Mrs Doctress Susan A. Nolan
HAS opened her office at No. 34 Eighth street, where she will cure the Deaf, if the Organ of Hearing is in its place; make the blind see, if the Sight of the Eye is not gone. She will cure all Diseases that the human system is heir to even where they have been given up by other Physicians. Consult her and you will learn that Electricity and cold water are remedial agents for health. Come and see for yourselves. Talk is free, but an electric operation costs 50 cents, cash down. Hudson, Oct. 17.—1m.
Hudson Daily Star. November 4, 1857: 3 col 2.
HAS again returned to Hudson, and located at No. 34 Eighth Street, where she will again receive and treat Diseases of every description, with Electricity, or as the case may require.
Hudson, April 2d, 1858. d1m
Hudson Daily Star. May 3, 1858: 3 col 4.
TAMMANY HALL.—We understand that this house, located in Adamsville, is soon to be converted into an infirmary by Mrs.Doctress Nolan. This lady is well versed in medicine, and has performed several astonishing cures in this village and vicinity.
Lansingburgh Democrat. March 29, 1860: 2 col 6.
Mrs. Doctress Nolan, would inform the citizens of Lansingburgh and vicinity, that she has leased the building known as the Adamsville Hotel, which she intends to convert into an Infirmary for the Electropathic treatment of all kinds of diseases. The house will be opened on the first of may next.
Mrs. Nolan intends to board all her patients from a distance as well as others who may wish to make this place a summer retreat The house is pleasantly located in a healthy section of our village.
Dated Lansingburgh April 12th 1860. d4w.
Lansingburgh Democrat. April 12, 1860: 2 col 7.
Nolan Susan A. Mrs. doctress, John, near Mercer, house do.
Troy Directory for the Year Commencing June, 1860. Troy, NY: Adams, Sampson & Co., 1860. 417.
Free Inhabitants in Town of Lansingburgh in the County of Rensselaer State of New York enumerated by me, on the 7″ day of July 1860. […]
Dwelling No. 770 Family No. 944
Susan A. Nolan Age 43 [b. abt 1817] Female Occupation Physician Real Estate 3000 Personal Estate 600 Birthplace Connecticut
Cornelius L. Hubbard Age 11 [b. abt 1849] Male Birthplace New York Attended School
Franklin Wells Age 23 Male Servant Birthplace New York
Nancy Galusha Age 17 Female Domestic Birthplace New York
Henrietta Wells Age 18 Female Domestic Birthplace New York
Year: 1860; Census Place: Lansingburgh, Rensselaer, New York; Roll: M653_849; Page: 917; Family History Library Film: 803849
ANOTHER [ACCIDENT].—Monday a little son of Mrs. Doctress Nolan, while playing with a kite, fell backwards off of a shed, and broke his arm in two places.
Lansingburgh Democrat. July 14, 1860: 2 col 4.
The alarm of fire last sunday evening was caused by the burning of a barn on the premises occupied by Mrs. Nolan as an Electropathic Infirmary.
The Firemen were speedily on the ground, and arrested the progress of the flames. The barn and contents were valued at about $400. We understand it was insured. Mrs. Nolan lost about $25 worth of property which she had stored in the barn.
Lansingburgh Democrat. October 27, 1860: 2 col 3.
ELECTROPATHIC INFIRMARY.
Formerly Adamsville Hotel,
Je30) LANSINGBURGH, N. Y.
Lansingburgh Democrat. January 19, 1861: 4 col 2.
Lansingburgh Democrat. April 6, 1861: 4 col 2.
In LHS’ collections are broadsides for the “Electropathic Infirmary” operated by Mrs. Doctress Nolan, 1858 and an advertisement for “Mrs. Nolan’s Tonic,” for sale by Chas. Rogers, wholesale agent, 1860, as well as labels, three on one sheet, for “Mrs. Nolan’s Tonic,” “Mrs. Nolan’s Wash” and “Mrs. Nolan’s Hair Tonic.”
What happened to Mrs. Doctress Nolan after 1861? Where had she been prior to 1857? Newspapers can answer the latter question, at least:
CHARGE OF BIGAMY.—A young woman named Susan Ann Hubbard, alias Smith, was yesterday arrested by officer Rue, of the Lower Police Court, at her residence in the Third District, near Avenue D., charged with having, on the 26th of April, 1853, married Henry W. Smith, a teacher in a school in this City, while her husband, Cornelius L. Hubbard, was and is still living at New Canaan, Conn. She was married to Mr. Hubbard about six years ago, but has not lived with him for some length of time. His sister, Melissa M. Delliber [Mrs. Daniel G. DeLiber], living in Forty-second-st., near the Fourth-av., is the complainant. The accused was committed by Justice Osborne for examination.
New-York Daily Tribune. June 20, 1854: 7 col 3.
