My paternal grandfather
Charles Miller JERVIS, Sr
(14 October 1885-23 January 1961)
Charles Miller JERVIS, Sr. was the 4th and last child born to Joshua Purdy JERVIS and Mary Jane MILLER
b. 14 October 1885 Amityville, Babylon, Suffolk, New York (though on some records he has written Copiague, his birth certificate says Amityville)1
m. 26 August 1922 in Marcané, Oriente, Cuba to Carolie MEIGS
d. 23 January 1961 Copiague, Suffolk, New York
He was the 8th generation of his Jervis line to be born in Suffolk county (Long Island), New York, the first being Jonathan William Jarvis who was born there in 1658. But, unlike his predecessors, he didn't stay but wandered for many years before returning to his ancestral home about 1941. He passed away in 1961 and, according to his obituary, it was in the same house he was born in at 970 Great Neck Rd. (according to zillow.com, the house was built in 1880).
Grandpa had one brother, Scudder, who choked to death when he was almost 4 (Grandpa was almost 2 at the time). Grandpa also had two older sisters, Grace and Sarah. Sarah died in a car accident in 1916 when she was 35 (and Grandpa was 31). Grace passed away in 1962 at the age of 83.
He attended Amityville High School, which his sons later attended as well. They all wound up playing on the football team there. At some point in his school years he picked up the nickname Curly, which really fit him.
Since Grandpa started college in the fall of 1906, I guessed that he graduated from high school earlier that same year. If I had realized that he would have been 20 at the time, I would not have been looking for articles dealing with the 1906 graduating class, but the 1904 and maybe the 1905. However, 1906 turned out to be correct. There is an article in the Brooklyn Daily Times dealing with the officers and members of the graduating class that looks like it reads as a list from an all-girls school. Turns out that Grandpa was one of four valedictorians. Only 12 total names are listed in the article and it looks like only 2 are males (Charles Jervis and Jesse Purdy who is probably a cousin). Were there really only 12 in his graduating class? And why did Grandpa graduate in 1906 instead of 1904 or 05?
After studying civil engineering for 4 years at the Clarkson College of Technology2 in Potsdam, New York he graduated in 1910, and then traveled the world. Grandpa kept some scrapbooks that have really been a help in writing his biography. He worked in, and had photos of, the Philippines, Chile, Alaska, Arizona, Montana, and Cuba, but his traveling had him pass through Hawaii, Japan, China, Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka), Yemen, Egypt, Spain, Jamaica, Panama, Peru, and many of the United States.
His first major job was in the Philippine Islands, which had recently become, as an outcome of the Spanish-American War, an “unincorporated territory of the United States.” The Land Management Bureau, the government entity for which grandpa worked for 2 years, was organized in order to supervise “the survey and distribution of public lands.”
On his way to the Philippines in 1911, his ship spent several days traveling down the coast of China in May. They stopped in Shanghai and Hong Kong. This was just about 5 months before the October 1911 Chinese Revolution where there was a revolt ending the Qing Dynasty and creating the Republic of China.`
He had about a year in between his job in the Philippines and his second major job. There is no real information on what he did that year except there are a few photos in his album dated November 1913 where he is at Copper Rock Falls, Ontario, Canada and Grass River, New York.
His next job was in Chile, South America. On his way there in 1914, his ship passed through Panama in June… only two months before the Panama Canal was open for business. On his return trip to the United States in February of 1915, his ship would have used the Canal.
He was working in Northern Chile in Chuquicamata at the world’s largest open copper pit mine. His work contract says he was hired on as a “reinforced concrete man,” but I’m not really sure what that entailed… was he really just putting rebar in the concrete? I doubt it. There is a photo from this place and he is using surveying equipment.
His location is a bit unclear at times in the next 2 years as he didn’t record all of his traveling. He worked the summer in Alaska from May until October in 1915. He then traveled to Arizona to work during the winter from November 1915 to May 1916. His travel log shows he went back to Alaska in May of 1916, but then there are photos showing that he was in Montana in June, July, and October of 1916.
His sister, Sarah, passed away in New York at the end of October while he was in Montana. He then traveled to New York at the beginning of November. There is no record of his activities until he travels to Cuba in July of 1917.
The first time he went to Cuba, he worked for the Atlantic Fruit Company from July to October in 1917. At this time he was still working as a surveyor dealing with railroad construction and general topical surveys. The need for surveyors was growing in Cuba as its sugar production during this timeframe was greatly increasing for at least 2 reasons– the US doubled its consumption of sugar during 1903-1925 and, due to World War I, the sugar supply from sugar beets in Europe was interrupted, so the market for sugar cane was increased. Cuba increased its production 5 fold at this time.
