Anna Louisa Antrim

Name of person/family being researched: Anna Louisa Antrim as Mrs Gimber
Date Plan made: 14 January 2012
Researcher: Linda Newman

Objective: 
To find information on Anna Louisa Antrim’s first husband. His name; date and place of birth; place and date of marriage; names, birth dates, and birth places of any children they had; date and place of his death (or their divorce).

Known Facts (with sources):

1. Affidavit for widow’s pension for Anna Louisa’s mother, Sarah (Downey) Antrim, called Anna Louisa “Mrs Louisa Gimber.”

2. Address given on affidavit dated 5 February 1886 is 1703 Norris St, Philadelphia. 1886 City Directory lists this as her brother’s, Rev Thomas Mason Antrim’s Residence. It was also listed as Sarah (Downey) Antrim’s residence.

3. Address given on 2nd affidavit  dated 30 January 1890 is 1906 S 6th St, Philadelphia. 1887 City directory lists this as Peter Burke’s residence. Peter Burke is married to Anna Louisa’s sister Sarah.

4. Anna Louisa Antrim married Joseph J Reynolds on 1 October 1896 in Camden, NJ according to familysearch.org

5. 1900 census says Anna Louisa had 7 children with 6 still living. Children in the household are Harret Reynolds born 1885 and Rhoda Reynolds born 1888, both listed as having been born in Maryland. Not sure if they are Joseph’s or Anna Louisa’s biological daughters.

6. 1870 census lists Anna Louisa as part of her parents household living in Smyrna,  Kent,  Delaware. She is not listed as part of her parents’ household on the 1880 census.

Working Hypothesis:

1. Anna Louisa was married 2 times.

2. Her first husband was a Mr Gimber, first name unknown.

3. Anna Louisa married Mr Gimber sometime after the 1870 census.

4. Mr Gimber died(?) prior to 1896, possibly prior to 1886 since she was listed as living at her mother’s address at that point. Either that or Anna Louisa and Mr Gimber divorced prior to 1896, although that is a less likely probability because divorce was less common at that point in time.

5. Her 2nd husband was Joseph J Reynolds.

6. Anna Louisa gave birth to 7 children, 1 child died prior to 1900.

7. That Harret and Rhonda are not her biological children.

Research Strategies (specific records to check):

1. Continue to search for the Gimber family on the 1880 census.

2. Search for a marriage record for Anna Louisa Antrim to a Mr Gimber.

3. Search for a death record for Mr Gimber, who was married to an Anna Louisa.

4. Search for birth records for Gimber children born to a mother with the maiden name of Antrim.  

5. Find birth records for Harret and Rhonda Reynolds (or marriage records if they list a mother’s name on them) to discover if they are Anna Louisa’s children or Joseph’s children from a prior marriage.

6. Possible Mr Gimber’s to check: Henry W Gimber d 1895 Burk County, Pa; Jacob Gimber d 1892 Pittsburg, Pa;

7. Check City Directories for “Gimber” 1870-1896

8. Check newspapers for information on Gimber birth, marriage, death announcements.

9. See if there is a will or probate record for Anna Louisa’s father, John Antrim, who died 22 July 1885 in Hampton, Va at a Soldier’s Home. Check both Va and Pa for any records as he died in VA but his and his family’s residence was in PA


Notes:

There is a Henry W Gimber, who was born 31 Mar. 1840 and died 27 Dec. 1895. He was buried in Saint Thomas Episcopal Church Cemetery, Whitemarsh, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA. Findagrave.com has the following information: Civil War Union Army Officer. He was commissioned as a Captain and commander of Company F, 150th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry on September 2, 1862. He served until he was honorably mustered out on May 15, 1865. On August 3, 1889 he filed for a United States Army Pension (Application #720755, Certificate #913861). On February 29, 1896 his wife, Mary A. Gimber, filed for a United States Army Widow's Pension (Application #629091, Certificate #464501). (Find A Grave Memorial# 10126858). Henry W’s obit is found on genealogybank.com, published in Philadelphia Inquirer on 30 December 1895 If the information from findagrave is true Henry W. is probably not the correct Mr Gimber.