Cousin Meet-Up

This weekend, I was at Spencer, Indiana in Owen County for a Patriot Grave Marking with the SAR.

I'd reached out beforehand to my cousin, Shelby, to see if we could meet in person for the first time.  We have been corresponding through email and Facebook for awhile.

At the local McDonald's we were finally able to meet in person.

Shelby is my maternal 3rd cousin 1 generation removed.  Our common ancestor was Ida Davis (1874-1900).  Shelby descends from Ida's daughter Pansy, and I descend from daughter June.

It was nice to meet her in person and share some updates to research.  Additionally, since she now lives in the area where our common ancestors were from, she might be able to help with some on-site research.

Our common ancestral surnames : Gilliland, Davis, Reynolds, Putman, Swafford, Crockett, and Nosler - just to name a few.

An Interesting Cluster of DNA Matches

For years, I've wanted to solve the mystery of who my great-grandmother June's father was - ever since my grandmother first told me the story of how her mother was an orphaned child.  This blog even has a section dedicated to the mystery of Ida Davis and her children's parentage. 

As the above graphic indicates, June's mother was Ida Davis (1874-1900).  By the time Ida passed at age 26, she had two daughters : Pansy and June.  June was my great-grandmother.  Both of these girls were raised by their grandmother, Mary Ellen (Swafford) Davis Gilliland (1854-193) and her 2nd husband, Robert F. Gilliland.  Both girls used the Gilliland surname.

While I continue to search for paper records to document clues as to June's father, when autosomal DNA testing came on the scene I had renewed hope that a nearly 120 year-old mystery might be able to be solved.  I've tested myself and my mother at all the major DNA databases, hoping to utilize the tools to find a connection.

Utilizing the Shared Matching tools at AncestryDNA, I was able to sort my mother's matches with her male cousin "L" on her mother's side.   Because mom and "L" share grandparents, all of their shared matches have to be on either through the genetic upline of either Clemon Lambertson or June Gilliland.  Because I have a rather robust tree, I was able to look at their shared matches and identify several right away and group them into clusters.

The shared matches that I couldn't identify became the ones that I looked more closely at.  One match in particular (M.W.) shared by my mom and Cousin L shares 168cm across 8 segments with mom.  AncestryDNA predicts her in the 3rd-4th cousin range.  Looking at the matches shared with mom and M.W. were many names that were unidentifable.

I began working on building out Quick & Dirty Trees for each of these matches, hoping to find commonality.  Many of these matches only had one or two names in their tree, others were a bit more detailed.  I have scoured them looking for clues in common places and names, hoping to tie them together.  Eventually I was able to tie a couple of them together with common ancestry.

In addition, mom has tested at 23andMe and I was able to find a couple of matches there who also tie into the family tree of the matches at Ancestry.  These matches are distant cousins to each other, but did not know of their connections.

At AncestryDNA, matches M.W., K.H., P.B, and A.S. appear to tie into common ancestry through James Wesley Harris (1862-1926) and Laura Alice Livingston (1860-1942) of Monroe County, Indiana.  Additionally, at 23andMe, matches T.F., K.S. & K.A. also have common ancestry to this couple.

Additional matches at Ancestry further up the line from Harris-Livingston connection include the Vint and Stine families, all of whom have Monroe County, Indiana connections - right in the hotbed of where June's family was living.  I have identified additional matches of mom from these lines on both the Stine and the Vint families.  In the Q&D tree of James Wesley Harris, his mother, Martha Ellen Vint (1840-1918) was the daughter of Wiliam Henry Vint & Sarah Stine.

Recently I was able to have additional cousins test who descend from Clemon and June at AncestryDNA.  They also share common DNA with this cluster of matches.  Cousin A and Cousin B are both my 2nd cousins.

If my Q&D trees are correct, M.W. and K.H. are sisters and P.B. is their 1st cousin. A.S. is the nephew of P.B.  From 23andMe, T.F. is a 2nd cousin to M.W., K.H. & P.B.  K.S. is the son of T.F, and K.A. would be 1st cousin twice removed.

I have worked this tree out using the WATO tool at DNA Painter, trying to figure out a hypothesis.  I need more data, and will be reaching out to other descendants, including those who descend from June's sister, Pansy, to see if we can make the connections work.

While I don't have access to mom's Cousin L's matches to these individuals, I am encouraged by the amount of DNA shared and continue to work the Q&D Tree for more clues to tie in additional matches.  Eventually I will solve the mystery of June's ancestry.

Research Trip to Monroe County, Indiana

Last August, I headed down to the Bloomington area to do research at the Monroe County History Center. I would highly recommend visiting or utilizing this research facility if you have Monroe County, Indiana roots.

