Brick Wall Busted

Back in 2017 I wrote about my brick wall I've been trying to break for 25+ years. Today I have finally smashed down that wall!

While preparing to talk with a US/Canada research specialist at the Family History Library next week, I was gathering all the information I have found, updating my research paper on Rebecca Anna Jones. A couple items popped out to me.

• The 1895 Iowa census was the one and only time her birth location included a county name: Keokuk County, Iowa.
• Her death certificate, stating she was born in 1855, listed her father's name as John Jones and mother's maiden name as Johnston.

Not to muddy the waters, I've gone off on several wild-goose chases where a Jones married a Johnston and had daughters Rebecca or Anna in the mid-1850s. But in those cases, I've been able to disprove in each case these Rebecca's were not my great grandmother. 

This morning I decided to search on Ancestry.com for John Jones in the 1856 Iowa State Census for Keokuk county--a specific time, location, and name. I chose 1856 because this would be the first census my Rebecca should show up in and because of the one source that said she was born in Keokuk County, Iowa. To my surprise, I found a John Jones household consisting of:

John Jones, age 28, born in Virginia, farmer

Nancy Jones, age 28, born in Illinois

Arminda Jones, age 7, born in Iowa

Matilda Jones, age 3, born in Iowa

Rebecca Jones, age 1, born in Iowa

Sarah Johnson, age 14, born in Illinois

Of course, Ancestry had some transcription problems, including listing John's age as 18 and Rebecca's age as 7. But what was exciting was the last person listed, Sarah Johnson. Remember the death certificate that said mother's maiden name was Johnston? Johnson and Johnston are very similar. Could this be Nancy's younger sister? [Ancestry.com Operations Inc, "Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925," database, Ancestry.com (http://www.Ancestry.com : accessed 4 Aug 2020), entry for John Jones in 1856 census; John Jones, age 28, born in Virginia, farmer; Nancy Jones, age 28, born in Illinois; Arminda Jones, age 5, born in Iowa; Matilda Jones, age 3, born in Iowa; Rebecca Jones, age 1, born in Iowa; Sarah Johnson, age 14, born in Illinois.]

I also found John and Nancy with another daughter in Keokuk County in the 1850 U.S. Census. [1850 U.S. census, Keokuk County, Iowa, population schedule, District 26, p. 253A, dwelling 502, family 530, John Jones household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.Ancestry.com : accessed 4 Aug 2020); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M432, roll 185; John Jones, age 23, born in Virginia, farmer; Nancy Jones, age 23, born in Tennessee; Zerukdam age 5/12, born in Iowa.]

The next step was searching for a marriage of John Jones and Nancy (possible maiden name of Johnson or Johnston). Success!!!  [Ancestry.com, "Iowa, Compiled Marriages, 1835-1850," [database on-line], Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 Aug 2020), entry for John Jones and Nancy Johnson.]

While searching on Ancestry, hints popped up for some family trees. I decided to take a look and found a tree with some of information I have found plus several more generations. The exciting part was that the owner of this tree and I share DNA. Turns out we share 15 cm, and as it turns out, we are 3rd cousins one time removed, both descended from daughters of John Jones and Nancy Johnson.