Trenholm Family History & Genealogy

Charles Elijah Abijah Trenholm was born in 1857 in Nova Scotia, Canada. He was born to John W, and Mary Elizabeth or Eliza Mason Trenholm. Charles married Emma May Brodie in Lowell, MA on May 3, 1881 in the First United Baptist Church on Church St., right down the road from where Emmas family lived at the time. Charles or Hijah as is found on his marriage record was 24 years old and Emma was 19. By 1884 Hijah is found as Abijah Trenholm in the Fitchburg, MA directories as a carpenter and living on 254 Water St. Emmas parents, Colon and Margaret Brodie had moved to Fitchburg around the same time as Charles and Emma. In November of 1884, Emma and Charles had a little girl named Lena May Trenholm. They were living on 139 Lunenburg st Fitchburg three years later when baby Walter Trenholm was born. He lived only 3 months before he died of general debility, which is a weakened state. Walter died in Feb of 1888, and by that fall, Emma had already married Charles Houle! Directories for Fitchburg indicate that Charles went back to Canada, most likely taking Lena with him. We later find out that Emma was very promiscuous and maybe have even been unstable all of her life. She certainly ended badly in Danvers Insane Asylum in MA. She never remembered being married or having any children.

Charles in the meantime most likely took Lena whom he called Lennie. Emmas family never knew anything of Lena, whereas the Trenholms knew her as Lennie from Boston. In 1890 we find a Charles Trenholm back in Fitchburg and there also is a Charles H. Trenholm in Somerville, which is part of Boston.

In July 1910, Lennie married William Fennimore in Boston. And sometime after 1889, Charles married Sadie Rivet Granger who was born in NY. In 1910, they are living in the Bronx as man and wife. We also find them both together in the 1920 census in Boston. By 1930, Sadie has died and Charles is a widower still in Boston. He died there in June of 1941 and is buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Boston, the same cemetery where his daughter and her husband lie.

Lennie never seemed to have any children that I could find. Her husband worked with jewelry. Lennie was a dressmaker when they met. They settled in Belmont, MA a short distance from Boston. About 20 years after they married, William had a stroke and died after collapsing in a store where he went to deliver a parcel. He was only 47 years old. Lennie went on to survive her husband for about 20 more years. She died at the age of 65 of a heart attack.

As far as I know this is the end of Charles Abijah Elijahs family tree. It may very well be that Lennie did not or could not have children due to her mothers problems. We will never know. We do know that her mother died in Danvers State Hospital for the Insane, in 1942. Her body was donated to Tufts Medical University and she was buried in an unmarked grave in Tewksbury in a cemetery specifically for bodies donated to the University.

David Edmund Trenholm was the fourth child and second son of William Wells Trenholm and Cynthia Allen born 16 Jul 1867 in Amherst, Nova Scotia. His father, William, was born in Fort Lawrence, Nova Scotia, but acquired land in Warren, east of Amherst, where he ran a modestly successful mixed farming operation. Upon his father's death on 11 Nov 1902, David inherited the family farm and continued living there until his death 21 Dec 1948.

The following appeared in a local newspaper first week in October, 1903 under the heading...

ISSUES: Mon.,Sept. 28, 1903 to Sat., Oct. 3, 1903

- On Wednesday, Sept 23, 1903, flags were flying over Northport, Cumb. Co., N.S. in honor of a happy event, which took place at the residence of Mr. Henry Anderson when his daughter, Lucy, was united in marriage to Mr. David Trenholm of East Amherst, N.S. The ceremony was performed on the lawn in the presence of about one hundred and twenty-five invited guests, Rev. J.H. Brownell of Shemogue, N.B. tying the nuptial knot. The bride was assisted by her cousin, Miss Edith L. Smith of Oxford, Cumb. Co., N.S. and the groom was supported by his cousin, G.M.Allen of Pugwash, Cumb. Co., N.S. The wedding march was rendered by Miss Mildred Anderson, sister of the bride. The bride was a former teacher in Northport, Mr. and Mrs. Trenholm will reside in East Amherst.

David Edmund Trenholm and his wife, Lucy Rebecca Anderson, are buried in the Baptist churchyard at Warren, just east of Amherst, Nova Scotia. The Inscription reads simply...

David Trenholm
1867 - 1948
his wife Lucy R.
1883 - 1938