The only reason I knew that the date of death was 1862 is because there is a headstone to his parents in Nellfield cemetery Aberdeen, Scotland. John is mentioned on the stone as dying in New York in 1862 aged 21 years. The stone was raised by his brother Charles who was in Chicago ... another mystery, however one at a time! That is the only date of death that I have for John. I found two John Gordon's in the 1860 census for New York. One aged 19 living in New York > Westchester > Mount Pleasant - day labourer. The other aged 18 in New York Ward 6, District 4, New York - a clerk - he was in New York Prison according to what is written along the side of the schedule. Fingers crossed a death record would help identify the correct one, however if as you said death registration began in 1881 then that seems out of the question. Sharon --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. http://www.avg.com