Chasing the Elusive: Burris Doudney Wood (the second)

Every so often, I tinker with different elusive members of my family tree.... for instance, my paternal grandfather's great-uncle, Burris Doudney Wood (who was a junior).  Burris can be traced via census records and city directories, prison records and even a marriage license from 1850 until 1893, when all trace is lost of him.

I call these kind of searches "Chasing the Elusive" and decided I would blog about them in case anyone might have pieces for me.

****DISCLAIMER HERE:  This Burris Doudney Wood is NOT to be confused with his first cousin, Captain Burris D. Wood, who was a steamboat captain and was said to be a Civil War veteran.  This Burris was the one who died in 1902 in New Orleans. My great-great uncle should also not be confused with any of the Burris Doudney Woods who were descended from his steamboat captain cousin.****

What I do know:
Burris Doudney Wood (the second) was the son of Burris Doudney Wood and Julia Blackford.  He was born 27 May 1849 in East Birmingham, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, which is now the South Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh.  His siblings were John Devender (my ancestor), Reumah Anne, Margaret, William and George.  he also possibly had a sister named Eliza.  He appears on the 1850 census with the family in East Birmingham, where his father worked as a Justice of the Peace on Joseph Street. Burris was the second youngest of their seven children and was only six years old when his father mysteriously vanished in 1854 (that will be a blog post story for another time).

Burris lived in the Pittsburgh area with his mother, Julia, from 1860 onward, living first in Temperanceville and then McClure Township as it evolved into the 9th and 11th wards of Allegheny City.  The family moved around, living a series of rented rooms and houses.  In nearly every entry for Burris, whether it be in a city directory or a census enumeration, Burris is listed as living with Julia and often with at least one of his other brothers (George and William, as eldest brother John had taken to starting his own family) from 1863 until 1887 except for a brief time spent in Sharpsburg, where he was enumerated on the 1880 census living in a boarding home.  He was listed as having been out of work for two months, so perhaps he was looking for work in Sharpsburg?

Anyway, Burris worked a series of jobs, often ones tied to the iron mills of Allegheny City, listed as a rolling mill hand, a nailor, a hookup, a boiler, a roller a mill hand, and a general laborer in numerous entries of the Allegheny City directories.

On 29 December 1887, Burris Doudney Wood married Emma Hunter Jones Wertz, who was eight years his senior.  She had been born in England and immigrated to the United States who had married twice.  Her first marriage probably ended with the death of her husband, Raymond Jones, though he remains a ghost at this point.  Her second marriage to Francis Wertz ended in divorce after her husband publicly mistreated her (shout out to the wonderful volunteer Suzanne Johnston who pulled her lengthy divorce record for me!).  She earned a living as a dressmaker.

The couple lived at 54 Kerr Street in the Ninth Ward of Allegheny City for at least the first two years of their marriage.  This residence was Emma's home before marriage, and it is assumed Burris moved in with her after leaving his mother's residence.  In 1892,  Burris and Emma lived on the corner of Spruce and Cass in Allegheny City.

It was around this time period, in the early 1890s, that Burris appears to have been arrested twice.  The first time was in January of 1892.  On 17 January 1892, workers at the Pittsburg, Allegheny and Manchester Traction Company struck.  These were street car workers, and many who labored in the mills sympathized with them and struck with them.  Several of the sympathizers, including Burris, were arrested.  Burris was arrested on the charge of vagrancy and sentenced to 30 days in the work house by Mayor Wyman for his role in the strike.  He was sent to the Allegheny County Workhouse in Blawnox for his sentence, and worked as a laborer there.

On 27 February 1893, he again was sentenced for vagrancy, this time for ninety days by Alderman AJ Brinker.  The circumstances surrounding this arrest are unknown, as unlike the first arrest, this one is absent from the digitized newspapers available to me.  It is possible that he was a sympathizer again in a strike, but it is not known at present time.  He was released on 27 May 1893,

This arrest record is the last known entry for this Burris Doudney Wood.

Wife Emma does appear on the 1900 census as living in Wilmerding with her son Clarence Raymond Jones (a product of her first marriage) and eleven year old adopted daughter Luella S. Woods.  Emma is listed as widowed, which leads to the assumption that Burris had passed away before then.  However, there may be a possibility that he could have also deserted the family.  Considering that Emma was listed as a widow in a handful of city directories before her divorce to Francis Wertz was finalized, it is possible she stated she was a widow again, despite Burris being alive.

