John Hyde and His Descendants: The Otto Branch in Virginia

July 2004 Steve Otto Introduction

In June 1995 Edson L. Barlow published John Hyde of , , and His Descendants. With great care and detail, the booklet traces the Hyde family of Port Washington back to its founding immigrant, John Hyde, who came to America from England in 1732-33. A copy of Barlow’s work is available at the Port Washington Public Library (PWPL), and for the early Hyde history I have borrowed freely from it. Other sources include the bibles of Edmond & Catherine Hyde, Edmond & Caroline Hyde, and Alice Smith Hyde (currently held by James Nicholas Otto of Mechanicsville, Va.) and the personal papers of Florence May Port Washington Hyde, William is a harbor village located on a Long Hyde Otto, and Island, New York, Sarah Elizabeth peninsula known as Otto (currently both “Cow Neck 6 Peninsula” and the held by Carl Hyde “Gold Coast.” Map: Otto of Richmond, Long Island Sirvaide by Robartte Ryder, Va.). 1674 The document that follows does not try to follow every branch of every Hyde generation. Any- one interested in researching the other Hydes might usefully explore the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper, whose issues for 1841-1902 are available online in an unusually accessible format. Instead, I have held steady to the line leading to the Otto branch in Virginia. An exception is the sixth generation, the children of Edmond Hyde, Jr. and Caroline Travers. Here there was a kind of flowering, well documented and leaving an imprint on Port Washington that remains to this day. From time to time, often in the most unexpected places, one comes across an outstanding public library. The Port Washington Public Library is one, and I thank Elly Shodell and Carol Clark for their dedication, expertise, and help navigating the library’s considerable resources. John Hyde + Johanna Bennet The First Generation

John Hyde came from England to America in 1732-33 and settled at New York “The story begins with an old writing desk which is City, where he was a clothdresser. According to his daughter Sarah’s baptismal passed down through the record, he was the son of John Hyde. family, generation to He married Johanna Bennet in 1738 at . She was a daughter generation. In that desk, among the old bills, of Robert and Johanna (Stone) Bennet. Robert Bennet, a shipbuilder, was born newspapers and family at Warren Parish, Hampshire, England, in 1684 and was a son of William and heirlooms, is a ‘Copy of Elizabeth (Pinke) Bennet. Manuscript taken from John Hyde’s Bible at Cold- In 1750, while living at Cold Spring, Long Island, John Hyde enlisted in the Springs, New York.’ French and Indian War with Captain Hewlitt at Albany, New York. He was sent The author or copier is unknown and the with others to work on and continue a road between Canada and Louisiana. handwriting seems to When last heard from, he was in Virginia. change between the entries By 1757 his family had not heard from him for several years and believed he for around 1850 and the entries for around 1880.” had died. His wife Johanna went to New York City with her four little children, Edson L. Barlow, leaving many of their family possessions behind to be sold – including, Introduction, John Hyde of possibly, the John Hyde bible referenced in Barlow’s history. Long Island, New York, and His Descendants Together they had four children. The fourth child and second son was William Hyde.

William Hyde + Carolina Louisiana Brass The Second Generation

William Hyde was born Dec. 8/30, 1749, probably at Cold Spring, Long Island. He was baptized with the name John on April 5, 1750, at St. George’s Church in Hempstead, Long Island. He married Carolina Louisiana Brass on June 1, 1772, at Hempstead, Long Island. They lived at Oyster Bay, Long Island, and were recorded there in the 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1820 censuses. Carolina Louisiana Brass was born Nov. 30, 1752, in North Carolina and died Oct. 16, 1823. Together they had 12 children. The third child and second son was Henry B. Hyde.

Henry B. Hyde + Jane Smith The Third Generation

Henry B. Hyde was born Jan. 15, 1777, probably at Oyster Bay, Long Island. He was recorded at Oyster Bay in the 1810 through 1860 censuses (ship carpenter, 1850; cooper, 1860). He married Jane Smith, born April 28, 1778, in New York. Together they had 12 children. The sixth child and third son was Edmond Smith Hyde.

THE OTTO BRANCH IN VIRGINIA u 1 Edmond Smith Hyde + Catherine Mackey The Fourth Generation

Edmond Smith Edmond Smith Hyde, youngest Hyde, from the son of Henry B. and Jane Hyde, Mason Collection, Port Washington was born Sept. 16, 1811, and died Public Library. March 13, 1888. He was recorded Mason filed these images together, at North Hempstead, Queens suggesting the County, New York, in the 1840, woman is Catherine 1850, and 1860 censuses. He Mackey. Both images appear to be married Catherine Mackey on rephotographs of Dec. 23, 1832; she was born June older images. 15, 1817, and died June 23, 1876. She was the daughter of James and Elizabeth Mackey. Edmond married again, to Margaret Bigler, on Nov. 9, 1877; there are no known children. A notice in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle refers to either Edmond Smith or his son Edmond, Jr.: “Hog Cholera on Long Island: The hog cholera has appeared in many pens in Port Washington and a number of farmers have lost all their pigs. Henry T. Smith and Edmund Hyde are the principal losers.” (Sept. 3, 1887) Edmund and Catherine Hyde are both buried at the Old Free Church Cemetery at Port Washington. Together they had 12 children. The third child and second son was Edmond Hyde, Jr.

