Ellen Gould

Ellen Jane (Andrews) Predmore Gould, born 27 Mar 1848 Bourne, Lincolnshire, England, died 31 Oct 1929 Ithaca NY. Ellen lived in the Mills’ home, possibly for over a decade, to help care for Hannah and to help Emily with the home and store. She was a devoted member of Brookton Baptist Church and active in the temperance movement.

"she was very proper and spoke with an English accent"

For my immediate purposes here, I will focus initially on the period of Ellen’s life that intersects with the Mills family, and fill in more detail later.

The following historical research comes from a direct descendent of Ellen Gould:

In the 1892 census, Ellen Gould, listed as Ellen J. Predmore, is apparently living in Brookton with her family, surrounded by many recognizable names. She married Alfred Gould in 1893. Alfred Gould worked on the railroad at Brookton Depot alongside George H. Richardson’s father and Jerome Miller’s father John.

The first (presumed) mention of Ellen in connection to the Mills family is an entry made by Emily in the sales journal of E. H. Mills general store: “1908, Jan 23, Sewing by Mrs. Gould, 0.75”.

Alfred Gould Died

Mar 6th 1909 no sleighing

BROOKTON.

Aged Resident Called Away by Death—Many Church Events, Past and Future.

Brookton, March 10.

Miss Ellen Lounsbery spent last week in Ithaca.

Jake Jewell has moved into Ezra Personius’ house.

Jefferson Lynch and family have moved into Henry Personius’ house.

Mrs. Howard Garrett of Chicago visited her sister, Mrs. Charles Mulks, the past week.

David Kidd of Dansville was a recent guest at the home of Mr. and Mrs. D. F. MeWhorter.

Mr. Mackey and family have moved from the Bates house and have gone to live in Slaterville.

Rev. D. W. Guthrie will preach at the Baptist Church on Sunday, both morning and evening.

A party of young people met at the home of Mrs. Ruth Graham last Friday evening and had a pleasant social time.

The women of the Congregational Church are planning for an Easter sale to take place on Friday evening. April 2.

G. W. Nasmyth will occupy the pulpit of the Congregational Church on Sunday, at both morning and evening services.

Mr. and Mrs. Milton Gorshire spent the latter part of the week with Mrs Gorshire’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. James E. Vandemark.

Alfred Gould, one of our oldest residents, died at his late home on Friday, March 5. His widow survives him. The funeral was held at the house on Monday afternoon, March 8, at two o’clock, Rev. A. B. Woodworth officiated.

The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union of Brookton held a Francis Willard memorial meeting in the Congregational Church on Sunday evening. Good temperance music was furnished and appropriate addresses were made by Dr. B. F. Lockwood and Mrs. S. G. Spaulding.

It isn’t clear when exactly Ellen started living in the Mills’ home, but she may have lived there roughly a decade, or possibly a dozen years. In late 1914, when Ellen is first mentioned in the “gossip columns” in relation to the Mills, Ellen had been widowed a second time, and it is in the final few years of Hannah’s life. Ellen was getting older herself, and this arrangement not only helped Emily care for Hannah, but also provided Ellen with additional social and financial support. It had the added benefit of being a short walk from both the Baptist Church, and her son Myron Predmore’s farm, located near Brookton Depot, in the area where the gravel pit is presently.

Mrs. Hannah Mills is very feeble.

Mrs. Ellen Gould is caring for Mrs. Hannah Mills who is still very feeble.

BROOKTON

Brookton, Dec. 5.—There will be preaching in the Congregational church Sunday morning. The Baptist Sunday school will meet at 12 o’clock as usual.

A cottage prayer meeting was held Thursday evening at the home of Mrs. Hannah Mills.

Harold Quick is spending the weekend in Binghamton.

William Vandemark did not move to Ithaca as he expected but concluded to stay in Brookton.

Mrs. F. B. Lounsbury who has been quite ill is improving.

Mrs. Ellen Gould attended a dinner at Caroline Depot Thursday. The dinner was given in honor of the birthday of her son, Myron Predmore, and was given by Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon.

Like Hannah and Emily, Ellen was active in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Both Hannah and Ellen were born in England, and Ellen at least, spoke with an English accent. This fact suggests the possibility that Hannah herself spoke with an English accent, but at the very least, Ellen’s familiar voice surely added comfort. Ellen’s temperament also sounds like it was very compatible with what we know of Hannah and Emily:

In Gertrude Conant’s recollections, she makes reference to Ellen and her relationship with Emily in the years after Hannah’s death:

[Emily] had a woman who lived in and kept house for and cooked the meals, and would stay in the store while she ate lunch and supper. I can't remember her name, but she looked a great deal like Miss Mills.