Grandpa made a brief one month visit back to New York before he returned to Cuba that November.
I don’t know if this was his first job when he returned to Cuba, but he worked as a chief engineer for the Alto Cedro sugar plantation, which was owned by the West Indies Sugar Company. He later went on to become the manager of the plantation. The plantation was located in the Holguín Province. Alto Cedro Sugar Mill is now known as Loynaz Hechevarria–the Communist government has renamed almost all of the mills, for some reason.
My grandmother, Carolie Meigs, met Grandpa while visiting her sister Edna Strong who lived in Cuba with her family. Edna’s husband, Dr. Benjamin Strong, worked as a doctor on a sugar plantation in Cuba. I was told that he is the one who delivered Fidel and Raul Castro as their mother was a plantation worker.
Grandma’s passport application said that the purpose of her visit was to be a companion to her sister. She sailed on the United Fruit Co. Steamer on 30 July 1917. She returned to the US on her 17th birthday, October 5, 1917. We don’t have any other travel records for grandma while she was single, so we don’t know how often she visited Edna or at what point she met Grandpa. They were later married in Cuba in 1922. He was 36 and she was 21 when they married. They had two sons, Joel Russ Jervis and Charles Miller Jervis, Jr.
Joel was born in Marcané, Oriente, Cuba on 5 April 1924. Around the time he turned 8, two things happened–the birth of his brother, Charles Miller Jervis, Jr on 14 October 1932 in Florida, which happened to be his dad’s 47th birthday and being sent off to military school because “that was the way things were done back then.”
Grandpa was there for the Cuban Revolution of 1933. In August there was a political revolution which was quickly handled, but by the end of October, it had become a violent workers strike. There was a big labor strike and many Americans went back to the States for safety's sake. At one mill, one person was killed and many were injured. Grandpa was held hostage, for about a week it looks like, at the sugar mill he managed, the Alto Cedro Sugar Mill. He put some newspaper clippings about it in his scrapbook. He was fine and the strike eventually ended.
Grandpa knew Fidel Castro's father, Ángel Castro, who was a big land baron in Cuba and grandpa hunted on his land. Grandpa also remembered Fidel and his brother Raul, who were delivered by his brother-in-law, Dr. Benjamin Strong, running around.
Grandpa became ill with a disease called Tropical Sprue. The website medlineplus.gov says that this is a disease "that occurs in people who live in or visit tropical areas for extended periods of time. It impairs nutrients from being absorbed from the intestines. Tropical sprue (TS) is a syndrome characterized by acute or chronic diarrhea, weight loss, and malabsorption of nutrients. This disease is caused by damage to the lining of the small intestine. It comes from having too much of certain types of bacteria in the intestines."
He wound up retiring to his childhood home on Long Island, New York. He had to have many operations (about 80 I was told). He passed away unexpectedly there in January of 1961 at the age of 75. Grandma was only 60 at the time and was a widow for 25 years before she passed away in 1986.
There are several of grandpa's passport applications available online. There are three in a row (1917, 1918, and 1919) that mostly give the same info:
Forehead is broad-high-high
eyes are blue
nose is sinuous-irregular-irregular
mouth is medium (lips are small)
chin is pointed-square-square
hair is light
complexion is fair
face is oval-long-long
In the back cover of one of his scrapbooks, he kept a list of the places he'd traveled to. He only missed visiting 4 states: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
And a few memories from my father (Charles Miller Jervis, Jr) about his dad, whom he called "Pop."
Pop taught Dad how to sail, fish, and shoot clay pigeons. He loved to eat duck and my dad would hunt them for him. Pop was very intelligent. His parents taught him how to read when he was 4 so he would have something to do. Yet, my dad said that his dad and brother were not “readers.”
Pop was old school. He believed that if you gave your word, you'd better do it. He was very honest and highly principled. “He was special, but difficult.”
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1 Due to the changing names of towns and the fact that the town of Babylon has several villages-like Amityville- and hamlets- like Copiague, it sometimes makes it hard to track locations exactly. Copiague was named in the 1890s and used to be called East Amityville, Great Neck, and Powells. So, it is possible for Charles to have been born and died in the same house, though his birth certificate says he was born in Amityville and died in Copiague.
2 The Thomas S. Clarkson Memorial School of Technology is now known as the Clarkson University.
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Due to grandpa traveling so much and working in foreign countries, he is only enumerated in a few census records.
