MARY ANN RILEY was said to have been born in Quebec, Canada around 1842. She was first seen in 1857, on the Portsmouth, NH street directory, at 1 Sudbury St. This was the home of Mrs Clara Johnson, the widow of Joshua. It was perhaps a boarding house, looking at the numerous people living there in 1850 census.
 1857 Portsmouth, NH Street Directory | Soon after this, on 6 Nov 1857 in Portsmouth, NH, she married Charles W Leavitt. No data, such as birthplace or names of parents, were listed on the marriage record. |
| In Arthur Locke's "Portsmouth and Newcastle Cemetery Inscriptions" book (1907), it shows, buried in North Cemetery: LEAVITT, Chas W and Mary A, had: Lizzie A, d. Nov. 15 1859, a. 15m.-10d. Charlie, d. July 24, 1860. The gravestone (at right) is no longer readable below Charlie's name, which must be where their parents names are inscribed. These are the only Leavitt names in this cemetery. |  |
1860 Portsmouth Ward-1, NH census
In the 1860 street directory, Charles W (a carpenter), was listed at 2 Wendell St. The above census entry for 1860, taken on 11 June, shows the household with no children. Eliza (aka Lizzie) had already passed by this time, and son Charlie probably was born after this date, only to die within a month. Note that she is listed as age 25 on this record (so born ca 1835), though records after this seem to indicate an 1842 date. No age was listed for her when she first married.
During the Civil War, Charles W Leavitt would enlist from Portsmouth on 18 Sept 1862, to serve with the 16th New Hampshire Infantry, a nine-month regiment. He was mustered out on 20 Aug 1863. The following year, it seems that he and Mary had split up, as she is seen in the Portsmouth 1864 street directory living at 27 Washington St, while he was boarding at 9 1/2 Cabot St. Charles would last be seen in the 1865 and '66 tax lists for the city. His parents having moved west (to Oshkosh, Wisconsin) at this time, he shortly followed them. No divorce record has yet been found for Charles and Mary, but both remarried in 1866 (Charles, of OshKosh, married Annie Keenan, in Exeter, NH on 2 Oct; Mary had married John H Dow in July).
During the Civil War, Charles W Leavitt would enlist from Portsmouth on 18 Sept 1862, to serve with the 16th New Hampshire Infantry, a nine-month regiment. He was mustered out on 20 Aug 1863. The following year, it seems that he and Mary had split up, as she is seen in the Portsmouth 1864 street directory living at 27 Washington St, while he was boarding at 9 1/2 Cabot St. Charles would last be seen in the 1865 and '66 tax lists for the city. His parents having moved west (to Oshkosh, Wisconsin) at this time, he shortly followed them. No divorce record has yet been found for Charles and Mary, but both remarried in 1866 (Charles, of OshKosh, married Annie Keenan, in Exeter, NH on 2 Oct; Mary had married John H Dow in July).
1870 Portsmouth, Ward-1, NH census
What became of Mary following the 1870 census is unknown. John H Dow would remarry in 1875, but record does not say if he was a widower or had been divorced.
GENEALOGICAL SUMMARY OF MARY ANN (RILEY) LEAVITT DOW
MARY ANN RILEY, the daughter of George and Lizzie Riley, was perhaps born in Quebec, Canada about 1842 [age 24 on 1866 marr rec; age 28 in 1870 census]. Her death date is unknown, but took place after the 1870 census. She married first, on 6 Nov 1857 in Portsmouth, NH, to CHARLES W LEAVITT. He was born in Bath or Portland, ME, the son of Daniel C and Martha W (Morton) Leavitt. He died 9 July 1915, and was buried in the Dayton, Ohio National Cemetery. She secondly married, on 29 July 1866 in Newington, NH, to JOHN T H DOW. The son of John T and Martha Ann (Locke or Lake) Dow, he was born in Newington, NH ca 1841, and died in Hampton, NH on 12 Apr 1904.
By her first husb, Charles Leavitt:
i. ELIZA "LIZZIE" ADELAIDE LEAVITT, b. abt Aug 1858; d. 15 Nov 1859 in Portsmouth, NH from whooping cough
ii. CHARLIE LEAVITT, b.unk, maybe after June 1860; d. 24 July 1860, perhaps in Portsmouth
Mary had two children by 2nd husb. John Dow:
i. IDA MAY DOW, b. abt 1868 (age 2 in 1870) in Portsmouth, NH; died 24 Nov 1960 in Hampton, NH. She married, on 25 Dec 1886 in Greenland, NH, to GEORGE H ROGHASKIE. They had two daughters. She had a son in 1885, George W Dow, with George Wescott, but he died at age 2 months.
ii. JOHN TAYLOR DOW, b. 8 Nov 1869 in Portsmouth, NH; d. 25 July 1942 in Portsmouth, NH. He was married to DOROTHY M YEATON, on 14 Sept 1889. They had nine children.
MARY ANN RILEY, the daughter of George and Lizzie Riley, was perhaps born in Quebec, Canada about 1842 [age 24 on 1866 marr rec; age 28 in 1870 census]. Her death date is unknown, but took place after the 1870 census. She married first, on 6 Nov 1857 in Portsmouth, NH, to CHARLES W LEAVITT. He was born in Bath or Portland, ME, the son of Daniel C and Martha W (Morton) Leavitt. He died 9 July 1915, and was buried in the Dayton, Ohio National Cemetery. She secondly married, on 29 July 1866 in Newington, NH, to JOHN T H DOW. The son of John T and Martha Ann (Locke or Lake) Dow, he was born in Newington, NH ca 1841, and died in Hampton, NH on 12 Apr 1904.
By her first husb, Charles Leavitt:
i. ELIZA "LIZZIE" ADELAIDE LEAVITT, b. abt Aug 1858; d. 15 Nov 1859 in Portsmouth, NH from whooping cough
ii. CHARLIE LEAVITT, b.unk, maybe after June 1860; d. 24 July 1860, perhaps in Portsmouth
Mary had two children by 2nd husb. John Dow:
i. IDA MAY DOW, b. abt 1868 (age 2 in 1870) in Portsmouth, NH; died 24 Nov 1960 in Hampton, NH. She married, on 25 Dec 1886 in Greenland, NH, to GEORGE H ROGHASKIE. They had two daughters. She had a son in 1885, George W Dow, with George Wescott, but he died at age 2 months.
ii. JOHN TAYLOR DOW, b. 8 Nov 1869 in Portsmouth, NH; d. 25 July 1942 in Portsmouth, NH. He was married to DOROTHY M YEATON, on 14 Sept 1889. They had nine children.
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