After that time in Wilmerding, the family appeared to move back to what is now Pittsburgh.  Emma appeared in the 1910 census with her adopted daughter Luella and her grandson Paul B. Jones living at 1403 Page Street in Ward 21 of Pittsburgh.  Before that house, she had lived at 1803 Cliff and 3 Seneca, according to city directories.  She then lived at 1502 Buena Vista, 1712 Monterey and finally 78 Strauss,  where she resided when she died from senile dementia at the Presbyterian Hospital on 13 February 1923.  She was buried 2 days later at the United Cemetery in Pittsburgh.  An inquiry into burial records was mailed to the cemetery in August 2018 and was not replied to.

Searches for the whereabouts of Burris after May 1893 have been seemingly fruitless.  A manual search of digitized "Registration of deaths in the city of Allegheny, 1876-1907" on FamilySearch (FHL microfilm numbers 499319-499323) yielded no results.  Same things when a manual search of "Death records, 1874-1903, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania", volumes 7 to 16 on FamilySearch was completed.  The request for information sent to United Cemetery went unanswered.  Searches of digital newspapers on both Newspapers.com and Genealogy Bank have yielded no results as well.

It's like he just elusively vanished.

So the search will continue, as time permits.  He's not my only brick wall, or my only elusive member.  The hope though is that as records become more digitized, some newly digitized piece will fall into my lap and solve the mystery of what happened to Burris Doudney Wood.

Sources
"1870 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 July 2016), Year: 1870, Census Place: McClure Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: M593_1294, Page: 111A, Image: 335422, and Family History Library Film: 552793.

"1900 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 August 2018), Entry for Emma Woods and household Year: 1900, Census Place: Wilmerding Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Page: 5, Enumeration District: 0538, and FHL microfilm: 1241372; citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.

"1910 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 August 2018), Entry for Emma Wood and family, Year: 1910, Census Place: Pittsburgh Ward 21 Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: T624_1307, Page: 3A, Enumeration District: 0568, and FHL microfilm: 1375320; citing Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"1920 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 August 218), Entry for Emma Woods and household Year: 1920, Census Place: Pittsburgh Ward 26 Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: T625_1526, Page: 7A, and Enumeration District: 739; citing Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Court of Common Pleas No 476, June Term, 1886, Emma Wertz vs Francis Wertz, Mrs. Emma Wertz, by next friend, M. H. Reno versus Francis Wertz, libel in divorce petition, 4 May 1886; Department Court Records, Family/Civil Division, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Court of Common Pleas No 476, June Term, 1886, Emma Wertz vs Francis Wertz, Libel in Divorce Subpoena for Francis Wertz, 10 June 1886; Department Court Records, Family/Civil Division, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Court of Common Pleas No 476, June Term, 1886, Emma Wertz vs Francis Wertz, Commissioner's Repory and Testimony List, file 20, Page 99, 26 February 1887; Department Court Records, Family/Civil Division, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Court of Common Pleas No 476 June Term 1886, Emma Wertz vs Francis Wertz, Decree in Divorce to Emma Wertz vs Francis Wertz, 16 April 1887; Department Court Records, Family/Civil Division, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Ancestry.com, "1860 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 July 2016), Year: 1860, Census Place: Temperanceville Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: M653_1062, Page: 535, Image: 542, and Family History Library Film: 805062; Entry for Julia Woods and family.

Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "1880 United States Federal Census," database online with images, Ancestry.com Operation, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 December 2019), Entry for Burns Wood in boarding house of Emma Finch, Year: 1880, Census Place: Sharpsburg Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1088, Page: 464B, and Enumeration District: 044; citing Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"Death Notices," The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 14 February 1923, page 29; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 August 2018).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1863-1864 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1863), 366, "Woods Burris D, nailor, T"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 8 July 2018).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1864-1865 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1864), 348, "Woods Burris, nailor, Mill ab T"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digitial Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 8 July 2018).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1870/1871 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1870), 499, "Wood Burris, rolling mill hand, 96 Craig, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 8 July 2018).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1871/1872 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1871), 538, "Woods Burrows, honker, 9th ward, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 8 July 2018).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1872-1873 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1872), 516, "Woods Burrows, hookup, 9th ward, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 8 July 2018).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1873/1874 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1873), 583, "Woods B. lab, 1 Railroad, 9th wd, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 8 July 2018).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1874/1875 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1874), 651, "Woods Burr, lab, Verner sts, 9th Ward, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 8 July 2018).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1878/1879 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1878), 667, "Woods, Burris D, lab, Shady av, 11th wd, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 8 July 2018).

Find A Grave, database with images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 24 August 2018), memorial page for Emma Jones Wood, Find A Grave Memorial # 138648502, citing United Cemetery (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), memorial created by Anonymous.

