Descendants of John Maxfield
of Salisbury, Massachusetts
Seventh Generation

JAMES ARTHUR7 MAXFIELD (James6, Warren5, Timothy4-3-2, John1) was born at Fairhaven, Massachusetts (marriage record) on 13 December 1848 (death record), a child of James Maxfield and his wife Louisa Tripp. James was a fresco painter, living with his brother Charles at Worcester, Massachusetts, at the time of the 1870 Census. He married ELLEN STANLEY DODGE at East Providence, Rhode Island, on 16 August 1876 (VR RI 1876:598):
East Providence, Aug 16, 1876
James Arthur Maxfield of East Providence, 27, white, painter, b. Fairhaven, Ma., to James S. Maxfield and Louisa J. Tripp, 1st;
Ellen Stanley Dodge of East Providence, 17, white, b. Providence to Henry S. Dodge and Phebe A. Tarp, 1st;
by Robert W. Paine
Ellen was born at Providence (marriage record) about 1858 (1920 Census; 1858/9 on 1880 Census, marriage record), a child of Henry S. Dodge and hus wife Phebe A. Tarp.

James Maxfield of East Providence was described as a painter, artist, and decorative painter on various records throughout his life.

The 1880 Census (1214:239A) reported this family in East Providence:

Name Related MS Sex Race Age B Occupation FB MB
James A. Maxfield self M M W 31 MA artist MA MA
Ellen S. Maxfield wife M F W 21 RI keeping house RI RI
Clara L. Maxfield daughter S F W 6 mo RI MA MA
Louisa J. Maxfield mother W F W 52 MA nurse MA ME
Albert B. Maxfield nephew S M W 13 MA at school MA MA

James included his widowed mother and orphaned nephew in his young family.

The 1910 census (1439:248B) reported the family at 12 Highland Avenue, East Providence, including James, 61, Ellen, 51, Nellie, 28, C. Josephine, 19, and James E., 15. James A. was a sign painter with his own shop, Nellie was a dress maker of ladies garments, and C. Josephine was a stenographer.

James and Ellen Maxfield had at least seven children. At the time of the 1920 Census (1672:18A) the youngest child remained in the home at 22 Highland Avenue, East Providence:

Name Related Sex Race Age MS B FB MB Occupation
Maxfield, James A. head M W 71 M MA MA MA decorative painter
Maxfield, Ellen S. wife F W 61 M RI RI RI none
Maxfield, James E. son M W 25 S RI MA RI carpenter, house

The 1930 census (2170:10A) found this family at New Shoreham (Block Island). James, the father, age 81, described himself as an independent artist; his wife Ellen was age 71; daughter Ellen, 48 and single, was proprietor of a tea room; son James, 36 and single, was a farmer.

Ellen Maxfield died at East Providence on 31 October 1940 (RI D).

A newspaper reporter in 1946 found James Maxfield to be a still active artist on Block Island at the age of 98 (Nashua Tel 20 Dec 1946, p. 21):

Up and Down New England, by Tom Horgan
. . . Still at his easel, marine painter James A. Maxfield, one of Rhode Island's oldest residents, recently observed his 98th birthday at his home on Block Island. A native of New Bedford, Maxfield took an early interest in marine subjects but his murals and decorations also are found in many Rhode Island churches. His excellent health permitted him to till a one acre garden last summer.
James Maxfield died at New Shoreham on 3 April 1947 (RI D).

James Arthur Maxfield and his wife Ellen Stanley Dodge had the following children:

  1. CHARLES HENRY8 MAXFIELD
    • b. at East Providence on 4 May 1877 (VR RI 1877:142)
    • d. at East Providence on 20 February 1879 (VR RI Deaths 1879:1068)
  2. CLARA LOUISE8 MAXFIELD
    • b. at East Providence on 5 November 1879 (VR RI 1879:150)
    • Census. 1920 at 21 Highland Avenue, East Providence (near her parents) (1672:18A):
      • Arnold, Clara M., head, female, white, 40, Widow, b. RI, parents b. MA RI, artist, own studio
      • Maxfield, Nellie E., sister, female, white, 38, single, b. RI, parents b. MA RI, home
      • Maxfield, Cora J., sister, female, white, 28, single, b. RI, parents b. MA RI, stenographer, architects office
      • Barley, Emma P., boarder, female, white, 75, Widow, b. OH, parents b. MA MA, occupation: none
    • m. at East Providence on 10 March 1908 JOHN NELSON ARNOLD (RI M)
      • notes from newspaper announcement of their engagement (Oakland Trib 10 Mar 1908, p. 7)
          Artist, 73, to Marry Pupil, 27
          Providence, March 10
          J. Nelson Arnold, RI portrait painter, age 73 engaged to Miss Clara L. Maxfield, 27 yr old artist, his pupil . . . to marry March 20 . . . romance of 4 years; friendship began when she was 16
      • b. about 1834/5
      • d. bef 1920 (wife a widow in census)
  3. ELLEN8 MAXFIELD "Nellie"
    • b. at Rhode Island (1920 Census) on 7 February 1881 (SSDI)
    • d. on May 1978, residence East Providence (SSDI)
  4. GRACE8 MAXFIELD
    • b. at East Providence on 27 July 1884 (VR RI 1884:96)
    • d. at East Providence on 13 July 1885 (VR RI Deaths 1885:638)
  5. FREDERICK ARTHUR8 MAXFIELD
    • b. at East Providence on 10 Janyary 1889 (VR RI 1889:79)
    • d. at East Providence on 3 April 1890 (VR RI 1890:674)
  6. CORA JOSEPHINE8 MAXFIELD
    • b. at East Providence on 15 February 1891 (RI B)
    • d. at Providence on 22 August 1940 (RI D)
  7. JAMES ELMER8 MAXFIELD
    • b. at East Providence on 28 May 1894 (RI B; SSDI)
    • d. on June 1979, residence East Providence (SSDI)

REFERENCES

Information on this family can be found in:

Other sources abbreviated above include:
Nashua Tel
Nashua Telegraph, Nashua, NH. Newspaper Archive (newspaperarchive.com).
Oakland Trib
Oakland Tribune, Oakland, CA. Newspaper Archive (newspaperarchive.com).
RI B
Rhode Island Births and Christenings, 1878-1914. Family Search (familysearch.org). Accessed 5 June 2011.
RI D
Rhode Island Deaths and Burials, 1802-1950. Family Search (familysearch.org). Accessed 8 June 2011.
RI M
Rhode Island Marriages, 1724-1916. Family Search (familysearch.org). Accessed 8 June 2011.
SSDI
Social Security Death Index. http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search.asp.
VR RI
Rhode Island Department of Health, Providence, Rhode Island. Vital Records. microfilm, Genealogical Society, Salt Lake City, Ut.
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