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Permalink Reply by MC53 on March 27, 2012 at 5:11am

Her 1880 US census as Eliza A Taylor gives her father as born in Canada and her mother as born in Pennsylvania. The 1850 US census shows a Stephen and Mary Middaugh in Huron County, Michigan. He is given as born in Canada and she in New York. From the age of their children they seem to have come from Canada to Michigan between 1841 and 1847. The 1860 US census shows Mary as born in New York again but the 1880 US census for her son Benjamin has her as born in Pennsylvania. This may be a reasonable direction in which to look.  

Permalink Reply by fronkfam on March 27, 2012 at 2:58pm

I found a family tree listing on Ancestry.com for Stephen and Mary but it didn't list Eliza as one of their children.  I'll definitely keep looking!!

Permalink Reply by MC53 on March 28, 2012 at 3:51am

There must be at least 50 family trees on Ancestry for Stephen Middaugh with two or three wives and at least 17 children. The Manery Middaugh Research File lists a daughter Elizabeth born about 1830. Her death suggested in 1850 Illinois appears to be based on a letter written by Stephen to his son John on 08 May 1850 according to the notes in this family tree. From the "Iowa Marriages 1809-1992" the date for Eliza Ann's marriage was 10 Apr 1850. This is only a guess but she may have eloped or disappeared and was presumed dead by her father. 

Permalink Reply by fronkfam on March 28, 2012 at 10:12am

Thanks so much for explaining this.  I am SO new to doing family research on the internet.  That letter could be a good explanation as to why we can't find anything about Eliza and why (even in books published about her life in Nevada) we don't hear anything about her parents.  I do know that she and her husband (Israel Mott) were not only married in 1850, but also traveled to Nevada that same year.....sounds suspiciously like an elopement to me.

Very grateful for your help!

Permalink Reply by fronkfam on March 28, 2012 at 10:25am

Can you also tell me how to find the information in the Research File?  I've used ancestry.com to do general searches, but I've never seen a Research File before and I can't figure out how to find it.

Thank you

Permalink Reply by MC53 on March 28, 2012 at 2:34pm

Manery Middaugh Research File is the name of the public member tree on Ancestry that can be found by searching for Stephen Meddaugh - birth 1786 - Ontario, Canada. The notes or story for Stephen are in the media gallery of this family tree. I thought they went to Utah probably along the Mormon Trail.