Category Archives: Surnames

Joseph Higdon/Higden

Asa Higdon, Barren County, Kentucky, Census Records, Henry County, Ohio, Higden, Joseph Higdon, Kentucky, Missouri

In the previous post about census findings for Thomas and Angeline Mitchell I listed the 1850 census. One page later in the 1850 census for Barren County, Kentucky is the household of Joseph Higdon/Higden. [Ancestry link]

On Angeline’s death certificate it listed her father as “Thomas Mitchell” (obviously not correct) and her mother as “Joe Higdon.” (Probably not her mother, but possibly her father.) I am going to begin looking at Joseph Higdon as a possibility for her father. [Angeline Mitchell death certficate, no. 8014, Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Jefferson City.]

Searching through Ancestry, I was able to locate Asa R./B. Higdon, one of Joseph’s sons, in the 1860 census in Springfield, Henry County, Missouri with possible wife Emeline M. (age 18), a child Jessee B. (age 1) and his sister Mary Higdon (age 32). [Ancestry link]

Census Findings for T. C. Mitchell Family

Audrain County, Missouri, Barren County, Kentucky, Census Records, Cooper County, Missouri, Missouri, Mitchell Research, Montgomery County, Missouri

The following are all of the censuses for Thomas C. Mitchell and family from 1850-1910.

Thomas Mitchell household, 1850 U.S. census, Barren County, Kentucky, population schedule, Division 1, page 374, dwelling 993, family 1018; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 191. [Ancestry Link]

Thos. C. Mitchell household, 1860 U.S. census, Cooper County, Missouri, population schedule, Saline township, Gooches Mills post office, page 58, dwelling 390, family 390; National Archives micropublication M653, roll 616. [Ancestry Link]

Thomas Mitchell household, 1870 U.S. census, Audrain County, Missouri, population schedule, township of Loutre, Martinsburg post office, page 510-B, dwelling 161, family 145; National Archives micropublication M593, roll 756. [Ancestry Link]

Thos. Mitchell household, 1880 U.S. census, Audrain County, Missouri, population schedule, township of Loutre, enumeration district [ED] 2, supervisor’s district [SD] 3, page 18B, dwelling 150, family 151; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 672. [Ancestry Link]

Thos. Mitchell household, 1900 U.S. census, Montgomery County, Missouri, population schedule, township of Upper Loutre, enumeration district [ED] 69, supervisor’s district [SD] 9, page 13B, dwelling 261, family 264; National Archives micropublication T623, roll 876. [Ancestry Link]

T. C. Mitchell household, 1910 U.S. census, Montgomery County, Missouri, population schedule, township of Upper Loutre, enumeration district [ED] 111, supervisor’s district [SD] 9, sheet 5A, page 150, dwelling 99, family 103; National Archives micropublication T624, roll 800. [Ancestry Link]

A different approach

Audrain County, Missouri, Missouri, Thomas E. Mitchell

I’ve been unsuccessful in locating any further information on Thomas Carroll Mitchell or Angeline. I’m going to try a different approach now and turn to looking into their children who are not my ancestor.

I’ve mostly studied their son Thomas E. Mitchell who stayed in Audrain County, Missouri for his entire life. He was easy to trace in the census. I’ve sent away for his death certificate and that of his his son Claud. I located his wife’s online at the Missouri State Archives website.

Here’s what I know about Thomas E. Mitchell. He was born about 1862 (census). He married Sallie N. Morris 26 Dec 1878 in Audrain County, Missouri (Book B, p. 352). The children that I know they had are: John M. (b. Apr 1880, 1880 Census, Audrain Co, MO), Mammie E. (b. abt 1886; 1900 Census, Audrain Co., MO), Claud O. (b. abt. 1889; 1900 Census, Audrain Co., MO), Emil B. (b. abt July 1899; 1900 Census, Audrain Co., MO). The 1900 census also says that Sallie was the mother of 4 children, all of whom were living at the 1900 census.