I had previously written to the History Center in the past, and they had been very accomodating in regards to providing documents relating to family history.  In preparation for this trip, I had let them know ahead of time that I wanted to look at the following probate records:

*P 101 5 Davis, James Guardianship 1879

*P 102 2 Davis, James Insane 1880

*P 84 5 Davis, James Heirs 1880

*P 87 7 Davis, James Estate 1880

*P 90 4 Davis, James Estate 1880

*P 92 8 Davis, James Estate 1881

*P 93 4 Davis, James Estate 1879 

 *P 236 6 Gilliland, Robert Estate 1916

I was curious if the James Davis listed in these estate records would tie into my Davis family in Monroe County.  Ida Davis' father was James Austin Davis (1850-1909) who was listed as being an inmate in the Owen County, Indiana asylumn in 1880.  Since the Davis family was back and forth between Owen and Monroe Counties, I hoped that the estate records might somehow be related to his condition and guardianship.  The Robert Gilliland estate I was interested in because Robert was the stepfather of Ida Davis.

When I arrived, the museum staff had the records pulled and they were ready for me to look at.  Unfortunately, the James Davis in these estate records was not related to my Davis family at all.  So that was a bust.  

However, the Robert Gilliland estate record was an interesting find.  He died with an estate worth less than $500 in 1916.  Back in 1989, I had written to the Monroe County Clerk's office regarding whether or not they had a will on file for Robert.  The response was that they did not.  Had I been a little wiser in my genealogy research, I would have thought to check for a probate file - which I'm now glad that I have.  Lesson is to always be thinking of additional sources of information and never giving up.  I expect to do a future blog post on the estate of Robert Gilliland.

At the History Center, I was able to then begin searching for other family records that might be relevant to the family, and I was able to get copies made of several land records that I will explore in future posts.

One item of interest was a copy of the marriage license of my great-grandparents, Clemon Beals Lambertson and June Gilliland, which I didn't previously have a copy of.

There was also a photo album of related families where I located a photograph of Everett Gilliland, who would be June's half-brother.

After spending several hours at the museum making copies of land records for future examination, I decided to head over to Elletsville and visit the cemetery where June's mother, Ida, and her grandparents were buried.  It had been probably twenty years since I had been over that way.

The Methodist Cemetery in Elletsville isn't hard to find, in a pretty nice area and was easy to walk around.  I went around and took pictures of known ancestors and any one who had names that looked familiar for further research.

Above is the stone for Robert Gilliland and his second wife, Mary Ellen (Swafford) Gilliland.  Mary was my 3rd-great grandmother.  Her daughter, Ida Davis, is part of my biggest family mystery.  Ida's death certificate indicates that she is also buried in this cemetery, likely near this marker, though there is no stone for her.  The two infants stones in front of Robert & Mary's stone are for Robert & Mary's grandchildren : William Dorris Gilliland (1912-1914), son of William Everett & Maude (Arthur) Gilliland and William Harrell Gilliland (1928-1928), son of William Everett & Florence (Arthur) Gilliland.

Somewhere in this plot is where I believe that Ida is buried.  Logically, since she was 26 at the time, and this is a family plot, she should be here.  But why no stone?  Likely due to cost.  I have tried to obtain records of burials at the cemetery, but no such luck.

As I left, I couldn't help but wonder if my 3rd-great grandmother's spirit wasn't guiding me in some manner, since it turned out the date of my trip to visit her grave was on her birthday.

Meeting Cousin Judy

Back in April, I had the opportunity to hear Blaine Bettinger speak at the Indiana Genealogical Society annual conference in Fort Wayne.  The talks on DNA and utilizing AncestryDNA to the fullest has inspired me to take an additional look at the matches on my mom's side in an attempt to solve the mystery of my maternal great-great grandfather.  

While at the conference, I was able to connect with my cousin and fellow researcher, Judy Hill.  Judy and I have been corresponding since around 1983 about the family history, and it was nice to finally meet in person.  She and I share a common ancestor in Mary Ellen Swafford (1854-1932).  Judy is my 2nd cousin twice removed, her grandmother was the half-sister to my great-grandmother.  Judy has done genealogy and DNA research for several years, recently helping as a search angel for solving DNA mysteries.  Hopefully, we can work together and she can give me some pointers on solving my mystery ancestor.

Cousin Judy Hill and me, IGS Conference, 2019

Excuse the sunburn in the photo, I had just returned the night before from a week in Florida.  Made the mistake of getting too much sun the first day at the beach. Somehow this year has seemed to just fly by, it's hard to believe it's Memorial Day weekend already. 

At the conference, I learned some valuable tips for researching my DNA matches - and a door prize - 6 months of Ancestry World subscription.  I never win door prizes, maybe this was a good sign.

Am I Really Irish?

While celebrating St. Patrick's Day yesterday at work by dressing up all in green, I was asked if I was Irish, as LeMaster didn't strike a co-worker as a particularly Irish name.  I've been working on my genealogy off and on for years, and have identified a few Irish ancestors - though some were actually Scots-Irish.

