my Ogden~Cronin Genealogy
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John SIMON

John SIMON

Male 1781 - 1861  (79 years)

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  • Name John SIMON  [1
    Born 21 Nov 1781  Bordeaux, France Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3
    Gender Male 
    Occupation Confectioner, Cooper  [4
    Died 2 May 1861  Salem, MA Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    Person ID I056  My Genealogy
    Last Modified 11 Jan 2012 

    Father Francis SIMON,   b. France Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. UNKNOWN 
    Mother Geraldin BOWDOIN,   b. France Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. UNKNOWN 
    Family ID F043  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Sarah Russell BLOOD,   b. 18 Jun 1786, Mason, NH Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 16 Oct 1831, Salem, MA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 45 years) 
    Married 20 Sep 1807  Boston, MA Find all individuals with events at this location  [6
    Married by Boston, MA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Rev. W. Baldwin of Boston 
    Children 
     1. Stephen Augustas SIMON,   b. 20 Oct 1821, Salem, MA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 5 Oct 1908, 140 Essex Street, Salem, MA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 86 years)
     2. Julia Maria Hixon SIMON,   b. 30 Jun 1808,   d. 1866  (Age 57 years)
     3. Francis Bodwin SIMON,   b. 19 Dec 1810,   d. 1 Sep 1870, Salem, MA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 59 years)
     4. Francis SIMON,   b. 19 Nov 1811,   d. UNKNOWN  [Natural]
     5. Elizabeth Mariana SIMON,   b. 1 May 1813,   d. Between 22 May 1890 and 22 May 1899, Brooklyn, NY Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 77 years)  [Natural]
     6. Lucy Nicholas SIMON,   b. 28 Jul 1817,   d. 25 May 1844, Boston, MA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 26 years)
     7. John R. SIMON,   b. 14 Oct 1819,   d. UNKNOWN  [Natural]
     8. Sarah Louisa SIMON,   b. 22 Jan 1824,   d. 2 Jul 1847  (Age 23 years)
     9. Emily G. SIMON,   b. 30 Oct 1825,   d. UNKNOWN  [Natural]
     10. Adeline Metilda SIMON,   b. 11 Sep 1829,   d. 12 Mar 1830, Salem, MA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 0 years)
     11. Mary A SIMON,   b. Feb 1810,   d. UNKNOWN
    Last Modified 18 Jan 2012 
    Family ID F028  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Mary HUNT,   b. 1800, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1871, Quincy, MA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 71 years) 
    Married 22 Nov 1835 
    Family ID F042  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 21 Nov 1781 - Bordeaux, France Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - 20 Sep 1807 - Boston, MA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 2 May 1861 - Salem, MA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried by - Rev. W. Baldwin of Boston - - Boston, MA Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Photos
    John SIMON
    John SIMON
    This image is believed to be John Simon. It was found among photo's belonging to Marguerite and Jessica Alley, other decendants of John. The person looks like a younger version of the other photo known to be John Simon.
    John SIMON
    John SIMON
    This photo of John was found among other photos belonging to his grandson Stephen Henry Simon. This same photo was used in a published book listing former members of the Essex lodge of Mason's in Salem, MA.

  • Notes 
    • John Simon was born in 1781 in Bordeaux, France, eight years before the start of the French Revolution. According to a note that Ruth Simons (b. 1912) wrote, he went to "Cuba" to study how to be a cooper (barrel maker), and earned 600 (?) as an apprentice. According to a note believed to have been written by John Simon (written in French, see Appendix): He left Bordeaux January 28, 1803 on board the Eliz. with Capt. Chabriey for the island of St. Domingue* (no mention of Cuba, though it is the next island over). It's unclear whether he was aboard a military vessel or not. However, at the time Napoleon's France was desperately trying to restore French rule and slavery on the island of San Dominique*, and meeting stiff resistance from the former slaves on the island. In February John Simon sailed to Puerto Rico, and in March arrived in St. Domingo*, and planned to set sail July 12 in order to return to France August 12, 1803. By the end of the year, Napoleon withdrew his humiliated troops from San Dominique* and on January 1, 1804 Haiti became an independent republic.
      * The French named their one-third of the island "Saint-Domingue," which was changed back to its original name in 1804. The Arawak Indians (the original inhabitants) called Hispaniola island "Hayti. Santo Domingo, is a port city in the Dominican Republic and it was influenced by the Spanish.
      ** 1803 ...June 17, 1803, Major Lozinsky dies. Napoleon loses 40,000 of his best soldiers, twenty-two months after February 1802.
      ** 1803 ... The 2nd Demi-Brigade is also re-numbered as the 114th and they are "escorted" to Genoa, Italy, with 87 officers and 2,750 men and they also set sail for Saint Domingue at the beginning of February 1803.
      ** 1803 ... The 2nd Demi-Brigade is also re-numbered as the 114th and they are "escorted" to Genoa, Italy, with 87 officers and 2,750 men and they also set sail for Saint Domingue at the beginning of February 1803. (http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/PolesinHaiti.html)
      ** 1803 ... The French are defeated at the battle of Vertieres on November 18, 1803.
      ** Between 1803 and 1905, a British Military Prison was located on Melville Island. During the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, French, Spanish and American Prisoners of War were incarcerated there.
      ** Napoleon's attempt to return Saint Domingo to France rule was to lead to the transfer of French troops to New Orleans to secure Louisiana which it had just re-aquired from Spain (by a not so secret treaty). Napoleon's plan was to establish a French New World empire in Louisiana. But the plan to subdue the rebels in Saint Domingo was key to his plan. Failure to do so directly led to the sale of Louisiana to the United States of America in April of 1803.

