Need Arkansas Experts! William Wilson, Red Land, Arkansas, 1820s-1850s

[Feliss]

I guess I'm looking for someone who knows about the history of Arkansas, how/whether births were registered back in the 1820s and how/where to search for birth records.

I am in Australia and have a William Wilson (born about 1828) who came to New South Wales in about 1852 as a result of the gold rush here. He subsequently married my great-great-grandmother and never returned to America.

On one of his children's birth certificates, William gives his birthplace as "Prescott, Nevada, Arkansas". This is interesting as my research indicates that neither Nevada County nor the city of Prescott were established until after William left. I guess he had contact with his family and so, when his daughter was born, knew that the place where his family lived was, by then, called "Prescott, Nevada".

Anyhow, the 1850 Census shows a William Wilson of the correct age living with dad, step-mum and siblings in Red Land. After extensive searching, I've decided this is probably my William Wilson. His father is Thomas Wilson, born about 1801 in Pennsylvania.

I have two questions:
First, does anyone have any knowledge of/connection to this family?
Second, I would like a birth certificate for William however it seems that there was no public registration of births at that time in this area. So we are left with the churches. Being in Australia, I haven't been able to find how I might be able to find a church record of William's birth and/or baptism. Is this possible or is it likely the birth wasn't registered? I think there was at least one church in the area in 1828 but have no idea how to go about looking for records.

Any and all assistance will be gratefully received.

Many thanks,
Felicity

[Erato]

Here is the website for the Nevada County, Arkansas Genweb.  I took a hasty look around but I don't see any early birth records.  There is a contact address for the person who manages the site and she might be able to answer your question.

http://www.argenweb.net/nevada/

[barryd]

This site may help

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Nevada_County,_Arkansas_Genealogy                                                                                                                                                                       

[amondg]

Does his death certificate give his parents names?.
They don't in England, but they do in the US and in Australia

[Feliss]

Sadly I can't find a death certificate for this fellow. I can't find any record of when or where he died or where he's buried. I'm still working on those. 

As I said, I'm pretty sure his father is Thomas however the census shows a step-mum (she's only 7 years older than William) so no idea who mum was.

[amondg]

What about local newspapers around the time he left, the "social" column read local gossip is a good source of who is visiting and who is travelling where.

The local genealogy society or local library can be of tremendous help.
Many families moved on but those who stayed have inordinate amount of knowledge about the area.

[Lisa in California]

Perhaps I am not looking at the correct 1850 census, but there is a chance that the Wilson family was in fact Milson.  Were you able to check out this family after the 1850 census, to see if they remained in America or to learn any additional facts about them?  One online tree suggests that the name was Milson.

Providing your William had more than one child, were there any unique names given to his children (that could provide clues for his American siblings and parents)?  Were any names handed down generations; could he have carried on a naming pattern?

[Feliss]

Hi Lisa. Many thanks for your reply.

Yes, I was sad to see that the family may be Milson, not Wilson.

William had several children but no unusual names among them. His wife was Irish and Catholic so the children are Catherine, Bridget, James, Edward and Mary. Not much help there, I'm afraid.