Focused Research Question: Find parents name of mother of Daisy Willard, daughter of Edd. Willard.
Her mother is probably his wife Eleanor in the 1880, when Daisy is 6.
Background: In 1880 the family is living in San Francisco California. Eleanor died in 1892 and her death
notice in the San Francisco Call names her “Willard, Eleanor Earle” and gives a birthplace of Brockville,
Ontario and a birthdate of 4/19/1840.
Ideas: (all good, but first let’s do a chronology )
Trace Edward A. Willard after his mother’s death; perhaps additional information from him will
give insights into his parents.
Search for records in Brockville, Leeds, Ontario, Canada.
Look for Willard censuses for 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870 [have 1880, 1890 burned]
Look for Earle censuses in Vermont and Canada for 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 [Eleanor
probably married approx. 1865 (based on 1868 birth year of youngest child), but might find her
family]
Look for Willard-Earle marriage, Vermont or Canada, approx. 1865
Chronology – first let’s fill it in with what we already and any low hanging fruit we find.
Ca 1820 -1825, birth of Edward Willard in Maine or Vermont; most records say Vermont.
How many Willard families were in Vermont in 1820 and 1830? Did they cluster anywhere?



1820 about 54 – including an Ed (possible father or uncle) in Harland Windsor Co.
1830 about 77 – including an Ed in Guildhall, Essex Co. and an Edward in Pawlet, Rutland Co.
We need more information
Sometime before 1830 birth of ______ Earl ; census records indicate he b. Canada
Sometime before 1834 birth of _______ , Eleanor’s mother; census records she b. Canada
19 April 1840 birth of Eleanor or Eleanora Earle Brockville, Leeds Co., Ontario, Canada
1842 Canada census
Is Leeds included in this search??
1850 U.S. census
Edward Willard is an adult and probably named; Maine and Vermont are most likely, but note
that by 1854 he is in California, so he could be anywhere. I was not able to find him despite
trying several search strategies. This doesn’t make sense. He should be findable.
1851 Canada census
Eleanor should be about 11 or 12, assuming she is still in Canada, in or near Brockport, Leeds Co.
Canada. I did some preliminary searching and there are Earls in the census for Leeds Co. in 1851
(no Earle) but I found none with a daughter the right age/name.
1854 E[dward] Willard, carriage maker, San Francisco (then 1855-1865 no city directory entries for him)
1860 U.S. Census



