This case study will demonstrate several of the techniques and record groups discussed in earlier entries of this column, as well as new techniques and record groups.
In the 1920 federal census for Leon County, Texas, a seventy-four year old African-American man named Jeff Clark lives with his sixty-four year old wife Hattie. Jeff was a farmer who owned his own farm, and worked his own land. The census further records that he was born in Alabama, as were both of his parents. His granddaughter also lived with them.[1]
A thorough search of Ancestry.com’s index for the 1930 federal census does not reveal the presence of either Jeff or Hattie in Leon County. This is not unusual, as they were both relatively old in 1920. Unfortunately, a search of the digitized Texas death certificates on FamilySearch.org has not located certificates for Jeff or Hattie. Though it is impossible to conduct a completely exhaustive search using only online records, this case will show just how much it is possible to learn with what is available online.
Using the same techniques previously demonstrated in the article “Using 'clusters' to track your ancestors through multiple census years (part one),” we will attempt to discover additional information about Jeff and Hattie Clark, and their family, by finding them in previous census records. The following chart summarizes this information:
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1900 (J. P. 1, Leon Co., TX)[2]
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1910 (J. P. 1, Leon Co., TX)[3]
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1920 (J. P. 1, Leon Co., TX)[4]
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Jeff Clark, age 55 (Mar 1845)
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Jeff Clark, age 63
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Jeff Clark, age 74
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Hattie ---, wife, age 40 (Dec 1859)
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Hattie ---, wife, age 50
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Hattie ---, wife, mulatto, age 64
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Porter ---, son, age 14 (Feb 1876[sic])
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Pinkey ---, daughter, age 12 (Jul 1877[sic])
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Arabella ---, daughter, age 11 (Apr 1879[sic])
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Arabella ---, daughter, age 16
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Frank ---, son, age 9 (May 1891)
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Frank ---, son, age 18
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Allie ---, daughter, age 7 (Jul 1892)
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Gertrude ---, daughter, age 5 (Feb 1895)
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Gertrude ---, daughter, age 13
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Bobby ---, daughter, age 2 (Aug 1897)
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Jessie ---, daughter, age 11
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Comparing the households in the 1900 and 1910 federal censuses, it seems clear that this is the same family and, despite the discrepancy in Hattie’s age in the 1920 federal census, this is also the same family that appears in that year.
The twenty-year gap between the 1880 and 1900 census records does not allow using the same technique to locate Jeff and Hattie Clark in the 1880 federal census. Other factors, however, lead to the conclusion that Jeff and Hattie Clark were living in District One of Leon County at the time of the census. In this year, they were living with their older children---all of whom had left the house as adults prior to 1900. The following household depicts this family in 1880:
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1880 (Dist. 1, Leon Co., TX)[5]
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Jeff Clark, age 30
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Hariet A., wife, mulatto, age 25
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Oscar, son, age 5
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Johnie, son, mulatto, age 3
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Ben, son, mulatto, age 1
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Mary, mother, age 48
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Several facts lead to the conclusion that this is the same family:
· The residence lies in District 1 of Leon County, Texas, in 1880; the residence lies in Justice Precinct 1 of Leon County, Texas, in 1900 through 1920.
· Jeff Clark’s wife’s name is “Hariet [sic] A. [Clark]” in 1880; her name is “Hattie [Clark]” in 1900 through 1920. “Hattie” is a common nickname for Harriet.
· Jeff Clark’s place of birth is reported as Alabama in 1880; his place of birth is reported as Alabama in 1900 through 1920.
Not being content with simply this indirect evidence, however, the prudent genealogist will seek further corroboration. The digitized Texas death certificates, available online on FamilySearch.org, may serve this purpose. Death certificates for several of Jeff and Harriet “Hattie” Clark’s children appear in this online collection:
Oscar Clark, born 7 February 1875, died 14 July 1945, father Jeff Clark, mother Hattie Page[6]
Porter Clark, born 10 March 1882, died 27 December 1965, father Jeff Clark, mother Hattie Page[7]
Frank Clark, born 10 February 1890, died 25 October 1944, father Jeff Clark, mother Hattie Page[8]
Jessie Odems, born 25 Aug 1904, died 31 October 1974, father Jeff Clark, mother Hattie Paige[9]
Arbell Richardson, died 12 January 1930, father Jeff Clark, mother Hattie Page[10]
Oscar Clark, son of Jeff and Hariet A. Clark, born ca. 1875 appears on the 1880 federal census living with his parents in Leon County. The death certificate of Oscar Clark states his date of birth as 7 February 1875, and his place of birth as “Leon Co.” His parents were identified as Jeff Clark and Hattie Page. The informant on this death certificate was Porter Clark, likely the same Porter Clark who lived with Jeff and Hattie Clark in 1900, their son. The death certificates of Porter and Frank Clark, Jessie Odems, and Arbell Richardson all also identify their parents as Jeff Clark and Hattie Page. Each of these individuals appears as a child of Jeff and Hattie Clark in either 1900 or 1910. It appears certain that Jeff and Hattie (Page) Clark of Leon County, Texas, were the parents of at least Oscar, Johnie, Ben, Porter, Pinkey, Arabella/Arbell, Frank, Allie, Bobby, and Jessie. The 1900 census reports that Hattie was the mother of ten children, all of whom were still living; the 1910 reports that she was the mother of eleven children, nine still living.
