From: Walter Gentala
Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 16:58:50 EDT
Subject: [CA-GOLDRUSH-L] Most Wanted: James H. WICKES/WICKS
James H. WICKES/WICKS, born MD abt. 1807; married Mary Orrell ROBINSON, born MD
1834. James, a Baltimore blacksmith, came by sea to Ca with two teenage sons,
arriving San Francisco 10 July 1852. Later he sent for his wife and four other
children. The 1870 census shows him living on his Grass Valley farm, with wife,
and five adult children still living at home. Only one son, my gr-grandfather,
Rev. James E. WICKES, had left home (1861) to pursue his ministry career. Now
for the mystery that has brings me to this page: I have found no record of James
H. WICKES / WICKS after the 1870 census. It is reasonable to believe that he may
have died before the next census, but I have not found any Nevada Co. grave
records for any member of the WICKES family. Daughter Mary Amanda married Thomas
SCHOFIELD, 1871, and son John T. married Mary SCHOFIELD, 1873; both SCHOFIELDS
were siblings from Grass Valley. I did find an 1893 obituary telling of Mary
Amanda's death, Grass Valley, but no grave record. I can only conclude that
James H. WICKES//WICKS and wife, Mary, sold the farm and moved to another county
-- but where, I have no clue. James H. WICKES was the patriarch of my mother's
California family. For that reason I feel it important to find records of the
date and place of his death, and place of burial. For more information, see my
web page at: WICKES Link Thanks, Walter Gentala (
gentala@aol.com ).
Goldrush Most Wanted | California Genealogy | Free Genealogy