Nelson Gary (abt. 1812 - 1863)

Born about 20 May 1812 in Windsor, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States [uncertain]

Husband of Anthonette Morehouse (Braley) Ostrom — married 29 Mar 1836 in Lockport, Niagara, New York, United States

Descendants

Died 13 Dec 1863 at about age 51 in Saginaw Michigan

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Pam Miller [send private message]

Biography

Nelson Gary was born 20 May 1812 in Windsor, Berkshire, Massachusetts, USA. His parents are currently unknown, but he was reportedly raised by John and Margaret "Peggy" (Braley) Votar.

Nelson married Peggy (Braley) Votar's niece, Anthonette Morehouse Braley, about 1835, most likely in Lockport, Niagara, New York, USA, where their daughter Juliann Gary was reportedly born in 1837. By the time his son, Horatio Nelson Gary, was born in 1838, Nelson and his family were living in Saginaw, Michigan, USA.^[1]

Nelson served as Justice of the Peace in Titabawassee, Saginaw, Michigan in 1841.^[2]

By 1850, Nelson's foster mother, who also happened to be Ann's aunt, Peggy (Braley) Votar, was living in Nelson's household, but by 1860, she was living with Ann's sister and brother-in-law, Louisa and Joseph King.

Nelson died 13 Dec 1863 in Saginaw, Michigan, USA.

Research Notes

• Nelson was reportedly adopted by Peggy (Braley) Votar. The year is unknown.

• He lived in Maine and was married there and had his first child there. Then the family moved to Michigan.
  Does anyone have record sources from Maine to support this?

• A possible marriage location to search is Lockport Niagara, New York, USA, where their daughter Juliann Gary was born 19 Aug 1873, according to North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000.^[1]

• Possible namesake for Nelson: Horatio Nelson KB (1758-1805)
  Horatio had only one child, Horatia (Nelson) Ward (1801-1881), who was too young at the time of Nelson's birth to be his mother, but he also had many brother, sisters, cousins, and an uncle Horatio to whom Nelson could be connected. Nelson could also be the son of someone who served with Horatio or even a friend.

• Could his given name, "Nelson," be his mother's or a grandmother's family name?

• Did Nelson serve in the 7th Regiment, Michigan Cavalry for the Union in the American Civil War? Or was it his son, Horatio Nelson Gary?

• It has been suggested that Nelson died in a farm accident, but the source of this information has not yet been identified.

Neighboring family:

• Phineas D Braley (Ann's brother)is 4 lines above Nelson in the 1840 census.
• John Votar (Margaret Braley's husband) is directly below Nelson in the 1840 census.
• Joseph King (married Ann's sister) is on the previous page in the 1840 census and in the 1850 census.
• Nathanial Braley's household is directly above Nelson's in the 1850 census.
• Martin Braley's household is 3 households below Nelson's in the 1850 census.
• Gardiner D. William's (uncertain) household is 3 pages after Nelson's in the 1850 census.
• Alphias William's (uncertain) household is 4 pages after Nelson's in the 1850 census.

1860 Census Discrepancies
While the 1860 Census data for Nelson's family has two major discrepancies, the names of the family members closely match those of Nelson's and Ann's family. For the purpose of this profile, the two discrepancies listed below are assumed to be census taker errors.

• The ages of Nelson and his wife, Ann, according to the census, are 35 and 34 respectively, which is only about 10 years older than the age the same census reports on the next line for their son, Horatio (24).
• The place of birth is recorded as "Ireland" for about half the family. Other records show the children were born in Michigan, and that Nelson and Ann were born in Massachusetts.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Randall, George L., in Braley Genealogy
2. ↑ Leeson and Clarke, History of Saginaw County, pp 856 and 945

• Berkshire Massachusetts county . find a grave ID# 121759645

• Michigan Deaths, 1867-1897," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3DR-28D : 18 February 2021), Nelson Gary in entry for Juliette Braley, 25 Nov 1869; citing p 198 rn 717, Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 2,363,449.

• Marriage of son George W Gary: FamilySearch.org (online database with images), Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925, film/folder 004207941, FHL microfilm 4207941, image 329 of 621; FamilySearch Record: NQQ3-V2F (accessed 15 April 2024) FamilySearch Image: S3HY-6PHS-BP, citing Marriage, in Lake City, Missaukee, Michigan, USA; Secretary of State of Michigan, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; vol. 3, page 325.
  • Nelson Gary identified as father of groom; Anthony [Anthonet] Braley identified as mother of groom in record 513 for marriage of George W. Gary (born Michigan) and Freely Howe (born Maine) on 30 Jan 1897.

• Saginaw Evening News Article: United States, GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2011 database, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q5QG-C3SZ : 18 July 2020)
  Citing The Saginaw Evening News, "One of the Earliest Settlers;" Saturday, Aug 24, 1907; Saginaw, Michigan, USA; page 7, column 4.
  • Nelson Gary, one of first settlers of Saginaw, arrived in 1837; worked for brother-in-law Phineas Braley; married in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Antoinette Braley, born 1817; came to Saginaw when first child (daughter) was baby; first child died in winter 1844 when clothing caught fire; oldest son, Horatio Gary, born in Saginaw, enlisted in 1861, died in battle in 1862; surviving family members still in Michigan are Norman Gary, Kawkawlin; Mrs. Sam McBride, Mt. Pleasant; Mrs. Rosell Ostrom, Saginaw; Mrs. George Parks, Park Lake; George Gary, Lake City; George W. Gary, Saginaw; Mrs. Claude Lathrop, Paines; Edwin Gary; Mrs. Chas. Cushman, Saginaw; family raised an apple orchard. [Note that James Franklin Gary and John Gary were not surving and not included in the list of family.]

