Hello Jack,
My grandmother and I descend down a William Witherow b. 1832 or 1844. Where? Not too sure as different census say Ireland or Nova Scotia. William appears to have emigrated to Minnesota after the 1871 Canadian Census, but before the 1880 US Census. The 1880 Census also uses the name Witterow instead of Witherow as the e was carried on in our Witherow name. It would be interesting to know why the oldest Withrow children were forced to move to Nova Scotia after the close of the Revolutionary war. I am wondering what could have happened for a family that served during the Revolutionary war to have to leave. I can determine with DNA that William appears to come from the Pennsyvania, Virginia and Kentucky Withrows as I have been able to connect to common DNA with them.
Anyhow, something happens with William Witherow as he disappears before the Minnesota Territory Census of 1885, and his wife remains in Crookston, Minnesota with a few children while three of the children are found with other people on the 1885 Minnesota Territory Census. My understanding is there is one more child born in 1887 that appears to be Williams which indicates William is still around somewhere just that he does not show on any census I can find. Eleanor his wife passes in Feb. 1888, and I haven’t been able to determine what happen with some of the younger siblings. I do know that Norman Witherow is found on a 1900 census’s with my grandmothers grandparents Mary Ann Witherow Pierce who married Earnest Pierce in Minnesota. Eleanor Witherow has a meager lone gravestone in Crookston, Polk, Minnesota, and I haven’t been able to determine what happened with William.
I am wondering if it was difficult for Canadian Witherows to come back into USA? I also can’t seem to connect where William Witherow originates from Canada or Ireland. I want to believe he is a descendant from one of the Withrows who were forced to go back to Canada, but I haven’t been able to determine that.
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