1900 US Federal Census Babylon Township, Amityville, Suffolk, New York
Joshua Jervis Aug 1852 NY
Mary J Jan 1856 OH
Grace P Apr 1879 NY
Sarah E Jun 1881 NY
Charles M Oct 1885 NY
In 1920, Charles, Sr. and his parents are enumerated in 2 different places.
1920 US Federal Census Sarasota, Manatee, Florida 323 7th Street
Joshua P Jervis 67 NY
Mary J 63 OH
Charles M 34 NY
1920 US Federal Census Babylon, Suffolk, New York Great Neck Rd.
Joshua P Jervis 65 NY
Mary J 64 NY [which is incorrect]
Charles M 34 NY
1935 Florida State Census Jacksonville, Duval, Florida–no grandpa, just his family
Cary Lee Jervis 34 Florida [which is incorrect as she was born in Alabama]
Joel 11 Cuba
Chas 3 Florida
We cannot find him in the 1940 census as presumably he was still living in Cuba, but we do have his World War II draft card. It is dated 25 April 1942 with his address being Great Neck Rd in Copiague. One interesting thing about his draft card is that it mentions he has a 9” scar on his right side abdomen. Could that be the start of his 80 or so operations because of his tropical sprue?
1950 US Federal Census Babylon Township, Suffolk, New York Great Neck Rd
Charles M. Jervis 64 NY
Carolie 49 NY [which is incorrect–it was Alabama]
Charles M, Jr. 17 NY
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The Brooklyn Daily Times
Brooklyn, New York
Fri, Apr 27, 1906 ·Page 8
Amityville High School
AMITYVILLE, April 27. The following are the officers and members of the graduating class of 1906 of the Amityville High School: President, Nettie Hart; Vice President, Augusta Raymond; Secretary and Treasurer, Edith Weed; Salutarian, Ruth Langlois; Historian, Mildred Heartt; Prophet, Jesse Purdy; Poet, Hazel Haff; Recitationist, Anna Duryea, Valedictorian, Katharine Darling; Mildren Hurd; Aneta Darling and Charles Jervis. The class motto is "Virtuliet Labore," the colors black and gold and the flowers white carnation. The members of the school faculty who wlil [sic] return next year are: Principal Louis I. Bartwell, Miss Jane F. Howe, and Miss Gertrude Bloomingdale of the academic department; Miss Susan C. Pierson, of the sixth grade; Miss Bertha Baker, of the third grade; and Miss Clara S. Kay, of the second grade. The Board of Education has engaged Miss Ruby S. Rogers, a graduate of the Geneseo Normal School to take charge of the eighth grade in place of Miss Mary Manning, who has resigned. Miss Alice T. Penny, for seven years past a member of the Amityville High School faculty, has resigned to take a position at Yonkers, the Mecca at the present day of many Long Island schoolteachers.
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The Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Brooklyn, New York
April 22, 1911, page 6, [also in the South Side Signal (Babylon, New York) Friday, April 28, 1911]
Copiague soon will be represented in the Philippines. Charles M. Jervis of that place, has been appointed a government surveyor there, and sails on May 3 to begin his duties in those far-off islands of the sea. The young man is the son of Joshua P. Jervis, himself a surveyor, and great grandson of Squire Joel Jervis, who, with a jury, tried the famous case of Wood vs Whitman. The defendant was no less a personage than Walt Whitman, the "good gray poet," who was arrested for assaulting the son of a neighbor. The boy had harassed Whitman while the latter was trouting in the pond separating their respective homes at West Babylon. The future poet stood the annoyance until, fighting mad, he tolled the boy within reach and then, collaring him, nearly wore out a stout hickory fishing pole on him. For this he was arrested and haled before Squire Jervis and a jury. When the jurors returned into the court, the squire asked them: Gentlemen, have you agreed upon a verdict?" "We 'ave, your honor," said the foreman, a Yorkshireman of the name of Edwards, some of whose descendants still live near Babylon. "What is the verdict," asked the court. "We find, your honor," answered the foreman, "that 'h didn't 'it 'im 'ard enough." The verdict may not have been strictly in accordance with law and usage, but it "went," and until this day remains a tradition of life in the old days along the south side. The pond on whose surface the row took place, was later owned by Malcolm W. Ford, and now is the property of W. G. Gilmore of Brooklyn.
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Wedding Announcement
Palatka Daily News
Palatka, Florida
3 Sept 1922, Sun Page 5
Jervis-Meigs
Mr. and Mrs. S. K. Meigs announce
the marriage of their
daughter,
Carolie,
to
Mr. Carl Jervis
Friday, August twenty-six,
nineteen hundred and twenty-two
Santiago, Cuba
Mrs. Jervis is a charming Palatka girl and has many friends here and elsewhere in Florida who will wish her every happiness in her married life.
