, and was noted for his spirit of energy and determination. One of the machines now in daily use in the shop, designed and constructed entirely by his own hands, is a witness of his skill. Personally he was of a genial, jovial disposition, and while too much of a worker to have a large circle of friends he was very popular within his circle. He graduated in 1878, and soon found employment with the late A. L. Holley, of this City. Later he was engaged for a time with the Southwark Foundry and Machine Company, of Philadelphia. About two years ago he became connected with the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company, of Scranton, Penn., where he was engaged at the time of his death. At the improvement, in latter place he had introduced an important and extensive the machinery of the steel rail mill. The machine was lately put in operation with entire success, and will, without doubt, prove of great value to the rolling mill trade. He was early made a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers on the recommendation of some of its foremost members, and at its last November meeting in this City he read a paper before it on the subject of the invention spoken of, the paper being warmly commended. In connection with superintending the construction and erection of this machine and his other duties he had been greatly overworked, having complained of exhaustion and sleepiness for more than a year, and at one time he contemplated giving up this position and going to California for his health. His sister, Fannie, was 28 years of age. The parents, who are very much prostrated, have the warmest sympathy of their neighbors, the villagers, and all their acquaintances.
  7. [S674] 1850 United States Federal Census: Newburgh, Orange County, New York - sheet 44, line 3 - transcribed by Larry & Kathy McCurdy.
  8. [S675] 1860 United States Federal Census: lNewburg, Orange County, New York - sheet 32, ine 13 - transcribed by Larry & Kathy McCurdy.
  9. [S677] 1880 United States Federal Census: Ennumeration District 129, sheet 23, line 48 Note: Anna is a sister of Valentine & Percival. - transcribed by Larry & Kathy McCurdy.
  10. [S888] Funeral of Valentine Seaman - Simple Services Held at the Home of the Dead Man's Son, Funeral of Valentine Seaman
    Simple Services Held at the Home of the Dead Man's Son.
    Simplicity marked the funeral service for venerable Valentine Seaman, which was held at the residence of his son. Dr. Louis L Seaman, 18 West Thirty-first Street, yesterday morning. Mr. Seaman died last Wednesday, in his ninety-seventh year, and for some time past he had then regarded as the eldest resident New Yorker. The Rev. John Huske of St. Thomas's Church conducted the Protestant Episcopal Service for the Burial of the Dead, and Incidentally recited the hymn beginning, “Brief life is here nur portion" translated form the hymns of St. Bernard.
    The black cloth-covered casket containing the body was placed in one corner of the large parlor, and was sheltered by a bower formed of tall palms, which Dr. Seaman brought home from Puerto Rico, after the close of the war with Spain. Many floral tributes - mostly Easter lilies - rested partly upon and about the casket. Besides Dr. Seaman, there were present two other sons of the dead man - Vernon, the oldest and Lindley Ferris.
    A large number of old friends of the Seaman family were also in attendance, including Mrs. Isaac Russell, who had been a friend of Valentine in his earlier years; Edward Jenkins Jr. the son of a school mate of the dead mad - the senior Jenkins though still living, was unable to attend the funeral; Justice Henry Bischoff, Mr. and Mrs. George Branwell, Mr. Thomas Harrington, and George Francis Train. The body was taken to
    Woodlawn for interment.
  11. [S892] Obituary of Valentine Seaman, Valentine Seaman Dead; 96 years of age and perhaps the oldest native of this city. Retained all his faculities, his family a famous one - death came quietly and peacefully and was due only to old age.
  12. [S888] Funeral of Valentine Seaman - Simple Services Held at the Home of the Dead Man's Son, Simplicity marked the funeral service for venerable Valentine Seaman, which was held at the residence of his son. Dr. Louis L Seaman, 18 West Thirty-first Street, yesterday morning. Mr. Seaman died last Wednesday, in his ninety-seventh year, and for some time past he had then regarded as the eldest resident New Yorker. The Rev. John Huske of St. Thomas's Church conducted the Protestant Episcopal Service for the Burial of the Dead, and Incidentally recited the hymn beginning, “Brief life is here nur portion" translated form the hymns of St. Bernard.
    The black cloth-covered casket containing the body was placed in one corner of the large parlor, and was sheltered by a bower formed of tall palms, which Dr. Seaman brought home from Puerto Rico, after the close of the war with Spain. Many floral tributes - mostly Easter lilies - rested partly upon and about the casket. Besides Dr. Seaman, there were present two other sons of the dead man - Vernon, the oldest and Lindley Ferris.
    A large number of old friends of the Seaman family were also in attendance, including Mrs. Isaac Russell, who had been a friend of Valentine in his earlier years; Edward Jenkins Jr. the son of a school mate of the dead mad - the senior Jenkins though still living, was unable to attend the funeral; Justice Henry Bischoff, Mr. and Mrs. George Branwell, Mr. Thomas Harrington, and George Francis Train. The body was taken to
    Woodlawn for interment.