Census Surprise~Unknown Wife Revealed

This past week I did some census work of several allied lines in my extended family. 

One of the lines I worked on was the family of William Washington Davis.  William is my 3rd cousin twice removed. It was time to fill in some blanks. For years I have had William family in my database with his wife and four children, one of which was deceased. 
The family looked like this:

• William Washington Davis, b. 12 Jan 1874
• Hattie Eugenia [Teal] Davis, b. 10 Oct 1879
• Minnie Allie Davis, b. 19 Oct 1893
• Iva Davis, b. 22 June 1896, d, 22 Oct 1896
• Clara Grace Davis, b. 1 May 1900 
• Dewey Thurman Davis. b.  22 Aug 1905

Just looking at the family composition no red flags stand out. Yes, Hattie was a mere 14 years of age in this picture but it’s not a big issue for this area and this time period. 

So I wanted to take a look at the census and get solid sources for the data I already had and just tidy everything up with real facts and sources.  

Taking a look at the 1910 census it showed the family thus.  



The family is just as depicted above with little Iva Davis missing and two elderly Thurman Aunts living in the household. 

But there is a red flag here. 1910 Census shows you how long a couple have been married; how many children they have produced plus how many of those children are still living.  Hattie, I presumed, told the Census taker she had been married 12 years  with 2 children and 2 living. The other Red flag is that William states that he this is his second marriage.



The 1900 census reinforce what we learned from the 1910 Census.



In this census it shows marriage of 3 years with 1 child with one child living and at this point it’s unnamed. 

Based on these facts we know that William and Hattie were married about 1897 and that the two youngest children are of this marriage. 

So who is the mother of Minnie Allie Davis and William Washington Davis’ first wife.
The passage of the Social Security Acts in 1935 results in the creation of documents that will aid us in determining the name of the mother of Minnie Allie Davis and William Washington Davis‘ fist wife.

Searching on Ancestry using Minnie Allie Davis name and  date of birth I found a delayed birth certificate for Minnie Allie Davis. 




This certificate shows that Minnie Allie Davis was born 19 October 1893 , a child of Willie Washington Davis and Albinie Sellers in Chesterfield, South Carolina.

The 1st wife and Mother of Minnie Allie Davis is – Albinie Sellers. 

Little Iva Davis was delivered in June 1896 and passed away in October 1896. I feel certain Albinie Sellers Davis passed away during this same time period. 

A search for Albinie Sellers revealed no results. I do have a Albany F. Sellers, born abt 1874 in my database. She is a daughter of Samuel Joseph Sellers and Mary Elizabeth “Betty Hurst. I suspect that Albany and Albinie Sellers are the same person. 

Pay attention to the small detailed about marriages and children contained within the 1900 and 1910 censuses and you may find some surprises in your family research. 

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[1] 1900 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 0020, Page: 2A/74(stamped); Line 26, Dwelling 26, Family 26, Household of William W. DAVIS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed 6 June 2014); citing National Archives Microfilm T623_1523.
[2] 1910 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield, South Carolina;, enumeration district (ED) 0036, Page: 19B/122 (stamped); Line 79, Dwelling 339, Family 342, Household of William W. DAVIS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 6 June 2014); citing National Archives Microfilm T624, Roll 1455.