DOING WHAT I LIKE TO DO - PART TWO

NOTE: For those of you that like to solve puzzles . . . read on. For those that are bored . . . go to the end of this post and tell me why you are bored! See bottom of this post for an addendum.

This research was inspired by several of the scanned photos provided by a Stewart Cousin in Hebron, Illinois. One had “Grandma Marshall” written on it, two others had “The Twins”, written on them and a third had “Janet Marshal” on it. The research process is given here as an example of the large amount of data contained in the Census Records and how to extract it.

I had in my Reunion database, a Helen Marshall, married to Charles Warren Ehle, the grandson of John A. Ehle, and son of Henry G. Ehle.
John and Wm H. Stewart, my Great Grand Uncles, married sisters, Harriet and Marrietta Ehle, daughters of John A. Ehle. Charles and Helen had six children, one of whom was named Archibald Marshall Ehle. One of the reasons why I did this research.

I searched the 1860, 1870 and 1880 Hebron Census’ for Marshalls and others, using the Surprise Library Heritage Quest online site at home. This is a service given to each of the Library Card holders. Further research on Ancestry.com is available on the Library computers.
There were no other Marshall families or individuals than this group in McHenry County in this time frame. The following is the Marshall family as I found them, birthdays calculated from census dates and ages given.

All of them born in Scotland.

Andrew Marshall b: 1808

Jane Archibald b: 1800
CHILDREN:

1. James           b: 1831
2. Marion        b: 1832
   
   
   
3. Helen b: 1838      Twin      (Cemetery records and Obit: 13 Jan 1838)
4. Janet            b: 1838      Twin
5. John            b: 1839
6. Mary b: 1843
7. Archibald b: 1844

From Archibald’s age, the earliest they could have left Scotland was 1844-5. I will have to search 1850 Census for them, but they were all here in 1860. Heritage Quest does not have the 1850 Census on line. I do not know where in Scotland they came from. They may have come through Northern Ireland at the time of the Potato famine in 1845. Both the Ehles and the Stewarts had German and Irish farm laborers and domestics in the 1850’s and 1860’s. The Ehles are of German origin. Since this family were all born in Scotland the timing is not right for the Northern Ireland part. I imagine the effect of the potato famine was also felt in Scotland. The clips below are from Micro Film copies of the Census Records downloaded from the Heritage Quest web site.

The “Twins” would be Jennette “Janet” and Helen. “Grandma Marshall” would be their mother Jane. She may have died by 1880, as she was not on Saml Archibald’s 1880 Census. (See below) She would have been 80 then. 

I am 95% sure of my research here as being “on the money,” for this family. Here are the steps I took to build this family. First I looked at the James A. Ehle family in 1860, in Hebron, IL. There are 18 people in this one residence. Son Henry G and his family are all listed. Two of his sons were born in NY and are "farm laborers," as are two hired men from Germany. The entry of interest is Helen Marshall, 21 years of age, a domestic, born in Scotland. Charles was 19, any reason why he would not be interested in a young, beautiful woman of 21 who was making his meals and perhaps his bed? They were married two years after this census.

     

It is also of interest to note below Helen, is Ann Van Alstine, who is the sister of John A. Ehle's wife, Catherine Van Alstine. Below her is the mother of Henry G. Ehle's wife, Rowena Holmes, Charlotte Hunt Holmes. There are many pieces of information to be found in the Census' after 1840. Bits like this fill in some of the blanks. Conclusion: read all the names listed in the census!

Next I looked at the 1860 census for Hebron again, this time for John Stewart. Along with his growing family, I find two farm laborers from Germany and Ireland; and Marion Marshall, age 21 years, domestic born in Scotland. Then another look at an 1860 census, this time for Robert W. Stewart I. Wow, another big family, remember this was even before the Stewart Homestead house was built in 1866. Robert had six hired farm laborers from Scotland, IL, NY, Germany and Ireland. The last person on the list is Mary Marshall, age 21 years, a Domestic born in Scotland. Seems like there must have been communication between US and Scotland!

There is another member of the Stewarts to be heard from in the 1860 census, William H. Stewart. He, his wife and daughter are found as boarders in a house of business. The head of the household is listed as a Milliner with an apprentice, an un-designated female (probably assistant milliner) and Jennett Marshall age 22 years as a domestic, born in Scotland.

One more from the 1860 census in Woodstock. Andrew, Jane and Archibald Marshall.

 Then I found John Marshall in the 1870 census, age 30 years, born in Scotland, as a farm laborer in the Josiah Walknife household.

James Marshall was found in the 1870 census in Grafton Township.

Jane is found in 1870 census in Hebron Township in the Samuel Archibald household. Archibald would presumably her maiden name. Samuel would probably be her nephew.

John is found last in 1880 census in Nunda (Woodstock) Township.

And thus is the roundup of the Marshall family in McHenry County, Illinois complete. It isn't of any great break through, but is gives more body to the Stewart family. More connections could be made through other Court House records, newspapers, etc. This just gives a glimpse into the sometimes tedious, but always exciting family research.

ADDENDUM - August 1, 2010

I have re-read this blog again from a readers point of view and find there is an obvious lack of explanation of the format of the census clips presented here.

Starting at the left side: Printed row numbers. 1st Column is the number of the house visited in that report. 2nd Column is the number of households visited. (both are consecutive numbering) 3rd Column is last name, first name of person. 4th Column - age. 5th Column - sex. 6th Column - race. 7th Column - Occupation/Gen. Info. 8th Column - (Head of household only) Value of Real Estate. 9th Column - Value of personal estate. 10th Column - Place of birth. There are more columns in the report, but do not contain important information for this study.