When I first started my own family tree, I figured I was going to be able to trace the Norman family name back quite a ways. I mean, "Norman?" Hello?! It MUST go back to the Norman Invasion of England in 1066, right? We must be able to trace our roots back HUNDREDS of years to the Vikings!
...ahem...
Well... maybe.
But, so far I haven't been able to take it any further back than my great-great-great grandfather, James Oscar Norman, who was born in 1851 in Missouri... or... somewhere around there.
The biggest mystery with him is simply, who were his parents? Now, because there are a couple of census records that indicate that J.O. was born in Missouri, there are people online who found a James Norman, who was born in Missouri around 1851, and assumed it was the correct one. Well, I feel like, based on several pieces of evidence, that this James Norman is NOT James Oscar Norman, but instead, is James Erastus "Ezra" Norman.
First, in both the 1850 (as seen below) and 1860 Censuses (which I don't have available for upload), George Washington and Eliza (Clay) Norman (the couple many online believe to be the parents of James Oscar Norman) are listed as him being from Virginia and her being from Tennessee. This follows in line with the information James Ezra Norman provides on his own censuses in later decades.
The 1850 Census for Polk County, Missouri, as seen above, shows:
George W Norman - 32
Eliza Norman - 26
William Norman - 8
Mary J Norman - 6
Jonathan C Norman - 4
Virginia A Norman - 0
(James Norman is not yet born)
And the 1860 Census for Polk County, Missouri shows:
GW Norman - 43
Eliza Norman - 36
William Norman - 19
Mary Norman - 17
Jonathen Norman - 13
Virginia Norman -11
James Norman - 8
Elnora Norman - 0
In 1870, James Ezra Norman and the rest of his family are living in Ralls County, Missouri. (I do not have a copy of the 1870 Census available for upload.)
Next, in both 1880 and 1900, James Oscar Norman lists both of his parents (whether accurate or not) as having come from Kentucky, while in 1880, James Ezra lists his parents as being from Virginia and Tennessee and in 1900 as being from Kentucky and Tennessee.
As you can see, the above 1880 Census for Jack County, Texas shows:
James Norman - 29
Josiphean Norman - 24
Manirvey Norman - 8
James Norman - 6
John Norman - 2
Whereas, the 1880 Census for Ralls, Missouri shows (I do not have a copy of the actual census available for upload):
James Norman - 28
Mahala Norman - 22
Fasti Norman - 1m
Lena Norman - 9
*** Due to a fire in 1921, over 99% of the United States 1890 Census records were destroyed and no longer exist. ***
And the 1900 Census for Jack County, Texas, as seen above, shows:
James O Norman - 49
Josephine Norman - 45
George B Norman - 17
William L Norman -14
Minnie V Norman - 12
Jessie W Norman - 6
Whereas, the 1900 Census for Ralls, Missouri, as seen above, shows:
J E Norman - 48
Hallie Norman - 52
Fred Norman - 20
Leslie Norman - 15
Marion Norman - 11
James Norman - 10
Orion Norman - 6
Oral Norman - 6
Arguments for why George Washington and Eliza Norman are the parents of James Ezra Norman, rather than James Oscar Norman:
- Clearly, based on the 1880 and 1900 Censuses these are two separate James Normans. In 1900 we see each of their middle initials: "James O" and "J E".
- We see that usually James Oscar Norman's birth year is listed as 1851, whereas James Ezra Norman's birth year is usually cited as 1852.
- We see parents: George Washington Norman and Eliza (Clay) Norman living Polk County, Missouri in 1850 and 1860, and then Ralls County, Missouri in 1870 and 1880, where James Ezra Norman continues living with his wife, Mahala. Meanwhile, James Oscar Norman is living in Jack County, Texas with his wife.
- We see James Oscar Norman list his parents as being from Kentucky and Kentucky, whereas James Ezra Norman tends to list his as being from Virginia and Tennessee, which are the same places George Washington and Eliza Norman tend to list themselves as having come from.
All of this, of course, does not mean that I am 100% correct. But for me, as much as I'd love to keep tracing my Norman line back to the Vikings, there seems to be enough proof against George Washington and Eliza Norman, that I am going to continue my search for the true parents of James Oscar Norman.
If you have any further proof for or against these potential parents, please let me know. I am always open to all possibilities.
...ahem...
Well... maybe.
