Background of the Lewis Family
The family of Joseph and Eliza Lewis, British converts of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, left England for America with their five children with the intent to join fellow church members in Utah. After a six-week journey, with other converts, they arrived in New York in June 1856. From there, they took a train to Iowa City, Iowa, where, a short time later, Eliza gave birth to their youngest child, Heber Brigham Lewis, on July 4, 1856. By August, the Lewis family had arrived in Florence, Nebraska, across the river from Council Bluffs, Iowa. Because of their late arrival, the family chose to spend the winter in the area, while the majority of the converts left for Utah. The following year, in the autumn of 1857, Eliza contracted typhoid fever and passed away. Joseph, who for several months after her death had no means to provide for the six motherless children, decided to farm them out to various families, According to Joseph’s autobiography, the youngest, Heber Brigham Lewis, was given to Mrs. John Blake, the wife of a clerk. At the time the autobiography was written (1886), Joseph did not know of Heber’s whereabouts. He did, however, indicate that Heber was adopted and that his name had been changed to John Blake after the name of the man who adopted him. The dilemma then is, “What became of Heber Brigham Lewis aka John Blake?” This proof argument attempts to answer that question following a series of research steps and an analysis of the indirect and circumstantial evidence derived from the primary and secondary sources obtained through research methodology.
Research of Heber Brigham Lewis
The 1856 and 1860 Iowa Census
Logically, the first step in the research process was to locate a Mr. and Mrs. John Blake living in the vicinity of Council Bluffs in the time period of 1857. A check of the 1856 Iowa State Census did not reveal a Mr. and Mrs. John Blake.
Next was to locate Heber Brigham Lewis in the 1860 Iowa Census in the vicinity of Council Bluffs, Iowa, where the Lewis family had lived in 1857 and at which time Heber was “taken in” by Mrs. John Blake when he was a little over a year old. Looking in the census records for a John Blake family with the name of a child in the household listed as either Heber Lewis, John Blake, Jr. (assuming he was adopted prior to the census), or possibly even a Heber Blake, born in 1856, in Iowa, turned up with no results, although there were several John Blakes in Iowa but none with a child in the household with either the name Heber or John born in 1856.
The 1860 Missouri Census
Next, checking the 1860 Census, outside of the state of Iowa, for any John Blake families with a child named Heber Lewis or John Blake, assuming the Blakes had moved from Council Bluffs, Iowa, between 1857 and 1860, there was one very likely possibility: 4
John W. Blake, born about 1831, in England, occupation Clerk Esther Blake, born about 1829, in England John W. Blake, born about 1856, in Utah
Although it seemed somewhat unlikely that the family would have moved such a great distance (400 miles between Council Bluffs and St. Louis) and because John Blake was established in Council Bluffs and employed as a clerk just two years prior to the 1860 Census, the St. Louis Census record provided the following indirect but circumstantial evidence:
1. The name of the child, John W. Blake, living in the household, although parent/child relationships are not implicitly stated in the 1860 Census, was most likely the son of John W. Blake, head of the household, and supposed wife Esther. This validates the information given in the autobiography of Joseph Lewis wherein he stated that Heber’s name was changed to John Blake after the name of his adopted father.
2. The date of birth of John Blake was about 1856 which validates the birth date of 1856 for Heber Lewis stated in the autobiography of Joseph Lewis.
3. The occupation of John W. Blake, Sr., was “clerk” in the census which validates the same occupation stated in the autobiography of Joseph Lewis.
4. The place of birth was listed as Utah which is a discrepancy and which did not validate the place of birth of Heber Lewis which was in Iowa.
The last fact, although it would seem to be contradictory evidence, actually provided an inference that John Blake had some association with the state of Utah which in turn could mean an association with the L.D.S. converts who had been gathering to Utah during that time period. An inference can be made that there is an association between John Blake, the child, with place of birth stated as Utah and the Lewis family who had planned to join the other L.D.S. English converts immigrating to Utah. From readings in the book Brigham Young, Colonizer, the migration of converts from the states as well as Great Britain made up the majority of the Utah population during the migration period of the 1850’s. From this, it seems highly unlikely, though possible, that this Blake family could have been part of the Utah migration; if so, their son would have been born in Utah in 1856, prior to their return to live in St. Louis by 1860. Very few returned east once they had migrated to Utah Territory, their refuge from their persecutions in the “states.”
