Dead end on 3rd great grandfather Moses P Hewitt b. 1808 New York. No birth or death records.

Question

I can find census info for him for many years, but I can't figure out what year he died or who his parents are?? I'm starting to think he changed his name or something...

Answer 1

On his death, have you made a list of his children, not just your direct ancestor, and checked the areas around them?  His wife died in 1864, and, in the 1880 census, he was 72, without any family living with him.  Given that he's not buried with his wife, it makes one wonder if he was relocated to live with a child.

I have had several ancestors where they didn't die and weren't buried in the area that they had lived for all or most of their lives and, most times, I have found that they moved to live with a child - most often a daughter - and died there,

Comments

Thank you, I wondered the same. I do know who all his children are, so I'll investigate them more closely.

Answer 2

Although I don't have any information on who his parents where, here are some possibilities to investigate. (I don't have any records of any of them having a son named Moses at this point).

James Hewitt (1758-1839), died in Oswego County.

Palmer Hewitt (1785-1842), died in Oswego County and was married to Lavina Brace in 1806). They had several children.

Moses Hewitt (1786-1830), of Saratoga County.

Comments

Saratoga County appears like the natural place to look for the earlier family, both because his profile references that as his birthplace and the presence of an older Moses Hewitt there.

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Suggestion: look for Wills and probate records for these men.

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Good ideas thank you!  Will look into these...