Brick by Brick

This is another post in a series about finding the ancestors of my paternal great-grandfather Joseph Voisin¹ (1858-1916). This is a brick wall I haven’t been able to get beyond for several years. Here I chip away a few more bricks from the wall in hopes of discovering a clue.

Perhaps you can help. If you found this post while searching the Internet, chances are there’s something here that piqued your interest. That means you might know something I don’t know. If so, please post a comment. No matter how small, most any information can provide a clue.

In this installment I’ll remove four bricks from the wall.  See also Bricks 1 through 10.

Brick 11: Voisin Family from Bentinck, Grey, Ontario

A Voisin family appears in the 1861 Canadian Census in Bentinck Township, Grey County, Ontario.  John and Elizabeth Voisin had a son named Joseph about 1856.  Although this could be our Joseph Voisin, I’ve not yet researched this family.  They apparently emigrated from England and they are Congregationalists.  Our Joseph Voisin was very likely of German descent and Catholic.

Conclusion:  Additional research is necessary to prove whether or not this family is related to us.

Brick 12: A Voisin in Waterloo County, Ontario

A man with the Voisin surname appears in the 1861 Canadian Census in Wellesley Township, Waterloo County, Ontario.  He was a carpenter, 18 years old, and listed near the Joesph and Catherine (Meyer) Voisin family in the census (see Brick 6).  No first name is given and he appears with no other family members.

If this were our Joseph Voisin, he would have been born about 1843 rather than 1858, which is generally accepted.  It is curious however. Since Joseph wrote in his journal that he was in Hawkesville in 1877 (see Brick 5), perhaps he had actually been there since 1861.

Conclusion:  Additional research is necessary to determine the identity of this Voisin.

Brick 13: Photographs of Joseph Voisin

I have a hunch Joseph Voisin may have been older than he led everyone to believe.  I might be able to draw some inferences by examining photographs of him.

Joseph was a pioneer.  He was one of the first settlers in Nottawa Township, Isabella County, Michigan as that area became available to white settlers.  (Previously it was reserved for Native Americans.)  Joseph was also a farmer. As indicated in an 1880 agricultural census, only four of his forty newly-purchased acres had been improved (cleared for farming). He also was a father to eleven children.

As a pioneer, farmer, and father with all those mouths to feed, he undoubtedly worked very, very hard. Such labor would take a toll on anyone. Therefore, to evaluate how old someone looks in a photograph of that era is difficult.

I’m reminded of a television program, “Frontier House,” in which modern families attempted to live under the same circumstances as 19th century pioneers.  In one episode a man became concerned that he was malnourished.  It turned out he was dehydrated, but his body was also adapting to the meager food supply and daily labor to which he was not accustomed.

So can I distinguish whether Joseph appears older than his stated age? Or, did the rigors of pioneer and farm life cause him to look older than he was?

Joseph Voisin through Time

The first image was taken about 1907 when Joseph was 49.  The middle image was taken about 1912 when he was 54.  The last image was probably taken a year before he died, say about 1915, when he was 57.

The question is, do these images look like someone of the stated age, that is 49, 54 and 57, respectively?  To me he looks older.

Now to be accurate, there are mitigating circumstances.  Joseph did write two recipes for bitters in his journal in the 1890s.  He most likely used these as stomach tonics and therefore he may have suffered frequent indigestion and heartburn.  Also, he died of prostate cancer, which progressively got worse. He probably suffered for at least a couple years with that.  I suspect he may have had other, undocumented ailments besides.

Conclusion:  Joseph Voisin may have been older than generally accepted.

Brick 14: The Story of Two Brothers

One account passed down through the generations is that Joseph Voisin came to America in company with a brother.  His brother settled in the northern part of Michigan’s lower peninsula.

As with many family stories, there are few details to go on, and no substantiated evidence.  I think there may be grains of truth in family lore, but tracking such stories down is difficult.  There are Voisin families in northern Michigan, around Traverse City.  So this story is plausible.

The trouble is, Joseph Voisin died in 1916, well before any of his grandchildren came of age. Therefore no one now living ever met him and stories told by his children become blurry through time.

Conclusion:  Additional research is necessary to determine any connection to the Voisin families of northern lower Michigan.

The saga continues….

