Category Archives: Wedge family

James and Martha Wedge

Martha Wedge died in August 1908; her death certificate lists her as a widow and child of C. Briscoe and Olivia Briscoe. Daniel Webster, her brother, served as the informant.

Maryland State Archives

In 1900, Martha Wedge is enumerated in the census as an employee in the household of William Underwood in Piscataway District of Prince George’s County. Underwood is a merchant. The 1878 Hopkins Atlas of Prince George’s County Map, Piscataway District, shows the Underwood family living in the vicinity of the Accokeek Post Office along with the Manning Family.

In 1870, three decades earlier, Martha Briscoe and James Wedge are living in the Underwood household, William, a merchant in 1900, is a five-year old living with his parents, John and Mary Underwood, yeoman farmers, who had two domestic servants and a laborer in their household, including James Wedge and Martha Briscoe.

In 1880, they appear in the census as James and Catherine Wedge, still living Piscataway, but not with the Underwoods. They are living with Madison Butler, a Black carpenter.

Living nearby, enumerated three households before, is Daniel Webster and his wife Elizabeth Mahoney, her mother and siblings.. The families were living near the Mannings, who were near the Underwoods along Piscataway Creek. Joseph Manning claimed Matthew Mahoney, Elizabeth’s father in his compensation list that was submitted to the Prince George’s County Commission on Slave Statistics in 1867.

In 1900, Daniel is working as a Carpenter and living in Piscataway near his in-laws.

1880 Census | ancestry.com

Ernest S Wedge | USS Raleigh

Known Information

Ernest lists his occupation as a cleaner and dryer on his WW II Draft Card.

Sources

World War II Draft Card

The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for District of Columbia, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 241

Internment Card

U.S., National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962

Muster Rolls

Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, 1/1/1939 – 1/1/1949

Ernest Wedge served in the US Navy during World War II. He had the rank of Stewards Mate 1/C. He enlisted in 1943 and was honorably discharged in December of 1945. He died in 1949; he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, section 34. His muster records indicate that he first came aboard in 14 Mar 1944, indicating he attended training between November 1943 and March 1944.

World War II

Ernest served on the USS Raleigh, a light cruiser that had been damaged at Pearl Harbor. It was overhauled and repaired. In 1942 it was returned to service in the Aleutian Islands.

U.S. Navy photo 19-N-30916

The Japanese invaded the islands in 1942 and American forces recaptured Attu in June of 1943. U.S. troops remained in the Aleutians until the end of the war in 1945. 

Map from nps.gov

Messman/Steward Branch

The US Navy only allowed non-white sailors to serve in the Messman/Steward Branch, which was responsible for feeding and serving officers. Ernest served as a Steward’s Mate First Class. This rank was originally called a mess attendant.

Further Research Needed:

  • Locate more detailed service records from the National Archives

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Ernest S Wedge | proprietor of Valet Shop

Known Information

Ernest Wedge is listed as the son of James and Emma Wedge in the 1920 census.

Sources

1940 Census

940; Census Place: Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia;Roll: m-t0627-00558; Page: 10B | ancestry.com

World War II Draft Card

The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for District of Columbia, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 241

City Directory

Washington, District of Columbia, City Directory, 1938-1939 | ancestry.com

Newspaper

Evening Star 
Washington, District of Columbia
13 Jun 1934, Wed  •  Page 32

Ernest is listed in the household of his mother Emma Diggs in the 1940 census. His occupation is listed as a proprietor of a valet shop. His sister, Catherine, is listed as a clerk in a valet shop.

Location of Shop

His World War II Draft Registration card lists himself as his employer and that he is a “cleaner and dyer”. The address listed is close to Eastern Market and next door to where William H. Graham lived (303 7th Street SE).

In the screenshot from Google Maps, 303 7th Street is the red brick building. 301 is the cream building. Eastern Market can be seen in the background.

Prior to Valet Shop

In the 1938 and 1939 City Directories of Washington DC, his employer was Woodward & Lothrop, a large department store in DC. He was employed first as a porter and then a helper.

Woodward & Lothrop employed tailors, pressers and other service employees. As a helper, he may have worked in the Valet department.

