Cold Case Files #1

On September 11-12, 2015, I traveled to Springfield, MO for the Ozarks Genealogical Society Conference.  The conference speaker, Lisa Louise Cooke, was a riveting speaker, and I left with my head spinning with new ideas.  One of her sessions was titled "How to Reopen and Work a Genealogical Cold Case," so that is the purpose of this blog.  Cases don't get a whole lot colder than that of my great-great grandfather, James Bailes (also spelled Balis and Bailus, but I shall keep to Bailes as my spelling.

Start with what you know
James appears in the Butler County, MO census records first in 1850. His age is given as 35, meaning he would have been born about 1815, give or take a year. He is a farmer by occupation, and other members of the household are listed as

Charlotte                        F  age 25                    Born MO

Elizabeth                        F   age 2                     Born MO

Mourning                       F   age 6/12                Born MO 

Although no relationships are given, presumably Charlotte is his wife and Elizabeth and Mourning (also spelled Morning in other sources with the alternate name Malinda in some cases).

 

In 1859, James purchased land in Butler County, described as   
W1/2, SW quarter, sec 32 T26N. R5E. This land is in the northwest section of the county.

 

The 1860 census shows the following family members: 

James Bales          age 58           farmer              b Virginia

Charity Bales        age 35           housekeeper     b Missouri

Elizabeth Bales     age 17                                   b Missouri

Morning Bales      age 8                                      b Missouri

Fanny Bales          age 7                                      b Missouri

Jane Bales             age 1                                      b Missouri

James' age of 58 means his birth would have been in 1802, 13 years earlier than the 1850 census showed, however the birthplace of VA is consistent.  Obviously the family has grown, and Charity is listed as wife; Charity is a nickname for Charlotte and her age is consistent with the previous census.  Morning is shown as age 8, when she should have been about 10, but that error is not unusual and does not rule her out.  Elizabeth, however, has jumped from age 2 to age 17 in ten years, which is puzzling.  Is she the same Elizabeth?

 

In 1870, the census shows the following household members:

James Bailes          Age 60          Farmer                   Born VA

Malinda Bailes      Age 20          Keeping house       Born MO  

Eliza J Bailes         Age 12         At home                 Born MO

Nancy A                 Age 8          At home                  Born MO

Archibald               Age 8/12     At home                  Born MO

 James' age of 60 is inconsistent with the 1860 census, but means he would have been born about 1810, still in VA.  Charity/Charlotte is absent, and Morning/Malinda is now the lady of the house at age 20.  Eliza J, probably the Jane of 1860 is shown as 12, which is not wholly inconsistent, although off by a year, and two more children have joined the household: Nancy and Archibald.  One wonders if Charity/Charlotte perhaps died in childbirth. 

 

In 1871, a marriage license was issued to James Bailes and "Miss Sairey Whitson" in Poplar Bluff, Butler County.  Sairey, or Sarah, was about 20 - 25 years old. In 1872, James and Sarah had a daughter, Susan, who became my great-grandmother.

The 1880 census does not list James at all. Perhaps he died sometime between 1872 and 1880.

Questions

1. When was James actually born? 1802 or 1810?  One or two years off might be workable, but 8 years makes searching for him in VA almost impossible.

2. Were there previous marriages?  James would have been past 30 by the time he shows up in MO.  Did he leave a wife and children in VA?

3.  What happened to Charity/Charlotte?  Where is she buried?

4.  How did he meet Sarah?  In 1870 she was working as a domestic in a home in neighboring Wayne County.  Did she work for James as a housekeeper after his wife died, before she became his wife?

5. When did James die and where is he buried.  Records searched so far have not revealed this information.