Help with finding out my 3rd great grandfather's parents.

[cramp1]

From what I have gathered, my 3rd great grandfather was born in Tenneessee in 1847 (not sure what part of TN or what county). He was listed on the 1900 census as living in Barren County, Kentucky. And in Macon County, Tenneessee in 1890. His name was Thomas E Wilson. Though in the 1880 census he listed his name as ''E.T. Wilson''. I have been trying to find out his father and mother for close to a year now. The closest I have gotten was to a Reuben Dee Wilson. But he only had one Thomas Wilson. A Thomas Lackey Wilson, born in 1846. Problem is, he never lived in Kentucky and died in Illinois. Can anyone lend a helping hand here? I'm a pretty novice genealogist.
Census record sources
1880 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD7T-LNG
1900 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9WZ-9M8
1870 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDD6-SDX

[PhotoFamily]

From what I have gathered, my 3rd great grandfather was born in Tenneessee in 1847 (not sure what part of TN or what county).
*1900 census - Barren County, Kentucky.
*1890 census - Macon County, Tenneessee . His name was Thomas E Wilson.
* 1880 census - he listed his name as ''E.T. Wilson''

* 1870 - Macon TN, age 23, Farmer, wife (implied) Letha; eldest child listed, Andrew, age 4, born KY; Letha and Thomas are the same age.
* 1880 - Macon, TN, age 33, Laborer (farm), Wife Eletha, Andrew, age 15, born TN; Thomas is 4 years older than Eletha
* 1900 - Barren, KY, age blank, birth month "Mar", birth year blank, Mill Engineer, wife Letha, Andrew not in household

Still looking, but couple of things I would note:
In US census, the enumerator wrote everything from an interview with the person who gave the info. The enumerator also did not ask the spelling of a resident's name.
Also, the information is only as good as what was known to the informant, and that they were willing to disclose. This could mean that Thomas didn't really know his DOB, or it could mean he was out in the field working at the time the enumerator came by, and whoever gave info, didn't know offhand what his YOB was, and the enumerator left it blank. Assume nothing, but it leaves that question mark.

Thomas is in FamilyTree

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GMLS-DHB

but without many more clarifying records.

1890...did you mean 1870? most of 1890 went up in smoke, and only a few records for it still exist (sigh).

Welcome to ftf!

There's a servant from KY in their 1900 household - might be interesting to trace her. Sometimes "servants" are just that, sometimes they are family relatives who are working in the household.

Another thing to keep in mind. That nasty Civil War from 1861 to 1865. Lots of records lost, lots of family turmoil. Forgot to mention that he left his mother's birth place blank in the 1900, but it was filled in in the 1880 (TN).

[cramp1]

* 1870 - Macon TN, age 23, Farmer, wife (implied) Letha; eldest child listed, Andrew, age 4, born KY; Letha and Thomas are the same age.
* 1880 - Macon, TN, age 33, Laborer (farm), Wife Eletha, Andrew, age 15, born TN; Thomas is 4 years older than Eletha
* 1900 - Barren, KY, age blank, birth month "Mar", birth year blank, Mill Engineer, wife Letha, Andrew not in household

Still looking, but couple of things I would note:
In US census, the enumerator wrote everything from an interview with the person who gave the info. The enumerator also did not ask the spelling of a resident's name.
Also, the information is only as good as what was known to the informant, and that they were willing to disclose. This could mean that Thomas didn't really know his DOB, or it could mean he was out in the field working at the time the enumerator came by, and whoever gave info, didn't know offhand what his YOB was, and the enumerator left it blank. Assume nothing, but it leaves that question mark.

Thomas is in FamilyTree

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GMLS-DHB

but without many more clarifying records.

1890...did you mean 1870? most of 1890 went up in smoke, and only a few records for it still exist (sigh).

Welcome to ftf!

There's a servant from KY in their 1900 household - might be interesting to trace her. Sometimes "servants" are just that, sometimes they are family relatives who are working in the household.

Another thing to keep in mind. That nasty Civil War from 1861 to 1865. Lots of records lost, lots of family turmoil. Forgot to mention that he left his mother's birth place blank in the 1900, but it was filled in in the 1880 (TN).

Yep, I meant 1870. What was the servants name?