My DNA results for ethnicity from Ancestry did show 17% Irish.  

Irish Ancestors :

[unknown] Gary : My paternal 4th-great grandfather, an as yet unknown man, was reported as being born in Ireland by my 3rd-great grandmother on the 1880 census.  Rachel Gary was born March 25, 1816 in Fairfield County, Ohio.  This is the only paternal Irish line that I'm aware of at the moment.

Martha McPheeters : Martha was my maternal 7th-great grandmother, the daughter of William McPheeters and Rebecca Thompson.  Martha was born in Ireland. She married Samuel Downey in Pennsylvania and died 1801 in Clark County, Kentucky. She was the mother of at least ten children: Ann, Betsey, Isabella, Margaret, Martha, Rebecca, Samuel, William, Mary and Janet.

Peter Swafford : Peter was my maternal 7th-great grandfather.  According to my database he was born circa 1740 in Dublin, Ireland and died in Greenville, South Carolina.  He married Rennie Howard and was the father of eight children.

Rennie Howard : Rennie was my maternal 7th-great grandmother, the wife of Peter Swafford.  According to my database, she was born circa 1745 in Dublin, Ireland and died in South Carolina.  She was the mother of eight children: Jacob, Isaac, William, Paul, Abraham, Aaron, John and Thomas.

Elizabeth Hedge : Elizabeth was my maternal 7th-great grandmother, the wife of David Crockett.  According to my database, she was born 1730 in Ireland and died August 1777 in Hawkins County, North Carolina.  She was the mother of at least three children: William, John and Alexander.

William Wardlaw : William was my maternal 7th-great grandfather, the son of Robert Wardlaw.  According to my database, he was born circa 1700 in either Scotland or Ireland.  He married Jane Harper and died in 1762 in Augusta County, Virginia.  He was the father of seven children : James, John, Hugh, Joseph, Robert, William and Margaret.

Joshua Hadley : Joshua was my maternal 8th-great grandfather, the son of Simon and Ruth Hadley.  Joshua was born March 6, 1703 in Kings County, Ireland.  He married Patience Brown in 1735 and died after 1760 in Cane Creek, North Carolina.  He was the father of nine children: Mary, Jeremiah, Joshua, Joseph, Deborah, Hannah, Catherine, Lydia and Simon.

William Millikan : William was my maternal 8th-great grandfather.  According to my database, he was born circa 1720 in Ireland.  He married in 1740 Chester County, Pennsylvania to Jane White.  He was the father of ten children: Abigail, Sarah, David, Mary, William, Benjamin, Hannah, Alexander, Martha and Samuel.

William McPheeters : William was my maternal 8th-great grandfather.  According to my database, he was born between 1687 and 1691 in Ireland and died in 1773 in Augusta County, Virginia.  He married Rebecca Thompson and was the father of eight children: Martha, Anne, Mary, John, David, Janett, Samuel and William.

Willam McPheeters : William was my maternal 9th-great grandfather.  He was born circa 1662 in Scotland.  He married Janet McClellan and died circa 1699 in Ireland.  

Simon Hadley : Simon was my maternal 9th-great grandfather, the son of Simon Hadley.  According to my database, Simon was born 1677 in Ireland and died 1756 in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  He was married to Ruth [surname unknown] and the father of eight children.

Ruth [surname unknown]: Ruth was my maternal 9th-great grandmother, the wife of Simon Hadley.  According to my database, she was born in 1677 in Ireland and died December 8, 1750 in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  She was the mother of eight children : Joseph, Deborah, Joshua, Simon, Hannah, Ruth, Catherine and Ann.

John Allen : John was my maternal 9th-great grandfather, the son of John Allen.  According to my database, John was born August 3, 1694 in Ireland.  He married Amy Cox in March 1719 in Chester County, Pennsylvania and died September 16, 1771 in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  He was the father of nine children : John, Rebecca, Amy, Elizabeth, William, Joseph, Mary, Phebe and Benjamin.

Simon Hadley : Simon was my maternal 10th-great grandfather.  According to my database, he was born 1640 in Ireland and died circa 1711.  He married Katherine Talbot and was the father of at least four children : John, Elizabeth, Jane and Simon.

Thomas Dixon : Thomas was my maternal 10th-great grandfather, the husband of Rose.  All I have in my database is that he was born before 1635 in Ireland and died after 1680 in New Castle County, Delaware. 

Rose [unknown surname] : Rose was my maternal 10th-great grandmother, the wife of Thomas Dixon.  All I have in my database is that she was born before 1641 in Ireland and died after 1671 in Delaware.  She was the mother of at least three children: William, Dinah and Rose.

Looking over these names, I realize I have a lot more research to do on these lines to fill in the gaps in the research.

