Oscar Fitzallen de San Francisco

Family Stories and Legends Passed on

At the start of my search for Oscar Sisco, I was beginning to think there were no records at all for him, and that I dreamed up Oscar. The only one in our family that remembers him has passed away and I didn't remember very much of what they had told me. My mother-in-law, Ruby Bowling Sisco knew him as "Osk" or "AusK". Ruby also said that it would be hard to find that family because they lived so long. At that time I was not into the family history as I am now, so a lot of the things she had said and the stories that were told, were eventually forgotten through the years.
Other family legends from our Sesco cousins relate to us of how Oscar came to America. I believe this is a very important part of our family's surname and how it began.

From descendants of Oscar Francisco I have narrowed it down to three countries of origin. Italy, Spain or Germany. Some say Oscar came from Pennsylvania. According to the records I have so far, Oscar was born in Tazewell, Virginia. I checked Tazewell County archives earlier using an estimated birth date of about 1835, without any results but will check back again and search harder. Maybe I have the wrong year of birth. There is also a story that Oscar came to America as a young child with his parents and had several brothers with them.

The census records trace Oscar's travels from the age of 13 (1850) in Pike County, Kentucky to Johnson County (1910).

I have not proved who Oscar's parents are yet, (to my satisfaction at least) but have a new prospect that I am working on. The reason for having such difficulty is that I cannot find a birth, marriage or death record for Oscar. If I had the good fortune of finding one of these documents, this would prove beyond any doubt that Oscar is the son of Jacob and Jane Francisco from Pike County. I'm not alone in asking for these records for there are several of us who have combined our files and resources to find the answers to these questions. Together we have made an impressive family tree for our forthcoming generations.

TWO UNRELATED SISCO FAMILIES?

Further research has lead me to consider the possibility of two separate Sisco families in the areas of Johnson, Floyd, and possibly Martin Counties. Most of the children's names are the same and this would explain having such difficulty in finding anything for the Sisco/Sesco descendants. Also taken into consideration the different spellings of the last name. Of one specified family it could and was spelled three different ways. Our generation did the same with Sesco/Sisco/Cisco being the different spellings. Especially in the case of John Sisco's family. First, there are two Elmon Sisco's. One died and is shown in the SSDI and is older than Johnny's uncle Elmon. But I don't wish to rule out the older Elmon for he may be a descendant of the Francisco family from Pike County. There were two listings for John Sisco on the death records that had been mailed to me. Both death dates were exactly the same, one died in Meally and one died in Van Lear. I quickly assessed that it was the same John. This brings me to another small discrepancy for John. The census record for 1880 shows John H. in the household and not a John P. And the obituary for John P. says that Margaret Webb was his mother, while Archie's death certificate says that Archie's mother was Eliza Ramey. This could be explained if Eliza Webb Sisco married again to a Ramey after her husband Oscar had died, if that is the case here. Since there are no records for Oscar's death we have no way of knowing when and where Oscar and Elisann/Eliza died.

John Sesco's Death

John Sesco, son of Oscar Sesco and Margrett Webb, died at the aprox. Age of 79, on Oct 6, 1949 in Van Lear, Johnson Co.,Ky. He is listed in the Kentucky Death Index as John Sesee, State File No# 21123, Registrar's No# 171, Registration District No. 775 and Primary Registration District No# 6231. He is buried at the Porter Cemetery, October 9, 1949 located in Van Lear, Ky.

JACOB AND JANE FRANCISCO

According to a book called "The House of Franciscus", pages 25, 26, and 27 there is a Jacob and Jane (?) Franciscus who are direct descendants of Johan Christophel Franciscus, and are also shown on the (1850) Census of Pike County Kentucky. Jacob and Jane's children are also given in the book and match the same census record mentioned earlier.

Starting with the year 1850 in Pike County, this Oscar Francisco is 13 years of age and living with the family of Jacob age 60, and Jane (?) (Age 53) Francisco. Everyone listed was born in Virginia. In estimating birth dates from this census, Jacob was born about 1790 and Jane was born about 1783. The children so far;

Nancey Francisco Age 39 b: ca. 1811 in Virginia
Cynthia Francisco Age 26 b: ca. 1830 in Virginia
George Francisco Age 24 b: ca. 1826 in Virginia
John Francisco Age 23 b: ca. 1827 in Russell Co., Va.
Evans Francisco Age 22 b: ca. 1828 in Virginia
Franklin Francisco Age 17 b: ca. 1833 in Virginia
Parker Francisco Age b: ca. 1836 in Virginia
Rachal Francisco Age 15 b: ca. 1835 in Virginia
Oscar Francisco Age 13 b: ca. Mar 1837 in Virginia
Patrick Francisco Age 11 b: ca. 1839 in Virginia
Samuel Francisco Age 9 b: ca. 1841 in Virginia
---------------------------------

According to this census, Jane would have been 40 years old when Oscar was born. So there is a possibility that Jane is Oscar's mother.

Military Service

Oscar Francisco , from residence of Pike, Ky. mustered in 5/1/1863 in Logan Co., WV as Private to "B" Co. 45th Virginia Battalion Infantry (discharge not given)
(Prior service in Co. I, 1st VA State Line) He was listed as: POW 7/8/1863 Pike County, KY* Confined 7/15/1863 at Camp Douglas, IL (Estimated day) * Oath Allegiance 6/16/1865 (place not stated) (Released) He was described at enlistment as: 5"4", dark complexion, Hazel eyes, dark hair.

