Part 708p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – Updated Life Timeline

Good Day,

As a compliment to my genealogy research to the mystery of the life and times of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway, I have created an evolving Life Timeline. This Time Lifeline is a means and way to see a quick overview and diarized picture of ggg-grandfather Brayton’s life and the events as I discover them.

All-things-being equal, ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway’s Time Lifeline will get longer and more details will be added. To date I have included that which I have found for his first 32 years.

I have created this Time Lifeline using SmartDraw VP. If you have any comments, thoughts, ideas, and questions please feel free to contact me.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 707p – Smith Groh Genealogy – The Mystery of Brayton C. Placeway – 1920 US Census – Some Confusion?

Good Day,

Following up with my genealogy search and the mystery of ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway I now move from 17 November 1917 to 9 January 1920. The 17 November 1917 date is the reference to the newspaper clipping regarding his request for a divorce from his second wife, Johanna (née Plischke). See my Posting Part 697p for the details.

We now move forward to the registration of the 14th Census of the United States on 9 January 1920. According to the actual page of the 1920 US Census ggg-grandfather Brayton C. Placeway is now living at 173 Chestnut Street in Wauwatosa City, in the County of Milwaukee, in the State of Wisconsin.

He is living with his first wife ggg-grandmother Mary (née Seigel) and their two children; gg-grandmother Eideth (aka Edith) and gg-granduncle Robert. The house and residence is actually owned by his in-laws gggg-grandparents Charles and Ulricha (née Manthye) Seigel. Also in the house are ggg-grandmother Mary’s two brothers and one sister; ggg-granduncles Walter E. and Arthur R, and ggg-grandaunt Helen J.

Here are the listed residents at 173 Chestnut Street –

Charles Seigel – Head – Age: 74 years
Ulricha Seigel – Wife – Age: 58 years
Walter E. Seigel – Son – Age: 24 years
Arthur R. Seigel – Son – Age: 21 years
Helen J. Seigel – Daughter – Age: 19 years
Brayton Placeway – Son in law – Age: 31 years
Mary Placeway – Daughter – Age: 29 years
Eideth Placeway – Grandaughter – Age: 10 years
Robert Placeway – Grandson – Age: 3 5/12 years

And now for the bit of confusion. GG-Granduncle Robert, ggg-grandparents Brayton and Mary (née Seigel) Placeway’s son was born about July 1916. GGG-Grandfather Brayton’s notice for divorce from his second wife Johanna (née Plischke) was published in The Flint Daily Journal on 17 November 1917. (See Part 697p.)

The timing of events seems to be somewhat puzzling. But it is not necessarily the above-mentioned birth and divorce dates that are confusing. What I have not been able to find, at this point in my search and research, is documentation that ggg-grandfather Brayton ever divorced and re-married his first wife, ggg-grandmother Mary (née Seigel), who he had married initially on 9 September 1908. (See Part 675ps.)

A quick summary of dates and events concerning this period of ggg-grandfather Brayton’s life are:

9 Sep 1908 – Married 1st wife, ggg-grandmother Mary (née Seigel) in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

22 Jul 1909 – Birth of daughter, gg-grandmother Edith (née Placeway) in Pinckney, Michigan

Circa Nov 1914 – Married 2nd wife, Fraulein Johanna (née Plischke) of Austria

Circa Feb 1915 – Returns with 2nd wife, Fraulein Johanna (née Plischke) to New York

9 Jul 1916 – Birth of son, Robert Arthur Placeway in, as indicated in some records, Cook County, Illinois

17 Nov 1917 – Notification of divorce proceedings against his 2nd wife Fraulein Johanna (née Plischke) issued in Flint, Michigan

9 Jan 1920 – Living with 1st wife, ggg-grandmother Mary, his two children and his Seigel in-laws in Wauwatosa City, Wisconsin

Did ggg-grandparents Brayton and Mary (née Seigel) Placeway ever divorce before ggg-grandfather married his 2nd wife Johanna (née Plischke) of Austria? That is my question. I will keep looking.

