Tag: Michigan

William Henry Lacy (1878–1924)

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Early life in Bay County

William Henry Lacy was born on 26 May 1878 in Michigan, the son of Martin V. Lacy and Nancy J. Whitney.¹ His childhood unfolded in Bay County, where he appears with his parents in the 1880 federal census and again in the 1884 and 1894 Michigan state censuses in Kawkawlin Township.²³⁴ These records place William within a rural farming community shaped by agriculture and seasonal labor along the Saginaw Bay watershed.

William Henry Lacy

Loss marked his early years. Several older half-siblings died before William reached adulthood, and family deaths continued through his youth. His father, Martin V. Lacy, died in 1904 in Garfield Township, Bay County.¹ Two years later, William lost both his mother, Nancy J. Whitney Lacy, and his sister Alice, who died shortly before their mother in Charles City, Virginia.¹ By his late twenties, William was already the surviving member of a significantly reduced immediate family.

Marriage and establishing a household

On 28 May 1907, William married Margaret Doonan in Midland, Michigan.⁵ Margaret, born in Bay County in 1888, was the daughter of William Doonan and Susan Rosetta Smith.¹ Their marriage coincided with William’s transition from his childhood household into building a family of his own.

Early records identify William as a farmer, consistent with his upbringing and the agricultural economy of Garfield Township and surrounding areas. Farming during this period often required supplemental wage labor, and many men combined agricultural work with trades or seasonal employment as opportunities arose.

Children, work, and repeated loss

Between 1908 and 1920, William and Margaret had eight children. The surviving records reveal a family life marked by both continuity and repeated tragedy.

Their first child, Milo W. Lacy, was born and died on the same day in February 1908.⁶ Elizabeth Sabria Lacy was born in January 1909.⁷ In February 1910, Ira Gerald Lacy was born, but he died later that same year.⁸ These early losses occurred while the family was still living in Bay County.

By the 1910s, William had moved his family to Saginaw. Census records, city directories, and his death certificate list his occupation as carpenter, indicating a shift toward skilled wage labor.⁹¹⁰ Carpentry placed William within Saginaw’s expanding residential and industrial economy, offering steadier employment than farming alone.

Eva Lucushia Lacy was born in 1911.¹¹ Howard Guy Lacy followed in 1912 but died in March 1916 at the age of three.¹² Cora Mae Lacy was born later that same year.¹³ Dorothy Helen Lacy was born in December 1917 and died on her first birthday in 1918, during a period when childhood illness and infectious disease were common causes of death.¹⁴

The death certificates for these children record causes such as pneumonia and infantile illness, clinical language that conveys little of the cumulative emotional toll on the family.¹⁵ By the end of the decade, William and Margaret had buried five of their eight children.

Margaret “Maggie” Doonan, William Henry Lacy, Cora Lacy, Eva Lacy, Elizabeth Sabria Lacy.

Later years in Saginaw

Despite these losses, William continued to work and support his household. City directory entries between 1917 and 1923 show the family living at multiple addresses in Saginaw, including North Washington Avenue, South Jefferson Avenue, Williamson Street, and West Genesee.¹⁰ These moves reflect the realities of working-class life in an industrial city, where housing was often tied to employment and financial conditions.

William registered for the World War I draft in 1918, providing confirmation of his birth date, residence, employer, and physical description.¹⁶ Although he was not called into service, the registration places him within the broader national context of the period.

In February 1920, the couple’s youngest child, Martin Van Buren Lacy, was born in Saginaw.¹⁷ The 1920 federal census shows William living with Margaret and their surviving children, still working as a carpenter.⁸

Death and burial

William Henry Lacy died suddenly on 7 July 1924 at the age of 46. His Michigan death certificate lists myocarditis as the cause of death.¹ Contemporary newspaper accounts report that he died at his home at the corner of Williamson and Bradley streets and emphasize the unexpected nature of his passing.²

William Henry Lacy

He was buried on 8 July 1924 in Taymouth Township Cemetery, Saginaw County.¹ His headstone bears the inscription “Wm Henry Lacy and family,” a phrase that quietly reflects both his role as a husband and father and the shared losses experienced by the family he left behind.¹⁸

Remembering William Henry Lacy

William Henry Lacy did not leave personal papers or written reflections. What remains are records: censuses, civil registrations, city directories, draft cards, and headstones. Taken together, they describe a man who worked with his hands, adapted from farming to carpentry, and endured repeated personal loss while continuing to provide for his family.

For those who know him only through documents, his life can appear compressed into dates and causes of death. But for the relatives who remembered him—and for later generations—William Henry Lacy was more than a name on a stone. He was a working man whose life unfolded quietly within the communities of Bay County and Saginaw, Michigan.

Sources

  1. Michigan Department of Health, Certificate of Death for William Henry Lacy, 7 July 1924, Saginaw, Saginaw County, Michigan.
  2. Obituary of William H. Lacy, Saginaw-area newspaper, July 1924.
  3. 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Kawkawlin Township, Bay County, Michigan.
  4. 1884 Michigan State Census, Kawkawlin Township, Bay County, Michigan.
  5. 1894 Michigan State Census, Kawkawlin Township, Bay County, Michigan.
  6. Michigan Marriage Record, Midland County, Michigan, 28 May 1907.
  7. Michigan Birth and Death Records, Garfield Township, Bay County, Michigan, 1908, Milo W. Lacy.
  8. Michigan Birth and Death Records, Garfield Township, Bay County, Michigan, 1910, Ira Gerald Lacy.
  9. 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Garfield Township, Bay County, Michigan.
  10. U.S. City Directories, Saginaw, Michigan, 1917–1923.
  11. Michigan Birth Record, 1911, Eva Lucushia Lacy.
  12. Michigan Birth and Death Records, Saginaw, Michigan, Howard Guy Lacy, 1912–1916.
  13. Michigan Birth Record, Saginaw, Michigan, 1916, Cora Mae Lacy.
  14. Michigan Birth and Death Records, Saginaw, Michigan, Dorothy Helen Lacy, 1917–1918.
  15. Michigan Death Records for children of William Henry Lacy and Margaret Doonan.
  16. World War I Draft Registration Card, William Henry Lacy, Saginaw, Michigan, 1918.
  17. Michigan Birth Record, Saginaw, Michigan, 1920, Martin Van Buren Lacy.
  18. Taymouth Township Cemetery records and headstone inscription for “Wm Henry Lacy and family.”

Emily Rebecca Thompson (c. 1834–1891)

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Early Life in Pennsylvania

Emily Rebecca Thompson was born about 1834 in Pennsylvania, the daughter of John Thompson and his wife Mary.¹ Her early life is documented indirectly through later census records and family relationships rather than through a surviving birth record, a common circumstance for women born in rural Pennsylvania during this period.

