Taking the Chisel to a Major Brick Wall:
What we know about P. R. Joslyn
Part I
One of my most puzzling and annoying issues in all my
genealogical research has been the quest to identify the parents of my
3rd Great-Grandfather, William “P. R.” Joslyn. As has been mentioned in
prior columns, our family legend was that Riley Joslin was the “Son of
William, son of William, son of William.” We were told by our
grandfather, James Arthur Joslin, that his father migrated into Missouri
from “Caney County, IllEnoise” (in the peculiar vernacular of the
Ozarkian/Appalachian kindred, that translates to Kane County, Illinois).
Much research has been devoted to identifying the parentage
of P. R. Joslyn, to no avail. My maternal uncle agreed to submit his
DNA years ago in the hopes of finding a close relative with that
information documented and willing to share. We found a few close
relatives whose family trees were well documented and provided proof
that we are related to the Immigrant Thomas “Jostlin” who brought most
of his family to America aboard the good ship Increase in the year
1634/35. To my dismay and deep disappointment, however, none had
documentation to finally and forever forge the link to that illustrious
Joslin/Joslyn/Josceline/Josselyn, etc. historic lineage reaching back in
the mists of time to Charlemagne and beyond to his earliest known
forefather, his 3rd great-grandfather Pepin of Landen also known as
Blessed Pepin or Pippin for his generous and saintly nature or to his
earliest proposed ancestor, 7th great-grandfather Clovis I, King of the
Franks (c466-511).
What we did discover was that my uncle’s DNA matched
most closely to a man who had been adopted in the aftermath of the
Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 responsible for the loss of millions of
lives around the world. That DNA hit brought me in touch with two other
researchers whose quest was similar: discovering the missing link in
their own heritage. One was the descendant of one of the twin sisters
who survived the epidemic (the other twin and their mother, wife to our
DNA match’s father having, sadly, not survived). The second was the
daughter of the man who, at a tender age, was adopted by a loving
family. Together we three set out to help one another. The result has
been edifying, but has not provided that one last brick of knowledge.
Alas!
I set up a separate, private, tree to assist in
researching that scintillating but elusive tie between the DNA match
(the adopted son of the hero of the epidemic who almost lost his own
life trying to save that of his wife and infant twin daughters) and our
own P. R. Joslyn. Our DNA match’s father we shall call DNA Primary. DNA
Primary’s life was fairly easy to research. I was able to discover
documentation placing him in various places by virtue of the Census,
newspaper records of his heroic exploits aiding the overwrought doctors
battling the Flu, birth and other records. That led to his parents and
later to his grandfather, Edward S. Joslyn (often spelled ‘Joyslin” in
various city directories and other records). Edward S. was a skilled
watchmaker, a silversmith who was born May of 1826 in Cohansey Township,
Cumberland County, New Jersey. That was an intriguing bit of
information as we know the forebear known as the Colonel William of
Deerfield (1701-1771) settled in the Cumberland area before meeting and
wedding our 4th great-grandmother, Christiana Garrison (a fact now also
proved via DNA matches). It was written in the Joslin book published by
Edith S. Wessler:
"He left Fairfield
Township about 1730 and purchased land at the Indian Fields (East
Bridgeton). At this place, he married Christiana Garrison, daughter of
Jacob Garrison, Jr (1676-1751) who lived nearby. "
(NOTE: Per Roland Joslin CD
information provided by Carol Treadway on Ancestry message. Cohansey
Township, N.J., was formed from Hopewell Township, N.J., 6 Mar. 1848;
became part of Bridgeton, N.J., 1 Mar. 1865.)
Edward S. Joslin appears to have apprenticed in his early
years, age 24, in the home of an established “watchmaker” along with
others who have been found through the author’s research to be related
by blood or work association. That information was provided through the
1850 US Federal Census, and was both enlightening and very
disappointing, as the 1850 Census was the first documentation that
provided genealogists with family information for so many. It was the
first Census to list Head of Household by name, date and place of birth,
and to provide Household Members’ names, dates and places of birth and
relationship to the Head. Since our Edward S. was apprenticed out, we
have no clue to his parentage. It does provide us with his age (23) and
place of birth (New Jersey). We know that Edward S. also traveled to
Paducah, McCracken County, Kentucky where he married his wife, Nancy A.
