Affidavit of Heirship by Essie Gwartney, Memphis, TN, 1961

In this Affidavit of Heirship^[1], Mrs. Essie Gwartney makes a sworn and notarized statement, dated 16 June 1961, that she knew the decedent Ida B. Slesser for 81 years and Ida's only children are Aimee W. Thompson and "Hattie" D. Robertson.  An image of the affidavit and commentary follow:

Wedding Wednesday - William Washer and Ida Sharp, 1876 - Part 2

On returning to Kentucky after completing their marriage vows in Illinois^[1], William and Ida Washer were required to register their marriage in Livingston County^[2]. This requirement generated a one line entry in the marriage registry for Livingston County, Kentucky in 1876^[3]. An extract of that data follows:

Wedding Wednesday - William Washer and Ida Sharp, 1876 - Part 1

William P. Washer and Ida B. Sharp, both residents of Livingston County, Kentucky, were married on 19 July 1876¹. The ceremony was officiated by Jonathan Graham, Justice of the Peace, in Golconda, Pope County, Illinois. On the day of their wedding, the reported ages of the bride and groom were 16 and 21, respectively. Scanned images of the marriage affidavit, license, and certification follow.

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.