Documented History
William Buchanan was born 6 August 1849 according to Illinois, Find A Grave Index, 1809-2012.
In 1850, William lived in Lawrence County, Illinois with his parents and siblings.
His parents were Victor Thomas Buchanan age 34 and Nancy Jane Singleton age 21. His siblings were Priscilla age 8 and Mary C age 3. William was 1 year old at the time.
In 1860, William lived in Lawrence County, Denison, Illinois with his parents and siblings. Victor was 43 and Nancy was 30.
William was 10 years old. His siblings were Priscilla age 18, Mary C age 12, and Serelda A age 8. Victor was a farmer.
The value of his real estate was $2600 and the value of his personal estate was $850.
In 1870, William lived in Lawrence County, Illinois with his parents and siblings. Victor was 53, Nancy was 47, Mary was 22, William was 20, Serelda was 18, Emma was 8, and Nelly was 6 years old.
John Caughran, age 8, was also living with them. Victor was a Farmer and William worked on the farm. Victor was born in Kentucky, the rest were born in Illinois. His real estate value was $2500.
Marriage
William Buchanan married Sarah Elizabeth Siglet on 13 November 1877 according to his Find A Grave Memorial.
According to the United States Federal Census, William lived with his wife and two sons in 1880 at house number 183. The street was not listed but they lived in Denison, Lawrence County, Illinois.
William was 29 years old and his wife, E. Sarah, was 21 years old at the time. Their son, Frank, was 1 year old and their son, Harley, was only a month old.
William was a farmer and Sarah kept house. William had been born in Illinois, but his parents were born in Kentucky. E. Sarah was born in Missouri.
In 1900, William lived with his wife and children in Lawrence County, Denison, Illinois according to the Census. William was 50 years old and his wife Lizzie was 43.
Their children were Maurice G age 16, Harrison age 10, Burton age 9, Purl age 6, and Mary F age 4.
William was born in August 1849, Lizzie in September 1856, Maurice in November 1883, Harrison in August 1889, Burton in May 1891, Purl in June 1893, and Mary F in November 1895. William was a Farmer and Maurice was a Farm Laborer.
In 1910, William lived with his wife, Sarah Elizabeth, and two of their children, Pearl and Florence Buchanan according to the Census. William was 60, Lizzie was 53, Pearl was 16, and Florence was 14 years old. They still lived in Lawrence County, Denison, Illinois.
Death
William Buchanan was the son of Victor Thomas and Nancy J. (Singleton) Buchanan. He married Sarah Elizabeth Siglett on 13 November 1877 in Denison Township, Lawrence County, Illinois.
He died 4 March 1917 at 67 years old and was buried in the Buchanan Cemetery, Lawrence County, Illinois. Find A Grave Memorial # 102066835.
I’ve clearly found most of the census records for William, unfortunately, they don’t give me his middle name. I really need his middle name to help distinguish him from other William’s in the family. Hopefully, I will find it at some point.
If you happen to know of William and wouldn’t mind sharing, I would love for you to leave your memories and stories in the Comments section below. I will most definitely share them on this page to help keep his memories alive. As always, I will come back and update this page as I find additional information about William.
Until then, take care and hug your loved ones!
~Kris
