GERTRUDE BLACK

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Gertrude Francis Mullin was born 21 February 1898 in Deering, Cumberland county, Maine.[1] The birth record states she was the daughter of Norah Mullin and Patrick Schofield. No marriage record has been found for Norah and Patrick.

Nora Mullen, as she was known in most records, was born in Ireland.[2] Her later marriage to Sumner Black gives her parent's names as John Mullen and Adelia McDonald.[3]

Patrick Schofield's age and place of birth are not listed on Gertrude's record of birth. However, he worked as a waiter. In the 1900 census, Nora worked at a hotel. It is likely that's where they met. His residence at the time of Gertrude's birth was Portland, Maine. The village of Deering, was on the north edge of Portland.

Two years after Gertrude was born, the 1900 census of the town of Poland, Androscoggin county, Maine,  was taken on June 28.[4] Nora Mullene is listed as a servant, born in January 1873 in Ireland. She was 27 years old and single. The column for "Mother of how many children" and "Number of these children living" were blank. Her specific occupation was assistant cook. She arrived in America in 1894 and had been a resident 6 years. She is not listed as either an Alien or as Naturalized. She, like all the other employees listed on the page, had been unemployed for 6 months out of the previous year. She could read, write, and speak English. Nora was one of nearly 200 employees at a hotel, undoubtedly the Poland Spring Resort, a large hotel and golf course in Poland, Maine.

Gertrude isn't listed on the 1900 census under any combination of names she might have had at age 2. When she was 3 1/2, her mother Nora married Sumner Black in Limington, Maine, where they were both residents.[5] Sumner was 22 and Nora's age is given as 23. (Based on information given at the time of Nora's death, the age on the 1900 census was accurate, and the age on her marriage record to Sumner was not.) Sumner was a laborer. They were married by a clergyman on 14 September, 1901, in Limington. Sumner's parents were Jerome and Ida (Sanborn) Black.

In the 1900 census, Sumner Black was living with his uncle Josiah L. Black in Limington, York county, Maine.[6] His occupation was servant. Limington was a rural community likely without many businesses or wealthy families who needed a servant. Others living near the Black family had occupations such as farmer or farm laborer, but no other servants. Poland was 50 miles away. Employment at the hotel appeared to be seasonal and employees probably came from a wide area around Poland. It is possible Nora also met Sumner while working at the hotel.

Nora and Sumner had four children, Charles S. Black, born 7 December 1902,[7] Cora May Black, born 31 May 1904,[8] Ethel Black, born 23 May 1905,[9] and Jerome Black, born 31 August 1906.[10]

On Sunday, 27 October 1907, Nora died at age 34 years, 5 months, and 4 days.[11] (Birthdate calculated to be 23 May 1873.) The cause of death was pyalitis, an infection of the kidneys. Gertrude was 9 years old. Some time before the 1910 census, Ethel may have died, although more research is needed to find the record. On 13 June 1908, Jerome died of "abses (sic) Tubercular, of throat.[12]

In April 1910, Sumner married Augustia Smith, giving Gertrude two step-parents raising her and younger brother Charles.[13] Sumner and Augustia had three children, Alton, John Henry, and Lilla.[14]

We don't know what Gertrude knew about the circumstances of her birth and birth father. In the records created about her from the 1910 census through her marriages, she used the surname of Black. 

In 1915, at age 17, Gertrude was living in Boston. We don't know if she was a domestic or working in a factory or another occupation considered appropriate for women at that time. Sometime in the summer of 1915, she met Arthur Mohan after he had returned from England, where he had very briefly joined the British Army. She got pregnant and on 6 February 1916, she and Arthur were married in the Catholic church in Woburn, Massachusetts.[15] On 24 May 1916, they became parents of Mary Elizabeth Mohan.[16] Gertrude was 18. Three months and two days later, 26 August 1916, Mary Elizabeth died of "acute intestinal indigestion."[17] Gertrude had taken Mary to be cared for on the Floating Children's Hospital, and this is where she died.