Edmond Hyde, Jr. + Caroline James Travers The Fifth Generation

Ernest Simon Edmond Hyde, Jr. was born identified these men Jan. 8, 1838, and died July 13, as Edmond Hyde 1917. News clippings refer to (left), son William Hyde (helm), and him as a “descendant of unknown (right), all Colonial ancestors”; “a on the elder Hyde’s prominent bayman who sloop. More likely: Edmond Hyde (left), used his sloop to provide son George Hyde fish for local and city (helm), and son William Hyde markets”; and, with his wife, (right). PWPL, N71 Caroline, as “descendants of the original settlers of Long Caroline James Travers Hyde. Island.” He married Caroline Brooklyn Daily James Travers on May 22, Eagle, Jan. 15, 1916 1858. She was born at Cold Spring Harbor on Sept. 9, 1825, and died Jan. 15, 1916. Her address at the time of her death was 10 Second Avenue, Port Washington. Her first marriage was to Daniel Travers, on May 9, 1850 (he died March 24, 1855), and there were two children: Alice C. Travers [Hults] was born Feb. 14,

2 u JOHN HYDE AND HIS DESCENDANTS 1851; and Ludlow D. Travers was born Feb. 12, 1854, and died in March 1854. Caroline’s parents were Daniel H. (b. Jan. 25, 1798; d. March 4, 1853) and Susan James (b. March 31, 1793; d. May 7, 1875). Edmond Hyde, Jr. was recorded with his parents in the 1850 census, and as a ship carpenter with his own family at North Hempstead in the 1860 census. Together Edmund and Caroline had four children: William Mackey Hyde, George C. Hyde, Daniel E. Hyde, and Charles E. Hyde.

William Mackey Hyde The Sixth Generation “Bill Hyde (right), William Mackey Hyde was born May founder of Port 12, 1860, and died Nov. 21, 1927. He News, swaps fish stories with friend.” married Caroline “Carrie” D. Waite PWPL, N375 (b. 1855, d. 1948) on July 2, 1892, in Brooklyn; they had no children. Local historian Ernest Simon recalled, “His wife, known to her family and many friends as ‘Aunt Kad,’ was a good cook and one of her favorite dishes was cooking spiced mussels and preserving them in glass jars. She gave me a jar one time and the mussels tasted delicious .” (PWPL, N375) An avid sportsman, William was a member of the Port Washington Trap [Skeet] Shooting Club, which flourished in the early 1900s. William Hyde was founder, editor, and publisher of the Port Washington News. This newspaper was published every Friday, and a one-year subscription cost $1. The first microfilm article at the Port Washington Public Library is dated January 23, 1903. In the first issue Hyde declared, “It is the intention of the management to make a strong exponent of County, Town and Local affairs, especially the betterment of the community . . . and it will work hand and hand with those who favor village improvements.” A local history notes: “True to his word, Hyde, member of an old Port Washington family, became one of the most influential and probably the loudest voices in Cow Neck in matters of politics and civic betterment. He supported the Republican Party but was quick to point out what he considered stupidities and had no compunctions about editorializing in news columns. Typical was his reference to opponents of Supervisor Edwin Willets as a ‘certain unprincipled clique’.” (Turn of the Century XII, p. 17)

THE OTTO BRANCH IN VIRGINIA u 3 Port Washington Ernest Simon described William Hyde at length in an article that was part of News his series “Port Remembered”:

