HERBERT CHAUNCY HUDSON: WHERE DID HIS MIDDLE NAME COME FROM?

 In searching down the origins of mystery man WILLIAM HUDSON (b.ca1827), I explored some ships manifests for possible clues. This will will, it is believed, on one census say he was born in England and on another one say he was born in Virginia. His son will say Indiana and his daughter will say he was born "at sea" on one census.

There are several, as could be expected, William Hudson's listed online in resources from several repositories. Most of the ships listed as carrying a William Hudson, born circa 1827 were either from Liverpool and a British registry or were a mail or immigrant transport ship that plied the waters from NY to Aspinwall (Colon), Panama. This was a stop over location where a regular  New Zealand line would often offload onto a ship leaving port there heading to New York. The Panama mail stamp was a collector's item

Some arrivals:

26 May 1851, aboard the Jane out of Liverpool was a 23 year ofl William Hudson, who may have been crew,

7 May 1853. El Dorado, a steam ship, departed Panama for New York. Aboard was a William Hudson (b. 1827)

12 Nov 1857, The Benjamin Adams, departed from Liverpool with a merchant born 1828 named William Hudson.

24 Nov 1869, the Pacific Mail Steamer The Henry Chauncy sailed from Aspenwall, Panama to New York.  It was an American registry and had a mechanic, 40 year old, William Hudson aboard.  

This last one is interesting in the search for the origins of William Hudson (b. ca 1827 and who died between 1885 and 1910, probably in southern Illinois).  His son Louis Hudson will marry twice (1) Victoria Waters and (2) Cordelia Holmes.  Out of that second marriage a son will be born named Herbert Chauncy Hudson.

Chauncy as a surname shows some historic examples:

Charles Chauncy (1592–1671), Anglo-American clergyman and educator

Charles Chauncy (1705–1787), American Congregational clergyman

Henry Chauncy (1632–1719), English lawyer, educator and antiquarian. He was also a cartographer thus explaining the ship named for him. He from from Hertfordshire in England.

Isaac Chauncy (1632–1712), English dissenting minister

Maurice Chauncy (1509–1581), English Catholic priest and Carthusian monk

Never a highly popular name in America it seems to have peaked in 1890, perhaps reflective of its meaning of "gamble, fortune". A popular American name in previous centuries in honor of famed Harvard President, Charles Chauncy (the 1700's).

It may never be known if the William Hudson on the Chauncy was the same man but it does provide some interesting answers to several problems. The question is, as it always is in these matters, are those answers the correct ones.