Mercer Maids Links
- Mercer's Maids
- Read about the beginnings of this group of women and follow links to information about the other girls.
- Sarah Cheney
- Arulia "Lillie" Coffin
- Antoinette Josephine Baker
- Catherine Gallagher
- Asa Shinn Mercer
- Mary Elizabeth "Lizzie" Ordway
- Josephine & Georgianna Pearson
Catherine (Kate) Stevens, according to birth records, was born July 30, 1843 in Pepperell, MA to Rudolphus & Rachel Stevens. Her mother died a year later on Aug. 9, 1844 at age 24. Her father, Rudolphus, married Nancy Jane Wallace of Hollis, NH on March 23, 1845. Rudolphus and Nancy had a son, Joseph, born in 1847.
In the 1850 census for Townsend, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, page 257, Kate is listed with her family as follows; Dwelling #553 family #624
Rodolphus age 31 farmer value of land owned $1,000
Jane age 30
Catherine age 7
Joseph age 3
Augustus Hamblet age 15, (a servant)
In the 1860 census for Pepperell, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Kate is listed with her father and brother as follows;
Rhodolphus age 42 butcher
Catherine age 17 Housekeeper
Joseph age 13
Kate, her father and Catherine Stickney, who was described as her cousin, joined Mercer and his group in New York when they boarded the ship SS Illinois bound for Aspinwall.
On October 22, 1865 Kate married Captain Henry Smith of Port Townsend.
In the 1871 Territorial Census for Washington, in Chehalis County, Kate and Henry are listed as follows;
Henry Smith age 26 Revenue Officer
Catherine age 26
Albert age 3
Catherine's father, Rudolphus, was also in the Chehalis County Territorial census for 1871. He was listed in the household of Edward Campbell.
Rudolphus Stevens age 53 farmer
About 1875 Captain Henry Smith moved his famiy to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. There he operated the steamer Etta White for over 20 years.
There is some confussion as to the number of children Kate and Henry had. I have not found a listing for a son named Albert born 1868, after the 1871 Territorial census, but did later find in family notes, a Charles Victor, born 1868.
There were 7 girls born into this famiy;
Clara Prudence born 1866
Inez Rebecca born 1872
Katherine Clement born 1874
Alice Henrietta born 1877
Grace Stevens born 1879
Sophie Herminie born 1882
Gertrude Masters born 1883
Alice and Sophie died in a tram accident in Victoria at Point Ellice, on May 26, 1896. The crowded tram, in which they were passangers, was on a bridge when it collapsed. 32 people died.
Kate died in Victoria on August 10, 1916 and is burried at the Ross Bay cemetery.
1843 - 1916