Roser. They lived there for awhile, for their first daughter, Harriett
Leeds Joslin was born there 12 Dec 1856. (It is believed her middle name
was given her as a nod to his long-time friend and associate, G. Howard
Leeds who appeared in the 1850 Census along with Edward S., and was
shown to be 31 years of age, also born in New Jersey.) Notations by the
author in Edward S.’ Profile for two separate 1860 Census enumerations
are as follow:
“7 Jun 1860, Paducah,
McCracken, Kentucky: Listed as a watchmaker. (Enumerated two times in
1860 in Paducah. Clearly same family, house 413.) Name Age E S Joslin 34
N A Joslin 27 Harriet L Joslin 3 Julia A Joslin 2 Louisa Joslin 3/12”
“28 Jul 1860, Paducah,
McCracken, Kentucky: Listed as "Jewelry Merchant." Name Age E S Joyslin
34 Nancy Joyslin 28 Harriet L Joyslin 3 Julia R Joyslin 2 Louisa Joyslin
4/12”
We find by 1863 the Edward S. Joslin family has returned to Illinois, for Military records reveal the following:
“1 Jul 1863, Illinois,
United States: “Civil War Draft Registration lists Edward as a
"silversmith" born in New Jersey. Shows former military service as
"mexican war."
By 1870, the US Federal Census shows Edward S. has once again made a move:
“1870, Camden North
Ward, Camden County, New Jersey: “"Works at silverplating." Name Age
Edward Joyslin 44 Nancy A Joyslin 37 Harriet Joyslin 13 Julia Joyslin 17
Louisa Joyslin 10 Mary Joyslin 8 Walter Joyslin 6”
Without boring the reader with the various city
directory entries, research shows Edward S. set up a successful business
enterprise in Camden, NJ, where he and his daughter Louisa, a
professional seamstress, maintained their offices. We also discover an
occasional record of his expansion of services to other nearby cities.
The 1880 Census shows his family still esconced in Camden”
“1880, Camden, Camden
County, New Jersey: “"Jeweler." Household Members: Name Age Edw. S.
Joslin 54 Nancey A. Joslin 47 Lilie Joslin 7 Nancey Joslin 5”
The 1890 Census was lost due to a fire and ensuing
water damage caused in the effort to salvage the documents. Therefore,
we resort to substitute records to document location and occupation of
our subjects: For Edward S. we find the following:
“1890, Camden, NJ:
“Name: Edward S Joyslin Residence Year: 1890 Street Address: 450 Liberty
Residence Place: Camden, New Jersey Occupation: Silversmith Publication
Title: Camden, New Jersey, City Directory, 1890”
Our final documentation of the life of Edward S. Joslin
possible close relative to our P. R. Joslyn is the following Census
record which also provides us with clues as to the married names of
Edward S. Joyslin’s daughters:
“1900, Upper Freehold,
Monmouth, New Jersey: “Enumerated in home of daughter, Julia Joslin
BROWN and her husband. Also in home is daughter, Harriett now widowed
and last name: Forby. Household Members: Name Age William Brown 40 Julia
A Brown 42 Edward S Joyslin 74 Harriet S Forby 43”
All this information is provided in the hopes someone
will read the column, recognize key names and provide documentation that
will aid in the final conclusion as to how Edward S. Joyslin, talented
silversmith/watchmaker, is related to our own elusive William “P. R.”
Joslyn. (Interesting to note, my maternal uncle Jack Oakley Joslin was a
talented watchmaker – a tinkerer who was fascinated by and could
resolve any issues associated with watches or clocks of any kind!!)
Now, back to P. R.
No genealogical research occurs in a vacuum. We rely
upon documents: Census records are key, also Family Bibles where loving
parents and grandparents have penned the names and dates of birth for
children and their children, marriages celebrated, deaths mourned. Also
relevant newspaper articles and obituaries as well as the modern-day
equivalent: the marvelous Find A Grave website where photographs of
graves and cemeteries have been submitted by a drove of generous folks
interested in preserving family heritage. Thanks be to God for these
people! But, a word of warning: even those dates chiseled in stone can
be in error. Be certain to provide cross documentation for every fact
where you can.
