Povey and Partridge families connection 1899 – Michigan

Why should I follow a branch that is not mine? I wrote a piece about this subject a while back and I have now found another good example of why you should follow all branches of your tree.

Original post — https://newspaperproject2012.wordpress.com/2014/09/07/why-you-should-add-data-to-other-branches-of-the-family-tree/

I was cleaning up my old files; creating screen prints of items in newspaper if I had not done so when I initially created the tree from the news item, when I came across this story: “Two boys drowned… Charles Povey and Louis Partridge… August of 1899 in Michigan…” I went back to the newspaper to find a good link instead of just the full paper link that I had on file. I create a screen print of the item and then put that on the tree that I had created. “Charles Povey boy drowned 1899 Family Tree” http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/45592607/family

I had only followed Charles because in the news account they had only listed his fathers’ name: David Povey, no other family member was listed. (See text below)

Once I was on the tree I started looking at the hints that Ancestry.com was giving me and also looking at the other items I had put on the tree. One of the items was a Bio from the web of David George Povey and his family. [ http://genealogytrails.com/mich/chippewa/biopovey.html ] In the Bio it mentions David’s father, a William Povey who married Charlott Partridge.

When I first found the news item I only created the tree for Charles and did not look at Louis since I did not have enough information about the Louis Partridge family. I also did not make the connection that the two boys might be related but now I was looking at the possible connection.

What if Charles Povey’s grandmother “Charlott Partridge” is related to Louis Partridge.

I put Louis on the tree in his own profile page and started adding records from the hints that were coming about him. I found several family trees for Louis and for Charles and some that had the last names “Povey and Partridge” on their branches but none of the trees had the two boys; they either had Louis or Charles but not both.

I followed the Louis line; father: George T J Partridge, grandfather: Charles Partridge. Charles married Ann Luck and they had George T Partridge, Edward Luck Partridge and Charlott Partridge along with many other children.

Charlott married William Povey and they had Annie, Charles, John, and David George Povey. George married Caroline Shepherd and their son Charles Povey is the one who drowned along with Louis Partridge in 1899 in Michigan.

So I was able to find the link between the two boys and in the process was able to add many more people to my original “Charles Povey boy drowned 1899 Family Tree”

As you can see it is important to follow all the branches of the family tree and to add as much information on all the branches because by doing so you may be able to enhance a family story, connect some family members or solve a mystery that has plagued your family tree genealogist.

I hope this little example will help you in your quest to document your family history.

Thank You

Jose from Clarkston, Michigan

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Text of the drowning newspaper item:

The Bessemer Herald – Sep 9, 1809

Two Boys Drowned.

Charles Povey and Louis Partridge were drowned in Hay lake. While attempting to catch a tow behind the steamer Algonquin their boat was swamped. They were both boys, one being the son of Inspector David Povey of the lock customs’ office.

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