To give you an idea of the area I am looking at on a map and where I am looking for records here is a map from Alice Lloyd College in Eastern Kentucky. It is a map of their service area but I found it showed the region I am looking at very well. I also wanted to get an idea of the distance between where these two Victoria's spent their lives so I went to Google Maps and did a check on the distances from Bland County, Virginia to Kanawha County, West Virginia is by today's calculations 108 miles. I then checked the distance between Kanawha County, West Virginia, to Gallia County, Ohio and by today's calculations it is 196 miles. Keep in mind I did not use specific addresses, just one county to another so the mileage is off for one specific location to another. It should be noted that Bland County was formed in 1861 from the Virginia counties of Giles, Tazewell and Wythe 1.
Victoria J Neel
Victoria J. Neel is the 2nd youngest daughter of Thomas A. Neel and Sarah Fortner Neel. She was born on 10 July 1856 3 in Tazewell County, Virginia. She has numerous census records as well as marriage and death records.
Victoria is 4 years old when she appears in the 1860 4 census. She and her family are living in the Eastern District, Tazewell, Virginia. In the 1870 5 census, Victoria and her family are living in Clear Fork, Tazewell, Virginia. She is listed as 16 years of age putting her year of birth at 1854. Between the 1870 census and the 1880 census, Victoria's mother, Sarah dies. I don't have a confirmed date or year but most online trees have her death year as 1875. Her father, Thomas is remarried prior to the 1880 US Census.
Victoria is listed in the 1880 6 census in the home of William and Elizabeth Kitts. She is listed as 21 years of age which puts her birth year about 1859. Her occupation is listed as servant/cook. I don't know how long Victoria held this position in the Kitts household but I do know that Elizabeth dies in August of 1885. On 20 October 1887 7, in Bland County, Victoria marries William Kitts. Victoria and William have one child, James Martin Kitts born on 6 March 1889 in Bland County. Sometime between 1889 and 1900 William dies.
The 19008 census shows Victoria and James living in the home of Alexander Neel (possibly her brother) in Sharon, Bland, Virginia. She is listed as a boarder, a widow and her occupation is as a housekeeper. Her age is listed as 40 years old putting her birth year at 1860. The 1910 9 census shows Victoria living in the home of her sister in law, Mary M Neal and two nephews. Victoria is 58 years old putting her birth year at 1852 and no occupation is listed for her.
By the time of the 1920 10 census, Victoria is living with her son, James, his wife and their three daughters. They are living in Seddon, Bland, Virginia. She is listed as 66 years old putting her birth year at 1854. In the 1930 11 census Victoria is still living with her son James and his family. They are still living in Seddon, Bland, Virginia. Victoria's age is listed as 79 putting her birth year at 1851.
On 8 December 1932 11, tragedy strikes when Victoria's son James dies suddenly in Sharon, Bland, Virginia. His death certificate says that the cause of death was heart, angina pectoris, most probably a heart attack. How sad that it is so close to the Christmas holiday. James was 43 years old and left behind his mother, wife, Leota and 4 daughters to mourn his death. Sadly, Victoria dies almost 18 months later on 26 May 1934 12 in Sharon, Bland, Virginia. Her cause of death is listed as vascular heart trouble and arteriosclerosis.
Using Google Docs I created a timeline for Victoria J Neel below. Below is an image capture of my timeline to see the timeline sheet you can click here.
Victoria Spradling
Victoria Spradling is the daughter of James W. Spradling and Mary Ann Hunt Spradling. Finding records for Victoria has been a challenge and some of the records I would like to have for her are scarce, the few records I have been able to find indicate that she spent most of her childhood in West Virginia and Ohio.
Victoria was born on 24 December 1860 13 in Field's Creek, Kanawha, West Virginia. The first census record she should be on is the 1870 census and I cannot find this family on that census. I have tried numerous wildcard searches, variations on the spelling of her first and last name and nothing. I know from birth records that three of Victoria's siblings were born in Gallia County, Ohio in 1868 14, 1873 15 and 1884 16. Obviously the family was back and forth between West Virginia and Gallia County, Ohio. So where were they in 1870?
