Widow Noone and Family

Following Fergus' death, the DuPont Company created an estate account in his name to hold all of the money due him from savings and pay. The company credited Fergus Noone's estate account $1092.98 after paying off claimants to his estate. DuPont also created a widow's annuity account for Mary Noone. Widows received $100 per year and could live in company housing for free as long as they did not remarry. The company also prorated annuities for recent widows. Mary Noone was credited $84.15 25 February to 31 December 1863. DuPont began granting estate and annuity accounts for widows and survivors of accident victims shortly after the company began operations in 1803. The company continued this practice during the Civil War.

Mary Noone and her sons, John and Michael, suffered the fate of many nineteenth century industrial families who lost the primary wage earner. Mary, for unknown reasons, ran a considerable debt with the DuPont Company in 1863. She had to withdraw money from Fergus' estate account to make up part of the debt. John and Michael both worked for the company to supplement their mother's income. Mary still had not managed to overcome her personal financial problems in 1865, when she withdrew the balance from the annuity account and closed it. The estate account continued to accrue interest and remained untouched into the twentieth century.

Sources

Petit Ledgers, Records of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Hagley M&A, Acc. 500, Series I

Notebook of Employees at Hagley Yard, 1814-1852, Hagley M&A, WMSS 4

"Explosions at E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company Powder Yards," Hagley M&A, LMSS 8-A

Naturalization Petitions of the US District and Circuit Courts for the District of Delaware, Petitions, 1795-1930; Record of District Courts of the United States, RG21, US National Archives; Microfilm Pub. M1644

U.S. Census Records, Christiana Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware, 1850