Grover C. Ault household, 1940, Bledsoe County, Tennessee

Located the 1940 census record of the Grover C. Ault household in Bledsoe County, Tennessee.  Grover's wife, Ada, was my maternal 4th cousin 4 times removed.  Our common ancestors were Peter Swafford and Rennie Howard.  Ada's parents were Aaron Swafford and Nancy Alice Patton.

1940 U.S. Census, Bledsoe County, Tennessee, population schedule, 3rd District, enumeration district (ED) 4-7, SD 3, sheet 16B, household 253, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 January 2017); National Archives, Washingon D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, Grover and his wife were living in the 3rd District.  The census states that Grover owned his home and the value was $1000 and that he lived on a farm.  Grover was 47 years old and born in Tennessee.  His wife, Ada, was 41 years old and also born in Tennessee.  In 1935, their residence was the same place.

The record shows that Grover had completed 1 year of college and that Ada had completed 3 years of high school.  Grover's occupation was listed as operator of a general store, and Ada didn't have an occupation listed.

Also living in the household were son Wiley, age 21, born in Tennessee who had completed 2 years of college; son Windell, age 18, born in Tennessee who had completed 3 years of high school; and daughter Katherine, age 15, born in Tennessee who had completed 2 years of high school.

According to my database, there was a son Paul, who was not listed with the family in 1940 and another son, Jamie, who had died in 1939.

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

William Gilliland household, 1940, Monroe County, Indiana

Located the 1940 census record of the William Gilliland household in Monroe County, Indiana.  William was my maternal 2nd great granduncle.  Our common ancestor is Mary Ellen Swafford.  William's parents were Robert Farrell Gilliland and Mary Ellen Swafford.

1940 U.S. census, Monroe County, Indiana, population schedule, Bloomington Township, enumeration district (ED) 53-20, SD 7, sheet 4A, household 424, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 January 2017); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

At the time of the enumeration, William and his wife were living in Bloomington Township.  The census states that William owned his home and the value was $2500 and he lived on a farm.  William was 54 years old and born in Indiana.  His wife, Florence, was 42 years old and also born in Indiana.  In 1935, their residence was the same place.

The record shows that William had completed the 8th grade and that Florence had also completed the 8th grade. Roy's occupation was listed as a farmer, while Florence didn't have an occupation listed.

Also listed in the household were son Cleo, age 15, born in Indiana, who had completed the 8th grade; and son Darrel, age 12, born in Indiana, who had completed the 5th grade.

William's children from his first marriage were already out on their own by the 1940 census.  

If you have any additional information or are connected to this family, I'd love to hear from you.

Obituary : Mrs. Thomas Crane, Bloomington Telephone, May 7, 1924

Thanks to the folks at the Monroe County, Indiana Public Library, I was able to obtain a copy of the obituary of my maternal 3great-grandaunt, Mary Florence (Gilliland) Crane (1887-1924).  The obituary appeared in the May 7, 1924 edition of the Telephone in Bloomington, Indiana.

DEATH OF MRS. THOS. CRANE

Mrs. Thomas Crane, at Unionville, died Tuesday afternoon of uremic poisoning after being sick 3 weeks, age 37.  The husband and six children survive, including an infant.  She was a member of the Baptist church and the daughter of Mary Gililan and sister of Mrs. Daniel Stevens of this city.

Funeral Thursday at 10 o'clock at Baptist church of Unionville and burial at Payne cemetery.

There were a couple of spelling errors on the names - her mother's name was Mary Ellen (Swafford) Gilliland and her half sister's name (Delia) was Mrs. Daniel Stivers.  Curiously, her brother William Everett Gilliland was not mentioned in this obituary.

Shaky Leaves: Death of Peter Swafford, 1885, Owen County, Indiana

Found additional information at Ancestry regarding Peter Swafford, my maternal 4th great-grandfather and his date of death.  According to the WPA index, his death occurred at age 58 on August 18, 1885 in Spencer, Owen County, Indiana.

Name:	Peter Swaffar
Date:	18 Aug 1885
Location:	Spencer
Age:	58 Yr
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Source Location:	County Health Office, Spencer
Source notes:	The source of this record is the book H-12 on page 70 within the series produced by the Indiana Works Progress Administration.

I would almost bet that I already had this information, but for some reason it wasn't in my database. I find it strange that his death occurred in mid-August and yet it took until the first week of September for any mention of his death in Bloomington paper.  Perhaps there was a Spencer newspaper that would have more information.  Now that I have his exact date of death, I can seek this out.

The spelling of the surname also gives me an indication of how the name was pronounced, likely without a hard 'd' at the end.

Obituary : Peter Swafford, September 9, 1885, Republican Progress, Bloomington, Indiana

Thanks to the folks at the Monroe County, Indiana Public Library, I was able to obtain a copy of the obituary of my maternal 4th-great grandfather, Peter Kirkpatrick Swafford (1827-1885).  The obituary appeared in the September 9, 1885 edition of the Republican Progress in Bloomington, Indiana.

