Descendants of Capt. Arthur Fenner
Bessie Pearl Fenner
[b 23 Apr. 1885 at East Greenwich, Kent, RI; d 1953] In 1900 and 1905, Bessie Pearl Fenner was living with her family in Charlestown, Washington, RI. Bessie Pearl Fenner m John Rowan Dorsey [b 12 July 1878 in RI; d 3 Feb 1942] ca. 1906 as his second wife. In the 1900 census, John had been living as a boarder in the home of William Saunders, but later that year m Mary E. Donohue [1879–1936] and had Harold Dorsey, 9 Sept. 1900. That marriage ended in divorce. Mary retained guardianship over their son Harold and kept the Dorsey name through at least 1930.
In 1910, John and Bessie were living in Groton, CT, with their son John Jr. They had two more children, daughters Alice (1910) and Grace (1912). On John’s WWI draft registration, 1918, he was working as a machinist, living at 5 Rosemary Street, New London, CT; Bessie was given as his “Nearest Relative” but living in Preston, CT, apparently estranged due to John’s double infidelity with Cornelia Crane, which had resulted in the birth of Cornelia Dorsey on 13 July 1917 and Stephen Dorsey on 4 Oct. 1918. In 1920, in what must have been a volatile situation, John was still married to Bessie, with children John, Alice, and Grace, while Cornelia Swan was listed as “housekeeper” with her children Lewis, Myrtle, Nellie, and Stephen. Bessie Pearl was born later that year, 15 Dec. 1920. In spite of the name (possibly a long-shot attempt at appeasement), Bessie was evidently born from Cornelia. Bessie and John eventually divorced. Bessie did not remarry and kept the Dorsey name.
John m 3rd his mistress Cornelia Avery Crane [b 1887/8; d 9 July 1944 at New London, CT] as her second husband. Cornelia had m 1st Frederick Eugene Swan [b 14 Sept. 1886 in RI; d 18 Oct. 1918 in CT]. On Frederick’s WWI draft registration, 5 June 1917, he was a teamster with a wife and two children, and had 8 years of service with the Connecticut National Guard. Cornelia had been unfaithful, pregnant at the time with Nellie, born weeks later on 13 July 1917. Frederick died in 1918, 14 days after the birth of the second illegitimate child, Stephen. In 1930, John and Cornelia were living in New London, CT, with Cornelia (“Nellie”), Stephen, Bessie, Theodore, Leroy, and Mabel. In 1940, John and Cornelia were counted with Bessie, Theodore, Leroy, and Mabel.
Child of John Dorsey and Mary E. Donohue:
Harold Charles Dorsey [b 9 Sept. 1900 at New London, CT; d 11 Jan. 1938 at New London, CT].
Children of John Dorsey and Bessie Fenner:
John R. Dorsey [b ca. 1909 at Groton, New London, CT; d 16 Aug. 1972 at Norwich, New London, CT].
Alice Dorsey [b 5 Nov. 1910 at Groton, New London, CT; d 16 Aug. 1975 at Waterford, New London, CT].
Grace Julia Dorsey [b 16 May 1912 at New London, CT; d 16 Dec. 1997 at Pittsfield, Berkshire, MA] m Harland Theodore Desoe [b 14 July 1908 at West Springfield, Hampden, MA; d 30 Aug. 1973 at Northampton, Hampshire, MA].
Children of Cornelia Crane and Frederick Swan:
Lewis Arthur Swan [b 3 Sept. 1906 at New London, CT; d 1 Jan. 1979 at New London, CT].
Myrtle Arlean Swan [b 12 Dec. 1912 at New London, CT; d 23 July 1988 at Waterford, New London, CT].
Children of John Dorsey and Cornelia Crane:
Cornelia (“Nellie”) Avery Dorsey [b 13 July 1917 at New London, CT; d 29 May 2002] m John Albert Beyer.
Stephen John Dorsey [b 4 Oct. 1918 at New London, CT; d 8 Mar. 1993 at Stonington, New London, CT] U.S. Navy, WWII; m Phyllis Louise Maynard.
Bessie Pearl Dorsey [b 15 Dec. 1920 at New London, CT; d 30 June 2012 at San Diego, CA] m 1st Harold Rochester Lemons; m 2nd Fred Leo Bethel.
Theodore Russell Dorsey [b 18 Dec. 1922 at New London, CT; d 16 Jan. 2010 at Westerly, Washington Co., RI] m 1st Carol Ann Bloomer; m 2nd Nettie Cardillo.
Leroy/Leo Howard Dorsey [b 18 Dec. 1925 at New London, CT; d 1 May 1991 at Branford, New Haven, CT] m Eva Yvonne White.
Mabel Jane Dorsey [b 5 Jan. 1928 at New London, CT; d 14 Apr. 2018 at New London, CT] m 1st Thomas Russell Collins; m 2nd Arthur H. Chapman.