Edward does not appear to be in San Francisco (city directories)
He is about 40 by this time. He may well be married, of course, with children. No
search I could find was successful. I even checked Canada West. Again, he should be
findable.
Eleanor would be about 21. Searching 1860 for name starts with Eli, Ell, Ele, no
surname, b. 1839 + or -5, b. Canada West finds no likely matches.
1861 Canada Census – none of the 81 Willards in Canada West in 1861 appear to be him.
1865 E. Willard, International Hotel, San Francisco
ca 1866 marriage of Edward Willard and Eleanor or Eleanora Earl(?) Bird… (? –see 1905 marriage record
below) Edward would be probably in his 40’s, Eleanor her 20’s.
It seems likely they married in San Francisco, but a search (every which way) of the database California
Marriages 185—1945 does not find them. But note it only shows 14 San Francisco Marriages in all, so
this isn’t really evidence that they didn’t marry in San Francisco.
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/results?count=20&query=+marriage_place%3A"San
Francisco"~&collection_id=1674735
Are there San Francisco County Marriage Records?
https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=206859&query=+place%3A"
United States, California, San Francisco"
What newspapers were published at that time?
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
1867 1868 birth of son Edward, probably in San Francisco.
1870 11th Ward 2nd District, San Francisco (mis-indexed Wellard) but we knew he was there b/c of city
directory records, so tried a variety of search strategies. Note this census says he b. Maine.
ca 1874 birth of Daisy, probably in San Francisco
1880 Census Record San Francisco
1889 – likely the year that Edward Sr. died. He is listed in the city directory, but in that same directory,
Eleanor is listed as widow.
There is no newspaper notice of his death in the San Francisco Call Index, but it might be in another
paper. The University of Michigan Library has a lot of historic newspapers online. Unless you are an
employee, you have to use them in the library (any campus library). I found this in a database called
19th Century Newspapers. This gives us a birth year of 1814-1815 for him. I’ve been doing all my
searches based on a birth date between 1820-1830. Next step: redo those 1850, 1860 searches with a
birthdate between 1810-1820.
Is there a probate record? https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/22674?availability=Family History
Library
1892 Death of Eleanor; notice is in paper. Can we find a death record? Check to see if 1892 is filmed.
(Also check for 1890/91 when Edward Sr. probably died )
https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/209456?availability=Family%20History%20Library
1900 census -- this will prove to be Edward Jr. ; see 1905 marriage below. It is in Manhattan; he
appears to be living in a boarding house, b. March, 1867 age 33 , single b. California father b. Vermont
mo b. Canada. Occupation: Reporter. Also note in the city directory entries in S.F. he was a
Stenographer.
1905 Look at this—now we need to get the original record and see what is written for his mother’s
name. (Even though we may not be able to make it out either)
http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/archives/genealogy.shtml
(by the way, I didn’t have this website memorized. I just googled manhattan marriage records.
Here are the city directory entries… they need to go in the chronology
1854: E. Willard, carriage maker, 42 Sansome
1855-1864: No E, Ed, Edd, Edward Willard
1865: E. Willard, International Hotel
1867: Edward Willard, carriage builder, 221 Mason
1868: Edd. Willard, carriagemaker, 321 Tehama
1869: Edward Willard, carpenter and RR, 356 Jessie
1871: Edward Willard, blacksmith owner, Mission & 23rd
1872: Edward Willard, wagonmaker, 512 Jessie; Mrs. E. Willard listed as offering lodging
at 1415 Stockton
1873: Edward Willard, wagonmaker, 15th and Mission
1874: Edward Willard, carriagemaker, 629 Minna
1875 (Bishop): Ed. Willard, carriagemaker, 605 Minna
1875 (Langley): Edward Willard, carriagemaker, 606 Minna
1876: Edward Willard, carriagemaker, 606 Minna
1877 (Bishop): Edward Willard, carriagemkr, 605 Minna
1877 (Langley): Edward Willard, carriagemaker, 605 Minna
1878 (Bishop): Edward Willard, carriagemkr, 143 Minna/454 Jessie
1878 (Langley): Edward Willard, carriagemaker, 454 Jessie
1879: Edd. Willard, carriagemaker, 113 Powell
1890: Edward Willard, carriagemaker, 540 Minna
Edward A. Willard, stenographer, 525 Harrison
Eleanor Willard, widow, 525 Harrison
1891: no Edward
Edwin A. Willard, stenographer, 525 Harrison
Eleanor E. Willard, widow, 525 Harrison
1892: no Edward
Edwin A. Willard, stenographer, 525 Harrison
Eleanor E. Willard, widow, 525 Harrison
1893: no Edward, no Eleanor
Edward A. Willard, stenographer, 525 Harrison
1894: no Edward, no Eleanor
Edward A. Willard, stenographer, 525 Harrison
1895: no Edward, no Eleanor
Edward A. Willard, stenographer, 200 Stockton
Information on Daisy E. Willard
Daisy’s middle initial from marriage license
Daisy’s birth date: 1/19/1875; but could be 1873, 1874, or 1876 based on various sources, in San
Francisco, CA
1873: 1900 Census gives birth month and year as Jan. 1873; 1910 Census inferred from age;
1/19/1876 in San Francisco: from NY Passenger lists
California place of birth: 1900 Census
1910 Census says born in Massachusetts, but I think that is just wrong; the only document that
suggests Massachusetts
Have her death certificate: 2/23/1938, in Chicago, IL
Censuses for Daisy w/her parents: 1880
Married in Chicago in 1894; how/where did she and her husband (Frank G. Mason) meet? When
did she leave California?
Censuses for Daisy w/husband: 1900, 1910
Docs that I have:








1880 Census for Edd. Willard in San Francisco, family members Eleanor Willard; E.A. Willard;
Daisy Willard
o Edd. and his parents all born in Vermont
o Eleanor and her parents all born in Canada
o E.A. (male) and Daisy both born in California
o Edd. wagonmaker, Eleanor keeping house, E.A. at school
o Edd. 56; implies born 1824
o Eleanor 41; implies born 1839
o E.A. 12; implies born 1868
o Daisy 6; implies born 1874
1894 Daisy’s marriage license, Chicago, 5/29/1894
o Daisy is “of” San Francisco and 21 years old; implies born in 1873
o Spouse Frank G. Mason
1900 Census for Frank G. Mason in Chicago, family members Daisy (wife), Willard J. (son),
George H. (brother), servant
o Daisy born in California, her father in Vermont, her mother in Canada
o Daisy’s birth date Jan. 1873
1910 Census for Frank G. Mason in Chicago, family members Daisy (wife), Willard J. (son)
o Daisy born in Massachusetts, her father in USA, her mother in Can.-English
 I think the Massachusetts just plain wrong, everything else
o Daisy 37; implies born 1873
1924 Passport Application, for Daisy
1925 NY Passenger Lists, for Daisy, apparently traveling alone
1936 California Passenger Lists, for Daisy, apparently traveling alone
Daisy’s death certificate, Chicago, 10/23/1938
o Date of birth January 19, 1874
o Birthplace San Francisco
o Parents names unknown, claim both born in California
Daisy Willard’s Marriage License
Daisy Willard’s Death Certificate
Eleanora Earle Willard’s Death Notice