Peter Swafford, who lived on the hill (at Spencer) near Henry Keenes, died one day last week and was taken to Monroe county near Stinesville for burial.

That's not much of an obituary, but it does let me know that he was buried near Stinesville in Monroe County, even though he died in Owen County.  I have not yet located his burial location.

Peter was born June 12, 1827 in Mississippi and married April 3, 1853 in Owen County, Indiana to Mary Ann Crockett (1835-1865).  

Monroe County Indiana Library's Obituary Index

Found out that the Monroe County, Indiana Public Library has a really good obituary index site at http://mcpl.info/indiana/monroe-county-obituary-index .  You can search for the obituaries of your relatives, and then have them sent to you either through the US Mail or scanned as a PDF.

Using Paypal, I ordered my first obituary from this index and look forward to seeing what the paper had to say about my maternal 4th great grandfather, Peter Kirkpatrick Swafford (d. 1885).  His obituary was in the September 9, 1885 edition of the Republican Progress.

Their search index is very easy to use.  If you have ancestors in that area, I would check it out.  I even found an obituary for my great-grandmother, who didn't live there, but had family still there when she died.  

Triangulation

Made a connection with my first good case of triangulation on chromosome 15 today.  Contacted a recent match at 23andMe (Robert) and began looking at the possibilities.  What I discovered was that we matched at the same point as a known relative - and therefore we have triangulation!

Robert matches both me and my mother at the same location on chromosome 15.  23andMe rounds the start and end points to be as follows: for both my mother and me, the shared start point is 81000000, for me the end point is 89000000 and for my mother the end point is 90000000.  Not much of a difference, but Robert shares a slightly longer segment of DNA with my mother (10.4 cM) than with me (9.3 cM).

23andMe Segment matches with Robert, I'm green, mom's is blue

Robert also has his results uploaded at GEDMatch, and I was able to confirm the results, the start and end locations for matches with me are as follows:

Robert's results for the start and end location of the match with mom was nearly the same :

But what really got me excited was Robert's match with a known relative on my mother's side, Mildred.  The results for Robert's match with Mildred :

Mildred is my maternal 1st cousin 3 times removed.  Her grandmother was the half-sister of my 2nd-great grandmother, Ida Davis.  The common ancestor between Mildred and myself is Mary Ellen Swafford (1854-1932).

This is how I match with Mildred (note chromosome 15) :

My mother matches Mildred even more (note chromosome 15) :

Because Robert matches on the exact same chromosome in the exact same location to not only me, my mother and Mildred, we have triangulation on this spot, indicating that the match is Identical by Descent, rather than Identical by Segment.  Anyone that matches all of us at this same chromosome and segment must be related through the same line.  Because the common ancestry between myself and Mildred is Mary Ellen Swafford, so the DNA either came from her or one of her ancestors.

Robert is predicted by 23andMe to be a 3rd to distant cousin.  We share just one segment and 0.13% of our DNA.  GEDMatch predicted that the estimated number of generations to the MRCA is 5.2 generations.

One of the surname's in Robert's ancestry is Thacker, and there is a Thacker-Swafford connection, but in the correspondence so far, the names do not match up.  Robert's tree is just getting started, and I hope that by sending my contact an outline of Swafford ancestry we can find a common name. My thought is that the connection is further up line from Mary Ellen Swafford.  She has several female ancestors with unknown maiden names.


The DNA game is an exciting one to play around in, and I appreciate any suggestions or tips.

Marriage Record: Robert F. Gilliland to Mary Davis, Owen County, Indiana, 1884

"Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXFV-S4Q : accessed 15 August 2015), Robert Gilliland and Mary Davis, 15 Nov 1884; citing Owen, Indiana, United States, county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm .

Located the marriage record of my maternal 3rd-great grandmother, Mary Ellen (Swafford) Davis to her second husband, Robert F. Gilliland in Owen County, Indiana while searching at FamilySearch.  Prior to this find, I had thought they were married in neighboring Monroe County.

Mary was the daughter of Peter Kirkpatrick and Mary Ann (Crockett) Swafford.  Robert was the son of William John and Margaret Ann (Wilson) Gilliland.  Both had been previously married.  Robert was previously married to Sarah Kellar in 1879 in Monroe County, Indiana.  Mary was previously married to James Austin Davis in 1873 in Monroe County, Indiana.  Both of these earlier marriages ended in divorce, though I've not yet discovered the records.

I'm not aware of any children that Robert had with Sarah Kellar, but Mary and James Austin Davis had two daughters, Ida (b. 1874) and Delia (b.1877).  Together, Robert and Mary had two children, William Everett Gillilland (b. 1885) and Mary Florence Gilliland (b. 1887).

