Post by Robin on Jun 8, 2014 23:59:14 GMT
This has been a brick wall of mine since I inherited my grandmother's work, so I've gotten no further than she did on this line, which is so frustrating because it's the only one. I am mostly looking for him on the 1850 Census and also looking for his parents names. Sorry it's so long, wanted to be thorough.
William Henry Mills
b. Oct 29, 1832 in New Jersey
m. July 7, 1855 in Wyandot County, Ohio to Emma Elizabeth Sherwood (b. abt. 1838 in New York)
d. Jan 7, 1919 in Huntsville, Madison, Alabama
Occupation: Railroad Agent.
Father: b. in New York (Name might be Nathaniel Mills, see below)
Mother: b. in New Jersey
Children:
Wilhelmina "Minnie" Mills b. July 1856 in Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA
Edith Louise Mills b. FEB 1860 in Illinois
Matie Gertrude Mills b. 5 MAR 1862 in Illinois
Maggie Mills b. 1864 in Illinois
Eugenia Mills b. 1866 in Illinois
Sources:
Marriage record (Wyandot County, Ohio)
1860 Census (District 16, Sangamon County, Illinois)
Civil War Draft Record 1863 (Campbell, Coles County, Illinois)
1870 Census (Coshocton, Coshocton, Ohio)
1880 Census (Coldwater, Mercer County, Ohio)
1900 Census (Olmstead, Logan County, Kentucky)
1910 Census (Civil District 3, Davidson, Tennessee)
William's Death Certificate (Huntsville, Madison, Alabama, USA)
As you can see, William Henry Mills moved around A LOT.
According to my grandmother, his father's name was Nathaniel Mills - we even have an oil painting of him though there's no name on it. And also according to my grandmother, William had two sisters, Belinda and Mary. Belinda married a man named "Beals" and had a daughter, Kitty, while Mary married "Morton". I'm pretty sure my grandmother got this information from her mother's memory so I have nothing to confirm it. William's death certificate doesn't name his parents, neither does his marriage record. He was born before births were recorded in New Jersey (well, some started in 1675 but compliance was low), unless I can find a church baptism record but I have no idea what religion he was or where in New Jersey he was born.
Even so, I've tried the collection New Jersey, Births and Christenings, 1660-1980
on FS and can't find anything conclusive. I've also tried searching for Nathaniel Mills' marriage in the collection New Jersey, County Marriages, 1682-1956 but without knowing when, where or even to who he was married, I can find anything solid.
I have searched and searched in vain for any Belinda Mills or Belinda Beals with a daughter Kitty on the census records but without knowing when or where they were born or where they lived or even what Belinda's husband's first name was, I can't find them. I have searched for William Henry Mills on the 1850 census with his supposed father's name and/or his sister's names. I have searched for William on his own but he moved around so much I'm never sure where he might have been in 1850. I've considered that his family might have been on the road, in the middle of a move when the census was taken and therefore were never recorded. I have searched for Nathaniel Mills in the 1850 census and no luck either but I have considered that it was maybe not his name or he died before then.
Basically, I have zero records of William before his marriage. It's like he just suddenly appears in 1855 and didn't exist before then. I equally can't find anything on his wife, Emma Elizabeth Sherwood, before their marriage either. ANY help on this would be eternally appreciated.
To throw two more things into this: Family legend has it that William was a descendant of Anneke Jans Bogardus - during the legal process regarding her descendants claim of her property which belongs to Trinity Church in NY, a lawyer claimed he was one of the descendants and had Williams lineage documented. But personally, I think the lawyer may have falsified the link, attempting to cash in on the supposed money that was due the descendants of Anneke (there wasn't - every case got thrown out of court). And where that documentation went is unknown because I certainly can't find it!
Also, according to my grandmother (again, who probably got this info from her mother, William being my grandmother's great grandfather), William was a good husband and father except when he would disappear on a drinking spree. His family wouldn't hear from him until he finally sobered up and came home. Then he would get his job back and once again become the ideal husband and father. While he was gone his wife did sewing in order to feed her children. This made me wonder about his reliability and identity during the 19th century - maybe William isn't even who he claimed to be after his marriage? Maybe he changed his name, maybe he was running from something and hiding his identity. With no birth certificate in existence, wouldn't that be really easy?