Eddie Hyde, son of “After attending the Port Washington Public School which stood on the George C. Hyde, corner of Mill Pond Rd. and Pleasant Ave., William Hyde took a job in commenced this week to Brooklyn. He married Caroline Waite of that borough. He did a lot of attend Prof. Carl Hild’s Conservatory of Music in newspaper work for several Brooklyn and New York dailies. New York City where he “His keen interest in newspaper work and his love for Port Washington will receive instruction brought him back to his native town. In 1903, with a minimum of capital but in the violin. Feb. 14, 1903 unlimited energy, he established the Port News. Legend has it that the first issue of the paper, on Jan. 20, 1903, was folded for mailing on the billiard tables Hyde Bros. Orchestra furnished music for of John Bradley’s Port Washington Hotel. dancing, which was “At first the paper was printed in New York City, arriving every week by heartily enjoyed railway express. The copies were hustled down to the founder’s house, then on [at the Robert Jarvis couple’s 30th wedding Jackson St. Then came the task of folding it, addressing it to the subscribers, and anniversary]. rushing it to the Post Office. December 11, 1903 “Several years afterward it was printed in the shop of the Sea Cliff News, Mrs. E. Hyde and then owned by Fred Maidment, a printer by trade and an executive of the Mrs. Alice Hults spent the Nassau Light and Power Co. The paper was shipped to Port via railroad and day with Mrs. C.E. Hyde Monday. trolley. The first office of the Port News was on the second floor of the Post February 26, 1904 Office building, then on lower Main St. “In the early 1910s, Hyde opened his own print shop. Mrs. James M. Hyde, whose hands were badly “In early 1916, Hyde purchased a building at 166 Main St., where he opened burned while endeavoring an officeand also established a printing and publishing business, using a to put out a fire at her linotype machine. Hyde was so happy about this plant that he had his linotype house recently, is nearly recovered from her machine and operator in the front window so all who passed could see the type injuries. being set. The News remained at this location until 1950. It is currently at 270 February 26, 1904 Main St. The Duke, Hyde Brothers’ “In his early days Hyde wrote for the Brooklyn Daily Times, New York launch, was the first out Herald and New York Recorder. City newsmen who came to Port on this season. She made her appearance last Saturday assignment invariably met him in the course of their work. On returning to the in charge of George C. city they were loud in the praise of his keen news interest and helpfulness. His April 1, 1904 name was as well known in Park Row in those days as that of the famous ‘byliners’ of the time. Port Washington “Editor Hyde’s keen grasp of the true meaning of a public issue was uncanny; he was right in most cases and only on rare occasions was any cause he sponsored defeated. He was fair to his opponents, always gave them equal space in the paper. “Self-taught as a writer, Hyde developed a simple yet vigorous style, which was as characteristic of him as his simulated gruff tone and business demeanor. He stood for the best things in the community, and was an untiring booster of the public schools. He played hard as well as worked hard and loved to hunt, fish and sail. He had few peers as a yachtsman or sportsman. “Unlike most newsmen, Hyde never swore. His only epithet was ‘Dard- blame this’ or ‘Dard-blame that.’ Many of his friends used to say that Bill was better known for what he left out of the paper than what he put into it.” (May 7, 1970) Early copies of the paper give a detailed, intimate picture of life in Port Washington and the concerns of the day. In 2004 the paper, still a weekly, is part of Anton Community Newspapers, Inc. and has the bland lack of texture

4 u JOHN HYDE AND HIS DESCENDANTS characteristic of such chains. The local office, still at 270 Main St., is a small News cubbyhole space, usually closed, with a dropbox posted outside for press Dr. William T. Cocke may releases. now be numbered among “The story is told that Bill’s death in November 1927 was brought about the automobilists in this through his favorite hobby, fishing. He had been fishing in New Suffolk, on vicinity. A machine, purchased from Hyde the shore front of Peconic Bay, and brought home a large catch. He insisted on Bros., arrived on cleaning them at once. He said he had a little cold coming on, and his family Saturday, and the doctor lost no time putting it into tried to persuade him to wait a while. In cleaning fish you have to use your commission. It is not the hands in cold water, and Bill insisted on cleaning his fish right away. He died doctor’s intention to rely a few days later from pneumonia and many believed that the cold water helped entirely on the automobile in visiting his patients. to bring on pneumonia. He was treated by one of the best-known physicians in He is an enthusiastic the vicinity, Dr. Kiesley of Manhasset. But it was too late. horseman and cyclist, as “When Bill died his brother Buck [Charles] had a large boulder removed well, and will alternate in the usage of his from a spot in off the shore of Barkers Point which was conveyances. known as the favorite fishing hole of the Hyde family. Buck had the large June 4, 1904 boulder moved to the Nassau Cemetery and placed in the middle of the large family plot. On it was a metal plaque describing the family ‘fishing hole’ off Barkers Point.” (Ernest Simon, PWPL, N375) Simon’s recollection here seems to have improved on the facts: William Hyde died in 1927, three years after the 1924 date noted on the boulder’s marker.

Daniel E. Hyde The Sixth Generation

Daniel E. Hyde, noted as the third son of Edmond Hyde, was born Nov. 26, 1865, and died Feb. 13, 1937(9?). A news clipping describes him as “a well- known restaurant operator and clam, fish and oyster merchant.” With his brother Charles, he was a member of the Port Washington Brass Band, where he

“When Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated as President in 1905, the men of the Port Washington Band played in the inaugural parade in Washington. Shown are Daniel Hyde (bass drum), Charles Hyde and George Cocks (cornets).” Simon, PWPL, N46

THE OTTO BRANCH IN VIRGINIA u 5 played the bass drum. He married Catherine Gunn on March 13, 1887. The Hyde bibles (see introduction) record these children: • Maud Edna Hyde, noted as the first daughter of Daniel and Catherine Hyde, born Jan. 4, 1888. • William Hyde, noted as the first son of Daniel and Catherine Hyde, born Dec. 26, 1889. An addendum to Barlow’s history notes two additional daughters (Grace, Ethel) and that Maud married Burtis Monfort, Sr. of Port Washington.

