This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: owensj44 Surnames: COURSEN, CORSON, KING Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newyork.counties.dutchess/6133.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: I posed your query to one of the members of CCFHA (Corson-Colson Family History Assoc) his response: What I found was pretty much the same as the original post: I am trying to pinpoint the death date of "http://www.ancestry.com/facts/coursen-family-history.ashx">Coursen H. King. He was born in Honolulu ca. 1864, and was still living in 1930 in "http://www.ancestry.com/facts/la-family-history.ashx">La "http://www.ancestry.com/facts/grange-family-history.ashx">Grange, "http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newyork.counties.dutchess/mb.ashx">Dutchess Co. The 1930 census also lists his (3rd) wife "http://www.ancestry.com/facts/marcella-family-history.ashx">Marcella, who he married ca 1926. In previous censuses he was living in "http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newjersey/mb.ashx">New Jersey, "http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newyork.counties.westchester/mb.ashx">Westchester Co and "http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newyork.counties.rockland/mb.ashx">Rockland Co. Any suggestions on how I can find out when and where "http://www.ancestry.com/facts/! coursen-family-history.ashx">Coursen died? I don't know when Coursen died, but I did trace the census reports and there are interesting features. Coursen appears in 1880 (indexed incorrectly by one service as "Conice" although the inscription could be "Courser"), 1900, 1910 (as B. H. King, I don't know why), and 1920 (C. H. King), born in the Sandwich Islands to a father from NJ and mother from MA. He appears in the 1880 report at age 16 with no obvious parent but "at home" so probably with a relative, and with two sisters born in CA, ages 14 and 13. I didn't find anything in the CA 1870 census to connect to a parent, however. Coursen did eventually have children; four of them show on the census report in 1900 when he was living in Union Co NJ >From our perspective, the interesting questions is Where did he get the "Coursen" name? For a given name, a starting guess is that the parents appropriated the surname from someone they knew. We do have a record of a Corson in Hawaii, but there is no apparent connection. It may be a stretch, but it could be significant that each of the places Coursen lived in 1900, 1910, and 1920 are places where the Corsa family was present at least as early as when Coursen was born. In 1920, for example, he was living in Clarkstown, Rockland Co NY, and we know that the Corsa family (sometimes in the broader family known as Courser) was there about 1840-1860. A connection of that sort, however, even if correct, is pure speculation unless something more can be found to corroborate it. And this is all I've got. - Gale Corson I then did a little search on my own and found this subject had been previously posted on the CORSON list, and a quick search of the Corson list archives yielded this: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/corson/2005-05/1116113914 His father is identified therein. and this with his grandparents and greatgrandparents: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/corson/2005-06/1118403911 Hope this helps. Jeff Owens Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.