Later, Robert and Mary helped raise the orphaned daughters of Ida, Pansy and June (my great-grandmother).

Census Sunday : Albert F. Adams household, 1940, Monroe County, Indiana

My maternal 1st cousin 3 times removed, Gladys Marie (Gilliland) Adams, was enumerated in the 1940 census of Washington Township, Monroe County, Indiana in her husband, Albert's household.  

1940 U.S. census, Monroe County, Indiana, population schedule, Washington Township, enumeration district (ED) 53-52, SD 7, sheet 8B, dwelling 164, ; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 July 2015); National Archives, Washington, D.C..

The family consisted of Albert F., age 40, Gladys M., age 31, and children Wilma, age 14, Eugene, age 12, Colleen, age 8, and Loyd, age 6.  All were born in Indiana.  Albert's occupation was listed as a grader of roads.  Perhaps he worked for the local highway department.  All of the children had attended school within the year and their residence in 1935 was the same location.  Gladys had completed one year of high school, while Albert had completed the 8th grade.

Prior to this find, I didn't have the names of the children in the family, other than Lloyd.  Lloyd and I have corresponded, and he supplied me with many fantastic family photos of my Gilliland relatives.

Gladys was the daughter of William Everett Gilliland and Maude Arthur.  Our common ancestor is Mary Ellen Swafford,

Census Sunday is a daily blogging prompt used by many genealogy bloggers to help them post content on their sites.

State & Federal census sheets are filled with information for genealogists. Both the population & non-population schedules give us insights into the lives of our ancestors. What have you found that is Surprising? Reassuring? Bewildering? Census Sunday is a daily blogging prompt suggested by Colleen Pasquale of Leaves and Branches.

Exploratory Data Analysis : James Austin Davis (c1850-1909)

James Austin Davis (c1850-1909) was my maternal 3rd-great grandfather.  What follows is an exploratory analysis of the biographical data I have discovered about him.

1. Vital Records

     1.1. Birth Certificate

          James was born circa 1850 in Indiana, according to census records^1,2, although it was also reported as 1851³ or 1852⁴.

          1.1.1. Birth Notice in Newspaper

               If James' birth was recorded in a newspaper, I've not located it yet.  Will need to check with local libraries and state archives to see if they have any newspapers from the time period.

          1.1.2. Bible Record

               I'm not aware of any surviving Davis family Bible that might record his birth.  Will continue to reach out to  family members in the hopes that one can be located.

          1.1.3. Baptismal Record

               I do not know of the church affiliation of the Davis family.

          1.1.4. Adoption Record

               There is no indication that James was adopted.

     1.2. Marriage License

          James married Mary Ellen Swafford on July 3, 1873 in Monroe County, Indiana⁵.  Mary Ellen was born August 30, 1854 in Monroe County, Indiana. They had two children and apparently were divorced before 1880.  Mary Ellen died January 28, 1932 in Monroe County, Indiana.

          1.2.1 Marriage Notice in Newspaper

               Will need to search contemporary newspaper accounts to see if mention was made of James and Mary's wedding.

          1.2.2. Anniversary Notice

               James and Mary's marriage lasted less than 10 years.

          1.2.3. Divorce Decree

               Need to search court records in either Monroe County, Indiana or Owen County, Indiana for divorce record of James and Mary.  By the 1880 census, Austin was no longer living with the family, and Mary was remarried in November of 1884.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

     1.3. Death Certificate

          James died June 12, 1909 in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana.  I thought I had a copy of his death certificate, but apparently have not sourced it in my database.  Will need to add this to my "to-do" list for my next research trip.

          1.3.1. Obituary in Newspaper

               Will need to search contemporary newspaper records to see if mention was made of James' death.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.2. Funeral Home Records

               Somewhere in my files I have the records of the funeral home who handled James' body after his death.  I thought I had sourced that data in my files, but apparently I have not. Will add this to my list of "to-do" items.

          1.3.3. Tombstone Photograph

               There is no tombstone for James. His body was sent to the Indianapolis Anatomical Board. A memorial page has been set up at the FindAGrave website and can be seen here.

2. Census Records

     2.1. Federal Census Records

          2.1.1. 1900 Federal Census

               On June 2, 1900, James was enumerated in Cass County, Indiana at the Northern Indiana Hospital for the Insane³, as James A. Davis, inmate, born 1851 in Indiana.

          2.1.2. 1880 Federal Census

               On June 3, 1880, James was enumerated in Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana², as Austin Davis, age 30, inmate, insane, born Indiana.  He could not read or write and had no occupation.  He was a resident at the Owen County Assylum.

          2.1.3. 1870 Federal Census

               On August 22, 1870, James was enumerated in the Lewis Walden household Stinesville, Monroe County, Indiana⁴, as Austin Davis, age 18, born in Indiana.  His occupation was listed as hired labor.
          2.1.4. 1860 Federal Census

               On June 18, 1860, James was enumerated in the Joseph Langwell household in Washington Township, Monroe County, Indiana¹, as James A. Davis, age 10, born in Indiana.

