Were Their Parents Foreign Born? The 1870 Census Asks That Question

Lines 11 and 12 of the 1870 Census had boxes to check if the father and/or mother was foreign born.  From the top of George Hartley's 1870 Census entry (see below).

It pays to continue your genealogy education. This became clear to me when I watched Mary Kircher Roddy's webinar "Censational Census Strategies" again last night. Since the vast majority of my ancestors came to the Americas in the 1600s and 1700s, I have routinely overlooked some questions relating to foreign born parents in the federal censuses.  Bad genealogist.

I've written about my mysterious 4th great grandfather, Solomon Hartley (1775-1815) and noted that it wasn't until the 1880 Census was I able to determine that two of his sons thought he was foreign born (Germany or Poland).  Solomon's son William died in 1874, so I thought that I wouldn't get his answer to his father's origin, until I realized, through Mary Kircher Roddy's demonstration, that the 1870 does ask if the parents are foreign born (just not from where).

Duh, Christine!

Solomon had three known sons: George, William, and Abner Hartley.  George Hartley is my ancestor.

Not a fool proof indicator.  In 1870 Solomon's son George Hartley's (1805-1880) father is not checked as foreign born, contrary to what George has on the 1880 Census.  Rebecca Paul Hartley's parents were born in Pennsylvania.  As a contrast, their neighbor June Gerdar(?), a 70 year old woman born in Scotland, predictably had foreign-born parents.  1870 U.S. census, Linn County, Iowa, population schedule, Cedar Rapids Ward 4, p. 62B (stamped)/p. 150, dwelling 1031, family 1075, George Hartley; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 11 Jul 2017); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 405.

1880 Census.  George's father is from Germany.  1880 U.S. Census, Linn County, Iowa, population schedule, Cedar Rapids, enumeration district (ED) 257, p. 120 (stamped), dwelling 445, family 518; George Hartley; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 Jul 2017); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 351.

William Hartley (1807-1874) only lived to the 1870 Census.

William Hartley has a foreign born father in the 1870 Census.  His wife Helen (Rutter) Hartley was born in Rhode Island to English parents (according to her 1880 Census entry), so she has both parents checked as foreign born.  1870 U.S. census, Camden County, New Jersey, population schedule, Camden South Ward, p. 461A (stamped), dwelling 550, family 645, William Hartley; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 11 Jul 2017); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 856.

Abner Hartley (1813-1890) gave the same answer as brother William:

In the 1870 Census, Abner has a foreign born father, while his sons Ner and Ruthven P. Hartley have an American father (as expected).  Abner's nephew William G. Onetto also had an American born father (Abner Hartley's older half-brother Joseph Onetto (1797-1851), who was born in Pennsylvania).  1870 U.S. census, Jersey County, Illinois, population schedule, Township 6 Range 11, p. 671B (stamped), dwelling 46, family 46, Abner Hartley; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 11 Jul 2017); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 233.

In the 1880 Census, Abner has a father born in Poland.  1880 U.S. Census, Jersey County, Illinois, population schedule, Elsah, enumeration district (ED) 92, p. 2A (stamped), dwelling 32, family 37; Abner Hartley; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Jul 2017); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 216.

The evidence that Solomon Hartley was born in either Germany or Poland has grown a little bit after I've looked at these census records more carefully.  Other records back in Philadelphia, including a man (George Hartley) who I believe is likely a brother of Solomon's, lead to me think Solomon was possibly born in Danzig (Gdansk), Poland, or else somewhere in Germany.  Solomon may have spent some of his childhood in Pittsburgh, where he said he was born (in his Seamen's Protection Certificate), but something lead Solomon's sons to believe he wasn't born there.





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