Jan 012012
Feb 262011
So, in part 1 of the story of Israel Hudson, we can trace him pretty confidently up until the 1871 census where he is living with his mother. The rest of his family at the time is with his wife, Eliza, and her mother Nanny Brear. He is only 28 by this time. And its here that we loose track of him.
To illustrate, let’s look at the 1881 census:
Here, we have Eliza (back to Hudson) and her three (yes, three) children. Looks like Israel might have been around after the 1871 census, after all. Herbert Hudson was born in 1875. (I know that I once ordered, and received, both Arthur and Herbert’s birth certificates. I don’t have them now, so, I’ll be ordering them again this week.) Anyway, we can assume, although we can’t be sure, I guess, that Israel was around in 1874 or 1875. But, I have yet to find our Israel Hudson in the 1881 census. But, given the fact that Eliza is still listed as married on the census and the fact of Herbert’s birth, I don’t think he had died.)
So, what happened to him?
Surprisingly, there are other Israel Hudson’s around and some of them are even about the same age as our Israel. So, when you find an Israel Hudson in the records, you can’t be sure that it our Israel Hudson. To be sure, you have to tie the record to both Israel and to, preferably, another person known to be related to him, or by a birth date or, less confidently, to a time and place.
With those caveats, I found this:
On the 3rd line from the bottom, we see Israel Hudson was convicted of larceny in October, 1862. This is about a year after John William was born. He was sentenced to 6 months in prison. In West Riding, Yorkshire. This might be our Israel and it might explain why he seems to be a little estranged by his family in later years. I don’t think Eliza’s parents would really want a convicted criminal married to their daughter and living in their house. Or, I know I wouldn’t. But, we don’t know for sure that this is our Israel. I know that with the information in this document, we can research a bunch of other stuff – like maybe his trial and his prison records, but I haven’t done that yet. Sure would like some help, if anybody has ideas…
I mentioned that Israel doesn’t appear in the 1881 census. He doesn’t appear in ANY census after 1871. (No, Israel Smith, either – at least that I’ve found so far.) Maybe he left the country? Of course, if he is the father of Herbert, it would have to be after he was conceived. And here’s what I found:
This shows Israel Hudson going to the United States from Liverpool, England, arriving on July 20, 1874 on the Adriatic. (Database online. Year: 1874; Arrival: New York, United States; Microfilm serial: M237; Microfilm roll: M237_392; Line: 1; List number: 786.) He gives his age as 28 – which doesn’t exactly jive with our Israel’s birthday. He is 31 in 1874 – this shows him as 28. But, he’s starting a new life, why not be a little younger….?
And he could have conceived Herbert just before he left, I suppose, and still allow Herbert to have a birthday in 1875, as it indicates on the census…
Honestly, we don’t know if it is our Israel that went to jail or to the US. But its all I’ve found after looking for 15 years.
Anyone know anything else?
Feb 262011
Israel Hudson is the grandfather of my grandfather. Israel’s son is John William Hudson, J.W. Hudson’s son is Clifford Hudson, Clifford Hudson’s son is Gordon Hudson, and I am the son of Gordon Hudson. Israel and his mother Mary Hudson are as far as we can go back in tracing our Hudson ancestry.
Israel was born on September 21, 1843. How do I know? I have his birth certificate.
If you look at the image, you will see that it is blank where the name of his father is supposed to be. His mother is named – Mary Hudson – and he was born in Middleton. The registration district is Otley, so it must be a Middleton (there are many in England) near Otley in the County of York. Here it is:
There is little else on the birth certificate to glean. Except his name. Israel. Why not John or something more common? Does this fairly unusual name tell us anything? Probably to a scholar somewhere, but not to me. Something to research at some point…
The next appearance of Israel in his chronology, but very recently discovered by me, is on the 1851 census in England. And there is a story here. But before we get to the 1851 census, take a look at the 1871 census for Israel Hudson:
So, we see Israel Hudson, the right age, a son of Mary Smith, a widow, living in Steeton with Eastburn (a city, I guess) along with Mary’s two daughters, Sarah Ann and Ruth. Did Mary, Israel’s mother marry a guy named Smith? Yes, yes she did.
