The St Albans, VT Ansteys

by Gary. M. Anstey, chief researcher of the Anstey story project.

Overview of the St Albans, Vermont Ansteys

The St Albans Ansteys of Franklin County, Vermont, America are a sub-branch of the Aynho Ansteys of Northamptonshire, headed by James Anstey (b 1819).

James Anstey (b 1819 Aynho)

James Anstey (b 1819 in Aynho to parents Thomas Anstey and Elizabeth) emigrated to America aged 17. He married Ellen [Helen] Ireland (b c1825 in England) in St Albans, Vermont in 1846 and they had children in St Albans:

  • George R. Anstey (b 1847, an Anstey Hero – see below);
  • Elizabeth Ann Anstey (b 1849, known as Libbie, married Lorenzo Hulbert in 1869 in St Albans and lived in Mooers Forks, Clinton County, New York);
  • Thomas J. Anstey (b 1852, alive in 1860);
  • Mary Ann Anstey (b 1854, married Mr Langley and died in 1922 in St Albans); and
  • John Francis Anstey (b 1855 – see below)

In the 1860 Census the family were in St Albans; James Anstey was a farm labourer. James Anstey died in St Albans on 1 November 1875 of kidney disease (his parents confirmed as Thomas and Elizabeth); he was buried at Saint Albans Point Cemetery. His widow Ellen was also buried there in 1879, inscription reading “age 54 yrs, wife of James Anstey“.

George R. Anstey (b 1847 St Albans)

George R. Anstey, an Anstey Hero, was born in 1847 in St Albans, Vermont to father James Anstey (b 1819). He grew up in St Albans then, when he turned 18, George signed up to fight in the American Civil War on the side of the Union. He enlisted in New York on 18 April 1865 (some sources say 1 April) as a Private with ‘Company B. 125th New York Voluntary Infantry‘; he was transferred to ‘Battery H. 4th New York Heavy Artillery‘ on 5 June 1865 and mustered out on 26 December 1865 (some sources say 26 September) in Washington DC. As George had signed up mere weeks before the end of hostilities, it is unlikely that he was involved in any actual fighting during this conflict.

By 1870, George was living in Oswego, New York, working as a labourer. Then in August 1880, he signed up once again with the Army, this time in Cincinnati, Ohio with “8 Coy C” for a five year stint, remaining with them until August 1885 when he was discharged. He immediately re-signed up for another five years, this time at Angel Island, California with “8 Inf K“; he was discharged in August 1890 with character “excellent“. During his final stint in the Army, George had married Joanna Creamer in 1889 in Nebraska; we find no children from this marriage (though see below for stepchildren).

By 1892, George was living in Missouri. In October 1896 there was a massive train crash when according to the ‘St Louis Globe‘ “Excursion Train and Valley Park Accommodation Met at Full Speed on a Curve 14 Miles From St Louis – 8 People Killed” – “George R. Anstey and his wife were sitting in the 4th seat from the front in the 4th car from the engine of the excursion train – Mr Anstey said ‘ I had just settled back for a nap bracing my feet against the seat in front of me when the collision came – I was not moved out of my seat due to my position but my wife was thrown forward against the seat in front…in a moment we realised a terrible wreck had occurred…the car in which we were seated was not harmed in the least“

George was still in Missouri in 1900 where he appears in both the St. Louis, Missouri Trade Directory as “Anstey George R watch[man] r. 1135 Kentucky AV“, as well as the 1900 Census as a “watchman” living in St Louis, Missouri with his wife Joanna and her two children from a previous marriage.

By 1904 George had moved to Los Angeles, appearing in a Trade Directory there as “Anstey George R. lab[ourer?] street Dept rms 1107 W 11th“. By 1908 George was a widower, living in Los Angeles; he had been a farmer at some point in his later life.

George R. Anstey died in 1909 of “fatty degeneration of the heart” at the National Soldiers Home in California. He was buried at the Los Angeles National Cemetery in Los Angeles, Plot 15, 7/RK. The inscription on his gravestone reads “George R. Anstey Co H. 4 NY H. A.“, commemorating his American Civil War service.

