Rachel Luttrell and Her Widow's Pension Woes-Part 6

It wasn't easy being a widow in the 1800's. If a woman wasn't left with any real estate or money then she was facing some hard times, especially if there were children to raise. The options were few, as illustrated in an affidavit from Alfred Carpenter, age 30, in Bourbon County, Kansas.

"I have known Mrs. Rachel Luttrell for 

seven years. She has no real estate

and her personel properity, excepting her

house hold goods, is not worth more

than thirty dollars ($30.00). She does not

earn more than five dollars ($5.00) per month

from sewing and washing. She is not

able to earn a comfortable support for

herself and family. She is forty four 

(44) years old and of frail form and constitution

Mrs. Luttrell has two children that are wholly

dependent on her for a support. She has

two boys, Arthur and Edwin that labor when

they can get work to do. They helped their

mother last with about seventy dollars

($70.00)."

What really caught my attention in this affidavit was the names Arthur and Edwin. Rachel's oldest son was Thomas Arthur and her second son was John Edwin. In two other separate affidavits there is a reference to her husband, Hugh, as Lawson. This of course was his middle name. 

I am familiar with the German custom of using the middle name as the call name. However, the Luttrells are of Irish decent. Perhaps Rachel was German. With her maiden name being Schmuck it is a very good possibility. 

Discovering this family's use of middle names as call names has really changed my research direction. It has also made it just a little more confusing as well. As I've stated in previous posts, there were a lot of Luttrells and they all used the same names over and over again. 

This family sure keeps me busy!