Author: Don Taylor

Ancestor Sketch – Elizabeth Rose (?)

Howell-Vincent/Vinson-Rose
By Don Taylor

I used to, mistakenly, say that there are no real “Brick Walls.” Typically, a “Brick wall” is just a difficult record to find or a record that isn’t worth paying someone else to find for you.  In the case of Elizabeth, who married Burkett Vincent and had several children with him, including my wife’s 2nd great grandfather, John Vincent, there just might be a true brick wall. I have a couple more really involved actions to try but I’m not holding my breath thinking it will solve my dilemma.

Howell/Darling – Ancestor #37

List of Grandparents

  • Grandfather: 4.  James Dallas Howell (1879-1964)
  • 1st Great-grandmother: 9.   Susan R. Vinson Howell (1848-1910)
  • 2nd Great-grandfather: 18.  John Vincent (1817-bef. 1870)
  • 3rd Great-grandmother: 37.  Elizabeth Rose ? (1785 – 186?)

Elizabeth Rose (1785-186?)

Birth

I am yet to find a source for Elizabeth’s parents.  I took a look at Ancestry Trees and found the following parents indicated:

  • Forty-seven (47) trees suggest William Rose (1759-1801) and Sarah Crawley (1775-1863).
  • Fourteen (14) trees propose Elisha Rose Sr. (1753-1795) and Hannah Sellers (1758-1812).
  • Two trees indicate Elisha Rose and Pheroby Powell (died 1794).

I have not found any sources proving her parents identities. All suggest other people’s trees as their source.

It appears that Elizabeth’s husband, Burkett Vincent. Died before the 1850 Census as Elizabeth is enumerated as the head of a household consisting of her and one daughter, Nancy. Also, during the 1850 Census her son John is living next door.

Looking at censuses before 1850, Elizabeth would have been a female in the household of her husband, Burkett.

The Burket Vinson household of the 1840 Census included a female age 50 to 59 which is presumed to be Elizabeth. Additionally, there are males and females enumerated that align with Burkett (Jr.), John, and Nancy in the household.

The 1830 Census throws the monkey wrench into the works.  None of the children of Burkett and Elizabeth are enumerated. Rather four different boys and three different girls are enumerated. All older. I suppose it is possible they were entered on the wrong columns, but I don’t know. My suspicion is that Burkett had a first wife and children with her. The children were still with him, and another female, possibly a sister of Burkett, was in the household.

This idea carries on even stronger into the 1820 census. There, living in Burkett’s household is a female over 45. Elizabeth would have been 35 in 1820. So, I don’t believe it is Elizabeth with Burkett in either the 1820 or 1830 censuses. A scenario wherein Burkett was married, his wife died, he remarried Elizabeth. Elizabeth appears to have had children from a previous marriage, who then took on the Vincent surname.

Of course, this is all speculation, but it does provide a plausible explanation for the conflicting Census Records.

What I think I know

  • 1785 – Elizabeth was born – Parents unclear.
  • 1835 – Elizabeth Rose possibly married Burkett Vincent sometime between 1830 and 1840.
  • 1840 – Elizabeth is probably the female 50-59 in the household of Burkett Vincent
  • 1850 – Elizabeth is the 64-year-old head of a household consisting of her and her 25-year-old daughter, Nancy.
  • 1860 – Elizabeth is the 75-year-old woman in the household of her son, John, his wife Ellenor, and their six children.
  • I believe that Elizabeth died sometime before 1870.

Further Actions / Follow-up

  • Query private tree owners for birth source information.
  • Detail the lives of each of the children of Burkett Vincent and Elizabeth Rose.
  • Detail the lives of the probable siblings of Elizabeth Rose.

————–  Disclaimer  ————–

Continue reading “Ancestor Sketch – Elizabeth Rose (?)”

Anna (Howell) Boseman & the 1910 Census

Census Sunday
By Don Taylor

Introduction

Sometimes, while researching through the census records, some realization occurs that makes you smile and say, “oh wow!” Such was the case while I was researching my wife’s great-aunt Anna Lee (Howell) Boseman. During the 1910 census, just like during the 1900 census, women reported how many children they had and how many were still living. In Anna’s case she had 13 children and nine were living. All nine were identified as living with her and her husband, so that means any child born before 1910 and not listed must have died before the census.