However, as the following reporting suggests, the relationship between Emily and Ellen seems considerably more than that of employer and employee. As Emily, Hannah and Ellen were members of the W.C.T.U. at that time, they were very likely well acquainted before Ellen moved in, and, as previously stated, it appears Ellen may have lived with Emily for a decade or more during which every major area of their lives seemed to have been intertwined, including many temperance and prayer meetings in the home. Ellen helped with both the home and store, and she and Emily also socialized together, although I don’t know how regularly. The women were only a decade apart in age, and it seems they had a great deal in common.

Mrs. Gould is keeping house for Miss Emily Mills.

I went with Wheeler up on Snyder Hill in forenoon to get a load of lumber for Myron Predmore Thunder showers in afternoon

June 8th 1917

Brookton Heights

Brookton Heights, Dec. 13.—The L. A. C. of the Baptist Church and the L. A. C. of the Congregational Church will join forces to do Red Cross work Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 19. The meeting will be held at the home of Mrs. Charles Mulks. The regular meetings of the Red Cross will continue to be held every Friday. The place of meetings for the coming month will be with Mrs. Gould at the home of Miss Emily Mills.

The W. C. T. U. will meet at the home of Miss Emily Mills with Mrs. Gould, hostess, Wednesday afternoon, August 20. There will be election of officers.

Brookton

Brookton, Aug. 23.—The W. C. T. U. met at the home of Miss Emily Mills with Mrs. Gould Wednesday afternoon, August 20. There was a good attendance. The election of officers took place and the following were elected: Mrs. B. F. Lockwood, president; Mrs. Harold Quick, vice-president; Mrs. Charles Mulks, secretary, and Mrs. C. C. Stanley, treasurer. These are the same ones who held office last year.

Mrs. Gould and Miss Emily Mills enjoyed a radio concert at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mulks Wedesday evening.

The Baptist prayer meeting will be held Thursday evening with Mrs. Gould, at the home of Miss Emily Mills. All members of the church and their friends are cordially invited.

Mrs. Ellen Gould, who has been spending a month’s vacation at Valois, Pittsford and several other places, has returned to her home with Miss Emily Mill.

Mrs. Ellen Gould, who has been staying at the home of her daughters, Mrs. Archie Kenyon and Mrs. Myron Predmore, has returned to her home with Miss Emily Mill. Mrs. Gould has been ill, but is much improved now.

The many friends of Mrs. Ellen Gould are pleased to hear she has recovered from her fall and will soon be back to her home with Miss Emily Mills.

Mrs. Ellen Gould, who has been spending most of the winter at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Myron Predmore, and who has recovered from the fall which she received in the early winter, has returned to her home with Miss Emily Mills.

Mrs. Ellen Gould, who spent a few days last week in Ithaca, has returned to her home at Miss M. E. Mills.

The Baptist prayer meeting will be held Thursday evening at 8 o’clock with Mrs. Ellen Gould at the home of Miss M. E. Mills. All who are interested in prayer service are cordially invited.

According to reporting at the time, sometime later in 1926 or early in 1927, Ellen moved out of the Mills’ home to live with her family for the last few years of her life. It looks as though she may have spent a significant amount of time at her son Myron Predmore’s home before finally settling with her daughter Clara. Ellen is mentioned often in the “gossip columns” during that time, but these are some of the more telling reports as to where she was living:

Mrs. Ellen Gould of Brooktondale is visiting her daughter, Mrs. Clara Van Alstyne of 521 Linn Street.

Mrs. Ellen Gould of Brooktondale, who has been visiting her daughter, Mrs. Clara Van Alstyne of 521 Linn Street, will return today from Groton, where she has been visiting Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Predmore.

James H. Gilkey of Ithaca and Mrs. Ellen Gould of this village were entertained Sunday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Myron Predmore.

Mrs. Ellen Gould, who has been ill for some time and has been staying with her daughter, Mrs. A. L. Kenyon, left Saturday for Ithaca, where she will visit her daughter, Mrs. George Van Allsine. Mrs. Gould’s health is somewhat improved.

Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Kenyon and their son and Mr. and Mrs. Myron Predmore motored to Ithaca Sunday afternoon and called on their mother, Mrs. Ellen Gould.

Harold Predmore called on his Grandmother, Mrs. Ellen Gould of Ithaca, recently. Mrs. Myron Predmore spent Wednesday visiting relatives in that city.

Although she had repeated boughts of illness, Ellen appears to have been active to the end:

Mr. and Mrs. Myron Predmore and Mrs. Ellen Gould spend Sunday evening with Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Osmun and Mrs. Minnie Conrad.

