The United States federal census provides a framework for tracing families every ten years (except the mostly destroyed 1890). Later census forms asked more detailed questions of all members of households.
Marital status became a question in 1880.
The 1910 census asked two questions about marital status:
Question 8. Whether single, married, widowed, or divorced.
Question 9. Number of years of present marriage.
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| Questions on the 1910 federal census. Questions 8 and 9 pertained to marital status. |
Enumerators were to mark answers in accordance with rules that are not reflected on the census form. The rule for question 8: ". . . if this is the first marriage, write 'M1,' but if this is the second or subsequent marriage, write 'M2' (meaning married more than once)."
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| Instructions to the enumerator about how to record the answer to Question 8 about marital status |
Answers on the census can be wildly inaccurate. But the 1910 census can mislead the researcher with the answers about marriage. M1 means first marriage, but M2 means more than one marriage, not necessarily the second marriage.
We will look at two people to illustrate this question in the 1910 census, Albert Baldwin Duryea (1853-1924) and Minnie Tuthill (1870-1941).
Albert Baldwin Duryea
Albert was the son of George Winfield Duryea (1823-1892) and Barbara Ann Savidge (1825-18xx). He was born around 1853, probably in Montgomery, Somerset County, New Jersey.
On March 18, 1882 Albert married Margaret Lear Heavener (1851-1903) in Upper Black Eddy, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. This union produced two children, Paul Gamble Duryea (1883-1966) and Edwin Jayne Duryea (1886-1942).
On May 6, 1905 Albert married Virginia Stryker (1854-1907) in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey. Virginia was the widow of William S Barr. She died two and a half years later from cancer of the bowels.
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| Marriage certificate Albert B Duryea and Virginia S Stryker married May 6, 1905 in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey |
On May 15, 1908 Albert married Elizabeth Tinsman Morris (1850-1925) in Trenton.
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| Marriage certificate Albert Baldwin Duryea and Elizabeth Morris Comly married May 15, 1908 in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey |
This brings us to the 1910 census. Albert Duryea and his wife Elizabeth were enumerated in Trenton with a boarder, William Hillpot.
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| 1910 federal census in Trenton, New Jersey Household of Albert Duryea |
For Question 8, "M2" is written for the marital status of Albert and Elizabeth. Elizabeth had at least one prior marriage (looks like "Comly") on her marriage certificate to Albert. We found three marriages for Albert. This is an illustration of M2 properly indicating more than one marriage and not second marriage.
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| Close up of 1910 federal census Albert was on marriage number 3. "M2" was the correct response. |
Minnie Tuthill
Tuthill or Tuttle and variations is a popular name from Suffolk County, New York. Minnie was born around 1870 in Riverhead to Albert Daniel Tuthill (1846-1920) and Hannah Erskine (1847-1927).
Minnie's marital history is vague at times, but we will see what we can see.
On January 10, 1887 Minnie C Tuthill married John Edwin Duryea in Riverhead- according to the New York State Marriage Index. As of this writing, New York is still refusing to release genealogical copies of records.
In the 1900 census, Minnie Gusswiller was enumerated in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey with her husband, Frank Gusswiller. They were married for nine years. She had six children, four still living, listed with birth years from 1888 through 1899, all using the surname Gusswiller.
John E Duryea died February 22, 1901 in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey.
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| Death certificate of John E Duryea died February 22, 1901 in Long Branch, Monmouth County, New Jersey. |
If Minnie Tuthill married Frank Gusswiller around 1891, she would have need to have divorced her first husband, John Duryea. I use "if" because I have not found a possible entry in the marriage indexes for Minnie and Frank in New Jersey, New York, and New York City.
This brings us to the 1910 census. Minnie Woodin and her husband, William Woodin, were enumerated in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York. His marital status was "M1," married five years. Her marital status was "M2," married five years. She had ten children, six still living. With them were five children. Four children were named Gusswiller and were ages 9 through 19. William Woodin, final child, was three years old.