The 1880 census household also contains Jeff’s mother, Mary, living with Jeff and “Hariet.” This lends a clue to Jeff Clark’s own origins. Other clues may also be found in the four census records and the five death certificates already located.
First, as already mentioned, Jeff Clark’s place of birth is identified as Alabama in each of the census records from 1880 through 1920. The death certificates for his children Frank and Oscar Clark, and Arbell Richardson, all agree with this information, each stating that Jeff was born in Alabama. The death certificates for his remaining children do not report a place of birth for Jeff.
The 1880 and 1920 censuses state that Jeff’s father was born in Alabama, just as Jeff himself was.[11] The 1900 and 1910 censuses, on the other hand, report that Jeff’s father was born in Virginia.[12] In all of these records, his mother’s place of birth is recorded as Alabama. This agrees with the identification of Mary’s place of birth as Alabama in the 1880 census.
Jeff Clark can be found living with his parents in the 1870 census, in Precinct 1, Centreville post office, Leon County, Texas. There are some discrepancies between this record and the later records, however. These can be seen in the following extract from the census:[13]
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Jeff Clark
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44
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M
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B
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Farmer
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Ala.
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--- Mary
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32
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F
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B
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Keeping house
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La.
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--- Jeff
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19
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M
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B
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Farm laborer
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“
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--- Tisia[?]
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14
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F
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B
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At home
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Texas
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With Mary identified as a widow in the 1880 census, one can conclude that the elder Jeff Clark had died between 1870 and 1880. He does not appear by name in the 1860 federal census. Therefore, other records will have to be used to identify additional information concerning this Clark family.
To be continued...
[1] 1920 U. S. Census, Leon Co., Texas, population schedule, Justice Precinct 1, ED 85, SD 6, pg. 8B, dwelling 123, family 125, Jeff Clark household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 Jan 2010); citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 1828.
[2] 1900 U. S. Census, Leon Co., Texas, population schedule, Justice Precinct No. 1, ED 42, SD 4, pg. 6A, stamped pg. 157, dwelling 97, family 97, Jeff Clark household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 Jan 2010); citing NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 1654.
[3] 1910 U. S. Census, Leon Co., Texas, population schedule, Justice Precinct No. 1, ED 122, SD 8, pg. 11B, dwelling 202, family 203, Jeff Clark household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 Jan 2010); citing NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 1571.
[4] 1920 U. S. Census, Leon Co., Texas, pop sched, J. P. 1, ED 85, SD 6, pg. 8B, dwg 123, fam 125, Jeff Clark h/h.
[5] 1880 U. S. Census, Leon Co., Texas, population schedule, District 1, ED 86, SD 4, pg. 28, dwelling 225, family 225, Jeff Clark household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 Jan 2010); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 1316.
[6] Texas Department of Health, death certificate 31423 (1945), Oscar Clark; digital image, FamilySearch Record Search Pilot (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 5 Jan 2010); citing [FHL] Film number 2137962, Digital GS number 4029642, Image number 133.
[7] Texas Department of Health, death certificate 84473 (1965), Porter Clark; digital image, FamilySearch Record Search Pilot (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 5 Jan 2010); citing [FHL] Film number 2117921, Digital GS number 4028269, Image number 614.
[8] Texas Department of Health, death certificate 48171 (1944), Frank Clark; digital image, FamilySearch Record Search Pilot (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 5 Jan 2010); citing [FHL] Film number 2137818, Digital GS number 4035468, Image number 2961.
[9] Texas Department of Health, death certificate 90803 (1974), Jessie Odems; digital image, FamilySearch Record Search Pilot (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 5 Jan 2010); citing [FHL] Film number 2243437, Digital GS number 4167766, Image number 2191.
[10] Texas Department of Health, death certificate 1823 (1930), Mrs. Arbell Richardson; digital image, FamilySearch Record Search Pilot (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 5 Jan 2010); citing [FHL] Film number 2135163, Digital GS number 4163948, Image number 2428.
[11] 1880 U. S. Census, Leon Co., Texas, pop sched, Dist. 1, ED 86, SD 4, pg. 28, dwg 225, fam 225, Jeff Clark h/h. 1920 U. S. Census, Leon Co., Texas, pop sched, J. P. 1, ED 85, SD 6, pg. 8B, dwg 123, fam 125, Jeff Clark h/h.
[12] 1900 U. S. Census, Leon Co., Texas, pop sched, J. P. No. 1, ED 42, SD 4, pg. 6A, stamped pg. 157, dwg 97, fam 97, Jeff Clark h/h. 1910 U. S. Census, Leon Co., Texas, pop sched, J. P. No. 1, ED 122, SD 8, pg. 11B, dwg 202, fam 203, Jeff Clark h/h.
[13] 1870 U. S. Census, Leon Co., Texas, population schedule, Precinct No. 1, Centerville PO, pg. 25, stamped pg. 13, dwelling 166, family 166, Jeff Clark household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 Jan 2010); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 1596.
Comments
Nice post Michael. Leon County, Texas is one of my area of research. I'm glad that you are highlighting African American research in Texas since it tends to be overlooked.
Thank you for the research ,after reading the article and talking to my older siblings Porter Clark is our mother grandfather. She was raised in a small black community outside of centerville. How did you pick this family.
Ray -
I actually picked this family at random. I am so glad that you were able to locate this series of articles. If you read the entire series, you will see the progress of my research.
Please also feel free to contract me directly -- michael [dot] hait [at] hotmail [dot] com
Thanks
,
Michael
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