Musical Husbands - or how the Edwards girls married each other's husbands!

My 3rd great grandfather was HUGH H. EDWARDS. He was born in Kentucky in 1821 and married in Simpson County KY 1848-1849 to MARY HILTON and they are listed in the 1850 Simpson County Kentucky census with their first child, M.J. Edwards, 3 months old. Hugh and Mary moved to Williamson County, Illinois sometime between 1851 and 1856.

Hugh and Mary had 8 children, 5 of whom were daughters. The daughter marital trails proved to be quite interesting, complex and confusing, partially because they married each other's husbands! Below is what I think is the tale of their marriages.

1. Mary Jane Edwards, Born June 1850 in Simpson County, Kentucky. Mary Jane married Rufus Parker, 8 April 1866 in Williamson County, IL. Mary Jane Parker died 2 October 1907 thus freeing up her husband Rufus to marry her sister Jemima.

2. Jemima Edwards, Born December 1851 in Simpson County Kentucky. Jemima married (I believe) 1st: David Winton Dunn , 5 June 1879 in Williamson County, Illinois. I believe they were divorced before 1899 (Dr. Dunn went on to marry once or twice more). 2nd: James Davenport, 20 June 1899 in Williamson County, Il. (Husband of deceased Louisa A. Edwards) 3rd: 1908 Rufus B Parker (husband of the deceased Mary Jane Edwards.)

3. Louisa A. Edwards. Born 1859 in Williamson County, Illinois. Louisa married 1st: James Oliver Williams 16 August 1879 in Williamson County, Illinois. 2nd: James Davenport, 24 December 1888 in Williamson County, IL. Louisa appears to have died before 1899 thus freeing her husband James up to marry her sister Jemima.

4. America Elvira Edwards. Born 1861 in Williamson County, IL. Elvira married Samuel Minter Beasley 25 February 1863 in Williamson County, Illinois. She died June 1917. She appears to have only had one husband and he appears to have married only the one sister. (See below for Henry Scott Edwards.)

5. Lucy Margaret Edwards, Born June 1872 in Williamson County, Illinois. Margaret married Robert Summers 25 October 1893 in Williamson County, IL. She died 14 November 1930 with only one marriage.

Lest you think the boys didn't have some interesting marriages....

1. Richard Edwards, b. May 1856 in Williamson County, Il. Married Martha S. Rains, 6 June 1875 Williamson Co. IL. She was the daughter of John Rains and Elizabeth Armes.

2. Sylvester Edwards, B. 18 March 1861 in Williamson Co. IL. Married Sarah F. Rains, about 1886 in Williamson Co. IL. She was the daughter of John Rains and Elizabeth Armes and the sister of Richard's wife. Sylvester later married someone named Mandy Edwards. Unsure who she was (apparently married previously to a Mr. Rogers.)

3. Henry Scott Edwards, B. March 1870 in Williamson Co. IL. Married Nora Beasley 4 April 1894 in Williamson Co. IL. I believe that Nora was the daughter of Wilburn Beasley, who was the brother to the above Samuel Beasley who married Elvira Edwards.

It would be interesting to understand why all these family intermarriages occurred. Apparently this was a close knit group to say the least.

Writing A Good Query

I've been researching off and on for thirty some years and have read hundreds of queries over the years. The goal of a query is to elicit help and information from others. If you don't write a good query and if people have to ask multiple questions just to understand what you are looking for, you reduce the chances of getting help.

What makes a good query? Here's a few things to consider:

• Write in complete sentences. It makes your thoughts easier to follow.
• Use correct grammar, punctuation and spelling. Save "abbreviations" like C U Later for texting. They don't belong in a genealogy query.
• Briefly state what you already know. There's nothing more frustrating for someone to spend time thinking they are helping you only to be told that you already know what they've just found.
• Capitalize last names in your query. This makes them a bit easier to pick out.
• Include BOTH dates and locations. If you don't have exact dates or locations, indicate what you know.
• Be specific about what you are looking for. Ask a question.

Examples of poorly written queries:

Looking for Edwards in Illinois. They were farmers.

Hope can help need hugh edwards who farm in Ill. He was borned in 1847 and he claim he be 57 in 1980 census.

Example of a better written query:

My 2nd great-grandfather Richard EDWARDS was born 11 May 1856 in Williamson County, Illinois. He married Martha RAINS 6 June 1875 in Williamson County. He died 24 June 1928 in Williamson County, Illinois (as per tombstone and family tradition). I have not found a death certificate for Richard EDWARDS in Williamson or Franklin County Illinois although there should be one for that time period. Richard died of tuberculosis so is it possible he actually died elsewhere, perhaps in a TB Hospital. Any help or suggestions about finding his death record would be appreciated.

The above query is an example of a better query. It is written in complete sentences, with correct spelling and punctuation. I've laid out the basic information about Richard and then stated what I was looking for with a brief explanation of where I've already searched.

General queries can sometimes be okay if you are just introducing yourself. For example when you join a new group, you might post a list of surnames AND locations that you are searching. A list of names on their own don't do much good unless you have the most unusual name in the world.

Other types of queries can also result in good information. For example, I posted a query recently in an Illinois group asking about the age of consent for marriage in Illinois at a certain time and was promptly rewarded with several links to old statutes that provided me with excellent information.

One last thought - do a bit of homework before you post a query. Check out the FamilySearch wikis for information on the location your relatives are from, do a general record survey so you know something about basic genealogical records. There is a lot of information out there that can provide you with a good basic genealogy education.

Hugh Richard Edwards

Hugh Richard Edwards, usually known as Richard, was my 2nd great-grandfather. He was born in Williamson County, Illinois 11 May 1856 and lived his entire life in Williamson County. Richard's parents were Hugh H. Edwards and Mary Hilton. Richard was born the first child born to the family after they made their move from Simpson County Kentucky, to Illinois sometime around 1855.