Emily appears consistently in federal census records under the name “Rebecca,” suggesting that Rebecca was the name by which she was most commonly enumerated, while later records and newspapers refer to her as Emily.² This dual usage is not unusual for nineteenth-century women, particularly when a middle name or preferred given name was used interchangeably.

Marriage and Family

Before 1854, Emily married Abraham Possinger Smith, a Pennsylvania native born in 1833.³ The couple established their household in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, where they raised a large family. Their known children include:

  • Frank E. Smith (born 1855)
  • Hannah Smith (born about 1856)
  • Jude Smith (born about 1858)
  • Elmira Smith (born about 1862)
  • Robert Smith (born 6 May 1864)
  • Susan Rosetta Smith (born 1865)
  • Fanny Florence Smith (born 1870)
  • Abraham Edward Smith (born 1872)⁴

The family is enumerated in Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, in both the 1860 and 1870 federal censuses, with Emily recorded as “Rebecca Smith,” wife of Abraham.⁵

Migration to Michigan

Sometime between 1872 and 1880, Emily and Abraham Smith relocated with their family to Michigan, settling in Beaver Township, Bay County. This move reflects a broader pattern of post–Civil War migration from Pennsylvania to the Midwest, particularly among families seeking agricultural or lumber-related opportunities.

The 1880 federal census places Emily, again enumerated as “Rebecca,” in Beaver Township, Bay County, Michigan, where she is listed as a married woman and wife of the household head.⁶

The Tragedy of 1890–1891

Emily’s final years were marked by extraordinary family trauma. On 6 December 1890, her son Jude Smith was shot and killed by his brother, Robert Smith, near Linwood in Bay County.⁷ The killing resulted in Robert’s arrest, trial, and eventual conviction for first-degree murder.

Contemporary newspaper accounts describe Emily as physically frail even before the shooting and report that she took to her bed shortly after Jude’s death. She did not attend her son Jude’s funeral and never saw Robert again following the crime. As Robert’s trial commenced in the spring of 1891, Emily’s condition worsened dramatically.⁸

Death

Emily Rebecca Thompson Smith died on 9 May 1891 in Garfield Township, Bay County, Michigan. Her death was recorded in multiple contemporaneous sources under slightly varying forms of her name.

A Bay County death register lists her as “Emily S. Smith,” married, aged 52 years, with parents John Thompson and Mary, residing in Garfield Township.⁹ The cause of death was recorded as dropsy, a term commonly used at the time for edema associated with chronic illness.

Newspaper coverage published shortly after her death attributed her decline to overwhelming grief following the killing of one son by another. One account stated that she “grieved to death over the killing of a son by another,” reflecting both the emotional tone of the period and the family’s widely known tragedy.¹⁰

Emily’s burial followed soon after her death, and she was survived by her husband Abraham Possinger Smith and several of her children.

Name Variations in the Records

Across her lifetime, Emily appears in records as Rebecca Smith, Emily Smith, and Emily S. Smith. These variations do not indicate multiple individuals but rather reflect common nineteenth-century record-keeping practices, especially for married women. Census enumerators frequently recorded women under a familiar or household name, while newspapers and civil registers often used a formal given name or abbreviated married form.

The consistent convergence of spouse, children, residence, parents’ names, and death date confirms that these records all refer to the same woman.

Conclusion

Emily Rebecca Thompson Smith lived a life shaped by migration, motherhood, and endurance. Like many women of her era, her story must be reconstructed from the records left by institutions rather than from documents created in her own voice. Yet through census records, civil registers, and contemporary reporting, her presence remains clear.

Her death in 1891 closed a chapter defined by family, loss, and resilience—leaving behind a lineage whose history would continue to be shaped by the events she lived through but did not survive.

Sources

  1. Bay County, Michigan, Death Register, 1891, entry for Emily S. Smith.
  2. 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania.
  3. Michigan county marriage records; Abraham Possinger Smith and Emily Thompson.
  4. Family structure compiled from census and vital records, 1855–1872.
  5. 1870 U.S. Federal Census, Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania.
  6. 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Beaver Township, Bay County, Michigan.
  7. Bay City newspapers, December 1890, reports on the killing of Jude Smith.
  8. The Bay City Times, spring 1891, coverage of Robert Smith’s trial.
  9. Bay County, Michigan, Return of Deaths, year ending 1891.
  10. The Bay City Times, May 1891, obituary and death coverage for Mrs. Abraham Smith.

Robert Smith (1864–1947): A Life Shaped by Tragedy

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On 6 December 1890, a violent confrontation between two brothers near Linwood in Bay County, Michigan, ended with one man dead and the other facing the gravest criminal charge available under Michigan law. Robert Smith shot and killed his brother, Jude A. Smith, in what newspapers immediately characterized as the culmination of a long-standing family dispute over land and timber.¹ Within days, the case became one of the most closely followed criminal proceedings in Bay County.

The killing of Jude Smith

Early reports placed the shooting in Garfield Township, near Linwood, during an argument concerning ownership and removal of timber. Accounts varied in their details, but the central facts remained consistent: Robert Smith fired a shotgun at close range, killing his brother.² From the earliest coverage through the conclusion of the trial, newspapers referred to the accused almost uniformly as Robert S. Smith.³

The intensity of public interest was evident almost immediately. Smith was arrested, lodged in the Bay County jail, and photographed for inclusion in the local “rogue’s gallery,” an act reported in the press as a matter of routine but revealing the degree to which the case had already entered the public imagination.⁴

The Bay City Times, December 6, 1890.

Pretrial proceedings and public attention

Throughout December 1890 and into early 1891, Bay City newspapers printed frequent updates on the case. These included notices of arraignment, scheduling delays, and speculation regarding the defense strategy.⁵ At various points, reports suggested that Smith might pursue an insanity defense, though these references appear largely in the context of courtroom rumor rather than formal pleadings.⁶

The coverage also reflected the spectacle of the proceedings themselves: crowded courtrooms, lengthy jury selection, and the presence of spectators from Linwood and surrounding communities who were familiar with the Smith family.⁷

Trial and conviction

Robert Smith’s trial took place in the spring of 1891. Newspaper accounts summarized testimony from witnesses present at the scene, law enforcement officers, and medical professionals.⁸ Despite arguments advanced by the defense, the jury returned a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree.⁹

The Bay City Daily Tribune, May 2, 1891.

On 12 May 1891, Smith was sentenced to life imprisonment. Several newspapers printed a statement attributed to him shortly thereafter, in which he denied guilt and attempted to justify his actions as self-defense, framing himself as the victim of prolonged harassment by his brother.¹⁰ The letter provides insight into Smith’s own view of events but does not alter the legal outcome of the case.

