Family Tree?

Question

I'm trying to trace my family on my grandmother's side. Her name was Wickham, and I knew her father's name was Shadrach Wickham, and I was able to find his father was Edwin from census reports. Now I'm stuck on Edwin, he was born about 1867, and I thought I had found his father, but a census says he and both parents were born in NY, and the Edwin I found in NY in 1870 census was born about 1867, but the father is listed as being born in NJ, mother as NY.

I need to know if this is a common error, and just keep plugging with that Edwin's family, or is there some other source of information other then ancestry.com, that would be better, more accurate. So where do I go from here?

Also stuck with my mother's side of family, they came here from Canada in 1874, and can't find anything that lists where in Canada they were born.

If someone could give me a kick in the right direction, I would appreciate it.

Answer 1

www.genealogy.com

Errors were common back then and trying to get church records of any sort changed were difficult to do. Mispelling was rampant but many people didn't think it would make a difference as it does today with ID papers etc.

Wickham family had many sons in Canada who were Empire Loyalists.  Heavily into the military.

It was a Wickham who captained Darwin's ship The Beagle.

There is I believe an Earl of Wickham in England.

Chances are old church records, many on microfich years later will be the only way of tracking your family down.

Years ago I know the Mormon church used to have a site where you could try and track your family tree.

What is the name on your mothers side of the family???

Answer 2

I find the birth state and parents' birth state are off on something like 1/5th of the census records I look at. The most important thing, in my expereince, is the age pattern; husband born "x" years before/after wife, children named close to "Anne Louise", "John Wesley" and "Robert Lee" born 3 years apart, etc. If you get a husband who is younger than his wife by more than two years, you are in luck, because it sticks out like a sore thumb, except on the census years the wife lies, out of embarrassment.

I sid "close to" on th echildren's names, because if someone is named "John Wesley Pack" you may find him as "John", "Wesley" and "J W". "Anne Louise" as "Anna", "Louise" and "A L".

"Pack" has been spelled "Pack", "Peck", "Pock", "Pork", "Puck" and "Back" over the years and censuses.

The husband's parents' birth states and wife's parents' birth states switch now and again.

Don't expect the surname to be spelled consistently. Yesterday I found European people in Indiana in 1860 spelled it "Yong", which is normally a  Chinese surname. Their surname was really "Young".

Answer 3

Sounds like it might well be a transcription error, after all there's not too much difference between NY and NJ.  That said, though, in the 1870 census where Edwin was around 3 it would be his father giving the details, whereas in a subsequent census where Edwin was living out of home and giving details to the enumerator, he may well have just assumed both parents were born in NY!  Especially if maybe the father was born in NJ but the family moved to NY at a young age or something, and Mr Wickham Sr. never felt the need to tell Edwin "by the way, son, did I ever tell you I was born in NJ?!"

Obviously you will want to be sure though - maybe Edwin's marriage certificate will list the father?  I know that UK and Canadian ones generally do.  That might solve the puzzle!  Alternatively if you know for definite that 'your' Edwin had siblings, check their census records and see if they have NJ or NY for the birth place of the father... if they all say NJ then it sounds well like the father you found is the correct one!

About your mother's side of the family, obviously have a look at the census records for any family members born in Canada (although I know often they didn't write the province in US censuses).  If the state you're dealing with lists birthplace on the death certificate then it might be worth buying one to see if that lists a specific birthplace, you might be lucky!  Was the state they moved to a northern one on the border with a Canadian province?  That might give you a clue for where to begin.

Also, if you're researching an unusual surname you might be very lucky with early records in some provinces or the 1851 census of Ontario/Quebec/New Brunswick/Nova Scotia (which is on Ancestry.com which it sounds like you have access to).  The same website has an 1871 census index for the 'head of household' so if you're lucky enough to know who the head of household would have been, and he/she was thoughtful enough to have a highly unusual christian name and surname, you might strike gold!

I'm guessing there also will be immigration/naturalisation records somewhere for the family that moved from Canada, although I don't really know enough about them to comment!