I will soon be updating the Brayton C. Placeway Life Timeline. Stay tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 706d – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – Dohertys, The Next Generation(s) – Thoughts On Naming Conventions

Good Day,

Okay, before we head off for Andy's 12:30 CT, left wrist, surgery, I may have had a genealogy epiphany...

GG-Grandparents Philip and Margaret (née Doherty) Doherty’s first four children appear to have been:

1. Daniel Doherty, born 1863,
2. Gerald Doherty, born 1864,
3. Helen Doherty, born 1866, and
4. Mary Ellen Doherty, born 1868.

GG-Grandmother Margaret's parents were Gerald and Ellen (née McGuiness) Doherty.

According to the 1870 US Census the Docherty (aka Doherty) household included -

1. Philip Docherty, 38 years,
2. Margart Docherty, 30 years,
3. Jerald Docherty, 5 years,
4. Margartt Docherty, - 6/12 months,
5. Daniel Docherty, 60 years, and
6. Hugh Docherty, 28 years

A general rule of thumb in naming children, especially in Ireland, followed a naming convention and pattern.

Irish Naming Conventions

1. The 1st son (Daniel) was usually named after the father's father (Daniel ?). Is this the 60-year old Daniel Docherty listed living with Doherty (aka Docherty) Family in 1870? Could the 60-year Daniel Docherty have been gg-grandfather Philip’s father?

2. The 2nd son (Gerald) was usually named after the mother's father (Gerald). GG-Grandmother Margaret (née Doherty) Doherty’s father’s name was Gerald.

3. The 3rd son (Philip) was usually named after the father (Philip). GG-Grandfather’s name was Philip.

4. The 4th son (John Patrick) was usually named after the father's eldest brother (John ?). There is a coincidental family of Dohertys, according to the 1870 US Census, living down fromgg-grandparents Philip and Margaret Doherty’s house at 731 Madison Street in Wilmington. The John Doherty’s are living at 232 Madison Street. The head of the household, John Doherty is listed at 50 years old. GG-Grandfather Philip Doherty is listed at 48 years old. My question – Is John Doherty at 232 Madison Street gg-grandfather Philip Doherty’s older brother?

5. The 5th son was usually named after the mother's eldest brother. There is no 5th Doherty son on record, at this point in my search.

6. The 1st daughter (Helen) was usually named after the mother's mother (Ellen). Helen is an English variation of the name Ellen.

7. The 2nd daughter (Mary Ellen) was usually named after the father's mother, (Mary ?).

8. The 3rd daughter (Margaret aka Greta) was usually named after the mother (Margaret).

9. The 4th daughter (Frances aka Fannie Annie) was usually named after the mother's eldest sister, (Fannie ?). Could the Fannie Doherty, who passed away in 1895 at 731 Madison Street, have been gg-grandmother Margaret’s elder sister?

10. The 5th daughter (Mary Agnes) was usually named after the father's eldest sister, (Mary ?). This would tie to possibility that the 2nd daughter, great-grandaunt Mary Ellen may have been named for gg-grandfather Philip’s mother Mary. It also leads to the possibility that gg-grandfather Philip may have had an elder sister named Mary named for his mother who may have been named Mary. (Now trying saying that all in one breath…)

I have included all the family ancestors in red that would fit in the naming convention. All-things-being-equal the five blue names are the persons who a specific child may have been named after. Obviously there is a coincidence regarding the 1st son Daniel... and the possibility that he may have been named for the Daniel Docherty (aka Doherty) who was living in Philip and Margaret's home in 1870. This could lead that Daniel Docherty may have been Philip's father... I can't prove this as yet but it definitely makes some sense.

Here the updated Doherty Descendant Chart for cross-reference.

Certainly would appreciate anyone’s thoughts, ideas, comments, and questions. Also it certainly would be exciting if any Doherty descendant may have some notes, maybe a letter or a page from a Family Bible, or a photograph… or any type of cryptic memento that could assist in the search for the Doherty Family Lines.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 705d – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – Doherty Descendant Chart Updated

Good Day,

Since I posted Part 665d, my last update to the Doherty Descendant Chart, I have definitely added a number of new bits of information and data. As I continue to mention, and write, my work in genealogy is “Always Under Construction”. Even though everything has happened in the past, I am constantly finding and learning new details about ancestors and family members.

