John McCormick, sister Lillian Margaret, mother Christina of Dauphin County PA - late 1800s

+3 votes
202 views
Lillian Margaret is my great grandmother. Sometimes listed as Margaret Lillian. Born around 1879 (though she was known to fudge her age a bit). Her marriage certificate to my great grandfather, Edgar Esher Huff, lists her mother’s name as Christina. Lillian was a teacher in Harrisburg prior to her marriage and Edgar was an inspector for Pennsylvania Railroad, residing in Milton, Pennsylvania. He left Milton and PA Railroad around the time of his marriage and moved to Germantown Philadelphia where he and others from PA Railroad joined Fire Marine and Inland Insurance Company. John was also in the insurance business and possibly “John G. McCormick” who is listed as an insurance inspector for Pennsylvania RR. This relationship is probably how Edgar met Lillian. Family stories also say that John McCormick was responsible for writing the first million dollar insurance policy.
WikiTree profile: Lillian Huff
in Genealogy Help by Deborah Smith G2G Crew (310 points)
Hi Deborah, and welcome!  Do you have a question about Lillian?
Yes! I can’t seem to find out who her parents were other than her mother’s first name was Christina. Looking for her father’s name and mother’s maiden name. Also a birthdate for her brother and if there were more siblings.

Their name may have been changed from McCormack and though she had no accent, perhaps her family emigrated when she was a small child? The rest of my family lines have been here since the 1600 and 1700s.

3 Answers

+4 votes
 
Best answer

Lillian's marriage record gave her mother's name as Christiana:

"Pennsylvania Marriages, 1709-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V267-BRC : 11 February 2018), Edgar Esher Huff and Lilian Margaret Mccormick, 19 Nov 1902; citing Dauphin, Pennsylvania; FHL microfilm 21,172.

Looking for Christiana, I found a couple of intriguing possibilities.

1900 Census, living as mother-in-law in the home of Adelaide Bach:

"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3S7-J19 : accessed 17 April 2019), Chris. M. Mccormick in household of T* Bach, Precinct 3 Harrisburg city Ward 6, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 59, sheet 13A, family 291, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,402.

Born about 1836 in Pennsylvania, both parents born in Germany.  Also in the home was a Jno L McCormick, brother-in-law, born 1872, occupation Insurance.

In 1880, John and Adelaide lived with their widowed mother Christ, born in Germany in 1834:

"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWFS-Z8K : 15 July 2017), Christ Mccormick, 1880; citing enumeration district ED 93, sheet 327D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d), roll 1123; FHL microfilm 1,255,123.

Unfortunately, no Lillian or Margaret in the home.  The 1900 Census indicated Mrs McCormick had six children, and all six are listed in the 1880 Census.  It all fits, except for the missing Lillian.

by Living Tardy G2G6 Pilot (762k points)
selected by Susan Laursen
Oh my! How did I miss that? I’ve been scouring Family Search for days, weeks. Thank you SO much! I love WikiTree!
I can see a possible explanation for Lillian to be missing from both census records. She wasn’t completely honest about her birthdate, ever and may have been born in 1880, after the census. Christina could have been recently widowed. For the 1900 census, she could have either been in school or moved away from home. I found records of her as a school teacher in Philadelphia in 1901 and 1902.

Ah, I was trying to find a schoolteacher in Harrisburg in 1900.

If I found the right family, she would have to have changed her name, and fudged her age a whack load.  She wasn't Adelaide, because Adelaide was married to Tillman Bach.  Next daughter was Emma, born 1864, then Rose (1857), and Elizabeth (1854).  Dates from the 1880 Census, not necessarily accurate.

Christiana's husband was William, a machinist born about 1825.  In 1860, the Census showed they had a daughter (?) named Margaret, born in 1847.  Great, but Christiana was only 14 at the time, if the dates are right.

"United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXTM-HNR : 13 December 2017), William Mc Cormick, 1860.

William died of a stroke in 1873:

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6ST-M9Z : 9 March 2018), William Mccormick, 04 Oct 1873; citing , Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; FHL microfilm 2,022,001.

I'm starting to wonder if we're off by a generation?  Maybe this Christiana and William were your ggm's grandparents rather than her parents?

Or.....Lillian’s father was the boarder listed in the 1880 census. ;)

Family scandals oh my! LOL!

Thank you SO much! Definitely the right family.

My pleasure!  smiley

Wait a minute! Perhaps you’re right and Christina and William were Lillian’s grandparents. Maybe their daughter Margaret was her mother. Hmmm...curious. Since her last name was still McCormick, she was either born out of wedlock or her mother married a McCormick.

It gets even more confusing.  I think William had a previous wife named Louisa, more likely to have been Margaret's mother.  Here they are in 1850:

"United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4CL-1D4 : 12 April 2016), Wm Mccormick, Spring Garden, ward 4, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family 1212, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Note the occupation, Machinist.  Too many coincidences for it not to be the same father, daughter, and son William (b 1870).

Just found William in the 1850 census with Louisa McCormick. She must have been his first wife, Margaret’s mother as well as all the other children except John and Lillian. No Christina in this one.
Just found Margaret McCormick living in Philadelphia with her sister Rose and husband in the 1900 census. Birth year 1879. Same family but who was her father if William died in 1873?!
I would say don't believe the ages.  In 1860, Rose was 3, and in 1880, she was 23.  By 1900, she was only 40.  Margaret could have been born 1873-4 if William died while her mother was pregnant.  Much harder to explain why Margaret is not with the family in the 1880 Census.
I’m now thinking that Rose (Rosanna, Rosa, Rosie) May have been Lillian’s (Margaret) mother and was raised in Harrisburg with William’s family. It would explain why she doesn’t appear in the 1880 census with the rest of the family. More digging to do!

Thanks for the star, Susan!  smiley

+4 votes
Pennsylvania Death Certificate, 1906-1966, Ancestry.com

Lallian Margaret Huff (McCormick) born Feb 14 1880, died Oct 15 1961,

Born in Harrisburg Pennsylvania, Death Cert 091438-61 .
by Wayne Morgan G2G Astronaut (1.0m points)
I never would have thought to look for the misspelling “Lallian”

The dates seem about right. Wish the record contained her parent’s names.

Thank you!
+4 votes
You may contact Pennsylvania Birth records Death Cert if correct

shows born Feb 14 1880.
by Wayne Morgan G2G Astronaut (1.0m points)
Imisspelled it is lillian not Lallian,

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