Here is Mary Hudson and John Smith’s marriage certificate:
John Smith married Mary Hudson on December 15, 1847, 4 years after Israel was born. Take a look at the certificate in detail. We now know Mary’s father’s name. Its John Hudson and he was a farmer. John Hudson is the first ancestor whose name we know with the name Hudson. And we know nothing else about him. Yet.
John Smith is shown as a Carter. This is someone who carries or conveys, or as if in a cart. His father is Moses Smith. Hmmm. Israel and Moses. Maybe John Smith IS the father of Israel.
They were married in the Parish Church in the Parish of Kildwick, by Banns. This means that the fact that they were to be married was announced in the church three times prior to the marriage so that anyone who had knowledge of why they should not be married could come forward with that knowledge. A link to the very old Parish Church.
A really informative part of any old marriage certificate is the part that shows the witnesses. Here, it says, ‘In the Presence of us’, and then has writing on two lines. And I can’t read it.The second line looks like it contains ‘James Smithson Asquith’. This is interesting as you’ll see, because at the next census, John, Mary and Israel are living at a house named Asquith House. The first line begins, ‘the mark of…’ which means that the person could not write. (BTW, John Smith could not write as his name is shown as ‘The Mark of’ on the portion that says This Marriage was solemnized by us.) I just can’t make out the name on the first line. I’m going to do some searches to try to figure it out.
So, does the fact that John Smith married Mary Hudson after Israel was born make John Israel’s father? I don’t know. But I don’t think so because Israel, by the time he is married, has chosen to use the name Hudson. But, now let’s look at the 1851 census, Israel is 7:
There he is with his mother, her husband and his new baby sister, Sarah Ann. They live at Asquith House (or something like that) in Steeton with Eastburn. I don’t know how houses came by their names in the mid 1800s. But I’m going to try to find out since it looks like a Asquith was at Mary and John’s wedding and therefore may be a family member.
Israel Hudson was known as Israel Smith for at least a portion of his life. If it had stuck I would have the surname Smith instead of Hudson. Or, if Mary had married Israel’s father (and he wasn’t John Smith, as I suspect) I’d have a different last name.
Israel next appears, in document form, at his wedding in 1861.
If you do the math, and the certificate confirms this, Israel is 17 at the time of his marriage to Eliza Brear. The marriage certificate is full of other really interesting information:
1) Israel’s profession is Architect. Quite a feat considering his very humble beginnings. (And the fact that he is only 17.)
2) Israel has moved to Shipley since the census 10 years earlier.
3) Israel and Eliza were married in a non-conformist church. Salem Chapel was a baptist church.
4) Israel left his father’s name blank – further indicating that John Smith is not his father, but not shedding any light on who was.
5) Samuel Brear (Eliza’s father) was a builder factor butter factor. I know a factor is an agent employed by merchants to transact business of buying and selling. I’m not sure what it means when ‘builder’ is added to it.So, as noted in the comments, he made and sold butter.
Next, you should be able to find Israel and his new wife at home for the 1861 census. But, they are no where to be found. The census was to be for April 7, 1861 – just 9 days after their wedding. Maybe they went out of the country for their honeymoon.
Next, we see Israel show up on his first born’s birth certificate. John W. Hudson was born on September 1, 1861:
Looks like Israel and Eliza have settled into their new house on Wellesley Terrace in Manningham, Yorkshire. And it appears that Israel almost certainly found himself in circumstances much better than he had been in previously. I found a really great little history of Manningham here. From that history:
Census records of 1861 noted that many houses erected within Manningham were for the superior classes and were occupied by the principal families of the district. Proposed building plots to the west of Manninham Lane, to be called Mornington and Walmer Villas, Aspley Crecsent, Marlborough Road, Marlborough Place, and Wellesley Terrace, were advertised for sale in 1853. The conditions of sale stipulating quality construction and that no buildings should be used for business or industrial purposes.
I suspect that Israel and Eliza were living with her parents at this point. I know that the Brear’s lived in Manningham – I’ll talk about them a little more in a moment..
So, what’s next? Well, before the next census (and due to it, which we’ll see in a moment), we know that they had another son named Arthur in about 1866. I have not yet received his birth certificate. I couldn’t find him in the index back when I was looking about 5 years ago. But, I have a feeling that it’ll be there now. I’ll be ordering it soon.
