The Winchester Mystery House: Another Perspective

To start if you are interested (my last post is below):

Here I hope to fill in gaps of what is currently widely known and I want you to come to your own conclusions. First of all, what could have inspired her father-in-law, Oliver Winchester to run for lieutenant governor in 1865? One clue may be in his son’s name, William Wirt Winchester. Oliver Winchester stayed in Baltimore, Maryland during his teenage years, 1830-1837 (The Inscrutable Mrs. Winchester,Lisa L. Selby p.13). The next year, in 1838, William was born (http://www.answers.com/topic/william-wirt-winchester). William Wirt, a possible influence, retired to Baltimore after losing his bid for presidency in 1832 against Andrew Jackson as an Anti-Mason. Wirt died on Feb. 18, 1834 (http://www.loc.gov/rr/mss/text/wirt.html). Even If he did not personally know him, doesn’t that show that he had some political leaning towards his ideals? To name his first son after him, he must have had some influence from him. Besides, how common is the middle or last name Wirt and have it coincide with the first name William?
The following is the start of his career in rifle manufacturing. 10 years later in 1848 he opened his shirt factory in New Haven, CT (“The Inscrutable Mrs. Winchester”, Lisa L. Selby p.13). In 1856 he bought the Volcanic Repeating Arms Co and restructured to the New Haven Arms Co. in 1858. He patented the Henry rifle in 1860, a new, advanced type of repeating rifle, and began production the following year. This was the type used in the Civil War (http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9534324).

Four years later in 1865, he campaigns for lieutenant governor with running mate Joseph Hawley against James E. English (http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9404E6DC133DE53BBC4B53DFB266838D679FDE&oref=slogin ) and is inaugurated in 1866. Long story short, they win on the Republican ticket. In the previous two elections for governor of 1864 and 1865 Origen Storrs Seymour, who was the nephew of Horatio Seymour, lost his bid (http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/CT/ofc/gov.html). This is important for what happens in the next three years. 

That summer, on July 15, 1866, Annie is born and she soon dies.  If, from what I saw is true, isn’t that a more plausible reason for why she refused to speak in public after her daughter’s death? That following spring in 1867, a Horatio Seymour was tapped to join the Skull and Bones on Yale University’s campus (http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/bones.htm). This could have been Horatio Seymour himself made an honorary member, which is doubtful because most members are “tapped” their junior year. It is probable that instead that his other nephew, Horatio Seymour Jr. was tapped since he was born in Utica, Oneida County, NY and his uncle Seymour was mayor there in 1843 before becoming governor of New York or running for governor of Connecticut.  That would mean Junior was approximately 24 years old, a reasonably close to the appropriate age. So, is it reasonable to say that they were somehow involved  with Annie’s death although they were not in Oliver Winchester’s election year?

I would say yes because of evidence in the physical arcitecture of the Winchester House and what happens next to Sarah, which will be in my next post. Please let me know if I need to clarify any citations.

~ by thelaurelbush on October 16, 2007.

Posted in New Haven, Winchester Mystery House
Tags: Annie Winchester, Horatio Seymour, New Haven, Oliver Winchester, Sarah Winchester, Skull and Bones, William Wirt, William Wirt Winchester, Winchester Mystery House