Robert Rainford (1849 - 1926)

Born 13 Sep 1849 in Joliet, Will, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Betsey Ann (Franklin) Rainford — married 10 Apr 1870 in Will Co, Illinois, USA

Descendants

Died 20 Mar 1926 at age 76 in Joliet, Will, Illinois, United States

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Biography

Robert Rainford was the child born in America 13 September 1849 in Joliet, Illinois, USA, after his father, George Rainford, and mother, George Rainford, emigrated from London, England a few months before his birth. With his three older siblings he was in Joliet for the 1850 census. He was baptized 06 Oct 1851 at St Patrick's Catholic Church in Joliet by Father George Hamilton. Robert's mother was also baptized, just before Robert, since she had grown up in the Church of England.

His mother died the next day, just after he turned 2 years old, having borne 6 children, two who died as infants in England.

His sister Mary Elizabeth (Polly) was ten years older and may have been a little mother to him since they were close for the rest of their lives. Robert was 4 when his father remarried and that ended his days as the youngest child. Dr. George and Margaret Wilcox had 12 children, plus a daughter Mattie Wilcox who came along.

He married Betsey Ann Franklin on 6 April 1870 in Will, Illinois, USA. She was the daughter of Polly's husband Jason Franklin, by a previous marriage. For the first years they lived with Jason and Polly, probably due to Betsey's youth.

They had three children during their marriage. Betsey died in 1899. Robert continued to be involved with their children, working as a painter with son Willis and raising daughter Cora's children after her early death. He died on 20 March 1926 in his hometown at the age of 76, and was buried in Wilmington, Illinois, USA.^[1]

Marriage for Robert Rainford at Statewide Marriage Index, Illinois State Archives- RAINFORD, ROBERT FRANKLIN, BETSEY ANN 1870-04-10 WILL and they had three children:

Their children included...

1. Willis Robert Rainford was born 28 Aug 1871 in Wilmington, Will County, Illinois and died 2 JULY 1958, Hobson, Judith Basin, Montana, USA. ^[2]
2. Sarah Elizabeth "Essie" Rainford Kearns Carroll was born 29 Jan 1873 Wilmington, Will, Illinois, USA and died 05 Oct 1927 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA. Robert's daughter Essie had one son, Jack Carrol and died in Chicago the year after her father.
3. Lillian Cora "Cora" Rainford Hundley was born Aug 1879 in Wilmington, Will, Illinois, and died there 24 Mar 1919.

Details about his life

- On 06 Oct 1851, Willis was baptized in Will, Illinois, USA Source: records of St Patrick's in Joliet. See photo

- United States Census, 1850 ^[3]

- United States Census, 1860 ^[4]

- United States Census, 1870 ^[5]

- In 1880, Robert and Betsey moved to Lake Village Indiana, where Robert's father had moved, and worked as a farmer. But by 1884 they were back in Will County.^[6]

- United States Census, 1880 ^[7]

- In 1883, Property land ownership records. Robert's plot adjoined the Franklin land. However this was apparently sold or lost. ^[8]

- In 1884, Robert was a taxpayer in Westley Township, Will IL. :U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918 Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Original data - Various publishers of County Land Ownership Atlases. Microfilmed by the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. ^[6]

- In 1900, Robert and his son Willis are both boarding with Cora and her husband. He appears in the city directory, boards 117 N Chicago. ^[9]

- United States Census, 1900: By 1900 Betsy had died and Robert was widowed. ^[10]

- In 1901, Robert is a laborer, Willis is a painter/fencemaker and Cora is a domestic ^[11] Robert's son Willis married Lola Mae Besse in 1901 and they had three sons, Alvin, Calvin and Clyde.

- In 1910, Cora's husband has disappeared. Robert is living with Cora who is widowed with six children under age 10. Willis left Illinois to homestead in Montana.^[2]

- By 1911, Willis had decided he didn't like painting or cities, so he took Alvin and went off to homestead in Montana. Lola took the two younger boys to her family in South Dakota.

