Thomas Sherlock and Emma Doncaster
The Sherlocks began their journey from England to America. Thomas Sherlock was born in 1811 in Derbyshire England, a year before the War of 1812 in which American and Great Britain would go to war. By the 1830s, the two countries were once again at peace. In the early 1800s, with the development of industrialization in England, social tensions escalated. Industrial workers, known as Luddites, attacked centers of industry around the country.1 Thomas grew up in a world of industrial conflict and changing agricultural restrictions and regulations. By the mid 1920s, train transportation had become a reality.2
Thomas married Emma Doncaster in Duffield, Derbyshire, England on October 6, 1834. 3
Thomas married Emma Doncaster in Duffield, Derbyshire, England on October 6, 1834. 3
Family life in the 1830s to the 1850s in England for a lower to middle class family came with its own share of struggles. When Thomas and Emma became parents, they were expected to fulfill certain cultural roles. Emma entered the role of motherhood in Victorian England brought with hit the societal pressures of domestic life. In addition to keeping a socially appropriate home, she also became the central figure in the lives of her children.4
In 1850 the family migrated to New York. In the 1850s, the city had over 600,000 residents. Thomas Sherlock was 37, Emma was about 35. Thomas Sherlock's name is listed on a New York passenger list in 1850, identifying him as a 37 year old laborer. He left from Liverpool, England on the steamer ship Manhattan.
In a census taken from 1856, in the sixth year that the family had been in the United States, the members of the family are listed. Thomas Sherlock is listed as the head of the household, and identified as being 45 years old. His wife, Emma, is 41. Their children are: Thomas Sherlock, Jr. (age 14), Mary Sherlock (age 12), Eleanor Sherlock (age 10), Matilda Sherlock (age four), and William Sherlock (age two) 5 The 1860 census shows another addition to the family: James, show as a born about 1856.
The community that the Sherlocks lived in, Oxford, Iowa, was a typical mid-western town. The town had been founded by settlers during a historic period of expansion in which many Americans were moving westward. Most of the growth in the town occurred in the early 1880s. Many of the early settlers of Oxford came with the railroad. One can easily imagine the Sherlock brood in the hustle and bustle of the growing town. |
The family contributed to the growth in Iowa County. Thomas became a property owner. Thomas owned Section 26; this was also the same section where School No. 7 was located. This section of land was close to another Sherlock land owner.
On April 17, 1879 Emma died, when she was about 64 years old. Her husband, Thomas, died on June 14, 1897 in Oxford Iowa. Thomas was 86. |
Thomas Sherlock and Alice Holcomb
The first child of Thomas and Emma, Thomas H. Sherlock, was born in Derbyshire, England in 1842. He came with his parents to America, in 1850. He lived in Ohio for a short time. His parents relocated to Iowa. Thomas moved regularly between Iowa and Kansas - as would his children off and on throughout their own lives.
He married Alice L. Holcomb on November 17, 1868. Thomas and Alice came to Kansas and settled near Coyville, Kansas. They had five sons: Edward, Lee, George, Joe, and Frank. They also had three daughters: Edith, May, and Ethel. Thomas participated in the Odd Fellows lodge for over 50 years.6 His wife, Alice, was connected with the Rebekah Degree. These organizations sought to promote the development of the individual, and then by extension, the community. |
Thomas was a brick maker by trade in Iowa and Kansas for many years. His work (brick making, plastering, and other general contracting work) can be found in newspapers around the area. Brick making was tedious work in the 1800s. Sand or clay was often collected and the water had to be drained off of it. Water and powder would often be mixed together and then when the mixture was the right consistency the bricks would be molded. Often, the brick moulding process was one that was done by hand. After the bricks dried they were then fired and ready for use! Letters, contributed by Barbara Tandy, demonstrate the importance of this profession to Thomas:
At the beginning of March 1895 Thomas Sherlock wrote Mr. James Ward a letter regarding the construction of a home:
Sir -
I received word from Iowa today saying you were intending to build a large home in the spring. If so I should like to come back and do the job for you. I could come by the middle of April, if that is soon enough. Now I hope you will give me the chance to do your job for you. I will do your job as well and as reasonable as any one. Please let me hear from you soon as I need the work. Hoping to hear from you soon. I am very truly yours.
