Louisa Catherine Vaughn and son Jackson Vaughn (Wilson)
I need information regarding Louisa Catherine Vaughn b. approx. between 1853 and 1855 in Virginia and her (possibly illegitimate) son Jackson Vaughn, b. approx. March 15, 1870 in Washington County, VA.
As I understand it, from my 90 year old great aunt, Jackson Vaughn was born to Catherine Vaughn in 1870 in Washington County, VA. Catherine was only about 17 yrs old at the time, and was working as a domestic servant (nanny) in John and Betsie Wilson's household. (Per the 1870 US Fed Census, I see her in the Wilson household.) I was told that she could not keep the child, either because of financial strain or because of the restrictions of her employers. So she "gave" Jackson to John and Betsie Wilson, as they needed help on the farm.
At any rate, per the 1880 census info, I see Catherine left the John Wilson household and went to work as a domestic servant in the William and Rachel Wilson household. (William is the son of John Wilson.) Meanwhile her son Jackson, stayed with her former employer John Wilson. (John and Jackson moved to Carroll County , VA and lived with John's married daughter, Lydia Edwards in 1880.)
I don't know if John ever formally adopted Jackson, but I know that later in life, starting with the 1900 Federal census, Jackson took the last name Wilson as his own. It shows his name as Jackson Wilson. Later census information shows his name as Jackson W. Wilson.
The 1910 Federal Census is the last time I see Catherine Vaughn in the William Wilson household. I don't know if she died, or moved, or what. I don't know if she ever married later in life. I don't know who Jackson Vaughn'sbiological father was.
Can anyone help we with this? Maybe someone out there knows some details that will help me find Catherine's parents and the father of Jackson.