There were no other children listed in the household of John W. Blake, which did not allow for comparison of same places of birth if there had been siblings listed in the census. However, the fact that there were no other children listed in the census provides additional convincing evidence that perhaps the Blakes, who were in their late twenties/early thirties, could not have children and would have been more likely candidates as parents for adoption rather than a husband and wife who already had children.
To further substantiate the findings in the 1860 Census, I continued to trace John W. Blake, Jr. and his family in additional census records to collect more evidence to substantiate this particular John W. Blake.
The 1870 Missouri Census
The 1870 Census revealed no members of the John W. Blake family, living in St. Louis or elsewhere. There are other John Blakes born in England in other states that were born approximately the same year but none that correlate with a wife Esther and a son John born in the time period and place of birth that would correspond with the 1860 Census Blakes of St. Louis. More importantly, in case the 1860 Blakes are not the family who adopted Heber Lewis, there were no other John Blakes with a son John Jr., born in 1856 in Iowa in either the 1860 or the 1870 Census records. So what happened to John W. and Esther Blake and John W. Blake, Jr.?
The 1880 Missouri Census
Continuing to search later census records, a John W. Blake, occupation of painter, born in about 1856, in Iowa was living with his widowed mother Esther Haines in 1880--once again in St. Louis.6 A check for a possible marriage of an Esther Blake to a Haines revealed a marriage entry for a Josiah Haines to an Esther H. Blake, in St. Louis, dated January 20, 1863.7 So then what became of John W. Blake, Sr.? A search for a possible divorce between Esther and John Blake or the death of John Blake would be a viable research step in order to ascertain the reason for the remarriage of Esther Blake. A search for divorce records was not available online; therefore, a search of Pre-1910 Missouri death records, however, resulted in locating a death record for a Jno. [abbreviation for John] W. Blake, age 30, born in England, who died in St. Louis on July 15, 1862.8 To determine if this was the same John Blake who was the husband of Esther Blake in the 1860 Census was a dilemma because the death record was an abstract from the original and did not list name of wife, occupation, etc. that would help validate if this was the correct John W. Blake, husband of Esther and father of John W. Blake, Jr. However, it is very likely that Jno. W. Blake who died on July 15, 1862, is the same John W. Blake listed n the 1860 St. Louis Census, two years previous because of the similarities between the 1860 Census John W. Blake and the Jno. W. Blake who died in 1862:
1. Both were born in about 1831 or 1832.
2. Both had the same name, John W. Blake, assuming Jno. was an abbreviation for John.
3. Both were born in England.
4. Both lived in St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri.
The 1870 St. Louis, Missouri Census
A return to search in the 1870 Census for the Haines family was in order which then revealed the family of Josiah Hanns [Haines] living in St. Louis:
Josiah Hanns, born about 1814, occupation of “grainer” [a grainer is a painter who specializes in painting inexpensive wood to appear like more expensive wood]
Esther Hanns, born about 1826, in England
John Hanns, age 14, born about 1856, in Iowa
Presumably, John Hanns [Haines] was John W. Blake, his name most likely recorded incorrectly by the census taker, a fairly common occurrence where the census taker made the assumption that all members of a household had the same surname. Census records prior to and following 1870 do not reveal a John Hanns, born in 1856, in Iowa.
A search for a Josiah and Esther Haines, with similar birth dates and birth places in earlier census records, resulted in a Josiah Haines, born about 1814, occupation grainer, and his presumed wife Frances Haines listed in the 1860 St. Louis, Missouri census with a death record for Frances Haines in November 1862.11 12 There was no record of an Esther Haines. An inference is made that both Josiah Haines and Esther Blake had lost their spouses during the year 1862 and had remarried by 1863. A search for a death record of Josiah Haines revealed a Joseph Haines, age 59, who died on August 7, 1874, with a residential address of 1018 North 17th Street, at the time of death. This is the same address listed for Esther Haines in the St. Louis City Directory for the year 1876. One can assume that the death record of Joseph Haines, born about 1815, is the same person as Josiah Hanns [Haines], born about 1814, listed in the 1870 Census. Further, a search in the probate records for Josiah Haines, whose death occurred on August 7, 1874, the following was stated: “ . . . inasmuch as I have no children of my own . . . to my beloved wife Esther Harrington Haines . . .” Children “of my own” would mean that he had no biological children of his own which would rule out the fact that John Hanns in the 1870 census was not his son, but it would not rule out the fact that John W. Blake listed as John Hanns was not his stepson. Of significance in the probate record is the mention of Esther’s maiden name of Harrington which will be discussed later in this proof.
