REESE-L Archives

From: "" <>
Subject: [REESE] Rees(e) Frustration
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:31:13 -0000

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Author: thomasdmaloney
Surnames: Rees(e)
Classification: queries

Message Board URL:

http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.reese/2292/mb.ashx

Message Board Post:

I have a rather annoying problem.

I've been researching my Rees(e) ancestors and have hit a wall. Some research that was provided to me suggests that my 3rd great grandfather, Hugh Rees, was born in Wales in 1817, married there in 1838, and had his first child, Joram, there in 1839. However, Welsh research shows that the only Hugh Rees in the area was born in 1811 and there is absolutely no record of his son's birth in Wales. The name Joram is from Biblical Hebrew and is not a name used in Wales.

A marriage between a Hugh Rees and Elizabeth (Evans) is recorded in 1838 in Wales. Father of the Groom is Lewis Rees and witnessed by Evan Rees. The groom was over 21. That's all the info the marriage certificate provides. The 1841 Wales census for the area shows Hugh and Elizabeth with a daughter Gwen and the same family appears to be in the same location in 1851.

US Censuses, beginning in 1850, show Hugh, his wife, Elizabeth, and son, Joram living in Cambria County, PA. The ages are consistent with Hugh being born in 1817 and Joram being born in 1839. The census data lists Hugh and his son being born in Pennsylvania, and wife Elizabeth being born in Wales.

I know Hugh's death was after May 1893.a newspaper article in Indiana County, PA states he was found wandering around in poor weather for over a day and became demented. Given that his age was around 80 at that time, I don't think he would have survived to long after.

No government birth records exist in Cambria County during the period of Hugh's birth. I also do not know who his parent's were.

There are no immigration records, that I can find, that show Hugh, Elizabeth, and Joram entering the country between 1839 and 1850.

I cannot find any US Census for Hugh in 1840 that match up.

Joram Reese served in the Civil War, I have just placed an order for his compiled service record from NARA to see if there are any new clues, such as birthplace. Joram died on 28 October 1864 at the General Hospital in Washington DC but there is not listing of him in any of the indexed death records for DC of the time.

I'm a little burnt out research-wise, does anyone have any ideas?

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