Then comes the 1871 census. We looked at one already that helped us with the breakthrough regarding John Smith and Mary Hudson. But, why was Israel at his mom’s house? And where is the rest of Israel’s family. Here:
Take a look. First, Israel is not here – remember, he’s with his mother. Eliza is with her mother, Nanny Brear, at her house (Nanny is listed as the Head of the household). Eliza is listed as Brear not Hudson and her marriage status is ‘unmarried’. Then, John W. and Arthur, although named Hudson, are listed as Nanny’s nephew’s not her grandchildren – probably just a mistake. But then, there is another child – James H. Brear who is also a nephew. Maybe that is Maria Brear’s son? Strange.
They live in Wisden on 101 Hallon Bridge.
A new post is coming where I’ll talk about some theories about what happened to Israel after this point. Stay tuned…
Feb 262011
I first read about William Hawthorne Hatton in a book compiled by Janean Tullis for my mother of family histories. (Thanks very much, Janean.)
In the history written by Nona Hatton Brown of William Eber Hatton, the story of William Hawthorne Hatton is told. You can see the whole document HERE.
Adelia Almira Wilcox married William Hawthorne Hatton when she was sixteen in what had to be around 1844. She was 16 and he was 27. Her family had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons) before they married. William did not join the church and “…had no sympathy with her beliefs.” She gave birth to their son, William Eber on April 12, 1845 in Clark County Missouri.
About a year later, in 1846, her extended family left to go to Utah with the other Mormons leaving her behind without family or church associates.
The account says that William H. got the “Gold Fever” and left their home several times to go to California. These trips must have been made in 1849 or later, as that year was the first to see travel to California in search of gold. I think he probably made one long trip – but who knows? In any event, he was back in Missouri in the late fall of 1851, two months after his father, Samuel Hatton died on September 22, 1851. He had done well in California and bought some property and settled down for a couple of years. The family had grown by that time to include a boy, Henry, born around 1847 and a girl, Eliza, born in 1849, or so.
William H.’s sister and her husband, “Captain Emerson” convinced William to move to California and in the spring of 1853, the family sold everything and bought 75 head of cattle and headed out on March 10, 1853. There are a couple of very nice paragraphs describing the route the family took and a number of things they saw on the way. It should give enough information to determine if they were with a particular company.
But then they arrived at a crossroads. According to the account, they had to pick either the northern route around Salt Lake, or the other route which would take them through Salt Lake. Here’s a map showing all of the routes that the ’49ers took: (Go West Young Man) Looking at the map, I can’t tell where this decision would have taken place. The last landmark that I can identify from the account is Fort Laramie. But, there is a fork near a place named Burnt Ranch from where they could have gone on the ‘Lander Road’ or taken a more southern route, several forks from which could take you to Salt Lake. Another possible place for the ‘crossroads’ moment is at Fort Bridger.
William H. did not want to go through Salt Lake. According to the account, William “…had said all the time that he would never go to Salt Lake.” The company he was with chose the Salt Lake route in order to avoid trouble with the Indians via the other route. The author of the account seems to be conveying a more than normal resistance to Salt Lake of William and the author’s intended audience would probably be inclined to think this an indication of his dislike of Mormons. Whatever the real reason, if one existed, it was important for the author to mention this reluctance of William to go through Salt Lake. And that is interesting because Adelia’s family is there, and I would guess her preference would have been to see them.
In Salt Lake, Adelia’s half-sister met the family. She had just moved to Salt Lake from Fillmore where the rest of the family lived. Adelia’s step-father was also in Salt Lake and persuaded William to go through Fillmore so that Adelia could visit with her family.
Then, they reach Fillmore and,
“Fillmore was then nothing but a small fort. People were afraid to build on their lots because of the Indians While the little family was waiting for a company to come along that they could join to go to California, they took everything out of their wagons and cleaned them out and put everything back in.
