Feeling Productive and yet, NOT!

Yesterday I set out to clear my desk. Well, not clear it exactly, but to start doing genealogical database entry to clear the stack of items needing linking, transcribing and disposing on the right side of my desk. 

The first thing I came upon was a to do list I had printed as a comparison for something else. I scrolled through it, eliminated a couple of things, found a couple of things and then came to one where it suggested I look for a naturalization in Ohio. 

It opened a Pandora's box. I had her husband, and a marriage record, but did not have any of her children, as I hadn't hunted for the census. I still haven't hunted for the census, but did manage to find her naturalization record, her birth date and place of birth and a death notice in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

I am sure I've blogged about the Cleveland Necrology Files. They've been very helpful over the years when Cleveland is my focus. They can be found here. Well, there were two entries for Malvina Friedman and one Malvine Friedman. All three were different people, and it led me to the correct Malvina Friedman, nee Ecker, and a lousy looking death notice in the Plain Dealer on Genealogy Bank. When my brain kicked in, I decided to look for a Cleveland area Jewish Newspaper. Turns out there were at least two, The Cleveland Jewish News and The Jewish Independent. I ended up using the index for the Cleveland Public Library Necrology file to search the newspapers and Was much happier with the obituaries I found. 

Then I turned the focus to her husband, Lajos (Louis) Friedman. I found his obituary, his age in 1980 at his death, and that eventually led to the discovery of his arrival record at Ellis Island, his naturalization records and the picture of the ship he came in on. 

One son predeceased Malvina, and I found him, too! Then I went looking for her siblings in the Jewish Newspapers and had some luck there. All this inspired me to take a look at the mysterious Dezso/Dezo/Dave Ecker (not to be confused with David Ecker, hubby's paternal grandfather.) I found him in California after a newspaper article indicated he and his wife were heading to California. His wife died there and he ended up marrying a cousin out there - a cousin who was a brother of her first husband. Incidentally, this woman was an Ecker and married two Ecker's.  

My research was pretty successful. However, it just added to the data entry I have to do. I better get after it.

Copyright 2010-2021, ACK for Gene Notes

Those People in the Early 1800s

I often wish that people in the early 1800s (and before) had been enlightened enough to list everyone on the census prior to 1850. It would make it so much easier for me. 

One of my brick walls is Nathaniel Davidson. I know, or am presuming, that he was born around 1797 in Kentucky, according to the 1850 census. His wife and children were enumerated with him. It's that 1830 census in Howard County, Missouri that frustrates me. 

Nathaniel's household shows one male under the age of five. Fine, that could be his son John. One male between 20 and 30; one male 30-40 (Nathaniel) and one male 70-80. Whoa! Really? Wait, I'm not done. 

One female 10-20 and one female 20-30 (Anne Estes Davidson, his wife.) 

So possibly he has a brother and sister living with him?   

I found a Polly Davidson/Davitson (indexing can be atrocious) marrying a John Steel in Howard County, May 30, 1831. Can I prove that this Polly Davidson is living with Nathaniel in 1830? No. But I have this receipt which shows an inferred relationship.  

May 25th 1847 Mary Steeles Invoice of Property taken to Nathnl Davidsons

1 Counter Pan 1  Sheet  1 Pillow  2 Small Pieces Brown domestic, 1/2 set Knives & forks 1 plate  1/2 set Cups & saucers  1 Sugar Bole 1 Griddle 2 chairs}

1 Water 1 stand Cutins Post. }        John M. Steele

May 25th 1847

Amount of Property taken by E. Pendleton.

1 Press  1 Plane Bed Sted.  1 Trundles do  2 cords

1 clock  1 chest containing Mary Steeles Clothing also Elizabeth Pendletons Williams Clothes.

2 straw beds  2 coverlets, 4 quilts, 1 blanket, 2 pillows, 1 sheet, 1 trundle feather bed, 2 check counterpens 1 large feather bed and boulster, 1 box stocking.

A coppy rendered,

J. M. Steele

Is Polly Davidson Mary Steele? Probably.  Is she Nathaniel's sister? I can't say for sure by I'm hoping.

I could have it all wrong. Anne Estes' Davidson's father Littleberry Estes died in 1839, so it's possible that her youngest brother and sister could have lived with her. But her mother was still living in 1840 and enumerated on her own. But, Anne Estes had older brothers, who may have taken her younger siblings in. But, they lived in Lafayette County, two counties to the west. I'm going with my gut instinct that the persons living with Nathaniel are his siblings. 

And and don't ask me who Elizabeth Pendleton is. I have no idea. 

Copyright 2010-2021, ACK for Gene Notes

A New Relative Found Me, Which Led To ...

Periodically, I search the passenger lists for ancestors. I didn't find ancestors, but siblings of my ancestor, Alexander Maitland (1813-1891) landed at the Port of New York on May 10, 1834 aboard the ship Ocean. 

I was looking for this particular sibling because according to what I have he died in the United States. but the name, John Maitland, is pretty common. I had information that he was born in 1808, so therefore looked for someone who might fit that information.  What I found was a record for John Maitland in the Passenger lists arriving in New York,  from Haddington (Scotland) age 25 (pretty close).  Well, yes, I was pretty sure that was him, but went browsing for the actual film and found him on the last page. And I was blown away because also listed with him was Charles Maitland, age 15; Elizabeth Maitland, age 20; Agnes Maitland, age 19. All from Haddington. These were g-g-g-grandfather's brothers and sisters. although not all of them.  I always like to copy the first page of the ship manifest so that I know what the columns mean. In this instance, however, they didn't carry the columns through to the last page. 

I also noted a man by the name of John Watson, distiller, also appears. Agnes married a John Watson in Toronto (York) Ontario, Canada. I'll have to see if I can locate an occupation for him. 

It's interesting that Elizabeth and Charles both moved back to Scotland, where they both married and remained. Agnes died in Canada, date unknown. 

Not found in this list is Jean Wilson Maitland, the widow of Dr. Alexander Maitland (1759-1826); daughter Mary Maitland who married William Munro and she died in 1888 in Toronto;  Jane or Jean Maitland; Alexander Maitland (1813-1891) who went back and forth between Canada and the US, eventually settling in Lafayette County, Missouri; Robert Maitland; David Maitland who died in Canada in 1854; Helen Maitland who married George Urquhart in Canada and returned to Scotland.  Family story is that the eldest son, George Forrest Maitland inherited Gimmers Mill in Haddington and remained there. After Dr. Alexander Maitland died in 1826 the family moved to York, Ontario, where life was very hard. 

Did I figure out where John Maitland lived and died? No, but I'll keep searching! But it was my new relative, Colin, who spurred me on to look for John and find this gem.