My research has relied heavily on the paper trail
provided by my mother, grandmother and aunt: Lena May Joslin Carroll,
her mother Carrie Edyth Bullard Joslin, and my aunt Linnie Jane Joslin
Burks. Additionally, other family researchers paved the way with their
many trips to local libraries, NARA sites, and publication of family
trees and stories. Also, in my case, the two closest contributing and
assisting researchers are now gone: my cousins Joyce Schumacher and Pat
Joslin Steiner. We three collaborated via phone, email and snail mail
for years – weighing the latest finding carefully to give each the
“sniff” test of reliability before placing that particular fact in our
tree. I must also give full credit to the work and research of a
distant “shirt-tail” cousin, David Lewis, whose relentless searching of
Census records divulged the trail blazed by P. R. Joslyn and his
children.
Our earliest record of William “P. R.” Joslyn appears
as a tantalizing bit of “maybe” – a marriage between a William Joslin
and Lois Bennett on 23 Sep 1795 in Cumberland County, New Jersey. Many
researchers believe this is our William “P. R.” As a researcher, I would
be remiss if had I failed to at least include the listing as a
possibility – although I tend to discount this particular hint. The
marriage, among other facts, is recorded as “Cumberland County, New
Jersey genealogical data: records pertaining to persons residing in
Cumberland County prior to 1800.”
(Original
data: Craig, H. Stanley,. Cumberland County, New Jersey genealogical
data : records pertaining to persons residing in Cumberland County prior
to 1800. Merchantville, N.J.: H. Stanley Craig, 19--?.)
Next, we find a Census record enumerating William
Joslin’s household as follows (the enumerator’s count is a bit puzzling –
as there is no other evidence William Joslin traveled with slaves in
tow. The count appears to have been at least doubled by some
miscalculation. It would appear there were 7 males (2 under 10, 4
between the ages of 16 and 25 and one male aged 45 and over.)
Additionally, there appears to have been 7 females (3 under 10 plus 2
aged 10 thru 15, and 1 aged 16 to 25, plus the matriarch aged 45 and
over). This would appear to comprise a household of 7 males and 7
females, not 28 persons.:
Name Wm Joslin
Home in 1820 (City, County, State) Deerfield, Morgan, Ohio
Enumeration Date August 7, 1820
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10 2
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 18 1
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25 4
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over 1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10 3
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15 2
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25 1
Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over 1
All Other Persons Except Indians not Taxed 14
Free White Persons - Under 16 7
Free White Persons - Over 25 2
Total Free White Persons 14
Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other 28
By tracking later records, we find the children of P. R.
and the woman who gave them birth routinely cited their places of birth
as New Jersey until we find Isaac Joslin, who says he was born about
1814 in Ohio. If we accept that William “P. R.” Joslin fought in the War
of 1812 as some records suggest, it is likely he began his migration
Westward to accept bonus land awards. His family’s appearance in Ohio
and birth of a son in 1814 would coincide with that information.
However, without a fixed date of birth for P. R., and the arbitrary date
of 1760 which we’ve ascribed for purposes of research (which also fits
with known age ranges for the Census records), he would have been 52
years old. A bit long in the tooth but, then, fit and able men fought. A
fact not yet accepted as truth yet but used to further our research.
Our next documentation for P. R. find his family in
1830 in Berlin, Knox County, Ohio. This record would appear to place
P.R.’s age between 60 and 69.:
vName William Joslin
Home in 1830 (City, County, State) Berlin, Knox, Ohio
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14 1
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29 2
Free White Persons - Males - 60 thru 69 1
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19 2
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29 1
Free White Persons - Females - 50 thru 59 1
Free White Persons - Under 20 3
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49 3
Total Free White Persons 8
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored) 8
And, for this first part of the story of William “P. R.”
Joslyn, we shall conclude at this point. Stay tuned for the conclusion
in next month’s issue of PencilStubs.com.
Click on author's byline for bio and list of other works published by Pencil Stubs Online.
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