Need Help With A Difficult Brick Wall

+9 votes
206 views

Hello Wikitree Team,

I'm wondering if anyone can help me with a couple of my Gx2 Grandparents.

Their names are William G Foulks and Anna "Annie" R Primrose.

These two have been arguably the most frustrating brick walls on my tree as they are the most recent, sans one. My fellow genealogist brother, one of my mom's cousins (another genealogist) and a first rate genealogist that I am friends with have uncovered little about them either.

What I know is:

William was born about 1858 in Queen Anne's County Maryland. His middle name might be Garland (unconfirmed). Annie was born about 1862 in Queen Anne's County Maryland. (although one census says 1866, which is wrong.) They wed in Queen Anne's County in 1880. They had 8 children, but tragically 4 died as children according to census reports. Their youngest survivor, Charles Alvin, is my Great Grandfather.

They are on the 1880, 1900 and 1910 census, but disappear after this which likely means one or both died before the next census of 1920. At some point in early adulthood Charles Alvin legally changed his last name to Foulke. Reason is unknown, but living ancestors who knew him said he didn't like to talk about his past or family which leads me to believe there was some animosity. He died in 1961.

What I would like help with is to try and find when William and Annie died and where (there is nothing on FindAGrave) as well as who their parents and any siblings were. Don't go crazy on this, it hasn't been easy to get what I've gotten so far, but any kind of information anyone can contribute will be most graciously received.

Links:

Marriage info, 5th down from top: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mdwillis/L2QA/L2QA31.htm

1880 Census: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNQY-7MJ

1900 Census: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M326-MNZ

1910 Census: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2N9-D19

EDIT:

Patricia Stockley adds the 1920 Census with their name misspelled: http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=6061

Dottie Townsend Kahhan has possible death info on William (last name spelled as son spelled in): http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dckahhan&id=I38691

Many Thank You's to the anonymous sender of William's parents from the 1860 census! If this is indeed them, then this is great information! Puzzling they list him as being 5 in 1860 when he is listed as 21 on his 1880 marriage certificate. Hmmm

 

in Genealogy Help by Kenny Zinnato G2G1 (1.9k points)
edited by Kenny Zinnato
The privacy level on that profile is yellow.  It's easier for others to help if the profile is set to open so the details show.
I'm not sure which profile you're looking at, but William and Annie are white.

Foulks-125

Primrose-142

2 Answers

+5 votes

 in the 1920 United States Federal Census

Name: William G Folks
Age: 61
Birth Year: abt 1859
Birthplace: Maryland
Home in 1920: Crumpton, Queen Anne's, Maryland
House Number: X
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Annie R Folks
Father's Birthplace: Maryland
Mother's Birthplace: Maryland
Able to Speak English: Yes
Occupation: Baggage Master
Industry: Rail Road
   
   
Household Members:
Name Age
William G Folks 61
Annie R Folks 56
Annie V Folks 32
F Galand Folks 3
[3 9/12] 

Source Citation

Year: 1920; Census Place: Crumpton, Queen Anne's, Maryland; Roll: T625_675; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 83; Image: 969

Source Information

Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

Original data: Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NAR.

by Patricia Stockley G2G6 Pilot (145k points)

Well no wonder we couldn't find them on the 1920 census their name wasn't spelled correctly. 

Further, the great Dottie Townsend Kahhan says William likely did die in March 1920, although she has William's name as his son spelled it: 

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgibin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dckahhan&id=I38691

Thank You, Patricia for this info!

 

+3 votes

These articles may or may not reference your William.

"The Baltimore Sun" of Monday June 19, 1899, page 7 entitled "Queen Annes Primaries. Lively Scramble Among Democrats for Places on the Ticket." 

"The following delegates elected to the nominating convention which will meet on Tuesday: ... ... ... District 7.  James E. Higman, Albert Story, H. Clay Hendrix, W. G. Foulks, Samuel A. Wallen."

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6750649/the_baltimore_sun/

"The Baltimore Sun" of Thursday May 17, 1900, page 8 entitled "Maryland Notes."

"Constables have been appointed in Queen Anne's county as folllows: S. Carroll Johnson, S. C. Faulkner, W. M. Dunn, T. Frank Seward, Robert Coursey, C. S. Jump, George A. Whiteley, Edgar Hopkins, C. H. Allen, Carroll Vane, Samuel H. Walls, W. R. Coleman and W. G. Foulks."

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6750754/the_baltimore_sun/

A dead letter is noted for a Foulks, Wm. in Brooklyn station in "The Baltimore Sun" on January 21, 1901 on page 1. 

https://www.newspapers.com/image/214341267/

"The Baltimore Sun" of Sunday November 16  1902, page 7 entitled "Chestertown and Kent County."  This references 2 of the children. 

"... The friends of Miss Alverda Edwards near Crumpton, Kent county tendered her a surprise party.  Those present were Misses Bessie Webb and Anna Melvin, of Washington College, Chestertown; Misses Mary Davis and Ethel Solloway, of Chesterville; Miss Lena Bishop, of Galena; Misses Elsie Woodall, Gussie Walls, Ada Stevens and Anna Foulks, of Crumpton; Messrs. Clever, Spencer Coleman, William P. Foulks, Andrew Woodall, John Jarvis, Harry Talbot, Roy Stafford, Willie Woodall, Joel Clements, Clarence Clark, Wright Coleman, Elwood Coleman and Howard Melvin."

https://www.newspapers.com/image/214598517/

Other similar get-togethers that include Anna and William (Willie) are: 

https://www.newspapers.com/image/214608219/ in December 1902

https://www.newspapers.com/image/214411494/ in January 1903

There are also a number of articles that mention a successful pitcher named Foulks, but I did not find a first name so I will not mention that here.  

"The Baltimore Sun" of Monday, June 21, 1920, page 5 in a section about fines to drivers includes:

"William Foulks, Cleveland, was fined $40 and costs for exceeding the speed limit and for going past a car moving in the same direction on the right side instead of the left."

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6751027/the_baltimore_sun/

It's not much, but maybe there's a clue here for you. 

 

by Cathryn Hondros G2G6 Mach 5 (52.1k points)
In any case, your effort is appreciated, Cathryn!
Just a note on spelling names. I have some Faulkes in my Tree and they are variously spelt: Foulks, Faulks, Faulx, Faux, Fox, Foxe, Faucks, Foux, Floukes, Falx, Falks etc. Try to sound out names and think what they could possibly be changed into. Asking young children how to spell a name sometimes reveals some gems!

Also, ages are often given verbally/out loud to a Census Collector and can get mixed up among family members. I have had quite some trouble where there have been family members of 3 generations in a Census, all with the same name, eg. John Done as Grandpa, father and son. Also ages have been sometimes to the nearest 5 years or husband and wife have swapped ages (AND birth places). So tricky!
Indeed. Thank you for your reply!

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