G2G: Could someone help me find Ancestors of Josephine Blanchard (1859-1934)? [closed]

Question

Blanchard-4982

She surfaced in her 1883 marriage in Malden,Masssachusetts, USA to my maternal great grandfather Joseph Calender Harris

I am stymied here with a gapping missing branch low in my family tree.  Any help will be eternally and gratefully appreciated.

Ed

Answer 1

Her marriage record from Malden, Massachusetts - which is available at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2511/images/41262_b139306-00172?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=2a220ddad0b0093f1897d1afe164392d&usePUB=true&_phsrc=qcN40001&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.153921272.192037714.1632959812-1426102163.1556485196&pId=13408832- states that her father was William Blanchard and her mother was Laura Blanchard.

Answer 2

My research is focusing on Josephine’s parents.

When and where were they born and died?

We know they were born somewhere in Quebec and based on Josphine’s age we can assume they were born around 1840 or before.  That is it.

Josephine’s 1900 census record indicates she arrived in the U.S. as an infant, thus her parents as well.

The only remotely reasonable match in known records for Josephine’s family found todate is that of Julia (Bundy) Blanchard, see

      https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GZH9-LP3

but there are inconsistencies with that family’s records.

Also one should not confuse Julia Bundy with Julia A, Bundy who married Charles A. Wilcox in the same place at the same date as did Julia Bundy and William Blanchard https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LWMC-M64

Bottom line, what is needed is a record that 

1) ties the Josephine Blanchard who married in 1883 at Malden, Massachusetts to the family of William and Julia (Bundy) Blanchard who are listed the 1880 census at N. Providence, R.I. 

2) records for the births and deaths of the parents of the Blanchard family in R.I.

3) newspaper obits of either parent showing surviving children

4) probate record showing names of surviving children.

Thanks for your continued interest in my great grandparents

Ed Fields

Answer 3

I have found a Josephine Blanchard in this United States Census, 1880 (Family 372)

I don't know if this can help

1. Leon Lemonts Male 27 1853 Canada Married All... Mills White Self Canada Canada 0 A 548 1
2. Hattie Lemonts Female 27 1853 Canada Married Wapping White Wife Canada Canada 1 A 548 1
3. Josephine Blanchard Female 19 1861 Canada Single Wapping White Sister Canada Canada 2 A 548 1

"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB8-X75?cc=1417683&wc=XCFY-MNL%3A1589405656%2C1589405685%2C1589400462%2C1589395305 : 24 December 2015), Massachusetts > Essex > Lawrence > ED 201 > image 45 of 45; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, (National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C., n.d.)

Comments

Ah yes, this is the Josephine Blanchard that I once thought to be my relative.  This Josephine also married in 1883, but to Fred M. Morgan and not to my Joseph C. Harris. See https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LWL6-6RB

I am still focused on the William and Julia (Bundy) Blanchard family at  https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GZH9-PDS

They had a daughter Josephine, age 11 in the 1870 census but not present at age 21 with the family in the 1880 census.  No RI (or CT) marriage has been found for this Josephine Blanchard.  She could have gone to nearby MA, met and married my Joseph C. Harris.

I wonder if a North Providence, RI newspaper published a March 1883 marriage announcement for the RI Josephine Harris with family names?  This could tie the RI Blanchard family to the MA Harris family.

To that end, I have recently emailed the library in Malden, MA asking if they have 1883 newspaper archives. Obits in RI for William and Julia (Bundy) Blanchard could provide names of surviving children. In an ideal world their daughter Josephine would be listed as Josephine Harris.

This of course is further complicated because both William and  Julia (Bundy)  Blanchard are not found after the 1880 census in RI  and are not in MA city lists or census records in Malden, MA or environs.

Thanks for maintaining an interest in my dilemma.

ed fields

---

Updates to this Blanchard saga

* Josephine is found at age 21 in 1880, employed as as servant in the Manwaring household in Norwich, New London, CT

* William and Julia are found in 1900 at New Bedford, Massachusetts

* William Blanchard died in Norwick, Kent, Rhode, Island on 23 Feb 1901, he is buried in West Norwick at St, Joseph Cemetery under the name Blanchette with his daughter Melina (Blanchard) Proulx (-1903) and not with his spouse Julia (Bundy).

* Julia (Bundy) Blanchard died in New Bedford on 29 Jul 1903. Death record indicates burial at ‘French Cemetery’, not located.