1. For source citations and images of the evidence discussed here, please see the Family Group Sheet for Joseph Voisin.

Brick by Brick

I’ve reached an impasse trying to find the ancestors of my paternal great-grandfather Joseph Voisin¹ (1858-1916). It’s a brick wall I haven’t been able to get beyond for several years. If I remove one brick from the wall at a time, I may discover a clue.

Perhaps you can help. If you found this post while searching the Internet, chances are there’s something here that piqued your interest.  That means you might know something I don’t know.  If so, please post a comment.  No matter how small, most any information can provide a clue.

In this installment I’ll remove ten bricks from the wall.  See also Bricks 11 through 14.

Brick 1: Date of Birth

There is some discrepancy as to Joseph Voisin’s birth date. No civil or church birth record has yet been found. A wedding sampler shows the date as January 10, 1858. That is perhaps the most reliable evidence to date.

His age is listed as 24 in the 1880 United States Federal Census, when he was actually 22 if born in 1858. Was he actually born in 1856? The ages listed in census records are notoriously unreliable. In the 1900 census, his birth date is listed as January 1858 and his age is 42. The 1910 census shows age 51, which is close enough to 52.

His death certificate indicates he was 65 in 1916, making his birth year 1850. However, it is apparent the birth date and age at death were originally written in lighter ink and subsequently rewritten in darker ink. This document is therefore highly suspect.

Still, I have a hunch Joseph may have been less than truthful about his date of birth for some reason. He may have actually been older.

Conclusion:  Joseph Voisin was born January 10, 1858 until it can be proven otherwise.

Brick 2: Place of Birth

The key to finding Joseph’s ancestors is locating where he was born. Most all records indicate he was born in Ontario, Canada, while his parents were probably born in Germany. That what’s listed in the 1880 United States Federal Census. The 1900 census indicates Canada, and his parents were born in Canada. The 1910 census shows Canada, and the birth place of his parents was unknown.

In an 1880 declaration of intention to become a United States citizen, Joseph renounced his allegiance to the Queen of Great Britain, who of course reigned over Canada.

His death certificate states he was born in Canada, but again, little credence is given to that document.

It is possible he was born in another Provence, like Quebec, or even in the United States, perhaps across the river in Buffalo, New York. His parents could have moved shortly after Joseph was born. However, there is no evidence of that yet.

Conclusion:  Joseph Voisin was born in Ontario, Canada, but I remain open to other possibilities.

Brick 3: Parent’s Names

On Joseph’s death certificate, his father’s name is listed also as Joseph. His mother’s name is listed as “Not Known.” Due to other errors on this document, his father’s name is considered unreliable.

Conclusion:  The names of Joseph’s parents are unknown.

Brick 4: Netherby, Ontario

In a journal entry, Joseph signed his name and under it wrote, “Township of Humberstone; Netherby PO Ont 1875; 19 November.” Netherby is in Humberstone Township, in Welland County, Ontario. The area is south of Niagara Falls and west of Buffalo, New York. “PO Ont” probably means “Provence of Ontario.”

This means he was 17, and nearly 18 when he was in Netherby, Ontario.  However I can draw no conclusion that he was born or raised there.  He may have been passing through.  It is possible he had just left home and was on his own.

Conclusion:  Joseph Voisin was near Netherby, Ontario when he was about 18 years old.

Brick 5: Hawkesville, Ontario

Another entry in Joseph Voisn’s journal is, “Mister Joseph Voisin commenced to work the 4 of April 1877; H. Otterbein; Hawksville, Ont.” Hawkesville is about two miles north of St. Clements in Waterloo County, Ontario.  Another notation indicates he may have been making $12 a month.  He would have been about 19 years old.

There is evidence of a Heinrich or Henry Otterbein in Waterloo county. His wife Margaret (Steinacker) Otterbein apparently died April 17, 1877, just two weeks after Joseph started work, assuming this is the same H. Otterbein. There is no evidence to support this however.

Conclusion:  Joseph Voisin was probably working on his own as a farm hand or doing odd jobs near Hawkesville, Ontario in 1877.

Brick 6: The Voisin Family of St. Clements

Joseph Voisin was in Hawkesville very near St. Clements, Ontario in 1877 (see Brick 5). There was also a large Voisin family in the same area. This was the family of Joseph and Catherine (Meyer) Voisin. Since our Joseph Voisin was a young man, it is tempting to speculate he was related to the Voisin family of St. Clements.

