Cousinology: Heirs to Mary J Walker of NYC

While checking Binghamton, NY newspapers for items regarding the Clark family there I came across a page 1 headline:

     BINGHAMTON PEOPLE HEIRS TO NINETY THOUSAND DOLLARS

And that was in 1902! Named were Arthur W. Clark, Mrs Frances Gordon Sears, and Charlotte Haynes Higbee as "children of her cousins".  There is lots of intrigue here. 

Who was Mary J. Walker that she had an estate valued at a million dollars, who were the three cousins, and how exactly were they related

Check State & Occupation Information in Census Records

While tracing the children of Rhode Island born blacksmith Hezekiah Peckham, who migrated to Oswego New York, I "lost" his son Benjamin.  Ben was born in RI about 1825 and was found in the 1850 census with his mother and brother, listed as a baker. But I could not find him in 1860 or 1870. In 1880 he seemed to match a record found for a baker age 54, married to Lucy, and living in Michigan with 10 year old daughter Eva who was born in WISCONSIN !

So I looked in the 1870 census in Wisconsin and intially could not find them. Then I tried Benjamin, born RI, no surname and checked for occupation of baker -- there he was as PICKEL with matching wife and daughter plus 3 older sons in Milwaukee.  All three sons were listed as born in New York, so I looked again at the 1860 census and did find him with with Lucy and the 3 boys. I'm glad I noticed that Eva was born in Wisconsin or I might have missed his sons.

Orin Day Peckham of Rennselaerville

In attempting to find and confirm the birth, marriage and death dates of all the children of Peleg and Desire (Watson) Peckham, I was stumped by odd seeming online family tree entries for their son Orin. He is listed as born in either 1805 or 1813, died in 1825, MARRIED ! If he was born in 1813, marriage didn’t sound reasonable if he died at age 12.

Births are difficult to confirm in those years unless a christening record can be found; I did not find one for Orin. I also could not find a newspaper account of his death nor a grave listing. 

Newspapers can get the names wrong

Looking for information on Clarence H. Sandford, husband of Hattie Clark, I searched newspaper archives and found him listed as giving away his niece Jane at her wedding in 1894.  However, some confusion followed regarding the name of both the bride and the groom.  I didn’t have much information on Clarence’s siblings, so I thought this marriage would help me.  Eventually it did, but lots of cross-checking was needed.

Thomas Edward Ludington, St Paul MN 1900

Thomas was the son of George Washington Ludington and grandson of Col. Henry Ludington, born in NY 1856.  He was with his parents and siblings in Kent County in the 1860 and 1870 census.

In the 1880 census Thomas was a single bookkeeper in St Paul, MN and still single in the 1885 state census.  However, the 1900 census listed him as a widower. Who had he married, when, and what happened to her?

When did Wheeler Watson’s Wife Die?

For some time I have been trying to find evidence of the death of Sarah Taylor Peckham, Wheeler’s wife.  She was believed to have been born about 1764 in Rhode Island.  She and Wheeler married in 1799 and soon thereafter moved to Rensselaerville, New York.

Remembering Civil War Ancestors

 
women were involved too !

Henrietta Peckham Colt

 Wisconsin Soldiers' Aid

Her nephew George Williams Peckham 1845-1914

     Wisconsin Heavy Artillery, 1^st Reg, Co B