On the night of September 13, 1853, it was Willie’s father’s turn to guard the fort. His turn was to start at midnight and that night he went to bed with Willie and the other two children. His wife had decided to sleep with her mother, for it had been years since she had done so and she didn’t know if she would ever have another chance. They talked for a long time. After a long while they fell asleep. They were awakened by a loud noise and someone ran in crying, “Hatton has been shot by an Indian!”"
I was struck by this the first time I read it. I mean, the one out-of-towner gets killed by the Indians! No other. And, the way it reads, it almost seems that William was killed on the very first night that they arrived. I immediately thought that there was something more to the story. I thought he must have been murdered.
As a result of William’s death, Adelia and the kids stay in Fillmore until mid 1854 when Adelia becomes the polygamous wife to Gidion D. Wood, who was in Missouri with Adelia’s family members in January of 1846, so he was very well known to the family. This site shows both Wood’s name and several Wilcox names being endowed in the Nauvoo Temple on the same date, January 21, 1846. They moved to Springville about then and he didn’t treat her very well. She and her kids moved back to Fillmore in May of 1856. And this is noteworthy:
“It was in May of 1856 that Willie and his family had moved back to Fillmore. In October his Mother received a note from Brigham Young, asking her to come to Salt Lake. She went to see President Young and he told her that Mr. Wood had been to see him and asked him to persuade her to go back to him. She told President Young that she would never go back to Mr. Wood and he counseled her to do what she thought was best for her and her family.”
Brigham Young took a personal interest in seeing that she go back to her husband and she said no!
Then, she married Heber C. Kimball, a leader in the LDS church. It looks like she was his last wife, number 43.
So, William died. This story stayed with me for a few days until I turned back to the book of histories that contained it to see if I had missed anything. I had. There is one page of information in that book under the name William Hawthorne Hatton. (The rest of this came from a history of William Eber Hatton.) The author is Joanna Brown:
WILLIAM HAWTHORNE HATTON
When William Hawthorne Hatton turned
From Salt Lake City south, he still
Intended heading straight for gold
In California. He feared
The Indians most and Mormans next,
With cause, it seemed, since Indians killed
Him outside Fort Fillmore, and when
His wife married in polygamy
The Mormon go his children for
“All time and all eternity.”
Later on, his son, who’d grown to be
A fine religious Saint, received
A letter from a white man down
In California
Repenting of the murder of
Young Hatton all those years before.
He wouldn’t tell his children who
The writer was because they might
Be bitter. Best forgotten now –
Like William’s ragged, wind-blown grave
I’m going to try to find out more. Stay tuned…
Feb 262011
Image via Wikipedia
A few years ago, I sent in some of my DNA to be tested for genealogy purposes. The test I took tested 46 locations on my Y-chromosomal DNA. This means that it took a look at that part of my DNA that was passed down to me by my father and, more than likely, is almost an exact copy of his. (Some markers at some locations change from one generation to the next, but it is rare, and the geneticists know at which locations the markers are the most likely to change.)
Since copies of Y-chromosomal DNA are passed from father to son, and surnames are also passed from father to son, this test can be very powerful when doing genealogy.
But, for us Hudsons, who are Hudsons only because we took the surname of an unmarried mother just a few generations back, what can it tell us?
Well, maybe quite a lot.
Two or so months ago, I received an e-mail from John Simpson who told me that I am a close match to his DNA and that we have a common ancestor within the last 275 years or so. We are exact matches on 24 of the 25 locations that John had tested. (I took a more expansive, 46 location test. I’ve asked him if he has considered doing this larger test – if we match on more locations, it will narrow the time frame to our most recent common ancestor.)
This means that I (and all my male ancestors) descend from the same male ancestor as John, and that ancestor lived only 275 years or less before now. (So, it is very possible that the unknown father of Isreal was a Simpson and a descendant of that common ancestor.)
John’s male ancestor, along with at least 2 other related Simpsons emigrated to the US from Ireland in about 1780. This means that some other Simpson, related to those that came to the US emigrated to England at some point (since that is where my ancestors came from).
John Simpson left a comment in my Israel Hudson post about whether I had found any Simpsons near the birthplace of Israel. And, yes, there are many Simpsons around Middleton and Bradford in 1841.
Here’s a link to the DNA report that I received from ancestry.com. Its pretty cool. DNA Report
Maybe we have a clue to our ancestry after all….
