Upcoming Doran Research

There are a few irons in the fire in regards to my Doran research.

First, I've been contacted by another experienced researcher interested in the Doran line. It sounds like she lives in the Hancock County area and she will be doing a local cemetery search for any of the Dorans. It sounds like Old Tommy and Nancy Doran were buried in Warsaw. The Kelly family was buried in Sacred Heart cemetery and it appears there are many stones missing there. The Hancock County Historical Society's cemetery index was taken in the early 1970s. If any stones were missing or illegible, they weren't included in the index. It is likely the case that the Doran headstones just don't exist any longer and possibly never did exist. Regardless, I'm wishing her luck in tracking them down.

I will hopefully be in the area in a few weeks. I hope to track the ownership chain of the Doran properties in Carthage. I am hoping that the chain of ownership, and paperwork involved, may shed some light on the details of the Doran family.

I just submitted a request to the New York City Municipal Archives for a birth certificate search for Thomas Doran, in Manhattan, for the years 1853-1857. I encourage you to submit an order with them if you suspect you can find a birth, marriage or death record in New York City between 1853 and 1909. For the exact years available, please see this page: http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/archives/genealogy.shtml



All the various documents regarding his birth show his birth year in any of these years.

His headstone in Fort Madision, Iowa says he was born in 1853

His obituary in 1936 says he was 80 years old, which would put his birth year in about 1856.

The 1880 US Federal Census that I believe lists him in Calamut Township, Missouri,
shows him as 25 years old, which would make his birth year 1855.

The 1900 US Federal Census in Fort Madison shows him with a birth year of 1855.

The 1910 US Federal Census in Fort Madision shows him as 51 years old,
which would make his birth year as about 1859.

The 1920 Census shows him as 63, which makes his birth year as 1857

The 1930 Census shows him as 72 years old, which would make his birth year as 1858.

Given the records seem to average and group around 1855 or 1856, I'm thinking we won't need to search any later than 1857. If nothing is found, I'll likely submit one more search for 1858 & 1859. 1853 is the earliest these records go and that's the earliest any record shows his birth. The NYC Municipal Archives did not find a birth record for Elizabeth Dunzinger in 1854, so I'm definitely not counting on Thomas Doran's to be found either but I am hoping...

--Matt