My great-grandfather James Walton died when my maternal grandfather was six years old. The personal information on James’ death certificate was provided by Alfred Pearson, his wife’s brother-in-law. And much of it is wrong. Alfred got a few things right; James Walton did not have a middle name. And he was male, white and married. But James wasn’t born in…
According to my Family Tree Maker calendar, Abigail (nee Walton) Cowin died on this day in 1876. But I was a little vague about how I “know” this. Abigail is my 2nd great-grandfather’s big sister. She married Edwin Cowin 22 Nov 1862 on the Isle of Man. Every time I see her name I wonder how…
My mother said her mother refused to have her baby on the first of April; there would be no April Fool’s baby for her! Mom’s April second birth certificate does not prove or disprove this story, but it does provide a couple other interesting tidbits. Like many other babies of her time, Mom was born…
Would you be surprised to learn that “tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of nearly one-and-a-half million people each year*.”? I certainly was. Tuberculosis impacted my family tree, taking the lives of my maternal grandfather’s sister Myrtle (1917) and his father James Walton (1911). Others in my tree…
The other day I shared a trio of given names favored by my Walton ancestors. So imagine my surprise the first time I saw my maternal grandfather’s birth certificate: I knew Grandpa as John George Walton. He signed everything John G. Walton. My mother thought her father’s name had once been George John Walton, but his mother…
In a word – everything! When naming their sons, my Walton line chose from a short list of monikers. My grandfather was John (1905-1980), who’s father was James (1871-1911), who’s father was James (1843-1916), who’s father was John (1809-1870), who’s father was Thomas (1783-1843). Grandpa John had an older and a younger brother named James.…
Grandpa was one of the kindest men I have ever known. So two of the family stories about him make me cringe every time I hear them. Born on this day in 1905, John George Walton was a married father of two during the worst days of the Great Depression. Having left school early to help…
My Grandpa’s family was poor. Really poor. His father died when Grandpa was six years old. His mother took in laundry and cleaned other people’s houses to make ends meet. All the kids got jobs as soon as they were able to work. By able, I don’t mean old enough to work. I mean physically…
The census taker made a number of errors on this record. For example my mother is listed as the son of her parents rather than their daughter. And at just seven years old, she had already attended school for seven years: But the record still provided some interesting information. Particularly when compared to what I know…
My grand aunt Edna Cornelia Walton (1906-1993) should appear in four publicly accessible census records. In family history research, one begins with the most recent information and works backward. The most recent census record available to us is 1940. Edna’s family is listed albeit a tad creatively: 34 year old Edna Hager’s marital status is…
where2look4ancestors 