Notes- Oscar fought in the Civil war under the command of Major General John Buchanan Floyd during his service with the Virginia State Line. "CO I was an Infantry Company and called Captain John Buchanan's Company. Officers from this company were commissioned on August 26, 1862. Most identified members of this company were from Logan County, with a few from Cabell County. Several members later served in the 45th Battalion Virginia Infantry. Officers for this company were: Captain John Buchanan, 1st Lieutenant James Allison, and 2nd Lieutenant William M. Ferrell".
Other family members that enlisted at the same time and the same place and the same regiment were Patrick, and Samuel Francisco. Oscar, Patrick and Samuel were captured and released at the same time. So the plot thickens. Oscar, Patrick and Samuel were also taken prisoner at Pike County, Ky. at the same time.
How long was Oscar held prisoner at Camp Douglas?
Where was Oscar between 1865 and 1869, after the war?

1870 Pike County Kentucky Census

Oscar was 23 years of age and married to Eliza Ann age ? (WEBB), with daughter Margaret E. age 11 months. Margaret E. was shown as born in West Virginia . That census listing matches the marriage record for Margaret and so that would link our Oscar Francisco and places this same family in Pike Co., Ky. in the year 1870.

Oscar's oldest daughter, Margaret E. Francisco married Newton Music at Oscar Francisco's home (marriage record). The record also states that her father was born in Tazewell Co, Virginia and that she (Margaret E.) was born in Logan County, West Virginia. Margaret's mother's name was not given, only that Margaret's mother was born in Kentucky.

RECORD
FLOYD COUNTY MARRIAGES

Musick, Newton, 17, he and parents born Johnson Co,Ky, m. Margaret Elizabeth Francisco, 17, born Logan County, West Virginia, father born Tazewell County, Virginia, mother born Johnson County,Ky. Married at the home of Oscar Francisco on Feb 23,1885

I also have a letter from Billie Edith Ward that is very interesting. It tells the story of Oscar and his full name. I haven't used it as a main source for my records but it may prove to be valuable later on, and she relates Oscar's full name as "Oscar Fitzallen de san FRANCISCO". It also contains a family group chart for Eliza Ann's (WEBB) family. She was the daughter of John (Jack) Webb and Phoebe Butcher. The letter is handwritten and 4 pages long.

TIME LINE

CENSUS YEARS FOR OSCAR FRANCISCO

( 1 ) 1840
( 2 ) 1850 Pike County Kentucky Census--Oscar Francisco--age 13
( 3 ) 1860 Pike County Kentucky Census—Oscar Francisco—
( 4 ) 1870 Pike County Kentucky Census—Oscar Francisco—age 27
( 5 ) 1880 Johnson Co Kentucky Census—Oscar Francisco—age 38
( 6 ) 1890
( 7 ) 1900 Johnson County Kentucky Census—Oscar Sisco—age 65
( 8 ) 1910 (-not found-)

(A) 1850 Pike County Kentucky Census--Oscar Francisco--age 13
(B) 1860 Pike Co Ky Cen--Jacob, Esau, John, William, James, George Francisco
(C ) 1862 Probably Aug-Sep—1st Regiment Virginia State Line—Co I
(D) 1863 Military Record—Enlisted 5/1/1863-Logan Co., WV as Private
(E) 1863 Pike Co Ky. –Listed as POW 7/8/1863
(F) 1863 Camp Douglas, IL. –Confined—7/15/1863 --Estimated Day
(G) 1865 Place not stated –Oath Allegiance 6/16/1865--Released
(H) 1870 Pike Co Ky. Cen--Dist#7--House#3--Oscar & Eliza Francisco
(I) 1870 Johnson Co, Ky.--November 27--William A Sesco was born
(J) 1871-2 Johnson County, Ky. -- I believe this is the year John P. Sisco was born
(K) 1876 Johnson County, Ky. --Odds—Elhannah Glover Sesco was born
(L) 1880 Johnson Co Census—HH-90;pg 167--Oscar Francisco
(M) 1882 Martin Co--April 29--Archie Sisco was born—Oscar-Eliza
(N) 1885 Marriage Record—Feb 23--Margaret E. Francisco & Newton Music
(O) 1890 Marriage Record—Sep 30—William A. Sesco & Lucretia Mollett
(P) 1894 Births in Floyd County Kentucky--Callie Music
(Q) 1900 Johnson County Census--pg 43--Oscar Sisco – no death record or burial info
(R) 1900 Johnson County Census--pg 50--Glover Sisco
(S) 1910 Johnson County Census—pg 119--John Sisco/Siscoe
(T) 1920 Martin County Kentucky--Marriage License--John Ramey & Mae Sesco
(U) 1941 Kentucky Vital Statistics--Death Certificate-- Malta May Ramey
(V) 1949 Johnson Co. Death Records—Oct 6--John Sesco—age 79 + obit + death cert
(W) 1959 Ky. Vital Statistics--Death Certificate-- William Anderson Sesco—age 88
(X) 1960 Ky. Vital Statistics--Death Certificate-- Glover Sesco
(Y) 1964 Ohio Dept of Health—Oct 20--Death Cert-- Archie Sisco—age 82 - + obituary
(Z) 1985 Obituary--James Wesley Cesco
(1) 1987 Obituary--Rev. John Paris Sisco
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

This is only a temporary biography and time line of the Francisco Family and I will keep adding more information as it becomes available. Everyone has been so kind in their own efforts to bring this family together and it is to their benefit that I make this information available. If you have any corrections or additions please let us know.

Donna Sisco P.O. Box 235 Roann, Indiana 46974

my alternate email that I use only as a back up, so I don't check it as often; j_e_anie@yahoo.com