My Big Mistake

 This Week's #52Ancestors Prompt is Big Mistake

While I have made many mistakes in my genealogical research, the biggest one was likely in researching my Clark line. I knew that my paternal grandmother’s mother was Margaret Clark. She married Robert Halliday in Iowa. Robert was a coal miner who was born in England. There might have been some connection to Pennsylvania, and it seemed her family also had coal mining roots. But I didn't know where the family came from or even when they arrived in this country. Pennsylvania and coal mines were the extent of my knowledge when I started. 

For some reason, Pennsylvania got stuck in my head, and I started researching Clarks in Pennsylvania. I had no specific location. Never mind that Clark is one of the most common names in the U.S.. Never mind that I knew nothing about Pennsylvania. Never mind that I barely knew anything about genealogical research. That’s where I focused. 

This was long before the internet, and I had few resources to turn to. I joined a Clark Family Association based in Pennsylvania and combed through each issue of their journal for a clue to my Clark family. Of course, I never found anything. I would have been better off throwing darts at a dartboard. This misguided research was a BIG MISTAKE. 

Except there was a nugget of truth to the story. 

Margaret Clark’s father was Alexander Clark.  He was born in Coaltown, County Fife, Scotland in 1834 to Alexander Clark and Grace Christie. Alexander and Grace never married, but Grace filed for child support. Alexander married Mary Callendar in October of 1854 in New Monkland, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He had already started working in the coal mines. They had six children born in Scotland before they moved to the United States in 1869. 

IN 1870, THEY WERE LIVING IN FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. So, there was that nugget. They moved to Trumball County, Ohio, where Margaret was born in 1872. By 1880, the family had relocated to Richland Grove, Mercer County, Illinois. At some point, they moved to Appanoose County, Iowa, where Alexander and Mary remained until their deaths. Alexander died in June of 1912. His wife, Mary, died in 1903. Margaret married 25 December 1893 in Appanoose County to Robert Halliday. She died in Chicago in 1948. 

The moral of the story is to make notes on all those bits and pieces you hear from your family. But until you have some evidence, don’t chase a common surname in a big state like Pennsylvania unless you know what you are looking for.

"Writing These Few Lines"

This week's prompt for #52Ancestors is Letters and Diaries

I am not lucky enough to have many letters from relatives. In fact, I have precisely one—a copy of a letter from my second great-grandfather, Alexander Clark, in Iowa to an old friend, C.B. (Charles) Reddie, in Brazil, Indiana. It's unclear how they knew each other—perhaps they arrived in the United States together or knew each other in Scotland. They were both coal miners; based on the letter, they knew each other's families. C.B.’s wife, Isabella Graham, was born in County Fife, as was Alexander, so perhaps that was the connection.

The letter, dated 16 December 1895, was written in Clarkdale, Iowa, and sent to C.B. Reddie of Brazil, Indiana, in response to a letter that C.B. had sent.

“Of course, you will find a great change from your former way of living, but these things must be put up with.”

Something had happened in C.B.'s life that changed it —his wife had died in August 1895  Charles was a new widower. Alexander mentioned that they received the photos that were sent and he noted “You have better stood time well as far as looks go. Well I hope trade is good with you and keeping you going and help to keep your mind from other things.” This seems like something an old friend would say to comfort a grieving widower.

“Work is going slow here. Trade seems at a stand still. No one seems to be using any coal this winter. I think the coal trade is played out in this part of the country. We hardly make as much as clear expenses  but then we will best have to put up with it. I hope for better times.”

Besides working in the coal mines at an early age, Alexander Clark and his family owned a small coal mine in Appanoose County, Iowa. It’s unclear what years they had this mine and how large it was, but they were concerned about the coal industry. A major strike had occurred the previous year, and the effects were still being felt. As a small mine operator, they faced competition from the mines in southern Illinois. Unionization and mechanization were growing, which likely also affected the mine operation.

Then Mr. Clark went on to talk about his family.

“Alex, John & Charles are all dead & gone. George & William are married & live here beside us. George & wife has 2 children, 1 boy & 1 girl. William & wife has 6 children, 1 girl and 5 boys. Grace & Maggie [my great-grandmother] are married & live at WhatCheer. Grace has 1 girl & 2 boys. Maggie 1 girl. James & Isabella are still unmarried & live at home with us. Alex left one boy & he lives with us. He is 13 years of age. John left 5 children 3 boys & 2 girls. They live with their mother in Mystic. Alex was killed in the Pit at WhatCheer. John died of Typhoid fever in Mystic. Charles was killed by lightning standing speaking to his mother in the door about 3 years ago. He was 17 when he died. So you see we have all our little troubles in life. And when death comes we have rest from them all.”

He finishes his family talk with the following:

“I was 61 years old yesterday. I am not able to work very hard now but still I get along very well. Mrs. Clark has got a cold in her back which pains her bad at present but I think it will soon get better again.“

Mrs. Clark lived until 1903, and Alexander Clark lived until 1912.  He closed his letter somewhat pessimistically – or perhaps he was being a realist.

“Wishing you all as Merry a Christmas as it is possible for you to have under the circumstances. There will be a great want this time.”

And he signed off:

I loved reading this letter for so many reasons. First, it’s a genealogical goldmine!! But secondly, this is a man I know very little about. Born out of wedlock, he was in the coal mines at a very early age. He and his family journeyed to the United States, hoping for a better life. He seems to have written this letter very matter-of-factly, and I get the feeling that, regardless of the troubles he’s seen, he is proud to have his family around him.