Incarceration and release

Michigan prison records confirm that Robert Smith was received at the state prison on 11 May 1891 following his conviction in Bay County.¹¹ Although sentenced to life, his incarceration did not remain static. In August 1893, Smith was transferred to the Ionia State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where he remained for several months before being returned to prison in March 1894.¹²

More than a decade later, his case was reconsidered. In September 1902, Smith was granted a commutation of sentence and formally discharged from custody later that month.¹³ This record is critical, as it establishes that Smith was not imprisoned for life and that his release occurred well before the turn of the century.

Prison card for Robert Smith held at the Michigan Archives

A new life in Washington

Nearly two decades later, Robert Smith appears in Washington State records. On 9 June 1919, a marriage was recorded in Centralia, Lewis County, between Robert T. Smith and Edna Myers.¹⁴ The groom was reported as fifty-five years old, born in Pennsylvania, and entering his second marriage. His occupation was listed as laborer. The record names his father as Abraham T. Smith and gives his mother’s maiden name as Thompson.¹⁵

The use of the middle initial “T” in this record contrasts with the consistent use of “S” in Bay County newspaper coverage. Whether this reflects clerical variation, personal choice, or a deliberate alteration cannot be determined from the surviving records. What can be said is that the Washington marriage record aligns closely with other identifying details associated with the Bay County defendant, including age, birthplace, and parental names.

Death in Tacoma

Robert Smith’s life concluded in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington. His death certificate records that Robert T. Smith died on 10 February 1947 at the age of eighty-two.¹⁶ His birth date is given as 6 May 1864, with birthplace recorded as Blakerlee, Pennsylvania. At the time of death, he was widowed and retired. He was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Tacoma.¹⁷

The informant for the death certificate was hospital staff, and several personal details—including parental information—were listed as unobtainable.¹⁸ Nonetheless, the combination of birth date, birthplace, and earlier Washington records strongly suggests continuity between the man who married in Centralia in 1919 and the man who died in Tacoma in 1947.

Minnie, the first wife

The 1919 Washington marriage record explicitly states that it was Robert Smith’s second marriage, confirming the existence of an earlier wife. That woman is known from earlier records as Minnie, though it remains unclear whether this was her legal given name or a familiar nickname. Despite extensive documentation surrounding Robert Smith’s criminal case, imprisonment, and later life, no definitive record has yet been identified that accounts for Minnie’s fate. At present, what became of her remains unknown.

Conclusion

Robert Smith’s life cannot be reduced to a single violent act, yet neither can that act be separated from the years that followed. Convicted of first-degree murder in 1891 and sentenced to life imprisonment, he was later released, relocated across the country, remarried, and lived into old age. The surviving records trace a trajectory from public disgrace to relative obscurity, marked by gaps that resist easy explanation. As with many lives reconstructed from fragmentary sources, some questions remain unanswered—but the outline of the story is now firmly grounded in the historical record.

Notes

  1. Bay City newspapers reporting the killing of Jude A. Smith near Linwood, December 1890.
  2. Contemporary newspaper descriptions of the shooting and its circumstances, December 1890.
  3. Bay City press coverage consistently identifying the accused as Robert S. Smith, 1890–1891.
  4. Newspaper report noting Smith’s photograph taken at the Bay County jail for the rogue’s gallery.
  5. Bay City newspaper reports on arraignment and court scheduling, December 1890–January 1891.
  6. Newspaper references to a possible insanity defense during pretrial proceedings.
  7. Reports describing courtroom crowds and jury selection during early 1891.
  8. Trial testimony summaries published in Bay City newspapers, April–May 1891.
  9. Newspaper accounts of the guilty verdict and sentencing, May 1891.
  10. Published letter attributed to Robert Smith following conviction, May 1891.
  11. Michigan State Prison prisoner index card for Robert Smith, received May 1891.
  12. Prison record noting transfer to Ionia State Hospital and subsequent return.
  13. Prison record documenting commutation and discharge, September 1902.
  14. Lewis County, Washington, marriage record for Robert T. Smith and Edna Myers, 9 June 1919.
  15. Ibid., parental and birthplace information.
  16. Washington State death certificate for Robert T. Smith, Tacoma, 10 February 1947.
  17. Ibid., burial information.
  18. Ibid., informant and missing personal details.

William Doonan: Decline, Illness, and a Troubled End

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By the time William Doonan relocated his family to the Temiskaming district of northern Ontario, he was no longer a young man. Newspaper accounts place the family’s move from Michigan to Pense Township by about 1908, when William—described repeatedly as elderly—set about clearing land and establishing a farm in an isolated settlement north of New Liskeard.¹ This move explains his absence from later United States records and marks the final geographic shift of his life.

Michigan state census records show that by 1894 William and Rosa Susan Smith were raising a growing family together, firmly established in Bay County.² Those records reflect a household that expanded steadily through the 1880s and 1890s, before economic pressure, family conflict, and William’s advancing age appear to have pushed the family toward a more marginal existence.

1894 Michigan State Census for Beaver Township, Bay County.

Life in Pense Township proved difficult. A June 1910 newspaper account described the settlement as one marked by deep hostility among neighbors, with William Doonan’s farm identified as the center of repeated disputes.³ One incident escalated into violence when neighbors attempted to cross his fields with a wagon and were refused permission. A fight followed in which George Ellis was struck unconscious by William Doonan, described in the article as “Doonan senior.” William was arrested and tried at North Bay, though the court was compelled to cover witness expenses because the family lacked the means to do so. He was ultimately released on a suspended sentence due to his age.⁴

These reports are notable not simply for the violence described, but for what they reveal about William’s condition. The articles consistently emphasize his age, poverty, and the fragile social position of the family. They also record a pattern of accusations and counter-accusations involving livestock, property damage, and threats—suggesting a man under strain in a community where tolerance was wearing thin.⁵

The North Bay Nugget, September 30, 1913, Page 2.

By 1913, William’s health had clearly deteriorated. Newspaper accounts from the Temiskaming district reported his death by suicide, following a period of illness and mental decline.⁶ The articles avoid sensational language, but the circumstances described point to a man worn down by years of conflict, physical decline, and isolation. His death occurred at Lady Minto Hospital, bringing his long and troubled life to an end far from the Michigan communities where he had spent most of his adulthood.⁷

The Temiskaming Speaker, October 17, 1913 Page 1 – bottom of one column and top of next column.

William Doonan’s story is not preserved through orderly civil records or consistent census appearances. Instead, it survives through fragments: state censuses, court proceedings, and the sometimes-blunt language of small-town newspapers. Together, those sources document a life shaped by instability, conflict, and hardship—one that cannot be understood through a single record type alone.

In the end, William Doonan did not disappear from the historical record. He faded out of one jurisdiction and reappeared in another, carrying with him the same struggles that had marked his earlier years. His death closed a chapter defined not by prosperity or permanence, but by endurance in the face of circumstances that steadily narrowed his options.

