Emily Thomson - by Judy Sievers Bates

Born April 18, 1829 b/t/b in Heathfield, Sussex, England to William Thomson and Jane Jenner.

Source: Washington Death Records 1883-1960 found on Ancestry; WHT collection p. 1

1841 Census of England, listed with some of her siblings, as residents of the Poorhouse in Waldron, Sussex, England. Emily's father, William had immigrated earlier for America. Her mother, Jane, and the other children were listed on the census with her parents, Samuel and Jane Jenner. 

December 3, 1841 listed, along with mother and siblings on the ship manifest of the St. James, arriving in New York City on Dec. 3.

Source: Marine Journal article of the “New York Tribune” of Dec. 4, 1841 states ship arrived yesterday  

1845 family moved from Madison County, NY to Columbia County, WI

Source: Thomson family history written by Riley Thomson, grandson of William and Jane Thomson, nephew of Emily. This is based on the recollections of Riley’s father, Emily’s brother, Edwin Thomson. Written in the early 1940s 

March 7, 1849 Married John Williams (#1) in Columbus, WI
Source: marriage certificate, Columbia County Register of Deeds, Portage, Wisconsin, vol. 1 p. 17 fiche 50; WHT collection p. 23 

December 10, 1849 daughter Sarah Jane Williams born 

Source: 1850 US Census lists Sarah as 8 mo. old on July 25.

November 7, 1853 daughter Mary Ann Williams born 

November 24, 1855 daughter Emma Luthera Williams born 

September 2, 1857 husband John Williams dies 
Source: obituary “The Journal”, Sept. 4, 1856, Columbus, Wisconsin; tombstone at St. Jerome’s Cemetery in Columbus has death date as Sept. 3; WHT collection p. 23 has correct day, but the year is 1857 

December 29, 1858 Married George W. Wallace (#2)
Source: WHT collection p. 23 

November 18, 1859 son John Wilton Wallace born 

February 2, 1861 daughter Phoebe Parsons Wallace born 

March 9, 1863 daughter Cora May Wallace born 

November 6, 1865 daughter Elizabeth Estella Wallace born

June 3, 1870 Emily and her 7 children are living in the Village of Columbus. She and George Wallace have presumably divorced by this point. 

Source: 1870 United States Federal Census 

Sometime, probably in the early 1880s Emily, Phoebe, Cora, and Elizabeth (always called Lizzie), move to South Dakota 

November 12, 1887 Emily made her first land purchase, from the government, in Davison County, South Dakota. She purchased 160 acres in the NW ¼ Town 104N Range 060W Section 13. 

February 20, 1894 Emily purchased the SE ¼ Town 104N Range 059W Section 25 in Hanson County, SD.

1900 US Census lists Emily living with her daughter Lizzie and son-in-law, Theodore Metzer in the state of Washington. 

August 1, 1905  Emily died in Tacoma, WA at the home of her daughter "of tumor". 

Source: Washington Death Records 1883-1960, found on Ancestry; Washington Standard 1905-08-11p.4;WHT collection p. 23; buried in Tacoma Cemetery findagrave 

A few notes about Emily: 

• On her own again since her divorce from George Wallace, the 1870 US Census lists her name as Emily Williams and reveals her personal estate value is $100, her real estate value is $4,000. 
• The 1875 Wisconsin census shows Emily and her six children in Columbus. 
• In the 1880 census, five of her children were still in the home in Columbus. Sarah and her husband were living nearby on Waterloo Road in Columbus. As her children grew to adulthood, they all left Columbus, all headed for South Dakota, with the exception of Emma. 

A few notes about John Williams:  

• Emily's first husband was born in Wales, about 1820. He was a cabinet and furniture maker by trade, with a shop on James St. in Columbus. 
• Per the 1850 US Census of Products and Industry, he had three male employees. It is reported they made about 100 bedsteads a year along with 250 tables and chairs. 
• Per his obituary, his death came suddenly though he had been suffering from fever and ague recently. He tended to business in the morning, then took a rest in the afternoon. Shortly thereafter, his wife and a hired girl heard a noise in the bedroom, entered, and “every spark of life had departed.” He was 38 years old. His funeral took place at the I.O.O.F. He was buried in St. Jerome’s Cemetery. per findagrave website. 

A note about St. Jerome’s Cemetery: 

• It is a Catholic cemetery that now joins Hillside Cemetery at the northwest corner. There appears to be no record of his burial there, though in present-day research of the cemetery six stones were discovered that were unreadable, too old, or buried. He is listed as being buried in Hillside Cemetery. 

A few notes about George W[illiam] Wallace:

• Emily's 2nd husband remains a mystery to me. There are few clues to follow him, though further newspaper research may fill in some pieces. 
• The 1860 US Census for Columbus shows him as head of household with the family of Emily and her daughters Sarah, Mary, Emma Williams, and son John Wallace. His occupation is a grocer. 
• By the 1870 US Census George, a resident of Columbus is living alone. His occupation is retail merchant. His age is 43. George provided this census information on June 9. 
• In the 1875 Wisconsin census, George was living alone in the township of Hampden.
• On June 28, 1870, census information was collected at the Columbia County Jail in Portage. The “household” included the sheriff, his wife, and child, the deputy sheriff, along with five inmates- a George Wallace, aged 39, occupation listed as “was a merchant”. It is most likely the sheriff provided information on the inmates, the ages might be a close guess rather than an accurate age. I believe George in Columbus and George in the Portage jail may be the same man. I have viewed online Columbus and Portage papers for that time but came up with no answers. Physical newspaper research should help answer the question. 
• Another possible clue comes from the write-up of his son John on findagrave It states when in his late teens (1875-78), he came out west with his father. "Out west" would have been South Dakota. John may have gone further out west, but if he did, he must have returned as he appears in the 1880 US Census as a laborer in Columbus, living with Emily. 
• I recently researched the Government Land Records site looking for a variety of families that had moved to South Dakota. I noted there was a George Wallace who purchased two pieces of property in Jerauld County. This transaction was dated April 20, 1883. He purchased the E ½ of NW ¼ Township 108N Range 064W Section 31 and the W ½ of NE ¼ Section 31 (same town and range). This property equaled 160 acres. Unsure if this was the George who moved west, it became more probable when I noted his neighbor. 
• In a land transaction dated February 5, 1885, Theodore F. Mentzer purchased multiple pieces of land in Jerauld County. His land purchases were as follows: NW ¼ of NE ¼ Township 106N Range 066W Section 30; NE ¼ of NW ¼ Section 30 (same town and range; Lot/Tract 1 and Lot/Tract 2 (appears to be in a town, but no more information found). On February 15, 1888, Mr. Mentzer purchased the following: SE ¼ of NE ¼ Town 106 Range 066 Section 29; N ½ of SE ¼ Section 29 (town and range the same), and the NW ¼ of SW ¼ Section 28 (town and range the same) for a total of 160 acres. Living near each other, George and Theodore surely knew each other. 

Theodore F. Mentzer became the husband of Emily and George Wallaces’ youngest daughter, Elizabeth (Lizzie).