Henry Tisdell

Born in Ireland about 1836-1840; he came over in 1850, 1852, 1858 or 1863 (the censuses and the county history disagree) and married Elizabeth Connelly at St. Louis on 22 May 1860 (“Henry Eisdell” in the Missouri index). They lived for a while at Savage, then called Hamilton, in Scott County, and by 1865 at Burnsville, Dakota County, with her brother Mike Connelly in the household.

In 1870 they came to Birch Cooley Township, Renville County. The county history of 1916 tells it twice, from two sons (source): Edward’s biography has him homesteading 160 acres on section 16, and Thomas’s has him homesteading on section 10 and buying land on section 16, which, like every section 16 in Minnesota, was state school land, sold rather than homesteaded. Their first house “had the appearance of a roof set on the ground,” built “with sloping walls, in the form of a letter A,” and “with the years they prospered and became leading people in the community.” The Dwyers were their neighbours in 1880. They retired in 1910, to Northfield and in May 1913 to Lakeville, where Elizabeth died that July; in 1916 Henry was living with his son Edward, who rented the home farm. He died at New Ulm on 29 December 1918.

Ten children, nine living in 1900: Martha Ann, Thomas Henry, Sarah Lucy, Joseph, James, Mary, William, Ella, Edward and Frank. The boy “George,” 10, at the head of the children in 1870 (indexed under “Chisom”) was probably an orphaned nephew, George Chisholm: the county history’s biography of Joseph Chisholm, born at St. Paul in 1865, makes him the son of George Chisholm and Bessie (Tisdell) Chisholm, who both died young, raised by his mother’s sister Mary A. Quill. Bessie and Mary would then be Henry’s sisters. The Ancestry tree had George as Henry’s son; he is left out here.

In the records the tree attaches (not checked here):

• 1849. Naturalization; 1849-1931 (record)
• 1850. Arrival (record)
• 1860. MARR; 22 May 1860; St. Louis, Missouri (record) (record)
• 1861. MARR; St. Louis, Missouri
• 1863. Arrival (record)
• 1863. 1 Jul 1863; Burnsville, Minnesota; marital status: Married (record)
• 1870. 29 Jun 1870; Birch Cooley, Renville, Minnesota (record) (record)
• 1880. Birch Coolie, Renville, Minnesota; Occupation: Farmer; marital status: Married; relation: Self (record)
• 1900. Birch Cooley, Renville, Minnesota; Occupation: Farmer; marital status: Married; relation: Head (record)
• 1905. 16 Jun 1905; Birch Cooley, Renville, Minnesota (record)
• 1910. Birch Cooley, Renville, Minnesota; Occupation: Farmer; marital status: Married; relation: Head (record)
• Ramsey, Minnesota (record)
• Ramsey, Minnesota (record)

Other records the tree attaches: Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1805-2002.

Open questions

• Which section was the homestead: section 16 (Edward’s biography) or section 10, with section 16 bought (Thomas’s)? The 1868 tract-book entry, the homestead file and the state’s school-land certificate would settle it.
• His birthplace in Ireland, and his parents; the 1860 St. Louis marriage record may name witnesses.
• His obituary (New Ulm Review, January 1919) and death certificate.
• The 1870 census image, to read the “George Chisom” entry.