Sources

¹ North Bay Nugget (North Bay, Ontario), 29 June 1910, p. 7.
² 1884 Michigan State Census, Bay County; 1894 Michigan State Census, Bay County.
³ North Bay Nugget (North Bay, Ontario), 29 June 1910, p. 7.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ The Temiskaming Speaker (New Liskeard, Ontario), October 1913.
⁷ Ontario death registration, Temiskaming District, 1913.

William Doonan and the Law: Conflict, Confinement, and Community Response

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By the late 1880s, William Doonan was living in Bay County, Michigan, with his wife Rosa Susan Smith and their blended family, which included a daughter from William’s previous marriage. Although William does not appear in either the 1880 or 1900 U.S. federal census, local newspapers and state census records document a pattern of conflict that brought him repeatedly to the attention of neighbors, courts, and eventually authorities on both sides of the international border.

The earliest documented incident occurred in May 1889. The Evening Press reported that William Doonan, then residing in Monitor Township, was arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot a neighbor. According to the article, William drew a revolver during a dispute and was taken before a justice for examination.¹ This report establishes that William’s legal troubles began well before the turn of the century and involved firearms rather than minor civil disagreements.

The Evening Press, May 9, 1889, Bay City, Michigan. Page 8

In 1891, William’s name appeared again in the press—this time in connection with a tragedy within his wife’s family. The Bay City Daily Tribune reported on the conviction of Robert Smith for killing his brother Jude Smith, who was also Rosa’s brother. The article states that the gun involved in the homicide was afterward given to William Doonan.² The crime itself belonged solely to Robert Smith, but the transfer of the weapon placed William in possession of a firearm already associated with a notorious and widely reported act of violence. In a small community, such an association would not have gone unnoticed.

More than a decade later, William again surfaced in Bay City newspapers amid renewed conflict. In June 1905, the Bay City Times reported that a complaint had been filed by a neighbor, John Doe, alleging that William approached him with an open knife and made threats. The matter was adjourned rather than immediately resolved.³ A follow-up article published the following month described a contentious courtroom proceeding in which testimony referenced both a knife and a fence rail used as evidence. That report states William was convicted before a justice and that he appealed the decision.⁴ These accounts show William actively entangled in the local court system, though not always with swift or final resolution.

The Bay City Times, June 19, 1905, Page 6

By 1910, William Doonan was no longer appearing in Michigan newspapers. Instead, his name surfaced in Ontario. In May 1910, the North Bay Nugget reported on William in connection with firearm possession, revisiting earlier concerns about weapons and violent associations tied to the Smith family tragedy.⁵ The Temiskaming Speaker published a related account shortly thereafter, further documenting community concern and official attention.⁶ Later that summer, the North Bay Nugget followed up on William’s legal situation, indicating that the matter continued to draw notice weeks after the initial report.⁷

The North Bay Nugget, June 29, 1910, Page 7

These Canadian newspaper reports demonstrate that William’s conflicts did not end with his departure from Michigan. Rather, they followed him across the border, suggesting a continuity of reputation that transcended geography. The repetition of firearm-related concerns—spanning from 1889 in Monitor Township to 1910 in Ontario—forms one of the most consistent threads in the surviving documentary record.

William’s absence from the 1900 U.S. federal census remains unexplained. Whether this reflects deliberate avoidance, temporary relocation, or simple enumerator omission cannot be determined from existing evidence. What can be established is that William Doonan was repeatedly involved in disputes serious enough to attract legal and press attention over a span of more than twenty years.

The broader context of the Smith family violence is essential to understanding how William’s story was perceived by others. Rosa Susan Smith’s brother Jude Smith was killed by another brother, Robert Smith.⁸ While William was not responsible for that homicide, his later possession of the gun used in the crime and his own documented disputes involving weapons ensured that the shadow of that tragedy remained close.

By 1910, William Doonan was a man known to authorities in multiple jurisdictions, his name intertwined with firearms, courtrooms, and unresolved tensions. His story does not resolve neatly—but the records leave little doubt that his reputation was forged as much by conflict as by kinship.

Sources

¹ Evening Press (Bay City, Michigan), 9 May 1889, p. 8.
² Bay City Daily Tribune (Bay City, Michigan), 13 May 1891, p. 4.
³ Bay City Times (Bay City, Michigan), 18 May 1905, p. 1, “Show Him His Heart.”
⁴ Bay City Times (Bay City, Michigan), 19 June 1905, p. 6, “Meant Business.”
⁵ North Bay Nugget (North Bay, Ontario), 19 May 1910, p. 1.
⁶ The Temiskaming Speaker (New Liskeard, Ontario), 20 May 1910, p. 4.
⁷ North Bay Nugget (North Bay, Ontario), 29 June 1910, p. 7.
⁸ Nancy Little, “Jude Smith’s Legacy,” The Tumbleweed, 14 March 2018, https://familytumbleweed.blog/2018/03/14/jude-smiths-legacy/.

William Doonan: Origins, Migration, and Family Formation

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William Doonan was born on 29 September 1837 in Hillier Township, Prince Edward County, Upper Canada, the son of James Doonan and Prudence Mary Morton.¹ His early life unfolded within a large family that soon migrated westward into Hastings County, Ontario, where William appears alongside his parents and siblings in mid-nineteenth-century records.² These early movements reflect the broader patterns of rural settlement and land hunger that shaped many Canadian families of the period.

By the 1860s, William was living independently. In the 1861 census of Canada, he appears in Hungerford Township, Hastings County, identified as a single man and a member of the Church of England.³ Within a few years, he crossed the border into Michigan, joining the steady stream of Canadian migrants drawn to land opportunities in the Saginaw Bay region.

On 4 March 1868, William Doonan entered 80 acres of land in Beaver Township, Bay County, Michigan, under the Homestead Act.⁴ Over the following years, he fulfilled the requirements of residence and improvement, constructing a log house and barn, digging wells, fencing and cultivating acreage, and planting fruit trees.⁵ These records establish him not as a transient laborer but as a settler who invested sustained labor and resources into his farm.

William’s personal life during this period was complex. He married Ann Scott in Bay County on 26 December 1869.⁶ This marriage was short-lived, and no later records place Ann in William’s household. By January 1874, William had married again, this time to Maloney Jewbar.⁷ As with his first marriage, no divorce or death record has been located, but by the early 1880s Maloney no longer appears in records associated with him.

William’s third marriage, to Rosa Susan Smith, marked a turning point in his life. They were married in Bay City, Michigan, on 11 December 1882.⁸ From this point forward, Rosa is consistently identified as William’s wife in census records, newspapers, and later Ontario documents. She was the mother of nearly all of his children and remained with him through the final decades of his life.

