James Ingram (1823 - 1900)

Born 27 Feb 1823 in Gartly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth Mary (Urwin) Ingram — married 28 May 1857 in Louisville, Cass, Nebraska, USA

Descendants

Died 19 Oct 1900 at age 77 in Lawrence, Nuckolls, Nebraska, USA

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Biography

James was baptised 13th April 1823, son of Adam Ingram and Margaret McGregor.

The following can be seen on the original parish register:

"______ natural son to Adam Ingram in Comerton & Margt McGregor was baptised witnesses ______" (spaces are simply left blank on the register).

James went to England at the age of fourteen, where he spent three years mainly working on the construction of the railways. He then spent a further three years on the Channel Islands, constructing a breakwater.

Around 1847, James left England via Liverpool on the "Florida", bound for New York City. On July 4th of that year, James arrived in Buffalo, where he went on to Elgin, Illinois via Chicago, where again he became employed in railway construction, this time promoted to Foreman along the way. James was involved in the construction of the Chicago & Galena Railroad, then Michigan Southern Railroad while living in Indiana, and the Chicago & Rock Railroad near LaSalle, Illinois.

After a period working as a contractor on the Illinois Central Railroad, James went to Guthrie County in Iowa and began farming. In the autumn of 1856, he came to Nebraska and settled in Louisville.

James married Elizabeth Urwin on 16th May 1857. They had a total of fourteen children, three of whom, Joseph, Samuel and Mary did not survive infancy.

Note that James' age was increasingly exaggerated later in life, as can be seen on the progressing census entries, and an age of 90 was claimed at the time of his death (see Find a Grave entry for more on this).

Sources

• Scotland Births and Baptisms:

<https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYX8-6J1>

• 1860 US Census:

<https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6RF-Y39>

• 1870 US Census:

<https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHDS-WBF>

• 1880 US Census:

<https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8YW-18Q>

• 1885 Nebraska Census:

<https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X3XN-YWT>

• Extract from "Portrait and Biographical Album of Otoe and Cass Counties, Nebraska" (1889) provided by Jerry Ingram

• 1900 US Census:

<https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3BN-MBG>

• Find a Grave entry:

<https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/35502780>