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George Wandless[1]
Male 1798 - 1883

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  • Birth  9 Mar 1798  Auchope, Roxburghshire, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Gender  Male 
    IMMI  30 Sep 1818  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 
    on the Brig Elizabeth, sailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia 
    • George Wanless, b 1798, son of William Wanless of Biddlestone, "came to Pittsburg PA about 1817 or 1818 and died some two or three years back". [Letter written in 1891 by a cousin George Wanless]
      --they married in England in May 1818, so must have immigrated after that, probably within the year, which matches nicely with this passenger arrival from Family TreeMaker's 1820-1850 Passenger Arrival index (online at genealogy.com):
      Wanless, George & Mrs. ???
      Ship Name Brig Elizabeth
      Port of Departure Halifax
      Port of Arrival Philadelphia
      Arrival Date Sep 30, 1818
      Nat'l Archives Series No. 425
      Microfilm Number 27
      List Number 245
      -- Note if this is them, they must've sailed from Roxburgh to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and then on to Philadelphia.

      No Wandless found on list of immigrants who filed naturalization records in Allegh. co 1798-1840 (FHL fiche 6010814; Holly's FHC #365). None found in "History of Allegheny County", 2 vols, pub. 1889, repr. 1978 (FHL fiche 6088079 and 80; Holly's FHC# 381). 1830 census implies he might not be naturalized yet, but by 1870 he is a citizen.
    Census  1830  Pitt Twp, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Indexed at ancestry.com (AIS) as WENLEFT
      page 105, Pitt Twp
      George Wanless [or Wonless or Wunless]
      1 male 5-10 [Wm]
      1 male 30-40 [George]
      1 female under 5
      2 females 5-10
      1 female 30-40 [Esther]
      1 person included above is not naturalized
      Neighbors: Cooper, Smith, Allen, Lewis, Mathews, Stewart Hancy, Spargo, Fitzpatrick, Ray, Travis, Tibs, Parker, Eachbaum, Barr, Roberts (several), Bryant (several), McCourtney, Pattan, Evens
    Census  1840  Pitt Twp, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • p. 491, Pitt Twp
      George Wardliss (indexed Wardley, but y could be double-s)
      1 male under 5 [James, 0-2]
      1 male 5-10 [George, actually abt 4]
      1 male 10-15 [John, actually abt 8]
      1 male 15-20 [Wm, 20]
      1 male 30-40 [George]
      2 fems 10-15 [Agnes, actually 8, and unknown shown in 1830]
      2 fems 15-20 [2 unknown daus. shown in 1830]
      1 fem 30-40 [Esther]
      One of the above is employed in mining. The ages all seem off by a little, but the general distribution is right compared to 1830, and 1830 neighbor Stewart Hancy/Haney is still a neighbor, plus several Herrons (maybe this becomes the Herron Hill area?)
    Census  1850  Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [4] 
    • 1850 PA, Allegheny Co, Pittsburge City Ward 6 (roll 746, p. 450) - in census folder
      (index says 6th Ward, top of page says 5th Ward, pages before & after are 7th ward)
      Wandless, George 50 laborer, b. Scotland, r.e. value: 2000
      Esther 49 b. Scotland
      Agnes 19 b. PA -- all children born PA
      John 18
      Eliza 16
      George 14
      James 12
      Robert 10
    Census  1860  Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • 7th Ward,, p.314 & 315
      George Windlass, age 60, Teamster, born Scotland, real estate: $5,000; pers. $700
      Esther, female, age 58, born Scotland
      George Windlass, age 25, paper hanger, born PA
      Agnes, age 28, PA
      James, age 20, PA, waggoner
      Robert, age 18, PA, app. carpenter
    Census  1870  Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • 11th Ward, p. 389, #708-847
      Windlas, Geo 72 m, w, b. Scotland, wagoner, real estate worth $7500, pers. estate $500, US citizen, everybody's parents of foreign birth
      Agnes 28 f, w, b. PA, keeps house
      James 30 m, w, b. PA, driver
      -- note Agnes should be 38
    Census  1880  Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • 11th Ward, Wylie Ave (house # not shown, but other addresses are in 500 block; near intersection with Kirkpatrick St.) (ED 122, p. 511, fam# 411)
      George Wandlass 82 head, widowed, b. Scotland, parents b. Scotland, no occ. or ditto marks after previous "baker"
      Agness 38 daughter, keeps house, b. PA, parents b. Scotland
      -- note Agnes is actually 48 per 1850, 1860, and 1900 census
    Occupation  laborer, teamster, wagoner 
    WILL  13 Dec 1882  Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • (Spelled Wenless throughout the will, not in his handwriting, but signed in very shaky hand that probably was his.)
      - to Annie, George Anna, and Lizzie Miller the three daughters of George Miller, the sum of ten dollars each
      - to my daughter Violet wife of Robert Stevenson, ten dollars
      - to my daughter Elizabeth Rigdon, ten dollars
      - to my son William Wenless, ten dollars
      - to my son George Wenless, ten dollars
      - to my son Robert Bruce Wenless, ten dollars
      - to my son John Wenless, ten dollars
      - to my daughter Agnes Wenless all my household goods, furniture, wearing apparel to use or dispose of as she sees fit
      - executors to collect from my son John Wenless the amount of a mortgage against my property which he assumed payment of and on which he has paid the interest from time to time
      - to my daughter Agnes Wenlss, besides the bequest above, 3/4 of the proceeds of my entire estate real and personal after the payments and discharge of debts and legacies
      - to my son James Wenless 1/4 of the proceeds as above
      - executors my daughter Agnes Wenless and David Hutchison
      -witnesses Sam'l A. Philips & A.K. Stevenson
      (George's signature looks like Weenless but could be Wanless.)
    Residence  1872-1883  571 Wylie, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • 1872 plat map shows Wandless parcel on Wylie between Perry and Kirkpatrict St, with an adjacent plot (across Hills Alley) facing Centre Ave, possibly #247 Centre - just down the block from son John at #207 Centre.
    PROB  Oct 1883  Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • 6 Oct 1883: Witnesses to will of George Wendless swore this was his will. Agnes filed the will, signing "Agnes Wandles" and George is referred to as Wanless on the cover sheet.
    Died  2 Oct 1883  Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location  [5, 6, 7] 
    PROB  20 Mar 1885  Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • List of accounts & payments, legacies, and inventory & appraisement filed for George's estate. $10 legacies paid to Annie Miller, George Miller, Lizzie Miller, Violet Stevenson, Elizabeth Rigdon, Wm Wenless, George Wenless, Robt Bruce Wenless, John Wenless. Balance for distribution is $757. Agnes gets $568 and James gets $189.
      A.K. Stevenson is a notary public; appraisal done by William M. McElroy and Andrew Fisher for property of George Wandless dec'd on 11 Oct 1883.
      In front parlor, first floor: 1 hair cloth lounge, 8 hair cloth chairs, and 1 hair cloth rocking chair, 1 looking glass, 1 card table
      Back room, first floor: 1 clock, 1 small table
      Back room, 2nd floor: 1 table, washstand, bedstead, 6 chairs
      Basement: 1 cooking stove
      Wearing apparel
      Total worth $31
      Acct list filed 24 Jan 1885 shows payments to estate for:
      - rent for stable, W. Finney, $3
      - rent of house, W. Foster, $23
      - renf of house, Wm Harris, $15, later $10
      Payments every month from the above. In 1885-91, there are many payments of from John Wanless and Bruce Wanless.
      It appears that Agnes spent a great deal of money fixing up the house; there are lots of bills for carpentry, painting, glass, hardware, lumber, roofing, plumbing, including $4 paid to Harvey Wanless for carpentry on 30 Dec 1885. It looks like Agnes sold the house in 1891, maybe around July.
    Person ID  I1338  2: George Wanless & Bessie Cairns of Auchope Farm, Yetholm Parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland
    Last Modified  16 Sep 2002 
     
