M. 17 Jul 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts
Husband: George Henry Hewes
D. 12 Jul 1916 in Berkeley, California
The influence a person receives in childhood often carries through in the way they live as an adult. Such was the case with Nancy Sophia French, who was instilled with an ethic of Christian charity from the very beginning.
Nancy was born on December 21, 1856 in Stockton Springs, Maine, into a deeply religious New England family which could trace its roots back to the early Puritan settlers. Her father, Reverend James Riddle French, was a minister who died three months after she was born. Her mother, Sophia (Kittredge) French, brought Nancy to their church just a few days after her father's funeral. As her mother wrote, "I had her [baptized] when our friends were assembled to look at the lifeless remains of her dear father.… Could her father have spoken, I doubt not he would have rejoiced."
While Nancy was still a small child, her mother put her and an older brother into the care of their grandfather in New Hampshire, and moved by herself to Dorchester, Massachusetts. By 1860, young Nancy was still in her grandfather’s household, but now in Boston, and her mother lived at a nearby boarding school where she worked as a teacher. Nancy was reunited with her mother after the teaching job ended the following year. Money was tight as her mother tried to run a boardinghouse, and when that endeavor failed, she became a city missionary.
It was during these years that Nancy must have learned much from her mother. Mrs. French spent her days going door to door in the poor neighborhoods of Boston seeking to help women in need. Some of the effort was towards religious conversion, but it was also aimed at social work. It’s easy to imagine that as Nancy came of age, she may have joined her mother at times in her work.
Nancy with her older brother in about 1861
While Nancy was still a small child, her mother put her and an older brother into the care of their grandfather in New Hampshire, and moved by herself to Dorchester, Massachusetts. By 1860, young Nancy was still in her grandfather’s household, but now in Boston, and her mother lived at a nearby boarding school where she worked as a teacher. Nancy was reunited with her mother after the teaching job ended the following year. Money was tight as her mother tried to run a boardinghouse, and when that endeavor failed, she became a city missionary.
It was during these years that Nancy must have learned much from her mother. Mrs. French spent her days going door to door in the poor neighborhoods of Boston seeking to help women in need. Some of the effort was towards religious conversion, but it was also aimed at social work. It’s easy to imagine that as Nancy came of age, she may have joined her mother at times in her work.
On July 17, 1879, Nancy married George Henry Hewes, an immigrant from Prince Edward Island, Canada. George was also committed to helping the disadvantaged through religion, and it seems likely that this was how they connected. Nancy's cousin, George Lyman Kittredge, later a very prominent professor at Harvard, was a witness to their wedding. Afterwards, George and Nancy took her mother into their home in Boston, as well as Nancy’s grandfather, who had been recently widowed.
In 1880, Nancy gave birth to a girl named Eleanor, then in about 1882, the family, including Nancy's mother, picked up and moved to Le Mars, Iowa. There are no family stories that explain the reason for this, but it likely had to do with a religious community there. During the 1880s, Nancy had three children born in Le Mars — Charles, Gertrude and Olive.
Iowa must have been a culture shock for someone like Nancy, who for most of her life had lived in Boston. In June 1885, a tornado damaged their house, lifting it 5 feet off of the foundation, and the family had to seek shelter in the flooded basement. It was this event that motivated them to find a place to live in another part of the country. Nancy's older brother Frank was living in Los Angeles, and he wrote to the family in Iowa, encouraging them to join him there.
The Hewes family arrived in Los Angeles in November of 1889. Frank took them in for a short time and helped George find work. Eventually they settled in an area just south of downtown Los Angeles and bought a house. There in 1894, Nancy gave birth to the last of her five children, a daughter Faith. George worked as a carriage maker, but on weekends he became a preacher. He started a settlement house to help those who were in need. For a short time, George achieved some prominence in the city as a socialist, even running for U.S. Congress in 1902. Nancy appears to have supported him in everything he did, although her name was never mentioned in any public way.
The Hewes family arrived in Los Angeles in November of 1889. Frank took them in for a short time and helped George find work. Eventually they settled in an area just south of downtown Los Angeles and bought a house. There in 1894, Nancy gave birth to the last of her five children, a daughter Faith. George worked as a carriage maker, but on weekends he became a preacher. He started a settlement house to help those who were in need. For a short time, George achieved some prominence in the city as a socialist, even running for U.S. Congress in 1902. Nancy appears to have supported him in everything he did, although her name was never mentioned in any public way.
After 1904, George seems to have given up preaching and politics. Not long after, son Charles was accepted into the University of California at Berkeley, and Nancy and George decided to relocate the family there. They were there in time to experience the 1906 earthquake; although they suffered no damage, daughter Eleanor sent them a crate of supplies from Los Angeles to get them through a time of food shortages.
Nancy Hewes in about 1900
While Nancy was no doubt a well-meaning person, one letter she wrote to Eleanor in about 1915 survives that shows a bit of a different personality. She started by saying, “What is the matter with you … why don’t you write? You sure could find a little time for your mother.” Perhaps she had a particular issue with her oldest daughter, but it could also be that her own health issues caused her to be blunt with the people close to her. In the letter, she complained of being tired all the time, and in 1916, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Sadly, Nancy passed away on July 12th at the age of 59. She was buried in an unmarked grave at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. George returned to Los Angeles where he died in 1923.
None of Nancy’s five children carried on the family legacy of religious charity, but one of her grandchildren, Eleanor’s daughter May Griffith, became a Methodist missionary in India along with her husband. May lived in Calcutta for almost 50 years, adopting a mixed race child, and like her grandmother Nancy, supporting her husband with his work.
