Marguerite (UNKNOWN) Anderson (abt. 1847)

Born about 1847 in Louisiana, United States

Descendants

Died [date unknown] in New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, United States

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Biography

Marguerite (UNKNOWN) Anderson lived in Louisiana.

Marguerite (UNKNOWN) Anderson is a descendant of an Acadian

Marguerite (UNKNOWN) Anderson is a part of US Black heritage.

Marguerite Comeaux^[1] of Acadian and African ancestry, was born c.1847 in Louisiana, United States. After the Civil War, Marguerite married former Union soldier Moses Anderson c.1867.^[2]

Their known children were:

1. Louisa Anderson (c.1868- c.1878)
2. Robert Anderson (1870-1934 )
3. John Anderson (1872-1936)

In 1870 Moses and Marguerite (age 23), and their first two children, daughter Louisa (age 2), and son Robert (age 8 months) were living in New Orleans.^[3]

Marguerite Comeaux may have died at an unknown date after the census of 1870 and before the one of 1880 in New Orleans. This is speculation, but she and their daughter Louisa, who also died in this time period, may both have died in the 1878 yellow fever epidemic that killed around 5,000 people in New Orleans.

Her husband may have remarried c.1880 to a woman named Margaret Harris.^[4] Margaret raised Marguerite's sons. In 1880, Moses and his family were living uptown with his mother and stepfather, Charlotte and Robert Noles. His family included his wife Margaret (age 22), son Robert (age 11), and son John (age 8).^[5]

On the other hand, if Marguerite and Margaret are one and the same, her death will have occurred at an unknown date after 1910 and possibly before 1915, as she is apparently not named on her husband's death record. (No image is available.)

Research Notes

There is a strong possibility that Marguerite Comeaux and Margaret Harris are one and the same woman, probably named Marguerite Comeaux. The name "Margaret Harris" was listed as the mother of Rev. John Anderson when he died in 1936.^[4] Two problems with that:

1. assuming his father married twice, John's mother would have been the first wife, Marguerite Comeaux, who is listed as her younger son Robert's mother on his death record. (But after all, John was raised by the second wife, and someone else gave third-hand information on his death record.)
2. the person who transcribed John's death record listed "Margaret Harris" first as John's mother, then as his wife in one instance, and Georgiana Harris as his wife in another. John's wife's maiden name was Georgiana Junifer. So much confusion casts more doubt. Unfortunately, no image of the record is available.

In addition, over the years, Moses Anderson's wife is listed on census records as Margarette and Margaret, very close spellings. But from 1880 on, Margaret is consistently listed as about ten years younger, too young to have been the children's mother, and married only since 1880. But then again, no marriage record has been found, and it wasn't so unusual for people to marry after children were born. More research is needed before concluding that Moses Anderson married two women with similar first names.

Sources

1. ↑ Her maiden name found on her son Robert's death record: "Louisiana, Orleans Parish Death Records and Certificates, 1835-1954," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Z4QV-K4PZ : Mon Mar 11 01:50:02 UTC 2024), Entry for Robert Anderson and Mose Anderson and Margaret Comeaux, 24 May 1934.
2. ↑ 1867 Marriage date based on age of oldest child in 1870 census.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6R77-XPR?cc=1438024&wc=92KN-RM9%3A518653901%2C519016601%2C519494901 : 22 May 2014), Louisiana > Orleans > New Orleans, District 5 > image 5 of 174; citing NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Name found on her son John's death record (but see research notes): "Louisiana, Orleans Parish Death Records and Certificates, 1835-1954," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:CTVV-5GW2 : Sun Mar 10 05:42:11 UTC 2024), Entry for Rev John Anderson and Mose Anderson and Margaret Harris, 29 Aug 1936.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDXH-V5P : 15 August 2017), Moses Anderson in household of Robert Noles, New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, United States; citing enumeration district ED 89, sheet 450C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0464; FHL microfilm 1,254,464.