Charles E. Hyde The Sixth Generation

Charles E. “Buck” Hyde, son of Edmond Hyde, was born Oct. 18, 1870, and died Dec. 3, 1947. He married Clare D. Lewis on July 7, 1889; and later married Marion Hester Collins on Jan. 17, 1924. Charles lived on Bonnie Heights Road in Port Washington. He was a Mason and Odd Fellow; a news clipping identifies him as an Internal Revenue Inspector. With his brother Daniel, Charles was a member of the Port Washington Brass Band, where he played the cornet. Ernest Simon recalled that when the first ferry boat “Nassau” arrived from New Rochelle in 1931, Charles, “feeling the old timer spirit rising within him, donned a band hat and, with baton in hand, led the musicians in playing several selections.” (“Port Remembered,” May 6, 1971) He founded Baxter and Hyde real estate and insurance firm, located at 277 Main St. in Port Washington, which later became the Charles E. Hyde Agency. A realty broker, he is credited with developing the Maplecrest section of Port Washington, around 1910. And he wrote strongly in the Port Washington News opposing incorporation of the Manorhaven section: “I dare predict that it will be but a few years before they throw up the sponge and seek to come back where they were. The incorporation of this section is no loss to Port Washington whatsoever.” (J. Kent, Local Government–Port History, p. 11) In 2004 Hyde Realty remains, with Diane Anderson as the firm’s president and “Serving the Gold Coast since 1906” as its business slogan. The

6 u JOHN HYDE AND HIS DESCENDANTS agency, with a slightly shabby and rundown appearance, is still located at 277 Main St. Charles was among the local yachtsmen who founded the Port Washington

Opening day at the Port Washington Yacht Club, May 1905. PWPL

Yacht Club, which opened in May 1905. “The first club house was a shore-front building that had housed the offices of the Murray and Reid Sand Company. . . . The club’s first annual regatta held on the Sound, on July 19, 1921, saw 32 boats competing in the smaller class. . . . So dedicated is the membership to its activities and fellowship that when a fire of ‘unknown origin’ burned the club house to the ground in 1954, a new club house was started within weeks and completed by the end of the year.” (Incomplete History of Port Washington and the Cow Neck Peninsula, Yachts and Country Clubs, p. 2) The Hyde bibles reference two children: John M. Hyde, noted as the eldest son of Charles and Clare Hyde, was born Jan. 20, 1890, and died March 15, 1890; and Lauretta Lewis Hyde, noted as the first daughter of Charles and Clare Hyde, was born May 17, 1891. From the second marriage, Marion C. Hyde was born April 28, 1935, and was killed by an automobile on Feb. 15, 1940. An addendum to Barlow’s history notes that Lauretta married Reginald Walker and had a son, Charles “Bucky” Hyde Walker, owner of the Hyde Real Estate and Insurance Agency, located at 277 Main St. in Port Washington.

THE OTTO BRANCH IN VIRGINIA u 7 George C. Hyde + Alice Smith The Sixth Generation

George C. Hyde, son of Edmond Hyde, was born March 16, 1863, and died at home May 20, 1949, after three days in a coma. The cause of death was given as head injuries sustained when he fell into a hole in Manorhaven Boulevard where county improvements were under way. His address at the time of his death was 4 Hickory Road, Manorhaven. George married Alice Smith on Jan. 16, 1887. She was born in August 1868 and died July 6, 1941, at home, 5 Locust Avenue, of complications from a summer cold she caught at the “family summer place in Quogue.” Her obituary notes, “She was well-known here and very Summer house at popular throughout the community and East Quogue, Long Island, July 1940. endeared herself to a large host of friends.” Below: 5 Locust She was the daughter of Samuel and Avenue, Port Adeline Smith of Brooklyn; the sister of Washington, 1932. Frank B. Smith, a well known realtor; sister of Florence Fearon; and sister of Madeline Taylor, of Jamaica, New York. George married a second wife, Libby, who did not bear any children. In 1917 George was appointed deputy commissioner of jurors; in 1926, commissioner of jurors. A news clipping also describes him as the State Sealer of Weights and Measures. He owned a sporting goods and boating store called “Hyde Bros.” near the waterfront in Port Washington. Frequent store advertisements placed in the Port Washington News offer bicycles for sale with full guarantee, repairs a specialty, prompt service, and sundries of every description. He lost a leg in 1934 when an infection centered in an injury he had received at age 14 while skating. A news clipping describes him as an accomplished violinist and the conductor of a Port Washington orchestra; this was probably the Hyde Bros. Orchestra referenced in the Port Washington News, which seems to have evolved into the Port Washington Brass Band. Together George and Alice Hyde had five children. The fourth child and second daughter was Florence May Hyde, who, in marrying William Otto,