Richard lived the quiet life of a southern Illinois farmer. He appears to have worked hard, raised a family and didn't make waves during his lifetime. Typically people like Richard don't leave a lot of records behind and Richard is an example of that.

In 1860 Hugh R. is listed as aged 5 and in school. His grandparents, Richard and Mary Hilton live next door. None of the Edwards family can be found in the 1870 census and his grandparents would have been dead by this time. A number of other folks who should be in the 1870 census are missing too so I believe they were either skipped in the enumeration or there is a section missing. I've checked through various web sites and have had no luck finding them even doing a page by page search in case they were mis-indexed.

Richard marries on 6 June 1875 to Martha Rains, daughter of John Rains and Elizabeth Arms. It appears as though Richard lied about his age on the marriage license. He lists himself as being 21 which would have made him born in 1854. However most other records list his age as 1856 including the 1860 census which was taken close to his birth date. For men under 21 at this time, parental approval was required. It is possible their first child Laura was born in December of 1875 so perhaps Martha was pregnant and the family disapproved? (Martha's birth year has been given variously as 1875 and 1876.) It would be interesting to know why he appears to have lied about his age.

One other possible thing happened during this decade. There is a record of Richard Edwards and Pleasant Finny being brought up on charges of Petit Larceny. This was noted in the Marion Monitor in April 1877. The case was continued and no further information was easily found. This is an intriguing tidbit in the otherwise apparently staid life of Richard Edwards. (NOTE: Petit larceny is defined as stealing another person's personal property - usually valued under $50.)

In the 1880 census, Richard and Martha are living in the Northern Township and have two children including George Elmus, my great grandfather. Richard is a farmer. In 1900 they are living in Northern Township and still farming. This census lists his birth date as May 1851. It is unclear why it lists this at such an early date. Richard and Martha have 6 living children, having lost two early on. Richard is still farming, along with his two sons George Elmus and Lee.

The 1910 census shows that Richard owns his farm, free of mortgage. It says he can read and write, however, he clearly made his mark on his marriage license so I don't believe this to be true unless he has picked up some reading and writing through the years.

In 1920, Richard is still living on his owned farm listed with no occupation so at this point he appears to have retired. This census does state he can't read or write so the 1900 census was probably an error. His sons George Elmus and John Marshall live nearby as does his brother Scott and various Arms family members.

Richard Edwards died 24 June 1928. His death certificate lists his birth date as May 11, 1856. He died of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. His son George Elmus had died in 1923 of Tuberculosis. Although there are sanatoriums where TB patients are sent, it appears in the case of both Richard and his son, that they remained at home during their illness.

It is unclear as to whether a will was left - more research would need to be done but I believe the land in that area stayed in the family for some time. Richard left behind few records living a quiet farming life.

George Elmus Edwards

George Elmus Edwards was my Great-grandfather. He was almost always called Elmus - sometimes G.E. but very rarely seems to have been called George.

The mystery of George Edwards starts with his birth. Both his daughter Stella and his sister Gertie state unequivocally that George was born 7 February 1880 in Corinth, Williamson County, Illinois. Search of birth records only uncovers one Edwards birth certificate that date and it lists the birth name as John Edwards. Parents were correctly listed as Richard Edwards and Martha Rains. Almost all other records support this birth date as the correct birth date for George Elmus. The outlier is the 1900 Census which lists Elmus Edwards birth date as July 1882. All other records, including draft registration, two marriage records, and 1880, 1910 and 1920 census list 1880 as the correct birth date. His tombstone also lists 1880 as his birth date. Two other pieces of this mystery. His brother Marshall was born most likely in October 1882. He is sometimes called John Marshall. And my grandmother swears that her father was the oldest... which isn't true. He had an older sister born in 1876 shortly after Richard and Martha's 1875 marriage.

So why the confusion? John was the name of Martha's father. Often times, the oldest son is named after one of the fathers. It is unclear where the name George Elmus came from. Few Georges.... Martha had a brother George. Maybe they got him home and realized he didn't really look like a John.

George lived with his parents in the 1880 census in Williamson County, aged 4 months old. He lived with his parents in 1900 in Williamson County. In September 1907 George married Amanda Williams. He was 27 years old. There is no immediate record of the disposition of that marriage and there does not appear to have been any children. But we find George marrying again in March 1910 to Olive Isabel Pogue. The following children were born: George Everett, Stella Mae, Hazel Lucille and Ruby Laura. Hazel was burned to death at about age 5 while combing her hair in front of the fire. George Everett died at aged 28 apparently from a combination of TB and alcoholism. Ruby Laura, later known just as Laura, moved to Chicago and married Charles Kroll. Stella Mae, my grandmother, married Anthony Butzek in Chicago and moved back to southern Illinois where Anthony was killed in a mining accident.

George registered for the military draft in 1918. He was 38 years old which probably explains why he was not drafted. It lists him as being of medium height, medium build, blue eyes and light hair.

George and Olive lived all their relatively short married life in Williamson County. George farmed and apparently played a fiddle in a family band at local square dances. He served a short term as a Justice of the Peace in Thompsonville, serving alongside Thomas J. Wall.

George supposedly died at home from complications of tuberculosis 12 March 1923. No record of his death has been found. Since he had TB it has left me to wonder if he died elsewhere in a TB sanatorium? More searching will need to be done on that. When he died George Elmus did leave property to his children:

• 320 acres to George Everett, along with a house brought from Pittsburg.
• 120 acres to Stella Mae Edwards - and a house brought from Pittsburg.
• 40 acres and home place (house and barn) to Ruby Laura Edwards. The house burned down and Laura sold the property to her half-brother Richard Eugene Kehder in 1947 for $10/acres.

The above is a bit of a puzzle regarding the house brought from Pittsburg. Were they talking about the same house or were there two? Was the house brought from Pittsburg the homeplace or was there another house that was the home place? George Elmus was a farmer so it seems unlikely that he had enough money to have all that acreage plus three houses.

