Find Ancestors

The Washington Digital Archives that Argyll found is very interesting site.

You can view all of the Death Certificates for the period 1910-1920, all you have to do is click on the last right hand column.

https://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/Search#1

I haven't been able to find any Death Certificate for your John though. It does state, however, that not all the records have been scanned and indexed.

Martha's is there under Willson but you already have that.

There is a wealth of other information and images which you might like to look through though to see if there is any reference to John.

I found an Obituary for Roy in 1965, he died aged 77 on 11 May 1965 in Camano Island. He had been employed by The North Pacific Railroad. It said then that he was born on 7 Sep 1887 in Kansas. He moved to Camano Island in 1962 and before that he had lived in Centralia since 1922; he married his wife Nella Blunt in 1922. Four sisters survived him Mrs Sue Hansom, Vancouver BC; Mrs Gertrude Harden, Orcas or Oreas Island; Mrs Minnie Rowe, Everett and Mrs Leila Kelliher, Shelton.

Hope the above is of interest

Thanks LondonBelle, I'm part way through tracking the children after they left home. There are several trees online for the family, but most are a bit short of sources to back the up the "facts". I'm trying to piece together the supported facts, check those sources (some are a load of rubbish) and establish which unsupported facts I can find something for. It's a learning curve as I've had little experience of searching for US records. I've also found a suggestion that John Wilson wasn't his birth name, but an alias, nothing to back it up, but another quirk I need to explore. This is going to keep me out of mischief for a while I think!

Interesting snippet re Ida/Eda/Annie Elisa (and following through on the records, yes, Ida was Annie ) -

She married Oscar Ward in1909.
Because Oscar was Swedish, under the US Expatriation Act of 1907 Annie had to take her husband's nationality, even though she was born and lived in the USA.

In 1924 she applied to become an American citizen again:

Mrs Annie Eliza Ward
in the Washington, U.S., Petitions for Naturalization, 1860-1991
Name: Mrs Annie Eliza Ward
Record Type: Declaration
Birth Date: 4 Sep 1871
Birth Place: State of Wisconsin USA
Declaration Place: Thurston, Washington, USA
Spouse: Oscar Ward


"The U.S. Expatriation Act of 1907 mandated that all women acquired their husband’s nationality upon marriage. As a result, American women who married foreign-born men in the United States between 1907 and 1922 lost their U.S. citizenship."
"Ohio Congressman John L. Cable sponsored legislation to give American women “equal nationality and citizenship rights” as men. The Cable Act of 1922 resolved the situation for couples marrying in or after that year."
"After 1922, women who thought they had lost citizenship by marriages due to the 1907 act had to file a petition for naturalization if they wished to regain it."
https://www.sassyjanegenealogy.com/women-lost-u-s-citizenship-when-marrying/


In 1924 Annie is described as "white", with dark complexion, black hair and grey eyes, 5' 4", 126 pounds, DOB 4th Sept 1871.


Before she married Oscar, she had been married to Frederick Hallin/Hallen, another Swede, and had at least three children with him.
Alice Charlotte/Charlotta Hallin 1889, Herman Henry Hallin 1891 , Charles Erving Hallin 1893.
Frederick died in 1905 of Bright's Disease.

Thanks ArgyllGran, I was looking at Annie last night and picked up on her 2 marriages. Fredrick died in 1905 and she married Oscar in 1909. Some of her siblings seem to have married twice, but not because their spouse died, whether they went through a formal divorce before marrying again is another matter. The family seem to have been in a wide range of states, so what the laws were at the various times and places would take a bit of sorting out!

I've found another rather strange thing, whether it is co-incidence or not has yet to be revealed. There is a marriage in Lincolnshire in 1867, the year the couple indicate they married on one US census, between a Francis Boys (the suggested birth name of John Wilson is Francis Boyd) and a Martha Wilson. It looks like its a Reg Office or Non-conformist marriage, so no scan available. I'm about to order a copy cert and see what that reveals. I am now seriously wondering if the couple married before going to the US and adopted Martha's surname for some reason - it might sort of explain the death record that has mother as Martha Boyd. Boys and Boyd are so similar it seems too close not to follow up. It also set me wondering whether the official death entry for John Wilson might be under his birth name - next task is to have a look.

