Joseph Showell

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 Joseph Showell was born about 1819 or 1820 somewhere in New Jersey. By 1860 at least he was living in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic Co., NJ. At that time he was 41 years old and employed as an oysterman. He was already married to his wife, Lorna (age 35) and they had the following children living with them:

  1. Joseph L. Showell, 14
  2. John Showell, 10
  3. Mary Showell, 8
  4. Lorna Showell, 6
  5. Elizabeth Showell, 3
  6. Jeremiah Showell, 4 mos old

By 1870, the family had relocated to Maryland Ave in Atlantic City, though JOseph still worked as a Bayman. Children John, Mary, Lorna, Elizabeth and Jerry were still with them. Only the older Joseph is no longer there.

In 1880, the census shows the family still on Maryland Ave. Joseph is unemployed due to a 'physical disability', but it's not clear what the nature of that disability was. John and Mary no longer lived with them at that time, but Elizabeth (listed as "Lizzie" on the census) was working as a dressmaker (she was now 22), and Jereimiah was employed as a "hackman". (Anyone know what that was?)

It's not clear what became of Joseph and his family after that, at least I haven't figured it out yet. But son Jeremiah showed up (now calling himself "Jerry") in 1900 in Atlantic City (still on Maryland Ave). According to that census, he was born in Jul of 1860 and he was married to a woman named Flora, who was born in Oct 1869. They had one son, Ryan Showell, born in Mar 1894. It's interesting to note the names of the boarders they had living with them in 1900: Fred and Mary Holman. Holman is a very common Ocean County name, and by 1920 the family was living in Jackson Township, Ocean Co., leaving me wondering if the Holmans had anything to do with that.

Somewhere between 1900 and 1920 the family relocated to Jackson Twp, where Jerry (now 60) worked as a farmer. He and Flora had two children, Jerry, 16, and Milton, 14. Both of them were students.

Some of the Showells are buried in the Whitesville Cemetery. Jerry and his wife Flora, and another Ryan A. Showell, born in 1894 are all buried there.

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