George Elmus Edwards lead a fairly unremarkable life as a farmer in southern Illinois. He lived a short life - only 43 years.

Finding Frank

FRANK MARTIN is the last of the Martin line that I have traced and I know very little about him.

BIRTH DATE: Frank was born in November 1824 according to the 1900 census, family members state he was born 4 October 1823. The 1895 Iowa census puts his birthdate at 1829. And the possible arrival record I have for him gives his birthdate as 1826.

BIRTH LOCATION: Passenger list states they came from Hungary. 1895 census states he is Bohemian. 1900 census states he is Austrian. 1905 census does not state place of birth. Son Michael Philip's naturalization papers list Austria as place of birth.

MARRIAGE DATE: Frank was married to Barbara (Cernowski, Chrinstota??) in the "old country". According to the 1900 Census, they were married for 46 years which means their marriage date would be 1854. Family lore says they were engaged for 7 years and were in their 30s when married.

ARRIVAL IN THE US: The 1900 census listed his arrival in the US at 1893. He was obviously here by 1895 as he is listed in the Iowa State Census. A New York Passenger List found in 1893 shows a Franz Martnick age 67, Barbara Martnick, age 56 and Michaly Martnick, age 16 arriving on the S.S. Lahn. I suspect this could be accurate for several reasons.

1. The 1900 census information listed Michael Philip's arrival in 1893.
2. On Michael Philip' naturalization record, he states he was 16 when he arrived.
3. Family lore again says the name was probably Martinek or something similar before it became Martin.
4. Franz and Barbara are the correct ages.
5. Origination is listed as Hungary. Again, family lore says they were Bohemian/Austrian and moved to Hungary.

Some things that are possibly conflicting include:

1. Frank is not noted as Franz in any other records.
2. No mention on this record of their other three sons. Michael is the youngest. The others most likely traveled separately.
3. Family lore states that Frank emigrate to avoid military conscription. At age 67 this was highly unlikely but it might explain why they possibly moved from Austria to Hungary early in their lives. Or perhaps they emigrated to assist Michael Philip in avoiding military conscription?
4. The 1900 census lists their arrival in 1895.

DEATH DATE: Frank is listed in the 1905 Iowa census. There is no record in the 1910 census. There does not appear to be a death record or cemetery record. Frank is not listed in the St. Mary's Cemetery census in Albia which is where the rest of the family members appear to be buried. Is there any possibility that Frank and Barbara went back to the old country?

This is not a family that left many records behind. And at this time they continue to be a mystery.

Mike Martin

George "Mike" Michael Martin was my grandfather. At some time after 1940 he was injured while working in the coal mines so my memories of him are colored by his crippled leg and the constant pain he was in. Although he could be gruff and short-tempered, as a grandpa he was always loving and kind. My main memories are of him sitting in his recliner by the large picture window, watching what was going on in the neighborhood and watching tv.

Parents: Michael "Mike" Philip Martin^1,2 and Mary Theresa Kausalick². He was their 2nd child but 1st son.

Birth Date: Probably 20 September 1900². Also listed as 28 September 1900¹² and May 1900¹. No record has been found for birth except for the FamilySearch index record. The SSDI ¹⁴ lists 20 September 1900 as his birthdate. Apparently one must show a birth certificate or some proof to verify birth date when applying for a social security number.

Birth Place: Hocking, Monroe County, Iowa.^1,2All sources appear to agree that Hocking is the correct birth place.

Baptism: Mike was baptized on 6 October 1900 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Albia, Monroe, Iowa². His parents were listed as Mike Martin ad Mary Kausilick and his sponsors were George Sherba (Sherbo) and Anna Brobouski. It is unknown what the relationship is with the sponsors. Is it possible that Mike is named after George?

Marriage 12 September 1925 at Albia, Monroe, Iowa. Married Florence Edwards⁸, nee Halliday. Florence had been previously married to Harold Edwards and was divorced from him. She had a son, Richard Eugene Edwards, who was living with Florence's mother.

Death 1 January 1973, West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois in the Union Hospital in West Frankfort. George died 4 days after his first great-grandson was born.

Children

1. June Lorraine Martin, B. 31 January 1926, Albia, Monroe, Iowa. ¹³ Died January 1978 West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois. Never married.
2. George Robert Martin, Still Living.

Residences

1. 1905 - Hocking, Monroe, Iowa³. No age listed. Living with grandparents Frank and Barbra, parents Mike and Mary and siblings Tressie and Mary Martin.
2. 1910 - Hocking, Monroe, Iowa⁴. Aged 9. Living with parents Mike and Mary, siblings Theresa, Mary B. Frank and Carl. Living next door to grandparents Wenzel and Theresa Causlic.
3. 1915 - Hocking, Monroe, Iowa ⁵. Aged 14.
4. 1917 - Missouri - brother Eugene was born in Missouri in 1917.
5. 1920 - DeKalb, DeKalb County, Iowa ⁶ Living with parents Mike and Mary, siblings Bertha, Francis, Carl, James, Barbara, Vincent, Eugene and Dorothy. Also with his brother-in-law Emil Pesut and Emil's daughter Theresa. (Husband and daughter of sister Theresa who died in childbirth.)
6. 1925 -Albia, Monroe, Iowa⁷. Living with mother Mary, siblings Frank E., Carl W, James E., Barbara L., Vincent, Eugene, and Dorothy. Father has died. Also married in Albia in 1925.
7. 1927 - West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois ⁹
8. 1930 - West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois ¹⁰ Living with wife Florence, daughter June and brother James. Son George Robert who was born 1929 is missing.
9. 1940 - West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois ¹¹ Living with wife Florence, daughter June and son George.
10. 1973 - West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois ¹²

Occupations:

• 1915 - Clerk (not at work)
• 1920 - Miner Coal Mine
• 1927 - Received Certificate of Competency of Coal Miner
• 1930 - Coal Loader - Mine
• 1940 - Miner - Coal Mine
• Worked Old Ben No 15, Pershing, Illinois
• Member UMWA Local 8317

