Monday, October 28, 2013

Here a William - There a William - Everywhere etc.


One William Too Many


Dr Frank McCleod Wiseley must have been a little confused as a child.  His dad’s name was William Patterson Wiseley.  His grandfather was also named William Patterson Wiseley.  And his great great Grandfather was named William P. Wiseley.   I know I was confused for a while as I have 16 William Wiseley names in my family tree.  Let’s go back to the beginning before I get you as confused as I was.

William P. Wiseley headstone in Coffman Cemetery West of Carroll, OH.
The Picture above is the headstone of William P. Wiseley. He was the son of John Wiseley. John and his family moved from Pennsylvania to southern Ohio (Fairfield County) north of Lancaster, OH about 1800.  One of John's brothers was named William and stayed in Pennsylvania. John's son William was most likely named after his Uncle William who lived and died in York Springs, PA.  William of York Springs, PA,  would leave his brother John $400 in his will, and John would save the money to give to his children William P., James, Edward, George and Mary.


Just to keep it straight let me simplify. John and William were brothers. John had a son and named him William P.  (the one who's headstone is pictured above.)
A year or so ago a man from Indianapolis sent me an Email listing his ancestors.  He mentioned Frank McCleod Wiseley was his grandfather.  So I did a little research to find out if we are connected. The short answer is yes.  His ancestors are part of the “Lancaster” (John) Wiseley line mentioned above. 
For the long answer we need to start with the "Lancaster" Wiseleys.  John Wiseley, the oldest confirmed ancestor I can find came to Ohio with his wife  in about 1800. His four boys and a daughter were named William P, James, Edward, George and Mary.  William P Wiseley (I have no idea what the P stood for) married Rachel Tomlinson. (4 Jan 1801. )  I have seen Tomlinson recorded as Tumbleson, but I think Tomlinson is the correct spelling. In Coffman cemetery there is a very nice stone that clearly spells Tomlinson. 

Coffman Cemetery, west of Carroll, Ohio.
Don't let the word consort confuse you. they were married.
 
The tiny cemetery only has a few graves and I have established a marriage or friend’s link between most people there. Perhaps the Joseph Tomlinson in Coffman is a relative of Leah and/or Rachel?  You may remember from earlier blogs that Leah was the wife of Edward, brother of William P. Rachel was the wife of William P.  I think I recall seeing Leah and Rachel listed as sisters, but I can’t remember the source and am unable to confirm that.  (Please don’t trust my memory, it is so bad the doctor gave me pills to improve my memory but I can’t remember to take them!) 
Tragically, Rachel died in 1806 (only 5 years after marrying William P Wiseley). She died of Milk sickness.   It was an unknown ailment in the Atlantic coastal states.  But in states along the Ohio River it was common and killed thousands of early pioneers.  By  1830  a weed (White Snake Root) was identified as the culprit. The plant grew in wooded areas and would be eaten by hungry cattle.  Cows were unaffected by this toxic plant but the people who drank the milk or ate the meat would become very sick and often died.   Abraham Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks, died from milk sickness. 

About a year after Rachel’s death William married Sarah Cole on the 3rd of Dec 1807.  They would have 9 children;  Allen, and 8 others (Jessie, Harriet, George, Ruth, Nancy, Emily, Rachel, and Sarah.)  Allen, became a rich farmer in the Findlay, Ohio area.  (In the 1870 census his neighbors farms were worth an average of $4200, his was worth $12,780)

Allen was born 20 Feb 1809 and died 25 April 1888. I need to do an entire blog on just Allen. He married Amelia Bright  on 2 November 1830.  They both came from the Lancaster, OH area and are buried in Bright Cemetery a few miles east of Findlay, OH.

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A joined headstone of Allen and Amelia - close ups of each side shown below.
 







 

 But for now we are most concerned with Allen and Amelia's  first son,  William Patterson Wiseley (and Grandson of William P.) He was born 25 June 1831, in the Findlay, Ohio area.   (Allen’s other children were America, Sarah, Lorraine, George, Edward, Daniel and by his second wife (Mary Cahill) a girl named Jessie)  By the time he was 40 William Patterson Wiseley owned a large farm next to his father, Allen. His farm was worth $18,480 and his father's farm (Allen) was worth about $12,000.  Sounds like Allen and William Patterson Wiseley (father and son) were doing pretty well for themselves. 