Hope this helps, best of luck :)

Answer 4

www.ancestry.com--1900 United States Federal Census

Name: Shadrach Wickham

Home in 1900: Westfall, Pike, Pennsylvania

Age: 7  

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1893  

Birthplace: New York  

Relationship to head-of-house: Son  

Father's Name: Edwin H

Mother's Name: Josephine

Race: White  

Household Members: Name --Age

Edwin H Wickham --32  

Josephine Wickham-- 32  

Shadrach Wickham --7  

Ray Wickham-- 4  

Gertrude Wickham-- 10/12  (10 mon)



Name: Edwin H Wickham

Home in 1900: Westfall, Pike, Pennsylvania

Age: 32  

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1868  

Birthplace: New York  

Relationship to head-of-house: Head  

Spouse's Name: Josephine

Race: White  

  

Name: Josephine Wickham

Home in 1900: Westfall, Pike, Pennsylvania

Age: 32  

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1868  

Birthplace: New York  

Relationship to head-of-house: Wife  

Spouse's Name: Edwin H

Race: White  

1930 United States Federal Census

Name: Shadrach Wickham

Home in 1930: New Bedford, Bristol, Massachusetts

Age: 37

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1893  

Birthplace: New York  

Relation to Head of House: Head  

Spouse's Name: Bragetta

Race: White

Occupation: Railroad fore man (NY, NH & H Railroad)

Household Members: Name Age

Shadrach Wickham-- 37  

Bragetta Wickham-- 34  

Dorothy Wickham-- 13  

Kathleen Wickham --12  

Beverly Wickham --10  

Marion Wickham-- 9  

Jacquelyn Wickham --2  

U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942

Name: Shadrach Washington Wickham

Birth Date: 19 Mar 1893

Residence: Middlesex, Massachusetts

Birth: Port Jerris, New York

Race: White

Height: 5'8"

Weight: 220 pounds

Color of eyes: Blue

Color of Hair: Gray

Ruddy (or healthy; reddish;or  rosy ) Complexion

Identifying marks: scar on right side of neck

Roll: WWII_1148714  

Residence--Framingham, Mass.

Next of kin--Bragetta Wickham

World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918

Card number--1309

Name: Shadrach W Wickham

City: Providence  

County: Providence  

State: Rhode Island  

Birthplace: New York;United States of America  

Birth Date: 19 Mar 1893

Race: Caucasian (White)

Height--medium

Build--"stout"

Color of eyes--Blue

Color of hair--Dark brown

Occupation--railroad foreman

Nearest relative--wife and child

Roll: 1852405  

DraftBoard: 4  

Rhode Island Marriages, 1636-1930

Spouse 1: Bragetta M Eisenmenger

Spouse 2: Shadrach W Wickham  

Marriage Date: 02 May 1916

Rhode Island Births, 1636-1930

Name: Kathaleen F Wickham

Parent 1: Shadrach W Wickham  

Parent 2: Bragetta M Wickham  

Birth Date: 12 Aug 1917

1920 United States Federal Census

Name: Edwin H Wickham

Home in 1920: Mansfield, Bristol, Massachusetts

Age: 53 years  

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1867

Birthplace: New York

Relation to Head of House: Head  

Spouse's Name: Josephine

Father's Birth Place: New York  

Mother's Birth Place: New York  

Marital Status: Married  

Race: White

s*x: Male

Home owned: Rent  

Able to read: Yes  

Able to Write: Yes  

Image: 435  

Name: Josephine Wickham

Home in 1920: Mansfield, Bristol, Massachusetts

Age: 51 years  

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1869

Birthplace: New York

Relation to Head of House: Wife  

Spouse's Name: Edwin H

Father's Birth Place: Germany  

Mother's Birth Place: Germany  

Marital Status: Married  

Race: White

s*x: Female

Able to read: Yes  

Able to Write: Yes  

Image: 436  

1870 United States Federal Census

Name: Edwin H Wickham

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1867

Age in 1870: 3  

Birthplace: New York  

Home in 1870: Greenville, Orange, New York

Race: White  

Gender: Male  

SHOWN ON ORIGINAL VIEW:

    Father: Gabriel, age 24, b. 1846 in NJ; occupation--farmer)

    Mother:  Ann F., age 24; b. 1846 in NY

   Brother: Martin, age 1, b. 1869 in NY

www.rootsweb.com

Edwin H. Wickham

Birth: 11 DEC 1866 in New York

   Father: Gabriel Wickham

Birth: 5 DEC 1845 in Lewisburg, NJ

Death: 8 JAN 1876 in Oxford, NY

(NOTE: He was killed on the RR at Oxford.)