- United States Census, 1920: 1920 Robert is 70, raising his 6 grandchildren after daughter Cora died. Robert is living in Wilmington with Cora when she died in 1919, leaving children aged 18,16,14,13, and twins aged 12. Robert was 71 years old and raising Cora's children in the 1920 census. ^[12]

- Robert passed away on 20 Mar 1926 in Joliet, Will, IL Silver Cross Hospital, 3 am of arteriosclerosis.

Burial

Oakwood Cemetery, Wilmington, Will County, Illinois, USA. ^[13]

Robert Rainford (13 Sep 1849–20 Mar 1926),

- Find A Grave: Memorial #179077176

Research Notes

Willis, Roberts only son, lived to be 87 in Montana. His son Cal moved there and built a house for Lola, his mother. Clyde stayed in South Dakota and became a farmer. He lived till 1926 when he died of arteriosclerosis and was buried next to Cora in the Oakwood Cemetery, Wilmington. His wife Betsey had been buried 37 years before in the Joliet cemetery. Cora's oldest married daughter took the three youngest children. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #179077176
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} "Montana Death Index, 1907-2002" Name Willis Rainford Age 64 Estimated Birth Year abt 1894 Death Date 2 Jul 1958 Marital Status Married Or Separated Index Number 566 Source Montana State Genealogical Society
3. ↑ 1850 Census: "United States Census, 1850". Citing Affiliate Publication Number: M432; Affiliate Film Number: 133; Line: 14; FHL microfilm: 442921; Record number: 16383;. FamilySearch (accessed 16 January 2022) FamilySearch Image Image number 00398. Robert Rainford (1) in Joliet, Will, Illinois, United States.
4. ↑ 1860 Census: "United States Census, 1860". Citing Page: 307; Affiliate Publication Number: M653; Affiliate Film Number: 192; FHL microfilm: 803192; Record number: 11935;. FamilySearch (accessed 16 January 2022) FamilySearch Image Image number 00314. Robert Kainford (9) in Rockville, Kankakee, Illinois, United States. Born in Ill.
5. ↑ 1870 Census: "United States Census, 1870". Citing Page: 23; Affiliate Publication Number: M593; Line: 14; FHL microfilm: 000545791; Record number: 16872;. FamilySearch (accessed 16 January 2022) FamilySearch Image Image number 00430. Robert Rainford (20) head of household in Wesley Township, Will, Illinois, United States.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Souvenir of settlement and progress of Will County, Ill. : a review of the lives of our presidents, political, military and commercial history of the United States and of the State of Illinois Source: https://archive.org/details/souvenirofsettle00chic P 457
7. ↑ 1880 Census: "United States Census, 1880". Citing Volume: 1; Affiliate Publication Number: T9; Affiliate Film Number: 0301; Affiliate Line Number: 00004; FHL microfilm: 1254301; Record number: 13530982;. FamilySearch (accessed 16 January 2022) FamilySearch Image Image number 00443. Robert Raniford (30), married head of household in Lake Township, Newton, Indiana, United States. Born in Illinois, United States.
8. ↑ U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918 Will IL 1873
9. ↑ U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 Illinois Joliet 1900 Joliet, Illinois, City Directory, p 518
10. ↑ 1900 Census: "United States Census, 1900". Citing Affiliate Publication Number: T623; Line: 52; FHL microfilm: 1240353; Record number: 51742;. FamilySearch (accessed 16 January 2022) FamilySearch Image. Robert Rainford (51), widowed father-in-law in household of Edward Hundley (30) in Joliet Township Joliet city Ward 7, Will, Illinois, United States.
11. ↑ Wiggins' Joliet City Directory 1901-1902
12. ↑ 1920 Census: "United States Census, 1920". Citing Affiliate Publication Number: T625; Affiliate Film Number: 415; Line: 40; FHL microfilm: 1820415; Record number: 26935;. FamilySearch (accessed 16 January 2022) FamilySearch Image Image number 00563. Robert Rainford (70), widowed head of household in Wilmington, Will, Illinois, United States.
13. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 06 July 2018), memorial page for Robert Rainford (13 Sep 1849–20 Mar 1926), Find A Grave: Memorial #179077176, citing Oakwood Cemetery, Wilmington, Will County, Illinois, USA.

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 10 June 2016, 00:04), entry for Robert Rainford(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LJPW-FLD); contributed by various users.