Jane, Isabella and William Barr in New York City

[akissling]

I am trying to find more information about Jane (born c1810), Isabella and William Barr. I started two trees on a genealogy website for Miller and McRitchie to see what I can find (parents, death records, census of Isabella as a widow). I am not sure if Jane, Isabella or Wm were born in New York City or Scotland but I can't find much more than this below.
Isabella married John H Miller/Millar (born Scotland c1795, died in NYC 1837-found his death notice). He owned a porterhouse, the Blue Bonnet. Isabella continued with a porterhouse (not the Blue Bonnet-that was sold) until at least 1863 (she is in the NYC directory), then the trail stops. Her addresses included 10 Frankfort, 8 Frankfort, 808 Washington, 254 W. 18th. Their children, according to John's probate in 1838 were John, Jane Isabella, James, Walter Barr and William Miller (all described as minors). Isabella's sister Jane married Robert McRithie, a tailor (born  Scotland c1803, died 1845 NYC-found his death notice). Her death notice mentions sister "Mrs Miller" and brother William). I know at one point William worked at a porterhouse and lived with Isabella Barr Miller on 17 Spruce around 1843 or so and then with Isabella at 254 W. 18th. He disappears completely. I can't find a death record for Jane or Isabella in the New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949. I was hoping to find parents names for them to move the tree along. I also can't find anything on birth years for Isabella's children. Really I am looking for anything to push this tree back to Scotland OR forward to the next generation of Isabella's children. Thanks!

[oldohiohome]

Very difficult. I didn't find much, and most of what I did find probably isn't them.

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Is this Isabella in 1840? I'd guess she is the female 30 to 39 and is running a boarding house.
If so, you might get some idea of the ages of her children, at least the sons.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHT7-YL2

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1820 NYC Ward 6
John H Miller household
1 male 26 to 44
1 female under 10
1 female 16 to 25
1 female 26 to 44
1 person involved in manufacture

- works if the female 16 to 25 is a relative or servant, not a daughter

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHL1-LD3

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1830 NYC Ward 7
John H Miller household
1 male under 5
1 male 5 to 9
2 females 5 to 9
1 female 10 to 14
1 female 20 to 29
1 female 30 to 39

- too many daughters, not enough sons. and where is the head of the house, by the way?

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH5M-98S

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John H Miller, b 1813, d Manhattan 2 Feb 1851 at 112 Bank Street
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F6MV-HYW

I thought this might be Isabella's son, but he wouldn't have been a minor in 1837, unless birth year is wrong. It might have been calculated by age at death, and that might have been wrong.

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I figured Walter would be the least common given name of the five, so I concentrated on looking for him, but came up empty.

[akissling]

Thank you very much! I think the 1830 and 1840 census must them and are very helpful! The ward is correct (4th) and in one directory Isabella is listed as having a boarding house (Trow's 1850-if I remember correctly). I guess it was both because the address is the same, 17 Spruce. I also just found them in the 1850 census here https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCTW-D5B. There last name was transcribed as Mitler and Baw! I am going to guess that Isabella "Baw" is her mother so now I have her mother's name. I had the same idea as you that Walter might be helpful. I found this in 1870 and this must be Isabella Barr Miller but his initial is S. When I look at many trees associated with Walter "S" (Scott) Barr they have his parents as John Miller and Isabel Thomson. I think this is the right family in 1870 as well: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNDQ-YLF but this is the family that everyone else has linked to Isabella Thomson as the mother. I am pretty confused by now! Thanks again, I really appreciate your hard work to find what I couldn't!

[oldohiohome]

"Baw" is Barr to my eyes. 1) because I never heard of "Baw" 2) because it sounds like Barr with an accent 3) because Barr fits with the rest of the information for that household, and 4) because the writing could easily be 2 "r's" and not one "w".

The transcribers who do the indexing are not familiar with the families so sometimes their best guess at the handwriting is not correct. Even if it was clearly Baw, I'd still say the family name was Barr and the enumerator heard an accent he wasn't familiar with.

 So Isabella "Baw" is probably Isabella (Barr) Miller's mother. And William is her brother.
There's a McRitchie in that household as well.

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1870 looks good to me. Never go by other people's trees.
So Walter's children were all born in NJ starting in 1861, and his wife as well.

[oldohiohome]

William Miller's birthplace on the 1850 Census is "Mass" for Massachusetts. The man wrote an old double "s", I think.

[akissling]

Thanks!