        Married:20 DEC 1865 in Greenville

Anna F. Martin

Birth: 31 MAY 1845

Death: unknown

   Children

1.Edwin H. Wickham --b: 11 DEC 1866 in New York

2. Martin D. Wickham-- b: 28 SEP 1868 in New York

3.Fred G. Wickham-- b: 2 APR 1873

4.Jennie M. Wickham-- b: 7 NOV 1875

Gabriel's parents (Shadrach's great-grandparents):

Davis Conklin Wickham

Birth: 22 JUL 1812 in Ridgebury, NY

Death: 9 APR 1873 in Westtown, Minisink, Or Co., NY

        Married:  4 DEC 1836

f***y Cartright

Birth: unknown

Death: unknown

Their Children

1.Abigail J. Wickham-- b: 11 JAN 1838 in Ridgebury, NY; d. 11 OCT 1841

2.Abraham Wickham-- b: 16 MAR 1839 in Ridgebury, NY (married  Mary Jane Elston,  4 NOV 1859 in Wantage, NJ;

6 children)

3.Austin Wickham-- b: 19 NOV 1840 in Ridgebury, NY; d. 1 OCT 1841

4.Amelia A.Wickham-- b: 13 MAR 1842 in Ridgebury, NY; (married  Adam Wright, 13 APR 1861; d. 24 DEC 1918 in Ridgebury, NY)

5.Albert Janson Wickham --b: 11 SEP 1843 in Hamburg, NJ; d.JUN 1910 in Westtown, NY

6.Gabriel Wickham-- b: 5 DEC 1845 in Lewisburg, NJ

Shadrach's 2nd Great-Grandparents:

Barnabus Wickham

Birth: 16 FEB 1781 in Ridgebury, Orange, New York

Death: 26 DEC 1857 in Ridgebury, Orange, New York

            Married: 20 NOV 1801 in Orange Co., NY to

Abigail Terry

Birth: 23 SEP 1783 in Southhold, New York

Death: 18 MAY 1866 in Ridgebury, Orange, New York

      Their Children:

1.George Gilbert Wickham --b: 22 JUL 1803 in Ridgebury, Orange, New York; d. 14 NOV 1855 in Ridgebury, Orange, New York, buried  Old Ridgebury Cemetery

2.Harriet Wickham --b: 22 SEP 1805 in Ridgebury, NY; d.25 FEB 1875 in Ridgebury, NY ; (married Samuel Bailey on 28 FEB 1828)

3.Horace Wickham b: 10 SEP 1807 in Ridgebury, NY; d. 6 FEB 1853 ; (married Matilda McCann on 2 APR 1835 in Hudson, NY; she was born in IRELAND; they had 6 children)

4.Halsey Wickham b: 29 NOV 1809 in Ridgebury, NY; d.  27 DEC 1849 in Deckertown, NJ; (married Rebecca Young on 24 SEP 1831; 3 children)

5.Davis Conklin Wickham-- b: 22 JUL 1812 in Ridgebury, NY;d.9 APR 1873 in Westtown, Minisink, Or Co., NY; (married f***y Cartright on 4 DEC 1836; 6 children)

6.Gabriel Wickham-- b: 11 SEP 1814 in Ridgebury, NY; d. 10 SEP 1883 in Flushing, Mich ; (married  Mary Jane Arnout on 19 FEB 1843 in Ridgebury, NY; they had 4 children)

7.Alanson Wickham-- b: 15 DEC 1816 in Ridgebury, NY; d. 6 JUN 1882 in Ridgebury, NY ; (married Catherine Norris on SEP 1839 in Greenville, NY; they had 2 children

8.Maria Jane Wickham b: 27 MAR 1819 in Ridgebury, NY; d.22 FEB 1902

9.Catherine Wickham-- b: 22 JUL 1821 in Ridgebury, NY; d. 9 MAY 1876 in Waterloo, Iowa ; married James Wainwright, 14 FEB 1839

10. Bethiah Wickham-- b: 1 OCT 1823 in Ridgebury, NY; d. 25 JAN 1890

**Shadrach's 3rd Great-Grandparents:

Noyes Norris Wickham , Sr.