1910 Census showing the number of Children for Anna (Howell) Boseman

The Living with William and Anna during the 1910 Census are the following children:

  • William Boseman Jr.      21
  • Jessie Boseman            17
  • Bernice S Boseman       15
  • Mollie M Boseman          13
  • George D Boseman       12
  • Russell L Boseman          8
  • Virginia L Boseman          5
  • Lilie M Boseman              3
  • Martin V Boseman            0

Maggie who was with the family in 1900 is missing in 1910, so Maggie must have died before 1910. The other five children are in both censuses:

  • Anna Lee Howell was born in November 1866
  • She Married William Jackson Boseman in 1886
  • They had 13 children, nine of them were living in 1910; eight of them lived to adulthood.
  • She died in her residence, at the ripe old age of 84, on 31 July 1951 in Weldon, Halifax County, North Carolina and is buried at Cedarwood Cemetery.

Conclusion

I feel that the connections identified by ThruLines as going through Anna Lee (Howell) Boseman are highly reliable.

30 Questions – Have I…?

 

My Life
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.For “Saturday Night Genealogy Fun,” Randy Seaver, in his blog “Genea-Musings,” suggested answering some of the questions that have been going around Facebook.  Here are my answers to 30 personal questions.

Have I:

1)  Driven 100 mph: I think only once, however, I’ve been a passenger in cars doing so several times. (None in the past 45 years; oh, the stupidity of youth.)

2) Ridden in a helicopter: Several times in the Navy to and from the Kitty Hawk. Once from Clark Air Base (Philippines) to Cubi Air Station (Olongapo City, Philippines) with the door open (safety harnessed in with a short leash). What a way to see the country for the first time!

3) Gone zip lining: No and I’ve never had a desire to do so.

4) Been to an NFL game: yes, many, had season tickets the Vikings for several years. I was at the last game at the old Met Stadium (where the Mall of America is now).

5)  Been to Canada: As a teenager, I went to the Boundary Waters area and canoed in and out between Minnesota and Ontario many times. I have also visited Winnipeg, Windsor, and Vancouver.

6) Visited Florida: Yes, many times, mostly for work but a few times for pleasure.

7)  Visited Mexico: Yes, Tijuana when I was in the Navy stationed in San Diego.

8) Visited Vegas: Yes, several times mostly during my Navy Days, but also a few times for work.

9) Eaten alone at a restaurant: Yes, occasionally, I’ll have breakfast. I don’t recall ever having dinner alone in a restaurant, except while traveling.

10) Ability to read music: Not really.  I can see a note on a piece of paper and can find it on a piano, but slowly. Let’s see…. “every good boy does fine” EGBDF and “FACE” are the mnemonics I learned. Humm, they go from the bottom up, right?

My brother Mark and sister Sharon sitting on my 2nd motorcycle, a Honda 90, about 1967.

11) Ridden a motorcycle: Yes, I’ve owned several. My first was a Yamaha 60, a 2-stroke, which was the first motor vehicle I owned (I was 15). My last was a Yamaha Virago 750. My knee was getting too bad to enjoy long rides, so I sold it and bought a convertible.

12)  Ridden a horse: Yes, when I was a teenager living in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, I cleaned a barn & stable area at a farm nearby in order to ride the horses there. Also, when I lived in the Oregon desert in the early 1970s.  Not since then.

13) Stayed in a hospital: Yes, clavicle (as a kid), shoulder (twice while in the Navy), and a knee operations.

14) Donated blood: Yes. When I was young, I gave often, when I was young and feeling really broke, I’d give plasma too. While I was in the Navy, they’d have blood drives. If you gave blood, you would receive early liberty. We called that “vampire liberty.”

15)  Been snow skiing: Not really.  Cross country a few times. Never downhill.

16)  Been to Disney World or Disneyland: Yes, I’ve been to Disneyland a few times back in the 1970s. Once for a “Navy Day,” where the park was closed except to Navy and Marine Corps personnel and their families. A three-minute wait at “Pirates of the Caribbean” and no wait at the “Matterhorn” made for the best theme park experience by far!

