On November 17, 1871, Alexander experienced a misfortune of tragic proportions: Elizabeth Wonderly, his wife of 25 years, died of a “lung disease.” Apparently, she was buried in the White Marsh area of Gloucester; however, her grave site is unknown. It seems that Elizabeth’s death ushered in a time of emotional turmoil and ill-advised decisions for Alexander.

Because of the close proximity of the names in the 1870 census records, it seems that one of Alexander’s neighbors was Theodore Stafford, who, like Alex, was from Queen Anne’s, Maryland, and had lived in Talbot County prior to coming to Gloucester. Since the travelogue of the Emersons and the Staffords are similar, it is supposed that they had been acquainted before coming to Gloucester and probably were of the same migration that brought them to Gloucester.

Theodore Stafford’s race is listed as “HW,” whichmeans “half white.” The census records of 1870 have four designations for race: W = white, B = black, HW = half white, HB = half black. [One wonders what the distinction between “half white” and “half black” would be.] The race designation in the 1870 census was simply the opinion of the census taker, in which case “half white” may signify nothing more than a person with dark complexion. Theodore Stafford is listed as “half white” but the rest of his family is listed as “white.” The 1860 census of Talbot County, Maryland, racial designation for Theodore Stafford is blank which is the way Caucasians are identified. Theodore Stafford had a daughter, Julia Ann, who in the 1870 census is listed as 14 years old.