How Newspapers Helped Understand My Genealogy Brick Wall Ancestor

Genealogy Brick Wall with clues from newspapers overlayed

Are you using newspapers to tackle your genealogy brick walls? Newspapers helped me learn a lot about who my ancestors were and who my ancestors were not.

Know Your Goals Before Searching in Newspapers

I'm looking for several things when I'm exploring newspapers for John in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Is there any record that says that John moved from Elizabeth to Cincinnati?
Are there any articles that could designate who his father was?
Search for George and Major Townley, men with the same surname from Elizabethtown, New Jersey, who moved to Cincinnati about the same time as John Townley.

While exploring newspapers in New Jersey for Effingham Townley, I'm searching for the following:

Anything that ties Effingham to a son named John in Cincinnati.
Anything that connects Effingham to a son named John, who died.

Watch this research process in action in this video.

Search Multiple Newspaper Databases For Your Ancestor

You may have to search various databases to find answers when researching multiple locations.

I have often featured Newspapers.com on this blog and my YouTube channel. However, when I needed to research, GenealogyBank had the newspapers that covered Elizabethtown, New Jersey.

Sparse Newspaper Information Has Genealogical Value

I found one newspaper article about Effingham Townley in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. It was a listing of Mortuary Notices in 1828, and it contained very little information.

Mortuary Notice New York, New York 13 May 1828

Not every entry in newspapers will give you everything you need, want, or hope for. But you can help build the case that your ancestors are where you think they're supposed to be.

Additionally, that entry can help you establish dates. Perhaps you have a will and a probate case but don't have a death date. No matter how brief, the publication of a death notice in a newspaper may also help you confirm a death date.

Newspapers Often Feature People You Wish Were Your Ancestors

In Cincinnati, a man named John Townley frequently appears in the papers. This John is an insurance man. Various newspaper articles detail his land transactions, business activities, favorite cigar, where he ate lunch, and when he got sued. This John Townley is actually a nephew of George and Major Townley.

Newspaper Clipping for John A Townley of Cincinnati, Ohio

Unfortunately, his frequent appearances in print led to confusion about this John with my fourth great-grandfather. My John was a bricklayer.

Be cautious when you're looking at newspapers. Sometimes, errors creep in.

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John Townley's Newspaper Appearances

Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, John’s family rarely makes the news. In 1844, John Townley had some letters to pick up at the post office. I don't know who sent him mail, but I wish I could learn. However, this seemingly meaningless entry helped me confirm John's residency in Cincinnati.

In 1848, the local newspaper indicated that John Townley served as a juror. To ensure that this was an entry for my fourth great-grandfather, I searched for any other John in Cincinnati at this time and discovered a 17-year-old John. This young John would repeatedly appear in the newspaper as an insurance man and socialite (the same one I mentioned above). Meanwhile, it's nice to know I found at least something for my John.

In 1848, John Townley served as a juror in a court case. When writing about John Townley's family history, I could research the court case to add more flavor. But this detail doesn't answer my goals, as my genealogy research plan stated

In the 1860s, John Townley's children began to appear in the newspapers. Asa became a surveyor in Kentucky, while Richard became a police officer. While really fun, these articles didn't answer my question. Again, I have to stay hyper-focused on my research plan.

While I had hoped to gather more information from this time, particularly land transfers or social news notices, I struck out.

If you want your own genealogy research plan template,

get a copy of my Research Plan Template and print it out or use it online.

Did Newspapers Help Me Crack My Genealogy Brick Wall

In short, I did not find the definitive proof I had hoped to uncover.

However, the beauty of newspaper research is that sometimes you can get to know your ancestors so well that you can pick them out of the crowd while walking down the street.

Not only is it clear that John Townley and the other Townley men in Cincinnati did not interact socially, but they have dramatically different socioeconomic statuses.

I'm thankful that I went and explored newspapers. I'm disappointed that my ancestors didn't get a lot of ink, but I still learned a little more than I had initially started out with.

The Unexpected Discovery in Newspaper Research

As mentioned in a previous post, Townley descendants desperately want to establish relationships with the famous Colonel Richard Townley. Col. Townley was an original settler of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, and was active in all the politics there.

The other reason John Townley's descendants want to establish this connection is to link to the English aristocracy. On 8 Aug 1845, a newspaper notice called Townleys to attend an important meeting in Newark, New Jersey. They should bring all of their lineage documentation. A fortune and a large estate were at stake.

Townley Estate Meeting Elizabethtown, New Jersey August 1845

Unfortunately, George, Major, Edward, and John Townley lived in Cincinnati in 1845. Presumably, George, Major, and Edward's close kin would present their ancestry. Hopefully, if John had relatives in Essex County, New Jersey, they would have attended the meeting. If such a meeting happened, the question would be whether the estate would appear in US courts or England.

Interest in Townley's inheritance continued to appear in newspapers from 1875 to 1888. John A. Townley was involved in attempting to establish his lineage to these claims.

However, I'm still confused about whether the 1845 and 1875 cases are the same or separate entities.

Research into the Lawrence-Townley Estates and the 1845 Townley estate will be tabled until a later date unless some volunteer gets curious and looks this information up on my behalf.

Time to Update the Research Plan

Once again, it's time to update the genealogy research plan. I have included these newspaper articles that discovered my research plan. To view what my research plan looks like now, click the link below.

VIEW THE UPDATED RESEARCH PLAN