1831 Birth:2416,2375 Birth year of 1831 estimated from age of 19 years in 1850 census enumeration; birth place of Licking County, Ohio assumed given his parents enumeration in that location in 1830.

1840 U.S. Census:2108
Licking County, Ohio (Burlington Township)
Head of Household •• Arthur Briggs
Males 5-10 •• 1 << son William P., about age 9
Males 10-15 •• 1 << son Asa, about age 12
Males 15-20 •• 1 << son Harrison, about age 18
Males 40-50 •• 1 << Arthur, about age 47
Females under 5 •• 2 << daughter Naoma, about age 3, and one other
Females 15-20 •• 1 << daughter Samantha, born about 1825, later married William Paul
Females 20-30 •• 1 << daughter Waty born about 1820, later married Nelson Daily
Females 40-50 •• 1 << wife Mary "Polly," about age 42

1850 U.S. Census:
Knox County, Ohio (Miller Township)
Enumerated 28 August 1850
Nelson Dailey2909 •• 35, male, farmer, born in New York
Waity •• 30, female, born in Ohio << daughter of Arthur & Mary Briggs
Mary S. •• 6, female, born in Ohio, attended school within the year
Prudence •• 3, female, born in Ohio
Eliza •• 9 months, female, born in Ohio
. . . (Two intervening households)
Arthur Briggs2416 •• 57, male, farmer, real estate value $700, born in Massachusetts
Mary •• 52, female, born in Vermont
Harrison •• 23, male, farmer, born in Ohio << actually age 28
Asa •• 22, male, farmer, born in Ohio
William P. •• 19, male, farmer, born in Ohio
Naoma •• 13, female, born in Ohio, attended school within the year
William Paul •• 59, male, farmer, real estate value $3,000, born in Pennsylvania
Jane •• 59, female, born in Virginia
William Paul2940 •• 24, male, farmer, born in Virginia
Samantha •• 23, female, born in Ohio << daughter of Arthur & Mary Briggs
Waity •• 2, female, born in Ohio

1860 U.S. Census:2920
Johnson County, Iowa (Washington Township, Frank Pierce Post Office)
Enumerated 29 June 1860
Wm P. Briggs •• 29, male, farmer, real estate value $1,000, personal property value $200, born in Ohio
Margaret •• 23, female, born in Pennsylvania
Eliza •• 7, female, born in Ohio, attended school within the year
Hester •• 5, female, born in Iowa, attended school within the year << Esther in 1870
Mary •• 3, female, born in Iowa
Martha •• 1, female, born in Iowa
Father Arthur Briggs and siblings Waty Daily and Asa Briggs were enumerated six dwellings before the William P. Briggs family.

1865 Death of daughter Eliza:3061 Eliza Jan Briggs died 29 September 1865 at age 12 years, 10 months, 9 days, and is buried in Frank Pierce Cemetery, Washington Township. Johnson County, Iowa. Tombstone reads "daughter of WP, daughter of MF."

1870 U.S. Census:2921
Johnson County, Iowa (Washington Township, Amish Post Office)
Enumerated 2 July 1870
Philander Briggs •• 40, male, white, farm renter, personal property value $1,500, born in Ohio, male citizen over the age of 21
Margaret •• 35, female, white, keeping house, born in Ohio
Esther •• 15, female, white, born in Iowa, attended school within the year << Hester in 1860
Mary •• 13, female, white, born in Iowa, attended school within the year
Henry •• 11, male, white, born in Iowa, attended school within the year
Alice •• 10, female, white, born in Iowa, attended school within the year
Arthur •• 7, male, white, born in Iowa, attended school within the year
Charles •• 2, male, white, born in Iowa

1873 Death of son John:3062 John H. Briggs died 23 September 1873 at age 1 year, 7 months, 11 days, and is buried in Frank Pierce Cemetery, Washington Township. Johnson County, Iowa. Tombstone reads "son of WP, son of MF."

1874 Death of wife Margaret:3064 Margaret Briggs died 11 May 1874 at age 38 years, 11 months, 19 days, and is buried in Frank Pierce Cemetery, Washington Township. Johnson County, Iowa. Tombstone reads "wife of WP."

1875 Death of son Charles:3063 Charles M. Briggs died 18 December 1875 at age 8 years, 10 months, 4 days, and is buried in Frank Pierce Cemetery, Washington Township. Johnson County, Iowa. Tombstone reads "son of WP, son of MF."

1879 Second Marriage:2929 W. P. Briggs married Nancy Harrison on 3 July 1879 in Jones County, Iowa.

1880 U.S. Census:2922
Jones County, Iowa (Fairview Township)
Enumerated 10 June 1880
William P. Briggs •• white, male, 49, married, farmer, born in Ohio, father born in Massachusetts, mother born in Vermont
Nancy •• white, female, 47, wife, married, keeping house, born in Indiana, father born in Kentucky, mother born in Kentucky
Arthur •• white, male, 16, son, single at home, born in Iowa, father born in Ohio, mother born in Indiana << son of William P. and first wife Margaret Clancey
(Ernest) Harrison •• white, male, 14, son, single, at school, attended school within the year, born in Iowa, father born in Ohio, mother born in Indiana << son of Nancy and second husband Benjamin Harrison
Letta L. •• white, female, 12, daughter, single, at school, attended school within the year, born in Iowa, father born in Ohio, mother born in Indiana << presumed daughter of William P. and first wife Margaret Clancey, not in 1870 census
Albert •• white, male, 9, son, single, at school, attended school within the year, born in Iowa, father born in Ohio, mother born in Indiana << son of William P. and first wife Margaret Clancey
Edith •• white, female, 7, daughter, single, at school, attended school within the year, born in Iowa, father born in Ohio, mother born in Indiana << daughter of Nancy and second husband Benjamin Harrison

1884 Divorce:2923 During the May term 1884, Nancy Soesbe Waggoner Harrison Briggs was granted a divorce from W. P. Briggs, whom she married on 3 July 1879. The twists and turns of the divorce proceedings are recorded on 19th Century Divorce on the Jones County, Iowa USGenWeb site.

1885 Iowa State Census:2927
Jones County, Iowa (Fairview Township)
Wm. P. Briggs •• township 84, range 4, section 16, age 53, male, divorced, laborer, born in Ohio, parents born in the U.S., voter, illiterate

1889 Third Marriage:2926 On 26 December 1899 W. P. Briggs married Mrs. Mary Stroud in Anamosa Township, Jones County, Iowa. The groom's birthplace was Ohio and the bride's birthplace was Wisconsin. The groom's parents were Arthur Briggs and Mary Morey. The bride's parents were Nelson Blood and Malinda Leulling.

1895 Iowa State Census:2924
Jones County, Iowa (Fairview Township)
William P. Briggs •• 63, male, married, born in Ohio, farmer, Christian
Mary A. •• 44, female, married, born in Wisconsin, keeping house, Christian

1899 Poor Farm Residence:2925 William P. Briggs entered the Jones County Poor Farm, Iowa, on 6 February 1899.

1900 U.S. Census:2931
Jones County, Iowa (Wayne Township)
Enumerated 19 June 1900
Jones County Poor Farm
William Briggs •• inmate, white, male, born in 1833, age 67, married for 11 years, born n Pennsylvania [!], father born in Pennsylvania [!], mother born in Pennsylvania [!], can read, write, and speak English

1900 Death:2925 William P. Briggs died in the Jones County, Iowa, Poor Farm on 3 October 1900. He had been a resident since 6 February 1899, was said to be 66 years of age, and came to the facility from Fairview Township.