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17th and 18th century Daggett ancestors

My maternal grandmother Dorothy "Billie" Daggett Wild (1900-1964) was a direct descendant of John Doggett (1602-1673). Doggett emigrated from Boxford, Suffolk, England to Massachusetts in 1630 with Governor Winthrop. The Doggett/Daggett family is exceptionally well documented.

I have divided this story into three parts. PART ONE covers our 17th and 18th century Doggett and Daggett ancestors, including a connection to the Mayflower and an in-law relationship with Benjamin Franklin.

Our 17th and 18th Century Daggett Ancestors (.pdf)

John Minot Daggett (1818-1905)

PART TWO of the story is about my great great grandfather John Minot Daggett.

John Minot Daggett grew up in Maine. As a young man he went to sea on whaling ships out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. In 1853 he moved his family from New England to the Midwest. Over the years, he worked variously as a small farmer; a day laborer; a hotel keeper/livery stable operator; a Justice of the Peace; a railroad station agent; and a postmaster. In his later years, he worked as an insurance agent in St. Paul, Minnesota.

John Minot Daggett Biography (.pdf)

William Smith Daggett (1864-1912)

PART THREE of the Daggett story is about my great grandfather William Smith Daggett.

As a young man, W.S. Daggett served as a deputy federal marshal, first out of St. Paul, Minnesota and then out of Fargo, North Dakota. During this time, he played a central part in the 1890 Minneapolis/St. Paul Census War. He left law enforcement in his early 30s; spent a few years in the patent medicine business; and then spent a few years as a private detective. In about 1906, he established a bucket shop based on wheat prices in Minneapolis, but he was forced to close it after a few years. His name appeared in the Minneapolis and St. Paul newspapers many times in connection with his various roles over the years, especially during his time as a deputy marshal.

W.S. Daggett died of a kidney ailment at only 48 years old, leaving behind a widow and five children, including young Dorothy Daggett (1900-1964), future wife of Ted Wild (1892-1980).

W.S. Daggett Biography (.pdf)

W.S. Daggett Biography (.epub)

On her mother's side, my maternal grandmother Dorothy Daggett Wild was descended from Irish immigrants.

Dorothy's mother -- and W.S. Daggett's widow -- was Anne Ryder Daggett Hatch (1869-1945) (shown here). Anne's parents were Irish immigrants Michael Ryder (1828-1877) and Rose Joyce (1837-1885).

The Ryder family lived in St. Catharines, Ontario for many years. During the 1860's and 1870's, Michael Ryder's name appeared frequently in the St. Catharines newspapers -- and occasionally in the St. Catharines jail records. Even from a distance of over 150 years, it is clear that Michael Ryder was a colorful, clever, articulate, likable alcoholic who lived his life in poverty and who wasn't afraid to get into a physical fight if necessary.

According to his grandson Paul Daggett, Michael Ryder was "violently opposed to all forms of tyranny and oppression" and had been involved in the Underground Railroad. It is hard to know the truth of that claim, but it is clear from the newspaper articles that Michael Ryder had a warm relationship with the black community of St. Catharines.

Michael Ryder Biography (.pdf)

Michael Ryder Biography (.epub)

My father Melvin Earl Mattson (1926-2010) was the son of Swedish immigrants Amanda Strom (1883-1973) and Ed Mattson (1884-1947). Ed and Amanda spoke Swedish and thought of themselves as Swedish, but they actually came to the U.S. from Finland.

Ed and Amanda were part of an ethnic subgroup within Finland known as Swedish Finns, today comprising about 5% of the Finnish population. With support from the Swedish Finn Historical Society, I have traced Ed's and Amanda's ancestries in Finland and have written a document telling their story.

Melvin Earl Mattson Ancestry (.pdf)

Melvin Earl Mattson Ancestry (.epub)

This site was started based on work done many years ago by my mother, M. Joyce Mattson, nee Wild (1929-2004). She became interested in genealogy in the 1980s, and passed the torch -- together with documents and photos -- to me circa 2000.This site would not exist today if not for her work back then. Thank you Mom.

I would also like to thank Peter Etue, who maintains the Joseph Wild branch of this site. Peter's contributions over the years have been invaluable and are much appreciated.

I am Jan Gallant nee Mattson, a great great granddaughter of Casimir Wild. Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments, questions, corrections, additions, etc. regarding this site, or if you would just like to say hello to a distant cousin.