Part 120s – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – Discovery - GGG-Grandmother Catherine Sheridan

Afternoon,

Following up to my note in Part 116s regarding a search and the new Sheridan Descendant Chart in Part 112s I achieved success. I discovered the Sheridan Family listed on an 1870 and an 1880 US Census. The new updated Sheridan Descendant Chart follows.

The surname of Sheridan is presented in a number of ways listed on the 1870 and 1880 Censuses. The variations of spellings are: from 1870 – Sheradin; and from 1880 - Shearden; Sherdian; Sheardian; and Sheardia. Only two enumerators and five different spellings...

Check out the ages of gg-grandfather Thomas. He is listed at 32 years on the 1870 Census, and 10 years later on the 1880 Census he has only gained three years and is listed at 35 years. GG-grandmother Ellen on the other hand is 25 years old in 1870 but has aged 13 years to 38 years old on 1880 Census. There must be something in the water in Wilmington, especially between 1870 and 1880. Great-grandmother Mary (née Sheridan) Doherty and great-granduncle John do age the mandatory 10 years from Census to Census.

One-year old great-grandaunt Catherine, who was born circa July 1869, may not have lived past childhood as she is not enumerated in the 1880 Census. All-things-being-equal she may have been named for her grandmother, ggg-grandmother Catherine, who in 1870 is living with the family and may be a widow at 55 years old.

Two more; great-grandaunt Ellen, who may have been known as Nellie, and great-granduncle Dennis had been added to the family by the 1880 Census. Great-grandaunt Ellen was born about 1876 and great-granduncle was born about late 1877.

On the 1st of June in 1880, the Sheridan family lived at 8 Madison Street in Wilmington, in the County of New Castle, Delaware. GG-Grandfather Thomas (listed Shearden), who was a Boiler Maker, had been unemployed for the past 12 months. In the 115th Column the heading asks the following: Is the person (on the day of the enumerator’s visit) sick, or temporarily disabled, so as to be unable to attend to ordinary business or duties? If so, what is the sickness or disability? And I’m not sure I can make out or understand that which the enumerator wrote – “Diaspectie”.

Here are the highlighted pages of the 1870 and the 1880 Censuses.

Sources: Ninth Census of the United States, 1870. Washington, D.C.
National Archives and Records Administration; and Ancestry.com.

Sources: Tenth Census of the United States, 1870. Washington, D.C.
National Archives and Records Administration; and Ancestry.com.

Are the neighbors, at 10 Madison Street, Mary Kane, and John and Bridget Sheardian, in the 1880 Census, relatives?

And going to post I just discovered more family information on the 1900, 1910, and 1920 Censuses. Stay-tuned.

Feel free to comment or email me.

Enjoy,

Jim