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Searching for James William Garrison 1875-1923

Hello from Chicago, IL USA! I have been searching for information on my great grandfather for nearly 20 years and learned about this awesome website just yesterday.

James William Garrison

Born 14 Feb 1875

This date of birth is on his grave marker. On the 1920 census he is living in Oklahoma with my great grandmother Lydia Jane Purget. It says he was born in Ireland and naturalized in 1802 which isn't possible. Perhaps the census worker wrote the wrong number and it is supposed to say 1902 but I'm not sure. I can find James William's marriage license from 1914 also in Oklahoma, but before that date, I cannot find a single piece of evidence of him in the USA or searching Irish resources available on ancestry, familysearch, and myheritage.

I know it's a long shot, but maybe someone might have another suggestion for me that I haven't tried yet? James William Garrison died in 1923 and unfortunately, I do not have any information on him before his marriage to my great grandmother. He was already 44 by then, so I've always wondered if he left family behind in Ireland or perhaps in the USA.

Thanks for any suggestions or words of wisdom and for all the awesome work you are doing!

Gina Garrison

ginagarrison

9 replies

Garrison is not a common name in Ireland. No-one of that surname was registered in the birth records between 1864 and 1901. There’s 1 in the 1901 census and 1 in the 1911 (for the whole of Ireland) and they were both women.

Suspect that either James was not born with the surname Garrison or he wasn’t born in Ireland. DNA testing might be a way forward.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn, thanks for your response! Do you think it could be a different version of the name, such as McGarrison (saw that somewhere), McCarrison, Carson, or something like that?

I've done DNA testing and I'm not related to anyone in Ireland, but I am related to a bunch of people in the USA that are descendants of family of Garrisons in Illinois and Kansas. I'm suspicious that James William is actually someone in that family that might have changed his name, but I cannot convince any males to let me sponsor their DNA testing. Also, there is a grave marker on the first daughter that he and my great grandmother lost when she was 1 year old, and that marker has "Ireland" on it as if it was written on it with a stick while the concrete was still wet. That seems significant for something but I'm not sure what.

Gina

ginagarrison

According to the following , your James William Garrison was born in Northern Ireland, you would need to contact Proni (Public records office Northern Ireland to obtain details)

kellyeileen20@…

Thanks Eileen - this looks like the exact information from ancestry. What's the source of the data you are showing?

Gina

ginagarrison

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)

Browse repositories

2 Titanic Boulevard

Titanic Quarter

Belfast

Northern Ireland

BT3 9HQ

View on map

Visit website

Telephone: 028 9053 4800

Email: proni@communities-ni.gov.uk

Open: Monday-Wednesday 9-5, Thursday 10-8.45, Friday 9-5

I will try to locate the website I found this information on later but if you contact Proni, they may be able to give you further information if it is in their records. Because James is from Northern Ireland, it is unlikely there is information on the Irish Genealogy site.

kellyeileen20@…

The birth records I checked are for all of Ireland, including Northern Ireland before 1922, so I am not confident that PRONI will have anything additional.

https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/

There are no McGarrisons in the 1901 Irish census. Not one, but yes it could be a corruption of some other name. But not easy to suggest what.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

The 1920 census Oklahoma, Garrison James,head of family, (44 yrs) wife Lydia (33 yrs), daughter Edith (11yrs) but James and Lydia did not marry unti 1914 so Edith was 6 yrs old at that time, is Lydia her mother or is there a previous marriage ? James is aged 4 yrs and Jack 7months. Do you have a death cert for James William (died 1923), I believe Lydia remarried after James death (I think to a man by the name of Cofer) James William is buried with his infant daughter Maggie died 1919

kellyeileen20@…

Hi Elwyn - thank you so much for checking. I did not think McGarrison was a viable explanation but I don't want to leave any stone unturned. Have a great rest of your week!

Hi Eileen - Lydia was previously married and she remarried after James William died in 1923. Yes, I have the death cert and it also says Ireland. For his mother and father it says "dont know". His draft registration says he's a US citizen.

Best,

Gina

ginagarrison

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