ETTA COOPER BOULDEN

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THE STORY AS I KNOW IT

The Boulden family were early planters on the Eastern shore of Maryland.  Their story goes back to Jamestown 1610 when Thomas Boulden came to Virginia.  He moved up the Chesapeake Bay to Kent Island and was buried there in 1665.  The family continued expanding north into Cecil County and eventually across the state line into Delaware. 

Etta Cooper Boulden was born on Jan 20, 1886 to John Cooper Boulden and Catherine Ann Taylor, his wife. Etta was the oldest of four children. She was born in Delaware, possibly in the Pencader area. The 1880 Delaware Census has her father living in Pencader on a farm with his widow mother and younger siblings.  All Census records state that Etta was born in Delaware.   Her Social Security Death Record gives her birthdate.

In 1887 the John Cooper Boulden family were living in Wilmington DE with his mother, Mary Helen Boulden.  They ran a boarding house.  The 1887 Wilmington City Directory has Mary Helen listed with boarding house, 810 Market St. It seems John is in the business also.  His listing said "in boarding and sales at 310 Shipley St, home 810 Market St".  The Grand Opera House was in full operation then at 818 Market St.  The 1888-1895 City Directories do not list John C. Boulden in Wilmington though his mother continued to run a boarding house at different locations.  Etta's younger sister Grace Boulden, born 1893 was listed on the 1900 and 1920 Delaware Census as born in PA.  

They returned by 1894 and in 1895 lived at 714 Madison Av.  In 1900 they had moved to 844 Madison Av. and by 1904 they were living at 1101 W. 7th St . where they stayed for at least 20 years.

The family in 1900 was listed on Del Census, Ward #5, Ed 18, page 7B, on roll T623_154: living at 844 Madison AV.
John C. Boulden head born Oct 1854, age 46, born MD as were both parents, he was a foreman in a car shop.
Catherine A. " wife, born March 1864, age 36, born DE, Father born England, mother born DE
Etta C. " dau, born Jan 1886, age 14, born DE
Grace M. " dau Jan 1893, age 7, born PA
Mary N. " dau born Feb. 1894, age 6, born DE

One very interesting personal note comes from the book N.C. Wyeth, A Biography by David Michaelis, published in 1998 by Knopf.  N.C. Wyeth was the first of the Wyeth family painters.  In 1904 N.C. Wyeth was courting a young woman with the usual ups and downs.  Into this rather involved story comes the statement on page 97,  that his girl "learned that the night before Valentines Day he had accompanied Blanche Swayne and Etta Boulden, the daughters of his landlady and boardinghouse cook, to the theater." 

 A later statement makes it clear that Eva Swayne was his landlady.  The 1904 City Directory places Eva Swayne (and NC Wyeth) at 1300 W. 7th St.  Thus it was an easy 2 block walk to the Swayne Boarding House. Thus we know that in 1904 Etta's parent, probably mother, was working as a cook at the Swayne's boarding house. Even more to the point in 1904, Etta was living in Wilmington DE and at 18 years of age she was a pleasant social companion.   On page 120 the romantic saga continues as Wyeth readies to leave for a trip to Arizonia, "He had promised to write to Etta Boulden from out west.  If he kept his promise, he knew that Carol would hear about it.  Once again he tailored the truth: 'The Bouldens asked me to write, so toward the end of my trip I'll drop a line to them. You won't care, will you?"  Carol was not fooled she replied "Do I mind you writing to the Bouldens? Of course you mean Miss Boulden....."

On Jan 12, 1910  Etta Cooper Boulden married Dr. Henry Rile Pennock.  They lived in the house on 9th Street where Dr. Pennock had his private practice on the first floor. The family lived in the top two floors of the house with access to the first floor kitchen via a back staircase. It is the families understanding that Etta worked with her husband as needed.

Henry and Etta had two children:
1. Catherine Ann born April 11, 1912
2. Thomas Henry born Feb 26, 1915

Dr. Pennock  died Nov 24, 1922 at just 42 years of age. She continued in the the 9th St. home. On the 1930 Census Wilmington De, District 13, page19, the family is listed as still at 508 9th St.
Etta B. Pennock  Head  - her work was Home Visitor for Public School
C. Ann
Thomas
Martha - mother in law
Catherine Boulden - mother

Etta is still in Wilmington when the 1940 Census was taken. The information is interesting:
Etta Boulden Pennock age 54, Home Visitor for Board of Education, she had had a full 4 year high school education.
Thomas Boulden, age 25, he has a 7 year collage education - he was still in Med school at this time.
Catherine Ann Boulden, age 76 had 8 years of education.

Later that year same Etta married a second time to William Darbee and moved to his home on Lake Waramaug, Connecticut. Her daughter was married by that time.  They moved into the house with CA Boulden.   The family continued there for another 30 + years.

Etta returned to Wilmington in the winter of 1971 sometime after the death of her second husband.  She died Dec. 31,1973 at the age of 87. She and Henry Rile Pennock are both buried in Riverview Cemetery in Wilmington with her parents and son.

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