One child, Isabel Doonan, predates William’s marriage to Rosa. Isabel appears in the 1884 Michigan state census within William and Rosa’s household.⁹ Based on her age and the date of William’s marriage to Rosa, Isabel was the child of one of William’s earlier marriages. Her presence in the household reflects the blended family structures that were not uncommon in the nineteenth century.

1884 Michigan State Census. William Doonan is underlined in red.

William and Rosa raised a large family in Bay County, and their household appears repeatedly in Michigan state census records during the 1880s and 1890s.¹⁰ During these years, William supported his family through farming and lumbering, work that was physically demanding and increasingly hazardous as he aged.

Family Group Sheet for William Doonan

William does not appear in the 1880 or 1900 United States federal census. This absence is notable but not inexplicable. During this period, he moved frequently between Michigan and Ontario and appears instead in state and provincial records. At the turn of the twentieth century, his household was also affected by violence within his wife’s family, including the killing of Rosa Susan Smith’s brother Jude Smith by another brother, an event documented elsewhere.¹¹ Contemporary newspaper reporting later indicates that William came into possession of the firearm involved.¹² While no direct evidence links these events to census avoidance, the combination of cross-border movement, legal scrutiny, and rural residence provides a plausible explanation for the family’s absence from federal enumeration.

William’s wider family network also remained close. Census proximity and migration patterns suggest that John Doonan, who appears in nearby Michigan census records during the same period, was likely William’s brother.¹³ Although no single record explicitly states this relationship, the accumulated evidence supports a close familial connection.

By the early twentieth century, William and Rosa left Michigan and returned to Ontario, settling in the Temiskaming District. This final chapter of William Doonan’s life would be marked by increasing hardship, legal entanglements, and declining health—subjects that will be examined in the posts that follow.

Notes

  1. Ontario birth records and compiled family records for William Doonan, Hillier Township, Prince Edward County, Ontario.
  2. 1861 Census of Canada, Hungerford Township, Hastings County, Ontario.
  3. Ibid.
  4. U.S. General Land Office Records, Homestead Entry, Beaver Township, Bay County, Michigan, 4 March 1868.
  5. Homestead proof affidavits, Beaver Township, Bay County, Michigan.
  6. Bay County, Michigan, Marriage Register, 1869, marriage of William Doonan and Ann Scott.
  7. Bay County, Michigan, Marriage Register, 1874, marriage of William Doonan and Maloney Jewbar.
  8. Bay County, Michigan, Marriage Register, 1882, marriage of William Doonan and Rosa Susan Smith.
  9. 1884 Michigan State Census, Beaver Township, Bay County, Michigan.
  10. 1884 and 1894 Michigan State Census records, Beaver Township, Bay County, Michigan.
  11. Nancy Little, “Jude Smith’s Legacy,” The Tumbleweed, 14 March 2018.
  12. North Bay Nugget, May 1910, reporting on firearm possession connected to the Smith family incident.
  13. 1884 and 1894 Michigan State Census records for John Doonan, Bay County, Michigan.

Charles Thomas Wickham and Christianna Stouts

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From Islington to New York and the Saginaw Valley

Reconstructing the lives of early nineteenth-century immigrants often requires correlating records created in different countries and under varying record-keeping practices. In the case of Charles Thomas Wickham and Christianna Stouts, parish registers, marriage records, passenger lists, Michigan documents, and contemporary newspapers together form a consistent and well-supported narrative. These records identify Charles Thomas Wickham and Christianna Stouts as my third great-grandparents and trace their journey from London to New York and ultimately to the Saginaw Valley of Michigan.

Charles Thomas Wickham: Origins in London

Charles Thomas Wickham was born about 1800 in London, England, the son of George Wickham and Fanny Bonner Farrand.¹ Parish records place the Wickham family in the Islington and Clerkenwell area of Middlesex during the early nineteenth century.

By the 1820s, Charles Thomas Wickham appears in parish records as a husband and father and is identified as a cheese monger and egg dealer, occupations consistent with small-scale food trade in urban London.² This occupational identification helps distinguish him from other men of the same name and provides useful context for his life prior to emigration.

First Marriage: Ann Philippa Evans

On 16 June 1822, Charles Thomas Wickham married Ann Philippa Evans at St Mary, Newington, Surrey.³ Two children were born to this marriage:

  • Charles Henry Wickham, born 6 December 1823
  • Ann Philippa Wickham, baptized 11 August 1825 in Islington³

Ann Philippa Evans Wickham died shortly after the birth of her daughter and was buried on 24 August 1825, leaving Charles a widower with two young children.⁴

Second Marriage: Christianna Stouts

On 1 April 1827, Charles Thomas Wickham married Christianna Stouts at St James, Clerkenwell, Middlesex.⁵ Christianna was born in 1807 and baptized at St Mary’s, Islington, placing her within the same parish network as the Wickham family.⁶

This second marriage produced a growing family during the late 1820s and early 1830s.

Children Born in England

The following children of Charles Thomas Wickham and Christianna Stouts were born in England:

  • John George Wickham, baptized 21 June 1828
  • Reuben Thomas Wickham, baptized 12 April 1831
  • Joseph Wickham, baptized 22 November 1832¹

These dates are later corroborated by American records and obituaries, demonstrating continuity of identity across the family’s migration.

Emigration to the United States

In 1833, Charles Thomas Wickham emigrated to the United States, arriving at New York.⁷ The following year, his wife Christianna, recorded on passenger lists as Hannah Wickham, followed with several children.⁸

Among those listed on the 1834 passenger list was Charles, age ten, whose age corresponds precisely with Charles Henry Wickham, born in December 1823, the son of Charles Thomas Wickham by his first wife, Ann Philippa Evans. None of the younger children of the second marriage would have been of that age, making this identification the only plausible interpretation.

The absence of Charles Henry Wickham’s sister, Ann Philippa Wickham, from American passenger lists suggests that she either died in childhood or remained in England, a common outcome for orphaned children placed with relatives.

“They Lived in the East”

Christianna’s obituary later states that after arriving in America, the family *“lived in the east.”*⁹ This phrase does not identify a specific state. When evaluated against dated and independent records, New York State is the only interpretation supported by evidence:

  • Both Charles and Christianna arrived through New York
  • Their American-born children were born in New York
  • No Massachusetts records have been identified
  • The family’s migration path proceeds logically from New York to Michigan

Move to Michigan and Charles’s Death

In 1840, the Wickham family relocated from New York to Saginaw County, Michigan, then a developing frontier region. According to Christianna’s obituary, Charles Thomas Wickham died only one month after arriving, bringing his American life to an abrupt end.⁹

He was buried in what is now Tittabawassee Township, Saginaw County, Michigan.¹⁰

Christianna Wickham Green: Pioneer Widow

In 1841, Christianna married Edward C. Green in Saginaw County.¹¹ She spent the remainder of her life in Michigan.

