How would I go about finding living decendants of a family member?

Question

How would I go about finding living decendants of Salvanus Jackson Quinn born 3-8-1837 died 9-6-1910 Fredericksburg, Va.? This family has our Hack family Bible. Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi Mary,

You could start, as I expect you have done, with looking for census and BMD records.  Then look for other records like baptisms and even newspaper articles (although I haven't often found newpaper articles, from time to time i get something really good that makes all the searching worth while).

One thing I have found incredibly good, and the reason I joined WikiTree, is collaborating with other family members.  I'm now in email contact with relatives in Austrailia - and these are relatives a month or so ago I didn't even know I had.  I'm also in touch with people in the UK I haven't seen, or been in contact with, for 40 years.  We are exchanging photographs and family information.  As a result of a large tree I found on MyHeritage, I mangaged to get in in contact with the owner, another relative of mine, and we have now merged our trees on WikiTree.  Collaborating is an incredibly fun and fruitful way of doing genealogy!  It tends to cascade - make contact with one person and they will know someone else.

Just make sure you keep looking for evidence, checking and properly recording sources!  Also, do make use of the great privacy controls on WikiTree to protect living people.

Answer 2

You could start using the free search tool at: https://familysearch.org/

And look for some of his descendants in later census – up to 1940 – and try to find names and locations.

Then try whitepages.com or other directories  to look further or look for death certs to see if there are descendants listed there.  Examples below for dau Mary Josephine Quinn Hicks.

United States Census, 1910

Citing this Record  "United States Census, 1910," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MPPK-31Y

self  Silvanus J Quinn  M 73y Georgia

wife  Mary L Quinn F 58y Virginia

son  Silvanus B Quinn M 28y Virginia

dau  Mattie D Quinn F 24y Virginia

dau  Minnie M Quinn F 18y Virginia

dau  Mary Quinn Hicks F 40y Virginia

 James R Hicks M 40y Virginia

 Des Val Q Hicks M 12y Virginia

 

1940  Upper Ward, Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg City, Fredericksburg City, VA

Citing this Record  "United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VR15-1C7

head  Duval Hicks M 42 Virginia

wife  Helen Hicks F 36 Virginia

son  Duval Hicks M 20 Virginia

dau  Dorothy Hicks F 14 Virginia

son  James Hicks M 12 Virginia

father  James R Hicks  M 71 Virginia

Answer 3

Mary,

You might look at the digital collection on line at the Library of Virginia.

There are copies of several Hicks Bibles there may be what you are looking for.

You might also try to contact Ben J. Hicks who lives in Fredericksburg as he is a direct descendant of James R Hicks and Mary Josephine Quinn.

Sincerely,

Sarah