I’m hoping by studying the children of Thomas Carroll and Angeline Mitchell, I’ll gather more information and more clues on them and their parents.

Searching for father

Joseph Mitchell, Mitchell Research, Tennessee

Thomas Carroll Mitchell’s father, according to his death record, was Joseph Mitchell. Also according to his death record, Thomas was born in “Jonesburrow”, TN in 1826. So, in the 1830 census he should be 4 years old. I looked in TN and turned up a Joseph Mitchell with a boy under 5. This could be the family. I looked for other Joseph’s and none of the others (there were only 2 or 3 total) had a boy under 5. This document is located in my Ancestry.com shoebox.

This could be a possible father to Thomas. I’ve got to do some more checking and working by elimination since I can’t find anything else about him right now.

Thomas Carroll Mitchell – Known information

Angeline (Higdon) Mitchell, Barren County, Kentucky, Kentucky, Loutre Township, Audrain County, Missouri, Missouri, Mitchell Research, Montgomery County, Missouri

Thomas Carroll Mitchell was born in Jonesboro, TN 18 Sep 1826. [1870 census, obituary, death certificate]

He married Angeline (maiden name unknown but “Higden” is a possibility) sometime before 1850. [1850 census]

They had 12 children. [census research]

He died 29 Apr 1914 in Upper Loutre township, Montgomery County, MO. [death certificate, obituary]

My biggest aim right now is to locate their marriage record. I suspected that they were married in Barren County, KY around 1849 because they are in the 1850 census there, married and with no children. However, research into that county has turned up nothing.

Gilbert Z. Avery -1850 Census

Avery Research, Census Records, Gilbert Avery, Ohio, Wood County, Ohio

I found Gilbert Z. Avery in the Wood County, Ohio census as follows:

Gilbert Z. Avery 33
Eliza J. 26
Washington E. 5
John B. 3
Fanny M. 7
Jonas Zimmer 23
William R. H. Avery 23 (brother) (Also enumerated with father’s household in 1850)

Gilbert Z. Avery household, 1850 U.S. census, Wood County, Ohio, population schedule, Plain township, district 154, page 312, dwelling 687, family 709; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 741. [Ancestry Link]

Averys of Wood County

Avery Research, Meeker Research, Ohio, William Rufus Hyde Avery, Wood County, Ohio

Both my mother’s side and my father’s side of my family tree intersect about 4 or 5 generations back. It all comes down to  the Averys and the Meekers of Wood County. Specifically the Averys descended from William Rufus Hyde Avery of New York and the Meekers descended from Mahlon Meeker from Sussex County, New Jersey. Many thanks to Darlene Lewis of Ohio for some of the information here and her research assistance.

Also, I will explore the inter-relation of the Averys to the Meekers of Wood County. It seems that many Avery siblings married Meeker siblings since the families lived next door to each other. I would like to track that and gain a better understanding of their relationships.

Latest search turns up nothing

Angeline (Higdon) Mitchell, Barren County, Kentucky, Denver Public Library, Mitchell Research

I have searched high and low for the marriage record for Thomas and Angeline. I took a trip to Denver Public Library a few months ago. I looked in every book they had that was for Barren County, KY. Then I began looking at surrounding counties. I turned up nothing!

William Sly possibly found

Bark Elizabeth, Sly Research, William Sly

I think I found the brother of James, William Sly. He came on the same ship, only a different time. I found him on the Elizabeth in June 1852. The ages are about right. I don’t have any documentation that says definitely “Yes! These are the right guys!” I’m still looking for that smoking gun.

Looking for the Ship

Bark Elizabeth, England, Sly Family, Sly Research, William Sly

I am trying to locate the ship that William and James Sly came on from England. I had assumed that they came together in the past, however, a few pieces of information that I have gathered have made me start to think that one came and then the other one came. I have found a James Sly, all by himself on a ship: Bark Elizabeth but have not located his brother William yet.