The earliest record I have been able to find for William Poland is his marriage record in 1810 Highland County, Ohio. I have other sources that indicate that William Poland was born in Virginia, but I'm not sure what part of Virginia or who his parents may have been. So, I'm off to Ohio to see if I can determine when William Poland may have first landed in Ohio. Hopefully, I can find some clues as to what part of Virginia and/or who his parents may have been.
When William Poland married Mary Swadley in 1810 Highland County, Ohio, he would have been 21/22 years old. I'm thinking this may restrict him from most earlier records due to his young age. My plan then, is to look for Poland families either in the area where William ended up, the surrounding areas or any areas east that would maybe be part of the migration from Virginia.
Also, I'm going to look for Houghman/Hoffman/Huffman families. I have a theory that William may have been a 4 year old that was bound out to the Houghman family in Loudoun County, VA. See my other blog post for more details on my theory. While I'm in Ohio, I want to look for any groups that William Poland may have been a part of which may include the Houghman family.
My plan of attack:
- Create a Research Plan ✓
- Identify Research Locations, Contact Information, and hours ✓
- Create a To-Do List✓
- Ensure I will have the right tools with me such as: tablet/computer, access to my notes (using Evernote), and charging cables! ✓
My main Research Plan goal is to determine when William Poland came to Ohio. I have identified what I already know, what types of sources I would like to check, where to look for those sources and a list of items to keep in mind such as county boundary changes. I will also have with me my research plans for "Determining who William's parents are" and "Is William the 4 year old bound out to the Houghman family".
I want to try to stay focused as much as possible. I'm going to try to flush out all possible sources that may indicate when William first arrived in Ohio. Then, if I have time, work on the other research plans.
The sources I'm thinking I need to try to find are:
- Tax Lists
- Newspapers
- Land Records
- Court Records
- County Histories
- Ohio First Families
Please drop me a comment if you know of any other sources I should be checking.
Research Locations
I have been to Highland county three times already. That is where I found William's marriage record and the will packet for Mary's father Nicholas Swadley. I have not, however, exhausted the court records in Highland County. I plan to visit the Highland County courthouse and view the early court records. I also have not been able to visit the Highland County Historical Society, so that is on my list as well.
A main research location I plan to visit this time is the Ohio History Connection in Columbus. I have reached out to the Ohio Genealogical Society (which I hope to visit also) and they pointed me to the Ohio History Connection for Newspapers.
Other than that, I will go where the search leads me! Depending, of course, on the time I have due to having to go back to work. 😔
Well, wish me luck! I will share whatever I find when I get back.
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