      On John Simon's return trip to France, they were captured by an English frigate, the Boston, commanded by Capt. Douglas and taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia where they arrived September 12. Britain and France had just resumed their ongoing wars at the beginning of the year after a short year and a half of peace. John was imprisoned as a prisoner of war on Melville Island September 20. The story passed down through Ruth Simons (b. 1912) was that John became friendly with a fisherman from Beverly. One night he jumped out a window with his clothes and was taken to Beverly, MA by the fisherman. (Came to Salem 1803 per Essex Institute Vol. III, p.216). His story only says he left the island October 28, 1803, and stayed in Halifax until May 7, 1804 when he left for Canso aboard the schooner Fany from Hali(fax). He sailed from Canso to Quebec to Montreal and then back to Canso. On August 22, 1804 he left aboard the American schooner the Rebeca of Beverly where he arrived on the 29th. He left Beverly September 3, 1804 for Salem, where he worked until August 29, 1805 when he left for Boston. He was married to Sarah Russell Blood in Boston on September 20, 1807. They stayed in Boston until September 25, and then settled in Salem.

      He wrote his parents on September 7, 1804 from Salem. His father wrote back to him on December 21, 1804. According to his fathers's letter, John had visited with Monsieur Paille of Bordeaux prior to September 7.

      In 1807 he established the family confectionary which remained in operation through three generations until 1925. The first location of the confectionary and family home was on North Street in Salem at the corner of Essex Street (on the Shepard Block, possibly then known as the Clarke Estate in the northeast corner of Essex and North Streets. The Clark Estate at 304 Essex Street -possibly stretching to 306 Essex and 2 North Street was taken down in 1835, to give way for the Shepard Block) . They stayed on North Street until 1816 when they moved to 160 Essex Street on the Manning Block (later known as the Bowker Block). A drawing was sketched of this store front and the adjacent Merchants Bank (c. 1831-1855). According to a newspaper letter by Emma M. Tassinari, Salem, this location was next to Starr C. Hewitt Jewelers at the time, and was replaced by Peter Tassinari's fruit & vegetables store in 1892 after Simon moved. The large brick building in the center of the drawing mentioned above is currently the office of the Peabody Essex Museum (erected in 1830) at the northwest corner of Essex & New Liberty). (See Lowell Sun Feb. 21, 1933 - possible fire at Bowker Block may have destroyed 160 Essex Street)

      According to "The Origin of the Catholic Church in Salem" (by Louis S. Walsh, 1890), he was a "prominent Catholic" in Salem at this time. He is listed as one of Salem's original congregation members under Father Mahoney. Before Salem had a Catholic church or residence, he kindly housed Father Matignon and Father Cheverus, who generally spent a night each visit, at his homes at North Street (later removed to (46) Broad Street and owned by Mr. Cassell-in 1890) and the low wooden structure at 158 and 160 Essex Street (still standing in 1890 nearly opposite the Museum, and where Moustakis Bros. was located in 1925). He was a prominent worker in the building of the Saint Mary's Church, the main part of which was ready in the summer of 1821. One day (bet. 1824-1825) John Simon was at the church with Father Byrne, when one of the rich Foresters came, and expressed his regret to see the walls without plaster. John and the Father Byrne must have won the old man's heart, for, it is said, that he immediately offered to pay the expense of plastering, and the kind offer was thankfully accepted. He was also deed a pew in the Baptist Church of Salem (possibly his wife Sarah was a Baptist).

      He was admitted to the Essex Lodge (No. 10) of Free Masons May 22, 1820. This Lodge was one of the oldest societies in Salem (in 1861) originating in 1779. (Essex Institute vol. III, p. 216) A photo can be found of John Simon in The History of the Essex Lodge (...) The original photo (or duplicate copy) was found among a collection of family artifacts held by his decendants Mary Cronin and Ruth Simons (2003). This photo can be found in the attached Appendix.

  • Sources 
    1. [S01884] Cronin, Mary.
      Ruth and Bing thought SAS father was Augustus Simon, but none could be found

    2. [S02005] Death Record of John Simon, (Massachusetts Historical Commission), 1861/147/282.
      "aged 79y, 5m, 11d"

    3. [S02529] Simons, Ruth.
      "Bordeaux"

    4. [S02005] Death Record of John Simon, (Massachusetts Historical Commission), 1861/147/282.

    5. [S02005] Death Record of John Simon, (Massachusetts Historical Commission), 1861/147/282.
      Salem is assumed

    6. [S01804] Book of Salem Records, (Massachusetts Historical Commission), (1807).