Individual Details

Lyndon Walker Comstock

(15 Jul 1843 - 13 Jan 1911)



1860 Census. Columbus, Bartholomew Co., Indiana
Household 1326 A boarding house
Lindon Comstock, age 16, b. Ind.
Hannah Comstock, age 53, b. New Jersey [his grandmother]


Lyndon married 3 Jan 1864, to Charlotte Emeline Davis.

1870 Census. Columbus, Batholomew Co, Indiana
Household 109
Lindon Comstock, age 26, Jeweler, b. Ind.
Charlotte, age 24, b. Ind.
Walter, age 5, b. Ind.

1880
Census Place: 2nd Ward, Columbus, Bartholomew, Indiana
Source: FHL Film 1254265 National Archives Film T9-0265 Page 58C
L. W. Comstock, age 36, b. IN, Dentist, father b. MS, mother b. KY
Lottie, Wife, age 34, b. IN, Keeping House, father & mother both b. KY
Walter, Son, age 15, b. IN, Telegraf Messenger, parents b. IN
Lyndon M., Son, age 3, b. IN


Lyndon carried on an extensive correspondence with Noah Durham Comstock when he was gathering information on the Comstocks that was later used in the books by his brother-in-law, Cyrus B. Comstock.



At the NEHGS Library in Boston:
Samuel Willett Comstock Manuscript Collection is: SG COM 11 [87]
22 manuscript volumes
From: Letters #3 1878-1895:

Letters were all from Lyndon W. Comstock to Noah D. Comstock of Independence, Wis. They were written on Letterheads from his Dental office and from the Indiana Hospital for the Insane, where apparently Lyndon worked from time to time.

Undated. "Some of the information asked for"
Dental Office. L. W. Comstock. 36 & 38 West Washington St., Indianapolis
Daniel Comstock. Born Jan 16, 1748
Sarah Comstock, Born Aug 5, 1761 both died at Lexington, Ky
Son Dr. Brown Comstock, born 1796, died at Pittsfield, Ill. 1852
Hannah (Cook) Comstock, born Oct 14, 1801, died Cinncinnati Ohio Jun 29 1884
Married Hamilton Co Ohio, Dec 30, 1820
Their son Dr. George Cook Comstock born Nov 20, 1821, died Jun 28, 1845
[George's middle name is disputed by some of the family]
Married Francis Jones Comstock, born Aug 24, 1825. Now living.
the widow of Dr. H. T. Hinman at Columbus, Indiana
Their 2nd Son. George Ward Comstoc, born Columbus, Oct 1, 1845, died Sep 28, 1848
Their 1st son. Lyndon Walker Comstock born Jul 15, 1843 now living in Indianapolis, Ind. Married to Charlotte Emeline Davis in Columbus Ind Jan 3 1864, who was born in Washington, Scott Co, Indiana, Dec 15, 1845. Their children:
Walter Stansifer Comstock, b. Apr 15, 1865
Nellie Comstock, b. Apr 27, 1867, died Aug 13, 1867
Nona Comstock, b. Jul 35, 1871, died Aug 8, 1873
Lyndon Maderia Comstock, b. Jan 29, 1877
Carleton Chastlar Comstock, b. Jun 17, 1882, died Nov 4, 1885
All five were born at Columbus, Indiana. Walter is living in Chicago, Ill. [address him at 214 Madison St., Lyndon of course with us. Carleton Chastlar died in Indianapolis. Nona and nellie died in Columbus both buried in Columbus. Dr. George Cook Comstock is buried at Saverton Mo where he died. George Ward Comstock is buried at Columbus Indiana where he was born and died. Hannah Cook Comstock is buried at Greenlawn County, now Cincinnati, Ohio. You see by the dates that my father died when I was but three years old and since that time I have lived in Columbus four times. I have resided in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Tessessee. Once in Missouri in infancy and then in 1871 and 1872.
Will send the other dates as soon as I hear from my mother and others I have written to. Yours - L. W. Comstock

