John Fox Kerrott turned out to be a really interesting person to research. He is my first cousin, 4x removed. He was born around 1841 in Canada to William and Margaret Steele Kerrott. He was the oldest of 8 children. The family was in Ontario, Canada, in 1854, but was in Minnesota in 1855, so they moved there sometime between 1854 and 1855.
In the fall of 1859, John’s father left for New Orleans. In 1860, he was listed as working on the levees at Lake Bolivar, Mississippi. His father remained in Mississippi until he was found to be in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1862. He returned to Rice County, Minnesota, in 1868, after about 9 years away.
In 1860, the Rice County, Minnesota, census showed Margaret Kerrott, age 36, living there with her 7 children. John was 19 years old. Margaret was listed as a Seamstress, born in Ireland. John was listed as a Carpenter. All of the children were born in Canada.
On 9 October 1861, at Carver, Minnesota, John joined Company H, 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry as a Private. He reported being 21 years old. He mustered in at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, on 9 November 1861. In March of 1862, he was promoted to Corporal. John was captured at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on 13 July 1862, and was paroled at Warren County, Tennessee, two days later. He continued to serve until he was marked as Absent from 31 October 1862 until 28 February 1863. Records report that he was Absent without leave since 10 January 1863. He was then present in March and April of 1863.
In May of 1863, John was marked absent, but remarks indicated that he was detailed in the Provost Marshal’s Office at Fort Harrison, Kentucky. Records show he was present in May and June 1863. On 2 July 1863, John was promoted to Sergeant. July through December 1863 records have him marked as Absent, with a remark that he was detailed in Brigade 2, Minnesota Department.
January and February 1864 show John marked as Absent, on detached service in Brigade 2, Minnesota Department. On 30 April, 1864, John was again marked as Absent, with a remark that he was Detached in 9 M Department of 2nd Division of Army Corps since 26 April
1864. In May and June 1864, John was marked Absent, with a remark that he was Detached in GM Department, 2nd Division. In July and August of 1864, John was marked Present, with a remark that Company H, Detailed as clerk No. 1 on 26 April 1864 by order of Brigadier General West. John resigned his position of Sergeant on 24 July 1864, and was listed as a Private.
John mustered out on 14 November 1864 at Devils Bluff, Arkansas. He was reported as 21 years old. Remarks state that he was appointed Corporal in March 1862, promoted to Sergeant in July 1863, and resigned in July 1864. $100 Bounty was due to him. When he mustered out, it stated that he was on detached service at Little Rock.
In 1864, the Union Provost Marshal General issued a payment voucher to John. It shows that John F. Kerrott worked briefly (12 days) as a clerk in the Provost Marshal General’s Office in Little Rock. He was paid $50, which matches the prorated portion of a $100/month salary. Lt. Col. L. Chandler, the Provost Marshal General for Arkansas, certified and paid the voucher. This is evidence placing John F. Kerrott in federal service in Little Rock in late 1864,
On 14 May 1865, John requested a duplicate of his discharge papers. He wrote that “I have never received my discharge papers, back pay on bounty, and have not in my possession any papers or certificates to show that I have served in the ranks for the defence (sp) of my country.”
The next day, John married Frances Schaad on 15 May, 1865, in Little Rock.
The 1870 Census for Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas shows John Kerrott, age 28, born in Minnesota, was a County Clerk, County Court Office. He was listed with his wife, Fanny, age 21; a son, John, age 6/12; a daughter, Fanny, age 3; and his mother-in-law, Fanny Schaad, age 61.
In 1873, John and Fanny had another daughter, Daisy.
John’s wife, Fanny, died in 1877. She left John with 3 children. John later married Frances E. Brooks, the governor of Arkansas's daughter. They married in December 1878. They had a daughter, Ida Joe, born in August 1879, but she died at 9 months old in July 1880. She was 10 months old.
The 1880 Census for Little Rock, Arkansas, showed J.F. Kerrott, age 40, postal clerk, with his wife Franky, age 34; daughter Fannie, age 13; John, age 10; Daisy, age 7; and Ida Joe, age 9/12. Shortly after the 1880 Census, Joseph Brooks Kerrott was born on 1 September 1880 to John and Franky.
John’s mother, Margaret Steele, died in Chicago, Illinois, on 12 January 1881.
It was often reported that before the post office scandal, reported below, John Kerrott had also stolen from several secret societies and had been dropped from their rolls. Apparently, no legal action had been taken.
On 9 May 1881, $2000 was discovered missing from the post office. John was ordered to return to the office after supper that evening as they were going to begin an investigation. He went home, found dinner not ready, kissed his wife and baby, and told his wife he was going out for a bit but would be back for dinner. He never returned. He also did not report back to the investigation he was supposed to be part of. John left town.