Sources
¹"Iowa, County Births, 1880-1935," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XVH9-R8X :accessed 09 July 2013), Michael Martin, 1900.
² St. Mary's Catholic Church (Albia, Monroe, Iowa), Baptismal Certificates (privately held by Cathy Naborowski, 1960), George Michael Martin baptismal Certificate (1900), issued 1960.
³ Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925, Monroe County, Iowa, Troy Township, p. 1, number 8, Mike Martin; digital image, Ancestry.com (http:///www.Ancestry.com: accessed 8 July 2013).
⁴ 1910 U.S. census, Monroe County, Iowa, population schedule, Troy Township, p. 5951, dwelling 144, family 144, George Martin; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com; accessed 8 July 2013); citing NARA microfilm publication T624, Roll 414.
⁵Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925, Monroe County, Iowa. Troy Township, Card No. A992, Mike Martin: digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 July 2013); microfilm of Iowa State Censuses.
⁶ 1920 U.S. census, Dekalb County, Illinois, population schedule, Dekalb City, p. 2B, dwelling 31, family 42, George Martin; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 8 July 2013); Microfilm T265, roll 303.
⁷ Ancestry.com, Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925 (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2007), www.ancestry.com, Line 8 Roll: IA1925_1854.
⁸Certificate of Marriage for George M. Martin & Florence Edwards, This certifies that on the 12 day of September 1925 at Albia in Monroe County, Iowa, according to law I joined in Marriage George M. Martin and Florence Edwards, 12 day of September 1925. E.M. Gillaspie, Justice of the Peace. Witnesses: Mary Halliday and Robert Smillie.
⁹ Certificate of Competency of Coal Miner, State Miners' Examining Board, West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, Certificate No. 88203. (privately held by Cathy Naborowski), Mike G. Martin, 1927.
¹⁰ Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626,), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1930; Census Place: Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois; Roll: ; Page: ; Enumeration District: ; Image: .. Birth date: abt 1901 Birth place: Iowa Residence date: 1930 Residence place: Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois.
¹¹Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1940; Census Place: West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois; Roll: T627_803; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 28-22.. Birth date: abt 1901 Birth place: Iowa Residence date: 1 Apr 1940 Residence place: West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, United States.
¹² Various unsourced obituaries. (privately held by Cathy Naborowski). George M. Martin, 1973.
¹³ Monroe County, Iowa, birth certificate, Book 5, Page 126 (1926), Female Martin; Monroe County District Court, Albia
¹⁴Ancestry.com, Social Security Death Index (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011.Original data - Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration.Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security D), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Number: 343-07-7625; Issue State: Illinois; Issue Date: Before 1951.. Birth date: 20 Sep 1900 Birth place: Death date: Jan 1973 Death place: West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, United States of America.

What Does it Take to Be a Good Genealogist

I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed today. Due to a windstorm, we were without power for 6 days - and worse yet, without internet for 12. Of course I had my droid and could keep tabs at a high level on my Facebook friends, emails, etc. But now that it's been almost two weeks since I've done any real genealogy, I'm unsure where to start. It got me thinking about all the things that go into being a genealogist.

There was an interesting discussion on a FB page regarding various spellings of names and how to come up with a good list of possibilities. Myra Vanderpool Gormley suggested to make sure you sound out the names. That led me to wondering about dialects in the 1700s and 1800s - especially in the south. A genealogist needs to be a linguist.

Recently I was studying Tennessee County maps using the AniMap tool to understand how far apart certain locations were. Trying to pinpoint locations on a map can be challenging. And understanding the terrain and features of the area are equally important to understanding why a family member settled where they did and did what they did. A genealogist needs to be a geographer and a cartographer.

Of course, it is important to understand what made your family migrate to wherever they migrated to (or what made them stay where they were.) Did all their children die from a measles outbreak? Did the coal in the mines run out? Was there a universal crop failure/drought/earthquake or other natural disaster that impacted their lives. A genealogist needs to be a historian.

Organization and documentation are key to creating and maintaining good records and tracking your family through the years. These are skills that can be developed by taking classes, attending webinars, reading books. A good genealogist needs to be an organizational specialist, a careful note taker and citation specialist. (And a good multi-tasker and time-management expert.)

Working through a family tree is like putting together a puzzle, piece by piece and working through a mystery. A good genealogist has to have the ability to see both the small picture and the big picture. But above all, they must be careful, reasoned thinkers who document and back up their conclusions. Once this is done, they must be able to write out those conclusions. A genealogist must be a writer.

Today's genealogy involves using technology. Understanding how to search records to find what you are looking for, using various pieces of technology to manage your genealogy projects, using a genealogy application and writing your story - all these require technology. A genealogist must be a technology specialist.

One of the challenges of genealogy is to find the resources you need, searching online, searching through library catalogs, searching through archives, courthouses, and wherever records might be found. Knowing how to locate information is a skill that is developed through practice. A good genealogist must be a reference librarian.

A genealogist must be a diplomat when working with others. Often what you find might not be what the family really wants to find. A good genealogist can help the family understand that all  information is important and that all families have black sheep and white sheep.

If all these things seem like a lot (and this is just the tip of the iceberg) I would agree. There are a lot more areas where a strong knowledge base is important - -  law, genetics, religion, foreign languages, handwriting, problem solving and so on. Thomas W. Jones states in Mastering Genealogical Proof  that "Genealogy's knowledge base and skill set are comparable to those of disciplines with graduate-level curricula at reputable colleges and universities." 1

 

And one last thing - a good genealogist needs lots of time in which to learn all these things and put them all into practice. Sigh!

 

^{1  Jones, Thomas W. Mastering Genealogical Proof. (Arlington Virginia: National Genealogical Society, 2013), page 2.}

 

Oh My Darling!

I've been tracking a DARLING family (and not the one from Peter Pan.) For some reason I thought it would be an uncommon name but it isn't as uncommon as I thought.

