Genealogy Research Journal #5, Entry #3
My next step was to find out when Margaret (Kelly) Jones died. If she died before 1906, there were no indexes to refer to. Women were not listed in city directories before 1910 unless they were widowed or single. I’d have to put on my genealogy thinking cap to find some alternative resources.
It appeared that the census was the best place to start. I knew that Thomas Jones was born in 1850. If his wife was born around the same time, I had a rough estimate of her age during different census enumerations. I knew she was alive in 1880 when her daughter, Margaret, was born. She would have been about 30 then. By the 1900 census, she would have been 50.
The 1900 Census Results
I pulled up the 1900 census first. Thomas Jones was already a widow. He was living with his daughter, Margaret, who had yet to marry. They lived in San Francisco.
1900 US Federal Census, Precinct 5, Ward 30, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA. Enumeration District 35, Sheet 4B.
Jones, Thomas A. Head, 50, birthplace California, widow, carriage maker, parents from Wales
Jones, Maggie, Daughter, 16, birthplace California, single, Daliswoman or Saleswoman, father from California, mother from Ireland
There were a couple of problems with this entry. Maggie (Marguerite) was not 16 in 1900. She was 20.
Thomas was not born in California. He was born in Australia and arrived in America around 1860.
Despite those discrepancies, this was the father and daughter I was looking for.
The 1880 Census Results
The 1890 census is not available, so I checked the 1880 census. I found Thomas and Margaret Jones living in San Francisco with their 3 children: Josephine, John, and Margaret.
Jones, Thos. A. , head, 30, Australia
—–, Marg., wife, 30, England
—–, Josephine, dau, 10, California
—-, John, son, 8, California
—–, Maggie, dau, 0, California
Jones, J.H., boarder, 65, England
[Source: 1880 U.S. Federal Census, San Francisco, San Francisco Co., CA, ED 139, Sheet 324]
I now knew that Margaret died between 1880 and 1900. Without the 1890 census, it would be difficult get any closer that that.
I knew that there were at least 3 more children born to Thomas and Margaret from what my grandmother told me. Gertrude, Alice, and Clara would have been born between 1881 and 1900. If Margaret (Kelly) Jones gave birth every two years, I could focus on the period between 1886 and 1890.
I am guessing here as you can tell. But, it was as good a time period to focus on as any other.