The next record I find Victoria in is the 1880 17 census. She is living in the home of her parents in Pocatalico, Putnam, West Virginia where she is listed as 21 years of age and her occupation is domestic labor.
The final record I find for Victoria is her marriage record to John Aaron Kitts* (see note at the end of this post). The license was issued on the 22 March 1884 18 and they were married on 22 April 1884 in Gallia County, Ohio. On 12 December 1884 19, Victoria gives birth to her only known child, Ella Ann Kitts in Kanawha County, West Virginia. Biology tells me that more than likely Victoria was already pregnant when she and John married however the math tells me that Ella could have been at least a month early if Victoria did not get pregnant until wedding night or shortly thereafter. This is where Victoria's paper trail ends.
Victoria's daughter, Ella appears on the 1900 20 census, living with her father, John, in Guyan, Gallia, Ohio and his marital status is listed as divorced. Ella's father died on 14 April 1907 21 and his obituary22 states he was married five times including Victoria.
In the same 190023 census, Victoria parents and 5 of her siblings are practically living side by side on the same street. I also noticed that Mary Ann Spradling states she is the mother of 12 children and that 8 of her children were still living in 1900.
Below is an image capture of the timeline I created for Victoria, to see her timeline sheet click here.
Conclusion
Using only the records I found at Ancestry, FamilySearch, Find A Grave and Fold3, such as birth, census, marriage, newspaper, obituary and death records, it is my conclusion that these two Victoria’s are in fact two different women. I can't even find a place where they might have crossed paths during their lifetimes.
So now I am asking you, my readers and fellow genealogy lovers to please let me know what your thoughts are on my research of these two women. Is there something I am missing? Have I missed a record set somewhere along the way?
Sources:
1. Wikipedia Contributors. "Bland County, Virginia," Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bland_County,_Virginia : 3 August 2016).
2. Map of the Service Area for Alice Lloyd College, Alice Lloyd College (http://www.alc.edu/about-us/our-service-area/ : 3 August 2016).
3. Find A Grave, digital image, (www.findagrave.com : 3 August 2016), photograph, single stone for Victoria Neel Kitts (born 10 July 1856-died 26 May 1934), Red Oak Cemetery, Ceres, Bland, Virginia, USA; Find A Grave Memorial no. 4961139, image submitted by Marvin and Samme Templin, 4 July 2014.
4. 1860 U.S. census, Tazewell County, Virginia, population schedule, the Eastern District, p. 83 (penned), dwelling 566, family 538, digital image, Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/image/81453373 : accessed 3 August 2016) entry for Victoria Neel in the household of Thomas Neel; citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 1412, Record Group 29.
5. 1870 U.S. census, Tazewell County, Virginia, population schedule, Clear Fork, p.67 (penned), dwelling 139, family 139, Victoria Neel in the household of Thomas Neel, digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFGD-VYF : 3 August 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, n.d.
6. 1880 U.S. census, Bland County, Virginia, population schedule, Seddon, enumeration district (ED) 6, p. 1 (penned), sheet 376-A (stamped), dwelling 8, family 8, Victoria Neel in the household of William Kitts, digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCPK-JH1 : 3 August 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 1356, n.d.
7. "Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRDK-ZS6 : 5 December 2014), Wm. Kitts and Victoria Neel, 20 Oct 1887; citing Bland County, Virginia, reference Reg. of Marr., P. 27; FHL microfilm 30,630.
8. 1900 U.S. census, Bland County, Virginia, population schedule, Sharon, enumeration district (ED) 4, sheet 7-B (penned), dwelling 107, family 109, Victoria Kitts in the household of Alexander Neel, digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMFV-6H4 : accessed 3 August 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T623.
9. 1910 U.S. census, Bland County, Virginia, population schedule, Seddon, Enumeration District (ED) 4, sheet 12-A (penned), dwelling 220, family 221, Victoria Kitts in the household of Mary M Neal, digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MPGJ-KTX : accessed 3 August 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T624.