Frank W. Voisin and Clifton E. Voisin from Kitchener, Ontario researched the genealogy of the St. Clements Voisin family in the 1970s and 1980s. They are convinced there is no connection between that family and our Joseph Voisin. Although Joseph and Catherine Voisin had a son named Joseph Xavier Voisin in 1854, there is clear evidence he married Anna Maria Lehnhart in 1879 and took over the family farm in 1886.

If our Joseph is not a son of Joseph and Catherine Voisin, perhaps he was a cousin or nephew to this family.

Conclusion:  Joseph Voisin’s presence in Hawkesville along with the Joseph and Catherine Voisin family is a coincidence.

Brick 7: Clements Starr

Clement or Clements Starr was born in 1852, probably in Wellesley Township, Waterloo County, Ontario, Canada near St. Clements. His parents were likely Ambrose and Anna Rosina Starr, who were early settlers of St. Clements.

According to a 1975 centennial booklet on the Beal City, Michigan area, Joseph Voisin immigrated to the United States in 1879 in company with Clements and Elizabeth (Fate) Starr and their children. This could be just family lore, but there are several circumstantial facts that support this claim.

According to his journal, Joseph Voisin was working in Hawkesville in 1877 (see Brick 5). Clements Starr was probably born and raised near Hawkesville. Clements was married (in 1875) and would have been about 25 years old while Joseph would have been about 19. Since they were both in the area, they probably met and were friends.

The 1880 United States Federal Census lists Joseph Voisin in the household of Clements and Elizabeth Starr and their children near Beal City, Michigan. After 1880 they owned two adjoining 40 acre properties and were neighbors thereafter.

Conclusion:  Joseph Voisin did immigrate to the United States in the company of Clements and Elizabeth Starr and their children.

Brick 8: Remus, Michigan

According to the 1975 centennial booklet on the Beal City, Michigan area, Joseph Voisin and the Starr family first settled in Remus, Michigan before moving to Beal City. I have not yet found any record of these families in the Remus area.

Conclusion:  Joseph Voisin may have settled first in Remus, Michigan.

Brick 9: Land Deed

A warranty deed from John W. Hance to Joseph Voisin was filed October 3, 1879. Joseph is listed as living in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan at the time. He paid $725 for 80 acres of land near Beal City, Michigan. A deed index entry shows Joseph sold 40 acres of this land to Clements Starr, probably in 1880.

Curiously, the 1880 United States Federal Census lists Joseph Voisin in the household of Clements and Elizabeth Starr, even though Joseph originally purchased the land. Since the Starr family had children, Joseph probably assisted them in building their shelter first.  They may also have made a financial arrangement to purchase the land together.  If Joseph were 21 years old, he probably didn’t have $725, although it was probably all mortgaged.

Conclusion:  Joseph Voisin immigrated to the United States between April 1877 when he was last known to be in Hawkesville, Ontario and October 1879 when the land deed was filed.

Brick 10: Declaration of Intention

On October 11, 1880, Joseph Voisin filed a Declaration of Intention to become a naturalized citizen of the United States. In this declaration, Joseph renounced his allegiance to the Queen of Great Britain. Unfortunately, no record of a later petition has yet been found.

Conclusion:  Joseph Voisin was from Canada or England.

These are ten bricks from the brick wall.  I’m still no closer in determining who Joseph’s parents were, but I may be close.

1. For source citations and images of the evidence discussed here, please see the Family Group Sheet for Joseph Voisin.

In his personal journal, he wrote that he was at Netherby, Humberstone Township, Ontario, Canada on November 19, 1875. Whether he lived there, worked there, or was passing through is unknown. Later he wrote that he worked in Hawkesville, Ontario in April 1877. His death certificate indicates he was born in Canada and that his father’s name was also Joseph.

He emigrated to America sometime in or before 1879. He is rumored to have traveled with Clements and Elizabeth Starr, who were also from Ontario. On October 3, 1879 he bought land near Beal City in Nottowa Township, Isabella County, Michigan. He married Mary Ann Yuncker February 16, 1885 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

Other researchers have studied the family of Joseph Voisin (1805-1892) and Catherine Meyer (1820-1881). They lived in Wellesley Township, near St. Clements, Ontario. This is very near Hawkesville. There is apparently no link between this family and my ancestor, Joseph Voisin. However it is still a possibility. There were also other Voisin families in the area then, but they moved away.

If anyone has any information about my ancestor Joseph Voisin, please post a reply here, or contact MikeVoisin@iSeeAncestors.com.