John Francis Anstey (b 1855 St Albans)

John Francis Anstey was born in 1855 in St Albans, Vermont to father James Anstey (b 1819). He grew up in St Albans, marrying Lucy Ann Labelle in 1875 in Vermont. They had children:

  • James Francis Anstey (b 1876 Vermont – see below);
  • Ellen May Anstey (b 1878 Vermont);
  • William Rowell Anstey (b 1883 St Albans, a steam fitter at a railroad shop in St Albans Franklin Vermont in the 1910 American Census with his brother George. In the September 1918 Draft Registration for World War One, William was a boiler maker living at 58 Huntingdon Street, St Albans, with his wife Agnes Mary Anstey (b 1875). In the 1930 Census they were living in St Albans with his mother Lucy Anstey (now divorced) and John Lamb, a widowed “father in law” (William was a boiler maker at the Steam Railroad). William Rowell Anstey died in 1949 in St Albans of Chronic Myocarditis);
  • George Emery Anstey (b 1884 St Albans, a boiler maker at a railroad shop in St Albans Franklin Vermont in the 1910 American Census with his brother William. He married Jessie May Handley in St Albans in 1911 having a son John Francis Anstey (b 1912, died on 12 November 1919 when hit by a bus – the ‘Burlington Daily News‘ 12 November 1919 reported “MOTOR BUS OF THE SHERWOOD John Anstey 10, Run Over Last Evening, Dies In Hospital Today. WAS CROSSING ROAD WITH SISTER WHEN HIT. Machine going at Moderate Rate Of Speed up Main street—boy taken to Hospital by Taxi Driver. John Anstey 10 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. John [George?] Anstey, Sr. of South Champlain street was struck early last evening by the Hotel Sherwood Motor Bus، operated by Merill Rugg, and early this morning he died At the Mary Fleteher hospital has a result of injuries sustained. An autopsy will probably take place today. The boy, with his sister were at the junction of St. Paul streets. Stopping for a minute to look at something that had attracted his attention in one of the upper stories of the Hotel Vermont, the boy was directly in the path of the Sherwood bus which was coming from depot. He was knocked down and so badly injured that he was rushed immediately to the hospital in an auto owned by Joseph Jarvis, his injuries were too sever and he succumbed early this morning, to them. No one witnessed the accident and the boys sister was the only one that could tell the police much about it. As near as could be learned the bus was travelling at a moderate rate of speed at the time the accident happened..” – even though the newspaper article says his father was ‘John’, the death certificate confirms it was ‘George’) and a daughter (alive in 1919). In the September 1918 Draft Registration for World War One, George Emery Anstey was a boiler maker for the Rutland Railroad Company, living with his wife at 42 Bright Burlington Hill, Vermont. In 1919 they were at South Champlain Street, Burlington. George died in 1945 in Schenectady, New York);
  • John King Anstey (b 1886 St Albans, an Anstey Hero known as Jack. We cannot locate him in the 1910 American Census. He married Evelyn Provost in 1912 in Rockingham, Windham, Vermont. He remarried Lucy Bell Talbert in 1919 in St Albans. In the June 1917 Draft Registration for World War One, John was a mill hand living in Lebanon, New Hampshire with a “wife and child” – the child was actually his stepson Francis Talbert. John King Anstey was called up for active service in the Army at Enfield, New Hampshire on 27 June 1918 as a Private, having trained at Camp Devens, Boston, however he was “honourably discharged” a mere two weeks later on 10 July 1918. By the 1920 Census John was a “teamster” at a woodyard living in Lebanon, New Hampshire; he was still there in 1940, by now a truck driver. John died in 1965, buried in Lakeview Cemetery Enfield, Grafton County, New Hampshire – the inscription on his gravestone reads “John K. Anstey PVT Camp Devens WW1 1886-1965“);
  • Thomas Nelson Anstey (b 1889 Washington, Vermont, married Marion Dorella Monette of Canada in St Albans in 1908 having children Theodore William Anstey (b 1909, died an infant); William Nelson Anstey (b 1911); Thomas Elsworth Anstey (b 1914); George Aubrey Anstey (b 1918); and Elizabeth Helen Anstey (b 1922, known as Betty). In the 1910 American Census Thomas and Marion were living at St Albans Ward 6, Franklin with Marion’s Monette parents – he was a machinist and she was a book binder. In the June 1917 Draft Registration for World War One, Thomas was a boilermaker for the ‘Central and R. R. Co‘, living in St Albans with his wife and (then) two children. He also noted that he had previously served as a Private in the National Guard for three years in Vermont. Thomas Nelson Anstey was a boilermaker in 1920 living in Franklin, Vermont with his family and an “acetylene welder on a steam railroad” in 1930, still living in St Albans. He died in 1932, buried in Saint Albans Bay Cemetery. His widow Marion died in 1939 – the ‘Burlington Daily News‘ 1 March 1939 reported “Rites for Mrs. Anstey The funeral of Mrs. Marion Monette Anstey, who died at her home on Huntington Street, Saturday night was held from Holy Angels’ Church yesterday morning at 9’oclock. The Rev Leopold Bastien officiated at a high mass of requiem. Burial followed in the Bay Cemetery, with the Rev, L, R Desrochers giving the commital service. The bearers were Edward Corrigan, Albert Lepine, William Kimball, John O’Brien, Edward Larou and Howard Touchette. There was a large attendance of relatives and friends at the funeral and a large number of floral tributes and spiritual bouquets.“)