Further Research Needed:

  • Locate a 1940 City Directory to determine name and other details for the Valet Shop

related posts

Benjamin Wedge | Browns, MD

Known Information

The 1910-1920 Census lists the place of residence for George and Mary Wedge as near Upper Marlboro, MD. Their death certificates list their place of residence as Browns, MD

Sources

1930 Census

1930; Census Place: Mellwood, Prince George, Maryland; Page: 2B | ancestry.com

Benjamin Wedge was born in 1888; he was one of the younger sons of George and Mary Elizabeth Wedge. In 1910, he is recorded living in his parents’ household, age 22 and already widowed. He has his own young son, that he named after himself, age 1. By 1920, he has remarried; He, his wife, Julia, and his son, Benjamin are living with his parents. Both the 1910 and the 1920 household are located near Upper Marlboro, MD.

In 1925, Benjamin was the informant for his mother’s death certificate. The place of residence was lists as Browns, MD. Browns is a small farming town northeast of Upper Marlboro and its own distinct community from Upper Marlboro. George Wedge, who died in 1924, died as a result of a kick to the head by a horse.

1930 Census

In 1930, Ben is in Browns Md. The size of the community appears to be small as the census enumerator specifically wrote the name of town next to the entries. Five families are listed on page 1B; four families are listed on page 2A and two on page 2B, for a total of 11 families. Robert Brown owns land worth $10,000 and William Marr owns land worth $5,000. Eight of the families rented their farms. Wedge’s monthly rent was $400, which when compared to the other Black tenant farmers suggested he worked a larger parcel of land, as some of the families’ rent were $100 and 150. It was still small compared to the white tenant farmers whose rent was $3,000 and $1500.

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George and Mary Wedge | Browns, MD

Known Information

George W Wedge died on 11 October 1924 and lived near Browns, Md. Mary Elizabeth Wedge died 25 April 1925 and lived near Browns, MD

Sources

Death Certificates

Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics (Death Record, Counties) Prince George’s County, [MSA SE43-3797] and [MSA SE43-3828] | Maryland State Archives

Record

1920; Census Place: Marlboro, Prince Georges, Maryland; Roll: T625_674;Page: 4A | ancestry.com

Both George and Mary Wedge had the village or city of Browns listed on their death certificate as their place of residence. Browns was a small farming community northwest of Upper Marlboro in the Marlborough District of Prince George’s County. It was located at the intersection of Brown Road and Browns Station Road, north of Cabin Branch. It is also near a community called Westphalia. The area is immediately southwest of Oak Grove.

Railway Station

Inside of Chesapeake Beach Railway Time Table for 1904, Smithsonian Institution Archives, RU 007181, Box 2, Folder 9, Image Number SIA2015-002378.
| Smithsonian Archives

RU 007181, Box 2, Folder 9;

A station was build near where Brown’s store was indicated on the map when the Chesapeake Beach Railway was built shortly before the turn of the century. The railway brought tourists to Chesapeake Beach until the Great Depression when it wasn’t financially viable anymore.

Hopkins, Griffith Morgan, Jr. Atlas of fifteen miles around Washington, including the County of Prince George, Maryland. Philadelphia: G.M. Hopkins, 1878.

Farming Community

The cluster of names around Benj H Brown with the store shows the location of Browns, Maryland. Westphalia is immediately to the west where the School House and Grave Yard are indicated. Brown appears to have operated the store as evidenced by advertisements run in the local newspaper.

The Prince George’s Enquirer and Southern Maryland Advertiser, 24 Apr 1896, page 2 | newspapers.com
Washington Times, 12 Aug 1909, page 9
newspapers.com

Further Research Needed:

  • Compare this residence with residences in the censuses

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James Edward Wedge | steel worker

Known Information

James Edward Wedge moved to DC shortly after the turn of the century in the early 1900s.

Sources

Draft Registration Card

U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 | ancestry.com

Summary Statement

James Wedge registered for the draft during World War I. His birth year was listed as 1875, compared to 1881 on his death certificate.

He listed his mother, Elizabeth Wedge, as a near relative and that she lived in Marlboro, MD. He was of medium height and medium build.

His home address is consistent with the address given on his death certificate and listed in the obituary.

Giesboro Point | Steel Manufacturing

Giesboro Point is located across the Anacostia River where it joins the Potomac River. The location is now part of the Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. The government rented the land during the Civil War, where it served as a Calvary Depot. Prior to World War I, the land was purchased by the the Firth Sterling Steel company and they established a steel plant with railroad lines to manufacture munitions. It became the Washington Steel and Ordnance in 1911 and was dissolved in 1921 after the war when demand for munitions ended.