Her obituary, published in 1891, provides a detailed narrative of her life, confirming her English birth, marriage to Charles Wickham, emigration to New York, residence in the eastern United States, relocation to Saginaw, Charles’s death shortly after arrival, and her second marriage.⁹

Confirmation from the Next Generation

The obituary of Reuben Thomas Wickham, published in 1903, independently confirms the family narrative. It states that he was born in London, England, came to New York as a small child, and moved to Saginaw in 1840 with his parents, Charles T. and Christina Wickham.¹²

The Unresolved Question of Charles Henry Wickham

While the passenger list establishes that Charles Henry Wickham immigrated to the United States in 1834, his later life has not yet been documented. He does not appear in Michigan records or family obituaries. His absence may reflect an early death, separate residence, or use of a name variation, but no definitive conclusion can be drawn.

Importantly, his presence on the passenger list strengthens the identification of Charles Thomas Wickham by confirming the structure of two marriages and the blending of children from both unions.

Conclusion

Through parish registers, marriage records, passenger lists, Michigan documents, and contemporary newspapers, the lives of Charles Thomas Wickham and Christianna Stouts can be traced with clarity and consistency. The evidence demonstrates a single family moving from London to New York and then to the Saginaw Valley, without contradiction or competing identities.

Together, these records establish Charles Thomas Wickham and Christianna Stouts as my third great-grandparents, preserving their story as part of the broader nineteenth-century immigrant experience.

Footnotes

  1. Parish baptism records for Wickham children, Islington and Clerkenwell, Middlesex, England, 1828–1832.
  2. Parish baptism records noting occupation of Charles Thomas Wickham as cheese monger and egg dealer, Islington and Clerkenwell, Middlesex.
  3. Marriage record of Charles Thomas Wickham and Ann Philippa Evans, St Mary, Newington, Surrey, 16 June 1822; baptism of Ann Philippa Wickham, Islington, 11 August 1825.
  4. Burial record of Ann Philippa Wickham, England, 24 August 1825.
  5. Marriage record of Charles Thomas Wickham and Christianna Stouts, St James, Clerkenwell, Middlesex, 1 April 1827.
  6. Baptism record of Christianna Stouts, St Mary’s, Islington, 1807.
  7. Passenger list, Sovereign, arrival New York, 1833, Charles Wickham.
  8. Passenger list, Canada, arrival New York, February 1834, Hannah Wickham and children.
  9. Obituary of Christianna (Stouts) Green, Saginaw Courier-Herald, 12 March 1891.
  10. Burial record of Charles Thomas Wickham, Freeland area, Saginaw County, Michigan, 1840.
  11. Marriage record of Christianna Wickham and Edward C. Green, Saginaw County, Michigan, 1841.
  12. Obituary of Reuben Thomas Wickham, Saginaw Herald, 27 January 1903.

Revisiting the Parentage of Eleanora “Ella” B. Gibbs

On By NancyIn Ancestor ProfileLeave a comment

In October 2020, I published a post outlining the evidence I had at the time regarding the parentage of my second great-grandmother, Eleanora “Ella” B. Gibbs, wife of John Wortman. That post laid out the problem clearly: census records placed Eleanora in proximity to multiple Gibbs households in Dryden, Lapeer County, Michigan, but did not explicitly state her relationship to any of them.¹

At the time, the strongest conclusion I could reach — based on marriage, probate, and census evidence — was that Eleanora was the daughter of Lester Gibbs and Mary Conly. However, gaps remained, particularly concerning what became of Lester Gibbs, who appeared to vanish from the records after 1860.

Over the past several years, additional records have come to light. When examined together, they significantly strengthen the original conclusion and clarify why earlier records appeared contradictory.

The Core Question, Revisited

The question has never really been who raised Eleanora, but who her biological father was.

In 2020, the competing possibilities were:

  • Lester Gibbs, who married Mary Conly in 1850
  • Philo Gibbs, with whom Eleanora appears in close proximity in census records

Because nineteenth-century census schedules do not identify relationships, proximity alone could not prove parentage.² What resolves the question is land ownership, guardianship, and inheritance — records that do imply legal relationships.

What We Know Now About Lester Gibbs

Lester Gibbs Did Not Disappear After 1860

Earlier assumptions placed Lester Gibbs’s death near 1860, but new evidence clearly disproves that.

In the 1860 federal census, Lester Gibbs appears in Dryden Township, Lapeer County, Michigan, listed as a farmer with both real and personal estate.³ He was alive, resident, and economically established.

More importantly, an 1863 landowners map of Dryden Township identifies an “L. Gibbs” owning land in close proximity to J. Blow, a man later appearing in court-related records connected to this family.⁴ This confirms that Lester Gibbs was alive and a landholder at least as late as 1863.

1863 Land owernship map of Dryden, Lapeer County, Michigan. L. Gibbs owns land in the upper left corner.

Mary Conly’s Movements Explain the Census Confusion

The apparent absence of Mary Conly from Michigan in 1860 and Eleanora’s later association with other households long contributed to confusion. Those movements now make sense.

Mary Conly married Lester Gibbs in Lapeer County in November 1850.⁵ By 1861, she had remarried in New York to Charles Garner.⁶ The couple was living in New York by the mid-1860s, where Mary appears with Eleanora in the 1865 New York State Census.⁷

Charles Garner enlisted in the Union Army in 1863 and died as a prisoner of war at Salisbury Prison, North Carolina, on 21 December 1864.⁸ Mary was again widowed, this time with multiple minor children.

By 1868, Mary had returned to Lapeer County, Michigan, and married Mortimer Hilliker.⁹ These movements fully explain why Mary and Eleanora are absent from Michigan records during parts of the 1860s and why Eleanora later appears associated with extended family rather than her biological father.

The Most Important Evidence: Inheritance and Guardianship

The decisive records are not census schedules, but court-ordered guardianship and land transactions.

In December 1868, the Lapeer County Circuit Court appointed Mary Hilliker as special guardian of Eleanora (“Ella”) Gibbs, authorizing her to sell the minor child’s interest in real estate.¹⁰ The court approved both the guardianship and the conveyance.

Such proceedings occur only when:

  1. The child inherited property, and
  2. The property-owning parent is deceased

This establishes that Lester Gibbs died between 1863 and December 1868, and that Eleanora was his legal heir.

Philo Gibbs was not the landowner; Lester Gibbs was.

Why There Is No Probate Record for Lester Gibbs

The absence of a probate estate for Lester Gibbs once appeared problematic. In fact, it is consistent with Michigan legal practice of the period.

When a man died intestate leaving only minor heirs and land as the principal asset, courts often handled the matter through guardianship proceedings rather than formal probate administration.¹¹ This allowed the land to be sold for the child’s benefit without opening an estate.

That is precisely what occurred in this case.