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[1] Maine Department of Health and Human Services, "Record of a Birth," Gertrude Francis Mullin (1898); Division of Data, Research and Vital Statistics, Augusta, Maine.

[2] The name of Gertrude's mother has been found with various spellings in various records, including Nora and Norah. A woman on a ship's passenger list that may be our Nora is listed as Honora Mullen. (More research is required.) Mullin has also been spelled Mullen and Mullene.

[3] Maine, Marriage Records, 1713-1922, database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 AUgust 2020), Black-Mullen (1901); citing 1892-1907 Vital Records, Roll no. 5, Maine State Archives, Augusta, Maine.

[4] 1900 U.S. census, Androscoggin county, Maine, population schedule, Poland, ED 30, sheet 15, line 81, Nora Mullene; image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2020); citing NARA film T623.

[5] Maine, Marriage Records, 1713-1922, database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2020), Black-Mullen (1901); citing 1892-1907 Vital Records, Roll no. 5, Maine State Archives, Augusta, Maine.

[6] 1900 U.S. census, York county, Maine, population schedule, Limington, ED 243, sheet 5, dwelling 123, family 125, Sumner Black; image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2020); citing film 1240603; NARA film T623.

[7] Maine, Birth Records, 1715-1922, database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2020), Charles S. Black, 7 Dec 1902; citing 1892-1907 Vital Records, Roll No. 5, Maine State Archive, Augusta, Maine. [Charles' name is left off the Record of Birth. However, birthdate is confirmed by other records, including his World War II draft registration card.]

[8] Maine, Birth Records, 1715-1922, database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2020), Cora May Black, 31 May 1904; citing 1892-1907 Vital Records, Roll No. 5, Maine State Archive, Augusta, Maine.

[9] Maine, Birth Records, 1715-1922, database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2020), Ethel Black, 23 May 1905; citing 1892-1907 Vital Records, Roll No. 5, Maine State Archive, Augusta, Maine.

[10] Maine, Birth Records, 1715-1922, database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2020), Jerome Black, 31 May 1906; citing 1892-1907 Vital Records, Roll No. 5, Maine State Archive, Augusta, Maine. [Jerome's name is left off the Record of Birth. Jerome died on 13 June 1908. The age given was 1 year, 9 months, 13 days. His age at death suggests a birthdate of 31 August 1906. Because the Record of Birth was recorded at the time of his birth, it is most likely the accurate date. The age calculated on his death record is the date most likely in error. The stress of the situation may have caused Nora or Sumner to give a wrong month, or the clerk may have calculated it wrong.]

[11] Maine State Archives, "U.S. Death Records, 1761-1922," database with images; Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 Aug 2020), entry for Nora H. Black, 27 October 1907.

[12] Maine State Archives, "U.S. Death Records, 1761-1922," database with images; Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 Aug 2020), entry for Jerome Black, 27 October 1907.

[13] Maine State Archives, "1908-1922 Vital Records," roll 5; Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 December 2020); Sumner Black - Augusta Smith, (1910).

[14] 1930 U.S. census, York county, Maine, population schedule, enumeration district 16-82, sheet 3B, dwelling 60, family 60, Sumner Black family; image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 August 2020); citing NARA microfilm publication T626.

[15] Massachusetts State Archives, "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 7 June 2020), entry for Arthur Mohan and Gertrude Francis Black, 6 February 2016, certificate #11, page 1; citing Massachusetts State Archives, Boston.

[16] Massachusetts State Archives, "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920," database with images; American Ancestors (www.americanancestor.org : accessed 14 Aug 2020), entry for Mary Elizabeth Mohan, 24 May 1916, vol 635, p 969, no. 142.

[17] Massachusetts State Archives, "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920," database with images; FamilySearch.org (www.familiysearch.org : accessed 14 Aug 2020), entry for Mary E. Mohan, 28 Aug 1916, vol 2, p 191, no. 8484.