1880 St. Louis, Missouri Census
The fact that by 1880 John W. Blake was a painter provides further derivative evidence that John Hanns [Haines] was the stepson of Josiah Hanns [Haines], who was employed as a grainer and could very well have trained John in a similar occupation. Also, the fact that John was born in 1856 in Iowa and was living with his mother, Esther Haines, in 1880, at the same address as Esther’s 1876 residence—and the residence of Joseph Haines in 1874 listed on the death record—provides additional circumstantial evidence that the 1880 John W. Blake was John Hanns [Haines] listed in the 1870 Census living in the household of Josiah and Esther Hanns [Haines] and also provides a third source of derivative evidence for the year of birth and the place of birth of John W. Blake.
1900 St. Louis, Missouri Census
The next available census, in 1900, lists a John H. Blake and his wife Sarah, with their four children, living in St. Louis. Scrutinizing the digital image of the census record, rather than relying on the transcription in the Ancestry.com database, it was “W” as the first letter for the word “Wife” following John’s wife’s name is clearly the same letter as the middle initial of John Blake, a “W” rather than an “H” as was transcribed. The middle initial “W” is very significant since John W. Blake, Jr. was named after his father, John W. Blake, Sr., in the 1860 and 1880 Censuses previously mentioned. Most likely, this was the same John W. Blake, given the middle initial, place of birth, and approximate year of birth, all which correlate with this same information in the previous census records. Facts derived from this 1900 Census include:
1. The birth date of John Blake was recorded as July 1858 and he was age 41. The birth date for Heber Brigham Lewis was in July 1856, so the date of birth recorded in the 1900 Census is off by two years; however, the month was the same as listed in the autobiography of Joseph Lewis. This is the first of the four census records that records a different birth year. The preponderance of evidence for the birth year from the 1860, 1870, and 1880 census records researched previously, indicates that his birth occurred in 1856 and that the date recorded in the 1900 Census may have been incorrectly stated by a family member.
2. The birth place was listed as Iowa which matches the 1870 and the 1880 Census records.
3. The occupation of John Blake was a painter which is consistent with the 1880 Census.
4. The oldest daughter was named Mary. Heber Brigham Lewis had only one sister and her name was Mary.
5. The youngest child, a son, was named Joseph. The biological father of Heber Brigham Lewis was “Joseph” Lewis.
The naming of two of the four children may be an indication that John was following the traditional naming patterns—naming children after parents or other family members-- common at the time.
The 1910 Webster Groves, Missouri Census
The last census in which John W. Blake was recorded was in the 1910 Census of Webster Groves, a city located just outside of St. Louis.17 Facts from this census include the following:
1. The middle initial of John Blake is a “W.”
2. The name of the wife of John Blake was Sarah and correlates with her name and age in the 1900 Census.
3. The names of the children of John and Sarah Blake correlate with the names and ages of the children in the 1900 Census.
4. The occupation of John W. Blake was a painter.
5. The place of birth was listed as Iowa.
6. The date of birth was listed as about 1858 and his age was listed as 52. The date of the 1910 Census was in May 1910, two months before the assumed July birthday. If John was born in July 1856, as was Heber Lewis, he would have been 53 years old in May 1910 and turning 54 in July rather than 52 turning 53 years old in July. This census places his year of birth as 1858, the same as the 1900 Census. Again, a family member may have given the incorrect year of birth.
The 1920 Webster Groves, Missouri Census
Sarah Blake, wife of John W. Blake, was widowed by the 1920 Census.18 A search for the death record of John W. Blake between 1910 and 1920 was conducted with the finding that John died January 12, 1918. Parents listed on the death certificate were John W. Blake and Esther Harrington, both born in England, which corresponds with previous evidence, cited in census records--namely the 1860 John W. Blake household listing John W. and Esther in the later census records. Date of birth listed on the death certificate was July 4, 1857 and place of birth was listed as Iowa. Burial was in the Calvary Cemetery. 19 The year of birth is, again, inconsistent with the year of birth of Heber Brigham Lewis, but the place of birth is the same as well as the month and day of birth. The informant, Catherine Blake, probably the daughter of John W. Blake, may have given the birth year in error. The names of the parents on the death certificate appear to be consistent with the 1860 Census as well as the first name of the mother in the 1870 and 1880 Census record. The address listed on the death certificate for John W. Blake is the same as the address in the 1910 Census record, 233 Old Orchard, hence this is the same John W. Blake, as the John W. Blake in 1910 which also connects him with the previous John Blakes in the 1860-1900 census records.