When I looked at the Francis Boys marriage a couple of days ago, I thought this might have been them in 1880, in which case they couldn't be your couple - but on closer inspection I see that this Martha was born in Canada, and so were all the children - and in any case, the older ones were born before 1867
.
Posting just to eliminate:

Francis Bos
in the 1880 United States Federal Census
Name: Francis Bos
Age: 43
Birth Date: Abt 1837
Birthplace: England
Home in 1880: Edson, Chippewa, Wisconsin, USA
Dwelling Number: 59
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Martha Bos
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: England
Occupation: Farmer
Neighbors:
Household Members Age Relationship
Francis Bos 43 Self (Head)
Martha Bos 39 Wife - Canada
Ada Bos 19 Daughter
Harrie Bos 18 Son
Annie Bos 10 Daughter
Mabel Bos 4 Daughter


I don't see the Sleaford Boys couple anywhere in England after their marriage.


But as they married in 1867 - that would mean John Wilson was lying about his immigration year - if he's the same person.

Presumably Francis with parents & siblings in 1841:

Francis Boys
in the 1841 England Census
Name: Francis Boys
Age: 4
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1837
Gender: Male
Where born: Lincolnshire, England
Civil Parish: New Sleaford
Hundred: Flaxwell
County/Island: Lincolnshire
Country: England
Street Address:
Occupation:
View image
Registration District: Sleaford
Sub-registration District: Sleaford
Neighbors:
Piece: 622
Book: 12
Folio: 32
Page Number: 10
Household Members:
Name Age
John Boys 30
Susan Boys 30
Eliza Boys 10
William Boys 6
Francis Boys 4
Mary Boys 2


And 1851:

Frances Boys
in the 1851 England Census
Name: Frances Boys
Age: 15
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1836
Relation: Son
Father's Name: John Boys
Mother's Name: Susanna Boys
Gender: Male
Where born: Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England
Civil Parish: Swineshead
Phillimore Ecclesiastical Parish Maps:
View related Ecclesiastical Parish
County/Island: Lincolnshire
Country: England
Street Address:
Occupation:
Condition as to marriage:
Disability:
View image
Registration District: Boston
Sub-registration District: Boston
ED, institution, or vessel: 04d, 07, 08 and 09
Neighbors:
Household Schedule Number: 11
Piece: 2099
Folio: 632
Page Number: 8
Household Members:
Name Age
John Boys 48
Susanna Boys 47
William Boys 18
Frances Boys 15
Mary A Boys 13
Susanna Boys 8
Elizabeth Boys 6


He's not with the family in 1861.

Francis Boys
in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
Name: Francis Boys
Gender: Male
Baptism Date: 25 Feb 1836
Baptism Place: New Sleaford,Lincoln,England
Father: John Boys
Mother: Susannah
FHL Film Number: 508039


Ancestry's suggestions following on from the baptism above include references to John Wilson - but that's maybe only because of the Ancestry trees which mention him.

Francis was born (or at least baptised) in February, as was John - though a year apart.

Ah!
Possibly Francis in 1911 ??

Frank Boys
in the 1911 England Census
Name: Frank Boys
Age in 1911: 72
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1839
Relation to Head: Visitor
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England
Civil Parish: Swineshead
Street Address: Swineshead Bridge
Marital status: Widowed
Occupation: General Labourer On Farm
Registration District Number: 415
Sub-registration District: Kirton
ED, institution, or vessel: 20
Piece: 19566
Household Members:
Name Age
Elizabeth Howiss 82 [ Harriss ]
Frank Boys 72


Elizabeth Harriss was probably Francis's sister - see Eliza in 1841 census already posted.


