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Laura Holiday Whitford

Female 1845 - 1927  (82 years)

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  • Name Laura Holiday Whitford 
    Birth 10 Jan 1845  Hornellsville, Steuben County, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Death 4 Dec 1927  Davison, Genesee County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Burial Cedar Valley Cemetery, Twining, Arenac County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    • Laura was married several times and lived in places around Allegany County New York, Michigan and Texas. She filed for widows pension after her first husband died in the Civil War and received pension when not married. In her later years she tried getting remarried widows pension but was rejected because her divorce to Charles Welch was on her grounds and that she lived with George Young out of wedlock for 12-15 years. There is a 287-page widows pension record that examines her whole life of marriages, divorces, residence, and character. All used to deny her claim in 1925.
    Person ID I12275  OurNorthernRoots
    Last Modified 26 Dec 2025 

    Father Nathan Whitford,   b. 30 Nov 1813, Onondaga County, New York Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 04 Oct 1894, Clayton Twp, Arenac County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 80 years) 
    Mother Melinda Clark,   b. 1815, New York Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 18 Jan 1901, Arenac County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 86 years) 
    Marriage Abt 1837  Steuben County, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F3311  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Private William Coleman Knight,   b. 8 Dec 1842, West Almond, Allegany County, New York Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 22 Apr 1865, District of Columbia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 22 years) 
    Marriage 17 Aug 1861  Angelica, Allegany County, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
    +1. Juliaette Knight,   b. 13 Oct 1862, Angelica, Allegany County, New York Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 17 Jul 1954, Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 91 years)
     2. William Coleman Knight,   b. 1 Sep 1865, West Almond, Allegany County, New York Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1889, Baltimore, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 23 years)
    Family ID F16306  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 26 Dec 2025 

    Family 2 Hiram Thomas,   b. 1840, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Marriage 21 Jan 1867  Angelica, Allegany County, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Divorce 28 Feb 1873  Belmont, Allegany County, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. George Elmer Young,   b. 19 Jun 1868, Belmont, Allegany County, New York Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 21 Apr 1952, Omer, Arenac County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 83 years)
    Family ID F20008  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 26 Dec 2025 

    Family 3 Charles Welch   d. 1878, Big Rapids, Mecosta County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Marriage 15 Sep 1873  Belmont, Allegany County, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Laura left Charles Dec 25 1875
    Divorce 4 Jun 1881  Big Rapids, Mecosta County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F20010  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 26 Dec 2025 

    Family 4 George Henry Young,   b. 1839, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 4 Sep 1891, North Branch, Lapeer County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 52 years) 
    Marriage
    • never married - but lived as husband and wife
    Children 
     1. James Henry Young,   b. 24 Sep 1877, Sterling, Arenac County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 31 Jan 1940, Flint, Genesee County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 62 years)
    Family ID F12474  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 26 Dec 2025 

    Family 5 William J. Nuttall,   b. 14 May 1824, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 24 Jan 1901, Omer, Arenac County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 76 years) 
    Marriage 05 Nov 1892  Arenac County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F12475  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 6 William Albert Perry,   b. ca 1848, New York Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Marriage 20 Mar 1906  Bay City, Bay County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Divorce 6 Apr 1917  Bay City, Bay County, Michigan Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F20006  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 26 Dec 2025 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 10 Jan 1845 - Hornellsville, Steuben County, New York Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 17 Aug 1861 - Angelica, Allegany County, New York Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 21 Jan 1867 - Angelica, Allegany County, New York Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDivorce - 28 Feb 1873 - Belmont, Allegany County, New York Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 15 Sep 1873 - Belmont, Allegany County, New York Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDivorce - 4 Jun 1881 - Big Rapids, Mecosta County, Michigan Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 05 Nov 1892 - Arenac County, Michigan Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 20 Mar 1906 - Bay City, Bay County, Michigan Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDivorce - 6 Apr 1917 - Bay City, Bay County, Michigan Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 4 Dec 1927 - Davison, Genesee County, Michigan Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - - Cedar Valley Cemetery, Twining, Arenac County, Michigan Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Histories
    Widows Pension - Laura Whitford Knight    		Widows Pension - Laura Whitford Knight
    Large file (284 pages) - contains all documents from pension file. After Civil War soldier William Coleman Knight died in 1865, his widow Laura Knight remarried multiple times — first to Hiram Thomas (divorced 1873), then to Charles Welch (who later divorced her in 1881), and later to William A. Perry (divorced 1891). In addition, she lived for about 12 years with George Henry Young as husband and wife without legal marriage, during periods when one or both had living spouses. Because pension law barred widows who knowingly entered marital-type relationships from collecting benefits, the Pension Bureau investigated whether these relationships — especially the long cohabitation with Young — invalidated her claim. The file has all affidavits, depositions, letters, and history of Laura's life. Including her own interview with the Bureau investigators.


 

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