A search for the marriage of John W. Blake and Esther Harrington revealed a marriage between John William Blake and Esther Harrington in London, England, on April 18, 1853.20 The 1900 Census of St. Louis for Esther Haines also revealed that she immigrated to the United States in 1853. However, checking immigration records for John and Esther came up with nothing in 1853 or after. Apparently, they did not live in Council Bluffs, Iowa, until after the 1856 Census and probably lived elsewhere between 1853 and 1857 at which time they would have adopted Heber Brigham Lewis.
In addition, the death of an Esther H. Haines was recorded on July 29, 1901 in St. Louis with burial in the Calvary Cemetery, the same cemetery where John W. Blake was buried. Unfortunately, her maiden name is not recorded but the record did indicate her marital status as Widow.22 In addition, an obituary for Esther Haines, dated July 30, 1901, stated that she was the widow of Josiah Haines; however, there was no mention of children in the obituary.23 The name “Esther Harrington Haines,” wife of Josiah Haines was mentioned in the probate record of Josiah Haines and this would be the same Esther Haines who died in 1901 and the same Esther Haines in the 1880 Census living with John W. Blake, who was her son. Further, the Findagrave website shows an Esther Genevieve Blake, the daughter of John W. Blake, also buried in the Calvary Cemetery.24 The name “Esther” gives additional evidence that Esther was named after her grandmother, Esther Harrington Blake Haines. These findings supply conclusive evidence that John W. Blake was the son of Esther Harrington Blake Haines, although it does not supply evidence that John W. Blake was the adopted son of Esther Harrington Blake Haines.
More Remote Possibilities
There does not seem to be any other realistic possibilities for the identity of Heber Brigham Lewis aka John Blake, born in Iowa in 1856, with a father by the name of John Blake other than the John W. Blake of St. Louis, Missouri, unless one of the following, but not too likely, incidents occurred:
1. John Blake Jr. (Heber Lewis) died before the 1860 Census
2. John Blake, Sr. died before the 1860 Census and his wife remarried and John Blake Jr. took upon him the surname of the stepfather (as was the case of John Hanns [Haines] in the 1870 Census)
3. Both John and Esther Blake died before the 1860 Census and John Blake may have been adopted by a second family and had his name changed by the 1860 Census.
Adoption or Other Court Records
Other possible records to research would be adoption records or miscellaneous court documents with adoption proceedings in the state of Iowa, where Joseph Lewis, the biological father lived, or possibly in the state of Missouri, for the time period 1857 to 1860. However, the adoption records are not accessible. A search of probate records for Esther Haines, which may have listed John W. Blake as an heir and may have indicated his adoptive status, was not available.
Conclusion
Although none of the indirect or circumstantial evidence derived from the primary or secondary sources listed in this proof argument prove, without doubt, that John W. Blake was Heber Brigham Lewis, all of the evidence points to the following facts in common:
1. John W. Blake was born on July 4. Three (1860, 1870, and 188) of the five census records approximate 1856 as the year of birth which is in agreement with the autobiography of Joseph Lewis, while the other two (1900 and 1910) census records and the death certificate differ for the birth year but not the birth month or day of birth—month of July in the 1900 Census and July 4 on the death certificate.
2. John W. Blake was born in Iowa according to the 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910 Census and the death certificate. However, the 1860 Census record records his place of birth as Utah, which, as mentioned, is probably an error but was, nevertheless, a significant fact that provided circumstantial evidence. The majority of the sources agree with the fact that John Blake was born in Iowa as was Heber Brigham Lewis. It also places the 1860 Census John W. and Esther Blake living in Iowa in the 1856/1857 time period when John W. Blake was born.
3. John W. Blake was named after his father John W. Blake which was information stated in the autobiography of Joseph Lewis that Heber Lewis had his name changed to John Blake after his adoptive father.
Based upon the direct evidence of the autobiography of Joseph Lewis and the indirect and circumstantial evidence of the five census records as well as the death certificate of John W. Blake, it appears that John W. Blake, Jr. of St. Louis, Missouri, is most likely the only possible John Blake who would have been adopted by Mr. and Mrs. John Blake, who later had a stepfather by the name of Josiah Haines, but who was biologically born as Heber Brigham Lewis to Joseph and Eliza Lewis. The question, “What became of Heber Brigham Lewis?” is most likely answered by the identity of John W. Blake of St. Louis, Missouri.