My search starts with SUSAN DARLING who was married to Joseph Parsons in 1830 in Hurley, Berkshire, England. In 1841 they were living in Moulsford, Berkshire and have three children. Joseph's brother Charles is also living with them and another of Joseph's brothers is living nearby.

In 1851 they were also in Moulsford. Joseph is an Ag Lab. Susan is listed as being born in Earley Bottom and they've added two more children. Charles Parsons is living next door to them. In 1861 they are still in Moulsford. Joseph is listed as shepherd and Susan is listed as a laundress, born in Earley Bottom.  There is a daughter Sophie listed who was listed before but I believe it is probably Elizabeth.  The 1871 census finds them still in Moulsford. Joseph appears to have been "retired" by now as he is listed as "formerly shepherd." Susan is still working as a laundress and states she was born in Earley Bottom.

Susan Darling Parsons is mentioned in an article in the Reading Mercury 27 February 1875 where she is called to testify at an inquest for her neighbor William Cox who died suddenly. His death was listed as "died by the visitation of God."

The 1881 census is interesting. Susan Darling Parsons appears to be enumerated twice. She is listed in Moulsford with her husband Joseph. He is listed as "formerly Shephard" and Susan is still listed as a laundress born in Earley Bottom. In Cholsey, Susan is also enumerated with her son William and his wife Mary and family. She is listed as aged 70, born in Earley Bottom. William and Mary have a one month old daughter so it is possible that Susan was there to assist with the new baby?

Susan died in July 1884 at the age of 74.

The confusing part of all of the above is trying to understand where Susan was actually born. She listed Earley Bottom on the census. However she was married in Hurley. The transcript of the parish record does not list any parents. I have found a christening record for Susan Darling in Hurley, Berkshire for 1810. This fits in with the time frame.

I know that there is both a Hurley and an Earley in Berkshire County. There doesn't appear to be a specific town called Hurley Bottom or Earley Bottom. Information about Earley talks about Lower Earley. There are no easily accessible parish records for Earley. The Hurley records do have the christening record for Susan. There is also a possible marriage record for her parents - James Darling and Elizabeth Keep. There are two other children of James and Elizabeth listed in that area - Harriet and William. Harriet appears to have married Henry Street in Wargrave (which is not too far from Hurley) and then Robert Jacobs. William is a mystery.

This Darling family remains a mystery and I'll probably have to get lucky to find the right record to confirm identity.

The Shermans

Last week I was  on the trail of the Sherman family from Berkshire County, England. The name is spelled differently on different records - Sherman/Shurman/Shirman. There is also a Shearman family in the same area although so far there doesn't appear to be a connection.

My tracking starts out with MARY ANN SHERMAN who was born in June 1848 in Berkshire County, England. She was christened August 6, 1848 in Aldworth, Berkshire, England and her parents were CHARLES SHERMAN and HANNAH HERRIDGE. A hint as to her mother's maiden name came from the birth register which lists her as MARY ANN HERRIDGE SHERMAN.

Mary Ann stayed in Aldworth through the 1851 and 1861 census. In 1871 she was living in Hackney London and working as a Domestic Servant, along with her 13 year old sister Fanny. She married WILLIAM GEORGE PARSONS in April 1875 in Cholsey, Berkshire. Mary Ann and William had 5 children over the next 10 years. They moved from Cholsey to North Stoke to Goring to Mongewell. William was a shepherd and in 1911 they were listed as living at Sheepcote, Mongewell, Wallingford, Berkshire. My assumption is they were't actually living in a sheepcote but were living near the sheepcote. Mary Ann died in Wallingford in December 1918 at the age of 70.

CHARLES SHERMAN was born in 1822 in Aldworth, Berkshire England and was christened on 26 May 1822. His parents were RICHARD SHERMAN AND SARAH. I believe that Sarah is SARAH FISHER but more confirmation is needed for that.   In 1841 Charles appears to be living in Blewbury, Berkshire county. The Blewbury Berkshire county census for that year are in very poor shape and are so faint that they are unreadable in many cases. It looks as though he is living in the house of Stephen someone and his wife along with a number of others. Enumerated next to Charles Sherman is JOSEPH HERRIDGE. I believe he is listed as 19 in this census.

Charles married HANNAH HERRIDGE in July 1841 in Aldworth Berkshire. Hannah has had a son previously - apparently out of wedlock as he is listed as John Herrage, wife's son, in the 1851 census. I think it is interesting that he is not listed as a step-son.  Charles and Hannah had 5 children in their first 10 years of married life.  By 1861 they had 10 children so when Charles died in 1861, Hannah was left with 10 children.

Charles died in 1861 from an wagon accident while riding without reins. (See blog of March 9, 2013 for more on this accident.) He was just 39 years old at the time of his death and appears to have spent most of this life in or around Aldworth.

RICHARD SHERMAN was born in 1791 in Aldworth, Berkshire, England. He was christened 24 April 1791. His parents were listed as THOMAS SHERMAN and MARY.  Presumbly he spent his life in Aldworth. He married SARAH FISHER 18 December 1814 in Compton, Berkshire England.

In 1841, Richard and Sarah were living in Aldworth. Richard was listed as an agriculture laborer.  Within this household is his son George, daughters Dinah and Martha. There appears to be a child listed as N.K. Shurman, 10 days old. I believe this means the child has not yet been named (I think it stands for Not Known). It is unclear as to whose child it is as Sarah would have been close to 50.  Again, the quality of the census is poor and hard to read. Richard died in Feburary 1850 and was buried on 8 Feburary 1850 in Aldworth, Berkshire, England. He was 80 years old.

THOMAS SHERMAN is a bit of a puzzlement. He was born in 1753 in Aldworth, Berkshire, England and married Mary. I haven't been able to get a handle on who Mary was. I have some Aldworth parish records coming which I hope might provide some answers to the mystery.