None of Nancy’s five children carried on the family legacy of religious charity, but one of her grandchildren, Eleanor’s daughter May Griffith, became a Methodist missionary in India along with her husband. May lived in Calcutta for almost 50 years, adopting a mixed race child, and like her grandmother Nancy, supporting her husband with his work.
Children:
1. Eleanor Mabel Hewes – B. 6 Jul 1880, Boston, Massachusetts; D. 21 Nov 1942, Los Angeles, California; M. James William Elwood (~1869-1925), 18 Feb 1898, Los Angeles, California
2. Charles Edward Hewes – B. 12 Oct 1883, Le Mars, Iowa; D. 5 Apr 1950, Santa Monica, California; M. Anita Melgrave Winant (1884-1978), 19 Oct 1909, Tucson, Arizona
3. Gertrude Elisabeth Hewes – B. 22 Sep 1885, Le Mars, Iowa; D. 18 Dec 1968, Alameda, California
4. Olive Beatrice Hewes – B. 16 Jun 1887, Le Mars, Iowa; D. 6 Jan 1966, Los Angeles, California; M. Milo Joseph Markel (1883-1951), 31 Mar 1908, Los Angeles, California
5. Faith Augusta Hewes – B. 11 Aug 1894, Los Angeles, California; D. 17 Aug 1974, Merced, California; M. Karl Milton Koch (1894-1955), 23 Aug 1918, Los Angeles, California
Sources:
Family Bible of James and Sophia French
Family Bible of George and Nancy Hewes
Letter from Sophia French to Abel Kittredge, 31 Mar 1857
Journal of Sophia N. French, 1861
1860, 1870, 1880, 1900 and 1910 U.S. Censuses, Massachusetts and California
City Directories of Boston, Massachusetts, Berkeley, California and Los Angeles, California, 1866-1916
Marriage record of George Henry Hewes and Nancy Sophia French, Boston Massachusetts, 17 Jul 1879
"The Wind's Work," The Evening Sentinel, Le Mars, Iowa, 16 Jun 1885
Letters written by Frank Emerson (nee James French) to Sophia French, Los Angeles, California, 1885-1889
U.S. House of Representatives election results in California, 1902
Death certificate of Nancy S. Hewes, Berkeley, California, 12 Jul 1916
Letters of Maude Graham to Thomas Milton Mitchell, 1965-1981
Family stories of Thomas Milton Mitchell, Maude Graham and Nancy Elwood, 1976-1999
Birth certificate of Eleanor Mabel Hewes, 6 Jul 1880
Death certificate of Eleanor Elwood, 24 Nov 1942
Marriage certificate of James Elwood and Eleanor Hewes, 23 Feb 1898
Death certificate of James William Elwood, 30 Nov 1925
California death records, 1940-1997
Social Security death index
Property Title Statement of Identity, Charles E. Hewes, 5 Dec 1941
California county marriages, 1850-1952
Death certificate of Milo Joseph Markel, 3 May 1951
Property Title Statement of Identity, Faith A. Koch, 15 Dec 1941
1. Eleanor Mabel Hewes – B. 6 Jul 1880, Boston, Massachusetts; D. 21 Nov 1942, Los Angeles, California; M. James William Elwood (~1869-1925), 18 Feb 1898, Los Angeles, California
2. Charles Edward Hewes – B. 12 Oct 1883, Le Mars, Iowa; D. 5 Apr 1950, Santa Monica, California; M. Anita Melgrave Winant (1884-1978), 19 Oct 1909, Tucson, Arizona
3. Gertrude Elisabeth Hewes – B. 22 Sep 1885, Le Mars, Iowa; D. 18 Dec 1968, Alameda, California
4. Olive Beatrice Hewes – B. 16 Jun 1887, Le Mars, Iowa; D. 6 Jan 1966, Los Angeles, California; M. Milo Joseph Markel (1883-1951), 31 Mar 1908, Los Angeles, California
5. Faith Augusta Hewes – B. 11 Aug 1894, Los Angeles, California; D. 17 Aug 1974, Merced, California; M. Karl Milton Koch (1894-1955), 23 Aug 1918, Los Angeles, California
Sources:
Family Bible of James and Sophia French
Family Bible of George and Nancy Hewes
Letter from Sophia French to Abel Kittredge, 31 Mar 1857
Journal of Sophia N. French, 1861
1860, 1870, 1880, 1900 and 1910 U.S. Censuses, Massachusetts and California
City Directories of Boston, Massachusetts, Berkeley, California and Los Angeles, California, 1866-1916
Marriage record of George Henry Hewes and Nancy Sophia French, Boston Massachusetts, 17 Jul 1879
"The Wind's Work," The Evening Sentinel, Le Mars, Iowa, 16 Jun 1885
Letters written by Frank Emerson (nee James French) to Sophia French, Los Angeles, California, 1885-1889
U.S. House of Representatives election results in California, 1902
Death certificate of Nancy S. Hewes, Berkeley, California, 12 Jul 1916
Letters of Maude Graham to Thomas Milton Mitchell, 1965-1981
Family stories of Thomas Milton Mitchell, Maude Graham and Nancy Elwood, 1976-1999
Birth certificate of Eleanor Mabel Hewes, 6 Jul 1880
Death certificate of Eleanor Elwood, 24 Nov 1942
Marriage certificate of James Elwood and Eleanor Hewes, 23 Feb 1898
Death certificate of James William Elwood, 30 Nov 1925
California death records, 1940-1997
Social Security death index
Property Title Statement of Identity, Charles E. Hewes, 5 Dec 1941
California county marriages, 1850-1952
Death certificate of Milo Joseph Markel, 3 May 1951
Property Title Statement of Identity, Faith A. Koch, 15 Dec 1941