What This Means for Eleanora’s Parentage

When all records are considered together:

  • Marriage of Lester Gibbs and Mary Conly (1850)⁵
  • Birth of Eleanora Gibbs (1854)¹²
  • Census evidence of Lester Gibbs alive in 1860³
  • Land ownership by Lester Gibbs in 1863⁴
  • Court-ordered guardianship and inheritance in 1868¹⁰
  • Probate of Mary Hilliker naming Ella Wortman as an heir¹³

…the conclusion is no longer tentative.

Eleanora “Ella” B. Gibbs was the daughter of Lester Gibbs and Mary Conly.

A Final Reflection

This case illustrates a fundamental genealogical principle:
census records suggest relationships; land and court records confirm them.

Six years ago, the evidence pointed in the right direction. Today, it firmly supports that conclusion.

Footnotes

  1. “The parentage of Eleanora ‘Ella’ B. Gibbs,” blog post, 27 October 2020.
  2. U.S. Bureau of the Census, Instructions to Enumerators, 1860.
  3. 1860 U.S. Census, Lapeer County, Michigan, Dryden Township, Lester Gibbs household.
  4. Map of Lapeer County, Michigan (1863), Dryden Township landowners, “L. Gibbs.”
  5. Lapeer County, Michigan, Marriage Records, Lester Gibbs and Mary Conly, 12 November 1850.
  6. New York State Marriage Records, Mary Conly and Charles Garner, 1861.
  7. 1865 New York State Census, Cayuga County, Sterling, Mary Garner household.
  8. Compiled Military Service Record, Charles Garner, Union Army; died 21 December 1864, Salisbury Prison, North Carolina.
  9. Lapeer County, Michigan, Marriage Records, Mary Conly and Mortimer Hilliker, 29 March 1868.
  10. Lapeer County, Michigan, Circuit Court Records, Guardianship and deed of Eleanora D. Gibbs, December 1868.
  11. Michigan Probate Law and Practice, mid-nineteenth century (see Michigan Revised Statutes).
  12. Birth information for Eleanora D. Gibbs, as reported in multiple census and marriage records.
  13. Lapeer County, Michigan, Probate Records, Estate of Mary Hilliker, 1872.

When Did John Powell Really Die?

On By NancyIn Ancestor Profile, Critical ThinkingLeave a comment

Solving an 1886–1887 Genealogical Mystery with Weather, Newspapers, and Cemetery Records

One of the most frustrating problems in genealogy is when official records and newspapers disagree. That is exactly what happened with John Powell of Pontiac, Michigan — and it took three independent record systems and 19th-century weather data to resolve it.

At first glance, the sources contradict each other:

  • Oakland County’s death register records John Powell’s death as 31 December 1886.
  • Two notices in The Pontiac Bill Poster in early 1887 state that he “died last Saturday” and later say he “died Feb. 1887.”
  • His burial, according to Oak Hill Cemetery in Pontiac, occurred on Saturday, 29 January 1887.

Which date is correct?

The Official Record: December 31, 1886

The Oakland County “Return of Deaths” ledger lists:

John Powell, Pontiac — Dec. 31, 1886 — widower, aged 88 years, 4 months, 4 days, born New York.

This is not an estimate or a heading. The date Dec. 31, 1886 is written directly on John Powell’s line in the register.

More importantly, Oakland County holds no death certificate for him in 1887, meaning the county had already legally recorded his death in 1886. That establishes 31 December 1886 as his legal date of death.

Additionally, no probate record has been found for John Powell. Probate records can sometimes give the date of death.

What the Newspaper Really Reported

The Pontiac Bill Poster of Wednesday, February 2, 1887 states:

“John Powell, of Auburn, died last Saturday; aged 88 years, and funeral services were held Sunday at Amy Church. The remains were brought to Pontiac for burial.”

“Last Saturday” relative to Feb. 2, 1887 equals Saturday, January 29, 1887 — which is exactly the day Oak Hill Cemetery recorded his burial.

The newspaper was therefore describing the burial week, not the legal date of death. Oh, and if you are wondering about Amy Church – apparently Amy is what the locals called Auburn Hills/Auburn Heights at the time. This was most likely a Methodist Church, although so far, I have not been able to confirm this.

The Pontiac Bill Poster article a month later – with incorrect data on death and age is incorrect. Although I suspect the birth information is actually right.

Why Burial Was Delayed: The Ground Was Frozen Solid

Weather records now make the situation unmistakably clear.

Using official U.S. Signal Service observations from Windsor, Ontario (the nearest long-running station to Detroit and Pontiac), we can see when winter locked the ground.

From mid-December 1886, southeast Michigan entered a sustained hard freeze:

DateHighLow
Dec 1432°F24°F
Dec 1525°F6°F
Dec 1614°F7°F
Dec 1727°F−2°F
Dec 2520°F1°F
Dec 2813°F−5°F
Dec 3123°F10°F

From December 14 onward, nighttime temperatures stayed below freezing for more than two weeks. This means:

  • The soil would have been frozen by Christmas
  • Snow fell on frozen ground on Dec. 24 (6 inches) and Dec. 31 (4 inches)
  • The ground never thawed between mid-December and mid-January

On the day John Powell died — December 31, 1886 — conditions were brutal:

  • High 23°F
  • Low 10°F
  • 4 inches of fresh snow

Burial at that time would have required digging through frozen soil beneath heavy snow — something cemeteries avoided whenever possible.

When Burial Became Possible

A major thaw finally arrived in late January 1887:

DateHighLow
Jan 2045°F27°F
Jan 2251°F26°F
Jan 2456°F26°F
Jan 2842°F31°F
Jan 2942°F25°F

This was a ten-day thaw, long enough to soften frozen soil and allow graves to be opened. Oak Hill Cemetery buried John Powell on Saturday, January 29, 1887 — the first realistic opportunity.

Two days later winter returned with six inches of new snow on January 31.

The timing could not be clearer.

Putting It All Together

EventDateEvidence
DeathDec 31, 1886Oakland County death register
Heavy snow & frozen groundDec 31, 188623°F / 10°F, 4″ snow
Sustained thaw beginsJan 20, 1887Weather records
BurialSat Jan 29, 1887Oak Hill Cemetery
FuneralSun Jan 30, 1887Pontiac Bill Poster
Obituary printedFeb 2, 1887Pontiac Bill Poster

The Correct Conclusion

John Powell died in Pontiac on 31 December 1886. He was buried on 29 January 1887 after winter conditions delayed burial for nearly a month.

The newspaper was reporting the burial and funeral, not the legal date of death — which is why the dates appeared to conflict.

In the end, vital records, cemetery logs, newspapers, and even the weather all tell the same story.

Sources

  1. Sources
    1. Oakland County, Michigan — Death Register (1886)
    Oakland County Clerk, Return of Deaths, entry for John Powell, Pontiac, dated 31 December 1886; widower, age 88, born New York.
    (Original handwritten county register; no 1887 death certificate exists for John Powell.)