I've also made some attempts at tracking Thomas and Mary's other children in order to learn more about Thomas and Mary. It is possible that his daughter Mary married a WILLIAM BLACKALL on 29 November 1803 in Aldworth. His daughter Rachel may have married Joseph Lay 21 May 1809 in Aldworth. Rachel Lay died 24 October 1829 in Hampstead Norreys/Norris. Hannah Sherman may have married James Hamblin 12 October 1825 in Aldworth. Hannah Hamblin is mentioned in the Berkshire Chronicle in an article regarding a house sale. It is possible that John Sherman married Elizabeth Huntley in October 1817 in Hungerford, Berkshire. This is one I'm not sure of since it is not in Aldworth.  None of these are absolutely certain and will require more information to provide confirmation.

The last in the line I was able to track is RICHARD SHERMAN. Richard married SARAH SMITH 6 November 1748 in West Hendred, Berkshire, England. Richard was from Aldworth and Sarah was from the West Hendred parish.

The Sherman family will need to be revisited periodically in order to see if there is any new information that helps uncover their secrets.

Riding Without Reins

Apparently the 1860's version of reckless driving in England was riding without reins. In researching Charles Sherman who died in 1861 at the young age of 39, I came across an article in the Reading Mercury regarding the inquest of Charles.

Charles was seen riding without reins, slipped to the ground and was run over by the waggon (which was carrying coal) and was killed almost immediately. His inquest revealed that he had been fined a year previously for the same offense. The Coroner "expressed the hope that the circumstance might serve as a warning to others."



I was trying to understand what a coal wagon might look like and found this picture on the website http://www.faircloughfuel.com/aboutUs.html. I think it is from a later period of time - just based on the appearance of the men. 

I do think it is interesting that young men were driving recklessly even in the 1860's. It's not a contemporary phenomena.

English Parish Register Records

English Parish Register records can provide a lot of wonderful information and are indispensable for finding information about people prior to civil registration in 1837. Of course, as always, looking at the originals is best but those of us who live across the pond are likely to be limited to viewing transcriptions.  Below are some tidbits I've learned about parish registers (these apply to the standard Church of England registers.)

What is a parish? So what is a parish? It is the church jurisdictional unit. (English towns have a variety of jurisdictional units civil, regions, parish, postal, etc.) It is important to understand what parish covers the area you are researching. Not every town has their own parish and some of the bigger towns have more than one. Parish lists can be found in several places on the Internet  including familysearch.org.

Parish Registers. Some parish records go back as early as 1583 but many did not start that early and many have been destroyed. Starting in 1598, copies were sent to the Bishop (Bishop's Transcripts.) Christenings (baptisms), marriages and burials were recorded as were poor registers or Parish Chest Records. Typically, anyone addressed as Mr. or Mrs. in a parish record was considered a gentry. Some parishes included more information than others. As with anything, some parish registrars were lazier than others and only did the minimum required.

Baptismal Records.  Baptisms usually occurred within 2-3 weeks of birth - but not always. The lack of an entry does not mean the child was not baptized.  In 1653, the law required that births be registered rather than baptisms. But this was not always followed. Early registers would give the infants name and christening date. Sometimes birth dates were also included. Later on, parents names were included along with occupation of father. Illegitimate children were frequently referred to as "base."

Marriage Records.  Marriages usually occurred after the banns had been published. Marriages typically took place in the the parish of the wife. If a bride and groom lived in different dioceses, the couple had to apply to the Vicar General of the Archbishop of the province - either Canterbury or York.

In 1753, a standard form for entry of marriages was required. Every marriage was supposed to be preceded by the issuance of a license or the calling of banns in the parish where at least one person resided.  Entries had to be signed and witnessed.

Marriage records typically included the date and names of the bride and groom. At a later date, witnesses and other information was also provided.

Banns. The minister was required to announce or post their intent to marry for three consecutive Sundays. This gave people a chance to object to the marriage. Banns are sometimes recorded in separate registers.  Posting of banns does not mean that the marriage took place.

Burial Records. The use of the word "interred" in the register may mean that the person was a Roman Catholic or an excommunicate or suicide. Burials took place shortly after death. Sometimes age and parents name or other information is provided.

The Woolen Shroud Acts of 1666 and 1678 required that a person be buried "in wool."  Many times you will see the word "affid" or "a" or "aff" after the burial entry. This meant they had sworn an affidavit that they were being buried in pure English wool.

Some abbreviations you might encounter:

• OTP - Of the Parish
• BOTP - Both of the Parish
• WID - widow
• B - Bachelor
• SP - Spinster
• PTELY - Privately
• BAP - baptised
• PSH = parish
• S - son
• d - daughter

Parish records can be located on Ancestry.com, familysearch.org, findmypast.co.uk and various other sites. You can also order cds and printed transcriptions from the various county historical societies.

Finding Information in Criminal Records

As a genealogist, I get excited when encountering the "black sheep" of the families I'm working on. The black sheep stories usually go one of two ways. They disappear, never to be found again or they produce a variety of records that are very unflattering to say the least.

Yesterday, while working on a census search for Abel Church of Oxfordshire County, England, I noted that in 1861 the census shows a granddaughter aged 5, named Emily Church, who was living with Abel and his wife Mary, along with Abel's daughters Alice and Jemima.

My first thought was to wonder who Emily belongs to. It was either one of the three sons or a daughter, born out of wedlock to one of the daughters. And why was she living with her grandparents?

I went to Ancestry.com and started searching for Emily. I knew she was born about 1856 and the census listed her birth place as Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire County. I found the birth record in the index. But of course the index didn't tell me anything. I found Emily living with her grandmother Mary Church in 1871.

So as the next step, I decided to look at Ancestry family trees to see if anyone else had Emily in their tree and could provide me with some direction as to who her parents were. The first entry that came up was an odd one - it was marked private so I couldn't dig into it - but it showed her birthdate as 1856 in Oxfordshire. But the title of the tree was what really grabbed me. It was unusual. It said "LONDON - Emily Church Murder - Final."

