Post by phonelady on Nov 28, 2020 18:56:03 GMT -5
Hi Everyone,
I am being driven to distraction with this problem.
Maybe you'all can suggest some areas of research.
I am trying to write the story of John Prouse/Prowse who died in Nevadaville, Gilpin County, Colorado 18 Nov 1904.
He had silicosis.
On his gravestone is "Born in Cornwall, Eng., 1847."
I only find two baptisms for John Prowse after 1947
OPC record 3050279 in the Baptisms database
Day Month: 16-Jan
Year: 1848
Parish Circuit Or Chapel: Buryan, St.
Forename: John
Surname: PROWSE
Father Forename: John
Mother Forename: Constance
Residence: Church Town
Status Or Occupation: Shoemaker
Day Month: 16-Jan
Year: 1848
Parish Circuit Or Chapel: Buryan, St.
Forename: John
Surname: PROWSE
Father Forename: John
Mother Forename: Constance
Residence: Church Town
Status Or Occupation: Shoemaker
OPC record 3693986 in the Baptisms database
Day Month: 27-Feb
Year: 1848
Parish Circuit Or Chapel: Paul
Forename: John Leah
Surname: PROWSE
Father Forename: James
Mother Forename: Phillis
Residence: Mousehole
Status Or Occupation: Fisherman
Day Month: 27-Feb
Year: 1848
Parish Circuit Or Chapel: Paul
Forename: John Leah
Surname: PROWSE
Father Forename: James
Mother Forename: Phillis
Residence: Mousehole
Status Or Occupation: Fisherman
OPC record 3371923 in the Burials database
Day Month: 15-Mar
Year: 1848
Parish Circuit Or Chapel: Paul
Forename: John Leah
Surname: PROWSE
Age: 5w
Residence: Mousehole
Day Month: 15-Mar
Year: 1848
Parish Circuit Or Chapel: Paul
Forename: John Leah
Surname: PROWSE
Age: 5w
Residence: Mousehole
The mother of John Prowse, Constance, is a Maddern. She is in my family lineup and many of her cousins, nephews and nieces migrated to the US to work in the mines in Colorado.
So, I assumed that this was my John Prowse who went to Colorado to work in mining and died in Nevadaville.
The problem is the John and Mary Jane Prouse in Cornwall don't match the John and Mary Jane Prouse in Colorado!
John Prowse, son of John Thomas and Constance Maddern Prowse, married Marry Jane Gendel in 1868.
OPC record 1537039 in the Marriages database
Day Month: 04-Jul
Year: 1868
Parish Circuit Or Chapel: Gulval
Groom Fn: John
Groom Sn: PROWSE
Groom Age: 20
Groom Residence: Pendeen
Groom Rank Profession: Miner
Groom Signed / Marked (S/M) S
Groom Father Name: John Prowse
Groom Father Rank Profession: Sawyer
Bride Fn: Mary Jane
Bride Sn: GENDALL
Bride Age: 20
Bride Residence: Gulval
Bride Signed / Marked (S/M) S
Bride Father Name: Francis Gendall
Bride Father Rank Profession: Miner
Banns / Licence (B/L): Banns
Witness Fn1: Francis
Witness Sn1: Gendall
Witness Fn2: John
Witness Sn2: Prowse
Day Month: 04-Jul
Year: 1868
Parish Circuit Or Chapel: Gulval
Groom Fn: John
Groom Sn: PROWSE
Groom Age: 20
Groom Residence: Pendeen
Groom Rank Profession: Miner
Groom Signed / Marked (S/M) S
Groom Father Name: John Prowse
Groom Father Rank Profession: Sawyer
Bride Fn: Mary Jane
Bride Sn: GENDALL
Bride Age: 20
Bride Residence: Gulval
Bride Signed / Marked (S/M) S
Bride Father Name: Francis Gendall
Bride Father Rank Profession: Miner
Banns / Licence (B/L): Banns
Witness Fn1: Francis
Witness Sn1: Gendall
Witness Fn2: John
Witness Sn2: Prowse
John and Mary Jane Gendel Prowse had children:
Jane PROWSE -Baptised 1869 Pendeen
Elizabeth Ann PROWSE - Baptised 1871 Pendeen
Elizabeth Ann PROWSE - Baptised 1871 Pendeen
John PROWSE - Baptised 1872 Pendeen
These are the only children listed for John and Mary Jane Prowse in Pendeen.
