Fun Finds on the West Family!

In yesterday’s Wedding Wednesday post, I introduced my great-grandmother Beatrice Harris’ second husband Raymond Montgomery West. Well, I really should be spacing out my blog posts more, but I think these next two records are so cool that I want to share them right now. Like, right now!

Check this out: This is the birth register for Jefferson County, Ohio, kept by the Jefferson County Probate Court.

"Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRMH-L5P : accessed 4 February 2016), Samuel West in entry for Carl West, 06 Dec 1889; citing Birth, Smithfield, Jefferson, Ohio, reference p 362, county courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 900,039.

Look who it is – Ray West…and a brother, Carl! Both were born to Samuel West and Sallie Ray, who we saw named on Ray’s marriage certificate. Carl is the older of the two, having been born December 6, 1889. Ray followed along about a year and a half later, on April 16, 1891. How neat is it to see this written out?

But wait, there’s more!

So, Samuel West and Sallie Ray? Well, they got married on July 25, 1889. How do we know? Bam!

"Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZPV-FKQ : accessed 4 February 2016), Samuel West and Sallie Ray, 25 Jul 1889; citing Jefferson, Ohio, United States, reference p 450; county courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 900,075.

They were married in Smithfield, Jefferson County, Ohio by a Minister of the Peace.

So, my West family, if your parent and my grandmother are siblings, this is the marriage certificate for your great-grandparents. And if your grandmom or granddad is the sibling of my grandmom, Sam and Sallie are your great-great-grandparents!

Not only that, but if Samuel West was 23 years old in 1889, that means he was born in 1863. Which means that he was...born during the Civil War!! (Sorry, I get a little enthused!)

Even though I’m not descended from the Wests, I still think this is super exciting!

P.S. Contact me if you'd like a larger digital version of the marriage document,  which will be easier to read, or just pull it from the web, using the link in the caption box.