Several months ago she left for a visit to her sister and brother-in-law, Dr. and Mrs. Armstrong [it's Strong and not Armstrong], of Cuba, and the above announcement comes as a total surprise to her many friends here.
[note-Grandpa was never known as Carl that I know of]
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another wedding announcement of unknown newspaper
Charles M. Jervis of Central Alto Cedro, Marcane, Cuba, was married on August 26 to Miss Caroline Meigs of Palatka, Florida. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joshua P. Jervis of Copiague and is well known in Amityville where he was popularly called "Curly" as a schoolboy.
[note-Grandma was never known as Caroline that I know of]
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birth announcement for Joel Russ Jervis in an unnamed Amityville, New York newspaper:
Born
JERVIS. April 5, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Jervis (only son of Mr. and Mrs. Joshua P. Jervis, Copiague) at their home in Central Alto, Ledro, Marcane, Oriente, Cuba, a son, Joel R.
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birth announcement for Charles M. Jervis, Jr, this was probably from an Amityville, New York newspaper:
An announcement has been received of the birth at Jacksonville, Fla., last Friday, October 14, of a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Jervis of Marcane, Cuba. Mr. Jervis is a brother of Mrs. William W. Smith, Union avenue.
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Standard-Sentinel
Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Thursday Morning, October 26, 1933 p 11
GRAU'S CABINET WENT TO PALACE, cont. from page 1
Despite interest in pending political developments, serious labor troubles at American-owned sugar mills is widely separated parts of the island continued to worry Americans and the Cuban governments. At least one American was endangered by striking workers who held him prisoner.
The United States destroyer Twiggs, was standing by off Antilla, in Oriente Province, near the Alto Cedro sugar mill, where C. M. Jervis, the American manager, was held by strikers who had formed a Soviet regime.
The government, meanwhile, after successfully breaking a threat of a general strike in Havana Province, where serious disorders were reported during the day.
The commander of the Twiggs said Jervis was afraid to leave under an escort of Cuban soldiers, believing his departure would precipitate a clash between the strikers and troopers.
...
An exchange of shots between dissenting groups of workmen at the Jaronu sugarmill in Camaguey Province resulted in one death and injuries to several men. Soldiers were called to re-establish order.
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Casper Star-Tribune Herald
Casper, Wyoming
26 Oct 1933, Thu page 7
BANDITS HOLD MILL MANAGER
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26
Secretary Hull reported today that Cuban militiamen had been sent to the aid of the imprisoned American manager of a sugar mill at Antilla, C. M. Jervis, and that his life was no longer endangered.
Jervis was imprisoned by workers at the mill he managed. Upon receiving word that he was held, American officials ordered a destroyer to move toward Antilla.
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The Palm Beach Post
West Palm Beach, Florida ·
Friday, October 27, 1933, page 1
American Sugar Mill Manager In Cuba Is Trapped by Workers
by the Associated Press
Havana, Oct 26.--Fears were expressed for the life of an American manager of a sugar mill in Oriente province Thursday night as reports told of wide-spread labor trouble in many sections of Cuba.
C. M. Jarvis, manager of the Alto Cedro sugar mill, near Antilla, was still a prisoner of workers there and reliable reports said the situation was "menacing and disquieting." Jarvis had declined offers of soldiers to attempt a rescue, fearing the attempt would result in a general fight between workers and soldiers.
Meanwhile, a movement for an island-wide general strike gained ground and minor disorders in the capital and elsewhere continued.
While government leaders studied proposals for a change in the present form of government, the Communistic National Labor confederation met secretly and voted to call a general strike at an unspecified date. Some reports said the strike would be inaugurated after Nov. 1 and that the confederation was attempting to hold off small individual strikes in order to "surprise" the government with the general strike.
The Communists planned the strike as a protest against the government's system of imprisoning all suspected Communists; the "red massacre" of September 29 and the increasing cost of living.
A number of shots were fired in the center of Havana during the day and a small bomb exploded under a street car in the Vedado residential section. The car was only slightly damaged and no one was hurt.
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Daily News
New York, New York
Sat, Oct 28, 1933 ·Page 100
13 Die as Workers and Soldiers Battle
(Chicago Tribune Press Service)
Havana, Oct. 27.--Climaxing the tense situation of the past week, laborers and soldiers fought heated battles at two sugar mills today. Eight were killed at the Mabay mill in Oriente Province, and at the Cunagua mill in Camaguey there were five deaths. Numerous wounded were counted as the laborers surrendered.