On 17 May 1881, a letter from Mr. Hemstead to the newspaper reported that he had seen John Kerrott in Russellville, Arkansas. He wrote: “do you want Jack Kerrott? He was at this town two days drunk before I got here. He goes under the alias of Ed Harris; telegraphed from here to —--under the name of John Harris. His valise has been ordered shipped to Ozark by express. He is making for the Nation. Dan —-saw him here and says he has plenty of money, that his pockets were full and he also had it in his valise. I could have Bud Ilsy at Ozark arrest him when he calls for his valise. He is drinking and can easily be caught. He did not come here on the train, but takes Foot & Walker’s line. I have dropped on half a dozen aliases by which he is known—--Ed Harris, Jack Harris, Dickinson and many others.”
Another witness reported seeing John and was asked if he was disguised. He answered: “Thoroughly. He pretends to be a railroad laborer, then he plays detective, and is backed up by half a dozen or more aliases. He bought a new valise at Russellville and spilled some sixty dollars in silver out on the floor, creating quite a sensation; “
John was captured in Eureka Springs, Arkansas on the 18th of May. The paper reported that he: “He denies that he is Kerrott, says his name is Kennedy and that he is a carpenter. “ On June 23rd, John
arrived in Little Rock. His bond was $5000, which he could not pay, and he was locked up.
On June 24th, it was reported that Jack still had not gone to trial and that he had stated that “he will never be brought to trial, and that he has a trump card to play.” The paper also reported that “when arrested, he was engaged in the honorable business of building a house for a lady from Kentucky.”
The next day it was reported that John “says he knows some of the secrets of the star-route ring—enough, he says, to ruin ex-Senator Dorsey and other prominent persons in Little Rock, and that he will squeal unless the prosecution against him is abandoned.”
On the 1st of November 1881, it was reported that “Jack Kerrott has been indicted by the grand jury in the United States District Court for embezzlement of post office funds. "
5 November 1881, “John F. Kerrott was this afternoon, in the United States Court, sentenced to thirty months’ imprisonment at hard labor in the House of Corrections at Detroit, Michigan.”
And here’s the kicker: From the Daily Arkansas Gazette, 4 November 1883: When John went to prison, he was “made bookkeeper and librarian and served his time up to October 23rd, when owing to good behavior, he was pardoned by the president. His great ability as an accountant rendered him of great value in the house of correction, and when he was pardoned, Major Nicholson, superintendent, offered him the position of bookkeeper in the institution, which he accepted, and he is now performing his duties there at a good salary.”
On 22 March 1890, John Fox Kerrott died in Chatham, Ontario, Canada. The cause of death was pulmonary apoplexy and kidney disease.
I have been unable to locate any other information on where John was or what he was doing from 1883 until his death in 1890 in Canada. I checked all of his siblings, and they seemed to have remained in Chicago. However, in the 1880 Census for Chicago, John’s youngest brother, Charles J. Kerrott, was single, 23, and lived with their mother in Chicago. Charles was a bookkeeper, like his brother John. Charles was still listed in Chicago in 1881, but I have not been able to locate him after that. Perhaps they both left for Canada together? Did John ever return to Little Rock to see his wife and children?
John Fox Kerrott died 22 March 1890 in Ontario, Canada.
In November of 1890, Franky Kerrott began her request for a Pension for John’s War Service. She stated that she was 40 years old and that her husband was a resident of Chatham, Ontario, Canada, where he died. They had a child, Joseph B. Kerrott, born on 1 September 1880, and they lived at 521 Ferry in Little Rock, Arkansas.
On 10 March 1891, a Neighbor’s Affidavit was filed for Franky’s pension request. Mrs. Mary B. Brooks, age 45, and Miss Kate Cunningham, age 52, both residents of Little Rock, appeared. They stated that they had lived one mile from Franky since September of 1890.
James Coates, age 48, submitted a General Affidavit stating that he had known John from service in the Civil War, from 1862-1881.
Another General Affidavit was submitted on the same date from Ida J. Brooks, age 36, and Eliza B. Brooks, age 73, both from Little Rock. They stated that they had known Franky for 20 years and were well acquainted with John during his lifetime. (These are Franky’s sister and mother)
On 19 April 1892, Frances B. Kerrott was given a Widow’s Pension. She stated that she lived at 521 Ferry St. and that her child Joseph Brooks Kerrott would be 16 on 31 August 1896. Her pension began 29 December 1890 at $8 per month.
