Looking for Relief

Relief Carlisle was born November 11, 1803 in Westmoreland, NH, the daughter of Daniel and Zipporah (Wheeler) Carlisle.

I've had Relief on the back burner for some time now. The family left New Hampshire sometime after the 1810 census for New York. Finding records from New York from this era is difficult, if not impossible. From family papers and New Hampshire records I have her date of birth and nothing else.

Years ago I was contacted by a woman who thought Relief may have been the wife of John Nelson. That was when I was just starting to research and hadn't learned to document very well. I recorded the information in my file as more or less fact and that is where I'm still at.

The John Nelson of about the right age, listed on the 1850 census for Lockport, Niagara Co, NY, is married to Mary. The only Relief Nelson's that come up in a search of the 1850 census are mother (b1815, MA) and daughter (b1850) in Galena , IL. This Relief's husband is Horatio.

I next did a search of the 1850 census for the first name, Relief born New Hampshire or New York with no surname and started looking for anything that looked promising. I wouldn't expect her to have returned to NH or VT but that is possible I guess. There were a few I tracked down but none appear to be my Relief.

On the 1810 census, Daniel Carlisle had six daughters. Per family records the seventh daughter, Fanny, was born in 1811. On the 1820 census there are only 5 daughters shown, two were 16-26 and three were under 16. Had one of the oldest three daughters married or died? I can only account for Mahala who married in 1822. So either Relief or her sister Betsey is missing.

Should I actually be looking for Betsey? Will something turn up for Relief? The search continues.