17)  Slept outside: Not intentionally, I prefer sleeping in a tent or RV. The Hilton doesn’t count as “outside,” does it?

18)  Driven a stick shift: Yes. I’ve owned many stick shifts when I was young — “four on the floor,” “three on the tree,” and “three by the knee.” I don’t think I’ve driven a stick in twenty years.

19)  Ridden in an 18-wheeler: Yes. I had a license to drive one while I was stationed in Oregon and one drove there. My license also had fire engine and bus endorsement. 

20) Ridden in a police car? Only as a juvenile. The first time was when I cut my wrist going through a window (NOT intentionally) and a police car took to the local hospital. They didn’t want to wait for an ambulance.

21) Driven a boat: Yes. My stepfather had boats and I did drive his occasionally. The Officer of the Watch was too smart to even consider handing over the con to me while I was on the Kitty Hawk.

 22)  Eaten Escargot: Sort of. I had snails once while in the Philippines. I got so sick; I’ve never eaten snails again. I don’t know if what I ate were land snails or sea snails. Either way, I’m playing it safe and not ever eating them again.

My “Cruise Ship”

23) Been on a cruise:  Do three and a half years aboard the USS Kitty Hawk count? My wife wants to take a cruise and thinks it’d be nice if I came along. (She’s said, “No thank you,” to our visiting the Kitty Hawk.)

24)  Run out of gas: Not that I recall. If I had, I would probably want to forget about it anyway.

25)  Been on TV: Yes, as one in a crowd or audience, not as an individual.  That doesn’t count community TV or a “TV Productions” course I took in college.

26)  Eaten Sushi: Yes, I have my particularly desired rolls (Philadelphia, Alaska, California). There are some I’d never touch – Snail sushi — <Shudder>. (See 22 above.)

27) Seen a UFO:  Possibly. Back in the 1950s I saw something I didn’t recognize. A few moments later I saw two fighters speeding after it. I never heard what the military called the event.

28)  Been Bungie jumping: No. I wouldn’t do it on a bet. With my knees, I’d probably split into two.

29) Visited another continent: Yes – Asia & Africa. While I was in the Navy. I lost three 36-exposure rolls of film I shot when at Tsavo National Park in Kenya. The photos would have included why I think hyena’s are the scariest critters ever. They look at you and you just know they think you’re food.

30)  Been to Ellis Island?  No. I have no ancestors who came through Ellis Island, so I’ve never had a personal interest to visit. 

As I go through this list, I’m amazed at how many of the items I did while I was in the Navy. 

Edith Soule – One of Three

Photo Friday
By Don Taylor

Photo of Edith Soule.
“Edith Soule”

This was a frustrating week for my Photo Identification Project. The first photo I looked at says “Edith Soule” on the back. No other information except that H. M. Smith Photography at 478 Congress Street, Portland, Maine took the photo.

Luckily, Ancestry.Com has an excellent set of Portland City Directories. I found that H. M. Smith Studio was not in the 1890, 1991, or 1892 directories. It was listed at 478 Congress Street from 1893 through 1898. In 1899, at the same address was an S. K. Smith Studio. But in 1900, it too was gone. As such, I date the photo between 1892 and 1898.

Next, I went to Family Search. A Search for Edith Soule in Maine yielded over a thousand results.  Search for Edith Soule in Maine exact yielded five results.

  • Edith E. Soule – Born 31 July 1915 – Not my Edith.
  • Edith Soule – Born 1903 – Too Young to be my Edith
  • Edith Soule – Born July 1894 – Again too young to be my Edith
  • Edith Soule – Born 1875 – Lived in Somerville, Lincoln County Maine in 1880 with father (Lendon), mother (Nancy), & 2 siblings (Jennie and Rosella)
  • Edith Soule – Born 1850 – Probably too old to be my Edith.

There was an Edith M Soule, who resided in Cape Elizabeth and married Frank Eggert on 28 April 1894. Edith was 21 years old and was born in Hallowell. Hallowell and Somerville are only about 17 miles apart, so this is consistent with Edith Soule, born in 1875. It also fits that a photo of her immediately before her marriage would be very possible.