Washington Times, 17 March 1907, pg 13 newspapers.com
Washington Times, 12 May 1907, p 44
Washington Times, 28 Apr 1917

World War I

During World War I, it employed thousands of men in the DC area to meet the need for munitions. It paid $2 a day for unskilled labor in order to hire laborers when immigration quota and the armed forces’ recruitment of men shrunk the labor pool.

Evening Star, 15 Dec 1918, p 40

Further Research Needed:

  • The document lists his mother as Elizabeth Wedge and connects James Wedge with the Wedge family in Marlboro, Prince George’s County. What other connections between the family can be established.

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James Edward Wedge | death certificate

Known Information

James Wedge married Emma Lee in Prince George’s County in 1900. They had several children listed in the 1920 census.

Sources

Death Certificate

Scanned Copy received from the DC Archives

Obituary

Evening Star 
Washington, District of Columbia
21 Jan 1922, Sat  •  Page 7 | newspapers.com

Summary Statement

James E. Wedge was born on 8 Oct 1881 in Prince George’s County Maryland to Geo. Wedge and Elizabeth Sharps, both of whom were from Maryland.

He moved to DC around 1901, which would have been shortly after his marriage to Emma. They lived at 1329 South Carolina Ave, SE.

He was a laborer in General Housework which suggests a janitorial position.

He died January 19, 1922 from apoplexy, or stroke after being in a coma for 5 days.

He was buried in Mt. Olivet.

Further Research Needed:

  • Compare the birth date for James Edward with census records
  • Identify the Sharps family and Elizabeth Sharps relation to them

related posts

Wedge and Lee families | marriages

Known Information

Emma Lee and James Wedge are listed as the parents on the death certificates of Sarah Irene Snowden, Emma M Wedge, and Joseph A. Wedge

Sources

Death Certificates

District of Columbia Deaths, 1874-1961

Image Number 01805, 1421, 1199

Marriage Records

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
CIRCUIT COURT
(Marriage License Applications)
1886-1984
T757

1900 Census

1900; Census Place: Election District 1, Anne Arundel, Maryland; Page: 25

Emma M. Lee and Jas. Edward Wedge applied for a marriage license in Prince George’s County, Maryland in 1900. They married in Upper Marlboro on 27 Jun 1900. Eddie Wedge applied for the license.

Catherine Lee and Robert Wedge also applied for a marriage license in Prince George’s County in 1904. They married in Upper Marlboro on 28 Dec 1904. George Wedge applied for the license.

1900 Census

Both Robert and James are listed in the 1900 Census with their father, George Wedge in the Queen Anne’s District of Prince George’s County. The census was enumerated at the beginning of June prior to the marriage of Emma and James at the end of June.

This suggests that Robert and James are brothers and it is likely that they married sisters from a Lee family living in the vicinity.

Emma Lee | possible census records

A search for Emma Lee in both Prince George’s County and Anne Arundel County does not return a census record that is overtly consistent with what is known about Emma Lee.

A possible record is of an Emma Lee, age 24, who is living as a boarder in a household in Annapolis. Other household members include Susan Wright.

Catherine Lee | possible census records

A search for Catherine Lee in both Prince George’s County and Anne Arundel County returns a possible record in District 1 of Anne Arundel County.

Catherine Lee is living in the household of Washington and Sallie Lee. Two sisters, Rose and Louisa are also listed in the household. Emma is not present.

Emma has several children recorded in the 1920 census, including a daughter named Catherine and Rose L(ouise). The names of her daughters suggests a connection to Washington and Sallie Lee.

In a previous post, a review of Washington Lee’s census records listed his children. Among these children were a Peter, Benjamin, Susan. Emma also has children named Peter Benjamin and Susanna in the 1920 census.

The similarity in names, as well as the proximity of Washington Lee in Anne Arundel County to the Wedge family across the river in Queen Anne’s District of Prince George’s County, suggests that Washington and Sallie Lee are Emma’s parents.

Further Research Needed:

  • What other connections can be made between the Emma Lee/James Wedge household and the Washington Lee household and or Catherine Lee/Robert Wedge household?

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