John E Welch (1859 - bef. 1920)

Born Jun 1859 in County Westmeath, Ireland [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 1920 before age 60 in Minnesota

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Biography

John was born in 1859, in Ireland according to most records. He was probably the son of John and Mary Walsh, who immigrated in he was a baby and settled in Rice County, Minnesota.

He came to Rice County, Minnesota and married probably around 1885 Mary (reportedly Mary B. Walsh, daughter of Edward, although this researcher knows of no original document to verify this identification).

From census records, we identify the children, all born in Minnesota:

• John E. Welch b. 6 February 1886^[1]
• Mary E. Welch b. 1 April 1887^[2]
• Margaret E. Welsh b. 14 April 1888^[3]
• Anna b. 15 March 1890
• two more, died by 1900 (according to the census of that year)

There is a Joseph Francis shown as a son born 27 December 1903, but genetic testing suggests he was a son of daughter Mary.^[4]

John died before 1920, when his wife is called widow in the census.

Research Notes

John's parentage is inferred from the 1870 and 1900 censuses. In the latter, he is neighbors with James Welsh born 1866[?], born Minnesota, and it states that John had immigrated in 1860. In the 1870 census at Canon City township in Rice County, we find a John born in Ireland circa 1861 and James born in Minnesota circa 1867 living with parents John and Mary.

Ancestry.com's "Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Index, Select Counties" provides an inscription that shows Mary B. Welsh in Faribault, Minnesota on 22 April 1943.

The 1900 census and 1910 census both say that Mary was the mother of 6 children. Strangely, in 1900 they reported that 4 were still living, while in 1910 they reported that 5 were.

Joseph Francis Welsh born 1904 was shown as a son in 1905 and 1910, but genetic testing suggests he was the son of daughter Mary. This is corroborated by the total number of children mother Mary had being constant at 6 between the 1900 and 1910 censuses. Perhaps the increase in count of children still living was the family's way of indicating Joseph. Otherwise, it would seem the family had 4 children between 1885 and 1890 or so and two more children before 1900, leaving a considerable gap before the Joseph. So if he were truly the son of John and Mary, it would be hard to account for the gap between Joseph and his older siblings.

Sources

1. ↑ Rice County, Minnesota, index to births, 1870-1910, FHL microfilm 1,379,368, pages 234.5-235
2. ↑ Rice County, Minnesota, index to births, 1870-1910, FHL microfilm 1,379,368, pages 253.5-254
3. ↑ Rice County, Minnesota, index to births, 1870-1910, FHL microfilm 1,379,368, pages 258.5-259
4. ↑ Rice County, Minnesota, index to births, 1870-1910, FHL microfilm 1,379,369, page 162

Census Records

• "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DCF3-TF1?cc=1438024&wc=92KK-PYX%3A518658101%2C519196401%2C519512601 : 6 June 2019), Minnesota > Rice > Fairbault > image 2 of 54; citing NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "Minnesota State Census, 1885," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQX5-D1N : 4 August 2017), John Welsh, Faribault Ward 03, Rice, Minnesota; citing p. 3, volume Rice, State Library and Records Service, St.Paul; FHL microfilm 565,753.

• "Minnesota State Census, 1895," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQD3-HL4 : 3 April 2016), John Welch, Faribault city, Ward 01, Rice, Minnesota; citing p. 4, line 12, State Library and Records Service, St.Paul; FHL microfilm 565,805.

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M93L-PT7 : accessed 23 July 2020), John E Welch, Cannon City Township Faribault city Ward 1, Rice, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 149, sheet 15B, family 296, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,788.

• "Minnesota State Census, 1905," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPQL-18X : 4 April 2020), Jno Walsh, Faribault, Ward Number: 01, Rice, Minnesota; citing p. 569, line 59, State Library and Records Service, St.Paul; FHL microfilm 928,812.

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2PF-MMP : accessed 23 July 2020), John Walsh, Faribault Ward 1, Rice, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 113, sheet 8B, family 168, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 721; FHL microfilm 1,374,734.

• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW1H-2J1 : accessed 23 July 2020), Mary B Welsh, Faribault Ward 1, Rice, Minnesota, United States; citing ED 114, sheet 13B, line 66, family 260, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 856; FHL microfilm 1,820,856.