Stories That Live in Us: The Woolsey Family: A Brady Bunch 100 Years Before the Brady Bunch
Ai generated image - not the real Woolseys
William George Woolsey (1865-1913) was the only child of Richard Woolsey and Charlotte (Beck) Nolan Woolsey Kenneda, but he was far from alone in this blended family. With twelve half-siblings from various marriages, William's family tree exemplifies how blended families existed long before modern times.
The Family Structure:
Richard Woolsey (1822-1908) had children with:
First wife: Alice Susan Buck (1828-1862)
- Eugene Denton Woolsey (1848-1937)
- Caroline Woolsey (1849-1868)
- Mary Emela Woolsey (1852-1927)
- Evangeline Nancy Woolsey (1853-1920)
- Alfred Benton Woolsey (1853-1935)
- Alice Woolsey (1855-1915)
- William George Woolsey (1865-1913) - their only child together
Charlotte Ann Beck (1838-1876) had children with:
First husband: John Wesley Nolen (1832-1863)
- Nancy Elizabeth Nolen (1857-1918)
- Adrian Nolen (1858-)
- John Nolen (1859-1917)
- Clara Belle Bailey (1861-1942)
Second husband: Richard Woolsey (1822-1908)
- William George Woolsey (1865-1913)
Third husband: James Riley Kenneda (1830-1903)
- Minnie E Kenneda (1873-1873) - died in infancy
- Ella Matilda Kennedy (1874-1954)
William's Half-Siblings Summary:
- 6 half-siblings from his father's first marriage to Alice Buck
- 4 half-siblings from his mother's first marriage to John Nolen
- 2 half-siblings from his mother's third marriage to James Kenneda
Charlotte: An Unconventional Woman
What makes this family story particularly fascinating is Charlotte Ann Beck herself. In an era when divorce was uncommon and heavily stigmatized, Charlotte appears to have led an unconventional life. No divorce record has ever been found between Charlotte and Richard Woolsey before her marriage to James Riley Kenneda, raising the possibility that she may have been a bigamist at the time of her third marriage. Whether through legal divorce that went unrecorded or through more controversial means, Charlotte defied the strict social conventions of her time to create her own path – making this blended family all the more remarkable for the 19th century.
This complex family structure shows how blended families have been a part of American life for generations, with William at the center of this expansive network of siblings and step-siblings, and a mother who challenged the social norms of her era. Adding to William's unconventional upbringing was the absence of his biological father, Richard, who was not a part of his life. Instead of staying to raise his son, Richard traveled extensively throughout the western territories in pursuit of his fortune, leaving William to navigate this complex family dynamic without a father figure. This absent father, combined with his mother's unconventional lifestyle, shaped William's childhood in ways that were highly unusual for their time.
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