William Worthing (b. 1814 NY/d. 1870? Delaware County, OH)
Looking for more information about what seems to be some sort of latent family scandal in my family tree.
I'm absolutely sure that one of my great-great-grandfathers was this family:
1. James R. Worthing was born in Nov. 1862 in Ohio and died on an unknown date.He married Alice Ann Fox in 1889. Alice Ann, daughter of Edward Fox and Catherine Holly(?), was born in 1874 in Ohio and died on May 22, 1963 in Clinton County, Ohio.
Children of James R. Worthing and Alice Ann Fox
1.1. i. Charles Worthing was born on Dec. 2, 1893 in Ohio and died in Mar. 1980 in Grosse Pointe, Wayne County, Michigan.
1.2. ii. Lillie Worthing was born in Dec. 1890 and died on an unknown date.
1.3. iii. Marguerite Worthing was born on Feb. 25, 1898 in Highland County, Ohio and died on Jan. 18, 1997 in Clinton County, Ohio.
1.4. iv. Mabel Worthing was born on Jan. 25, 1899 in Clinton County, Ohio and died on Jan. 6, 1994 in Clinton County, Ohio.
1.5. v. Muriel Worthing was born in 1901 and died on an unknown date.
1.6. vi. James Worthing was born in 1906 and died 23 Jul 1932?.
And I'm fairly sure that James was the son of a William Worthing, who had some sort of scandalous-appearing past.
In the 1850 census, there was a William Worthing, born c. 1812 in New York, who was a farmer with $1500 in real estate living in Berkshire Township, Delaware County, Ohio.He was living with a Joana Worthing, who was born c. 1799 in New York—either an unusually older wife, an extremely young mother, an unmarried sister, or something more distant.
In the 1860 census, there was a William Worthing, born c. 1810 in New York, who was a farmer with $50 (!!!) in personal possessions living in Trenton Township, Delaware County, Ohio.He was living alone.
In the 1870 census, there was a William Worthing, born c. 1814 in New York, who was a farmer with $425 in real estate and $185 in personal possessions living in Trenton Township, Delaware County, Ohio.His family is this:
1st Generation
1. William Worthing was born in 1814 in New York and died on an unknown date.He married Roselinda. Roselinda, daughter of Unknown and Unknown, was born in Sep. 1840 in Ohio and died on an unknown date.
Children of William Worthing and Roselinda
1.1. i. James R. Worthing was born in 1867 in Ohio and died on an unknown date.
1.2. ii. Seward Worthing was born in 1865 in Ohio and died on an unknown date.
1.3. iii. Luella Worthing was born in Jul. 1869 in Ohio and died on Feb. 14, 1929 in Delaware County, Ohio.
Roselinda might also be spelled Rosalinda.
In 1880, though, comes the real mystery.There's a William Worthing, born c. 1819 in New York, married to Rosalinda (b. c. 1840) and with children James (age 13, born in New York), Seward (age 15, born in New York), and Lewella (age 11, born in Ohio).He's a millwright and is listed as disabled with some sort of rupture.Yet simultaneously there is a Rosalinda Worthing living in a different house in Kingston Township, Delaware County, Ohio, born c. 1840, with children Seward (age 14, born in Ohio), James (age 13, born in Ohio), and Ella (age 11, born in Ohio), who is married but her spouse isn't living with her!
What on earth is going on with William Worthing?And why does James Worthing convince himself he was born in 1862 when he leaves the house?