Joseph Mortimer Berkley's Civil War Pension File
Original records of the National Archives in Washington D.C. photographed on June 2, 2005.
SYNOPSIS
Joseph Mortimer Berkley was born sometime between Oct 27, 1842 and Oct 26, 1843 in Virginia. His parents were Joseph Berkley and Sarah Holland.
He served in the Civil War (Union side) with Company "K", 5th U.S. Cavalry and
Company "D" 50th Regiment New York Engineering. Joseph was involved with the famous building of the pontoon bridge across the Rappahannock River
in Virginia in 1863 as documented in Matthew Brady's photograph below.
Although it's not well documented here, it's clear that Joseph did take a first wife while
he was still serving in the Army. Her name is not given but some details are there. It is alleged that the woman came from a house of prostitution
and that Joseph was intoxicated at the time. The couple never lived together and she died shortly afterwards in 1868 while living in an Alms (Poor)
House in the District.
This is known because the authorities contacted the Berkley family upon her death asking for disposition instructions.
After the war Joseph worked in the Navy Yard in Washington, near the Berkley household of 711 8th St. SE.
It was there that he became associated with the Wheeler family, working along with Edward Wheeler and
possibly others from the Wheeler family.
Joseph married Mary Ann Wheeler (parents unknown) on Oct 26, 1867 at St. Mary's Cathedral in Alexandria Virginia. Mary was reported in various census
enumerations as being born in Ireland. Joseph was variously reported as born in District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Virginia seems the
most likely possibility as much of the Berkley line came from Virginia, possibly Loudoun County.
It is clear from the readings that the rest of the Wheeler family strongly objected to this marriage due to Joseph's poor health.
Their first child, Irene Agnes, was born in Washington D.C. on Feb. 7th 1869.
She was baptized on March 7th, 1869 at St. Peter's Church in Washington D.C. A second child, James Edward, was born Sept 7, 1871 in Washington D.C. but
died at an early age (date and place unknown).
The family departed Washington D.C., heading for San Francisco on Feb. 9th, 1874, travelling by ship. The trip was paid for by Mary's sister, Anna McAuliffe, who
had already relocated to San Francisco in 1868. One of the reasons for the move appeared to be Joseph's poor health and the wish to better
their situation. One affidavit expressed a belief that Joseph would've died much sooner had he stayed in Washington D.C.
There in San Francisco they had four more children, all born in San Francisco:
Andrew Norvell (b. Jan 5, 1875),
Joseph Mortimer Jr. (b. Dec 1, 1876),
Edward Lyons (b. Mar 14, 1878),
and Margaret Henrietta (b. Mar 19, 1880).
It was clear from reading the documents referenced below
that the family struggled greatly. Joseph Sr. was chronically ill from lung disease that he incurred due to exposure to extreme cold and wet conditions
while serving in the War. Of the six children, only two (Irene and Andrew) seemed to have been relatively healthy.
James Edward died at an early age. Joseph suffered from severe lung problems and died at the age of 21, Edward died at a very early age.
Margaret suffered with tuberculosis in her hip and was incapacitated from the disease.
Joseph Mortimer Berkley Sr., passed away on April 25, 1880 in San Francisco.
Irene was working as a seamstress in San Francisco and became acquainted with a John Waters who was a seaman born in Scotland. Little is known of John. Several
John Waters' have been found in the City Directories of San Francisco and it's likely that one of these was this John Waters.
Only three pieces of documentation have been found to unquestionably link John Waters to this Berkley family. One is the 1897 City Directory of San
Francisco where John Waters is shown as living in the same residence (159 Corbett Rd.) as the Berkley family. This directory does not list Irene at this
address, however she is shown to be living there in other years. The second piece of evidence is the 1900 census which shows someone with the surname
Waters living in the same household along with Mary, Irene, Andrew, and Margaret. The census record is extremely difficult to read and likely led to its
incorrect Soundex classification using the surname "Beartley". The third article linking these two families was the death records posted by the mortuary
in Portland Oregon that handled the death of Joseph John Waters. It showed Joseph's parents as "Irene Berkeley born in Washington D.C., and John Waters
born in Scotland". The same names are shown on Joseph's Social Security Application.
It is not known if Irene Berkley ever married John Waters as no documentation has been found showing her with the Waters surname. In particular, it
is worthy to note that the 1900 census shows her with the surname of Berkley.
Irene Berkley and John Waters reportedly had two sons, Joseph John Waters born Oct 23, 1898 (according to SSDI record) in San Francisco, and
Thomas Ignatius Waters born sometime in 1900 estimated based on the only census entry found with his name. Family interviews with Angeline Sylvia
no further documentation on him has been found. Family interviews with two of his nephews indicate he lived near Klamath Falls and died there
sometime in the 1960's or 70's.
The 1920 census record shows Thomas I. Waters living with Joseph in San
Francisco in 1920, and listed as Joseph's brother.
The 1900 census is the last documentation showing the whereabouts of Irene Agnes Berkley. It is not known what happened to her. Discussions with the sister
(Angeline Sylvia Rumsfeld) of Joseph's eventual wife (Carrie Margaret Sylvia) indicated that she believed Irene died shortly after the birth of the second
son, Thomas.
The widow Mary is last shown in San Francisco in 1900 in both the city directory and the census, living at 159 Corbett Rd. She was found in the 1910 census,
living in San Jose California, enumerated with "Anna Garnigan". Mary Ann Berkley died April 18, 1913, presumably in or near San Jose, California.
Andrew Norvill Berkley was found in the 1920 census for Salinas, Monterey county as incarcerated in the Monterey County jail.
Photo of 159 Corbett where the Berkley family (along with John Waters) resided from approximately 1890 to 1900
![Affidavit of Inos[?] W. Berkley, Brother of Joseph (references to Joseph's "first wife")](../scans/June_2005_Archives/berkley05.jpg){kind=link}
