I was talking to my wifes' aunt this past weekend and found out more information.

James Louis Woods fathers' name is Daniel Woods born around 1818 and his mothers' name is Ann Colson born around 1820.

They immigrated to America in either 1852 or 1853. His obit stated he immigrated when he was 4 years old with his parents. He was born around 1849. They immigrated from Bedfordshire area.


Thank You,

Eric Rustad
Big Lake, Minnesota

We may be getting somewhere!

In 1851 HO107/1749 folio 434B
Huts, Needingworth, parish of Holywell cum Needingworth, Huntingdonshire
Daniel Woods head marr 31 Ag lab born Sutton Bedfordshire
Ann Woods wife 25 b Needingworth Hunts
Charlotte Woods dau 3 b Needingworth
James Woods son 8 mths b Needingworth

I'll now try to prove that this is your James!

David

The IGI on www.familysearch.org has James' baptism on 23 Feb 1851 at Holywell cum Needingworth, parents Daniel and Anne. There's also Charlotte baptised on 6 Sept 1846. Looking again at the 1851 census, what I thought was aged 3 may well be a 5, which is partly obscured, which would tie up with the baptism.

But whilst there was an Ann Coulson aged 20 in Holywell in 1841 I can't find her marriage to Daniel, nor can I find Daniel in 1841

1841 HO107/448/7 folio 19
Fen Lane, Needingworth
William Coulson 50 Ag lab Not born in Hunts
Mary Coulson 50 Not born in Hunts
Ann Coulson 20 Born in Hunts
William Coulson 11 Born in Hunts
Charlotte Coulson 14 Born in Hunts

According to the IGI at www.familysearch.org there was only one Wood/Woods family in Sutton baptising children at the right time - John and Charlotte. But there isn't a Daniel. However there were three children baptised on 12 Oct 1823, which implies that some or all were late baptisms, one of whom was Donald. I can't find any subsequent reference to Donald, and wonder if it may be a mistranscription of Daniel. (I'm going to England on Friday and plan to spend a couple of days in Bedford visiting my mother. I may be going into the records office whilst there, and if I do I'll try to have a look at this entry). What is interesting though is that they also baptised a son on 11 Nov 1832, John Lewis Woods. Rather than pronouncing Louis the French way with a silent "s", if you sound the "s" it comes out as Lewis!

Sutton, Beds is about 17 miles from Needingworth, Hunts

I don't understand why I can't find the marriage of Daniel and Ann though. You need that to tie everything together.

David

I looked at the entry in Sutton parish register whilst in the Records Office on Wednesday, and it's definitely Donald. Which is not to say that the rector couldn't have made a mistake when writing up the entry, perhaps misreading Danl for Donald.

David

Thank you for looking into this. I appreciate it very much.

Eric

I forgot to mention that I also checked the marriage on 26 March 1815 at Sandy, Beds. The entry reads: John Woods of the parish of Sutton, bachelor and Charlotte Fage of this parish, spinster, by banns. Witnesses James Blane and Ellis Cooper

Hi

I have information on this family because Ann Coulson Woods is a sister of William Coulson my g-g-g-grandfather. I have put it in a timeline to make it easier to follow and I have supporting evidence to back up the information.

I also have further information on the William Coulson and Mary Worley Family.

Let me know if you are interested.

Thanks Lisa

1815 Daniel Woods born 6 January, 1815 Sutton, Bedfordshire, England


c.1821 Ann Coulson born Holywell cum Needingworth, Huntingdonshire, England to William Coulson and Mary Worley


1851 English Census
Holywell cum Needingworth, Huntingdonshire, England

Daniel Woods Age 31 Agricultural Laborer b. Sutton, Beds.
Ann Age 25 b. Needingworth
Charlotte Age 5 b. Needingworth
Frances Age 8 months b. Needingworth


1857 Mary B. Woods born 3 April, 1857 Henry, Illinois


1860 United States Federal Census
Whitefield, Marshall, Illinois


Daniel Woods Age 40 Farmer b. England
Ann Woods Age 36 b. England
Charlotte Woods Age 14 b. England
James Woods Age 12 b. England
Mary Woods Age 3 b. Illinois


1864 Daniel Woods Enlists in Union Army
Private on 5 October, 1864
Substitute on 5 October, 1864

1865 Daniel Woods mustered out 4 October, 1865


1870 United States Federal Census
Coon Township, Buena Vista County, Iowa

Daniel Woods Age 52 Farm Laborer b. England
Ann Woods Age 50 Keeping House b. England
Mary Woods Age 13 At Home b. Illinois
Francis Woods Age 6 b. Illinois


1880 United States Federal Census
Grant, Buena Vista County, Iowa

Daniel Woods Age 65 Farming b. England
Ann Woods Age 63 Keeping House b. England
Frank Woods Age 16 At Home b. Illinois

Barnes, Buena Vista County, Iowa

James Woods Age 31 Farmer b. England
Ella Woods Age 26 Keeping House b. Massachusetts
Lewis J. Woods Age 6 b. Iowa
Fannie Woods Age 4 b. Iowa
Annie B. Woods Age 2 b. Iowa
Oren Woods Age 2 Months b. Iowa


1882 Ann Woods dies 18 October, 1882 in Grant, Buena Vista County, Iowa


1896 Daniel Woods dies 6 October, 1896

1907 James Woods born 18 July, 1840*(incorrect) in England Son of Daniel Woods and Ann Coulson died June 17th, 1907 in Newell, buried June 18, 1907 in Newel


1925 Iowa State Census
Sioux Rapids, Iowa

Mary B. Cuthbert Age 68 b. Illinois



1936 Mary Woods Cuthbert died 6 January, 1938 in Sioux Rapids, Iowa

Hi Lisa

How sure are you about the birthdate of 6 Jan 1815, which was before the marriage of his putative parents? Other than 1880, it's inconsistent with the ages given in all other censuses

I assume you haven't found Daniel's marriage either

David

Hi

I do have two sources for his birthdate. His obituary says he was born in 1815 in Bedfordshire and the cemetery record lists his date of birth as 6 Oct. 1815, but of course they are only as accurate as the person reporting it. In 1864 when he enlisted in the Union Army he gave his age as 47 which puts his birthdate closer to 1817.

As you can tell by the census records his date of birth is lists as anywhere from 1815 to 1820.

I have not attempted to find his death record which I assume can be found in Buena Vista County, Iowa. I am mainly interested in his wife Ann Coulson.

No luck finding the marriage either.

Lisa

I'm happier with 6 Oct 1815 than 6 Jan 1815 which you first posted, as at least it's after his parents' marriage on 26 March 1815. Six months and a bit gestation period for the first child is about right, and longer than most!

The marriage is beginning to bug me! It should be on the GRO index but I can't see it.

David