Formulating Some Research Questions

So far, this blog has accumulated posts of sources that contain information about my ancestor's lives. This effort has not been focused towards specific goals. The broad goal has been to create a timeline for William C. Sharp's life.

Mastering Genealogical Proof [1] instructs us that the first step in genealogical research is to formulate questions.  The questions should be focused enough that answers are attainable with a "reasonably exhaustive" search of existing records.

As a "first pass", this list of questions regarding the life and kin of William C. Sharp, will frame my research going forward:

1. Was William C. Sharp, who lived in Livingston County, Kentucky from 1870 until his death in 1884, the same person as W.C. Sharp who lived in Pope County, Illinois from about 1855 until 1869?
2. Was W.C. Sharp who lived in Pope County, Illinois from about 1855 to 1869, the same person as William Sharp who appears in the 1850 U.S. census for Rising Sun, Ohio County, Indiana?
3. Who was the adult female, Delilah Sharp, appearing in the William Sharp household in the 1850 U.S. census for Rising Sun, Ohio County, Indiana? What was their relationship? If she was his wife, when and where did they marry?

These questions are rather narrowly focused, but proving answers to them will lay a solid foundation for future work.

Reference Notes:

1 Thomas W. Jones, Mastering Genealogical Proof (Arlington, Virginia: National Genealogical Society, 2013), 7. [Book available from publisher at: www.ngsgenealogy.org.]

Sharp Family Land Sale, Pope Co., IL, 1853

On 22 September 1853, William C. and Delilah Sharp sold 80 acres of land consisting of the North West 1/4 of the North East 1/4 and the North East 1/4 of the North West 1/4, Section 11 in Township 14 South, Range 6 East, near the town of Tansill in Pope County, Illinois to Gottlob Berger for 400 dollars [1]. A transcription of the deed follows the image.

Sharp Family Land Purchase, Pope Co., IL, 1852

On 2 October 1852, William C. Sharp purchased 80 acres of land consisting of the North West 1/4 of the North East 1/4 and the North East 1/4 of the North West 1/4, Section 11 in Township 14 South, Range 6 East, near the town of Tansill in Pope County, Illinois from John Smith for 300 dollars [1]. A transcription of the deed and maps showing the location follow the image.

William Sharp family: not there or not counted? 1860 U.S. census, Pope Co., IL - Part 2

In the last posting on this topic, it was proposed that the 1860 federal census population for Pope County was under-counted. In this installment, the township populations are compared between 1860 and 1870 to provide additional support for this theory.

William Sharp family: not there or not counted? 1860 U.S. census, Pope Co., IL - Part 1

William Sharp and his family have left a consistent record in the U.S. and Illinois state censuses, from 1840 to 1880. The only exception is their absence in the 1860 U.S. census. Careful scrutiny of the 1860 U.S. census for Pope County, Illinois [1], line by line, does not reveal a William Sharp household. Also, the 1860 agricultural schedule [2] does not list them. What should we conclude?

W.C. Sharp household, 1865 Illinois State Census, Pope Co.

This 1865 enumeration follows a decade after the family appeared in the 1855 Illinois State census. The census only gives the name of the head of household; the other members of the household are counted in several age brackets as shown below. A single census line spanning two pages (assigned a single page number) represents this family [1], and is rendered vertically below ...

W.C. Sharp household, 1855 Illinois State Census, Pope Co.

[Originally published: February 18, 2013]
This 1855 census enumeration [1] follows a few months after the family moved to their Pope County residence. The census only gives the name of the head of household; the other members of the household are counted in several age brackets as shown below. A single census line spanning two pages represents this family, and is rendered vertically below ...

A Brief Survey of the Laws Governing the Illinois State Census Enumeration

When evaluating Illinois state census records from 1845, 1855, and 1865, it helps to understand the laws which governed when and how the census was collected. Many of the early legislative references are available online, such as the Illinois Revised Statutes of 1845. So in addition to summarizing them here, the references provided will make it easier to track down and consult the original documents.

William C. Sharp household, 1880 U.S. Census, Livingston Co., KY

At the time of this census enumeration, the William C. Sharp family had been living at their Livingston County, Kentucky farm for about 10 years.  Here, is the extract of the household enumerated in 1880, lines 38 to 45...

William Sharp household, 1870 U.S. Census, Livingston Co., KY

This census enumeration follows about 9 months after the family moves to their newly acquired Kentucky property from their residence in Illinois. The 1870 U.S. census does not explicitly give the relationships between members of the household. The age recorded for William on line 12 is flagged as a probable recording error.  Here, is the extract of the William Sharp household, lines 12 to 18...

William C. Sharp's will, 1884, Livingston Co., KY

On 2 June 1884, William C. Sharp had this will prepared and witnessed. He would pass away almost 6 months later on 18 December 1884. A transcription of the will follows the images.