[PhotoFamily]

Letha is living with her family in the 1860 in Jackson Co, TN

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9BSX-9V86?i=11&cc=1473181&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM8TN-Z7Y

There is a Thomas Wilson, born abt 1843, living in Jackson Co, TN with his father Thomas Wilson (implied)

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GBSX-9J4H?i=4&cc=1473181&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM8YM-VNR

that Thomas is associated by FamilyTree with a Thomas F Wilson in the 1850

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DZ73-3PL?i=82&cc=1401638&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMCDK-9SD

Keep in mind about who writes things down. Not sure, but I think the enumerator actually made scratch notes and then transcribed them onto the final census page. Could Thomas F really be Thomas E, who might be E Thomas? Hmm.

So, one technique is to follow these two families forward in time (both Thomas Wilson Sr and Letha's family) to see if you can find information that conflicts with these being your people (e.g., Thomas b.1843 is still living with the Thomas Sr family in the 1870).

Also - Thomas Wilson would have been a prime age to have fought in the CivWar.

Do you have any clues when Thomas died? Link to Letha's DC is linked on her FamilyTree profile. She is widowed when she died in 1921 and in the 1920. Might be interesting to find her in the 1910, just to confirm she's widowed then.

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/GMLS-6YZ

[PhotoFamily]

Yep, I meant 1870. What was the servants name?

Mattie Thomson

Female

16

Jun 1884

Single

White born KY

[PhotoFamily]

Letha's FindaGrave memorial page, no mention of Thomas, nor is there a Thomas or E T Wilson listed on Findagrave for this same cemetery

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/108428655/letha-wilson

[PhotoFamily]

Going back to the CivWar, KY fought on the Union side, TN on the Confederate (altho KY had some Confederate leanings).

So, Andrew Wilson is born in KY.
Barren Co, KY and Macon Co, TN are not that far apart. (~45 Mi).

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Macon+County,+TN/Barren+County,+KY/@36.7388576,-86.2514303,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x88668ab1111a76b7:0x700e8a6b7e46498d!2m2!1d-85.971322!2d36.4983882!1m5!1m1!1s0x886613b9e82131f1:0x19ad5c7fcc8dcfa7!2m2!1d-85.8486236!2d36.9676836

Have you looked to see if you can find Thomas fighting in the CivWar? If he fought on the Union side he and/or his widow could have been eligible for a Pension from the Feds. If he fought for the Confederates, we'd need to see if the state of TN offered their vets a pension.

[cramp1]

Going back to the CivWar, KY fought on the Union side, TN on the Confederate (altho KY had some Confederate leanings).

So, Andrew Wilson is born in KY.
Barren Co, KY and Macon Co, TN are not that far apart. (~45 Mi).

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Macon+County,+TN/Barren+County,+KY/@36.7388576,-86.2514303,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x88668ab1111a76b7:0x700e8a6b7e46498d!2m2!1d-85.971322!2d36.4983882!1m5!1m1!1s0x886613b9e82131f1:0x19ad5c7fcc8dcfa7!2m2!1d-85.8486236!2d36.9676836

Have you looked to see if you can find Thomas fighting in the CivWar? If he fought on the Union side he and/or his widow could have been eligible for a Pension from the Feds. If he fought for the Confederates, we'd need to see if the state of TN offered their vets a pension.

I've looked for Confederate. Nothing there. Union haven't looked. Elethas' father and brother were both Confederate Soldiers though.The findagrave says ''Mrs Tom Wilson''. Maybe he went by Tom.

[PhotoFamily]

There are two curses on genealogists...searching a really common name, or searching something really unusual with a difficult spelling....I imagine both armies had a lot of Tom Wilsons...

FindAGrave doesn't have a Tom/Thomas/E.T. Wilson in Glasgow nor the county.

Tom Wilson is living along with his sons (?) Worth (?) and Binner (?) in the 1900. I suppose it's possible Tom simply took off, and that's why there's no memorial page on FindAGrave, but he seems to be living the family life, so I doubt it.

Have you tried to locate Tom's obit?

[PhotoFamily]

Letha's DC seems to indicate that the Funeral Home was something like W D Jordan. From FamilySearch's catalog, it appears that the records may exist:

Contents: v. 1. 1900-1961, surnames A through G, including records from Jewell Undertakers & Furniture Makers and W.D. Jordan Funeral Home -- v. 2. 1900-1961, surnames H through Q for Barren, Allen, Metcalfe, Monroe, Hart, Edmonson and surrounding counties -- v. 3. 1900-1961, surnames R through Z for Barren, Metcalfe, Monroe and surrounding counties -- v. 4. May 10, 1960 - November 16, 1970 -- v. 5. November 22, 1970 - December 15, 1979.

https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/820916?availability=Family%20History%20Library

available in FamilySearch Library and Dallas Public Library. Do you live near either of those?