In the 1880 Census John Francis Anstey was living with his family in Milton, Chittenden, Vermont; he was a ‘farm help’. In the 1910 American Census we cannot locate John but his wife Lucy (b 1860) was a cook in St Albans Ward 6, Franklin, Vermont. By the 1920 Census John Francis Anstey was a divorced “car repairer“, living with his son Thomas and his family in St Albans, Franklin, Vermont. He was still living there in the 1930 Census.

John Francis Anstey died in August 1937 in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada “aged 81“.

James Francis Anstey (b 1876 Vermont)

James Francis Anstey was born in 1876 to father John Francis Anstey. He married first Josie May Jacobs in Vermont in 1902. However by the 1910 American Census he was divorced and working as a farm labourer on a stock farm at Winchester, Cheshire, New Hampshire – his ex wife Josie was in the 1910 American Census living at the Sheldon Poor House Franklin Vermont with her son Earl (only two of her five children were alive at this time).

He then married Bessie May Thrasher in 1913 in Spencer, Worcester, Massachusetts; then Katherine Estella Somers (nee Herbert) in 1922 in Waterbury, Washington, Vermont and finally Louisa J. Duclos in 1939 in Plymouth, Grafton, New Hampshire. James Francis Anstey‘s children were:

  • Lulu Francis Anstey (b 1904 St Albans, died an infant);
  • John Francis Anstey (b 1906 St Albans, died 1907);
  • Thomas James Anstey (b 1907 St Albans);
  • Carl Elmer Anstey (b 1908 Sheldon, Franklin, aka Earl, living with his mother in the 1910 American Census);
  • Hazel M. Anstey (b 1915 Worcester, Massachusetts);
  • Nellie L. Anstey (b 1917 Worcester, Massachusetts);
  • Clarence Edward Anstey (b 1918 Worcester, Massachusetts);
  • Viola Anstey; and
  • Lucille Belle Anstey (b 1922 Waterbury, Washington, Vermont).

In 1900 James Francis Anstey was living at Washington, Vermont. The ‘Burlington Daily News‘ on 22 November 1907 reported “FRANKLIN COUNTY COURT: In the case of Mrs Josie Anstey, who pleaded guilty to neglecting her infant child, she was sentenced to two years at hard labour in States prison at Windsor. The sentence was stayed however and the woman placed on probation“

In the September 1918 Draft Registration for World War One, he was living in Charleston, Worcester, Massachusetts, an unemployed fireman. By 1940 he was living at Woodstock Town, Grafton, New Hampshire, a fireman at a saw mill. James Francis Anstey was buried at Sacred Heart Cemetery, Lebanon, Grafton, New Hampshire – his fourth wife was buried with him in 1952

Further Details on the St Albans, Vermont Ansteys

We are actively on the lookout for St Albans, Vermont Anstey experts alive today who are willing to add their findings and knowledge to this project. We are particularly interested in research regarding St Albans, Vermont Ansteys who fought in World War One, preferably with personal souvenirs such as letters sent by the soldiers or military photos etc. 

Anybody who has such expertise and inclination, please contact us at research@theansteystory.com.

We have already uploaded bits of information and documentation about the St Albans, Vermont Ansteys, and continue to upload more all the time (see Project Updates), however it is spread over various segments of the website.

The best way to find said information is to enter ‘St Albans, Vermont’ in the search box at the bottom of this page and a list of relevant pages will appear.

Anybody who finds any mistakes on this page, please contact us at research@theansteystory.com and we will correct it.

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