Birth: NOV 1740 in Mattituck, Suffolk Co, NY

Death: 23 DEC 1822 in Ridgeway, Orange County, New York

      Married: 26 OCT 1763 in Mattatuck, Suffolk County, New York to:

Ruth Goldsmith

Birth:  in Mattituck, Suffolk Co, NY

Death: in Ridgebury, Orange County, New York

They had 14 children

(See lengthy notes about them at http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin...

**SW's 4th Great-Grandparents:

Gideon Wickham

Birth: 2 JAN 1679 in Wethersfield, CT

Death: 26 DEC 1752 in Southhold, Long Island, New York

        Married: 13 OCT 1718 in East Hampton, Suffolk Co., Long Island  to:

Mary Noyes

Birth: in East Hampton, Suffolk Co., LI, NY

Death: 14 MAY 1775

They had 3 children

**SW's 5th Great-Grandparents:www.familysearch.org

Captain Thomas Wickham

Birth:   14 Oct 1651,Wethersfield, CT  

Death:   30 Apr 1730 ,Wethersfield, CT

         Married: 11 Jun 1673; Wethersfield,CT

  Mary Hurlbut

Birth:   1654 ; Wethersfield, CT

Death: unknown

**SW's 6th Great-Grandparents:

Thomas Wickham

Birth:   1624 ,Rowley, York, England  

Death:   11 Jan 1689 ,Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut

           Married: 1648 to

Sarah Goodrich

Birth:   10 May 1630 ,Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, England  

Death:   8 Mar 1699-8 Mar 1700 ,Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut

**SW's 7th Great-Grandparents:

Thomas Wickham

Birth:  BEF 27 APR 1600 ,Hunston, Sussex, England  

Death:  APR 1665 ,North Mundham, Chichester, Sussex, England  

        Married:  5 FEB 1622 in North Mundham, Chichester, Sussex, England  to:

Cecelia (maiden name unknown)

Birth:  1604  

Death: unknown

**SW's 8th Great-Grandparents:

George Wickham

Birth:  ABT 1577 ,Chuckfield, Sussex, England  

Death:  BEF 13 MAY 1609 ,Chidham, Sussex, England

          Married:  30 JAN 1598 in Chidham, Sussex, England

Jane Sheperd

Birth:  ABT 1580 ,Sussex, England  

Death:  BEF 7 MAR 1639 ,North Mundham, Chicester, Sussex, England  

**SW's 9th Great-Grandparents:

John Wickham

Birth:  ABT 1555

Sussex, England  

Death:  BEF 25 JAN 1626

North Mundham, Chicester, Sussex, England  

          Married:  23 MAY 1575 in Boxgrove, Sussex, England

Joane Hobson

Birth:  ABT 1555 ,Boxgrove, Sussex, England  

Death:  17 DEC 1591 ,North Mundham, Chicester, Sussex, England  

**SW's 10th Great-Grandparents:

Edward Wickham

Birth:  1529 ,Sussex, England  

Death:  1591  

           Married:

Isabella Poulton

Birth:  1534

Death: unknown

**SW's 11th Great-Grandparents:

Thomas Wickham

Birth:  1503  

Death: unknown

           Married: date unknown

Joyce Hanbury

Birth:  1509

Death: unknown

**SW's 12th Great-Grandparents:

John Wickham

Birth:  1458

Death:  1514  

             Married:date unknown

Alice Ligyard

Birth:  1458  

Death: unknown

**SW's 13th Great-Grandparents:

Thomas Wickham

Birth:  1417  

Death: unknown

              Married: date unknown

Agnes (maiden name unknown)

Birth:  ABT