The Name's the Same But Which One Is Right?

THE NAME'S THE SAME BUT WHICH ONE Is RIGHT? Caroline M. Sparks AidiQUOTE FROM AN ARTICLE, "Notes on The Ribaud Family", by Fern Ducomb Kahlertl , inspired this article: Genealogical research in Pennsylvania families of French extraction presents many of the same problems encountered in research on families of Swiss or German origin. Surnames were spelled by English clerks as they were heard— phonetically — with the result that a single surname often appeared in a great variety of forms. This is the situation with the surname Bidox which I have been trying to research for almost eighteen years! The name of one man, Charles Bidox, has been found with at least eleven spellings during his lifetime [1781-1826] and with four more completely different spellings two generations later. No records have yet been found for the first generation after his death. The first paper for Charles Bidox was found in the Clerk of Quarter Sessions Court, County of Philadelphia: "The Petition of Charles Bidox, a native of France, now an inhabitant of the city of- Philadelphia, sheweth that your petitioner has resided within the state of Pennsylvania two years . . that he was residing within the limits of the United States between the eighteenth day of June 1798 and the 14th day of April 1802 Your petitioner wishes to become a citizen of the United States _ The signature of Charles Bidox,written on two papers in a flowery hand. 1 60 :3 do° Next, a marriage record for Charles Bidaux to Sarah Hoffman is recorded in St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church records:2 25 Nov 1813 Charles Bidaux Sarah Hoffman In the same church records of Baptisms is the following: Date of Birth Date of Baptism Aug 7 1817 Elwina June 25 1817 Daughter of John [sic) & Sarah Bidu `The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, XXV, no. 3, 1968, 183. 'Library, Historical Society of Pennsylvania. PHIL:i. 496. 'Ibid., 222. 105 106 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine A death record for Charles Bedoe was found in the Board of Health Records': Bedoe, Charles, of Northern Liberties Oct. 14, 1826 Kensington Public [Cemetery] Hippenstiel sgd int slip The sexton lists this name as Charles Bedo phthsis plumonalis Oct. 14, 1826 The administration of Charles Bidox was indexed in Philadelphia Administrations as Bridox, but written on the papers as Beidox, as misread by the indexer: No. 215 Charles Hoffman administrator to the estate of Charles Beidox deceased 1828 Entered in Book N Page 206 Bound in sum of 500 dollars 26 Aug 1828, Charles Hoffman of the District of Kensington, shoemaker, Sarah Hoffman [sic?] of the same place widow & John Hoffman of the same place, shipwright. Charles Hoffman deposes that Charles Beidox died without a will and that he will well and truly adminster all ...the estate of the deceased, and pay his debts as far as his personal estate will extend . that he "takes administration at the request of the late widow of the said deceased" and that the goods . . he died possessed of do not in value exceed the sum of two hundred and seventy five dollars to the best of his knowledge and belief. The funeral record for Charles Bedeaux at the First Presbyterian Church of Kensington' [Philadelphia], was recorded by the Reverend George Chandler: Adults 1826 Children Charles Bedeaux* Oct. 15th 1827 May 10th [Beda-x smeared] Mr. Hoffman* 15th [*Nat a pew-holder] Philadelphia City Directories: 1818 Bidaux, Chas. grocer Old York Rode above 5th 1822 Bidaux, Chas. grocer Old York Rd. above 5th 1823 Bidaux, Chas. umbrellamaker 5th above Buttonwood 1824 (same as above) 1828 Bedaux, Sarah 326 North 5th 1829 Bidaux, Sarah 326 North 5th 1830 (same as above) 1831 Bidaux, Sarah grocer 326 N. 5th 1833 Bidaux, Sarah (same as above, last entry found) 'Library, Historical Society of Pennsylvania. XR1499. Ibid. Phil2P16., 32. The Name's the Same 107 Accelerated Index, 1820, Philadelphia, Bedux, Charles PHIL 005 4th ward. Charles Bedaux 1/4—/—/1/ one male under 10; a male 26-45. 2/-41/44 two females under 10; a female 16-26. About eighty years after the death of Charles Bidox, I received the death certificate for Alvina (Bidox?) Lawrence, thought to be the daughter of Charles Bidox.6 No information as to date of parents given by the Dr. who is known to also be the grandson of Alvina Lawrence. Dr. George Pike 149 N. 52nd St. Father ...Birthplace— France Mother Birthplace— Pennsylvania Alvina Lawrence died 9 May 1904 '83 yrs 10 mos 11 days'. The above death date on the certificate computes to born 28 June 1820'. On the gravestone at Fernwood Cemetery, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania—." Born June 28, 1818".7 In an attempt to learn more about the Bidox, Bedaux, etc. name, a search was made for the death certificates of all the children of Alvina (Bidox?) & Joseph Kee Lawrence: Death Certificate of Amanda Malvina (Lawrence) Graham New Jersey — 9 March 1914 Maiden name of mother Alvina Bordeaux. Death Certificate of Sarah A. (Lawrence) Pike Philadelphia 5 March 1928 Informant — Dr. George L. Pike (her son) Maiden name of mother— Alvina Bardeauf, Philadelphia Death Certificate of Josephine a (Lawrence) McCormick Atlantic City, New Jersey —23 November 1926 Informant I W. Starr (husband of her niece) Maiden name of mother— Alvina Bordeaux Death Certificate of Esther (Lawrence) Pike Readfield, Maine-14 October 1944 Maiden name of mother —Alvina Bordeau The last certificate, 1984, for the children of Alvina Lawrence was that of her son Joseph Charles, who died 26 April 1931 in Atlantic City and was buried near his sister, Josephine McCormick, in Harleigh Cemetery, Camden, N.J. His wife, Caroline, had been known through the will of Josephine, to have taken care of Alvina in her old age. It was hoped that she was the informant on her husband's death certificate and that she would !City Hall, Philadelphia, Penna. Certificate #13088, 'The date on another stone, of a relative, in this same plot is known to be incorrect. continued on p. 198