William Welch

Notes:

Could this be him in 1880?

Household:

Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace William WELSH Self M Male W 44 CAN Farmer IRE IRE Jane WELSH Wife M Female W 40 CAN Keeping House SCO SCO William J. WELSH Son M Male W 21 MI Farmer CAN C Henry WELSH Son S Male W 19 MI Works On Farm CAN CAN


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source Information:
Census Place Marion, Sanilac, Michigan
Family History Library Film 1254605
NA Film Number T9-0605
Page Number 167D

Notes:

It was reported by Marcus Chapman, on the death certificate of his mother, Mary Ann Welch, that her parents were William Welch and Anna Brown, born in England. It appears that Mary Ann's parents were actually both born in Ireland.

At the time of the 1850 Ionia County, Michigan census, a 9 year old Mary Ann Welch and 11 year old William Welch were living in the home of William and Ann Elvert of Berlin Township, both born in Ireland. Based on circumstantial evidence, it appears that Ann Elvert may have been the widowed mother of Mary Ann and William, the former Ann (Brown) Welch. If so, she was born circa 1820 in Ireland, and married and gave birth to her son William prior to age 19. And as 11 year old William was listed as being born in U(pper) Canada, and 9 year old Mary Ann as being born in Michigan, the Welch's appear to have immigrated to Michigan circa 1840 via Canada. In reading the section devoted to Berlin Township in the 1881 HISTORY OF IONIA AND MONTCALM COUNTIES MICHIGAN, no listing is found for William Welch. There is a Simeon Welch that is listed as voting in an election in 1846. At the time of the 1850 census, there was a Simpson Welch, age 45 and born in Kentucky, living in Berlin Township (#43-45). A Simon Welch, age 39, is listed in the 1850 Ionia County census in Easton Township (#275-283) as well. He and his wife Nancy were both born in New York.

Neighbors of the Elvert's at the time of the 1850 census were the McLaughlin's and the Humphries. Both of these men were born in Ireland, and both their wives in Novia Scotia. Perhaps Ann and William Welch came to Ionia via the same route. In 1860, Mary Welch, age 21, was still listed as a member of the Elvert household.

On the 1870 census, Mary Ann Welch reported that both her parents were "foreign born." On the 1880 census, she reports that they were both born in Ireland. Mary Ann herself reports in both 1870 and 1880 that she was born in Michigan. However, when he filed her death certificate, her son Marcus Chapman reports her as being born in Canada. This is incorrect, as Mary appears to have been born in Michigan very shortly after they immigrated from Canada.

Another possiblity are the following families listed in the Montreal Emigrant Society Passage Book of 1832 (Reel H-962, Vol 46) has two seperate references to a William Welch. The passage book is a record of poor and destitute immigrants from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, forwarded and relieved by the Montreal Emigrant Society from 12 May to 5 November 183

(Line 604) On July 13th, 1832 a Wm. Welch and his wife were listed as being from Kerry (?). One of them was over the age of 40, and the other between the age of 20 and 40. They had three children, one an infant with the other two being under the age of 7. They were sent to Prescott.

(Line 994) On July 28, 1832 a Wm. Welch and his wife, both over between the ages of 40 and 60, were listed as the parents of five children, three over the ages of 14, one between 7 and 14, and the youngest under the age of 7. The location where they were from was left blank. Others arriving that day all appeared to be from various counties in Ireland. They also were sent to Prescott.

At the present time, it is not known if the two Wm. Welch's listed above are related to each other, or if either or both are related to the Wm. Welch who is the father of Mary Ann Welch. It appears, however, that if Ann Elvert, born ca 1820 in Ireland, was the widow of William Welch, then she is too young to be the wife shown in either family. These could be the parents of her husband, however.

I Found a Wm. Welch in Lyons Township, Ionia County in 1870, at #362-360, 49 years old, born MD. Also in household, Richard E. 30 born PA and Sarah J 73 born MD, widow. I also looked at Lyons Township on the 1860 film, and Wm. Welch was listed as 35, Sarah as 62? Richard 25, with Ida Green age 4, Mary age 2. Birthplaces of the Green girls was MI, the birthplaces for all the others the same as was listed on the 1860 census. This does not appear to be a good match for the Wm. Welch who was the father or the brother of Mary Ann Welch, for she quite clearly notes that both of her parents were born outside of the United States, both on the 1870 and 1880 census. In 1880, she shows that her parents were both born in Irelan

William married Anna Brown before 1837. Anna was born about 1816 in Ireland; died on 12 Oct 1888 in Ionia County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Anna Brown appears to have married (1) William Welch and (2) William Elvert.

This appears to be her cemetery record?

SAINTS PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC CEMETERY (also known at Mt. Olivet Cemetery) Fourth Street - Ionia Township - Ionia County, Michigan

Copyright ? 1997 by Beth Ellen Wills. http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~camprowl/peter.txt

Elvert, Anna 72 yrs. 10-12-1888

And this appears to be the youngest daughter?

Elvert, Margaret 53 yrs. 06-21-1913

(Research):

Census Listings:

1850 Federal Census
Michigan, Ionia County, Berlin Township
65 68
Elvert William 49 M Farmer 300 Ireland
Elvert Ann 30 F Ireland
Helch (sic) William 11 M U Canada
Helch (sic) Mary A. 10 M (sic) Mich
Elvert James 8 M Mich
Elvert Cornelius 5 M Mich
Elvert Julia 3 F Mich
Elvert Emily 1 F Mich

This Census was transcribed by Beth Wills and proofread by Pat Billings, Hope Farris, Kathy Laux for the USGenWeb Census Project, http://www.usgenweb.org/census

1860 Federal Census
Michigan, Ionia County, Berlin Township
21 Sept 1860
#2718-2616
Wm. Elvert 63 M Farmer 1000 500 Ireland
Ann Elvert 48 F Ireland
Cornelius 15 M Michigan
Julia 13 F Michigan
Harry 11 M Michigan
John 9 M Michigan
Elizabeth 6 F Michigan
Ellen 4 F Michigan
James 18 M Michigan
Mary Welch 21 F Teacher

At the time of the 1870 Ionia County census, Wm. Elvert was listed as a 71 year old farm laborer, born in Ireland, living in the home of Charles and Henrietta Fullington (both born in New York). They lived in Berlin Township (#127-127). The next household in the census was that of his ex-wife, Ann Elvert.

1870 Federal Census
Michigan, Ionia County, Berlin Township Berlin Township
#128-128
Elvert, Ann 55 Keeping House Ireland
Elvert, Julia 22 Works on Farm Michigan
Humphreys, Francis 72 Farmer Ireland
Humphreys, Susan 65 Keeping House Novia Scotia
Humphreys, Francis 23 Farm Laborer Michigan
Cain, Edward 29 Wagon Maker Isle of Man
Cain, Susan 23 Keeping House Michigan
Cain, Anna 1 F Michigan

(Note: The Humphreys and Elvert's were also neighbors at the time of the 1850 census)

1880 Federal Census
Michigan
Ann ELVERT Self W Female W 68 IRE Keeping House IRE IRE
Julia ELVERT Dau S Female W 33 MI IRE IRE
Source Information:
Census Place Berlin, Ionia, Michigan
Family History Library Film 1254584
NA Film Number T9-0584
Page Number 264A