     2.2. State Census Records

          The State of Indiana conducted state census in 1853, 1857, 1871, 1877, 1883, 1889, 1901, 1913, 1919 and 1931.  These, however, were merely for the purposes of legislative apportionment.

     2.3. Agricultural Census Records

          I have not yet examined these types of census records to see what light they might shed on the Davis family.

3. Military Records

     3.1. Draft Registration

          No draft records have been located for James.

     3.2. Pension Records

          I am not aware of any military service by James or his father that would make him eligible to receive military pension benefits.

     3.3. Service Records

          No service records have been located for James.  He was too young for the Civil War, and by the Spanish-American War was in an asylum.

4. Land Records

     4.1. Deed Records

          Deed records need to be thoroughly searched in Owen and Monroe Counties, Indiana to see what records might mention James.  Will add this to my "to-do" list for my next research trip.

     4.2. Plat map / county map

          Plat maps of Owen and Monroe Counties, Indiana will need to be searched to see what information might be relevant to my search for James.

5. Supplemental Records

     Supplemental records available for research on James include city/county directories, court records and will and probate records.  Will add these to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

Sources :

1. Joseph Langwell household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Washington Township, Monroe County, Indiana, page 14, dwelling 46, family 46; National Archives micropublication M653, roll 282, page 687.
2. Owen County Assylum, 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana, ED 259, SD 4, dwelling 28, family 28; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 303.
3. Northern Indiana Hospital for the Insane, 1900 U.S. census, Cass County, Indiana, population schedule, Clinton Township, ED 131, SD 11, sheet 3; National Archives micropublication T623, roll 362.
4. Lewis Walden household, 1870 U.S. census, Monroe County, Indiana, population schedule, Bean Blossom Township, page 1, dweling 1, family 1; National Archives micropublication M593, roll 344.
5. Monroe County, Indiana Marriage Records, Book 5, page 442.


This post was developed as part of the series relating to Building My 2011 Research Template, an attempt to systematically document and source the details of my ancestors' lives. Comments regarding this template and the conclusions drawn in this article are welcomed.

Exploratory Data Analysis : Mary Ellen (Swafford) Davis Gilliland (1854-1932)

Mary Ellen (Swafford) Davis Gilliland (1854-1932) was my maternal 3rd-great grandmother.  What follows is an exploratory analysis of the biographical data I have discovered about her.


1. Vital Records

     1.1. Birth Certificate

            Mary Ellen was born August 30, 1854 near Stinesville, Monroe County, Indiana.  The 1900 census lists her birth as August 1854 in Indiana¹.  The State of Indiana did not require birth certificates until 1907.

          1.1.1. Birth Notice in Newspaper

                If Mary Ellen's birth has been recorded in a newspaper, I have not yet located it.  Will need to check with local libraries and state archives to see if they have newspapers from the time period.

          1.1.2. Bible Record

               I am not aware of a Swafford family Bible might record her birth.  Will continue to reach out to extended family members in hopes that one can be located.

          1.1.3. Baptismal Record

               I do not know of the church affiliation of the Swafford family.

          1.1.4. Adoption Record

               There is no indication that Mary Ellen was adopted.

     1.2. Marriage License 

          Mary Ellen married James Austin Davis on July 3, 1873 in Monroe County, Indiana².  James was born circa 1850 in Indiana.  They had two children.  They apparently divorced before 1880.  James died June 12, 1909 in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana.

          Mary married Robert Farrell Gilliland on November 15, 1884 in Monroe County, Indiana.  Robert was born November 27, 1849 in Pulaski County, Kentucky.  They raised two children in Monroe County, Indiana.  Robert died August 4, 1916 in Whitehall, Owen County, Indiana.  I need to obtain a copy of their marriage license.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.2.1 Marriage Notice in Newspaper

               Will need to search contemporary newspaper accounts to see if mention is made of either of Mary's marriages.

          1.2.2. Anniversary Notice

               Mary Ellen and Robert's 25th wedding anniversary would have been November 15, 1909.  Will need to search contemporary newspaper accounts to see if any mention was made of any anniversary celebrations.

          1.2.3. Divorce Decree

               Will need to search court records in Owen County, Indiana to see if a record can be located relating to Mary Ellen and Austin Davis' divorce.  In the 1880 census of Owen County,  Mary Ellen was living back with her father, and Austin was a resident of the county asylum. 

