Yes, I learned that actor James Ripley Osgood Perkins was named after my other cousin

Thanks to my second cousin Kate Keller, I have the answer to my question in my preceding post. I learned that a distant cousin was named James Ripley Osgood Perkins and I wondered how he might have been connected to another of my distant cousins, James Ripley Osgood. Kate alerted me to the article below: 

We can see in the highlighted area that James Ripley Osgood Perkins was named after James Ripley Osgood, a friend of his father's! I suspected that was the case and am happy to have learned the fact so quickly.

Here again are the charts that show how I'm related to each of these men. 

In the case of James Ripley Osgood Perkins, I'm a cousin connected to Deborah Lovejoy, wife of John Phelps. As we see in the chart for James Ripley Osgood, I'm connected this time through the same John Phelps, husband of Deborah Lovejoy! I love discovering these kinds of connections. Who would have ever thought one cousin was named after another cousin from separate families back in Boston in the late 1800s. Thank you, Kate, for alerting me to this news source! I never dreamed I'd get my questions answered so quickly.

How might my cousins James Ripley Osgood Perkins and James Ripley Osgood be connected?

This week, Ancestry.com's "We're Related" app showed me how actor Anthony Perkins is related to me. Here's the Relationship Chart.

I noticed that Anthony's father was named James Ripley Osgood Perkins (pictured below). A search on Wikipedia informed me of his acting career when he was known as "Osgood Perkins". He was born in West Newton, Massachusetts 16 May 1892.

His name caught my attention because I knew that I had a distant cousin named James Ripley Osgood. I've written about him and my connection to him previously in these posts: (1) We had lunch with cousin James R. Osgood, (2) The Osgood Name Gets my Attention, and (3) The Osgoods Keep Coming Back to Me.

This chart shows how I'm related to James Ripley Osgood: 

Of course when I saw these names, I wondered if or why James Ripley Osgood Perkins was named after Boston, MA publisher James Ripley Osgood. For what other reason would he have been given such a name? 

I don't have that answer yet, but I have a clue: Mr. Perkins was born in 1892 in West Newton, Massachusetts, which is located very near Boston, MA. And James Ripley Osgood died in 1892 in Boston, MA. I'm going to search newspapers from that time and place (if I get a chance) to see if Mr. J. R. O. Perkins' father, Henry Phelps Perkins might have been personally acquainted with Mr. J. R. Osgood. I'm almost certain there must have been a personal connection. I'll write about my findings when I know more. 

The Osgoods Keep Coming Back to Me

Frances S. Osgood portrait in an 1848 anthology

I subscribe to the YouTube channel of Seth Adam Smith. This week I was notified by email that he had prepared this video titled "Frances Sargent Osgood---Eminent Women".


I've posted previously about my cousin connections to members of the Osgood family. You can find those posts here and here. 
To learn more about Frances Osgood, after viewing this wonderful video, I looked her up on Wikipedia. This is part of what I learned: 
Early life

Frances Sargent Locke was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Joseph Locke, a wealthy merchant, and his second wife Mary Ingersoll Foster. Her father's first wife, Martha Ingersoll was the sister of Mary his second wife. Mary was also the widow of Benjamin Foster by whom she had two children: William Vincent Foster and Anna Maria Wells, who would also become a published poet and close associate of Frances. Joseph and Mary had seven children. Including another writer Andrew Aitchison Locke. She grew up in Hingham, Massachusetts^[2] and as a young woman she attended the prestigious Boston Lyceum for Young Ladies.^[3] Her poetry was first published when she was fourteen in a bimonthly periodical of children's poetry called Juvenile Miscellany by editor Lydia Maria Child.^[2]

Marriage

Osgood's daughters

In 1834, while composing poems inspired by paintings, Frances met Samuel Stillman Osgood, a young portrait artist at the Boston Athenaeum. He asked her to sit for a portrait. They were engaged before the portrait was finished and married on October 7, 1835.^[4]

After their marriage, the couple moved to England. On July 15, 1836, their first daughter, Ellen Frances, was born. In 1838, while in England, she published her collection of poems A Wreath of Flowers from New England ^[5] which included Elfrida, a dramatic poem in five acts. She then published another volume of poetry, The Casket of Fate.

