William “Billy” E. Winslow “Train Electrician” for Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey

Question

Hi Wikitreers,

I am researching the genealogy of Billy Winslow who apparently was a “Train Electrician” for Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey see Milner Library. 

See also Circus Clown "Billy" Winslow link to the Wisconsin Historical Society

I’d like to find his memorial if he is on FindAGrave. Who was his family? Does he have a Wikitree profile yet? 

It is possible one of his children were a “Goliath” Winslow who was a strong man in the circus. Who was his daughter Katherine? He likely had 3 other sons a Tate, Wes and William “Bill” Jr. 

Any collaboration is appreciated 

Thank you 

Answer 1

It's far from an authoritative source, but at Pat Casey's Clown Alley - https://clownalley.blogspot.com/2010/03/billy-winslow-airship-walkaround-on.html - an unknown poster made the following comment in January, 2012, on the picture of Billy Winslow to which you linked:

"This is a picture of my Great Grandfather David William "Billy" Winslow.  Thanks for post this, I have never seen it before."

Comments

There is an ancestry.com profile that identities Billy Winslow with the same David William Winslow that you picked up:

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/117923490/person/422040980657/facts

It has him dying on October 2, 1957, and that means that the following clipping is likely his obituary:

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-obituary-for-david-w-winslow/102937716/

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I am not finding it on familysearch.org, but the draft registration card for David William Winslow - https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6482/images/005264779_03985?pId=14870220 - lists him as a "circus performer" and as "unemployed" at the time.  

P.S.  Found it on familysearch: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6JZ-MLR

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The marriage record of David to Carrie list his father as "Almon Mack Winslow" and his mother as "Carallee Mcbrow:"

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3VZ-1L1

David and Almon have familysearch profiles:

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GJNS-FK6

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/96F9-DXP

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Hi Roger

Thank you. I believe it’s same person but this person moved or was on the move alot. Married maybe twice. The first marriage having 4 sons and a daughter Catherine. The easier son to find should be the one nicknamed Goliath. There is also a newspaper named “The New York Clipper” with a news article from 1909 Newburgh, New York titled “Under the Tents” which Bill Winslow is mentioned but can’t find this source really like to find it if available. I believe two kids born in 2nd marriage. 

There is a Goliath mentioned in a book of all the actors performers in the Ringling Bro. Circus I would like to find this book and source also. There is a Barnum Bailey Yearbook 1945-1950 everyone who worked for the circus is mentioned in this book.

The sources especially obit is helpful!

I think his life with the first family is going to be an eye opener especially the daughter Catherine who was apparently married 4x and was a gold digger possibly? She took from men trying to climb social ladders? In the end she died tragically by one of these men so the story goes…

Article is in this paper but on a different page but here is link to sourcing https://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=d&d=NYC19090410.1.20

Edit: before creating a profile for Catherine Winslow the manipulative, gold digging daughter who climbed social ladders in the mid 1930’s and died tragically as the story goes we need to find first if she even existed…

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The WW2 draft card is very helpful gives son Williams middle name and the fathers profession very interesting bunch here. I wonder why in the photo his middle initial is “E” lots of nicknaming going on, lots of traveling in trains and with the circus. Might be the most challenging family group I’ve seen to research

Edit: David William Winslow is the only Winslow on FindAGrave buried at George Washington Memorial Park Paramus, Bergen County, New Jersey, USA

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I’d like to find the dates of death for David William aka “Billy Winslow” wives

I’m thinking the first Carrie died in 1909-1910 era

Answer 2

Andrew:

     I think that Carrie must have died a little later than that.  She is still listed as alive in the 1910 U.S. Census that you found but she is not listed as the next-of-kin in the draft card.  It's interesting, too, that he is still living with his first wife's family in the 1920 Census.

   The ancestry profile lists her death date as April 17, 1918, in Kings County, but I wonder if it's the same person because David is still listing Newburgh as his address in his draft card.

                         Roger

Comments

But she must have died before 1915, when David has a wife named Irma in the 1915 New York Census.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9GM-2FR

That makes me even more skeptical of the 1918 date in the ancestry profile.

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Here's a clipping to the obituary of the final wife, Mary C. Winslow:

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record/143073046/

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It’s possible two different men. I wonder if there is a Tate, “Goliath” or Wes Winslow or the red hair girl named Catherine who died tragically. So intrigued by the story of this family. Thank you the sources help trying to sort this puzzle