Yours, Mine, and Ours - an 1850 blended family

Starting in 1850, the U. S. Census recorded the names of every person in each household. However, from 1850 to 1870 there was no indication of family relationships (i.e., wife, son, daughter, etc.). Therefore information about family makeup taken from these early census records cannot always be taken at face value.

Look at this example taken from the 1850 census of Long Creek, Carroll County, Arkansas. (Note: Elizabeth, is my 3d great-grandaunt, sister of my 3d great-grandmother, Margaret GOLDEN GRAHAM.)

•  John MAY, age 50 (abt 1800)
• Elizabeth MAY, age 25 (abt 1825)
• Catherine MAY, age 14 (abt 1836)
• John MAY, age 12 (abt 1838)
• Nancy MAY, age 9 (abt 1841)
• Houston MAY, age 7 (abt 1843)
• William MAY, age 3 (abt 1847)
• Martha J MAY, age 0 (abt 1850)

There are two adults and six children, all with the same last name and at first glance it appears to be a “normal” family. But notice Elizabeth is 25 years younger than John, and Catherine is 11 years younger than Elizabeth. Two, of many possibilities, are:

John’s wife may have recently died (note Martha’s age) leaving him to care for the children. Elizabeth may be the oldest child and the next several children between her and Catherine (if any) have either died or married/moved away).

Or, John's first wife died several years ago and he married a much younger Elizabeth who bore some of the younger children.

There are any number of possibilities, however the correct one is:

John’s first wife (name unknown) had Catherine and John (and perhaps more children). His wife died sometime between 1838 and 1846, when John married Elizabeth. However, Elizabeth was the widow of William PHARRIS who died in 1844, leaving Elizabeth with two children: Nancy E PHARRIS, born 1841, and Doctor Houston, born 1843. John and Elizabeth were married in 1846 and had two more children, William in 1847 and Martha Jane in 1850.

If the census taker had correctly recorded the names, there would be no confusion. Chances are he asked for the children's names and assumed they were all John's children.

Moral of this story: Don't rush to create a family where there already are three.

WEINBERGER to WINEBERG

How does a name change? Intentionally, accidentally, or incidentally... add a letter here, drop a letter there, or rearrange a few letters, and a new name is born.

My great grandfather, Joseph A. WEINBERGER, was born about 1874 in Austria. He arrived in the United States sometime between 1886-1890 and joined his older brother, "Adolph H. WEINBERGER," (born about 1870 in Austria) who arrived between 1881-1887. At the time of his birth, Austria had recently (1867) united with Hungary and was known as "Austria-Hungary" or "Austro-Hungary." Usually he was listed as Austrian, but sometimes as Hungarian.

The earliest U. S. record I have found of Joseph is the 1891 City Directory for Omaha, Nebraska, where he was working for his brother: "J. A. WEINBERGER, clerk A. H. WEINBERGER." For several years he worked for Adolph as agent and collector. Joseph and Adolph were "artists" and proprietors of the Omaha Art Studio, but they lived in Council Bluffs.

On 12 Mar 1897, Joseph married Jennie Emily BELL in Council Bluffs. Jennie was 5 days shy of being 16, and her grandmother gave her consent to the marriage, signing "Mrs Jane Richardson" as "Mother by adoption." When her father found out she had married, he threatened to disown her if she remained with Joseph. (I have not yet found evidence of a divorce or annulment.)

Joseph may not have known it, but Jennie was already four months pregnant when they married. On 1 Aug 1897, Jennie gave birth to a son, Irvin Earl. Jennie spelled his name "WINEBERG." Family 'tradition' says she changed the spelling to keep Joseph from finding his son. In 1898, Jennie married George Emory HOUCK, who raised Irvin as his own, along with 8 half-brothers and sisters. In 1910, he was even listed as "Irvin HOUCK."

Soon after this, Joseph and his brother moved to Lincoln, Nebraska (where Adolph married Lida SHAMP about 1900). Joseph lived with Adolph, Lida, and their daughter Maude. In 1905 they were living in Leavenworth, Kansas (merchants); in 1910 they were in Ray County, Missouri (farmers). By 1916, they had returned to Lincoln where Adolph became a real estate agent. In 1918 Joseph married Lillian M. STUART and the two of them moved to Independence, Kansas, where, in 1920, Joseph was an "automobile machinist." By 1930, Lillian had died and Joseph was a grocery merchant, again living in Lincoln with Adolph and Lida.