Thomas H. Sherlock
Coyville, Wilson Co., Kansas
In a second letter to Mr. James Ward, written at the end of March 1895, Thomas Sherlock wrote:
Sir -
I received your letter some days ago - but was away from home at work when it came; have been as busy I have neglected writing in regard to price I will work as cheap as any one else will either work by the day or job, which ever, you prefer. And if my work is not satisfactory it will cost you nothing. I want the entire job, stone work brick work and plastering. Can be there by the 15th of next month. I am not - in the least - afraid but that I can give you satisfaction, now I trust you will keep teh job for me. I think that will be early enough for Iowa. Well I will close by sending regards to self and family.
Very Truly
Thomas Sherlock
Thomas’ work was unpredictable and often seasonal. In addition to the difficulties that came with unpredictable employment, the family did experience its share of tragedy through the years. The Davenport Daily Gazette reported in April 1879 that:
At Homestead Sunday, as Mrs. Thomas Sherlock and Mrs. Holcombe, with their three children, were returing from the Easter festivities at Homestead, in turning around, the carriage in which they were riding was cramped and upset and all the occupants thrown out. Mrs. Sherlock fell in between the wheels breaking one of her legs and being dragged and then run over and fearfully mangled on the head and body. Mrs. Holcomb was thrown over the dashboard and kicked in the side, being it is supposed, injured internally. The children escaped unhurt. The parties were well known in the vicinity and everything that could be applied was promptly done. At last report the victims of the accident were in a precarious condition. 7
In 2004, the wife of Ivan White, the great-grandson of Thomas Sherlock, wrote on the back of this picture "Mom & Dad; Where and With Whom We Do Not Know" - Charles is in the middle of the first row. Opal is standing behind him. The tall gentleman with the hat is Thomas Sherlock. Charles' Grandfather.
Alice Sherlock died on March 10, 1919 in Verdigris, Kansas. Her obituary, in the March 14, 1919 edition of the Fredonia Daily Herald indicated that this was due to a prolonged illness:
Mrs. Alice Sherlock, wife of Thos. Sherlock, who lives north of town passed away March 10th, after several months of suffering. Mrs. Sherlock was born in Ohio on February 27, 1851, and died March 10, 1919. She was well known in this vicinity, having lived here for a number of years and counted her friends by the score. The funeral took place from the home on Tuesday, followed by a large concourse of friends who deeply sympathize with the family in their bereavement. All of the chidrhen [sic] were present consisting of the following: Mrs. Edith White of Chanute, Mrs. May Kelly of this place, and Mrs. Ethel Keller and Edward, Joseph. Frank, Lee, and George, besides several grandchildren. Charles Colby and daughter of Sedan, Kan. The remains were laid to rest in the Coyville cemetery.
Mary Ellen Sherlock, the oldest child of Thomas and Alice, was born on August 29, 1869 in Oxford, Iowa. She briefly lived in the same community that her paternal grandparents lived in. The family moved to Kansas not long after her birth. She lived in Verdigris, Kansas per the 1870 census. Kansas, at that time, was largely dependent on the railroad for settlement. With new growth, the state was the ideal place for Thomas Sherlock - a brick maker and laborer - to move his young family and provide for them.
