Identity:

Francis Bloodgood Sr, was related on his mother's side to G. W. Whistler. In the US census of in 1880 he was recorded as a Commissioner in Bankruptcy, living with his wife Josephine (b. ca 1835) in Milwaukee, with several children - Meriam, Francis Jr, Joseph, Wheeler, Henrietta and Margaret (then aged 20, 17, 13, 8, 7, and 2). Fortunately they also had his sister-in-law, Mary Peckham, and two servants to help manage the household.

Life:

In 1891 or 1892, when he was one of the directors of the firm of of Bloodgood, Bloodgood and Kemper, Milwaukee, he visited the Whistlers in Paris and was later in contact with JW (12 March 1892, #00307).

Bibliography:

US census, 1880, at http://www.familysearch.org (accessed 2004.9).