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| 1910 federal census in Poughkeepsie, New York Household of William Woodin |
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| Close up of 1910 federal census Minnie was on marriage number 2 or 3. "M2" was the correct response. |
The answer "M2" means that she was married at least twice and is not indicative of whether she and Frank Gusswiller actually married.
Minnie continued marrying after the 1910 census. In the 1920 census, Minnie Woodin, married, was still in Poughkeepsie, but without a husband. From the New York State marriage indexes we find that on October 20, 1920 Minnie M Trythill aka Gussweller married John Henry in Beacon, Dutchess County; on July 27, 1937 Minnie Henry married Charles Hults.
Minnie M Hults died December 25, 1941 in Poughkeepsie.
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| Obituary of Minnie M Hults (born Tuttle or Tuthill) December 27, 1941 |
Minnie's husbands as far as I can tell:
18xx Frank X Gusswiller (1862-19xx)
19xx William J Woodin (1868-19xx)
1920 John Henry (18xx-19xx)
1937 Charles Hults (1865-1954)
Minnie's children as far as I can find:
Everett Tuthill Duryea (1890-1937)
Elnora Frances Gusswiller (1893-1893)
Frances Gusswiller (1897-1898)
A note about Edith, the daughter of John E Duryea and Minnie Tuthill: she had a troubled life. She was born May 16, 1888 in Jersey City.
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| Birth certificate Edith Mabel Duryea born May 16, 1888 in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey. First child of John E Duryea and Minnie M Tuthill. |
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| Newspaper article from the Evening Journal of Jersey City November 21, 1907. "Mrs Gussmiller angry at her arrest." |
In the 1910 census, Edith "Gusswiller" was an "inmate" at Laurel Hill in Secaucus, Hudson County. This institution housed those who were mentally ill or infirm. It was also called Snake Hill, or Hudson County Insane Asylum, and still exists today as "Meadowview Psychiatric Hospital." Edith was still there in the 1920, 1930, and 1940 censuses, but under the name Duryea, not Gusswiller.
This is why I think that the baby named "Peter Duryea or Gussweller" was hers. I did not find a birth certificate for him, but he was issued a death certificate. He died at the Hudson County Insane Hospital on January 21, 1913 from inanition. His date of birth was December 13, 1912. He was "out of wedlock." Only his mother was listed on his death certificate- "Edith Duryea or Gussweller."
I searched unsuccessfully for a marriage between Duryea and Gussweller. With the additional information gathered about Minnie Tuthill and her daughter, Edith Duryea, I think that Peter was the baby of Edith.
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| Death certificate of Peter Duryea or Gussweller. Died January 21, 1913 at the Hudson County Insane Hospital in Secaucus, New Jersey. Age 1 month. Mother- Edith Duryea or Gussweller. Burial at Laurel Hill. Undertaker Alms House. |
Burials at Laurel Hill were unmarked, which was not an unusual practice at such institutions. Laurel Hill burials included not only people from the insane asylum, but also from the alms house, tuberculosis hospital, and jail. Records were kept, but supposedly Hudson County cannot find them today. In 2002, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority sought to extend part of the Turnpike (Interstate 95) into the burial area and found bones and artifacts when construction crews started digging. It is thought that over 10,000 people were buried in this area.
When Edith Duryea died in 1943, she too was buried in an unmarked grave at Laurel Hill. Her usual address was in Poughkeepsie, connecting her to her late mother's residence since at least 1910.
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| Death certificate of Edith Duryea died December 29, 1943 in Secaucus, Hudson County, New Jersey at the Hudson County Hospital for Incurable Diseases. Burial at Laurel Hill. |
For pictures and further reading on Laurel Hill and the burials, see Weird New Jersey and this article from NJ dot com.
When reviewing the 1910 census, be mindful that the answer "M2" for a married person means that this is at least the second marriage. You would still need to use other records to discover marriages and their disposition.
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