18 Mar 1886
To Noah D. Comstock
Dear Sir, I have been trying to obtain all the information that you desire concerning the Comstock family but my time has been cramped and I have only partially succeeded To keep up communication and show you that my winterest will not died out I send you bit by bit the information that I get. Today I received a letter from Pittsfield, Ill where my grandfather Brown Comstock ___ [tight binding obsures some of the words] the dates of his birth and death. He was born July 29 ___ and died June 3 1852 [cholera]. My mother thinks he was born in Providence RI but I am of the impression that he was born at Lexington, KY [no, Rhode Island was correct] George Cook Comstock - my father, was born in Maysville, Kentucky. ____ that Daniel Comstock [my great grandfather] was born Jun 16 1748 but do not know when he died. Do you? ____ I will try to get the information from___ton or will go there if necessary to find out.
You mention our probable Welsh descent. One plate I have, has a Welch motto [gives mottos from two plates, perhaps written in Welch]
My family has always denied the descendants of Karl von Comstock of Frankfort in the in _____ Germany. but tradition is all I find to go by. The subject is interesting to me and I will always be very glad to hear from you.
I will take time and incur any expense necessary to get any information you may ask of me. Write me of the present condition of your manuscript and give me any additional information that you can. Have you a copy of C. C. Comstock's book? I have never seen any printed genealogy of our family. Can you loan one to me?
Please let me hear from you and what is still better come and see us. We will call you cousin ____. Yours very truly, L. W. Comstock

Letter dated 20 Mar 1886
Has data copied directly from the book "A Genealogical Dictionary of the Fist Settlers of New England" by James Savage.
[undoubtedly Noah had access to this book]
So I understand this, William of Weathersfield and Samuel of Weathersfield were brothers and there is no close connection with Christopher and John. [All so very wrong....] How is this, I am getting worked up now and will not let you rest until I get all the information possible. Yours Respectfully, L. W. Comstock

Letter dated 16 Apr 1886
Has pages of data! Just a list of facts and data - not really organized in any way that one could make any sense of it. Certainly no sources. I made no attempt to copy this one. Lyndon wanted to know when the work was to be finished and published. Concerns about health of Noah. Offered to help “push’ the work through to completion.

Letter of 19 Apr 1886
Lyndon W. had the same Daniel Comstock married to Martha Brown and ____Buffum Named two children as Danl Jr & Thomas Azariah!

Letter of 23 Apr 1886
…."much surprise at your expression of annoyance at the hotch potch of names and dates sent to you when you suppose that I had accepted them for facts"
…."apologize for offering to take the compiling of the information off your hands"
…."anything I can do to help you will be done"

On letterhead from Indiana Hospital for Insane
W. B. Fletcher, MD Superintendent
No date, probably not first page - that seems to be missing
….my mothers second husband was Dr. Hinman, one of the family of Hinmans descended from Seryr-Edward Hinman" was the only real fact offered

Lyndon W. quotes a book by Geo. R. Mallony, dec’d before 1886, who had written a Comstock book. [What was given about the early generations was all wrong. I've never seen nor heard of this book....]

Chatty letter dated 27 Apr 1886 [Letterhead of Dental office]
…my wife is in a delicate condition the result of a very extensive surgical operation in her womb. Her system has not recovered from the shock though the operation was made over two years ago…

May 1, 1886
IN Hospital for Insane letterhead
…"I feel much better today than usual because the insane Attorney General of the State [who has been trying to shoot me for a year] was sent to the insane asylum yesterday. He had become dangerous at home and I made affidavit against him with and by consent of brother and son …."

Lots of discussion concerning the Coat of Arms, etc. was in these later letters as well as continued expressions of concern about publication of the material and the condition of his own wife - nothing of particular genealogical value. The letterheads alternated between the dental office letterhead and the mental hospital, so I could only conclude he was doing dental work at the hospital. One of the later letters discussed relief that a crazy man that had been aggravating him for some time was being restrained. There were probably about 15 letters in all.


Lyndon is buried, Columbus City Cemetery, Columbus, Bartholomew Co, IN

Events

Birth15 Jul 1843Columbus, Bartholemew County, Indiana
Marriage3 Jan 1864Charlotte Emeline Davis
Death13 Jan 1911Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana

Families

SpouseCharlotte Emeline Davis (1845 - 1936)
ChildWalter Stansifer Comstock (1865 - 1913)
ChildNellie Comstock (1867 - 1867)
ChildNona Comstock (1871 - 1873)
ChildLyndon Madeira Comstock (1877 - 1948)
ChildCarlton Chastlar Comstock (1882 - 1885)
FatherGeorge Cook Comstock (1821 - 1845)
MotherMiranda Frances Jones (1825 - )
SiblingGeorge Ward Comstock (1845 - 1848)