8 u JOHN HYDE AND HIS DESCENDANTS began the Otto branch “The bicycle run which was to have in Virginia. Their been held from Hyde other children Bros.’ store on June included: 11 is down for Fourth of July morning. At Adeline B. Hyde, the start all who enter noted as the first will get a card with name and number on daughter of George it. This card will be and Alice Hyde, was I.D.’d at Roslyn, then born Jan. 17, 1888, and again at Gibson’s corner, Manhasset, died March 20, 1888. then again at Port Edmond Hyde, Washington. These noted as the first son cards will then be put in a box and shaken of George and Alice up. The first one Hyde, was born Feb. drawn will entitle the owner of such card to 18, 1889. A news a Rambler bicycle, not clipping notes his residence as being in California. According to a genealogy to exceed $40 in compiled by G.L. Williams (PWPL, LI929.1H), Edmond married Grace value. This is a chance for some one Wilkinson and together they had five daughters: Beatrice Hyde Fahlbuch, to get a good bicycle Charlotte Hyde Allen, Alice Hyde Severtsen, Florence Hyde Demschick, and at no cost, as Hyde Jeanette Hyde Lewis (family of Lewis Oil and Coal). Bros. charges no fee to enter. This will be Samuel Hyde was born March 10, 1891, and died July 15, 1899. He drowned no run of speed, but a while swimming near “the old mill” after venturing too far into an area that had slow and enjoyable ride.” Port deep holes and a strong tide. Efforts to find his body were abandoned at Washington News, midnight; his body was recovered the following day after being spotted by his June 25, 1904 grandfather. Kenneth C. Hyde was born Oct. 3, 1894, and died after a long illness on August 1, 1960. He lived at 45 Haven Avenue, Port Washington. His newspaper obituary notes, “He had been in the automotive business most of his life,”

THE OTTO BRANCH IN VIRGINIA u 9 probably referring to Hyde & Hults, a garage that provided supplies, repair, and storage for cars. He married Edith Kelly. Together they had a daughter, Edith Hyde, who married a Mr. Kraft.

Florence May Hyde + William Henry Otto The Seventh Generation

Florence May “Chic[k]” Hyde, daughter of George C. Hyde, was born April 4, 1893, and died Aug. 4, 1982. She was baptized April 2, 1904, and confirmed May 25, 1952, both at St. Stephen’s Chapel, Port Washington. She married William Henry Otto (b. June 1, 1888, in ) of Brooklyn on April 4, 1912. The wedding was held at Christ Church in Manhasset. Witnesses were Charlotte E. Brockman; Lauretta Lewis Hyde (later Walker), a cousin; Kenneth C. Hyde, her brother; and J. August Otto, the groom’s brother. They divorced on Feb. 3, 1939, and Chic took back her maiden name. A 1926 postcard notes, “Dinner and spent the night on this island [Mont Saint- Michel, Paris], after breakfast we climbed to top of mountain church.” A passport issued in 1958 shows entry stamps for Switzerland, Belgium, France, and Italy. In later years she often recounted how much she enjoyed travel with her longtime co mpanion, James Hill. According to a news item she clipped and saved, “‘Chic’ Hyde looked almost bridelike at the golden wedding celebration of her parents . . . and Alice Hults held the center of the stage as guest entertainer.” Chic lived at 5 Locust Avenue in Port Washington, where her mother died in 1941. Later she rented out this property: Her income journal for 1956 records monthly rent payments for a first-floor front apartment (furnished) of $135; first-floor rear apartment, $75; second-floor front apartment, $65; and second- floor rear apartment, $75. Apparently this arrangement ran afoul of local ordinances. In a letter to Chic dated Sept. 29, 1967, Ethel Marie Walker writes: “Please note that I hereby hold you harmless from any further obligation for the legal expenses involved in the defense of a current pending action against you instituted by the Incorporated Village of Baxter Estates regarding the multi

10 u JOHN HYDE AND HIS DESCENDANTS family occupancy of the property I am about to purchase at 5 Locust Avenue.” Family members recall Chic taking the train “to go to business” in the city, and in 1941 her son noted that she worked in New York City. Chic owned property on Shore Road at Mt. Sinai, Long Island, a portion of which she sold in 1961 to John F. Weeks; the remainder she sold to Donald & Suzanne Van der Kolk on contract beginning around 1969. In later life she lived at 698 W. Camino Real, Boca Raton, Florida; then at 200 E. Royal Palm Road, #201, Boca Raton; and finally at 5100 Montebello Circle in Richmond, Virginia. The Carl Hyde Otto family remember her driving to visit them in Connecticut, accompanied by her poodle “Pierre” and bringing fresh Florida peaches. She bought two lots in her son’s planned development at Lake Lure, North Carolina. Her later years were plagued with arthritis. Partly as therapy for this ailment she became skilled in needlepoint and découpage, sometimes selling her work and sharing generously with friends and family members. A number of her pieces remain in the family. A December 1980 letter from the Charles Hyde Agency, signed by Charles Hyde Walker, asks for guidance on renewing Chic’s “fur floater” policy, which covered “one natural wild mink jacket, $750; and one royal pastel stole, $425” for an annual premium of $15. Together she and William Henry Otto had one son, William Hyde Otto. In a deposition dated Oct. 24, 1941, son William stated, “I have no knowledge at this time of the whereabouts of my father,” an echo from the second Hyde generation destined to echo again in the ninth.

