Dr. Simeon Zelotus Henry, MD

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Dr. Simeon Zelotus Henry, MD, whose ancestry is unknown (or not traced here), was born at Canada, June 1792.1,2 He died at Troy, Rensselaer Co., New York, 1 January 1852,3,4,5,1 and was buried at Mt. Ida Cemetery, Troy, Rensselaer Co., New York.5

Simeon married Laura Canfield White, daughter of Consider White and Sarah Washburn, at Troy 17 November 1814.6,7

He was of Scottish descent, and was brought or sent at about age 8 (1800) in the care of a grandfather to the United States, probably at or near Troy or Albany, New York. At 16 (1806) he began to study medicine with Dr. [Henry] Downs of Blooming Grove, near Albany. At age 23 (1815) he passed the examination of the Medical Board in Albany, and received the degree of M.D. and was licensed by the Medical Board in Albany, 3 April 1815.

He was appointed surgeon's mate of the 118th infantry regiment (Washington Co., New York) in 1817 and was replaced in 1819 after he had moved to Montreal.

He resided in Lansingburg until 1817 when he removed to Montreal, where he was awarded a diploma from the Royal Commission. He remained there until 1837. During that time occurred the cholera epidemics of 1832 when the streets of Montreal were lined with the dead and dying. Dr. Henry was in charge of the Montreal Barracks and acquitted himself well. After the epidemic he received several letters of credit, and the highest honors were given by the Medical Commission.

He returned to Troy in 1837, principally due to the harsh climate of Montreal. He was licensed by the Rensselaer County Medical Society in 1838, which is the first year his name appears in the Troy, N.Y. city directory."

In the Troy New York directories:
     From 1838-41 Simon Z. Henry, Physician, home at 114 Fourth St.
     1842-43     38 State St.
     1844          115 Fourth St.
     1845-47     136 Fourth St.
     1848-52     4 Clinton Pl.

His obituary states, "he had built up an eminent reputation for medical skill and science, and established a name that for charity, kindness and benevolence of purpose, will not be soon forgotten by the many he has befriended. Oft have we seen him, and since the foul hand of disease has seized upon him, administering to the sick and helpless when remuneration was not even expected by him. He was a man of great firmness of purpose, and allowed judgment and experience to sway him, rather than new and untried theories. This perhaps cause him to be not quite so intimately connected with the medical faculty generally as is usual. yet he was not bigoted in his opinions, but a persons of great reasoning faculties and a very close student up to the time of his illness."

His disease was a cancer on the face which first appeared as a cold-sore on his upper lip in the summer of 1849. It increased very gradually until it was decided to remove it. The operation was performed by Dr. Bontecou, and the wound healed, leaving apparently no traces of it. However, it reappeared about six months later. A second operation had no effect. It gradually increased, extending over his face, until last March or April it was determined to be incurable. "Since then he has suffered all the tortures that man could suffer with disease. Slowly but surely has the vile disease crept on, seeming to avoid the vital parts that his sufferings might be extended. Of large physical organization and iron constitution, he wasted away until but a mere shadow of his former self remained, enduring without a murmur the most intense pain and the horrible thoughts of leaving a large family circle behind him. In all our experience, we know of no case of such mental torture and bodily suffering as was exhibited in the case of the deceased."8,9,10

He died intestate, and administration papers show that he died on or about 1 Jan 1852, a widow, Laura C. Henry, six unamed children, and the estate was worth less than than $50.00.11

Family

Laura Canfield White b. 9 Jan 1792, d. 12 Mar 1865
Children
  • James L. Henry, MD1 b. Dec 1815, d. 28 Mar 1842
  • Nancy Henry1,12 b. Jul 1821, d. 1 Oct 1857
  • Laura Caroline Henry+13,14 b. 30 Apr 1825, d. 10 May 1903
  • Sarah Maria Henry1 b. 5 Apr 1828, d. 11 Jul 1912
  • Edmund S. Henry12,15 b. abt. 1830, d. 16 Nov 1870
  • Clementine Henry1,5,16 b. 4 Nov 1833, d. 28 Feb 1854
  • Frances J. (Fannie) Henry1,12 b. 18 Apr 1836, d. 1 Oct 1863
This person was last edited on26 Jul 2023

