Andrew Wilson remains an enigma

Question

I am trying to find the parentage and immigration for Andrew Wilson my 2nd great grandfather. According to family search he was born on August 1, 1838 in Gulladuff, Maghera Parish in Londonderry Ireland.

He married Elizabeth H. Jennings on June 22, 1861 in Queenstown, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. Elizabeth was born in Gwinear, Cornwall, England and immigrated here in 1850 as a child.

Andrew was a Civil War Veteran and enlisted on August 15, 1863 in the state of New Jersey. He enlisted in Company A, 12th Infantry Regiment on August 20, 1863.

The first census I have him in is the 1870 census in Queenstown, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. His occupation was a Cooper and he was living with his wife, three children and a woman, Annie Wilson age 78. I am assuming this is Andrew's mother. Annie does not appear in the next census, so I would assume she had passed away by then. Again, I am assuming she is buried in Pennsylvania but have been unsuccessful in verify her death or burial site.

Ultimately, Andrew, his wife and children left Pennsylvania and moved to Olean in Cattaraugus County, New York. Andrew died on January 26, 1899 in Olean NY. I have obtained a copy of his obituary but it did not reference his parents.

I believe Andrew came to the states as a child but have not been successful in finding any immigration or naturalization records and have come to a standstill in trying to locate his immigration to the US or who his parents were (other than the reference to Annie Wilson in the census).

If any one has any suggestions or ideas on pointing me in a direction that I may have missed in trying to track Andrew down it would be appreciated. Thank you i advance for any assistance or suggestions.

Answer 1

Which port of entry is the most likely?

Answer:

The port of Philadelphia in the state of Pennsylvania, is probable.

Example:

Name: Andrew Wilson

Arrival Date: 6 Aug 1851

Age: 15 Years

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1836

Gender: Male

Port of Departure: Londonderry, Ireland

Ship Name: Competitor

Port of Arrival: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Microfilm Roll Number: M425_73

In the 1860 US Census Andrew Wilson would have been around 22 years old. That said he was either married, single, a boarder, or lived with his parents or other relatives.

That being said I'll presume that Andrew was single until he married, as mentioned in your question. So, let's see what we can find.

Example:

 1860 United States Federal Census Record for Andrew Wilson

Name: Andrew Wilson

Age in 1860: 23

Birth Year: abt 1837

Birthplace: Ireland

Home in 1860: Cowanshannock, Armstrong, Pennsylvania

Gender: Male

Post Office: Rural Village

Household Members:

Name Age

John Wilson 70

Martha Wilson 50

Daniel Wilson 25

Andrew Wilson 23

Nancy Wilson 20

John Wilson 15

You state in your question "1870 census in Queenstown, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. His occupation was a Cooper.

Definition: coop·er
/ˈko͞opər/

Noun- a maker or repairer of casks and barrels.

Verb- make or repair (a cask or barrel).

Synonyms- hooper

Further along in your question you state, " and he was living with his wife, three children and a woman, Annie Wilson age 78. I am assuming this is Andrew's mother. Annie does not appear in the next census, so I would assume she had passed away by then. Again, I am assuming she is buried in Pennsylvania but have been unsuccessful in verify her death or burial site."

There was one result that likely fits on (findagrave.com)

Name: Annie Wilson

Birth: Jan. 9, 1794

Death: Apr. 21, 1871

Burial: Lancaster Cemetery, Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA (Plot: 556)

With the records I've provided, you should be able to compare your records and discern if any of the names in the 1860 Federal Census record above coincide with your 1870 Federal Census co-resident "Annie Wilson". It's hard to match dates exactly, the only thing that any of us can do is find sources of evidence and evaluate it's credibility, happy hunting and good luck. : }