Thomas hughes of NC and Wayne county, IL
Thomas HUghes was born in NC around 1803 or 1804 and is in Wayne county, IL in the 1850 census with his family. I have reason to believe he moved to wayne county, IL with his family in the early 1800's and that they were in wayne county for the 1820 census. but i have no proof of this. I know nothing about this thomas other than the census records i shall include below. If anybody can help me i would greatly appreciate it!
THomas may have had a previous wife because in 1850 he has a 12 year old daughter named Sarah. His new wife is Susan and is 22. He has a son Zachariah, although the online census inacurately transcribes it as jeremiah. i looked at the census and it is zachariah...who is 4 and a daughter named M.J. that is 7. All are born in IL, including sarah.
1860 wayne county, IL
Sarah is out of the house. she has either remarried or died. M.J. is listed as Martha J. and is 15. Zachariah is 13. A daughter eliza is 11. The ages are a bit different, but this is definitely the same family. However Sarah has aged 19 years since the previous census, so perhaps she IS Thomas's first wife and mother of Sarah.
1870 census
By now thomas has died and Sarah is living with Eliza, age 19. obviously they get the ages wrong a lot in this cnesus. but i have seen the writing and it can be somewhat deceptive.
next door to sarah is her son...calls himself zachary. he is 23. married to an america, also 23,. They have a daughter that is 1 named lucretia and a 3 yr. old named william (levy, lewvy?). all are born in illinois. the last child, william, is not a hughes. maybe he is the child of either sarah or martha and they and their husband have died...
anyway, i haven't checked the 1880 census yet for these families, but if you have any clue who they are, please let me know! I really think this is my line which is probably a NC/VA and possibly TN/KY line that has branches in TX from 1847 on.