    Father  William Wanless,   b. 1772, Auchope, Roxburghshire, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 13 Feb 1838, Town Foot Farm, Biddlestone, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Mother  Margaret Grey,   b. 17 May 1776, Morebattle, Roxburghshire, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1805-1809 
    Married  Between 1792 and 1796 
    Family ID  F396  Group Sheet
     
    Family  Esther Amos,   b. Abt 1801, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1860-1870, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Married  25 May 1818  Alwinton, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [8, 9] 
    Children 
     1. (Girl) Wandless,   b. 1820-1825, (Probably) Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Bef 1850
     2. William Wandless,   b. Abt 1820, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 9 Dec 1893, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     3. Margaret Wandless,   b. Abt 1824, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     4. Violet A. Wandless,   b. 1825-1828, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 10 Jun 1901
     5. Agnes Wandless,   b. Jun 1831, Pennsylvania, USA (Probably Pittsburgh) Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Aft Jun 1900, (Probably) Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     6. John A. Wandless,   b. Oct 1832, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 3 Jul 1902, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     7. Elizabeth/Eliza Wandless,   b. Abt 1834, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     8. George Wandless,   b. Abt 1835, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 5 Aug 1906, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     9. James A. Wandless,   b. Abt 1838, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 10 Apr 1898, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
     10. Robert Bruce Wandless,   b. 1840, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 26 Apr 1902, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
    Headstones
    Wandless family plot at Homewood Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA    		Wandless family plot at Homewood Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA
    Status: Located. Almost completely buried by bushes.
    Wandless family plot at Homewood Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA    		Wandless family plot at Homewood Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA
    Status: Located. Needs some clearing work!
    Last Modified  25 May 2002 
    Family ID  F1567  Group Sheet
     
