How do you find a needle in a haystack? 1800s/Mass/OH
My great-great grandparents, Ellen O'Sullivan (1837) and John Butler (1828) met in Massachusetts (her family landed in Boston) and married in New Bedford "on or about March 27, 1853."They apparently were in Cincinnati Ohio for a time around the birth of their daughter Margaret in 1863; then settled permanently in Toledo, Ohio with Ellen's family members.The Butlers had 6 children: Margaret (Mrs. John L.)Morgan; Josephine (Mrs. Charles) Bowers; Annie (Mrs. Edward) Finn; Mary Ellen (who never married), and Charles, who died at the age of 28 unmarried.
I have searched the census indexes for likely O'Sullivans and Butler's in the New Bedford and Boston areas at the time of their marriage without success.The most likely candidate for my John Butler is a seaman (age unstated, and ship's name unstated) who was enumerated on September 24, 1850 in Suffolk County harbor.
Interested to know how some of you are dealing with the problem of searching for a needle in a haystack.John Butler is a very common name.O'Sullivan doesn't narrow the search down much either.I have legal documents to prove their marriage but all of the usual research routes have turned into dead ends.Any wisdom or creative suggestions to share out there?
More Replies:
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Re: How do you find a needle in a haystack? 1800s/Mass/OH
Karen Deeds-Jarvie 10/31/02
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Re: How do you find a needle in a haystack? 1800s/Mass/OH
Anne Halford 10/30/02