     1.3. Death Certificate

          Mary Ellen died January 28, 1932 near Dolan, Monroe County, Indiana.  The cause of her death was uremic poisoning.  I do not yet have a copy of her death certificate.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.1. Obituary in Newspaper

                Will need to search contemporary newspaper account to see if Mary's death was mentioned.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.2. Funeral Home Records

                Will need to search the local historical society to see if they have copies of funeral home records to see if I can learn anything about the arrangements for Mary.  Will add this to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

          1.3.3. Tombstone Photograph

               Mary Ellen's tombstone in Methodist Cemetery in Ellettsville, Monroe County, Indiana has been photographed³.  A link to her memorial page at FindAGrave is located here.

2. Census Records

     2.1. Federal Census Records

          2.1.1. 1930 Federal Census

                On April 28, 1930, Mary Ellen was enumerated in the Peter W. Decker household in Montgomery County, Indiana³, as Mary Gilliland, grandmother, female, age 75, widow.  She was born in Indiana, her father was born in Ohio and her mother born in Indiana.  She could read and write and spoke English.

          2.1.2. 1920 Federal Census

               I have not yet located Mary in the 1920 U.S. census.

          2.1.3. 1910 Federal Census

               On May 3, 1910, Mary Ellen was enumerated in Robert F. Gilliland household in Richland Township, Monroe County, Indiana⁴, as Mary E. Gilliland, wife, age 55, married 25 years. She was the mother of 4 children, 3 of whom were still living.  She was born in Indiana and both her parents were born in Indiana.  She could read and write and spoke English.

          2.1.4. 1900 Federal Census

               On June 9, 1900, Mary Ellen was enumerated in the Robert Gilliland household in Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana⁵, as Mary Gilliland, wife, age 45, born August 1854.  She had been married for 16 years and was the mother of 4 children, all living.  She was born in Indiana and both of her parents were born in Indiana.  She could read and write and spoke English.

          2.1.5. 1880 Federal Census

               On June 14, 1880, Mary Ellen was enumerated in the Peter Swafford household in Washington Township, Owen County, Indiana⁶, as Ellen Swafford, daughter, age 24, single.  She was born in Indiana and both of her parents were born in Tennessee.

          2.1.6. 1870 Federal Census

               On July 8, 1870, Mary Ellen was enumerated in the Peter Swaford household in Franklin Township, Owen County, Indiana⁷, as Mary Swaford, age 15, housekeeper, born in Indiana.

     2.2. State Census Records

          The State of Indiana conducted state census in 1853, 1857, 1871, 1877, 1883, 1889, 1901, 1913, 1919 and 1931.  These, however, were merely for the purposes of legislative apportionment.

     2.3. Agricultural Census Records

          I have not examined these types of census records to see what light they might shed on the Swafford and Gilliland families.

3. Military Records

     3.1. Draft Registration

           Not applicable, as Mary Ellen was female.

     3.2. Pension Records

          I am not aware of any military service by either Mary Ellen's father or husbands that would qualify her for a military pension.

     3.3. Service Records

          Not applicable, as Mary Ellen was female.

4. Land Records

     4.1. Deed Records

          Deed records need to be thoroughly searched in Owen and Monroe Counties, Indiana to see what records might mention Mary Ellen.  Will add this to my "to-do" list for my next research trip.

     4.2. Plat map / county map

          Plat maps in Owen and Monroe Counties, Indiana will need to be searched to see what information might be relevant to my search for Mary Ellen.

5. Supplemental Records

     Supplemental records available for research on Mary Ellen include city/county directories, court records and will and probate records.  Will add these to my list of "to-do" items for my next research trip.

Sources :

1. Robert Gilliland household, 1900 U.S. census, Owen County, Indiana, population schedule, Clay Township, ED 106, SD 2, sheet 4, dwelling 92, family 93, National Archives micropublication T623, roll 396.
2. Monroe County, Indiana Marriage Records, Book 5, page 442.
3. Peter W. Decker household, 1930 U.S. census, Montgomery County, Indiana, USA (Brown Township); ED 54-3, SD 6, sheet 8B, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
4. Robert F. Gilliland household, 1910 U.S. census, Monroe County, Indiana, population schedule, Richland Township, ED 40, SD 2, sheet 2, dwelling 289, family 296, National Archives micropublication T624, roll 371.
5. Robert Gilliland household, 1900 U.S. census, Owen County, Indiana, population schedule, Clay Township, ED 106, SD 2, sheet 4, dwelling 92, family 93, National Archives micropublication T623, roll 396.
6. Peter Swafford household, 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Washington Township, Owen County, Indiana, ED 251, SD 25, page 12, dwelling 112, family 112; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 303, page 284.
7. Peter Swaford household, 1870 U.S. census, population schedule, Franklin Township, Owen County, Indiana, page 24, Deem P.O., dwelling 163, family 163; National Archives micropublication M593, roll 348, page 206.

This post was developed as part of the series relating to Building My 2011 Research Template, an attempt to systematically document and source the details of my ancestors' lives. Comments regarding this template and the conclusions drawn in this article are welcomed.