Mumblings - Francis Osman and Katherine (Skeffington) Dewey

Francis Osman Dewey (11^th generation)

Francis Osman Dewey was born in Reading, MA on July 13, 1877 and died on March 10, 1925 at Danvers, MA.  He married Katherine (also spelled Catherine) Skeffington on July 10, 1901 at Lowell, MA.  Katherine was born in Lowell, MA on June 13, 1871 and died in Reading, MA on February 25, 1963.  She was the only child of Patrick and Bridget (Daily) Skeffington.  Francis, Katherine and son George are buried with Francis’ parents in lot 905_601 in the Laurel Hill Cemetery in Reading, MA.  George was named after Admiral George Dewey (my aunt Elizabeth had a letter from Admiral Dewey talking about how George was named for the admiral).  George died at 4 years old of scarlet fever.

Francis Osman Dewey

Katherine (Skeffington) Dewey with Daughter Elizabeth

Edgar Osman, Elizabeth, Francis Osman, and Katherine Dewey - Laurel Hill Cemetery, Reading, MA

Katherine Skeffington (Dewey) standing on left, Bridget (Daley) Skeffington seated

Francis did not have a father figure as he was only 13 years old when his father Edgar Osman Dewey died in 1890 (see previous post on Edgar Osman Dewey).  At this time I do not know where the family lived from the time of his father’s death until Francis' marriage to Katherine.  He married Katherine in Lowell, MA on July 10, 1901.  It is unclear how Francis an English Protestant probably living in Reading, MA, met Katherine, an Irish Catholic mill girl living in Lowell, MA.  I speculate that Francis met her as a result of the sales of F.O. Dewey mill lanterns in Lowell.  (1910 census records show that Francis’ occupation was “lamps” indicating that he likely worked at F.O. Dewey & Sons in 1910.)  It is likely that neither the Dewey nor the Skeffington families were happy that their children married outside their religion.


Francis and Katherine’s daughter Elizabeth was born in Lowell on February 13, 1903.  So it is probable that Francis and Katherine lived with or near Katherine’s parents for several years.  Francis and Katherine were living in Reading by 1905 when their other children are born:  George (1905), Marion (1907), Robert (1910), and Donald (1912).

F.O. Dewey & Sons mill lantern

 [Although some family members might find the following material sensitive, I believe that other family members would want to know the following information about Francis’ life.]  Not having a father may have led to Francis' troubles later in life.  For many years, family members were reluctant to reveal details about Francis, however, I was finally told a little about what happened to him.  Sometime before September 12, 1918 (from Francis’ 1918 draft registration form), Francis became a patient at Danvers State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Danvers, MA.  I was told that Francis tried to commit suicide by standing in front of an on-coming train in Reading, MA.  As a result of that incident, he was committed at Danvers State Hospital for the rest of his life.  He may have had a nervous breakdown and/or been severely depressed.  The Dewey family was probably angry that he married an Irish Catholic mill girl from Lowell (the Dewey's did not provide much if any financial assistance to Katherine after Francis' commitment).  He could have suffered from what today we would call job stress.  The F.O. Dewey & Sons lamp business was by his uncle Frank and was soon to close.  His job may have been imperiled.  He could have could have created stress from raising a family.  Family members have stated that Katherine could be very hard to get along with.  It appears that she lied to Francis about her age.  Her birth certificate and marriage certificate (copies appear below) show a six year difference.  Francis may have found out about this discrepancy and been troubled by having married a women 6 years his senior.  Whatever the reason, he was removed from the household and resided at the hospital from at least 1918 until his death in 1925.


When Francis died, Katherine was left to cope with raising four young children.  Much like her mother-in-law Elizabeth, Katherine had to learn to raise the family without an income, without support from her own family (she was an only child and her parents had died before Francis was hospitalized: Patrick Skeffington died in 1905 and Bridget died in 1911).  It is unlikely that she received much if any financial support from the Dewey side of the family. The Dewey side of the family may have been tapped out if it had already provided assistance to Katherine's mother-in-law Elizabeth after her husband Edgar had died in 1890. Uncle Frank predeceased Francis in 1920.  I'm sure all of Francis children were affected by his hospitalization.  Katherine lived with her daughter Elizabeth for most of her life after Francis death.  The effect on my father Donald will be discussed in a future post.

Marriage Certificate - Francis O. Dewey to Catherine Skeffington

Catherine Skeffington's Birth Certificate

More about Katherine, her parents, and her life after Francis’ commitment to Danvers State Hospital will be in the next post.  

Francis and Katherine had five children:

Elizabeth Winifred (1902 - 2001)

George Franklin (1905 – 1909)

Marion Katherine (1907 - 2003)

Robert Francis (1910 – 1980)

Donald Lester (1912 – 1980)*

Edgar Osman (1878 – 1940)