[cramp1]

There are two curses on genealogists...searching a really common name, or searching something really unusual with a difficult spelling....I imagine both armies had a lot of Tom Wilsons...

FindAGrave doesn't have a Tom/Thomas/E.T. Wilson in Glasgow nor the county.

Tom Wilson is living along with his sons (?) Worth (?) and Binner (?) in the 1900. I suppose it's possible Tom simply took off, and that's why there's no memorial page on FindAGrave, but he seems to be living the family life, so I doubt it.

Have you tried to locate Tom's obit?

No. Because I cant find out where he died at. Campbell Tennessee is listed on findagrave while others say Barren County.

[PhotoFamily]

Campbell Tennessee is listed on findagrave while others say Barren County.

wait...what? I don't understand the Campbell TN reference?

[cramp1]

wait...what? I don't understand the Campbell TN reference?

On familysearch (not findagrave lol my brain is scattered today) that family tree you listed, it shows his death as being Campbell TN and the source is ''ancestry records''.

[PhotoFamily]

All right, good example of enumerator getting the details wrong. Here's "Letha Nilson, male, age 58, widowed" living with "Magnis".

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RNT-JGC?i=24&cc=1727033&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM284-7XB

So Thomas died between 1900 and 1910.

[PhotoFamily]

On familysearch (not findagrave lol my brain is scattered today) that family tree you listed, it shows his death as being Campbell TN and the source is ''ancestry records''.

Interesting, it doesn't show up in the "Sources" tab. It's always possible that the 1910 record is wrong, but I really think he had died before the 1910 census.

[PhotoFamily]

Not finding a genealogy/historical society in Glasgow, but I wonder if you contacted the library if they would have a clue about such:

http://www.weldonpubliclibrary.org/library-info

You could also ask them about local newspapers in the 1900-1910 time frame. Tom lived in the area, so I would expect some sort of notice in the local newspaper if they knew of his death. And if you're really lucky, you might get a long write-up. Small town newspapers had space to fill and papers to sell. Obits could accomplish both. Oh, and - obits were not always 100% accurate.

There are two large newspaper databases - genealogybank and newspapers.com. A paper covering Glasgow/Barren Co might be on one of those.

[PhotoFamily]

OK, doesn't answer your question, maybe you already know about it, but this is kinda fascinating
Family sheets
collected by James Simmons ; typed, indexed and presented by Sandra K. Gorin

"These are family sheets collected in James Simmons high school history class over a period of years"

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L964-47QR?i=1537&cat=549428

THOMAS ALVIN WILSON b. Clay Co. TN; m. Letha Mechein/Menchie. He was a tanner and/or a Methodist preacher. CHILDREN (and then it lists the children and even some of the next generation).

Even if you can't get to the Family History Library, FamilySearch's catalog can be a useful tool for identifying resources that you may be able to locate in other locations, and sometimes the info is online!

[cramp1]

OK, doesn't answer your question, maybe you already know about it, but this is kinda fascinating
Family sheets
collected by James Simmons ; typed, indexed and presented by Sandra K. Gorin

"These are family sheets collected in James Simmons high school history class over a period of years"

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L964-47QR?i=1537&cat=549428

THOMAS ALVIN WILSON b. Clay Co. TN; m. Letha Mechein/Menchie. He was a tanner and/or a Methodist preacher. CHILDREN (and then it lists the children and even some of the next generation).

Even if you can't get to the Family History Library, FamilySearch's catalog can be a useful tool for identifying resources that you may be able to locate in other locations, and sometimes the info is online!

WOW! Extremely useful! Still doesn't answer my question but it looks like my family is pretty spread out. Thanks for finding this!

[Darksecretz]

Some great work there PhotoFamily x

[PhotoFamily]

cramp1 I hope to check on one other resource, but it's not online.

As with all oral histories, I'd recommend taking those family sheets with a grain of salt. Witness the middle name of "Alvin". If you connected to other families in the area, they should be in the same collection. It's alphabetical by surname.