• Death of daughter Patricia Ann Williams: FamilySearch.org (database, no image online), Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995, Tittabawassee Township, Saginaw, Michigan, USA, Record 14; FamilySearch Record: FHHH-Q9R (accessed 15 April 2024), citing p 364.
  • Nelson Gary identified as father in entry for death of daughter, Patricia Ann Williams (66), 29 Jul 1916.

• Death of daughter Jane A McBride: "FamilySearch.org (online database with image), Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995, film/folder 004273018, FHL microfilm 1005119; FamilySearch Record: FH1S-Y6V (accessed 16 April 2024) image 428 of 542; Citing Isabella County (Michigan), (bound manuscript on film) Record of Deaths, vol. 2, Secretary of State of Michigan, USA; page 200, record 213.
  • Nelson Garey identified as father and Anthonyett Braley as mother in death record for Jane A McBride 28 Oct 1916 in Chippewa Township, Isabella, Michigan, United States. [Indexed as "Gorsy."]

• Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KF7Q-9FC : 13 March 2018), Nelson Gary in entry for Rosina M Ostrom, 22 Nov 1921; citing Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan, United States, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing; FHL microfilm 1973077.

• Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KFSF-643 : 13 March 2018), Nelson Gary in entry for George W Gary, 07 May 1930; citing Flint, Genesee, Michigan, United States, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing; FHL microfilm 1972703.

• Leeson, M. A., and Damon Clarke, (book on film) History of Saginaw County, Michigan; (Chicago, C.C. Chapman & co.,1881) pp 856, 945; Internet Archive image 865 and 944 of 960. (accessed 12 April 2024) .
  • Nelson Gary, section 32, Nov 9 1854, among the first entries of township land.
  • Nelson Gary, elected to one-year term as Justice of the Peace at the first township meeting 5 Apr 1841 in Titabawassee, Saginaw, Michigan, USA.
  • Note that Phineas D. Braley and John Voter are both listed in the same section.

• North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000: (unsorced book on film), "North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000," image 265 of 430; Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 4 April 2024); citing Randall, George L., Braley genealogy: the descendants of Roger Braley, 1696-1913, p230.

• Randall, George L., (unsourced book on film) Braley genealogy. The descendants of Roger Braley, 1696-1913; (New Bedford, Mass., Mercury Publishing co., 1913) page 230.Internet Archive (accessed 15 April 2024) image 230 of 366.
  • Nelson Gary in the entry for Anthanet Morehouse (no. 249), foster-son of John and Margaret (Braley) Votar; 1st husband of Anthanet Morehouse Braley, married 29 Mar 1835, Lockport, N.Y.

• Brainerd, Lawrence (book on film) Gary genealogy : the descendants of Arthur Gary of Roxbury, Massachusetts, with an account of the posterity of Stephen Gary of Charlestown, Massachusetts, and also of a South Carolina family of this name, (Boston, Mass. : privately published; 1918) Internet Archive (accessed 28 April 2024).

Census Records

• 1840 Census: "1840 United States Federal Census," Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan; Roll 210; FHL Film 0014797; Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8057 #3238840 (accessed 4 April 2024); image 18 of 20; citing Page178;
  • Nelson Garey in Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan, USA.

Males < 5	Males 20-29	Females < 5	Females 20-29	Total Persons
2	1	1	1	5

• 1850 Census: United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF8L-MKJ : 22 December 2020), Nelson Gary, Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan, United States; citing NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Birth Place
Nelson Gary	M	38		Massachusetts
Antoinette Gary	F	33		Massachusetts
Horatio Gary	M	12		Michigan
Albert Gary	M	10		Michigan
Norman L Gary	M	8		Michigan
Jane Gary	F	6		Michigan
Juliette Gary	F	3		Michigan
Patience A Gary	F	6 mo.		Michigan
Peggy Voter	F	61		Massachusetts

• 1860 Census: 1860 United States Federal Census, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group 29; Series M653; Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan; Roll M653_558; FHL Film 803558; page 691; Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7667 #44715214 (accessed 4 April 2024)
  • Nelson Gerry (35), Farmer, in Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan.
  • NOTE: Probable census taker errors for place of birth.

Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Birth Place
Nelson Gerry	M	35	Farmer	Ireland
Ann Gerry	F	34		Ireland
Horatio Gerry	M	24	Laborer	Ireland
Alvord Gerry	M	21		Ireland
Norman Gerry	M	19		Ireland
Jane Gerry	F	17		Ireland
Julia E Gerry	F	16		Michigan
Annie Gerry	F			Michigan
Lydia Gerry	F	13		Michigan
George Gerry	M	12		Michigan
James Gerry	M	8		Michigan
John Gerry	M	1		Michigan