Looking for the marriage of Ruth Roper to ? Eldredge/Eldridge. She is widowed on the 1920 Census with a 3 year old son - Robert. He gets adopted by a Robert Scott and becomes Robert Scott Jr - unless he really is the son of Robert Scott and the story was made up because the Sr was married. Would love to find birth record and adoption also. Ruth Roper was born in MA 12/1890 - I found her on the 1900 Census for MA then I couldn't find for 1910. Found out she dropped out of school in 1906 and that was the last I knew of her for three years until just a few days ago. Found out that she was in NY in 1932, widowed and her last name was Eldredge/Eldridge and traced her back from there. I believe I found her death - 4/17/1935 - but would like obit or death record. Any of this info on microfilm or online?



Thanks

Her death was actually April 7, 1935. Manhattan Death Cert #8081

Available from FHL on the following film:
Manhattan death certificates, 1920-1949
Vol. 16-17 cert. no. 7501-8500 1935
FHL US/CAN Film 2078771
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The family wasted no time in offering her will for probate!!!

NY Times
April 9, 1935

ELDGIDGE, RUTH A. (April 7). Estate more than $25,000. To Robert W. Scott, Jr., son, 134 E. 80th St., temporary estate in residue, principal at 35; Rebecca Dickson, employee, 134 E. 80th St., $10,000; Henry C. Turner, 222 New York Av., Brooklyn, Charles J. McDermott, 295 Henry St., Brooklyn, and Harrison B. Reynolds, 282 Marlborough St., Boston, Mass, executors.
==============================================

Thank you very much.

I'm going to start looking for her at Mass Archives - there is an 'index' to records from 1915 to 1970(son's birth) - then you would have to go to town to see actually record. Records before that time period are on microfilm there so I'll hunt for her marriage and possibly the husband's death. I have access to the NY Times online thru the Boston Public Library and nothing came up for me so again thank you very much for the help. Like I said in previous reply if you need anything at Mass Achives - please let me know.

Margaret

I have access to the NY Times online thru the Boston Library and was trying to find her obit to see where she is buried - I had no luck!!

Anyplace else to find out where she is buried?

Thanks
Margaret

The reason I responded earlier with death cert borough, date and number is becuase place of burial can be determined from the death cert. I could not find obit either.

You can obtain the cert from FHL as film loan or copy request, or from NYC Municipal Archives.

http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/records/html/vitalrecords/death...

This isn't quite what you asked for but it certainly is interesting...

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Friday October 23, 1925
MRS. SCOTT, CUT OFF IN HUSBAND'S WILL, FIGHTS FOR MILLION
Says Inventor was Insane, Accuses Ruth Roper of "Undue Influence"

Riverhead, LII., Oct. 23 - Claiming that her husband, the late Robert W. Scott, inventor of the knitting machine, who left an estate valued at more than $1,500,000, was "utterly incompetent on account of insanity" to make a valid will, and asserting too, that Ruth A. Roper, also know as Ruth A. Eldredge, practiced undue influence on testator, Mrs. Virgina C. Scott of Cupertino, Cal. is aksing Surrogate Pelletreau of this county to revoke the probate of the will and allow her to contest. She is the widow, but did not live with Mr. Scott. He died in Manhattan last year.

The widow now says she never heard of his death until a few days ago when she found from her bankers in Boston that the $350 per month that her husband had been depositing in the bank for her had not been paid lately. It was shown by the papers filed that she was served with the citation by mail and also by publication. She insists she never saw either notice.

Mrs. Scott is not mentioned in the will, which gives Ruth Eldredge $100,000. Albert E. Page of 1408 Avenue S, Brooklyn, mentioned as an assistant, gets $1,000 and after small bequests to the servants, the bulk of the estate goes to adopted children. The will was probated on April 14. Ex-Judge, Charles J. McDermott is one of the executors.

***

Brookly Daily Eagle, Sunday October 25, 1926
MRS SCOTT SEEKS DOWER RIGHTS IN INVENTOR'S HOME
Alleges Conspiracy by Husband to Prevent Her Sharing in $2,000,000 Estate

Mrs. Virgina C. Scott, of Capertino, Cal., has made another effort to get part of the $2,000,000 estate of her husband, the late Robert W. Scott, inventor of the knitting machine, who died in February of last year, leaving nearly all to Mrs. Ruth A. Roper Eldredge, who shared his palatial home in West Islip in his latter years.

The new effort is a Supreme Court action to impress dower rights on the West Islip property, which was willed to Mrs. Eldredge, and sold by her to Herbert J. Yates for $65,000. The property was held in the name of the Orowoc Realty Company.

Former Judge Charles J. McDermott, as executor and individually: Ruth Roper Eldredge, the Orowoc Corporation and Herbert J. Yates, the buyer, are among the defendents named in the action.

Defendents Attack Suit
All the defendents asked Justice May in Supreme Court yesterday to dismiss the complaint or to strike out "scandalous and irrelevant" matter. They object to allegations that in 1916 Scott separated from his wife, the plaintiff, and lived with Mrs. Eldredge, and that Scott was a man of violent temper and intense hatreds; that in order to defeat his wife's dower rights he conspired with others and acquired the West Islip property in Charles J. McDermott's name. McDermott conveyed it to the Orowoc Corporation.

