William Jones Jr.

Additional Notes

Some information about William's family structure can be derived from the Federal Census - specifically years 1830, 1840 and 1850. In 1830, when William Sr was still alive, there were four children at home: Israel and Elias, who were both young adults working the farm, and teenagers Mary Ann and William Jr. Note that Joseph had not yet entered the world, which means he could not have been born during the first part of 1830. It is natural to question Catherine's recorded age and fertility given that she appears in the 50–60 age bracket right before giving birth to her youngest son. However, until the late 19th century, Americans rarely tracked or celebrated birthdays. In the mid-1800s, the average person likely could not tell you their exact birth year, let alone the specific month or day. While it is possible Catherine gave birth at age 50, it is also highly probable she was a few years younger than the census data implies. In addition to this, the spelling of names, ages, birthplaces, and other information are often not accurate on older census records. Accuracy depended on the knowledge or memory of the person providing the information per NARA, which in 1850 was any adult who happened to be home when the census-taker came knocking.

Ten years later, you'll see a few changes to the family. William Sr has passed, Catherine had her last child, Joseph, probably right after the 1830 Census taker left the neighborhood, and Israel and Elias (highlighted in yellow below) have established their own homes nearby.

By 1850, Catherine was still living in the log house with William Jr. and an unrelated farmhand, John Smith. Her two oldest sons lived nearby: Elias and wife Philenawith their seven children, andIsrael and his wife Emma. Her daughter, Mary Ann, had married Lawrence Conkle and was also living close by with their six children. Joseph, however, was nowhere to be found. Because he was also missing from Catherine's 1852 will, it is assumed he did not live to adulthood.