A Father Found in Delaware

It’s true.  I’ll talk to ANYONE about genealogy.  It makes my day and I love to find something for someone on their family tree.  A man came into my ‘day job’ and he said that he had spoken with me last week on the phone about what he was there for.  I told him it wasn’t me because I was out of town in Salt Lake City, Utah all last week.  He asked me why I was in Utah.  I told him I was there for a genealogy conference and his face lit up.  Oooooh, I can tell he likes genealogy too!  He’s my people!  He goes on to tell me that he just recently signed up for Ancestry but he can’t get past his great-grandfather in Delaware.  CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!!  I ask him some details about his great-grandfather such as his name, (I’ll just call him William), when he died, his wife’s name etc.  The last name is a pretty English name that has early colonial roots so how hard can this be???  He doubts me.....

I start typing away and I find his burial location on FindAGrave.  He told me that he did find that.  I start typing furiously pulling up Ancestry, Family Search, Delaware archives, some wikis on the location and I find the person I’m looking for.  But there’s not a lot of information which I find shocking.  I found William’s death records but no birth record.   Delaware births started being recorded statewide in 1881 but didn't reach full compliance until 1921.  That would explain why I couldn’t find an 1827 birth record for William.  I instantly go to the census records and I find William.  Mr. Customer has to leave but I tell him that I will work on it and will call him and let him know what I find. I think he's still doubtful that I can do anything more than he has already found. Hum, he underestimates me..... 

I find the 1860 and 1870 census and those are pretty basic.  They don't say anything about his parents or where they were born.  It does say that he was born in Delaware.  I find the 1880 census and this one says that both of his parents were born in Delaware too!  Ok, now we are talking!  I find the 1850 census and it’s consistent with the others.  The family stays in the same area this particular area whole time.  Since he was born in 1827 I look for the 1830 census.  Now, this is where it get’s more complicated…  The 1830 census is the one with just the heads of household and the tick marks.  There are only two families with the same last name in this town.  One is Jacob and one is William.  William can’t be the one on the 1830 census.  In that household, there are only two people. One male and one female from 20-30.  Not him.  Our William is only 3 years old in 1830.  

This leaves the other household with Jacob as the head of household and one of the tick marks has a male child under 5!  Oooooh, this is possibly our family!  But I can’t just proclaim I found William’s father yet.  I start researching Jacob in that town and county.  Only one comes up.  I follow him and his family through the censuses. After making a list of the tick marks from the 1830 and the ages and sexes of the children I’m confident I have the correct family.  They stay consistent throughout and the children leaving the household and moving out.  Some remain close by.  I find a probate record for Jacob naming all his children AND there is William!!!  To double check, I also search in other Delaware counties and don’t find the profile of the family I’m looking for.  I’m sure of the findings now!  I call Mr. Customer and tell him that his 2x Great-Grandfather is Jacob and exactly how I got to that conclusion.  He’s shocked that I did that in only an hour or so.   I told him this is what I do.  I’ve printed out some stuff for him to have when he comes back to pick up the item that he came in my 'day job' for.  I’ve attached my genealogy business card to the folder so I can give it to him.  I’m pretty sure he’ll want to hire me to research more of his tree because he said that he wants to go back further.  

Sometimes you can’t just click on leaves on Ancestry.  You need some deeper research and analysis. Or someone like me!  These classes and institutes I’ve been working so hard on are paying off.  

#genealogynerd

#KeeperOfThePastGenealogy