I am a very visual person. I have to see everything in pictures, especially in the form and Descendant and Ancestral charts. Above is my latest update to the Doherty Family Line and the Doherty Descendant Chart.

As always the Doherty Descendant Chart is in reference to the ancestral relationships to Andy. I have highlighted his direct Doherty line by indicating his immediate blood line with yellow and blue symbols. All new, updated, and changed data is emphasized in red. The codes that are interspersed throughout the Chart are the Part numbers as referenced to my Postings and discussion on A Genealogy Hunt.

If you have any questions, comments, thoughts, and ideas, please feel to get in touch with me.

Jim

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Part 704d – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – Number 11 Has Been Found!!!

Good Day,

Well I have been searching and researching the clue of the 1900 US Census that states that gg-grandmother Margaret (née Doherty) Doherty had had 11 children. And I believe I have had success. Ceteris paribus, I do believe the find may be the 11th Doherty great-grand…

Okay here is my thinking process and what I have done and found.

Following up my Posting Part 703d I mathematically decided to compute the time frame between the marriage of gg-grandparents Philip and Margaret (née Doherty) Doherty and the birth of each of their 10 known children.

Each of my calculations is the time elapsed between each event. Therefore beginning with the Marriage of gg-grandparents Philip and Margaret on 4 January 1863 and calculating the time to the Birth of great-grandfather Gerald Paul the intervening time was 1 year, 10 months, and 21 days. Taking into account the 9-month period prior to g-grandfather Gerald Paul’s birth, there would have been a possibility of a birth of the 11th child sometime between Jan 1863 and February 1864. This is the approximate period of time I would need to search the St. Peter’s and St. Paul's Registers of Baptisms for any indication of the registration of another, the 11th child.

1. Marriage of gg-grandparents Philip and Margaret – 4 Jan 1863 – The Starting Point
- Search St. Peter’s Parish Records – January 1863 to February 1864

2. Birth of g-grandfather Gerald Paul – 25 Nov 1864 – 1 year, 10 months, 21 days
- Search St. Peter’s Parish Records – November 1864 to June 1865

3. Birth of g-grandaunt Helen – 25 Mar 1866 – 1 year, 4 months
- Search St. Peter’s Parish Records – March 1866 to April 1867

4. Birth of g-grandaunt Mary Ellen – 14 Jan 1868 – 1 year, 9 months, 20 days
- Search St. Peter’s Parish Records – January 1868 to March 1869

5. Birth of g-grandaunt Margaret aka Greta – 22 Dec 1869 – 1 year, 11 months, 8 days
- Search St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Parish Records – December 1869 to December 1870

6. Birth of g-granduncle Philip – 3 Sep 1871 – 1 year, 8 months, 12 days
- Search St. Paul’s Parish Records – September 1871 to May 1872

7. Birth of g-granduncle John Patrick – 18 Feb 1873 – 1 year, 5 months, 15 days
- Search St. Paul’s Parish Records – February 1873 to March 1874

8. Birth of g-grandaunt Fannie Annie aka Frances – 20 Dec 1874 – 1 year, 10 months, 2 days
- Search St. Paul’s Parish Records – December 1874 to November 1875

9. Birth of g-grandaunt Mary Agnes – 4 Aug 1876 – 1 year, 7 months, 15 days
- Search St. Paul’s Parish Records – August 1876 to September 1877

10. Birth of g-grandaunt Elizabeth – 26 Jun 1878 – 1 year 10 months, 22 days
- Search St. Paul’s Parish Records – June 1878 to November 1879

11. Birth of g-grandaunt Catherine – 11 Aug 1880

Having set the parameters for my search, I began to go through the St. Peter’s Register of Baptisms beginning at January 1863. Reviewing the registrations, from Item 4 of the microfilm FHL [1787748], I stumbled upon one baptism at the bottom of a page dated 11 October 1863. Well guess what? I held my breath… enlarged the image to get a better read. It is; it has to be number 11. Great-Granduncle Daniel Doherty born 9 October 1863 and baptized 11 October 1863. Nine months after the 4 January 1863 marriage of gg-grandparents Philip and Margaret (née Doherty) Doherty. Eureka!

