The history of Charles Herbert Vincent,

son of Horace Vincent

As told to Robert Vincent,

by Marge Vincent-Coombs on December 29, 2008
 

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On April 20, 1819, Horace Vincent was born. Horace fought in the Civil War for the Union. He left his home in Bainbridge, Michigan and enlisted on July 1, 1863 at 44 years of age. Horace joined the 161st Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K and was a private. He married Matilda Ford, and together they had three children. Horace was a hotel owner and died at the age of 75 from injuries he sustained from falling down an elevator shaft in the hotel he owned in Janesville, Wisconsin in 1894.

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Horace Vincent married Matilda Ford about 1844 and together they had three children:

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Charles Herbert Vincent, 1845 – 1920. He died at 75 years of age in Montana.
 

Marie E. Vincent, 1849 - 
 

According to the U.S. Census of 1920, Marie was divorced, and at the age of 71 lived with her brother, Charles Herbert Vincent, age 75, and his wife, May Vincent, who was 57 years of age.
 

Elizabeth Vincent - Hughes, 1852 – 1924

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Note: This information on Elizabeth was added by Robert Vincent June 20, 2020

When Elizabeth VINCENT was born on April 7, 1852 in Jefferson County, New York, her father, Horace, was 35, and her mother, Matilda L. Ford, was 38. She had one brother, Charles Herbert Vincent (1848 – 1920), and one sister, Marie E. Vincent - Hughes. Elizabeth was Clinton Joy Vincent’s cousin. Her brother, Charles Herbert Vincent lived across the highway from Clinton Joy. Charles and Clinton would visit every day and argue politics. Elizabeth married Charles C. Hughes at the age of 19 in 1871. By the U.S. Census of 1900, she was age 46 had already divorced Charles. She came west with her parents at an early age and located in Wisconsin, living in various towns in that state and in Minnesota. Elizabeth moved to Hamilton in 1917 to live with her brother, Charles Herbert Vincent. After Charles Herbert died in 1920, Elizabeth moved in with her adopted niece, Mrs. Earl H. Moore (Helen Todd Vincent). She was a member of the Eastern Star. She died from Pneumonia caused by Influenza on October 31, 1924, at noon, at the home of her niece, Mrs. Moore. She reached the of 72 years, 6 months, and 24 days. Helen Todd Vincent Moore tended to Elizabeth during her final days. Elizabeth was buried in Riverview Cemetery in Hamilton on November 2, 1924. Last rites were said by Rev. Richard Whitehouse, rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The Undertaker was well known local citizen, John W. Dowling. Note: See her obituary in the Gallery.

 

Charles Herbert Vincent was born in 1845, in Mitchell, South Dakota. He married Carrie Rayner on February 6, 1891. He was believed to have been a businessman. His wife Carrie died suddenly on December 6, 1908. Just prior to her death, Charles and Carrie were in the process of adopting Helen Todd Vincent. The adoption was never completed due to Carrie’s death. According to other family members, Helen Todd Vincent was always, “a little different.” Later in life, Helen came to Hamilton, Montana and lived with Elizabeth Vincent Hughes, Charles’ sister. Helen later married Harvey Moore. Her second husband was George Albright. Helen died on April 30, 1962, at the age of 63.
 

Charles’ second wife, May, was 18 years younger. Charles Herbert and May Vincent settled in Grantsdale, Montana, near Clinton Joy and Jennie Vincent’s ranch. Charles Herbert would walk over to CJ Vincent’s ranch for eggs and dairy products.
 

Marge Vincent Coombs remembers times when Charles Herbert would come to visit Clinton Joy Vincent, at his ranch in Grantsdale. Marge said that she enjoyed being a,"snoop", and that she liked to listen to other people’s conversations. As a young child she would hide beneath the round oak table in the dining room at the ranch, and listen to Charles Herbert and her grandfather, Clinton Joy Vincent, argue about politics.
 

Charles died in 1920 and his property was sold to Thomas and Fannie (Aunt Fannie) Parker. After Charles’ death, his wife May, moved to Florida where it is assumed she later died. The family had no further contact with her after she left Hamilton. Charles and May did not have children
 

Charles Herbert Vincent died in Hamilton and was buried in Riverview Cemetery.  According to Aunt Marge Vincent-Coombs, Charles Herbert Vincent had the largest tombstone of the whole family. Legend has it that our uncle, Frank Edward Vincent (Junior), used to taunt his younger brother (my father) who was also named Charles Herbert Vincent, that his life was of no use as he was already dead according to the tombstone in the cemetery. The younger Charles Herbert Vincent found no humor in this teasing.
 

Postscript:
 

Charles Herbert Vincent was the only son of Horace and Matilda Vincent. After his death at the age of 75 in 1920, Frank and Flossie Vincent named their third son (Clinton Joy Vincent’s grandson) Charles Herbert Vincent in memory of Horace and Matilda’s son. Later in life, Flossie gave her son Herb the antique pocket watch that belonged to his namesake, Charles Herbert Vincent. In the late 1990s the younger Charles Herbert Vincent (in his early 70s) gave the pocket watch to his son, Robert Louis

Vincent.