Origin Story: Jehial Stanton, Part II

Never published but written in September, 2016.

This is the post about census data. Sometimes census data frustrates me because it is just the bare bones of a person, but in this case I have other information to fill in the gaps. As of right now I have four federal censuses that include Jehial (1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880) and two state censuses (IA 1895 and 1905). This post is about the Federal Censuses (it’s a lot of info for one post)

Lets start with the 1850 Federal Census:

• Taken in November 1850 in Whiteside, Illinois
• Name (looks like) Jehial Stanton
• 27 years old, probably born 1823
• Occupation: Laborer
• Born in NY
• Wife Rebecca, age 31, probably born 1819 in NY
• Daughter Lydia E., age 4, probably born 1846 in NY
• Daughter Sarah J., age 2, probably born 1848 in NY
• In the same family Dwelling there is also the family of William D. Mecker, age 42, born 1808, a farmer who owns $600 worth of land.
• Perhaps the Stantons were staying with the Mecker family

Next is the 1860 census:

• Taken July 3rd in the 2nd Ward of Rock Island, Illinois
• Name appears Jehial Stanton
• Age 36, if his birthday is July 4th then he was born in 1823
• Occupation: White Washer
• No real estate
• At the end under the “Condition” column it reads (this is the best I can figure) “Help (as or at) Poor Person”
• Wife is Rebecca Stanton age 42 (b. 1818) born before Nov. in NY
• Step-Daughter, Henrietta McBride, age 17 (b. 1843) in NY, says “By 1st Husband”
• Step-Son, Wilson McBride, age 16 (b. 1844) in NY, says “By 1st Husband”
• Daughter Lydia E. Stanton, age 14 (b. 1846) in NY
• Daughter Sarah Jane Stanton, age 12 (b. 1848) in NY
• Daughter Caroline E. Stanton, age 10 (b. 1850) in NY (possibly born on the way to Iowa)
• Son Francis A. Stanton, age 5 (b. 1855) in IL
• Daughter Lucinda A. Stanton, age 2 (b. 1858) in IL
• Son James M. Stanton, age 8 mo. (b. 1859) in IL

Then the 1870 census:

• Taken the 10th of August in Olive Township, Iowa
• Name appears Jehial Stanton
• Age 46 (b. 1823) in NY
• Occupation is farmer, owns $200 dollars of real estate
• Blind
• Wife Rebecca Staton, age 52 (b. 1818) in NY, father or foreign birth
• Daughter Sarah Stanton, age 22, (b. 1848) in NY, domestic servant
• Daughter Carrie Stanton, age 20, (b. 1850) in NY
• Son Franklin Stanton, age 15, (b. 1855) in IL, farm laborer
• Daughter Lucinda Stanton, age 12, (b. 1858) in IL, at school
• Unknown Charles Blair, age 2, (b. 1868) in IL, at home

Lastly the 1880 Census:

• Take 12th of June in Olive, Iowa
• Name appears Jehial Stanton
• Age 55 (b. 1825?) in NY
• Blind
• Father and mother are born in NY
• Wife Rebecca Stanton, age 61, (b. 1818) in NY, Father from Ireland, Mother from Massachusetts, keeping house

That is all of the federal census data that I have for Jehial. Most of the 1890 census was was lost in a fire and I haven’t found Jehial in other the 1900 census,  that will be in another post.