Emma Louise Nickerson ^{2 4}

   Another name for Emma was Eliza E. Nickerson.^{1 3}

  General Notes:

The 1880 and 1910 US Census listed her named as Emma L. Holmes whereas the 1900 US Census listed her name as Eliza L. Holmes. In addition, the marriage license issued in 1874 listed her name as Eliza E. Nickerson. SO WHICH NAME WAS CORRECT, EMMA OR ELIZA?

The oldest document for the couple to clarify the given name would be the actual marriage document for Harvey Parker Holmes who was married in Adair County, Missouri on 4 Oct 1874. On that document the bride's name was listed as "Eliza E. Nickeson". Both the bride and groom were listed as "of Adair County" which infers that they both lived there. The 1870 US Census of Adair County, Missouri does in fact show an 18 year old Eliza Nickerson living with the Thomas and Lucinda Dodson family who had 9 children and probably needed some assistance around the house. That census also confirms that Eliza was born in Indiana in about 1852.

Some researchers claim that the parents of both Eliza and Emma Nickerson were Franklin Nickerson and Eliza Jane Hallet. The 1880 US Census for the supposed parents show them living in Nantucket, Massachusetts along with a daughter, Emma Nickerson, age 27, still living at home with her parents. The name of any other daughter, such as Eliza, was not included. Both parents were born in Massachusetts while Emma was also born in Massachusetts. The family was enumerated on 5 June 1880. How could Emma be single and living with her parents in Massachusetts when she married Harvey P. Holmes 6 years earlier in Missouri. Some might answer that it was the other daughter, Eliza, that married Harvey Holmes. However, closely examine the next document.

The next document to examine would be the 1880 US Census for Harvey and his wife Emma/Eliza Holmes living in Oakland Township, Cloud County, Kansas. The family was enumerated on 14 June 1880 and included 2 children but most importantly an older sister, Eliza C. Nickerson, was living with the family. Emma's birth location was given as Indiana while Eliza's birth location was Ohio. However, both sisters gave the birth locations of their parents as Connecticut for the father and New York for the mother. This 1880 US Census document is important for three reasons.

First, it shows that Emma and Eliza were not the same person.

Second, it would be highly unlikely that the older sister, Eliza Nickerson, would have been in Nantucket, Massachusetts on 5 June 1880 and then 9 days later appear in Cloud County, Kansas living with her married sister. Additionally, the older sister was a school teacher in Kansas which means it would be very doubtful that in the limited time of only 9 days, she not only traveled a distance of over 1,700 miles but also secured employment as a school teacher. Moreover, the birth locations of the parents given by the sisters in Kansas do not match those for the supposed parents, Franklin and Emma Nickerson, back in Nantucket.

So far there can be only one conclusion and that is that Franklin Nickerson and Eliza Jane Hallett in Nantucket would not have been the parents of the wife of Harvey Parker Holmes, Emma/Eliza Nickerson. At this time, the names of the parents for the two sisters is not known.

And thirdly, this 1880 US Census document actually further obfuscates the true given name of the wife. She used the name of Eliza on the marriage document but 6 years later she was using the name of Emma when her sister with the name of Eliza was living with the family. Why would Emma ever want to use a nickname that was the same name of her old sister?

There is a wildly possible answer to the problem of two different names for the wife and that would be that Harvey originally married Eliza in 1874 and at some time divorced her and married the younger sister, Emma. The fact that his ex-wife was still living with the married sister is not unheard of.

Unfortunately, the names get blurred once again because the 1900 US Census from Reno County, Kansas showed Harvey living with his wife, Eliza, not the name of Emma that appeared on the previous 1880 US Census. Although there are some minor spelling differences in the names of the family members, the names of the children listed with them and their birth locations confirm that it was the same family. Once again, this Eliza indicated that she was born in Indiana. Because Harvey seemed to be married to an Emma/Eliza that was born in Indiana in 1852 would seem to rule out any divorce actions and remarriages. Instead, the 1900 US Census would seem to indicate that indeed Emma sometimes went by the name of Eliza which was the same name as her older sister.

The next document to examine would be the 1910 US Census which shows the family still living in Reno County, Kansas. However, the wife has gone back to using the name of Emma instead of Eliza. She still indicated that she was born in Indiana in 1852. The census form also indicated that the couple had been married for 36 years so that also rules out any remarriages.

Here is the summary of names used so far:
1874.....Eliza....marriage document
1880.....Emma L.....census, b. 1852 in Indiana, living with older sister, Eliza
1900.....Eliza L.....census, b. Nov 1852 in Indiana
1910.....Emma L.....census, b. 1852 in Indiana

The only conclusion would have to be that her true given name was Emma. It could not have been Eliza because her older sister named Eliza was living with her in 1880. Why Emma wanted to occasionally use the nickname of Eliza is not known.