So far, so good, because my John Prowse, who died in 1904 and was married to Mary Jane, immigrated to the
USA in 1873 and Mary Jane and family followed in 1874.
And here's where everything goes south.
The Census' here in Colorado USA from 1880 to 1900 list children of John and Mary Jane Prouse
Jane born Dec 1868 in England
Elizabeth Ann born born Aug 1873 in New Jersey [Listed in LDS records "New Jersey Births and Christenings, 1660-1980"]
John born Oct 1876 Pennsylvania
then there is
Louisa born Dec 1877 in Pennsylvania
Mary Jane born Feb 1879 in Nevadaville, Colorado
Elizabeth Maude born Sept 1880 in Nevadaville
Nicholas Thomas born Oct 1881 in Nevadaville
William C., born April 1883
Mable born Oct 1884
Lilly born Oct 1890
William and Mable died in 1891 and Lilly died 1890 and are buried near John Prowse in Bald Mountain Cemetery in Nevadaville.
Then the clincher. The obituary of Mary Jane Prouse
Colorado Transcript, Number 26, April 29, 1937
"Mrs. Mary Jane Prouse, resident of Golden for many years, died suddenly at the home of her daughter. Mrs. Mary Toinby, [Mary Jane Prouse] 530 Arapahoe street, at 8:45 o’clock Wednesday evening, April 21. Death was due to a heart ailment and complications incident to old age. Mary Jane Thomas was born in Cornwall, England, August 13, 1848 and came to the United States when a young lady. She first lived in Pennsylvania and after her marriage there to John Prouse [of which I can find no record AND daughter Jane was born in England in 1868 or 1869] , they moved to Bald Mountain in Gilpin county where they resided for a number of years. Mr. Prouse passed away about thirty-seven years ago. For the past twenty-two years she has made home in Golden and Littleton with her daughters. She was a member of the Golden Methodist Episcopal church. Surviving her are three daughters, Mrs. Mary Toinby, Mrs. Herbert Hosking [Elizabeth Maude Prouse] of Golden, Mrs. James Hoskin [Louisa K. Prouse] of Littleton and a son, Nick Prouse of Golden..."
This is not Mary Jane Gendal as far as I can tell.
And in the obituaries of John and Mary Jane's children:
The obituary of Jane Prouse Waters who dies in 1962 lists sister Mary [Prouse] Maddern and parents John and SARAH.[I find no Jane Prouse/Prowse in the baptismal/christening records as the daughter of John and Sarah Prouse/Prowse. I do find two records for Jane, the daughter of John and Mary Jane Prouse.
Elizabeth Ann Prouse Gundy who died in 1930 lists mother Mary J. Prouse, sisters Lou [Louisa K Prouse] Hosking, Jane [Prouse] Waters,
Mary [Jane Prouse] Toinby [later Maddern], Maude [Elizabeth Maude Prouse] Hoskins
and brother Nicholas Prouse.
Elizabeth Maude Prouse died in 1962. Her obituary lists parents John and Mary Prouse and sisters
Mary [Prouse] Maddern and Janie [Prouse] Waters
Nick Prouse died 1946. His obit lists parents John and Mary,
sisters Lulu [Louisa K Prouise] Hoskins
Mary Jane [Prouse] Maddern
Maude [Elizabeth Maude Prouse] Hosking
and
"half sister" Mary Jane [Prouse] Waters!
Way too many loose ends...