Edward J. Byrne, attorney for Mrs. Eldredge, told Justice May that the courts had sanctioned such transactions, even when it had been shown that they had been made for the very purpose of defeating dower claims.

Says She was Decieved
Another allegation in the widow's complaint is that during her husband's lifetime she released to him her title to Rams Head Farm, near York, Me., valued at $25,000. She claimed she did not realize the significance of the paper she signed at the request of Harrison C. Reynolds, who is named as a defendent. But the lawyers told Justice May that she was well paid for that property.

Mrs. Scott's counsel contended that she had a good cause of action against all the persons named and Justice May reserved decision to give the lawyers time to file more documents on Nov. 1.

Last year Mrs. Scott made efforts to break her husband's will, which was admitted to probate by Surrogate Pelletreau in Suffolk County, but she was ruled out of court. The higher courts upheld Surrogate Pelletreau's decision. During his lifetime, Scott paid his wife $350 a month which ceased when he died.

***

A couple of thoughts...

A copy of the will would certainly be an interesting read...you might want to contact the Suffolk County Surrogate's Court.

Since Ruth Roper is supposed to have lived in West Islip after 1916, I checked the online index for Suffolk County mariages. There is an "almost but not quite" entry that may be worth checking out...

Eldridge, Harold Frederick, to LHommedieu, Ruth Adele; vol. 2, page 607, #7921, September 18, 1919.

The entry can be found at www.germangenealogygroup.com, "Databases"; "Naturalization/Vital Records"; "New York State Databases"; "Suffolk County". Ordering information is available on the Suffolk County page.

Hope this provides some new info. I found it on www.fultonhistory.com.

Lynn

WOW!!Thank you very much!

I'm really confused now - if she supposedly lived in Islip after 1916- her son was supposedly born in MA in 1916/17 and this Scott person adopted him!! The marriage record - I don't think it's her - she was born Ruth Agnes. I was thinking that the son of hers that was adopted by Scott was really his to begin with. I checked the Mass Archives and could not find a marriage for her or a birth for her son!!
Very interesting!! I wish my mother and aunts and uncles were alive to her about her!!!
I'ld love to see what the house in Islip looked like!
Again, thank you.
Margaret

I don't think she *lived* in Islip on a regular basis. The home there is referred to as a summer residence and that description would certainly fit the times. While Islip now is a *suburb* of NYC, in 1916 it would have been a little more *remote* and certainly, as a beachside town, a much cooler summer destination for the wealthy.

By the way, adoption records are sealed forever in NY State. You are not likely to find about about Jr by pursuing that route. And if there really was a legal adoption, it may also mean that the BC, if you can locate one, will give the last name of Scott, not Eldredge. (It will have been altered on account of the adoption.) You may have better luck checking churches that are local to the 1920 census address for a baptismal record. Any ideas as to denomination?

Lynn

Thank you for all the info you have provided!

Would love to see house in Islip. In Mass we can look at some deeds online and also look at the house if it is in the "property database". Anything like that in NY if I was able to find address?

My whole family is Catholic. The 1920 Census address is:
44 E 52nd Street.

I'm beginning to wonder if Ruth was ever married to an Eldredge. I have an aunt that had a child out of wedlock and she just started calling herself by a different last name. Told my cousin's teachers and whatnot that the father had died. He found out much later in life that this was not the case. It just seems very strange that Ruth's son was Robert Scott JR unless he was so young when he was adopted that the first name didn't matter to him - I thought maybe he was born with a different first name and when adopted they changed everything.

If you find anything else, it would be appreciated greatly!
Thanks
Margaret

The first article that I transcribed mentions *adopted children*...which would imply that Robert Scott Sr adopted Robert Eldredge/Scott as well as other(s). I would start with a copy of the will...which may be pricey if you go through Surrogates Court in Suffolk County. You never know what info might be in the will and with any luck, it might give a date of adoption. Because the will was contested, there may be quite a bit of documentation attached to it that might be helpful...if not just plain interesting. (I had a relative whose will was contested. The supporting documents had the birthdates and marriage date of the principals involved - info that wasn't available anywhere else since none of the events were registered with the city.) Anyway, perhaps some kind soul in Suffolk Co. would be willing to check it out for you.

Which reminds me...wills are adjudicated in the county of residence, not county of death. While Robert Sr died in Manhattah (NY Coutnty, his residence was Islip (Suffolk County). I would continue to search in Suffolk County for more info on the couple; the local library might be able to help you. (I'm not very familiar with Suffolk Co. resources.) Anyway, that marriage certificate might be worth a peek...even though not very much of it matches up. Of course, the date of the marriage is later than Robert Jr's birth so it might not really help much anyway. Oh well...

As for a photo of the house, you may get a better answer by posting this question on the Suffolk County board. NYC has some old (circa 1939) photos of houses in the 5 boros but I don't know what is available, if anything, in Suffolk.

Lynn