George W. Manzer ¹

  Noted events in his life were:

• He appeared on the 1900 US Census in Sumpter Township, Wayne County, MI on 9 June 1900. ¹

1900 US Census
Sheet 5B, District 203, Family 115
Sumpter Township, Wayne County, Michigan, United States
Farm rented
George W. Manzer..Head..62..Nov 1837..Widowed..NY..Farmer

(Living alone.)
.

George married Agnes Aitken Renton, daughter of Robert Renton and Elizabeth W. Weir, about 1877. (Agnes Aitken Renton was born on 27 November 1854 in North Berwick, Haddingtonshire, Scotland, United Kingdom ^{2 3 4 5 6 7}, baptized on 24 December 1854 in North Berwick, Haddingtonshire, Scotland, United Kingdom ³ and died on 10 April 1892 in Sumpter Township, Wayne County, MI ⁷.)

  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?
---------------------------------------------------