A couple pieces come together: Belford and Joshua Nixon in 1870, 1880 censuses

So, I thought I'd try tracking down some of the Nixon boys. It seems like not much is known about what became of them. I had a clue that they might have gone to Indiana, as their father's obituary says he moved to Indiana to be closer to his daughter (Rebecca) and sons. I looked in the 1870 census and found a Joshua Nickson, living with the family of an Alfred Nickson, but I couldn't find any Alfred in the family so I was skeptical that this was the right Joshua Nixon.

In the 1880 census, I found a Balford Nixon, married, with kids. But he said he was born in Ohio and his parents were from Kentucky (all three were supposed to be born in Pennsylvania). Still though, I thought this was probably him because there weren't any other Belford (or Balford etc.) Nixons anywhere else in the U.S. I could forgive his saying he was born in Ohio, as he spent the better part of his childhood there, but the Kentucky thing had me a little worried that maybe there was a second Balford Nixon.

So I had these two records, one for Joshua and one for Belford. Both seemed like they might be for the right guys, but neither was a dead lock. Then I looked at the rest of the people in the families; I looked at the wife and kids of Alfred Nickson with whom Joshua was living in 1870, and I looked at the wife and kids of Belford Nixon in 1880. They were the same wife and kids. Ha ha! Alfred Nickson and Balford Nixon are the same person. Maybe Alfred is a middle name ( how cruel would that be? Belford Alfred?), or more likely, the enumerator just misheard his name and dropped the "B".

What it means is that I've found Joshua Nixon living with Belford Nixon in 1870. Both are listed as close to the right age and both say they were born in Ohio, which is not quite right, but they did grow up there. All this is pretty solid evidence that they are the right guys.

Here are the records:

1870 Census

Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Harrison, Bartholomew, Indiana; Roll: M593_299; Page: 140; Image: 280.

Extraction:

Name: Alfred Nickson
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Race: White
Occupation: Farmer
Value of Personal Estate: $300
Birthplace: Ohio

Name: Margaret Nickson
Age: 28
Gender: Female
Race: White
Occupation: Keeping House
Birthplace: Ohio
Cannot Write: True

Name: Elja W Nickson
Age: 4
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthplace: Indiana

Name: Roma W D Nickson
Age: 2
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthplace: Indiana

Name: Joshua Nickson
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Race: White
Occupation: Works on Farm
Birthplace: Ohio

1880 Census

Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Elizabeth, Bartholomew, Indiana; Roll: T9_266; Family History Film: 1254266; Page: 215.1000; Enumeration District: 13; Image: 0211.

Name: Balford Nixon
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 39
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Farmer
Birthplace: Ohio
Father's Birthplace: Kentucky
Mother's Birthplace: Kentucky

Name: Margaret Nixon
Gender: Female
Race: White
Age: 38
Relationship to Head: Wife
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Keeping House
Birthplace: Ohio
Father's Birthplace: Ohio
Mother's Birthplace: Ohio

Name: Elzra W. Nixon
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 14
Relationship to Head: Son
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: At Home
Attended School in census year: yes
Birthplace: Indiana

Name: Romy DeForst Nixon
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 12
Relationship to Head: Son
Attended School in census year: yes
Birthplace: Indiana

Name: Mary Belle Nixon
Gender: Female
Race: White
Age: 9
Relationship to Head: Daughter
Attended School in census year: yes
Birthplace: Indiana

Name: William H. Nixon
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 1
Relationship to Head: Son
Birthplace: Indiana