  • Histories Maps of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where Wandlesses lived
    Plat maps showing exact locations of Wandless houses, 1870s to 1920s (descendants of George Wandless & Esther Amos)
     
  • Notes 
    • George Wanless, b 1798, son of William Wanless of Biddlestone, "came to Pittsburgh PA about 1817 or 1818 and died some two or three years back". [Letter written in 1891 by George Wanless]

      1820 PA census -- can't find 'em
      George should be abt 22 and Esther abt 19, so we need at least:
      1 male 18-26, 1 female 16-26, and possibly 1 male & female < 10
      None of the following match this age profile:
      NEALONGS GEORGE
      WALLACE GEORGE Allegheny County 022 Pittsburg Cty W Ward
      WALLIS GEORGE Allegheny County 092 Robinson Township
      WALLACE GEORGE Allegheny County 149 Pitt Township - this shows no people, only numbers in the far right columns, which I think is property or maybe free blacks
      WALLACE GEORGE Allegheny County 221 Pine Township - there are 2 on same page - one is a manufacturer and the ages don't match at all; the other is parents 26-45 & 3 kids under 10, so the parents seem a few years too old. However, this 2nd one IS only 1 page after Stewart Haney (1830/40 neighbor). There is also an Irwin and Charles Wallace on this page.

      General note: Wandless St. in the 1900 census is in ED 160 sh 4B & 9B.

      Family lore per John H. Wandless Jr: My great-grandfather (this would be Robert B.) owned a stained glass factory at the top of the hill at the top of Wandless Way and it was named for him. My Uncle Robert told me it was named for my great-grandfather who was an engineer or construction foreman who built Central Ave.

      What this area is like today, by Martha Palmer: In Aug 2002, we looked for Wandless addresses on Centre, Herron & Wylie Sts. and for the Minersville Cemetery. We drove a few blocks down Herron and Centre. People were living in boarded up buildings, or no windows, doors hanging on hinges, dirty, grimy kids roaming around everywhere. Every morning on the news, there are 3 or 4 shooting the night before in the 'Hill District'. Drugs are pretty bad also. Then I saw the street sign for Wandless St. No way to go up it. It was paved at one time but grass and weeds have grown in from both sides and it may be used as a back alley. (Pittsburgh was built with the homes having alleys behind each house for garage entrances and garbage pickup).

      Carnegie Library reports no obits for George or Esther in the Pitts. papers of that time.

      Historic Pittsburgh plat map (1872) is here: http://digital.library.pitt.edu/maps/
     
  • Sources 
    1. [S202] Parish Register, Morebattle, Scotland.
      This birth was recorded in an irregular entry in the Morebattle Parish Registers "Isabel Wanless Daughter to William Wanless was born at Achhope May 8th 1796. George Wanless son to William Wanless was born at Achhope March 9th 1798." [John Ayton]

    2. [S4] Letter Of John Wanless, 1893, John Wanless [born 1832].

    3. [S115] Geo Wanless letter.

    4. [S188] 1850 Census, Pittsburgh, PA, Allegheny Co., PA.

    5. [S115] Geo Wanless letter, "came to Pittsburg PA about 1817 or 1818 and died some two or three years back" ; which could mean anything but probably means he died in the late 1880s (Reliability: 1).

    6. [S115] Geo Wanless letter, "came to Pittsburg PA about 1817 or 1818 and died some two or three years back" (Reliability: 1).

    7. [S181] Death record/certificate, vol 35, pg 228 (Martha Palmer has copy) (Reliability: 3).
      George Wandless, White, 86 years, 7 months, 1 day, Widower
      Date of death: October 2, 1883
      Cause of death: Old Age; Contributing factors: Dropsy & Asthenia
      Born: Scotland Parents name are blank
      Last residence: 571 Wylie Ave, Pittsburgh, PA
      Place of Interment: Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA
      Date of Interment: October 5, 1883

    8. [S187] John Ayton Letters, Parish Records (Reliability: 3).

    9. [S186] Ewen Herbert.

  

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