For someone who died in 1867, I can't offhand think of anything that privacy laws would cover. The US Census becomes available to the public a hundred years after it's published (so 1921 comes available this year). There actually are a few people alive now who are having their 1921 childhood addresses revealed, but the census +100 is the largest embargo date I'm aware of. A specific archives box could have conditions, but that'd be very unusual for something from 1860ish
If Elias has ancestors living now, there's definitely some witchery going on, although he could have descendants, or great-grand-nephews or something.
SOOOO... why is his ring so big?