Joseph W. Child Dead

Death Caused By Neuralgia Of The Heart

He Had Lived at Red Bank Forty-Eight Years and Had Been in the Bakery Business Thirty-Nine Years.

Joseph William Child of Wallace street died yesterday morning of neuralgia of the heart, aged 63 years. He had been confined to the house since Washington's birthday. Last week his condition seemed to be somewhat improved and on Friday he took a short ride around town. Monday noon his condition took a decided change for the worse and he sank gradually until his death. The funeral will be held to-morrow afternoon at two o'clock at Grace church. Rev. Wright Eckersly will conduct the service. The body will be buried in Fair View cemetery.

Mr. Child was born at Chertsey, Surrey county, England. His parents were Sarah and William Child. In 1852 the family came to his country and located at Red Bank. Besides the parents the family consisted of Joseph W., Henry J., Sarah W. and Agnes Child. The surviving members of the family are Justice Henry J. Child and Miss Sarah W. Child, whose home is with the family of her brother Joseph.

When Mr. Child first came to Red Bank he was a clerk in James H. Peters's old store. Mr. Child and the late William G. Hitchcock of Red Bank were the only clerks in the store at that time. He worked in Peters's store only a few months and he then went to work in Joseph W. Borden's drug store, which stood on the site of the building now occupied by the Adams express company and the Western Union Telegraph company. He worked in the drug store for eight years. In 1861 he started a bakery in a building which stood on the site of his present bakery. The property was then owned by Joseph Shepherd of Shrewsbury, but a few years later it was bought by Mr. Child. In 1882 the building was burned down in the fire that destroyed nearly all that section of Broad street. The present building was built on the site of the old store. This building has a frontage of sixty foot. Mr. Child gave his personal attention to the bakery business until about three years ago, when his health began to fail. Since then the management of the business has devolved largely upon his sons, William and Joseph Child.

Mr. Child was at one time prominent in the political affairs of Shrewsbury township. He served as township committeeman, as township clerk and held other local offices. He was a member of the Masonic, the Odd Fellows lodge and the Royal Arcanum lodge of Red Bank and was a charter member of the Navesink hook and ladder company. He was one of the organizers of Grace Methodist church and had been a member of the official board of the church for a number of years. He was a man of strict integrity and had a wide circle of friends.

Mr. Child married Mary R. Swaim, daughter of Ezra Swaim of Newark, who was a teacher in the Red Bank public school before her marriage to Mr. Child. She survives him and he also leaves four children. The children are William S., Joseph W., Sadie J. and Grace Child.

Source: Red Bank Register, Wednesday, May 2, 1900

Some additional excellent resources for your research are:

• New Jersey Census, 1772-1890 - Ancestry.com

• Calendar of New Jersey Wills, 1670-1760 - Ancestry.com

• Interment.net - NJ ~ New Jersey Cemetery Transcriptions on the net.

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