10. 1920 U.S. census, Bland County, Virginia, population schedule, Seddon, Enumeration District (ED) 5, sheet 10-A (penned), dwelling 162, family 162, Victoria Kitts in the household of James M Kitts; digital image, Family Search ((https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJFN-NWH : accessed 3 August 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T625.
11. 1930 U.S. census, Bland County, Virginia, population schedule, Seddon, Enumeration District (ED) 11-3, sheet 11-A (penned), p. 42 (stamped), dwelling 182, family 188, Victoria Kitts in the household of James M Kitts; digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:C82R-ST2 : 3 August 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T626.
11. Virginia Deaths 1912-2014, Virginia Department of Health, "Virginia Death Records, 1912-2014," database with images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : 3 August 2016), entry for James Martin Kitts, certificate no. 28749, (1932).
13. Virginia Deaths 1912-2014, Virginia Department of Health, "Virginia Death Records, 1912-2014," database with images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : 3 August 2016), entry for Victoria Kitts, certificate no. 11857, (1934).
14. "West Virginia Births, 1853-1930," database, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 3 August 2016); citing West Virginia Vital Research Records, Birth Registers, database with images, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, (http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view2.aspx?FilmNumber=521730&ImageNumber=78 : 3 August 2016), entry for Victoria Spradling, 24 December 1860, page 70, line 167.
15. "Ohio, Births and Christenings 1774-1973," index, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 August 2016), entry for female Spradling, born 28 September 1868 to James Spradling, Clay, Gallia, Ohio.
16. "Ohio, Births and Christenings 1774-1973," index, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 August 2016), entry for H.A. Spradling, born 6 January 1873 to James Spradling and Mary Ann Hunt, Clay, Gallia, Ohio.
17. "Ohio, Births and Christenings 1774-1973," index, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 August 2016),entry for Carrie Mae Spradling, born 18 June 1884 to James Spradling and Mary Ann Hunt, Chambersburg, Gallia, Ohio.
18. 1880 U.S. Census, Putnam County, West Virgina, population schedule, Pocatalico, enumeration district (ED) 111, p. 12 (stamped), p. 49 A (stamped), dwelling 88, family 90, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6T7-37F : 3 August 2016), entry for Victoria Spradling in the household of Jas Spradling; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 1412.
19. Gallia, Ohio, Marriage Records, vol. 5, p.574; image, "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XDWP-29N : accessed 3 August 2016); citing Gallia, Ohio, United States, FHL microfilm 317655.
20. "Public Member Trees," database, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 August 2016), "Davis Family Tree," entry for Ella Ann Kitts (b. 12 December 1884); submitted by cherylmyers100.
21. 1900 U.S. Census, Guyan, Gallia, Ohio, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 32, sheet 1B, dwelling 14, family 14, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XDWP-29N : 3 August 2016) entry for Ella Kitts in the household of John Kitts; citing NARA microfilm publication T623
22. "Gallia County Cemetery-King-Lanvin," database, Gallia Genealogy (http://www.galliagenealogy.org/cemeteryrecords/cem_king_lan.htm : 3 August 2016) entry for John Kitts.
23. "Gallia County Newspaper Obituaries," database with transcriptions, Gallia Genealogy (http://www.galliagenealogy.org/Obituaries/obits_k.htm#JohnKitts : 3 August 2016) entry for John Kitts.
24. 1900 U.S. Census, Charleston, Kanawha, West Virginia, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 43, sheet 2A, dwelling 18, family 18, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D4GS-QHV : 3 August 2016) entry for Mary Spradling in the household of James W. Spradling; citing NARA microfilm publication T623.
Note: It should be noted that while Kitts family is one I have researched since 1980, this John Aaron Kitts is from a line of Kitts in Pennsylvania and at this time I cannot connect our line to this one.
I'm from the Davis Kitts line, Gallia co. Ohio. My grandmother, Margaret is the daughter of Ella Ann Kitts and Thomas Davis. Feel freevtovahoot me an email. Dawnihouston70@gmail.com
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