C. M. Jarvis, American manager of Alto Cedro mill, near Antilla, Oriente, is being held captive, and workers today again prevented soldiers from rescuing him.
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From The Ludington Daily News
Ludington, Michigan
30 October 1933, Monday
Family Acquainted With American Held As Prisoner in Cuba
The William D. Lewis family of 203 North James street read with regret the headlines “Cuban Rioters Hold American Prisoner” which appeared in a recent issue of Ludington Daily News, as C. M. Jervis, manager of the Alto Cedro Sugar mill in Opente [sic] province, is an acquaintance, the son of next-door neighbors of the Lewis family when they lived at West Palm Beach, Fla., during the season of 1931-1932.
Mr. Jervis Sr. often related his son’s many interesting and exciting experiences as civil engineer for the United States government in the Philippines and adjacent islands before he became affiliated with the sugar industry in Cuba--so it was a genuine pleasure, members of the Lewis family state, to visit with C. M. Jervis upon his visit to his father in West Palm Beach last winter. Mr. Lewis became well acquainted with him, learning much of interest from his account of years of diversities.
Mr. Lewis pleasantly recalls Mr. Jervis’ narrations of the islands and the diplomatic methods sometimes involved to win them over without hostilities.
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The Gaffney Ledger
Gaffney, South Carolina
2 November, 1933 Thursday page 1
Prisoner Liberated.
Havana, Oct. 30. --C. M. Jervis, American manager of the Alto Cedro Sugar Mill at Antilla, Oriente Province, who was held prisoner last week by striking employes [sic], has been liberated, it was learned today. He is now in Santiago.
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obituary from an unnamed newspaper January 1961:
CHARLES JERVIS
Charles Miller Jervis, 75, of 970 Great Neck rd., Copiague, a retired civil engineer, died on Monday, Jan. 23, at his home.
Services are scheduled to be held this afternoon (Thursday) at the Powell Funeral Home, Broadway, Amityville, with the Rev. George Leadbeater, pastor of the United Christian Church of Copiague, officiating. Burial will follow in the Amityville Cemetery.
After his graduation from Clarkson School of Technology, Potsdam, N. Y., Mr. Jervis, in the capacity of civil engineer, went to the Philippines as a representative of the U.S. Bureau of Lands. He went to Cuba 45 years ago and spent 25 years as manager of the Central Alto Cedro Sugar Company of Cuba. He retired 20 years ago.
Born Oct. 14, 1885 in Copiague, the son of Joshua P. and Mary Jane Miller Jervis. Mr. Jervis is survived by his wife, the former Carolie Meigs; two sons, Joel R. Jervis of Los Altos, Calif., and Charles M. Jervis Jr. of the Copiague address. Also surviving are a sister, Mrs. Grace P. Smith of Union ave., Amityville, and three grandchildren, Chandel and Russ of Los Altos, Calif., and Denise of Copiague.
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obituary from
The Amityville Record
Amityville, Long Island, Suffolk County, New York,
26 January 1961 Thursday
CHARLES M. JERVIS
Charles Miller Jervis, who was born in Copiague but had traveled in all parts of the world, died in his sleep on Monday morning, January 23, at his home at 970 Great Neck Road, the house where he was born.
Mr. Jervis was born on October 14, 1885, a son of Joshua P. and Mary Jane Miller Jervis. He was graduated from Clarkson Institute of Technology, Potsdam, New York, class of 1910, as a civil engineer, following in the footsteps of his father who had laid out many important streets and sections on Long Island.
After college Mr. Jervis went first to the Philippines where he worked with the Bureau of Land. He traveled in all parts of the world in his work before settling in Marcane, Cuba, where he spent 25 years, first as a surveyor then as manager of a large sugar mill. He stayed until 20 years ago when his health broke and he returned to his birthplace.
Mr. Jervis married Carolie Meigs, of Palatka, Florida, on August 26, 1922. She survives him, as do their two sons, Joel R. Jervis, of Los Altos, California, and Charles M. Jervis jr., of Copiague. Mr. Jervis is survived also by a sister, Mrs. Grace P. (William W.) Smith of Union Avenue, Amityville, and three grandchildren, Chandel, Russ, and Denise.
Private services will be held today in the Powell Funeral Home, Broadway, Amityville. The Rev. George Leadbetter, of the United Christian Church, Copiague will officiate. Interment will be in the Amityville Cemetery.