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1883/1884 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1883), 819, "Wertz Emma, wid Francis, 54 Kerr, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digitall Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 10 December 2019), interestingly enough, husband Francis is listed just under her living on Locust in Etna boro

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1883/1884 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1883), 843, "Woods Berns, lab, 203 Cass av, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digitall Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 9 July 2018).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1884/1885 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1884), 950, "Wood Burns D, hooker, Ashton av, 11th wd, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 9 July 2018).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1885/1886 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1885), 952, "Woods Berris, lab, Ashland av rr McClure av, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 24 July 2018).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1887/1888 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1887), 1008, "Woods Burris,lab, r Shady av, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 24 July 2018).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1888/1889 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1888), 1063, "Wood Burris D, roller, 54 Kerr,A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 24 July 2018).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1889/1890 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher and Thurston, 1889), 1121, "Wood Burris D, roller, 54 Kerr, A"; digital image, University of Pennsylvania, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 24 July 2018).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1890/1891 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher & Thurston, 1890), 855, "Woods Burris D, boiler, 54 Kerr, 9th wd, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 24 August 2018).

J.F. Diffenbacher's directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1892/1893 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Diffenbacher & Thurston, 1892), 968, "Wood Burr D, lab, Spruce and Cass av, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 24 July 2018).

"Local Brevities," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 18 April 1887, page 8; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 14 September 2018).

"Marriage Licenses Issued," notice, Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 29 December 1887, page 1, entry for Burns D. Wood and Emma Jones; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 23 July 2018).

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 August 2018), Entry for Mrs. Emma Wood, died 13 Feb 1923, cn 14581, Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Pennsylvania, USA; Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1966; Certificate Number Range: 013501-016500; citing Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania Marriages, 1709-1940," database online, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 23 July 2018), Entry for Burris D. Wood and Emma Jones, 1887; referencing Allegheny County (Pennsylvania). Clerk of the Orphans' Court; Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania). Register of Wills " Marriage license dockets 1885-1905, 1937-1950 (series A-F, S-Z)", volume 1, page 46, cn 9241, FHL microfilm 878580; Index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City.

"Pennsylvania, Prison, Reformatory, and Workhouse Records, 1829-1971," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 December 2019), Entry for Burr Wood, born about 1849, sentenced 30 Jan 1892 to the Allegheny County Workhouse, inmate number 57631; citing Prison Records. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania..

"Pennsylvania, Prison, Reformatory, and Workhouse Records, 1829-1971," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 December 2019), Entry for Burr Wood (indexed as Power Wood), born about 1849, sentenced 28 Feb 1893 to the Allegheny County Workhouse, inmate number 61983; citing Prison Records. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Pittsburgh and Allegheny directory, 1901 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1901), 1448, "Woods Emma wid Burr 1840 Cliff"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 26 August 2018).

Pittsburgh directory, 1910 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1910), 1629, "Wood Emma wid Burris 1403 Page"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 26 August 2018).

Pittsburgh directory, 1912 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R. L. Polk & Co and R. L. Dudley, 1912), 1734, "Wood Emma wid B D 1502 Buena Vista"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 26 August 2018).

Pittsburgh directory, 1913 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co and R. L. Dudley, 1913), 1726, "Wood Emma wid Benres 1502 Buena Vista"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 26 August 2018).

Pittsburgh directory, 1914 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1914), 1840, "Wood Emma wid B1502 Buena Vista"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : acessed 26 August 2018).

Pittsburgh directory, 1915 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co. and R.L. Dudley, 1915), 1920, "Wood Emma wid Benj 1502 Buena Vista"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 26 August 2018).

Polk's Pittsburgh city directory, 1922 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co, 1922), 2099, "Wood Emma (wid Edw) h78 Strauss"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 3 September 2018).

R.L. Polk & Co.'s Pittsburgh city directory, 1916 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co, 1916), 2580, "Wood Emma (wid Burr D), h 15202 Buena Vista"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 3 September 2018).

R.L. Polk & Co.'s Pittsburgh city directory, 1917 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R. L. Polk & Co., 1917), 2621, "Wood Emma (wid Benj), h 1712 Monterey"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 3 September 2018).

R.L. Polk & Co.'s Pittsburgh city directory, 1918 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R.L. Polk & Co, 1918), 2745, "Wood Emma (wid Benj) h 1712 Monterey"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 3 September 2018).

R.L. Polk & Co.'s Pittsburgh city directory, 1920 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R. L. Polk & Co, 1920), 2437, "Woods Emma (wid Bernard), h 78 Strauss"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 3 September 2018).

R.L. Polk & Co.'s Pittsburgh city directory, 1921 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: R. L. Polk & Co., 1921), 2732, "Woods Emma (wid Bernard), r 78 Strauss"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 3 September 2018).

"Street Car Obstructors," The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 30 January 1892, page 1; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 3 December 2019).

Wood, J. H. Wood, T. R., Wood, P. A. and Wood, G. E. History and Genealogy of the Descendants of Abinah Wood and Susannah Humphreys (Andover, Ohio: Press of the Citizen, 1903).