Mary met and married Charles Kalbe (1858-1943) in 1887. Mary was 18 years old at the time of her nuptials. They had four children: Edward (1889-1973), Georgia (1891-), Gladys (1893-), and Gus (1895-). Mary died May 22, 1916 at the age of 47. Her obituary in May 25, 1916 edition of The Moline Advance identified Mary as a friendly, beloved individual: Mrs. Kalbe died in Moline Kansas May 22, 1916 where she leaves a host of friends who will sadly miss her ready smile and beautiful character. She had lived in Moline for fifteen years. In her young womanhood she expressed her desire to obey her Lord and following this desire became a member of the Christian church. The funeral services were held in the Moline Christian church at two o’clock Wednesday, May 24. Internment was made in the Moline cemetery. The bereaved relatives have a host of friends whose heartfelt sympathies go out to them in this hour of trial. |
Mary was the second of Thomas and Alice’s children to die, the first was her brother Thomas, in childhood.
Edward Sherlock, the second child of Thomas and Alice, was born on January 21, 1871 in Iowa. Edward married Rosa Duckworth (1870-) on May 31, 1892.
They had three children, Ira (1893-1979), Chloe (1895-1976), and Glenn (1897-1981). Ivan White, great-nephew of Edward, recalled visiting Ira and his great rock collection. Edward died June 25, 1945 in Manitou Springs, Colorado. On census records, Rosa is listed as the head of household. |
Thomas Sherlock, born in 1873, was the third child of Thomas and Alice Sherlock. He died in 1877 in Iowa.
George, the fourth child of Thomas and Alice Sherlock, was born January 25, 1875 in Wilson County, Kansas. Like his father before him, George was a mason and general craftsman.
George married Leona Nettie Walters (1886-1903) on January 20, 1896. They had three children: Mabel (1896-1974), Myrtle (1899-1921), and Opal (-1905). Leona died in April 1903 from “consumption” or tuberculosis. George then married Lettie Findley (1884-1955) in December of 1903. They had the following children: Clara (1904-1928), Lois (1905-1985), Eldon (1907-), Stella (1908-1936), Elmer (1912-1995), Lucille (1913-), Doris (1915-2001), Donna (1924-2003). George’s third wife was Mattie Holdridge (1907-1967). They had three children: Lloyd (1940-1941), George (1943-1943), and Judy (1945-1997). George died before the birth of his last child. |
Joe was born on January 11, 1877 to Thomas and Alice Sherlock in Oxford, Johnson County, Iowa. Joe married a woman named Sadie Plumb (1878-1948).8 The married on May 25, 1896. They had three children: Ethel (1892-1971), Fern (1900-), and Ralph (1901-1937). Joe, much like his father, was a tradesman and plasterer.
Anna May was born in 1881 in Kansas. She married Richard Kelley on July 20, 1907.9 Richard was 34, his bride, was 26. Richard died, leaving May widowed. According to the 1920 census she was living in Coyville, Kansas with her father, Thomas Sherlock. Her son, Linn Kelley was also listed as a resident on the census. She died December 21, 1956.
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Lee Sherlock was born in 1884. Lee married Dora Newman (1890-), the daughter of C.M. Newman and his wife Bertha. The young couple married on January 10, 1906 in Fredonia, Kansas. 9 Lee, like his father, was a tradesman and plasterer. They had the following children: Harry (1906-), Thomas (1909-), Charles (1915-), Juanita (1916-1994), and Elizabeth (1920-). Lee died in 1961 in Colorado.
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Frank Sherlock, born in 1887, was the ninth child of Thomas and Alice Sherlock. He married Winnie Keller and they had two children, Gladys (1914-) and Florence (1916-). Frank was a carpenter.
Ethel, the baby of the family, was born in 1893. She married Charles Keeler (1883-1971). Charles was the brother of Winnie, Frank’s wife. According to his obituary, Charles and Ethel married on February 16, 1911 in Fredonia, Kansas. He supported Ethel and their family by farming. The couple had the following children: Morris, Martin, Mary Alice (1917-1973), Georgia (1921-2007), Glenna (1923-1999), Josephine (1925-1949), Donna (1926-), and Una (1930-).