Mrs. Ellen J. Gould

Mrs. Ellen J. Gould, 81, died this morning at the home of her daughter, Mrs. G. M. Van Alstyne, 521 Linn Street. Funeral services will be held at 11 o’clock Saturday morning, November 2, at the Baldwin-Davis Undertaking Parlors, 421 North Aurora Street. Interment will be in Valois.

She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. G. M. Van Alstyne of this city, and Mrs. A. L. Kenyon of Brooktondale; one son, Myron B. Predmore of Brooktondale, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

BROOKTONDALE

Brooktondale, Nov. 6…

… Mrs. Ellen Gould, aged 81, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. VanAlstyne, in Ithaca. The funeral was held at the Baldwin-Davis funeral parlors Saturday morning. Interment was at Valois. Many of her friends and neighbors attended the funeral. …

Ellen is interred at Seneca Union Cemetery, Valois NY.

On 24 Oct 2022, Ellen’s great-great granddaughter, Carol Coggshall visited Brooktondale for the first time, on one of her regular return visits to New York to research her family history. I suggested that a summary of her visit may be of interest to any future readers, and she replied: “Feel free to add a summary of our visit. And mention what a wonderful tour guide you are.”

We met for lunch at Brookton’s Market (Mulk’s Store) where Carol gave a “show and tell” of her family tree, photographs of several of the ancestors, and diaries that I noticed had several similarities to George Jansen’s.

We then went on a walking tour of the immediate vicinity, and I told what I knew of the following landmarks:

• Brookon’s Market (Mulk’s store),

• the former location of the Shurter House, and a rough description of how the road once ran, and the orientation of the previous “lower bridge” before the road improvement that necessitated moving the Shurter House,

• “the old postoffice” (Mills’ store, where Ellen was known to work),

• Dalebrook Apartments (the old grist mill), and I pointed out the location of the mill pond and the course of the mill race,

• I also pointed out Dr. Lockwood’s home, Mulk’s home, and the meat market on the same side of the street as Mills’ store,

• Mills’ home, including the approximate location of the mill race bridge, as well as a rough idea of the course of the Brookton trestle which would have been clearly visible from both Mills’ store and Mills’ home.

We then drove around to see the following:

• the present location of the Shurter House,

• the gravel pit, where Brookton Depot (and one end of the Brookton trestle) and Myron Predmore’s farm once stood,

• Cooper Cemetery, where members of the Gould, Predmore and Kenyon families are buried,

• the former location of the Baptist Church, which Ellen attended,

• we drove by Quick/Brookton Cemetery but didn’t stop,

• Garrett Mandeville/Old Dutch Reformed Cemetery, which Carol remembered visiting some years before, where members of the Genung family are buried.

We then drove by the current location of the Baptist Church on Route 79/Slaterville Road and the former location of Besemer Station at the other end of the Brookton trestle.

Another detail I thought worth noting: Carol decided it would be appropriate to order the sandwich “Carol’s Medley” for lunch at the Market. From the Brookton’s Market menu:

Carol’s Medley

Your CHOICE OF turkey or ham with provolone cheese, tomato, cucumber, apple slices, & Dijon

$11.99

Served on your CHOICE OF wrap or bread: multigrain, rye, sourdough, white, or French peasant(GF options extra $0.75). Served HOT or COLD specified to your liking.

If memory serves, Carol chose turkey and French peasant–the bread choice recommended by the staff as the best option. Carol later wrote: “Sandwich and cookie were both delicious.”

The sandwiches are named for past employees who worked in the store after it became Brookton’s Market in Fall 2007, while I was in the process of purchasing Mills’ home. Carol’s Medley is named for Carol Bone, an original co-manager at that time:

Co-Manager Carol Bone, left will run the Brookton Market with owner and co-manager Deborah Halpern in the building owned by Halper’s son Avi Smith. Bone was the co-owner of Oasis Natural Grocery before it was sold to Greenstar and Smith is a graduate of the Alternative Community School in Ithaca who now lives in San Francisco.

In 2011, during a time that Carol was still co-manager, Brookton’s Market created and published a calendar with significant historical details as well as current photographs. Carol Bone has since moved out of the area, although I still occasionally see her in the Market on her return visits to Brooktondale.

Notes for Future Researchers

In Gertrude Conant’s recollections, she notes that Ellen Gould “looked a great deal like Miss Mills,” so when looking for photos of either woman, one must be cautious not to mis-identify one for the other. And so, I have also been trying to find confirmed photos of Ellen, but after the usual inquiries and reaching out to her descendants, it seems that as with Emily, there are currently no known photos of Ellen.