Citations

  1. [S149] Covel Family, Bible Record, Gregory Cooke Clarkdale, Arizona.
  2. [S457] Ancestry.com, 1850 United States Census [on-line database and images] (http://www.ancestry.com), Third Ward, City of Troy, Rensselaer Co., New York, population schedule, sheet #116, dwelling #1078, family #1686, Simeon Z. Henry household, age 58, a physician, born in Canada; original data: NARA micropublication M432, Seventh Census of the United States, 1009 rolls, roll #584.
  3. [S2313] "Obituary notices appearing in Troy newspapers, 1797-1860", (Typescript, Troy Public Library, Troy, New York, 1938), Troy Budget, 2 January 1852, 2:6, FHL Film/Fiche #1437397, item 3, img #668, further cited as "Troy obituary notices."
  4. [S153] "Letter, 9 Aug 1989", 9 Aug 1989, Doris R Sheridan (4 Sunset View Avenue, Troy, New York 12180), to Virginia Cooper (Lambertville, New Jersey), Troy Northern Budget Jan. 2, 1852; Gregory Cooke, Clarkdale, Arizona. Hereinafter cited as "Troy Extracts."
  5. [S150] "Inscriptions of Graves From Mt. Ida Cemetery: Pawling Ave., Troy, N. Y," Typescript,, (Daughters of the American Revolution Philip Schuyler Chapter, 1923), 39, FHL microfilm 17974, further cited as Mt. Ida Inscriptions.
  6. [S205] White Bible Records, Bible Record of Consider White (Unknown publisher, bef 1803); Kathy Ruff, Riverside, California Photocopy Gregory Cooke.
  7. [S153] Sheridan, "Troy Extracts", Troy Post Dec. 27, 1814, 3:3.
  8. [S1112] Letter from Robert N. Anderson (Rensselaer County Historical Society, Troy, New York) to Mrs. Victoria Cooper, 10 Aug 1989; photocopy in Gregory Cooke, Clarkdale, Arizona.
  9. [S1546] "tofftroy", Find A Grave memorial #121724947, added 14 Dec 2013, online http://www.findagrave.com, accessed 4 Jan 2014, further cited as Find A Grave.
  10. [S1958] Hugh Hastings and Henry Harmon Nobel, Military Minutes of the Council of Appointment of the State of New York, 1783-1821 (Four vols., Albany, New York: State of New York, 1901), 2:1758, 3:2018, further cited as Hastings & Nobel, Military Minutes of the Council of Appointment.
  11. [S629] Rensselaer Co., New York, Probate records, 1791-1921; index to probate records, 1794-1916, File 505, further cited as Rensselaer Co., NY Probate.
  12. [S457] 1850 United States Census, Third Ward, City of Troy, Rensselaer Co., New York, pop. sch., sheet 116, dwelling 1078, family 1686, Simeon Z. Henry hshld.
  13. [S1015] Laura Caroline Jackson, Death Certificates, File No. 19950 (1903), New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Trenton, New Jersey.
  14. [S155] "Letter, Aug 4, 1989", August 4, 1989, Ruth Sweet (Troy, New York), to Victoria Cooper (Lambertsville, New Jersey), Troy Budget, August 17, 1841; Gregory Cooke, Clarkdale, Arizona. Hereinafter cited as "Troy Newspaper Extracts."
  15. [S263] "Obituary Notices," New York Times, 18 Nov 1870, 5; digital image, (unknown repository address : ).
  16. [S153] Sheridan, "Troy Extracts", Troy Daily Whig March 2, 1854, 2:7.