But, so far I haven't been able to take it any further back than my great-great-great grandfather, James Oscar Norman, who was born in 1851 in Missouri... or... somewhere around there.
The biggest mystery with him is simply, who were his parents? Now, because there are a couple of census records that indicate that J.O. was born in Missouri, there are people online who found a James Norman, who was born in Missouri around 1851, and assumed it was the correct one. Well, I feel like, based on several pieces of evidence, that this James Norman is NOT James Oscar Norman, but instead, is James Erastus "Ezra" Norman.
__________________________________________
First, in both the 1850 (as seen below) and 1860 Censuses (which I don't have available for upload), George Washington and Eliza (Clay) Norman (the couple many online believe to be the parents of James Oscar Norman) are listed as him being from Virginia and her being from Tennessee. This follows in line with the information James Ezra Norman provides on his own censuses in later decades.
.jpg) |
| 1850 Census for George Washington and Eliza Norman - Polk County, MO |
The 1850 Census for Polk County, Missouri, as seen above, shows:
George W Norman - 32
Eliza Norman - 26
William Norman - 8
Mary J Norman - 6
Jonathan C Norman - 4
Virginia A Norman - 0
(James Norman is not yet born)
And the 1860 Census for Polk County, Missouri shows:
GW Norman - 43
Eliza Norman - 36
William Norman - 19
Mary Norman - 17
Jonathen Norman - 13
Virginia Norman -11
James Norman - 8
Elnora Norman - 0
In 1870, James Ezra Norman and the rest of his family are living in Ralls County, Missouri. (I do not have a copy of the 1870 Census available for upload.)
__________________________________________
Next, in both 1880 and 1900, James Oscar Norman lists both of his parents (whether accurate or not) as having come from Kentucky, while in 1880, James Ezra lists his parents as being from Virginia and Tennessee and in 1900 as being from Kentucky and Tennessee.
 |
| 1880 Census for James Oscar Norman - Jack County, TX |
As you can see, the above 1880 Census for Jack County, Texas shows:
James Norman - 29
Josiphean Norman - 24
Manirvey Norman - 8
James Norman - 6
John Norman - 2
Whereas, the 1880 Census for Ralls, Missouri shows (I do not have a copy of the actual census available for upload):
James Norman - 28
Mahala Norman - 22
Fasti Norman - 1m
Lena Norman - 9
*** Due to a fire in 1921, over 99% of the United States 1890 Census records were destroyed and no longer exist. ***
 |
| 1900 Census for James Oscar Norman - Jack County, TX |
And the 1900 Census for Jack County, Texas, as seen above, shows:
James O Norman - 49
Josephine Norman - 45
George B Norman - 17
William L Norman -14
Minnie V Norman - 12
Jessie W Norman - 6
 |
| 1900 Census for James Ezra Norman - Ralls County, MO |
Whereas, the 1900 Census for Ralls, Missouri, as seen above, shows:
J E Norman - 48
Hallie Norman - 52
Fred Norman - 20
Leslie Norman - 15
Marion Norman - 11
James Norman - 10
Orion Norman - 6
Oral Norman - 6
__________________________________________
Arguments for why George Washington and Eliza Norman are the parents of James Ezra Norman, rather than James Oscar Norman:
- Clearly, based on the 1880 and 1900 Censuses these are two separate James Normans. In 1900 we see each of their middle initials: "James O" and "J E".
- We see that usually James Oscar Norman's birth year is listed as 1851, whereas James Ezra Norman's birth year is usually cited as 1852.
- We see parents: George Washington Norman and Eliza (Clay) Norman living Polk County, Missouri in 1850 and 1860, and then Ralls County, Missouri in 1870 and 1880, where James Ezra Norman continues living with his wife, Mahala. Meanwhile, James Oscar Norman is living in Jack County, Texas with his wife.
- We see James Oscar Norman list his parents as being from Kentucky and Kentucky, whereas James Ezra Norman tends to list his as being from Virginia and Tennessee, which are the same places George Washington and Eliza Norman tend to list themselves as having come from.
__________________________________________
All of this, of course, does not mean that I am 100% correct. But for me, as much as I'd love to keep tracing my Norman line back to the Vikings, there seems to be enough proof against George Washington and Eliza Norman, that I am going to continue my search for the true parents of James Oscar Norman.
If you have any further proof for or against these potential parents, please let me know. I am always open to all possibilities.
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