William Watson Green (1823 - bef. 1858) Died at Sea! The Green Family Mystery

Question

Hi Wikitree Family there is a genealogy puzzle and mystery to solve here with yet again the common “Green” or “Greene” surname. We have here William Watson Green (son of Charles Green and Jane Ann Watson) dying in his travels to America aboard the ship carrying him and family. He was sailing to America with his wife Eliza Hill (Green) Willis and 8 kids; (So based on kids birth he died between 1855-1858) his widow remarried Mr. James Willis after James Willis wife dies in the new world. The two families met aboard the ship coming from England! The children I believe all were born in England or onboard that ship; however as you can see the place of births of the last of the children born were in America. There has been much help in last few days updating the profile. We need some good genealogy detectives here ! See also G2g Discussion from 2018

Help the Green family connect the dots

Many clues here as step-son is William Charles Green as shown in Census so even refers to Mr. Willis as his step father 

See this record showing the step children in household of 1875 Census 

Household	Role	Sex	Age	Birthplace
James Willis	Father	M	87
Eliza Willis	Wife	F	49
William Green	Stepson	M	22
John Green	Stepson	M	20
James Willis	Son	M	17
George Willis	Son	M	14
Albert Willis	Son	M	12
Henry Willis	Son	M	8

New York State Census, 1875

Children’s profiles still need to be added much work to be done in this regard

Thank you Wikitree family 

Comments

I'm not trying to be awkward here, and it's an interesting story, but I'm not entirely clear what your question is.  Are you asking for help figuring out where some of the children were born?  Or who was the child of which father?  Or something else?

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Trying to figure out where did he die? On the ship or in Canada or New York? The kids were born some of them in America so he couldn’t of died on the ship!

Need help adding sources of the family and children basically the genealogy of this group  

Who was Mr. James Willis first wife and did he have kids by her  

Also William C. Green who married Eva Barrett where did he die?

I don’t believe William Watson Green died at sea

Sara Is working on his profile and finding some amazing sources and doing an amazing Job!!

Well, he probably did Drown just not on that boat!

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See reply below

Answer 1

I did a TON of work on this family, including proving the Green and Willis families did not meet on the ship because they immigrated in different years and proving William Green did not die on-board the ship because he and Eliza had more children after immigrating to New York. I also added sources for each of the children of William and Eliza Green, including births and marriages. I also searched the 1851 Canada Census — some records are missing, but it appears William only worked in Dundee, Quebec, which is very close to Chateaugay, New York, where the Greens lived. So I too don’t understand what you’re asking, Andrew.

Comments

Thank you Sarah you did an amazing job and helped so much. I asked this question to show what we are working on and to get some more interest in this family group also to show the genealogy and debunk the story which wasn’t making sense. I’m trying to find out more about all of the kids and especially William. It looks great! Much appreciation. I’m still trying to find obits for all the kids.

I wanted to award you a badge of appreciation but you already have them lol your awesome!

Answer 2

If Edward who died in 1888 and was buried in Ridgeway Cemetery was the son of James Willis and his first wife, then this might be the family in 1850.  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCYD-NQR  Although the birthplaces and James' age are wrong, they are living in the town where the profile says James Willis married Eliza Green.  I had a look in the 1851 census for Canada and couldn't see a James Willis aged 50 or over there.

There are a couple of James and Jane Willises in the 1841 census of England but neither matches the expected ages particularly well and neither has a son Edward.  There are several marriages of James Willises to Janes listed on FamilySearch between 1815 and 1848.

Comments

I was able to add the kids some of them to the wiki and have obits still need help with the other kids

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Makes sense I kept thinking James had only 4 boys but this does look like James family before marrying widow Eliza and right after his first wife’s death.