Some researchers want to use a death certificate for an Emma Holmes that died in Boston, Massachusetts of enteritis or inflammation of the lower intestines to provide a death date and death location for the wife of Harvey P. Holmes. However, the actual certificate indicates that she was single, born in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Her parents were shown as Franklin Nickerson and Eliza Hallett. Because of the reasons shown on the 1880 US Census from Cloud County, Kansas for Harvey P. Holmes and his wife, Emma, the death certificate for the Emma Nickerson that died in Boston, Massachusetts was not the wife of Harvey P. Holmes.
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The 1860 US Census in Adair County, Missouri gives a possible clue to the name of Emma's mother. There is a listing for a Caroline Nickerson, age 46, born in New York living with 5 children the oldest of whom was 24 years old. There does not appear to be a husband living with Caroline Nickerson whose occupation was listed as Farming instead of the typical Keeping House which usually means she would have been the only adult figure in the household. Among the names of the children is a daughter named as Louisa, age 7, born in Indiana. This closely matches the information known about Emma Louise Nickerson. Somewhat interesting is also the name of another older daughter named Cordelia, age 16, born in Ohio. This closely matches some of the known information about Eliza C. Nickerson, the older sister who lived with her married sister, Emma, on the 1880 US Census. There just is not enough information to make the definite connection.
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  Noted events in her life were:

• She appeared on the 1880 US Census in Oakland Township, Cloud, KS on 14 June 1880. ²

1880 US Census
Page 281D, District 45, Family 118, Roll 377
Oakland Township, Cloud County, Kansas, United States
Emma L. Holmes..Wife..27..Indiana..Keeping House

(Living with husband, 2 daughters, and 1 sister.)
.

• She appeared on the 1900 US Census in Miami Township, Reno County, KS on 8 June 1900. ³

1900 US Census
Sheet 4A, District 198, Family 81
Miami Township, Reno County, Kansas, United States
Married 25 years
Eliza L. Holmes..Wife..Nov 1852..47..Indiana..4/3

(Living with husband and 3 daughters.)
.

• She appeared on the 1910 US Census in Turon, KS on April 1910. ⁴

1910 US Census
Sheet 6B, District 143, Family 44, Roll 453
Turon, Reno County, Kansas, United States
Home owned, no mortgage
Married 36 years
Emma L. Holmes..Wife..57..Indiana..4/3

(Living with husband and 3 daughters.)
.

Emma married Harvey Parker Holmes, son of William Wallace Holmes and Malinda Ann Roberts, on 4 October 1874 in Adair County, MO.^{1 2 3 4} (Harvey Parker Holmes was born in May 1855 in Missouri,^{2 3 5 6} died on 5 July 1916 in Albuquerque, NM ⁷ and was buried after 5 July 1916 in La Plata Township, Macon County, MO ⁷.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage Image: 4 October 1874, in Adair County, MO. ¹

• They appeared on the 1880 US Census in Oakland Township, Cloud, KS on 14 June 1880. ²

1880 US Census
Page 281D, District 45, Family 118, Roll 377
Oakland Township, Cloud County, Kansas, United States
Harvey P. Holmes..Self..25..Missouri..Farmer
Emma L. Holmes..Wife..27..Indiana..Keeping House
Perley Holmes..Daughter..2..Missouri..At Home
Etta M. Holmes..Daughter..8m..Kansas..Feb..At Home
Eliza C. Nickerson..Sister-in-law..33..Ohio..Teaching School
.

• They appeared on the 1900 US Census in Miami Township, Reno County, KS on 8 June 1900. ³

1900 US Census
Sheet 4A, District 198, Family 81
Miami Township, Reno County, Kansas, United States
Married 25 years
Harvey A. Holmes..Head..May 1855..45..Missouri
Eliza L. Holmes..Wife..Nov 1852..47..Indiana..4/3
Dea Holmes..Daughter..July 1877..22..Missouri
Mable E. Holmes..Daughter..Feb 1880..20..Kansas
Hazel B. Holmes..Daughter..April 1882..8..Kansas
.

• They appeared on the 1910 US Census in Turon, KS on April 1910. ⁴

1910 US Census
Sheet 6B, District 143, Family 44, Roll 453
Turon, Reno County, Kansas, United States
Home owned, no mortgage
Married 36 years
Harvey C. Holmes..Head..55..Missouri..Carpenter, House
Emma L. Holmes..Wife..57..Indiana..4/3
Dea Holmes..Daughter..33..Missouri..Dress Maker
Mabelle Holmes..Daughter..30..Kansas..Dress Maker
Hazel Holmes..Daughter..18..Kansas
.

  Marriage Notes:

Name: Harvy P Holmes
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 4 Oct 1874
Event Place: Adair, Missouri, United States
Spouse's Name: Eliza E Nickeson
Page: 79

Citing this Record
"Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WPWR-JCW2 : 1 October 2019), Eliza E Nickeson in entry for Harvy P Holmes, 4 Oct 1874; citing Marriage, Adair, Missouri, United States, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City; FHL microfilm 007425057.
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