Due to her father's death, the Osgoods returned to Boston in 1839. After the birth of their second daughter, May Vincent, on July 21, 1839, they moved to New York City. Osgood became a popular member of the New York literary society and a prolific writer. Many of her writings were published in the widely popular literary magazines of the time. She sometimes wrote under pseudonyms "Kate Carol" or "Violet Vane".^[6] Her book, The Poetry of Flowers and the Flowers of Poetry was published in 1841. Some of her other published works were The Snowdrop, a New Year Gift for Children(1842), Rose, Sketches in Verse (1842), Puss in Boots (1842), The Marquis of Carabas (1844), and Cries in New York (1846).^[7]

Although she was successful in her professional life, her personal life suffered. It is speculated that the Osgoods separated by 1843.^[8]

Portrait of Poe by Samuel Stillman Osgood, Frances's husband

Relationship with Poe

In February 1845, Poe gave a lecture in New York in which he criticized American poetry, especially that of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He made special mention, however, of Osgood, saying she had "a rosy future" in literature. Though she missed the lecture, she wrote to her friend, saying Poe was "called the severest critic of the day," making his compliment that much more impressive.^[9]

It is believed Poe and Osgood first met in person when introduced by Nathaniel Parker Willis in March 1845 when Osgood had been separated from (but not divorced from) her husband.^[10] Poe's wifeVirginia was still alive, but in ill health. Poe may have been attracted to Osgood because they were both born in Boston and possibly due to her childlike qualities which were similar to Virginia's. She may have already been in an early stage of tuberculosis, just like Virginia.^[11]

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Poe's "A Valentine" for Frances Sargent Osgood

Poe used his role as one-third owner of the Broadway Journal to print some of Osgood's poems, including some flirtatious ones. Poe responded with published poems of his own, occasionally under his pseudonym of Edgar T. S. Grey. Most notable is his poem "A Valentine." The poem is actually a riddle which conceals Osgood's name, found by taking letter 1 from line 1, letter 2 from line 2, and so on. Despite these passionate interchanges, the relationship between Poe and Osgood is often considered purely platonic.^[12]

Oddly, Poe's wife Virginia approved of the relationship and often invited Osgood to visit their home. Virginia believed their friendship had a "restraining" effect on her husband. Poe had given up alcoholto impress Osgood, for example. Virginia may also have been aware of her own impending death and was looking for someone who would take care of Poe.^[13] Osgood's husband Samuel also did not object, apparently used to his wife's impetuous behavior;^[14] he himself had a reputation as a philanderer.^[13] Others, however, were not as supportive; Osgood and Poe were widely criticized and harassed for their relationship.

Fellow poet Elizabeth F. Ellet, whose affection Poe had scorned, spread rumors about Poe and Osgood's friendship, even contacting Virginia about alleged improprieties. Ellet even suggested that Osgood's third child, Fanny Fay, was not her husband's but Poe's. Fanny Fay was born in June 1846 but died in October.^[15] Poe biographer Kenneth Silverman says the possibility of Poe as Fanny Fay's father is "possible but most unlikely".^[16] Osgood, in an attempt to protect her public character, sent Margaret Fuller and Anne Lynch to request Poe return her personal letters to him to be destroyed.^[15] In July 1846 Osgood's husband Samuel demanded Ellet apologize to his wife, lest he sue her for defamation. Ellet responded in a letter, retracted her statements, and put the blame on Poe and his wife Virginia.^[17] Osgood and Poe did not interact after 1847.^[18]

Poe was not the only man to engage in literary flirtation with Osgood. Several men wrote of their affection for her, including Rufus Wilmot Griswold, to whom Osgood dedicated a book of poetry.^[19] She also wrote a Valentine poem that mingled her own name with Griswold's.^[12] The competition between Griswold and Poe for Osgood may have led to their infamous rivalry, best exemplified in Griswold's character assassination of Poe after Poe's death.^[19]