I thought "wow, Emily Church was murdered. I wonder who murdered her and what that's all about." So I went to Findmypast.co.uk and did a search in their newspapers for Emily Church. I came up with a lot of newspaper articles about Emily Church. And she wasn't murdered. She was the murderer.  I skimmed through a couple of the articles (they were from papers all over the UK.) And they all talked about Emily Church, the young woman who murdered her little girl. There was still no indication that this was my Emily Church.

I went back to Ancestry to see if I could find Emily Church in the 1881 census and lo and behold, there she was. Emily Church born about 1853 in Henley, Oxfordshire - listed as a prisoner in Surrey County.  So it was looking more likely that this was the right Emily.

I next did a Google Search for Emily Church + murder + england. I found a short mention in a book called Certain Other Countries  where it said that Emily was tried in 1876 for murdering her two-year old illegitmate daughter. It mentioned the overwhelming sympathy people felt for this young woman who was poor and overwhelmed.

I kept looking and came across a great site http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/. This site has records of criminal cases from 1647-1913 that were tried at Old Bailey in London. I found the actual court records including testimony of the trial. And surprisingly enough there were a lot of genealogy gems in the court records.

First there was the testimony of Jemima Bull. She gave her relationship as aunt and stated that Emily was her sister's daughter. (Unfortunately she didn't say which sister.) I know that Jemima Bull was originally Jemima Church who was listed in the 1861 census that original took me down this path. She mentioned that her mother (this would be Mary Church) had been asked to get her grandaughter out of the Union - which I assume was the union workhouse - and that she (Jemima) had been asked to take in Emily and her child - which she did. However she was not getting any money for housing Emily and her child. The rest of the testimony was from various people who she lived with or who saw who with the child before it died.

The last pieces of testimony was from the policeman who stated that when they asked Emily about the child she replied "I never had a b---- kid." I am assuming that the missing word is basterd which confirms, again that Caroline Beatrice Church, the murdered child in question was born out of wedlock.

The last interesting piece of information was that when arrested, Emily gave her name as Sarah Hicks. Now that name is interesting from a couple of points. One of Abel's daughters was named Sarah. I don't think that's Emily's mother however as Sarah had been married in 1851 - unless she had a daughter outside her marriage. And Hicks, I believe, is Mary Church's maiden name.

In the end, Emily Church was found guilty of murdering her daughter. The jury strongly recommended mercy because of the "desperate poverty-stricken condition in which she was placed; and secondly for her youth."  The judge imposed the death penalty which was commuted to a life sentence later on.

I've not been able to figure out what happened to Emily after 1881. Reading the trial transcript also left me wondering about the rest of the family and how they survived this ordeal. There were a couple of less than complimentary remarks made about Jemima Bull and Emily apparently stated at one point "I will make my aunt remember this." Jemima almost certainly would have felt a sense of guilt over the death of this little girl that she took care of for a short while. But all the people involved were fairly poor and one can surely understand that adding two people to a household without additional income would be a struggle.

The moral of this tale is that you can find genealogy gems in most any document so be sure to read through everything carefully. And don't be afraid to uncover the black sheep of the family. They add wonderful color to your family tree.

Building a FAN Club

I've been struggling with how best to build a FAN club for each of my relatives. No, I don't mean a screaming bunch of groupies but of course, by FAN Club I am referring to Elizabeth Shown Mills description of "Family, Associates and Neighbors". These can become very important in helping to sort out your family and if you haven't read through her QuickSheet, The Historical Biographer's Guide to Cluster Research (the FAN Principle), I'd highly recommend it (and anything else by Ms. Mills.)

I use FamilyTree Maker and I typically track witnesses, census neighbors and any other names I come across in my research right in the Fact note. But I've found this doesn't give me the bigger picture - it only shows me what's going on with that particular record.

So I'm going to try a two-pronged approach. First, I will continue to include this information within the fact note and tie it to the fact it comes from. This will be the primary source of the information.

Secondly, I've created a new Fact and called it FAN Club. Its a description fact only and my plan is to add the names and the date and fact associated in the Notes field. I'll try to alphabetize as I go along. That way I should be able to see, for example, if the Jones family appeared as the next door neighbor through more than one census or whether a person witnessed more than one event. And then I only have one place to go to when I'm trying to remember why someone's name sounds familiar.

I've debated as to whether I should keep a separate paper record of these FANs - I used to do this sporadically. But I've decided that it's probably not necessary as I'll be sure the FAN Club fact prints out when I print out the paper record of each individual.

I'm hoping that this more structured approach to the family FAN Club will produce some brick wall breakthroughs.

Random Stumblings Lead to Interesting Findings

Sometimes you stumble on the most interesting things. I'm working my way through finding information for a CHARLES HOBBS. I believe his parents were THOMAS HOBBS AND PHOEBE. (Waiting on certificates to see what confirmation I can find.) His grandparents may be JOHN HOBBS and ANNE. Lots of maybes.

As I was reviewing the 1841 Census results, I did additional searching for the HOBBs family in BERKSHIRE COUNTY, ENGLAND  which is where Charles Hobbs lived in 1841. In the small town of STANFORD DINGLEY where Charles lives, there is a record for Thomas Hobbs and Phebe Hobbs, both aged 50. This would make them about the right age for Charles' parents and since they are living very close to Charles Hobbs, for now I am thinking they are likely to be his parents. (Yes I have work to do to actually confirm this.)

The next thing I did was a search for other Hobbs in the county in the 1841 census. I stumbled on an ANN HOBBS. Remember, I believe that the grandmother of Charles was named Ann. So I was very interested in this record. She was 80 in the 1841 census and living with a Benjamin Thorn, aged 20 and Elizabeth Thorn, aged 30 and Henry Thorn, age 1 month. There was also a Martha Lawrence, aged 8 listed in the household. I assumed that, despite the 10 year age difference that Benjamin and Elizabeth were husband and wife.