Here is the image of the registration page from the Register of Baptisms. You will note that the image of the page is somewhat obtuse at the center fold. You can read “Philippi Doh…” and then “& Margarita Do-”, and one of the Sponsors is “Dionysius Doherty”.

And here is my transcription and translation of the Latin.

1863

October

11th Baptizari Danielem, filium Philippi Do(herty), et Margarita Do-(herty), natum 9th huius, sponsores Dionysius Doherty et Catherina McGonigle

11th baptized Daniel, son of Philip Doh(erty) and Margaret Do-(herty), born 9th of this month (October), sponsors Denis Doherty and Catherine McGonigle

Great-Granduncle Daniel Doherty was the first and eldest of the 11 children of gg-grandparents Philip and Margaret (née Doherty) Doherty. All-things-being-equal, there may have been other children born to gg-grandparents Philip and Margaret. There is that possibility given the timing between each of the 11 children. At this point, Doherty Family history does not indicate the addition of any more children.

My next step... to recreate and update the Doherty Descendant Chart. Stay-tuned.

If you have any questions, comments, thoughts, and ideas please feel free to contact me.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 703d – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – Is Greta Actually Margaret? – And, Were There Eleven Dohertys?

Good Day,

In my genealogy hunt for the offspring of gg-grandparents Philip and Margaret (née Doherty) Doherty, all-things-being-equal, I can only go by the "11" children as listed as credited to gg-grandmother Margaret (née Doherty) Doherty in the 1900 US Census.

According to the 1900 US Census taken in Wilmington, it enumerated and noted that great-grandmother Margaret Dougherty (aka Doherty) had had 11 children. At the point of time when the 1900 US Census was taken, on 2nd of June 1900, six of her children were still living and they were listed as: "Gerrold, Margaret, Fannie, Mary, Lizzie, and Katie".

1900 US Federal Census, Delaware, New Castle County,
Wilmington Hundred, Wilmington City, 2 June 1900.

I am almost convinced that great-grandaunt Greta was great-grandaunt Margaret.

And here is my logic... 1. Greta is NOT listed in the 1900 US Census.

2. Margaret is listed in the 1900 US Census. Her birth month and year are listed as December 1869, and her age is given at 30 years.

3. Greta is a diminutive form of Margaret, of which Greta is a nickname.

4. Greta's 2nd November 1950 Death Certificate has her birth date, as informed by her sister Catherine Doherty, as December 23, 1871. There is a possibility that great-grandaunt Catherine may not have provided the exact day and year of great-grandaunt Greta (née Margaret)'s birth date.

5. Margaret's Baptism Registration from St. Peter's Register of Baptisms records her birth data as 22 December 1869.

6. The family moved from St. Peter's to St. Paul's just after St. Paul's was established in 1869. St. Paul's was established on around 20 December 1869.

All-things-being-equal, and of course this could change, I would tend to believe, based on the above logic, that Greta was actually Margaret.

I have been examining available documentation that is uniquely different, available for Greta versus Margaret. And as I note that if Greta is Margaret, which is highly likely, then there should be another child, an additional one to make the total 11.

As things went, it would appear that whoever provided the information to the enumerator when he (or she) knocked at the door in June of 1900, s/he, the Doherty providing the information, may have had first-hand knowledge of the existence of 11 children. There were 7 persons listed as living at the house: gg-grandmother Margaret; her six living children, and grandfather Gerald. If the enumerator came during the day to take the Census information I would presume the majority of the six were more than likely at work and grandfather Gerald may have been at school as he would have been about 6 or 7 years old. There is a great possibility that it was gg-grandmother Margaret who may have provided the enumerator with the information.

All-things-being-equal, I would tend to believe that great-grandaunt Frances may have been the "Fannie Annie" who listed in the St, Peter’s Register of Baptisms. It is too coincidental regarding the dates and the fact that, and I believe, she was known as "Aunt Fannie". Fannie is a definitive diminutive of the name Frances. I just think it may have been a case of the Priest getting his bookkeeping done and in the process he may have put down what he "remembered".

