Still looking for Sam

♫ "Sam Bailey, won't you please come home . . ." ♫  


Oh, wait.  That song was about Bill Bailey, not Sam.  Well, since Sam was Bill's grandfather, surely he can come along?  I’d certainly like to have a word with him!

Sam, Sam, Sam.  What happened?  Records of you and your family are elusive.  There is an appearance that your family was large, but far from close.  Any descendants of yours that I have found, have been looking for you for years.  You actually had TWO families (at least?!), but none of your 18 (or more?) children seems to want to give any clue about where you came from or where you ended up.  It’s been hard enough just finding your name.  You are Samuel J. in almost every record I’ve found--never J. Samuel.  I wonder why I was originally told your name was John Samuel?

It seems you were probably born in Kentucky, maybe Pendleton County?  Someone said they thought you died in Champaign, IL.  But I have developed some pretty good sources there, and cannot locate your death record.  Several of your children lived in Champaign, but I can’t find that you lived with any of them.  It isn’t helpful at all that the last Federal Census before you died was mostly destroyed in a fire.

Many of your children never left Kentucky, though.  I suppose that is also true of your first wife—her name was Nancy, correct?  I found Kentucky birth records for some of your children listing you and Nancy Black (once as Blake) as the parents.  But once you were listed as James (“Jas”).  It seems that Kentucky birth records at that time left a little to be desired when it comes to accuracy, huh.  These birth records and the 1850 & 1860 Federal Censuses where she is living with you are the only records I have of her.  (Hmm.  Maybe your name wasn't even Samuel John.  Was it Samuel James?)

Was Minerva your 2^nd wife?  She is listed on both the 1900 and 1910 US Federal Censuses as living in Champaign, IL with some of your children.  But in 1900 she is listed as Mary.  Was that a mistake or a nickname--or someone else?

Oh, and to add more confusion, your son Rudolph’s death record lists his mother’s name as Mary Black.  So was he Nancy’s son or Minerva’s?  Or was Mary your 2^nd wife, and Minerva your 3^rd?

Yikes, Sam!  I have more questions than answers, here!