William Hyde Otto + Sarah Elizabeth Robins The Eighth Generation

William Hyde Otto, only child of Florence and William Henry Otto, was born Nov. 20, 1913, and died May 8, 1999. He married Sarah Elizabeth “Liz” Robins of Richmond, Virginia. The wedding, announced by the bride’s parents for Aug. 9, 1935, took place July 19 in Elkton, Maryland. William Otto was raised at 5 Locust Avenue in Port Washington. He attended Cornell University (1932-33) and the Virginia Mechanics Institute at Richmond,

THE OTTO BRANCH IN VIRGINIA u 11 Virginia, taking a job as chemist’s assistant at the American Tobacco Co. His weekly salary was $25. During World War II he served as a bomb disposal officer with the British and American armies in Africa, Sicily, and Italy. A Jan. 2, 1944, bulletin by George Hicks, war correspondent reporting from the American Fifth Army in Naples, Italy, describes: “The duty of these men is to dispose an unexploded, William Hyde Otto delayed action bomb or in Paris (left); and in other objects which drop 1958 at the Excelsior from the air, which include Hotel, Beirut. unexploded shells; also other duties, some of which include booby traps. . . . It’s a quiet, intense, thoughtful group – like scientists – and is filled with a strange, unquenchable morale. They were all volunteers. . . . The officers are . . . and Lieutenant William H. Otto of Richmond, a Research Chemist for the American Tobacco Company.” When the European conflict ended, he served as a civilian personnel officer at Raritan Arsenal in New Jersey; and then joined Aramco in 1946 as a personnel specialist. He was first posted to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, assigned to take a census of nonemployee residents’ needs in areas adjacent to the company’s facilities; and then to Ras Tanura, where he super- vised the establishment of Harhimah as a major employee housing housing area. In 1949 he returned to Dhahran as assistant to the general manager. On his retirement he traveled leisurely to Beirut, then Lausanne, then by car to Lisbon, and crossed the Atlantic by boat. He took up residence at 680 N.E. Broadview Drive in Boca Raton, Florida, while building a house, co-owned with his mother, at 318 S.E. 7th Avenue, Delray Beach. At his death in 1999 he owned property at Lake Lure, North Carolina; and at Edisto Beach, just outside Charleston, South Carolina. Sarah Elizabeth “Liz” Robins was born April 13, 1913, and died June 5, 2001, in Richmond, Virginia. She was the third daughter of Bunyan and Lena [Chalkley] Robins. Her father, Bunyan Robins (b. Nov. 17, 1867, d. April 13, 1940), was a deacon in the Barton Heights Baptist Church and was the second son of A.H. Robins, also a deacon (Second Baptist Church) and founder of the A.H. Robins pharmaceutical company. Liz graduated from the Comptometer School on Dec. 17, 1930, with a final achievement score of 97 percent. When she met William Hyde Otto she was working at Standard Oil. On her 1935 marriage license,

12 u JOHN HYDE AND HIS DESCENDANTS her occupation is given as “comptometer operator.” In 1941, on returning to their apartment at 2416 Barton Avenue (Richmond, Va.) from the hospital after giving birth to her second son, Jim, Liz discovered that canned goods, furniture, and her husband had all disappeared. Her widowed mother came to live with and help care for the family. Liz retained a private detective and subsequently obtained a court order dated Dec. 10, 1941, dissolving the marriage with William Otto on the grounds of adultery; awarding her sole custody of their children (Carl, 5 years old; and James, 7 months old); and ordering monthly alimony payments of $82.50 and payment of all support “now in arrears under previous orders of this Court.” Depositions related to the divorce proceedings are extant. At the time of the divorce, Liz was employed by the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company at $20 per

Elizabeth Robins Otto with son Carl in Richmond, June 1941.

