Family Milestones: September 12th

My paternal 5th-great grandfather, Cornelius SUTTON, married on this date in 1806 in Harrison County, Virginia to Elisabeth DAVIS.  Cornelius was the son of Amos and Jane (CLAWSON) SUTTON.  Elisabeth was the daughter of Thomas William and Tacy (CRANDALL) DAVIS.  Cornelius was born October 29, 1750 in New Jersey.  Elisabeth was born in 1746 in New Jersey.  Elisabeth died 1807 in New Salem, Virginia.  Cornelius died September 30, 1850 in West Union, Doddridge County, Virginia.  


My maternal 5th-great granduncle, Bennett PIERCE, was born on this date in 1771.  Bennett was the son of Seth and Bethiah (FIELD) PIERCE, and the older brother of my Gordon PIERCE.  Bennett died March 17, 1773.  Nothing further is known at this time.


My maternal 5th-great grandaunt, Elizabeth PIERCE, was born on this date in 1788.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Seth and Bethiah (FIELD) PIERCE, and the younger sister of my Gordon PIERCE.  Elizabeth married Chester COLLINS.  Nothing further is known at this time.


My maternal great-grandaunt, Lillian PIERCE, was born on this date in 1902 in Madison County, Indiana.  Lillian was the daughter of William Francis and Clara (PENISTEN) PIERCE, and the younger sister of my Edna Muriel PIERCE. Lillian died August 11, 1921 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.  


My maternal 6th-great grandfather, Seth PIERCE, was born on this date in 1744 in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  Seth was the son of Seth and Elizabeth (NYE) PIERCE.  Seth married April 17, 1767 to Bethiah FIELD, daughter of Bennett and Elizabeth (SPOFFORD) FIELD.  Bethiah was born April 8, 1746 in Stafford, Windham County, Connecticut.  They had 12 children.  Bethiah died September 18, 1807.  Seth died in 1835 in Homer, Cortland County, New York.

Family Milestones: September 11th

My paternal 4th-great grandparents, Abel B. WOOLSTON and Rachel WOOLSTON, were married on this date in 1819 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Abel was the son of John and Beulah (BRIGGS) WOOLSTON.  Rachel was the daughter of Samuel and Hannah (HAINES) WOOLSTON.  Abel was born 1797 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Rachel was born April 19, 1800 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  They raised 5 children in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Rachel died September 11, 1851 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Abel died January 12, 1834 in Burlington County, New Jersey.

The Second Mrs. Wright

I thought I pretty much knew everything there was to know about my maternal 2nd-great grandfather, John William WRIGHT, after all these years of working on genealogy.  I had his parents, his dates of birth and death, tombstone photos, census records, etc.  I had a pretty good picture of his life and where he was living during his adult life.

John was widowed in 1913 when my 2nd-great grandmother, Ellen (KING) WRIGHT passed away.  John himself lived on until 1945.  I found him living in the same location: Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana, exactly where I thought he would be in both the 1920 and the 1930 census as well as various phone books and directories up until his death.

Imagine my surprise when doing a cursory search at the Family Search pilot which seemed to indicate a heretofore unknown second marriage for John in 1922.  I was searching using his parents, Joseph WRIGHT and Rebecca HEATON, hoping that I might find other records on brothers and sisters, etc.  The record that came back showed a marriage between John W. WRIGHT and Margaret L. WILLETTS on May 13, 1922.  This John was the son of Joseph and Rebecca (HEATON) WRIGHT, so it appeared to be the right person.  The county was not given by the record, only a filmstrip number.

I called Central Records at the Madison County courthouse the next day and asked if they had a record of a marriage in 1922 between John W. WRIGHT and Margaret L. WILLETTS.  They were able to locate the record, and I made arrangements to pick it up.  

Application is hereby made for a license for the marriage of John W. Wright to Margaret L. Willetts

Male

1. The full christian and surname of the man is John W. Wright

2. Color White

3. Where born Brown Co., O [Brown County, Ohio]

4. When born Feb 23 - 62 [February 23, 1862]

5. Present residence Alex Ind [Alexandria, Indiana]

6. Present occupation Farmer

8. Is the male contracting party of nearer blood kin to the female contracting party than second cousin? No

9. Full christian name of father Joseph Wright

10. His color White

11. His birthplace Brown Co., O [Brown County, Ohio]

12. His occupation Dead

13. His residence Dead

14. Full christian and maiden name of mother Rebecca Heaton

15. Her color White

16. Her occupation Dead

17. Her birthplace Brown Co., O [Brown County, Ohio]

18. Her residence ditto

19. Has the male contracting party been an inmate of any county asylum or home for indigent persons within the last five years? No

21. Is this his first marriage? No

22. If not, how often has he been married? Once

23. Has such prior marriage, or marriages, been dissolved? Death

25. When? 1913

26. Is the male contracting party afflicted with epilepsy, tuberculosis, venereal, or any other contagious or transmissible disease? No

27. Is he an imbecile, feeble-minded, idiotic or insane, or is he under guardianship as a person of unsound mind? No

Female

1. The full christian and surname of the woman is Margaret L. Willetts

2. Color White

3. Where born Pittsburg, Pa [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]

4. When born Aug 19 - 72 [August 19, 1872]

5. Present residence Anderson, Ind.

6. Present occupation H Keeper [house keeper]

7. Full christian and surname of father James Lewis

8. His color White

9. His birthplace England

10. His occupation Rld [Railroad?]

11. His residence Pitts Pa [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]

12. Full christian and maiden name of mother Margaret Powell

13. Her color White

14. Her occupation H Keeper [house keeper]

15. Her birthplace England

16. Her residence Pitts Pa [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]

17. Has the female contracting party been an inmate of any county asylum or home for indigent persons with the last five years? No

18. Is this her first marriage? No

19. If not, how often has she been marriage? Once

20. Has such prior marriage, or marriages, been dissolved? Death

21. When? 1918

22. Is the female contracting party afflicted with epilepsy, tuberculosis, venereal, or any other contagious or transmissible disease? No

23. Is she an imbecile, feeble-minded, idiotic or insane, or is she under guardianship as a person of unsound mind? No

This is definitely my 2nd-great grandfather, getting remarried on May 13, 1922.  Interestingly, his first marriage also took place on May 13th in 1886.  

By the 1930 census, John was living with his youngest son, and was listed as a widower.  His obituary in 1945 does not mention this marriage at all.  

I've done a quick search in trying to locate Margaret in the 1920 census and in the 1930 census, without success.  Did she die between 1922 and 1930, or did they later divorce?  Will have to check out Madison County records for a divorce.  A quick search of the obituary and cemetery databases at the Anderson library do not show a Margaret WRIGHT dying during that time period in Madison County.

Just when you think you know everything there is to know about someone, a new mystery develops.