      William Patterson Wiseley was born on June 25th, 1831. About a month before his 21st birthday he married Sarah Gilmore on 20 May 1852. She had just turned 17. (She was born 8 Mar 1835) They would spend the next 14 years farming until she died on 17 Mar 1866, about a week after her 31st birthday.
      Six months later William married Elizabeth Bolton. She was 24 and he was 31. The wedding date took some digging to find, but I found the actual license which was applied for on Sept 11 and they were married Sept 18, 1866.  Their first son, Aaron, was born a Year later (27 Oct 1867) Tragically he died about a month before his 6th birthday (Oct 1, 1873)
Bright Cemetery a few miles east of Findlay, OH


      On the far left is a tall thin white stone. It is where Sarah is buried.  It says she was the wife of WP Wiseley, daughter of Rev J. Gilmore and lived 31 years 9 days. My wife (the prettiest lady in the picture) is touching William Patterson's stone. Elizabeth's name is on one side and Aaron is also on this large stone. The tiny white stone just to the left says Elisabeth on it??
      William P and Elizabeth had at least 4 children; Aaron, Charles F, Martin L. and William Patterson who was born on 3 Sept 1873.  The proud parents would have precious little time to enjoy this latest child. Elizabeth's husband, William Patterson, would die on 30 September 1873, just 27 days after his son William was born. About 2 1/2 years later Elizabeth died as well (Feb 24, 1876) She was just 34.  When she died all the children were young; Charles was almost 7, Martin was 3 and William was just 2.
Life was hard in those days. I don't know who raised the kids.
     Martin L went to near Jackson, MI and lived with his grandma Bolton for the next 12 years. At 16 years old Martin returned to Findlay OH, but that is another story I will tell later.
     The others may have stayed with Grandpa Allen? In 1870 uncle George, uncle Edward, uncle Dan and Grampa Allen all lived nearby. Or perhaps one of the Bolton or Gilmore families may have raised them all?  Questions like this keep me digging for information.  Genealogy is so much more than just finding when people are born, married, have kids, and die.



To the left of the oak tree is an evergreen clump with a bright white gravestone on the right edge.
That is the headstone of William Patterson Wiseley.

       What became of the second William Patterson Wiseley? In 1896 (June 4th) he married Bessie Belle McLeod In Hancock County, Ohio and on May 21, 1897 became the father of Frank McLeod Wiseley. In addition to Frank they would have three more children; Helen E (1900), Joseph R, (1902) and Mary C (1914). 
     Then in 1901 He joined his brother Martin L and started the Peoples Ice and Coal company. It must have been successful because 8 years later (1909) they joined other businessmen and created the Buckeye Ice and Coal Company. William would become manager. Martin was elected as Secretary.  
      William Patterson and wife Bessie lived the rest of their lives in Findlay. We know a few more facts from directories and census records. A city directory for Findlay, OH 1918 lists their address as 311 Fraser. He is still a manager for Buckeye Ice and Coal Company which consolidated with the Findlay Dairy Company in Feb 22 of that year.
     The 1920 Census lists William as 46, Bessie as 44 and they now had four children; Frank 22, Helen 19, Joseph 18, and Mary at 4 1/2.
     The 1930 Census adds their home value of $5500. (Must have been a nice place) They had a radio, could all read and write and did not live on a farm.  We also learn that Bessie was born in Missouri, but both her parents were from Ohio. Helen, now 29, lived at home and worked as a teacher in the Public School. The boys had left to seek their fortune, leaving only Helen and 14 year old Mary C. at home. 
      Their son Frank had not been Idle. He had served in WWI as a 2nd Lt in Artillery from May 1817 - Dec 1818. By 1922 he was studying to be a Dr at the College of Medicine in West Virginia. He was a member of Phi Sigma Nu fraternity. Frank's middle name (McLeod) was from his mothers side of the family. His Grandpa McLeod was a Dr which may have influenced Frank's choice of careers.
      He was married 30 October 1926 to Mary Charlotte Shafer, who at 27, was 2 years younger than Frank. They had three children, and yes they named one William! William Clement (1928), Mary Frances (1930) and Richard Joseph (1935). Richard would become a Dr like his dad and Grandpa McLeod.
       This has been an interesting and absorbing study. While not my direct line they are all cousins and part of my extended tree. Hope this has been useful and/or at least interesting. If you are connected in any way to this "line" (or maybe I should say "Branch") please contact me with comments, corrections or additions at davidwiseley@gmail.com.
    
     At first I wished the picture below didn't have this big plowed field, but then I realized that the Wiseleys buried here were all farmers and a plowed field was very appropriate. They would have liked that!
    Take a moment as you look at this last picture  and think about their hard working spirit that helped transform a wooded wilderness into the country we enjoy today. May what they worked so hard to secure for us continue.