Four sources have been found which give evidence for when Theodore “Teddy” Peters was born:
| When was Theodore Peters born? | ||
|---|---|---|
| Source | Listed Age | Estimated Birth Year |
| 1860 U.S. Federal Census1 | 6 | 1853 or 1854 |
| 1870 U.S. Federal Census2 | 10 | 1859 or 1860 |
| 1875 Kansas State Census3 | 16 | 1858 or 1859 |
| Headstone4 | – | 1859 (stated) |
Although records created closest to an event are often the most accurate, in this case I do not believe that to be true. The first census which records Theodore Peters was in 1860. However, this census seems unreliable due to other known errors. [See my previous post.]The other three records indicate Theodore was born in 1859 or 1860, with his tombstone stating he was born on July 6th, 1859.
All three census records agree Theodore was born in Ohio. But, his family arrived in New York City from Germany on July 2nd, 1859. Could the family, especially his pregnant mother, have traveled to Ohio in only four days time after crossing the Atlantic Ocean? It doesn’t seem likely.
1860 Census showing Theodore as 6 years. I will write a post about the odd way this enumerator wrote the number 6.
There’s another issue with Theodore being born in 1859. The 1860 census, the “highly unreliable” census of this family, has another child listed: Sarah, age 1. So, it would seem she was born in 1858 or 1859. But, in that census, Theodore is listed above her and listed as 6 years old. Strange!
So far, no other records have been found regarding Sarah. Did she even exist? If so, was she Theodore’s younger sister? Or her twin?
My Great Aunt Beulah wrote this in her genealogy file for Theodore:
The only child of Joachim Peters/Henriette Bingher that was born in the United States. Mother always talked about Uncle Teddy, but I know nothing about him.
[Note: Teddy would have been Beulah’s mother’s great uncle.]My next goal is to find possible birth or baptismal records for Theodore and Sarah. The family was living in Pee Pee, Pike County, Ohio in 1860, about a year after Theodore’s (and Sarah’s?) supposed birth. I am working on a lead to those church records now.
Sources
[1] 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Pike County, Ohio, Pee Pee Twp, population schedule, page 394 [printed], page 158 [written], dwelling #1112, family #1083, Joab [sic] Peters household; image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 January 2016), citing National Archives microfilm M653, roll 1024.
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