Hello, I am hoping some one can help me with one of my brickwall. My great grandfather- Thomas James COLLINS born March 1845 Philadelphia PA, son of William & Eliza MITCHEL COLLINS ( from his marriage record to Elizabeth where is also gives his place of birth as Phila.). He married (1) Jane V. SHEEHAN who died February 09, 1870 in Philadelphia during a miscarriage and was buried in Union Harmony Grounds, Philadelphia, PA. He married (2) Elizabeth WITHERS, daughter of James WITHERS & Elizabeth NEVINS, July 1872 in Newburgh, Orange Co., NY Their children were named Florence Adele, Margaret Loredo, Jennie, Lauretta ( Loretta), Edwin, John Raymond, Thomas, Mable and Lillian Mary. Odd that none were named after his or her parents. Thomas enlisted in the PA 187th Regiment 3 March 1864 at Philadelphia 18th Ward 3rd District, age 20. August 03, 1865- discharged at Harrisburg, PA His enlistment papers say he was born in Ireland. Thomas died September 30, 1900, Yonkers, Westchester Co., NY, where he is buried. His death cert says he was born in Phila, which also states his parents were both born in Ireland ( as do later census records). I cannot find him with or without his parents in ANY Philadelphia census. He is a weaver by trade in 1864, later he is a carpet weaver. I am able to find him from 1880 on with his 2nd family. I have tried every which way to search for him on Ancestry's census. I have copies of many years of city directories for Philadelphia for COLLINS & MITCHELL. I have his Civil War Pension file and his and his wives death certs. Without locating him in a city directory ( or a census record for the Ward number), I would imagine it would be difficult to figure out what church his family went to so I could research baptism records, etc. In 1870 in the 16th Ward Phila. there is a J Thomas Collins age 26 carpet weaver b. ENG with William Collins age 5 b. PA; Francis age 4 b. PA and Thomas age 2 b. PA. They seem to be living with a Averell family but lines drawn on the census page make me think they are supposed to be with a Averell family at the top of the page who is also a carpet weaver. This is the closest I get to finding him. I cannot track that man and those children after that. If they were his children, why not take them to his 2nd marriage? In 1880 there is a Thomas Collins age 12 living and working at an office boy at the Lincoln Institute in Phila. By 1880 my Thomas J. COLLINS is married and living in Newburgh, NY I am at a loss on where to look next. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you. Judy Wolf