THEODORE P. CROWELL
1843 - 1931
 

Theodore P. Crowell was born in Hyannis, Massachusetts on June 24, 1843, the only son of Leander Crowell and Brittania Bearse. When he was only four years old, his father died on Aug. 1, 1847. Although his mother remarried William Walley in Barnstable, Massachusetts on July 7, 1848, he was never officially adopted by his new stepfather and retained his original surname. Brittania and William had three other children together, and eventually moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts. They were divorced sometime after 1870. Brittania continued to live in New Bedford with her daughter, Mary, from her second marriage and died after 1940.

As an adult, Theodore remained in New Bedford for the rest of his life. During the Civil war, he enlisted as a Private on Aug. 29, 1862 at the age of 19 and was assigned to Company D, 47th Infantry Regiment Massachusetts on Sept. 20, 1862. He was promoted to Full Corporal on June 1, 1863, and mustered out on Sept. 1, 1863 in Readville, Massachusetts. [Ed. Note: I also have more detailed info on his service during the Civil war.]

According to census records, his occupation was sail maker. He married first to Laura Flocken in 1865, but she died childless in 1867. Ten years later, Theodore remarried on Sept. 6, 1877 to Emma Hilton from England. The only two children recorded to date, were Leander (born 1878) and Harry (born 1887).

Theodore and Emma celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1927, and Theodore died on Feb. 5, 1931, buried in the Rural Cemetery near New Bedford.

Sources:1. New Bedford, Massachusetts Directories, 1887, 1889-90.
2. Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in the Civil War. (MASSCW)
3. Massachusetts GAR: Journal of the Annual Encampment. (MassGAR)
4. U.S. Federal Census - 1880 (Census Place New Bedford, Bristol, Massachusetts )
5. Massachusetts Census, 1790-1890, Township: 5 W. New Bedford Page: 666
6. 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Roll: M653_490 Page: 666
7. 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Series: T624 Roll: 579 Part: 1 Page: 90B

---Submitted by Deborah Crowell (Theodore's great-great granddaughter)