    2. Oak Hill Cemetery, Pontiac, Michigan — Interment Register
    Oak Hill Cemetery sexton’s record for John Powell, showing burial on 29 January 1887.
    (Information confirmed directly with cemetery staff via phone call 15 January 2026 by the author.)

    3. The Pontiac Bill Poster (Pontiac, Michigan), 2 February 1887
    Obituary notice for John Powell, stating he “died last Saturday” and that “funeral services were held Sunday at Amy Church; the remains were brought to Pontiac for burial.”
    (“Last Saturday” relative to 2 Feb 1887 = 29 Jan 1887.)

    4. The Pontiac Bill Poster, 2 March 1887
    Biographical notice of John Powell, stating he “died Feb. 1887 aged 87.”
    (This later notice is a typo reflecting the burial/funeral month, not the legal death date.)

    5. U.S. Signal Service Weather Records — Windsor Riverside, Ontario (near Detroit & Pontiac)
    National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA), Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN-Daily):
    December 1886 daily observations, including 31 Dec 1886: high 23°F, low 10°F, 4 inches of snow, documenting frozen ground and active snowfall
    January 1887 daily observations, including Jan 29, 1887: high 42°F, low 25°F, no snow, documenting the thaw window that allowed burial and Jan 31, 1887: 6 inches of new snow

Finding Jeremiah Ballard: How Census Records, Land, and DNA Solved a 200-Year-Old Puzzle

On By NancyIn Ancestor Profile, Census, DNA, Land recordsLeave a comment

For years, one of my most frustrating family mysteries was a simple question:

Who was Jeremiah Ballard?

Jeremiah was born about 1765 in New York and was the father of Horace Ballard, my 4× great-grandfather. But when I went looking for Jeremiah in the 1790 census, he was nowhere to be found. Worse, there were multiple men named Peleg Ballard, and genealogists had tangled their families together.

What follows is how I finally proved that:

  • Jeremiah Ballard was the son of Peleg Ballard (born 1728), and
  • Horace Ballard (born 1799) was Jeremiah’s son

— even without a will, baptism, or birth record.

The Ballard Family in Frederickstown, New York

In 1790, the town of Frederickstown, Dutchess County, New York contained a remarkable cluster of Ballards.

The census lists the following heads of household¹:

  • Peleg Ballard
  • Peleg Ballard, Jr.
  • John Ballard
  • Tracy Ballard
  • Caleb Ballard
  • William Ballard

This isn’t random. This is exactly what a father and his adult sons look like when they have divided up family land.

Excerpts of 1790 US Federal Census for Frederickstown, New York showing the Ballard households.
1790 US Federal Census for Frederickstown, New York

Where Was Jeremiah in 1790?

Jeremiah Ballard was born about 1765, so he was 25 years old in 1790. That means he should appear as a head of household.

But he doesn’t.

Looking closely at the census columns, something important emerges:
Every Ballard household has exactly one adult male (16+).

That means Jeremiah is not hiding in any Ballard home.
He must have been living with a non-Ballard household — common for young unmarried men who had not yet received land.

So Jeremiah didn’t vanish.
He just wasn’t a landholder yet.

Jeremiah Appears — Right Where He Belongs

By 1799, Jeremiah begins appearing in the Frederickstown tax lists, and he continues through 1803².

Then the 1800 census reveals the truth.

On the 1800 Frederickstown census page, we see³:

Caleb Ballard
Jeremiah Ballard

listed next to each other.

Census takers walked farm to farm. Neighbors on the page are neighbors in real life. And in rural New York, neighbors are usually family.

Caleb Ballard is a known son of Peleg Ballard.
Jeremiah living next door proves he belongs to the same family.

Excerpt of the 1800 US Federal Census for Frederickstown, New York. Caleb and Jeremiah Ballard are next to each other.
Excerpt of the 1800 US Federal Census for Frederickstown, New York. Caleb and Jeremiah Ballard are next to each other.

Which Peleg Was Their Father?

There were multiple Peleg Ballards — so which one was the father?

The 1800 census answers that.

Peleg Ballard’s 1800 household shows⁴:

  • One male over 45
  • No younger adult males
1800 Census for Peleg Ballard in Frederickstown, New York.
1800 Census for Peleg Ballard in Frederickstown, New York.

That fits Peleg born 1728 (age 72 in 1800).
It does not fit Peleg Jr., who would be about 40 and would have sons of his own.

By 1810, Peleg is gone. Only Caleb and Jeremiah remain in Frederickstown⁵.

That is exactly what happens when a father dies and only two sons remain on the land.

Jeremiah’s Household Includes Horace

Jeremiah’s 1800 census household shows³:

  • One adult male (Jeremiah)
  • One adult female (his wife)
  • One male under 10
  • One female under 10

That small boy is the right age to be Horace Ballard, born in 1799.

By 1810, Jeremiah’s household contains multiple sons, including one aged 10–16 — exactly where Horace belongs⁶.

1810 US Census for Frederickstown, New York - Jeremiah Ballard's household.
1810 US Census for Frederickstown, New York – Jeremiah Ballard’s household.

DNA Confirms What the Records Suggest

Paper records tell us Jeremiah was Peleg’s son and Horace was Jeremiah’s son.
DNA confirms it.

Multiple descendants of Horace Ballard match descendants of Caleb Ballard and John Ballard (Jeremiah’s brothers), all triangulating back to the Frederickstown Ballard family.

That means Horace does not belong to some other Ballard line.
He belongs here.

Ancestry's ThruLines Suggested Relationships
Ancestry’s ThruLines Suggested Relationships

Why This Matters

There is:

  • No will naming Jeremiah
  • No baptism for Horace
  • No deed saying “my son Jeremiah”

But in early New York, that is normal.

What we do have is something better:

  • Census clusters
  • Tax rolls
  • Land continuity
  • Family geography
  • And DNA

Together they form a solid proof.

Conclusion

Even without a single “smoking gun” document, the evidence shows:

Peleg Ballard (born 1728)
→ Jeremiah Ballard (born 1765)
→ Horace Ballard (born 1799)

Sometimes history whispers instead of shouting. You just have to listen long enough.

Sources

  1. 1790 U.S. Census, Frederickstown, Dutchess County, New York
  2. New York Tax Assessment Rolls, Frederickstown, Dutchess County, 1799–1803
  3. 1800 U.S. Census, Frederickstown, Dutchess County, New York
  4. Ibid., Peleg Ballard household
  5. 1810 U.S. Census, Frederickstown, Dutchess County, New York
  6. Ibid., Jeremiah Ballard household
  7. Autosomal DNA triangulation between descendants of Horace Ballard and descendants of Caleb and John Ballard (private test data)