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Edith Lyle Sherlock and Charles Lansing White
Edith Lyle Sherlock White was one of the daughters of Thomas and Alice. Born in 1879, in Kansas, she married Charles Lansing White, the son of James and Mary White in 1898. She was 19 years old.
Charles and Edith had four children: Charles Vernon (1900), Alice Wilma (1902), Norval L. (1903), and Frank L. (1907). She was the grandmother of Vernon and Ivan White. She was born in Wilson, Kansas in 1892. She married Charles Lansing White. Her grandson, Ivan White, told this story about her:
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Figures
Fig. 1 - "Thomas and Emma Sherlock" - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 2 - “Indexed County Land Owners” - record from ancestry.com
Fig. 3 - "Thomas and Alice Sherlock" - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 4a - “Letter to Mr. James Ward March 2, 1895” - contributed by Barbara Tandy
Fig. 4b - Ibid.
Fig. 5a -“ Letter to Mr. James Ward March 28, 1895” - contributed by Barbara Tandy
Fig. 5b - Ibid.
Fig. 6 - "Sherlock Family" - contributed by Heather Wylie
Fig. 7 - "Mary Ellen Sherlock" - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 8 - “Edward Sherlock” - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 9 - “George Sherlock” - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 10 - “Anna Sherlock” - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 11 - “Lee Sherlock” - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 12 - “Alice and Ethel Sherlock” - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 13 - “Edith Lyle Sherlock” - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 2 - “Indexed County Land Owners” - record from ancestry.com
Fig. 3 - "Thomas and Alice Sherlock" - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 4a - “Letter to Mr. James Ward March 2, 1895” - contributed by Barbara Tandy
Fig. 4b - Ibid.
Fig. 5a -“ Letter to Mr. James Ward March 28, 1895” - contributed by Barbara Tandy
Fig. 5b - Ibid.
Fig. 6 - "Sherlock Family" - contributed by Heather Wylie
Fig. 7 - "Mary Ellen Sherlock" - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 8 - “Edward Sherlock” - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 9 - “George Sherlock” - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 10 - “Anna Sherlock” - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 11 - “Lee Sherlock” - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 12 - “Alice and Ethel Sherlock” - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Fig. 13 - “Edith Lyle Sherlock” - contributed by Sheryl Perry
Sources
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/timelines/british/index_embed.shtml
2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/timelines/british/index_embed.shtml
3. England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973. Record retrieved from http://familysearch.org
4. Bailey, Joanne. Parenting in England: 1750-1830. Oxford: Oxford, 2012. 5. Print.
5. Iowa State Census Collection 1836-1925 online database. Retrieved from ancestry.com.
6. Fredonia Daily Herald, January 11, 1927, submitted by Sandy Snyder. Retrieved from http://genealogytrails.com
7. Transcribed Newspaper Article. http://genforum.genealogy.com/sherlock/messages/565.html
8. Marriage Record. Missouri, County, Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991. Retrieved from http://familysearch.org
9 .Marriage Record. Kansas, Marriages, 1811-1911. Retrieved from http://familysearch.org
10. White, Ivan. Personal Interview. 6 October 2011.
2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/timelines/british/index_embed.shtml
3. England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973. Record retrieved from http://familysearch.org
4. Bailey, Joanne. Parenting in England: 1750-1830. Oxford: Oxford, 2012. 5. Print.
5. Iowa State Census Collection 1836-1925 online database. Retrieved from ancestry.com.
6. Fredonia Daily Herald, January 11, 1927, submitted by Sandy Snyder. Retrieved from http://genealogytrails.com
7. Transcribed Newspaper Article. http://genforum.genealogy.com/sherlock/messages/565.html
8. Marriage Record. Missouri, County, Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991. Retrieved from http://familysearch.org
9 .Marriage Record. Kansas, Marriages, 1811-1911. Retrieved from http://familysearch.org
10. White, Ivan. Personal Interview. 6 October 2011.