With that information, I felt pretty confident I had found the Edith Soule of my photo. I’m not sure why that search only gave me one Edith Soule with a middle initial and not many more. Because when I searched again without Edith being exact, I received many more candidates. Looking closely at the 1900 Census results killed my confidence. After further research, I realized there were three Edith Soule’s that this could be a photo of:

  1. Edith M (Soule) Eggert born in April 1873. Her parents were Rufus Soule and Bessie Jones; she married Frank Eggert and lived in South Portland in 1900.
  2. Edith L. Soule was born on 10 July 1872 in South Portland to Alonza K and Deborah L Soule. In 1900 she was living with her widowed mother, Deborah, in South Portland.
  3. Edith M. Soule was born in Oct 1876. She worked as an attendant at the State Hospital in Augusta during the 1900 Census. Her parents were Lendon and Nancy.

Dead Fred

I’ll post my photo of Edith Soule to Dead Fred.

Final Note

So, I don’t know which of the three Edith’s this is a photo of.  If you have a picture of any of the three Edith’s I’d love to see it and either identify Edith for sure or eliminate one of the three Edith’s I think my photo might be. Please contact me using the form below.

Mary-Alice’s ThruLines – Part 2

DNA
ThruLines Thursday
Howell-Hobbs

This week I took a look at some of my wife’s Ancestry DNA matches and some of her ThruLinestm results.

DNA Matches

There were no new matches in her 2nd cousins and closer, so I started looking at her third cousins.

The first three were 3rd to 4th cousin.

Individual cM shared on x Segments Line Comments
3C = 3rd Cousin
D. L. 196 cM 11 Seg Hobbs 3C – Samuel Aquilla & Martha Ann (Bryan) Long.
C. C. 179 cM 8 Seg (Howell?) No Tree – I’m awaiting response to contact email. 
J-7 166 cM 9 Seg Hobbs No Tree – I’m awaiting response to contact email.

ThruLinestm

No new connections on her grandparents.

For her great-grandparents, there were 2 matches for her Howell/Vinson line and 3 for her Hobbs/Long line. There were no new individuals on her Darling, McAllister, Huber, or Trümpi lines.

Howell Line

Both of the individuals connect via Grandpa Howell’s sister Anna Lee Howell. One indicates that he is descended from William J. Boseman and the other indicates he is descended from Virginia L. Roseman.  My records indicate that Anna Lee married William Boseman in 1886 and had three children with the Boseman surname, Maggie, William, and Jesse. After that, my records show that she had five children with the surname Roseman. I’m not showing that Anna had a second marriage or showing any other reason for the surname change.

That lets me know I need to look more closely at Anna Lee Howell and her life and her children. Also, I’ll look more closely at William Jackson Boseman (1888-1962) and Virginia L Roseman (1905-___) and see if I can untangle the surname.

Hobbs Line

There were three ThruLinestm matches along the Hobbs line. All three were through great-aunt Annie Hobbs (1872-1953) who married Frank Alton Armstrong, Sr in 1890. They had three children, their oldest, Hazel G Armstrong (1895-1997). Hazel married Itimous Thaddus Valentine (1887-1970) and had five children that I am aware of. One of those children (possibly living) had at least four children, two of whom tested and were already in my (private) tree. The third person matching is J.H. a great-grandchild of Hazel through one of the other children (possibly living). I didn’t have him in my tree, but I did have his mother in my private tree, so I’m confident enough in his relationship to add him to my tree.

DNA Relationship

ThruLinestm indicates that both are second cousins twice removed. DNA Painter’s Shared cM Project 3.0 tool v4 indicates that 2C2R should share between 0 and 261 cM of DNA with an average being 74cM. The ThruLines match “RC” and my wife share 52 cM and the second match shares 60 cM; so the proposed relationship fits the amount of DNA shared.

Conclusion

Genetic matches and TrueLines confirmed several people in my tree. It let me know that I need to further research three ancestors on a secondary line, and it allowed me to confidently add one new cousin.

Final Comment

If you are a descendant of Peter Fletcher Howell (1842-1924), I’d love to learn how you and my wife are related. Testing with Ancestry DNA is an excellent way for us to confirm our relationship and possibly you broaden your tree as well.

My other ThruLines posts are listed under the ThruLines Thursday category.

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