Tracing the elusive Louisa Watson of Rensselaerville

Louisa was born in 1808 to Josiah and Bridget Watson of Albany County, NY, their only daughter. Her marriage to widower James D Fisher, a blacksmith from the city of Albany, on September 10, 1842 was announced in the Albany Argus newspaper. Unfortunately James died 5 months later and I was unsure of what happened to Louisa. I found many newspaper items regarding the settlement of his estate but could not find Louisa in subsequent census records. James’ first wife Elizabeth had died in 1839 and it seemed that they had no children, but I was uncertain.

Louisa’s father died in 1844 and her mother in 1849. I was not certain if she had returned to live with them or not as she was identified in those estate notices as “of Rensselaerville”, but did that mean “lives there now” or “had come from”? I looked for Louisa with her brothers – not found.

Then I discovered a fantastic source of Albany County records on the American Ancestors website of the NEHGS. They have a county land deeds index – WOW ! In searching there for Fisher I found that James owned land in the city of Albany (on Hamilton) and in Guilderland, west of the city.  Louisa W Fisher was listed as executrix on the transfer of his deeds in 1846. I also noticed some entries for James W Fisher, but passed them by as I did not recognize the name.  Looking beyond the initial listings for Louisa I noticed two transactions dated 1848 listing her as Louisa W Fisher (now Thompson). Bingo ! Looks like she remarried.

I searched census records for 1850, 1855 (a favorite NY state census which asks for county of birth which can be most helpful for individuals with common surnames – like Fisher and Thompson). Not found. NO 1860, no 1870. No marriage record found for Watson/Fisher and Thompson. Maybe it was a false lead.

So I did a broader search for her as Louisa W Thompson, born 1808 in New York and no other parameters. I hit on the 1880 census in New Jersey where she (if it was indeed the right person) was listed as mother, both parents born in RI (correct) in the household of James W. Fisher, a lawyer, born 1842 in New York.  That could be. Did she havea child with her short-term husband James? Oh, I recalled having seen James W Fisher listed in the land deeds. The Watson family loved to use their family name for offspring, could he be James Watson Fisher? So I Googled “Albany Lawyer James Watson Fisher” and got a hit. A notice from Union College in Albany regarding JWF, lawyer, who served in the NY volunteers in 1861.

Using that information, I tried again to find Louisa with her second husband. <to be continued>