Agnes Aitken Renton ^{1 2 3 4 5}

  General Notes:

Because there is a record of a birth for a son on 6 Apr 1892 and that Agnes' death was 10 Apr 1892, it would safe to assume that she died from complications of the birth. There are no other records about the son or about her husband, George Manzer.
----------------------------------------------

  Birth Notes:

Name: Agnes Aitken Renton
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 24 Dec 1854
Christening Place: , NORTH BERWICK, EAST LOTHIAN, SCOTLAND
Birth Date: 27 Nov 1854
Father's Name: Robert Renton
Mother's Name: Elizabeth Weir
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C11713-7
System Origin: Scotland-VR
GS Film number: 1067852
Reference ID: 2:16L6478

Citing this Record
"Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XTYH-WRL : accessed 09 Aug 2013), Robert Renton in entry for Agnes Aitken Renton, 27 Nov 1854.
-------------------------------------------

  Baptism Notes:

Name: Agnes Aitken Renton
Event Type: Christening
Event Date: 24 Dec 1854
Event Place: North Berwick, Haddingtonshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original): North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
Gender: Female
Father's Name: Robert Renton
Mother's Name: Elizabeth Weir

Citing this Record
"Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XBPV-MSD : 12 February 2020), Elizabeth Weir in entry for Agnes Aitken Renton, 1854.
------------------------------------------

  Death Notes:

Name: Mrs. George Mauzer
Event Type: Death
Event Date: 10 Apr 1892
Event Place: Sumpter, Wayne, Michigan
Gender: Female
Age: 37
Marital Status: Married
Birth Year (Estimated): 1855
Birthplace: Scotland
Father's Name: Robert Renton
Mother's Name: Elizabeth Renton

Citing this Record
"Michigan Deaths, 1867-1897," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3V1-R4X : 10 March 2018), Robert Renton in entry for Mrs. George Mauzer, 10 Apr 1892; citing p 326 rn 869, Sumpter, Wayne, Michigan, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 2,363,831.
-----------------------------------------

Name: George Manzer
Name Note: Mrs.
Event Type: Death
Event Date: 10 Apr 1892
Event Place: Sumpter Township, Wayne, Michigan, United States
Event Place (Original): Sumpter, Michigan, United States
Gender: Female
Age: 37
Marital Status: Married
Ethnicity: American
Race: White
Birth Year (Estimated): 1855
Birthplace: Scotland
Father's Name: Robert Renton
Mother's Name: Elizabeth Renton
Reference ID: b 12 p 40

Citing this Record
"Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH4B-P9P : 16 January 2020), Elizabeth Renton in entry for George Manzer, 1892.
-------------------------------------------

  Noted events in her life were:

• She appeared on the 1861 Scotland Census in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland on 7 April 1861.

³ 1861 Scotland Census
page 3, District 9, CSSCT1861-134
Haddington, East Lothian
Registration 709, Household schedule 17
West Side Hargate Street
Agnes Benton..Daughter..7
(Living with parents.)
.

• She immigrated onboard the ship James Foster Jr arriving on 21 September 1869 at New York, NY.
^{2 7} Name: Agnes Renton
Event Type: Immigration
Event Date: 1869
Event Place: New York City, New York, United States
Gender: Female
Age: 14
Birth Year (Estimated): 1855
Birthplace: Scotland
Ship Name: James Foster Jr

Affiliate Publication Number: M237
Affiliate Publication Title: Passenger Lists of vessels arriving at New York, 1820-1897
Affiliate Film Number: 318
GS Film Number: 000175674
Digital Folder Number: 004680249
Image Number: 00287

Citing this Record
"New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9Q-3N49 : 11 March 2018), Agnes Renton, 1869; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication M237 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 175,674.

• She appeared on the 1870 US Census in Van Buren Township, Wayne County, MI on 16 June 1870. ⁴

1870 US Census
Page 45, Family 401, Roll 710
Van Buren Township, Wayne County, Michigan
Agnese Renton..15..SCOT..At School
(Living with parents.)
.

• Death Image: 10 April 1892, in Sumpter Township, Wayne County, MI. ⁵

Agnes married George W. Manzer about 1877. (George W. Manzer was born in November 1837 in New York ⁸ and died after 1 June 1900.)

  Marriage Notes:

No marriage document has yet been found but their son, Robert, indicates on various documents that he was born in 1878 in Illinois, probably in Chebanse County. This would mean that George and Agnes were probably married some time around 1877 but the location is not known even though she was from the Wayne County, Michigan area.

Assuming they were married about 1877, they should be found somewhere in the 1880 US Census but I have yet to find any record that is definitely them. The closest is an 1880 record from Van Buren Township, Wayne County, Michigan. This would make sense because that is exactly where Agnes was living in 1870. But there are some unknown names found on the record as well as a few unexplainable errors which may mean this record could be for a different family.


1880 US Census
Sheet 471A, District 267, Roll 610
Van Buren, Wayne County, Michigan, United States

George Manzer..Self..50..NY..Laborer
Agnes Manzer..Wife..30..Connecticut..Keeping House
Frank Manzer..Son..10..MI..At School
Melvin Manzer..Son..9..MI..At Home
Robert Manzer..Son..2..MI
John Manzer..Other..2m..MI..born in Apr
Alonzo Manzer..Brother..40..NY

George did later report on the 1900 US Census that he was born in New York so this could probably be him as well as the brother, Alonzo, who was living with them.

If this is the correct Agnes, the her age should have been about 25 instead of the 30 that appears on this record. Perhaps she wanted her age to seem to be more closely aligned with the older husband.

The next two sons, Frank and Melvin, are problematic because if George and Agnes were not married until about 1877, then these two sons could not be Agnes'. Perhaps George was previously married and these 2 sons are from his 1st wife.

The son Robert appears with an age of 2 which would be correct if he was born about 1878. But according to his WWI and WWII Draft registration cards and future census records, he was born in Illinois instead of Michigan as shown on this 1880 record.

And finally, another previously unknown son, John, born in Apr 1880 with George and Agnes as the parents.

But the biggest problem concerns Agnes and her birth location reported as Connecticut instead of the expected Scotland. She even reported that both of her parents were born in New York instead of Scotland. I can understand the parents' birth locations being misreported due to an enumerator error in continuing the same locations as given for George but how does one overlook Agnes' birth location being stated as Connecticut?
---------------------------------------------------