Elizabeth Harriss
in the 1891 England Census
Name: Elizabeth Harriss
Gender: Male
Age: 61
Relationship: Head
Birth Year: 1830
Child: Georgania S Harriss
John Hy Harriss
Birth Place: Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England
Civil Parish: Swineshead
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary
Residence Place: Swineshead, Swineshead, Lincolnshire, England
Registration District: Boston
Sub registration district: Swineshead
ED, Institution or Vessel: 2
Neighbors:
Piece: 2576
Folio: 14
Household Members:
Name Age
Elizabeth Harriss 61
Georgania S Harriss 26 - daughter
John Hy Harriss 22 - son
Herbert S Harriss 12 - grandson

HARRISS, GEORGIANA PICKLES mmn BOYS
GRO Reference: 1864 S Quarter in BOSTON Volume 07A Page 377

HARRISS, JOHN HENRY mmn BOYES
GRO Reference: 1869 J Quarter in BOSTON Volume 07A Page 391


Marriages Mar 1851 (>99%)
Boys Eliza Boston 14 347
Harriss William Boston 14 347


Eliza Boys
in the England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973
Name: Eliza Boys
Gender: Female
Marriage Date: 13 Mar 1851
Marriage Place: Swineshead, Lincoln, England
Father: John Boys
Spouse: William Harriss
FHL Film Number: 1542374
Reference ID: p 96


Elisa Harriss
in the 1851 England Census
Name: Elisa Harriss
Age: 20
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1831
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: William Harriss
Gender: Female
Where born: Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England
Civil Parish: Extraparochial
County/Island: Lincolnshire
Country: England
Street Address:
Occupation:
Condition as to marriage:
Disability:
View image
Registration District: Boston
Sub-registration District: Boston
ED, institution, or vessel: 04d, 07, 08 and 09
Neighbors:
Household Schedule Number: 6
Piece: 2099
Folio: 629
Page Number: 3
Household Members:
Name Age
William Harriss 31
Elisa Harriss 20


Unless John Wilson, at the age of c72, whizzed back to the UK between the US 1910 and the UK 1911 censuses, resumed his old name and lied about his marital status, it doesn't look as if John could have been Francis Boys.
I don't see a likely travel record under either name.

But I can't see Francis, or his wife, between 1867 and 1911.
There's no death of a Martha Boys in Lincolnshire during that time.

Can't see Francis's death either!

Having received the marriage certificate for Francis Boys to Martha Wilson I am quite convinced it relates to "my" Martha. It has the "right" father's name, has her resident in Digby (her birthplace), aged 19, with John Willson as a witness - she had a brother John. Francis also has the "correct" father's name and occupation for the Francis bapt in Sleaford in 1836, his age is slightly different at 29, but was maybe an attempt to reduce the age gap or just a miscalculation. They married at the Register Office.

I wonder if the Frank Boys on the 1911 census is him returning to England for a visit - he is shown as a visitor? The 1910 US census has him as a corn labourer.

Did you read Argyll Gran's comments when she posted the 1911?

Erika, I did, but if he was visiting family he would have been likely to have used his "old" name and I've seen quite a lot of census docs with the wrong martial status.

I feel the Martha Wilson on the marriage cert for 1867 is "my" Martha, everything fits. The Martha who died in Washington US is definitely "my" Martha, she has the right parents on the death record and I have DNA matches to 2 of her descendants in the US. Quite a few marriage and death records for the children have her as wife of John Wilson with maiden name Wilson. So, unless having married on 20 May 1867 in Sleaford, she lost/parted from Francis Boys, remarried to a John Wilson, all before her first daughter was born on 15th August 1868, Francis Boys and John Wilson have to be the same man.

I'd agree that the name change is not absolutely proven, but I think it unlikely irrefutable evidence is likely to exist. If anyone has any suggestions, thoughts, I'd welcome them.

Sorry, wasn’t aware of a name change

Further update - having started to look at the siblings of Francis Boys, I've discovered that older brother William seems to have gone to the US . Still digging for records on him, but he had a son Henry born in England in 1856, having married in 1855 in Lincolnshire. He appears to have lost his first wife at some point and married again the US in about 1860. I haven't yet found him in a similar location to John Wilson, so none of this so far proves a definiate link between the 2, but it isn't uncommon for more than one family member to make the journey across the pond.