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Post by brianthedude on Dec 29, 2011 18:39:50 GMT -5
I looked into this too, and his life seems to be well documented by history.
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Post by Wayne Land on Aug 7, 2012 10:10:49 GMT -5
I've joined Ancestry.com and have found some interesting information but I need to research more. I would like to share that in the recently released 1940 census, Brushy was listed as "Ollie", no middle initial even though most of the persons on the page had a middle initial listed. He was living in Gladewater, TX with wife Louticia. He was listed as 70 years old and born "about" 1870. He's listed as having "0" schooling, no job, not seeking work, an income of $200 and a home worth $3,000.00. It also says he was living in the same place in 1935. I'm wondering why he gave his age as 70. If he truly was Billy The Kid, his age would be 80. If he was Oliver Pleasant Roberts he would be 60. So why split the difference that way, unless he was guessing at the age of the real Oliver L?
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Post by Wayne Land on Aug 7, 2012 11:43:46 GMT -5
In the 1910 census, Brushy first reports he was born in Texas. He also reports his parents were both born in Kentucky. Yet, if he was really Oliver Pleasant Roberts, he knew he was born in Arkansas, his father was born in Texas, and his mother in Arkansas. This was almost 40 years before he revealed himself to be Billy The Kid. In later census years, he went back to reporting his parents as born in Texas and Arkansas yet he continued to say "he" was born in Texas. Why would he do that? Remember in 1948 he told Morrison his parents were born in Kentucky.
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Post by nmjames on Aug 14, 2012 23:02:33 GMT -5
Wayne,
I'm glad you joined Ancestry. What are your thoughts on the 1880 Census for Brushy?
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Post by Wayne Land on Aug 15, 2012 11:51:10 GMT -5
I assume you're referring to 1 year old Oliver Pleasant Roberts. Needless to say, I don't believe that was Brushy. Brushy was in New Mexico in 1880 going by the name William H. Bonney.
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Post by brianthedude on Aug 24, 2012 1:47:44 GMT -5
I just joined Ancestry as well -- what a great resource! In the 1870 and 1880 censuses, I did find a man named William H. Roberts, born in Van Zandt County in 1868. Wonder if this could have been the alleged older cousin?
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Post by nmjames on Aug 24, 2012 20:04:00 GMT -5
Brian,
Brushy said his name was William H. Roberts. The William H. Roberts, born in Van Zandt Co. in 1868 had different parents. His father was William D. Roberts and mother was Rebecca Roberts.
Unless you are talking about a different older cousin, in Morrison's book on page 60 the name Brushy started using was Ollie Roberts, a cousin, who was born in 1867.
Here is something else for you to look at. Brushy may have had a brother killed in Sulphur Springs, TX. in 1923. On his death record it has, died of gunshot by hands of another. He was born in 1876 or 1877. His name was A.B. Roberts.
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Post by nmjames on Aug 24, 2012 22:15:56 GMT -5
Brian:
Here is something else you can look up on Ancestry.
Henry O. Roberts first wife was Caroline Dunn b. ABT 1852 in Franklin Co. Arkansas, she died in about 1874 in Sebastian Co. Arkansas. Henry and Caroline had two children: Samatha Roberts but I don't have the dates on her. Martha Vada Roberts b. 13 Sept, 1872 and died in 1947. I think Henry and Caroline were married in ABT 1870.
Henry O. Roberts married Sarah E. Ferguson about 1876. On A.B. Roberts tombstone, it has he was born in 1877. Brushy was born about 1879.
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Post by Old Cowpoke on Jan 16, 2015 11:36:01 GMT -5
"Be very careful about believing everything written books. The book "Billy The Kid - His Real Name Was" claims to prove Brushy was actually lying and that his real name was Oliver Pleasant Roberts born in 1879."
I have not read any books about Billy The Kid. Which one of the several books about Billy The Kid would you recommend?
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Post by clydec on Oct 21, 2016 16:34:07 GMT -5
I just read a section of Helen Airy's book" Whatever happened to Billy the kid" the John Miller story. On the 1900 census form John Miller states that he was born in Texas and that his parents were born in Kentucky. Brushy said the same thing. What if these two men not only knew each other but we're related! Maybe half brothers! Wouldn't that be something!
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Post by Wayne Land on Oct 21, 2016 21:16:52 GMT -5
I wouldn't be too surprised if there were some kind of connection between the two of them. But I do not believe John Miller could have been the Kid.
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Post by clydec on Oct 22, 2016 6:30:11 GMT -5
I agree Wayne, he has a different body shape and the face is a different shape as well. But, he had buck teeth almost identicle to Billy's and he had the eyebrows similar. Definitely could be a relation there. I was asking Steve Sederwall about this and he believes they may be related as well.
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Post by Wayne Land on Oct 22, 2016 11:46:00 GMT -5
Just for fun, here's a rather outlandish theory of mine that goes "way" outside the box. Suppose John Miller was actually Billy Barlow and was shot in the chest by Pat Garrett, thought to be dead but then nursed back by the ladies who took him to the carpenter shop for a wake and an empty coffin was buried the next morning while Brushy (Billy The Kid) slipped away into the night as he said? Miller then runs away with Manuela, Brushy thinks he was killed and Garrett and his deputies think he was killed, etc.
Wouldn't that be a kicker?
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Post by clydec on Oct 22, 2016 13:37:13 GMT -5
it's possible. But, for two of them to use the same birthplace for themselves and their parents is more than a coincidence to me. Also, in this 1900 census their son Max Miller is not listed as living in the household, but another 21 year old is listed named John Hill. Miller listed his birthdate as 1857 and his age at 42. That would have made him about 23 in 1881. Isador listed her birthdate as 1849 and her age as 50 and her birthplace as New Mexico. John Hill listed is age as 22, the age brushy would have been if he were born in 1879. What if John Hill was brushy and he knew all about the kid because he lived with and worked for him. Maybe?
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Post by Wayne Land on Oct 22, 2016 15:29:56 GMT -5
That's also possible. So many possibilities, probabilities and we still don't know.
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