Death

Grave of Frances Sargent Osgood and her family in Mount Auburn Cemetery

Osgood and her husband reconciled in 1846, and moved to Philadelphia for a short time to get away from the scandal.^[3] Although she was ill, she continued to write. She was confined to her room because of her illness by 1847, when her daughters were eleven and eight years old; much of her poetry from this period reflects her concern for them.^[20] Her husband, having difficulty making money as a painter, left her again in 1849 to join the California Gold Rush.^[21] He returned shortly before her death.^[3]

Osgood died of tuberculosis in 1850 at her home in New York.^[22] By then, she had lost her ability to speak; her last word, "angel", was written on a slate to her husband.^[23] She was buried in her parent's lot at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.^[22] In 1851, a collection of her writings was published by her friends and titled The Memorial, Written by Friends of the Late Mrs. Frances Sargent Locke Osgood. It was reissued as Laurel Leaves in 1854^[7] and was edited with a biographical introduction by Griswold.^[20] The volume was meant to raise money for her memorial headstone. However, Fanny Fern noted that, by 1854, the plot remained unmarked and criticized Samuel Osgood in her book Fern Leaves from Fanny's Port-Folio. Samuel Osgood noted in the New York Evening Post that he had already designed a monument, inspired by her poem "The Hand That Swept the Sounding Lyre", which was soon installed.^[22]

Osgood's two daughters died the year after their mother; May Vincent Osgood died on June 26, 1851, and Ellen Frances died August 31.

Writing

Osgood was a prolific writer and contributed to most of the leading periodicals of the time.^[1] She was one of the most admired women poets during the mid-1840s.^[2] Osgood was very open and personal in her writings, often discussing the relationships she had with others,^[24] despite her shy personality.^[2] A large portion of her body of work is love poetry but she also addresses poems to her mother, her sister, her husband, and several friends.^[25] The poems written to her children are not sentimental, but literary historian Emily Stipes Watts wrote that they "are honest attempts to express thoughts and emotions never so fully expressed before by women in poetry" depicting a sincere concern for their development and well-being.^[26]

Griswold once said that she created poems "with almost the fluency of conversation."^[27] Poe, in a review of her work, wrote that she was "absolutely without rival, we think, either in our own country or in England."^[28] He reviewed her poetry collection A Wreath of Flowers from New England in the September 1846 issue of Godey's Lady's Book, saying that its author exhibits "deep feeling and exquisite taste" and her work deserved wider circulation.^[29]

This chart shows my relationship to Frances through her husband Samuel Stillman Osgood.

That Osgood Name Gets my Attention

Last April I posted this story about discovering a cousin (James R. Osgood 1836-1892) through his portrait on the wall of a Cracker Barrel restaurant. 
In June I attended the Family History Expo in Loveland, CO where I heard the Keynote Address given by Lisa Louise Cooke. She encouraged the participants of the Expo to reach out and meet fellow attendees by introducing ourselves to those we were seated near in our classes. As I attended the first class after that keynote address, I turned to the woman seated beside me and introduced myself. She, in turn, told me her name-Mary Osgood. I told her of my experience with the discovery of James R. Osgood and she was able to tell me of her husband's direct Osgood connection. 

This afternoon I noticed on the Facebook page of Family Search that they posted a link to this story called "A New Nation 1789-1859". In the "Timeline" section of this article, it says "1789: Samuel Osgood, First Postmaster General under Constitution". This Wikipedia page tells us more of the interesting career of Samuel Osgood.

Samuel Osgood 1747-1813

This is a chart I created to show my relationship to Samuel Osgood, my 5th cousin 6 times removed. 

My 3rd Great Grandparents were Distant Cousins

It isn't unusual for spouses to discover they are distantly related. But lately I've studied my third great grandparents, Arva Phelps and Elizabeth Bartlett Phelps, quite a lot and today when I realized they were also distant cousins, I was surprised. I prepared this chart to illustrate their connection and relationship to me.