This is sort of the same situation as the Greta versus Margaret and the Doherty versus Dougherty spelling issues. Note also that the enumerator listed both great-grandfather and grandfather as "Gerrod" versus their correct names "Gerald".

When it comes to research I have found three things that are usually all over the place - spellings of names, dates of birth, and years of immigration. Putting everything in place, I usually accept all names as I see them. I enter the first found occurrence of a name on the first document I come across into my genealogy database. As I find subsequent spellings and iterations of the name I add them to my database in the section "Also known as".

And now, if great-grandaunt Greta is great-grandaunt Margaret then I am still searching for the 11th Doherty sibling. Who knows whom I may find?

Stay tuned and enjoy,

Jim

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Part 702d – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – 1861 Death – GG-Granduncle Bernerd Doherty – Wilmington, Delaware

Good Day,

One never knows what surprises lurk around each corner of this genealogy thing. All I can say is that  I am not pressing any leaves and getting an immediate revelation.

Genealogy does take time to search, research, investigate, read, understand, and formulate the mire of intricate relationships that are revealed and unearthed from discovered data and information. I believe that this is the intriguing and inspiring part of genealogy on which I tend to thrive.

Most recently I came across and discovered the 6 November 1861 Death Return of one Bernerd Doherty. Apart from the tragedy of being taken at 23 years of age by Consumption, Tuberculosis, this new document is a definite helping key to the re-creation of the Doherty Family Line.

Source Citation - "Delaware, Death Records, 1855-1955," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FNG1-X5L : accessed 1 June 2012), Bernerd Doherty, 1861.

This 1861 Death Return has three key elements that are critical to the Doherty Family Line and Ancestry. These are:

1. Bernerd’s surname is written "Doherty",

2. Bernerd lived on Madison Street in Wilmington, and

3. Bernerd’s parents were Gerrett and Ellen Doherty.

From gg-grandmother Margaret (née Doherty) Doherty's 30 December 1919 Certificate of Death we learned that her parents were ggg-grandparents Gerald and Ellen (née McGuiness) Doherty. (See Part 663d.) All-things-being-equal ggg-grandparents Gerald and Ellen it seems more than likely that ggg-grandparents Gerald and Ellen could be the same persons as Gerrett and Ellen Doherty, the parents of Bernerd Doherty.

On this supposition, Bernerd Doherty would have been gg-grandmother Margaret (née Doherty) Doherty’s brother. He would have been Andy’s gg-granduncle Bernerd. I would be inclined, but I do not have any documentary proof at this junction, that his name could have also been spelled Bernard.

As gg-grandmother Margaret passed away, as written on her 1919 Certificate of Death, at the age of 80 years, it could be calculated that she was born about 1839. GG-Granduncle Bernerd, based on his death on 6 November 1861 and that he was 23 years old, was born about 1838. He would have been gg-grandmother Margaret’s elder brother by approximately one year.

Another key factor from gg-granduncle Bernerd’s Death Return is that his Residence is listed at “Madison St.” This is the same street where gg-grandparents Philip and Margaret Doherty lived with their family in 1880. GG-Grandfather Philip is listed in the 1874 Wilmington City Directory living at 731 Madison Street. Both GG-Grandfather Philip and the single Fannie Doherty (Part 696d) passed away at 731 Madison Street in 1897 and 1895, respectively.

The Residence fact, tied in with the above arguments, and that gg-granduncle Bernerd’s surname on the 1861 Death Return is “Doherty”, corresponds to the surname of Doherty of the 1863 Marriage Registration of gg-grandfather Philip Doherty and gg-grandmother Margaret Doherty. (See Part 674d.) This provides additional corroborating proof and evidence that the spelling of Doherty, at least as far back as 1838, was/is the approach to spell the surname.

But I do continue to have a puzzler.  Who actually was Fannie Doherty, who lived at 731 Madison Street, and passed away there on 24 May 1895? And I'll keep looking.

Any questions, thoughts, ideas, and comments, please contact me. Also stay tuned… more definitely to come.

Enjoy,

Jim

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