CLICK HERE for Acknowledgement of census data errors / Inaccurate and inefficient Records
Charles (Chas) Teel was born fifth of nine children in Western District, Tazewell, Virginia in 1845 to Peter and Rebecca Teel. Our first record of Chas is in the 1850 Census where he is listed as 5 years old. At the time of his birth, his mother Rebecca had given birth to 4 other siblings in the previous 5 years.
Unfortunately the only records of Charles and Jennie Teel are either Census records or the single marriage record found.
As stated earlier, Charles was born in 1845 and was listed with the family in each of the census records for years 1850 (5 years old), 1856 (10 years old), 1860 (14 years old).
Then in December 2nd, 1866 Charles marries Miranda Addison (Jennie) from Missouri. Jennie is 15 at the time of their marriage.
Charles and Jennie are living in Jasper county Missouri in 1870 (record wrongly states Charles as 21 years old). Living in the household is their 2 year old son, John Elmus.
Then finally, somewhere between 1870 and 1880, the Charles Teel family moves to Lamar County, Texas.
The Charles Teel family living in Lamar County Texas are Chas 35, Jennie 29, John E. 12, Chas May 9, and twins Addie 5, Edie 5.
Charles and Jennie lost two of their children in two years time, both died at a very young age.
First their daughter Ida Belle, born in 1873, for reasons unknown Ida Belle died at the age of 5 in 1878.
Their young son Chas May who was listed on the 1880 census in Lamar county Texas, again for reasons not known, died later that same year. It must have been devastating for this family to have such a tremendous loss in such a short period of time.
The 1880 record is the last record I can find for Charles and Jennie Teel and their family.
Unfortunately, the 1890 census was destroyed by a fire at the Commerce Department in Washington, DC on 10 January 1921. So we do not know how long Charles and Jennie lived in the Lamar County residents.
The 1900 census record has no record of Charles or Jennie Teel living in the Precinct 4, enumeration district 78 of Lamar County where he and his family lived in 1880. In 1900 Charles would have been 55.
Charles and Jennie’s son John Elmus and his family are living In Lamar County in 1900 but in another precinct.
Texas Farming circa 1890
Charles "Chas" L Teel • 1845–1880
BIRTH 1845 • Tazewell County, Virginia, USA
DEATH after 1880
Grandfather to Herbert Gaston (Bud)
1846 Age 1 • Birth of sister Martha E Teel Dobyns (1842–1870) • 19 Jan 1846 • Missouri, USA
1848 Age 3 • Birth of sister Lucinda "Louisa" "Lucy" J Teel(1848–) • Abt. 1848 • Virginia, USA
1849 Age 4 • Birth of brother Zachary Zacarias Teel(1849–1860) • 1849 • Virginia, USA
1850 Age 5 • Residence 1850 • Western District, Tazewell, Virginia
1852 Age 7 • Birth of sister "Eliza" Elisabeth Teel(1852–) • Abt. 1852 • Richmond, Howard, Missouri, USA
1853 Age 8 • Birth of sister Nancy V Teel(1853–) • 18 Apr 1853 • Tazewell County, Virginia, USA
1856 Age 11 • Residence 1856 • Des Moines, Lee, Iowa, USA
1860 Age 15 • Death of brother Zachary Zacarias Teel(1849–1860) • Bef. 1860 • Virginia
1860 Age 15 • Residence • 1860 • Washington, Clark, Missouri, USA
1866 Age 21 • Marriage • 02 Dec 1866 • Carroll, Missouri, USA • Marinda "Martha" "Jennie" Jennifer ADDISON Teel •(1852–1937) • Marinda was 15 years old at the time of her marriage
1867 Age 22 • Birth of son John Elmus Teel(1867–1912) • 01 Nov 1867 • Missouri, USA
1870 Age 25 • Death of sister Martha E Teel Dobyns(1842–1870) • 18 Aug 1870 • Jasper, Missouri, USA
1870 Age 25 • Residence • 1870 • Sarcoxie, Jasper, Missouri, USA • Residence Post Office: Sarcoxie
1871 Age 26 • Birth of son "Chas" Charles May Teel(1871–1880) • Abt 1871 • Lamar County, Texas, USA
1872 Age 27 • Death of father Peter T Teel(1813–1872) • 1872 • Jasper, Missouri, USA
1873 Age 28 • Birth of daughter Ida Belle Teel(1873–1878) • bt. 1873 • Missouri, USA
1875 Age 30 • Birth of daughter G Edith "Edie" Teel Rowe Hansford Swain(1875–1942) • 10 Jul 1875 • Missouri, USA
1875 Age 30 • Birth of daughter Addie G Teel(1875–1944) • Abt 1875 • Missouri
1878 Age 33 • Death of daughter Ida Belle Teel(1873–1878) • 12 May 1878 • Lamar, Texas
1880 Age 35 • Residence • 1880 • Precinct 4, Lamar, Texas, USA
1880 Age ? • Death • after 1880
Acknowledgement of census data errors / Inaccurate and inefficient Records
Prior to 1850, a US Census would list only the name of the head of the household. Family members and persons living in the household, including the head, were listed either Male or Female and grouped into age ranges. (Example) This makes it difficult to trace women and children born, living, or married prior to 1850. So even if a head of the household is found in a census, there is a challenge to match the age of a married couple and their children should be when compared to other known records (such as death records or census records dating 1850 and after). Also, in census taking 1850 and after, I have discovered many errors in recording made of Place of Birth. For example, in the 1850 census for the Peter Teel family, all family members are recorded as being born in Virginia. Known family members not born in Virginia are known to be Peter Teel and his parents Philip and Lucy, all thought to be born in New York. The name Virginia is not written out but is simply a ditto mark from the space above. Another example is the 1880 census record for the Chas Teel family where Chas as well as his father and mother are recorded as being born in Missouri. Chas Teel as well as his mother (we believe) were born in Virginia and Peter his father was born in New York.
Missing or Lacking Records
Many of the original 13 colonies including New York did not require registration of births, marriages, and/or deaths until the late 1800’s and even then, compliance with the law was haphazard. Due to this, these records can be lacking for many events.
This all indicates that the census data is not without error and as such is used to match those aspects that are closest to or match completely. In all cases, the matching data will outweigh the inaccuracies by far.
So, the information presented here are interpretations of findings I have discovered from many hours of investigation and are by no means error free and in many cases, “best guess” and believed to be true to the best of my interpretations of investigations.