We had Lunch with Cousin James R. Osgood (1836-1892)

Today my husband and I traveled to the neighboring town of Pueblo, Colorado to take care of some business. Before returning home we stopped for lunch at the Cracker Barrel there. As is typical of this chain of restaurants, the walls of this one are decorated with memorabilia from the past. The Hostess escorted us to a table at the farthest end of the dining room.

While we waited for our food to be served, Larry and I gazed around at all the items on the walls---a milking machine apparatus, cigarette advertising signs, a "Bubble Up" beverage sign, as well as the many old portraits that were displayed. I turned around and saw a portrait on the wall about 3 feet behind me. It aroused my curiosity, so I got up and walked closer to it to read the name on it. It was the portrait that I've posted above, that of James Ripley Osgood. I joked to Larry that he was probably my cousin. Larry thinks I'm related to everyone in the world because, with ancestors who settled the Massachusetts Bay Colony, I AM related to a lot of people whom we study or hear about.

When we returned home this afternoon, I promptly "googled" James R. Osgood. From Wikipedia I learned this:

"A reputed child prodigy, James R. Osgood knew Latin at age 3 and entered college at 12 years of age. He studied at Bowdoin College in Maine, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. While there, he was a member of the Peucinian Society among others.

He entered the publishing trade as a clerk in the Boston firm of Ticknor and Fields and, by 1864, became a partner in the firm. It was reorganized in 1868 as Fields, Osgood, & Company. The firm acquired The Atlantic Monthly.

In 1870 Osgood and two partners founded James R. Osgood & Company. Among their successful publications was Bret Harte's The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Stories, followed by a volume of Harte's poems and another of "condensed novels." Osgood advanced Bret Harte $10,000 for future work, but Harte never wrote another story. In 1872 and 1877, J.R. Osgood & Company brought out Henry Wilson's three-volume account of the Civil War, The History of the Rise and Fall of the Slave Power in America. Also in 1877 the firm sold the North American Review and published an edition of Edward FitzGerald's Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.

In 1878 the firm dissolved, and Osgood joined forces with Henry Oscar Houghton to form the short-lived Houghton, Osgood & Company. The firm's most successful book was William Dean Howells' The Lady of the Aroostook. In 1880 this firm became the New York branch of Houghton, Mifflin & Company. Osgood remained in Boston, where he founded a second J.R. Osgood & Company.

Osgood published an edition of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass in 1881 that was attacked by the Boston district attorney as "obscene literature".[1] Osgood gave in and refused to bring out another edition, forcing Whitman to find another publisher.

By this time Osgood had befriended Samuel L. Clemens, whose pen name was "Mark Twain." In 1882 the company published Twain's The Prince and the Pauper and The Stolen White Elephant. That same year, Osgood accompanied Clemens on a riverboat trip collecting material for Life on the Mississippi, which was published by Osgood in 1883.

Osgood's firm was reportedly one of the most successful in Boston. However, in 1885 the company went bankrupt. Osgood's young partners, Thomas and Benjamin Ticknor, found a third partner and started a new firm. Osgood went to work for Harper's Magazine. In 1891 Osgood went into business again, with the magazine's permission, in partnership with Clarence McIlvaine as Osgood, McIlvaine, & Company. The firm had its greatest success with Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles, but Osgood died before the volume went on sale. 

As I did a quick search for the ancestry of James Osgood, I found his ancestry as I've indicated in this chart that I've prepared:  

It shows that I'm the 5th cousin, 5 times removed of James Ripley Osgood.

Fields, Osgood, & Co, 124 Tremont St., Boston

The thing that amazes Larry and me so much about this discovery is that for the last 3 weeks I've been doing a lot of research on my Phelps/Lovejoy/Osgood ancestors! That's why, when I read James' name on his portrait at the Cracker Barrel, I remarked that he's probably my cousin! 

I know that's why I was drawn to the portrait (even though it was displayed 3 feet behind my seat) and arose from my chair to study it more closely. It was nice to have his company for lunch today!