I've really hit a brickwall with this one, and it's a real pain! I'm
trying to flesh out the life of a half-brother of my gr-grandfather Chalmers
Farrell of Morristown, Belmont Co., OH, and later Columbus, Franklin Co., OH. The
half-brother's name was Samuel Farrell, who was born in November 1836, a son
of Reuben and Margaret Cline Farrell of Hendrysburg, Belmont Co., OH. By
1860, he was married in Knox Co., OH, to Mary Fletcher, with a young daughter
Amanda Jane Farrell. The following year, Samuel Farrell enlisted in the 43rd
Ohio Infantry, mustering out in 1864. He was in Paducah, KY, briefly,
afterwards, and then by the summer of 1870 he is documented as being in Evansville,
IN, remaining there for at least the next 4 years. He was a shoemaker by
trade. The documentation is by way of his Civil War pension file, which notes
several exams being performed in Evansville, as well as his postal address.
The trouble is....no census index for Evansville or the surrounding county
in 1870 shows him anywhere.
By 1880, Samuel Farrell is shown living in Wheeling, WVA, along with a new
wife, Emma J. Farrell, and a new daughter, Mamie Farrell. The daughter's
nativity is given as Indiana, with an age of 7, suggesting that she was born
there ca. 1872/3.
So, what happened? When Samuel Farrell left his army service in 1864, had
his original family disappeared? Or, did the three of them move to
Evansville, only to have his wife Mary and daughter Amanda J. die there? Perhaps a
divorce, and an early marriage for Amanda? And what of this Emma J. Farrell?
Did Samuel marry this woman while living in Evansville? Was she previously
married, with a child Mamie?
If anyone can help me run down any pertinent Farrell deaths in Evansville
ca. 1869-1874, or a marriage for Samuel Farrell and Emma J. ?, or even city
directory listings for Samuel Farrell, shoemaker, during this period, I'd be
grateful. My gut feeling is that he's indeed in the 1870 enumeration for
Evansville, but has been transcribed incorrectly. But, as all genealogists know,
stranger things have happened!
David Fletcher
Richmond, VA