The 1851 census confirms this. It lists Benjamin Thorn living with his wife Elizabeth,  the child Henry plus some other children. It also lists Martha Lawrence, aged 20 and lists her as Daughter-in-law.  I know this cannot be true as she was living with them at aged 8 in 1841 and couldn't possibly be anyone's daughter-in-law. My hunch was that she was Elizabeth's daughter, either by a first marriage or born out of wedlock. (Especially since Elizabeth Thorn was 10 years older than her husband.)

A search of Berkshire parish records finds a marriage record 26 January 1840 in Tilehurst Berkshire for Benjamin Thorn, full age, bachelor and Elizabeth Laurence, full age, widow of this parish. It lists the Bride's father as James Hobbs (this isn't the father I think she should have but I'll have to see where this takes me). Witnessed by Joseph Egleton and Eliza Fisher (who married each other in August 1840).  So Elizabeth was a widow and I am assuming that Martha was her daughter. (Quick birth record search for Martha has not been successful so I'm kind of puzzled at that.)

So because Ann Hobbs was living with Benjamin and Elizabeth Thorn, my next hunch was that Elizabeth is her daughter. A search of marriage records, find a marriage record for John Lawrence, bachelor and Elizabeth Hobbs spinster 10 January 1829 in Tilehurst, Berkshire, England. No parents are listed unfortunately but I suspect that I'll find my hunch is correct - that Ann Hobbs is Elizabeth Hobbs Lawrence Thorn is her daughter. Now I need to find a connection to Charles Hobbs.

I found another piece of the puzzle perhaps. Parish Birth record for Elizabeth Hobbs, b. 17 June 1810 to John and Ann Hobbs. It was in Hambledon, Hampshire, England. So we've got a totally new county here. But it is close to Berkshire so not out of the realm of possibility.

Lots of pieces to try to tie together if at all possible. I could have several false leads and red herrings but they all give me places to check and lots of hints are better than none at all.

Using the Internet

I am continually amazed at the wealth of information that can be found at the end of a Google Search. I can sit at my desk for hours, going off on one tangent after another but all the time finding great information that fills in around the dates of the family I am searching for.

Today I was searching for CHARLES HOBBS who was born in 1814 in Ham, Wiltshire, England. Since Charles lived his life in Berkshire County, I was unsure as to whether this was the correct Charles. But a quick search for Ham, Wiltshire told me that this town was very near the area of Berkshire where he lived. So, although I am not absolutely positive this is a correct birth entry, it is a possibililty to think about now and not discard.

As I dug through the life of Charles, I discovered that in the 1881 Census he was listed as being a Pauper in the Union Workhouse in Wallingford, Berkshire.  A quick Google search took me to an interesting site that talks about workhouses in general and had information, including maps and pictures on the Wallingford workhouse in particular. What a great find! There was even a list of menus giving me some idea of the food they might have served. http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Wallingford/

Another fact I learned about Charles - he was a Tanner's assistant. A quick Google search gave me more information than I probably want about this occupation. It seems like a Tanner would be a nasty and smelly occupation - and I can only imagine what a Tanner's Assistant's jobs might be - probably the worst of the worst.

Sarah, the wife of Charles died at age 45. Charles continued to raise their three sons. Searching around the internet gave me some idea of what his life might have been like. Not very pleasant by our measure. And although it appears as though one of his sons died before he went into the workhouse, at least one of them was still alive and married. So one wonder's what drove him to the workhouse and why he couldn't stay with one of his sons? Perhaps I'm putting too much modern thought into this and of course I will most likely never get the answer to that question.

Maybe I'll stumble on the answers on the Internet.

Out-of-Wedlock Children

Before I got into genealogy, I assumed, quite mistakenly, that out of wedlock children were a modern day occurrence. I've learned, at every turn, that it happened much more frequently than I sure would have expected.

Most laws in the US and Great Britain,  appear to attach a stigma to the child by labeling them a bastard. More modern laws, take that stigma away if the parents eventually marry. But what of those children whose parents don't ever marry?  I've come up on two situations recently.

HENRIETTA HOBBS, b. 1873 in Berkshire, England appears to have had a son, ARTHUR EDWARD HOBBS, out of wedlock in 1897 in Oxfordshire. There doesn't seem to be a record of his father (although I haven't seen an official birth record yet.) When Arthur marries in 1918, he does not list a father on his marriage record. The interesting thing is that Henrietta marries in 1900 to JAMES PARSONS. She does not take her son to live with her in her marriage. He stays with his grandparents.  This seems to be a common way of dealing with this if the mother didn't "give the child up." Henrietta and James went on to have a family of their own.

In my family, my gr-great grandfather, ALEXANDER CLARK was born out of wedlock to GRACE CHRISTY in 1834 in Fife, Scotland. There is a record in 1834 in the Cupar Sheriff's Court Aliment Decrees where Grace is listed along with the father ALEXANDER CLARK. In this case, Grace obviously acknowledges the child and is trying to get some support. It appears as though Grace and Alexander never married and it is possible that Grace may have gone on to live as a "housekeeper" with another family - and may have had two or three other children out of wedlock within that family. So if this is true, why did she never get married.?The man in this second family was a widower so he appears to have been free to marry. It is unclear to me yet, what happened to the father and what happened to the son between the time of his birth and the time of his marriage in 1854. Pieces of the puzzle yet to be filled in.

Early on in England, it appears as though once a child is born out of wedlock, they were always considered to be a bastard, regardless of whether their parents were ever married. This changed in 1926 so that if the parents married, that legal designation went away.  Wikipedia says the term bastard may have come from the word bastum which means packsaddle. This was apparently because originally they thought these children were fathered by passing travelers.

In Wales, a bastard was a child not acknowledged by his father. If a child was acknowledged by his father, then he was not legally considered a bastard and could inherit regardless of whether he was born in or out of wedlock.

As a genealogist, I find all these occurrences quite interesting and add to the colorful fabric that makes up our family history.