Birth of James D. Gurley

Birth information for James Gurley

Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. National Archives Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. www.ancestry.com. (http://search.ancestry.com: accessed 15 June 2014), entry for James Gourley, age 7, arrived New York, New York, 17 June 1836, aboard the Scotland.

 Ohio. Huron. 1850 U.S. Census, Index and Images. Digital Images, line 3. FamilySearch.org. (https://familysearch.org: accessed 14 May 2013), entry for James Gurley, age 21, Bronson Township, Huron County, Ohio.

Year: 1860; Census Place: Toledo, Lucas, Ohio; Roll: M653_1003; Page: 218; Image: 440; Family History Library Film: 805003, entry for James Gurley, age 32, line 8.

The ship passenger lists shows James Gurley traveling aboard the ship Scotland from Ireland with his family in the year 1836.  It lists his age as 7 which would give him a birth year between 1828 and 1829. In the 1850 census, 14 years later, he is listed with his family living in Bronson, Huron, Ohio at the age of 21 years old and birthplace of Ireland.  Calculated it would would put his birth once again between 1828 and 1829 depending on his birth date and the date the census was taken.  The last document is James, now married, living in Toledo, Lucas, Ohio in 1860.  He is listed with an age of 32, this time with a birthplace of what is indexed as New York.  This information would put his birth between 1827 and 1828.  

In conclusion, I have determined that James Gurley was born in Ireland between 1827 and 1829.  So far, there is no document that lists his exact birth date.  We do know that he was born in Ireland and came from that country with his family in 1836.  He was not born in New York.