Am looking for parents/family of Henry L(Lewis?) Wilson b 1847 Virginia.

Question

According to Henry, born in Virginia - both parents born in Virginia as well. All three could be West Virginia (since didn't split until 1861). Physical description was tall 6 foot+, blonde-ish hair, with light (blue?) eyes. Henry has been DNA confirmed to match my paternal line (Charles Harding b 1785 Montgomer Co, MD) who settled in Harrison County, Ohio.

Henry is listed in 1880 Federal census, Garland County, Arkansas as a single 33 year old, Wagon Maker. He married Mary Ann Nolen in September 1882; residing in Yell County, Arkansas. Their first few children were named Willie, Bessie, and "Berks". I presumed "Berks" may be mother's maiden name or place where Henry grew up...(ie) Burke's Mill, Augusta, Virginia.

Comments

Married in 1882,there is no 1890 Census,Do not see 1900 Census.

married Mary Ann Nolen 1882. did not find 3 children.What"s wrong.

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The three children apparently died young.  They are shown on FindAGrave in the Wilson Cemetery, Ola, Yell, Arkansas, with no dates. There are also no pictures of gravestones and no sources for the information.

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Yes, Henry's family and I believe the first 3 children must have died very young - as babies. According to the family, Most of family is buried in Wilson Family Cemetery in Yell County, Arkansas...including Henry and Mary Ann.

According to a WWI Draft Registration from 5 Jan 1917, there is a 23 year old Albert (William Albert Wilson) living in Stillwater, Payne, Oklahoma that matches the physical description of Henry. And could very well be one of his children. There is a gravestone in Wilson Family Cemetery (Yell Co, Arkansas) for "Albert" and one for "Willie". So, I am assuming this is Albert.

Here is the problem I have with this being the correct Albert. According to the 1900 Census Yell County, Arkansas for Mary Ann Wilson, she lists she only had 3 living children out of 7 born - Alex, Marcus, & Harriette. It is possible the census enumerator was incorrect on the form. But if this is the correct Albert, then he would have only been 6 years old in 1900, so should have been listed as living with his parents.

Answer 1

Although this doesn't answer your question, it should help differentiate this Henry L. Wilson. There are profiles for this Henry L. Wilson on Ancestry Family Trees. On several trees there is attached a Virginia death certificate for a Henry Wilson, son of Peter and Henriette Wilson, b. 1853 in Virginia, showing that he died on 8 Jan 1922 in Richmond, Henrico, Virginia, I don't think that is the same man, for several reasons:  
* First, in 1920, he was living with his wife Mary Ann in Ward (Ola), Yell, Arkansas. The person who died in Richmond was single.

* Second, the Henry Wilson who died in Richmond lived in Richmond.

* Third, although the marriage record of M A Nolen and H L Wilson shows that he was 29 years old in 1853, all the census records show that he was born about 1847, and the 1900 US Census shows that he was born in Nov 1847.

* Fourth, the informant on the Death Certificate is sister Antoinette.  If Henry and his much younger wife were living in Yell County, Arkansas, in 1920, I don't think the informant would be sister Antoinette (either an RC nun or a sibling).  It would have been his wife or a child.

* Fifth, the man who died in 1922 in Virginia was to be buried at the Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Richmond, an RC cemetery.  Henry had lived in Yell County, Arkansas, for more that 40 years. It is probable that he would have been buried there, even if he died in Virginia.

Comments

Thank you Vic. I don't believe the Henrico County, VA Henry is the correct one either. According to the family, the reason Henry lied about his age when he married Mary Ann, was he didn't want to accentuate the fact he was 20 years older than her. Yes, Henry WAS born in Nov 1847 and was 35 when he married Mary Ann. She was just 15 years old. Her parents were both dead, and she was living with a guardian (uncle?). According to the family, the guardian was happy to see Mary Ann married, because that was one less worry in his life.

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According to Henry's grandson, both Henry and Mary Ann are buried in Wilson Family Cemetery in Ola, Yell, Arkansas. But no one can locate the death certificate for Henry, nor the head stones for either of them. There is not a obit in the Newspaper either (Fort Smith?)

The family is stumped and just speculating where Henry came from. Old family story is his birth surname was Harding, but changed it when had to leave town in a hurry. Presumably Wilson was mother's name or step-father's name?? We don't know if Henry was running from the law, or left due to a murder (committed by someone else to family), or ??? We also don't know if Henry was married before. Being Henry was 35 years old when he married Mary Ann seems unlikely this was his first marriage. Maybe his former wife? (& children?) died suddenly of illness and that made Henry leave town? Any help or hints are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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Henry was also a very common name back then. And there were lots of Henrys (white, black, & mulatto) born in Virginia. Blacks and whites didn't mingle much at that time. If Henry was born to a black mother, but fathered by white man, then the parents would not have been able to marry. Again, just throwing out ideas. ???