James Robins Otto and Carl Hyde Otto in Richmond, July 1941.

week. Alimony payments throughout the war were enforced by the War Department. The two continued to correspond; and, in a letter dated 1946 and in a telegram from Cairo, Bill proposed that they marry again. They did not, and Bill subsequently married several more times, with one known child. After the divorce Liz continued living with her mother at the Barton Avenue address and began rebuilding her life as a single mother. At one point, when her mother died, she placed her sons for two years in the Richmond Boys Home (they gave up their dog, Freckles). She worked as a payroll clerk at Larus Bros. Tobacco Co.; attended Smithdeal-Massey Business College, 1957-61; and tested for the G.E.D. through the Richmond Public Schools in 1965. For many years she worked for Haywood Nelms, Jr., owner of U-Tote’m of Virginia, a chain of grocery stores, and she retired from there as accounting supervisor. She occasionally returned to work part time and had an excellent relationship with her employer: “I guess if I lived forever I would never be able to thank you properly for what you have done for us over the years in good times and bad.” (Mr. Nelms, letter dated August 1987) Liz married a second time, to William James Immig on Nov. 19, 1966. They had no children. Together they lived at 5107 E. Seminary Avenue, Richmond,

THE OTTO BRANCH IN VIRGINIA u 13 Virginia, partners well matched in bridge, travel, and each other’s company. He died Nov. 17, 1973, and in a letter to his children Liz noted: “Your Father was one of the finest men I have ever known, good, kind, fair in all his deal- ings, and a very proud man.” In her retirement years Liz made and gifted a number of hand-knotted wall hangings, some which remain in the family. In remarks at her funeral, her son Jim remembered Liz’s success over- coming the family’s early challenges: “At Christmas we didn’t know if there would be a tree, but you had some special people that worked to make sure us kids had something every year. . . . Our cousins helped us to learn to ride bikes, showed off their water skiing skills, and showed us how to have fun as a family. . . . Even during the years Carl and I were at the Home, you would ride the bus, stand in front, and watch for me to join you. Carl later taught you how to drive, and then still later taught me. . . . Weekends at the Byrd Theater, touring the Boulevard and even watching Carl march with the band from Byrd Park in the massing of the cadet corps. Boy he could blow a good trumpet. . . . You always stayed awake and listened to us talk about our dates. . . . You were the prettiest mother of the groom any two boys could have.” Liz was buried with her parents and other family members at Riverview Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. Her son Carl Hyde Otto was born July 13,

1936; he married Mary Ellen Garber on June 10, 1958. She was born Dec. 16, 1936. Her son James Robins Otto was born March 27, 1941; he married Hieldreth Jane Bogan on Dec. 12, 1964. She was born May 13, 1942.

14 u JOHN HYDE AND HIS DESCENDANTS Old Free Church Cemetery

Early members of the Hyde family are buried at the Old Free Church Cemetery. The first of Port Washington’s churches, the Old Free Church stood at the head of Mill Pond, roughly where Pleasant Avenue now intersects Mill Pond Drive. In 2004 the site is largely given over to municipal works. In the late spring, with the foliage still sparse, it’s possible to glimpse headstones atop an escarpment behind the works; and there is a chained gate barring accessto heavily eroded steps leading up the hill. A rusted sign, still legible, marks the site as the Old Free Church Cemetery.

Nassau Knolls Cemetery and Memorial Park

Many later members of the Hyde family are buried at Nassau Knolls Cemetery, A Hyde boulder a pleasant well-tended site located off of Port Washington Boulevard. The B Marion B. Collins family plot is located in Section 1 near the main gate and is easily identified by 1879-1961 the large boulder placed by Charles “Buck” Hyde in 1924. C Marion C. Hyde 4-28-35 | 2-15-40 D Charles E. Hyde 1870-1947 E Marion C. Hyde 1900-1990 F Charles Hyde Walker BOULDER MARKER: 1925-2002 G Reginald D. Walker THIS ROCK WAS TAKEN FROM 1890-1949 H Lauretta L. Walker THE SHORES OF BARKERS POINT S 1891-1984 PORT WASHINGTON N.Y. IN 1924 I Clare D. Hyde 1871-1932 TO THIS DATE FIVE GENERATIONS R J Father George C. OF THE HYDE FAMILY Hyde HAVE SAILED, FISHEDNORTH AND WORKED > Q 1949 K Mother Alice Hyde AROUND THESE SHORES A Died July 6, 1941 AND THIS ROCK WAS SELECTED P L Florence M. Hyde FOR ITS PRESENT USE 1893-1982 William H. Otto FOR SENTIMENTAL REASONS O 1913-1999 M Edmond Hyde 1838-1917 N N Caroline Hyde 1825-1916 B C D E M O Kenneth C. Hyde 1894-1960 Edith M. Hyde 1895-1981 P William M. Hyde 1860-1927 Q Caroline D. Hyde F G H I J K L T 1855-1948 R Francis D. Waite 1813-1909 S Sarah M. Waite 1818-1911 PAVED ROAD T Hults family marker

THE OTTO BRANCH IN VIRGINIA u 15 1st Generation 2nd Generation 3rd Generation

John Hyde + William Hyde + Henry B. Hyde + Johanna Bennet Carolina Louisiana Brass Jane Smith

CHILDREN: CHILDREN: CHILDREN:

Henry Hyde John Hyde George Hyde b. Nov. 5, 1741 b. Sept. 10, 1773 b. 1799 d. Oct. 17, 1817 Rebecca Hyde Caroline Hyde Hannah Hyde b. April 10, 1776 or April b. 1801 b. 1744 ? 14, 1775 Henry Hyde Sarah Hyde Henry B. Hyde b. April 22, 1804 b. 1747 ? b. Jan. 15, 1777 Baptized April 5, 1750, at Fanny Hyde St. George’s Church in Hannah Hyde b. 1807 Hempstead, New York. b. Sept. 5, 1779 Married Nathaniel Brass Seymour Hyde on April 3, 1769, at St. Richard Hyde b. 1809 George’s Church b. March 21, 1781 Edmond Smith Hyde William Hyde William Hyde b. Sept. 16, 1811 b. Dec. 30, 1749 b. May 5, 1783 or 1785 at d. March 13, 1888 d. Oct. 19, 1823 New York City Baptized April 5, 1750, Anna Hyde at St. George’s Church Elizabeth Hyde b. Oct. 4, 1813 b. Dec. 29, 1785 Jane Hyde Peter Brass Hyde b. Oct. 4, 1813 b. April 11, 1787 Betsey Hyde David Hyde b. 1816 b. May 19, 1789 Mary Hyde Maria Hyde b. 1818 b. May 2, 1791 Julia Hyde Bennet Hyde b. 1821 b. Feb. 13, 1792 Catherine Hyde Firman Hyde b. 1822 b. July 19, 1794

16 u JOHN HYDE AND HIS DESCENDANTS 4th Generation 5th Generation 6th Generation

Edmond Smith Hyde + Edmond Hyde, Jr. + George C. Hyde + Catherine Mackey Caroline James Travers Alice Smith

CHILDREN: CHILDREN: CHILDREN:

John M. Hyde William Mackey Hyde Adeline B. Hyde b. Aug. 29, 1833 b. May 12, 1860 b. Jan. 17, 1888 d. Oct. 27, 1866 d. Nov. 21, 1927 d. March 20, 1888

Frances Jane Hyde George C. Hyde Edmond Hyde b. May 16, 1835 b. March 16, 1863 b. Feb. 18, 1889 d. Nov. 1, 1898 d. May 20, 1949 Samuel Hyde Edmond Hyde, Jr. Daniel E. Hyde b. March 10, 1891 b. Jan. 8, 1838 b. Nov. 26, 1865 d. July 15, 1899 d. July 13, 1917 d. Feb. 13, 1937/9 Florence May Hyde Julia Ann Hyde Charles E. Hyde b. April 4, 1893 b. Aug. 29, 1840 b. Oct. 18, 1870 d. Aug. 4, 1982 d. Jan. 16, 1918 d. Dec. 3, 1947 Kenneth C. Hyde Catherine Hyde Alice Hyde? b. Oct. 3, 1894 b. June 15, 1842 m. Isaac Hults? d. Aug. 1, 1960 d. Feb. 18, 1866 (not in bibles)

Elizabeth M. Hyde b. Sept. 16, 1844

Phebe B. Hyde b. May 23, 1847

Henry H. Hyde b. June 23, 1849 d. Oct. 10, 1865

James M. Hyde b. Jan. 9, 1852

George W. Hyde b. Feb. 3, 1855 d. Oct. 9, 1861

Abbey W. Hyde b. Jan. 4/8, 1857 d. 1931

Louisa Hyde b. Dec. 18, 1861 d. Oct. 22, 1865

THE OTTO BRANCH IN VIRGINIA u 17 7th Generation 8th Generation 9th Generation

Florence May Hyde + William Hyde Otto + Carl Hyde Otto + William Otto Sarah Elizabeth Robins Mary Ellen Garber

CHILDREN: CHILDREN: CHILDREN:

William Hyde Otto Carl Hyde Otto Kathryn Garber Otto b. Nov. 20, 1913 b. July 13, 1936 b. April 7, 1959 d. May 8, 1999 James Robins Otto Steven Carl Otto b. March 27, 1941 b. December 10, 1960

9th Generation

James Robins Otto + Hieldreth Jane Bogan

CHILDREN:

James Nicholas Otto b. April 11, 1969

Victoria Robins Otto b. April 14, 1971

18 u JOHN HYDE AND HIS DESCENDANTS 10th Generation 10th Generation

James Nicholas Otto + Victoria Robins Otto + Amy Jo Randolph Michael Scott Culbreth

CHILDREN: CHILDREN:

Emily Jo Otto Hannah Marie Culbreth b. July 17, 1993 b. Aug. 15, 1997

Erik Nicholas Otto Hailey Elizabeth Culbreth b. April 5, 1995 b. June 7, 1999

THE OTTO BRANCH IN VIRGINIA u 19 Freckles