A singular case of bigamy recently occurred in this City, which illustrates the new uses to which spiritual raps may be appropriated. A woman named SUSAN A. HUBBARD was arrested for the above offence, and taken before Judge OSBORNE, of the Lower Police Court, for a hearing on the 20th inst. It was alleged that she had three or four husbands; but it was necessary only to prove the existence of two marriages. Rev. Mr. SAGGART [sic], a Baptist clergyman, one of the witnesses, identified the prisoner as the person whom he had, some years since, married to HUBBARD. HUBBARD himself was present, and was also identified by the witness—thus proving that he was not dead, but had, unfortunately “turned up.”
The second husband (or rather one of the subsequent husbands) was also present, and swore to his recent marriage with the defendant. Mr. SMUCKER, the counsel for the prosecution, wished to know the circumstances under which the last marriage was brought about. The witness, HENRY W. SMITH, was a school-master. He had first met the prisoner at an assemblage of spiritualists, on the corner of Broadway and Lispenard-street. She was a prominent member of the circle, which met there from time to time, to summon the world of spirits to their presence and interrogate them. The prisoner gradually became acquainted with the witness, (a robust, good-looking young man,) and having conceived a passion for him, set about the work of inducing him to marry her. He heard that she had former husbands, and wished to know if they were dead. At the next meeting, she summoned the whole of them from the land of shadows, and made them all, one after the other, testify to the fact that they were dead, (in the body,) and give other interesting items as to their spiritual condition. The young man, being a firm believer in Spiritualism, could not, of course, deny such evidence; and being attracted by the smartness, intelligence and good looks of the “medium,” he married her. Not long after, he discovered that her “Spiritual Manifestations” were lying manifestations, and that there were three or four other claimants to the possession of his wife, one of whom was black!
N.Y. Times. June 23, 1854: 6 col 1.
[…]
SEPT. 14.—Charge of Bigamy.—A middle-aged woman, by name Susan A. Hubbard, alias Franklin, alias Smith, was indicted for bigamy. It was alleged against her that in 1851 she married Henry W. Smith, being at the time the wife of one Hubbard, who was then alive. The following is a summary of the evidence taken in the case:—
Joseph W. Taggart, being sworn, deposed—I am a Minister of the Gospel; am pastor of the [West] Sixteenth street Baptist Church, and was so in 1848; on the 1st of Sept., 1848, I married a woman named Susan A. Franklin to Cornelius Hubbard; I cannot state positively that the prisoner is the woman in question; I have seen Cornelius L. Hubbard since, but cannot swear positively that he was the man I married.
Cross-examined:— I think I marry from fifty to a hundred couple a year; some recollection of prisoner’s features rests on my mind, but I do not perfectly remember them.
Joseph Merrill deposed—Am clerk of the [West] Sixteenth street Baptist Church; I know the prisoner; I first saw her in May last, at my store; she asked for a record of marriages; she said that she had been married some years before by Mr. Taggart, and wanted a certificate; she gave the names of Susan A. Franklin and Cornelius L. Hubbard.
Cross-examined—I only recollect the names by having had my memory refreshed since.
Henry W. Smith—I know the prisoner; I first became acquainted with her in 1853; she went then by the name of Mrs. Susan A. Hubbard; I was married to her in April, 1853; I know Cornelius L. Hubbard; prisoner has given me a graphic description of him, and said she had been married to him; have seen him frequently.
Cross-examined—I first saw Hubbard last May; prisoner told me that Hubbard had fallen from a building and was killed; met prisoner at spiritual rappings; never had any spiritual communication with her.
Francis King—I know the prisoner and Cornelius L. Hubbard; they lived together as man and wife, and were generally known as such; have seen Hubbard in New York.
Cross-examined—I do not know whether prisoner has seen Hubbard since the spring of 1850.
His Honor, in a very brief charge, said that the jury must be satisfied first of the marriage of the defendant with Cornelius L. Hubbard, and secondly, of her subsequent marriage to William H. Smith. If these were both considered proven, the jury must then be convinced that the defendant married Smith with guilt in her heart, knowing that her husband was alive. The jury retired, and in half an hour returned a verdict of not guilty.
New York Herald. September 15, 1854: 2 col 6. (Morning Edition.)
A man named Cornelius L. Hubbard b. abt 1849 in NYC, who resided at the corner of Lark and Lumber streets in Albany, and who d. Nov. 18, 1872 in Albany was interred in Albany Rural Cemetery July 7, 1873 in Section 98, Single Section Tier 9, No. 20. Section 98 has 18 tiers, so he’s about halfway back. Like the “Jackson Ground” in Section 99, and the similarly nearby “Arsenal Lot,” it’s a section with many unmarked graves, although due to the swampy land there some markers may have sunken beneath the turf. Given the age and name, this would seem to have been the boy listed on the 1860 US Census and who broke his arm in July 1860 according to the Lansingburgh Democrat.