I have been thinking of getting an mtDNA test done because although it may not tell me anything about William, his wife (who is also a mystery before her marriage) is my 3 great grandmother up my strictly maternal line. Would this help?
William Henry Mills
b. Oct 29, 1832 in New Jersey
m. July 7, 1855 in Wyandot County, Ohio to Emma Elizabeth Sherwood (b. abt. 1838 in New York)
d. Jan 7, 1919 in Huntsville, Madison, Alabama
Occupation: Railroad Agent.
Father: b. in New York (Name might be Nathaniel Mills, see below)
Mother: b. in New Jersey
Children:
Wilhelmina "Minnie" Mills b. July 1856 in Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA
Edith Louise Mills b. FEB 1860 in Illinois
Matie Gertrude Mills b. 5 MAR 1862 in Illinois
Maggie Mills b. 1864 in Illinois
Eugenia Mills b. 1866 in Illinois
Sources:
Marriage record (Wyandot County, Ohio)
1860 Census (District 16, Sangamon County, Illinois)
Civil War Draft Record 1863 (Campbell, Coles County, Illinois)
1870 Census (Coshocton, Coshocton, Ohio)
1880 Census (Coldwater, Mercer County, Ohio)
1900 Census (Olmstead, Logan County, Kentucky)
1910 Census (Civil District 3, Davidson, Tennessee)
William's Death Certificate (Huntsville, Madison, Alabama, USA)
As you can see, William Henry Mills moved around A LOT.
According to my grandmother, his father's name was Nathaniel Mills - we even have an oil painting of him though there's no name on it. And also according to my grandmother, William had two sisters, Belinda and Mary. Belinda married a man named "Beals" and had a daughter, Kitty, while Mary married "Morton". I'm pretty sure my grandmother got this information from her mother's memory so I have nothing to confirm it. William's death certificate doesn't name his parents, neither does his marriage record. He was born before births were recorded in New Jersey (well, some started in 1675 but compliance was low), unless I can find a church baptism record but I have no idea what religion he was or where in New Jersey he was born.
Even so, I've tried the collection New Jersey, Births and Christenings, 1660-1980
on FS and can't find anything conclusive. I've also tried searching for Nathaniel Mills' marriage in the collection New Jersey, County Marriages, 1682-1956 but without knowing when, where or even to who he was married, I can find anything solid.
I have searched and searched in vain for any Belinda Mills or Belinda Beals with a daughter Kitty on the census records but without knowing when or where they were born or where they lived or even what Belinda's husband's first name was, I can't find them. I have searched for William Henry Mills on the 1850 census with his supposed father's name and/or his sister's names. I have searched for William on his own but he moved around so much I'm never sure where he might have been in 1850. I've considered that his family might have been on the road, in the middle of a move when the census was taken and therefore were never recorded. I have searched for Nathaniel Mills in the 1850 census and no luck either but I have considered that it was maybe not his name or he died before then.
Basically, I have zero records of William before his marriage. It's like he just suddenly appears in 1855 and didn't exist before then. I equally can't find anything on his wife, Emma Elizabeth Sherwood, before their marriage either. ANY help on this would be eternally appreciated.
To throw two more things into this: Family legend has it that William was a descendant of Anneke Jans Bogardus - during the legal process regarding her descendants claim of her property which belongs to Trinity Church in NY, a lawyer claimed he was one of the descendants and had Williams lineage documented. But personally, I think the lawyer may have falsified the link, attempting to cash in on the supposed money that was due the descendants of Anneke (there wasn't - every case got thrown out of court). And where that documentation went is unknown because I certainly can't find it!
Also, according to my grandmother (again, who probably got this info from her mother, William being my grandmother's great grandfather), William was a good husband and father except when he would disappear on a drinking spree. His family wouldn't hear from him until he finally sobered up and came home. Then he would get his job back and once again become the ideal husband and father. While he was gone his wife did sewing in order to feed her children. This made me wonder about his reliability and identity during the 19th century - maybe William isn't even who he claimed to be after his marriage? Maybe he changed his name, maybe he was running from something and hiding his identity. With no birth certificate in existence, wouldn't that be really easy?
I have been thinking of getting an mtDNA test done because although it may not tell me anything about William, his wife (who is also a mystery before her marriage) is my 3 great grandmother up my strictly maternal line. Would this help?